ne day as Bhai Sain Dass was sitting at home, all of a sudden Bhai Dhesa came. Bhai Sain Dass offered him a seat by his
side, and enquired about his well being. The visitor said, “Allis
well.” The Bhai said, “What about your state of mind? Have all your doubts been resolved?” Bhai Dhesa said, “It was very kind of you. You know that I am a careless person of rather free ways. When I came to know that the Guru had returned from
Delhi to Amritsar, I started from my village towards Goindwal
and met him there. Asis my habit, instead of seeking the Guru's
blessings, I put hima question, ‘Why has God, who is the source
of all that is good, created the evil.’ I asked the Guru How is
that? How do! created evil.’ Thereafter the conversion went on like this:
| Guru— Who has made the grapes? You or God? s Dhesa— God has made the grapes.
Guru— The who has turned these grapes into wine? Man or God?
-Dhesa— Man is responsible for that.
Guru— Then, who creates evil and misbehaves after taking wine? Man or God?
' Dhesa— Naturally, man is responsible for the bad behaviour.
Guru— Are you, as a man, responsible for evil or not?
Dhesa— (apologetically) Yes sir, 1 am responsible.
Guru— Who has created the Sun, you or God?
Dhesa— Naturally God has created the sun.
Guru— But if you shut your eyes and stumble and fall.
Who is responsible, you or God? 7
Dhesa— I am responsible Guru— Dear Dhesa, I have important engagement. Your wish to resolve your doubts, meet Bhai Sain Dass frequently.
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“So, that is the reason for my coming to you. In the past too, you have been very kind to me I have once again come to you to seek your guidance.” Bhai Sain Dass said, “Dear friend, it does not behove a devotee to argue with the Guru on any point. Itis blunder on your part to take your doubts to the Guru, whereas even a grass-cutter in the Guru's service, not to speak of others, is competent enough to remove your doubts. It is unbecoming of a devotee to waste the Guru's time over trifles, you are welcome to go to the Guru, and if you are to demand anything let that thing be worthy of the Guru. You should go to the Guru with devotion and dedication but never with doubts. The Guru is great. His blessings open the doors of wealth, prosperity, health and happiness.”
Dhesa said, “Iregret my folly. In fact had gone to the Guru with the intention to seek his blessings, but as is my habit, unfortunately, I indulge in an argument. The Guru is great. In spite of my impetuousness he did not detest me, rather he took me under his protection and as I have told you, advised .me to seek your help.” 7
Bhai Sain Dass said, “The Guru was very kind that he listened to you. From your version of conversion with the Guru. Ihave been able toconclude that by declaring God as the source of both good and evil, you wish to absolve your responsibility from evil deeds. The Guru showed you very clearly that you alone are responsible for your evil deeds. Dear friend, God is the source of all that is good. He cannot be held responsible for your evil deeds. By the movement of earth around the sun we get days and nights, but sun itself is all right. It provides comfort, but storms, rain and clouds are also his creations. The burning lamp emits the same light as the sun. The sun is the source of warmth and light,-but storms rains, clouds etc. are also formed by the actions of the sun. A lighted candle also reflects the light of the sun. A dry log of wood carries in it warmth of fire and when it burns it glows like the sun. Farms, trees, forests etc., are dependent on the sun. If there is no sun, neither you nor I will be alive. But will you hold the sun responsible for your own thefts and misconduct. Any effort on your part to shed
responsibility for your own deeds is wrong. Rise above yourself and then see things from a lofty vision, only then shall you be able to understand.”
“I have applied the golden rule of moderation in eating, sleeping spending and all routine activities of life. Now] think before I act, 1am no longer an impulsive person. If feel hungry Ido not crave for your spicy foods. leat so thatI should live. I eat with moderation. I avoid overeating and chew food before gulping it. This method has invigorated my body. Moderation has helped me a great deal in controlling my desires and in making me happy. I am no longer short-tempered, jealous or _ narrow-minded.”
