To a Great Being, Nothing is Little.

Dada J. P. Vaswani

Many years ago our local MP (Member of Parliament), returned to Pune from Delhi after his release from prison on bail. He had ben indicted for his alleged excessively creative management and accounting skills while heading a very prestigious and prominent sports body.

Coincidently my wife Mohini and I were at the small airport at the same time to receive our guests when the MP was also due to arrive. Present there was a huge crowd of his followers shouting slogans, making a nuisance of themselves, disrupting passenger traffic.

After a little while the mob just outside the arrival hall, broke into loud cheering and slogan shouting and a band began to play. We turned around and saw the MP enter the arrival hall as he marched towards his band of noisy supporters.

The MP's mob covered his entire body with garlands. After a few announcements the MP gave a impromptu speech at the exit of the arrival hall blocking the exit of all other passengers for about 20 minutes and causing general inconvenience to everyone.

This rousing welcome reminded me of another incident I and my wife Mohini had witnessed a few years earlier.  We  had travelled to Pune airport to see off a friend.  At that time the airport was small and security was not a big deal, so non passengers were also permitted to enter the terminal building which had a common lounge area for  both departure and arrivals for visitors to the airport.

An acquaintance in the arrival area waved at us and we walked over to her. She was with a small group waiting to receive the frail 90 year old Dada Vaswani, a living saint.  After a brief wait, we saw a radiant Dada enter the arrival hall and his followers walked forward greeting him by bowing and touching Dada's feet*.

 Dada smiled, greeted them and blessed them all. Then casting an eye around the hall he noticed two very old and invalid ladies offering their salutations sitting a bit away, unable to stand up and greet Dada because of their poor health.

Dada extracted two roses from one of the bouquets offered to him and slowly shuffled to the old ladies, greeted them with folded prayer hands, offered them each a rose and spent a few minutes enquiring about their lives and then left after blessing them.

We were surprised to observe that accompanied by his tiny entourage he left the airport in an unescorted car without any fuss.

A great soul revered around the world, so humble, gentle and magnanimous walked amongst us sharing his message of love without troubling anyone or anything, while spreading his wonderful aura all around him.

Both Mohini and I  received two valuable lessons, 
The truth always walks alone, and the false travels with the mob.
Nothing is too small for a Great Being.
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Bowing to touch the feet.  This is the traditional Indian way where followers and disciples greet their Gurus, teachers and revered elders.

'Moksha' - Liberation

'Moksha' - Free from the Dance of Life.

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Some lose all mind and become, soul

Insane

Some lose all soul and become, mind

Intellectual

Some lose both and become,

Accepted

Happiness, wealth, health, comfort, power etc. we humans as long as we live, are always seeking to expand who and what we are. 
Sooner or later we also begin to ask ourselves, "What will become of us at the end of all that expansion of the Self?"

Seeking to learn and understand, we talk, listen and discuss with others. 
The more I listened, read, and introspected, the greater grew my confusion. The Eastern philosophies which is inherent within me and the Western philosophy in which I have been educated in and greatly exposed to, provide contrary views on almost everything. 

That's it. 'Views' and views are all we have, shaped by others and circumstances, all external to us. Rarely are we guided by what is within us. 

There can be no greater source of learning and awakening than by engaging with masters, reading and listening to them.  The master called, Guru or Murshid functions as a vital bridge between the energy of the universe and the eternal which is manifest with us.

 To absorb and digest we need to reflect and introspect, for which many hours alone and in silence are necessary.

The majority of people are merely 'accepted'.  They go where the forces of society and power of nature takes them.  Their body is alive, the mind functional but the soul deadened. For them there is little hope. They are unfortunately of little consequence to themselves and the universe.

The 'intellectuals' are not so many as the 'accepted', but their numbers are on the rise. 
The easy access to information, so called 'facts' and opinions gives them the feeling of knowing the truth. They follow a linear way of thinking, often starting with erroneous assumptions and following a faulty logic to conclude things that suit their predisposed biases.

A majority of intellectuals are a menace, because they are always argumentative and therefore  consume huge mental resources unduly strain the mind, both their own and that of others. Intellectuals however are essential to society, for they churn the pot. They are provocative and hence force society and individuals to always question themselves and their actions. However rarely do they awaken the individual.

The mind is a virtual world that we beings create, and the 'insane' are of two types. The mad person and the awakened being. 

Sometimes the mad person falls below the mind. Usually the whole world of the mad person is contained within his or her mind. They have not lost their mind they are merely trapped within their minds. 

