Sikh History

Question 15: Do Sikhs believe in miracles?

The Sikhs call miracles and occult powers useless and fruitless because they lead one away from God. As such the Sikhs have been strictly warned not to show any miracles and not to hanker after supernatural powers. All that Sikhs ask for is the true name of the Creator and no miracle is considered greater than just remembering God and controlling one's mind in such a way as to feel satisfied. "To hanker after supernatural powers" says Guru Nanak "is pandering to low taste." When Guru Tegh Bahadur was asked to show miracles he only smiled and repeated the following hymns of Guru Ram Das:- "The desire to perform miracles is worldly and created ego, It is an obstacle in the way of repeating Lord's name that resides in my heart." The Guru did not show any miracles and only accepted to be beheaded. When Ram Rai, the son of the Guru Har Gobind, showed some miracles to Emperor Arungzeb at Delhi the Guru was extremely angry and refused to see his son for the whole of his life. In spite of the latter words repeated applications the Guru remained adamant and excommunicated his son. Baba Gurditta was so condemned at having shown a miracle that he dared not come before the Guru. Guru Nanak was asked to perform miracles when he visited the Sikhs and his reply was:- "I can do nothing against the laws of nature It is only He who can perform a miracle. For me the True Name is the miracle of miracles I know no other miracle." The Gurus never performed miracles to convince others of their spiritual superiority or occult powers and only said, "Miracles can delude only the fools."