Does Your Ego Cause Your Suffering?

[Guest guest]

Question:

 

If I have haumai (ego), is it possible that I get a physical injury

or illness directly because of it? Like God punishing me?

 

Answer :

 

Dukh - Sorrow: Means the sorrows we face on a daily basis in our

lives, the situations which put us in trouble, physically or mentally

and make our daily lives uncomfortable are given the name of sorrow –

Dukh.

 

The physical and bodily sorrows are not as painful as the mental

sorrows as we move along on the path to the discovery of the truth,

the physical ailments, family issues, financial issues are some of

the physical forms of the sorrows which we all face on a regular

basis, again this is all a part of our Karam Kand (repaying what we

have sown).

 

The reason behind all the sorrows and mental sicknesses is based on

our Karni in the past period of this life and all the previous lives.

The physical bodily sorrows include all the bodily injuries and

sicknesses as well, however, the mental sicknesses are – Kaam, Krodh,

Lobh, Moh and Ahankaar, Asa, Trishna and Mansha.

 

Let us talk a little more about physical ailments, financial issues

and family issues, which upset us inside out and are a major cause

for frustration from the life. Gurbani calls such a sorrow a

blessing – Dukh Daroo Sukh Rog Bhayea – which means that infect the

worldly comforts (a part of Maya) are a form of serious sickness

because these comforts are responsible for keeping us away from the

Almighty because under the influence of these comforts we forget to

remember the God who has given all these comforts to us, at the same

time the sorrow – Dukh brings us closer to the Almighty, it becomes a

prescription for our soul and mind, because whenever we are in pain

and sorrow we remember Him, His Gurparsadi Naam – Satnaam Simran

brings us so closer to Him that we merge and become one with Him,

never to separate again and achieve the ultimate and eternal comfort

and happiness - Sat Chit Anand forever.

 

Gurbani also says Dukh Bhanjan Tera Naam Jee and Sarabh Rog Kaa

Aukhud Naam, which means that the prescription for Dukh is the Naam,

it relieves us of all the sorrows and gives us highest level of

happiness and comfort, it makes us so stable that we can tolerate any

level of pain, Naam is so powerful that it removes the difference

between sorrow and happiness, our soul and mind becomes so stable

that nothing can distract it, that is what the Guru Sahibaans did

when they sat on Tatti Tavi and gave their life for serving the Hukam

of Akal Purakh, by doing so they have demonstrated to us time and

again the power of Naam, Naam cures us from all the ailments,

physical or mental.

 

At such a spiritual level there remains no difference between

physical sorrow or physical happiness, and there always remain

highest level of comfort and enjoyment inside our Hirda. Haume –

Ego – Ahankaar: The very existence of a human mind and body and its

recycling – the cycle of life and death is due to the haume. The very

basis of our Karam Kand , which never ends is the haume. This is one

of the five wises which resides in the head – brain of a person and

has the highest level of difficulty from the perspective of

conquering over it. That is why it has been called as a deep mental

sickness – Haume Deeragh Rog Hai – again the prescription here is

Gurparsadi Naam only, nothing else can bring it down under your feet,

only Gurparsadi Naam can conquer over it.

 

The Krodh and Ahankaar are complementary to each other, they give

birth to each other, whereas Krodh resides in the stomach area of our

body, the anger comes in when the ego gets hurt, these two are the

worst enemies of our soul and mind, and draw a boundary between our

soul and Almighty, a silver screen which appears to be correct and

true but in the real sense it is the biggest illusion, the very

existence of our own wisdom and mind is due to ego, and if we kill

our own wisdom and mind then there remains no boundary between our

soul and Almighty, our soul merges with Almighty.

