Sikhism & Ecological Issues

The ecological message is an important theme of Sikh teachings enshrined in Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), the holy Scripture of the Sikhs.

Life on earth incudes all life forms. They were evolved by nature over millions of years and co-exist interdependently in a finely balanced system. Guru Nanak Sahib (1469-1539), the founder of Sikhi (Sikhism) called this system Dharam Khand in his founding Bani or composition, Japji Sahib, the first holy composition in Guru Granth Sahib. 

Dharam Khand is based on the law of cause and effect.  That means we reap what we sow.

Dharam teaches us how to live responsible lives if we are to be saved from total disorder leading to chaos and destruction. The earth’s survival depends on the observance of dharam in all relationships.  There are many references to this law in Japji Sahib further elaborated in Guru Granth Sahib.

By creating the earth, the Creator Being established it as the home of Dharam [Khand] – the sacred place where righteous conduct is to be practised. (SGGS p.1033)

The description of Dharam Khand is as follows:

Nights, days, weeks and seasons;
Wind, water, fire and the nether regions
in the midst of these, He established the earth as a home for Dharma.
Upon it, He placed the various species of beings.
Their names are uncounted and endless.
By their deeds and their actions, they shall be judged.
God Himself is True, and True is His Court.
There, in perfect grace and ease, sit the self-elect, the self-realized Saints.
They receive the Mark of Grace from the Merciful Lord.
The ripe and the unripe, the good and the bad, shall there be judged.
O Nanak, when you go home, you will see this. ||34||
This is righteous living in the realm of Dharma. ( SGGS p 7)

In Sikhi, the purpose of human life on earth is to see and experience the Creator Being in nature (kudrat) and to serve both.  Only then is a state of harmonious living achieved.

Guru Nanak saw the Creator in the diverse creation wherein He sits and watches over all with joy and satisfaction (chaao). Many passages in Guru Granth Sahib are devoted to nature, the environment, the wind and the rain, day and night, the changing seasons, and the rich diversity of life on earth. The Creator created the air, which, in turn, created water and brought life on earth. (SGGS p.19).

In figurative language, Gurbani brings us closer to nature. The concluding hymn of Japji Sahib teaches us that the air which gives life is the guru, the teacher, water is the father and the great earth is the mother. Day and night are the two nurses, in whose lap all the world is at play. (SGGS p 8)

Another beautiful example in Gurbani (the Guru’s Word) is of nature performing its own version of the Aarti ceremony before One Creator Being. Aarti is a Hindu religious ceremony of worship in which light is offered to one or more gods or goddesses while songs are sung in praise of the deity. Aarti means light which removes darkness and is linked to ancient Vedic fire rituals.

However, Guru Nanak offered his own version of Aarti worship to the One Creator Being, with a powerful ecological message:

The true Aarti is being sung by nature before the Creator of all. Thus:

The sky is the platter (thaal) used for the aarti, in which sun and moon are the lamps.
The stars in the constellations are the jewels
The wind, laden with sandal-wood fragrance, is the celestial fan
All the flowering fields, forests are the radiance!
This is Your  true aarti by nature O’ My Lord,  Destroyer of fear! (SGGS p 663)

The whole creation is a celebration of nature (kudrat) in which resides the Creator Being.

Another holy composition, the Barah Maha composed by the Sikh Gurus mean "Twelve Months". It is a wonderful poem reflecting the changes in nature during the year which interact with the human soul yearning for union with the One Creator Being.

These are just some examples from Guru Granth Sahib to show the essential unity of life-diversity in nature and the Creator of all. In other words, “If you do not see God in all creation, the finely balanced eco-system, then you do not see God at all!”

Today’s selfish consumerism and market driven economies are a threat to the global climate and the environment. Sikhi – Sikh thought and way of life – has a powerful message for humankind regarding ecological issues.

On this earth man is at the head of all species  (SGGS p.374) but has forgotten his duty (dharam) to serve the Creator and His creation due to lust and greed

Summary

The ecological message of Guru Nanak’s Jap ji and many other similar references in Sri Guru Granth Sahib can be summarised as follows:

The great earth, with its many life forms, is the “Dharam Khand”, the realm where balanced, responsible and righteous living should be practised.

