To bring about equality and fraternity among people, the gurus brought about two important institutions, langar and sangat. In the langar, or free kitchen, people of all social status sit together at the same place, without distinction, and are served food from the same kitchen. The establishment of sangat entailed the entire congregation sitting at the feet of the master to meditate the name of the lord and to sing his praises, regardless of caste or position. During Guru Nanak's day, this was innovative, because for the first time the shudras (untouchables) were permitted to join everyone else and participate in religious ceremonies.

Service has been given a special orientation in Sikh teaching; it is termed seva. Seva is beneficent action done without expecting reward. Although prayer, mediation and devotion are greatly and emphatically commended, seva has the role of bringing completion and fulfillment to the spiritual life. This is an established tradition in Sikh society: All must perform service - humble, manual labor, without social distinction.

"Without service, no objectives are fulfilled; in service lies the purest action."

Guru Nanak was the great emancipator of women and treated them akin to men, making them equal participants in social and religious spheres, thereby paving the way to granting equal rights to women. Up until that time, women did not have such rights.

Nanak says: "Of woman we are born, of woman we are conceived, to a woman we are betrothed and married, a woman is one's friend (life partner) a woman begets new generations, when a woman dies, another woman is sought, through a woman, social ties are established. How can we speak ill of those, who give birth to kings?

"From a woman is born a woman, without a woman there is no human birth. Says Nanak, without a woman only the True One exists."

The word guru, as used by the Sikhs, does not mean teacher or guide, as commonly used. Gu means darkness and ru means light. Therefore, the guru is the light that dispels darkness. He is God's messenger through which God's light shines and illuminates. The guru ushers devotees and seekers of truth into union with the divine. The guru, though human in form, is divine in spirit.

The teachings of the gurus attempt to uplift the soul from the shackles of materialism. They instruct Sikhs in the ways of a virtuous life that leads to the ultimate realization of union with God.

Sikhs must discard the five vices - kam (lust), krodh (anger), lobh (greed), moh (attachment) and hankar or haumai (ego). Of these, perhaps, the elimination of ego is the most arduous and demanding. Egoism results from regarding oneself as important. The mission of life is to attain spiritual salvation, through the exaltation of the Supreme Being. Ego blinds one to the glory of God.

The Sikh gurus never professed that theirs is the only route to salvation. They did not claim that God belonged to any one religion or sect, but rather stated: "All shall become pure whosoever contemplate his name with heartfelt loving devotion."

The Sikhs believe the purpose of life is not to attain paradise or heaven but to seek God and become united with him. This spiritual union leads to eternal bliss. Birth as a human provides an opportunity to achieve this goal. If this is missed, the person reverts to the cycle of births and rebirths.

"Without the name of God, birth into this world is in vain, one eats poison, speaks evil, without God's name, one dies without merit, and transmigrates."

The path to God is complex and difficult. The human mind has accumulated many impurities along the way. As long as the mind is impure, it cannot integrate with the Absolute (God). Thus, prayer and praise of Nam enlighten the mind and transform the human soul to a state of absolute bliss.

Dr. Madan M. Singh is president of Engineers International Inc. in Scottsdale. He can be reached at madan_msingh@yahoo.com.