4. Does Your Ego Cause Your Suffering?

Question:

 

If I have haumai (ego), is it possible that I get a physical injury or illness directly because of it?   Like God punishing me?  

 

Answer :

 

Dukh – Sorrow: Means the sorrows we face on a daily basis in our lives, the situations which put us in trouble, physically or mentally and make our daily lives uncomfortable are given the name of sorrow – Dukh.

 

The physical and bodily sorrows are not as painful as the mental sorrows as we move along on the path to the discovery of the truth, the physical ailments, family issues, financial issues are some of the physical forms of the sorrows which we all face on a regular basis, again this is all a part of our Karam Kand (repaying what we have sown).

 

The reason behind all the sorrows and mental sicknesses is based on our Karni in the past period of this life and all the previous lives. The physical bodily sorrows include all the bodily injuries and sicknesses as well, however, the mental sicknesses are – Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh and Ahankaar, Asa, Trishna and Mansha.

 

Let us talk a little more about physical ailments, financial issues and family issues, which upset us inside out and are a major cause for frustration from the life. Gurbani calls such a sorrow a blessing – Dukh Daroo Sukh Rog Bhayea – which means that infect the worldly comforts (a part of Maya) are a form of serious sickness because these comforts are responsible for keeping us away from the Almighty because under the influence of these comforts we forget to remember the God who has given all these comforts to us, at the same time the sorrow – Dukh brings us closer to the Almighty, it becomes a prescription for our soul and mind, because whenever we are in pain and sorrow we remember Him, His Gurparsadi Naam – Satnaam Simran brings us so closer to Him that we merge and become one with Him, never to separate again and achieve the ultimate and eternal comfort and happiness  – Sat Chit Anand forever. 

 

Gurbani also says Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam Jee and Sarabh Rog Kaa Aukhud Naam, which means that the prescription for Dukh is the Naam, it relieves us of all the sorrows and gives us highest level of happiness and comfort, it makes us so stable that we can tolerate any level of pain, Naam is so powerful that it removes the difference between sorrow and happiness, our soul and mind becomes so stable that nothing can distract it, that is what the Guru Sahibaans did when they sat on Tatti Tavi and gave their life for serving the Hukam of Akal Purakh, by doing so they have demonstrated to us time and again the power of Naam, Naam cures us from all the ailments, physical or mental.

 

At such a spiritual level there remains no difference between physical sorrow or physical happiness, and there always remain highest level of comfort and enjoyment inside our Hirda.  Haume – Ego – Ahankaar: The very existence of a human mind and body and its recycling – the cycle of life and death is due to the haume. The very basis of our Karam Kand , which never ends is the haume. This is one of the five wises which resides in the head – brain of a person and has the  highest level of  difficulty from the perspective of conquering over it. That is why it has been called as a deep mental sickness – Haume Deeragh Rog Hai – again the prescription here is Gurparsadi Naam only, nothing else can bring it down under your feet, only Gurparsadi Naam can conquer over it.

 

The Krodh and Ahankaar are complementary to each other, they give birth to each other, whereas Krodh resides in the stomach area of our body, the anger comes in when the ego gets hurt, these two are the worst enemies of our soul and mind, and draw a boundary between our soul and Almighty, a silver screen which appears to be correct and true but in the real sense it is the biggest illusion, the very existence of our own wisdom and mind is due to ego, and if we kill our own wisdom and mind then there remains no boundary between our soul and Almighty, our soul merges with Almighty. 

 

The opposite of Haume is the humbleness – Nimrata, which is a prescription for killing the Ahankaar – Haume – Ego, there is only one doer and giver – Paar Braham, everything exists under His Hukam – Hukme Ander Sabh Ko Bahar Hukam Naa Koi, Nanak Hukmey Jeh Bhujey Taa Haume Kahe Naa Koi – all of us recite this on a daily basis yet don’t believe in it and therefore, don’t exercise it in our daily life, it is so simple to understand, yet very difficult to absorb, and practice it. If we learn this one line of Gurbani and bring it in our daily life we can achieve our spiritual goal – it is so simple – Hukam Bhooj Param Pad Paaee. 

 

To manage your anger or to bring your anger under control, the best prescription will be to forgive the person who is causing you to become angry – Jahan Khima Tahan Aap (Kabir’s Bani), because forgiveness is one of the vital qualities of a Puran Sant,  and in whichever Hirda there is forgiveness there is Almighty Himself, extreme kindness is a very vital quality of a Hirda that makes it one with Almighty, so we all have to learn to forgive.

 

Try it out as soon as you can, it works, the moment you forgive the source of anger the anger will disappear and you will feel lot better, this is the way to conquer over the anger and is very easy to practice. The next prescription to control Ahankaar is the extreme humbleness, a humble heart will never be egoistic, this is another vital quality of a Puran Sant. Now what do we need to do to take this prescription of humbleness, it is very simple, but might be difficult to do, (but if you are determined to do it then nothing can stop you), here are some acts for bringing humbleness in your soul and mind: cleaning utensils at langar, dusting shoes of the Sangat with your hands and apply the dust on your forehead, and if you can do it try to dust the shoes of the Sangat with your beard or hair (mothers, sisters and daughters), do dandaut bandhana in the Gurudwara, always and always consider every body else is higher than you, call yourself lowest of the lowest, loon harami, bishta ka kira, a dog of the Guru, Akal Purakh and Sangat.

 

The extreme humbleness is the key to the Dargah. Along with these actions in your daily life there is something more you can do and which is a must to do to kill your haume – when you start your Naam Simran, start saying Haume Nahin Tu Hi Tu, Haume Nahin Tu Hi Tu and continue like this for some time when it gets switched to Satnaam Simran, then the next step is to say – Band Band Kat Agni Meh Saari – imagine a burning pyre and then cut each part of your body in your imagination and throw it in the fire yourself and see it burning, and keep on reciting Band Band Kat Agni Meh Saari, you can also imagine sitting in a burning pyre and reciting these words inside you, and then see you burning and converting into ashes, and until you burn yourself completely in fire like this you will not be able to kill your haume. When you do this practice in Smadhi then you are actually burning your haume and cleanup your Suksham Dehi. Some of you will find it difficult to do or unsuccessful in the beginning but don’t leave it, just be insistent and eventually you will be successful, it might take you a long time to be successful though. And incase you see a burning pyre or fire in Smadhi then just go inside and sit in it, don’t be afraid, similarly if you see a sarovar just go inside it and take a dip in it, this is all divine amrit and will clean you up from all kinds of mental sicknesses. 

 

There is a lot that can be written on these two topics but we will request this much seva at this time.  Thanks to every one and with lots of blessings under the Chattar of Sant Baba Ji – which comprises of 21 suns.  Dhan Dhan Sant Baba Ji with whose Gurkirpa we have been able to serve the Sangat, Dhan Dhan Paar Braham Parmesar who made us all meet this Puran Braham Gyani – Nirankaar Roop Param Jyot Puran Parkash Darshan and Dhan Dhan Gurparsadi Satnaam Anmolak Rattan Hira, which Sant Baba Ji has brought once again on this earth from Dargah, and Dhan Dhan Gyan Saroop of Akal Purakh – Gurbani – Divine knowledge – Puran Braham Gyan, Dhan Dhan Das Patshahian and all the Sants and Bhagats, Puran Braham Gyanis and Dhan Dhan Pind Parivaar, Satnaam Parivaar Gurparsadi Sangat and Dhan Dhan Satgur Paar Braham Sarnai. 

 

Dassan Das (Slave Of God’s Slaves)