Candidate Statement 2017 Election Siri Singh Sahib Corporation MSS Krishna Kaur Khalsa Candidate Statement Personal Information City & State/Country: Los Angeles, California, USA Email: [email protected]Name of Spouse: None Occupation: Kundalini Yoga Teacher and KRI Lead Trainer Length of Participation in 3HO/Sikh Dharma: Since 1970 to present (47 years) Ashram Communities lived in: Lived with Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan for 9 years, then was director or Guru Ram Das Ashram Broadway in Los Angeles for 15 years 3HO/Sikh Dharma Community Positions: Minister of Divinity since 1972, the first Mukhia Sardarni Sahiba and original Khalsa council member. Head of Guru Ram Das Ashram- Broadway in LA. The Secretary and Chief, first serving the greater Los Angeles community, then later serving the entire “Western Domain”, or the complete West Coast 3HO communities (from Washington State to Oregon, California down to Arizona). Regional Director for So. Cal and Arizona, PR person and organizer for 3HO and Sikh Dharma Intl for several years from late 70’s to mid 80’s. Questionnaire 1. Why do you feel called to serve on the SSSC Board? The only thing I have ever wanted to do was to serve the mission of the Siri Singh Sahib. In fact, the only thing I really want to do in my life is to try to assure that his mission and his desire for all of us is manifesting as he envisioned. We are at a very critical place in
Occupation: Kundalini Yoga Teacher and KRI Lead Trainer
Length of Participation in 3HO/Sikh Dharma: Since 1970 to present (47 years)
Ashram Communities lived in: Lived with Siri Singh Sahib, Yogi Bhajan for 9 years, then was director or Guru Ram Das Ashram Broadway in Los Angeles for 15 years
3HO/Sikh Dharma Community Positions: Minister of Divinity since 1972, the first Mukhia Sardarni Sahiba and original Khalsa council member. Head of Guru Ram Das Ashram- Broadway in LA. The Secretary and Chief, first serving the greater Los Angeles community, then later serving the entire “Western Domain”, or the complete West Coast 3HO communities (from Washington State to Oregon, California down to Arizona). Regional Director for So. Cal and Arizona, PR person and organizer for 3HO and Sikh Dharma Intl for several years from late 70’s to mid 80’s.
Questionnaire 1. Why do you feel called to serve on the SSSC Board?
The only thing I have ever wanted to do was to serve the mission of the Siri Singh Sahib. In fact, the only thing I really want to do in my life is to try to assure that his mission and his desire for all of us is manifesting as he envisioned. We are at a very critical place in
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solidifying the definition and clarification of the role of the SSSC and its responsibility to serve more effectively our constituent organizations and our people, particularly our Millennial generation. There are several situations with which I have historical knowledge and personal experience that could be of service over the next few years. I have the commitment, the clarity,the ability to be neutral, and the strength to stand up for what I believe is in the best interest of the greater community. Thus, I feel my presence would be helpful if re-elected.
2. Considering the enormous responsibilities of serving on this Board, what relevant areas of experience and expertise qualify you for this position and will make you an asset to the board?
I have had a lot of experience on Non-profit boards over the past 35 years in the greater Los Angeles area, including the Interreligious Council of Southern California, where I served as Vice resident for several years, and SCLC a Non-profit organization formed by Dr. Martin Luther King, and other civic organizations. As the founder of Y.O.G.A. for Youth, I have been the ED, Program Director, Director of Training, and the in house bookkeeper off and on over the 20 years of its existence. Now, I have a small staff that handles most of the day to day, while I focus on the role of Director of Training.
My experience in For-profit businesses include being the Vice President, General manager of Sunshine Scented Oils for 4.5 years. I was the Director of the largest 3HO/Sikh Dharma Region, namely Region #1, with a staff of 5or 6 for seven to eight years. I was the CEO of my own Home Perfect business that provided high level cleaning service to large condominium buildings, corporate relocation projects, and post construction clean out including windows, carpet and special detailed cleaning jobs. I believe that all of my experiences have prepared me well to serve on the SSSC Board of Trustees, which is the youngest Non-profit organization in our Dharma with the greatest amount of responsibility for the health and welfare of our entire 3HO Sikh dharma community.
