01 Self-Interest - Bunga Azaadi

**Forming the foundations of an Azadist society.** > **ਹਉਮੈ ਦੀਰਘ ਰੋਗੁ ਹੈ ਦਾਰੂ ਭੀ ਇਸੁ ਮਾਹਿ ॥** > Ego is a chronic disease, but it contains its own cure as well. > > *― Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 466* Azadism works on the assumption that people generally act according to their own self-interest. For the vast majority, the motivation behind one’s actions is how the consequences of those actions will benefit them first. Many may disguise this as working for the best interests of others: such as family, friends, or community, but even this can be argued to arise from an inherent desire to satisfy their own self-interest. Consider those cases where politicians or celebrities engage in charity work. Are they really doing it to solve the issues, or to increase their own reputations? Only they know their true intent. This does not mean that there is no place for _Seva_, but it should be made clear that only that type of service done out of selflessness, with no desire for reward, can truly be considered a genuine spiritual effort[^1]. > **ਸੇਵਾ ਕਰਤ ਹੋਇ ਨਿਹਕਾਮੀ ॥** > One who performs selfless service, without thought of reward, > > **ਤਿਸ ਕਉ ਹੋਤ ਪਰਾਪਤਿ ਸੁਆਮੀ ॥** > shall attain his Lord and Master. > > *― Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 286* It can be argued that only when one has reached this state of mind are they performing _selfless_ Seva in the truest sense, whereby there is a merger between their own self-interest and the self-interest of others. This could even be considered the destruction of self-interest entirely. For someone who recognises God in everyone and everything (including themselves), what “self” is left for them to act in their own interest? This is the goal of spiritual pursuit: the successful denial of duality and the recognition of absolute oneness[^2]. > **ਕਬੀਰ ਤੂੰ ਤੂੰ ਕਰਤਾ ਤੂ ਹੂਆ ਮੁਝ ਮਹਿ ਰਹਾ ਨ ਹੂੰ ॥** > Kabeer, repeating, "You, You", I have become like You. Nothing of me remains in myself. > > **ਜਬ ਆਪਾ ਪਰ ਕਾ ਮਿਟਿ ਗਇਆ ਜਤ ਦੇਖਉ ਤਤ ਤੂ ॥੨੦੪॥** > When the difference between myself and others is removed, then wherever I look, I see only You. ||204|| > > *― Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1375* However, it is unreasonable to assume that everyone is, by default, at this level. An Azadist system takes into consideration a population that is at all levels of spiritual attainment by working from the bottom up. It recognises that Seva, in the true sense, is undertaken only by a minority of people, and that the majority often act out of self-interest. Azadism builds upon the premise that, until someone reaches that stage and remains there, they will usually act in a way that best maximises benefit to themselves first and foremost. This is not necessarily a bad thing. It is reasonable to argue that the Guru themselves realised the importance of this. This is evident in the many examples of them appealing to people’s self-interest in order to promote engagement with the spiritual process. In effect, they suggest that following the principles of Sikhi is in a person’s best interest. There are many recurring themes throughout Gurbani that follow a template of presenting an ideal or recommending a certain behaviour, and then offering and explaining the reward for doing so[^3][^4][^5]. > **ਜਉ ਸੁਖ ਕਉ ਚਾਹੈ ਸਦਾ ਸਰਨਿ ਰਾਮ ਕੀ ਲੇਹ ॥** > If you yearn for eternal peace, then seek the Sanctuary of the Lord. > > **ਕਹੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਸੁਨਿ ਰੇ ਮਨਾ ਦੁਰਲਭ ਮਾਨੁਖ ਦੇਹ ॥੨੭॥** > Says Nanak, listen, mind: this human body is difficult to obtain. ||27|| > > *― Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1427* > **ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਸੇਵਾ ਸਫਲ ਹੈ ਬਣੀ ॥** > Service to the True Guru is fruitful and rewarding; > > **ਜਿਤੁ ਮਿਲਿ ਹਰਿ ਨਾਮੁ ਧਿਆਇਆ ਹਰਿ ਧਣੀ ॥** > Meeting Him, I meditate on the Name of the Lord, the Lord Master. > > **ਜਿਨ ਹਰਿ ਜਪਿਆ ਤਿਨ ਪੀਛੈ ਛੂਟੀ ਘਣੀ ॥੧॥** > So many are emancipated along with those who meditate on the Lord. ||1|| > > ― Sri Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 165 > **ਸਮਰ ਸਾਮੁਹੇ ਸੀਸ ਤੋ ਪੈਂ ਚੜਾਵੈ ॥ ਮਹਾਭੂਪ ਔਤਰੈ ਰਾਜ ਪਾਵੈ ॥** > Those who offer their head, face on in battle, to you! In their next life they will be a great king and obtain a kingdom! > > **ਮਹਾਭਾਵ ਸੋ ਜੋ ਕਰੈ ਤੋਰ ਪੂਜੰ ॥ ਸਮਰਜੈਤ ਕੌ ਬੀਰ ਹ੍ਵੈ ਹੈ ਅਦੂਜੰ ॥9॥** > With great affection those who worship You, These warriors achieve victory on the battlefield and are united in non-duality! > > **ਤੁਯੰ ਪੂਜਿ ਹੈ ਬੀਰ ਬਾਨੈਤ ਛਤ੍ਰੀ ॥ ਮਹਾ ਖੜਗਧਾਰੀ ਮਹਾਤੇਜ ਅਤ੍ਰੀ ॥** > The brave uniformed kshatriya warriors worship you. You are the Great Sword-bearer and the ferocious projectile-wielder (guns/arrows)! > > **ਪੜ੍ਹੈ ਪ੍ਰੀਤ ਸੌ ਪ੍ਰਾਂਤ ਉਸਤ੍ਰੋਤ ਯਾਕੌ ॥ ਕਰੈ ਰੁਦ੍ਰ ਕਾਲੀ ਨਮਸਕਾਰ ਤਾਕੌ ॥10॥