Baba Sham Singh jee - Stories of Compassion

Baba Sham Singh was very kind-hearted and merciful. He could never bear anyone’s sorrow. Presented below are some Saakhis from his life that show his compassionate nature that covered even the speechless animals.

Helping an Ox in distress

One day Baba jee was coming back from Siri Harmandir Sahib that near the Chhabeel of Bhai Savaiya Singh, he noticed an ox that was in great pain. It seemed that its end was near. Baba jee was moved seeing the pain of the ox. He asked Bhai Satt Singh (his PA) to quickly get water from the Sarovar of Darbar Sahib from near Dukhbhanjani Sahib. In the meantime, he sat near the ox and started doing Siri Jap jee Sahib.

The ox was quite receptive to the Siri Jap jee Sahib Paath from the mouth of a Mahapurakh and responded to the Paath by getting peaceful. When Bhai Satt Singh arrived with Amritmai water, Baba put some water in the ox’s mouth and sprinkled the rest on its body. Now the ox became totally free of pain and became very peaceful. In a few moments the ox passed away peacefully. Baba jee came back to his Dera and organized a Paath and performed an Ardaas at the end of the Paath for the Atma (soul) of the ox.

A Wounded Horse

Once Baba jee was travelling from Siri Tarn Taran Sahib to Siri Amritsar Sahib on a tonga (chariot). Midway towards Siri Amritsar Sahib, Baba jee found out that the horse had a wound on its back and that blood was flowing out of it. Baba jee asked the chariot driver to stop the chariot and immediately off the chariot. He asked the chariot-man why he was putting the horse through so much pain and suffering.

Hearing this, the driver started crying and said that with great difficulty he is able to earn just enough food for his family and the horse and that if he did not run his chariot, he and his family would be deprived of food that day.

Baba jee was visibly moved and ordered the chariot man to immediately take the horse off the chariot and then come to his Dera. Saying this, Baba jee started walking towards his Dera. Later when the chariot man came to Baba jee’s Dera, Baba jee arranged for complete treatment of the horse and all the time when the horse was under treatment, he took up all the house expenses of the chariot man.

Now-a-days there are many societies that work for the welfare of the animals but their Jeev-Daya (compassion for creatures) is flawed since they only worry about the animals and do not understand the problems of the people who own these animals. Baba jee’s concept of Jeev-Daya was perfect since it covered not only animals but also people. Baba jee went to the root of the problem and did not just look at resolving the problem on the surface.


(This is how an Indian Tanga (chariot) looks like)

Whipping the horse

Once Baba jee was travelling towards Siri Tarn Taran Sahib and Siri Govindwal Sahib on a chariot. One the way, the chariot driver whipped the horse to make it run fast. It was as if the pain of this whipping was felt by Baba jee. Baba jee cried out and ordered the driver to not whip the animal. Baba jee said that the horse would run fine on its own, through love.

Baba jee travelled in this chariot many times again and the driver never whipped the horse again. It seemed that the horse ran fast with love as opposed to through whip.

Such was the compassionate nature of Baba Sham Singh jee.

Daas,
Kulbir Singh

Adapted from life sketch of Baba Sham Singh jee written by Major Prem Singh

baba jee had great love for everyone and all vaheguru jees creation

wonderful sakhis.
I have a pet dog and I really LOVE my dog.I was looking for some sakhis about animals.

Dhan Dhan Baba Sham Singh Jee!

Amazing information on Baba Sham Singh ji!

Sadly we don't even have compassion for fellow gursikhs or human beings. Such is the state of us today. May Guru Sahib bless us with the love and compassion that Baba Sham Singh ji was blessed with.

harinder_singh Wrote:
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> wonderful sakhis.
> I have a pet dog and I really LOVE my dog.I was
> looking for some sakhis about animals.
>
> Dhan Dhan Baba Sham Singh Jee!


Veer Ji I think there is a difference between compassion and attachment.
Generally speaking we should not love our pets. Sorry to sound like a fanatic, but
its best not to get involved with animals in an emotional way.

Here is a nice Sakhi about Guru Sahibs compassion for some dogs.

[www.gurmatbibek.com]

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Veer Ji I think there is a difference between compassion and attachment.
Generally speaking we should not love our pets. Sorry to sound like a fanatic, but
its best not to get involved with animals in an emotional way.

