A Sikh Response to the Problem of Evil
Takeways
+ evil and suffering are caused by human choices
+ suffering is the result of choices made in previous lives
+ mystical theodicy (defence of God). Suffering reminds us of God
The ‘problem of evil’ is one posed by atheists for believers in a God who is omnipotent( all-powerful), omniscient (all — knowing) and benevolent (all-good). It is argued that these three qualities form an inconsistent triad.[1] If God is powerful and good, perhaps She has no knowledge that evil is happening. If She knows and has the power, perhaps She does not care. If she cares and knows, perhaps she lacks the power? In either case, the argument runs, She lacks a quality people associate with her and therefore, cannot exist. The Sikh Gurus (teachers) responded to evil and suffering in the world by referring to the role of human choices in this life and previous lives, and by making claims that promote a common ‘mystical theodicy’.
Commenting on the invasion of India by the Mongols, Guru Nanak writes: “Having attacked Khurasan [the east of Iran], Babur now terrified South Asia. The Creator Himself does not take the blame, but has sent the Mongol as the messenger of death. There was so much slaughter that the people screamed! Didn’t You feel compassion, Lord?”[2] Babur was the grandson of the great Mongol leader Genghis Khan and founded the Mughal Empire in South Asia. The passage refers to conflict and post-conflict situations to which Guru Nanak is an eye-witness. There are four hymns that deal with this historical episode, collectively known as the Babur Bani, and they provide an indication of Guru Nanak’s view of God’s role in the world. The suffering is caused by human choices. The passage points out that God is not responsible for Babur’s human choice but it does more than signal God’s innocence; by noting that God “sent the Mongol” it points out that God remains in control. This supports belief that a just God will redeem innocent suffering. In a point made in numerous places, “As are the seeds he plants, so are the pleasures he enjoys; he receives the consequences of his own actions.”[3]
Moreover, in common with other Eastern traditions, Sikhs claim that we are the authors of our lives not just because of choices carried out in this life, but also because of choices made in previous lives. Our friends from previous lives may continue to be our dear ones.[4] The Hindu saint Trilochan in the Guru Granth Sahib puts it plainly, “Why do you slander the Lord? You are ignorant and deluded. Pain and pleasure are the result of your own actions.”[5] The ‘law’ of karma claims that the consequences of deeds in one life affect us in another life. What we have done in previous lives is shaping us now and what we do now will shape our future lives.
However, “Karma, as understood by Jains, Buddhists and Hindus, clearly points in the direction of self-improvement through suffering. The Sikh use of the concept brings a theodicial innovation. In a kind of theological pun, ‘karamu’ (Punjabi for karma) is juxtaposed to ‘karma’ — from Arabic karma, meaning the grace of God. While ‘karma’ does exist, it can be overcome by ‘karma’ in the theological sense; and this can bring us to union with God.”[6] The Gurus have effectively re-valued the word, ‘karma’. Human choices do not operate in a mechanistic universe, but in a rich matrix of relationships; above all, the relationship of Grace from God.
It is this personal relationship with the Divine, or mysticism, that is regarded as real religion. “[T]he Immanent (Naam [Numenon]) is the Ever-fresh Fount gushing forth into the universe. The human goal is to establish an institutional or mystic link with this Never-ebbing Spring in order to be the humble but conscious vehicle of this Creative Flow of Love. The mystic’s role is dynamic. The aim is not to merge in the Self-absorbed Void.”[7] Sikh mysticism is active, not quietist — it is a transformation of the world, not a withdrawal from it, for the human heart and this world is the temple of God.
The goal of realisation of God’s Presence in the present explains why Sikhism begins with the alpha-numeric graphic ‘Ikoankar’ that can be translated as, “All Reality Is One.” It is claimed that the Divine is experienced as a numinous presence linked to the phenomenal world. The Sikh argument for God’s existence is based on personal experience : anticipating a more modern argument, personal experience of God can be compared to any other experience derived from our senses.[8] By comparing spiritual experiences to other forms of experience the Gurus normalise experiences of God and justify the reliability of personal testimony about a relationship with the Divine.
