Nice, beautiful, lovely, cool, breeze is gently blowing, the pompous sun is setting and a stream of clear shining water is flowing. On the bank of this stream is a small garden. In the garden is a small hut.
A settee is placed in the garden. On it, is sitting an elderly person in a squatting position. His beard is long and pure white. His face is shining red although signs of old age are visible.
The sun has already set in the evening. Now, the morning light came. The old man opened his eyes, heaved a sigh and sang a verse in Persian language that meant: O Formless and Unseen Lord, I ignored all forms and appearances and concentrated my mind on you. But alas! You did not give a glimpse of your self. I could not see your form, that these earthly eyes may have your glimpse in any form. Before these eyes close forever, at least once they may have a glimpse of your radiance. My mind that was craving is in despair. My heart that was throbbing for your glimpse is in despair. My chest that rose and swelled has shrunk in despair. But O Lord of the heavens, you did not give a glimpse. My body did not get the love of your embrace. Come, come I am in longing. Come, come my death is waiting.
Come, come before my traces disappear and are lost, that I may have your glimpse. O formless Lord of the heavens.
The old man said all this and wept bitterly. Tears flowed down his eyes like rain. He imagined the setting of the sun and the setting of his own 'sun of life' in the same way. Again, he cried. He thought death could come at any time. Again, he cried in despair.
It was evening now and it was getting colder, that his ears heard the ringing of bells.
Like, the ringing of bells of Laila's camel brought joy to Majnu's heart, similarly the old man felt a joy and he said: Welcome! Old friend, you are at an advantage. You have kept your beloved on your chest and always visible. Whatever it is, but you have not spent your entire life in longing and yearning, waiting for the beloved. Whatever you thought you got But, whatever I thought, hoping and hoping, the hope vanished. For whom I hoped, it became despair. The life is almost spent and life is almost gone. Still the grace of the glimpse is not in my lap. Welcome! Braham Das, O friend, come. Today, I should become your devotee and that should be all right. I quit this Islamic saintliness and let us try this idol worship.
The old man said all this to the visitor, a handsome, healthy, pandit, Braham Das of good age. He is wearing a long shirt, on his head is a yellow turban and on his chest is hanging a stone idol.. Behind him are coming, two camel loads with eighteen big scriptures and other religious books.
In the garden was placed another settee with a carpet spread on it that was exclusively kept for this Brahmin.
So, he came and sat down there and greeted his old friend who was sitting on another settee, whose name was Kamaal.
Kamaal returned the greetings and after asking about each other's welfare, Kamaal said: O friend, I am in despair. I think I should get into idol worship.
Braham Das: What are you saying today? I was always telling you to do idol worship. Worshipping the formless God may or may not bring any positive results. Better you get into idol worship.
Kamaal: O friend, you were born in a Hindu family. You are a born idol worshipper. I was born in a Muslim family. I am born as non-worshipper of idols. But we became friends, while in school in childhood only. You got inclined towards spiritualism and so was I. You got a stone god in your house. I tried to find some formless living power. But alas! Almost the entire life gone, there is no glimpse of the Lord of the heavens so far. Now, I see death ahead. O friend, you tell if you have got some peace of mind, then I should follow your path. See, my condition. I have renounced my house and family. I have done austerities and penances. I have kept fasts. But despite the sufferings that I have given to this body my boat is in the ocean and I cannot see the shore. Today is the third day of my fast. Sometimes, that Jumma milkman calls at this time and I buy some milk from him, but for three days he has not come.
Braham Das: O friend, what are you asking me? My beloved is this stone god. I worship this god twice, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Then I keep two camel loads of scriptures along with me. I do penances and fasts. Time goes by in spending twice in worship and rest in reading the scriptures.
Time has passed and is passing, but even I have not had any glimpse so far. You are welcome to do idol worship. Time will pass easily. But so far as realization is concerned, even I am there where you are. You are a spiritual Head and I am a pious saint, but if you talk of realizing the Lord, then the truth is that both of us are away from that goal.
