ear day when Bhai Sain Dass Ji had finished his discourse, and the devotees had dispersed, a depressed looking middle-aged man approached the Bhai and after salutations said with humility, “Bhai Ji, can you tellme why God has created me?” The sudden and unexpected question startled the Bhai. He gravely looked at the stranger. He was still gazing at his face when the stranger repeated, “I am very sad. Can you tell . me why God has created me?” | _ The Bhai composed himself and said in a reassuring tone, “Dear friend, your question can be answered either by a Hindu priest (Pandit) or by a Muslim priest (Quazi}. Iam a rustic kind of man and my knowledge is too crude to fathom the depth of your question. God knows why he has created you.” .
The stranger's name was Dhesa Ji. He said, “Priests of all religions give different explanations. The variety of opinions so intricate that I have not been able to make head or tail of anything. After being disappointed by all, Ihave come to you in the fond hope of knowledge as to why God has created me. I have come to you to sift truth from falsehood.” They sat together to converse in this manner:
sain Dass— Suppose l, too like others, give you one theory, you will you accept it as true and final? Or will my theory also add to your confusion? You may out of your regards for me, believe my theory but others will call it another cry in the wilderness. This way, friend my theory will also be not of much use to you. |
Dhesa Ji— Has Guru Ji not said something on this subject?
Sain Dass Ji— Why, he as certainly said, a good deal on this particular subject, but due to my crude and limited knowledge, I have not been able to follow Guru Ji's teachings fully.
Dhesa Ji— What am I to do? 1 am extremely unhappy.
sain Dass— I can help you to find a way out of your disappointment and unhappiness. | think when you find the cause of your unhappiness, you will also be able to know the answer to your query. All our efforts today, will be simply more probings. We cannot fathom the reality in the very fast effort.
Dhesa Ji— Then what I ought to do?
sain Dass— Tell me, do you realize that you exist? Are you aware of your existence?
Dhesa Ji— Yes, I am very aware and conscious that I exist and that I am alive.
sain Dass— For the time being forget why you are and how you are.
_ Dhesa Ji— Will that serve any purpose?
sain Dass— You said, ‘Iam unhappy’. My first effort will to find if there is any way to get nd of your unhappiness. We should not for the time being, bother how we were made and who created us and for what purpose. If, even without knowing the answer to our above query, somehow we can cure our unhappiness, it will solve our immediate problem. If you are cured of the disease why still be interested in the cause of the disease? Is it not wiser first to cure the pain and thereafter if we have time, learn other.things connected with the pain? We may then learn as to how pain or disease or sorrow begins. Do you agree with me and my approach?
Dhesa Ji— {After thinking a while) You are right. Your approach seems logical and very correct.
Sain Dass Ji— Then the first step is, do you agree that you are or that you exist?
Dhesa Ji— Yes.
sain Dass— You exist, but you are unhappy.
Dhesa Ji— Yes, I exist and Iam unhappy.
Sain Dass Ji— You want to get rid of your sorrow?
Dhesa Ji— That is what I want.
sain Dass— That means that you are alive but at this particular moment you are unhappy.
Dhesa Ji— That is right.
sain Dass— That means that you are not happy with your present state of life, and you wish to be a happy person.
Dhesa Ji— Yes, I want to be happy.
sain Dass : In spite of your efforts you have not been able to be happy.
Dhesa Ji— You are night.
sain Dass— Now we shall analyse as to why your efforts to be happy do not result in happiness. Either your efforts are misdirected or suffer from some defect.
Dhesa Ji— I also think so; either both or one of the reasons is correct.
Sain Dass Ji— Let us analyse your efforts. What efforts did you make to make yourself happy?
Dhesa Ji— I made the effort to consult every wise man, but none could understand my real problem.
sain Dass— You went to the wise men to know as to why God has created you. You became aware of this problem only when you found yourself unhappy. Your anxiety to know the reasons of your birth was asymptom of your disease, it was not a treatment. My question is, what efforts have you made to cure your disease?
Dhesa Ji— I think I have not made any such effort.
sain Dass— [name some of the efforts, kindly point out if you have made any out of these.
Dhesa Ji— Yes, [am willing to point that out.
sain Dass— When you were a child, your primary concern was eating, you might not be aware but eatables were your main attraction. Even now your effort is to eat the most delicious things. Can you tell me why you like to eat the flavoury things?
Dhesa Ji— Because these are tasty.
Sain Dass Ji— How and why are these tasty?
Dhesa Ji— That I do not know.
sain Dass— Let us analyse this. When we do not eat, we feel pangs of hunger and when we do not pay any attention to it, hunger becomes a source of pain and to avoid pain or to get rid of hunger we eat. Whena hungry man eats, his palate enjoys the taste or flavour. To enjoy more one desires more and yet
more delicious things. Do you agree on these two points of hunger and taste?
Dhesa Ji— Yes, I agree.
sain Dass— That means, to satisfy your hunger you searched for food and to have the best taste, you searched for the best dishes. Tell me, was it not true?
Dhesa Ji— You are night.
Sain Dass Ji— Was satisfying your hunger with the most delicious dishes a matter of joy or sorrow?
Dhesa Ji— It was a matter of joy.
sain Dass— That means that you tried to get joy without being conscious about it?
Dhesa Ji— Yes, I tried to get joy and satisfaction out of delicious dishes, butI was not conscious of the real cause behind this search for sumptuous foodstuff.
Sain Dass Ji— Did you not feel unhappy when somebody acted against your wishes or told you unpleasant things?
Dhesa Ji— Yes, I felt displeased and unhappy.
sain Dass— How did you treat such a person? Did you not pay him in the— same coin? .
Dhesa Ji— Notjust that I also tried to hit him harder. I tried to give him as much pain as possible.
Sain Dass Ji— Was your effort to cause pain to him not aimed at getting sadistic pleasure out of it? In other words, you tried to gain satisfaction out of making things difficult and creating problems for him.
Dhesa Ji— Your conclusion is correct.
sain Dass— When you entered youth did you not find that as compared to men, women attracted you more?
Dhesa Ji— Yes, that was so.
