It’s about time…
May 13th, 2007 by Siri Ved Kaur
Hari Bhajan Kaur and I each have written a lot of stories and poems from our experiences on this spiritual journey called life. We’ve shared some of our favorites with you here, as have other "True Talers" and contributors. Our hope in creating this blog was that others (like you!) would be inspired to share their stories too. We’ve had some great contributions and comments so far, some from people we haven’t seen or heard from in many years. This is so great!!
We really do hope that more of you will share whatever tidbits and tales you can muster up and write down. Maybe there’s a photo posted with one of the stories here that jogs your memory about a similar event? A funny or touching remembrance of the Siri Singh Sahib? Or, even from the present day, an experience or lesson learned that others can enjoy or also learn from.
I could very easily post more of my stories, and over time I probably will… but my hope really is that this blog will be a place for a great many to share their tales, tears, triumphs, and stories of their journey, and not the mere stumblings and fading memories of a few.
Anyway…. I suppose I can include at least a very short story…. This short piece is the result of a timed writing exercise with the prompt "clock". It takes place some time in late 1971 or early 1972.
31 Minutes
It’s 4:00 AM and Danny is sleeping, but I got up early today so I can try the meditation that Yogiji gave last night, Tattwa Siddhi Kriya. I set myself down on the linoleum floor of our little apartment under his parents’ house. It’s cold and damp and I snuggle under my blanket. I set the little brass alarm clock to go off in 32 minutes, giving myself a minute to get in posture and begin the meditation. Inhaling deeply, I begin to chant, “Pritvee Hai, Akaash Hai, Guru Ram Das Hai” (Earth is, Ether is, Guru Ram Das is), applying the locks, meditating on Guru Ram Das in a figure 8 pattern above my crown chakra and projecting to the heavens. I easily slip into the rhythm of the mantra and am absorbed in the sound current.
It must be 31 minutes by now. My senses tell me that the sun is beginning to peek through the window, birds are singing, Danny has stopped snoring… I inhale, exhale and open my eyes. Looking down, I see the clock, which says it’s now 6:30 AM.
Dear Siri Ved-
I am in awe of your stories and I LOVE reading them. You bring old times to life and I really appreciate how you write them in first person expressing how it really felt. [I thought I was the only one intimidated or confused by what the Siri Singh Sahib said (or yelled!)]. It is comforting to see that we have had similar experiences.
I truly believe that the sharing of stories is not only worthwhile but it will impact how the Siri Singh Sahib and our history will be remembered. The result of our collective memories will become the recorded history…. therefore I agree it is important to hear everyone’s experience. Let’s make it REAL!
To be perfectly honest, I don’t consider myself to be a writer and my stories seem so much less important than yours and others. However, in the spirit of our collective consciousness, I promise to share a story soon of my experience of the early days.
Sat Nam,
Dr. Krishna K.
Placerville, CA
Thanks so much for your thoughts. I had to laugh reading your comment, “my stories seem so much less important than yours and others.” So much of the time I feel the same way, that others have done more “important” things, met “important” people, had more incredible experiences, spent more time with Yogiji, traveled more places, seen more things, and write about them so much better than ever I could. About 25 years ago the Siri Singh Sahib gave a series of lectures in Los Angeles about “contrast consciousness”… that consciousness we fall into of comparing ourselves with others and the pain we therefore cause ourselves.
Anyway, I really look forward to whatever you decide to share. It’s the moments that matter, and all of our lives are filled with countless precious moments.
love and light,
svk