One may ask, "Where does this figure of "over 99.9 percent" comes from?" It comes from the Gurbani (Sri Guru Granth Sahib, SGGS), which provides us with an estimate of conditioned souls in our human society. It also reveals to us that those individuals who truly abide in Truth in their mind (the Gurmukhs) are very "rare". Out of thousands and millions, one may endeavor for Spiritual attainment, of these hardly one knows the Reality in Truth. This means that over 99.9 percent people simply live in a state of mental delusion! This is to say that only less than 0.1 percent (numeral "one" divided by "thousand" or "million") of the people are truly interested in real Understanding, Wisdom or Transcendental Knowledge! The Gurbani affirms this as follows:

• jn nwnk kotn mY koaU Bjnu rwm ko pwvY: Jan Nanak kotan mai kou bhajan ram ko pave: O servant Nanak, amongst millions there is hardly any mortal, who attains Divine meditation (sggs 219).
• kotn mY nwnk koaU nwrwienu ijh cIiq: Kotan mai Nanak kou narain jih cheet: Rare is the one amongst millions, who enshrines Divine in his mind, O Nanak (sggs 1427).
• gurmuiK ivrlw bUJY koeI: Gurmukh viralaa boojhai koee: How rare is that who as the Gurmukh understands (sggs 224).

There are four principles common to human beings and animals — animals eat, sleep, defend and mate. Similarly, over 99.9 percent of humans are also merely engaged in these animal propensities namely eating, sleeping, defending and mating. In this abominable condition is the heinous show of false ego-sense and ignorance at its best! Also called Manmukhs, slumbering in the state of ceaseless "sleep" of Maya, we ("over 99.9 percent" category) get kicked by our mental wanderings all day long. The reality is that the majority of us (Manmukhs) chose to practice falsehood (Jhooth), not the Truth (Sach Dee Kamaayee).

• gurmuiK koeI scu kmwvY: Gurmukh koee sach kamaavai: How rare are those who, as Gurmukh, live the Truth (sggs 1344).
• mnmuiK JUTo JUTu kmwvY: Manmukh jhootho jhooth kamaavai: The material beings practice falsehood, only falsehood. (sggs 363).
• mnmuiK AMDy suiD n kweI: Manmukh andhe sudh na kaaee: The blind Manmukh have no understanding at all (sggs 118).
• mnmuK haumY mwieAw sUqy: Manmukh hayumai maaeiaa sootae: The manmukhs are asleep in egotism — Hayume Maya (sggs 1049).
• iqhI guxI sMswru BRim suqw suiqAw rYix ivhwxI: The world is asleep in the three-qualitied Maya and doubt (Bharam); it passes the night of its life sleeping (sggs 920).
  

The Gurbani groups all human beings in two classifications — the Gurmukhs or the Spiritual Beings (Self-Realized Mahaatamaas etc.), and the Manmukhs or the materialists (unenlightened or Haume-beings). As such, these two terms appear again and again in the Gurbani. As some other terms, these two terms also appear to have been widely misunderstood. Some define them based on one's own fool-o-sophy, rather than the Wisdom of the Gurbani. The bottom line is that the majority fall in the category of "over 99.9 percent", and less than 0.1 percent (numeral "one" divided by "thousand" or "million") fall in the category of the Gurmukhs. The Gurbani uses the term "rare" ("Viralaa", "Koee" etc.) for them, because they are "rare" in this world indeed! Some may consider themselves in-between these two. But, so long any amount of Manmukhtaa is present in one, no matter how little, the Gurbani does not seem to qualify one as the Gurmukh. The Gurbani does not indicate little bit of Manmukhtaa mixed with little bit of Gurmukhtaa is equal to the Gurmukhhood. According to the Gurbani, those (Gurmukhs) imbued with Truth do not have even an iota of the filth of falsehood. Thus, either we are in the "over 99.9 percent" category or in the "less than 0.1 percent" category.

• gurmuiK sMsw mUil n hoveI icMqw ivchu jwie: Guramukh sa(n)saa mool n hovee chi(n)thaa vichahu jaae: The Gurmukh does not have an iota of skepticism or doubt; worries depart from within him (sggs 853).
• swic rqy scu AMimRqu ijhvw imiQAw mYlu n rweI: Saach rathae sach a(n)mrith jihavaa mithhiaa mail n raaee: Those who are imbued with Truth - their tongues are tinged with Truth; they do not have even an iota of the filth of falsehood (sggs 1127).
• gurmuiK Awpxw mnu mwirAw sbid ksvtI lwie]mn hI nwil JgVw mn hI nwil sQ mn hI mMiJ smwie: Gurmukh aapanaa manu maariaa sabad kasavattee laae. Mann hee naali jhagarraa mann hee naali sath mann hee manjhi samaai: By becoming Gurmukh, has conquered his own mind, by applying the Touchstone of the Shabad--Divine Name. He fights with his mind, he settles with his mind, and he is at peace with his mind (sggs 87).
• gurmuiK AMqir shju hY mnu ciVAw dsvY Awkwis: Gurmukh antar sahj hai man charhi-aa dasvai aakaas: Within the Gurmukh is Sahaj; his mind ascends to the Tenth Plane (sggs 1414).
• gurmuiK joqI joiq imlweI: Gumukh jotee joti milaaee: By becoming Gurmukh (Spiritual Being) blend your light with the Divine Light (sggs 362).
• Awpu pCwxih sbid mrih mnhu qij ivkwr: Aap pachhaanahi Shabad marahi manahu taj paye vikaar: The Gurmukh realizes his own Self, and dies in the Shabad; he banishes corruption from his mind (sggs 430).
• sy mnmuK jo sbdu n pCwxih: Se manmukh jo Shabad na pachhaanahi: They alone are Manmukh who do not realize the Shabad (sggs 1054).
• mnmuKu rogI hY sMswrw: Manmukh rogee hai sansaaraa: The Manmukh (material beings) are sick and diseased in the world (sggs 118).
• mnmuiK AMDy suiD n kweI: Manmukh andhe sudh na kaaee: The blind Manmukh have no understanding at all (sggs 118).
• mnmuiK Bulw jnmu gvwie: Manamukh bhulaa janam gavaai: The mistaken Manmukh (one in material consciousness) wastes away his life (sggs 363).

nwnk mnmuiK bMDu hY gurmuiK mukiq krwey: Nanak manmukh bandh hai gurmukh mukati karaae: O Nanak, the materiallists (Manmukhs) remain in bondage; the Spiritual beings (Gurmukhs) are liberated (sggs 559).

Manmukhtaa is negativity — Bikaars or negative propensities of the Haume-mind such as Kaam, Krodh, Lobh, Moh, Ahankaar and their numerous variations. If one identifies with any or all of these, he or she naturally falls in the "over 99.9 percent" category. Our ego-mind may not agree with all this and find it a bitter pill to swallow, but that does not change the Truth revealed to us in the infallible Gurbani.

jgu bMdI mukqy hau mwrI ]jig igAwnI ivrlw AwcwrI: Jag bandee mukate haou maaree. Jag giaanee viralaa aachaaree: The world is held in bondage; he alone is emancipated, who conquers his ego. How rare in the world is that wise person, who practices this (sggs 412).

— T. Singh