The Kitchen Help who became a Guru

The Guru loves and guides all disciples equally. But all disciples are not equally receptive. Only those disciples who have great love, loyalty and obedience towards the Guru are receptive to the Grace of the Guru. Just studying scriptures and doing prayers does not make a good disciple.  Absolute faith and discipline defines the worthiness of a disciple.

In the lineage of Guru Nanak- the Sikh Guru- was Guru Ram Dass. He was the fourth Sikh Guru. He had many disciples who could be considered as good and worthy. All the disciples went about doing their daily work and attending the discourses of the Guru. His youngest son Arjan Dev was also a disciple. Guru Ram Dass had given him the task of working in the kitchen and cleaning the utensils.  Arjan Dev performed his Guru Seva with utmost dedication.  He never questioned why he was asked to do this lowly task. The kitchen of the Guru was always open and anyone who came in at any time was given a hot meal. Arjan Dev was always busy scrubbing vessels.

The other disciples thought lowly of Arjan Dev. They teased him. They said: Arjan, stop scrubbing vessels and come and attend the discourses.  You cannot please the Guru with your current behaviour. Come and do other Guru Seva. Then you can please the Guru!   Arjan Dev replied: My duty is to obey the Guru. I do not aim to please him by doing other things.

The other disciples gave up on Arjan Dev and left him alone. The Guru had great Love for Arjan Dev due to his love, loyalty and obedience. Time passed by. The Guru and other disciples were busy in discourses, religious congregations and other work.  Then there was need to send a disciple to Lahore for doing the Guru’s work. The other disciples urged the Guru to send Arjan Dev. They wanted Arjan Dev out of the way and each one wished to be the next successor of the Guru. Arjan Dev quietly accepted the Guru’s dictum and went to Lahore.  He missed his Guru very much and wrote two letters to the Guru. The others in the Ashram hid the letters. When the third letter came in the Guru saw it. He understood that Arjan Dev had written to him before and that others plotted to have him removed. Seeing Arjan Dev’s love and loyalty he had him recalled from Lahore and declared him as his successor.

The utter loyalty and obedience which Arjan Dev had for his Guru made the Guru choose him as his successor over many others who were physically closer to the Guru and perhaps more well versed in scriptures.  Guru Arjan Dev became a great Guru.  He was the embodiment of Godly devotion, Selfless Service and Universal Love.  He contributed to the welfare of society .He was responsible for  the construction of the Golden Temple in Amritsar. He collated and compiled the teachings of the previous Gurus and called it the Gurubani. He installed the Gurubani in the Golden Temple. He stood steadfast for the principles he believed in and in the end he sacrificed his life and attained a unique martyrdom in this history of mankind. 

When the kitchen help received the blessings of his Guru, he was transformed into one of the Greatest Gurus of the Lineage.  

Guru Seva - Deepak

The Guru showers love equally on all of his disciples. But the disciples should have the capacity to receive and hold his love.  There is no favoritism or discrimination on part of the Guru when he showers his love and blessings on all. The Guru is like the Sun. The Sun shines equally on all. But if someone insists on sitting in a room with all doors and windows closed, he will not receive the sunlight. The Sun cannot be blamed for this. When a disciple has great love for his Guru, is loyal to him and does Guru Seva in the right spirit, he becomes a worthy vessel for holding the Guru’s love and blessings. This is one such story – the Story of Deepak and his Guru Veddharma.

Guru Veddharma lived in his Ashram on the banks of the Godavari River in North India. He had many disciples and loved all of them equally. Once he wanted to test and see which of his disciples loved him truly. He called all of them and announced: in my last life, I committed a big sin. In this life due to my tapas and other spiritual practices, I have burnt off some of the bad karma. I have to undergo the balance soon. It will affect me in the form of a disease which will cripple me. It will stay with me for two years after which I will be normal. I intend to be in Kashi during this period. Which of you will come with me and serve me during this period?

None of the disciples volunteered except Deepak. Deepak was a loyal disciple of the Guru. He loved his Guru very much and saw God in the Guru.  He told Guru Veddharma: I will come with you and serve you these two years in Kashi. The Guru said: think before you offer. I will be very sick and bedridden. It will not be easy to take care of me. I will be blind and lame for two years. Deepak replied: I am not afraid. But can I go to Kashi for two years, take your sickness and suffer instead of you?  The Guru was very pleased to hear this offer from Deepak. But he refused it. He said: Each of us have to suffer the consequences of his karma. I alone will suffer for my karma. But you can come and serve me.

In a short time they left for Kashi. And within a few days of reaching Kashi, Guru Veddharma’s body developed boils and he became lame and blind. Deepak went to the nearby homes and asked for alms to take care of both of them.  The Guru was in great pain and very irritable. He would get angry and shout at Deepak for no reason. But Deepak was patient and smiling. He put up with all the tantrums of the Guru and served him  with loyalty and love. 