This earth, together with the environment (wind and water) is the “dharamsaal” or “mandir” (place of worship) where human beings are placed at the head of all life forms. It is the dharam, the duty, of human beings not to desecrate this temple of God by disturbing the fine balance of nature by abusing the environment through selfish overuse of resources.

According to Sikhi, the purpose of human life is achieved by seeking complete harmony with Waheguru, the Wondrous Enlightener, the Giver of knowledge, while living the life of a householder. The Creator Being resides in nature and creates numerous diverse species.  The air, the water and the earth are the givers of life and knowledge, and sustainers of life. The environment is the teacher, the water and the great mother earth the father and mother, the caring parents, who look after us.

Therefore, it is also our duty to serve these, our natural “parents” – the earth and the environment - and not to disturb the nature’s mechanisms developed over millions of years. Diversity must be preserved and respected according to the “Anekta meh ekta” (unity in diversity) principle of Sikhi now adopted as a universal maxim.

Every human being has a responsibility to selflessly serve the Lord’s creation and not to desecrate this temple of God, the great mother earth. 

The ecological message of Sikhism is highly relevant today.  It is time that this central theme of Sikh teachings, also becomes the main concern of all individuals and administrations at local, national and global levels.
 

Gurmukh Singh OBE

© Copyright Gurmukh Singh (U.K.)
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
Please acknowledge quotations from this article
Articles may be published subject to prior approval by the author

Sikh Recognition in the West

Legal recognition of Sikhs as (ਕੌਮ).. is long overdue in every country of the world.

(Published by Sikhnet)

Scotland and New Jersey (USA) Recognise Sikhs as a Religious and Ethnic community or Qaum (ਕੌਮ)  

“On May 7, the Census (Scotland) Regulation 2020 was laid in the Scottish Parliament which included a prompt for Sikhs and Jews in the “Other” response option to the question “What is your ethnic group?”. (Times of India, 29 June 2020*).

This means that when the Scottish Sikhs fill the 2021 Census form they will be reminded to write “SIKH” under the “Other” option. The Sikhs will be counted and monitored independently as “Sikh” in Scotland and not e.g. “Indian” under the compulsory “Ethnicity” heading. From the outset of the campaign to get such recognition, an expression, “If you are not counted, you do not count” has become popular amongst UK Sikh activists. The great importance of this historic recognition of the Sikh community is explained below.

In 1983, based on historical, cultural and religious reasons, through unanimous verdict the 5 Law Lords of the UK’s House of Lords recognised the Sikhs as an ethnic group (a distinct qaum or nation) for the purpose of the Race relations law. Later, in the consolidating Equality Act 2010, “race” can mean your colour, or your background nationality. It can also mean your ethnic or national (qaumi) origins. Sikhs and the Jews are specifically mentioned as ethnic communities in the Act. So, it is not clear why some Sikhs themselves are trying to confuse the Sikh position with reference to the UK’s Equality Act 2010.

Ethnic Groups in the UK are defined in the same sense as qaums in India.

The word qaum refers to any distinct people. According to the ethnicity characteristics defined in the Mandla case, all Sikhs share the community history the memory of which they keep alive e.g. in prayers and through annual events; they have own culture and tradition; they are a global community which includes those who join through conversion or marriage etc but they all recall their common geographical origin, Punjab the birthplace of Guru Nanak Sahib. The Sikhs originate from Panjab but were joined by converts from all over the Indian sub-continent and beyond during Guru Nanak’s time; they have a common cultural language which others may share; they have own distinct literature; a common religion; and they are treated by other communities as a distinct people.

They include all those who regard themselves as members of the community.  So, the whole legal concept of ethnicity is wide and inclusive, yet defined by certain shared characteristics. Despite some misleading information being spread by vested interests, the UK courts continue to refer to the Mandla Case (1983) as an authority to show that the Sikhs are a distinct ethnic community.

To quote a British Sikh Federation post on the forum Sikh News Discussion:

“Sikhs will be monitored, both, as a Religion and as an Ethnic Group, wherever each category is required to be monitored in Scotland. This is what 96% of the Sikhs at the Office for National Statistics Consultation Meeting in London supported, with only 4% voting against”

That meeting of 23 October 2017 has been recorded by the Office for National Statistics.**

In New Jersey in USA, Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 118, of 22 June 2020 states:

“Sikh religion and history are extremely distinct and altogether different from other religions and ethnic groups.  Therefore, the State of New Jersey finds it is crucial to recognize the Sikh religion and its history in promoting peace while declaring Sikhs as a distinct ethnic and religious minority.”

