3. Guru Amardas (1552—74)

Guru Amardas carried on the mission of his predecessors with great sincerity and devotion. He set before the Sikhs the ideal of Sewa and honest living. He earned his own livelihood by personal effort According to Latif, a Muslim historian: "He never ate anything from the Guru's storehouse, but supported himself by small sums of money which he earned by trading in salt and oil in the market"* When he was asked why he did not eat what the Sikhs ate in the Free Kitchen, he replied: "Whatever the Sikhs eat nourishes me too, for there is no difference at all between us." At another time, he told the congregation that just as a mother feels happy to see her children eat and relish delicacies, in the same way the Guru feels happy when the Sikhs - his children - dine together.