The best singer in the world

[DhadiMania]

Taan Sain was the best musician in Emperor Akbar's court. Each

evening he would sing for the Emperor who was a lover of the arts,

and who would greatly appreciate the musician. He would shower many

gifts and praises onto the musician.

One evening, after a particularly beautiful performance by the

musician, the Emperor called Taan Sain to his palace and

said, "Today you overwhelmed me.

While I was listening to you sing, a thought occurred to me and that

thought was that you are the best musician on this Earth. But as

soon as that thought had trespassed my mind, I thought about the

great teacher who must have taught you, must also be great. That's

the reason I asked for you. Pray tell me, who is your teacher and

how can he or she come to this court to perform for the Kingdom."

Taan Sain smiled and said, "Sire, my teacher is full of wonders.

But I know him enough to tell you that he will not come to this

court."

The Emperor said, "Of course we will do his seva quite handsomely..."

Taan Sain, "With due respect, Sire, no amount of seva will bring my

teacher to your court."

This greatly intrigued the Emperor, "Surely there is a way that I

could listen to your teacher sing. If he will not come here,

perhaps we can go to him."

Taan Sain again smiled, "Sire, my teacher is carefree and he might

not like us going to him."

Emperor, "But surely, my good man, there must be a way."

Taan Sain thought a while and said, "Well, there is one way. My

teacher usually sings in the early mornings by the Ganga River. If

the Raja insists, then we must be discreet and hide

nearby and

listen to him at that time."

The Emperor was a spiritual man and he did wake up at early hours of

the morning anyway, so he arranged for them to be taken to a place

where Taan Sain's teacher bathed and sang.

Both the Emperor and Taan Sain reached the river bank at 1 am and

hid in nearby bushes. As was the daily routine of Taan Sain's

teacher, he came to the river at 1.30 am, bathed and sat on the

riverbank and sang.

His song was so great that it completely mesmerized the Emperor.

The Emperor could not speak or move, and just sat like a stone idol

for the entire time the teacher sang. Even after the teacher had

left, the Emperor had to be nudged from his vismad smadhi by Taan

Sain.

The Emperor half dreamily walked back to the carriage that had

brought them to the riverbank. The Emperor remained in vismad for

the whole ride back and indeed, the whole day.

After that evening's performance, the Emperor summoned Taan Sain to

his palace again and said, "Taan Sain, your teacher is wonder

itself. I am very, very curious at one thing. I love your singing

but if you wouldn't mind, I would request you answer one question."

Taan Sain, "Sire, please ask this servant any question."

The Emperor, "With much due respect, I thought that you were the

best on this Earth, but your teacher far surpresses you. I do not

wish to offend you in any way, but please tell me how is this

possible that your teacher's talent is eons deeper than yours?"

Taan Sain laughed and said, "Rajan, I perform for you, he performs

for God."

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Taan Sain performed for worldly people. His teacher performed for

Waheguru.

Taan Sain's song was like a rose. His teacher's song was like a bed

of freshly blossomed and fragrance-laden roses dancing in the wind.

At the hour that our overwhelmingly loving guru calls "

Amrit Vela"

we perform for Waheguru. No one else.

There is no doubt that when we do seva and sing keertan at the

gurudwara, we do it sincerely and with faith. But there is always a

hint of humai (ego) hidden in our actions. When we do good keertan,

we wait for someone to say,

"Wah, Wah." When we write a good speech, we expect someone to come

and praise it.

But at the time that our overwhelming-ras-filled guru calls "Amrit

Vela", there is no one there except guru. Then we please the guru

and the guru only. The guru then has the chance to splash us with

the guru's overflowing maddening prem, love, ras and jot.

The time that our very own father, mother and overwhelmingly

unconditionally-loving guru calls "Amrit Vela" is the beginning of

sikhi. It is the beginning of our path to the guru's warm and sukh-

sagar bosom.

Bhai Randhir Singh jee on Amrit Vela:

"The gursikh that does naam simran at amrit vela, is *assured* of

satguru's kalaa (rang, love, intoxication, kripa etc)"

Baba Nand Singh jee:

(Upon finding out that someone will be writing his (Baba jee's)

biography)

Laughing, "gursikho, imagine an almond. It has the outer shell, the

brown part we all see. Then it has a white inner part that is not

seen. My life is like that almond. The biographer will be writing

about that brown outer part - what I did, what I said - but

gursikho, my *real* life, the inner white, is from 1 am till 6 am.

Nobody can possibly even imagine that life, let alone write about

it. Only I know that real life."

Baba Attar Singh jee

"A sikh should drop 10 other tasks to eat on time,

a sikh should drop 100 other tasks to do nitnem on time

and a sikh should drop 1,000 other tasks to do simran on time."

A Gursikh

"I wait desperately for amrit vela all day."

As you can see, amrit vela is *most* important aspect of sikhi.

Indeed, many an aware g

ursikh will tell you,

"Sikhi without amrit vela naam simran *is* not possible".

waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguru waheguru.........

[Gupat Singhni]

inspirational post...very touching and true!