This is the transcript of a speech given by Siri Sikdar Sahiba Sadarni Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa at the Los Angeles Baisakhi Celebrations April, 2013

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh

As we come to Celebrate Our Baisaikhi this year, renewing our identity as Sikhs of the Guru. It seems relevant for us to take a moment to honor both the Adversity & Prosperity that we both faced & achieved together this year

When we are struck by adversity and if we get angry instead of humbled and prayerful, we lose our values, our vision, our heart and our future. It is thru adversity we strengthen in our faith; through adversity we build our endurance and our courage to live in Love instead of fear. Adversity will bond each of us in unique ways to build our wisdom and maintain our freedom.

The Pair of Opposites should never affect us, as Sikhs because in times of adversity, the Creator is testing us to unite to develop our identity, to build our morale & strength, our caliber of heart and our capacity to serve.

In times of Prosperity, it is the test to share what we have gained.  The Guru will represent both negative or positive forms to test our insight.  To test our heart to find our purity.

That is Khalsa.

One who can give his head, his ego and live in the heart.  Where we can Accept the sacrifice required of us, for the sacrifice gives humanity improvement, it gives evolution, it gives transformation.

Though we lost too many saintly members of our community to the Wisconsin tragedy, collectively our prayers were felt across the nation and the sacrifices made by our community began to shift the ignorance from humanity. It began to free us all from the pain of that ignorance.

For we know: We must Understand through compassion, otherwise we will misunderstand the times. When the time is upon us, we must rise. And together, speak out to educate. Then celebrate: our youth performed on American Idol and represented us at the White House

The Guru has given us an expression:

Nanak naam cherdikalaa, tere bane sarbat ka balaa:

Wish Good to all, To see God in All.

If we see bad, we can thank God that it is not us. If we see good,  thank God there is something we can share & learn.

As Sikhs of the Guru we have one unique advantage, that is our birthright. In a way you can say it is an attitude we can adopt as sons and daughters of Guru Gobind Singh, that the Guru will guide us thru each challenge that we face and as we find our unity,  our identity, our prosperity,  and our vision, a vision that clears the path to give us a way to walk, and a way to serve together so that  we will be able to offer our values to humanity at a time when these values most needed.

But we have to continue to earn our future: We do that by giving more of who and what we are; by staying positive to learn when challenged by adversity; by staying in faith and filled with devotional love knowing the Guru is guiding us. Remembering  our identity as Sikhs of the Guru.

This is why we celebrate Baisaikhi.

We come together Every year to Honor Our birth – Celebrate Our Rebirth.

Baisaikhi recognizes the birth of our own identity to live in Love of God beyond all the dualities of conflict that challenge us and instead to stand strong in our identity, and together serve our purpose.

Sikhs give their Heads to the Guru so that all we are left with is our heart: our devotional love, to be a Beloved of the Guru.

As Sikhs we Serve from the Heart. Knowing All are equal before God and God is cause of all actions, the Doer of all that happens.

In the spirit of the 5 Beloved Ones, we join together to renew our spirit,   our commitment to tolerate the intolerable, be kind to the unkind, compassionate to the unworthy. All of these take a depth of character, a wisdom of the soul and the Grace of God and Guru so that the experience of life expands us and we grow when tested by the challenges we face.

On Baisaikhi when Guru Gobind Singh offered the ultimate test to the sangat, he called for a Head: he asked his Sikhs to give their heads, their egos and their ignorance. In return he made them the Beloved Ones. In this way, Guru Gobind Singh  commemorated the spirit of a Sikh to rise when challenged, to serve when challenged and then to bow before God knowing God is the doer and cause of all causes. Because of this we are humbled to live in prayer.

We can never fail if our love for God is strong. We may be tested by adversity or prosperity but at those times if we always remember God we will be forever victorious. Remembering:

EK ONG KAR:  There is one Creator

Sat Nam:  Truth is his identity

Siri Wahe Guru:  GREAT & INDESCRIBABLE IS HIS WISDOM

May we all live renewed in the ecstasy of consciousness to see the Hand of God in all.

Happy Baisaikhi!

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh

Cover Photo by Gurumustuk Singh Khalsa