The awakened being is also 'out of the mind',  but rises above the mind. Such beings are no more restrained by the mind and the body. This is the state of great masters and sages. A state of mindlessness, just pure spiritual energy.

The masters know that the body made up of the 5 elements, is temporary and will perish, and the mind is a virtual world. They know that the indestructible soul is all that matters, which is unbounded and eventually migrates to a new body in each life.

That is why the masters transcend the body and the mind to become pure energy, which is free from physical and emotional and intellectual factors. They are unaffected by incidents, relationships, cravings, etc. They simply dissolve into the Creator from where their energy  originated from. 

This is what it means to attain 'Moksha' or liberation.

Victory of a Loss. (Haar ki Jeet)

It was a fine horse that the highly revered Baba Bal Bharti had. A mere sight of the stallion evoked excitement and awe in all who gazed upon. The king pleased with the Baba’s accurate predictions, had gifted him that horse. Baba, a fakir, lived in a village temple premises where he had built his hut and a stable for his horse whom he named Sultan.

Khadag Singh a much-feared dacoit used to 
visit Baba as a devotee. Baba never judged anyone, embracing all who came to his door.

“I’ve heard a great deal about your horse,” Khadag Singh said, “I would like to see it too.”
The ever enthusiastic Baba took him to his stable.




“Incredible!” Khadag said, patting the glistening black down of the glorious animal. “Indeed, this is the finest steed I’ve ever seen.”
“My life has found a new meaning with the arrival of Sultan.” Baba’s chest swelled with pride and he ran his hands through the horse’s mane. “Every day is a beautiful day now!”

At Khadag’s bidding, Baba let him take Sultan for a ride. The majestic stallion galloped faster than the blowing wind. What strength, control and speed! The swell of envy washed Khadag’s heart with feelings of covetousness and jealousy. Of what use was a horse to a saint; Sultan should have been his property, his companion, he thought. He tethered it in the stable and they went back inside the hut where Khadag offered to buy it.

“Not in a million years!” Baba protested.
After a bit of haggling when Khadag realized that Baba was not willing to part with Sultan at any cost, he warned, “One day, I’ll take this horse from you.”
“No, Khadag, please. I can’t live without my Sultan. He is like my son”
“Whatever,” Khadag said shrugging, in a disrespectful manner “I’m going to get him by hook or by crook.” And with that he left. 

Baba would ride Sultan taking the stallion for a run each day. One fine evening, as Baba was riding in the forest on the outskirts of the village, he heard a faint voice filled with agony, “Please help me, I’m dying,” 

In the fading light Baba ji saw someone curled up on the ground, completely smeared in dust.
“What happened?” Baba asked, still on his horse.
“Please take me to a safe place, I need medical help.” he pleaded. “Khadag Singh and his men mugged me.”
“But, I don’t even know you.”
“I’m the brother of the famous doctor Durga Dutt,” he said in a strained voice, clutching his stomach. “Please, I beg you. Help this needy person.”

No true Baba will refuse someone who needs help.  He got down and helped the man climb on the horse with great difficulty. Before Baba could mount, however, the supposedly injured man took the reins in his hands and gave Baba a mighty kick in his chest leaving him sprawled on the ground.

“I told you,” the rider said victoriously, “one day this horse would be mine.”
He heeled the horse but barely had he gone a few yards when Baba roared, “Stop! Khadag Singh.” Khadag couldn’t ignore his Guru’s voice, plus he had nothing to be afraid of. He was armed and on the horse. So, he halted.
“Don’t tell anyone,” Baba murmured as he got closer and dusted his robe. “Just don’t make any mention of this incident. You can have Sultan.”
“Why?” Khadag chuckled, stroking Sultan. “Are you afraid that people will say how can this Baba bless us if he couldn’t even save his own horse?”
“You see, Khadag,” Baba said, “if people find out, no one will ever trust another person in need. People will stop helping each other.” And with that, Baba Bal Bharti turned around and walked away from Sultan like he never loved him and with the detachment befitting a saint.

Khadag rode away with great pride and Baba took solace thinking now he had nothing to worry about for there was nothing left to lose. With each passing day, Khadag became increasingly restless. How could I do that to my Guru? What beast in me made me stoop so low? 

Rather than getting mad at me, Baba thought compassionately about the world. How calmly he walked away from the horse he had said he couldn’t live without… many similar thoughts plagued him. 

