When Baba Jee was only a few years old everyone in his village noticed he was
different from ordinary children. Instead of spending time talking or playing Baba Jee
would immerse himself in Seva and in Naam Simran at all times. One time as the
children were playing outside, some villagers saw Baba Jee carrying some planks of
wood. They began to wonder what Baba Jee was doing. Using a few tools he had
borrowed from someone Baba Jee started to work on the wood he had bought while
constantly keeping the name of Akaal Purakh on his lips. After a few days Baba Jee
had finished his work, and the villagers who were watching what Baba Jee was
doing, saw that he had made a Manjee Sahib (small throne). Baba Jee took this
Manjee Sahib into his house and placed a new cloth on it, along with a new Rumalla
Sahib. When he had done this he placed his Gutka Sahib (small prayers anthology)
on the throne. Baba Jee also made a Chaur Sahib. After preparing some sweets with
the help of Mata Prem Kaur Jee, Baba Jee called out to all the children in the village
to come to his house. They were curious as to what Baba Jee had been doing, so
almost all the children who heard Baba Jee’s call went to his house. As they entered
Baba Jee’s house he asked them to remove their shoes and wash their hands, feet
and faces with water that he had brought in a jug. He then took them inside and told
them to bow before their Guru (the Gutka Sahib/Gurbani). After all the children had
done darshan of Guru Sahib and had spent some time reciting Gurbani, Baba Jee
began to distribute the sweets that he had prepared with his mother.
Baba Jee taught the Gursikhs who were lucky enough to do their sangat the
following lessons in respecting Gurbani:
1) Always read Gurbani from an elevated physical position, so for example if you
are going to read Gurbani in your living room, sit on the sofa which is at
highest level from the floor, so that when you are reading Gurbani it is from
the highest point possible. The aim being that you don’t sit on a higher point
to conduct worldly actions but then sit on a lower point when reading Gurbani;
2) Baba Jee always ensured that the sevadar who would be reciting Gurbani to
them was seated on a platform higher than them and at the end of the bed
where Baba Jee’s head was, to ensure that Baba Jee’s feet would not be in
the direction of the Gutka Sahib or towards where Gurbani was being recited;
3) Baba Jee always ensured that they never slept with their feet towards Gutka
Sahibs or towards photos of elevated Sikh personalities that we all respect
Baba Jee’s advice to all that visited them for anything was always simple; read and
recite Gurbani. This is what they did their whole lives and this what they preached.
If you want to have a glimpse of the true life of Baba Thakur Singh Jee, I suggest
you try spending one day where you don’t talk to anyone and all you do is Simran &
Gurbani Paath for 24 hours. Then we may come near to knowing the exalted state
that Baba Thakur Singh Jee had and the spiritual enlightenment that such heartfelt meditations bring.
