Bad things -> Good People

Hi everyone,

Why do bad things happen to good people? why do bad things happen at all? Is God trying to teach us something? If he is, why is it so hard? Pain, and sadness are the worst feelings in the world, why are people hungry, why are people homeless, why do people die? Why does God make us experience such grief and sadness? I pray everynight for all the sadness to go away and for me to be able to be happy. But, as much as I pray, I'm still finding it hard to find strength. Am I doing something wrong? I just want God to help me.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-youth/14901-bad-things-good-people.html
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=14901


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Why do bad things happen to good people?

Who is Good and Who is bad is your perception. Whatever is happening is God Will. Actually not quite, because that is a mis-conception. It is the will of Nature. We live in the will of Nature. This Earth is called a Karam Bhoomi. This is where our fate is decided based on our past Karmas. The truth is that nothing is good and nothing is bad. Stay in the “Bhanna” and accept what comes your way without screaming.

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why do bad things happen at all?

Good things relate to good Karmas and Bad things to bad Karmas. Good and bad is a balance of nature. At the end of the day, Nature has to keep a balance. One thing to bear in mind is that nature plays a fair game. It never denies your dues. It may delay your dues for later date but eventually you will get it.

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Is God trying to teach us something?

Here you have hit it on the nail. We see our experiences as good and bad but if you look at it closely you do not learn much from a good experience but you learn a great deal more from a bad experience. What we regard as a bad experience, it is natures way to prepare you for a particular task. Consider that as your training.

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If he is, why is it so hard?

When you are under training you have to be tested to the limit. This is what prepares you for the task. The harder the training the better the chances of survival.

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Pain, and sadness are the worst feelings in the world, why are people hungry, why are people homeless, why do people die?

Pain and sadness is a concept of mind. If you look at yourself objectively then it is the body that is suffering pain and sadness you are not there. Sikhism teaches you to be objective if you learn the lessons well.

People are hungry and homeless because some of us are very very greedy. We have a habbit of hoarding things. We need one house to live in but we have more than one. We would rather throw food in the bin that we cannot eat rather the give it to some one else. Why cook so much in the first place. We are selfish and do not look out for our fellow beings. What people fail to realise is that nature can turn the tables around anytime. So watch out. Only one Hurricane or Flood can do the Job!

In the period of Kalyug, our life span is very small compared to our Yugas. It is a blessing in disguise. Imagine if ones life span was long, how much longer you may have to suffer. Besides the body fabric wears out like our clothes. We change out of our worn out clothes into new ones - such is death and new life follows again.

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Why does God make us experience such grief and sadness?

Just imagine you were free from grief and sadness. What ever you want you get instantly – life will become intolerable. These experiences actually help to pass time on this earth. You get so engrossed in resolving your issues that you do not ever notice when your point of exit is at your door step.

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I pray everynight for all the sadness to go away and for me to be able to be happy. But, as much as I pray, I'm still finding it hard to find strength. Am I doing something wrong? I just want God to help me

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Problems do not go away if you close your eyes. Who are you praying to. If it is God, then who are you?. You are in reality praying to yourself. Too much praying makes a person weak and dependable. Face the challenges of life head on.

No, you are not doing anything wrong. We live in communities where we tend to copy each others response. For those who take their first step onto Sikhism begin to get their strength back. Trust in the teachings of our Gurus. Believe in the teachings of our Gurus, Feel the teachings of our Gurus. As you progress into Spirituality and Meditation, you will become more and more confident. You may remember the saying “God helps those Who help themselves”. You have to personally make an effort. No one has the time for spoonfeeding.

Gathering Knowledge and information is not going to make life free from problems. Practical action is required. So get on with it.

Try to read do more Gurbani path, everyday.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=14901
atleast spend 2 and half hrs everyday.

naam jap,

Do you really believe that reading Gurbani for 2 1/2 hrs is going to transform versus and get rid of his problems ?

One usually gives this answer when you do not know what to say, so to shut him up. Burry him under something and the problem will go away. Reading Gurbani in that frame of mind will not and cannot solve anything. The short term solution is advice and assurance and then encouragement to read Gurbani can follow.

WJKK WJKF

I actually agree with both with Naam Jap and Hai Bhi Sach.

Naam Jap: Yes, doing Nit-Nem every day I have found such bliss, that I cannot put in words.

Hai Bhi Sach: I agree that Versus needs to get some "practical" help, but do not underestimate the strength of Bani. We all have bad days and good days, but so many times, I have found myself being able todeal with issues better when I have done Nitnem. It's not to say do NitNem and all your problems will vanish, but will give them help and courage to face up to the problems.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=14901


REHRAS - Slok Mahalla 1:
Dukh daaroo sukh rog bheya, Ja sukh taam na hoee.
Tu Karta karna mai naahi, ja hao kari na hoee.
Balehaari kudrat vesseya
Tera a'nt na jaaee lakeya. 1 (Rahau)

Sufferings become the remedy, comforts the illness. In pleasure, one remembers not the Lord.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=14901
You are the doer O'Lord, I am nothing. Even though I many venture, nothing happens.
I am a sacrifice to the phenomenon of your nature.
Your limits are unfathomable.


Bhul chuk maaf. Please correct me if I am wrong on my translations....Still learning.

Im not trying to shut him down, I cared about his problems thats why I gave him the true advice, If one reads gurbani, with unshakeable faith, Not only his problems will vanish, but he will be given abundance.


