humble_kaur

Once you merge with God, you have no identity. Are you saying when you are one with God, that you still have a sense of self? Baba Kabir Ji himself wanted death of his own identity, of his own self, of his ego. He said dying is pleasing to me, please let me die. kbIr ijsu mrny qy jgu frY myry min Awnµdu ] Kabir, the world is afraid of death – that death fills my mind with bliss. mrny hI qy pweIAY pUrnu prmwnµdu ]22] It is only by death that perfect, supreme bliss is obtained. Supreme bliss, meaning the Supreme Lord, is only obtained by death. Not death of the physical body, but death of ones own identity, ones sense of self, ones ego. Because what are we but a slave of our ego. hau ivic AwieAw hau ivic gieAw ] In ego they come, and in ego they go. hau ivic jMimAw hau ivic muAw ] In ego they are born, and in ego they die. Our entire existence is centered on our ego. The Guru tells us that we can only realize God once we rid ourselves of our ego. That is why Baba Kabir Ji says that I am not afraid of this death of me, of my ego, but instead eagerly await for that moment to arrive so that I can be one with my Lord. kbIr muih mrny kw cwau hY mrau q hir kY duAwr ] Kabir, I long to die; let me die at the Lord’s Door. mq hir pUCY kaunu hY prw hmwrY bwr ]61] I hope that the Lord does not ask, “Who is this, lying at my door?” Once we reach the Lord's Door, our ego vanishes. Kabir says, when he reaches the Lord’s Door, he does not want to be asked “Who is this, lying at my door?” If we still maintained a sense of self, then how can we be one with God? Kabir did not want to be seen because the sight of him would mean that he is still separate from God. This separation, this sense of self, how is it possible? If a person merges with God, then they will become one with Him, how will it be possible if there is still ego within us? As Kabir goes on to say, what if my Lord asks who I am? What answer will I give him? That this is your humble servant Kabir? This means that Kabir is still alive. That Kabir still has his own separate identity. But Kabir says no, that is not my case. The day he becomes a Brahm Gyani, there will be no I or me left in him; there is no ego, there is no self. There cannot be God and then be me. There is only God alone. Even the Guru’s never called themselves Brahm Gyanis, Sadhs, Sants. They did not have those attachments to their names. They represented the Jot they carried inside them. All the Gurus are from one Jot. The Guru’s names were mere identities of their physical being, not their soul. If each of them maintained a sense of self, then how can they be one? Real inner strength comes when we remember that it is God who is acting, and not the self. The self is powerless to act without God’s command. If we destroy our ego, we destroy fear, hatred, pride and covertness. These things cannot exist without the ego. So once this is gone, there is nothing to stop you. There is a fine line between self-esteem and pride and humility. You can be humble and still be strong. Everything is in God’s Will. It says in Gurbani that all that exists is God. It is clear ego is one of the five vices, a part of maya that makes us think we are separate from God. When you remove sense of self, then and only then is when you can see God. Bhul Chuk Maaf p.s. I used the a few lines out of a Sukhmani Sahib lesson that was forwarded to me by someone more knowledgable. There was also an analogy that I thought that is worth sharing. When a river flows, ie Ganga, it has its own identity and characteristics. When that river flows into the Indian Ocean, it loses it identity. It no longer has the same characteristics, the self, it once had. Why? Because now it it part of a bigger ocean, whose depth is immeasurable. The same way with us, once we merge with God into His Depth which is immeasurable, we have no self or identity. We become one. No one can say that is the river, and no one can say that is so n so; the river has become one with ocean, and we have become one God.

Fateh Ji, I agree with what Kharkoo Ji wrote. The Gurus confronted many people in their lives that offered nothing but nindha/slander. They confronted many abusive attacks on their character and good name. They listened to falsely spoken words from many, that had the intention to damage their reputation, but could not. I read a beautiful shabad by Bhagat Kabir Ji that I would like to share with you: gauVI ] inMdau inMdau mo kau logu inMdau ] Slander me, slander me - go ahead, people, and slander me. inMdw jn kau KrI ipAwrI ] Slander is pleasing to the Lord's humble servant. inMdw bwpu inMdw mhqwrI ]1] rhwau ] Slander is my father, slander is my mother. ||1||Pause|| inMdw hoie q bYkuMiT jweIAY ] If I am slandered, I go to heaven; nwmu pdwrQu mnih bsweIAY ] the wealth of the Naam, the Name of the Lord, abides within my mind. irdY suD jau inMdw hoie ] If my heart is pure, and I am slandered, hmry kpry inMdku Doie ]1] then the slanderer washes my clothes. ||1|| inMdw krY su hmrw mIqu ] One who slanders me is my friend; inMdk mwih hmwrw cIqu ] the slanderer is in my thoughts. inMdku so jo inMdw horY ] The slanderer is the one who prevents me from being slandered. hmrw jIvnu inMdku lorY ]2] The slanderer wishes me long life. ||2|| inMdw hmrI pRym ipAwru ] I have love and affection for the slanderer. inMdw hmrw krY auDwru ] Slander is my salvation. jn kbIr kau inMdw swru ] Slander is the best thing for servant Kabeer. inMdku fUbw hm auqry pwir ]3]20]71] The slanderer is drowned, while I am carried across. ||3||20||71|| THE TRUTH ALWAYS TAKES YOU IN THE RIGHT PATH. BELIEVE.

