The Granth Sahib consists of hymns of devotion to God, inspired reflections on the Divinely-ordained cosmic order, the vision of the higher life and exhortation to man towards lifting himself to the state of spiritual peace and the attainment of liberation.

-An Introduction to Sri Guru Granth Sahib, by Gurbachan Singh Talib

I think this is a very good summation of the contents of the Guru Granth Sahib (GGS), at least the parts that  I have encountered so far.  The translation is a bit awkward in some cases, and it perhaps often denotes meanings that are ambiguous where perhaps there ought not to be ambiguity.  Nevertheless I’m sure I’ll have exploring the meanings and ideas present in this text.

The GGS starts in a manner that is very reminiscent of other holy texts that I have read this year.  There is the courteous and appreciative nod to the many other religious traditions of the day, and also a nod to the various forms of worship.  It is at this point, however, that the standard holy text usually turns and proclaims that while all the other religions and practices are well and good, this one is the best, and only this one is the truth.  They go through all the trouble of making the other faiths feel at home, but really, it is simply an acknowledgment of their existence, to be followed by a condemnation of their falsity and inevitable uselessness.

But the GGS doesn’t do this, at least it does not seem overwhelmingly so at this point.  It acknowledges time and again that there are many ways of worshiping God, and it’s  all good because really it’s the same God.  It is not seem hostile in any way towards other forms of worship or religion, though it does seem to criticize them:

Holy bathing, austerities, compassion, charity- all are approved if they bring even a grain of merit in God’s eye.   True merit lies in absorbing holy teaching, faith and devotion- in these take the holy purifying bath of the soul.

Here we get a glimpse of what on the outside would seem like a contradiction.  If the GGS gives value to other forms of faith, then shouldn’t they gain God’s merit?  This passage seems to suggest that they do not, that they are really a waste of time.  However, I think that what the author is really getting at is that actions such as compassion and charity are useless if they are not the result of devotion to God.  If one is giving to the poor for one’s own sake and not in the service of God, then that action has no merit.  One is simply looking for a pat on the back, for recognition for their deeds, instead of acting in accordance with the divine.

This is a much more charitable and accurate interpretation, I think.  But it begs the question that if one can only have God’s merit (ie- do genuinely good deeds) if one does things whilst always being conscious of God, what room is there for atheists or unbelievers to do good deeds?  Not much, it seems:

Inexpressible if the state of faith; whoever attempts this, shall in the end regret his rashness.  This state pen and paper cannot record, nor cogitation its secret penetrate.  The great immaculate Name of God may only be realized by one whose ming in faith is firm fixed.

Implicit in the raising up of devotion, faith, and religious tradition is the calling down of unbelievers, and their tools of reason and logic, as opposed to faith, to get at Truth.  This is, I suppose, fair enough.  The GGS states many times the importance of personal experience of the divine and devotion to God through faith.  One is not going to get there by pondering the idea, only through strong belief.  This passage does not necessarily call down those who do not believe in God, but being as I am one who feels somewhat out of place without pen and paper at the ready, and can hardly read a book without something with which to make notes in the margins, I feel a little put out.

If one doesn’t believe in God, who does good deeds not for his or her own sake, but for the sake of something higher, are they not worthy of God’s merit?  I have trouble believing that a divinity so highly praised would really be able to commit such a sin as vanity and prudishness.  God, clearly, is more than that.