Winter 2025 Edition
Table of Contents
A Look at NASMDA 2025
Sayva Kaur and Nadhri Kaur
The Importance of Detachment in Sikhism
Keerith Kaur
Gurbani’s Alignment with Nature
Uday Singh
Sangat is Where It’s At
Sahai Kaur
An Overview of the San Jose Gurdwara
Suneet Kaur
A Look at NASMDA 2025
By Sayva Kaur and Nadhri Kaur
Here at the SYWA our organization has a diverse range of interests and ambitions. And as we look towards future careers, we turn to some of the established resources out there that encourage the exploration of professional jobs within the Sikh community, such as healthcare for example. At the2025 NASMDA (The North American Sikh Medical and Dental Association)conference, there were many resources for Sikhs who aspire to be in healthcare or are currently within the field. At their annual conference which some of our writers were attended, the SYWA learned a lot about how Sikhs are impacting the field of medicine, one step at a time.
As our writers attended the conference, we began to wonder more about NASMDA. What exactly is it and how did it come about? Well, let’s start with its history. According to NASMDA’s official website, a need for Sikh medical associations began with the immigration of Sikhs to this country. The website states, “Sikh physicians began immigrating to the USA in the late 1960s and early 1970s to embark on new lives in this country and to seek professional opportunities”. As a community of Sikh medical professionals began to grow within the U.S., these Sikhs “sought connection with peers of similar professional and cultural backgrounds by joining their respective alumni associations.”
Fulfilling this need however, proved to be difficult at first. It was an uphill battle to find Sikhs who were truly enthusiastic about making NASMDA a reality. There were also hardships with establishing NASMDA as a legitimate organization because of “legal formalities”. In the end, however, NASMDA became a success because of those who strove to create connections within their community.
NASMDA hosted a variety of speakers, not just physicians and dentists. The speakers covered a wide range of topics- from podcasting to social media to addressing addiction challenges. We found the lectures engaging and insightful- and noticed the countless applications of each lecture. Seeing the speakers and hearing their stories inspired us, and made us feel excited to become health care professionals, and supported in our paths. The lectures at NASMDA engage aspiring physicians, medical students, physicians, and Sikhs in other fields, informing listeners on a variety of topics and strengthening Sikh involvement in medicine and dentistry.
One particular group of speakers that interested us as young Sikhs aspiring to go to medical and dental school was a group of speakers discussing the Sikh Medical Initiative which strives to create community for Sikh medical students through providing them with Sikh mentors as well as peers. Ikaasa Suri, Prabhjot Singh, and Priya Singh- three medical students attending Mount Sinai- gave a lecture about this organization, explaining ways that people can get involved in their mentorship program.
We gained a lot of insight about this initiative upon interviewing Ikassa Suri. She discusses some of the issues that led her to create the Sikh Medical Initiative saying, “The reason we started it was because there is a lot of support for Sikh premed students at the undergraduate level in terms of organizations that exist, and then there are organizations like NASMDA that exist to support physicians that are Sikh once they've actually completed their training.” Suri emphasized the importance of having Sangat and how this truly fueled the need for the SMI. She continued by saying, “And so we wanted to create an organization that could bring together Sikh medical students from across the country and provide them with support because I think that medical school training is very unique in the challenges that it brings and so to have a sense of community and to go through it with people that are like-minded, that share values, that want to practice medicine in the same way given our communities values and our guiding principles was sort of the emphasis behind why we wanted to start this organization.”
Suri said that as SMI continues to grow and expand to include new members, “We want to continue recruiting medical students to become a part of our network. We have had virtual events and we want to continue to host virtual events. We would love to host in-person regional events ...We're planning on hosting a series of free clinics where we go to Gurdwaras and we provide free medical care…”
While NASMDA hosted many fascinating speakers, there were two special speeches on the final night. The first speech was given by Ravi Singh, the humanitarian founder of Khalsa Aid. He discussed the importance of speaking out and using your privileges to help others, connecting it to the core values of Sikhi. The second special speaker was Dr. Swaiman Singh, a humanitarian and transplant cardiologist for Five Rivers Heart Association. He also discussed the importance of speaking out, even when it can have consequences.
Another topic of great importance at the conference was the inclusivity of different cultures and religions in the medical field. This topic was explored through discussions regarding face masks and whether every health professional can wear them. It was brought up at the conference that many Sikh physicians with beards could not wear many of the surgical masks required of them since the masks do not seal properly if the person wearing them has facial hair. In fact, many clinics and hospitals have mandated that Sikhs must shave their beards in order to continue their careers; a clear violation of one’s personal beliefs.
