RS100 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Guru Gobind Singh, Ranjit Singh, Guru Nanak
Document Summary
Akal purakh (eternal being: formless (nirgun, with attributes. Vahiguru (wonderful sovereign) this god is sovereign, monarch, ruler, etc. Attraction to a finite thing instead of infinite god. Transcend the ego, become gurmunkh focused on the divine alone. Discipline of nam-simran: meditation on the divine name or essence. Five stages of liberation: duty or piety, awareness or knowledge, effort (decision to pursue god, grace (a gift from god, truth (true liberation) Stage four is given to us by the divine. Nath yogis (meditate to achieve union with the divine) Sufism mystical variety of islam with close relations with bhakti. The path of bhakti is open to all. The divine is realized through service to others. Constant remembrance of god in day-to-day life. Devotion to earthly guru as sign of devotion to divine guru. Born into a family of the warrior caste. At age 30, it is said he was immersed in a river and did not emerge for three days.
