Does God control everything?

Sat Sri Brothers and Sister,
I have one question which has been on my mind for many-many years and for which I am until today unable to find a satisfactory answer. This question can be summarize as "Does God control everything in the Universe?" Allow me to explain myself...

In the Guru Granth Sahib, there appears countless times verses stating to the effect that :- "God is in charge and controls everything in the Universe. That nothing happens which is outside the Will of God. That God is the doer of all. That literally God IS All." These are not exact verses from the Granth Sahib but rather my understanding of verses. I do not think it would be necessary to quote any verses from the Granth Sahib as anyone reading it will bound to find countless verses stating to the effect.

The problem I find is elsewhere the Granth Sahib (and many other holy scriptures) also state that: "Man is responsible for his actions. That Man has free will and can and should decide what is right and wrong."
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/interfaith-dialogues/8004-does-god-control-everything.html

My dear brothers and sisters, I am confused! To my thinking both statements are contradictory. If God is the controller and doer of all, how can Man have free will? If man has free will, then how can God be said to control and do EVERYTHING? If free will is within the Will of God, how can we say it is FREE?
If free will is an illusion, then why does God punish Man by sending him to hell or reward him by sending him to heaven? What need be there for a heaven or hell if all that man does is according to His Will?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

I am utterly confused and puzzled by this enigma! I have searched for an answer in many books and scriptures but the answer eludes me. I have searched through this website and found only ONE thread discussing free will. Kudos to Etinder for his lengthily exposition on free will. While I found his discussion very enlightening on the topic of free will, it still did not resolve my conflict. This is because Etinder choose to discuss free will from the philosophical point of view, leaving God out of the question. What I need is an explanation from Gurbani i.e. a theological or religious point of view.

If there be among you an enlightened one who can solve this mystery for me I shall forever be great full to him or her.

Thank you in advance.

Guru Ki Fateh
Balbinder Singh
Ipoh, Perak
Malaysia

 
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Gurfateh

Well refer to verse in Japu Ji Sahib.


ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੋਵਨਿ ਆਕਾਰ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਕਹਿਆ ਜਾਈ ॥
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004
हुकमी होवनि आकार हुकमु न कहिआ जाई ॥
hukmee hovan aakaar hukam na kahi-aa jaa-ee.
By His Command, bodies are created; His Command cannot be described.

ਹੁਕਮੀ ਹੋਵਨਿ ਜੀਅ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਵਡਿਆਈ ॥
हुकमी होवनि जीअ हुकमि मिलै वडिआई ॥
hukmee hovan jee-a hukam milai vadi-aa-ee.
By His Command, souls come into being; by His Command, glory and greatness are obtained.

ਹੁਕਮੀ ਉਤਮੁ ਨੀਚੁ ਹੁਕਮਿ ਲਿਖਿ ਦੁਖ ਸੁਖ ਪਾਈਅਹਿ ॥
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004
हुकमी उतमु नीचु हुकमि लिखि दुख सुख पाईअहि ॥
hukmee utam neech hukam likh dukh sukh paa-ee-ah.
By His Command, some are high and some are low; by His Written Command, pain and pleasure are obtained.

ਇਕਨਾ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਬਖਸੀਸ ਇਕਿ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਸਦਾ ਭਵਾਈਅਹਿ ॥
इकना हुकमी बखसीस इकि हुकमी सदा भवाईअहि ॥
iknaa hukmee bakhsees ik hukmee sadaa bhavaa-ee-ah.
Some, by His Command, are blessed and forgiven; others, by His Command, wander aimlessly forever.

ਹੁਕਮੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਹੁਕਮ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥
हुकमै अंदरि सभु को बाहरि हुकम न कोइ ॥
hukmai andar sabh ko baahar hukam na ko-ay.
Everyone is subject to His Command; no one is beyond His Command.

ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੈ ਜੇ ਬੁਝੈ ਤ ਹਉਮੈ ਕਹੈ ਨ ਕੋਇ ॥੨॥
नानक हुकमै जे बुझै त हउमै कहै न कोइ ॥२॥
naanak hukmai jay bujhai ta ha-umai kahai na ko-ay. ||2||
O Nanak, one who understands His Command, does not speak in ego. ||2||

See the last two lines das always rember.It is clear.

Your question is also not by you but Akal wanted you to ask.

and das replys by will of Akal.


Man and universe is composed of Akal and absolute truth is Akal.


Our forms,our deeds,our souls are not ours but apearntly our.

what we see or feeel by other sense is nothing but God.

So as per Gurmat no one is high or low as no one is doer.

in Mool Mantra Karta Purakh means doer of complete(all).

The other concept of free will or man doing his deeds is contradictory to Gurmat.

Term Karam is not used for deeds(in Sankrit) but for Karam from Arbic ie Kareem is Akal.

So Karam is mercy which also is wil of Akal.

We have one God Akal and one direction and that is all doer is Akal and it is said in one verse that till Some one behld that he/she is doer ,that person will be reborn.(it is perhaps in Sukhmani Sahib).


Das repeats that idealogy of deeds done by Humans and responsibilty of humans for that is anti Gurmat.

Murderer or protector all are in control of God.Holy Vedas and Holy Old Testment give testomany of it.

