KingShivnabh

See, it is the half moon, the half moon of October, the sweet season, the best of the rosy seasons. Nice cool night. Lovely night. Nice milky moonlight See, how nicely the stars are twinkling? How much shine is there in the blue sky? How it attracts your mind? O sky, O moon, O stars, do not attract our mind. O lovely night, do not tempt our mind by your beauty. We are of earth. We cannot apprehend the sensation of your beauty. We are not able to immerse ourselves in your infinite sensation.

But no, when the beauty attracts you, does it listen to anyone? It does not care what difficulties the other person may have to face. It is in exuberance to attract you and immerse you in its sensation.

How it drags you out of your entanglements? How it pulls you with the force of its attraction? How it snatches and scratches? How it attracts and gives pangs? It pulls you. It is attractive. Yes, there is a pull in beauty. It attracts and pulls again and again. This is its habit. This is its nature. This is its goodness. This is its kindness. Beauty will attract you. It will drag you from wherever you are and deviate you from everybody else towards itself.

This is its beauty that when it gives a glimpse, it entices you. Whenever it shines you are enticed. This is how it engrosses you in yourself even if it is for short moments.

Ah ha! How the splendor of the deep blue sky glorious with the sparkling stars and the graceful moon is enticing you today. It is pulling the eyes magically. The doctors advise that in this uncertain weather, when there is dew and cold at night, one should sleep indoors. But no, the glory of the night attracts the lovers of beauty.

The nature's splendour wins over the doctor's advice as also your mind. Despair and anxieties are gone.

What now remains? It is nature's splendour and glory and the eyes that are charmed, the nature's handsomeness and the drowsy eyes of the lovers of nature, the nature's sheen and half-closed eyes of the appreciators, the nature's grace and the enticed eyes of the lovers of nature, the nature's swindling sly look and the joyous lovelorn eyes.

Oh! Yes. The eyes are small but they absorb in them the limitless sky with the entire galaxy of stars, the moon and the moonlight. The eyes killed by magic forget to blink. They don't even throb but they speak to the eyelids: Become heavy but don't close. Today, the Lord who reveals himself in nature is meeting and embracing the inner self through these pupils.

O beauty you are a good swindler. Wherever you go you entice. When one is enticed and in your lap one says: O I am going.

See, the bed is spread, the body is lying flat, hands are joined together on the chest, eyes half-closed, lovelorn and slightly open are staring but the splendor is stealing out the inner self.

O this earthly body, keep lying here. You live in this earthly sphere. The splendour is taking us to its heavenly sphere. O body of earth, remain lying and let the relatives and friends that are because of you also remain with you. You and your entanglements keep lying. We are going to the world of sensation. The torchbearer of splendour is taking us to his heavenly sphere. We are enticed by one sensation and are going to the world of sensation.

Yes beauty, you are great. You are the goddess who joins the separated ones. It is you who takes us out of fears and anxieties and makes us swing on the swing of carefree-ness. It is you who takes us to the world of sensation and to the Lord's palace.

O splendour, great is your magic. You take this wandering mind into limitless rapture. You are the mistress who controls the fires of the body. You are the meditative who blesses tranquillity to the mind.

It is you who makes us perceive the world of sensation. It is you who makes our inner self cross the barriers of ego and mistaken beliefs and takes us into real life.

You are great, obeisance to you. It is wonderful that you take us to the wonder sphere that is beyond our five senses.

O splendour, obeisance to you and obeisance to the Lord who gave the secret of splendour, obeisance to you that you have made us see the Lord.

O splendour, obeisance to you that you prompted us towards Name and obeisance to Name that you filled us with ecstasy and made us meet the Lord. O handsome! O lovely! O my 'more handsome than anybody else', O magnificent, O grand, O king, O lustrous, O radiance, O elegant, O always

handsome, O un paralleled, O charming, O pretty, O prettiest, O beauty, O king of beauty, You reveal yourself in nature and immerse the lovers of nature in yourself.

O Lord, obeisance to you. It is your graciousness. Yes, sometimes this magnificence of yours gives some inner vision to the eyes. The enure cosmos that generally appears dull to the eyes, with this inner vision appears life giving and inhabited with ideal men and saints.

See, what is visible. One pious soul has left the body on earth and in a subtle form has risen through this handsomeness.

One fairy mother from the heavens, happy and contented also came. Now, let us listen to their conversation.

Fairy Mother: Come, my child, I am always with you. You are always in my lap day and night. Then why do you feel depressed when you are hungry? Why you keep saying alas! Alas? You don't look towards the worldly people. You look towards your mother. You are always in my lap.

Pious soul: Mother I can't see you with my earthly eyes. These 'good for nothing' eyes see the worldly people only. Mother, you live in the world of sensation. I live in the world of fear and anxiety. You tell the beauty that it should keep me enticed. It should carry me here on her shoulder. Then I will see you and feel ecstasy in your presence.

Fairy Mother: Child, you keep on reciting O Lord, O Lord, day-in and day-out.

Pious soul: Mother what should I do? When the beauty entices, then automatically the tongue recites O Lord, O Lord. When the devils of fear and anxieties come, then even if one recites O Lord, O Lord, it does not give ecstasy.

Fairy Mother: Even then you do not leave the recitation of O Lord, O Lord. The recitation of O Lord, O Lord, cuts the shackles of fears and anxieties. The recitation of Name never goes fruitless. It does two things. One is that it washes the dirt of fears and anxieties from the mind and secondly it gives ecstasy and rapture and makes you drink the Lord's nectar.

Pious soul: Then you don't go away from me.

Fairy Mother: I always keep you in my lap but you slip away into fears and anxieties. If you do not slip out into fears and anxieties then you will always remain happy and satiated.

Pious soul: At this moment, I am so happy that if I had my body on me then my body would have expanded so much with pleasure that it would have opened up. Why do you keep such ecstasy hidden? You tell why?

Fairy Mother: I do not keep it hidden. People do not open the inner vision that can see this ecstasy. That inner vision comes by reciting O Lord, O Lord. They say Alas! Alas! Oh! Oh! That is why they deprive themselves from this ecstatic pleasure.

Then this ecstatic pleasure is so cheap that no Hath yoga, no fasts, no penances are required. Have faith that the Lord is here, there, everywhere and keep reciting O Lord, O Lord and remain steadfast in this recitation. Then you will feel this ecstasy day and night.

Pious soul: Those who are in recitation of O Lord, O Lord, when they die, how are they?

Fairy Mother: They are in a state as you are now.

Pious soul: Do they enjoy such ecstasy?

Fairy Mother: Come, I will show you a holy congregation of those who were in recitation on earth and have come here now after death.

Saying this, both of them flew from there at a speed that was mindboggling, as if million of kilometers finished in moments. It was joy, delight, ecstasy and rapture. Moving like this they reached a glamorous sphere. This place was so far that light rays starting from here would take fifty years to reach the earth. This was not an earthly sphere. It was a sphere of fire and light. Here, a congregation had assembled as on earth and were singing divine hymns, "the musicians were such that their singing was all ecstasy and rapture. Love was showering and fountains of ecstasy were flowing.

The fairy asked the pious soul: How do you like this?

Pious soul: What should I say? It is indescribable ecstasy. It is just like a dumb person eating sweets.

Fairy Mother: Those who recite O Lord, O Lord on earth, they live in ecstasy and enjoy the Lord's nectar on earth and here also.

Pious soul: O my lovely mother, are we standing in any of the spheres that are mentioned in the Holy Scripture?

Fairy Mother: Those spheres are not like earth. They are spheres of the invisible world. But surely they are there. To apprehend the invisible world it is essential to recite O Lord, O Lord and be a lover of nature.

For practical purpose and for elevation of your mind you may understand as follows:

1 . Sphere of duty or deeds. This sphere is mentioned in the Holy Scripture.

This earth is the sphere of duty or deeds. Here everybody is doing some duty or deeds. The fruits are as per the deeds done on earth but one comes to know only after death.

2. Sphere of sensation.

For us the sphere of duty is the earth. But when one gets insight, then one comprehends the harmony and vastness of the universe. One gets the sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body and outside in nature. The mind is elevated and one is in ecstasy. This is a sacred ecstatic pleasure and is much higher than the pleasure of the five senses of the body.

So, O child, when one is living in the sphere of duty and deeds, then it is essential that the person should know what is religion. It is necessary that the person should have true knowledge of religion. Then he realizes what is religious and what is non-religious. Then he understands that only good deeds are not sufficient to get eternal happiness. There is something higher than deeds that saints like Kanu, Maheshwar, Brahma, Dhruv, Sidharth, Budha, Nath, gods and goddesses practised and attained salvation.

He will realize: I have to go beyond just 'good deeds' and go for 'devotional love' for the Lord i.e. 'recitation of the Lord's name with love'. Then he recites O Lord, O Lord with love and feels the sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body and outside in nature and gets elevation of mind and ecstasy.