** > Those who recite this eulogy with love in the early morning, Shiva and Kali both salute them! > > *― Sri Guru Gobind Singh, Bhagauti Astotar* The specific interpretations of these Shabads are not what is being emphasised here. Instead, observe the way the Shabad has been constructed to deliver an *Updesh* (lesson), and the way a formula is followed in providing the listener or reader with incentives. Further to this, the Guru also provides Shabads warning Sikhs of the consequences they may face by ignoring the truths they are revealing too[^6]. We can also look at the history of Guru Gobind Singh Ji and how he used financial incentives specifically to promote certain behaviours. In his Anandpur Darbar, he invited world-class poets, Raagis and leading philosophers of his time, offering cash prizes as rewards for displays of excellence[^7]. Another example is the armies of the Guru, who were paid regular wages as a reward for their service. This all appeals to the self-interest of the Sikhs at the time. The Guru would have recognised and accepted the fact that not all of their Sikhs were completely selfless Sant Mahapurash, who had already successfully destroyed any sense of desire and were fully merged with the One. Hence, their very purpose was to lead the people to reach those states of enlightenment. It is far more reasonable to accept that people are at different levels of spiritual development, and so the Guru took this into account and crafted techniques that would work for all, not just those already on higher levels of consciousness. This approach is clarified by Guru Arjan Dev in the Sakhi we covered in the Introduction from Bhai Mani Singh’s _Sikhan Di Bhagat Mala_. Since people operate on different levels of understanding, the Guru compassionately caters for this by providing Shabads that vary in degrees of relevance or relatability depending on someone’s level of competency[^8]. Ultimately, the pursuit of these things leads to an understanding that committing to *Simran* (meditative or devotional practices of remembrance) and *Seva* are in themselves their own rewards, but this may take time and effort to realise. To help someone realise this, an incentive is a perfectly reasonable way to begin. In the same way that a doctor may explain the benefits of a medicine to an ill person, the Guru explains the benefits of Naam to all humanity. However, as the aforementioned Sakhi shows us, the Guru recognises the various illnesses specific to each individual and so provides the relevant medicine for every case. This is why they are a *Jagat* Guru, a Guru for the whole world. Taking these factors into consideration, the population of an Azadist nation is similarly not assumed to be already enlightened. Azadism provides a system in which every individual is accounted for based on their own personal level of spiritual attainment, ranging from *Malechh* to *Mahapurakh*. Under this system, even those pursuing self-interest alone will still benefit everyone else in the process (given a certain condition which will be explained later). > _“It is not from the benevolence of the butcher, the brewer, or the baker that we expect our dinner, but from their regard to their own self-interest. We address ourselves not to their humanity but to their self-love, and never talk to them of our own necessities, but of their advantages”_ > > ― Adam Smith, The Wealth Of Nations, Book I, Chapter II The above quote by the late eighteenth-century political philosopher Adam Smith (commonly considered the father of modern economics) tells us that the butcher does not supply his services because he necessarily has an innate selflessness. He does this expecting to be compensated with something in return that satisfies his effort and his desire for a reward. The fact that others also benefit from this transaction is only a by-product of the butcher’s self-interest-oriented behaviour. The butcher may or may not value the health and well-being of others’ families more than his own; only he himself truly knows. However, let us assume that the butcher is greedy and only wants to create enough wealth for himself and his family. But to do so, he must provide a good or service that others are willing to pay for. He can only satisfy his *needs and wants* by satisfying the needs and wants of *others*. This does not mean that we must always strive to act solely out of self-interest. However, considering the fact that we cannot guarantee everyone will always be compassionate, the best course of action is to maintain a system that embeds positive outcomes regardless of intent at a base level to work up from. In the process, this mitigates the perceivably harmful effect of those who are greedy, so that by pursuing greed, the best interests of others are not compromised. It must also be clarified that greed is not simply the equivalent of self-interest, but rather an _excess_ of it. Whilst it is widely accepted that, as per Sikhi, greed is a vice that should be avoided, a Government cannot enforce such ethics without violence or the