IS EXITENCE OF GOD A FACT OR A MYTH?

Arguments for the existence of God have been debated for thousands of years. They
have been proposed by philosophers, scientists, and regular individuals and almost every
argument has been proposed. The root concept of many philosophers for the existence of
God is that he is the prime mover or the ultimate creator. Whether it is upholding these
values or trying to prove them wrong, there has been one universal truth thus far: there is
an existence that has shaped and influenced all the actions and/or beliefs that humans
have made for thousands of years.

The main group of individuals that differentiates themselves by not believing in a higher
power is the atheists. They have completely ruled out the possibility of a God or higher
power. If someone is not even open to the possibility of there being a higher power, then
they will completely shut out any evidence stating the contrary. Any information or
evidence presented to them regarding God will quickly be discarded without any
willingness to believe otherwise. As with many conspiracy theorists in the past,
individuals who believe wholeheartedly that Americans did not walk on the moon, will
always refute all evidence presented to them. When the stubborn mind has been made, it
becomes like a brick wall that prevents new information. It was this same thinking,
hundreds of years ago, that led to the murder of any individual who agreed with the fact
that the Earth is round. Such "stupid" thinking would be punished without the judge,
jury, or executioner reading the evidence.

The next argument that atheists present is that suffering still exists under God's rule. But
it is a golden rule that

We reap exactly WHAT we sow.

SRI GURU ARJAN DEV JI says:

As one has planted, so does he harvest; such is the field of karma. (ang
134)

And so we are reaping today some things that people say, "Well, why, why, why is this
happening?" When the truth of the matter is, if we go back and study the basics of life as
outlined in GURBANI, we would find that GURU SAHIB’S word actually is an instruction manual
giving us instruction how to sow life and that if we sow life contrary to this, we might as well
expect we are going to reap some consequences we don't like and every human being has
experienced that to one degree or another.

BHAGAT FAREED JI says:

Fareed, the farmer plants acacia trees, and wishes for grapes. (ang 1379)
And all know also that We reap IN A DIFFERENT SEASON than we sow.

SAHIB SRI GURU ARJAN DEV JI says:

The kings of the earth are eating up the blessings of the good karma of their
past lives. (ang 1356)

Also we reap MORE THAN we sow. When we put seeds into the ground, we get more
than what we put in. For example: if we put in hundreds, we get thousands back. We get all the
corn coming off of the corncobs, we know, off the stalks.

So if we sow the wind, we shall reap the whirlwind.

Since we WILL REAP WHAT WE SOW, little can be done about the past, but
much can be done about the future.

SRI GURU ARJAN DEV JI says :

People obtain that which they are pre-ordained to receive. (ang 283)

And this is called destiny. Our present actions may be aided or put at a disadvantage by past
actions. Two people under identical circumstances may thus experience opposing results of
success and failure. Good past deeds bring success and past sinful actions result in obstructing
all efforts. The dispenser in the matter of destiny is God. Rebirth of the soul takes place in
accordance with the actions of the past life. In other words, with birth comes our actions of
our former lives.

Therefore the individual has to undergo happiness or suffering. It is seen that some infants
are ailing at birth, others are healthy, some crippled, others strong, some born in the homes
of the rich, others in the homes of the poor. These differences arise on the account of actions
committed in previous lives. The law of cause and effect may be brought forward. If we have
not already suffered the result of our actions, they have to be suffered in the next life. The
happiness or suffering, success or failure in the present life are caused by the actions in our
former birth as well.

The actions performed now will establish our future destiny, which means that we are the
architects of our own destiny. A person builds one’s own destiny. We must accept with
fortitude the fruits of the past actions and for the future try to build a beautiful fortune. This
is the realistic path. The law of the fruits of action inspires a person to accept the existence of
God, reminding us of God’s justice, omniscience (all knowing) and omnipotence (all
powerful).

The principle belief in Sikhism is the existence of one universal God. Guru Nanak's first
description of God starts with the sacred symbol of ik onkar, the Universal God. This
means that there is one God, creator, sustainer, and destroyer. Guru Nanak taught that
the creator and creation are inseparable in the exact same way that the ocean is composed
of many water droplets. Imagine the vastness of the Pacific ocean and how many billions
of gallons of water make up the volume. At most, one droplet (a president or prime
minister) could gather a football sized area of droplets and begin to think he's the most
powerful man alive. Now if someone were flying over the ocean in a helicopter and were
to look down and point out that president, he would not be able to do it at all. In the
grand scheme of things, managing all the oceans in the world, universe, and beyond is a
much more challenging job than that one football field. A major creator of architect is
needed to do so. Just as a great palace being built with all its workers, it would crumble
without the proper design from the master architect or true creator.

