More Memories - Bairaag, Ridhi Sidhi, Eating Habits...
Bairaag - Jail Chithiaan and Ranglay Sajjan
Bhai Jagtar Singh jee was of the firm opinion to keep the spiritual bliss within and not let it out and for the most part he kept his Bairaag and spiritual bliss within but sometimes it can be unbearable. Once Bhai Jagtar Singh jee mentioned that he had read Jail Chithiaan many times but had never been able to read the part of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee’s meeting with Mata Ghulab Kaur without bursting in Bairaag. This Daas personally has experienced just this. When reading few pages before the part of Mata Ghulab Kaur jeee, it has never been possible to read about Mata Ghulab Kaur without Bairaag.
That scene when Mata jee removed her Kambal and offered it to Bhai Sahib for sitting and Bhai Sahib begging her not to do so as he would not be able to sustain so much Kirpa, is a very moving scene. When Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee started walking towards Mata jee, she had her back towards Bhai Sahib and she never used to let anyone come near her but for Bhai Sahib, she turned and said Fateh to him. Bhai Sahib immediately moved forward and fell at her Charan. I mean the whole prasang is just unbearable and Bhai Jagtar Singh and this Daas always felt that Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee wrote this part of Jail Chithiaan while in full Bairaag. That's why the reader cannot read it without Bairaag.
Similar to Mata Ghulab Kaur jee’s prasang in Jail Chithiaan, prasangs of Bibi Joginder Kaur and Bhai Gurdeep Singh (Burma) in Ranglay Sajjan are not possible to read without Bairaag. Many years ago, Jail Chithiaan and Ranglay Sajjan were read by Gursikhs in Sangat form and indeed when these above stated prasangs were read, Bhai Sahib’s beard and face were wet with tears.
Bhai Sahib used to say that reading the first 90 pages of Jail Chithiaan are very important and they contain the formula of meeting with Vaheguru and this formula can be used by any Gursikh at any time to have Darshan of Vaheguru jee.
Bairaag – Siri Akhand Paath Sahib Raul
Bhai Sahib rarely used to do Raul in Siri Akhand Paath Sahib and in his later years, he stopped doing Raul Sewa altogether. He used to spend hours and hours listening to paath but did not do Rauls himself. While listening to Paath many times he used to keep quiet if the Paathi made a minor paath-related mistake but if the mistake was severe, then he used to intervene and correct the paath.
During the early 2000s, a Siri Akhand Paath Sahib was organized by Singhs at our home. Fortunately, in that Paath, Bhai Sahib did the sewa of Raul. I still remember that he did Paath of last part of Raag Gauri. I particularly remember that after the two Vaars of Raag Gauri, while doing Bhagat Baani, Bhai Sahib’s voice became extremely Bairagmai. He was doing paath very slowly. It’s a well known fact that Bhagat Baani is Mehngi Baani (difficult) but if we understand it, we realize how Bairagmai it is. Bhai Sahib was very fond of Bhagat Kabir jee’s baani because it contains such raw Bairaag.
When the Paath reached Ang 336, Bhai Sahib was doing Paath with a lot of Bairag but little did we realize what was coming soon. When Bhai Sahib read the following Pankiti, he exploded in Bairaag:
ਕਹੈ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਮਦਨ ਕੇ ਮਾਤੇ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਦੇਖੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥ ਤੁਮ ਘਰਿ ਲਾਖ ਕੋਟਿ ਅਸ੍ਵ ਹਸਤੀ ਹਮ ਘਰਿ ਏਕੁ ਮੁਰਾਰੀ ॥੪॥੧॥੭॥੫੮॥
It is hard to imitate how he cried out but it was a loud cry. When he said “ਹਮ ਘਰਿ ਏਕੁ ਮੁਰਾਰੀ”, he could sustain no more. Thereon Bhai Sahib did Paath in such Bairag that Bairaag surrounded the whole Mandal. The atmosphere around the Paath Mandal became heavenly. The ones sitting listening to Paath too were overwhelmed with Bairaag. It is a memory that has never left me.