These times are sensitive, and in need of decisive action. It is a very important time in the history of our Dharma, especially after the Law Suit and the tsunami of situations that have fallen out of it. Many of those situations still plague our community to this day. Thus, I feel my work is not done yet, so I have decided to run for my second and last opportunity to continue serving our Dharma.
3. Please summarize your prior and current service to the Dharma in a
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leadership capacity. I have been a Minister of Divinity of Sikh Dharma since 1972, I
was appointed Secretary in Chief of Southern California by the Siri Singh Sahib, because I was doing the job of the LA community leader for years without being asked to do it. He later expanded my role to become the Secretary in Chief of the Western Domain, (all of the West Coast States including Arizona). My duties included trouble shooting problems in ashrams, businesses, and relationships between leaders in the Domain. I was also Regional Director of Region #1 (Southern California and Arizona) Until the mid 80’s. I was among the initial group of 8 people selected to be the first Khalsa Council members. I was the first woman chairperson of the Khalsa Council. I was the lead PR person for two International, very high profile media campaigns on behalf of our Dharma. The first was what we called, “The Army Case”, which was our battle to give Sikhs the right to serve in the US Army with their long hair and beards. We gained international acclaim for about 15 months with that campaign. The second was a campaign to let the world know how deeply Sikh’s around the world were mourning the “Bombing of the Akal Thakat” in Amritsar, which had been ordered by the then Primminister of India, Indira Gandhi. At present, I have been serving the SSSC for 5 years with total dedication.
In addition, as the Siri Singh Sahib insisted, I began teaching and training Kundalini Yoga teachers in communities around the world. I am a Level 1, Level 2 and Level 3 Teacher Trainer. I have been active for the past 8 years with the KRI TTEC (Teacher Trainer Executive Council), working to upgrade the Kundalini Yoga techniques as taught by Yogi Bhajan that have drifted over the years or that are often not taught accurately (a sincere passion of mine).
4. Please describe how your personal Sadhana and spiritual discipline support your character, your standards and your integrity.
I have a regular ambrosial hour sadhana, including the entire Aquarian mantras that the Siri Singh Sahib gave to us over twenty years ago. He said, if he didn’t change the sadhana before he left his body, we should continue doing it. I’m still doing it. My sadhana is critical to my life and my work as a minister and a Kundalini Yoga Teacher. My day to day life depends deeply on my daily sadhana.
5. Please describe your relationship with the Siri Singh Sahib. I was one of the Siri Singh Sahibs first students. I lived with him
in the very early days, from 1971 to 1979 or so. I served him in many
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humble ways, massaging him, doing what ever he told me to do. I was his PR person and main event organizer for several years. I was often called on by him to do all sorts of intervention jobs with ashrams and individuals around the country as well as with some of his businesses. I was a most devoted student, and I still am. There is nothing I wouldn’t do if he asked me to do it. My hands that massaged his body and his feet for many, many years, were blessed to have once again touched his feet for the last time just 4 hours before he left his body. I have never left his side, and he has never left mine.
6. Board service regularly requires 10 to 20 hours per month (or more) in evening and weekend board and committee meetings, plus three Face-to-Face meetings per year (in Los Angeles and New Mexico) of two to three days each. Can you fulfill these requirements? If, so how will you balance these requirements with your other personal and professional responsibilities?
Yes, of course! The entire time I have been on the SSSC, I have been very active in several very time consuming committees, including the Settlement Committee, Agenda Committee and several ad hoc committees. I’ve stayed up often until 1:00am to be on the meeting calls while I was teaching abroad, I’ve scheduled my travel and training schedules so as to accommodate the meetings times. There were times when I just couldn’t get a connection to be on the call, but I never stopped trying. I have spent up to 8 to 10 hours a week numerous times with on line meetings to fulfill my responsibilities to the SSSC.
