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

"Please remember, we are here to start an era, to start an Age, to celebrate the transition from the Piscean Age into the Aquarian Age. We are here to celebrate that. We are the pioneers. We are the pioneers of the Dharma. Let's bow our heads in prayer and let us open our hearts. Let us walk on this blessed land for a few days in spirit.

"The mantra of the Age of Aquarius is 'keep up' and help keep everybody up. When you never let yourself down and never let anybody else down, God shall serve you. He shall never let you down."
Pioneers in the Age of Aquarius, Summer Solstice, June 20, 1993

I feel as if I've waited my whole life for 2011, and in many ways I have. So much of what the Siri Singh Sahib taught us was in preparation for these times. I am so grateful for that guidance. As the Minister e-newsletter team met to plan the four issues for 2011, the prescient words of these songs ran through our thoughts: "From the air came the beginning; this is the age of the True Guru. This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius." We were told life would be different by November 11, 2011 and it already is!

In this first issue we ask our authors, How do you relate to this time? How do you bring this change of the age into your being, into your daily life, into your work? Is it different, and if so how, being no longer "on the cusp" of this age? How is today different from yesterday? What implications are there for you personally and as a Minister? The second and third issues will continue along this theme with an emphasis on technology or tools you use to cope and excel with all of these changes. The fourth issue will focus on how the Ministry is the heartbeat of the Dharma in this age.

My experience is that time and space are racing faster now than I can ever remember. It's February and you will soon be receiving your renewal letters for 2011. It's a non-exam year, a great time to catch up if you are behind. Let us unite our energies and deliver the destinies we are blessed to have.

Despite the personal demands, I feel an inner joy blossoming, that by Guru's Grace will flower into a magnificent reality. I am excited, energized and uplifted. Something deep inside is carrying me and I am eternally grateful for it.

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

The Amrit of the Double-Edged Sword
Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji addresses persons about to take Amrit.

It is a very fortunate day today. This occasion comes once in a lifetime. To give your ego and become egoless is a very rare opportunity. Even if you want to call it a ritual, it is a ritual of self-contained consciousness.

It is not so ordinary in the life of a man that he accomplishes his "longing to belong" to someone which is Infinity.

"In the beginning there was the Word. Word was with God, and the Word was God." You might not have experienced the Ultimate Truth of Infinity, but today, out of your emotional devotion, you are going to walk on that Path. It is a Path of Righteousness. Sat karam, sat kirit, sat gyaan. You are going to do something righteously on the Path of Righteousness, and you are going to know the Truth. Belonging to this fact of life is the way on which you are proceeding.

It is not an easy path. Don't misunderstand that this is just a ritual which you are doing. It is a test of your totality and personality. You have certain things to do, and you have certain sacrifices to make, and you have a certain way to live. That discipline, that tapas, that sanjam, is the way of life you are entering.

It is your fortunate karma that your prayers are being answered. Understand one thing: if you would not have been existing in prayer, if you would not have had a longing to belong to someone, God would not have provided this opportunity. All prayers are not answered, all do not get to the Path and reach the destination. It is a rare opportunity.

Mustuk bhaj jineh kay, tinha har sant milaya."The destiny is written on the forehead of some who meet the Saints and take the Path of Righteousness." It doesn't happen to everyone all the time under all circumstances. Sometimes the longing to belong is so heavy, that God gives an opportunity to give self to Him.

Today, you are going to be baptized in the Panth of Khalsa. Remember, the word Khalsa means "pure ones." Today the Amrit, this nectar, has been prepared out of the two-edged sword, which represents the negative force and positive force and on the very tip of this sword lives the soul of the being, which is Right Conduct and Right Consciousness. Now you are going to be baptized in that Panth. You are saying, "My will is Thine, O Lord, Thy Virtues are mine, whatever comes from Thee is all to me." You rise early in the morning, taking the Naam and reciting the Banis, living righteously, earning righteously and being in that Brotherhood. Whenever you meet each other you have to say, "Wahe Guru Ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji ke Fateh!"

Your mantra will be Wahe Guru. It is a mantra of ecstasy. If the Seed Mantra, the Bij Mantra of Sat Nam has gone deep into your heart, then you will know better than anyone else, the rhythm of Wahe Guru, the mantra of ecstasy.

