Articolo di Hari Kaur Khalsa

apparso sulla rivista "Aquarium Times"

By Hari Kaur Khalsa
The first thing I saw when I entered the beautiful ashram outside of Rome were two waving flags inscribed with, “Thank You, Dear Teacher.” Also greeting us was a huge photo of Yogi Bhajan with his arms outspread embracing the world and smiling, with "Welcome to Yogi Bhajan Ashram" written below it. This attitude of gratitude was certainly the theme for this week that I was so blessed to spend in Italy.
I was kindly invited by Hari Singh and Guru Inder Kaur to attend a  “festival” in October honoring Yogi Bhajan and marking the first anniversary of his passing. I stayed in their grand Italian home with their two lovely children. My favorite room was the very large kitchen with a wonderful long table where everyone sat and ate for hours, especially in the late evening. We talked and laughed our heads off at my Italian, all of us madly flipping through our dictionaries and waving our arms around trying to communicate. I absolutely went off my diet in order to eat buonissimo lasagna and special cheese straight from Deg Singh from Sardinia. Outside their house is a sadhana and meditation room, which is a simple, cozy, Zen-like wooden building with glass walls so that you look out at the sky, the trees, the “peace pole,” and the special oak tree from Canada planted in memory of Yogi Bhajan.
The first day we went to the Rome Gurdwara[1] run by the Indian Sikh community and listened to the Hukam[2] for the day as they read in the Akhand Path[3] dedicated to the Siri Singh Sahib (Yogi Bhajan). It was wonderful to share a langar[4] together and connect with the president  and other officials of the Gurdwara who later also attended memorial events  at the ashram.
also went to see the new Pope, His Holiness Benedetto XVI, give his weekly audience to thousands of people at the Vatican. Gifts from Sikh Dharma International and from our friends and neighbors at the famous New Mexico church, El Santuario de Chimayo, were delivered to the Pope. The next day was the festival in honor of Yogi Bhajan. Everyone gathered in the meditation room, where we chanted, shared stories about Yogi  Bhajan, enjoyed classical Indian dance, and watched an exquisite DVD which  included Yogi Bhajan’s travels around the world (especially in Italy), his meeting with the Pope, and photos of Yogi Bhajan, his family, and staff. A group of adults and young children played beautiful music on cello and other stringed instruments, heightening the atmosphere of gratitude and love. We all  sat together and were moved to tears.
One of my favorite parts of the day was when Guru Gopal Kaur and Sadhana Singh presented Project Shakti, Program Sunshine. They, along with Hari Singh and Guru Inder Kaur and many others have created this program to  help people in need in southern India. They showed pictures of women in  Kerala who received from the program a special machine to make thread from  coconut so they could start a cottage industry there. The program also donated a huge water tank to catch rainwater so the townspeople don't have to  wait in line for hours to get drinking water. On the outside of the tank it  says, "Thanks to Yogi Bhajan." The program has also given money to buy boats for the people whose livelihood was destroyed by the Tsunami, adopted a little girl, and given money to families. All of these gifts have been made in the name of Yogi Bhajan. I was touched to the core to see how they were  reaching out to people in impoverished areas who really need our help, love, prayers, and support.
And then came a real heart-opener for me: I shared with everyone the mantra for peace that the Siri Singh Sahib gave to Matamandir Singh to put to music, which is the Ajai Alai mantra alternating with a poem for peace written by Yogi Bhajan. I showed them the Celestial Communication[5]  that I had created for this prayer, and we all raised our arms to the heavens and bellowed at the top of our lungs, "Let there be peace, let there be  peace of mind, let there be peace with mankind, let there be peace of the  states, let the world dwell within the force of peace.”
I was so touched by everyone I met. Many of them had never personally met Yogi Bhajan, yet were eternally grateful to him and were sharing his teachings with all. Whenever I commented on their work and devotion and “keep up” spirit, they always gave the credit and thanks to Yogi Bhajan.
This trip was my blessing to remember again that the Siri Singh Sahib is here with us with every breath and now I, too, remember and say what they said so sweetly, "Grazie Maestro."
Hari Kaur Khalsa is the Director of International Public Relations, Sikh Dharma/3HO.