Skip to main content

Guru Nanak Dev In My Life

The first time I visited Amritsar, it was like an electric shock. No, I didn't get electrocuted, or anything. 

I went like a tourist but I came back humbled. Of course, I had heard of Guru Nanak Dev, as the founder of Sikhism and the first of the Sikh Gurus. But that is all I knew.

                                    Image courtesy: http://www.4to40.com/

The day I went there, it was Diwali. I saw that Sikhs from across the world, particularly UK and US, had come to offer their prayers there. I sat by the shimmering waters that mirrored the Golden Temple. I saw young Sikhs crying with bliss after taking a dip in the holy water. I saw elderly couples help each other to take a dip and pray for their children who were not with them. I saw young parents, beautifully dressed, help their young ones to take a dip without fear. 

Everywhere I felt love. There was love in the air and it was so electric.

Sitting there, I experienced an electric current of unbelievable love for humanity. I closed my eyes and felt great light emerging from within me and filling me with absolute, unconditional love for humanity. 

I understood then and there the glorious essence of Guru Nanak Dev ji. He is LOVE.

I bowed, humbled by the experience and prayed, one by one, mentioning the names of those who are dear to me and asked Him to protect them.

Though not a devotee, I sensed that Guru Nanak Dev knew me even before I knew or understood anything about him. There was, simply put, an instant electric communication between us.

Following the Amritsar trip, I read all the serious literature around him and before I knew it, he made his way into my home and my heart. It's more like a silent, respectful sort of love. I feel his soothing presence and it brings a ray of light.

And then finally after reading a lot about Guru Nanak Dev ji, I joined the dots and understood the connection. 

Guru Nanak Dev is one of the Masters of the Spirit World, besides Meher Baba. He protects spiritual seekers who are regularly communicating with the Spirit World. 

When Guru Nanak Dev enters their homes, He protects them in this uncharted territory with the purpose of serving humanity.

Among my favorite teachings of Guru Nanak Dev, here is one: "Like the butter goes into the bread, love also gets into things. Love means to love others."

Comments

Vishnu said…
I've so come to appreciate and honor the Sikh religion and have had similar experiences going to Sikh temples in the US, Swapna. There is so much devotion, love and spirit in the faith. I have always thought I wanted to visit Amritsar but after this review, I am definitely going to go there. I hope to find it as spiritually engaging and filled with love as you did.
@Vishnu: Good to hear you had a positive, energizing experience in Sikh temples, Vishnu. Do visit the Golden Temple and share your thoughts on how it felt.

Most Popular Posts

The Ugly Truth about Caste in Kerala

Many years ago, when I wrote this post on Kerala's caste system, I had not considered that people would start sending in abusive comments about one caste over the other. It baffles me that this is how Indians, all of us, continue to judge each other on account of caste differences.  [ READ: Guru Kripa: Powerful Lessons at the Lotus Feet ] My question is - why do you ABUSE any caste or community? I suggest that you read about the lives of great Masters and their stories - none of them judged anyone on the basis of caste.  You can read the life stories of Sri Adi Shankara Bhagawadpada, Tulsidas, Jnaneshwar, Namadev, Sri Aurobindo, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Paramahansa Yogananda, Shirdi Sai Baba, and many more Gurus in Sanathana Dharma. NONE of them endorse these caste hierarchies in Bhakti Marga. Assuming that Guru Sampradaya does not appeal to your sensibilities, do read this  new book 'Ants among Elephants' written by Sujatha Gidla, who writes about herself as being born

How do you light Deepam at home?

How do you light deepam at home? As a child, I loved watching the ritual of my grandmother lighting the deepam or the traditional lamp at home in the evenings. A sense of serenity accompanied her frail figure as she would carefully straighten every wick, dip it into the tiny puddle of oil and light the lamp. As my grandmother would read out the scriptures and chant the prayers, the fragrance of incense sticks and flowers added depth to the experience. In many Hindu homes nowadays, the lighting of the lamp (or the nilavilakku, as Malayalis refer to the traditional lamp in their homes) is not a regular practice. A lot of people have many questions around how to light deepam at home and which oil to use and so on. An important point to keep in mind - Maintain physical cleanliness and hygiene while lighting the lamp. Wear clean clothes while lighting the lamp. Frequently Asked Questions About Lighting Deepam at Home Collating most queries related to how to light the deepam at home, I'v

Note of Thanks for the Honest Award

Thank you, Baba . I've run out of words to describe my happiness in getting this Award. A big, heart felt thank you to Faiza Ali for encouraging me with this Honest Award. It means so much to me because I'm an ardent admirer of her awesome blog, Faiza Ali's Kitchen. Requirements:- I must thank the person who gave me the award and list their blog and link it I must list 10 honest things about myself I must put a copy of Honest Scrap logo on my blog I must select atleast 7 other worthy bloggers and list their links I must notify the bloggers of the award and hopefully they will follow the above three requirements also. 10 Honest things about me:- 1. I am very proud of being an Indian. 2. I am very thankful and humbled by my parents', their unconditional love, sacrifices and amazing support and the way they brought me up. 3. Good books are my life. 4. I love my Twitter friends. 5. My favorite place is Puttaparthi. 6. I am a shopaholic. 7. I am a 'people person.&#

Saree Woes 2

Our earlier discussion on Saree Woes really perked up my spirits. A big thanks to all of you for pepping me up. Okay, here's the good news. There was an unexpected late night party that I had to attend in Gurgaon. To be honest, I haven't had the time or energy to attend any such parties after Adi was born. I was sure I wouldn't have the confidence to make conversation with the glitterati, let alone feel confident to carry off wearing a saree. This is one of those parties where you have to be dressed very formally. Well, at the end of a working woman's day, you hardly feel ready to attend one of these parties looking like a moron, right? So, with very little preparation and very few hours left, I called on all the gods in Heaven to help me look a little younger and prettier since I don't have the magic to look young all on my own. Although I was tempted to wear one of my awesome Kancheevaram treasures, I knew it would be very difficult to drape it without any h

Sorry Tales of Housework

While growing up, I shirked house work because I knew Mummy would do it. The only hard work I did is to eat whatever she made. Mummy would wake up early in the morning, bathe, do the pooja, make breakfast and lunch and then of course, my task was to eat it away as if nothing else matters.  Of course, she would ask me to help her out and learn some basics but do you think I listened? Not seriously, I simply didn't. I used to tell her not to worry so much. I always felt there would be a magical Alladin's Lamp that would manifest and take care of everything when it was my turn to take care of a home. Her wise words "Start early, or else later you will find it difficult to manage simple chores in your home" always fell on my deaf and dumb ears. Those were the years I wish I could turn back time.... (sigh, dreaming, dreaming!) In case you are wondering why the sigh, read this post .  Marriage, Introspection and the Pressure Cooker Suddenly, I found