Sikh Dharma Ministry Newsletter – All Articles

Ek Ong Kar Sat Gur Prasaad

by SS Jujhar Singh, Birmingham, UK  2024 (Third Quarter) Serving without Judgement The times are tough: our families, communities, societies appear more polarized than ever. When one is out there trying to be the Guru’s conduit, it is very difficult ...

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Making the Planet Whole through Interfaith Work

by SS Atma Chanan Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D., Little River, California 2024 (Third Quarter) “Thousand are Thy forms, and yet Thou has no form.” When I think of religion and interfaith, two ongoing events come to mind: the war between Israel and Palestine and ...

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Building Relationships at the Annual Los Angeles Baisakhi Kirtan Darbar

by MSS Kirtan Singh Khalsa, Espanola, New Mexico 2024 (Third Quarter) Sat Nam. In God I dwell, and in His Name I write these words. In 1985 the Siri Singh Sahib Ji appointed me to serve as the Secretary of the Gurdwara at Guru Ram Das Ashram, Los Ang ...

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Common Grace

by SS Shiva Singh Khalsa & SS Shabad Kaur Khalsa, Evanston, Illinois 2024 (Third Quarter) When the Catholic Church decided to open dialogue with other Christian traditions, it was called ecumenical dialogue. When they decided it was a good idea t ...

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“Experience Interfaith” in Phoenix, Arizona

by SS Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix, Arizona 2024 (Third Quarter) Strings of overhead lights illuminated the intricate patterns of the marble courtyard. Around the edge, members from the Arizona Interfaith Movement engaged in conversation with guests ...

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Interreligious Dialogue from a Sikh Perspective: Lessons from Bolivia

by SS Sham Kaur Khalsa, La Paz, Bolivia 2024 (Third Quarter) As Sikhs, our active participation in interreligious dialogues around the world is nourished by the inclusive teachings of our faith. In 2023, I had the honor of experiencing this firsthand ...

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Minister News & Notes (2024 Third Quarter)

Three new Ministers were ordained in Summer 2024: SS Dr. Darshan Singh Khalsa (Virginia, USA), SS Avtar Kaur Khalsa (Hessen, Germany) and SS Bachitar Kaur Khalsa (Engen, Germany). Darshan Singh took his vows in-person at the Sadhana Gurdwara at Hacie ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2024 Third Quarter)

Dear Ministers, There are three ways that our global Sikh Dharma International Ministry seeks to create a sense of community for our Ministers. One is through the quarterly e-newsletters for Ministers by Ministers.  Another is through the Minister Ga ...

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#93 – 2024 Newsletter (Third Quarter)

This year’s newsletter series celebrates 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 ...

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Food 4 Kids NM: The Guru’s Way

by SS Guru Simran Kaur Khalsa, Espanola, New Mexico 2024 (Second Quarter) New Mexico is #2 in child hunger in the nation. Food4KidsNM began as a volunteer program to serve the elementary school children of Northern New Mexico who do not get enough (o ...

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Good Friday Pilgrims Walk

by SS Jivan Joti Kaur Khalsa, PhD, Santa Cruz, New Mexico 2024 (Second Quarter) Sikhs have a long tradition of serving food. One of the earliest accounts of this practice dates from 1481, when the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak, was 12 years old. He too ...

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SANGAT and PANGAT. . . Simple Joys

by SS Siri Chand Singh Khalsa, Santa Cruz, New Mexico 2024 (Second Quarter) When I was asked to share my experiences with the evening chanting and langar program that we hold at the Hacienda de Guru Ram Das ashram in Espanola, it got me thinking abou ...

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Sweetness on Sundays

by SS Hari Kirn Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles, California 2024 (Second Quarter) As a young girl, I was dropped off at our church each Sunday to sit with my grandmother, who waited for me in the same place in the same pew. I sat quietly, wearing my white c ...

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Minister in the Spotlight: MSS Krishna Kaur Khalsa

by MSS Krishna Kaur Khalsa & Keval Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles, California 2024 (Second Quarter) Everything is a Gift Wahe Guru JI Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! It was about 50 years ago that around 9-10 of us Kundalini Yoga Teachers vowed to be ...

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Minister in the Spotlight: SS Prem Kaur Khalsa

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 s ...

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Minister News & Notes (2024 Second Quarter)

All Ministers are invited to attend an in-person Minister Gathering at Summer Solstice at Ram Das Puri, New Mexico, USA! The gathering will be facilitated by SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa, Secretary of Religion, and will be taking place on Sunday, June 16, ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2024 Second Quarter)

Dear Ministers, During the 40 days prior to Baisakhi 2024, what were your experiences as you chanted, listened to, or recited the beautiful shabd by Bhagat Ravi Das Ji? I found it deeply comforting, in the midst of major changes and a difficult Mercu ...

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#92 – 2024 Newsletter (Second 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. This year’s newsletter series celebrates Ministers who are engaged in me ...

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In Memoriam – SS Sada Anand Singh Khalsa

April 17, 1947 – February 22, 2024 by SS Gurujot Kaur Khalsa 2024 (First Quarter) Sada Anand Singh passed away suddenly on Thursday, February 22nd, as he was on his way to teach in Taiwan and then lead a Yatra to the Golden Temple in India.  Li ...

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In Memoriam – MSS Sat Santokh Singh Khalsa

October 18, 1939 – February 21, 2024 by Jiwan Shakti Kaur Khalsa 2024 (First Quarter) “As the rays of light blend into the sun and water merges into water, so does the soul merge into the Divine and becomes whole.” – Siri Guru Granth Sahi ...

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In Memoriam – SS Ram Dass Singh Khalsa

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 ...

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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 S ...

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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 inspira ...

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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 c ...

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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 ide ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 s ...

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Seeing the God in All

Interview with SS Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, Chapel Hill, North Carolina 2023 (Fourth Quarter) In 2014, SS Harbhajan Singh Khalsa had a traumatic bicycle accident and almost died. After a long time away from Dharmic activities, he attended this Septembe ...

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My View from Here

by SS Guru Sangat Kaur Khalsa, Great Falls, Virginia 2023 (Fourth Quarter) The Olive Branch report and the reports of abuse at the schools in India hit us like a bomb at a birthday party. Feelings have run the gamut from those of betrayal, to those o ...

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Growing, Learning and Healing

by SS Dr. Haridass Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles, California 2023 (Fourth Quarter) In this time and space, what do you value most in your Dharmic life? It has been a long three years with the pandemic and the upheaval in our community. I miss gathering wi ...

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Contemplating Collective Efficacy

by SS Gurumeet Kaur Khalsa, Espanola, New Mexico 2023 (Fourth Quarter) Mere Pyare Sadh Sangat Ji, Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! Our Sikh Ministry is sharing a powerful concept in this newsletter for our world sangat to contemplate—co ...

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Minister News & Notes (2023 Fourth Quarter)

SS Shiva Singh Khalsa will facilitate a Minister Gathering at the 2023 Winter Solstice Festival in Lake Wales, Florida! This will be the first in-person Minister gathering since the beginning of the COVID pandemic. It will be taking place on Sunday, ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2023 Fourth Quarter)

Dear Ministers, As we move into the holiday season, my thoughts turn to two words—gratitude and grace. It seems that no matter what spiritual tradition one might follow, there is usually some kind of special celebration or acknowledgement that accomp ...

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#90 – 2023 Newsletter (Fourth Quarter)

The concept of Collective Efficacy posits that together we can make meaningful change in our community, whether or not we agree on everything. Working together, anything is possible. Our 2023 Ministry Newsletter series features this concept front and ...

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The 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions in Chicago: a Deep Dive Into a Global Faith Community

by SS Shiva Singh Khalsa, Chicago, Illinois 2023 (Third Quarter) The 2023 Parliament of the World’s Religions was held August 14-18, 2023. This is the 4th Parliament we have attended. It is a week of presentations; plenaries by world-renowned faith a ...

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My Pregnancy Story

by SS Charansev Kaur Khalsa, Viña del Mar, Chile 2023 (Third Quarter) Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa! Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! The Ministry Newsletter Team invited me to write an article for the August 2023 issue. As a new mother, I have currently not been act ...

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Supporting Sangat during Times of Challenge

Interview with SS Guru Sangat Singh Khalsa, Great Falls, Virginia                                                                    This interview was conducted over the telephone by Guruamrit Kaur, Newsletter Editor, on August 25, 2023 2023 (Third ...

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Contemplations on the Challenges and Gifts of this Moment

by SS Arjan Kaur Khalsa, Mexico City, Mexico 2023 (Third Quarter) It is easier to give an opinion, question, judge, point out or belittle, than—on the contrary—to guide individuals towards values, appreciate their vulnerability, recognize their innat ...

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Finding Inner Calm and Reaching Out

by MSS Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa, Vancouver, Canada 2023 (Third Quarter) Dear Ministers, How are you doing after these last few years of the revelations about Yogi Bhajan, and from our children, oh, and the isolation of COVID?? How ARE you doing? I am ask ...

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Ways to Bring Our Community Together

by MSS Sat Hari Singh Khalsa, Boizenburg, Germany & Guru Ram Das Aquarian Academy 2023 (Third Quarter) Sat Nam,  I’d like to talk about our experience in Germany. As a part of the former Guru Ram Das Ashram and  Sangat in Hamburg, we were searchi ...

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Minister News & Notes (2023 Third Quarter)

Two new Ministers were ordained in August 2023: SS Inderpal Singh Bola of Berkshire, UK and SS Manjot Singh Khalsa of Gotland, Sweden. Inderpal Singh took his vows in-person at the European Yoga Festival in France, on August 12. Manjot Singh was orda ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2023 Third Quarter)

Dear Ministers, Throughout my many years of counseling, I have always shared with clients that everything that happens is purposeful. Yes, even those events that one might call “atrocities.” I certainly have experienced these in my own life many time ...

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#89 – 2023 Newsletter (Third Quarter)

The concept of Collective Efficacy posits that together we can make meaningful change in our community, whether or not we agree on everything. Working together, anything is possible. Our 2023 Ministry Newsletter series features this concept front and ...

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In Memoriam – SS Harbhajan Singh Khalsa

September 13, 1950 – November 23, 2022 by Hearts and Hands 2023 (Second Quarter) SS Harbhajan Singh Khalsa, formerly of Taos and a longtime member of our sangat at Hacienda de Guru Ram Das in Espanola, passed away on November 23, 2022. He was l ...

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In Memoriam – SS Gian Kaur Khalsa

1949 – 2023 by Guru Mander Kaur Khalsa 2023 (Second Quarter) SS Gian Kaur Khalsa, woman, teacher, mother, grandmother and friend. She was a Kundalini Yoga Lead Trainer and a first-generation student trained by Yogi Bhajan. Gian Kaur discovered ...

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Miri Piri Academy Women’s Camp at Anandpur Sahib

by SS Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola, New Mexico 2023 (Second Quarter) After several years of isolation due to the pandemic, women from around the world gathered in February at Dashmesh Sadan in Anandpur Sahib, India, for a ten-day retreat organized by ...

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What Remains When All is Gone…

by SS Sat Sansar Singh Khalsa, Santiago, Chile 2023 (Second Quarter) In 2018 I wrote an article for the Ministry Newsletter entitled, “What does it mean to be a Sikh Dharma Minister?” In the last paragraph I wrote, “To me it is a profound ...

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The Dharma of Releasing My Trauma

by SS Dr. JivanJoti Kaur Khalsa, Santa Cruz, New Mexico 2023 (Second Quarter) Dear Ministers, I wish to thank the Sikh Dharma Ministry for devoting this newsletter to the Progressive Arc of the Resolution of Trauma. I was grateful to be asked  to wri ...

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A Safe Harbor in Challenging Times

by SS Mata Mandir Singh Khalsa, MT 2023 (Second Quarter) This is a time when there are some 80 million refugees in the world, uprooted from their homes, families, villages, temples, culture, and way of life. The causes are many, including oppression, ...

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Minister News & Notes (2023 Second Quarter)

This free online course presented by Sikh Dharma International offers an introductory-level overview of the Sikh Dharma path for those seeking a deeper understanding of the question “What is a Sikh?” This is a great course of study for Sikh Dharma be ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2023 Second Quarter)

Dear Ministers, It’s spring in the Northern Hemisphere—a time of renewal. After the winter season, plants begin a new cycle. Some push up from the ground and manifest into flowers; the barren trees bud and produce new leaves. It’s as if the earth is ...

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#88 – 2023 Newsletter (Second Quarter)

The concept of Collective Efficacy posits that together we can make meaningful change in our community, whether or not we agree on everything. Working together, anything is possible. Our 2023 Ministry Newsletter series features this concept front and ...

