From Baghdad Guru Nanak travelled eastward and camped at Kandahar. Entering the town he met a handsome young man, Yar Wali, who addressed the Guru as “Master with charming eyes”. The young man asked, “What is your name ” The Guru said, “My name is Nanak, the servant of the Lord.” Yar Wali fell at the Guru’s feet and said, “I am simply overwhelmed by your presence.” The Guru lifted his head with his hands and asked him, “What is the wish uppermost in your mind ” The young man replied, “I desire true happiness, and to achieve that I wish to meet the true Lord.” The Guru was happy to have met him for he was in search of such souls. The Guru asked him to repeat the name of the Lord. He instantly obeyed. The Guru then said, “Not just repeat, repeat with love!” Yar Wali tried and smiled. The Guru told him, “The Lord is already within you but behind the veil of forgetfulness. If you keep remembering His name, this veil will lift and you will see the Lord right inside yourself. Never forget His name; repeat it with love and you will be blessed.” Leaving Wali, the Guru went to a frozen pond and sat under a tree near it. Soon, a man came, made a hole in the ice, took a dip and came out chanting, “Sita Ram”. The Guru asked, “Who are you and how long have you been doing this ascetic practice of bathing in freezing water ” The man said, “I am a Khatri from India and have been bathing like this for several years.” The Guru asked, “What benefit have you derived from it ” “It might have benefited my body, but it has not yet yielded the spiritual benefit I have been seeking,” the man said. Guru Nanak smiled and asked, “What spiritual benefit have you been expecting ” Khatri: “I want to meet my Creator.” Guru Nanak: “But how can that be accomplished by taking a dip in freezing water ” Khatri: “I don’t know. Can you suggest a better way ” Guru Nanak: “Love your Creator and remember His name. Keep calling Him with love. He will appear from within you. Love is the spiritual panacea. It surely will enable you to meet the Lord.” Placing his hand on Khatri’s head, the Guru blessed him. All of a sudden, Khatri felt a sensation of the divine name resounding within him. He was astonished and fell on the Guru’s feet.
J.S. Neki, a psychiatrist of international repute, was director of PGIMER, Chandigarh. Currently he is Professor of Eminence in Religious Studies at Punjabi University, Patiala.