Sain Dass Ji— Then out of women, did some particular woman not attract— you more than the others?
Dhesa Ji— Yes, she attracted me on account of her qualities?
sain Dass— Were you attracted more by her good looks or by her qualities? Did you think about her qualities? |
Dhesa Ji— Her beauty had such a pull that there was no scope for reasoning about her qualities.
sain Dass— Was your failure to getsuch a woman a matter of joy or sorrow? If you felt sorrow did you make an effort to marry that woman as per the custom of that place?
Dhesa Ji— Yes, I did marry her.
sain Dass— How much satisfaction did you get on marrying that woman?
Dhesa Ji— It is indescribable.
sain Dass— Was it an effort to be happy or otherwise?
Dhesa Ji— It was an effort to make myself happy.
sain Dass— That is night. Let us analyse it further. You must have experienced that your wife gave you much more satisfaction when she was herself happy and she must have made yousad when she was unhappy. To make her happy you must have got her jewels and fine dresses. To fulfil these words got her jewels and fine dresses. To fulfil these needs you must have felt a greater need for money. To earn money you must have worked harder, must have indulged in cheating, lying, stealing and deception. To earn more money you must have left no stone unturned because more money was to lead to: more happiness.
Dhesa Ji—Ican say that] have always earned my livelihood by honest means, and all my wealth is the result of my honest and hard efforts. |
Sain Dass Ji— That is very fine. My point is regarding the accumulation of money and whether that was through honest means or dishonestefforts, is for the moment, besides the point.
Dhesa Ji— I spared no effort to earn as much money as possible.
Sain Dass Ji— That proves that you made all possible efforts to make your life free from sorrow. In other words you made all efforts to make yourself the happiest and most comfortable person.
Dhesa Ji— You are correct.
sain Dass— Let us now go back to your original problem. We started this dialogue to ascertain what efforts you had made for your happiness and how in spite of all your efforts you got nothing but sorrow and suffering. Now there can be only two
possibilities, either your were wrong ab-initio or these were directed towards a wrong aim. Let us try to know the truth of the matter.
Dhesa Ji— I want you to do that.
sain Dass— When your hunger became intolerable you ate something and the hunger was removed. That means that eating could not be a cause of your sorrow.
Dhesa Ji— | have not followed your line of argument.
Sain Dass Ji— It is like this. You ate food to remove the pain of your hunger. Your eating thus solved your problem and on its own it did not leadtoanynew problem. As far as the problem of hunger was concerned your solution and the means applied for the solution were correct and justifiable. The problem of hunger was solved by eating food and the matter ended there.
Dhesa Ji— Now, | follow your line of argument.
sain Dass— But sometimes you must have experienced that food which you ate removed the problem of hunger, but created the problem of indigestion or acidity or ulcers in the intestines.
Dhesa Ji— Yes, that happened quite often.
*Sain Dass Ji— We have already concluded that the solution to the problem of hunger was eating and eating did solve the problem, but how at times did it led to sufferings in the form of indigestion or acdity, etc.?
Dhesa Ji— That was because either I had indulged in overeating, or ate something stale or ate something when my stomach was already full.
Sain Dass Ji— That means that while eating, your first priority and preference was taste and not hunger. And every time you indulged in eating for taste alone, you suffered on one account or the other. Instead of the satisfaction of hunger mere taste became your aim. When you started eating for taste and enjoyment you indulged in overeating. Similarly, you overate indigestible things. Youindulged in eating even when your stomach was full. All this shows that most of your eating was done for enjoyment and satisfaction of taste. This also makes it clear that while solving the problem of hunger you
Ocreated many more problems such as indigestion, acidity and ulcers.
Dhesa Ji— That means that my palate or the sense of taste is responsible for my problems.
sain Dass— This is not so. Our palate does not create any taste on its own. It merely has the ability or faculty of determining the taste of a thing which we put in the mouth. The good taste of a thing creates a desire to eat more which in its own turn enables us to enjoy ourselves. Taste has another aspect. We keep a tasteful thing in our mouth for alonger period, - wechewit more, our teeth cut and grind the tough material to make the digestion easy and smooth. Had the palate no ability to determine the taste, eating would have been tasteless and human beings would have been unhealthy. Saliva, which is mixed with food, helps in the digestsion of food. Salvia is released in direct proportion to the speed and duration of chewing and grinding. Taste triggers the release ofsalvia which increases the taste. This way the complex procedure of eating starts. ;
Dhesa Ji— Then we cannot held even taste responsible for our despair. What then is responsible for our stomach troubles?
Sain Dass Ji— Something else may be responsible for our sufferings connected with eating. Hunger cannot be termed the reason for suffering. Hunger is a condition of the body's needs. Hunger signals that the fuel in the body has been consumed and more food is needed to keep the body fit and healthy and in case food is not supplied, the body would lose its vigour and strength. If we provide our body clean, fresh and simple but invigorating food then the signals of hunger help to ward off danger and when we do not pay any heed to the hunger-signals, it creates problems which we term as suffering. Hunger is a call for the supply of food, whereas suffering results from the non-supply of food. When one says that hunger is suffering, one actually means that nonavailability of food leads to suffering. Then signals of hunger present a demand for simple and easily digestible food. The food was to be put into the mouth where the taste buds and saliva were waiting to process the food for onwards delivery
to the stomach. We committed the mistake of turning the taste into anend initself. Taste was a means to put food across to the stomach. But instead of fulfilling the needs of hunger we indulged in devices of taste. Instead of processing the food in our mouth, we started gulping and indulged in the evil of gluttony. That is how instead of solving the problem of hunger we created the problems of indigestion, acidity etc. Instead of knowing the real cause of our suffering we indulged in more and more eating.
Dhesa Ji— You are absolutely right.
sain Dass— Our other sufferings are not of the same nature? Let us take anger. Whenever somebody hurts us, we burn with a desire to hit him hard with the thought that revenge would restore our peace of mind. Anger makes us desperate, we lose the equilibrium and peace of mind; we suffer from severe headache and feel restless. When the process of anger is on, blood gushes towards the brain. The brain is under great pressure, the process of thinking is disrupted. In that state of mental disruption, our words and actions complicate the problem and this creates hurdles in the way of reconciliation later on.