Kamaal: You have dashed all my hopes. Today, I had almost decided to start idol worship but as you have said you are also in despair. Whatever is in destiny we have to bear.
breeze, move my boat of life Maybe the beloved bestows a glimpse
Braham Das: Yes, we will keep on talking but let us have something to eat Saying this, he sent his camel driver to bring food.
Kamaal: What has happened to the milkman?
Braham Das: Don't you know? There is a new happening for which I have come to take your advice. That is, that one saint has come and is staying in the forest for the last fourteen days. They say, he does not eat anything or he just eats leaves and fruits. He is wearing leather shoes and a leather jacket. He has a saffron dot on his forehead. He has two companions. One is a washer man and one is ironsmith. I heard that one day, this Jumma milkman talked to him insultingly. Then what happened was that all his goats started dying one by one. Then he fell at the saint's feet and asked forgiveness.
Then the saint said: You go and say 'O Lord' in the ears of your goats.
Well, the moment he said this word in the ears of the goats they stood up as healthy as before.
On seeing this miracle, Jumma has left his house and is at his service only.
Two days later, the owner of the goats went in search of him. He saw that the goats were grazing in the open and Jumma was at the service of the saint Even the owner was so much impressed that he also fell at the saint's feet and is in service there.
News spread in the city and people thronged to have a glimpse of the saint. Everybody is praising. I also had a mind to go, but I feel ashamed. Myself being a renowned saint and my ego does not allow me to walk to meet him.
Till now, we do not know who he is?
Maybe he is like myself, a Lord's servant in name only. That is why, I
have come to you and seek your advice because we are old friends since childhood and we share ideas with each other. Tell what should I do?
Kamaal (heaving a sigh): All my hopes are gone. Not even a ray of hope is left. I am in total despair. O Braham Das, O friend, whom are you waiting for?
Leap and meet him and take me also. O friend, what respect and what fear?
The entire life is gone. Death is imminent. It is staring. Maybe the Lord is gracious. Meanwhile, the camel driver brought food. The sad Kamaal gulped down some food and had a few sips of water and said: Thanks to you, O Lord. You have never come out of a veil.
Both of them, old friends but in different faiths like fire and water, talked about their sorrows and went away to their homes. But it was decided that they should meet the newly arrived saint.
The night is passing. The moon and the stars are moving smoothly under the command of the Lord. But man, not going by the command of the Lord, is self-willed, wandering un-restrained and stumbling. Kamaal is feeling restless. He is not able to sleep. He gets a longing. O Lord, why should I wait for a message from Braham Das? He has hundreds of followers. This ego will not let him go, for how many days, nobody knows.
My mind is writhing. I am in sadness for my wasted life. What ego and what thinking? What Muslim religion or what Hindu religion? Whether there is realization or not? Whether a glimpse has come or not? O mind let me go.
It was not even daybreak that Kamaal got up and went He had already got the address from Braham Das. He reached there.
In the forest, the fire was lit and its light was spreading all over. Two young men with very handsome faces were sitting. One side the fire was lit and on the other side their faces were shining.
Kamaal felt delighted to see the handsome faces. He went forward and greeted the persons.
Seehan: Come, respected old gentleman. You have come so early.
Kamaal: How early? I have wasted my time. I have come after wasting my entire life.
Seehan: Whoever has reached here, his time is not wasted. Kamaal: Are you the saint? Seehan: I am a servant. Kamaal: Where is the saint?
Seehan: He is strolling at the head of the fountain. Kamaal: I am impatient Should I wait or should I take the liberty of going there?
Seehan: You can go by all means. The nectar has no scom for anyone. Love has no hatred for anyone.
After hearing these nice words, when Kamaal came near the godly soul, who was strolling, his eyes felt a magical charm.
In the shining moonlight and the light rays from the fire he saw a dazzle that he had never seen before. Powerless and impatient he fell at the Guru's feet and clamped his feet. He felt as if he is without a body, without a mind, without any consciousness. His soul got immersed in the Guru's love and he was filled with ecstasy and rapture.
