A Publication of the Sikh Dharma Office of the Secretary of Religion, August 2005
A Quote from the Siri Singh Sahib
From Your Secretary of Religion
Walking up the Mountain with Me - MSS Krishna Kaur Khalsa
Continuing the Mission in Brazil - SS Subagh Kaur Khalsa
Sikh Dharma in a Catholic Nation - SS Sat Nam Kaur Khalsa
From Duty to Love - SS Simran Kaur Khalsa Wester
Responsibility - MSS Nirvair Singh Khalsa
Minister in the Spotlight: SS Sunder Singh
"Devotion is the trust of truth."
(Contrast Consciousness, Kundalini Lectures by Yogi Bhajan, Fall, 1977, p. 147)
SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa
Our annual
Summer Solstice ministers' meeting was held on Sunday evening, June 17th from
5:30pm until 7:00pm. There were approximately 40 ministers in attendance. I
had worked very hard with the Solstice Events Planning people to make sure that
our meeting would not compete with other meetings. However, at the site I found
out that there was an MPA parents' meeting scheduled at the same time. Half of
that meeting’s participants were ministers. Sometimes the best laid plans don't
work. I apologize to the ministers who wanted to attend our meeting but could
not due to the scheduling conflict. I will do my best in the future to continue
to address this problem. In any case, we had a wonderful meeting.
MSS Sat Santokh Singh and SS Panch Nishan Kaur took us through an Appreciative
Inquiry Process. We were first asked to recall a significant experience we have
had serving as a minister of Sikh Dharma. We then sat with one other minister
and shared our experiences. From this we moved into a foursome, sharing with
two other ministers. After chanting to Guru Ram Das, we individually envisioned
how we see ourselves ministering in the near future. We shared that with the
foursome. We then formed one large circle and had a representative from each
group of four summarize what was shared in their group.
Among the visions shared were:- traveling and teaching more; serving the
children in India; supporting ministers internationally; positioning of Sikh
Dharma in communities; interfacing with people of Indian origin; sharing Shabad
Guru; ministering at every moment; service; developing ministerial training,
especially on death and dying, maintaining daily practices; facilitating
minister training globally; writing textbooks for Sikh Dharma; connecting with
other ministers; ministering in prisons; improving relationships between centers
(addressing issues of competition); UN involvement of ministers; developing a
master list of ministers worldwide; international training of teachers; and
developing a website to answer people's spiritual questions.
At the conclusion of this process, the facilitators suggested that we take this
process into our communities. They gave us a
handout and said they
were available to answer questions or assist as needed. It was a powerful and
uplifting experience. It is never easy to meet at solstice due to the heat,
dust, schedules, seva, etc. However, this was a blessed time. I would again
like to thank our facilitators and all those who participated. The ministry is
moving forward. It is a joy to see it.
The overall theme of our 2005 newsletters has been 'Stepping out of our front door into the hearts and lives of people in our community.' With The Siri Singh Sahib having left his physical body, we are at a new frequency. This seems to be manifesting in two polarized forms. Some people are revitalized and re-inspired. They are excited to be expanding in their teacher roles; responding in an extroverted way. There are others who are wanting to connect more individually and intimately; responding in a more introverted way. Students are also relating to their teachers differently. Our ministry now spans these two polarities. In this August issue we asked ministers from around the world to write about how we are changing as individuals, as an organization, or as a ministry. I hope you enjoy this glimpse of where we are now.
Humbly,
SS Dr. Sat Kaur Khalsa, Secretary of Religion
A warm welcome to new ministers SS
Navjiwan Kaur Khalsa and SS Sat Purkha Singh Khalsa of Eugene, OR.
Would
you like to share
your thoughts with other ministers? You can answer the
reflection questions at the bottom of this newsletter and
send them to the editor at
ministers_newsletter@yahoo.com. Your answers will be posted on a new
page called Reflection Question
Responses, where your peers can read and respond to them.
by MSS Krishna Kaur Khalsa, LA
When the SSS passed, I was physically as close to him as I could have ever dreamed I would be. I was in the dining room of the Ranch, not more than 60 feet from his bed. I was talking with his family and staff when Kamaljit ran in shouting for her Mataji and her brothers to “come quick!”
For me that moment began on Tuesday evening, October 5th, 2004, at around 9 pm in Los Angeles. I had just arrived from a teaching engagement in Minneapolis the night before and I was quite tired from the trip and all the activities leading up to it. I was relaxing in front of the TV when Guru Dhan’s daughter phoned for Raam Kaur. Learning that Raam was not home, Sat Avtar Kaur proceeded to tell me that the word from New Mexico was to pray and chant for the Siri Singh Sahib, as he was needing a lot of our healing energy at that time.
