Life is a garden in which flowers of deeds grow and bloom. Plants of good deeds bloom in beautiful colours and send waves of sweet fragrance which immerse with life and beautify it. At the same time, everyone is answerable to God for his deeds. Guru Nanak Dev ji tells us this on page 952 of the G.G.S. :

"Everyone is answerable to God. No one is saved but for his good deeds."

What man sows in this world by means of his deeds so does he reap. He cannot expect anything else. We sow the seeds of good deeds as we know that we are accountable for our deeds. Our deeds should be saturated with the Name of God. It is the Name of God that teaches us to be just and fair in our actions and dealings. Where God is forgotten life becomes so selfish and inhuman. Hence the Light of God must be immersed in our daily activities. These activities will ferry us across this ocean of life.

Bhai Gurdas ji pays tremendous respect to those Gur-Sikhs who follow the Sikh way of life and never forget God at any moment. He writes :

" I bow to those Sikhs who wake up at dawn for meditation.
I bow to those Sikhs who bathe early in the morning.
I bow to those Sikhs who recite the Holy Name with concentration.
I bow to those Sikhs who walk to participate in the congregation.
I bow to those Sikhs who sing or listen to the Guru's hymns daily.
I bow to those Sikhs who find good Sikhs and befriend them.
I bow to those Sikhs who perform sincere worship and celebrate the Sikh festivals.
By serving the Guru, their lives become fruitful and blessed."

A Sikh frees himself from the clutches of greed and avarice. He is contented with whatever is given to him by God. He does not leave the path of sincerity, honesty and truth to accumulate wealth. Gold and silver piled in millions of tons does not attract him. Pearls gems and diamonds, numerous and invaluable do not have the allurement to entice a Sikh who follows the true path of the Guru.

A Gur-Sikh rises at dawn and takes a bath. He recites the Guru's bani and proceeds to the Gurdwara to sing the hymns of the Guru. He joins the congregation (Sadh-Sangat) with devotion and sings or listens to the singing of Gurbani. He does not make excuses to the duty of service. In fact, a Gur-Sikh waits for an opportunity to serve the sangat or humanity at large. Following this path of the Guru, Sikhs have laid their lives at the service of the Guru.

A Gur-Sikh earns an honest living and brings food and any other offering that he makes to the Guru's house. He serves food to the others first before he eats himself. He is more concerned of the needs of other human beings. All these are the great deeds of a Sikh. However small they may be these deeds play a significant role in shaping the Sikh world.

It is the greatness of the Sikh faith that a Sikh can rise to the status of the Guru. He inculcates the lofty qualities in himself and wins the glory of the Lord. He adheres to the path of the Guru and his deeds are based on honesty, justice, honour, probity and integrity. The Guru seeks the dust of that disciple who himself repeats the Name and inspires others to follow his example. These are the virtuous deeds, exemplary deeds which ferry a Sikh across this ocean of life.

There are many outstanding examples of dedicated and consecrated Sikhs to whom service to the Guru is more important than even their lives. One such example we find in Bhai Manj. When he fell into a well, he did not allow the bundle of fire-wood to fall from his head. He wanted this bundle of fire-wood to reach the Guru's kitchen. Even when rescuers came, including the Guru, he refused to come out of the well before the bundle of fire-wood. This example may appear to be an insignificant happening, but a stream of dedication, consecration, devotion and sanctity flows out of this example in which many Sikhs bathe and purify their lives.

O Sikhs we are all accountable for our deeds and we should always cleanse and defecate our deeds in the stream of truth and verity. We should be always proud to project our deeds that are based on integrity and fidelity. We are all accountable for our deeds to the Lord.