The Sikh gurus never felt the need to prove the existence of God. They regarded "Him"
as ever-present, not in theory but in fact. Many Sikhs believe God has no shape or form.
Others regard him as just an orb of light seen when he deems necessary. Few Sikhs, who
have such great faith, are able to have his blessed vision right before them. To all this
Guru Nanak explains, "God is True In The Primal Beginning. True Throughout The Ages.
True Here And Now. O Nanak, Forever And Ever True."

Atheists have many arguments of their own, but their biggest argument that they stick by
is why can not someone show them God. To understand this we must present an analogy
far from the topic at hand: women's makeup. The average woman will spend enormous
amounts of time getting ready in the morning and oftentimes applying copious amounts
of makeup. She will stand in front of the mirror and apply her eyeliner with such care.
However, that will probably be the last time that she will see that eyeliner on her all day.
It is interesting how the closest thing to her, which is literally right in front of her eyes,
she cannot see ( without a mirror ). This is the exact lesson which is taught in Sikhism.
God is so close to us and taking care of us always, but we cannot see him, without the
guru. SAHIB SRI GURU ARJAN DEV JI SAYS :------ Says Nanak, without
the Guru, he cannot understand the Lord, who is standing near everyone. (ang 924)

He is immortal, invisible, omniscient, and omnipresent – visible and yet invisible, closer
than we can possibly conceive, and yet further away than we can possibly imagine. The
lady needs a mirror to see the eye liner, but the mirror should be clean. If it is covered
with dust, then she will be unable to see anything. Similarly our mind is covered with
dust of countless incarnations and it has become pitch dark. Now how can that filth or
dust be removed?

GURU SAHIB SAYS: The filth of countless incarnations sticks to this mind; it has
become pitch black. (ang 651). Joining the Society of the Saints, cleanse your mind, O
Siblings of Destiny, and dwell in the Name of the Lord. ( ang 639 )
Now GURU SAHIB says that we cannot see the Lord without a GURU. But here again,
if the GURU is fake, we cannot have the vision of the Lord.
When a person has a vision of God, then his happiness is beyond description.

SRI GURU RAMDAAS JI says :

My body and soul are in ecstasy; when I see my Guru before me. (ang 758 )
So we can have His blessed vision right before us in physical form, if we have complete
faith on his physical existence.

Another example relevant to the beliefs of atheists is seeing an airplane fly by. From
standing right next to the airplane on the ground, we feel so small and minuscule. Then
the airplane begins to take off and slowly and slowly it disappears in the clouds and the
individual cannot see the massive machine anymore. An atheist is like a person, who
flatly denies the existence of the airplane and says that it was never there to begin with.

Also, just as a person begins to develop a cataract, the atheist begins to develop a block to
see what is in front of him. For such a person, a very specialized surgeon is needed to
intervene and correct the anomaly. This is just the same with God. Only a Saint and/or
God Himself can open the individual's eyes to what's there all along.

SRI GURU RAMDAAS JI says:

I hear that You are near, but I cannot see You. I wander in suffering, deluded by doubt.
The Guru has become merciful to me; He has removed the veils and I meet my beloved
God. (ang 120 . Such beautiful examples of God and his existence are seen throughout
the Bani of Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji.

A living person does all kinds of jobs. He is busy all the time talking, walking, running,
eating, drinking, dancing, laughing and sometimes crying. But when he is dead, he is
lying with no movement at all. All his limbs are intact. Then what happened? It shows
that there was some power of GOD, which is now missing.

Milk contains different kinds of products. We can have yogurt, butter, ghee, cream etc.
But if someone goes on repeating that there is no cream in it and if there is any cream,
then show me. That shows his ignorance or foolishness, because to get all the products,
we have to go thru different procedures. Similarly GOD is there but to have His blessed
vision, we have to do lot of meditation.

Once a sadhu was travelling in a train. He was reciting the name of God and was busy
with his rosary. An atheist was sitting besides him. He asked the sadhu,”O saint,what are
you doing?”
The sadhu replied,” I am reciting the name of God.”
Atheist,” Are you sure there is a God?”
Sadhu, ”No doubt. There is God.”
Atheist,” Show me your God, otherwise it is all a lie.”
Sadhu,” May I have your name?”
Atheist,” My name is so and so.”
Sadhu,” What is your father’s name?”
The atheist told the name of his father.
Sadhu,” If you have father, then show me, otherwise you are lying.”
Atheist,” What are you saying? Talk sense. Am I illegitimate? Accompany me to my
town and I will show you my father.”
Sadhu,” You accompany me to my town and I will Show you my God.”
Atheist,” Where is your town?”
Sadhu,” Begumpura, 'the city without sorrow', is the name of my town.

There is no suffering or anxiety there.