The ground level impact on the Sikh position of New Jersey legislation will become clearer in due course. It is being celebrated as an important Sikh Amrican milestone.

In the UK, distinct sizeable communities are counted and monitored as ethnic communities by some 40,000 public bodies, hundreds of thousands of private sector organisations and employers when recruiting for jobs, promotions, job grades, Executive Board level positions, pay levels, allocation of grants, and so on. The Scottish Sikhs have won an important human right to be counted and monitored as a distinct community.

That cannot be against Guru Nanak’s universal Sikhi values as some imply when arguing against Sikhs being counted and monitored for their rights under any current statistical system whether based on religion or the wider concept of ethnicity as defined by UK Law Lords as above.

Sikhs always had that historical and legal right. It has been said that a right is not what someone gives you but it is what no one can take from you. However, it is also true that states do attempt to circumscribe the just rights of minority communities so that they have to resort to court actions. Senior politicians drop in at Gurdwaras to seek Sikh votes and are full of praise for the Sikhs as law abiding, hard-working loyal citizens making a net contribution to the national economy. However, for decades they have failed the British Sikhs numbering over half a million, to be counted and monitored on the same basis as other communities. One of the most visible and respected communities has been lost in statistics and made invisible so that there is no proof of any mistreatment in any sector.

The officials in the Office for National Statistics have ignored glaring evidence collated through consultations. They have allowed other vested interests to influence their advice to the ministers. Ridiculous arguments like negative impact on trade relations with India have been used by some to oppose Sikh right to own community identity, count and monitoring to ensure a level playing field in diverse sectors and full participation in the life of the nation. 

Only statistical information kept by thousands of bodies about distinct communities like the Sikhs can provide evidence to stop discrimination. It takes a long time and cases of mistreatment of minorities as in the Floyd George case in the US , for institutional discrimination to be recognised by the establishment.

As for those who continue to deny the inalienable Sikh right to be counted and monitored as “SIKH” by giving all sorts of arguments against: religious, political (Sikh separatism) and even trade-linked relations with India, one can only quote Abraham Lincoln: "You can fool all the people some of the time and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time"

Legal recognition of Sikhs as an independent people (ਕੌਮ) for the purpose of equal opportunities and treatment through statistical monitoring, is long overdue in every country of the world. 

Gurmukh Singh OBE
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Editor's Note: The author has detailed more about the Manlda case here: 

UK's race relations law, "Ethnicity" defined | SikhNet

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*Times of India news report: UK Sikhs fighting for ethnic tick-box in census claim victory in Scotland

** ONS website link below for a consultation meeting held in London on 23 Oct 2017: Summary of the meeting with the Sikh community October 23rd 2017

 

© Copyright Gurmukh Singh (U.K.)
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
Please acknowledge quotations from this article
Articles may be published subject to prior approval by the author

"Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament" Asks for a Sikh Perspective

 

[Article published by Sikhnet and Asia Samachar]

The author was approached by Campaign for Nuclear Disamarament (CND) Peace Education to give a Sikh view about nuclear weapons and disarmament. The faith response is for school religious education (RE) teachers and aimed at middle and senior school students. The topic is complex and the author hopes that the RE teachers would study and simplify further according to student age groups.

The short questionnaire is limited to a few words against each question. Below are some relevant introductory thoughts shared with the readers followed by the completed questionnaire. 

Introductory discussion 

Sikhi (Sikhism) allows armed defence as a last resort when all other means for securing peace have failed. The only peace acceptable to Sikhi is genuine peace which secures human freedom and dignity in a just society. Sikh activism is aimed towards the establishment and defence of such an ideal society. 

Armed defence is also confirmed by the principle of  “Degh Tegh Fateh” meaning victory of the cauldron defended by the sword of justice. Here, literally, degh, is the large metal container (ਕੜਾਹਾ) for cooking community food (langar) in the community kitchen. Therefore, “Degh”  symbolises the sharing principle in Sikh tradition. It represents a way of life, of sharing with those in need and community service, a social system which is defended by Tegh, the protective sword of justice of the Khalsa Panth. 

