Sufijalalani

Incidents, events & recollections as written by Late Diwan Lalchand (Asoomal) Lakhwani

• I was at Jalalani Sharif when Seth Khushaldas Manghnani arrived in the evening and related to me that the Government of Pakistan had ordered that Hindus not be reimbursed the proceeds from the harvest. Sainji asked what Khushaldas was saying. I repeated the conversation. Sainji said, “ Has the government created the Hindus?” He went on to say that there was nothing to worry about and none of the work would go to waste. When I reached Karachi, the Sind Government renounced the previous mandate.
• In 1958 General Ayub Khan took over the Government of Pakistan under Martial Law. Law and order was strict and severe punishment was handed down on ordinary cases. Someone filed a false complaint against Seth Jasoomal (Asoomal’s father-in-law), which prompted General Tikka Khan to raid Jasoomal’s property. After prolonged searching, they found nothing. The General confiscated some tax papers and took them hoping to find some irregularities. I had just returned from Jalalnani Sharif but went back. In the morning after namaaz (prayers), Sainji asked me if everything was all right and why had I returned so quickly. I replied that the Government was harassing the Hindus, that they were all in fear and I had come for his blessings. Sainji’s mood changed and he replied, “God is still there. The Government is not in charge. He (Ayub Khan) will understand this or he will be made to understand this.” He blessed us all and we left after breakfast. We reached Tando Adam around 5 p.m. and on the radio was the news that the previous rulings against the Hindus were being reversed. Seth Jasoomal had his papers returned. Many years later, Seth Jasoomal came to see Sainji in Karachi for his blessings regarding some other difficulties he was having. I asked Sainji to bless him. Sainji replied “ Bacho (child), he is the same person you had brought to the Dargah and I had blessed him then. Those blessings will last him a life- time. Sufi’s only bless you once and those blessings are enough for a whole life- time. Do not worry. Everything will be all right.
• At the time of partition, under Evacuee Property Law all property in Pakistan belonging to Hindus, who had migrated to India, was allotted to Muhajirs. In 1952 a new deputy Commissioner Syed Irshad Dorniya Sahib was posted in Mirpurkhas. My father (Siroomal Kripaldas) was Vice Chairman of the Sindh Panchayat (assembly) and was a member of the Sind Assembly from 1946 till 1955 and was elected to the National Assembly in 1954. He published a newspaper in which the harassment of Hindus was detailed. The DC issued a notice to my father suggesting he should migrate from Pakistan. At the time Sainji was staying in Tando Adam and was going to Dargah Jhok Sharif to attend the mela for Sain Shah Qalander Datapir. Diwan Siroomal touched Sainjis feet, took his blessings and mentioned that he had received a notice. Sainji asked why the notice since the Government was on DiwanÂ’s side. Diwan Siroomal stated that this was because he had dared to publish the hardships being committed against the Hindus. Sainji became quiet and left for the Dargah. Three or four days after the mela, Sainji mentioned that there was a gathering of all fakirs under Shah Shaheed Badshah. Sainji then brought up his wish to perform a ‘karamatÂ’ (supernatural act) and have the current government changed and asked for input from others at the gathering. Other Fakirs said that SainjiÂ’s previous ‘karamatÂ’ had left the population scared and would Sainji consider not doing another ‘karamatÂ’ in this case. Since Sainji wanted to do this for Diwan Siroomal, all the fakirs would bless and pray for Diwan sahib instead, but Sainji could go ahead and do it if he wanted to. Sainji did not bring the matter up again and did not change history. Following this, the government withdrew the notice against Diwan Siroomal.
• Sainji related that once Sahib Kareem Sain Abdul Sattar Sain (SainjiÂ’s Murshid) was getting ready for travel. However, times were so bad that money had been borrowed against even the large cooking vessels (Degs). Sain then called one Hindu from town and asked him to loan 50 rupees. The money would be returned on SainÂ’s return. Sain Abdul Sattar also promised the lender that should he get into any trouble, all he had to do was call out for SainÂ’s help. The money was given; Sain made the trip and returned the money back. A long time after this event, the Hindu moneylender was riding on his horse through the countryside with considerable money on him. A group of thieves surrounded him. He remembered the old promise and started calling out Sain Abdul SattarÂ’s name. After a moment, he saw Sain coming towards him. Sain started calling out loudly to the thieves who then took off.

• Sainji once said that this world was a big “azaar” (troubling/painful experience). These troubles would be cured if a person took the following prescription:
  • Humility
  • Repentance
  • Acceptance of God’s will
  • Contentment
  • Put all this in a pot with piousness
  • Mix some water containing modesty
  • Then cook it with lots of love to complete the prescription
  • Put all of this in a bowl of thankfulness
  • Eat the prescription with praise for God.

