• Welcome to all New Sikh Philosophy Network Forums!
    Explore Sikh Sikhi Sikhism...
    Sign up Log in

Heaven & Hell In Guru Granth Sahib

Aug 18, 2005
163
123
66
Fremont, California
Besant Swarag Kaatha<?"urn::eek:ffice:eek:ffice" />
<o:p> </o:p>
by Harsimrat Kaur Khalsa
<o:p> </o:p>
Guru Granth Parchar Mission of USA, Inc.
510-432-5827
harsimiritkaur@khalsa.com
<o:p> </o:p>
<?xml:namespace prefix = v ns = "urn::vml" /><v:shapetype id=_x0000_t75 stroked="f" filled="f" path="m@4@5l@4@11@9@11@9@5xe" o:preferrelative="t" o:spt="75" coordsize="21600,21600"><v:stroke joinstyle="miter"></v:stroke><v:formulas><v:f eqn="if lineDrawn pixelLineWidth 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 1 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum 0 0 @1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @2 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @3 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @0 0 1"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @6 1 2"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelWidth"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @8 21600 0"></v:f><v:f eqn="prod @7 21600 pixelHeight"></v:f><v:f eqn="sum @10 21600 0"></v:f></v:formulas><v:path o:connecttype="rect" gradientshapeok="t" o:extrusionok="f"></v:path><o:lock aspectratio="t" v:ext="edit"></o:lock></v:shapetype>
<o:p> </o:p>
slok ] (707) Shalok: (707)
<o:p> </o:p>
sÍrg lokh ijqqy ipRQvI nv KMfxh ]
“They may live in heavenly realms, and conquer the nine regions of the world.”
This bani is written in the elite language of the pandits, Seheskriti. bsMiq also means Sprint season, time of growth, power, life, beauty, and hope. Guru Ji teaches with this bani in contrast to the Hindu understanding of reincarnation. People have achieved high things in live. They have gained much knowledge, exceeded over most others in skill, strength, fame, wealth, power, and beauty. This makes them happy as if they are in heaven. When they lose what they have achieved, then they lose their peace of mind, ending up in a hell like state. Dnu dwrw sMpiq sgl ijin ApunI kir mwin ] Your wealth, spouse, and all the possessions which you claim as your own ien mY kCu sMgI nhI nwnk swcI jwin ]5] (1426, slok, mhlw 9) none of these shall go along with you in the end. O Nanak, know this as true. ||5||
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
<TABLE style="mso-cellspacing: 0in; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184; mso-padding-alt: 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt 2.25pt" class=MsoNormalTable border=0 cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=0><TBODY><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 0; mso-yfti-firstrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">NINE WORLD REGIONS OF THE WORLD (nv KMfxh)
</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 1"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">1. Africa Region Life List
</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 2"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">2. Australasia Region Life List
</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 3"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">3. Eurasia Region Life List
</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 4"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">4. Pacific Ocean Region Life List
</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 5"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">5. North America Region Life List
</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 6"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">6. South America Region Life List
</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 7"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">7. South Polar Region Life List
</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 8"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">8. Atlantic/Arctic Ocean Region Life List
</TD></TR><TR style="mso-yfti-irow: 9; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes"><TD style="BORDER-BOTTOM: #f0f0f0; BORDER-LEFT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-BOTTOM: 2.25pt; BACKGROUND-COLOR: transparent; PADDING-LEFT: 2.25pt; PADDING-RIGHT: 2.25pt; BORDER-TOP: #f0f0f0; BORDER-RIGHT: #f0f0f0; PADDING-TOP: 2.25pt">9. Indian Ocean Region Life List
</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>​
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
There are also 9 abdominopelvic regions of the human anatomy with their locations:
<o:p> </o:p>
1. epigastric - located in the right upper quadrant
2. right hypochondriac - located in the right upper quadrant
3. umbilical - located centrally in the right/left quadrant
4. right lumbar - located in right lower quadrant
5. hypogastric located in right lower quadrant
6. right iliac - located in right lower quadrant
7. left hypochondriac - left upper quadranrt
8. left lumbar - left lumbar - left lower quadrant
9. left iliac - left lower quadrant
<o:p> </o:p>
<o:p> </o:p>
ibsrMq hir gopwlh nwnk qy pRwxI auidAwn Brmxh ]1]
“but if they forget the Lord of the world, O Nanak, they are just wanderers in the wilderness. ||1||”
