Karma, Freewill & Hukam in Sikhism

KARMA, FREEWILL & HUKAM IN SIKHISM

source: "Introduction To Sikism" - Author: Dr. Gobind Singh Mansukhani


Q42. What is Karma?

The scientific concept of cause and effect, action and reaction is called the law of Karma(in religious parlance). A man reaps what he sows. Is it not typical that in spite of the law of Karma, man expects nectar after sowing poison?


Just as our present life is the result of our past Karma, the present Karma will determine our future life. Karma operates in this life and successive ones. The law of Karma does not cease to operate after death, because death is just a matter of physical disintegration, and has no effect on the soul, which survives.

God is the Creator of the first Karma, the origin of the universe, and the destroyer of Karma.

Good or evil by frequent repetition leave their impression on character. A man doing wicked deeds continuously will turn into a bad character. This produces states of mind, like anxiety, fear and guilt, all of which will cause pain and suffering to the individual.

Karma does not mean that everything is preordained and that man has no freewill. He carries his past Karma in the form of character. It is his own actions that make him what he is. Guru Nanak says, "The record of my deeds cannot be effaced because God has recorded them." Man has to sow seeds, the choice and the initiative to certain extent. He also has the ability to change the course of events even though circumscribed by heredity and environment. God as the Ruler of the Universe controls the over-all destiny of individual. Like the prodigal son, sinners turn to Him only as the last resort.

Sikhism modified the theory of Karma in two directions. Firstly, efforts of the individual are necessary for improving his own condition. Man is responsible for his lot. He must not blame God for his destiny. He must think of the present and the future. Secondly, Karma can be changed by prayer and the Grace of God.

When an individual learns to submit to His will, he ceases to make new Karma. He offers all his actions to Him; he acts as the instrument of His Will. According to Sikhism, all past Karma may then be erased through the association with saints, and meditation on "The Name".


Q43. Is there Fate or Freewill, according to Sikhism?

Sikhism affirms the omnipotence of God and consequently modifies the concept of Karma. Man is not a helpless puppet. The course of fate may be compared to the flow of a river, while individual action may look like an eddy, or a whirlpool or a wave.

Man has a dual role: firstly, as a person in a particular community and environment, working under certain limitations, and secondly, as an individual with a free will, wanting to do this thing or that to elevate himself. He is like a merchant trading with a certain capital. He may lose it or invest it wisely, to earn profit. He is free to sow the seed, but once he has done so, he has no option other than to reap the fruit.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/22289-karma-freewill-and-hukam-in-sikhism.html

Predestination is responsible for the present; but the present gives us an opportunity to mould our future. It is just like the rotation and revolutions of the earth. The earth revolves around the sun and is influenced by it, but it also has its own motion.

According to Sikhism, man is an action being, a Karma Yogi, who has to overcome his difficulties with understanding and wisdom. The effort of the individual should take the form of detached action and not, feeding his ego. He must work altruistically, for mankind, and not for the self.

Spiritual effort has to be blessed by Divine favor in order to be successful. This effort requires self-surrender, to His Will. If man works selfishly, in Maya, he suffers; if he works selflessly according to the Will of God he is saved. This self-surrender is a conscious effort to win divine grace. The self-effort is to bring the Divine Will and individual free will into harmony. That is how the two wills become reconciled. Man's salvation lies in his own effort to drown his Ego in the Divine Will.

Guru Nanak explains the point through a metaphor:

"The mind is the paper on which are recorded in the sum of our deeds, good and bad, the impressions, of the habits of our cumulative past. Against this, and limitless are the virtues of our Lord, for He turneth dross into gold and the fires(passions) of the body extinguish."

Q32. What is Hukam?

Hukam means order: that is God's order. By God's order all forms came into existence. The Divine Will is responsible for the creation, sustenance and dissolution of man and the Universe. Whatever happens is by His Will. Hukam takes the form of Natural Laws or Universal axioms. All the parts of the Universe are under His control.

According to Sikhism, true happiness is attained by accepting and submitting to the Divine Will. Guru Nanak says:

"How can I be truthful and break the wall of falsehood?

By submission to His Will, as it is ingrained in me."
(A.G., p.1)

Living in harmony with the Divine Will brings everlasting peace. Like a child, the disciple is to be guided by the elders. Everything emanates from Him and is, therefore significant. Saints and martyrs, in spite of occult powers, have submitted to torture and death in order to honour His Will. "Thy Will be done" is one of the basic principles of Sikhism. This does not imply the negation of individual volition. A Sikh must bring his will in line with the Will of God.

What is God's Hukam? The Gurus tell us that God's command is that one must merge one's will in His Will. The service of God's creation is the best way of working in harmony with the Divine Will. Secondly, God desires that man who has the Divine essence in him should once again merge in Him and thereby end the cycle of Karma and transmigration.

Submission to God's Will produces a sense of humility and self-abnegation. When man surrenders himself completely to him, he regards himself as an instrument of His Will. He realizes that whatever comes from Him is for his own good. Every misery that he faces is a sort of mercy. He is full of gratitude and prayer for all he has done. Guru Arjan says:

"What pleases Thee, O Lord, that is acceptable.

To Thy Will, I am a sacrifice."

