What is the relationship between Gyan, God-knowledge and
Karma, the deeds?
If deeds are bound to attract the corresponding reward, how can a spiritually enlighted
saint escape this binding?
What is sacrifice?
Both Gyan (God knowledge) and Karma (the deeds) have always occupied an important place in
life of the spiritually enlightened saints. A bird flies and goes quite high in the sky.
For this the condition is that both its wings should be functioning. In case one of the
wings does not work, the bird just cannot fly; it will remain crawling on the ground only.
Similarly, we may presume that a saint also has two wings- one in the form of God-
knowledge and the other in the form of his own deeds. In devotion, both God-knowledge and
actions are vital. Without God knowledge, action is said to be blind and without action,
God knowledge lame. The two must be in harmony with each other. Only then we can reach the
heights (of devotion to God).
In order to know a subject or science, practical is as important as the theory. The same
is true of God-knowledge. Saints do not teach others only by word of mouth, but through
their practical life. Action is found to be more effective than the word. The spiritually
enlightened devotees always speak through their actions. They practice what they say and
inspire others to do the same. to-day, there is no dearth of the words. We have before us
the sacred words spoken by the great spiritual masters in the form of holy books and
scriptures. Many things have been said since ages. There seems to be no need to say more;
a lot has already been spoken. What is needed is the action, a practical life based on the
words of the great masters. Only such individuals as put these words into action make the
society ideal, a model. It is important to listen, to read and mention God-knowledge, but
it is all the more essential to put it into action. This we can understand with the help
of an example also. A husband and his wife were asleep in the courtyard of their house. A
thief climbed the boundary wall. The wife got the sound and saw the person's head over the
wall. She alerted her husband who was sleeping on the nearby cot and said, "Look !
somebody is trying to climb the boundary wall to enter our house." The husband said,
"I am watching." The thief climbed the wall and jumped into the courtyard. The
wife again said to the husband, "Look ! The person has come in and is passing by
us." The husband silenced her by saying that he could see and understand everything.
The thief went near the room. The wife asked her husband, "What are you doing?"
The husband replied, "Don't think I am a fool. I am watching everything,
understanding everything." The thief committed the theft, carried the bundle on his
shoulder and moved towards the wall. At this again the wife said, "Look ! The person
has looted us and is taking away everything." The husband repeated his reply and
said, "Do you think I am a child? Are my eyes not working ? I am watching everything.
I understand everything better than you do." The thief took away the bundle while the
great husband kept lying on the cot. What is the use of watching or understanding,
listening or telling things like this, until the man does the leave the cot and move?
Wisdom is no wisdom if not acted upon. Such knowledge as also God knowledge is of no use.
We hear a lot, we tell a lot, but in case we do not match the same with action, many may
try to rob us - they are ready. There is lust, there is anger, there is ego, there is
passion, and there is jealousy. All of them are ready to rob us. God-knowledge and deeds
are like the two parallel lines of the railway track, laid for the train of devotion to
move forward. Just as a railway train goes thousands of miles on its track and the
passengers on it also cover the journey of thousands of miles, similarly a saint moves on
the track of God-knowledge and the deeds, acts as per God-knowledge, puts into practice
the principles of spirituality and thus finds salvation not only for himself but even for
those who come in contact with him, who are associated with him; he makes them happy in
the real sense. This is a great service to humanity which becomes possible only with the
combination or conjunction of God-knowledge and the deeds.
Lord Jesus Christ gives an example. He says, suppose we have placed a lamp in our room and
we are moving without any difficulty. This cannot be described as service to others. We
are using the light for our own movement in the room and saving us from any kind of
stumbling. This will be converted into a service to others only when we place the lamp in
the window, so that there is light not only inside the room but outside also where it is
dark and in this light even the people who are passing by do not stumble. It means the
other will also receive comfort and be delighted all the time. Such a selfless service to
humanity is provided by saints only. Their life is full of selfless service of this kind.
Such people who devotee themselves to the service of humanity do not care for their own
comforts or their own assets. They move on the path of pure, simple selfless service. They
spend their while doing good to others. We all know that even if we do not sing the praise
of such people, each breath of ours acknowledges their gratitude. The saints who bring
happiness in the life of others, who adopt this practice, create in fact a place for
themselves in the hearts of others. Their influence does not last for ten or twenty years;
it remains there for ages. The privilege of leading such a life goes to those saints and
spiritually enlightened people who make this Almighty, God Nirankar the base of their
life, make their hearts a dwelling place for this Formless after realising that God is all
- pervading. After assimilating God in their hearts, they find coolness not only for their
own mind but provide the same to others also. In fact this action, this practice is the
practical version of their God-knowledge.
