Guru Nanak Dev Ji, the eradicator of the sufferings of the world, is today, at Talwandi, blessing the people with the Lord's name. Early morning the singing of divine songs starts and finishes at daybreak. Then Guru Ji gives a discourse to the holy congregation. After that, he rests for some time. Many people come to get his blessings.
With age, one experiences the sufferings of the world and wants peace of mind, looks for a spiritual path and tries to search. But it is strange that one child of ten has started coming. He has got inclination towards spiritualism at this young age. He would come early in the morning and sit in respect, a little behind where Guru Ji sat, and listen to the divine songs with love. When the singing finished, he would bow down with respect and go home. The congregation noticed it and Guru Ji also noticed. One day Guru Ji said: Don't let this child go home. The next day, people stopped him from going back and brought him to Guru Ji.
Then Guru Ji asked him with love: O child, your age is small, how do you get up so early? In these early hours, children are in deep sleep. Then this age is for playing, laughing, running and jumping. How have you come to love this holy congregation?
Then the child with folded hands, said: O respected Guru Ji, I am afraid of death.
Guru Ji: How is that?
Child: I always thought that one dies in old age. So, I was happy that just now, I am in childhood, then young age will come and then let the old age come. It will be seen. I had seen my grand father dying in old age.
Guru Ji: Then how did you get this fear of death in childhood?
Child: One day, my Mother sent me to get fire from the neighbour's
house. From there, I brought a burning log of wood, fixed it in the fireplace and started blowing air but I could not light the fire and the burning log that I had brought started getting dim. Then Mother called me and said: First, you put small pieces of wood and then blow air. Then the fire will light The big logs you put later. When I did this, the fire lit
Then it came to my mind: O What has happened? The smaller ones burnt first Maybe death comes to small children first Then I came to know about children dying.
Then I thought Maybe young age does not come. Death can come at any time. So, I should do something just now. I had heard that the saints have something good to tell. Then your goodness is being talked about in my house and in the whole town.
I came to have your glimpse and I got attracted.
Here, I listened that by getting up early in the morning and listening to the divine songs, one gets eternal peace after death and the fear of death goes away. That is why I come everyday and listen to the divine songs.
Guru Ji said: O child, what is your name?
Child: Sir, my name is Taroo.
Guru Ji: O child, you will be blessed and you will bless others.
See the Lord's miracle, what is his age and how this child has got so much love? All children are children but it is astonishing to see a child in love in this young age with a realization from the burning of wood, that death has no rime, it does not care for childhood, young age or old age.
Firstly, it is difficult to get this realization. Then to get an impulse and start searching and then to get so much courage to get up so early in the morning and quietly walk from his village to Talwandi on the dark, dingy road without any fear. These are the signs that he has some strong qualities in him. Or we may say, some extraordinary good influences in him made him realize and gave him the impulse and the love from such a small thing, that we see often and do not notice even, but he got into the habit of coming and listening to the divine songs.
In childhood, one is more honest, the mind is simple, one does not get into arguments, wherever the aptitude is, it is straight and strong. Otherwise, if you push them into something, where the aptitude is not there, then generally at a later stage, they do the reverse.
But here, this child had some natural aptitude, that in this childhood, he has come to love this holy congregation and has love for the godly soul, Guru Nanak Dev Ji.
When the child kept on coming like this for some time, then one day, Guru Ji again called him and said: O Taroo, you are listening to the divine scripture everyday. This scripture is washing your inner self. Now you are going to be in the working age. You may work and whatever you earn, share it with others.
Taroo said: Yes, I will do like that.
Then again, another day, Guru Ji said to him: O Taroo, keep your mind away from enmity, fights, envy and sentiments. In this way, the mind becomes clean, and in the clean mind, the Lord's name gives ecstasy, and you get all the good qualities in you. There is one story on this.
One king got a temple constructed and got a lot of glass fitted. Then the king hired two artists to make beautiful paintings on the two walls of the temple. Both the walls were opposite each other. A curtain was hung in the middle so that they may not see each other.
When, the first artist made the paintings and finished them with colours, golden lines and embedded with jewels, then the king asked the second artist: How long will you take to finish your work?
The second artist said: O king, my work will take some more time.
Then the king took him to the other wall that had been completed with pictures.
