On October 8, 2005, a devastating earthquake hit the Uri/Tangdhar area of District Kupwara in Kashmir causing loss of life and rendering many people homeless. RSSB approached the state government to offer assistance in disaster relief efforts by constructing 12 sheds to shelter those displaced by the earthquake who were most in need. RSSB manufactured and transported construction materials from Ludhiana (Punjab) over roads with difficult terrain. Four hundred volunteers, deployed in groups of ten to fifteen at a time, worked in arduous conditions to complete construction.
Jammu and Kashmir
![Rssb Rssb](https://www.army.mil/e2/c/images/2016/12/21/461037/original.jpg)
The 12 sheds, each containing a living area, kitchenette, and toilets, were fully insulated against heat and cold. All the sheds are earthquake resistant structures made of steel. The walls consist of profiled GI sheet cladding. The sheds were constructed on school land made available by the State Government. The design was such that these sheds could be converted in to school room later on. Despite difficult conditions, lack of local labor and limited communication, 12 sheds in 11 locations were completed in 42 days and handed over to the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) government on December 5, 2005, just before the onset of the snow season.
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Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB) along with its international affiliates is a spiritual organization based on the teachings of all religions and dedicated to a process of inner development under the guidance of a spiritual teacher.
In the Indian language, Radha Soami means ‘lord of the soul’, satsang describes a group that seeks truth, and Beas refers to the town near which the main centre is located in northern India. There are a number of other contemporary movements that use the name ‘Radha Soami’ but Radha Soami Satsang Beas is not associated with any of them.
RSSB was established in India in 1891 and gradually began spreading to other countries. Today RSSB holds meetings in more than 90 countries worldwide. It is a non-profit organization with no affiliation to any political or commercial organizations.
The basis of every religion is spirituality. With the passage of time and changing social values, the basic spiritual teachings often become embellished with extra rules and rituals, and eventually take the shape of a formal religion. Despite its extensive outreach activities, RSSB tries to maintain the integrity of its spiritual core and preserve the simplicity of its teachings. At the heart of the RSSB teachings is a belief that there is a spiritual purpose to human life – to experience the divinity of God who resides in all of us. It is through this experience that we will realize the truth of the concept that there is only one God and we are all expressions of his love.
Central to the RSSB teachings is a spiritual teacher who explains the purpose of life and guides and instructs members in a method of spirituality based on a daily meditation practice. The present teacher is Baba Gurinder Singh, who lives with his family at the main centre in northern India.
Baba Gurinder Singh was born in 1954. His family is from a traditional agricultural community of Punjab, India. He was named by his predecessor as spiritual head of RSSB in 1990.
Based in Spain before accepting this position, he is now retired and lives off his own income. In keeping with the policy for all volunteers, he does not receive any money or honorarium from the Society.
As with his predecessors, he has dedicated his life to serving the Society and guiding its members on the spiritual path.
By performing the meditation practice according to the teacher's instructions, individuals can realize the presence of God within themselves. It is a solitary practice that is done in the quiet of one's own home. Members commit themselves to a way of life that supports spiritual growth while carrying out their responsibilities to family, friends and society. There are no rituals, ceremonies, hierarchies or mandatory contributions, nor are there compulsory gatherings. Members need not give up their cultural identity or religious preference to follow this path.
Rssb Afghanistan
To build on the primary spiritual practice of meditation, members are vegetarian, abstain from alcohol, tobacco, and recreational drugs, and are expected to lead a life of high moral values. A vegetarian diet encourages respect and empathy for all life and acknowledges that there is a debt to be paid for taking any life unnecessarily. Abstaining from intoxicants improves ones ability to concentrate and calms the mind during meditation. Members are encouraged to be self-supporting and not be a burden on society. They are free to make their own choices in life and maintain any cultural or religious affiliations they choose. RSSB does not involve itself in the personal lives of its members.
Inherent to the Society’s philosophy is the importance of seva, meaning selfless service, or voluntarism. Voluntary service is the backbone of all activities connected with RSSB. All administrative functions, construction of Indian and international centres, feeding of the hundreds of thousands of visitors who visit the headquarters in India, writing and translating books and magazines explaining the teachings, are done by members on a voluntary basis. Mahatma Gandhi embodied the importance of service in his statement: “The best way to find your self is to lose yourself in the service of others.” It is believed that through service, one loses one’s sense of self-importance and becomes humble. That is the foundation of a spiritual life.
