This article was received as an email forward, from an undisclosed author.

“Fill it and feel the difference”

Why should we read the Guru Granth Sahib, if we cannot understand a single word?

There was once an old American Sikh who lived on a farm in the mountains of Eastern Kentucky with his young grandson.

Each morning Grandpa was up early, sitting at the kitchen table, reading the Guru Granth Sahib. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way possible.

One day the Grandson asked, “Grandpa! I try to read The Guru Granth Sahib just like you, but I don't understand it, and what I do understand, I forget as soon as I close the Granth Sahib. What good does reading the Granth Sahib do then?”

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, “take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water”.

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house.

The grandfather laughed and said, “you'll have to move a little faster next time”, and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The Grandfather said, “I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water! You're just not trying hard enough”. The Grandfather went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point the boy knew it was impossible, however he wanted to show his Grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house.

The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran fast back towards the house, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he exclaimed, “See Grandpa, its useless!”

“So you think it is useless?” The Grandfather asked. “Look at the basket”.

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realised that it was different, it had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean; inside and out.

“Son, that's what happens when you read the Guru Granth Sahib. You might not understand or remember everything, however when you read it, you will be changed; inside and out”.

That is the work of Waheguru in our lives. A story we should all remember and act on.