London Adventures
Me, ash, and the birthday girl Indeep kaur on the "tube" heading into london.
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Wednesday, August 31, 2005
Me, ash, and the birthday girl Indeep kaur on the "tube" heading into london.
It was Indeep kaur's 26th birthday (lower left corner). As we walked into the park we saw people roller blading so we decided to go and rent some blades and go for it. I have wanted to go in the past, but they never had my size (size 15 US). I was in luck today! they had a pair that fit me! So we padded up and off we went on our adventure.
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Me and randeep singh chilling out on the grass waiting for ashvinder to show up. He took off and went to play volleyball and left us stranded.
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the blade crew! Notice me wearing kurta pajama and knee pads. If I had known we were going to roller blade I would have worn some different clothes which are better suited for this.
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Taking a break from roller blading for a picture.
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Rollerblading in the park in London
Here they are holding on to each other for dear life. For most of us this was our first time going roller blading.
Ashvinder try to show some of them how to brake and turn around on the roller blades.
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Crossing the street where the carnival runs down..
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We didn't get to the carnival area till near the end...and it was pretty gross. Trash was everywhere. beer cans were all over the place and people were quite drunk. This definitely was not my kind of carnival.
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The crowds in the street near the end of the carnival in london.
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At the carnival we came accross this Singh police man...so stopped to chat with him and take a picture.
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We couldn't find a place to eat that we could all fit in, so ended up at pizza hut. Here we are after.
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Singing in the "Tube" on our way back from London
Ramta singing some punjabi songs and entertaining us as we head home in the train from a long day in london.
Hay Jamaalo....
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Tuesday, August 30, 2005
Super Singh - Ashvinder Can't keep his feet on the ground
We spent the afternoon walking around london. Here is the last thing we did before heading back. Ashvinder went on this trampoline thing and was flying up and down. I wanted to go too...but we were already late for an appointment so didn't have time. Super Singh!
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Posing as the studends in the classroom of Guru Nanak Sikh school in England. Sukhmani pointed out that the front seats were for the naughty kids. I was in the good boy area.
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We visited Guru Nanak Sikh school and took this picture with Maha Raja Ranjit singh. Sukhmani kaur teaches here and showed us around.
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I was like a zombie totally tired from the previous days events, following everyone as we walked through london.
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Ashvinder trying to convince the police to let him in to speak with Tony blaire
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Sikh Student Camp Sports
The first few days I was at camp it rained every day so our world was inside the halls of the school where our camp was. This was one of the first bright sunny days that we went out to play sports.
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The last full day we did a group picture with most of the Sikh student camp
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Surprise bucket of water on Sukha singh. This day they were having quite the water fight.
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Getting ready for a huge game of tug-o-war with most of the camp.
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The marathon runner Fauja Singh came to the camp one afternoon when we had a lot of different sports activities. It was really cool to meet him in person after reading all the news articles on SikhNet.
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Group picture with Fauja Singh and others from the camp
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Monday, August 29, 2005
Blog Circle
Sukhmani Kaur posted some of her pictures from yesterday on her blog. We were having fun messing around and taking all kinds of pictures. All three of us had our digi cameras out taking snaps for our blogs. Ash is breaking the circle...he has to post his portion of the blog photo circle.
Come on...Ash... get me off the computer....and post your stuff!! hahaha
It's pretty late once again. We had a really fun day. We went roller blading in the park in central london with a bunch of friends. Then went to a carnival and out to eat. Ash has my camera...so when I have a chance I'll post some pics.
I still have a bunch of pics from Sikh student camp...and stories to tell, but I need a good chunk of time to do that. Might not be till I get back to the US.
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Gardens of Bayfordbury Hertford
Shiv Charan Singh, Satya kaur, and some other parents hosted kirtan and dinner party at a beautiful place in Hertford. This was a going away party for their children who are going to go to boarding school this year at Miri Piri Academy in Amritsar.
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Ashvinder doesn't really live in Singapore.... hahaha... he really live in England and runs a chain of grocery stores. Yesterday we got lost and ended up driving up and down this street about 50 times. This was one of the stores on the road.
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Driving through southhall. All the houses looked exactly the same and were right next to eachother.....like one long house.
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Picture Circle. Sukhmani taking a picture of Ashvinder...who is taking a picture of me taking a picture of Sukhmani kaur.
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The house where we had the party at. It was a beautiful country style house that used to be a stables for an estate.
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Sukhmani Kaur and Ashvinder Singh in the court yard
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Ash taking a picture of me taking a picture of him.
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The temporary Gurdwara tent setup in celebration of 4 children who are going to be going to boarding school at Miri Piri Academy in Amritsar.
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Sunday, August 28, 2005
Khalsa Camp - England
Well, I'm finally able to get a few minutes to start posting some stuff on the blog. It's been a pretty non-stop week since I arrived. I got my first long stretch of sleep last night, and am feeling much more rested. I've met so many people and it can be quite draining to talk a lot.
When I got to England my friend Mandip Singh picked me up and we drove 4.5 hours straight up to northern England. I didn't really get any sleep on the flight so I slept a little in the back seat.
