Sakhi Series - 22 ( Dhan Guru Nanak Sahib ji, Gursikh and the Goldmine. )

Dhan Guru Nanak Sahib ji, Gursikh and the Goldmine

Dhan sahib Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Mardana ji were on their travels, when they came across a humble servant of the lord who had nothing but a little mud hut to live in. Guru Sahib and Bhai Mardhana Ji decided to grace the humble Gursikh with their presence, agreeing to reside at the hut for the night. This Gursikh was most pleased, he had little to eat in the house, but prepared what he did have for Guru Ji - Bhai Mardhana Ji felt a little sad, knowing this humble servant had very little - and eating out of it.

Guru Sahib knew this and told Bhai Mardhana not to worry, we must live in the will of Waheguru. The Gursikhs humbleness and love was his everything.

Once they had finished their langar, Guru Sahib looked deep in thought, before asking Bhai Mardhana ji to break the little mud plates they had been eating on. Bhai Mardhana Ji looked confused, but led a sat-bachni lifestyle and agreed to what Guru Sahib was saying. The Gursikh agreed saying "I'm your humble slave, whatever you wish, you should do". So Bhai Mardhana Ji proceeded to break the few belongings the Gursikh had.

The following day, Guru Sahib arose and advised the Gursikh that they would need to continue with their travels. The Gursikhs could not bear the thought of his Guru leaving his home and asked Guru Ji if he could walk some distance with them, and at least spend a little more time in their presence. Guru Ji agreed, and the humble Gursikh followed them on their journey for a very short while.

Before they left their home, Guru ji, again after some deep thought asked Bhai Mardhana Ji to destroy the little mud hut of the Gursikh, at this point, Bhai Mardhana ji was puzzled and asked Guruji why he should destroy what little this humble slave had. The Gursikh turned to Bhai Mardhana Ji with pleading eyes and said "Please, do as my Guru say's - whatever hukam they give you, just adhere to it. Nothing here is mine, it is all Guru Ji's" - his pleading came to use and Bhai Mardhana grudgingly proceeded to destroy the mud hut.

Guru Ji, Bhai Mardhana Ji and the Gursikh then continued their journey. As night began to fall Guruji advised Gursikh that he should now be getting back to what little was left of his hut. Guru Ji gave him hukam to do so and blessed the Gursikh for his seva over the course of the night.

As the Gursikh returned to the place where his home used to be, he saw what he considered the blessing of Maharaj Sahib Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. as he circled what used to be his home, he noticed a little two feet tall wall still remained - thinking that Bhai Mardhana ji did not complete the task thoroughly he began breaking down the last of the wall ..

As he broke down bit after bit, he noticed the ground beneath becoming weaker and separating, beneath those two foot walls lay a gold mine .. this humble servant, amazing Gursikh had been living on a goldmine without knowing about it. Guru Ji's blessings came in such a disguise, that far from destroying everything this humble being had, they in fact gave him more than he ever imagined having ..

This is the beauty of our Guru Ji's blessings - we are all living on Gold mines without actually knowing it. if we, and me especially, lived the life whereby we adhered to every one of our Guru Ji's hukams, then we too would be rewarded with a gold mine each ..

Humbleness, Seva, and pyaar can lead us to the most amazing riches in the world - our Guru Ji's blessings...

"Visar nahee datar apana naam deho Gun gava din raat nanak chao eho"
=> Forget me not O Giver, give me your name
Singing your virtues day and night is Nanak's desire

Sakhi Series -21 ( Guru Ramdas ji and the Yogi’s )

Guru Ramdas ji and the Yogi's

After Guru Ramdas had taken the gurgaddi he still continued doing lot of physical sewa. Once Baba Sri chand , son of Guru Nanak ji decided to meet Guru Ramdas ji. As soon as the word traveled to Ramdas ji, Guru Ramdas sent his followers to meet Sri Chand ji at the edge of the city and himself left his sewa to meet him. When Baba Sri Chand saw guru Ramdas he was shocked because with his yogic eyes he saw his father Guru Nanak in Guru Ramdas ji. He proclamed you are the image of my father .. you have the light of my father, but your beard is much longer than my father! why is your beard so long ?? Guru Ramdas ji answered - my beard is so long so that I can wipe the feet of the saints like u and he actually bent over to rub over Sri Chand's feet. This surprised Sri Chand ji who jumped back and said even after so many years of 'tap' I have'nt been able to achieve this grace and humility. I have never seen such humility beofre. you are the king. you sit on the throne. you are the king of the yoga. They both enjoyed the meeting after that.

"With the rising of the sun, the Gurmukh speaks of the Lord. All through the night, he dwells upon the Sermon of the Lord. My God has infused this longing within me; I seek my Lord God. 1

My mind is the dust of the feet of the Holy. The Guru has implanted the Sweet Name of the Lord, Har, Har, within me. I dust the Guru's Feet with my hair. 1Pause

- GGS ji pg:1355

Soon the word spread that Sri Chand ji declared Ramdas ji as the yoga king.. the yogi's stated to question what yoga does he knows and what is the throne he sits on ???.. so when they came to Guru Ramdas ji, ramdas ji told them to chant gods name instead of ausetrities and stop violence against their body, and instead of going to caves and leaving everything, live in your "grisht ashram" (homes) and bring moderation to your eating, sleeping and to your sensuality ..don't deny yourself as a human but bring moderation to it and infuse yourself with moral courage ( sahaj yoga) and by these things they will gain union with god.. the way of yoga the celebs have adopted had actually seperated them from god for when they came close/in presence of a woman their equilibrum was disturbed bcos they were still humans.. Guru Ramdas told them to keep their equilibrium day and night by meditation and chanting gods name. and focusing on gods feet.

