Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji ki Fateh
Why Guru Nanak?
We talk about Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
we talk about what he did and what he taught us.
The question which comes behind is who sent him
Who made him Guru?
And it's a very important question for us to understand that Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
as far as Gurbani and Sikhi history is concerned,
was made Guru directly by God.
So Dhan Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
Vaheguru, made him Guru Nanak.
He was given this job.
Guru Nanak Dev Ji didn't just decide one day to make a religion called Sikhi.
He was on a divine mandate.
And if you would look into Sikh history,
the preeminent Sikh historian is actually Bhai Gurdaas Ji.
Bhai Gurdaas Ji lived with a lot of the Gurus
and his writings are given the honour of being called the key to Guru Granth Sahib Ji, the 'Kun jee'.
Bhai Gurdaas Ji talks about Guru Nanak Dev Ji
and firstly he says
"Suni Pukaar Dataar Prabh
Gur Nanak Jag Mahe Pathaia" -- Vaar 1 Pauri 23.
The one Creator
heard the cries of the people
and sent Guru Nanak.
So he was sent as an answer.
So what was his mission?
So it's kind of like why Nanak was sent by God.
Why was he sent by God?
The answer for that is also given Bhai Gurdaas Ji, he says that Sodhan.
Now Sodhan means to sort something out. He came here to sort the world out.
Also he says "Kal Taaran Gur Nanak Aaea" Vaar 1 Pauri 23.
That in this Kalyug.
The idea of four ages of the world
and this one being Kalyug, the age of darkness.
At this age, Guru Nanak Dev Ji has come to get everyone to swim across this worldly ocean.
Effectively, he has come to emancipate the world.
And that's a big statement.
He's come to sort the world out,
to emancipate all of us and free all of us from the darkness that it's out here.
This Shabad,
"Kal Taaran Gur Nanak Aaea"
is sung in every Gurdwara in the world when it's Guru Nanak's birthday.
But it's a big mandate that Guru has been given.
He has been made Guru directly from Vaheguru.
We know that the Sikh history talks about him going in to the court of Vaheguru.
Being given to drink Amrit directly from the Creator.
And then being told that your mission now is to go and spread Dharam.
So Sikhi is here to establish Dharam, righteousness.
Within that, Guru Ji creates Sikhs and also gives wisdom to them to go out there
to spread this mission of Dharam.
And this really is our job as Sikhs,
the Khalsa is here to establish a world which is full of righteous and justice.
A just world effectively for all of humanity.
And we see that mission be carried out by all the Gurus,
creating this society which is effectively a model for a new world.
So what we can understand is that this is not Guru Nanak Dev Ji's own mission,
he didn't just one day get up and say I am going to make Sikhism.
Firstly, he was sent by God because people needed this message
and not only was he sent by God but he was sent with this specific mission of sorting out the world.
So he is Jagat Guru.
This is the phrase used for Guru Ji.
He is a teacher for the whole world.
His message was not exclusivist.
You do not have to be a Sikh to get into the court of our Creator.
You need to listen to this truth and the message he has given.
And another part of understanding why Guru Nanak Dev Ji,
is that he comes with a power.
He has been given the power of "Gurprasaad".
The message of Guru Granth Sahib Ji
famously, in a story with Guru Gobind Singh Ji was shortened to this
"Ik Ong Kaar Sat Gur Prasaad".
"Ik Ong Kaar" as in there is one Creator
who created this entire universe and is prevailing everywhere within it.
"Gur Prasaad" is the Guru's power to bless us.
So this power needs to be understood.
Because although he's here to save the world and sort the world out.
He's also here to bless people with Naam.
So the idea of Guru would be somebody who has the perfect wisdom
but also who has this amazing spiritual power to bless you.
The opposite of that would be if you decided to get a Guru who could teach you this wisdom
but he only learnt it from a book.
He didn't actually have the knowledge.
He didn't actually have the spiritual experience of being one with the Creator.
Someone like me,
I would not be a good Guru for you at all!
because you're just going to fall short.
I am not going to be able to bless you.
But Guru Nanak Dev Ji comes with this power of "Gurprasaad".
That he is ever present.
He is able to listen to our requests.
He is able to bless us.
He is able to help us.
This Guru is so powerful.
He is "Samrath Guru,
Sir Hath Dhareao".
Another Shabad which says
"Sabh te vada Satgur Nanak
jin kali raki meri"
the greatest Guru is Guru Nanak Dev Ji
who in this Kalyug, in this world of darkness, he has saved my honour.
God blessed us with Guru Nanak.
Guru is actually the gift from God to a Sikh.
He is the enlightened being sent from the Creator to enlighten us.
He can also elevate us to that enlightened state.
And we see that in the history there will be such great Sikhs
who have done so much amazing things.
You wouldn't say that there are human anymore.
They have past humanity and gone into another level to become divine beings.
I am sorry for any mistakes I might have made.
Please forgive me.
Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa Vaheguru Ji Kee Fateh!