Dhesa Ji— Then what is the root cause.
sain Dass— The root cause is our mis-conception that the anger aroused in us isourlatent bravery. Earlier we thought that we were very patient and peace-loving, later we thought we were courageous and brave. When things did not happen according to our expectations and when events went against our wishes we felt as if a feeling of bravery was aroused in us which was in fact an inflamation of anger. Normally, patience and courage help us in resolving any crisis. In certain matters even anger helps. For example, suppose a lion attacks us then a feeling of anger triggers the release of inherent and latent energy in us and we are able to protect ourselves from the clutches of the lion. But generally anger is aroused in negative situations. For example, anybody who creates hurdles in the realization of our desire or anybody who injures our ego becomes a target of our anger. In that situation our anger is not a shield to protect ourselves with, it becomes rather a sharp
edged weapon to hurt others. Had we the patience and courage in us we would have tackled the problem differently. An angry man is amad man. In angerone burns oneself and hurts others.
Dhesa Ji— Do you mean that man should live like helpless beings.who live in constant danger of attack by other animals? Do you mean that a man should not be brave?
sain Dass— Why should he be at the mercy of other animals? He should put his courage and bravery to proper and constructive use. Wise men say that bravery is born out of enthusiasm and vigour. Anger never leads to bravery. Anger leads to destruction and hatred. That is why when we muster up our energy to hit others for restoring or repairing our injured ego, what we actually do is that while searching for peace we earn despair and suffering. What we misconcieve as happiness is actually sorrow. Here our understanding, our efforts and our aims all are misconcieved.
Dhesa Ji— Then what should one do?
sain Dass— Let us analyse it further. Had we kept our patience and courage in proper check, our understanding would have been crystal clear. But as the grapes are allowed to rot before they are turned into wine, we also kill and spoil our patience and courage when we turn these into anger. The effect of anger and wine is the same. Both kill our ability to think and blur our understanding. Had we thought with a clear mind whether we ourselves were not responsible for our anger, things would have been different. In that situation instead of boiling with anger, we would have solved the problem with patience. Even if we were not the cause of anger, our calm mind would have given us the courage to forgive the wrongdoer. In that case we would have made the wrong-doer realize that he was creating troubles for us under a misconception of deriving joy or satisfaction by making things difficult for us. If the wrong-doer would have failed to realize this we would have become indifferent to his actions and would have prayed to Godto bless him with the understanding of truth. Whenever the occasion presented itself we would have shown goodwill toward him. This method would have saved us from our anger, from hurting ourselves and harming others.
Dhesa Ji— But suppose the other fellow attacked us?
Sain Dass Ji— If there was not other way to ward off the attack we should have used our weapons and energy to defend ourselves. And if the other fellow had still persisted in the attack and had failed to understand our magnanimity we should have mustered all courage to show our worth. In war too, many a time anger plays aconstructive role. It fires our courage, it helps us to protect ourselves from the evil forces and helps us in resisting evil. . 7 | Dhesa Ji— Your argument appears to be convincing. Tell me how to remove the sufferings born of household problems.
Sain Dass Ji— When during youth you, for the first time, felt attracted towards a woman that was an indication that your childhood was over and that your were entering manhood. That indication was to tur yourself into a man and not into an ’ animal. That indication was to enable you to realize your inherentandnewly awakened energy and constructive power and the ability to love others. Youth was to change your conception of the whole world. Yourimagination was to change the colour of the universe. The change was to transform you from within and without. Fine feelings, sensitivity and sentiments were to be born in you which would keep you in high spirits and bloom. At that stage had you determined to live like a human being and direct yournewly acquired energy for constructive aims and for achieving that aim, and had not entered the institution of marriage, things would have been different. But to keep yourself disciplined and to keep your self on the right track it would have been better if you had married. Your aim should have been to search for truth which is the source of all joy and comfort. You should have joined your wife in making your life purposeful and useful for society. Youshould have entered into a relationship of constructive participation and the mutual trust between you and your wife would have helped you in enjoying life in all its richness.
Dhesa Ji— But we did not do anything wrong which could result in suffering. |
Sain Dass Ji— But you did suffer?
Dhesa Ji— Yes.
sain Dass— As in eating, here too you committed a mistake. |
Dhesa Ji— I would like to know what was the mistake.
Sain Dass Ji— Did you consider your wife your best friend and the keeper of your conscience or just a plaything to satisfy your lust.
Dhesa Ji— She was both a companion as well as a plaything.
sain Dhesa Ji— She was, as you say, your friend as well as a source Ui pleasure. Does it mean that friends are normally not a source of joy? For the pleasure that you got out of your wife you considered her a friend as well.
Dhesa Ji— This is true, it cannot be denied.
sain Dass— It means that your wife is primarily a source of pleasure and only thereafter she is your friend. In other words she is your friend or your companion only because she is in the first place a source of joy.
Dhesa Ji— This seems to be true.
sain Dass— Any friendship or companionship which ts based on some motive, wanes when that motive is weakened or diluted. It means that your wife is your friend and companion as long as she is able to provide you sexual joy. That means primarily that your wife if not your companion or friend.
Dhesa Ji— This appears to be so.
sain Dass— It means that you committed the same error here as you had committed in eating.
Dhesa Ji— What error did I commit here.
Sain Dass Ji— The error was that instead of providing your body clean, fresh and simple food, you indulged in eating for the sake of taste alone. Similarly in the case of your wife, instead of treating her as your companion, you treated her only as a sex object and instead of respecting her as your equal partner or as another human being, you indulged with her as if she were a mere plaything. This way you deprived yourself of the warmth of love and instead burnt yourself with the fire of sex. What should have attracted you in a woman was not, in any way, a source of grief, rather nature had a purpose in it and that attraction was originally a source of joy, but instead of fulfilling
the natural obligation, you indulged in the joys of flesh and ignored the soul and spiritual obligations.
