The human mind is central to comprehend and manoeuvre the natural world. Though it is the crown expression of Nature in the mortal world, it is inherently inconsistent. It is often captivated by many animalistic habits. One of the animalistic habits of mind is its fickleness. Sikh theology emphasizes that one must learn how to control and transform one’s mind to come out of this condition. An individual can do so by diverting his/her mind from its feral inclinations and turning it to the mind’s innate longing for spiritual enlightenment. Sikh doctrines assert that the contemplation on God (imbibing love of God in one’s life) helps restrain the mind and attain self-realization and everlasting equipoise

Lal, Bhai Harbans

Singh, Devinder Pal

PhilPapers

ACADEMIA LettersHuman Mind’s Transformation is Crucial for SelfRealizationDevinder Pal Singh, Center for Understanding Sikhism, Mississauga, ON, CanadaBhai Harbans Lal, Professor Emeritus, G. N. D. University, Amritsar, IndiaUniversity of North Texas, Texas, USAThe human mind is central to comprehend and manoeuvre the natural world. Though it is thecrown expression of Nature in the mortal world, it is inherently inconsistent. It is often capti-vated by many animalistic habits. One of the animalistic habits of mind is its fickleness. Sikhtheology emphasizes that one must learn how to control and transform one’s mind to come outof this condition. An individual can do so by diverting his/her mind from its feral inclinationsand turning it to the mind’s innate longing for spiritual enlightenment. Sikh doctrines assertthat the contemplation on God (imbibing love of God in one’s life) helps restrain the mind andattain self-realization and everlasting equipoise.Sikh theology asserts that the human mind is central to comprehend and manoeuvrethe natural world and human evolution. It argues that human life is an opportunity to har-ness/transform the mind to achieve self-realization and live a quality life. However, the humanmind is often captivated by many animalistic habits. Sri Guru Granth Sahib (SGGS), the sa-cred Sikh scripture [1], points out this situation as “Kartoot pasoo ki Manas jaat.” Meaning:Although human beings belong to the homo-sapiens class, their traits are those of sub-humananimals. (M. 5, SGGS, p. 267) One of the animalistic habits of mind is its fickleness. It is the primary cause of unhappi-ness and failure in achieving our prescribed life goals. SGGS emphasizes that one must learnhow to control and transform one’s mind to come out of this condition. An individual can do soby diverting his/her mind from its feral inclinations and turning it to the mind’s innate longingfor spiritual enlightenment. By cultivating an attitude of compassion and contentment, onecan harness one’s mind.Academia Letters, July 2021Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.comCitation: Singh, D.P., Lal, B.H. (2021). Human Mind’s Transformation is Crucial for Self Realization.Academia Letters, Article 1573. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1573.1©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0Biologists and psychologists point out that the human mind has been affected by prenatalhuman biography [2-3]. This occurrence has happened throughout the history of the feralworld. The evolutionary experiences’ prenatal history points out that the rule of survival wasthe only experience practiced for many life cycles. As marked on human minds, it guidedour ancient ancestors in selecting the best behavioural approaches for their survival. Theymastered to spend most of their time in search and hunt for food to gratify their hunger. Theyevolved their physical skills and mental abilities to fight in self-defence when faced with dangeror attack. They courted the members of the opposite sex for reproduction. Their needs wereof the sub-human type, and their acquired skills were animalistic at best compared to today’shuman needs [4-5].These marks of the sub-human psyche are present in us even today. Unfortunately, theselessons from our sub-human history are of little benefit in the new world, which is ever de-veloping. Instead, these imprints hinder our spiritual progress. In addition, their expressionin our life becomes