Then he realizes that recitation of O Lord, O Lord is the prime worship. So, O child, whoever has got this sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body, he is in the sphere of sensation. |

3. Sphere of endeavour.

With the recitation of Name one feels the sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body and outside in nature. The person drinks the Lord's nectar. The person is in ecstasy and rapture. Here, one comes to realize the outer mind, the intellectual mind, the intuitive mind, the sub-conscious mind and the sublime mind. When the intuitive mind gets a touch of the Lord, then it gets sublime consciousness.

The Guru has said that the intuitive mind is transformed and becomes sublime mind. It is this sublime mind that is in saints and the Lord's beloveds.

The outer mind and the intellectual mind are helpful for the worldly chores. The intuitive mind and the sublime mind are helpful in concentration of the mind and its deviation towards the Lord. In fact it is this sublime consciousness that reaches us to the Lord.

Mardana had asked Guru Nanak whether one could reach the Lord with this mind. Then the Guru said: This mind is transformed into another awakened mind. That awakened mind reaches you to the Lord. He meant the awakened mind that the Guru said sublime mind.

In this sphere, the person is in ecstasy, rapture and exuberance.

The inner self is in ecstasy in this sphere but outwardly it is in endeavor also. Because the person is doing good deeds as mentioned in the sphere of deeds and also is in 'recitation of Name with love' as mentioned in the sphere of sensation. He is now in ecstasy and exuberance. But being in good deeds and Name he is steadfast in endeavour. So, the Guru has named it the 'sphere of endeavour'.

4. Sphere of Grace.

Here is, all the Lord's grace, benevolence and generosity. A seeker of the Lord from the sphere of endeavor reaches the end of the seen world. The endeavor brings him up to this end. For reaching the most sacred sphere or the Lord's palace something wondrous happens, some marvel happens from the Lord's palace that reaches you there. This is grace, benevolence, and generosity. Whoever has reached this place has not gone into thoughtlessness. His ego has gone but he has not gone into inferiority complex. His sublime consciousness i.e. super consciousness is now attuned with the Lord. Now the strength of the Lord is there in him. The spirituality of the Lord comes to him. His soul is immersed in the Supreme soul. His soul comes into contact with other blessed souls. Here live the blessed souls in their magnificence and glory. Those who have reached this sphere are out of the cycle of births and deaths. The worldly pleasures cannot trap them.

The person who was in the recitation of Name in the sphere of endeavour has now met the Lord and is drinking the Lord's nectar and is in total bliss.

The Lord's Name had already permeated in his body cells. Now he has met the Lord.

The Name has become incessant He is now in the incessant touch of the Lord. Now he understands that his endeavour is all Lord's grace. He is now in the sphere of grace. He feels that his reciting the Name and the Name permeating in his heart, mind and body cells is all Lord's grace. The delight, ecstasy and rapture that he is enjoying is all Lord's grace.

He realizes the Lord as the 'One' and the only 'One Lord' of the entire universe and His name is incessantly and automatically being recited and giving rapture as you are feeling now.

You are in ecstasy, in obeisance, in rapture, in exuberance and you realize that nothing is your doing. It is all His grace, benevolence, and generosity. Now you have no ego in you. You have the sole support of His grace and benevolence. Now you are in the sphere of grace. You are feeling his benevolence and generosity.

5. Sphere of Divine Abode.

When the Lord's benevolence becomes Lord's grace, when through the Lord's benevolence a person in recitation of Name meets the Lord and his soul gets immersed in the Supreme soul and he becomes one with the Lord, this is difficult to express in words. Next is the Lord's palace. Here, is His abode. Grace, benevolence and generosity are showering as torrential rain. This is what the person perceives. He understands the command of the Lord and acts accordingly. He is always immersed in His love and desires nothing else but Him. He is one with his beloved Lord. His soul is immersed in the Supreme soul.

Pious soul: Earlier, I did not understand these spheres. Most preachers interpret these as three ways to attain salvation. 1. Deeds. 2. Knowledge and 3. Worship.

I understood these spheres after reading the book 'Rana Surat Singh'. From there, I learnt that for the benefit of mankind the Guru has given us the glimpse of these spheres in the Holy Scripture.

Today, I have understood very clearly that these are our spiritual stages as invisible spheres.

Fairy Mother: O child, remain in recitation of Name. Don't remain in mistaken beliefs and superstitions. Recognize your duty. Do good deeds and kindness. Tread on the true path. The prime worship is the Lord's name. The Lord bestows His benevolence on those who tread on the path of Name. Then His grace comes. They meet the true Lord.

So, your duty is to remain in endeavour. Remain steadfast in endeavour.

Pious soul: Mother, what is Name?

Fairy Mother: O child, this is love. Remembrance is the form of love for the beloved Lord by which one can perceive Him. The person who recites the Lord's Name is in love. He cannot forget his beloved Lord. In this way, one who always remembers Him is in love with him. When you recite His Name you should have a feeling of love for Him.

Pious soul: That is fine.

Fairy Mother: This is duty. This is spiritual work. Empty rituals are worthless.

She said all this and said O Lord, O Lord and went away as a light towards the sky. But on the earth at this place one pious soul in this endeavour of Name, in this remembrance of Name is swaying in ecstasy.

Is it remembrance or pang? Is it a pang or extreme longing? Is it remembrance or extreme craving?

That panorama is like this

There is a small island in the sea. In the north is a land comprising many small towns and villages. One big town is the capital of the island. Here lives the king who is very handsome and graceful. He is in his royal dress wearing the crown.

At this moment, he is sitting on a stone at the beach. He is crying and tears are flowing from his eyes.

He heaves long sighs. Sometimes, he utters alas! Sometimes he closes his eyes and becomes quiet When he opens his eyes again, tears start flowing.

He is a king but he is crying. It is true the head that wears the crown wears the thorns. But this crying doesn't seem to be because of his royal responsibilities because he is crying by himself. Sometimes, he looks at the sky and the far end of the sea and utters:

Love arrows you have shot And pierced my heart; To meet you is my thirst; You will quench my thirst Is your natural repute. O Lord, he is a king. Even a king's heart is pierced with love arrows. He is craving for the beloved, the beloved whom he has never met. He is in love without even meeting him. He is in love and remembrance of a beloved whom he has not seen. He is in longing and craving to meet.

People say: When we have never seen the Lord, how can we love Him? But see, he has not seen his beloved so far but his tears of love are flowing.

Isn't it so that it can happen that even if one has not seen one's beloved one can still fall in love? The reality is that fears and anxieties have killed us.

Our sparrow mind expands with ego

To become a lion mind in arguments

It never enters the cage of peace. At this time, a divine voice entered our ears:

1. Religion is inherent in every body. The inner self is thirsty to see Him. The mind has been enticed by the worldly sights and is in forgetfulness.

2. The Lord is just behind your own veil of ego and there are holy people to guide you but your ego does not let you turn your mind towards the Lord.

3. He has not seen the Lord. But somebody who has seen the Lord has shot love arrows of the unseen Lord in his heart.

In the meantime, the king got up. He washed his eyes with the salty water of the sea. He felt a bit cool.

His palanquin and servants were waiting at a distance. He sat in the palanquin and returned to his palace. The king reached his palace. At night the king slept.

When all the family members went into deep sleep the king got up and started strolling and remembering O Guru Nanak, O Guru Nanak.

Sometimes he cried, sometimes he was quiet, sometimes he laughed, sometimes he looked towards the sky, sometimes he looked towards the North, then sat down, again strolled but he went on calling O Nanak, O Nanak, the entire night.

One intellectual, proficient in the study of scriptural literature, having knowledge of the six schools of Hindu philosophy, can recite Vedas, has studied eighteen books of Hindu mythology, is today sitting on the same stone platform at the sea beach where the king was sitting yesterday but he is being carried away by the sea of sorrow and the ocean of sadness.

Such great learning and then sorrowful! But if you see minutely, what else except sorrow can he think of? Then more one reads, the more argumentative one becomes. The more one thinks, the more one is in doubt and then more are the anxieties. When the anxiety is more, the sorrow is more.

Meanwhile, another person came and said: Dear Pandit, how are you?

Pandit: What should I tell, the Lord's punishment, I have got now in this old age?

Mr. Joker: How?

Pandit: You are asking me, how? Are you not worried?

Clown: Worry and then me. That is why my parents did not let me study too much. My job is that of a clown. I have to make people happy. My name is Mr. Joker. Worries do not come near me.

Pandit: Well, if your earning stops, then won't you be worried?

Clown: Who will stop my earning?

Pandit: The king.

Clown: Why?

Pandit: You are a clown and he is now in sadness day and night. Now, won't he require ladies to cry with him or will he still require you? You are in the habit of joking. Any time, he can get irritated and say, Mr. Joker, get out.

The Pandit said well. It went into his head. Mr. Joker who was always laughing got worried. He got wrinkles on his brow. One who had never known anxiety, today, in the company of the learned pandit has become anxious.

Meanwhile the Minister came.

Minister: How strange? Mr. Joker appears to be sad. Isn't it most unusual?

