Bad Cuts Out Good

Recent incidents have led me to reflect on something that I've noticed most people don't have a concept of. Normally, people expect that their good actions should cut their bad actions and often wonder why they face the Kropi of Guru Sahib or Gurmukhs after having done so much effort. Most people have an expectation in their mind that all their good efforts should outweigh their mistakes. However, one thing I've come to realise - which I think we should all have a firm understanding of so we don't impede our own spirituality - is that even our seemingly minimal wrong actions CAN and DO nearly completely erase our good efforts.

"Hoi EaaNa Kare Kam AaN na Sake Raas.
Je Ek Adh Changee Kare Dooji Bhi Viraas."

Guru Sahib tells us that this is the way of a foolish person. Because of their foolishness, they do some good and then mess it up. Likely, most of us fall into this category. Perhaps one month we do alot of extra Paath, only to find our Avastha still low. The only explanation is that we did something to erase our good efforts. Some people do tireless Seva, with no fruit. There's a good chance that they are doing something to erase that phal even as they are doing it. Another example is of parents of rehitvaan Gursikhs who try to ruin their childrens' Rehit, while still providing for them. They might be putting immense effort into taking care of their kids, but ruining a Gursikh's rehit is unforgivable. The kind of love and respect that Gursikhs can give their parents, no one else in the world can give, yet they lose out on that because of their paap, and can never understand why.

I've seen way too many examples of people ruining their immense Udham with stupid actions. Probably I am an example as well. Let's all remain introspective and not ruin our all our good efforts with a few bad actions.

Its not possible for anyone to stay safe from mistakes/sinning due to the effect of maya. Maya even makes tri'deyv dance on her tunes.

Only those who lovingly vibrate on Gurmat Naam 24/7(Naam Vigasis) or menially try to do so, are able to avoid mistakes/sinning & stay conscious of many hukams of SatGuroo as per Sree Guru Bani Jee.

Gursikhi is difficult.

Chota veer

Vaheguru jee, what you say is true and makes sense. It also might be a good idea to look at the entire Shabad to actually gain a deeper understanding.

Dhann Dhann Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj- Ang 474

ਮਹਲਾ ੨ ॥
Second Mehl:

ਹੋਇ ਇਆਣਾ ਕਰੇ ਕੰਮੁ ਆਣਿ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਰਾਸਿ ॥
If a fool does a job, he cannot do it right.

ਜੇ ਇਕ ਅਧ ਚੰਗੀ ਕਰੇ ਦੂਜੀ ਭੀ ਵੇਰਾਸਿ ॥੫॥
Even if he does something right, he does the next thing wrong. ||5||

ਪਉੜੀ ॥
Pauree:

ਚਾਕਰੁ ਲਗੈ ਚਾਕਰੀ ਜੇ ਚਲੈ ਖਸਮੈ ਭਾਇ ॥
If a servant, performing service, obeys the Will of his Master,

ਹੁਰਮਤਿ ਤਿਸ ਨੋ ਅਗਲੀ ਓਹੁ ਵਜਹੁ ਭਿ ਦੂਣਾ ਖਾਇ ॥
His honor increases, and he receives double his wages.

ਖਸਮੈ ਕਰੇ ਬਰਾਬਰੀ ਫਿਰਿ ਗੈਰਤਿ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਪਾਇ ॥
But if he claims to be equal to his Master, he earns his Master's displeasure.

ਵਜਹੁ ਗਵਾਏ ਅਗਲਾ ਮੁਹੇ ਮੁਹਿ ਪਾਣਾ ਖਾਇ ॥
He loses his entire salary, and is also beaten on his face with shoes.

ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਦਿਤਾ ਖਾਵਣਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਕਹੀਐ ਸਾਬਾਸਿ ॥
Let us all celebrate Him, from whom we receive our nourishment.

ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਚਲਈ ਨਾਲਿ ਖਸਮ ਚਲੈ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ॥੨੨॥
O Nanak, no one can issue commands to the Lord Master; let us offer prayers instead. ||22||

In this tuk basically Sache Patshah is talking about a fool, ਇਆਣਾ. This does not apply to a Rehitvaan Gurmukh. A fool of course does things right and wrong alternatively and in a sinusoidal fashion.

