Sunday, June 22, 2008

Sakhi Series :- 98 ( Elephant, Corcodile and the Lord God )

Elephant, Corcodile and the Lord God
 

bal shhuttakiou ba(n)dhhan parae kashhoo n hoth oupaae ||

My strength is exhausted, and I am in bondage; I cannot do anything at all.

 

kahu naanak ab outt har gaj jio hohu sehaae ||53||

Says Nanak, now, the Lord is my Support; He will help me, as He did the elephant. ||53||

- Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 1429

 

There is a story of a "Gaj" meaning elephant. He used to go across the river taking a flower to the temple. One day he was taking the flower as was his routine, and a crocodile caught him by the leg. You know, in the water a crocodile is stronger than an elephant and it is said that a crocodile in the water, a woman in anger and a king in his obnoxiousness are the worst creatures on the planet. Anyway, so the crocodile pulled and pulled, till the flower in that trunk came to be dipped and the elephant was going to die because there was no air.

 

jaa ko musakal ath banai dtoee koe n dhaee ||

When you are confronted with terrible hardships, and no one offers you any support,

 

laagoo hoeae dhusamanaa saak bh bhaj khalae ||

when your friends turn into enemies, and even your relatives have deserted you,

 

sabho bhajai aasaraa chukai sabh asaraao ||

and when all support has given way, and all hope has been lost

 

chith aavai ous paarabreham lagai n thathee vaao ||1||

-(but) if you come to remember the Supreme Lord God, even the hot wind shall not touch you.

- Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 70

 

In the end, all he said was: "If this flower can reach you, O my lord god, I shall feel liberated". Death was inevitable.

 

And what happened?  God came and tore open the jaw of the crocodile and freed the elephant so that he could lay the flower down.  

 

raam gur saran prabhoo rakhavaarae ||

In the Sanctuary of the Guru, the Lord God saves and protects us,

 

jio ku(n)char thadhooai pakar chalaaeiou kar oopar kadt nisathaarae ||1|| rehaao ||

as He protected the elephant, when the crocodile seized it and pulled it into the water; He lifted him up and pulled him out. ||1||Pause||

- Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 982

 

 

Monday, June 16, 2008

Sakhi Series:- 97 ( Harmandir Sahib Sewa )

Harmandir Sahib Sewa
 
In sixteenth century, when the sewa of the holy sarowar at Harmandir Sahib was being performed under the fifth pathshahi, Guru Arjan Dev ji – one night the tired sewadars and Guru Sahebaan were resting after a hectic days sewa. Just before Amritwela, all woke up to some noise, as though someone was doing the sewa outside. Astonished as to who can it be, some sewadars went out to see and reported the matter to Guruji, in a state of total disbelief and great shock. What they saw was that there were some "elahi aatmaas" performing the sewa and the big tokra's which they were carrying, were not resting on their heads but were much above it.  Guruji himself went out to see and found that all the gods, goddesses and numerous spiritual souls were all present and performing the sewa.

 

It is believed that it was there that Guruji spoke thus and narrated the shabad ……

 

sa(n)thaa kae kaaraj aap khaloeiaa har ka(n)m karaavan aaeiaa raam ||

The Lord Himself has stood up to resolve the affairs of the Saints; He has come to complete their tasks.

 

dhharath suhaavee thaal suhaavaa vich a(n)mrith jal shhaaeiaa raam ||

The land is beautiful, and the pool is beautiful; within it is contained the Ambrosial Water

- Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 783 
 

Saturday, June 07, 2008

Sakhi Series:-96 ( Bhai Moola)

Bhai Moola:

 

gur kee pa-orhee saach kee saachaa sukh ho-ee.
Truth is the Staircase to the Guru; climbing up to the True Lord, peace is obtained.  -
Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Ang:766

 

On the way to Sialkat, which is near Pasrur, Guru Nanak rested outside the town under a wild caper tree, which stands there still. "Why do you prefer the wilderness to the comforts of town?" Mardana asked.

 

"There is no comfort in a place where there is no truth," replied the Guru. "The air of the town is filled with falseness. No one can safely breathe it."

 

"Master, I am hungry," said Mardana, "and unlike you, I can't live on just the air."

 

"Go into town," said the Guru, "and ask at every shop; 'My master would like a half-anna of truth, and a half-anna of falsehood.' He who answers will feed you."

 

Mardana, much amused, went into town and stopped at each shop. Some thought his was insane, others made fun of him. However, at certain shop, Moola, the owner, replied, "Tell your master that life is false, and death is true."

 

After he fed Mardana, he asked to be taken to the man who asked for such things. Moola, when he saw the Guru, humbly bowed before him and asked, "Show me the true way?"

 

"Seek it and you shall find it," said the Guru. "It is found by searching and lost by talking."

 

Moola was much impressed by Guru Nanak and followed him for many days, even to Kabul, until the Guru told him to go back to his home and family.

 

"I want to be a renuciant," said Moola. "I want to give up the world and be a holy man."

 

"It is not by shirking our duty that we become saints," said the Guru, "but by how we handle our responsibilities in our daily lives."

 

"Then why is it that people leave their homes in search of God?" he asked.

 

"There are those who actually seek the truth and there or those who only seek to escape their responsibilities," said the Guru, "but the way I have come to show, is to live in service to God in the daily world, keeping His name on our lips and in our minds. Renunciation of outer things does not make for inner righteousness. Words are meaningless until translated into action."

 

Guru Nanak then repeated to him the Jap Ji, and Moola returned home to live the life of a householder.

