Great men and women have shaped Indian history. The 9th Guru of the Sikhs, Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji, was one of these great men and a great sacrificer. Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji made the supreme sacrifice so that all religions could live and practice their faith free from fear.
Guru Tegh Bahadur was born on 1 April 1621 in Amritsar of Punjab (India) and was named Tyagmal in childhood.Guru tegh bahadur ji was married to Mata Gujri in 1633.
His 115 hymns are included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, which is considered a treasure of spiritual wisdom. He promoted the revelation of the purity and divinity of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
Every year on the 24th of November, Guru Teg Bahadur is honored by celebrating Shaheedi Divas in his honor. His martyrdom remains legendary. He supported and protected the Hindu religion.
He is called 'Hind-Di-Chadar' by Hindus. He fought in the battle of Sultanpur as well. Despite being executed by Aurangzeb, he lives on in our souls and our hearts. His teachings have a profound effect on the world.
Here are 6 wonderful teachings of Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji that are relevant even today.
1. Master the Art of Self-Control
To master self-control, one needs to pass certain tests, overcome obstacles, and channel one's senses towards better self-control. These obstacles can be attributed to a lack of self-control, one's discipline, one's willpower, one's own desire to change, strong emotional reactions to outside stimuli, as well as very fast and quick reactions to outside circumstances.
A person who wants to quit smoking or is addicted to drugs has to discipline himself because to stop one has to be disciplined.
There is no other way to stop smoking than by taking baby steps. To do this, one must have the willpower to change. In almost all religions, fasting is also an important practice that develops self-control.
2. To Overcome Greed, Desire, Ego, and Pain
Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's most important teaching is to overcome greed because greed makes some people always talk about themselves with no regard to anyone else's feelings or needs.
Essentially, greed and envy are two sides of the same coin because greed is merely a desire for more and more things such as wealth and power. Ultimately, greed and desire lead to ego and pain in one's life.
3. Be Content with One’s own life
To lead a good life, an individual must feel happy and satisfied with his or her life. Individuals often compare themselves with another's materialistic achievements and keep themselves disturbed over it throughout their lifetime. Life is full of hatred and frustration, and there is no peace of mind.
According to Shri Guru TeghBahadurji, one must learn the art of being satisfied with what one has. You should always watch the person who is lower in socioeconomic status than you instead of the people of higher socioeconomic status.
4. Material World is Perishable, Transitory, and Illusory
Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji also taught that the material world is perishable, transitory, and illusory, but it is very difficult to comprehend the truth. Alexander the Great, for example, conquered many kingdoms in the world without being able to take anything back with him. At his deathbed, he asked for three things:
The first wish he made was that only physicians carry his coffin, the second wish was that while the coffin is being carried to the grave, the path leading to the graveyard is strewn with the gold, silver, and precious stones he collected during his conquest.
And the third wish he made was to leave his hands hanging outside of the coffin in case the entire world could witness how even a great king like him couldn't carry even a dollar. One must understand the real truth of life and follow Shri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's path.
5. Protect the Ones who Need Protection even if it comes at the cost of one’s Own Life
Every person has one thing in common and that is we reap what we sow. This is because every individual works hard to create personal wealth and wants to protect it. In most cases, people insure themselves and their family members to protect themselves from major financial losses.
As a result, insurance is merely a promise or a shield from the uncertainty that reimburses one's losses in exchange for a premium paid. In this GuruTegh Bahadur Ji is pointing towards the materialistic world where people should be giving away their hard-earned money to the poor.
If each individual does this, then automatically the protection of others will be taken care of. Langar, for instance, serves everyone in need of food, regardless of caste, class, religion, or gender, and everyone is welcome as the Guru's guest.
6. Omnipresence of the Almighty
Sikhs follow and believe there is only one God. Onkar was even prefixed with "IK" (one) by Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji to emphasize the concept of God as the Creator, Preserver, and Destroyer.
Thus, the Sikh philosophy begins with the One Almighty God, universalizing him, and culminating in the cosmic reality of all-pervading Onkar.
We have so much to learn from Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji's life, from promoting the ideas of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji to contributing hymns to Sri Guru Granth Sahib. By following his directions righteously, anyone can attain the ultimate stage of happiness, peace, and bliss.
Almost every day, we see Guruji's ideas promoting values that make us curious about human beings' existence. Humanity is a religion that allows us to connect with our own identities, not just as Hindus or Muslims, but as members of a community and as individuals.
Written By: Arushi Oberoi
Edited By: Harshdeep Kaur
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