Landmarks of a Spiritual Journey

Traveling magic India. 14 days of inspiring encounters, historical learning, intense experiences and profound inner work. An itinerary that can hardly be measured in miles traveled or places visited. However, for those that want to deepen their understanding of the teachings here are some landmarks for further exploration. A shortlist of all time favorites and hidden treasures, hopefully of interest to all genuine seekers of truth.

Delhi

Delhi has a large Sikh community with many historic gurdwaras and other places of worship. Among them Jamia Masjid, the biggest mosque of India.

After the partition of the Punjab, homeland of the Sikhs, many of them sought refuge in Delhi. Yogi Bhajan and his family in 1947 also left their native village for the capital of India. Due to political unrest and religious upheaval between India and the newly founded Muslim state of Pakistan the living conditions in the now Pakistani part of Punjab had become unbearable.

Delhi had already been an important Sikh landmark in the time of the Gurus. There are many gurdwaras in Delhi that have been build in memory of the Gurus like the Gurdwara Nank Piyao, Gurdwara Bangla Sahib and Gurdwara Sis Ganj.

Baba Virsa Singh and Gobind Sadan

Gobind Sadan, located just outside of Delhi, is an interfaith community founded by Baba Virsa Singh in 1968. On once barren lands the community build a self-sustaining ecosystem based on organic farming. Today there is an entire network of farm-based spiritual communities with Gobind Sadan and Shiv Sadan being the most prominent ones. The work is inspired and guided by the vision of Baba Virsa Singh who dedicated his life to overcome poverty, religious conflict and bring peace to both the individual and the world.

Yogi Bhajan stayed at Gobind Sadan and spent time with Baba Virsa Singh shortly before he left for America in the late 1960s. Already back then Baba Virsa Singh was considered a man of outstanding spiritual powers who continually reminded people that all prophets come from the same source.

Travelers, that stop at Gobind Sadan, will find places of worship and spiritual practices that honor all religions among them the continuous recitation of Guru Gobind Singh’s Jaap Sahib and daily prayers to Jesus and Mary. The community also offers weekly interfaith education classes, provides a free kitchen, and regularly organizes charity projects.

www.gobindsadan.org

The Namdharis and Baini Sahib

The Namdharis have been expelled from all Sikh institutions. They have been denied the status of Sikhs because their spiritual practices differ from official ways of worship. They access the teachings through a living guru. Currently this is Satguru Jagjit Singh who has been in that position for over 50 years.

Jagjit Singh has been friends with Yogi Bhajan. He stayed with him at a Master’s Touch Teacher Training course in Blois, France.
Baini Sahib, a place with more than 10.000 inhabitants close to the city of Ludhiana, is their spiritual center. Namdharis are easily recognized. They only wear homespun white cotton clothing and they tie their turbans horizontally across the forehead. Around their neck they wear white woolen malas. All of them are vegetarians and only drink spring water. They display an outstanding level of purity and integrity which shows in everything they do: in how they dress, eat, talk, relate, work and pray.

Nam Simran, the constant remembering of God’s name, lies at the core of their spiritual practice. Namdhari actually means ‘the one who beholds God’s’ name.

Sultanpur Lodhi

Guru Nanak lived 14 years of his young adult life in Sultanpur Lodhi. The city is situated close to the holy river Kali Bein which Guru Nanak would visit for his ritual bath. It is also the location where he disappeared and resurrected three days later, profoundly transformed. On the shores of the river you can still see the berry tree Guru Nanak would use as his meditation spot. Next to it later the Gurdwara Ber Sahib was build. A little further down the river you will find Gurdwara Sat Gat also constructed in remembrance of Guru Nanak.

The Nirmalas & Nirmal Kuteya Ashram

The Nirmala order was founded in the late 17th century at the time of Guru Gobind Singh. Guru Gobind Singh sent five of his disciples to Benaras (Varanasi) to study the Vedas and other Sanskrit holy books. These Sikhs are said to have worked diligently for several years and returned to Anandpur Sahib as accomplished scholars of classical Indian theology and philosophy. They and their followers came to be known as Nirmalas, which means pure, spotless, unsullied and bright.

The Nirmalas adopted the ochre robes worn by Hindu ascetics, which is now a distinguishing mark, and shared some other practices with Hindus. They generally practice celibacy and are devoted to scriptural and philosophical study, where by tradition they also study classical Hindu Vedic philosophy.

The Nirmal Kutey ashram, located in the vicinity of Sultanpur Lodhi, has claimed fame for its relentless commitment to environmental issues. Under the guidance of Sant Balbir Singh the community cleansed the holy river Kali Bein which resulted in a flourishing agriculture and an increased ecological awareness among government officials. Their exemplary work shows in many more projects such as

•the plantation of flower, fruit and medicinal trees in the vacant places for the preservation of the environment,
•the installation of underground sewerage system to make the villages and towns clean and pollution-free,
•the supply of treated sewerage waters for agricultural purpose to promote natural farming,
•the stablishment and management of schools and colleges to promote low-cost advanced education among the poor and needy,
•the preparation of roads in remote areas

www.nirmalkuteya.com

Goindwal and the 84 steps

It is said that those who recite the Japji once at every step of the stairway down to the well under the Gurdwara will be freed from the 84 lakhs (8.4 millions) life times destined for every being in creation.

Every year Goindwal is flocked by innumerable Sikhs and yogis alike to practice this intense meditation which takes between 15 and 30 hours. The procedure is as follows: Before you start reciting the Japji you dip into the well at the bottom of the 84 steps. Once you are done, you again dip into the well and make your way up to the next step until you’ve reached the very last one, which is number 84.

Baba Bakala & Guru Teg Bahadur

Guru Teg Bahadur, then known under the name of Tyal Mal (Master of Detachment) is said to have meditated in Baba Bakala for 26 years, 9 months and 3 days. On his death bed his predecessor Guru Har Krishan indicated that Baba Bakala is the place where they would find the next guru, which was Teg Bahadur.

Amritsar and the Golden Temple

Amritsar is an important seat of Sikh history, culture and worship. The Golden Temple has been under attack several times, once blown up completely. Every one who has seen the movie ‘Ghandi’ will remember the 1919 massacre of Jallianwala Bah near the Golden Temple. In 1984 the Indian army destroyed large parts of the Golden Temple. Many people lost their lives.

The city of Amritsar was founded by Guru Ram Das and completed by his son Guru Arjun. Several stories indicate that the grounds always have been a place of high spiritual power. The indus valley is said to be the cradle of human civilization and the place where the vedas have been conceived.

Still living in India, Yogi Bhajan would clean the marble floors of the Golden Temple, which is done as seva (selfless service) in the very early morning hours. After that he would resume his work as a custom officer. Yogi Bhajan would refer to that time as a deeply transformative period in his life.

Anandpur Sahib and the Khalsa Nation

Anandpur Sahib is the birthplace of the Khalsa nation. This historical event, which took place in 1699, is called Baisakhi day. That day Guru Gobind Singh called for a gathering of all Sikhs. He requested five volunteers to give their heads for the Guru. Eventually five people were found whom Guru Gobind Singh declared the Panch Piaare, the five beloved ones. Very much still alive, but transformed by their courage they were selected to be the guardians of the Khalsa nation, a brother- and sisterhood of spiritual warriors called Khalsa (pure). As a sign of their royal courage all man live by the name ‘Singh’ which means lion, all women by the name ‘Kaur’, which means princess.

The little village of Kiratpur Sahib, close to Anandpur Sahib, is the place where the ashes of Sikhs from all over the world are immersed into the river among them the ashes of Yogi Bhajan.