“I no longer suffer from indigestion or acidity. I keep my expenditure within my income. I do not feel jealous of others. All my needs are easily satisfied. I do not get irritated over anything. I am never idle. I have no time for gossip or backbiting or quarrelling with others or involving myself in - trifles. Your advice to think before acting has solved many of my problems. These days!lam facing one problem.e. whenever Iam idle or when I wish to sleep or whenever! wake up, Ifeela hollowness within me. This feeling of hollowness makes me restless. Kindly show me the way to overcome this problem.’
Bhai Sain Dass, “That means that you have mastered the principle of moderation. With moderation the energies of your mind are stabilized. Confusion, isreplaced by peace and order. Your mind is cleansed. Earlier you had created a state of darkness in your mind, but now when you find all things in their proper perspective, you feel stabilized and you think and live on a different level. Therefore, while you miss the earlier darkness, you feel there is a hollowness within you.”
Dhesa complained “I am unable to understand as to why there is this emptiness within me.” The Bhaisaid, “Letus discuss your problem from another perspective. Suppose you, all of a sudden, get up and slap the face of a stranger. Will he be happy or unhappy? Obviously, he will be unhappy. Will your action not create a feeling of regret or repentance in your mind? Obviously, you will regret your action. But if you help a needy
stranger, will you feel happy or not? Naturally, you will feel happy and satisfied. That means help makes both parties happy. It makes the giver as well as the recepient happy. If in such a state of happiness you find another needy person, you will be quicker in rendering help and gaining happiness for yourself. It is the state of happiness when you happen to come across a Child carrying a diamond and you find the child alone, you may nurse a desire to snatch the diamond, but you may also think that it is not proper and you may refrain from snatching it. After thinking over this matter you will feel a genuine happiness. You will make a determined resolve to help the needy. Now if we talk in terms of business, the first state of your mind while in the present position you have gained peace. Now let us think about our actions. The actions which make us sad, are the actions in which we suffer some loss whereas the actions which make us peaceful and unhappy are those that bring gain. Whether a person is aware of his state of mind or not, the loss and gain are a routine matter. Your actions in the past were those that resulted only in escalating © your loss. As a result you were sad and unhappy. The unhappiness was invisible, as it was burned deep under desires, but now when you have controlled you desires, the unhappiness and loss have become visible. It is this unhappiness which you call emptiness that causes restlessness in you.”
Bhai Dhesa said, “If that is the case, does it mean that thieves, robbers, murderers and other evil doers are aware of the feeling of loss, and yet they indulge in such acts?” The Bhaireplied, “Dear brother, everybody is not capable of looking into his own mind. Most people are simply not aware that their evil actions are spreading unhappiness inside them. Their actions do lead to unhappiness, but as their unhappiness increases their ability and capacity to look into their mind decreases. Their desires and greed lead them to still worse actions. Eating, drinking and making merry do not let one know the reality. This way the hearts of these people are hardened. Darkness and choas spread in their minds. Doing evil becomes
their second nature.”
Bhai Dhesa said, “Then what you have described as a position of gain can be termed asa state of joy. Butis this position of gain or profit not a transitory state of mind? You have told me that a religious minded person is above such feelings. Is it also not something unreal?” The Bhai laughed and said, “Brother Dhesa, you have still not discarded you habit of asking questions. We were still talking about the state of the seeker’s mind but you have instantly jumped to the question of ultimate reality. Listen carefully, a person who has realized the ultimate reality always lives in a state of bliss whereas a religious minded person or seeker is always in a state of cheerfulness. A devotee in the Guru's faith is known as the enlightened one.”
