ON SIKHI OR DISCIPLESHIP
by
Sant Ajaib Singh Ji
June 12, 1977
Nanaimo, British Columbia
If I meet any gurusikh,
I'll bow down at his feet.
This is the bani of Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj. In this hymn, he
describes the condition of a person who desires to get initiated but
has not yet received Shabd Naam and does not know anything about the
Path. When he realizes that a gurusikh a real disciple of a Perfect
Master) does exist, he comes to see him and asks him, "How can one
become initiated?" "How can one become a disciple?" "What do we get
from discipleship?" One cannot become a disciple only by wearing
certain clothes or by following certain rites and rituals. So here,
Guru Sahib carefully makes us understand how one can become a real
disciple. In the satsang of Guru Arjan Dev Ji Maharaj, there were two
persons named Rai Balwant and Satta Dum who were doing kirtan - that
is, they were responsible for the music. As you know, egoism is a very
bad thing, and they were caught up in thinking that the satsang of the
Guru was suc-cessful only because they were preaching and doing
kirtan. "If not, who would be aware of satsang and who would come?"
Once they told their Master, "We have to marry our daughter, so tell
all the disciples to give us money. All the donations from one day
will be enough to get our daughter married." So Guru Arjan said, "From
whom should we ask for money? - since some people give and some people
don't. I can give you whatever money you need for the marriage." But
Maya had made a home in their hearts and knowing that Guru Arjan had
many disciples, they said, "We don't want that kind of money. Let all
your disciples give us just one taka each and that will be enough for
us."
The next day the Master brought them four and one-half takes and said,
"One taka is from Guru Nanak, because he was a real disciple; one taka
is from Guru Angad - he also was a real disciple; the third taka is
from Guru Amardas since he too was perfect; and the fourth is from
Guru Ramdas. I am giving you half a taka because I am not perfect - I
am not a full disciple, I am just half." He had so much humility that
even after reaching Sach Khand he was calling himself half a disciple.
Rai Balwant and Satta Dum were unhappy because the Guru had given them
so little money, and they went back home very angry. In their minds
they thought that people were coming to Guru Arjan Dev for Satsang
only because they were doing kirtan - but that was not true. When they
had returned home, Guru Arjan Dev called them for Satsang, but they
would not come. The Master was so humble that he went personally to
get them but still they would not come. Instead, they started abusing
Guru Arjan Dev. And they also started speaking out against Guru Nanak
and all the past Masters. Guru Arjan Dev told them, "You can abuse me
and talk against me but don't say anything about the past Masters!" He
was so displeased that he said, "For doing such a thing you will get
leprosy. Moreover, if anybody comes and requests that I forgive you,
something awful will also happen to him: I will make him sit on a
donkey and ride around the city with a black face and a garland of
shoes around his neck. No one will want to request that I forgive
you."
After they had been rebuked and thrown out by their Master, nobody
paid the slightest attention and no one cared for them. Sitting in
their home without the Guru, they realized they had made a great
mistake. So they traveled to Lahore, because they had heard of an
advanced disciple there named Lada, who was known to help people in
difficulties. When they found him, they told him the mistake they had
made and also what the Master said would happen to anyone who asked
that He forgive them. Lada said, "All right, don't worry."
Before Lada approached Guru Arjan Dev to ask for forgiveness, he first
fulfilled the conditions of the Master. He got a donkey and rode
around the city with a blackened face and a garland of shoes around
his neck. Everywhere he went the people made a lot of noise. When the
Master heard the shouting he asked, "What is going on?" Those who saw
Lada replied, "Lada is doing all those things so that you will forgive
Rai Balwant and Satta Dum."
When Lada came to Guru Arjan Dev, the Master asked, "Why did you do
that?" Lada replied, "That was your condition, so now please forgive
them." Guru Arjan said, "If you would have come to me without doing
all those things I would still have forgiven them." In that way Satta
Dum and Rai Balwant were forgiven. But Guru Arjan told them, "All
right. With the mouth that has criticized the past Masters and me, you
should now sing the praise of the Masters." Rai Balwant and Satta Dum
did sing the praise of the Masters and those hymns are included in the
Guru Granth Sahib. However, because they were not going within and did
not know the power of the Master they were not able to sing their
praise correctly and fully. They compared the Masters only to Rama,
Krishna and the other gods.
Very often I have said in Satsang that there was a time when the
disciples of Guru Gobind Singh were always called to act as witnesses.
This was also true of the disciples of Master Sawan Singh. But now, see
how lacking we satsangis are and how many bad deeds we do.
