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Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji (1666-1708) was the ninth guru of Sikhs. A poet, a thinker, and a warrior, Guru Teg Bahadur Ji carried forward the light of sanctity and divinity of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and the subsequent Sikh Gurus.
His spiritual writings, detailing varied themes such as, the nature of God, human attachments, body, mind, sorrow, dignity, service, death, and deliverance are registered in the form of 116 poetic hymns in the sacred scripture, the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.
In May 1675, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was approached by Hindu Pandits from the Kashmir region, seeking the Guru’s intercession against the forced conversions of Hindus to Islam by the Mughal rulers of India.
For supporting the Hindu Pandits by resisting these forced conversions, he asked them to tell Aurangzeb if he could convert Guru ji to Islam, the pandits would also convert to Islam.
Listening to this, the emperor tortured Guru ji to death to convert him to Islam, but Guru ji strongly kept refusing and thus emerged to be the savior of Hindu religion, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji was publicly executed via beheading at the imperial capital of Delhi on the orders of Emperor Aurangzeb.
Today, Gurdwara Sis Ganj Sahib and Gurdwara Rakab Ganj Sahib stand at the sites of beheading and cremation of Guru Ji’s body. Along with Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, three other Sikhs, Bhai Mati Das, Bhai Sati Das, and Bhai Dyal Das, were also executed.
Guru Tegh Bahadur’s teachings continue to inspire resilience, compassion and unwavering faith in the face of adversity.
On Courage and Sacrifice
“Give up your head but forsake not those whom you have undertaken to protect. Sacrifice your life but relinquish not your faith.”
On Detachment and Devotion
“Worship, O worship God, thy life is fast passing. What shall I tell thee again and again? Thou understand not, thou ignorant man: Thy body shall melt like a hailstone before long.
Give up all doubts and meditate on the Name of God. In the end this alone will accompany thee.
Give up like poison the sensual pleasures and enshrine the praise of Hari in thy heart. Nanak, the servant of God, reminds thee – Thy opportunity is slipping.”
O mother, I have been blessed with the wealth of God’s Name.
My Mind is free from wandering and is established in peace.
Avarice and worldly love dare not touch me and pure divine knowledge fills me.
Greed and desire cannot affect me. I am totally immersed in Lord’s devotion.
On Endurance and Enlightenment
“For whom praise, and dispraise are the same, and on whom greed and attachment have no effect. Consider him only enlightened whom pain and pleasure do not entrap. Consider such a person saved.”
One who vanquishes his ego and beholds the Lord as the Sole Doer of all things,
that person has attained ‘Jivan Mukti’ (is liberated while living), know this as the real truth, says Nanak.
“Thy life is passing in vain Day and night thou dost listen to religious books yet thou dost not understand the truth, ignorant man.
Death is approaching and thou hast nowhere to flee from it. Thy, body, which thou regards as permanent shall return to dust; why dost thou not remember God, O thou who are without shame and ignorant?
Nanak, the servant of God tells thee to give up pride in thy heart and devote thyself to God and thus live thy life in this world.”
On the Nature of the World
“True realization of the actual nature of this material world, its perishable, transitory and illusory aspects best dawns on a person in suffering.”
He (the Creator) has given you your body and wealth, but you are not in love with Him.
Says Nanak, you are insane! Why do you now shake and tremble so helplessly?
“O Man, hold firmly to this truth in thy mind;
The whole world is like a dream and like a dream will soon be no more.
A man may elaborately build a wall of sand, but it will not last even for a short while.
Similarly, transient are pleasures of Maya (illusions) why art thou entangled in them, O ignorant man.”
On Inner Peace
“O mother, I have been blessed with the wealth of God’s Name. My Mind is free from wandering and is established in peace.”
“Now that I have obtained the jewel of the Name, All desire has been removed from my mind: It is now absorbed in bliss.
He alone sings the praises of Hari, on whom the ocean of Grace showers His compassion.
Said Nanak, such wealth is found rarely by some through the Guru’s Word.”
“Mother, I have obtained the wealth of the God’s Name.
My mind is rid of running hither and thither – It has found its rest. Illusion and desire of possession have departed from my body – the pure knowledge of God has dawned.
Greed and delusion do not touch me now. I have grasped firmly devotion to God. The doubt about birth and death is no more.”
On Meditation and Liberation
“By singing His praises thy impurity will be removed and the poison of egoism spread all over will be destroyed.”
One who vanquishes his ego and beholds the Lord as the Sole Doer of all things,
that person has attained ‘Jivan Mukti’ (is liberated while living), know this as the real truth, says Nanak.
On Equality and Humility
“Why go to search forests (to find Him). He who dwells in all hearts but remains ever pure, pervades thy heart also.
Just as fragrance fills the rose and reflection the mirror, the Lord pervades all without a break; search Him inside thee.
The Guru hath revealed this knowledge that the Aum pervades inside and outside. Said Nanak, without knowing thyself the scum of doubt will not be removed.”
“O saints, renounce the Ego, and always flee from lust, wrath and evil company. One should consider pain and pleasure, honor and dishonor the same.
One should renounce both praise and blame and even the search for salvation.
This is a very difficult path and rare is a (Gurmukh) pious person who knows how to tread it.”
On Enduring Pain and Pleasure
“That man, who in the midst of pain, does not feel pain,
who is not affected by pleasure, affection or fear, and who looks alike upon gold and dust.”
||1||Pause||
Who is not swayed by either slander or praise, nor affected by greed, attachment or pride;
who remains unaffected by joy and sorrow, honor and dishonor.||1||
Who renounces all hopes and desires and remains desireless in the world;
who is not touched by sexual desire or anger – within his heart, God dwells. ||2||
That man, blessed by Guru’s Grace, understands this way.
O Nanak, he merges with the Lord of the Universe, like water with water. ||3||11||
(page 633 of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib)
Ram Singh GUETABA says:
Ces extraits sont très inspirants ! Wahe Guru C’est super de nous les avoir partagé ! Gratitude et remerciements
Sikh Dharma International says: