When exploring the spiritual perspectives of various religions, it becomes evident that each faith has its own distinct views on the afterlife and the path to salvation. For instance, Muslims believe that non-Muslims will burn in hell, while Christians hold a similar stance. Judaism, being non-missionary in nature, asserts that Jews are God’s chosen people and thus will receive God’s favor.
In contrast, some modern Sikhs mistakenly claim that all religions lead to the same destination, quoting certain verses from Gurbani to support this idea. However, Gurbani does not endorse such an inclusive stance. Gurmat (the teachings of Sikhism) asserts that there is only one true path to reach Waheguru, the Eternal God. This path is outlined in Gurbani as follows:
เจเจเฉ เจงเจฐเจฎเฉ เจฆเฉเจฐเจฟเฉเฉ เจธเจเฉ เจเฉเจ เฅฅ เจเฉเจฐเจฎเจคเจฟ เจชเฉเจฐเจพ เจเฉเจเจฟ เจเฉเจเจฟ เจธเฉเจ เฅฅ
เจ
เจจเจนเจฆเจฟ เจฐเจพเจคเจพ เจเจ เจฒเจฟเจต เจคเจพเจฐ เฅฅ เจเจนเฉ เจเฉเจฐเจฎเฉเจเจฟ เจชเจพเจตเฉ เจ
เจฒเจ เจ
เจชเจพเจฐ เฅฅเฉชเฅฅ
Translation: Only one Gurmat Dharma is perfect and complete (Poora) for eternity. Those who adopt this true Dharma will experience constant concentration or Samadhi. Such Gurmukhs attain the Unseen, Infinite God.
Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and subsequent Gurus emphasized that Waheguru can only be attained through the true Guru:
เจฌเจฟเจจเฉ เจธเจคเจฟเจเฉเจฐ เจเจฟเจจเฉ เจจ เจชเจพเจเจ เจฌเจฟเจจเฉ เจธเจคเจฟเจเฉเจฐ เจเจฟเจจเฉ เจจ เจชเจพเจเจ เฅฅ
Translation: No one has attained Waheguru without the true Guru. This is emphasized twice to highlight the necessity of the true Guru in attaining the Divine.
While Gurmat teaches that only the true path can lead one to spiritual perfection, it does not condemn the followers of other religions to eternal damnation as Islam and Christianity often do. According to Gurmat, creation is divided into five spiritual realms (Khands) as outlined in Sri Jap Ji Sahib:
The ultimate spiritual destination in Gurmat is Sach Khand, a state of eternal union with Waheguru. Karam Khand and Sach Khand are considered eternal realms, while the others (Dharam, Gyan, and Sharam) are transient, subject to creation and destruction by Waheguru’s will.
Within Dharam Khand, souls are either sent to heaven or hell, depending on their deeds. The good souls experience rewards in heaven, while the bad are punished in hell. However, all souls in these realms are eventually sent back to the earthly realm to continue their spiritual journey toward Sach Khand. Similarly, those in Gyan Khand (which includes spiritual followers of Buddha and others) must return once their positive deeds are exhausted.
A fascinating tale from Buddhist literature illustrates this concept. A woman, after spending what seemed like years in a spiritual realm, was sent back to earth to continue her spiritual progress. Her absence was not even felt in the spiritual realm, showing that time in these spiritual realms is different from our worldly experience.
Muslims, Christians, and Hindus all have spiritual destinations in mind: Muslims aim for Jannat, Christians for Heaven, and Hindus for realms associated with deities like Krishna, Shiv etc. However, these realms are primarily part of Dharam Khand or Gyan Khand, and they are not the eternal destination that Sach Khand represents in Gurmat.
Before Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s time, the concept of Sach Khand was unknown. The Guru-Avatars brought this profound spiritual understanding to the world. A Sikh striving for Sach Khandย will ultimately reach this eternal realm, while those following other religions will attain the spiritual state they seek, such as Jannat or Heaven, but they will not reach Sach Khand unless they follow the true Guru’s path.
Regarding the divinity of other religions, it is acknowledged that prophets and avatars were sent by Waheguru to uphold Dharma. However, these figures did not possess complete divine knowledge. They preached what they knew, but only the Guru-Avatars (the Ten Sikh Gurus) embody the fullness of divine wisdom. As Bhai Sahib Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh Ji wrote:
“Although, through Avatars like Rama and Krishna, the salvation (limited salvation) of few chosen creatures like Ahilya, Kubija, Gopi etc. was done but the real salvation of the creatures of whole world is possible only through the Guru-Avatars (10 Guru Sahibaan) using the power and base of Satnaam (the true Naam).ย “
In conclusion, while other religions may offer paths to spiritual progress, only Gurmat provides the complete, eternal path to union with Waheguru, and it is this path that leads to Sach Khand, the ultimate destination.
