Every business in this world involves give and take. You pay for something and you get that thing in exchange for the payment you made. It has unfortunately become a practice for most of us to approach our prayers also as if we were doing business with God. This is going on and we can see this reality all around us. In the minds we pray for some wish to be fulfilled by the Lord and we also promise God to give something as an offering in return.
Many ignorant devotees did the same thing with Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj. They also promised to give something to Sant Baba ji as offering in return for fulfilling their particular wish.
Sant Baba ji conveyed in his teachings to have full faith in the Almighty. Even then there were people with weak minds. These persons kept on making their prayers, offering some vows in return.
Sardar Maha Singh of village Halloowal used to grow mangoes in his orchard. He prayed for a good crop and promised to offer a basket of mangoes to Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj.
When the BOOR (panicles) came on the trees, Maha Singh could imagine that the crop would be good. He was happy that Sant Baba ji had answered his prayers.
The time came when the ripe mangoes were to be picked and sold in the market. Baskets of mangoes were filled. One basket for Sant Baba ji was also filled.
When the baskets were loaded in a truck, the basket kept separate for Sant Baba ji was also innocently loaded in the truck. The produce was to be taken to the market for sale.
The driver started the truck, with Maha Singh sitting next to him. The engine cut off. He tried again but the truck did not start.
Sardar Maha Singh asked the driver, “What is the matter? Is everything all right?”
The driver informed, “Sardar ji! I have just brought the truck here after getting the diesel filled. It was running normally and nothing was wrong with it.”
Sardar Maha Singh asked, “Then what has happened now?”
The driver again switched on the self-starter but nothing happened. He came down from the truck and opened the bonnet. He checked the battery terminals and the water in the battery. Both were perfect. He checked the radiator water and this was also all right. He came back to his seat and tried the starter once again, but the engine did not start.
Sardar Maha Singh along with his workers pushed the truck. The driver put the truck in the gear and released the clutch. The engine did give a sound of getting started but subsided immediately.
The driver was not comfortable and knew there was nothing wrong with the engine. He asked Maha Singh, “My truck was in good shape. Suddenly something has happened.
You let me know if you had made some kind of vow to offer something to a PIR-FAKIR.”
These words made Maha Singh immediately realise his mistake. He knew why the truck was not starting. The basket he had vowed to offer to Sant Baba ji had also been kept in the truck by mistake. He unloaded this basket and kept it at a safe place in a room. He then asked the driver to start the truck.
The engine started at the first turn of the starter this time. Sardar Maha Singh told the driver of his vow. He also informed him about the offering to be made to the great saint Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj.
The driver said, “Sardar ji! I became afraid that my truck had developed some mechanical fault and might require a lot of expenses.”
After selling the mangoes in the market, Maha Singh brought the basket to Nirmal Kutiya Johalan. He touched the feet of Sant Baba ji and sat close to him. He told Sant Baba ji about his vow and the happening thereafter.
Sant Baba ji did not respond to his talk. Sant Baba ji asked an attendant to serve Maha Singh with milk and snacks.
When Maha Singh was sitting sipping the milk, he thought, “I should not have taken a vow. If I had promised to offer a basket to Sant Baba ji then I should have done this before selling the produce in the market. I have made good profit this year with the blessing of Sant Baba ji. I could have easily brought two baskets full of mangoes for Sant Baba ji.”
He sought forgiveness from Sant Baba ji and said, “I will not repeat such a mistake again. Please give me strength to have faith in the Almighty.”
The fifth Master Sri Guru Arjan Dev ji has explained in Gurbani that the peace, poise and bliss can be obtained by an individual only by reciting the Name of the Lord.
There is no peace in earning lots of money. There is no peace in watching dances and plays.
There is no peace in conquering lots of countries. All peace comes from singing the Glorious Praises of the Lord, Har, Har. ||1|| (Page 1147)
Sardar Maha Singh accepted the ambrosial nectar of the two edged sword and graced his
human form by reciting Gurbani.