17. Name and Deeds (Naam and Karam)

ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਇਸੁ ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਕਰਮਿ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਏ ॥ Gurbāṇī is jag mėh cẖānaṇ karam vasai man ā▫e. page 67
Gurbani is the Light/wisdom in this world, however, one receives it only with destiny/fate(Bhag).

ਨਾਮੇ ਹੀ ਘਟਿ ਚਾਨਣਾ ਨਾਮੇ ਸੋਭਾ ਪਾਈ ॥ Nāme hī gẖat cẖānṇā nāme sobẖā pā▫ī. page 426
Through the Naam one receives the light/wisdom and the Honor.

ਨਾਮੁ ਮਿਲੈ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਅੰਧਿਆਰਿ ॥ Nām milai cẖānaṇ anḏẖi▫ār. page 796
When one is blessed with the Naam, the darkness within turns to light i.e. one acquires the divine wisdom.

ਨਾਨਕ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਗੁਰ ਮਿਲੇ ਦੁਖ ਬਿਖੁ ਜਾਲੀ ਨਾਇ ॥ Nānak cẖānaṇ gur mile ḏukẖ bikẖ jālī nā▫e. page 1087
Nanak ji says one receives the Naam/Divine wisdom/light from the Guru and then suffering and corruption are burnt away.

ਅੰਧੇਰਾ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਆਪੇ ਕੀਆ ॥ ਏਕੋ ਵਰਤੈ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਬੀਆ ॥
Anḏẖerā cẖānaṇ āpe kī▫ā. Ėko varṯai avar na bī▫ā. page 1056
He Himself created darkness and light and He alone is everywhere & everything, no other one.

Light makes the things visible/clear so one can see the path/way. However, one has to do the walking to reach its destination. Light will not do the walking for you or anybody else. One can put the light on its head, can bow to it, can go in circles around it but has to still experience its fate. One has to clear its own examination. Light/Wisdom teaches the process or mod us operand (that’s why it is called Guru). One can not go anywhere unless it does or experience the things one is supposed to. Reading, listening & singing won’t do it.

Law of Karma/deeds dictates what you will do and get in this life(based on the previous deeds/actions). Ones destiny is based on what deeds were done in the past, your future will be dictated what you are doing now. It is not based on which religious/holy places one is visiting, what holy verses/hymns/books one is listening/reading/singing. It is strictly based on the deeds one is doing.

At present one is reaping what was seeded in the past. So you should not be complaining about what is being received. When one is making wishes or praying for materials, in a way it is complaint sort of a grudge. You want good things to happen to you then one has to seed goodness. You want a union with the Gur, you have to prey for his blessing.

Yours karma is what you have to go through i.e. it your exam to appear and clear/pass it without complaining. That means your religion is yours, it has nothing to do with what others are doing. You are your own. So who will help you to ferry across, a preacher, a place of worship, a hypocrite religious person or a True Being who lives by Lord’s will. 

ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਕਰਮਾ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਧਰਮਾ ॥ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਪੰਚ ਤਤੁ ਤੇ ਜਨਮਾ ॥
Ih man karmā ih man ḏẖarmā.Ih man pancẖ ṯaṯ ṯe janmā. page 415
The deeds and dharma are the creation of mind and this mind is born of the five elements.

ਪੰਚ ਪੂਤ ਜਣੇ ਇਕ ਮਾਇ ॥ ਉਤਭੁਜ ਖੇਲੁ ਕਰਿ ਜਗਤ ਵਿਆਇ ॥
Pancẖ pūṯ jaṇe ik mā▫e. Uṯ▫bẖuj kẖel kar jagaṯ vi▫ā▫e. page 865
The mind gave birth to the five sons/vices, and so began the play of the world.

ਪੰਚ ਵਸਹਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਅਪਾਰ ॥ Pancẖ vasėh mil joṯ apār. page 152
The five doots/vices and the Divine Light live inside the body.

When a child is born, the heart(hirdha) is over the mind. That is why a child does not discriminate based on the religion, color, sex, looks etc., and get lost into the play with anyone who shows love. However, as the child is growing the parents, relatives, community/society, religion teaches him that you are different, better, your religion, home, country is better. Slowly mind takes over the heart and most of the actions/deeds are performed under the mind which is influenced by the five doots/vices i.e. ego, anger, lust, greed & attachments. We do not see that in the animals, they live by His will.

In order to perform truthful deeds one has to win over the mind and bring heart at the forefront. So my friend do’t be and stay a learner(sikh), become a true being/a saint. Live the way He wants i.e. by His will/a truth full life. Do not forget as per SGGS, the way of saint is the true religion and one gets it with blessed fate only.

 

ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਵਸਿ ਨ ਆਵਈ ਥਕੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਇ ॥ Ih man vas na āvī thake karam kamā▫e. page 644
This mind has not come under control; people are tired of performing religious rituals.

ਤੀਰਥ ਵਰਤ ਸੁਚਿ ਸੰਜਮੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਕਰਮੁ ਧਰਮੁ ਨਹੀ ਪੂਜਾ ॥
Ŧirath varaṯ sucẖ sanjam nāhī karam ḏẖaram nahī pūjā. page 75
Pilgrimages, fasts, purification and self-discipline are neither true deeds nor religion nor worship.

