Saturday, 5 January 2008

The Importance of Amrit and Rehat


During the time of Guru Gobind Singh Ji, just like today, many short sighted people like myself, questioned wether it was neccesary to take amrit. They felt as long as they did seva, they would be saved or liberated.

I'll share some examples of these people, and how they changed their views on amrit with Guru Ji's grace.

No life without Amrit


A Sikh said to Guru Gobind Singh jee, “What’s the point of rehat, or code of conduct, forget about receiving amrit all I need to do is the Guru’s service, or seva, don’t I?”

Guru Gobind Singh jee told him the time would come and he would understand why amrit was important. Soon afterwards, the man’s young son died. Guru Gobind Singh jee came. The Sikh stood up and said, “Guru jee, my son has left.”

Guru Gobind Singh jee asked him to take the sheet off the body and said to the father, “I thought you said he was dead, but look at him his hands, feet, eyes and teeth are still intact. Yet you say he is dead.”

The Sikh said, “What’s the point of the body when there is no breath?”

Guru Gobind Singh jee said, “Now you have your answer. You asked me what’s the point of the body without any breath. In the same way without rehat, or the code of conduct that you follow after receiving amrit, my Sikh has no life at all, infact he’s as good as dead.”

The Sikh said, “Guru jee, now I understand that Amrit is as important to the Guru as breaths are to the body.”



The Brahm-gianee:

Mata Gujree jee humbly pressed her palms together and asked Guru Gobind Singh jee, “Son is there anyway I could be blessed with the sight of a Brahm-gianee, a Knower-of God!”

Guru jee replied, “Mata jee get up at amrit-vela, get ready, meditate on Guru Nanak jee, prepare prashad and do Ardas. A Brahm-gianee will come to you, you will not have to go anywhere.”

At that time Brahm-gianee Baba Ram Kaur jee was engrossed in God’s Name and instantly knew that he had to meet Mata Gujree jee. He got on his horse and came to Mata jee’s house.

With pressed palms she said, “I am greatly blessed, greatly blessed to have the holy sight of you Brahm-gianee jee.” She respected him greatly. Baba Ram Kaur jee went to have the sacred vision of Guru Gobind Singh jee the next day.

Guru Gobind Singh jee greeted him and said, “Baba Ram Kaur jee, receive Khanda-batta-da-amrit (amrit prepared in an iron bowl and stirred by the symbol of God’s power the mighty double edged sword) and belong to the Guru.”

Baba jee was taken aback, he said, “Guru jee, I’ve been blessed with the knowledge of God (Brahm Gian) yet am I still without a Guru? Surely, I don’t need to receive amrit?

Guru jee began to say, “Baba jee, you haven’t received amrit yet, you aren’t living according to the code of conduct of the Guru’s house. When you receive amrit and live by the code of conduct of the Guru’s house then you have become the Guru’s.”

Baba jee said, “Guru jee, I read God’s Word (Gurbanee) everyday, in Sukmanee Sahib it says that the Brahm-giani is God himself, so what’s the need for me to receive?”

Guru jee spent great efforts to make him understand. Some time passed, winter came a great festival was about to begin. The officials of Anandpur were clearing the place of stray and wild dogs. They were feeding the dogs poison.

Baba Ram Kaur jee came out and was taken curious about what the officials were doing. He said to them, “Brother, you keep feeding the stray dogs poison, but you leave the ones with collars alone. Why make the distinction? They’re all wandering the streets.”

The officials said, “O Baba jee, the dogs with collars belong to someone. The ones without collars don’t belong to anyone. We can kill countless stray dogs and no one will object. But, if we kill even one dog with a collar, it’s master will go to the Government court and complain against us. We will be called up and punished. That is the difference, dogs without collars belong to no one, dogs with collars belong to someone.”

Baba Ram Kaur jee finally understood what Guru jee was saying about belonging to the Guru. He thought “Ram Kaur, don’t get mislead that just because you have got Brahm-Gian, the knowledge-of-God, that you are safe. You still don’t belong to the Guru.”