When he regained consciousness after a long time, he found his head in the lap of the true Guru, rubbing his loving hands on Kamaal's head and somebody singing a divine song.
Kamaal has now no need to ask anything. The very touch of the true Guru has given tranquility to his mind. He is in ecstasy. This ecstasy has made him free from all desires of life. He is in ecstasy. Say, the Lord of ecstasy has come and settled in his body. He has now realized that whom he tried to see with his outwardly looking eyes could not be seen like that. It was now, that he got immersed in this love and felt ecstasy. This was the real thing.
Kamaal has got the living sensation of the Lord in his body cells and he has rapture in his eyes. The earth, the sky, the stars, wherever he sees he sees a divine love being showered. When he closes his eyes, he feels rapture inside. He feels all ecstasy and happiness. When he opens his eyes, he feels all happiness being showered. He is feeling a wondrous-ness. He is feeling the presence of the Lord everywhere. In this ecstasy, the sun rose.
The true Guru said: Kamaal, you are blessed. Go and live in this rapture. This is life. This is the incessant glimpse. Live in the incessant remembrance of the Lord. You are blessed.
Kamaal doesn't want to reply or ask anything. He has no wish even to talk further. His heart burning is gone. He is tranquil. He is reciting the Lord's name automatically. He is in ecstasy. He is in happiness and comfort.
The true Guru has given him love of the Lord and immersed him in that love. He took permission and went away engrossed in love.
Ill
Another couple of days passed. Every day, Braham Das gets ready to go and have a glimpse of the godly saint, but the ego that 'what will his followers say that he himself is such a big saint and has gone to another saint to have his
blessings' doesn't let him go. He would leave his house, come halfway, but he could not overcome his pride.
But again, he saw Kamaal's sadness of the previous day and his fear of the coming death. Then he would think about his own coming death and in despair start moving ahead again, but his unseen pride would again tie his feet and make him sit down.
Three days passed like this. On the fourth day, his mind again said: My heart is throbbing. The more I stop it the more it throbs.
Then he got up and starting walking towards where the godly saint was staying. He walked and sang:
"Get up Farid, roam the world
Maybe you come across a blessed soul
You will also be blessed, " says Farid. He is walking. He has a stone god hanging from his neck. Behind, are two camels loaded with scriptures. In his mind is an ego equivalent to the height of a camel. Hesitatingly he reached. He was astonished to see the dress: Saffron dot on the forehead and a leather jacket on the body.
Then he said: You are a sadhu. Why are you wearing leather and why have you tied ropes? Then you have put a saffron dot on your forehead. What is your sect? When the Guru heard these words, then his eyes closed and he sang a divine verse:
The Lord is one. His door is one
Only a ritual is the god in stone
The true path is Name
The Guru gives the Name The true Guru sang these lines in such a melodious tune that immediately Braham Das' eyes closed. When he opened his eyes he saw that the Guru was not there. Bhai Hassu was sitting. Braham Das looked towards him and said: O companion of the Guru, I know Sanskrit and Persian. I have listened to the sweet verse but I have not understood its meaning. Can you tell me the meaning?
Hassu: O Brother, it is very simple. You could not see the Lord with your eyes. So, you made a sculpture of a god in stone and hung it from your neck so that the eyes remain satiated that they are seeing the god. But the Lord is not an object that can be seen with these eyes.
That handsome Lord is one.
His palace is one.
His door is one.
The way to reach Him is one. The true Guru is the guide to show the way and you reach Him through His name. His presence is felt inside the body and not by the thoughts of the mind. By His grace and with remembrance of His name one can perceive the unseen.
The pandit was sitting and trying to understand all this, but then he again saw the Guru sitting. He bowed his head and said: O godly saint, when the world was not created, then where was the Lord?
Guru: The Lord is Infinite. Nobody can find the end. Nanak is immersed in His love and in wondrousness, is singing His praises.
Braham Das listened attentively and when the singing stopped he fell at the Guru's feet He threw away the stone from his neck.
The Guru said: Recite the Lord's name and do service.
