Inni Kaur is Creative Director at the Sikh Research Institute (SikhRI). She has served SikhRI in several capacities since 2010, including Chair of the Board, and most recently as CEO.
She is a frequent speaker at community and interfaith events, the U.S. Office of the Pentagon Chaplin, and several universities. She is a passionate author, poet, and artist. Her published works include Journey with the Gurus, a children’s book series inspired by the life and teachings of Guru Nanak Sahib, Sakhi-Time with Nani ji, Thank-You Vahiguru, Daddy’s Turban, and The Story of Us.
She is passionately involved in transcreating Sabad (Infinite-Wisdom) and the writings of Bhai Vir Singh.
To Inni, every single day is a celebration. Her writing is inspired by that same outlook on life, as well as Sikh thought. While she writes anytime the spirit moves her, she thoroughly enjoys watching the clouds pass her, taking long mindful walks to appreciate nature’s innate beauty, and painting abstract artwork.
Inni Kaur resides with her family in the United States.
Watch the entire conversation that took place on International Women’s Day as Inni Kaur, Shauna Singh Baldwin, and Dr. Geetanjali Singh Chanda share the multi-faceted journeys that women have taken.
Scholar Dr. Nikky-Guninder Kaur Singh, author, poet, and artist, Inni Kaur, and educator, Surinder Singh discuss the poetry, Gurbani, and the inspiration of Bhai Vir Singh.
Watch the entire conversation with social entrepreneur and children’s book author, Deanna Singh, writer, scholar, and activist, Simran Jeet Singh, and author, poet, and artist, Inni Kaur.
This drop-in live webinar is made just for children! Join us as we welcome various guest presenters to engage with Sabad, sakhi, story-telling, poetry, puzzles, art, and much more.
Celebrate Mother’s Day while social distancing as we engage in conversation with Inni Kaur, Neelu Kaur, Mandeep Kaur, and Sharanjeet Kaur to discuss how Sikhi has informed their ideas of motherhood, their challenges, and their triumphs.
Don't Ask. Poem by Inni KaurDon’t ask, my daughter what happened in 1984.These wounds are still raw don’t touch them.
In our Sabad of the Month Sikh Cast Host, Manpreet Singh and Inni Kaur explore the Sabad O’ My mother! Mind pierced by the Compassionate. Mind the temple, body the ascetic cloth, bathe within the heart pilgrim-shrine. One Sabad lives on my breath, no longer entering birth-cycle. 1. O’ My mother! Mind pierced by the Compassionate. Who knows the pain of others? I worry not about others. 1. Reflect. O’ Unreachable! O’ Unperceivable! O’ Indescribable! O’ Immeasurable, worry about me. Totally pervading on land, water and sky, Your Light is in each and every one. 2. All teaching, knowing, understanding is Yours, body-temple shade is Yours. I know no other except You. O’ My Sovereign! I forever sing and praise You. 3. All beings, creatures in Your sanctuary. All cares are Yours. Nanak’s one prayer: Whatever pleases You, that is good. 4. – Guru Nanak Sahib in Rag Bilaval | Guru Granth Sahib 795 ਬਿਲਾਵਲੁ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ॥ ਮਨੁ ਮੰਦਰੁ ਤਨੁ ਵੇਸ ਕਲੰਦਰੁ ਘਟ ਹੀ ਤੀਰਥਿ ਨਾਵਾ ॥ ਏਕੁ ਸਬਦੁ ਮੇਰੈ ਪ੍ਰਾਨਿ ਬਸਤੁ ਹੈ ਬਾਹੁੜਿ ਜਨਮਿ ਨ ਆਵਾ ॥੧॥ ਮਨੁ ਬੇਧਿਆ ਦਇਆਲ ਸੇਤੀ ਮੇਰੀ ਮਾਈ ॥ ਕਉਣੁ ਜਾਣੈ ਪੀਰ ਪਰਾਈ ॥ ਹਮ ਨਾਹੀ ਚਿੰਤ ਪਰਾਈ ॥੧॥ ਰਹਾਉ ॥ ਅਗਮ ਅਗੋਚਰ ਅਲਖ ਅਪਾਰਾ ਚਿੰਤਾ ਕਰਹੁ ਹਮਾਰੀ ॥ ਜਲਿ ਥਲਿ ਮਹੀਅਲਿ ਭਰਿਪੁਰਿ ਲੀਣਾ ਘਟਿ ਘਟਿ ਜੋਤਿ ਤੁਮ੍ਹਾਰੀ ॥੨॥ ਸਿਖ ਮਤਿ ਸਭ ਬੁਧਿ ਤੁਮ੍ਹਾਰੀ ਮੰਦਿਰ ਛਾਵਾ ਤੇਰੇ ॥ ਤੁਝ ਬਿਨੁ ਅਵਰੁ ਨ ਜਾਣਾ ਮੇਰੇ ਸਾਹਿਬਾ ਗੁਣ ਗਾਵਾ ਨਿਤ ਤੇਰੇ ॥੩॥ ਜੀਅ ਜੰਤ ਸਭਿ ਸਰਣਿ ਤੁਮ੍ਹਾਰੀ ਸਰਬ ਚਿੰਤ ਤੁਧੁ ਪਾਸੇ ॥ ਜੋ ਤੁਧੁ ਭਾਵੈ ਸੋਈ ਚੰਗਾ ਇਕ ਨਾਨਕ ਕੀ ਅਰਦਾਸੇ ॥੪॥੨॥
Inni Kaur recites a translation from the original writings of Bhai Vir Singh.
