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Summary of Question:	Another Life After Death Question
Category:	Sikh Practices
Date Posted:	Tuesday, 3/05/2002 10:36 PM MST

even though this question has been asked many times, i totally understand what sikhi says about life after death. I understand the concept of 8.4 million reincarnations, and that heaven and hell are what we make them to be right now, but this doesnt really add up? It just seems that there would be more to our life then just " if u dont do naam and become one with god you move down the carnation ladder" I dont know how real this sounds, life is a miracle, u can feel it experience every feeling and move, why should the end of life be something else ? The Sikh way sounds a little riduculous sorry to say. Even though Sikhism is suppose to be a faith for life not death, why would so many people wonder about it if god didnt put this is in our mind. THere HAS to be something more

(REPLY) You're a little mixed up here. Human birth is a great privilege, we have earned this human form after all the other 8.4 million lifetimes in other forms. If we don't merge with God in this life, it doesn't mean we go back to being animals or fish etc. (except in rare cases perhaps, when someone is so vile and evil they don't deserve even to be human again) but we are reborn again in human form until we "get it right." The saints and Gurus who experience the Infinity of God within them were not stupid when they told us the purpose of life, and they did not mislead us when they said that experiencing Oneness with God is the ultimate joy! You think life here and now is great -- and that's wonderful, we should by all means enjoy it, but life on Earth simply doesn't last forever. Guru reminds us all the time that all our possessions, family, etc. do not go along with us when the soul leaves the body, but what does go is the connection we've made with God -- so that's why we're told to rise in the Amrit Vela and chant God's Nam, and try to remember naam all through the day so that it becomes engraved in our minds and hearts so that when we die that will carry us HOME. All things come from God, and all things shall -- eventually -- return to God. Human form is the great opportunity to make that return trip home consciously. That is why our Guru's did not fear death, because they knew they were going back to God. Sp