ਨਾਨਾਕ ਨਾਮੁ ਚੜਦੀ ਕਲਾ।ਤੇਰੇ ਭਾਣੇ ਸਰਬਤ ਦਾ ਭਲਾ।

The power of God’s Naam keeps one in high spirits;

God desire good of all.

ਵਾਹਿਗੁਰੂ ਜੀ ਕਾ ਖਾਲਸਾ।ਵਾਹਿਗਰੂ ਜੀ ਕੀ ਫਤਹਿ।

The Khalsa is of the Vaheguru (the Wondrous God)

Victory is in the hands of God.

(As long as Khalsa remains of God, he will be victorious)

This is how the Sikhs end Ardas , their supplication to the Almighty. This explains why the Sikhs are so forward looking with their spirits always in ascendancy.

It has two aspects. First that all power is in God’s hands and any one who becomes God’s receives Divine grace and will never be the loser in any field. The second is that Khalsa wishes every one well. This is an effort to emulate the Divine virtues of ‘Nirbhay, Nirvair’ i.e. freedom from fear and jealousy. This keeps his mind at peace, a pre-requisite for high spirits. A Sikh believes and prays to God:

ਜਾ ਤੂ ਮੇਰੈ ਵਲਿ ਹੈ ਤਾ ਕਿਆ ਮੁਹਛੰਦਾ॥

ਤੁਧੁ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਮੈਨੋ ਸਉਪਿਆ ਜਾ ਤੇਰਾ ਬੰਦਾ॥

ਲਖਮੀ ਤੋਟਿ ਨ ਆਵਈ ਖਾਇ ਖਰਚਿ ਰਹੰਦਾ॥

ਲਖ ਚਉਰਾਸੀਹ ਮੇਦਨੀ ਸਭ ਸੇਵ ਕਰੰਦਾ॥

ਏਹ ਵੈਰੀ ਮਿਤ੍ਰ ਸਭਿ ਕੀਤਿਆ ਨਹ ਮੰਗਹਿ ਮੰਦਾ॥੫੧੦੯੬

O Lord when You are on my side I need no other support.

If I become your servant You bestow every thing on me;

there is no dearth of wealth; after consumption and giving more is left;

all creation is there to serve me;

the enemies have become friends and none wishes me ill (M: 5, SGGS, p 1096).

Faith in God uplifts the spirits and one is free of all worries:

ਜੋ ਤੁਧੁ ਸੇਵਹਿ ਸੋ ਤੂਹੈ ਹੋਵਹਿ ਤੁਧੁ ਸੇਵਕ ਪੈਜ ਰਖਾਈ॥੨੦॥੪੭੫੮

Those who serve You O Lord become like You and You preserve their honor (M: 4, SGGS, p 758).

Remembering God and trying to emulate Divine virtues one becomes like God. The fifth Guru recounts:

ਨਾ ਓਹੁ ਮਰਤਾ ਨਾ ਹਮ ਡਰਿਆ ॥ ਨਾ ਓਹੁ ਬਿਨਸੈ ਨਾ ਹਮ ਕੜਿਆ ॥

God does not die so I do not fear death; He does not perish so I have no worry;

ਨਾ ਓਹੁ ਨਿਰਧਨੁ ਨਾ ਹਮ ਭੂਖੇ॥ਨਾਓਸੁ ਦੂਖੁ ਨ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਦੂਖੇ॥੧॥

He is not wanting in wealth nor am I; He does not suffer pain nor do I;

ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਕੋਊ ਮਾਰਨਵਾਰਾ॥ਜੀਅਉ ਹਮਾਰਾਜੀਉ ਦੇਨਹਾਰਾ॥੧॥ਰਹਾਉ॥

None else can kill; My Creator is eternal; Pause:

ਨਾ ਉਸੁ ਬੰਧਨ ਨਾ ਹਮ ਬਾਧੇ॥ਨਾ ਉਸੁ ਧੰਧਾ ਨਾ ਹਮ ਧਾਧੇ॥

He is not in bound by rituals nor am I, He is not entangled in any thing nor am I ; (He is not pleased with rituals, attachment etc so I observe none).

ਨਾ ਉਸੁ ਮੈਲੁ ਨ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਮੈਲਾ॥ਓਸੁ ਅਨੰਦੁ ਤਹਮ ਸਦ ਕੇਲਾ॥੨॥

He is unblemished so I am not tainted; He bestows bliss and I enjoy;

ਨਾ ਉਸੁ ਸੋਚੁ ਨ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਸੋਚਾ॥ਨਾ ਉਸੁ ਲੇਪੁ ਨ ਹਮ ਕਉ ਪੋਚਾ॥

He has no worry nor have I ; He does not need to cover any blemishes nor do I ;

ਨਾ ਉਸੁ ਭੂਖ ਨਹਮ ਕਉ ਤ੍ਰਿਸਨਾ॥ਜਾ ਉਹੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਤਾਂ ਹਮ ਜਚਨਾ॥੩॥