Tegh is symbolised by the Sikh sword, “Kirpan”. The word means “the benevolent defender of honour or human dignity”. Kirpan also represents all weapons intended to be used for defence only; and, ultimately, the divine power which protects the defenceless.  

Un-armed Sikh response to aggression: This is also the place to summarise un-armed response to aggression in Sikhi tradition enshrined in the unique Sikhi concept of martyrdom (shaheedi). It can be distinguished from “ahimsa”, the principle of not causing harm to other living things. It is certainly not “satyagraha” as a policy of passive political resistance practised by Mahatma Gandhi against British rule in India. Satyagraha strategy relied on threat of fast unto death (maran-barat). That strategy is anti-Sikhi. Often, there is doubt about the effectiveness of such self-inflicted death.  In any case, many such maran-barats are just political gimmicks.

Below is a summary of the Sikhi concept of martyrdom from my revision of earlier publication Guru Tegh Bahadur: The True Story.

(Link:  GuruTeghBahadurJi-TheTrueStory.pdf (sikhmissionarysociety.org)  )    

The Guru preached realization of the higher spiritual and moral truths above material attachments, physical pain, passions and pleasure. By contrast, the Indian idea of 'vairag' was based on dislike for worldly life. Shankracharya preached contempt for worldly pursuits and recommended isolation from temporal living. He believed that only such detachment from the world can induce a state of vairag. 

The Guru’s concept of vairag was based on love for the Creator Being above worldly attachments and pursuits. God-love was then translated into love and sacrifice for God’s creation.

The Sikhi concept of martyrdom, sacrifice in God-love for the righteous cause and assertion of the human right to free choice to seek own path to God is the message of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s martyrdom. In one sense, Guru Tegh Bahadur’s holy hymns bring together the best of ancient Indian thought relating to detachment (vairag), albeit, re-interpreted, and the Greek-Abrahamic concept of martyrdom (shaheedi).  

To quote Gurbachan Singh Talib: 

“In the Guru’s teaching an added element, which is the crown of the higher life, is the pursuit of the ideal without flinching uptill the stage where it may become martyrdom…..The dimension of the reality of physical evil, which neither prayer nor miracle may avert, but which must execute its potential movement, is what makes Guru Tegh Bahadur’s teaching so deeply touching and of such value to our time in which miracles of the kind narrated in mythology are not known to occur……This implies not their [devotees’] rescue from the power of tyrants and oppressors, but the triumph of their spirit and the fulfilment of their ideals despite their physical destruction.” ( Fauja Singh and Gurbachan Singh Talib, Guru Tegh Bahadur Martyr and Teacher, P1975)

CND Peace Education religious leaders’ questionnaire 

Are you for or against nuclear weapons? Why? (Here, the justification should describe one’s own personal opinion, and can be brief, to allow for deeper enquiry in the later questions) 50 words.

As a Sikh, I am for multilateral nuclear disarmament but against unilateral surrender of power to totalitarian regimes. Nuclear weapons are a glaring misuse of God-given knowledge, a global threat to human existence and a major distraction from human progress towards an ideal global society.

How has your faith informed your opinion on nuclear disarmament? 

Sikh teachings tell me that human life is precious and that human beings have the God-given right to live with dignity. However, as a last resort, to struggle against oppression to the death is better than living a life without dignity. Therefore, to quote the Tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh,"When all peaceful means fail, armed resistance against oppression is justified.” The Sikh Kirpan, meaning: the sword which defends human dignity, also symbolizes armed defence of an egalitarian way of life against all weapons - conventional or nuclear.  Global nuclear disarmament depends on tackling the root causes of war by diverting human thought and energy away from material ambition and greed, to God-centred moral values and truthful living. 

[Article link: A Sikh Approach to War and Peace (sikhmissionarysociety.org) ]

Is there a particular teaching that you consider to be important regarding nuclear weapons? E.g. a parable, verse, practice or belief. 