During the time of Guru Gobind Singh, King Fruksir was ruling. He
had taken a vow that he would destroy the name of the Sikh community
and all the Sikhs. Every Sikh that he captured he would kill. He was
paying money to those who would bring him Sikhs, dead or alive. In order
to get more money, the people would kill the women of the Hindus and
bring them to the king, saying they were the children of the Sikhs. In
order to survive, the Sikhs began wandering around in the forest. Once,
one party was captured in which there was a young Sikh boy whose
mother was working in the home of the king's minister. She requested
the minister to speak with the king in order that her son might be saved.
The king said, "I need only one thing - that he should say, `I am not a
Sikh, I am not a disciple' - and I will release him." When the boy was
brought before the king he said, "No, I am Sikh, my father was Sikh, my
grandfather was Sikh. I am Sikh, I am Sikh, I am Sikh." And then he
told that butcher, "If you want to have grace on me, you will kill me first
so that my mother doesn't have to wait for a long time." This is the
name of discipleship. This is called Sikhi.
The minister of that king restricted this word [Sikhs] so much the
people were not even allowed to write the word gur (which means raw
sugar). Instead, they had to write the word phrodi, because gur was too
similar to the spelling of Guru and he was afraid that the people might
still remember the Guru.
So, in this hymn he says, "I am searching for that disciple who is free
from lust, anger and all the other passions; who has manifested the Guru
within him, who has become the form of Guru and has attained the position
of Khalsa." He further states, "If I get such a disciple, I will bow
down to him and I will also learn the Path of discipleship."
Mahatmas say that when the disciple of a Guru, of a Master, meets
another fellow disciple of the Master they both are happy and they both
try to bow down to each other's feet. But the disciple who forgets to bow
down to others' feet will not have the Master manifested within. Master
will not be with the disciple who has this kind of pride and does not
respect the other brother-disciple. The path of discipleship is sharper
than a razor's edge and thinner than a hair.
I will tell him the condition of my heart and request him to
make me meet the Beloved.
Guru Sahib says, "When a person who is not yet initiated meets a
disciple who has these good qualities and who has manifested the
Master within, he says, `Brother, please help me to also meet the
Master Who has given you this position and by meeting Whom you have
achieved peace in your soul. Help me to get Him also. I am speaking
from my heart about my own situation because I want to meet the
Master.'" We know that one who is united will unite us and one who is
not united will disunite us.
Tell me such teachings, so that my mind may not wander about
any other place.
Mahatmas make us understand that our soul is covered by mind and that
mind is covered by maya. Our mind is helpless because it is controlled
by the senses and our soul is helpless because it is controlled by the
mind. If there is any enemy, it is the mind which is residing within
us. If there is any obstacle between us and God, that is our mind.
That is why he says, "Brother, I want that teaching which can still my
mind." The mind wanders in the forest of worldly pleasures just like a
madman.
I will give you my mind if you will show me the Path.
I repeat that if there is one obstacle between us and God it is the
mind. Mahatmas say, "One who has given up his mind has nothing left
with him." Hazur Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji was conducting Satsang when
Mastana Ji of Baluchistan asked him, "Oh True Lord, if a disciple
desires Shabd Naam, what should he sacrifice for the Master?" Master
smiled and said, "He should give up his mind to the Master." Maharaj
Ji used to say, "A wife can give her body to the husband but she does
not give him her mind. If she gave him her mind there would be no
problems. It is because of the mind that we are having unrest in our
homes."
Hazur Maharaj Ji used to give the example of King Janak in order to
help us understand that the only thing required on the Path is to
still our minds. When Janak began yearning to realize God, he set up
a throne and announced, "I will give much wealth to the one who will
make me realize God within the time that it takes to climb upon my
horse." All the Saints and holy men were called. At that time there
were only "so-called" mahatmas and saints (only a very few people had
real knowledge of the beyond), and nobody was able to make him realize
God. However, there was a very ugly hunchback named Ashtavakra who was
a perfect Sadhu. Ashtavakra means "eight humps", and he had eight
humps on his body. He came forward because he was afraid that if
nobody made the King realize God the name of Sadhu would be defamed
and he did not want the king to make trouble for real Sadhus. Because
his body was very ugly the other "sadhus" sitting in King Janak's
court began to laugh at him. He said, "Oh King, your court is made up
of dancers and cobblers because the work of the dancer is to look at
beauty and the work of the cobbler is to look at the skin. I don't
have any beauty and my skin is not good so they laugh at me. But, do
you want to realize God?" He said, "Yes." "Well, in order to realize
God you have to make some sacrifice. Are you ready to do that?" "Yes."
