Mind-Blowing Psychological Facts

These psychological facts will definitely blow your mind!

'Smartphone' spotted in 80years old painting

'Smartphone' spotted in 80years old painting

An 80-year-old painting has taken the internet by storm by appearing to show a Native American man using an iPhone.
The painting, 'Mr Pynchon and the Settling of Springfield', was committed to canvas in 1937 by Italian painter Umberto Romano. It depicts two Native American tribes and British settlers meeting for the first time in Massachusetts around the year 1630.
Neither then, nor in the 1930s, were smartphones around - but that's exactly what one of the several men depicted in the artwork seems to be gazing at.

Another man, tied to a pole, appears to be leaning over to try and get a look at the Native American's latest Snap chats.
The anomaly was noticed two days ago by Brian Anderson, a writer for online magazine Vice.
"It's not clear exactly who this man is, but he might as well be popping off a selfie or thumbing through his news feed," Anderson wrote.
"He seems to gaze into the handheld device in such a way that renders all-too-familiar today, as if he's just read a bad tweet or recoiling from a Trump-related push notification from the Times. He would almost look unremarkable, if only he and the world around him existed at any point in the past decade."
Cellphones didn't exist until the 1970s, and smartphones as we know them now first appeared about a decade ago.
Historians have suggested it's probably a blade or a mirror - both far more likely than a time-travelling Galaxy Note.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EDrIKsztWwM

'Lifting Your Mood'

'Lifting Your Mood'

 ... you're likely to have felt:

·         More tired than usual

·         Highly strung – everything just got on your nerves

·         Easily angered

·         Guilty about becoming angry, particularly with your children and your partner or spouse

·         Everything was just ‘too much’

·         Increasingly worried about the future, money, work, security in general

And...

·         Keen to avoid stuff you felt was stress-inducing

·         More focused on- or obsessed about- things you could control, e.g. food intake, exercise, cleanliness, ‘rules’ at work and/or at home

How to improve your mood forever

You may be feeling that there's no escape from those depressive feelings. Maybe the stress of what you're experiencing feels completely overwhelming.

I promise you, though, that you can overcome those feelings and thrive again.

I can't promise you that it'll happen overnight! But - just making the decision and committing to it will make a difference. And you'll sleep better for it tonight.

You deserve to live a happier life. It's only when you're well and happy enough that you can share liberally of yourself, to the benefit of others.

That stress and depression doesn't only affect you - it affects the people around you; most importantly your partner, wife or husband, and if you have children, they too are affected by your moods, your condition and of course your recovery.

There is no shame in suffering! No need to feel guilty - it doesn't help anyone... least of all you. You are as unique as any star in the sky and you owe it to yourself to do all you can to overcome your depression, and get a handle on all that stress and that sense of being overwhelmed by life.

I know you can do it! I have seen many people changed their lives forever by simply learning how to stay well, and how to stay connected with the people around them rather than disappearing inside their heads.

READ MY E-BOOK “DOSE-THE HAPPY BRAIN CHEMICALS” & get rid of emotional Sickness available on AMAZON & KINDLE.

https://www.amazon.com/DOSE-PREVENT-YOURSELF-EMOTIONAL-SICKNESS-ebook/dp/B074L7SWR8/ref=sr_1_fkmr2_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1503862885&sr=8-2-fkmr2&keywords=Dose+the+happy+brain+chemicals

Really, stress and depression affects not only the person, but everyone around him, but unfortunately in most of cases, neither the depressed person noticed this and neither their family members, which makes the situation even worse.

This is not to mention the various cases where the person simply refuses to seek specialized help.

Is a life without a wish, a life at all?

What is Life?

#. Life is the unfoldment and development of a being under circumstances tending to press it down.

#. Expansion is life, contraction is death.

#. Love is life and hatred is death.

#. Strength is life, weakness is death.

Is a life without a wish, a life at all?

A life without a dream isn't a life. I think that people need a motivation and something to believe in to keep going. Whatever that motivation is, it is personal to everyone. If there is no dream (or wish), then life becomes meaningless and we tend to want to put meaning to something.

