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Sukhmani Sahib: 10th Ashtapadee: 5th Pauri: My Understanding

Amarpal

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Dear Khalsa Ji,


With the grace of ‘The Sat’, today I share my understanding of 5th Pauri of 10thAshtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib with you.


Please note that the English sentence after the Transliteration is not the exact literal translation of the text of the Tuk of Siri Guru Granth Sahib under reference, it is the meaning of the Tuk as understood by me.

First the Summary: In this Pauri, Guru Sahib gives us a small glimpse of the variety of environments that ‘The Sat’ has created the life that beings live in our dimensions i.e. earth and in other dimensions.


1. keI koit pwqwl ky vwsI ] ka-ee kot paataal kay vaasee.
[/FONT]Numerous beings live in dimensions lower than ours.[/FONT]

My understanding:
Personally, I do not accept the traditional meaning of Pataal Lok, which is taken to mean below the earth – this is physical. As I understand that there are many dimensions where life is; even on the earth there are life forms which we cannot perceive (it is my understanding). Again it is my understanding that these dimensions are graded based on the level of evolution of the entities that live there. The closer they are to ‘The Sat’ higher they are. With this understanding Pataal Lok is a dimension or group of dimensions which are spiritually least evolved than the dimension in which we are living presently i.e. earth. The use of words - higher and lower - in this post is to convey to the reader that the specific dimension is closer or away from ‘The Sat’.


Guru Sahib in this Tuk points it out to us that many souls live in lower dimension as compared to the one in which we are.


2. keI koit nrk surg invwsI ] ka-ee kot narak surag nivaasee.
[/FONT]Numerous beings [/FONT]live in hell and heaven.[/FONT]

My understanding:
In this Tuk Guru Sahib has referred to two dimensions - hell and heaven - which in common perceptions are places of infinite miseries and serene, pure and evolved life respectively. In some common perception it is that in heaven all the earthly pleasures are available in unlimited measure.
Guru Sahib has drawn our attention to these extremes of dimension where beings have to live.


3. keI koit jnmih jIvih mrih ] ka-ee kot janmeh jeeveh mareh.
[/FONT]Numerous individuals get born, they live and die.[/FONT]

My understanding:
In this Tuk Guru Sahib is telling us that many beings they get born, they live and they die. In other words Guru Sahib is telling us, as I understand that these people live their lives mechanically; they do not evolve to any higher level and thus just waste their lives.


4. keI koit bhu jonI iPrih ] ka-ee kot baho jonee fireh.
[/FONT]Numerous individuals keep on taking birth again and again after death.[/FONT]

My understanding:


Guru Sahib is conveying to us that those individuals who do not live their human lives without spirituality as its main theme, do not achieve immortality but have to be reborn. As I understand this process shall continue till the object of human life as said is Siri Guru Granth Sahib – ‘--------Gobind Milan Ki Tari Bariya ----‘
It is natural, only human beings have the intellect to steer their lives. We can choose to live, with respect to our inner self, an outward materialistic, senses oriented worldly life or inward looking spiritual life. Guru Sahib has very clearly said that the house holder can achieve the pinnacle of spirituality and Guru Sahibs demonstrated the same by actually living such life; ancient scripture of the land – ‘Upanisads’- also say the same. After all what is required is purified mind which makes the person selfless and God like. To merge with ‘The Sat’ we have to become like ‘Sat’ in this world. ‘The Sat’ which is within us, sustaining our lives has to be listened to, the coating on our inner self that worldly living creates has to be removed. Once this is done, ‘The Sat’ inside us will fully illuminate our being i.e. soul to make us Godly. When this is done the individual lives this world of time and space and merge with ‘The Sat’. Such end is the intent of our being born in human form.


5. keI koit bYTq hI Kwih ] ka-ee kot baithat hee khaahi.
[/FONT]Numerous individuals get their need without working.[/FONT]

My understanding:
What Guru Sahib has said is a fact. We need to understand why this happens. My understanding I explain to you.


