Anti-Sikhi Parchaar (Part 7): Topic - The After Life

Communists in the appearance of Sikhs have moved on to condemn the existence of any after life and reincarnation. These people are trying to convince people that Sikhs do not believe that there is any life before or after death.

Below are some of the claims of the group of individuals that challenge the existence of the after life with Gurmat responses…

#1. "Gurbani doesn't believe in the concept of the cycle of rebirth and reincarnation through the lives of different animals etc. This is a Hindu concept."
RESPONSE: Hindus drink water! Are you going to stop drinking water? Hindus have a bath! Are you going to stop having a bath? Hindus eats food! Are you going to stop eating food! What a ridiculous claim atheistic claim fuelled by Hinduphobia. 

Below are some of the many examples in Gurbani that explicitly mentions reincarnation and rebirth cycle:

ਗਉੜੀ ਗੁਆਰੇਰੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੫ ॥
ਕਈ ਜਨਮ ਭਏ ਕੀਟ ਪਤੰਗਾ ॥ ਕਈ ਜਨਮ ਗਜ ਮੀਨ ਕੁਰੰਗਾ ॥
ਕਈ ਜਨਮ ਪੰਖੀ ਸਰਪ ਹੋਇਓ ॥ ਕਈ ਜਨਮ ਹੈਵਰ ਬ੍ਰਿਖ ਜੋਇਓ ॥੧॥
ਮਿਲੁ ਜਗਦੀਸ ਮਿਲਨ ਕੀ ਬਰੀਆ ॥ ਚਿਰੰਕਾਲ ਇਹ ਦੇਹ ਸੰਜਰੀਆ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
ਕਈ ਜਨਮ ਸੈਲ ਗਿਰਿ ਕਰਿਆ ॥ ਕਈ ਜਨਮ ਗਰਭ ਹਿਰਿ ਖਰਿਆ ॥
ਕਈ ਜਨਮ ਸਾਖ ਕਰਿ ਉਪਾਇਆ ॥ ਲਖ ਚਉਰਾਸੀਹ ਜੋਨਿ ਭ੍ਰਮਾਇਆ ॥੨॥
ਸਾਧਸੰਗਿ ਭਇਓ ਜਨਮੁ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ॥ ਕਰਿ ਸੇਵਾ ਭਜੁ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ॥
ਤਿਆਗਿ ਮਾਨੁ ਝੂਠੁ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੁ ॥ ਜੀਵਤ ਮਰਹਿ ਦਰਗਹ ਪਰਵਾਨੁ ॥੩॥
ਜੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਹੋਆ ਸੁ ਤੁਝ ਤੇ ਹੋਗੁ ॥ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ਕਰਣੈ ਜੋਗੁ ॥
ਤਾ ਮਿਲੀਐ ਜਾ ਲੈਹਿ ਮਿਲਾਇ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਇ ॥੪॥੩॥੭੨॥
"Gauree Gwaarayree, Fifth Nanak: In so many incarnations, you were a worm and an insect; in so many incarnations, you were an elephant, a fish and a deer. In so many incarnations, you were a bird and a snake. In so many incarnations, you were yoked as an ox and a horse. ||1|| Meet the Lord of the Universe - now is the time to meet Him (in this human body).  After so very long, this human body was fashioned for you. ||1||Pause||  In so many incarnations, you were rocks and mountains; in so many incarnations, you were aborted in the womb; in so many incarnations, you developed branches and leaves; you wandered through 8.4 million incarnations. ||2||  Through the Company of the Holy, you (now) obtained this human life. Do seva - selfless service; follow the Guru's Teachings, and vibrate the Lord's Name. Abandon pride, falsehood and arrogance. Remain dead while yet alive, and you shall be welcomed in the Court of the Lord. ||3|| Whatever has been, and whatever shall be, comes from You, Lord. (Other than You,) no one else can do anything at all. We are united with You, when You unite us with Yourself. O Nanak! Only then one can sing the Glorious Praises of the Lord. ||4||3||72||"
(Gauree M:5, 176) 

In another Shabad Guru Ji says:

ਮਨੁ ਤਨੁ ਥਾਪਿ ਕੀਆ ਸਭੁ ਅਪਨਾ ਏਹੋ ਆਵਣ ਜਾਣਾ ||
ਜਿਨਿ ਦੀਆ ਸੋ ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ਮੋਹਿ ਅੰਧੁ ਲਪਟਾਣਾ ||੩||

"He believes the mind and body are all his own; this is the cause of his coming and going. He does not think of the One who gave him these; he is blind, entangled in emotional attachment. ||3||"
(Raamkalee M:5, 882)

