There is that very beautiful picture of Guru Ram Das at the museum of the Darbar Sahib, where he is surrounded by flowers.  (The one that’s used a lot, he sits on a lovely Persian carpet and the view is out through the window onto the Golden Temple.

In my mind’s eye, I picture him overflowing, crying tears of love for humanity.  But when they fall from his eyes, they turn to flowers of grace and blessings.

Similar to when some villagers went to greet Guru Nanak at the entrance to the village with a bowl of milk, symbolizing, “we have enough teachers here and do not need another” and he sent it back with flowers on top, symbolizing, “i come with nothing but blessings and prayers.”  Flowers are symbolic and signify something for nothing.

I shared this with my yoga student, Hari Kirtan Kaur, who is a fine artist of naive style.  She longed to paint it.  She drew the African Acacia (buffelthorn) around it for protection.  She painted a youthful, meditative Guru Ram Das.  I love the fawn colors of his turban.  When we went to visit her for preliminary viewing, I noticed the charcoal colored background, like a blackboard, and our son, Hari Bhajan Singh, started writing the Guru Mantra on it:  Guru Guru Wahe Guru, Guru Ram Das Guru.

I keep the small size which I often give out as gifts at trainings or yoga events.  The A4 and A3 sizes are for sale.  The large one hangs at our ashram.  Parmatma Singh in Espanola has the rights to reproduce and pays royalties to 3HO foundation South Africa, as these monies, like all our foundation monies, are to help folks from disadvantaged backgrounds.   His email is: pskhalsa108@yahoo.com

Thanks and fond regards,
Pritam Hari Kaur