Siri Jap jee Sahib and Ridhi Sidhi
Bhai Sahib was of the opinion that indulging in Ridhi-Sidhis is a big hurdle in spiritual progress and at the same time he also believed that a Singh who follows Gurmat including the Rehit Bibek, is saved by Guru Sahib from this very difficult phase of spirituality. I still remember this incident from the 1990s when an Abhyaasi Singh, asked Bhai Sahib, in the parking lot of Weston Gurdwara Sahib, about the hurdles related to Ridhi-Sidhis, Bhai Sahib jumped over a water pothole and remarked that Rehitvaan Singh cross this hurdle as easily as this (as Bhai Sahib jumped over the water pothole). He said that Guru Sahib saves His Rehitvaan Gurmukhs from getting stuck in this major spiritual hurdle. Many other Abhyaasis who are not humble Gursikhs (Humble Gursikhs are ones who obey Guru Sahib and keep Rehit) often get lot of Ridhi-Sidhis and by indulging in them, waste their spiritual earnings.
Bhai Sahib once mentioned that if a person does Paaths of Siri Jap jee Sahib with concentration, Ridhi-Sidhis come very quickly. I asked him to elaborate and he mentioned that when he first started walking towards Sikhi, he started doing 10 Paaths of Siri Jap jee Sahib a day with full concentration. Within days, Bhai Sahib started experiencing Ridhi-Sidhis that surprised him beyond belief. He quoted couple of examples of what he experienced. One of his acquaintances was expecting a child. Bhai Sahib explicitly saw the scene of a male child being born to them and within days the couple had the child that Bhai Sahib had a vision of, days earlier. Bhai Sahib had seen a vision of the exact same child, before he was even born.
The Tatt Gurmat earnings start getting deposited in a seeker’s account only when the seeker is a candidate of Parmarath (true spirituality). If a person is not an Amritdhari and is not a true seeker of Vaheguru, then his spiritual earnings (resulting from Gurbani Paath) are spent on fulfilling his worldly wishes and any excess earnings result in Ridhi-Sidhis. On the other hand, Gurmukhs who are true seekers of Vaheguru, have their spiritual earnings of Naam and Gurbani spent towards getting the true Parmarath. Their worldly wishes too are taken care of, by Vaheguru, and they don’t even have to think about them. Their needs are fulfilled before they get a chance to even think about them. They are saved from low-level Ridhi Sidhis and when they attain their spiritual destination, then the real Gurmat oriented Ridhi Sidhis or what you can call Akali Shaktis are given to them by Guru Sahib. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee has mentioned these Akali Shaktis in the tract Amrit kee hai. These Akali Shaktis are superior to and different from the low level Ridhis Sidhis that even Yogis or Sufis can have.
Some Eating Habits
Details about Bhai Sahib’s eating habits would be known to his immediate family but here is what I found out casually by doing his Sangat:
1. Bhai Sahib did not eat much. He ate very simple food. He had risen above the tastes of food.
2. Bhai Sahib was used to consuming a lot of Gheo as part of his diet.
3. He used to drink hot milk with gheo in it everyday and used to comment that he could not do Abhyaas without drinking this gheo-wala dudh.
4. Normally Bhai Sahib did not used to go to a doctor but once in the 1990s, he went to a doctor who advised him to not consume Gheo as it would result in increasing his cholesterol levels. Bhai Sahib stopped consuming gheo as per his doctor’s advice. Within few weeks, Bhai Sahib noticed that his knees and other joints started aching. He started feeling tired all the time and his Abhyaas too took a toll i.e. he could not do Abhyaas loudly as he was used to doing it. Sooner than later he realized that not eating gheo had caused this. He started consuming gheo again and within days, his joints and knees stopped aching and he was back to normal again.
5. Bhai Sahib liked the Bhoora-choora (the small residues) of Pakaude very much.
6. Bhai Sahib was quite fond of Ghulab Jamun but the way he ate them was very strange. It was witnessed many times that he used to mix Ghulab-Jamun with Saag or other Sabzee. I used to have this “eeow” expression on my face and he used to smile and say that in his stomach too, they are going to mix anyway, so why not mix them outside.
7. Bhai Sahib used to avoid my favourite daal – Maah-chholay. It used to cause him baae.
Bhul Chuk dee Maafi jee.
