early morning, golden time one can see the stars twinkling in the sky. Jlln the east Venus is showing its luster, soft breeze is blowing. From a well that has two Persian wheels two bullocks yoked to beams are lifting water
from the well. The sound of zoon zoon is audible. Yes! It is not zoon
zoon but you you
On one of the bullock driver's seat one young boy of twelve was sitting but has fallen into sweet sleep. On the second seat one young, stout, medium stature male is sitting. He pats the back of the oxen sometimes that indicates that somebody is there to drive the oxen. But the tongue, the loving tongue is reciting Holy Scripture. Suddenly he started singing as if his song is accompanied by the music of the well. The song stopped and again continued his recitation in lovely rhythm as he recited earlier. This rhythm also is giving concentration to the mind and in combination with the sound of the well is pleasing to the heart. It attracted the mind and gave ecstasy. The pious man is reciting the Scripture. The well is running.
The metallic pots are bringing water and giving to the big channel. The big channel gives it to the aqueduct. The aqueduct is throwing water into the pit from where it goes into a small channel that takes it into the fields.
This nice looking water channel passes through a grove of berry trees. A platform is constructed in this grove. In summer months, because of the cool shade the owners of the well sit, have meals, lie down and sleep. But since a few days the Muslim priest comes, sits and recites his early morning prayer here. Here water is available for a wash. He does not go away after his prayer but remains sitting.
Does he read some Scripture? No. His ears are charmed by the sweet recitation of the combination of the tune of the ninning well and Holy Scripture. In that ecstasy he remains sitting. Sometimes he understands the lines of the scripture, sometimes in the rhythm and sometimes in the ecstasy of the concentrated mind, he remains sitting. Since a long time, he comes everyday and many times he wishes to ask this pious man as to what Scripture is it and if possible study the Scripture that gives coolness and ecstasy. But some hesitation, some hindrance is such that does not let him ask.
Today, the Ideal man' recited the Scripture and after sometime concluded his recitation. The 'Ideal man5 got up from his seat and said a prayer: O Lord! Bless that I recite your Name always. He said it five or six times.
The he quoted the Guru having said: Recite the Scripture in the early morning and then recite the Lord's name while sitting and standing. Recite the Lord's name "O Lord, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord" "Waheguru. Waheguru, Waheguru, Waheguru".
Then he said: The Guru loves the 'Ideal man' who recites the Lord's name in each breath.
Today the Muslim Priest could not control his eagerness and decided to
ask.
On the other side when Bagga Singh opened his eyes he saw that the sun rose quite high and his uncle came and said: O Bagga Singh! You go home I shall manage the well here. O Baggai Brave man! You go home.
Bagga Singh bade good bye to his uncle and started walking along the water channel.
When he passed through the grove, then the Muslim priest stood up and said: O Brother Bagga Singh! Youngman! Can you wait a bit? Bagga Singh: Yes priest! Good morning. Lord is great. Muslim priest (smiling): Lord is great! Where are you going? Bagga Singh: O Priest! I am going home. Muslim Priest: If you wait a little, then we may talk. Bagga Singh: Yes Uncle! Why not? Me! I sit here.
Saying this, Bagga Singh squatted on the platform and the Muslim Priest sat nearby.
Muslim priest: O Brother! What is this Scripture that you read every day at this time?
Bagga Singh: You are elder to me as an Uncle. Don't call me brother. You call me as your son. I am just like your child.
Muslim Priest: You are very regardful. But O Handsome! This Scripture that you read makes me treat you as an elder. One gets ecstasy while listening.
Now my mind leaps to ask you and it doesn't stop in asking: O Brother! What Scripture is this?
Bagga Singh: This is the Holy Scripture of Beloved Guru Arjan Dev. Its name is "Pearls of Peace" "Sukhmani".
Muslim Priest: Is it? I was almost sure it must be a sacred text of Guru Nanak. I lis sacred name is mentioned therein.
Bagga Singh: Yes! It is Guru Nanak's Holy Scripture but of the fifth Guru Nanak, Guru Arjan Dev.
Muslim Priest: Now I understand. O Handsome! How have you remembered it so well? One side water flows from the well and side by side nectar from the heaven flows from your throat. You are fortunate. How do you get so much rapture? (Looked around) I come and read my prayer early in the morning. I do read and bend and bow but I do not get any ecstasy.
Bagga Singh: Mei Stupid! Un-educated! How do I know? You are educated. You know more. I know only of Scripture and Name or I know my 'Benevolent5 who is sea of nectar, sweeter than sugar and honey.
Muslim Priest (in astonishment): How do you feel the Lord sweeter than sugar and honey. How did the Gruru feel? How do you feel?
Bagga Singh: Then do you not feel ecstasy while saying prayers?
Muslim Priest (again looked around): Should I tell you the naked truth? But you do not defame me in the presence of others. You are a man of God. So? I tell you that the truth is that I do not feel any ecstasy.
Bagga Singh: Then you read this Scripture that I read and try.
Muslim Priest: What is the name of this Scripture and from where do I get
it?
Bagga Singh: "Pearls of Peace" "Sukhmani Sahib". Pearls i.e. Jewels and diamonds, jewels and diamonds of comforts and pleasures, No! No! Uncle, it means: Peace to the mind. You can remember one couplet or you can remember even one stanza every day. You are an educated person. If you cram eight stanzas every day, then you will remember all of it in twenty-four days.
As far as I remember I crammed a couplet every day.
Muslim Priest: Is there any Handbook of this scripture?
Bagga Singh: Yes! Why not? It is written in the Holy Granth Sahib and many people copy it from there. But this is for educated people. Me! Uneducated! I crammed it two lines a day. Now I remember it well. How sweet is it? I wish I could clamp it to my heart. But how can I do that? I get lost in the ecstasy of this "Pearls of Peace". Uncle! I tell you truly.
Muslim priest: Then you get me a written Handbook.
