Guru Nanak and a Brahman

Once Guru Nanak Dev Ji came across a Brahman while travelling .In those times the caste system was very rigid and was divided into four categories. Brahmans were considered to be above all other castes. 

 Just before Guru ji and his two companions arrived, the brahman had gone through a very long process to cook himself some sacred food. He took utmost care sothat everything was clean and perfect.

The Brahman spent a long time creating the mud oven with his hands and chanted from holy books, the whole time. Once the oven was created, he took a bath in the sacred river to cleanse his body and dressed up in clean clothes. Then he put a ring of protection around his oven by scattering water in a circle around it. Now that everything was prepared, and he had a ring of protection, he finally placed it in the oven.

After this long process he finally took out his pure food from the oven, and started his prayers before allowing himself to finally eat. Guru Nanak Dev Ji and his two companions arrived during this time. One of his companions was Mardana Ji who had been born into Muslim religion.The Brahman considered Muslims to be low caste. As Mardana Ji got closer and his shadow came inside the sacred protection circle around the oven, the Brahman became angry as he considered that as the shadow of Mardana Ji touched his sacred circle,his sacred food was now impure and unfit for eating!

The Brahman was so angry that he even picked up a big stick and started chasing Mardana Ji with it!

Mardana Ji ran away as otherwise he would have been smacked by the stick!

Mardana Ji ran straight towards Guru Ji while the Brahman chased him, yelling and trying to beat him. But then something truly special happened! 

The Brahman saw the face of Guru Nanak Dev Ji and he could no longer be angry! He stopped chasing Mardana Ji and he just froze!

The Brahman’s tight fists loosened and he dropped his stick, his tense body relaxed and his angry face softened .He just stood there and looked at Guru Ji.

Guru Ji said that the Brahman made a pure oven and put a sacred circle around it.Then he put the sacred food in it.But then he was planning to put that sacred food into his mouth which was now dirty by calling Mardana Ji with many bad names!

The Brahman remembered that how he had called Mardana Ji with so many bad names.

The Brahman fell to his knees and said that he was only thinking about his food,but he didnot think that he was hurting Mardana Ji .The Brahman understood that all are the children of God and none were above someone due to caste or creed.

The Brahman’s heart opened and tears of love filled his eyes. From then on he treated people equally. He always shared with others and never again considered himself better than anyone else.

We should pray over our food because we want it to have good vibrations! However, that which comes out of our mouth is more important than what goes into our mouth!

The Brahman now saw Mardana Ji like a brother and did not consider him as low caste.

Moral:

When we stop thinking of ourselves, we realise the shabd, the truth .