November 2007

A Quote from the Siri Singh Sahib

From Your Secretary of Religion

Ask the Bhai Sahiba...

News and Information

Seeing God in All- SS Mahan Rishi Singh Khalsa, Yardley, PA

Confessions of a Reluctant Minister - SS GuruMeher Singh Khalsa, Los Angeles, CA

Sowing the Seeds of Nam - SS Sat Jivan Kaur Khalsa, New York, NY

"Dead and alive, I am only alive because of soul, that's the only thing God gave me and I have to keep my soul alive. I have to give soul Guru's words. That's the food of the soul. Meditation is mind food. Guru's shabad is a soul's food."

(From Beads of Truth, summer 1988, No 20, Vol. 2, page 26.)

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For the next two years, the Khalsa Council will be addressing the topics: Unifying the Sikh Panth, Service, Ministry and Interfaith. Since the Ministry includes all of these topics, I gave an overview to the Khalsa Council about where the Ministry has been, where we are now and questions for the future. As your Secretary of Religion, I wanted to share that address with you.

Friday, September 28, 2007

Since the Siri Singh Sahib asked me to serve as the Secretary of Religion during the December 1991 Khalsa Council meetings in Florida, the priority of this office has been to minister to the Ministry (you) so the Ministry could in turn, Minister to the world. Early on we, as a Ministry, went through a strategic planning process to help us define ourselves and recognize the unique gifts each of us brings as a Minister of this Dharma.

There was a need for better communication and shared information among Ministers. So this office established the quarterly e-news letter. With the help of Ministers around the world, we played a part in assisting sangats and students to deal with the Siri Singh Sahib leaving his physical body. There will be information about the Ministry and projects of Ministers on the new Sikh Dharma website.

There certainly has been movement and progress over the years in defining ourselves and supporting the work that is being done. Now, it is time for another shift. I have so looked forward to this agenda because I believe the collective wisdom of this body (the Ministry) can pole volt the Ministry into a more effective leadership instrument for the Age of Aquarius. Ministry is the key to all of the topics of this agenda: unity, service, and interfaith.

We serve through the sensory system, which allows us to respond to the uniqueness of each moment. I am looking to you to set the new frequency, projection, and vision for Sikh Dharma Ministry. There is a need to re-calibrate to meet our current and future needs for both our Dharma and the world.

One of the reasons you hear us talking about being current with your credentials is to support Ministers who can serve in a moments notice. Where do we go from here? What does the Ministry look like in the future? What needs to be established to manifest the vision of our future? This office is looking to you for the answers to these questions and to your service to manifest our future. Let's use this agenda and sacred time together to create our Sikh Dharma Ministry of the future and the structure that supports it. Thank you.

This call was made to the Khalsa Council, and I invite each one of you as a Minister to reflect on these questions and help create this shift. I welcome your ideas. May God ever bless you and keep you in His light and love. Humbly, SS Dr. Sat-Kaur Khalsa, Secretary of Religion

Humbly, your Secretary of Religion, SS Dr. Sat-Kaur Khalsa

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Question: Why are the complete Banis and Ardas longer in some Gutkas?

Answer: The Japa (recitation) of the Guru's Banis creates enlightentment and power. In situations of conflict the Banis can be a great ally, and their recitation can be dangerous to enemies. Guru Gobind Singh was, of course, well aware of this. He had his armies recite Jaap Sahib as part of their preparations for battle.

During the British imperial rule of India, the Raj command caught wind of this phenomenon, and attacked the practice. They had already engaged various ploys to weaken the power and the spirit of the Sikhs. However, in spite of all the misery that befell the Sikhs they were always in high spirits. When the Brisih sought the reason for this, they were informed of the existence and power of Anand Sahib - The Song of Bliss. To sabotage this continuous bliss, they employed some Sikhs capable of meddling in the accepted methods of the daily prayer. The were able, through these Sikhs to cut the daily reading of the Bani from its full forty paurees to the first five and the last one, the fortieth pauree. Broken in this way, the effect of the Gurbani was disrupetd and very much weakened. Since that time, some gutkas are still printed with the shorter Banis.

Question: Why do we read the Banis in Gurmukhi if we can't understand them?