Dear friend

Both the statements are not contradictory , but both neutralize at a ZERO .
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

When something happens , If you believe and understand Gods Hukum then you wont Feel either worry or happiness , simply peace state of mind .
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

If you don't believe and understand God's Hukum But your Deeds , then Man is responsible for his own deeds . This if you acknowledge your deeds then you neither feel worry nor happiness , simply peace state of mind .

This peace state of mind is ZERO State ....

It might have taken care to bring both Gurmat and Manmat at a peace state of mind .

At the end of the first pauri of Japji, it says:-
“O Nanak, it is written that you shall obey the Hukam of His Command, and walk in the Way of His Will.”

The next pauri goes on to say that God is in absolute control, that nothing happens without Him:-
By His Command, bodies are created; His Command cannot be described. By His Command, souls come into being; by His Command, glory and greatness are obtained. By His Command, some are high and some are low; by His Written Command, pain and pleasure are obtained. Some, by His Command, are blessed and forgiven; others, by His Command, wander aimlessly forever. Everyone is subject to His Command; no one is beyond His Command. O Nanak, one who understands His Command, does not speak in ego.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

And still in pauri 33 it says that we are powerless to do anything:-
No power to speak, no power to keep silent. No power to beg, no power to give. No power to live, no power to die. No power to rule, with wealth and occult mental powers. No power to gain intuitive understanding, spiritual wisdom and meditation. No power to find the way to escape from the world. He alone has the Power in His Hands. He watches over all. O Nanak, no one is high or low

The question that begs to be asked is: “If we are powerless (as according to pauri 33) as God made us so (according to the pauri 2), then how can we follow God’s command as He requested (in pauri 1)?”

If God alone causes everything to happen and we cannot do anything by ourselves, then where does sin come from? Is not sin from God also? If sin is from God then why is it we who must go to hell?
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

I am in no way questioning the validity of the Guru’s statements. To me these are mystical statements. What I am questioning is our way of understanding them. I believe there must be a coherent way to understand and explain these seemingly contradictory statements. That’s what I hope we will find.

There is no Sin or Virtue , Or Good or Bad , these are all relative terms .

The pauris are coherent in themselves but not contradictory .

If you are feeling hungary then it is by the command of God , to quench your hunger you might desire to have chicken .

So , if you are having chicken as your food then it is also by the command of God .

The chicken you might in your food , was the chicken who might have been going through one of the phases of the order of 84.00 million species .

The buther who has chopped off the Chicken has done so by the command of God , because the God might have wished that the chicken has lived so and so life , so he/she must be sent into another birth so as to count the 84.0 milion species .
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

The butcher , who is cutting the chicken might have been the Chicken itself in the past life and the Chicken who is being chopped , has chopped the butcher in the past life .

This whole process is a very complex chain Reaction Which happening with the Command of God.

Hey , I did't wrote that Stuff , It was GOD who was commanding me to do so .
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

Gurfateh

DS Ji are correct.

anyway Bindi Ji,

Das think you are talking about Huqum Rajai Chalna Nanak Likhaya Naal.

It is to be more clear words of God which tell Guru go happy with orders of God.

Feel happy as God comands So this can happen by will of Akal.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

If you read Anand Sahib,it is clearly stated Puni Paap Vicharde Tate Sar Nan Jani..

It deals with those who ting of good and bad do not know the essance of summery or what we can say real thing.

Then universe is told sleeping under three quality ie Bad,Practicle and good.


Sikh has to live in fourth or Chautha gun ie doer or Karta is Akal.

for a person with ego it could be sin on him if some one cheats him from that some one.

but in real may be by that chheating Akal is giving him some lesson to be more carefull.

Jo thud Bhave Sai Bhali Kar Tu Sada Salamat Nirankar.

What so ever you like that is good deed(by you) you are ever happy oh formless.

das would recomend you to read the Bani of Tenth Master in Dasham Granth Sahib Ji.

It all states that what so ever happens does happens for good as Akal makes it to happen and Akal knows what is good for us.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

Even we do not know what is Good for us.Say even when it will be good for us to die so will Akal let usleave this body.

das is very Happy that you are thinking in correct direction of Panth and god is realy happy with you that you are realising the real roop of Akal.

Ekai roop anup Saroopa.

dear Vijay Deep ji
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

I agree with you . I really agree on the line about cheating .

Yes , it is true that God wants to make you learn .

There was once a time when I cursed that why everyone cheats me . But one day Some 5 years back when I Sat in Cool and Lonely place and tried to go into the flash back .

What i observed that whatever God was doing was doing right . God was actually Training me to face this tough world in the years to come .
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=8004

One thing I have learned that no one cheats you , But it is you and only you who gives the permission to the other to cheat you .

WJKK WJKF

Dear Vijeydeepji, devinesanativeji and offcourse Bindiji, It is a question of no despute about the control of GOD in everything. But also GOD is not stoping us to do wrong things, He is giving a sense to our brains that to do whatever your Brain says. This is called KARMA. What BinLaden has done to America? Wasn't that wrong? But that happened and a History of America now. Then what GOD is doing to stop the wrong things. HE is doing that he is giving the permissiom to learn and do the things. God never comes down to earth to stop one but HE really do make the right thinking at the right time not the negetive one. It is the Kirpa Of Satguru which is easiely accesible to Gursikhs But Never to Manmukhs.