Story 183 - The Story of Guru Nanak

In the Punjab, there was a saint called Nanak. Like others, he was also of the higher stage. Once, when he was employed in a ware-house, a few cheats came to him in the guise of saints. He started giving them grains, after filling the measure repeatedly. He was orally counting the measures, but in his heart of hearts, he was absorbed in some other thoughts. A poet says,

"I have been admitted to the school of love just today. Although alphabet is uttered outwardly from the tongue, my heart is burning with love for Him," Absorption in spiritualism was permeating Nanak's thoughts, even through his worldly actions. Seemingly, he was counting the numbers, but this counting had no impression on his heart. By the time he counted thirteen (terah), he had forgotten everything. (In Hindustani the word „Terah‟ also means thine.) He entered into a state of spiritual forgetfulness or complete absorption in God. From the word (Terah) "thirteen" he was reminded of the idea that he was His. "I am Thine. I am Thine, Thine, I am Thine, Thine". Completely lost in his thoughts, he went on measuring the grains and repeating the word "Terah" (thirteen), (thine, thine) thereby meaning that "all is Thine" and; all are Thine". While repeating this he fell on the ground unconscious. Although his tongue stopped, yet it seemed, as if from every hair of his body the sound was coming out, Terah, Terah, "I am Thine. I am Thine". As a result, God changed the hearts of those cheats. They were themselves thieves but their hearts were stolen by God who is the Thief of all the thieves (because He steals away the hearts of His devotees). The cheats were so much affected that they also started saying, "Terah, Terah", "Thine, Thine". In this example of those thieves, the curtain was lifted, but only temporarily, through self-absorption.

Vol. 4 (84-85)