If someone wants to learn the art of begging, one should come to India. The beggars here can melt stones. As a Sikh of Guru Sahib, I have learned some lessons from them. I was travelling and our car stopped at red lights. I heard a knock on my right side (steerings of cars are on wrong side here). I looked outside and noticed a small 5 or 6 years old girl, with dishevelled hair and dust ridden face. Her eyes had a genuine expression of desperation and need. Through eyes and hand gestures she begged for money. It was hard to resist her demand. I took out a Rs. 10 note from my pocket and gave it to her. She gave a million dollar smile and happily left.
Within seconds another girl, probably her sister or friend came knocking at my car door. I knew she had been sent by the previous girl. This girl too had the same stone-melting expression on her face but I hardened my stance and with a stern look on my face, using my hand, said a firm no. The window was closed. I had expected the girl to just go away but to my utter surprise, she knocked on my window with double force and this time she not only had the expression of need on her face but also she was asking with a certain right. She was saying, through her gestures and eyes, that since I had given to her sister, she too deserved it. The way this little girl asked for money, with right, was just amazing.
Surprisingly, I surrendered and my previous resolve to not give her the rupees vanished. I reached my pocket and pulled a note and gave it to her. No one said anything but she had an expression of victory on her face.
Right then, the following Gurbani Pankiti flashed my mind:
ਪਾਵਉ ਦਾਨੁ ਢੀਠੁ ਹੋਇ ਮਾਗਉ ਮੁਖਿ ਲਾਗੈ ਸੰਤ ਰੇਨਾਰੇ ॥Guru Sahib is saying in the above Pankiti that if one begs persistently and stubbornly, one receives the Daan one is asking for. I learned the following spiritual lessons from the aforementioned little girls.
1. When asking for something from Vaheguru, be totally humble. There should not be an iota of Haume at that time.
2. Have faith in your begging. Vaheguru is extremely compassionate and cannot refuse when one begs with full Gurmat Jugat. But if you don't believe that you deserve what you are asking for or if you don't believe your act of begging from Vaheguru jee will yield results, then the wish will not be granted.
3. If Vaheguru refuses or it seems that he is not happy, still persist and continue begging through Naam and Gurbani. He will surely melt and give us the Daan (of his Darshan or whatever other Daan we want) we are requesting for. Just like the little girl melted my heart, we too are little kids in the eyes of Vaheguru and he adores and loves us like His own kids and therefore cannot refuse our love-filled and faith-filled requests.
4. A lot depends on what kind of relationship we have with Vaheguru. If we genuinely consider Vaheguru to be our Parent, then we can also act like His child and sometimes also do Zid and get what we want. Vaheguru as our Father and Mother will surely yield to our requests.
Vaheguru Mahaan hai. Vaheguru Dhan hai. Vaheguru naal hai. Vaheguru Meharbaan hai. Sada Meharbaan hai. Sada Sada Meharbaan hai.
As you all may have known by now, Daas is in India at this time. More experiences to be posted soon.
Daas,
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
. Can't wait to read about your meetings with the Singhs.