Sai Picture gallery: Shri Shirdi Sai speaks-3rd Dec/Amazing Story about Guru Nanak's Samadhi/Blissful Stories of Guru Nanak -8

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Below is the continuation of the Blissful Stories of Guru Nanak Devji-1 -7
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Story about Kartarpur

People came to know of Guru Nanak and of his divine message. They were delighted to hear his soul-inspiring songs and discourses. They accepted him as their spiritual guide and became his disciples. The Guru’s fame soon spread in that locality. Hindus and Muslims, of all classes and castes, and sadhus and faqirs, flocked to him. Inspired by his songs and discourses, they gave up their mutual hatred and jealousy, and began to live together like brothers.
Karoria, who was the owner of the area, became annoyed with the daily growing popularity of the Guru. He decided to go and tell the Guru to move away from his land. Mounting his horse, and taking with him a strong party of foot-men, he started on his mission. He had not gone far when his horse stumbled and fell headlong on the ground. He however, suffered no serious injury, but followers took him back home.
He rested for a couple of days, and then set out again, determined to drive away the Guru. He had not yet gone far from the gate of his house, when he felt that he could not see; his eye-sight had gone. The horse came to a halt and refused to move. He got down from the horse and went back home. He was filled with wonder at what had happened. His followers said to him, “He is a holy man, a lover and servant of God. You were going to him with the intention of expelling him. So God did not allow you to proceed.”
“Yes,” said he, “that seems to be the case. I shall go and show him all respect.” Saying this, he mounted his horse again. But as he proceeded, he lost his sight again. He was puzzled all the more. His followers advised him to go on foot.

They said,

“Make your heart free from pride and anger, and humbly beg his forgiveness before starting.”

[Road to Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur]
Karoria accepted this advice. He humbly prayed that he might be forgiven and started barefoot to meet the Guru. Soon he reached the place where the Guru was. He saw the latter seated calmly, surrounded by a large number of devotees. The sweet music that was being played filled Karoria with indescribable peace.
He fell at the Guru’s feet. His whole being got filled with joy that he had never known before. The Guru affectionately asked him to take a seat near him. A great change took place in his heart. A desire to serve the Guru awoke in him. He bowed, touched the Guru’s feet, and said, 0 true teacher! I am blessed at the sight of you. I feel sure that I have been forgiven. Kindly permit me to dedicate all this land to you. Allow me to build here a village for you and your disciples’ to live in.’ Let us call the village "Nanakpur" in keeping with tradition of the time when the landowners name was used to name the local village.
The Guru smiled and said, “Let it be as you please, but as the land is of Kartar (God the Creator), and you are blessed for dedicating it to divine service. We shall call the village Kartarpur, the seat of Kartar, the Creator.”

[The well from which Guru Nanak used to draw water and irigate his fields. ]

Bhai Duni Chand also built a dharamsala and a house for the Guru. Here the Guru stayed for some time. He put off the extraordinary dress which he had put on during his wanderings. He began to wear the usual dress of the people around him.
In a short time, the place grew in importance. Hearing of the Guru’s’ settlement at Kartarpur, people came from far and near to pay their homage. Houses and dharamshalas were built, and the village grew in size, importance and population. His family also moved to the village. Kartarpur became the seat of the Guru. Amid singing of hymns, morning and evening, and discourses by the Guru, the congregation grew larger and larger. The free kitchen fed all who came. In the Guru’s langar (free kitchen) no distinction of caste, creed or sex was observed. All sat and dined together as members of one family.

