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Summary of Question:	The Concept Of Sin
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Sunday, 1/11/2004 2:45 PM MST

Sat Shri Akal. I am really confused about living under the will of God and yet believing in Karma. If I do something bad to someone, I will be punished for it. But wouldn't that action be considered to be under the will of God. So how am I doing something bad or good if it is all under his control.

Or

Is it to be understood this way. God takes control of my life and future. But how I behave with others and my self is totally upto me. If I fight with someone and hurt them really bad, I chose to do that and God didn't have a hand in it. And that is how the concept of Karma will come in. But then again I think of the sikh concept that everything is under God's will and get confused.

Then what is right. I am not doing anything bad if it is under's God's will. And yet I will be punished for it?

Please enlighten me on this confusion because being a Sikh, I have always thought of this question and never found a satisfactory answer.

Sat Shri Akal.

(REPLY) Sat Nam. You might try thinking about it this way: God gives us free will (using God's energy) to make choices. Our choices create our karma. "Good" and "bad" are our human concepts. When we think of God as a person, we are limiting the Infinite reality that IS GOD, which has to, by definition be unlimited and therefore include both good and bad. So long as we live in this created universe (created by God, of course, we know that!) there are polarities. God "Himself" or "Itself" is beyond polarities. Problem is that our limited intellects can't "think" in the fourth dimension. That is why God has to be EXPERIENCED, not intellectualized about. Those who experienced God, such as Guru Nanak, have tried to explain to us how everything in the creation is God's handiwork, but mostly we cannot grasp the concept and so we continue thinking and thinking! So, again, Guru Nanak reminds us in Japji Sahib, that thinking and thinking will not take us to God. So, instead, chant God's Name, meditate in the Ambrosial Hours, read the Banis, and tune into the depths of your soul so that you can realize that God lives and breathes in you all the time, no matter what you are doing. ANG SANG WAHE GURU! Blessings, SP