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Enlightenment is a Process of Perfect Self-Organization

This Is How Guru Gobind Singh Did It (By His Own Testimony) by SS Krishna Singh Khalsa, Española, New Mexico 2023 (First Quarter) “Now I relate my own story as to how I was brought here, while I was absorbed in deep meditation.  The site was the moun ...

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Twice Lost, Twice Found

by SS Sukhdev Kaur Khalsa, Raasiku, Estonia 2023 (First Quarter) Life has presented many challenging times in the past three years. We know that hard times follow periods of peace and prosperity, just as there is winter every year, followed by anothe ...

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Hukam: The Sweet Will of God

by SS Kulwant Singh Khalsa, West Midlands, United Kingdom 2023 (First Quarter) Aasaa, Seventh House, Fifth Mehl: Meditate continually on the Name of the Lord within your heart. Thus you shall save all your companions and associates. ||1|| My Guru is ...

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Holding On and Letting go

by SS Gurucharan Singh Khalsa, Claremont, California 2023 (First Quarter) One time a very wise man and I were sitting close together, across from each other. In what seemed to me a sudden move,  he placed his hand in a clenched fist near my face. Loo ...

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Personal Reflections on Compassion

by SS Satwant Singh Khalsa, Leesburg, Virginia 2023 (First Quarter) Sat Nam, Though not a Sat Nam Rasayan expert, I have taken many classes in it and read up some as well. As best as I can explain it, you open a healing space—a sensitive space where ...

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Minister News & Notes (2023 First Quarter)

Annual Sikh Dharma Minister credential renewal notices will be sent out at the end of February. Since this is a non-exam year, it is easy to maintain that current status by renewing now. This will enable you to continue to fully deliver your unique g ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2023 First Quarter)

Dear Ministers, Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji ki Fateh! We have been launched into the year 2023, ready or not. Indeed, we face many challenges in our Dharmic community. At the same time, the energy is changing.  The other day I was reading an ...

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#87 – 2023 Newsletter (First Quarter)

The concept of Collective Efficacy posits that together we can make meaningful change in our community, whether or not we agree on everything. Working together, anything is possible. Our 2023 Ministry Newsletter series will feature this concept front ...

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Dharma is Born of Compassion

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 Japj ...

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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 ...

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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. ...

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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. Resi ...

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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 aw ...

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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.  ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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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 ...

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In Memoriam – SS Bir Singh Khalsa

April 18, 1946 – August 25, 2022 A Life Celebrated SS Bir Singh Khalsa was born April 18, 1946, in Chicago, IL, and died August 25, 2022, in Albuquerque, NM. He graduated from Brother Rice College in Davenport, Iowa. He taught 4th grade in Chic ...

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In Memoriam – SS Jai Singh Khalsa

June 4, 1954 – August 15, 2022 by SS Gurujot Kaur Khalsa, Leesburg VA 2022 (Third Quarter) Jai Singh was a dear brother and friend, a true Sibling of Destiny. I had the wonderful privilege of working together with Jai Singh over the past 25 yea ...

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Finding Opportunity in Times of Crisis

by SS Har Tirath Kaur Khalsa, Luján, Argentina 2022 (Third Quarter) As I look at this world in crisis, I see it from the viewpoint of someone who lives in a country that is continually in crisis—Argentina. I would like to share this viewpoint with yo ...

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Overcoming Isolation through Seva and Sangat Engagement During COVID

by SS Guru Darshan Kaur Khalsa, Puebla, Mexico 2022 (Third Quarter) Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! Sat Nam Dear Sangat, I’m happy to share with you my inspiration and love of the Guru and the teachings that have given me strength in t ...

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How You Can Make a Difference in the World from Your Hometown: Women’s Global Forum

by SS Sat Tara Kaur Khalsa, Boulder CO 2022 (Third Quarter) Many years ago, I “accidentally” put together a consortium of international aid organizations. It started with a lunch date for two women whom I wanted to introduce to each other, and it eve ...

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The Gift of Slowing Down and Going Within

by SS Guru Jivan Kaur, Melbourne Australia 2022 (Third Quarter) Sat Nam, dear brothers and sisters, We have all found the last two and a bit years—challenging, shall we say. The uncertainty, the fear; for some illness, for others the loss of income a ...

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Aadays Tisai Aadays: An Academic’s Experience of Guru’s Grace

by SS Atma Chanan Kaur Khalsa, Ph.D., Mendocino CA 2022 (Third Quarter) A month ago, as I was driving away from the Española ashram towards California, I reflected on having taken my recent Minister vows. After two difficult years of a global pandemi ...

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Minister News & Notes (2022 Third Quarter)

There is an SSSC election occurring this year, with 8 seats up for re-election. The Office of the Secretary of Religion is here to support all Ministers in getting current so that they can participate in the various aspects of the SSSC election.  On ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2022 Third Quarter)

Dear Ministers, Recently I watched an interview between historian and demographer Neil Howe and Tony Robbins. The discussion centered around cycles in human history, with reference to the book The Fourth Turning: An American Prophecy, by Neil Howe an ...

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#85 – 2022 Newsletter (Third Quarter)

In 2022, we are exploring the present moment in our Sikh Dharma Ministry. Earlier this year, we examined the core values that unite us as Ministers and shared intimate reflections from our authors on processing change, loss, trauma and grief during t ...

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In Memoriam – SS Guru Prem Kaur Khalsa

March 6, 1951 – February 7, 2022 by SS Siri Ved Kaur Khalsa, Coarsegold CA 2022 (Second Quarter) SS Guru Prem Kaur Khalsa was born in Chicago, IL on March 6, 1951, as Nancy Mary Ule. She grew up in Southern California, where she graduated from ...

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Drawing Inspiration from Bhai Khanayia Ji

by SS Harsimrren Kaur Khalsa, Birmingham, United Kingdom 2022 (Second Quarter) Bhai Khanayia Ji was one of those gentle souls who exist ‘behind the scenes’; but his actions would cause tidal waves in our collective psyche for generations to com ...

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Be the Lighthouse During Difficult Times

by SS Chioneso Kulwant Kaur Khalsa, Birmingham, United Kingdom 2022 (Second Quarter) Sat Naam, all Keepers of the Flame: “When things are down and darkest, that’s when we stand tallest.” ~  Yogi Bhajan These are the times when the opportu ...

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Dharma Kaya to Navigate Times of Change, Loss, Trauma and War in the Aquarian Age

by SS Guru Dharam Singh Khalsa, Stockholm, Sweden 2022 (Second Quarter) In March 2020 I was in Aukland, New Zealand, teaching the Level Two module on Vitality and Stress. This was right at the beginning of the Covid-19 pandemic, and the Kiwi authorit ...

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Keeping Up During Times of Challenge

by SS Sat Inder Kaur Khalsa, Kansas City MO 2022 (Second Quarter) These times have been challenging in many ways, but Yogi Bhajan said it would be like this—so I am not surprised. I met Yogi Bhajan in 1976, at the age of 33, and moved into Hacienda d ...

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Minister News & Notes (2022 Second Quarter)

There is an SSSC election occurring this year, with 8 seats up for re-election. Newly elected SSSC Trustees will take their seats at the Fall Khalsa Council meetings in September 2022. The Office of the Secretary of Religion is here to support all Mi ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2022 Second Quarter)

Dear Ministers, After having written my own responses to this year’s Minister renewal exam—yes, I too have to do the exam!—I read the first 60-plus responses that were received at the beginning of the renewal period.  (And I look forward to reading t ...

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#84 – 2022 Newsletter (Second Quarter)

Throughout 2022, as we look towards the future of the Sikh Dharma Ministry, what does the “present” look like in the face of so much change in the world, in our Dharma, and in our personal lives? We know these are incredibly sensitive and ...

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In Memoriam – SS Sat Purkha Singh Khalsa

October 28, 1950 – January 12, 2022 by SS Krishna Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM SS Sat Purkha Singh Khalsa (along with Guru Singh, the Siri Singh Sahib, myself, and several others) were the founders of Sunshine Brass Beds in Los Angeles in 1972. It ...

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In Memoriam – SS Siri Ram Kaur Khalsa (aka Noda Downer)

May 12, 1948 – December 1, 2021 Sardarni Sahiba Siri Ram Kaur Khalsa was a teacher, a mother, and a healer. She was a trained Montessori teacher and had her own school in Los Angeles, combining yogic teachings with her Montessori training. She ...

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Support is the Key

by SS Rupinder Kaur Khalsa, Ottawa Canada 2022 (First Quarter) The question I hear the most from new Minister candidates who approach me is: “What is the difference between serving as a Sikh Dharma International Minister and just keeping on serving a ...

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Communicating with Compassion

by SS Siri Hari Hari Singh Khalsa, Anchorage AK 2022 (First Quarter) Overall a core value, or what I would call a useful skillset, which I rely upon, is tolerance—the capacity for and the practice of recognizing and respecting the beliefs or practice ...

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Covering the Distance

by SS Shabad Kaur Khalsa, Evanston IL 2022 (First Quarter) What Gorgeous Thing by Mary Oliver I do not know what gorgeous thing the bluebird keeps saying, his voice easing out of his throat, beak, body into the pink air of the early morning. I like i ...

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Simran and Seva for Unity

by SS Dharma Kaur Khalsa, Millis MA 2022 (First Quarter) With the inspiration of the Sikh Gurus and my own family heritage, I am moved to serve the sangat in many ways—as a wife and mother, and in particular with the service of healthy food for the c ...

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Sikh Dharma and Values

by SS Kulwant Singh Khalsa, West Midlands UK 2022 (First Quarter) “Come and join together, O my Siblings of Destiny; dispel your sense of duality and let yourselves be lovingly absorbed in the Lord. Let yourselves be joined to the Name of the Lord; b ...

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Minister News & Notes (2022 First Quarter)

Annual Sikh Dharma Minister credential renewal notices have been sent out in early February. This is an exam year. Be sure to complete your renewal early this year! Our electronic Minister Renewal System facilitates annual Minister credential renewal ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2022 First Quarter)

Dear Ministers, What do we need to hold firm to? What needs to change? What unites us? What divides us? What are our shared values? These are questions that are critical for us, as Ministers, to explore, so that we may remain relevant and responsive ...

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#83 – 2022 Newsletter (First Quarter)

Throughout 2022, as we look towards the future of the Sikh Dharma Ministry, our quarterly newsletter will be exploring what unites us and what we hold sacred. What can help to foster unity? What will allow us to remain relevant and responsive to the ...

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In Memoriam – SS Guru Sandesh Singh Khalsa

10/21/1949 – 8/11/2021   by SS Haridass Singh Khalsa, Oak Grove, OR 2021 Fourth Quarter Dr. Guru Sandesh Singh Khalsa died unexpectedly on August 11, 2021, at his home in Lake Oswego, OR. He was 71. He was a devoted Sikh and took his Sikh Dharma ...

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A Greater Sense of Identity

Being a Sikh Dharma Minister gives me a greater sense of identity that is both empowering and solid. It is a constant reminder that there is nothing between God and me and that for the rest of my life I will have an inner Self striving to serve God a ...

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Leading by Example

From a very young age, I had a deep restlessness. I was constantly searching for answers about the Self; the origins of life; God; the relationships between human beings; the relationship between life and death; nothingness. These questions led me to ...

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Serving with Humility

Being a Sikh Dharma Minister is, first of all, a confirmation for me that I am committed to my Guru, the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, and to my Panth, the Khalsa Panth. I dedicate all my abilities and capacities during this lifetime in service to both. Se ...

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The Timeless Nature of the Soul

To be a Sikh Dharma Minister has different meanings in different realms of action: At a personal level, as a Sikh Dharma Minister, I can experience and understand my own human life reflected through the crystallization of an understanding and conscio ...

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To Deeply Listen

To be a Sikh Dharma Minister is upgrading and solidifying my relationship to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and the Gurus. My personal experience is not personal anymore as I am investing it into the collective space of sharing in the service of the Sang ...

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An Opportunity to Serve

Spiritual Maturity is the path in which we move from individual consciousness to universal consciousness, passing through collective consciousness—unavoidably. There is no shortcut in which we do not consider that we live in society, seeing the other ...

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A Sevadar of the Guru

I decided to become a Minister of Sikh Dharma because I felt that taking that step is the way that suits me to become a better sevadar of the Guru, to honor the name which was given to me, and to honor my destiny. Then, what does it actually mean to ...

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To Be a Lighthouse

Being a Minister of Sikh Dharma is, for me, a vow to be a lighthouse. It is an affirmation of my role as a constant sevadar who, whether through my presence or my actions, works to uplift the people, environments, and situations I come across. The ti ...

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Service to Humanity

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! Being a Minister of Sikh Dharma is a tremendous blessing and honor and calls for a strong commitment. Moreover, it is a blessing from the Guru—a gift that the soul can receive only because God Himself ha ...

