In 1990 sitting in a portable (classroom) at Dashmeh Punajbi School Abbotsford Nirmal Singh, our Punjabi teacher went over a story from Amardeep Punajbi Paath-mala(Punajbi text) After 15 years I still remember everything like it happened yesterday. This teacher is one of the leading advocates of Punjabi in BC, and is still active today; he writes articles for Punajbi papers sometimes.
-------------------------------------
The story takes place in a primary school in Punjab. One day the teacher told the class that his daughter would be getting married soon and each of the students should bring a gift for the occasion. The only stipulation was: no one else should know what you are taking and to where you are taking it to, meaning they had to steal whatever they were bringing.
In the next few days most of the kids did bring the teacher a gift. Some brought sweets, some brought tea, pots-pans, books and other random household items. Soon there was this one student who failed to bring anything.
A week had passed, and still the kid didn’t bring anything. The teacher began to feel impatient and one day he asked the kid to stand up and tell the class why he kept forgetting. He told the student that the task was simple all he had to do was hide an item when no one was there and bring it to school the next day when no one was looking. The Student promised him that he would try to do exactly that.
The next day came and the kid was trembling with concern. Seeing the look on the student’s face the teacher in a ‘thunderous voice’ told the kid that he was going to give him the beating of his life. The kid began to feel uneasy. The teacher cooled down and asked the student why he couldn’t do such a simple task when the whole class was able to bring him something.
The student reminded him that one of the conditions of the deal was: you had to take something while no one was looking. He told the class that ‘I tried really hard to find a place where there were no eyes looking. But everywhere I went my own eyes were there following my every move and I couldn’t steal anything because my own eyes would see me stealing and the deal would be off.’ The class was stunned when they heard this. ‘So Teacher, if you really want me to bring you something give me the power to poke my eyes out. That way there won’t be anyone following me around and it will be possible to bring you something without anyone’s knowledge.’
The teacher was overjoyed. In the book it said the teacher ‘tightly hugged’ the student and gave him a pat on the back. Then told the class he didn’t need any gifts for his daughters wedding and he was quite wealthy. The only reason he asked the class to steal something from home was to test how honest they really were. The Teacher told the class he was glad that one person was able to learn and apply what he had been teaching them for the whole year.
-------------------------------------
We tend to think, act and do things differently when others are watching compared to when we’re alone. Gurbani tells us there are chitter and gupt, two beings who record our each and every move. When a person dies they’re judged on what’s presented by chitter and gupt to dharamraaj.
ਚਿਤ੍ਰਗੁਪਤੁਸਭਲਿਖਤੇਲੇਖਾ॥ ਭਗਤਜਨਾਕਉਦ੍ਰਿਸਟਿਨਪੇਖਾ॥੪॥
ਦੇਇਕਿਵਾੜਅਨਿਕਪੜਦੇਮਹਿਪਰਦਾਰਾਸੰਗਿਫਾਕੈ॥
ਚਿਤ੍ਰਗੁਪਤੁਜਬਲੇਖਾਮਾਗਹਿਤਬਕਉਣੁਪੜਦਾਤੇਰਾਢਾਕੈ॥੩॥
ਜਾਂਚੈਘਰਿਕੁਲਾਲੁਬ੍ਰਹਮਾਚਤੁਰਮੁਖੁਡਾਂਵੜਾਜਿਨਿਬਿਸ੍ਵਸੰਸਾਰੁਰਾਚੀਲੇ॥
ਜਾਂਕੈਘਰਿਈਸਰੁਬਾਵਲਾਜਗਤਗੁਰੂਤਤਸਾਰਖਾਗਿਆਨੁਭਾਖੀਲੇ॥
ਪਾਪੁਪੁੰਨੁਜਾਂਚੈਡਾਂਗੀਆਦੁਆਰੈਚਿਤ੍ਰਗੁਪਤੁਲੇਖੀਆ॥
ਧਰਮਰਾਇਪਰੁਲੀਪ੍ਰਤਿਹਾਰੁ॥
ਸੁਐਸਾਰਾਜਾਸ੍ਰੀਗੋਪਾਲੁ॥੨॥
It’s better to be our own chittar and gupt like the kid who wouldn’t steal in the presence of his own eyes than to hang our heads in shame in the court of Dharamraaj. Because there is no such thing as a secret. Everything is revealed: sooner or later-especially today.
bhai davinder singh ji, are "chithar gupt" two people or one group of people?
ReplyDeletei thought chithar refers to charitar which means "lekha"
and gupt means "unseen"
so these angels or beings write your lekha without you seeing them
please kindly explain
thanks
vaaheguroojeekaakhaalsaa
vaaheguroojeekeefatheh !!!