DISTINGUISHED VISITOR AND TEACHERS AT THE SIKH GURDWARA
CAMP TO NURTURE BODY, MIND, AND SPIRIT

Indianapolis, July 21, 2013
Kanwal Prakash Singh

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The Sikh Gurdwara (Temple-Acton Road) in Indianapolis, USA was the site of seventh Dashmesh Summer Camp.  For one week,

__ four learned Amritdhari American Sikhs - Guru Jot Singh (leader), Gian Dharam Kaur (originally from Brazil), Sat Kartar Singh, all from New Mexico, and Himmat Singh from Boston (originally from Canada) taught over 125 students Naam Simran (Japji Sahib),

taking the Hukam Nama, leading the Ardas in Punjabi and English; the importance  of healthy and nourishing food for our bodies.  They taught leadership skills; Gutka (martial arts) and organized sports - volley ball, wrestling, rock-climbing, horse-riding,   and other physical activities.  The teachers offered very measured and meaningful explanations of the significance and importance of Kundilini Yoga as a way of strong body-mind- spirit intertwined relationship.  Many parents participated in the open, frank, and illuminating discussions about the matters and significance of faith, culture, community, and family as an anchor of our humanity and up-bringing.  For the young students, it was an eye-opener.

The Camp leaders and visiting teachers offered the young campers and their parents an opportunity to learn, to interact, to network, and to prepare our young generations to think for themselves as world citizens in a brave new world.  The teachers provided personal testimony of embracing and practice of their Sikh faith, sanctity and respect for diverse faiths and traditions that today form the rich spiritual global landscape, and addressed the spiritual ideals, outside   pressures, and faith-mandated articles and Sikh identity concerns that anchored the lives and experiences of the parents and older generations.  It was a week-long classroom of intense learning with lifetime of lessons, where ideas and free speech opened the young minds, dispelled fears and strengthened their understanding and pride in their individual selves, and inspired them to discover their own path to spirituality and its place in their lives.  The students and parents greatly benefitted from this enlightened experience and personal witness of the testimony of the four American Sikh teachers and their time-honored practice and daily faith discipline.

DISTINGUISHED ENVIRONMENTAL SAGE

We were honored this Sunday to welcome the celebrated eco-activist Sant Baba Balbir Singh Seechewal, who has been for sometime leading the campaign to clean-up sacred Bein, associated with the life and enlightenment of Guru Nanak  in Punjab,  and other  rivers and sacred places across the Punjab and India.  Bhai Balbir Singh’s anti-pollution crusade and efforts have been recognized nationally and internationally with awards and honors.

In his remarks to the Sikh congregation, Bhai Balbir Singh reminded the audience of the significance of the life-gifts of God: air, water, seasons, Mother Earth that carries myriad blessings that sustain life, not just human life but all life.  Since we recite in our daily prayers that “Nature is Crown and the resting place of God” and all Nature and Creation worships God, “then why must we pollute that what is sacred and venerable and sustains life.”

 Bhai Balbir Singh and his team of sevadars and supporters in India and around the world are awakening the Sikh community to the care of environment, preservation of sacred sites and historic buildings, and to stem the downward spiral of deadly pollution of air and water that is bringing death and destruction in its wake.  Instead of mindless destruction, we need to lead efforts to plant trees, make our sacred places as inviting attractions, safeguard our heritage as a very sacred treasure and as a moral and spiritual responsibility.  It was another amazing testimony of faith at work, a noble and much-needed spiritual commitment to serve and sustain Life for all God’s Children.....Indianapolis, Indiana USA <> KPSinghDesigns.com <>