Bhai Jodhram jee cures his Mentality.....

Once there lived a man by the name of Jodhram in the village Basarke. He was a high caste Brahmin and he was too much into caste system as was prevalent in those times. He was also very proud to be a high caste Brahmin and would look down on people of lower caste. At some point in his life he realized that he was mentally ill with the problem of discrimination and that of the pride of being a high class Brahmin. He would discuss it with his friends and family and someone told him that cure for his mental block was available in Khador Sahib with Dhan Dhan Sri Guru Angad Dev Sahib jee Maharaaj.

He decided to give the responsibility of the household to his sons and he decided to leave for Khador Sahib. After reaching Khador Sahib, he freshened up and went to see Guru Angad Dev jee. He told the Guru that he want to be here and be in the service of the Guru. Guru Angad Dev jee gave him the charge of the Langar and also told him to take care of the arrangement of boarding and lodging of the sangat who came from far and near. Jodhram got busy performing his duties and also learned a lot about Gurmat. He saw that after langar there were a lots of plates (in those days plates were made out of leaves) strewn around and it took a lot to clean up so he decided to make a high platform and requested the sangat to bring all their plates and leave it on that platform from where the garbage collector would come and pick up the waste. It worked and there was a lot less to clean and the same energy was directed to do better sewa of Sangat in other ways.

One day some Sikhs went to Guru Angad Dev jee and complained about Bhai Jodhram. They told Guru jee that they have been watching Jodhram for almost 2 & ½ years and never saw him eat Guru Ka Langar which is anti Gurmat. Guru jee called for Bhai Jodhram and asked him about the same. With his hands folded Bhai Jodhram replied that he has been eating langar everyday. Upon hearing this the Sikhs who complained to the Guru got furious and told the Guru that Bhai Jodhram was not only being disrespectful to the Gurmat by not eating langar, but he is now lying too. Guru jee told Bhai Jodhram that now he has two charges on him, one being anti Gurmat and other of having lied.

Bhai Jodhram again with folded hands replied to Guru jee. He said that when the diwan ends by 9 p.m. he goes around the Gurdwara cleaning and getting the Gurdwara ready for the next day. Then he goes out and checks on all the travelers who have come from far off to see the Guru and arranges for their stay. By the time he is done with all the activities it is around mid night. So he goes to the platform where people would leave their plates and would find that some Guru Ka Sikh had left some Dal in his plate, some Sikh left some Roti in his plate and he would gather the quantity he needed in a clean plate and then do ardaas to Dhan Dhan Guru Nanaks Jyot in Guru Angad Dev jee Maharaaj and eat the Langar. Upon hearing this Dhan Dhan Sri Guru Angad Dev jee Maharaaj got up from his seat and hugged Bhai Jodhram and told him that from today he should eat with the Sangat in the Langar hall as he is now cured from his mental illness of discrimination and being a high caste.

(This was a Sakhi Narrated in yesterday's evening diwan at the local gurdwara I go to.)