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

“Strong as Steel, Steady as Stone: The Sikh Dharma Ministry Enters the Aquarian Age”

The fall semester 1972, I started a course at Phoenix College entitled “Kundalini Yoga for Women in the Aquarian Age.” The course continued seven years with that name until a new chair of the Physical Education Department came on board and dropped the “in the Aquarian Age.” "Who knows what that means?” he asked rhetorically. Should I tell him? Naah, I thought. He’ll find out in another 32 years.

The Siri Singh Sahib had spoken about the dawning of the Age of Aquarius as soon as he arrived in Los Angeles in January 1969. It seemed a long time away, yet he told us we were the pioneers, that what we were doing at that time would lead the way for generations ahead. He revived the Sikh Dharma Ministry established by Guru Amar Das 410 years earlier to give us a venue for service. We didn’t know what was to come, but we were sure excited about it.

Now we are here, about to step over the threshold into the Age of Aquarius. In the history of Sikh Dharma there have been many such thresholds, or “dangerous crossings” in the Jungian language of The Hero’s Journey. As in The Hero’s Journey, this is the time of vital, compelling transition we have waited lifetimes for, have taken birth for and have given lifetimes to prepare. The journey includes tests, challenges, treachery and ever-growing wisdom, depth, purpose and meaning.

“The Aquarian Age is your time. You are just pioneers. You have to go through a lot of hardships. I understand that. Oh, what is the matter? I have gone through those hardships much more than you have. So it is a matter of pleasure that you are on the path. Therefore remember, raise your consciousness, put your guts into it, and share your grace with people. You will be the most successful. All the knowledge you have is more than anybody else can have. It is all with you. Therefore, I'd like to ask you to enjoy this opportunity on this planet Earth at this time, so that you can leave your mark deep on this Earth for generations to come.” - Siri Singh Sahib, March 2003

The Hero’s Journey is not taken alone. We face the dangerous crossings together, and not all make it. The Siri Singh Sahib spoke of our lost peers. Sixty thousand of us died in the Vietnam War. Six hundred thousand lost to HIV/AIDS in the United States alone, ten times the number of lives taken in Vietnam. Those lost to drugs, more than 20 million by the Siri Singh Sahib’s count, far outnumbering any other cause. Our collective sacrifice includes those who wandered from the Dharmic path itself, even though they gave much when they started out.

The Hero’s Journey is taken on behalf of others. For all our sacrifice, the Siri Singh Sahib told us we are not even the foundation of the Aquarian Age; we are the rocks under the foundation. No matter what our chronological age—22, 62, 82—nor how long we have been Sikh Dharma Ministers, at this time of crossing the threshold, we are all first generation, the rocks supporting those who come after us.

Youth is a given in The Hero’s Journey; maturity, however, is achieved. Now is a time for our maturity, a time for us to slow down amid the accelerating times and deepen into the Shabad Guru as never before. As we deepen and expand within, we accommodate greater ambiguity, absorb what is unseen and unsaid, trust the unknown. We rely on our silence, our stillness, so we may more accurately experience what is emerging. We feel the Divine timing of our participation in the uniqueness of each moment. We move with the flow of our infinite spirit.

Our core relationship to the Shabad Guru, our consciousness of service and our collective unity create the frequency we bring as Sikh Dharma Ministers entering the Aquarian Age. He told us that it is not how spiritual we are that matters, it is how spiritual we are when facing calamity. These are the values we share with the world.

Forty-two years after the Siri Singh Sahib arrived in the West, the Sikh Dharma Ministry enters the Aquarian Age. Whatever thoughts we have about our own personal pluses and minuses, let us know this: Together we are gems that have been pressured to clarity and cut and chiseled so our facets sparkle. From the Air Came the Beginning. This is the Age of the True Guru. As we enter the new era of frequency, we are Sikh Dharma Ministers, Teachers, Healers, Leaders and Humble Servants of those yearning for the experience of the Guru. Come on in, Age of Aquarius. We are ready.