When we are born in human form on earth it is with the will of ‘The Sat’. On earth we have to accomplish the mission of this birth. The mission has three elements which I have elaborated earlier and I share with you again – (i) To exhaust our bad Karmas of our past birth; (ii) to evolve spiritually; and (iii) to serve ‘The Sat’ as its instrument to preserve, sustain and help its creation to evolve to a greater heights. The weighing factor for each of these three elements in the mission is adjusted to what can be achieved in one life time and our need to exhaust our past karma and evolve. The cosmic forces create the environment for us to achieve our mission and our inner self who knows all about our mission and thus guides us.


Humans are bestowed with intelligence, this gives us free will to act, which in my opinion, is cautioned against taking the inappropriate path by our inner self, but does not interfere with the individual’s free will. The inward looking intelligence accepts the advice while the outward looking intelligence ignores it as it is busy going after the objects of sense gratification; its Ahamkara refuses the guidance coming from the inner self. This is my understanding.


Now coming back to what Guru Sahib have stated in the above Tuk, the persons whose needs are getting fulfilled without effort, has plenty of its human resources available to him. This is the environment created by the cosmic forces for it to achieve the mission of its life in human form.
Now the intelligence can make this individual to go after sense gratification and waste all the resources it has and accumulate bad Karmas and waste the opportunity that this birth has give; or get involved in the service of the creation of ‘The Sat’.


The later of the two options will purify its self further and help it evolve to a higher level and progressively exhaust its past negative Karmas. Serving the creation of ‘The Sat’, such person becomes ‘Sat’s’ instrument, humility dawns on such person, its nature becomes simple, it moves closer to ‘The Sat’.


Guru Sahib tells in this Tuk that the environment in which we find ourselves is tailored for our mission of our life. To me this environment as stated in this Tuk conveys that service of the creation of ‘The Sat’ is the prime element of this life’s mission for such persons.


6. keI koit Gwlih Qik pwih ] ka-ee kot ghaaleh thak paahi.
[/FONT]Numerous individuals get tired and consumed by hard labour. [/FONT]

My understanding:
This is another environment to which human life is subjected to; numerous individuals suffer its pain all their life. As I understand this condition can ‘The Sat’ creates for two reasons (i) for those who have to exhaust lots of their bad Karmas – the harshness with which they had dealt with other entities created by ‘The Sat’ or (ii) for those who have strayed far from their mission of life. In the later case it is to make the individual change its ways and come back to the path dictated by its mission of this birth in human form.


7. keI koit kIey DnvMq ] ka-ee kot kee-ay Dhanvant.
[/FONT]Numerous individuals are born in wealthy environment.[/FONT]

My understanding:
This is one of the many environment in which humans are born.
As I understand, it is one of the environment in which the individual has to fulfill its mission of life in human form. Monetary resources are needed to sustain this earthly life; in a way, they are instrument of ‘The Sat’. The freedom that ‘The Sat’ has granted to human at the level of its self, allows the individual to use it in the way it wants; it can use it for the good or to satisfy the urges of its senses. This is a test for the individual; it can use the resources for pleasures of senses, for conspicuous consumption to satisfy one’s ego etc and thus degrade its being and fail in its mission. The same money can be used to live a simple reasonable life for itself and its family, to help others within its reach and for the common good of the creation of ‘The Sat’.


The latter option, demands self control on senses, which amounts to sacrifice by the individual like ‘Tapas’; the heat of which purifies the being of the person. Such person evolves spiritually to its higher level, which is the objective of being born in human form.
This way through this environment og richness one can successfully complete its mission of life, by acting in Godly way and thus becoming an instrument of God.


8. keI koit mwieAw mih icMq ] ka-ee kot maa-i-aa meh chint.
[/FONT]Numerous individuals live their lives under the influence of Maya.[/FONT]

My understanding:
As I understand, real is one that does not change. By this definition only ‘The Sat’ is real; all the rest is manifestation of this real and thus the product of Maya. The power of ‘The Sat’ to conretise or actualise some entity is called Maya. It is unreal because it is effect of some other entity and not a source of itself like our own shadow in some light. All this is real in the dimension of life in which they are, but unreal in the dimension in which source is.


