Salvation for All—The new simplicity involved salvation for all, in whatever walk of life. Whether a man had the opportunity of making pilgrimage or of practising asceticism, whether he were of high caste or a pariah, whether he had knowledge of the sacred writings or whether he were illiterate, mattered little; wise or foolish, ignorant or learned, rich or poor, all had their chance of salvation. Even the sexes were to be regarded as equal. The spiritual pride of hermits and ascetics was especially condemned.

"Why go searching God in the forest? I have found Hine at home," says Nānak.

Unworldliness.—To live the ordinary family life was deemed no disgrace, and salvation could equally well he obtained in this way. But such healthy saneness of outlook involved no lack of spirituality, no compromise with materialism. "Burn worldly love," says Nānak. He includes it as one of the five deadly sins. To be in the world but not of the world was to be the glory of Sikhs, "They dwelt," says Bhāi Gur Dās, "as hermits among their families."

The Name.—Human beings could find their ground of equality and their way to spirituality in the repetition of God's name. The custom of repeating a sacred word was already an inherent factor of Hindu religion, and many worshippers of Krishna repeat his name thousands of times daily. Nānak approved the practice, but he

substituted a new name for God in order that there should be no association with the various existing conceptions of the Deity. He also made safeguards against the danger of formality. The new title was Wāhguru, the derivation of which has been differently given in the Sikh Scriptures. 1 To utter Wāhguru with love and devotion and with earnest meditation was held to be an efficient means of drawing near to God; of raising the soul above the things of this world, and of putting all men on an equality. If done with a perfectly pure heart the effect of this utterance might be tremendous. It could even result in divine union. In any case it was to supersede all the religious observances of the Hindus.

"Hearing the Name is equal to bathing at the sixty-eight places of pilgrimage."

Meditation.—The Name, uttered with meditation, was declared to be by far the best form of worship. But meditation was in itself at all times to be recommended and should be constantly resorted to.

"They who meditate on God are emancipated; for them death's noose is broken."

"All fear has departed from those who meditate on the fearless God."

Meditation on the abstract virtues and on the Gurus was also recommended, and Sikhs were never to wait for special times and special places. No conditions were necessary, for, as Nānak once told some astrologers:

"The auspicious time is when men turn to God."