 Each of us strives for success and happiness in life  Success is not accumulation of wealth and materials alone  Many rich men are failure in life  True secret of successful living are not material but contentment and joy of usefulness

HUMAN INSTINCTS  Our actions and thoughts are under the control of human instincts  Lust,anger,greed,attachment and ego  Essential to learn to control them

5 MORAL EVILS Lust (Kaam)  lust and illegitimate sex.  It is one of the greatest evils that tempts people away from God.  It makes an individual weak-willed and unreliable.  Normal sexual relationship as a house-holder is not restricted in any way in Sikhism.  But sex outside marriage or sex against the will of the partner is taboo, as it can cause unlimited sorrows.

Anger (Krodh)  Anger needs to be controlled. A person overcome by 'krodh' loses his balance of mind and becomes incapable of thinking.  According to Sikhism, 'krodh' takes a person away from God as hatred has no place in religious practice.

Greed (Lobh)  greed is a strong desire to possess what rightfully belongs to others.  It makes an individual selfish and self- centered.  It takes a person away from his religious and social duties.  A person can become blind with greed if an effort to control the desire for unlimited possessions is not made.

Attachment (Moh)  Strong attachment that an individual has to worldly possessions and relationships.  It blurs the perspective of a human being and makes him narrow minded.  It deviates a person from his moral duties and responsibilities and leads him towards a path of sin.

False Pride : (Ahankar)  Means false pride due to one's possessions, material wealth, intelligence or powers.  It gives an individual a feeling that he is superior to others and therefore they are at a lower level than him.  It leads to jealousy, feelings of enmity and restlessness amongst people.  Sikhism requires that a person serves the society and community with humility. Hence, the practise of cleaning the footwear of visitors to a Gurudwara is followed by many devout Sikhs. 

8 VIRTUES TO COMBAT THE 5 EVILS

Wisdom (Gyan)  complete knowledge of a set of religious principles.  It can be achieved by hearing good, thinking good and doing good.  A man of wisdom tries to achieve a high moral standard in his life and interaction with others.  According to Sikhism, the first steps to wisdom is to consider oneself as an ignorant person who has to learn a lot in life.

Truthful Living (Sat)  This is more than 'truth'.  It means living according to the way of God i.e. the thoughts should match the words that a person speaks and his actions should also match his words.  Truthful living brings a person closer to God.

Justice (Niaon)  Means freedom and equal opportunities for all.  Respect for the rights of others and strict absence of attempts to exploit a fellow being.  Sikhism forbids the desire to loot another's property.  It also strictly instructs the Sikhs to show respect even for the women and children of an enemy.

Temperance (Santokh)  : means self control which has to be developed through meditation and prayers.  A Sikh has to banish evil thoughts from his mind by constantly repeating Gods name and reciting prayers.  Torture to the body to develop self- control is not advocated in Sikhism.

Patience (Dhiraj)  : implies a high level of tolerance and empathy for others.  It requires control over ones ego and willingness to overlook anothers weakness or mistakes.  It requires that a Sikh should be strongwilled, but kind hearted.

Courage (Himmat)  Means bravery i.e. absence of fear. It is the ability to stake ones life for ones convictions and for saving others from injustice or cruelty.

Humility (Namarta)  Deliberate denial of pleasure at one's own praise and admiration. It means underplaying ones own strengths and respecting the abilities of others. It is the antidote to 'ahankar'

Contentment (Sabar)  Means refraining from worldly fears and submitting oneself to the will of God.  The typical worldly fears can be fear of death, poverty, disrespect and defeat.  It is this virtue that has given the Sikhs the moral strength to withstand the various atrocities committed on their community in the last three centuries

TALENT OF YOUR OWN  Finding ones particular talent is important step in the art of successful living  Each one has a particular talent try to develop it  Strive to improve quality by learning new skills and knowledge

BE HONEST  Cheating, lying, stealing and grabbing by hook or crook are negative virtues  Self deception drives things into subconscious mind and troubles man  Good conduct,integerity and honest hard work lead to success and happiness in life

LIVE WITH ENTHUSIASM  Everyone faces hardships in chosen path  Enthusiasm makes one to work and not to quit  Chardikala is answer to all problems of life

BE MASTER OF POSSESIONS  Money is a necessary evil  We loose freedom by becoming slaves of money and material things  Too much money and wealth destroys peace of mind  Learn judicious use of money and share with needy  Stress is on honest earning

DONOT WORRY ABOUT PROBLEMS  Life is full of problems and mistakes  Don't worry about them  Rather understand them and learn the art of solving them

DONOT CLING TO PAST  Learn from past mistakes and experiences  Fatal to hang on to past victories or achievements  Should look to future

LOVE HUMANITY  Learn love people and know them  Learn from experience of others  Learn from glorious past and heritage

TAKE CARE OF HEALTH  Eat simple balanced food at almost fixed time  Do daily exercises for physical fitness

PRAYER TO GOD  Prayer gives inspiration and strength to mind essential for higher achievements in life and peace of mind  Do self analysis daily for self improvement

 Maintain positive thinking always and do hard work in life  When you are hard on yourself, life will be easy on you but when you are easy on yourself life will be hard on you