Sat Nam. Gurudass Singh Ji passed away recently. The good news is that we have Gurudass Singh's music and the following informative testament to the memory of Gurudass Singh in the words of Tarn Tarn Singh Khalsa, a story that deserves to be shared, a story that future generations would love to hear for its inspiration. -- Hari Singh Bird If you watched Woodstock, the 1970 documentary movie, you probably remember the scene where, in between band sets, a long-hair hippie is up on the stage leading everybody in Breath of Fire. What you probably didn't notice is part way through the exercise, in the crowd shot up in the right-hand corner, a little head pops up in the crowd to see what's going on. Next time look closely and you'll witness a 16-year old Gurudass Singh getting his first introduction to Kundalini Yoga. He, of course, hadn't taken the name Gurudass Singh at the time so he convinced his parents he and his 17-year-old best friend (the future Gian Singh) to let them fly from Puerto Rico to New York to participate in a "summer music camp." See 3HOLegacyLinks.com.
It wasn't until a couple of years later, as a student at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, that he started to practice Kundalini Yoga. He soon left the College and joined the Ahimsa Ashram in Washington, D.C., sleeping in the notorious "men's dorm" and working long shifts at the Golden Temple Restaurant. That early ashram life was beautifully captured in the song "Keep Up" by the Khalsa String Band. That wonderful band was composed of the finest musicians of early 3HO and Gurudass Singh was the youngest member. He wrote and sang many of their songs and had incredible stories of "life on the road" as they toured the country playing college campuses, sometimes as the opening act for the Siri Singh Sahib, aka Yogi Bhajan's class. The music they created together was truly magical. It told our story in song and bound us together as family.
Every new cassette tape recording was an event, awaited with great expectation. I remember exactly where I was when I first heard Gurudass sing "Flowers in the Rain", and I remember it made me cry. He went on to write and sing so many songs that chronicled the growth and journey of 3HO such as, When Will I Walk on the Cold Marble Again, The Ballad of Guru Ram Das, I Am - I Am, and so many more.
In 1978 Gurudass Singh and Gurudass Kaur moved to Europe at Yogi Bhajan's bequest, and founded the Guru Ram Das Ashram in Barcelona, Spain. The ashram was on the top floor of a beautiful old apartment building, with no elevator, and exactly 108 steps to climb to reach their door! Barcelona was one of the seven original ashrams which brought Kundalini Yoga as taught by Yogi Bhajan© to Europe. Gurudass established Kundalini Yoga in Spain and contributed to the growth of 3HO throughout Europe. Early on, looking for a way to support his family, Gurudass Singh asked Yogi Bhajan if he could return to the USA for two years to attend chiropractic school. In typical style, Yogi Bhajan gave him six months, and Gurudass used the time for a “crash course” with Wha Guru Singh, learning at his clinic. He then returned and established a successful chiropractic clinic and a school that taught the first generation of chiropractors in Spain. During their years in Spain, Gurudass Singh and Gurudass Kaur produced many of the beautiful CD’s that are still known and loved around the world today. In the early 2000’s they felt they had completed their mission in Spain and asked Yogi Bhajan if they could return to the USA. Yogi Bhajan gave them his blessings to move, and gave Gurudass Singh the hukum to became a traveling Yogi, spreading the teachings around the globe. He went on to live in Santiago, Chile and established KRI Teacher Training programs in many South American countries. Gurudass Singh later returned to Europe where he met and married Raj Kiran Kaur and moved to her native Sweden. From his home near Gothenburg, he continued to travel the globe to spread his love and light, share his music, and train teachers. He was one of the original five KRI Level One and Level Two Lead Trainers personally appointed by Yogi Bhajan to teach the KRI Aquarian Teacher Training program in Europe. He was one the original members of the Aquarian Trainer Academy and a founding member of the KRI Teacher Training Executive Council. He personally trained hundreds of KRI certified Kundalini Teachers across the globe with programs in Spain, Chile, Brazil, Paraguay, Peru, Sweden, Australia, India, USA, France, and Bali. His love and dedication to the Teachings was such that, even while knowing he was in the last stages of cancer, he traveled to Bali to teach and inspire the international group of students who attended the Level One immersion he had organized there, as well as comfort and support the core group of trainers he was mentoring in the Academy.
