(Excerpted from lecture on Guru Ram Das birthday 1987)

Transcription

1 N O V E M B E R V O L U M E 1, I S S U E 1 I N S I D E T H I S I S S U E : Community Connection T H E S I K H D H A R M A W O R L D W I D E N E W S L E T T E R Season of Gratitude Lord of Miracles 2 Tour Yuba City Jaloose 3 Siri Singh Sahib 4 Lecture cont d Siri Sikdar Sahiba 5 Column Bhai Sahiba 5 Corner Prosperity Pages 6 What s New 8 Gratitude 9 Calendar & 10 Community News Siblings of 11 Destiny Update The Siri Guru Granth Sahib was given to us at a time of deep strife and conflict was the end of an era: The Guruship was passing from the last human Guru (Guru Gobind Singh) to the Shabad Guru: the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. This transformed the relationship the Sikhs had with their Guru, who had been in human form for more than 200 years. As Sikhs we transitioned at that time from a human Guru to the Shabad Guru: the word of Truth, and from that day we have bowed to no man, only to God. This beautiful gift came with the grace of meeting the challenges to stay in faith with the Guru through every test of time. Since that day 302 years ago, devout Sikhs have been keeping the consciousness of the Dharma alive to pass on to us, the future generations. Just like then, these are great times of change and tests. Another two years will bring the change of the Age. The challenges are many and each of us is going through deep transformation: personally Siri Guru Granth Sahib Shabad Guru and collectively. As we build our strength, our courage and our fortitude to keep up, let us appreciate the infinite blessings the Guru has brought into our Siri Singh Sahib Lecture lives, and grow together to meet the test of these times. The Siri Singh Sahib once said that he prayed for difficulties to go away, but only more came. He learned that he had to pray for the wings to fly over the difficulties and get through any challenges with the Grace of the Guru. Let us pray to our divine Guru that we may bow before him and let our wings carry us to our destiny. Wahe Guru ji ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru ji ki Fateh! (Excerpted from lecture on Guru Ram Das birthday 1987) Sikh religion does not mean anything at all if there is a personality problem, or if there is a personality worship, or there is a personality to adhere to. The fundamental of Sikh religion is very simple, because what we have here is the Shabad Guru. It will never change. We may change or not, that's our problem. We may understand or not, that's our insecurity, our bad luck. We may not have that knowledge. We may try to pretend that with our force and with our might we can overrule things. But what a wonderful situation it is that we have Guru which will say the same thing that it said on the day one, what it says today, and it always will say. This is the beauty where every man can rejoice, where every man can understand. Guru should be one who should take you from darkness to light, but Guru should not be a person or a place or a thing which can change it to a status. It is status of all statuses. It is the ultimate refuge of the mankind and that's what Siri Guru Granth represents today. We don't understand. We still call it "holy book." That is very naive on our part. We don't understand the greatness and the grace of the word spoken and said, and recorded and written. The world shall come to an understanding, and that's what is going to happen, that we, a handful of Sikhs when we'll reach in ourself the purity and piety, when we will have the dignity and the L E C T U R E C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 4

2 P A G E 2 SS Gurubachan Singh & Dr Ardass Singh P U B L I C S E R V I C E & T E A C H I N G Lord of Miracles Journey On September 27 th the Lord of Miracles Tour in Honor of Guru Ram Das was inaugurated in Lima, Peru. For the past eight years, we have had the privilege and honor to travel all over South America sharing the wisdom of Shabd Guru, Kundalini Yoga and the science of breath. This year SS Gurubachan Singh Khalsa, Ram Das Singh Khalsa and Dr Ardass Singh Khalsa from Frankfurt, Germany are traveling to 12 cities in 10 countries throughout Central and South America over the course of 40 days. This tour is the inspiration of Siri Singh Sahib, who, more than 9 years ago, instructed S.S. Gurubachan Singh to share the wisdom of the Gurus and the technology of Kundalini Yoga in South America as the Siri Singh Sahib had done throughout the Western Hemisphere. Women s prison, to teach them to meditate, chant and feel inspired. If any of you have met Dr Ardass, who traveled with Yogi Bhajan on several occasions to India you all understand what a graceful and powerful healer he is. S.S. Gurubachan Singh Khalsa then taught about Reconnecting with yourself in Times Lunch with Peruvian Sangat Prison guards meditating First stop: Lima, Peru The sangat in Lima have been working to bring the teachings of Kundalini Yoga and Shabd Guru to the prison population in their country. This has become such a successful program that now the four main prisons in the country offer classes in Kundalini Yoga. It is amazing to see 300 inmates chanting and meditating, and only makes us more convinced that our work is so great to reach people when they are young to help them