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 in ourselves to fulfill our destiny as leaders in the Aquarian Age? How do we embody these qualities and relate to them in this time and space? These are the questions the newsletter team contemplated in August of last year, as we looked ahead to plan our four issues for 2020.
We generated some keywords and phrases that capture the essence of Guru Ram Das: a meditative mind/neutral mind; cup of prayer, service; integration; compassion; healing; humility; listening; holding the pair of opposites; and Raja Yoga.
So, on a practical level, what do we need to do as Ministers to both foster these qualities in ourselves and utilize them in our service? Let’s take a couple of them and explore them.
What does it mean to truly listen? It requires neutrality, the ability to hold polarities even when they are extreme; to hear what the other person is saying rather than focus on what you might be thinking or wanting to say; to acknowledge what someone else has said before responding. These are simple, active listening skills, yet priceless in offering effective communication and service.
What allows a person to be able to truly listen in an emotionally charged situation? It requires a meditative, neutral mind. How do we develop it? Meditate, meditate, and meditate.
Our Precious Gifts
We have precious gifts: the technology of this lifestyle; the steady, timeless Siri Guru Granth Sahib; and the ability to apply this wisdom, but it requires actually practicing it. There are no real short cuts. To be steady in a time of upheaval is to draw upon these gifts and let them carry us through, as well as those we serve.
For the four issues of 2020, our authors will share their unique, personal expressions of what it means to stand under those we serve, providing a kind of blueprint for our Ministers. In this way, we are attempting to make Aquarian Leadership real, doable and deliverable. We hope you find the information in the newsletters inspiring, practical, useful and supportive to you in your service.
May God and Guru ever bless you in your service as a Sikh Dharma International Minister.
Humbly,
SS Dr. Sat-Kaur Khalsa
Secretary of Religion
THE SECRETARY OF RELIGION
SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa has served as Secretary of Religion since 1991 and was ordained as a Sikh Dharma Minister in 1975. As Secretary of Religion, Dr. Sat Kaur oversees and is ultimately responsible for the delivery of the functions of this Office. Dr. Sat Kaur is a long-time member of the International Khalsa Council and the Khalsa Council Executive Committee. She maintains a full-time psychotherapy private practice in Santa Monica, California and Santa Fe, New Mexico, counseling individuals, couples, and families to support their personal and spiritual growth. She is a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher, a facilitator of White Tantric Yoga®, and a published author.