Daas,
Kulbir Singh
Bhai Jagtar Singh jee was of the firm opinion to keep the spiritual bliss within and not let it out and for the most part he kept his Bairaag and spiritual bliss within but sometimes it can be unbearable. Once Bhai Jagtar Singh jee mentioned that he had read Jail Chithiaan many times but had never been able to read the part of Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee’s meeting with Mata Ghulab Kaur without bursting in Bairaag. This Daas personally has experienced just this. When reading few pages before the part of Mata Ghulab Kaur jeee, it has never been possible to read about Mata Ghulab Kaur without Bairaag.
That scene when Mata jee removed her Kambal and offered it to Bhai Sahib for sitting and Bhai Sahib begging her not to do so as he would not be able to sustain so much Kirpa, is a very moving scene. When Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee started walking towards Mata jee, she had her back towards Bhai Sahib and she never used to let anyone come near her but for Bhai Sahib, she turned and said Fateh to him. Bhai Sahib immediately moved forward and fell at her Charan. I mean the whole prasang is just unbearable and Bhai Jagtar Singh and this Daas always felt that Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee wrote this part of Jail Chithiaan while in full Bairaag. That's why the reader cannot read it without Bairaag.
Similar to Mata Ghulab Kaur jee’s prasang in Jail Chithiaan, prasangs of Bibi Joginder Kaur and Bhai Gurdeep Singh (Burma) in Ranglay Sajjan are not possible to read without Bairaag. Many years ago, Jail Chithiaan and Ranglay Sajjan were read by Gursikhs in Sangat form and indeed when these above stated prasangs were read, Bhai Sahib’s beard and face were wet with tears.
Bhai Sahib used to say that reading the first 90 pages of Jail Chithiaan are very important and they contain the formula of meeting with Vaheguru and this formula can be used by any Gursikh at any time to have Darshan of Vaheguru jee.
Bairaag – Siri Akhand Paath Sahib Raul
Bhai Sahib rarely used to do Raul in Siri Akhand Paath Sahib and in his later years, he stopped doing Raul Sewa altogether. He used to spend hours and hours listening to paath but did not do Rauls himself. While listening to Paath many times he used to keep quiet if the Paathi made a minor paath-related mistake but if the mistake was severe, then he used to intervene and correct the paath.
During the early 2000s, a Siri Akhand Paath Sahib was organized by Singhs at our home. Fortunately, in that Paath, Bhai Sahib did the sewa of Raul. I still remember that he did Paath of last part of Raag Gauri. I particularly remember that after the two Vaars of Raag Gauri, while doing Bhagat Baani, Bhai Sahib’s voice became extremely Bairagmai. He was doing paath very slowly. It’s a well known fact that Bhagat Baani is Mehngi Baani (difficult) but if we understand it, we realize how Bairagmai it is. Bhai Sahib was very fond of Bhagat Kabir jee’s baani because it contains such raw Bairaag.
When the Paath reached Ang 336, Bhai Sahib was doing Paath with a lot of Bairag but little did we realize what was coming soon. When Bhai Sahib read the following Pankiti, he exploded in Bairaag:
ਕਹੈ ਕਬੀਰੁ ਮਦਨ ਕੇ ਮਾਤੇ ਹਿਰਦੈ ਦੇਖੁ ਬੀਚਾਰੀ ॥ ਤੁਮ ਘਰਿ ਲਾਖ ਕੋਟਿ ਅਸ੍ਵ ਹਸਤੀ ਹਮ ਘਰਿ ਏਕੁ ਮੁਰਾਰੀ ॥੪॥੧॥੭॥੫੮॥
It is hard to imitate how he cried out but it was a loud cry. When he said “ਹਮ ਘਰਿ ਏਕੁ ਮੁਰਾਰੀ”, he could sustain no more. Thereon Bhai Sahib did Paath in such Bairag that Bairaag surrounded the whole Mandal. The atmosphere around the Paath Mandal became heavenly. The ones sitting listening to Paath too were overwhelmed with Bairaag. It is a memory that has never left me.
