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Summary of Question:	Re: How World Began
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Friday, 1/02/2004 1:17 PM MST

I didnt understand your explanation of how the world began. Can you please put it into simple, plain english so I may fully understand it.

Also, what happens to us when we die? I knw there is no heaven/hell, so then what is there?

What is karma?

Thanks for helping me out

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REPLY
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Sat Sri Akal!

God created the world. With one "word" everything was created. It is interesting, let me tell you a story. I don't remember the names of the people involved but apparently this is a true story. There was some astronomer who had built a very complex and accurate model of the solar system, it was very detailed and just looking at i made people gasp, since it was so beautifully done and very artful. One day a gentleman came looking at it and remarked to the person who had built it, "Whoever made this model must not only be very smart and educated, but also an artistic genius." To this, the man replied, "If you can say that about the creator of a model, think of how intelligent and artistic the actual Creator (i.e., God) must be."

Whether this story is true or not does not matter. What it means is that we can never fathom the intelligence of Waheguru. How can something finite (a human) comprehend the infinite (Waheguru/God)? Only by becoming Waheguru can we come to know what the infinite is. This is why we can only say that Waheguru created the world, and indeed it is already over. For the infinitely intelligent, making something finite (like the universe) does not take any time, the Infinite, Waheguru, thinks of creating the Creation, and it is created.

Heaven and Hell are what we make of our own lives. When we die, we are held accountable for our karma. If we have "good" karma, then we join with Waheguru, if we have "bad" karma, then we must be reincarnated over and over until we get "good" karma and can be joined with Waheguru.

So what is karma? Very generally, karma is the notion that action gives rise to a reaction. This is similar to Newton's Third Law of Motion. If our actions as humans are positive (we do good deeds, help others, meditate on the one Waheguru, Naam Japna) then our reactions will also be positive and we will merge with Waheguru. The opposite is also true.

I hope this helps. Please ask again if you want to.

Gur Fateh,
HSD