The answer to your question, I think, is in the ਪਉੜੀ that follows. If a ਚਾਕਰੁ does ਚਾਕਰੀ of Vaheguru, and they do it with the belief that its not them but Vaheguru's own grace that is working, they will stay in bliss. But when they start thinking "I am doing so much extra paath", "I will get my bad karams erased", "I will do good karams", etc. they lose. The moment "I" creeps in, ਖਸਮੈ ਕਰੇ ਬਰਾਬਰੀ, and that is the end of story. The punishment then is ਵਜਹੁ ਗਵਾਏ ਅਗਲਾ ਮੁਹੇ ਮੁਹਿ ਪਾਣਾ ਖਾਇ. So best is to keep injecting the ego-ridden mind/intellect with nimarta and remember that ਜਿਸ ਦਾ ਦਿਤਾ ਖਾਵਣਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਕਹੀਐ ਸਾਬਾਸਿ. Ardas is the key to everything as mentioned in the last pankti ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਚਲਈ ਨਾਲਿ ਖਸਮ ਚਲੈ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ .

So bottom line: (a.) do not see any act done by you as "I am doing it", (b.) maintain nimarta, (c.) keep doing Ardas so that nimarta can be maintained and the mind/intellect can be kept haumai-proof.

Regarding the efforts that Vaheguru makes us do, don't worry too much.

Dhann Dhann Sri Guru Granth Sahib Jee Maharaj- Ang 474

ਮਿਠ ਬੋਲੜਾ ਜੀ ਹਰਿ ਸਜਣੁ ਸੁਆਮੀ ਮੋਰਾ ॥
My Dear Lord and Master, my Friend, speaks so sweetly.

ਹਉ ਸੰਮਲਿ ਥਕੀ ਜੀ ਓਹੁ ਕਦੇ ਨ ਬੋਲੈ ਕਉਰਾ ॥
I have grown weary of testing Him, but still, He never speaks harshly to me.

ਕਉੜਾ ਬੋਲਿ ਨ ਜਾਨੈ ਪੂਰਨ ਭਗਵਾਨੈ ਅਉਗਣੁ ਕੋ ਨ ਚਿਤਾਰੇ ॥
He does not know any bitter words; the Perfect Lord God does not even consider my faults and demerits.

ਪਤਿਤ ਪਾਵਨੁ ਹਰਿ ਬਿਰਦੁ ਸਦਾਏ ਇਕੁ ਤਿਲੁ ਨਹੀ ਭੰਨੈ ਘਾਲੇ ॥
It is the Lord's natural way to purify sinners; He does not overlook even an iota of service.

Whatever bandagi you do with prem, while keeping nimarta and adding Ardas to it for more bakshish, it is parvaan.

Just my rants...

Please forgive and correct any mistake made by me in trying to understand Gurbani.

Mehtab Singh

ਇਆਣਾ should not be considered as FOOL. A child or child like behavior is the proper meaning. I wonder how the Punjabi translations or teeka are also inferring ਇਆਣਾ as fool.

Excellent thoughts. Here is more on this:

How Karma affects different kinds of Sikhs

Bhai Moola, Bhai Sooja, Bhai Chandu, Bhai Raamdaas Bhandaari, Bhai Baala and Bhai Sayeen Daas came to Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee Maharaj and asked a very important and pertinent question about way the system of Karma works in Sikhi. They asked if the Paap (sins) and Punn (good deeds) of Gursikhs are accounted for and rewarded separately or are they netted out against each other and only the remaining Paap or Punn are rewarded. In other words, their question was that as an example if someone has 100 Punns and 60 Paaps, then do they pay for 100 minus 60 = 40 Punns or do they get fruits of 100 Punns and 60 Paaps separately.

This is a very relevant question for us. Do our Punns delete our Paaps and do our Paaps dampen the fruits of our Punns or are the Paaps and Punns accounted for separately and the Jeev gets fruits of all the Punns and Paaps they commit.

Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee in response to their question, informed them that for the purpose of the accountability of Karma, there are 4 kinds of Sikhs:

1. Sehkaam Karmi
2. Nihkaam Karmi
3. Upaashna waale
4. Giani

Then Guru Sahib asked them, about which kind of Sikhs was their question related to. The Sikhs with folded hands and extreme humility requested Guru Sahib to tell them about all 4 kinds of Sikhs and how Karma affects them differently.

