seattle sikh retreatHey folks, the Seattle Sikh Retreat is back for 2008. It’s Memorial Day Weekend this year. It seems like it’s far away, but it’ll be here before you know it. Register by May 15 to get the early bird rates! Why should you bother attending? It’s a forum where you can get together with like-minded people and discuss your connection with Sikhi. You can learn from the speakers, engage in dialogue, and meet exciting people from around North America. We’ll have awesome sports activities (rumors are circulating of a Sikh Olympics), a beautiful campfire, and lots of nitnem, simran, and laughter. Best of all, we’ll create an open forum where we can meet each other on common ground.

It’s so easy to get caught up in the ritual of religion. As children we are taught what it is to “be good” and jump through certain socially acceptable hoops. Many of us have grown up in the United States, and we’ve learned kirtan and attended divaans at the instruction of our parents. We tell everyone that the Guru Granth Sahib is our Guru, and that its teachings will get us closer to God. Amidst all of this routine, we often leave out an important aspect of our Guru — the Guru Panth. Many people will be surprised to learn that the current Sikh guru is actually the Guru Panth and the Guru Granth. What does this mean? Who is the Guru Panth? How can we relate to it? Are we the Guru Panth? All these questions and more will be answered at the retreat. Retreats and conferences like the Seattle Sikh Retreat are a welcome reprieve from the day-to-day, and are often eye-opening and life changing experiences. Make sure you read all the positive comments on the seattle sikh retreat website!

Check out this neat video:

Disclaimer: I’m one of the organizers of the Seattle Sikh Retreat, and have been since 2005. :)