The Golden Temple

The Abode of Nanak is a reflection on our daily relationship with the spirit of the Sikh Gurus as distilled into the Siri Guru Granth, which Sikhs regard as their living Guru. Siri Guru Granth Sahib is an anthology not only of the sacred compositions of the Gurus (Guru Nanak Dev Ji, Guru Angad Dev Ji, Guru Amar Das Ji, Guru Ram Das Ji, Guru Arjan Dev Ji, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji and Guru Gobind Singh), but also of enlightened Bhagats (saints) and Bhatts (bards). The inclusion of compositions by poets of different faiths, without distinguishing between them by label, is a hallmark of its spiritual uniqueness. The composers came from a variety of class and creedal backgrounds, from Muslim to Hindu and from upper caste to low caste. The lack of discrimination in the scripture is born of the progressive ideology laid down by Guru Nanak and upheld by all nine subsequent Sikh Gurus.When we bow before the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, we also bow before all ten Nanaks and the legacy they gifted to us.

The Siri Guru Granth Sahib is the embodiment of the spiritual revolution which was first ignited by Guru Nanak dev ji and the life breath of eight more Nanaks nurtured and fed this flame. Then in 1699 Guru Gobind Singh ji, the tenth Sikh Guru, transformed that flame into a wildfire of spiritual liberation through the creation of the Khalsa panth. In 1708, Guru Gobind Singh, having consciously witnessed the sacrifice of the lives of all his four sons, handed over the legacy to the Guruship of the Shabad Guru, embodied in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. He understood that the age of lineage was over, and so he consciously left no heirs. The unique beauty of this is that the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, our present Guru, can neither be altered nor changed in any way. It is a touchstone for all humanity that exists beyond the limitations of time and space, now and in the future.

We look to Siri Guru Granth Sahib as our guide to connect with the One internally, see the One in all and fight inequality and injustice in every sphere of our lives as the Gurus themselves did. The image of Harimandir Sahib reflects the other half of the spiritual revolution because it represents the innumerable gurudwaras and abodes of Nanak which we create to enable the sadh sangat to come together, remember Guru Nanak’s message and carry on his revolution.