threat of violence, and so Azadism argues that it should not do so. If a Government has the power to set ethics like these, then it is more susceptible to oppress its people to conform to the subjective beliefs of whatever ethical framework the Government in power dictates. Or more specifically, whatever the Government decides constitutes a breach in those ethics. It will then use this justification as an excuse to exert power to commit atrocities under the pretence that they are upholding said ethics. We need only look at history to see this: Hitler made it “unethical” to be a Jew, the Chinese Communist Party is doing the same with the Uyghurs today, and in our own history, Indira Gandhi made it immoral to be Sikh. Obviously, this was disguised in different ways, such as claiming that the Jews were greedy or that Sikhs were terrorists, but fundamentally these are the extremes of what can happen (and has happened) when a Government claims a monopoly on ethic-setting and administration. It is for this reason that, although greed is a vice according to Sikhi, the means by which to remove it should never be handed over to the State to enforce through violence. It is just too powerful a tool and the population must rely on the competence and benevolence of those in power to utilise their capabilities in everyone’s best interest. Whilst a Government may initially be highly effective and gain popularity, there is guarantee, that the next generation that takes over maintains that standard. Yet, the tools that were used to enforce ethics or policies that the people enjoyed can just as easily be turned against them to go back on them and oppress them. Each generation of Government becomes a gamble and a waiting game for when inevitably the ethical conduct runs out. It is for this reason that, although greed is a vice according to Sikhi, the means by which to remove it should never be entrusted to the State to enforce through coercion or violence. At first glance, it may seem appealing to hand over such authority to a Government that appears competent and benevolent. After all, when leadership is guided by good intentions, many believe it is natural to empower it to correct moral failings among the people. Yet this assumption rests on a dangerous illusion: that the individuals who control the State today will forever embody the same standards of wisdom, compassion and restraint. History consistently demonstrates that no such guarantee exists. A Government is not a static institution inhabited eternally by the same virtuous souls. It is a revolving door through which new rulers, administrators and ideologues enter, each with their own ambitions, biases and flaws. The same machinery that one generation uses to uplift can, in the next, be repurposed to oppress. The instruments of enforcement, the surveillance systems, the tax powers, the police apparatus, the propaganda channels, etc. do not dissolve when a popular administration departs. They usually remain intact, awaiting new hands to wield them. One need only recall the fate of the Roman Republic, whose institutions were originally designed to preserve civic virtue and restrain corruption. Over time, those same powers were consolidated in the hands of emperors, who used them to crush dissent and enrich themselves. More recently, the Weimar Republic of Germany possessed constitutional safeguards intended to protect democracy. Yet when Hitler came to power, he inherited all the tools he needed to criminalise Jewish identity and persecute minorities. Even in India, we saw Indira Gandhi declare a state of emergency, suspending rights and targeting Sikhs and other dissenters with the very laws and agencies that had been justified as guardians of public order. What begins as a well-intentioned project to enforce virtue invariably becomes an invitation for the next generation of rulers to dictate whose conduct is acceptable and whose is criminal. Each successive regime inherits not only the authority but the precedent to impose its own conception of morality, however distorted or self-serving. In this way, the Government becomes less a servant of the people and more a master whose whims define the boundaries of right and wrong. Therefore, even if greed is condemned by Sikhi, it must be left to individual spiritual pursuit, non-State Sikh institutions, and community-based guidance to overcome. To centralise the eradication of vice in the hands of the State is to gamble that no future leader will ever succumb to temptation or fanaticism. It is to assume that power will remain forever pure, a proposition which history and common sense alike show to be farcical. The more authority we concede to Government, the more dangerous it becomes for when it inevitably uses those powers against the very people they were meant to protect. The Government is the one entity that we must actively ensure does not act in its