A Publication of the Sikh Dharma Office of the Secretary of Religion

In your consciousness, you have to find a time to think. It is very important. At this time there are three questions you must ask yourself:

1) How much am I a part of the I AM which made me what I am?
2) During my working day, during my existence, during my awareness, how much of the time have I been aware that I am part of that greatness that I am? and
3) What can I do to extend myself to that greater I AM of which I am a part?

In finding the answers to these questions you will find your way from the realm of finite ego to the realm of higher consciousness, and you will have the experience of total relaxation into mental happiness and contentment.

( Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji, (1976) Kundalini Quarterly Bicentennial Issue, Summer Solstice, p. 15. )

Our Sikh Dharma Minister gatherings at Summer and Winter Solstices and the European Yoga Festival bring us together to connect, elevate and expand as Ministers. We consciously do not call them Minister meetings, even though we do convene. To most of us, the word 'meeting' implies going through an agenda and attending to business. The Sikh Dharma Minister gatherings are intended as a collective experience, out of which comes a renewed relationship each Minister has with his or her own identity as a Minister. This Summer Solstice 2009 gathering was no exception.
After tuning in, Shanti Shanti Kaur, our Assistant Secretary of Religion, gave a brief explanation of the Narayan shabd. She said that it is chanted in times of transition to help us remember our origins, and that it has the power to resurrect the Khalsa. In these times of personal and global transitions, sangats and individuals chanting this shabd are manifesting clarity and bringing people together.

We were blessed with the musical presence of Cherdi Kala Jatha's Sada Sat Simran Singh, along with Hargobind Singh on tablas. After chanting the Narayan shabad for eleven minutes, we broke into small groups to address the following three questions: 1) What (if any) concerns do you or your communities have regarding the administration of the Dharma? 2) What impact (if any) does the current structure of Sikh Dharma have on you, your sangat or students? 3) How do you see Sikh Dharma growing? We followed the small group discussions with a whole group sharing.
Sada Sat Simran Singh then led us in eleven repetitions of the Triple Mantra followed by another eleven minutes of the Narayan shabd. I encouraged all of the Ministers to take this shabd back to their communities and chant it as much as possible.

I then acknowledged and honored SS Gurunam Singh and his team from Texas for their translation of the Banis and Sikh Dharma teachings into Spanish. Gurunam Singh also shared with us that Sikh Dharma of Mexico has registered with the Mexican government as an official religion in Mexico! Wahe Guru!
It was a successful gathering of the Ministers who could attend. Please look for the announcement of these gatherings at Solstice and the European Yoga Festival and do your best to attend. Building a community of Ministers is essential for our future. May God ever bless you for your service.

Humbly, SS Dr. Sat-Kaur Khalsa, Secretary of Religion, Sikh Dharma International

It never fails. There is that magical moment during the wedding ceremony when the transformation begins. The couple is ready, seated before the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, the presiding Minister has spoken the words appropriate to bring the couple into the state ready to be fully present in this transformative moment. The sangat is present as witnesses to this most sacred yoga, most sacred merger: the union of masculine and feminine, of male and female, of man and woman, with the Guru guiding them in their higher consciousness. It is so sweet, so powerful, so ecstatic; then it happens: Guru Ram Das takes over. It is subtle, but so deep and powerful. It always makes me smile, and concede the space to my Guru, my Beloved Guru Ram Das. After all, it is HIS ceremony, HIS words, HIS process, HIS sweet and merciful step-by-step instruction on HOW to do merger. Any merger, really, and preparation for the BIG merger! Here in this beautiful, very real, very human, and very divine ceremony: the Lavan of Guru Ram Das.

I am blessed to perform quite a lot of marriages. And once again I was privileged to serve as the presiding minister for a wedding up at Ram Das Puri. Wow. Take the process I describe above and multiply it many times, and you have the experience of performing a ceremony up at Ram Das Puri, Guru Ram Das' place, after all. It is so sublime and so beautiful, with all the elements present: on this sacred earth, with the blue sky, the lovely wind, the presence of the worldwide sangat, in the Court of the Guru.