On seeing the beauty of the wall paintings, the king and all the courtiers praised the beauty. The artist, who had painted the wall, carried a parrot in a cage. On that wall, he had painted the picture of a branch of grape tree, on which were hanging fresh, red and juicy grapes. When everybody was praising the paintings, then the artist released the parrot from the cage. The parrot flew away and went straight to the painting where the grapes were painted as if they were actually there.
When the parrot was deceived, then everybody said: Well done. Art should be such that animals or birds may consider it as actual and be deceived.
The king told the second artist: See, how wonderfully he has painted the picture. The second artist said: Yes. It is good.
Some more days passed. Then the king came along with his courtiers and said: Listen, we want to see your work.
He said: Your Excellency, my work is still not finished.
The king said: Whatever it is, we must see.
The artist said: Sir, you are the master. How can I stop you from seeing the work? But due to the curtain in the middle, it is darkness there, on my wall. You have the curtain removed.
When the light came, the wall became shiny and sparkling. Here also, the branch of grape tree and grapes were visible.
But they were so shiny and juicy that for once everybody forgot whether they were seeing a painting or actually standing in the garden.
In this illusion, the king stretched his hand to pluck a bunch of grapes to eat. When his hand struck the wall, he realized that they were seeing the painting only.
On this, the king said: This artist is better. There, the bird had been deceived. The bird had an animal mind. But here a clever mind has been deceived. Well done. It is really wonderful.
When the first artist saw that he had beaten him and he had been disgraced, then he said: O king, I am sorry to interrupt, but that artist has deceived you. There is no painting on his wall. He has only been rubbing the wall for the last so many months.
When the king investigated he found that this artist was true.
Now the king was angry with the other artist Why have you deceived us?
Then he prayed: O king, I have not deceived you. My art requires a long time.
Just now, you see the cleanliness of the wall, that it has enhanced the show of painting in the reflection ten times.
Now, my base is ready. On this, I will paint the pictures. If you are too much in a hurry then I can stop work. My mentor has taught me to first make the base clean. Then paint the pictures. So, before painting the pictures I have made the base clean. Now, if you order, I will paint the pictures. If you do not wish, then I will not. But I require more time.
The king was pleased and he allowed him more time to paint the pictures.
So, O Popat Taroo, Cleanliness is the prime thing. When the mind is cleansed, then all qualities come in it. Without imbibing good qualities in one's self, one cannot become devoted. Devotion is 'Recitation of the Lord's name with love'. Good qualities and Lord's name stay together. But in man, good qualities are not many. All good qualities are in the Lord. There are no good qualities in man. Then O child Popat, what to do?
Then you do this: Cleanse the mind. Recitation of the Lord's name cleans the mind. But two more things are required:
1 . To earn honestly. Whatever work you do for earning, do it with honesty. Then share your earnings with others.
The meaning is that even when you are earning honestly, you should not be greedy.
2. To read the scripture. One should read the scripture with attentive mind and also act on what it says. In this way, the dirt of the mind goes. There is a lot of dirt on the mind that is washed in this way. Then the Name also washes the dirt of the mind. But if the first endeavour is there, then the second work is done quickly.
Name will do two things: First, it will wash the dirt of the mind. Then it will settle in the mind and give ecstasy.
Thus, the mind gets absorbed in the love of the Lord and enjoys the ecstasy and rapture that is there in meeting the Lord.
So, child Taroo, you have to earn and share. Whatever, listening of divine songs you are doing in the morning, you have to continue and you have to rein your mind accordingly, so that it may not go in enmity, envy and other vices.
Then you have to keep a control over body passions. Don't do any evil.
Then you have to recite the Name with every breath.
How did Taroo Popat spend his life, now that he became a disciple of Guru Ji in childhood?
It is written: He was always in 'recitation of Name'. He earned honestly and shared with others. He served the holy people who came to his house and respected them. He loved everyone. He lived a life in 'Name and service' and got salvation. Guru Nanak Dev Ji blessed him.
Guru Ji's command to Taroo Popat is repeated once again:
"You have to recite the Name with every breath"
Let us also recite:
'Waheguru, Waheguru, Waheguru.'
'O Lord, O Lord, O Lord'
Starting with at least five minutes a day.
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