Mind Knowingly Commits Demerits

The Gurbani tells us that – driven by Maya’s love or hunger – the Jeev (individual being) is brimful with demerits (ਅਵਗੁਣ / ਅਉਗਨ = defect, fault, mistakes, blemish, Bikaar, etc.).

In the same breadth, the Gurbani tells us that the the Divine Virtues (ਗੁਣ) also abide within the Jeev (individual being), as well.

• ਅਵਗੁਣੀ ਭਰਪੂਰ ਹੈ ਗੁਣ ਭੀ ਵਸਹਿ ਨਾਲਿ ॥: Avagunee bharapoor hai gun bhee vasahi naali: (The mortal) is overflowing with demerits, but Virtue dwells within him as well. (sggs 936).

Two things are clear from the above verse: 1) demerits (ਅਵਗੁਣ / ਅਉਗਨ) are foreign, man-made, external, unnatural, un-inherent, etc.

2) On the contrary, the Divine Virtues (ਗੁਣ) are native, inherent, natural, already present within, etc. Why? Because the Lord, the Treasure of Virtues, is ever present within the Heart ( as our very Mool, Jot, Source, Origin, Light, Truth Reality, Satgur, Gur, Saadh, and so on).

Then, how does the Jeev (individual being) end up brimful with demerits (ਅਵਗੁਣ / ਅਉਗਨ)? The Gurbani provides us with the authoritative answer as follows:

• ਕਬੀਰ ਮਨੁ ਜਾਨੈ ਸਭ ਬਾਤ ਜਾਨਤ ਹੀ ਅਉਗਨੁ ਕਰੈ ॥ ਕਾਹੇ ਕੀ ਕੁਸਲਾਤ ਹਾਥਿ ਦੀਪੁ ਕੂਏ ਪਰੈ ॥੨੧੬॥: Kabeer manu jaanai sabh baat jaanat hee aoyganu karai. kaahe kee kusalaat haathi deepu kooe parai: O Kabir! The mind knows everything and knowingly it commits demerits. What use is it to have a Lamp (i.e., the Light of Aatam Giaan, Divine Knowledge, Spiritual Wisdom…) in his hand, if the man still falls into a well (ignorance, Maya, Bikaar, ਅਉਗਨ / ਬਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਖੂਹ ਵਿਚ…)? (sggs 1376).

In the foregoing verse, the Gurbani indicates that our mind knows everything (i.e., right and wrong, Truth and untruth, Real and Unreal, True and false, fleeting and Eternal, etc.), but, still, knowingly it commits mistakes (ਅਵਗੁਣ / ਅਉਗਨ = demerits, defect, fault, blemish, Bikaar, etc.).

In the same breadth, the Gurbani asks us that what’s the use of having a Lamp (i.e., the Light of Aatam Giaan, Divine Knowledge, Spiritual Wisdom…) in hand, if the person holding the lamp is still going to fall into a well (the well of ignorance, Maya, Bikaar, ਅਉਗਨ / ਬਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਖੂਹ ਵਿਚ…).

The Gur-Shabad is the Lamp (Giaan…) given to us, that shows us the right Way so that we don’t fall into a well of ignorance, Maya, Bikaar…

But our Maya driven mind does not listen to the Inner Voice (ਅੰਤਰ ਆਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਅਵਾਜ) of its Mool (Source…). In other words, the Mayaic mind overrules the Wisdom of its Mool (Source…), and as a result, ends up committing and accumulating demerits within.

• ਹਮ ਅਵਗੁਣਿ ਭਰੇ ਏਕੁ ਗੁਣੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਛਾਡਿ ਬਿਖੈ ਬਿਖੁ ਖਾਈ ॥: Ham avaguni bhare eku gunu naahee amritu chhaadi bikhai bikhu khaaee: I am overflowing with demerits; I have no virtues at all. I abandoned the Amrit (-Naam: Aatam Giaan, Spiritual Wisdom…), and I drank poison (Maya) instead. (sggs 1406).

The Gurbani tells us that the majority of us follow this tendency of the Maya-ridden mind (i.e., Mayaic inclinations, nature, habits, quality, temperament, etc.).

• ਮਨ ਕਾ ਸੁਭਾਉ ਸਭੁ ਕੋਈ ਕਰੈ ॥: Man kaa subhaaou sabhu kooee karai: Everyone acts according to the dispositions of the mind. (sggs 1167).

What’s the remedy according to the Gurbani? As repeatedly indicated in the Gurbani, the remedy is to remove the “filth” of the mind through the earnest Shabad-Vichaar, and living the Gurmat (Aatam Giaan-ਆਤਮ ਗਿਆਨ).

• ਕੂਟਨੁ ਸੋਇ ਜੁ ਮਨ ਕਉ ਕੂਟੈ ॥: Kootanu soi ju man kaou kootai: That  alone is “Kootan” (ਕੁੱਟਣ, striking, thrashing, beating, etc.), who pounds down his mind (i.e., assesses, appraises, introspects, surveys, searches, tests, measures, etc., his mind to mend it or annihilate it…). (sggs 872).
• ਕਬੀਰ ਮਨੁ ਮੂੰਡਿਆ ਨਹੀ ਕੇਸ ਮੁੰਡਾਏ ਕਾਂਇ ॥ ਜੋ ਕਿਛੁ ਕੀਆ ਸੋ ਮਨ ਕੀਆ ਮੂੰਡਾ ਮੂੰਡੁ ਅਜਾਂਇ ॥੧੦੧॥: Kabeer manu moondiaa nahee kes mundaae kaani. Jo kishu keeaa so man keeaa moondaa moondu ajaani: O Kabeer! (You have) not shaved your mind (remove the mind’s ਅਵਗੁਣ / ਅਉਗਨ = defect, fault, mistakes, blemish, Bikaar, etc.), so why do you shave your head (i.e, what’s the use of shaving the head to look like a Saadhoo, etc.)? Whatever is done, is done by the mind; it is useless to shave your head (i.e., without removing the mind’s filth, it’s useless to shaving the head to look like a Saadhoo…). ||101|| (sggs 1369).

In nutshell, according to the Gurbani, all the Virtues (ਗੁਣ) and the Giaan (Divine Knowledge, Spiritual Wisdom, ਆਤਮ ਗਿਆਨ) is in accepting the Divine Hukam (Divine Command, Bhaanaa Mannanaa, etc. – Understanding and Living the Gurmat, ਗੁਰਮਤ / ਗੁਰਬਾਣੀ ਸਮਝਣਾਂ, ਮੰਨਣਾਂ…).

• ਮਾਨੈ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਸਭੇ ਗੁਣ ਗਿਆਨ ॥: Maanai hukamu sabhe gun giaan: (One who) accepts the Divine Hukam, he is blessed with all Divine Virtues and total Spiritual Wisdom. (sggs 944).