The creation started during Summer Solstice 2011, where I made many drawings, working as a Service Exchange participant on the multimedia team. The energy of 2000 yogis together at Ram Das Puri was fantastic and uplifting, and I tried to capture it in these drawings. Then the director of marketing at 3HO requested me to make a recreation of the logo. Coming back to Mexico, I made many sketches and drawings, all realized during yoga classes, with the intention to capture the feeling and energy of yogis gathering. One day, the vision came to my mind, and it was an impulse to make the painting in colors.

In the planet earth, the motion of the wind and the clouds are forming the 3HO letters, melding with the Ek Ong Kar, that we can see coming up from the spiral hurricane.

In the three human figures we see the flow of energy, and the importance of the throat chakra, the ether tattva of this year. The human beings embracing the planet are melding with the whole Universe.

The sky universe is full of stars, it is an alive universe in motion with galaxies, a nebula and a comet passing. In the lower part is the ambrosial hour, the sunrise of the new era.

May this image communicate love, union and celebration for the worldwide 3HO community.

Hector Jara  Mukhtiar

Here is what the Catalyst Yogi has to say about this auspicious day: This day (Full Moon in Taurus ) is also the time of the Wesak Festival (the Birth of Buddha) where many people gather in the valley of Tibet and on the etheric level to celebrate. It is said that the ones who raise their frequency to a higher level on this day will be supported to evolve into a greater level of awareness.  The number 5 also means transformation and there are three of them on this day!

The Ether Tattva–Where We Become One–Speak and Be the Living Truth

About ten years ago I started a memoir writing group in Los Angeles called True Tales. We used to meet once a month, do a few writing exercises, and then share whatever stories we had written over the last month. That was the best part. As we read aloud the accounts of transformational moments in our lives, we found in our hearts a deeper acceptance and appreciation for one another. I found my own life deepened by the truths from theirs. Almost always, in fact maybe it was always, within the story shared there was a deeper truth than the story itself, a lesson learned, appreciation of the absolute perfection of God’s will and, on many levels, healing.

One night we delved into a discussion about “What is truth?” We had found while writing our stories that sometimes memories blended together, maybe we weren’t certain of the chronology, or really exactly what someone had said, or even who had said it. The gist of this came to: it didn’t really matter. While we did strive to get it all down “right,” what mattered most was that the truth of the story came through, its juice, the lesson, the purpose.

Then, as one who tends to categorize and calculate a little to the extreme, I began to wonder how that truth would fall into the types of truth the Siri Singh Sahib (Yogi Bhajan) had spoken of so many years ago: personal truth, circumstantial truth, and universal Truth. Personal truth is exactly that, what we each know. My truth can be different from yours. Then there’s circumstantial truth, that which is generally accepted and is true today, but may not be true tomorrow, or next year, or in a hundred years, or if you look at it in a different way. Universal truth is that which was true in the very beginning, has always been true, is true, and will forever be true: Aad Sach, Judgaad Sach, Haibee Sach, Naanak Hosee Bhee Sach.

On the other side of truth is falsehood, or lies. Siri Singh Sahib Ji once said, “There is no such thing as a lie, suffering, and a misery. Misery is our intelligence in short circuit. Lie is our non-attitude to confront the truth. Non-confrontation of truth” (1988).  As hate is frustrated love, a lie is the inability to confront the truth, and misery is a short circuit in intelligence…. I love how the framing of these concepts allows us to have a clearer perspective on words that have such negative, judgmental connotations… lies, hatred, misery… and recognize them instead for what they really represent; the truths of those words.

There is also being true to yourself, being who you truly are. I think it was in the late 1970’s, Siri Singh Sahib Ji was teaching a series of classes at Guru Ram Das Ashram in Los Angeles called “Contrast Consciousness.” He spoke of how comparing ourselves with others is the source of so much pain in life. Checking out who is prettier, who is smarter, higher, lower, better, worse. I thought I understood it then, completely oblivious. A more recent process for me has been catching myself and rising above this state of constant comparison, measuring, calculating, judging, as a way to either make me feel better than others, or to confirm that I am hopelessly worthless. I used to think that if I could only get my chuni to hang as gracefully as So and So Kaur’s, if only I was more this way, or more that way, then I would be happy, then I would be loved, then then then… until I realized the more I tried to be something I wasn’t, the less I was of myself.