Can this Vehicle be in the form of flesh? Let us not generalize the dehdhari Saints in one basket of Fakes. Our 10 Guru and Bhagats had Bodies, they were Dehdharis Gurus in their Times. But at the same time let me point out that a Guru is a Guru not because of the body but of what is within the body that Guides us thru his/her Shabads and Kirpa. It is obvious the word Sant has been overly abused and in turn has created a stigma on such a status, even tho a Saint is a Saint regardless if one wishes to call him/her by Sant. Even today such Saints exist that are Pooran Bhramgianis, but are far and few. 121402[/snapback] I was talking to someone in regards to the question you addressed myself. "Can this vehicle be in the form of flesh?" I was amazed at the answer he had given me, as I would have never seen it as this point of view. The answer can also be YES, the vehicle can be in the form of flesh. I won't be able to explain it as well as he did cuz my knowledge is incomparable to his. What he explained to me was the body/flesh is the vehicle and the soul/jot is the driver. The Jot that is inside the Guru Ji is the one that shows us the way to God thru Gurbani. Through this vehicle we see the path to God. As we as humans change vehicles through life, so did this Jot, as was seen through our Gurus. Very good question indeed!! Got me thinking!

Before we start defining what ego and egoism is, we have to understand the psychology of Egotism: “There are two kinds of egos in this world: the personality- and the task- oriented egos. The Task-Oriented Ego puts some endeavor above any other in importance. Such an ego tends to be conservative owing to its lack of energy to promote anything else and its need to protect its one important task, and any of its supportive tasks. Once the primal task is either completed or loses its importance, it is either replaced by another or the individual retires from promoting any more tasks. This type of ego forms the basis of our world in sheer popularity. It is more bearable than the other type of ego, for it is more moderate in its application of passion. Consequently, celebrities are more likely to belong to this group. The Personality-Oriented Ego puts self above all others in importance. Such an ego tends to be liberal owing to its abundant resourcefulness of energy and due to the shift of focus being removed from the task at hand and shifted (instead) onto the personality's self. No task is too great or too small for the personality-ego to compete with or strive for. No task is eternally sacred. Sooner or later, all tasks get their chance for a little spotlight to be thrown onto them --- and then, off. This type of ego is in a world (and class) of its own.” What does the soul need? Separation from, and loss of, identification with everything that the ego pursues: sensationalism, rationalization, retribution, or self-destruction. Only by separation from the products of egotism can a soul maintain its integrity, self-sufficiency, and identity. The ego is the lie of: retribution, rationalization, sensation, and annihilation. It is not necessary for the soul to engage in fighting the products of egotism because these are merely the extensions of egotism. The soul needs to engage with the source of these products: its own self-burial. It is within the void of self-denial, the denial of the soul's existent, that the ego is nourished into being. Without this void, the ego could not exist. The less of a void within the soul, the less of an ego within the person. So, the trick is in fulfilling the needs of the soul and forgetting that one's self has a hungry ego and letting it starve to death. haumY dIrG rogu hY dwrU BI iesu mwih ] Ego is a chronic disease, but it contains its own cure as well. Egoism is a terrible disease that is within all of us. We can only find the path of liberation, the path to God, if we “kill” our ego. haumY vfw rogu hY Bwie dUjY krm kmwie] Egoism is such a terrible disease; in the love of duality, people do their deeds haumY sBu srIru hY haumY Epiq hoie Ego is within all the bodies; and through ego the beings are born mwrgu mukqw haumY mwir The path of liberation is found by killing ego How do we go about doing this? 1. In the company of Saadh Sangat, where we undergo a mental, moral, and spiritual change. swD kY sMig imtY AiBmwnu ] In the Company of the Holy, egotism is eliminated. haumY mmqw mohu Cutw jw sMig imilAw swDy ] Self-conceit, egotism and emotional attachment are eradicated when one