Living as a wanderer brings spontaneous pleasures and torment. When you wander, you become hot, then cold; hungry, then thirsty again; healthy, then ill again, hopeful, then doubtful again, happy, then angry again; and sure, then doubtful. There are only temporary sources of what one needs wandering, and the resources are extremely difficult to get. It requires knowledge, skill, courage, and patience. Harsher conditions of a wilderness do not promote much vegetation and water. ibAwpq hrK sog ibsQwr ] ibAwpq surg nrk Avqwr ] (182, gauVI guAwryrI, mhlw 5) “It torments us with the expression of pleasure and pain. It torments us through incarnations in heaven and hell.” Heaven is symbolic of when we are having pleasure. Hell is the opposite. Just watch anyone that goes through good times and then challenging times. His life is in cycles. The Hindu sees it as reincarnation, but the Gurmukh understands with Guru Granth Sahib that janam and maran are only expressions that the manmukh tries to explain about the constant vibrations of molecules and infinite particles of reality or the stability of God’s hukam (natural laws of the universe as they actually are and not depenent on how we see them.) To grasp this, one needs to study the Guru Granth Sahib banis. Guru Ji quotes the source of the Hindu belief in reincarnation used as an example to argue His cause. swsqR byd pwp puMn vIcwr ]The Shaastras and the Vedas speak of sin and virtue”; nrik surig iPir iPir Aauqwr ]2]they say that mortals are reincarnated into heaven and hell, over and over again. ||2||” pRB ikrpw qy mnu vis AwieAw ]By God's Grace, the mind is brought under control; Salvation is not accomlished by showy works or rituals.” nwnk gurmuiK qrI iqin mwieAw ]4] (385, Awsw, mhlw 5) “O Nanak, the Gurmukh crosses over the ocean of Maya. ||4||”
<o:p> </o:p>
kauqk kof qmwisAw iciq n Awvsu nwau ]
“In the midst of millions of games and entertainments, the Lord's Name does not come to their minds.”
Infinite changes are given to each person to discover and embrace the Creator, but many fall short and only see and misinterpret everything in maya as their only Heaven reality. Then they distinguish between pain and pleasure which their minds interpret good or bad inaccurately. Pain and pleasure are not objects of their own and cannot exist without human or animal life. The brain and entire nervous system contains over 120 billion neuro-receptors chemically reacting to different stimuli, and the body receives these signals back and forth from parts of the body to the brain to inform us of change. The brain defines the stimuli and communicates to parts of the body how to react, to ignore or to react. We experience various stimuli in our social and physical environment changes inside and outside the body. We either calm down (parasympathethic nervous system taking over)and enjoy or flight or resist. We have the ability to ignore what bothers us. The brain can cut the pain. The fools are stuck in what they call heaven and hell. They are fooled by the illusions they have created themselves or been influenced like the blind leading the blind. ijau supnw Aru pyKnw AYsy jg kau jwin ] (1427-14, slok, mhlw 9)Like a dream and a show, so is this world, you must know.” Many claim to have divine insight, false Kachie bani preachers, but they are more blind than their listeners.
<o:p> </o:p>
nwnk koVI nrk brwbry aujVu soeI Qwau ]2]
“O Nanak, their home is like a wilderness, in the depths of hell. ||2||”
nwrwiexu nh ismirE moihE suAwd ibkwr ] (297, iQqI gauVI, mhlw 5)He does not remember the Lord in meditation; he is fascinated by the pleasures of corruption.” nwnk nwim ibswirAY nrk surg Avqwr ]9]O Nanak, forgetting the Naam, he is reincarnated into heaven and hell. ||9||” JUT smgRI pyiK scu kir jwinAw ]Gazing upon the false objects, he believes them to be real.”
<o:p> </o:p>
pauVI ] Pauree:
<o:p> </o:p>
mhw BieAwn auidAwn ngr kir mwinAw ]
“He sees the terrible, awful wilderness as a city.”
The universe is compared to an enormous, infinitely detailed city easy to get lost in. Without a map how can any visitor get around? Guru Granth Sahib’s wisdom is our tour guide and navigator. With him the city is quite exquisite and wonderful. If you rely on your limited knowledge or have a bad tour guide, your visit will be Hell. Sometimes you have to ride through dark tunnels or high ridges, or take a detour through a place not so beautiful, to get to the other side of the city. These are not bad, because patience and the right direction make it worth the wait to get to your trip’s destiny. nw kCu poc mwtI ky BWfy nw kCu poc kuMBwrY ]2] (pRBwqI, kbIr jI)] (1349) “Nothing is wrong with the pot of clay – nothing is wrong with the Potter. ||2||” When things don’t happen the way we expect, we tend to judge the whole situation as bad, then we tend to blame God. When we reason faults in creation and faults in the natural laws of the universe, we tend to misjudge God. Our evidence is only based on our illusions, our misunderstandings of anything. We become lost in our perceptions which are blinded by our ignorance and five vices.
