Monday, November 19, 2018

Dedication of Bhai Mardana Ji- An Example of Total Surrender to the Guru.

"Dhan Guru Nanak Dhan Teri Sikhi".

Celebrating 550th Birth Anniversary of Guru Nanak Dev Ji Through His Teachings.

The next blog is about the dedication of Bhai Mardana- The Muslim Rabab player towards Guru Nanak Dev Ji.




"Dedication Of Bhai Mardana An Example Of Total Surrender To The Guru".

Baba Nanak Often used to say "Uth Mardane Cher Rabab, Bani Aayi ah"

Baba Nanak used to recite Bani and Bhai Mardana Used to Play the Rabab. Bhai Mardana Ji also Accompanied Guru Nanak Dev Ji on his Religious Travels.

We often start questioning in our life about the teachings of our Guru. Our mind becomes dilliusonal with thoughts questioning our Guru. And here is Bhai Mardana Ji who left his home, his customs and dedicated his life to the Pious Soul of Akal Puurakh- Guru Nanak Dev Ji.

Bhai Mardana (1459-1534), Guru Nanak Dev Ji’s longtime Muslim companion was born as the son of a Mirasi couple, Badra and Lakkho, of Talvandi Rai Bhoe, now Nankana Sahib, in the Sheikhupura district of Pakistan. The Mirasan were a caste of hereditary minstrels and genealogists. Bhai Sahib was ten years older than Guru Ji and was his childhood friend and companion.

Guru Nanak Dev Ji and Bhai Mardana were both born and raised in the same village. The Miharban Janam Sakhi describes the latter, who was ten years senior in age, as the Guru's companion since his childhood days and as one who sang to him songs from the Bhagats (Kabir Ji, Trilochan Ji, Ravidas Ji, Dhanna Ji, and Bern Ji). According to Ratan Singh Bhangu, Prachin Panth Prakash, Guru Nanak Dev Ji, as a small boy, gave Bhai Mardana a string instrument improvised from reeds to play on while he sang the hymns




A child like no other, a child devoted to the creator Lord, how can this child fit into the ways of the world, how can he succeed? In this show called the the world? His parents despaired, he was a bit of an oddball a misfit. So his attempts met with failure, his parents scolded him " called him marjaneea' 'mar' means death 'jan' means go or live with death. He was scolded so often he started to be called 'Marjaneea' then eventually Mardana, that name stuck and he is known as a devoted follower of Guru Nanak Dev JI.

He was the one who in this life gave up his own life, he did not follow the ways of the world. He gave up his own life to follow the light the light of Guru Nanak. He had died to the world, his parents wish came true. In this time many celebrate Vasakhi , the time when the Panch Pairya gave up their lives to devote themselves to the true Guru. They had died to the world this cruel world and gave themselves to become Gurumukhs.

Total surrender is hard. What do we give up? We give up our attachments, our own desires and our self-interest and joyfully live to support and serve others. We deeply understand the cycle of life, the endless true cycle of creation, birth, life, death and rebirth. The existence of life does not change with birth or death . . . it only alters the costume of existence. Birth enters an ocean of life . . . the water exists as a river before it’s born into the ocean. The water still exists even as it’s evaporated into the clouds of death. Everything exists before it becomes what it becomes, for existence has no beginning, and life has no end. It’s a circular pattern that’s never broken -- the river never stops running.

So what happens after death?  We die as we live. If we let go every day, if we merge with the True Guru with each breath and thought, then we die in that state. How do we do that?  We let go of everything else, all that defines us, and we learn not to be anything but a servant of the True Guru.

There are laws of nature we all must abide by. These laws exist everywhere. This is what we call universal Truth: Satya. Take the time to see these natural laws.  Just pay attention.

Every year the trees in my garden blossom in the spring, every year the flowers grow. They follow the laws of nature, these are powerful forces that govern our lives and determine how we live.  The path of the Sikhi follows the same laws of nature, and when you die you are reborn just like everything in nature.

The Guru refers to this over and over.  Here are just a few tuks from Gurbani:

“In front of me, I see the jungle burning; behind me, I see new green plants sprouting. Everything that is born shall merge back into the One.” Ang 20 - Guru Nanak Dev Ji

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