Braham Das started doing service there, but in his mind he thought: Even earlier I was doing service, even now I am doing service, but some attraction is not letting me go.
Actually, Braham Das was an intellectual pandit. First, he practiced Vedanta, then he started idol worship. Then he met a saint from Nepal. He put him on service to humanity. He saw that God is in humanity. So, service to humanity is service to God. So, Braham Das was reading the scriptures, doing idol worship and was also doing service to the people.
Now, again the Guru told him to do service.
So, one day he said: I had not realized the Lord earlier and even now it is the same, what should I do?
Then the Guru said: Go and fix a spiritual guide.
Then the pandit said: From where shall I get a spiritual guide?
The Guru said: Go to the forest. In the hut there, four sadhus are sitting. They will tell you.
Braham Das bowed and went to the forest. He met the four sadhus sitting there. He said to them: Who is my spiritual guide?
They were quiet for a few minutes. Then they said: You go ahead. Your spiritual guide is in the temple there.
Then the pandit went ahead. He saw one temple at a little distance. When he reached there he saw one beautiful woman clad in a red dress. When he bowed his head to her, then she gave him a blow with her sandal.
He felt miserable and returned to the sadhus and said: O sadhus, she was not a spiritual guide. She was some wicked lady.
Sadhu: No. She was the 'desires' of whom you are a disciple.
Braham Das: How is it that 'desires' is my spiritual guide?
Sadhu: Spiritual guide is someone whom you love most. You love the 'desires' day and night. So, your spiritual guide is the 'desires'.
Braham Das: My entire life, I have spent in worshipping the idol and am doing service to humanity. Is it love of the desires?
Sadhu: See your inner self. See your desires. All the time your mind is wandering. The desires and passions are attracting your mind. Your mind is in fear and anxiety and is wandering aimlessly. The service that you do for the humanity, you do in the thinking that they are the needy people and I am the giver. You feel you are their benefactor. You are praiseworthy. This is also a desire. This is pride. O pandit, when you say 'I am doing service' you are fuelling ego in yourself. Then you have attachment with the people whom you serve. Their fears and anxieties influence your mind and make it dirty. You have not known what is service to the Lord. You have to do service thinking that it is a command of the Lord. Then you have to do it in His name. You have not to do service with ego nor have any attachment with those whom you serve.
With such service the dirt of the mind goes. Then when the grace comes and with remembrance of Name one meets the Lord. The idol worship that you did was for fame, that you become known as a big saint. The idols that you are hanging from your neck, people say, he is a big saint. The two camel loads of scriptures you carry along, people say he is an intellectual pandit.
You have not done all this as a hypocrite but as 'I am a very good pandit'.
This is ego. Now, you tell whether your spiritual guide is the 'desires' or
not?
Then the 'desires' are such that the more you go after them the more they eat you up. So, your spiritual guide has given you the fruit that it has. It has only suffering.
Braham Das patiently listened to his shortcomings. He felt ashamed and sweated profusely. But alas! It is true. It is sour, but it is the truth. This sour truth worked as a medicine. He cried and said: I did not ask you who my present spiritual guide is? Actually I wanted to know whom should I make my spiritual guide, that I get salvation.
Sadhu: Braham Das, do you know what is experience? It is something that you see with your own eyes. Previously, you were in desires and you were one with the desires. You never perceived the desires and yourself as separate.
Now, you have seen the desires. You have also seen the fruit of desires. Now only, you will want yourself to keep away from desires. The true spiritual guide is the one whom you have already met. He is the true spiritual guide of the universe. You thought him to be an ordinary saint and you questioned him. You could not see him as a saviour, because the veil of 'ego and desires' was on your mind. You had never seen the 'ego and desires' and the mind separately. You could not see him as the true spiritual guide. You asked him about another spiritual guide. So, O pandit, if you had seen 'ego and desires' as separate from the mind, then you would have recognized him as the true spiritual guide. You would not have asked the ocean, which is the way to the ocean. But you could see the ocean only when the veil of 'ego and desires' was gone from your mind. Now, O pandit, don't feel sad. You have seen your present spiritual guide and your future spiritual guide. You can now decide what you wish.