avoid the entrapments of life that can place them behind bars. On the first day, the three of us taught more than 300 inmates in the Men's maximum security prison. The impact was incredible and the change that they all went through was nothing short of the miracle of Guru Ram Das. Afterwards Dr Ardass Singh and the Peruvian sangat taught another class to the Maximum security prison inmates doing Kundalini Yoga of Uncertainty". The hall was filled with just fewer than 300 people of Lima who came from all aspects of Peruvian society. S.S. Gurubachan Singh explained to the group the power and importance of the breath and that through the breath you can know how to handle your life. Every answer to the challenges of life is contained in the breath. In these years there is a tremendous disconnection between one's self and reality and as a result people are confused, stressed, worried, fearful and depressed. We all experienced connecting with ourselves through the simple techniques of Kundalini Yoga and mantras from Shabd Guru. In the end everyone was uplifted, recharged and happy. The next day we had the opportunity to work with healers form all over Lima's poor neighborhoods. About 100 women participated in learning about how disease is dis-ease. To control your health and keep away from disease can be reached through proper diet, exercise and meditation. Dr Ardass Singh spoke on this importance as well and relating to how the Siri Guru Granth Sahib teaches us to live lives of C O N T I N U E D O N P A G E 3

3 P U B L I C S E R V I C E & T E A C H I N G Waiting to Follow the Guru It s mid-october and starting to get cool and a bit foggy in the early mornings. At The Siri Guru Nanak Sikh Temple here in Yuba City, devoted Sikhs have been at work for several weeks for the biggest event of the year, Naggar Kirtan [Sikh Procession]. The exact numbers are rumored to be around 70,000 people - devotees who will come to town for that weekend. Motels are booked; every home has out of town visitors. Of course, the parade is the big event, the reason everyone makes the trip. But the bazaar! Just think of all the shopping to be done: acres of vendors, increasing in numbers & varieties every year, hundreds of stalls selling everything one otherwise might only find in Punjab. Just about anything you can find in the bazaars around the Golden Temple can be found here: kirpans, books, jewelry, bright fabrics, cheap toys, thick blankets, an endless supply of free food: rotis, garbanzos, yogurt, dahl, paranthas, freshly squeezed sugar cane juice. Today the parking lots and acreage around the temple loom empty waiting for spaces An update from Yuba City, CA where every year more than 70,000 Sikhs gather to walk in a procession through the streets in honor of Guru Gaddee Day, the day the Siri Guru Granth Sahib became the Guru in P A G E 3 Siri Guru Granth Sahib Float in Yuba City Naggar Kirtan to be filled with cars, trucks, families with children coming to enjoy the weekend s festivities & joy. The temple sits on several acres outside the city; these acres will be filled soon with colorful floats waiting their turn to join the parade, with the most decorated and bright carriage taking our Siri Guru Granth Sahib through the streets of our town. Panj Piare will walk ahead to guide the way, flower petals will bless the way, sweepers will clean the road - and thousands upon thousands will follow the Guru. A day of joy, sharing the indescribable wisdom of our divine scriptures, words which have uplifted and inspired us throughout the year. Very soon now...november 6 & 7th. Wahe Guru! Siri Pritam Kaur has lived in Yuba City, CA for more than 25 years. She encourages all who wish to come for this event to join the festivities. siripritamyc@gmail.com Dr Ardass S with Peruvian baby truth in all aspects. That afternoon we were invited to a wonderful paella lunch made from beautiful Peruvian produce, and Spanish saffron rice. This was a truly memorable part of the tour as we visited the home of Guru Simran Kaur and her husband Don Miguel. From the lunch we headed towards the women's maximum security prison. The women were overjoyed to see us and the class was nothing short of beautiful. 20% of the population of this prison has been practicing Kundalini Yoga for 1 year. As a result there is marked decrease in aggression, violence and substance abuse. The women members of the sangat who are instrumental in this seva of teaching at the prison are Guru Tera Kaur, Guru Simran Kaur, Santokh Kaur, Baltej Kaur and Lord of Miracles Journey, Continued Dev Murti Kaur. These angels of Peru have been generously giving their time and effort as Kundalini Yoga teachers. It has been a great honor for all of us on this wonderful 8th Lord of Miracles Tour in Honor Prison inmates with SS Gurubachan S & Dr Ardass S of Guru Ram Das to participate with them. Read the full article with more pictures at: Excerpted from Ram Das Singh Khalsa s articles on Sikhnet. rds@khalsatrading.com (edited by Guru Kirin Kaur Khalsa)

