15 Dats With Sant Baba Maan Singh (DAY 13)

[Guest]

Day 13 : Drink Amrit, Live Forever - part C

********************************************

Why are we here? What are supposed to be doing? We?ve been talking about receiving Amrit. It is only given by the Guru, only the who has it, can give it.

King Secandarabad conquered the world. He then desired to conquor death, and knew the only way was by finding amrit. He gathered together all the holy people, fortune tellers, future knowers, astrologers, saints and mystics with miraculous powers. He asked them for the priceless gift of amrit. The king put his hands together and said, "Give something that I can conquer death with. Tell me which spiritual powers I need." They replied, "Conquering death has nothing to do with possessing miraculous powers, if you want to live forever then you need amrit. You have to go many miles to a great mountain. On the mountain there?s a lake of amrit. If you find it you?ll live forever." The King always completed what he started, day and night he searched for it.

Kings like Secandarabad searched for Amrit, but without good actions it is not obtained. No matter if you make millions of attempts to find it, you can?t get amrit without good actions.

If a thing is not in your destiny you will not obtain it. If it is you will. People say, "So if it depends on my destiny then there?s no need to work for it as I?ll get it or not regardless of my own efforts, right?" No, there are two types of karams (actions) that effect destiny

1) Sancham karam- previous lives actions.

2) Udam karam- this life?s efforts

Some people make excuses for not following the path and say, "God makes us do everything_Kareh kara-iaa aapeh aap." Firstly, this doesn?t even appear in Gurbanee. The couplet is actually, "Maareh rakheh eko ap maanaas keh kich naahee haath_God kills or protects, nothing is in the hands of humans." Then people say, "If Supreme God wants me to meditate on God?s Name (Naam Simran) I will, if Supreme God wants me to receive amrit I will, if Supreme God wants me to get up early at amritvela I will." These people make their own wrong interpretations. When they drink alcohol I?ve never heard any of them saying, "I?ll only drink if God wants me to!" I?ve never heard them refuse to watch the TV saying, "Until I hear God?s command to watch TV I won?t turn it on!" I?ve never seen them refrain from going to cinema, clubs, and pubs saying, "If God wants me to go, I will!!"

Remember this Sadh Sangat jee, Guru Nanak Dev Jee teaches us a great wisdom, "Hukma andhar sabh koe bahur hukam na ko-i_Everything is under God?s Order, there is nothing that is outside it." People use this to justify the argument that they?ll only receive amrit if its God hukam that they do so. But, Sangat jee there is a very deep meaning behind this that needs to be understood. A man without feet will make the excuse, "O Satguru jee I have no feet so how can I go to the Sangat." Yet he manages to get to the cinema without too much difficulty! Let me ask you have barriers been put up that stop you from coming to our Guru?s house! If the man without feet gives up trying to get to our Guru?s house then the man with feet will give up too. He?ll say "O Satguru jee, I haven?t got any hands, so I won?t be able to do seva, so I won?t bother coming to the Guru?s house." The next man with both hands and feet will make the excuse "O Satguru jee I haven?t got a tongue, so I won?t be able to chant God?s Name (Na

am Jap) so I wont bother coming to the Guru?s house!" Sadh Sangat jee the next man will the excuse, "O Satguru jee I haven?t got any ears so I won?t be able hear Gurbanee, so I won?t go to the Guru?s house!" The blind will say "Satguru jee I can?t see you so there?s no point in coming." Sadh Sangat jee, God has given this body for one purpose and that is to do Naam Simran. There are no excuses.

Guru Amar Das jee says, ?O body of mine, what have you done since coming into this world?".Eh Sareera meria iss jug meh aa-iaa, ki-aa tudh karam kamaa-I-aa."

