by MSS Nirvair Singh Khalsa, Anchorage AK and Espanola NM
Spring 2009
There is a story of Guru Nanak told by Guru Meher Kaur (Divine Mataji of Espanola, NM) on SikhNet.com:
When the time came for Guru Nanak to go out and do his mission, he went to go meditate near the river Bein. As he was meditating all kinds of demons came to him and tried to scare him. When they couldn’t scare him they offered him lots of riches. They showed him gold, rubies and gems of all kinds. They were very convincing and said, “There’s nothing wrong, just take it, you deserve it, just take it.”
He couldn’t be tricked though. Then they offered power, “People will love you, you will have control, you can do anything you want, all will obey you.” Still, he resisted them and saw through their offers. Next, they showed him the occult powers. He could do magic, he could turn things into gold, he could fly, he could do all kinds of extraordinary things. Again he just laughed and said, “Only a fool would take these things.”
Photo courtesy of SikhNet.com
After nothing could distract him from his mission, he went to bathe in the river. Then he disappeared and no one saw him. He was in a special state and was merging with God during this time. The heavens revealed secrets to him that no mortal has known.
After three days he came out of the river. He said, “There is no Hindu, there is no Muslim.” During this time he spoke the Mool Mantra and the rest of Japji. His mission had begun. He, Mardana and Bala started to leave. Guru Nanak’s wife, Bibi Sulakhani, started crying and told him not to leave. He touched her on the forehead and she saw how the world was suffering. She understood what he had to do.
So they left as humble travelers spreading a message of One God to all. This wonderful story illustrates how every significant journey is initiated with a single step. Before that single step, whether it be physical, mental or emotional, there is a need for preparation and intention. Sometimes, we think that our actions are spontaneous but every action is created from a series of past actions that lead us to that momentous first step.
Tested by God
In Western culture, the beginning of the calendar year is the time for a review of the past and resolving to make positive changes for the New Year. It can be very difficult to keep those resolutions if they are rooted in fantasy or unrealistic expectations.
Guru Nanak, in this story of how Mul Mantra and Japji came into being, was tested and transformed by God within so that he would be ready for the next phase of his life. His state of reality that was created by this experience of Self. It gave him the resolve, the strength and the clarity of purpose for his travels and infused his message into the fiber of his being.
Guru Nanak’s travels were extensive and he encountered many challenges to his teachings of the realization of authentic self that is beyond duality, social custom, and religion. He was challenged and was victorious in fulfilling his mission because he was tested and found his Truth.
The stories of his travels, and his profound effect on people, live with us and inspire us today. All this became possible because it was all created by his conscious transformative experience that prepared him for whatever God presented to him in his journeys.
About the Author
MSS Nirvair Singh Khalsa began studying with Yogi Bhajan in 1971. He is a retired University Instructor at the University of Alaska Anchorage where he taught classes in Kundalini Yoga for 31 years. He has produced 19 DVDs/Videos and four books on Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan®. He has also taught classes, workshops and trainings throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. Currently he is the CEO and President of The Kundalini Research Institute. He is a Yoga Alliance E-RYT 500 certified and a KRI licensed Level Three Lead teacher trainer. He is a Minister of Sikh Dharma and serves on the International Khalsa Council. He lives with his wife of 44 years, SS Nirvair Kaur, in Tesuque New Mexico. (http://www.kundaliniyoga.net)