4 P A G E 4 When...we reach ALWAYS for Guru Ram Das, there's nothing we should worry about. Our affairs will be adjusted. R E S O U R C E S Siri Singh Sahib Lecture (continued from page 1) divinity, when we'll have the essence of one single line: "Ang Sang Wahe Guru," when we'll understand in the all realms of our tattwas, in our chakras, in our gunas, in our being, in our projections, in our rejections, in our pain, in our pleasure, in our richness... when in all that we reach AL- WAYS for Guru Ram Das, there's nothing we should worry about. Our affairs will be adjusted. I understand. I understand you that you want certain things. I know everybody wants certain things. It's not wrong to want certain things. But when you want something and as the God and Guru adjust it, then you accept it. That is the beauty of the man. The difference between animal and man is only very simple. When a man desires something, his state of ecstasy, in micro consciousness to macro consciousness to his magnetic field, has the projection of that attraction but under no circumstances it is finalized, because the entire divinity in its own projection correlates to it, but when an animal desires something, it is one pointed. Either it gets it or it does not. Our totality is sometimes so limited, our desires are sometimes so few, that even the birds laugh at us: "What are these humans doing?" What is happening in the Western world is very beautiful. First time man has found out that he can worship something which is steady, steadfast, clear, pure and conscious. First time! There's no man here. No man ever shall be. That's the beauty of Sikh Dharma. A poor person can come and bow before Siri Guru Granth. A rich person can come and bow before Siri Guru Granth. He may understand or not understand. This is first time that we have to understand that even if we are very wise... if we put all the bibles on the donkey we are not going to get priest out of him, and if we collect all the priests in the world, we are not going to get Christ out of him. It is a question of consciousness. It is that one line: "The Sikh who calls himself the Sikh of the Guru may rise in the ambrosial hour." This one line. It is one line. The question is, are we willing to obey or are we willing to delay? Guru said something very beautiful: "Ik Ong Kar Sat Nam Karta Purkh Nirbhao Nirvair Akal Moorat Ajoonee Saibhang, Gur Prasad*." It is a very tall order. If you want to look at it, it looks like it is impossible. But it is a very simple order. Guru answered it. How to achieve it? "Jap! Aad Sach, Jugaad Sach, Haibhee Sach, Naanak Hosee Bhee Sach." See the truth in all. See that dignity in all. Do not separate the Creator and the creation. We are here to pay our samskars, our karmas. Somebody's lucky enough, he becomes rich, he doesn't understand. He feels very wonderful and he gets all the facility on this earth. But there is emptiness in him. Richness does not mean that you have reached with your own consciousness. Your own soul may not be your friend. Your own consciousness may not come through. Your own intuition may not serve you. The idea is to remain pure every day, idea is to repeat the words of the Guru, idea is to understand Gurbani is not the hassling job... it is a science, simple enough, that when your tongue will rotate with those twists of permutation and combination, when you will read Rehiras and it will make the hypothalamus to totally compute for you the atmosphere through which you have to go through the night. Then you have not to pour bourbon on the rocks and make your head sore and do weird things. You need energy. Without this you cannot live. You think by taking vitamins and taking that kind of stuff you are going to be fine. That's not true. Your spirit is hungry. Then your entire being is empty. You feel the shallowness. But when you repeat the gurbani, when you do the simran, it gives you the essence to do seva. Seva is what? Seva is not to show off. Seva is to serve with the feeling that you glorify the Guru. You wear bana. You wear it. It identifies you with the oneness of Guru. You read bani, it identifies you with the oneness of the Guru. You do seva and simran, it identifies with your identity. Once you find your own identity in a pure form, you are above all. Then the pair of opposites do not affect you. Trust your Guru. Trust your God. It is in you. That's what Guru Ram Das totally stands for. Today we may feel that Sikh Dharma is going through changes. We may feel that we cannot visit the Golden Temple. These are all physical restrictions, but who can take away from us our Golden Temple? It is in our hearts. It is in our memory. It is in our breath of life. Anybody can attack Akal Takhat, but on every sixth of the month, we celebrate that day, and we'll keep on celebrating till Akal Takhat will never be in a position that it can ever be attacked again. We are going to be a nation all around the world. Teachings of Yogi Bhajan 1987

