# Haume: Understanding Shabad



## Taranjeet singh (Dec 15, 2013)

Haume is big disease as per Gurbani. Basic questions that sangat may like to respond to are as fpllows:

1.What exactly is 'Haume'. Kindly feel free to quote Shabads in regard to this.
2. How to get rid of this till we are in family life and in service? Without ego we cannot work in any office.
3. Kindly give the meaning of the line that is colored in blue as to How Haume is responsible for our birth?


ਵਡਹੰਸੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੩ ॥
vad▫hans mėhlā 3.  
Wadahans, Third Mehl:  
xxx
xxx

ਹਉਮੈ ਨਾਵੈ ਨਾਲਿ ਵਿਰੋਧੁ ਹੈ ਦੁਇ ਨ ਵਸਹਿ ਇਕ ਠਾਇ ॥
Ha▫umai nāvai nāl viroḏẖ hai ḏu▫e na vasėh ik ṯẖā▫e.  
Ego is opposed to the Name of the Lord; the two do not dwell in the same place.  
ਨਾਵੈ ਨਾਲਿ = ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ। ਵਿਰੋਧੁ = ਵੈਰ। ਦੁਇ = ਇਹ ਦੋਵੇਂ। ਇਕ ਠਾਇ = ਇੱਕ ਥਾਂ ਵਿਚ, ਹਿਰਦੇ ਵਿਚ।
ਹਉਮੈ ਦਾ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੇ ਨਾਮ ਨਾਲ ਵੈਰ ਹੈ, ਇਹ ਦੋਵੇਂ ਇਕੱਠੇ (ਹਿਰਦੇ ਵਿਚ) ਨਹੀਂ ਵੱਸ ਸਕਦੇ।

ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਸੇਵਾ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਤਾ ਮਨੁ ਬਿਰਥਾ ਜਾਇ ॥੧॥
Ha▫umai vicẖ sevā na hova▫ī ṯā man birthā jā▫e. ||1||  
In egotism, selfless service cannot be performed, and so the soul goes unfulfilled. ||1||  
ਤਾ = ਤਦੋਂ। ਬਿਰਥਾ = ਖ਼ਾਲੀ ॥੧॥
ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚ ਟਿਕੇ ਰਿਹਾਂ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਸੇਵਾ-ਭਗਤੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ ਸਕਦੀ ਤੇ ਮਨ ਖ਼ਾਲੀ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ॥੧॥

ਹਰਿ ਚੇਤਿ ਮਨ ਮੇਰੇ ਤੂ ਗੁਰ ਕਾ ਸਬਦੁ ਕਮਾਇ ॥
Har cẖeṯ man mere ṯū gur kā sabaḏ kamā▫e.  
O my mind, think of the Lord, and practice the Word of the Guru's Shabad.  
ਚੇਤਿ = ਸਿਮਰਦਾ ਰਹੁ। ਮਨ = ਹੇ ਮਨ!
ਹੇ ਮੇਰੇ ਮਨ! ਤੂੰ (ਆਪਣੇ ਅੰਦਰ) ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ ਸ਼ਬਦ ਵਸਾਣ ਦੀ ਕਮਾਈ ਕਰ ਅਤੇ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਸਿਮਰਦਾ ਰਹੁ।

ਹੁਕਮੁ ਮੰਨਹਿ ਤਾ ਹਰਿ ਮਿਲੈ ਤਾ ਵਿਚਹੁ ਹਉਮੈ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥
Hukam manėh ṯā har milai ṯā vicẖahu ha▫umai jā▫e. Rahā▫o.  
If you submit to the Hukam of the Lord's Command, then you shall meet with the Lord; only then will your ego depart from within. ||Pause||  
xxx ॥ ਰਹਾਉ॥
ਜੇ ਤੂੰ (ਗੁਰੂ ਦਾ) ਹੁਕਮ ਮੰਨੇਂਗਾ, ਤਾਂ ਤੈਨੂੰ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਮਿਲ ਪਵੇਗਾ, ਤਾਂ ਤੇਰੇ ਅੰਦਰੋਂ ਹਉਮੈ ਦੂਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਇਗੀ। ਰਹਾਉ॥

