Question: If God makes everything happen, then why do we have to be held account for our Karma?

SIKHI QUESTION AND ANSWER

Question: If God makes everything happen, then why do we have to be held account for our Karma? 

Answer: This is a very good question and requires a deep answer. The account of one’s Karma is not just based on our actions but the intentions and thoughts behind those actions. For example if someone looked at or touched a woman in a lustful way their action leads to sin. However, if someone unintentionally touches the hand of another woman or looks in her direction without feeling of lust, then there is no sin. So this tells us that sinful actions are based on one’s intention behind the action, not the action. 

Someone caught up in their own ego does actions thinking that they are the creators of their own Karma. For this reason he or she would have to give account for their actions. 

On the other side, if someone lovingly recites the Lord’s Name and achieves a high spiritual stage and gets rid of the ego within them, and then they no longer remain as the creator of Karma. Instead they live life like spectators and treat God alone as ‘Kartaa Purakh’ or the Creator of their karma and destiny. Such a person does not have to give an account for their Karma. Gurbani (scripture) says: 

jab eh jaan-ai mai kichh kartaa. tab lag garab jon mehi firtaa. “As long as one thinks that they are they are making everything happen with their own strength, until then such a person remains stuck in the reincarnation cycle due to creating their own ego-based separate identity (as supposed to identifying with God).” (SGGS – Ang 278) 

We can understand this topic with a simple analogy: There is a soldier called ‘Manjinder Singh’ who goes with the army to fight in a battle. During the battle he kills 4 or 5 people. However, no legal action is taken against him because he didn’t act as ‘Manjinder Singh’, but rather he acted in his capacity as a soldier employed by the government. 

However, if he goes home on holiday and then kills someone, then legal action will take place against him. This is because he acted in his personal capacity as ‘Manjinder Singh’, not as a soldier. We can try to understand the soul this way. If the soul accepts God as the Creator and he/she accepts themselves to be a spectator, then there Karma is not held to account. One has to give an account for their Karma if they act out of ego. However, to accept oneself as spectator before God’s play, rather than as a creator, is not an easy task. This requires extreme spiritual effort through lovingly reciting God’s Name, meditating, praying, and living a life of a Gurmukh (Guru centred person).