Ik Onkar — The Mool Mantar
The Teaching
Ik Onkar — One Creative Reality Satnam — Truth is its Name Karta Purakh — The Creator Being Nirbhau — Without Fear Nirvair — Without Enmity Akaal Moorat — Undying Form Ajuni — Unborn Saibhang — Self-Illumined Gur Prasad — By Guru’s Grace
Jaap — Meditate Aad Sach — True in the beginning Jugaad Sach — True throughout all ages Hai Bhi Sach — True even now Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach — Nanak says: True forever shall be.
Commentary
The Mool Mantar, the seed mantra of Sikhism, is Guru Nanak’s distillation of the divine reality into its essential attributes. Ik Onkar, One Creative Reality, is the Shema’s Adonai Echad (the Lord is One) in Punjabi. The same radical non-dual monotheism.
‘Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Hai Bhi Sach, Nanak Hosi Bhi Sach’, True in the beginning, true throughout all ages, true now, true forever. The divine reality is not historical but eternal, equally present at every moment.
The Guru Granth Sahib is called the living Guru, the Word (Shabd) made text. This is John’s ‘the Word became flesh’ in another register: the divine ground expressing itself in language, available for direct encounter.
Themes
Connections 8
Arose apart
No known transmission between Judaism and Sikhism while these teachings took shape.
Arose apart
No known transmission between Christianity and Sikhism while these teachings took shape. Contact came under British rule in the 19th century.
Arose apart
No known transmission between Sikhism and Taoism while these teachings took shape.
Arose apart
No known transmission between Shinto and Sikhism while these teachings took shape.
Travelled
Hinduism reached Sikhism by 1469 CE. Sikhism arose in Punjab among Hindus and Muslims. The Guru Granth includes the bhakti poets Kabir and Namdev.
Arose apart
No known transmission between Hermeticism and Sikhism while these teachings took shape.