2019 would mark the 550th Prakash Purab (Illumination Day) of Guru Nanak Sahib. To commemorate this monumental event SikhRI is launching a children’s audio story series in English and Panjabi based on the life and travels of Guru Nanak Sahib.
In this special Valentine’s Day podcast, Inni Kaur explores the epic Panjabi love stories mentioned in the Varan of Bhai Gurdas.
In this episode, we explore what happened during Guru Nanak Sahib’s “janeu” ceremony. When Guru ji was eleven years old, Pandit Hardyal, the family priest, told his parents, Pita Kalu ji and Mata Tripta ji, that now was his time for the “janeu” ceremony.
ਸੂਹੀ ਮਹਲਾ ੧ ਸੁਚਜੀ ॥ ਜਾ ਤੂ ਤਾ ਮੈ ਸਭੁ ਕੋ ਤੂ ਸਾਹਿਬੁ ਮੇਰੀ ਰਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਤੁਧੁ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਹਉ ਸੁਖਿ ਵਸਾ ਤੂੰ ਅੰਤਰਿ ਸਾਬਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਭਾਣੈ ਤਖਤਿ ਵਡਾਈਆ ਭਾਣੈ ਭੀਖ ਉਦਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਭਾਣੈ ਥਲ ਸਿਰਿ ਸਰੁ ਵਹੈ ਕਮਲੁ ਫੁਲੈ ਆਕਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਭਾਣੈ ਭਵਜਲੁ ਲੰਘੀਐ ਭਾਣੈ ਮੰਝਿ ਭਰੀਆਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਭਾਣੈ ਸੋ ਸਹੁ ਰੰਗੁਲਾ ਸਿਫਤਿ ਰਤਾ ਗੁਣਤਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ਭਾਣੈ ਸਹੁ ਭੀਹਾਵਲਾ ਹਉ ਆਵਣਿ ਜਾਣਿ ਮੁਈਆਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਤੂ ਸਹੁ ਅਗਮੁ ਅਤੋਲਵਾ ਹਉ ਕਹਿ ਕਹਿ ਢਹਿ ਪਈਆਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਕਿਆ ਮਾਗਉ ਕਿਆ ਕਹਿ ਸੁਣੀ ਮੈ ਦਰਸਨ ਭੂਖ ਪਿਆਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥ ਗੁਰ ਸਬਦੀ ਸਹੁ ਪਾਇਆ ਸਚੁ ਨਾਨਕ ਕੀ ਅਰਦਾਸਿ ਜੀਉ ॥੨॥ O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! When You are with me, I have all wealth. O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! When You are within me, comfort, grandeur exists within me. O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! In Your Will, I sit on a majestic throne. In Your Will, I wander begging. O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! In Your Will, water flows in drylands. In Your Will, lotus blooms in the sky. O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! In Your Will, I cross the world-ocean. In Your Will, I drown. O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! In Your Will, I get colored by Husband. I am absorbed in the treasure-house of virtues. O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! In Your Will, Husband seems fearful, hence - I go through birth-death-cycles. O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! In Your Will, Husband is unweighable, unreachable. I fall down acknowledging. O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! What to ask, what to say, what to listen? I hunger and thirst for Your vision. O’ Life of life! O’ Breath of breath! In Gur Sabad1 I met Husband. This is Nanak’s true prayer. 2. 1. Guru Nanak Sahib in Rag Suhi | Guru Granth Sahib 762 *The wisdom learnt from the Guru. Popularly refers to the hymns in the Guru Granth Sahib.
Sabad is Infinite; we are very finite. This is our understanding at the moment, which was different yesterday and may evolve tomorrow, as we deepen our relationship with the Sabad. In this trans-creation, we have chosen to keep the repeating words in the Sabad same. We aspire to learn and retain the Divine attribute as used in the original Sabad and avoid terms like God or Lord.
“This Divine Narrative of the All-Pervasive is what Guru Arjan Sahib has gifted to humanity.The way to experience divine realization, is revealed in Sabad.”
Sabad is Infinite; we are very finite. This is our understanding at the moment, which was different yesterday and may evolve tomorrow, as we deepen our relationship with the Sabad. In this trans-creation, we have chosen to keep the repeating words in the Sabad same. We aspire to learn and retain the Divine attribute as used in the original Sabad and avoid terms like God or Lord.
A giant in Panjabi literature, Bhai Vir Singh (1872 - 1957) is celebrated as 'The Sixth River of Panjab'. He was a mystic, poet, novelist, essayist, historian, editor, publisher and a journalist. He was the leading figure in the Singh Sabha Movement, the dynamic Sikh renaissance in the late 19th - early 20th century Panjab. The following passage is translated from one of his seminal works, “Guru Nanak Chamatkar” - in celebration of his birth anniversary (Dec. 5, 1872).
Sabad is Infinite; we are very finite. This is our understanding at the moment, which was different yesterday and may evolve tomorrow, as we deepen our relationship with the Sabad.
Guru Nanak Sahib's Sabad, set in the serene and simple Sarang Rag, beautifully captures the essence of devotion and spiritual surrender amidst the oppressive heat of a summer afternoon. Sarang, associated with the late afternoon when the...
Sidak is a transformative educational experience designed for young Sikh adults aged 18 to 39. It brings together seekers from all over the world to learn, grow, and lead with purpose.