In other words, if we have nothing to look forward to (the wish), then as individuals we become more robotic. All it takes is finding something to work toward and then life becomes rewarding and fulfilling.

A life without a wish is still life, but not one that people enjoy or prefer to live.

A life without a wish, if possible, is probably the ultimate spiritual height that can be reached.

Crossed Legs Etiquettes

Legs are far from our eyes and hence, there are high chances that they get ignored by us during our conversations. However, they do convey a lot of information about our emotions and feelings all the time.
The movement of hands and head certainly contributes to the art of positive body language. However, legs do have their own importance and must be maintained in proper positions. Let’s take a look at what different types of leg crosses imply.

The Standing Leg Cross

The standing leg cross is a body gesture of defiance, defensiveness and submission. This is the posture that is mostly adopted by people when they meet others who are complete strangers.
The standing leg cross symbolizes denial to access to the genitals. This is the reason why this posture is considered to be defensive in nature. Hence, such a gesture shows that the person is not confident of oneself, or in other words, lacks self-confidence.

For women, it shows that she wants to stay in the conversation but access to her is denied. In the case of men, it again signifies that the man wants to stay in the conversation but he also wants to ensure that he is not open to everybody’s access.
Hence, the next time, even if someone looks to be friendly in conversation and having relaxed facial expressions along with proper hand movements, but crossed leg position, please note that the person is not as confident or relaxed as he or she is trying to appear.
Always remember the following mantra −

• Open legs − Confidence
• Closed or crossed legs − Reticence

If a person in front of you is talking to you candidly and yet has this posture, it is better to leave and put the person at ease. This is because the person is actually not that comfortable talking to you as he/she is portraying.

The Double Cross

The double cross happens when the person concerned crosses both the legs and arms. This shows that the person is totally uninterested in speaking to you. Such people are not receptive to communication and hence, it is better either to create a quick rapport with them or leave.

Figure Four Leg Clamp

In this posture, the person locks his one leg over the other and places both his hands on to the raised leg. This gesture shows that the person is totally disinterested in us and is stubborn in attitude. This gesture also signifies that the person is tough minded and does not respect others’ opinion. He is just concerned about his own opinions.

The Ankle Lock

In this posture, the person locks the ankles together. The palms may be clenched in a fist or may be placed on the legs or may be even clutching a chair. This gesture shows that the person is hiding some negative emotion, like anxiety or fear or doubt.
Such type of body language is usually seen with people who are being charged for some crime or being produced in a court for hearing. This is one posture that should be avoided as well.

The Leg Twine

In this posture, one of the legs is raised and is locked around the other leg. This is a gesture of shyness and timidity. This one gesture is exclusive to women and is symbolic of insecurity.

Parallel Legs

This is one leg posture that should be adopted by women. It is hardly ever seen being reproduced by any male. This posture gives women a healthier and more attractive look and projects a powerful signal of feminity. This leg posture accounts for a positive body language, confidence and attractiveness and is considered to be the best leg posture for women. It also gives a youthful look to the ladies.

Dominant Stand

This is one posture that is commonly seen with men and women in the military. In this position, the person spreads the legs apart and the feet is placed firmly on the ground. This is a posture of dominance. This posture may look good and dignified in the armed forces, but sometimes it can also look intimidating to other people, because the person taking a dominant stand may appear to be authoritative.

Attention Position

This posture is generally suited for situations when a person who is junior in rank is meeting a person senior in rank. This posture conveys no commitment to stay or leave. This posture, therefore, shows that the person is neutral towards the situation and that they have no closed or negative opinions.

Sitting Gracefully Is a Woman's Charm

While it seems fine to go with anything you feel comfortable with sitting, nothing beats proper etiquette. Genuine poise comes from within and it's not something that can be taught very well just through words.
The "rules" on how to sit gracefully are simply guidelines and need not be that ironclad to make it fun and rewarding. Some women have an innate grace that just works no matter what they do. Sitting gracefully is behaving with a touch of class and it's the lady-like elegance that's just being the best that you can be.

