Interfaith and Baba Nanak

[Mehtab Singh]

http://www.valleyindiatimes.com/noqnews/nn....php?ArtID=1407

January 03, 2005 - 15:57

Interfaith and Baba Nanak

Dr. Jaswant Singh Sachdev

The interfaith movements usually play a significant role in countries where multiculturalism and multiple faiths exist side by side. In the minds of public at-large, these movements tend to thwart and negate 'hate' and 'intolerance' against people belonging to minority groups. Whenever the dangerous and dark clouds of religious intolerance show up hovering upon the horizon, the far-sighted and open-minded individuals prepare themselves to accept such challenges. They are always aware of the fact that hate often tries to loosen the grip of secularism on the rational minds of people irrespective of their backgrounds. And they understand that the hate is the manifestation of moral bankruptcy having a sinister outcome that is basically destructive to the very roots of human superiority over the rest of animal kingdom. To them the lessons learnt from the history of world religions are far too obvious in relation to the horrendous damage that is slapped on the face of humanity by this hitherto low-profile poisonous hate. Unfortunately the people with a limited view of the world, on the other hand, still perceive such movements a kind of trendy fad.

India with history of diverse faiths and cultures holds a singularly unique experience of such trials and tribulations under its belt. Historically the time honored civilization of India and its people have been witness to two inimitable phenomena. On one hand it is the only country in the world where many of the so-called eastern religions took their first breath and saw the light of the day. While nurturing these multitudes of faiths and their specific cultures, it also happened to be a signatory to the significant numbers of upheavals. As a by-product of this strange prodigy, it ended up earning the dubious distinction of harboring many inter-religious rivalries, discriminations, persecutions and open riots. The mayhem caused by the partition of 1947 with its consequent toll of deaths and destruction, the riots of 1984 as well as ongoing trouble between Hindus and Muslim that often sprouts up like a spontaneous yet forceful lava, all bespeak of such reprehensible and repetitive occurrences. Unfortunately till today these painful sagas keep on plaguing India in some shape or form.

History is witness to this fact that whenever religious intolerance and persecution starts showing its ugly head anywhere on the face of this earth, the true Men of God simultaneously appear on the world stage to undo the damage. Such great souls are propelled by their inner strength to stand up to this nuisance. They try to put their lives on line in trying to face grueling challenges to counter-act such nefarious activities often perpetuated against mankind by those intoxicated by their power, numbers and richness. Through a process of dissemination of knowledge about the fundamental gift of God-given equality to all mankind, such moral men attempt to set the record straight beyond the boundaries of their own faith. And they do so irrespective of who they were and where they lived. Baba Nanak, the founder of Sikh faith whose birth day is being celebrated all over the world in the month of November was one such 'Man of God.'

Baba Nanak had a philosophy and message that was truly Inter-faith in nature. It transcended well beyond the closed boundaries of the prevalent faiths of India at a time when the situation, to say the least, was morally despicable. His emphasis on universality and secularism had an inviting appeal to all regardless of their personal beliefs. In order to deliver his message of inter-faith tolerance and love for humanity, he traveled to where ever the so-called religious hierarchy of diverse faiths resided. He emphasized his message through simple practical examples much akin to that of a physics teacher who performs scientific experiments in presence of its pupils to highlight or prove a point. To eighty four reclusive Yogis and Siddhas who had forsaken the suffering humanity below and turned into hermits in the snow-capped peaks of Himalayas, he was simply direct and blunt in explaining them that the God they are looking for resides within them. He told them unhesitatingly and in no uncertain terms that instead of providing much needed help and guidance to their fellow human-beings, they have become oblivious to their duties. Rather than searching salvation in the remote recesses and high uninhabitable peals of mountains, they need to find the same very God by serving its needy creation below. To the Purohits at the banks of Holy Ganges in Haridwar he claimed that mere throwing of the water towards the Sun without good deeds is a mere ritual and would not be of much avail to their dead ancestors.