In case we are sick, we go to a doctor. He gives us medicine and alongwith it prescribes
certain precautions to be observed by us. The medicine proves effective only when we
observe those precautions also. Similarly God- knowledge remains just a piece of
information and serves no purpose, if it is not combined with such actions as are expected
of an enlightened person. Such God-knowledge does not produce any significant gain.
The five pledges or principles based on solemn undertaking of the Sant Nirankari Mission
too seek to inspire man with Karma (action) free from ego. It will not be wrong to say
that these pledges are the practical expression of Gyan (God knowledge). They are the
visible reflection of the change that should come in the life of a devotee and the kind of
life that he is expected to lead after attaining God- knowledge. These five pledges are
nothing but what was sought to be taught by the great spiritual masters of the past. They
are the same principles through which they (the spiritual masters) taught us the way of
living. The first pledge is that we should treat all our assets physical, intellectual and
material, as gifts of God and we should not be proud of them at all. We should not feel
proud of our body and say it is handsome, it is strong and we care little for others.
Neither we should be proud of wealth and think that others are nothing before us. Nor we
should claim to be great intellectuals and highly educated and look down upon others as
illiterate and unimportant. We must avoid these things, because a man with ego is never
found welcome in the realm of divinity. That is why great spiritual masters have always
cautioned man against the evil of ego:
KABIR GARB NA KEEJIYE, UNCHE DEKH AVAS;
AAJ KAAL BHUIN LOTNA, UPAR JAME GHAS.
O Man! Today you are proud of your wealth but you have no knowledge as to what is going to
happen the very next moment. You may be proud of your physical strength, boast that you
can defeat ten persons at a time and nobody around will have the courage to challenge you,
but you may fall sick any moment, lie on the bed and be unable to pick up even a glass of
water yourself. In fact you lose your sense when you are under the influence of ego. You
realise it only when the death approaches you. But by then it is too late and nothing is
possible to be done. Therefore, you should wake up from the slumber of negligence right
now and seek refuge in the Truth. Don't feel proud of your physical, intellectual and
material assets. In fact this is what we learn from God-knowledge. When the whole world is
a falsehood, an illusion, then why feel proud of it? All our pride based on the physical,
intellectual and material assets vanishes as soon as we align ourselves with God. This is
the principle of God- knowledge, and this is the visible form, the practical expression of
the first pledge (of the Sant Nirankari Mission).
The second pledge is not to feel proud of one's caste, colour, creed or religion, not to
consider others to be inferior or low on these accounts. When does a person who is
spiritually enlightened recognise these discriminations? Discrimination is just not
possible in God- knowledge; it has no place here.
The third pledge is: not to hate others on account of their dress and diet. There is no
scope for hatred in God-knowledge.
The fourth pledge is: to fulfil the responsibilities of family life, to perform one's
duties sincerely. Spiritual enlightenment does not permit one to run away from the
responsibilities of practical life. All great spiritual masters, saints had their family
life.
The fifth pledge is: not to unfold God-knowledge unto others without the permission of the
True Master. This denotes that we have no authority; God-knowledge is an act of mercy, an
act of benevolence towards us by the True Master. We have, therefore, no reason to be
proud of being spiritually enlightened. Moreover, even God-knowledge does not permit the
pride of any kind.
All these pledges are the visible form of spiritual enlightenment. Only their practice
will prove that we have known God. Just as a flower is known by its fragrance, spiritually
enlightened person is known by his deeds.
A man might have the knowledge of any number of holy scriptures. We quote Ravana's example
even today. He too had knowledge of Vedas and shastras. But his Karma (deeds) did not
match with the spiritual knowledge. He suffered from ego. Then, what was his fate? One of
the popular stories says that when Ravana had the evil thought of bringing Sita by force
and was about to leave home, his wife asked him, "What are you going to do? What are
you thinking?" Ravana said, "I am going to kidnap Sita." Ravana's wife saw
that he had dressed himself like a beggar. She pointed out, "So far, you are only
contemplating to kidnap Sita and the very thought has made your condition like this. From
an emperor you have become a beggar right in my presence. There was a crown on your head.
You had royal dress. But a single evil thought has brought you down to this condition, you
have become a beggar. What will happen when you have actually done the (evil) deed? I am
just thinking of the same. This is the worry I have."
