The Way of The Sikh: Letter & Spirit # 43

Spirituality, Gurbani, Naam, Bani, Bana, Simran and Seva.

The Way of The Sikh: Letter & Spirit # 43

Postby Yuktanand Singh » Tue Jun 03, 2014 8:59 am

A Droplet of Naam:
The Way of The Sikh -
Letter & Spirit # 43

YUKTANAND SINGH


Translated from Bhai Vir Singh's ‘Gurmukh Sikhia’

Part XXVI

"The company of a sadhu obviates spiritual struggle. Mere sight is gratifying" [GGS: 272.1].

Upon meeting a pious man or woman -- a sadhu -- a seeker is expected to be gratified, unless the seeker lacked faith. If the faith was present but spiritual gratification did not occur, then the piety must be imperfect and the seeker must look elsewhere.

In both cases the responsibility lies on the seeker's shoulders.

A Persian poet has said: 'I used to say, when you come I will disclose my heartache to you. But when you arrived, the pain vanished. What can I tell you now?'

In other words, he was eagerly waiting to meet a pious soul, someone who could understand his pain. But when he came, the pain disappeared. There was nothing left to explain.

A pious man’s mercy removes hurdles from our path, naam starts to flow spontaneously.

While I was in Bombay, a lady used to come regularly to the sangat. With her eyes shut, she would sit and listen to the kirtan with great attention. I felt that she was worthy. Gazing upon her forehead I wished that she starts repeating naam. She started to have taste of naam and became happy.

I once asked her if she had any questions. No, she said. After a few days she saw me again and asked if she could share her experience of this new taste with others. Her husband was asking, she explained.

I said to her, "We do not spread spirituality secretly from the spouse. You can share your joy with your husband. You can share it with your mother too. They will not be jealous. But other friends and relatives can be jealous."

* * * * *

Someone spoke about a European saint: At the age of twelve a girl was afflicted with some illness that caused her to be blind and paralyzed. She prayed to a saint, St. Therese, for healing. Miraculously, the paralysis was cured and she was able to see. But from then on, her body bore the stigmata of crucifixion. These wounds would bleed every week, on Fridays.

To this, Bhai Sahib responded that such phenomena have occurred in our Gurus' lives also.

Just a short while ago, a lady, who had a strong desire to receive amrit from the Five Beloved at Hazoor Sahib, fell extremely ill and fainted. At that time she had a vision that she was at Hazoor Sahib and was receiving amrit. After the ceremony, while she was distributing parshad, she dropped her kirpan and it nicked her on the chest, causing bleeding. When she regained consciousness she noticed that she had a bloody wound on her chest.

Such incidents result from deep faith and extreme love.

* * * * *

Someone with spiritual fulfillment needs to be particularly careful of people, because people will try to use that strength for selfish ends. This can cause separation from naam.

A yogi with spiritual powers came to visit a holy man known as Bhai Addan Sahib. One day, while he was sitting with Bhai Sahib, a lady carrying a baby walked by. The yogi immediately pointed to Bhai Sahib, "I granted her that son!"

Bhai Addan ji said to the yogi, "The lady was granted a child but what were you granted in return, a greater ego and separation from naam?"

The yogi took that remark to heart. He prostrated himself at Bhai Addan ji's feet. Bhai Sahib helped him become free from the haumai and made him attached to naam.

All the rewards naturally follow naam simran, and the Guru grants us all the wisdom. In the book, 'Rana Surat Singh' we have discussed the four spiritual levels from Japji. That interpretation occurred to me while just sitting under a tree. When I shared it with my academic teacher, he was amazed. He remarked that even his teacher had not obtained such understanding.

* * * * *

During old age, our vital juices are depleted and it takes extra effort to replenish them. This is not an issue during youth. The Third Master, Guru Amar Das Ji, used to lean on a post in order to stay upright during simran. Such was his toil in his old age.

We are here to not only help ourselves but to also help others. A liberated-in-life individual makes the body worthwhile by using it for others' welfare. Making the body useless by sitting idle in the seclusion of the forest is not wise.

The Guru's Sikhs used to make their body useful by trying to save the women and children in peril (from the invading armies), fighting to free them from the prisons, from the clutches of their Muslim oppressors.

In his book, Cunningham writes about a Nihang Singh who worked single-handedly to make a road to a village near the city of Ropar. This man was not worried about his salvation. He was liberated-in-life already. He did that work only to make his body worthwhile. Without his asking for anything, the villagers brought him food.

This is the true detachment from the body. The able and intelligent individuals need to work for others' welfare, to run orphanages, etc., instead of trying to just sit somewhere in solitude.

* * * * *

A desire to see God is not necessary. Guru Sahib has instructed us to do His simran, to be mindful of His presence.

"O brother, a gurmukh emancipates countless others by bestowing them with just one droplet of naam" [GGS:608.16].

A gurmukh shares a droplet of naam. The seeker plants it within his heart and irrigates it with simran. This way, millions of souls are liberated.


June 3, 2014
http://sikhchic.com/article-detail.php?id=5076&cat=12
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Re: The Way of The Sikh: Letter & Spirit # 43

Postby sunshinesee » Tue Mar 10, 2015 5:19 am

Is a post I read on it beyond words. I do not have the words to explain it better. It is very good to know. For sure in the knowledge that there is a variety of the other.
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