In one particular presentation, a panel of those who worked with the Sikh Coalition discussed current efforts to make personal protective equipment usable for all. They discussed new strategies to ensure a protective seal around face masks, one of these being the Singh Thatta Technique in which a beard cover is tied, and then the face mask is put on. While these methods have still not been approved, many show promise and advancement in making professional careers more inclusive to all religions. The Sikh Coalition continues to strive for this goal, hoping that these methods will one day be approved by the National Institute of Health.
Looking ahead, the next NASMDA annual meeting will take place from January 16th to the 19th of 2026. It will take place in Charlotte, North Carolina. This conference will continue to cover a wide variety of topics both regarding medicine and dentistry, as well as the Sikh community overall.
Altogether, our writers had amazing experiences attending NASMDA’s annual conference. The conference provided crucial medical information about Sikh physicians while also creating a space for the bonding of like minded Sikhs. NASMDA was truly inspirational, giving insight into many different topics including, what it is like making medical schools more comfortable for Sikh students as well as making Personal Protective Equipment safe for working Sikhs. The inclusion of different guest speakers making great progress in their fields was moving. As the Sikh youth, we hope that resources like these will only continue to grow, paving the way for new generations that will leave a lasting impact in whatever they do.
The Importance of Detachment in Sikhism
By Keerith Kaur
The one thing I’ve always been taught is to not be attached to worldly things, and to always put Waheguru first over worldly distractions. Moh (ਮੋਹ), or attachment, is seen one of the evils in the human mind, and can stop us from growing spiritually. As a member of the Sikh youth, I find it very important that I learn how to stop being attached to worldly things, which is something I struggle with on my journey.
It is natural to care and have love for the things around you, your family, friends, or even material possessions, but it's easy to start to emotionally depend on these things. We need to stop becoming attached to an external factor, such as money, materials, or even friends to seek happiness rather than finding peace in Waheguru.
One of the negative effects of having attachment is your ego growing. One of the main teachings in Sikhi is being humble, and having attachment often can feed your ego. It can also cause suffering, when we lose something we love, it can bring sorrow. True peace comes from accepting that nothing lasts forever, so don’t get attached to things too easily.
No one is perfect, so how do we stop ourselves from getting attached to things or people, and then get sad if they leave us? Well, one of the things that helps me is by simply remembering Waheguru. Sometimes all it takes is to simply repeat “Waheguru” over and over in your head to help you calm down or ground yourself.
If you do lose someone who you loved, I have something my dad told me that really helps. “It's better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all.” Just imagine your loved one moving on, or finally being at peace. Knowing that the world will keep moving on really helps dealing with grief and helps me to not be attached to things.
Gurbani’s Alignment With Nature
By Uday Singh
Introduction
In Gurbani, many words like “Thiti”, or names of months like “Poh”, “Maagh”, and “Chet”, or even the elusive “Pehars” appear time and time again.
ਵਿਸੁਏ ਚਸਿਆ ਘੜੀਆ ਪਹਰਾ ਥਿਤੀ ਵਾਰੀ ਮਾਹੁ ਹੋਆ ॥
visue chasiā gharī'ā paherā thitī vārī māhu hoā
But what do these words mean? As Sikhs born in Western Nations, as most of our readers are, our methods of tracking time via calendars is something we never put any intensive effort into. The Western Calendar i.e the Gregorian Calendar now has hegemony over not just the Western World, but also the Whole World at large in how we track our days and weeks. But what’s the significance of something as mundane as a calendar? How does it align with nature, and what kinds of natural measurements of time does Gurbani have to offer?
