Which Door Are You Waiting At?

Take a pause. Watch the thoughts running through your mind. Do you find yourself waiting for something — from another person?

It could be your employer, client, spouse, children, or friends.

Can you be sure your expectations will be met? What happens when they don’t act the way you hope?

The story of the fakir and the village folk invites us to reflect.

The Fakir and the Villagers

Giani Pinderpal Singh shares the tale of a fakir who lived outside a village. A drought had struck the land, making it difficult for people to feed themselves. The villagers decided to approach the king to seek help — to tell him of their troubles. But how could they reach the king? They decided to request the help of the fakir.

The fakir was known to meet the king often, who respected his spiritual wisdom. The villagers asked him to represent their case before the king and seek relief for the drought-stricken village. The fakir was taken aback by the unusual request. Though he had met the king many times, he had never gone to ask for favors.

He hesitated. But the villagers pleaded,
“Please do it for our sake. You are held in high regard. He will not refuse your word.”

At the King’s Palace

Seeing their desperation, the fakir agreed to join them. The next morning, they reached the palace. There were many doors — leading to different chambers and gardens. Since the fakir was familiar with the place, the villagers followed quietly.

The guards led the fakir inside, while the others waited outside.

As he entered the king’s chambers, he heard the king offering his own prayer:

“O Creator of the three worlds, continue to shower Your Mercy on me.
May the boundaries of my kingdom expand in all directions.
Please keep my coffers full and let my reign continue for years to come.”

The fakir stopped in his tracks.

He turned around and quickly walked back to the gate where the villagers stood.

He was shaking his head, muttering to himself: “We have come to the wrong door.”

The Wrong Door

The villagers were confused.

“Wrong door? But we saw the guards take you in. Isn’t that where the king sits? Which is the right door?”

The fakir replied:

“I didn’t want to come here in the first place. But now I’m certain — we shouldn’t have.”
“The one we came to appeal to is himself pleading at another door.”

Startled, the villagers asked,

“The king is pleading? To whom?”

The fakir responded:

“To the One who created all beings and sustains everything.
That is the true door. That is where our petitions belong.
He is the true King. These earthly rulers are make-believe.
We place our hopes at the wrong doors.”

The villagers returned with the fakir. They reconnected with the power that resides in all. In time, they found their own solutions — and thrived. They had stopped wasting breath pleading at the wrong doors.

Which Doors Do We Wait At?

There may be no kings like in the old story. But our situations are not so different. Each day, the mind knocks on many doors with silent expectations:

• A professional seeks growth and income from their employer.
• An artist hopes for recognition from their audience.
• A student waits for ranks and rewards from the institution.
• Couples look to each other for love and acceptance.
• Parents expect respect and obedience from children.
• Citizens expect support from benefactors and governments.

While it’s natural to engage with others in our life duties, it helps to ask:

Are we pinning our deepest hopes to these doors?

Life is unpredictable. People, like kings, cannot guarantee our desired outcomes. We can do our part — but the petitions of the heart are best offered at the Only Door that truly provides. The One who sustains all.

Bhagat Kabir’s Advice: Who Rules the Mind?

This verse by Bhagat Kabir Ji, from the Guru Granth Sahib, brings the point home:

कोऊ हरि समानि नही राजा ॥

There is no sovereign equal to the Divine.

ए भूपति सभ दिवस चारि के झूठे करत दिवाजा ॥१॥ रहाउ ॥

All these earthly kings last for only a few days, putting on their false displays. ||1||Pause||

तेरो जनु होइ सोइ कत डोलै तीनि भवन पर छाजा ॥

The one who accepts Your authority cannot waver. Your shelter extends across the three worlds.

हाथु पसारि सकै को जन कउ बोलि सकै न अंदाजा ॥१॥

Who can raise a hand against Your humble servant? No one can even fathom Your powers. ||1||

चेति अचेत मूड़ मन मेरे बाजे अनहद बाजा ॥

Remember Him, O my thoughtless and foolish mind, and the unstruck melody will begin to resound within. Eliminating your fear of the worldly kings. 

कहि कबीर संसा भ्रमु चूको ध्रू प्रहिलाद निवाजा ॥२॥५॥

Says Kabir, my illusions and doubts have been dispelled. The Divine has exalted me, as He did Dhruv and Prahlaad. ||2||5||

References

• Giani Pinderpal Singh, Dean Wala Rabb Hai
• Bhagat Kabir, Guru Granth Sahib, Ang 856

Image credit

• Finale (Sonata of the Summer) by Mikalojus Konstantinas Čiurlionis. Public domain.
• Kabir with a disciple, Wikimedia 

Reflection Prompt

Is there an expectation you’re holding onto — from someone outside you — that you could gently release today, and find your anchor of joy within?