A couple of weeks ago, an old person had come visiting
from the next district. He had
specifically said he just wanted to meet and spend an hour or so and wanted to
just talk. An old man, dressed in an all white kurta pajama and wearing a cream
turban and a bright pink watch that seemed so out of place on his wrist. A
fitness band, that also was a watch but in a bright neon pink color.
I served him water, and asked whether he would like
tea or coffee or milk, just the way we ask normally to anyone who comes home as
a guest. He declined and kept on talking and then suddenly this old man who
looked so ordinary started sprouting lines of spirituality and started quoting
Sri Guru Granth Sahib and the true meaning of Sikhism or the way of life.
I was fascinated. We download apps, we try to read
books to gain insight of the true meaning of life and here was one person who
said that he had deliberately taken a duty in a dera (we probably have the
largest concentration of dera, saints, followers) in the area where the animals
were kept. He took the most servile job of cleaning up the cow dung, gathering
it and cleaning the cowsheds and making cow cakes. In fact, the then head of
Harkowal sahib told him that he should do some other work but he said this was
the best seva. This was the only way he could kill his ego. He belonged to the Jat community and deliberately
took this chore to kill his hauma (ego), as this was reserved for the lower
caste or for the migrant labor. Yes, this division still exists in Punjab.
I know this sounds far fetched and extremely bookish
and very senti –shenti as the kids of these days say. But, its true.
Then last week I had the fortune of meeting Babaji
Iqbal Singh of Kalgidhar Trust and he as he has repeatedly said, he earned the
bachan of his Guru. He just followed and obeyed the path, that is laid out
without question is ordained. Some things are best not questioned and the
answers are revealed at the right time.
Wouldn’t life be simpler if we just followed what was
written in the scriptures? Last week, everything was disrupted over the Supreme
Act ruling, we had curfew like situation, no Internet, Wi-Fi was suspended and
no one in the village had a clue. Everyone had a different reason, no clear idea,
children, the youth, old ladies sitting on crossroads fighting for a cause
about which they had no idea but suddenly it had become a war between them and
us. Why is it so easy to inflame the people nowadays on the basis of religion,
how come we suddenly start baying for each others blood, where as the same
would gladly partake Prasad from the granthi in the gurudwara and the Prasad
from the mandir. Overnight, lines get drawn and we start hating each other.
Baldev Singh in his simple clothes and his high
intellect and his true path show me the way, which the right way is the intent
one should have. When intent is there, we can do anything. It is listening to
one’s heart when one quiets oneself. This is when one starts to look within. In
fact, what we need the most in this country more than the paid news, more than
the fake news, rabble rousing, like son social media and harping about success
that can only happen when we can forgive each other and embrace each other as
human beings, than dividing each other on the basis of gender, caste, religion,
and have and have-nots.
Isn’t it time, we the next generation stepped up and
about took charge rather than scrolling down
a social media feed , along with posting on a wall that is so far
removed and wasting life in drawing room conversations?
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