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Summary of Question:	Karma
Category:	General Sikhism
Date Posted:	Friday, 3/12/2004 11:44 AM MST

Sat Sria Akal

i had a quick question. it is said that God controls everything, ones destination and ones future. But it is said tht according ones deeds, one gets its fruit. So how can we be responsible for our deeds if God controls everything.

Also by reciting Naam can bad events be averted?( but isnt it said that God has written ur destination, and u cant change it). I have read it in one of the Sakhis:

A person goes to Sangat everyday, but his friend is into bad company. The person while returning from Sangat gets pricked by a thorn, where as his friend gets a gold coin.
he goes to the Guru and asks Him abt it. The Guru replies: " Go dig the place where ur foot was pricked by a thorn" Theperson goes and digs the place and finds a gullotine(i think thts used for beheading). he returns to the Guru and the Guru says" Well because of ur past karma u could have been beheaded by this gullotine, but since u have recited Naam, this event has been averted and u got pricked by a thorn only, whereas ur friend who was supposed to get bag of coins has got a single coin, because of his present deeds"

So does tht mean bad events can be averted using Naam
Thanks\
sorry for any mistakes

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There is good karma and bad karma. Our karmas follow us from past lives. It is up to us to finish up these karmas in this life, so we can get closer to God and eventually "go home" after death. In life, we are either erasing our past karmas or creating new ones. I like to make the analogy that our lives are like a train...the engine being our soul. We are either picking up cars (karma) or dropping them depending upon how we live our life. Chanting Gurbani is one way to finish our karmas and not create self-destructive new ones. Why, because chanting Gurbani changes our consciousness, so that we will live our life in an elevated state, not controlled by our egos. Yes, God (Higher Power) has given us a destiny to live in this life. If we can quiet the mind and our egos, we can listen to the Divine direction and fulfill our destiny. If we cannot, the ego will direct us...not God. How to quiet the mind? Chant Gurbani and meditate on God's Name. I hope this answers your question. Blessings. GTKK