Sat Purkha Singh Memorial - To Our Brother Minister

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 her family.
These are the words shared by SS Nav Jiwan Kaur to honor her husband:

"Last Sunday, my husband, Sat Purkha Singh, had a perfect day. He arose, prepared himself for sadhana, chanted Aap Sahaee Hoa for 2 ½ hours, did Ishnaan seva, went to Gurdwara and sat down and ate langar. Then he went home and lay down for a well-deserved nap. In that nap, he wrapped one arm around the Siri Singh Sahib, the other arm around Guru Ram Das and began his journey home. Sat Purkha Singh liked to translate his name as 'real guy.' And that’s what he was, the real deal. He did a strong and consistent sadhana, not because he should, but because it was his passion.

Sat Purkha Singh arrived at the Boston ashram, saying that he was there to do sadhana and was only staying forty days. I knew better; I had seen a box of new checks come in the mail with his name and the ashram address printed on them. Sure enough, he never left nor did he ever again speak of leaving. Sat Purkha continued to do sadhana every day regardless of venue. He did it in a tent with snow falling outside, on a beach, in numerous hotel rooms and once, on an overnight train.

Sat Purkha Singh served the Guru with this same passion, not because he ought to, but because it completed him. He loved Ishnaan seva and approached it with the same dedication he had for sadhana. Sat Purkha Singh loved to prepare and serve langar, doing so often. In Oregon he found any reason to prepare a meal and invite the sangat for a meditation followed by langar. This passion to prepare and serve food continued in LA from noontime langar to the Baisakhi Day celebration.

Sat Purkha served his family with the same love and dedication. From pancakes to fancy crepes, from sandwiches to dinners, he loved preparing and serving food. More than anything, Sat Purkha was a 'real guy.' He was the real deal. We can all take comfort that he is at home and at peace."

A minister functions as counselor, support, listener and an inspiration in order to help members of the Sadh Sangat go through their growing pains gracefully and successfully. New students who come into the Dharma lack not only knowledge, but sometimes a basic understanding of what questions to ask. A minister can reach out and help in areas before they become too big to handle, while respecting the individual's right to privacy and power over his or her own life.

The technology of communication techniques and counseling may be found all through the Siri Singh Sahib's teachings; these may be studied on an on-going basis. Read and re-read his PhD. thesis on Communication. Know that the Yoga of Chardhi Kala, Kundalini Yoga, can solve problems. Learn to listen. Be attentive and receptive. Many times, people simply need a receptive ear, and will be able to answer their own questions as they talk and listen to their own minds.

Recognize yourself as a minister of Sikh Dharma. Dharma is the acknowledged path of spirituality where you must test yourself and judge yourself so you can liberate yourself to experience Infinity. Dharma is an experienced path of virtuous living. Remember that you represent a set of principles of life, a history, a spiritual path, thousands of people, and a future.

As a minister, you must be strong in your commitment to your own Dharma, and understand every aspect of your lifestyle, so that you do not feel insecure about yourself. You shall meet with opposition, negativity, misunderstanding and, perhaps, even ridicule and abuse. But, remember that a person's negativity is his own pain, his own ignorance and cry for help. When negativity is directed towards you, it is your opportunity to serve, to radiate love, to stand for what you believe in. It is an opportunity for you to build bridges. Be alert and active, not reactive. Turn curiosity, fear, anger and animosity into understanding, love and tolerance.
The virtue of all virtues is to uplift a person who is falling on the spiritual path.

Your physical strength, your mental clarity and perception, and your spiritual awareness will carry you through. Always call on God and Guru to guide you.

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 .

The Aquarian Age is something of a mystery to those of us born in the Piscean Age. As in all major changes on Earth, it will move at its own pace, in the consciousness of those that have the privilege to be incarnated during this marvelous time. We can find hints about what this Age means in the teachings of Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji. And we can find hints in our own consciousness. I have discovered, through life experience, that sometimes it is more useful to find out about what does not work in my own life, rather than to strive for an idea about what I think should work. I can correct what does not work. This brings me closer to that ideal that I have decided to reach: being a conscious human in this transition time.

The Siri Singh Sahib has said, “I am very practical, my life is a science and my actions are an art.” January 4, 1989

Now, those are words to live by! These words of wisdom are my sentiments exactly. I consider my life to be a running experiment and that actions are always creative in the moment. For instance, in the Aquarian consciousness there will be no secrets. Everyone will know everything about you and about any given circumstance. If it is not known, it will be revealed. Even the United States government is having difficulty in keeping secret its diplomatic cables.
If you are bold enough, you can do an experiment. Try to keep something important from someone intimate to you, like your wife or husband. Be obscure and do it consciously. Now watch as the question about this secret comes up, either verbally or energetically. In the spirit of this experiment, it is best to fess up immediately and let it go. You can even reveal that it was an experiment. Time, life, sensitivity and energy feel like they are moving faster, so watch it come up pretty quickly.

