Sakhi Series :- 114 ( Bhagat Fareed Ji)

Bhagat Fareed Ji

By Manvir Singh Khalsa

Baba Fareed Ji's mother, Bibi Mariam, said to her son as a very young child, "Oh my son, do simran (meditate on the Lord)". As any innocent child, Baba Fareed Ji would ask, "Ma, if I do Simran, then what will I get in return." His mother replied, "The people who do Simran, God gives those people sweets to eat."

Children are drawn to eat sweets and love to eat them. Baba Fareed Ji would cross his legs, close his eyes and do Simran. His mother would put some sweets in to a bowl and put it front of him. Baba Fareed Ji would open his eyes after doing simran and see the sweets in front of him. "Look ma, God has given me sweets to eat." He would then happily eat the sweets and his mother would look at him and smile.

Baba Fareed Ji looked forwards to doing Simran and being rewarded with sweets by God. For a time he would keep doing Simran and his mother would each time put sweets in front of him and when he closed his eyes so that when he opened his eyes, he could eat them.

But one day Baba Fareed Ji, opened his eyes and didn't look at the sweets. He didn't eat the sweets but still looked happy and content. His mother asked, "Fareed, today you haven't eaten the sweets God has given you." Baba Fareed Ji answered, "O Ma, once you taste the Name of God, then all other sweets in the world taste bland."

'Fareeda, sakar khand nivaath gur, maakiyau maanjhaa dudh. Sabhey vastoo miteeyaa(n) rab naa pujan tudh…'

Fareed: sugar cane, candy, sugar, molasses, honey and buffalo's milk – all these things are sweet, but they are not equal to You (Waheguru)' (Ang 1379, SGGS).

When we praise Baba Fareed Ji, we always praise his mother. With a little incentive of giving sweets, we can see the blessings bestowed on Baba Fareed Ji.

Do today's mothers give their children sweets to eat? Yes they do! Three times a day mothers give their children different types of sweet foods and sweet dishes to eat. 

But today's mothers don't say, 
"If you wake up and say 'Waheguru' and going to sleep say 'Waheguru, then you can have sweets." 
"First say 'fateh' to your grandparents and then I will give you your sweets." 
"I'll give you sweets, if you come with me to do the Gurdwara and help me do some sewa."

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Once seven hundred holy men were sitting together. An inquirer put them four questions to which Baba Farid ji replied : 

Q.1 Who is the wisest of men? 
A.1 He who refraineth from Sin. 
Q.2 Who is the most intelligent? 
A.1 He who is not disconcerted at anything. 
Q.3 Who is most independent? 
A.3 He who practise the contentment. 
Q.4 Who is the most needy? 
A.4 He who practise the it not.

 

Says Farid, 

I thought I was alone who suffered. 
I went on top of the house, 
And found every house on fire.

Says Farid, 
Why do you roam the jungles with thorns pricking your feet? 
Your Lord dwells in your heart. 
And you wander about in search of Him.