Dukh Sukh

 

Two shopkeepers had their shops next to one another. One shopkeeper (S1) used to close his shop early and go to see Guru Nanak Dev ji. The other shopkeeper (S2) asked him that why you close your shop early, S1 said he goes to see Guru Nanak Dev ji. S2 also started closing his shop early but instead started going to a bad place. Both kept on going to their places. One day S2 asked S1 to go home together and agreed upon a place to meet after visiting their places, so that they can go to their houses together. S2 came to meeting place early because the door was locked at a place where he used to go. He found golden ring there by digging through pile of ashes. He was happy. S1 was on his way to a meeting place and thorn (kanda) hit his foot. So he was in pain and came to a meeting place limping. S2 told S1 that he used to go to a bad place and found a golden ring but you used to go to a good place and are in pain. S1 told S2 there may be something behind this and asked S2 to go to see Guru Nanak Dev Ji next day. Both asked Guru Ji why it happened like this. Guru ji asked " Do you know what you did in the past life?" Both said no. Guru you told S2, you donated many golden rings in the past life and every day you used to go to bad place, the golden ring turned into ashes. One golden ring is left because you could not go to bad place on the last day. Guru Ji told S1, you were supposed to be hanged but because you started coming to our place, hanging has changed to pain of a thorn.

LESSON LEARNT:

Dukh and Sukh in our present life are the result of deeds done in the previous lives. Gurbani says"Dukh sukh purab janam ka kiye". We can reduce the pains and sufferings of this life by devoting time toward WaheGuru (Naam Japna, Paath, Keertan etc.). This will neutralize the effects of bad deeds done in the previous lives. My advice is to devote at least 2.5 hours daily for WaheGuru. Repeating WaheGuru WaheGuru ..... WaheGuru is the most powerful way especially at Amrit vela (3 hours before sun rise). Keep doing that everyday without any break, not only your this life will be better but you will reap the benefits after this life also.

(Source: Sant Isher Singh Ji Rarewale's audiotape)