If you are a minister preparing to perform this sacred ceremony, let Guru Ram Das' Lavan work, and serve this. Help to create a relaxed, yet reverent frequency, to match the task at hand.

- More often than not, you will have non-Sikh family members who don't have a clue what is about to take place. Help them to feel part of it. Welcome them in. It is best to set up a meeting with the key family members and the couple to answer their questions, decide how to be involved. For instance, walking their son or daughter into the Gurdwara, being part of the Pala (shawl) ceremony. One thing I do now in ceremonies is welcome all the parents to be part of the Pala ceremony, reverentially blessing the bride and groom. It is very touching and goes a long way in letting them feel part of it all. It is a good idea to appoint a savvy sevadar to help the non-Sikh guests during the ceremony. If chairs are absolutely needed for an elderly or infirm family member, make sure they are put in a place where they won't block the view of the sangat. Use this only for those who really need it. It is not an "option," only a compassion.

- Any explanations of the Lavan should be done before the Lavan begin with Keeta Lori-ai Kam. Keep your words to a minimum after this point, bow in your consciousness, and let Guru Ram Das' magic prevail. Each round: Read from Siri Guru Granth Sahib, English Translation, then ragis sing that round, and make their way around the Guru, then bow.

- Try to work with the bride and groom to create some constraint over who goes up and stands around the Guru while they walk. These friends and family are not meant to be a distraction to the couple, only a support. And it doesn't have to be half the sangat!

- The Lavan of Guru Ram Das completes with Anand Sahib and Veeha Hoa Mere Babula sung directly after the fourth round, and Ardas recited for the couple. This can be tricky when the ceremony takes place before a regularly scheduled Gurdwara program, and will continue on and on. If the couple is planning to stay through the whole thing, then it is a moot point. If the ceremony itself is going to include some kirtan and words afterwards, then the Ardas for the couple can be worked into the regular program Ardas. Without being fanatic, it is good to work out how this is going to proceed. It is entirely appropriate for the Anand Sahib and Ardas to take place, and then the kirtan program proceed. Then the couple and family are free to go, and know that the ceremony has been completed.

Siri Sardarni Dr. Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa is the Bhai Sahiba, or Chief Religious Minister of Sikh Dharma. Mukhia Sardarni Sahiba Guru Raj Kaur Khalsa answers on behalf of Bibiji and the Office of the Bhai Sahiba. Please feel free to submit your dharmic questions to: sarbnamk@gmail.com .

Welcome to new Sikh Dharma Minister Guruprasad Kaur Khalsa from Los Angeles, CA. Blessings!

It's not too late to send in your 2009 Minister Renewal letters. This is not an exam year. For questions about renewal, contact ekongkarkaur@earthlink.net

Save the Date! Sikh Dharma International announces a NEW Japji Sahib Teacher Training Course to be held in Espanola, NM from July 4-17, 2010. We will publish more information or check online at www.sikhdharma.org for updates on this exciting new course.

The procedures for becoming a Sikh Dharma minister have been updated and include new information for ministers who wish to support someone becoming a minister. Please review the updated procedures at this link.

www.sikhdharma.org - Sikh Dharma International's website, including a section on the
Sikh Dharma Ministry and broadcasts of selected lectures by the Siri Singh Sahib.

My childhood was spent roaming the smooth, rich, rounded ancient hills of Appalachia. I was the little girl with the big laugh. The mountains' wealth of flora and fauna ranged from red and black raspberries (not black berries, but black raspberries) to crawdaddies, wild lynx, snakes, birds and bears, all hidden behind a profuse population of trees. I knew every forest flower by name and location. I loved the profusion of early summer Indian Pipes and the rare species of Lady Slippers dotting the forest floor. I would proudly show my discoveries, but never ever would disturb these precious plants.
At home Mother froze and canned her garden harvest with enough to feed the family of five and to share with neighbours. Holiday baking started early with fruitcake, toll-house cookies and other delights stored in huge cookie tins that once held Charles Chips and hard Pennsylvania pretzels with half carat salt crystals until the anticipated days arrived.