<o:p> </o:p>
kwm k®oiD AhMkwir iPrih dyvwinAw ]
“Engrossed in sexual desire, anger and egotism, he wanders around insane.” Gursikhs believe in conditioning the mind to focus on reality (sachiaya hoiyeh) in all aspects of life. Care is taken not to fall as suckers into the five thieves, of which the first two kam and krodh are the most difficult to strongest. nrk surg BRmqau Gxo sdw sMGwrY mIcu ] (297, iQqI gauVI, mhlw 5)They wander endlessly in heaven and hell, until death annihilates them.” surg bwsu n bwCIAY frIAY n nrik invwsu ] “Don't wish for a home in heaven, and don't be afraid to live in hell.” In other words, don’t be closed minded to the wills of God and only accept things in life that brings convenience and comfort. Even if you relax your whole life, your body will weaken. honw hY so hoeI hY mnih n kIjY Aws ]1] (337, gauVI pUrbI, kbIr jI) “Whatever will be will be, so don't get your hopes up in your mind. ||1||” Just as things change with the stable hukam of God, so should our willingness to adapt be ready. The most successful people in the world are those who constantly examined themselves and learnt to adapt and were ready to accept needed changes in their posture, self image, appearance, and tactics.
<o:p> </o:p>
isir lgw jm fMfu qw pCuqwinAw ]
“When the Messenger of Death hits him on the head with his club, then he regrets and
repents.”
We should not wait for the day of death to improve ourselves. Now is the day of salvation, not later. The earlier we start, the greater impact we will have on ourselves, family, and society. Since everything is like a dream and illusion, after death, if one has attached himself selfishly to maya, then he will be not be able to adjust the to changes in the next world where the very maya that he yearns is no use to him. He will not adjust either in this life or in the next realm of existence. Or, he will only get what he craved (the maya), when he could have had the Giver Himself which he rejected.
<o:p> </o:p>
ibnu pUry gurdyv iPrY sYqwinAw ]9]
“Without the Perfect, Divine Guru, he roams around like Satan. ||9||”
hau ivic pwp puMn vIcwru ] In ego they reflect on virtue and sin. hau ivic nrik surig Avqwru ] (466, Awsw, mhlw 1) In ego they go to heaven or hell. This means egotistic fools even attempt to enter or experience Heaven, but don’t make it. kvnu nrku ikAw surgu ibcwrw sMqn doaU rwdy ] (969, rwmklI, kbIr jIau) What is hell, and what is heaven? The Saints reject them both. Heaven and Hell are only viewed as the spiritual condition of the soul. nrk surg Avqwrw ] People are incarnated in heaven and in hell.
haumY AwvY jweI ] In egotism, they come and go. mnu itkxu n pwvY rweI ] The mind cannot hold still, even for an instant. bwJu gurU gubwrw ] Without the Guru, there is only pitch darkness. imil siqgur insqwrw ]2] (1003, mwrU, mhlw 5) Meeting with the True Guru, one is emancipated. ||2||
<o:p> </o:p>
So what is heaven? Is it a physical place where pure souls enter after death? Awpy surgu mCu pieAwlw ] (1021, mwrU, mhlw 1) You Yourself are the heavenly realms, this world and the nether regions of the underworld. Arbd nrbd DuMDUkwrw ] For endless eons, there was only utter darkness. dojku iBsqu nhI KY kwlw ] (1035, mwrU, mhlw 1) There was no heaven or hell, no death or time. nrku surgu nhI jMmxu mrxw nw ko Awie n jwiedw ]3] (1035, mwrU, mhlw 1) There was no hell or heaven, no birth or death, no coming or going in reincarnation. ||3|| AibnwsI Aibgq Agocr sBu ikCu quJ hI hY lgw ]7] O imperishable, eternal, unfathomable Lord, everything is attached to You. ||7|| sRIrMg bYkuMT ky vwsI ] (1082, mwrU, mhlw 5) The Lover of greatness, who dwells in heaven. iBsqu njIik rwKu rhmwnw ]4]7]15] (1161, BYrau, mhlw 5) Keep me near You O Merciful Lord God - that is heaven for me. ||4||7||15|| jb lgu mn bYkuMT kI Aws ] As long as the mortal hopes for heaven, qb lgu nwhI crn invws ]2] he will not dwell at the Lord's Feet. ||2|| KweI kotu n prl pgwrw ] (1161, BYrau, mhlw 5) bYkuMT goibMd crn inq iDAwau ] To meditate on the Lotus Feet of the Lord of the Universe is heaven for me. mukiq pdwrQu swDU sMgiq AMimRqu hir kw nwau ]1] rhwau ] (1220, swrg, mhlw 5) In the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, is the treasure of liberation and the Lord's Ambrosial Name. ||1||Pause|| Because the company of those who hunger for God encourage and inspire each other to remain on that path of Heaven. kbIr surg nrk qy mY rihE siqgur ky prswid ] (1370, slok, kbIr jIau) Kabeer, I have been spared from heaven and hell, by the Grace of the True Guru.
