By Sat Nirmal Kaur Khalsa 

The evening of October 6, 2004 began with a beautiful New Mexico sunset.  We started our Akal Takhat "6th of the Month" Gurudwara.  Suddenly, a thunderstorm began.  Centering over the ashram and ranch, the sky turned black, roaring claps of thunder overtook our kirtan and big, bright white bolts of lightening shocked the darkened sky. 

After our Gurudwara program concluded that evening, the storm cleared.  We could feel the first chilly wind of fall.  There was a invisible moon and the sky was carpeted with bright, shiny stars.  Summer was over.

A group of ministers were meeting at that time, discussing logistics and organization of the event that we knew was coming soon.  A little after 9 p.m. the call came.  The phone call we had been expecting for sometime.  The Siri Singh Sahib had left his body. 

We held hands in silence. We weren't sure what to do.  More phone calls came.  We tried our best tofocus. 

A few of us went to the ranch to see if we could be of some service.  We were unsure if this was the appropriate action to take at the time. But, what happened at the ranch that night will go down in our history as one of the most powerful, defining events in our lives.

The door to the Siri Singh Sahib's dome was open.  In the living room, residents of the ranch and several other sangat members were sitting in a circle chanting beautifully and harmoniously to Guru Ram Das.  Guru Guru Wahe Guru, Guru Ram Das Guru.  This is the mantra the Siri Singh Sahib asked that we chant for 2½ hours after hisdeparture.  The room was lit with candles.  Everything and everyone was glowing with the most beautiful light.

My husband was sitting and chanting.  He looked up at me told me to go into the bedroom to see the Siri Singh Sahib.  I hesitated.  He said "go, it's OK".  I walked through the kitchen and into the hallway, holding my daughter's hand.  That beautiful hallway, with those magnificent swords covering both walls.  The hallway felt narrower than I remembered.  The walk felt much longer and seemed to stretch for miles to the bedroom door.  We held our hands together, tighter.

The door was closed. I took a deep breath and opened it. The room was very dimly lit. Bibiji was sitting beside the Siri Singh Sahib.  His children and other family and staff were surrounding him.  He was lying down, with his head raised slightly.  We stood at his feet, hands folded and heads bowed.   We whispered "Sat Nam, Sir" as we had done so many times before.  We lightly touched his feet, bowed our heads again, turned and retraced our steps back to the living room.

We sat down and joined the sangat.  More and more people came in to pay their respects to the Siri Singh Sahib and to chant to Guru Ram Das.  The 2½ hours were completed and it was close to midnight.  The room was filled with sangat.  There were many tears.  I cried and thanked God and Guru for the greatest gift, to have seen the Siri Singh Sahib that night.  And then, a miracle happened.

Bibiji announced that all of the sangat should be called to come and see the Siri Singh Sahib.  We walked outside into the cold night air.  Cell phones were quickly produced.  Tiny green and red lights dotted the dark night.  It looked like a twinkling Christmas tree.  I thought that we wouldn't be able to reach everyone. But, Guru was in charge. 

In just a few minutes, the sangat started to arrive.  One by one, they walked into the Siri Singh Sahib's bedroom.  That sacred space where he meditated for so many years.  They filed past him and paid their last respects to his physical presence.  It was a magnificent sight.  There are so many of us!  It felt like a tantric meditation.  Watching each blessed human go into the dome.  It was close to 1:30 am by the time we were done.

We all stood outside the dome.  The ambulance came to transport the Siri Singh Sahib to the funeral home.  The EMT crew were all family as well.  It was like a microcosm of the entire world, standing there outside the dome.  The security staff stood outside his door.  We waited for him, as we had done so many times before.  We chanted to Guru Ram Das. 

The Siri Singh Sahib was carried out on a stretcher.  He was wrapped in warm, beautiful shawls.  Our EMT family escorted him along with the bodyguard team.  We were witnessing the last escort.  We kept chanting, holding hands, staying close together and trying to keep warm.  The Siri Singh Sahib was lifted into the ambulance and his family followed him. 

We shouted "Boleh So Nihal, Sat Siri Akal!" as we watched the Siri Singh Sahib leave the ranch for the last time.