History reveals that what followed was unfortunate. Ravana did not only have an evil
thought, but even acted on it. How do we look at what he had to face? We treat him as a
devil. He became senseless. He did not act in consonance with God-knowledge. Consequently
the entire family was ruined. Even now Ravana is shown disrespect, his effigy is burnt.
Ravana was a great scholar. He was spiritually enlightened. Even then, why this
humiliation? This is because his deeds did not correspond to his Gyan (God-knowledge). His
knowledge could not become his shield because he had not adopted it in practice, not acted
as per the same. He indulged in evil deeds for the satisfaction of his ego. The result is
before us all.
People say quite often that the number of those indulging in bad deeds like thieves,
dacoits and assassins of the innocent is on the increase and they are prospering, living
in comfort. They have all kinds of resources. When the heavy wooden beams float on the
water they seem to be quite light. Push a little, they will go yards ahead. But when these
heavy beams, soaked in water, are brought to the bank, they require several persons to
carry them. Now they are really heavy. Similarly when a person commits a sin, does evil
deeds, he thinks: nobody has challenged me ; nobody has seen me ; I committed theft and
decoties but did never fall into the police dragnet ; I am flourshing ; earlier I had only
one plot of land (property), now I have many; my evil deeds have caused me no difference,
have had no effect on me. But spiritual masters warn, "O man ! So far you are moving
in this ocean of material world. You find the beam (of bad deeds) to be quite light and
without much effect, but by the time you approach the bank or the end arrives and you are
going to be confronted with the account (of your deeds), then only you will realise the
load that you will be required to carry:
PAAPI KARM KAMANWDE KARDE HAYE HAYE;
JIYON MATHAN MATHANIAN TIYON MATHE DHARM RAYE.
It means you will realise only when the God of death gives you the churning, the stirring.
These bad deeds, these evil deeds can be done only by a person who does not realise the
existence of God all around, who does not know that God is there everywhere. A person who
knows it, must not indulge in any kind of indiscipline. Infact a spiritually enlightened
person ceases to be the master of his actions. All his deeds are as per the will of God.
Then, how can he move in negative direction? For the spiritually enlightened devotees,
only God is the master of all actions.
Some scholars and saints consider God to be inert or inactive. They think that all
activities come under the purview of the nature or universe deriving its energy from the
Almighty. Some question whether God is active (Karta) or inactive (Akarta).
God is inactive but acts at the same time. In reality, God is the supreme energy, a life -
force, a power that pervades the universe in such a manner that without it not even the
slightest movement can take place. The order laid down by the Supreme Power is as
permanent and uniform as the Supreme Power itself. That is why this life-force does not
create any obstacle in the way of the human being who enjoys the freedom of action in this
order of the Almighty. In this way God is inactive inspite of being the master of every
action or movement. Now the question arises that when God is a living power, why does it
not stop us from doing wrong? To find an answer, we know that the scientists today have
already proved that energy by itself does no work, although every work is done through it
or with its help. It is the appliance or the gadget connected with the energy that works.
Electricity is, for example, an energy. It does not do anything on its own. But when we
connect a heater with it, it produces heat. If we put a cooler, the same electricity
produces coolness. This coolness, heat, light and so on are not related to electricity but
depend on the instruments connected with it. No doubt they all function due to
electricity, yet the latter has nothing to do with what they produce. Electricity remains
the same in all the gadgets. Would you like it if electricity provides only heat and
refuses to produce coolness? This just cannot happen. Similar is the case with the life
force, the supreme energy. It does not act by itself. All the actions flow from the
instrument connected with it, i.e., the human body with all its fine elements or
components like the various organs, the mind, the brain, the heart as also the ego. Jeeva
or the human being certainly derives energy from this life force, i.e., God, but enjoys
the freedom of actions based on these elements. This supreme power does not interfere.
Whatever Jeeva does, it gets the reward as provided in the order or system laid down by
the Supreme Power. Since this freedom of (human) activity is provided in the order created
by this Supreme Power, it does not stop us from doing anything.
Some people think that saints are exempted from the principle of getting the reward as per
their actions. In that case, does the order of the Almighty not apply to all alike? This
is, however, not so. The order of the Almighty is binding for all. The doer must face the
consequences of his action. Since a spiritually enlightened person does not use his own
mind and leaves all the decisions about his actions to the will of God, surrenders all his
assets at the divine alter, he is not bound by the condition of facing the consequences of
his actions. Suppose a person has a stick in his hand. If by chance, he kills someone with
this stick, it is not the stick that is chained or punished. In case the man saves
somebody's life with the help of the same stick, even then the reward does not go to the
stick. Whosoever does the deed or claims to have done it, is definitely governed by this
order.
