SS HarDarshan Kaur Khalsa Chapel Hill NC Spring 2009 When and how did you become a Minister? I became a Minister in 1993 after studying the Dharma for 10 years. I did some mentoring with MSS Livtar Singh of Atlanta, Georgia, and then spent some time with the Siri Singh Sahib at summer Solstice in 1993, where he recommended that I take Minister’s vows, which I did. Briefly describe what the words “Sikh Dharma Ministry” mean to you. Sikh Dharma Ministry means so many things to me, and takes so many forms. It means being able to hold the sacred
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Archives for 2009 - Spring
Minister in the Spotlight
The Samadhi of Guru Nanak
by SS HarDarshan Kaur Khalsa, Chapel Hill NC Spring 2009 In 1539, after living for 70 years and spreading the light and truth of the One far and wide, Guru Nanak knew that his time on the earth was complete. He had found his successor, Lehna, whom he renamed Angad. As he passed the Guruship to Angad, the people realized that Guru Nanak was preparing to leave his body. Guru Nanak went and sat under a withered acacia tree, and it became green and produced leaves and blossoms. The Guru’s family, relations, and disciples began to weep. Guru Nanak then
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Guru Nanak’s Journey
by MSS Nirvair Singh Khalsa, Anchorage AK and Espanola NM Spring 2009 There is a story of Guru Nanak told by Guru Meher Kaur (Divine Mataji of Espanola, NM) on SikhNet.com: When the time came for Guru Nanak to go out and do his mission, he went to go meditate near the river Bein. As he was meditating all kinds of demons came to him and tried to scare him. When they couldn’t scare him they offered him lots of riches. They showed him gold, rubies and gems of all kinds. They were very convincing and said, “There’s nothing wrong,
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Guru Nanak’s Marriage
by MSS Livtar Singh Khalsa, Atlanta GA Spring 2009 And then they fell deeply in love, got married, and lived happily ever after. Well, that could happen. But usually, life and marriage are a constant challenge. Guru Nanak’s story is our story, or at least it can be. He had an arranged marriage to Sulakhani at a very young age. She was from a distant village and it was a hard journey to make twice. Her whole family came with her. The bridal negotiations and the wedding happened all at one time. They didn’t fall in love first, didn’t even
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Guru Nanak in the World: “All is Thine”
by SS Deva Singh Khalsa, Pompano Beach FL Spring 2009 Guru Nanak was born to middle-class parents in India in 1469. Early on, Nanak’s father was very upset that his son had little interest in worldly ways. He was always impatient with Nanak because he was worried that his son would not be able to support himself or his future family. Training Nanak to work seemed impossible, as each time his father got him a job, Nanak would become immersed in a deep meditative state, while trying to do the work. He saw God in all, was fair to all,
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Guru Nanak: Childhood Truths
by MSS Guruka Singh Khalsa, Espanola, NM Spring 2009 Editor’s note: This article is partly based on excerpts from the new book from MSS Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and MSS Guruka Singh Khalsa: entitled “Sikh Dharma: Heroes, Saints, Yogis and People Like You and Me,” due for release at Summer Solstice 2009. Every one of us has come under criticism or judgment by others at some time in our life. Often the other person does not fully understand what they are seeing or its implications, and their judgment comes from their own assumptions, not from the truth of the situation.
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Minister News and Notes (Spring 2009)
by SS Sangeet Kaur Khalsa and SS Hari Charn Kaur Khalsa On Saturday, December 20, 2008, during the 3HO Winter Solstice Sadhana, seven ministers and interested students gathered for the annual Winter Solstice Ministers’ Gathering with the theme “Get Ready, Get Steady, Go.” We experienced the Meditation for Group Solidarity to build our unity as ministers and chanted the Narayan Shabd in honor of this year’s 25th anniversary of the martyrdom of the Akal Takhat. This year is an opportune time to remember and revitalize the Narayan Shabd on the 6th of each month. If your community has a 6th
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The Science of Happiness According to Guru Nanak
Ask the Bhai Sahiba Column Spring 2009 Excerpted from From “Psyche of the Soul: The Nit Naym Banis, with Additional Shabads and Prayers, and Their Effects,” by Siri Singh Sahib Shai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji and Bhai Sahiba Sardarni Sahiba Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa; translations, editing, and layout by Dr. Sant Singh Khalsa, published by Hand Made Books, 1993. We have 5,000 years of human experiments and human experience at the universal level, which includes all thoughts, all forms, all religions, all practices, and all projections. It comes down to the basic fact that the human is created out
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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2009)
The numerology of 2009 is 11: Mastery, completion. The Siri Singh Sahib said that these times before the dawn of the Aquarian Age will be dark…the end of the Kali Yug (Dark Age). Based on this information, the Minister e-newsletter planning team settled on the theme for this year: “From Darkness to Light,” emanating from Guru Nanak. In the Shabad Satigur Naanak Pargati-aa these words tell the story: When the True Guru Nanak came into the world, a Light came to shine over the dirt and the darkness of the world. Just as the sun and stars shining forth take
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#31 Spring 2009 Newsletter
The theme for our Spring 2009 issue is From Darkness to Light: The Life of Guru Nanak. Please enjoy these inspirational articles on the life of our First Guru by Sikh Dharma Ministers. “Maya is the shadow of God. Maya lives as God lives. The intention and the intuition given to a man are so that he can see through that shadow to the reality. It’s amazing how the darkness is dark, and you are asked to see through darkness to light. That’s why this Earth is the test. It’s the final test of the soul.”—(Excerpt from a lecture by
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