the nature of god

ਮੇਰੇ ਗੁਣ ਅਵਗਨ ਨ ਬੀਚਾਰਿਆ ॥
| He has not considered my merits and demerits;

ਪ੍ਰਭਿ ਅਪਣਾ ਬਿਰਦੁ ਸਮਾਰਿਆ ॥
this is God's Own Nature.

ਕੰਠਿ ਲਾਇ ਕੈ ਰਖਿਓਨੁ ਲਗੈ ਨ ਤਤੀ ਵਾਉ ਜੀਉ ॥੧੮॥
Hugging me close in His Embrace, He protects me, and now, even the hot wind does not touch me. ||18||


it's easy to forget that waheguru is so forgiving. he gives salvation to even a prostitute who simply recites his name. he forgives every transgression and ignores our faults if we just remember him. this is not the angry and judgmental god of muslims and christians. this is the compassionate god who treats us as his children. and just as children make mistakes and their parents still love them, waheguru still loves us when we make mistakes. condemning people to hell doesn't seem very productive when we look at god's love this way.

ਸਿਮਰਤ ਇਕ ਬਾਰ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਮਿਟਿ ਕੋਟਿ ਕਸਮਲ ਜਾਂਤਿ ॥੨॥
Meditating in remembrance on the Lord, Har, Har, even once, millions of sins are erased. ||2||

please post a shabad that reminds you of the compassionate nature of god.

Of course no one can condemn anyone to hell, except for Akaal Purakh, but even THEN, Akaal Purakh is so great that whatever beatings his children must suffer in accordance to his Will, it is still out of His kindness... Vaheguroooo!!!! Even when he makes us beggers at his own feet, it is an act of unimaginable, incomprehensible sweetness. Akaal Purakh, in his inherent goodness, in his act of forgiveness, sends his own children through suffering, and that's amazing.


ਬਹੁਤਾਕਰਮੁਲਿਖਿਆਨਾਜਾਇ॥
ਵਡਾਦਾਤਾਤਿਲੁਨਤਮਾਇ॥
ਕੇਤੇਮੰਗਹਿਜੋਧਅਪਾਰ॥
ਕੇਤਿਆਗਣਤਨਹੀਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
ਕੇਤੇਖਪਿਤੁਟਹਿਵੇਕਾਰ॥
ਕੇਤੇਲੈਲੈਮੁਕਰੁਪਾਹਿ॥
ਕੇਤਿਆਦੂਖਭੂਖਸਦਮਾਰ॥
ਏਹਿਭਿਦਾਤਿਤੇਰੀਦਾਤਾਰ॥
ਬੰਦਿਖਲਾਸੀਭਾਣੈਹੋਇ॥
ਹੋਰੁਆਖਿਨਸਕੈਕੋਇ॥
ਜੇਕੋਖਾਇਕੁਆਖਣਿਪਾਇ॥
ਓਹੁਜਾਣੈਜੇਤੀਆਮੁਹਿਖਾਇ॥
ਆਪੇਜਾਣੈਆਪੇਦੇਇ॥
ਆਖਹਿਸਿਭਿਕੇਈਕੇਇ॥
ਜਿਸਨੋਬਖਸੇਸਿਫਤਿਸਾਲਾਹ॥
ਨਾਨਕਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੀਪਾਤਿਸਾਹੁ॥੨੫॥

Bhenjee, don't let talk of hell make you feel uncomfortable. It hit me today, once again, that learning to accept Guru Sahib's hukam, even if its the part about putting his own children through hell, is all part of the journey.

Excellent topic and thoughts, Bhain 1Kaur jeeo.

We must understand Vaheguru jee's nature, so that we may please Him and get emancipated.

Heavens and Hells, Jannat and Dozhakh, Swarag and Narak etc. are all part of Vaheguru jee's great show. Above these realms there are places like Baikunth, Sunn Avastha, and above all is Sachkhand.

