DEATH AND AFTERLIFE IN SIKHISM

DEATH AND AFTERLIFE IN SIKHISM

Sikhism is a type of religion that originated from Northern India dating back to the 15th century and it was found by a person known as Guru Nanak Dev Ji. It is the fifth-largest religion in the world with over 25 million believers across the world. About 1 million Sikhs occupy North America and Canada regions[1]. They have a long history of staying in the USA for over 100 years. They are identified with uncut hair which is covered with a turban. The turban serves two main purposes which include covering their long hair and acting as a show of respect to God alias called Waheguru. In addition to these two purposes, the turban also acts as a show of their commitment to both equality and justice to all mankind. They are also identified with moustaches, unshorn hair and beards.

This religion has several factors distinguishing it from Islam and Hinduism. First of all, the religion is a monotheistic one, which emphasizes much on the equality of all humankind (both men and women)[2]. Sikhs are believers in one God whom they refer to by the name’ Waheguru’. The religions believe is based on three major principles which include offering meditations to God through prayer, using honest ways to earn a living and sharing the fruits reaped from their labour. They emphasize much on human service and discourage human classes and even caste.

Topic definition

Death is a rite of passage that every human being and all living creatures must pass through. It is inevitable and mysterious and none is certain on what happens after death though some people still want to avoid it.   Various religions in the world have different beliefs about what happens to their faithfuls after death. Examples of religions that we have in this world include Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhists and Sikhism just to mention a few.

Christians, for example, believe that after death, one is brought to judgement by God and this decides his destiny of either going to hell or entering into heaven to live with God for eternity[3]. Muslims on the hand clings to the same belief, only that judgement will take place on the Judgement day which will mark the end of the world. For Sikhs, there is a very unique and interesting belief about death and life after death which is discussed in the following topics. These discussions will lead us to the thesis statement which asks whether the Reincarnation belief in the death and afterlife according to Sikhism true.

Thesis statement: Is Reincarnation story in the afterlife according to Sikhism a reality?

 Funerals in Sikhism

In Sikhism, death is considered as Waheguru’s (Gods) will and a natural process. Funerals are done after one’s death, and they are referred to as Antam Sanskaar which means the final rite of passage.  A Sikh funeral is neither focused on loss or grief but it is focused on one’s reunion with God. Immediately after the demise of a loved one, the Sikhs immediately begin the preparations for their members funeral. Most funeral organizers can comply with the funeral traditions of the Sikh. A Sikhs body is well bathed and then dressed in clean clothes before a funeral service. It is also a tradition that articles of faith which would have been put on by the faithful while still alive are not removed. Neither should the hair be cut nor removed from the body of the dead faithful, but it should be left unshorn[4]. The body can equally be surrounded by flowers. Some customs in the Sikh religion allows viewing of the loved one’s body before the funeral while others do not. Open caskets can also be provided at the funeral.

There is a wide variation in the format of carrying out Sikh funerals. At times, cremation is preceded by a service after which another service known as the gurdwara continues. Alternatively, some few prayers will be recited to accompany the cremation and cremation can either occur during the day or at night. The services can be undertaken in either of the following places ie in the crematorium, the gurdwara, at the homestay of the bereaved or even outdoors. The cremation event is always attended by members of the bereaved family, relatives and close friends. In cases where the prevailing conditions or circumstances hinder cremation, then any options of disposing the body or burying it are accepted. Usually, after a body is cremated, the ashes are always either buried on earth or get scattered. Scattering of the bodies of the loved ones is always done in the in bodies of flowing water such as rivers or the sea[5]. The Sikhs do not approve placement of stones or the erection of monuments in commemoration of the dead member or to mark the cremation site.

