Sakhi Series : 66 ( Guru Har Rai jis compassion)

Guru Har Rai jis compassion

 

fareedhaa bu rae dhaa bhalaa kar gusaa man n hadtaae ||

Fareed, answer evil with goodness; do not fill your mind with anger.

 

dhaehee rog n lag ee palai sabh kishh paae ||78||

Your body shall not suffer from any disease, and you shall obtain everything. ||78||

- Guru Granth sahib ji – 1381

 

Guru Har Rai was a saint soldier like Guru Hargobind Sahib ji. Guruji would miss no opportunity to inculcate in his disciples the noble sentiments of humility, compassion and selfless service.

 

Guru Har Rai ji set up hospitals for relieving the distress of the sick. Medicines were given free to those who came for treatment.

 

Once, when Emperor Shah Jehan's eldest son, Dara Shikoh became dangerously ill, the Emperor searched everywhere for the ingredients (for the medicine prescribed by the royal physician) but they could not be found. It was then that his Prime Minister, who had heard of the Guru Har Rai ji's fame, informed that they were available from the Gurus' store house. Although the Emperor was hostile to the Guru, yet as the Guru's house was a mine of sympathy and compassion for all, there was no doubt that he would grant the articles required.

The Emperor thus humbled himself before the Guru and sent a letter. The Guru on receiving the letter consented to give the required medicines.

 

When asked by some Sikhs about why Guruji was helping the son of Shah Jahan who had quarreled with his grandfather and father ( Guru Arjan Dev ji and Guru Hargobind Sahib ji). Guru ji is believed to have said "with one hand man breaks flowers and with one hand offers them, but the flowers perfume both hands alike. The axe cuts the sandal tree, yet the sandal perfumes the axe ." The Guru ought, therefore, to return good for evil.

 

The medicine was administered and effected a speedy and complete cure.

 

gunaa kaa h ovai vaasulaa kadt vaas leejai ||

One who has a basket of fragrant virtues, should enjoy its fragrance.

 

j ae gun hovanih saajanaa mil saajh kareejai ||

If my friends have virtues, I will share in them.

 

s aajh kareejai guneh kaeree shhodd avagan chaleeai ||

Let us form a partnership, and share our virtues; let us abandon our faults, and walk on the Path.

 

peh irae patta(n)bar kar adda(n)bar aapanaa pirr maleeai ||

Let us wear our virtues like silk clothes; let us decorate ourselves, and enter the arena.

 

j ithhai jaae beheeai bhalaa keheeai jhol a(n)mrith peejai ||

Let us speak of goodness, wherever we go and sit; let us skim off the Ambrosial Nectar, and drink it in.

 

g unaa kaa hovai vaasulaa kadt vaas leejai ||3||

One who has a basket of fragrant virtues, should enjoy its fragrance. ||3||

- Guru Granth sahib ji – 765

 

Sakhi Series: 65 (State of Blissfulness..)

State of Blissfulness.....
(Source: http://workinprogress2.blogspot.com/ )

jo gur kehai soee bhal meet(h)aa man kee math thiaag ||1|| rehaao ||
Whatever the Guru says is good and sweet to me. I have renounced the intellectual wisdom of my mind. ||1||Pause||

- Guru Granth Sahib ji pg 1339

Once, a King went to see Guru Gobind Singh jee. He was in the court of Guru Gobind Singh jee and while going to retire Guru jee saw the King and stopped by the place he was sitting. He said to the King, "O Sikh, I am happy to see you here. Ask what you want and your wish will be fulfilled". Upon this the King who was already rich, asked Guru Gobind Singh jee to shower his blessings (Kirpa) on him (so that he could be progressive spiritually as well). Guru Gobind Singh jee then looked at another Sikh and then turned to the King and asked him, "So should I turn you into a Sikh like him, Nihal Singh who is standing over there". The King for a moment saw Nihal Singh and thought in his mind that has the Guru gone crazy. Nihal Singh does not look in right state as his clothes were all shabby and the spade to which cow dung was sticking was on his shoulders and he smelled awful. The King asked the Guru that if he was showing his mercy (Kirpa) or his anger (Keher) by turning him (a King) into a person like Nihal Singh (peasant).

Then Guru Gobind Singh jee called Nihal Singh and also said to him, "O Sikh, I am happy to see you here. Ask what you want and your wish will be fulfilled". Upon this Nihal Singh too asked Guru Gobind Singh jee to shower his blessings (Kirpa) on him. Guru Gobind Singh jee then looked at the King and then turned to Nihal Singh as asked him, "So should I turn you like that King who is standing over there. Upon this Nihal Singh humbly with folded hands asked the Guru that if he was showing his mercy (Kirpa) or his anger (Keher) on him by turning him into a person like the King.