Under all environments, the life of the Khalsa is the life of a soldier and a saint blended in one way of life. Sometimes, in this country especially, we do not understand the significance of a saint, nor the significance of a soldier. You might have thought that a soldier is one who kills. Then, you are the soldiers who are going to kill all the negativity and should live righteously in the light of God-consciousness to proceed on your path.

Belonging together, living together, sacrificing together; today when you take this Amrit, sharing it, it means there is no difference of caste, creed, race or color.

It is fortunate that you have been brought to this end now, to belong to someone, your own Creator, because of this consciousness for which you have longed through many incarnations.

Last word of advice to you is: after receiving this chance which has come to you after many lifetimes, don't miss it, and having taken it, never spoil it.

Reprinted from "Victory and Virtue: Ceremonies and Code of Conduct of Sikh Dharma," published by the Office of the Bhai Sahiba of Sikh Dharma of the Western Hemisphere. To purchase this manual online, visit Sikh Dharma International or visit SikhNet.com for an online version. Please feel free to submit your dharmic questions to:sikhdharmaministry@gmail.com .

Because I grew up in Sikh Dharma and 3HO I became very familiar with the concept that in my lifetime there would be a monumental transformation called "the coming of the Aquarian Age." Somehow for many years I envisioned that there would be a massive and almost explosive transformation in which all the people would suddenly be intuitive and completely spiritual. Although this is a very exciting way for things to happen, and it may still happen this way, lately my perspective on the whole coming of the Aquarian Age phenomenon has shifted. I now see the change coming to us as a more gradual process that has actually been happening quietly for many years now and will continue to happen for many years after the actual date. I actually feel that many of us on this planet won't even relate to the Aquarian Age, or know that we are in it until a point in the far future when we will all be so totally in it that we won't even need the term "Aquarian Age" any longer!

On a personal level, over the past year I have noticed that I am being given opportunities to heal relationships of all types on a very deep level. I feel that I am being asked in these relationships to be loving, pure and completely real. There is a kind of mirror of reflection in every relationship that is asking me to go deeper within myself and come from my own purity. I'd like to say that this is because we are coming into the Aquarian Age; however it may be that I'm just going through life on a spiritual path. Anyone else out there experiencing this?

I have also noticed while on tour that there is a shift in consciousness with our audiences. A few years ago there was this huge energy or push from our audiences to make us rock stars. We were bombarded with people wanting to take pictures and get our autographs. Just in this past year, I have noticed a kind of calming of that energy. I needed it too... because I was getting overwhelmed by the frenzy. On a subtle level I prayed that the energy would shift. I believe that the universe responded in an Aquarian kind of way. At various events that we attended recently, people seemed to really give us our space. I initiated conversations with a few people and within the midst of conversation found out that they really love our music and what we are doing. In the manner of the communication I sensed a feeling from people that there is a realization that we all have God within us, working in different ways. There was a real and mature recognition of this concept. I believe that this is an Aquarian phenomenon.

Finally, I believe that the most powerful agent of change right now that is bringing us into Aquarian thinking is the environmental crisis that we are facing. We live on a very fragile planet that has become so because of our human practices. After all of my world travels I have come to recognize one thing: there is nothing more valuable to us as human beings than fresh air, good water, good soil, and healthy ecosystems. People around the globe are recognizing this. However the vast majority of governments and large businesses are still not really recognizing this with their practices. As ministers of Sikh Dharma I believe that this crisis is an opportunity for us to apply all of our yogic and spiritual knowledge to serve people to make the necessary shifts for us as a humanity to become caretakers of the planet. The best way we can serve is through our example. I pray that each of us finds inspiration to look at our personal lives and the practices of our own communities to find ways to serve. Guru Nanak gave us the inspiration in Japji: Pavan Guru, Paanee Pitaa, Maata Darat Mahat. Air is the Guru, Water the Father, and Earth the Mother.

May Guru Ram Das bless each of us to fully embrace the beautiful opportunity of the Age of Aquarius.

When I anchor myself in this truth which never changes through any perceived time frame, I am stable, unshakable. Emotions come, thoughts come and they go. I am here. Aad sach, jugaad sach, hai bhee sach, Nanak hosee bhee sach.

