It is the ocean i.e. the sea, the sandy beach. See the nice and clean sand. It seems somebody has washed, cleaned and spread a flooring of sand. At one place a carpet is laid, on which is sitting a Muslim saint of late middle age. He has some worldly happiness on his forehead and his eyes show some concentration of mind. He is playing in the sand. He is not playing games that the children play or the young play for bodily exercise. But they are games that show worldly desires in him. They are called supernatural powers. He is driving the carpet on the sand. He is sailing on the carpet in the sea. When he does all this, then he feels happy. He is spending his time in trying to increase his concentration of mind to attain more supernatural powers that he could use for worldly gains.
Suddenly, one day Guru Nanak came to this sea beach. The saint was impressed to see him. He looked towards him and with respect said: Welcome to you, O saint. The Guru shook hands with him with love. Then the saint kissed the Guru's hand, made him sit on the carpet and said: You are a saint. Saints are fond of outing. Come. Let us go for an outing on the sea.
Then the Guru said: O Makhdum, there is no boat visible. How shall we go on the sea?
Makhdum: This carpet will sail on the sea.
Guru: When you go for sailing on the carpet have you ever seen something in the sea?
Makhdum: Yes, once I saw a minaret.
Guru: Then you go and visit the minaret. I am sitting here. When you will come back, then we shall talk.
Makhdum: All right. Well and good. I will go.
See today, Guru Nanak is sitting on the same sea beach. Saado and Sheehan who accompanied him in this travel are sitting close by. Saado is reciting the scripture slowly in a soft tune. It is a beautiful weather and very pleasant.
Soon, Makhdum reached the sea beach. When he saw the Guru, he was delighted and said: Greetings to you.
Guru: Let us know how was your outing.
Makhdum: You know everything. It is because of your 'ideal disciples' that I have reached here otherwise my supernatural power had all finished. Guru: How?
Makhdum: O Guru, when I reached the minaret, it became evening. There were twenty saints sitting there. All were in meditation. I greeted them and also sat down. When, it was night twenty-one trays of food arrived. Everybody including myself had food. Then what I saw was that the entire night they were in meditation. In the morning, they went out. I was left alone. As the day ascended one ship came near and it was shaking. Then with folded hands I prayed to God that the ship should not drown. On my prayer, the ship was saved.
At night, all the twenty saints came and sat down. But the food did not arrive. They sat there in meditation at night and went away in the morning.
I was left alone. Now, what I saw was that the minaret was going to collapse. Again, I made a prayer that the minaret should not fall. On my prayer, the minaret was saved. At night the twenty saints came and sat down but the food did not arrive again.
Then they pondered: Someone amongst us has done something that was not as per the Lord's will. That might be the reason why food has not arrived for the last two days. All right. But whatever the Lord does, we should accept it as good.
Then I told them that I have done two kind deeds. One is that I have saved a ship from drowning. Second is that I have saved this minaret from falling down.
Then one of them asked: Have you saved them?
I said: Yes, I have saved them.
They asked: Who are you?
I said: My name is Makhdum Bahawadi: I am a religious head.
They said: O Holy man, this is not a place for religious heads or kings. Religious heads and kings are befitting in the world. One can tread on the path towards the Lord with humility only. The religious heads and kings remain in pride.
I felt ashamed and left the place. I sat on the carpet on the sea but the carpet did not move. It was not drowned but it did not sail. I sat on water for eight hours.
In the evening, those twenty saints came again. On seeing me they asked: O Holy man, why are you sitting on the water? It will get dark at night.
Then I said: What should I do? My carpet does not sail. It is stuck here on water.
Then they (who were your disciples, I have come to know now) said: You pray to Guru Nanak so that your carpet may sail.
Then O my sweet Guru Nanak I prayed to you and was able to reach here.
Guru: O religious Head, did you see anything?
Makhdum: O dear, you know everything. It is because of your benevolence and the benevolence of your disciples that I have reached here.
Then the Guru looked towards the saint with merciful eyes and said: 'In forgetfulness of the Lord, one gets trapped in worldly desires'. The 'swan mind' becomes 'eagle mind'.
Then the saint fell at the Guru's feet and asked, "O Gracious Guru, why did this happen?"
Guru, "O Holy man, on what path are you treading?" You have done extreme ascetic practices, kept fasts, gave suffering to your body and meditated for concentration of mind. You did all that for what? Your attention remained towards worldly desires. The desire to attain supernatural powers and become famous remained in your mind. If you made efforts to concentrate your mind, then you should have turned your mind towards the Lord. Then by remembrance of the Lord and singing His praises you would have got ecstasy. You would have got elevation of mind and eternal happiness. If you could sail the carpet on the sea, what did you gain in that? If you did some goodness to save the ship, you prayed to the Lord but the ego came and sat in your head that you saved the ship as also the minaret. If you saved the ship and the minaret, then you are the saviour. Where is the Lord who is the saviour? Then you see, your entire strength of concentration of mind finished. Your carpet did not sail. If you had remained in recitation of the Lord's name, in His incessant remembrance, if you had accepted that whatever the Lord does is His will, then the Lord's strength would have worked according to His will. On what path are you treading? It smells awfully of the dirt of ego. Let your mind rise above the earth. Even if you become famous and a big saint and the people say, O he is a big saint, what is the gain? The world is perishable.
Nobody stays forever. Who has stayed here forever? Everybody has to go to the Lord's court. Even if you have a big name in the world but you do not have 'Love of the Lord', then you won't be respected in the Lord's court. So, it is better that you love the Lord and get into 'recitation of the Lord's name with love.'
