Death, deathless states, and time-consciousness in Sikh philosophy
Arvind-Pal S. Mandair
Religious Studies July 12, 2023 DOI: 10.1017/s0034412523000598 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Key points | Argues that Sikh conceptualizations of death and immortality, drawn from the utterances of the Sikh Gurus, are best understood when resituated within discussions of time and time-consciousness, which complicates conventional treatments of fear of death, afterlife belief, selfhood, and the concept of God in Sikhism and calls for a logic more conducive to these themes. |
Abstract
Abstract This article examines Sikh conceptualizations about death and immortality, focusing on several thematic lines of inquiry drawn from the utterances of the Sikh Gurus (gurbāṇī): (i) ordinary or empirical death; (ii) deathless states; (iii) after death? (iv) this life; (v) personhood and the (non-)existence of God. These themes address philosophical issues related to concerns about fear of death, belief in an afterlife, as well as its implications for the nature of self and the concept of God in Sikhism. At the same time, however, the article complicates our understanding of these topics by resituating them within discussions of time and time-consciousness, thereby highlighting the need for a form of logic more conducive to the understanding of death and immortality in Sikh thought.