Atma, Karma, &

Shaping Destiny Lesson C

Ajmel Singh

Outline

• Definitions

– Parmatma (God- Supreme Soul)

– Atma (Soul)

– Other Key Words

• Being (of Creation)

– Structure

– Human Goal

• Karma

• Shaping Destiny

– God’s Role

– Human Role

Definitions

Parmatma (Waheguru) Undefinable

Mool Mantar:

< , siq nwmu, krqw purKu, inrBau, inrvYru,

Akwl mUriq, AjUnI, sYBM, gur pRswid ] (1)

In the Mul Mantra Guru Nanak Dev ji described God:

The Sole Supreme Being; Of Eternal manifestation;

Creator; Immanent Reality; Without Fear; Without

Rancor; Timeless Being; Un-incarnated; Self-Existent; With Guru’s Grace ]

Parmatma (Waheguru) Undefinable

Parmatma

One of many other attribute to describe God

‘Parmatma’ means ‘Supreme Atma (Soul)’

All the souls emanated from The Supreme Soul

just as the rays from the Sun

kIqw pswau, eyko kvwau ] iqs qy hoey lK drIAwau ] (3) Awqm pswrw, krxhwrw, pRB ibnW nhI jwxIAY ] (846)

Atma (Soul)

God is Eternal

– The soul of a living being is also eternal

God is Timeless (Immortal)

– The soul is immortal

Gurbani: ieksu qy hoieE Anµqw, nwnk, eyksu mwihN smwey jIau ](131) sUrj ikrix imly, jl kw jlu hUAw, rwm ] joqI joiq rlI, sMpUrnu QIAw, rwm ] (846)

From One (God) the many emanate and finally into the

One many submerge

Dhur

Mahan Kosh Dur (Dhur): auh klI ijs aupr phIAw iPrdw hY (Axis); mu~K AsQwn (Supreme Place); Bwr/boJ (Weight); ArMB/mu~F (Beginning); jUlw (Yoke); Dn (Wealth); pRwx (Breath of life) Duir (Dhure): mu~F qoN (From the Beginning); mu~K AsQwn qoN (From the Supreme Place) ArMB/mu~F (Beginning); etc… Durhu (Dhuron): Same as Duir above

Poorab

Mahan Kosh pUrb (Purab): pihlw (Prior/Past); pRQm (First); idSw (Direction- East) Prior indicates anytime before this instant- but when in

the past, you cannot tell from this adjective alone. To

determine that you must look at the context this word is

used.

Universe

The totality of all the things that exist – whether in the form of phenomena, appearances, or

as numen and reality

The individual mind, the numerous forms of life,

and inanimate matter are – all Atma in different modes

The final duality between the matter and the

Atma is denied in Sikhism

Maya

Everything we perceive with our senses is Maya

As ignorance/nescience has no positive existence BUilE mnu, mwieAw aurJwieE ] jo jo krm kIE, lwlc lig, iqh iqh Awpu bMDwieE ] 1 ] rhwau ] (12) Merely being the aspects of the self-limited involute Soul

likewise,

Maya has no positive existence eyksu qy, sBu dUjw hUAw ] (842)

Merely a way of saying that the individual consciousness perceives

the reality only in the form of partial knowledge • which is so on the account of the process of involution

Being (of Creation)

Being’s Structure

Being = Body (Sthool) + Soul (Sookham)

Body (Sthool): Made from five elements

Air, Water, Fire, Earth, Sky (Space) – The body is the temporary resting point of the process of creation

– It is from that further upward movement of soul toward merging

with God begins

Soul (Sookham): Jot, Mann, Surat, Matt, budh – Totally Asleep (Dormant)- Stone

– Totally Awakened (Merged with God)- Gurmukh

– In Between (Varying degree)- Different Species and Humans

Human Being (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji)

The human being is the highest form of creation sgl join mih, qU isir DirAw ] (913) He (God) installed you above of all of the creatures

God Blessed Human Beings with – Imagination

– Higher Intelligence

– Higher Consciousness

– Freedom of choice

Human Being (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji)

The Guru says: BeI prwpiq mwnuK dyhurIAw ] goibMd imlx kI ieh qyrI brIAw ] (12) The human body is from where it is possible for one to realize

God (merge with God)

The Guru points out: Avir kwj qyrY ikqY n kwm ] imlu swDsMgiq, Bju kyvl nwm ] 1 ] (12)

The supreme duty of human is to make an all-out effort towards

this divine goal

The Guru further says: mn, qUM joiq srUpu hYN, Awpxw mUlu pCwxu ] (441) O my mind, you are the embodiment of the Divine Light,

recognize your own origin

Barrier?

So what prevents us from achieving our human Goal?