[From this well, Guru Nanak watered the fields ]
The Guru started a small farm which he cultivated and ploughed it himself. Of course, his disciples also worked there. He held that the right way to live was to do so by the produce of one’s own labour. He produced not only what was enough for himself and his family, but much more. He gave the surplus to the kitchen.
Guru Nanak himself set the example of leading a simple householder’s life, and realizing the true spirit of religion — devotation to God and the service to fellow-beings, combining simple life with lofty thoughts, free from outer shams and hypocrisies which keep the mind away from truth. By his own example he showed that salvation could be obtained by righteous living even amidst gaiety and laughter.
While working the fields one day in 1532 Guru Nanak was approached by a new devotee who said, "I am Lehna," Guru Nanak looked at him and replied, "So you have arrived Lehna - the creditor. I have been waiting for you all these days. I must pay your debt." ("Lehna" in Punjabi means debt or creditor.) Lehna was a great devotee of the Hindu God Durga. One day having hearing about Guru Nanak and his teachings, he decided to visit and see the Guru for himself.
It so happened that ,One day, Bhai Lehna heard the recitation of a hymn of Guru Nanak Ji from Bhai Jodha a neighbour who was a follower of the Guru. His mind was captured by the tune and while on his annual pilgrimage to Jwalamukhi Temple he asked his group if they would mind going to see the Guru. Everyone thought this most inappropriate and refused. Not one to shirk his responsibilities, he was after all the guide and leader of the group, he couldn't abandon them with thieves along the way. But man of honor and dharma that he was, the poems and prayers (kirtan) of Nanak still held onto his every thought. So one night without telling anyone he mounted his horse and proceeded to the village now known as Kartarpur (God's city) to visit with Guru Nanak Ji. As soon as he found the Guru, he threw himself at Nanak's feet. His very first meeting with Guru Nanak Ji completely transformed him. He dedicated himself to the service of Guru Nanak Ji and so became his disciple (Sikh) and began to live in Kartarpur.

Bhai Lehna displayed deep and loyal service to Guru Nanak. Several stories exist which display how Lehna was chosen over the Guru's sons as his successor. One of these stories is about a jug which fell into mud. Nanak's sons would not pick it up; Sri Chand, the older, refused on the grounds that the filth would pollute him, and Lakshmi Chand, the younger, objected because the task was too menial for the son of a Guru. Lehna, however, picked it out of the mud, washed it clean, and presented it to Guru Nanak full of water. A different version of this story counts this as a key part of Guru Nanak deciding upon Lehna for his successor. The Guru's wife, Mataji, said to Nanak "My Lord, keep my sons in mind," meaning that she wished them to be the ones considered for succession to the guruship. Guru ordered them to come, and he threw a bowl into a tank of muddy water. The Guru ordered them to retrieve it for him, and both of them refused to do it. Guru Nanak then asked Lehna to retrieve it, and Lehna promptly complied.In one instance, the Guru orders a wall of his house, which had fallen down, to be repaired. His sons refused to fix it immediately because of the storm that had knocked it down, and the lateness of the hour. They proposed that they send for masons in the morning. Guru Nanak said that he needed no masons while he had his Sikhs, and ordered them to repair it. Lehna started to repair the wall, but Nanak claimed that it was crooked when he was finished, and ordered him to knock it down and build it again. Lehna complied, and Nanak still claimed the wall was not straight. The Guru ordered him to attempt it a third time. At this, the Guru's sons called Lehna a fool for putting up with such unreasonable orders. Lehna simply replied that a servant's hands should be busy doing his master's work. Yet another anecdote exists where Guru Nanak asks his Sikhs and his sons to carry three bundles of grass for his cows and buffaloes, and, as with the other examples, his sons and his followers failed to show loyalty. Lehna, however, immediately asked to be tasked with carrying the bundles, which were wet and muddy. When Lehna and the Guru arrived at the Guru's house, the Guru's wife complained at Nanak's terrible treatment of a guest, noting how his clothes were covered from head to foot with mud. Guru Nanak then replied to her, "This is not mud; it is the saffron of God's court, which marketh the elect." Upon another inspection, the Guru's wife saw that Lehna's clothes had, indeed, changed into saffron. To this day, Sikhs consider the three bundles as important symbols of spiritual affairs, temporal affairs, and the Guruship.