Braham Das today realized: It was my own mind that was deceiving me. How could I feel rightly? I was trapped in the ego and desires. They gave me a blow of sandal and opened my eyes. What thanks to 'ego and desires', actually it is those sadhus who have taken me out of its trap and make me see the right.
So, the sadhus made him see the 'ego and desires' as separate. His mind separated from the 'ego and desires' and became crystal.
Now, he got a spark of love in him. He felt a pull. He felt a longing for the godly soul whom he had thought as an ordinary saint. He repented, "Oh! I was ignorant about the Guru being such a big, true, heavenly light. I thought he was an ordinary saint. How sad! This veil of 'ego and desires' had kept my eyes closed. The past is gone. At least now I should seek his blessings."
In this thinking, he bade goodbye to the sadhus and came back and fell at the Guru's feet.
Today, when Braham Das came and fell at the Guru's feet, musicians were singing Arti and Sohila. The Guru was sitting immersed in the love of the Lord. The true Guru put his hand that has come to cool the fire of the world that has come to join the separated minds with the Lord, on Braham Das' head. This auspicious hand is joining Braham Das' separated mind with the Lord.
The fortunate hand is moving oti the head and making Braham Das' soul drink the nectar from the Lord's lotus feet. It is giving the sensation of the presence of the Lord in his mind that he had never felt before. It is awakening his mind from a slumber. It is giving life to a lifelessly living heart. It is making Braham Das a beloved of the Lord. It is joining his soul that has remained separated from the Lord all his life.
After some time, the true Guru lifted his head.
Braham Das feels a loving sensation of the presence of the Lord settled in his body and feels ecstasy. He feels his body soul immersed in the love of the Lord and is in extreme rapture.
Like, the rivers enter the sea but they do not know how big the sea is. They immerse in the sea and are delighted. Similarly, the body soul gets immersed in the Supreme Soul and feels the rapture. It does not go after how big is the Supreme Soul. So, Braham Das' soul has got immersed in the Supreme Soul and he is in ecstasy.
It is afternoon, but the region is cold. It is pleasant and Kamaal is sitting in his garden near the stream. He was reciting the Lord's name and feeling the sensation when Braham Das arrived.
Kamaal: Welcome Brother, my real brother. You have got an awakening. You are fortunate. Congratulations.
But Braham Das was tongue-tied. He replied with a few drops of tears from his eyes.
Kamaal got up and both, a Hindu and a Muslim, who were apart despite their friendship, embraced each other. The barriers of caste, faith and ego were all gone. Hindu and Muslim became one gold in Guru Nanak's lap.
They embraced each other again and again. O Brother, my real brother, both of them said. After meeting in this way they sat down.
A short while later, Bhai Hassu dropped in. Both of them made him sit with great respect. Everybody praised Guru Nanak and the Lord. Then they started talking about holy company.
Kamaal: Why couldn't I see the Lord?
Hassu: He could not be seen with these eyes. He can see everyone but no one can see Him. It is not possible that we may see Him with these eyes. The rivers meet the sea. The sea takes them into its lap. The rivers cannot see how big is the sea. They are happy getting immersed in it.
Kamaal: Why I could not get immersed in the Lord?
Hassu: You were trying to find the end of the Infinite. You were not in his love and incessant remembrance. You closed your eyes and tried to imagine a formless god according to your own imagination. That was your own mind only.
Like, in a dream the mind imagines and draws pictures on its own. Similarly, you imagined a god like that. So, it was your own mind that was standing in front of you. You had no touch of the Infinite. When you are not in touch of the Lord, then you are separated from Him. The mind is away from the Lord, at a distance from Him.
Braham Das was hanging a stone god sculptured by somebody's mind. You were hanging your self-imagined god from your neck. So, both of you were away from the Lord. When you met Guru Nanak, then he joined your mind through your body soul with the Supreme Soul. Your body soul got immersed in the Supreme soul. Immersion means your body soul is in constant touch with the Supreme soul. Whatever sensation you are feeling incessantly is immersion of body soul in Supreme Soul.