the basis of many problems. Remember that the human mind is nothingmore than a menome of multifarious memes. The current meme-centred culture exhibits asubstrate of pain and anguish.The memes being the ideas or experiences of others; these are self-centred. The memesare proficient in co-evolving and replicating without any empathy for their human hosts. Thehuman mind, infected by memes, forgets the actual purpose of life. It is discomforting, dis-turbing, and degenerating.The cultural messages are the vehicles to spread the copies of memes. They take control ofone’s mind and make one’s life very unpleasant and disgusting. Meme-based mind and cultureis a robust control system. It foists an imperceptible controlling structure on our language,thinking, philosophical systems, political behaviour, religion, and even history. Thereby theyall become tools of our captivity into never-ending misery. SGGS proclaims: “Maṯ buḏẖbẖavī na bujẖ￿ī anṯar lobẖ vikār. Lakẖ cẖa￿orāsīh bẖaramḏe bẖaram bẖaram ho￿e kẖu￿ār”.Meaning: People don’t understand that their intellect and understanding are perverted. Theyare filled with greed and corruption. They wandered as lost and confused through millionsof incarnations. They were ruined through these experiences during such wandering. (M.3,SGGS, p.27) Fickleness, Transformation and Spiritual SuccessThough the human mind is the crown expression of Nature in the mortal world, it is inherentlyinconsistent. The human mind’s this characteristic is the primary source of all the misery inone’s life. Several factors contribute to the mind’s fickleness. The fickleness of the mindAcademia Letters, July 2021Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.comCitation: Singh, D.P., Lal, B.H. (2021). Human Mind’s Transformation is Crucial for Self Realization.Academia Letters, Article 1573. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1573.2©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0drives away success in our daily life and is the biggest hindrance on the path of spiritualenlightenment [6-7]. Untill the causes of the mind’s fickleness are not removed, one may notexperience peace. Guru Tegh Bahadur, the ninth Sikh Guru, indicates the fickleness of mindin his verses as; “Marig ṯarisnā ji￿o jẖūṯẖo ih jag ḏekẖ ṯās uṯẖ ḏẖāvai.” Meaning: Like thedeer’s delusion (mirage), this world is unreal (false), and yet, beholding it, one’s mind chaseafter it. (M. 9, SGGS, p. 219) Analytically speaking, there are two main factors, which are the basis of our mind. Thefirst factor, our species’ evolutionary past, is dominated by five inborn urges of lust, anger,avarice, attachment, and narcissism. The second factor is realizing one’s finite existence andaspiration to transcend one’s finitude by relating oneself to the transcendent Infinite Wisdom(God). Often the urge to lead a God-centred life lies submerged in the mind. In such a situa-tion, we live a power-hungry and self-centred life. The self-centred (egoistic) life is built ona false view of the world (Maya).Maya is a transitory thing that allures a human being towards power and ego-centredenergy. It divests a person’s that potentiality of mind, which helps him/her rise to InfiniteWisdom’s vision. This instability of mind gives birth to discontent, greed, fear, selfishness,deceit, fanaticism, prejudice, caste, colour and creed divisions, and indifference to spiritualadvancements. This fickleness of mind does not allow us to establish a better society and worldor attain spiritual enlightenment. Our mind imparts generic wisdom in the grips of memes,mimetic lessons, genes, and genetic instructions. This wisdom applies only to physical orenvironmental conditions. It incites us to act in ways that have been generally useful in thepast for similar situations. As the cultural imprisonment continues, the human mind keepsroving and never learns to be still or calm down. The mind’s fickleness has become so strongin present times that it has rendered us helpless.Spiritual success lies in the transformation of the mind through the eradication of its fickle-ness. An individual can obtain it with a continual and consistent focus on imbibing the virtuesof Truth, compassion, love and wisdom in one’s life. Through the