How does God forgive us? - Sikh Retreat 2016 - Q&A#2

How do we ask Guruji
to tear up our bedava

of the bad Karam we
do in this lifetime ?

Then, they've already
given some answers.

But with the answers they've
got a question mark asking,

could this be the way?

Is repent one of the ways
Sewa and Siman?

Then I got another question
that goes alongside that.

Somebody saying that

"Does BabaJi forgive those
who make mistakes,

even if we still make them"?

I think these two questions
kind of work together.

So just looking at : How does
Guru Sahib Ji forgive us?

If we try and understand this from
the perspective of Gurbani.

All the answers that we will give will try
our best to use the support of Gurbani.

This is obviously a Sikh Retreat so
we shouldn't be really giving you

our own opinion of what my
Matt, my intellect thinks that

should be the answer to these.

So we're going to be giving you a Gurmat
perspective from Gurbani or Rehatnama.

What does Guru Sahib Ji
say about forgiveness?

If you look at, when Guru Sahib Ji
is talking about Guru Arjun Dev Ji

In one Pankti about Guru
Arjun Dev Ji it said that :

"Kaljug Jahaaj Arjun Guru
Sagal Srishth Lag Bitarho."

Where it's talking about, that

Guru Arjun Ji is the boat
for us to get across.

And how does
this boat work?

This boat is open for
the whole world.

So if we look at now
in today's world,

whether it be a ship
whether it be an airplane.

Somebody's going to travel, there
are always restrictions on there.

But on this boat to get across this world
ocean that is full of attachments,

for us to be saved within this boat
there's not those type of restrictions

that we will see in a regular form
of transportation today.

Everyone knows here if you
are traveling by flight, there

is a restriction on how much
weight you can take with you.

And everyone gets into bit of a
panga when they're coming back

from India because there is too
much stuff and then there's panic.

It's always the issue to pay extra
money and all that kind of stuff.

Even then you can go over so much,
you could probably pay them so much

but still they're going to
cap it off at some point

and then just going to say
"that's it, no more."

So there's a restriction of how much
weight you can take on that plane,

and there's a restriction to how many
people can get onto that plane as well.

If you look at what Guru
Arjun Dev Ji's saying :

"Kaljug Jahaaj Arjun Guru Sagal
Srishth Lag Bitarhu."

The whole world can get onto
this boat of Guru Arjun Dev Ji

and can get across
this world ocean.

So how does that work with
this whole sin thing ?

Number one - It doesn't matter
what form and what extent of sin

we come with,
to Guru Sahib Ji.

Guru Sahib Ji is never
going to say to us that

"you've come with too much luggage,
you've come with too much baggage,

too much weight, sorry
there's no space for you."

There's always going to
be space for us, to attach

ourself to Guru Sahib Ji and to
be saved and to get across.

So Guru Sahib Ji
is not going to say

"you know what you've
done too many sins,

you've made too many
mistakes in this lifetime

or in your last lifetimes."
"Sorry no space for you."

Guru Arjun Dev Ji is
never going to say

When I say Guru Arjun Dev Ji,
I am referring to Guru Sahib Ji.

So, Guru Sahib Ji is never
going to say to us that

"One particular sin was too big
for you to be saved and I'm not

letting you on, I'm not going to save
you. I'm not going to forgive you.

They're saying, "This
is open to everyone."

In Gurbani I think it was
today or yesterday

In one of the Hukamnama,
the word Kilvikh came up.

Word Kilvikh basically
according to the Vedas,

there are four types of Paap (sins)

that cannot be forgiven
accordingly to the Veds.

I can probably remember a
couple from the top of my head:

If somebody actually killed a Brahmin,
If somebody slept with a Brahmin's wife,

I can't remember the other two

the third one is Gau Hatya
if somebody's killed a cow.

Do you remember the fourth
one? Three is pretty good.

There are four Paaps according to
the Veds that cannot be forgiven.

Forgiven in which way?
That you can't do any act,

there's no Punn you can do
there's no deed you can do to override.

You have to go through your Karam.

So whatever the reaction is
from that you have to live.

It can't be taken away.
But Guru Sahib Ji said

"Jis simrat sabh Kilvikh
naseh pitree hoe udhaaro"

In remembrance of the Akaal Purakh-

It doesn't matter how many
kilvikh (paap) you've done,

those that the Ved say
that cannot be forgiven

But Guru Sahib Ji
says "Yes they can."

First of all the first thing
to understand is :

"Doesn't matter to what extent
somebody's done something

and it doesn't matter how much
somebody's done something of,

there is still space to be saved,"
Guru Sahib Ji is saying.

Then how do we be saved ?

This works with the question saying,
if we continue to make that mistake?

Guru Sahib Ji says,"Jaisa baalak bhae
subhaae lakh apraadh kamaavai."

It means just like an innocent child is
committing millions of sins and faults

and messing things up all the time,
we are like those innocent children

at times as we live in ignorance.

We might be blind or we might know
that what we're doing is not right,

but we have no power over what
we're doing because we're just so

lost in the worldly way or we're just
not in control of our senses or our

Five Vices-Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh,
Ahankaar, in any form or way.

It's almost like we've become helpless.

So how does it works?

Guru Sahib Ji recognizes some
body might be in that state.

Then this says that, What
does Guru Sahib Ji do?

Kar Updes Jhirke Bahu Bhaatee
Bahurr Pita Gall Laavai | |

What Guru Sahib Ji is saying that ,
once the Guru gives you a teaching

you might even get scolded or
you might even get shouted at

for doing what you've been doing.

But the Guru will still embrace
you and say "I will take you in."

and this is what they will do is

Pichle Augun Bakhas Lai "I will
forgive what you've done in the past

but there is a condition which
is- Prabh Aagai Maarag Paavai | |

Now you've got a vision and
you're going to make an effort

in not doing that again now so it doesn't mean

that you make a game out of it.

This whole sense of forgiveness it's not that

you're forgiven by doing a particular sa

it's not that you're forgiven because

you do a particular act it's because

you've surrendered and you say to the

guru I fall at your feet and I've lost

and I need you now and the guru says

I'll take you in but now I want you

least to have the intention that you're

going to make an effort to walk on that

straight path now I'm going to help you

the guru will say and the help comes

from Collective sadut having that

support from each other that's why we

say and I say this wherever I go and

I'll always say in my talks that we

should always be iously asking for like

for the support

that that we get the support from the

sad collectively that are going to help

us not to not to keep falling so it's

about Our intention if we with a Pure

Heart full and actually have no

intention to do that and we want we

truly want help to break away from the

sins that we're doing and we've got that

Clear Vision that I don't want to do

that anymore and we make it relevant an

effort and go according to the guru's

teaching then yes there's that element

of forgiveness and that forgiveness

comes from surrendering and from begging

the guru for showing us the path forward

and then and then Guru will show us the

path forward it doesn't mean that if you

make that mistake again that there's no

chance for you and you won't be forgiven

again so you come to the God for example

on a Sunday and you say to Guru sa you

know what I've been terrible to my wife

I've been swearing at her like any thing

been bullying her been horrible to her

but you know what I want you to forgive

me and you think because all right this

is how it works cuz he forgives me for

everything but in the back of your mind

you've got no intention of changing cuz

you're just there to get come and clean

your slate and then you go back home no

intention to

change gang everything again the whole

week come back next Sunday and say you

know what I'm here for just want that

clean for myself it doesn't quite work

like that so I'm sure everybody gets the

gist

vururu

[Music]