Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Your Stories
“You’re late. The rumalas have already been brought to the Harimandir Sahib.”
“We were told to be here at ten.”
With a wag of his chin, he indicated that, according to him, we were incorrect. It was hot and we were all dripping with sweat. He held up a…
Posted by Sikh Dharma International& filed under Around the World, Community Participants in this Seva Camp came from around the world – Russia, the Netherlands, France, UK, Canada, Mexico, and USA
Projects the seva team worked on included:
varnishing the doors and windows of the refectories
sanding, painting and varnishing of the dorms on top of the refectories
creating fences around the pond, with…
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Sikh History, Your Stories The dusty roads between Garhshankar and Jalandar teemed with life. Surrounded by serene wheat fields lined with wispy trees, thousands of people motored up and down the cramped highway. They dodged affable but incessant sevaks demanding them to receive Guru’s langar. Their heads adorned with orange turbans in celebration of Holla Mohalla (Holla), the Sikh…
Posted by Jot Prakash Kaur& filed under Around the World, Your Stories Although we learned much more, the theme became clear: When Sikhs stood up for others out of love, our efforts brought great victories to the people; when Sikhs fought on behalf of their own attachments, we lost brutally. The question then became, what are we standing for today?…
Posted by Sirgun Kaur& filed under Around the World, Community, The Guru, Your Stories In times of strife, we often forget that some of these more esoteric solutions might work better than the biggest effort to manually "fix" our problem. When we are receptive to the sacred energy that holds this world together, it builds a bridge for us. …
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Your Stories What often happens, I think, to people born into a unique community with specific lifestyle, is that we do not feel we have chosen the life for ourselves. I think we also see a lot of hypocrisy. What is wrong with my parents’ marriage if they meditate all the time and bow before the Guru?…
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Your Stories My inner dialogue is conflicted. As a Sikh, I value the principles of a person over their religion, race, or creed. I try to live by principles over rules and value inner faith and goodness over outer physical identity. Why, then, should I be so concerned with the outer representation of the buildings that house…
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Your Stories Shabd celebrates the birthday of Kirshna: "I found myself in a minor inner dilemma: how do I interact with the shrines and idols that my fellow visitors each took the time to adore and meditate on? I do not value or worship those objects as divine or magical, but I do respect the place as…
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Community, Your Stories To be honest, I was not at ease. I felt that everyone stared in Har Rai's direction and mine and that we were outsiders to the whole. Through the fray walked a tall Sikh in a pale blue kurta, black dastaar, and a wavy black beard....He was eight. I had a spiritual experience as I…
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Your Stories It's amazing how so much time and effort lead up to a sweet simple moment where two people sit before their Guru, bow, and commit.…
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Your Stories The day was warm, but not too hot. The sun shone clear over Amritsar and the minarets of the Akal Takht glinted over the walls of the Golden Temple complex walls. It was difficult to move. Walking was more like wading through a rushing sea of people; pilgrims come to celebrate the birth of Guru…
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Your Stories But our mission that night was to see a more somber vision. The only twinkle in this sea was the blade of a spear catching light. A sea of blue appeared before the Akal Takhat. Heads bowed, listening to Rahiras Sahib, sat 500 weapon clad Nihang Singhs. Representing the various armies, they were present to…
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Your Stories Silence overtook the crowd and through the aisle, toward the sanctum sanctorum of the temple came a small band of monks. In the center walked a glowing faced man. He smiled and waved at anyone who caught his eye. I watched from across the aisle as he noticed Hari Mitar Singh. His Holiness stopped and…
Posted by Shabd Singh Khalsa& filed under Around the World, Your Stories The early morning air in Amritsar is balmy in mid-September. Our car raced through utterly empty streets. We were running late. Rickshaw peddlers covered in shawls slept on their chariots. Lonely incandescent bulbs uncovered stray dogs sifting trash heaps. The ghosts of a city.
My mind wandered. "Am I worthy of this?" Did I…
Posted by Sikh Dharma International& filed under Around the World, Community, Sikh History Originally written by Siri Sevak Kaur Khalsa and published on Sikhnet on October 12, 2011. This is the story of how Students of Yogi Bhajan in Millis began the Ashram in the Boston area.
First Year in Millis (1981)
Guru Ram Das Ashram in Millis, Massachusetts, was established in 1981 by a group…
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