Basic Do’s and Don’ts

Care must also be taken while sitting. Many people sit by turning the chair around and sitting on it by placing the chest on the chair’s frame. This is done mainly to show that the person is occupying space and is trying to be assertive, yet it gives away an altogether opposite message. This posture shows that the person is not confident and is trying to protect himself or herself by creating a barrier between him or her and the other person.
Tapping of foot is also a big problem with many people that needs to be worked on. The habit of repeated foot tapping on the floor is symbolic of anxiety and impatience. When people wait to receive exam results or medical reports or anything that has a lot of uncertainty associated with it, they begin to tap their foot repeatedly.
For job interviews or group discussions, the legs must be uncrossed and parallel and the feet must be placed firmly on the ground. Women can cross their legs in the form of European leg cross, when they are in group discussions but it is a big ‘No’ for men to do so. Placement of legs and feet play a pivotal role in conveyance of messages of the mind and in getting selected at job interviews and group discussions.

Lord Ganesh is the God of wisdom, success, prosperity & Good luck

Lord Ganesh - Remover of Obstacles

Learn About Shri Ganesh

About Shri Ganesh

Widely revered as the remover of obstacles, the patron of arts and sciences and the ‘Deva’ of intellect and wisdom, Lord Ganesh (also known as Ganapati and Vinayaka) is one of the best-known and most worshipped deities in the Hindu religion. As the God of beginnings, he is honored at the start of rituals and ceremonies.

Lord Ganesh is the God of wisdom, success and prosperity. He is the remover of all kinds of obstacles. According to Rigveda, “a Kritey Twayam Kriyate Kim Chanare” i.e. no work begins without the blessing of lord Ganesh.

The benevolent lord is always ready to help those who seek his blessings earnestly. To appease the elephant-headed lord, one needs to know what he likes the most.

Ganesh (also known as Ganesh or Ganapati), is the elephant-headed, pot-bellied, Hindu God. He is the most beloved God in all of Hinduism. Even though there are many different sects of Hinduism in India and throughout the world, Ganesh is the one Deity that all Hindus love and worship. He is the "common thread" amongst all Hindus, or those practicing Hinduism (which is called "Sanatana Dharma").

But, admiration of Lord Ganesh is not limited to India, for his influence is worldwide. Devotees and statues (or "murti") of Ganesh can be found around the globe, by both those who are practicing Hindus and those who are not.

Ganesh is known as the Remover of Obstacles and the God of Success and Prosperity. He is also known as the destroyer of evils and the god of education, knowledge, wisdom, wealth and domestic harmony. In India, no new undertaking, whether it is a new business, a marriage, a new job, taking an exam, or any other endeavour, is started without first making an offering or prayer to Lord Ganesh and asking for His blessing. (Next time you visit an Indian restaurant or grocery store, look around, you're bound to see an image of Ganesh!)

Symbolism of Ganesh

Some of the symbolism associated with Ganesh is shown in the following table:

Aspect	Symbolism
Elephant Head	Calmness, majesty, wisdom and strength
Mouse	Mastery of fear, indecision, anxiety and uncertainty and control over beings of the subterranean worlds.
Grotesque body	Illusion and duality
Large Ears	Discernment, supernatural auditory powers
Broken tusk	Indifference and detachment. Also, skill in action.
Curve of the Trunk	Connection with curves in the symbol of AUM as the lord of the speech.
Large belly	Completeness, contentment and fulfilment
Pasa	The three impurities of anava, karma and Maya.
Ankusa or Goad	Complete control or mastery of self. The power to mitigate as well as inflict suffering.

