A Sikh named Muloo Shahi came to Guru Angad Dev ji. He bowed and sat down near Guru ji and spoke: “Sri Guru ji, I have come to your feet for mukti. I have heard your glory and came to meet you. Please give me wisdom by which my sins and pains can be washed away. I am a soldier of the Mughals’ army and earn a good living from that job. Please give me wisdom by which I am saved in this world and in the next. I would like to be respected in this world and in the court of Akaal Purakh.” Guru ji heard Muloo Shahi’s request. He saw his faith and spoke to him: “Bhai Muloo, if you wish to be saved then think about this in your heart: this body that you have, consider it temporary. Consider this as good as dead. Do not worry about your body. Your Aatma is true and does not die by any means. It cannot be burnt by fire; it cannot be drowned by water; it cannot by cut by any weapon; it cannot be blown away by wind; kaal, that kills everything, the aatma can overpower it. Observe the world as a dream. The tasks that you need to do at work, consider them as a duty and carry on. Practice the Brahmgyaan everyday by letting go of your body’s attachment. Understand that your body will die one day. Bhagavan Krishan gave this same wisdom to Arjan. He told him that you are not the body, “you” are the Aatma. Arjan engraved that wisdom into his heart. To fight on the battlefield is your caste’s duty. Be determined in your duty. See your body as false and your Aatma as real. Give donations to the needy but perform your duties on the battlefield. Do not be attached to your body. Do not be afraid of your body’s death. Your body’s death will only come when three specific criteria come together: the location, time and means of death. These three criteria are predetermined; when they all come together, your pranas (life energy force) will leave your body. When your time will come, where your body will fall, by the means by which you will die: this will all happen when these three criteria are satisfied, as they have been predetermined by your destiny. Without these 3 coming together, death cannot happen. Instead, Kaal protects you. When they do come together, Kaal takes your pranas. If you need to fight the war, do not think of anything else. Fight with your full attention and do not show your back. Do not think about the quantity of soldiers on your side or the enemy’s side. Be fearless and fight the war. You will receive many gifts if you win and will rule on Earth. Come to the Satsangat and donate a portion of your earnings. If you die on the battlefield, you will go to heaven without a doubt. Your glory will be sung in both worlds. This is how you can be saved, Bhai Muloo.” Bhai Muloo heard the Guru’s teachings and changed his ways. He did Simran, and performed his duties. He shared his earnings and saw his body as false. He saw his Aatma as the truth.
Another Sikh named Kidhari came to Guru Angad Dev ji and asked Satguru ji: “Guru ji, the world burns in desire and anger, please make me your bhagat and save me. I am afraid of the pains of the world and have come to you.” Guru Angad Dev ji heard him and said: “the whole world is burning with these vices: anger, desire, jealousy, greed, ego, attachment and others. Just as the forest catches fire and the deer run away fast and go into the river to escape the heat; the world is the jungle being burned by vices. The intelligent ones run to the river of the Sangat. They go to the Sangat of the Guru and perform seva to escape the heat of the vices. The heat of the vices is cooled down in the Sangat. The Gurbani is cooling to the mind. The Sikhs ponder on the meanings of Gurbani. They receive wisdom and knowledge on how to combat their attachment.” Kidhari heard Guru ji’s words and implemented them into his life.
Two Sikhs named Deepa and Narayan Das came to Guru ji along with a Sikh named Boola. They bowed and performed an Ardaas to Guru ji: “Guru ji, please take us out of the cycle of birth and death.” Guru Angad Dev ji gave them wisdom: “do Bhagti of Parmeshwar to achieve mukti.” The Sikhs responded; “we do not know what Bhagti is. How is it done?” Guru Angad Dev ji then told them what Bhagti is: “when Akaal Purakh wishes to replicate, Akaal Purakh does this with the help of Maya (the ultimate illusion by which the entire universe and all its dimensions are under). When Maya was commanded by Akaal Purakh to create the universe, Maya first created 3 powers: Rajogun-the power that creates; Satogun-the power that sustains or nurtures; and Tamogun- the power that destroys. These powers created an illusion in the universe which made the universe seem like reality. Parameshver then created four ways to dispel the delusion of Maya: Bairaag (renunciation), Jog (practice of yoga), gyaan (knowledge) and Bhagti. Gyaan, Bairaag and Jog are great but they are masculine forms. Maya is a feminine power and is able to overcome these three. It requires great effort to defeat Maya. Bhagti is a feminine power of the most chaste kind. Maya is not strong enough to overcome Bhagti. The person in which the Bhagti resides, she takes them to Akaal Purakh. Maya is clever and deceitful, like an acting performer. It can work its magic on all with its strength.” The Sikhs then asked: “Guru ji, please explain these four ways.” Guru Angad Dev ji then answered their request: “There are two types of Bairaag: one is of the mind and the other is of the body. The fortunate ones can achieve Bairaag in their hearts. For the body, one renounces all the worldly materials. Wealth, wife, children all are rejected. One needs to be stubborn to let go of all the worldly things. After letting go all these, the desires in the heart still do not go away. One renounces desires of the world, but still desires the kingdom of heaven. The second type of Bairaag is to reject all the pleasures of the heavens and worlds above that. The pleasures of the heavens should be seen as the excretion of crows. All the desires of the hearts should be rejected. Observe the pleasures of all the heavens as a dream. Be happy with what you receive by your karma. That person will experience the world but will not be attached to the worldly objects. They keep their attention focused on their Aatma away from the pleasures of their senses. Jog is in two ways as well: one is Kasht Jog. It has parts: Yam, Neeyam etc. (this is described in Sri Nanak Prakash Granth during the conversation with Raja Shivnaab, also known as Praan Sangli Granth). The other kind of jog is Sahij jog. Sahij jog is to stop your mind from the desires of sensory pleasures. Ponder on the teachings of Gurbani. Meditate on the True Name. The Aatma and the Parmatma become one. Jog means to attach. The Aatma and Parmatma become attached by Sahij Jog. The focus should stay in the Aatma. The Guru’s wisdom is this kind of Jog: to ponder the Guru’s word and reciting it. To know the real self, the Aatma, this is what Gyanis describe as Gyaan. Listen to the fourth way. The fourth way is Bhagti. In Kaliyuga, Bhagti is the supreme. Vahiguru is the master, serve the master as the master is all-powerful and all-knowing. Become the master’s servant. Learn from the Pathbruthas (the chaste) and surrender your body, mind, and wealth to Akaal Purakh. Love the master with full devotion. Live in the acceptance of the will of Akaal Purakh. The desire to be one with Akaal Purakh should be the only desire. This is the Prema Bhagti: Finding every breath without the master as painful; Tears shedding from the eyes, because of the separation; Whoever talks about the master, they serve that person with love; Serve the people who do Kirtan or Katha; The master knows the love in the bhagat servants’ heart and comes and unites with the Aatma. After the meeting, the servant is in bliss. The master is then in the control of the bhagat. This is the way to do Bhagti.” Listening to the words of the Guru, all three of the Sikhs were in bliss. They served the Satsangat with faith and devotion. The love of Akaal Purakh came into their hearts. Muloo Shahi and all of the Sikhs stayed with Guru Angad Dev ji and served the Guru. They then stayed with Guru Amardas ji after. They achieved Sikhi and received mukti. Many other people met these Sikhs and became Sikhs themselves. The glory of the Satguru resided in their hearts. They were fortunate to meet Guru Angad Dev ji. They were drenched in the Guru’s love and Bhagti.