by SS Prem Kaur Khalsa, Guadalajara, Spain
2024 (Second Quarter)

The Inner Core of Service

When I started working and training at the Secretariat as a young newcomer to the USA and the Dharma, Ram Das Kaur, the then-Secretary of Religion, told me a story of what it means to be a Sikh Dharma Minister—this story stuck with me.  She told me how one of her first duties as a Minister was to perform the last rites for a three-month-old baby. What no one knew was that she herself was three months pregnant with her first child at the time. She told me just how incredibly difficult and emotional that moment was for her. She even doubted being able to perform the rites. She recalled that, despite her earlier trepidations, she was able to step up and deliver in the moment, because of the need for her service.

It is this moment of calling on the core of service as a Minister, in which you must be present with empathy toward others who are facing the most difficult times in their lives. You must be there in service, to help them through their most complex challenges. Learning that inspired me to become a Minister—to be someone who could support others in their toughest times through service.  

How do you nourish and allow for that inner strength to grow and manifest, so that you are able to deliver during moments of difficulty, challenge and occasionally in the face of dangerous situations?

My husband and I lived and worked in India, where my daughter attended Miri Piri Academy for many years. I had the chance to observe how even at a young age, the spirit of service can be nurtured and given room to grow. The best education at any age is often a series of experiences and opportunities for spiritual practices, designed to create self-awareness and empathy towards others, and the strength to be able to face and overcome unexpected circumstances.  

My own experience in India was filled with those moments, and for that I will be forever grateful.

Most of the students at the Academy developed their own impulse and interest to expand in different fields of seva. Dealing with academics; immersing themselves in the local culture; choosing to deliver seva projects at local orphanages, they expanded their field of service in the areas which interested them. While at school they engaged in many physical sports to build the strength of their bodies through sports, yoga, Kabbadi and Gatka.

In the Sikh Dharma tradition, we believe in building character and caliber. How is that best accomplished from within?  We do have access to a treasure trove of tools, and the ability to relate our questions directly back to the Shabad Guru, so it is not easy to single out only one practice. However, while living in India and following the educational mores provided to my own daughter and many other students, I came to hold a special place in my heart for Benti Chaupai Sahib.

For the many international students who would come to spend part of their academic years in India, they had no prior knowledge or understanding of Sikhism or our way of life. Most students originated from non-religious families and non-Sikh homes and came to be in contact with the Punjab and the teachings of the Gurus and the Siri Guru Granth Sahib for the first time in their lives. 

We would often visit the home of Guru Gobind Singh at Anandpur Sahib. It was there that the Guru composed Benti Chaupai Sahib, while his Dharma was under threat. It was written to enhance the Radiant Body, providing the Naad to cut through any threat and restore self-protection.

Benti Chaupai is accessible and an easy length to memorize—which worked well for the many international students. It works on empowering self-esteem, creating the strength and projection to withstand a threat and constructing a field of protection around the individual through a radiant aura. It gives one the experience of the spiritual warrior.

It was a beautiful and deeply moving experience to see the students immersed in the Amrit Sarovar at the Golden Temple in the Amrit Vela—reciting Guru Gobind Singh’s bani and inspiring me and other visitors at the temple.

While reciting and meditating on these sacred verses, with their frequencies and interactions, we can grow our fearlessness, as it holds and carries the same impact as when it was written by the 10th Master. In moments when our internal strength is tested, spiritually, physically, and mentally, it will carry us through and increase our impact. It is here, through the words of Guru Gobind Singh, which carry the most vast resonance, that the Bani will come to our succor. The recitation of the Banis gives us the strength to grow our core of service, and to serve with patience and endurance from the heart.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

SS Prem Kaur Khalsa is the Acting Secretary General & CEO at Sikh Dharma International. She also sits on the 3HO Europe Board. With a Swedish mother and a Mexican father, she is both an American and European citizen. She has been part of our Sikh Dharma/3HO community since 1984 and has a long history of serving our Dharma in various capacities, beginning in 1986.

Over the years, she has lived in Los Angeles, Espanola, Mexico and India (at Miri Piri Academy). Since 2020, her family has been living in Spain. She speaks seven languages and has worked to develop multi-cultural and multi-generational relationships. Caring deeply about our Dharmic Teachings, she hopes and prays to bring the mission and spirit of our Dharma to our international community.