Veer Sukhdeep Singh jeeo, I humbly submit that there is also a difference between love and attachment. Sikhs are allowed to love but not have Moh or attachment. Pyaar and Moh are not the same thing.

There is nothing wrong in loving your pets like dogs, horses, cows, buffaloes etc. A Sikh naturally loves Vaheguru and his creation since Vaheguru resides in his creation too. Having said that, a Sikh does not develop attachment (Moh) with his creation since it is transcient.

Kulbir Singh

i agree with kulbir veerjee. it's natural to love animals, they're living souls with waheguru jot, just like people.

harinder veerjee, i also have a dog who i love very much. dogs love us unconditionally, it's only natural to return that love. my dog sits quietly when we do paath, and even seems to enjoy it. when we say waheguru she enjoys (wagging her tail and coming close). these souls are detached from waheguru and must miss him. but since they cannot do naam jap, they're stuck. i hope that pets blessed with gursikh company can someday also take human birth in a gursikh family.

There is a salok of Bhagat Kabir jee that mentions that
dog of a gursikh is better than mother of a sakat person because the dog can listen to Naam and erase its sins whereas the mother of sakat supports him in his wrong deeds.
Dogs can listen to Naam. I will try my best to do udhaar of my dog.

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Dogs can listen to Naam. I will try my best to do udhaar of my dog.

Veer jee kirpa karke, along with your dog, could you please do my udhaar as well.

Sagh-e-Ghulaam,
Kulbir Singh

Having compassion for animals seems justified. But loving animals, seems giving a varied meaning to love. We claim to love our spouce, children, parents and also OUR LORD. As a Gursikh, we are supposed to love the lotus feet of SATGURU.

So certainly, when we use love word for pets or kitchen or car; we mean something diffferent. I am confused here?

By the way, "loving" an animal, who is there in our house for milking or we need it for ride or in battle field, seems rational. But on the other hand, rearing animals, simply to have"love" for them, was never convincing to me from my childhood. I know that some dogs serve for security. That is again a separate category.

People in the west or rich people are generally said to be devoided of respect and affection from their family members or children and thus resort to "pets" to overcome that. It is their problem and the way out. Does a Gursikh has similar needs?

When the world is facing acute shortage of food to combat "The Population Explosion"; is it justified to simultaneously go on multiplying cats and dogs, to serve as our pets?

Ah, I know, Sri Guru Har Rai Sahib Ji was having a mini zoo near by His place. But are we justified to have a zoo in each house.

Having a pet and loving it is different than having a pet to love it.

BUT, everything is fare in LOVE and WAR. And also,

ਤਿਨ ਕਾ ਖਾਧਾ ਪੈਧਾ ਮਾਇਆ ਸਭੁ ਪਵਿਤੁ ਹੈ ਜੋ ਨਾਮਿ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਤੇ ॥
The food and clothes, and all the worldly possessions of those who are attuned to the Lord's Name are sacred.

ਤਿਨ ਕੇ ਘਰ ਮੰਦਰ ਮਹਲ ਸਰਾਈ ਸਭਿ ਪਵਿਤੁ ਹਹਿ ਜਿਨੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸੇਵਕ ਸਿਖ ਅਭਿਆਗਤ ਜਾਇ ਵਰਸਾਤੇ ॥
All the homes, temples, palaces and way-stations are sacred, where the Gurmukhs, the selfless servants, the Sikhs and the renouncers of the world, go and take their rest.

ਤਿਨ ਕੇ ਤੁਰੇ ਜੀਨ ਖੁਰਗੀਰ ਸਭਿ ਪਵਿਤੁ ਹਹਿ ਜਿਨੀ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਿਖ ਸਾਧ ਸੰਤ ਚੜਿ ਜਾਤੇ ॥
All the horses, saddles and horse blankets are sacred, upon which the Gurmukhs, the Sikhs, the Holy and the Saints, mount and ride.

ਤਿਨ ਕੇ ਕਰਮ ਧਰਮ ਕਾਰਜ ਸਭਿ ਪਵਿਤੁ ਹਹਿ ਜੋ ਬੋਲਹਿ ਹਰਿ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਮ ਨਾਮੁ ਹਰਿ ਸਾਤੇ ॥
All the rituals and Dharmic practices and deeds are sacred, for those who utter the Name of the Lord, Har, Har, the True Name of the Lord.

ਜਿਨ ਕੈ ਪੋਤੈ ਪੁੰਨੁ ਹੈ ਸੇ ਗੁਰਮੁਖਿ ਸਿਖ ਗੁਰੂ ਪਹਿ ਜਾਤੇ ॥੧੬॥
Those Gurmukhs, those Sikhs, who have purity as their treasure,

I am sorry to write too much for a simple subject.

veerjee, i think the english language is seriously lacking on words for love. the single word love has so many different meanings here... we should have different words to describe the depth, meaning, feeling, etc of that love.
clearly love for dog or car or food isn't the same as love for spouse or love for waheguru.

i agree that we should not breed more animals just for pets, there are already so many homeless animals out there. but to rescue an animal from death or disease or life on the street seems a great act of compassion. and i think that to come to have "love" for that animal, a life, a soul, that depends on you, is a natural thing. most dogs are naturally protective of both master and home, so i think we could consider them all as providing a service for us, as well as warming our hearts.

it's true there's a different view on keeping/caring for animals in india than in the west. dogs and cats are seen as filthy pests. people walk past them dying on the street and don't even notice or care. last time i was in anandpur sahib i came across a nihang beating a small puppy and holding it by one leg to throw it out of the grounds the puppy was screaming in pain and fear, a terrible thing to witness and hear. i think people who abuse animals should come back as the animal they have abused.

of course, guru sahib knows better.

and yes, i have a very soft heart for animals. perhaps i was a dog in my last life.

Kulbir Singh Wrote:
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> > Veer Ji I think there is a difference between
> compassion and attachment.
> Generally speaking we should not love our pets.
> Sorry to sound like a fanatic, but
> its best not to get involved with animals in an
> emotional way.
>
>
> Veer Sukhdeep Singh jeeo, I humbly submit that
> there is also a difference between love and
> attachment. Sikhs are allowed to love but not have
> Moh or attachment. Pyaar and Moh are not the same
> thing.
>
> There is nothing wrong in loving your pets like
> dogs, horses, cows, buffaloes etc. A Sikh
> naturally loves Vaheguru and his creation since
> Vaheguru resides in his creation too. Having said
> that, a Sikh does not develop attachment (Moh)
> with his creation since it is transcient.
>
> Kulbir Singh


Veer Ji the problem is many people mix up Love with attachment. Once we start to say I love my dog, I love my son, I love my daughter, I love my wife and so forth but do not show the same love to another dog or to somebody elses son then we are under the doot of attachment. As you mentioned there is nothing wrong with True love, but if we love one specific thing or person and do not show the same identical love to all beings than that is pure attachment and a great hindrance to Bhagti. GUru Sahib showed us through example when he treated Bhai Lehna Ji as his own son. Also when the Singhs told Guru Sahib its not right that the SahibZadeys bodies are lying on the ground with out being covered and GUru Sahib said if you are going to cover their bodies then you must cover the bodies of all my sons. This was true love Guru Sahib gave us. This is the love that we should learn from our most High and loving GUru.

I have seen people love their pets so much they give them these ridiculous love names like Honey or Sweety the same way boyfriend and girlfriend refer to each other. They also get way to emotional around their pets. I have seen one women kiss her dog with he tongue. THis is clear attachment. THis is pure attachment once we have a pet and start treating it as our pet. We should see every sentient being as drop ( soul) from the ocean ( God). For this reason I believe there is no reason to give extra attention or emotion to a specific being.

No doubt it is very difficult to practice the kind of love Guru Sahib practiced and not be attached to family and friends but this is the ultimate goal for a person whom wants to make strives in spirituality. Guru Sahib taught us to show love to everyone including family and friends, but the love should be real and not based on attachment. The love we show to our family is the family we should show to all.To me Karha on our hands is a weapon to battle attachment ( false love) and remind us to only love and be attached to Guru Sahib whom resides in all.

love = caring, cherishing, protecting. how can this be an attachment???? isn't it more like a duty/responsibilty??

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1kaur
veerjee, i think the english language is seriously lacking on words for love. the single word love has so many different meanings here... we should have different words to describe the depth, meaning, feeling, etc of that love.

That is very true.
Maybe it has been used too often in the west and in so many ways that it has become a very very very cheap word in English.
It becomes difficult sometimes to explain about 'Atam Rang' in GurmatNaam Prema Bhagti in English to others.

Chota veer