Author: Jarnail Singh gyani "Arshi"
Date: 03-22-05 03:40
WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH.
I reproduce this message sent to a mailinglist by my good friend...S Harkinder Singh from canada. A good read.
-----///-------///-------///-----////-----------////---------////----------////--------
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh hai.
In 1996, an old school time friend and I went to India from Canada. He told me that he wants to visit a Saint near Phagwara. We reached Phagwara by bus, and we bought some fruits for the Saint and took another ride to this place where Sant had his dera. From distance, we could hear loud speakers with Gurbani path at very loud volume. As we walked into the complex, we first decided to bow before Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji before we saw the Saint. In the main Durbar Hall, there were about five or more Prakash of Guru Granth Sahib ji and Pathis were doing path side by side in a row. (I saw similar set up at Nadha Sahib Gurdwara near Chandigarh). I found it strange that some of the Pathis slowed down and started staring at us while doing Paath. I was told that many Akhand Paaths are going on simultaneously as many Shardhaloos commit paaths from all over the world.
Then we walked towards an enclosure where Saint was lying on a Munjj-da Manjja with a Dari spread over. It was drizzling a little, and floors were wet. As we approached this place I noticed many women were sitting and standing around the cot/Manjja of the Saint. Some were busy massaging the legs. Some were massaging the arms and others were massaging the bare chest of the saint. His mouth was half open and eyes sort of half closed. The flies were merrily sitting on Saint's lips, some were easily going in and out of his mouth. Once in a while another sewadar would scare the flies with a fan or a cloth. There was strange smell of burned desi ghee around. I noticed there were few empty cans (Peepas) of Desi-Ghee lying around and there was a small heating element on which was warm melted desi ghee as well. People were taking turns and toilingly hard & exuberently busy doing massage of Saint's body.
Near Saints ears was a huge loud speaker, the kind we see on peoples' roof tops during marriages in old days Punjabi villages. There was constant Paath of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji being done on this loud speaker connected to inside the durbar hall. By chance, at that time the paath being read was quite known to me and I noticed the person was reading it wrong. The sound was so loud that it was very annoying to the ears due to loudness and combined with misreading. I asked why do they have it so loud and close to the Saints ears as it would be harmful to his ear drums.
People said, Saint is hard of hearing and also needs it running so that he can listen to Akhand Paath uninterrupted. There was continuous flow of Shardhaloos who were performing massage of the Saint.
It was so busy that it was hard to take your turn. My friend took his turn and asked me to also gain the previlege of doing sewa to the Saint. I did not mind doing that as I thought it is just an old infirm man, and I have nothing to loose. I also did massage of the Saint's legs. I noticed that his legs were almost bare bones, no muscle and the skin was almost sticking to the bones. I sort of thought that the Saint may not be able to walk with his legs. I finished my turn quickly and steped back observing everything around. Some couples came and touched Saint's feet. In the meantime I heard many miraculous stories of how people benefitted from Saint's blessings. By this time Saint opened his eyes fully and looked around. A person known to my friend told the Saint that Karnail Singh from Canada has come for his Darshan. The Saint looked at my friend Karnail Singh and roght away asked him direct and crisp question: "Kinnay paisay bana leinna Kanaida vich?" (How much money do you make in Canada?) Karnail Singh fumbled few words " Bohut bann jandey ne ji bohut bann jandeyaey". Karnail Singh was visiting the Saint after a gap of about 12 years. I thought the Saint's first question to Karnail Singh was really weird. But Karnail took it normally. Karnail Singh then introduced me to the Saint: " Ah ji mera dost Harkinder Singh vi othon hi ayiaa hai". The saint did not bother much about that and told Karnail Singh to get Akhand Paath booked right away. I was glad that he did not take any notice of me, although I looked more like a Sikh with long flowing beard than Karnail Singh with trimmed and dyed beard. We did Fateh to the Saint and Karnail Singh touched his feet. I touched his knees out of respect for an old infirm man out of courtesy and also not to annoy Karnail Singh. We left.
The crowd kept increasing around the Saint and his PA started diverting people ans stopping soon. As we walked away from the Saint, Karnail Singh asked me what did I think of the Saint. I said: He seems to be a nice old man, however, I think God has purposefully dried his legs because he was not using them. In Punjabi I said: Rabb ney sochyia honei ki eh banda apnia lattaan nu istimal tan karda nahi, chalo ehna nu suka hi dindey haan". Karnail Singh did not like my comments. Then I reminded him the very first question Saint asked him about how much he makes in Canada, and that why is this man wasting so much of Desi Ghee on his weakened dry useless body when so many people are dying of hunger just around the corner? What kind of Sainthood is that, that this man cannot even close his mouth and flies have a grand holiday in his mouth. I said this Saint has not respected the beautiful body God gave him and is lying like a dead corpse blessing who? He has lost his hearing power as his ear drums are perhaps punctured due to such a loud loud speaker.
