ਠਠਾ ਮਨੂਆ ਠਾਹਹਿ ਨਾਹੀ ॥ ਜੋ ਸਗਲ ਤਿਆਗਿ ਏਕਹਿ ਲਪਟਾਹੀ ॥
ਠਹਕਿ ਠਹਕਿ ਮਾਇਆ ਸੰਗਿ ਮੂਏ ॥ ਉਆ ਕੈ ਕੁਸਲ ਨ ਕਤਹੂ ਹੂਏ ॥
ਠਾਂਢਿ ਪਰੀ ਸੰਤਹ ਸੰਗਿ ਬਸਿਆ ॥ ਅੰਮ੍ਰਿਤ ਨਾਮੁ ਤਹਾ ਜੀਅ ਰਸਿਆ ॥
ਠਾਕੁਰ ਅਪੁਨੇ ਜੋ ਜਨੁ ਭਾਇਆ ॥ ਨਾਨਕ ਉਆ ਕਾ ਮਨੁ ਸੀਤਲਾਇਆ ॥੨੮॥Humble Translation: Through the 'ਠਠਾ' alphabet, Siri Guru jee is blessing us with some great Gurmat Principles:
1. The ones who renounce everything material and grab only One, they don't break anyone's heart for Maya.
2. The ones who indulge in Maya, slowly slowly kill themselves spiritually, nothing is ever right in their lives.
3. Coolness (from burning in Maya) is attained when one resides with the Sant Gurmukhs i.e. does their Sangat. There (in their Sangat), the Amrit Naam gets absorbed within one's heart.
4. One who become pleasing to Vaheguru, their mind becomes cool (from the burning world).
Vichaar: Guru Sahib in this great Pauri of Siri Baavan Akhri has blessed us with wonderful teachings. The gist of this Pauri is that ones who indulge in Maya never get comfort in their lives and the ones who keep company of Sant Gurmukhs, their 'Self' is drenched with Amrit Naam, they become pleasing to Vaheguru and they are not affected by the fire (Maya) that is burning the whole world.
In the first Pankiti, Guru Sahib has given a great principle or rather one sure sign of such Gurmukhs who have renounced the world (per mind, not physically like Saniyaasi monks) and firmly grabbed One i.e. Naam - they don't break people's hearts for worldly reasons. Most people don't like to break other people's hearts or otherwise hurt anyone but they end up commiting this sin because they are helplessly shackled by Maya. They are indulged in Maya and while fulfilling their Maya-related aspirations, they end up hurting other people. Gurmukhs who have renounced Maya don't have any Maya-related aspirations, therefore, they don't hurt other people's hearts.
The concept of not-breaking anyone's heart should not be stretched to such levels as to make it ridiculous. If, while following Gurmat a Gursikh unwittingly hurts someone's feelings, then it should not push that Gursikh to give up following Gurmat. Here are some examples where other people's feelings get hurt when Gursikhs follow Gurmat:
1. A Gursikh chants Naam within his parameters (home or Gurdwara Sahib) and a Nar-Nindak (a slanderer) can't tolerate it and it hurts him as severely as snake-bite of scorpian bite. Gurbani is witness to such behaviour: ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਲੋਗ ਰਾਮ ਜਨ ਨੀਕੇ ਭਾਗਹੀਣ ਨ ਸੁਖਾਇ ॥ ਜਿਉ ਜਿਉ ਰਾਮ ਕਹਹਿ ਜਨ ਊਚੇ ਨਰ ਨਿੰਦਕ ਡੰਸੁ ਲਗਾਇ ॥3॥ What is a Gursikh supposed to do in such situation where a Dusht person gets hurt with Naam? Stop chanting Naam?
No, never!2. The Nishaan Sahib outside Gurdwara Sahibaan is a sign of the sovereignty of Khalsa Panth. Many people get hurt with this concept. Are we supposed to stop having Nishaan Sahib at Gurdwara Sahibaan so that it does not hurt other people?
No, never.
3. Khalsa Panth recites "Raaj Karega Khalsa" at the end of all Samagams. The British were hurt by this Dohra and tried to stop it. Many fundamentalist Hindus in the present and Muslims in the past have been severely hurt by this Dohra because it undermines their own political aspirations. Is Khalsa supposed to stop reciting this Dohra so as to avoid hurting other people's feelings?
No never.4. Some people are hurt by Sikhs wearing 5 Kakaars including Kirpan. This does not mean we should stop wearing Kirpan. In many cases, we can surely accomodate e.g. wear it underneath in public places as a respect for other people's feelings but we should not be expected to totally stop wearing it.
5. Many times, Bibeki Gurmukhs get into such situations, whereby they are blackmailed into breaking Guru Sahib's Rehit to avoid hurting someone's feelings. Many years ago, as part of Sangat, Daas went to a city in USA for Samagam. As we sat after resting, a Bibi jee who was not wearing a Dastaar, came and gave us a very emotional lecture on not hurting anyone's feelings and how she had prepared Langar with extreme love. She wanted everyone to eat Langar prepared by her with 'extreme love'. Many Singhs who were Bibeki, understandably stayed quiet but did not show sign of eating her Langar. She then started crying and shedding tears. Many of the local Sangat and other Gursikhs started looking at few Bibeki Gursikhs with such gaze that is reserved for the most despicable serial killers. Cutting the story short, quite a scene was created there but Bibeki Gursikhs just kept quiet and avoided the escalation of the bad situation. Now what kind of "extreme love" is this, whereby a person wants to serve Gursikhs by breaking Guru Sahib's Rehit? If this Bibi jee had such extreme love, then why she did not adopt Guru Sahib's Keski Rehit and other missing Rehits? If we want to serve Gursikhs, and if we have love for Gursikhs, then we should serve them without breaking their Rehit. We should not change their Rehit but if we are eager to serve them, we should fulfill their requirements of Rehit.
6. A Gursikh said that if he wears Baana, it hurts other people or other people get jealous of him. So he thinking of not wearing Baana at Samagams. This was such a wrong thought. A Gursikh should do some cost-benefit analysis before making such decisions. One one hand this Gursikh would make some people jealous but on the other hand if he wears Baana as per Guru Sahib's Hukam and remains humble, then the benefit of wearing Baana and obeying Guru Sahib's Hukam would far over-weigh the negativity avoided by not wearing it. Same way, if carrying Shaster like Siri Sahib or Safa-jung hurts feelings of some moderate Sikhs at Samagams, then this should not prompt a Gursikh to not carry Shaster to Samagams. A Gursikh carries Shaster in Hazoori of Guru Sahib to please Siri Guru Dasmesh jee. That's all that matters to a Gursikh.
Having said that, a Gursikh who sees Vaheguru in all, cannot be cruel to fellow creatures. He feels the pain of all beings and loves all beings from the bottom of his heart. Loving all creatures is loving Vaheguru because Vaheguru resides in all. Hating anyone is same as hating Vaheguru because Vaheguru is in all. But Gurmat cannot be compromised. A Gursikh should follow Gurmat to the fullest by being the least hindrance in anyone else's way.
Gurbani is Agam Agaadh Bodh.
Kulbir Singh
ਸਤਿਗੁਰਬਚਨਕਮਾਵਣੇਸਚਾਏਹੁਵੀਚਾਰੁ॥