Answer: When we read the Banis in Gurmukhi we understand, not in a worldy sense, but in a heavenly sense. It is a perfect permutation of the sound current to make us divine. They give us a sense of excellence. In Gurmukhi, the Banis create a permutation and combination between the tongue and the upper palate, which creates a balance in the hypothalamus so we can be automatically great. The hypothalamus controls habitual patterns. Reciting Banis enables us to reset our patterns to experience infinity. By continuing to recite the Banis daily, by the Grace of God, we will begin to understand what the Guru is saying through the Gurbani and we will begin to understand how it applies to our lives.

(From "Living Reality" by Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Ph.D, published by Miri Piri Academy, Chhertha, Amritsar, India)

Siri Sardarni Dr. Bibiji Inderjit Kaur Khalsa is the Bhai Sahiba, or Chief Religious Minister of Sikh Dharma. Please feel free to submit your dharmic questions to: ministers_newsletter@yahoo.com. 

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 Winter Solstice Minister's Meeting: All ministers are invited to attend this experiential gathering of ministers from around the world in Florida on Friday, December 20th from 2:00 - 5:00 p.m. Join us for this workshop with SS Hari Charn Kaur and SS Sangeet Kaur. With the use of one of the Siri Singh Sahib's Gurdwara lectures, breath, sound and meditation, we will experientially address fulfillment through the Guru and sangat. We look forward to seeing you there.

Funding the Ministry: The theme of the 2007-2008 Khalsa Council meetings is "Unifying the Sikh Panth, Service, Ministry and Interfaith." During the Fall 2007 Khalsa Council meetings, a breakout group on the Sikh Dharma ministry identified as a top priority funding the ministry to support the education, administration, and outreach of Sikh Dharma ministers. We are looking for "three good ministers" to spearhead a Fund Development Committee to help fund the ministry. If you are moved to serve in this capacity, please contact SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa at khalsask@aol.com. Blessings!

Guru Gaddee in Hazur Sahib: In October 2008, Sikh Dharma marks the 300th anniversary of the Guru Gaddee, the light of Siri Guru Granth Sahib. Preparations are underway in Hazur Sahib (www.hazursahib.com) to celebrate this important event. The focus of our 2008 Sikh Dharma Minister's Newsletter will be on the history, significance, and transformation of the Dharma through the embodiment of Guru's light in the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. We welcome all ministers to participate, through writing articles, sharing Sikh stories, and personal experiences. Please send your interest in participating to Newsletter Editor SS Sarb Nam Kaur at sarbnamk@gmail.com. We welcome photos, songs, poems, stories of Guru Gobind Singh's last days in Hazur Sahib and reflections on personal trips to Hazur Sahib. We will also be reporting on the plans for Sikh Dharma ministers to participate in a yatra and gift presentation. Stay tuned!

  If you would like to assist someone in becoming a minister, please review the Procedure for Becoming a Sikh Minister, revised in January 2006.

Sikh Minister Named Head Chaplain for Major Medical Center in California
Submitted by SS Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa

On Monday, October 29, Sikh minister SS Sat Kartar Khalsa-Ramey was installed as the Director of Hospital Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education for the California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco, California.

In becoming Director of Hospital Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education for the California Pacific Medical Center, Sat Kartar Khalsa-Ramey assumes a tremendous responsibility to care and provide for the spiritual needs of the patients who are treated through the Medical Center.

"It's been my blessing to serve in hospital settings since the early 1980s," said Sat Kartar. "All of this training comes down to one thing; seeing God in all. Listening from the inner ear to those cries, and being able to be with a person at the most vulnerable time in his or her life." As Director of Hospital Chaplaincy and Clinical Pastoral Education, Sat Kartar Khalsa-Ramey oversees an approach to health-care that integrates body, mind and spirit.

"Clinical pastoral education is a field of study that helps individuals from different religious traditions learn to minister to people at the bedside," she explained. "It is in that field that they get to utilize their theology and their self-knowledge. Everything they ever learned comes together for the good of the patient. It is patient oriented. It's not proselytizing. It is about knowing the essence of your religious tradition and bringing your well-spring of love forward to serve a person who is in distress."

