It was June 1972. The second 3HO Summer Solstice gathering. We gathered together in a splendid meadow in the hills of Mendocino California. But there was something very different about this Summer Solstice gathering. Under that sunny California summer sky, the flag of Sikh Dharma in the Western Hemisphere was raised for the very first time: a blue khanda on a field of two triangles, yellow and white. As we stood around the flagpole, Yogi Ji told us of the basic principles of Sikhi: daily amrit vela sadhana, right livelihood and sharing with others. He talked of the sacredness of living as a householder and how the whole world is supported on the backs of the householders.
On this day a line was drawn in the sand. Some stepped over that line, but to some of us, footloose and fancy free, this all seemed very unusual and uncomfortable. Some turned their backs and walked away thinking, "This is starting to sound like an organized religion. No way do I want to be part of this."
But many others, myself included, felt our destiny unfolding as we heard the Guru's call.
Those who crossed that line in the sand on that day formed the foundation of the Sikh Dharma in the Western hemisphere. Today we can all see the Guru's touch awakening Sikhs all over the world and bringing his beloveds back to His lotus feet. It is all His grace, and personally, I feel extremely blessed to have heard His call on that sunny June day in 1972.
