THE REAL AND THE FAKE

Guru Gobind Singh Ji along with his Singhs went hunting daily in the evening. They hunted tigers and leopards. In this way the fallacy of the general public that hunting was only for kings to pass time was eroded. The hunting encouraged the Singhs to face the dangers. One day the Guru had a tiger skinned and brought the skin with him. The Guru ordered that this skin be put on a donkey. The Sikhs put the skin on a donkey who was grazing nearby. The villagers saw the donkey in the early morning. They thought that a tiger was prowling near the village. They alerted the neighbours about the tiger by going from house to house. All the people of the village were terrified. No one dared to go towards the side the tiger was sighted. That donkey roamed around the village, grazing, for two or three days. Nobody noticed that it could not be a tiger as it ate grass. Seeing its skin from a distance they concluded that it was a tiger. A potter was passing that way with his donkeys. His donkey began to bray. The donkey with the tiger's skin also joined the brethren in the chorus. The potter went and removing the tiger's skin from the donkey, threw it away. He was very pleased to find his missing donkey. He drove it away along with the other donkeys. By braying, the secret of donkey was out.When the people of the village came out to know that the tiger skin had been put on the Donkey by the Guru, they got together and went to the Guru. They requested him to enlighten them why he had harassed the villagers for three days? What was the secret behind it?The Guru explained that this drama had been enacted to make Singhs understand. A Sikh does not become a Singh by adopting outer symbols. A Singh should have the spirit of Sikhism within him. By donning a tiger's skin a donkey could not become a tiger. The donkey could terrify the simple villagers only for three days. When it's secret was out, it became a donkey again. In this way a Sikh does not become a Singh by keeping long hair and heard and a sword. Without good deeds he may come o be called an imposter. A Singh should have Sikhism within himself. In reality, a Sikh can be tested by his deeds. This kind of living can only be attained by following the teachings of the Guru.