He washes off the filth of other peoples’ incarnations, but he obtains the rewards
of his own actions. He has no peace in this world, and he has no place in the Courtof the Lord. In the City of Death, he is tortured. ||1|| The slanderer loses his life in vain. He cannot succeed in anything, and in the
world hereafter, he finds no place at all. ||1||Pause||
(Page 380)
Often in villages, it so happens that the people follow the advice of others without thinking of the consequences. People of villages are innocent and ignorant. They easily fall in the trap of the advice given by a clever person.
The son of an old lady had been sick for a long time. In spite of best efforts and medicine of various doctors, there was no improvement. Someone suggested the old lady that if she was able to serve a ‘one sided baked roti’ to a holy saint and in case he eats it, his son would become normal. A layer of ghee should lace the baked side.
During those days Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj was living on the outskirts of village ‘Paili’. He had shifted to this place from Hallowal. Sant Baba ji went to the village to collect food as alms. The old lady whose son was not well belonged to this village.
The lady waited for some saint to appear. When she saw Sant Baba ji enter the village, she immediately went into her house and baked a roti, as suggested. She covered the baked side of the roti with ghee. When Sant Baba ji passed her house she immediately came out and served the roti to him.
Sant Baba ji accepted it humbly and standing in front of the house, ate it, without once flinching from the taste.
The lady saw the saint eating the roti and felt happy. She thought, “The sickness of my son has been transferred to this sadhu. I am so relieved. My son will now become all right.”
Next day, the lady’s son expired. How could this happen? This was really strange. The sickness had been transferred to a sadhu. She had served, a one sided baked roti to a sadhu who had come asking for food. She had followed the instructions of a wise person of the village. She could not believe that her son was dead. She cried and cried at the loss.
As usual Sant Baba ji came to the village to collect his daily food as alms. The lady was further perplexed to see a hail and hearty Sant Baba ji back on his daily routine. She came running towards Sant Baba ji and cried loudly. She said, “Maharaj! I have lost my son. I am the old woman who had served you roti yesterday. Instead of blessing my son with good health I have got this gift from you in return for my charity.”
Sant Baba ji asked her, “You must have served the roti selfishly for the welfare of your son?”
The lady replied, “Yes! Why else should I have taken the trouble to serve you? I was told by a wise man of the village to serve one-sided baked roti, laced with ghee, to a sadhu. I had served this roti to you, so that the sickness of my son would get transferred to you. You had eaten it. But the result is that nothing has happened to you whereas my son has expired.”
Do not be angry with anyone else; look within your own self instead. Be humble in this world, O Nanak, and by His Grace you shall be carried across.
||1|| (Page 259)
Sant Baba ji explained to her, “Never serve anyone with an evil thought. This is not SEWA (service). Any SEWA with a selfish motive behind it is not SEWA. The Almighty does not accept such a SEWA. The Almighty is not a shopkeeper exchanging one good for another. If you serve others, do so with all humility, love and respect. These ingredients add flavor to the food. Your malicious feelings made all the difference. Your son had completed his allotted span of life in this world, as prescribed by the Almighty. No action could have made any difference. The God Almighty does not want individuals to be cruel and evil. Now you have to recompense for your actions. You should recite Gurbani and follow the true path to the divine. Pray for the soul of your son to rest in peace in the feet of the Lord.”
The lady realized her folly. She repented on her evil action. She asked for forgiveness from Sant Baba ji and promised to follow the path of truth from then on.
Sant Baba Gian Singh ji Maharaj the beloved disciple of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj laid the foundation stone of a Gurdwara at the site of the worship of his Gurudev, at village Paili. Congregations are held in this Gurdwara every month on the full moon day. Sangat participates with enthusiasm in large numbers.