Dhesa Ji— Marriage has been sanctioned even by religion. How was my act of marrying wrong?
sain Dass— Marriage is certainly a second duty, but to marry for lust is not justified. Let us, for the time being leave aside the question of religion or irreligion. The point is that when you ignore the real purpose of an act and indulge in gluttony and lust, what seems to be a joy in the beginning, turns out to be a source of sufferings and unhappiness. Marriage is a relationship in which man and woman join each other to fulfil social and religious obligations. Thisrelationshipis based on the principle of mutual respect. Both the parties enter into a relationship of co-operation and friendship in which both sides leave their individual and personal interests aside and care for the welfare of the others 50 that marriage results in a healthy relationship and both husband and wife willingly and cheerfully perform and fulfil their social obligations. Their youthful bodies join into a happy and spiritual relationship to give birth to healthy children and thus start a new generation. The process of bringing up their children, their sorrows and joys, and the process of solving their difficulties makes the parents kind hearted, patient and forgiving. Such couples in spite of problems remain happy and cheerful. A person who obeys the discipline of marriage remains healthy, strong and capable and his children also enjoy good health and they tum out to be obedient children and good citizens. Now you tell me, whether or not, one who indulges in lustful acts and disregards discipline falls ill or remains healthy? Certainly such a person will lose energy and vigour, strength and stamina with the result that as time passes he will become a worthless person whom nobody obeys and instead of enjoying good health such a person will waste his time and money on drugs and medicines. Now, I think, it should be clear to you whether the blame goes to marriage or to lustful intentions. Mariage in itself is a useful and pious relationship but when lust takes the place of love it leads to grief, despair, depression and suffering. Now tell me what should be blamed: marriage or lust?
Dhesa Ji— Obviously blame lies in the intentions of the person himself.
Sain Dass Ji— Whatever efforts you have made so far, these might be wellintentioned, but the blame goes to their being misplaced. You committed a mistake in locating the source of your unhappiness. The very thing which you sought for making yourself happy turned out to be a source of suffering. You tnedto avoid suffering but found yourself in deeper trouble. Instead of obeying the discipline of eating or mating, you indulged in sex for the mere sake of pleasure and comfort. You ignored the food value of an eatable and ran after its taste. You ignored the call of hunger but responded to taste; you rejected the food which was easy to digest but indulged in eating things which were palatable, but difficult to digest and these very things proved harmful and created trouble for you. similarly when somebody hurts you, instead of showing | patience and tolerance, you rose in anger to strike him back. Here, instead of showing courage and patience, you displayed anger and intolerance. You disregarded the courage to forgive . the wrong-doer. With your anger you rubbed salt on your own wounds and on the wounds of the adversary. Instead of considering the other person a potential friend, you took up a position against him as if he was your biggest enemy. The need of the hour was the courage oftolerance, but you displayed the anger of destruction. When your misconceived actions resulted in suffering, you felt miserable and helpless. When it was time to rise with magnanimity you shrank with fear. similarly instead of respecting your wife as your companion as the keeper of your conscience and as a partner in this life, . you treated her only as a sex object and as a means to get children. With the key of love you did not care to unlock your. hidden energies. Rather with the poison of lust you shut your eyes to your responsibilities and indulged in amassing the means of personal comfort. Instead of being selfless you became petty-minded, obstinate, selfish and egotistical. You multiplied your desires and ignored your needs. You did not cut your coat according to your cloth. Your expenditure far exceeded your income. You used corrupt means to satisfy your desires
and in this vicious circle it was too late to realize that all your efforts to gain happiness actually resulted in suffering. You ran after desires, but the desires proved a mirage and you were disappointed. Did it not happen thus?
Dhesa Ji— (With downcast eyes) Yes, it was so.
sain Dass— Not let us go back to the point from where we began our discourse. By your own statement you were unhappy and all your efforts to be happy had proved futile. We have ascertained the reasons for your affliction.
Dhesa Ji— Now Irealize that the real source of my suffering was the wrong, illogical, misconcieved, misdirected and misplaced attitude to the problems of life.
sain Dass— Now what do you want to know?
Dhesa Ji— I wish to know how to get rid of my suffering and be happy.
sain Dass— The solution to this problem also includes
your query as to why God has created you. | Dhesa Ji— If I find happiness, the purpose behind my creation becomes irrelevant, but my intellect may insist on knowing the answer.
Sain Dass Ji— Your aim, for the time being, is to get rid of the disease of unhappiness.
Dhesa Ji— That is night.
sain Dass— That is night.
sain Dass— Friend, forget what happened to you in the past and relax. For making your happiness a perpetual feature we have to know what you have been doing, how you have been doing it and to what aim you have been directing your efforts. Now lotus tackle the first problem. Brother, to be happy eat only such food as is best for your body, which is simple, clean, fresh and easy to digest. The amount of food to be consumed should be according to your appetite. If you follow this principle you will get rid of your problem of indigestion and acidity.
Dhesa Ji— What about taste?
Sain Dass Ji— If you work hard and are not lazy and if you : are genuinely interested in your work, and devote full time to your job, and in case you do intellectual work you should take
exercise and if you eat only when you are hungry, then even the simplest food would be the most delicious. Will it be so or not?
Dhesa Ji— Your argument is quite sound.
sain Dass— This food will remove your hunger and simultaneously please your taste. If you consult an expert he would tell you that the pickles, sauces and jams, spices sweets and all such tasteful objects are harmful to the body and lead to many diseases. On the other hand if you eat simple, fresh and hygienically cooked food and eat slowly and chew it properly and do not eat just for taste, but for its food value, you will be healthy. And only a healthy person can be a happy person. similarly if you do your work honestly and wholeheartedly, your work will be a source of joy. An-idle person is always worried about his physical well being and such a person worries so much that in his efforts to remain healthy, he makes himself a bundle of diseases.
Dhesa Ji— That is right.
Sain Dass Ji— When somebody displeases you, instead of showing anger if you show tolerance and patience and the courage to forgive the wrong-doer, your peace of mind will remain undisturbed. If you lose your temper over every trifle and if you show impatience to everybody, you will be harming and hurting yourself. Isn't it true?
Dhesa Ji— You are right.