Bagga Singh: Alright Uncle! I shall tell the Head of the Gurdwara today.
All of a sudden Mehar Din arrived.
Mehar Din: O dear Priest, greetings to you.
Priest: Greetings to you also. How is it that you have come so early?
Mehar Din: I just passed by while returning from ginning. But how is it that you are here?
Priest: Well! Since a few days I come here at the well for the Morning Prayer. This platform in this grove is nice and it is a quiet place for prayers.
Mehar Din: Then what are the mosques meant for?
Priest: Many good people go there to preach and pray. One less shall not make any difference.
Mehar Din: If the priests change their ways, then what about other brother Muslims? Since you have to punish others, nobody can punish you.
Priest: How does this question of punishment arise? Is it written somewhere that one should not say prayers at home? Or one should not say prayers in solitude? Is it written that you must pray in the mosque? Is praying in solitude banned?
Mehar Din: What you say might be true. But you should not say Cotton prayers.
Priest: What is Cotton prayer?
Mehar Din: Once upon a time there lived a youthful priest. He stopped praying at the mosque. People asked him: O Priest! Have you stopped saying prayers?
He "replied: These days Cotton flowers are blooming. I go there to say my prayers. One feels nice.
Well! MyNdear priest! I came to know about it, when one day the priest was getting a berating with sticks from the cotton-plucking women. The women beat him so much that he was almost half-dead.
Priest: What for?
Mehar Din: His saying prayer in the cotton flowers was an excuse. After saying prayers he used to help the women in plucking cotton flowers. He also gossiped with the women. How could the women know what was in his mind? They thought: He is helpful to us and he talks sweetly while other priests hardly talk or they talk in an angry tone. He plucked the cotton flowers and gossiped with the women and while plucking he would put some cotton balls in the inside pockets of his long shirt. He collected a good quantity that was
sufficient to make two quilts. One day by chance the priest's wife ^dd to her friends: God is gracious. He has sent us cotton for two quilts. It will be more than sufficient for us for this winter. One amongst the women had a sharp mind. In her mind she thought: From where has God sent her so much cotton. If I do not mistake, maybe our cotton is being stolen.
Next day, she talked to her friends and made all her group watchful.
That day when the priest was about to leave, then they accosted him: O Priest! We have heard that you say Cotton prayer.
Priest: What is that Cotton prayer?
Women: One goes to the Cotton flowering garden, then plucks the flowers and gossips with women and then the prayer produces cotton.
The priest became nervous. He tried to slip away but one clever woman caught him by the arm and searched his inside pocket and said: See! Your prayer has produced cotton balls. Then everybody caught him. He had hidden cotton balls in his shirt, in his under-wear and in his pant pockets. They beat him with sticks. Then they brought him to the village and defamed him in the village.
O Priest! This is 'Cotton prayer'.
Muslim Priest: I imagined that you have respect for me in your mind. Man does make mistakes. But to think that he is respected by others is the biggest mistake.
Mehar Din: O Priest! Are you angry? I just said it jokingly.
Muslim Priest: Yes! Jokes with prayer! Jokes with the path towards the Lord! Well! I am a 'Cotton prayer'. I do not mind. But you fear the Lord to whom we pray.
Mehar Din: O Priest! Then do you want to know the truth? You make excuse of saying prayer here because the grove is nice but you listen to the utterance of a Non-believer. Then you tell him, "Do not defame me but our prayer has no sweetness, no ecstasy and your utterance has ecstasy in it." Now you reply to me.
Muslim priest: "Well! It is a deficiency in me. I do not say that prayer is bad. What I said was and I am ready to say in front of everybody that I do not feel the ecstasy while praying that the Guru-disciple gets while reading his Scripture. It is my deficiency. Is it a sin to admit one's deficiency? To tell the truth and to steal in the Name of God is it the same?
On listening to the words uttered in an angry tone Mehar Din winced.
He felt ashamed and then said: Goodness does not flourish in this world. I told you for your own good. Already your reputation is that when you sit on
your seat, then you treat Muslims and Hindus alike. You do not side with Muslims. Muslims are not happy about it. Then you know His Majesty is very strict He feels happy if you side with Muslims when it is between Muslim and Hindu. You are already defamed on this account. On the top of it you say more things. Beware of a verdict against you.
Muslim Priest: Priest's job is to do justice according to law. It has no consideration of the culprit belonging to any religion or caste.
Mehar Din: See! Hindus are in majority. Muslims axe in minority. If you do not side with Muslims and keep them on upper hand then how shall the King rule? The writ of the victorious ruler runs on giving fear and threat. That is the root. You are trying to cut the root.
Muslim Priest: It is justice that makes the subjects to love the King, the subordinates love the King the people love the rulers. The love of the subjects for the King is the firm foundation of the kingdom of the King. I am making that foundation strong. You and your flatterers make it hollow. You tell! Has God said anywhere that He is happy with injustice?
Mehar Din: O Priest! I said for your good. I have said what is going on in the present times. You go by the circumstances. Don't go out of times. You shall suffer if you go out of times. (Laughingly) Justice is done between humans and humans. Those who say God are humans. The idol worshippers are all animals. They are worth killing. If you wish to do justice, then stop killing animals also. Stop eating meat. Punish the butchers who kill goats. What is justice when it comes to man and animals? Justice is to keep upper hand of men and not animals. O Muslim! Have you listened? Now you reply. (Saying this and laughing, hurriedly he started towards the village).
Muslim Priest: Nothing of this sort is written in the law book.
Ill
It is the beautiful and blossoming town of Anandpur. Bagga Singh is talking to a Guru-devotee.
Bagga Singh: Guru-blessed dear devotee! I have to request you for something.
Alain Singh: Bagga Singh: Say.
Bagga Singh: The Muslim Priest of our village has come with me. You might have heard his name. He is Priest Salaar Din.
Alam Singh: I have heard the name but I have not met him.
