The Gurmat Wisdom of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS) says the one who associates with Manmukh-Saakat-Mayadhaaree (unenlightened beings) instead of true ones (Daas, Jan, Bhagat, Gurmukh Mindset), end up being trapped in vices:
- ਸਾਕਤ ਸੰਗਿ ਵਿਕਰਮ ਕਮਾਏ ॥ ਦੁਲਭ ਦੇਹ ਖੋਈ ਅਗਿਆਨੀ ਜੜ ਅਪੁਣੀ ਆਪਿ ਉਪਾੜੀ ਜੀਉ ॥੩॥: (Who) does evil deeds in the company of the Saakat (i.e., those separated from the Divine). (That) ignorant wastes this rare body; (and in this ignorance, he), tears up his own roots (sggs 105).
The Gurbani (SGGS) asserts our Manmukh-Saakat-Mayadhaaree mindset knowingly commits evil deeds or demerits and harms himself in the process (ਆਪਣੀਆਂ ਜੜ੍ਹਾਂ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਪੁੱਟ ਲੈਣਾਂ…). Consider the following verse:
- ਕਬੀਰ ਮਨੁ ਜਾਨੈ ਸਭ ਬਾਤ ਜਾਨਤ ਹੀ ਅਉਗਨੁ ਕਰੈ ॥ ਕਾਹੇ ਕੀ ਕੁਸਲਾਤ ਹਾਥਿ ਦੀਪੁ ਕੂਏ ਪਰੈ ॥੨੧੬॥: Kabeer, the mind knows everything and knowingly it commits demerits. What is the use of that lamp (Giaan-Wisdom) if we fall into the well (of ignorance, Maya, vices or Bikaar) even with that lamp in our hands? (sggs 1376).
In the foregoing verse, the Gurbani Teaches 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 what’s the use of having a Lamp (i.e., the Light of Divine Knowledge, Spiritual Wisdom, Virtues…) in hand, if the person holding the lamp is still going to fall into a well (of ignorance, Maya, Bikaar, ਅਉਗਨ / ਬਿਕਾਰਾਂ ਦੇ ਖੂਹ ਵਿਚ…).
The Gur-Shabad is the Lamp (Giaan-Wisdom…) given to us, which shows us the right Way so that we don’t fall into a well of ignorance, Maya, Bikaar (lust, anger, greed etc).
But our Maya driven mind does not listen to the Inner Voice of its Mool (Source, Jot Saroop…). In other words, the Mayaic mind overrules the Wisdom of its Mool, and as a result, ends up committing and accumulating demerits.
In nutshell, the edict of the Gurbani is that an egoist person is sure to be uprooted (ਅਹੰਕਾਰੀ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਦੀ ਜੜ੍ਹ ਜਰੂਰ ਵੱਢੀ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ).
- ਅਭਿਮਾਨੀ ਕੀ ਜੜ ਸਰਪਰ ਜਾਏ ॥੭॥: The proud (arrogant… ) person is assuredly uprooted. ||7||
The Gurbani tells us that the man himself is responsible for this calamity – he cannot blame anybody else for it. We harvest exactly what we sow in the field (‘Khet‘) of life or body.
- ਜੋ ਮੈ ਕੀਆ ਸੋ ਮੈ ਪਾਇਆ ਦੋਸੁ ਨ ਦੀਜੈ ਅਵਰ ਜਨਾ ॥ ॥੨੧॥ : Whatever I did, I received its fruits; I don’t blame anyone else. ||20|| (sggs 433).
- ਕਰਿ ਕਰਿ ਕਰਣਾ ਲਿਖਿ ਲੈ ਜਾਹੁ ॥ ਆਪੇ ਬੀਜਿ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਖਾਹੁ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਹੁਕਮੀ ਆਵਹੁ ਜਾਹੁ ॥੨੦॥ : (The Internal cleansing is by a spirituality of) Internalizing (the Naam: Shabad, Hukam, Virtues, Giaan-Wisdom) through sustained deeds. I would eat what I sow. Nanak, (to reap as one saw) is the Hukam of the Creator pertaining to my cycle (of spirituality at the mind’s level). ॥20॥ (sggs 4).
- ਪਾਇ ਕੁਹਾੜਾ ਮਾਰਿਆ ਗਾਫਲਿ ਅਪੁਨੈ ਹਾਥਿ ॥੧੩॥: ||13|| An imprudent (senseless, inattentive, stupid, ਲਾ-ਪਰਵਾਹ…) strikes his own foot with the axe by his own hand ((ਭਾਵ, ਆਪਣਾ ਨੁਕਸਾਨ ਆਪ ਹੀ ਕਰ ਲਿਆ). ||13|| (sggs 1365).
Thus, the Gurbani teaches us personal responsibility.
It is easier to throw blame or our responsibility on somebody else or an outside agency. The Gurbani indicates that life is ours and the responsibility is also ours. For example, it is up to us if we want to engage in Understanding the Gurbani through Khoj (ਖੋਜ-search) and Shabad-Vichaar, or not.
In other words, if we chose to use this opportunity to live the unenlightened lifestyle then we are likely to remain separated or disconnected from our Mool (Source, Origin, Jot Saroop…). This is akin to tearing up one’s own roots! The Gurbani wants us to become ENLIGHTENED (Gurmukh State of the Mind) by BECOMING THE GURBANI.