The dimension (earth) in which we live, the object and abstract entities that we come across are all real for us in one way or the other. Yet, they are all unreal from where we have come to live on earth and where we will go after we spend our life on this earth; they are created entities having no independent existence. When ‘The Sat’ wants we are born and will die when ‘The Sat’ wishes. Our lives on earth is the outcome of our Karmas and the ‘Hukam’ of ‘The Sat’.


Guru Sahib, in the above Tuk, tells us that numerous individuals get so intensely entangles with the objects of sense gratification that are in this dimension of existence i.e. (earth), that they have no time to seek the ‘Real’ i.e. ‘The Sat’.


9. jh jh Bwxw qh qh rwKy ] jah jah bhaanaa tah tah raakhay.
[/FONT]In accordance with the orders of ‘The Sat’ the individuals are places.[/FONT]

My understanding:
We arrive in this dimension (earth) as ‘The Sat’ pleases. The environment and the physical, cultural, social and economic disposition in which we find ourselves are also as ‘The Sat’ wants.


As I understand all this is in accordance with our mission of this life. As we grow, the disposition changes in line with the individual mission; some times to help us evolve, sometimes to test our resolve and commitment and sometime to convey to us the course correction that we need to take to conform to the mission of our life. The severity of the altered environment progressively becomes more severe if the individual fails to grasp the signals which ‘The Sat’ gives through the changes environment.


10. nwnk sBu ikCu pRB kY hwQy ]5] naanak sabh kichh parabh kai haathay. ||5||
[/FONT]O Nanak, every aspect of individual’s life is in the hand of ‘The Sat.
My understanding:
Guru Sahib reflects on the environments that ‘The Sat’ creates for each and every entity of its creation and amazed by it tells himself and us that all is in the hand of ‘The Sat’.


With this I close this post.


With love and respect for all.


Amarpal Singh
 

Ambarsaria

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Amarpal Singh ji thank you for your seva.

Amarpal Singh ji I sincerely disagree with your interpretation in this thread.

I believe that Guru ji could not have had any intention to hide or bury concepts for the generally illiterate and mentally bankrupted people that they were amongst. These people were so conditioned and managed by the religions of the days and their purveyors.

Guru ji have in great abundance used the concept of recognizing myths-beliefs held by the people and realities as means to an end. End being the spiritual awakening to recognize the one creator and one creation. Namely the following,

- Akwl purK ie`k hY ”

Let us review line by line and I mark the Reality by “R” and Myth-Belief by “M”,

Realities/Myths-Beliefs: R1.
keI koit pwqwl ky vwsI ][FONT=&]ka-ee kot paataal kay vaasee.
[/FONT]Numerous beings live in dimensions lower than ours.

Note: Much disagree with the above. Guru ji have no reason to state hidden message in above as nothing is low or high is the final message in the pauri as all is per the creator.

Realities/Myths-Beliefs: M1
keI koit nrk surg invwsI
] [FONT=&]ka-ee kot narak surag nivaasee.
[/FONT]
Numerous beings live in hell and heaven.

Realities/Myths-Beliefs: R2
keI koit jnmih jIvih mrih ] [FONT=&]ka-ee kot janmeh jeeveh mareh.
[/FONT]Numerous individuals get born, they live and die.

Realities/Myths-Beliefs: M2
keI koit bhu jonI iPrih ]
[FONT=&]ka-ee kot baho jonee fireh.[/FONT]
Numerous individuals keep on taking birth again and again after death.

Note: Guru ji talking about transformations and not re-incarnation or being born again and again in same manifest.

Realities/Myths-Beliefs: R3
keI koit bYTq hI Kwih ][FONT=&]ka-ee kot baithat hee khaahi.[/FONT]
Numerous individuals get their need without working.

Realities/Myths-Beliefs: R4
keI koit Gwlih Qik pwih ] [FONT=&]ka-ee kot ghaaleh thak paahi.[/FONT]
Numerous individuals get tired and consumed by hard labour.