5 R E S O U R C E S P A G E 5 Siri Sikdar Sahiba Sardarni Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa Sardarni Guru Amrit Kaur Khalsa was appointed to the Office of the Siri Sikdar Sahiba (Chief Spiritual Minister) by the Siri Singh Sahib and serves to maintain the quality of spiritual practice within the Sikh Dharma communities. Contact Victory in Faith 2010 has been an extraordinary year of growth and change for our community. The dynamics we faced in this year brought forth a need to cultivate our spirit with faith to bring about victory to our future as a Dharma. The Guru was guiding our spirits to face our challenges in grace and with an attitude of gratitude knowing this beautiful Dharmic path was blessed to be victorious. Throughout history, Sikhs have faced similar challenges, each story was a test of character, caliber and commitment. Faith in our future is God s gift as we bring about a much needed change. Our challenges have awakened us collectively to define our unity and deliver our purpose together. We worked together to inspire, educate and take a stand. So many blessings came as opportunities for our community to grow in our spirit as we began to define our future together and to give and support each other with our hearts, minds and resources. Gratefully the sangat rose to the occasion to carry the Siri Singh Sahib s legacy forward as we collectively created new events, such as the Siblings of Destiny Meetings has been a year of courage to build our spirit to confront life s challenges and deliver our soul to God in Prayer. In gratitude, we have shared this year guided by the Grace of the Guru and a deep love for the mission the Siri Singh Sahib left us to carry forward. Bhai Sahiba s Corner During this time of Guru Gaddee, as we look with gratitude at all of the blessings the Guru brings into our lives, let s understand what an Akandh Path is and how it affects us: Akandh Path means unbroken recitation. An Akandh Path is the continuous recitation or reading aloud of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. The Akandh Path takes fortyeight hours to complete (seventy-two hours when reading English translation). While reciting we are repeating the exact same words that were spoken by the Guru during their divine communion with the Infinite. Reciting this bani gives us that same experience of union with God. Guru Gobind Singh s own delivery of the Granth to Bhai Mani Singh took exactly two days of continuous recitation. Without standing or stopping he recited the entire Siri Guru Granth Sahib to Bhai Mani Singh, as it is today. In this way Guru Gobind Singh not only delivered the Granth to his battle worn Sikhs, but he delivered it to the hands of all posterity as well. The Akandh Path re-creates this act by Guru Gobind Singh, and thereby creates the sound current that elevates a person s consciousness to the Guru s consciousness. The Sikh comes to the Akandh Path to experience direct communication with the Guru. You speak the Guru s words, you speak the Guru s concept of God s words, and you hear them being spoken. There is no higher or more sophisticated meditation possible in a human body, within a human lifetime, than to hear your own voice reciting the Guru s words. The effects of the Akandh Path are not confined to the reader alone. By virtue of the unbroken recitation, the vibration of the Gurbani comes to permeate all of the surroundings. It creates a unique and auspicious environment of protection and blessings, whereby at any moment a listener or reader may be merged with the sound current of the Infinite, and in this way lives are changed forever. - Excerpted from Bhai Sahiba Bibiji s book: Living Reality Dr. Bibiji Inderjit Kaur, the wife of the Siri Singh Sahib, was appointed by him to the position of Bhai Sahiba (Chief Religious Minister) of Sikh Dharma. She is known around the globe as a revered "mother" and honored as an ambassador of good will for all.

6 P A G E 6 Amrit Kaur, SDW Dasvandh Office P R O S P E R I T Y Last week one evening I got a phone call. At that time it is usually salespeople calling so I normally try to avoid them. Sure enough it was a surveyor asking if I could give my opinion on childhood immunizations. The woman sounded very nice, and I was thinking to myself, how bad the economy is right now and how hard it must be for these telemarketers so I decided to go ahead and take the survey. After about 5 minutes, when she said we were not even halfway through, I decided to end the call as I didn t have the time to finish. A few days later I got a letter in the mail from that person saying how much she appreciated me taking the time to talk with her and enclosed $5 cash. She asked me if I could continue the call at a later time for an additional payment. This to me is an example of Dasvandh at work. I gave my time (5 minutes) and was rewarded by the universe for doing it. I encourage you all to look for ways that Dasvandh is at work in your life. - Amrit Kaur, SDW Dasvandh Office Personal Dasvandh Stories The other day, I was driving down a mountain road after collecting firewood. The truck hit a bump, swerved and almost threw us over the edge. All of a sudden, we regained control and corrected our course. The next day, I wrote a check to Dasvandh, to the Infinite, in gratitude for being saved from a life-threatening accident. This is my relationship with Dasvandh. I give out of gratitude for all of the blessings in my life. I give to celebrate joyous occasions, simple everyday blessings and for life saving interventions. My life has become an exercise of gratitude. I am happier, things flow smoother and I feel more protected than ever before. Update: I just brought in another check to Dasvandh in gratitude for another near miss! Dasvandh is truly a blessing. - Anonymous Touch every heart, bow your head, bless everybody, and you shall be blessed. Siri Singh Sahib Prosperity Prayer Partners As a