15 Days With Sant Baba Maan Singh (DAY 4)

[Guest]

Day 4 : Respecting And Obeying The Guru

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Agiaa bhaee akaal kee, tabeeo chalaaioo Panth

Sabh Sikhan ko hukam haa, guru manioo granth

Guru Granth jee maanio pargat gura kee dhay

Jo prabh ko mil boch ha kojh shabd mel lay

The Immortal Being issued the command and the Khalsa Path was created

ALL Sikhs are commanded to obey the Granth as their Guru

Obey Guru Granth for it is the now the body of the manifested Gurus

Whoever longs for Waheguru, will unite by searching its Word

(by Guru Gobind Singh jee)

Everyday we say, "Guru Manni-o Granth - Obey the Granth as the Guru" but when we

walk away we forget. Would you agree that the more respect we have for the Guru the more we will be respected? But, even if we knew all of Guru Granth Sahib jee's lotus words off by heart, we would still continue to drink alcohol and eat meat, and still no-one would respect us. Actions are most important, if we read Guru Granth Sahib jee, but secretly drink alcohol and eat meat then we will not be respected. If we didn't have alcohol addiction and brothers fighting brothers then we would have ruled the world by now. The sons of Guru Nanak Dev jee, Guru Angad Dev jee, Guru Ram Das jee, Guru Arjan Dev jee and Guru Har Rai jee all wanted the Guru-ship, but they all lost respect because of their actions.

Now, we have respect when we live up to the Khalsa image we have "Khalsa mera roop ha kas, Khalsa ho ma kareh nivas - Khalsa is my special form, I reside in the Khalsa" says Guru Dobind Singh jee. If our actions don't live up to it then we have no value, no respect.

False Gurus publicise how good they are so that people will follow them, but the True Guru's actions speak for themself. Like when the sun comes out, no-one has to announce it on a TV news-flash or in newspaper headlines, people can see it. In the same way the Guru's Sikh, can be seen by his life's actions, the Guru's Sikh has no need to go around telling everyone how good he or she is.

I don't wish to get into backbiting or criticising the false ones. I am only concerned with what Guru Granth Sahib jee says. Guru jee tells us about the false ones and false practises and that's what I am explaining. Guru Nanak jee went to meet the Yogis and the Holy Hindus to explain the right way. Not to criticise and to backbite nor to publicise that Guru Nanak is great and they should follow him. No, he went to explain the truth.

Akalee Phoola Singh was a leader who stood out because of his life's actions. Someone told me that the Kirtanee-musicians eat meat. I said, ``Its all your fault! They come for the money you give them. You don't encourage good actions, you give money for good Kirtan-singing, regardless of good actions.''

After Maharaja Ranjit Singh jee's death, the British said that there were only 800,000 Sikhs left and at the rate they were cutting their hair they'd be no Sikhs left by the year 1900. That's when Sant Attar Singh jee started his missionary work to promote Amrit once again. Stop the impurities of getting up late, cutting your hair, eating meat and drinking alcohol. Start the good things of Vand ke Shakna, or sharing with others before eating the food yourself. And when you eat remember God's Name. This is called Ban-dagee, or devotion. Eating secretly and selfishly is shameful and called Shrimin-dagee, and eating stolen or begged for food is dirty and called Gan-dagee!

Like a Muslim eating pork, like a Hindu eating beef, for a Sikh to take someone's rights is unlawful.

Sant Attar Singh earned his respect. He used to walk from Punjab down south to Guru Gobind singh jee's final place at Hazoor Sahib continoulsy meditating on the verse from Jaap Sahib,

``Gobinde, Mukande, Udare, Apare||94||

Haree-ang, Karee-ang, Nri-naamay, Akaamay||95||''

God is the Protector of the World. God is the Giver of Salvation.

God is the Liberator and Inestimable. 94.

God is the Killer of all. God is the Creator of all.

God has no name. God has no sensual desires. 95.

