ਨਰਪਤਿ ਏਕੁ ਸਿੰਘਾਸਨਿ ਸੋਇਆ ਸੁਪਨੇ ਭਇਆ ਭਿਖਾਰੀ ॥
ਅਛਤ ਰਾਜ ਬਿਛੁਰਤ ਦੁਖੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਸੋ ਗਤਿ ਭਈ ਹਮਾਰੀ ॥੨॥
Nirpat ek singhaasan soeaa supane bheya bhikhaaree॥ Achhat raaj bichharat dukh paaeyaa so gat bhee hamaaree ॥2॥
The King falls asleep on the throne and dreams that he is a beggar. He is separated from his kingdom and endures pain. This is our condition.
As Sikhs, we are taught that the biggest enemy is ego. However, very few know what ego really is. We see uncles at the gurdwara call themselves “ਦਾਸ” (das) or “servant.” Yet these same uncles jump to anger whenever anyone offers them constructive criticism. Have they conquered their ego just by calling themselves das? Gurbani teaches us that humbleness comes first and foremost from within. It is more than just bowing your head outwardly.
ਸੀਸਿ ਨਿਵਾਇਐ ਕਿਆ ਥੀਐ ਜਾ ਰਿਦੈ ਕੁਸੁਧੇ ਜਾਹਿ॥੧॥
Sees Nivaaeiai Kiaa Thheeai Jaa Ridhai Kusudhhae Jaahi ||1||
What is the point of bowing the head when the heart is impure
Through Gurbani, this article will discuss defeating ego and embracing deep confidence in our divine and royal inner beauty.
ਆਵਹਿ ਨੰਗੇ ਜਾਹਿ ਨੰਗੇ ਵਿਚੇ ਕਰਹਿ ਵਿਥਾਰ॥
Aavehi Nangae Jaahi Nangae Vichae Karehi Vithhaar ||
Naked we come, and Naked we go. In between we put on a show.
Have you ever been in a school play? Students are given roles, lines, and costumes. They lose themselves playing different characters. Some play fairies and monsters, and others play doctors, lawyers, criminals, and cops. They laugh, cry, get angry, and fall in love. When the play is finished, students remove their costumes and go home. Gurbani says this world is like a play. We are given our bodies as costumes. This world is our stage. We play different characters. Some are born rich. Others are born poor. Some are handicapped. Some are kind. Some are cruel. When the play of life is over, we all take off the costume of the body, and our soul goes home.
However, many people come to this world and forget that they are a soul. They start to believe that this play is reality. They forget who they really are and fall in love with the character they play. They lose themselves in the script and they feel the pain and pleasure of their characters, forgetting that they themselves are detached from this drama. This forgetfulness is called ego.
In short, ego comes from love of the character. Confidence comes from love of the soul. The character has a name, gender, and age. The soul is timeless, genderless, and forever youthful. The body feels pain and happiness. The soul is always infinitely blissful. The body is born and dies. The soul is part of Waheguru and exists forever. The body is nourished by food and water. The soul feeds on divine love. We can lose our body and get a new one. Our souls stay with us for eternity.
Each soul, each being, is a perfect piece of Waheguru’s artwork. We are part of Waheguru’s greatness and perfection. Ego is when we forget Waheguru and think we are great because of our material possessions. Self-confidence is when we remember Waheguru and know that we are great because we belong to the creator.
For a Sikh, real self-love is love of the soul. We must care for our souls by staying away from hatred and evil. We must feed our soul love and compassion to nourish it. We must care for our bodies because they are the temples of our souls. However, our priority must be our soul. Hatred and anger are poison for the soul. Maya (ਮਾਇਆ) or materialism which distracts us from Waheguru is poison for the soul. Love is the antidote. We must keep our soul connected to the Creator, because Waheguru is the single source of our soul’s happiness. We may find temporary happiness in maya and worldly success, but our true inner thirst can only be quenched through the Guru. Gurbani tells us:
ਆਨੰਦੁ ਆਨੰਦੁ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਕਹੈ ਆਨੰਦੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਤੇਜਾਣਿਆ ||
Aanandh Aanandh Sabh Ko Kehai Aanandh Guroo Thae Jaaniaa ||
Everyone talks about bliss, but true bliss can only be found through the Guru.
