Guru Nanak - Message of Equality
by J. Singh
21st
November
2007
Guru Nanak Dev Ji is the founder of Sikhism.
Although it is believed that Guru Nanak was actually born sometime
around the festival of Vaisakhi in April 1469,
his birth is traditionally celebrated 15 days after Diwali in
accordance with the lunar calendar. In 2007, this anniversary will
take place on 24th November.
It was exactly 500 years
ago in 1507 that the Guru began to preach his beliefs throughout
central and southern
Asia. The
fundamentals of Guru Nanak’s philosophy are the belief in one God for
the whole of mankind, that all religions are pathways to that same
God, that all equal regardless of caste or gender, education for all,
and the creation of an inclusive society by the redistribution of
wealth. If looked at from a secular and socio-political viewpoint,
Guru Nanak can been seen as a predecessor to Marx and Engels.
Guru Nanak’s travels as a preacher took him as
far afield as Mecca, Baghdad, Tibet, and Sri Lanka. There are numerous
accounts of Guru Nanak’s travels that have collated in the Janamsakhis
(literally ‘birth stories’). These accounts were written in the
aftermath of the death of Guru Nanak, and in that respect are quite
similar to the Gospels relating to Jesus within the Christian
tradition. Although the historical veracity of some of the Janamsakhis
is questionable, they provide information as to the context of Guru
Nanak’s teachings as well as provide vivid illustrations of his
teachings in action. The Janamsakhis also have their basis within the
legends and oral tradition concerning Guru Nanak passed on from
generation to generation.
One of the most famous of
these stories or legends concerns a visit by Guru Nanak, accompanied
by his faithful friend Mardana, to Eminabad in present-day Pakistan.
Whilst there, Guru Nanak decided to stay with a low caste individual
called Bhai Lallo who was an impoverished but hard working carpenter.
Bhai Lallo shared his humble food with the Guru and Mardana for the
duration of their stay with him. After a few days at Bhai Lallo’s
home, Guru Nanak was invited by a wealthy government official of the
same caste as himself called Malak Bhago to a feast that was being
held in honour of all eminent individuals in the area. It should be
noted here that Guru Nanak was born into a Hindu family.
Guru Nanak refused the
invitation and Malak Bhago, who was angered at that refusal, ordered
the Guru to attend his property and explain the refusal. The Guru
asked Bhai Lallo to come with him to Malak Bhago’s home and to bring a
chapatti with him. When he was questioned by Malak Bhago as to why he
continued to stay at the home of someone who was of a lower caste and
bring shame upon his own caste by his actions by refusing to dine with
his own caste, Guru Nanak replied that he wanted a chapatti from Malak
Bhago.
The chapatti was placed in a plate before him,
and Guru Nanak then asked Bhai Lallo to give him the chapatti that he
had made at home. The Guru then proceeded to squeeze both of the
chapattis. The chapatti from Malak Bhago produced droplets of blood
whilst the chapatti from Bhai Lallo gave droplets of milk. The
astonished crowd asked what this meant. Guru Nanak’s reply was that
Bhai Lallo was a hard working and dedicated worker who lived a pure
life, and this was reflected in his food. Malak Bhago, however, earned
his living through the blood, sweat and tears of others by corrupt and
dishonest means, and again this was reflected in his feast.
Another story related to
Guru Nanak states that he stayed at the home of a leper during his
travels as no-one else was willing to accommodate the Guru in that
area, and as a result of the Guru’s stay, the leper was cured of his
leprosy.
The Janamsakhis also give an account of Guru
Nanak visiting the home of an excessively wealthy man who had several
flags outside of his home, each of which represented 100,000 rupees
that he had accumulated. Guru Nanak asked the man to carry a needle
into the next world for him, and when the reply came that it was
impossible for the needle to carried after one has died, the Guru then
asked how he expected his wealth to follow him after his death. The
man, understanding what the Guru had meant, then redistributed a
portion of his wealth to the poor in his area.
Regardless of what one’s
view is of the miracles attributed to Guru Nanak, the general theme to
be taken from these stories is that all people should be treated as
equal, that one should work hard in one’s life in order to reap honest
rewards, that one should contribute to society in whatever way
possible, and that one should never shirk from one’s responsibility to
others.
Guru Nanak’s philosophy
and teachings continue to have resonance today. It is only by treating
individuals as equals that a truly inclusive society can exist. In
that context, shunning or judging people because of their sexuality,
for example, is morally wrong and contradicts Guru Nanak’s teachings.
Guru Nanak challenged the prejudices that existed in society in 16th
century Southern and Central
Asia. Five hundred
years may have passed since Guru Nanak commenced his travels, but many
of those prejudices are still strong and new prejudices have emerged
over time, such as homophobia.
The only way that such prejudices can be
challenged is through egalitarianism and education. These prejudices
will fade over time, just as caste is no longer a major barrier to
employment or success in one’s life.
The question is how a society can be truly egalitarian in the way that
Guru Nanak envisioned it to be whilst inequalities continue to be
perpetuated by individuals.
Sikhism is a reformist
religion, closer in many respects to Socialism than to some other
belief systems. By allowing Sikhism to become a conservative rather
than a progressive movement, it is a rejection of Guru Nanak’s stance
on equality for all. In one of his earliest compilations, Guru Nanak
stated that:
Virtue and Vice do not come by mere words,
Actions repeated over and over again are engraved on the soul
Until we heed these
words, live by these teachings and act to make society truly
egalitarian, Guru Nanak’s message of equality will continue to fall on
deaf ears. It is up to each of us, collectively and as individuals, to
take action and ensure that this message of equality becomes more than
just a mere message and is transformed into a reality.