Kamaal: It has been a grace to me, but is there any path towards this?
Hassu: Grace is the path. The Lord's grace is everything. Grace is the path. Grace is Name. Name is the path. Name is grace. The Lord's Name is the blessing from the Guru.
With Name the inner mind blossoms like a lotus and gets dyed in the love of the Lord all the time and one gets the incessant sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body that gives ecstasy.
This ecstasy is not like the pleasure of bodily passions that goes away quickly.
Braham Das: You tell us the state of mind of a saint who is in the incessant remembrance of the Lord.
Hassu. The mind that is in the incessant remembrance of the Lord is away from worldly desires. The mind is under control and the mind has the sensation of the presence of the Lord in the body at all times and is in ecstasy.
Like, when a child is in the mother's lap, the touch of the mother's lap keeps the child delighted.
Similarly, the mind is in ecstasy with the touch of the divine lap.
The mind does not wander in anxiety, fear, worry and other worldly entanglements. The sensation of the presence of the Lord keeps it tranquil. One is in rapture.
Braham Das: The Guru's grace has awakened my sleeping soul. I feel the sensation that the Guru has given me, that is what you have also said. This must be the incessant remembrance or it will become. This is the inner feeling. What will be the outer feeling and vision?
Hassu: Those who have got the Guru's blessings are in wondrousness. They sing the praises of the Lord in wondrousness.
Braham Das: Please elaborate this.
Hassu: A person immersed in the Lord's love does not see things as they are. He sees the Lord in everything. Like, a thirsty person, if he sees an orange, then he sees the thirst quenching and delicious orange juice in it But a child who has not tasted an orange sees its nice color and roundness. He considers it a ball to play. He is not able to feel the delicious orange juice in it.
In the same way, the person in the love of the Lord sees wondrousness in everything. And that keeps him in wondrousness.
He sees nectar in everything and remains in the Name and praise of the Lord. The mind remains elevated.
Our beloved Guru sees wonder in everything. He says:
Music is rapturous. Scriptures are rapturous.
Life is rapturous. Humans, animals, vegetation is rapturous.
Beauty is rapturous. Colors are rapturous.
Seeing the animals moving naked is rapturous.
Earth is rapturous. Mineral resources are rapturous.
Seeing people entangled in desires is rapturous.
Seeing people born and dying, one feels rapture.
Seeing the hunger and the charm of senses, one feels rapture.
The Lord's praise and hymns are rapturous.
Seeing some on true path and some on wrong path, one feels rapture.
Some see Him near. Some see Him far. It is rapturous.
Seeing the wonders, I go into rapture.
Seeing the Omnipresent everywhere is rapturous.
To have this wondrous feeling is to be fortunate. Braham Das: When the incessant remembrance is in the mind and outwardly is wondrousness then where does this service stand? I was told to do service first.
Hassu: See, we are not just the mind we are body also. We are not just thinking only. We are in action also. We are not just intuitive mind we are in sensation also. We are not just body we are a personality also. Our personality is a combination of everything. To be immersed in the Lord's love or so to say, to be in the incessant remembrance of the Lord, who is the creator, giver of nourishment to all and saviour, is our inner connection.
In this way, our mind remains in ecstasy. When this elevated mind is in wondrousness, then it sees beauty in everything and sings the praises of the Lord. Everything beautiful makes the mind praise the Lord. It gets ecstasy from everything. Sometimes, when you see anything beautiful, it takes you in wondrousness. At that time, if some desire comes in the mind then the feeling of wondrousness goes away or becomes weak. All these feelings are of an elevated mind. These feelings are beyond the feelings of the five senses of the body. We are a body. Our body instincts are similar to those of animals. In trying to control the body passions stubbornly by penances and fasts the body becomes weak and sometimes ill. They have to be controlled in the way that the Guru guides us. This path only the benevolent Guru has shown us.
