Swami Tells Story of Guru Nanak and the Needle

Sri Swami Vishwananda at Darshan June 9 2012

Swami Vishwananda once told this story:

One day a great king, who used to take everything from people, even the poor, visited Guru Nanak. This Guru Nanak gave him a tiny needle and said, “My dear King, keep this needle with you and when you reach Paradise, you give this needle to me.” The king returned to his castle, so proudly, and said to the Queen, “You know I'll go to Heaven.’' Then the Queen said, “How?” The king replied: "It is Guru Nanak, who told me that I must give him this needle when I reach heaven!” The queen said, “But do you not know that when you die, you leave everything here? Go back and see him tomorrow and ask how you can give him the needle."

Early the next morning, the King went to the door of Guru Nanak and said, “Guru Nanakji, yesterday you gave me this beautiful little needle and you told me to give it to you when I reach heaven, but how can I take it there?” “Guru Nanak said, “I gave you something so tiny and asked you to bring it back to Paradise, and of course you cannot accomplish this. So, then how can you take all this wealth and all the things you have accumulated? All you can take are the good things you have done here. How much have you helped people? How much love have you given and how much have you opened your heart. These are the only things you take with you.”

It says in the Gita that you came with nothing and you will leave empty-handed. You only will take your Sadhana with you. Then work for it. And it's not for me to tell you, but it's up to you to do your best to open your heart. Try to love sincerely. Try to love with a pure mind and, then, slowly but surely that love will one day become unconditional.