As nuclear weapons are a modern invention, world religions can only be guided by general principles. Guru Nanak’s compositions lamenting the carnage caused by Babur, the Mughal invader of India, are instructive. The compassionate Guru implored the Creator Being that if a powerful aggressor is faced by an equally powerful defender then there is no cause for complaint. However, when ordinary households are left defenceless and will be killed, they deserve divine intervention. No one should be left defenceless against conventional or nuclear weapons while human endeavours for global peace continue. 

Does your faith have a history of working against weapons of mass destruction? If so, can you give examples?

Sikh teachings, history and activism are about peaceful co-existence and defence of human diversity and dignity. There is no distinction between knives and nukes if used for aggression. Therefore, in forums and peace movements, Sikhs oppose use of all weapons which are not solely for self-defence of individuals and people (communities and nations). 

Can you share something from your faith that exemplifies your faith’s approach to peace and nonviolence? E.g. a particular belief, story, practice or writing.

Sikh teachings enshrined in the Sikh Holy Scripture, Guru Granth Sahib, include those of Muslim and Hindu saints. A Guru martyr, Guru Tegh Bahadur, gave his life in defence of the universal principle of religious freedom. At that time the aggressor was Muslim Emperor, Aurungzeb, forcing Hindus to convert to Islam. Yet, Muslim saints have a place of honour in Sikh teachings as mentioned above. Guru Granth Sahib exemplifies world peace and full acceptance of human diversity. Historical Sikh non-violent campaigns – the morchas – against colonial rule won applause from leaders like Mahatma Gandhi and also from the colonial British themselves.

What does a peaceful future look like to you? 1 or 2 sentences.

A peaceful future is well illustrated in Guru Granth Sahib as one when no one inflicts pain on another. It is a future in which global citizens have no worries (Begumpura concept) and they can move around fearlessly and freely. 

Gurmukh Singh OBE

20 January 2021

© Copyright Gurmukh Singh (U.K.)
E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk
Please acknowledge quotations from this article
Articles may be published subject to prior approval by the author

Soul or Atma in Sikhi

[Author’s note: This article is dedicated to the memory of Bhai Sahib, Subedar Dharam Singh Sujjon of UK. It is in response to a query about the nature of the human soul (atma).

Ram rattan tab paayiay jao pehlay tajeh sareer. (SGGS 1366)

The Lord’s Jewel is obtained by first shedding the [egocentric] body.

Meeting Bhai Dharam Singh Sujjon in 2003

I met late Bhai Sahib Subedar Dharam Singh Sujjon in 2003 at the Panjab Times UK 38^th Anniversary function held at Guru Nanak Sikh School (Hayes, London).

He walked over, a tall slim and saintly Gursikh with a grey flowing beard. He said Gur Fateh with a faint knowing smile and said, “Mai tuhanoo kafee samay to(n) milan babat soch reha si”. (I had been thinking of meeting you for some time). A short conversation followed. I had read his articles in Punjabi and he seemed to be well acquainted with my work, partly through renowned UK author, late S. Gurbachan Singh Sidhu of Nottingham (UK) 

He said something about his age[i] and health and asked me to read and comment on some of his unpublished manuscripts. I told him that I was not qualified for such a task but he persuaded me with his humility and Gursikhi aura. Bhai Sahib subscribed to Bhai Sahib Bhai Randhir Singh ji’s interpretation of Gurbani. It is possible that he had read my translation of Bhai Rama Singh of Akhand Kirtani Jatha’s autobiography, “Roop Gobind ka, Raj Khalsay ka, Sikka Sonay ka”, to which I had given the title: “In Search of the True Guru” (Published by Panjab Times UK, April 2001, 412 pages).

He said: Pad ke, vichaar ke, jivayn tusseen ttheek samjho karr leo. (Read, reflect and do as you please.) That was the only time I met this saintly Gursikh, although we remained in touch for some years.

Over the next few months, I received some draft articles and a book draft with the title, Sikh Ik Sresht Dharam Kivayn? (How is Sikhi a leading faith? Sresht can also be translated as superior.) 

As I read through these scripts (in Gurmukhi), it became clear that Bhai Sahib was truly a treasure-house of  knowledge.  He remained a humble Gursikh to the end.