(A.G., p.676)

The only antidote for egoism and vanity is complete surrender to His Will. Only by conquering the self, can one enter the realm of God's Grace.

 
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__________________
Prayer = TALKING to God; Meditation/Simran = LISTENING to God !
With the Divine Love & Blessings of WAHEGURU Ji, I wish you peace, love, light (enlightenment), health & happiness in life!

I shall be grateful for the answers.
Regards

Sikh80 ji

Here is your answer:ੴ ਸਤਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਨਿਰਭਉ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੁ ਅਕਾਲ ਮੂਰਤਿ ਅਜੂਨੀ ਸੈਭੰ ਗੁਰ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ikoankaar sathnaam karathaa purakh nirabho niravair akaal moorath ajoonee saibhan gurprasaadh||

With your permission, Nothing is possible without His Grace. It is by His Grace that we receive His Hukam. It is by His Hukam that all comes to pass.

ਤਿਥੈ ਕਾਲੁ ਨ ਅਪੜੈ ਜਿਥੈ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਅਪਾਰੁ ॥੭॥
thithhai kaal n aparrai jithhai gur kaa sabadh apaar ||7||
Death does not reach that place, where the Infinite Word of the Guru's Shabad resounds. ||7||

ਹੁਕਮੀ ਸਭੇ ਊਪਜਹਿ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਕਾਰ ਕਮਾਹਿ ॥
hukamee sabhae oopajehi hukamee kaar kamaahi ||
By the Hukam of His Command, all are created. By His Command, actions are performed.

ਹੁਕਮੀ ਕਾਲੈ ਵਸਿ ਹੈ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਸਾਚਿ ਸਮਾਹਿ ॥
hukamee kaalai vas hai hukamee saach samaahi ||
By His Command, all are subject to death; by His Command, they merge in Truth.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22289
ਨਾਨਕ ਜੋ ਤਿਸੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋ ਥੀਐ ਇਨਾ ਜੰਤਾ ਵਸਿ ਕਿਛੁ ਨਾਹਿ ॥੮॥੪॥
naanak jo this bhaavai so thheeai einaa janthaa vas kishh naahi ||8||4||
O Nanak, whatever pleases His Will comes to pass. Nothing is in the hands of these beings. ||8||4||

SriRaag, Guru Nanak Dev ji

And, it is by His Grace that we are saved and obtain peace.

ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਜਾਪਹੁ ਸੁਖ ਫਲ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਪਾਵਹੁ ॥
har prabh kirapaa karae har jaapahu sukh fal har jan paavahu ||
The Lord God will bestow His Grace, if you meditate on the Lord; O humble servant of the Lord, you shall obtain the fruit of peace.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22289

Guru Amardas Dev ji, Ang 767

In the Shabad, Creation and Destruction is by His Hukam. Salvation is by His Grace.

aadji,
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22289

Thanks for the Guru Vaaks and the Emotions of the author that got swayed along with this post.
I got the answer. We all have the Free will to the extent permitted by the bani only.
Regards.

Sikh80 ji

I think Yes! We are currents within the ocean. And we only know our part of the ocean not the entire ocean itself. Unlike the currents we can change direction. Make consciously better decisions. But we can't choose to be currents in a different ocean because there is only one ocean.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22289
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22289

Anyway that is what I understand.

Amazingly true, what a metaphor Bhain ji !!!!!!!!!!!!

I hope you dont mind If i dont agree.

Recently I have been told that we always have been considering ourself currents in the ocean ( GOD)
Infact this the Illusion /Maya if identify with the Body and /Mind aThen yes at that level you have free will and you are current with possibilty of movement

But if one rejects the identification with particular Body/ Mind then there is just observation but no freewill and just the WILL of God

I have also been taught that once the observer establishes itself in Counciousness ( the states of rejecting identification with body /mind) the conciousness iteself becomes your guide/Guru and leads one beyond itself into the state of Absolute

and at that level even this counsiouness and will of GOD stands out to be Illusion!

I know it all seems like muddled up and like some Sci Fi Movie . I apologise for handling such a subject in such a manner

Also what I have written Obviously is partly part of my knowledge and partly my experience


Thanks


Jatinder Singh

drkhalsa ji

We are not in disagreement. My example was chosen to illustrate our perspective when grounded in the illusory world of Maya -- as an image that helps with the need to understand the connection between individual will and God's will. But you are right -- once merged with the Divine, the notion that there ever was individual will is ludicrous.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22289

Problem is this -- the idea of 'having no will of one's own' opens the door to the idea that while on this earthly plane we have no control over our decisions and actions. And the logical conclusion becomes fatalism -- we think, "nothing matters and so I may as well not make an effort." And that is not where Sikhism is. We always have the moral obligation to make an effort, to make decisions to choose good over evil.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=22289

Is it God's Will that we choose between good and evil? Or does God decide that some will choose evil and others will choose good? Are we given the opportunity to overcome karma? Or has the choice to continue in cycles of pain and suffering been fixed for us in advance with no hope of moving out of that cycle through truthful living?

Thanks Aad ji for pointing out that we are in agreement , it was mine short sighted view


YOurs questions has variable answer and I can give my opinion only after you tell who is this WE. SOME , OTHERS is this something Physical ie BODY /MIND Complex , or something Subtle than this?