In another Shabad Guru Ji says:

ਏਹੁ ਜੀਉ ਬਹੁਤੇ ਜਨਮ ਭਰੰਮਿਆ ਤਾ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਸਬਦੁ ਸੁਣਾਇਆ ||"This soul wandered through countless incarnations, until the True Guru instructed it in the Word of the Shabad." (Aasa M:1, 465)

#2."No one remembers their past life. Gurbani doesn't mention anything about past life."
RESPONSE:

Either the person claiming this suffers from amnesia or they have mistaken their study books on atheism for Gurbani because Gurbani clearly mentions the past life.

Bhagat Kabir Ji clearly states his past life:

ਪੂਰਬ ਜਨਮ ਹਮ ਤੁਮ੍ਹਰੇ ਸੇਵਕ ਅਬ ਤਉ ਮਿਟਿਆ ਨ ਜਾਈ ||
ਤੇਰੇ ਦੁਆਰੈ ਧੁਨਿ ਸਹਜ ਕੀ ਮਾਥੈ ਮੇਰੇ ਦਗਾਈ ||੨||

"In my past lives, I was Your servant; now, I cannot leave You. The heavenly sound current resounds at Your Door. Your insignia is stamped upon my forehead. ||2||"
(Raamkalee Kabir Ji, 970)

#3. "No one has died and come back to say what the after life is like. The Guru never claimed to know what the after life is."
RESPONSE: This claims reminds me of a frog living a small pond who is unable to comprehend that the ocean actually exists. Guru Ji has not only seen the after life but has come back and written what he has witnessed in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji:

ਸੰਤਨ ਕੀ ਸੁਣਿ ਸਾਚੀ ਸਾਖੀ || ਸੋ ਬੋਲਹਿ ਜੋ ਪੇਖਹਿ ਆਖੀ ||
ਨਹੀ ਲੇਪੁ ਤਿਸੁ ਪੁੰਨਿ ਨ ਪਾਪਿ || ਨਾਨਕ ਕਾ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਆਪੇ ਆਪਿ ||੪||੨੫||੩੬||

"Listen to the true story of the Saints. They speak only of what they see with their eyes. (The Saints say that) God is not influence with virtue or vice. Nanak's God is Himself all-in-all. ||4||25||36||"

(Raamkalee M:5, 894)  

Guru Sahib describes the truth that happens in the Lord's court as seen by Him. The following Shabad is about what happens to a Tappaa (ਤਪਾ), a so called holy man, who slandered Guru Sahib. Guru Ji tells us what happened to him in the next world after death:

ਮਹਾ ਪੁਰਖਾਂ ਕੀ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਕਾ ਵੇਖੁ ਜਿ ਤਪੇ ਨੋ ਫਲੁ ਲਗਾ ਸਭੁ ਗਇਆ ਤਪੇ ਕਾ ਘਾਲਿਆ ||
ਬਾਹਰਿ ਬਹੈ ਪੰਚਾ ਵਿਚਿ ਤਪਾ ਸਦਾਏ || ਅੰਦਰਿ ਬਹੈ ਤਪਾ ਪਾਪ ਕਮਾਏ ||
ਹਰਿ ਅੰਦਰਲਾ ਪਾਪੁ ਪੰਚਾ ਨੋ ਉਘਾ ਕਰਿ ਵੇਖਾਲਿਆ ||
ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਜਮਕੰਕਰਾ ਨੋ ਆਖਿ ਛਡਿਆ ਏਸੁ ਤਪੇ ਨੋ ਤਿਥੈ ਖੜਿ ਪਾਇਹੁ ਜਿਥੈ ਮਹਾ ਮਹਾਂ ਹਤਿਆਰਿਆ ||
ਫਿਰਿ ਏਸੁ ਤਪੇ ਦੈ ਮੁਹਿ ਕੋਈ ਲਗਹੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਏਹੁ ਸਤਿਗੁਰਿ ਹੈ ਫਿਟਕਾਰਿਆ ||
ਹਰਿ ਕੈ ਦਰਿ ਵਰਤਿਆ ਸੁ ਨਾਨਕਿ ਆਖਿ ਸੁਣਾਇਆ || ਸੋ ਬੂਝੈ ਜੁ ਦਯਿ ਸਵਾਰਿਆ ||੧||

