Levels of religious consciouness
Ever since the religious consciousness has developed the omnipotent character of God has been imprinted on the minds of people. To teach ethics and good behaviour may have been the primary objective but vested interests are power, economic, social or political and it has given a totally different level of development in the society. The division of society on all levels created distress measures and in such conditions man always seeks help of the powerful and mighty. This idea of powerful and mighty was assigned to God. The most primitive interest of man in God is to seek protection in distress and danger; favours were expected for the struggles to live a normal life and boons like gift of a son and wealth. This is the minimal, selfish religious consciousness of underdeveloped, suppressed humanity. The attributes used for God for such consciousness and needs are Gharib Niwaz – nourisher of the poor, Din dard, Din dayal – sympathiser of the lowly and kind to the helpless, Anatha Nath – Lord of the unprotected, Nithawayan da thaun – refuge of the refugeless. These boons are expected because God is projected as Kind and Merciful. The expressions for His Kind and Merciful nature are as many as the narrators of His Glory. He is called Dayal, Karim, Meharban, Karnamai, Rabb, Rakha, Dayyi, Kirpanidh and Rahim. When He bestows all the charities due to His above mentioned generosities He becomes Dani, Data, Datar and Dihand. He fulfills all our wishes and becomes Ichha Purak, Daan karnang. He removes our pains and becomes Dukh Bhanjan. God is having all such good qualities and expect us to become like Him and develop to perfection and He keeps account of all our deeds – lekha jokha the job of an accountant or Bania. He is just and expects from us His kind of justice – Pura Niyan.
This ethical development of man and society is incomplete unless there is an angle of punishment to deliver justice. Guru Nanak has delivered a very conscious and liberal view point on this matter of justice. The existing religious thoughts on this matter are theory of Karma in Hinduism which is a limiting process and does not allow man to correct and better and the God also becomes vengeful according to this theory of karma. In Islam God is forgiving and man doesn’t even need to repent. According to Guru Nanak a man who has accumulated evil and bad deeds in his life can become dear to God if he chooses the right path meditates on Lord’s Name and becomes God oriented. God is pleased with such man and allows him to be in His presence. God never humiliates or degrades man when he is on path of repentance. At this stage God provides Ohla – a cover to His devotee. Man can confide in Him all his secrets, his weaknesses because He is Paij Rakhanhar – protector of our honour. According to Guru Nanak God has self imposed this role and have become Bakhshind – a forgiver.
After these physical wants the religious consciousness takes another level, another path that is not walked by all and that is the spiritual development of the self. This path not only takes to soul searching but the search begins to find the truth of God. For the seeker of truth the world becomes an ocean of all good and bad, evil and exalted and a mess of egoistic people full of negative values. It is only the Taranhaar – one who helps cross this worldly ocean. He helps remove all our impure vibes that have made us fallen and corrupt and He becomes – Patit pawan the one who emancipates. Once man has decided to be His devotee He becomes – Bhagat watsal a guide to show the path with love.
Ever since the religious consciousness has developed the omnipotent character of God has been imprinted on the minds of people. To teach ethics and good behaviour may have been the primary objective but vested interests are power, economic, social or political and it has given a totally different level of development in the society. The division of society on all levels created distress measures and in such conditions man always seeks help of the powerful and mighty. This idea of powerful and mighty was assigned to God. The most primitive interest of man in God is to seek protection in distress and danger; favours were expected for the struggles to live a normal life and boons like gift of a son and wealth. This is the minimal, selfish religious consciousness of underdeveloped, suppressed humanity. The attributes used for God for such consciousness and needs are Gharib Niwaz – nourisher of the poor, Din dard, Din dayal – sympathiser of the lowly and kind to the helpless, Anatha Nath – Lord of the unprotected, Nithawayan da thaun – refuge of the refugeless. These boons are expected because God is projected as Kind and Merciful. The expressions for His Kind and Merciful nature are as many as the narrators of His Glory. He is called Dayal, Karim, Meharban, Karnamai, Rabb, Rakha, Dayyi, Kirpanidh and Rahim. When He bestows all the charities due to His above mentioned generosities He becomes Dani, Data, Datar and Dihand. He fulfills all our wishes and becomes Ichha Purak, Daan karnang. He removes our pains and becomes Dukh Bhanjan. God is having all such good qualities and expect us to become like Him and develop to perfection and He keeps account of all our deeds – lekha jokha the job of an accountant or Bania. He is just and expects from us His kind of justice – Pura Niyan.
This ethical development of man and society is incomplete unless there is an angle of punishment to deliver justice. Guru Nanak has delivered a very conscious and liberal view point on this matter of justice. The existing religious thoughts on this matter are theory of Karma in Hinduism which is a limiting process and does not allow man to correct and better and the God also becomes vengeful according to this theory of karma. In Islam God is forgiving and man doesn’t even need to repent. According to Guru Nanak a man who has accumulated evil and bad deeds in his life can become dear to God if he chooses the right path meditates on Lord’s Name and becomes God oriented. God is pleased with such man and allows him to be in His presence. God never humiliates or degrades man when he is on path of repentance. At this stage God provides Ohla – a cover to His devotee. Man can confide in Him all his secrets, his weaknesses because He is Paij Rakhanhar – protector of our honour. According to Guru Nanak God has self imposed this role and have become Bakhshind – a forgiver.
After these physical wants the religious consciousness takes another level, another path that is not walked by all and that is the spiritual development of the self. This path not only takes to soul searching but the search begins to find the truth of God. For the seeker of truth the world becomes an ocean of all good and bad, evil and exalted and a mess of egoistic people full of negative values. It is only the Taranhaar – one who helps cross this worldly ocean. He helps remove all our impure vibes that have made us fallen and corrupt and He becomes – Patit pawan the one who emancipates. Once man has decided to be His devotee He becomes – Bhagat watsal a guide to show the path with love.
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