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hir myrw isimRiq hir myrw swsqR hir myrw bMDpu hir myrw BweI ] (490-11, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
The Lord is my Simritees, the Lord is my Shaastras; the Lord is my relative and the Lord is my brother.
hir kI mY BUK lwgY hir nwim myrw mnu iqRpqY hir myrw swku AMiq hoie sKweI ]2] (490-12, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
I am hungry for the Lord; my mind is satisfied with the Name of the Lord. The Lord is my relation, my helper in the end. ||2||
hir ibnu hor rwis kUVI hY clidAw nwil n jweI ] (490-13, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
Without the Lord, other assets are false. They do not go with the mortal when he departs.
hir myrw Dnu myrY swiQ cwlY jhw hau jwau qh jweI ]3] (490-13, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
The Lord is my wealth, which shall go with me; wherever I go, it will go. ||3||
so JUTw jo JUTy lwgY JUTy krm kmweI ] (490-14, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
One who is attached to falsehood is false; false are the deeds he does.
khY nwnku hir kw Bwxw hoAw khxw kCU n jweI ]4]2]4] (490-14, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
Says Nanak, everything happens according to the Will of the Lord; no one has any say in this at all. ||4||2||4||
The Lord is my Simritees, the Lord is my Shaastras; the Lord is my relative and the Lord is my brother.
hir kI mY BUK lwgY hir nwim myrw mnu iqRpqY hir myrw swku AMiq hoie sKweI ]2] (490-12, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
I am hungry for the Lord; my mind is satisfied with the Name of the Lord. The Lord is my relation, my helper in the end. ||2||
hir ibnu hor rwis kUVI hY clidAw nwil n jweI ] (490-13, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
Without the Lord, other assets are false. They do not go with the mortal when he departs.
hir myrw Dnu myrY swiQ cwlY jhw hau jwau qh jweI ]3] (490-13, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
The Lord is my wealth, which shall go with me; wherever I go, it will go. ||3||
so JUTw jo JUTy lwgY JUTy krm kmweI ] (490-14, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
One who is attached to falsehood is false; false are the deeds he does.
khY nwnku hir kw Bwxw hoAw khxw kCU n jweI ]4]2]4] (490-14, gUjrI, mÚ 3)
Says Nanak, everything happens according to the Will of the Lord; no one has any say in this at all. ||4||2||4||
Every thing happens as per HIS will
Akul inrMjn purKu Agmu ApwrIAY ] (518-1, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
He is without relatives, immaculate, all-powerful, unapproachable and infinite.
sco scw scu scu inhwrIAY ] (518-1, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
Truly, the True Lord is seen to be the Truest of the True.
kUVu n jwpY ikCu qyrI DwrIAY ] (518-2, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
Nothing established by You appears to be false.
sBsY dy dwqwru jyq aupwrIAY ] (518-2, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
The Great Giver gives sustenance to all those He has created.
iekqu sUiq proie joiq sMjwrIAY ] (518-2, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
He has strung all on only one thread; He has infused His Light in them.
hukmy Bvjl mMiJ hukmy qwrIAY ] (518-3, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
By His Will, some drown in the terrifying world-ocean, and by His Will, some are carried across.
pRB jIau quDu iDAwey soie ijsu Bwgu mQwrIAY ] (518-3, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
O Dear Lord, he alone meditates on You, upon whose forehead such blessed destiny is inscribed.
qyrI giq imiq lKI n jwie hau quDu bilhwrIAY ]1] (518-4, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
Your condition and state cannot be known; I am a sacrifice to You. ||1||
Akul inrMjn purKu Agmu ApwrIAY ] (518-1, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
He is without relatives, immaculate, all-powerful, unapproachable and infinite.
sco scw scu scu inhwrIAY ] (518-1, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
Truly, the True Lord is seen to be the Truest of the True.
kUVu n jwpY ikCu qyrI DwrIAY ] (518-2, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
Nothing established by You appears to be false.
sBsY dy dwqwru jyq aupwrIAY ] (518-2, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
The Great Giver gives sustenance to all those He has created.
iekqu sUiq proie joiq sMjwrIAY ] (518-2, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
He has strung all on only one thread; He has infused His Light in them.
hukmy Bvjl mMiJ hukmy qwrIAY ] (518-3, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
By His Will, some drown in the terrifying world-ocean, and by His Will, some are carried across.
pRB jIau quDu iDAwey soie ijsu Bwgu mQwrIAY ] (518-3, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
O Dear Lord, he alone meditates on You, upon whose forehead such blessed destiny is inscribed.