ਹਉਮੈ ਸਭੁ ਸਰੀਰੁ ਹੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਓਪਤਿ ਹੋਇ ॥
Ha▫umai sabẖ sarīr hai ha▫umai opaṯ ho▫e.  
Egotism is within all bodies; through egotism, we come to be born. 
ਸਭੁ = ਸਾਰਾ। ਓਪਤਿ = ਉਤਪੱਤੀ, ਜਨਮ-ਮਰਨ ਦਾ ਗੇੜ।
ਸਰੀਰ (ਧਾਰਨ ਦਾ ਇਹ) ਸਾਰਾ (ਸਿਲਸਿਲਾ) ਹਉਮੈ ਦੇ ਕਾਰਨ ਹੀ ਹੈ, ਹਉਮੈ ਦੇ ਕਾਰਨ ਜਨਮ-ਮਰਨ ਦਾ ਗੇੜ ਬਣਿਆ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ।

ਹਉਮੈ ਵਡਾ ਗੁਬਾਰੁ ਹੈ ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਬੁਝਿ ਨ ਸਕੈ ਕੋਇ ॥੨॥
Ha▫umai vadā gubār hai ha▫umai vicẖ bujẖ na sakai ko▫e. ||2||  
Egotism is total darkness; in egotism, no one can understand anything. ||2||  
ਗੁਬਾਰੁ = ਘੁੱਪ ਹਨੇਰਾ ॥੨॥
ਹਉਮੈ ਬੜਾ ਘੁੱਪ ਹਨੇਰਾ ਹੈ, ਹਉਮੈ ਦੇ ਕਾਰਨ ਮਨੁੱਖ (ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਦਾ ਰਸਤਾ) ਸਮਝ ਨਹੀਂ ਸਕਦਾ ॥੨॥

ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਭਗਤਿ ਨ ਹੋਵਈ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਨ ਬੁਝਿਆ ਜਾਇ ॥
Ha▫umai vicẖ bẖagaṯ na hova▫ī hukam na bujẖi▫ā jā▫e.  
In egotism, devotional worship cannot be performed, and the Hukam of the Lord's Command cannot be understood.  
xxx
ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਭਗਤੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਹੋ ਸਕਦੀ ਤੇ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦੀ ਰਜ਼ਾ ਸਮਝੀ ਨਹੀਂ ਜਾ ਸਕਦੀ।

ਹਉਮੈ ਵਿਚਿ ਜੀਉ ਬੰਧੁ ਹੈ ਨਾਮੁ ਨ ਵਸੈ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥੩॥
Ha▫umai vicẖ jī▫o banḏẖ hai nām na vasai man ā▫e. ||3||  
In egotism, the soul is in bondage, and the Naam, the Name of the Lord, does not come to abide in the mind. ||3||  
ਜੀਉ = ਜੀਵਾਤਮਾ (ਵਾਸਤੇ)। ਬੰਧੁ = ਬੰਨ੍ਹ, ਰੁਕਾਵਟ। ਮਨਿ = ਮਨ ਵਿਚ ॥੩॥
ਹਉਮੈ ਕਾਰਨ ਜੀਵਾਤਮਾ ਵਾਸਤੇ (ਆਤਮਕ ਜੀਵਨ ਦੇ ਰਾਹ ਦੀ) ਰੋਕ ਬਣੀ ਰਹਿੰਦੀ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਪਰਮਾਤਮਾ ਦਾ ਨਾਮ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਦੇ ਮਨ ਵਿਚ ਆ ਕੇ ਨਹੀਂ ਵੱਸ ਸਕਦਾ ॥੩॥

ਨਾਨਕ ਸਤਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ ਹਉਮੈ ਗਈ ਤਾ ਸਚੁ ਵਸਿਆ ਮਨਿ ਆਇ ॥
Nānak saṯgur mili▫ai ha▫umai ga▫ī ṯā sacẖ vasi▫ā man ā▫e.  
O Nanak, meeting with the True Guru, egotism is eliminated, and then, the True Lord comes to dwell in the mind||  
ਸਤਗੁਰਿ ਮਿਲਿਐ = ਜੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਿਲ ਪਏ। ਸਚੁ = ਸਦਾ-ਥਿਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ।
ਹੇ ਨਾਨਕ! ਜੇ ਗੁਰੂ ਮਿਲ ਪਏ ਤਾਂ (ਮਨੁੱਖ ਦੇ ਅੰਦਰੋਂ) ਹਉਮੈ ਦੂਰ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦੀ ਹੈ, ਤਦੋਂ ਸਦਾ-ਥਿਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਦੇ ਮਨ ਵਿਚ ਆ ਵੱਸਦਾ ਹੈ,