And I study. I have realized the true meaning of being a Sikh for myself. A student. Several years ago I prayed to Guru to send me a teacher. My prayers came true in the form of a Vedanta teacher, Sadhvi Chaitanya. I have been studying the shabad with her for the last five years. She is highly capable of unfolding the wisdom of both the Upanishads and the Guru Granth Sahib. Through this study I am able to see all as One, understand that the separation between me and the so-called other is only an illusion. I can clearly see that the other person is "I." I bow knowing that there is no greater gift I could have received from the Guru.

On December 20th, 2010, in Lake Wales, Florida, Sikh Dharma ministers from Alabama, California, Millis (MA), Kansas City (MO), New York City and Texas gathered for the final Winter Solstice Sikh Dharma Ministers' gathering of the Piscean Age. It was our aim, as we cross the threshold into the Age of the True Guru, to be reminded of the Siri Singh Sahib's wisdom about the Aquarian Age and to explore the impact of Aquarian energies on our Sikh Dharma Ministries.

Because it was our first day of sunshine at Solstice and the Solstice Gurdwara was filled with the sounds of rehearsing musicians, our ministers' group agreed to gather in the gazebo next to the big top and basketball court. There we were able to enjoy the sunshine and cool air, as well as the occasional gentle embrace of chants Snatam Kaur and Sopurkh Singh were sharing with their class in the big top.

We began with a personal "check in" from each minister, who shared the challenges and blessings of their local ministry during the last several years. There was both comfort and inspiration in hearing what challenges seem to be somewhat universal and what unique approaches or solutions seem to be working well.

We next took turns reading Siri Singh Sahib quotes about the Aquarian Age and lecture excerpts offering information or advice about the Aquarian Age. I asked the group to interject with questions or comments at any point, which happened organically. As facilitator, it was my further intention to follow the readings with a discussion about how the quotes we read impacted us personally or in relationship to Sikh Dharma ministry going forward. I would love to hear from ministers around the world your thoughts about these quotes as well.

The quotations came in chronological sequence. In the last few minutes of our two-hour meeting, group members spontaneously shared their reactions or shared experiences triggered by the quotes. There seemed to be consensus that the format we had used, which allowed for plenty of sharing and the "touch" of the Siri Singh Sahib, was both enjoyable and meaningful. Considering how many things one could be doing at Solstice, I was glad to have felt so content to be where I was. We closed with a group hug and "go-team" cheer, "Let's get out there and love!"

With gratitude for the opportunity to serve in this way and for spending time with other ministers and the Siri Singh Sahib's words.

The year was 1969. I was 12 years old and my parents took my younger brother and me to the musical "Hair" at the Aquarius Theater in downtown Los Angeles. I am pretty certain they didn't have any idea what they were taking us to see, but I was instantly transfixed by the aura of peace and love. As the colorfully-dressed "flower children" of the Sixties walked through the audience passing out flowers, while singing "This is the dawning of the Age of Aquarius," I felt something inside myself awaken. It was as if I had been waiting for this experience to answer all my questions about who I was and what I was going to do with my life. I think of that time and the months that followed (when I listened over and over again to the lyrics of that album) as the dawning of my spiritual life, my initiation into becoming the being who would eventually become Sarb Nam Kaur Khalsa, minister of Sikh Dharma and teacher of Aquarian Age technology. Even though it would be 12 more years before I would meet Yogi Bhajan, my spiritual teacher, I know it was his hand and Guru's will that I attended that performance.

I am struck now by the fact that we are actually entering into the Aquarian Age. All my prayers and the prayers of my Khalsa brothers and sisters and all those people who long for peace and harmony are finally coming to fruition. I know that we have been journeying toward this "portal" to peace and that the journey is just beginning, yet I can't help but be excited as I anticipate an actual date on my calendar that says: This Is The Day! We are planning to celebrate November 11, 2011 in Espanola with folks at the Kundalini Research Institute and 3HO and our sangat all participating...we plan to do yoga and meditate and pray for continued peace.

