Friends as contended devotees
The scene now shifts to Austria, where the Murshid or Baba Ji has gone for a visit. A special congregation is being held. Accompanying the Murshid are also Ram and his wife, Mureed and Harnam. But we are getting ahead of the story. Let us see how this came about.
After finishing their education, the three friends had opened a computer hardware and software company. Ram was the Managing Director. Mureed and Harnam were and contended to be called as partners. Ram looked after their computer hardware business in India and aborad. Mureed preferred to stay in India and manage the computer software operation from here because of good software engineers being available in India. Harnam had taken over the financial, legal and administrative operations of the company. He was also the Company Secretary. Each of them complemented the others’ working. As a team, they were perfect and there was never a misunderstanding among them. That does not mean that they did not have different ideas on business matters. These they thrashed out during their strategy sessions. It was during such a strategy session at their Amsterdam branch that Ram had met Jennie, now his wife. They had needed a part-time secretary for their session. Jeenie had obliged. One thing led to another and Ram and Jennie were united in a wedlock after seeking Murshid’s blessings. Shyam, Ram’s younger brother, was an object of affection and love for Jennie, who did not have a brother in the family. This was Shyam got one more person who called be the but of his practical pranks. He was forever leaving funny notes on her mirror using her mirror using her lipstick. The three friends always had a good laugh at her shouted exasperation at Shyam.
Mureed had undergone a tough period due to the divorce of his sister, Meher-un-Nissa. A divorcee in Asia in an object of ridicule. She was a confused person. She could not understand, why her husband had divorced her in preference to another girl. She even contemplated taking her life. Mureed had gone to Pakistan to meet her. There he managed to convince the concerned authorities that he was the only real guardian now alive. Very reluctantly he had been permitted to bring her to India. The moment she saw Harnam, she clung to him and cried and cried. They had last seen each other in the Pakistani village. She recognized in him a loving genuine human being. Harnam saw in her a person pure and simple at heart, who had become a victim of circumstances. He took upon himself the duty of cheering her up. Later, he expressed his desire to marry her. Mureed was shocked to hear it. Meher-un-Nissa, too, opposed it on the ground that she did not want her misery to be passed on to others. It was Jeenie who convinced everyone about the good match. Harnam and Meher-un-Nissa were Joined in wedlock by the Murshid. She very efficiently took over the running of the Delhi house. Mureed was a much relieved and happy man.
It was under these circumstances that the three friends had assembled in Austria for the special congregation. Each of them was asked to speak.
Mureed: “God is formless, eternal and everlasting. One, who has realized God, cannot quarrel over cast, creed, religion, race, nationality or colour. All are His creatures. All the world’s prophets gave the same message. However, humans in their folly have forgotten this essential truth. They have created hatred where only love should prevail. Those, who know this elementary truth, will be saved forever. This Divine Knowledge can be had only from a true Murshid.
“Do not consider the Murshid to be a mere human. His divine element is the same as Nirankar (Formless God). In that sense, he is himself the creator of all things. In him vests all the power of Nirankar. He can save you from the cycle of birth and death. He is all-powerful and all-merciful. Realisation of the One is the only pursuit worth following in this life. All other activities cannot fetch you the bliss which each of us cherishes. The Murshid’s message is simple: “Know the One and be one.”
Ram: “The Brahman of the Hindus, the Allah of the Muslims, the God of the Christians and the Waheguru of the Sikhs is the same – one and the only truth. He is realizable and attainable. The unity (oneness of God) then stands explained. Shed your ego and come to the feet of the Murshid, who alone can bestow this vision. All duality is then lost. The whole creation becomes yours. Only then will you understand your own position vis-à-vis the Creator. You will then be calm, happy, contented, serene, loving, truthful and humble.”
Harnam: “At first I was confused as to the identity of a Murshid or Guru? Could a mere human being be a Guru? Now having realized the Ultimate Reality from him, I can say that the Guru is God himself. God himself assumes the form of a human to pass on His message of unity and love. The visible body is not the Guru. It is the Divine Knowledge within the body which is the Guru. After all, what better form the Divine Power can assume for conveying its message than that of a human being. This is what has happened throughout the ages. Lord Jesus Christ came and preached on this fair earth. Prophet Mohammad, Lord Krishna, Lord Rama, All were humans in form: We also have the ten Sikh Gurus. It was the divine entity speaking through them.
“Now the Murshid or Baba Ji is carrying on this noble task. Those, who come to him and regard him as human, get only help and succour at the human level, for example, good advice and good cleer. But those, who regard him as Divine, are connected to the Divine. Such devotees then partake of the divine boons such as love, affection, humility, harmony, serenity, calmness, equipoise, good health, freedom from anger, lust, greed and attachment.
“Firstly, one has to attain the Divine Knowledge. Then one has to practice it in one’s life. Only then the true benefit of the Divine Knowledge will accrue to him. Such a person cannot express his inner feelings in words. It is akin to eating jaggery by a dumb person who cannot express his joy. Our human speech has got similar imitation. It is unable to express the true joy and bliss of acquiring the Divine Knowledge and living up to it.”
Many other person also spoke, but all eyes were focused on these three friends. An inner joy was shinning on their faces. Their hearts were at peace. The Lord’s Name was on their lips and they were a contented happy lot.