Lunar vs. Solar Calendars
In order to understand how Gurbani aligns itself with nature, we must first understand the calendrical constructs the Gurus used. Gurbani uses the Indic Lunar Calendar, known as the Bikrami Calendar, which differs from the Gregorian Calendar we use in the mainstream in a variety of ways. The Gregorian Calendar is a Solar Calendar, meaning that it calculates dates based on Earth’s position to the Sun with intervals of 365.25 Days. On the other hand, the Bikrami Calendar uses the Moon’s Phases to measure time intervals. A Lunar Month is roughly 30 Days, and 12 Lunar Months are counted. Lunar Months are exactly 29.5 Days long, resulting in years that span 354 days. In order to synchronize the Solar and Lunar cycles, and to prevent the Lunar Months from dissociating with their normal time frames in a year, a “Leap Month” known as Mal Maas is added every three years. The normal sequence of months in the Bikrami Calendar is as follows:
Chet Mid March – Mid April
Vaisakh Mid April – Mid May
Jeth Mid May – Mid June
Harh Mid June – Mid July
Sawan Mid July – Mid August
Bhadon Mid August – Mid September
Assu Mid September – Mid October
Kattak Mid October – Mid November
Magghar Mid November – Mid December
Poh Mid December – Mid January
Magh Mid January – Mid February
Phaggan Mid February – Mid March
Natural Alignment
The “Sangrand”, or beginning of a New Month doesn’t begin arbitrarily with the mark of a Calendar on a wall or phone. Rather, it begins with the sight of the Full Moon in the Sky, known as “Puranmashi”. The day of Puranmashi thus marks the Sangrand of the new Month, and it begins the “Vadi” period (waning) for half the month, until the New Moon, where the “Sudi” (waxing) period begins. In precolonial texts, Guru Gobind Singh’s date of birth is been recorded as Poh Sudi 7. This means that the Guru took incarnation on the 22nd Day of the Month of Poh, 7 days following & including the New Moon.
In Sri Guru Granth Sahib Ji, there are three “Thiti” (Moon Phase) Banis recorded, which provide spiritual insight to the 14 days of each waning and waxing cycle, as well as spiritual commentary on the Full Moon and New Moon Days. Guru Arjan Dev Ji sings in Raag Gauri:
ਪਉੜੀ ॥
Pauri.
ਪੂਰਨਮਾ ਪੂਰਨ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਏਕੁ ਕਰਣ ਕਾਰਣ ਸਮਰਥੁ ॥
The day of full moon: The omnipotent Lord, alone is perfect and the Cause of all causes.
ਜੀਅ ਜੰਤ ਦਇਆਲ ਪੁਰਖੁ ਸਭ ਊਪਰਿ ਜਾ ਕਾ ਹਥੁ ॥
The Lord, whose protecting hand is over all, is merciful to the mortals and other beings.
ਗੁਣ ਨਿਧਾਨ ਗੋਬਿੰਦ ਗੁਰ ਕੀਆ ਜਾ ਕਾ ਹੋਇ ॥
The great Lord, at whose instant everything is done, is the treasure of excellences.
ਅੰਤਰਜਾਮੀ ਪ੍ਰਭੁ ਸੁਜਾਨੁ ਅਲਖ ਨਿਰੰਜਨ ਸੋਇ ॥
He, the wise, unseen and pure Lord, is the knower of hearts.
ਪਾਰਬ੍ਰਹਮੁ ਪਰਮੇਸਰੋ ਸਭ ਬਿਧਿ ਜਾਨਣਹਾਰ ॥
Transcendent Lord, the Lofty master is the knower of all the devices.
ਸੰਤ ਸਹਾਈ ਸਰਨਿ ਜੋਗੁ ਆਠ ਪਹਰ ਨਮਸਕਾਰ ॥
He is the helper of the saints and potent to give shelter. I ever make obeisance to Him.
ਅਕਥ ਕਥਾ ਨਹ ਬੂਝੀਐ ਸਿਮਰਹੁ ਹਰਿ ਕੇ ਚਰਨ ॥
I meditate on the feet of God, whose ineffable discourse cannot be known.
ਪਤਿਤ ਉਧਾਰਨ ਅਨਾਥ ਨਾਥ ਨਾਨਕ ਪ੍ਰਭ ਕੀ ਸਰਨ ॥੧੬॥
Nanak has entered the sanctuary of the Lord, who is the savior of the sinners and the Master of masterless.
ਸਲੋਕੁ ॥
Slok.
ਦੁਖ ਬਿਨਸੇ ਸਹਸਾ ਗਇਓ ਸਰਨਿ ਗਹੀ ਹਰਿ ਰਾਇ ॥
My pain has fled and my doubt has departed, since I have grasped the shelter of God the king.
ਮਨਿ ਚਿੰਦੇ ਫਲ ਪਾਇਆ ਨਾਨਕ ਹਰਿ ਗੁਨ ਗਾਇ ॥੧੭॥
By singing the praises of God, Nanak has obtained his heart desired fruits.
