By Gurnam Singh | Opinion |
Lately, I’ve been reflecting on how we might understand the difference between Gurmat (the Guru’s wisdom) and Mannmat (self-willed thought) through the lens of contemporary thought processes. For me, this distinction echoes a fundamental difference between authentic learning and reasoning, versus the psychological trap of confirmation bias.
In the modern world, we often confuse opinion with knowledge. Our ego (haumai) tends to drive us towards forming views based not on careful inquiry or lived wisdom, but on emotion, prejudice, or unexamined beliefs. Once we’ve settled on an idea, we then seek out information that confirms what we already think, ignoring or dismissing anything that challenges our position. This is what psychologists call confirmation bias, and it affects all of us to varying degrees.
Mannmat thrives in this environment. It is essentially a mode of thought rooted in self-centredness. We elevate our personal reasoning above all else, often without rigorous self-examination. In contrast, Gurmat begins not with the assumption that we already know, but with a sincere desire to learn and to understand what the Guru teaches. This demands an attitude of humility, openness, and deep introspection.
Approaching Gurbani through Gurmat means listening attentively and receptively, without projecting our own biases onto the text. It involves a willingness to allow the Guru’s words to challenge us, to unsettle us, and to transform our understanding. This is not easy. As Socrates once said, “one has to become a stranger one’s own mind”. In other words, genuine learning requires us to step back from our preconceived notions and be open to perspectives that may be radically different from our own.
In Sikh tradition, the Gurus offer a model of wisdom that is not dogmatic but dialogical. We are encouraged to vichar (reflect) on Gurbani, but not with arrogance or stubbornness. Instead, we must cultivate nimrata (humility) and shardha (trust) in the process. This doesn’t mean blindly accepting everything, but rather entering into a transformative relationship with wisdom that challenges our ego and nurtures our surat (awareness).
In this light, the practice of Gurmat is not simply about religious belief; it is a powerful method of developing our capacity for deep learning, critical reflection, and spiritual growth. It reminds us that truth is not something we possess, but something we are continually called to seek; through sangat (community), through seva (service), and through the constant process of inner dialogue with the Guru.
Gurnam Singh is an academic activist dedicated to human rights, liberty, equality, social and environmental justice. He is an Associate Professor of Sociology at University of Warwick, UK. He can be contacted at Gurnam.singh.1@warwick.ac.uk
* This is the opinion of the writer and does not necessarily represent the views of Asia Samachar.
RELATED STORY:
The Demise of the Akali Dal and the Badal Dynasty: What Next for the Panth? (Asia Samachar, 5 Aug 2024)
ASIA SAMACHAR is an online newspaper for Sikhs / Punjabis in Southeast Asia and beyond. You can leave your comments at our website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. We will delete comments we deem offensive or potentially libelous. You can reach us via WhatsApp +6017-335-1399 or email: asia.samachar@gmail.com. For obituary announcements, click here
????????????????????
why not Gumat
why manmat?
One needs to blame the Sikhs themselves …,
Sikhism is the most modern, and yet the most misunderstood, of all world religions.
Some have described it as an off shoot of the ‘Bhakti cult inspired in its main tenets by Kabir.
Others have taken it to be a synthesis of Mohamaden monotheism and the Hindu metaphysics.
A scholar has even suggested it to be a crude form of Buddhism on account of its insistence on Nirvan minus its atheism ,which ,to him ,is the logical result of the doctrine of Nirvan.
A school of Sikhs called ‘Nirmalas’, versed in Sanskrit and the Hindu scriptures learnt at Bindraban, Varansi have been interpreting it as a Vedantic creed, at best an exposition of the Bhagwad Gita.
A moslem sect, the Qadianis, has been qouting chapter and verse to prove that Guru Nanak, the founder of the Sikh faith, was a devout Moslem.
Sikhism has also been described as a qualifed pantheismi and a moralising dualism.
Why such foreign man mat?Why such confusion? The confusion occured because Sikhs themselves, for historical and lack of education, have never seriously attempted a SCIENTIFIC and COGENT exposition of their faith, based on the WORD of the GURU GRANTH and related to to the FACTUAL historical lives of the GURUS who uttered it.
Without references either to one or the other, casual ‘syiok sendiri’ attempts made at the interpretation of small portions of GRANTH has resulted in such interpretations being incoherent, lop sided, and therefore extremely unreliable.
Giving opportumities to crooks, sekf declared dera babas, falsely impersonated heads of fake taksals, sampardas deras opportunities to interpret as it suits their self vested interests and needs.
Some have used the name GURU Granth illegimately to give an impression and mislead people into believing they genuinely are dedicated, when in actual fact their aim us to promote other fake books like so called gurpartap suraj parkash and bachitter ntk, agsin to mislead people is commonly refered as dasm granth.
Recently several attempts have been made, but most of them ended in all too literal translations, leaving the uninitiated to the GURU ‘S Word more confused than when he or she started to learn.
It is like rece
????????????????????
ਗੁਰਚਰਨ ਸਿੰਘ ਕੁੱਲੀਮ
Comments are closed.