Bagga Singh: He is the one who is very pious. He does proper justice. Nobody dare deceive anyone. But the Muslims harbour ill will against him. They say why does he not side with Muslims?
He says: It is Priest's folly if he sides with anyone.
O dear! He listened to the recitation of the Holy Scripture 'Pearls of Peace" "Sukhmani" uttered from my mouth. It has dented his mind so much that since that day he is after me, "Take me to your Guru." You know that I am stupid. How can I preach anyone? But O Dear! Even his other colleague priests stopped him. His family members stopped him. But he insisted and has brought me along and reached the Guru's town.
Now you tell, O dear! Where do I stand? I am nobody. Magnificent Guru is so high and me, full of sins. O dear! You are near to the Guru. You take our Muslim Priest along to meet Magnificent Guru. Or you remove his doubts yourself and put him in recitation of Scripture or Name. At the moment he only listens and feels cool. Then his mind wavers. In fact he is educated. He should imbibe it quickly. He is wavering and goes in despair. You infuse him with something that he gets ecstasy in Name.
Alam Singh: O Child! Your talk is sweet. Your mind was pure. You got ecstasy quickly. The educated people doubt much. They do not get peace of mind quickly. Their minds doubt much and are scattered in thought. Alright Child! Bring him in the audience hall tomorrow. After the assembly you request Beloved Guru. You make a request. He listens with love. If you have any hesitation then I shall request him. It is quite possible he might himself call you. He is intuitive.
It is the hall of audience of the King from the heavens. The divine songs (Kirtan) are over. The disciples are going. The Muslim priest Salaar Din is waiting at a little distance. He wishes to meet.
True Guru: O Priest! Come forward. Alam Singh dear! Bring your friend and where is Bagga Singh from whose recitation of "Sukhmani" flows nectar?
Alam Singh: Magnificent Guru! Both are present.
All three came forward and bowed their heads.
True Guru: Bagga Singh! See, the nectar in "Pearls of Peace" "Sukhmani".
"Pearls of peace" gives nectar of the Lord's name. This Scripture is "Pearls of peace" \ It gives tranquility to the mind. It gives inner happiness. It is the Godly heart of Guru Arjan Dev. It gives sensation of the Lord in the mind and is pure nectar. It says: Drink my nectar. Bagga Singh! Drink the Name nectar.
Bagga Singh clamped the Guru's feet fast and said: It is the grace and love of your sacred feet that the donkey that I am has become deer with musk. Give me the love of your cool and soft feet. Let them sit in my heart.
Let them stick to my heart and I should clamp your feet again and again and not separate from your feet.
At this time when the Muslim Priest saw 3agga Singh's face, he heaved a sigh and said to his mind: Alas! I should not have acquired knowledge. Alas! My mother should have kept me away from knowledge, this wisdom and the subsequent doubt created by wisdom has eaten me up.
True Guru: O Priest! Ignorance or stupidity is not the remedy. Remedy is faith. Faith gives light to the stupid. It gives satisfaction to the ignorant. Whatever are the deficiencies in ignorance and stupidity, faith overcomes them.
Muslim Priest (Startled): Ah ha! Wonderful! You are great! You said it wonderfully.
True Guru: Say, Alam Singh! Whether knowledge gives peace or it gives despair.
Alam Singh: If one loves your feet then it gives peace otherwise it is a fort of pride and ego. That goes into the head and makes it a hard log of wood.
Yes! Knowledge is a thorn that pricks one's self and pricks others but when you bless your love, then knowledge becomes a light house. O Benevolent! Without a shower of love from you everything else is a ritual of mistaken belief.
True Guru: O Priest! Do you give justice equally or side with your Muslim brothers.
Bagga Singh: Magnificent Guru! You know everything. Whatever you say is out of love.
True Guru: O Bagga Dear! You tell.
Bagga Singh: I will tell you what I have heard or what I have seen. But O my own handsome sweet beloved! You know everything intuitively. Guru (eyes closed): Great is the congregation.
Bagga Singh (putting the Guru's feet in his lap and loving them): This priest is very pious. He treats Hindus and Muslims alike and does proper justice. He is most honest. He does not accept any bribe, not even a penny. The other Muslim priests are angry with him: Why does he not side with Muslims? You tell why should he do that?
Guru (smilingly): It is wonderful. O Priest! This is the Priest's faith. This is the Priest's duty.
Muslim priest: I am a sinner. I have ego that I do justice. I wish good for this un-pierced pearl, pearl not pierced by the drill of knowledge, Bagga Singh. He has made me eager to taste ecstasy. I came here to beg you for ecstasy. But O Benevolent! See, the stupidity of knowledge. See, the ego of
knowledge of my mind. While sitting in your hail of audience my un-enlightened mind goes into doubts. It is the un-enlightened mind that doubts. Isn't it so?
Having reached the ocean of enlightenment, I have gone in doubts. This is the fault of wisdom.
Guru: O Priest! Don't go into despair. Clear your doubts. One has sleep only when a pierced thorn is taken out. One gets faith only when doubts are cleared.
Muslim Priest: I saw you bestowing boons. I thought: When the Lord has written everybody's fortune on man's forehead, then how is it that you are bestowing boons? If eveiybody has to bear the fruits of previous deeds, then how can you change that? Then why are you doing all this?
On listening to the Priest's words the Guru smiled and said: O Priest! Don't say you are un-enlightened and thus doubt. You listen attentively and understand the mystery. Your doubt shall stand clarified.
Saying this he ordered for a paper and ink. He took out the stamp from his finger and showed it to the priest. See! Priest! This is a stamp. There are words in it. But how are they?
Muslim priest: They are upside down.
Guru: Then the Guru immersed the stamp in ink and pressed it on paper and asked: O Priest! Are these tire same words or else?
Muslim priest: Just the same but now they are upside.
Guru: When the King's stamp is in your hand then is it any useful?
Muslim priest: No! When it is put on paper, then it is valued as the King's order.