Realities/Myths-Beliefs: R5
keI koit kIey DnvMq ] [FONT=&]ka-ee kot kee-ay Dhanvant.[/FONT]
Numerous individuals are born in wealthy environment.

Realities/Myths-Beliefs: R6
keI koit mwieAw mih icMq ] [FONT=&]ka-ee kot maa-i-aa meh chint.[/FONT]
Numerous individuals live their lives under the influence of Maya.

Hence the reason for my disagreement. Guru ji are making statements about as things were or the myths-beliefs held by people that they addressed. There is also no concept of salvation or merging in this pauri which is mentioned in the post.

Guru ji clearly drive the statements of six realities and two myths-beliefs to provide the following teaching,

jh jh Bwxw qh qh rwKy ][FONT=&amp]jah jah bhaanaa tah tah raakhay.[/FONT]
In accordance with the orders of ‘The Sat’ the individuals are places.

Note: As and what so likes all so prevail

nwnk sBu ikCu pRB kY hwQy ]5] [FONT=&amp]naanak sabh kichh parabh kai haathay. ||5||[/FONT]
O Nanak, every aspect of individual’s life is in the hand of ‘The Sat”.

I am fine with the use of the word “Sat” as a name for the creator as from the mool mantar. I find the English translation of creator and creation as appropriate too.

Sorry to disagree and stand corrected.

Sat Sri Akal.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

PS
: My understanding for consideration if it is of use.

Sukhmani Sahib Astpadi 10 Sabad 5 / ਸੁਖਮਨੀ ਸਾਹਿਬ ਅਸਟਪਦੀ 0 ਸਬਦ


ਸਲੋਕੁ
Salok.
Salok

ਉਸਤਤਿ ਕਰਹਿ ਅਨੇਕ ਜਨ ਅੰਤੁ ਪਾਰਾਵਾਰ ਨਾਨਕ ਰਚਨਾ ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਰਚੀ ਬਹੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਅਨਿਕ ਪ੍ਰਕਾਰ ੧॥

Usṯaṯ karahi anek jan anṯ na pārāvār. Nānak racẖnā parabẖ racẖī baho biḏẖ anik parkār. ||1||
Many people praise thee but there are no limits to such. Nanak, the creator architected this universe with many methods of different types.
ਅਸਟਪਦੀ
Asatpaḏī.
Eight stanzas hymn

ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਪਾਤਾਲ ਕੇ ਵਾਸੀ ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਨਰਕ ਸੁਰਗ ਨਿਵਾਸੀ
Ka▫ī kot pāṯāl ke vāsī. Ka▫ī kot narak surag nivāsī.
Many millions inhabit the underground. Many millions resident of heaven and hell.

ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਜਨਮਹਿ ਜੀਵਹਿ ਮਰਹਿ ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਬਹੁ ਜੋਨੀ ਫਿਰਹਿ
Ka▫ī kot janmėh jīvėh marėh. Ka▫ī kot baho jonī firėh.
Many millions born, live and die. Many millions transform into other life forms.

ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਬੈਠਤ ਹੀ ਖਾਹਿ ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਘਾਲਹਿ ਥਕਿ ਪਾਹਿ
Ka▫ī kot baiṯẖaṯ hī kẖāhi. Ka▫ī kot gẖālėh thak pāhi.
Many million eat without labor. Many million work hard, exhausted.

ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕੀਏ ਧਨਵੰਤ ਕਈ ਕੋਟਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਮਹਿ ਚਿੰਤ
Ka▫ī kot kī▫e ḏẖanvanṯ. Ka▫ī kot mā▫i▫ā mėh cẖinṯ.
Many million created wealthy. Many million anxious about wealth.