There was a fat old Beagle who would compassionately listen to every word I had to say. There was a white boxer who would dig for fat juicy night crawlers. He would shake them in his mouth, toss them airborne, and catch them on descent with one chomp. "Ewww, Mommy, Skipper's eating worms," I would yell with childhood delight. There were cats, rabbits, chickens and several sheep, one of which followed me to school one day. The playground was agog with joy. Father would catch raccoons, groundhogs, and even a baby fawn with his bare hands to bring home to the delight of all of us.

Then it was on to junior high school and marching band. The senior high school marching band could march "8 to the 10 yard line." Ornate marching shows were presented at the games. School was school. It was pumped full of the hopes and angst of youth.

How does this tale relate to "from darkness to light," you ask? The sun rose late and set early from behind the mountains. Life was lived behind the silver grey Appalachian mountain mist and all of the dirty little secrets it hides.The promise of deliverance arrived in the form of university and grad school. It was evident that higher education would be my salvation. The sun shone all day there away from the mountains. It was oxygen to be in the company of like-minded friends. How does one define darkness? As a lack of light or the elusiveness of brightness when you know it is near? The darkness lurked even closer waiting to engulf me in a quagmire of boredom, negativity and unpleasant people.

Eventually I worked as a geriatric social worker. The woman I replaced was Siri Neel Kaur Khalsa. My friends knew her and everyone at work knew her. Everyone knew Siri Neel, except me, and I knew Everyone! I phoned her in late spring about a Kundalini Yoga class. She told me to call back in the fall as classes were late in session. My abrupt reply was, "I don't know where I will be in the fall, but I can assure you, it won't be in your Kundalini Yoga class." In her infinite wisdom, she had me attending her very next class, which was Nabhi Kriya! (Why waffle?)

I attended Summer Solstice in 1976 and a few months later entered the Toronto ashram. Within an hour of arrival I was reading in the Akand Paath. The Granthi asked me what I thought about the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and I said, "It's True." Today I understand how rare it is to find the Truth for support.
The Siri Singh Sahib's teachings have brought me to bow my head at the Lotus Feet of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. I live my life in service (sewa) to inspire the highest in humanity and all beings. (We all need assistance at one time or another.) I have become the light and live therein. When I am aware of it all, it surprises me. I am grateful for my many gifts, which I love to share. These opportunities are presented in a myriad of forms: food, communication, teaching, example, prayer, consultation, commerce and laughter.

When people ask, "How are you doing?" I reply, "The best I can with what I've got."

http://www.mrsikhnet.com/hello/1328287/700/Sikh_Children-2005.07.19-17.41.38.jpg

My greatest moment of darkness came in 2001 when I received an evening phone call from my husband Guru Sewak's surgeon, informing us that the result of his biopsy had returned and it was malignant. The feeling was like falling down an elevator shaft, spinning through time. Everything in our lives changed with that phone call. Medical exams, blood tests, medication, hospital stays, surgery--all of which had been previously personally unknown--became an ongoing undercurrent in managing our daily lives.

We had broken ground in 1999 on the Gurdwara project which involved building a yoga center and Gurdwara. At the time we received the diagnosis, the first floor was nearly finished. We took some breathing space to rethink the project. The first floor was the housing and clinic to serve the second floor, the yoga center and Gurdwara. It didn't make sense to build the first floor without the second. In 2003 there were clinical signs that the illness was advancing. The thought of tackling the construction without Guru Sewak's vision was unthinkable. So we decided to move forward on the second floor, the heart of the project. As the yoga center/Gurdwara was taking shape, Guru Sewak's light was dimming. On June 6th, 2004 we inaugurated the Gurdwara. Guru Sewak did the Ardas. With the impending loss, there was a strong mixture of feelings of celebration and sadness.