True Guru; Destiny is written on the forehead. But for some good deeds done or by the Lord's wish when the forehead bends and beloved Lord's benignity adds to it then the upside down becomes upside.
The Muslim priest was more than satisfied. He praised the Guru and with hands folded fell at his feet.
Beloved Guru: O Bagga Singh. Is it right?
Bagga Singh: Yes. It is absolutely right. Priest is satisfied. You are the Lord who wrote my destiny. You You You
You wrote the inscribed words there. You are the one who is putting the stamp and making the upside-down to upside. What are we worthless and what are our deeds?
What good or what bad. If they are good they are a handful. If they are bad even then they are handful. After all we are countable and small. Your grace is unlimited. Your river of grace flows river or sea of grate all our sins bad or worst are washed.
(Looking towards Alam Singh) O Holy Saint! Have my deeds bestowed me the recitation of the "Pearls of Peace" "Sukhmani" and the ecstasy in that "Pearls of Peace" "Sukhmani"? Is it any fruit of my deeds? It is what you call sensation of Name in the mind, heart and body that gives ecstasy and rapture, is it something that has grown itself likeseeds of basil become flowers? No! No! It cannot be like that. My deeds are driving the bullocks, bathing the oxen, to become animal with animals. I tell the truth but when I sit on the bullock driver's seat I sway in ecstasy while reciting "Pearls of Peace" "Sukhmani " The kings might be feeling such pleasure when they sit on the throne, I cannot say as I have not seen. But this ecstasy I feel everyday and sometimes every moment. It is sweeter than a ball of sugar.
(Looking towards the 'Guru with the plume') Magnificent Guru! Won't you tell? You are the Master of stamps. For once you tell that you are the miraculous there and here. There also you had put stamps. Here also you have made the upside-down as upside. Yes! I now remember. You are omnipresent, here, there, everywhere.
Yes "Pearls of Peace" says: Clamp His sacred feet in your heart.
O thy sacred feet! Pierce my heart and get in there. What are my deeds? What are the priest's deeds? Oh! This Name should permeate in the mind, . heart and body cells and this connection should never break. This connection of Name should remain tied with a hard knot. O my Lord! Your sacred feet are unique. There is no parallel. Your feet are full of nectar. Saying this, his eyes closed and while clamping the Guru's feet he got immersed and became quiet.
Muslim priest: O Benevolent! O Master of heavens! I wish the simplicity like that of Bagga Singh and the stamp of Name and ecstasy of Name.
Magnificent Guru: It is better that the knowledgeable and wandering mind should be fully satisfied. If you still have any doubts, then it is better to clear.
Guru to Bhai Alam Singh: Bhai Alam Singh! You narrate to him the story of the king that happened at the time of Beloved Guru Arjan Dev who tolerated the torture of sitting on hot iron plate in meditation and remained unmoved.
Alain Singh: Priest dear! Our fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev whose present incarnation is sitting here (gesturing towards the beloved Guru) from whose heart came out the stream of nectar, cooler than the cool waters of Himalayas and clearer than the clear waters of Himalayas, the "Pearls of Peace" ( the Scripture "Sukhmani"), /brever sending waves of love to the loving hearts, from whose Soul-nectar this stream of nectar flowed for all times to come.
He was also asked to reply to the same question.
Once, the King of Mandi state came to have a glimpse of the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev. He was accompanied by his courtiers and servants. The King got a nice place to stay. Then he met the Guru. One day the Guru recited:
"Whatever the Lord has written on your forehead 0 friend, it shall not change" The King heard these words. He had already paid respects to the Guru and was sitting down. When he heard these words, he started thinking in his mind.
If what is written on the forehead cannot be changed, then what is the benefit of seeking refuge of the Guru?
He thought: Whether he should ask the Guru? Then he thought: It might be a disrespect to ask.
But he could not hold his curiosity to know and in a feeble voice he said: If what is written on the forehead has to happen as a must, then how is it beneficial to become your disciple for which purpose I have come?
The Guru was in rapture and did not wish to talk in length but this much he said: 'What is written is not erased but something good happens. Goodness prevails. It happens also but sufferings go away also. By the grace of the Guru one gets comfort and pleasure.
The King could not understand properly and said: How can both things happen?
Guru: If you stay for a few days, you will come to know. But you will understand only when something comes across. It will come across only when you become a disciple of Guru Nanak.
On listening to the Guru, the King was satisfied. He realized that although he did not understand properly but the Guru must be correct.
In this thinking, he fell at the Guru's feet. The Guru asked him to recite the Lord's name and he became a disciple of the Guru.
Then he took permission from the Guru and went to the place where he was staying.
In the evening he came again and listened to the divine music (Kirtan). He felt delighted. But the misgiving persistedin his mind. How can the writing on the forehead and grace go together?
At night he ate food from the kitchen and went to sleep. In the middle of the night, the King in a dream saw that he ruled for a long time, had a big family, and then he died. Then he was bom in another place in a family of
sweepers and had children and there also he died. He woke up from sleep and felt greatly astonished.
He said to himself: Shall it happen as I have seen in my dream? Oh! My deeds! Shall you put me in this state? Why have I been doing bad deeds? O Guru! You only can tell what is all this? In this thinking he again went to sleep.
Next day, the King was to go for hunting. The King along with his men went for hunting. The Guru also went along. Although the king was merrily riding the horse and looking for a prey but still the thought of the bad dream came to his mind often.
He said in his mind: Dreams are dreams, why bother? But still he remembered the same. The King went fast following a deer and got separated from others. He got tired, got down from the horse and sat down under a tree to relax. Near was a village and houses where sweeper families lived. One boy of around ten stood and kept on looking at the king.
He ran back to his mother saying: See! Father is alive. He is sitting wearing fine clothes. He has a horse also.
The mother came and recognized that he was her husband. She started howling: "Come home. How have you become so rich?"
Soon the entire family gathered round him and said: Come home.
The king also saw that it was the same family that he had seen in his dream and that they were bom to him.
