You see, most established religions at that time didn’t preach like that because the Master was gone, so no contact with God. Now, the Sikh disciples said, “I have contact with God.” Or they said, “Come to my Guru and you can have direct contact with God.” Then, of course, they could not bear it. How possible? Because it had been a long time since their religious founder had been gone (died), and nobody passed down this direct link to God anymore. So, they were just reciting the teachings of the old Prophets and claiming that it was a religion.
Now, this is a story about a boy who belonged to the Sikh tradition, Sikh religion at that time and about his unwavering faith in his belief. As you know, many of the Sikh Gurus had been persecuted by whatever government at that time because of, of course, misunderstanding or maybe because of the zealousness of the established religious order at that time. So they persecuted Them a lot and Their disciples also. And some disciples even had to use arms to protect their families and all that, just like the late Islamic order – similar. It was a very bad thing that happened to them. Now, this is a story about the boy who believed in Sikhism at that time and in his Gurus.
“In India, in the time of King Farrukhsiyar, the king was fighting against the Sikhs of the Punjab.” I told you, the king either belonged to one religion or another. And then, if somebody preached something else and not from the book, then the king thought that he had the right to destroy that “infidel,” who didn’t believe what he believed. It happened all the time, and it was a very sad affair. Because everybody thought they believed in God, but then, in the name of God, they were killing each other – I mean at those times. Everyone who fought with each other for religious beliefs, they did that often because of the same God – you know, the same apple pie. It’s just the one bakes it and eats it, and the other one recites the recipe all day long. And then fighting against the one who can taste the apple pie because he has never tasted it before. That’s what it is. Alright.
So, “King Farrukhsiyar was fighting against the Sikhs of the Punjab, hoping to be able to rid his kingdom of them altogether.” Can you believe that? He wanted to really get rid of all of them. So, “to his army and even to all others, he had issued orders that every Sikh that could be captured should at once be beheaded.” Oh, you see how brutal it was, just in the name of religion. And, of course, the king – he was powerful. The king was the one who could chop your head anytime he wanted to in those times. So, if the king was not enlightened, and he was also like a fanatic, then of course, wow, wow, wow! You can imagine how difficult it was for the Sikh Gurus and Their disciples to be able to survive at that time. But faith always prevails, and no matter how difficult, people have always believed and followed those Masters – Sikh, or (Lord) Jesus, or Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him, Buddha, etc. Nothing can stop them. Nothing.
“So, the king offered a reward of 200 rupees to each and everyone who brought in the head of a Sikh.” Oh, terrible! This was like the witch- hunts in medieval times. This was very dangerous because you could just behead anybody if you wanted to and bring the head to the king and say, “Here is a Sikh.” How could you prove it also? Of course, the Sikhs at that time, they had their marks. They had a bangle, they had a comb, they had a turban, and they had shorts. I don’t know what else; I forget. Five things they had. (A sword.) A sword. A sword as well? (Yes.) OK, and what else? Yeah, that’s it, huh? A bangle, a turban, a comb... (Short pants.) short pants, and a sword.
A sword, I guess, because at that time, they had to defend themselves somehow. Not like they intended to kill anybody, but just like, “I also have a weapon, so think twice before you kill me.” Something like that, or “Think twice before you hurt me.” I guess just for self-defense. The same with the time of Prophet Muhammad, Peace Be Upon Him. The Prophet (Peace Be Upon Him) never preached to His disciples to go out and fight anybody, but they just had to defend their kids and kin. They just had to have something to show the enemies at least, “I have also, so one of us is going to get hurt.” “Maybe I’ll get hurt but you also will get hurt, so maybe leave us alone.” Something like that. Well, they were just hoping. They were hoping.
OK now, “As luck would have it the king’s army in the Punjab one day captured nearly 500 Sikhs…” Oh God! The number that we are right now. Can you imagine, all of you getting beheaded at that time? Terrible! “…who were hiding in a forest.” They were hiding in the forest already. Still, the king’s army went in there and hunted them out. You know, this is a terrible thing about fanaticism. I mean, if they were doing something wrong, yes, OK, but they were not. The Sikhs were just like every other religion now – preaching righteousness, vegetarianism, contact with God. But that is the thing.