In one of the most significant stories, Guru Nanak travels through the forest with his disciples. The Guru made gold and silver coins appear in front of the group, and all but two followers ran to pick them up: Lehna and Bhai Buddha. Guru Nanak led them both to a funeral pyre, and ordered them to eat the corpse that was hidden under a shroud. Bhai Buddha ran away in terror, but Lehna obeyed. When he lifted the shroud, he found the Guru Nanak himself underneath it. In a different version of this story, Lehna is met with Parshad (sacred food) instead of Guru Nanak. Lehna offers the Parshad to the Guru, satisfied to eat of the leavings. Guru Nanak, after this test, reveals the Japji to Lehna, proclaims Lehna is of his own image, and promises that Lehna shall be the next Guru.

Guru Nanak then blessed Lehna with his ang (hand) and gave him a new name, Angad, saying "you are a part of my body". Guru Nanak placed five coins and a coconut in front of Guru Angad and then bowed before him. He then had Bahi Budhha anoint Angad with a saffron mark on his forehead. When Guru Nanak gathered his followers together for prayers he invited Angad to occupy the seat of the Guru. Thus Guru Angad was ordained as the successor to Guru Nanak on September 7, 1539.

Before becoming the new Guru he had spent six or seven years in the service of Guru Nanak Ji at Kartarpur.

Guru Nanak Dev ji leaves for His heavenly abode on September 22, 1539

Gurudwara Darbar Sahib Kartarpur: The resting place of Baba Guru Nanak Devji, the leader of the Sikh religion

According to historical narrations, The Great Guru spent last 17 years of life from 1522 AD till he left this material world on September 22, 1539 AD, at this village of Kartarpur on the bank of River Ravi in Narowal district of Pakistan cultivating land to earn living for his family and preaching.

Since the Guru's followers had been raised as Hindus or Muslims (each of which had different methods of dealing with one's earthly remains), an argument arose over whether the Guru's body should be cremated or buried. Traditionally, Hindus cremate while Muslims bury the bodies of loved ones after death.
Ultimately it was decided that flowers would be placed by each group on his body. Whosoever's flowers were found withered the next morning would loose the claim. It is related that the next morning when the cloth sheet was removed the Guru's body was missing and both sets of flowers were found as fresh as when they were placed.
The two communities then decided to divide the cloth sheet that covered the Guru's body and together with the flowers that they had place, one burying it and the other consigning it to fire. Therefore, both a samadhi (Hindu tradition monument of remembrance) lies in the Gurdwara at Kartarpur and a grave (according to Muslim traditions) lies on the premises as a reminder of this joint claim to Guru Nank by both the communities.

[Hindu Samadhi : Half Shawl creamated and then burried here]

Now the Gurudawar is a unique place in the world where a grave and a Samadhi of a religious leader is present on the same premises. This place is an excellent example of religious harmony, peace and co-existence of people of different faiths.

The Mazār (grave) is in the courtyard of the Gurdwara and the Samādhi is within.

Grave:Muslim Half of Shawl burried Here

Darbar Sahib Kartarpur is just about 3 KM from Indo-Pak border on the right bank of river Ravi in Pakistan and is visible from Border. Recently, there has been lobbying to open the corridor for Sikhs from India to visit the shrine without any hindrance or visa.

Gurudwara Kartarpur Sahib, Narowal

Narowal - Kartarpur - Muslim Tomb of Pir Guru Baba Nanak -close up

The Gurudwara at Kartarpur can be seen from another Gurdwara located across the border at the historical town of Dehra Baba Nanak in India (It is not Dera, as so many people wrongly call it. Dehra is derived from the word Deh or body). Both sites are one of the holiest places in Sikhism located in the Majha region.