Now, the gathering was keen to take him home. The king was astonished in seeing the actual of what he had seen in his dream. He tried to make them understand and eVen tried to frighten them but that had no effect on the sweeper family. By now the Guru and the king's men arrived. The sweeper families had great regard for the Guru.
They asked the Guru to decide and said: See! Our family is starving whereas he is enjoying life elsewhere.
The Guru said: Tell me. When did your family member die? Did you not bury him?
They said: Yes, it is only four days since he died and was buried.
The Guru then said: Let us dig the place of burial. If the body of your family member is not there, then we shall talk. In case you find the body there intact, then it means you are mistaken and you are unnecessarily troubling the king just because of his resemblance to your man. Everybody agreed to the suggestion of the Guru. They went and dug out the grave. The body of their family member was lying intact. They were sorry and asked forgiveness and went to their village.
The King and the Guru now returned and reached home by evening.
Next day, the king met the Guru when the Guru was alone.
He said: My beloved Guru! Please tell me what was my dream? How the dream became a reality and the reality became momentarily and the suffering was over?
The Guru said: O King! This is the reply to your yesterday's question. As per your deeds, you would have been bom in a sweeper's family. 'From kings to beggars, and from beggars to kings is often said'. That life of yours is now over in a dream. The suffering you felt in the dream was astonishment. But the real suffering, you could actually feel and that also finished in moments. The suffering that was written on your forehead had to come. The written happened. But what was going to be a lifetime suffering, finished in moments, some in sleep and some while awake and so it is over. In this way the Lord's and the Guru's mercy bums the evil deeds.
The Guru said to the king: The deeds we do are after we are bom. So, they have a beginning. Anything that has a beginning has an end also. Something that has no beginning has no end. Your thinking is that deeds are eternal absolute and everlasting. That is not correct. Man is bom and then his deeds start and he keeps on doing. But as the deeds started after birth, they can somehow end also, because it is something that has an end. The deeds cannot be computed by deeds because nobody can do all good deeds.
The first birth was by the Lord's command. The Lord's command only, can erase our bad deeds. How? By being truly religious, by singing the Lord's hymns the dirt of the bad deeds is washed. When we remember the Lord our mind gets the touch.
If anything touches the Sandal tree, it gets the fragrance of sandal. Similarly, by remembering the Lord and reciting His name, we get His touch. We get the sacredness of the Lord. The sacredness from the Lord washes our sins and bad deeds.
This is how the Lord who is all sacredness as well as the redeemer of sinners gives His touch and bestows His grace. This is how the Lord's grace changes what is already written on the forehead.
O Priest! There is another story also on the same subject.
On the outskirts of a village was a garden with a hut in it. Guru Nanak selected this place to stay. Mardaaa was delighted. The village was thickly populated as if it was a small town. A rich Khatri lived in the village who was quite religious minded. He liked to meet the saints who came to the village, and was always eager to be of service to them. He came to know that somebody
SRI KALGIDHAR CHAV1ATKAR (VCL-i)
has come to stay in the garden. Love springs from him whose singing of the Lord's hymns is such that the river would stop to listen.
When he heard all this, he came to meet the Guru.
Mardana sang the Lord's hymns (Kirtari). The Guru sat in meditation of the Lord's name. A light breeze was there. He came and sat down. The moment he sat down, his eyes got charmed. His eyes closed by the charm. He got an inner feeling of rapture in his mind. Time went by un-knowingly. Only when he opened his eyes, he realized that a long time had elapsed. He realized that it was divine music that was above time. The knowledge of time was forgotten in the rapture of the divine music. He had never listened to such divine music earlier that would stop the feeling of the passing of time. He had not met anybody before who would attract your mind as if by magic and one would not like to leave.
After some time, the Khatri who felt charmed by the Guru went home for his worldly chores. The Khatri, whose name was Jeevan, started coming off and on.
He got pleasure and rapture in the divine music {Kirtan) and as the days passed he got more and more attracted to the Guru. He used to come and bring food for the Guru and felt a great delight.
Soon he got deeply attracted to the Guru. Now he decided to come every day without fail. And in case he was not able to come for any reason, then he would not eat food or drink water on that day. Every day Jeevan came to meet the Guru, sometimes in the morning and sometimes in the evening. He brought food for the Guru as also he looked after other comforts for the Guru.
On the way was a grocer's shop. The grocer saw that Jeevan goes this side everyday without missing a single day..Why not ask him as to where does he go? So, one day he called him and said: Brother Jeevan! Previously you used to pass from this road quite rarely when you had to go out of the village but now you go every day. What attraction have you got which takes you every day without missing a single day?
Jeevan replied; Outside the village, in the garden with the hut has come an enlightened Guru. He is a divine soul. I go to meet him and listen to his hymns. To meet him is rapturous. So I have a penchant to go every day.
The grocer said: If meeting him is so rapturous, then you take me also to meet him.
Jeevan said: Why not? You are most welcome any time. So, one day the grocer also came along.
The road going outside the village had a bifurcation. One was leading to the garden with the hut and the other was leading to another village nearby. On this road at a little distance before entering the village, were some houses where some prostitutes were living.
When both these men reached the point of bifurcation, they saw one prostitute walking this side. She was beautiful and the grocer got attracted to her beauty. He wanted to follow the woman but out of formality and shyness he kept on walking onwards with Jeevan. They reached the garden where the Guru stayed, and met the Guru. The grocer was delighted to meet the Guru but the evil desire that had gone into his mind did not let him have peace of mind
Jeevan listened to the divine hymns (Kirtan) and felt the rapture but the grocer due to the evil desire in his mind did not feel very happy. He felt some pleasure but he remained in two minds. Both of them listened to the divine songs for an hour and then returned.
Now it came to happen that the grocer got into the habit of going to the prostitute. In the evening both used to come together from the village but at the bifurcation Jeevan took the road going to the Guru while the grocer took the road going to the prostitute's house.
