Prayers have absolute strength. One can pray loudly or in the mind but the success lies in the fact that it is undertaken with love, respect and full faith in the Almighty.
Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj had the blessings of the Almighty and listened to the prayers of his devotees. These prayers of his devotees in their minds might have been undertaken at the Kutiya while sitting beside Sant Baba ji or could have been made at far of places.
Sant Baba ji was a quiet person. He had a glow on his face, which could not be borne by the devotees, and they kept their eyes lowered. The people were thus afraid of speaking out their wishes in public. Most of them offered their prayers in their minds.
Wasn’t it strange that many devotees from the sangat had wished and prayed and their wishes were fulfilled? There was no one who had ever complained that he had not been graced by the Holy eyes of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj. This was possible since Sant Baba ji had come to the land of Nirmal Kutiya Johalan to grace his devotees after tasting the divine love of the Almighty.
Sant Baba ji taught the devotees to pray to the Almighty. He emphasized that the Lord of the Universe becomes one’s eternal companion when one meditates on the Name of the Lord. The teaching of the Ten Masters and the ones contained in the Sri Guru Granth Sahib was the only work that had to be followed by the devotees. The prayer was therefore for seeking closeness to the Lord. He taught people to pray for becoming capable of sitting in the Sadh Sangat; to adopt the uniform prescribed by Sri Guru Gobind Singh Sahib; and to follow the true path of Sikhism.
Such a prayer was the real prayer. But every devotee had his own level of understanding due to his spiritual stage. One could compare this with the student studying in school and rising from the nursery class to the 12th standard. The sort of prayer one indulged in depended on the stage of spirituality he had reached.
If one learnt how to seek something from the Guru, then one did not bother to spread his hands before any fellow human being.
Let us see the strength in a prayer of a devotee in the following incident. This incident relates to the year 1970 or thereabout. Sardar Ajit Singh of village Badhiana was a follower of Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj. He came to pay his homage to Sant Baba ji on every Sunday. Sardar ji was passing through difficult times and he was unemployed since long. Everyday he left his home in search of work, but returned back a disappointed man.
One day he thought of sitting close to Sant Baba ji while visiting Nirmal Kutiya Johalan. He thought of praying secretly for removal of his distress.
When he reached Nirmal Kutiya Johalan, Sant Baba ji was squatting under the plum tree. Sant Baba ji could continue in this posture for more than 24 hours at a stretch.
Sardar Ajit Singh paid his respects by touching the feet of Sant Baba ji and then took a mat to sit close to him. He secretly prayed to Sant Baba ji that he be given some employment to look after his family.
Sant Baba ji was looking at the grass on the ground. He caught hold of a grass stem and turned it in his fingers. He then pulled the root of the grass shoot. He smiled and said to Sardar Ajit Singh, “You can now leave.”
The manner and tone in which Sant Baba ji had spoken the words asking him to leave; Ajit Singh observed that there was nothing to worry about now.
On his way back he went to the Railway workshop to enquire about the fate of his application for employment. The official informed him, “You have been employed in the workshop. You may start your work from today. You will be paid Rs.300 as monthly salary.”
He was overwhelmed on hearing the news. He thanked and applauded Sant Baba ji in his mind. Sant Baba ji had graced him in answering his secret prayers.
The prayer of the Lord’s humble servant is never offered in vain. Nanak takes the strength of the Perfect Lord of the Universe, the treasure of excellence. ||2||13||77|| (Page 819)
He came to Nirmal Kutiya Johalan, in the evening after joining his employment. He expressed his grateful thanks in his mind to Sant Baba ji.
When he completed a month at his job, the cashier of the workshop paid him his salary but deducted payment for two Sundays.
He asked the cashier, “Why have you deducted two days salary from my dues?”
The cashier replied, “This money has to be deducted.”
Ajit Singh came out of the workshop a disheartened man. He prayed in his mind to Sant Baba ji, “Maharaj ji! There is no reason for this deduction from my pay. This is completely unreasonable. Please grant these people the necessary wisdom.”
He had hardly finished his prayers, when the cashier came running and calling him by his name and said, “Ajit Singh! There has been a mistake. You will have to excuse me. I had mistakenly deducted two days salary. You will get the payment tomorrow.”
God, the Great Giver, has become merciful; He has listened to my prayer. He has saved His servant, and put ashes into the mouth of the slanderer. ||1|| (Page 818)
The miracle made Ajit Singh a staunch follower of Guru Sahib, and soon the entire family became baptized at Nirmal Kutiya Johalan. All happiness is presently there in the family of Ajit Singh and they continue to seek the blessings of this Holy place.