ਸਚੁ ਕਮਾਵੈ ਸਚਿ ਰਹੈ ਸਚੇ ਸੇਵਿ ਸਮਾਇ ॥੪॥੯॥੧੨॥
Sacẖ kamāvai sacẖ rahai sacẖe sev samā▫e. ||4||9||12||  
One starts practicing truth, abides in truth and by serving the True One gets absorbed in Him. ||4||9||12||  
ਸਚਿ = ਸਦਾ-ਥਿਰ ਪ੍ਰਭੂ ਵਿਚ। ਸੇਵਿ = ਸੇਵਾ-ਭਗਤੀ ਕਰ ਕੇ ॥੪॥੯॥੧੨॥
ਤੇ ਮਨੁੱਖ ਸਦਾ-ਥਿਰ ਹਰਿ-ਨਾਮ ਸਿਮਰਨ ਦੀ ਕਮਾਈ ਕਰਦਾ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਹਰਿ-ਨਾਮ ਵਿਚ ਟਿਕਿਆ ਰਹਿੰਦਾ ਹੈ ਤੇ ਸੇਵਾ-ਭਗਤੀ ਕਰ ਕੇ ਸਦਾ-ਥਿਰ ਹਰੀ ਵਿਚ ਲੀਨ ਹੋ ਜਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ ॥੪॥੯॥੧੨॥ ang  560


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## Harry Haller (Dec 15, 2013)

my own understanding



> 1.What exactly is 'Haume'. Kindly feel free to quote Shabads in regard to this.


 
Ego, the love of the self, the obsession of the self, I deserve, I want, I desire, I am better than you



> 2. How to get rid of this till we are in family life and in service? Without ego we cannot work in any office.


 
I sell laptops, lots of laptops, every day people come in my shop and buy laptops, I also suffer from anti ego, I want nothing, (well maybe more sex, but thats a different thief), I look terrible, chocolate stained t shirt, muddy jeans, and hair sprouting at odd angles all over my head, I do not consider myself a laptop salesman, I advise people on laptops, they come in, and I talk to them, and then I suggest something if it meets the criteria, if not, I send them somewhere else, I have complete belief that by following the truth, and telling the truth, I will be ok. I am also very driven, the object is to get people in through the door, not harangue every person that comes in, its a numbers game, but people do come through the door, 'Harry, we have been told you will look after us', and I do my best to do that, the drive, comes from the fact that Mrs Harry has a huge love of animals, and I work, for my animals, just like you work for the adorable vision in your avatar. 



> 3. Kindly give the meaning of the line that is colored in blue as to How Haume is responsible for our birth?


 
Ego is with us from birth to death, it is what makes us want pleasure, cars, women, (or men), flash hotels, the look on others faces, etc etc. It cannot be banished, but it can be understood, and possibly harnessed. (take a look at platos chariot)


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## Taranjeet singh (Dec 15, 2013)

1. I take this opportunity to thank you for responding so lucidly. 

Haume is ego as stated by you. Excluding 'obsession of self' the rest parts are O. K. as 'obsession of self' may be called as egocentricity.In any case what is wrong if it is stated that I am doing better than others or I want or I desire. There is a feeling or longing for something that I need. We take measures to satisfy this need.If I do not satisfy this need we may not be able to preserve this body.Let us take an example "I am dirty and I need take bath."This feeling of mine is not affecting any other. But still it will qualify for being egoist as per your explanation.Like wise I want to eat as I am hungry.

Further what is wrong if I am better than other as I am putting efforts more than him and may be I am more intelligent. Unless I have this feeling I shall have no incentive to work harder and earn more. Ego has to be present in all these acts. I do not see anything wrong with this. I go Gurudrara and think so. Where is Haume at play in this small act.? If I abdicate my oath of office I shall do harm to the establishment. 

2.It is true that we go to office or may have other occupation.There has to be involvement of ego in the process of my doing job. I may summon a peon or ask for file and may interact with my boss and also discuss merits and demerits of certain line of action suggested by him. If I had no ego, I would have taken his advice in _toto_ and would have never discussed and explain him my point. If I do not interact with him, I may be treated as a person of low intelligence or I have an apathy for the job. The fact that I discuss his suggestion makes me involved in the office. I may be liked by others. I tend to be more efficient and may be in the long run become a better candidate for promotion as and when that takes place. I am growing with others because I consider that I am different from others because I act better than others. Where is Haume in this.Is there any element of ego in this.? I do as per the requirement of the job.