This call was like one I had received hundreds of times over the past several years while Siri Singh Sahib’s health deteriorated, but there was something about this particular call that was different. I sat up and started phoning people in NM, trying to get a sense of what the situation was really like. After several unsuccessful attempts to reach anyone, I finally spoke to Siri Chand Singh and subsequently to Guruka Kaur. Neither gave me any satisfaction about the Siri Singh Sahib’s condition. There was a growing feeling of pressure in my chest that wouldn’t let me rest, so I called Deva Kaur (LA) and asked her to please try to arrange a spot on the first flight leaving for New Mexico the next morning. I packed my bags, wondering if I was over reacting, but at the same time, not caring if I was. If I found out that his condition was not as serious as it felt to me, I would simply return to LA the next day.
I caught the 6 am flight to Albuquerque, rented a car and drove straight to the Siri Singh Sahib’s Ranch. When I arrived, completely unannounced, Bibiji, Ranbir, Kulbir and the rest of the family were extremely surprised to see me. They each in turn, with eyes filled with tears, wondered what could have brought me there at that critical time, as I was not a regular visitor to the ranch. “It was just a feeling,” I responded, returning their embrace.
Over the years, I have had a very special connection with the Siri Singh Sahib’s family. I participated at the birth of each of his grandchildren, and always held a special place in my heart for Bibiji and all of their children. Showing up at the ranch at that moment seemed to hold some special significance for all of us. They kept saying that if he could just make it through the night, he would be okay. The tension was high, as were the hopes that he would survive this crisis as he had done so many times in the past.
For over two years prior to that significant moment on October 6th, I had tried my best to see the Siri Singh Sahib. Even with the genuine assistance of members of his staff and his family, it never worked out. I went early for Solstices, I went on my birthday, I went for various celebrations and meetings, all with the hope of seeing him. My soul needed his darshan, his smile, and his encouragement, if even for just a moment. I wanted to share what was going on in my life, to seek his advice, and …..I needed a hug. Oh, how I needed a hug! But it didn’t happen. The time was never right. He was either sleeping, meeting with staff, with the doctor having a procedure, or recovering from a rough day.
So, I offered to do seva, and Guru Simran Kaur, one of his sevadars, graciously obliged. Thus, instead of spending the usual joyous time with him in his dome, I ironed his bed sheets and pillowcases for hours and hours each day I was there. My back ached, my shoulders throbbed, but I was grateful to have the blessing of smoothing the wrinkles on the sheets that would surround his body, caress his head, and cover his feet. On the day of his transition, without knowing it at the time, I ironed the sheets that swathed his body for his final sleep.
As you can see, my arrival at the Ranch on that Wednesday, Oct 6th held tremendous significance for me. By now I was satisfied just to be near him, even if I couldn’t see him. But after a couple of hours, I was shown into his room and was told I could stay for 10 minutes. I can’t express the joy and gratitude I felt as I walked through the tiled hallway to his chambers. The room was subdued and peaceful. Hymns of Guru Ram Das played softly as Bibiji sat by his side. He was lying there with the respirator in his mouth, his breath audible and measured, his eyes closed, and his head tilted toward his left shoulder. He seemed very present, yet quite a bit more frail than I had ever seen him.
I sat on the floor at the foot of his bed and touched the white cotton blanket that covered his feet. Before I could say, “Sat Nam…..” I was overwhelmed by an amazing rush of energy that seemed to surround and almost lift my body off the floor. It was the most incredible feeling of pressure and heat that I have ever experienced. It was so intense that I felt startled at first. I felt dizzy, like I would faint if I didn’t take a breath. After a moment or so, I found myself smiling and chuckling inside, as he no longer seemed to be lying helpless in front of me, but rather he was jubilant and calling my name like he had so many times from the stage. “Where is my Black? Where is my Krishna!” I felt his arms reaching out to hold me, infusing me with confidence, courage, and so much love! It felt wonderful! It felt like he was letting me know that he knew I was there, and he was very happy to see me. I smiled and nodded my head as I affirmed in a tearful whisper… “Yes, sir. It’s me, Krishna and I am here. I am here!”
I continued to sit and meditate at his feet until they told me my time was up. As I walked from his small dome room, I knew that it was he who had sent for me the night before, and no matter what, he would never leave my side. I am so grateful I listened to the pressure of that little voice inside my heart, and that I had the blessing see him once more before he left his physical body.
