Ego and Implications
Ego has been stated as ‘Haumein’ in Gurbani and it has been stated that the seeker should sub-due it and at places to eliminate it if possible. It may be considered as selfishness and self conceit as the various translators have interpreted it. Taking a clue from the number of times this term has appeared in Bani, It can be assumed that the message that the Guru sahibs had to convey represents that it is slightly more than egocentricity. Let us look at some other ‘tuks’ that deal with the aspect of Ego. The following line states that in ‘haumein’ every one is driven to the state of irrationality.
haumY ivic sBu jgu baurwnw ] (3, 159-11)
Specific attention is drawn to the ‘tuk’ that states that ‘ego’ in itself is a disease but it has some element of its treatment.
haumY dIrG rogu hY dwrU BI iesu mwih ] 466-18)
It is by subduing and overcoming the ‘ego’ that one’s mind gets the illumination of divine knowledge.
haumY mwir kmlu prgwsw ] (3, 161-18)
The point to be stressed is whether Guru-sahib is stating “haumeni’ as the ‘ego’ as is understood in the conventional sense. Let us look at the dictionary meaning of ego and the related words like egotism etc.
A related shabad and analysis
soriT mhlw 5 pMcpdw ](616)
ibnsY mohu myrw Aru qyrw ibnsY ApnI DwrI]1]sMqhu iehw bqwvhu kwrI]ijqu haumY grbu invwrI]1]rhwau]srb BUq pwrbRhm kir mwinAw hovw sgl rynwrI]2]pyiKa pRB jIau Apuny sMgy cUkY BIiq BRmwrI]3]AauKDu nwmu inrml jlu AMimRq pweIAY gurU duAwrI]4]khu nwnk ijsu msqik iliKAw iqsu guir imil rog ibdwrI]5]
In this Shabad, Satguru Ji is talking about one of the biggest evils that we have inside of us. That evil is ego. All of us have ego inside of us and Guru Ji says that ego keeps us away from finding the Almighty God.
ibnsY mohu myrw Aru qyrw ibnsY ApnI DwrI]1]
Translation:
Destroy my attachment to ego, which makes me think that this is mine and this is yours and end my love with this world.
In the first line of this shabad (hymn), Satguru Ji explains that we need to destroy the ego that is inside of us because it is an obstacle between us and God:
Dn ipr kw iek hI sMig vwsw ivic haumY BIiq krwrI]
Translation:
The bride (soul) and the husband (God) are separated by the wall of ego.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/sikh-sikhi-sikhism/29302-haumein-and-ego.html hau hau BIiq BieE hY bIco sunq dyis inktwieE ]
Translation:
The wall of egotism and pride separates us, but I can hear Him nearby.
Satguru Ji has said that this pain of Ego is within all humans:
haumY rogu mwnuK ko dInw]
Translation:
Humans are given the disease of ego.
There are many more lines in Gurbani which tell us that this ego is a very big disease:
haumY rogu vfw sMswr]
haumY rogu kiTn qin pIrw]
When we get ego inside of us, then we forget God. We think that we are doing everything and forget that Almighty God who is in control of everything:
hau bMDau hau swDau bYr]hmrI BUim kaux GwlY pYru]hau pMifqu hau cqur isAwxw]krxYhwru nw buJY ibgwnw]
Translation:
Filled with ego we say “I shall tie up my enemy, and I shall cut him down. Who dares to set foot upon my land?” They say “I am learned, I am clever and wise." The ignorant ones do not recognize their creator.
So it is very necessary that we break from this wall of ego inside of ourselves.
Satguru Ji then says:
sMqhu iehw bqwvhu kwrI ] ijqu haumY grbu invwrI ]1] rhwau ]
Translation:
O Saints, show me such a way, by which my egotism and pride might be eliminated. ||1||Pause||
We must break from this ego because:
haumY nwvY nwil ivroDu hY duie n vsih iek Twie ]
Translation:
Ego is opposed to the Name of the Lord; the two cannot dwell in the same place.
Satguru Ji explains that Seva and Simran cannot be done if we have ego inside of ourselves. That is not true seva and simran:
haumY ivic syvw n hoveI qw mnu ibrQw jwie ]1]
Translation:
In egotism, selfless service cannot be performed, and so the soul goes unfulfilled.