In his last weeks on this earth he was blessed to be surrounded by his children, Nirankar Singh and Simran Simrit Kaur (Simi), and his grandson, Forest. As he moved into his last days I was able to reach him by FaceTime on several occasions. Every time he greeted me with his smile, which shined with the radiance of the brilliant light within. He was sad to leave his family, friends, and students, but he was unafraid to pass on to whatever waits for us on the other side. His timing was impeccable, leaving his body as his 3HO family was gathered together for Summer Solstice Sadhana where we could grieve his loss together. We celebrated his life and remembered all that he gave to us as we listened together to joyous and inspiring music which, as his song says, “…will live forever in our hearts…” and inspire generations to come. -- Source. See Spanish Translation. See Life According To Puerto Ricans. Akal
3HOHistory.com TRANSLATION
Si has visto Woodstock, el documental acerca del festival de 1970, tal vez recuerdes la escena No fue sino hasta un par de años más tarde, cuando estudiaba en la Escuela de Música de Berklee en Boston, que comenzó a practicar Kundalini Yoga. Dejó la escuela y se incorporó al Ashram Ahimsa en Washington, DC, donde dormía en el famoso "dormitorio de hombres" y trabajaba largas horas en el Restaurante del Templo Dorado. Capturó de forma hermosa la vida del ashram en esos días en la canción. Mantente (Keep Up)" del Khalsa String Band. Esta agrupación maravillosa fue conformada por los mejores músicos de los inicios de 3HO y Gurudass Singh era el más joven de ellos. Escribió y cantó muchas de sus canciones y vivió historias increíbles de la "vida nómada" mientras viajaban por todo el país tocando en universidades, en ocasiones como preámbulo a una clase de Yogi Bhajan. La música que crearon juntos fue realmente mágica. Narra nuestra historia en forma de canciones y nos hizo unirnos como familia. Cada cassette nuevo que se grababa era todo un evento que esperabamos impacientemente. Puedo recordar exactamente dónde estaba yo el día que escuché por vez primera "Flores en Botón (Flowers in the Rain", y me acuerdo que me hizo llorar. Siguió componiendo y cantando muchas canciones que describen la expansión y viaje de 3HO tales como." Cuándo Caminaré de Nuevo sobre el Mármol Frío (When Will I Walk on the Cold Marble Again)", "Nunca te Rindas (Never Surrender)", "Yo Soy Yo Soy (I Am - I Am)", y muchas más. En 1978 Gurudass Singh y Kaur se mudaron a España a petición de Yogi Bhajan y fundaron el Ashram de Guru Ram Das en Barcelona. El ashram se ubicaba en el piso superior de un edificio de departamentos antiguo y hermoso, que no tenía elevador ¡pero sí exactamente 108 escalones para llegar a la puerta! El ashram de Barcelona fue uno de los siete originales donde comenzó Kundalini Yoga como lo enseñó Yogi Bhajan© en Europa. Gurudass estableció Kundalini Yoga en España y contribuyó al crecimiento de 3HO en toda Europa. Al comienzo, mientras buscaba cómo mantener a su familia, Gurudass Singh le pidió a Yogi Bhajan volver a Estados Unidos por dos años para formarse como quiropráctico. En su estilo clásico, Yogi Bhajan le dio seis meses solamente, mismos que Gurudass utilizó para tomar un curso "express" con Wha Guru Singh en su clínica. Volvió después a Europa y fundó una clínica y escuela quiropráctica exitosa donde enseñó a la primera generación de quiroprácticos en España. Durante los años que pasaron en España, Gurudass Singh y Kaur produjeron muchos de sus hermosos CD que son reconocidos y tocados hasta la fecha en todo el mundo. A comienzos de la década del 2000, sintieron que había terminado su misión en España y le pidieron a Yogi Bhajan regresar a Estados Unidos. Yogi Bhajan les dio su bendición y Gurudass Singh se convirtió en un yogi viajero, difundiendo las enseñanzas por todo el planeta. Se mudó a Santiago de Chile y estableció programas de formación de maestros de KRI en muchos países de Sudamérica. Más tarde, Gurudass regresó a Europa donde conoció a Raj Kiran Kaur. Se casaron y fueron a vivir a su Suecia natal. Desde su casa cerca de Gotemburgo, continuó viajando por el mundo esparciendo luz y amor, compartiendo su música y formando maestros. Fue uno de los cinco Capacitadores Líderes de Niveles 1 y 2 del Maestro de la Era de Acuario nombrados personalmente por Yogi Bhajan para impartir la formación de maestros de KRI en Europa, así como un miembro fundador del Consejo Ejecutivo de la Formación de Maestros. Capacitó personalmente a cientos de maestros de Kundalini Yoga certificados por KRI en todo el mundo, con programas en España, Chile, Brasil, Paraguay, Perú, Suecia, Australia, India, Estados Unidos, Francia y Bali. Su amor y dedicación a las enseñanzas fue tan grande que, incluso sabiendo que estaba en la fase terminal de cáncer, viajó a Bali para enseñar e inspirar al grupo internacional de alumnos que asistió a la Inmersión de Nivel 1 que organizó allí, y para reconfortar y dar apoyo al grupo de capacitadores en formación de los que era mentor en la Academia. Durante sus últimas semanas en esta tierra tuvo la bendición de estar acompañado de sus hijos Nirankar Singh y Simrit Kaur (Simri) y su nieto Forest. Pude verlo por FaceTime en varias ocasiones mientras estaba en la transición de sus últimos días. Cada vez me saludó con su sonrisa, radiante con su luz interior. Se sentía triste de dejar a su familia, amigos y alumnos, pero no tenía miedo de seguir adelante a lo que nos aguarda del otro lado, sea lo que sea. Su sentido del tiempo fue impecable y dejó su cuerpo mientras su familia de 3HO estaba reunida para el Solsticio de Verano, donde pudimos llorar juntos su pérdida así como festejar sy vida y recordar todo lo que nos dio, mientras escuchábamos juntos la música llena de gozo e inspiración que vivirá por siempre e inspirará a las generaciones futuras. AKAL - Te amo por siempre, mi hermano. -- Source. See English Translation. See Life According To Puerto Ricans.
Memories, Moments, and Missives See more at 3HOLegacyLinks.com. Memories to share? Register here. Pages And Points To Ponder See MySikhSense.com. This Is What Racism Looks Like Awtar Singh's Early 3HO History Kirpal Singh's Early 3HO History The Songs of Livtar Singh Khalsa The Solstice Sadhana Experience A Gallery of 3HO Legacy Teachers An African American Critiques 3HO Rise Up Rise Up Sweet Family Dear Hari Jiwan Singh's Early 3HO History The Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings Guru Fatha Singh's Early 3HO History Sat Santokh Singh's Early 3HO History The Ubuntu Age - All for One, Won for All Guru Singh's History of Summer Solstice The Sikh Who Changed Modern-Day India The 1974 Transition of Bhai Sahib Dyal Singh Remembering Sat Nam The Grace Within You |
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