Our feet are given to us to go to Guru?s house no excuses are acceptable. Now we all use electricity, if we rebel and say, "Why should I pay the bill?". The electricity board will say, "You used lights, fans etc. so if you don?t pay you will be disconnected." We are using this body day and night and we have to go to the Guru?s house and pay our dues. We go to the Doctor with a cut finger. He bandages it up and we?re so thankful that he saved our one finger, we say without my finger I don?t what I would have done. We?re so happy he gave us our one finger back, have we been that happy towards the Creator who gave us our whole body? The doctor charged us money and caused us four days of discomfort while wearing a bandage. We put both hands together to thank him. Have we ever thought of thanking the Creator who gave us this whole body for free? God?s gifts have no comparison to man?s gifts. Read Gurbanee and you?ll understand God?s greatness. Just think how priceless God?s gifts are, what price would a

blind man give for a pair of eyes? There are thousands of blind men what should they do? Guru Arjan Dev jee says be grateful for what you do have and do not complain about what you don?t have. God?s given us say 10 gifts, so what if he takes one back? If a man was killed, another would go directly to the police to report it. God takes countless people back every day, has anyone gone and reported God to the police? What can the police do to God? God is Supreme.

Now people say if God wants me to receive amrit I will. But, they never say, "If God wants me to drink alcohol I will." They just drink it regardless. Read Gurbanee and you will realise what God wants you to do.

There are two types of karam that effect your destiny:

1) Sancham karam- previous lives actions.

2) Udam karam- this life?s efforts

To understand this, think of a time when you have been given food on a plate right in front of you. That?s Sancham karam - your reaping the rewards of your previous good actions, but without making an effort (Udam karam) your Sancham karam are useless. You can just stare at your food, you need to make an effort to eat it. In the same way our previous actions reward us with opportunities in this life but unless we make an effort we will waste them.

A cow that doesn?t give milk can be compared to someone who didn?t have any previous good actions. It makes the effort to eat and eat, but it just gets fat and no milk is produced. Similarly, countless people make efforts to get to the USA or to the UK, but they?re still stuck in India. On the other hand, if you have good previous actions then you have moist soil any seed will sprout in it. If the cow is capable of giving milk then you still have to make effort to feed it. You need both Sancham karam and Udam karam in order to maximise the benefit.

For example, a landowner had an orchard, the servants would steal the fruit and sell it. He thought I need servants to keep an eye on each other. He hired a crippled man and a blind man. He told the crippled man to instruct the blind man which trees had birds picking at the fruit. Then to tell the blind man to scare them away. Many years had passed like this. The crippled man said, "?O friend, there are great and juicy fruit in this orchard." The blind man said, "So what? I can?t see them." The crippled man said, "That?s why I?m telling you, I can see them but I cant get them, you can?t see them but you can get them. If we work together we can get the fruit." Now for our work to be accomplished we need both Sancham and Udam Karam. We need food to be in the plate and to make the effort to eat it.

The crippled man said, "Friend, pick me up on your shoulders and obey which way I say to go." They reached a mighty tree with hanging branches. The crippled man took the fruit and shared it with the blind man. They needed each other just as we need both previous good actions and current efforts, Sancham and Udam Karam

Now Secandarabad made the effort (Udam karam) to find amrit, but without Sancham karam (good deeds from previous life) he couldn?t find it.

Today, is the birth Gurpurb or anniversary, of Guru Har Krishan jee. His brother Baba Ram Rai tired hard to become the eighth Guru but it wasn?t in his destiny. He didn?t have Sancham karam. It was the same with Prithi Chand, no matter how many clever tricks he tried he didn?t become the fifth Guru.

Just as a sweet can be eaten in any way and still tastes just as sweet, so in the same way Gurbanee can be read from anywhere and is still sweet. "Amrit banee Har Har teree, sunn sunn hovay paramgaat meree_Hearing and hearing you Nectar Words Lord, I obtain the supreme state" One only obtains those things that God wants us to. "Nanak Satgura tinaa milaa-iaa, jin dhuroh bha-iaa sanjog_Nanak says that only the ones that were destined, met the True Guru." You only get what was written for you in God?s realm of Truth, Sach Khand.