Hearing this, the King was amazed. He thought that Nihal Singh would be glad to accept the Guru's offer to turn him into a King, but Nihal Singh was not happy to be a King like him. Then the Guru explained to the King. He said, "O King, you thought Nihal Singh to be an ordinary man, but he is nothing ordinary. He is a devout Sikh who has lots of Sewa and Simran behind him and he is in the blissful state of being one with the Almighty. When I asked you that should I turn you into a person like Nihal Singh, what I meant was spiritually. But O King, you only saw Nihal Singh's outer appearance and though you also wanted to achieve the blissful state but you could not recognize that Nihal Singh was in that state and you thought that I am going to turn you into a peasant. On the other hand, Nihal Singh when was offered to be turned into a King got scared that he will lose his Sewa and Simran by becoming a King as he might get pride in his head, thus he declined to become a King and leave his state of blissfulness because once you reach that state, nothing entices you any more. The king felt real sorry for judging Nihal Singh just by what he looked and asked Guru jee for his forgiveness.

thujh oopar maeraa hai maanaa thoohai maeraa thaanaa raam ||
I take pride in You; You are my only Strength, Lord.

surath math chathuraaee thaeree thoo jaanaaeihi jaanaa raam ||
You are my understanding, intellect and knowledge. I know only what You cause me to know, Lord.

 

soee jaanai soee pashhaanai jaa ko nadhar sira(n)dhae ||
He alone knows, and he alone understands, upon whom the Creator Lord bestows His Grace.

manamukh bhoolee bahuthee raahee faathhee maaeiaa fa(n)dhae ||
The self-willed manmukh wanders along many paths, and is trapped in the net of Maya.

t(h)aakur bhaanee saa gunava(n)thee thin hee sabh ra(n)g maanaa ||
She alone is virtuous, who is pleasing to her Lord and Master. She alone enjoys all the pleasures.

naanak kee dhhar thoohai t(h)aakur thoo naanak kaa maanaa ||3||
You, O Lord, are Nanak's only support. You are Nanak's only pride. ||3||

- Guru Granth Sahib ji pg 779

Sakhi Series :64 (Bhai Soma Shah ji )

Bhai Soma Shah ji
(source: www.sonapreet.net  )

thoo(n) dhaathaa jeeaa sabhanaa kaa thaeraa dhithaa pehirehi khaae ||2
You are the Giver of all beings; they eat and wear what You give them. ||2||

- Guru Granth Sahib ji pg 431

Dhan Guru Ramdas Sahib jee was doing kaar-sewa of sarovar at Siri Harmandir Sahib - Siri Amritsar Sahib. A lot of sangat used to do sewa in digging the sarovar and doing other kind of sewa. Bhai Soma was a Sikh of great humility and did lot of sewa. He used to to sell ghunganiyaan (a kind of snack) to residents of Siri Amritsar Sahib and this way made his living.

One day in the evening Guru Sahib saw him and asked him how much vattee (profit) he had made. He came over to Guru Sahib and did 'matha tek' (paid respect) and with extreme humility answered Guru Sahib. Guru Sahib asked him to hand over all his day's earnings. Bhai Soma did not hesitate for a bit and placed all he had at the 'charan' (feet) of Dhan Guru Ramdas Sache Paatshah jee.

Soma was a very poor person and met his ends with great difficulty. Second day too, Guru Sahib asked him how much he had earned and asked him to give all his earnings to him. Guru Sahib kept doing this for 5 days. Soma who was always broke, did not have any doubts on Guru Sahib. He trusted Guru Sahib one hundred percent and believed that Guru Sahib knows better.

On the sixth day, Soma saw Guru Sahib at the Sarovar looking at the sangat doing sewa, with full Kirpa-Drishtee (gaze of grace). This time Soma did not wait for Guru Sahib to ask for the money but he came, 'matha tekked' Guru Sahib and placed all his earning at the lotus feet of Guru Sahib. Guru Sahib, who was only testing Soma, was extremely pleased at Soma and said, "Today am not going to take anything from you but am going to give you. Hence forth you shall not be Soma but Soma Shah" (Shah means very rich person).

Guru Sahib's 'bachan' (word) of calling Soma, Soma Shah, showered the abundant force of Vaheguru's power to come in action. With waheguru jis grace Bhai Soma became a 'shah' (rich person) and kept expanding his business. He became a shah of not only money but also of Naam.

kabeer maeraa mujh mehi kishh nehee jo kishh hai so thaeraa ||
Kabeer, nothing is mine within myself. Whatever there is, is Yours, O Lord.

thaeraa thujh ko soupathae kiaa laagai maeraa ||203||
If I surrender to You what is already Yours, what does it cost me? ||203||

-Guru Granth Sahib ji pg 1375

 

à www.tuhitu.blogspot.com

Sakhi Series :63 ( Guru Har Krishan Sahib ji and the Queen)

Guru Har Krishan Sahib ji and the Queen

anik jathan nehee hoth shhuttaaraa || bah uth siaanap aagal bhaar aa ||

By all sorts of efforts, people do not find salvation. Through clever tricks, the weight is only piled on more and more.