own self-interest, since it has the “legal” power to enforce its will more than any other entity by virtue of its monopoly on violence. How, then, does one eliminate the self-interest motive or greed? As touched upon earlier, this can only ever be truly addressed through spiritual pursuit. Whilst there could, in theory, be a selection process for Government officials that considers spiritual attainment (a notion which carries its own challenges and risks of corruption) the more prudent course is to reduce the power and size of the Government in the first place to mitigate the dangers. By limiting the scope of what the Government can influence or control, any future degeneration into immorality or incompetence will have a correspondingly limited impact. In this way, society is not forced to depend entirely on the perpetual benevolence or competence of those in power. Instead, it is protected by structural constraints that make abuse of authority less common and less damaging when it inevitably arises. > _“Every individual… neither intends to promote the public interest, nor knows how much he is promoting it… he intends only his own security; and by directing that industry in such a manner as its produce may be of the greatest value, he intends only his own gain, and he is in this, as in many other cases, led by an invisible hand to promote an end which was no part of his intention.”_ > > ― Adam Smith, The Wealth Of Nations, Book IV, Chapter II Self-interest forms part of the foundation of an Azadist society. It is through this that trade emerges, where two or more parties reach an agreement for the exchange of goods or services in which each considers their own self-interest. If something is not mutually beneficial, that transaction simply does not occur. But what an individual considers beneficial is entirely subjective, as everyone has their own unique needs and wants to satisfy. Even these preferences vary due to a multitude of factors such as the increased consumption of a particular good may reduce the desire for, or utility of, additional units of that good. The market is a flurry of such transactions carried out in pursuit of self-interest. This is precisely why there is no need for any central planning. By tending only to their own needs, each individual, often unknowingly, contributes to satisfying the needs of society as a whole. No single participant must understand the entirety in order to make a decision, in the same way that a lion does not consult an ecologist before hunting its prey. Yet, nature rebalances itself as required. These concepts will be expanded upon in the next section. However, a clear line must be drawn where someone’s self-interest begins to harm the self-interest of others. For example, if an individual subjectively finds it beneficial to pollute a river used by farmers for irrigation, this directly impacts the farmers’ ability to grow their crops and the consumers who rely on that food. In such circumstances, the Government’s role is to step in and rectify the situation[^9]. This introduces the main principle on which an Azadist society must abide and upon which the rest of the system relies: the “Non-Aggression Principle” (NAP). This principle holds that everyone is free to live however they choose, provided it does not impede the right of others to do the same. The sole basis on which the Government may act is to uphold the NAP. Put differently, it is the freedom to pursue one’s self-interest so long as it does not infringe upon the same freedom for others. Under an Azadist system, it would be illegal to force anyone to engage in a transaction they decline, and it is the Government’s responsibility to enforce this protection[^10]. The example above illustrates clearly how a breach of the NAP activates the legitimate role of the Government. If self-interest is the sand and gravel, the NAP is the cement that forms the concrete foundations of an Azadist economy and society. To conclude this first section, repeated emphasis must be placed on the power of incentives, a theme that will recur throughout this manifesto. During the British Raj, the Government sought to address the problem of deadly cobras infesting Delhi. To solve this, it offered payment to anyone who brought in dead cobras. Initially, this appeared an effective way to reduce the snake population. However, it effectively created a market for dead snakes. People soon began breeding cobras specifically to kill them and claim the reward. The lesson from this story became known as the “Cobra Effect” and highlights the necessity of considering incentives in any policy-making[^11]. *** # Footnotes [^1]: It should be made clear here, how I am using the term “spiritual” throughout this manifesto. A “spiritual” effort is understood to mean any effort that makes one closer to achieving or realising oneness/God. [^2]:Often, a Shabad is more completely