By Harbans Singh Kandola | Opinion |
Before I discuss this topic, let us define few terms.
BRAIN. A physical soft whitish mass of cells in the human scull, that is the center of nervous system.
MIND. Centre of thoughts, memories, intellect power, and opinions.
MIND has two faculties. Conscious mind and subconscious mind.
CONSCIOUS MIND. Part of mind that observe outside events, all of the things you are currently aware of and are thinking about. Awareness of your-self and the world around you presently. Conscious mind is objective or thinking mind. It has no memories and can hold one thought at a time. Conscious mind has two functions. One, identify upcoming information through sight, sound, smell, taste, touch and feeling. Second, observe and categorizing what is going around. It accepts or reject data, making choices and decisions. In GURBANI terms SURAT, MATT, MANN, BUDH are used. In my understanding MATT and MANN refer to conscious mind and SURAT and BUDH refer to subconscious mind.
SUBCONSCIOUS MIND. It is the reservoir of feelings, thoughts, beliefs, memories, concepts. We can call it collection of SANSKARS. Main function of subconscious mind is to store and retrieve data. Its job is to ensure that you respond to situation exactly the way you are programmed. Our subconscious mind is subjective. It does not think or reason independently. It merely obeys the commands received from conscious mind. We can use our conscious mind to shape our subconscious mind by overriding it.
These are the products of our own mind.
CONSCIOUSNESS. This is not product of our mind. It is the VOICE OF GOD, DIVINE WISDOM within all of us. The moral compass.
In this context I need to understand who this SELF is. Let me call it I or ME. I believe that I am my body and mind, this is who am I. I experience life through ME. This ME is a separate identity from the SOURCE, GOD with in me. I live everyday life from ME, self- perspective, not the DIVINE perspective. The ME is conditioned and identified exclusively with material objects, power, and status. I am living under the illusion that acquisition of worldly comforts supposedly provides inner happiness. Self is the demanding force that is never satisfied. GURU says Haumai Deerag Rog Hai (SGGS, Page 466) meaning the ME identification is chronic disease of mind that causes worries, anxiety, stress, depression, suicides and violence in the society. GURU says this INESS, MENESS is the natural part of the society, we are born into the EGO environment. This is part of the play of life, THE HUKM.
This ME, I is the sum-total of my choices I make while growing in the society.
In BANI PEHRE (SGGS, 74) AND MAJH KEE VAR (SGGS, 137), GURU NANAK beautifully explains phases of life, how as a human create self- identity, separate from the SATGURU.
GURU says Kaho Nanak Prannee Pehle Pehre Hukm Piya Garwas, meaning you came into this world in the HUKM, DIVINE LAW of the CREATOR. You were true reflection of the SATGURU with pure consciousness. You were part of the ONE, THE SOURCE OF LIFE.
Kaho Nanak Prannee Dooje Pehre Wisar Giya Dhian. GURU says first you became attached to your mother and father, siblings. Toys and your friends were attraction of your childhood. You learn the sense mine and yours, the sense of discrimination. You begin to forget who you are, your true self and began to identify with objects. This was start of individuality and separation from THE CREATOR.
Kaho Nanak Prannee Teeje Pehre Dhan Joban Sio Chit. GURU says in your adulthood craving for material wealth, power, status became priorities of life. Self- pride of physical appearance and relationships were the drivers of your daily life. Your main focus centered around external purposes, never looking inward to speak to the CREATOR within. You become captivated by the illusion of finding peace and happiness from material acquisitions. Ideas in your head are all centered around EGO. The inner peace and happiness never arrived.
Kaho Nanak Prannee Chauthe Pehre Lawee Lunia Khet.
GURU says in your old age anger, resentment, hopelessness takes control of life. Athwai Krodh Hoa Tan Nass meaning anger destroys you mentally and physically as well. GURU says you have waisted the most precious gift of God.
Bajh Guru Dooba Sansar (SGGS, 138) meaning without realizing the DIVINE WITHIN we all leave this world empty.
This is the story of I, ME. The story of stress, depression, worsening mental health, suicide, wars and destruction. GURU says Kartoot Pashu Kee Manas Jaat (SGGS, 267) meaning in behavior we are animals in human skin. GURU says, ME spends great deal of time and energy dwelling on the past and future, living entire life the way others say. This ME is the biggest obstacles in realizing GOD within and being SACHIARA. Modern society has this myth that temporal intelligence is all we need for success, be able to solve complex problems. GURU says without realizing the divine wisdom of the GURU, godly virtues, we see mental hospitals have too many such scholars. True barometer of intelligence is an effective inner peace, happiness and bliss. GURU says you make yourself unhappy or happy because of the thoughts in your mind.
BHAGAT KABIRJI says Jab Hum Hote Tab Tu Nahee Ab Tum Ho Hum Nahee (SGGS, 339) meaning this I, ME must disappear before becoming you. I believe it does not matter what meditation method you use, in reality the journey of living beyond self is transformation from egoistic self- perspective of life to GURU, GOD perspective of life.
Harbans Singh Kandola. Born in Ludhiana, Punjab, he read Ph.D. in Agriculture from Punjab Agriculture University in 1972. He moved to Canada in 1973 and retired as senior bank manager in 2005. He reads Gurbani passionately to understand its spiritual message and how it matters in his daily life. He read Prof Sahib Singh’s ‘Sri Guru Granth Sahib Darpan’ (SGGS translation) in five years, with complete notes. In the past two decades, Harbans has engaged in Gurbani discussion in radio and television programmes, as well as newspapers and the Sikh Bulletin. He believes that we now have literature with the true and real message of Gurbani which has to be presented to Sikhs and non-Sikhs. This article is from his unpublished book ‘Renaissance of Sikhi’.
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