During those years I gained my most profound lessons. There's nothing like a fatal illness to help us shift our awareness of what is really valuable in life. I realized that, even though I had been teaching about non-attachment for years, I was very attached to my husband, to the family unit, to being together and working as a team, to having him present. Over the course of those years, disbelief slowly evolved into acceptance. I discovered that the disease in itself brought its own gifts. Relief from suffering helped to alleviate my attachment. I perceived that the canyons created by tears serve as channels for compassion.

I found that the moment of death has the very same flavor as the moment of a birth and is a profound transformer for all present. I had uncountable examples of how the Divine was taking care of us through it all. So from the depths of darkness, the light of living continues to sustain me.

Guru Sewak Singh and Subagh Kaur at the opening Ardas for their gurdwara in Brasil.

Bani, Bana, Seva, Simran. All the technology we need is found within these four gifts. Through the practice of Bani we experience Shabd Guru and transform our every molecule. Through Bana we augment our auras, project Guru's radiance and, in fact, represent the Guru through our actions and words. Our turbans hold our heads "together," protect our solar centers at our crown from the direct rays of the sun, and our coiled hairs, literally our built-in battery center. Through practice of Seva we learn to give up our heads, our egos, and surrender our Selves to be channels for Guru's will, God's will, not "my" will, and wash away the karmas/sanskaras of lifetimes. Through Simran, that meditation through which one can change the destiny written on the forehead, we do just that; we free ourselves of destructive patterns, rewire neural pathways, change our way of thinking (pratyahar), turning negative to positive, and come to live in the neutral state of sahaj. Guru gave this all to us, and more, in these four words, these four concepts that when practiced and lived give one the living experience of being a pure, learning, expansive soul, which is part of that Infinite Wondrous Oneness that we call God.

Here is my experience of Bani technology put to practice, when I completed three JapJi Malas over a period of nearly three years.

The 2003 and 2004 JapJi courses in Espanola were among the most potently transformational courses I have ever attended. Completely immersed in JapJi Sahib, in Guru's sacred bani, we few hundred souls breathed JapJi Sahib, whispered JapJi Sahib, recited JapJi Sahib, sang JapJi Sahib, and meditated on JapJi Sahib. We delved into the meaning of JapJi Sahib, submerging ourselves deeply into the well of knowledge contained there, and we each emerged with a new understanding.

Among the printed materials we received was a list describing the benefits of reciting each individual pauri. When you add the beginning and ending sloks with the 38 pauris, there are actually 40 pauris, or steps, to JapJi Sahib. Each of them, when recited individually as a meditation, has a uniquely transformational effect. Ideally, you will recite the desired pauri(s) 11 times a day, for 40 days, to experience some of that effect.

Recognizing some areas of my own that could use such transformation, I read through the list carefully, thinking I would pick out a few pauris to help with my few "problem" areas. However, reading through the list and all of the benefits, I realized that in truth I needed to meditate on every single one of those pauris. I could not possibly choose one over another. I decided to gradually go through the entire JapJi, doing a few pauris at a time, 11 times each for 40 days. I figured it would take me about a year.

As soon as I got home I began my first 40 days, starting at the beginning with the Mul Mantra (opening slok) and the first 2 or 3 pauris. Then the next 40 days with the next several, and so on. I completed my first JapJi Mala just before the 2004 JapJi course, which I also attended.

Mala belonging to the first Sikh Guru, Guru Nanak Dev ji, author of the JapJi Sahib
http://www.sikh-heritage.co.uk/gurus/Guru%20Nanak/images/Dhilwan_Mala-_Sri_Guru_Nana.jpg

The Cherdi Kala Jatha led a segment of that course where they talked about how the 40 pauris can be broken up into 8 sections of 5 pauris each, and how those 8 sections correspond to the 8 chakras. They suggested reading 5 pauris at a time, 11 times each for 40 days. I immediately started another round of what I call JapJi Mala, dividing it up this way. I ended up, within a period of about 3 years, doing three complete JapJi Malas. Now, let me tell you the experience of it.

