Here is the final video with Sadasat Simran Singh and Jugat Guru Singh (Chardikala Jatha) answering my question about why he chose to study Gurbani Kirtan/Raag and what they envision for the future.
Archive for the 'Sikh Role Models' Category
We just finished an amazing 4 days of the Jaap Sahib course here in Espanola, New Mexico. You all missed a good thing! We even had quite a few people come from as far as England! Those of you who missed it are in luck, because I recorded some of the happenings, and over the next weeks/months I’ll be posting bits and pieces as we have time to sift through and edit it.
During the Jaap Sahib Course the Chardikala Jatha were quite involved so I recorded a lot of interesting video with them talking about many different topics. On the last day I was able to pull them into the SikhNet office to do a few quick interviews. Sadasat Simran Singh speaks Punjabi quite fluently so I thought it would be cool to have a video interview with him in Punjabi (though I do ask the questions in English). Here is one of the videos from yesterday….
About a month ago SCORE had their annual dinner at one of the US capitol buildings in Washington DC. During the event SikhNet along with many different individuals were recognized for their leadership and service to the Sikh community. It was great to hear about so many people and know that they were all being publicly recognized and supported. During this evening two people (Valarie Kaur and Sharat Raju) were recognized for their work in producing the film "Divided We Fall - Americans in the Aftermath".
The following is an inspiring video recording from that night, of her sharing thoughts about the film and her experiences. Maybe I’m a sensitive guy, but her words struck a chord with me and I remember getting teary eyed. I remember when we first met back in 2001 in DC when she was first talking about making a film. A lot has gone on since then. It’s great to see others who are motivated and working towards the betterment of Sikhs and people at large.
You can watch the opening sequence from the film, which will give you an idea of what it is about.
Related Links
- Divided We Fall - Opening sequence
- CNN, Paula Zahn Now - May 2007
- Opening of the Film Divided We fall
- Into the Whirlwind - Valarie Kaur’s Blog
- Divided We Fall Website
Picture Above: Prabhu Singh in the wilderness near his work place
Shortly after the catastrophic events of 9/11 a Sikh, Balbir Singh, was murdered in Arizona. Other Sikhs have been severely beaten, Sikh Gurdwaras vandalized, and countless taunted with labels of “Arab,” “Osama,” and the like. The misplaced blame for terrorism on Muslims and any one appearing Middle Eastern has hits Sikhs as well. The idea of a "collective guilt" is paltry, but it is ironic that Sikhs are targeted because Sikhism is completely separate from Islam and the current conflicts in the Middle East. Some Sikhs believe that they have gotten even more discrimination than other groups because of their distinct attire of turban and beard. Challenge is not new for the Sikhs who have historically protected the religious freedom of all people against extreme odds. Additionally Sikhs have faced massacres at the hands of Mughal and Afghani invaders in 1746 and 1762, as well as British officers in 1919, communal rioters in 1947, and the modern Indian Government in 1984. Sikhs, who have always been a visible minority, have faced times when a price was placed on each head of a Sikh. Now, many Sikhs have cut their hair and have taken off their turbans to avoid discrimination.
In the remote location of Los Alamos, New Mexico, four Sikhs work at the Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL). This high security laboratory is most recognized as the birthplace of the atomic bomb, and has been recognized as one of the premiere scientific institutions of the 20th and 21st centuries.
Continue reading ‘Interview with Prabhu Singh - Sikh professional’
Krishna Kaur is one women that has been doing some great work within the community. I have known here since I was just a baby growing up in Los Angeles. I don’t see here that often these days now that I live in New Mexico, but it is always inspiring to hear and see the work that she has been doing. She runs a great non-profit organization (Yoga for Youth) which helps so many kids and has also been traveling to Africa a few times a year to teach and inspire people there.
Here is a video about one of her visits to Ghana, Africa when she did the first "Teacher Training" to enable people in africa to train to become teachers of Kundalini Yoga. (In the video you’ll also see Espanola Locals: Siri Chand and Lakhmi Chand who went along to Ghana, Africa in 2005 to help with this training).
Download - Medium Qality (88MB) Download - High Quality (171MB)
This second video is a "shout out"/testamonial by the famous film actor Forest Whitaker about the work that Krishna Kaur is doing and her trip to Africa.
For a long time my wife Arjan has been wanting go to Africa and work with some of the kids there and help heal them (She is a Doctor of Chiropractic). She has been saving money to make such a trip in the future. I’m sure it will be an interesting experience!
Related Links
http://www.yogaforyouth.org
http://www.blackyogateachers.com
Before Guru Singh and Gurmukh Kaur, there was Shakti.
Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa, the first Kundalini Yoga teacher in America not named Yogi Bhajan, is a tiny elder with boundless energy. Born in 1929, she explored spiritual realms long before the Beatles met the Maharaja. Her seeking led her to cultish communes and astrologers, to Sufi celebrations and Vedanta lectures, and finally, on Christmas Day, 1968, to her teacher.
At the time she had been a single mother her entire adult life. Shakti worked hard and held waitress jobs at the Beverly Hilton and at the now defunct Pump Room in the San Fernando Valley. She met Yogi Bhajan at the East West Cultural Center. He could tell something disturbed her.
“Your son’s in trouble, isn’t he?” asked the tall, olive-skinned stranger with bright eyes.