 

The opposite of Haume is the humbleness – Nimrata, which is a

prescription for killing the Ahankaar – Haume – Ego, there is only

one doer and giver – Paar Braham, everything exists under His Hukam –

Hukme Ander Sabh Ko Bahar Hukam Naa Koi, Nanak Hukmey Jeh Bhujey Taa

Haume Kahe Naa Koi – all of us recite this on a daily basis yet don't

believe in it and therefore, don't exercise it in our daily life, it

is so simple to understand, yet very difficult to absorb, and

practice it. If we learn this one line of Gurbani and bring it in our

daily life we can achieve our spiritual goal – it is so simple –

Hukam Bhooj Param Pad Paaee.

 

To manage your anger or to bring your anger under control, the best

prescription will be to forgive the person who is causing you to

become angry – Jahan Khima Tahan Aap (Kabir's Bani), because

forgiveness is one of the vital qualities of a Puran Sant, and in

whichever Hirda there is forgiveness there is Almighty Himself,

extreme kindness is a very vital quality of a Hirda that makes it one

with Almighty, so we all have to learn to forgive.

 

Try it out as soon as you can, it works, the moment you forgive the

source of anger the anger will disappear and you will feel lot

better, this is the way to conquer over the anger and is very easy to

practice. The next prescription to control Ahankaar is the extreme

humbleness, a humble heart will never be egoistic, this is another

vital quality of a Puran Sant. Now what do we need to do to take this

prescription of humbleness, it is very simple, but might be difficult

to do, (but if you are determined to do it then nothing can stop

you), here are some acts for bringing humbleness in your soul and

mind: cleaning utensils at langar, dusting shoes of the Sangat with

your hands and apply the dust on your forehead, and if you can do it

try to dust the shoes of the Sangat with your beard or hair (mothers,

sisters and daughters), do dandaut bandhana in the Gurudwara, always

and always consider every body else is higher than you, call yourself

lowest of the lowest, loon harami, bishta ka kira, a dog of the Guru,

Akal Purakh and Sangat.

 

The extreme humbleness is the key to the Dargah. Along with these

actions in your daily life there is something more you can do and

which is a must to do to kill your haume – when you start your Naam

Simran, start saying Haume Nahin Tu Hi Tu, Haume Nahin Tu Hi Tu and

continue like this for some time when it gets switched to Satnaam

Simran, then the next step is to say – Band Band Kat Agni Meh Saari -

imagine a burning pyre and then cut each part of your body in your

imagination and throw it in the fire yourself and see it burning, and

keep on reciting Band Band Kat Agni Meh Saari, you can also imagine

sitting in a burning pyre and reciting these words inside you, and

then see you burning and converting into ashes, and until you burn

yourself completely in fire like this you will not be able to kill

your haume. When you do this practice in Smadhi then you are actually

burning your haume and cleanup your Suksham Dehi. Some of you will

find it difficult to do or unsuccessful in the beginning but don't

leave it, just be insistent and eventually you will be successful, it

might take you a long time to be successful though. And incase you

see a burning pyre or fire in Smadhi then just go inside and sit in

it, don't be afraid, similarly if you see a sarovar just go inside it

and take a dip in it, this is all divine amrit and will clean you up

from all kinds of mental sicknesses.

 

There is a lot that can be written on these two topics but we will

request this much seva at this time. Thanks to every one and with

lots of blessings under the Chattar of Sant Baba Ji – which comprises

of 21 suns. Dhan Dhan Sant Baba Ji with whose Gurkirpa we have been

able to serve the Sangat, Dhan Dhan Paar Braham Parmesar who made us

all meet this Puran Braham Gyani – Nirankaar Roop Param Jyot Puran

Parkash Darshan and Dhan Dhan Gurparsadi Satnaam Anmolak Rattan Hira,

which Sant Baba Ji has brought once again on this earth from Dargah,

and Dhan Dhan Gyan Saroop of Akal Purakh – Gurbani – Divine

knowledge – Puran Braham Gyan, Dhan Dhan Das Patshahian and all the

Sants and Bhagats, Puran Braham Gyanis and Dhan Dhan Pind Parivaar,

Satnaam Parivaar Gurparsadi Sangat and Dhan Dhan Satgur Paar Braham

Sarnai.

 

Ram Chugani

Kobe, Japan