joins the Saadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy. 2. Amongst all vices, the one posing the greatest hindrance to realizing God is ones Ego. This has been repeated over and over again in Gurbani. Amongst all virtues, the highest is that of ego’s counterpart, humility. By building a foundation of humility, one is able to acquire all other virtues. One can acquire these virtues from God, but only when they come in a state of humbleness. By becoming humble you can “kill” your ego and pride. By becoming a Gurmukh and reading Gurbani you can eradicate your ego: imTqu nIvI nwnkw gux cMigAweIAw qqu ] Sweetness and humility, O Nanak, are the essence of virtue and goodness. haumY mwir bIcwir mn gux ivic guxu lY swir ]1] rhwau ] Subdue your ego, and contemplate Him in your mind; gather in the virtues of the Sublime, Virtuous Lord. ||1||Pause|| so jnu swcw ij haumY mwrYThat humble being is true, who kills his ego gurmuiK hayumY sbid jlwey By becoming a Gurmukh, burn your ego through the Shabad, or Naam A person, who has developed God’s given gunn and virtues in their life through Guru’s teaching and has God’s love in their life, takes measures to guard this spiritual wealth. They do not want to fall into coma of agyantaa, being without gyan, such that they become vulnerable to someone robbing them of these gunn and virtues. iesu dyhI AMdir pMc cor vsih kwmu k®oDu loBu mohu AhMkwrw ] Within this body dwell five thieves: sexual desire, anger, greed, emotional attachment and egotism AMimRqu lUtih mnmuK nhI bUJih koie n suxY pUkwrw ] They plunder the Nectar, but the self-willed manmukh does not realize it; no one hears his complaint. Vices, such as lust, anger, greed, attachment and ego, are the five thieves that dwell inside of us. The biggest thief of all is ego, and if left unattended, it is capable of robbing a person of all of his/her virtues. bRhm igAwnI AhMbuiD iqAwgq ] The God-Conscious being renounces his proud ego. And what is the outcome? bRhm igAwnI kY min prmwnµd ] In the mind of the God-Conscious being, there is supreme bliss, for the Lord resides there. bRhm igAwnI kY Gir sdw Anµd ] In the home of the God-Conscious being, there is everlasting bliss. 3. Eliminate the presences of “mine”. A Brahm Gyani has no thinking of his own. He has eliminated his own existence, his own sense of self and has completely immersed within God. There is no room for the thought of mine being present: this is “my own personality”, this is “my own thinking”. bRhm igAwnI kY nwhI AiBmwn ] The God-conscious being has no egotistical pride. ******************************************************************************** Our entire existence is centered on our ego, and we can only realize this once we rid ourselves of ego. Baba Kabir Ji says “I am not afraid of this death in me, of my ego, but instead eagerly await for that moment to arrive so that I can be one with my Lord. Once we reach Lord’s door, our ego vanishes.” Supreme bliss is only obtained by death, not death of the physical body, but the death of one’s identity, sense of self, ego. kbIr muih mrny kw cwau hY mrau q hir kY duAwr ] Kabir, I long to die; let me die at the Lord’s Door. kbIr ijsu mrny qy jgu frY myry min Awnµdu ] Kabir, the world is afraid of death – that death fills my mind with bliss. mrny hI qy pweIAY pUrnu prmwnµdu ]22] It is only by death that perfect, supreme bliss is obtained. haumY mwry qw dru sUJY Kill your ego, then you will find God's Door The Guru says, that I have seen the whole world, and I have only seen the very rare person who has been able to remove his own ego, his own identity and merge as one with God. iesu jug mih ko ivrlw bRhm igAwnI ij haumY myit smwey ] In this world, one who knows God is very rare; eradicating ego, he is absorbed in God. “In ego people come and in ego they go. In ego they are born and in ego they die. In ego they give and in ego they take. In ego they earn and in ego they lose. In ego they become truthful or false. In ego they experience heavenly or hellish existence. In ego they laugh, and in ego they weep. In ego they become dirty, and in ego they are washed clean. In ego they lose social status and class. In ego they are ignorant, and in ego they are wise. They do not know the value of salvation and liberation. In ego they love Maya and in ego they are kept in darkness by it. Living in ego, mortal beings are created. When one understands ego, then God's gate is known. Without Spiritual Wisdom, they babble and argue" Bhul Chuk Maaf