• Sainji asked: Who is a ‘kafirÂ’ (non-believer)? It is the person who sees God as being separate from him/her.
• Sainji related that once the Prophet (PBUH) was sitting in some company and heard one person abuse and bad-mouth another. The recipient sat quiet listening and saw the Prophet (PBUH) smiling. The recipient of the comments replied in the same tone. He then observed the Prophet (PBUH) looking upset and asked why the Prophet (PBUH) smiled earlier when he was being abused, but then looked dismayed when he elected to reply back. The Prophet (PBUH) explained that when the questioner was patiently listening to the abuse, the ‘malaiksÂ’ (angels) were showering blessings upon him, which made the Prophet (PBUH) smile. But when the reply was given, the angels left and this dismayed the Prophet (PBUH).

• Sainji told a story of the time the Khwaja Khizr was walking along the side of the river in the early morning time before sunrise. From a distance he saw a bright ‘spiritual’ light. He walked up and saw a man sleeping on the ground. Khwaja Khizr woke the man and asked who he was and why at this godly hour was he sleeping. He then told him that this time was for praying and remembering God. The man asked, “ Are you the Khwaja Khizr?” The answer was “Yes, do you know me?” The man replied “ I do, that’s why I called you by your name. Do you not know me?” The answer was “No.” Upon hearing the answer, the man walked away. Khwaja Khizr walked some more along the river. He again saw the same light in the distance. When he walked up, he noticed a woman with her head covered by a dupatta sleeping on the ground. He then woke her up and reminded her that this time of the day was for remembering God. The woman dusted off her dupatta and asked, “ You are Khwaja Khizr, aren’t you?” The answer was “Yes, do you know me?” The woman replied “ I do, that’s why I called you by your name. First, you woke my Murshid from his sleep and then came and woke me up. Do you not know me?” The answer was “No.” Upon hearing the answer, the woman walked away. Khwaja Khizr was now puzzled about the identity of the two people. He then decided to raise the question in the Lord’s Dargah. He stated that he was familiar with all of the saints who were in love with God, but he did not know these people who in turn knew him. The reply came back that you do know all of the people who are in love with me, but these are the people I am in love with. Khwaja Khizr asked, “ Whose talibs (disciples) are these?” The answer was: Disciples of Sain Data Dastagir Badshah sahib.
• Sainji related that he had never asked his Murshid for anything. Once he asked his Murshid, “I have only one request and that is that God grant every prayer I ask for on behalf of your children.” SainjiÂ’s Murshid was deeply touched and said, “Your prayers and blessings will be so effective that throngs of people will follow you.”

• Sainji made a solemn promise that whoever calls on him during periods of difficulty will find Sainji at their side by calling out thus: O! Nasir Fakir Jalalani! Come grace me with your presence and deliver me from my enemies.
• Sainji recounted a pack of wolves that decided to elect a leader within the group. So they elected one of the wolves as a leader. Just so the leader could be recognized they tied a piece of wood to the tail. Soon thereafter, a pack of large dogs arrived and seeing them approach, the rest of the wolves fled. However, the leader being weighed down by the wood was unable to flee. Sainji compared the leader to someone who has the responsibility for a home and has to carry all the burdens of daily life. The leader has to do the right thing because the ultimate judge is God himself. Everyone else will leave, but the leader is stuck. Everyone has responsibility for himself or herself.
• Sainji related that Hazrat Sain Shah Qalandar Dattapir used to say that Mirabai was considered by some to be half a saint, because she was a woman. But He went on to say that if He had a say He would have considered her to be one and a half saint because Mirabai experienced a lot of suffering.

• Sainji explained the role of the Murshid in many different ways. He once said there is a bird whose offspringÂ’s are born with eyes closed. The bird then searches the mountains for ‘parsÂ’ (mystical magical product) that the bird then uses on the offspring to get their eyes to open. A Murshid also like the bird. He also puts in lots of work and effort that the disciple does not see and appreciate.
• Another way he explained this Murshid-disciple relationship was to give the example of the ‘humaÂ’ (eagle) which flies in the sky and drops its eggs from the sky. The eggs then open while they are falling from the sky. Some of the babies make a serious effort, are able to then fly upwards and reach their mother. The MurshidÂ’s and disciples roles are similar.
• Sainji mentioned that there was a ‘mehaarÂ’ (cattle herder) who was tending to his cows on the banks of a river. He saw a ‘mashkÂ’ (a bag like container made of cow/goat hide) floating by in the water. He jumped in to retrieve it thinking it probably contained ‘gheeÂ’ (cooking oil/butter) and reached out with both arms to catch it. It turned out that the large animal was alive and the man drowned from the sheer weight. This world is exactly like this incident. We struggle using both arms to get material things to please us. But the worldÂ’s weight and the waves of reasoning and intellect tend to drown us.