qyrI giq imiq lKI n jwie hau quDu bilhwrIAY ]1] (518-4, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
Your condition and state cannot be known; I am a sacrifice to You. ||1||
As per HIS wish
qyrY hiQ inDwnu BwvY iqsu dyih ] (521-3, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
The treasure is in Your Hands; according to Your Will, You bestow it.
ijs no hoie dieAwlu hir nwmu syie lyih ] (521-4, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
One, upon whom You have bestowed Your Mercy, is blessed with the Lord's Name.
qyrY hiQ inDwnu BwvY iqsu dyih ] (521-3, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
The treasure is in Your Hands; according to Your Will, You bestow it.
ijs no hoie dieAwlu hir nwmu syie lyih ] (521-4, gUjrI, mÚ 5)
One, upon whom You have bestowed Your Mercy, is blessed with the Lord's Name.
What is Hukam?Hukam means order: that is God's order. By God's order all forms came into existence. The Divine Will is responsible for the creation, sustenance and dissolution of man and the Universe. Whatever happens is by His Will. Hukam takes the form of Natural Laws or Universal axioms. All the parts of the Universe are under His control.
According to Sikhism, true happiness is attained by accepting and submitting to the Divine Will. Guru Nanak says:
What is God's Hukam? The Gurus tell us that God's command is that one must merge one's will in His Will. The service of God's creation is the best way of working in harmony with the Divine Will. Secondly, God desires that man who has the Divine essence in him should once again merge in Him and thereby end the cycle of Karma and transmigration.
Submission to God's Will produces a sense of humility and self-abnegation. When man surrenders himself completely to him, he regards himself as an instrument of His Will. He realizes that whatever comes from Him is for his own good. Every misery that he faces is a sort of mercy. He is full of gratitude and prayer for all he has done. Guru Arjan says:
Introduction to Sikhism - Section II: God and His Universe?
According to Sikhism, true happiness is attained by accepting and submitting to the Divine Will. Guru Nanak says:
"How can I be truthful and break the wall of falsehood?
By submission to His Will, as it is ingrained in me."
[SIZE=-1](A.G., p.1)[/SIZE]
Living in harmony with the Divine Will brings everlasting peace. Like a child, the disciple is to be guided by the elders. Everything emanates from Him and is, therefore significant. Saints and martyrs, in spite of occult powers, have submitted to torture and death in order to honour His Will. "Thy Will be done" is one of the basic principles of Sikhism. This does not imply the negation of individual volition. A Sikh must bring his will in line with the Will of God. By submission to His Will, as it is ingrained in me."
[SIZE=-1](A.G., p.1)[/SIZE]
What is God's Hukam? The Gurus tell us that God's command is that one must merge one's will in His Will. The service of God's creation is the best way of working in harmony with the Divine Will. Secondly, God desires that man who has the Divine essence in him should once again merge in Him and thereby end the cycle of Karma and transmigration.
Submission to God's Will produces a sense of humility and self-abnegation. When man surrenders himself completely to him, he regards himself as an instrument of His Will. He realizes that whatever comes from Him is for his own good. Every misery that he faces is a sort of mercy. He is full of gratitude and prayer for all he has done. Guru Arjan says:
"What pleases Thee, O Lord, that is acceptable.
To Thy Will, I am a sacrifice."
[SIZE=-1](A.G., p.676)[/SIZE]
The only antidote for egoism and vanity is complete surrender to His Will. Only by conquering the self, can one enter the realm of God's Grace. To Thy Will, I am a sacrifice."
[SIZE=-1](A.G., p.676)[/SIZE]
Introduction to Sikhism - Section II: God and His Universe?
Sikhism, Hair, HIS will
In Sikh philosophy and practice, the keeping of unshaven hair (Kesh) means that the Sikh lives in and resigns himself to the Will of God (Hukam). Again it is by the Will of God that man has been created the highest being in God's creation. This wonderful universe with its innumerable suns and planets came into being according to His command (Hukam). The whole of His creation and the laws that govern it and operate the highly complicated system of the universe, are in accordance with His Will. God's Will is supreme. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, writes about this supreme Will of the Creator in Japji: "By the Will of God all forms come into being. The working of that Will cannot be described. It is by His Will that the forms develop life in them and grow exalted; Some become good and others evil, And receive pain and pleasure accordingly. By that Will some are brought under grace; And the others are doomed forever. All the subject to the supreme Will, none is outside its pale, Nanak, if this be rightly understood, no one would assert himself. "
It was thus quite apt that the form and appearance of the Guru's Sikh should essentially be that which God almighty has given him according to His Will (Hukam). A woman's beauty lies in her smooth skin and rounded face while a man's beard signifies his masculinity, strength and virility. In a debate at Mecca, Guru Nanak explained his viewpoint regarding the Kesh (unshaven hair) to Pir Bahauddin in the following words reported in the Janam Sakhi (Traditional Story) :
Pir Bahauddin: Why have, you, O Baba Nanak, overlooked both the Hindu and Muslim traditions in their entirety?