First of all, it was almost impossible for me to keep accurate count of how many recitations I was doing. You might think counting to 11 is no big deal. However, I'd get so immersed in it, that after two or three times I was rarely ever certain if it had been two or three, so I'd do an extra, and then I wouldn't be sure if it had been 4 or 5, so I'd do another, and so on. I am sure I must have done way more than 11 on many occasions. I found the perfect solution to this problem. On a trip to India later that year I had a beautiful little mala made by the palmist in Rishikesh, made of 11 large lapis beads. This little mala made all the difference in the world. I still have those beads, which still hold all those recitations like a small precious treasure.

Second of all, this is a wonderful way to memorize JapJi Sahib, if you have not already. Many times, I would recite in Gurmukhi, but read the English translation. I developed a relationship with each pauri, its meaning and its rhythm. Some came to me melodically and I sang them as shabds. Others, such as the 23rd, repeatedly took me on "journeys" where I lost sense of time and space and became simply submerged, merged, in the sacred naad.

During those years I felt as though molecule by molecule I was being transformed. My old cloak of limiting consciousness, negative thought patterns, insecurity, basically, lifetimes of accrued crap, began to finally disintegrate. I became aware of standing on a threshold to something new and unknown. I could not see through, but I knew without a doubt JapJi Sahib was the force propelling me forward. Whatever the pauris were that I was currently reciting, they stayed with me every moment of the day, in the background, processing continually, altering neural pathways, adjusting thought frequencies, however and whatever you want to call it. Honest to God, I felt my true Self emerging, like a blossoming lotus from a murky pool. Whether I completed my daily recitation as part of my morning Sadhana, driving in my car, cooking dinner, or just before sleep, as soon as I would begin it was like falling in love again, stepping into a divine groove, a sacred room, where JapJi and I, Guru Nanak and I, were One.

JapJi Sahib is Guru Nanak's most beautiful and transformational gift, the key to opening doors to the Unknown, the key to Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, and a simple, divine, beautiful prayer. Dive in and drink its nectar!

I always did one pauri at a time, which allows you to really get deeply into that pauri. I think it is really the best way. When Cherdi Kala Jatha talked about it, they also said to insert a full mul mantra in between each recitation (so if you were doing 11 of a specific pauri, you'd also be doing 11 mul mantras). I did that ONCE with 5 pauris. It was very powerful this way, but also took so long. What I ended up doing was a mul mantra at the beginning, in between each different pauri, and at the end (total 6), and I really like that a lot.

Meditating on the effects is definitely helpful, and easier to do when you are doing a specific pauri for a purpose. (For instance, if you are working on surrender to the Will of God, you could meditate on that while reciting the 12th pauri. I found that harder to do doing multiples at a time.)

Editor's Note: Save the Date! Sikh Dharma International announces a NEW Japji Sahib Teacher Training Course to be held in Espanola, NM from July 4-17, 2010. We will publish more information or check online at www.sikhdharma.org for updates on this exciting new course.

by SS GuruJivan Kaur Khalsa, Australia/New Zealand

Fortunately or unfortunately my life has been full of challenges, which have all helped to make me who I am, GuruJivan Kaur ("One who lives as the Guru," according to Yogi Bhajan when he gave me the name 37 years ago). A woman who when challenged digs deep into her very soul to "keep up" and face whatever the situation may be with (hopefully) grace, integrity and courage. Someone recently told me that I am the most courageous person that they know. This surprised me considerably because I would never have thought of myself in that light, but rather one who relies on the strength of mantra and a deep faith that "I" do not do anything. There is One, Ek Ong Kar, who takes care of everything and I am just an observer.

