Guru Nanak — "Do not wish evil for others. Do not speak ill of others. Do not obstruct anyone'…"
Do not wish evil for others. Do not speak ill of others. Do not obstruct anyone's activities.
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More from Guru Nanak
"Dwell in peace in the home of your own being, and the Messenger of Death will not be able to touch you."
"He who has no faith in himself can never have faith in God. Or in his ability to assemble IKEA furniture."
"The flamingos fly hundreds of miles, leaving their young ones behind. Who feeds them, and who teaches them to feed themselves? Have you ever thought of this in your mind?"
"Let no man in the world live in delusion. Without a Guru, none can cross over to the other shore. Also, don't forget your towel."
"Be kind to all beings, this is more meritorious than bathing at the sixty-eight sacred shrines of pilgrimage and donating money."
About Guru Nanak (1469-1539)
Founder of Sikhism and the first of the Ten Sikh Gurus, whose teachings of one universal God and rejection of caste shaped Punjab. Closely associated with Kabir (mystical poet whose verses appear in the Sikh Guru Granth Sahib). For an intellectual contrast, see Brahmanical orthodoxy, the Hindu caste-and-ritual establishment of his era — Sikhism was founded as a deliberate alternative to both Hindu ritual hierarchy and Islamic exclusivism — Nanak's universalism was a structural rejection of caste and priestly mediation.
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Understanding this quote
What it means
This quote establishes a three-part ethical code governing thought, speech, and action. It asks people to purify their intentions — not just avoid harmful acts but stop harboring harmful wishes. In modern terms: don't gossip, don't scheme against others, and don't block people's paths or opportunities. A good life is measured by what you withhold as much as what you do.
Relevance to Guru Nanak
Guru Nanak (1469–1539) spent decades traveling across South Asia, Arabia, and Central Asia, preaching to Hindus, Muslims, and all people equally. He faced hostility from religious orthodoxy and caste gatekeepers. His foundational doctrine — Ik Onkar, one universal God — demanded equal dignity for all. This quote mirrors his practice: he never cursed opponents but engaged them in dialogue, embodying seva, selfless service, and the belief that hatred corrupts the hater first.
The era
Guru Nanak's era was defined by brutal upheaval: the Mughal conquest under Babur (1526), entrenched caste hierarchy that legally obstructed lower castes, and intense Hindu-Muslim communal violence. Punjab, his homeland, sat at the crossroads of invasions and competing orthodoxies. Obstructing others and speaking ill of rival faiths were socially normalized, even institutionalized. His three prohibitions were deliberate moral challenges to behaviors his fractured, war-scarred society considered ordinary.
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