User talk:Raj2
Negative thoughts come to my mind
Question: If we have negative thoughts about harming another person is it okay to do so? Do we have a free will or is it hukam from God that we should harm another person?
Reply: We have free will and accordingly we make numerous choices every few minutes; this is happening all the time and these decisions will result in our "karmas" and our karmas will governs what happens to us in the future. You cannot always control the thought that come to your mind - so if you have bad thoughts, don't blame yourself; it your mind playing tricks. But never follow any bad thoughts that you get in your mind. Your actions are under your control so exercise control and always act in a positive way. When you start acting positively, the "shataan" in the mind will be subdued and you will get less and less negative thoughts.
Live a positive life; do sewa and simran; remember God and less negative thoughts will come to the mind. I hope this short reply helps. Kind regards, Hari Singhtalk 21:22, 11 March 2013 (CDT)
Further thoughts - Reply to your question
Thank you for replying to my question quickly. I feel guilty doing simran because i feel as if gods bringing these thoughts to my mind about harming other people.Is god creating these thoughts?Am i in control of my own mind(free will)?Or is god in control of my mind and he creates such thoughts or any thoughts(both positive and negative thoughts)?The reason why i ask this is because people say that god does everything.i also feel guilty to do simran because i feel that maybe god is punishing me for doing bad deeds ,in my past life,and as a consequence, he is punishing me by making me have these thoughts.I am struggling with these thoughts and its hard for me to get these thoughts out of my head.
Reply
The mind is a tool; a melting pot; many thoughts will well up in the mind. From these thoughts one needs to make a choice. It is up to your will to exercise control and guide the mind in the right direction - only do those things that are right and lead you to a better and more sacred position. Here is where the guidance of the Guru is useful. Make your mind follow the path laid down by the Guru.
All sorts of thoughts come to everyone but the wise person will only select to follow the righteous path. The weak person or the devious person or the evil person will make the incorrect choice.
Yes, everything happens by the will of God. Earthquakes, tornado, tsunamis, etc all are the works of God. However, people commit murders, rapes and other crimes - God doesn't do these. Man has the ability to make a choice but many due to their own weaknesses cannot make the right choices.
However, even these crimes committed by mankind have been predicted by the saints; when one forgets the Lord, then he becomes weak. The Guru Granth Sahib tells us clearly that weak humans will not follow the path of Dharam (righteousness). [www.srigranth.org/servlet/gurbani.gurbani?Action=Page&Param=1362&english=t&id=58204 O Lord! When the mortal forgets the Lord of the Universe, the Sovereign Lord King, he grows weaker day by day. (14)]
So remember the supreme Lord and stay strong and allows try and make the right choices! Kind regards, Hari Singhtalk 00:16, 15 March 2013 (CDT)
Third dialogue
Thank you for replying back to my email, I truly appreciate it. I am very grateful because you have taught me so much and that is something that I will never truly forget. I was also wondering that if god tells us that we should live a truthful life then how am i living a truthful life. God states that we should be honest and truthful, but I feel that I am not truthful and honest because I am not telling other people (family) the thoughts I get about harming others because I am afraid that they may dislike me,or that they might have negative thoughts towards me? The only person who knows about such thoughts are you and a psychiatrist that I see on a weekly basis. Am I living a honest and truthful life? I feel that I am not living a truthful and honest life because I am not telling other people how I feel inside and i'm not acting on those thoughts so that means that I am acting as a fake and not acting truthfully? In other words, I must be a fake person since I am not acting on my thoughts and I am not telling my family that I have these negative thoughts, so therefore I must be dishonest and fake?I hope you can reply back and thank you for everything that you have done for me words cannot express how grateful I feel that you have taken time out of your day to respond to my questions.
Reply
Its a pleasure to answer your questions. I also learn from the thing that you tell me; so we are both gaining from the exercise.