“The bliss and cheerfulness are not imposed from above; these are bom from within. When a devotee who has realized that truth lies in being kind to others, the bliss from within him overflows. The Guru says that an enlightened soul is always busy in doing something for the welfare of others. If the enthusiasm to act in the best interest of society was something negative, naturally it would have been absent in the devotees. A devotee is above faults and evil desires. He is free from contradictions of right and wrong.” Dhesa asked whether enthusiasm or bliss was not a state of happiness. The Bhai explained, “Normally cheerfulness and bliss are interpreted in terms of happiness. Cheerfulness is a quality of the soul which helps the mind in thinking on positive lines and refraining from doing evil. It gives courage and energy to put positive thinking into practice. The cheerfulness of soul keeps the mind in equilibrium. The happiness thus does not produce any negative effect. Itis the overflowing of the soul's richness. As clouds shed rain without making much effort, asroses spread fragrance all around effortlessly, similarly a devotee performs — acts of welfare effortlessly. As water flows automatically from the cataract, similarly good actions flow from the devotee.”
_ Dhesa said, “I have heard that an enlightened person transcends feelings of pain and pleasure.” The Bhai laughed and said, “Dear friend, you are still not initiated into the Sikh
faith. A truly enlightened soul does not behave as you have heard. These are some pretenders who are always busy in projecting themselves as enlightened souls and keeping themselves busy in the controversies of what is right and what is wrong. In their effort to decide what should be retained and what discarded they create an emptiness in themselves. They are left in a vacant state. The principle of neither this, nor that actually aims at discarding all those effects which the mind had collected in moments of unrestrained indulgence. Many immature and hasty seekers, in their effort at discarding unwanted effects make themselves hollow to such an extent that they reject the positive effects of their efforts. They reject everything and reach a state of utter emptiness and nothingness. They call themselves theists, but actually they tum out to be atheists. There is another school of thought. The seekers in this school accept everything as something positive and in this effort they also accept the undesired effects which are stumbling blocks in their path. The Guru says that the seeker should adopt the method which may help them in discarding - illusion and falsehood.”
“It is in this context that the Guru says that a true seeker always feels prompted to do good to others. If the mind is cluttered with business and the heart is wrapped in confusions, one has to discard this state to reach the ultimate Truth. The ultimate reality is not a state of emptiness, but a state of richness and fulfillment.”
Dhesa said, “One day in a discourse, [heardfrom a Brahmin _ that an enlightened person is indifferent to what is happening all around. He is unconcernedifa manis being murdered before him or a great act of sacrifice or charity is being performed. I had heard that perfect stoicism is the true quality of an enlightened ones? “Naturally not,” was Dhesa’‘s reply. The Bhai continued, “It is here that you go is above all temptations is true. It is true that an enlightened soul can say that the mind of an enlightened man is not subordinate views the world from _ above. Hence he is able to see the reality. He is one who rises above the everyday experience of the joys and sorrows of life.
But all this does not mean that he loses the capacity and ability to feel sad or happy. If he loses this capacity and ability then how does he remain a human being? It is true that an enlightened person does not lose his poise. He does not become, like a child, involved in everyday happenings which sweep human beings off their feet. But a man with the enlightened self is definitely affected by a murder taking place, or a sacrifice being made in front of him. An enlightened self never commits a murder; it engages itself in performing charity and good deeds. Charity flows from it like rain from the clouds. such a self is a source of cheerfulness. Good spontaneously flows out of it. When cheerfulness is refracted and reflected on the mind of an enlightened person, it creates a variety of colours. These colours are forgiveness, dispassion and loftiness of spiritual experience.”
“What I have told you are the qualities of an enlightened self. Such self is at peace with himself. This peace spreads and makes the seeker aware of his own dark spots. A devotee, when he is aware of his dark spots, makes conscious efforts to discard these. These dark spots give him a feeling of emptiness which he tries to fill with spiritual light.”
Dhesa said, “You have told me that enthusiasm makes . the self able. You have also said that this enthusiasm enables the seekers to do desirable acts and to refrain from undesirable ones. A seeker is conditioned by the joy in his spiritual experience. All this proves that even after realizing the Supreme Truth the seeker’s self does not disappear; rather it retrains its experience.”