• He also told of the goat herder who was tending to his cattle in a valley when he found a slingshot. He proceeded to try and use it to kill some antelope. He wasted several stones and was left with only one more. His last shot killed an antelope. When he got to the antelope a king who claimed that he had killed the animal confronted him. After an argument the king demanded to see evidence of a weapon that the herder used to kill the antelope. The king saw the slingshot and wondered if it was a magical weapon. The king therefore offered to take the herder with him and give him riches and happiness. The king gave him a lot of love and had him married to his daughter. When the king died a few years later, the ministers elected the goat herder the new king. Upon sitting on the throne, he started to cry. The ministers asked him why he was crying when he should be happy to become a king from a goat herder. The new king replied, “All the good fortune resulted from a single slingshot. I wasted so many stones. That is why I am crying.” The morale of the story is that each ‘damÂ’ (breath) is magical and even acceptance of one ‘damÂ’ with GodÂ’s name can lead to a throne (in the next world). Sainji repeatedly admonished us not to waste so many ‘damsÂ’ that do not have GodÂ’s name.
• There was a trader who made frequent trips abroad for business. Once, before leaving he asked his friends and relatives if they wanted anything. They all gave him their requests, which he wrote on his list. He also had a pet parrot, which he kept, in a cage. He asked his parrot if he wanted anything. The parrot replied, “I have some relatives in one of the places you are visiting. Tell them while they are enjoying their freedom, I am captive in a cage. When they get together, remind them to remember me.” The trader noted the message and went on his trip. He remembered to buy all the things for his friends and relatives. At the end, he remembered the parrotÂ’s message. He then went to the park where the parrotÂ’s relatives were and asked one of them if they were related to his parrot. The parrots all gathered together to hear the message. The trader repeated the message about their being free while his parrot was in cage and for them to remember his parrot whenever they got together. Upon hearing this message, one of the parrots slowly crawled for ward and died on the spot. The trader felt badly about this. He returned home, gave everyone his or her things and when the parrot asked if he had conveyed his message, the trader related what had happened. Upon hearing about the death of one of the relatives, the parrot crawled forward in his cage and dropped to the floor of the cage. The trader thought he was dead also and took him outside and left him for dead. After a few minutes, the bird flew away. Analogy: The parrot in the cage is the disciple. The cage is the body. The trader is love. The relative parrot abroad that looked like it was dead and showed the caged parrot how to free itself is the Murshid. We are trapped in our bodies and have to free ourselves by ‘dyingÂ’before death. This ‘dyingÂ’ refers to being immersed in love for God and and giving up your soul before physical death.

• Sainji narrated that there was once a man who died, but then awoke. His relatives all asked what happened and curious about getting life back in his body. He replied that as soon as the breath left his body a police like squad came to get him. They took him to a gathering where a man was sitting on a cot and the rest of the gathering down on a carpet. The man sitting on the cot asked if I had a Murshid. I said that I did. He then asked who it was. I replied, “ Sain Sultan Ali Shah Sufi.” As soon as he said that, he saw his Murshid by his side, holding him by his arm. My Murshid addressed the head of the gathering and said, “ He still has life remaining on earth.” The man in charge asked his subordinates to get the book. They brought out a large book and going down the list, noted that my name was not on the list. They admitted there was a mistake and left me back here.
• Sainji recounted that everyone eats meat from a goat/lamb when it is sacrificed when alive, but not when it is found dead. Human beings are also similar as without a Murshid (spiritual leader), they are not alive. A Murshid is a guide and shows a disciple the road to God.
• Sainji related the tale of a blind man who offered four annas (local currency) to anyone who would show him the city. A second blind man sitting nearby offered to do so. The second blind man then led the first by the hand after being paid. Both of them fell into some recently dug pits on the road. The first blind man protested that he didnÂ’t pay to fall into a pit. The second blind man admitted that he did it for the payment even though he knew he was blind. So, one should get a Murshid whose life is an example and not one who can only talk. One should take time finding the right guide.
• Sainji told of a town where an elephant was available for viewing. People were going to see the elephant. There were three blind men who offered payment to anyone who would take them to the elephant. Someone who could see offered to take them. The person taking them said since the elephant is a wild animal, IÂ’ll take each one separately to see the elephant. He took the first one who touched the elephantÂ’s leg and said, “ What an elephant!” He took the second one who touched the ear of the elephant and made the same comment. The third one touched the tail and said something similar. When the three came back home, they were asked what they thought the elephant was like. The first one said the elephant resembled a solid pillar, the second compared the elephant to a ‘chajÂ’ (straw container used to clean vegetables), and the third compared it to a rope. The three then got upset at having touched the same elephant and yet had three different versions. All three ‘sawÂ’ the elephant but did not see or recognize the elephant. Similarly said Sainji, everyone may be able to ‘seeÂ’ their Murshid but only those with true inner vision are able to recognize him. It is just that some people saw their Murshid during daylight, but some are able to truly see their Murshid in the dark also.