My lesson, in this aspect of the coming Age, is that it is best to stay true, clear, direct, and transparent. If you have nothing to hide, then there is nothing to be discovered. I know that hiding secrets in obscurity has not worked well for me, so now I just don’t do it.

Furthermore, this allows me to be free enough to act in creativity and respond, in action, for the right connected moment in time and space. There is a certain "knowingness" that automatically calculates the consequence of any sequence in action that aligns with the flow of the Divine.

The tool for not only developing this ability, but having confidence in this ability is Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan™. Which reminds me, not doing my sadhana does not work for me either! Amrit Vela is my time for reinforcing my connection to my Self and my Guru.

By SS Guru Nam Singh and SS Sat Jivan Kaur Khalsa, McAllen, TX

Life is a continuous succession of changes. There are changes in everything and everywhere. Humans are accustomed to these changes and we adapt naturally to them.

However, some changes have a greater impact on our lives than others. Moving the furniture around in a room of my house is a change, but it is a much more important change if I move from one city to another. Having a new coworker at the office involves change and adjustment, but if I have a new job this brings greater consequences. The teachings of Yogi Bhajan help us deeply to understand and embrace change by guiding us into the cycles of life. Siri Singh Sahib taught us that we encounter major changes every 7, 11 and 18 years and that they involve our consciousness, mental beliefs and physical reliance. He taught us that these changes were real transitions because of their importance and that each one of them was intense and deep.

At the level of the whole of humanity there are also cycles, major changes and ages. We are now at the threshold of change, transitioning from the Piscean into the Aquarian Age. Change is coming at us fast. Examples of this are: natural phenomena that affect millions of people, economic, political and social conditions in all countries, value systems that are substituted for new ones, unstoppable technology, social networking, communication causing a phenomenon never seen before, etc. No doubt the changes we are witnessing are of an inconceivable magnitude and in order to survive them, and do this with grace, humanity requires special techniques and extraordinary courage. Siri Singh Sahib warned us and prepared us for this.

HOW DO YOU RELATE TO THIS CHANGE OF THE AGE?

For us as for anyone, this turbulence at all levels causes us alarm, disrupts our daily routine and forces us to be in a state of permanent alert. Yet it does not suffocate or paralyze us, because we know that it's part of a natural evolutionary process. We are committed to face these changes because we have an arsenal of tools for it. Tools that together outline what Yogi Bhajan defined as a yogic lifestyle. Our lifestyle is not going to prevent natural phenomena from happening or social change in Arab countries, or social networking to cease to grow rapidly, but will help us address these changes with clarity of mind in order to go through them with grace.

HOW DO YOU BRING THIS CHANGE INTO YOUR BEING, YOUR WORK, AND YOUR DAILY LIFE?

We do not bring these changes into our lives, we rather simply accept them. We perceive the pressures and recite the Sutra: "when the time is on you, start, and the pressure will be off." We believe that, thanks to the techniques of Kundalini Yoga, meditation, food, habits, etc., we can adapt quickly to new circumstances. We flow like water and follow the course of the stream without giving further obstacles that could be very painful. We live right on the border with Mexico. Things are not easy; we simply try our best to keep up, believing we will be kept up.

HOW IS TODAY DIFFERENT FROM YESTERDAY?

From a broad point of view we can say that today is very different from the past. Despite the great evils that we see in today's society in many countries, it is also undeniable that the level of awareness has increased considerably. Youth are demanding democracy and justice; dictatorships are being overthrown; women are now more and more in command of many sectors of society; religion has given way to spiritual growth; communication is almost instantaneous now. This makes our way of dealing with life very different: now we must communicate more directly, lead by example and rely on facts rather than words. In short we must be more precise in following the teachings of Guru Nanak, whose concepts are more applicable now than ever before.

WHAT IMPLICATIONS ARE THERE FOR YOU PERSONALLY AND AS A MINISTER?

