by SS Awtar Kaur Khalsa, San Francisco, California 2022 (Fourth Quarter) Every day I feel the pain of division in the sangat. Every day I search for inspiration in Siri Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak uses the image of a forge in the 38th Pauri of Japji, to remind me of the tools that can help me affirm our shared humanity. ਜਤੁ ਪਾਹਾਰਾ ਧੀਰਜੁ ਸੁਨਿਆਰੁ ॥ jat paahaaraa dheeraj suniaar || Let self-control be the furnace, and patience the goldsmith. ਅਹਰਣਿ ਮਤਿ ਵੇਦੁ ਹਥੀਆਰੁ ॥ aharan mat vedh hatheeaar || Let understanding be the anvil, and spiritual wisdom the tools.
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Archives for 2022 - Fourth Quarter
Dharma is Born of Compassion
Examining our own Projection during Challenging Times
by SS Sham Rang Singh Khalsa, Millis, Massachusetts 2022 (Fourth Quarter) My friend verbally attacks me in a meeting. I feel angry and defensive, but I keep my mouth shut. I sit and contemplate as the meeting proceeds. Who are we in this time of widely disparate beliefs? Where do we stand? And who even stands there? Parents, teachers and society train us to individuate and know who we are. We define and then project this refined story of self, even when it requires glossing over inconsistencies, some of which can be major. Some of us even train in
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What is our Common Ground?
Introduction by SS Sangeet Kaur Khalsa: In the midst of the funeral and cremation service for a beloved Khalsa brother, my longtime dear friend Guru Meher Kaur and I sought out a quiet spot to sit and share our thoughts and emotions around this day. In marveling at the huge turnout, which included many who no longer attend Gurdwara or other Dharmic events, Guru Meher Kaur observed the irony that we can come together at the time of death, but why not life? She was feeling the need to write an article about this. I naturally seized the opportune moment
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The Minister’s Role in Conflict Resolution
by SS Gurujodha Singh Khalsa, Coarsegold, California 2022 (Fourth Quarter) Conflict is a flower rising up out of the earth. Conflict is the resistance the mountain gives to the wind. Conflict, movement and change are all part of the same system. Resistance to conflict implies a resistance to change. And since change is the one constant in life on the earth plane, the resistance and avoidance of conflict is the avoidance of life itself. The role of a minister, a man or woman of Spirit or God is to bring change, love, and elevation to environments simply through his or
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To Be Unaffected by Slander or Praise
by SS Shiv Charan Singh Khalsa, Quinta do Rajo, Portugal 2022 (Fourth Quarter) A personal note: I have spoken out and been damned. I have held my silence and been damned. Therefore, it is with some trepidation that I write this article. I am fully aware that we live in a time when misunderstandings are part of the deal right now. Nonetheless, Guru Teg Bahadur’s Bani inspires us to be “Unaffected by slander or praise.” The whole shabd describing the state of the Neutral Mind very well is on page 633 of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. Whatever I write here
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We Are a Force for Good ~ We Must Preserve It!
by SS Sangeet Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix, Arizona 2022 (Fourth Quarter) As I completed our current Sikh Minister exam, this phrase came immediately to my mind. We (our community of Sikhs and Yogis) are a Force for Good in this World. We must preserve it. How do I know this? And how do we apply it in our lives as Sikhs and members of the Sikh Sangat? I have been a minister for almost 30 years, a lifelong counselor and a teacher. I am responsible for what I have and have not done. In my 83 years in this life I
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Minister News & Notes (2022 Fourth Quarter)
The Dying Into Life Journey is a practical yogic guide to life, death and transformation. The Dying Into Life Journey training has three Levels, all held on zoom. Level 1 is a 5+ month in-depth training to prepare one to greet their own death with ease and confidence and to help another going through their own transition. Level 2 is designed to give Level 1 graduates the tools to be an effective Death Doula. Level 3 is for graduates of Level 1 and 2 who want to go on to be Trainers in the DILJ program. The next Level 1
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Secretary of Religion Column (2022 Fourth Quarter)
Dear Ministers, It’s hard for me to fathom that we are already in November! Here in the United States, it’s easy to think about the national holiday of Thanksgiving. I was curious to find out what other countries celebrate the harvest or Thanksgiving. I knew Canada did, but I was surprised to learn that Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Grenada, Japan, Liberia, Saint Lucia, the United Kingdom and Brazil also had celebrations —but not necessarily on the same day. Historically, it began as a day to give thanks for the blessings of the harvest and of the preceding year. Americans
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#86 – 2022 Newsletter (Fourth Quarter)
In the February 2022 issue of our newsletter, we explored the core values that unite us as Ministers. The May issue offered intimate reflections from our authors on processing change, loss, trauma and grief during these past few turbulent years. For the August issue, we examined the possible gifts that have been gained—at the same time acknowledging the ever-changing landscape of the world in the midst of a pandemic, political upheaval, and our own Dharmic organizational challenges. For our November issue, we turn our focus toward the heart, and the possibility of forming heartfelt connections with one another that transcend
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