A True Lesson! (Nikki Kahani)

A young man came to the Gurdwara every day, but he often made mistakes while doing seva. The elderly sevadars serving alongside him would gently tap his shoulder, correct his mistakes, and show him the right way.

One day, he asked one of the elderly sevadars:
“Baba Ji, I make so many mistakes… yet you never scold me in front of everyone. Why?”

The elderly man smiled and said:
“Son, if we tell everyone about every mistake you make, put you down, or keep scolding you over every little thing, perhaps your mistake will be corrected, but your confidence and belief may be broken.”

The young man remained quiet.

The elderly man smiled again and said:
“Son, seva is not just about cleaning the floor. Sometimes, protecting someone’s heart from being hurt is also seva.”

Then he softly recited:
“Sanjh kareejai gunah keri, chhod avgun chaleeai.”
By continuously sharing virtues and shedding our own bad habits (avgun),
we cleanse our minds and progress further along the righteous spiritual journey.

The young man picked up the broom again…
But this time, he was cleaning more than the floor,
he was beginning to clean the dust within himself.