Hereon, the summary of Guru Sahib's Updesh, as written by Bhai Mani Singh jee in Sikha dee Bhagatmaala, is presented:

In the rule of a king, there are 4 kinds of citizens. The first kind pay taxes based on a certain percentage and no matter what, they have to pay their share. The second kind have a fixed amount they pay as taxes and even if their income is high, still they end up paying little taxes and get to keep most of their wealth. The third kind are close to the king and sometimes present the king with good horses or other gifts and as a result they enjoy tax free income and also get many other perks. The fourth kind are the Maafi citizens who are very close to the king. They go about travelling with the king and instead of paying taxes, they get paid by the state for being close to the king.

Same way, Maharaj jee too has 4 kinds of Sikhs:

Sehkaam Karmi, the first type of Sikhs are Sikhs in appearance only but all their priorities are Maya related. Any Karma related to Dharma that they do is only to forward their Maya related agenda. Any Paath or Naam Simran they do is only for their selfish needs. On the heads of such people, the stick of Jamdoots (messengers of death) always remains. Their Paaps and Punns are accounted for separately. If they have total of 160 Karma which include 80 Punns and 80 Paaps, they get fruits of all 160 Karams and none of their sins are netted out against their good deeds. Depending on their Karma, they enjoy the fruits of heaven and hell in the next world. Since they are Sikhs, they do get to be born in the homes of rich and prosperous people in their next life and occasionally are given opportunities to earn Gurmat related Karma - Naam Simran and Gurbani Paath.

Nihkaam Karmi, the second type of Sikhs, they become Sikhs not out of some greed or vested interest but because they like to be Dharmi (religious). They do good deeds and religious deeds out of pleasure and because such is their natural disposition, as opposed to doing it just for their Maya-related agenda. Even though they have natural tendency to do good deeds, still they do end up committing many sins as well because due to lack of serious Naam Simran and Gurbani Paath, they come under the influence of Maya and 5 Bikaars. Their Paaps and Punns are taken together and evened out and they only pay for their remaining Karma. As an example, if a Nihkaam Karmi Sikh has a total of 160 Karma which include 100 Punns and 60 Paaps, most of their Karma are netted out and they pay the fruits of only 40 Karma. Their sins are netted out against their good deeds and they seldom go to hell as a punishment of their sins. They get to be born in homes of Sant Gursikhs and are given ample opportunities to engage in Naam Simran and Gurbani Paath.

Upaashna Waale Sikh: Upaashna waale Sikhs are such Sikhs who have their priority set on Naam and Gurbani Paath only. Their natural disposition is religious and they willingly do only good Karma. They always do Punns and spend time in Naam Abhyaas and Gurbani Paath but still contrary to their natural disposition, they commit some Paaps (sins) as a result of their Prarabadh (destiny) or when they come under the influence of Bikaars. Guru Sahib forgives their Paaps and if such Gursikhs don't reach their spiritual destiny, then they take another Janam and are born in the homes of Sant Gursikhs and eventually get Gyaan and are released from birth and death.

Gyani: Gyan Gursikhs who have realized their self as well as Vaheguru, consider this world to be Mithiya (false). They reject the system of Karma and depend solely on Vaheguru jee's Naam. Since they don't associate with Haume, none of their Karma falls under the Karma system. Just as darkness does not go near sun, same way Bikaars and Paaps don't go near Gyani Gursikhs. They are free from Karma. They neither get rewarded for their Punns nor get punished for their mistakes. First of all they don't commit any mistake but if they unwittingly do commit a mistake as per this Gurbani Pankiti: ਜੇ ਬਾਹਰਹੁ ਭੁਲਿ ਚੁਕਿ ਬੋਲਦੇ ਭੀ ਖਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਭਾਣੇ ॥, they are not held accountable for it. Then the Gursikhs asked Guru Sahib as to what happens to the Punns that are done by a Gyani and the mistakes they make. Guru Sahib gave the most interesting and revealing answer. Guru Sahib said that since the Gyani rises above the effect of Karma, any Punns that they do during their life here on Earth, are given to the ones who serve them. In other words, the Gursikhs who serve the Gyani Gursikhs, get the rewards of the Punns done by Gyani Gursikhs. On the other hand the ones who slander Gyani Gursikhs, get the fruit of unwitting mistakes committed by the Gyani Gursikhs. Gyani stays Nirlep (aloof) from all effects and fruits of Paaps and Punns.

