Guru Gobind Singh ji Maharaj, Stone, Nitnem and world ocean
Guru Gobind Singh Jee was sitting in the congregation with Sangat. He had with him a stone and a bucket full of water. He threw the stone into the bucket and the stone sunk to the bottom. He then asked the Sangat why the stone sunk?
One person said that it sunk because it was a stone … a stone always sinks. But Guru Jee asked why is it that the stone sunk? Another Sangatee responded that it was going to sink because it is heavy … a heavy object will always sink in water. Guru Sahib Jee responded that this was not the right answer. He asked people to give the right answer. No-one had a clue – they could not overcome their scientific way of thinking.
Finally, Guru Gobind Singh Jee turned to Bhai Nand Lal Jee. Bhai Nand Lal Jee was sitting at the bottom of Guru Jee’s Takhat, and as soon as Guru Jee asked him, Bhai Nand Lal Jee started crying. Guru Jee said “Nand Lal, why are you crying? Give an answer to my question.”
Bhai Nand Lal Jee responded, “when the stone was with you, it was afloat in this world. When the stone left you, it sunk.” Guru Gobind Singh Jee was very happy with Bhai Nand Lal Jee and gave him a tight embrace.
Guru Jee gave this as an example of what happens to us when we leave the Guru. When we leave the True Guru, we all sink. When we stay with the Guru, Guru Sahib carries us across the Ocean to Waheguroo.
How can we stay with Guru Sahib so that we too are carried across the Ocean? We must submit ourselves to him by taking Khande-Battae-Da-Amrit. We must try and follow the Rehits provided to us by Guru Sahib … each and everyone is designed to be carried across.
We must follow the Nitnem routine provided to us by Guru Jee. Baba Nand Singh Jee used to say that when we do Nitnem, we offer our arm out to Guru Jee to carry us across. By doing Nitnem, Guru Nanak Dev Jee will never let go of our arm. But when we fail in our Nitnem, we take away our offering arm. How can Guru Jee carry us across then?
When we immerse ourselves in the Shabad, there is nothing that can cause us to sink, since the Shabad forms a protection barrier all around us to carry us across.
gur kaa sabadh rakhavaarae ||
The Word of the Guru’s Shabad is my Saving Grace.
choukee chougiradh hamaarae ||
It is a guardian posted on all four sides around me.
Acknowledgement: http://tuhitu.blogspot.com/