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by SS Mahan Rishi Singh, Yardley, PA

I awakened this morning to the voice of Baba Nihal Singh reciting Japji Sahib. It was like an ancient echo summoning my mind to bow to the Oneness. The all pervading vibration of peace from Jap-ji connects me with the Siri Singh Sahib's statement, "If you can't see God in All, you can't see God at all." This phrase seems to permeate my life these days; I hear it in classes, I see it written in various places, and I see friends recite it at peace gatherings in other traditions.

His statement, along with the beginning of Japji holds a huge amount of spiritual weight and possibility. When I hear "Ek" it invokes Source, and the thought, "seeing God in All," invokes universality and compassion. It has stretched me. As Sister Linette Piper once said, "Love is a full stretch." "Seeing God in All," pushes me beyond my own petty judgments into a vaster space of love. These words often seem to amplify my own shortcomings when it comes to truly seeing someone in the Light of the Divine.

Sometimes it is easier to see the shadow--and then I remember: The universality of the Guru's teaching drew me to this lifestyle. Holding the space as an unconditional shelter for our fellow humanity continues to inspire me.The noble sacrifices that so many GurSikhs made for religious and personal freedom is so profound that I have difficulty truly fathoming that level of selflessness in myself. As much as I strive to live in service and hold the vision of oneness and universal compassion, I find that it is more often just an intention or thought, rather than a deeply engrained reality.

Our focus in the New Jersey and Pennsylvania throughout the past 30 years has been to make ourselves available to a strong, heart-centered community that remains open and receptive to the vast diversity of life. I wouldn't say that the nature of my relationship to friends, students, clients, etc., (whether it be in Gurdwara, retreats or in our center) has been so much about service as it has been about providing appropriate support and positive inspiration wherever it can be offered. I don't feel I am really doing anything, as much as co-creating a mutually respective and loving experience as we travel on this journey together. Grounded in the sacred, with the love of love itself, our supportive community includes many facets of life, numerous yoga centers and various spiritual traditions.

"Ministering" is still something I am growing into. It took me 30 years to become a minister. I feel that holding an honor such as this should take a long time. Especially in an age when so many credentials and positions of responsibility seem to be given so easily. Holding the space of a minister requires a high connection with the Divine, profound wisdom and extreme humility. I aspire toward these attributes. Day by day it's a journey of discovery. Becoming a minister came as a natural progression of my spiritual life. I didn't think about "becoming a minister." I had to keep growing and evolving. Even with my imperfections, this was the natural step in my commitment as a GurSikh, as it coincides with sharing community with others. It was time to expand into greater giving. Most compelling, was the desire to hold the space for deeper compassion, purity and strength.

I forever bow to that great spirit of universal brotherhood and sisterhood, held in the Light of the Sacred Holy Nam. May all beings live in peace and happiness.

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by SS GuruMeher Singh Khalsa, Los Angeles, CA

You see there, I didn't even use SS before my name for this article when I submitted it. It's not that I'm ashamed or shy. I am quite clear that to serve, to "minister" to people is my nature and my life. But my notion to BE a Minister collides with old beliefs about myself (low self-esteem) and religion (fanatic missionaries). And at the time I came into the Dharma, prominent SS's and MSS's were leaving and behaving poorly – not inspiring models.

My service starts with the simple desire to help myself. This led me to yoga - my gateway to Shabad Guru. The desire to share what helps me with others has me teaching yoga and life coaching yogis and non-yogis alike. Who I am and everything I know has been molded by the Guru's Teachings, yet I have not always trusted their acceptance by or efficacy for the "public."

So how does the Shabad Guru manage to teach and reach people through me anyway? Here are a few ways:

1. I say "Yes." When asked to serve in a way that I think will grow me or bring me closer to the Guru, I say "yes.” Sure, it's selfish, but I found years ago I had to have some criteria to sort through the overwhelming requests to give. To serve the Amrit Ceremony, to teach a class in the Sikh Dharma tele-class training, to marry a young couple, help with a funeral, or to write this article, I am required to think, learn, and relate, so I commit to it.