You may pluck the strings with your hand, O Yogi, but your playing of the harp is in vain.

Under Guru's Instruction, chant the Glorious Praises of the Lord, O Yogi, and this mind of yours shall be imbued with the Lord's Love. 1

O Yogi, give your intellect the Teachings of the Lord.

The Lord, the One Lord, is pervading throughout all the ages; I humbly bow down to Him. 1Pause

You sing in so many Ragas and harmonies, and you talk so much, but this mind of yours is only playing a game

You work the well and irrigate the fields, but the oxen have already left to graze in the jungle. 2

In the field of the body, plant the Lord's Name, and the Lord will sprout there, like a lush green field.

O mortal, hook up your unstable mind like an ox, and irrigate your fields with the Lord's Name, through the Guru's Teachings. 3

The Yogis, the wandering Jangams, and all the world is Yours, O Lord. According to the wisdom which You give them, so do they follow their ways.

O Lord God of servant Nanak, O Inner-knower, Searcher of hearts, please link my mind to You. 4961

- GGS ji pg:368

He further explained.. yoga is acceptance of both polarities ..good and bad .. when there is no good no bad .. ( kaun bhale ko mande) ?? when u accept all of it as god then you merge with god in ecstacy. and this is true yoga.

Sakhi Series -20 ( GURU NANAK in JAGANATH PURI - Aarti)

GURU NANAK in JAGANATH PURI

The temple of Jagan Nath, was one of the four most revered temples of the Hindus. It is said that Jagan Nath's idol was sculptured by the architect of the gods and it was installed at the temple by Lord Brahma himself. It was the anniversary of installation of the idol when Guru Nanak reached the temple. The Guru visited the temple not to adore their Lord but to educate the people that the worship of God was superior to the worship of the deity.

It was the evening time and the priests brought a salver full of many lighted lamps, flowers, incense and pearls and then all stood to offer the salver to their enshrined idol-god. The ceremony was called 'Aarti', a song of dedication. The high-priest invited the Guru to join in the god's worship. The Guru declined to join their service which enraged the priests. On being asked the reason the Guru explained that a wonderful serenade was being sung by nature before the invisible altar of God. The sun and the moon were the lamps, placed in the salver of the firmament and the fragrance wafted from the Malayan mountains was serving as incense. The Guru, therefore, instead of accepting the invitation of the high-priest to adore the idol, raised his eyes to the heaven and uttered the following Sabad of Arti:

ggn mY Qwlu riv cMdu dIpk bny qwirkw mMfl jnk moqI ]

gagan m ai thhaa l rav cha(n)dh dh eepak ban ae thaa r ik aa ma(n)ddal janak mo th ee

Upon that cosmic plate of the sky, the sun and the moon are the lamps. The stars and their orbs are the studded pearls.

DUpu mlAwnlo pvxu cvro kry sgl bnrwie PUlµq joqI ]1]

dhh oo p malaaa nal o pavan chavar o karae sagal banar aae f oo la(n)th jo th ee 1

The fragrance of sandalwood in the air is the temple incense, and the wind is the fan. All the plants of the world are the altar flowers in offering to You, O Luminous Lord. 1

kYsI AwrqI hoie ] Bv KMfnw qyrI AwrqI ]

k ai see aarath ee ho e bhav kha(n)ddan aa th ae ree aarath ee

What a beautiful lamp-lit worship service this is! O Destroyer of Fear, this Ceremony of Lights is Yours.

Anhqw sbd vwjMq ByrI ]1] rhwau ]

anehath aa sabadh v aa ja(n)th bh aer ee 1 reh aa o

The Unstruck Sound-current of the Shabad is the vibration of the temple drums. 1Pause

shs qv nYn nn nYn hih qoih kau shs mUriq nnw eyk quohI ]

sehas thav n ai n nan nai n hehi th ohi ko sehas moorath nan aa eae k thuoh ee

You have thousands of eyes, and yet You have no eyes. You have thousands of forms, and yet You do not have even one.

shs pd ibml nn eyk pd gMD ibnu shs qv gMD iev clq mohI ]2]

sehas padh b i mal nan eae k padh ga(n)dhh b in sehas thav ga(n)dhh e i v chalath m oh ee 2

You have thousands of Lotus Feet, and yet You do not have even one foot. You have no nose, but you have thousands of noses. This Play of Yours entrances me. 2

sB mih joiq joiq hY soie ]

sabh meh i j oth j oth h ai s oe

Amongst all is the Light-You are that Light.

iqs dY cwnix sB mih cwnxu hoie ]

th i s dhai ch aanan sabh meh i chaa nan h oe

By this Illumination, that Light is radiant within all.

gur swKI joiq prgtu hoie ]

g u r s aakh ee j o th paragatt h oe

Through the Guru's Teachings, the Light shines forth.

jo iqsu BwvY su AwrqI hoie ]3]

j o th is bh aav ai s aarath ee h o e 3

Whatever is pleasing to Him, that itself is a lamp-lit worship service. 3

hir crx kvl mkrMd loiBq mno Anidnuo moih AwhI ipAwsw ]

har charan kaval makara(n)dh l obhi th mano anadh inuo moh i aa hee p iaasaa

My mind is enticed by the honey-sweet Lotus Feet of the Lord. Day and night, I thirst for them.

ik®pw jlu dyih nwnk swirMg kau hoie jw qy qyrY nwie vwsw ]4]3]

k i rapaa jal dh aeh i naa nak s aar i (n)g ko ho e j aa th ae thae r ai n aa e vaa s aa 43

Bestow the Water of Your Mercy upon Nanak, the thirsty song-bird, so that he may come to dwell in Your Name. 43