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Born in Nankana Sahib, Punjab, (now Pakistan) on 20th October 1469 – 7 May 1539, Kartarpur, Punjab, India, was the founder of Sikhism, and the first of the eleven Sikh Gurus.
Beside followers of Sikhism, Guru Nanak Dev is revered by Hindus and Muslim Sufis across the Indian subcontinent. His primary message to society was recorded to be "devotion of thought and excellence of conduct as the first of duties". It goes without saying that, for the people of India, Guru Nanak occupies a place of pride not only in the history of Punjab or India but also of the whole world. For the Sikhs and Hindus, he was a Prophet who gave to the world the gospel of love, goodwill and reconciliation.
The teachings of Guru Nanak included faith in one true God, worship and recitel of his name and the necessity of Guru in pursuing the path to God. God, according to him, is immanent and transcendent. Nobody knows the limits of God. God alone knows how great he is. Guru Nanak says God is in the heart of every individual. Guru Nanak had belief in a personal and merciful god. He put emphasis on the worship of true name. Guru Nanak endeavored to remove the cloud of ignorance and superstitions from the minds of people.
Seva is a word used to refer to "selfless service", performed without any thought or reward or personal benefit. The person performing this service is called a Sevadar.
All Sikhs are encouraged through teaching in the Shri Guru Granth Sahib to perform Seva or Selfless Service. This is not only good for community relations but also is good for the moral uplifting of the person. You will find Sikhs engaged in free service in Gurudwaras washing dishes or cleaning the floors, etc. Sikhs are also encouraged to help the community by performing unpaid work in hospitals, old people's homes, community centres, homeless shelters, etc. Volunteers engaged in Seva are referred to as Sevadars and for many people this activity forms an essential part of their life, providing spiritual fulfillment and practical benefits.
Sikhism is founded on principles of Sarbat da bhalla – 'working towards the common good of all'. For Sikhs, this means reaching out to serve and uplift all of humanity as an expression or devotion to the Creator. Many other Sikh institues like Guru-ka-Langar, Kirtan, Meditation, etc depend on the performance of Seva by many in the congregation. So the principles of Seva form the base of many of the Sikh values – Such is the importance given to Seva in Sikhism.
"One who performs selfless service, without thought of reward, shall attain his Lord and Master." - (Shri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, p286)
The Guru states that one who performs selfless service without desire for reward will certainly attain liberation. The need to be "desire-less" ("nehkaami") is critical in making this action fruitful. When one does Seva, one should just do it without any thought for a return – think of it as a duty to the society.