The Path to Fearless Living: A Journey to Mother India

In January 2018, the dream became a reality. Forty-one women from Brazil made the commitment to travel thousands of miles to embark on this journey of The Path to Fearless Living, the theme we had intuitively chosen. Anyone who has been to India knows that just stepping foot on this sacred land of Mother India is a commitment to trust the unknown and to surrender. We each knew that this trip would be challenging, transforming, and rich in experience.

The heart of our yatra was five days spent at the home of Yogi Bhajan in Anandpur at Dashmesh Sadan. Yogi Bhajan named his home to reflect the humility, grace, and devotion that Guru Gobind Singh, the tenth Sikh Master, embodied. Guru Gobind Singh had made his home in this area, and it became the birthplace of the Khalsa.
From the moment we entered this beautiful home we all felt the deep connection to the light of Yogi Bhajan within and without, and the spirit of Guru Gobind Singh. Surrounded by lush green fields and sacred temples dotting the surrounding mountains, we felt held in the arms of these great teachers and the Divine Feminine.

Our day began in the cold morning before the sun rose. We warmed our hearts with sacred mantra and awakened our bodies with Kundalini Yoga. Then in silence we walked through the quiet streets of Anandpur to a sacred Sikh Temple, a Gurdwara. As we entered this serene space of the temple, every cell of our beings was touched by the power of the sound current, the Kirtan. In those brief quiet moments of deep listening, we were transported into an infinite soul space. What a gift to set our day with such clear intention and light-filled joy.

After a delicious breakfast prepared by our fantastic Indian Chefs, we dove deep into our daily morning classes. The classroom was right next to the bedroom that Yogi Bhajan slept in when he visited his home in Anandpur. We all deeply felt the touch of his subtle body and his wisdom flowing through us each moment at this beautiful home.

Every day was a new journey. The themes we explored in our morning sessions were relevant to the challenging times women are facing today. Step by step we discovered how to face adversity with a fearless spirit, ways to live in a state of grace and ease, the joy of selfless service, awakening and connecting to intuitive awareness, and keeping the light in the darkness. We laughed, cried, deeply shared and stepped into a true dimension of our power as women, and we watched our self-doubt vanish.

We spent each afternoon visiting sacred temples and sights where Guru Gobind Singh had lived, meditated and created a nation of fearless saints and soldiers who gave their lives to defend religious freedom for all humankind. We heard stories that opened our hearts and inspired each of us to step into the consciousness of humility and courage in every act of our lives.

Leaving Anandpur with the warrior spirit filling every cell of our bodies, we journeyed to the Harimandir Sahib Golden Temple in Amritsar. Even though it is the most sacred temple for Sikhs, it is built with four doors to be a place of devotion and worship for people of all faiths. Over 100,000 people visit the Golden Temple every day and are fed in the free kitchen that provides langar.

Each of our days at the Golden Temple was filled with deep meditation and seva. The divine sound of live sacred Kirtan fills the temple walls and surroundings from early morning till late at night, healing and uplifting each person who visits. Surrounding the temple are the healing waters of the Amrit Sarovar, a sacred healing pool where we dipped each day to heal ourselves, those we love, and the world.

Over 700,000 people visit this amazing temple each week. The cleaning of the temple and the cooking of the food are a done by sevadars or by volunteers in selfless service. Each morning we joined our Indian brothers and sisters at 2:30 a.m. to clean the beautiful marble parkarma, the walkway surrounding the temple. Later in the day we returned to help in the cooking of food for the free kitchen. It was an experience that filled our hearts and uplifted our spirits beyond description.

We wept when we left the Golden Temple and Mother India, but we are forever grateful for sharing an experience that transformed us forever. We will all carry with us the sweetness of connection and strength of commitment, and these are ever embedded in our beings. We know that there are challenges we will each face. That is the gift of life. After these magical ten days together, each of us returned to our homes revitalized, empowered, and courageous.

By Pritpal Kaur, written years ago.  Date unknown