Yes, you should be honest and truthful but that does not mean you go around telling everyone the password to your bank account! To be honest is not deceive another person; not to deliberately misguide another person; to not rob another person; to protect and guard anyone is weaker than you, etc. So if you are not transparent, it does not mean you are not honest. You don't tell your family because you do not want to hurt them - that is a good reason not to tell them.
The thoughts that you get in your mind are probably a result of insecurity or trauma or previous shock that you may have suffered; getting medical help is the first point of call. Follow their instructions. Modern medical solutions work most of the time. Dedicate your energy to the medical help that you are getting; work with these experts with vigor and strength.
Also form a bond with God. Everyday spend 5 to 10 minutes in meditation and yoga; learn to calm down the activity in your mind; connect with Gurbani and the Guru. In your heart do an ardas to God to ask for his help directly; be frank and passionate with your ardas; tell God you are His creation and you want his help resolving this problem. "God, I am your son, please help me; bring inner peace and calmness to my mind. Blow away all the negative thoughts"
Slowly your mind will start to have less and less negative thoughts. As this happens increase your connection with God; believe in the bani of Guru Nanak. Remind yourself how the power of bani was able to stop the huge mountain rock with the palm of the Guru's hand at Nankana Sahib.
Share your problem with one than two of your closest friends/family. But choose them careful - you want someone who will support you not create more pressure. First explain just a little of your minor thoughts; if they support you than slowly introduce more difficult issues but tread gentle and only move at a very gentle pace when you are certain and confident of their support.
If you select the right person to begin sharing your problem, you will find relief and the size of the problem in your mind will diminish very quickly.
May the Guru bless you. Kind Regards, Hari Singhtalk 20:29, 21 March 2013 (CDT)
4th dialogue
Thank you for making me feel comfortable talking to you, I feel that you have immensely helped me.Thank you for giving me great advice as to how I can openly share my thoughts with other people whom I trust. I am glad that your learning something from me as well. I was a bit unclear about being truthful (Sat). So to make sure I am following you, an individual does not have to always tell/share with others what thoughts, or what actions that come to our mind to live a truthful life. Since we all have strange thoughts that come to all of us, we do not have to share every thought ,or actions that come to mind with others to live a truthful life (Sat)?We must also control any negative thoughts and actions, so that we do not take any wrong actions. I just felt that I was not being truthful, or real because I was not acting on the thoughts or actions that were coming to my mind.I was also wondering where do all of these thoughts come from in our mind both negative or positive? Do thoughts come from experiences, knowledge, and other stimuli in our environment?Thank you for everything once again, The advice and the knowledge you are giving me is something that I will never forget. May god bless you and make all of your wishes and dreams come true. Regards, Raj
Reply
Thank you for your kind words; it is through the guidance and blessings of Gurbani that we can lead a useful and truthful life.
To live a truthful life is to act righteously - it is your actions that matter. We all have negative thoughts and we try to train yourselves not to act on these negative waves of the mind. Always act on your positive thoughts. When you start doing this, more blessing will come to you and more positive thought will result.
Truthful living is doing the right things. We cannot completely controlled the mind - its like a bird; flying from one tree to another. But use your will power to only act on the right thoughts and hence you will be doing only right things and living truthfully.
Sharing all your thoughts does not come into the equation - share only positive things and do not dwell on any negative thoughts - change the subject when your mind wants to think negative! - Say no and move to a positive subject - think about the great things that the Gurus' did - the positive change that the Gurus brought to the lives of the people of Punjab and elsewhere. I think you now understand what is truthful living.
No one can explain the workings of the mind. All we know is that many thousands of thoughts come to the mind every day; some good and some bad. Our mission on this planet is to only follow positive thoughts and reject the negative ones. We have to learn to make the correct selection every time. That is our mission in life - to make the correct choices.