community, as a sangat, we rise and fall together; our collective destinies are linked as siblings. To grow in prosperity as a community we need to help each other. Try this: find someone you would like to partner with and each day pray for the other person s prosperity Project on them infinite blessings and ask God to shower them with prosperity, while they do the same to you. Watch and see the prosperity grow for each of you and then share that with the community. Gurprasad Inside Story Headline (Guru s Blessings) Prosperity Meditation Sit in Easy Pose with a straight spine. With your upper arms close to your sides, bring your hands to the level of the heart with the hands This story can fit be out of context. article. Be sure to place the side-by-side and cupped (the way they are for receiving prasad). Eyes words. Microsoft Publisher includes caption of the image near the are one-tenth open and focused at the tip of the nose. Selecting pictures or graphics thousands of clip art images image. is an important part of Siri adding Singh Sahib from said: which Allow you can all choose the blessings of heaven to flow to content to your newsletter. you; ask for and whatever import into you your need; newsletter. flow There of are spirit. also several know yourself to be blessed; feel Think about your article the and boundless ask yourself if the picture supports or enhances the He message did not give tools you can use to draw shapes a time and symbols. limit or mantra for this meditation, so you can you re trying to convey. listen Avoid to your Once favorite you have mantra chosen or shabad an that fills you with divine selecting images that appear bliss. to image, place it close to the

7 V O L U M E 1, I S S U E 1 Message from Dasvandh Director Dasvandh is delighted to join forces with Community Connections! Every month, you will find information on Prosperity Technology and Dasvandh located in the heart of this new publication. Please send us your inspirational stories, proven techniques, favorite Siri Singh Sahib quotes or lectures, passages from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib, questions, interests anything that we can share or assist you with to support the gift of Dasvandh. We are available anytime at or satmitar@sikhdharmaworldwide.org Sikh Dharma Worldwide is launching the Prosperity Project to help build prosperity for our entire dharma through: Sharing the vast wealth of teachings and technology the Siri Singh Sahib brought with him to the west Promoting our expertise delivered through our businesses, healing practices, services, books, courses, Expanding our culture of giving through the practice of Dasvandh. The goal is to increase the number of participants who experience the benefits of the teachings, increase your income through building awareness of your courses, businesses, services, and increase Dasvandh donations. It is a win-win for everyone. Wealth is literally at our fingertips. All we need to do is work together. Please send Satmitar Kaur (satmitar@sikhdharmaworldwide.org) information on what you are doing and we will help you promote it. P R O S P E R I T Y Siri Singh Sahib said: P A G E 7 Give to God what belongs to God. It is called Dasvandh: one-tenth of your time, income, thoughts, projection, communication, belongings, and one-tenth of every act. Every act is blessed in which one-tenth belongs to God". We deeply honor and appreciate all of you who give your tenth to Dasvandh. May you be forever blessed by the hand of Guru Ram Das. Satmitar Kaur has served the Siri Singh Sahib s non-profits since Her work has ranged from Managing and Representing 3HO NGO at the United Nations, Directing Peace Prayer Day, participating in public relations, community development and fundraising. Since January, she has served as Director of Dasvandh. She finds joy through the Shabad Guru and service to this beautiful dharma. The Prosperity Project All for One, One for All! Siri Kirpal Kaur Khalsa is one of the first to support the Prosperity Project. She will donate 20% of the profits to Dasvandh and 10% to the Legal Fund. By purchasing her beautiful book, Sikh Spiritual Practice: The Sound Way to God, you will experience a lovely read on the Siri Singh Sahib s teachings on Sikh Dharma and support Sikh Dharma Worldwide at the same time. Consider stocking up on this book for your students who are interested in learning more about the sacred path of Sikh Dharma. Purchase your copies today at these Dharmic businesses: or Next Dasvandh Teleclass: November 13th, 10 11:30 AM MST Yoga, Meditation and a Plan of Action: The Manifestation of True Prosperity Prosperity is a spiritual phenomenon that comes when spirit infuses the physical form and charges it with pranic energy. By holding this frequency, you begin to radiate and attract the intentions set forth, whether money, love or fame. Business success, however, must be supported by a plan of action, a business plan, which is an active meditation to manifest your intentions. Join Siri Karm Singh Khalsa, founder and president of The Boston Language Institute, as he draws from his 30-year experience of building a company from humble beginnings to international renown. With wisdom, humor and heart, he will blend conversation and meditation to map a path to prosperity for all.

