1 What is a True Guru?

2 What is a Guru? General definitions Somebody from the ‘East’ Spiritual teacher Holy person Enlightened person Master/Ustad/expert and teacher (e.g. Ravi Shankar) Liberated being – Jeevan Mukat Divine being Saviour

3 What is ‘sat’ as in satuguru? True Pure Unquestionable Authentic Universal Everlasting Absolute Infinite Beyond life and death

4 Guru Ramdas Ji on True Guru siqguru ibrhI nwm kw jy imlY q qnu mnu dyau ] The True Guru is the Lover of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. Meeting Him, I dedicate my body and mind to Him siqguru swgru gux nwm kw mY iqsu dyKx kw cwau ] The True Guru is the Ocean of Virtue of the Naam, the Name of the Lord. I have such a yearning to see Him! hau iqsu ibnu GVI n jIvaU ibnu dyKy mir jwau ]6] Without Him, I cannot live, even for an instant. If I do not see Him, I die. ||6|| ijau mCulI ivxu pwxIAY rhY n ikqY aupwie ] As the fish cannot survive at all without water, iqau hir ibnu sMqu n jIveI ibnu hir nwmY mir jwie ]7] the Saint cannot live without the Lord. Without the Lord's Name, he dies. ||7|| siqguru myrw sdw sdw nw AwvY n jwie ] My True Guru, forever and ever, does not come and go. Ehu AibnwsI purKu hY sB mih rihAw smwie ]13] He is the Imperishable Creator Lord; He is permeating and pervading among all. ||13||

5 Sat + Guru = Satguru Waheguru Akal Purakh Shabad Guru, Satgur (infinite lord)  Guru Nanak  8 Gurus  Guru Gobind Singh Ji  Guru Granth Sahib Ji embodiment of true guru  Panj piaray – authority of true guru

6 BYrau mhlw 5 ] Guru Arjan on Satiguru siqguru myrw bymuhqwju ] My True Guru is totally independent. siqgur myry scw swju ] My True Guru is adorned with Truth. siqguru myrw sBs kw dwqw ] My True Guru is the giver of all. siqguru myrw purKu ibDwqw ]1] My True Guru shapes all destiny. ||1|| gur jYsw nwhI ko dyv ] There is no deity equal to the Guru. ijsu msqik Bwgu su lwgw syv ]1] rhwau ] Whoever has good destiny does sewa siqguru myrw srb pRiqpwlY ] My True Guru sustains and cherishes all. siqguru myrw mwir jIvwlY ] My True Guru kills and revives. siqgur myry kI vifAweI ] The glorious greatness of my True Guru pRgtu BeI hY sBnI QweI ]2] has become manifest everywhere. ||2|| siqguru myrw qwxu inqwxu ] My True Guru is the power of the powerless. siqguru myrw Gir dIbwxu ] My True Guru is my home and court. siqgur kY hau sd bil jwieAw ] I am forever a sacrifice to the True Guru. pRgtu mwrgu ijin kir idKlwieAw ]3] He has shown me the path. ||3|| ijin guru syivAw iqsu Bau n ibAwpY ] Who serves the Guru has no fear. ijin guru syivAw iqsu duKu n sMqwpY ] Who serves the Guru has no pain. nwnk soDy isMimRiq byd ] Nanak has studied the Simritees and the Vedas. pwrbRhm gur nwhI Byd ]4]11]24] There is no difference between the Supreme Lord God and the true Guru. ||4||11||24||

7 General characteristics of a true guru Somebody who is liberated from the panj chore or five deadly vices: lust, anger, greed, pride and attachment. Somebody who has no enmity, sees all as equal, if free from prejudice and hatred. Has the capacity to change peoples mind and to dispel falsehood for the betterment of them and society. Spreads peace, justice, love and happiness wherever s/he treads. Works and lives in and through social life Has nor sees any duality between this life and after life. i.e. between life and death Does selfless sewa – is disciple and guru at once. Has the power of naam and distribute this to others. Has no praise for self but infinite praise for waheguru.

8 kl mih rwm nwmu swru ] In this Dark Age of Kali Yuga, the Lord's Name is the most sublime. AKI q mItih nwk pkVih Tgx kau sMswru ]1] rhwau ] Some people try to deceive the world by closing their eyes and holding their nostrils closed. ||1||Pause|| AWt syqI nwku pkVih sUJqy iqin loA ] They close off their nostrils with their fingers, and claim to see the three worlds. mgr pwCY kCu n sUJY eyhu pdmu AloA ]2] But they cannot even see what is behind them. What a strange lotus pose this is! ||2||

9 What is a fake Guru? Looks like a ‘holy man’ but doesn’t act like one. Displays aggression, pride and anger, even if this is minor. Somebody who asks (directly and indirectly) for monetary donations. Gives undue/undeserved respect to people in power (corrupt officials, police, politicians) One who condones oppression or fails to oppose inhuman treatment and tyrannical rulers Seeks physical comfort or seeks physical discomfort! Over indulges in societal activities or withdraws from society altogether!

10 Fake guru – continued… Claims to give you Enlightenment at a touch. Claims magical and occult powers Makes sexual advances Makes false claims, such as having powers to cure diseases (physical, social and psychological). lives an ostentatious life and demands gifts from their disciples to support their lifestyle Someone who is psychologically manipulating Preys on weak and desperate people Uses fancy marketing techniques to convince others of their holiness. April, Friday 21 Safar 1426 Fake pir held for rape FAISALABAD, March 31: Police claimed on Thursday to have arrested a self-proclaimed Pir, allegedly involved in a dozen rape cases. The police said Ishaq alias Jin Pir was wanted in several cases of fraud and rape. Nishatabad police arrested the accused and handed him over to investigation wing

11 Kabeer on Fake gurus Awsw kbIr] gj swFy qY qY DoqIAw iqhry pwiein qg ] They wear loin cloths, three and a half yards long, and triple-wound sacred threads. glI jpmwlIAw loty hiQ inbg ] They have rosaries around their necks, and they carry glittering jugs in their hands. Eie hir ky sMq n AwKIAih bwnwris ky Tg ]1] They are not called Saints of the Lord - they are the thugs and fraudsters of Benares. ||1|| AYsy sMq n mo kau Bwvih ] Such 'saints' are not pleasing to me;

12 False gurus and Guru Teg Bhadur Ji Guru Harkrishan Sahib departed on March 30, 1664 AD Ordained next guru would be “Baba Bakala!” 22 fake gurus of the Sodhi clan lined up for guruship arguing amongst each other 12 months passed Makhan Shah Lubana, gursikh trader from Gujrat survuves a storm Came to Baba Bakala to make an offering to Guru ji He finally docoveres the true guru “Gur ladho ray! gur ladho ray!” Baba Gurditta, the grandson of Baba Buddha ji performed ceremony

13 Discussion Questions 1. Do you believe in miracles? 2. Many of the sakhis describe miracles performed by the Gurus – to what extent should we believe these literally? 3. Is it helpful and/or correct to claim that Sikhi is a scientific belief system i.e. it is based on the principles of rationality and logic.