After the burial of the dead, members of the bereaved family do readings of the holy scriptures of the Sikh, referred to as Sri Guru Granth Sahib. Continuos readings of a section of this holy scriptures, particularly known as Akhand Paatth occurs between 3 to 10 days in consideration of the convenience to the family members and the relatives. These readings can either occur at home or in the gurdwara. In cases of delay of the funeral due to post mortem issues and delays in getting a crematorium, the completion of the scripture reading ceremony is carried out on the same day of the funeral, when cremation is done[6]. Non-Sikhs are not expected to participate in the events

An article by Sukhmandir Khalsa

In an article written by Sukhmandir Khalsa, dated April 2019, he gives very detailed information about the Sikhs belief on life after death. He narrates that the Sikhs soul undergoes reincarnation after death. After death, Sikhs believe that human beings get merged back in the universal form just like a raindrop in an ocean gets merged back in the ocean. Sikhs neither believe in the existence of heaven nor hell. Instead, they believe that Heaven is experienced by living a God-fearing life during a person’s lifetime. Pain and suffering resulting from sin are considered as hell while on earth. Consequently, they believe that good and bad deeds are what determines the form of life taken by a soul when it reincarnates. Demon centred souls have a destination of suffering great pains in the underworld, in a place of darkness known as Narak upon death[7]. Fortunate souls acquire grace to overcome the demonic ego by offering meditations to God. The meditation is centred on remembering the divine creator by calling him out silently or loudly. Liberation from the reincarnation cycle is thereby achieved by such a soul and it acquires eternal existence in the form of a radiant of light.

An author of the Guru Granth Sahib scripture by the name Bhagat Trilochan writes comprehensively about the afterlife. He says that one’s final thought at his/her time of death is a determinant of how he/she will be reincarnated. People whose minds are based on riches and wealth are reborn as snakes and serpents. Those whose thoughts linger on carnal relations are reincarnated into brothels. The ones whom their minds are based on their children are reborn as pigs so they become sows giving birth to dozens and even more piglets at each phase of pregnancy. Those whom their thoughts dwell on their mansions and houses get reborn as ghosts hence haunting the mansions and houses remembered[8]. Lastly, those whose last thoughts are divine merge victoriously to eternally dwell with God in the existence of a form of radiant light.

BBC News Service

BBC radio also has an account of the teachings of Sikhism on the afterlife. According to BBC radio, a large number of Sikhs believe that God who is known by the name Waheguru dwells in everyone. According to the Sikhs, when a person dies, he is believed to go through a myriad of reincarnations possibly up to 8,400,000 forms of reincarnation after which they get purified to be in a new form of returning to Waheguru[9]. All reincarnations are believed to be temporary, be it in the form of humans or animals. Human life is perceived as the only chance for breaking the death cycle of reincarnation.

Moreover, Sikhs also believe that through good deeds, living a morally upright life and loving God in one’s heart, there are hopes of achieving good merit and even escaping punishment. They also yearn for the achievement of a better form of reincarnation as this improves one’s opportunities of reuniting with the Creator. Through a union with Waheguru, Sikhs believe that the birth and death cycle gets terminated and this marks an end of suffering. In addition to this belief, Waheguru (God) is believed to unite with only those he is most pleased with.

An article by Rahuldeep Singh Gill

Rahuldeep Singh Gill in his article entitled,” Afterlife and salvation”, has given another comprehensive account about the Sikhs belief in life after death. According to Rahuldeep, Sikhism has a tradition emphasizing to its faithfuls on a worry-free life concerning the afterlife. Instead, Sikhs are encouraged to stay focused on their ethical standards and good morals while still alive. The best fruit that can be reaped in the afterlife is liberation and it is envisioned by the Sikhs as acquiring a unification with God in his Paradise[10]. Good deeds within the reincarnation cycle are believed to condition human life to a particular status that enables one to inherit Gods kingdom (Paradise). Sikhs, therefore, believe that death should not create worries to its faithfuls at all costs. This is because reincarnation is combined with afterlife which culminates into inheriting the kingdom of God, a very golden opportunity that life provides.

Rahuldeep further gives a review of what was written by Guru Nanak concerning the afterlife. According to Guru Nanak ‘s concept, one’s actions in this world get accounted for by a supreme process that no human being understands. People who have maintained good deeds and ethical standards, be they Sikhs or non-Sikhs are encouraged to have no fears in the afterlife. Through seeking of Kartar while maintaining a social and productive life, one is assured of liberation by the creator[11]. Those who maintain their ethical standards are assured of inheriting Gods divine court alias called paradise. One who seeks protection from the Guru acquires it both in the world and the afterlife.