Do not kill these five instincts. Make them your servants. Rein the mind as the rider reins the horse.
By recitation of Name, singing of divine songs and singing of praises of the Lord, these instincts are automatically controlled. Then there should be a novel way of controlling these instincts. That novel way is service.
The nature of our mind is such that it feels happy to take, acquire, grab and boast Now, if one goes stubbornly against these instincts, then one will feel dejected and in suffering, but if one makes a habit of 'giving with pleasure' then the animal instinct will become a manly instinct or so to say a saintly instinct. The animal takes and grabs and feels happy. Man also does the same, but somebody who feels happy to give, then automatically his instinct of grabbing is gone.
Then whoever wants to become a saint, the Guru tells him to do service to the Guru and the saints. In this service, man catches the goodness from the saints. This service makes him humble. Humility washes the dirt of the mind. And on the top of it, the Guru's and the saint's blessings wash the dirt of the mind. His ego is gone that is the veil between our self and the Lord.
The result is, that the mind becomes ready to settle the Name in it.
The fruit of 'service to humanity' is 'settling the Name' in the mind.
Other service done for show off is not right. Service is to cleanse the mind so that the Name settles in it The Guru suggests service in the Name of the Lord. Those who do not do service in the Name of the Lord, their mind is not cleansed, because they do it with ego in their mind. Ego is bondage. Anything done with ego keeps you in bondage. Their fruit of service does not clean the mind. Our deeds are bad. We go after our mind and our mind is full of desires. As such our actions keep us in un-ending desires. To break this shackle of desires, the Guru guides our actions towards 'service to the Guru and the holy people' and he says it should be in the Name of the Lord.
When we do service in the Name of the Lord, then the ego goes away, the desires vanish and the mind becomes crystal.
Braham Das: That means the fruit of service is cleansing the mind. The service has to be done in the name of the Lord and not in ego or mercy or thinking that 'I am benevolent' or 'I am generous' or 'I am kind'. But in the thinking that the service will cleanse the mind and it is the Lord's command.
Braham Das: Any other service?
Hassu: When one is immersed in the Lord's love and sees wondrousness all around, even then the true Guru says that you have to live in this world and deal with people. That dealing is service. But, the service is in wondrousness and is natural.
So, again I tell you what is animal instinct. Animal instinct is that 'I should be in comfort, whether anybody else gets comfort or not'. Those whose thinking is like this, they are like animals. Animals have a mind but they have no intellect Man has intellect. He can think that if 'I do not care for the other person's comfort for the sake of my own comfort', similarly the other person also does not think of my comfort for the sake of his comfort. The result is, that in this way 'I am suffering' and the other person is also suffering.
Then he thinks that the remedy is that 'I should look to his comfort, then only I can expect that the other person will look to my comfort'.
So, when we start thinking in this way, and see to the right of the other person to expect goodness from us, then we become good and there is no suffering for anyone.
Now, he experiences that 'I am doing good to the other person in the hope that he will reciprocate', but he doesn't do that. Then he thinks, all right, let him do whatever he does, but 'I should stick to my goodness'. When such a thought comes, then it is a saintly nature.
Next, he will think, all right, the other person is not doing any good to me, it is his thinking, 'I should still forgive him and do my best whatever I think is good'. This is mercy. It is again a saintly nature.
The Guru says, that living in this world one becomes a saint in this way.
Then the Guru says, one should be satisfied with what one has.
Now, with these three things:
1. Doing goodness to others.
2. Forgiveness. And
3. Remaining satisfied and contented.
This is service to humanity because this is the best way to live in this world. Again, if you get suffering from others, then you should not change your attitude. When such a person is in the recitation of Name and thinks that everything happens as per the Lord's will, then he will not think that he is doing a sacrifice. It will be his nature to do goodness, forgive and be satisfied.
There is a dearth of such persons in the world, but Guru Nanak has made plentiful of such persons who are in the love of the Lord inwardly and outwardly are in doing good, forgiveness and satisfied.