God bless; Guru's blessings. Hari Singhtalk 19:22, 25 March 2013 (CDT)
Fifth Dialogue
Thank you for making me understand what truthful living is. I will do the best I can to be a good person and to always follow the positive thoughts and not to be follow the negative thoughts. I believe I am scared of the negative thoughts that come to my mind and that is why they bother me so much. You have really helped me and gave me the guidance and that is something that I truly appreciate. I hope you can leave this blog/page up on your site, so then I can always come and visit the page and always remind myself of how to lead a better life. May god bless you, you are truly a genuine and caring person and that is rare to find these days. I wish you and your family all the best and I hope all of your wishes and dreams come true. Regards, Raj. P
Reply
Many thanks for your very kind words and your good wishes; I don't think I deserve such kind words as I am just following the guidance of my Guru as best as I can; and I don't think I am completely there yet in obeying the complete and bitter sweet Hukam of Guru Nanak. However, I am very grateful for your generosity and frank praise. I hope I will continue to be a servant of Guru Nanak. May your good words help propel me even more nearer to the state of understanding of Gurbani to which I continue to aspire to and which at present eludes me.
May the Almighty give you the strength to remain focused and always alert so that you can faithfully follow the positive impulses that come to your mind. Rely on the Guru and seek his guidance when you are unsure. This page will remain for as long as the website prevails - hopefully forever!
Many thanks also for your good wishes to my family and me. I too wish you and your family good health and a most satisfying life and may all the real jewels in this world be yours. Please do come back and post question whenever something troubles you. Wishing you every success in your life. Regards, Hari Singhtalk 22:13, 28 March 2013 (CDT)
Sixth Dialogue
Thank you very much, once again words cannot express how grateful I feel that you have taken time out of your day and have provided me with great information. I wish for all of your dreams and wishes to come true;you are a great person. I was wondering that one of the evils in life is attachment. I was wondering if you can provide me more detail as to how attachment is seen as something that is bad. I thought being attached to your family or loved ones is a good thing? So, being attached to your family and loving them is not a good thing? Another evil is Krodh (wrath or rage) I was wondering if you can explain the following quote in simple language..."Violence, attachment, covetousness and wrath," says Guru Nanak "are like four rivers of fire; those who fall in them burn, and can swim across, O Nanak, only through God's grace" (GG, 147). What does it mean by, "those who fall in them burn and can swim across...only through gods grace"? Does that mean that some people will not be punished for there wrong or violent actions? Thank you very much. Kind regards, Raj
Reply
Many thanks again for your kind words, Raj. What I have written is what I have learnt from Gurbani and other Gursikhs; so it is not something that can be attributed to me personally; the roots lie in Gurbani. I find that as you come closer to the Guru, the more in-depth thoughts start slowing coming to your mind. It is not something that can be understood empirically but has to "evolve slowly in your mind" only with the blessing of the Almighty.
Moh or "Attachment" are words used to describe one of the five evils of the mind recognised by our Gurus. The other four evils of the mind are - Kam or lust or acute desire, Krodh or rage/anger, Lobh or greed and Ahankar or ego/pride. I think we sometimes confuse the concept of Moh and attachment. When you have Moh for something, you become a slave of that attachment - you come infatuated by the attachment. The emotional attachment begins to cloud your independence; this is when it becomes unhealthy.
Let's consider a typical situation which you have touched on - over attachment to one's own family. I believe it is good to love your family and have a bonding dependence with other members of one's family. However, there is a line to be drawn. If you become a slave of that relationship and consider it above all other things than that is incorrect and it becomes an entrapment. The most important thing in life is to tread on the path of "Sat" or "Truth" - to follow the rules of Truth or the rules of God.
If you become entrapped in a very deep and blind family relationship, you will do things for your family which may conflict with the principles of this Truth. Say you see your brother commit a evil act such as theft or grievous injury to someone - if you are emotionally trapped in an "family relationship", you will not be independent in your "point of view" of the situation. But if you are committed to the Truth, you will point out to your brother that he has done wrong and that he has to change and re-compensate the person who has suffered - if your relationship is healthy, you will do the right thing without hesitation; but if you are over-attached to the brother, you will neglect justice and ignore the wrong-doing. That is why Moh is a negative concept mentioned in Gurbani.