Baba Nanak: Listen Bahauddin, I tell you that both the Hindus and the Muslims have degraded themselves by shaving their hair.
Pir Bahauddin: Without the Muslim law, no one can become pure. Without circumcision, a man cannot receive honour in God's court.
Baba Nanak: The real circumcision is to live in God's Will. One should die with the hair intact; the hair with which one is born. He who keeps the hair as God's trust, is really a great man. The first circumcision is the hair and keeping it on the head is to live in His Will. He who keeps the hair intact, lives by honest labour, and shuns other's right, is honoured by God. Some undergo circumcision, others cut holes in their ears; it is only the dishonest who try to tamper with God's gift of completeness of human form.
Finally Guru Nanak declared that with a turban on, the human form becomes complete in all respects and the unshaven hair is the symbol of the one universal religion, which we all inherit at birth.
The sanctity of keeping uncut hair (Kesh) with Keski (Turban) on has been observed by all Sikh Gurus (From Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh) and it was Guru Arjan who wrote in Raag Maru (page 1084 of the Sikh Holy Book.) "Sabat Surat Dastar Sira" which means 'Keep the God-given form intact with a turban donned on your head'. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, the founder of the Khalsa, gave the command that these symbols (5 K's) are a must. These are a mode of discipline signifying the wearer's belongingness to the Khalsa. The five K's are a test of a Sikh's firmness and strength of his faith. They foster Brotherhood and a sense of unity. They make a Sikh look like the Guru himself and inspire him to follow the Guru's command. Guru Gobind Singh wrote the following about his Khalsa: "The Khalsa is my own special form I always manifest in the Sikhs (Khalsa). The Khalsa is my body and soul".
In Sikh philosophy and practice, the keeping of unshaven hair (Kesh) means that the Sikh lives in and resigns himself to the Will of God (Hukam). Again it is by the Will of God that man has been created the highest being in God's creation. This wonderful universe with its innumerable suns and planets came into being according to His command (Hukam). The whole of His creation and the laws that govern it and operate the highly complicated system of the universe, are in accordance with His Will. God's Will is supreme. Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, writes about this supreme Will of the Creator in Japji: "By the Will of God all forms come into being. The working of that Will cannot be described. It is by His Will that the forms develop life in them and grow exalted; Some become good and others evil, And receive pain and pleasure accordingly. By that Will some are brought under grace; And the others are doomed forever. All the subject to the supreme Will, none is outside its pale, Nanak, if this be rightly understood, no one would assert himself. "
It was thus quite apt that the form and appearance of the Guru's Sikh should essentially be that which God almighty has given him according to His Will (Hukam). A woman's beauty lies in her smooth skin and rounded face while a man's beard signifies his masculinity, strength and virility. In a debate at Mecca, Guru Nanak explained his viewpoint regarding the Kesh (unshaven hair) to Pir Bahauddin in the following words reported in the Janam Sakhi (Traditional Story) :
Pir Bahauddin: Why have, you, O Baba Nanak, overlooked both the Hindu and Muslim traditions in their entirety?
Baba Nanak: Listen Bahauddin, I tell you that both the Hindus and the Muslims have degraded themselves by shaving their hair.
Pir Bahauddin: Without the Muslim law, no one can become pure. Without circumcision, a man cannot receive honour in God's court.
Baba Nanak: The real circumcision is to live in God's Will. One should die with the hair intact; the hair with which one is born. He who keeps the hair as God's trust, is really a great man. The first circumcision is the hair and keeping it on the head is to live in His Will. He who keeps the hair intact, lives by honest labour, and shuns other's right, is honoured by God. Some undergo circumcision, others cut holes in their ears; it is only the dishonest who try to tamper with God's gift of completeness of human form.
Finally Guru Nanak declared that with a turban on, the human form becomes complete in all respects and the unshaven hair is the symbol of the one universal religion, which we all inherit at birth.
