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Sat Nam Dear Family,
I'd like to share my impressions from the week I spent at our Summer Solstice Celebration. It turns out that my best quality is as a watchman. I'd rather fathom myself as something more refined, but it turns out that I'm best suited to be a watchman. So I watch.
I watch, I don't judge. I watch to figure out what reaction the Siri Singh Sahib would have had. The more I do this the more I live through him. Believe me; his life is much grander than mine. And I thank God every day that in his grace, he trained me for this job. I enjoy it.
I watched Solstice. I stood in a thirty foot area outside the bazaar tent right inside the food and stage area. When someone entered, I felt compelled to engage them in conversation. I talked with old timers, new timers, mid timers, and no timers. I talked with many, many people over the many days I spent in my territory.
I truly loved it. Everyone was so open. When I would approach someone or some group, they were open, friendly, mannerful, respectful, and wonderful. I had a great time. I met many new people. I love meeting new people. You never know who God might bring. I give myself as much chance for God to do his magic as possible. It increases my odds of being blessed and expanded through God's Kindness and His creation.
Let me give you an example of what I saw as I watched. I sat down with many students who I hadn't previously known. Eventually I asked them all the same question, "What did you expect from coming here? Did you come expecting a spiritual experience?" The answer through scores of conversations was, yes, I came looking for a spiritual experience. And, here's the best part: all, and I do mean all, claimed that they experienced this spiritual experience that they came to Solstice in search of. Many said that they had more than one of these experiences.
Voila, I thought, Solstice is working. As I watch through the eyes of our Master, I see his first teaching on display, "We experience the truth, we don't just believe in it." He'd be very happy that Solstice delivered this experience. Isn't that the purpose of Solstice? Isn't it about encouraging students to have an experience outside of themselves? Doesn't touching the land up there do that? Doesn't the Master's presence, even stronger through his subtle body with all his blessings, work for everyone's favor, just by being there?
I love Solstice. I saw smiling faces at every turn. I saw cooperation at its best. I saw intermingling. I saw a sense of understanding that we're all in this together. And, best of all, I saw hope on many faces. I saw a lot of relaxed people. I saw achievement, endurance, reward. I saw a sense of security I haven't seen very often. However all these faces got there doesn't matter; what matters is that their karma brought them to this sacred and blessed spot called "Ram Das Puri." Our duty to them is to: number one, not get in the way of the students' experience because it really has nothing to do with us (old timers), and, number two, to promote this experience in a manner that the student can carry it with him/her when they leave the site.
So, I watched, I enjoyed, and I reminded all I spoke with that there's much more in store if they "keep up." As I continued to watch, I enjoyed watching even more as the event met the approval of the Master. Thank you, I look forward to meeting even more of you next year, or sooner.
In the Humility of Service and Gratitude,
Hari Jiwan Singh Khalsa
Chief of Protocol, Sikh Dharma
Hari Jiwan Singh Khalsa
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