I was so tired and was schedule to speak to the camp that day. In the end it all went great. I just bowed to the Guru before and left it up to him to flow however it was supposed to flow.
Khalsa camp was great. We would get up around 3AM and do simran and banis. The camp was very focused on banis and simran as the core part of Sikhi lifestyle. We would have a similar gurdwara in the evening also. During the day we had various workshops and lectures about Gurbani and Sikhi.
I don't understand Gurbani much, so there was a lot to learn. I enjoyed learning and sharing with my English brothers and sisters. There were some really great people there at camp.
I was only at the camp for the first couple days so didn't have a chance to really get into the flow of the camp. I loved doing the afternoon sports, and one day taught some of the campers how to play Ultimate Frisbee, which was a lot of fun for them.
When we were playing soccer it was so funny hearing some of the guys shouting "singh, singh, singh". Basically, whoever had the ball was "THE" singh. Since most of the players were Singhs it was funny.
On tuesday night I left the camp with Mandip to head for the Sikh Student Camp in Chiwell. I didn't take many pictures at all so don't have much to share. I was so involved with the activities.
Ok...more to come later....Ashvinder is waiting to use the computer.
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Showing the camp some pictures from this blog of the sangat in Espanola.
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One of the many Simran sessions in the Gurdwara. It was great.
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Balpreet Singh from canada talking to us about the "purpose of life"
(Above 5 images from Khalsa Camp © 2005 http://www.akaalimages.com/)
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Friday, August 26, 2005
Almost...
Well.. every day has been so long and full of joy, love, excitement, sharing, and fun. So much so...that I can't seem to find the time to get on the computer. Everyone in camp seems to get only a few hours of sleep every day. It has been pretty standard to be getting to sleep around 2am and getting up between 4-6am. Some of the sevadhars don't seem to get any sleep.
This is the last day of the Sikh Student Camp in Chigwell, England....so after I catch up with sleep after camp.. I'll try to post some pictures and stories from this week. It seems like it has been a lifetime this week. The week has been so long...but so full. It's been really great.
Ok...got to run. Lot's to do... :)
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Wednesday, August 24, 2005
Saturday, August 20, 2005
Some of Sat Gurumukh Singh's Pictures
I have some time to kill before my flight and was just looking at some of Sat Gurumukh Singh's pictures. He has some great stuff. A budding photograher :) Here are a few general pictures...and some really silly ones. His camera has some type of feature that let's you take a picture of the top and bottom of two people's faces (joined together). They are quite funny. You can see the mix of two people. It's the weekend....why not have some fun??
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Hanging out with Guru Ganesha Singh (Spirit Voyage Music) and talking about him and Snatam Kaur touring around the world.
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Sat Gurumukh Singh, Guru Darbar and His wife Guru Prakash Kaur and new child.
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Hari Mander Jot Singh (Center) with Sada Sat Simran Singh and his fiance
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Guru Darbar Singh with his super "Pind wale" Punjabi turban.
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"Ustad Ji" (Chardi Kala Jatha's Gurbani teacher of in Amritsar)
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Lakmi Chand, Siri Chand, Amar, and Guru Jot Singh..
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Ready for the Day...
Well... another day has come and I really am ready to get on the plane and fly to England; so... God... make it a smooth and speedy trip :) I really don't want to be on the blog later writing how I missed the connection in Minneapolis to London. I'm sure it will go fine though.
I stayed the night with my friend Hari Mandir Jot Singh (Chardi Kala Jatha) who lives in Albuquerque when he is not in India. It's nice having friends all over. He treated me to some really yummy Thai food from "Thai Ginger".
After all the email requests of people wanting to contact CK Jatha and get more Kirtan, I started working on a blog/website for Chardikala Jatha. It will be great for them to be able to share their travels and Kirtan. I'll try to get some more MP3 files from Hari Mandir Jot today. When I get back from UK I'll work on it some more and let you all know when it is up.
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Quote of the Day
"Kindness is more than deeds. It is an attitude, an expression, a look, a touch. It is anything that lifts another person." C. Neil Strait
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Friday, August 19, 2005
Musicians in the ABQ Airport
Here is a short video clip of the family that was playing music in the airport yesterday (before we got "evacuated" out).
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Well... I guess not....
Well....I thought I was leaving for London today. I got to the airport with 2 hours to spare. I was pleasantly surprised to find this really cool family of musicians who were doing a performance in the airport. I sat for about an hour listening to them play music with all kinds of instruments. They call their music "New Grass" (based on "Blue Grass").
Anyways.... after they finished the music I went through security and was just waiting to board the plane and then this loud alarm goes off. I was thinking it was just some temporary alarm that someone would just turn off (false alarm)....but no...it was just blaring for about 5 minutes. Everyone is sitting there with hands covering their ears. After a few minutes...TSA (Security) tells us all that we have to evacuate from the Albuquerque airport and that there was some type of security breach. They have to clear the whole airport and make sure it is safe/secure. So...here I am with a mob of hundreds and hundreds of people slowly pouring out of the airport.
