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. I knew Canada did, but I was surprised to learn that Germany, Austria, Switzerland, the Netherlands, Grenada, Japan, Liberia, Saint Lucia, the United Kingdom and Brazil also had celebrations —but not necessarily on the same day. Historically, it began as a day to give thanks for the blessings of the harvest and of the preceding year. Americans
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Archives for Secretary of Religion Column
Secretary of Religion Column (2022 Fourth Quarter)
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 and William Strauss. I felt like I got the CliffsNotes version of the authors’ key concept that these cycles are inevitable and predictable, and have shaped and impacted our lives for generations. Although the book was written in 1997, much of what was detailed in it has come to pass with startling accuracy. I was struck by how much of it could
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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 those that have come in since.) I am both heartened and concerned. To those who took the time to contemplate the questions, and then responded honestly and thoughtfully, I thank you. To those who barely reflected at all, I missed your meditative mind. To those who wrote reactionary, critical responses, so be it. Truly, our Ministry includes many
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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 to the demands of these times. What is keeping us from moving forward? Perhaps one factor is the growing polarization that is showing up in many of our communities around the world. When “holding a position” takes precedence over sharing one’s particular point of view, we end up in a power struggle—an “us and them” environment
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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 solid base and history to grow from. Yet for many of us, this is also a painful time. There is tremendous polarization within our Ministry as well as our community—and, for that matter, the world. In seeking a more in-depth understanding of this, I turned to some of Patanjali’s concepts as described in The Aquarian
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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 passing. Tears rolled down my cheeks. Yes, I knew this was inevitable at some point. I just wasn’t quite prepared for it to be real yet. She explained that a small group (called the “transition team”) had started to meet. The group was asking for Ministers to serve the sangat at the time of his
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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 that soon You’ll be drenched to the bone If your time to you is worth savin’ Then you better start swimmin’ or you’ll sink like a stone For the times they are a-changin’ Despite the fact that this song was written in 1963, it seems timeless—for things do keep changing. Of course, change is
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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. It is hard to hold a vision when so much pain still exists. Nevertheless, reflecting on our past reveals that we have been here before—in ways perhaps less obvious, more subtle, yet significant. We can learn a lot from history if we take the time to study it. And honoring our history is an important function of the grieving process.
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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 the destabilization part of our grief. However, there is a powerful healing potential in reviewing and honoring our history. It is an essential part of the grief recovery process. It is our intent in this issue of our newsletter to reflect on our past for perspective, education, evaluation, understanding, and, hopefully, appreciation. Perhaps with a deeper understanding of the
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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 understanding where one might be in this journey. Drawing on the ideas and information shared in our authors’ articles as well as in this column, we are compiling a kind of “blueprint” for Ministers, offering an in-depth look at the meaning of Standing Under Those We Serve–the cornerstone of Aquarian leadership. For this last issue of 2020, I would
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