Letter from our new CEO, Ajai Singh Khalsa
|
 To read Ajai Singh's bio, click here.
September 17, 2010
Dearest Brothers and Sisters,
Sat Nam.
It is with no small amount of humility and excitement that I greet you today as the new CEO and President of Sikh Dharma International (SDI). My excitement is all about the path this organization is on and my humility is at the scope and importance of the tasks laid out before me. I hold fast to the words of Kabir. "I have not done anything. I cannot do anything. My body cannot do anything. God does, but the people only see Kabir." (Ang 1367). I am honored to serve in this way.
SDI has a mission of delivering the technology and experience of the Shabad Guru, through the Teachings of the Siri Singh Sahib Bhai Sahib Harbajan Singh Khlasa Yogiji. In this time of rebuilding, SDI has been busy mapping out the means to deliver those teachings. Throughout the next year we will be rolling out new programs, manuals, webinars and other teaching and community building technologies, culminating in 2012 with an in-depth teacher-training program to train teachers of the Shabad Guru for the coming age.
We will be doing all this in concert with our Sisters and Brothers in the other Dharmic organizations, to deliver the vast array of Yogi Bhajan's teachings and technologies to a world on the cusp of a new age.
I realize that many of you do not know me. I have not lived in the major communities and I was not raised in them. I have come to the Dharma rather late in life. But, it was life spent in search of this path - in the military; in the practice of law; in the martial arts; in philosophic and religious study; and finally in Kundalini yoga. I promise and commit to each of you that I will bring all of those experiences to serve SDI and its mission with commitment, consciousness, courage and compassion.
And now to the "Elephant in the Middle of the Room" -- the Lawsuit. As many of you know, our community is in the middle of a painful struggle over how the businesses and organizations established by Yogi Bhajan and this community will be managed into the future. Because of this, many of you may be reluctant to recognize the legitimacy of my appointment or the legitimacy of those who appointed me. I also acknowledge that there are deep and sincere differences of opinion regarding many of the business decisions made in the past few years and the manner in which they were made. I cannot change this.
I accepted this job because of my deep and abiding love for our teacher - the Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan - and my respect for his teachings and the institutions and processes he left to see us through this transition. I am committed to serving his vision for the Dharma and specifically his vision for Sikh Dharma International. Full Stop.
The conflict between the differing factions will play out to its conclusion. Unfortunately, SDI continues to be involved in that drama. However, that cannot be permitted to divert us from our mission of delivering the teachings in this time.
Like many of you, I am terribly saddened by the divisions and acrimony that have flourished in our community. When tempted to demonize or blame those whose positions I disagree with, I take solace in Guru Arjun's reminder:
High and low, bad and good - the comforting canopy of the sky stretches evenly over all. It knows nothing of friend and enemy; all beings are alike to it. Blazing with its dazzling light, the sun rises, and dispels the darkness. Touching both the pure and the impure, it harbors no hatred to any. The cool and fragrant wind gently blows upon all places alike. Wherever anything is, it touches it there, and does not hesitate a bit. Good or bad, whoever comes close to the fire - their cold is taken away. It knows nothing of its own or others'; it is constant in the same quality. (Ang 1017-18)
We all have our parts to play in this drama and this drama will play itself out over time.
During that time, I look forward to working with everyone who is willing to move this community forward in the Siri Singh Shahib's vision for this Dharma. Everyone. No exceptions.
Wahe Guru Ji Ka Khalsa!
Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh!
Your sincerely and humbly,
Ajai Singh Khalsa
President and CEO, Sikh Dharma International |
Sikh Dharma International is pleased to announce its newly appointed Board Members and President and CEO.
The Board Members are:
Ajai Singh Khalsa, J.D., has also been appointed CEO and President.
SDI expresses its gratitude to the commitment of these individuals for accepting this responsibility.
|
Many blessings to you.
Sikh Dharma International
1-A Ram Das Guru Place
Espanola, NM 87532
(505) 629-4718
sikh.dharma@gmail.com
|