“Our Own Karma”

Because of our ignorance, our Karma are driven by Maya

Karma

Karma, in a sense, is auspicious fate, but not pre-destination – Within the limits given, the Karma is inherited from the previous

births as human being

All human beings have freedom of choice – The Karma in that sense is not fate because all the time we are

making our own Karma

– by performing deeds of our own choice and

– thus determining the character of our further status and birth

Our present limitations are traceable – to our acts of autonomous choice in our past lives

– Karma is the source of rewards and punishments which we must

enjoy and endure

Karma

The Guru says

Ignorant mind of mine, why blame God, for the good and the evil of

this life is verily your own Karma

jyhw bIjY so luxY, krmw sMdVw Kyqu ] (134) Whatever one sows, that is what he/she harvests, (this human being)

is the field of done deeds ddY dosu n dyaU iksY, dosu krMmw AwpixAw ] jo mY kIAw so mY pwieAw, dosu n dIjY Avr jnw ] (433) Dadda: (O my mind!) I do not blame anyone else; blame rests with

my own actions.

Whatever I do are the fruits of my past (Poorab) Karma; I must not

blame others

Free Choice Power

The autonomous power of choice is the divinity

in human beings – It is the core around which the whole human

personality is constructed

– It is the central core of human personality which is the

heart of the individual consciousness

– Therefore, it is “the source of all human misery, as

well as the panacea of all one’s ills” which in essence

leads to good Karma and union with God haumY dIrG rogu hY, dwrU BI iesu mwihN ] (466)

Gurmat Vichaar

vykI vykI jMq aupwey ] duie pMdI duie rwh clwey ] (1032) God created the beings of different kinds.

But there are only two types of travelers & God has created only two paths for them to follow

gurmuiK ijnw sbdu min vsY drgh moK duAwru ] (1250) The Word of the Shabad abides in the mind of the Gurmukhs, who find the Gate of Salvation

mnmuK dh idis iPir rhy Aiq iqsnw loB ivkwr ] mwieAw mohu n cukeI mir jMmih vwro vwr ] (1418)

The self-willed Manmukhs wander lost in the ten directions, led by intense desire, greed and

corruption

Their attachment to Maya does not cease; they die, only to be reborn, over and over again

ey mn jYsw syvih qYsw hovih qyhy krm kmwie ] (755) O mind, as you serve, so do you become, and so are the deeds that you do

ivxu siqgur syvy suKu nhI mir jMmih vwro vwr ] ( 1248) Without serving the True Guru, no one finds peace; mortals die and are reborn, over and over again

Model

(Two Paths)

God

Sadh Sangat (Gurmukh)

Gurmat

Jeev Atma (Mann) Manmat

Kusangat (Manmukh)

Transmigration

Model Freedom Of Choice

(State is driven by on one’s deeds)

Idea Thought Action Habit (Repeated Actions) Nature

General tendency is to follow the path destined by the past Karma &

not exercising the God’s given gift of freedom of choice

Model Freedom Of Choice (1st Path)

Idea Thought Action Habit (Repeated Actions) Nature

Kusangat Manmat

(Manmukh)

Transmigration

Model

Freedom Of Choice (2nd Path)

God

(Gurmukh)

Sadh Sangat Gurmat

Idea Thought Action Habit (Repeated Actions) Nature

Model

God

Sadh Sangat (Gurmukh) Gurmat

Idea Thought Action Habit (Repeated Actions) Nature

Kusangat (Manmukh) Manmat

Transmigration

Destiny

The destiny is often defined as seemingly inevitable (AxhoxIAW) events which cannot be supported by Gurmat

– It is instead a necessary succession of events (hoxIAW) – And those events happen in accordance with Will of God based upon

our Karma

Within limits a human being is free to shape his/her own destiny – The individual character and circumstances are not accidental

– They are fruits of his /her past Karma (includes many previous births)

– Thus, are self-determined, results of free choices

All human beings could now by free choice completely surrender

self to the Guru – Devoid self of ‘Haumai’

– And by strictly following the path prescribed by the Guru, achieve

‘Muktee’

Gurmat (Bottom-line)

mn kI miq iqAwghu hir jn eyhw bwq kTYnI ] Anidnu hir hir nwmu iDAwvhu gur siqgur kI miq lYnI ]3] (800) So renounce the clever intellect of your mind, O humble servants of the Lord, no matter how

hard this may be.

Night and day, meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord, Har, Har; accept the wisdom of

the Guru, the True Guru ]3]

gurmuiK mnu jIqw haumY mwir ] gurmuiK swcu riKAw aur Dwir ] (946) The Gurmukh conquers his/her mind by subduing his/her ego. The Gurmukh enshrines

Truth in his/her heart.

min jIqY jgu jIqu ] (pg 6) Conquer your own mind, and conquer the world

Summary

• This creation is a God’s Play (Game)

• All Atmas (Souls) came from Parmatma (Waheguru- Supreme Soul)

• Humans are the supreme Beings in God’s creation and have a freedom of choice to re-unite with God

• Karma not pre-destination – Karma are based on one’s deeds

• All human beings could now by free choice completely surrender self to the Guru- perform deeds dictated by the Guru

• One’s deeds as Human being determine the outcome of his/her life

– A Gurmukh re-unites with God while living

– A Manmukh remains in the death-birth cycle (i.e., Transmigration) because of Haumai (Barrier)