One of the most interesting parallels to be drawn
between near-death experiences and the religions of the world
can be found in Sikhism. Though relatively recent on the world
scene, in this tradition we find many examples of an encounter
with Divine light, as well as the accompanying ecstasy. The Sikh
faith states quite explicitly this kind of experience not only
awaits the person who is about to die, but with proper faith can
also be realized in this life.
Sikhism traces its roots to a man named Nanak, the
first Guru of the Sikh faith. Nanak was born in 1469 CE (AD) in
what is now Pakistan. By early adulthood, Nanak believed himself
to have been called by God, and embarked upon a spiritual mission.
This included the message that "there is no Hindu here, nor a
Muslim," implying that spirituality comes from within, not from
labels. He adhered to a monotheistic form of belief, while recognizing
the validity of meditation. Nanak's poetry comprises 974 poems
which were later included in the Adi Granth, the canonical
sacred scripture of the Sikhs.
Following Nanak came a succession of ten gurus,
two of which are especially germaine to this study. Guru Arjun
(1563-1606) was the 5th in the succession. Arjun built the Golden
Temple at Amritsar, which even today is considered to be a central
place of worship throughout the Sikh world. He was also the first
to start compiling the Adi Granth, and authored the Sukhmani,
a collection of highly spiritual poetry and prose which later
came to form part of the Adi Granth.
The tenth and final guru of the Sikh tradition was
Gobind Singh. Like some of the Sikh gurus before him, Singh was
obliged to engage in war with both Hindu and Muslim forces. The
Sikhs met with some stunning victories, but were defeated on one
occasion due to divisions on the basis of caste within the Sikh
ranks. From that point on Guru Singh worked to unite the faithful
by "obliterating the differences" between Muslims and Hindus,
and the various classes and castes. Singh also instituted external
signs of Sikh devotion that have lasted until the present day,
namely wearing unshorn hair; a comb for the hair; a steel bracelet
signifying the omnipresence of God; a special set of drawers to
signify chastity; and a sword, symbolic of resistance to evil.1
Singh re-compiled the last and most recent version of the Adi
Granth. However, even though he wrote many highly spiritual
works, he never included them as part of the Sikh holy book.
The writings of these gurus give us some of the
sharpest parallels with modern NDEs of any of the world's religions.
The Sikh tradition makes frequent reference to these kinds of
experiences, although often in the context of the attainment of
that state of being in this life. Sikhs achieve this state of
being through a combination of devotion, meditation, proper actions,
and familiarity with the Divine Word.
Sikhs do not consider death to be simply the end
of physical existence. Rather, death is separation from God, whether
in this physical existence or in the spiritual life to come. By
contrast, union with God overcomes death, and is perfect joy --
the ultimate bliss. This can happen either in this life, or following
physical death. In fact, if one does not overcome death (i.e.,
the separation from God), then one will be trapped in an endless
cycle of birth, death, and rebirth. This cycle is ultimately undesirable,
because it means being tied to maya -- to lies and misperceptions
-- which necessarily keep one distant from the Divine. By becoming
aware of Divine truths, however, such as those taught by Guru
Nanak, the tradition tells us that we can realize God and overcome
death forever. As Nanak says,
No one can comprehend the Creator, who is beyond human grasp,
immeasurable. The soul is deluded by maya, drugged by untruth.
Ruined by the demands of greed (such a person) repents eternally,
but he who serves the One knows Him, and his cycle of birth
and death comes to an end....2