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What role does free will play in Sikhi?

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Monday

,

1

September

2025

In Sikhi, free will exists within a larger Divine framework. Imagine a picture frame: you choose what to place inside but cannot change the frame itself. You don’t get to change cosmic laws or physical laws.

In Sikhi, free will exists within a larger Divine framework. Imagine a picture frame: you choose what to place inside but cannot change the frame itself. You don’t get to change cosmic laws or physical laws.

Our choices, from how we act, to what we learn, to how we grow, are all expressions of free will. These choices matter, yet they unfold within cosmic and Divine laws that remain beyond our control.

Free will is about making conscious, responsible decisions with awareness and wisdom, while also recognizing that you cannot change the larger Will, the cosmic law, the Divine will, or the physical laws—whichever way you prefer to understand that.

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What does “Nanak” signify in Bani?

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In This Video

Harinder Singh

Senior Fellow, Research & Policy

Harinder Singh is the Senior Fellow at the Sikh Research Institute. He holds a BS in Aerospace Engineering from Wichita State University, an MS in Engineering Management from the University of Kansas, and an MPhil from Punjab University in the linguistics of the Guru Granth Sahib.

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