Sometimes truth hits you in the face; sometimes it hurts, sometimes it’s blissful, and sometimes it simply wakes you up.

Siri Ved Kaur is the author of two vegetarian cookbooks, numerous food columns in Beads of Truth and Aquarian Times magazines, founder of the True Tales memoir writing group and OurTrueTales.com website, and has also served on the executive board of Writers of Kern for the last few years. After being an active member of the Guru Ram Das Ashram Community of Los Angeles for over 35 years, Siri Ved and her husband, Gurujodha Singh, moved to Bakersfield, California in 2008, where she works as a healthcare administrator and will complete her Master’s degree in healthcare management.

Out of the piles of messages in my Mac, work related emails, and beautiful things sent by different people around the globe, the phrase, “It takes a sangat to raise a child” was what really caught my eye late one evening.

“How true is that!” I thought. Then, a stream of thoughts went through my mind, “Oh, Guru Ram Das, that is so true. It is happening here in Belo Horizonte right now with the five kids we are sending to MPA. If we do not join hands, resources, and faith, we won’t be able to send them at all. It also applies to the construction of our school here—if the sangat was not united, we wouldn’t be able to do a thing.” 

Then I read the rest of the email and realized it was from the MPA fundraising team! The attached video really touched my heart and I found the idea of sending out such great material simple genius! And on top of that, the motivation was so perfect. If MPA offers the financial aid for so many children, it is obvious that they need to have that fund restored so that they can keep on helping more kids around the world.

It didn’t take me another second to choose 40 people in the Belo sangat to forward that video to, with a message explaining the goal of the fundraising campaign and asking them to join the chain of supporters and donate to MPA. The people I forwarded the video to are teachers–few of them are Khalsa—most of them are not. They simply have a deep interest in raising a child within the Sikh Dharma methodology and I knew they would embrace this idea.

The next morning, many had already sent me messages letting me know that they had donated! Many of them wrote back to me saying how grateful they were to have been included in such a campaign, and how important it was for them to help those who are helping us!

We have the blessing of being able to send five children to MPA this year; four boys and one girl who have completed our Sikh Dharma Extra Class School Program. They are really motivated and inspired to go to India and complete their education at MPA.

You can see many of them here in an informal gathering with their teacher, Jiwanpreet Singh, at the home of Siri Sahib Singh Khalsa and Sat Kartar Kaur Khalsa, honoring the first 40 days of their new son, Dharam Raj Singh. The children played kirtan and meditated with their hearts and souls.

Ram Ravi Singh recently turned 12 and has been leading the efforts of the other children who want to go to India. He received financial aid from MPA.

Guru Mander Kaur is also applying to MPA and probably will join the group in this life transforming experience.

It truly takes a sangat to raise a child!

It is true and I would like to inspire you to touch people’s hearts in your community and allow them to know how we are investing the money in building the future. We are working now to be able to rest later. The children we are supporting will carry on the legacy with firm hands and heads high. Free and sovereign, they will live and work to complete what we have started.
Join the chain of donors now with folded hands in gratitude!
Humbly,
Dr. Guru Sangat Kaur Khalsa
Belo Horizonte, Brazil

http://www.miripiriacademy.org/donate/it-takes-a-sangat

We need your help.
If a day was set aside to pray for PEACE what would you want to see, do, and experience during that day?
What would this day look like if you could do anything you wanted?

As we coordinate our 27th Annual International Peace Prayer Day we want your feedback and vision for this hugely powerful day.

We will still greet our Peace Flame Runners and have our Sacred Healing Walk.
What else have you liked in the past? What would you like to see for 2012?
How should we include the children?

Check out the VIDEO below for a few images from the 2011 Peace Prayer Day.

Please comment below with your feedback or email Gurudev Kaur directly with your ideas.

One name will be drawn – from all those who took the time to comment and offer ideas – to win a FREE PASS to the 2012 3HO Summer Solstice Sadhana Celebration.

THANK YOU and may you always know how blessed you are! Team 3HO

Title: Events Coordinator
Type: Full Time Position
Starting Date: Immediately
Benefits: Medical and Dental Insurance, Vacation Time

 Job Summary

3HO Foundation International is seeking an Events Coordinator to support the day-to-day requirements of planning and implementing our core events and to support the Director of Events in his work. Responsibilities include logistics and administrative tasks related to the management and development of all 3HO events including Summer Solstice Sadhana Celebration, Winter Solstice Sadhana Celebration, International Women’s Camp, Khalsa Youth Camp and new upcoming events.