A saint is always associated with this Nirankar. He surrenders all his assets to the
Almighty. Therefore all his actions are only to fulfill the will of this Supreme Power.
Since the divine is always for goodwill of all, a saint's deeds are also bound to be
beneficial to all, for the welfare of all. So long as he is in association with the
Almighty, he just cannot harm others. In case a bad deed is found to have been done by
him, we may understand that he has not been in communion with God. Such an action must
have been the result of his own will or ego. He must, therefore, face the consequences
even though he happens to be enlightened spiritually :
JAG VICH RAH KE SARE JAG NAAL
BESHAK KAARO BAR KARO
A spiritually enlightened person fulfills all his social responsibilities and looks after
his family, without claiming any credit or return for the same. Such a person has been
described as a man of performance (Karamyogi). There is action (Karma) ; there is
spirituality (Yoga); both are inseparable so far as a saint is concerned. The spiritually
enlightened persons would never disregard Karma. They do perform all their duties. But
their mind is always with this Almighty. When their head and heart are with God, they
become steadfast, unwavering, because the one whose support they have sought is permanent.
Man in this world, however, ignores God, forgets this Almighty and indulges in all kinds
of misdeeds. Whosoever has realised this divine support, has become a true devotee. A
person who stays in the society just as the lotus does in water, is the real saint. Just
as the lotus remains above water, uninfluenced by water even though it stands in it, a
saint remains unattached even while he performs all his worldly duties; his real
attachment is with God. And even though he feels unattached, he shows love and respect to
those who are members of our family. This is how we can extend the map of the spiritual
way of living as taught by the True Master to the vast human family in the real sense. A
spiritually enlightened person perceives God in every human being. Then why should he not
be able to see the Almighty in the members of the family? If I do not see God in my
spouse, it will be taken that my behaviour is not in tune with the spiritual enlightenment
or I have not adopted God-knowledge in my practical life. All the great masters who
appeared in this world, did not break away from their families. They had their own
households, they had their children and they had their families. They fulfilled all their
responsibilities of family life and immortalised themselves on the path of devotion at the
same time. We have to run the family but with the condition that while doing everything we
would always remember this God. There will be peace in the family only if we remember God.
If we incorporate God in our family, our home can be filled with joys. O man! When you
perform all your duties in the holy communion with God and all your duties are performed
with the spirit of duty as against the sense of obliging others, all this really becomes a
source of delight. You enjoy the peace yourself and distribute the same to others as well.
Often it is said here that to lay down one's life is a great sacrifice, but greater is the
sacrifice of a devotee in whose case it starts from the vary day he aligns himself with
the Almighty and launches his march on the path of selfless service. Hereafter the spirit
of sacrifice becomes his trait for the whole life. It is a big sacrifice to tolerate the
words of others, particularly when they are full of disrespect. To allow others to take
credit; to bring others forward and give them importance while keeping oneself in the
background, also amounts to sacrifice. The entire life of such spiritually enlightened
devotees is full of sacrifices. Baba Gurbachan Singh Ji and many loving saints laid down
their lives while moving on this (noble) path. Great spiritual masters, whether they
appeared in the age of Gold, Silver, Bronze or Iron, devotes all their lives to bring
about the unity of the mankind and to teach man that none in this world is a stranger.
Apart from spreading the divine light, they took up this task, this selfless service of
unifying the human society.
We can spread this voice of truth in the world in true sense only if we mould our lives
also according to the same, if our actions are in line with our words. If we go on
speaking but do not practice the same in life, we will be compelling the world to deny the
existence of God, instead of bringing them closer to the truth. This is the reason why
atheism is spreading in the world today. He who claims to be religious, a saint or
devotee, does not exhibit the same in action. No doubt he speaks about the welfare of
others, his hands only harm them and his feet too move in the same direction (of causing
distress to others). When an ordinary person observes this being done by those who claim
to be religious, he loses faith in the religion itself. Now that we have to do is to see
that this world of ours does not lose faith in true religion and truth. On the other hand,
we must try to bring back the people who left this path somehow. We must do this so that
everybody feels happy, everybody's coming in this world becomes meaningful. Such a
positive role only will prove that we are spiritually enlightened.
