It was Friday the 13th, poor old Vechara Singh, the thirteenth son of the thirteenth son, was washing his face in the still water of the moonlit lake. The full moon sillo-etted a howling wolf on a distant hill. It gave him the creeps, the sooner he got out of this forest the better. Combing his washed beard he thought `Look how long and white it is, it used tobe black and then grey but now it makes the moon look dull. What have I done with my life, its slipped away as easily as the water I washed it with trickled through it. It's a good thing I got up at amritvela because today is the day I find Guru Granth Sahib ji and get some blessings.' Vechara got up, straightened his rags out and headed north, he'd been told years ago just be determined in your heart follow the path without getting distracted and you will find the Guru. Vechara marched solidly and rested against the trunk of a mango tree on the river bank just watching the beautiful sun rise. He was extremely pleased with himself, he'd walked the path to the Guru and felt sure he would finally meet him.
`A-TTISSUE!' - Vechara suddenly sneezed - it was so forceful that the branches of the tree shook and a big fat juicy mango fell into his laps. Breakfast in bed! He licked his lips `bite the mango, bite the mango' kept ringing in his ears. He raised it in his hands, closed his eyes and was just about to sink his teeth into it, when he heard his dearly departed mother's voice echoing in his mind `Vechara, if you love your mother then dont eat fruit on Fridays - you don't want to put a curse on the family, do you?'. So he put the mango down..
He recalled the time when his sister was leaving home on her wedding day and she sneezed once just as she approached the front door. Everyone waited for her to sneeze a second time to cancel the ONE SNEEZE CURSE- but she never did. His mother leaped to the door slamming it shut and stood firnly between her daughter in her red dress and gold jewlelery and said you must eat some fruit to make your mouth sweet before you leave else you'll curse the whole family and your marriage will go horribly wrong. But his sister refused to - saying it was silly superstition, she forced her way past her mother and died of a heart-attack (53 years later) but old age had nothing to do with it - it was all because she didn't eat that fruit! Now what was poor old Vechara Singh to do, he'd sneezed once but it was Friday so he couldn't eat fruit. He could already feel the ONE SNEEZE CURSE wrapping his body like a blanket on a cold night. He picked his nose, he slapped himself on the face but no matter what he did the sneeze for freedom just wouldnt come out!! Time was runnng out - the ONE SNEEZE CURSE was melting into his skin, panic was setting in. He ran to the rushing river, if he dunked his head in the cold water surely he'd sneeze, but an old woman passing by screamed at the top of her voice `Dont wash your hair after sunrise or on Saturdays- otherwise all the first born sons of your relatives will die'. Vechara jumped back from the river, the ONE SNEEZE CURSE was in his blood soon it'd be in his heart like poison from a snake bite and then.. and then.. it was too depressing to think about. He suddenly remembered there was a fortune teller nearby so he ran as fast as he could to his village. The fortune teller was sitting cross legged with his eyes closed and his begging bowl on the ground infront of him. Vechara pushed through the small gathering and fell at the feet of the fortune teller.
Baba ji! Baba Ji! you must help me - I'm under a terrible curse. The fortune teller closed his eyes and went into what looked like deep meditation, his palms were pressed together infront of his chest in the prayer position and the whites of his eyes were showing between the eyelids. He chanted a mystical, magical mantra and slowly said in a deep ghostly voice 'THE SPIRITS WANT YOU TO PLACE AN OFFERING IN THE BOWL', Vechara desparately searched his pockets and threw in his last two rupees, he waited patiently for the wise man to speak. `YOU MUST WEAR A GARLAND OF GARLIC FOR 3 MONTHS AND NEVER COOK CHICKPEAS ON UESDAYS'. As Vechara got up and walked away, a cheeky little kid picked the begging bowl and quietly placed it behind the fortune teller. An old women whispered to Vechara `you know this fortune teller's third eye is open and he can see the past, present and future and knows everything'. The fortune teller opened his eyes and said `Um..Er...Excuse me but has anyone seen my begging bowl'! Vechara's panic was not yet over, he ransacked the village and finally found a garland of garlic, he placed the stinking bulbs around his neck. He could feel the ONE SNEEZE CURSE stop in its tracks. A big happy smile returned to his face and he wore it around the village with pride and unkowingly walked under a ladder, stumbled on a crack on the ground and landed on a black cat that was crossing his path - but it didnt matter he had his garland with 7 lucky bulbs of garlic to keep away evil spirits. Then he thought to himself ,'wasn't there an important journey I set off on this morning - O the Guru can wait, he's waited 70 years already a few more wont make any difference - I've got plenty of life in me yet. Now if I could only find a rabbit's foot.......
MORAL OF THE STORY :
Guru Amar Das jee says in Anand Sahib `Sharper than a dagger and finer than a hair is the path the devotees follow.' (page 919). Waheguru ji is our destination and Sikhi is the path. We make up our minds to follow it but get easily distracted by our worldy things. Our worldy targets become the reason for living and on achieving success we feel happy, but Guru Amar Das jee says that even though everyone says they are happy - without the True Guru they dont know what true happiness is. (Anand Anand sabh ko kahaee-a anand guru te jania - Anand Sahib). Be determined to reach God and Guru Nanak ji, don't get side-tracked like poor old Vechara Singh. Break out of rituals and superstions and have Waheguru on your tongue for protection and peace of mind not a garland of garlic!
Posted by Harjit Singh Lakhan