There are many implications that an environment of rapid change presents. Just as we see things so confusing and complex, we also have the capacity to perceive them in a simple and clear way. The change in the environment around us involves a change in our behavior. If changes are more rapid and profound, then we should also adapt in a more rapid and deeper way to be able to keep up with our own lives, to support our families and to better serve the social environment in which we develop.

As people, as Sikhs and as ministers, we find it today more important than ever to try to lead by example and to try to inspire others to dwell in God and have confidence in His plan. We feel very fortunate to be able to have the Guru Ji at our yoga center and to work hand-in-hand with our local Sikh community to have Gurdwaras and hukams in three languages: Punjabi, English and Spanish.

WHAT TOOLS ARE YOU USING THAT SUPPORT YOU IN MANTAINING YOUR CONCSIOUSNESS AND NEUTRALITY TO SERVE THROUGH YOUR MINISTRY?

The tools we are using are the ones that our teacher gave us. It is important to maintain a Yoga and Meditation practice, to rely on the guidance of Siri Guru Granth Sahib, to have a Sangat, to take care of our bodies and our food; in short, to follow the lifestyle of Sikh Dharma. Of particular high importance is the practice of Sadhana.

WHAT ARE YOU LEAVING BEHIND?

In an atmosphere of impermanence, what we believe we are leaving behind is our attachment. Life now gives us constant lessons that nothing is permanent and therefore being attached just creates a miserable life. We also think modern life teaches us to leave behind the pride that comes from our ego and the illusion of control. Natural disasters, to mention an extreme example, show us that our level of control over this planet and over our lives is minimal, almost non-existent. We must be humble and adopt a proper perspective on life, do our work and feel part of God, trust in His absolute wisdom, in His absolute love and His absolute power.

Finally, we must say that living in these modern times should make us ever more grateful to God for the opportunity of this life and for the many gifts and blessings we receive every day. We must enjoy them in a deeper way, a more authentic, complete and honest way.

The Siri Singh Sahib once said, “You cannot live by feelings and emotions; you have to live by your intuition and consciousness.”

It seems pretty clear (actually, VERY clear!) which path we should be walking. By what method or methods can we master our feelings and control our emotions while at the same time expanding and sharpening our intuition and raising our consciousness?

Well, let’s see. I could practice the “Kriya for Changing Emotion to Devotion” or maybe “Ghost Kriya: Clearing the Ghosts and Opening Intuition." Then of course there is the “Meditation: Self Hypnosis to Develop Intuition.” And, of course the “Kriya for Thoughtfulness” and the “Meditation: Make your Mind Sensitive!” And I could practice “Strengthen Intuitive Projection.” or I could chant the mantra “I my mind, we thou thee.” so I can be, as he says, ready to “reach the point of the end of achievement, fulfillment and creatively, you have left a legacy.” And if I do the meditation “To Know Through Intuition” I can save myself and those I serve a lot of time. But then there’s So Darshan Chakra Kriya (a personal favorite) which I do “just for fun!” and which also just happens to give the “necessary vitality and intuition to combat the negative effects of the unchanneled subconscious mind.”

I suppose I could go on for pages and pages of kriyas and the concomitant volumes full of meditations that the Siri Singh Sahib has given us over the years but that would be just gilding the lily so to speak!

All we really need to do is to protect our sadhana;
The one he spoke about very early on then constantly afterwards during his time as our spiritual teacher here in the West;
The one he said would overcome all of our problems and situations;
The DAILY sadhana;
The one that happens every single, freaking day;
Whether we like it or not;
Whether WE show up for it or not;
Whether we stay awake for it or not;
Whether we ask Guru Ram Dass to awaken us for or not;
Whether we plan for it the night before or not;
Whether we project it from this day to our last, or not;
Whether we inspire others to attend or not;
Whether we believe in it or not;
Whether we think it will benefit us TODAY or not;
Whether we know in our hearts that whatever our problems, this can solve them, or not;
Whether we teach this to our children and our students, or not;
Whether we leave it as OUR legacy to those that follow us, or not;
The one that he attends, whether we do or not.

As he said, far better than I ever could: "Sadhana. That is where you sit, dwell in the thoughts of the soul, and peel away all your non-reality with the vastness of your spirit. If you train your mind this way, then you will discover something for yourself. If you live in absolute fearlessness, God will live in you because fear and truth cannot go together."

