THE MOST DIFFICULT THING TO DO

The devotees' lifestyle is unique and distinct; they follow the most difficult path.
They renounce greed, avarice, pride and desire; they do not talk too much. The
path they take is sharper than a two-edged sword, and finer than a hair. By Guru's
Grace, they shed their selfishness and conceit; their Vaasnaas (latent tendencies)
get merged in the Lord. Says Nanak, the lifestyle of the devotees,
in each and every age, is unique and distinct ||14|| (sggs 918).
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The faults of false ego-sense (Haume) include lust (desire etc।), anger, greed,
attachment to worldly objects due to delusion, and pride; and their numerous

variations such as enviousness, stubborn mindedness, selfishness, shooting nonsense or excessive talking, and so on। The SGGS says that the lifestyle of a true devotee includes eradication of these

Bikaars (negativity) from one's mind. Eradication of these Bikaars means

eradication of one's Haume (false ego-sense)। The lifestyle of true devotees is mentioned here by the SGGS to be "the most difficult", because it's very difficult

to eradicate

Haume and its faults (Bikaars)। Which simply translates that — for most of human beings — "the most difficult thing" to do in life is to get rid of the

Haume (false-ego sense)!

• Bgqw kI cwl inrwlI ] cwlw inrwlI Bgqwh kyrI ibKm mwrig clxw ] lbu loBu AhMkwru qij iqRsnw bhuqu nwhI bolxw ] KMinAhu iqKI vwlhu inkI eyqu mwrig jwxw ] gur prswdI ijnI Awpu qijAw hir vwsnw smwxI ] khY nwnku cwl Bgqw jughu jugu inrwlI ]14]: Bhagathaaee chaal niraalee...:The lifestyle of the devotees is unique and distinct. The devotees' lifestyle is unique and distinct; they follow the most difficult path. They renounce greed, avarice, pride and desire; they do not talk too much. The path they take is sharper than a two-edged sword, and finer than a hair. By Guru's Grace, they shed their selfishness and conceit; their Vaasnaas k (latent tendencies) get merged in the Lord। Says Nanak, the lifestyle of the devotees, in each and every age, is unique and distinct. ||14|| (sggs 918).
• haumY sBu srIru hY haumY Epiq hoie: Haumai sabh sareer hai hayumai opati hoi: Ego is within all the bodies; and through ego the beings are born (sggs 560)।
• haumY ivic pRBu koie n pwey:Haumai vichi prabh koi na paae: No one finds God through egoism (sggs 664).

  Renunciation or annihilation of one's Haume is the true meditation — the real Japa, Tapa and Sanjam. In other words, removal of one's Haume is the true prayer (Ardaas), or Naam-Simran. Simply put, the ultimate victory is the disappearance of one's Haume। The Gurbani indicates this to be "the most difficult thing" for us humans to accomplish.

• ismrhu rwm nwmu Aiq inrmlu Avr iqAwghu haumY kaurw: Simarahu raam naam ath niramal avar thiaagahu houmai kouraa: Renouncing your ego, remember in meditation the most pure and sublime Lord's Name (sggs 415).
• jpu qpu sMjmu haumY mwir: Jap Tapa Sanjam houmai maar: Japa, Tapa and Sanjam come by subduing the ego (sggs 1343).
• Awpu Coif bynqI krhu: Aap shod benatee karahu: Offer your prayers renouncing your false self: ego or Haume (sggs 295).

Thus, according to the SGGS, it is essential but very difficult for us humans to transcend identification with the body-mind-intellect personality (Haume). However, the infinite benefit one gains by this ultimate victory over Haume (ego) is Self-realization — the realization of one's True Nature as the Universal Self ("Joti- Svaroopa),or to experience that one's True Self and God, or simply Truth, are one and the same.

