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 ॥ ਸਚਹੁ ਓਰੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਉਪਰਿ ਸਚੁ ਆਚਾਰੁ ॥੫॥ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਊਚਾ ਆਖੀਐ ਨੀਚੁ ਨ ਦੀਸੈ ਕੋਇ ॥ ਇਕਨੈ ਭਾਂਡੇ ਸਾਜਿਐ ਇਕੁ ਚਾਨਣੁ ਤਿਹੁ ਲੋਇ ॥ ਕਰਮਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਸਚੁ ਪਾਈਐ ਧੁਰਿ ਬਖਸ ਨ ਮੇਟੈ ਕੋਇ ॥੬॥ : There are so many stubborn minded (self-centered) people who perform austerities and so many who deliberate on the Vedas to obtain liberation. They create so many obstacles and entanglements for themselves whereas a Gurmukh (Enlightened being…) obtains liberation. Truth is higher than everything, but higher still is truthful living. ॥5॥ Regard everyone high for none is lowly. The One Creator has fashioned all alike, and His Light pervades all creation. It is the immutable Hukam (Cosmic Law) that one realizes the Creator through one’s deeds only. ॥6॥ (sggs 62).
- ਇਕਿ ਆਵਹਿ ਇਕਿ ਜਾਵਹੀ ਪੂਰਿ ਭਰੇ ਅਹੰਕਾਰਿ ॥ ਮਨਹਠਿ ਮਤੀ ਬੂਡੀਐ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਚੁ ਸੁ ਤਾਰਿ ॥੧॥: Totally filled with false ego-sense, some come and go (suffer again and again at the level of the mind). Through the stubbornness of the intellect, one is drowned in the ocean of vices/Bikaar; but as Gurmukh (enlightened/Guru Shabad-Oriented) one is saved by God realization ||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 (unenlightened), through stubborn mindedness and the practice of falsehood, lose the game of life. (sggs 87).