Guru Arjan The Golden Temple of Amritsar

Guru Arjan, what did he do? The special person we will look at today is Guru Arjan He was a Sikh leader and the fifth Guru, Guru means Teacher. There were only Ten Gurus, after the last one, they decided the only teacher they need was God. So they use the Guru Granth Sahib (The Sikh Holy Book) as their teacher.

Guru Arjan, what did he do? Guru Arjan was the youngest son of Guru Ram Das. Guru Arjan built the Golden Temple at Amritsar in the middle of the lake built by the fourth Guru. He also built beautiful temples at what are now the great cities nearby. Guru Arjan brought together the hymns of the first four Gurus and his own into a volume called the Adi Granth.

The Golden Temple of Amritsar

Guru Arjan, what did he do? Sikhs believe that the Gurus' hymns are the words of God, and therefore the Holy Scriptures are treated with utmost respect. From the day the Adi Granth was completed and entered the Golden Temple, Guru Arjan slept on the floor of the temple, out of his love and respect for the word of God.

What happened to him? Guru Arjan was the first Sikh martyr. The Mogul Emperor Jehangir, was a tyrant who became jealous of the Guru's fame. He could not bear it when even strict Muslims praised the Guru's saintliness.

What happened to him? Eventually, he found an excuse to bring Guru Arjan to his court. There he tried to convert him to Islam and get him to change the Adi Granth under the threat of death.

What happened to him? Guru Arjan calmly declined both commands. For this he was tortured and martyred. The torture lasted for five days. First the Emperor's men sat the Guru in a tank of boiling water, the next day they sat him on a plate of red hot iron, the following day, they poured red hot sand over his painfully blistered body.

What happened to him? However, Guru Arjan remained calm and peaceful throughout his ordeal to show that all people should happily accept the will of God.

What happened to him? He was martyred in 1606 but before his final departure, he sent a message that his son Har Gobind was to become the sixth Guru. He instructed that his martyrdom would show that all peaceful means to persuade the Emperor against tyranny having failed, it was now right and just to resort to the sword to protect the weak and innocent. He therefore instructed Guru Har Gobind to bear arms.

In this Great Temple, the four doors in all the four directions were thrown open to all the religions, to rich and poor, to high and low, and to the out-castes. All were welcome in this House of God. The poor, the low, the meek, the oppressed and the humble felt the presence of God face to face.

The Bridge was to show the Path to God. The Water shows the confusion of the world The Temple is God The Doors open to all.

All religions have produced true lovers of God. A Muslim mystic, a true lover of God, Hazrat Mian Mir, who had become a legend in his very life-time, was invited to lay the foundation stone of this Universal Temple of God, further signifying that this Temple of God belonged to all.

On Dharma, religion, Sri Guru Arjan Sahib clarifies : The best of all Religions is the yearning for the Divine and purity of deeds. Trying to be God Like and do good deeds.