The Guru, as I have come to understand is the Light which guides one and shines light to find ones path. In the Sikh tradition, it is the Gur Shabad, or the Words written by the Gurus. It also emphasizes that Guru is not just a person, or a book, it is the Wisdom, the Gyan, which can be embedded on anything and that thing or person becomes a Guru. It is like water in a pitcher, the water is the Guru, pitcher is just a vessel.
Sometimes on this journey, one gets deluded into thinking that the vessel is the Guru and start chasing vessels instead of drinking the water. There is the Sat Guru (The Universe , all encompassing), its light shines bright through Mahagurus like Guru Nanak or Mahadev Shiv, due to the extent of their Union / Oneness. From their downwards its a mountain all of us are climbing, as Siblings of Destiny, reaching closer to the Union or slipping away from the Oneness based on our own Karmas, guided by the light of the Sat Guru according to our Samskars.
One thing is clear, we are co-travelers and none is ahead or behind, because the journey is unique to each and in itself is not a straight line. In anything that I read or hear or experience, I try to remember that all is IT’s guidance to this Self and observe with a sense of wonder and humility.
As a practicing Sikh (a student), I follow the teachings of Guru Granth Sahib. It is the holy book for Sikhs and a compilation of the hymns and teachings of past Gurus. It is composed of the learnings of ten gurus of Guru Nanak’s lineage and also other prominent spiritual masters of their times like Bhagat Kabir and Baba Farid, who identified with other faiths/paths, but believed in the same Oneness.
As such, the Guru Granth, which is revered and followed by many as an embodiment of their Guru, is an egalitarian literary compendium of quotes, poems and hymns through which Universal Truths are shared with the reader. The message will resonate with those from all faiths and walks of life.
sailing with masters 