The sanctity of keeping uncut hair (Kesh) with Keski (Turban) on has been observed by all Sikh Gurus (From Guru Nanak to Guru Gobind Singh) and it was Guru Arjan who wrote in Raag Maru (page 1084 of the Sikh Holy Book.) "Sabat Surat Dastar Sira" which means 'Keep the God-given form intact with a turban donned on your head'. The tenth Guru, Guru Gobind Singh, the founder of the Khalsa, gave the command that these symbols (5 K's) are a must. These are a mode of discipline signifying the wearer's belongingness to the Khalsa. The five K's are a test of a Sikh's firmness and strength of his faith. They foster Brotherhood and a sense of unity. They make a Sikh look like the Guru himself and inspire him to follow the Guru's command. Guru Gobind Singh wrote the following about his Khalsa: "The Khalsa is my own special form I always manifest in the Sikhs (Khalsa). The Khalsa is my body and soul".
HIS WILLBHANA
BHANA, lit. liking, pleasure, will, wish or approval, is one of the keyconcepts in SIKH thought. In SIKHISM, it refers specifically to God`s will and pleasure. Raza , an Arabic term popular in the context of various schools of Sufi thought, also appears frequently in the Sikh texts to express the concept of UMArSA bhana. According to this concept, the Divine Will is at the base of the entire cosmic existence. It was His bhana, His sweet will which was instrumental in the world`s coming into being: "Whenever He pleases He creates the expanse (of the world of time and space) and whenever He desires He (again) becomes the Formless One (all by Himself)" (GG, 294). All our actions, our pain and pleasure, our worship, penance and selfdiscipline, metempsychosis and liberation, heaven and hell, are subject to bhana (GG,963). Bhana or raza, the Divine Will, expresses itself through HUKAM, the Divine Law of nature. Bhana and hukam are closely related and are often used synonymously. In the very first stanza ofJapu, GURU NANAK uses hukam and raza as a compound term. There is, however, a subtle difference between the two concepts. Hukam is the Divine Law while bhana is the Divine Will. The latter is the source of and sanction behind the former; "hukam is that which you desire" (GG, 17). Hukam is the medium and instrument of the expression and operation of bhana. The basic idea implicit in hukam is its imperative and unimpeachable nature to wliich man must submit, but such submission is again subject to His bhana. "When He desires He makes man to submit to hukam" (GG, 337): "In His Will, the Lord makes man submit to His command" (GG, 1093). The inexorable hukam having its source in bhana, it follows that the latter is equally, even more, inescapable and inevitable subject only to itself in the form ofnadar (q.v.). It therefore becomes the duty of man to submit to the Divine Will willingly and gracefully. Submission to raza is thus inherent in the concept of bhana. Bhana in the Sikh tradition yields primarily the meaning of Divine Will itself, though taking equal cognizance of the other meaning, viz. the attitude oi^ubmission on man`s part to the Will Divine. The latter itself arises out of God`s Will or Grace. In this sense, i.e. bhana as attitude of submission of itself, is defined in gurbam as a great gift. As says Guru ARJAN, "The truth is that there is no gift as great as bhana (submission to the Lords` Will)" (GG, 1093); says Guru Amar Das, "On whomsoever Thou bestoweth bhana, to him Thy Will is pleasing" (GG, 1064). The Divine Will in the sense of inexorable ordinance or law of nature is intimately related to the problem of determinism versus free will. If nothing happens or can happen without the Divine Will, there would be no place for ethics and moral responsibility of man for his actions, good or bad, whereas the Sikh precept keeps reminding man to make the choice: to become acceptable at His portal or remain recalcitrant. Making a choice is a volitional act and pursuing it involves freedom of action. Thus Sikhism positing active participation in life does recognize freedom of action, but "within the contingencies of his finitude." In this context, the Sikh is required correctly to understand what pleases God, what is His pleasure (bhana). Concentrated attention to and meditation upon the Guru`s word helps him in such understanding. Guided by his understanding of bhana, the Sikh is not only free to act but is required to participate, "to battle on in open field with his mind fully in control" (GG, 93l). He is supposed to quell his haumal (Iness), to dedicate his actions to the Lord`s Will and to surrender himself to His raza as regards the outcome of his actions. 1. Balbir SINGH, Foundations of Indian Philosophy. Delhi, 1971
2. Nripinder Singh, The Sikh Moral Tradition. Delhi, 1990
3. Jodh Singh, GURMAT
Nirnaya. LAHORE, 1932
Source: Sikhencyclopedia