These times are extremely important in the history of our Dharma, especially after the “Law Suit” and the tsunami of situations that followed. Many of those situations still plague our community to this day. I feel my work is not done yet, so I have decided to run for my second and last chance to continue serving our family in a meaningful way. It is not easy with my teaching schedule, but to me the demand of these times says its important for me to do so. Thus, I have organized my life around this service and will continue to do so, should I be re-elected.
7. What do you anticipate being the most difficult part of serving on SSSC Board? How do you traditionally respond in a crisis or high tension situation?
I was trained by Siri Singh Sahib directly to “eat crisis for
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lunch”. I do very well in situations of high stress, crisis of all sorts, as well as with long term challenging relationships, both personal and business related. So, I’ll be fine. And, I anticipate the difficulties with the SSSC Board to pretty much be as they have been for the last 5 years. However, I believe we have matured quite a bit as a board and should be even more able to meet our challenges going forward.
8. As an SSSC board member you are accountable to the Sangat. Describe how you would like to build and enhance the relationship between the Sangat and the SSSC, and how you will personally deal with the pressure of accountability while maintaining your spirit of service.
I’m a “people person”. I believe one of my major strengths is that I know how to relate to people and situations to bring about a amicable result. And, I strongly believe that we need to have a stronger communication link with our general community. We need to create opportunities to sit as members of SSSC with Sangat members and talk about what is going on from various perspectives. I want to be able to respond to their concerns honestly and straight forward, while still respecting the essential confidentiality that is sometimes required by SSSC members. To me it is extremely important to listen with out justifying ours actions and respond without trying to make everything sound great when they may not be. I believe we need to keep building trust among our leaders and our general sangat. The trust was destroyed by the former UI and their supporters. We are not them. Yet, we inherited the doubt they created. So, we have to do all we can to heal that karma.
9. If you were selected as a Board member, how would you approach the practices of inclusion, transparency, and accountability? Are you familiar with these good governance practices, and are you willing to incorporate these elements into our Organizations?
Yes, I am familiar with these good governance practices and I know they are very important to the SSSC Board as well as our sangat. I will continue to support the effort to create that kind of accountability and inclusion while maintaining the integrity of confidentiality where essential. I have suggested to the Board that we regularly host a “check in” on line meeting with a rotation of sangat and SSSC members. The purpose would be to listen to
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understand, clarify when necessary and, get a pulse on what is missing in the relationship based on Sangat feedback. I would really like to help implement that or a similar process very soon.
10. Please describe what the Siri Singh Sahib’s saying means to you: “If you cannot see God in all, you cannot see God at all.” In practical terms, how would you apply this saying to bring trust and healing to our community?
I personally love this quote and use it frequently in my teaching and in every situation in my life. To me it means accepting diversity of thought, opinions and actions, recognizing that GOD is everywhere, in everything, and making everything happen. I believe our challenge, or our opportunity is to find the deeper meaning behind everything we experience, and seek to understand the lesson that Guru has nestled within them, and in each person we encounter.
It is to the One who manifests everything that I bow. So, when I feel something is wrong or shouldn’t happen, I stop and ask myself the question; why has God placed this situation before me? What have I missed? What am I to learn form it? How can I embrace this gift in a way that will further my growth and uplift the situation, or at least the understanding of the situation. The quote from the Ardas is also one I love to remember….. “(First) see the faults in others, then un-see them”. See! Don’t ignore or pretend it didn’t exist. See. Then, Un-see! Zoom out, see the Doer doing it all, and become one with Him.
11. Please describe your understanding of the Siri Singh Sahib’s global vision for our Organizations.
I believe he had the intention to create a spiritually conscious and awake community that would model a way of life that could become a blueprint for the peoples of the world to experience a healthy, happy and holy way of being human. He saw the problems we would encounter during the transition between the Piscean and Aquarian ages and knew that the length of that transition would depend on how quickly the peoples of the world were able to shift their thinking and reacting patterns to a more self sensory system. He left the technology to achieve just that.
