Sikh scriptures (Gurbani) bring out many lessons both for conduct/behavior of our life as well as management issues. I was reading a story where First Sikh Guru and great reformer Baba Nanak had an interaction with a young servant boy Lala. He asked various questions from him on his duties and obligations. The answers from the servant were so good that these could be applied to today’s government servants as well as those in the corporate. The summary is as under.As a servant one’s duty is towards his master and no effort should be spared in carrying these out. A servant goes by the dictate of the instructions of his master truthfully. He is content with what his master provides him as the compensation and does not seek illegal gratification. Many of us are either public servants or the employees of the government and many serve in the corporate. In fact we are all servants of the Lord, and thus should follow his instructions faithfully and do what is just and right (as the light of the lord resides in all of us).But it is seen that today’s public servants at whatever level they may be try and exploit the public itself. Public servants are in fact not masters but servants of the public and should work selflessly towards them as per the instructions of the government and their inner Voice. However we see, that even very lowly officials dealing with public have created enormous wealth and properties and thus behave in an unfaithful manner to the Master (Public as well as the Lord); this is more pertinent in the developing countries of the world. Wish we could have the temperament of the servant boy the Guru spoke of and the world would be a better place free of greed and corruption.
” ਮੁਲ ਖਰੀਦੀ ਲਾਲਾ ਗੋਲਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਨਾਮ ਸੁਭਾਗਾ , ਗੁਰ ਕੀ ਬਚਨੀ ਹਾਟ ਬਿਕਾਨਾ ਜਿਤ ਲਾਯਾ ਤਿਤ ਲਗਾ ||ਤੇਰੇ ਲਾਲੇ ਕਿਯਾ ਚਤੁਰਾਈ , ਸਾਹਿਬ ਕਾ ਹੁਕਮ ਨਾ ਕਰਣਾ ਜਾਈ||ਰਹਾਉ || ਮਾ ਲਾਲੀ ਪਿਉ ਲਾਲਾ ਮੇਰਾ ਹਉ ਲਾਲੇ ਕਾ ਜਾਯਿਆ|| ਲਾਲੀ ਨਾਚੇ ਲਾਲਾ ਗਾਵੇ ਭਗਤ ਕਰੁਓ ਤੇਰੀ ਰਾਏਯਾ|| ਪਿਆਹ ਤ ਪਾਣੀ ਆਣੀ ਮੀਰਾ ਖਾਹਿ ਤ ਪੀਸਣ ਜਾਊਂ|| ਪਖਾ ਫੇਰੀ ਪਾਓ ਮਲੋਵਾ ਜਪਤ ਰਹਾ ਤੇਰਾ ਨਾਉ||ਲੂਣ ਹਰਾਮੀ ਨਾਨਕ ਲਾਲਾ ਬਖਸਿਹਿ ਤੁਧ ਵਡਆਯੀ|| ਆਦਿ ਜੁਗਾਦ ਦਯਿਅਪਤਿ ਦਾਤਾ ਤੁਧ ਵਿਨ੍ਨ ਮੁਕਤ ਨਾ ਪਾਯੀ ||” (Sri Guru Granth Sahib Page No 991)
Guchi.
Improve Your Life 