The opinionated (stubborn mindedness – ਮਨ ਹਠ) intellect that’s cut off from one’s True Nature (the Super Consciousness) becomes Haumai or the false ego-sense. When a person is represented by such conditioned or contaminated intellect, his behavior becomes stubborn, unyielding or fanatic. He always wants to hold on to his false ego-sense (Haumai). As a result, if agitated or disturbed, he behaves unfriendly or violently. Simply put: a stubborn person has no sense of consequences of his actions! Accordingly, he refuses to hearken to God and His Word; and he refuses to receive correction or change.
- ਮਨਹਠਿ ਕਰਮ ਕਰੈ ਅਭਿਮਾਨੀ ਜਿਉ ਬਾਲਕ ਬਾਲੂ ਘਰ ਉਸਰਈਆ ॥: (Whosoever) performs rituals in stubborn-mindedness, he becomes proudy (of being religious); but (these efforts of him) are like sand castles built by children (sggs 835).
- ਮਨਹਠ ਬੁਧੀ ਕੇਤੀਆ ਕੇਤੇ ਬੇਦ ਬੀਚਾਰ ॥ ਕੇਤੇ ਬੰਧਨ ਜੀਅ ਕੇ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਮੋਖ ਦੁਆਰ ॥: There are so many (who perform all sorts of actions) with stubborn intelligence, and so many who contemplate the Vedas (etc.). There are so many (mother similar) entanglements for the Jeeva (individual beings). Only by becoming the Gurmukhs (spiritual beings, etc.) do we find the Gate of Liberation (from ego, entanglements, etc.). (sggs 62).
- ਇਕਿ ਆਵਹਿ ਇਕਿ ਜਾਵਹੀ ਪੂਰਿ ਭਰੇ ਅਹੰਕਾਰਿ ॥ ਮਨਹਠਿ ਮਤੀ ਬੂਡੀਐ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਚੁ ਸੁ ਤਾਰਿ ॥੧॥: Totally filled with egotism, some come and go. Through the stubbornness of the intellect, (they are) drowned (in the ocean of corruption, Bikaars, etc.); one who becomes Gurmukh and truthful is saved ||1|| (sggs 20).
- ਸਚਹੁ ਓਰੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਉਪਰਿ ਸਚੁ ਆਚਾਰੁ ॥੫॥: Sachu orai sabhu ko… (sggs 62).
Therefore, as revealed in the Gurbani, the state of stubborn mindedness and a Manmukh (materialistic, self-willed, denier of Truth and truthful living, etc.) is one and the same; for it is characterized by doubts, egotism (Haumai), foolishness, ignorance, mental trickery, falsehood, deception, untruth, duality, worldly bondage, corruption, cheating, crookedness, fear, greed, insecurity, selfishness, desires and fear, Vaasnaas, tainted consciousness, etc. The opposite of such stubborn fanatic person is the Gurmukh, the Self-realized person.
- ਵਿਣੁ ਮਨੈ ਜਿ ਹੋਰੀ ਨਾਲਿ ਲੁਝਣਾ ਜਾਸੀ ਜਨਮੁ ਗਵਾਇ ॥ ਮਨਮੁਖੀ ਮਨਹਠਿ ਹਾਰਿਆ ਕੂੜੁ ਕੁਸਤੁ ਕਮਾਇ ॥: Those who struggle with something other than their own mind, will depart having wasted their lives. The Manmukhs (the self-willed, materialistic, etc.), through stubborn mindedness and the practice of falsehood, lose the game of life (sggs 87).