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Minister News & Notes (2021 Fourth Quarter)

On September 11, 2021, new Sikh Dharma Minister SS Sukhdev Kaur Khalsa was ordained in a virtual/in-person vow ceremony. The vows were administered via Zoom by Secretary of Religion SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa (assisted by Executive Assistant SS Sarb Nam ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (2021 Fourth Qtr.)

“From a solid and conscious foundation, expansion takes place.” This line is from one of the affirmations I do daily as part of my morning practice. It refers to the Ministry of Sikh Dharma. 2021 marks the 50th year of our Ministry. We do have a soli ...

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#82 – 2021 Newsletter (Fourth Quarter)

With this fourth and final issue of our 2021 newsletter, we begin to move from honoring our past. Throughout this year, we explored the past 50 years of service as Sikh Dharma Ministers (from 1971 through 2021) in our first three quarterly newsletter ...

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In Memoriam – SS Avtar Hari Singh Khalsa

September 10, 1945 – July 15, 2021 by MSS Daya Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM 2021 (Third Quarter) Many of us 3HOers had known each other for a decade or more before we met Avtar Hari Singh. He’d already grown a business and built a career and bough ...

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A Time of Transitioning

by SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa, Secretary of Religion 2021 (Third Quarter) It started with a phone call from Satsimran Kaur in early January 2004. She told me that the Siri Singh Sahib’s health was failing and it was time to start preparing for his passin ...

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Ministering to the Ministers

by SS Sarb Nam Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM 2021 (Third Quarter) In early June 2004, after completing a nine-month Journey into the Heart of Sikh Dharma course, I received a phone call from the Secretary of Religion informing me that the Siri Singh Sahib ...

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A Peaceful Day in LA

by SS Har Simran Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles CA 2021 (Third Quarter) Guru Ram Das Ashram in Los Angeles is located in a diverse, affluent, peaceful neighborhood that, in 2006, was rocked by gang violence. Across the street from the gurdwara, Robertson R ...

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Honoring Balbir Singh Sodhi

by SS Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ 2021 (Third Quarter) The attack on the World Trade Center and Pentagon on Tuesday, September 11th, 2001 had left our sangat on edge. Images of Osama Bin Laden, with beard and white turban, played over and over a ...

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Remembering 9/11

by SS Sat Jivan Singh Khalsa, New York NY 2021 (Third Quarter) SS Sat Jivan Singh was in New York on September 11, 2001. He shared with us his experience of attending an interfaith memorial service on October 11, 2001. He also shared some reminiscenc ...

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Minister News & Notes (2021 Third Quarter)

The Office of the Secretary of Religion of Sikh Dharma International offers congratulations to two newly ordained Sikh Dharma International Ministers, who took their Minister vows in August 2021. Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa! Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh!  Singh ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Third Quarter 2021)

As I sat down to write this column a song came into my head—The Times They Are A-Changin’—written by Bob Dylan in 1963. The first stanza says: Come gather ’round people Wherever you roam And admit that the waters Around you have grown And accept it t ...

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#81 – 2021 Newsletter (Third Quarter)

The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Sikh Dharma International Ministry. As we contemplate the future, it is also worthwhile to review our past. Our previous two issues looked back at the decades spanning the 1970s through ...

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In Memoriam – Sant SS Guru Dev Singh Khalsa

Dec 10, 1948 – April 5, 2021 A Sikh and student of Yogi Bhajan, Sant Singh Sahib Guru Dev Singh was born in Puebla, Mexico in 1948. He felt the call to study the indigenous traditions of his country, which had started to spread and become popul ...

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Coming Together in Faith

by SS Shiva Singh Khalsa, Chicago IL 2021 (Second Quarter) In 1992, we were informed of the planned Parliament of the World’s Religions (CPWR) event to take place in 1993 in Chicago. This event ultimately welcomed 7,000 people of all faiths, in ...

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Recording the Guru’s Bani

by SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM (as told to Articles Editor SS Sangeet Kaur Khalsa) 2021 (Second Quarter) SS Sangeet Kaur: Shanti Shanti Kaur, please share with us how you came to make the first recordings of the Guru’s Banis in Engl ...

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Growing Our Global Sangat: Europe in the ’80s and ’90s

by SS Tarn Taran Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM (as told to/edited by SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa) Spring (Second Quarter) Shanti Shanti Kaur: In this issue of the Sikh Dharma Ministry newsletter, we’re reflecting on the evolution of our commun ...

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Unfolding into Universality

by SS Mahan Rishi Singh Khalsa, Princeton Junction NJ 2021 (Second Quarter) As I reflect on the decades of the 1980s and ‘90s, I observe a shift in the collective energy in the United States and possibly the world. In the 1960s and ‘70s, many young p ...

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The Awakening of 1984

by SS Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM 2021 (Second Quarter) As I sit in my post-pandemic awareness and think about the decade of the 1980s, it feels like a million miles away…and just like yesterday. For me, and for many in the Sikh Dharma Ministry, ...

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Minister News and Notes (2021 Second Quarter)

Sikh Dharma International (SD) is expecting to put forth a program proposal for the 2021 World’s Parliament of Religions, according to SDI COO MSS Kirtan Singh Khalsa. This is an opportunity for joining together with other religions to discuss ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Second Quarter 2021)

We are currently witnessing and experiencing a great many changes in our global communities. There is a need to step back, re-evaluate, and re-structure where appropriate, and sustain what is essential. We are still very much in the grieving process. ...

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#80 – 2021 Newsletter (Second Quarter)

The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Sikh Dharma International Ministry. As we contemplate the future, we also choose to review our past. In this issue, we explore the tremendous changes that occurred during the 1980s and ’ ...

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The Diamond of Wahe Guru

by SS Krishna Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM 2021 (First Quarter) There was a time when Greed Capitalism was stood upside down, on its head, in a very practical way during the dark, socially-conflicted times of the late 1960s and 1970s. This was when Yogi ...

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Celebrating 50 Years of Ministry

by MSS Krishna Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles CA 2021 (First Quarter) My first experience with Sikh Dharma came in February 1971. I traveled with the Siri Singh Sahib on his very first return trip to India, after he had been living in the United States for ...

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A Humble Journey

by SS Mata Mandir Singh Khalsa, MT 2021 (First Quarter) “The journey of a thousand miles begins with one step.”—Lao Tzu My spiritual journey began in Maine’s woods, where I grew up. I was the son of a farmer who taught me how to grow thin ...

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Pioneers of Sikh Dharma/3HO

by SS Sarb Jit Kaur Khalsa, Ram Das Puri NM 2021 (First Quarter) Editor’s Note: When I invited Sarb Jit Kaur, one of the earliest pioneers in our Dharma, to tell her story, she initially declined, due to her responsibilities as the Aquarian Tra ...

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Path to Guru

by SS Siri Ved Kaur, Coarsegold CA 2021 (First Quarter) In early 1971, when Yogi Bhajan returned from the first India Yatra with 88 students, he brought back enough copies of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib (8-volume sets with English translation) for eve ...

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Anthems of Awakening

by MSS Guruka Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM 2021 (First Quarter) Reprinted with permission of the author from Our True Tales website. I guess you could classify me as an “old timer” in 3HO. I first began to discover who I really was in the 19 ...

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Minister News and Notes (2021 First Quarter)

Congratulations and Wahe Guru to Sardarni Sahiba Hari Bhajan Kaur Khalsa of Espanola, NM, on her recent ordination as a Sikh Dharma International Minister. She was able to take her Minister vows virtually via Zoom at her home gurdwara surrounded by f ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (First Quarter 2021)

This year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the Sikh Dharma International Ministry. It is true that 2020 impacted us on many fronts: the pandemic, politics, our Dharma, racial injustice, financial challenges, and much loss. We are still very much in ...

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#79 – 2021 Newsletter (First Quarter)

The year 2021 marks the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Sikh Dharma International Ministry. We are witnessing a time of great change both in the world and in our Dharma. As we contemplate the future, it is essential in this process that we al ...

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In Memoriam – Rami Katz (Ram Das Kaur Khalsa)

  July 20, 1947 – September 11, 2020 Sardarni Sahiba Ram Das Kaur (nee Lois Katz/aka Rami Katz) served as the Secretary of Religion for Sikh Dharma International through the 1970s and 1980s. She inspired a generation of Khalsa men and wome ...

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In Memoriam – SS Sada Simran Singh Khalsa

March 25, 1952 – October 1, 2020   by SS Pritpal Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2020 I first met Sada Simran Singh as we both tried to enjoy our bowls of un-spiced boiled wheatberries (a weekly routine in the Pomona ashram) for breakfast ...

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The Beauty and Grace of Charan Jap

by MSS Nirvair Singh Khalsa, Tesuque NM Winter 2020 On a daily basis, I walk in our neighborhood. I walk on dirt roads for 45 minutes to an hour. There is virtually no traffic and just an occasional neighbor with whom to smile, wave, or exchange a fe ...

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Understanding Through Compassion

by SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2020 Sometime in the mid-1970s, the Siri Singh Sahib defined “understanding” as “standing under.”  Now, perhaps more than ever, we are called to go within, to become still, to resonate and to ca ...

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I Am With You

by SS Hari Charn Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2020 I am with you. I hear you. I am here for you. These very simple words—I am with you. I hear you. I am here for you—are words from the heart for these times. As Ministers it is a critical time to o ...

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A Ministry of The One

by SS Siri Akal Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2020 “What’s so funny?” my wife Hari asked, looking up from her book. “I just got an e-mail inviting me to contribute to the next Sikh Dharma Ministry Newsletter,” I replied. “And that’s funny because… ...

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Ministry News and Notes (Winter 2020)

In this time of quarantine, the Secretary of Religion wanted to ensure that individuals seeking to become ordained Sikh Dharma Ministers would have the ability to take their Ministerial vows in a timely fashion. Traditionally, Sikh Dharma Ministers t ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Winter 2020)

In the previous three issues of this column, I have written about qualities of Guru Ram Das (true listening, neutrality, and the ability to hold polarities), the six stages of change, and the grieving process, along with an assessment tool for unders ...

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#78 Winter 2020 Newsletter

Throughout this year we have been exploring the qualities of Guru Ram Das and the Neutral/Meditative Mind and how these qualities are fundamental to our ability to serve one and all as Ministers and leaders in the Aquarian Age. The theme for the Wint ...

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Standing for Righteousness and Humanity

by SS Gurujodha Singh Khalsa, Bakersfield CA Fall 2020 What does it mean to be a Sikh Dharma Minister in the age of Covid-19 and Black Lives Matter? In examining the physical pandemic of COVID-19 and the consciousness affliction known as racism and p ...

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Carried by the Chant

by SS Sangeet Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Fall 2020 Of all the mantras and chants I have discovered, practiced, and loved over many decades, undoubtedly my number one choice is the Guru Ram Das Chant. Second only to the Mul Mantra, it is my go-to in time ...

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Smashed!

by SS Siri-Gian Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Fall 2020 I am known as the founder of Soul Answer Healing and Training. This is the story of an experience when I was most challenged. I had to learn through my own pain, so Soul had to heal me! Soul is so si ...

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Birthing Into a New Era

by SS Sat Tara Kaur Khalsa, Boulder CO Fall 2020 “At the time of the Buddha, there were countless religious and spiritual teachers, each advocating a different spiritual path and practice, and each claiming their teachings were the best and the most ...

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Aquarian Sadhana in The Time of Covid

by SS Har Simran Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles CA Fall 2020 When Yoga West closed its physical space due to the pandemic, I was giddy with delight. For decades, I had kicked myself out of bed and dragged myself to group sadhana, regardless of how late I h ...

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Facing the Unknown

by SS Harbhajan Kaur Khalsa, Millis MA Fall 2020 There was a time when I could not have imagined that big business would be given legal precedence over the rights of citizens or that the prophesied “war over water” would ever come to the ...

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Ministry News and Notes (Fall 2020)

In this time of quarantine, the Secretary of Religion wanted to ensure that individuals seeking to become ordained Sikh Dharma Ministers would have the ability to take their Ministerial vows in a timely fashion. With the advent of online meeting spac ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Fall 2020)

Our community has been hit by a virtual tidal wave. We have been confronted and shaken to our very core. We have been forced to look at disturbing information and accusations, and yes, all of this in the middle of a global pandemic. Whether you belie ...

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#77 Fall 2020 Newsletter

Throughout this year we have been exploring the qualities of Guru Ram Das and the Neutral/Meditative Mind and how these qualities are fundamental to our ability to serve one and all as Ministers and leaders in the Aquarian Age. The theme for this Fal ...

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The People of Love

SS Atma Kaur Khalsa, Newport News VA Summer 2020 Sat Nam. I feel that Aquarian Leadership is about healing and unity. It’s the time now to work together, with circles of leadership in which we deeply respect each person’s path and journey of life and ...

