It was past three o’clock in the afternoon. I was still sitting in the Baisakhi 2017 Gurdwara created at the Los Angeles Convention Center. The space had been transformed into a magnificent and sacred gurdwara in honor of our Siri Guru Granth Sahib and Guru Gobind Singh’s 350th birth anniversary. Wherever I looked, I could see SS Seva Kaur’s design artistry at work. The celebration had begun at Guru Ram Das Ashram in West L.A. in the Amrit Vela. By the afternoon, the crowd had swelled to nearly 15,000. Many had already gone down the escalator to wait in the
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Archives for Secretary of Religion Column
Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2017)
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 excellence. With what is currently happening in the world, it is critical to strengthen one’s Radiant Body. There is so much negativity, anger, hate, division, and polarization present, we need that buffer to shine light on the darkness. For years, the Siri Singh Sahib told us to be the lighthouses. Clearly, that brightness is needed at this moment in time. In the
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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, “Just sing. It will purify you. It will bring you to your destiny. It will bring you your grace.” On a personal note, I had recently been making a concerted effort to see God in all, by consciously uplifting others and doing my best to spread light and love. The hukams I had been getting at
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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 while, all in a mad dash to receive our teacher. The whole vibration of the living space seemed to be lifted, brightened, cleansed, and transformed. When he would arrive, his eagle eye would inspect all that had been done. If something had been missed, he would see it, comment on it and tell someone to fix it or
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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 defining, developing, and implementing this new infrastructure of volunteer sevadars to better serve the Ministry as a whole. We are striving to follow in the footsteps of Guru Amar Das from the 1500s, with a modern structure for the Aquarian Age. Our intent is to build this slowly and gradually in a
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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 the science of Tantric Numerology, the year 2016, which equals 9, signifies the Subtle Body. Guru Teg Bahadur, our ninth Guru, manifested the subtle. His sacrifices changed the course of history. The Subtle Body is about calmness, subtlety and mastery, no matter what you face. 3HO Foundation International’s January 1, 2016 e-bulletin contains an article
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#59 Spring 2016 Newsletter
Throughout 2016, we will be highlighting the concept of the Subtle Body (in alignment with the Subtle Mastery of Guru Teg Bahadur and the numerology of 2016). 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 challenge as we serve as teachers, leaders, and healers of the Aquarian Age? “The Subtle Body gives the opportunity to understand and master the subtlety of life. It can help you to understand what is going on around you.” — The Siri Singh Sahib (Summer
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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 volume—I am struck by how much Ministerial work is being accomplished around the globe. We have reported about inspiring service in South America, Central America, Mexico, Western Europe, Russia, Asia, Australia, Africa, as well as North America. I am amazed, uplifted, inspired, and humbled. The Siri Singh Sahib must be smiling! However, with the Ministry
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Office of the Secretary of Religion
“To selflessly serve and uplift humanity and to perpetuate Sikh Dharma in the spirit of Cherdi Kala.” In service to our mission statement, the Office of the Secretary of Religion supports a global community of Sikh Dharma Ministers. Our Office provides administrative services, educational and outreach programs, Minister Candidate processing, ordination of Ministers, and Sikh Dharma Minister resources. For the past 45 years, the Office of the Secretary of Religion has supported the growth of Sikh Dharma in the West. Sikh Dharma Ministers serve in a variety of ways. Ministers hold positions on the Siri Singh Sahib Corporation board, the Sikh Dharma International
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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 introduction to the concept of “Indra’s Web,” offering us an opportunity to see ourselves as precious jewels in the global web of the Ministry. We remembered that the foundation for the Ministry was built on Guru Amar Das’s vision, and we spoke about our global Ministry at this time in history. Presently, we have Ministers on
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