Emperor Aurangzeb summoned Guru Har Rai jee to Delhi. Guru Har Rai jee refused to go near that tyrant, but he called together the respected Sikhs and said one of you will go to answer his questions. The Sikh that goes to Delhi will have Guru Nanak himself on his tongue to answer the Aurangzeb?s questions. Baba Ram Rai, the Guru?s oldest son, volunteered. Guru Har Rai jee said, "Son, it requires the greatest responsibility in order to represent Guru Nanak Dev jee." It is said that a tigress?s milk can only be put into a silver bowl. If it is put into a gold bowl the milk will go sour. Baba Ram Rai jee said, "I?ll go." He left the town of Kiratpur sitting in a pallaquin being carried bo the shoulders of 4 Sikhs. Baba Ram Rai got out and told the 4 Sikhs carrying it to step back. Ram Rai wanted to test if he really had Guru Nanak jee?s power on his tongue.

Today people change history to suit themselves because they lack faith that our Guru has infinite powers. Baba Ram Rai said, "Get up and go to Delhi." The Pallaquin raised itself of the ground and flew to Delhi. It?s not for nothing that we say "Waheguru Nam Jehaj ha_The Name Waheguru is the Ship that feries us across."

When Aurangzeb saw the flying Pallaquin he absolutely loved it. As all emperors, he loved to be entertained, especially with miracles. He asked Baba Ram Rai to show him more miracles. Baba Ram Rai went to a wall and sat on it. He said, "Go!" It ran like a horse around Delhi. Baba Ram Rai showed hundreds of miracles. Aurangzeb asked Baba Ram Rai, ?I have heard that your Guru Nanak Dev jee turned the Kabha, or sacred stone, around at Mecca, how can it be? Baba Ram Rai saw a mosque nearby and pointed his finger towards it. He lifted the mosque, turned it in the air while pointing at it and put it down by lowering his arm. He said that?s how easy it was for Guru Nanak jee to turn Mecca. Now Aurangzeb wanted to ask questions about God?s Word - Gurbanee.

Guru jee has taught us that the one who doesn?t give the greatest respect to Gurbanee is not a Sikh at all. Nowadays we leave Gutkas, or prayer books, lying around. Once, a Sikh was holding a Gutka reciting the prayers when Guru Hargobind Sahib jee came walking nearby, he had water in his eyes. The Sikh asked, "Guru jee, why are your eyes watering?" Guru Hargobind jee said, "O foolish one, you haven?t covered the Gutka with cloth and the dirt that?s falling on it, I feel in my eyes!" This is how much our Gurus respected Gurbanee. Have you ever seen the ladies that follow Sants, when a Sant comes to their house they keep stopping him, "O wait Baba ji! O wait Baba ji!" Then they get the welcoming oil and pour 9 bottles worth of oil across the doorstep to show how much they respect him. Now when your father Guru Granth Sahib jee comes to your house have you ever thought you should drip some welcoming oil in the doorway? We want our father?s blessing, but we don?t respect our Guru-Father jee. Now when t

hese ladies go to the market and buy material for their daughters and sons it is always of the best quality. However, when it come to buying material for Guru Granth Sahib jee they ask for the cheapest one! What an insult to Guru Granth Sahib jee. If they think of Guru Granth Sahib jee so cheaply then they?ll stay cheap for all of their lives. How can their value increase when they don?t valve Guru Granth Sahib jee. The one who disrespects Gurbanee will have all of their power destroyed. No matter how great they are, they will be destroyed.

Baba Ram Rai jee had taken some Gutkas with him, there were to be treated respectfully so had been left on the best chair. Aurangzeb came and sat on the chair pushing the Gutkas aside. Baba Ram Rai said, "Aurangzeb, what?s all this! God?s Word has to be respected." Aurangzeb said, "Accept my apologies someone must have accidentally put them here." Then Aurangzeb asked Baba Ram Rai, "I?ve heard that in Asa-Dee-Var it is written. 'Mit-ee Musalman ke pareh pay kuma-i'. O Baba Ram Rai you have Guru Nanak Dev jee?s power on your tongue, so tell me what the meaning is. To me it sounds like it says even a Muslim buried in the earth screams. Baba Ram Rai said, "O No Great King, instead of Musal-man it should say Beh-man, meaning the unbelievers scream when buried in the earth, not Muslims."