• mwrgu mukqw haumY mwir: Maaragu muktaa houmai maar: The path of liberation is found by killing ego (sggs 1274).
• nwnk haumY mwir imlwieAw: Nanak houmai maari milaaiaa: O Nanak, conquering egoism, we are absorbed into the Divine (sggs 153).
• haumY mwry qw dru sUJY: Haumai maare taa dar soojhai: Kill your ego, then you will find God's Door (sggs 842).
• so jnu swcw ij haumY mwrY: So jan saachaa ji haumai maarai: That humble being is true, who kills his ego (sggs 230).
• haumY jweI qw kMq smweI: Hayumai jaaee taa kant samaee: Only by eliminating ego, you link with God (sggs 750).
• nwau mMinAY haumY geI siB rog gvwieAw: Naaou maniai haumai gaee sabh rog gavaaiaa: With faith in the Divine Name, egoism is eradicated, and all sickness is cured (sggs 1242).
• iehu mnu inrmlu haumY mwrI: Ih mann nirmal hayumai maaree: The mind becomes pure when ego is killed (sggs 1049)।

Accordingly, although it's the most difficult thing to do, still the SGGS time and again urges to to do it and be successful at it while still alive. For, as indicated in the SGGS, this is the only purpose of human life. The SGGS gives us clear vision of the ultimate Goal of human life, and the means to achieve that Goal. Therefore, it becomes essential for us, especially for a spiritual seeker, to gain true basic knowledge and understanding of the Gurbani. Such basic knowledge and understanding, in turn, will also help one understand Gurmukhs (Mahatmaas, saintly beings etc.) to some extent.

Removal of this Haume — Haume is said to be the source of all human problems — is not an automatic process like digesting food. The SGGS never says it's an easy thing to do. Even with high education or material success in life, it is an extremely difficult feat. What is required as per the SGGS is a total inner transformation of our vision of life and its पुर्पोसे

• BeI prwpiq mwnuK dyhurIAw]goibMd imlx kI ieh qyrI brIAw]Avir kwj qyrY ikqY n kwm]imlu swDsMgiq Bju kyvl nwm: Bhayee praapat maanukh dehuriyaa. Gobind milan kee ih teree bariyaa. Avar kaaj terai kitai na kaam. Mil saadhsangati bhaj keval Naam: This human body has been given to you. This is your chance to meet God. Nothing else will work. Join the Holy Company; contemplate on the Naam alone (sggs 12).
• iqAwghu mn ky sgl kwm: Tiaagahu man kae sagal kaam: Abandon all the desires of your mind (sggs1182).
• kwmu k®oDu loBu mn qy iqAwig: Kaam krodhh lobh man thae thiaag: Drive out lust, anger and greed (i.e. all evil passions) from your mind (sggs 1271).
• gurmuiK Awpxw mnu mwirAw sbid ksvtI lwie ]mn hI nwil JgVw mn hI nwil sQ mn hI mMiJ smwie: Guramukh aapanaa manu maariaa sabad kasavatee laai. Mann hee naal jhagarraa mann hee naal sath mann hee manjh samaai: By becoming the Gurmukh (Spiritual Being), the Gurmukh has conquered his own mind, by applying the Touchstone of the Shabad. He fights with his mind, he settles with his mind, and he is at Peace with his mind (sggs 87).
• Coif sgl isAwxpw imil swD iqAwig gumwnu: Shod sagal siaanapaa mil saadh tiaag gumaan: Abandon all your clever tricks; meet with the Holy (Saadh-Sangat), and renounce your false pride (sggs 1006).

Not an easy path to tread! According to the SGGS, the path " is sharper than a two-edged sword, and finer than a hair". But, nevertheless, it's a treadable path. But it's up to us to do our part. For example,iIf we want light in our room , we have to make the effort to at least turn the switch on in that room. Similarly, to tread this path, the SGGS urges us to put forward our best effort (Uddam) to advance along the spiritual path {movining from Manmukhtaa or materiality (Haume-consciousness} to Gurmukhtaa (Divine Lifestyle), sincerely loving the Guru by following His words (Gur-Shabad), sincerely performing our spiritual practices (Naam-Simran, Saadh-Sangat etc.), trying to cultivate divine qualities like truthfullness, contentment, Knowlwdge (Aatm-Giaan), compassion, humility, detachment, patience, acceptance, love, and so on. But, as indicated in the SGGS, very "rare" one embarks on this path! Rest of us just remain entangled in the enchanting worldly objects and rot away.

• gux sMjim jwvY cot n KwvY nw iqsu jMmxu mrxw: Ggun sanjam jaavai chot na khaavai naa tis jamman maranaa: One who departs with Sanjam of virtues is not struck down, and is not consigned to the cycle of birth and death (sggs76).
• gux AMqir nwhI ikau suKu pwvY mnmuK Awvx jwxw: Gun antar naahee kiou sukh paavai Manmukh aavan jaanaa: With no virtues within, how can you find Sukha? The self-willed Manmukh comes and goes in reincarnation (sggs 76).