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Archives for 2010 - Summer

“I know of a man who used to say, ‘God bless you. May you be restored to health.’ His virtues were many. People with diseases which we cannot imagine would ever be cured used to get cured by his word. So I became very interested in studying that man. “To my surprise, he used to say one word whenever he talked and that word was Tuhi, Tuhi, Tuhi—‘Thou, Thou, Thou.’ If you gave him food, he would say ‘Thou, Thou, Thou;’ water, ‘Thou, Thou, Thou;’ slap him, ‘Thou, Thou, Thou.’ He went through every experience saying, ‘Thou, Thou, Thou.’ “When
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Simran and the Journey to Sahej

by SS Hari Nam Simran Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2010 How does Simran serve me in my life? To me, Simran is vast, with so many different infinite intertwining connections. In fact, Simran is so vast that any attempt to describe in words the essence of Simran becomes a difficult task. Nevertheless, I will attempt to relay how Simran serves me in my life. Each day, at every moment, Simran seems to have a different effect, a different meaning, and a different result in my life. Essentially, Simran is a multifaceted component that interweaves my every breath. My challenge,
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Meditate on God

by SS Har Simran Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles CA Summer 2010 I was less than thrilled when the Siri Singh Sahib Ji gave me the name Har Simran. Meditation was something I did because I felt better afterward and I knew it was good for me, not because I enjoyed it. I was relieved years later to hear him say that Simran is the same as Jaap. Both mean “repeat.” That meant I could fulfill my destiny simply by chanting, regardless what I felt or thought. My first practical experience of Har Simran came one night, trying to fall asleep.
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The Habit of Simran

by SS Satsimran Kaur, Los Angeles CA Summer 2010 The good thing about practicing meditation for a long time is that we can see that it works. In the beginning, it feels good. We notice small things like having more energy and, although we might have added time for spiritual practice, the time we have for the rest of the day’s activities actually seems longer instead of shorter. As time goes on our practice of meditation becomes a pleasant habit, which takes us out of our routines and mundane thoughts and connects us to the essence of our being. Then,
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Living in Simran

SS Simran Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles CA Summer 2010 Simra-o simar simar sukh paava-o|| Meditate, meditate, meditate in remembrance of Him, and find peace. Prabh kai simaran ridhh sidhh no nidhh || In the remembrance of God are wealth, miraculous spiritual powers and the nine treasures. prabh kai simaran giaan dhhiaan thath budhh || In the remembrance of God are knowledge, meditation and the essence of wisdom.— from Sukhmani Sahib by Guru Arjun Devji Several years ago, while I was assisting Hari Kaur at the Master’s Touch, students asked Gurucharan Singh questions about the meaning of the Sikh spiritual names. I was in
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The Guru’s Langar (Free Kitchen)

The tradition of Langar expresses the ideals of equality, sharing, and the oneness of all humankind; an essential part of any Gurdwara is the Langar or free kitchen. Here the food is cooked by sevadars and is served without discrimination to all. After the Sadh Sangat has participated in any ceremony, they are served the Guru’s Langar. The tradition of Langar expresses the ideals of equality, sharing, and the oneness of all humankind. It was inspired by Guru Nanak’s act of serving food to wandering holy men when given money by his father to strike a good bargain. The practice
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Minister News and Notes (Summer 2010)

The theme for our 2010 Summer Solstice Minister’s Gathering is: “The Spirit and Pulse of the Sikh Dharma Ministry.” Join with other Sikh Dharma Ministers as SS Dev Suroop Kaur leads us in a joyful experience of Naad, rhythm, and movement. Together we raise our vitality, energy, and spirit to support our identity, service and connection. Sunday, June 20th from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. at Ram Das Puri. Congratulations to new Sikh Dharma ministers SS Dr. Harjot Kaur Singh and SS Gurumustuk Singh who took their Sikh Dharma Minister vows before the Siri Guru Granth Sahib this spring. Wahe Guru!
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Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2010)

The other day I was talking with a friend who is facing some immense challenges in his life. These are due to circumstances outside of his control and are partially a result of political upheaval in his local area. He said, “I thought it was going to get better as we got closer to the Age of Aquarius.” We reflected on the polarization that seems to be showing up in the world — in the political arena, in people’s personal lives, and certainly in the life of Sikh Dharma. I reminded my friend that there have been countless predictions that
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