self-effort of concentrationand contemplation, a person receives the grace for the mind’s transformation. Cultivating thehabits of honest earnings and sharing (one’s honest proceeds) with the needy helps a person toprogress on the path of spiritual realization. To tame the mind’s fickleness, the contemplationof Gurmat philosophy is a potent tool for self-improvement, thereby improving society andthe world. Guru Tegh Bahadur illustrates this paradigm in his hymns as: “Sāḏẖo man kā mānṯi￿āga￿o. Kām kroḏẖ sangaṯ ḏurjan kī ṯā ṯe ahinis bẖāga￿o. ||1|| rahā￿o. Sukẖ ḏukẖ ḏono samkar jānai a￿or mān apmānā. Harakẖ sog ṯe rahai aṯīṯā ṯin jag ṯaṯ pacẖẖānā. ||1||Usṯaṯ ninḏāḏo￿ū ṯi￿āgai kẖojai paḏ nirbānā.” Meaning: Holy Saints! Forsake the pride of your mind.Let it be your daily routine to shirk excessive desires, anger and the company of evil people.Academia Letters, July 2021Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.comCitation: Singh, D.P., Lal, B.H. (2021). Human Mind’s Transformation is Crucial for Self Realization.Academia Letters, Article 1573. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1573.3©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0||1||Pause|| One who knows that pain and pleasure, honour and dishonour are the same. Onewho remains untouched by joy and sorrow realizes the true essence in the world. ||1|| Renouncepraise and slander; rather seek salvation. (M. 9, SGGS, p. 219) ConclusionSikh doctrines warn us about this helplessness. It urges us to seek the grace of the “InfiniteWisdom” for saving ourselves from the grips of the animalistic mind. We must strive toharness the mind and then channel its potential towards realizing truth, compassion, wisdom,service, and sharing in our lives. The contemplation on God (imbibing love of God in one’slife) helps restrain the mind and attain everlasting peace. Guru Tegh Bahadur describes sucha situation as: “Mā￿ī mai ḏẖan pā￿i￿o har nām. Man mero ḏẖāvan ṯe cẖẖūti￿o kar baiṯẖobisrām.” Meaning: O mother! I have gathered the wealth of the Divine virtues, My mindhas stopped its wanderings, and now, it has come to rest. (M.9. SGGS, p. 1186)Guru Nanak delineates such a state in his hymns as; “Man mėh joṯ joṯ mėh manū￿ā pancẖmile gur bẖā￿ī.” Meaning: The mind is immersed in the love of the eternal Truth, and itsessence lies in mind. Oh! My Gur-Bhai! The five urges are now focused on it. (M.1, SGGS,p. 879)References1. Sri Guru Granth Sahib, 1983 (Reprint), Shiromani Gurdwara Prabhandak Committee,Amritsar. pp 1-1430.2. Pritpal Singh, Guru Tegh Bahadur on the Human Mind, Sikh Unity, 16th Jan.2014,https://sikhunity.wordpress.com/2014/01/16/guru-tegh-bahadur-on-the-human-mind/3. Harbans Lal, Sri Guru Teg Bahadur’s Concern on Human Mind, e-Diwan, Calgary,Canada. 7 June 2020, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8MWlETd_o144. Harbans Lal, Harness the Mind to Win the World, Understanding Sikhism, 6(1), (January-June 2004), 23-27, 16.5. Bhai Harbans Lal, and Devinder Pal Singh, Understanding the Human Mind throughthe Lens of Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Compositions, Sikh Philosophy Network, Chandigarh,India, 23 May 2021.Academia Letters, July 2021Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.comCitation: Singh, D.P., Lal, B.H. (2021). Human Mind’s Transformation is Crucial for Self Realization.Academia Letters, Article 1573. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1573.4©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.06. D. P. Singh, Teachings of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji: A Perspective, Studies in Sikhismand Comparative Religion, XLIV(2) (July-December 2020) 48-70.7. Devinder Pal Singh, Holistic Vision of Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur Ji. The Sikh Review, 69(5),(2021) 12-22.Academia Letters, July 2021Corresponding Author: Devinder Pal Singh, drdpsn@hotmail.comCitation: Singh, D.P., Lal, B.H. (2021). Human Mind’s Transformation is Crucial for Self Realization.Academia Letters, Article 1573. https://doi.org/10.20935/AL1573.5©2021 by the authors — Open Access — Distributed under CC BY 4.0

Human Mind’s Transformation is Crucial for Self Realization

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