So what tools am I using to to support my work as a minister? Sadhana, from the early morning alarm, cold shower, Jap-ji, yoga, meditation to the reading of the hukumnama in our humble but beautiful gurdwara. These are the ONLY tools I have and the only tools I need. With them, all the misfortune and misinformation I feed my mind; the bad habits I have cultivated; the memories that make me bitter, or crazy or unhappy; they all fall away like raindrops off a speeding car--always in the past, ineffective and of no consequence.

Wow! What an awesome journey it has been, it is now, and it shall be, especially since I first put on a turban in 1975. Huge changes as to how I am, think and act continue to evolve. At this point in my life, I feel deeply that I am cooked through and through. That I am done looking for that special formula or that someone, something or that secret teaching that I am missing that is holding me back from being the great leader, hero, warrior and giver that I “should” be. I am tired of believing that if I just master one more meditation, or understand one more important concept I will be rid of all the nagging fear, insecurity and sadness for not achieving the power, charisma and confidence that our great teacher exemplified. What a huge relief to simply be as my Creator made me. To live in contentment and peace is a much more fun way to go.

Instead of goal setting, I prefer to focus on being aware of the direction my mind is headed. For the direction that is chosen goes toward infinity. It can take us towards an infinity of pain and suffering or an infinity of peace, harmony and ecstasy. How about surrendering to our own consciousness and accepting where we are with love and compassion and moving towards the direction that serves our soul and the souls of all? The science of appreciation is the simplest and most practical technology that we have. Pay attention to how grateful we are in this moment, accept where we are and head in the direction of more gratitude; let God’s grace prevail. If it takes a minute to be with infinite gratitude, a lifetime or more, it is what it is, accept, nurture and move forward.

One very good thing about getting older is that I just do not have the energy to waste on tangents anymore. The desire to impress; to worry about how I am perceived by others; to be more together, stronger and more “spiritual” then the next guy leads down the path of destruction. How about stopping the mind and leave the judging to another day (and may, for yourself, that day never come). Have the courage to forgive yourself, for that is the only way to move forward. Look in the eyes of your coworkers, your family and your friends and see the hand of God at work. See the other person as you; a living breathing manifestation of the Divine Creator. Listen deeply to what is said, with the eyes and heart of a saint who has one agenda of pure love.

The Siri Singh Sahib gave me my name, Balwant Singh, on the steps of the Toronto ashram in 1975. Sir, what does that mean? It means the brave one, my son. For the past 35 years, I have been asking myself what is bravery. We all have our concepts of bravery and we strive to act accordingly. I want Guru Gobind Singh to be one with my consciousness. I have found through experience that reciting the Jai Te Gang shabd 54 times a day gives the power to act with confidence, dignity and love. I have found through experience that bowing to the Jaap Sahib refreshes the mind and keeps it alert and energizes the body so we can keep up as a representative of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. I have found through experience that looking deeply into the Siri Singh Sahib’s Tratakum picture with eleven slow breaths (10 seconds in, hold 10 seconds and exhale 10 seconds) keeps him in my consciousness throughout the day. I have found through experience that the Benti Chaupai gives a shield of protection that is a divine comfort when I feel I can’t make it alone.

Lastly, chanting God’s name and hanging with the Sadh Sangat is perhaps the most powerful tool to take us gracefully into the Aquarian age. I know this because the Siri Guru Granth Sahib has told me thousands of times throughout my adult life. I have found through experience that having faith in our Guru is the ultimate source to live in the ecstasy of God consciousness.

by SS Sada Anand Singh Khalsa, Nara, Japan

During the April 2011 Siblings of Destiny meetings, Sangeet Kaur had an opportunity to interview Sada Anand Singh from Japan. He spoke about living, teaching and serving in Japan, especially in light of the recent tragic events there.

I originally went to Japan in 1968 as a university exchange student. It was during the war in Vietnam. Every day there were antiwar demonstrations in the streets. The universities were closed and so I never did attend school, but I got involved in the demonstrations and came to love the country and the people. I suppose I had my first spiritual experience there. It was the first time I ever saw a picture of myself bowing before a temple. Coming back to America, I got into Kundalini Yoga and met Siri Singh Sahib ji. I would often talk about going back to Japan, so finally the master grabbed me by the neck and said “Go today!” That was 22 years ago. According to the "experts," Japan is not an easy place to integrate into, but I feel that I am part Japanese now. I really love the place and have never had a thought of leaving.