The family forms an important part of a Sikh community but we must keep the attachments reasonable and fair and in balance with our primary vows to our Guru. One always has to be committed to the Truth above everything else. That is why over-attachment can be dangerous. Sikhi preaches love for everyone - but above all, love for God and the principles of Truth and true justice.
| ਹੰਸੁ ਹੇਤੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਕੋਪੁ ਚਾਰੇ ਨਦੀਆ ਅਗਿ ॥ ਪਵਹਿ ਦਝਹਿ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਤਰੀਐ ਕਰਮੀ ਲਗਿ ॥੨॥ |
| Hans heṯ lobẖ kop cẖāre naḏī▫ā ag. Pavėh ḏajẖėh nānkā ṯarī▫ai karmī lag. (2) |
| Cruelty, material attachment, greed and anger are the four rivers of fire.
Falling into them, one is burned, O Nanak! One is saved only by holding tight to good deeds. (2) |
The shabad explains that the four emotions of Cruelty, Moh - attachment, Lobh - greed and Krodh - rage will burn your life in misery & pain and that only doing good deeds will bring you nearer to God and bring peace and everlasting happiness into your life. If you do good deeds, you will not suffer for your past sins - that is correct according to Gurbani. If we do enough good deeds, we can overcome our past evil deeds or karmas and we can be forgiven for our sins.
I hope this helps with the translation of the shabad. Kind regards, Hari Singhtalk 07:31, 4 April 2013 (CDT)
Reply by Raj
Thank you for your response Hari Singh. I have a much better understanding of attachment and the shabad that you have translated into simple language. I wanted to bring to your attention, that on the website the http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krodh, , the quote is “Violence, attachment, covetousness and wrath," says Guru Nanak "are like four rivers of fire; those who fall in them burn, and can swim across, O Nanak, only through God's grace gg, 147 The thing that I am confused about from this version of the translation is the last part of the Shabad which states, “…and can swim across, O Nanak, only through God’s grace”…I am not sure if this website did the correct translation of the Shabad(quote)? Maybe the Shabad may not be in the Guru Granth Sahib? The reason why the Shabad, "and can swim across, O Nanak, only through God’s grace” is of concern to me is because it seems as if its okay for person to be violent and that it's upto god as to whether a person will burn in the river, or god may not burn the person, but let them swim across the river? In other words, it is gods decision and he may not let you burn in the river of fire, but allow you to swim across the fire river, therefore, you are not being punished when acting violent?
The Shabad that you translated is different from the one from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Krodh. The shabad that you translated is “|Cruelty, material attachment, greed and anger are the four rivers of fire.Falling into them, one is burned, O Nanak! One is saved only by holding tight to good deeds. (2)}}. For this Shabad, the ending is different which states"... O Nanak!one is saved only by holding tight to good deeds."As you compare both the endings of each shabads (the one that you translated and the one that is found on Wikipedia.org. I have bolded the different endings of each of the Shabad), you can see that the endings of each shabad are different. I was wondering if you can kindly clarify this for me? Is there an error on the wikipedia.org website? Or is there a translation somewhere else stated in the Guru Granth Sahib? Is it gods decision and he may not let you burn in the river of fire, but allow you to swim across the fire river, therefore, you are not being punished when acting violent?I apologize for being annoying and asking so many questions. Regards, Raj.P.
Response by Hari Singh
Dear Raj, Many thanks for your post.
If we go to Srigranth.org website we can see the translation of the shabad but like everything, we all get a slightly different meaning when we translate from one language to another. On the Srigranth website you can select 2 different translations from the drop-down menu at the top right of the page. You will see that the 2 translations are:
Cruelty, material attachment, greed and anger are the four rivers of fire.
Falling into them, one is burned, O Nanak! One is saved only by holding tight to good deeds.
Cruelty, worldly love, avarice and wrath are the four streams of fire.
By falling into them the mortal is burnt, O Nanak! Emancipation is obtained by cleaving to good deed.
