Posts Tagged ‘Five Vices’

Numeral 5 – The Five Vices to Avoid

The Five Vices to Avoid

Men and women have been given sensory organs to experience nature and their surroundings. However these experiences can and do turn into obsessions. The eyes are for seeing and admiring natural, personal or created beauty as in works of art but they also look viciously on other’s beauty and wealth. The ears and the tongue have been provided to hear and for two way conversation. They however pollute the mind when one indulges in slander, backbiting, telling lies, hurling abuses and listening to them. The tongue is also meant for taste but instead of just enjoying food, it causes temptation for overeating resulting in health problems. The nose is to enjoy nature through the faculty of smell and for selection of food but is also used to select scents to attract and entice. The hands are for doing work, service and self defense but are also used to commit theft, robbery and violence.The underlying cause of all the evil is temptation. Temptation is like intoxication; the mind gets numbed and does not go by reason . Temptations are also the cause of corruption where some members of an organization give preference to their own interests over those of the organization. The body may be compared to an organization and its parts as members. It happens often that a person’s enjoy vicious scenes, the ears pay attention to backbiting, and taste rather than health governs the type and quantity of food consumed. The kick that alcohol or drugs provide take preference over their ill effects and so on. Gurbani uses such examples to make man aware of what he is doing or may do:

ਨੈਨਹੁ ਨੀਦ ਪਰ ਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਿ ਵਿਕਾਰ ਸ੍ਰਵਣ ਸੋਏ ਸੁਣਿ ਨਿੰਦ ਵੀਚਾਰ ਰਸਨਾ ਸੋਈ ਲੋਭਿ ਮੀਠੈ ਸਾਦਿ ਮਨੁ ਸੋਇਆ ਮਾਇਆ ਬਿਸਮਾਦਿ ੫ ੧੮੨

The eyes are inebriated looking viciously at others (wealth and beauty); the ears by the evil of listening to slander and the resultant evil thoughts; the mind revels in such illusions (SGGS, p 182).

There are basically five such afflictions, which are called Panj Chor, the five thieves. These are Kaam (lust), Krodh (anger), Lobh (greed), Moh (attachment) and Ahankar (vanity):

ਇਸੁ ਦੇਹੀ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਪੰਚ ਚੋਰ ਵਸਹਿ ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਮੋਹੁ ਅਹੰਕਾਰਾ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤੁ ਲੂਟਹਿ ਮਨਮੁਖ ਨਹੀ ਬੂਝਹਿ ਕੋਇ ਸੁਣੈ ਪੂਕਾਰਾ ਅੰਧਾ ਜਗਤੁ ਅੰਧੁ ਵਰਤਾਰਾ ਬਾਝੁ ਗੁਰੂਗੁਬਾਰਾ ੩ ੬੦੦

Five thieves lust, anger, greed, attachment and vanity abide in this body,; they deprive the mind of the nectar of goodness but the self-oriented man does not realize this; no one listens to his calls (SGGS, p 600). They are called thieves because they steal Naam (Divine virtues) from the mind which makes one forget one’s responsibilities. Conditioning of the mind through the Guru’s teachings helps in overcoming them: ਪੰਚ ਚੋਰ ਮਿਲਿ ਲਾਗੇ ਨਗਰੀਆ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮ ਧਨੁ ਹਿਰਿਆ ਗੁਰਮਤਿ ਖੋਜ ਪਰੇ ਤਬ ਪਕਰੇ ਧਨੁ ਸਾਬਤੁ ਰਾਸਿ ਉਬਰਿਆ ੪ ੧੧੭੮

The five thieves cling to the body and deprive it of the treasure of God’s Naam; they can be apprehended through the Guru’s teachings and the treasure is retrieved (SGGS, p 1178).

This combination of the five is commonly understood but other combinations are also used. For example:

ਪਰ ਧਨ ਪਰ ਤਨ ਪਰ ਤੀ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਪਰ ਅਪਬਾਦੁ ਨ ਛੂਟੈ ॥ ਆਵਾ ਗਵਨੁ ਹੋਤੁ ਹੈ ਫੁਨਿ ਫੁਨਿ ਇਹੁ ਪਰਸੰਗੁ ਨ ਤੂਟੈ ॥੨॥ ਕ ੯੭੧
Looking viciously at others’ body, or wealth, indulging in slander of others, conflicts; these are not given up; the soul thus goes through reincarnations again and again; the story never ends (SGGS, p 971).

ਕਾਮ ਕ੍ਰੋਧ ਮਾਇਆ ਮਦ ਮਤਸਰ ਏ ਖੇਲਤ ਸਭਿ ਜੂਐ ਹਾਰੇ ॥ ੫ ੩੭੯ Lust, anger, illusions, intoxication, jealousy, shed these as if losing them in gambling (SGGS, p 379). Gurbani also tells that these are caused by obsessions like power, wealth and bodily beauty:

ਰਾਜਿ ਰੰਗੁ ਮਾਲਿ ਰੰਗੁ ॥ ਰੰਗਿ ਰਤਾ ਨਚੈ ਨੰਗੁ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਠਗਿਆ ਮੁਠਾ ਜਾਇ ॥ ਵਿਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਪਤਿ ਗਇਆ ਗਵਾਇ ॥੧॥ ੧ ੧੪੨
Those who love political power and wealth, revel in them shamelessly; they lose the real wealth, Naam, and depart without honor (SGGS, p 142).

