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Kabir and Baba Guru Nanak were prominent religious thought leaders who lived during the 15th century. Their teachings have contributed greatly to social reforms in our country and the Bhakti movement. Saint Kabir and Baba Guru Nanak worked towards the elimination of racial discrimination and laid the foundation for the new pathway to spiritual growth, and guided their disciples to attain spiritual salvation.
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Saint Kabir
Kabir Das was born in the 15th century in Varanasi to Muslim parents who were weavers. He became a disciple of Swami Ramananda. He learned and supported the concept of Jivatma and Paramatma. He continued the weaving profession with his father and composed many devotional poems that were dedicated to Ram. Kabir composed his poems in simple Hindi so that everyone could recite his poems easily. His poems are called dohe, saloka and sakhi. His followers formed a community called the Kabir Panth. They identified Kabir as their spiritual guru. The members of Kabir Panth are known as Kabir Panthis. To people who were illiterate at that time, the knowledge contained in books was unreachable, so Kabir urged his disciples to acquire knowledge through conversations with scholars. He encouraged oral teaching to help those who couldn’t read.
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A saint who questioned immoral religious values
Kabir condemned the immoral religious practices that were prevalent in that era. He also questioned and opposed evils of society such as Sati and Purdah. He did not acknowledge the racial superiority of Brahmans. Kabir believed that Brahmanas and Sudras were equal by birth and that one’s superiority is determined by their activities and charity. He defied the procedures that were meant to be followed by people who belonged to the castes that were categorized as inferior at that time. He taught that Hindus and Muslims were pots made of the same clay. His beliefs and teachings irked orthodox Hindus and Muslims. Kabir Das had to face many objections for the path of faith that he had chosen.
Kabir’s teachings state that ‘Bhakti’ is the way to attain salvation, not religious practices
- Kabir believed that salvation could be attained by sincere devotion to God, by being kind, performing good deeds and with bhakti. He did not regard visiting temples and other pilgrimage places as a way to be close to God
- Kabir’s teachings are in the form of dohas or couplets, which are very popular throughout India. Kabir Das believed in a formless, imageless God. Through his teachings, he urged people to dispel selfishness and pride and adopt forgiveness
- His teachings propagated that God’s grace can be attained through purity of heart. He believed that through the understanding of the mind and the heart, a human becomes conscious of God’s presence
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Baba Guru Nanak
Guru Nanak is the founder of Sikhism. He was born in1469 in Talwandi near Lahore. His parents were Kalyan Chand Das Bedi and Mata Tripta. Guru Nanak’s father was an accountant in the village of Talwandi.
Divine connection since childhood
- Guru Nanak demonstrated that he was blessed with divine grace right from his childhood
- At the age of 5, he expressed interest in subjects related to the divine
- At the age of 7, young Guru Nanak explained the symbolism of the first letter of the alphabet, its resemblance to the mathematical version of one, and that it symbolized the oneness of God
Saint Kabir Das’s influence on Guru Nanak
Guru Nanak was influenced by Kabir. He was a spiritual thinker. Guru Nanak also expressed his thoughts in the form of poetry which was an effective way to propagate teachings. Kabir and Guru Nanak knew that Indians connected with poems and music, and hence they adopted poetry as a way to spread their teachings.
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Guru Nanak’s teachings
Guru Nanak’s teachings did not include a renunciation of worldly responsibility or detachment with one’s personal belongings. His teachings urged people to focus on hard work and earning a living. According to Guru Nanak, providing food, shelter and taking care of one’s family were the prime duties of man, and it was the way to please God. Moral values and moral conduct were part of his core teachings. He urged his followers to give up selfishness. He emphasized truth and honesty. His disciples are known as Sikhs, and their holy book is the Guru Granth Sahib.
A spiritual pilgrimage that lasted 30 years.
In 1496, Guru Nanak embarked on a journey to spiritual places. He journeyed through India, Tibet and Arabia. He traveled for 30 years studying and debating with scholars, and learned from men he met along the way. He taught a new way to spiritual fulfillment. His most famous teachings are:
There is only one god.
Guru Nanak believed and preached the Oneness of God and that God is scared, pure and formless.
All human beings can have access to God
There is no need for rituals like holy baths and religious practices to be close to God.
All human beings are equal
Guru Nanak taught that all human beings were equal regardless of gender or the caste that they belonged to. The teachings in Adi Granth emphasize that human minds must be receptive to a spiritual experience and that anyone can get direct access and achieve spiritual perfection.
All his fundamental beliefs are recorded in the sacred book, Guru Granth Sahib.
He spent the last part of his life at Kartarpur in Punjab. He was joined by numerous disciples who were fascinated by his teachings. Guru Nanak’s birthday is celebrated as Guru Nanak Jayanti or Gurpurab as the day of Karthik Poornima, which normally falls in November.
Conclusion
Kabir and Baba Guru Nanak’s teachings combine the noble principles of both Hinduism and Islam. Their teachings inspired both the Hindus and the Muslims alike. They embraced poetry as a medium to preach. Kabir and Baba Guru Nanak taught that everyone could obtain God’s grace with love, through charity and helping one another. They opposed idol worship and religious rituals. They were against caste and religious differences. Kabir and Baba Guru Nanak guided their disciples through the path of devotion so they could attain access to God.