I feel a dawning sense of release, as if the old burdens of the past are starting to fall away. Even though I know that many of us are personally and collectively experiencing some of the hardest economic times we can remember, I also feel the hope. As we see the miracle of the people in Egypt deciding their destiny, I too welcome the miracle of the re-birth of a human spirit that is based on truth and compassion. All the teachings we have been blessed to receive by Guru's grace are guiding us into this Age and I am so grateful just to be here to experience it!

Transformation is in the air and the Guru is the Air (Pavan Guru). Through our collective chanting of God's Name we will help to usher in this beautiful dawning Age. I intend to keep chanting the Aquarian March (we are heading towards the 1,000 day mark in November) and to pray for peace, unity and harmony. May this ministry flourish to support the children of love as we journey together as Siblings of Destiny.

by MSS Guruka Singh Khalsa, Espanola NM

The following article is an excerpt from the upcoming book on Sikh Dharma by Shakti Parwha Kaur and Guruka Singh which will be published later this year by KRI (originally appearing in the February 2009 issue of Aquarian Times).

Many talk as if we will be facing a very sudden change on the day the Aquarian Age begins. But this particular transition is a part of an evolutionary flow that has been a while in the making, and although change is happening faster in the world than ever before, it is still simply a part of this overall flow of change in which we are all immersed, and not a sudden or cataclysmic event.

The Aquarian Age isn't just something that we started singing about in the Sixties! It's an actual measurable time period. It is an astrological age, i.e., a time period that parallels major changes in the development of the human race. Each astrological age roughly corresponds to the time taken for the vernal equinox to move through one of the twelve constellations of the zodiac. So, how does the Aquarian Age fit into this? It takes a little over 2,100 years for our Solar System to travel through each of the Signs or constellations.

So far, humanity has recorded events in the astrological Age of Taurus, which was the time of Adam; followed by the Age of Aries, when Abraham came into the picture. Just about the time the Roman Empire rose to power, our Sun entered the constellation of Pisces. It was in this Piscean Age that Jesus was born. The Age of Aquarius is foretold in Jesus' words in The Aquarian Gospel Of Jesus The Christ, by Levi H. Dowling, "And then the man who bears the pitcher will walk forth across an arc of heaven; the sign and signet of the Son of Man will stand forth in the eastern sky. The wise will then lift up their heads and know that the redemption of the Earth is near."

When Yogi Bhajan came to the West, the Aquarian Age was already dawning. A new consciousness was being born on Earth. We are now in the 21-year Cusp period (1991-2012), which is divided into three 7-year increments and leads up to the actual arrival of the Aquarian Age in 2012. Yogi Bhajan explained back in November of 1991 that this period of transition from the Piscean to the Aquarian Age would bring increasingly greater turmoil and upheaval to the planet. All around us we can see the Piscean walls of misunderstanding and fear starting to crumble under the sheer weight of higher consciousness that is manifesting on this planet. The old Piscean Age was dominated by machines and hierarchies. The new Aquarian Age is ruled by awareness, information, and energy.

Yogi Bhajan told us, "What worked before, won't work now." And, "Nothing can remain hidden." We are now seeing that manifested every day. People are waking up. For some this brings fear, and for some, joy. As the Aquarian Age comes closer, the contrast between those who live in fear and those who live in love becomes more obvious every day, for the two states are mutually exclusive. As I write this, we are now less than 1,000 days away from the true beginning of the Age of Aquarius.

For over 35 years Yogi Bhajan gave his life and energy to train teachers of Kundalini Yoga to share tools for the healing, inspiration, and personal awareness urgently needed by humanity in this critical time and space. He said:

"We do not need new choices. We are flooded with choices. We need an elevated capacity to make choices. We do not need more information. We need the wisdom to use all the information. We do not need another religion. We need the experience of a Dharma that creates the spiritual fitness to act believably on our beliefs. The Shabd Guru is a special kind of technology with a unique contribution to develop potentials and handle the problems of the new Age, the Aquarian Age. In the body it produces vitality; in the complex of the mind it awakens intelligence and develops wisdom and intuition; in the heart it establishes compassion; in each person's consciousness it builds the clarity to act with fearless integrity. The Aquarian Age demands personal experience and the capacity to act. The Shabd Guru is available to all. You need not search. You need to practice, experience, incorporate, and express."

