When Guru Nanak came to this world in the 15th century, many paths to enlightenment were devoid of divinity. They were mostly distorted towards unholy goals of exploiters of people. Religious practices were concocted routinely and thrust on people by mutually supportive interests that had designed to conceal tricks to fool innocent people. The religious institutions used beauty shows in religious practices that were intended to attract innocent minds. They invented deities, stories, idols, recitations, and rituals that supported each other.

They asked people to erect stunning buildings to house God and promised accessibility to Gods at precise time and places through expense of wealth, time, and intellect. Altruism was perverted so that it only benefited clerics, clergy, and their masters Many other tricks were implemented to speed institutional agenda. Miracles were invented to convert human behaviors. The religious myths were invented to answer real questions and then safe-guarded their myths by un-testable threats and promises. Religious institutions of the time built cults of external marks and wrappings to encourage murders and wars against those who did not tow the line or who were members of competing religions.

They asked to invest massive amount of money, time, and energy in ritualistic illusions. They were sold on beliefs such as, converting others or serving clergy would guarantee heavens no one has ever seen. Above all, horrific fear were employed to ensure compliance. Guru Nanak came out of the famous Veeni River meditation with fervent zeal to spread what he said was inspiration from Almighty. He then taught that human life was a result of the millions of years’ history and experience from numerous life cycles of birth and death. This history manifested in human mind and body as the primitive and corrupted instincts all inherited from plant and animal life. Upon birth into the human form they were reinforced by illusions created by selfserving materialistic cultures on one hand and the clergy promoting ethnic religiosity on the other.

Thus, mislead human life endured pains and sufferings, but at the same time experienced longing for salvation. Guru Nanak taught that suffering comes from enslavement of five inner evils. Conquering over those evils with the sword of knowledge and seeking of enlightenment with contemplation of Divine brings freedom from suffering, and will lead to achievement of the timeless bliss. Guru Nanak claimed that there was no religion that God would patronize. Each disciple of spirituality may seek guidance from the Guru and work out his/her own practice to calm down the mind and insure suitable paths of salvation. Guru Nanak preached the institution of spirituality in earthly practices, all leading to a life of sharing the possessions with others, being thankful, and seeking the Divinity in life practices.

He felicitated experience of Divinity at every moment and in every act. His teachings inculcated cleansing acts to purify the heart. In Guru Nanak’s religion, the company of enlightened minds in the service of humanity will facilitate the journey to salvation. No deities, mythical stories, hidden powers, or other beauty tricks of organized religions would be desired for spiritual attainments. (The author is Emeritus Professor and Chairman, Department of Pharmacology and Neurosciences, the University of North Texas Health Science Center, and recipient of Doctor of Literature (honoris causa) from Guru Nanak Dev University. His writings on Sikh subjects appear regularly in books on Sikh issues and Sikh journals. He lives in Arlington, Texas)