I only had an hour between my flight connection and there were no other options on other airlines...later on.....so flight missed. I'm reschedule now on the same flight tomorrow. My only consolation is that they gave me bulk head window seats...so hopefully I can stretch my legs. Luckily I have friends in ABQ to stay with (Espanola is 1.5 hours from the airport).
This morning I had a feeling something was going to happen. I don't know what...but I had a weird feeling. Like I was saying good bye to Arjan and Narayan forever. I had a feeling I was going to miss my flight. So...who knows...maybe this is one of those things where something might have happened but Guruji covered for me.
Well...bottom line is I'm taken care of. Though I was going to have a day to recover from the traveling (jetlag)...but now I fly in Sunday...and drive 4.5 hours to Khalsa Camp...and have to jump right in. I'm sure I'll be so tired. Who can sleep well on the plane?? (and UK is eight hours ahead). Well...the adventure will go on :)
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Quote of the Day
"Human beings are the only creatures that have the ability, through the power of the spoken word, to raise another person's consciousness to the level of Infinity. Communication is not meant to be a win or lose situation. It is meant to share what our spirit is, what Infinite Truth is, what God is." - Siri Singh Sahib Habhajan Singh Khalsa Yogi Ji
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Off to London I Go....
Well, the time has come. I am flying out to London today for two weeks of fun, learning and sharing. I look forward to the experiences that await me and the people I will meet.
I won't be able to update my blog that often since I will be traveling and won't have a laptop/internet connection all the time. I do plan to post pictures and short videos whenever I have a chance. Might not be till Tuesday or Wednesday. I'm sure it will give you all some time to get some work done. Right iSingh? Hahaha....
Maybe we'll have a "convention" of Sikh bloggers at some cafe in the UK and just hang out chatting? The Sikh Blog revolution has started!
So, farewell, adios, Au revoir, Phir milangay, Sat Nam, till next week!
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Thursday, August 18, 2005
Gurumustuk's Gurbani MP3 Pick
Here are some more Shabads from the all night Rensubhai Kirtan from the 2003 Summer Solstice camp in Espanola, NM. The first and second two are by different Sikh women.The first two tracks I remember very well (even though it was from 2 years ago). At the Summer Solstice camp I always seem to go through all kinds of personal and spiritual changes. It is a time which brings up the different issues in my life at the time. The environment really makes me think about my life and make changes. I always seem to have some emotional moments/releases during the camp where tears flow. It is normally during the early morning Sadhana meditations or during Shabads at Gurdwara. The love and beauty of some people playing Shabads just spark those feelings.
In any case...each MP3 track has it's own unique style and quality. I hope you enjoy them.
Music by: Dalip Kaur (Sada Sat Simran Singh and others as backup male vocals).
Shabads:
- Har Har Amrit Nam Ras (14MB)
- Vaday Vaday Jo Desai Logh (9MB)
Music by: Unknown Sikh Woman (from Mexico)
Shabads:
- Mayra Baid Guru Govinda (10MB)
- Tu Mera Pita (20MB)
(Right click on the above link and select "save target as" to download the MP3 file)
Make a donation to SikhNet to help cover costs of hosting the MP3 files
Here is a picture of the MPA class of 2004. You can see my brother Dharam Singh in the top rear row smiling, with the Damala turban on.
In the light blue suit on the left-front is Dalip Kaur that sang the first two shabads.
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Quote of the Day
"Do not go where the path may lead, go instead where there is no path and leave a trail." Ralph Waldo Emerson
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Wednesday, August 17, 2005
Anonymous Comments Disabled
I have been getting a lot of "spammers" posting comment spam on the blog with links to their products/websites (trying to get better search engine ranking). I'm also going to be leaving for the UK in a day or so....and don't want things to run rampant while I am gone. So, I have disabled Anonymous comments.
All this means is that you need to register for a login on Blogger.com and login when you want to post a comment. This will also help narrow down people posting anonymously and make it easier to keep track of who is who.
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Gurumustuk's Gurbani MP3 Pick
Here are a few older tracks of Chardikala Jatha from 2003. I recorded these during the Summer Solstice Camp near Espanola, NM. On the last night of camp we have an all night Rensubai Kirtan. Everyone comes from their tents to the huge shelter which is converted into the Gurdwara. We sleep to the blissfull sounds of the Sangat playing Gurbani all night till the early hours of the morning when the normal daily Sadhana starts.
When you listen to the below tracks you will hear the echoing of the voices reverberating around the Shelter. It creates a very meditative mood. Every year the Chardikala Jatha get's better and better. I can always tell how much they improve every year. So...if there are some mistakes just know...it was from a few years ago. In case you didn't know, they are pretty young (24-30 years old). They teach, live, and study Gurbani in Amritsar, India.
The first picture above is from 2003 when they were playing at the Rensubai Kirtan. The second is of them playing kirtan with Hari Bhajan Kaur, during one of the Gurdwaras that year at the camp.
Music by: Chardikala Jatha (Harimandir Jot Singh, Sada Sat Simran Singh, Jugat Guru Singh)
Shabads:
- Man Too Jot Saruup Hai (27MB) - Evening Rensubai Kirtan at Summer Solstice Camp
- Mayra Man Sadh Jana (24MB) - