Guru Nanak and Moola

[Guest guest]

Guru Nanak and Moola

 

November 24 is the sacred birthday of the great sikh Guru, Sri Guru

Nanak. Here is a short tale from the many inspiring stories from his

life.

 

On the way to Sialkat, which is near Pasrur, Guru Nanak rested

outside the town under a wild caper tree, which stands there to this

day. His companion Mardana asked " Why do you prefer the wilderness to

the comforts of town? "

 

" There is no comfort in a place where there is no truth, " replied the

Guru. " The air of the town is filled with falseness. No one can

safely breathe it. "

 

" Master, I am hungry, " said Mardana, " and unlike you, I can't live on

just the air. "

 

" Go into town, " said the Guru, " and ask at every shop; 'My master

would like a half-anna of truth, and a half-anna of falsehood.' He

who answers will feed you. "

 

Mardana, much amused, went into town and stopped at each shop. Some

thought that he was insane and others made fun of him. However, at a

certain shop, Moola, the owner, replied, " Tell your master that life

is false, and death is true. "

 

And just as Guru Nanak had said, Moola offered to give Mardana food.

Then, he asked to be taken to the man who asked for such things. When

Moola saw the Guru, he recognised his greatness and humbly bowed

before him asking, " Show me the true way. "

 

" Seek it and you shall find it, " said the Guru. " It is found by

searching and lost by talking. "

 

Moola was much impressed by Guru Nanak and followed him for many

days, even to Kabul, until the Guru told him to go back to his home

and family.

 

" I want to be a renunciant, " said Moola. " I want to give up the world

and be a holy man. "

 

" It is not by shirking our duty that we become saints, " said the

Guru, " but by how we handle our responsibilities in our daily lives. "

 

" Then why is it that people leave their homes in search of God? " he

asked.

 

" There are those who actually seek the truth and there or those who

only seek to escape their responsibilities, " said the Guru, " but the

way I have come to show is to live in service to God in the daily

world, keeping His Name on our lips and in our minds. Renunciation of

outer things does not make for inner righteousness. Words are

meaningless unless translated into action. "

 

Guru Nanak then repeated to him the Jap Ji (what is now one of the

most famous Sikh scriptures), and Moola returned home to live the

life of a householder, keeping all his Guru's teachings in his heart.

 

Guru Nanak and Mardana had an occasion later to visit Sialkot and the

Guru wished to see his student. Mardana went looking for Moola, but

his wife, fearing that her husband would wish to leave again,

convinced Moola that he could die in the wilderness if he went. And

so he hid himself away until Mardana left.

 

When told, the Guru said, " This is the man who said that life is

false and death is real, but now he seems to hold to falseness. So be

it. But who can escape death? It comes to all no matter where they

live. "

 

- Heart2Heart Team

 

Ram Chugani

Kobe, Japan

rgcjp