KANIK KAAMINI - GOLD AND WOMAN

(O Jeeva -individual being) gazing upon your body and wealth,
you are so proud. Your love for gold and woman is increasing;
why have you forgotten the Naam, and wander in doubt? ||1||Pause|| (sggs 906).
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Literally, "Kanik" means gold, and "Kaamini" means woman. Used through out the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS) and other Indian scriptures in a collective sense, this term "Kanik Kaamini" or "gold and woman" occurs repeatedly in the Spiritual Teachings as a metaphor for greed, lust (i.e., all Bikaar, Mayaic Budhi, egotism or Haumai...), chief obstacle to Spiritual Realization of Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...).

This popular expression can easily be misconstrued if we take its literal meaning and do not try to understand the underlying message. By this expression "Kanik Kaamini" the Gurbani meant only "greed and lust" etc., the baneful influence of which retards the aspirant's Spiritual progress. To put it otherwise, the word "Kanik" or "gold" symbolizes the instinct of greed, and the word "Kaamini" or "woman" symbolizes the lust instinct in all living entities (male and female alike), which is the chief impediment to Spiritual life (the Gurmukh Lifestyle).

Before reflecting further on "Kanik Kaamini", it will be helpful to understand that the use of "Kanik Kaamini" is not meant to hate gold or woman in general. In fact, Baabaa Nanak gave due credit to the womankind and the household life. The reason Masters and the scriptures have to use such expressions, similes, allegories, metaphors and figurative or mystic representations is the fact that majority of us can only appreciate the relative knowledge. Why? Because the worldly or material truth we often identify with is based on relativity. On the other hand, the Absolute Truth the scriptures and the Men of Light try to explain to us is eternal and self-existence. Therefore, when the Absolute Truth that has not been personally experienced is expounded by the Teachers or the scriptures, one cannot always grasp it directly. However, with the help of expressions, illustrations, examples or narratives it becomes relatively easier for most of us to grasp, who otherwise can only appreciate the relative knowledge. Therefore, once the symbolism of such expression is grasped, then one comes to understand its real meaning and significance.

The reality of the Cosmic Charmer called Maya is "Kanik Kaamini". It is the enjoyment of "Kanik Kaamini" that binds the living entities to the material plane (i.e., Maya), and robs them of their Divine Freedom. When a man comes in contact with the material world (Maya), his eternal love for the Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...) gets transformed into lust and greed, just as milk in contact with sour tamarind is transformed into yogurt. This is how it works: it is the lust that creates the need for gold or greed (material wealth). Then one tries to satisfy his lust; when he cannot, anger and greed arise. Thus, lust => greed + anger. This trio is known as the three gates that lead man to a hellish life. In such degraded condition of the mind, one cannot act as he likes. By constantly living in the midst of "Kanik Kaamini", man's disease of false ego (Haume Rog) becomes chronic (Deeragh). The Water of the Grace of the Divine Knowledge (Aatam Giaan) cannot be collected on the high mound of egoism; it simply runs down!