- ਮਨਮੁਖ ਮੂਲਹੁ ਭੁਲਿਆ ਵਿਚਿ ਲਬੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਅਹੰਕਾਰੁ ॥: The Manmukh (self-willed…) forget the Mool; for they are caught in greed, avarice, and pride (i.e., Bikaar). (sggs 316).
- ਇਹੁ ਮਨੁ ਨਿਹਚਲੁ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਵਸੀਅਲੇ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਮੂਲੁ ਪਛਾਣਿ ਰਹੈ ॥: Internalization of the spiritual Message of the Shabad (the Gurmukh-Hood State of Mind) enables its Essence to be Rooted (Mool) within the mind permanently. (sggs 945).
To make the point, the Gurbani (SGGS) uses brilliant examples in the following Shabad:
- ਬਿਖਈ ਦਿਨੁ ਰੈਨਿ ਇਵ ਹੀ ਗੁਦਾਰੈ ॥ ਗੋਬਿੰਦੁ ਨ ਭਜੈ ਅਹੰਬੁਧਿ ਮਾਤਾ ਜਨਮੁ ਜੂਐ ਜਿਉ ਹਾਰੈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਨਾਮੁ ਅਮੋਲਾ ਪ੍ਰੀਤਿ ਨ ਤਿਸ ਸਿਉ ਪਰ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਹਿਤਕਾਰੈ ॥ ਛਾਪਰੁ ਬਾਂਧਿ ਸਵਾਰੈ ਤ੍ਰਿਣ ਕੋ ਦੁਆਰੈ ਪਾਵਕੁ ਜਾਰੈ ॥੧॥ ਕਾਲਰ ਪੋਟ ਉਠਾਵੈ ਮੂੰਡਹਿ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਮਨ ਤੇ ਡਾਰੈ ॥ ਓਢੈ ਬਸਤ੍ਰ ਕਾਜਰ ਮਹਿ ਪਰਿਆ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਬਹੁਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਝਾਰੈ ॥੨॥ ਕਾਟੈ ਪੇਡੁ ਡਾਲ ਪਰਿ ਠਾਢੌ ਖਾਇ ਖਾਇ ਮੁਸਕਾਰੈ ॥ ਗਿਰਿਓ ਜਾਇ ਰਸਾਤਲਿ ਪਰਿਓ ਛਿਟੀ ਛਿਟੀ ਸਿਰ ਭਾਰੈ ॥੩॥ ਨਿਰਵੈਰੈ ਸੰਗਿ ਵੈਰੁ ਰਚਾਏ ਪਹੁਚਿ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਗਵਾਰੈ ॥ ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੰਤਨ ਕਾ ਰਾਖਾ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਨਿਰੰਕਾਰੈ ॥੪॥੧੦॥ : A person engrossed in vices wastes his life in vain. Being intoxicated with egotistical intellect, he does not connect with Gobind (Omnipresent Creator) and loses the game of life. ||1||Pause|| God’s Naam (Virtues / Wisdom) is priceless, the unvirtuous person does not develop love with God but loves slandering others. (Man trapped in vices is like) building a straw hut and he keeps decorating it, (but) lights a fire near his front door (due to which there is always a danger of its burning)! ||1|| (Man trapped in vices is like) carrying a load of saline earth (vices) on his head and casts away the Amrit of Naam out of his mind, and is like wearing clean clothes and sitting in a room full of soot; then he tries to shake off soot from his clothes again and again. ||2|| (Man trapped in vices is like) that person who, while standing on the branch of a tree is trying to cut it while eating and enjoying its fruits! (When the branch is cut completely), he falls down head-first in the deep pit below and his bones are shattered into small bits. ||3|| (Man trapped in vices) bears enmity with a person who bears no enmity toward anyone, the fool tries but cannot reach the spiritual state of that person (who is without enmity). Says Nanak! The formless supreme God (i.e. Virtues / Wisdom) is the protector of seekers. ||4||10||. (sggs 1205).
Thus the Gurbani teaches us resolve our own affairs ourselves through self-efforts (Shabad Vichaar to Understand and Realize the Divine Hukam. Nobody else can do it for us. Because there is NO concept of transfer of blessing in the Sikhi of Baabaa Nanak. Instead the Message or the principle of Baabaa Nanak’s Sikhi or Gurmat is:
- ਆਪਣ ਹਥੀ ਆਪਣਾ ਆਪੇ ਹੀ ਕਾਜੁ ਸਵਾਰੀਐ ॥੨੦॥: (So long there is breath — Praan) accomplish the task (of God Realization) yourself ( i.e. with self-efforts, hard work: Shabad-Vichaar …). ||20|| (sggs 474).
- ਆਪਣਾ ਕਾਰਜੁ ਆਪਿ ਸਵਾਰੇ ਹੋਰਨਿ ਕਾਰਜੁ ਨ ਹੋਈ ॥ ਜਿਤੁ ਕਾਰਜਿ ਸਤੁ ਸੰਤੋਖੁ ਦਇਆ ਧਰਮੁ ਹੈ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਬੂਝੈ ਕੋਈ ॥੩॥: (One) resolves his own affair himself (i.e. the ultimate Purpose of life of God Realization); anyone else cannot do this work (for him). Only a rare Guru’s follower (Gurmukh-Hood Mindset) understands that his Realization of God requires the virtues like Godly Contentment, Compassion and Dharma. ||3|| (sggs 351).