Our Haumai-Ego-Kills Our True Nature

The Gurbani tells us that the man’s Essential Nature is Joti-Svaroopa which is Beauty, Original, Whole (Saabat), Light, Pure Consciousness (i.e., Unconditioned or Untainted), and so on. The Gurbani challenges us to recognize This – our Joti-Svaroopa.

• ਇਉ ਕਹੈ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੁ ਹੈ ਅਪਣਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥੫॥: Iou kahai Nanak mann toon joti saroop hai apanaa mool pashaan ||5||: Thus says Nanak: O my mind, you are the embodiment or the True Image of the Divine Light (i.e., God) – recognize your Origin ||5|| (sggs 441). 

But, one may ask: “if my True Nature is Joti-Svaroopa, what happened to it?”

Our True Nature (Joti-Svaroopa) has been killed (i.e. suprimeposed) by our false ego-sense (or Haumai).

Haumai – the false ego sense – is ugly and filthy.

In the contrary, our Joti-Svaroopa is Pure and Beauty.

Then, can ugliness or filthiness coexist with that which is Pure and Beauty?

It cannot. This is the Gurbani’s edict.

The offspring of this ugly Haumai are the famous “five”: lust, anger, greed, attachment, and pride. In turn, these “5″ evils have their countless variations.

In a battlefield, there are seen only enemies. Haumai converts one’s life into a battlefield.

Thus – by its very nature – Haumai can only destroy.

It destroys Beauty, goodness, and auspiciousness.

Ego (Haumai) is the hell. For this hellish inferno only promotes hellish consciousness and hellish existence.

• ਹਉ ਵਿਚਿ ਨਰਕਿ ਸੁਰਗਿ ਅਵਤਾਰ ॥: Hau vich narak surag avataar: In ego (man) experineces heaven or hell (sggs 466).
• This ego is hell, and hell is a dragon not diminished by oceans of water. It drinks down the seven seas, yet the heat of that man-burner does not become less. It makes a morsel out of a world and gulps it down. Its belly keeps shouting: Is there any more? (Rumi). 

As we are repeatedly urged by the Gurbani, we cannot know our True Consciousness unless and until the Haumai or ego-mind is killed.

• ਮਨੁ ਮਰੈ ਧਾਤੁ ਮਰਿ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਬਿਨੁ ਮਨ ਮੂਏ ਕੈਸੇ ਹਰਿ ਪਾਇ ॥ ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਮਰੈ ਦਾਰੂ ਜਾਣੈ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਮਨੁ ਸਬਦਿ ਮਰੈ ਬੂਝੈ ਜਨੁ ਸੋਇ ॥: Manu marai dhaat mar jaai. Bin man mooye kaise hari paai. Ih mann marai daaroo jaanai koi. Manu sabadi marai boojhai jan soi: When the mind is conquered, its turbulent wanderings are stopped. Without annihilating (conquering) the mind, how can God be found? Rare is the one who knows the medicine to conquer the mind. The mind is conquered through the shabad; this is known to the Lord’s humble servant (sggs 665).