ਰੂਪੈ ਕਾਮੈ ਦੋਸਤੀ ਭੁਖੈ ਸਾਦੈ ਗੰਢੁ ॥ ਲਬੈ ਮਾਲੈ ਘੁਲਿ ਮਿਲਿ ਮਿਚਲਿ ਊਂਘੈ ਸਉੜਿ ਪਲੰਘੁ ॥ ਭੰਉਕੈ ਕੋਪੁ ਖੁਆਰੁ ਹੋਇ ਫਕੜੁ ਪਿਟੇ ਅੰਧੁ ॥ ਚੁਪੈ ਚੰਗਾ ਨਾਨਕਾ ਵਿਣੁ ਨਾਵੈ ਮੁਹਿ ਗੰਧੁ ॥੧॥ ੧ ੧੨੮੮

There is affinity between physical beauty and lust, appetite and tasty food, possessiveness and wealth, and even between a narrow bed and one who is sleepy; in anger one says unbecoming words; it is better then to keep quiet for without Naam-consciousness one speaks viciously
(SGGS, p 1288). ਰਾਜੁ ਮਾਲੁ ਰੂਪੁ ਜਾਤਿ ਜੋਬਨੁ ਪੰਜੇ ਠਗ ॥ ਏਨੀ ਠਗੀਂ ਜਗੁ ਠਗਿਆ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਰਖੀ ਲਜ ॥ ੧ ੧੨੮੮ Political power, wealth, beauty, caste and physical power are the five thugs; they plunder the world shamelessly(SGGS, p 1288). These are all powerful forces and one is unable to overcome them on one’s own. The true guru can help:

ਸੂਰਬੀਰ ਵਰੀਆਮ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਹੋੜੀਐ ਫਉਜ ਸਤਾਣੀ ਹਾਠ ਪੰਚਾ ਜੋੜੀਐ ਦਸ ਨਾਰੀ ਅਉਧੂਤ ਦੇਨਿ ਚਮੋੜੀਐ ਜਿਣਿ ਜਿਣਿ ਲੈਨ੍ਹ੍ਹਿ ਰਲਾਇ ਏਹੋ ਏਨਾ ਲੋੜੀਐ ਤ੍ਰੈ ਗੁਣ ਇਨ ਕੈ ਵਸਿ ਕਿਨੈ ਨ ਮੋੜੀਐ ਭਰਮੁ ਕੋਟੁ ਮਾਇਆ ਖਾਈ ਕਹੁ ਕਿਤੁ ਬਿਧਿ ਤੋੜੀਐ ਗੁਰੁ ਪੂਰਾ ਆਰਾਧਿ ਬਿਖਮ ਦਲੁ ਫੋੜੀਐ ਹਉ ਤਿਸੁ ਅਗੈ ਦਿਨੁ ਰਾਤਿ ਰਹਾ ਕਰ ਜੋੜੀਐ ੧੫ ੫ ੫੨੨

The brave mighty warriors cannot stop them; these five together form powerful forces and affect all the ten sensory organs, they capture others and seek to take them into their fold; the three modes of behavior -Tamo, Rajo and Sato – are in their control; they are protected by the fort of delusion, the moat of illusions; someone please tell how to break them; (The answer) remember the True Guru’s teachings to destroy this strong forces; I shall stand in front of him day and night in prayer (SGGS, p 522). These vices affect health adversely:

ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਕਾਇਆ ਕਉ ਗਾਲੈ ਜਿਉ ਕੰਚਨ ਸੋਹਾਗਾ ਢਾਲੈ ੧ ੯੩੨

Lust and anger destroy the body; the way hot borax melts gold (SGGS, p 932). The mind is an elephant which if not controlled goes berserk, the guru can help control it: ਮਨੁ ਕੁੰਚਰੁ ਪੀਲਕੁ ਗੁਰੂ ਗਿਆਨੁ ਕੁੰਡਾ ਜਹ ਖਿੰਚੇ ਤਹ ਜਾਇ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਸਤੀ ਕੁੰਡੇ ਬਾਹਰਾ ਫਿਰਿ ਫਿਰਿ ਉਝੜਿ ਪਾਇ ੩ ੫੧੬ The mind is an elephant, the guru its driver, guru’s teaching the goad, it goes in the direction it is guided; without the goad the elephants repeatedly goes astray (SGGS, p 516). Following the Guru’s teachings is then the way to overcome evil:

ਕਾਮੁ ਕ੍ਰੋਧੁ ਲੋਭੁ ਝੂਠੁ ਨਿੰਦਾ ਸਾਧੂ ਸੰਗਿ ਬਿਸਾਰਿਓ ਮਾਇਆ ਬੰਧ ਕਾਟੇ ਕਿਰਪਾ ਨਿਧਿ ਨਾਨਕ ਆਪਿ ਉਧਾਰਿਓ ॥ ੫ ੫੨੯

Lust, anger, greed, falsehood and slander are given up in the company of the saint Guru; he is the treasure of compassin and lifts up the fallen (SGGS, p 529).

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