Guru Har Rai Saheb Ji And The Old Woman

[Guest Guest]

One day during a ride, Guru Har Rai Saheb Ji halted and knocked at the door of a poor woman and said, "Good lady, I am very hungry, bring me the bread you have prepared."

The woman, throbbing with joy, brought out some coarse bread which he partook on horseback, without washing his hands, and relished it very much. He then blessed the woman and cut off the shackles of her transmigration.

Next day the Sikhs prepared dainty dishes with great attention to cleanliness and offered them to the Guru at the same hour.

He laughed and said, "O Sikhs, I ate food from that woman's hands because she was holy. This food which you have prepared with attention to ancient ceremonial is not pleasing to me."

The Sikhs asked, "O true king, yesterday you ate bread on horseback from the hands of an old woman whom you did not know. There was no consecrated space and the food was in every way impure. Today we have prepared the food for you; no impurity is attached to it, yet you reject it. Be kind enough to explain the reason."

The Guru replied, " The woman with great devotion and faith prepared food for me out of what she had earned from the sweat of her brow. On this account the food was very pure, and I partook of it. The Guru is hungry for love and not for dainty dishes. In the matter of love for God, no rule is recognized. It is not what man eats that pleases God, it is man's devotion that is acceptable to Him."

[Amrit]