• Sainji also instructed everyone to only take one Murshid or spiritual guide during his or her life. It is all right to check other spiritual resources, but there should be only one Murshid. If oneÂ’s Murshid dies, one should not take a second one. One can only get into one boat. A child only has one set of parents. A truly ‘kamilÂ’ (one who has reached the highest spiritual level) never dies. A heart that awakens divine love never dies.
• Sainji recounted the story of Hazrat BuAli Shah Qalandar who lived in Delhi. The King at the time asked his Vizier (Minister) to arrange a visit with Shah Sahib. The Vizier stated that Shah Sahib was a King (spiritually) in his own right and did not deign to visit anyone. The King ordered that all the streets in the city where Shah Sahib lived be closed except for one and the police force be stationed at these lanes. When Shah Sahib tried to go through these lanes, he found all of them closed except for the one where the King had stationed himself. When Shah sahib finally came through the open lane he encountered the King. The King paid his respects and asked, “ Shah Sahib, how did you see God?” Shah Sahib replied, “I saw God the same way you saw me.” Sainji compared to the streets to reason, and stated that once the mind is closed to reason, God is accessible.
• Asoomal relates that Hazrat Sahib Sain Sadiq Shah had taken a great liking to AsoomalÂ’s great grand father Lakhoomal. Once Sain Sadiq Shah was travelling and Lakhoomal was with him. Lakhoomal used to suffer from arthritis a lot. One early morning Sain looked at someone still lying down covered up. Sain discovered it was Lakhoomal. Lakhoomal respectfully apologized for not being up to pray because of his health. Sain Sadiq Shah in his benevolence and showing his love for Lakhoomal said, “Lakhoomal, continue to sleep. I will pray to God on your behalf.” It is said that from that day, Lakhoomal slept even more and Sain slept less.
• Sain Sadiq Shah Badshah had a lot of ‘barochÂ’ (type of Muslim clan) and a lot of Hindu disciples as well. Once one of the baroch disciples questioned Sain, “Will the Hindu disciples go to heaven also?” Sain Sadiq Shah replied, “Not only will they be allowed into heaven, I will see to it that their stable of horses get in also!”
• Once a group of Arabs came to visit and pay respects to Sain Sadiq Shah Badshah. When they entered they saw some Hindus and some Muslims in the gathering. They respectfully asked that they would like to talk when there are only Muslims present. Sain told them to come after evening prayers the next day. The next day the Arabs came, but were surprised to see that only the Hindu disciples were present. They said, “Either Sain did not understand our request or Sain is deliberately making fun of us.” Sain replied, “I understood your request perfectly well and I am not making fun of you either. If you look at them with your ‘zahirÂ’ (external) eye, these disciples are all Hindus, that much is true. But, if you had a ‘batunÂ’ (inner) vision you would see that each one of them sits in the company of the Prophet (PBUH) himself. I do not know which ‘MuslimsÂ’ you are talking about?”
• Sainji related the story of an eagle that was sharing some food with another bird in a ditch. While they were doing this a spider came along and spun a web around them both. The eagle suddenly saw the web and assumed that some hunter had thrown a net around them to keep them from escaping. The eagle quietly became resigned to its fate and sat still. Another eagle flew by, watched the two birds sitting still and asked the eagle what the problem was. The first eagle said he was waiting for the hunter to show up as he was trapped. The second eagle urged the first to spread its wings, make an effort to get out. The first eagle tried and was able to fly away. Analogy: first eagle (disciple), second eagle (Murshid), and spider web (worldly habits). Meaning that we are trapped in the day to day world and those who make an effort to free themselves from these worldly habits can successfully do so.

Advice for an Ideal Spiritual Existence (COMPILED BY LATE ASOOMAL LAKHWANI)