Jeevan tried his best to persuade the grocer, saying: You had come with me to meet the Guru and instead you have started going to the prostitute. That is not good. Be strong. Be religious and stop this. But all his advice went on deaf ears and had no effect on the grocer's vacillated mind.
Jeevan developed so much attraction for the Guru that sometimes he used to get food from his house and stay with the Guru overnight and then go back home after the morning prayers. The Lord's name was giving rapture to his mind. One day, on the way Jeevan and the grocer again had a discussion.
Jeevan was praising title religious path while the grocer praised the shortlived worldly pleasures.
Finally, the grocer said to Jeevan: Look here. Yonder is a Fig tree. You are going to the Guru and I ani going for my enjoyment. Whoever comes back first should wait under the Fig tree. Here, we shall sit and decide as to what you have gained and what I have gained. Then we shall decide who has profited and who has lost.
Jeevan said: If you say, we can do that. But I have no doubt that there can be any loss in my path. In this path is all gain. I have also no doubt that the path you have chosen is bad. It is always a losing path. It is loss of health, loss of respect, loss of mind.
SRI KALGiDHAR CHAMATKAR (VOL - !)
The grocer said: Never mind what you say but let us meet on return. It will be only a while lost in waiting.
On taking this decision, both of them left. Jeevan reached the Guru's place.
Mardana sang the divine hymns. His ears listened to the divine music (Kirtan). His mind got elevated. He got rapture and he sat down in meditation.
On the other hand, when the grocer reached the prostitute's house, the house was locked. The woman whom he had to meet was away to another village on some errand. He felt disheartened, roamed hither and thither and finally came back and reached the Fig tree where he was to meet his friend Jeevan. He sat down waiting for Jeevan. The waiting became long as he had returned very early. He started pondering. Sometimes while pondering one digs the earth. He started digging the earth. While digging he found one gold coin. The grocer's greedy mind became very happy and in the hope of finding more gold coins, he took out a knife from his pocket and started digging the earth more and more. Soon his knife touched an earthen pot. This kept him busy. Time passed by unknowingly. He took out the earthen pot and when he opened the lid then he found pieces of coal in the earthen pot. He searched up to the bottom of the pot but it had pieces of coal only up to the bottom.
By now, Jeevan reached the Fig tree but he was limping. He was wearing his shoes properly on one foot and on the other foot he had worn the shoe after turning it down at the heel and was rubbing his shoe to the ground and limping.
Seeing him like this, the grocer said: Why don't you put on your shoe properly on your second foot? You must be feeling uncomfortable walking like this.
Jeevan replied: O friend When I came out of the Guru's hut, before I could reach my shoes, a thorn pierced my foot. I tried to pull out the thorn but a piece of the same is stuck in my foot. That is why I have put a bandage on my foot and I am walking without putting on the shoe properly.
Grocer: Alright. Then you better sit down and relax a bit. Then we shall talk and after that we shall go home.
When he sat down, then they started talking. The grocer said: listen, today I have found a gold coin and you have got a thorn pierced in your foot. We must ask. Because you go for religious pursuit and I go for evil doing.
Jeevan replied: Whatever has happened, forget it. In any case religious pursuit is better and evil doing is always bad.
Grocer: No! Brother! Either you give a plausible reasoning or we go to the Guru and ask him the reason.
So, both of them went to the Guru and touched his feet.
The Guru smiled and Mardana, on seeing the smile on the Guru's face became attentive.
Meanwhile the grocer (with folded hands) told the entire story regarding his evil doing to the Guru and asked him as to how it had happened that the fruit of his evil doing was a gold coin while the fruit of Jeevan's religious pursuit was a thorn pierced.
The Guru said: It might be better if you forget everything and don't talk about it.
Grocer again said:- Well! As you wish but we are stupid people, we do not understand things properly. Please let us know the secret why the fruit of evil doing is a gold coin?
The Guru touched the head of the grocer, blessed him and said: Listen! The fruit of your evil doing is not one gold coin. The storm of your evil doing has shaken your tree of gold coins. All have been blown away. Only one remains.
The earthen pot of coal pieces was a pot of gold coins. You had donated one coin to a saint. That became hundred coins. Your evil doing went on reducing the gold coins to coal pieces. You see! Your evil-doing has burnt the fruits of your kind deeds. Only one coin remains that has brought you here.
This one coin tells you that your evil deeds have made you lose hundreds of gold coins like this one. Instead of multiplying they have got burnt. The gold coins have become pieces of coal.
Jeevan's good deeds and religious pursuit, his service to the saints, his listening to the Lord's hymns and reciting the Lord's name have burnt his sins. His bad deeds in his past life were so much that he deserved crucifixion. But as he started reciting the Lord's name and listened to divine hymns and did service to saints, the penalty of his bad deeds stalled reducing, so much so that his penalty was reduced from crucifixion to the piercing of a thorn which gave the pain of a needle prick and saved him from a very big suffering.
The second thing to ponder is that the more you have gone after evil deeds your sensuousness has increased. For Jeevan, the more he has recited the Lord's name and listened to the divine hymns his inclinations have become good and virtuous and his aptitude for service to humanity, kindness and meeting saintly people has increased.
As such, for the future he is moving or the path of good deeds correctly.
What the Guru said went deep into the grocer's heart. The touch that the Guru had given to his head was a burning flame that burnt the mounds of sins. When his sins thus got burnt, the load of sins on his mind vanished, Ke fell at the Guru's feet and said: Please be. gracious. Put me on the correct path. Teach me to do good deeds and stop me from doing evil deeds. Your strength can only do that. I have no strength in me.
The Guru was gracious. He asked Mardana to play the music. And he himself sang the divine hymns. Guru Nanak's divine song and the divine hymns were heart piercing for bothjeevan and the grocer. The grocer's mind became like a crystal.