Atma in Sikhi

Introduction

A recent query about the human soul – atma or rooh - prompted me to look up some relevant passages from Subedar Dharam Singh Sujjon’s manuscripts. The specific question is, “What is atma with reference to man (mun) and mat (muth)?” For example, we distinguish between mun and muth when we say Sikhan da man neeva, mat uchi in our daily Ardaas (prayer). We pray that the muth, the discerning part of the mind of the Sikhs should remain in control of mun, the wandering or fickle part of the mind.  

This article explores around the above query and looks at one Sikh view about the nature of atma, the human soul, and its relationship with mun and muth in the context of the cycle of birth, life and death.

The topic in hand is complex. Some repetition is not only unavoidable but also intentional.  Often, related concepts are shrouded in mysticism and exploited by those wearing the scholarly garbs ranging from the Vedic Pandits to the derawadis running own schools and cults. However, it has been simplified in Gurbani as interpreted by Gursikh scholars.

Guru Nanak Sahib took the Message to the masses in their own simple language. That is because this human life is an opportunity for all to seek blissful union with the Ik Oangkar, the One Creator Being. That opportunity is there for everyone – from the pundit to the simple peasant. The Bhagats, whose Bani is included in Sri Guru Granth Sahib, were from diverse social backgrounds.

When discussing interpretation of Gurbani, I always aim to make the reader conversant with as many original Panjabi word-concepts as possible without interrupting the flow of thought.

In this article:

Sareer = body. Three types of sareer are mentioned: the physical (sathool) or earthly body which we can see; and the energy (sookhsham) and ideas/causal (karan) bodies which we cannot see.

Words which refer to the mind and will be explained later, are man (mun), mat (muth), budh, chitt, antehkaran.  

Three bodies or sareers

The law of nature is that everything returns to its source of origin. That is true with human beings also.

Jeh te upjio Nanaka leen Tahe mai maan. (SGGS 1426.)

Believe it O Nanak, you will [one day] blend/merge with the Source of your origin.

When someone dies, we say the person has left the body. (We say: Falana sarir tiyag gyia hai.) It means after death a person leaves this earthly body behind and goes somewhere else.

The question is who left this body?

The body which is left behind is the earthly body made of bone, flesh, and blood vessels (hadd, maas, naadi ko pinjar….), called the sathool sarir. Sathool means material. It is the body we can touch and feel. It is made from matter, the panj tatt or five elements mentioned in Gurbani: fire, earth, water, air and sky/space.

The soul or jeev-atma resides in, or rather, is trapped in, three bodies or layers:

1)      The physical body which we see and which will be shed on death;

2)      The energy or etheric body; and,

3)      The causal or ideas body.

Within these three bodies or layers resides the jeev-atma.

Bodies 2) and 3) above remain after death with the atma trapped in them due to the attraction of world-play referred to as maya, prakriti or nature which is the dynamic energy of the Creator Being.

Let us digress a little: In Sikh thought, this world play (maya or prakriti) is true (real) because the Creator is True, and maya is within His Hukam or Command. It is not an illusion as in Vedic thought. It is the Bachittar Natak (ref. Guru Gobind Singh), the wondrous or fantastic play in which we all have roles according to the Hukam of Akal Purakh. That is the reason why a Sikh is always a full participant in life and living, an activist and not an opt-out from   human society.   

One component of the sookhsham sareer is called the antehkaran which is combination of mun, budh, chit and ahankaar.

Mun is the intuitive part of the mind; budh the discerning part; and chit is consciousness which forms an idea in the mind, thinks and reflects upon. Perhaps, the reader should pause and reflect on these descriptions of the mind functioning in different modes.

Ahankaar means “I am”. This “I”  entity is separate from the sathool, sookhsham, and karan sareers.  It gives power to the three bodies and keeps them going. If it withdraws that power, the three bodies/sareer – sathool, sookhsham and karan – do not function. This fourth entity, “I am” is my true being.

It is called jeev-atma. It is the atma or rooh. 

Jeev-atma is the offspring (ulaad) of Akal Purakh.

Kaho Kabir eh Raam ki ansh (SGGS 871)

Jeev-atma is the offspring of Akal Purakh and is always longing to return to its Source but is prevented by the outer three bodies/layers. It is covered by them like a jewel which is hidden in layers of mud or mire also referred to as pankaj in Gurbani.