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Reaching Out in Leadership

by SS Hari Charn Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2020 Years ago I wrote an article for this newsletter entitled the Ministry of Cookies; in many ways, this is a follow-up to that article. My life’s intentions come down to this: to reach out with an o ...

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Towards a Time of Love

by MSS Guruka Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2020 What is Aquarian leadership? The forces that are elevating the consciousness of this entire planet are increasing logarithmically. In the last 2,000 years the entire planet has never been subjected ...

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Laboratory of Human Possibilities

by SS Sat Jagat Singh Khalsa, Brooklyn NY Summer 2020 It is the challenge and blessing of the Ram Das Puri Kitchen to consciously prepare simple, delicious and nutritious food for more than 2,000 people for eight days. This is made possible because o ...

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Eloquent Uniqueness

by SS Dr. Gurusangat Kaur Khalsa, Belo Horizonte Brazil Summer 2020 Berlin can be very damp in summers and the year 1992 brought us an unusually warm July. This particular afternoon was hot and humid. My dear friend Audre Lorde was coming to see me a ...

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Minister News and Notes (Summer 2020)

During this global crisis, we are all experiencing the unexpected effects of the pandemic. Recently, the Office of the Secretary of Religion produced a training module entitled “Trauma-Informed Seva for Sikh Dharma Ministers in Crisis and Disaster.”  ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2020)

We are in a gigantic change process in our world at large with the pandemic, in our Dharma with the allegations, and within ourselves as we attempt to deal with such upheaval in our lives. I have struggled with what I might be able to write in order ...

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#76 Summer 2020 Newsletter

In 2020, we are exploring the theme of “Standing Under Those We Serve” through the lens of Guru Ram Das and the Neutral/Meditative Mind. The theme for the Summer 2020 issue is Meeting the Challenge of Moving Into Aquarian Leadership.  We invited Sikh ...

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Four Pillars of Support and Service

by SS Mahan Rishi Singh Khalsa, Yardley PA Spring 2020 The four pillars of support and service in the Age of Enlightened Leadership are Love, Devotion, Surrender, and Non-Attachment. A leader is blessed with a vision, the power to live it, the skill ...

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Standing Under Those We Serve

by SS Siri Krishna Kaur Khalsa, Medway MA Spring 2020 What a beautiful theme…Standing Under Those We Serve. Thank you for giving me the opportunity to reflect and write on this topic. The qualities of Guru Ram Das ji that are foremost in my mind are ...

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Ultimate Compassion

by SS Angad Kaur Khalsa, New York NY Spring 2020 We learn from stories of Guru Ram Das that he served God in all His manifestations. His service was unconditional. His love was unconditional. Guru Ram Das teaches us to understand God by serving God i ...

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Seeing God in All

by SS Guru Simran Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2020 “Standing Under Those We Serve” perfectly captures the true spirit of all our Gurus as well as Siri Singh Sahib’s teaching, “If we can’t see God in all, then we can’t see God at all.” ...

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Minister News and Notes (Spring 2020)

by SS Pritpal Singh Khalsa, 2019 Winter Solstice Ministers’ Gathering Facilitator The sun was shining and the tropical warmth of Central Florida created a welcoming atmosphere at the 2019 Sikh Dharma Ministers’ Gathering at Winter Solstic ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2020)

We are living in very challenging times, both in our Dharma and in the world. What are the core values we need to maintain and strengthen in order to be better able to serve, in the midst of the chaos? How do we foster the qualities of Guru Ram Das i ...

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#75 Spring 2020 Newsletter

In 2020, we are exploring the theme of “Standing Under Those We Serve.”  For the Spring issue, we are also exploring the qualities of Guru Ram Das and the Neutral/Meditative Mind in relationship to manifesting our destiny as leaders in th ...

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In Memoriam – SS Sat Nam Kaur Khalsa

January 5, 1940 – October 11, 2019 SS Sat Nam Kaur was a long-time student of the Siri Singh Sahib. She was ordained as a Sikh Dharma Minister in 1981 and served the sangat in Mexico for many decades. This loving tribute was written by Sat Tara ...

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Religious Freedom for All

by SS Simran Singh Khalsa, Santa Fe NM Winter 2019 Our Gurus were at the forefront of combating religious repression, and it was indeed Guru Tegh Bahadur’s sacrifice that guaranteed India’s religious freedom. I’ve spent some time looking at the issue ...

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Reflecting on Death and Dying

by SS Amar Atma Singh Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Winter 2019 Recently, I embarked on a practice exploring how often death and its associated message came up in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. As I read through our beloved Guru Ji, I found there were often too ma ...

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Duwara Consciousness

by SS Satya Kaur Corfield, Espanola NM (with Davinder Singh and Harisimran Kaur) Winter 2019 Editor’s Note: The values of a Sikh Dharma Minister are beautifully reflected in the next generation as illustrated in the following article. This is t ...

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Seeing No Strangers

by SS Shiva Singh Khalsa, Chicago IL Winter 2019 Being a history buff, I was interested to watch the new documentary, Woodstock: Three Days that Defined a Generation, about the 1969 festival of peace, cooperation, and friendship. What was missing fro ...

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The Ecology of Leadership

by SS Sham Kaur Khalsa, La Paz, Bolivia Winter 2019 The world we live in is a world of high polarization, of constant changes that require a high level of resilience. Humanity faces great challenges and the risk of extinction. The scientific communit ...

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Minister News and Notes (Winter 2019)

  As part of the Sikh Dharma International yatra to India celebrating the 550th anniversary of the birth of Guru Nanak, a multi-language volume of Japji Sahib was presented at the Golden Temple. The volume represents the devoted efforts of peopl ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Winter 2019)

Someone recently asked me the following question: “Where does the Ministry fit in the Dharma?” I replied, “It is the leadership body the Siri Singh Sahib established for the Dharma.” Not everyone is destined to be a Sikh Dharma Minister. However, for ...

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#74 Winter 2019 Newsletter

Our 2019 theme explores the aspects of the Third Body/Positive Mind (as embodied by Guru Amar Das) in service to elevating the Soul. In this Winter issue, we explore the idea of Making a Difference Through Service and Leadership. Specifically, we ask ...

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The Art of Keeping Up

by SS Siri Chand Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Fall 2019 These are very interesting times we live in. It is quite evident; I don’t think I even need to write any examples to justify this claim. We are experiencing the great consciousness shift that the S ...

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The Grace of God

by SS Guru Darshan Kaur Khalsa, Puebla, Mexico Fall 2019 Having found a Dharmic path of life has given my soul unspeakable satisfaction. Every morning I know that during the ambrosial hours I can take the hand of God, being confident that everything ...

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The Aquarian Leader: A Consciousness of Hope

by SS Pritpal Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Fall 2019 This past weekend was typical for me. I was traveling to teach in a Level One Aquarian Teacher program. What wasn’t typical were the circumstances of my travel. I was flying from Albuquerque to Chicago ...

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The Art and Science of Simran

by SS Harsimranjeet Singh Khalsa, Ottawa, ON, Canada Fall 2019 We have taken birth into the Iron Age (Kali Yuga), and its inherent nature is one of turmoil, tragedy, and duality. This is the darkest age, where our emotions and instinctive animal natu ...

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Minister News and Notes (Fall 2019)

  Congratulations and Wahe Guru to five new Sikh Dharma Ministers who took their vows during the summer of 2019. Four Minister candidates who took their vows at the end of the June 2019 3HO Summer Solstice Sadhana are SS Siri Chand Singh (Espano ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Fall 2019)

We had a very special Ministers’ Gathering at this year’s Summer Solstice. In the spirit of celebrating the 550th birthday of our beloved Guru Nanak Dev Ji, we held an experiential workshop for Sikh Dharma Ministers entitled “The Sensitivity of ...

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#73 Fall 2019 Newsletter

Our Fall Newsletter explores the topic of Sustaining Hope During Challenging Times. We asked our Sikh Dharma Ministers to reflect on how they align with their Soul during difficulties and challenges and to share ways they draw on the gifts of our Dha ...

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In Memoriam – SS Jai Hari Kaur Khalsa

Aug 5, 1946 – May 13, 2019   by SS Jivan Joti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2019 SS Jai Hari Kaur Khalsa left her earthly body Monday, May 13, 2019 at 4:00 pm in Santa Fe, New Mexico. She was born August 5, 1946 in Portland, Oregon. She ...

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To Bow and Be Blessed

by SS GuruJivan Kaur Khalsa, Melbourne, Australia Summer 2019 So many times over the years I have tried to organize a trip to India to bow at the Golden Temple. It has been on my bucket list for close to 50 years now. Finally, it happened for me this ...

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The Gifts of Shared Commitment

by SS DukhNiwaran Kaur Khalsa, Chicago IL Summer 2019 At this year’s Baisakhi celebration in Los Angeles, I had the profound honor of meeting with Dr. Roop Singh, Secretary of the Shiromani Gurdwara Parandhak Committee (SGPC). Members of the Dharmic ...

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Valuing and Preparing

by SS Kirti Kaur Khalsa, Tucson AZ Summer 2019 Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa! Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! I have always had an affinity for my elders. I grew up in a multi-generational environment where elders were greatly respected and valued; they loved me and ...

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Building and Serving Community

by SS Meher Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Summer 2019 Several months ago, I took out the folder of the letters the Siri Singh Sahib sent me over the years. I had not read them in a long time and was surprised to read in one of the letters that he had reque ...

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Fostering Group Consciousness: An Inside Job

by SS Dr. Sham Rang Singh Khalsa, Millis MA Summer 2019 Ashrams, probably like all spiritual communities, attract a diverse lot. Over the decades of living in an ashram community, we have often seen individuals causing problems and requiring much tim ...

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Communities of Equality

by SS Sat Sansar Singh Khalsa, Santiago, Chile Summer 2019 Becoming a Sikh Dharma Minister has been a long path of learning, practice, and growth for me. Guru Amar Das has been a central inspiration for my journey on this road, and his teaching of eq ...

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Minister News and Notes (Summer 2019)

  SS DukhNiwaran Kaur of Chicago, IL, received a “Spirit of Baisakhi” award at the 2019 Los Angeles Baisakhi Gurdwara on April 14, 2019 on behalf of the Sikh Community of Southern California for her “dedicated service to the Si ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2019)

As part of our theme for this issue, we are focusing on building community, creating inclusiveness, and living in the Company of the Holy—the Sadh Sangat. How timely is the announcement by the Siri Singh Sahib Corporation (SSSC) regarding expanding t ...

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#72 Summer 2019 Newsletter

The theme for our Summer 2019 newsletter is Connection. In this issue, we address the topics of building community and inclusiveness. Guru Amar Das is our shining example; he was a visionary who built communities of equality, carrying Guru Nanak’s te ...

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The Nectar of Anand Sahib

Quotes about the bani of Guru Amar Das  by the Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji “Bani is Guru, Guru is Bani and all nectars are contained in it. If there is a nectar inside, then outside shall be with nectars. Every sector of ...

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Living In Bliss

by SS Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa Michaud, Espanola NM Spring 2019 Wisdom comes to us as a gift. We can only find it when humility brings us to the state of surrender. When we surrender, we become zero. And this zeroing out creates a vacuum for something ...

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Hari’s Blessing

by SS Hari Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM  Spring 2019 “Oh my Soul, I am in bliss, for I have seen the True Guru.”—Guru Amar Das, Anand Sahib In the early morning, part of my sadhana is going outside to marvel at the stars, moon, and planets. Each time I s ...

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Guru Amar Das and the Positive Mind

by SS GuruSangat Kaur Khalsa, Great Falls VA Spring 2019 Guru Amar Das began his spiritual journey as a prosperous, generous landowner who had no Guru. He spent years praying at the Ganges, but because he had no Guru, holy men would not accept his of ...

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Call of the Positive Mind

by SS Siri Vedya Singh Khalsa, Albany CA Spring 2019 Ever since I was invited to share my reflections on the gift of Positive Mind, I have found myself exploring my internal world to question: Just what are the cables within me that hold my positivit ...

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Minister News and Notes (Spring 2019)

(reported by SS Sat Purkh Kaur Khalsa, Winter Solstice Gathering facilitator) On December 18, 2018 a group of Sikh Dharma Ministers attending the 3HO Winter Solstice celebration gathered together in the Sikh Dharma International tent. It was our annu ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2019)

Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji ki Fateh! As the Minister e-newsletter team pondered the theme for 2019 and the four issues that will comprise this year’s publications, we developed a theme statement: The current reality of the world—with its pe ...

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#71 Spring 2019 Newsletter

As Sikh Dharma Ministers, we are vital partners in addressing the challenges that present themselves in our own lives, in our families, in our Dharma, in our communities, and in our world. We are asking Sikh Dharma Ministers to share how they draw on ...

