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. I noticed that silently repeating”Har Har Har,” connected me to my heartbeat, calming me down, and allowing me to nod off. Or shall I say, “Naad” off!
Greater understanding of what my name means came from my explanations to others. When a person outside of Sikh Dharma asked me what my name means, I would tell them “Har” is God’s Name and Simran is like a pot simmerin’ on the stove, except instead of going “blub blub blub,” it’s going “Har Har Har.”
That was in the 1990s. Nowadays, given people’s busy lives, I simply tell people that it means “remember the One who made you.” The response is always a pause, then a smile, and “That’s beautiful!” I smile back, grateful for the reminder to be so.
About the Author
SS Har Simran Kaur Khalsa is a Sikh Dharma Minister. Har Simran Kaur met and latched onto the teachings of Yogi Bhajan in the late 1970s. After decades of large, consistent doses of the practices of Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma and a 10-year stint serving the Siri Singh Sahib Ji’s personal household in Los Angeles, she has discovered the secret to mastery: teaching. She is currently teaching a series of classes focusing on each of the Gurus and the corresponding light bodies in her longtime home in the Guru Ram Das Ashram Sangat in Los Angeles.
