1. Guru Nanak as a Moral Teacher

Guru Nanak (1469–1539), the founder of Sikhism, articulated a powerful ethical vision centred on truthful living, equality, honest work, and selfless service. He rejects caste hierarchy, ritualism and superstition, and emphasises that genuine spirituality must express itself in just and compassionate conduct.

• Ethics grounded in truth (sat) and divine remembrance (naam)
• Honest labour and sharing as basic duties
• Seva (selfless service) as the highest expression of devotion
• Radical equality of all humans across caste, creed and gender
• Community-centred practices (langar, sangat, pangat) to sustain social justice

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2. Core Ethical Principles of Guru Nanak

Guru Nanak summarises moral life through interconnected principles that bind spirituality and ethics. They include truth (sat), divine remembrance (naam), honest labour (kirat karo), sharing (vand chhako) and selfless service (seva).

2.1 Truth (Sat) – Truthful Living

• Truth is not only speaking facts; it is living in harmony with moral reality.
• Integrity, authenticity and righteousness are essential.
• Dishonesty and hypocrisy are incompatible with spiritual life.

2.2 Naam – Spiritual Awareness

• Constant remembrance of the divine presence (Naam Simran).
• Produces humility, reduces ego (haumai), and deepens compassion.
• Ethical behaviour flows from this inner awareness, not fear of punishment.

2.3 Kirat Karo – Honest Labour

• Earn livelihood through honest, legitimate means.
• Reject exploitation, fraud, bribery and unjust enrichment.
• All forms of dignified work are morally valuable.

2.4 Vand Chhako – Share What You Earn

• Share one’s earnings and resources with those in need.
• Wealth is a trust, not an absolute private possession.
• Builds a culture of solidarity and mutual care.

2.5 Seva – Selfless Service

• Serve others without desire for reward, fame or recognition.
• Service to humanity is service to the divine.
• Expressed through humble, practical acts – feeding, helping, caring.

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Together these principles create a tightly connected ethic of truth, work, sharing and service.

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3. Equality & Social Justice in Guru Nanak’s Ethics

Guru Nanak challenged the social inequalities of his age and laid down a radical doctrine of equality and justice.

3.1 Rejection of Caste Hierarchy

• No human being is high or low by birth.
• All people share the same divine light.
• Caste-based discrimination is morally false and spiritually meaningless.

3.2 Gender Equality

• Women are not inferior; they are dignified and spiritually equal.
• Condemns social customs that humiliate or restrict women.
• Affirms the role of women in spiritual and community life.

3.3 Universal Brotherhood

• Humanity is one family under the universal divine.
• Religious, racial or cultural labels cannot divide moral worth.
• Resonates with ideals of fraternity, tolerance and mutual respect.

3.4 Economic Justice

• Condemns hoarding, exploitation and wealth without sharing.
• Emphasises fair earning and fair distribution.
• Encourages responsibility towards the poor and vulnerable.

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His teachings provide ethical foundations for non-discrimination, inclusion and justice-oriented governance.

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4. Rejecting Ritualism & Superficial Morality

Guru Nanak strongly criticises empty ritualism – external acts without inner moral change. Mere pilgrimage, fasting, offerings or recitation do not make a person ethical if there is:

• dishonesty in daily life
• exploitation of the weak
• pride, cruelty or hypocrisy

True religion lies in:

• truthful living and integrity
• compassion and kindness
• service to those in need
• inner transformation rather than external show

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For Guru Nanak, spirituality and ethics are inseparable – without moral integrity, rituals are empty.

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5. Social Responsibility & Community Life

Guru Nanak’s ethics are concretely expressed through community practices that institutionalise equality, sharing and service.

5.1 Langar – Community Kitchen

• Open to all, irrespective of caste, religion, gender or status.
• Everyone sits together and eats the same food.
• Symbol of equality, fraternity and shared responsibility to fight hunger.

5.2 Sangat & Pangat

• Sangat: collective prayer and spiritual gathering.
• Pangat: sitting in rows and eating together.
• Breaks social barriers and nurtures a sense of common humanity.

5.3 Sarbat da Bhala – Welfare of All

• Prayer and commitment for the welfare of all beings, not just one’s own group.
• Ethical orientation towards peace, justice and compassion at a global scale.
• Encourages individuals to act as trustees for the common good.

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These institutions turn moral principles into daily social practices, making equality and service a lived reality.

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