COMMON SENSE/ਸੁਰਤਿ
ABSTRACT
Common sense is defined as sound judgment derived from experience. It does not require specialized, esoteric knowledge. It is based upon what is believed to be the knowledge held by people, in common with the others. It is the ability to make sensible decisions with good reasoning. Common sense means paying attention to the obvious. This is not as easy as it sounds. We all have vivid imaginations, and we tend to get lost in our fantasies. When fantasy replaces common sense, life becomes farcical and even tragic. Life is a series of ordinary events that follow the laws of logic and probability. These ordinary events are indifferent to our fantasies and require the careful, accurate navigation of common sense.
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There are two general meanings to the term "common sense" in philosophy. One is a sense that is common to the others, and the other meaning is a sense of things that is common to humanity. The Scottish philosopher, Thomas Reid, a contemporary of Hume, offers a number of so-called "earmarks" of common sense. He also calls them principles of common sense:
1. Principles of common sense are believed universally (except apparently by some philosophers and the insane).
2. It is appropriate to ridicule the denial of common sense.
3. The denial of principles of common sense leads to contradictions.
Various questions might be raised in a meta-philosophical discussion of common sense: What is common sense? Supposing that a precise characterization of it cannot be given, does that mean an appeal to common sense is off-limits in philosophy? Why should we care whether a belief is a matter of common sense or not? Under what circumstances, if any, is it permissible to advocate a view that seems to run contrary to common sense? Should considerations of common sense play any decisive role in philosophy? If not common sense, then should any other similar concept as intuition or intellect or intelligence play such a role?
ਮਤਿ ਬੁਧਿ ਸੁਰਤਿ ਨਾਹੀ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ ॥
ਤਾ ਮਿਲੀਐ ਜਾ ਲਏ ਮਿਲਾਈ ॥
Maṯ buḏẖ suraṯ nāhī cẖaṯurāī. Ŧā milīai jā laė milāī.
Maṯ buḏẖ suraṯ nāhī cẖaṯurāī. Ŧā milīai jā laė milāī.
I have neither intelligence, nor wisdom, nor common sense nor cleverness. I meet God, only if God leads me to meet It. -----Guru Arjun, Raag Bilawal, AGGS, Page, 804-6
Common sense is sometimes regarded as an impediment to abstract or logical thinking.
A definition attributed to Albert Einstein states: "Common sense is the collection of prejudices acquired by age eighteen." Physiologically it is a perception through intellection, apprehension, recognition, understanding, discernment; appreciation and reasoning. Common sense is not as uncommon as is usually proclaimed. It may require a little soul searching to use it. Here is an illustrative example. Kabir lived in Banaras for most of his life. Hindus believe that by dying in Banaras alone deliverance may be obtained. Those who die in Magahar town have no hope of ultimate beatitude. To beat this superstition and using common sense, Kabir moved to Magahar and died there instead.
ਅਬ ਕਹੁ ਰਾਮ ਕਵਨ ਗਤਿ ਮੋਰੀ ॥
ਤਜੀ ਲੇ ਬਨਾਰਸ ਮਤਿ ਭਈ ਥੋਰੀ ॥
ਸਗਲ ਜਨਮੁ ਸਿਵ ਪੁਰੀ ਗਵਾਇਆ ॥
ਮਰਤੀ ਬਾਰ ਮਗਹਰਿ ਉਠਿ ਆਇਆ ॥
Ab kaho rām kavan gaṯ morī. Ŧajī lė banāras maṯ bẖaī thorī. Sagal janam siv purī gavāiā. Marṯī bār maghar uṯẖ āiā.
Now tell me, God, what will my condition be? I left Banaras - I had little common sense. I wasted my whole life in the city of Banaras; at the time of my death, I moved to Magahar.-----Kabir, Raag Gauri, AGGS, Page, 326-9
It involves sensing, understanding, and reason;
The sense is the mind's acting in the direct cognition either of material objects or of its own mental states. In the first case, it is called the outer, in the second the inner sense.
Understanding is the logical faculty, i.e., the power of apprehending under general conceptions, or the power of classifying, arranging, and making deductions.
The reason is the power of apprehending those first or fundamental truths or principles which are the
conditions of all real and scientific knowledge, and which control the mind in all its processes of
investigation and deduction.