The Bhai said, “The self is the ultimate and eternal Truth. It is the source of all love and joy. Whatever is true, is also the source of strength. Whatever stands for love is also a source of bliss. Consciousness, love and bliss are the natural attributes of the self. These are spontaneous experiences of the self. To think that when the seeker realizes the Truth, he feels joy and experiences love, and that this love is of distinct self, is sheer atheism. When man realizes the ultimate Truth, the realization gives him strength to remove all confusion and illusions to
cleanse his soul, which ultimately emerges crystal clear. As the grey, white and red clouds disappear with the coming of the sun, similarly the self emerges out of the smoke of doubts, confusion and contradictions. The realization of Truth enables the self to shine forth with all its beauty.”
Dhesa said, “I have followed from my discussion that the atheists plea that self is devoid of all attributes, does not stand the test of logic. If it si devoid of all attributes, does not stand the test of logic. If it is devoid of all attributes then it logically follows that it does not exist. Anything which is devoid of attributes abstract concept and in spite of its being abstract it has its existence. You also say that there is something higher than the self which stands for all knowledge, love, joy and bliss. You have said that actions aimed against humanity result in pain and sorrow. You have proved that bliss is the inherent attribute of the self and a source of joy, knowledge, consciousness, strength and courage. Your arguments prove that the self stands for strength, joy and bliss.”
The Bhai said, “When we say that the self is abstract what we actually mean is that it is unlike material objects, which have form and colour and which are subject to time and place. The material things decay with the passage of time, but the self is free from all the attributes of material objects. It is free from greed, ego, fear, sorrow and illusion, which grow and decay. The self on the other hand, stands for love, joy and bliss. That is why our Guru has not described God as devoid of all attributes. God has been described as the embodiment of all positive attributes. Gurbani says that God is One. He is omnipresent. He is true. He is the creator. He is free from the constraints of time and space. The Gurus have also said that He is free from all fear, He is above enmity. He is exempt from birth and death. By establishing the positive approach of scholars without spiritual experiences. (This is a God’s attributes, they have also said that His Name can enable us realize Him. To contemplate His Name, to rise above the doubts whether, He is or He is not, to be consistent in one’s devotion to Him are some of the routes to realize Him. He was, He is and
He shall ever be. It means that He is eternal and immortal. There cannot be a situation or time when he is non-existent. That is why the devoted Sikhs, through negative attributes also, consider Him the embodiment of all attributes and qualities.”
Dhesa said, “It is very kind of you that you have removed the confusion of my mind. The fact is that I was deluded into believing that God is a state of nothingness. I have been, so far, behaving like an atheist and a careless person. When I listened to the discourses about God by thescholars and theists I could not follow their line of thinking. Today you have done a great favour to me by removing my misconceptions regarding God.”
