The disciple asks his teacher to teach him the art of becoming invisible. The teacher takes the disciple on a journey. They have walked for many days, and entered a country that is hostile to their beliefs. The soldiers of that nation will kill them if they are discovered.One day, they meet a company of soldiers. Upon seeing them, the captain recognizes their appearance as belonging to the sect that the army is to arrest and kill. When the captain orders their arrest, the teacher asks for the reason. The captain says that since they are of a specific belief, they must be killed. “But we are not,” says the teacher. As a test, the army had been issued symbols, which were holy to the identified sect. The captain shows them the holy symbols, and expects them to bow down, but the teacher starts to play with them instead.
The captain orders their release. “They are not of the sect. Else, they would have prayed to the symbols,” he said.When the army has left, the teacher says, “We changed our ways, and we became invisible with that change.”
The teacher said it is important to be invisible to greed and anger, and we can use the same technique. If we find a bag of gold, the usual action would be pick it up and run away. Instead take it to the police, and start looking for its rightful owner. You have suddenly become invisible to greed!
The wise are thus invisible to greed and anger. Mahatama Gandhi can therefore answer violence with non-violence, and Guru Tegh Bahadur can calmly offer his own sacrifice, when faced with cruelty.
Guru Granth Sahib says the wise walk an unusual path:
By Guru’s Grace, they shed their selfishness and conceit; their hopes are merged in the Lord,
Says Nanak, the lifestyle of the devotees, is unique and distinct.