There are no troubles or taxes on commodities there.
There is no fear, blemish or downfall there. ||1||
Now, I have found this most excellent city.
There is lasting peace and safety there, O Siblings of Destiny. ||1||Pause||
God's Kingdom is steady, stable and eternal.
There is no second or third status; all are equal there.
That city is populous and eternally famous.
Those who live there are wealthy and contented. ||2||
They stroll about freely, just as they please.
They know the Mansion of the Lord's Presence, and no one blocks their way
…..Says Ravi Daas, the emancipated shoe-maker: whoever is a citizen there, is a friend
of mine. (ang 345).

Another interesting analogy applied toward the existence of God is regarding the air that
we breathe in every day. We know that air is necessary for life. Air penetrates our body
so it can accomplish its role. In what keeps us alive, air comes first, ordinary food ranks
second. We experience need for nourishment only at longish intervals; the need for air we
feel unremittingly, ever imperious, inexorable. Let us attempt for a moment to suspend its
arrival in our body by blocking its path into our mouths and nostrils, almost immediately
we suffocate and feel that were this state to prolong itself even a little we would infallibly
perish. And if a person says that show me the air, if it is there. Then there will be no more
stupid than him. Many individuals have asked redundant questions over the centuries
trying to figure out the truth behind God. The same questions are posed over and over
again. Yet these same atheists are too close minded to realize whatever they ask can be
solved by themselves.
Long ago, the man did not have the luxury of matches or lighters. When a man needed to
make a fire, he had to start a fire using two pieces of wood. However, the wood itself
had fire in it, but we have to learn the method how to get the fire out of it.

Similarly there is water underneath the earth. But if someone goes on repeating
that if there is water beneath the earth, then show me. He should know that we can
take the underneath water out by various means by hand pumps, hand dug wells,
digging tubewells etc. In the same way, we can have His Darshan by devotion, by
service and by meditating.

An atheist came one day to Dhan Dhan Baba Nand Singh Ji and asked:
"Where is God?
What does God do?"

To this, Babaji replied immediately, "You have your answers before you. Tell me:
Where there is no God?
What does God not do?"
Just like the piece of wood, the man has God and the answers within him, it is the
problem of figuring out how to get it out.

Saayin Bulle Shah was a sufi faqir. He explains that to find God is so easy. He says that
to find God you should uproot your mind from this place to that place (from materialism
to spiritualism). But it is not an easy job.

Just as a gardener tries to transplant a plant from one place to another, he has to be very
careful, because transplant shock in plants is unavoidable. It can cause many problems.
Only an experienced gardener can do that. Similarly only a puran Sant (not a fake one )
can guide you to have the Darshan of GOD. Bhagat Naamdev Ji guides us how to
transplant our mind from one place to another :

When one breaks his ties with all the people and relatives, then the Lord comes of His
own accord ( ang 657)

The atheist can't find God for the same reason that a thief can't find a policeman. An
atheist HAS some idea about GOD, because a man does not call a line crooked unless he
has some idea of a straight line. Some people complain because God puts thorns on roses,
while others praise God for putting roses among thorns. There is no neutral ground in the
universe: every square inch, every split second, is claimed by God and counterclaimed by
Satan.

God creates out of nothing. Wonderful you say. Yes, to be sure, but he does what is still
more wonderful: he makes saints out of sinners. A man cannot by the craft and flattery of
his tongue get hold of God, while his heart is far away. Since God is spirit and truth, a
man can only draw near to Him by sincerity, by purity of heart, by willing to be holy, as
He is holy.

In conclusion, the existence of God has been debated for thousands of years among
individuals. It is the one constant thing that has been with us on this earth until history
can tell. The oceans change, dictators fall, species go extinct, populations flourish, yet
the debate over the existence of God is always there. Why would something that atheists
have such a hard time believing maintain such controversy forever? The force of God is
seen within us all and is ever-present. It will always be there and it will never change.
To God, the existence of the earth, which is billions of years old, is nothing but a fraction
of a second. Therefore our lives are nothing in the grand scheme of things. Why must
individuals think they are all knowing? Why must individuals say without a reasonable
doubt that humans possess the most knowledge ever? Why must individuals constantly
deny such a glorious power when everything is literally handed to them? There is a
quote: Any fool can count the seeds in an apple. Only God can count all the apples in
one seed. To understand this quote is to understand the power of God. Our brains at
maximum capacity can count the dark round seeds in one apple. This is simple.
However, we will never be able to figure out how many apples will come from one seed.

GOD is forever before us, but without His mercy, we cannot see Him.

SAHIB SRI GURU NANAK DEV JI says:

He watches over all, but none see Him. How wonderful this is! (ang 7)
Many Bhagats also agree with that. They say that to have union with God,
is so easy. Simply spread your palms before God instead of humans.
There is no delay on His part. God is just before you. He is waiting for
your response.