Divine grace can help in liberating souls when one practices ethical actions and good deeds. These actions prepare one to acquire the grace which is only guaranteed by God. Service to others, for example, helping others seeks to read the scriptures is believed to shine brighter paths towards a Sikhs liberation. Sikhs also believe that the mode of death can play a role in bringing one closer to God.

A journal of Religious News Services

According to Religion News Services, Sikhs tradition teaches that when a person dies, his body gets cremated even though his soul continues to exist. This significant belief by the Sikhs was confirmed to CNN television channel by a Sikh known as Satwant Singh and he further stated that a Sikhs death does not mark his end. The dead’s souls and energy continue to exist, transcending and transversing the universe thereby influencing several events in life. Sikhs funerals, therefore, end happily as the departed souls are believed to exist spiritually with those who still exist and they participate together with them in all other events for the general good[12]. Most importantly, death gets worthy of celebrating as the departed souls get to unify with God in his kingdom The scriptures in Sikhism does not dwell much on whatever happens after death but it focuses on one’s earthly actions which include the promotion of justice, acts of charity and most importantly showing honour to God.

The main goal taught in Sikhism is on how to escape the death and reincarnation cycle, just like other religions such as Buddhism and Hinduism. The uniqueness of Sikhism from these two religions is that it believes that only the grace of God can liberate one from reincarnation and not just their virtues and meditation. A Sikhs ticket to Paradise or Gods court, therefore, remains a divine decision and is not based on the wonderful deeds he partakes while in the world. Moral living is believed to prepare one’s soul for receiving God’s grace after which it remains Gods supreme decision to either accept a soul in his kingdom or to send it back to reincarnation[13]. Those who manage to escape reincarnation have a final destination which is returning to the creator from where all beings trace their origin. In that kingdom, God exists as a supreme king.

Belief in reincarnation

There are over 8.4 million species that exist on earth according to Sikhism. One is believed to go through all these species in a series of reincarnations before uniting with God. Since humans are the only beings known to distinguish between the good and the bad, Sikhs believe that the human form owns the best opportunity to unite with God in his kingdom since they can undergo soul purification. Acquiring salvation in the form of the other species is therefore very difficult. A creature must live until its soul is purified after which it reaches salvation. Purification of the soul involves erasing all kinds of human vices such as greed, egocentrism and selfishness after which one is ready to acquire a peaceful existence with Waheguru in Heaven[14].

Furthermore, Sikhs hold a strange belief holding that nothing gets born or dies but everything is involved in the change of forms. As a consequence of leading a sinful life in the former life, one can be born crippled or as a leper and such disabilities bring many difficulties in merging with the Creator. He gets obligated to do good after which he might be eliminated from the cycle of reincarnation to unite with the creator in his kingdom. The body is just a souls clothing and it gets discarded upon death. The soul may change several attires before going back to the creator.

Heaven and hell exist as temporary places according to Sikhism. They are meant to pay rewards to the good deeds and to punish evil deeds. Heaven should not be associated with any pleasures of physical nature but it just means being with God. Just like an analogy puts it that water droplets will fall back to the ocean is the same way Shiks do believe that they will finally be one with the creator. Achieving this life of being one with God is attributed to living a life free of greed, selfishness and even evil powers. Sikhs engage in service to others as well as observing certain rules which should be observed daily to achieve salvation[15]. Some of these activities include remembering and praying to God at most times, observance of humility, believe in the oneness of the human race and banning of piercings to noses and ears.

Mourning upon the demise of a family member is prohibited in the Sikh tradition. This is because they believe that a soul continues to live and therefore only prayers should be offered upon one’s death to enable him to reunite with the Creator and to be separated from rebirth. Within 3 days, a dead member of the Sikh religion gets cremated. Only family members attend the cremation and maybe some few guests. Before cremation of an individual, two Sikh prayers are offered daily. One should not be saddened by the demise of a loved one, but should instead talk positively about the dead’s good deeds in life[16]. A funeral by the Sikhs, therefore, marks the dead’s completion of worldly life and a golden chance to the deceased for uniting with God.

Reincarnation according to Christianity

It is quite difficult to associate the idea of reincarnation with Christianity. However, if we study the bible and even the early history of Christianity, we realize that several Christian fathers had a belief in reincarnation after death. Christian fathers who believed in reincarnation includes St. Gregory, St Jerome, Clement, Origen and many others[17].