In Calcutta 19,500 people received amrit when Sant Attar Singh jee went there. Place after place he performed the amrit ceremony. When he came to the world there were 800,000 Sikhs when he left there were 4 million.

Sant Attar Singh jee had no loud speakers to speak to the huge crowds with. By Guru's kindness his voice carried over long distances. At one place his Kirtan, or singing of God's praises, programme lasted for one month and on the last day he said, ``Guru Nanak jee's holy congregation, if you want to board the Guru's ship then come here tomorrow to receive amrit.'' That's all he said. The next day 50,000 people received amrit. Nowadays, preachers doing Kirtan and Katha, or singing and explaining, complain ``our voices have gone'' and not even two people are inspired to receive amrit. People asked Sant jee where he get his power. Sant jee said, ``I am not a Sikh nor a great Brahm-gianee, a knower-of-God, I am just a humble man. This power came to me because for my whole life, I have regarded this beard on my face as Guru Gobind Singh jee's beard and I never disrespected it with dirty hands. The ones with cut beards haven't got Guru Gobind Singh jee's power.''

Someone asked Bhagat Kabeer jee ``Have you ever seen a ghost?'' He answered, ``Of course I have. This whole town is full of ghosts! The body that has no love for Waheguru jee is as empty as a ghost.'

It's not enough to come to the Gurdwara and to merely see Guru Granth Sahib jee. We have to have good actions too, that's what counts. The torturers of Guru Arjan Dev jee and Guru Tegh Bahadur jee were blessed with the sight of the True Guru, but do you think they were saved just be seeing the Guru?

It's not enough to just come and bow to Guru Granth Sahib jee.

"Guru Manni-o Granth - Obey the Granth as the Guru."

It is important to bow and to OBEY Guru Granth Sahib jee. But we can't even obey getting up at amrit vela, the early ambrosial hours, so we forget about obeying anything else.

Our Guru is Guru Granth Sahib jee. The son who obeys his father is good, the son who doesn't is not good. The Sikh that obeys the Guru is Gurmukh, the one who doesn't is Manmukh.

Bhagat Kabeer jee was asked, ``Just by doing seva, or community service, is one saved?'' Bhagat Kabeer jee replied, ``There are hundreds of type of service: cleaning shoes, washing dishes and so on, but the greatest service is to serve the Guru. Serving the Guru is the service that's going to save you.''

Bhagat Kabeer jee continued, ``By obeying your Guru, you are performing the greatest service. No other service is equal to it in the world.''

Remember great Bhai Lehna jee who obeyed every instruction of Guru Nanak Dev jee and became the same as Guru Nanak Dev jee.

If everyone in the world made it their target to obey Guru jee then this world would be Sat Yug., the Age of Truth, instead of Kal Yug - the Dark Age.

Guru Nanak Dev jee said to Bhai Mardana jee, ``We have to cross the river in front of us. Just say `Waheguru Waheguru' behind me and you'll be able to walk across like me.'' As they were crossing, Guru Nanak jee started saying `Sohang Sohang.' Bhai Mardana jee thought, ``I'll say `Sohang Sohang' as well.'' As soon as he stopped saying `Waheguru Waheguru', he fell into the water. Now, if we copy the Guru we are going to die. Guru Nanak Dev jee said, ``Mardana jee, don't copy the Guru, just obey what the Guru said. Say `Waheguru Waheguru' like I told you to.'' Bhai Mardana jee obeyed and began walking on the water once again.

If we obey the 3 Goden rules of Guru Nanak jee of sharing, or Vand ke Shakna, meditation, or Nam Japna, and honest work, or Kirt karna, then we are following Guru jee. If instead, we wear a royal plume, or Kalgee, on our turban, then we are copying our Guru and killing ourselves.

"Sunnia Mannia man keeta Bhau, antarghat teerath mal nao - hear, obey and love God within your mind, and have the internal bath of pilgrimage eithin yourself." (JapJee Sahib)

But Khalsa jee, we ignore Guru jee's instructions just as we ignore the cars that drive past us on the road.

