September 24, 1944 – January 3, 2024 2024 (First Quarter) Ram Dass Singh was born in Boise, Idaho, but spent his childhood in the Pacific Northwest. He studied communication at the University of Washington, then began his journey with Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma in 1970. He found what he loved–sadhana and seva. He spent some time in the Denver and Phoenix ashrams before he set up and led the ashram in Salt Lake City for 16 years. This is where his two loving daughters, Nam Kirn Kaur and Lakshmi Narayan Kaur, were born and where he met and later
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Posts by Executive Assistant
In Memoriam – SS Ram Dass Singh Khalsa
Nurturing the Radiant Spirit: A Reflection on the Young Saints at MPA
by SS Sukhdev Kaur Khalsa, Raasiku, Estonia 2024 (First Quarter) I’m sitting by the window at our MPA campus. The winter fog has draped the whole of Punjab, bringing a deep calm into the surroundings. Nevertheless, as we celebrate Guru Gobind Singh’s birthday, the air is charged with the vibrant energy of students doing Pantra—the rhythmic recitation of Jaap Sahib—and the captivating tales of the Guru’s extraordinary life. It’s a testament to the enduring spirit of Miri Piri that, despite only a few months since the school’s reopening, the flame of enthusiasm burns brighter than ever. In this moment of
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Ministering in Chile in This Time and Space
by SS Sat Sansar Singh Khalsa, Santiago, Chile 2024 (First Quarter) What does the word ‘Minister’ mean to you? Being a Minister is for me an identity that is shared with a lineage of women and men who through the ages have been an inspiration, through the testimony of their lives. To live the life of a Sikh includes actively supporting one’s community in this way of life. That identity manifests in many ways for me—in deep internal aspects and in actions in the sphere in which I participate. Externally it means for me to stand as a lighthouse, ever
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Daily Online Meditation for Healing in the Middle East
by SS Nam Nidhan Kaur Khalsa, Santiago, Chile 2024 (First Quarter) For a few decades now, the internet has opened the doors to homes and hearts around the world. It has shown us the beauty, as well as the ignorance, dreams and aberrations, that are common to human beings. It has connected us and helped create a global network where we are all closer, more similar and vibrating together in the face of all the events that are taking place in time and space. As terrible as wars are, we now have them happening and showing up on our cell
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Minister in the Spotlight: SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa
by SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola, New Mexico 2024 (First Quarter) Where There is Courage, There is Happiness Soon after I became a Kundalini Yoga teacher in December 1971, I had the sensation that there was an unseen sangat—a not yet identified community—that I am to serve. When I became a Sikh Dharma Minister a year and a half later, the same sensation filled me. I called upon the Guru to bring me to this unseen sangat, so that we would be known to each another. Over the decades, the Guru has brought me into several communities: in
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Minister News & Notes (2024 First Quarter)
Annual Sikh Dharma Minister credential renewal notices will be sent out at the end of February. This is an exam year, so be sure to complete your renewal early this year! Our electronic Minister Renewal System facilitates annual Minister credential renewals through a secure online portal. You can review and update your Minister record, submit your renewal letters and exams, and securely pay your annual Minister fees. We, in the Office of the Secretary of Religion, are dedicated to assisting you if you need help. If you have questions or need assistance in your renewal process, please email Guruamrit Kaur
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Secretary of Religion Column (2024 First Quarter)
Dear Ministers, A new year, a new focus, a new time and space. Unfortunately, at the same time the turmoil present on our planet continues and, in some places, escalates. The same is true in our Dharma. I posed a question in this column (4th quarter newsletter 2023) about the collective Ministry focusing energy on healing our Dharma. I’ve been thinking a lot about that. Our Ministry was designed to include an entire cross section of our sangat, with a variety of viewpoints and perspectives. This makes for a stronger body to serve in a variety of ways—yet at the
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#91 – 2024 Newsletter (First Quarter)
The calendar year 2024 carries the vibration of the Pranic Body–the source of infinite energy available for us to raise our vitality, elevate our spirit, and serve in the world. Our goal for this year’s newsletter series is to celebrate Ministers who are engaged in meaningful service—in their communities and around the world. This seva looks different for each Minister, but the desire to serve and uplift from the heart is the unifying thread across our Ministry. In his brief life, Guru Har Krishan, our eighth Guru, embodied those traits. Known as a natural healer, he was sought by many
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In Memoriam – MSS Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa
June 19, 1929 – November 8, 2023 by SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa 2023 (Fourth Quarter) The day before Shakti Parwha Kaur left her body, a book arrived for me in the mail. From a Far and Lovely Country is the latest in the Number One Ladies Detective Agency series, written by Alexander McCall Smith. When the first book in the series was published in 1998, Shakti Parwha Kaur and I became book buddies. We both enjoyed the humorous wisdom stories of the lead character, the strong and gentle Mma Precious Ramotswe. Shakti Parwha Kaur and I met on
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Looking Back, Looking Forward
by Guruamrit Kaur Khalsa, Bowling Green, Virginia 2023 (Fourth Quarter) Memories When I think about growing up in 3HO, I am overwhelmed with memories. I remember my Mom waking me up during the Amrit Vela when I was a young girl. Walking across the street together to go to Sadhana, while it was still dark outside, and there were birds singing and dew on the grass. I remember making prashad in the Ambrosial hours in the kitchen with my godmother. Chanting the Mul Mantra while we stirred together at the stove. I remember sleeping on my sheepskin in the small
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