• Always consider your Murshid to be more advanced than any other spiritual leaders.
• Always consider the favors bestowed upon you by your Murshid above all others.
• Stay away from lying, stealing, false accusations, and hurting other people’s feelings. Continually ask for God’s forgiveness.
• Keep sleep to a minimum, especially after early morning hours.
• Keep eating to a minimum.
• Value silences and keep unnecessary talking to a minimum.
• Control your ego
• Listen to your Murshid’s instructions for saying your ‘zikr’ at every opportunity
• Have patience during times of difficulty and give thanks during times of plenty.
• Do not hurt other’s feelings; even those who have hurt yours.
• Don’t ask others for favors, but trust and believe in God.
• Live in a place where your heart is in harmony with God and your spiritual thoughts are not restricted.
• Cultivate friendships with God fearing people and suppress feelings of greed.
• If someone gives you something in the name of God, accept it with grace.
• If you collect material things and wealth beyond your needs, it is your duty to give away what you cannot use. Your Murshid, other spiritual beings, the poor and the orphaned are to be the recipients.
• The disciple should dress in a simple manner similar to the Murshid. Avoid dressing with too many overt expressions of wealth.
• One should respect every saintly personality and spiritual person. But if that person says or does something to lead you away from your Murshid, you should abandon that company.
• You should perform every task by assuming that it is in God’s hands and trust Him with it.
• One should consider God to be in every part of your life and witness to every action or deed that you are part of.
• Try not to speak ill of someone, avoid jealousy and company that involves worldly activities such as dancing/shows.
• Anger at anyone is not desirable. If you do not care for someone’s company, stay away.
• One should consider this life temporary and liable to end anytime. Consider ‘nafs’ (ego) to be your enemy.
• One should listen carefully to a spiritual person and try to take their advice to heart.
• A person should strive to lessen his/her needs and demands, and stay afar from harmful habits.
• Secrets from beyond this world (‘batun’) should only be shared with your Murshid.
• Pay no attention to your own good characteristics or bad habits/obsessions, but do pay attention to your ‘zikr’ and the true path to God.
• Do not be disrespectful of your Murshid. If you see someone being disrespectful of your Murshid, stay away and leave that gathering.

Rehan

Once I was sitting in Sainji’s company with others including Sain Deen Mohammed. Sain Deen Mohammed asked Sainji that last night I saw a person standing on your right side conversing with you. I overheard the conversation at the time but I cannot remember it now. Can you please tell me what it was about? Sainji asked, “ Didn’t you recognize him?” Sain Deen Mohammed replied, “ Yes, it was Hazrat Imam Hussein (PBUH). I heard the conversation, but now I do not remember.” Sainji said, “ Your perception was correct. The conversation was wordless and ‘khayal’ (thought) to ‘khayal.’