Clown: Well. Don't ask anything. I came to see the pandit with the hope that I will get peace of mind here. But the pandit was sailing in the ocean of anxiety. He has also dragged me along. So, both of us are suffocating in anxiety of our earning. You always say one should have faith in the Lord who has given us life. But this new trend in the king who is the wage giver is a cause of worry to us. The king and the crying do not go together. Where the crying is there, where is the need of a clown there?

Minister: What you say is true Mr. Joker.

Pandit I am astonished at what an un-educated, stupid, traveller has uttered. He was neither a scholar nor a learned pandit. I told the king in strong words that let me have a debate with him but the king did not listen to me at all. That traveller just said something that went deep into the king 5 s heart. After that he left for his hometown.

Now, if this position remains, who will care for us? Where shall we go for earning bread in this old age?

Minister: O Pandit, no doubt it is something to cause anxiety but when we are in service, we should remain steadfast in serving with love. The king may believe in anything. We should consider him as our master and be at his service.

Pandit: Yes, you are right in your own way. You are the Minister and you are needed always but my earning is through the scripture. When the king's religion becomes different, then where will my need arise? Maybe after sometime the same traveler will grab the minister-ship also. When he could lead the king astray, he would go to any extent So, it is better you also start worrying. If not now, you may have to think after a few days.

Minister: What can we do?

Pandit: We should make the king understand. He should not leave the Shiva worship.

Minister: Yes, but what should we tell him? Pandit: He remembers some saint.

Minister: I have heard from the maids that he remembers Nanak.

Pandit: We should all get together and start speaking against Nanak. Automatically, the king's mind will turn away from Nanak.

Clown: O hollow thinker, neither you nor I have met or seen Nanak. Neither we know his goodness nor his bad points. We have neither stayed near him nor ever talked to him. On what grounds can we speak against him? How can we keep on telling lies?

Pandit: This is diplomacy. "What do you say", respected Minister?

Minister: Diplomacy and telling lies do not mean the same.

Clown: Lies are lies. Even if you say it is diplomacy, they will still be lies. Pandit: If you tell lies to preach your religion, then the lies are equivalent to truth.

Clown: Telling lies is being non-religious. Pandit: What did you say?

Clown: I said that what you preach by telling lies is not religiousness. It is irreligious. Religion and truth are saintly things. Being irreligious and telling lies are devilish things. How can you preach light by showing darkness?

Pandit: O simpleton, you do not understand. To fulfill one's need one can adopt any means.

Clown: Maybe in worldly matters one may adopt any means but for preaching truth how can you adopt any means? Religion can be preached by truth and by its own strength and not by deception, force or hypocrisy. The Pathan rulers have already tried to convert Hindus to Muslim religion by force, deception, threatening and tyranny but what is the result? Those who have embraced Muslim religion, their character is the same as before. There is no change in them. They have not imbibed any goodness in them. Maybe if some good Muslim saint has influenced someone, then he might have imbibed some goodness.

Pandit: I do not mean that the king should really imbibe goodness in himself. What I mean is that he should remain in our religion. Whether he imbibes goodness or not is immaterial to us.

One thing is that the king is a pandit. Secondly, I have made him study the Hindu scriptures with great effort. Thirdly, if he changes his religion, then the enemies will benefit. That is why I said, whether he imbibes goodness or not, he should remain in our religion.

Clown: Ah ha! Dear pandit, you should have been a minister.

Mr. Minister, won't you please get him a minister's seat. He is not fit for preaching religion. O pandit, probably you do not know that I am not a Brahmin. I believe in Buddhism. My religion may not be as high as yours. We are humble people but we believe in goodness and kindness. We believe truth as truth and telling lies as sin. If you have any life spark in your religion, then with the strength of your religion, you make the king believe in your religion otherwise you bow to the person who has won the king's mind despite the king being intellectual and wise.

Pandit: That man was a devil, a wicked person with an evil mind. He has spoiled the mind of the innocent king.

Clown: Dear pandit, your religion is hollow. I don't mean that you do not

possess the knowledge. What I mean is that you do not have strength in your utterances.

You see. A person has changed the faith of the king. You cannot undo what he has done. That means your inner mind is weak and it is showing as anger. Without any reason, you are talking ill of him. I am sure you cannot change the king's faith by diplomacy or by religious superiority.

Pandit: You do not know my religious superiority. Tomorrow, I am going to send messages to the Chief Pandits of Puri, Kanshi and Nadia. They will send an order that either the king should stick to Hindu religion or he will be excommunicated.

Clown: This gut, theMohammedans do have but not you. Even if you have, it means you preach religion by threatening. To be religious is to be without fear. You give fear to become religious. Fear is a negative characteristic. Dear Pandit, to excommunicate a non-religious person may be justified, but you who are in empty rituals, do not know that the king is in 'love of the Lord'. The person who blessed him with this 'love of the Lord' was somebody who was himself immersed in the 'love of the Lord'. He was a blessed soul who gave the king a spark of that love. Now, the king is engrossed in love of Nanak.

What you are thinking and the people have always been doing is to give suffering to a person who is in love but the lovelorn have never given up. People went to the extent of burning them alive, giving them poison to drink, hanged them and gave other sufferings but the spark of love did not extinguish.

And here it is true love, it is love of the Lord, it is a spiritual love, it is a sacred love. It is love of the prophet. I say prophet because when a disciple has so much spiritual strength in him that he came to the court as a culprit and was able to impress the king in his faith, then his Guru must be a prophet I am not sure but I feel he is the same Nanak about whom is mentioned in the old scriptures that he will come to the earth in the Un-enlightened Era (Kalyug).

Pandit: I think you have also started sailing in the same boat as the king is.

Clown: No dear pandit, I am a Buddhist. In our religion truth and goodness is everything. So, I cannot leave truthfulness and I cannot consider hypocrisy as a means for prompting religion. Even if the king embraces Islam, I will never try to change his faith by threatening or hypocrisy.

Pandit: O truthful man. Are you the heir of Harish Chandra? Then you only tell any means.

Clown: You make him understand in a proper way. You remove his doubts. But I feel you won't succeed even like this. If somebody changes his

ideas on reading or listening, then it might be possible to bring him back to the previously accepted thoughts by arguments and reasoning. But when somebody has got something higher, beyond the knowledge of books, some spiritual sensation, some spiritual strength, then you will not be able to bring him back to your ideas.

He has got something in him, some higher sensation in him. He has got some strength in him. You seem to be hollow in mind while talking. Your arguments that are lifeless cannot influence him.

O pandit, we know only what our outer mind reads or listens. We go only by what our intellectual mind says. Nothing beyond. I also talked to the gentleman on two occasions. I tell you truly, I have started having doubts on my own religion. I felt if Buddha had gone one step further he would have become what that person is? I perceived some strength in him, some inner knowledge that is mentioned in scriptures as spiritual life. When he spoke, he charmed. When he sat near, one could feel some fragrance coming out of his body. If he had stayed another ten days, I would have also fallen in love of Nanak. I feel the king's love is true and he is being attracted by a strong living power. At night I was thinking that there is suffering in the world. Shri Krishna said that when there is suffering, then I come to the earth. Maybe Buddha or Shri Krishna has come again in human form. Then I remembered that even in Hindu scriptures is mentioned the birth of a prophet.

Pandit (Saying alas!): What to say of one, the whole lot is perverted. You are so intellectual. You have also been influenced by his magic.

Mr. Joker: I feel this magic was the strength of the Vedic sadhus. This is the magic mentioned in Gita and in the Patanjal scripture. This was the magic with Shri Krishna With this magic only, Rama won and Ravana lost. This was the magic with Buddha. This was the magic with Confucius of China This was the magic with Jesus and Mohammed of Arabia.

Now, it is not there in the world and that is the cause of suffering. It appears somebody has now come with this magic, more powerful than the previous ones, prophet of the prophets, who will allay the suffering of the world and give life to lifelessly living people. He will be higher than all previous prophets.

But O pandit, I have not been influenced by him as yet. I am saying all this as my own independent judgment. I am not influenced. I will not make a final judgment till I see myself, I examine, I try, I experience and I find it true. When I am fully satisfied, then I may bow down. If I am not satisfied I will remain happy as I am but I will not be a hypocrite in religious matters. Otherwise, why do you call Mahmood Ghaznavi a tyrant? He was converting

Hindus to Muslim religion by use of sword and demolishing Hindu temples by use of force. The same you are trying to do. If you had the power that Mahmood Ghaznavi had, then today that traveller would have been lying dead in the sea and the king would have been executed on gallows. Because you have no power he is still living. I am neither in Nanak love nor a Brahmin but I can say, it is true, there is not a wee bit difference between you and Mahmood Ghaznavi.

On listening to all that, the pandit got irritated and said: You are untouchable. He said this and moved back two steps.

Pandit: That is why it is written in our scripture that one may die under the feet of an elephant but if one has to save one's life by entering a Buddhist temple, do not enter.

Clown: You can say anything but whatever you say shows your weakness.

Minister: Dear pandit, what Mr. Joker said appears to be true.