Sain Dass Ji— Patience, tolerance and endurance are the time tested sources of joy and peace. By patience I mean the refusal to become a slave to anger. One must show courage where one’s honour and self-respect are at stake. What I wish to stress is that we should refuse to be enslaved by the evils of lust, anger, greed, infatuation and egoism. Instead of being conquered by these evil forces, we should conquer and rise above them.
Dhesa Ji— That is right.
Sain Dass Ji— As you are married, consider your wife your true friend and love her and she should love you as if you are eternal lovers. Tell me, will this relationship not lead to joy and happiness? This way you will leave difficulties and diseases
far behind you. Your needs will be simple and well within your reach. Ifthere is true love, there won't be any need for jewellery and fashionable dresses. | do not mean that you should not wear clean and comfortable clothes. What I mean is that you _ will need to spend only a modest amount which will be well within your means and income. When you are able to live a decent life within your income, you will be free from the need for earning and amassing money through foul means. You will neither cheat anybody nor deprive anybody of his dues. This way you will avoid committing the sin of injustice to others. You will also be free from the negative effects of money earned through immoraland unethical means. There will be no waste; So, aS the money will be well spent, it will bring peace and prosperity. This way you will be able to provide your children with all the desirable things. Your children would be happy, healthy and strong, well-behaved and well instructed. You will thus be happy in your progeny. You will also spend to help the needy neighbours, relatives and friends. This help will bring you the blissful peace of mind, which you cannot achieve through any other means. Now tell me, what sita you and what is the cause of your misery?
Dhesa Ji— With your help I have very clearly followed the real cause of my affliction. But how can I regain the lost ground. Had I been blessed with your company since my childhood, things would have been completely different. Kindly tell me what can be done now.
sain Dass— That I have just explained. Now try to find the solution yourself.
Dhesa Ji— With my efforts, [alone will not be able to achieve anything. Please do not leave me alone. Be kind — to show me the night path.
sain Dass— Brother, if good company in your childhood could save you from falling into the trap, the same company can save you now from your future afflictions.
Dhesa Ji— Yes, you are right, wonderful.
sain Dass— Am I] not night?
Dhesa Ji— You are absolutely right. There is one apparent difference. In childhood our understanding is willing to follow
others, but at this stage it is difficult to change one’s habits and amend one’s ways.
Sain Dass Ji— That is right, then things were easy, now these are a bit difficult. My friend, the truth is that the things were neither easy then nor are more difficult now. Learning a good habit is as difficult as leaving a bad one.
Dhesa Ji— I certainly find things difficult now.
Sain Dass Ji— If you have worked so hard to make yourself unhappy, you should be willingly ready to work hard to make yourself happy. Let me tell you, things would be easy. You have learnt what results in sorrow, so, it will not be difficult for ie to restrain from repeating similar errors.
Dhesa Ji— You are clearing all my doubts and seKting my problems. Iam convinced to such an extent that I wish to start here and now but! do not know how to make a start.
sain Dass— Ihave already suggested to you the right way: If you are willing and ready, begin your effort today. If you find any difficulty or problem do not hesitate to consult a devout Sikh.
Dhesa Ji— That I will do. Forgive me for reminding you that the question as to why God had created meisyetto be touched.
Sain Dass Ji— Yes, but you have, all through our conversation, agreed with me that this question is irrelevant as far as your problem of attaining happiness is concerned. I have already told you that I have neither the ability nor the time to go into such a complex myself fit to talk on this matter. My concem was to see how you could be helped in becoming a happy person. I found that you were not happy. So I tried to analyse why you were unhappy, and how you would be happy. Ihave been able to determine the causes of your unhappiness and suggest to you ways and means to be happy. When you make genuine efforts to attain happiness and your mind is free from the debris of your past actions, you will have the desire to know how you became unhappy. Your endeavour will be to remain happy. As you train yourself on the right path, you will learn new and more durable ways to be happy. When you have attained perfect happiness, your mind will be free from all
contradictions and it will grasp the reality and the answer to ali questions.
Dhesa Ji— What reality will I grasp?
sain Dass— When you are unhappy, you feel that your mind is sad, and when you are happy you say that your mind is at peace. Now, you have learnt to transform yourself from a state of sorrow into a state of joy. Our Guru Sahibs says that every state of mind is the result of situations and circumstances. When the mind passes through both the states of sorrow and joy, of tears and smiles etc., it mses above all contradictions and perceives the Reality. The mind enters into a state of perpetual equilibrium where all contradictions are resolved and where the mind is at perfect peace. We have come to this world to lead a purposeful life. Our aim is to make others happy and comfortable, to make this world a livable and loveable place; to live and let others live, to find internal peace, to search for the eternal truth, to reach the destination where there is bliss, where one is free from all desires and one is merged with God. We do not think that man has been sent to this world to amass wealth, to build property, to earn fame or to excel others. _ Our Guru Ji has told us that these are not the aims of human life. We are not, however, to shirk these functions of life but at the Same time we are not to consume our whole energy in these occupations, we have to search for higher values and eternal ideals. Since our guru has instructed us thus, we do not find any need to question the veracity of Guru Ji's teachings. We have learnt how evil corrupts us and on the basis of that experience we know what gives happiness to us. We have enjoyed peace of mind by following the teachings of our Guru Ji. We have learnt that love, truth and friendship make us happy and because of the knowledge we constantly endeavour to proceed further and farther on the right path. I do not have the energy and stamina to indulge in meaningless discussions on irrelevant questions.