There are two types of Sikhs: ones that belong to the Guru; and ones that don’t. The ones that receive amrit and live out the Rehat, or code of conduct, belong to the Guru, the ones that don’t will suffer the same fate as the collar-less dogs. At the last breath, Guru Gobind Singh jee will take his Sikhs by the arm, the ones without a Guru will be left to suffer like the collar-less dogs.

“Kabeer kutheh ram ko, motee mera nao…Kabeer says I am a dog of God, and Motee is my name.”



Baba Ram Kaur jee couldn’t sleep that night, because he realised he didn’t belong to the Guru. In the morning he went to have the sacred sight, or darshan, of Guru Gobind Singh jee. Joining his hands together he greeted Guru jee and was asked, “Baba jee, I haven’t seen you for some time, what made you remember me today?”

Baba Jee -“Guru jee, bless me with the gift of amrit.”

Guru Jee -“Baba Ram Kaur jee, you are a Brahm-gianee, the same as God, what need is there for you to receive amrit?”

Baba Jee -“Yesterday I saw the dog catchers poison the dogs without collars and spare the dogs with collars. I thought both are dogs, but some were spared some were killed. The dog catcher told me that if a dog with a collar is killed then the master will come and make a report against them. O Guru jee that greatly affected my mind, just because I’m a Brahm-gianee it doesn’t mean I don’t need a Guru. I realised the ones who’ve received amrit will be protected by you in the true court. Bless me with amrit Guru jee.”

Guru Gobind Singh jee told Bhai Daya Singh jee to prepare for the amrit ceremony.

Baba Ram Kaur jee was from the same lineage as Baba Budda jee, he received amrit and became Baba Ram Kaur Singh jee.



Guru Gobind Singh Ji and why take amrit:


Sikhs said to Guru Gobind Singh jee, “What’s the need to receive amrit? We are always performing your service and everyone can see we that we are Sikhs.”

Guru jee said “Wait for your answer.”

A Sikh came and donated a gold jewel for Guru jee’s waist band. Guru jee said, “Call the jeweller, I want to know if it is real gold."

All the Sikhs said, “Guru jee no-one would dare donate fools gold to the Guru, its plain to see that it is gold.”

Guru jee said, “I need to know for sure that it is pure gold.”

The Jeweller came and looked at it and said it looks like gold.

Guru jee repeated, “I need to know for sure that it is 100% gold.”

The jeweller went to get his touchstone, by touching the gold on it there was a positive reaction. The jeweller certified the jewel as being 100% gold.

Guru jee said, “O Sikhs, you asked me what’s the point of receiving amrit when its already obvious that you are all Sikhs. Receive amrit and prove that you are 100% Sikhs. Amrit is my touchstone.”


1 comment:

Anonymous said...

Why AMRIT is not just important but so much necessary?

Let’s take an example –

In case you buy any property, you need to get it registered. You buy stamp papers equivalent to the stamp duty you need to pay to the govt. & then you submit those papers to the registrar office and he puts his stamp. Its only after that the property is legally yours.

Without the Registrar’s stamp, you are legally NOT the owner – even if you buy stamp papers of more value but if there is no registrar’s stamp then still its worthless – its ONLY & ONLY when those papers are STAMPED, the property becomes legally yours.

Similarly, you might be doing great deeds (same as buying stamp papers of more value than the stamp duty) but still if the papers are not STAMPED i.e. Guru’s Khande baate da Amrit nahin peeta then none of your good deeds are accepted by the God since they are not ‘STAMPED’ – they keep on adding to a ‘Suspense’ account.

‘Suspense’ account – in accounting, all entries whose source, etc. is not known or clear, they are added to a ‘Suspense’ account – thus you will not even get the credit for doing good deeds.

There can be many examples but BEG for AMRIT from ALMIGHTY because its only due to his ‘nadar’, someone can be blessed with the ‘daat’ of AMRIT.

WAHEGURUJI KA KHALSA
WAHEGURUJI KI FATEH