Introduction To 'Sikh Philosophy And Spiritual Life' By Shamsher Singh Puri

The object of this slender volume is to present an exposition of some of the Sikh Gurus' teachings as embodied in Guru Granth Sahib, as may usefully inform the practical life of a spiritual aspirant.

The goal of life, according to Sikh thought, is to develop a higher consciousness and link it with the me consciousness, namely, God. Link of the individual soul with the infinite soul leads to higher dimensions of consciousness, and man gets mukti - liberation - here while yet alive. He becomes Jeevan Mukt (Gursikh), attuned to the cosmic order.

Mukti, according to the Sikh Gurus, is not release from a bondage, but release from egoism, self centredness, haumai, individualism. Human birth is not a curse, or yet another dose of pain and suffering, but opportunity for self-refinement and self­ightenment as it always has been for thousands upon ... thousands of births through time. For self-enlightenment an must strive for moral and spiritual living.

Sikh tenets stress heavily on moral development of the spiritual aspirant. Ethico-spiritual theme runs hroughout the Gurbani. Another important theme is socio-cultural progress of man. Both the themes have one objective - spiritual elevation of man and his happiness and welfare.

For moral development, it is very essential that man shed is haumai - 'I'-ness and 'mine'-ness.

As moral act involves free choice, a voluntary decision making, it needs a consciousness that is endowed with a measure of freedom in its operation.