BHANA, lit. liking, pleasure, will, wish or approval, is one of the keyconcepts in SIKH thought. In SIKHISM, it refers specifically to God`s will and pleasure. Raza , an Arabic term popular in the context of various schools of Sufi thought, also appears frequently in the Sikh texts to express the concept of UMArSA bhana. According to this concept, the Divine Will is at the base of the entire cosmic existence. It was His bhana, His sweet will which was instrumental in the world`s coming into being: "Whenever He pleases He creates the expanse (of the world of time and space) and whenever He desires He (again) becomes the Formless One (all by Himself)" (GG, 294). All our actions, our pain and pleasure, our worship, penance and selfdiscipline, metempsychosis and liberation, heaven and hell, are subject to bhana (GG,963). Bhana or raza, the Divine Will, expresses itself through HUKAM, the Divine Law of nature. Bhana and hukam are closely related and are often used synonymously. In the very first stanza ofJapu, GURU NANAK uses hukam and raza as a compound term. There is, however, a subtle difference between the two concepts. Hukam is the Divine Law while bhana is the Divine Will. The latter is the source of and sanction behind the former; "hukam is that which you desire" (GG, 17). Hukam is the medium and instrument of the expression and operation of bhana. The basic idea implicit in hukam is its imperative and unimpeachable nature to wliich man must submit, but such submission is again subject to His bhana. "When He desires He makes man to submit to hukam" (GG, 337): "In His Will, the Lord makes man submit to His command" (GG, 1093). The inexorable hukam having its source in bhana, it follows that the latter is equally, even more, inescapable and inevitable subject only to itself in the form ofnadar (q.v.). It therefore becomes the duty of man to submit to the Divine Will willingly and gracefully. Submission to raza is thus inherent in the concept of bhana. Bhana in the Sikh tradition yields primarily the meaning of Divine Will itself, though taking equal cognizance of the other meaning, viz. the attitude oi^ubmission on man`s part to the Will Divine. The latter itself arises out of God`s Will or Grace. In this sense, i.e. bhana as attitude of submission of itself, is defined in gurbam as a great gift. As says Guru ARJAN, "The truth is that there is no gift as great as bhana (submission to the Lords` Will)" (GG, 1093); says Guru Amar Das, "On whomsoever Thou bestoweth bhana, to him Thy Will is pleasing" (GG, 1064). The Divine Will in the sense of inexorable ordinance or law of nature is intimately related to the problem of determinism versus free will. If nothing happens or can happen without the Divine Will, there would be no place for ethics and moral responsibility of man for his actions, good or bad, whereas the Sikh precept keeps reminding man to make the choice: to become acceptable at His portal or remain recalcitrant. Making a choice is a volitional act and pursuing it involves freedom of action. Thus Sikhism positing active participation in life does recognize freedom of action, but "within the contingencies of his finitude." In this context, the Sikh is required correctly to understand what pleases God, what is His pleasure (bhana). Concentrated attention to and meditation upon the Guru`s word helps him in such understanding. Guided by his understanding of bhana, the Sikh is not only free to act but is required to participate, "to battle on in open field with his mind fully in control" (GG, 93l). He is supposed to quell his haumal (Iness), to dedicate his actions to the Lord`s Will and to surrender himself to His raza as regards the outcome of his actions. 1. Balbir SINGH, Foundations of Indian Philosophy. Delhi, 1971
2. Nripinder Singh, The Sikh Moral Tradition. Delhi, 1990
3. Jodh Singh, GURMAT
Nirnaya. LAHORE, 1932
Source: Sikhencyclopedia
BHA'NA ,
Literally liking, pleasure, will, wish or approval, is one of the key-concepts in Sikh thought. In Sikhism, it refers specifically to God’s will and pleasure.
Raza, an Arabic term popular in the context of various schools of Sufi thought, also appears frequently in the Sikh texts to express the concept of bhana.
According to this concept, the Divine Will is at the base of the entire cosmic existence. It was "His bhana", "His sweet will" which was instrumental in the world’s coming into being:
“Whenever He pleases He creates the expanse (of the world of time and space) and whenever He desires He (again) becomes the Formless One (all by Himself)” (GG. 294).
All our actions, our pain and pleasure, our worship, penance and self-discipline, metapsychosis and liberation, heaven and hell, are subject to bhana (GG. 963).
Bhana or Raza (pronounced: R'zaa), the Divine Will, expresses itself through Hukam, the Divine Law of nature. Bhana and Hukam are closely related and are often used synonymously. In the very first stanza of Japji, Guru Nanak uses hukam and raza as a compound term. There, is, however, a subtle difference between the two concepts.
