Author: Bhenji Daljeet Kaur (UK)
A Gursikh told me many years ago that there are many ways to defeat your ego through the words you use.
One of which is never using the word mera (my) when you are referring to a possession. We should never say mera ghar or my house, or my car instead we should use apnaa ghar (our house) or apnee gaddee (our car).
The only things we should profess to have should be weaknesses. My weaknesses belong to me, they are mine and my own doing, however any qualities I have belong to you.
ਤੁਧੁ ਗੁਣ ਮੈ ਸਭਿ ਅਵਗਣਾ...tudh gun mai sabh avganaa..."Virtue is in You, O Lord; I am totally without virtue."
(Soohee M:1, 762)
In the same way anything we achieve should be accredited to Vaheguru (Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh). Many Gursikhs who achieved something will often say it happened because of 'Guru di Kirpa' or with the blessings of Vaheguru.
Gurbani talks about how nothing belongs to us anyway, including our achievements or our possessions.
Bhai Gurdas Ji says:
ਕਰਿਕੇ ਨੀਚ ਸਦਾਵਣਾ ਤਾ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਲੇਖੈ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਪਾਈ ||
karkay neech sadaavanaa taa prabh lekhai andar paaee.
"If somebody now, in spite of being a doer, erases from his self this sense and prefers to be called lowly, only then he can remain in the good books of the Lord."(Vaar 1, Pauri 16)
When we do a good action, we should not boast about it and remain humble, then that action is registered in our destiny.
Naam kamaaee (earning the profit of Naam) makes this all second nature anyway as it will lead us on a path of humility to defeat ego.
By adopting these few basic strategies we can try to live the message of Gurbani a little more.
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