2. I teach. Mostly I teach yoga. When I apologized for serving at Yoga West more than at Guru Ram Das Ashram, SS Kirtan Singh told me there is no difference. I wanted that to be true, and am beginning to see it. In teaching the new Level 2 Teacher Training courses, like Authentic Relationships, by simply following the curriculum I teach Japji as a means for knowing one's soul. Then I see yoga students become fascinated, start reading it daily, and begin resolving major life issues as a direct result. One student focused on the meaning of Saibhang and said it changed his life forever after years of therapies. A favorite, easy "therapy" is to hand a troubled soul a soothing CD to play all night. They don't even ask what it means and their healing begins.

3. I get out of the way. I'm learning to trust the Guru's technology will work for others. In my coaching practice there is lots of talking. More of my sessions with non-spiritual folk are being spent using sound and mantra. When a client is anxious, confused, depleted and emotionally anguished, talking becomes ineffective. Breath, sound, rhythm, naad, and chanting the Nam are much more effective at those times. Remember the Siri Singh Sahib said there will come a time when people can't do anything and we will need to just touch, look at, or chant for them? He also said "All therapies, and all help, and all knowledge (are) going to be absolutely obsolete. People need immediately self-exalted experience.” I look forward to less "me" helping people, more of people helping themselves through the technology I can share.

4. I keep up. When my shortcomings leave me quite short, I keep going on this path. I stick around.

5. I live it. By dressing and professing to be Guru's Sikh everyday I allow Guru to work on me and others through me. Humility, kindness, compassion, service, remembrance of God… these are what Siri Guru Granth Sahib speaks to me, and are simply the way I want to live, and live to see in the world.

5. I use it. I'm in my third decade of chanting every day. That's dwelling with Shabad Guru. So as my duality is diminished and people's needs for help increase, I become more effective. Sikh Dharma is Aquarian and non-hierarchical. So, I don't relate to BEING a minister, as a noun, a title, or a position. But as a verb, in action and activity, I totally do that. I minister. The Shabad Guru that I use to work on myself works through me too. Writing this article helped me see how merged I am with Guru. Saying "yes” worked again!

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by SS Sat Jivan Kaur, New York, NY

In the last year and a half we have held three Akand Paths at Kundalini Yoga East in New York City in which over 300 people from the yoga and Sikh communities participated. We have a beautiful corner of the yoga center where we maintain the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and Babaji has a lovely Sarai and Guruji's domain is curtained off with billowing royal purple curtains. We did two Akand Paths during the days around the death anniversary of the Siri Singh Sahib and one Akand Path over the New Year's Holiday.

We sent out an email letter (see the attached invitation) to all of our database to invite them to join us in the sacred practice of the Akand Path and we were delighted when so many people responded that we had to cut some of the reading times in half in order to accommodate every one who wanted to reserve their personal time with the Siri Guru Granth Sahib.

Some of the people who study at Kundalini Yoga East have been to the Golden Temple or Solstices or White Tantric Yoga or took Teacher Training or did the Re Man courses in India or attended the Sat Nam Rasayan courses in Assisi and they eagerly came forward to help with reading during the hours from midnight to 5am and to act as sevadhars during the day, cleaning, cooking and serving Langar and Prasad, arranging flowers, greeting all of the readers and making the total Akand Path a cozy, sacred, graceful and a gentle learning environment in which each person who came to the Guru was allowed to deeply experience the profound healing, guidance and transcendence that the Guru can give (see the attached guidelines for readers letter).

It took a leap of faith, the blessings of Guru Ram Das and the "Keep Up" commitment of our studio manager Angad Kaur, and the devotion of all who participated to successfully complete these Akand Paths. We heard many stories from those who participated about how the Guru totally spoke to their personal situations and offered them hope, guidance, and inspiration and because we kept the yoga classes going through out the Akand Path the students in class were able to experience the sound current of the Guru being read as they practiced. Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa Wahe Guru ji ke Fateh! The Guru reigns supreme and all who enter the Court of the Guru are transformed.

We who teach and guide Kundalini Yoga East feel profoundly blessed to have had the opportunity to share the Guru Granth Sahib with so many people and also to have had the blessing of the practice of an Akand Path given to us by the Siri Singh Sahib and the Guru's so that virtually anyone who was willing could participate in this profoundly sublime experience.

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