76.
Sakhi Bhai Tilaku jee and a Yogi
Bhai
Tilaku was a Sikh of Siri Guru Arjun Dev jee and lived in the Garh Shankar
town of Punjab. He was a great 'rasiya' (practitioner) of Naam and Gurbani.
He used to recite Mool Mantr a lot and his abhyaas was so intensive that he
did not let any moment go without Mool Mantr. He led his life in a very
honest fashion and never said anything bad to anyone. He earned his living
working hard and neither he owed anyone nor anyone owed him anything.
In
Garh Shankar there also lived a Yogi who was an accomplished Yogi. He had a
lot of Ridhi Sidhi (mystical powers). He was more than 100 years old and had
a great following in the city he lived in. But along with Ridhi Sidhi, he
also was infected with the Haume Rog (disease of Ego). People used to sing
his praises on his face and this resulted in his downfall and he developed
the terrible haume rog (ego).
The
Yogi organized a great bhandaara (inviting people to his house for eating)
in which everyone from the town was invited. The Yogi announced that whoever
would attend his bhandaara would get 2 years of Swarag (heaven). Hearing the
Yogi's invitation, the residents of Garh Shankar flocked to the dera of the
Yogi and sang his praises.
Hearing
his praises, the Yogi got more egoistic and asked his followers to see if
anyone from the town had not come to his bhandaara. The Yogi's followers
came back and told him that Bhai Tilaku had not come to his bhandaara. They
also told the Yogi that Bhai Tilaku had said that he did not need any Swarag
and as thus did not need to attend the bhandaara.
The
Yogi's ego got hurt hearing Bhai Tilaku's response and he sent his followers
telling them that he was offering Bhai Tilaku 10 years in Swarag, if he
agreed to come to the bhandaara. Hearing this Bhai Tilaku smilingly said
that he would consider any effort for Swarag a paap and as such refused to
go to the bhandaara.
The Gursikhs do not care about
heaven and hell as they don't have to go to either of these places
Hearing
the response of Bhai Tilaku, the Yogi got very upset. Everyone had found out
by then that Bhai Tilaku had refused to come. The Yogi, vowed that he would
use his Yogic powers and force Bhai Tilaku to come. He developed a great
feeling of enmity and anger towards Bhai Tilaku. Because of his such
feelings, his kamaayee (spiritual earnings) got reduced.
The
Yogi got into smadhi and using his yogic powers called up the evil powers
like bhoot, prets (ghosts), birs etc. He dispatched them to go to Bhai
Tilaku and force him to come to him. The evil powers arrived at Bhai
Tilaku's house and tried to harm Bhai Sahib. As these powers arrived closer
to Bhai Sahib, they felt helpless to hurt him. Bhai Sahib was reciting Mool
Mantr with utmost concentration. They tried their best but could not do
anything. After
trying and losing to Bhai Sahib, the evil forces came back to the Yogi and
expressed their helplessness. By then, the Yogi felt empty as his power had
got spent in trying to harm Bhai Sahib. The evil powers told the Yogi that
some higher power was protecting Bhai Sahib. The Yogi after losing all his
shakti, came back to his senses and decided to go and see Bhai Tilaku
himself. He arrived at his house and knocked his door. He was accompanied by
the whole city. When Bhai Sahib opened his door, the Yogi very humbly
saluted him and Bhai Sahib responded accordingly.
The
first question the Yogi asked was about the identity of Bhai Sahib's Guru.
Bhai Sahib responded by saying that he was a humble servant of Guru Arjun
Dev jee. At this the Yogi asked him about the mantra he used against him.
Bhai Tilaku told him about Guru Sahib's baani and also told him that he did
not have any bad feeling for the Yogi and he did not use it against him. He
told the Yogi that Gurbani was pure Amrit (nector) and reciting baani
(hymns) is like drinking sweet amrit.
Hearing
some baani from Bhai Sahib, the Yogi felt compelled to see Guru Sahib. Bhai
Tilaku brought the Yogi to Siri Amritsar Sahib, where the Yogi met Guru
Sahib and became his Sikh.
If we
keep our expectations on Naam and Gurbani and have faith in them,
nothing can harm us.