The Bhai said, “Friend, the Guru is great. He alone helps us in getting rid of our misconceptions. The fact is that one puts faith in god only when one realizes His existence. This confusion has turned men into non-believers. It has spread darkness all around and people have started collecting wealth as a substitute for faith. Fears and misconceptions have turned people to indulge in pleasures of the flesh and induced selfishness and narrow mindedness. Indulgence in physical pleasures turns man against others. Ourintellectis busy finding ways and means to amass wealth. Our mind feels more at home in physical indulgence. The result is that egoism and pride have taken possession of the minds of men. That 1s why our education keeps us on the periphery and does not let us go deep. It is because of these reasons that I ask you again and again to cultivate self-restraint, develop the habit of simple living, make your thinking positive and keep your mind under control. Because of the absence of positive thinking, the Spiritual weakness overpowers the mind. We pray to Godevery day, ‘Help us in keeping our minds humble and our understanding lofty.’ But how can we achieve this objective when our mind is weak and devoid of joy? When the. understanding is strong and healthy, the mind will automatically come under its control. When one is able to © subordinate the mind to the awakened understanding, one
becomes fit to experience the beauty and glory of God. The mind, when it finds the right war, first of all tears off the screen of confusion, and then it realizes that real worth is far above what it was conceived to be earlier. When the mind is free from ego it finds the sky clear for it to fly high. Even the fear of death is unable to subdue or frighten it. The mind experiences the feelings of eternity and immoral. The mind starts feeling the existence of the Almighty. The order in nature, the purpose of all things, the unlimited space and countless things existing simultaneously give ample proof that there is a higher power. When the mind sees things developing and decaying it stands convinced that there is a hidden order in the whole universe. It is just like the cool breeze blowing before the tide. When the tide rises we experience not only cool breeze, but also see the vegetation and water birds in a state ofelation and enjoyment. The same thing happens in relation to God. When one is on the way to experiencing spiritual bliss, one undergoes a state of elation and awakening. Friends ! the mind glows before ti experiences the true beauty and glory of the soul. What one could experience earlier with effort, one now experiences effortlessly. As one advances, one gathers strength and courage. One is unable to get rid of the power of the mind, but the power and energy of the mind can be used on the positive side.”
“Dear friend, the mind or intellect is a very potent instrument in the realization of God but it is not capable by itself of realizing God. One can also know about God by subduing one’s ego but these methods are not capable of taking one in the divine presence. The knowledge of God acquired by the mind with further efforts, can be tumed into realization. The mind is man’s best help. it is a very useful friend. Itisnotevil. It | is bad to involve the mind in the darkness of disblief. It is also bad to punish or imprison it. The Guru says that only through the mind can one think about God, and only through it can one make the initial efforts to realize God. It was with this view that on the first day | had suggested to you to cultivate moderation and subdue your heart and subordinate it to your
mind, so that your intellect is able to form a clear view and to think freely and clearly; through regular and persistent efforts it will be able to know the real worth of the soul.”
Dhesa said, “Reverend Sir, you are correct. During the first few days of our acquaintance | had thought that your advice was sincere and worth listening. Then slowly yourillustrations and arguments convinced me and] have learnt a lot by putting your advice into practice. The spiritual comfort and peace of mind which I have earned by following your advice have strengthened my faith in your guidance. The Guru's teachings, that God is the source of all that is good and all evil is made by man has given me further strength to follow your views more sincerely and faithfully. Today I have clearly understood that you are not against the reasoning faculty of the mind, but you want that the intellect should be used correctly for positive purposes. Youarenot only atheoretician but also a practitionér of the way. You are not like a sailor who knows the technique of sailing and directing the ships but himself never goes beyond the shore; rather, you are like the sailor who goes into the open sea and _has the real experience of sailing and takes the ship full of passengers safely to its destination. You are like the sailor who not only executes his own mission, but also teaches others how to solve their navigational problems and how to reach the destination safely. Now I am free from all doubts. ‘Kindly tell me what else should! do to realize my aim.”
The Bhai said, “All this credit is due to the Guru. I have said nothing except what the Guru has ordained. Have seen and felt that self discipline has cleansed your intellect. Now what is needed is that the mind should be subdued to wisdom. Your self is yet not capable of catching the reflection of true spiritual beauty because even now it feels it is empty from inside. You have, by making forced efforts at disbelief, created darkness around your mind. So far you have been believing what others have been telling you to believe. Thus you have not bothered about the true nature of your mind. You have been, so far, indulging in selfish activities and the result is that your soul has not been experiencing the true joy of spiritual experience.