Nowadays, some people want to remove a whole page, a whole limb of our Guru Granth Sahib jee - Baba Ram Rai just changed one word and look at the punishment that was given to him. When he returned to the town of Kiratpur, he sent 2 Sikhs ahead of him to tell his Guru-Father he had returned. Guru Har Rai jee loved his son Baba Ram Rai, but because he changed even one word of Gurbanee he was rejected. Guru Har Rai jee said to the 2 Sikhs, "Ram Rai changed a word of Gurbanee and now he wants my holy vision or Darshan, tell him - no way! Tell him he can?t bow to my feet." Guru jee said this to his own son! The Sikhs told Ram Rai that he wouldn?t be accepted at the Guru?s feet. Ram Rai asked the Sikhs to find out where he would be accepted if not at the Guru?s feet. The Sikhs returned and asked Guru Har Rai jee where Ram Rai would be accepted, Guru jee replied, "Tell him to walk in the direction he is facing - he?s not welcome here." O Sadh Sangat jee, Guru Har Rai jee turned away his own son for making a

tiny change to God?s Word, or Gurbanee, what will happen to us, for we make great mistakes. The Sikhs told Ram Rai to walk in the direction he was facing. He reached the town of Dera-doon. This was later the place where Guru Gobind Singh jee burnt the false Gurus, the Masands. O Khalsa jee. look at the punishment Baba Ram Rai got. Look inside yourself, in our mind we criticise Guru Granth Sahib jee and run to other Gurus instead, what will happen to us?

The Gurgaddi, or Guruship, was bestowed upon Guru Har Kishan jee, because it was in his destiny as written by God. You can only get what?s in your destiny, past and present actions put together. When the sun comes out it comes out for the benefit of the world yet the owl closes his eyes. In the same way the slanderer of the Guru?s house doesn?t like the sound of the praises of God. That?s their destiny.

Guru Har Krishan jee went to Delhi and saved many sick people along the way. It was in those people?s destiny to get well. False Gurus like Dhir Mal thought Guru Gobind Singh jee was no-one special. Dhir Mal thought to himself, "He?s got hands so have I, he?s got feet so have I, if he?s good enough to be Guru, so am I!" O these people don?t understand that the Guru isn?t merely a body.

Now someone asked me, "What?s the difference between me and a Sant?" He said, "I?ve got hands just like Sants, I?ve got feet just like Sants, I?ve got eyes just like Sants. So what makes a Sant better then me?" I replied, "It?s not a matter of bodies its a matter of actions." I asked him, "Do you drink alcohol?" He answered happily, "O yes, plenty! Plenty!" To which I said, "Your feet go towards the pub, my feet go towards the Guru. You get up at 9am, Sants get up at 1am at the nectar time, or amrit vela. In your hands you always have a bottle, in a Sant?s hand there is a rosary. Sants speak the truth, you tell lies, you eat meat and slander. So do you think there is any difference?" He said, "O yes Sant jee, there is a great difference."

There are two types of knowledge:

1) Knowledge of books

2) Knowledge of God, or Brahm Gian

People who have knowledge from books memorise it and spurt it out like water gushing out of a tap in the side of a barrel - the water soon runs out. When a person who has the knowledge of God open their mouth, wisdom from the infinite ocean of Waheguru flows and it never runs out.

People who read Gurbanee yet still drink alcohol, are in category-1 - they only have the knowledge of books. They don?t obey what they read. The ones that do obey, will meditate on Wahguru in the amrit vela and they will get the knowledge of God.

There are 3 types of mythical snake to describe the 3 types of scholars. The first snake comes out on the dark moonless nights and lays down manee-jewels out of it?s mouth. They shine and attract insects which the snake then eats. The first type of scholar reads a few books then talks nonsense all day long, fooling the people in all diesctions.