ਜਹ ਜਹ ਭਾਣਾ ਤਹ ਤਹ ਰਾਖੇ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਭੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੈ ਹਾਥੇ ੫॥
Jah jah bẖāṇā ṯah ṯah rākẖe. Nānak sabẖ kicẖẖ parabẖ kai hāthe. ||5||
As is wished, so are kept. Nanak, all is in the hand of the creator.
ESSENCE: In the salok, Guru ji state that many try to describe the creator but such is limitless. The creator creates with a variety of methods and of different types.

Guru Arjan Dev ji in Astpadi 10, 5th sabad cite how millions exist below and in like heaven and hell; are born , live and die; transform into many life forms; eat without effort while others toil; wealthy and others anxious to become wealthy.


Guru ji conclude that as is wished by the creator so exists and all is through the creator.
Please note all errors are mine and I stand corrected.

Sat Sri Akal.
 
Last edited:

japjisahib04

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Jan 22, 2005
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Mr. Ambarsaria Ji

This pauri needs further contemplation. Why millions simply eat without labour and other have to work hard and get exhausted.
Best regards
Mohinder Singh Sahni
Kuwait
 

Ambarsaria

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Mr. Ambarsaria Ji

This pauri needs further contemplation. Why millions simply eat without labour and other have to work hard and get exhausted.
Best regards
Mohinder Singh Sahni
Kuwait
Veer ji our Guru ji's had fantastic intellect that goes without saying.

Which is better,

  • eat without labour
    • Spend time in the Gym to digest and stay in shape
    • Take HBP and Cholestrol pills
    • Eat more than you need to
    • Be less connected to creator and creation
      • Where eating by labor is much of a norm
Versus

  • work hard and get exhausted
    • Stay healthy
    • Eat and sleep without gas or heartache
    • Develop appreciation of the creator and creation
      • Relate to others
Gurdas Maan - BOOT POLISHAN - YouTube

For me Guru ji do not put down any of the real examples. They simply encourage and suggest we learn to understand and live accordingly there by. This is one of the elements to comment where Amarpal ji translated "patal" into "low life" equivalent which caught my eye. Nothing created by creator is low life. It just is. How one lives with what creator gives can create differences in comparison, may be!

What you think!

Sat Sri Akal.
 

Harry Haller

Panga Master
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Jan 31, 2011
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Amarpalji,

A very detailed explanation and impressive in its content, although like Ambarsariaji, I do not agree with all, but shows much thought and understanding.

I find your post interesting not because of its conclusions, but because of the way in which you have arrived at your conclusions, and left us your workings to muse on, and to see how you arrived at these conclusions, I can see how your brain is working, thank you for sharing
 

Ambarsaria

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harry haller Ji

Through divergence only we evolve; only by questioning we learn. Thanks for your post.

With love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh
Amarpal Singh veer ji I appreciate your calm and respectful approach. For me to learn I do want to know from your view if my comments had any merit or I need to think differently.

I have completed first complete draft of my translations for the following Banis in SGGS,


  1. Japji Sahib
  2. Rehraas Sahib
  3. Kirtan Sohila
  4. Sukhmani Sahib
  5. Bani Sheikh Farid ji
I plan to do more if I keep the strength and focus.

Your comments on my posts here or privately will be beneficial in my endeavors. I will be thankful.

Sat Sri Akal.
 

Amarpal

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Ambarsaria Ji,

We are fellow travelers on this path to spirituality. We can learn from each other (saadhsangat). We are equal as fellow travelers; any correction that is needed in us comes from 'The Sat' that resides in each one of us; 'The Sat' is the true guide 'Satguru'. Contemplate over one's own understanding and listen to the voice coming from within, it will guide you to ever deeper understanding; 'The Sat' is always with you. That is the way I do. I cannot say more.

With Love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh
 
Oct 21, 2009
451
895
India
Dear Khalsa Ji,

With the grace of ‘The Sat’, today I share my understanding of 5th Pauri of 10thAshtapadee of Sukhmani Sahib with you.

Guru Sahib reflects on the environments that ‘The Sat’ creates for each and every entity of its creation and amazed by it tells himself and us that all is in the hand of ‘The Sat’.


