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GURU GRANTH SAHIB – THE PERFECT, PERPETUAL GUIDE...39Likh likh padia teta karhia(The more you read and write and become intellectually great,the more you develop rancour and narrowness.)– Guru Granth Sahib, p.467 Asa-di-Var SlokasWhenever I attend the inter-faith conferences, I insist that sinceall religions represent Truth and love, and they come from the onereservoir <strong>of</strong> truth and love, i.e., God, how can they be different exceptin their rites? When they are all Gold, how can one convert Gold intoGold? I was a little taken aback when on his visit to India the HolyFather, the Pope had hoped that as Christianity reaped Europe in thefirst millennium and Africa in the second millennium, it would nowreap Asia in the third millennium. Whatever he meant, I personallybelieve that so long as we believe that certain religions are better thanothers, we cannot achieve harmony and peace. The marvel <strong>of</strong> GuruGranth Sahib is that our scripture freely acknowledges, allows andaccepts the same truth, the same love and the same appeal in allreligions. That is why I sincerely believe that our scripture can meetthe challenges <strong>of</strong> the new millennium, but only if we ourselves livethe message and propagate it, not only through sermons, lectures andprinted material, but also through our practical life.All the ills like sectarian, regional, linguistics and ethnic violence,social and economic disparities and other social problems shouldautomatically vanish, if we adhere to the dictates <strong>of</strong> Guru GranthSahib. It is absolutely true for the whole world. Let us see:When we are all children <strong>of</strong> one God and are equal in everyrespect, how can we even think <strong>of</strong> harming our own people?ek pita akas ke ham barik,– Guru Granth Sahib, p 611When Guru Granth Sahib ensures equality <strong>of</strong> all and love <strong>of</strong> thepoor, why should the disparities occcur? What communists thoughtabout the alleviation <strong>of</strong> poverty through violence, Guru Nanak wantsit through love. Remember his words? neechan andar neech jaat neechihoun att neech Nanak tinke sang saaath vadian sio kya rees. jithe neechsamalian thithe nadar teri bakhshish Lowliest <strong>of</strong> the low, even lower thanthat, Nanak belongs to such a caste. What have I got to do with thehighly-placed? whenever the lowliest are taken care <strong>of</strong>, God residesthere.)