Forgiveness; The most important teaching by Guruji – Narrated by Sh. Ashok Bhalla

Those were my youthful days when I started coming to Guruji. In those days, I was known amongst friends and family for being a bit short tempered, especially if I saw anything wrong happening.

When I came to Guruji, He asked me to refrain from being angry. He simply said, “Putt, gussa nahin karna” and I started following. In the initial days, it was difficult and I sometimes used to feel angry in certain situations, but by Guruji’s grace was able to control my anger in time. When I would visit Guruji next, He would ask me, “Putt, gussa to nahin kitta?”, (Did you get angry) and I used to truthfully say, ‘No’.

As time progressed, I started developing constraint and the surge of anger that I used to feel, started declining. Once it happened that an auto hit my stationary car from behind and yet I did not feel angry. More than an year had passed without a single incident of anger and I used to think that Guruji will ask me whether I get angry or not and I will proudly say ‘No’, but in this period of about one and half to two years, He never asked me this question even once.

There was a Van (Standard 20) which was used at Gurgaon Sthaan and many a times Guruji also used to travel in it. Once it so happened that the stereo of that van stopped working. I requested Guruji for permission to get it repaired and on getting His approval, removed it from the van (to get it repaired).

I brought the stereo at my work place and kept it.  About 3 – 4 days passed and I forgot about it. When I finally remembered, I tried to locate it but could not find it. I asked everyone, but nobody had a clue where it was.

A couple of days later, one of my workers, caught a casual worker stealing something. On asking, it became evident that he had stolen the stereo also. I was already feeling a bit guilty at losing the stereo which I had brought for repair from Him; on coming to know of the person who had stolen it, I got angry and gave him a tight slap. I raised my hand to give another one, when I felt that someone held my hand.  I looked back and there was nobody; just the wall.

I immediately remembered Guruji’s words and felt sorry for letting the feeling of anger come over me after such a long period of restraint. That evening, when I went to Gurgaon, the first thing Guruji asked me was, “Putt, Gussa to nahin kitta?” He put this question to me after two years, on that very day that I got angry. That was surprising. But as a matter of habit I shook my head in the negative and immediately realized what I just did. I was about to confess to Guruji, but just as I opened my mouth He told me to come and sit near Him and got busy talking to someone else.

When He finished talking, I again started to confess but again Guruji got busy and ordered for some tea for me and others present there. It continued like this for the next couple of hours. As time progressed, I thought about calling my home to inform them that I will be late. As there were no mobile phones in those days, I got up to go out and call, but Guruji signaled me to sit down. I obeyed.

Soon it was midnight and by this time I was almost sure that my wife would have reported for me at the Police Station in the “Missing Persons” register, but Guruji’s words had to be followed so I kept sitting silently. Guruji normally used to start sending people back at midnight and maximum by 12:30 a.m. everyone usually used to leave. I thought that I would quickly tell Guruji what happened once everyone leaves and ask for His forgiveness.

But, it was not to be. That day Guruji did not ask anyone to leave at the normal time of around midnight. It was around 1 a.m. and He again asked, “Putt, chai piyega?” I said yes and had another cup of tea. After everyone sitting had tea, they started to leave one by one and it was around 2 a.m. when everyone left. I was alone with Guruji and not having the courage to confess my act of anger anymore, I got up to take His permission to leave at which He again asked, “Putt, chai piyega?”

Tea came in again at 2:30 a.m. and in a very serene mood, without me telling Him what was going on in my mind, He said, “Putt, aaj ke baad, tere galle mein se, tere saamne koi paise nikale aur tere puchhne pe mukar jaye, to uski baat maan lena” (After today, even if you see someone taking out money from your cash box and he refuses to accept it when you ask him about it, then believe him and let him go”). I started to say something about the incident, but He kept His finger on His lips and signaled me to keep quiet.

What a great knowledge, He gave that day. After a few days, I visited His office. He was not there but somehow I came to know where He was. I went there and with an action of His hand, He simply said, “Beta, tum kisi ki itni si galti maaf karoge, to main maalik se tumhaari itni galti maaf kara loonga” (You forgive a small mistake of someone and I will get forgiveness for your big mistakes)

Such is the generosity of our Guruji, the Super Master… Pranaams to you.