At that time, they did not sign any papers to make a promise. They
would just put water in their hand and make a vow. Ashtavakra said,
"Okay, you give me your mind, your body and your wealth." And the King
said, "I give you all these things." And taking the water he made the
vow and said, "All these possessions are yours." Then Ashtavakra told
King Janak, "Now go and sit in the place where the shoes of the other
people are placed." At first King Janak hesitated because he thought,
"I am the King of all these people and I must go in front of all my
subjects and sit with their shoes?" But suddenly another thought came
and he realized, "I have given my body to the Saint and I shouldn't
feel any shame about my body because it is not mine but the Saint's.
If there is any shame for the body, the Saint will bear it." So, he
went and sat in the place where the shoes of the people were lying.
However, since he was using his mind, sometimes his thoughts would
wander off to the palaces, the queens, the army or to other women in
his court. Ashtavakra told him, "Beware, King! You have given me your
mind. Now you don't have any right to use my mind. Remember, this mind
is not yours, it belongs to me." When King Janak realized that the
mind was not his but belonged to the Saint, he stopped all his
thoughts. Once he stilled the mind there was no other difficulty and
Ashtavakra gave him his attention and took the King's soul up. Then
Ashtavakra told the other people, "Now you call him." But who could
call him because he was not in the body? After the appropriate time he
again brought the King's soul back into the body and said, "Did you
realize God? Did you see anything?" And the King said, "Yes, now I
realize the Truth." Then Ashtavakra told him, "All right, now you take
back your body, your mind and your wealth and use this understanding
as the Master's and as God's."
I have come from far away seeking shelter in you.
When that dear one who has the desire to become initiated meets the
disciple he says, "I have come here-I have taken refuge in you. I have
not come to question or debate with you. I have come from far away."
Master used to say, "One who is thirsty will drink the water with much
appreciation and one who is not thirsty, even though the water is freely
given, will not have any appreciation for it." So the dear ones, the
lovers, are those who really have a yearning to meet God and are always
waiting for initiation. They are always longing for the time to come on
this Path and to begin the practice.
Hazur Maharaj Sawan Singh Ji used to tell an interesting story. Once
a man was walking by an uncovered well and fell in. Another man who
was passing by saw him in the well; he took mercy on the man and
brought him a rope. He told him to catch the rope and climb out of the
well. But instead of catching the rope, he started asking questions:
"Who dug this well?" "How much money was spent on digging this
well?" "How did I fall down in this well?" "If I come out this time will I
fall in again?" "How many people can fit into this well?" He asked so
many questions, but he didn't take advantage of the other man's mercy
and didn't come out of the well. The man with the rope told him, "First
come out of the well and then I will tell you all the answers to your ques-
tions. But first, you must come out." However, instead of coming out,
he continued to ask questions. The other man became annoyed and said,
"All right. If you want to continue asking questions, I'm leaving." In
that way, he remained in the well.
So this is our condition: we are involved in lust, anger, greed, attach-
ment, egoism and all the other evils of this world. One time we are given
birth in this body, another time in another body-and in this way we are
coming and going back and forth from this world. Whenever Mahatmas
or Saints tell us the true knowledge or anyone talks about the true Path,
we start questioning him instead of wholeheartedly practicing the Path
and doing what is required. We become like the man in the well who was
first requested to come out of the well and then ask questions. Mahatmas
say that first you should practice the Path; do the things we are telling
you. Then, after going within all your questions will be answered. After
going within once, there will be no need for asking questions outwardly.
Only those people who are not doing their meditations have many ques-
tions. How can we solve that thing by talking, which can only be solved
by meditation? You can read the histories of all the Saints. Swami Ji
Maharaj, the founder of Sant Mat in modern times, meditated in a small
closed room for seventeen years. Baba Jaimal Singh began his search for
God right from his childhood. After being initiated, he put in long hours
in meditation. He used to bring chapatis from the Beas station to last
him for a week of meditating. Before eating, he would soak the chapatis
in water. If sleep was bothering him he would stand up, stretch his arms
and legs and continue meditating in that position. If sleep continued to
bother him, he would tie his hair with a string to a nail in the wall and
continue to meditate. And if this did not work, he would beat himself
with a stick in order to stay awake. Similarly, Master Sawan Singh Ji
meditated in the same room continuously for two or three days straight.