Most students have to get over 70% to get a good grade. In Guru Nanak's house even getting 99% is a fail, we have to get 100% to unite with Waheguru. We have to obey 100%.

How do we obey the Guru? At the time of Guru Gobind Singh jee, there was a Sikh in a distant village whose name was Pareh-hut, or Get-Away. How did he get this strange name? Once he came to see Guru Gobind Singh jee in Anandpur. He wanted the great gift of Naam, or God's sacred Name. He pushed through the crowd and bowed, but Guru Gobind Singh jee was more concerned with getting through the sangat and shouted "Pare-hut - Get-Away!" He was so simple that he became happy with Guru Jee's words and took it be the great gift of naam that he was searching for. He knew Guru jees instructions were to meditate on Naam day and night, so that's what he did. He would get up at amrit vela in the early morning and chant `Pareh-hut, Pareh-hut' for a few hours. People began calling him `Pareh-hut.'

Sikhs asked Guru Gobind Singh jee to show them a Sikh who obeyed the Guru. Guru Gobind Singh jee said go and find Pareh-hut. The Sikhs went to his village and asked at his door, ``Bibi jee, is this Pareh-hut's house?'' She said it was and called Pareh-hut to return from farming the fields. They requested him to go with them to Punjab into Guru Gobind Singh jee's prescence. He agreed, after travelling all day, they rested together that night and at amrit vela he got ready and started chanting `Pareh-hut, pareh-hut.' The Sikhs thought what kind of meditation is this? They chanted `Waheguru, Waheguru' as normal. Reaching AnandPur, the Sikhs complained to Guru Gobind Singh jee, ``He doesn't read his daily Nitnaym prayers, he doesn't chant the Gur Mantr of `Waheguru Waheguru', he doesn't repeat the Mool mantr, in fact Guru jee, he doesn't obey you at all yet you say he does obey you. How can this be?'' Guru Gobind Singh jee asked Pareh-hut whether the complaints were true. He humbly replied, ``O Satgur

u Patshah, True Guru King, once I came to you to get the greatest gift of Naam, but there was a great crowd and as I bowed you told me to `Get-Away - Pareh-hut,' I was so happy that you had blessed me with the sacred Naam and by your grace I have meditated upon it and become a knower-of-God, a brahm-gianee.'' Guru Gobind Singh jee asked him how he'd reached this highest spiritual state? Pareh-hut answered, ``When a women came into my mind, I would say to my mind you belong to Guru Gobind Singh jee and I would shout `Get-Away -Pareh-hut!' at the lustful thought. Whenever the thought of anger came I would shout `Get-Away - Pareh-hut!' at the angry thought and tell my mind that it belongs to Guru Gobind Singh jee. So Guru jee, by your grace I've been blessed.'' Guru Gobind Singh jee said, ``O Great Sikh you understand this path, you obeyed the Guru while these other Sikhs just read the prayers again and again but don't apply it to their lives.''

When Guru Nanak Dev jee did the test and asked Bhai Bhalla jee to eat what looked like a corpse under a sheet. Bhai Bhalla jee hesitated and said, ``Is this a thing to eat?'' Bhai Mardana jee also expressed his doubts and said, ``Sweets I can eat, but who ever heard of eating corspes?'' Both failed the test. Only Bhai Lehna jee said, `` O Guru jee, which side shall I start from?''

Our Father has given us life. It's not for any old reason we worship our Father. It's not for any old reason why place after place our father is worshiped.

Who can say ``O bitter taste be sweet.'' Who can say, ``O Truth don't shake my heart.'' Truth will shake your life. Truth will shake the dirt from your mind.

Once Raga Singh sang the kirtan-praises of Waheguru jee. Guru Gobind Singh jee placed 500 Rupees at his feet and said, ``Raga Singh, this money is for your effort, not for the Shabad-word.'' Raga Singh was greedy and said, ``Guru jee, I want the Shabad-Word's value.'' Guru jee said, ``I can give my head to you for your effort but I can't give you anything for the Shabad-Word. The Shabad-Word is priceless, God's Word is priceless!''