It is the testimony of these mystical relationships with the Divine — involving Sikh Gurus as well as thirty-six non-Sikhs, including Muslims Sufis like Farid, Hindu bhagats like Trilochan, and freethinkers like Kabir — that are given voice in the Guru Granth Sahib, the Sikh scripture. Stoeber claims that mystics in all faith traditions respond to the problem of evil in a uniquely ‘mystical’ way and thus one can identify or create a ‘mystical theodicy’ across the differences in faith. Key ideas include: the conviction that God will redeem suffering; a sense of calling so that as one experiences God’s goodness this leads to an inspiration to active love and compassion as practical responses to others’ suffering; and consolation for suffering found in the here and now through the close relationship with the Divine.[9] According to tradition, Guru Arjun’s response to being killed through the Mongol technique of yasa — seated on a hot plate and having hot sand placed on him — was to note, “Your doings are sweet to me.”[10] In a relationship of trust/faith, whether between parent and child, friends, or lovers — everything the other does is special, a gift. Through the relationship the other is not ‘othered’. They are not aliens or strangers. “There is happiness rather than pain because I see Oneness, unity of being. No one is evil, everyone has some goodness. I am winning, not losing.” [11]
We have seen the idea of redemption of suffering through Divine Justice and the idea of mysticism as an active relationship with the Divine.
It is interesting that the Gurus actively discourage philosophical speculation as an alternative to their mystical testimony as a means of addressing issues. They emphasise the limits of useful speech. “If it is sayable, it is within the range of the word. If it is unsayable, it is outside the steady grasp of the mind. The real is where the sayable and the unsayable meet. What the real truly is, is altogether beyond comprehension.”[12] Since language cannot approach the real, ‘dialogue’ or veechaar is practice and experience oriented. Dialogue is distinguished from ‘argument’ or baad.
There are many types of dialogue modelled in the Guru Granth Sahib, including the Siddha Gosti; literally, ‘Debate with the Siddhas’.[13] The Siddhas were Tantric monks influenced by Buddhist thought. They favoured argument as a means of understanding problems. The debate takes the form of a question-and-answer session. When the question can be answered with reference to human action and relationships Guru Nanak provides a relatively lengthy response. When the question is only capable of speculative answers his responses are terse and refer the questioner to Divine Wonder. The suggestion appears to be that, ‘God is Wonderful and we should respond with wonderful, loving lives.’ The question is returned to human experiences and relationships.
The Sikh response to the problem of evil is mystical rather than philosophical. It is based on a feeling of the Presence in the present. This comforts the mystic; confirms the future redemption of suffering in this life, an afterlife, or future lives; and calls the mystic to actively improve her human relationships.
Other essays on Medium by the author:
Sikhi beyond the Singh Sabha story
Siddha Gosht: an exploration of Buddhist and Sikh spirituality
Azrael and Satan in Sikh scriptures
Sikh rites of passage and mystery traditions
Anti-Sikh riots of 1984: seeking justice at the United Nations
Sikhi and science
Is Sikhi a form of virtue ethics
Sikhi and Diwali: — lessons from Bandi Chor Diwas
[1] J.L. Mackie in N. Warburton (ed.), Philosophy: Basic Readings, 2d ed., Routledge, London, 2005: 58–59.
[2] Guru Granth Sahib: 360.
[3] Guru Granth Sahib: 705.
[4] Guru Granth Sahib: 700.
[5] Guru Granth Sahib: 695.
[6] G. Griffith-Dickson, Human and Divine: An Introduction to the Philosophy of Religious Experience, Duckworth, London, 2000: 183.
[7] Daljeet Singh, The Sikh Ideology, Guru Nanak Foundation, New Delhi, 1984: 130.
[8] Mark S. Mcleod, Rationality and Theistic Belief: An Essay on Reformed Epistemology, Cornell University Press, 1993: 9.
[9] M. Stoeber, Evil and the Mystics’ God: Towards a Mystical Theodicy, Macmillan, 1992: 188–189.
[10] Guru Granth Sahib, p.394
[11] Retranslated from Rawel Singh, https://www.sikhnet.com/news/guru-arjuns-martyrdom-trendsetter-fearlessness
[12] Guru Granth Sahib: 340. Trans. by Kapur Singh, Parasaraprasna, Guru Nanak Dev University, Amritsar, 1959: 103.
[13] Guru Granth Sahib: 938–947.