 

Guru Nanak and Mardana had an occasion later to visit Sialkot and the Guru wished to see his student. Mardana went looking for Moola, but his wife, fearing that her husband would wish to leave again, convinced Moola that he could die in the wilderness if he went. And so he hid himself away until Mardana left.

 

When told, the Guru said, "This is the man who said that life is false and death is real, but now he seems to hold to falseness. So be it. But who can escape death? It comes to all no matter where they live.

 

It is said that Moola was subsequently bitten by a snake and died.
 

kavan s akhar kavan gun kavan s maneeaa ma(n)th ||

What is that word, what is that virtue, and what is that magic mantra?

 

kavan s vaeso ho karee jith vas aavai ka(n)th ||126||

What are those clothes, which I can wear to captivate my Husband Lord? ||126||

 

nivan s akhar khavan gun jihabaa maneeaa ma(n)th ||

Humility is the word, forgiveness is the virtue, and sweet speech is the magic mantra.

 

eae thrai bhainae vaes kar thaa(n) vas aavee ka(n)th ||127||

Wear these three robes, O sister, and you will captivate your Husband Lord. ||127||      - Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji Ang:1384
 
 
 

Sunday, June 01, 2008

Sakhi Series:- 95 [ Babbar Sher Singh Jee ( when you don't get ras out of Naam and it feels like you are wasting your time … ) ]

Babbar Sher Singh Jee ( when you don't get ras out of Naam and it feels like you are wasting your time …  )

(Source: Book – From the Heart)

 

kvxu su AKru kvxu guxu kvxu su mxIAw mMqu ]

kavan s akhar kavan gun kavan s maneeaa ma(n)th ||

What is that word, what is that virtue, and what is that magic mantra?

 

kvxu su vyso hau krI ijqu vis AwvY kMqu ]126]

kavan s vaeso ho karee jith vas aavai ka(n)th ||126||

What are those clothes, which I can wear to captivate my Husband Lord? ||126||

 

invxu su AKru Kvxu guxu ijhbw mxIAw mMqu ]

nivan s akhar khavan gun jihabaa maneeaa ma(n)th ||

Humility is the word, forgiveness is the virtue, and sweet speech is the magic mantra.

 

ey qRY BYxy vys kir qW vis AwvI kMqu ]127]

eae thrai bhainae vaes kar thaa(n) vas aavee ka(n)th ||127||

Wear these three robes, O sister, and you will captivate your Husband Lord. ||127||

à Guru Granth Sahib

 

One morning after amrit vela simran (very early morning naam meditation), Babbar Sher Singh jee was travelling into the forest. He was drowning in the spiritual bliss of naam and walked right into a Moghul soldier's ambush.

 

Since he was an adept sant-sipahee (saint-soldier), he had no problem escaping the trap. The Moghul leader called out to him, "I have heard much about the Khalsa and their Guru. Come and show me what your Guru is made of." Listening to the challenge to his Guru - wonderful Guru Gobind Singh jee - Babbar Sher Singh jee could not resist the Moghul's call. So he returned.

 

The Moghul said, "We will each show our swordsmanship. The winner will walk free."

Babbar Sher Singh jee agreed. They stood a few feet apart. First, the Moghul took his sharp sword and with "whooshs" filling the air, managed to unhook Babbar Sher Singh jee's battledress (chowla) clean off. Every one was impressed.

 

Then Babbar Sher Singh jee took out his sword (Kirpan) and a few "whooshs" later, he sheathed it again. Apparently no damage had been done to the Moghul leader.

 

The Moghul laughed and said, "What good is that?"

The Babbar Sher Singh jee said, "Move you head..."

The Moghul leader moved his head slightly and lo and behold! his head came clean off his body.

 

---------------------

How could this story be possibly related to Naam?

 

Now, now, my beloved friends not so much haste. This story has everything to do with Naam.

 

The sword is the Khanda of Naam, the Singh is Satguru and the Moghul is ego or humai. "Say what boy?"

 

Well, when we jap naam, our ego is being erased - this is confirmed several times in gurbanee. But yet we think we haven't changed a bit. We feel we are not progressing spiritually at all sometimes. And yet, Naam is doing it's work cleanly and deeply.

And a time will come when Satguru will give us a slight push and our humai will come cleanly off.

 

So pyareoooo, don't ever get discouraged when you don't get ras out of Naam and it feels like you are wasting your time. The time spent sitting for Naam meditation is the most precious of all times. It's value cannot be described.

 

Even when the mind is going wild and it is only our mouth saying "waheguru waheguru", even that time is better than doing anything else. You might ask why?

Well, it is true that only "waheguru" said with dhian or concentration is of spiritual worth; but still, just by sitting we are training at least the body to be still. The mind will eventually follow when it sees that this gursikh refuses to obey it.

 

The mind says, "Let's sleep. We have a long day ahead." But this gursikh says, "Mind, I don't really give a hoot whether I have a long day ahead or not, I am not budging an inch."

Finally, the mind will get the message and it too will start becoming still. Once it is still, it will feel naam ras (sweetness), because only in stillness is naam ras. Once it has felt naam ras, the other worldly ras will feel shallow and gross.

 

waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguruu....

 

 

jwlau AYsI rIiq ijqu mY ipAwrw vIsrY ]

jaalo aisee reeth jith mai piaaraa veesarai ||

Burn away those rituals which lead you to forget the Beloved Lord.

 

nwnk sweI BlI prIiq ijqu swihb syqI piq rhY ]2]

naanak saaee bhalee pareeth jith saahib saethee path rehai ||2||

O Nanak, sublime is that love, which preserves my honor with my Lord Master. ||2||

à Guru Granth Sahib