I hope you will agree that both say that ".... good deeds will save you"; However, "...ਤਰੀਐ ਕਰਮੀ ਲਗਿ" or "...tareea karmi laag" can have a broad translation. the word tareea means to float; karmi has a broad meaning and generally means "your karma or past deeds" but some people also translate this as "God's wish" and laag means "holding on to".
So, although I prefer the meaning at Srigranth, I can see why it has a slightly different meaning translated at Wikipedia. If you do good deeds, you will be forgiven - Gurbani tells us at Page 68, Line 16 ਆਪੇ ਬਖਸਿ ਮਿਲਾਇਅਨੁ ਪੂਰੇ ਗੁਰ ਕਰਤਾਰਿ ॥੮॥ "Granting forgiveness, the Perfect Guru unites us with the Creator." and more appropriately, Page 90, Line 11 ਸਭਿ ਅਉਗਣ ਗੁਣੀ ਮਿਟਾਇਆ ਗੁਰੁ ਆਪੇ ਬਖਸਣਹਾਰੁ ॥੨॥ All their demerits are erased, and replaced with merits. The Guru Himself is their Forgiver. ||2||
So if one follows the path of Righteousness, then all ones demerits or sins are erased. It requires the person to change their attitude and follow the path of Truth, that way one can be forgiven for their past wrong doings.
I hope this helps. Thank you again and kind regards, Hari Singhtalk 22:27, 10 April 2013 (CDT)
Reply from Raj.
Thank you for clarifying my question I really appreciate it. I wish you and your family a wonderful Vasaski and may all of your wishes and dreams come true. As I was reading the Guru Granth Sahib Ji, I found a few shabads that I am not sure as to whether I am interpreting correctly. The following shabads that I did not clearly understand are..
ਭੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਜੰਮੈ ਭੈ ਮਰੈ ਭੀ ਭਉ ਮਨ ਮਹਿ ਹੋਇ ॥ Bẖai vicẖ jammai bẖai marai bẖī bẖa▫o man mėh ho▫e.
In fear we are born, and in fear we die. Fear is always present in the mind.(Sri Granth Sahib,page 149)
ਨਾਨਕ ਭੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਜੇ ਮਰੈ ਸਹਿਲਾ ਆਇਆ ਸੋਇ ॥੧॥ Nānak bẖai vicẖ je marai sahilā ā▫i▫ā so▫e. ||1||
O Nanak, if one dies in the fear of God, his coming into the world is blessed and approved.(Sri Granth Sahib page149)
ਭੈ ਵਿਣੁ ਜੀਵੈ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਖੁਸੀਆ ਖੁਸੀ ਕਮਾਇ ॥ Bẖai viṇ jīvai bahuṯ bahuṯ kẖusī▫ā kẖusī kamā▫e.
Without the fear of God, you may live very, very long, and savor the most enjoyable pleasures.(Sri Granth Sahib page 149
ਨਾਨਕ ਭੈ ਵਿਣੁ ਜੇ ਮਰੈ ਮੁਹਿ ਕਾਲੈ ਉਠਿ ਜਾਇ ॥੨॥ Nānak bẖai viṇ je marai muhi kālai uṯẖ jā▫e. ||2||
O Nanak, if you die without the fear of God, you will arise and depart with a blackened face. ||2|| (Sri Granth Sahib page,149)
I was wondering if you can clarify the above shabads for me. We as Sikhs should love god, but how come it says that we should fear god as well. How can a person love and fear god at the same time? When I interpret the above shabads I feel that the shabads are saying that if one dies in the fear of god then they are blessed? And also if we die without the fear of god our faces will be blackened. How can a person love god and fear the god at the same time? Thank you very much, Regards, Raj
Response by Hari Singh
Raj, The answer is pretty simple but we need to consider it from the point of view of a child. We are all children of God; he is the creator of the whole universe; he is everywhere; he is our ultimate guardian; he is our father and mother; he has sent us to this world; he looks after us before birth, during our life and after our death; he is in everything around us; he is all of nature - mountains, oceans, planets, sky, animals, plants - everything that we see with our eyes is a creation of God. God is more enormous than the universe; he is beyond our imagination; his scope is without limit. Compared to god we are nothing! However, he has made us and sent us here to this Earth - So we must have done something right to deserve to come here!