• Once Sainji was staying at Queens Road in Karachi. He asked one of his women disciples (probably Mrs. Siroomal) whether she had certain individuals who visited her last night (during her dream)? She replied that she had indeed. He asked if she had recognized them. She replied that two of them were from Dargah Jhok Sharif, but she did not know the third person. Sainji answered that the third was Khwaja Gharib Nawaz (from Ajmer Sharif). They had come to ask about ‘bandey’s’ (my) well being.
• Sainji related that He once asked his Murshid, which was the worst habit of all. His Murshid replied that it was ‘tamaha’ (greed). Greed splits families. Wherever one goes, one only gets what is that person’s destiny. Sainji then asked whether one should want anything? His Murshid replied, “ One should want only his Murshid’s love. All other greed is bad.”
• Sain Badshah Pir says that Sufi’s do not celebrate over life, become sad at death. Death reflects God’s displeasure and life shows God’s pleasure.
• Sainji related one incident about His Murshid. He noticed that His Murshid used to go to the main Roza at Dargah Jhok Sharif first, followed by a visit to the Chaukundi. Later, he reversed the order of his visit. Sainji asked Him the reason. His Murshid replied that He was going to see His own Murshid first, then visit and pay respects to the King (Badshah Shah Shaheed).
• Sainji had a disciple named Manik Fakir who was in Sain’s company and service. He went to the Dargah to clean and sweep the Dargah. He came back looking depressed. Someone asked him the reason. He replied that he heard spiritual discourses going on at the Dargah between some saintly souls and Sain asked him to leave the grounds. He was therefore unable to stay.
• One Fakir related to Sain that he was sitting in ‘muraqba’ (meditation) at Dargah Jhok Sharif and saw himself expanding to the extent that first the Dargah, then the entire world was enclosed within him. There was only one flower left outside the sphere left by itself. There was only one sound coming from this flower ‘Hoo, Hoo, Hoo’ referring to God’s name.
• One Fakir related that when he was in the middle of a ‘chaliya’ (forty day fast and prayer), he saw a garden where all the floors were wilting. He asked why that was the case. He was told that the flowers in the garden only bloom when the King (Sardar) comes. He soon saw a whole group of people with a Sardar in the center. All the flowers then bloomed in the direction of the sardar.
• Sainji was sitting in ‘muraqba’ and another fakir dressed in ‘gheroo’ (saffron) clothes came by and sat by his side. Sain asked,”have you come to take my heart?” Their reply was yes. Sain replied that’” I have already given my heart to my Murshid. You can ask him for permission.” Sain then called Shah Qalander Datapir. The latter sent one of his fakirs who inquired about what difficulty Sain was having. When Sain related his problem, the fakir took the visitor in flight to Dargah Jhok Sharif Roza. The visitor then put his head at the Roza, called Shah Qalander Datapir and exclaimed,” I came to take someone’s heart and lost mine.”
• Sain Hasan Buksh (Sainji’s son) was sleeping at the mosque at the mela at Dargah Jhok Sharif and dreamt that behind the mosque there was a garden full of flowers and fruits. He started walking and eating the fruits. Sain Nasir Fakir then stopped him and asked him to sit down with the rest of the large crowd sitting in the compound. A white clothed fakir sat next to Sain Nasir Fakir with a large book. Sainji turned to the man and asked whether he had entered Sain Hasan Buksh’s name in the book. The, Sain asked if the man had entered everyone’s name in the book who was attending the mela. The man replied that he had indeed. Sain then asked him to close the book, got up and went to the Roza. Sain Hasan Buksh related that he also followed. One fakir dressed in saffron clothes stopped him and asked whether he had seen his father (Sainji). He replied that he had. The fakir then commented that “ If you follow in his footsteps, he is your father, otherwise he does not care. The ‘dafter’ (book) of Sain Shah Shaheed is also in his hands.” Sain Nasir fakir then proceeded to go to Sain Shah Shaheed Badshah’s tomb, which opened and Sainji walked inside. Sain Hasan Buksh said he then came and sat on the steps leading to the Roza in amazement. Sain Hasan Buksh encountered Jaso fakir (a disciple) coming out of the Roza, who smiled at him and asked for the details of what he had observed. Sain Hasan Buksh described the dream. Jaso fakir replied “ It was not a dream. It was real, but I am not allowed to say any more.”
• There was a man by the name of Mehboob Fakir who was visited by another fakir returning from a trip to Karbala (holy Muslim site). This fakir related that he was visiting Karbala and when he said he was from Sind he was asked whether Sain Nasir fakir was from the same area. He replied that he did not know this individual. They said that Sain Nasir fakir had been sitting in Karbala for years and described Sain in detail including the scar on Sain’s nose. Meboob upon hearing of the description exclaimed “ That is my Murshid! Let me take you to see him.”
• Late Gulabrai (Sainji’s disciple) states that once Sain was sitting in ‘muraqba’ from by the water canal’s edge from dusk to morning and when the sun started coming up, everyone was worried. They sent Sain Deen Mohammed to arouse Sain. With caution and apprehension, he went and coughed gently at which Sainji opened his eyes. He asked Sain about his thoughts. Sainji replied “ Usually the Prophet (PBUH) comes to ask details, but this time he sent Bulla Shah. I am still waiting for Him.” Sain Deen Mohammed replied “ Inshallah, He will come.” Sainji then agreed and got up.
• In his early days Sainji heard a lot of negative things. Once a husband and wife made some disparaging comments about SainÂ’s ‘gherooÂ’ clothes. Sainji was really upset and came home and immediately sat in prayer. A gun appeared at his shoulder for him to hurt the couple. SainÂ’s Murshid immediately appeared and instructed him not to do so. His Murshid said that the husband was destined to go blind and the couple was going to lose both their children. This happened and the wife used to come to the Dargah for food and alms.
• There was once a very poor man who approached a ‘fakir’ and asked for some remedy as his children were starving. The ‘fakir’ handed to him a ‘paras’- a touchstone, which when rubbed on any iron object, turns it to gold. The ‘fakir’ asked him to rub it on the iron objects at home and said that that would suffice for him. But there was one condition. The touchstone had to be returned before sunset.
• The poor man took the touchstone and left. He went straight to the marketplace and started purchasing iron items. He was so engrossed in doing this, that he did not realize that the sun had set!! The ‘fakir’, noticing that the poor man had not yet returned, left in search of him. On meeting him, he asked for the touchstone to be returned. The poor man was shocked!! He realized that he was still only in the process of collecting iron items!!!! He had missed the opportunity due to his greed!!!

Moral

We, like the poor man, are wasting our life running after various temptations. When the sun of our life will be about to set, we will realize that we have not used the ‘paras’ – meditated with ‘Naam’ – given to us by our Guru, but then it will be too late!!!

There is a quote from Sainji in one chapter on this topic too: “Suniya hai, samujha nahin, metiya na mana ka moha, Paras koon panhuncha nahin, rahiya loha ka loha”

Though you have heard about it, you have not understood the true meaning. You have not rid your mind of temptations and ‘moha’. Therefore you have not attained the ‘paras’ nor been touched by it and still remain a piece of iron!!

• Once, a falcon found a piece of meat and wanted to eat it on his own. But immediately, many other falcons followed him. He tried hard to get rid of them, but could not do so. Finally, he let go of the meat and settled on a tree. All the other falcons attacked each other in their effort to get the meat. The meat was torn to shreds and all the falcons were badly injured too. The first falcon was thankful for being safe, and he realized that he should not have taken the piece of meat at all!