The pandit got angry, got up and went straight to the palace and met the queen.

Pandit: Your Highness, what has happened to His Majesty the king? Queen: You know better, you are learned people. As far as I see, it is love of Nanak.

Pandit: Neither he met Nanak nor he talked to him. How can one love without even meeting?

Queen: Whether it can happen or not, I do not know. But it has happened, that I can see.

Pandit: It can never be.

Queen: Then do you mean to say that it is a ruse?

Pandit I don't mean that But how can one be in love without meeting?

Queen: I am not a scholar but what I can see is that this love is true and he is in love of Nanak. Whether it is good or bad that you might judge.

Pandit: Then do you wish that the king may keep crying and somebody else might come and occupy the throne?

Queen: O pandit, utter some auspicious words. I always wish to see him happy but it is not in my hands.

Pandit Should we do something about it?

Queen: Why not?

Pandit: Should we threaten?

Queen: No. Do not threaten my beloved. Make him understand by reasoning.

Pandit: That I have tried my best But my words have no effect. It is just putting water on an oily surface.

Queen: O Pandit. This might be goodness because my beloved is now cool, sober, and full of goodness and more loving. Now he doesn't get angry, he does not abuse anyone. He is sweet and cool.

Pandit How do you know?

Queen: I have not read the scripture. Nor I am learned. I see what happens and say what I see with my own eyes.

Pandit Then shall we let him fall from religiousness?

Queen: No, you do save him but you tell something higher. You use some spiritual strength and show something better and higher.

Pandit: Yes, Your Highness, I shall try.

Saying this, the pandit, a learned scholar in Hindu scriptures, a Shivworshipper and preacher of Hath Yoga, greeted the queen with folded hands and went away.

Pandit (In his mind): The king is absolutely convinced but others also are impressed. Mr. Joker, who is a Buddhist, is deeply impressed. The Minister who is a Vaishnav is also impressed. The queen is ignorant but even she is impressed. Everyone, to whom I talk, says that the traveler had spiritual strength in him. Everybody accepts that the king is really in love and it is good for the people also. Nobody agrees to what I say. I cannot relish that the king gets away from Hindu religion. I also understand that I do not have the spiritual strength that Mansukh had. I cannot do a miracle and impress the king.

Now, only some diplomacy or some tantric formula can be thought of. I do not know what to do? Some light has come from the North that is attracting everyone. O Lord, you help me.

Ill

The fathomless clear blue sea is quiet. Small waves are moving but otherwise it is calm. On the same beautiful beach the king has come and is sitting. The nights, he spends in remembrance of the Guru, then in the morning sleep overtakes. Daytime he goes to the court. Sometimes, when he feels pangs of love, then he leaves his work, comes to his resting room, sheds tears of love, wipes his eyes and face and again gets back to work.

So far there is no slackness in his court work. It is going on as before. But the rest of his programs have reversed. He doesn't go to see dances and merriments. He has stopped playing chess and other such games. He does not go for hunting. When he comes to the palace, he lies down quietly as if in solitude. He looks towards the queen with love, is overwhelmed, utters Chandrakala and again gets absorbed in himself in love of Nanak. When he is sad, then he comes to this scenic spot on the sea beach and sits here.

Chandrakala, the queen was a very affectionate lady. There was no system of veil for women in the country. Many a time, when she saw the king in deep craving, she would come along to the beach. Sometimes she would bring her violin and play some melodious tune that would delight the king.

Today, she has come along. The king is sitting looking towards the invisible sea bank northwards. The queen is sitting close by. She is playing a melodious tune on the violin. It is time for the sun to set. In the west it looks as if the sun is going for a dip in the water. Light cool breeze is blowing gently. It appears everything is in longing. The queen's eyes are wet but the king is shedding tears in torrents. It appears the sea, the beach, the breeze everything is in longing.

Meanwhile, the pandit reached. The king was praying with eyes closed. When he opened his eyes, then he asked the pandit to sit down.

Pandit: Your Majesty, to rule a kingdom and to renounce the religion, these two things do not go together.

King: Maybe but if it is in one's control.

Pandit: You are the king. You are a scholar. How is it that you cannot control?

King: O pandit, at this time the mind is at peace. It is tranquil and in ecstasy. May we talk at some other time?

Pandit As you say. I came because I am worried. So, I came at this time. I am so much worried to see you in this state that I cannot sleep at night.

King (startled): But why?

Pandit: I am your servant and your priest only. But since we have been studying the scripture together I have a greater regard and respect for you. Your engrossment in something and sadness is worrying me. This sadness will go to what extent and what will happen to the kingdom, I cannot guess? That is why I am worried.

King: O pandit, I am not sad. I am in some delight.

Pandit Are you in delight? Is this crying a sign of delight?

King: This is not crying in sadness. These are tears of love.

Pandit What love?

King: It is love of some beloved.

Pandit: Then you show me that beloved also.

King: That day when we had a discussion, I explained everything to you.

Pandit But I was not convinced. ^ King: Do you remember when we were discussing Patanjal's treatise on philosophy, then in the article on devotional love, God's attributes were mentioned as, 'He is above deeds and their fruit i.e. the cycle of births and

deaths. He is a cosmic spirit and definitely there'. Again, it is written, 'He is all knowing. He is all in all'.

At that time, laughingly, I asked you: It is a pious thinking that He is all knowing. That is a belief. How is it a proof that he is definitely there? Sankhya had said: It is not certain that God is there. Yoga says that the cosmic spirit is unique without parallel. That is God. He is all knowing. This is not a proof. Then you also wavered.

Next day you brought the yoga dictionary.

There the translator has explained the meanings and shown that this writing itself is a proof of the existence of God. At that time we felt immense delight to read and understand that Do you remember or not?

Pandit Yes, it gave immense delight.

King: Now, if you explain all this to an uneducated person, will he be delighted?

Pandit No. He won't be.

King: Like, that delight only an intellectual mind could feel, similarly, the ecstasy that I have now is of an elevated mind. It cannot be explained with the intellectual mind.

Pandit Your Majesty, where the intellectual mind stops, what is that state of mind? Is it insentience or a thoughtless state of mind? Excuse me. It seems to be ignorance.

King: If the mind is going downwards, then you may say anything but when it is elevated, how can it be insentience?

Pandit: Where the intellectual mind doesn't reach, then what is left?

King: We had read the Yog Vashisht scripture together. There he mentions a higher state of mind. Where there is thoughtlessness and he says it cannot be expressed in words. Is that insentience?

Pandit: No, it is pure sentience.

King: Then where the five senses do not reach and the mind becomes tranquil. Is that insentience or ignorance? Pandit Let me think.

King: Where there is no thought and no testimony, there where is the mind and the intellect Mind has to think. Intellect has the reasoning faculty. When all thoughts have vanished from the mind, then is it insentience?

Pandit: No, it is not insentience. There the cosmic power comes and stays.

King: So, there is a stage of the mind where there are no thoughts, the senses are controlled and it is sentient and that sentience is a sensation that gives ecstasy.

Pandit Your reply is all right But neither you have practisedHath yoga nor breath control. Neither, you have practised Raj Yoga nor you have practised chanting of Name. How can I accept that you have become a meditative?

King: I am not a meditative but I am not in ignorance. I am not in any mistaken belief. I am not dejected or sad. I am in ecstasy that is beyond the intellectual mind. It is some heavenly rapture and it is really there. You said, "It is not ecstasy, it is an illusion". I have proved to you that there can be a stage where the mind is elevated and in exuberance and it is above the intellectual mind.

Pandit: You explain that ecstasy.

King: Where the intellectual mind cannot reach, how can that be described in words?

Pandit: At least tell what does the mind feel?

King: The mind is cool and at peace. It is in delightful ecstasy. It has a pull that gives rapture. The mind is in incessant blossom. Pandit: Any remembrance.

King: All remembrances have vanished. The 'One Lord' remembrance is always there and that keeps me in ecstasy. This cannot be described in words.

Pandit Do you have any intoxication and does that go away sometimes?

King: It is not intoxication. There is a feeling of elevation of mind. The mind is away from desires. I feel light, cool and some handsomeness of the soul. Sometimes the longing and craving to fall at Guru Nanak's feet is so much that it gives pangs. Ah ha! Nanak.

Saying this, the king's eyes closed and tears started flowing. His eyes did not open for sometime. When he opened his eyes the pandit said: I am bothering you.

King: No pandit.

Pandit: All right. Your Majesty, you tell one thing. Practically the whole day or say most of the day you are attending to official work as before. Then so much times goes in eating food. Then quite much time you spend in getting ready. How is it that your mind remains in the remembrance of the 'One Lord' and does all other chores also? The mind is one. It can do one thing at a time.

King: Do you agree that King Janak was an enlightened saint and he was a king also? Pandit Yes.

King: When he did the official work, was he not a saint at that time? Or when he gave discourse on religion, was he not a king at that time?

Pandit Well! According to the Gita (scripture) he was doing his official work and th£ saintly work also. He was an enlightened saint and king.

