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 then. In these tumultuous times, I have found that the Dharmic teachings bring an uplifted understanding of challenging situations—a feeling that there is some guiding consciousness supporting all that happens. I find a safe harbor in the sound current of the Banis, particularly Japji Sahib. The sound current stabilizes the energy flow of the mind. When life gets arid and I want to feel some happiness, I usually recite Anand Sahib, to experience its sweetness.
To tune into my own intuition is a process of deep listening. Beginning by reciting a particular shabd, I will challenge my understanding of the positive and negative aspects of a situation, in order to get into the neutral.
I ask myself: Beyond the challenges and opportunities of a situation, where are the deeper aspects of meaning, pattern, and trend? This is a process of going beyond my judgments and feeling the presence of the Soul and how it feels about the situation.
Being conscious of my own privilege helps me to re-establish my center of balance and self-regulation. No matter how difficult a situation may seem personally, I feel that Mother Nature has provided me with more than my fair share of good things. There are people experiencing far greater problems than mine.
“Nothing is good or bad, but thinking makes it so.” Questioning and challenging my own judgments and prejudices helps bring perspective, which in turn helps me to re-establish stability. It is usually my own thinking about a situation that helps make it more or less traumatic. By challenging that, the level of trauma is reduced.
To help others regain a sense of safety, calmness and receptivity, I have found it useful to simply listen and open up the Sat Nam Rasayan space. In my experience, providing the time and space for others to express themselves usually brings more peace and a chance for internal self-regulation.
“What remains when all is gone.” As Guru Dass Singh & Kaur’s song “I am, I am” (from the album Train to Amritsar) so brilliantly conveys: when apparently all is gone, there is something that remains—God. For me, getting to feel the presence of the Spirit after a trauma has sometimes helped to re-establish self-regulation. To feel that it is not the end of the world–that existence continues—I find meaning, comfort and healing in that.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SS Sat Sansar Singh Khalsa is a KRI-certified Level II Kundalini Yoga Instructor and Minister of Sikh Dharma. He started practicing Hatha Yoga in 1991 and Kundalini Yoga in 1996 in Santiago de Chile. He currently conducts Interfaith Dialogue and Government Relations for the local Sangat.
Sat Sansar Singh has an MSC in Environmental Sciences from Stanford University, with over 30 years’ experience in an Environmental Consulting business. He is the father of Amelia, age 22 and Julian, age 17.