Why is that the Saint is not stopping these people reading Gurbani incorrectly right before our eyes while I can spot the glaring mistakes in reading even simple gurbani as it is?
We left the place after Karnail Singh sorted out the day for Akhand paath and paid about 1500 Rs. The drizzle continued, the faithfuls continued to trickle in as we left that couldy winter day. My friend Karnail Singh thought that I was a very bad company because I said: Rabb ne ehdiaan lattaan hi suka dittiaan hann. He never forgave me for this comment.
He said: " Harkinder Singh, mein terey te hairaan haan ki tu keho ja bandein yaar?" I said. "I am just like that you see".
Karnail Singh could not see my point at all. He did not understand my discomfort with the idea that flies shouldn't be allowed to have a free feast in living person's mouth. He is still angry with me on this account. I don't think that he will ever take me to a Saint again. I told him that yes I believe that there truly are some saintly people around. But I had upset his mood too much. I tried to tell him the following Shabad to him but his face was very uptight and deep creases were visible on his forehead:
Sanak sanand mahesh samannaaa|
Seikhnaag tero maram na jannaa||
Sant Sangat Raam riday basaeee||
Hanumaan sar Grud samanaa|
Surpatt Narpatt Gun nahi jannaa|
Chaar beid arr simrat puranaa|
Kamlapatt Kamala nahi janaa|
Keh Kabir su bharmay nahi|
Pag lag Raam rahay sarnaeee||
The four sons of Brahma and likes of Shivji who are known to stand at door of Mahakaal, and the Sheikhnaag, the thousand mouthed snake that supports the bed of Mahankaal, and sings new praise of the creator with each individual tongue, they all could not fathom the mysteries of life. They could never know that in the company of the Saint, Waheguruji comes to reside in hearts of the seekers. Hanuman, who was as powerful as Grud, the swari/vehicle of Vishnu; Inder, the lord of the angels; and the Kings of the people never could understand the merits of Sri Akal ji. The four Vedas and their derivatives, Simraties and Puranas, could never know the husband of Maha Maya. Even the Kamla/Luxmi could not understand her husband Maha kaal (Kamla-pati).
Kabir ji assures unfailingly, what? That whoever connects to the feet of Waheguruji, shall never fall victim to the illusions and delusions of Maya, infact remains undeterred, unshakeable equipoise in the shelter of Waheguruji. Such Saints are rare. They shall never cheat any one at any moment...Aaap adoll na kabhoo dollay. Bani Prabh ki, sabh ko bollay!!
Janam Maran duhoo meh nahi, jann parupkari aayeye.
Jee-aa-daan deh bhagti layen, Har seo lein milaeye...
Deekhyiaa, Aaakh bujhaeyiaa, Sifti Sach sameyio!
Tinh kau kyaa updessiye Jinh Guru Nanak Deo??
Who can teach anything to them who have chosen Guru Nanak as their Guru? Guru Nanak made sure by bestowing grace, putting Naam in empty jholi of a Gurmukh, gave perfect instructions. The instructions that had been immersed in sifat salah, words immersed describing grandeur of Waheguruji.
Hamari pyari amritdhari ggur nimakh na mann te tarrii re!! Darsan parsan harsan sarsan rang rati Kartari re| Khin ramm gur gamm hardam neh Zam, Har kanth Nanak urhari re!! Yes we love this Bani as it removes fear of death from our hearts. Even Guruji never shunned and missed reciting it. The mere seeing the words of Bani in Gurmukhi, the mere touch of Gurbani pages, bring unbound joy to hearts of its lovers. Why ?
Because it is immersed in clolours o Kartar. Haan ji Sat Kartaar!! If only for a moment one gets touched by its powers! one shall acheive closeness to the Guru!!
yes then never ever again shall that person have to face the angel of death (Neh Zam!!). And shall always keep this Gurbani as close to the heart as one wears a garland of love!!.
Yes Pyarey ji: Nanak miriaaa, bohur na firiaaa!!!
Whoever met Guru Nanak, shall never be wandering in cycle of life and death (bohur na firiaa..Shall never come & go!!) Preet preet Guriyaa Mohan Lalnaa!! Jap mann Gobind eikkaey. Awar nahi ko leikhaey. Yes, nothing else shall count but one Lord's Naam Jap shall be considered at accounting time. Therefore fall in love with that Guru Nanak. That same Gobind Saroop.
Who else can be more enchanting than HIM??
Bhullan andar Sabh ko, abhull Guru Kartaar.
Harkinder Singh
Date: 03-22-05 03:40
WAHEGURU JI KA KHALSA WAHEGURU JI KI FATEH.