When told a couple of years ago that I have stage 3 liver disease and should consider a chemo type treatment to try to "cure" my liver, I thought long and hard about undergoing such a difficult treatment. Finally after meditating and consulting with my close family and friends I agreed; 2007 ended up being a very challenging year. The treatment meant going to the hospital once a week for an injection into the belly, and two daily doses of a very toxic poison. Because my body tends to be so sensitive, I could not handle the full dosage of any of the drugs so was on what they called baby doses of everything. Still my white and red cell counts slumped dangerously low. My vitamin D was--how did they put it--"in the toilet." I could barely walk 10 paces without feeling breathless and light-headed. I lost much of my hair, had so many mouth ulcers I could barely eat, was anemic, had terrible pain in all my joints and the list goes on and on. I also had to give blood once a week to make sure I could continue on the treatment, from which the veins have still not recovered.

During all of this I kept teaching, traveling to and from Sydney to lead the Level 1 Teacher Training there as well as one here in Melbourne. I remember vividly sitting on the teachers mat, with my fists on either side of me and arms straights so that I could be upright for the day. Praying to God and Guru to allow the students to get what they needed in the course, as my mind was not as alert as it would normally be.

I worked my treatments around classes and traveling as best I could and had some wonderful women helping me along the way. My "guardian angels," I called them, and may God and Guru bless them forever for their loving kindness throughout this ordeal. Wahe Guru.

That is the general background of why I was asked to write this article. Now how did I keep up? To put it quite simply, a belief that God and Guru were with me through out it all. No matter what, I knew I could rely on them, call on them with my constant chanting and know that they would cover me and often times carry me physically through. My mala was in constant use, allowing the Name of God to reverberate through me with each moment. So even though the treatment did not work as we had hoped, my closeness to God and Guru has grown beyond measure. I KNOW that They are there, protecting, guiding and helping me along each day with each breath no matter what. That alone is a very comforting and elevating gift from a difficult year, which I have been able to carry with me day in and day out.

Wahe Guru, Wahe Guru, Wahe Guru!

I sat in a tiered lecture hall as Siri Singh Sahibji started in on his topic "Personal Sorrow Has No Place in Business or in Life." I could relate to a lecture entitled "How to Overcome Your Personal Sorrow." I felt an urgent need to understand that subject, but this topic seemed to have bypassed my concerns completely. I was alone on a windy highway--right thumb out, left clutching my "Personal Sorrow" sign while his "Business and Life" car roared by. So I squirmed just a bit as he started in, but listened dutifully. After a few minutes he started to quote Guru Nanak's Japji (or Meditation of the Soul ). Then he started working on tweaking the translation and analyzing it line by line. My bruised emotions were receding to the background and my mind was getting scholarly until suddenly I rocked back, eyes watering, blindsided by the realization that he was showing me how to answer my questions. His fake to the head had once again left me open for the knock-out punch to the heart.

I don't even remember the lines we studied. I just remember the breakthrough of wonder, hope, connection, gratitude. He had delivered a tool to me. His introduction was the catalyst for a lasting relationship. It's not that I took up a daily practice of Japji at that time. But my attitude changed from one of scrupulous obligation: "I should do this every day;" to one of delighted opportunity: "I should do this every day!"

My bouts with personal sorrow did not get any easier to ignore between the ages of 36 and 54 (which I labeled "The Kali Years"). According to humanology the third 18 years is when our skill at balancing our energy bank account shows up. I had begun to bounce checks.

There were loads of tools Yogi Bhajan had taught that I had yet to implement. (Actually getting to bed early enough to wake up for sadhana turned out to be crucial). I had these instructions filed away in my brain as something I might get around to if things got bad enough. That time arrived when my therapist began dropping hints about pharmaceuticals, and I wanted to make sure I tried everything else first.

Around this time I went to a workshop with Gurudev in which he emphasized the usefulness of Japji. Again, I don't remember exactly what he said, but it reminded me of the lecture hall epiphany twenty years before. I resolved then and there that I would recite Japji every day, come what may.

I used to do it in bed, if I didn't have the gumption to get up. Eventually I challenged myself to sit very consciously, lightly on my buttocks, engaging my navel and my whole spine. (When I first decided to explore celibate pose it was so painful that Japji came out very loud, fast and high). Consciousness of my posture keeps me present for the sound current, which in turn supports me to stretch in every way. By the end of Japji I am totally warmed up for my yoga practice.