I agree with Jai Tegang. To reach the state of bliss will not happen overnight. It will take time and devotion. A doctor does not get a degree unless he works hard to attain it, and the same applies to reach the state of bliss, through Gurbani. There is a constant battle going on inside of our bodies between the soul (inner self) and the body (outer world). What is the fighting over? The mind. They both want control over the mind. This battle is continuous day and night. The mind sways back and forth, not knowing which direction to go. Our goal should be to make the mind always focused on the soul. But now how do you do this? You have to convince your mind to remember God and explain: suix mn BUly bwvry gur kI crxI lwgu] Listen, O deluded and demented mind: hold tight to the Guru's Feet. If you remember God then: hir jip nwmu iDAwie qU jmu frpY duK Bwgu ] Chant and meditate on the Naam, the Name of the Lord; death will be afraid of you, and suffering shall depart. But if you do not remember him, then how one feels when a husband and wife are separated, the mind will feel the same pain of separation from God. dUKu Gxo dohwgxI ikau iQru rhY suhwgu ]1] The deserted wife suffers terrible pain. How can her Husband Lord remain with her forever? The Guru, through Gurbani, is the one who gives us the gift of God’s Name and the Guru is the one who can help us in winning this battle with the mind. The Guru gives us the guidance required to make the mind always turn towards the soul. Guru Ji also explains to us that all these practices, such as yoga, vows of silence, hunger strikes, and bathing at sacred shrines will not clean your mind. This mind can only be cleaned through the guidance of the true Guru: iesu mn kau horu sMjmu ko nwhI ivxu siqgur kI srxwie ] This mind is not controlled by any other discipline, except the Sanctuary of the True Guru. Once you meet the true Guru you will be transformed. Your mind will no longer go towards the outside, instead it will always stay towards the soul. sqguir imilAY aultI BeI khxw ikCU n jwie ] Meeting the True Guru, one is transformed beyond description. However, your mind will only change if after meeting the true Guru you destroy your own entire ego. mmqw kI mlu auqrY iehu mnu hCw hoie ] The filth of his attachment and possessiveness shall depart, and his mind shall become pure. Bxiq nwnku siqgur kau imldo mrY gur kY sbid iPir jIvY koie ] Prays Nanak, one who dies upon meeting the True Guru, shall be rejuvenated through the Word of the Guru's Shabad. So, remember through Gurbani, is the only way to reach this state of Brahm Gyani. It is difficult. Since when did anything come easy in life. Control your mind, destroy your ego.

A Brahm Gyani is purely defined by their quality/traits, not their physical being. A Brahm Gyani lives in this material world, but remains unattached from it. The Brahm gyani is not swayed by any sins or vices. He views everyone equally. He has a very large heart. He is not capable of uttering a threat, causing any harm, or hurting anyone. A Brahm Gyani is equal and sympathetic to all. Reaching the level of a Brahm Gyani is not easy. Why? Because the most precious thing in a person’s life that he has the greatest difficulty letting go of is his own existence, his sense of Me; his own individual identity which he feels defines him and he relates with. His Ego. In order for this to happen, we have to make the effort to read, understand, reflect and incorporate the teachings of Gurbani into our everyday life. (I have posted an article about ego. Once we are able to let go of our egos, sense of self, it will become easier to implement Gurbani into our lives. Our lives will become beautiful.) A recommendation is to read Sukhmani Sahib Ashtapadee 8. This Ashtapadee talks about what quality/traits/gunn a Brahm Gyani has. min swcw muiK swcw soie ] The True One is on his mind, and the True One is upon his lips. Avru n pyKY eyksu ibnu koie ] He sees only the One. nwnk ieh lCx bRhm igAwnI hoie ]1] O Nanak, these are the qualities of the God-conscious being.

One of the biggest evils that we have inside of us, is ego; it keeps us from finding Waheguru Ji. We need to destroy the ego inside of us, because it has become an obstacle between Waheguru Ji and us. Dn ipr kw iek hI sMig vwsw ivic haumY BIiq krwrI] The bride (soul) and the husband (God) are separated by the wall of ego. Ego is within all humans plaguing over us like a disease. haumY rogu mwnuK ko dInw] Humans are given the disease of ego. Ego and Waheguru Ji cannot be in the same place at the same time. If we want to follow the path of Waheguru Ji, then it is necessary to break free from the ego. The only way is through meditating Gurbani. sMqhu iehw bqwvhu kwrI] ijqu haumY grbu invwrI] O Saints, show me such a way, by which my egotism and pride might be eliminated. haumY nwvY nwil ivroDu hY duie n vsih iek Twie] Ego is opposed to the Name of the Lord; the two cannot dwell in the same place. Many of us today do sewa and simran, but with ego inside of us, the soul is not satisfied. So, the sewa and simran, is it accepted by our Guru? If it is all done through ego? Is this true sewa and simran? haumY ivic syvw n hoveI qw mnu ibrQw jwie ]1] In egotism, selfless service cannot be performed, and so the soul goes unfulfilled. If we wish to meet our Lord, then we must destroy our ego: haumY jweI qw kMq smweI] But if she gets rid of her ego, then she merges in her Husband Lord. Through Naam is the only way to rid of this ego. Naam is the only medicine that can cure us from this plague known as ego. Once we rid our ego, we become humble. AauKDu nwmu inrml jlu AMimRqu pweIAY gurU duAwrI ]4] The medicine of the Naam, and the Immaculate Water of Ambrosial Nectar, are obtained through the Guru's Gate. This Name of God can only be obtained through the true Guru. khu nwnk ijsu msqik iliKAw iqsu gur imil rog ibdwrI] Says Nanak, one who has such pre-ordained destiny written upon his forehead, meets with the Guru, and his diseases are cured.

