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Summary of Question:	General Question Of Karma
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Friday, 12/28/2001 8:38 AM MST

I JUS WANTED TO KNOW IF AN INDIVIDUAL MAKES A MISTAKE IN THERE LIFETIME, OR DOES BAD DEEDS, WILL THE CHILDREN HE HAVE OR SHE HAVE BARE THE PUNISHMENT OF THE MISTAKES OF THE MOTHER OR FATHER.

ITS JUST SOMETHIN MY GRANDAD SAID TO MY MOTHER. HE LIVES IN PUNJAB HES AN AMRITDHARI SIKH, HE WAS A GOOD MAN A MAN I REPSECT ALOT, HE HAD ONE DAUGHTER AND SHE WAS SENT TO ENGLAND WHEN SHE WAS 15 TO LIVE WITH MY GRANDADS YOUNGER BROTHER WHO ARRANGED HER MARRIAGE TO MY FATHER WHEN SHE WAS 17. HE SAID TO MY MOTHER MANY YEARS LATER WHEN SHE ASKED HIM IF HE EVER WORRIED ABOUT HER WHEN HE SENT HER TO A FOREIGN COUNTRY, HE REPLIED NO BECUASE HE HAD DONE NO BAD DEEDS, HE BELIVED WAHE GURU WOULD NEVER LET NE HARM COME TO HER.

WHILE MY FATHER HE IS A GOOD MAN BUT MY MOTHERS INFLUENCE ON HIM HAS BEEN A VERY STRONG AND POSITIVE ONE, AS IT HAS BEEN ON ME, SHE HASNT TAUGHT ME MUCH ABOUT THE SIKH PATH SO IN WAYS MY BELEIFS ARE DISJOINTED BUT I WOULD LIEK TO FOLLOW THE TRUE SIKH PATH ONE DAY. BUT SHE HAS TAUGHT ME A GREAT DEAL ABOUT RESPECT FOR ELDERS, WOMEN ESPECIALLY, AND PEOPLE AROUND ME. MY FATHER HAS BEEN A GOOD MAN HES WORKED HARD FOR ME AND MY SISTERS AND I RESPECT HIM. BUT HIS FATHER WASNT A BAD MAN, BUT NOT A GOOD MAN EITHER, BUT HE DID DO MANY BAD DEEDS. MY FATHER HAD BEEN ALOT OF TROUBLE BEFORE HE WAS MARRIED ( HIS MARRIAGE TO MY MOTHER WAS FORCED ON HIM BECUASE HE WAS IN TROUBLE WITH THE AUTHORITIES SO OFTEN AS WERE HIS BROTHERS ) SO ALL IM WONDERING IS, WAS THE SINS OF MY DADS FATHER PASSED ON TO HIM.

SO WAT IM ASKING IS IF NE HUMAN RAGRDLESS OF BEEIGN SIKH MAN OR WOMAN IF THEY DO SINFUL THINGS WHICH BRING HARM ON OTHERS AND ARE OF NOT GOOD MORAL CONDUCT WILL THERE SINS BE PASSED ON TO THERE CHILDREN.

I THINK I READ ON A REPLY IN THIS FORUM THAT YOU GET WHAT U DESERVE. SO A LIFE OF GOOD CONDUCT WILL BE BLESSED WITH GOOD FORTUNE. OR IS THIS JUST SIMPLE COINCIDENCE. WHAT HAPPEND WITH MY MOTHER AND FATHER

AND I JUST WANTED TO KNOW FOR THE PAST 3-4 MONTHS IV'E MADE A LARGE EFFORT TO GO TO THE GURDWARA EVERY SUNDAY MORNING, I DNT SAY NE PARTIULAR PRAYERS THOUGH I HAVE DOEN SUKHMANI SAHIB SINCE I WAS 7 YEARS OLD EVERY NIGHT BEFORE SLEEPING. MY FAMILY WHEN THROUGH A GREAT DEAL OF PROBLEMS WHEN I WAS YOUNGER MY MOTHER TAUGHT ME TO DO PRAYER AND I TRULY BELIEVE IT HAS BROUGHT MANY POSITIVES IN SUCH A NEGATIVE PERIOD. BUT A GIRL SAID TO ME IT IS WRONG TO DO PRAYERS IF YOU EAT MEAT AND DRINK WHICH I DO BOTH. BUT I ALWAYS FELT DOING 20 THINGS WRONG AND 1 GOOD THING RIGHT IS BETTER THAN DOING 20 THINGS WRONG AND NOTHING RIGHT. AND THE GOAL IS WHEN I AM TOTALLY COMMITED TO FOLLOW A TRU GURSIKH PATH I CAN LEAVE ALL THOSE WRONG THINGS BEHIND. SO THE LAST QUESTION IS, IS IT WRONG TO DO PRAYER AT NIGHT AFTER MEAT OR ALCOHOL HAS BEEN CONSUMED.

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REPLY
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Sat Siri Akaal. Your grandfather was responsible for the care of your mother, and obviously did his best to set a good example for her, which is an important aspect of karma when one is under the care of another/caring for another. However, your grandfather's deeds, good or bad, or judged according to HIS responsibility for each of them. Likewise, your mother's life after she left home is not a result of your grandfather's good (or bad) deeds; it is a combination of her personal karma and her personal actions. How can your mother be held responsible for the deeds (good or bad) of the father? From a Sikh, karmic, and personal responsibility point of view, one is judged only by one's OWN deeds and thoughts, NOT by another's.

There is no 'bad' time for a person to pray or recite paath for themselves. Paath and prayers still serve the individual reciting them, not to mention adding a positive vibration around the person. However, it would be highly inappropriate to go into a gurdwara after drinking.

Guru rakha,
-DKK