 

har kee saev aa niramal haeth || prabh kee dharageh s obhaa saeth ||1||

Serving the Lord with a pure heart, you shall be received with honor at God's Court. ||1||

-          Guru Granth Sahib ji – pg 178

 When Guru Har Krishan visited Delhi he stayed at Jai Singh's place ( which is now the site of Gurdwara Bangla Sahib). However it is said that Jai Singh and his wife (the queen) had some doubts probably because of Guru sahib's age( who was very young : 7-8 yrs of age at the time).

So in order to test the Guru that evening Raja Jai Singh sent his queen disguised as a maidservant. After the evening prayer, the queen(disguised as a maidservant) visited the Guru, along with some of her maids, and asked the Guru if he could go with them to see the queen to discuss religion with her. The Guru said that there was no need to go to the queen's palace because she could hear him very well if he spoke from his seat. The maids again asked the Guru to accompany them to the queen's palace because it was the royal order. The Guru smiled and said, "I am sorry you care more for tricks than for truth."

Saying this he rose from his seat, picked up a small stick and walked towards the maids. He stroked the first with his stick and said, "God bless you." Then he stroked the second and said, "bhali karre kartaar" He stopped near the real queen, put his stick on her head and said, " Truth is more powerful than tricks. You need to learn more, your Majesty. The time is fast approaching when queens like you will become maids not in disguise but in reality." Everybody, was surprised at this incident and the Guru's words. The matter was reported to the king who felt satisfied that Har Krishan Sahib was the real Guru of the Sikhs.

sath keho sun man maerae saran parahu har raae ||

I speak the Truth - listen, O my mind: take to the Sanctuary of the Sovereign Lord King.

 

oukath siaanap sagal thiaag naanak leae samaae ||1||

Give up all your clever tricks, O Nanak, and He shall absorb you into Himself. ||1||

-          Guru Granth Sahib ji – pg 260

 

Sakhi Series : 62 ( Sakhi Sacha Sauda)

Sacha Sauda:

At the age of eighteen, Guru Nanak Sahib Ji, was sent by his father Bhai Mehta Kalu Ji to the city to do business. His father was disappointed that Guru Sahib's mind was not into farming and other worldly work, therefore, he thought perhaps engaging him in trade would firstly, be a good profitable profession, and secondly his son would be happy all day talking to his clients about his business.

Thinking this way and choosing an auspicious day, he called Bhai Mardana Ji to accompany Guru Sahib.

Pita Kalu Ji gave twenty rupees to Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana Ji and said, "Go with Nanak. Buy and bring some genuine goods by selling of which we may make profit. In this way if you make a profitable transaction, next time I will send you with more money to buy goods."

Guru Nanak and Bhai Mardana Ji started from Talwandi towards Choohar-khaana to purchase some merchandise. They had hardly gone ten or twelve miles from the village when they came across a village, where the people were thirsty, hungry and sick due to lack of water and an outbreak of disease. Guru Nanak Sahib Ji said to Bhai Mardana Ji, "Father has asked us to carry out some profitable transaction. No bargain can be more truly profitable than to feed and clothe the needy. I cannot leave this true bargain. It is seldom that we get an opportunity to carry out some profitable transaction like this."

Guru Nanak took all the money to the next nearest village dwelling, where he bought plentiful supply of food and brought water for these people. Guru Sahib invested the twenty rupees into what we today call "Langar."

eis bhaekh ai thhaavahu gireho bhal aa jithhahu ko varas aae ||

"Instead of wearing these beggar's robes, it is better to be a householder, and give to others." (Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 587)

As well as bringing food and water to the villagers, Bhai Mardana Ji and Guru Sahib brought clothes for with the money that was left. Taking leave from the villagers, they started back 'empty-handed'.

When both reached near Talwandi, Guru Nanak said to Mardana Ji, 'You go to the village alone, I shall sit at this well." Bhai Mardana Ji went to the village and narrated the whole story to Pita Mehta Kalu Ji. He told him where Guru Nanak was sitting. Mehta Kalu was very angry that they had wasted money on feeding, clothing and taking care of needy people and didn't make any profit. Putting aside all work he took Bhai Mardana Ji along and started towards the well. Guru Nanak Dev asked  his father not to get angry with him. He tried to convince his father by telling that he had not done anything wrong with the money but has done a 'Sacha Sauda' ( True bargain) in the true sense.