King: When Shri Krishna asked Arjun to fight in the battle, then did Shri Krishna give to Arjun lessons on the use of arms or sermons from Gita? He blessed him the Lord's name. After imbibing the Lord's name did Arjun fight to kill or he fought for righteousness as a duty?

Pandit: Yes, his mind was pure. He fought as a duty although one may say it was killing.

King: That means there is a stage of the mind when it can do two things at one and the same time. Pandit Is it?

King: Leaving aside Kingjanak or Shri Krishna who were great, you see to the people in general. The lady water-carrier carries one pitcher on the top of another pitcher and one more on the top of that and simultaneously she is talking to her friends. She has a child in her lap whom she is feeding milk. Her mind is keeping the pitchers in balance and also replying to the ladies' questions. Have you seen an acrobat? He walks on a tight rope and is singing also. His mind is keeping his body in balance on the rope and also bringing out tunes from his throat at the same time. Isn't it, then evident that the mind can do two things at the same time? I have seen you many times munching betel leaf and playing chess at the same time.

Pandit: Even in discussions you bring in humour.

King: It is not for humour. I wish that you may understand my state of mind that it can do two things at the same time. Pandit: You explain fully.

King: O Pandit, you know the mind can do many things. Now you see the other two facets of the mind. One is the conscious mind and one is the subconscious mind.

Pandit: How?

King: One person has died. His body is lying as it is. If you put food in his stomach it won't get digested.

Pandit: Yes, because the mind that runs the digestive system is not there.

King: When a person is alive, then only the food is digested. So, it is the mind that runs the digestive system.

Pandit: The entire working of the body is by the mind. It is the mind that controls all the senses and organs of the body.

King: But you tell, have you ever made an endeavour to digest the food after eating? You ate food because you felt hungry. After that you got busy in

other chores. In the evening when you became free, again you felt hungry. You realized that the morning food has been digested.

Now, the mind was instrumental in digesting the food but your mind was busy in other chores the whole day. How has the mind run the digestive system? That means there is a facet of the mind that does the work by itself without our making an endeavour.

Pandit (astonishingly): Yes, it is like that.

King: That means either there are two minds or two facets of the mind, one does the work by our endeavour and one does the work without our endeavour by itself. We know one mind that works by our endeavour but we do not know the other mind that works by itself. We can only surmise.

Pandit: That is right.

King: Then you have to accept that either there are two minds or two facets of the mind. Or you may say that it has a double power.

Pandit: I do not understand what doctrine you wish to explain.

King: O pandit you won't be able to understand the doctrine. But in reply to your questions it is amply clear that the mind is one but it has many facets. The sub-conscious mind keeps working by itself and the conscious mind works with its intellect. It can do many things at one time. You also consider the three aspects of an elevated mind. The intuitive mind, the sublime mind, the immersed mind. Even an elevated mind can do many things at one time.

The pandit pondered but he could not say anything further. He changed the course of discussion and said: Your Majesty, you are the religious head. When Gaurang Swami came to Rameshwaram, then you did not go to have his glimpse. You said that he did not belong to our faith and now you have become irreligious without consulting.

King: O pandit, I have regard for you. That stops me from saying anything but you do not speak in such harsh words. I have not become irreligious.

Pandit: Now, you are in Nanak worship. As such, you are away from your Hindu religion.

King: O Pandit, this is not the right way to talk. I have got into 'Love of the Lord' and love of Nanak. This is true but I do not have any hatred for anybody or any religion. When I have no hatred, then I am religious.

Even the person who prompted me towards love of the Lord did not utter any words of hatred for anyone or any religion. He did not refute anybody or any religion or faith.

He said Nanak and I got attracted. He praised the Lord and I got love of the Lord. He spoke about Nanak. I felt as if he were mine.

Pandit: Was he a magician?

King: Magic is a thing of this materialistic world. He was a man of character. He had an enlightened mind. He had some life-giving sensation and spark as also some 'Vision of the soul'. He had some wondrousness in him. The wondrousness is that he had a live sensation in him and his contact gave that live sensation to others.

Pandit: I cannot understand. It is body, mind and soul. But what is this life-giving sensation or live sensation?

King: The body, mind and soul, everybody has got and God is there in everybody. But everybody is not in ecstasy, not in blossom, not in delight, not engrossed in the Lord, not away from desires, not attracted to the Lord, not in exuberance of love of the Lord and not above desires and despair.

Pandit (confused and trying to change the course of discussion): If he was so good, then why did he come here from Punjab where they say, milk flows in rivers and wheat grows like mountains? If he was away from desires, then why did he sell his goods here and carried the money in his pockets to his hometown?

King: There are many who keep away from wealth. They do not touch money. They are recluses but still they live in desires and despair. Pandit: What do you mean?

King: To have wealth or to be away from wealth outwardly is not a sure proof of enlightenment of soul. Attachments and detachments are of the mind.

If a person is earning honestly, does not grab another persons right, who makes an effort to earn, lives on that earning and gives charity, does goodness to others, he is not too happy in gains and not sad in losses, then his attachments are true and pure.

If someone is a recluse and has ego that he is in renouncement and if he is short of money due to his renouncement and sulking why his desires are not being fulfilled, then the recluse who is sulking and not contented, I will say, his renouncement is fruitless.

Pandit: Maybe that man was not having greed for money. He might be having some other motive. He may be wishing that if the king has faith in his religion, then it would be an honor. If he had no desires, then why he prompted the king towards his faith, why he did not make the poor people join in his faith? Why was he more interested in the king?

King: You mean to say that the poor people have more of a right. The king can go to hell. (Laughingly) Is it so, dear pandit? Well, this I have said jokingly. But you consider the circumstances.

Bhai Mansukh comes to our country off and on for business. He sells his goods here and goes back. He neither talks to the king nor the poor regarding religion. He never said anything against any religion nor he ever said that he was a preacher. This time, because he did not worship the idol and a complaint was made to me, I called him as a culprit He came to my court as a culprit, but he had some spiritual strength in him that he did not display any fear. He was serene and composed. He replied to my questions with due respect and love. When I was impressed by his utterance, then I asked him some more details of his faith. He gave replies to my queries in your presence. Then I asked him to tell the name of his spiritual mentor.

He said: Guru Nanak, the godly soul, the saviour, the benevolent Guru and the redeemer of sinners. He said this with tears of love in his eyes. The name Guru Nanak was like an arrow of love that he shot. My heart got pierced with his love. It was like a seedling of the Lord's name planted in my mind. I was ready to renounce the kingdom and go and live in the service of the Guru. But he said there is no need to renounce the family, palace or the kingdom. Detachment of worldly desires has to be of the mind only. The mind has to be attached to the Lord.

He said: You rule the kingdom, live in the family and palace. The true Guru will come and meet you. It is his natural habit that he reaches where there is love. I did not see any desire in him as such. He did not require any wealth from me. He did not accept even a penny from me. My kingdom cannot be of any use to him at Lahore and then what is my kingdom? He did not require my intellectualness. He did not like the lifeless intellect that one crams like a parrot. There are plenty of intellectuals waiting at the Guru's door. He considered all knowledge without the love of the Lord as worthless. Then I do not have so much power that I can shunt out the invaders from Punjab. So, he did not require my money or intellectualness or power.

In fact it was his benevolence and grace that my mind has been elevated and is in tranquillity.

(Looking towards the heavens) O dear Mansukh, you live for millions of years. O dear Mansukh, you always remain in ecstasy!

O dear Mansukh, you always be in rapture. You have given me ecstasy and salvation forever.

Saying this, the king was overwhelmed and for a long time he said: Thanks O Lord, thanks O Lord and had tears of love in his eyes.

When he opened his eyes he saw the pandit was also crying.

King O pandit, I was mad in love. Why did you cry?

Pandit I am crying for this unfortunate country. There will be no religion left The temples of Shiva will be demolished. The idol worship will be banned. The people will become non-worshippers.

King: It is futile to be gloomy. The country is without 'Love of the Lord' since the time of King Ashoka when everybody embraced Buddhism. This small country is still in Hindu religion. Be assured that I am not a fanatic. I am not prejudiced against any religion. I have no hatred for anybody. My subjects are free to choose their own religion as per their wish. This freedom of religion will remain. I will not force any religion on anyone.

O Pandit, why are you nurturing such erroneous thoughts in your mind? I am not going to interfere in anybody's religious practice. It is not right what you are thinking. I am being attracted to a Supreme power. You consider religion as reading or listening to the scripture. I have realized that to be religious is to love the Lord. Love of the Lord has strength, power, ecstasy and rapture.

Pandit: Then are the scriptures untrue?

King: O Pandit, I haven't said that. I have not gone towards discussions, debates, envy, hatred, fights, enmity, ego or pride. I am being attracted by a handsome loving soul. You have mercy on me. My religion now is love of the Lord. I am getting a love sensation from the beloved that keeps me in tranquility and ecstasy. I have love for everybody.

Pandit Then are the scriptures untrue?