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In Memoriam – MSS Hari Singh Bird-Khalsa

MSS Hari Singh Bird-Khalsa February 27, 1939 – November 16, 2018   by SS Jot Singh Khalsa, Mills MA Winter 2018 MSS Hari Singh Bird Khalsa was a quintessential saint-soldier. Having the good fortune to be one of Yogi Bhajan’s very early st ...

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In Memoriam – SS Varnjeet Kaur Khalsa

SS Varnjeet Kaur Khalsa February 1, 1955 – October 30, 2018 by SS Nam Kaur Khalsa, Santa Barbara CA Winter 2018 Our dear sister Varnjeet Kaur Khalsa took her last breath and returned to her Divine home on October 30, 2018. She was best known fo ...

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In Memoriam – SS Dr. Harijot Singh Khalsa

SS Dr. Harijot Singh Khalsa January 22, 1934 – October 24, 2018 by SS Dr. Kartar Singh Khalsa, DOM, Santa Fe NM Winter 2018 Dr. Harijot Singh Khalsa was an amazing human being. He was a master healer, acupuncturist, yogi, and innovator in the f ...

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Serving the Truth

by SS Christ Singh Khalsa Winter 2018 Obey When I think of the word obey, I think of duty. Or as our teacher taught us, the concept of “keep up.” Since it seems that I’ve always been a “lighting rod” for helping other people work out their karma, my ...

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The Beauty of Shabd Guru

by SS Sat Purkh Kaur Khalsa, Belton TX Winter 2018 Of all the many tools the Siri Singh Sahib delivered to his students, perhaps the most subtle and most powerful was Shabd Guru. As we begin to vibrate these sounds, we refine our own minds, so that w ...

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Part of the Guru’s Mission

by SS Sat Jagat Singh Khalsa, Brooklyn NY Winter 2018 I have had two unique experiences while serving at the Golden Temple that have helped me to excel with the Guru. First, I took a rag and started polishing the walls in the stairways inside Hariman ...

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Trust the Guru and Excel

by SS Sangeet Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Winter 2018 The Guru has made my life richer, deeper and more valuable than anyone could ever have imagined possible. This spring, the Guru carried me through the end of my life-destiny and helped me to restart a ...

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Minister News and Notes (Winter 2018)

Excelling with the Guru 2018 Winter Solstice Ministers’ Gathering SDI Academy Tent (3HO Winter Solstice) Tuesday, December 18, 2018 11 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. Facilitated by SS Sat Purkh Kaur Khalsa Join with Sikh Dharma Ministers as we experience the powe ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Winter 2018)

It seems to me that no matter where we are living in the world at this time, we are being bombarded with psychological scare tactics, trauma, chaos, and upheaval.  Information on a global level is at our fingertips. Social media demands instant respo ...

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#70 Winter 2018 Newsletter

Throughout 2018, we are exploring the topic of Shabd Guru through the Siri Singh Sahib’s teachings of Obey, Serve, Love, Excel. For the Winter 2018 issue, we are exploring the theme of Excelling with the Guru. The teachings of “Obey, Serve, Love” pre ...

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Guided With Love

by SS GuruKirin Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Fall 2018 There is a saying that God is always working in our best interest to serve us and we just need to connect with this energy to deliver the goals or prayer we are seeking. Throughout my life, I’ve expl ...

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What Prayer Can Be Offered?

By SS Karta Purkh Singh Khalsa, Kansas City MO Fall 2018 My first visit to India—after adopting the Sikh faith—was in 1980. We went to visit the Golden Temple in Amritsar. Upon my arrival at the Harimander Sahib, the Guru determined that I was in des ...

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Connecting with the Sound Current

by SS Bibi Bhani Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Fall 2018 In 1970, I was finishing my first year at Antioch College in Columbia, Maryland. I had been playing music with a man I met there and we’d performed at some local coffee houses. That summer he went to ...

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Guru’s Love

by SS Gian Kaur Khalsa, Guadalajara, Mexico Fall 2018 Beloved Sadh Sangat, I feel honored to speak about this ultimate experience of Guru’s Love, although to describe the indescribable subtlety of this profound love is a challenge. I experience it li ...

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Minister News and Notes (Fall 2018)

By Guru’s Grace, four new Sikh Dharma International Minister candidates took their vows in the first half of 2018. In April 2018, Secretary of Religion SS Dr. Sat Kaur administered Minster vows to Sat Sansar Singh from Santiago, Chile, during t ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Fall 2018)

Fifteen minutes. That was the window of time we had been given to set up a powerful and transformational lecture video of the Siri Singh Sahib to watch during our 2018 Summer Solstice Ministers’ Gathering. We had never attempted to present a video at ...

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#69 Fall 2018 Newsletter

Throughout 2018, we are exploring the topic of Shabd Guru through the Siri Singh Sahib’s teachings of Obey, Serve, Love, Excel. For the Fall 2018 issue we explore The Touch of Guru’s Love. We invited Sikh Dharma Ministers to respond to the ques ...

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Creating the Psyche of the Aquarian Age

As a gift to the Sikh Dharma Ministers attending the 2018 3HO Summer Solstice Sikh Dharma Ministers’ Gathering on June 17, 2018,  we shared this lecture and kriya taught by the Siri Singh Sahib on April 7, 1987 (courtesy The Yogi Bhajan Library ...

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Raising the Nishan Sahib

by SS Siri Bandhu Kaur Khalsa, Ottowa, Ontario, Canada Summer 2018 The day was overcast and overly cold, when the phone rang. “Auntiji, can you do me a favour?” Hmmm, now who was this fine young voice I didn’t recognize, and how could Auntiji possibl ...

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Returning to the Guru’s Feet

by SS EkOngKar Singh Khalsa, Albany CA Summer 2018 Although I have and am very grateful to have a relationship with Shabd Guru, I have no words to express how that has developed or how it is sustained—except to say that, after a very long journey, by ...

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Trusting in the Guru’s Plan

by SS Sat Avtar Kaur, Los Angeles CA Summer 2018 Having the blessing of serving the Guru at Summer Solstice gives me the gift of remembering to trust in God and Guru’s plan. Doing this blessed seva has allowed me to know that everything will be taken ...

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As Above, So Below

by SS Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Summer 2018 Many years ago, when the Siri Singh Sahib was attending Gurdwara during a visit to Phoenix, he looked straight at me and said, “The clock has stopped.” I admit that I had noticed that it had stopped ...

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Devotion to the Guru

by SS Suraj Kaur Khalsa, Pasadena CA Summer 2018 I learned how to be devoted by observing the Siri Singh Sahib’s unwavering devotion to the Guru. While I was serving my spiritual teacher, I was actually serving the Guru! At age 17, I had found my way ...

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A Sparkling Presence

by MSS Hari Dharam Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2018 Many years ago, the Siri Singh Sahib looked into my eyes, and my heart was pierced with love for a master. I found my path and became a Sikh at that moment. During my first few years on the Sikh ...

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Minister News and Notes (Summer 2018)

      The Office of the Secretary of Religion has sent out annual  Sikh Dharma Minister renewal notices for the Baisakhi 2018 renewal. This is an Exam year. If you are an ordained Sikh Dharma Minister and you have not received your ren ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2018)

A Minister recently said to me: “The Ministry is our sovereignty.” This comment went deeply into my being. What does sovereignty really mean? The dictionary defines it as “the state or quality of being sovereign.” Okay, so what does sovereign mean? I ...

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#68 Summer 2018 Newsletter

Throughout 2018 we are exploring the topic of Shabd Guru through the concepts shared by the Siri Singh Sahib of Obey, Serve, Love, Excel. For our Summer issue, we are exploring Devotion to the Guru. We asked Sikh Dharma Ministers to share their thoug ...

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Sikh Dharma Recognized in Argentina

by SS Ram Krishan Singh Khalsa, Buenos Aires, Argentina Spring 2018 It is a great honor for me to announce that on February 15, 2018, Sikh Dharma of Argentina was formally recognized as an official religion in our country for the first time in histor ...

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Bowing to the Guru

We asked Sikh Dharma Ministers to reflect on the question: “What does it mean to bow to the Siri Guru Granth Sahib?” Here are a few thoughtful replies: An Act of Devotion SS Sada Sat Simran Singh Khalsa, Santa Fe NM Bowing one’s hea ...

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Reflections of Purity

by SS Siri Pritam Kaur Khalsa, Yuba City CA Spring 2018 In each of our lives, we are told, challenges must come. It’s a universal law. Otherwise, no forward movement is generated. It is said that we all have “squares” in life that have to be conquere ...

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Transformed by Gurbani

by SS Satkirin Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2018 The Shabd Guru—I love this topic! It is so dear to my heart and so relevant in my personal and teaching life. It’s amazing to reflect on Guru Nanak, who never actually had a human Guru. In his day, ...

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My Personal Identity Bows to the Guru

by SS Siri Atma Singh Khalsa, Santa Fe NM Spring 2018 In Sikh Dharma, we surrender ourselves to the Guru. Our Guru is Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the physical embodiment of the Light of Guru Nanak and the collected writings of several Sikh Gurus and vari ...

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Minister News and Notes (Spring 2018)

  The Office of the Secretary of Religion has sent out annual  Sikh Dharma Minister renewal notices for the Baisakhi 2018 renewal. This is an exam year. If you are an ordained Sikh Dharma Minister and you have not received your renewal reminder, or h ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2018)

At this time, it seems that there is so much upset, confusion, chaos, turbulence, upheaval, and change all around us. It is frankly a little mind-boggling. Whether it is on a personal, community, national, environmental, or global level, there are ma ...

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#67 Spring 2018 Newsletter

Throughout 2018, our newsletter articles will reflect on the Shabd Guru. The Siri Singh Sahib said: “My personal identity bows to the Shabd Guru. It’s a very simple human thing. I bow so that my words bring light to me and to my surroundings.” (Novem ...

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A Specific Identity

by The Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji (July 14, 2002 – Espanola NM) 2017 Winter Solstice Ministers’ Gift from the Office of the Secretary of Religion Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa! Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh! Every day is v ...

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In Memoriam

Khalsa-ji MSS Sada Sat Singh Khalsa October 10, 1950 – November 12, 2017 by SS Dharm Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2017 My dear friend and spirit brother Sada Sat Singh has passed into the light. We both served Yogi Bhajan for many years in ...

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A Quiet River

by SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2017 Have you heard this story? When Guru Gobind Singh was 16 years old, he received an invitation from Medni Parkash, the ruler of the Nahan State, to select any place in the kingdom to settle ...

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The Highest Meditation

by SS Siri Bhrosa Kaur Khalsa, Anandpur Sahib India Winter 2017 My personal approach to reading the banis has always been a very practical one. I feel that reading the banis in the vernacular (in English or whatever your native tongue) and pondering ...

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Revitalizing the Khalsa Spirit

by SS  Dr. Kirpal Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2017 Jaap Sahib is Guru Gobind Singh’s Bani (sacred hymn) that uplifts the soul, gives the experience of infinity and expands the radiance of the human psyche. It is Gurbani, the Guru’s hymn, and rec ...

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The Rhythm of Life

by SS Prabhu Prakash Kaur Khalsa, on the road USA Winter 2017 Like my mother before me, I’ve been a singer all my life. While still in the womb, I absorbed my mother’s joy of devotional singing and the love she projected through her voice. I can’t re ...

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Resistance

by SS Kartar Singh Khalsa, Sterling VA Winter 2017 Let me be clear—I don’t currently read my banis every day, although I did so as a daily practice for many years. So let me speak honestly and openly about the topic of resistance. Three times the Sir ...

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Minister News and Notes (Winter 2017)

SDI Academy Tent (3HO Winter Solstice) Monday, December 18, 2017 11:00 am – 12:45 pm Under the umbrella of the Shabad Guru, we are focusing on a deeper understanding of the Mul Mantra. The Siri Singh Sahib says that the key to understanding the entir ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Winter 2017)

A Minister came to me and said she was having great difficulty answering the first question on the 2016 Minister’s Exam (“Write an essay on Japji”). She asked if she could respond to the question with an artistic rendering. I gave her permission to d ...

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#66 Winter 2017 Newsletter

Throughout 2017, we explore the example of the Tenth Master and the Radiant Body through the Four Pillars of Bana, Bani, Simran, and Seva. For the Winter issue, we invited Sikh Dharma Ministers to reflect on the concept of Bani—and the relationship o ...

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In Memoriam

SS Guru Dass Singh Khalsa February 4, 1954 – June 17, 2017 by SS Guruganesha Singh Khalsa, Herndon VA Fall 2017 Singh Sahib Guru Dass Singh, my beloved brother and fellow Minister in Divine, was a total gift from Guru Ram Das ji. I met him in January ...

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Never Far from Simran

by SS Satya Kaur Corfield, Espanola NM  Fall 2017 Simran—the constant remembrance of God—is the one aspect of Sikh Dharma that resonates above almost all else for me. Having two “10”s in my numerology has always given me a connection to Guru Gobind S ...