Hukam is the Divine Law while bhana is the Divine Will. The latter is the source of and sanction behind the former; “Hukam is that which you desire” (GG, 17). Hukam is the medium and instrument of the expression and operation of bhana. The basic idea implicit in hukam is its imperative and unimpeachable nature to which man must submit, but such submission is again subject to His bhana. “When He desires He makes man to submit to hukum” (GG, 337)” “In His Will, the Lord makes man submit to His command” (GG, 1093).
The inexorable hukam having its source in bhana, it follows that the latter is equally, even more, inescapable and inevitable subject only to itself in the form of nadar (q.v.). It therefore becomes the duty of man to submit to the Divine Will willingly and gracefully. Submission to raza is thus inherent in the concept of bhana.
Bhana in the Sikh tradition yields primarily the meaning of Divine Will itself, though taking equal cognizance of the other meaning, viz. the attitude of submission on man’s part to the Will Divine. The latter itself arises out of God’s Will or Grace. In this sense, i.e. bhana as attitude of submission of itself, is defined in Gurbani as a great gift. As says Guru Arjan, “The truth is that there is no gift as great as bhana (submission to the Lords’ Will)”. (GG, 1093); says Guru Amar Das, “On whomsoever Thou bestoweth bhana, to him Thy Will is pleasing” (GG, 1064).
The Divine Will in the sense of inexorable ordinance or law of nature is intimately related to the problem of determinism versus free will. If nothing happens or can happen without the Divine Will, there would be no place for ethics and moral responsibility of man for his actions, good or bad, whereas the Sikh precept keeps reminding man to make the choice: to become acceptable at His portal or remain recalcitrant. Making a choice is a volitional act and pursuing it involves freedom of action.
Thus Sikhism positing active participation in life does recognize freedom of action, but “within the contingencies of his finitude.” In this context, the Sikh is required correctly to understand what pleases God, what is His pleasure (bhana). Concentrated attention to and meditation upon the Guru’s word helps him in such understanding. Guided by his understanding of bhana, the Sikh is not only free to act but is required to participate, “to battle on in open field with his mind fully in control” (GG, 931). He is supposed to quell his haumai (I-ness, ego), to dedicate his actions to the Lord’s Will and to surrender himself to His raza regards the outcome of his actions.
311207
Sikhiwiki
Literally liking, pleasure, will, wish or approval, is one of the key-concepts in Sikh thought. In Sikhism, it refers specifically to God’s will and pleasure.
Raza, an Arabic term popular in the context of various schools of Sufi thought, also appears frequently in the Sikh texts to express the concept of bhana.
According to this concept, the Divine Will is at the base of the entire cosmic existence. It was "His bhana", "His sweet will" which was instrumental in the world’s coming into being:
“Whenever He pleases He creates the expanse (of the world of time and space) and whenever He desires He (again) becomes the Formless One (all by Himself)” (GG. 294).
All our actions, our pain and pleasure, our worship, penance and self-discipline, metapsychosis and liberation, heaven and hell, are subject to bhana (GG. 963).
Bhana or Raza (pronounced: R'zaa), the Divine Will, expresses itself through Hukam, the Divine Law of nature. Bhana and Hukam are closely related and are often used synonymously. In the very first stanza of Japji, Guru Nanak uses hukam and raza as a compound term. There, is, however, a subtle difference between the two concepts.
Hukam is the Divine Law while bhana is the Divine Will. The latter is the source of and sanction behind the former; “Hukam is that which you desire” (GG, 17). Hukam is the medium and instrument of the expression and operation of bhana. The basic idea implicit in hukam is its imperative and unimpeachable nature to which man must submit, but such submission is again subject to His bhana. “When He desires He makes man to submit to hukum” (GG, 337)” “In His Will, the Lord makes man submit to His command” (GG, 1093).
The inexorable hukam having its source in bhana, it follows that the latter is equally, even more, inescapable and inevitable subject only to itself in the form of nadar (q.v.). It therefore becomes the duty of man to submit to the Divine Will willingly and gracefully. Submission to raza is thus inherent in the concept of bhana.
Bhana in the Sikh tradition yields primarily the meaning of Divine Will itself, though taking equal cognizance of the other meaning, viz. the attitude of submission on man’s part to the Will Divine. The latter itself arises out of God’s Will or Grace. In this sense, i.e. bhana as attitude of submission of itself, is defined in Gurbani as a great gift. As says Guru Arjan, “The truth is that there is no gift as great as bhana (submission to the Lords’ Will)”. (GG, 1093); says Guru Amar Das, “On whomsoever Thou bestoweth bhana, to him Thy Will is pleasing” (GG, 1064).