Covering the head and common sense in the presence of AGGS:
It could be covered by Turban, Patka (Handkerchief), hat (ਟੋਪੀ). In fact, any piece of cloth may serve
the purpose. Why then is there so much finger-pointing going on? Turban is important to the
Sikhs. Some consider it a requirement in Sikhism. What about the majority of the clean-shaven Sikhs, who cover their head with a piece of cloth? Can a little common sense be of any use here?
Wearing Kirpan:
Khalsa Sikhs often make wearing kirpan an issue for purely personal religious reasons. Kirpan’s size
has come down from 42 inches to 4 to 6 inches. Its ancient use as a defensive weapon is out of date in
view of the present technology. So it can be a few inches long. It can be stitched in. It can be blunt
and worn under clothing. It could be made of plastic. What you wear can be decided by some legal
decision made by courts. They may or may not favor the Sikhs, but could accommodate Sikhs’
emotional attachments to their swords by giving in on both sides. Some fifty year back it used to be
embedded in a small wooden comb to meet the requirement. How many Khalsa Sikhs surrender it
while flying and how many not surrendering it travel on foot? Why it cannot be worn as a smalla chain around the neck like a cross or somewhere else since it cannot be used for defensive
purposes in the present context? Using it as a small symbol in a comb or necklace can fulfill the
emotional and religious needs.
How many Khalsa Sikhs will defend some one or self by its use, is a valid question?
regulations. A bit of common sense can go a long way here.
Wearing Karrah:
Karrah (Steel Bangle) is being also used as an item of fashion by some. Some non-Sikhs wear it
because it was a gift from a Sikh friend. It is perhaps the only Sikh symbol worn by non-Sikhs.
In stead of the traditional Karrahs made of steel, some now wear gold karrahs. This may announce
to the world that the wearer is well to do (ਸਾਕਤ), but it violates Sikh prohibition of attachment to
Maya. Some fathers like myself do not wear any Karrah, while my sons flaunt their gold ones.
ਸਾਕਤ ਜਾਇ ਨਿਵਹਿ ਗੁਰ ਆਗੈ ਮਨਿ ਖੋਟੇ ਕੂੜਿ ਕੂੜਿਆਰੇ ॥
ਜਾ ਗੁਰੁ ਕਹੈ ਉਠਹੁ ਮੇਰੇ ਭਾਈ ਬਹਿ ਜਾਹਿ ਘੁਸਰਿ ਬਗੁਲਾਰੇ ॥
Sākaṯ jāė niveh gur āgai man kẖotė kūṛ kūṛiārė. Jā gur kahai uṯẖahu mere bẖā▫ī bahi jāhi gẖusar bagulāre.
The faithless cynics go and bow before the Guru, while their minds remain corrupt. This practice is false, totally false. When the Guru says, "Rise up, my Siblings of Destiny", they sit down, crowded in like cranes.-----Guru Ram Das, Gauri Ki Vaar, AGGS, Page, 312-8
Guru Nanak stressed that we should take life as a business and make some profit, which can go with us after death, unlike the material symbols. Guru Nanak indicates that these symbols are left behind after death. One should take a profit earned through human experience during the journey of life which he can carry with him after death, as they were trying to put on him Janeo (ਤਗੁ) when he reached puberty:
ਓਹੁ ਮੁਆ ਓਹੁ ਝੜਿ ਪਇਆ ਵੇਤਗਾ ਗਇਆ ॥
ਨਾਨਕ ਤਗੁ ਨ ਤੁਟਈ ਜੇ ਤਗਿ ਹੋਵੈ ਜੋਰੁ ॥
ਦਰਗਹ ਅੰਦਰਿ ਪਾਈਐ ਤਗੁ ਨ ਤੂਟਸਿ ਪੂਤ ॥
Oh muā oh jẖaṛ paiā vėṯgā gaiā, Nānak ṯag na ṯutī jė ṯag hovai jor, Ḏargeh anḏar pāīai ṯag na ṯūtas pūṯ.
