Bhai Ram Koer ji, Kavi Santokh Singh ji mention some of the Sikhs that came to Guru Angad Dev ji. Guru ji gave them great wisdom. Bhai Mani Singh ji Shaheed also mentions these Sikhs in the Bhagat Mala.
These people were close to Guru ji and became his Sikhs. Listen, oh Saints, to the history of these great Sikhs. Let these Sikhs be your guide in understanding how Sikhi can be achieved.
A Sikh named Bhai Jeeva ji used to live with Guru Angad Dev ji and would serve him with great love and devotion. He used to prepare Khichdee (traditional dish made with rice, lentils and yoghurt) for Guru ji along with yoghurt. He would bring the food for Guru ji everyday. His Khichdee was delicious. He would bring it from his home and give it to Guru ji first.
One day, at around 5 pm, Bhai Jeeva ji came to Guru Sahib. He folded his hands and said: “Guru ji, the wind is very strong today and the dust is flying. It seems as though the storm won’t die down any time soon. It will stay till midnight. Guru ji, there is a lot of dust flying. I need to prepare food for you. If this storm keeps up, how will I prepare food for you? Please calm the storm down for an hour. Just long enough so I may prepare the food for you. I will be quick. I will bring the food for you and you can eat it. After that, I am not concerned about the storm.” Guru Angad Dev ji heard Bhai Jeeva ji’s request and said: “you shouldn’t think of these kinds of things. This is a sin. The wind is blowing by the command of Parmeshwar. There are a lot of other things that are dependant upon this blowing mind. There are many benefits that will happen because of this. There are a lot of ships in the sea that have thousands of people travelling in them. They have many thousands of Rupees worth of merchandise and goods in those ships, that are being exported and imported, in and out of the country. The people are doing business between countries for their living. There have been a few days that there was no wind. Because of that, the ships were standing still in the seas. Now that the wind is blowing, this will be to their benefit. They are trying to make a living like this. This is how Akaal Purakh is helping them earn their living. There are places on this earth where there is copper. There are only snakes that live there. Those snakes eat dirt. Parmeshwar is blowing dirt to them so that they can eat. The snakes store the dirt for a few weeks and rely on that storage of dirt. They collect as much dirt as they need, individually. There are millions of snakes there. Akaal Purakh gives them food in this way. There are many other tasks that rely on the strong winds. Akaal Purakh completes the tasks with the wind. If I were to stop the wind, many tasks would go bad and a lot of people and animals would not get their food. Parmeshwar is supreme and whatever Parmeshwar does is good. Human beings are incomplete and should not doubt the doings of Akaal Purakh. Millions would suffer without the wind. Doubting is the ideology of manmukhs (people who follow their mind’s desires) and is sinful. The manmukhs doubt the doings of Akaal Purakh. One should accept the will of Akaal Purakh and not doubt what Akaal Purakh does. That person is a Gurmukh and Sunmukh. They live in peace and happiness, who accept Akaal Purakh’s will. The are happy in this world and in the next. They do not face any troubles. Bhai Jeeva, you want to make food, right? Just wait a few hours. When Akaal Purakh stops the wind, you can go ahead. You will get your turn, Akaal Purakh knows. If the storm continues all night, so be it. We will eat tomorrow. Live in the will of Akaal Purakh and Guru. Stay happy in the will of the Guru and Akaal Purakh. That person is a true Sikh and a Bhagat. This is the foundational wisdom and teaching of Sikhi. Whoever accepts the will is a true Sikh. Just as a Pathbrutha woman (a chaste women who does not think, desire or look at any other man but her husband), she is the happiest woman, that is how our master Akaal Purakh is for us: we are his servants. The Sikh is to be devoted to the will of Akaal Purakh. Learn to live in the will and become a Gurmukh, Jeeva. You will be blessed with meditation, penance, charity and chastity. Do the Simran of Satnam and let go of your attachment for your body. Move your focus away from your body and you will achieve Brahmgyaan. To take your attention away from the body and towards your Aatma, you will come out of the cycle of birth and death.” Bhai Jeeva ji heard the holy words and bowed to Guru ji. He accepted the teachings of the Guru and became a Brahmgyaani in a few days. He saw the light of Akaal Purakh in all beings. He served Guru Angad Dev ji for the rest of his days. After he left his body, he immersed into the light of Akaal Purakh.
