It had been many days since Sri Amardas ji had been in the holy presence of Guru Angad Dev ji. He was used to living with Guru ji all the time and he was bound by love. He had now been without seeing the Guru for many days. His mind was not calm. He couldn’t sleep at night anymore. He wasn’t hungry during the day. He didn’t like to eat or drink, he kept thinking of the Guru’s feet. He didn’t speak to anyone and remained quiet. He wanted to see the Guru and did the Guru’s Simran, in hopes of seeing the Guru. “Guru ji will come if I remember him. He will come if I call him; but he will have to walk from Khadoor. I don’t wish to oblige Guru Angad Dev ji to walk. But without seeing the Guru, I am not calm.” Sri Amardas ji was in a dilemma. “If I go to Khadoor, that would be disobeying Guru ji’s command. This is not what a Sikh does,” thought Guru Amardas ji. He thought of many things but no viable solution would come to mind. His mind was not calm and kept thinking of the Guru: “what can I do?” Guru Angad Dev ji, the Master of the Universe, knew what his servant was going through. He knew that he was longing for his presence but didn’t want to oblige the Guru. His servant was in a dilemma. Guru ji decided to fulfill his duty of granting his Sikh’s wishes. Just as a chatrik (cuckoo) calls out to the clouds with thirst, the rain begins to pour, the Guru saw the love in the heart of Guru Amardas ji and started to walk from Khadoor.
As Guru Angad Dev ji reached close to Goindwal, Guru Amardas ji sensed that he was coming. He quickly got up and ran towards Guru ji to meet and receive him. He went to receive him with respect. It was as though love had incarnated into a human body and ran towards the Guru. He saw Guru Angad Dev ji from afar and ran faster. He began to shed tears and grabbed his feet. Guru Angad Dev ji grabbed Guru Amardas ji by the arms and hugged him. There was love in both hearts. Guru ji grabbed Sri Amardas ji’s hand and walked towards Goindwal. Guru Amardas ji would stay a little behind Guru ji. It was Gyaan (knowledge) and Vairagya (love) walking together. Guru ji took Sri Amardas ji to the shores of the Beas. There were two swans singing there. It was as though they were singing the Guru’s glories. The flow of the river gave a pleasant sound. The water was clear and pure. The fish and turtles were jumping up from the waves. There was a small hill near the shore. Both great beings sat on the hill. Guru ji sat on a higher place. Sri Amardas ji sat at a lower place. He was taking in the joy of the moment; he was being satiated with the ambrosial nectar of the Guru’s visit. It wasn’t enough though; he couldn’t get enough of the visit. The joy was over flowing in his heart. His heart was calming down. Sri Amardas ji was sitting lower than Guru ji, it was as though Vasudev Krishan and Arjan were sitting together. The moment could not be spoken about. The words of Guru Angad Dev ji were granting life to Sri Amardas ji: “oh Purkha, you and I are one being. You are the same as me now. There is absolutely no difference between us now. You live in my heart and you are my favourite in this whole world. Understand this Aatamgyaan, the knowledge of the self: let go of duality. You are always with me. Only think of the Aatamgyaan and do not love the body. Let this go. This body did not exist before our birth and will not be there after we leave it. The love of the body is false. What is born, will die one day; for this reason, discard the love of my body. If you are attached to the body, there are many troubles with this. We can only see the world because of the Aatma, so attach yourself with the Aatma. The Aatma is the one that feels, that senses. The body is nothing without the Aatma. The Aatma is not reached by death. Death comes to the world though. The Aatma stays the same from beginning to end within the body. Whoever connects with the Aatma, which is radiant; without a beginning and an end; that person is not touched by death and stays in oneness. The Parmatma is the Aatma and is Sat (truly existing), Chetan (consciousness) and Anand (bliss). The Aatma is not affected by vices nor the senses and their sensory pleasures. Don’t get stuck in meeting or separation; as once the Aatma meets Parmatma, there is no separation; the land and sky will be seen as equally existing within the self; there will no longer be birth or death; joy or sorrow. Understand this in your heart that you are the Brahm Saroop (Akaal Purakh) but on the outside, always call yourself the servant of Akaal Purakh. Preach the way of Bhagti. Many will see you and follow the path of Sikhi.” Guru Angad Dev ji gave Sri Amardas ji the supreme lesson that “I (the self) am the Brahm Saroop (the supreme form), Ahung Brahm.” Guru ji made Guru Amardas ji just like himself. Both were now the same spirit, just as one torch lights another, that is how Guru Angad Dev ji bestowed the Aatamgyaan onto Sri Amardas ji. Guru Angad Dev ji then got up and grabbed Sri Amardas ji’s hand and walked. Sri Amardas ji was now in total bliss. Guru Angad Dev ji began to speak of the glories of Sri Amardas ji. He said “Dhan, Dhan.” They were now walking side by side. Guru Angad Dev ji’s left hand, held Guru Amardas ji’s right hand. Guru Amardas ji’s left hand was free by his left side. They walked towards Khadoor Sahib.
Guru Amardas ji was waving his left arm back and forth as he walked towards Khadoor Sahib. His arm flew a little ahead of Guru Angad Dev ji. Guru Amardas ji noticed his arm ahead of Guru ji and found his own arm, guilty of moving ahead of Guru ji. He got really concerned and upset at his own arm. He found his arm guilty of the Guru’s disrespect. He thought of cutting his own arm off for moving in front of Guru ji. But then he thought that the Sikhs would praise him for his show of love for the Guru. He didn’t want to be praised in any way. He decided not to ever use his left arm ever again and pressed his arm to his chest and kept it there. He took an oath: not to use the arm again and not to consider it as a part of his body. The arm had disrespected the Guru. He was no longer going to use it or be attached to it: “till my body remains on this earth, I will not use my left arm.” He kept his hand pressed against his arm. For the next 22 years, Guru Amardas ji did not use his arm. He only used his right hand to dress himself or take care of his body. Every body part of Sri Amardas ji was now doing the Bhagti of the Guru. If someone does the Bhagti of the Guru with such deep emotion as Guru Amardas ji did, that person will receive the pleasures of the world and Brahmgyaan. Both reached the court of the Guru and Guru Angad Dev ji left Guru Amardas ji’s hand and went to his throne. Guru Angad Dev ji then thought to himself: “he will guide the Sikhs well. Sikhs will be in his company and do the meditation of Akaal Purakh. Thousands will be saved by the path of Sikhi. They will meditate on the true name, Satnam.” Guru Angad Dev ji sat on his throne. Sri Amardas ji sat beside Guru Angad Dev ji. They continued their conversation about Bhagti. As evening came, Guru Angad Dev ji said: “Purkha, now go and return to Goindwal.”
Guru Amardas ji took leave. He bowed and walked backwards for 9 km. He stood at the 9 km mark and bowed towards the Guru. He turned around and walked another 3 km to his home. There was always love in his heart and he constantly thought about the Guru. He would say the name of the Guru all the time and listen to Kirtan. He didn’t see anything or hear anything. He kept his focus on to the Guru. As he did Simran now, he was able to visit the Guru inside his heart. The Brahmgyaan was now inside his heart of the highest level. He would be able to connect with Guru Angad Dev ji in his mind and see what Guru ji was doing or thinking.