Reading the bible, particularly in the gospel, we realize that the disciples of Jesus exhibited a kind of belief in this reincarnation idea. This is evidenced from the book of John 9:2 where they asked Jesus whether the blind man who was brought to Jesus got born like that due to his sins or his parent’s sins.

We also realize from Jesus teachings to his disciples that he gave the evidence of reincarnation being a reality. In the book of Mark chapter 9:12-13, Jesus told his disciples that Elijah must come fast to restore all things. The bible tells us that they started wondering whom he could be referring to and when Christ told them that Elijah has already come, they realized that he was talking about John the Baptist[18]. This is a piece of evidence that Elijah who is recorded to have ascended to heaven with a burning chariot got reincarnated as John the Baptist.

Another biblical evidence of reincarnation is where the Bible prophesies about the second coming of Jesus, where he will appear in a bodily form to all the elect as he takes them to heaven. It is therefore evident that Christianity has some evidence on the reality of reincarnation.

Reincarnation according to Hinduists and Buddhists

Majority of the Hindus accept the belief in reincarnation. Hindus believe that the human soul is eternal and cannot be destroyed. A human body just acts as a base for pacing the soul. After death, Hinduism believes that the soul leaves the body and gets into a new one, and this process is repetitive. The uniqueness of the Hinduism’s story is that everybody is answerable to the almighty for all the wrongdoings. Everyone is worth rewarding for the good actions done, especially service to both human beings and God. Hinduists believe in both good deeds and bad deeds which are all-inclusive of thoughts, perceptions, ignorance, beliefs and even wisdom. A person will, therefore, be reborn not just be punished for his evil actions or be rewarded for his good actions, but he will also have to accomplish the unachieved desires of the heart.

Moreover, Hinduists widely believe that deep affection for fellow human beings, be it, family members, fiancées or pets can be a cause of reincarnation to human beings. These kinds of bindings are referred to as attachments (Maya) by the Buddhists. Ignorance is believed to be the major cause of these attachments and after the elimination of such ignorance, the cycle of reincarnation is ended.

Buddhists, on the other hand, gives a quite different account of re-birth from the one of the Hinduists even though the major propagator of Buddhism, Gautama Buddha was inspired by the Hindus to do more research on the reincarnation concept. The philosophy of the Buddhists also believes to a greater extent on the story of rebirth. However, Buddhists do not believe in eternity or the Indestructible nature of the soul[19].Instead, Buddhists believe that the state of existence of both human beings and all other living beings occurs repeatedly.

Consequently,re-birth follows the natural laws of cause and effect because situations that are favourable to birth arise now and then. Just like Hinduists, Buddhists also believe that human beings have to unbind themselves from all the attachments in this world for them to be released from the reincarnation cycle. Buddha, in one of his accounts, confirms that the ultimate liberation is achieved when one fully eliminates the emotional passions such as Jealousy, hatred, greed, love, affection and ignorance[20]. The reincarnation cycle, therefore, gets ended at the very moment when a person gets rid of both material and psychological desires. At such a moment, all the reasons for living on earth get finished. Buddhists do not believe in the doctrine of punishments or rewards for the former acts of life.

Reincarnation according to Judaism

Judaism is a religion observed by the Kabbalists. Kaballah refers to the hidden teachings of Moses. Judaism religion strongly believes in reincarnation. In the Zohar, which is a text in the Kaballah, there is a passage which states that all souls must get back to their creator. Before achieving this, the souls must get perfected, a trait which is implanted in them. Therefore, if a soul has not adequately developed the perfection traits in a single phase of life, it must continue to another phase and so on until it perfects its traits[21].

Scientific evidence on Reincarnation

A great extent of research has been carried out by scientists to ascertain the truth about reincarnation. A scientist by the name Dr Gerald Netherson successfully used a beyond life regression on a total of 8000 patients[22]. Initially, he was sceptical about it but due to his experience, he became convinced of the effectiveness known with past life regression.