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The Practice of Naam Simran

by SS Guru Prem Singh Khalsa, Los Angeles, CA Fall 2017 I experienced a unique relationship in my practice of Naam Simran under the guidance of the Siri Singh Sahib. It began in 1981, when he asked a favor of me that would take the next seven years t ...

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Simran is Everything

by SS Mata Mandir Singh Khalsa, San Francisco CA Fall 2017 Simran is often translated as “remembrance,” which, to me, doesn’t explain the word. Other people say simran is repeating a mantra. I understand repeating a mantra as japa, which means “to re ...

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Honoring the Legacy

by SS Jot Singh Khalsa, Millis MA Fall 2017 It has been 45 years since I embarked on this sacred path of Kundalini Yoga and Sikh Dharma. Along the way there have been many blessings that have helped me understand the concept of sacredness, and to beg ...

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Holding the Remembrance

by SS Prabhu Nam Kaur Khalsa, San Leandro CA Fall 2017 Simran is remembering of, or meditation on God’s Name. It is also prayer. “Simran” is the noun form of “simar,” which means to remember, to hold in remembrance, to meditate on. The Gurmukhi word ...

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Minister News and Notes (Fall 2017)

By Guru’s Grace, four new Sikh Dharma Ministers took their ordination vows in June 2017. SS Hari Bhagat Singh from Brazil, took his vows  on June 4, 2017 in the gurdwara at Belo Horizonte in Brazil, administered by SS GuruSangat Kaur Khalsa. Ne ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Fall 2017)

Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji ki Fateh! I would like to extend a huge “thank you” to all Ministers who responded to our recent Sikh Dharma Minister Enrichment Survey. The average response rate to many surveys is often very small. Of the total ...

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#65 Fall 2017 Newsletter

Throughout 2017, we explore the example of the Tenth Master and the Radiant Body through the Four Pillars of Bana, Bani, Seva, and Simran. For the Fall issue, we invited Sikh Dharma Ministers to reflect on the concept of Simran—the constant remembran ...

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A Dream of Service

by SS Sat Bachan Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2017  “Your reliability will give people the courage to trust you. Their trust will give you the power to carry a situation. A leader carries and serves people. Learn to lead as a ‘seva;’ p ...

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Journey into the Heart of Seva

by SS Mata Mandir Kaur Khalsa, Herndon VA Summer 2017  “Seva is a conscious and deliberate service to benefit another person even at your cost; and remember, whosoever does seva, it is one to a hundred that  God comes through.”—The Siri Singh Sahib ( ...

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Seva From the Heart

by SS Har Nal Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2017 Real seva comes from the heart: “Out of love you give selflessly to those who ask and those who don’t ask. When you are a giver, then your faculty and God’s faculty become the same. That is divinity. ...

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Translating the Shabad Guru

by SS Guru Nam Singh and SS Sat Jivan Kaur Khalsa, McAllen TX  Summer 2017 In the early 1980s, my wife SS Sat Jivan Kaur was facing a deep depression. Two prestigious doctors made the diagnosis and both agreed that it was imperative that she take str ...

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Serving the Infinite

by SS Arjan Singh Dhillon and SS Arjan Kaur Khalsa, Mexico City, Mexico Summer 2017 A common proverb in India is “The seva brings meva.” Meva means fruit or benefit. In Sikh Dharma, the concept of seva implies giving to the Infinite beyond personal i ...

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Seva in Action

by SS Sangeeta Kaur Khalsa, Yuba City CA Summer 2017  “Seva is a win/win, the total source of victory. The moment you serve with heart and head, and without grinding any axe, you win the person forever. You deliver another person facing difficu ...

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Guru’s Seva

by SS Ram Dass Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2017 Once my noble daughter asked me who was in the picture on the wall in her room. I told her it was Guru Ram Das. She said, “Yes, but who is the person behind him waving the Chauri Sahib?” And I said ...

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Ministry News and Notes (Summer 2017)

  SDI Academy Tent Sunday, June 18 from 3:45 to 5:15 p.m. This gathering is for ordained Sikh Dharma International Ministers only. The global environment is reactive in this time and space and requires our awareness, preparedness, and responsive ...

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#64 Summer 2017 Newsletter

The theme of our Summer issue is seva. We invited Sikh Dharma Ministers to reflect on the concept of seva as taught by the Sikh Gurus and exemplified by the Tenth Master (Radiant Body). Please enjoy these wonderful articles by Sikh Dharma Ministers. ...

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2016 Winter Solstice Ministers’ Gathering

Exploring the Poetry of the Tenth Master by Solstice Gathering Facilitator SS Satwant Singh Khalsa, Herndon VA  Though small in number, the Ministers’ Gathering at Winter Solstice 2016 was mighty in Spirit. This year’s theme was “Creativi ...

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The Habit of Bana

by SS Arjan Singh Dhillon, Mexico City, Mexico Spring 2017 Bana and Bani are twin words, derived from the root word “BAN.” The expression “BAN” is generally interpreted as “habit, character or behavior of a person or a d ...

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Grit and Courage

by SS Sada Sat Simran Singh Khalsa, Santa Fe NM Spring 2017 It is now 2017. Things have evolved and continue to evolve minute by minute. We are so modern that we have to update every morning to keep up with the times. One news outlet isn’t enou ...

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Decorated With Bana

by SS Kulwant Singh Khalsa, Walsall UK Spring 2017 This year marks the 350th anniversary of the birth of our beloved Tenth Master, Guru Gobind Singh Ji. He was born in 1666 as Gobind Rai, and spent most of his childhood in the town of Patna (Bihar-In ...

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Looking Like Royalty

by SS Japa Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2017 [Bana] was the foundation stone laid for the beginning of the most beautiful consciousness, the Khalsa. Dress has a very unique power in it. It gives you confirmation in relation to the world around you ...

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Best Khalsa War Dress

by SS Sangeet Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2017 There have been two events, among many, that confirmed without question that it has been my destiny for lifetimes to live as Khalsa. One came the very first day I wore bana in public. I had always be ...

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The Master’s Robes

by SS Sarb Sarang Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2017 The first sewing assignment the Siri Singh Sahib gave me was to make an outfit for his doctor’s daughter, using a piece of Guatemalan fabric. When he saw it, he asked, “Why aren’t you wealthy, wo ...

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Radiance and Bana

by SS DukhNiwaran Kaur Khalsa, Chicago, IL Spring 2017 Celebrating the 350th Anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh’s birth, I reflect on the radiance he embodies. As the Father of the Khalsa, the warrior, Guru and poet, Guru Gobind Singh bowed to the ever ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2017)

The year 2017 embodies the energies of Guru Gobind Singh and the Radiant Body. The overarching theme of our four e-newsletters reflects these energies. When the Radiant Body is strong it gives spiritual royalty, creativity, nobility, courage, and exc ...

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#63 Spring 2017 Newsletter

Throughout 2017, we will explore the example of the Tenth Master and the Radiant Body through the Four Pillars of Bana, Bani, Seva, and Simran. For the Spring 2017 issue, we asked Sikh Dharma Ministers to reflect on the concept of Bana as exemplified ...

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Subtle Body Living

As we complete 2016, we offer this small token of appreciation to our Sikh Dharma Ministers. Please enjoy this gift booklet of inspirational quotes from the Siri Singh Sahib and Sikh Dharma Ministers from around the world on Subtle Body Living. We en ...

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In Memoriam

Singh Sahib Dr. Narayan Singh Khalsa (Michael J. Lincoln) December 2, 1933 – October 15, 2016     by SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa, Secretary of Religion A dear, heart-centered brilliant soul has left his physical body. Dr. Michael J. Lincol ...

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Me and Hari Simran Singh—Attuned to the Infinite

by SS GuruSurya Kaur Khalsa, Brooklyn NY When our son Hari Simran Singh was 10 years old, a few weeks before he was to leave for his first year at school in India, I told him that I intended to pray for him every day he was away. We were walking toge ...

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The Divine Presence

by SS Jai Hari Kaur Khalsa, Santa Fe NM Winter 2016 “True realization of the actual nature of the material world, its perishable, transitory and illusory aspects, best dawns on a person in suffering.”—Guru Teg Bahadur Ji, Ninth Sikh Guru   In Ja ...

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Waking Up with Japji Sahib

by SS Har Simran Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles CA Winter 2016 For some, it was love at first sight. Or rather, first sound. The first time they heard Japji, some devotees were enraptured. I was not one of those. With my strong intellectual background, I w ...

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Patience Pays

by SS Meher Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Winter 2016 “When I say patience pays, that’s what it is. In absolute patience you always shall believe, you always shall see, you always shall realize the Word of the Guru comes handy to you. Man cannot live ...

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In Subtlety We Dwell

by SS Sarb Nam Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2016 When you think about Sikh Dharma, subtlety may not be the first thing that comes to mind. Our royal lineage inspires us to dress regally in our bana and turbans, crowned with jeweled pins, carrying ...

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The Capacity of the Shabad Guru

by SS GuruKirin Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2016 “If in subtlety you become very refined and in activity you become very subtle, you are very near to your soul because there is a direct relationship between the Subtle Body and the spiritual body. ...

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Ministry News and Notes (Winter 2016)

    Congratulations and Wahe Guru to Singh Sahib Sada Sat Simran Singh Khalsa from Santa Fe, NM, who took his Sikh Dharma Minister vows at the Opening Gurdwara of the Fall 2016 International Khalsa Council meetings on September 21, 2016. Ma ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Winter 2016)

Do you remember how often the Siri Singh Sahib would emphasize the importance of our songs? Over and over he would have us sing both English and Gurmukhi versions of songs, uplifting our hearts and souls and inspiring us in the process. He said, “Jus ...

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#62 Winter 2016 Newsletter

Throughout 2016, our Ministry newsletter is focused on the Subtle Body. We invited Sikh Dharma Ministers to reflect on how we impact the world through our Subtle Bodies. Especially, how do we use the Subtle Body to support us in situations of challen ...

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Experience vs. Superstition

by Sant SS Guru Dev Singh Khalsa, Rome, Italy Fall 2016 How do we experience the Subtle Body? It is experienced through awareness. Unfortunately, 99.9% of the people are not aware, or not aware enough to recognize their experience. So we meditate and ...

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Subtle Body and Healing Generations

by SS Hargopal Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles CA Fall 2016 Sometimes, in meeting a person, the exterior gruffness or roughness can be off-putting. At the same time, the Siri Singh Sahib always said, “If you can’t see God in all, you can’t see God at all.” ...

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Evolution of Consciousness

by SS Dr. Kartar Singh Khalsa DOM, Santa Fe NM Fall 2016 As we go through the evolutionary process of consciousness, our souls develop the capacity to experience life more thoroughly through the Subtle Body. The Subtle Body—being the container for th ...

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Ministry News and Notes (Fall 2016)

Congratulations and blessings to SS DukhNiwaran Kaur Khalsa of Chicago, IL, and SS Ram Krishan Singh Khalsa of Buenos Aires, Argentina. Both individuals took their Sikh Dharma Minister vows at the 2016 Summer Solstice Sadhana in New Mexico on June 25 ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Fall 2016)

“The Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogiji is coming!” Do you remember what it was like when the Siri Singh Sahib would visit our communities? There was much preparation, cleaning, repairing of things that might have been neglected for a ...

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#61 Fall 2016 Newsletter

Throughout 2016, our Ministry newsletter is focused on the Subtle Body. We invited Sikh Dharma Ministers to reflect on how we impact the world through our Subtle Bodies. Especially, how do we use the Subtle Body to support us in situations of challen ...

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Sweet Sloks of Guru Teg Bahadur

by SS Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2016 In the month of Vaisakh we celebrate the birth of the 9th Sikh Guru—Guru Teg Bahadur Sahib. His life is an epic story of bravery and fearlessness, devotion and meditation, and ultimately the sacrifice ...

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Moving in the World

by SS Dev Suroop Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2016 Over the past several weeks, I’ve been reflecting on the Subtle Body in relation to my actions as a Sikh Dharma Minister. I first pondered on how I actively minister, since I rarely perform minist ...

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The Perfection of Creation

by SS Gurutej Singh Khalsa, Singapore Summer 2016 This creation is one of absolute perfection and within that perfection exists the miraculous human incarnation. Since time immemorial, human beings have been trying to understand the perfection, myste ...

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Compass of the Soul

by SS Gurudev Singh Khalsa, Austin TX Summer 2016 The ability to experience our physical body has served us well throughout our long history of evolution, and has been instrumental to our survival. It tells the story of what we can see, touch and fee ...

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Many-Colored Hues

by SS Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Summer 2016 The poetry of the Gurus is exquisite, embodying the divine in material form. To bring this subtlety into earthly form, the Gurus were able to serve as God’s channels, letting the divine flow through ...