Atthis point Dhesa Ji paid his regards and departed and Bhai Sain Dass Ji went to sleep. Everybody was waiting for Sain Dass Ji at home. Narayan Das had not yettaken his food. He was waiting
to share his meal with Sain Dass Ji. When Sain Dass Ji did not turn up for quite some time, Narayan Dass Ji went towards the village shrine to fetch him. There, to his surprise he saw that Sain Dass Ji was lying asleep. He did not have the heart to wake him up instead he started reading Gurbani from the holy Granth sahib. When for quite some time neither Narayan Dass Ji nor sain Dass returned, Prem Devi and Bibi Ramo Ji started for the shrine. They found Bhai Sain Dass Ji asleep and Bhai Narayan Das Ji reciting the Bani. They immediately understood the reason of Bhai Narayan Das Ji’s reading of the Gurbani. They also paid their obeisance and sat nearby. After some time Bhai Sain Dass Ji woke up. He was startled to find everybody there. He looked around and said, “Was it a dream? Thank God it was a dream.” He rubbed his eyes to make sure that he was not dreaming. Though he was awake, yet the effect of the dream was still quite apparent. Bibi Prem Ji, Sain Das’s mother-in-law said, “Son, what is the matter? Are you not feeling well?” Sain Dass Ji said, ‘I am well, but am feeling a bit restless. My mind has started finding more pleasure in discussions and argumentation and it has been neglecting the recitation of Gurbani: Arguments agitate my mind and I! feel restless even in sleep. It is foolish on my part. How thoughtless | am. The mind is very slippery; it indulges in false pleasures. It knows that it is neglecting its duty, but still it is unable to mend itself. It is very obstinate. Well, God knows what is in store for us. May be, it is just a misunderstanding on my part. Itis better to admit one’s mistakes and try to mend one’s mistakes and try to mend one’s ways. This way one remains alert. My body is restless. | Even sleep has failed to remove its fatigue and restlessness. Oh, you have yet not taken your meals. This is very unfortunate that you have been waiting for me for so long. Let us go now. “Father, forgive me for the inconvenience.”
Talking thus they reached home and food was laid. To everybody’s surprise Sain Dass Ji was unable to take anything. Narayan Das asked, “What is the matter, my son; why don't you eat?” Sain Dass Ji said, “Father dear, my stomach refuses to accept anything.” When asked about the possible reason, Sain
Dass said, “The nightmare which I had while sleeping at the shrine has shattered me from within. Though the drama is over, yet its impact is too deep to be put away. “What was the nightmare?” Said Narayan Dass Ji. Sain Dass Ji replied, “It was nothing strange. My own misconceptions, fear and illusions had created the confusion.” Narayan Dass Ji said, “Itry my utmost to forget but it terrifies me all the more.” Narayan Das was curious to know about it and asked his son-in-law to tell everybody what it was, Bhai Sain Dass Ji said, “Itis horrible. Itis very difficult to tell. (These words brought tears to his eyes} First finish your meal then! shall tell you every thing in detail. Nightmares are often the result of physical restlessness and evil thoughts of the mind. The mind tries to throw out its baseness in dreams. Dreams are often mere illusions. |
Narayan Das said, “It happens that way, but when the mind is at peace, dreams become meaningful and prove to be premonitions.” Bhai Sain Dass Ji agreed with his father-in-law on this point.
By this time everybody had finished his meal. Sain Dass Ji also, with great difficulty, had taken a few morsels of food. When all had eaten they surrounded Bhai Sain Dass Ji and pressed him to relate his nightmare. |
sain Dass told them with great hesitation that in the dream he had found Guru Ji in an adverse and difficult situation. He said that the guru was above all kinds of suffering and sorrow, but it was very difficult for Guru Ji's followers to bear everything patiently. The Emperor, through deception had imprisoned the Guruin a cell and in the dream Bhai Sain Dass Ji found himself striking his head against the door of the cell. He further said “When the guards heard me striking my head against the door, they came running and started beating me, but! did not bother about the beating and continued striking myself against the door. The beating had rendered me senseless, but I had succeeded in breaking the door open. Guru Ji came out of the open door and many other prisoners followed him. The guards who had mercilessly beaten me started touching the — Guru Ji's feet. All the freed prisoners were shouting with joy and
praising Guru Ji, calling him ‘Liberator, Liberator’. My body was aching with pain, my bones had been broken but in spite of that I was happy. | was pleased with myself. ] understand the meaning of this dream. [am not bothered about my own pitiable condition, but lam deeply worried lest Guru Ji be in trouble. This is what makes my heart sink.” . Bhai Narayan Das Ji said, “My son, it is not only a dream, it is a premonition of coming events, but rest assured that in the end all will be well. Do not worry about Guru Ji.” Narayan Das’s words gave solace to everybody but the seriousness born out of pangs of separation and sorrow filled with the mood of prayer coloured the atmosphere prayer coloured the atmosphere. The next moment Bibi Ramo Ji said “Father, since yesterday, I have been feeling like a fish out of water. Ihave no particular problem but my heart is in perpetual prayer to God to protect us but all my efforts have failed to bring solace. Can't we send somebody to Amritsar to bring the latest news?” Bhai Narayan Dass Ji agreed to his daughter's proposal and immediately arranged to send a messenger to Amritsar. At the same time he advised them not to worry about anything. He said, “You believe in Guru Ji's teachings, let us pray that-he remains in God's protection and no harm comes to him. Guru Ji has the power to deal with every situation. He does not depend on our support; rather we need his protecting hand. -Heis capable of facing every difficulty cheerfully.” On the fifth day the messenger returned from Amritsar. He told them that all the elders including Bhai Buddha Ji had left for Delhi, as they had received the news that the Emperor had, through a trick, despatched Guru Ji to Gwalior and imprisoned him there in the fort. Guru Ji's mother, Ganga had sent some important and influential persons to enquire about her son. She herself had discarded all comforts and slept on the floor. She devoted her whole time to meditation and took the barest of rice, and water, once every twenty four hours. Damodari, Guru Ji's wife, also spent her whole time in meditation. She lived in a secluded room. Every one in Amritsar says that the days of Mughalrule arenumbered and the power of Mughal rulers shall
son be eclipsed. As the Emperor has started harassing pious souls his rule can not remain unchallenged. An Emperor should be tree from all bias and should pay no heed to mere rumours. An angry king becomes a danger to his own country. A king who is not judicious is a tyrant and people do not tolerate a tyrant for long. When the people rise against tyranny, as they do sooner or later, empires fall. : Everybody was stunned at the news of these unfortunate developments. They all put trust in God and their feet were restless. Their love for their Guru Ji did not let them rest. Then they reminded themselves again and again that. everything happened by God’s will. They tried to pacify their hearts but in vain. They felt perturbed at what the sixth Guruhadtoundergo. The fifth Guru Ji was put to death at Lahore which was quite near, but the sixth Guru Ji had been taken to a far off place. . The days passed without any change in the situation. Almost everybody had got the news of Guru Ji's imprisonment. The people flocked around Bhai Narayan Das Ji and Bhai Sain Dass Ji. Next day, after the morning prayer, everybody was discussing the matter to find some way out. Bhai Sain Dass Ji was insisting on going to Gwalior to see things with his own eyes. He wanted to strike his head against the prison gate as he had done in his dream. It was his earnest desire either to seek Guru Ji's release by breaking open the prison or do something else even at the risk of his life. Everybody was of the view that going there alone was fraught with danger. So the possibility of Sain Dass Ji undertaking the long journey alone was ruled out. It was suggested that Bhai - Narayan Das and ten other Sikhs should proceed together. Ten persons volunteered to go to Gwalior and others in the village undertook the responsibility of making arrangements for Bibi Ramo Ji and her mother Prem Devi to go to join mother Gangaand her daughter-in-law Damodani. The two ladies could not be left to fend for themselves; so all arrangements were made for Prem Devi and her daughter’s journey. Their help. was not sought, but being trouble. Thenext day, after departure of both groups (one for Gwalior and the other for Amritsar) the
village lost its cheerful bustle. The gems of the village had left for Gwalior and the pearls activities and by turn continued the reading of the Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji. Thus, they performed aseries of readings.
