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Summary of Question:	Understanding Of Reconciliation Or Healing
Category:	General Q's from Non-Sikhs
Date Posted:	Monday, 10/21/2002 11:54 AM MDT

I have found some information regarding Sikh

religion. It seems very interesting.
I'm a Christian, so I would like to know what is the understanding and
practice of either reconciliation or healing in your rreligion. Does Sikh
religion have a concept of sin? What is it? Does the religion believe that
humans can damage their relationship with God or other humans? If there is
such damage, how is it repaired? Doest the religion have any rites that
express or effect such "repairing"? How does the religion view illness (as
punishment from God, illusion, opportunity for conversion, etc)? Does the
religion have any public rites in which good health is asked for a sick
person?
I would be very greatful for your consideration and answering me these
question.
Sincerely,
Piotr Z

_______________________________________

Sat Siri Akal.

Thanks for your questions and welcome to the site.

Does the Sikh religion have a concept of sin? The Gurmukhi word "Paap" is often translated as "sin." What it indicates, however, is when you have done soemthing to harm another human being. For the Sikh, the light of God lives within our own hearts and that core of us is always pure. When we harm other people, however, is darkens our own psyche and keeps us from the experience of our own purity. It doesn't hurt or take away that purity. It just makes it more difficult for us to perceive it/experience it.

Sikhs do not believe that we can damage our relationship with God. Our Guru teaches us that even those who sin and err countless times are still loved. "The one whose touch pollutes the world, even he knows Your mercy." One thing the Guru says is that God may instruct us and scold us as a father to a child, but still His arms are always open, at the end of the day, loving us and hugging us to His bosom. So we cannot offend God or hurt our relationship with God in any way. In ego, we can and do harm our relationship with others and with ourselves. But our relationship with God cannot be destroyed.

We do not have any rites that repair our relaitonship with God because we don't have the power to harm that relationship in the first place.

The religion views illness as a karma, and sometimes as a gift. Pain is the medicine that often awakens us to our higher consciousness, but it is through the challenge of life that we search inside of ourselves for something more, something deeper - our True Spirit that can rise above the challenge and see us through anything. Sikhs do not convert, do not believe in conversion. We view all religions as coming from the same One God and it is His Will who follows which path. Anyone who is a Sikh of the Guru is so because it is their destiny, written on their forehead before they were born. We, as humans, have no power to convince or make someone become a Sikh. It is strictly between the soul and the Guru.

In Gurdwara, which is our daily group practice and service, we recite a prayer called the Ardaas. During the Ardaas, it is appropriate to place our own prayers in there - such as praying for the health of someone who is sick. Other than that, there is no special rites or ceremonies for sick people.

Hope this answers your questions.

All love.

GPK