understood through experiencing it in the way it was intended - musically. Especially in *Raag*, this helps reveal the emotions and feelings the Guru is aiming to represent through their words: **Link: [Kabeer Tu Tu Karta Tu Hooaa - by Dhrupadhamar - BoS 5 Year Anniversary - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FmxD1QP83II)** Bhai Kirit Singh and Bhai Jadeep Singh expand on the history of this particular style of singing on their website available here: **Link: [dhrupadhamar – Dhrupad | Dhamar | Shabad Kirtan](http://www.dhrupadhamar.com/)** Another rendition of this Shabad presented here by the Naamdhari Panth, who have done a great Seva in keeping Raag Kirtan traditions alive to sing our Guru’s Bani: ‍**Link: [Kabir Tu Tu Karta Tu Hua | Shabad Kirtan | Raag Des | Jhap Taal | Sri Bhaini Sahib - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gMqRAW6SnsI)** [^3]: This isn’t to say that this is the only way the Guru teaches the Sikhs, refer to the translation of Bhai Mani Singh’s “Sikhan di bhagat mala” for the 3 levels of competency and how the Guru caters for all by designing Shabads relevant to each level (see introduction). [^4]: From Sri Guru Tegh Bahadur’s Salok Mahalla 9 **Link: [4K - Jo Sukh Ko Chaahai Sada - Bhai Manbir Singh (Australia) - Sri Nankana Sahib - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jnex_8N_SVs)** [^5]: Manglacharan.com has been an invaluable resource in uncovering some of the more overlooked aspects of Gurbani and Ithiaas. As well as Gobind Gita and Sikhan Di Bhagat Mala referenced in the introduction, Bhagauti Astotar is another prime example of this as explained in the heading to the translation provided below: **Link:** [Bhagauti Astotar Translation (manglacharan.com)](https://manglacharan.com/Dasam+Guru+Granth+Sahib/Bhagauti+Astotar+Translation) [^6]: In order to avoid this Manifesto turning into a Gutka Sahib, I have decided not to include more Shabads for this point in the body text. However, here are some of the examples mentioned from SikhiToTheMax.org: **Link: [Shabad - SikhiToTheMax](https://www.sikhitothemax.org/shabad?id=1648&q=you%20are%20was&type=3&source=G&highlight=20025)** **Link: [Shabad - SikhiToTheMax](https://www.sikhitothemax.org/shabad?id=3972&q=by%20the%20hai&type=3&source=G&highlight=47308)** [^7]: Professor Lou Fenech is a prominent modern day scholar on the study of Sikh history including the Zafarnama and Maharaj’s Darbars. The following is an interview conducted by the UK Punjab Heritage Association, where Lou reveals the nature of the Guru’s courts in more detail: Link: [Prof Lou Fenech on The Court of the Tenth Guru - YouTube](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CsaXpAmDm10) As well as this, he has devoted a book on this topic, “The Darbar of the Sikh Gurus: The Court of God in the World of Men” Another notable modern-day scholar in these matters is Satnam Singh from Denmark, whose research has been extremely valuable in opening the doors to what our Guru’s Darbars were like in terms of what was studied and the arts and poetry that flourished during that time. **Link:** [ਸatnam Singh ستنام (@satnam_sdk) • Instagram photos and videos](https://www.instagram.com/satnam_sdk/) He has also released an incredible book on the topic which further elucidates the nature of the Anandpur Darbar and early Sikh Intelligentsia that emerged. **Link:** [The Road to Empire: The Political Education of Khalsa Sikhs in the Late 1600s](https://www.ucpress.edu/books/the-road-to-empire/hardcover) [^8]: **Link:** [Levels of Understanding - by Bhai Mani Singh Shahid (manglacharan.com)](https://manglacharan.com/1718+Sikhan+Di+Bhagatmala/Free+Will+vs+Determinism) The above Sakhi from Sikhan Di Bhagat Mala is perhaps one of the most crucial pieces of information we have in understanding how the Guru designed Bani in my view. [^9]: In economics, these third party effects are known as “externalities”. You can get both positive and negative externalities. The one in this example is a negative, however, an example of a positive externality could be beekeepers benefiting from a nearby orchid and vice versa. These don’t tend to be an issue for the most part and so there is no incentive on anyone’s part to take the other to court over it. [^10]: One may notice a contradiction here, “doesn’t the Government operate on the basis of conducting transactions without consent through taxation?”. Indeed it does, and this will be touched upon again in later sections. Azadism, at least in the short-medium terms is a Minarchist position. Eventually, once society matures enough and the correct culture is developed over time, then a more Anarchist position could be ventured towards. This will be covered in more depth in the sequel to this manifesto. [^11]: **Link:** [Systems Thinking and the Cobra Effect - Our World (unu.edu)](https://ourworld.unu.edu/en/systems-thinking-and-the-cobra-effect)