There is a small community of devoted Sikh families an hour and a half away from our home. I represent our group in that community, and attend their Gurdwaras as often as possible. They like my guitar kirtan. Before the 1995 earthquake we lived very near another Sikh Gurdwara. Now it is quite a distance, but I’m looking forward to spending more time there on a regular basis. These people have very little technology besides the Guru. They don’t know how to breathe, how to meditate. So a lot of them are suffering despite their material wealth. I share the inspiring Sikhnet website with them. Sikhs in Japan basically stay amongst themselves and never think anyone else would want to become a Sikh. It is eye-opening for them to learn about our world-wide Sikh community.

Over the years I have learned a lot about Japanese society. Deeply rooted in the culture is the edict that one must not be "different," not stand up, not stand out. Yet Siri Singh Sahib ji told me that one day the largest number of Sikhs in the world would be in Japan. Already many of our Japanese yoga students want to become Sikhs. They have found Japji and some of them have gone to Summer Solstice in the US. In the beginning I hesitated to introduce them to Japji because I thought they would find it too "religious." The Japanese all say they don’t want religion.There have been so many charlatans, so many scams in Japan. At the same time, the Japanese are deeply spiritual. Everyone bows his head. Everyone believes in the chi, the pranic energy, so it’s a very easy place to live, actually, because there is that spiritual base. It’s very easy to teach yoga there. You just say, “Close your eyes” and the students go into meditation, looking like the Buddha. Buddhism is very similar to Sikhism, in that it gives a direct experience between you and the Creator, with no middleman. Meditation and mantra are not strange to any Japanese person.

Our Yogi Tea business is a great avenue to reach and serve people.We do a lot of trade fairs, yoga festivals, vegetarian festivals, and Earth days, where we meet ecologically-minded people who are looking for ways to uplift our planet. We are also making efforts to get Yogi Bhajan’s teachings translated. Although the Japanese have all studied English, outside of Tokyo you will find that very few actually understand it. It isn’t an easy language to translate. We now have some Kundalini Yoga teachers in America who are helping us.

We have ten Kundalini Yoga teachers scattered around Japan. None live in the area hardest hit by the earthquake and Tsunami. We translated the Survival Kit into Japanese and have given it to many people. I took one trip up to the area that suffered the most damage, and was happy to be able to deliver food there. But what the people really need are homes, and to be strong and heal themselves. My goal now is to find the avenues to reach the suffering. Even though there are a lot of bureaucratic levels in Japan, I speak Japanese, and I have lived there long enough to know that when there’s a "‘no" there is a way around it. Most people only know Hatha Yoga or Ashtanga Yoga. But we can offer so much more –technology to not just wake up the energy, but meditate and sing the praises of God, to remind the Japanese of how beautiful they are inside themselves. Because that is what they lost – they’ve lost their whole families, their homes, and now are suffering from radiation. We are seeing many more suicides. The simplest technology, like left nostril breathing or any meditation for the heart, can give them a chance and a hope.

After the first earthquake in 1995 we were blessed to acquire a special place of nature in the mountains, only 35 minutes from Osaka. It is now a beautiful mountain retreat, ready to serve. The Sikh community will start coming for retreats, since they have no place to get together. These children have never had a day in the countryside, never attended a Rensubhai. We want people to come, to use this place for spiritual events and retreats.

I’ve always had the idea of making an orphanage in Japan. Now it’s time. It’s right there in front of me, all these children from the earthquake. There will eventually be a migration to our area. By God’s Grace I will have a big report for you in the future!

Sikh Dharma Newsletter Team Member SS Sangeet Kaur (Espanola, NM) had an opportunity to interview SS Simran Kaur, from Hamburg, Germany, while she was in Espanola, NM for meetings of the Teacher Training Executive Committee in April 2011. Please enjoy her words of wisdom!

Q: In these Aquarian days of extraordinary change, please talk about how things are the same and perhaps different, in your day-to-day life and work.

My daily work is primarily teaching Kundalini Yoga and Nonviolent Communication. Every weekend I hold a seminar and I teach many classes during the week. Nonviolent Communication is a wonderful tool for learning to love unconditionally. And Kundalini Yoga is that, of course – you know that! To me, Nonviolent Communication is a yoga of communication. It's about awareness, empathy, compassion, understanding that we are one, as in the sutra "Recognize that the other person is you." You can find Siri Singh Sahib ji's sutras in Nonviolent Communication. It is wonderful how these teachings fit together.

