Haumai

Haumai (Gurmukhi: ਹਉਮੈ, lit. 'I-me') is the concept of self-centeredness (egoism) in Sikhism which hinder humanity's spiritual development and cultivation.^[1]

Etymology

It is a combination of the words Hau (ਹਉ) meaning "I" and Mai (ਮੈ) meaning "me".

Description

This concept was taught by Guru Nanak, the founder of Sikhism, as the source of five evils: lust, covetousness, wrath, pride and attachment.^[2] According to the Sikh gurus' teachings, it is Haumai that leads to endless cycles of transmigration (rebirth; samsara), and makes a person "manmukh".^[1][3] They state that one must turn away from Haumai, become a "gurmukh" and follow the path of the Guru to receive God's grace.^[1][4]

In Sikhism, the Haumai can only be overcome through meditation on God’s name (Naam), Simran and Sewa.

The opposite of Haumai is humility (or Nimrata), which is considered a virtue in Sikhism. Selfless service called Seva, and complete submission to Waheguru (God), is the Sikh path to liberation.^[1]

Related concepts

The concept of destructive self-centeredness and covetous attachment, similar to Haumai in Sikhism, is important in other Indian religions. In Buddhism, Hinduism and Jainism, it is referred to as "Ahankar (अहङ्कार), Ahammana (अहम्मान), Ahammati (अहम्मति), Mamatta (ममता) and Maminkāra.^[5][6]

Difference with Ahankar

The Sikh gurus make a distinction between Haumai and Ahankar in their hymns.^[7] Haumai is differentiated from Ahankaar as the latter is a product of the former.^[8][7] Haumai is placing trust in oneself rather than having faith in God.^[8] According James D. Holt, the difference is as follows: "Haumai is to do with the nature of a person's existence and their place within that, while ahankar is to explore a person's view of their own importance."^[7]

See also

• Guru Granth Sahib

References

1. W. Owen Cole; Piara Singh Sambhi (2005). A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy. Routledge. pp. 9–10. ISBN 978-1-135-79760-7.
2. Michael L. Hadley (2001). The Spiritual Roots of Restorative Justice. State University of New York Press. p. 202. ISBN 978-0-7914-4851-9.
3. W.O. Cole; Piara Singh Sambhi (2016). Sikhism and Christianity: A Comparative Study. Springer. pp. 75–77. ISBN 978-1-349-23049-5.
4. W.H. McLeod (2004). Sikhs and Sikhism: Comprising Guru Nanak and the Sikh Religion, Early Sikh Tradition, The Evolution of the Sikh Community, Who is a Sikh?. Oxford University Press. p. 182. ISBN 978-0-19-566892-6.
5. Thomas William Rhys Davids; William Stede (1921). Pali-English Dictionary. Motilal Banarsidass. ISBN 978-81-208-1144-7.
6. Sir Monier Monier-Williams (1990). A Sanskrit-English Dictionary: Etymologically and Philologically Arranged with Special Reference to Cognate Indo-European Languages. Oxford University Press. ISBN 978-0-19-864308-1.
7. Holt, James D. (2022). Understanding Sikhism: A Guide for Teachers. Teaching Religions and Worldviews. Bloomsbury Publishing. pp. 25–28. ISBN 9781350263185. Ahankar or ego/pride is similar to and different from the concept of haumai. The two terms are used separately within the teachings of the Gurus, and so it will be useful to explore the difference between the two, if, indeed, there are any. The term 'ahankar' is translated as ego or pride. The term haumai is translated as ego/self-centredness, but it is also a cognate of the words 'I' and 'me' - perhaps reflecting it as part of the worldview of maya. It is inextricably linked in the sense that pride can be seen to lead to haumai. Haumai is to do with the nature of a person's existence and their place within that, while ahankar is to explore a person's view of their own importance. In some ways this can be seen to be splitting hairs. In this context a person's focus on their own place in the world is both selfish and self-congratulatory. Pride is the antithesis of equality (see Chapter 5). It seeks to laud oneself and to relegate others. It makes a person feel responsible for all that they have and all that they are; in so doing it means that the person forgets Waheguru and makes themselves the most important being in their lives. Pride can be seen to be the worst of the Five Thieves. perhaps because it is the source of each of the others. They are all rooted in how the individual is affected or satisfied in life.
8. Cole, W. Owen; Sambhi, Piara Singh (2005). A Popular Dictionary of Sikhism: Sikh Religion and Philosophy. Routledge. pp. 84–85. ISBN 9781135797607. Guru Amar Das stated, 'Within this body are hidden five thieves: they are lust, wrath, greed, attachment and egoism. They steal away the nectar within us ... In Punjabi the names of the five vices are, kam, krodh, lobh, moh, and hankar. ... Hankar is notoriously difficult to translate. Ego, pride, are used, but scholars cannot agree on a satisfactory rendering. Hankar is the result of haumai, a word creating equal and similar problems but having the implications of self-reliance rather than trust in God. Something of the meaning is perhaps conveyed through the following quotations from Guru Nanak: 'The real asses are those who are full of self-pride but actually have no virtue to be proud of.' (AG 1246). 'You cannot stay in this world permanently so why do you walk in it puffed up with hankar?' (AG 473).