Even after death only the outer physical body is shed but the other two bodies in which the jeev-atma is entrapped, remain and seek another body. And so, the cycle of birth and death continues numerous times until the jeev-atma is freed by the True Guru’s guidance to return to its Source, the Creator Being. That is the cycle of karam (karma).

In our physical body, is the sookhsham sareer. It is the energy or etheric body and is the true copy of the body (sathhool sareer). It is connected to every cell of the body and operates through the meridian system. Meridians are electricity pathways in the body along which vital energy flows. The system gives life force to the body. Without this life force the body is dead. It is lifeless.

The sookhsham sareer itself receives instruction from the karan sareer. Karan means the cause or the reason for something happening, as when say “Is da ki karan hai – what is the cause or reason for this”. So karan sareer is the causal body formed by ideas. The karan saree sends instruction and the sookhshm sareer converts these ideas to actions of the physical body by sending it electrical impulses through its network of meridians.

It sounds complicated but can be understood simply as: ideas activating electrical impulses in our body which in turn cause physical movement or actions. In daily language, the mind sends instructions through the network of nerves, which the body parts carry out as actions. Without thoughts, no signals are sent and there is no action.

So, why not say that we have a mind located in the head, a network of nerves which reaches all parts of the body to activate the physical body?  I believe this concept of three bodies in one – the sathool, sookhsham and karan – shows that the three systems operate together to the level of every cell in the body. “I” awareness is in every cell of the body! On the other hand when we understand Hukam through Naam Simran (meditation on Naam), it is “You”, the Creator Being, Who is in every cell of the body!!

We must remember that this is a two- way system. The body parts carry out the instruction of the mind; however, the body parts also send back signals to the mind and influence and shape  thoughts.  So the mind instructs the body, but the body also instructs and can control the mind. The question is who or what is in control?

Beyond the causal or ideas body, the karan sareer, is the atma or jeev-atma , the offspring of Param Atma, the Akal Purakh or the Timeless Being. Let us pause and reflect: jeev-atma is very much part of the Param Atma, the Akal Purakh, just like a drop of water is not different from the ocean full of water. The drop arose from the ocean and seeks to return to the ocean. So, the jeev-atma seeks to return to the Param Atma or Akal Purakh. However, it is prevented from doing that by the karan and the sookhsham bodies engrossed in world-play.

The Hukam/Command of the Param Atma operates through the jeev atma which activates the causal/ideas, energy and physical bodies in that order.  So, it is by the Hukam we suffer pain/unhappiness (dukhi) or are happy and contented (sukhi). One who understands, accepts dukh/sukh in Waheguru’s Hukam or Bhana, remains aloof and in a state of equipoise. One who does not, is affected by these. 

We cannot see the Param Atma and the jeev-atma. Eventually, the jeev-atma entrapped by the ideas, energy and physical bodies (karan, sookhsham and sathool sareers) collectively, starts believing “I am” the doer, forgetting that it is the Will/Hukam of Akal Purakh which is the Doer. So hao-mai or ahankar i.e. “I am the doer” is created and takes over. That becomes the root cause of all pain and sorrow and the reason for the cycles of birth and death.

On death, the causal/ideas and energy bodies in which is imprisoned the jeev-atma, leaves this earthly body to be reborn.  

Freedom from the cycle of birth and death is an important milestone in the life of a Gursikh. However, unlike many other faiths, it is not the end-objective.  A Gursikh becomes a witness to this freedom while living, and moves on to the next stage which is to witness and experience the Ultimate Truth, the parkaash/pargaas  of the Param Atma.

Thus, the end objective of Sikhi is stressed in the Pangti: 

Raj na chaho(n) mukt na chaho(n) man preet charan kamlaaray. (SGGS 534)

I desire not an empire nor do I desire salvation/emancipation, my soul longs for love of your Lotus Feet.

The first stage is to witness the manifestation of the soul – atam parkaash. The next stage is Param Atam parkaash which has been compared to the light of millions of suns.

Saant sehej sookh man upjio,  kot sur (soor=sun) Nanak pargaas.  (SGGS 716)

Peace equipoise and pleasure/contentment have sprouted in my mind as I experience the   light of millions of suns, O Nanak.

