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 Aogun 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, so it doesn't
mean that you make a game out of it.

This sense of forgiveness is not that you
are forgiven by doing a particular Seva.

It's not that you are forgiven
because you do a particular act.

It's because you have surrendered
and you say to the Guru,

"I fall at your feet and I've
lost and I need you now."

The Guru says "I will take you
in but now I want you atleast

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."

Help comes from collective Sadh Sangat,
having that support from each other.

That's why wherever I go I'll always
say this in my talks that we should

always be conciously asking
Guru Sahib Ji for their support

Seyee Piaare Mel Jina Milya
Tera Naam Chit Aavai

that we get the support from the
Sadh Sangat collectively that is

going to help us not to keep falling.
So it's all about our intention.

If we with a Pure heart full and
actually have no intention to

do that again and 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 a relevant 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

Prabh Aagai Maarag Paavai then Guru
Sahib Ji will show us the path forward.

It doesn't mean that if you make that
mistake again there's no chance for

you and you won't be forgiven again.

So you come to the Gurudwara for example
on a Sunday and you say to Guru Sahib Ji

"You know I've been terrible to my wife
I've been swearing at her like anything,

bullying her, being horrible to her,
but I want you to forgive me."

You think this is how it works
as He forgives me for everything.

But in the back of your mind you
have got no intention of changing

you are just there to come and clean
your slate and then you go back home

No intention to change. Swearing
everything again the whole week.

Come back next Sunday and say "I'm
here as I just want to clean for myself."

It doesn't quite work like that.

So I'm sure everybody gets the gist.

Vaheguru

[Music]