Southampton University scientists have found out a very fascinating story about what occurs after death. These scientists have confirmed that there is some awareness that continues even when the brain has completely stopped functioning. After spending 4 years examining over 2000 patients who were suffering from cardiac arrests at various hospitals in the US, UK and Austria,40% of their patients who survived confirmed that there is some awareness during the period of clinical death just before restarting the hearts[23]. One patient even confirmed leaving his whole body and observing his resuscitation from a particular corner of the hospital. These accounts are pieces of evidence that the soul continues to exist even after death as confirmed by Southampton university scientists.

Conclusion

From the above discussions, one can deduce that there exists enough evidence for the proof of life after death in the form of reincarnation as Sikhs do believe. Reincarnation is the unifying factor cutting across all world religions, owing to the many religions that believe in it.

Considering further that many of the great scholars of the ancient Greek civilization, the likes of Socrates, Pythagoras and Plato were staunch believers in the idea of reincarnation[24]. Furthermore, scientists have also come up with pieces of evidence showing that reincarnation is existent. The belief in reincarnation is increasing, particularly for Western countries.

The belief in reincarnation by Sikhism is, therefore, a true reality, very convincing and acceptable across the world. In future, it might become the popular doctrine on matters of eternal life.

Bibliography

Primary sources

Mandair, Arvind-Pal S. Religion and the specter of the West: Sikhism, India, postcoloniality, and the politics of translation. Columbia University Press, 2009.

Taylor, Eugene. “Ghost Hunters: William James and the search for scientific proof of life after death.” (2007).

Brumfiel, Geoff. “Who has designs on your students’ minds?.” (2005): 1062

Secondary Sources

Bekiari, Alexandra, Konstantinos Famissis, Alexandros Kritikos, Nikitas Nikitaras, and Thanos Kriemadis. “THE BODY AND THE SOUL IN HOMER, THE ORPHICS, HERACLITUS, PYTHAGORAS AND SOCRATES FROM THE CRITICAL STANDPOINT OF PHILOSOPHY AND SPORTS PEDAGOGY.” Studies in Physical Culture & Tourism 16, no. 2 (2009

Ho, David YF. “Selfhood and identity in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism: contrasts with the West.” Journal for the theory of social behaviour 25, no. 2 (1995): 115-139.

Goldschmidt, Tyron, and Beth Seacord. “Judaism, Reincarnation, and Theodicy.” Faith and Philosophy 30, no. 4 (2013): 393-417.

BieMiller, Marc. “Augustine and Plato: Clarifying Misconceptions.” Aporia 29, no. 2-2019

Ristuccia, Nathan J. “Eastern religions and the west: the making of an image.” History of religions 53, no. 2 (2013): 170-20

Almeder, Robert. Death and personal survival: The evidence for life after death. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1992

Brooks, Nicky. “Overview of religions.” Clinical cornerstone 6, no. 1 (2004): 7-16.

Rait, Satwant Kaur. Sikh women in England: their religious and cultural beliefs and social practices. Trentham Books, 2005.

Copeman, Jacob. “The mimetic guru: Tracing the real in Sikh–Dera Sacha Sauda relations.” In The Guru in South Asia, pp. 167-191. Routledge, 2012.

Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley. Fighting for faith and nation: Dialogues with Sikh militants. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010

Hardy, Julia. “Afterlife and Salvation.” Religion Library: Buddhism. Patheos Library: Hosting the Conversation on Faith (2012).

O’Neill, Kevin. Internet Afterlife: Virtual Salvation in the 21st Century: Virtual Salvation in the 21st Century. ABC-CLIO, 2016

Worth, Allison, Tasneem Irshad, Raj Bhopal, Duncan Brown, Julia Lawton, Elizabeth Grant, Scott Murray et al. “Vulnerability and access to care for South Asian Sikh and Muslim patients with life limiting illness in Scotland: prospective longitudinal qualitative study.” Bmj 338 (2009): b183.

Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley. Fighting for faith and nation: Dialogues with Sikh militants. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010

Barrier, N. Gerald. “Trauma and memory within the Sikh diaspora: Internet dialogue.” Sikh Formations: Religion, Culture, Theory 2, no. 1 (2006): 33-56.

[1] Mandair, Arvind-Pal S. Religion and the specter of the West: Sikhism, India, postcoloniality, and the politics of translation. Columbia University Press, 2009.