• (The first falcon = a disciple. Other falcons = people in our society/world. Piece of meat = this world.) The moral is that we should not get too involved in this world, as it can destroy us.

• Many, many years ago, a saint was holding a discourse/satsang under a tree. At the end of it, he asked Vatayo Fakir to distribute the prasad. Vatayo Fakir asked him whether he should distribute it like a human being or like God. Like God, naturally, he was told. So, Vatayo Fakir gave some a handful, and some very little, and some none at all. When asked why he was doing so, he explained that God also did not distribute equally to all and as he had been asked to distribute the prasad like God, he too was giving it out unequally!!!
• Vatayo Fakir owned a donkey. He used to keep grass for him at night to feed on. But he soon realized that the neighbour’s cow was eating up all the grass while his donkey was starving. So, he called out to Allah to kill the neighbour’s cow. Next day when he woke up, to his utter dismay, the donkey was lying dead!!! He was shocked. He brought a blind man from the village and asked him to if he could differentiate between the two animals. The blind man correctly identified them. Vatayo Fakir then reprimanded Allah that even a blind man could realize the difference between a donkey and a cow, where as He being Allah, could not do so!!! I asked you to kill the cow and you killed my donkey”!!!
• Vatayo Fakir was very close to God, so he could speak with him so freely (with ‘hujjat’ or ‘apnapan’). This also shows that if you seek ill for others, ill will befall you!!
• Once there was a king, who had a very faithful slave named Ayaz Banho (slave). He was very dedicated, sincere and a very obedient person. Seeing these qualities, the king promoted him to the post of a vazir. All the other staff was very jealous, so kept an eye on him, to default him in some way or the other. They noticed that every morning, before entering the king’s court, he would enter a small hut and spend some time there. Having become suspicious that he may be hoarding some wealth there they complained to the king about it. The king asked for the hut to be opened. It was found that the hut had only a few old clothes hanging on a nail in the wall. So, he asked Ayaz Banho why he entered the hut daily and what he did there. Ayaz Banho replied that he went there daily to remind himself that he was actually a slave and should not to be carried away by his promotion!! This was the kind of humility he had.
• Once Ayaz Banho was asked to deliver a pitcher full of milk to somebody across the city. But he had to carry it in such a way that not a drop should fall by the wayside! Ayaz Banho carried the pitcher on his head and with full concentration on it, set out for his destination. There were many distractions on the way – attractive stalls, entertainment, people fighting, etc. But he did not give a thought to any of these and walked straight ahead, with his mind totally on the pitcher of milk. In this way he reached his destination without spilling a single drop of milk. (We should concentrate on God and ‘Naam’ in this way and not get carried away by the distractions of this world.)

Once a group of the king’s staff, one of whom was Ayaz Banho, was asked to go to a fair and reach across it within a certain time. Everyone left together. There were, naturally, many different distractions – some ministers got carried away by the entertainment stalls, others wanted to prove their prowess where skills were being tested, and a few could not resist the temptations of the delicious food around. Ayaz Banho, single-mindedly walked through all these distractions and reached the end point, leaving the others lost in the medley!! (In this way, we should have our focus on God, and put in every effort to move towards Him!)

LOVE FOR GOD

Sainji related that there was a Fakir beloved by God. God spoke and asked him what he wanted. He replied, “I want you.” God said, “ What if I give you rulership of both the world’s.” The Fakir replied, “ Both the world’s are ruled by you, therefore I want you.” God then said, “ What if I give you the kingdom of Heaven?” The Fakir replied, “ The people in Heaven are your disciples, I want you.” God then asked, “ What if I give you Hell?” The Fakir replied, “ These people are created by you albeit cursed. I want you.” God then said, “ What if you cannot have me?” The Fakir’s breath instantly left his body.

FAITH

Sainji related that a King and his Queen went for a walk on the beach and they found one fakir building castles from the sand. The queen went up to him and asked him as to what he was doing. He replied, “I am building castles which are going to be in Heaven.” The astounded queen asked him if he was willing to sell to her one of his Heavenly Castles.