The second type of snake comes out on the full moon and lays down manee-jewels out of it?s mouth, but they turn into nectar when touched by the rays of the moon. The snake drinks the nectar. The second type of scholar is well educated, they live moral lives, they earn their wages and they spend their lives doing worthwhile deeds.

The third type of snake Khalsa jee, comes out on the moonless, or Masiaa, nights and lays out the manee-jewels for all the insects to eat. But, it doesn?t eat them. It does selfless seva. It serves others.

Sing:

"Ho-geh para-pukaree, jinaah vid-iaa vicharee_.the ones who contemplated on their knowledge became selfless servants."

Just like the third snake doesn?t eat insects nor the nectar, but just serves others, in the same way the third type of scholar is in whom great souls are categorised. They perform selfless service, or seva. A great soul?s life is like the river that doesn?t drink its own water, like the tree that doesn?t eat its own fruit. The fruit and water are purely for the benefit of others.

"Toota roo-aa noo, Sadhoo Rab naal jor-day_The separated souls are joined with God by the Saints."

Guru Har Krishan jee was confronted by a Hindu scholar called Devi Dyal. He was in love with reading and arguing, just like the first type of snake. He wanted to compete with Guru jee in a religious discussion. He wanted to show off his knowledge. He was just a big book worm and said to Guru jee, "If you win I?ll give you all of my books, if I win you give me all of your books." Only a big fool could have made such a statement to Guru jee, the one who knows everything. It showed his lack of respect.

Ravan possessed the knowledge of all 4 Hindu Veds, or holy books, and while he was disciplined he was the number one scholar. When he abandoned his discipline and kidnapped Seeta, then his position amongst scholars was that of a fool. He had all that knowledge yet acted like a fool.

Devi Dyal was just a bookworm without good actions. He didn?t respect Guru Har Krishan jee because he couldn?t believe someone aged 7 and a half could have the wisdom to be a Guru. Khalsa jee, its not a question of age in Sikhi, in Sikhi we have a child Guru and child martyrs. Its a question of actions.

Devi Dyal came to meet Guru Har Krishan jee and asked who?s that little child. The Sikhs said that?s our Guru. Devi Dyal thought. "Sikhs are fools, they follow whoever comes in front of them!" The Sikhs said, "O Devi Dyal, don?t you get fooled by the Guru?s body. He?s in the presence of God at all times, he is the light of God, he is the eighth form of Guru Nanak Dev jee." Devi Dyal said, "O leave off! That?s unbelievable." Approaching Guru Har Krishan jee he said, "Your name is Har Krishan. My Lord Krishan uttered the Gita holy book, now if you have Guru Nanak?s light working inside you, then translate a verse from the Gita." Guru Har Krishan jee said, "O Devi Lal, you only want one verse, but here listen to the whole translation of the Gita." Guru jee knew everything, but always highlighted right and wrong as a matter of formality.

Gurbanee teaches us, "Jaisee Drist taisee ho-i_what you see is what you become." If you see correctly, then you?ll see other women as mother, sister and daughter. If your vision is faulty, then you?ll not even see your own mother, daughter and sisters as relatives. Devi Dyal never saw Guru Har Krishan as a Guru but as a competitor for knowledge. Mehta Kalu slapped Guru Nanak Dev jee, because he didn?t see him as God, but as his son. However, Bibi Nanakee said, "Father you?re slapping God!" When Rai Bular found out that Mehta Kalu had slapped Guru Nanak Dev jee about wasting 20 rupees, he immediately sent his servants to summonl Mehta Kalu. Rai Bular said, "You slapped Guru Nanak jee over 20 Rupees," he got 20 Rupees out and continued, "Is 20 Rupees anything to get angry about? Even if thousands of Rupees worth of damage happens don?t ever slap Guru Nanak jee again, just come and see me. Mehta Kalu jee, I cannot live without Guru Nanak jee. Mehta Kalu jee, all the properties that you see are all give

n to me by Guru Nanak jee." But, Mehta Kalu still didn?t understand because he didn?t have the correct vision.