As for the future of these 4 types of Gursikhs, the Sehkaam Karmi Sikhs are born in heavens and other high realms where they enjoy good life and then come back on Earth and are born in the homes of rich and prosperous people. They occasionally get chance to earn Gursikhi and eventually over many life forms, slowly rise to become Jeevan Mukat.

The Nihkaam Karmi and Upaashna waale Gursikhs get to go to higher Khands and are reborn here in this world in the homes of Sant Gursikhs. They get many chances of doing Bhagti and they get to meet Sadh Sangat. Eventually they become Gyani Gursikhs and get everlasting blissful life in Sachkhand.

Gyani Gursikhs of course get to go to Sachkhand after their exhausting their time here on Earth.

The above thoughts are in accordance to Gurmat. In religions like Buddhism and many sects of Hinduism, the system of Karma is all powerful and totally independent. In Gurmat, the system of Karma is there but it is not run automatically (especially for Gursikhs) but Vaheguru jee is actively involved as a witness of the Karams of Jeevs and in giving the fruits of the good and bad Karma of Jeevs and Gursikhs. It seems natural that everyone cannot be given the same fruit of a single Karma.

Let's take a worldly example to illustrate the point that all sinner are not treated equally by Vaheguru. If a repeat offender goes to the court of a worldly judge, the judge is likely to give him the maximum sentence possible and on the other hand if a first time offender goes to the same judge for the same offense as the repeat offender, then the judge is likely to go easy on the first time offender. Same way, a Gursikh who is indulged in Naam, Gurbani and Punns for the most part would get much less punishment for a rare sin as opposed to a Sikh of first stage who is still very much engaged in Maya.

This Updesh of Guru Sahib should prompt us to strive to become Gyani Gursikhs and at least at the current time be at the level of Upaashna waale Gursikh, who are always eager to do Bhagti by engaging in Naam Abhyaas, Gurbani Kirtan and Paath. Guru Sahib Kirpa Karan.

Kulbir Singh

[gurmatbibek.com]

The judge example makes perfect sense, with the key message being Vaheguru Jee is proactively taking an interest in each and every affair of jeevs and karma is not as simple as each and every action having an equal reaction. Thanks for translating, veer ji.

No other Dharam explains the concept of Karam so clearly. The Abhrahamic religions (Christianiy, Islam, Judaism) utterly fail who don't even believe in the concept of Karam, and
reincarnation. This would raise countless questions including why are some people born in harsh situations and others in excellent conditions. Why do some people have an advantage when it comes to Faith, why do some have better opportunities to practice fatih than others. This can only be explained through Karam, and believe that Akal Purakh just simply made it this way, would mean that "God" is not a just and fair "God"

Eastern Religions outside of Sikhi believe in Karam but their assumption that Karam is power that is all powerful and independent is also not logical. Many Buddhists believe that the act of killing is a bad Karma, and this means that even in the most harsh situations, under sever oppression or even to save another live it is never okay to Kill.

The concept that Vaheguru is active in his creation and that Karam exists in a context would be the perfect explanation. This above Sakhi written by Bhai Kulbir Singh Ji illustrates this perfectly. An action is alway dependent upon context and the person receives the reward or penalty of his action dependent on other factors such as; why he committed the act, what circumstances lead him to do this act, or how many times has this person committed an action of this nature.

doesn't our karam depends on three things?

1) our actions
2) our intention behind that action
3) and our feelings.

while performing any sewa or doing some good deed, if we are thinking about the fruits of those actions, doesn't that make it equivalent to performing any worldly affairs.?

i think good karams or sewa are successful only when we are above thinking about the fruits of its action.

also i think no matter how much good karams we have, those will be way short to reach any higher spiritual state. only with the nadar of satguru we can be saved or reach any higher spiritual state.

so i think we should stop worrying about fruits of our every action and try to just keep on doing sewa/good deeds.

bhul chuk muaf..

With all due Respect all! with my limited intellect!

Everything is under Waheguru Jee control. We can introspect & than try to better ourselves & not judge anyone else. Avastha is not under our control too, if ours prayers are accepted than you will see day & night difference within few months but catch 22 is to control yourself as changes take effect.
Stay humble & channel you excitement or share with one who passed that stage!! Once at sahaj/turiya avastha or chautha pad these questions will disappear. Rab rakha!!! Lowly Das!!