When Prem Deviand Bibi Ramo Ji reached Amritsar and met mother Ganga and Damodani, they did not utter any word. They made their obeisance and sat nearby. Their eyes welled up with tears. That was all that they could do to express the state of their minds. This was more than enough for mother Ganga to understand as to why they had come. It was a time to test self-control, patience, tolerance, self-confidence and determination of Guru Ji's mother. She had already endured with exemplary patience the martyrdom of her husband. Not» her only son was the victim of the wrath of Mughal empire. When the mother found her daughter-in-law in doldrums, she said in aconsoling voice, "My daughter, donotbesad, compose yourself. Remember God, no body can harm Guru Ji. I have prepared myself for all eventualities, but I have full confidence that God would protect my son and he will suffer no harm. Who can be more unfortunate in the world than me? My most beloved husband, Guru Ji had to face unheard of tortures. He was mercilessly tortured to death and now my only son is facing the same fate. Friends, at this moment my heart is in tune with Guru Nanak Dev Ji. Guru Hargobind Sahib Ji is not merely my son, he is the reincarnation of the first Guru Ji. He is the present his being my son but because he is Guru Ji. The fifth Guru Ji at the time of his departure for Lahore had said that he would not retum, but the sixth Guru Ji had advised us not to lose heart, not to believe in any rumour. He himself had said that no harm would come to him and that he would come back soon. So his return is inevitable. Nobody can harm him in any manner. Bhai Buddha Ji has gone to Gwalior. He will make purposeful efforts which will not fail. The guru is not worried about his own predicament, — heis fighting to alleviate the suffering of the people. Guru Nanak Dev Ji is being reincarnated to fight the evil forces. in this world. So dear ladies, it is not the time to lose heart, rather it is the time to reaffirm our faith and resolve to remain obedient to the
will of God. Look, how the sun tears the clouds a part and shines with all its majesty and glory. lalso feel the pangs of separation from my only son, but my faith in Guru Ji renews my resolve to face every situation calmly. Listen, disciples of Guru Ji, we should reaffirm our faith in God Almighty who is the creator: and preserver of the earth. Let us pray to Him to give us the courage to face every adversity cheerfully and unflinchingly. All those who were present joined in the prayer. As a matter of ' fact whoever came there to sympathize with mother Ganga was advised to devote his mind to the Almighty. Considerable time passed in this manner. Bhai Sain Dass Ji and his father-in-law Bhai Narayan Das Ji who had gone to Gwalior had returned. Their arrival evoked a sign of relief from everybody. They told everything in detail to the members of the family, but the people kept flocking like bees in search for nectar. That very day, in the evening, after saying their prayers they addressed the congregation in the following words: © “Dear brothers and sisters, Guru Ji is possessed of power beyond our understanding. We are too immature to understand his strange doings. We were terrified to know that he had been imprisoned in the fort but Guru Ji, who had come into this world to fight evil forces, is unaffected by these happenings. Wherever he may be, he is found busy in bringing good to others. He comes to the rescue of the needy through words and deeds, through his teachings or counsel. Sometimes he wields the sword and sometimes offers himself to be confined. Kings keep themselves busy with intrigues and deceitful acts, but the men of God, unmindful of their physical discomforts, always act in the best interest of mankind. The Gwalior Fort has been turned into a prison for the political opponents of the ruling family. All those princes and nobles who have incurred the Emperor's wrath are imprisoned in the fort. But the officials say that they are not imprisoned, rather they are detained and are being given every comfort. But this is not true. In truth they have been confined through deceit. Their state is worse than that of prisoners. Those who are imprisoned there are neither breakers, nor offenders, nor convicted of any crimes. They could
not please the king, at whose whim they are imprisoned. They are put thereto sufferindignities as long as the Emperor wishes. Nobody knows how long one would be imprisoned there. The ministers of the royal court cook up stories and feed them to the Emperor. Then through some trick the concerned person is called to the capital and taken to Gwalior to be confined. There is no possibility of any further appeal. The Gwalior prison is full of innocent scions of noble families, separated from their near and dear ones. We do not have words to convey the plight of these prisoners. The only sons of their mothers, the apples of the eyes of their parents, innocent brothers, beloved husbands, dethroned princes, all are rotting there. Their clothes are shabby, they are fed on coarse grain and are forbidden to step out of the fort. The fort is a kind of hell. Our Guru Ji has himself become a prisoner in Gwalior Fort. First of all, he has spiritually awakened the jailer, Hardass. Now the jailer is a personification of kindness, love and sympathy. He understands the sufferings of these innocent prisoners and treats everybody with love and comparison. He has become a devotee of Guru Ji and spends his time in the recitation of the holy hymns. Now because of the transformation of the jailer, the prisoners are provided with clean dresses, fresh wholesome food, and treated with due regard and respect. They are comfortable now. But it is a fact that the nobles imprisoned there were, before their detention, persons with stony hearts and insensitive minds. Guru Ji is transforming them physically as well as spiritually. A congregation is held everyday. Bani is recited and Guru Ji gives a discourse. Guru Ji's efforts have awakened the prisoners spiritually. Guru Ji does not believe only in words, he sets an example by translating his words into deeds. For three days Guru Ji refused to partake of the food supplied by the prison authorities as he termed their food a heap of royal loot. Similarly the first — Guru Ji had refused to taste the food prepared by Malik Bhago as it was tainted with the blood of innocents. Instead he cheerfully accepted the coarse food prepared by Bhai Lalo Ji which was the result of his hard and honest labour.‘The present Guru Ji had, in
