But what exactly is this holy scripture, the Guru Granth Sahib?

I would like to tell you about our present Guru, Guru Granth Sahib Ji. We follow their teachings. No major religious prophet personally recorded his teachings. For example, Jesus Christ did not write the Bible. Instead, years after his death, various followers wrote different accounts of his life. Many years after that, a group of religious scholars made decisions about which accounts would be included in the newly formed Bible and which would not be. Then, the original Latin bible was passed down over the years and translated repeatedly to create many different versions of the Bible, such as the King James version, which exist today. Christians do not agree on which version is authentic. Mormons actually believe there is a complete additional book that details Christ's visit to North America. Regardless of how these controversies will be resolved, what is known as fact is that not a single word in any Bible was authored by Jesus, because he did not write down any accounts of his life.

Another example is that of Muhammad in the Muslim faith. He did not author a single word in the Quran. Hence, we do not know first-hand what his experiences of God were. The above examples do not mean that these faiths are any less valid. Indeed, even the writings of Socrates and Pythagoras did not actually survive to the current day, but we still fully acknowledge their contributions. However, what is made clear is that if some religion were to somehow have a text authored directly by the prophet's own hand that has survived unadulterated to the present day, something of unprecedented value would exist upon this earth. Actually, such a text does exist - it is called the Sri Guru Granth Sahib, and was compiled by the Gurus (revealed prophets) themselves.

The Guru Granth Sahib has several unique characteristics that ensure its authenticity, two of which will be described here. First, it was written in the most popular languages of that time and region of the world. In other words, it was not intended as an archaic book to be read only by the scholarly elite - rather, it was written so it could be understood by the common people. Hence, it has been possible for the original text to be passed down rather than having to rely on translations to comprehend it. Second, the Guru Granth Sahib is written in poetic verse. The rhyme and meter make it impossible to insert foreign material or remove passages without upsetting the flow of the whole document. As people study the Guru Granth Sahib, many even become familiar with the unique and subtle writing styles of the authors.

Because of these above characteristics, Sikhs do not regard the Sri Guru Granth Sahib as simply a holy book. Rather, it contains the first-hand, complete, and unadulterated message of their spiritual leaders. Therefore, it is considered to embody the living spirit of the Gurus. The paper, cover, and ink do indeed just form a book, but the pure message that book records in written form is the Guru of the Sikhs. Complete honors and respect must be given to that message, for it is the foundation of Sikh life.