Doctor Atma Singh had full faith in Sant Baba Basant Singh ji Maharaj. He followed the advice of Sant Baba ji. He was an Amritdhari Sikh and followed the Sikh Code of Conduct. He and his family had all the blessings of Sant Baba ji. He remained alert during the congregations in the Kutiya on every Sunday and the anniversaries. He pointed out to any person in the sangat who was leaning on the wall and not sitting straight. Such persons were not meant for the sangat. While in the sangat one should sit straight, and listen to the Gurbani attentively. The straight posture does not let a person doze off and lets him enjoy the Kirtan/ Katha.
Doctor Sahib was involved in other social activities apart from his medical practice. He went to Jalandhar city for work and sometimes came late in the evening. He however kept his discipline of visiting the Kutiya everyday.
Once while coming back from the City, he became very late. It was dark. The hour for undertaking the REHRAS SAHIB PATH (The evening prayer) was long past but even then he recited the PATH in his mind. A doubt arose in his mind as to when the PATH of REHARAS SAHIB should normally be done?
He had a lot many religious and spiritual books but none offered him a satisfactory solution to his question. He thought that he would seek clarification from Sant Baba ji.
After some days Doctor Sahib reached the Kutiya early around 4 pm. Sant Baba ji was slowly walking in the Kutiya with the support of his stick in his hand. Doctor Sahib touched the feet of Sant Baba ji and started walking behind Sant Baba ji. Sant Baba ji completed his walk around the building of the Sachkhand. He had his eyes on the ground. He did not speak to Doctor Sahib. Doctor Sahib also completed the circle.
Sant Baba ji came under the mango tree. He took off his shoes, kept them aside with his stick and sat squatting on the floor. Sant Baba ji addressed Sant Baba Gian Singh ji, “Santa! Go and fetch a bed sheet from behind the Sachkhand building. Doctor Sahib will sit on it.”
Obeying the orders the sheet was laid and Doctor Sahib sat on it.
After some time Sant Baba Gian Singh ji came. He was carrying a bowl, and a pitcher covered with another bowl in his hand. He kept the utensils in front of Sant Baba ji.
Sant Baba ji asked him, “Santa! What is this?”
Sant Baba Gian Singh ji respectfully replied, “Maharaj! There is tea in the pitcher.” He then poured a little tea from the pitcher into the bowl and kept the bowl in front of Sant Baba ji.
The pitcher and the second bowl were kept in front of Doctor Sahib who was asked to drink the tea.
As directed, Doctor Sahib poured the tea from the pitcher into the bowl beside it. The tea was totally black. This was the first time that Doctor Sahib would take tea without any milk. He was doubtful of completely emptying the contents of the pitcher by drinking the black tea. He took a sip from the bowl. He observed from the taste that there was no sugar in the tea. Even though there was no milk or sugar in the tea yet the tea was very tasty and Doctor Sahib enjoyed it thoroughly. It had a unique taste, which he relished. The Holy eyes of Sant Baba ji had made a pungent tea into Amrit for the devotee.
While Doctor Sahib was drinking the tea, he thought, “I am living alone in the house in the village. I wait for the milkman to deliver the milk in the morning before I am able to prepare tea for myself. From tomorrow onwards, I will also prepare tea without milk.”
After the tea finished, Sant Baba ji said, “Santa! Please keep a MURRA (a mat made from bagasse) in front of the Darbar Hall. Let Doctor Sahib recite REHRAS SAHIB PATH, and we will listen to it.”
Doctor Sahib on hearing these words of Sant Baba ji went to wash his hands, face and feet from the Holy well. He came back and sat on the MURRA and recited the PATH. It was not easy to recite the PATH in presence of Sant Baba ji. There was a lot of stress on Doctor Sahib to recite the correct verses. The blessings of Sant Baba ji however, helped Doctor Sahib and the PATH was recited without any mistake. Parsad was served at the end of the PATH and then Sant Baba ji took leave from Doctor Sahib.
Doctor Sahib touched his forehead on the feet of Sant Baba ji and came out of the Kutiya. Going towards his house he thought, “I have received today an altogether different type of happiness.”
Next day in the morning Doctor Sahib prepared tea without milk and sugar and took a sip. It tasted like poison. He couldn’t drink it. He thought, “The tea I had taken in the Kutiya had the blessings of Sant Baba ji. It was the blessings of Sant Baba ji that I was asked to recite Gurbani. The doubt I had about the time for recitation of REHRAS SAHIB was also cleared without any difficulty. I did not have to raise any question and there was no reply required and even then the solution was placed before me. A family person should enjoy reciting the Gurbani daily. The happiness from reciting the Gurbani is necessary and the recitation should not just become a mere ritual to be performed at a fixed time.”
Sri Guru Granth Sahib’s following verse makes the fact clearer:
Come, O beloved Sikhs of the True Guru, and sing the True Word of His Bani. Sing the Guru’s Bani, the supreme Word of Words. Those who are blessed by the Lord’s Glance of Grace - their hearts are imbued with the Bani.Drink in this Ambrosial Nectar, and remain in the Lord’s Love forever; meditate on the Lord, the Sustainer of the world. Says Nanak, sing this True Bani forever. ||23|| (Page 920)