There are many ways that Ganesh is portrayed in the form of statues and pictures, but in many cases, you will find the following traits and symbolism: His broken tusk, symbolizes sacrifice. It is said that he broke this tusk to use as a pen for writing the important Indian epic, the Mahabharata. His large ears indicate that he is always willing and able to hear our prayers and requests. In His upper-right-hand, he carries an axe to cut away difficulties and obstacles. In his upper-left-hand, he holds a "goad" or noose, to capture his devotees and help them move forward in life. In his lower-left-hand, he often carries a sweet called a "ladoo," which indicates the sweetness of the spiritual path. His lower-right-hand is almost always extended in a gesture (mudra) of blessing. By his feet, sits Ganesh’s "vehicle," which is a tiny mouse. Ganesh has chosen the mouse as his vehicle because he is quick-moving and small enough to travel even into the smallest of places. Various Names of Lord Ganesh Lord Ganesh is one of the few Hindu Gods, who is said to solve all kinds of troubles and touch all aspects of the human life with his holy presence. In fact, Lord Ganesh has many names like Vighnaharta – the remover of hurdles, Sumukha – the one with an attractive face, Bhalchandra – the wearer of moon on his forehead, Vinayaka – the eternal leader, Lambodara – the one with a big stomach and many more. He is worshipped and adored in all His forms and is one of the cutest Hindu Gods too – and that is why He is children's favourite too. Ganpati – The Lord of all Lords Sumukha – The Lord with a beautiful face Vinayaka – The prominent Lord of all Gajanana – The Elephant headed God Ek Danta – The Lord with one tusk Lambkarna – Long Eared God Vigneshwara – Remover of all the obstacles Kapila - The one with tawny coloured skin

Asking for Assistance from Lord Ganesh
You don't have to be a Hindu to ask Lord Ganesh for assistance. He is an all-loving God, available to assist anyone who will take the time to connect with Him. If there are obstacles that you are facing in life, if you feel stuck, if things are just not "going right," then turn to Ganesh and ask Him to help you. You may just be surprised by the assistance you receive!

Here is the easiest and most effective way to ask Ganesh for help:

• First study a picture of Ganesh, so that you may have a firm understanding of what he looks like and can recreate that image in your mind.
• Take a few deep breaths, close your eyes and bring that image of Ganesh to your mind. Try and see him in as much detail as possible. See his beautiful elephant-head, with welcoming eyes, large ears, long trunk and big, pot-belly. See Him as clearly as you can.
• Now, simply speak to Him in HIS right ear. Just speak all your concerns, worries, needs, etc. right into HIS right ear. Know that as you speak he is hearing you and that you are making a connection with him.

That's it! It's that easy. When you have done this once, it is said that you will then have a permanent and ongoing relationship and connection with Ganesh. Speak to Him anytime you wish, as many times as you wish. It does not have to be a formal meditation. Take a moment in your day, if you feel the need, close your eyes and speak to Him using the above method.

Another way that you can invoke the power of Lord Ganesh is by repeating one of his mantras. In the simplest sense, mantras are ancient Sanskrit words of power. Each syllable of a mantra resonates a certain vibration. Mantras are used in meditation, to focus the mind, but they are also used to invoke the blessing of a Deity. What is happening when you repeat a mantra over and over, is that you are matching your own vibrational frequency to that of the mantra and its purpose (wealth, health, success, knowledge, etc.). Each of the Hindu Deities has their own mantra or mantras, which invoke the type of energy that the Deity represents the following is one of the most popular and most powerful mantras to invoke the assistance of Lord Ganesh and to remove the obstacles in your life. To work with it, simply repeat it aloud (chant) repeatedly, or repeat it silently to yourself. You will see the most benefit from this practice if you do it daily, for at least 4-6 weeks. It may not take that long to see the benefits, but you will come to realize the full power of the mantra if you continue with its practice. I can personally attest to the fact that this mantra is powerful and that Lord Ganesh has blessed me many times, removing many obstacles from my own life, and opening new opportunities.

The mantra follows below. I have written the mantra in English transliteration (because you probably can't read Sanskrit!) with phonetic pronunciation below it, so that you can easily learn to pronounce it.

OM GAM GANAPATAYE NAMAHA
(OHM GUMM GUN-UH-PUT-AH-YAY NAHM-AH-HAH)

Thus, we can see that Ganesh is the power of knowledge, success and fulfillment. To invoke this divine being, several Mantras are chanted in his name. These Ganesh Mantras are also known as Siddhi Mantra (the one with perfection). Each mantra is full of energy and the power of Lord Ganesh. It is believed that His mantras, when recited with genuine devotion, give positive results. They ward off all trials and troubles gracing the devotee with every bit of the success he desires.

