by SS Satya Kaur Corfield, Espanola NM 
Fall 2017 SDI Ministry Newsletter

Simran—the constant remembrance of God—is the one aspect of Sikh Dharma that resonates above almost all else for me. Having two “10”s in my numerology has always given me a connection to Guru Gobind Singh. With two children who have Simran as part of their names, I feel I am never far from Simran. It is just a part of my life, and hard to separate from my total being.

Even when I am at my lowest point, Simran can make me feel incrementally better, especially when practiced with a mantra. Then Simran becomes easy, as there is less reflection going on, and my mind becomes lost in the mantra.

When I find myself thinking of the events of my day or the challenges in my life, I keep repeating the mantra. It helps me to keep up, continue, and eventually I am taken to a truly meditative state.

Simran can be practiced at any time, not just while sitting at one’s altar or in the presence of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. I still run or walk almost every day, and I find myself using a mantra with my breath while running/walking in the hills around my home.

My thoughts are then guided in a more positive direction, and my problems are eased. (This is an observation that has only come to me recently – so I can say that old age does have some benefits!)

Doing Simran while I exercise (a kriya!) enhances the effects of the exercise, and in spite of the problems I may be facing in my life, there is a definite calmness and upliftment to my state of mind when I finish.

After almost 50 years of witnessing how this practice neutralizes the turbulence in my own daily life, I feel that many of the problems others face—especially in these challenging times—can be transcended with Simran.

Simran is the Foundation

The lives of the Gurus have been a constant inspiration to me—none more so than Guru Gobind Singh, who has consolidated for us such a rich legacy. He solidified the soldier/saint concept that all Sikhs try to understand, embrace and emulate.

Those who are new to Sikh Dharma sometimes have trouble with the soldier aspect of the soldier/saint concept, but it is the yin/yang of Sikh Dharma, and can best be understood and experienced through Simran.

Too often the warrior/soldier aspect has been associated with aggression and anger. People have trouble realizing that with the practice of Simran, the true peaceful warrior/soldier can emerge from within the consciousness of each of us, making us fearless and inspirational in the tradition of Guru Gobind Singh.

Simran is the foundation that helps us merge the warrior with the saint. Both aspects must be present to realize the true vision of a Sikh of Guru Gobind Singh.

During Sunday Gurdwara I look around and see the sangat there, week after week. I have known many of them for more than half my life; I am reminded again that, in spite of differences, we have kept up for all these years. We each have our own challenges, and Simran has been a bedrock for each of us, as it has kept us all here!

About the Author

SS Satya Kaur Corfield was recently ordained as a Sikh Dharma Minister. She has been an educator for over 43 years. She met the Siri Singh Sahib in 1970 at the University of Michigan. Satya Kaur was married in 1972 by the Siri Singh Sahib at a Tantric course in Washington D. C. She has three children, is a grandmother, and has lived in Portland, Oregon, Los Angeles, California, Atlanta, Georgia, and for the last 21 years, Espanola, NM. Her husband, Satya Singh, passed away in 2015, and she is continuing on this Sikh Dharma journey to Infinity, by God’s Grace.