We bow to Guru Granth Sahib jee, but we don't obey the Shabad-

Word within. By obeying the Guru's instructions, we will have the real Vision of the Guru within us. If blessings were obtained just by seeing the Guru with these external eyes, then the sons of Guru Nanak would have got the Guru-Ship. Bhai Lehna jee received the Guru-ship because he obeyed the True Guru's instructions.

Someone said to me that all Kirtan-singing should be done in Raag, or the classical tune it was composed in. It is true that the sacred verses were uttered in Raag, but it should be sung with devotion and faith. If by Raag alone you pleased Guru jee then Guru Nanak jee's musician Bhai Mardana jee would have got the Guru-Ship. No, Bhai Lehna jee was given it because he had devotion and faith and obeyed True Guru Nanak's instruction.

Look at the life of great souls. It's not for nothing they were great souls. Once Baba Nand Singh jee closed his eyes and explained God'sword for over 2.5 hours! Yes, this is the same Baba Nand Singh jee that had the sacred vision of Guru Nanak Dev jee appearing from within Guru Granth Sahib jee. As he gave talked, the congregation came and went. Only Baba Isher Singh jee was left, he said, ``Baba jee, Baba jee'' Baba Nand Singh jee opened his eyes and said, ``What's the matter beloved one?'' He said, ``O Baba jee there's no congregation left.'' Baba Nand Singh jee said, ``O foolish one, I'm doing this service for Guru Nanak Dev jee, not the congregation!''

The other Baba Isher Singh from village Rara was singing the Kirtan-praises of Waheguru jee. The men and women in the congregation were asking each other where an accompanying voice was coming from. They could hear Baba jee and another sweet beautiful voice too, but no-one else could be seen singing. Baba jee stopped the vaja and explained the mysterious voice, ``O beloved congregation, the Master teaches the children, the teacher opens his mouth for the child to hear and to copy - that sweet voice was the voice of Guru Nanak Dev jee telling us how to sing!''

Back to Guru Nanak jee's test. He had already asked Bhai Bhalla and Bhai Mardana to eat the dead body, now he said to Bhai Lehna jee, ``Will you eat the corpse?'' Bhai Lehna jee obeyed where the others had not.

Guru Gobind Singh jee gave the instruction, ``I want one head, one head, one head!'' He got five. Now some people say he sacrificed goats in the tent. Well let me ask you, was Guru Gobind Singh jee real or fake? Come on answer me, real or fake? REAL!. If Guru jee was false then Guru jee would have done this hypocrisy of asking for human heads but killing goats instead. There was no need for Guru Gobind Singh Jee to do a fake show. Everyday we read in Sukhmani Sahib, "Satgur mera mar jeeva-i-a - My True Guru brings the dead to life."

Khalsa jee we are talking about obeying Guru jee. When Guru Gobind Singh jee came on the stage with a sword he asked for one head. If he then went and killed a goat that means our Guru was telling lies. So, if our Guru tells lies what's stopping us from telling lies? But, Guru Granth Sahib jee tells us that lying is a sin. Now suppose Guru jee did sacrifice goats. Then Sikhism should have been given to the goats and not to the followers! If you pay the shopkeeper can he give me your groceries? No way, he'll give your groceries to you. So, if Guru Gobind Singh jee gave goats Sikhism how did humans get it? Does this make sense to you? It doesn't make sense to me either. We believe "Satguru mera mar jeeva-i-a My Tru Guru brings the dead to life." Guru Gobind Singh jee said, "I need one head." At that time the Beloved 5 Panj Piara were ready to give their head. Nowadays, we're not even ready to get up at amrit vela, we're not even ready to get rid of our lies. But, Bhai Lehna jee was ready to eat t

he corpse. To get Sikhism, you have to give your head. Bhai Lehna jee was ready to eat the corpse when Guru jee asked him to, but he didn't move. Guru Nanak Dev jee asked, ``Why don't you start eating?'' Bhai Lehna jee pressed his palms together and humbly said, ``Baba jee I'm waiting for your command, should I start eating from the feet or the head?''