Intrigued, she came clean. Her son, a recent army recruit, went AWOL and had been missing for weeks. Yogi Bhajan gave her a mantra meditation to chant daily for an hour before sunrise (Long Ek Ong Kaars).
“If you do this, your son will be okay,” he advised.
Shakti, not the typical 1960s forty-something, was no stranger to chanting, but the handsome yogi’s Ek Ong Kar mantra provided the most potent spiritual experience of her life. In the early morning darkness her energy aligned, her heart blossomed. Shakti had found her sadhana. Within days her son phoned and with Yogi Bhajan ‘s guidance, Shakti negotiated a discharge without legal repercussions. She was hooked.
Continue reading ‘Shakti Parwha Kaur Khalsa: Kundalini Matriarch’
Today is the birthday of a great soul, a true Gursikh, and the person I have regarded as my mother for my entire adult life - Bhai Sahiba Bibi Inderjit Kaur, wife of Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa Yogiji. To me, she is known in my heart simply as “Bibiji”.
Bibi Inderjit Kaur was born on January 22, 1935, in the town of Wazirabad in the district of Gujranwala which is now part of Pakistan. She was born into a devout Sikh family with a powerful lineage. Her great-grandfather was Bhai Sahib Abnasha Singh who was a known and respected saint and healer of his time. When Maharaja Ranjit Singh was stricken with small pox as a child, he was brought to Bhai Abnasha Singh for treatment. Ranjit Singh came in royal splendor with great pomp and show, and Bhai Sahib admonished him saying, “You should not have come with all this nonsense. You have disturbed my meditation!” But ultimately he did bless Ranjit Singh and assured him that even though he had already lost one eye to the disease, he would heal and his other eye would be preserved. Later in life when Maharaja Ranjit Singh held rule over the Punjab, he bestowed the title of Bhai Sahib to Abnasha Singh in acknowledgement of his deep spirituality. He told Abnasha Singh to circle as many villages as he could on horseback in one day, and these he gave to him as a jagir, or land grant, in gratitude for healing him as a child.
Another great Sikh is in Bibiji’s family tree is the brave and loyal warrior, Hari Singh Nalwa. Once in the early 1990’s I was with Bibiji and the Siri Singh Sahib in India and we all went to Hardwar to see the river Ganges. In the old days, the genealogy of the great families where kept by the family Brahmin in Hardwar. Once a year, the devote Hindus would go for their purifying bath, and at that time would sign their family book, recording the births and deaths that occurred that year. As Sikh families sprung from the ancient Hindu bloodlines, some also continued the tradition of keeping their family records in Hardwar. So that day when we visited Hardwar, I learned for the first time of Bibiji’s eminent family and that her family lineage was recorded there. The old Brahmin priest brought forth “the book”, and we all signed our names as having come with Bibiji to the Ganges. Four or five pages back in the book, there in bold black ink was the signature of Hari Singh Nalwa - the one who defended the Khalsa against all odds. Right there on the page, the gallant handwriting jumped out me! And next to his signature was another one easily recognized. On that day, Maharaja Ranjit Singh himself had signed the book as the guest of Hari Singh. Not only his signature, but his royal seal was proudly displayed. The two great men came for a cool bath on a hot spring day. It was right there in Bibiji’s family book, five pages back in history from our own signatures.
In this article Shanti Kaur Khalsa assesses the spiritual position and strength of Sikh women. Drawing from both Sikh philosophy and personal experiences, she demonstrates the importance of being a Sikh woman in today’s world…
"As we enter the change of the millennium, the role of the woman has changed and will continue to change dramatically. Striving to maintain ourselves in the age of technology, we find years pass with such speed and anxiety that sometimes we do not know what maintains us except the blessing of God’s companion. A woman carries the responsibility of the physical, mental and spiritual well being of her family. This is a serious job that can reap great rewards, but also carries dire consequences when not done successfully. In addition to that, many women have added the weight of work and career. When there is constant pressure and no relaxation, when there is no outlet, when there is a constant deficit in our mental and physical capacity, it results in a shattered mind and the loss of happiness and inner peace. We suffer as women, and our generations suffer as a result. This is a dilemma that is shared by women in every country, of every religion, on every continent.
With the tri-centenary of the Khalsa, we find that Guru Gobind Singh gave us the answers to these modern age problems more than three hundred years ago. Woman is strong by nature. Woman is spiritual by nature. By fine-tuning our uniquely feminine attributes with the Guru’s Rehat, Guru Gobind Singh assures us purity. We become not women, not men, but something far and beyond…we become KHALSA! In these difficult times, it is required that a woman should not only be pure. She needs to be purifying. Her very presence should create an effect on her surroundings that uplifts and illuminates those with whom she comes in contact The formula is clear, the solution is simple in nature, and success is guaranteed. This is the simple strategy of Bana, Bani, Simran, and Seva.
Some Youth in England have been organizing a free newsletter/magazine and their July online edition just came out. Go ahead and read through it and give them your support (suggestions, articles, etc). You can email Sikh Speak Directly at: sikhspeak@gmail.com
In the July edition I particularly enjoyed reading the interview with Snatam Kaur which was done during her recent visit to England. You can read the interview here.
Here is another thought provoking interview with Sukhmani Kaur (UK wale). Have a read, it’s interesting :)