But he dies, and the sacred thread falls away, and the soul departs without it, O Nanak, the thread would not break, if it had any real strength. Such a sacred thread (Any symbol) should be worn in the Court of God; it shall never break.-----Guru Nanak, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 471-5, 8, 9
A little common sense would reveal that Sikhism is all about internal piety and cleanliness. External show of piety in any form is due to egotistical reasons. After death, these items of external show are left behind and only the real virtues (ਖੇਪ) go with one.
ਅਪਰਾਧੀ ਦੂਣਾ ਨਿਵੈ ਜੋ ਹੰਤਾ ਮਿਰਗਾਹਿ ॥
ਸੀਸਿ ਨਿਵਾਇਐ ਕਿਆ ਥੀਐ ਜਾ ਰਿਦੈ ਕੁਸੁਧੇ ਜਾਹਿ ॥
Aprāḏẖī ḏūṇā nivai jo hanṯā miragāhi. Sīs nivāiai kiā thīai jā riḏai kusuḏẖė jāhi.
The sinner, like the deer hunter, bows down twice as much. But what can be achieved by bowing the head, when the heart is impure?-----Guru Nanak, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 470-15
ਸਚੁ ਵਾਪਾਰੁ ਕਰਹੁ ਵਾਪਾਰੀ ॥
ਦਰਗਹ ਨਿਬਹੈ ਖੇਪਤੁਮਾਰੀ ॥
Sacẖ vāpār karahu vāpārī. Ḏargeh nibhai kẖėp ṯumārī.
This is the only merchandise of Truth, worth trading in life so that your business will be considered useful and fruitful in the Court of God.-----Guru Arjun, Raag Gauri, AGGS, Page, 293-6
the others’ hackles. Commonsense is achieved by sound and rational thinking. Even in a state of
limited consciousness we need to be adequately authentic for the occasion. Commonsense is an
affirmation of positive thinking. It avoids dubious manipulation of the others. Many people have
developed a high degree of skill in being logical, informed, trustworthy, and conscientious. To advance our abilities to progress in peace, we need more, not less commonsense.
Conclusion:
being practiced by rituals versus character, morality, and virtuous life style. These symbols do not
confer spirituality just by wearing these.
ਜੀਉ ਪਿੰਡੁ ਸਭੁ ਤਿਸ ਦਾ ਦੇ ਖਾਜੈ ਆਖਿ ਗਵਾਈਐ ॥
ਜੇ ਲੋੜਹਿ ਚੰਗਾ ਆਪਣਾ ਕਰਿ ਪੁੰਨਹੁ ਨੀਚੁ ਸਦਾਈਐ ॥
Jī▫o pind sabẖ ṯis ḏā ḏe kẖājai ākẖ gavā▫ī▫ai. Je loṛėh cẖanga āpṇā kar punnhu nīcẖ saḏā▫ī▫ai.
Soul and body all belong to God; asking God to give us sustenance is a waste. If you yearn for goodness, then perform good deeds and be humble. -----Guru Nanak, Raag Asa, AGGS, Page, 415
The danger to the Sikh philosophy comes from the degeneration of morals, from beclouding one's mental horizon and from the atrophy of moral and spiritual nature. Commonsense is value-oriented. It assumes that adequate, sound, affirmatively rational thinking is better for individuals and for society than irrational thinking. A person using commonsense sticks to the issues at hand and does not attack others’ motives. But a weird use of common sense should be ignored. Human attitude can be refined by daily recitation of Name, meditation, and deliberation on the messages in AGGS.
ਗੁਰੁ ਸੁੰਦਰੁ ਮੋਹਨੁ ਪਾਇ ਕਰੇ ਹਰਿ ਪ੍ਰੇਮ ਬਾਣੀ ਮਨੁ ਮਾਰਿਆ ॥
ਮੇਰੈ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਸੁਧਿ ਬੁਧਿ ਵਿਸਰਿ ਗਈ ਮਨ ਆਸਾ ਚਿੰਤ ਵਿਸਾਰਿਆ ॥
Gur sunḏar mohan pāė karė har parėm baṇī man māriā. Mėrai hirḏai suḏẖ buḏẖ visar gaī man āsā cẖinṯ visāriā.
I have controlled my mind by reciting the sweet Guru’s writings in the company of my beloved Guru.
My heart has forgotten its common sense and wisdom; my mind has forgotten its hopes and cares.-----Guru Ram Das, Raag Suhi, AGGS, Page, 776-11
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