When the Mullahs of Kaaba, the most sacred place of Islam became irate to his sleeping posture with feet towards Kaaba, he simply asked them to turn his feet to the direction where they thought God was not to be found. On being asked by religious leaders of Muslims to attend Nimaz with them, he readily joined but after it ended, he informed them that the mind of their religious leader was wandering somewhere else at the time of Nimaz. 'A Nimaz or prayer without full concentration and without putting full mind into it was no more than a mere show and had no meaning' so he said. 'All mankind and its different religions are equal in the eyes of God' was the message he delivered to the Mullahs and Kaazis of Mecca, Medina and Baghdad as well as to the high priests and Brahmins of Hindu hierarchy at Haridwar, Kashi as well as to the Siddhas and the Yogis retired on the high mountains. Baba Nanak felt equally at home with the poorest of the poor as he was with the Emperors, Kings and Nawabs. He brought the dangerous thugs and hardened criminals to the right spiritual path by making them abandon the crimes against humanity and then turned them into saints. He did not hesitate in telling the rich people that their religious celebrations and offerings for the poor are filled with blood if the money used for their noble deeds is gotten by ill-means.

Baba Nanak’s interfaith philosophy and outlook brought the people of India together in accepting him as their religious guide. In a symposium held sometimes back in Punjabi University in celebration of 500th year birth day of this great prophet, Prof. K. A. Nizami of Aligarh Muslim University reminded the audience about a saying that was quite popular in undivided Punjab of pre-partition days 'Baba Nanak Shah Faquir; Hindu Da Guru, Musalman Da Peer' meaning while Baba Nanak was a Guru for the Hindus he was equally a Peer for the Muslims. He said further 'Baba Nanak belonged to the category of those great men who are not the monopoly of any particular sect, creed or religion but are common to all human races and his philosophy acted like a bridge.' (1). It was only Baba Nanak who had the courage to make statements that could put many in hot waters 'There is neither Hindu nor Musalman'. What he meant was that in the court of God there is nothing like Hindu or Musalman, rather all God’s creation irrespective of faith is equal and what truly matters is the deeds of a person.

Inspired by the Baba Nanak’s philosophy, Urfi a well known poet in the court of Akbar, the Mogul Emperor of India, stated 'Oh Urfi ! Live in such a way with the good and bad that when you die, the Musalmans may wish to wash you with the Zam-Zam water and Hindus may wish to cremate you. (2) Precisely this is what happened at the time when Baba Nanak left for heavenly abode at Kartarpur where Hindus and Muslims both wanted his body to be put to rest in accordance with their own religious traditions. In fact this last incidence of Guru Nanak’s life was looked upon by Akbar, the Mogul emperor of India as the highest achievement of religious toleration and goodwill (3). Professor DeSmet describing the similarities between Guru Nanak and Jesus Christ says 'The distance that separates Guru Nanak and Jesus Christ appears great in time and the cultural origin. Yet there is a remarkable convergence of their teachings and it is a rewarding study to explore and expose their more outstanding affinities' (4).

Baba Nanak yearned for a society where a thought of the common heritage of all faiths of the world would be celebrated and not merely tolerated (5). Many religious intellectuals of the modern day world have tried to compare his philosophy with the fundamental principles of other major religions. All have come to the same conclusion that what Baba Nanak preached many centuries ago, still holds true as the basic interfaith reality and truth. His philosophy truly stands like a beautiful fragrant rose amongst the bouquet of flowers belonging to many faiths. In this day and age, like in the years past, while celebrating Baba Nanak’s birthday, if his followers and others could simply act on the single page from his teachings pertaining to interfaith tolerance and respect, it could become the most befitting tribute to the legacy of this great Baba. And there could not be any better birthday gift that we the mortal beings could ever offer to this Universal Prophet.

References: (1); (2); (3); (4); (5):- Perspectives on Guru Nanak (1975) Published by Punjabi University Patiala, Punjab India.