ਊਠਤ ਬੈਠਤ ਜਪਉ ਨਾਮੁ ਇਹੁ ਕਰਮੁ ਕਮਾਵਉ ॥ Ūṯẖaṯ baiṯẖaṯ japa▫o nām ih karam kamāva▫o. page 813
Do only one deed, recite the Naam all the time, sitting down/standing up.

ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਾਟੈ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਰਮ ॥ Gur kā sabaḏ kātai kot karam. page 1195
Guru’s Shabad i.e. Naam nullifies the millions of past deeds/actions.

ਸਾਧ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ਆਵਹਿ ਬਸਿ ਪੰਚਾ ॥ Sāḏẖ kai sang āvahi bas pancẖā. page 271
The Company of the Holy, brings the five vices/doots come under control.

ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਮੋਹੁ ਨ ਤੁਟਈ ਸਭਿ ਥਕੇ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਇਆ ॥ Bin saṯgur moh na ṯut▫ī sabẖ thake karam kamā▫i▫ā page 138

One can do all kinds of deeds,however, without the True Guru one can not break the shackles of emotional attachments.

ਗੁਰੁ ਨਾਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜਾਏ ਰੰਗ ਸਿਉ ਹਉ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਬਲਿ ਜਾਉ ॥ਬਿਨੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਲਭਈ ਲਖ ਕੋਟੀ ਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਉ ॥
Gur nām driṛ▫ā▫e rang si▫o ha▫o saṯgur kai bal jā▫o. Bin saṯgur har nām na labẖ▫ī lakẖ kotī karam kamā▫o. page 40

The Guru has lovingly implanted the Naam, the Name of the Lord, within me; I am a sacrifice to the True Guru.

ਪੰਚ ਦੂਤ ਤੁਧੁ ਵਸਿ ਕੀਤੇ ਕਾਲੁ ਕੰਟਕੁ ਮਾਰਿਆ ॥ ਧੁਰਿ ਕਰਮਿ ਪਾਇਆ ਤੁਧੁ ਜਿਨ ਕਉ ਸਿ ਨਾਮਿ ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਲਾਗੇ ॥
Pancẖ ḏūṯ ṯuḏẖ vas kīṯe kāl kantak māri▫ā. Ḏẖur karam pā▫i▫ā ṯuḏẖ jin ka▫o sė nām har kai lāge. page 917
Through the Naam Shabad, one subdue the five vices and win over the fear of death. However only those who have pre-ordained destiny will get attached to the Lord’s Name.

ਸਤਗੁਰਿ ਦਯਾਲਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜ੍ਹ੍ਹਾਯਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਪ੍ਰਸਾਦਿ ਵਸਿ ਪੰਚ ਕਰੇ ॥ Saṯgur ḏa▫yāl har nām ḏariṛ▫ā▫yā ṯis parsāḏ vas pancẖ kare. page 1397
True Guru has blessed me with the Lord’s Name meditation, and by His Grace, I have overpowered the five vices/doots.

ਨਾਨਕ ਸਬਦੇ ਹਰਿ ਸਾਲਾਹੀਐ ਕਰਮਿ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਹੋਇ ॥Nānak sabḏe har salāhī▫ai karam parāpaṯ ho▫e. page 67

Nanak ji says that through ‘The Shabad’ one praises the Lord but one gets if it is in one’s destiny/Bhag(based on previous deeds).

ਕਰਮੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਸਤਿਗੁਰੂ ਮਿਲਾਏ ॥ Karam hovai saṯgurū milā▫e.
If it is written in destiny(Bhag) only then one meets the True Guru.

Without the True Guru, the Name of the Lord is not found, even though people may perform hundreds of thousands, even millions of rituals.

 

The above is self-explaining. The question is whether one believes it or not. One can not win over the mind unless he has recieved the Naam. You will not get or obtain it if it not your destiny. The destiny is based on the Law of Deeds. The deeds can be carried under influence of mind or Hirdha/heart. Truth, love, compassion, equality, forgiveness etc. are qualities of heart whereas falsehood, hate, revenge, rich & poor etc. are associated with mind.

So if you want happiness, comfort, love you have put the seed of them in order to reap them. Service to the mankind/all the beings brings the good out of you. The above is possible only if one sees God in everyone. For centuries the message of Holy Beings is the same. Juda, Christ, Guru Nanak and so on said that the Creator resides within you, when you will believe in it. How many more True beings have to sacrifice themselves before you aquire the wisdom.

We are not criticizing anyone in particular, it is not our intention. Some of you may feel hurt or offended. We ask for your forgiveness. Truth is always is a bitter medicine and hard to swallow. We just trying to bring out the truth. That’s why the world and wordly religions(ritual based) did not like the people who brought out the truth. They were persecuted while they were alive although the world worships them when they are gone. They still won’t follow their teachings.

We are nothing and this i can do nothing. All is possible with the blessing’s of Guru Gur.

 

(Rajinder chahal  – rajinderschahal@yahoo.com )