When we observe nature as our calendar and relate the changes of natural phenomena around us to spiritual progression, then our daily lives as Sikhs becomes a more wholesome existence. This is why I believe understanding Gurbani’s alignment with Nature is so important. Going even deeper, there are various Banis relating to the Day and Night, 7 Days of the Week, and other such phenomena which we could reference daily for spiritual guidance. Without this knowledge of how our Satguru has organized these hymns in such a manner, we miss out on the ingenious poetics that were passed down to us by our forefathers so lovingly.
Sangat is Where It’s At
By Sahai Kaur
Sangat: A community of people who support and accompany each other as they worship, learn, and serve their faith. Being a Sikh in America has its own unique set of challenges, especially when it comes to balancing your school life, cultural life, and religious life. However, having Sangat helps deepen your understanding of your life and Sikhi.
For me, having Sikh friends is comforting whether I am stressed about academics, religion, or just life. Sharing experiences with others is better for your mental health because not only are they there to listen, but they understand the struggles you go through. Your Christian friend will never understand what it is like to wear a dastaar, keep your hair, or get pulled aside in airport security for the way you look. Only the people who look like you will, which is why you can connect with Sangat so well. Whenever I tell someone that I do not cut my hair for religious reasons, they find it weird or unsanitary. Some people even feel bad for me, because we live in a world where if we do not follow a certain norm we are judged. A good Sangat helps you stay grounded in your Sikh identity.
The Guru Granth Sahib says that when keeping the company of Sangat, all of your sins are purified, making you closer to the Guru and your people. For many people, Sangat can help keep you along your journey in Sikhi, while you help them do the same. They encourage you to participate in discussions and ask questions so you can learn about who you are. To feel safe sharing how you feel, one must be around people they trust and share identity with. You can engage with your Sangat through various activities including, Kirtan, vichaar, Gurdwara seva, etc. Through these activities, you get to spend time with the people you care about while also engaging in your religion.
As we grow together as Sikhs, so do our connections and commitment to Sangat. Over time, individuals foster a sense of belonging in their faith and the outside world creating the perfect balance. You also make unbreakable bonds that cultivate friendships and family for a very long time, if not forever. Sangat exists so we can help people navigate through the journey of life. Unlike other relationships, our Sangat is always there for us as we grow from youth to adulthood. Together, we build a foundation for the future. The best way to learn about Sikhi is to learn about it together so the youth can be easily exposed to it as well as all future Sikhs.
Ultimately, Sangat plays a crucial role in our lives as Sikhs, such as spiritual support, friends, and even just people we share identities with. Unlike Non-Sikh people, Sangat shares principles, values, faith, and undinsterstanding which goes to show why it is easier to be with Sangat rather than someone from school. Throughout life these relationships are built and held up by shared experiences and religious gatherings, which contribute to the future Sikh generations. Without Sangat it is more difficult to learn about who we are as Sikhs, which will kill our culture and traditions indefinitely.
An Overview of the San Jose Gurdwara
By Suneet Kaur
Recently, I have had the wonderful opportunity of visiting San Jose Gurdwara. I was amazed at seeing such a large-scale Gurdwara in the US.
San Jose Gurdwara is one of the largest Gurdwaras in the world. The Gurdwara was founded in 1984, and soon expanded as the population increased. Today, the Gurdwara spans 40 acres and has implemented many community programs.
One such program is Langar. Having such a large Gurdwara, the langar is expansively made. On weekdays, the average number of people served in Langar is around 1000. On weekends, around 7500 people served. During holidays such as New Years Eve, this amount nears 15,000. As seen through the attendance rates, the community impact of the Gurdwara is abundant.
Another program implemented by the Gurdwara is the medical clinic. In 2014, the Gurdwara established Guru Nanak Medical Clinic to help make medical care more accessible. Volunteer physicians, medical students, and nurses help make this clinic operate.
Additionally, the Gurdwara has Guru Nanak Khalsa School. The children have the opportunity to learn Punjabi, Guru History, Gurmukhi at various different levels. Through the Sikh Heritage Symphony Program, children are able to learn to play the Rabab, Taus, Dilruba, etc.
Incorporating solar energy, the Gurdwara is also taking leaps to sustainability. Currently, the Gurdwara is home to several EV charging stations. It sets an example of environmental consciousness.
In brief, the San Jose Gurdwara has a rich history and extensive list of programs. I was very impressed visiting the Gurdwara and hope one day I will be able to visit again.
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