There is a question that frequently troubles the travelers of the spiritual path. “How should I live this life”? There are other issues that arise within this question—what religion to practice, where to pray, what dress to wear, whether to be celibate, or renounce the world.In the matter how a devotee should live his life, it is interesting to consider the life of Guru Nanak Dev. He respected all religions:
Becoming a true Muslim, a disciple of Mohammed, (let) you put aside the delusion of death and life.
And
In Traytaa Age, He was Ram of the Raghu dynasty.
In Dwaapur Age, He was Krishna.
Nanak preferred to stay under the blue umbrella of the sky, his favourite place to talk about the new way of life that he propagated. There was no bar on attendance, nor did he demand any allegiance of any person. He dressed like a Pathan or a Turk when he visited those regions, and wore saffron in eastern India.
At times, he was a recluse. He looked forward to the company of saints, but also visited the houses of greedy and wealthy individuals, and often changed their perspective with his gentle approach. In his early years, he was an employee of the local Nawab, and in his later years, he set up a commune at Kartarpur, with common asset ownership, and a common kitchen. He was married, with two children. Occasionally, he left home on long spiritual journeys, but he always returned to his wife and family.
Guru Nanak Dev, thus, combined in himself an ascetic and recluse who lived a full life, and respected all religions. He was a dutiful son, a loving husband, a doting brother to a sister, and an indulgent father. Yet, he was unduly attached to none, and loved the whole Universe. To the devotee’s eternal question of “how should I live this life?”, his answer is disarmingly simple: Walk with complete acceptance, in the way of His will.