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 to it. In 1972 the Siri Singh Sahib saw that there was again a need for an organized system of leadership for our Dharma, and he established our Sikh Dharma Ministry. Whether the Siri Singh Sahib awakened your soul to this destiny directly, or you experienced this calling within yourself, being a Sikh Dharma Minister is
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Archives for Sikh Dharma Ministry
Secretary of Religion Column (Spring 2014)
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 the sun I am Bana that all may see and recognize I am the inspiration of Guru Nanak, constant, disciplined I am the total obedience of Guru Angad I am the Lord’s slave; I exist only to serve I am the bliss of Guru Amar Das I am Seva; I
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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 gurdwara at the Hacienda de Guru Ram Das, the body of the Ministry and the sangat honored Sardarni Sahiba Ek Ong Kar Kaur Khalsa (Los Angeles) for her long years of dedicated and devoted service to the Siri Singh Sahib ji, Sikh Dharma and the Ministry. SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa, Secretary of Religion, spoke about her twenty-two-years’ association with
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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, Sikhs and people of other religions were humiliated and deprived of any right to conduct their religious practices. Guru Hargobind Ji, the sixth Guru of Sikhs, raised his voice against oppression and fought for years for religious freedom. His father Guru Arjan Dev was put to death by boiling in a cauldron and sitting on a hot iron
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Secretary of Religion Column (Winter 2012)
The journey of an idea: I was in the Executive Committee meeting for the Siblings of Destiny group when I first learned that the Office of the Secretary of Religion was being asked to give a 15-minute presentation at the meetings in less than a month. I was happy that the Ministry was being included with the non-profit presentation. I didn’t want to just talk about the Ministry. I wanted to do something informative, interesting and fun that would have some impact. A video came to mind. After the meeting I talked to Dr. Shanti Shanti Kaur, our Assistant Secretary
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Secretary of Religion Column (Summer 2012)
The Siri Singh Sahib established the Ministry for our Dharma as a leadership body to serve the sangat and the world. On March 3, 1971, before the Akal Takhat, the Eternal Throne established by Guru Hargobind to serve as the Chief Seat of Religious Authority for Sikhs throughout the world, Yogi Harbhajan Singh was presented with a sword of honor. He was charged with the responsibility to return to the West and establish the Ministry of Sikh Dharma.* According to our Sikh Dharma historian, SS Shanti Kaur Khalsa, the concept of a Sikh Ministry was first started by the Third Guru, Guru
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A Guiding Presence
SS Gurubachan Singh Khalsa, Albuquerque NM Winter 2011 There is one simple guiding principle as a Minister of Sikh Dharma: Mission without Commission. To honestly serve this mission we have to put aside our own personal agendas and serve the needs of the time and space before us. It is such a tremendous privilege to serve in the capacity of a Minister that there are no limitations in service. As the Guru is the hub and touchstone of the community so too is the Minister a guiding physical presence. The world is full of many changes today and no one is
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In Memoriam
Sardarni Sahiba Nav Jiwan Kaur Khalsa June 6, 1952 – August 12, 2011 On Friday, August 12, 2011 Sardarni Sahiba Nav Jiwan Kaur Khalsa of Espanola, New Mexico, died after a long illness. We will miss her generous heart and strong, clear spirit. She is survived by her children Abinashi Singh and Guru Parkash Kaur, daughter in-law Sat Siri Kaur, sister Anne and brother Jim. We honor her memory in the words of her family and friends. Her elder sister Anne describes early signs of Nav Jiwan Kaur’s spirit. “In our classically WASP 1950’s New England family there were rules
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An Aquarian Teacher
by SS Guruatma Kaur Khalsa, Houston TX Fall 2011 Back in 1970, my parents sent me to the stage production of “Hair” for my high school graduation present. That glorious melody and those hopeful words of the Age of Aquarius song are forever etched in my musical databank. At the time, I did not realize that this phenomenon was a real-life happening. Last year, while teaching a seven-month Project-Prosperity course, it “dawned” on me that I had been teaching the class from a Piscean perspective. We were studying The Law of Projection (“One must ask, and have clarity and vision
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In Memoriam
SS Sat Purkha Singh Khalsa May 6, 1952 – May 15, 2011 On Sunday, May 15, 2011 SS Sat Purkha Singh (Los Angeles) returned to Akal Purkh after serving the sangat for many years as a beloved Gursikh. We will miss his wonderful heart and elevated seva. He served the Guru and the sangat with devotion, helping to create a beautiful Langar Kitchen at the Guru Ram Das Ashram, Los Angeles. He is survived by his wife SS Nav Jiwan Kaur, his son Abinashi Singh and daughter Guru Parkash Kaur, as well as sister SS Gurprasad Kaur (Los Angeles) and
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