Ben - ProfilesArchive

About Me

Ben Michaels...SahibSingh...other names that will be kept private for security reasons...lol...all the same bald/singin/ramblin/piano playin cat you see here :) The biggest question I get is always "Who is "SahibSingh" and are you Hindu/Buddhist/whatever?" SahibSingh is the name give to me by someone who's writings and teachings I've learned and grown from; his name is Yogi Bhajan, and he was one of the leaders of the Sikh religion in the US for many years, until his death in '04. He also introduced Kundalini Yoga to North America in 1969. I've been practicing this school of Yoga off and on for a few years now, but have been "around" it for over 10 years, due to my sister's involvement in it. Which leads to the "SahibSingh" explanation: In '96, my sister was at a Kundalini conference (bi annual gatherings held around the dates of the Summer and Winter Solstices) in Florida, and one of the things that Yogi-Ji used to do was give, for anyone who requested it, a "spiritual" name to you. Some folks have gone the whole nine yards and actually converted to Sikhism...this is nothing that he ever requested of his students, nothing that was required, and in fact most of the people involved in the Yoga practice, myself and my sister included, are not Sikhs. No real interest on my part to become one, and I dont really see any need for it. BUT, you didn't have to be a Sikh to receive a spiritual name, if you wanted one. My sister had gotten one a few years before this, and then in '96 she requested, as a gift to me, a spiritual name to be sent to me. A total surprise when I got a letter from the main organization, stating that I'd been granted this name, and what the meaning of it was, etc."Singh"; all male Sikhs have this as their "middle" name. It means, literally, Lion. "Sahib"; this means teacher, or one who has teachings and enlightenment to pass on. In the old days, apparently, it was used to address elders and spiritual "masters", etc.It's both an honor and a challenge for me to have been given this name, particularly from someone who never met me, didn't know a thing about me except my birthday, and just pulled this name out of the air, so to speak. I'd always felt (still feel) as if I were supposed to be passing along some sort of wisdom. Probably should be more concerned with GATHERING wisdom..lol...but there you have it. Heavy stuff for a (at that time) 31 year old Miami Beach musician, not at all into Yoga, etc. I try my best to live up to the name and everything that it means to me.

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My Interests

Too much to list. Yoga, non-dualism, movies, theater, and obviously music. Traveling. Coming home.

I'd like to meet:

You? Maybe, YOU?

Music:

I'd like to say I've found an exception to my rule of "No Hip-Hop". Just like I'd found exceptions, over the years, to "No Opera" and "No Rap". Alas.....TFB. No Hip Hop. But just about everything else. Here's some of the kinds of music I listen to.

Movies:

Way too many. Start with "Goodfellas". Maybe the last great Scorcese movie. Keep Jack Black very far away from me; ditto Adam Sandler. Ditto Will Ferrell, with maybe one or two exceptions. Ditto Ben Stiller, again with one or two exceptions. Give me Scarlett Johansson. Without a cigarette, thank you ;)

Television:

Anything I can learn from. Which pretty much means no network TV.

Books:

Kurt Vonnegut, Ayn Rand, Robert Heinlein. "A Brief History of The Dead", most recently read. I might be one of the few who thought the DaVinci Code was crap. Give me a real author ;)

Heroes:

My family: My Father, who was the strongest and yet most gentle man I've ever known. My Mother, who continues to inspire me every day. My brother and sisters, each in their own way. But really..We all should be our own heroes :)
You Are a Prophet Soul
You are a gentle soul, with good intentions toward everyone.
Selfless and kind, you have great faith in people.
Sometimes this faith can lead to disappoinment in the long run.
No matter what, you deal with everything in a calm and balanced way.

You are a good interpreter, very sensitive, intuitive, caring, and gentle.
Concerned about the world, you are good at predicting people's feelings.
A seeker of wisdom, you are a life long learner looking for purpose and meaning.
You are a great thinker and communicator, but not necessarily a doer.

Souls you are most compatible with: Bright Star Soul and Dreaming Soul What Kind of Soul Are You?