Guru Jee and Sayt
ddeegan ddolaa thoo lo jo man kae bharamaa ||
As long as there are doubts in the mind, the mortal staggers and falls.
bhram kaattae gur aapanai paaeae bisaraamaa ||1||
The Guru removed my doubts, and I have obtained my place of rest. ||1||
– Guru Granth Sahib Ji, Ang 400
A millionaire called Sayt, went to see Guru Nanak jee. Guru jee asked him, “How much money have you got?”
He said, “40 million Rupees.” Another Sikh said, “O protector of the poor,
Gareeb Nivaaj, Guru jee he has got nothing.”
Guru jee asked him why he had lied. He said, “I’m telling you the truth Guru jee.”
Guru jee then asked him how many sons he had. Sayt answered, “Guru jee, I have one son.” The other Sikh said, “Guru jee he’s lying again, he has got 5 sons.”
Guru jee said , “Sayt why are you lying?” Sayt said, “Why would I lie to you Guru jee?”
Sayt was 60 years old he had a white beard. Guru jee asked him how old he was, he took out his dairy and started flicking back the pages he answered, “Guru jee, by your grace I’m 12 years old.”
Guru jee said, “What are you saying Sayt? You are obviously over 60.”
Sayt put both hands together and said, “Guru jee I told you the truth. You asked me how much money I had, well I’ve had 40 million Rupees in my life which I’ve given away and I’m left with only 1 million.”
Guru jee said, “Forgive me Sayt for doubting you, your answer was true. Sayt is true.’
Sayt said, “Next you asked me how many sons I had, I said one, it is true I have five sons but four are drunks only one is beloved of Guru jee, he is sensible and loves his parents. Then Guru jee, I said I was 12 years old because that’s how many hours of service, meditation and holy congregation (Seva, Simran and Sadh-Sangat) I’ve done. Every time I do one of these I note the duration. That’s what I regard as my age, that amount of time will be taken into account not my body’s age.”
Guru jee said, “Sayt is true.”
Acknowledgement: http://tuhitu.blogspot.com/