The Divine Will in the sense of inexorable ordinance or law of nature is intimately related to the problem of determinism versus free will. If nothing happens or can happen without the Divine Will, there would be no place for ethics and moral responsibility of man for his actions, good or bad, whereas the Sikh precept keeps reminding man to make the choice: to become acceptable at His portal or remain recalcitrant. Making a choice is a volitional act and pursuing it involves freedom of action.
Thus Sikhism positing active participation in life does recognize freedom of action, but “within the contingencies of his finitude.” In this context, the Sikh is required correctly to understand what pleases God, what is His pleasure (bhana). Concentrated attention to and meditation upon the Guru’s word helps him in such understanding. Guided by his understanding of bhana, the Sikh is not only free to act but is required to participate, “to battle on in open field with his mind fully in control” (GG, 931). He is supposed to quell his haumai (I-ness, ego), to dedicate his actions to the Lord’s Will and to surrender himself to His raza regards the outcome of his actions.
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Hukam - The Divine Will and Human Freedom
by Shashi Bala Ph.D
The problem of freedom and determinism is one of the most crucial subjects of philosophy. Man has the potential for freedom due to the presence of the Divine Spirit in him. The present life of man is determined by the deeds of his previous life and it offers an opportunity for him to practise righteousness. Only actions can determine man's freedom and not the passivity of life. If man's thoughts and deeds are rigidly determined by the forces beyond his control, then he can neither act differently nor can choose the course of events in his own life.
by Shashi Bala Ph.D
The problem of freedom and determinism is one of the most crucial subjects of philosophy. Man has the potential for freedom due to the presence of the Divine Spirit in him. The present life of man is determined by the deeds of his previous life and it offers an opportunity for him to practise righteousness. Only actions can determine man's freedom and not the passivity of life. If man's thoughts and deeds are rigidly determined by the forces beyond his control, then he can neither act differently nor can choose the course of events in his own life.
In Sikhism, two types of statements are found in the Holy Scripture. One states the supremacy of the Divine Will (hukam) and the other explains man's freedom in absolute submission to the Divine Will. God is One who created the world with all its diversity and plurality and He can only understand it. God is transcendent as well as immanent. He Himself has put the beings to work; Himself has created temptation by giving it the intoxicating herb of worldly love (maya) and Himself directs man to perform action.[1] In this way, God Himself brings into existence the whole creation by His Divine Ordinance (hukam) and thus keeps all the beings in His Command.[2] Every created being is dependent on God for its sustenance. God is Omnipotent as well as Omniscient and also knower of everything. This criterion of judgement of man's deeds is in God's hands and only He can recognize the true and the false. It is repeatedly stressed that God Himself does, Himself makes others do, and can reform the mortals by His Divine Ord
inance.[3]
inance.[3]
On the other hand, man's life on this earth is transitory. From birth to death, he remains engrossed in worldly things and perishes due to spiritual darkness. The soul, being immortal, survives bodily death and goes into another body. In this way the process of transmigration of soul and the cycle of rebirth continues. All types of disease, suffering, separation, birth and death proceed from the sinful enjoyment of worldly pleasures. Man's identification with the false-self delimits his consciousness and creates fragmentary and narrow vision. Man's indulgence in the fulfillment of worldly aspirations reinforce his ego and strengthen the false notion of separateness. This type of attitude creates a feeling of self-centeredness, self-alienation, self-doubt and inner emptiness. In such a state of mind, man finds security in mundane things which enhance his illusions.
However, the world, as it appears, is full of contradictions and here man has to make the choice. The question arises, is man free in the choice of action? The soul within man grows not only amid, but also out of the organic interactions of the physical world by means of its own free ideas. Freedom of choice lies in the reaction of the individual to the environment, i.e. how he reacts and how he visualises the outward phenomena.[4] But this freedom is limited due to the continuity of character.[5] The mental dispositions owe their origin to ego-self (haumai). These dispositions leave their permanent effect on man's character. After the departure of these dispositions, there remains in the implicit form, the traces which often stimulate the mind to repeat the similar type of action again. In this way, mind always remains entangled in these karma-series, and this goes on without any free choice of will.[6] Hence karmic accumulation is a grave limitation for any human initiative or free will. Whatever a man does is due to his past tendencies, and nothing from the outside restraints man's activities.
