As Guru Nanak’s teachings stand out for their relevance in the present times of divisive turmoil even 550 years after his birth, one’s head bows with humility to the Guru’s deep insight into the right way of living. And, astonishingly, the right path turns out to be quite simple. It is we who have made our lives complicated. With superstitions, rituals, idolatry, barriers of caste and creed, all dressed up with the cloak of religiosity to garner acceptance. In his endeavour to open the minds of fellow humans to the society’s blots and blemishes, the Guru freely dug into the preachings of his times — from those of the Hindus, the Muslims, babas, pirs, fakirs — to evolve his philosophy, that eventually became the Sikh way of life.

Also, equally astonishingly, it turns out that treading on that simple way of life is not quite so easy. One is easily led by ego, anger, lust, greed towards diversions, blind to the potholes that mark such digressions. After all, why is it so tough to consider all fellow beings as equal; that there is one nameless God, who constitutes the eternal truth and he resides in his creations? Why is truthfulness so hard to come by? Yet, that is the only way for a peaceful and fulfilling life. Be good, work hard, share fortunes. Vand khao, khand khao. Each one of us needs to learn and abide by this credo. The planet would then be a paradise.

It is in this context that the year-round global festivities around the 550th anniversary of Gurpurb assume importance. Whether it is the announcement of the Kartarpur corridor from Dera Baba Nanak in Gurdaspur to the International Border for further connection with Gurdwara Darbar Sahib at Kartarpur, Pakistan, or the development of Sultanpur Lodhi as a spiritual centre, the activities hold value only if they underscore the Guru’s message of overcoming divisiveness. He denounced the dogmas of the caste system, and taught that everyone is equal. Through the spiritual pursuits of love, equality, fraternity and virtue, one can be purged of falsehood.