Wherever we stay, we must perform our duties sincerely and honestly and pray for the
welfare of all. The ignorant man today has forgotten his duties but at the same time makes
many demands. He does not even think of what he himself is required to do. The spiritually
enlightened saints show the way that only such people have the right to receive something
as perform their duties also. For example, if a bride goes to her inlays only with the
sense of her rights, there will always be trouble in the family. On the other hand, if she
goes with a sense of responsibility, ready to perform all her duties, she will convert the
house into heaven. In the same manner if her inlays also reciprocate and do their duties
towards her, it will become a happy home. In other words, if the new comer understands
that he or she is entering his or her own house and those who are already stay there also
realise that the new comer is not an outsider, he or she is only a member of the family,
there will always be a different kind of peace and joy. With such an approach only we can
fulfill our duties and if we continue to perform our duties, our rights will be given to
us automatically. There is no dearth for those who act with a sense of duty. Such a person
always remains content.
Every human being needs material goods. Everything is required for the body. But a
spiritually enlightened saint feels content even in a small hut. He is content and humble
even if he acquires a palatial house with the grace of the Almighty. God has created all
these objects for use and not for throwing or breaking. They have all been gifted to man.
But he has become so much involved in them that he has forgotten the one who provided them
all.
If a friend gives you a watch to put on, he deposits the same in your trust. You must take
care of the watch. But it must not happen that we walk on the road while looking at the
watch. If we keep on looking at the watch only, we are likely to strike against someone.
We must use the watch but while remaining alert. We may keep our eyes on the road and at
the same time turn the wrist from time to time to ensure that it is there.
The purpose of narrating this small example is to show that God has gifted everything to
man. The real happiness or joy lies in their use as a trustee and not giving all the
importance to them. Suppose their is a tall building. If we stand on the ground below and
look at it, the building appears to be quite high so much that we have to turn our neck.
But if we go to the airport in the same town and look at the building from an aeroplane,
it will look as small as a toy. This however, does not mean that the building does not
remain tall. In fact we rose above it. That is why the same building appears to be small.
Similarly when we look at the worldly materials from the spiritual heights of
God-knowledge, they look unimportant, small and meaningless.
The same is the case with the heat of the sun. It causes burning. One feels quite hot. But
suppose we enter a tank, go into the water. This makes no difference to the sun. Its
effect remains the same. But our own position is changed, when we found the company of
water. As we entered the water, we found coolness and the effect of the heat of the sun
started decreasing. What we mean to say is that material wealth is quite powerful. We
indeed admit that it is powerful. But when does its effect end? When does it diminish?
This happens when we acquire a higher position, when we bind ourselves to the Supreme
Power, God Nirankar and are one with it, we make it dwell in our mind. There-after,
material wealth does not attract us and we always derive happiness from it, we enjoy it.
This is how a spiritually enlightened person, a saint or a devotee would like to act.
Devotion is the means to unite the devotee and God and this is the noblest act also. What
is devotion and what is a devotee? Devotee is a flower in full bloom and devotion is its
fragrance. The devotion wins glory and attains value, if it is based on the sense of
selflessness, if the devotee rises above all kinds of desires and selfish interests and is
guided with a deep sense of faith. This is the kind of devotion that unfolds the real
image of the devotee. Moreover, it makes our life clean and bright. Others also take
inspiration from such living. In fact a person who is able to attain such a sense of
devotion, makes his thoughts, words and deeds alike and does not feel proud of anything,
even if he may acquire any amount of wealth, may have a vast business, may be physically
strong, may have many followers, may rule over others, may have kingdoms, may acquire any
number of valuable objects. Such a devotee finds respect automatically. That is why it is
said :
SAR KATE SAR HOT HAI SAR RAKHE SAR JAYE
We find respect only if we give up ego. Our actions are noble and for the welfare of
others only when they are not accompanied by ego based on the sense of being the master of
action. Such approach can be expected from the spiritually enlightened saints only,
because they accept the Almighty alone as the master of every action of theirs.
God-knowledge and human action have an extremely important relationship. Harmony between
the two, their combination, is essential. It is because of this combination and harmony
that the image of the devotee emerges with clarity and he is spotted even in the vast
crowd of the people. It is he who impresses others, makes the life of others clean and
spotless. A saint or a devotee is like a bird who flies on the heights of the sky of
devotion. This, however, is possible only when he uses the two wings - God-knowledge and
the action.