Chorasi Lakh

Lakh Chorasi means 8,400,000 stages or forms of life on earth. It means a form of a species. For example, there are more than 3,000 species of snakes known today. But many more species might have been living in the past, and are now extinct. 84 lakh is also mentioned in Vedic & Buddhist scriptures. Ginans are full of details about evolution

Lakh Chorasi means 8,400,000 stages or forms of life on earth. It means a form of a species. For example, there are more than 3,000 species of snakes known today. But many more species might have been living in the past, and are now extinct.

It has taken 4,313,000 years of evolution from the amoeba to man of today. Some details:

   * It took the amoeba 432,000 years to evolve into a fish.
   * It took the fish 432,000 years to evolve into a tortoise.
   * It took the tortoise 432,000 years to evolve to a mammal like water hog.
   * It took the water hog 432,000 years to evolve to a higher form of mammal like a lion.
   * It took the lion 432,000 years to evolve to an ape such as a chimpanzee or sometimes known as the missing link.
   * It took that ape 432,000 years to evolve to the first man with intelligence. He was actually the ADAM known as ABUL BASHR.

After another 432,000 years’ period of development, the civilized man appeared during the period of the first RAMA (there are hundreds of kings known as Rama) who lived about 864,000 years ago.

Modern man and his immediate ancestors have been living on earth for the past 7,000 years during which the Biblical Prophets have appeared. The Great Flood perhaps came in this period.

Current estimates of the total number of species on Earth range from 5 to 30 million, of which, the 2005 Millennium Ecosystem Assessment notes approximately 2 million have been formally described.(http://www.enviroliteracy.org/article.php/58.html)

Between the two major stages of evolution such as amoeba and fish, there were thousands of developing and evolving stages which produced hundred of thousands of species. Most of them are now extinct.

The human soul has crossed the vast ocean of Lakh Chorasi and now appears in human stage. There is enough evidence that the soul is developing and progressing all the time. Everything that Nature has produced is progressing. If there is any deterioration or destruction, it is for reproduction in a better form.

Normally a soul will not turn back to an animal stage; but, of course, in some exceptional cases a soul may be retarded or degraded to lower stages as a punishment and for improvement. Otherwise it is created and is meant for development. It may make progress during its human life on earth as well as in the Hereafter.

A human being is given several chances in his lifetime to improve and develop. He is also given many lives to make progress enough to reach nearer and nearer to his Creator.

Significance of the Numbers

Gurbani Talks about 8.4 million life forms and it varies from the estimated number of 8.7 million life forms of plants and animals on earth. The 8.4 million life forms are what the Puranas believed in. The Guru used the concept to make Gurbani relatable to the general public. This idea is that by not following the values of Gurbani and applying it within your life, you'll live through Continuous reincarnations.

That way that we can understand how reincarnation is attaching attributes with various life forms. Throughout this life, we go through so many emotions, so many vices, we conduct so many misdeeds; you are essentially living different Joons (life forms) in just this one life!

For example, the common western saying is "you're a sheep", which is equivalent to that you're a follower, a follower that follows without thinking, without understanding (which is ironically something Gurbani does not want us to do, as Sikhs (as learners), Gurbani wants us to understand why we do what we do. The Guru uses a dog a sign of someone who's greedy and practices falsehood.

Essentially, what the Guru is saying to the public when he references reincarnation is that, in this life, you are living so many various life forms and you will continuously live these misgivings, misfortunes, misdeeds because of the way that YOU act. You will continuously keep wandering around this cycle if you don't break that cycle. With this body that you have, stop acting as if you're an animal.

Ultimately, Hinduism may state there's 8.4 million life forms, but the Guru has stated that the creator's creation is limitless and it's not bound to any one number. Throughout the ages, he's created so many life forms and he's destroyed so many of them (for example Dinosaurs!) and he can create millions more if he wants. Gurbani is a message of truth that's eternal and it's forever (ad sach, jugaad sach), when we mistakenly limit Gurbani, we limit it's message also. If God suddenly removes 3 million species in the blink of an eye, can we say Gurbani is forever true with a message of 8.4 million species? No. We must understand the underlying message of what the Guru is telling us.

-Proof that the Number of Joons is Metaphorical:-

ਅੰਡਜ ਜੇਰਜ ਉਤਭੁਜਾਂ ਖਾਣੀ ਸੇਤਜਾਂਹ ॥

the four sources of creation - born of eggs, born of the womb, born of the earth and born of sweat;

ਸੋ ਮਿਤਿ ਜਾਣੈ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਸਰਾਂ ਮੇਰਾਂ ਜੰਤਾਹ ॥

oceans, mountains, and all beings - O Nanak! The estimate of the number of all these is known only to the creator

Source:-(SGGSJ 467)