Bhangaar – Mental Filth

Smokers of Hukkaa (or Hukka, hubble-bubble, ਹੁੱਕਾ…), after each smoking session, empty the burnt tobacco and coal from the Hukkaa’s Chilam (the top head part or bowl that holds the coal and tobacco during the smoking session) in a small nearby pit.

They also use this pit as a spit-container to discard their spit while clearing their throats during the smoking session.

Literally, this pit (that collects filth or waste…) is called ‘Bhangaar’ (ਭੰਗਾਰ).

  • ਕਬੀਰ ਬੈਸਨੋ ਹੂਆ ਤ ਕਿਆ ਭਇਆ ਮਾਲਾ ਮੇਲੀਂ ਚਾਰਿ ॥ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਕੰਚਨੁ ਬਾਰਹਾ ਭੀਤਰਿ ਭਰੀ ਭੰਗਾਰ ॥: O Kabeer! What good is it to appear like a devotee of Vishnu, and wear four Maalaa (rosary)? On the outside, you (pretend to) look like pure gold (i.e., pious, holy, pure, Mahaatamaa…); but on the inside, you are stuffed with filth or Bhangaar (Bikaar: i.e. lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and their numerous variations…). (sggs 1372).

Here in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), Bhagat Kabeer Jee is comparing those who wears all sorts religious robes or religious paraphernalia etc. with Bhangaar (ਭੰਗਾਰ) if on the inside they are full of inner filth, inner garbage or ‘Mail-ਮੈਲ’ of vices/Bikaarlust, anger, greed, attachment, and pride along with their countless variations.

  • ਅੰਤਰਿ ਮੈਲੁ ਲੋਭ ਬਹੁ ਝੂਠੇ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਨਾਵਹੁ ਕਾਹੀ ਜੀਉ ॥:
  • Within is the filth of greed and tremendous falsehood; so what for (O my mind, you) wash body on the outside by bathing at the so called religious places? (sggs 598).
  • ਪਤਿ ਵਿਣੁ ਪੂਜਾ ਸਤ ਵਿਣੁ ਸੰਜਮੁ ਜਤ ਵਿਣੁ ਕਾਹੇ ਜਨੇਊ ॥ ਨਾਵਹੁ ਧੋਵਹੁ ਤਿਲਕੁ ਚੜਾਵਹੁ ਸੁਚ ਵਿਣੁ ਸੋਚ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥੬॥: (O Pujaaree) forgetting the Creator, what is the meaning of Poojaa? Without truthfulness, what is the benefit of this self-discipline? Without chastity, what good is ‘Janaeoo’ (thread-ਜਨੇਊ)? (O Pujaaree) you may bathe (at the so called Teerath and apply a mark to your forehead, but without practicing Truth no purification of mind can happen. ||6|| (sggs 903).
  • ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਅੰਤਰਜਾਮੀ ਜਾਨ ॥ ਕਰਤ ਬੁਰਾਈ ਮਾਨੁਖ ਤੇ ਛਪਾਈ ਸਾਖੀ ਭੂਤ ਪਵਾਨ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ : Know the Creator is the Inner-knower of all and everything. One does evil deeds in secret from everyone thinking nobody is watching, but he doesn’t understand that the Creator (the Inner-knower) is the one who knows all the deeds of the past and the future (i.e. nobody can hide vices from the Omnipresent Creator/Hukam). ||1||Pause|| (sggs 1202).

In other words, Bhagat Kabeer Jee is asking what’s the use of one’s external display of religiosity if on the inside one is full of fraud or the filth (‘Mail-ਮੈਲ’) of negative impact or dominance of Haumai (false ego-ense), vices/Bikaars which blinds one to spiritual Wisdom, Virtues, or our Original Nature (Jot Saroop) etc.

Haumai (false ego-sense) or vices/Bikaar in themselves are not bad. We all have them to some degree!

Then What’s BAD or NEGATIVE about them?

What’s bad is their negative impact. They cause damage when they become DOMINANT (ਹਾਵੀ) in one’s life — when they dominate one’s mind or thinking, or when they become the mind’s hobbies.

  • ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਇਆ ਵਿਚੇ ਪਾਈ ॥ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਭੂਲੇ ਪਤਿ ਗਵਾਈ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਸੋ ਨਾਇ ਰਾਚੈ ਸਾਚੈ ਰਹਿਆ ਸਮਾਈ ਹੇ ॥੪॥ : (Hukam: System-Rule-Law of Nature…) put the tendency to act in Haumai Maya within beings. Those who act as Manmukhs (Un-enlightened mindsets) go astray from Hukam and lose honor (i.e. lose spiritual life). One who becomes the Gurmukh (i.e. Enlightened state of the mind developed by Internalizing the Enlightening Message embedded in the Guru’s Shabad), lives by Naam (Wisdom / Virtues) and remains linked with the Creator/Hukam. ||4|| (sggs 1044).
  • ਹਉਮੈ ਮਾਇਆ ਮੈਲੁ ਕਮਾਇਆ ॥ ਮਰਿ ਮਰਿ ਜੰਮਹਿ ਦੂਜਾ ਭਾਇਆ ॥ : Those who accumulate the filth of Haumai Maya, they fall into the love of duality (things other than the One God/Hukam) they remain in a cycle of spiritual birth and death. (sggs 1036).
  • ਤੁਧੁ ਜਗ ਮਹਿ ਖੇਲੁ ਰਚਾਇਆ ਵਿਚਿ ਹਉਮੈ ਪਾਈਆ ॥ ਏਕੁ ਮੰਦਰੁ ਪੰਚ ਚੋਰ ਹਹਿ ਨਿਤ ਕਰਹਿ ਬੁਰਿਆਈਆ ॥ : This world is a game created by Hukam (i.e. System-Rule-Law of Nature) in which human beings are afflicted with ego (Haumai). In this one body-temple there are five thieves (i.e. Bikaar: lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride) who are always doing evil (these five thieves have taken over the mind-elephant). (sggs 1096).

Removing their negative dominance or negative impact will require sincere efforts — the Guru’s Wisdom (Soap-ਸਾਬਨ) will have to be rubbed on the mind. Only then the ‘filth-Mail-ਮੈਲ’) of the mind will come off.

  • ਭਰੀਐ ਹਥੁ ਪੈਰੁ ਤਨੁ ਦੇਹ ॥ ਪਾਣੀ ਧੋਤੈ ਉਤਰਸੁ ਖੇਹ ॥ ਮੂਤ ਪਲੀਤੀ ਕਪੜੁ ਹੋਇ ॥ ਦੇ ਸਾਬੂਣੁ ਲਈਐ ਓਹੁ ਧੋਇ ॥ ਭਰੀਐ ਮਤਿ ਪਾਪਾ ਕੈ ਸੰਗਿ ॥ ਓਹੁ ਧੋਪੈ ਨਾਵੈ ਕੈ ਰੰਗਿ ॥: Water cleanses my stained physical self (external body). Soap cleanses my stained garments. (Beyond the stained physical self or the garments) my intellect is stained by vices. The cleansing of which (i.e. intellect) is by imbuing in Naam (Wisdom / Virtues). (sggs 4).

In other words, this ‘filth-Mail-ਮੈਲ’) will not go away by itself. Also it will not be removed by doing Raam Raam‘, ‘Waheguru Waguru’, counting beads or mere seeing and bowing down in front of SGGS as the self-serving Pujaaree advocates people to do.

  • ਹਰਿ ਆਰਾਧਿ ਨ ਜਾਨਾ ਰੇ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਰੁ ਗੁਰੁ ਕਰਤਾ ਰੇ ॥ ਹਰਿ ਜੀਉ ਨਾਮੁ ਪਰਿਓ ਰਾਮਦਾਸੁ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥: I don’t know how to meditate on God. I just keep repeating God’s Name over and over without adoration (Pakhand, show off, pretense etc. ). By this show alone (pretending) people have named me Raam Daas, servant of God! (sggs 612).

In short, mere talk, mental trickery, useless rituals (Karamkaand), or show of religiosity etc. will not do the trick.

  • ਛੋਡਹੁ ਵੇਸੁ ਭੇਖ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ ਦੁਬਿਧਾ ਇਹੁ ਫਲੁ ਨਾਹੀ ਜੀਉ ॥੧॥ : Renounce the costumes and disguises (duplicity) and clever tricks because this fruit of Amrit is NOT realized by remaining attached to duality. ||1||(sggs 598).