That has been my work for the past eight years. My impression is that people have changed. I find that people are really starting to 'chew' on the concept that we are co-creators of our own destiny and that of our planet. Kundalini Yoga gives the tools to really understand and experience that. Frankly, to me Sikh Dharma and Kundalini Yoga are intertwined. You might say I teach Sikh Dharma when I teach Kundalini Yoga and Nonviolent Communication, without using the words Sikh Dharma, and without referring to the Gurus, other than Guru Ram Das, because he is my connection. I feel that I am under the protection and guidance of Guru Ram Das. He can do the work.

Q: I have heard that in Europe there is resistance to the form of Sikh Dharma among students. Does the fact that you wear bana influence whether or not students come to you?

It does and it doesn't. Many people come because their friends recommend me. They may say, "She's a great teacher. You need to know that she wears a turban. But don't worry about that." Business people may call about trainings for their business. I make sure to tell them I wear a turban, but that I don't teach about Sikhism. Several times they respond, "Well, can you recommend somebody else?" (She laughs) My impression is that more and more people in the center of society, not just on the spiritual fringe, are coming. There is a growing feeling in society that things are going to change. So my focus, especially when I teach Conscious Communication (a module of Level Two Teacher Training), is to have people understand that God is not separate from them, that we are God. And how do we bring our consciousness up to that level? By living this unconditional love.

Q: Is that something that came naturally to you, even as you were growing up?

No. With my parents there was no spirituality. My parents were not really compassionate people. They were a little indifferent towards their children, not interested in what was happening inside us. So with my own children I wanted to create a real relationship. I always know what's going on with them, and am really there for them.

What finally led me to understand why learning to love unconditionally is so essential is the experience I had with Siri Singh Sahib ji. I had a conflict with someone in our sangat, and I knew that this person was talking to Siri Singh Sahib ji about the situation. At that time I did not have a connection with Siri Singh Sahib ji, and I realized that I was afraid of him. So I made an appointment and told him: "Sir, I realize I am afraid of you. What can I do?" You know what he said? "Drop it!" (She laughs) He gave me such unconditional love. It was one hundred percent accepting me the way I am. It was the first and only time in my life that I felt one hundred percent accepted. No other human being was capable of that. And that really made a big, big difference in my life.

When I got married I had studied the teachings, that you marry because marriage is a carriage to God, it's the highest form of yoga, and the toughest one, and it's so difficult to stay married. I learned all these things from my teacher, Tarn Taran Kaur. Without the teachings of Siri Singh Sahib ji I would never have gotten married! (She laughs) They really saved me. But in the beginning I was very idealistic. I had this theory of learning to love unconditionally and using marriage as a tool to move the ego. But I didn't feel it in my heart yet. 'This is how you should do it – you should become one soul in two bodies and you should see your husband as a project, and you should, should, should…' (She laughs) It was helpful for quite a while but it didn't really change the thing . But when I had this crisis, and received this healing from Siri Singh Sahib ji, I finally understood what it means to love unconditionally. It has affected my marriage, my relationship with my children, and my teaching. I'm not afraid anymore.

Photo credit: Hari Singh Bird
Quotes from Yogi Bhajan (The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan)

http://guruarjandev.com/bhaibanno.htm

"The Aquarian Age is about taking the pot of water (Aquarius) and nurturing the whole universe; becoming human in equal concept of service and then becoming angelic, kind and compassionate."

Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji
September 22, 2002

Photo credit: Hari Singh Bird Quotes from Yogi Bhajan (The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan)

http://guruarjandev.com/bhaibanno.htm

"The Aquarian Age is about taking the pot of water (Aquarius) and nurturing the whole universe; becoming human in equal concept of service and then becoming angelic, kind and compassionate." Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji September 22, 2002

Photo credit: Hari Singh Bird
Quotes from Yogi Bhajan (The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan)

"The Aquarian Age is about taking the pot of water (Aquarius) and nurturing the whole universe; becoming human in equal concept of service and then becoming angelic, kind and compassionate."

Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji
September 22, 2002