8 P A G E 8 Shabad Information from Mantrapedia on Shabad image from Shabad Printer on Aap Sahaee Hoa Aap Sahaee Hoa is a shabad written by the fifth Guru, Guru Arjan Dev Ji. Siri Singh Sahib said that this shabad can relieve unbearable financial pressure if chanted for 62 minutes (best time between 3-4 AM). N E W S & W H A T S N E W This shabad is a gift to you that will let you penetrate the unknown without fear. It will give you protection & mental balance. Join the Aap Sahee Hoa Worldwide Prosperity Meditation on Saturday, November 6th! The Worldwide sangat will be chanting 62 minutes of Aap Sahee Hoa any time on Saturday! Spread the Good News! We encourage you to pass this newsletter out to your friends, community and students. If you would like more copies or know of anyone who would like to start receiving this newsletter, simply us at or call Prefer Version? This Sikh Dharma World- Wide Newsletter is a monthly edition and will be mailed free of charge to anyone who wishes to receive it. If you prefer to receive your copy via , please let us know by filling out the attached survey, or calling/ ing Amrit Kaur at the number and above. Meet the Staff of SDW SS Gurujot Kaur, Secretary General: Oversees the work of SDW including Siblings of Destiny, Communications & Community Outreach SS SatSundri Kaur, General Manager: Oversees operations including HR, Fund- Raising, Website Development, SDW Board Secretary SS Guru Kirin Kaur, Comptroller General: Runs the Financial Department & produces monthly newsletter Satmitar Kaur, Community & Dasvandh Director: Oversees Dasvandh management and growth, supports community outreach Amrit Kaur, Donation Administrator & Customer Service: Oversees donation tracking & data management, coordinates mailings Newsletter Acknowledgements: Editor in Chief: SS Guru Kirin Kaur Khalsa; Executive Editor: SS Gurujot Kaur Khalsa Contributing Editors: SS SatSundri Kaur Khalsa & Satmitar Kaur Khalsa Subscription/Mailing Manager: Amrit Kaur Khalsa Please Give us Your Feedback Survey: Please use the attached survey to give us your feedback about this newsletter. We want to make sure we are serving to connect, inform, educate and inspire all of our Sikh Dharma sangats. Please Also Share With Us: Your personal stories of experience with the Guru, the sangat or any other Sikh related event Your events and activities what you are doing and what is happening in your community What you would like to see: programs, events, information, teaching, etc How this newsletter and Sikh Dharma WorldWide can serve you better: what you enjoy and what you hope to see improved news@sikhdharmaworldwide.org

9 In Gratitude This has been a big year for Sikh Dharma WorldWide. From starting with virtually nothing we have grown into a working organization that is setup to continue to serve the sangat. Together we started semi-annual Siblings of Destiny meetings, helped to put on Siri Singh Sahib s birthday party at his Ranch, sponsored the annual rumalas and Akandh Path at the Golden Temple for Siri Singh Sahib s birthday, and we are sponsoring the weekly Khalsa Akandh Paths at Takhat Keshgar Sahib for our Khalsa family. Selfless Acts of Faith & Courage Sat Kartar Singh (NM) Sat Kartar Singh saved the day by graciously donating office space for Sikh Dharma Worldwide in Santa Fe, so the work of serving the mission of Sikh Dharma and the Siri Singh Sahib could continue without interruption. He provided computers and office furniture as well. Jai Singh (Millis) Jai Singh donated new computers for the Sikh Dharma Worldwide staff Avtar Hari Singh (NM) Avtar Hari Singh has stepped forward to selflessly serve in managing our legal pursuit, while continuing his service to Sikh Dharma Worldwide and the Sangat at this critical time. He has attended most of the hearings in Oregon, and has kept our Sangat informed and updated. He has also been leading the fund-raising effort for the SDW Legal Fund. To all Donors & Sevadars who have generously given to Dasvandh and the SDW Legal Fund: Your selfless acts of giving are the backbone of our service to the sacred path of Sikh Dharma and the legacy of the Siri Singh Sahib. With your donations, we can continue to uphold the values and teachings we hold so dear and continue our service to the future of Sikh Dharma. Amrit Kaur, Chancellor Amrit Kaur spends endless hours on our law case, as an advisor and a valuable resource to the legal team. She is an invaluable asset to our legal pursuit, particularly as we move into the discovery phase. Gurujodha Singh (CA) Gurujodha Singh s knowledge and indomitable spirit are a great asset to our current challenge. He is a motivator and a warrior for truth. P A G E 9 All of this happened through the efforts of the Worldwide sangat who came forward, out of love and devotion to the legacy of the Siri Singh Sahib, to serve his memory, appreciating what his contribution has brought to our lives. So many people came forward touched by what they were seeing and offered their support and assistance in multiple ways. Some have given the treasures of time, money and resources but all