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Ministry News and Notes (Summer 2016)

    The Office of the Secretary of Religion announces our NEW! online Minister Renewal System to facilitate annual Minister credential renewals through a secure online portal. You can review and update your Minister record, submit your rene ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2016)

Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji ki Fateh! It has been a year since I first wrote to you about the inception of the Regional Minister Coordinator (RMC) program. The following is an update: The RMCs have met as a virtual group four times. We are d ...

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#60 Summer 2016 Newsletter

Throughout 2016, our Ministry newsletter is focused on the Subtle Body. We invited Sikh Dharma Ministers to reflect on how we impact the world through our Subtle Bodies. Especially, how do we use the Subtle Body to support us in situations of challen ...

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Not Affected by Pleasure

by SS Sat Siri Singh Khalsa, UK Spring 2016 There is a shabad by Guru Teg Bahadur in Siri Guru Granth Sahib that might have inspired Yogi Bhajan when he gave us “The Definition of a Yogi” in the 3HO Code of Excellence. This shabad describes a state o ...

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Relating to Your Subtle Body

by MSS Nirvair Singh Khalsa, Santa Fe NM Spring 2016 Do you want to come into relationship with your Subtle Body? The Siri Singh Sahib spoke about the Subtle Body in many lectures. A quick search in The Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings ® yielded 184 ...

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Living in the Subtle Body

by SS Siri Narayan Kaur Fuda, Buffalo NY Spring 2016 Yogi Bhajan presented us with the concept of the Ten Light Bodies of Consciousness, each of which represents an aspect of our Self. Through considering various components of each of these Bodies, o ...

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Chrysalis Raj Yoga – Perfection of the Ninth Body

by SS Krishna Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2016 As you may know, chrysalis is the transmutation process by which a voraciously hungry caterpillar that devours every green leaf in sight is transformed into a gracefully flying, spiritually symbolic ...

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The Companion of the Soul

by SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2016 It is a common understanding in most spiritual traditions that human beings exist as more than a physical body. The writer C.S. Lewis made this distinction when he said, “We are a soul; we ...

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Serving Through the Subtle Body

by SS Chioneso Kulwant Kaur Khalsa, Birmingham UK Spring 2016 The interplay of the Subtle Body in our lives is deep and all encompassing. When functioning well, it enables us to be aware at a level that so many aspire to but find difficulty achieving ...

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Ministry and the Light Bodies

by SS Dr. Japa Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2016 As a child learning my numbers from 1 to 10, I remember that each number had a frequency or vibration to it and I assigned a personality to each one. The number 9, which I now know as the Subtle Bod ...

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Mystery or Mastery:
The Virtues of the Subtle Body

by SS Dr. Santokh Singh Khalsa, Altadena CA Spring 2016 When I teach classes about the Ten Bodies, I can sum up the nature of each body in a short phrase: Radiant Body = your radiance or glow. Pranic Body = your energy. Arc Line = the projection of y ...

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Ministry News and Notes (Spring 2016)

  Congratulations and blessings to SS Kewal Kaur Khalsa (Los Angeles, CA), who took her Sikh Dharma Minister vows at Winter Solstice Sadhana in Florida in December 2015. May God and Guru guide her service on this path as a Minister of the Divine. Wah ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2016)

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! Each year in the late summer or early fall, the Ministry Newsletter team meets to plan the overarching theme for the next year’s quarterly newsletters, as well as the specific focus for each issue.  In t ...

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About the Sikh Dharma Ministry Newsletter

The Sikh Dharma Ministry Newsletter debuted in July 2001 as a vehicle for enhancing Minister communication and as a source of information about and for Sikh Dharma Ministers. Secretary of Religion SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa noted in 2001 that “the succes ...

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The Rising Spirit

As a gift to the Sikh Dharma Ministers (Winter 2015), we offered this edited Gurdwara lecture by the Siri Singh Sahib. Enjoy his inspiration words about saying in the spirit of “keeping up” or Chardhi Kalaa.         ...

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Service in Africa

Our 2015 Ministry newsletter focuses on our Global Sangats and Service. We have a rich, diverse body of stories to inspire, uplift and inform about our global Ministry. Please enjoy this special issue about service programs led by Sikh Dharma Ministe ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Winter 2015)

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! The Ministry is flowering. Its roots are strong, its stem is reaching upwards and the flower is blooming. As I reflect on the articles in the last three volumes of our 2015 e-newsletter—and now this volu ...

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#58 Winter 2015 Newsletter

Sikh Dharma teachings and values are reaching the four corners of the globe. The year 2015 embodies the vibration of the Eighth Master, Guru Harkrishan. In 2015, we have been exploring the theme of “Service and Compassion.” We invited Sikh Dharma Min ...

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World Parliament of Religions

Gratitude and joy were constant and faithful companions during my recent visit to the 2015 Parliament of World Religions that took place in Salt Lake City, Utah, from October 15 – 19. The gratitude and joy that filled me was for the remembered ...

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Spiritual Awakening in South Africa

South Africa is now 20 years into democracy—not even a generation. The 3HO presence here started with the blessing and directive of the Siri Singh Sahib in the mid-1980s. Since then, the GINI index (universal indicator of disparity between wealthy an ...

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NY Interfaith Walk Draws on Diversity

New York is a culturally diverse place colored with an amazing collection of very alive cultural centers and religious communities. My husband and I live in Park Slope, Brooklyn, where it is an odd church that has not been converted to a condominium ...

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Ministers Participate in Chaplaincy Programs

  After helping a dear friend through the dying process, I realized that helping others in this way was my calling. I knew I needed to learn many more skills to be able to provide ministry to those I didn’t know. By the Grace of God and Gu ...

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Service in Asia and Australia

Our 2015 Ministry newsletter focuses on our Global Sangats and Service. We have a rich, diverse body of stories to inspire, uplift and inform about our global Ministry. Please enjoy this special issue about service programs in Asia and Australia. Thi ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Fall 2015)

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh! We had a very special Ministers’ gathering at Summer Solstice 2015. Our intent was to set an energetic frequency for the future of the Ministry. SS Sevak Singh from Phoenix, Arizona, gave us a wonderful ...

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#57 Fall 2015 Newsletter

Sikh Dharma teachings and values are reaching the four corners of the globe. The year 2015 embodies the vibration of the Eighth Master, Guru Harkrishan. Join us in 2015 for our theme of “Service and Compassion” as we invite Sikh Dharma Ministers and ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2015)

Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji ki Fateh! When technology works for us, it is an incredible thing. Hopefully, it can work for you in this newsletter! At the April 2015 Khalsa Council meetings, I gave a presentation on the Ministry (see video bel ...

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#56 Summer 2015 Newsletter

Sikh Dharma teachings and values are reaching the four corners of the globe. The year 2015 embodies the vibration of the Eighth Master, Guru Harkrishan. Join us in 2015 for our theme of “Service and Compassion” as we invite Sikh Dharma Ministers and ...

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Ministry in South America

In life we all search for happiness. We might not even comprehend what a state of happiness really is.  We taste it at times for short moments and this makes us keep looking for it and live our lives pursuing that thing we call happiness. In this sea ...

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Prana Yoga and Guru Harkrishan

by SS Krishna Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2015 The Ardas admonishes us to meditate on Guru Harkrishan and it promises us that if we do so “all sickness and sufferings will depart.” From a Raj Yoga perspective, we can consider that Guru Harkrisha ...

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Guru Harkrishan’s Sacrifice

by SS Gurujodha Singh Khalsa, Mexico City Spring 2015 It is interesting that the numerology of this year (2015) brings together the number 8 and the number 5. Beyond the fact that Guru Harkrishan as the Eight Sikh Guru embodies the virtues of the Pra ...

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In Memoriam

“What is the purpose of life? To elevate all, big or small.” —The Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji     Our dear sister, Sardarni Sahiba Hari Krishan Kaur Khalsa, New Mexico, left her body on March 11 to begin her So ...

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Service in South America, Central America and Mexico

Our 2015 Ministry newsletter focuses on our Global Sangats and Service. We have a rich, diverse body of stories to inspire, uplift and inform about our global Ministry. Please enjoy this special issue from South America, Central America, and Mexico. ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2015)

There is a passage in the Ardas that strikes me deeply: “…but never gave up their faith and determination to live according to Sikh Dharma, with all their hair, to the last breath.  Meditate, O pure ones…” Our Sikh history is full of examples of extr ...

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#55 Spring 2015 Newsletter

Sikh Dharma teachings and values are reaching the four corners of the globe. The year 2015 embodies the vibration of the Eighth Master, Guru Harkrishan. Join us in 2015 for our theme of “Service and Compassion” as we invite Sikh Dharma Mi ...

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A Gift from God

by SS Gurubachan Kaur and SS Gurubachan Singh Khalsa, Albuquerque NM Winter 2014 Our children are a gift from God. They choose us as their parents and we have the job to nurture, protect, guide and love them. They do not belong to us. As their first ...

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Fearless Minds

by SS Siri Vias Singh and Siri Chand Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2014 “Give our children fearless minds so they may see the world through the Guru’s eyes.”—Song of the Khalsa This is our prayer for our children’s future, that they will be f ...

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The Heart of Parenting

by SS Manjit Kaur and SS Sat Want Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2014   “Create dependable children, not dependent children. Give your children the basic values to face their own tomorrows, not be blinded by yours. Make them proper perso ...

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A Special Sadhana

by SS Sat Daya Singh, Los Angeles CA Winter 2014 In the months before and after conception, most soon-to-be parents read books and study teachings on how to raise children. They often think: “My parents did so-and-so negative thing to me. I wou ...

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Our Spiritual Trust

by Bhai Sahiba Dr. Bibi Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Winter 2014 “Immersed in family life, the Lord’s humble servant ever remains detached and reflects upon the essence of spiritual wisdom.”—Guru Amar Das Sahib Ji (Siri Guru Granth Sahib, p ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Winter 2014)

Your voice counts. Yes, it really does. As your Secretary of Religion, I have said over and over again that I look to our Ministers to help create the future of our Ministry and our Dharma. I am not in favor of top-down administration—rather, a more ...

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#54 Winter 2014 Newsletter

The year 2014 embodies the vibration of the Seventh Master, Guru Har Rai. This year, our newsletter explores the topic of Guru Har Rai: Teacher of Compassion. The topic of the November issue is Nurturing our Children – Seeding the Future. Guru Har Ra ...

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The Perfumed Axe

by SS Siri Gian Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Fall 2014 “The axe cuts the sandal tree, yet the sandal perfumes the axe.”—Guru Har Rai Ji This is Guru Har Rai’s explanation of why he helped save the life of Shah Jihan’s son with the Guru’s spec ...

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Example of True Love

by SS Guru Simran Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Fall 2014 For the last several years I have been organizing the “Food 4 Kids” program here in Espanola. This program provides food to local children who do not get sufficient, or even any, food to eat on the ...

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Embraced by God’s Love

by SS SatSangeet Kaur Khalsa, Espanola, NM Fall 2014 In late July 2013, I heard the news that Rajinder Kaur from Taos had been diagnosed and had surgery for ovarian cancer. This came as a surprise, as I had seen her in June and she looked fine. Her h ...

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A Sacred Trust

by SS Sarb Sarang Kaur Khalsa, Espanola, NM Fall 2014 When Nav Jiwan Kaur moved into our apartment, my inner voice said “You’re supposed to help her die.” “How?” I asked. “I don’t even know her.” As we ...

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Beyond Earthly Distinction

by Bhai Sahiba Dr. Bibi Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Fall 2014 The God-conscious being is always unstained, like the sun, which gives its comfort and warmth to all. The God-conscious being looks upon all alike, like the wind, which blows equally upon the kin ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Fall 2014)

What a special Minister’s Gathering we had at Summer Solstice 2014! These gatherings were created to help build a sense of community among the Ministers, to offer tools for our Ministers and to support each other with our unique contributions. As Sec ...

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#53 Fall 2014 Newsletter

The year 2014 embodies the vibration of the Seventh Master, Guru Har Rai. The seventh body, the Auric body, carries the qualities of compassion, kindness, elevation of the self and others, as exemplified by Guru Har Rai. For the Fall 2014 issue, we a ...

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Science, Meditation and Compassion

by SS Dr. Sat Bir Singh Khalsa, Medway MA Summer 2014 Scientific research on compassion and the role of meditation practices in enhancing it is now becoming a rigorous and acceptable field of inquiry within neuroscience. Feature articles on compassio ...

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Self-Compassion and Change

by SS Hari Har Singh Burmeister, Hamburg, Germany Summer 2014 Compassion starts with ourselves. As simple as this may sound, I have often found myself engaged in old inner beliefs of “I have to”, “I should not”, mixed with subtle nuances of shame and ...