Guru Nanak also tells us that we are part of god. In our true and pure form we belong to god. Also, God is merciful and benevolent; he protects and guide us; he nurtures and feeds us all the time; he provides and cares for us, etc. Now as children of god we need to love him but also fear him because if we do not fear him we will take the easy path just like a child does if he does not fear his parents. Fear is there to coerce and squeeze us onto a path of righteousness or path of nature or the divine route. The fear is for our own good.
It is a bit like the parent - child situation. A small child wants to touch the fire as it appears fascinating to the baby. However, the father will stop and even restrain the baby or even lightly strike the baby's hand to cause a little pain to stop the baby; this is to stop the baby ending up with severe burns which would cause a lot of pain. By such means the baby develop a fear for his parents as he know that he will be told off for any wrong that he does.
The same type of situation is explained by Gurbani; those who believe in god and have respect for him and his creation, fear doing wrong and going against the will of nature. The fear will restrain us and puts us on the correct path. People who do not have fear of god will do ungodly things - take drugs; abuse weaker people; steal; never help others; tell lies to get out of situation; be lazy and unproductive - basically take the easy path without further consideration.
While a god fearing person will not take the easy path - he will live a life of restrain and tread on the true path. He will remember god and try and improve himself; he learn from his mistakes and he will care for others. In the end he will be happy and his society will thrive.
That is my understanding of Gurbani - I hope I have been able to explain a little bit about this concept. Please do not hesitate to ask me further questions as it not a easy concept to understand when living in this kaljug world. Many thanks again and kind regards, Hari Singhtalk 20:35, 16 April 2013 (CDT)
Reply from Raj
Thank you Hari Singh for your great in-depth explanation of the Shabads. I have a much better understanding of the Shabads now.We as humans, should always do righteous things since god is our parent, so we must do only good deeds.
I was reading an article on the internet, in regards, to the concept of Chardi Kala. I have viewed the meaning of Chardi Kala on Sikhiwiki and I believe the website does a really good explanation as to what it means.
I was wondering if you can share with me your interpretation of the following quote found below in the article I found online. The quote is as follows “… to maintain the Chardi Kala Spirit. At the core of the concept is the idea that there is no difference between life and death and the material world is ultimately of no consequence ? ” I found this quote at website http://www.sikharchives.com/?p=262. I will also copy and paste article below.I have also bolded the quote in black in the article below
By the Poet Warrior
What Is Chardi Kala
Chardi Kala refers to a state of mind where a fearless, brave and optimistic attitude is maintained, even in the most daunting and oppressive off circumstances. It is a requirement imposed on Sikhs as a religious obligation to maintain the Chardi Kala spirit. At the core of the concept is the idea that there is no difference between life and death and that the material world is ultimately of no consequence. The concept was articulated by the Lord Of The Falcons, Guru Gobind Singh. It was a psychological weapon used by Sikhs to fight armies that vastly out-numbered them.
The greatest treasure of the Chardi Kala spirit is the saying of Guru Gobind Singh in the jungles of Macchiwara:
I shall make the sparrow hunt the hawk and I shall make one man fight a legion then only shall I be called Guru Gobind Singh.
The context of this saying and the complete verse is as follows: While in the jungles of Machiwara, a messenger arrived to inform Guru Gobind Singh that his two sons, Sahibzada Jujhar Singh and Sahibzada Zorawar Singh aged seven and nine years old had been bricked into a wall alive upon their refusal to convert to Islam. The Guru was uprooting a small shrub from the ground as the tale of martyrdom in the cause of the Religion of Slave Nanak was recounted by the messenger. The Guru then said: just as I uproot this shrub so shall I extirpate the Turk. I shall set a fire under the hooves of their stallions and I shall not let them drink the water of My Punjab. I shall make the sparrow hunt the hawk and make one man fight a legion. Then only shall I be called Guru Gobind Singh.