In the dead of the night, he went to the temple, quietly tied the horse to its post and sneaked out.

In the morning, one weeping and one neighing, both Baba ji and Sultan were overjoyed to be reunited. Baba ji leaned against his Sultan resting his face on his long neck, caressing and stroking, tears streaming from Baba’s eyes. “Oh Sultan,” he said, “now people will not be afraid to help those in need.”

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This story (Haar ki jeet) was penned by the phenomenal Hindi writer Pandit Sudarshan (1895-1967).
You can also view 'Haar ki Jeet' short movie in Hindi
My thanks to Ram Chhetri ji for sharing this wonderful message.

The light of God has descended on Earth

In the year 1666 on Diwali day, a great and revered Muslim holy man, a Sayyid, Pir Bhikam Shah, at Thaksa (Haryana, India) was offering Namaz facing west towards Mecca, when he suddenly turned east towards Patna, bowed with great humility and offered Namaz.

He explained to the stunned crowds,  "God's light has descended on earth, I must leave, to go there immediately." Guided by a divine light Pir Bhikam Shah  set off for Patna about 1100 kms (700 miles) away.


Travelling by foot he arrived in Patna after 8 months, at the residence of Guru Tegh Bhadur ji, the 9th Sikh Guru. He requested to see the child that had arrived recently, for he was not an ordinary child but the light of God.

Pir Bikham Shah meeting infant Gobind Rai

Bhikam Shah offered two pots filled with sweets, to Gobind Rai. One purchased from a Muslim and the other purchased from a Hindu  eager to see which faith the child would choose.

The infant Gobind Rai, pushed down simultaneously both pots breaking them causing the sweets to mix. Pir Bhikam Shah interpreted this to mean, that Gobind Rai did not belong to any faith but to the one true God who is the benefactor of all. He payed obeisance to the infant, kissed Gobind Rai's feet and set off for home a delighted Pir.



Gobind Rai was 5 years old when his father the Guru returned back to Patna to meet his son for the first time, in the meanwhile, Gobind Rai ji had grown and flowered. He was already fluent in Panjabi, Sanskrit, Farsi, Bhojpuri and Hindi. He was an expert horseman, archer and could wield a sword with great skill and balance. He already demonstrated remarkable intelligence, compassion, wisdom and leadership qualities far greater than even great men. 

Soon after the Guru's return, he accepted the request of Gobind Rai, to be permitted to  attend the discourses and meetings which his father held daily at the congregation hall to guide people on spiritual and worldly matters. 

In May 1675 when he was just 9, Gobind Rai was present when a delegation of Kashmiri Hindus led by Pandit Kirpa Ram ji called upon Guru Tegh Bhadur ji. 

They implored the Guru to help and save them, for they were terrified by the rampant abduction and rape of their sisters and daughters, the high taxes, looting, killing and destruction of all they held precious, and the looming end of Hinduism. They saw no merit in Islam and were not willing to embrace it, but they did not want to die either.

Guru Tegh Bhadur ji decided to confront Aurangzeb to stop the atrocities. He challenged Aurangzeb to convert him failing which Aurangzeb would leave the Kashmiri's in peace. It was a case of noble divinity, challenging satanic cruelty.

After Aurangzeb agreed,  Guru Tegh Bahadur ji knew he would be going towards certain physical death, but the soul never dies. Anointing his young son The light of God, Gobind Rai as the 10th Sikh Guru, Guru Tegh Bhadur ji left for Delhi accompanied by 500 Sikh disciples on 11 July 1675.  

497 of the Guru's companions grew terrified and retracted their claims as being Sikhs. Three great souls proudly claimed they were Sikhs of the Guru's. For their refusal to yield to Aurangzeb and Islam they were horribly tortured, and finally martyred. 

Guru Tegh Bhadur ji had promised to save the Hindus and to vanquish evil and injustice.   He refused to yield to both inducements and tyrannical pressure. He remained as a true Guru does, fearless and dignified.
When all attempts physical and emotional, to convert the Guru failed,  at the place called Chandni Chowk (Delhi) the great Guru Tegh Bhadur ji was publicly beheaded on 24 Nov 1675. on instructions of Aurangzeb.

Guru Gobind Rai ji knew, that his father would not return, but when he came to know of all that had transpired, the greatness of Guru Tegh Bhadur ji, the 3 noble Sikhs, and the cowardly behaviour of the 497 so called Sikhs he thundered, 

"I will create a race of people, so courageous, that they will fear nothing and even face death with joy.
I will fill them with such nobility and valour, that they will always fight for righteousness and destroy evil everywhere. They will always protect the weak, the oppressed, the hungry. 
I will give them an identity, so unique, that they will never again be able to hide themselves".