Now, as I look back over my recent experience with the Siri Singh Sahib, I am trying to articulate what is different about me now and how my ministry has changed since his transition. I find it quite difficult to find the words or images that would come close to expressing the subtlety of the shift that has taken place inside of me. In many ways, I am not different at all. My ministry has not shifted or changed in any detectable way that I can recognize. I have known my mission for some time, and have not hesitated to serve it. Yet, I know something is different. My passion is just as strong as ever, my commitment just as deep, my love of God and Guru is still beyond words, but there is a kind of inner lightness inside of me that I can’t explain.
It could be that a great saint I was close to is no longer on this earthly plane, and I am feeling the separation. Or, it could be that his presence is even more powerful now that he is not encumbered by his ailing body. Or, it could be that this feeling of lightness was brought on by the increased awareness of my own mortality. I don’t know! Maybe it is too soon to try and figure it out. All I know is that the Siri Singh Sahib is “walking up the mountain” with me, and that he will “never leave me alone, no matter where I may roam”. That gives me even greater strength and courage to serve humanity with peace and love and spread the radiance of the Holy Nam everywhere I go.
Wahe Guru!
by SS Subagh Kaur, Sao Paolo, Brazil
My story
goes back to 1977 when I began my first Kundalini Yoga classes at Cambridge. I
remember getting totally rewired with Kundalini Yoga on all levels, and then
running away scared. This worked for about 5 years, until the hunger in my soul
for a total committment to Sikh Dharma could no longer be abated. I decided to
go to India, subconsciously still hoping to find another path, another teacher
who would be less intense than the Siri Singh Sahib. I didn't find one, and
realized during the adventure that I had no other way out.
I moved into the Millis ashram a month after I returned to the States. I was still unpacking boxes and getting myself settled in when Guru Rattan Kaur asked if I could pick up her Brazilian friend, Guru Sewak Singh, who was coming to the ashram to do healing work. A month later, during the first break in the Boston Tantric course, Guru Sewak Singh and I were engaged by Yogi Bhajan. When Guru Sewak asked his permission, he smiled from ear to ear and said, "Blessings, blessings," and then looked at me, pointing his Jupiter finger, and said "You get him back to Brazil." He then added: "You will do in South America what I did here".
It was indeed a big day. My life changed unequivocally from that moment on. We were married within the month, and our first child was born a year later. When she was seven months old we presented her to the Siri Singh Sahib and he looked at me and said, "Are you still here?" Those four words from the Master pushed me out of the airplane. With my hand on the parachute cord, we were soon bidding our beloved sangat farewell. It was Brazil or bust. We packed the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and set up our first Gurdwara in our modest Săo Paulo apartment. Both of us nurtured the vision of giving the Guru His rightful Home. It was a long road but the dream manifested in June of 2004 with the inauguration of Guru Arjan Dev Gurdwara, the first in Brazil. (please visit www.3hobrasil.com.br/gurdwara for photos). The inauguration had a bittersweet edge, as Guru Sewak's earthly flame was barely flickering. He offered his last Ardas that day, and returned to his celestial home two months later.
Our ministry
here has always had a pioneer flavor. Unlike most countries of the world,
Brazil has very few Punjabi Sikhs. Our sangat is composed largely of Kundalini
Yoga teachers and students. Brazilians are spiritually open and receptive,
and receive Gurdwara as the Bhakti component to the Kundalini Yoga practice.
Since the transition of our beloved Siri Singh Sahib last year, we have noticed
an upsurge in the demand for Kundalini Yoga classes and teacher training, which
continue to be my primary line of service as a Sikh Dharma minister.
by SS Sat Nam Kaur, Mexico City, Mexico
Recently a friend gave me a photo of myself and another lady meditating under the big top at our first Ladies Camp in l978, both of us looking much younger and slimmer. In Mexico back then, Sikh Dharma was just for a select few, and the rest of us, being Catholics, were very wary of it. That was until, in my case, the Siri Singh Sahib informed me that my religion had done me no good whatsoever, and that the next night he would make me a Minister of Sikh Dharma. My immediate response was to take a Hukam, which said: "Now you have found the perfect master, now you have come home,” and here I have stayed ever since. It just felt right.
We were all in awe of the Siri Singh Sahib then, and had such reverence for him. What we are finding today is that so many of our students have never known him. Once they have seen him on videos, they want to hear all about him and to listen to whatever anecdotes we can share with them, but where is Sikh Dharma in all this? Most people in Mexico have united families, so the Ashram tradition of living is not very attractive to them, and our teachers in training are quite clear that they want nothing to do with the religious side of our lifestyle.
