3. Sakhi Babbar Sher Singh Jee

Babbar Sher Singh Jee (when you don't get ras out of Naam and it feels like you are wasting your time)

What is that word, what is that virtue, and what is that magic mantra

What are those clothes, which I can wear to captivate my Husband Lord ||126||

Humility is the word, forgiveness is the virtue,

and sweet speech is the magic mantra.

Wear these three robes, O sister,

and you will captivate your Husband Lord. ||127||  Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji

One morning after amrit vela simran (very early morning naam meditation), Babbar Sher Singh jee was travelling into the forest. He was drowning in the spiritual bliss of naam and walked right into a Moghul soldier's ambush. Since he was an adept sant-sipahee (saint-soldier), he had no problem escaping the trap. The Moghul leader called out to him, "I have heard much about the Khalsa and their Guru. Come and show me what your Guru is made of." Listening to the challenge to his Guru - wonderful Guru Gobind Singh jee - Babbar Sher Singh jee could not resist the Moghul's call. So he returned. The Moghul said, "We will each show our swordsmanship. The winner will walk free." Babbar Sher Singh jee agreed. They stood a few feet apart. First, the Moghul took his sharp sword and with "whooshs" filling the air, managed to unhook Babbar Sher Singh jee's battledress (chowla) clean off. Every one was impressed.

Then Babbar Sher Singh jee took out his sword (Kirpan) and a few "whooshs" later, he sheathed it again. Apparently no damage had been done to the Moghul leader.

The Moghul laughed and said, "What good is that?"

The Babbar Sher Singh jee said, "Move you head..."

The Moghul leader moved his head slightly and lo and behold! his head came clean off his body.

How could this story be possibly related to Naam ?

Now, now, my beloved friends not so much haste. This story has everything to do with Naam. The sword is the Khanda of Naam, the Singh is Satguru and the Moghul is ego or humai. "Say what boy ?" Well, when we jap naam, our ego is being erased - this is confirmed several times in gurbanee. But yet we think we haven't changed a bit. We feel we are not progressing spiritually at all sometimes. And yet, Naam is doing it's work cleanly and deeply. And a time will come when Satguru will give us a slight push and our humai will come cleanly off. So pyareoooo, don't ever get discouraged when you don't get ras out of Naam and it feels like you are wasting your time. The time spent sitting for Naam meditation is the most precious of all times. It's value cannot be described. Even when the mind is going wild and it is only our mouth saying "waheguru waheguru", even that time is better than doing anything else. You might ask why ? Well, it is true that only "waheguru" said with dhian or concentration is of spiritual worth; but still, just by sitting we are training at least the body to be still. The mind will eventually follow when it sees that this gursikh refuses to obey it. The mind says, "Let's sleep. We have a long day ahead." But this gursikh says, "Mind, I don't really give a hoot whether I have a long day ahead or not, I am not budging an inch." Finally, the mind will get the message and it too will start becoming still. Once it is still, it will feel naam ras (sweetness), because only in stillness is naam ras. Once it has felt naam ras, the other worldly ras will feel shallow and gross.

waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguruu....

Burn away those rituals which lead you to forget the Beloved Lord.O Nanak, sublime is that love, which preserves my honor with my Lord Master. ||2||  Shri Guru Granth Sahib ji