Guru Nanak’s philosophy, Doctrine of Modern Humanism
Aug 19, 2023
Amritsar (Punjab) [India], August 19 : Guru Nanak Dev’s Gurbani explicitly rejects religious pretensions, urging individuals to rely on reason, truth, and morality in all aspects of life, Khalsa Vox reported.
Guru Nanak is portrayed as the founder of the ‘Sikh’ religion on the other some serious scholars and historians emphatically argue that he did not initiate a new religion, it said.
The claim comes after delving deeply into the compositions included in the Gurbani Granth, particularly those composed by Guru Nanak, finding a judicious and rational view of human life and the surrounding phenomena prevailing. The only exception lies in the use of terms such as Ram, Allah, Rabb, Khuda, Parmesar, Gobind, Jagdish, etc. These terms are used through poetic devices of metaphor and personification, as all compositions are in verse form, Khalsa Vox reported.
The report said that in Gurbani, these terms are described as artificial names for the cosmic order (Kirtam naam). In reality, Guru Nanak did not preach faith in a supernatural being such as God or any theological entity.
Instead, he introduced the Cosmic Order, the entire universe, as an alternative to God, designating it as Hukam. The Cosmic Order is further depicted as “ikkoh” meaning the only one. Gurbani explicitly rejects religious pretensions, urging individuals to rely on reason, truth, and morality in all aspects of life. References to mythical figures, events, and anecdotes in Gurbani aim to diminish the significance of traditional religious beliefs and ritualistic practices, reported Khalsa Vox.
According to Khalsa Vox, Guru Nanak’s philosophy can be best described as the doctrine of modern Humanism. This Humanism aligns with the principles outlined in the Amsterdam Declaration of Humanism issued in 1952 and revised in 2002. All the key elements of modern Humanism highlighted in this Declaration are already present in Gurbani. The teachings of Gurbani primarily emphasize the promotion of rationalism, the adoption of ethics, scientific temperament, the protection of human rights, democratic governance, the value of the arts, an ideal life stance, rejection of religious dogma, social responsibility, a sense of justice, equality, brotherhood, and more.