Nonetheless, freedom, as found in Sikhism, is neither random in occurrence of behaviour, nor something totally determined by the nature or character of the agent himself. It is, as defined by John Hick, 'a limited creativity'. Even free acts are unpredictable because the character of the agent is partially formed and partially reformed in the moment of free decision. Hence freedom as creativity means that God has endowed man with limited autonomy, whereby he is free to respond or fail to respond to God. This distance between God and man is not a spatial distance but 'epistemic distance' which ensures human autonomy. It means that God is both veiled in His creation as well as revealed in His creation to ensure man's freedom and reveals Himself to those who rightly exercise their freedom.[7]
It is, therefore, man's duty to recognize the Divine Spirit through His Nature or Creation. The entire paraphernalia of worldly existence is perishable without God who is eternal and beyond all limitations of time and space. Hence, if man forgets the central focus i.e. God, his entire deeds become perishable. The ideal of life is not only to attain union with God or individual liberation, but is also to attain union with the cosmos. Man has to shift to the true centre by getting rid of ego with all its inhibitions and defensive values. Man should direct all his activities to God who is the centre of the Cosmos. Through the Grace of God, man meets with the True Guru, understands 'Shabad' and can reflect on it. The constant contemplation of the Divine Name elevates the human soul.
It is, therefore, man's duty to recognize the Divine Spirit through His Nature or Creation. The entire paraphernalia of worldly existence is perishable without God who is eternal and beyond all limitations of time and space. Hence, if man forgets the central focus i.e. God, his entire deeds become perishable. The ideal of life is not only to attain union with God or individual liberation, but is also to attain union with the cosmos. Man has to shift to the true centre by getting rid of ego with all its inhibitions and defensive values. Man should direct all his activities to God who is the centre of the Cosmos. Through the Grace of God, man meets with the True Guru, understands 'Shabad' and can reflect on it. The constant contemplation of the Divine Name elevates the human soul.
Hence, the aim of man's life is to transcend self-centeredness and to attain union with God. This can never be done by man's efforts. Here he needs something Greater to Whom he may surrender with devotion. The self 'which determines cannot carry the self which is determined above its own level'.[8] Self-determinism is, indeed, a preliminary stage of spiritual freedom which can be attained by transcendence from self-determinism to determinism by the Divine Spirit. Freedom lies in re-diverting of consciousness from ego-self to True Self. All beings emerge in the Divine Will and it is their duty to attune themselves to the Divine Will.
http://www.rpi.edu/~anandh/nishkam/periodicals/sikh_review.html
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In this way, freedom pertains to both human knowledge and understanding as well as to human behaviour. As man is within, so will his outward actions be. So long as man is bound by his narrow vision, he suffers and carries with him the prison of his shortcomings which restrict his understanding, emotions and activities. The true spiritual freedom exists in transvaluation of ego-consciousness into Universal or Cosmic Consciousness. This type of freedom of illumination is in no way antagonistic to, or incompatible with, the mundane life but, rather, it integrates the spiritual with the temporal aspects of life.
REFERENCES
[1] Guru granth Sahib, p.138.
[2] Ibid., p. 151.
[3] Ibid., p. 140.
[4] William Temple, "Nature, Man and God"
[5] Ibid., p.225.
[6] Balbir Singh, "The Conceptual Framework of Indian Philosophy", Mcmillan Co.
[7] "Philosophy of Religion", Prentice-Hall
[8] William Temple, op.cit., p.244
http://www.sikhnet.com/sikhnet/discussion.nsf/SearchView/F2A7066F0F41A88D87256619000534BA!OpenDocument
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In this way, freedom pertains to both human knowledge and understanding as well as to human behaviour. As man is within, so will his outward actions be. So long as man is bound by his narrow vision, he suffers and carries with him the prison of his shortcomings which restrict his understanding, emotions and activities. The true spiritual freedom exists in transvaluation of ego-consciousness into Universal or Cosmic Consciousness. This type of freedom of illumination is in no way antagonistic to, or incompatible with, the mundane life but, rather, it integrates the spiritual with the temporal aspects of life.
REFERENCES
[1] Guru granth Sahib, p.138.
[2] Ibid., p. 151.
[3] Ibid., p. 140.
[4] William Temple, "Nature, Man and God"
[5] Ibid., p.225.
[6] Balbir Singh, "The Conceptual Framework of Indian Philosophy", Mcmillan Co.
[7] "Philosophy of Religion", Prentice-Hall
[8] William Temple, op.cit., p.244
http://www.sikhnet.com/sikhnet/discussion.nsf/SearchView/F2A7066F0F41A88D87256619000534BA!OpenDocument
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