If we wish to meet our husband, God, then we must destroy our ego:
haumY jweI qw kMq smweI ]
Translation:
But if she gets rid of her ego, then she merges in her Husband Lord.
srb BUq pwrbRhmu kir mwinAw hovW sgl rynwrI ]2]
Translation:
Show me the method with which I can see the Supreme Lord God in all beings, and I become the dust of all.
pyiKE pRB jIau ApunY sMgy cUkY BIiq BRmwrI ]3]
Translation:
That method with which I can see God always with me, and the wall of doubt can be shattered.
AauKDu nwmu inrml jlu AMimRqu pweIAY gurU duAwrI ]4]
Translation:
The medicine of the Naam, and the Immaculate Water of Ambrosial Nectar, are obtained through the Guru's Gate.
Guru Ji explains that the Name of God is the medicine which can break us from ego and which makes us become humble. This Name of God can only be obtained through the true Guru.
khu nwnk ijsu msqik iliKAw iqsu gur imil rog ibdwrI ]5]17]28]
Translation:
Says Nanak, one who has such pre-ordained destiny written upon his forehead, meets with the Guru, and his diseases are cured.
Source: ::::Sikh and ego article ::::
From the above shabad, esp the last line, one can draw the inference that ‘haumein’ is cured if one meets the Guru and has such a pre-ordained destiny. It cannot be rooted out by the mortal, the poor creature. It may not be the simple pride or ‘Ahamkaar’ that we understand in the ordinary parlance.
Reference:: Sikh Philosophy Network http://www.sikhphilosophy.net/showthread.php?t=29302
Other Words of Bani to be considered to understand the meaning of ‘Haumein’
The words that we have to take into account are contained in the following line that cannot be missed by any seeker.
nwnk sohM hMsw jpu jwphu iqRBvx iqsY smwih ]1] (1093-3, mwrU, mÚ 1)
O Nanak, chant the chant of '
Sohang hansaa' - 'He is me, and I am Him.' The three worlds are absorbed in Him. ||
The line has a very specific meaning and is similar to the philosophy that existed at the point of time when the Granth sahib was compiled.
Analysis: Deriving the meaning from the above Line
Tempted to look into further on account of the above line the term ‘ego’ can be looked on from different microscope of the philosophy that was prevalent. The above line is of significance. It states that we should practice that ‘I am that’ and what is ‘that’; ‘that’ that is He and thus ‘I am He’. It would imply that that ‘I’ am not that I consider to be that I consider that is body and mind. The individual is not body and mind. The association of the individual with the body and mind that is unreal shall not qualify for the statement that is ‘I am He’. He is ‘sat’ or real or should be formless. Thus the association of I with the body and mind seems to be incorrect. In essence ‘I am He’ would imply that ‘I’ is to be attached with the all-potent formless consciousness of the lord and we have a particle of this formless consciousness in the form of the soul that is also a pure consciousness and is also formless. This is what the ‘I stands’ for in my opinion. It would be in order to say that I am also consciousness and hence the identification of the self with the body and mind may not be correct. The correct approach is that the self is to be seen as identified with the pure consciousness tat is within this body. If one can locate it and can really realize it ,it would amount to self-realization and there would not be any further investigation required.
Once this is understood the rest should follow.
qU Awpy krqw qyrw kIAw sBu hoie ] quDu ibnu dUjw Avru n koie ] (4, 365-18)
You are the Doer and everything is done by you.There is no one else.[It is a crude definition or translation done by me to make it fit into the discussion]
The doer ship is transferred from the self to Him.
Another Line that supports the above is as follows:
Awpy krqw Awpy Bugqw ] Awpy sMjmu Awpy jugqw ] (1, 1047-17)
Let us take another line to this effect:
sBnI Cwlw mwrIAw krqw kry su hoie ] (1, 469-5) Conclusion
Egoism as stated in Bani should mean that we should stop identifying ourselves to the mind and body that are unreal. Our real self is the consciousness and that being a part of the ‘super-consciousness’ is to be attached to that is happening around us and may be through our body. This feeling that I am the doer is the ‘ego’ and is to be subdued an is to be replaced by That He is doing everything and ourselves are only by lane spectators only.
It is from this concept that one can further explore the concept of duality.
Regards
Taranjeet singh
Bhul chuk Mauf
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