It's true that Vaheguru jee's compassion knows no bounds and it is His compassion alone that sets us free. It is Vaheguru jee's compassion that He enables us to meet His Guru form and this way realize that we are prisoners in this world. It is Guru Sahib who gives the wisdom to the Jeev to give up anti-Gurmat ways and adopt Gurmat. Unless one adopts Gurmat, one cannot chant the True Naam. This is why, before one is given Naam by Punj Pyare, one has to adopt Rehit i.e. one wears the Kakaars and agree to keep Rehit. Then one gets Amrit to purify the utensil that would get Naam and finally Naam is given.

There is one thing to ponder upon. Even though Naam is all powerful, a transgression in Rehit can affect one's Naam Abhyaas. If one does a Bajjar Kurehit and continues to chant Naam, one would not get emancipated because one needs to get pardoned for the Bajjar Kurehit before Naam can free one. Same way, not getting up at Amritvela, not wearing Kakaars, not leading an honest life and obeying other Hukams of Guru Sahib can affect ones Naam Abhyaas. If one is unable to chant Naam to its full potential, then how would one get emancipated. So obeying Hukams of Satguru jee are all part of chanting Naam. Naam and obeying Hukams including Rehit all go hand-in-hand.

Vaheguru jee's compassion is at one place but the hells too are full of poor Jeevs like us who get punished for their mistakes. Bhai Sahib's book Andithi Duniya gives details of Jammdoots, and Hells that one has to endure if one does not adopt ways of Gurmat. As SK jee pointed out, perhaps going through suffering too is part of Vaheguru jee's compassionate nature.

We don't know anything but what we do know is that if we obey Guru Sahib, if we stay humble in Sangat and Chant Naam earnestly, then the compassionate nature of Vaheguru kicks in and emancipates us without looking at our merits and demerits. But unless we regret our previous sins and unless we meet and obey the True Guru, our merits and demerits do affect our condition.

May Guru Sahib deliver us through His compassionate nature.

Guru Sahib knows better.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

Many years ago I was watching TV, some Sufi Qawwali by a Pakistani group called Safri brothers. One sher has stuck in my mind, something like this...

insaan insaan ko kya deta hai, aadmi toh bahaana hai, Khuda deta hai
gar jahannum bhi de, toh shukriya karu, apna samajh ke sazaa deta hai

what can a mere mortal give to another, its the Lord who gives it through them
even if He grants me hell, I will thank Him, for He punishes me because He considers me His own

10-15 years back I heard the similar share, it also stuck in my head.

Aadmi Aadmi Kau Kya Dega, Jau Bhi Dega Khudaa Dega!

Gurbani echoes similar thoughts:

Manukh ki tek birthi sabh jaan||
Devan ko Ekai Bhagvaan||

Kulbir Singh

this is what i said, and then see what He said‏


i said...

ਰਾਖਿ ਲੇਹੁ ਹਮ ਤੇ ਬਿਗਰੀ ॥ ਸੀਲੁ ਧਰਮੁ ਜਪੁ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਕੀਨੀ ਹਉ ਅਭਿਮਾਨ ਟੇਢ ਪਗਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਅਮਰ ਜਾਨਿ ਸੰਚੀ ਇਹ ਕਾਇਆ ਇਹ ਮਿਥਿਆ ਕਾਚੀ ਗਗਰੀ ॥ ਜਿਨਹਿ ਨਿਵਾਜਿ ਸਾਜਿ ਹਮ ਕੀਏ ਤਿਸਹਿ ਬਿਸਾਰਿ ਅਵਰ ਲਗਰੀ ॥੧॥ ਸੰਧਿਕ ਤੋਹਿ ਸਾਧ ਨਹੀ ਕਹੀਅਉ ਸਰਨਿ ਪਰੇ ਤੁਮਰੀ ਪਗਰੀ ॥ ਕਹਿ ਕਬੀਰ ਇਹ ਬਿਨਤੀ ਸੁਨੀਅਹੁ ਮਤ ਘਾਲਹੁ ਜਮ ਕੀ ਖਬਰੀ ॥੨॥


then i said...

ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮ ਭਰਮ ਹੀ ਭਰਮ ਖੋਇਓ ਨਹ ਅਸਥਿਰੁ ਮਤਿ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਬਿਖਿਆਸਕਤ ਰਹਿਓ ਨਿਸ ਬਾਸੁਰ ਨਹ ਛੂਟੀ ਅਧਮਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਸਾਧਸੰਗੁ ਕਬਹੂ ਨਹੀ ਕੀਨਾ ਨਹ ਕੀਰਤਿ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਗਾਈ ॥ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਮੈ ਨਾਹਿ ਕੋਊ ਗੁਨੁ ਰਾਖਿ ਲੇਹੁ ਸਰਨਾਈ ॥੨॥੬॥


and then i further said...

ਅਬ ਮੈ ਕਉਨੁ ਉਪਾਉ ਕਰਉ ॥ ਜਿਹ ਬਿਧਿ ਮਨ ਕੋ ਸੰਸਾ ਚੂਕੈ ਭਉ ਨਿਧਿ ਪਾਰਿ ਪਰਉ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਜਨਮੁ ਪਾਇ ਕਛੁ ਭਲੋ ਨ ਕੀਨੋ ਤਾ ਤੇ ਅਧਿਕ ਡਰਉ ॥ ਮਨ ਬਚ ਕ੍ਰਮ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਨ ਨਹੀ ਗਾਏ ਯਹ ਜੀਅ ਸੋਚ ਧਰਉ ॥੧॥ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਸੁਨਿ ਕਛੁ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਨ ਉਪਜਿਓ ਪਸੁ ਜਿਉ ਉਦਰੁ ਭਰਉ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਬਿਰਦੁ ਪਛਾਨਉ ਤਬ ਹਉ ਪਤਿਤ ਤਰਉ ॥੨॥


and finally He spoke...

ਚੇਤਨਾ ਹੈ ਤਉ ਚੇਤ ਲੈ ਨਿਸਿ ਦਿਨਿ ਮੈ ਪ੍ਰਾਨੀ ॥ ਛਿਨੁ ਛਿਨੁ ਅਉਧ ਬਿਹਾਤੁ ਹੈ ਫੂਟੈ ਘਟ ਜਿਉ ਪਾਨੀ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਨ ਕਾਹਿ ਨ ਗਾਵਹੀ ਮੂਰਖ ਅਗਿਆਨਾ ॥ ਝੂਠੈ ਲਾਲਚਿ ਲਾਗਿ ਕੈ ਨਹਿ ਮਰਨੁ ਪਛਾਨਾ ॥੧॥ ਅਜਹੂ ਕਛੁ ਬਿਗਰਿਓ ਨਹੀ ਜੋ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਵੈ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਤਿਹ ਭਜਨ ਤੇ ਨਿਰਭੈ ਪਦੁ ਪਾਵੈ ॥੨॥


I felt ashamed, and became silent after He scolded me...but He smiled and continued...

ਜੈਸਾ ਬਾਲਕੁ ਭਾਇ ਸੁਭਾਈ ਲਖ ਅਪਰਾਧ ਕਮਾਵੈ ॥ ਕਰਿ ਉਪਦੇਸੁ ਝਿੜਕੇ ਬਹੁ ਭਾਤੀ ਬਹੁੜਿ ਪਿਤਾ ਗਲਿ ਲਾਵੈ ॥


and in the end all I could say was...

ਜੇ ਗੁਰੁ ਝਿੜਕੇ ਤ ਮੀਠਾ ਲਾਗੈ ਜੇ ਬਖਸੇ ਤ ਗੁਰ ਵਡਿਆਈ