Again, the Guru said: O Makhdum, this world is a temporary house. One considers it permanent but it's not so. One has to leave it one day. You live in everlasting happiness. Live in the recitation of the Lord's name. That is a house of eternal happiness.
On listening to the true words of the Guru 'indifference towards worldly riches and supernatural. powers' dominated his mind. The dirt of ego on his mind was washed.
But even after getting so close to the fountain of grace, he did not perceive that the Guru is the prophet and 'I should seek his blessings'.
He said: What should I do that I live in the house of eternal happiness?
The Guru smiled and said: Look for a spiritual guide.
Makhdum: O Nanak, whom should I make my spiritual guide?
Guru: Go and ask Sheikh Braham. Whoever is his spiritual guide, you make him too.
The saint bowed to the Guru and went away.
When the saint went away, then Saado asked the Guru: Beloved Guru, this saint had supernatural powers. He did goodness in saving the ship and the minaret. Why his strength was gone?
Guru: He had been concentrating his mind for worldly fame but he was not in 'love of the Lord'. When the mind concentrates it becomes strong. This concentration of mind helps in fulfillment of desires. But to have elevation of mind and the Lord's sensation in the 'mind and heart' and drinking the Lord's nectar, that is something very high. Those who are on this true path do not indulge in supernatural powers. This saint has done ascetic practices and is a pious saint but he has to wash the dirt of 'ego and desires' from his mind and turn it towards 'love of the Lord'. His strength failed him because he used his supernatural power beyond his capacity. His power was limited. Unlimited power, only the Lord has. His mind was not attuned to the 'limitless powered' Lord, so the limitless power of the Lord did not come to him.
Ill
Now, the saint in sorrow and happiness with an overriding desire to find a spiritual guide went and met Sheikh Braham whom people also called Sheikh Farid. He related everything to Sheikh Braham.
Then he said: O beloved of the Lord what should I do to save myself. This world is a temporary residence. The house of eternal happiness is something else. I have not learnt to live in that house. I have done all ascetic practices including fasts etc. I have got supernatural powers. But whatever words I listened from the twenty saints of the minaret and Guru Nanak, I am feeling dejected that what for am I nurturing worldly desires in my mind? The words of the Guru are echoing in my ears:
The swan mind has become a vulture mind that means I am a vulture that eats dead bodies.
Sheikh Braham: O dear, Oh no! The Guru has said, 'you are a swan'. He has not said that you are a vulture eating dead bodies. Why are you feeling dejected?
You are a swan but you are behaving like a vulture. These supernatural powers are worldly desires. The worldly desires are perishable. So, you are in perishable desires. The swan lives on very clean lakes. The clean lakes are on high mountains. They are very clean and fill us with ecstasy. So, the Guru has said, you are a swan but in vulture act.
Makhdum: Yes, you are right. The Guru has got too much power.
Sheikh Braham: Yes, he is powerful but the river of love that is overflowing from him, did you not have a dip in it?
Makhdum: I was impressed by his power. When I asked him what should I do, then he told me to ask you.
Sheikh Braham (tears in eyes): It is the Lord's wish! He may not give to those who are awake Or he may awake a sleeping person and give
Makhdum: How?
Sheikh Braham: I was also in ascetic practices, fasts, etc. He only washed my mind of the dirt of 'ego and desires'. He only gave me the sensation of the Lord in my mind, heart and body. Having met him, why did you not fall at his feet? He is the prophet of the world. Whom else are you searching for? It is Lord's will! You saw him, you met him, you realized his power, you bowed to him, you fell at his feet but you did not perceive that he is the real Guru. He is the prophet of the prophets.
Makhdum: I saw but my eyes remained closed. I woke up but again slept. I realized his power but lost in ignorance. Yes. He said, whom Sheikh Braham has accepted, is the Guru.
Sheikh Braham: It is he who has blessed me with inner happiness. You remain in longing of his glimpse. Crave for his love and do what he has asked
you to do. You yourself told me that he said, 'Do goodness and recite the Lord's name with love'.
Is this not a command? You remain in the endeavour of Name. He will meet you again. It is his natural repute that he meets those who love him. When he will meet you, you will get his grace. You will feel ecstasy. You will be in rapture. You will drink the Lord's nectar. One drinks the Lord's nectar when the Guru is gracious. It is all grace and grace only. You cannot boast. You cannot get it by stubbornness. To feel ecstasy is grace.
Makhdum: I saw but my eyes did not open. I heard but my ears did not listen. It was my shortcoming that I reached the door but could not reach the goal. I met him but I missed him. I understood but did not perceive. Oh my fate! Luck did not favour me.
Sheikh Braham: Your feeling sorry is wrong. Fortunate are the eyes that have got a glimpse of Guru Nanak. Fortunate are the ears that have listened to Guru Nanak. You have met him. You have got him. Now, remain in remembrance of the Lord. That will be like sitting with Guru Nanak in your mind. Recite the Lord's Name with love. Remain steadfast in Name. He will meet you again.
In this way, after getting guidance and blessings from 'the Guru blessed Sheikh Braham', Makhdum went to his place of residence and treaded earnestly on the path of 'recitation of the Lord's Name with love'.
Later, when the Guru went to Multan and it is said that the saints of Multan brought a bowl full of milk and put it in front of the Guru. At that time while in travel from Achal to Multan the Guru stayed in the forest at some place.
Makhdum, then heard about his travel and rushed to meet him on the way.
Then the Guru was gracious and the saint who was reciting the Lord's Name for a long time felt elevated and was filled with ecstasy. He got the sensation of the Lord in his mind, heart and body and got everlasting inner happiness.
DODO