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Location: New Mexico

Publications: Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul by Guru Nanak translated by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa. Anand Sahib: The Song of Bliss by Guru Amar Das translated by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa. Available through www.sikhdharma.org.

Thursday, January 12, 2006

Teaching Japji Sahib Washington DC area: March 10-11th

Deeply listening,
Sorrows and errors
Depart.
(from Guru Nanak’s Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul)

Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa, Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh!

Kartar Singh from the Virginia sangat is very kindly organizing a Japji Sahib course for the community (especially the Sikh youth) living along the East Coast. He has asked me to teach the course with him. So we are quietly working on a cozy, experiential workshop incorporating chanting, meditation, yoga, conversations about the meaning of Japji Sahib and some of the teachings of Yogi Bhajan.

The course will take place on Friday evening, March 10th, from 6:30 pm to 9 pm, and all day Saturday, March 11th from 9 am to 5:30 pm. The course will be held at the Raj Khalsa Gurdwara which, I understand, is just outside of Washington DC in Sterling, VA. It is my sincere prayer that you may decide to attend and we can meet each other face to face for the first time, sharing in the bliss and wisdom of Guru Nanak. (For more details – see the end of this post.)

It's always a blissful pleasure to get together with sangat and just be in the vibration of the Guru. In the past couple of years, it's been a blessing to teach a few phone courses about Japji Sahib - and all I know is that whenever people get together to hear the Guru's words, really beautiful things happen. It has nothing to do with who is there, or what is said - and everything to do with the mystical presence of the Guru. That Spirit shows up whenever there's a group of folks gathered to meditate and really understand the words of Gurbani. We all become channels for one another - channels of divine light, of healing, of learning and growing.

Gurdwara is very special - when we come together and chant and meditate as a sangat. But there's also something extraordinarily healing about spending time trying to understand what the Guru's words mean - and how they can very practically and realistically be applied to our everyday lives. It's this practical understanding, the lived values of the Guru, that gives a Sikh his or her power. The power to stand for truth. The power to project and protect that unique identity of Khalsa – no matter what the social pressures. And it is in striving to understand those words, and how to live them, that allows us to go deeper into ourselves and touch the spirit of the Divine within us.

I am a beginner, really, when it comes to meditating on and understanding the Guru's words. So the position of teaching a course is more about sharing a perspective - because it helps anchor the teachings for my own growth - and then having a chance to listen, to hear what other people have to say, what insights they have - because we are all of us helping each other along the way.

So if you feel that you would like to take the time to go deeply into Japji Sahib, to grapple with it and engage it personally, one-on-one; if you want to understand what the Guru is talking about, and what importance those words may have for you, in your own life, today; or if you feel you may have something to contribute to others – please come be with us.

Now, for the practical details.

The cost for the course is $85 if paid in full by March 1. $100 after that date. It includes a complimentary copy of the translation. The cost also includes a vegetarian lunch, snacks, and tea.

The course will take place on March 10th from 6:30 to 9 pm and March 11th from 9 am to 5:30 pm at the Raj Khalsa Gurdwara, 6 Export Dr. in Sterling, VA outside of Washington DC.

To register for the course, contact Kartar Singh at
kartarkhalsa@kiit.com or (703) 471-7844. Also, if you need help with overnight accommodations, Kartar Singh can assist you with that, as well.

In the will of God, may we be blessed to be together during this time. I am very much looking forward to it.

All love in the Divine,

Ek Ong Kaar Kaur

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From the SikhNet Events Calendar: March 10th and 11th.

Immerse yourself in the wisdom and technology embodied in Guru Nanak's Japji Sahib: The Song of the Soul. This workshop will include: an overview of the deep truths and spiritual path as described by Guru Nanak in Japji Sahib; experiential segments through music, chanting and meditation; a chance to connect with spiritual community in a cozy and secure environment. This event will begin on Friday evening from 6:30 - 9:00 pm. And continue from 9 am to 5:30 pm on Saturday. Taught by Kartar Singh Khalsa and Ek Ong Kaar Kaur Khalsa.

Cost: $85 if registered before March 1. $100 after that date.To register, call (703) 471-7844 or email kartarkhalsa@kiit.com.Location: Raj Khalsa Gurdwara - 6 Export Drive. Sterling, VA. Outside of Washington DC.