The man said that he was building the castles so he could sell them. The queen pointed to the biggest sand castle and asked him for it’s price. “Five Rupees” said the Fakir. The queen immediately gave him the money and narrated the whole episode to the King. The King said, “ How stupid you are. The poor man has just duped you of five Rupees and he must be really having a good laugh at your gullible nature.” The Queen became a little saddened at what her husband told her. Anyway, they returned to their palace and went to sleep. The king dreamt that he was in a wonderful land where he saw some fabulous castles, all studded with priceless jewels ! Suddenly, he was attracted to a very huge, glorious castle, the likes of which he had never seen before. He advanced towards it but was stopped from entering by the guard posted there. To his utter amazement, he saw the nameplate on the door of the castle and it had his wife’s name on it!! “This castle belongs to my wife and surely I have the right to enter it,” he told the sentry. The sentry very curtly told him that ONLY his wife was allowed to enter as it belonged to her. At this point, the king woke up with a start and was quite unhappy with the experience of his dream. The whole day the king was fretting and fuming and as evening approached, he cajoled his queen to accompany him for a walk on the beach. To his great satisfaction, he saw the same fakir building the Heavenly Castles! Quickly he ran towards him and asked him if he would sell him one of his castles. “Surely” said the fakir and the king pointed out to a very small, tiny little castle. “ The price for this one , will be one half of your kingdom ” said the fakir nonchalantly. The shocked king protested and told him “But yesterday you sold a very large castle to my wife for only Five rupees !” “ I sure did ” said the fakir. “ Your wife had total, blind faith in what I told her and she believed me. You, my friend, actually mocked her and made fun of her.You were only convinced that these were really Heavenly castles after the lovely dream that you had last night. You needed some proof before you actually believed me.”

This is what we should have in our Murshid – Un`a`ditho Vessav –total,blind faith.

REMEMBERING GOD

Rubjo Yadgerro kar~ran har kahn tey farz aahe.

Sainji illustrated how we are duty bound to think about and remember God at all times. When He made man, He was categorically assured that we would always remember Him. When a woman conceives, the fetus grows in her womb. It undergoes a lot of ‘suffering’ as it is hung upside down, in the totally dark confines of the stomach, within all the body fluids. Out of sheer frustration, the fetus calls out to Him. “Please release me from this ‘torture.’ The Lord says “ If I release you from this torture chamber- what will you do ? ” “ I promise I will always remember you and never, ever will I forget you !” . The Good Lord listens to the pleas and feels sorry and finally He puts an end to all the baby’s miseries and the baby comes out into this world!! The moment the child sees the brightness all around and finds itself in a most wonderful surrounding with all the fussing and the adulation being showered by everyone around, the baby forgets the promise that he has made to God.

We, all, have made this solemn promise to Him but conveniently forget about it.

AMUR (GOD’S WILL)

Amur is the Will Of God- Thy Will Be Done. There are so many incidents, good and bad, taking place all around us and especially when something bad happens, one starts to question why God is letting certain events occur. We believe on a personal level of the injustices being done around us– but , that is the Will of God. We are told God is merciful, yet events may suggest He shows no mercy. In our Sainji’s personal life, there were many such happenings and our Sainji had the power to change these events. But He never would interfere with ‘Amur.’ Disciples would often urge Sainji , “Please come to Bombay as it is now very easy to go there from the village.” His reply to all our pleas used to be “ Bacho, Amur na tho they, Moon Amur jo Bando Ahyan.” Our Sain always used to say “Amur Jay Na Man~jeen, Say Dothi Dolai Pya”.

MEDITATION

The logic in our Sainji’s teaching is also impeccable. We must make a sincere effort to sit in meditation but when we start to do this all sorts of distractions come about and our minds wander! All these are Nafs Jo Rayo. The meditational thought process is then broken and the mind wanders to different spheres. Taar chijay Te Worry Gandhjey. Jheray Theray Haal Mein Pya Hallo. The thought process during meditation gets interrupted but Sainji urged us to make an effort to restart the meditation process and continue to do this. Our Sainji never ever told us to renounce the world. We were advised to be in this world and yet be away from it! We have to fulfill our worldly obligations – towards our family, friends, and business. Hathu Kaar Dey, Dil Yaar Dey

VALUE OF SILENCE

Some disciples went to Sainji and told him that “ Sain, we find it very difficult to utilize our Dum by using the Naam that you have given to us. Please suggest something easier.” Sain looked at them at very lovingly and told them “Bacho, Maath Jo Dukaan wanjin kadho .” Be silent and do not waste your precious breaths (Dums) by just going on talking. So much so that Sain said “ These Dums are alive and by not properly using them, you are ‘killing’ each of these dums – and the law of the land is that if you ‘kill’, the penalty for that crime is ‘to be killed’.” Our Sain used to then console us by saying that even if you are able to use just one Dum, from the 24000 Dums you have in one day – even that will do!! But at least do that.

DEATH

Sainji was sitting watching two ‘kabootars’ (pigeons) play on the verandah. Suddenly, a cat sprang up and grabbed one of the kabootars and ran off. Sainji did a lot of ‘hush’ to scare the birds away to no avail. He then remarked, “Death will be like this. No amount of noise or pleading will scare it away.”