For myself, I am really looking forward to the coming Age of Capricorn! Then we will roll up our sleeves and together get some real work done on this beautiful jewel of a planet we call the earth.

Unity

From the heart of the sun
Come all the rays.
Earth axis and the orbit,
Every move we pray.
Act of being smart is to listen
To the beat of the heart.
That is the best of the Aquarian Age;
And that is the crown of the sage.

Wherever you are,
Far and near,
Within my third eye,
I see you clear.
I find you in fragrance.
I find you in the drop of rain.
I find you in a heavy shower.
I find you in the mountains.
I find you in the snow,
I find you a blade of grass
And in the oceans below.

There is nothing to find.
We are the same fiber
The same breath of life.
Our love unites us forever.
All life is without strife.
In the morning breeze.
In the dawning of the day.
When the turning of the earth
Puts on the play of the day.

I see you everywhere.
I see you in the life.
I see you in the mission.
I see you in every goal.
You are wonderful.
Be dutiful.
You are my bountiful soul.

No one can express the feeling of love,
Peace and tranquility,
Like a white dove.
Wherever you go,
And from wherever you have come,
Together we breathe the same breath.

Love is infinity.
There is no separation.
It is just one essence.

Oh Yogi, God has put us together
To play and smile,
To live and love,
And to laugh forever.

Yogi Bhajan
From “The Game of Love”

I am writing these words at the beginning of the year 2011, the final year of the cusp period between the Age of Pisces and the Age of Aquarius. We are within the larger cycle known in the Vedas as the Kali Yug, the Iron Age. What we are heading into is considered to be the dawn of a 5,000-year age of truth within the larger cycle of ignorance. To me, rather than a coming awakening it feels more like the brink of impending disaster. Rather than getting ready to celebrate I am getting ready to grow food and try to create a situation where food and security is available on a very local level. I believe there will be some hardship coming and the leadership is sadly asleep at the wheel. Key to this is creating goodwill among neighbors and the wider community.

The Kali Yug is very accurately described in the Mahabharata in the Chapter Markandeya-Samasya Parva 189 written between 2,000 and 3,000 years ago. It basically reads like a compendium of newspaper headlines from the present day. I will paraphrase a few of the descriptions:

- Rulers will become a danger to the earth. They will be tyrants, no longer promoting spirituality in the people, nor protecting them. They will levy taxes unfairly. The people will try to migrate from one country to another seeking more abundant food supplies.
- Greed and wrath will be commonplace. Ignorance of Dharma will be pervasive. Public lust will be seen as normal and even children will become pregnant.
- Death and famine will be everywhere. People will destroy forests and gardens without thought. Men will be murderers, animals not respected, and the killing of animals commonplace for consumption of meat.
- The old will betray the innocence of the young and the young will not care for the elderly. Cowards will have the reputation of bravery and the brave will become cowardly.
- Spiritual teachers will not be respected and their students will steal from them. Their teachings will be insulted and the followers of greed will control the minds of the people.

There is a story in the Janamsakhis, which are the collected stories about the Gurus and Bhagats of the early days of Sikh Dharma. Guru Nanak, Bala and Mardana were hanging out in the forest when a great darkness fell, the sky became black and trees were being blown down by high winds. Forest fires broke out and torrential rains began to fall. Kaliyug took a human form in the midst of all this and appeared to Guru Nanak and tried to tempt him with promises of wealth,woman, magical powers, and earthly kingdoms. Guru Nanak's answer to Kaliyug and his propositions are found in the shabd Moti ta mandar/ Mansions of Pearls.

If there were mansions of pearls, bejeweled with gems
Imbued with the sweet scent of musk, saffron and sandalwood,
Bringing every type of delight.
Beholding all this, my intellect would be deluded, forget you within me.
And I could not find the way, to my own spirit.

Without the Creator, who beats in my heart, Oh Love.
The fires of desire diminish my strength.
And I myself have asked the teacher divine.
There is nothing else for me, but to see the Creator.

If there was a bed set with rubies and diamonds, the colors of love.
And the enchantress of the universe called to me,
To enjoy her beauties, and expand myself, into her luminous colors.
Beholding all this my intellect would be deluded, forget you within me.
And I could not find the way to my own spirit.