At the place where the true bargain took place, Gurdwara Sacha Sauda Sahib is built. In current day Pakistan the Gurdwara Sacha Sauda is in the city of Farooqabad.

Doing good to the people is the way of a Sikh. Sharing with the needy, makes the day of a Sikh. The true bargain of life is sharing one's earning with the needy and helping in whatever way we can

--> www.tuhitu.blogspot.com

Sakhi Series : 61 ( Bhai Tilaku jee and a Yogi)

Bhai Tilaku jee and a Yogi

(Source : http://www.rajkaregakhalsa.net )

Bhai Tilaku was a Sikh of Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee and lived in the Garh Shankar town of Punjab. He was a great 'rasiya' (practitioner) of Naam and Gurbani. He used to recite Mool Mantr a lot and his abhyaas was so intensive that he did not let any moment go without Mool Mantr.

He led his life in a very honest fashion and never said anything bad to anyone. He earned his living working hard and neither he owed anyone nor anyone owed him anything.

In Garh Shankar there also lived a Yogi who was an accomplished Yogi. He had a lot of Ridhi Sidhi (mystical powers). He was more than 100 years old and had a great following in the city he lived in. But along with Ridhi Sidhi, he also was infected with the Haume Rog (disease of Ego). People used to sing his praises on his face and this resulted in his downfall and he developed the terrible haume rog (ego).

The Yogi organized a great bhandaara (inviting people to his house for eating) in which everyone from the town was invited. The Yogi announced that whoever would attend his bhandaara would get 2 years of Swarag (heaven). Hearing the Yogi's invitation, the residents of Garh Shankar flocked to the dera of the Yogi and sang his praises.

Hearing his praises, the Yogi got more egoistic and asked his followers to see if anyone from the town had not come to his bhandaara. The Yogi's followers came back and told him that Bhai Tilaku had not come to his bhandaara. They also told the Yogi that Bhai Tilaku had said that he did not need any Swarag and as thus did not need to attend the bhandaara.

The Yogi's ego got hurt hearing Bhai Tilaku's response and he sent his followers telling them that he was offering Bhai Tilaku 10 years in Swarag, if he agreed to come to the bhandaara. Hearing this Bhai Tilaku smilingly said that he would consider any effort for Swarag a paap and as such refused to go to the bhandaara.

KYA NARAK, KYAA SURAG BICHAARA, SANTAN DOYOO RAADE|| (GGS ji )
=> The Gursikhs  do not care about heaven and hell as they don't have to go to either of these places

Hearing the response of Bhai Tilaku, the Yogi got very upset. Everyone had found out by then that Bhai Tilaku had refused to come. The Yogi, vowed that he would use his Yogic powers and force Bhai Tilaku to come. He developed a great feeling of enmity and anger towards Bhai Tilaku. Because of his such feelings, his kamaayee (spiritual earnings) got reduced.

The Yogi got into smadhi and using his yogic powers called up the evil powers like bhoot, prets (ghosts), birs etc. He dispatched them to go to Bhai Tilaku and force him to come to him. The evil powers arrived at Bhai Tilaku's house and tried to harm Bhai Sahib. As these powers arrived closer to Bhai Sahib, they felt helpless to hurt him. Bhai Sahib was reciting Mool Mantr with utmost concentration. They tried their best but could not do anything.

After trying and losing to Bhai Sahib, the evil forces came back to the Yogi and expressed their helplessness. By then, the Yogi felt empty as his power had got spent in trying to harm Bhai Sahib. The evil powers told the Yogi that some higher power was protecting Bhai Sahib.

The Yogi after losing all his shakti, came back to his senses and decided to go and see Bhai Tilaku himself. He arrived at his house and knocked his door. He was accompanied by the whole city. When Bhai Sahib opened his door, the Yogi very humbly saluted him and Bhai Sahib responded accordingly. The first question the Yogi asked was about the identity of Bhai Sahib's Guru. Bhai Sahib responded by saying that he was a humble servant of Guru Arjun Dev jee.

At this the Yogi asked him about the mantra he used against him. Bhai Tilaku told him about Guru Sahib's baani and also told him that he did not have any bad feeling for the Yogi and he did not use it against him. He told the Yogi that Gurbani was pure Amrit (nector) and reciting baani (hymns) is like drinking sweet amrit.

Hearing some baani from Bhai Sahib, the Yogi felt compelled to see Guru Sahib. Bhai Tilaku brought the Yogi to Siri Amritsar Sahib, where the Yogi met Guru Sahib and became his Sikh.

If we keep our expectations on Naam and Gurbani and have faith in them, nothing can harm us.