"Behold the fruit the penitent gathers, for slandering the Great Primal Being; all his labours have gone in vain. When he sits outside among the elders, he calls himself a penitent; but when he sits inside, the penitent commits sin. The Lord has exposed the penitent's secret sin to the elders. The Righteous Judge, Dharam Raaj, said to the Messenger of Death, "Take this penitent and put him with the worst of the worst murderers." No one is to look at the face of this penitent again. He has been cursed by the True Guru. Nanak speaks and reveals what has taken place in the Court of the Lord. They alone understand, who are blessed and adorned by the Lord. ||1||"
(Gauree M:4, 315)

#4. "Gurbani is interested in the present rather than past and future."
RESPONSE: If there is no re-birth then there is no need for Naam Japna which is the basic principal of Sikhi. Naam Japna can lead to the tearing of the account of one's Karma.

ਜਿਨ ਕਉ ਕ੍ਰਿਪਾ ਕਰੀ ਜਗਜੀਵਨਿ ਹਰਿ ਉਰਿ ਧਾਰਿਓ ਮਨ ਮਾਝਾ ||
ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਦਰਿ ਕਾਗਦ ਫਾਰੇ ਜਨ ਨਾਨਕ ਲੇਖਾ ਸਮਝਾ ||੪||੫||

"Those, unto whom the Lord, the Life of the world, has shown Mercy, enshrine Him within their hearts, and cherish Him in their minds. The Righteous Judge, Dharam Raaj, in the Court of the Lord, has torn up my papers; servant Nanak's account has been settled. ||4||5||"

(Jaitsree M:4, 697)

#5. "Dharam Raaj, an angel who is said to be a judge in the after world who judges our actions and delivers judgement does not really exist. Gurbani just uses the concept of Dharam Raaj as a metaphor to help explain things to Hindus. The real divine-judge is our conscience. The conscience does the job of judging one's actions."

RESPONSE: Gurbani clearly states that Dharam Raaj does exist. Yes - he exists!

ਧਰਮ ਰਾਇ ਹੈ ਹਰਿ ਕਾ ਕੀਆ ਹਰਿ ਜਨ ਸੇਵਕ ਨੇੜਿ ਨ ਆਵੈ ||

"The Righteous Judge, Dharam Raaj, exists; he is the creation of the Lord; (but) he does not approach the humble servant of the Lord."
(Bihaagraa M:3, 555)

If the individual conscience of every person is Dharam Raaj then that would mean that truth is subjective, not objective. No single human beings conscience matches. One person's conscience says alcohol is evil, yet another's says it is acceptable. One person's conscience says it okay to behead non-believers, whilst another's conscience says it is okay to behead animals but not humans. Certain things are definitely either right or wrong, and cannot be left to be decided by individual conscience. It would be crazy to say that something is right if someone's individual conscience says it is right.  That would sounds like atheism (and mayhem!). According to Gurbani the truth is objective.

ਏਕੋ ਧਰਮੁ ਦ੍ਰਿੜੈ ਸਚੁ ਕੋਈ ||
"There is only one religion of Dharma; let everyone grasp this truth."
(Basant M:1, 1188)

#6. "There is no scientific proof of reincarnation and the after life."

RESPONSE: Everything is recycled; nothing dies. Even atoms are recycled and they are reborn as new things. DNA transfers from parents to children. Parents live forever through their children, i.e. they got partly born through children.

On 29th August 2014 a team of Belgium psychologists and medical doctors associated with the Technische Universität of Berlin announced that they had proven by clinical experimentation, the existence of some form of life after death. They based their conclusions on a study using a new type of medically supervised near-death experiences, that allow patients to be clinically dead for almost 20 minutes before being brought back to life.

Dr. Ian Stevenson, Ph.D., former Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Virginia School of Medicine, spent 40 years researching reincarnation stories within children.  This former chairman of the Department of Psychiatry and Neurology investigated over 3000 independent stories of children who claimed to have memories and know people from their alleged past lives.  According to Stevenson, the number of cases that are worth considering is so high that it exceeds the ability of him and his team to investigate them all.

Why would there be so many cases of children who claim to have been other people, who know the specific names and interpersonal relationships of the person they recall being, who have similar behaviour and personalities as the people they claimed to be, who have birthmarks and abnormalities where they claimed to have suffered wounds in their past lives, and who have specific phobias linked back to alleged past life traumas if reincarnation did not exist?  When we consider that there is no naturalistic explanation that can account for all of data, and when we consider the explanatory power of reincarnation, we are more than justified in subscribing to reincarnation for scientific reasons.  The accounts are far too precise to be chalked up as chance, and all other explanations are inadequate in trying to explain such a wide array of data.