Though My goal is not to seek that abundance, whether I get suffereing or pain it does not matter to me. This body, soul, and mind are all belong to God, who ami to use it for the purposes of my own ego? ego is an illusion. the one who created me, also takes care of me. Why I read gurbani is to please God, this is why we are born to sing his praises, we are given tongue to sing his praises, ears to hear, eyes to see his form.

He himself knows, he himself gives.

One has to have unshakeable faith while reading bani, this again will come through Gurus Grace.

should stop undestimating the power of reading Gurbani, It is the support of billions of universes, from ant, to galaxies and nebulaes, then why can't your problems vanish if you read Gurbani?

You can experiment for yourself.

MKAUR1981 and naam jap ji,

You are trying to convert the converted. You are both mis-understanding me.

My point was that "versus" needs some "practical" help first. When a person is in confusion he wants immediate help. Reading Bani without understanding is not going to give you immediate help and if it does it will take a very very long time. He has some burning questions in his mind. This load has to be eased first before you give him a long term solution. - This is my understanding. So Bibioo "Cool Down". I am on your side.

You do not really mean that naam jap ji? Please review your statement.

KAUR1981 ji,

I am sorry I do not quite agree with your meanings of this Salok. I think it is out of context with our discussion and carries a different message. In my infinite foolishness and manmat, I would interpret this salok as follows:

REHRAS - Slok Mahalla 1:
Dukh daaroo sukh rog bheya, Ja sukh taam na hoee.
Tu Karta karna mai naahi, ja hao kari na hoee.
Balehaari kudrat vesseya
Tera a'nt na jaaee lakeya. 1 (Rahau)



Suffering is the remedy, Comfort is an illness. Whilst in comfort one does not realise it.

You are the doer O'Lord, I am incapable of doing anything. Even if I so desired, I can achieve nothing.

I am overwhelmed by the phenomenon of your nature. (Kudrat)
Your limits are unfathomable.

I see this Salokh as a Praise of the phenomenon of Nature. It is put there because we are all subject to the natures will. We are praising the Nature first (a form of seeking permission) before we attempt to remember God.

Guru ji is praising the complexity of nature.

Comfort is an illness this goes against the grain of human thinking.
Suffering is the remedy - this again goes beyond our conception.
Then Guru ji says - Whilst in comfort one does not realise it.

What Guru ji is trying to show us here is how nature settles the scores with us humans.

When we are comfortable surroundings-doing well-have an upper hand-we make decisions egoistically i.e. wrong decisions - wrong judgements. How does nature settle this account with us, how do we pay for our wrongful actions, how does nature punish us for it. It gives us suffering in return. Because our decision was unjust and we caused suffering to the person we judged. We made and we make judgements without realising the consequences of our actions.

You are the doer O'Lord, I am nothing in front of you. Even if I dare try it-or contemplate it, I cannot succeed. We in our ego think we are the masters that is why we get into trouble. But the fact is that we are totally incapable of doing anything. We are used as puppets to carry out the dirty task of nature. Nature puts us in the position and makes us do these wrong actions. But the problem is that in our infinite foolishness we accept the doing. Our “I”, our Ego makes us take the blame and that becomes part of our Karam and we get punished for it. As long as we remain ignorant of what is happening around it, we will have to suffer.

The word “Balehaari “ here does not mean sacrifice. You may recall that some times our elders in Punjab say “ OYE MAIN TERE SADKEY JAVAN” = “MAIN TERE BALEHAREY JAWAN” The word is used to express joy- surprise - the amazement is directed at the phenomenon of your nature.

Guru ji says “O’ Lord” Your limits are unfathomable. I cannot ever define you or your actions. You are beyond my thinking. I Salute you.

I too stand to be corrected.

It is my conscious understanding, In the end everyone has to realize that there is no one else other then the one and only one.
We have no power over God, What God wants to give, God will give, and what we ask God in ardaas, is God himself inspiring us, and he himself wants to give that to us. There is no me anywhere. All is within hukam

God is eternity, created all, also nourishes them, gives them understanding, everyone is in their own stage of understanding.

also, ardaas is important but one should realize that it is God praying through you, and he himself inspires you to do ardaas, and he himself does the ardaas. There is one prayer, in Guru Granth Sahib ji, "Whatever pleases you is the only good done, this is Nanak's prayer"

If you think about it for sometime, this hands, this eyes, this body, who created these? this mind who created this, this soul , who it is , and who does it belong to? What gifts are we enjoying? do these mean anything, everyone has to leave, this gift of human life is given to please God, what he wishes so it will happen.

Do not make ardaas in ego, It is wish of God, whatever he will bestow, he will bestow.

this shalok is true, it carries the message suffereing is the antidote for the disease of happiness, and where there is comforts of the mind, there is no place for God in that mind.

this message for versus, as he is going through suffering.

I learnt many lessons in suffering. It is a gift of God. Pain it does, but it comes and goes, and happiness also comes and goes.

Avoid happiness, and you will not suffer in pain, make every effort you can to please God, speak sweet words to others, God is in them, help others, give daswand, this money is not yours, it came from God, it is God's.

Everyone practices simran, to reach some stage, or to acheive some goal or bliss, but if your not nice, kind, to others, in whom God is present, then what is the use of your simran. It becomes for your own selfish ends, this is why Guru ji introduced seva, whose sole meaning, never bring your ego in the work your doing, do it for God, give the fruit to God, and think of God as doing it.

It is best to do simran for what it is really meant, sing praises of God.

Sorry. As I said I am still learning and I've got a few books that I read from which contain the English translations, and that was my interpretation of the Bani. So if I am wrong in my interpretations, I do apologise sincerely.

Hey, I'm cool.