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Guru Nanak Dev affirms:
When there is union between the soul and the Divine, all suffering is destroyed. This union occurs by the grace of God. Once the mind is in God, then death (Kal) cannot harm a person.
In order to have direct knowledge of the Divine, Guru Nanak teaches that it is necessary to have a path. Such a path is only found through association with a Saint or spiritual preceptor. Without this help it is not possible to have direct knowledge of the Divine.
Concerning this knowledge Guru Nanak proclaims:
Dear brothers, without the spiritual preceptor (guru,) knowledge and the means for attaining this knowledge cannot be obtained.
The means of knowledge, such as devotion, grace, the removal of ego, peace and freedom, cannot be achieved without a guru.
Further:
Without the guru there is no devotion, and there is no purification of the dirt of ego, declares Nanak after much contemplation. Let no one be mistaken and remain in delusion in this world. Therefore, I (Nanak) declare that without the grace and help of the guru no one can go beyond this cycle of birth and death.
Guru Arjun Dev also underlines the importance of a Sadguru:
The person who does not have initiation by a preceptor lives life as a dog, pig, ass, crow or snake.
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