Visit our Official RSSB YouTube Channel
RSSB is an organization in special consultative status with the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations since 2018. |
![3id rssb 3id rssb](https://www.army.mil/e2/c/images/2016/12/21/461035/original.jpg)
Note: This website, www.rssb.org, as well as www.satsanginfo.rssb.org, www.scienceofthesoul.org, and www.youtube.com/c/RadhaSoamiSatsangBeasOfficial are the only official websites for Radha Soami Satsang Beas (RSSB). They have been created to provide up-to-date information about our organization. No other websites are authorized to represent the RSSB organization or its Patron, Baba Gurinder Singh, and the information found on such websites cannot be presumed to be accurate.
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Photo By Sgt. Elizabeth White | Command Sgt. Maj. Toby Grisham, senior enlisted leader to the 3rd Infantry Division......read moreread more
Photo By Sgt. Elizabeth White | Command Sgt. Maj. Toby Grisham, senior enlisted leader to the 3rd Infantry Division Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade, receives a sword from Col. Jeffrey Britton, 3rd Inf. Div. RSSB commander during a change of responsibility ceremony at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 17. Passing the sword symbolizes passing the duties of the unit’s senior noncommissioned officer. (U.S. Army photo by Spc. Elizabeth White, 3rd ID RSSB / Released) see less | View Image Page
BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AFGHANISTAN
03.17.2018
Story by Sgt. 1st Class Ben Navratil
Soldiers of the 3rd Infantry Division Resolute Support Sustainment Brigade hosted a Change of Responsibility ceremony at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, March 17.
During the ceremony, Command Sgt. Maj. Shontina Edwards formally handed over her duties as senior enlisted advisor to the brigade.
“Command Sgt. Maj. Edwards drove sustainment innovation and excellence during a period of significant change for the Army and the 3rd Infantry Division,” said Col. Jeffrey Britton, 3rd Inf. Div. RSSB commander. “Her significant and lasting contributions to the 3rd Inf. Div. were most evident in the dramatic and measurable increases in maintaining the highest readiness of any 3rd Inf. Div. unit through nearly continuous support as a force provider.”
Edwards held the position for just more than two years, both at the Provider brigade’s home at Fort Stewart, Ga., and for five months deployed to Afghanistan in support of Operation Freedom’s Sentinel. During that time the Providers executed a Sea Emergency Deployment Readiness Exercise, during which more than 200 Soldiers convoyed from Fort Stewart to Charleston, S.C., and loaded more than thirty vehicles onto a ship; participated in three Warfighter exercises, including one at Joint Base Lewis-McChord, Wash.; and supported Operation Maple Resolve in Alberta, Canada; in addition to dozens of other exercises in support of 3rd Infantry Division.
Edwards also oversaw the deployment of companies of Soldiers to Kuwait, Egypt, Poland, Qatar and Bosnia, in addition to her current deployment to Afghanistan.
“I truly believe leading Soldiers is a privilege, not an entitlement,” said Edwards, in a speech following the ceremony, “so I want to take this time to express my gratitude to the brigade for allowing me to be their senior enlisted leader.”
After viewing her troops in formation one final time, her replacement, Command Sgt. Maj. Toby Grisham, took the podium, and greeted his new Soldiers.
“I’ve always wanted to be a Dog Face Soldier,” said the 28-year veteran, referring to the 3rd Infantry Division’s nickname. “I look forward to working side by side with you in keeping this the best sustainment brigade in the Army!”
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Date Taken: | 03.17.2018 |
Date Posted: | 03.21.2018 03:22 |
Story ID: | 270066 |
Location: | BAGRAM AIR FIELD, AF |
Web Views: | 163 |
Downloads: | 2 |
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Jammu and Kashmir
The 12 sheds, each containing a living area, kitchenette, and toilets, were fully insulated against heat and cold. All the sheds are earthquake resistant structures made of steel. The walls consist of profiled GI sheet cladding. The sheds were constructed on school land made available by the State Government. The design was such that these sheds could be converted in to school room later on. Despite difficult conditions, lack of local labor and limited communication, 12 sheds in 11 locations were completed in 42 days and handed over to the Jammu & Kashmir (J&K) government on December 5, 2005, just before the onset of the snow season.