the same style, refused to taste food which had been kneaded with blood and cooked on the sighs of the innocent the poor people. When Guru Ji preferred to remain hungry, refusing to partake of the state supplied food, Bhai Jetha Ji and Bhai Pirana Ji requested Guru Ji to let them bring food for him. Guru Ji said, ‘Go and earn your livelihood by your hard work.’ [ shall share the food with you which you prepare with nearby town to earn their livelinood and to prepare fresh and clean food for their Guru Ji. The people were surprised at the devotion of Bhai Jetha Ji and Bhai Pirana Ji. The people inside as well as outside the fort, were deeply impressed by Guru Ji's determination and self-confidence. They were all praise for Guru Ji, who was steadfast even in the times of crises. Guru Ji had told the nobles imprisoned there that all their wealth belonged to the poor whom they had exploited in a number of ways. He has made it clear to them that all their glitter and glory was tainted with the blood of the innocent poor people whom they had deprived of their right to property. The guru had also told them that all their sufferings were the result of the deceitful exploitation of their subjects. He has advised them to distribute their wealth among those to whom it belonged and to devote their lives to the service of the people honestly and sincerély and to work for their welfare and prosperity. Only then could they earn people’s respect, only then could they enjoy their sleep, free from nightmares. As they were suffering, Guru Ji told them in very clear words, their subjects had suffered the same way and now they are reaping what they had sown in the past. Guru Ji asked, ‘If you are unhappy with your policies?’ Guru Ji advised the Emperor, and he said, ‘When you wish to enjoy the comforts of life, do not forget that others are also in need of things. You are suffering now because you had become selfish and thereby ignored the welfare of your subjects and cared only for your personal comforts. Are you not sowing thorns and hoping for roses? Never forget that you shall reap as you sow!’ Guru Ji gives such discourses daily. As a result of Guru Ji's efforts, all the prisoners were transformed and awakened to higher truths. All were waiting
for the day when they could return to their states to serve the people whole-heartedly to earn the gratitude of their subjects and live a pious and humane life.”
“SO, my dear friends, it is a miracle on the part of Guru Ji to spiritually awaken the jailer and to transform all the prisoners and to make them his followers. Is ita small thing to turn the princes and nobles away from evil ways to a life dedicated to the welfare of the people? Thousands upon thousands of people are to come in the contact with these nobles and princes. By transforming them Guru Ji has done realservice to the people of this land. Also, Guru Ji has refused ° to come out of the fort unless all the prisoners are also set free. By personal example Guru Ji has shown that he is a man of principles and makes a selfless struggle for justice for all. Guru Ji has said that all sufferings of the innocent must come to an end. He has conveyed to the Emperor that he would not accept his release unless all injustice is undone. All the political prisoners in the Gwalior Fort call Guru Ji their saviour and he is hailed as “The Liberator’.”
“Guru Ji left Bhai Buddha Ji as the commander of the mounted guards, and asked him to establish his transit camp at Delhi and wait for instructions. Guru Ji advised us to retum to Amritsar and tell his family and faithful that none should worry and that Guru Ji would retum home soon. Guru Ji asked us to return to Amritsar and tell his family and faithful that none should worry and that Guru Ji would return home soon. Guru Ji asked us to convey his greetings and good wishes to everybody. So, good friends, put aside all your worries and anxieties. Guru Ji's vision is universal, his ways are mysterious but we, the common folk, because of our limited understanding start worrying unnecessarily. Let us not lose heart. Guru Ji, after securing justice for all those who have been wronged and are friendless, will retum soon.” | The traveller was deeply impressed by the dedication, sincerity and sacrifices of Guru Ji. The discourse broughttears to his eyes. He went to his place of rest in a highly emotional state of mind. The next day he said to the Baba, “The people
belonging to other religions are not informed about the welfare and spiritual activities of Guru Ji. Ifthey are so informed, lam sure, they will flock to listen to accounts of Guru Ji or to know his teachings from men like you. Why do you not make his ideas and teachings widely known?”
The Baba said, “We are illiterate people. We have neither the ability, nor the time or resources to put your suggestion into practice. But now as you have come to know about our faith and our Guru Ji, and as you have the knowledge of other languages, you should undertake this mission.
The traveller said, “You are right. Let me become better acquainted with the ideals of your great religion, I shall do everything possible. Baba Ji, lam deeply impressed by the ideas expressed by Bhai Sain Dass Ji. He has very ably told us the way to get rid of all doubts and meaningless questions which | corrode the minds of the so-called intellectuals. But Baba Ji, why was Bhai Sain Dass Ji looking sad and exhausted?”
The Baba said, “God knows what was the real cause of that state, but I feel that when a sincere person talks to others about the solution of a problem, he does not pay only lip service; rather he talks from the depth of his heart.and his suggestions are acts of charity. Such people are overjoyed when their minds are concentrated and their hearts are turned to the Almighty; but long and logical discourses tire them, diffuse their concentration and dissipate their peace of mind. The mind is at peace is comfortable concentration and results in the waste of spiritual energy. Experienced and trained minds effortlessly retum to equilibrium. Gurbani tells us that the spiritually awakened minds take interest In mundane affairs, but they never feel involved in them. They never lose their focus or equilibrium.
The traveller said, “Now the point is absolutely clear to me, thanks.”