There was another Sikh named Bhai Gujjar ji, who was born into the caste of Lohaars (blacksmith). He came to the court of Guru Angad Dev ji after hearing his praises. He bowed to Guru ji and sat down. He looked at Guru ji and did an Ardaas: “Guru ji, please listen to my plea. In order to feed myself and my children, I work hard, all day long. I am a householder and I need to work all day long. I would like to stay with you and do your seva but I cannot stay because of my work. How can I be saved? How may I be blessed? How can I break the bonds of birth and death?” Guru ji heard his plea and said: “collect the focus of your mind and recite the Japji Sahib Gurbani, all the time. Even when you do your work, recite Japji Sahib. Do as many recitations of Japji Sahib as you can in a day. Keep reciting, and you will receive the fruits of your recitations. If you see another poor person, do their tasks for them and do not charge them for your work. Ponder on the meanings of Japji Sahib and recite it with every breath. Whatever seva and charity work you do, have the love of the Guru in your heart and dedicate your work to the Guru’s service. Help the poor. Whatever you earn, take out your dasvand and offer it to the Guru’s Langars. The saint Sikhs that come to your home, serve them with great love.” Bhai Gujjar ji heard Guru ji’s words and engrained them in his heart. He began to do exactly as Guru ji said.
Bhai Gujjar ji’s village had some householder Sikhs that were great bhagats. Some bad person told on them with a false accusation and the police came and arrested them. They were thrown in jail for things they hadn’t done. Some months passed by and the Prabhoo (Akaal Purakh) helped them. They were able to escape from the jail. They came to Bhai Gujjar ji’s home in the middle of the night. They had chains around their feet and wanted Bhai Gujjar ji to cut them. They asked Bhai Gujjar ji: “Bhai Gujjar, for the love of the Guru, please cut our chains. If you help us, you will not be visited by the messengers of the death, jumms.” Bhai Gujjar ji heard their plea and got scared. He began to think: “if anyone finds out that I cut their chains, I will get caught and my whole family will be jailed. The tyrants will kill my whole family.” He got scared, but then, he started to think about what Guru ji said: “if someone comes to your home, help them. Do not think twice about helping others.” He then thought: “I shouldn’t go against the Guru’s teachings. I’ll deal with whatever happens later. If I die after listening to a Saint’s words, I will be saved in both worlds.” He decided to help the Sikhs. He got up and cut the chains of the Sikhs. The Saints blessed Bhai Gujjar ji and left. By the blessing of the Saints, Bhai Gujjar ji received Brahmgyaan immediately.
One day, a Naaee (hygienist) named Bhai Dhinga ji came to the court of Guru Angad Dev ji. He came and bowed to Guru ji. He sat amongst the Sikhs. All of the Sikhs were doing seva of each other. He joined them and began to do seva and made it his life’s purpose. He would warm up water for the bathing of the Sikhs. He would wash their clothes. He would massage other Sikhs and fan the Sangat during Divan. He would wash the dishes as well. Sometimes, he would get the chance to do Guru ji’s seva. One day, as he was serving Guru ji, he folded his hands and asked Guru ji: “Guru ji please give me wisdom by which I am relieved of all the pains of the world.” Guru ji heard his pleas and said: “the Guru is a crypt, if you want to immerse into the Guru, you need to be dead. Only the dead are kept in a crypt. You need to be a mureed (dedicated disciple), dead from the inside. Just as a dead person’s body does not move, so should the mind not move in the Guru’s presence. The mureed kills its ego, “I do not exist,” the body and its pleasures are all rejected. That mureed immerses into the Guru. The mureed serves the Guru just as a dead person. Look at the bhagat from your caste Bhagat Sain Naaee ji. He would serve Saints, day and night. He did not leave the service of saints to go to the king’s service. Seeing the love of Sain ji, Bhagavan (Akaal Purakh) took on the form of Sain ji and served the king. Akaal Purakh massaged the king and the king was really happy. In the morning, the King gave Sain ji his own chola. So, serve the saints like Sain ji did. By doing seva, the Guru is happy.” Bhai Dhinga ji heard the words of Guru ji and began to live by the Guru’s teachings. He became a devout Sikh and his whole family also reached salvation. Just as metal, attached to wood, floats across water, so did his family, float along with Bhai Dhinga ji at reached Brahmgyaan.