If I were a master of all spiritual powers ,attach myself to those powers, and miracles happen at my very command.
If all the secrets of the universe, were known to me and I could sit and protect all the worlds with my love.
Beholding all this, my intellect would be deluded, forget you within me.
And I could not find the way to my own spirit.

If I were a great and mighty king, gathering, armies to defend my throne,
and by my command, tributes and taxes were gathered from all.
Beholding all this, my intellect would be deluded, forget you within me.
I could not find the way to my own spirit,
And the Naam could not enter my mind.

Naam can refer to the universal sound current, the Anahad that permeates the universe and everything in it, or it can mean those sacred mantras and shabds that bind us to that sound current. Guru Nanak's message is clear, simple and universal. If we humans can minimize the distractions of the five thieves of higher consciousness, lust, anger, greed, pride and attachment, by right actions and chanting the Name with our tongues, vibrating it with each breath, the True Name can enter our minds, which gives eternal peace. Then we can live in the Sat Yug, the age of truth, now and forever. Doesn't matter what cycle of time we are in. It is the land of Akal.

Being an old hippie and coming out from the 60's I used to believe that the Age of Aquarius would happen overnight, that as of November 2011, we could celebrate and enjoy the dawning of a mass movement of mankind towards spirituality, harmony and peace. I have been sustained all these years by that dream, but have seen the conditions for the peoples and the ecosystems of the world degenerate faster and faster. However, I remember the Siri Singh Sahib said that at the turn of the Age, 90% of the people on the planet would be insane. So, I see a lot of hard work ahead. I believe the great cycles of time are like the seasons, winter gradually turning into spring. First the temperature starts to rise, the first signs of spring, the robins and crocuses appear, the snow finally melts. The buds of the trees and bushes begin to swell and turn green once again. Finally summer will arrive. It all will take some time. I am not putting my winter boots away yet.

A person of some special knowledge related to me a part of the above story that is not so well known. Kaliyug was overwhelmed by Guru Nanak's spirituality and acknowledged his spiritual sovereignty. He asked that he be able to participate in the sangat in some way and Guru Nanak blessed him to allow him to enter the Gurdwara at the end during prashad service. I often reflect on that thought as the kirtan ends and the hukam has been heard and people start to move around the gurdwara. The personalities begin to emerge and the games begin anew. It is a great reminder that even Kaliyug is the will of God and all is for a reason, nothing bad or good.

It is becoming well-known in the science of quantum physics that everything in this creation is a vibration. Everything has a frequency that makes it unique. The Yogis, Gurus and sages have been saying it always. The Aquarian Age has a resonance or tone that it vibrates on and it is a change from the past of the Piscean. It seems that those humans, living on the earth at this time, can vibrate in harmony with the change of frequency that is happening or they can choose to try to maintain the old ways of top-down hierarchy, competition and violence to achieve their dubious goals. These techniques of exploitation and secrecy will not work in the Aquarian Age. The resulting out of synch frequencies will doubtless be painful and socially the world will be a mess. What we take for granted now may not be there. That is what we have been preparing for.

Guru Nanak says that the highest practice in the Kaliyug is to sit and sing the praises of God in the company of the disciplined Ones, the Sangat. I do believe that to vibrate in harmony with that Infinity, that timeless reality, with like-minded people will be very available to everyone if we do our job well, and healing for people will result on an immediate basis. Once we achieve that frequency that allows us to express love, compassion, and engage in service with a recognition of the Oneness of all things, then life on this planet will become very different. Meanwhile I believe we must prepare to grow and share food, become adept at dealing with security and emergencies, and be able to help out the rest of humanity when the time comes. As I approach the back-end of my life, I am hoping my children, or perhaps their children, will see Yogiji's words manifest in the people.

"Here are the common features of the Aquarian Age. In their hearts, people will understand what is going on. They may not find words to express themselves but one day they will. That day they will like to uplift fellow beings. The walls of hatred will fall down. Instead of ill will and gossip, there will be prayer on the tongues of everyone. Rather than competing for wealth , people will compete for spiritual growth. We will have common belief of higher self, love for our creator, and love for our consciousness and Grace." - Yogi Bhajan