The Guru said: We are humans to do deeds. Our intellectual mind tells us that whatever deeds we do are of two types, good deeds and evil deeds. Whatever we do, our inclination goes that way. Inclinations become habits. These habits, then make us do good or evil deeds. The relish in the evil deeds is a trap in which we get trapped like a bird. The habits in our mind give us the inclination to do evil deeds. From outside the relish pulls us. In this way man is trapped. The mind goes on becoming dirtier and dirtier. The mind becomes dead to true happiness and gets absorbed in the short-lived momentary pleasures. The mind becomes powerless and cannot rise again towards true happiness. Because when a man is absorbed in sensual pleasures he cannot remember the Lord and in the forgetfulness of the Lord if he has any previously accumulated good deeds, they cannot help, the evil deeds that he does now burn the previously accumulated good deeds. As such for a person trapped in the relish of evil deeds or having a dirty mind the remedial measure of doing good deeds only is not sufficient. The evil deeds bum the freshly done good deeds.
There is only one way of cleansing the dirty mind. The Guru has to sprinkle the Lord's name on the dirty mind. The sprinkling of the Lord's name on the mind gets the mind into remembrance of the Lord. Remembrance of the Lord is meeting the Lord. The evil deeds and the relish of sensuousness had created a veil of forgetfulness of the Lord. When that veil is broken by remembrance, then the forgetfulness does not remain. Now the strength of the Lord, His goodness, His love, His graciousness, will all come to us. That will take out all sin that is in our mind. Our dirty and dead mind will wake up. It will get the sensation of the Lord's name and will become sublime.
After listening to the divine song and hymns, the Lord's name got deep into the heart of the grocer. All his bad habits and sins were washed away. His
bad habits changed. His mind came on the true path.
He fell at the Guru's feet and said: "0 Lord, 0 Lord. " "Waheguru, Waheguru". Please save me. I have sinned enough. The Guru lovingly rubbed his hand on the grocer's back and said:
"Say, O Lord, O Lord, O Lord." "Waheguru, "Waheguru", "Waheguru".
It was not just telling him to say c0 Lord'. He made the Lord enter his body.
Both of them got the Lord's name in their mind and heart. The Lord's name went in their entire body cells like a fountain. Both became true disciples of the Guru.
Men do the deeds but when the Lord's name gets into the body, all bad deeds are washed cut. The love of the Lord's name is a path higher than deeds.
The Name first washes the inclinations and the dirt of the mind. The soul becomes crystal. The same Name becomes nectar and gives rapture to the mind and soul.
'By reciting the Lord's name, the dirt of the mind goes. The Name nectar goes into the heart6.
This story also tells that it is in this human body that we do deeds. When man was first bom as human then there were no deeds done by him at that time due to which he got this human body. O Priest! Deeds are not all in all. They are not infinite. Deeds are not without a beginning or endless. Deeds started after the soul adopted the human body. So! Deeds have a beginning. Something that has a beginning has an end also. In this way deeds are bound by time and space. Something that is bound by time and space can increase or decrease also.
Otherwise you tell O Priest! When man was first bom, what were the deeds that sent him into this human body? What deeds had the soul done? Deeds started only after he got this human body.
Priest: What you say is alright but if no deeds were done in the first instance and it is Lord's will, then
Alam Singh: The true Guru has already indicated that whatever the Lord does is His will. However since the true Guru's soul is immersed in the Supreme soul, he is the image of the Lord. He can turn anything that is upside-down and make it upside.
Priest: O dear! How?
Alam Singh: Once Guru Nanak visited Delhi and stayed on the outskirts of the town. He heard some people crying.
Then he asked Mardana to go and find out why the people were crying?
Maxdana went and brought the news: O Benevolent Guru, the elephantkeepers who were hospitable to us, their elephant died and all the family members are crying.
Then the Guru who had come to allay the suffering of the people, himself went and asked: Listen! Why are you crying?
Elephant-keeper: O Lord's saint! Our elephant has died.
Guru: Then what? The elephant belongs to the king. He has no shortage of money. If one dies, he can buy ten more. Why do you cry? '
Elephant-keeper: We are crying because, firstly the king may be angry that his death is due to our negligence. Then this was our source of earning. Today we will be out of job. Then when another elephant comes, we cannot be sure whether we will be retained or somebody else will be given the job. Our earning is very difficult. Everybody does not keep an elephant. Only the kings keep elephants. It is very difficult to get a job from a king.
Saying this, he wept bitterly. The elephant-keeper was narrating his story and the family members were crying and wailing.
The Guru's soft heart melted. He said: O Women! O Children! Be quiet and listen to me: If the elephant becomes alive, then you won't cry?
They became quiet and said: Then we will laugh. We shall be happy. But O saint! The dead never become alive again.
Then the Guru said: 6 It is the Lord who gives life.
It is the Lord who takes life. '
The elephant-keeper and his family members and other elephant keepers were all looking towards the Guru. Poor people have more faith. Faith can
work wonders. They are waiting He is a saint. He is a powerful
saint.
After a while the Guru opened his merciful eyes that had tears in them.
Then in compassion, he said: Go and rub your hands on the elephant's face and say "0 Lord" "Waheguru" in his ears.
The elephant-keeper obeyed the order of the Guru and went and rubbed his hands on the face of the elephant and in his ears said, "0 Lord" "Waheguru".
The Guru, the beloved of the Lord looked towards the elephant and the miraculous Lord did the miracle. With the life-giving power and sensation of the Lord's name, the elephant stretched his body, opened his small eyes and in a trembling motion stood up with his giant body. It swayed his ears like a fan, moved his trunk up and down, opened his trunk and locked towards the
life-giving Guru with his small eyes.
Yes! O elephant! You were the sustenance for the humans. So .you have been made to stand.
"The elephant has become alive." The news spread like wild fire. King Ibrahim Lodhi had already been informed that his favorite elephant had died. The Veterinary Doctor had also communicated to the king the reason for his death, when suddenly the news reached the king that an extra-ordinary saint, a Lord's holy man has made him alive. Then he sent messengers to make sure that the news was true. The Veterinary Doctor checked and informed the king: 'It is true that the elephant has become alive5.