Devi Dyal had only asked for one verse to be translated. Guru Har Krishan jee replied, "I can explain the verse, but you won?t understand it, you haven?t enough wisdom. Go to the next village and bring any person, he?ll explain it to you." Devi Dyal thought, "this Guru is a bit big headed," but off he went to the next village and was told about a deaf man who couldn?t speak and always had watering eyes. The dumb man?s previous good actions, or Sancham Karam, were about to awaken. He was to reap the fruits of the good actions he?d planted in past lives. Guru Har Krishan jee saw the dumb man and said, "Beloved Sikhs, wash and clothe him." When he was clean, he took his place near Guru jee and was tapped by him with his walking stick. The dumb man was blessed with all of God?s knowledge, or Brahm Gian, and to everyone?s great surprise, he explained the verse. Devi Dyal fell at Guru jee?s feet and begged, "Forgive me, forgive me, Guru jee" Guru Har Krishan jee instructed him, "Burn all your useless books

and meditate on God?s Name."

When Guru jee went to Delhi the people were dying from a cholera epidemic. Family homes were empty of people, everyone was dying. Sikhs came to Guru jee with their sad plight, but were told, "O don?t give up hope, the ones that have died have gone, but the ones about to die will be saved." Guru Har Krishan jee took the whole of Delhi?s cholera epidemic upon his own body.

"Siri Har Krishan Dhia-ay, jis dithe sabh dukh jaa-i_Meditate on Guru Har Krishan jee, seeing whom ALL pains go."

Guru Har Krishan went back to the Formless Lord - Nirankar at a very young age.

In summary, make efforts to make the most of opportunites.

Sant Ishar Singh jee used to say to me remember these times, you?ll cry when you think back to them.

Sing- "You?ve let the diamonds fall from your hands and now you play with the dirt."

Time is short, death will come once in this life. But forgetting God is worse then death.

Sing-"It was better for us to die then to forget God."

"Time doesn?t stay with us, it slips through our hands, make the most of it." I never believed Sant Isher Singh when he told me this. I thought he was never going to leave. It will be a whole Age, before such a great soul will come again. Sant jee once said to Jathedar Mohinder Singh, who?d played Dhol for 40 years alongside him, "The ones who?ve received amrit will be blessed for sure, the ones who heard kirtan will be blessed, the ones who?ve met me will be blessed, O Jathedar, humans are blessed, even the insects and animals who?ve seen me will be blessed with a human body."

A Muslim Fakeer came to see Baba Nand Singh jee, the Fakeer kept laughing with joy. Sant jee said, "Your laughing a lot," he replied, "Seeing you I?m happy." Sant jee said, "What does it say in your Koran and Shareet holy books about meeting holy people?" The Fakeer answered, "It is written that on seeing a holy person your sins begin to be erased. Baba jee, that?s just from seeing, but if a Saint graces us with his favourable glance then we fill with virtues."

Baba Ishar Singh jee was such a great Sant, that Sants used to come to have his vision. People came, but there were so many people that they didn?t get a chance to talk to him, but Sant jee, just by looking across the Sangat dispelled their problems. They?d come back on the next full moon program and tell everyone with joy that they?d been blessed.

No-one knows how many Sants there have been. But, if they were all put on one side of the scale and Sant Ishar Singh jee on the other then Sant Isher Singh jee could outweigh them all.

How can I praise Sants like that?

I request you all to receive amrit, belong to your Guru. Don?t worry if we take too much time at these programs. Don?t get upset that you?re getting late to go home. The time you?ve spent in Guru Nanak?s house is time you?ve spent in God?s Realm of Truth, or Sach Khand!

Sangat jee we easily waste time watching TV, don?t worry if you?ve spent extra time at the Gurdwara - it?s a good thing.

Vaheguru Ji Ka Khalsa, Vaheguru Ji Ki Fateh !

Look out for Day 14.......