If sleep bothered him he had a wooden bench called a bairagam. Stand-
ing and taking support of the bench, he would meditate. Hazur Maharaj
Kirpal Singh Ji went to the bank of the river Ravi and meditated there all
night. If he became sleepy, he would meditate standing in the water of
the river. Similarly Guru Nanak Sahib sat on cushions made of pebbles,
bricks and stones for eleven years in meditation. How hard he worked!
These examples are to help us understand that without making a very
great effort, we cannot achieve success.
Hazur Maharaj Ji used to give the example of Gunga who was a
famous wrestler from Lahore. He used to stay awake all night and prac-
tice his wrestling. Only because of this effort, he became famous as a
wrestler throughout the world.
In the beginning the practice of Sant Mat seems very difficult because
we are not in the habit of doing meditation on Shabd Naam. Moreover,
our mind is wandering here and there without any control. Because we
haven't acquired the habit of sitting we don't get any interest even if we
do sit. But by daily meditation a desire starts coming from within and in
that way we can progress. That's why this dear one says to the disciple,
"I have come so far and I have taken refuge in you. I'm requesting that
you give me that teaching with which I can still my mind, in which I can
have love for God and go back and unite with Him."
I am longing to lose all my pains.
- Brother, practice this Path and obey the Commandments of
the Master.
Earlier the dear one who was longing for initiation gave his questions
to the disciple, who listened with much love. Now the disciple gives
his reply: "The practice which the Master shows to the disciple is the
only Japa, Tapa or austerity. It is the rites and rituals. It is the
religion. It is all and everything for the disciple." Swami Ji Maharaj
says, "When a disci-ple comes to the refuge of the Master, whatever he
was doing before that should be stopped. Whatever Master tells him to
do, he should do that. He should lay aside all the practices which he
was doing before being in-itiated and practice the teachings which
Master has shown to him."
Give up the dictates of mind - do not fear public humiliation.
The disciple says, "First of all you have to give up the dictates of
the mind and also the shame of this world." What happens if we become
a little sick and go to the doctor? The doctors of today are busily
recommending that people eat meat and drink wine. They say that you
cannot survive without these. We write to the Masters asking their
permission to do that; but the Saints say, "Whatever Master has said
at the time of initiation, you should follow very strictly, because
meat, eggs and wine do not save anyone's life."
When Master Sawan Singh's leg was broken the doctors said, "Unless
you eat meat broth and drink port wine, you will not recover." At that
time he became worried because he was in danger of losing his work
and he had young children to support. In his meditation the Negative
Power came in the form of Baba Jaimal Singh and said, "During an ill-
ness there is no harm in eating meat and drinking wine. You should do
these things." Baba Sawan Singh used to say, "When I did the Simran
of the Five Names in front of that form, the form disappeared." He
cabled Baba Jaimal Singh and asked permission to eat meat and drink
wine but Baba Jaimal Singh said, "Whatever orders I have given you on
the very first day-you have to be strict in following them and you
should not do anything else." You see that Baba Jaimal Singh didn't
allow Master Sawan Singh to eat meat or drink wine even though he was
advanced on the Path and in a great deal of pain. So Saints say,
"Whatever instructions the Masters tell you on the first day, you
should be very strict in following them."
This way you will get the darshan of God; not even hot winds
will affect you.
The disciple now tells the seeker, "Brother, if we walk on the Path of the
Guru we will definitely get God. One who is called the Sikh of the Master
gets up early in the morning and the first thing he does is to remember the
Naam of the Master. It is the work of the disciple to get up early in the
morning at three o'clock and to try to reach Amritsar, the Pool of Nectar,
and bathe in that pool." Guru Sahib doesn't mean any outward Amritsar.
If he had meant the outer Amritsar, even all the people who are living
in India would not be able to come and bathe in that Amritsar. Further,
what about the other people who are living in Africa, America,
and the other parts of the world? This would have been an injustice to
them if he had meant the outer Amritsar. Guru Sahib says, "The Amritsar
which I am talking about is not anywhere outside but is within your
body, within your existence. One who drinks from that Amritsar becomes
immortal. That Amritsar is within your body." Guru Nanak says, "Bathing
in that pool of Nectar, in the Amritsar of the Satguru, the crow is
turned into a swan." Now our condition is like that of the crow
which feeds on dirt. But when we reach the Daswan Dwar and bathe in
that pool of nectar we will become like the swan who feeds on pearls.
Our food will be the meditation on Naam and the remembrance of the
Beloved.
