Throne of Baba Nanak

     Guru Hargobind was a very tall and handsome figure. He didn't write any poetry or sing like the previous Guru's. He hunted, collected weapons and raised an army. He was also completely connected and merged in the Naam. He announced to his Sikhs that he wanted them to come in his presence to recite Japji Sahib for him. Sikhs would come and recite Japji and he would bless them and sometimes give them an offering as a reward for their devotion.

     One man was reciting Japji with such a divine connection, with great melody and beauty. The Guru saw him and thought, "He looks like Guru Nanak right now. What offering can I give to on like this? It is so beautiful, I shall give him the throne of Baba Nanak." So the Guru being absorbed in this man's devotion slowly started moving off the throne. As the man was getting to the end of the prayer, the Guru suddenly broke his movements and jumped back on the throne. The Guru had heard this man's thoughts. The man had seen someone bringing the Guru some prize horses and gold offerings. While still singing Jap ji, the man thought to himself, "Maybe if the Guru is pleased with me, he will give me a horse and some gold. I could really use some gold and a good horse."

     After feeling the man's thoughts, the Guru jumped back on the throne. Guru Hargobind gave the horse and some gold to the man, and the man happily left. Some Sikhs who had seen this scene asked the True King why he was getting off the throne and why he suddenly jumped back on the throne. The Guru explained the divine state the man was in and how his state was interrupted. The man had seen the gold and horse and wanted to be rewarded with those things. Guru ji said, "The price of the Naam is beyond anything in this world, it is priceless. If a person has any thoughts of them self, how can they hold what is beyond this world? Only one who is totally selfless can inherit the priceless Naam. The person who can sit on this throne has to be attached only to the Naam."

     Great is Guru Hargobind the True King. While having much power in this world he was at the same time totally attached to the Naam, completely humble and merged with God.

Read the Full Story:

      Guru Hargobind was the sixth Guru. He was a very tall, brave, and handsome Man. He was a fearless and courageous warrior, but He also had the meditative poise, the essence, of Guru Nanak Himself. He would talk about Japji and the effects Japji has. As we know, Japji is the first thing that Guru Nanak wrote down as the Teachings for us. It is the most beautiful and sacred prayer. So one time Guru Hargobind sent a message to all his Sikhs. He said, "I call upon all my Sikhs to come in My presence and sing the Japji Sahib." He sent out a message to have a Japji competition. So people came by, and they were reading their Japji to Guru Hargobind, so He could see how they say Japji. Someone would come and read Japji, and He would be pleased and He would bless them. And someone else would come and read Japji, and He would be pleased and He would bless them.

      Then one day, a man came in and he read Japji. This man had great devotion in him, and he sang with purity and beauty. While this man was singing Japji, the Sikhs of Guru Hargobind noticed that the Guru was slowly moving off His throne. They didn't understand, and toward the end of this man's Japji, after Guru Hargobind had been nearly, completely off of the thrown, Guru Hargobind jumped back onto His throne. After the man finished reading Japji, Guru Hargobind blessed him and then offered him a beautiful horse and some gold for how beautifully he read Japji Sahib. "Hai Hai Rabba, Oh Guru Jee, thank you so much! You've given me much gold and wealth and a what a wonderful horse you have given to me also! I am truly, truly blessed to be at your service Maharaj!" Then he bowed down to the Guru, took his horse and took his gold, and happily went back to his house and his wife.

      This kind of thing was not very surprising to the Sikhs of Guru Hargobind, that somebody would be blessed by the Guru with an offering of gold. But they were very curious about why the Guru was getting off His throne and then jumped back onto it during the course of the Japji. So they asked Him, "Oh Guru Jee, Maharaj ke Maharaja, please tell me, a humble answer to a humble question. We don't understand why You were getting off the throne and then why You jumped back onto it. Can You please explain to us this behavior of Yours Jee? Thank you Maharaj." Guru Hargobind said, "This Sikh's Japji Sahib was so beautiful, he sang it with such a pure devotion and longing for God. He looked like Guru Nanak when he sang. I was wondering what I could bless him with for retaining such a perfect devotion. The truth is, there is nothing in this world that can compare to the Naam. The only thing I could offer him was the throne of Guru Nanak, which is immortal and beyond this world. What else could I bless him with? Being absorbed in this devotion, I began to get off the throne for him to sit on. Then, he had a thought, 'Oh hai hai, look at that beautiful horse someone just brought the Guru! Oh and look, someone just brought him gold coins also. If the Guru is very much pleased with me, maybe He will give me the horse and the gold to me...horse, oh I like that very much.' That is when I jumped back on the throne. You see, the price of the Naam is beyond this world. When this Sikh of mine thought of worldly rewards, I knew that he couldn't sit on the throne of Guru Nanak, which is immortal and beyond this world. The throne is priceless, and only one with pure selflessness can sit on it. A person who thinks of them self cannot sit on the throne which serves all humanity. Only the person who's mind is only attached to the Naam, every second of their life, only that person can sit on the throne of Guru Nanak." The Sikhs understood what had happened, and they marveled at the Guru, for having such a perfect meditation that He can sit on this throne. And this truly is the value of the Banis, they are beyond anything in this life, they are more precious than life itself.