One of my favorite Shri Ganesh prayers is:

Vakratunda Mahaakaaya Suryakotee Sama Prabha

Nirvighnam kuru mey Deva Sarva kaaryeshu Sarvadaa

FOLLOWING are very powerful mantras that can be used in Jaap to attain success, knowledge, and wish fulfillment.

Aum Shri Ganeshaya Namah

Aum Gam Ganapataye Namah

Aum Vakratundaya Hum

Aum Kshipra Prasadaya Namah

Aum shrim hrim klim glaum gam ganapataye vara varada sarva janamme vashamanaya svaha

Aum Ekadantaya Namah

Aum sumukhaya Namah

Aum kapilaya Namah

Aum gajakarnikaya Namah

Aum lambodaraya Namah

Aum Vikataya Namah

Aum Vigna Nashanaya Namah

Aum Vinayakaya Namah

Aum Ganadhyakshaya Namah

Aum Bhalachandraya Namah

Lord Ganesh is our mentor and protector.
May He enrich your life
by always giving you great beginnings
and removing obstacles from your life.

May all your obstacles be removed and may you receive many blessings from Shree Ganesh!

LIFE BALANCE DEFINED

What inner feeling will make me feel in balance?

I feel balanced when I’m satisfied, enthusiastic, motivated, enough freedom to be me, loved and excited.

Life balance is inner peace and happiness.

Life balance is the understanding that my life is full and yet I have plenty of room to bring something new into it.

Life balance is a happy family that I have and smiles on the faces of my Children.

Life balance is taking care of my body without forgetting my soul.

Life balance is walking outside and seeing the beauty around me that inspires me day after day.

Life balance is faith that I have.

Life balance is my focus on the most important things in my life and not being afraid to let go of less important tasks, projects and people.

Life balance is an imperfect mixture of creativity, work, family, exercise and my personal time. It’s unique, chaotic at times and totally worth all the efforts to keep it in balance.

Life balance is feeling happy and not knowing why.

Life balance is feeling hope in a negative encounter.

Life balance is knowing that He is love and will give me perfect peace.

Life balance is listening and talking in equal amounts.

Life balance is doing what must be done and still having time for what I want to do.

Life balance is making things by hand and appreciating whatever I make.

Life balance is doing the things on my wish list in whatever way I can.

Life balance is eating nourishing, fresh food and someday growing my own food.

Life balance is inside and outside the home.

Life balancing is enjoying love and spreading it.

Life balance is empowering others and me to achieve dreams.

Life balance is enjoying a run or a walk for the sake of running or walking.

Life balance is being in touch with my body and flowing with that energy.

Life balance is creating chaos, then getting it back to sanity, and enjoying both.

Life balance is always knowing that God is there for me to seek guidance, help and simply to love Him.

Life balance is having a healthy diet, by being able to eat great tasting food without having to compromise my overall health.

Life balance is exercising every day, by varying the techniques.

Life balance is maintaining good relationships with my parents, siblings, and extended family.

Life balance is inner peace, happiness and contentment with the knowledge that is room for more improvement.

Life balance is getting good grades and entering the university of my dreams.

Life balance is studying what I actually see myself doing for the next 40 years.

Life balance is having friends whom I know I can trust and I know they will be there for me.

Life balance is pursuing my hobbies and interests.

Life balance is seeing the world, interacting with nature and other cultures.

Life balance is not having debt.

Life balance is being able to live below my means.

Life balance is being able to enjoy every single moment of life.

For me, balance is based on the feeling like a part of the universe. From this point of view, my everyday troubles seem to lose significance and I begin to understand what is truly important for me.

Having this in mind, we can stop blaming ourselves, procrastinating and getting mad at things we have no influence at, but take control of what depends on us instead. We can let go everything that doesn’t suit us, without feeling a loss, and concentrate on what we truly want and need. Finally, feeling a part of the universe, we can embrace every moment and enjoy it to the most. And even if it’s not much enjoyable, that feeling gives us a wider perspective to see it’s a part of a bigger thing that leads to our goals.

