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When One Is Very Well-Off

When one is very well-off in this world, then one seldom remembers Waheguru. One is then filled with pride and considers oneself to be God. When one is very strong, one says such Manmukhi sayings that the listeners are awed beyond imagination. Mirza of Mirza-Sahibaan fame is said to have said, "ਮੇਰੀ ਬੱਕੀ ਤੋਂ ਡਰਣ ਫਰਿਸ਼ਤੇ ਤੇ ਜੱਟ ਤੋਂ ਡਰੇ ਖੁਦਾ।" (The angels of God are scared of my horse Bakkee and God himself is scared of me). He was very proud of his might and warrior skills. In the end he died the death of a dog in the hands of Shamir Khan and his brothers. Ravan, Harnakash, Kansa, and countless others met the same fate as Mirza.

When Baba Banda Singh Bahadur was arrested by the Mughals and brought in front of the Mughal Emperor - Farukhsiyaar - he was asked, "So what kind of death you would like for yourself?"

Farukhsiyaar did not know that he was talking to a Jyot-Vigaasi Gurmukh. Baba Ji in his mauj replied, "the kind of death you want for yourself."

Farukhsiyaar was intoxicated in the pride and might that comes with being an emperor. He had thought that he would be ruling forever and that he was untouchable. He did not pay attention to Baba Ji's bachans and ordered a very terrible death for Baba Ji. Baba Ji was asked to accept Islam. Of course Baba Ji refused. His 4 years old son Ajay Singh was brought in front of him and threatened with his death. Baba Ji kept quiet. The sadistic aggressors took out Ajay Singh's heart, and forced the still-pumping heart of Ajay Singh into the mouth of Baba Ji. Baba Ji stayed calm and absorbed in Naam. Baba Ji's eyes were taken out, he was cut limb by limb but nothing could shake Baba Ji. The noteworthy thing is that as per the Bachan of Baba Ji, the emperor Farukhsiyaar was killed in a similar fashion as Baba Ji. He was blinded and tortured to death by his successor in a very short time after this incident.

The surprising thing is that one person sees another person dying but still considers himself to be stable forever. He thinks that his favourable conditions will stay on forever but nothing is farther from truth. The comforts of this world result in sorrows, for sure. Sri Guru Ji has made it clear that in this world, no matter how happy and comfortable a person may seem to be, if he is not engaged in Naam, he is going to meet a terrible fate.

How come some sinners seem happy despite sinning heavily?

I have heard it many times from people complaining that they know so and so person or family that never does Gurbani Paath, does all the sinful karma but still they are very well off. We become very short sighted when we say this. We should not forget that what we are viewing is a very short period of time out of the total. Just because a person is enjoying couple of decades or more years of life does not mean that he will go unaccounted for his bad deeds. What we see today is such person who enjoying the fruits of his good deeds done in the past. If he does not sow good deeds for future, then definitely he will go down and will be punished.

Same way, if we see bad things happening to good people, it means that they are reaping their bad karma done in the past. If they continue to do good in the face of adversity, surely their future will be bright. In this shabad (written below), Sri Guru Ji gives situations of extreme prosperity without Naam. What happens to people who are very happy, prosperous, educated but don't have Naam?

Now let's read to find out what Guru Sahib says about people who are well-off but ignore Naam:

ਸਾਸਤ ਸਿੰਮ੍ਰਿਤਿ ਬੇਦ ਚਾਰਿ ਮੁਖਾਗਰ ਬਿਚਰੇ ॥
ਤਪੇ ਤਪੀਸਰ ਜੋਗੀਆ ਤੀਰਥਿ ਗਵਨੁ ਕਰੇ ॥
ਖਟੁ ਕਰਮਾ ਤੇ ਦੁਗੁਣੇ ਪੂਜਾ ਕਰਤਾ ਨਾਇ ॥
ਰੰਗੁ ਨ ਲਗੀ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮ ਤਾ ਸਰਪਰ ਨਰਕੇ ਜਾਇ ॥5॥
ਰਾਜ ਮਿਲਕ ਸਿਕਦਾਰੀਆ ਰਸ ਭੋਗਣ ਬਿਸਥਾਰ ॥
ਬਾਗ ਸੁਹਾਵੇ ਸੋਹਣੇ ਚਲੈ ਹੁਕਮੁ ਅਫਾਰ ॥
ਰੰਗ ਤਮਾਸੇ ਬਹੁ ਬਿਧੀ ਚਾਇ ਲਗਿ ਰਹਿਆ ॥
ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਇਓ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਤਾ ਸਰਪ ਕੀ ਜੂਨਿ ਗਇਆ ॥6॥
ਬਹੁਤੁ ਧਨਾਢਿ ਅਚਾਰਵੰਤੁ ਸੋਭਾ ਨਿਰਮਲ ਰੀਤਿ ॥
ਮਾਤ ਪਿਤਾ ਸੁਤ ਭਾਈਆ ਸਾਜਨ ਸੰਗਿ ਪਰੀਤਿ ॥
ਲਸਕਰ ਤਰਕਸਬੰਦ ਬੰਦ ਜੀਉ ਜੀਉ ਸਗਲੀ ਕੀਤ ॥
ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਇਓ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਤਾ ਖੜਿ ਰਸਾਤਲਿ ਦੀਤ ॥7॥
ਕਾਇਆ ਰੋਗੁ ਨ ਛਿਦ੍ਰੁ ਕਿਛੁ ਨਾ ਕਿਛੁ ਕਾੜਾ ਸੋਗੁ ॥
ਮਿਰਤੁ ਨ ਆਵੀ ਚਿਤਿ ਤਿਸੁ ਅਹਿਨਿਸਿ ਭੋਗੈ ਭੋਗੁ ॥
ਸਭ ਕਿਛੁ ਕੀਤੋਨੁ ਆਪਣਾ ਜੀਇ ਨ ਸੰਕ ਧਰਿਆ ॥
ਚਿਤਿ ਨ ਆਇਓ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਜਮਕੰਕਰ ਵਸਿ ਪਰਿਆ ॥8॥
ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰੇ ਜਿਸੁ ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਹੋਵੈ ਸਾਧੂ ਸੰਗੁ ॥
ਜਿਉ ਜਿਉ ਓਹੁ ਵਧਾਈਐ ਤਿਉ ਤਿਉ ਹਰਿ ਸਿਉ ਰੰਗੁ ॥
ਦੁਹਾ ਸਿਰਿਆ ਕਾ ਖਸਮੁ ਆਪਿ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਦੂਜਾ ਥਾਉ ॥
ਸਤਿਗੁਰ ਤੁਠੈ ਪਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕ ਸਚਾ ਨਾਉ ॥9॥1॥26॥

1) If a person is very religious and has 4 Vedas, Shasters and Simirities memorized; on top of this, this person does extreme Jap-Tap (of Aanmatt Mantras) and makes pilgrimages to all holy places; In addition to this if this person does all the required 6 sacred Karmas and various kinds of Pooja and Ishnaan; but if this person fails to colour his mind in the colour of Naam, then he will go straight to hell.

2) Second scenario is of a ruler. If a person is a king and owns kingdoms and vast properties; if he has many beautiful gardens and his order is obeyed by all; if he has all luxuries of life and indulges in worldly pleasures day and night; BUT if such person does not remember Naam of Waheguru, he or she will become a snake in next life.

3) If a person is very rich, very well mannered, knows all etiquettes of high class, is very well respected and has good reputation and does good deeds; if this person has a big family including father, mother, brothers, sisters and close friends who all get along with each other; if this person has a private army armed with good weapons and everyone bows before him; BUT, he will go straight to the lowest of the hells if he does not remember Naam.

4) If a person is extremely healthy, has never encountered disease and nor has experienced sorrow all his life; if he does not remember death and day-night indulges in pleasures of life; if he is able to own everything in sight and never has to think twice before doing anything; he will become captive of Jamdoots if he forgets Waheguru.

In the end Guru Sahib declares that everything is the control of Parbraham Waheguru. He is on the both ends of everything. He is attained only through the true Guru who blesses one with the true Naam.

May Guru Sahib enable us to indulge in Naam and may we never forget him. Here I remember a famous shayer of the last Mughal ruler of India – Bahadur Shah Zafar:

ਜ਼ਫਰ ਆਦਮੀ ਉਸੇ ਨਾ ਸਮਝੀਏਗਾ, ਹੋ ਵੋਹ ਕੈਸਾ ਭੀ ਸਾਹਿਬੇ ਫਹਮੋ ਜ਼ਕਾ।
ਜਿਸੇ ਐਸ਼ ਮੇ ਯਾਦੇ ਖੁਦਾ ਨਾ ਰਹੀ, ਜਿਸੇ ਤੈਸ਼ ਮੇਂ ਖੋਫੇ ਖੁਦਾ ਨਾ ਰਹਾ।
(O Zafar, consider not such person a human, no matter how intelligent he is; who forgets Khudaiya (Waheguru) in good times and who forgets his fear when he commits atrocities (gets angry))

Kulbir Singh

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