During the Bhakti period from the 13th to 17th century, diverse spiritual mentors across the Indian subcontinent raised their voices to strengthen social, cultural, and interfaith harmony. Discarding perils of divisiveness & thoughtless practices, they focused on principles of Oneness. However, the outreach of their philosophies remained limited to their respective geographies as, in those times, messages were transmitted only through oral traditions. Guru Nanak, born 1469 is an embodiment of Oneness, who during his extensive travels across Asia, visited the Dargah of Baba Farid at Pakpattan and documented Baba Farid’s sabads (verses) which were being sung at the shrine since the 13th century. Following the vision of Guru Nanak, his fifth successor, Guru Arjan, compiled the ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ and included sabads (verses) of diverse spiritual mentors from across the Indian subcontinent. During that time, when there was no printing press or internet to transmit information, this mammoth effort of inclusivity was accomplished to strengthen the essence that integration enriches humanity.
The 'Oneness in Diversity' project is a multilingual audio-visual educational resource in English, Hindi & Punjabi. It introduces the life narratives and spiritual messages of the saints, whose messages of universal harmony are enshrined in the ‘Guru Granth Sahib’. It encompasses metaphoric translations of 1653 sabads (verses) rendered in prescribed musicology of Guru Nanak, Bhagat Kabir, Bhagat Ramanand, Bhagat Ravidas, Sheikh Farid, Bhagat Namdev, Bhagat Jaydev, Bhagat Trilochan, Bhagat Sadhna, Bhagat Sain, Bhagat Pipa, Bhagat Dhanna, Bhagat Surdas, Bhagat Parmanand, Bhagat Bheekhan, Bhagat Beni & Bhai Mardana. This five-year project was commissioned in January 2023. The audio-visual educational content is being released periodically from Feb 2025 till Dec 2028 on this website with videos linked to YouTube and audios linked to Spotify. To supplement the learning experience, downloadable (PDF) reading materials are also provided. The motivation for this project emerged from the humble learnings during the production of the 24-episode Guru Nanak Docuseries, ‘Allegory, A Tapestry of Guru Nanak’s Travels’, which pointed out that many popular translations of the ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ adopt a literal approach and display gender bias. It highlighted the need for a fresh perspective that embraces metaphorical interpretation and gender neutrality which is an integral aspect of the 'Oneness in Diversity' project. This vast repository of multilingual audio-visual educational content is being created for a generation that is moving away from reading as means of acquiring knowledge.
We can expand the scope of the ‘Oneness in Diversity’ project to include the other contributors of the ‘Guru Granth Sahib’, the spiritual mentors that are not part of the current ongoing undertaking, these being Guru Angad, Guru Amardas, Guru Ramdas, Guru Arjan, Guru Tegh Bahadur & various Bhatts. If this expansion is undertaken, it will result in a first-ever complete multilingual audio-visual educational repository of all contributors of ‘Guru Granth Sahib’ presenting their life narratives and metaphoric messages of their 5894 sabads (verses) in prescribed musicology. Thereafter, we can build an innovative app-based search engine to facilitate exploration of the audio-visual content. This expansion will entail an additional eight years of dedicated commitment and require a greater mobilization of financial support from philanthropists.
'Unfurling the Self' video delves into philosophical concepts, foundation upon which the spiritual masters convey insights about universal divinity that also exists within.
Read the script to better understand the principles.
