Dhan Dhan Sat Sangat Jit Har ras Payea

(Blessed is the aura of sangat wher one can taste his ambrosial nectar (his Love)

What a lovely place San Diego is!

The samagam was particularly amazing. It was held in a quaint little gurduwara, with the sangat doing seva with a lot of love. As Bauji used to say - ‘Love is caught - not taught’ - one could practically ‘catch’ the sweetness.

In one of the classes we talked about being an Ambassador of our Guruji.

An ambassador is a representative of a country - one who represents its people and policies. In a similar manner, each and every one of us, as a ‘sikh’ represents our Guru and His teachings. The question then is -“How can we make sure that our behavior, whether we are at home or out in a public place, reflects our Guru”?

The children were very enthusiastic about the idea and came up with the following answers to the question:

To be kind, respectful, gentle, helpful & happy.

(Bauji used to say - Sikh da kum hai khir keh rehna teh khara keh rakhna - which means, the job of a sikh is to be happy and smiling and to keep everyone around happy and smiling. This can only be achieved by being in ‘chardian kala’ or ‘high spirits’ which is an after effect of being in His Presence.

Love towards all, malice towards none

(To truly love everyone, regardless of caste, color or religion)

To do nam simran, to work honestly and hard, and to share our blessings with the less fortunate.

(Nam japo, kirt karo, vand chako)

To be generous with our time.

(Time for seva, time for the sick, time for parents & grandparents.)

These were only some of the suggestions. If anyone remembers others please do remind me.

Our actions speak the loudest. They define us. We have to be vigilant at all times, especially if we wear the uniform that our dear Guru adorned us with.

With the knowledge that we belong to our Guru, an inner, knowing smile brings about a certain glow, a radiance, a spring in our gait that makes others wonder - who is this person? Who is His Master?

ਤਿਸੁ ਗੁਰਸਿਖ ਕੰਉ ਹੰਉ ਸਦਾ ਨਮਸਕਾਰੀ ਜੋ ਗੁਰ ਕੈ ਭਾਣੈ ਗੁਰਸਿਖੁ ਚਲਿਆ

I bow forever in deepest respect to that Sikh of the Guru,

who walks in the Way of the Guru

I was also fortunate enough to do another type of sangat - kudrat dee sangat - company of nature.

The sheer immenseness of the Pacific Ocean, its beauty, its depth and hidden treasures is truly humbling.

As I stood in the water,the waves came, one after the other. I felt as if it was rushing to meet me with open arms. The powerful giant then became meek - even though it knew its power it had the humility to lower itself to touch the feet of anyone who came near it - just like a true Gursikh.

Next Tuesday I will post the slides on ‘Universal Religion’ - lekh (essay) written by Bauji.

Guru Ang Sang Sada Sada

(May you remain in His Presence always)