It may be possible to understand fully God’s purpose in creating man, but prophets have told us something about man’s goal. It is generally accepted that God’s purpose is for man to realize his divine inheritance while living in this moral frame.
God made man in His own image. He put His divine spark in man who is called” The Soul.” The soul enters be lily forms according to individual’s actions. The wall of the ego separates the soul from God. This leads to the cycle of birth and death. Metempsychosis can only be ended through meditation or the acquisition of divine grace. God 1s not a cruel monster out for sport with mortals. On the contrary, He is like a benevolent father. He gave man a good start in this life by providing him with all the needs for his upkeep at the time of birth. Just as the body is sustained by food and drink, in the same way the soul is nourished by virtue and devotion, When the soul progresses with the performance of good deeds and the remembrance of The Name, it becomes more worthy of a merger to Divinity. Man is a focal point in the universe. He is the apex of creation—the final stage. Human life is the starting point for God realization; you cannot own salvation as an animal or stone. Only human life, offers this grand opportunity for spiritual attainment.
Man is made of spirit and matter: Shiv and Shakti. The spirit is subtle, while the body is gross. The body has to be cared for. Because it houses the soul. A householder’s life is the best life because it offers scope for acts of charity and social service. Escapism or asceticism is not advocated by Sikh religion. Life may be compared to a game of chess or cards, where the individual does not frame the rules or control the game. The cards are given to him; it is up to him to play the game well or badly, wisely or foolishly. God watches over him and will reward him according to his efforts.
In the ultimate analysis, human life is a rich gift, not something to be frittered away in frivolity, if one fails here; one has to go through the cycle of birth and death. It is man’s option (what he can) to save himself from this chain of transmigration.
Article extracted from this publication >> December 24, 1993