He wanted our for profit businesses to support our non-profit organizations so that they can focus their attention on providing the tools and the services that would not just sustain our community, but
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that would uplift everyone worldwide to an experience of their own greatness. It’s all for one and one for all. It is not enough for us to become great, but it is for us to make sure that others also have what it takes to become great at who they are and what they do.
12. What is your vision for the 3HO/Sikh Dharma family of Non-profit and For-profit organizations for the future?
I’d like to see our Non-profit and For-profit organizations become well known world wide as organizations of consciousness that were multi-billion dollar organizations, and that those companies would not just have the highest level of products and services, but they would also be models of how conscious businesses can succeed in the world. I’d like for them to exemplify that it is possible to have great monetary successes with out compromising our values.
13. What role do you feel the SSSC should play on a practical and spiritual level? How would that impact you personally?
Since the SSSC is still a young organization that is still discovering the vast scope of its role, I believe what ever I say now may not tell the whole story. But, beyond the specifics, I believe the SSSC’s main role is to stand as a body of benevolent, supper conscious, fearless leaders in our community. Leaders that hold the trust and confidence of our community both individually and collectively. A body that has the courage to make the right decision even in the face of opposition. One that is willing to assess itself and make a 180 degree turn if it is in the best interest of the community and the entities it serves. One that is open to listening and responding to the needs of individuals and the community as a whole. It needs to carry the vibration of the Siri Singh Sahib in the best way possible and dedicate itself to maintaining the integrity of his vision unto Infinity.
When we reach this place in our development, I will be able to relax. It would give me a great deal of inner peace, knowing that all the sacrifices the Siri Singh Sahib made in his life time will not be in vain, and that the trust he placed in each of us will flourish and grow as we seek to become ten time greater than he, for that was his prayer. It is in wanting to see his vision and his personal sacrifices come to fruition that motivates me to keep teaching, and bowing to the Guru.
14. What do you see as the three (3) greatest challenges facing the
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Dharma (Sikh Dharma-3HO and the family of for profit and nonprofit entities)? What would you do as a board member to overcome these challenges? I. One of the greatest challenges I see is in our ability to build trust.
Some of our community members are hanging on to a fear that was created under the guidance of the former UI. They fear that it will happen again. Being cautious is good. But, holding on to the feelings and transferring them over to this new, more conscious board, is not productive. We have to find a way to build trust in the Guru’s wisdom and the challenges He has placed before us. We need to stay alert to issues of the past and build in safe guards so they won’t happen again.
II. Another is, building a stronger bridge between us and our Indian family. We need to intensify our work to create understanding and greater tolerance around the cultural differences between occidental Sikhs and the Indian Sikhs. We need each other. We have much to learn from each other. We need to remember how the Siri Singh Sahib worked both cultures and learn to create a bridge that will carry all of us to the feet of the Guru. He always said that we needed to develop strong ties to India. It seems as though we need to strengthen those ties even more.
III. We need to do all we can to settle the legal cases Bibiji and her family are still holding. That situation has been painful for all of us, yet I know how much effort has gone into trying to resolve it. We need the prayers of the Sangat to help bring things to a righteous conclusion. The sangat’s prayers are powerful. We all need to pray on this situation.
For me, I will keep listening, keep stepping up to answer the call and keep supporting the SSSC to be on the right track, doing the right thing for all the right reasons. I will keep speaking up, even when it is not popular. I will put the vision of the SSSC ahead of every decision we (SSSC) make. I will keep trying to be a spiritual warrior in the line of Guru Gobind Singh. I’ll keep doing my best!
15. In the past ten years have you or any entity that you own or control been the subject of any civil or criminal complaints by any local, state, or federal agencies? If yes, please give the details of the complaint(s) and the outcome of the proceedings with appropriate references. NO. by His grace
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16. Are you a member of any organization that is in conflict, competition, or has threatened or brought legal action against any of our non-profit and for profit entities? NO. Not now and not ever will that be the case for me.
