Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji proceeded toward his…

Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji proceeded toward his next destination, the capital of Tibet, Lhasa. At that time, Buddhism had fully spread throughout Lhasa. However, due to the presence of two different sects within Buddhism, there was internal discord among the followers.

The first sect was known as Karmapa. These followers believed in the worship of the formless divine and wore red hats. The second sect was called Gelugpa, whose followers wore yellow hats and believed in idol worship, revering the statues of Lord Buddha.

When Guru Ji arrived in Lhasa, the Karmapa sect quickly formed a close bond with him due to their liberal beliefs, as their ideology aligned more closely with Guru Ji’s teachings. Guru Ji explained to them:

"You speak only of purifying the individual soul, but you remain silent about its origin and final destination. In reality, the soul is eternal. It originates from the Supreme Being and, after purification, merges back into that Supreme Essence. Without acknowledging this Supreme Truth, your spiritual practice remains incomplete and will not bear fruit. Without a determined goal, one can never hit the target. The nature we see around us could not have come into existence without the Supreme Essence. That Divine Power is present within everything because He alone is the Creator, immersed in His own creation."

Atam mahi Ram, Ram mahi atam, cheenas Guru beechara. Amrit Vani Sabad pachhani, dukh kaṭe hau maara. (1)

Nanak haumai rog bure. Jah dekha tah eka bedan, aape bakhsai Sabad dhure. Rahao (Janam Sakhi)

This discourse won over the Karmapa sect. Their lamas and monks surrendered before Guru Ji’s wisdom and sought further guidance.

On the other hand, the Gelugpa sect could not abandon idol worship, as they had vested personal interests in it. They feared that if idol worship ceased, their religious status, reverence, and livelihood would also come to an end. Thus, they were unwilling to follow Guru Ji’s path and continued with their idol worship, which revolved around individual figures.

Since the two sects already had ideological differences, Guru Ji’s influence led many Karmapa followers to become his disciples. This increased jealousy among the Gelugpa sect (the Yellow Hat followers). Consequently, political power in Lhasa shifted in favor of the Gelugpa sect, granting them full control over the city. With their newfound dominance, they expelled the Karmapa sect from Lhasa.

Even today, wherever the Karmapa followers exist, they respectfully read Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s hymns and remember him with honor, referring to him as Nanak Lama.