After bidding farewell to the people of…

After bidding farewell to the people of Bhutan, Shri Guru Nanak Dev Ji traveled through Kalimpong, Sikkim, and reached Gangtok. There, he met Lama monks who held prayer wheels in their hands and kept spinning them. The bells attached to these wheels produced a musical sound. They believed that simply rotating a specific object initiated the remembrance of God, just as some people consider themselves engaged in devotion merely by rotating the beads of a rosary.

However, Guru Ji disagreed with them and said that in God’s divine play, everything appears to rotate and revolve. But this is not true devotion. The Lama monks had also built water-powered spinning wheels near various waterfalls, where the flow of water kept them turning continuously. Small bells attached to them produced constant sounds, and the monks believed that these wheels kept the earth engaged in divine contemplation, and therefore, they should not be disturbed.

Guru Ji, seeing their innocence, smiled and said:

"A connection with God is established through heartfelt remembrance— not by spinning a prayer wheel in your hand. This practice is merely mechanical, deceiving yourselves."

Then, Guru Ji recited the shabad:

"The tops spin aimlessly. The birds fly but do not settle. Attached to a pole, the oxen walk in circles. O Nanak, such wandering has no end." — Raga Asa, Ang 465

Faced with Guru Ji’s logical reasoning, the Lama monks became speechless. They fell at Guru Ji’s feet and prayed for spiritual initiation. Guru Ji then explained:

"Devotion is not a physical act; it is a special state of the mind, where one is completely immersed in the remembrance of the Beloved. At times, a devotee even forgets themselves. For this, there is no need for a specific time, place, or material. A seeker’s mind can become focused at any moment. All one needs to do is surrender and pray sincerely, so that they may become worthy of divine grace. Only then does 'Gur Prasadi'—God’s blessing—manifest."