Most of us are only vaguely aware that we have a burdensome false ego-sense or Haumai, vices/Bikaar.

Rarely we glimpse our obsession with self-importance. The Gurbani enshrined in the SGGS teaches that in order to sow the sublime seed of Naam (Wisdom / Virtues) in the body-field, we need to clear it of the weeds of the inner garbage or pollution — inner Bhangaar (ਭੰਗਾਰ).

  • ਕਰਤੂਤਿ ਪਸੂ ਕੀ ਮਾਨਸ ਜਾਤਿ ॥ ਲੋਕ ਪਚਾਰਾ ਕਰੈ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤਿ ॥ ਬਾਹਰਿ ਭੇਖ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਮਲੁ ਮਾਇਆ ॥ ਛਪਸਿ ਨਾਹਿ ਕਛੁ ਕਰੈ ਛਪਾਇਆ ॥: Although; human in name or creed, but actions are that of animalistic nature. But day and night he exhibits or shows off to people (that he is a human — ਬੰਦਾ)! Outside (on his body) he wears religious dress but in his mind is the filth of Maya. However he cannot conceal the filth of his mind with (outwardly wearing religious robes, cunningness, pleasing people etc.). (sggs 267).
  • ਹਉਮੈ ਕਰਤ ਭੇਖੀ ਨਹੀ ਜਾਨਿਆ ॥ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਭਗਤਿ ਵਿਰਲੇ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਨਿਆ ॥੧॥: Acting in egotism (Haumai), wearing religious robes, (Mool) is not known (i.e, Realized). Rare is (the person) whose mind, by becoming the Gurmukh, becomes accustomed to Bhagti ||1|| (sggs 226).

The Gurmat Wisdom of the SGGS emphasizes on the inner Purity. Purity means transparency to Truth, and the Purified Vision means Pure Heart or mind.

In the purified Vision, there is no negative impact of Haumai (false ego-sense, or the garbage of vices/Bikaar). On the contrary, in the impure vision there is division in consciousness (dualityDoojaa Bhaav).

When the mind turns towards its Jot Saroop (Original Nature) within, it abandons its mistaken identity with the fleeting body-frame.

In other words, true inner purity is the absence of negative impact of false ego-sense (Haumai) and it faults such as lust, anger, greed, attachment, pride and their numerous variations.

  • ਇਉ ਕਹੈ ਨਾਨਕੁ ਮਨ ਤੂੰ ਜੋਤਿ ਸਰੂਪੁ ਹੈ ਅਪਣਾ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣੁ ॥੫॥ : This is what Nanak says: O my mind, you are the ‘Jot Saroop’ or embodiment of Light (God)! Recognize your Mool (ORIGIN, Source…) ||5|| (sggs 441).

The Gurbani (SGGS) asserts that by internalizing the enlightening spiritual Message embedded within the Guru Shabad we all can shatter the hold of Inner Bhangaar or garbage on our mind.

  • ਕਾਮਿ ਕਰੋਧਿ ਨਗਰੁ ਬਹੁ ਭਰਿਆ ਮਿਲਿ ਸਾਧੂ ਖੰਡਲ ਖੰਡਾ ਹੇ ॥ ਪੂਰਬਿ ਲਿਖਤ ਲਿਖੇ ਗੁਰੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਮਨਿ ਹਰਿ ਲਿਵ ਮੰਡਲ ਮੰਡਾ ਹੇ ॥੧॥: Meeting my Guru (i.e. Shabad, Upadesh or Message) shattered the hold of lust (worldly desires) and anger (i.e. all Bikaar) over me. My efforts towards connecting with my Guru destined me into realm of Godly Union. (sggs 13).
  • ਦੁਇ ਪੁੜ ਚਕੀ ਜੋੜਿ ਕੈ ਪੀਸਣ ਆਇ ਬਹਿਠੁ ॥ ਜੋ ਦਰਿ ਰਹੇ ਸੁ ਉਬਰੇ ਨਾਨਕ ਅਜਬੁ ਡਿਠੁ ॥੧॥ : Joining together the two grinding stones, a person sits down to grind the grains. Nanak, I have seen this wonderful play: just as the grains which stick to the central axle escape from being crushed, similarly, those who remain attuned to God are saved (from the worldly vices or Bikaar etc.). (sggs ).

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