He is short of nothing, so I have no craving; He is spotless so I also look good;

ਹਮ ਕਿਛੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਏਕੈ ਓਹੀ॥ਆਗੈ ਪਾਛੈ ਏਕੋਸੋਈ॥

I am nothing by myself, He is everything every where;

ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਿ ਖੋਏ ਭ੍ਰਮ ਭੰਗਾ॥ਹਮ ਓਇ ਮਿਲਿ ਹੋਏ ਇਕ ਰੰਗਾ॥੪॥੩੨॥੮੩॥੫ ੩੯੦-੯੧

The guru has demolished all doubts of my existence being different from God; Being with Him I have become like Him (M: 5, SGGS, p 390-91).

So the Sikh always remains in God-consciousness, feeling safe and unthreatened under Divine sanctuary:

It is inculcation of these teachings that makes the Sikhs one of the more enterprising, committed and fearless people the world over. They not only believe but also act on these teachings. Sikh history is replete with sagas of sacrifices not only for their faith and places of worship but also for the sake of others. Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Guru died for the sake of the religion of the Hindus. In the year 1738 CE when Nadir Shah invaded India and was returning to Afghanistan with thousands of young Indian boys and girls, the Sikhs ambushed him on his way back and dispossessed him of a good deal of his plunder including the Indian youths enslaved by him. The latter were restored to their families.

Such actions display commitment to the Sikh ideal of helping the helpless:

ਸੂਰਾਸੋਪਹਿਚਾਨੀਐਜੁਲਰੈਦੀਨਕੇਹੇਤ॥ਪੁਰਜਾਪੁਰਜਾਕਟਿਮਰੈਕਬਹੂਨਛਾਡੈਖੇਤੁ॥੨॥੨॥ਕ੧੧੦੫

The real warrior is one who fights for cause of the helpless; he may be cut into pieces but never abandons the field (Kabir, SGGS, p 1105).

In fact a Sikh plays with death; Guru Nanak says:ਜਉ ਤਉ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਖੇਲਣ ਕਾ ਚਾਉ॥ਸਿਰੁ ਧਰਿ ਤਲੀ ਗਲੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਆਉ॥ਇਤੁ ਮਾਰਗਿ ਪੈਰੁ ਧਰੀਜੈ॥ਸਿਰੁ ਦੀਜੈ ਕਾਣਿ ਨ ਕੀਜੈ॥੨੦॥੧੧੪੧੨

If you like to play the game of love; be prepared to die before you step forward; once you walk on this path; do not hesitate to sacrifice yourself (M: 1, SGGS, p 1412).

A person is able to do this if he is absorbed in God’s virtues (Naam) because one imbued in Naam feels no physical pain:

ਪ੍ਰਥਮੇ ਮਿਟਿਆ ਤਨ ਕਾ ਦੂਖ॥ਮਨ ਸਗਲ ਕਉ ਹੋਆ ਸੂਖੁ॥ਕਰਿ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਗੁਰ ਦੀਨੋ ਨਾਉ॥ਬਲਿ ਬਲਿ ਤਿਸੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕਉ ਜਾਉ॥੧॥੫ ੩੯੫

I am all praise for the compassionate Guru; who was kind to impart me the virtue of Naam; There is no physical pain and the mind is completely at peace (M: 5, SGGS, p 395).

Guru Arjun showed what high spirits can achieve. When he was being tortured by the rulers and people were sad, he told them he did not feel the pain:

ਦੁਖੁਨਾਹੀਸਭੁਸੁਖੁਹੀਹੈਰੇਏਕੈਏਕੀਨੇਤੈ॥ਬੁਰਾਨਹੀਸਭੁਭਲਾਹੀਹੈਰੇਹਾਰਨਹੀਸਭਜੇਤੈ॥੧॥ਸੋਗੁਨਾਹੀਸਦਾਹਰਖੀਹੈਰੇਛੋਡਿਨਾਹੀਕਿਛੁਲੇਤੈ॥ਕਹੁਨਾਨਕਜਨੁਹਰਿਹਰਿਹਰਿਹੈ ਕਤਆਵੈ ਕਤਰਮਤੈ॥੨॥੩॥੨੨॥੫੧੩੦੨

There is no pain, only happiness for one who looks only to one God; for him there is none bad, all are good, there is no defeat only success; he experiences no sorrow, is ever happy,gives but does not take any thing; such a person is like God, he does not fall in cycles of reincarnation (M: 5, SGGS, p 1302).

