Eternity of The Soul

This is a very important issue. I am very heartened that you have the stamina to persist with your questions. Questions that many of us also share.

 
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Abba ji,

Guru Fateh.

According to you, what do you think happens to our Soul and what makes you believe that we only merge with Ik Ong Kaar after death? Isn't the merger possible in this life of ours that we know?

Please share your thoughts.

Thanks & regards

Tejwant Singh

Tejwant Singh ji,

With all due respect, and my apologies but I feel it is best not to tell people on this forum what my own beliefs are about the soul. I am not a prophet so I have no direct experience about what happens. I do hold certain beliefs but what does it matter on this forum? I am obviously not a Sikh and I am just trying to understand what classical Sikhi says about this topic.

However, I can tell you what I hope would happen:
1. I hope it is possible for a person to merge with God during his lifetime on earth.
2. I hope that there is reward and punishment from an all-Good, omniscient, omnipotent, God who created the world and us - out of love - out of His desire to bestow the best possible eternal Goodness upon us according to our efforts. A God who desires to have a relationship with us forever. Not just a temporary relationship.

Are my hopes in line with Sikhism?

Abba Ji,

Soul cannot be explained by the mind because it is limited to usage of language.
Soul is beyond lingual expression.
Kabir Ji's bani explains:-

ਰਾਗੁ ਗਉੜੀ ਪੂਰਬੀ ਬਾਵਨ ਅਖਰੀ ਕਬੀਰ ਜੀਉ ਕੀ रागु गउड़ी पूरबी बावन अखरी कबीर जीउ की Rāg ga▫oṛī pūrbī bāvan akẖrī Kabīr jī▫o kī Raag Gauree Poorbee, Baawan Akhree Of Kabeer Jee:

ੴ ਸਤਿਨਾਮੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਗੁਰਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ॥ ੴ सतिनामु करता पुरखु गुरप्रसादि ॥ Ik▫oaʼnkār saṯnām karṯā purakẖ gurparsāḏ. One Universal Creator God. Truth Is The Name. Creative Being Personified. By Guru's Grace:

ਬਾਵਨ ਅਛਰ ਲੋਕ ਤ੍ਰੈ ਸਭੁ ਕਛੁ ਇਨ ਹੀ ਮਾਹਿ ॥ Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/32154-eternity-of-the-soul.html बावन अछर लोक त्रै सभु कछु इन ही माहि ॥ Bāvan acẖẖar lok ṯarai sabẖ kacẖẖ in hī māhi. Through these fifty-two letters, the three worlds and all things are described.

ਏ ਅਖਰ ਖਿਰਿ ਜਾਹਿਗੇ ਓਇ ਅਖਰ ਇਨ ਮਹਿ ਨਾਹਿ ॥੧॥ ए अखर खिरि जाहिगे ओइ अखर इन महि नाहि ॥१॥ Ė akẖar kẖir jāhige o▫e akẖar in mėh nāhi. ||1|| These letters shall perish; they cannot describe the Imperishable Lord. ||1||

ਜਹਾ ਬੋਲ ਤਹ ਅਛਰ ਆਵਾ ॥ जहा बोल तह अछर आवा ॥ Jahā bol ṯah acẖẖar āvā. Wherever there is speech, there are letters.

ਜਹ ਅਬੋਲ ਤਹ ਮਨੁ ਨ ਰਹਾਵਾ ॥ जह अबोल तह मनु न रहावा ॥ Jah abol ṯah man na rahāvā. Where there is no speech, there, the mind rests on nothing.

ਬੋਲ ਅਬੋਲ ਮਧਿ ਹੈ ਸੋਈ ॥ Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32154 बोल अबोल मधि है सोई ॥ Bol abol maḏẖ hai so▫ī. He is in both speech and silence.

ਜਸ ਓਹੁ ਹੈ ਤਸ ਲਖੈ ਨ ਕੋਈ ॥੨॥ जस ओहु है तस लखै न कोई ॥२॥ Jas oh hai ṯas lakẖai na ko▫ī. ||2|| No one can know Him as He is. ||2||

ਅਲਹ ਲਹਉ ਤਉ ਕਿਆ ਕਹਉ ਕਹਉ ਤ ਕੋ ਉਪਕਾਰ ॥ अलह लहउ तउ किआ कहउ कहउ त को उपकार ॥ Alah laha▫o ṯa▫o ki▫ā kaha▫o kaha▫o ṯa ko upkār. If I come to know the Lord, what can I say; what good does it do to speak?

ਬਟਕ ਬੀਜ ਮਹਿ ਰਵਿ ਰਹਿਓ ਜਾ ਕੋ ਤੀਨਿ ਲੋਕ ਬਿਸਥਾਰ ॥੩॥ बटक बीज महि रवि रहिओ जा को तीनि लोक बिसथार ॥३॥ Batak bīj mėh rav rahi▫o jā ko ṯīn lok bisthār. ||3|| He is contained in the seed of the banyan-tree, and yet, His expanse spreads across the three worlds. ||3||

ਅਲਹ ਲਹੰਤਾ ਭੇਦ ਛੈ ਕਛੁ ਕਛੁ ਪਾਇਓ ਭੇਦ ॥ अलह लहंता भेद छै कछु कछु पाइओ भेद ॥ Alah lahanṯā bẖeḏ cẖẖai kacẖẖ kacẖẖ pā▫i▫o bẖeḏ. One who knows the Lord understands His mystery, and bit by bit, the mystery disappears.

ਉਲਟਿ ਭੇਦ ਮਨੁ ਬੇਧਿਓ ਪਾਇਓ ਅਭੰਗ ਅਛੇਦ ॥੪॥ उलटि भेद मनु बेधिओ पाइओ अभंग अछेद ॥४॥ Ulat bẖeḏ man beḏẖi▫o pā▫i▫o abẖang acẖẖeḏ. ||4|| Turning away from the world, one's mind is pierced through with this mystery, and one obtains the Indestructible, Impenetrable Lord. ||4||

Abba ji,

Guru fateh.

In other words, you want to hitch a ride with Sikhi. Knowing me, knowing you....

Sikhi does not believe in reward or punishment, nor does it believe in Hell or Heaven or in reincarnation.

Enjoy your journey in this life. Once you have fulfilled that with the best of your capabilities, then the rest becomes just a joy ride.

Regards

Tejwant Singh

No reincarnation in Sikhi?

Good deeds do not bring good results in Sikhi? Bad deeds do not bring bad results in Sikhi?

My Dear Abba Ji
I beg to differ!
We are here to learn from each other
Nobody loses when spiritual matters are discussed earnestly and constructively
Everybody gains!
So don't hold out on us please!!

Dear Tejwant Ji

I have learned something new today

I did not realise reincarnation was incompatible with Sikhism

Hope you won't think I am ignorant but I would really appreciate some more information about this
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=32154

Thank you

They do, but in our lifetime. Do unto others as you wish to be treated as otherwise bad actions will come back to bite you!! The Sikhi belief of God is a loving God. There are many threads about reincarnation on this forum including 2 from last month. It will be worth you checking those for more information and points of view