The above can be interpreted as a paradigm shift as the mind is cleared of the cob-web, the net (jaal) of ego-centric thought which ensnare the human soul, the jeev-atma, and filled with the Light of Naam – true experience of Divine Virtues and Commands, the Source of all creation, seen and unseen. Instead of “I”, the Akal Purakh is witnessed as the Doer.

The main objective of every human being is to merge with the Source of all creation, the Akal Purakh, the Timeless Being. Gurbani guides us towards that objective so that the jeev atma is freed from the three bodies described as above and is enabled to return to its Source (upaj sarot).

That can be achieved through inner detachment while we remain fully engaged in this world.

The Sikhi way is to become conscious of Naam i.e. Divine virtues and Commands which guide Sikhi living. A Sikh emulates those virtues and obeys the Commands (Hukm). One becomes aware of Naam when the Almighty enables us to find the Guru and follow his teachings[ii]. This Naam consciousness is only possible when the mind (mun) becomes inwardly focussed.

The human mind, mun, “looks” outwards and experiences the outside world through the body senses. Thus, when outwardly focussed, the mind becomes totally engrossed in world play. Therefore, during life on earth, the mind remains pre-occupied with the world play. It begins to believe that it is the doer i.e. “I am” the doer. “I” am happy. “I” am suffering etc. The connection with the Real Doer, the Akal Purakh is broken. That becomes the cause of  cycles of birth and death   

The mind (mun) is also capable of looking inwards and experiencing/realising the jeev-atma, the soul. The jeev-atma is the offspring of the Param Atma, the Supreme Soul, the Creator Being. Naam Simran is the Gurmat way to turn our senses (mun) inwards to witness and realise the jeev-atma. That is when the mun becomes Jote-saroop.

Panch tatt mil kaayia kini.

Tis meh Raam rattan lai chini.

Atam Raam Raam meh aatam.

Har paayiai sabad vichaara hey (SGGS 1030)

Bringing together the five elements the body is created.

Within that seek the jewel of the Lord.

The soul is in the Lord and the Lord is in the soul.

The Lord is obtained by meditating on Naam.

So, in Gurbani, mun has a pivotal role in realising our true self, the jeev-atma, the ray of Param-atma (Supreme-soul) in every being.

Naam is the means for freeing the jeev atma from the causal (ideas) and the astral/energy bodies. Otherwise, the jeev-atma remains trapped  in the cycle of transmigration. Realization of the jeev-atma leads to union with Akal Purak in the realm of Sach Khand, the Ultimate Reality.

Akal Purakh is the self-aware unlimited energy field in which we all live. IT is the Ik Oangkar in Sikh thought: the Singularity which expands and contracts at Own Will or Hukam. We all live in this Self-aware Energy field like fish in water. The jeev-atma is part of Akal Purakh in the same way as a drop water is part of the ocean. It yearns to return to its Source as a drop of water seeks to return to the ocean from whence it came.

So, the Sikhi way is to understand, accept and obey the Divine Law and Commands, the  Hukam. In this way, all aspects of Sikhi life, activity and social activism, become attuned to and are in complete resonance with the Divine Law (Hukam). The ultimate objective of human life is achieved through:

Hukam boojh Param Pad paaee. (SGGS 292) 

By understanding and obeying the Divine Law operating in creation, the supreme status, the ultimate objective of human life, is achieved.   

Sikhi is both, outward looking (worldly) and inwardly contemplative with focus on Naam, i.e. Divine virtues and commands.

There is no re-birth for a Gursikh.

Gurmukh Singh OBE

E-mail: sewauk2005@yahoo.co.uk

11 September 2018

© Copyright Gurmukh Singh (U.K.)

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[i] Bhai Sahib was born on 8 September 1918. However, having lost contact with him, I am not sure of the year of his departure for Sach Khand..

[ii] Ref: S. Rawel Singh’s Understanding Japji Sahib: Review and e-book at link: http://sikhmissionarysociety.org/sms/smsresourcecentre/products/rawelsingh/understandingjapjisahib/

To quote from the review:  The author clarifies that living by Naam means emulating Divine virtues/attributes and living by divine commands. That requires daily/timely sustained effort. The reader is left in no doubt that Naam japna requires both, mental and physical activism/effort.