good deeds

Does doing good deeds please Waheguru?

In actuality, only Gurmat-Naam-roopi Trai-gunni-Aprampar good deed really pleases Vaheguru. Less than that, yes worldly good deeds are too beneficial because they make one candidate of receiving and chanting the Gurmat Naam.

Kulbir Singh

what's a trai-gunni aprampar good deed?

Trai-guni aprampar karam is any deed that is above the three gunns of rajo tamo and sato. Things like reciting Naam, Keertan, Gurbani Paath and Sevaa of Guru Sahib's Darbar. Namely Degh Seva, Langar Seva, Chaur Sahib Seva, ect.

These are all ways to get khushi of Guru Sahib.

Preetam Singh

What is rajo, sato, and tamo?

These are the three modes (gunas) of material nature. People are influenced by these modes and certain modes influence people in certain ways.

The person under the influence of the sato gun is likely to be peaceful, inclined toward living according to dharma. Sato gun gives one clarity, peacefulness, calmness and purity. Saatvic gun persons avoid eating meat or intoxication (drugs, alcohol, illicit relations forbidden in dharma), their diet is likely to be grains, fruits, vegetables, water etc. They may be less materialistic when compared to the other persons under the influence of the tamo and rajo gunas. The sato gun brings goodness and peace in a person, purity of thought, action and heart are due to the saatvic gun.

Rajo gun is related to the quality of passion. It's the middle ground between sato gun and tamo gun. It brings about anger in mind and drags a person down making them restless. It is also responsible for making a person work and not just sit idle.The tendency to look into the faults of others arises from this gun.

Tamo gun brings about darkness and ignorance. Tamo gun persons are likely to be meat eaters, I think. Quick to anger maybe but deffinitely less peaceful/calm than the sato guni persons.

It is possible to progress to one gun to the other and also fall from the satvic gun to the rajo and tamo. Sato gun is the purest of the three gunas and more desirable than the other twon.

Rajo gun - Wanting raj bhag and worldly success. These aren't outright bad actions because they don't hurt others, but they are still stuck in maya.

Tamo gun - Committing atrocities and being cruel. This is a very paapi way to live and will lead someone to narak and further from Gursikhi.

Sato gun - Doing good deeds like charity and helping others. This is very good karam, but is still part of maya and therefore will not allow you to leave the cycle of birth and death. Doing Sato gun actions may lead someone to Gursikhi, which is the only way to get out of maya.

Gurmat follows some aspects of Sato gun e.g. helping the needy, feeding the poor etc. but it does not condone empty religious Sato rituals that don’t help in Naam Abhiyaas. Same way Gurmat also preaches some Rajo guns (qualities) e.g. earning decent living, try to establish the righteous kingdom in this world etc. But does not make it a priority in life. For a Gursikh it is a must to rise above all three of these qualities and stay in Chautha padd, the state above these three guns.

Preetam Singh