> Ego is with us from birth to death, it is what makes us want pleasure, cars, women, (or men), flash hotels, the look on others faces, etc etc. It cannot be banished, but it can be understood, and possibly harnessed. (take a look at platos chariot)



3.If ego is with us from Birth to death , it would imply that ego or Haume is given by HIM to the mortals. If it is given by God there should be some purpose of it. How and why should we overcome as it cannot be eradicated.? My individuality will be lost if I do not possess an iota of ego with me.

Further you may like to amplify on these as well. 

4. How to overcome Haume?[As all other ills require His grace,I would assume that this can only be overcome by His grace or Guru's grace.]

5. Is haume part of five thieves or it comprises five thieves.?


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## Ishna (Dec 16, 2013)

Ego is part of the human condition, it's part of the configuration of a human being. It's essential to our functioning, as described by you Taranjeet ji.

In this way my understanding of the definition of haumai is that it isn't _ego_, but it's a sense of _separation_ from the One. It's believing yourself to be here, while everything else is over there. Me vs the world. It's a failure to recognise your unity with everything. Being egotistical further intensifies this sense of separation.  If haumai was the crispy centre of an M&M, ego is the chocolate shell.  The thicker that shell, the more separated we think we are.  

Awareness of unity is the sweet spot. Simran of the unity is what overcomes haumai. I have no sources to support this.


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## Taranjeet singh (Dec 16, 2013)

> In this way my understanding of the definition of haumai is that it isn't ego, but it's a sense of separation from the One.



Beautifully stated and Big thanks!


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## Harry Haller (Dec 16, 2013)

> 1. I take this opportunity to thank you for responding so lucidly.
> Haume is ego as stated by you. Excluding 'obsession of self' the rest  parts are O. K. as 'obsession of self' this may be called as  egocentricity.In any case what is wrong if it is stated that I am doing  better than others or I want or I desire. There is a feeling or longing  for something that we need. We take measures to satisfy this need.If I  do not satisfy this need we may not be able to preserve this body.Let us  take an example "I am dirty and I need take bath."This feeling of mine  is not affecting any other. But still it will qualify for being egoist  as per your explanation.Like wise I want to eat as I am hungry.
> Further what is wrong if I am better than other as I am putting efforts  more than him and may be I am more intelligent. Unless I have this  feeling I shall have no incentive to work harder and earn more. Ego has  to be present in all these acts. I do not see anything wrong with this. I  go Gurudrara and think so. Where is Haume at play in this small act.?  If I abdicate my oath of fofice I shall do harm to the establishment.



I  disagree with you my learned brother, feeding and washing are not ego  related, any more than taking prescribed medication to save your life is  ego related, or seeking medical help, or going to a hospital, or even  seeing a solicitor about a dispute. 

I have an interest in the  subject, as I wanted to banish my ego, but ended up with 'anti ego', I  work for my animals, my wife, my stepson, my love of old Land Rovers, I  do not find anything egoistical about any of this, yet, I work 14-16  hour days 7 days a week, with ego playing no role in this whatsoever. 

Ego  is what makes us take delight in how far above the common man we are,  its what us tell stories about our holidays, show others our photos, or  ask people if they would like to see our house (the first time I was  asked this, I politely replied err no), I have also been dragged to  peoples factories or places of work, (look at what we have, are we not  wonderful), its what people say things like 'here have some cava, thats  spanish for champagne', oh yes, look how modern and educated and rich we  are, ego is hand in hand with arrogance, pride, do ego and humility go  hand in hand? I think not, in humility no one can knock me off the non  existent perch I sit on, my own failing is the need to mock those with  egos, which I do frequently, I cannot help it, I find it funny to ask  people why they drive a certain car, or dress in a certain manner, or  speak in such a way, 



> 2.It is true that we go to office or may have other occupation.There has  to be involvement of ego in the process of my doing job. I may summon a  peon or ask for fileand may interact with my boss and also discuss  merits and demerits of certain line of action suggested by him. If I had  no ego, I would have taken his advice in _toto_ and would have  never discussed and explain him my point. If I do not interact with him,  I may be treated as a person of low intelligence or I have an apathy  for the job. The fact that I discuss his suggestion makes me involved in  the office. I may be liked by others. I tend to be more efficient and  may be in the long run become a better candidate for promotion as and  when that takes place. I am growing with others because I consider that I  am different from others because I act better than others. Where is  Haume in this.Is there any element of ego in this.? I do as per the  requirement of the job.



