To carry that message, that inspiration, God chose a great Rishi, a great Tapasia, a great Yogi, a great man of consciousness who did every meditation at Hemkunt and totally merged his consciousness in God. Guru Gobind Singh wrote in his own words, "My consciousness blended totally at the feet of the Lord God and I was awakened. Then I was told by God. ‘Rise! Get up, I've got a job for you.'" In his own words Guru Gobind Singh says, "I was in a state of blissful existence, so I said, ‘Can I get out of it?' and God said, ‘No.'"[1]

The Ninth Guru, Guru Teg Bahadur, was Guru Gobind Singh's father. For years and years he had meditated and his wife lived the purest life. Therefore there was no soul in the heavens which was pure enough to be granted to these two godly beings. Prakirti was crying with longing, and Purusha was in grace, so God created a ufnion and thus Guru Gobind Singh took his birth. But not without karma! He was born as Gobind Rai - he was never a Singh. It was Guru Gobind Rai who was installed as Guru. When his father gave his life so that the right of the weak should be upheld, he laid down the first principle of the Khalsa: You shall give yourself to protect the weak. Physically, voluntarily you shall go and tell the King that in this political madness the human being cannot be suppressed.

One day a day came when there were hundreds and hundreds of thousands of his followers, and Guru Gobind Rai chose to ask for a head. Because he had learned from his father how to offer the head, he thought that those who followed the path of his father must know in their very tissue how to make that offering.[2] He said, "Let me see, let me test, let me understand whether in the time to come they will stand and offer. Will they understand God and the love of God? Do they belong to God? Do they know they have come to go? Or shall they be worms of the earth?"

Having learned that lesson which was in his heritage, he spoke: "I need a head!" Everybody started looking left, right, up, down. Some even started meditating, closing their eyes, pretending they never heard. They were in such ecstasy of their meditations that even the word of the Guru couldn't shake them. They pretended they were the highest because they heard nothing, saw nothing and spoke nothing. But one got up. And Guru said, "Are you not willing to give your head?" That man replied, "I am sorry that you have to ask. I thought you would come and pick it up. Anyway, if you do not understand which head belongs to you, it is mine. Take it." He showed his strength, there was a vigor, there was a radiance, there was a light. Guru took him inside a tent and then came out with a bleeding sword. Those who were up to that time meditating, pretending to be perfect swamis, yogis, and siddhas freaked out. This was too much. They were whispering, "He's gone mad! Something has gone wrong. What is going on? What happened to the House of Guru Naanak?"

And then came a thundering voice: "Another head!" Some ran, some turned their backs, and that is where all got divided. Then another Gurmukh (a person surrendered to the Guru's words) got up and said "Lord, there is no need for shouting. You need this head? Here I am. Do what you need." The story got repeated and again the Guru came and said, "Hey! I need another head!" And this time they didn't look at him, but said, "Wait a minute. I am ready. Come on." Then the fourth. Then the fifth. And then the lightning flashed. The entire spirit of the Gurmukh became the self, the Godhood, and in that ecstasy there came total silence.

It had taken from the First Guru (Guru Nanak) to the Ninth Guru (Guru Teg Bahadur) to enrich us, to infuse in us that spirit. And that day we were thousands but only five had the courage for dying. One great man, one flashing sword, turned us into lions. And now we live his legacy to die before we fall. And in that spirit when those five stood up and came out alive, everybody at that time questioned themselves why they hadn't gone in. But no, it was meant for five. Because Gobind Rai as God wished him to become Gobind Singh. Then he asked these five, "Give me the Amrit. Baptize me." Guru Gobind Singh expressed this wish, this desire before the Khalsa, and it is recorded in history, "Waho Waho Gobind Singh Aape Guru Chela." (Great Great is Guru Gobind Singh - he is both the Guru and the disciple.) The Guru became the disciple and Gobind Rai became Gobind Singh. And thus is was that the body of the Khalsa enshrined him as Guru Gobind Singh. All those who gave themselves to the Guru who became the Khalsa are living in that legacy.