I wish someday I could keep this perspective all the time, no matter how overwhelmed and helpless I feel. Hope this challenge will help me in that. 

The Doctrine of Human Suffering

How many types of suffering are humans capable of feeling?

Human suffering happens every day, everywhere, in many types and ways all around us. We do not always see it, but that does not mean it does not exist.

From a scientific point of view, there are 3 types of suffering - all three are interconnected, the last two are interconnected and interdependent: physical, psychological and emotional.

From a Buddhist point of view, there are also 3 types of suffering:

·         the suffering of suffering (birth, death, old age, sickness, separation from what we hold dear, encountering the undesirable, not achieving what we want even though we are pursuing it).

·         the suffering of change (we are under the law of impermanence, all worldly things move and change, which causes suffering for humans who are bound to seek for stability)

·         all-pervasive suffering (human conditioning to experience - no matter what we do, where we are born etc. suffering is inevitable and part of our condition)

Why Is There Suffering?

Introduction

In day-to-day human experience, we are faced with various types of suffering and evil. The concept of suffering causes some people to lose their faith in the existence of God. In other cases, it may cause a person to have more faith in God. One thing is certain however, the reason of why we suffer has puzzled humanity since the dawn of time. Sikhism has provided an answer to this apparent paradox, which shall now be discussed.

Defining Suffering

We are going to first try and define what we mean by suffering, by putting it into following categories:

• Natural – Brought about by natural causes e.g. a disease or natural disaster like an earthquake
• Moral – Brought about through human choice e.g. the Holocaust or a murder
• Relative – Dependent on how we view a situation e.g. death of a freedom fighter may be viewed as bad by his people but to their enemy it may be seen as good
• Absolute – Evil in all situations e.g. Hitler’s regime is generally regarded by people in all walks of life as being evil
• Metaphysical – Apparent unfairness of all the suffering e.g. a baby dies of cancer who has seemingly done nothing wrong but at the same time a man who commits many murders lives comfortably

It is important to note that absolute evil does not exist, because what is regarded as absolute evil to one person may not be absolute evil to another, it is therefore dependent on the perception of an individual. Also, it is important to note that any given moral situation may fall into multiple categories.

Apparent Paradox

The major world religions generally agree in the triad of God, that God is all-loving, all-knowing and all-powerful. However, for those who believe in God, the concept of suffering appears to contradict God’s all-loving and all-powerful nature. The questions people pose are, ‘How could an all-loving God allow God’s creation to suffer?’ and ‘Why would an all-powerful God not use his power to intervene and stop the suffering in the world?’

The major world religions have different ways in justifying suffering:

• Christianity, Islam & Judaism – Suffering is due to our sins and there is a Devil who tempts us to commit sin
• Hinduism – Previous and current bad deeds (karma) cause suffering
• Buddhism – Desire and attachment cause suffering
• Atheism – There is no God, so nature and humans are responsible for all suffering
• Sikhism – Previous and current bad deeds (karma or kirat) as well as desire and attachment cause suffering

Individual Karma & Samsara

The theories of Karma and Samsara are an integral part of Sikhism. Karma may be defined as the law of every action having a consequence:

“As someone sows, so he reaps” (Bhai Gurdaas Vaaran, p.1).

Samsara is the cycle of reincarnation of 8.4 million rebirths and deaths:

“Those who come, must go in the end; they come and go, regretting and repenting. They will pass through 8.4 million species; this number does not decrease or rise” (Guru Granth Sahib, p.936).

The rebirths continue until a person achieves liberation (Mukti) from this cycle of transmigration of the soul, which can only be achieved as a human being. This is why human life is regarded as being a very precious and rare opportunity to get out of the system of reincarnation.

Collective Karma

Sometimes groups of people are killed through either natural or man-made disasters and wars. This is known as collective karma where people are reaping the fruits of their individual actions at the same time individually, but as a collective whole.