You see, most established religions at that time didn’t preach like that because the Master was gone, so no contact with God. Now, the Sikh disciples said, “I have contact with God.” Or they said, “Come to my Guru and you can have direct contact with God.” Then, of course, they could not bear it. How possible? Because it had been a long time since their religious founder had been gone (died), and nobody passed down this direct link to God anymore. So, they were just reciting the teachings of the old Prophets and claiming that it was a religion. And everybody else who didn’t believe in that, or who didn’t do the same stuff, were atheists, or whatever excuse, whatever name they gave them. They had to be eliminated – in such a way, my God!
They were hiding in the forest. “All of them were brought to Delhi,” the capital of India, it still is, “and taken into the presence of the king, who immediately ordered that they be beheaded.” My God, such a king! I don’t believe this. I don’t understand this. I mean, people don’t have to believe what you believe. Maybe you don’t contact them; you don’t believe what they believe, and you don’t protect them or give them any privilege, but to behead somebody just because he believes something else, that is too much. (Yes.) I can’t believe this. But it happened in the history of our human race.
“In the group of prisoners, there was a small Sikh boy who was the only male child in his entire family.” You know how important it is for them – the male to carry on the family bloodline. So he was the only one in the family. “His mother had followed the prisoners to Delhi…” She had not been captured, I guess. They captured everybody and the boy, but not the mother of the boy. “…and had gone in tears to the wife of the vizier, begging her to persuade her husband to plead with the king to spare her child’s life.” So this mother even knew the wife of the vizier. Vizier – I guess it’s like the prime minister.
“So the king said, ‘I will set the boy free provided he will say that he’s a non-Sikh.’” Of course, then he would have an excuse, or he didn’t want him to be a Sikh believer. “A special body of guards brought the boy before the king. And the king demanded in a very haughty voice, ‘Boy, to save your life, you must declare yourself to be a non-Sikh.’ But at this, the boy cried out at the top of his voice, ‘I’m a Sikh, I’m a Sikh!’ Then, turning to the executioner, he said in a firm and resolute manner that brooked no denial, ‘Sir, please be so good as to behead me at once. I do not wish my mother to suffer any more suspense on my account.’”
He wanted to have it done with so that at least she (his mother) knew he died anyway. She would not suffer and worry whether he would die or not. That is also agonizing – waiting, waiting and doesn’t know what will happen, if your son’s going to be spared or not. This is a terrible thing for a mother to undergo, so he begged the executioner just to behead him and have it done with. “So this is the type of faith that a Sikh” – Sikh means disciple – “should have in his Satguru.” Satguru means true Master, enlightened Master. “So that even if it is a question of his losing his life, he will still persist in his faith and devotion to the Master.” It is like that.
And Guru Nanak said something like, “A true disciple is without hope or fear. He who has no fear of death is a disciple perfectly harmonized.” Well, it’s easy to say, but when it comes to life and death, we sometimes shock ourselves out of thinking whether or not we should go like that. When (Lord) Jesus was captured by the Romans, one of His disciples denied Him three times. I don’t know why he denied Him. It’s just the nature of human beings – when he was suddenly confronted with something that was going to annihilate the so-called existence that he knew, even though such a disciple like (Saint) Peter should have known better.
Maybe he denied it so that he did not have to bear witness against (Lord) Jesus, as well. Maybe he was not fearing for his life, but if the Romans heard, “Oh, I know this man,” then maybe he would have to testify, “OK, He’s the Master, the so-called Master that you want to catch.” So he’d rather tell a small lie, “I don’t know Him,” than later deny that He is a Master or tell the truth and endanger his Master’s life. So I don’t think that (Saint) Peter really feared for his own life. I think he feared for his Master’s life. And in that situation, he’d rather tell a little lie, a white lie, to save Him instead of having to tell the truth and harm his Master. I think that’s what it was. Wouldn’t you say? (Yes.) I don’t think a disciple with Saint Peter’s status would fear for his life. Do you? (No.)
OK, that’s it for now. Any questions about this? No? (No.) OK, so now, good. Then you meditate. And a lot of (vegan) candies and (vegan) cakes here if you want to take some later. I looked already. Right, meditate. I’ll go downstairs and meditate with the people downstairs. Since you have seen me already, I’ll go and let them see me.
