Datus Kick - Guru Amar Das Humility

Dadi: "Guddu, if someone kicked you really hard, what would you do?"

Guddu: "I'd get super angry! Maybe tell a teacher or... I don't know, but I'd be really mad!"

Dadi: "That's a natural reaction. Tonight I'll tell you about a man who was kicked so hard he fell to the ground—and his response changed history."

Guddu: "What did he do?"

Dadi: "Let me start from the beginning. Guru Amar Das was an elderly man when he became the third Sikh Guru. He wasn't born into the position—he earned it through years of humble service. He used to carry water for the community, wash dishes, do whatever was needed."

Guddu: "Even though he was old?"

Dadi: "Even then. When Guru Angad chose him as the next Guru instead of his own sons, people were amazed. This simple servant? But Guru Amar Das proved them wrong. His wisdom and devotion attracted Sikhs from everywhere."

Guddu: "Wait—Guru Angad had sons? How did they feel?"

Dadi: "His elder son Datu was furious! "My father's throne should be mine! Not some old water-carrier's!" He declared himself the true Guru, but no one followed him. This made him even angrier."

Guddu: "Uh oh. Jealousy is never good."

Dadi: "Datu's spies told him about the crowds visiting Guru Amar Das in Goindwal. One day, his anger boiled over. He marched straight to where the Guru sat surrounded by his devoted followers."

Guddu: "What happened?"

Dadi: "Datu's face was red with rage. "You were just my father's servant!" he shouted. "How DARE you call yourself the Guru? You should be serving ME!""

Guddu: "That's so disrespectful!"

Dadi: "And then, in front of everyone, Datu kicked the elderly Guru so hard that he fell from his seat onto the ground."

Guddu: "*gasps* He kicked an old man?!"

Dadi: "The room went silent. Everyone expected the Guru to be furious, to call for guards, to punish this arrogant young man. But Guru Amar Das slowly got up... walked over to Datu... and gently began rubbing his foot."

Guddu: "What?! He touched the foot that kicked him?!"

Dadi: "He said, softly: "I am sorry. My old bones are very hard. Your tender foot must have been hurt when it struck me.""

Guddu: "Dadi, that's... that's amazing. I could never do that!"

Dadi: "Everyone was stunned. The Sikhs were ready to throw Datu out, but the Guru stopped them with a glance. Then, without another word, Guru Amar Das quietly left. He walked all the way back to his ancestral village, Basarke Gillan."

Guddu: "He just... left? His own place?"

Dadi: "He found a small hut and shut himself inside for meditation. On the door, he posted a sign: "He who opens this door is no Sikh of mine, nor am I his Guru.""

Guddu: "So no one could even visit him?"

Dadi: "The Sikhs were devastated. Their beloved Guru was gone! They searched everywhere. Finally, led by the wise elder Baba Buddha, they prayed for guidance—then released the Guru's horse and followed wherever it went."

Guddu: "Smart! Let the horse find him!"

Dadi: "The horse led them straight to the hut. But there was the sign on the door. What could they do? They couldn't open the door—the Guru had forbidden it!"

Guddu: "They were stuck! How did they get in?"

Dadi: "Baba Buddha had an idea. "The sign says we cannot open the DOOR. It says nothing about the wall!""

Guddu: "*laughing* They broke the wall?!"

Dadi: "They carefully broke through the back wall and entered that way! The Guru looked at them—these devoted people who loved him so much they found a loophole in his own rules."

Guddu: "Did he come back?"

Dadi: "Baba Buddha said with tears: "Guru Angad tied us to you. Without you, we are lost. Please come back to us.""

The Guru was moved by their devotion. He returned to Goindwal. And what about Datu?

Guddu: "Yeah, what happened to him?"

Dadi: "Unable to gather any followers of his own, Datu eventually loaded his wealth on a camel and left. On his journey, robbers attacked him. One robber struck him on the exact same foot he had used to kick the Guru. That foot swelled painfully and never healed properly."

Guddu: "Karma got him!"

Dadi: "Perhaps. But the real lesson isn't about Datu's punishment—it's about the Guru's humility. He didn't need to prove his power. He didn't need to fight back. His response—apologizing to the man who kicked him—showed more strength than any angry reaction ever could."

Guddu: "Dadi, that hut where he stayed—is it still there?"

Dadi: "It's a sacred place now. Pilgrims visit it to remember this story. And here's the special part—they never repaired the broken wall. It stays broken, reminding everyone of the devotion that wouldn't accept any door, even one the Guru himself created."

Guddu: "True humility means not needing to prove you're right..."

Dadi: "Even when you ARE right. Guru Amar Das knew who he was. He didn't need Datu's approval. And that security—that peace within himself—allowed him to respond with grace instead of anger."

Guddu: "I want to be that calm when someone is mean to me. But it's really hard!"

Dadi: "It's the hardest thing in the world, beta. That's why we tell these stories—to remind ourselves what's possible. Start small. Next time someone is unkind, wait three breaths before responding."

Guddu: "Three breaths. I'll try. Good night, Dadi."

Dadi: "Good night, my thoughtful one. May you always have the strength to be gentle."