Gems for Life from Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS)

Inner Search

Spiritual Wisdom comes from inner search and it diminishes with arguments and competition

– Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS

The only way to God is to be conscious of God’s presence within and developing innocence in your own life. Burning yourself with jealously and worrying brings extreme sadness. It affects one’s thoughts, words, and deeds.

– Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS p1091

Those who guard their mind (against negative thoughts and stay focused in God), become angels. They become manifestation of love and affection and God keeps account of their goodness.

- Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS, p1090

When you taste the ultimate nectar of God’s love and God’s presence in your heart, all vice and negativity becomes dust in your life.

– Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS,

When I become Yours O Lord, I see the whole world I see as mine.
When ego departs in me, You manifest and I see everything connected with You.

- Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS

One who realises the visible as merged in the formless.
And finds poise in the truth of God's invisible power-
Such a one shall not be subject to the cycle of births.

-Shri Guru Granth Sahib, page 414


God is within

O my mind, know your essence
You embody the very light of the Lord.

-Shri Guru Amardas Ji, SGGS p, 441

And if the Lord resides within,
It is a folly to look for Him without.

-Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS, p 722


Find Him inside your heart, O Friend,
What will you gain by roaming about in wilderness,
Except for trampling the thorns under your feet?

- Saint Farid Ji, SGGS, p 1378


The Supreme Essence pervading the universe,
is the same as is present within our body.

-Saint Pipa Ji, SGGS, p 695



Feeling the pain of separation from God is the highest state(to live in),
A body that never tastes pang of separation is like a dead ground

-Saint Farid, SGGS, p1379



O my self, love God as fish loves water.

- Guru Nanak Dev Ji Sri Raag Astpadia, SGGS.


Best practice of religion

Of all religions
The best religion is
To utter the Name of God with adoration
and to do good deeds and virtuous acts.

Of all rites
The best rite
Is to cleanse one's mind
In the company of the holy people.

Of all the deeds
The best deed
Is to meditate on the Name of God
And praise it forever.

Of all speeches
The best speech
Is to utter the name of God and
Then reflect on God with others.

Of all the places
The most sacred place,
Nanak says,
'Is the heart in which God dwells.'

-Guru Arjan Dev Ji, SGGS, p266



Justice

Good and bad deeds shall be narrated before the God of justice
Some will be brought in closer to God
Others pushed away accounting for their actions.
Those who have prayed, toiled appropriately
Will leave with radiant faces
Many more will be emancipated with them, says Nanak.

-SGGS, p 8



By serving the One who is peace
Let's pray to that Sovereign.
Why do you do evil deeds
When you know you will reap what you sow?
Do no wrong, be farsighted
Play such a game that you do not lose the game of life
And serve in such a way that brings merit.

-SGGS, p 474

What's in the mind comes forth
Spoken words are of little use -
Sowing poison and demanding nectar
What type of justice if this?

-SGGS, p 474

God and I are one

Kabir, a vast ocean is this body
difficult to fathom its depth;
one who dies* while living
and plunges within
earns the rarest of jewels.
*dies – killing one’s ego

-Saint Kabir Ji, SGGS



Catch your shabd*
your origin and essence;
the ocean will then
merge with the drop
The part will contain the whole,
like the seed that holds within it
a mighty tree

Such is the nature of shabd,
like a magnet it pulls the soul.
*Shabd - Primal "Word" or "Name of God"

-Saint Kabir Ji, SGGS


I have found something,
Something rare have I found;
Its value no one can accesss.

I dwell in it, it dwells in me,
we are one, like water
mixed with water.
He who knows it,
will never die;

He who knows it not,
dies again and again.

-Saint Kabir Ji, SGGS



Householder's life

In laughing, playing, eating and dressing well
While doing all these, one can still attain salvation and enlightenment.

- Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, SGGS, p 552


Those who remain awake in life, attain God,
they kill their ego in light of shabd,
While living a householder's life they remain detached,
They contemplate upon the true wisdom.

- Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, SGGS

Service for others

If you serve others in your life, you get the honor of respect at God's Abode

- Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS,p 25


Acts of kindness and inner enthusiasm to serve others results in minds' immersion in God,

- Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji,p 224


True Education makes one a benevolent person.