King: I haven't said that Why are you repeating the same thing that I have not said even a word? I can only say that I have got a treasure. The soul flourishes with that treasure. It can flourish to any extent I shall do whatever is required so that my soul flourishes indescribably. Rest, everybody, is free to pursue his faith. 'Love of the Lord' is the highest faith.

Pandit Then you will discard the Shiva-idol worship and scripture.

King: You seem to have panicked. You will be respected. The people will keep their religion. What will I do? That will be decided when Guru Nanak comes here. But be assured that it will be all love for everybody. Even if people speak against me I shall still love everybody. My faith is love. If I open my heart, blood will come out and you won't be able to see the heart, otherwise if I could show you my heart you would be delighted.

Seeing the extreme love of the king, the pandit calmed down. It was late evening and the stars and moon had come up. The king had got tired of talking and the queen had got fed up with the childish talk of the pandit.

Meanwhile, a servant came running and said: Your Majesty, one sadhu has come in the old garden and says he is Nanak Shah.

The moment the king heard the name he walked fast. He forgot the horse or the palanquin or protocol. He is walking fast The queen followed but she was not able to keep a man's pace. The orderlies however requested her to sit in the palanquin. The pandit walked slowly up to his palanquin and went home.

In the garden was sitting a stout sadhu in saffron colored clothes. The king reached the garden and fell prostate on his feet He was overwhelmed and his eyes were shedding tears of love. His forehead touched the sadhu's feet The sadhu blessed him with his hand and asked his welfare. The king replied with respect and sat down. By now the queen arrived and other courtiers also reached.

The king then made a request Please come to the palace.

Sadhu: I am a recluse. I do not live in houses.

When the king heard this, then he pondered: Nanak, my Nanak, my Guru Nanak, my true Guru Nanak, I was told is a family man. This sadhu is a recluse. Seeing my extreme love, am I not being deceived by somebody?

In this thinking, he bowed to the sadhu. He ordered his men to make the sadhu stay in the garden. His body is aching, his mind is irritated, his eyes have become dry and he feels some dirt has gone into the eyes. He sat in the palanquin and reached his palace. It was night He felt uneasy. He tossed and turned.

Queen Chandrakala said: My beloved, many times I have told you not to go into discussion with the pandit. What does he lose? He has a passion to debate. You have to do official work in the day. At night you spend time in recitation of Name. Your heart is kind and soft Your mind becomes dirty by discussing with the hardhearted pandit You better not talk to him. I got fed up in listening. You were not tired in talking. It has no effect on him. Even when he has no reply he doesn't leave his stubborn attitude. The flaw in mere learning is that it does not imbibe good qualities in man. It makes a man stubborn. Then you just walked fast in a hurry.

The queen's harsh but loving words were soothing to the king.

Queen Chandrakala: Excuse me but I must say that this saint is surely not Mansukh's Guru Nanak. He has no such fragrance that Mansukh had in him. Whatever ecstasy I felt by seeing your love for Guru Nanak, I got the opposite feeling by seeing this sadhu. If you permit I shall find out in no time about this sadhu's credentials. But I am absolutely certain that this sadhu can never be Nanak. He can never be Mansukh's Guru Nanak whom you love.

King: Chandrakala, it seems so. My mind had become dirty by the debate with the Pandit, otherwise I would have judged the love sensation properly. By going near this sadhu I have become restless. I feel un-easy. You try to investigate whether he is a sadhu or a deceiver.

The queen gave orders to her maid to serve meat and wine to the sadhu and send damsels and dancers to entertain him in the garden.

The king could not sleep at night but early morning he dozed off but for half an hour only. The moment he dozed off to sleep he saw Mansukh's lustrous face. On seeing the sacred luster on Mansukh's face, the king's restlessness vanished. He felt the same ecstasy, the same sensation of the Lord's Name, the same exuberance and elevation of mind. He was in rapture again. Now, the maid came and said that the sadhu was a hypocrite and not a religious man.

On listening to this the king said to Chandrakala: This has created a problem. People have started thinking that our pure love is madness and are trying to be too clever. We have to stop this.

Queen Chandrakala: Why?

King: When the benevolent Guru would come, we would have fallen at his feet with extreme love. There would have been no doubt in our mind. It would have been all delight to meet. Now a doubt has entered our mind. First we will put him to test Then only we shall bow down to him.

Then what will be in our mind? You just give a serious thought. When the beloved will come, we will have a doubt whether he is really the beloved or not. To allay our own fear and worry we will put the beloved to test. The shortcoming will be in us but we will put to test the most respected godly soul. When he comes up to the mark, then only, we will believe. So you consider, Firstly, it will be a great disrespect to the beloved. Secondly, the delight that we would have got by innocently falling at his feet, we won't get that. Then O dear, it is a matter of love. Whether our beloved minds it or not, I cannot say.

Queen Chandrakala: Your first thought is correct. I am horrified. Some evil-minded person has sinned. But for the second thought, I do not agree because he is a god of love. His coming will be grace. Out of benevolence he will come. He will pardon our shortcomings.

Meanwhile, a servant came and said: Mr. Joker has come and is requesting for a few minutes time to talk to you.

The king listened quietly.

Then Chandrakala said: O beloved, although Mr. Joker is a clown , he is sincere. Why not meet him?

The king smiled and said: All right, let him come.

Mr. Joker came. He bowed and then sat down. They started talking. Mr. Joker, who was a clown and generally talked nonsense, is today, talking so intelligently as if he is a treasure house of wisdom.

Mr. Joker: Your Majesty, it is so sad that some evil-minded person has deceived you yesterday evening. This is a sign of degeneration that has ruined the entire Indian continent This degeneration is happening for the last four hundred years. That has also influenced our country.

Where there is no truth, on what foundation the country will rise? Then where there is all selfishness, how can the country prosper? I request you to give extreme punishment to this sinner.

King: Dear Mr. Joker, this evil-minded person has committed a crime on me. It is quite a serious crime. But my punishment to him is my forgiveness.

Mr. Joker: Your Majesty, your extreme generosity is an honor for our country. Meanwhile, the minister came. The king called him in. The minister greeted the king and sat down.

Minister: Your Majesty, the pandit and myself are proud that Your Majesty and both of us had schooling together. Again we three of us have the same faith and all is going so well. Now suddenly your faith is changed. What I have perceived is that the love of the Lord has elevated your mind. Your mind has risen from the sphere of duty to the sphere of sensation and nothing else. But even if it is something else, you have a true faith and you are free to choose any faith. It is against all accepted norms to stop you from following any faith. Whatever happened yesterday is a sin and I have sent the evilminded person to jail. If you order he should be executed.

King (startled): Oh no! He has committed a crime on me and not on the people. Although the crime is quite serious but Guru Nanak's love has imbibed kindness in my heart that is greater than the suffering I had from the sinner. So, I forgive him.

Minister: Your Majesty, it is your forbearance and generosity. It is your greatness and the country is fortunate for this. But if the culprit is let scot-free, then this type of crime will happen again. This sort of crime does not indicate that somebody has just deceived. It indicates that somebody who is not strong has used this way of deceiving. If he had strength he would have resorted to force as some Mohammedan rulers are doing in India.

This is a sort of confrontation. If you order, we may have a thorough investigation and bring to book the culprits.

King: It is true. In the name of religion people are made to suffer. It is a sin. I will not do that But I am ready to bear this suffering. There is no need to investigate. The beloved whom I have not seen with these eyes is coming,

bringing arrows of love. He will win everyone without the need to investigate.

minister, you forgive that evil-minded person and release him from jail. Let the matter remain shut.

In future, whoever comes and says, I am Nanak, give him respect but put him to extreme test. If his character is all right, then inform me. If his character is not good, then bid him good-bye. Don't punish him and don't inform me. Mr. Joker, you have also read Yoga philosophy. Anyone who hasn't a good character, to think of his being a religious person is a mistake. I hope you are not angry to listen to my words.

Mr. Joker: I am your servant at your feet. My job was to keep you happy. Now your inner self is in ecstasy. You do not require the services of a stupid clown that I am. Whatever purpose for which I was there is being served automatically in a much better way by the grace of the almighty and I am getting rest. O Lord, I am happy. Your love is true. It is devotional meditation.

1 see tranquility in your mind. I had heard about the sublime sensation in the body that gives ecstasy and rapture but had never seen or met anyone with that sublime sensation. I can perceive that sublime sensation in you. I wish you more of ecstasy.

Time passed by. Many sadhus came and said: I am Nanak.

But all were put to test and nobody could come up to the mark. How could they come up to the mark when there was none who had reined his five senses and none who had the sublime sensation in him? Many recluses and sadhus in renouncement came but failed in the test that the minister did.

One day again, the king was sitting at the sea beach talking to Queen Chandrakala: Dear! The breeze from the north used to be fragrant with love but for the last three days it is not fragrant, shall we be fortunate sometimes? He said this in extreme longing.

Meanwhile, the minister came and said: Your Majesty, a saint has been here for last three days. Nobody like him has come earlier. He came on his own and is staying in the desolate garden.