I reproduce this message sent to a mailinglist by my good friend...S Harkinder Singh from canada. A good read.
-----///-------///-------///-----////-----------////---------////----------////--------
Waheguru ji ka Khalsa Waheguru ji ki Fateh hai.
In 1996, an old school time friend and I went to India from Canada. He told me that he wants to visit a Saint near Phagwara. We reached Phagwara by bus, and we bought some fruits for the Saint and took another ride to this place where Sant had his dera. From distance, we could hear loud speakers with Gurbani path at very loud volume. As we walked into the complex, we first decided to bow before Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji before we saw the Saint. In the main Durbar Hall, there were about five or more Prakash of Guru Granth Sahib ji and Pathis were doing path side by side in a row. (I saw similar set up at Nadha Sahib Gurdwara near Chandigarh). I found it strange that some of the Pathis slowed down and started staring at us while doing Paath. I was told that many Akhand Paaths are going on simultaneously as many Shardhaloos commit paaths from all over the world.
Then we walked towards an enclosure where Saint was lying on a Munjj-da Manjja with a Dari spread over. It was drizzling a little, and floors were wet. As we approached this place I noticed many women were sitting and standing around the cot/Manjja of the Saint. Some were busy massaging the legs. Some were massaging the arms and others were massaging the bare chest of the saint. His mouth was half open and eyes sort of half closed. The flies were merrily sitting on Saint's lips, some were easily going in and out of his mouth. Once in a while another sewadar would scare the flies with a fan or a cloth. There was strange smell of burned desi ghee around. I noticed there were few empty cans (Peepas) of Desi-Ghee lying around and there was a small heating element on which was warm melted desi ghee as well. People were taking turns and toilingly hard & exuberently busy doing massage of Saint's body.
Near Saints ears was a huge loud speaker, the kind we see on peoples' roof tops during marriages in old days Punjabi villages. There was constant Paath of Sri Guru Granth Sahib ji being done on this loud speaker connected to inside the durbar hall. By chance, at that time the paath being read was quite known to me and I noticed the person was reading it wrong. The sound was so loud that it was very annoying to the ears due to loudness and combined with misreading. I asked why do they have it so loud and close to the Saints ears as it would be harmful to his ear drums.
People said, Saint is hard of hearing and also needs it running so that he can listen to Akhand Paath uninterrupted. There was continuous flow of Shardhaloos who were performing massage of the Saint.
It was so busy that it was hard to take your turn. My friend took his turn and asked me to also gain the previlege of doing sewa to the Saint. I did not mind doing that as I thought it is just an old infirm man, and I have nothing to loose. I also did massage of the Saint's legs. I noticed that his legs were almost bare bones, no muscle and the skin was almost sticking to the bones. I sort of thought that the Saint may not be able to walk with his legs. I finished my turn quickly and steped back observing everything around. Some couples came and touched Saint's feet. In the meantime I heard many miraculous stories of how people benefitted from Saint's blessings. By this time Saint opened his eyes fully and looked around. A person known to my friend told the Saint that Karnail Singh from Canada has come for his Darshan. The Saint looked at my friend Karnail Singh and roght away asked him direct and crisp question: "Kinnay paisay bana leinna Kanaida vich?" (How much money do you make in Canada?) Karnail Singh fumbled few words " Bohut bann jandey ne ji bohut bann jandeyaey". Karnail Singh was visiting the Saint after a gap of about 12 years. I thought the Saint's first question to Karnail Singh was really weird. But Karnail took it normally. Karnail Singh then introduced me to the Saint: " Ah ji mera dost Harkinder Singh vi othon hi ayiaa hai". The saint did not bother much about that and told Karnail Singh to get Akhand Paath booked right away. I was glad that he did not take any notice of me, although I looked more like a Sikh with long flowing beard than Karnail Singh with trimmed and dyed beard. We did Fateh to the Saint and Karnail Singh touched his feet. I touched his knees out of respect for an old infirm man out of courtesy and also not to annoy Karnail Singh. We left.
The crowd kept increasing around the Saint and his PA started diverting people ans stopping soon. As we walked away from the Saint, Karnail Singh asked me what did I think of the Saint. I said: He seems to be a nice old man, however, I think God has purposefully dried his legs because he was not using them. In Punjabi I said: Rabb ney sochyia honei ki eh banda apnia lattaan nu istimal tan karda nahi, chalo ehna nu suka hi dindey haan". Karnail Singh did not like my comments. Then I reminded him the very first question Saint asked him about how much he makes in Canada, and that why is this man wasting so much of Desi Ghee on his weakened dry useless body when so many people are dying of hunger just around the corner? What kind of Sainthood is that, that this man cannot even close his mouth and flies have a grand holiday in his mouth. I said this Saint has not respected the beautiful body God gave him and is lying like a dead corpse blessing who? He has lost his hearing power as his ear drums are perhaps punctured due to such a loud loud speaker.