In great amazement the king who was a cause of suffering for Hindus and saints, himself came and saw the elephant alive and made suje that he had really died. Then he came to the Guru, greeted him and said: O saint! Have you made this elephant alive?
Then the Guru said: O King of men! The Lord gives life and He takes life. The saints pray and the Lord has mercy.
King: O Lord's saint! I do not understand.
Then the Guru said: It is Lord's own discretion to give life and take life. Nobody else has the power. A saint has prayer. Sometimes for a good cause, a saint does pray and the Lord listens. If he wishes he bestows mercy.
The saint has prayer only. Mercy is in His hands.
Then the king astonishingly said: If you pray again, will he die? Let him
die.
Then the Guru smiled. Then his eyes became solemn and there was a frown on his forehead. He looked towards the heavens and said: It is He, who gives life and takes. It is no one else except Him. The moment he uttered these words, the elephant staggered and fell flat on the ground. He heaved long sighs, closed his eyes and within moments was a dead body.
On seeing this, the king and his courtiers were dazed. For sometime everybody was quiet.
Then the King said: Now you make him alive again.
Then the Guru said: O King of men, he cannot become alive again. This was not a sport. It was a saint's prayer and the Lord's mercy. This requires respect.
Then the King asked: What is the reason?
Then the Guru said: listen O King! Iron is iron. It is not fire. If you put it in fire, it becomes red hot. One cannot hold it in the hands even for a fraction of a moment without burning the hand but one can hold a burning fire for a fraction of a moment without burning the hand.
Similarly, saints are immersed in the Lord's love, they can change what the Lord has done but the Lord will not change what they have done.
It means that a saint is a beloved of the Lord but being in the incessant remembrance of the Lord, he is immersed in the Lord and becomes like the Lord as the iron immersed in fire becomes like fire. Then he is able to do something that he wishes while immersed in the Lord.
Then the Muslim saint Nizam who had come with the King, understood and said to the king: This saint is a big saint. What he has said is right. The Lord for the love of his saint does what the saint wishes but for the same love he does not change what the saint does.
The King who was hard-hearted became soft now and said: O Saint! You accept something from me.
Then the Guru said: I desire the Lord. I am hungry for the ^rd. I want Him only. All other desires are gone. I desire the love of the Lord and nothing else.
The King then realized that he is a real big saint. Then he greeted him and went away.
This story also elucidates that the Lord listens to the Guru's prayer and is gracious to burn the deeds however much they may be.
Bagga Singh: Priest Dear! Many times we farmers wish that the accounts written by the landlords may somehow get destroyed. Sometimes the houses of landlords are burnt so that the account books get burnt. Do you not wish to bum these doubts and mistaken beliefs? Well! You are a Priest. Forget these doubts and mistaken beliefs. Pray to the Guru for blessing of the Lord's name, ecstasy and rapture.
Muslim Priest: Ah ha! Bagga Singh. You are truly great.
(Looking towards the Guru): Beloved Guru! I am in mistaken beliefs. The mind goes after mistaken beliefs. Even after finding the refuge I get lost. I have no refuge, neither in heaven, nor on earth, nor in water, nor in air. Give me refuge at your feet. Give refuge to the refuge-less.
Beloved Guru: Have no doubts. As several kilograms of wood can be burnt with one spark, similarly, the Lord's grace can redeem the bad deeds however much they are,
Bagga Singh: I adore the Guru! Priest dear! Have you heard, "Several kilograms of wood can be burnt with one spark of fire, what are we and our
SRI KAl.GIDHAR CHAMATKAR (VOLI)
deeds? Our days of life are countable. Our deeds are countable. But the Lord's grace is unlimited.
Respected Priest! The unlimited grace drowns the countable. Fall at the Guru's feet. Your sins shall be burnt whether they are little or too many. By the grace of the Guru the crucifixion becomes thorn. By the grace of the Guru's sacred hand the upside-down becomes upside. Those who take refuge at the Lord's feet, they get out of the cycle of births and deaths. Priest dear! Refuge! Refuge! Refuge!
The Muslim Priest Salaar Din's mind got full faith, got fully satisfied, his mind became re-assured. His mind was elevated. He perceived the Guru as immersed in the Supreme soul, he saw lustre on the Guru's face. He fell at the Guru's feet. Bagga Singh who was holding the Guru's feet in his lap put the Guru's feet in the Priest's lap. The Muslim Priest pressed the Guru's feet to his chest. He felt a sensation of the Lord's name in his mind, heart and body cells. His body cells recited "O Lord, O Lord, O Lord" "Waheguru, Waheguru, Waheguru".
He got ecstasy. He felt as if he was a body of nectar. He used to feel cool to see Bagga Singh in ecstasy. Today he has himself become a body of nectar. Today he understood that the Lord's name is Lord's love. Lord's love is nectar of the Soul.
Lord's love is engrossment in the Supreme soul. Everything else is out of the 'Sphere of love'. When one gets the Lord's love, then all other thoughts ' are mistaken beliefs that remain outside this sphere of love
The Priest clamped the Guru's feet fast and went on drinking the Name nectar. His cup of mind and heart became full of Name nectar up to the brim. He became fortunate.
The Gracious sacred hand is rubbing his head with love and his tongue is reciting "0 Lord, 0 Lord, 0 Lord" "Waheguru, Waheguru, Waheguru". His mind is immersed in Lord's love.
Let us pray that this sacred hand shall ever remain on the heads, fortunate heads of those whom He has bestowed His grace. Those who haven't got, then this sacred hand should bestow grace on the world, on us and give us the sensation of the presence of the Lord in our mind, heart and body and fill our hearts with nectar that ever remains and gives inner blossom to the mind. Magnificent Great Guru Gobind Singh! Magnificent Great Guru Gobind Singh!
o o o o