Unburdening Process

The Gurbani tells us that the false ego-sense (Haumai) is the great crushing burden we Jeeva (embodied beings) carry around. This life is a chance given to us to unburden ourselves of this load. Choice is ours - either we can chose to carry it around longer and keep suffering, or we can chose to unburden ourselves here and now. To end it here and now will need courage, watchfulness, determination and constant spiritual discipline. For the ego-mind is a great trickster and a liar. By attaching us to the enchanting objects of the mirage-like world, it hides the Truth from us and makes us chase the illusion. Without getting rid of the burden of our egoism, there will be no Freedom from repeated suffering and no chance of linking with the Supreme Consciousness. Ego is bondage, ignorance and the living hell. Our identification with the gross body (body consciousness) that has turned our lives into a battlefield, where there is no pure love, compassion and humility. As a result, everybody seems to be an enemy. It’s the mind’s constant noise of “mine, mine”. The ego is self-centered. Therefore, it hungers for attention, name, fame, power, prestige, and self-glorification. Due to the pull of such cravings, it will misappropriate, steal, loot or take everything from the world. It’s manifestations are very subtle, therefore, not easy to guard against. The Gurbani stresses we must completely Transcend it.

• ਹਉਮੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਮਨੁ ਮੋਹਿਆ ਲਦਿਆ ਅਜਗਰ ਭਾਰੀ ॥: Houmai bikh man mohiaa ladiaa ajagar bhaaree: The mortal is enticed by the poison of corruption (i.e. all evil passions); he is burdened with such a heavy load (sggs 1260).
• ਅਗਿਆਨੁ ਅੰਧੇਰੁ ਮਹਾ ਪੰਥੁ ਬਿਖੜਾ ਅਹੰਕਾਰਿ ਭਾਰਿ ਲਦਿ ਲੀਜੈ ॥: Agian andher mahaa panth bikhraa ahankaar bhaar lad leejai: The path of spiritual ignorance is utterly dark and treacherous; the mortal is loaded down with the crushing load of egotism (sggs 1326).
• ਹਉ ਹਉ ਕਰਤੇ ਕਰਮ ਰਤ ਤਾ ਕੋ ਭਾਰੁ ਅਫਾਰ ॥: Hou hou karate karam ratt taa ko bhaar afaar: Acting in egotism, people carry the unbearable load (252).
• ਮਨੁ ਭੂਲੋ ਸਿਰਿ ਆਵੈ ਭਾਰੁ ॥: Man bhoolo sir aavai bhaar: When the mind is deluded, the load of wickedness falls on the head (sggs 222).

 The faults of this self-centered ego (Haumai) are numerous, of which the most talked about are the following “Panch” or five demons: lust, anger, greed, attachment, and pride. Some of the numerous variations of these five demons are, jealousy, stubborn mindedness, doubts, falsehood, slandering, and all the rest of the mental negativity and impurities. Thus, the ego-consciousness makes us sin by committing misdeeds. Mad and crazy, ego and the mind are one and the same. It only destroys. But we do not realize the destruction because its working is very subtle. We carry the load of this destructive consciousness all our life. In the process, we start believing it to be real, and our True Nature (“Joti-Svaroopa”) to be false. It thus hides the Reality and deceives us believing in falsehood that this world is the play of ego instead of the Divine. When we grow up, our egos also grow stronger and subtle. We thus get accustomed to living in a limited cocoon of ego-mind, unaware of the disastrous consequences like a silkworm that spins silk cocoon around itself, unaware of the consequences.

• ਲਬੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਮੁਚੁ ਕੂੜੁ ਕਮਾਵਹਿ ਬਹੁਤੁ ਉਠਾਵਹਿ ਭਾਰੋ ॥: Labu lobh much koorr kamaavahi bahut outhaavahi bhaaro: You practice greed, avarice and great falsehood (i.e. all evil passions), and you carry such a heavy burden (sggs 154).
• ਸਾਦਿ ਮੋਹਿ ਲਾਦੀ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੇ ॥ ਦੋਸੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕਰਣੈਹਾਰੇ ॥: Saadi mohi laadee ahankaare. Dos naahee prabh karanaihaare: You are burdened with desire, emotional attachment and pride; it is not the fault of God the Creator (sggs 389).
• ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਬਿਖੁ ਬਜਰੁ ਭਾਰੁ ॥: Kaam krodhh bikh bajar bhaar: The burden of lust, anger and corruption (i.e. all evil passions) is unbearable (sggs 1187).
• ਅਣਹੋਦਾ ਭਾਰੁ ਨਿੰਦਕਿ ਸਿਰਿ ਧਰਾ ॥: Anahodaa bhaar nindak sir dharaa: The slanderer places an unbearable burden upon his head (sggs 145).
• ਮੂੰਹ ਅਖੀਂ ਨਕ ਕੰਨ ਹਥ ਦੇਹ ਭਾਰ ਉਚਾਂਦੇ ॥: Moonh akheen nak kann hath deh bhaar ouchaande: The feet carry the burden of mouth, eyes, nose, ears, hands and the whole body (Bhai Gurdaas Ji, Vaar 9). 

A Gurmukh is the truly unburdened (Awakened) person. So the Gurbani asks us to become the Gurmukhs. Divine virtues and false ego-sense cannot coexist. Hence the Gurbani time and again urges us to unburden ourselves of egoism. Thinning of false ego-sense makes room for noble qualities and mental purity.

• ਹਉਮੈ ਬਾਧਾ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਛੂਟਾ ॥: Houmai baadhaa garmukhi shootaa: Egotism is bondage; by becoming a Gurmukh, one is emancipated (sggs 131).
• ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਰੀਐ ਮਨੁ ਨਿਰਮਲੁ ਹੋਈ ॥: Gurmukh houmai maareeai manu niramal hoee: By becoming the Gurmukh, the egotism (Haume) is killed, and (consequently) the mind becomes immaculately pure (sggs 424).