Thus, the snare (Jaal) of Maya and it's illusion is nothing but "Kanik Kaamini". The three qualities of Maya — Saatav, Raajas, and Taamas — have the man under their control. For example, as long as Saatav exists, it can call on Raajas for help, and Raajas can call on Taamas for help, so on and so forth. Thus, "Kanik Kaamini" is the cause of bondage; consequently, it alone constitutes worldliness or Sansaar—the place of repeated suffering. Therefore, it is "Kanik Kaamini" that keeps the man from thinking or linking with his Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...). For this reason, Maya is called the "robber". To crave is to slave. Out of attachment and bondage, craving for "Kanik Kaamini" is material slavery. Just as a fire can never be put out by a constant supply of fuel, similarly, lust and greed cannot be satisfied by any amount of sense enjoyment of "Kanik Kaamini". But, as seen by the scriptures, the man constantly keeps feeding his egoism with sense gratification or "Kanik Kaamini", resulting in perpetual suffering. Our desires constitute "Kanik Kaamini", and desirelessness is Bliss (Anand) or Godhood. All desires are in the instinctive mind (Mayaic mind). As such, by losing in desires one loses control on his mind. With the rise of false ego comes the error of taking the finite matter or body to be the infinite Mool (Source, Origin, Jot...). In other words, the rise of physical ego confines us to the limitations of the human frame. These limitations, in turn, make us see other objects; hence arises the desire to enjoy them. These desires are so complex and contradictory, the environment they create is also complex and contradictory, thus disharmonious. Desires fulfilled create more desires, and desires unfulfilled manifest into wrath. Also, the temporary satisfaction of desires breeds misery. So long we retain self-limitations, we continue to entertain "Kanik Kaamini" and make ourselves miserable in the process. There is a folk belief that an older snake has a precious stone (Mannee) in his head! However, it seems to be perfectly satisfied by eating mere frogs! Also, if we look into frog's living, we will find that although they live in the same water with the Lotus flower, but they are satisfied by mere eating of slimy scum! Similarly, the Gurbani indicates that the precious Jewel of Infinite Bliss is hidden within our body (Mool) and that we can attain It at this very moment if we want to. But, instead, we insanely and tumultuously crave the enjoyment of "Kanik Kaamini"! In a storm of dusty clouds, one cannot distinguish between the different trees. However, after the storm passes over, one can see the different trees clearly. Similarly, the enjoyment of "Kanik Kaamini" creates the clouds or veil (of egoism, illusion, delusion, ignorance, material consciousness, etc.) that make it difficult to distinguish the difference between the physical body and the Essence of the Divinity within (Mool, Joti-Svaroopa...). But, after the storm of psychological ego is blown over with the breeze of the Spiritual Wisdom (Aatam-Giaan), one realizes the difference between the transient body and the Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...). To put it otherwise, it is the pleasure of "Kanik Kaamini" that hides Truth from us. Those who constantly long for "Kanik Kaamini" become so infatuated with it that they cannot put things in proper perspective. For example, what can a man get for his money? Food, clothing, and shelter (Ullee, Gullee, and Jullee). That's all. However, he cannot buy Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...) with it; but he does not seem to know it. In this Spiritual ignorance, we make "Kanik Kaamini" the goal of life. How does a man infatuated with "Kanik Kaamini" causes himself into the pitch darkness of Spiritual ignorance? Here is a step-by step analysis of his descent. His brooding over objects of the senses causes attachment to them. From such attachment, lust or craving manifest; from unfulfilled lust or craving, anger arises; from anger, mental delusion arises; from delusion comes bewilderment or loss of memory of the Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...); the loss of such memory causes loss of intelligence or the discriminating faculty; upon loss of intelligence or discrimination, one falls down into the material consciousness; which, in turn, brings annihilation of his Spiritual Life (ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ). "Kanik Kaamini" is the sense of duality, Doojaa Bhaav. Those who care for it are deluded by it. And mental delusion is not a transcendental quality, but is demoniac. Because the transcendental qualities are conducive to Liberation, whereas the demoniac qualities are for bondage. The demoniac always wants to make a pompous show of religion, although he is never serious about it; for they have no satiation for "Kanik Kaamini". The adverse effects stemming from bondage to "Kanik Kaamini" can be summed up as follows: it degrades, consumes, and hardens our body and soul. These diseases, in turn, manifest by the following set of symptoms: craving and addiction for alcohol and other intoxicants, drugs abuse, excessive indulgence, illicit sex, gambling, obscenity, laziness, excessive filthy talks, slandering, faultfinding, thinking ill of others, irritability, fighting and quarreling, miserliness, falsehood, selfishness, hypocrisy, corruption, perjury, deception, misrepresentation, cheating, swindling, bribery, trickery of all sorts, desires and fear, worry, and so on. In other words, the sensual pleasures of "Kanik Kaamini" make man to turn his back from the Divine Hukam and His Shabad. The reason "Kanik Kaamini" is considered to be the chief impediment to Spiritual Realization of the Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...) is the fact that it pulls all living entities down to the common animal level and keep them there. It is the principle of psychology we can all attest to that whatever the mind contemplates upon, that thing becomes a part of the individual. For example, if we contemplate on the Shabad or Naam, we become like the Shabad or Naam (Aatam Giaan...); and if we dwell upon "Kanik Kaamini", we become like that. In nutshell, we become like that which we dwell upon.

