Bhai Sudh Singh’s first meeting with Bhai Vir Singh jee
Bhai Sudh Singh had gone to China to collect funds for a Sikh orphanage and while staying there he read Bhai Vir Singh jee’s famous book Rana Surat Singh and developed extreme Bairaag. He used to cry in Bairaag while reading it and anyone else who read Rana Surat Singh too would cry while reading it. When it was first published, Bhai Vir Singh did not allow his name to be written as author and for this reason most people did not know who the author of this book was.
Bhai Sudh Singh came to Siri Amritsar Sahib and met his friend Bhai Sohan Singh Rahi who was also a companion of Bhai Vir Singh. He mentioned to Rahi jee about Rana Surat Singh and asked him if he knew who the author was. Rahi jee knew the author but since Bhai Sahib had strictly stopped his companions from disclosing his name, Rahi jee kept quiet. Bhai Sudh Singh asked three times but Rahi jee kept quiet. When Bhai Sudh Singh got a bit upset, Rahi jee said that he can’t disclose the author’s name but he can take him to the author.
Incidently, Bhai Vir Singh came to the place where they both were standing and from the respect that Rahi jee accorded to Bhai Vir Singh, Bhai Sudh Singh figured out that this person was the author of Rana Surat Singh. After spending some time with Rahi jee discussing some important issues, Bhai Vir Singh directly addressed Bhai Sudh Singh, “So did you save China or drown it?”
“Who am I to drown or save China. I went to there to collect funds and that’s what I did”, Bhai Sudh Singh responded humbly.
Bhai Vir Singh noticed that Bhai Sudh Singh was suffering from flu and asked him that he looked sick. Bhai Sudh Singh responded by confirming his sickness. At this Bhai Vir Singh said, “Shahpuriye (residents of Shahpur) are not supposed to get sick.”
Bhai Sudh Singh responded, “Sukh and Dukh come as part of this body. How can Shahpuriye escape them?”
Bhai Sahib jee said, “90 out of 100 residents of Shahpur do paath of Siri Sukhmani Sahib and how can the diseases come to ones who recite Siri Sukhmani Sahib?”
Bhai Sudh Singh replied, “Siri Sukhmani Sahib cuts only mental and spiritual diseases. What relationship can it have with cutting diseases of the body? The diseases of the body occur as a result of our Karma.”
Bhai Sahib lovingly asked, “So you don’t do paath of Siri Sukhmani Sahib? Go read the first Ashtpadi of Siri Sukhmani Sahib.”
Bhai Sudh Singh obeying Bhai Sahib’s hukam started doing Siri Sukhmani Sahib. He had just read the first two Pankitis of the first Ashtpadi – ਸਿਮਰਉ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸਿਮਰਿ ਸੁਖੁ ਪਾਵਉ ॥ ਕਲਿ ਕਲੇਸ ਤਨ ਮਾਹਿ ਮਿਟਾਵਉ ॥ – that Bhai Sahib stopped him. Bhai Sahib said, “The Pankiti says ਤਨ ਮਾਹਿ and not ਮਨ ਮਾਹਿ which means that Siri Sukhmani Sahib takes care of diseases of the body as well.”
Bhai Sudh Singh realized that even though he did do Paath of Siri Sukhmani Sahib but in actuality he did not do Paath of it because he did not absorb the teachings of this great Baani. Bhai Vir Singh jee continued showering spiritual teachings of Gurmat for another half an hour or so. Bhai Sudh Singh realized the greatness of Siri Sukhmani Sahib and thus concluded his first meeting with Bhai Vir Singh jee.
Acknowledgement: http://tuhitu.blogspot.com/