Thoughts by Rajveer Singh, funding and conflict none
In the modern world, we are conditioned to believe that the ultimate goal of life is the pursuit of “happiness.” Our prayers are often transactional, focused on the acquisition of Sukh (pleasure) and the avoidance of Dukh (suffering). We treat suffering as a cosmic error—an intruder that shouldn’t be there.
However, Gurmat (the Guru’s Teachings) offers a radical, counter-intuitive perspective. In the Sikh tradition, asking only for happiness is seen as a path toward fragility. True spiritual strength is not found in the absence of the storm, but in the ability to remain stable—in Chardi Kala—while the storm rages.
The Two Garments of the Soul
Guru Nanak Dev Ji provides a profound metaphor for the human condition in Asa Ki Vaar:
"ਸੁਖੁ ਦੁਖੁ ਦੁਇ ਦਰਿ ਕਪੜੇ ਪਹਿਰੇ ਜਾਇ ਮਨੁਖ ॥" "Pleasure and suffering are the two garments given to be worn by the human being."
Just as we change our clothes to suit the weather, the soul must pass through seasons of pleasure and seasons of suffering. To be human is to experience both. When we pray only for happiness, we are effectively asking to live in a world of “permanent summer.” By doing so, we fail to develop the resilience needed when the inevitable winter of life arrives. A person who has never known struggle is like a muscle that has never been under tension—it is easily broken.
When Pleasure Becomes a Disease
Perhaps the most challenging concept in Gurbani is the idea that the “happiness” we chase can actually be detrimental to our spiritual health.
"ਦੁਖੁ ਦਾਰੂ ਸੁਖੁ ਰੋਗੁ ਭਇਆ ਜਾ ਸੁਖੁ ਤਾਮਿ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥" "Suffering is the medicine, and pleasure the disease; because where there is pleasure, there is no desire for God." (SGGS, 469)
When life is easy, the ego (Haumai) tends to inflate. We begin to believe we are the masters of our own destiny. In our comfort, we often forget the Creator, becoming spiritually stagnant. Conversely, suffering acts as a “medicine” because it strips away our illusions of control. It forces us to look inward, to seek support, and to remember the Divine. Suffering is the fire that refines the gold, burning away the dross of the ego.
The Historical Standard: Love Over Sensation
The history of the Khalsa is not a history of comfort. It is a history of immense, almost incomprehensible suffering—and yet, it is a history of joy.
Consider the martyrdom of Bhai Mani Singh Ji. When faced with the sentence of being executed joint by joint, he did not beg for an “easy” path. He did not view his suffering as a failure of God’s love. Instead, he occupied himself with the recitation of Gurbani.
For the Gursikh, the love for the Guru is so consuming that physical sensation—whether pleasure or suffering—becomes secondary. This is the “Game of Love” (Prem Khel) that Guru Nanak Dev Ji spoke of: a path where one steps forward with their “head on their palm,” fully prepared for whatever Hukam (Divine Will) brings.
Living in Equanimity
How do we practically apply this to our modern struggles?
- Shift the Prayer: Instead of asking for a life without trials, ask for a heart that is big enough to hold them. Pray for Sidh (spiritual stability).
- Embrace Sewa: When we suffer, our world shrinks until we see only our own suffering. Sewa (selfless service) forces our world to expand again. By serving others, we heal ourselves.
- Acceptance of Hukam: Realize that both the “sunshine” and the “rain” are coming from the same source. When we accept that suffering is a gift intended for our growth, it loses its power to break us.
True peace isn’t found by escaping the duality of life. It is found by anchoring ourselves in the One who is beyond duality. As we walk this path, let us remember: don’t ask for a life without storms. Ask for a soul that knows how to sail.
Stay in Chardi Kala.
Khalsa Diary 