The origin of everything is the All-pervading Reality, including "Kanik Kaamini". However, it only remains Spiritualized so long we abide in the Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...), the Source of true Happiness. But with the rise of false ego, we start looking for the Self and true Happiness without — in the externalities of the world — then differentiation (duality) begins to operate. If we can learn from the scriptures that the true Happiness is within and not without, then differentiation ceases to operate; and one learns how to Spiritualize "Kanik Kaamini" and turn it into pure Love for Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...). How can we go about doing it?

As long as there exists the clouds in the sky, we cannot see the sun. Similarly, so long there exists the cloud of Maya, we cannot see the Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...), the Sun of Knowledge. We have to step out of the house of Maya — we must abandon our bondage to "Kanik Kaamini", then the heat of the sun of Knowledge will melt the ice-like form of ignorance and false ego. In other words, this "Kanik Kaamini" is the cloud that hides the Spiritual Wisdom, the Divine Light. In order to capture the enemy, one needs to know his whereabouts. Similarly, to capture the lust and its companions, we need to know their hiding place. According to the scriptures, their hiding places are within the physical senses, mind, and intelligence. This is how it works: mind is the center of all the activities of senses; thus, when senses become attracted toward "Kanik Kaamini" the mind becomes the source of all ideas of sense gratification. Consequently, the mind and senses become the repositories of lust. The next-door neighbor to the mind is intelligence. As a result, the intelligence department becomes the capital of such lustful propensities. Furthermore, the lusty propensities of the intelligence influences the next-door neighbor Spirit Soul to acquire the false ego and identify itself with the body or matter. This false ego, in turn, become addicted to enjoying "Kanik Kaamini" through the material senses and mistakes this as true happiness. This is the false identification of the Spirit Soul. Thus, the senses, the mind, and the intelligence are the sitting places of the "Kanik Kaamini". After knowing the enemy's strategic positions in the body, now we can attack and curb this mighty sinful foe. In fact, the purpose of all religions or different paths is to teach the mind to get out of the seize of this enemy! That's all! The bondage to "Kanik Kaamini" can be rid of using the Gurbani's Bibek Budhi . But what is it? Simply put: to know Mool alone is Real and all else is transitory is Bibeka Budhi. It's like straining dirty water through the sieve — the clean water goes through the sieve leaving the dirt behind. Similarly, we can apply the sieve of Gurbani's Aatam Giaan to the world. As revealed by the Gurbani, the senses, the mind, and the intelligence — the sitting places of the "Kanik Kaamini" — can be purified by reflecting on the Gur-Shabad (Shabad-Vichaar), and then living it truthfully. Then we will be able to discharge the river of our separateness (ego-sense) into the Ocean of Oneness, the Unconditioned Consciousness — our Mool within (Source, Origin, Jot...). Once the apparatus of the senses-mind-intellect is brought under control, "Kanik Kaamini" will not be able to harm thereafter. It's like a snake without fangs; it will hiss but not harm. Thus, once the Soul-Nature is developed through the Shabad-Vichaar, one can lead the life of a householder, but the "Kanik Kaamini" will not be able to affect him in the least. When young, a banyan tree is fenced around to protect it from predators; but once the trunk grows thick and strong, there is no need for the fence. Then even if an elephant is tied to the tree, there will be no harm done to it!

— T. Singh
www.gurbani.org

Updated on Thursday, February 23, 2012 11:33 AM (PST)

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