Our Gurus had the ability-and gave us the ability-to see past the flaws of the body into the beauty of the soul. That is why our Gurus were able to turn hardened thieves and murderers into saints. One example of this in Assam when Guru Nanak Dev ji addressed female street-dancers, who were viewed by the public as disgraceful prostitutes, by referring to them and “his daughters and his princesses”- ਗਾਛਹੁ ਪੁਤ੍ਰੀ ਰਾਜ ਕੁਆਰਿ ॥, Guru Granth Sahib Ji, 1187. Guru Nanak Dev ji saw their inner beauty. Guru Nanak Dev ji never told sinners they should change because they are evil, instead he showed them their inner greatness, and this made them want to change.
Our Gurus made us soldiers of divine love. Once a Sikh loves the divine soul within themselves unconditionally, they are able to offer this love to others. They see Waheguru’s light in all and realize that we are all connected. This love is the strength of a Sikh. Once a Sikh sees Waheguru’s love within their soul, they learn to be compassionate. They see others as themselves and cannot bear to see humanity in pain. The Gurus taught the concept of ੧ or 1. Guru Nanak Dev Ji used the numeral 1 and not the word one. This was to emphasize how we are all connected, and we are all divine. As Pierre Teilhard de Chardin once said “We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience.”
Our Gurus saw the 1 they love in all. That is why they were moved at the sight of human suffering. That is why they left their comfortable homes to heal others. Guru Gobind Singh ji created an army like no other. Many Countries have armies that fight for the interests of their countries. The army of Guru Gobind Singh ji is the only army that fought for the entire human race. The Khalsa is the only army whose sole goal is to care and love the downtrodden regardless of who they may be. The Khalsa fights for the goodness and divinity which is in all.
The Guru’s taught that a Sikh should be fearless. Gurbani teaches that one who is connected to the Guru remains undefeatable. This deep faith of belonging to the Guru is the essence of a Sikhs confidence. It is the reason that a Sikh is not afraid to challenge the most powerful tyrants. For a Sikh, there is no one more powerful than the Guru who lives within us. When Guru Gobind Singh Ji was three years old, he would gather the village children and hold competitions. He would teach them the importance of challenging one’s self and reaching their highest potential.
When the younger sons of Guru Gobind Singh Ji were executed being bricked alive, their executioners made fun of them. They told them that they were going to die, and they were helpless and should leave their faith. The 7 and 9-year-old Sahibzaday responded with deep trust in the Khalsa. According to Muslim Saint Allah Yaar Khan Jogi Ji, Baba Fateh Singh Ji responded, “By giving our lives, we save the lives of others. With the bricks that bury our heads we lay the foundation of Sikhi. We plant the garden of the Kingdom of the Khalsa. Now, the panth will capture the crown, rise to the throne, and vanquish all traces of cruelty from this Earth.” The Sahibzaday had such faith in us. Today each Sikh has a mission to stand tall like Baba Zorawar Singh Ji and Baba Fateh Singh Ji. We must honor their sacrifice and fulfill the trust they had in us; a trust so deep that they gave their lives. They thought us worthy of this deep trust. In the eyes of the Guru, we were worth sacrificing the Sahibzaday. This Kingdom of the Khalsa that they sacrificed their life for, that Kingdom is ours. How special is that? How precious are we?
As Sikhs, we are blessed to be the descendants of such brave warriors. Today, Sikhs have become detached from their deep roots. Instead of healing the world with the revolutionary message of Guru Nanak Dev ji, we ourselves have become lost in ego and materialism. We must awaken ourselves to the deep love that is only found in the house of Guru Nanak Dev Ji. The love for humanity that inspired our shaheeds to sacrifice everything. We must fight our egos and embrace our confidence. We must stand with pride as the children of the great warrior-saint, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. Like the king asleep on his throne, we must wake up and reclaim our divine inner royalty.
About the Author
Tejika Kaur
Tejika Kaur is a young Sikh lawyer who loves Gurbani, nature, and adventure. She specializes in National Security and Human Rights. Tejika Kaur is also an active advocate against the death penalty and fights for prison reform. Her biggest inspiration is Sikhi and she hopes to share the message of the Guru with her generation.