- SGGS, p 356

Forgiveness

Beloved God embraces the one who wears the ornament of forgiveness.

-Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS, p 359



Nurture truth, caring mind, contentment, and forgiveness while seeking the shelter of God


-Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS p1030



Those who develop Forgiveness, compassion, and contentment in their life,

No disease touches them and neither do they feel the pain of death.

–Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, p 223

Life Style

It is useless to ask for happiness all the time,
Because happiness and sadness is outer wears of each person's life.

- Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Vaar Manjh, SGGS



Digging deep foundations, the walls are constructed, but in the end, the buildings return to heaps of dust.
People gather and hoard their possessions, and give nothing to anyone else -
the poor fools think that everything is theirs.
Riches do not remain with anyone - not even the golden palaces of Sri Lanka.
Listen, you foolish and ignorant mind
- only His Will prevails.

- Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Gauri Chetee, SGGS


Those with worldly wealth are really poor(if they do not remember God);
Those who have God in their heart, are rich with all nobel qualities.

- Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS p,1287


Worthless is the life that is led
Only to eat and swell the belly.

-Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS p.790

Treat others well

Do good to bad person
Do not succumb to anger
Your body will not become ill
Everything comes in your lap

-Saint Farid Ji, SGGS


Do not cause fear to anyone
Do not be fearful of anyone
Whoever lives such a life,
Is truly the wise one.

-Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, SGGS, p,1427


Every heart is a precious gem
Utter not bitter words, and cause pain to anyone
If you long for God
Do no break anyone's heart.

-Saint Farid (Sufi Saint), SGGS,p 1384


O Friend, if you posses fine intellect,
Do not blacken the record of anyone (by looking for their mistakes)
Bow your head, and look for the shortcomings within.

- Saint Farid Ji, SGGS, p1378


Let truth be the strict norm of all you think and do,
so that your pain and anxiety may go and all-felicity come to you,
Always cognise the near presence of God, through the practice of the Name,
Avoid hurt or injury to any sentient being so that peace may come to your mind,
Be humble by helping and serving those afflicted with misery and want so as to achieve God-consciousness
Nanak testifies that God is the exalter of the fallen and lowly.

- SGGS, page 322


Nature and Environment

The Creator created himself......
And created all creation in which he is manifest.
You Yourself the bumble-bee, flower, fruit and the tree.
You Yourself the water, desert, ocean and the pond.
You Yourself are the big fish, tortoise and the Cause of causes.
Your form can not be known.

-SGGS, p 1016

Love and Humility

He is attained not by cleverness, learning and feats of intellect;
Through love, humility and devotion may He be attained

-Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, p436


True Hero and Warrior

The true Hero and warrior is the one who kill the evil of their own ego

-Shri Guru Amardas Ji, SGGS, p 86


Those who conquer their self( controlling the senses), conquer the world

-Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji, SGGS

Those who have colored their life with God's love,
are known as the true heroes in this world.

-Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, SGGS

The true Hero is the one who fights for the poor and defenseless,
they sacrifice themselves for this cause and never leave the battleground.

- Saint Kabir Ji, SGGS, p

The God-conscious and enlightened person is animated with an intense desire to do good in this world."

-SGGS, page 273

Prayers

Blessed is that season when I remember You.
Sublime is that work which is done for You.
Blessed is that heart in which You dwell, O Giver of all.
You are the Universal Father of all, O my Lord and Master.
Your innumerable gifts and treasures are inexhaustible
They are contented and live in bliss, upon whom You shower Your Grace and Your gifts; they become Your devotees, Lord.
All place their hopes in You; You dwell deep within each and every heart.
All share in Your Grace; none are beyond You.
You Yourself liberate the Your own devotees who love you;
You Yourself consign the self-willed to wander in in the cycle of life and death.
Nanak offers himself to you, Lord; The entire universe is Your creation and Your play.

-Shri Guru Arjan Dev Ji, SGGS p

The world is in flames
O Lord! Please save it by showering Your Grace
Embrace and lift everyone
through which ever door they come to You.

-Shri Guru Amardas Das Ji, SGGS, p 853