Have we ever waited for the Guru's Command? Bhai Lehna jee waited for the Guru's command. The one who waits for Guru - the Guru waits for them. Is it not the Guru's command to get up at amrit vela and to mediate on God's Name?

We talk a lot and say a lot, but our lives wont change until we do what our Guru's command instructs us to.

Guru jee said to Bhai Lehna jee, ``Is that any question to ask, just start eating.'' When he lifted the sheet he saw the sweet sacred pudding of karah prashad.

"Hukam mannia hoe-i parvan - obeying the command one becomes acceptable." We are acceptable when we obey the command, but we haven't obeyed it yet.

A dairy farmer's daughter sold milk every morning. People queued for hours paid their money and got their milk. If anyone jumped into the queue she refused to serve them and told them go to the back of the queue. One day a Saint was waiting in the queue. He'd been waiting for 3 hours. Meanwhile a young man came and went right to the front of the queue. Before, she could tell him to go to the back he told her ``Keep your mouth shut. It's not good to talk too much. Now give me some milk.'' She said, ``Maharaj that's no problem,'' and poured the milk into his container. He didn't even pay her and went on his way. When the saint got to the front of the queue she said, ``O holy man get your milk.'' He said, ``O daughter I don't want any milk, I want you to answer my questions. Don't you have a rule that everyone queues?'' She said, ``Yes.'' He said, ``When that young man came he didn't queue, he talked to you roughly, he didn't pay you any money and he still took the milk. While I've been queuing

here for 3 hours. Why is that?'' She said, ``O holy man, he was my friend! Friends don't have to obey rules, friends don't have to queue, friends don't have to pay, friends help each other out of friendship!'' The saint said, ``O daughter, what a lesson I've learnt from you. All my life I've been passing the rosary beads through my fingers chanting God's Name, but never, never have I made God my friend. If I had I'd be suffering no hardship.''

We haven't made Guru Granth Sahib jee into our Guru. Yet, year after year Guru jee tells us don't drink alcohol, but we say we will drink. Guru jee tells us don't cut your hair, but we cut it. Guru jee says get up at amrit vela, but we say we won't. Then we still expect Guru to help us.

Bhagat Kabeer jee tells us not to eat meat and fish and not to drink. Can anyone say Bhagat Kabeer jee's Words are not the Words of Guru Granth Sahib jee? No. Guru jee's didn't say that the Word of the Bhagats, or Saints, is any less then theirs.

We started today's lecture with

"Guru Man-io Granth - Obey the Granth as your Guru."

Obey the Guru's Command.

Khalsa jee, stay until the end. You take your guests to the airport if need be. So now show your love for Guru jee by doing an extra thing and stay until the end of the program until Guru Granth Sahib jee has been taken to the position of peace - Sukh Asan.

I have one mission, to make the world take amrit. The Sikh is the one who lives by rehat, the code of conduct "Rehnee ray soi sikh mera. O sahib ma os ka chera - My Sikh is the one who lives accoeding to the code of conduct. That one is my master and I am their disciple.' Says Guru Gobind Singh Jee.

I'm not a Sant, nor a brahm-gianee, I'm just doing service as a servant. Guru jee says that his hand is above the one who says `Waheguru jee ka khalsa Waheguru jee kee Fateh.' Guru jee says that his face is towards the one who says it back and Guru jee says that his back is to the one who doesn't reply with says `Waheguru jee ka khalsa Waheguru jee kee Fateh.'

Vaheguru Jee Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Jee Kee Fateh !

Thanks again for sparing your precious time to read the katha and kirtan...look out for Day 5.

[Amrikingh]

`Pareh-hut, pareh-hut.

dis info is well wicked 8)