GEMS OF GURBANI

National Character – 6

Universal Brotherhood(Bhrataribhav)

Guru Arjun Dev further dwells in the matter of slandering and says;” A slanderer is cursed by the world and no one trusts him because his dealings are false so is his behavior. God saves his slave because He believes in him and slanderer dies with the slanderer.”

Nindak ko phitake sansar II

Nindak ka jhhuta beohar II

Nindak ka maela achaar II

Daas apne ko rakhanhaar II

Nindak mua nindak ke naal II GG Pg.1151

For the strengthening of brotherhood and world peace the evil of slandering and hatred has to be removed at individual level because more of such people with such individual character can only build a national character to further this motto for the development of individual character in the interests of the world peace; “ Man apne te bura mitana II

               Pekheh sagal srishti sajna II GG. Pg. 266

“He who effaces the malice from his heart, beholds the whole world his friend.”

Another measure that Gurus suggested was the renunciation of enmity that becomes a stumbling block in the expansion of universal brotherhood. In the contemporary period of Guru Nanakji there was wide spread and deep rooted enmity between Islamists and Hindus because of the terror and tyranny of the Islamic rulers. The Islamic people settled here but for centuries they were not accepted because of their hatred for others who are not Muslims. Guru Nanak tried to minimize this malice by preaching one God theory and whose mission is that His creations shall live in brotherhood. When this brotherhood is not developed without the malice of hatred the darkness and threat to world peace shall hang over humanity like a sword. The victims of this hatred are mostly innocent people. Again for renunciation of this enmity the development of this character without malice is suggested at individual level. Although the development of democratic value and political systems have brought tolerance at the face value in many parts of the world but there are still undercurrents of enmity that expresses as hate crimes that are taking place all over the world. The so called developed nations of America and Europe show policies that are discriminatory and which can cause hatred. In America the individual character has been insensitive and racial crime are committed even with great democratic development. This comes from imbibing wrong personal values at individual level.

Sikh Gurus have tackled this psychological problem in their preaching that can help to understand the need of brotherhood.

To continue…….