did it in the spirit of Bheta: an offering to their teacher out of love, to keep the legacy in its purity. We d like to like to honor a just few of these brave sevadars of light and truth who have served in this year of Guru Gobind Singh: Siri Pritam Kaur and Guru Kirin Kaur This devoted mother and daughter have generously donated the current new office space for Sikh Dharma Worldwide in Espanola and remodeled the space to suit SDW, so we could have a long term office closer to the Sangat. Siri Pritam Kaur has also helped with fundraising and organized fund-raising events in Yuba City. Spokespersons Group Sat Mitar Kaur NM Avtar Hari Singh NM Siri Mukta Singh NM Dharma Singh NM G R A T I T U D E The Spokespersons Group is a team of volunteers who have offered to keep their local communities updated and informed and are committed to fostering open communication & building spirit. They have a weekly bridgeline phone meeting where they receive the latest updates from the Secretary General, SS Gurujot Kaur, and share community news with each other. They then share this information with their local sangats. We d like to give our thanks to everyone who participated over the past year. The following are the dedicated core group: Seva Simran Siri S NM Mukhtiar Singh NM Guru Dev Kaur LA Guru Singh LA Satwant Singh (VA) Satwant Singh has stepped up to champion our fund-raising efforts. Through his personal example and his efforts in working with the Dasvandh team, he has helped raise the awareness of the blessing of giving Dasvandh and increased our Dasvandh donations. He is now working with the Legal fund-raising effort and hopes to further increase our donations to the SDW Legal Fund. Virginia Sangat - The Herndon, VA Sangat has been instrumental in supporting the establishment of Sikh Dharma Worldwide. As a community, they have made large donations to the legal effort and they continue to support and serve our current challenge both collectively & as individuals. Phoenix and New Mexico Sangats These Sangats have sponsored fund-raising events for the SDW Legal Fund and have worked to raise the spirit in their communities and keep their members informed and updated. Gurujodha S CA Soul Singh AZ Viriam Kaur OR Sat Tara Kaur CO Siri Vishnu Singh NY Satwant Singh VA Beant Singh VA Siri Karm Singh MA To join this group or for more information, contact Gurujot Kaur at gurujot@sikhdharmaworldwide.org

10 P A G E 10 November 2010 CALENDAR Nov 6th:WorldWide Aap Sahaee Hoa Prosperity Meditation Nov 2nd: Guru Nanak s Birthday Nov 6th & 7th: Guru Gaddee Naggar Kirtan in Yuba City, CA Nov 21st: Martyrdom of Guru Tegh Bahadur, beheaded in Delhi by the Moghul emperor. Accession of Guru Gobind Singh to the Guruship You Can Participate: Promote these events in your area, celebrate with your community and let us know how that went. We love to hear your stories. Please also let us know of upcoming Sikh Dharma events in your area. You can us at: news@sikhdharmaworldwide.org C O M M U N I T Y November is Sikh Awareness & Appreciation Month in California In September, the California State Assembly unanimously declared November to be a Sikh Awareness and Appreciation Month. CA Assemblyman Logue said that Californians of Sikh heritage have made many great contributions to California and it is important for all Californians to recognize and appreciate the important role Sikh Americans have played in our state. He further stated: that he was proud to honor such a well deserving community for all their hard work, and hope that this resolution will help to further California s diversity by creating mutual understanding and respect between all Californians. SALDEF honors Ravitej Singh Sikh American Legal Defense & Education Fund honored Ravitej Singh Khalsa from Eugene, OR on October 16th, for his efforts of more than 25 years to repeal the law in Oregon which prevented teachers from wearing religious garb in the classroom. This law had been in place since 1922 and was finally repealed earlier this year. Legal Update Oregon Attorney General Files Similar Lawsuit against UI, GTM & Others! On Thursday, October 7, 2010, the Oregon Department of Justice filed a lawsuit against Unto Infinity LLC, GTM LLC, the Siri Singh Sahib Corporation, plus Kartar Singh Khalsa, Sopurkh Kaur Khalsa, Peraim Kaur Khalsa, Siri Karm Kaur Khalsa, and the other 5 members of GTM, LLC namely Karam Singh Khalsa, Ajeet Singh Khalsa, Guru Hari Singh Khalsa, Gurudhan Singh Khalsa and Robert Ziehl. The suit was filed under seal for a 30-day period of time, so the specific causes of action are not currently public. Our lawyers are working to have the seal removed as soon as possible. This Attorney General is an experienced defender of the public interest. He served as trial counsel with the Enron Task Force as well as convicted several high profile organized crime prosecutions. Here is a link to his bio: We are bolstered by the entry of the AG into this case as it will further expose the defendants actions, and remain confident that through the efforts of our lawyers and with the help of the Oregon AG we