Why is that the Saint is not stopping these people reading Gurbani incorrectly right before our eyes while I can spot the glaring mistakes in reading even simple gurbani as it is?
We left the place after Karnail Singh sorted out the day for Akhand paath and paid about 1500 Rs. The drizzle continued, the faithfuls continued to trickle in as we left that couldy winter day. My friend Karnail Singh thought that I was a very bad company because I said: Rabb ne ehdiaan lattaan hi suka dittiaan hann. He never forgave me for this comment.
He said: " Harkinder Singh, mein terey te hairaan haan ki tu keho ja bandein yaar?" I said. "I am just like that you see".
Karnail Singh could not see my point at all. He did not understand my discomfort with the idea that flies shouldn't be allowed to have a free feast in living person's mouth. He is still angry with me on this account. I don't think that he will ever take me to a Saint again. I told him that yes I believe that there truly are some saintly people around. But I had upset his mood too much. I tried to tell him the following Shabad to him but his face was very uptight and deep creases were visible on his forehead:
Sanak sanand mahesh samannaaa|
Seikhnaag tero maram na jannaa||
Sant Sangat Raam riday basaeee||
Hanumaan sar Grud samanaa|
Surpatt Narpatt Gun nahi jannaa|
Chaar beid arr simrat puranaa|
Kamlapatt Kamala nahi janaa|
Keh Kabir su bharmay nahi|
Pag lag Raam rahay sarnaeee||
The four sons of Brahma and likes of Shivji who are known to stand at door of Mahakaal, and the Sheikhnaag, the thousand mouthed snake that supports the bed of Mahankaal, and sings new praise of the creator with each individual tongue, they all could not fathom the mysteries of life. They could never know that in the company of the Saint, Waheguruji comes to reside in hearts of the seekers. Hanuman, who was as powerful as Grud, the swari/vehicle of Vishnu; Inder, the lord of the angels; and the Kings of the people never could understand the merits of Sri Akal ji. The four Vedas and their derivatives, Simraties and Puranas, could never know the husband of Maha Maya. Even the Kamla/Luxmi could not understand her husband Maha kaal (Kamla-pati).
Kabir ji assures unfailingly, what? That whoever connects to the feet of Waheguruji, shall never fall victim to the illusions and delusions of Maya, infact remains undeterred, unshakeable equipoise in the shelter of Waheguruji. Such Saints are rare. They shall never cheat any one at any moment...Aaap adoll na kabhoo dollay. Bani Prabh ki, sabh ko bollay!!
Janam Maran duhoo meh nahi, jann parupkari aayeye.
Jee-aa-daan deh bhagti layen, Har seo lein milaeye...
Deekhyiaa, Aaakh bujhaeyiaa, Sifti Sach sameyio!
Tinh kau kyaa updessiye Jinh Guru Nanak Deo??
Who can teach anything to them who have chosen Guru Nanak as their Guru? Guru Nanak made sure by bestowing grace, putting Naam in empty jholi of a Gurmukh, gave perfect instructions. The instructions that had been immersed in sifat salah, words immersed describing grandeur of Waheguruji.
Hamari pyari amritdhari ggur nimakh na mann te tarrii re!! Darsan parsan harsan sarsan rang rati Kartari re| Khin ramm gur gamm hardam neh Zam, Har kanth Nanak urhari re!! Yes we love this Bani as it removes fear of death from our hearts. Even Guruji never shunned and missed reciting it. The mere seeing the words of Bani in Gurmukhi, the mere touch of Gurbani pages, bring unbound joy to hearts of its lovers. Why ?
Because it is immersed in clolours o Kartar. Haan ji Sat Kartaar!! If only for a moment one gets touched by its powers! one shall acheive closeness to the Guru!!
yes then never ever again shall that person have to face the angel of death (Neh Zam!!). And shall always keep this Gurbani as close to the heart as one wears a garland of love!!.
Yes Pyarey ji: Nanak miriaaa, bohur na firiaaa!!!
Whoever met Guru Nanak, shall never be wandering in cycle of life and death (bohur na firiaa..Shall never come & go!!) Preet preet Guriyaa Mohan Lalnaa!! Jap mann Gobind eikkaey. Awar nahi ko leikhaey. Yes, nothing else shall count but one Lord's Naam Jap shall be considered at accounting time. Therefore fall in love with that Guru Nanak. That same Gobind Saroop.
Who else can be more enchanting than HIM??
Bhullan andar Sabh ko, abhull Guru Kartaar.
Harkinder Singh