<o:p> </o:p>
In conclusion, Heaven and Hell are the conditions of our body, mind, and soul. People try many extreme tactics to attain Heaven, salvation, peace of mind, success. Heaven is not something you earn through egotistic “showoffy” acts of kindness, ritual prayer, urge of the greedy soul for convenience. If you want Heaven, you have to have a just cause for wanting it. If you only urge for heaven for selfish gain, you will never get it and remain stuck in the returning cycles of disappointment.
<o:p> </o:p>
The only way to reach Heaven is to yearn for God. jo bIjY so augvY KWdw jwxY jIau ] (1243, swrMg, mhlw 1) Whatever is planted, shall grow. The soul eats the fruits of its actions, and understands. You must learn understand what God is and how to react to His gracious free invitation and accept it, and live by it. This is why it is urgent for the whole human race to study the Guru Granth Sahib teaches. We should not be so superficial with God, our great Giver. If we only come to Him for a gift, that is not enough. Soon we will crave more and more of His gifts. If a person gives you a gift and you only exploit them, then you do not truly respect the giver. What is God’s gift? His gift is eternal. Creation forms are only a loan for us that changes in molecular form from seen to invisible, like birth and death. Things fade away in time.
<o:p> </o:p>
God’s hukam is eternal that causes everything to come and go. Akal Purekh Himself is unchanging and infinite. God’s Gift is Himself- the delight in the radiance of the divine presence of God.
<o:p> </o:p>
In conclusion, God truly intended for everyone to get to know Him on an intimate basis. Because of our ignorance and falsehood of our 5 vices, we tend to turn away as if to say we have no interest in the diving Heavenly experience of our Creator, true Father and companion, provider, protector, and healer. Christianity teaches “how can say he enjoys such sublime ecstacy of Heaven and not be willing to share how to get this with others?” I cannot understand why we do not have empathy for others to care enough to introduce Guru Ji to those already suffering Hell on earth. Why can’t we also offer the free information of Guru Gian to promote Guru Nanak’s goal of reaching those who are hungry for God but do not know how to find it. We should have our own Guru Granth Sahib study programs in the homes or in the Gurdwara Sahib, just like the Christians do with their Bible. It is not enough just to read paath, meditate, and listen to kirtan and sewa. We need to study Gurbani, act, and promote so as not to be selfishly living comfortably in our closed environment. We can accomplish promotion of Guru’s Khushkhabri Gospel, without being forceful to promote humanity and spirituality to all races. We need to develop creative methods to do this, to get the attention of the lost to hear what Guru Ji has to offer- risk free. There is no need for deception, false advertising, or imposing on anyone. It should be a natural gentle, loving action on our part by the Grace of God to extend a hand for those that are lost in their own self made Hell. We should also try to help the very people we come in contact with, especially those with special needs, not just “save the soul” and ignore the rest of their composition.
<o:p> </o:p>
Since Guru Granth Sahib is so special to us Sikhs, why are we not studying and promoting the golden wisdom Guru Ji provides to all free of cost, regardless of one’s background? Instead, many of our own kind are too busy fighting for a position as a committee member, craving power over others for recognition and attention, or just craving more of the money collected in Guru Ji’s name. If we claim to have the true Word of God, why are so many of us lost, without tasting the meaning of the Gurbani that we daily recite? Instead of only doing sewa, paath reading, and meditation, we also should incorporate sharing traits in our walk with Guru Ji and accept the task that Guru Ji started, and many martyrs sacrificed their lives for-for the right for all to hear about God’s greatness, glory, and grace. What a blessed Heritage we have from Guru Ji, yet we do little about it. iPrY sYqwinAw We don’t have to roam around like Satan over and over again. We can roam around inspiring others. We can decide to be Satan or a Gurmukh. This decision will promote Heaven or Hell for ourselves and others are effected too.
<o:p> </o:p>
My goal with Guru Granth Parchar Mission is to reach as many people as possible to promote the study of Guru Granth Sahib so they can have access to this jewel wisdom so they will be able to can decide for themselves whether or not they want to apply it to their lives to watch Akal Purekh help them work out their own Heaven and remain there. If your burden for this to happen agrees with our Parchar Mission, please contact us.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

❤️ CLICK HERE TO JOIN SPN MOBILE PLATFORM

❤️ CLICK HERE TO JOIN SPN MOBILE PLATFORM

📌 For all latest updates, follow the Official Sikh Philosophy Network Whatsapp Channel:
Top