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The Power of Ahimsa

by Bhai Sahiba Dr. Bibi Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Summer 2014 Guru Har Rai Ji gave us the great gift of showing us how to understand through compassion (ahimsa). It is easy to react emotionally to life’s challenges, rather than with self-mastery and ...

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The Tools of Compassion

by SS Dr. Kartar Singh Khalsa, Santa Fe NM Summer 2014 In these difficult and challenging times it is important to remind ourselves of the tools we have been blessed to receive from the Siri Singh Sahib, our spiritual leader and teacher. One of the A ...

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Cultivating Compassion

by SS Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2014 “The only beautiful thing that makes you human is compassion. Think about vengeance, lies, truth, God, greatness, think of anything.  If you take compassion out of it, everything becomes bi ...

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Being the Forklift

by SS Sarb Nam Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Summer 2014   “The Age of Aquarius is about taking the pot of water (Aquarius) and nurturing the whole universe; becoming human in equal concept of service and then becoming angelic, kind and compass ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2014)

The definition of Ministering is expanding. That was the theme for our Minister presentation at the April 2014 meetings of the Khalsa Council. When you say Minister (which is what the Siri Singh Sahib named us), we who came from a Judeo-Christian bac ...

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#52 Summer 2014 Newsletter

The year 2014 embodies the vibration of the Seventh Master, Guru Har Rai. The seventh body, the Auric body, carries the qualities of compassion, kindness, elevation of the self and others, as exemplified by Guru Har Rai.  The Siri Singh Sahib said:  ...

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Compassion in Action

by SS Sham Kaur Khalsa, La Paz, Bolivia Spring 2014 The capacity of human beings to feel compassion is nowadays a requirement to navigate the ocean of life on earth. Some may call it an emotion or a virtue. But I feel that compassion is an absolute r ...

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Understanding Through Compassion

by SS GuruJivan Kaur Khalsa, Victoria, Australia Spring 2014 Guru Har Rai is the seventh Master in Sikh Dharma. He was the grandson of Guru Hargobind. He is known as the “tender-hearted” Guru. He was born in Kiratpur, India. His father wa ...

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The Yoga of Compassion

by SS Krishna Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2014 I have a deep appreciation for Guru Har Rai as a primary role model of human compassion. I also have a qualitative, causal understanding of myself through the Tantric Numerology system that we were ...

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Conversation with My Heart

by SS Kulwant Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM and Los Angeles CA Spring 2014 I used to think that life should be mutual; but when I looked around what I saw was not mutual, at least not as I was defining it, and so I felt my universe was out of kilter. I th ...

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Evidence of Compassion

by SS Chioneso Kulwant Kaur Khalsa, Birmingham UK Spring 2014 In a world increasingly beset by strife, conflict, and the cries of the cruelly displaced, the values of compassion and its benevolent effects shine forth like a luminescent beacon on this ...

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The Light of Guru Har Rai

by Bhai Sahiba Dr. Bibi Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Spring 2014 Guru Har Rai Ji exhibited the most sublime nature of divine compassion and pure sensory awareness to his physical and spiritual environments. We can learn much from his life about how we may ri ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2014)

What does it mean to be a Sikh Dharma Minister? Perhaps your soul incarnated during the lifetime of Guru Amar Das Ji, when the Sikh Ministry began in the mid-1500s. Unfortunately, over time the system became corrupt and Guru Gobind Singh put a stop t ...

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#51 Spring 2014 Newsletter

The year 2014 embodies the vibration of the Seventh Master, Guru Har Rai. The Seventh Body, known as the Auric body, carries the qualities of compassion, kindness, elevation of the self and others, as exemplified by Guru Har Rai. In 2014, our newslet ...

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In Memoriam

Sardarni Sahiba Holy Kaur Khalsa Feb. 26, 1957  – Sept. 26, 2013   The Sikh Dharma Ministry sends its blessings and prayers to the family of Sardarni Sahiba Holy Kaur Khalsa. She was the example of a graceful, noble Khalsa woman. She excelled a ...

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Sow the Seed of Shabad Guru

by SS Deva Kaur Khalsa, Coral Springs FL Winter 2013 Bowing to another person often does not work well, due to human shortcomings, but bowing to an infinite, undying teacher—the Siri Guru Granth Sahib—can prevent the malady of spiritual ego. But even ...

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Letting Go of Attachment

by SS Sat Siri Singh Khalsa, Southall UK Winter 2013 The 200 years of Guru Nanak’s light living in a human being is the story of the awakening, expansion, containment, completion, and integration of the purest possible Divine Inspiration. The r ...

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I AM

by Mukhia Jethadar SS Amrit Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM Winter 2013 I am a Sikh Dharma Minister I am radiant in the Name, Har Har I am the sword of Guru Gobind Singh that cuts through all obstacles I am Jai Te Gang, the arc of the sword, brighter than ...

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Becoming a Laser

by SS Siri Hari Hari Singh Khalsa, Anchorage AK Winter 2013 In thinking about our direction and projection into the future, I remember the Siri Singh Sahib’s response to one of my Gemini-induced questions about the many job tangents I was pursuing. “ ...

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Truthful Living

by SS Har Simran Kaur Khalsa, Los Angeles CA Winter 2013 Truth is higher than everything; but higher still is truthful living.— Guru Nanak, Siri Guru Granth Sahib, p. 62. No words of Guru Hargobind are in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, not because he ha ...

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The Sacrifice of the Akal Takhat

by Bhai Sahiba Dr. Bibi Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Winter 2013 First erected by Guru Hargobind Ji, the name of the Akal Takhat means the Eternal Throne of the Timeless One. The Akal Takhat exists beyond time and space, so in actuality it cannot be destroye ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Winter 2013)

I am struck by what Dickens said in A Tale of Two Cities:  “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times; it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness; it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity; it was the se ...

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#50 Winter 2013 Newsletter

The theme for our 2013 quarterly Sikh Dharma Ministers’ newsletters is “Guru Hargobind: Transforming Sikh Dharma.” For this issue, we look at the quality of Integration. How do we integrate psyche and soul? Our destiny and its deliv ...

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A Sikh’s Relationship to Gurdwara

by SS Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix, AZ From the earliest days of his ministry, Guru Nanak’s approach to spreading his God-given message was very simple. Accompanied by his minstrel Mardana, he walked from village to village throughout much of India ...

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Finding the Quiet

by SS Siri Ved Kaur Khalsa, Bakersfield CA Fall 2013 Finding the quiet center can take many years. Guru Hargobind’s example as the master of the Sixth Body offers an inspiration of how to find that “stillness” in the midst of life ...

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Miri and Piri

by SS Sat Hari Singh Khalsa, Hamburg, Germany Fall 2013 Whenever the Siri Singh Sahib came to Hamburg in the 1990s he would ask me to accompany him to special antique stores to shop for old weapons. We always came home with some old kirpans and sword ...

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Oak Creek Memorial

by SS Gurujodha Singh Khalsa, Bakersfield CA I just returned from events at the Oak Creek Gurdwara commemorating the one-year anniversary of the shootings which killed six worshippers in the Gurdwara on August 5, 2012. It was my third trip to Oak Cre ...

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A Woman’s Arc Line

by Bhai Sahiba Dr. Bibi Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Fall 2013 What is the significance of a woman’s Arc Line? It is a woman’s Arc Line that gives her the strength to remain in the radiance of her dignity and nobility, even during the most dire tests and tri ...

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Person at Prayer

by SS Gurukirn Kaur Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Fall 2013 The Sixth Body, the Arc Line, is characterized as the Person at Prayer and according to Tantric Numerology as taught by Yogi Bhajan represents the balance between the physical and cosmic realms as embo ...

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The Blessing of Silence

by SS Har Darshan Kaur Khalsa, Chapel Hill NC Fall 2013 The Sixth Body or Arc Line, connected to our beloved Guru Hargobind Ji, helps us to “hold our space”—the space of prayer and of protection. To create the foundation of a prayerful mind, the gift ...

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Living in Balance

by SS Sewa Singh Khalsa, Seattle WA Fall 2013 Although the days of Guru Hargobind Singh Ji’s life must have been filled with unimaginable stress and difficulty, the results of his ability to keep up continue to live on. The battles of his time, invol ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Fall 2013)

The Sikh Dharma Ministers’ Gathering at Summer Solstice 2013, with the theme Bij, Bindu and Shaping the Future of the Sikh Dharma Ministry, was pivotal for the future of our Ministry. Despite the dust, wind, and sounds from a nearby teaching tent, a ...

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#49 Fall 2013 Newsletter

The theme for our 2013 quarterly Sikh Dharma Ministers’ newsletters is “Guru Hargobind: Transforming Sikh Dharma.” In the book “Heroes, Saints & Yogis” by MSS Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and MSS Guruka Singh Khalsa, Guru Hargobind is remembered as ...

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A Special Tribute

A special honoring took place during the Opening Ceremony of the Baisakhi 2013 Khalsa Council meetings, in recognition and appreciation of 40 years of service to the Chancellor’s Office and Ministry of Sikh Dharma. On April 24, 2013, in the gur ...

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Living Lighthouse

by SS Nihal Singh Khalsa, Santiago Chile Summer 2013 After the death of Guru Arjan, the Sikh community went through a profound change. During the previous 100 years, they had developed a deep meditative tradition founded in peace and tolerance. Howev ...

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The Land of Miri Piri

by SS Sada Bahar Kaur Khalsa, San Leandro CA Summer 2013 The energy of Guru Nanak passed through all of the Gurus and—while each one brings special qualities or essences into our lives—I think of a few of them more often than others. I feel the prese ...

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The Soul of Sacrifice

by SS Amar Atma Singh Khalsa, Phoenix AZ Summer 2013 In January of 2009 I made my second trip to Amritsar. The sights, sounds, and senses of the Harimander Sahib called my heart and the blessings of its darshan was offered. My heart pounded with exci ...

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A Living Birthright

by SS Gurvinderpal Singh Chaudry, Espanola NM Summer 2013 Sri Guru Hargobind Maharaj was the only child of Arjan Mal, Dhan Sri Guru Arjan Dev, grandson of Sri Guru Ram Daas Ji. To prepare for conceiving Guru Hargobind, his mother Mata Ganga, the wife ...

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A Daily Commitment

by SS Varnjeet Kaur Khalsa, Espanola, NM Summer 2013 We as Sikhs living in the modern world sometimes forget the experiences of the original Gurus and how they fought for our religious freedom. During 17th Century, when India was ruled by Mughals, Si ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2013)

This is a time of tremendous change administratively for our Dharmic organizations. Many very dedicated individuals have stepped forward to help straighten out multiple problematic issues, procedures and policies for the functioning of our Dharma. Th ...

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#48 Summer 2013 Newsletter

The theme for our 2013 quarterly Sikh Dharma Ministers’ newsletters is “Guru Hargobind: Transforming Sikh Dharma.” In the book “Heroes, Saints & Yogis” by MSS Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and MSS Guruka Singh Khalsa, Guru Hargobind is remembered as ...

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Establishing Our Security

by MSS Hari Singh Bird, Winter Park FL Spring 2013 As someone who has been involved with the gurdwara and Solstice security for decades, I would like to address what I see as a general absence of security/soldier consciousness within all Sikh communi ...

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Path of Sant Sipahi

by SS Guru Kirn Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2013 The insanity and darkness prevalent at this time and age reminds me how important it is for every Shakti to pursue self-defense and/or martial arts. Feeling battered emotionally from the recent mas ...

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Way of the Spiritual Warrior

by SS Gurujodha Singh Khalsa, Bakersfield CA Spring 2013 The Spiritual Warrior is dedicated to the Divine through whom all things are created and to all creation. The Spiritual Warrior is attuned to the reality that: “All things come from God and all ...

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Master of Piety and Power

by SS SatSundri Kaur Khalsa, Espanola NM Spring 2013 Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa. Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh. I pondered the thought of writing about Guru Hargobind Ji, his life and lessons to us, and then took a Saturday and spread my resources around me, inc ...

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Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2013)

“Once a person gives himself to the righteous path of divinity and decides to be a soldier for righteousness and a saint for humanity, that person has achieved God-like grace. It is a mental capacity. When you reach a state of consciousness whe ...

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#47 Spring 2013 Newsletter

The theme for our 2013 quarterly Sikh Dharma Ministers’ newsletters is “Guru Hargobind: Transforming Sikh Dharma.” In the book “Heroes, Saints & Yogis” by MSS Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa and MSS Guruka Singh Khalsa, Guru Hargobind is remembered as ...

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Rebuilding Through Faith

by SS Shiva Singh Khalsa, Chicago IL Winter 2012 The wind merges into the wind. The light blends into the light. The dust becomes one with the dust. What support is there for the one who is lamenting? Who has died? Oh, who has died? Meet together wit ...

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