16.7 Sadhu Singh And TV
Taken from Baba Harnaam Singhs AutobiographyOnce a lady came to Baba Harnaam Singh jee and said, "Baba jee, I have a brother who is quite physically and mentally disabled. He can neither hear or speak. He also has a difficult time walking. I used to take care of him but now I am married and must leave him behind. But I am afraid no one will take care of him after my departure. After much thought I come to you, Baba jee, please take care of him. He is a simpleton and needs love and patience."
Baba Harnaam Singh jee (rampur keRe vaale) was the personification of love and patience. He was simply a beautiful naami gursikh who lived a life according to the guru's will. His body and mind were imbued with naam. Love flowed from his face. (Those of you pyare who would like to get acquainted with him, please read "se keneha" by Bhai Seva Singh jee - a beautiful gem of a book.)
Baba jee smiled and said, "Biba, this is Guru Nanak Dev's jee ghar. The guru is the nimaNea da maN and nitaNea da taN. Please bring your brother, the guru will look after him."
The lady thanked him and next day, brought her brother to Baba jee. Her brother who was referred to as "Sadhu" was indeed a simpleton. His legs were quite bent which made his walk quite difficult and comical. Only with much difficult could he listen or speak. He also looked hungry, so Baba jee straight away sent him to the langar. After sometime the langar jathedar came running to Baba jee and said that Sadhu has already eaten eight rotis and wants more. "I am afraid he might get sick." he said. Baba jee laughed and said, "Let him eat his fill. Only the guru ghar can satiate a soul."
Sadhu ate twelve rotis before raising his arms in surrender and happiness.
Baba jee called him and said loudly in his ears, "VAAHI-GUROO VAAHI-GUROO."
Sadhu, after some difficult, started saying, "Wahe Duu Wahe Duu."
Baba jee was extremely happy and gave him a mala and showed Sadhu how to jap naam with it. Sadhu took the mala and started japping naam. At morning and evening nitnem time, Baba jee would call Sadhu to come and sit in sangat. Sadhu also started to work in the farm. And would always keep on saying "Wahe Duu Wahe Duu."
After three months, he became quite well both physically and mentally. He started walking much better and also could hear better. He now started saying "Wahe Guru Wahe Guru." He would never miss nitnem even though he did not understand anything. Baba jee told him to continue japping naam softly during nitnem. After six months, Sadhu became quite normal. He could walk quite well. He took on several easy responsibilities in the langar.
After a year or so, there was an amrit sanchar at the guru ghar. Baba jee requested the panj pyare to consider Sadhu for amrit. The panj pyare decided to give him the maha daat of amrit because of him simplity and record of naam japping and never missing nitnem. He was named Sadhu Singh.
After that, many changes started taking place within and without Sadhu Singh. He would always jap naam. Even during sleep several gursikhs heard him say, "Wahe Guru Wahe Guru." In fact, Baba jee too once came to see him during sleep. After hearing his jaap he was very pleased and told the oth they couldn't hear any sounds. (Such is the power of naam - ridi-sidis fall at simpleton's feet who jap naam.)
Sadhu Singh became quite famous. A lot of people started believing that Sadhu Singh's bachans (words) became true. And they would try to please him with clothes and food. His brother from Ludhiana who had never bothered with Sadhu Singh before stayed visiting him regularly. One day his brother decided to take Sadhu Singh to Ludhiana. As soon as Sadhu Singh was out of the fortress of sangat, Maya attacked! Sadhu Singh's brother had a Television set. Sadhu Sindh, being a simpleton, immediately became engrossed with it. He spent a week in Ludhiana and he watched the television from start to end.
When Sadhu Singh came back, he was a different man. Although he still carried the mala around and did "Wahe Guru Wahe Guru", his mind was engrossed with the scenes he had seen on television. In fact, he would tell anybody and everybody about it. He would say, "On the trolley (he called television trolley), there are mountains, women dancing, farms, even gurdrawas. People fight and die on trolley." Everyone was quite amused at first but then it became a serious problem since Sadhu Singh replaced govind ke gun with trolley ke gun! Baba Harnaam Singh jee scolded him and told him that sikhs don't watch television. Sadhu Singh asked, "Why?"
Baba jee replied, "Guru jee will not be pleased at you."
Sadhu Singh nodded but still went on singing the trolley's praises. This lasted about two months. After that Sadhu Singh somewhat returned to his old self, but the kalaa of naam diminished drastically. Although he didn't talk about the trolley that much, he was constantly thinking of it.
A few months later, Baba jee left this Earth and merged with the beloved. Baba Seva Singh jee took up the seva of gurdrawa maintenance (he still does).
Then Maya struck a fatal blow to Sadhu Singh; his sister took him with her to Delhi. The rest is a tragic story. Sadhu Singh stayed with her for one full month and watched television to his heart's content. He became a total bhagat of television.
There is more to this saakhi but I will end by saying that Sadhu Singh became so engrossed with television that even when he came back to the gurdrawa, he would still go to a nearby sikh's house at evening time. He no longer heard any an-had vajas. His naam took became a mere mouth function.
Such is the power of Maya. But Vaheguroo Jees Bhagats break through this bondage through tasting the and simaring, Naam/Banee.
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥
). Is it not foolish to watch others doing some physical exercise and having fun?