Effects of Actions on Karma

It is due to our previous actions, from our current and previous lives, that we find ourselves in our current situation. People often blame God for all the suffering in their lives, however nobody is responsible for a person’s suffering other than themselves:

“Why do you slander the Lord? You are ignorant and deluded. Pain and pleasure are the result of your own actions” (Guru Granth Sahib, p.695).

Effects of Desires on Karma

Our mind’s desires of lust, anger, greed, worldly attachment and pride keep us from achieving a suffering-free life, because they make our actions reap negative fruits. Once we are in control of these 5 desires then we shall reap the fruits of good actions:

“In the field of karma, plant the seed of the Naam. Your works shall be brought to fruition” (Guru Granth Sahib, p.176).

The Need for Suffering

Sikhism provides a reason for why an all-loving and all-powerful creator allows suffering to continue. Our entire concept of suffering as being a bad thing, is wrong. Suffering is the mechanism that God has put in place to make us remember and love God again:

“Suffering is the medicine, and pleasure the disease, because where there is pleasure, there is no desire for God” (Guru Granth Sahib, p.469).

A loving mother sometimes punishes her child, so that the child may reform their bad ways. Similarly, just as iron is beaten by the blacksmith, even though the iron cries out in pain, in the end what is left is iron without the impurities:

“Putting iron into the furnace the iron is heated. Then it is put on the anvil where it bears the strokes of hammer. Making it clear like glass, its value is set” (Bhai Gurdaas Vaaran, p.14).

Another way to look at good and evil is to consider instead light and darkness. Darkness does not actually exist, it is merely the absence of light, but without darkness, how can we hope to understand light? Similarly, evil does not exist, it is merely the absence of good, but without the concept of evil, how can we hope to understand good? Without suffering and pain, we would not be able to understand the value of goodness and pleasure.

Is Death Really Suffering?

Death is seen as a negative eventuality by most people, but is it really suffering? Ironically, death is the one thing life guarantees since it is certain that one day we will all perish. Also, it seems odd that we have our entire lives to deal with the certainty of death, and yet we find it to be very distressing when someone dies. Finally, for someone that dies, death may be seen as bringing the end to their suffering and so may be seen as a blessing, for example, a terminally ill patient.

The Perfect Guru’s Example

Guru Arjan Dev Ji, the fifth master of the Sikhs, was made to suffer death by torture as ordered by the Mughal Emperor Jahangir. The Guru was made to sit on a red hot plate whilst burning sand was poured over his bare body. Even though the Guru had the power to stop all this suffering, instead he told his people that this suffering was God’s will and that he would submit to God’s will. Guru Arjan Dev Ji then sang the verse:

“Your actions seem so sweet to me. Nanak begs for the treasure of the Naam, the Name of the Lord” (Guru Granth Sahib, p.394).

The ultimate example of the suffering of the Guru should give us the strength to get through times we consider difficult. Also, when we are in a difficult situation we should think ‘it could be a lot worse’.

From every experience of suffering there is usually a lesson to learn. This is one of the functions that suffering provides, so do not forget to grow from the experience.

The Way Out

Sikhism offers people a number of ways of dealing with suffering, and these include:

• Meditation - Spending some time to meditate on the virtues of God (Naam)
• Sharing - Selfless service without reward (Sewa) which may involve serving in the free kitchen (Langar) or doing community work, or even donating a tenth of your time and money (Dasvandh) to needy causes
• Honesty - Always speaking and acting truthfully

Good actions may end suffering, but they do not alone give liberation. Liberation is obtained by meditating on the virtues of God (Naam) with love, which connects a person to the Infinity of their True self – their soul.

“Remembering God in meditation, a profound peace is obtained. Pain and suffering will not touch you at all. Forever and ever, work for God; He is our True Lord and Master. In the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, you shall become absolutely pure, and the noose of death shall be cut away” (Guru Granth Sahib, p.44).

Conclusion

• We are responsible for our own suffering due to our desires not being in our control and individual past actions (individual karma)
• Suffering is the mechanism which brings us back to the reality of God
• Evil is just the absence of good and allows us to understand the value of goodness
• Death is not suffering, it is the one thing that life guarantees and is not the end