GURUDWARA SHRI DEHRA BABA NANAK SAHIB, DEHRA BABA NANAK

Two famous Gurudwara at Dehra Baba Nanak are Sri Darbar Sahib and Sri Chola Sahib. Dehra Baba Nanak, one of the most sacred places of the Sikhs, is situated on the banks of river Ravi. Guru Nanak Dev, the first Sikh Guru, settled and died near the village Pakhoke, opposite to the present town and named it Kartarpur. The Bedis, descendants of Guru Nanak Dev built a new town and named it Dehra Baba Nanak after their great ancestor. The town has a number of Sikh temples. Pilgrims come to this holy town in large numbers. Dehra Baba Nanak was made the headquarter of newly created Tehsil of Dehra Baba Nanak. Dehra Baba Nanak is a historical town and has many lanes and houses that have been preserved since the time of Guru Nanak. Also from this town pilgrims can see across the border into Pakistan and see the Gurudwara at Kartarpur.

May Guru Nanak bless us with His grace to understand that all of us are equal in the eyes of God.

Sukhdev Singh Bedi, one of the 16th generation descendants of Guru Nanak Dev, shows the clothes (Chola Sahib) of the Guru to devotees at Dera Baba Nanak.

As a pillar supports the roof of a house,

So does the Guru's word prop up the mortal's spirit.

As a stone laden in a boat can go across a stream,

So can the disciple attached to the feet of the Guru cross the ocean of life.

Darkness is dispelled by the light of a lamp,

So is man's inner self illumined by the Guru's smiling face.

As In the wilderness a benighted traveler picks out his path by a flash of lightning.

So does a man find the light of his own soul by the superior light of the Guru.

O if I could find the dust of such a saint's feet!
May God fulfill my heart's desire!
(Sukhmani XV.3)

On a Personal note from Me to You

Ofcourse , This is not the end of the blissful stories of Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji. There is so much that we have all learnt from them but there are still so many stories left for me to share.And above all, we need to learn to use these lessons in our day to day lives.

Like our Shirdi Sai baba, Guru Nanak always believed and taught that there was only one God who was omnipresent and outlined several means to accomplish Him. This included meditation on the name of God, purification, and spiritual purity thereby achieving spiritual detachment. Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji never differentiated between religions and condemned the elaborate rituals that were performed in the name of religion. He believed there is only one God and we can reach him through any religion, be it Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam, etc.
Another cornerstone of Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji's teachings was that caste & creed were irrelevant and only inner purity mattered. He admonished practitioners of idol worship and encouraged charity.Guru Nanak Dev Ji shunned mindless superstitions and rituals and always stood to dispel these through practical examples.

And last but not the least:

Sri Guru Nanak Dev Ji propounded the three important pillars of Sikhism as:
Earning through honest & righteous means - "Kirat Karna"
Being in remembrance of God - "Naam Japna"
Sharing with others - "Vandh Shakhna"

Biggest Hurdles Overcome By Steady Devotion

Spiritual wealth is not a forbidden fruit. We must strive for it. It is a ceaseless spiritual practice. We need single-minded devotion and serene silence for the Sadhana. A God-conscious mind inherits the spiritual treasure. As our spiritual practice intensifies, problems akin to pebbles grow into awesome mountains. But when our faith in Baba firms up, even the mountainous problems get melted in the Sun-Light of Sai Grace and the spiritual path gets free of hurdles. One may initially find it difficult to meditate on Baba in the midst of noisy environment. Hence, a secluded place may be chosen. As you start meditating on Baba and progress in its practice, Baba gets seated on the silver throne in the temple of your heart.Your mind will come to grips, understands and appreciates that pleasure and pain, profit and loss which are all but gifts of Baba. We will learn the lesson that our progress in spiritual field is limited, that we are weak and infirm. Unflinching faith and unquestioning obedience to Baba wins His Grace. As He dwells in our heart, His Divine Love, grace and care are always available to us. When Baba stands as the Mountain of Hope and Help, guards and guides us at every step, mountains of problems disappear into nothingness. As if by the magical touch of Baba's Grace, every hurdle gets removed on its own.