Shri. Guru Gobind Singh Ji.

He meditated for many years on how to build a new and noble humanity. Then in 1699 at the age of 33, hundreds of thousands of Sikhs gathered at Anandpur Sahib on Baisakhi (New year day, 14 April) as per the wishes of the Guru.

There he first baptised 5 volunteers who offered to without question do as the Guru commanded including give up their life. Then he baptised tens of thousands that day, who made the same pledge. 


The Guru called them the 'Khalsa' the pure ones. He infused in them by divine grace, the strength and courage of Lions, that is why each of the Khalsa Sikh is called a 'Singh'. The Gurus also stressed on equality and respect for women and therefore, each Sikh female is given the title of 'Kaur', meaning princess.

Guru Gobind Rai ji baptising the 'Panj Pyare', (The beloved 5)

The Guru then requested the 'Panj Pyare' (the beloved 5) to then baptise Him. They baptised the Guru and gave him the name 'Guru Gobind Singh ji'. 

With this the Guru himself became the disciple of the 'path of the Khalsa'. To bind himself and all future Sikhs by the same traditions and values that he had ordained. A true democracy for a noble, humanity.

This is why the proud Sikhs have a distinctive look of long unshorn hair, do not shave, and carry a Kirpan (sword or dagger) at all times. The Sikhs are unimaginably courageous and loyal unto death, friends of humanity, and destroyers of injustice and evil.

Blessed by the Gurus and baptised into the Khalsa, the Sikhs have never looked back. They have excelled in every field, be it military, agriculture, academics, engineering, medicine etc. The Sikhs have served India and humanity with joy, nobility, courage, love and sacrifice. If India is today a free and prosperous land, its in no small measure due to the contribution of the magnificent Sikhs.

Next time you meet a real Sikh, take a good hard look, befriend and embrace the Sikh, for there can never be a greater and nobler people than the Sikhs and the Khalsa. The inheritors and custodians of a great and noble heritage.

The Mosque built by, The Guru.

"Guru ki Maseet" (Guru's Mosque)

Shri. Guru Hargobind ji. 6th Sikh Guru

We inevitably find what we seek.
If we seek violence, hatred, and indifference we find them. If we seek out good souls, love, compassion, brotherhood, we find those too.
Below the surface of all religions lies a humanity, where individuals long to belong to one another.

Where do we go when we seek the divine? A spiritual teacher, the Muslims call such a great soul, 'Murshid' and the Hindus and Sikhs call 'Guru'. Unlike us ordinary mortals, they have only come to give. Though they will accept any offering for sharing with other disciples and for the common good, they never demand.


Guru Hargobind ji the sixth Sikh Guru and the Sikh disciples themselves provide numerous examples of universal brotherhood, love and devotion. 

One such instance is the 'Gur ki Maseet' (Guru's Mosque). 
In 1630 the greatly outnumbered Sikhs led by Guru Hargobind ji defeated in battle, Abdullah Khan, the tyrannical ruler of Jalandhar. The battle was for righteousness and justice not power and wealth in any name or pretext.
The Muslim residents approached the Guru with a problem, they had no place to pray.

To a Guru all people are the same, saving the oppressed, spreading love and amity by their every word and action. In probably the only known such example in history, the Sikh Guru built a mosque for the Muslims.  

Located at Sri. Hargobindpur, in Panjab's Gurdaspur district, midway between Jalandhar and Amritsar. The mosque is picturesquely situated on a hill overlooking a curve on the banks of the mighty Beas river.

Even now 387 years ago those values and that spirit the Guru espoused are vibrantly alive in the hearts and minds of many, as can be seen from the return of the mosque to the Muslim community.

In 1947  all the Muslim residents abandoned the town to move to Pakistan, during the horrific partition caused by power hungry, cunning, and soulless men.

Soon thereafter the local Sikhs got together and used the mosque as a Gurdwara (congregation hall) at the same site. Here prayers were offered and hymns sung from the Guru Granth Sahib (the holy book containing the hymns of all the Sikh Gurus, various great Hindu, and Muslim saints (30 of them in number). It was protected and served by the valiant and noble Nihang Sikhs, as their solemn responsibility. 

