by MSS Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa, Vancouver, Canada Office of the Bhai Sahiba of Sikh Dharma International Spring 2010 To be a Minister of Sikh Dharma is a sublime and most humble role. As one who has been deeply involved in Training Kundalini Yoga Teachers for many years, I have often pondered the difference between the role of a Minister and the role of the Teacher. I am sure you have, too. The following thoughtful poem that appears in Victory and Virtue (Sikh Dharma manual) gives voice to this subtle, very surrendered role. It is simple and pure, and worthy of being
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Posts by Executive Assistant
A Humble Role
Minister News and Notes (Spring 2010)
by SS Har Darshan Kaur, Chapel Hill, NC (2009 Solstice Gathering Facilitator) About a dozen Ministers (and one new Khalsa) attended the 2009 Ministers’ Gathering this year at 3HO Winter Solstice. As most of you know, our Dharma is going through some big transitions and challenges at this time. Our gathering was an opportunity to “check in” with one another by sharing our truth in the moment. This process was one that was utilized in the October Khalsa Council meetings. Each person present had the opportunity to share their thoughts and feelings with the person on their left, who then
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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2010)
At a Ministers’ gathering in 1993, we went through a strategic planning process for the Ministry. The mission statement that resulted was: “To selflessly serve and uplift humanity and to perpetuate Sikh Dharma in the spirit of Cherdi Kala.” This Office has used these words as a touchstone ever since. At a Summer Solstice Ministers’ gathering a few years ago, we developed an affirmation for Ministers to say daily: “Sikh Dharma Ministers, working in unity and purity to serve humanity.” I am a firm believer in positive affirmations and visualizations, such as those found in inspirational books on prosperity (e.g.
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#35 Spring 2010 Newsletter
The overall theme for 2010 is The Journey to Sahej featuring stories from the hearts of our Ministers. Sahej Pad is “that stage of ease, balance, and grace when everything fits together. We sense what serves the moment, then hold the space, allow the tools and prosperity to awaken as each moment manifests, and enjoy the play of life as the Guru works to move the consciousness.”—(p. 218, The Aquarian Teacher) The topic for the Spring newsletter is Delivering Our Natural Gifts with Ease. We asked our authors to respond to these questions: “As a Minister, how do you recognize, accept
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Guru’s Wisdom
by SS Sada Anand Singh, Japan Winter 2009 My way of sharing Guru’s wisdom in my daily life is simple. In Japan, we often have holistic fairs where I offer free five-minute yoga counseling sessions as “Yogi Khalsa.” I invite the individual to sit down, relax, close his eyes, take a deep breath, and we tune in. After a few minutes of sitting in this healing space, I ask him to open his eyes. A simple conversation follows: “How are you?” “So-so.” “What’s the difference between “so-so” and great? How do you get beyond the negative self-limiting mental mantras?” Then
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Uplift and Inspire
by SS Jot Singh Khalsa, Millis MA Winter 2009 For the majority of my adult life, and even beyond his passing, the Siri Singh Sahib (Yogi Bhajan) has been my role model. I watched him serve people for decades everywhere I had the good fortune to be with him. What it instilled in me is the realization that life is about “service,” plain and simple. For over 30 years now, my art and craft have taken me all over the world displaying and selling knives and jewelry. Early in my career, I began to sense that there was more for
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Being the Reflection of the Guru
by SS Suraj Kaur Khalsa, Altadena CA Winter 2009 “Guru can be a word of wisdom coming through a person who has attained a state of mental consciousness to direct or guide or speak the infinite truth under all circumstances.” This quote from the Siri Singh Sahib is in essence what he embodied as a teacher. He came from India, and although in the beginning, he felt that it was not the time to represent the Guru in the form of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, he still brought the essence of the Guru to his yoga students. Under all
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Singing God’s Praises
by SS Hari Mander Jot Singh, Albuquerque NM (interviewed by SS Sarb Nam Kaur Khalsa) Winter 2009 There is a line in the Re Man shabd written by Guru Gobind Singh that inspires me: “Jaap so ajaap japay.” It means to recite without reciting. I believe that we should live our life as an example, rather than just preaching. Living in the consciousness that God is the Doer of everything, we will become self-illumined: Saibhang. This only happens by the grace of the Guru: Gurprasad. Guru is everything…it is that which brings you from the unknown to the known. A relationship
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The Gift of the Naam
by SS Siri Krishna Kaur Khalsa, Medway, MA Winter 2009 I had a particularly hard time trying to decide if my story was worthy enough for the publication…but I suppose that that’s not my job. My job is to tell my story and then let the editors decide if it is worth publishing or not. And if it inspires even one person, it is so worth it. So here goes. My personal story started many years ago when I lived in Virginia. I was a 40-day birth sevadar for a lovely Sikh family in Herndon back in 1989, and during the
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The Prince of the Harpists
by SS Dr. Gurusangat Kaur Khalsa, Belo Horizonte, Brazil Winter 2009 Have you ever heard the story of the Kiri Tree, also known as the Princess Tree in old China? One day a magician turned this powerful tree into a wonderful harp and in so doing cast a spell so that the rebellious spirit of the harp could only be tamed by a master musician. For years, the harp was kept by the Emperor as his personal treasure. Endless and useless efforts were made to find a musician who could play this harp. Whosoever attempted to strike a tune on
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