Guest Posted November 17, 2004 Report Share Posted November 17, 2004 8 VIRTUES TO COMBAT THE 5 EVILS Wisdom (Gyan) : is the complete knowledge of a set of religious principles. It can be achieved by hearing good, thinking good and doing good. A man of wisdom tries to achieve a high moral standard in his life and interaction with others. According to Sikhism, the first steps to wisdom is to consider oneself as an ignorant person who has to learn a lot in life. Truthful Living (Sat) : This is more than 'truth'. It means living according to the way of God i.e. the thoughts should match the words that a person speaks and his actions should also match his words. Truthful living brings a person closer to God. Justice (Niaon) : means freedom and equal oppurtunities for all. Respect for the rights of others and strict absence of attempts to exploit a fellowbeing. Sikhism forbids the desire to loot anothers property. It also strictly instructs the Sikhs to show respect even for the women and children of an enemy. Temperance (Santokh) : means self control which has to be developed through meditation and prayers. A Sikh has to banish evil thoughts from his mind by constantly repeating Gods name and reciting prayers. Torture to the body to develop self-control is not advocated in Sikhism. Patience (Dhiraj) : implies a high level of tolerance and empathy for others. It requires control over ones ego and willingness to overlook anothers weakness or mistakes. It requires that a Sikh should be strongwilled, but kind hearted. Courage (Himmat) : means bravery i.e. absence of fear. It is the ability to stake ones life for ones convictions and for saving others from injustice or cruelty. Humility (Namarta) : is a deliberate denial of pleasure at one's own praise and admiration. It means underplaying ones own strengths and respecting the abilities of others. It is the antidote to 'ahankar' Contentment (Sabar) : means refraining from worldly fears and submitting oneself to the will of God. The typical worldly fears can be fear of death, poverty, disrespect and defeat. It is this virtue that has given the Sikhs the moral strength to withstand the various atrocities committed on their community in the last three centuries 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Amrikingh Posted November 26, 2004 Report Share Posted November 26, 2004 very nice 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sukhi Posted November 26, 2004 Report Share Posted November 26, 2004 it reminds me a lot of the 8-fold path prescribed by Buddha... 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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