The disciple says, "At sunrise you should sing a hymn or read
something from the Master and after that you should do the Simran
which the Master has given. You should not forget that Simran for even
a moment whether walking, talking or doing anything. You should
remember the Master with every single breath." For such a person Guru
Nanak Sahib says, "I ask for the dust of his feet who meditates on the
Naam and the Simran given by the Master and who makes other people
meditate on the same Naam."
I have nothing of my own to tell you.
Everything I tell you is coming from Him in His will.
Now the disciple says, "Brother, I am not telling you anything from my
mind because I am not sitting on the level of the mind. I am only
telling you what comes from within, from the Master." One who has
contacted that Shabd and who has become one with the Shabd will never
speak anything on his own. Whatever comes from within he gives out.
Once when Guru Nanak was in Amnabad he began to speak about the future
condition of the city. It was very terrifying because he said that the
Mogul Emperor from Kabul would come and would punish, torture and kill
the people. Bhai Lalo who was with Guru Nanak asked him, "Master, why
are you saying such terrifying things? Why have you sung this hymn?
Have mercy on the souls." Guru Nanak replied, "Bhai Lalo, I am only
telling you whatever is coming from within, whatever the Master is
sending. You will see that Babar will come and through him God will
punish those people who are not doing His devotion. Those who are
doing bad deeds will be punished by him."
Only one who has eaten rock candy can describe its taste. One who has
never eaten it cannot tell you anything about its taste. Similarly, one
who has done devotion to the Guru, who has seen the position of the Guru
and who has manifested that Guru within him is the only one capable of
describing the position of the Guru. Only he can say in which level, in
which plane his Guru is residing. One who has not done the devotion of
the Guru and who has not realized the position of the Guru cannot tell
the plane from which the Guru is coming.
Guru has given the wealth of God's devotion - it is this that
Guru Nanak has passed to his devotees.
Now the disciple says, "Guru gives the wealth of devotion to his devotee
and then the devotee gives forth that same wealth to the other people.
How can the poor devotee give anything of his own? Whatever his
Master gives him, he gives out the same thing to others."
I have no desire left.
Now I am fully satisfied.
Now he says, "Since I have found the Master and received the initiation
of Shabd Naam from Him, I have meditated and earned that Shabd Naam. Now
I have no hunger of desire for this world. Even if I am hungry I feel
that I am satisfied. All hunger and desire for this world has left me."
At the time when Hazur came to Ganga Nagar I had thousands of
people who were following me. Many people taunted me when I became
a disciple of the Master. They told me that people believed me to be a
great man but they couldn't understand why I had become an initiate of
Master Kirpal. They said, "Before you were free and now you are
bound," because, after initiating me, Master gave me the duty of
meditating for seven years constantly. So I always remained in one room
and meditated for seven years. Master himself was showering grace upon
me and would come to the ashram to give me darshan. Thousands of
people came to me and told me that they felt sorry for me. Some people
were calling me mad. Others said, "Kirpal of Delhi has done some magic
on his head and that's why he's gone mad and changed his position."
Laughing and smiling I would say to them, "Doing the Simran of Kirpal
Singh, remembering Kirpal Singh, millions of sinners are liberated.
Ajaib says that you should also follow Kirpal." When I said this they
would leave without any other argument.
Master, if I meet any disciple, I'll bow down at his feet.
In this hymn the condition of the person who is desiring initiation
and the good qualities of the Sikh, the disciple, are described. After
realizing the truth, the person who came for initiation, the seeker,
says, "From now on, if I meet any Gurusikh, a disciple of the Master,
I will bow down to him and understand him as the blessed One, because
blessed is the disciple who has manifested the Master within him."
Bound by the religions and outward labels, see how we are dealing with
each other. If any Sikh goes into the Church and says, "Wahe Guru,
Wahe Guru," the Christians won't like that. And, if a Christian goes
into the temple of the Hindus and repeats the name, "God, God," then
the Hindus will become upset. If a Muslim goes into the temple and
repeats the name, "Allah, Allah," the Hindus will feel that the atom
bomb has fallen on their temple. And, in the same way, if a Hindu goes
into the mosque and repeats the name, "Ram, Ram," the Muslim people
will become upset. But the Satguru is bringing all the religions and
communities together on a common ground and makes everyone meditate on
the one Naam. He brings all four castes on one platform and makes
everyone meditate on that One True Name.
Saints do not come to form any new religion or sect nor to break up
the old ones. They tell us to remain in our religions. They say,
"Religions are good for us, since they create the longing, the
yearning within us and they teach us how to love and in that way they
make us meditate."
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