After this incident, Guru Gobind Singh composed the epic poem Zafarnameh (Epistle Of Victory) in the Persian language and dispatched two warriors to ride 2000 kilometres southward into the Deccan Plateau to deliver the Epistle to the Emperor. The Zafarnama is similar in style to Firdousi’s Persian epic medieval ballad Shahnameh (Epistle Of The Kings) composed around 1000 A.D. and is written in very chaste Classical Persian. It is off the same stature as Beowulf. Nihang means crocodile in the Persian language. Nihangs were the shock troops and Shaheedi warriors in Sikh armies and have a mythical status in Sikh lore. Thank you very much for all you have done. Regards Raj.P
Hari Singh's response
Raj: Many thanks again for sharing some interesting and valuable issues involving Sikhi.
Yes, Chardikala is a great concept and a must for a Sikh. Regarding the quote “… to maintain the Chardi Kala Spirit. At the core of the concept is the idea that there is no difference between life and death and the material world is ultimately of no consequence - I completely agree with the beginning of the meaning given for Chardikala ie: ... there is no difference between life and death... For a Sikh death is no hurdle and is a completely normal part of the journey of the soul and as such we have all gone through many 100's of thousands of births and deaths.
We may not realise or perceive that we have "lived before" but if you believe Guru Nanak and Gurbani then that is what is clearly explained by the Guru. Further, there have been various quarks of nature where a few people have been reborn and remember there previous lives, etc. So there is some independent evidence for non-believers as well.
Consequently, a Sikh will never worry about death. Death is part of nature and we all have to go through the cycle to continue the soul's journey to its next destination. So people in chardikala will have defeated the fear of death; they will accept death and understand that it is not the end for the soul; it is only the end for the body! Depending on their karma, they will get a new body.
I think the second part of the quote is a little too strong. .....the material world is ultimately of no consequence - In my opinion, I think this does not give the true and pure flavour to the word Chardikala. The material world is important but we should not get attached to it; don't become entrapped in the material world. But don't disregard it or think that it is irrelevant. We are here in the material world. Live in the material world like you would live in a hotel - the hotel does not belong to us and we don't belong to it. When you live in a hotel, you do your work or enjoy your holiday but you do not get attached to the hotel. One needs to live in the world in that way; be above the material sphere - attach yourself to the remembrance of God; if you like something material, marvel at the brilliance of God and appreciate him even more. After all, it is his creation.
So the quote is good but needs a slight modification to the second part. So I would modify it as At the core of the concept of Chardikala is the idea that there is no difference between life and death and that the material world is of no long term consequence to our soul; live, work hard and enjoy the material world but always remember who has given you this privilege
Many thanks and kind regards, Hari Singhtalk 20:06, 17 April 2013 (CDT)
reply from raj
Thank you Hari Singh for your insightful interpretation of the article. I really appreciate all the help you have given to me. I cannot truly express in words how grateful I am for all your hard work and effort when you responded to my questions. You have clarified many things that I was uncertain about. May god bless you and I wish for all your wishes and dreams to come true. Regards, Raj.P
response from Hari singh
Raj, Many thanks for your kind words, encouraging message and good wishes. It is entirely the Guru's blessing that as Sikhs we tread on this path and behave in the way that we do; without the Guru we would be in total darkness. May the Lord keep assisting us so that we can continue to serve him and follow the example set by other worthy Gursikhs. I hope you will find encouragement and meaning in the words of Gurbani and that it will offer you the assistance and support that cannot be found elsewhere.
May the Lord continue to guide you so that you can obtain true happiness and lasting peace within your heart. Kind regards, Hari Singhtalk 17:44, 21 April 2013 (CDT)
