Phenomenon Of Life And Death

[Sikh80]

‘O my mind, thou art a Spark of Divine Light,
realise thy true Essence.
By realising thy true nature, thou graspest
that of God,
And thus knowest thou the mystery of birth and death. (SGGS p. 441)



‘Man’s body is made of walls of water, pillars of air and mud of blood - drops.
In the cage of bones, flesh and blood vessels abides the poor bird of life (soul)’. (SGGS p. 659)

 

[Sikh80]

This spirit or the soul is the real self and is a part and parcel of the Universal Soul (God).

‘O my body, the Lord put His Divine Spark in thee
and so thou camest into the world;
Thou camest into the world when the Lord illumined
thy mind with His Divine Light.’ (SGGS:921)

This soul is immortal. It never dies. Only the physical body perishes at the time of death:

‘Our soul is the image of the Transcendent God.
Neither is this soul old, nor young.
Neither it suffers sorrow, nor is caught in the Yama’s noose.
Neither is it wasted away, nor it dies;
Since the beginning of time, it is merged in itself. (SGGS p. 868)

 

[Sikh80]

Liberation
‘Numerous trees and plants in our incarnation have we gone through;
Numerous are the animal forms in which we were created.
In numerous reptilian - forms were we incarnated;
Numerous bird-species on wings did we fly.’ (SGGS p. 156)


‘He, who while dying thinks of money and dieth worrying so,
May be born and reborn as a cobra. (SGGS p.526)

Karma

‘Through the Guru’s service and devotion.
I acquired this human body.
Even the gods aspire for it.
So meditate on thy Lord through this body.
Dwell thou on God and forget it never.
For the realisation of God is the object of human life (SGGS p. 1159)

 

[Sikh80]

Man is so trapped in these snares that he forgets the inevitability of death. Sikh Gurus have, therefore, laid a stress on the transient and fleeting nature of this life, and remembering the ultimate end-death.

 

[Sikh80]

To fully grasp the concept of death in Sikhism one must first understand the true nature of man and the purpose of birth and life in this world:

‘O my mind, thou art a Spark of Divine Light,
realise thy true Essence.
By realising thy true nature, thou graspest
that of God,
And thus knowest thou the mystery of birth and death. (SGGS p. 441)


‘Man’s body is made of walls of water, pillars of air and mud of blood - drops.
In the cage of bones, flesh and blood vessels abides the poor bird of life (soul)’. (SGGS p. 659)

This spirit or the soul is the real self and is a part and parcel of the Universal Soul (God). The individual self is Divine in Essence but not in itself the Infinite:

‘O my body, the Lord put His Divine Spark in thee
and so thou camest into the world;
Thou camest into the world when the Lord illumined
thy mind with His Divine Light.’ (SGGS:921)

 

[Sikh80]

‘One eateth and drinketh, maketh merry and sleepeth but forgets death,
By abandoning one’s Lord one is wasted away.
O accursed is such a life which stayeth not.
O man dwell on the Name of thy only God.
That thou goest back to they Home with Honour and Glory. (SGGS, p. 1524)

The individual who happens to attain the final spiritual stage of ‘Sach Khand’ when alive merges in Him after death and thus breaks the vicious circle of births and deaths. In Sikh parlance he is called ‘Jivan Mukta’ (Living-Liberated):

 

[Sikh80]

‘One that the Lord’s command in mind cherishes
Is truly to be called ‘Jivan Mukta’.
To such a one are joy and sorrow alike;
Ever in joy, never feels he sorrow.
Gold and a clod of earth to him are a like,
As also Amrit (Elixir) and foul-tasting poison.
To him are honour and dishonour alike;
Alike also pauper and prince.
One that such a way practises,
Saith Nanak; a ‘Jivan-Mukta’ may be called. (SGGS p. 275)

 

[Sikh80]

Meaning of Amrit:
For a ‘Jivan Mukta’ death is an occasion for rejoicing. The well known saint Kabir says:

‘Death terrifies every one, but it gives joy to me, for only after death I attain union with the Lord.’

Another saint, Ravidas describes this as union with God and identification with His Will while entering into the final stage of ‘Sach Khand’ (Realm of Eternal Truth) as follows :

‘The City Joyful is the name of that place,
Suffering and sorrow abide not there.
Neither is there worry of paying taxes,
Nor fear of punishment for error nor decline.
A beautiful homeland have I found,
Where perpetually reigns Peace and Calm, O friend. (SGGS. p. 345)

 

[Sikh80]

‘Who knows how we shall come to die?
And what manner of death shall we get?
If the Lord is not forgotten,
Then is death easy.
The whole world is of death afraid;
All wish to remain alive
But he who by the Guru’s Grace dieth in life,
he alone knoweth His Will
Nanak: he who dieth thus, liveth eternally’. (SGGS p. 555)

 

[Sikh80]

Any thing that takes birth has to die. Death is an eternal Truth.

 

[Sikh80]

Introduction to Sikhism - Questions and Answers on Sikhism?

 

[Sikh80]

Death is the beginning Of a new life. can we say the same about life. i.e. it is the beinning of death. Looks funny.

 

[Sikh80]

http://globalsikhstudies.net/articles/iscpapers/Narindar%20Singh%20-%20Sikh%20Vision%20of%20the%20Cosmic%20Order%20-%20Part%20II.doc

 

[Sikh80]

SOI : Teachings : Feature