Wednesday, December 19, 2012

Sakhi Series :- 208 ( Guru Nanak Dev Ji & Bhai Maskeen)

Guru Nanak Dev Ji & Maskeen

On one of his travels Guru Ji came to a town and stopped at the house of an old Sikh called Chundhwadi. He was very poor and was in a fluster as to what food to place in front of Guru Ji. He went to the local town not knowing what to do. While he was there he saw a gathering of people and went to see what was happening. 

It was a wrestling match and the local Nawab was parading his champion. Now, the champion was called Maskeen and was tall and muscular and was undefeated. He stood while the proud Nawab challenged all the town if there was any person who would take on his champion. Maskeen strode into the middle of the large circle flexing his muscles. No one dared step forward for fear of serious injury. When Chundhwadi heard that the prize was 50rps he thought that if he could get the money he could use it to buy provisions to place in front of Guru Ji. He stepped into the ring and declared his intention to wrestle Maskeen. All fell about laughing, how could such an old man who was just skin and bone take on the mighty Maskeen? 

As the two opponents came close Maskeen asked "What are you doing old man? You have no chance against me, what possesses you to fight me, you are going to get seriously hurt" 
Chundawadi said "Oh champion, Guru Nanak Dev Ji is coming to my house today and I have no food to place before him, my only chance is to beat you and use the prize money."

Maskeen fell into thought, "I have heard of Guru Nanak" he said "they say he is Khudha himself. I would also like to meet him." After much soul searching he said "Old man, if I let you win will you take me to see Guru Nanak Dev ji?"

"Yes" said Chundawadi "but what will become of you? If you lose, and lose to an old man your patronage will end and what will become of you?" But Maskeen did not hear this, all he could think about was meeting Guru Nanak Dev ji . 

So it happened that after a few moves Maskeen fell to the ground with a thump and as planned the old man put his foot on his chest and claimed the prize. 

There was pandemonium, there was a riot, the proud Nawab was humiliated and disowned his wrestler. Maskeens reputation was ruined, he knew that he would be turned out of his house. His family were even more livid, when they heard what had happened they planned to do away with him. They hastily dug a trench under his munja(bed) and stuck in spikes and covered the whole thing with large palm leaves, they planned to murder him and then plea with the Nawab to let them stay at the house. 

As Maskeen finally got away from the crowd he could not find Chundawadi in all the commotion and wondered home. His favorite daughter met him on route. She had seen what was happening and told her father. But Maskeen was a broken man, he did not care what happened to him, he shuffled to his house and went straight to the munja and lay on it fully expecting the whole thing to collapse into the hole underneath, but nothing happened. His little daughter ran to him and peered underneath "Papa, I can see a man in robes holding up your munja" she shouted. He knew, he just knew. Maskeen jumped off the bed and before he knew it Guru Nanak Dev Ji stood before him. He fell to his knees placing his head on Guru Jis feet. Guru Ji sat him down. "Oh Maskeen, you were willing to lose everything for me, I am now here for you"

Wednesday, December 05, 2012

Sakhi Series :- 207 ( To the happy person, everyone seems happy. To the sick person, everyone looks sick )

Sukheeeae ko paekhai sabh sukheeaa rogee kai bhaanai sabh rogee 

Once there was a thief in Punjab. He had a scheme that he would go to the richest house in his villlage, the one with the wealthiest family. He would go to this house, and he would steal from these people, to get the most money possible. One evening, he went to the house, and waited until all the lights went out, until all the members went to sleep, until it was completely dark, so he would get his chance to steal from these people. When his chance came, when it became dark enough, and all the lights had gone out, he began climbing the gate of the house. As he came to the top of the gate, he saw a guard dog from the house. The dog started barking at him immediately. He knew that if the dog kept barking at him, there was no way he would have gotten into the house. He quickly climbed back to the other side, and waited until the dog stopped barking, but the dog could still smell him, so it continued barking.

During this time, there were Singhs that had the responsibility of the Seva of going into the Keth(fields) and managing the crops for Langar(free kitchen). These Singhs went during the night, so they could do Bhagtee, so they could do Naam Simran, and they wouldn't have any distractions; nobody to bother them, no sound, everybody would be sleeping. They were doing their jobs, at the same time the robber was attempting to steal from the wealthy family. The dog kept on barking, and when it finally stopped barking, morning had come. He realised that there was no way he could fulfill his task of stealing from those people. He decided he would finally go home; he had stayed up the whole night because the dog kept barking. His eyes were red and bloodshot. He was very fatigued. He started to walk home to his Pind(village), as he would not have his opportunity. At the same time, the Gursikhs who were doing their work in the Keth(fields) were walking home, and they crossed paths. When they looked at the thief, they saw the redness in his eyes, and they were filled with joy. They were so happy. They assumed that the thief was actually doing Naam Simran throughout the night. He looked so tired, they thought that this was the only thing he could have been doing, to be coming home at this time. When the thief looked at the Gursikhs, those Gursikhs were also tired, they were also human, they also had red eyes. When that theif looked at the Gursikhs, he assumed that they had made an attempt to steal from somebody, that they had done the same deed which he was trying to do. They were also empty-handed. He thought to himself, "Look at this. These people are in Bana, they look like Gursikhs, but they're doing these things and now in front of me, they're doing Pakhand."

Guru Sahib explains why this happened, why this person, this thief, could only think wrongly of these people.

sukheeeae ko paekhai sabh sukheeaa rogee kai bhaanai sabh rogee ||
To the happy person, everyone seems happy, everyone seems full of truth. To the sick person, the person who is filled with filth inside, who's not pure, everyone looks sick.

sa(n)th sa(n)g jaa kaa man seethal ouhu jaanai sagalee t(h)aa(n)dtee ||
One whose mind is comforted in the Society of the Saints (Sangat), believes that all are joyful.

If you look at the difference in the two situations, the thief looked at the Gursikhs, and all he could see was the wrong in them, but there was nothing; he just assumed. He could not see anything else. He could only have seen bad, because he, himself, was not pure. When the Gursikhs looked at the thief, even though he was a thief, they could only see good, they could only assume good.