"Can this Vehicle be in the form of flesh?" Fateh, Sateguru Ji's Shabad (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji) is the "vehicle/channel" for us to connect with God spiritually. Vehicle/Channel is a metaphorical term for path. No, in my opinion, this vehicle/path, cannot be in the form of flesh because we seek God thru reading/understanding Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Everyone who attains the level of knowledge of Gurbani, does so thru reading/studying and incorporating it into their lives. As we all know Sri Guru Gobind Singh Ji was not the last Guru Ji, Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is our living Guru, and It is not in the form of flesh. Some are carried across, in the ship of Truth of the True Guru. (SGGS 1081) Without the True Guru, no one knows the Way. The blind find no place of rest (SGGS 65) The True Guru is the boat; the Word of the Shabad will carry them across. (SGGS 1009) Without the Name, no one attains liberation. Without the True Guru, no one finds the Name. Such is the making which God has made. (SGGS 1046) The self-willed manmukhs pratice devotional rituals without the True Guru, but without the True Guru, there is no devotion. (SGGS 768) Without the True Guru, no one finds the Lord. People have grown weary of thinking about it. (SGGS 1420) Without the True Guru, no one has obtained the Lord; without the True Guru, no one has obtained the Lord. He has placed Himself with the True Guru; revealing Himself, He declares this openly. (SGGS 466) (sorry, the above quotes I could not write in punjabi font as it would not allow me. but you can reference them to the full shabad in www.sikhitothemax.com) With all due respect, this is my opinion, and I am sure others as yourself may not share the same views. Bhul Chuk Maaf.

"According to the Gurbani in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Sateguru is the intermediate link between the devotee and God. With God’s grace, the devotee follows the Gurmat path, and honestly puts more effort in meditating on God’s name. The path towards God opens up, the devotee’s sins are erased, and the devotee becomes free from the cycle of birth and death. Without the Sateguru, no one has ever reached God, nor will anyone ever do so. God has placed self (God) into Sateguru, and the spirit can be seen by the devotee through meditating on God’s name. The Gurbani tells us numerous characteristics of the Sateguru: Sateguru is complete, is spiritual, exists forever, has been existing forever, is free from the cycle of birth and death, is divine knowledge (SateGuru ke Bani), is divine word (the Sabad/Gurmanter), is divine spirit (Jot), is residing in everybody, is the intermediate link between the devotee and God, and is the vehicle/channel to meet God, etc. The Gurbani has addressed Sateguru using many names. Some of these names are: beloved, friend, companion, Sadh, Sant, etc. If the definition of Sateguru is not completely understood as per Gurbani, this can lead to the worshipping of earthly “saints.” Understanding this principle is very important. Only this understanding can stop this spreading of dehdhari (bodily) Sategurus, Sadhs or Sants who are preaching their own holiness and misleading people. In the Gurus’ era, no one ever called each other Sadh or Sant. Instead they simply called each other Bhai (Brother/Sister). In some places in Gurbani, the term Sadh or Sant is also used to refer to God. Occasionally it is also used to refer to the people who follow the path of Sateguru, the ultimate saint. In some places in Gurbani, these earthly Sadhs or Sants are called thugs (thieves), who mislead innocent people into rituals and away from the path of Sateguru. The Gurbani, like a mother, cradles us, holds our hand, warns us from the wrong path, teaches us Gurmat, and re-enforces the importance of meditating on God’s name. It also tells us to be a Sikh of SateGuru, to be humble, and to meditate on God’s name with great love and devotion. If we carefully read Gurbani, we can easily find the direction given by our Gurus and Bhagats in Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji: Be humble, it is better to be called Gursikh, Bhai, or Bhain rather than Sadh or Sant. If we think ourselves superior to the rest of the mankind then it is extremely difficult to establish or keep a close relationship with God."