Japji has become my cherished daily companion. With Japji, adequate sleep, yogic diet, consistent exercise and conscious self-communication I have yet to feel the need for pharmaceutical remedies. Personal sorrow still visits me but today it does not have any permanent place in my life.

For her 2008 Ministers' exam, Siri Narayan Kaur of Buffalo, NY wrote a moving essay about the energy of Guru Gobind Singh serving her during a deeply challenging time in her life. We thought it relevant to the August theme, and received her permission to reprint it. Siri Narayan Kaur writes, "twenty-five years after the event, it still brings me to tears, both for the sacrifice requested and God's mercy in ultimately not requiring it." Here is her story:

The year after she graduated from high school, my middle daughter Hari Simran Kaur (aka Melanie) traveled around the country following the Grateful Dead. We were deeply concerned and prayed constantly for her protection. She would call regularly and keep us informed, and sometimes ask for money. During that time she often practiced yoga with several friends wherever they would park outside the shows. Other people would join them, and so she found herself teaching yoga classes on the road.

Suddenly there was a period of several weeks when we didn't hear from her. As more time passed I became more and more frightened. I had no way to contact her except to reach out to her during daily Sadhana. One morning I was preparing for Gurdwara with one of the yoga students following Sadhana. I was reading the Ardas. When I reached the passage "and gave their dear children" I broke down completely. I could not stop crying and could hardly complete the reading. In the open prayer I humbly asked God to give me the strength and grace to bear whatever might be His will,, that I might have the strength of Guru Gobind Singh.

Although it was Subagh Kaur's turn to take the hukam, she suggested I do it. I chose one of the volumes, chanted Guru Guru Wahe Guru, Guru Ram Das Guru several times, and then Aad Guray Nameh, Jugaad Guray Nameh, Sat Guray Nameh, Siri Guru Devay Nameh and opened to the hukam. I don't remember what it was, and have never been able to find it since. But I do remember the sense of the text, which was that to those who accept the will of God, all is given. I immediately felt a great peace. I was not sure that my daughter was safe, but only that whatever happened, it was God's will, and we were both in His grace. Indeed, everything was His grace.

Later that afternoon our daughter called. Why hadn't she called before? For no reason, really; just being young, and involved with her own life. But that morning she had been doing yoga, and a young man had joined the group. He told her after the set that he was very grateful for her being there, that he had been a Sikh and had left the Dharma and was just drifting, and that when he heard her chanting Ong Namo Guru Dev Namo, he knew God was calling him, and that was what she called to share with me.

Two weeks later she was home. Completed college. Lived in Portland, Oregon, where she studied massage therapy, taught yoga classes, and kept contact with Holy Kaur and her husband. Hari Simran Kaur, the healer, became her guide and mentor. At Hari Simran Kaur's suggestion she did a 40-day sadhana with Holy Kaur, which became a 60-day sadhana. Within days of completing that practice she moved to a new apartment in Portland and quickly met and married the young man who lived across the hall. It's nine years later. They now live a few blocks from me in Buffalo, have graced our family with two grandchildren, a girl and a boy.

In some cases we are required to make the sacrifice, but in other cases it's the willingness to do so that is required. I am eternally grateful for the great blessing of family. I am also deeply grateful to Guru Gobind Singh for showing me the example of how to experience royal courage in our little day-to-day lives. I'm not sure if this makes any sense, but I feel that if I had not had the example of Guru Gobind Singh and his sons, I might not have been able to accept the call. And if I had resisted, perhaps it would have taken something more drastic to understand that every aspect of our existence is in the Inexplicable.

When our yoga students are troubled, I often tell them this story and help them take a hukam. Although we often counsel, we believe that the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, even in the English version, is our best and greatest counselor. For this also we give gratitude to Guru Gobind Singh.