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 manifestation of destiny to experience this human life as a Sikh Dharma Minister, to support others on their own life’s journey, to share with them the teachings and practices of Sikh Dharma, and to work together with brothers and sisters to create a future for Sikh Dharma globally.” These words hold true for me now, as
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Archives for Prayer
What Remains When All is Gone…
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. In marveling at the huge turnout, which included many who no longer attend Gurdwara or other Dharmic events, Guru Meher Kaur observed the irony that we can come together at the time of death, but why not life? She was feeling the need to write an article about this. I naturally seized the opportune moment
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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 that will happen during the day is by His grace . This gives me peace of mind and allows me to to see God in everything, knowing that all circumstances, events, and challenges are part of the life process, but under its Divine Light, the neutrality of the mind appears. For the past 19 years, I have
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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 nature exert control over the mind and therefore our actions. Grace and wisdom are in short supply. The use of intoxicants, drugs, and unsustainable lifestyles are rising as quickly as are rates of mental health conditions; many look outwards for a solution to what is going on inside. Thankfully, the Guru has given us a technology for self-elevation
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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 was too perturbed by the seeming non-sequiturs to relate to the exquisitely told truths as they unfolded. From line to line, as the speaker and the subject shifted, my experience was more irritation than upliftment. In fact, from the first words, the Mul Mantra left me puzzling, is that really the list of all virtues, or
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Ardas (Sikh Prayer)
“When the prayer becomes the vibration of the mind and self, then we can create a miracle.” —The Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Yogiji The word “Ardas” literally means “prayer.” But the traditional Sikh Ardas has come to represent a specific form of prayer recited in every Gurdwara program. It is recited before the Guru is transported or brought into Prakaash, just before the hukam is taken, and again when the Guru is set into Sukhasaan. It can also be recited before undertaking any activity of significance, before leaving on a journey, to give thanks, or as
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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 bitter. Compassion is a value of life; it is power; it is God and meditation; it is truth. Compassion gives you the strength to go through suffering and yet feel no pain. There is absolutely no grace without compassion.”—The Siri Singh Sahib (July 11, 1986) The capacity for compassion is innate in us as human beings. We are created with
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