Another Sikh named Bhai Paro Jhulka ji came to Guru ji. He heard the glories of Guru Angad Dev ji and came to Khadoor. He bowed to Guru ji and sat near him. He folded his hands and did an Ardaas to Guru ji: “Guru ji, who are the Parmhans? Please explain to me the Parmhans Brahmgyaanis. Please tell me what are they like. I have heard their names and seen them as well, but I don’t know what their virtues are or which are the real ones. I would like to hear this from you. What are their virtues which make them special and great?” Guru Angad ji noticed that this person was worthy of answers. Guru ji began to tell him what a Parmhans was: “I will tell you the virtues and characteristics of a Parmhans. If you listen to the virtues of the Parmhans and make them a part of your life, you will become a Brahmgyaani too. A hans (swan) lives at the mansarovar (lake on a high elevation plateau between the Kailash Mountains) and eats pearls. Another thing that hanses do is that, if you place milk in front of them, they are able to separate the milk from the water. They consume the milk and leave the water. In the similar manner, a saint is able to distinguish the real (Aatma) and leave the false (body). The hans can fly very far and at very high altitudes. They can swim in water as well. The Parmhans is greater than the hans. The hans eats pearls, the Parmhans consumes mukti. A Parmhans Gursikh lives in the words of the Guru (Gurbani). The Parmhans takes the mukti from Gurbani by using the word of the Guru to separate the Aatma from the body. Without the pondering of Gurbani, one is not able to distinguish the Aatma from the body. This is the first thought that Parmhans’ have: I am not the body. The body is not in one state, the Aatma stays in one state. The Parmhans understands that: there was a time the body did not exist and that there will be a time when the body will not exist. Whatever did not exist at one time or that will not exist in the future, that is not true. The Aatma always existed and will exist, therefore it is true. The body is unconscious and does not know itself. What understands the body or senses, is the observer, the Aatma, the Chetna (the conscience). The body is the source of pain. The Parmhans understands that the Aatma is real. They understand that they have taken on many bodies in the past. The Aatma will live forever and truly exists. The Gursikh understands the truth. The Gursikh understands that the Aatma is the Chetna and knows itself, and the outer. It is the Aatma that causes the body to move; the eyes to see. Without the Aatma, nothing happens. The Aatma is pure bliss. It is never in duality or in pain. The senses are just an illusion. The senses are experienced by the Aatma. The ignorant thinks it is the body experiencing the senses. The Parmhans believes that: Sat, Chetan, Anand is the Aatma. The body is the source of pain. Realise the body as separate from the self. The body is like a house, where the Aatma resides. The fool will say: “I am the house.” The Gyani (knowledgeable one) sees the body as the house and sees the Aatma as different; and that they will leave the body one day. The body and Aatma are like milk and water. This is how the Parmhans thinks and reaches the Brahmgyaan. When a person sees the Aatma as different from the body, that person no longer indulges in vices or pleasures of the bodily senses. That person does not sin for pleasure. Just as a lotus floats above the water, that is how the Parmhans does not get indulged in the world, after living in the world. If the level of the water rises, the lotus rises above the water. If the affairs of the world grow intense, the Gyani rises above the ways of the world, while still being in them. The lotus always faces the sun, the Parmhans always faces Akaal Purakh. The Parmhans lives in the world and focuses on the Aatma and rejects the pains and pleasures of the body. The Parmhans does not feel happy or sad, due to the effects of the body. The Gyani person lives in the world just as the ignorant people do, but the Parmhans sees the world as a dream. The Parmhans is not bound by anything, anymore, and remains engrossed into the Brahm (the Supreme).” When Paro Jhulka ji heard the wisdom and teachings of the Guru, he became very happy. He began to ponder on the words of the Guru and became very peaceful. He served Guru Angad Dev ji for a long time and became the Sikh of Guru Amardas ji. He achieved the Brahmgyaan while in the service of Guru Amardas ji. There have only been two people given the title “Parmhans” in Sikhi. One was Bhai Paro ji and the other was Mai Bhaago ji. Bhai Paro ji requested Guru Amardas ji to start celebrating Vaisakhi. He was also given the seat of Masand by Guru Amardas Ji. Bhai Paro ji’s great grand-daughter was Mata Damodri ji, who was married to Guru Hargobind Sahib ji. His story will come again, ahead.