Know The Differences Between The Teachings Of Kabir And Guru Nanak
The two great leaders, saint Kabir and Guru Nanak, gave their best to guide devotees to the correct path of spirituality. They refrained from following any religion or any caste as they never believed in such things. In fact, both of them advised devotees to worship the Lord with a pure heart instead of folding hands in front of the idol. Saint Kabir or Guru Nanak spiritual learning never went unnoticed as millions of devotees started following the path of spirituality. Well, who can forget these two Gurus roles during the Bhakti movement? No one, we guess. If you are spiritual-minded, a question may arise in your mind that is there any differences between the teachings of Kabir and Guru Nanak? Maybe, yes, so let’s find out what are they.
The Era Of Saint Kabir And Guru Nanak
During mediaeval India, when people involved in religious fights, two spiritual gurus came up to show the right path of achieving salvation. They became the motivational speakers for many after they guided them on the path of devotion. Two gurus never linked up with any religion, which is why they won the heart of many Muslims and Hindus.
Saint Kabir made sure people learn his teaching through his dohas and couplets. He preached to many Hindu and Muslim devotees and brought them under one roof. Later, he announced himself as the son of Lord Ram and Allah. On the flip side, Guru Nanak is said to be the founder of Sikhism, who directed his followers to recite the name of God (Sat Nam). As per Guru Nanak, all men and women of different religions were same for the God.
Both the Gurus choose different ways to deliver their thoughts and later found a place in their devotees’ hearts. Afterwards, a number of people started learning their teachings.
The Main Differences
Guru Nanak established a new religion called Sikhism, which was quite different from Hinduism and Islam. He explained his teachings in the holy scripture of Guru Granth Sahib. Whereas saint Kabir never found any religion but went on to earn millions of followers using his dohas. His followers are commonly known as Kabir Panthis. Some of his teachings are also similar to Advaita Vedanta, a Hindu philosophical scripture.
Saint Kabir said that some religious concepts and social evils (like Hindus and Muslims) would cause damage to people’s spiritual development. He strongly opposed the rituals of worshipping the Lord’s idol and also criticized the use of loudspeakers while reciting namaz. At the same time, Guru Nanak made efforts to end casteism in the country. He taught that everyone should have equal footings and one should not make use of different religions. Guru Nanak inspired people to worship God with faith and purified mind.
Moreover, Guru Nanak suggested the devotees to chant the name of God by imagining his idol in mind. While saint Kabir believed the practice of yoga and meditation is enough for pleasing the Lord. And thus, many people believe that saint Kabir had logical views while Guru Nanak was devotional.
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Different Views On Vegetarianism
The other difference between the teaching of Saint Kabir and Guru Nanak involves the concept of vegetarianism. Saint Kabir was the one who aimed to uproot the violence from the country. He wanted it to be replaced by spirituality. In this process, saint Kabir considered that person should follow vegetarianism before moving towards spirituality.
On the other hand, Guru Nanak had different plans to promote the concept of spirituality. Therefore, the spiritual guru of Sikhism refrained from debating between non-vegetarian and vegetarian. According to him, a person following the path of spirituality has no relation with vegetarianism. A person being a pure vegetarian or non-vegetarian is his/her personal choice. Guru Nanak strongly believed in equality, so there was no space for any religious debate. His aim was to attract people towards spirituality regardless of any religions.
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Similarities Of Spiritual Concepts
In the 14th-15th century, both the spiritual gurus came forward to direct their followers to the right path through teachings. Apart from differences, there are also some similarities in their teachings. Below are similarities that you must know.
- Saint Kabir and Guru Nanak stood up to unite Hindus and Muslims
- Both of them believed in communal harmony and social integration
- They appealed to stop judging people by their name, caste or religion
- Two gurus made a huge impact on common people and supported them in earning spiritual interest
- Saint Kabir and Guru Nanak asked people to perform social service instead of visiting temples and other religious places
- Two gurus also composed literature in their respective languages
In a Nutshell
Both Sant Kabir and Guru Nanak made incredible efforts to inspire people towards spirituality. Their teaching and views never went unnoticed. Even at present, we follow the dohas of Kabir and the holy book written by Guru Nanak. The spiritual not only directed the followers towards spirituality but also made sure there is no room for any religion. Hope, you had a lovely time reading this. May you follow the guidance of Sant Kabir and Guru Nanak in your life.