Notes From the Road

On Monday night I got a chance to make langar at the Bridgewater Gurdwara. Langar is a community meal served at Sikh Gurdwaras. It is open to anyone who wants to come. It was started by Guru Amar Das, the third Guru of the Sikhs and his wife. Guru Amar Das used to receive many people into his court and he required that they would all sit and eat langar before coming to see him. In this way emperors would sit next to beggars, something unheard of in those times when the caste system was so strong. This tradition has continued to this day. At the Harimander Sahib in Amritsar India around 10,000 people are served every day. I absolutely love langar... I love making it and eating it. There is something very special about it, because it is made with devotion and love and in the spirit of service. Because of touring I haven't had the chance to make langar for quite some time, so when I saw my good friend Navjot Kaur in the kitchen I promptly put on an apron and joined her. She is the one with the yellow scarf. We are making puris. A puri is basically a delicious friend bread. My job was to roll the dough into small balls.


This past weekend we had a concert at Integral Yoga Institute (IYI) on 13th Avenue right in Manhattan. First of all let me say that it was so fun being in New York. I stayed in Brooklyn with my father (Hi Dad if you're reading this blog), and we had two concerts in Manhattan. I really enjoyed to grandeur of the tall buildings of Manhattan which covered miles and miles of space. I suppose coming from the open planes of New Mexico it was shocking. I really loved it though, and found myself as we would drive by one fascinating building after another creening my head to try and see the tops of the buildings.

IYI was founded by Swami Satchidananda who is seen in this picture above. There were many beautiful photographs of him at the center. I took a picture of a picture of him; please forive me it doesn't do justice to the glow and beauty of the photos that I saw there. The Siri Singh Sahib Yogi Bhajan and Swami Satchidananda were great friends... they used to really love and respect eachother. Both of these great spiritual teachers have left their physical bodies, but it was inspirational to see how their teachings are each being carried on. We were taken care of beautifully by the people at the center. It was truly a blessing to be there. In the busy streets of Manhattan it felt like an oasis.

Here are some beautiful words from Swami Satchidananda.

The Power of Yoga for Healing, Vitality, and Spirit
Message from Sri Swami SatchidanandaNovember 2-4, 2001 at Miami Beach, Florida

Now, more than ever we need to have a steady mind, a calm and clean mind, and a loving and compassionate heart. So many people are in pain, so many have lost loved ones, and so many are overcome with fear. That is all true and we have to feel compassion and lovingkindness toward everyone.

God has given us a big wake-up call. As yogis let us have a deeper understanding and broader perspective when viewing what is happening in our world. Let's not focus only on the negative side. That is what we see happening sometimes, and people become filled with fear and anxiety. A yogi, on the other hand, will look upon everything with equanimity and balance.

This is a time for us to remember that in the name of religion more people have died than in all the wars and natural calamities put together. Now more than ever we must understand that the purpose of religion is not to separate us. True faiths don't preach hatred and killing, nor did any of the prophets. It is the people who interpret the scriptures who create the divisions. Division comes if we put our ego into the teachings of these religions. Let us strive to be free of that kind of egoism.

In the same way, I see a very bright future for humankind. The positive changes we are seeing are the proof of what is to come. I really feel we are going to see a better world. If you want to know why I feel this way, it is because I see more and more people wanting to know the truth, becoming interested in Yoga and spirituality, and leading more caring and compassionate lives.

The consciousness of people is changing, and they want to know how to lead a better life. Please, have that hope in your heart and that trust that we are building a better world. My prayer is always that universal love will light our paths. Every day when you pray, repeat: "May peace, prosperity, and happiness be unto all. May all see good in everyone, may all be free from suffering. May the whole world be filled with peace and joy, love and light." When you say this, visualize it and really feel it. It should be heartfelt when you send your peaceful energy out into the world.

Our prayers will bring benefit, so let us wholeheartedly pray for the world. Let us each spend at least a few minutes each day in meditation. To me, those are the most important minutes. You may not even realize the effect, but these peaceful vibrations will help millions of peaceless minds. You will be helping the whole world to find peace and joy. And you can carry this peaceful feeling from meditation all through the day, all through the week, all through your life. Even in the midst of a busy life, you can retain this peace. With this outlook, the whole world becomes a heaven on earth. God bless each and every one of you.

For more information about Swami Satchidananda or the Integral Yoga Institute of New York please visit: www.iyiny.org

May Peace Prevail on Earth.

Over and Out.

# posted by Snatam Kaur Khalsa @ 6:41 PM