Most of our outreach as seniors is now in teacher training, rather than in giving yoga classes. I am involved in eight different teacher training programs, both here and in the provinces (even Cancun!). There are cascades of yoga students and teachers in training, but not much interest in Sikh Dharma. On her final exam one of the teachers in training insisted on spelling it 'Sikh Drama,' which is perhaps the association she has with fairly recent history. There is a small group of Sikhs here, many of us from the 70s or 80s, a filtering of yoga students interested in Gurdwara, and a solid core of India Sikhs.
We find that the few people who adopt Sikh Dharma have lived in the ashram environment, where 3H0 and Sikh Dharma are completely integrated and complementary. My last house, in the center of Mexico City, was an ashram, and we lived that way for 15 years, practicing yoga and Sikh Dharma. My present house, up in the mountains outside Mexico City, is still an ashram, but the only person living there is myself. One advantage is that I have to go out and give yoga classes or attend Gurdwaras elsewhere. I also go anywhere and everywhere to give courses and Teacher Training, so I am in touch with many people.
The day the Siri Singh Sahib passed away, I happened to be in Espańola at a course. On that day I realized I was very ill, and within a very short time I had been diagnosed and treated for cancer. I am still under the influence of numerous radiation treatments. When I got sick, so many people called me to say they were praying for me, and the doctors at the hospital were very curious to know how I was recovering so quickly. They had never seen a case like it. The prayers and Guru Ram Das meditations came from students and friends who are not interested in our Gurdwaras, but use our devotional practices as a mainstay in their lives. I think Guru Nanak would have liked that. The prayer webs are very powerful, and until one has really needed spiritual help, one is not always aware of how each small part is like a piece in a giant jigsaw puzzle. Each prayer is invaluable, and makes the whole fit together and become very powerful in its effect.
How right the Siri Singh Sahib was in saying that the two diseases of this century would be depression and stress. People are becoming more and more grateful for the integrated information and therapies we can offer for their physical, mental and spiritual bodies in dealing with these two Aquarian ailments. However much or little we can share makes a huge difference in people’s lives, especially if they have been on medication for years.
There’s a long way to go before Sikh Dharma penetrates Mexican culture on a wider scale. Catholicism overlays the indigenous beliefs in a strange, almost surreal way, just as the schizophrenic separation of Church and State melts away on religious feast days. Nevertheless, we’ve seen how the computer culture has taken over so quickly within very few years. So the richness and depth of Sikh Dharma, sown here with such love and devotion, could well blossom in front of our eyes, quicker than we ever believed possible
by SS Simran Kaur Khalsa Wester, Hamburg, Germany
Since our beloved teacher has changed realms, a subtle shift has taken place in my life. I notice that I am more self-assured. If I ask myself “Why do I wear a turban? Why do I read Japji? Why do I live this lifestyle?,” it is clearly because I love it. I love Guru Nanak. I love Guru Ram Das. I love all the wisdom speaking through the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, and I love the way it is expressed (even though I suspect some phrases to be heavily influenced by the Christian background of the translators). In my own way, I have a strong feeling of belonging to this Dharma. It is a very non-rational sense of being at home.
I have been a minister now for over twelve years, and a Yoga student and teacher for more then twenty. I suspect that my love for the Dharma grew mainly in the shadow of my strong sense of duty and my need to do what is expected of me. Now it is standing bright and clear, and these two companions, duty and meeting expectations, are fading away.
A few years ago I met Marshall Rosenberg and started to study Nonviolent Communication. The self-introspection that this process fosters has helped me to become clear about the motivations for what I do. Duty cannot keep up in the face of self determination, it evolves into the joy of contributing to the well being of others – and it loses its fear driven impact all together (one of these fears being the inherited German guilt- and obedience- trip). Now it is much easier for me to let go of jobs and tasks that were a duty to me before, and my mind is free to roam and envision all the possible projects that I might want to engage in.
One of these projects is the 30th anniversary of 3HO Germany next year. We are planning for a big event, a professional conference and a two-day yoga festival. It will be the first time that 3HO Germany presents itself officially to a broad public, and we want it to be excellent. The more fun I experience recruiting and working with the experts for all the different tasks involved, the more I see the hand of Guru Ram Das behind it all, and try not to stand in his way. 3HO Germany is growing from being the ugly duckling among the other German yoga organizations into a self assured, professional and well-established home for all German Kundalini Yoga teachers.