Siri Jap jee Sahib and Ridhi Sidhi
Bhai Sahib was of the opinion that indulging in Ridhi-Sidhis is a big hurdle in spiritual progress and at the same time he also believed that a Singh who follows Gurmat including the Rehit Bibek, is saved by Guru Sahib from this very difficult phase of spirituality. I still remember this incident from the 1990s when an Abhyaasi Singh, asked Bhai Sahib, in the parking lot of Weston Gurdwara Sahib, about the hurdles related to Ridhi-Sidhis, Bhai Sahib jumped over a water pothole and remarked that Rehitvaan Singh cross this hurdle as easily as this (as Bhai Sahib jumped over the water pothole). He said that Guru Sahib saves His Rehitvaan Gurmukhs from getting stuck in this major spiritual hurdle. Many other Abhyaasis who are not humble Gursikhs (Humble Gursikhs are ones who obey Guru Sahib and keep Rehit) often get lot of Ridhi-Sidhis and by indulging in them, waste their spiritual earnings.
Bhai Sahib once mentioned that if a person does Paaths of Siri Jap jee Sahib with concentration, Ridhi-Sidhis come very quickly. I asked him to elaborate and he mentioned that when he first started walking towards Sikhi, he started doing 10 Paaths of Siri Jap jee Sahib a day with full concentration. Within days, Bhai Sahib started experiencing Ridhi-Sidhis that surprised him beyond belief. He quoted couple of examples of what he experienced. One of his acquaintances was expecting a child. Bhai Sahib explicitly saw the scene of a male child being born to them and within days the couple had the child that Bhai Sahib had a vision of, days earlier. Bhai Sahib had seen a vision of the exact same child, before he was even born.
The Tatt Gurmat earnings start getting deposited in a seeker’s account only when the seeker is a candidate of Parmarath (true spirituality). If a person is not an Amritdhari and is not a true seeker of Vaheguru, then his spiritual earnings (resulting from Gurbani Paath) are spent on fulfilling his worldly wishes and any excess earnings result in Ridhi-Sidhis. On the other hand, Gurmukhs who are true seekers of Vaheguru, have their spiritual earnings of Naam and Gurbani spent towards getting the true Parmarath. Their worldly wishes too are taken care of, by Vaheguru, and they don’t even have to think about them. Their needs are fulfilled before they get a chance to even think about them. They are saved from low-level Ridhi Sidhis and when they attain their spiritual destination, then the real Gurmat oriented Ridhi Sidhis or what you can call Akali Shaktis are given to them by Guru Sahib. Bhai Sahib Randhir Singh jee has mentioned these Akali Shaktis in the tract Amrit kee hai. These Akali Shaktis are superior to and different from the low level Ridhis Sidhis that even Yogis or Sufis can have.
Some Eating Habits
Details about Bhai Sahib’s eating habits would be known to his immediate family but here is what I found out casually by doing his Sangat:
1. Bhai Sahib did not eat much. He ate very simple food. He had risen above the tastes of food.
2. Bhai Sahib was used to consuming a lot of Gheo as part of his diet.
3. He used to drink hot milk with gheo in it everyday and used to comment that he could not do Abhyaas without drinking this gheo-wala dudh.
4. Normally Bhai Sahib did not used to go to a doctor but once in the 1990s, he went to a doctor who advised him to not consume Gheo as it would result in increasing his cholesterol levels. Bhai Sahib stopped consuming gheo as per his doctor’s advice. Within few weeks, Bhai Sahib noticed that his knees and other joints started aching. He started feeling tired all the time and his Abhyaas too took a toll i.e. he could not do Abhyaas loudly as he was used to doing it. Sooner than later he realized that not eating gheo had caused this. He started consuming gheo again and within days, his joints and knees stopped aching and he was back to normal again.
5. Bhai Sahib liked the Bhoora-choora (the small residues) of Pakaude very much.
6. Bhai Sahib was quite fond of Ghulab Jamun but the way he ate them was very strange. It was witnessed many times that he used to mix Ghulab-Jamun with Saag or other Sabzee. I used to have this “eeow” expression on my face and he used to smile and say that in his stomach too, they are going to mix anyway, so why not mix them outside.
7. Bhai Sahib used to avoid my favourite daal – Maah-chholay. It used to cause him baae.
Bhul Chuk dee Maafi jee.
Daas,
Kulbir Singh