GEMS OF GURBANI

National Character – 21

Awareness of an evil character

The persons who claim to be religious and do many acts of charity have tendencies to develop haumai (ego). People who go to pilgrimages every year and do acts of charity at such places can also suffer from this malady of ego. Guru Arjunji says; ‘O pride the cause of our coming and going in the world, O soul of sin, thou estranges friends, confirm enmities and make men spread the net of illusions far and wide, and tires men by keeping ever on the round and making them experience now pleasure, now pain. And men walk through the utter wilderness of doubt, though afflicts men with incurable maladies. GG pg 1358. This explains the result of doing things without humbleness and for selfish motives and false assumptions that all such acts will be receiving merit in God’s presence. But instead man becomes ego ridden, full of doubt, and suffers incurable pain. The psychological after affect is more intense of one cannot control his ego. An ego ridden person develops a feeling that he is superior to others and this feeling develops tendencies in him to treat others as inferior to his own self. In Sikhism it is believed that this tendency of developing ego is there within every human being and we have to become aware of its destruction that it can cause for our own self. We may perform heroic deeds to feed our ego but Guru holds them in low estimation. Guru says;’ sure eh na akhiye ahankar mare dukh paweh II GG Pg 1089 meaning; they are not called heroes who die of pride and suffer pain. In the same passage he further says God doesn’t love those who die of pride this has been proclaimed loud even in Vedas. He further says; ahankar muye so vigati gaye- those who die of pride are bereft of salvation.

The pride does not allow you to win friends instead it increases the enmity and jealousy. Sikh doctrines say we have to win over people so that spiritual unity is obtained in the humanity which is ideal to achieve spiritual unity with the Almighty. Pride or ahankar does not lead to any pleasures. It only increases the differences with other people and pervades our thinking, makes us restless and causes heavy burden on us to fulfill the demands that we have inflicted upon ourselves. In the end it can cause self destruction.

Guru Arjun ji in raag gaudi sukhmani explains the destiny of a proud person; The King who  is proud of his kingship is a hell dweller – a dog. He who is proud of his youth and believes he is ever going to be youthful is a worm of ordure. He who calls himself man of action and proud of that is ever taking rebirth meaning he lives without salvation on this earth. He who is proud of worldly riches like land, wealth is stupid, blind and ignorant. He in whose heart Lord mercifully plants humbleness ‘O’ Nanak obtains salvation here and hereafter.

The Sikh faith here differs from other faiths where penance and austerities are recommended to get rid of the negative value of ego. The Sikh doctrines prescribe self realization to surrender ego while performing all social duties to family, society and nation. To counter or surrender ego humility has been recommended as a positive value in Sikh traditions. Guru says; A humble person abides in peace. By stilling his ego he behaves meekly. All those haughty and proud people are consumed by their pride. GG Pg.278 ( Sukhi base maskiniya……)