Getting Advice from Siri Guru Granth Sahib
Source: www.mrsikhnet.com
A Fun and Inspiring Story related to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, by Gurshabad Singh Khalsa (La Jolla/Espanola).
har bhagathaa har dhhan raas hai gur pooshh karehi vaapaar ||
The devotees of the Lord have the Wealth and Capital of the Lord; with Guru's Advice, they carry on their trade.
- Guru Granth Sahib Ji , Ang 28
"I was listening to a Siri Singh Sahib lecture and he said "Sikhs do two things, they…." Just before he gave the answer, I stopped the tape to try and guess what he was going to say. I had been getting in the habit of doing this, to see if I was learning anything. In this case, I guessed something completely wrong, and then put the tape back in. This is what he said: "Sikhs do two things. They do Sadhana and they take advice from Siri Guru Granth Sahib". I took this quote very literally and thought it was unrealistic, and I wrote the Siri Singh Sahib a letter to tell him that I thought this couldn't possibly be true. My rational was, how can a person, realistically, read from a book and get advice from it. I told him that I was going to put this to the test, to see if it worked or not. Like most everyone else I know, I had taken Hukams before, but I was looking at this more specifically as "taking advice". To me, there was a big difference taking a Hukam and taking advice. After writing the letter, the Siri Singh Sahib called me back and said "The teaching is true. Put it to the test and let me know what you find out".
Some time went by and I really didn't have any need to "take advice" from Siri Guru Granth Sahib, until one evening. I had just started my frozen waffle business and the printer was going to print my first run of cartons. There was a bit of a rush to get these out and it was down to the wire to get them printed and out in time for the first run of waffles. At 11:00 pm that night, the printer called and informed me that they thought there was going to be a real problem with 'holding' the blue color with the four color process we were running. They gave me two options. First, was to keep it as it is, and risk having the blue color be very inconsistent and 'spotty'. The second option was to go to a fifth color, which would for sure 'hold the color', but would cost significantly more per carton. At 100,000 cartons per run, this was going to represent a significant increase in cost. I hadn't worked that into my profit margins and was very concerned about this. I was equally as concerned about not doing it, and having an inferior product. Concerned, I called some friends and consultants to see what they thought. No one had the answer. I was stuck and didn't know what to do, and it was late and I had to give an answer. Then, I realized that this would be the perfect time to "take advice from Siri Guru Granth Sahib".
So, I went into the Gurdwara, sat behind the Guru, waived the Chori Sahib and literally spoke out loud to the Guru telling him what the situation was and asked him what I should do. I decided I needed to ask a very specific question. So, I asked: "Guru Ji, should I print in 4-color?". I opened the Guru and the Hukam was from Nam Dev, the Calico Printer. It said, and I paraphrase "God is the seed which grows into a tree. The tree has bark on it. The bark is taken from the tree and turned into pulp to make paper from, so Nam Dev, the Calico Printer can print on it"!
Excited, I called the printer back and said "Print 4-color. This is my final decision. Please call me in the morning and let me know how it went". The next morning, I was awakened by a phone call at 5 am. It was the printer informing me that they were "amazed" at how well the blue color held and the cartons look perfect. I happily wrote the Siri Singh Sahib back, told him the story and informed him that I had become a "believer" in this teaching. From that day forward, I have always dedicated a room or space in my house for Siri Guru Granth Sahib, and whenever I get into a place where I don't have an answer, I always take advice and it has NEVER not given me the best answer possible to my situation. It is a gold mine of technology that can be practically applied to anyone's life, anytime. Thank you Siri Singh Sahib for this gem and Happy 300th Anniversary of Siri Guru Granth Sahib! -- Gurshabad Singh Khalsa (La Jolla/Espanola)
Take the Guru's advice, you ignorant fool;
without devotion, even the clever have drowned.
Worship the Lord with heart-felt devotion, my friend;
your consciousness shall become pure.
Enshrine the Lord's Lotus Feet in your mind;
the sins of countless lifetimes shall depart.
Chant the Naam yourself, and inspire others to chant it as well.
Hearing, speaking and living it, emancipation is obtained.
The essential reality is the True Name of the Lord.
With intuitive ease, O Nanak, sing His Glorious Praises. ||6||
- Guru Granth Sahib Ji , Ang 288