People in high spirit are go-getters. They follow the famous adage “when the going gets tough, the tough get going”. Such enthusiasm comes with a certain amount of ego the ‘I’ in “I can do it , I will do it”. To that extent ego is a necessity but it also leads to the situation of “My way or no way”. This results in a feeling of self-importance which can be detrimental to the cause sought to be served. Ego is a very strong force and therefore needs an equally strong force to suppress it; it is none other than ego itself. The second Guru says:

ਹਉਮੈ ਦੀਰਘਰੋਗੁ ਹੈ ਦਾਰੂ ਭੀ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਹਿ॥ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਜੇ ਆਪਣੀ ਤਾ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਮਾਹਿ॥ਨਾਨਕੁ ਕਹੈਸੁਣਹੁ ਜਨਹੁ ਇਤੁ ਸੰਜਮਿ ਦੁਖ ਜਾਹਿ॥੨॥੧੪੬੬

Ego is a chronic disease, but the cure also lies in it; However with God’s grace man follows the path shown by the Guru; This is how one can be rid of this affliction (M: 2, SGGS, p 466).

What this means is that a person with ego does not realize it but when he seeks the Guru’s guidance this fact dawns on him. For example when the Guru tells him that it is not that you are doing something rather you are being enabled by God to do it. He then realizes:

ਹਮ ਕੀਆ ਹਮ ਕਰਹਗੇ ਹਮ ਮੂਰਖ ਗਾਵਾਰ॥ਕਰਣੈ ਵਾਲਾ ਵਿਸਰਿਆ ਦੂਜੈ ਭਾਇ ਪਿਆਰੁ॥੩੩੯

(I thought) I did this, I will do that, (no) I am an ignorant fool; I forgot who really does because I was caught in duality (M: 3, SGGS, p 39).

Duality is forgetting God believing that man can do it. But when the truth is understood man says in humility:

ਸਭਿ ਗੁਣ ਤੇਰੇ ਮੈ ਨਾਹੀ ਕੋਇ॥ਵਿਣੁ ਗੁਣ ਕੀਤੇ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਇ॥੧੪

All virtues are Yours O Lord, I have none; Lacking virtue, one forgets God (M: 1, SGGS, p 4).

God then converses with and instructs the devotee:

ਆਪੁ ਸਵਾਰਹਿ ਮੈ ਮਿਲਹਿ ਮੈ ਮਿਲਿਆ ਸੁਖੁ ਹੋਇ॥ਫਰੀਦਾ ਜੇ ਤੂ ਮੇਰਾ ਹੋਇ ਰਹਹਿ ਸਭੁ ਜਗੁ ਤੇਰਾ ਹੋਇ॥੯੫॥ਫ੧੩੮੨

If you reform yourself you will meet me and be at peace; If you be Mine the whole world will be yours (Farid, SGGS, p 1382).

The Guru is there to help but to receive guidance and be able to act on it man must wholeheartedly submit the self to the Guru. Once that is done the Guru helps to remove evil from the mind:

ਸਿਖ ਕੀ ਗੁਰੁ ਦੁਰਮਤਿ ਮਲੁ ਹਿਰੈ॥ਗੁਰ ਬਚਨੀ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਉਚਰੈ॥ਸਤਿਗੁਰੁ ਸਿਖ ਕੇ ਬੰਧਨ ਕਾਟੈ॥ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਿਖੁ ਬਿਕਾਰ ਤੇ ਹਾਟੈ॥੫੨੮੬

The Sikh remembers and tries to emulate God’s virtues as taught by the Guru;

Thus the Guru banishes the seeker’s evil thoughts;

The seeker is no longer in bondage of these evil forces;

and keeps away from evil deeds (M: 5, SGGS, p 286).

The devotee now submits to the Lord without any resevations, giving up ego and imbibing humility, and submits that he was caught in vices

ਇਨ ਲੋਗਨ ਸਿਉ ਹਮ ਭਏ ਬੈਰਾਈ॥ਏਕ ਗ੍ਰਿਹ ਮਹਿ ਦੁਇ ਨ ਖਟਾਂਈ॥ਆਏ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਪਹਿ ਅੰਚਰਿ ਲਾਗਿ॥ਕਰਹੁ ਤਪਾਵਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਸਰਬਾਗਿ॥੭॥—-

(I have now realized that) good and evil cannot coexist in the mindso I have broken with the evil forces; tagging on to the Guru I have come to seek Divine sanctuary;—-

God is pleased and blesses:

ਪ੍ਰਭ ਹਸਿ ਬੋਲੇ ਕੀਏ ਨਿਆਂਏਂ॥ਸਗਲ ਦੂਤ ਮੇਰੀ ਸੇਵਾ ਲਾਏ॥ਤੂੰ ਠਾਕੁਰੁ ਇਹੁ ਗ੍ਰਿਹੁ ਸਭੁ ਤੇਰਾ॥ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਗੁਰਿ ਕੀਆ ਨਿਬੇਰਾ॥੮॥੧॥੫੧੩੪੭

God smiled and said I have decided; all the evil forces will now be under your control; you are the master of your body now; I learnt this through the Guru (M:5, SGGS, p 1347).

With Divine grace thus received ego works only as a positive force that keeps one in high spirits, Charhdi Kalaa .