Seeing Deepak’s Guru bhakti and Guru Seva, Indra, the Lord of Gods appeared. He offered a place in Heaven to Deepak. Deepak replied that the highest paradise was at the feet of the Guru and doing seva to the Guru and he sent Indra away. After some time, pleased with Deepak’s Guru Seva, Lord Shiva appeared. He asked Deepak to seek a boon of his choice. Deepak said: let me consult my Guru.  Deepak asked his Guru if he could ask Lord Shiva to cure him. The Guru  refused and it was not acceptable. So Deepak sent Lord Shiva away.

After some days Lord Vishnu appeared. He was pleased by the fact that Deepak saw God in his Guru and served the Guru.  When he blessed Deepak with a boon, Deepak asked for the boon of Guru Bhakti. The Lord duly blessed him and said: You have raised importance of both God and Guru with your bhakti and seva.

Deepak continued serving his Guru. His Guru was aware of all the Divine Beings who had come there and Deepak’s responses to all of them. Deepak had passed the Guru’s test. Guru Veddharma blessed him with knowledge, name, fame and long life. 

When a disciple is given a task or seva by the Guru, he should focus on it wholly and complete it. Whatever be the temptation which comes in the way as reward or appreciation, he should not abandon the Guru Seva. Guru Seva done without ego and for  love for Guru gives the highest blessings.

Blessings of Guru Seva- Kalyan

The Supreme Power of God upholds the Universe and Creation. It is not possible for mere mortals to understand what or who God is, what are His rules, how He operates, what are His qualities and why He does certain actions which are beyond our comprehension. Only God can teach us about Him. So God manifests in the form of Guru to teach mankind about Him. God is Guru. And Guru is God. A Guru who has overcome his ego and merged himself with God is God Himself. Doing service to such a Guru is service to God. And the blessings and rewards of such seva are astounding. See the story of Samarth Ramdas and Kalyan:

Samarth Ramdas was a powerful and well known Guru.  He lived in Sajjangad which was on top of a hill. There was no source of water in the fort. The daily requirements of water for the Guru and his disciples had to be carried from the village at the bottom of the hill. This work of carrying and filling water for the requirements of all persons  in the fort was done by a disciple named Kalyan. Kalyan had great love for his Guru and did the task of carrying and filling the water as Guru Seva. All other disciples sat at the feet of the Guru and acquired knowledge from holy books and through question and answer sessions. Kalyan rarely sat at the Guru’s feet to study. He was busy from dawn to dusk carrying and filling the water at the fort. He was the Guru’s favourite and all the students were jealous and envious of Kalyan. They felt that since they sat at the Guru’s feet and studied hard and had more knowledge than Kalyan, the Guru should hold them in high regard.

Samarth Ramdas was aware of the feelings of the other students towards Kalyan. He waited for the right opportunity to show them the value of Kalyan.  One day during a study session, the Guru asked a tricky question to the students. None of them were able to give the answer. At that time Kalyan was passing by carrying buckets of water. The Guru called out to him and asked him the same question. Kalyan gave the correct answer effortlessly. 

The other students were astounded. They asked the Guru: how is it that Kalyan knows the answer to this question? We sit with you day and night and study and learn. We were not able to answer the question. Kalyan never sits with us and studies. Yet he gave the right answer! Samarth Ramdas replied:  Kalyan does Guru Seva with the right understanding and approach. For him, service to the Guru and taking care of needs for water for the persons here in the fort is doing service to God. He does this work cheerfully and willingly. He does not hold a grudge that he carries water all day long and that you sit here comfortably and study. You know only theory of spirituality. For you  the dictum ‘serve all like you serve God’ and 'Guru is God' are only words. Kalyan has realized the truth of these dictum by practice. He is doing the service with the right attitude and understanding. The blessings of God and Guru pour over him.  Therefore he has all knowledge! Samarth Ramdas later on made Kalyan his  official writer for noting down all his songs and teachings. Samarth Ramdas authored many books like the Dasbodh  and Shri Manache Shlok which are read and revered even today. Kalyan was his pen.

Listening to lectures and reading books by saints and others gives us only book knowledge. Theoretical knowledge is of no use. It is like knowing the recipe of making a tasty dish. We may know the ingredients, the method and have a description of taste of the final dish. But just knowing this will not assuage our hunger. We need to eat the actual dish and relish the taste and food to fulfil our hunger. 

Do daily japa of the SitaRam Mantra and meditation. Follow the teachings of the Guru.  It does not matter if you are physically near the Guru or live far away.  Be mentally close to the Guru by thinking of him.  Do your work and follow the practices given to you. This is the best Guru Seva you can do and you will reap the blessings. Whatever is lacking in your life will be granted and you will have contentment. Guru seva is like the Kamadhenu – the Holy Cow which grants all the wishes. Do the Seva of Guru for sake of doing Seva. Do the seva for love of the Guru. This is the highest level of Seva possible.