Why do we like to sin?

Why are sinful activities pleasure-giving?

Why is it that things that our mind likes to do are harmful to us and things that we have to force ourselves to do are good for us? Amritvela and Naam Abhyaas is good for us but we have to literally force ourselves to do it.

The foods that are supposedly good for us don't taste that good but foods that we love to eat are said to be harmful to us because they cause cholesterol, blood pressure and other such ailments.

Our mind likes to keep status quo. The acts that it has been doing for ages and ages, over countless lifeforms it has lived, are like second nature to it. On the other hand, the sacred work of chanting of Naam or getting up at Amritvela are acts that we have not been doing all this time and have just started doing. For this reason, they are hard to do. In other words, the mind likes to do such acts that it is habitual of doing.

If we want our mind to stop doing sinful activities, we would have to force it to make it a habit to not sin. Once we consciously start stopping it from indulging in sinful activities, after some time, it understands and develops a habit of not doing sinful activities. If we make a conscious effort to sleep early and get up at Amritvela, sooner or later, our mind will develop a habit sleeping early and getting up early. It will start enjoying this activity. Till it enjoys chanting Naam and hating sin, we have to make conscious efforts towards this goal.

Sant Attar Singh jee Mastuanewale once said that if the jeev can give lust for ਪਰਾਇਆ ਦਮੜਾ ਅਤੇ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਚਮੜਾ it would constitute almost half of his Bhagti. ਦਮੜਾ means money and ਚਮੜਾ means skin but Sant jee here is referring to the skin of the opposite sex. ਪਰਾਇਆ means something that does not belong to you.

If the jeev stops coveting ਦਮੜਾ that does not belong to it and stays happy with what it has, so much of the wandering of the mind would stop. Same way, it seems as if the creatures are pre-programmed to look at and covet ਪਰਾਇਆ ਚਮੜਾ i.e. to desire the member of opposite sex. If it can't have the object of its desire, then it keeps staring at it. This person beholding ਪਰਾਇਆ ਚਮੜਾ does not achieve anything tangible but only increases his lust.

Apart from ਪਰਾਇਆ ਦਮੜਾ ਅਤੇ ਪਰਾਇਆ ਚਮੜਾ, other sinful activities the jeev likes to indulge in are talking ill about others, jealousy, backbiting etc. What does the jeev achieve by slandering others? Nothing at all but the jeev just loves to talk ill about people he does not like or from whom he is jealous. May Guru Sahib save us from committing sins. Until we stop committing sins, we cannot rise spiritually.

Below is a shabad from great Baani - Oankaar (Mukhvaak of Siri Guru Nanak Dev jee), that talks about Sin and Sinners:

ਪਾਪੁ ਬੁਰਾ ਪਾਪੀ ਕਉ ਪਿਆਰਾ ॥
ਪਾਪਿ ਲਦੇ ਪਾਪੇ ਪਾਸਾਰਾ ॥
ਪਰਹਰਿ ਪਾਪੁ ਪਛਾਣੈ ਆਪੁ ॥
ਨਾ ਤਿਸੁ ਸੋਗੁ ਵਿਜੋਗੁ ਸੰਤਾਪੁ ॥
ਨਰਕਿ ਪੜੰਤਉ ਕਿਉ ਰਹੈ ਕਿਉ ਬੰਚੈ ਜਮਕਾਲੁ ॥
ਕਿਉ ਆਵਣ ਜਾਣਾ ਵੀਸਰੈ ਝੂਠੁ ਬੁਰਾ ਖੈ ਕਾਲੁ ॥
ਮਨੁ ਜੰਜਾਲੀ ਵੇੜਿਆ ਭੀ ਜੰਜਾਲਾ ਮਾਹਿ ॥
ਵਿਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਕਿਉ ਛੂਟੀਐ ਪਾਪੇ ਪਚਹਿ ਪਚਾਹਿ ॥੩੮॥

Humble Vichaar on the above Pauri: Sin is bad but it is dear to the sinner. The sinner is loaded with sin and everywhere he spreads sin. But if he stops commiting sin and realizes the self, then he would have no sorrow and separation. But if he does not stop sinning, how can he avoid falling in hell and how can he avoid the noose of the messanger of death (Jammdoot)? How can he avoid coming and going (taking birth and dying) from this world. So long as he does not stop lying and sinning, he will continued to be destroyed by Kaal (death). So long as the mind is stuck in the chains / bonds of Maya, the Jeev (creature) will stay stuck in these bonds. How can one be emancipated without Naam? Without Naam one himself drowns in sins and causes others to be stuck as well.

Kulbir Singh