Eating food is the need of the body. It is indeed difficult to remain without food. Someone might be able to bear the hunger for a day while others for a few continuous days, but ultimately the body requires food to survive.
Like the need for food for the body, there is also the need for the DARSHAN of the saintly person one loves. The eyes of any good person are ever hungry for the DARSHAN of the Guru or the Holy One. It becomes all the more difficult for an individual to fulfill his desire of the DARSHAN when one lives far from the place of the abode of his Holy saint. One might remember daily the Holy saint one loves, but the hunger can only be satisfied with the personal DARSHAN. He longs to visit the abode of his Guru and pay his homage. He is only satisfied after he has had the DARSHAN of his Guru.
A devotee of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj lived in Sindh (Pakistan). It was not possible for him to easily visit Nirmal Kutiya Johalan. Sindh was far away from the city of Jalandhar and also the devotee was not so well off that he could come and pay his visit frequently.
The devotee however did not miss a day when he did not remember Sant Baba ji. During his daily prayers he also prayed for the blessings of Sant Baba ji. He prayed, “Maharaj ji! Please have mercy on me and shower your kindness. I am fortunate that I am your follower. Please remain with me during my daily chores. Help me in following the path of truth. Please do not let my mind wander towards false pleasures of the world.”
This prayer became a routine for him. During the prayer he kept his head at the feet of Sant Baba ji.
After he was through he was a totally different individual. He received strength and power from Sant Baba ji and remained alert and active throughout the day.
He continued with the recitation of the Guru Mantra – ‘WAHEGURU WAHEGURU!’ in his mind even when he was working.
He did not have to announce to the world about his unselfish love for Sant Baba ji. One day he thought, “I have been working here for such a long time now and have been unable to personally pay my homage to Sant Baba ji. But I thank the Almighty that He has been kind and has kept the fire of remembrance for Sant Baba ji ever kindled in my heart.”
There were extreme occasions when he felt like going to Nirmal Kutiya Johalan but this desire slowly and steadily transformed into remembrance for his great Holy saint.
After some time had passed he could no longer resist the strong urge to have DARSHAN of Sant Baba ji. He prayed differently that day. He said, “Maharaj ji! People remember God when they are passing through difficult times and the Almighty drives away their pain. When BEBE NANKI JI remembered her brother Sri Guru Nanak Dev ji with her love while she was cooking meals for her family, Guru Sahib appeared before her to eat the meals. It was because of unselfish love of Bebe Nanki ji that Guru Sahib appeared before her, though he was not in the city at that time.
I also pray with all the love. Please give me an opportunity of paying my personal homage to you. You do understand that I can’t reach Nirmal Kutiya Johalan and therefore please bless me with your kind DARSHAN here. I don’t need anything. I don’t ask for any material benefit. I only ask for your DARSHAN. Please do bless me. I am your own devotee.”
He finished his prayers. His eyes were full of emotional tears. At that time he heard a knock on the door. He wiped his face and eyes with the back of his hand and went to open the door.
He opened the door and found his great Sant Baba ji at the door. He fell at the feet of Sant Baba ji. He was not aware of the time that his head was at the feet of Sant Baba ji. He thanked Sant Baba ji again and again. He said, “Maharaj ji! You have blessed me. I am grateful to you. I am an innocent child of yours. If I have done something wrong, I may please be excused. I am thankful to you for answering my prayers. Please keep on blessing me.”
Sant Baba ji said, “Gurmukho! Please try not to put us through such difficult examinations in future.”
The devotee got up and stood before Sant Baba ji with folded hands and said, “The desire for DARSHAN made me forget about the trouble you will take. I am sorry. I will remain vigilant from now onwards. Please excuse my fault this time.”
Sant Baba ji was smiling. The devotee requested Sant Baba ji to come inside. While in the room, which did not have any furniture, he thought of bringing a chair or a cot for Sant Baba ji to sit on. He rushed inside the house to fetch a chair. When he came out, Sant Baba ji was not to be seen. He tried to find Sant Baba ji inside the house as also in the vicinity of his house, but was unable to find him.
He thought, “Sant Baba ji had listened to my prayer and rewarded me with his DARSHAN. I am a fortunate man. I thank him profusely. I am very happy. But the presence of Sant Baba ji was short. Maybe I deserved only a fleeting DARSHAN. But I should be vigilant and request Sant Baba ji not to make me impatient again. I thank him for the trouble he had to pass through because of my prayer.”
As long as I do not attain the Blessed Vision of my Beloved, I remain hungry and thirsty. Gazing upon the Blessed Vision of His Darshan, my mind is pleased and appeased. The lotus blossoms forth in the water. ||1||
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He decided to go to Nirmal Kutiya Johalan and thank Sant Baba ji personally. After a few days he was able to make arrangements for his travel to Jalandhar. He reached the abode of Sant Baba ji to pay his homage. He was very happy to have reached this pious place.
While paying his respects he touched the feet of Sant Baba ji. Sant Baba ji asked him, “Gurmukho! Are you OK? You have come from a very far distance.”
The devotee said, “Maharaj ji! You were kind enough to bless me with your DARSHAN but you should have also blessed me by accepting some milk and snacks.”
Sant Baba ji said, “Your desire and prayer was for DARSHAN. If you had prayed for serving eatables then we would have eaten also.”
Then Sant Baba ji said, “The mango tree in front of your house had its branches hanging down. Our scarf got stuck in the branches. Go and fetch the same.”
When the devotee started to leave Sant Baba ji said, “Come back. Our scarf is not that costly but you will have to spend quite a lot of money on the fare. What you do is you keep the scarf with you once you go back.”
When the devotee came back he found a scarf hanging in the branches of the tree in front of his house. The scarf of Sant Baba ji removed all suspicions from his mind and no doubt remained with him.