With this I close this post.
With love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh

And here you go again Respected Amarpal ji..... Another scholarly work and reference material for us. An exquisite post right from the prefatory till the finish. Your profound insight of sikhi and its concept is fully appreciated and respected by some and I value your interpretation and am in full agreement with that has been stated by you.

Kindly keep us blessed with your insight.

Warm Regards!
 

Ambarsaria

ੴ / Ik▫oaʼnkār
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Dec 21, 2010
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Ambarsaria Ji,

We are fellow travelers on this path to spirituality. We can learn from each other (saadhsangat). We are equal as fellow travelers; any correction that is needed in us comes from 'The Sat' that resides in each one of us; 'The Sat' is the true guide 'Satguru'. Contemplate over one's own understanding and listen to the voice coming from within, it will guide you to ever deeper understanding; 'The Sat' is always with you. That is the way I do. I cannot say more.

With Love and respect for all.

Amarpal Singh
Veer ji thank you and I work the same way. We are all different and that is the beauty of it all. When I do my work I see Guru ji sitting with few people around them who can relate to the realities and myths. I consider myself to be one of them. I never in such interactions find Guru ji other than straightforward. No riddles or such. They use some words that I don't know and I seek and try to understand those words and then do my work. In all my readings so far I have not come across where Guru ji have directed people to other books like Vedas, etc., or confirmed to the groups any myths or poorly held beliefs in deities, re-incarnation and anything other than guidance in practical living.

I will continue my work. Thank you for your contributions.

Sat Sri Akal.
 

Harry Haller

Panga Master
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Jan 31, 2011
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Veer ji thank you and I work the same way. We are all different and that is the beauty of it all. When I do my work I see Guru ji sitting with few people around them who can relate to the realities and myths. I consider myself to be one of them. I never in such interactions find Guru ji other than straightforward. No riddles or such. They use some words that I don't know and I seek and try to understand those words and then do my work. In all my readings so far I have not come across where Guru ji have directed people to other books like Vedas, etc., or confirmed to the groups any myths or poorly held beliefs in deities, re-incarnation and anything other than guidance in practical living.

I will continue my work. Thank you for your contributions.

Sat Sri Akal.

Beloved Veerji,

Yes we are all different, and I will share something with you.. I asked my father yesterday how many different people he had been in his lifetime, he thought about it and answered about 3, now my dad is 63, so that is roughly 1 every 20 years! When I ask my dad about reincarnation, he says, 'I do not know, but I am not going to waste time wondering about it', although in his tone, I sense a feeling of hope, and optimism that it may be the case, but that could just be me being overly perceptive, as without facial expressions, it can be hard to have a 'full' conversation, I also asked my dad how many voices in his head, he says 'only 1'.

The point I am making is that I have been a good dozen different personalities in 42 years, and I am changing and evolving every day, sometimes every hour, to me, every line about reincarnation in the SGGS marries so closely with what I have been through, that I could not see it any other way other than a reference to evolution through a single life, that is my DNA, my make up, the way I was born, but my dear dad never went through that, so his take is going to be different as is Amarpalji, Taranjeetji.

Maybe like me you have been through so much that you have had to evolve, maybe like me, evolving is all you have,

You can put perfume on 10 women, and none will smell exactly the same, the perfume takes on some of the natural smell of the woman, and you get a unique scent, maybe Bani is the same, I do not know. ......
 

Ambarsaria

ੴ / Ik▫oaʼnkār
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Dec 21, 2010
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Harry Veer ji every heart beat is a life/death transition! Every breath so too. I totally agree that in most small ways we are born and die in our lives all the time. I calculated a healthy person's heart beats to Prakash.S.Bagga ji's age and it comes to about 1,892,160,000. So heart beats 1.9 billion times. We breate about 315,360,000 or 315 million times. Our thoughts of significance perhaps 8.4 million times (Punjabi:Eh kee Chaurasi lakh june hai / Is this the 8.4 million re-incarnations so mentioned!).

Whole lot of fancy is the way we have been created and built. These are all relatively incarnations of one or another type.

Sat Sri Akal.
 
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