Past Karam

Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji ki fateh

We have read many times in Gurbani “Karmi aapo apni ke need ke door” which means that it is all past karam that one gets close to GOD or away from him. Then why do we have to make udam to jap naam? If it is all karam then how can we change it?


Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa
Waheguru Ji ki fateh

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We have read many times in Gurbani “Karmi aapo apni ke need ke door” which means that it is all past karam that one gets close to GOD or away from him. Then why do we have to make udam to jap naam? If it is all karam then how can we change it?

Gagan Singh Jio,

Answer to your question actually lies within your post. I assume that you accept the Gurbani's Hukam that “Karmi aapo apni ke need ke door”. If we accept that Hukam then we should accept this Hukam too that 'Gur Satgur Ka Jo Sikh Akhaye So Bhal Ke Uth Har Naam Diyavai, Udam Karay Bhal Ke Bharvaati Ishaan Karay Amritsar Nanvaiy...'

Naam Japan Da Udam Karna Guru Da Hukam Hai. It is Guru's Hukam to do Udam for Naam Jap, that is why a Sikh does Udam. By doing Udam of Naam Jap, Karam Katay Jandey Han. Naam destroy the Karams, more Naam Abhyias more Karam Naash.

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We have read many times in Gurbani “Karmi aapo apni ke need ke door” which means that it is all past karam that one gets close to GOD or away from him. Then why do we have to make udam to jap naam? If it is all karam then how can we change it?

In Daas' humble opinion, what we are today is because of past karams of millions of years. But what we will be tomorrow will be the result of karams we do today. So, forgot about past karams, let's do karams today that will help us tomorrow. If we do greatest of all karams of naam jap, then all the bad karams of past (of this life and all lives previously) would be washed away. We can't change the past and we can't control the future either, but maharaj has given us control of our present. It's up to us what we do in our present. Present consists of only one breath. Maharaj's hukum is to not waste that breath and do Naam Abhyaas in that single breath. Because that's the only breath we know about. What will happen in the next breath, we don't know at all.

Thnx khalsaji for checking this for me but udam v taan satguru ji aap hi karande ne ...we cant even think about udam without his kirpa(please correct me if i am wrong)..
i read one more paavan pangti "tumri kirpa te japiye naau" so should i as a human being wait for hia grace ?? please advise i am fully confused with this??? Bohat bohat dhanwaad

hanji ..daas agrees on this but i am confused ki j satguruji kirpa karan taahi naam jap sakde haan else we cannot right?
we come across many shabads where it clearly states that only with past karma we get naam ...so if someone is not reciting naam or not practising sikhi then why would we force him or make him understand the sikhi...it is not in his karma right?? please explain this with gurbani tuks if you can ...bohat bohat danwad ji

gagansingh jio,

See if this presentation help you understanding at some extent:

The verse you quoted does not at all refer to past life karma exclusively. It is talking about karma (deeds) in general sense which include past and present. The emphasis still lies in responsibility i.e. one is far or near to God due to one's own actions. So the verse is really telling us to do good deeds via Naam japp.

Bijla Singh Wrote:
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> The verse you quoted does not at all refer to past
> life karma exclusively. It is talking about karma
> (deeds) in general sense which include past and
> present. The emphasis still lies in responsibility
> i.e. one is far or near to God due to one's own
> actions. So the verse is really telling us to do
> good deeds via Naam japp.


I agree....this is the best explanation for the verse quoted.
For some reason, many of us automatically assume that mention of karams is referring specifically to past....but it is not.

OK what about the below panti

"Tumri kirpa te japiye naam" - With the grace of waheguru we can chant his name the what can we as a human do to chant his name when its all about his grace

Chanting Naam should be considered Grace of Vaheguru rather than attributing it to one’s own efforts which result in inflation of haumai. Taking Amrit, waking up at Amrit Vela, doing seva etc. should all be considered part of grace. This is why Gursikhs do shukrana ardaas before and after Naam japp. When Gurbani says humans cannot do anything on their own, what it means is that since all laws and orders are created by God, none can escape His Hukam. No one can invent or come up with his own rules. Since all are governed by Hukam, it is wise to accept and submit to it. Performance of good deeds should not be attributed to one’s ego (or personal efforts) but result of God’s grace. This is the path of selfless service and prema bhagti.

You are mistaking God’s Grace with God giving the command to make one commit an act. Two are different.

Great Khalsa ji Thnx but that's what my question is if it is God's Grace that we should not do anything right? should we wait for his grace to happen?

So if a Person doesn't jap naam then why to blame him? let him be there. When God will shower his grace on him, he would also start following the sikhi path

Sorry for my questions but I am really confused and cannot find an answer to this or may be I am Moorakh who is not able to undertstand this simple thing

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if it is God's Grace that we should not do anything right? should we wait for his grace to happen?

So how can one receive Grace without doing anything? Is God’s grace given randomly?