Those whose vision is wondrousness their mind is elevated and they see the Lord everywhere. As I told you, a child 's vision of an orange is a ball but a man's vision is a delicious juice.
Similarly, those whose vision is wondrousness, they see the Lord everywhere.
When such enlightened persons deal with the world, they do not see the poverty, misery, right or wrong thinking, handsomeness or ugliness in the other person. They see the Lord everywhere. When they deal with anyone they deal with the Lord. Their mind is always in high spirits and in the remembrance of the Lord. With this elevated mind when they deal with any friend, enemy, known person, unknown stranger, man or animal, they deal with an elevated mind and a vision of wondrousness. They see the Lord everywhere. They do it in a relaxed way. It is their nature.
Their mind is not influenced towards the persons whom they are serving.
Their mind is influenced towards the Lord.
Like, the moonlight is falling on earth.
A tailor is stitching a shirt in that moonlight
His attention is in the needle, thread, shirt, money for stitching and the labour that he is doing.
But the partridge is looking at the moon intently.
It looks up, sees the moon, it looks inside, sees the moon. In its eyes is moonlight. All around he sees is moonlight. He sees the world but he sees the moonlight surrounding everybody, the moonlight falling on everybody's head.
The mind of the partridge, the vision of the partridge, the action of the partridge, its delight, play, blossom, making others happy, it is all on account of its seeing the moon.
It is having a rapturous glimpse of the moon, and is in joy and high spirits.
If by chance, the needle of the tailor falls down, then in a joy it will pick up the needle and give it to the tailor.
In this service, it will not boast that 'I have done a service'.
It sees only moonlight, around the tailor, around the needle, around its peak. It is doing service to the moonlight
Braham Das: If and when, this vision of wondrousness goes away and the remembrance slackens, then what should be done.
Hassu: If this vision of wondrousness goes away, then the mind has already the support that 'It is the Lord's will'. The vision of 'The Lord's will' should remain. If the vision of 'The Lord's will' becomes unsettled, then the vision of 'Forgiveness' should remain. If the vision of 'Forgiveness' becomes unsettled, then the vision of 'Doing good' should remain.
If the vision of 'Doing good' becomes unsettled, then one becomes like an animal.
Braham Das: Then what should be done?
Hassu: Take refuge under Guru Nanak's umbrella, pray to the Lord, keep company of holy people and do service. Braham Das: Anything else? Hassu: To read the scripture. Braham Das: What is that?
Hassu: Recitation of the Lord's name and singing of the divine songs. This is the topmost practice that makes 'a man from animal' and 'a saint from man'. Read the divine scripture and recite the Lord's name. Hassu's eyes closed. He remembered Guru Nanak's words: I adore the Guru who made saints from men.
Now, the Guru went to Kashmir. After reaching Kashmir, he did not go into the city. For fourteen days he stayed in the forest He remained a guest of the forest. People thronged to meet him. Whosoever came was blessed. Whosoever came got the Name. The Name settled in their hearts.
His praise spread like fragrance and everyone was blessed.
His praise spread so much that people from far-off places started coming and staying. The divine music was sung all day and night.
In this way, the garden of holy congregation blossomed in Kashmir for a long time.
Braham Das became a real saint. Guru Nanak appointed him a seat. Yes, the Guru now moved ahead.
Braham Das was appointed to sit in the gurdwara and continue the singing of divine songs and guide the people towards the religious path of 'Recitation of the Lord's name with love'. As per the Guru's wish, Braham Das settled here. But Kamaal went with the Guru.
For some time he travelled along with the Guru but then the Guru wished and asked him to go to Kurram and guide the people there towards the true religious path of 'Recitation of the Lord's Name with love'.
The Guru's command to Kamaal and Braham Das is repeated once again:
The Handsome Lord is one
His door is one
The way to reach Him is one
i.e. 'Recitation of the Lord's Name with love'
Let us also go on that only one way:
'Waheguru, Waheguru, Waheguru.'
'O Lord, O Lord, Lord'
Starting with at least five minutes a day.
DODO