Two more persons have also come with him. The gardener tells that the moment he put his sacred feet in the garden, the dried plants became green, branches have sprouted and flowers are coming up. Secondly, since he has come he has not eaten any food. The companions ate simple rice and lentil but he himself has not eaten any food. Despite of that he has not become weak or ill.

Thirdly, whoever goes near him for his test, the person's mind is elevated. He or she forgets the test The mind gets happiness. Even when somebody

has his glimpse from a distance, he or she forgets to speak anything. The head bows down and one wants to fall at his sacred feet The moment one touches his sacred feet he or she starts reciting 'O Lord' 'O Lord' in a tune. When the person comes back, he or she has tears of love in eyes. If somebody asks anything, he or she gets the reply: Remember your Lord. Love the creator. Your Majesty, whoever went has got this transformation.

King (was quiet for a moment): Does he say any name?

Minister: He keeps quiet. He doesn't reply to any question. Whoever goes to test him becomes tongue-tied and in the state as I have told you.

Today, I along with Mr. Joker went. Mr. Joker is charmed by his glimpse and is sitting there only. He said: 'This saint is surely a godly soul. Go and tell His Majesty to come without the least doubt' He said to me: He is so loving that if he just says to me that Lord is there, I will have faith in that and I will ignore Buddhism. I myself have been so much impressed by this heavenly soul that I feel he is not just a saint he is a prophet. Your Majesty, I have got attracted to him. He is very lovable. He does not appear to be of this world. The mind says that he is from the heavens.

King (heaving a sigh): I was so much in distress after bowing to that bogus sadhu that I cannot forget Since then my mind says that this head should not bow down to anyone except the true Guru. Now, I do feel like going and bowing to him.

Minister: Your Majesty, now this saint is real. Yesterday, skillful dancing girls went to disturb his meditation but the angel figure said: Sing the divine songs. Recite the Lord's name.

The moment he uttered these words, they sat down in meditation. After sometime when they came out, their eyes were shedding tears and it appeared their entire body was singing 'O Lord' 'O Lord' in an incessant tune.

They have become sacred and godly and are in recitation of the Lord's name. Your Majesty, the entire atmosphere in the garden is different The moment you step into the garden, the mind blossoms, feels coolness and is in peace. It appears everything is in peace. It appears everything is reciting 'O Lord' 'O Lord'. I am sure there is not the least doubt now.

He is the one, Mansukh's Guru, your Guru Nanak, the saviour of the world, the premier of the saints, the prophet of the prophets.

The king listened to all that and felt semi-consciousness.

Then he said: Oh! I am a sinner. I put my master to test.

Again he said: O Minister, what are you saying?

Minister: Your Majesty, now it is Guru Nanak himself. Today myself and Mr. Joker took the liberty to ask his name but he was too absorbed in the

singing of divine songs. The divine song we have written down. It was so enthralling that whoever listened became tranquil like statues. The last line mentions, Nanak is on a long travel. We clearly got the reply that Nanak is his name only.

King: Yes, it is true. He is the redeemer of sinners. But I am a sinner. But oh! Yes, he is the redeemer of sinners.

Saying this, the king's heart broke, love swelled to unlimited heights, all barriers, doubts and thoughts vanished. Love swelled like a flood that would not stop. It carried the soul, it carried the mind and it carried the body.

The love wave is carrying the king. He is running. My beloved, my beloved, he is being pulled as iron is pulled by a magnet.

The calf is running towards the mother. The river is running swiftly towards the sea. Similarly, the king is running towards the true Guru.

The atmosphere in the garden is full of spiritual fragrance.

He got a glimpse. He was overwhelmed, his head bowed down automatically. He felt rapture.

The Guru was sitting with eyes closed. When he opened his eyes, the king could not bear the dazzle. He fell at the Guru's feet and shed tears of love and felt adoration for him. For a long time he did not lift his head from the Guru's feet O king, O king in longing. O king in craving, today your longing and craving has borne fruit. The prophet who has come from the heavens to allay the suffering of the world has come to your kingdom.

Yes, put your forehead on his feet Don't lift your head. Get absorbed and get immersed in these sacred feet O king, keep lying, why take your head away from the fountain of nectar? See, what ecstatic and exuberant live sensation from the sacred feet is coming to your head. O king, keep lying, keep lying on the treasure of this rapturous sensation. You have become fortunate today.

The true Guru lifted his head with love and said: O king, get up. Immerse yourself in the Supreme Soul.

The king gets up but with the weight of love his head bows down again and again. He wants to say something but his tongue is speechless. But after some hesitation, his longing and love prompted him to say: Please come to the palace.

Then the Guru said: I am already living in the Lord's house. When the king requested again and again, then the Guru said: I won't go on foot.

Then King Shivnabh said: I have got everything given by you. Would you like to ride on a horse or elephant or be carried on a throne?

Then the Guru said: I ride on a man.

The king said: O Great Guru, Men are in plenty. You ride on men.

Then the Guru said: O king, that person should be a prince and king of a country. I will ride on his back.

The king said: You have given kingship to me. Come, you ride on my back.

Then the Guru smiled and said: Construct a gurdwara in the city. I shall come there.

Listening to the wish of the Guru the king's happiness crossed all bounds.

The king employed a large number of masons and labourers and got a beautiful gurdwara constructed in a very short period.

When he went to the garden to bring his unseen beloved, 'more loving than his breath' beloved, now seen beloved, he did not find the true Guru there.

The shock that his heart got is beyond words. He fainted and became unconscious. When he became conscious again he became restless and searched. He cried and wailed.

At this time the Guru appeared. He ran and fell at his feet. The lover of the unseen beloved is now having a real glimpse of beloved. He has love and exuberance in his mind and is in adoration of the saviour. He brought the Guru to the gurdwara with great respect

Queen Chandrakala and all the members of the royal family bowed to the Guru with love and respect. The moment their foreheads touched the Guru's feet, it was like touching electricity. Everybody got the godly touch, a wavy sensation, a sublime sensation, a sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body without which one is living in lifelessness.

The body that does not have this living sensation in it is just like a working machine. It does not have a living sensation, a sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body.

Now, the people, who were astonished as to what had happened to the king that he was in love of an unseen beloved, starting coming.

First of all Mr. Joker was influenced. One day, he even said to the Guru: The life-giving sensation that you have in you, please give to me also.

The Guru said: Recite the Name. Say, 'O Lord, you are there. I believe that you are my creator one Lord and you are all knowing. You are present here, there, everywhere. You are close to me.' Have faith and remain in His remembrance. Recite His name. You will get a sensation of His presence in your body and you will be in ecstasy and rapture. Mr. Joker got elevation of mind. He got the sensation of the presence of the Lord in his body.

Second, the minister, who was In-charge of the tests, was blessed in the same way.

Third, the pandit came. He used to come everyday to have discussions but either he could not dare to question or was dazzled by the magnificence of the Guru. One day, when he came the Guru was sitting in meditation. Saido and Sheehan were singing a divine song: man, the mind immersed in the Lord's love Is in recitation of Name and Listening to divine music day and night Drinks the name nectar The pandit became self-absorbed, his eyes closed and said to his mind. How do I drink? And where do I get?

The moment this thought came, he saw an angel who replied: Remove your doubts.

The pandit was startled and he opened his eyes thinking that Guru Nanak has said this but he saw that the Guru was sitting in meditation. Again a thought came to his mind: Then you remove my doubts. You tell who are you? Again he saw the angel figure, his eyes closed and the pandit listened to the heavenly voice: Guru Nanak is the greatest prophet. Pandit Is he the Lord? Heavenly voice: Guru Nanak's Lord is, The One Lord, the creator The saviour, the giver of nourishment to all The redeemer of sinners The true Lord in the beginning The true Lord through the ages The true Lord now The true Lord always Pandit Then are you a meditative?

Heavenly voice: Do you mean a meditative who is self-absorbed, who has become thoughtless?

Pandit Yes, that is right

Heavenly voice: Somebody who is self-absorbed has gone into thoughtlessness. His mind is absorbed in the body soul. He is not a real meditative as yet. Yes, if his body soul that has become free from desires gets immersed in the Supreme soul i.e. the Lord, then as the desires do not come near the Supreme soul, he will be immune to desires, otherwise as the desires had trapped him earlier without any reason, they can trap him again.

So, if the body soul immerses in the Supreme soul, then it will never get trapped. Then he can be called a real meditative.

Otherwise, his going into thoughtlessness is not without apprehension. As he was trapped by desires earlier, he can be trapped again. You may give any number of arguments or invent any excuses but they are of no value. O Pandit, what do you say?

Pandit: Is there anything beyond thoughtlessness?

Heavenly voice: Love the creator of the universe. Go in for devotional meditation. Fall at His feet. Never forget Him. Then you will live in ecstasy. Don't just become free from desires in thoughtlessness? Make your mind and body soul free from desires. Then immerse your body soul in the Supreme soul and live in ecstasy. Remain in the incessant remembrance of the Lord. You say meditation is for getting free from desires. But after getting free from desires when one has immersed his body soul in the Supreme soul, then we call him a real saint, a real meditative. You call him meditative who has made himself free from desires but one should call a person meditative when he has freed his inner self from desires and then immersed his body soul in the Supreme soul incessantly and is in ecstasy and rapture.

