(D4)  SPIRITUAL SOUL: NANAK
Artist – Chuck Marshall
Oil on Canvas

  • (D4)  SPIRITUAL SOUL: NANAK
Artist – Chuck Marshall
Oil on Canvas

Guru Nanak was born on April 15, 1469 and died on September 22, 1539.  The spirit of Guru Nanak as one of the most respected spiritual masters represents sanctity, divinity, and religious authority that was shared among each of the nine subsequent Gurus who established Sikhism, and has spread his teaching to the masses to different parts of the world and practice around the world.  This is demonstrated through wearing turbans across India, Southeast Asia, the Near East and the Arabian Peninsula as well as in parts of Africa.  


Sikhism is a monotheistic religion which originated during the 15th century in the Punjab region of Asia.  Sikh turbans are worn according to the directive of their 10th Guru, Guru Gobind Singh.  The color may be a personal choice, but blue (valour) or saffron (wisdom) are most common. 

Further notes on Sikhism:

Sikh - meaning a "disciple", "seeker," or "learner"), is a monotheistic religion that originated in the Punjab region in the northern part of India around the end of the 15th century.  It is one of the youngest of the major world religions and the world's fifth largest organized religion, as well as being the world's ninth-largest overall religion. The fundamental beliefs of Sikhism, articulated in the sacred script, Sikhure Guru Granth Sahib, include faith and meditation on the name of the one creator, divine unity, and equality of all humankind, engaging in selfless service, striving for justice for the benefit and prosperity of all, and honest conduct and livelihood while living a householder's life. In the early 21st century, there were nearly 25 million Sikhs worldwide, the great majority of them living in Punjab, according to the Encyclopaedia Britannica. 
 
Sikhism is based on the spiritual teachings of Guru Nanak (above), the first Guru (1469–1539), and the nine Sikh gurus that succeeded him. The Tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, named the Sikh scripture Guru Granth Sahib as his successor, terminating the line of human Gurus and making the scripture the eternal, religious spiritual guide for Sikhs.  Sikhism rejects claims that any particular religious tradition has a monopoly on Absolute Truth.

The Sikh scripture opens with Ik Onkar, its Mul Mantar and fundamental prayer about One Supreme Being (God). Sikhism emphasizes simran (meditation on the words of the Guru Granth Sahib), that can be expressed musically through kirtan, or internally through Nam Japo (repeat God's name) as a means to feel God's presence. It teaches followers to transform the "Five Thieves" (lust, rage, greed, attachment, and ego).  Guru Nanak taught that living an "active, creative, and practical life" of "truthfulness, fidelity, self-control, and purity" is above the metaphysical truth, and that the ideal man is one who "establishes union with God, knows His Will, and carries out that Will."

Guru Hargobind, the sixth Sikh Guru, established the political/temporal (Miri) and spiritual (Piri) realms to be mutually coexistent.