[2] Mandair, Arvind-Pal S. Religion and the specter of the West: Sikhism, India, postcoloniality, and the politics of translation. Columbia University Press, 2009

[3] Taylor, Eugene. “Ghost Hunters: William James and the search for scientific proof of life after death.” (2007).

[4] Mandair, Arvind-Pal S. “Sikh afterlife beliefs and funerary practices.” In The Routledge Companion to Death and Dying, pp. 98-109. Routledge, 2017.

[5] Mandair, Arvind-Pal S. “Sikh afterlife beliefs and funerary practices.” In The Routledge Companion to Death and Dying, pp. 98-109. Routledge, 2017.

[6] Mandair, Arvind-Pal S. “Sikh afterlife beliefs and funerary practices.” In The Routledge Companion to Death and Dying, pp. 98-109. Routledge, 2017.

[7] Worth, Allison, Tasneem Irshad, Raj Bhopal, Duncan Brown, Julia Lawton, Elizabeth Grant, Scott Murray et al. “Vulnerability and access to care for South Asian Sikh and Muslim patients with life limiting illness in Scotland: prospective longitudinal qualitative study.” Bmj 338 (2009): b183.

[8] Worth, Allison, Tasneem Irshad, Raj Bhopal, Duncan Brown, Julia Lawton, Elizabeth Grant, Scott Murray et al. “Vulnerability and access to care for South Asian Sikh and Muslim patients with life limiting illness in Scotland: prospective longitudinal qualitative study.” Bmj 338 (2009): b183.

[9] Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley. Fighting for faith and nation: Dialogues with Sikh militants. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010.

[10] Hardy, Julia. “Afterlife and Salvation.” Religion Library: Buddhism. Patheos Library: Hosting the Conversation on Faith (2012).

[11] O’Neill, Kevin. Internet Afterlife: Virtual Salvation in the 21st Century: Virtual Salvation in the 21st Century. ABC-CLIO, 2016.

[12] Barrier, N. Gerald. “Trauma and memory within the Sikh diaspora: Internet dialogue.” Sikh Formations: Religion, Culture, Theory 2, no. 1 (2006): 33-56.

[13] Copeman, Jacob. “The mimetic guru: Tracing the real in Sikh–Dera Sacha Sauda relations.” In The Guru in South Asia, pp. 167-191. Routledge, 2012.

[14] Mahmood, Cynthia Keppley. Fighting for faith and nation: Dialogues with Sikh militants. University of Pennsylvania Press, 2010.

[15] Brooks, Nicky. “Overview of religions.” Clinical cornerstone 6, no. 1 (2004): 7-16.

[16]Rait, Satwant Kaur. Sikh women in England: their religious and cultural beliefs and social practices. Trentham Books, 2005.

[17]BieMiller, Marc. “Augustine and Plato: Clarifying Misconceptions.” Aporia 29, no. 2-2019.

[18] Ristuccia, Nathan J. “Eastern religions and the west: the making of an image.” History of religions 53, no. 2 (2013): 170-204.

[19] Ristuccia, Nathan J. “Eastern religions and the west: the making of an image.” History of religions 53, no. 2 (2013): 170-204.

[20] Ho, David YF. “Selfhood and identity in Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism, and Hinduism: contrasts with the West.” Journal for the theory of social behaviour 25, no. 2 (1995): 115-139.

[21] Goldschmidt, Tyron, and Beth Seacord. “Judaism, Reincarnation, and Theodicy.” Faith and Philosophy 30, no. 4 (2013): 393-417.

[22] Almeder, Robert. Death and personal survival: The evidence for life after death. Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, 1992.

[23] Brumfiel, Geoff. “Who has designs on your students’ minds?.” (2005): 1062

[24] Bekiari, Alexandra, Konstantinos Famissis, Alexandros Kritikos, Nikitas Nikitaras, and Thanos Kriemadis. “THE BODY AND THE SOUL IN HOMER, THE ORPHICS, HERACLITUS, PYTHAGORAS AND SOCRATES FROM THE CRITICAL STANDPOINT OF PHILOSOPHY AND SPORTS PEDAGOGY.” Studies in Physical Culture & Tourism 16, no. 2 (2009).