Having acquired self-discipline, you is that though you are unable to experience the true spiritual beauty yet you have become aware of the emptiness inside you. Obviously you will now ask how the fog has collected around your mind. Dear friend, let me try and explain. When we have a desire for something, energy flows from the brain to the sense organs. The senses are strengthened and we get the physical strength to perform a particular task. When the actis performed, the act itself creates an impact on the intellect or brain. This process is repeated many times and as a result thereof the impact becomes so deep rooted that behaving in that particular method becomes our nature. The mind somehow enjoys repeating the acts which give it not only pleasure but are also least troublesome. This is called habit and if we wish to do something contrary to our habit, we find it difficult. When we wish to break away from the grip of habit, we realize that it is not easy as itinvolve atremendous effort and energy. Similarly when we.do something against the desire of our self and goon doing so, we develop a habit of going against the urge of our soul; and when we wish to turn towards spiritual experience, we again find it difficult. But to turn towards spiritual experience and continue to persist we can break the shackles of ego and the dominance of mind over our understanding.”
“If we extend the above line of reasoning we can say that - the real cause of the universe is the Supreme Conscious Being. But you have been trying to convince your self that this universe is devoid of consciousness and your repeated insistence on the misconceived belief has given you the illusion that the universe is without any over riding consciousness. This belief has been urging you to think on a particular plan and act in a particular fashion, and you find a pleasure in your thoughts and actions of this nature. These thoughts and actions have not created the awareness in you that a feeling of emptiness is developing within you. This is due to lack of self restraint. You have been indulging in vices such as jealousy, anger, irritation, short-temper, frustration etc. All these vices are the result of your misconceived belief
that this universe is without any conscious basis. This misconceived belief has been urging your mind to indulge in vices and evils and as a result thereof a confusion has been created in your mind. It is just like a house engulfed by smoke, darkness, fog etc., which is being broken into by the thieves, but nobody knows that a theft has taken place. Butifand when, through some effort the smoke and darkness are removed, the first thing visible will be the proof that the house is empty because everything in it has been stolen. Then we shall think about the possible reasons for its being empty and shall try to find out what has been stolen and thereafter we shall make concerted efforts to fill the emptiness. Have you followed my point?”
Dhesa said, “I have fully understood your point. From the example quoted by you, I have understood theill effects which are created by misconceptions but please tell me how to fill the hollowness of my mind.” The Bhai said, “If you have understood how the mind isrobbed and emptied, by following the reverse method you can refill it. You know what actions were responsible for creating the vacuum. Avoid such actions and abandon yourself to faith and forgiveness. You will see that the change in your attitude will give the feelings of spiritual Joy and peace.”
“If you help and serve a needy and helpless person , a
feeling of joy will be created in you mind which will inspire you to add to your kind acts. The more you help the needy, the more happy you will be . This will create in you more humility and you will gain more energy and strength to serve yet many more people. Your good actions will create a positive impact on your mind. The debit side will become weak and small, whereas the credit side shall add to such actions that fill the vacuum and create a feeling of fullness. Only then will you be able to fill the void in your mind.”
Dhesa said, “What are those actions which fill the void and how are these to be performed?” The Bhai said, “Actions aimed at the welfare of others will give you the feeling of fullness. Earlier you did perform actions aimed at others’ welfare, but
those actions created in you the feeling of jealousy, enmity, frustration and anger which resulted in a feeling of vacuity in your mind. Perform social service, but with love. Kindness will thus increase and multiply. Slowly but surely the feelings of enmity and anger will give way to feelings of love and ease. Gradually the mind will be cleansed of the thoughts which keep the mind down. This will be followed by your love and devotion to Gurbani, the Holy Word. These will provide strength and confidence to your mind and the mind shall be able to subdue your impulses. This is called the achievement os selfrestraint. When this has been achieved the fear of going astray will vanish. In this state of your consciousness, your mind will become humble and your understanding ennobled. When your mind is free from all ill effects created by the misconceived conceptions, you will find it easy and natural to be steadfast in your devotion to God. Thereafter you will realize God who is omnipresent. In that state of your mind you will sing effortlessly, in the words of Bhakt Ramananda.
Where to go, as in my self there is all the joy.
Where to go out to seek God? He is within the self.
No place is without Him? Where else to seek Him?
Allmy doubts are shattered by following the Master's word.