What is the Sikhs' version of Heaven and Hell?

Answer 1

"That place is heaven, where the Kirtan of the Lord's

Praises are sung. You Yourself instil faith into us."

SGGSJ Page 749

"Hell and disease do not afflict one who joins the

Company of the Lord's humble servants, O Nanak;

the Lord attaches him to the hem of His robe."

SGGSJ Page 531

"Keep me near You, O Merciful Lord God - that is

heaven for me." SGGSJ Page 1161

"One who enjoys peace in the Company of the Holy,

even for an instant, obtains millions of heavenly

paradises." SGGSJ Page 1208

Heaven in the Afterlife

Once our time on Earth is complete and it is our time

to depart then our soul rises through the 5 spiritual

realms to meet God in its formless state (Nirankar).

The Guru is the boat which carries people across the

earthly plane.

"The Boat of the True Guru is the Name of the Lord.

How can we climb on board? One who walks in harmony

with the True Guru's Will comes to sit in this

Boat. Blessed, blessed are those very fortunate ones,

O Nanak, who are united with the Lord through the

True Guru." SGGSJ Page 40

"Remembering Him in meditation, the door of liberation

is found. You shall go to heaven, and not return

to this earth." SGGSJ Page 971

Is Hell also a Physical Place?

The physical hell in Sikh dharma is the reincarnation

and the samsara cycle. Our karma keeps us locked

to the Earth plane through this eternal cycle of life.

This is why Sikh dharma is geared at releasing us

from this physical hell by changing our state of mind

and enjoining us to perform good deeds and meditation.

"O Nanak, forgetting the Naam, he is reincarnated

into heaven and hell." SGGSJ Page 298

"He is caught and thrown into the most horrible

hell, the well of pain and suffering." SGGSJ Page

309

"You shall not see the 8.4 million types of hell; sing

His Glorious Praises and remain saturated with loving

devotion" SGGSJ Page 1072

"Without meditative remembrance, they come and

then go, and are cast into the hellish womb of reincarnation."

SGGSJ Page 1030

"The faithless cynic has to endure 8.4 million hellish

incarnations." SGGSJ Page 1028

It would be worth noting here that the mention of

womb refers to all places where life is generated

including mother Earth. Hell does not label the female

gender as bad, but it simply refers to the reincarnation

cycle.

"He saves us from the hellish pit of the womb, and

carries us across the terrifying world-ocean." SGGSJ

Page 210

"The Lord dwells in both the lower and higher

worlds. Leaving the earth, the soul ascends to the

heavens; then, the lower and higher join together,

and peace is obtained. 25" SGGSJ Page 341

Conclusion

Sikhs do not desire heaven or hell and only desire to

be close to God. Heaven is where the lords saints

abide and where His praises are sung. Heaven is not

exclusive for any specific religious group but it can

not be accessed through simple beliefs. Actions

speak louder than words and this holds true in both

the spiritual and material worlds.