Fears can be grouped in two categories — the Fear of God (spelled here with big "F") and all other worldly fears (spelled here with small "f"). The Central to scriptural teachings of various religions is to have the Fear of God. But the question is: "what does it mean to have the Fear of God?" The religious scam artists of almost all religions have awfully battered this term ("Fear of God") for ulterior purposes. As a result, it has almost lost it's real gist. Upon hearing "Fear of God" usually the first thing that comes to the mind is that God is a some kind of vengeful judge. He is not. Godhood is Pure Love. In True Love there is no room for any kind of reprisal. Pure Love sees all with even vision, without animosity (Nirvair) towards anybody. However, God has set forth His Law of Karma (Hukam or Eternal Law) governing human actions as a teaching mechanism to prevent incarnate Souls from being entrapped forever in the outward pull of the delusive Energy called Maya (duality, illusion or relativist consciousness). In the Light of the SGGS, this Gurbani Article will briefly try to reflect on the followings: - What is the Fear of God?
- Why We should Have the Fear of God?
- Who is Filled With the Fear of God?
- Benefits That Flow From the Fear of God
- How is the Fear of God Produced Within?
The fundamental belief of Sikhism is that God exists (One God). He is not as merely an idea or concept, but as a Real Entity. Although He is indicated to be indescribable and Formless (Niraguna or Transcendent aspect), yet knowable and perceivable (Saraguna or Eminent aspect) to anyone who is prepare to make the honest attempt to mend his corrupt ways by collecting his Mayaic mind scattered around in Bikaars (lust, anger, greed, attachment etc.) and thus make it become perceptive to God's Persona, Divine Qualities and All-pervasiveness. So for the SGGS, God does not need any logical proof for is Reality and Truth. - qUM vrnw ichnw bwhrw]hir idsih hwjru jwhrw: Toon varnaa chihanaa baaharaa. Har deesahi haaajar jaahraa: (O God) You are without color and mark. (Yet) You are seen to be manifest and present (sggs 74).
- byd kqyb sMswr hBw hUM bwhrw ]nwnk kw pwiqswhu idsY jwhrw: Bed kateb sansaar habhaa hoon baaharaa. Nanak kaa paatisaahu disai jaaharaa: (God) is beyond the world of the Vedas, the Koran and the Bible. (Yet) the Supreme Lord of Nanak is immanent and manifest (sggs 397).
- imly pRqiK gusweIAw DMnw vfBwgw: Milae pratakh gusaaeeaa Dhannaa vadabhaagaa: God met Dhanna visibly; he aws so very blessed (sggs 488).
- pUrY guir hdUir idKwieAw: Poorai gur hadoor dikhaaiaa: (God's) Presence is revealed to her (Soul) by the Perfect Guru (sggs 127).
- qUM inrgun qUM srgunI: Toon niragun toon saragunee: O God, You are Transcendent and Immanent (sggs 211).
- gurmuiK hovY so qqu pwey: Guramukh hovai so tatu paaye: One who becomes Gurmukh, obtains the essence of Reality (sggs1016).
What is the Fear of God Simply put: God's Fear is the Fear of the consequences of one's Karma (Kaarmic actions, reactionary deeds, bad Karanee, Adharma etc.). To put it otherwise, God's Fear does not mean to be afraid of God. It simply implies respect, Love, reverence, veneration or Adb for the Divine Law, Hukam etc. In essence, it is the fear of immoral, false and unrighteous conduct. Thus, in deeper sense, the "Fear of God" is meant to discourage ambivalence. Such pure "Fear" (respect, reverence, Love or Adb) keeps a seeker in the scale of morality and righteousness, which, in turn, encourages Spiritual Life, Spiritual discipline, meditation, cultivation of Self-knowledge through inner inquiry and one-pointed conscious Love for God. With the help of these Divine Attributes, one adorns Bhgati (devotion) with its important element of Bairaag — detachment from materiality and temptations, and attachment to the practice of Love and devotion of the Pure Self (Joti-Svaroopa) within. According to the SGGS, only those deeds are "excellent" (good Karanee) that are done in the Fear of God (respect, reverence, Love or Adb), otherwise they are "false". Thus the third Guru Sahib says, "Forsake desire, and abide in the Fear of God; O Nanak, these are the most excellent actions". - ibnu BY krm kmwvxy JUTy Twau n koie: Bin bhai karam kamaavane jhoothe thaaou na koi: Without Fear (of God), the performance of Kaarma is false, and one finds no place (in the Presence of God) (sggs 426).
- gurmqI Bau aUpjY BweI Bau krxI scu swru: Guramatee bhaou oopajai bhaaee bhaou karanee sach saar: O Brother, under Guru's Instruction, the Fear of God is produced; true and excellent are the deeds (Karanee)done in the Fear of God (sggs 638).
- kwmix guxvMqI hir pwey ]BY Bwie sIgwru bxwey: Kaaman gunavantee har paaye. Bhai bhaai seegaar banaaye: The virtuous soul-bride finds the Lord;
she decorates herself with the Love and the Fear of God. (sggs 122). - BY qy bYrwgu aUpjY hir Kojq iPrxw: Bhai te bairaag oopjai Hari khojat phirnaa: Through the Fear of God, the attitude of detachment (Bairaag) wells up, and one sets out in search of God (sggs 1102).
- iqRsnw CofY BY vsY nwnk krxI swru: Trisanaa shodai bhai vasai Nanak karanee saar: Forsake desire, and abide in the Fear of God; O Nanak, these are the most excellent actions (sggs 1089).
Although both the unfaithful (Bemukh, Saakat, the Manmukh or nonbeliever) and the faithful (the opposite of Bemukh or believer) entertain the Fear, but the Fear of both is something different. In separation from God, the Bemukh or Saakat is full of all other fears (e.g., fear of death, repeated suffering etc.). It's common to see such people subscribe to religion out of fear. They practice the various religious injunctions because of apprehension that nonperformance of the same will lead to retribution from God. Ignorance is the root of such fear. The basis of any religion is Love of God and hence anything done out of fear is due to immaturity. In True Love, how there can be any room for any kind of reprisal? The faithful, on the other hand, Fears the All -powerful God in deep reverence, respect, Love, Adb etc. So he has no other fears (such as the fear of death etc.) because he does not consider himself to be separate from God at any given moment.
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