Responsibilities

• Provide complete administrative support to the Director of Events.
• Anticipate the Director of Events’ needs and be pro-active in addressing them. Tasks include but are not limited to maintaining calendars and email information when required, processing purchase orders, preparing reports and updates, and providing support on other projects as necessary.
• Independently organize and review calendars, emails, files, other miscellaneous information and requests.
• Review incoming correspondence, determine urgency and address or refer to appropriate department or to the Director of Events when needed.
• Understand and anticipate customer service needs and deliver high quality results.
• Multi-task and manage changing priorities and frequent interruptions with a high level of accuracy.
• Compose, proofread and edit correspondence, materials and reports.
• Create and maintain informational and communication tools specialized for event management.
• Communicate efficiently with all 3HO team members including seasonal Karma Yoga (volunteer) staff.
• Other duties as deemed necessary by the Director of Events.

Essential Qualifications

The requirements listed below are representative of the knowledge, skill, and/or ability required for this role.

• Ability to self-organize, maintain focus, and follow-through independently
• Ability to project a professional image in action and appearance
• Excellent communication skills, both oral and written
• Ability to manage teams and large groups
• Ability to manage and coordinate logistics for multiple events at one time
• Outstanding computer skills, including a thorough knowledge of Word, Excel, Google Docs, Wufoo and Regonline
• Knowledge of clerical and administrative procedures and systems such as filing and office management
• Ability to learn quickly and to absorb new processes, changes, and software applications
• Ability to assess problems and implement solutions
• Ability to handle the demands of various personality types
• The flexibility to exist in a position where the surrounding activities and environment are fast-paced, highly dynamic and seasonally demanding
• Understanding of the content of 3HO events
• In alignment with 3HO’s vision, goals and core values
• Reside in the Espanola/Santa Fe area

Desired Qualities

The ideal candidate will embody the following:

• Motivated to be in service to 3HO’s mission
• Anticipates the needs of others and derives satisfaction from providing support
• High level of integrity; projects credibility
• Motivated and displays a great deal of personal initiative
• Capable of operations and systems-oriented thinking
• High level of energy with positive, can-do attitude
• Enjoys active participation in community events

To Apply: All applicants will be considered based on resume and cover letter. In addition, please answer the following questions within your cover letter:

• Why are you applying for this position? What can you offer 3HO?
• What do you imagine this role will offer you professionally and personally?
• How have you participated in the 3HO global community?
• What 3HO events have you attended? In what capacity have you served at 3HO events?
• In what way(s) has your professional life and personal life reflected 3HO’s values?
• Are you a KRI certified Kundalini Yoga teacher?  Are you currently teaching?
• What are your salary requirements? (Feel free to state a range.)

Please send to: Anand Singh, anands@3HO.org.  NO PHONE CALLS PLEASE.

“Hate nobody; love everybody. It won’t cost you anything. Love never costs anything. Love is the most selfish act. It gives you so much protection, grace, and radiance. It doesn’t give you any smallness or suffering. The attitude of conscious living is to love and give grace to someone worthy of your trust. Do not seek anything from people. Give love instead, and rely on God.” Yogi Bhajan

Posture: Sit on your heels with a straight spine. The upper arms are parallel to the ground, on the same level as the shoulders. The elbows are bent and the fingertips are nearly touching each other at the center of the chest near the heart center. The hands are flat with the palms facing downward.

Mantra: The meditation is done to the sound of Humee Hum, Brahm Hum by Nirinjan Kaur and Guru Prem Singh.[1] The meditation is silent, you do not chant aloud.

Focus: The eyes are focused at the tip of the nose.

Meditation: From the starting position, the hands and forearms move out to the sides, palms facing down. Pull the navel point in strongly and lift the solar plexus and diaphragm slightly in a focused motion. As the arms move back in, the navel is released. The navel is pulled in as the arms again move back out to the sides. Continue this movement, using the rhythm of the music to set the pace.

Time: 11 minutes.

To Finish: Inhale and hold the breath 15 seconds and then release. Repeat this two more times and relax.

© The Teachings of Yogi Bhajan

This meditation can be found in Physical Wisdom available from www.kriteachings.org, www.a-healing.com, and www.spiritvoyage.com