I have the opposite problem, my  stepson has just started working for me, it is his first working  environment, I do not expect him to argue with me, or show me how clever  he is, primarily, he is there to do a job, and to do that job as best  as he can, and with humility, it is my job to be equally humble, to  allow him space to learn, to allow him to gain confidence, sometimes he  suggests things, and is delighted when we take his action, and even more  delighted when it works, what you are talking about is being  competitive, and that is the key question here, do you need an ego to be  competitive?

I have never been competitive, I live in a  different world to most, so there is no one to be competitive with, I do  sometimes feel a twinge if someone appears to be a better madman than  myself, or has more meaningful food stains on their t shirt, on the  whole it is those that are free that I envy, those that do not pander to  what society wants from them, how society wishes them to act, to dress,  




> 3.If ego is with us from Birth to death , it would imply that ego or  Haume is given by HIM to the mortals. If it is given by God there should  be some purpose of it. How and why should we overcome as it cannot be  eradicated.? My individuality will be lost if I do not possess an iota  of ego with me.



phew thats a bit Abrahamic, are you then  suggesting that paedophiles are also interested in children because they  have a god given fetish? Or that a baby born with a defect has some  purpose in that defect, 'he' has started the game, 'he' has given us the  rules of the game, that is all 'he' intends to do, the rest is down to  us, our DNA, luck and circumstance. 

I lost my ego in 1996, and yes, you lose your personality, not your individuality, if anything, as you see the world through new eyes, you become more individual!



> 4. How to overcome Haume?[As all other ills require His grace,I would  assume that this can only be overcome by His grace or Guru's grace.]



by being sick of the game, by wishing to move beyond the game, by refusing to play the game, it is down to you not 'him'


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## Taranjeet singh (Dec 16, 2013)

As per my understanding that is learnt from your posts and Ishna's ji post I sum up as follows:
All of us are part of 'waheguru as we carry His 'Jot' within us and hence small fragment of Him.

'Haume' may be an ego which is the result of thinking that we are not the part of One resulting in individualization of the self. Per Gurbani, He is the 'karta Purukh'. He is the doer and causes of all causes. He is ‘Purukh’ and all other ‘Jeevas’ are his soul brides. 

Till we do not merge into Him and become one with Him there is resultant entity that we call as ‘me’[ego] and all that we do is considered to be done by this ‘me’ and all karmas are put into our account. Thus the separation from Him results in that you call as ego or egotism. Till we realize Him we keep on taking Birth and rebirths. Thus ego is the cause of considering ourselves as different entity from the One that Ishna ji put as separation. Thus there is component of ego and of feeling of separate being other than part of One.

Quoting from above shabad:

*O Nanak, meeting with the True Guru, egotism is eliminated, and then, the True Lord comes to dwell in the mind.
One starts practicing truth, abides in truth and by serving the True One gets absorbed in Him. |
If you submit to the Hukam of the Lord's Command, then you shall meet with the Lord; only then will your ego depart from within. 
*


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## Ishna (Dec 17, 2013)

Taranjeet ji,

Thank you for your reply.  Now we are taking the concept of haumai and ego and seeing how it relates to other Sikh concepts, a bit like a mind-map (the process of taking one concept or idea and seeing what it is connected to, visually).  Now we're talking about haumai, ego, Jot, Jeeva, soul-brides, reincarnation and karmic accounts.  It's great, I enjoy seeing how everything can be connected.

Regarind your quote, I enjoy doing what spnadmin suggested to me one day - reading every instance of 'haumai/ego' as 'sense of separation' or 'separateness' (as appropriate).  I think it really hits home like that.

What do you think?


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## harmanpreet singh (Dec 17, 2013)

ishna said:


> awareness of unity is the sweet spot. Simran of the unity is what overcomes haumai.



So s.w.e.e.t ly  expressed ,Ishna ji .


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## Taranjeet singh (Dec 17, 2013)

Ishna said:


> Taranjeet ji,
> 
> Regarind your quote, I enjoy doing what spnadmin suggested to me one day - reading every instance of 'haumai/ego' as 'sense of separation' or 'separateness' (as appropriate).  I think it really hits home like that.
> 
> What do you think?



Yes indeed, it  hits home as it is most of the times.I checked few lines and it fits the bill. When I come across any exception I shall inform you. You may do the same

Spnadmin is a blessed and learned lady and what she says has a meaning and that is almost cent percent correct.Glad that you are close to her.


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## angrisha (Dec 20, 2013)

I'm wondering if being born is so much a literal/physica birth... But rather a birth of our 'self' I.e the concept of who we are and how we interact with the world? 

Just A thought....


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