Poor old Vechara Singh didn't have two rupees to rub together since he'd left home to travel the world. The sky was his roof - it leaked, he got soaked and sat under a huge tree waiting for the rain to stop. Poking at the earth with a twig he saw something glinting through the mud, the rain stopped and the sun was shining again over the Punjab fields every plant and crop was bursting with energy. Vechara Singh dug faster, with both hands and pulled out a muddy stone the size of his fist, he rubbed it clean with his torn and ragged clothes. He held it up to the sun and it glowed like a new star in the sky. It was a lovely shiny piece of glass or something but it wasnt going to fill his belly. He was hungry and shiny stones were nice to look at but thats about it.
So off he went just whistling his tune in the morning sun looking for a meal. He entered the nearby village, children were off to school with their slate boards in their hands and the farmers and sons were off to tend the crops. Vechara went into the grocer's shop and begged for some food for a poor old man who didn't even have 2 rupees to rub together. The grocer told him to go, he didn't have time for homeless beggars. Vechara Singh's belly started rumbling, 'O please sir, you remind me of my son give some food to me in the name of your father'. 'Go away old man : no money no food!' said the grocer. Vechara Singh pulled out the stone, 'Hey, what would you give me for this ?' The grocer said 'that's a pretty stone, I'll give you a bunch of bananas, although my wife is going to say we need rupees not pretty stones'. Vechara Singh thought bananas are for monkeys, I should be able to get more food than that, so he said 'no thanks' and moved on to the bakers shop,' O Baker Singh what would you give a poor old man in return for this shiny stone, Baker Singh said 'I need someone to grind the mill and shiny stones aren't going to help me any, but I'll give you a sack of flour if you want?' Vechara Singh thought 'where am I going to cook it? I haven't got a kitchen or anything, he should have offered my a meal' Vechara Singh said ,'No thanks' and kept moving on.
He came to a jeweller's shop and thought no chance of getting any food in there, these rich types just push us poor people around. Just then the middle aged jeweller came out, fat stomach and face as red as beetroot he started ranting and raving, 'Get away from here old man, you're putting my customers off. Go and waste your time somewhere else' The jeweller stepped forward and pushed poor old Vechara Singh and as he stumbled the shiny stone rolled out of his pocket.Jeweller Singh picked it up and it was love at first sight, his mouth drooled and rupee signs flashed in his eyes. He fell at the feet of he old man and said 'forgive me, Baba ji' I thought you were a tramp, but all my life I've longed to see a diamond I've been surrounded by golden trinkets and tiny sapphires, but now my life as been fulfilled to have seen the mother of all diamonds. Tell me Baba ji what I can give you for this - my shop, my daughter's hand in marriage, my life's savings or even I'd give myself to be your slave. Tell me Baba ji what can I give you? I cant let you go with this diamond, I will never be able to live another moment without seeing it shine in my hands. Tell me Baba ji what can I give you?'
And poor old Vechara Singh said 'knock it off mate, I'll have saag paneer and two chipaatees and you can keep the shiny stone!'
And now you know why poor old Vechara Singh was Poor and homeless - just as his mother always used to say : thick as two planks since the day he was born!
MORAL OF THE STORY :
Guru Amar Das jee says '
The Guru's Words are Jewels studded with diamonds' Gur ka shabad ratan ha heera jit jaroa : Anand Sahib.
But the fools are those who don't recognise their true worth and leave shabads and Gurbanee lying around on the floor, fools leave Gutkas uncovered and run in every direction to find happiness when all the time the real diamonds where infront of them in Guru Granth Sahib jee. Guru Granth Sahib jee is printed and sold for x amount of rupees - don't the fools know that the Guru's words are priceless diamonds and can only be given as a gift to the true jewellers : the GurSikhs? And the GurSikhs will make donations to the charitable organisation, but not even all the diamonds in the world can afford to buy even one word from the Guru Granth Sahib ji.
Posted by Harjit Singh Lakhan