will continue to identify, secure, safeguard and recover assets meant for the Dharma and its future. D E F E N D I N G O U R D H A R M A Bheta The Siri Singh Sahib once said: There's a word in Sikh Dharma and its a very beautiful word, it s called Bheta. Bheta means offering...bheta is: You give to the Superior. We bring our offering to the Guru...Normally we bring our offering to the Guru but today we bring our offering to the Guru with a petition. And that is a Sikh tradition...bheta is a very complex situation...bheta justifies the fact that you offer your body, mind, and soul. You become a martyr. You become a total sacrifice for the Guru's cause. Bheta means you give your wealth, you give your health, you give your time, you give everything in the world before anything you believe is your altar, something you believe which is higher, something you believe is a cause. Teachings of Yogi Bhajan 1987 Petition the Guru for Our Legal Victory Support the Legal Fund Today For more information and to donate to the Legal Fund, visit our website at

11 Siblings of C O M M U N I T Y P A G E 11 Destiny Update Secretary General SS Gurujot Kaur Khalsa As Siblings of Destiny we have awakened to our collective destiny of building the future of Sikh Dharma together in unity, with values, consciousness and purity of heart. We are deeply aware that this is a pivotal time in our history and that there is a need to individually and collectively raise our level of responsibility and participation to serve the future of our Dharma. Our victory belongs to God and Guru, and our collective faith will take us beyond our challenges to our unity of purpose in serving the Siri Singh Sahib s legacy. We have held two Siblings of Destiny Meetings in 2010, to continue the time honored tradition of having semi-annual meetings of the leadership body of the Khalsa. Out of the pure love and devotion to serve the future of Sikh Dharma and the mission of the Siri Singh Sahib, ministers of Sikh Dharma, and members of the Khalsa Council and the Sadh Sangat gathered together in Espanola, New Mexico for these historic meetings. We each have our part to play in contributing to the future of the Dharma. Think about what part you want to play! The Siblings of Destiny meetings are a joyous expression of our spirit, our consciousness and our commitment to work together to serve the future of our beloved Sikh Dharma. Members of the In the Sadh Sangat, the Company of the Holy, I meet God, O Siblings of Destiny, God is totally pervading and permeating everywhere. Guru Arjan Dev Ji global Sadh Sangat are welcome to participate in these meetings. The dates of the next meeting, the Baisakhi Siblings of Destiny Meeting, are April 20 23, Please save the date and let s all make every effort to be there together, building the future of our Dharma. Sub-Committees Three focus areas were defined at the meetings: Governance and Leadership Defining effective governance that endures and evolves with changing times. Defining the qualities of leadership Raising Spirit & Community Supporting and growing our communities. Valuing our connectedness. Using our technology to keep our individual and collective spirit raised. Funding the Mission of the Khalsa Attracting prosperity in order to manifest the future vision of the Khalsa. Creating avenues of participation for the Sangat. These groups are continuing their work via bridgeline telephone meetings, and invite others to join who would like to participate. If you would like to be on the Siblings of Destiny list to receive information and updates about the meetings and the work of the focus groups, please write: gurujot@sikhdharmaworldwide.org and request to be on the mailing list.

12 Sikh Dharma Worldwide PO Box 5585 Santa Fe, NM Phone: Fax: Website: Visit us online at Community Connection Newsletter Inside this November Gratitude Issue: Page 1 Siri Singh Sahib Lecture Trust your Guru. Trust your God. It is in you. That's what Guru Ram Das totally stands for. Page 6 Guru s Blessings Prosperity Meditation Know yourself to be blessed; feel the boundless flow of spirit. Page 8 Aap Sahaee Hoa This shabad can relieve unbearable financial pressure Page 2 Lord of Miracles South America Tour The impact was incredible and the change...was nothing short of the miracle of Guru Ram Das. Page 11 Siblings of Destiny Update We each have our part to play in contributing to the future of the Dharma. Think about what part you want to play!

13 Shabad Image from Shabad Printer at Sikhnet: This beautiful Shabad by Guru Arjan Dev Ji, 5 th light of divine, creates the vibration of prosperity and protection through its repetition and remembrance. Siri Singh Sahib Ji says of this Shabad: "It will totally eliminate enemies and block the impact of animosity forever; it can give you mental self-control. If chanted for 62 minutes, the best time being between 3-4 am, it can relieve unbearable financial pressure. This meditation from the Siri Guru Granth Sahib Ji is a gift to you that will let you penetrate the unknown without fear. It will give you protection and mental balance.