I have not had time to read all of the posts on this thread yet, but I have thought long and hard about how I would reply in my own post; but then, as some of you know, and anyone else can find out by reading my previous posts and (I think) my Introducing Myself entry - I have been the personal recipient of a thing that I can only say was 'miraculous', not only because it is the rock upon which my Absolute Faith in God (by whatever name, IT gave me many, when I had the priviledge of asking; like Brahman, Ahura Mazda, Jehova, Yaweh, The Great White Spirit, and - of course - the Sikhs 'Beautiful Lord'!) is founded, but also because it took the form of a White Steak in my Hair that had not been there before I slipped into a particularly deep meditational trance - in which met God!
Thus, I have this to say:
God is not there to save us from our dificulties or our enemies; this is a realm in which we are to both learn - and teach one another - how to be better people, so that we will be 'ready' to 'join with' God after X Incarnations.
The nature of Karma is really hard to understand; things are seldom is how they seem or think that they should be. This is often because struggle is an important part of developing the qualities that God needs us to develop - especially those of compasion, selflessness, and total love; and, thus, bad things must happen, or the benificence of such qualities would have no meaning.
After all, if Guru Arjan had not been made to suffer - no matter how eveil the deed done to him was - would the Sikhi be as strong, as profoundly faithful, as you are today; do you understand that his suffering leant Guru Arjan - or, more properly, the similar suffering other lesser souls who have not achieved Guruship - a 'new, clearer window' on the benificence of Goodness?
As I said; Karma is hard to understand - and though Lifes events often seem unfair, or even unpleasant, they always serve a purpose when you look at 'The Big Picture'!
Besides; there IS a kind of 'retribution', in the form of 'punitive incarnations', for some souls, and even though I'm sure that Guru Arjan was not a 'bad' soul or person - those who persecuted him so were, and it was only by doing what they did to him that they themselves were able to take one of the most basic steps towards developing the aforementioned qualities; which is to see suffering - and thus compasion and love - through the eyes that only someone who has dished such suffering out, and then felt ashamed for what they did when they were judged, can see it!:yes:
This is why Guru Arjan was, no doubt, rewarded for 'helping' them through his selfless suffering - and his stalwart example of unshakable Faith, so that they could be judged for it. Odd as it may sound, though his persecutors may have been punnished by being reincarnated into a life of horrors that were equal to any they might have dished out to Guru Arjan or anyone else in (Moghul?) India; it's also possible that they were quite advanced souls who'd actually needed to - say - have one last potent lesson, regarding the benificence of those 'Godly' qualities, driven home to them, through the evil acts that they visited upon Guru Arjan.
As I said, Karma works in WEIRD WAYS; so maybe it had been Guru Arjan who, in his immediate previous incarnation, had been the torturer!
That really could be!
I can say this because I have been Blessed to have been through the process of 'dying' (though I still had 'one toe in the pool' - so to speak), being judged (Very Scarry! I writhed like a WORM, if i'd still been in my Body I'd have turned RED with Shame!), and then being reincarnated into this same body twice in this 'life'; so I know just how intricate - and counterintuitive - Karma is, because I've thus witnessed the analysis of my own deeds twice.
The first time (1991) - I got the White Streak, to 'prove' to me that it'd not been a daydream or a halucination of some kind (just try getting the Vatican to believe that!).
The second time (1994) - I got complimented, and I made a promise to SHARE what I'd learned - with YOU!
I hope you don't think me immodest- as it's all true; and since you Sikhi really practice what I preach quite nicely, I thought that you'd like it if I joined SPN!
More on this later. If lifes got you down - or things seem like there can't possibly be any kind of a 'Loving, Beautiful God' looking out for all of us; just consider my words, then take a deeper look into the nature of what's got you upset - and if you don't see the Truth, Wisdom, and Love of God in all of it now, know that you definitely will shortly after you pass into the next realm - again!:yes:
Maybe I'll see you there!