The Sikhs always maintained that this place belonged to the Muslims and wanted to return it to them. They constantly nagged the government and the Punjab Waqf Board to get Muslims to start offering Namaz at the mosque and to take over its upkeep.

The Muslims were mostly poor labourers who could not build a mosque for themselves and since 1947 they had to travel 10 to 15 kms away for offering prayers.

Though the mosque was a splendid structure it was in disrepair, and who would replace the Sikh staff who all worked as volunteers?  The Punjab Waqf Board requested the Sikhs to continue to look after the mosque, while they found a solution.


Eventually it is the people that have to take responsibility.
By 1997 a group of Sikhs and Muslims had come together, roped in the Cultural Resource Conservation Initiative (CRCI), and UNESCO to set things right. The restoration work began in 2000 with sikh families donating some land adjoining the Mosque. The Nihang Sikhs and the local population volunteered for most of the spade work. 



By 2002 the restoration was complete and  Maulana Hamid Husain Qasmi, the Imam of the Jama Masjid in Amritsar, led the first prayers in the mosque.

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Sikhs taking care of and protecting the Mosque

This is but one example of how magnanimous the true Sikhs are in helping all humanity irrespective of belief, all attributable to the teachings of the Sikh Gurus.

The Gurus taught that it is the solemn duty of Sikhs to fight against injustice, save the oppressed, share with others and particularly the needy and to remember God (Naam) always.

Sikhs are reputed for their gregarious, passionate, noble, valiant, honest, steadfast, and intelligent nature. Time and again one can usually experience this in the interactions with them. 



 

             

'Guru Ki Maseet' during restoration

'Guru Ki Maseet' after major restoration

Muslim and Sikhs discussing historical texts  about the mosque's history

Muslims offering prayers in the Guru's Mosque while Sikh brethren & the media watch them

                                       

Religion, talk less of it ...

Sadhu T.L. Vaswani

Religion; Let us talk of it less, practice more.

~ Sadhu T.L. Vaswani

Sadhu Vaswani (born 1879) was a great Sindhi Spiritual master, an educationist and philosopher. A scholar of both ancient Indian texts like the Upanishads, and modernity with a Masters degree. 

Always a man of spirituality committed to serving humanity, he longed to find his God chosen Guru.  He was fortunate that while on a teaching stint in Kolkata his Guru (spiritual teacher), Sri Promotholal Sen appeared in his life. From 1920, Vaswani ji abandoned himself to the spiritual path. 

Sadhu Vaswani ji, dedicated is life in the service of God by serving humanity. He imposed great faith in the power and capability of women to play a greater role in 

shaping a brighter and happier future for the world.

He founded a girl’s college to educate women and named it the Mira School, this grew into a global phenomenon known as the Mira Movement. Vaswani ji's love, works and philosophy has  flowered into the Sadhu Vaswani mission, now headed by his disciple  Dada JP Vaswani.

Sadhu Vaswani ji and now Dada JP Vaswani ji, remain the spiritual beacon and guiding lights not only for the Sindhi community but for millions of people across the world.

A Sadhu's manner is compassionate as was that of Sadhu Vaswani. They take what nature offers but never by force or cruelty. Hence they abhor taking life. 

Many people who have tread the spiritual path have turned vegetarian. 

Today Nov 25th Sadhu Vaswani ji's birth anniversary  is celebrated in many parts of the world as Meatless Day.

Regaining Paradise

Regaining Paradise

Paradise is not a physical place somewhere. Its a state of being. The good news is, we do not have to die to go to paradise. The best news is, all of us can live there, and now.

In paradise, nationality, religion, colour, race, gender, are irrelevant. Nor is our bank balance, wealth, social status of any consequence. Ego, hatred, lust, etc. all the things that define who we are but in the end corrode humans are not even a factor.

There is one very large group of people that live in paradise, they are called 'Children'. 

The ultimate state sought by all true seekers of spirituality is to reach this stage of being innocent, carefree, just like little children. The child is innocent because of purity and ignorance. The evolved adult is not ignorant but becomes innocent by an enlightened consciousness. They transcend human social failings to become unitary creatures, the always pure individual soul connected with the  The Divine, experienced as Creation which most of us call God by a multitude of names. 

We adults are so busy making a living and merely existing, that we forget that life is to be lived. By the time most of realise the folly of our actions or inactions its too late. 

There is a lot that children can teach us. Show us how to be carefree and happy.  

Today 14th November has been declared as 'Children's Day'. In fact everyday should be Children's day, if we wish to be happy and make others happy.