An interesting aspect of Sikhism and its integration in the west is highlighted just south of Española. A mural can be found on the wall of the Gurdwara at the Hacienda de Guru Ram Das (ashram) at the Sikh Dharma community. On May 1, 1975, one week after he completed the mural, Ed O’Brien died of a heart attack in the ashram. Yogi Bhajan, the leader of the Sikhs, said of O’Brien and his work, “When beyond the faith, in interfaith, God is seen and recognized, that is where man rises above the clouds and sees sunshine. With this Christ consciousness, Ed O’Brien worked with the Sikh Dharma and predicted and depicted, through the mural, the future events of the world, through which mankind will be grateful.”
The Feminine Principal of Sikh Dharma
In 1973, the muralist Edward O’Brien became enthralled with Sikhism and the representation of the feminine principal in Sikh Dharma. He realized that the Shakti represented Our Lady of Guadalupe. At the center of the Adi Shakti is the two-edged sword. The sword represents the feminine principle surrounded by the circle representing God on either side. The meaning of the spiritual and temporal sovereignty is to be in this world and of the spirit simultaneously is featured. Our Lady is in the center if the mural as the feminine principle. She stands on the crescent in front two swords representing Sikhism.
East Meets West
O’Brien believed that this universal principle was the same in both the east and west. In his mural, the same concept from both ends of the world become one. On the right side of the mural is the Golden Temple of the Sikh faith of India. On the left side is the Basilica in Mexico. The image of Don Diego’s shawl is filtered and projected in the Adi Shakti. On the left is Yogi Bhajan bringing Sikh Dharma to the western hemisphere. On the right is the American Sikh bringing Sikh Dharma to the west. So Adi Shakti, after being blessed by Guadalupe, is being reintroduced into eastern culture.