Muslims believe God’s grace is given due to one’s merits which makes grace contingent upon actions. Hence, God does not remain ‘Azaad’. Christians believe not in merits but in grace. This also takes away the responsibility from humans to do moral deeds.

Sikh stance is a combination of both. God’s grace is neither contingent nor random. God’s grace is also not either 0 or 100%. As a gursikh, one must make an effort (uddham) to follow Guru’s teachings. Seva and Simran result in cleansing the body and mind gradually instilling humbleness and Godly attributes in the self. Starting from the very beginning to the very end of the spiritual journey, God’s grace works and is received by the devotee. It is not “all or nothing”. As one receives more and more grace, they exhibit higher and higher moral character. So grace is neither the starting point nor the end point. It is wholly integral to the spiritual journey throughout.

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So if a Person doesn't jap naam then why to blame him?

Because of karma and because he is not making an effort. What is he doing that God should shower His grace?

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When God will shower his grace on him, he would also start following the sikhi path

Wrong. I have already explained this. All humans have some degree of free will. Since we are responsible for our own actions, we must make an effort. And since path to God is of submission and selfless, one must not fall to haumai by taking all the credits of spiritual progress. He should be thankful.

Again, God’s grace is NOT God’s Will or His command to make us do something. His Will is that we follow Satguru and all the principles in Gurbani. Do you not think one who strives to be a follower will not receive grace? And do you think God will shower His grace on those who refuse to believe and do not make any effort? God helps those who help themselves. Again, grace is not the starting point, not the end point, not random and not contingent. Guru Rakha

Gagan Singh ji,

Veer I understand your question and its a valid question and I have myself struggled with it in the past. I see that your doubt has not been cleared up here so I shall chip in and try to share my understanding of this issue.

But first let me put up a disclaimer that this is my personal understanding and I may be wrong. My understanding might differ from others here. AND I may be wrong.

Look at it in this way:

-EVERYTHING, ABSOLUTELY EVRYTHING is happening under the hukam of Waheguru. This means every atom and every particle moves under the hukam of Waheguru. And the hukam is not intermittent. It is both intermittent as well as unbroken and continuous. For example the laws of physics which are right now applied in physical universe are a part of continuous Hukam. Hukam is keeping these laws in place, Waheguru ji gives unitary hukams too. For example he sent Guru Gobind Singh ji to this maat lok by communicating to him 'Main Apna Sut Tohe Nivaja'.
- Whatever we do, right or wrong, is done under the Hukam of Waheguru. But this does not mean that we escape from the responsibility tied with cause/effect law. Bhai Sahib Randheer Singh ji has commented on this in his book on Karam Philosophy. For example if I murder somebody, that act has been done in Hukam of Waheguru, BUT its my Karam and I shall bear it fruit. I cannot say that since it was was Hukam of Waheguru then I should be let free. The law of Karam shall apply to the doer of act. Waheguru is the Superset not a subset. He is the biggest Set.
-Accordingly whenever anybody recites Naam, whether on his own or under inspiration by othersit is being done UNDER Hukam. Waheguru ji has brought this around. When he recites Naam and walks the path of Sikhi he is bestowed further grace for example Naam-Swaad/Rass and all other innumerable benefits.
The preacher, who preaches that we should recite Naam, is under Hukam, the listener listens under the Hukam, he agrees or disagrees under Hukam, he practices the teaching under Hukam, or he might not do so, again under Hukam. Everything is under Hukam.

-So when you suggest to another sikh to recite Naam, you are doing so under hukam (but you are still under law of Karam). The listener listens t you under the Hukam (but his karams are still at play). Under Hukam he decides whether to follow the suggestion or not (this happens according to the fruits of his past karma).

-If Hukam wills, meaning if Waheguru ji wills, the law of karma CAN be set aside an all the past karams can be erased by Waheguru ji in a moment. This would be his Apaar Kirpa.

Karams have to be bhog-ed or they can be erased by your own efforts.
However, the only thing that can erase is the khazana of naam one makes or the wealth of naam accumulated.

We know that everything happens because Waheguru makes it happen. We know that, but we do not think that way. The only way to start thinking that way is to do enough simran so that our avastha is high enough to think that way. Before that happens, we should keep the fact that we aren't doing anything in mind, but still do simran and work towards Sikhi with our own effort. We are doing that because Waheguru is making us do that, but we are not capable of thinking that way, so we should just do simran while keeping the fact that really we aren't doing anything in mind. We have not been given the gift of seeing things the right way, so we should try to work towards that.

Waheguru Ji ka Khalsa Waheguru Ji ki fateh

Dear Gagan Singh ji
This is a brilliant question. Let me repeat your question first:
“Karmi aapo apni ke need ke door”; then why do we have to make udam to jap naam?

The quoted line above decides your current state. The future state is still in your hands and therefore do Simran. If you do not do Siman now, you will further drift away from Guru Sahib ji.

eyesacademic nailed it, explained very well.