Pandit: Well, I accept what you say as true. You also tell me, for what purpose has Guru Nanak come to this world?

Heavenly voice:

1. To tell the world that the Lord is there.

The Lord is with you, close to you. The Lord loves you.

2. To preach:

Have faith in the Lord. Fall at His feet with love. Remember Him in your heart in each breath. Remember Him all twentyfour hours. Do not forget Him even in one breath. Live in this world while remembering Him. He is the giver of nourishment to all. Eat and drink in His remembrance. Walk in His love and remembrance. Do your worldly chores dyed in His love. Whenever you have to leave this world, go dyed and immersed in His love with a blossoming face.

3. He has come to make men as saints by his benevolence. After making them saints, then to immerse them in the Lord's love and make their mind and soul sublime. Then immerse their sublime soul into the Supreme soul and give them eternal happiness.

The pandit was bewildered, opened his eyes, saw the lustrous face of Guru Nanak and his eyes closed again. Then again he asked in his mind: O Nanak, are you saying this yourself or somebody else? Heavenly voice: I am saying this Lord-sent knowledge. Again, in some un-easiness his eyes opened. He saw heavenly radiance spreading from Guru Nanak's face. His eyes closed again and he heard a voice: Nanak is godly. Nanak has come from the Lord. Whatever Nanak says is a command of the Lord.

Now, when the pandit opened his eyes, he saw there was much more radiance on Guru Nanak's face than what he had seen earlier. His mind got attracted towards the Guru. He could not bear the dazzle from the Guru's face and fell down m semi-consciousness. When he got up, his heart had melted and he was shedding tears. Coolness was coming to his body and his body became light like a flower.

He was praying: Nanak, the prophet that you are The saviour that you are This stone-heart please bless My ego, you please kill Recitation of Name please give Shelter at your feet, you please give The life-giving sensation please give Immersion in Supreme soul please give A sinner please you bless who has fallen at your door. The benevolent Guru opened his eyes. He looked towards the pandit with graciousness. He rubbed his hand on the pandit's back and said: say, 'O Lord', 'O Lord'. You are blessed. By the Guru's graciousness the pandit got the sensation of the presence of the Lord in his body. He heaved a sigh. His mind was elevated, and filled with ecstasy. When he got up he was not in despair, he was in exuberance and his mind was in blossom.

A canal has been dug and the dirty pond that was dry and smelling awfully being away from the fountain has been connected with the fountain.

Now the sensation, a live sensation is coming and keeping the pond fresh. The fountain and the pond have become one.

O great Guru Nanak. O men, Guru Nanak is great Guru Nanak, that Guru Nanak, who says: Nanak is madly in love with the Lord. Who says: I am not the Lord. I am His servant.

But see, he joins you with the Lord. He holds the Lord's feet in one hand and the man's head in the other hand and joins them together.

O great Guru Nanak. Great is your being in human life. Great is your being a servant of the Lord. You may say anything but your becoming human form is godliness for us.

Are you a servant? It is your detachment from ego that joins man with the Lord. You are the beloved of the Lord. You are the right hand of the Lord. It is your greatness.

First you wash the dirty mind, then dye it with the Lord's name then you join it with the Lord. Please keep on doing it for us, powerless that we are. You are great. You are great.

The pandit is in ecstasy today. He says: The Guru is not just a saint. He is not human. He is surely a prophet. Mr. Joker's estimation was correct. Nanak is a prophet He has come to allay the suffering of the world. He is the same Nanak that is mentioned in the scripture.

The more he went into exuberance the more he said: He is a prophet of the prophets. Oh! The king truly said that this ecstasy is beyond the five senses of the body. What mistaken thought I had? I thought he would be a skinny, lazy, lifeless sadhu and he will make us a fool. But the picture is different See, how the mind is tranquil. It does not wander. There is a pull heavenwards and is giving ecstasy. This is sublime consciousness. The person who can bless this ecstasy cannot be an ordinary human being. He is surely a prophet sent by the Lord.

When a learned and stubborn person comes to believe something, then he is more charmed by that belief.

Then the scripture tells him in his ears: Was I not saying the same?

God bless you. You were saying but it was you only who was wrongly interpreting.

After the Pandit, people's faith in the Guru increased so much that people thronged to have a glimpse of the Guru. The Guru blessed everyone.

Everybody got into the 'recitation of the Lord's name with love'.

A large holy congregation was formed. In the morning they sang Asa-diVar. In the evening they sang Rehraas and Sohila. People did their worldly chores and simultaneously recited the Lord's Name. In the biography is written:

One person from the congregation used to invite everybody for dinner for the next day, then everybody would get together and have dinner.

The Guru stayed there for a few days.

King Shivnabh became the most respected person in the holy congregation. His love of the Lord was boundless.

The Guru appointed him a seat and said: You are a saint to guide the people towards religiousness. On the one hand you will rule the kingdom,

second, you will remain immersed in the Lord's love, third, you will guide the people towards religiousness.

In this way after putting the people on the true religious path of recitation of the Lord's name with love and forming a holy congregation, the Guru, like a showering cloud departed to bless others.

King Shivnabh shed tears of love. It was difficult for him to bear the separation. People also wanted him to stay for more time.

But the Guru said: Wherever the Lord sends, I have to go.

When the Guru departed, a voice came from the heavens. The pious soul's eyes closed. He felt as if some unseen power is taking him somewhere with speed. When he opened his eyes again, he was standing in the mid-sky and the fairy mother was standing close by.

Fairy MothenWhat is Name? Have you seen? How the king got into 'Love of the Lord and recitation of Name'? How he got sublime consciousness and his body soul immersed in the Supreme soul? Have you got the reply of 'Endeavour in what'?

Pious soul: This panorama was a reply to my question. A story that is four hundred years old, I could see as if it is actually happening and how Guru Nanak dyed the persons in the love of the Lord. You are great.

Fairy Mother: Faith is supreme in this endeavour. The love spark becomes bigger and bigger with endeavour. Faith is life. Doubt is lifelessness. You had put me a question. I love you. So I have shown you that to love is to remember and love is life. But to get a priceless thing takes time. It requires grace. Be watchful. Faith is not in rituals. Faith is the vision of the soul. Have faith that the Lord is present, here, there, everywhere. This is the first stair for going on the religious path. Next is the incessant sensation of the presence of the Lord in the mind and body. This is sublime consciousness. One who has this sublime consciousness, then immersion of the body soul in the Supreme soul is the final step.

That means: The mind has to climb the mountain of faith and cross the valley of sensation to reach the Lord's palace.

Faith is not thoughtlessness. But also understand that desires do not arise in the sublime mind.

When the desires go out of the mind and faith comes in the form of sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body, then the sensation becomes incessant and the soul blossoms, beyond that, is immersion of body soul in the Supreme soul i.e. the Lord. That happens as a grace from the Lord.

Pious soul: Mother, it is all your benevolence.

Fairy Mother: Do you know where are you?

Pious soul: You said, the first stairs is to have firm faith that the Lord is present here, there, everywhere. How does one have this firm faith?

Fairy Mother: With Name, by recitation of Name by the tongue, by remembrance of Name in the mind.

Then the pious soul saw groups and groups of saintly and loving people with lustrous faces in white dresses and singing the divine songs coming down towards the earth from distant regions.

Pious soul: Mother, why such handsome and cool people are going to my hot earth?

Fairy Mother: Your earth is hot with people with hatred and envy.

Those who are in the forgetfulness of the Lord, those who do not love the Lord, they are hot.

Those who are in love of the Lord, for them the earth is delightful. The earth is a garden of roses.

Pious soul: It is true. The earth is a delightful place. But dear mother why are these handsome people going down?

Fairy Mother: Today, is the birthday of the true Guru Nanak Dev. Pious people on earth in memory of the Guru are offering gratitude and saying prayers, giving charity and celebrating it with happiness. To see their love of the Guru and give them spiritual joy, this congregation from the unseen world is going down. By showing king Shivnabh's love of the Guru, I have explained to you the purpose of the Guru, whose birthday we are celebrating today, going to the earth in human form and how and what work he did in the world. You, who are the Guru disciple, like Mansukh, love the Lord and then spread this 'love of the Lord' to others. Make others Lord loving. O son, you can go now.

Pious soul: Mother, why can't you keep me here?

Fairy Mother: No son. It is not the Lord's wish just now.

Now the earthly eyes of the pious soul opened. What he saw was that he was sleeping on his own bed. The scene of the heavenly spheres was still there in his eyes. It was charming. The moon has gone down. The stars have faded. It is pinching cold but is pleasing the mind. His body is light like a flower. He has got the sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body cells. His mind is tranquil and in ecstasy.

Some sleep is a fortunate sleep. Even the saints and angels wish for it. It is all 'Lord's grace'.

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