Guru Angad on Education

Guru Angad, the second Guru stressed mental as well as physical development through Education, Sports and Discipline.  Sikhs are perpetual students, we are lucky to be predisposed to a great gift that many take for granted.

Social attitudes, poverty, safety, lack of female role modes, inadequate sanitation, pregnancy are a few of the reasons why two thirds of 130 million children who are not in school, are girls.

Guru Angad, the second Guru stressed mental as well as physical development through education, Sports and discipline as the important characteristics of a Sikh.

• "Salvation can only by gained by education and knowledge and not by futile acts or rituals like piercing ears etc."
• "Make feat out of fear, hands 'out of love and eyes out of education; Nanak Says, in this way, O wise woman shall you meet the bridegroom (God)."
• "In the morning during the fourth watch, they who remember God feel delight, they love to go to streams for exercise and bath.  And endeavor to learn and understand about the true name in their hearts and lips...." they are the true Sikhs. ( Guru Granth Sahib pp 139, 146 and 903- Guru Angad)

Guru Granth Sahib on Education

• The true congregation of the true Guru, is the school for the soul, where the glorious virtues of the Lord are studied.  Guru Raam Daas, Raag Kaanraa, 1316

• He Himself is the school, He Himself is the teacher, and He Himself brings the students to be taught.  Guru Amar Daas Ji, Raag Bihaagraa, 552

• Meeting with the Guru, be a sincere student of proper conduct, and suffering shall never touch you.  Guru Arjan in Siree Raag Fifth Mehl, 50
   

Education an Essential part of the Sikh Movement

The teaching of Punjabi and the religious studies were made an essential part of the Sikh movement by Guru Arjan Dev. Guru Hargobind, however, formalized it During his times a school was opened as an annexed to every Gurudwara. The Guru in is own discourses stressed the need of learning and understanding.

Once the Guru met a holy man named Samrath Ramdas. He was surprised to see the involvement of Guru Hargobind in activities like education, army training and social reforms. He asked the Guru, "I hear that you are the successor of Guru Nanak. Guru Nanak had renounced the world, while you wear the swords, keep horses, run schools and community classes, and people call you, 'the true king'. What kind of Sadhu are you? Guru Hargobind replied: 

• "Saintliness within, worldliness without; arms are for the protection of the poor and for the destruction of the enemy; education is for the knowledge of scriptures, Nanak gave up the world, and he (Hargobind) gave up worldliness".

Few days later, the Guru met another person known as Shah Daulat He asked the Guru, 'how can a Hindu be a fakir? How can you be a religious man, when you do the worldly acts, have a wife and children and possess worldly wealth ? the Guru replied,

• "A wife is her man's conscience, his children continue his memory and wealth give him his sustenance as for a fakir. he is neither a Hindu nor a Mussalman" (for a short history of the Sikhs by Teja Singh & Genda Singh 1950 quoted from Janam Sakhis dated 1708)
• Equality