Once a Sikh humbly pleaded to Kalgidhar Patshah Ji “Sache Patshah ji, I am suffering from this ever changing world & therefore I have come into your sanctuary. I have looked everywhere but there is no true happiness in this world. Please save/liberate me from this world and remove my suffering of sins and coming into reincarnations. I have also not gotten any kind of Gurmat education and not learnt the Gurmukhi letters.”
Guru Mahraj then replied “You are a great person for having built the Vairaag (detachment) from this world by seeing it as a source of sufferings. But you also need to remember that as long as a person is uneducated, he is a fool for he cannot understand the teaching of Gurbani without reading it first. An uneducated person is equivalent to a blind person. Those that read Shudh Gurbani (correctly), they get to meet/merge into Parmatma.”
Guru Ji then further added “If you are uneducated, you must put in the effort to learn regardless of small or large amount of knowledge. The benefits of learning are various. By learning, you gain distinguishing intellect (Bibek) and the Budhi (knowledge) on the ways of distinguishing good and bad actions. Therefore, it is essential for you to learn because uneducated person is always internally blind. Learning this Gurmukhi letters is the highest education as it leads one towards wise intellect. It leads one to be able to read Gurbani, which produces virtuous actions and destroys sins of various incarnations.”
Guru Ji then called over a Granthi & gave him the responsibility to teach Gurmukhi to this Sikh. This Sikh eventually learnt all the Gurmukhi letters & slowly started learning to read Gurbani via pothis. He gained so much of bliss in this whole learning process. When he eventually started learning Anand Sahib bani, he achieved his full peak bliss at the first pangti. His mind was fully engrossed in Gurbani and he started eating very little.
After 6 months, Guru Ji asked the Granthi on the learning progress of the Sikh to which he told that the Sikh stopped learning after learning the first pangti of Anand Sahib. Guru Ji then called over the Sikh and asked him the reason for not continuing his learning. He replied that he has found total bliss in that one Pangti & dispelled all his doubts; merged into Parmatma. He added that he no more has any worldly sufferings bothering him & he has achieved the ultimate purpose of life of a human - nothing more to be achieved beyond this. Hearing his reply, Guru ji was delighted and laughed. Guru ji told him to complete his Gurbani learning that he has started. Recognising his devotional love, Guru ji also gave him blessing of liberation.
- Adhyai 42, Rut 3, Sri Gurpratap Suraj Parkash Granth
This sakhi teaches us the importance of gaining Gurmat vidya (education). Let us all start learning - be it to learn Gurmukhi or Gurbani santhiya & do ardass that may Guru Ji bless us the daat of Gurmat vidya. Every effort that we put in to learn Gurmat vidya never goes futile.