I love supporting this process, and I love being who I am in the middle of it all, with my turban and my pride in belonging to the House of Guru Ram Das.
by MSS Nirvair Singh Khalsa, Alaska
My life changed when the Siri Singh Sahib left his earthly body. I was fortunate to be in Espanola when Bibiji called everyone into the Dome to pay last respects to our beloved Teacher. It was a profound experience and I believe that I am still integrating those last gifts that the Siri Singh Sahib provided for me on that day. I am very grateful to the Bhai Sahiba for allowing us to be with him one last time.
My personal shift has come down to one concept in my mind. The word is responsibility.
Since I first met the Siri Singh Sahib in 1971, my participation in the Dharma has been connected, serviceful and steady. The difference now is that I feel that my dedication has been accelerated. It is my personal, intimate mission to represent the teachings of the Siri Singh Sahib, and Sikh Dharma and to carry and fulfill the worldwide mission that the Siri Singh Sahib so ably dedicated his life. As long as I am granted life, I will take that responsibility and carry it as best that I am able.
Yes, students do want to know stories of the Siri Singh Sahib. I love hearing them myself. It gives me joy and comfort to hear and understand how he related to people and transformed their lives.
I think that there is an underlying element that fosters this desire to know these stories. This element is the soul’s desire to shine and to be recognized by all. Students want to see the ‘possible human’…not only in the life of a great Teacher and leader like the Siri Singh Sahib, but also in those that he touched. They need a living example, by being with us, of what it is like to be the definition of a Spiritual Being on a Spiritual Path. They want to know what they can be, and what is their divine potential by living on the path of Guru Nanak. This is our true responsibility. However, this is not a heavy responsibility. I just have to be myself and share my Self. I am reminded of a few lines from an old 3HO song.
All your love will be returned
And all you share returns in joy
And when the story of your love is told
You know your heart will turn to Gold
“It All Comes Back” by Sat Peter Singh
Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa! Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh!
SS Sunder Singh, VA
As some of you know, I have been teaching in Asia for the last few years. I am pleased to report that we now have Kundalini Yoga in Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia, China, as well as in Japan, Singapore and Thailand. Presently I am working with IKYTA and the Director of Teacher Training to develop teacher training programs in Asia. The long term goal is to have a teacher training center in each country.
I also want to report on the tsunami relief program established by some of our Kundalini Yoga sangat in Thailand. We are organizing the sponsorship of 108 orphans, basically covering their necessities and safeguarding them from extreme poverty and the exploitation that goes with it. The amount is $13 per month, per child over a two year period. This program is unusual because all the donated money goes to the children. Members of the Kundalini Yoga sangat are taking the project on as a seva and have personally met with each of the children. We are asking each sponsor to write to the child they sponsored to create that sense of support, as these children face the challenge of a greatly altered world. Those who are interested can contact Annick Hemsin at annickhemsin@hotmail.com.
On a personal note, since the passing of Yogi Bhajan, for me there is a sense of becoming. Rather than expanding as a teacher or going inward to establish the connection with my own infinity, it is more a state of beingness, a sense of gratitude, and most importantly taking responsibility, or the ability to respond, and deliver what is given by the hand of the Akal Purkh.
I would like to share some of my thoughts on the meaning of sangat, Sikh Dharma ministry, and being a teacher. Sangat is the community of those who relate to the realness (sat) of their being within the myriad vibratory tantra of their individual existence (nam). For me it is always a recognition. I meet someone and immediately recognize that spark in them, and they become part of the sangat. Sikh Dharma ministry is to serve the seekers of the realness of existence on their pathway toward their own destiny.
As leaders and teachers, it is important to remember that knowledge does not equal consciousness. Yogi Bhajan is our spiritual teacher because he touched our essence in a deeply transformational way. To honor that legacy we have to teach from our spirit and be that teacher of spirit who brings transformation and peace to all we touch. Let us walk as Guru Gobind Singh instructed, with our heads in our hands. Let us be no-self and serve the greater Self in all, that is the meaning of courage.
By the Grace of the Master’s Touch,
SS Sunder Singh
1. In what ways have you changed since the Siri Singh Sahib ji passed on?
2. In what ways do you perceive your sangat and the wider Sikh community to be changing?
Would you like to share your thoughts with other ministers? You can answer the reflection questions above and send them to the editor at ministers_newsletter@yahoo.com. Your answers will be posted on a new page called Reflection Question Responses, where your peers can read and respond to them.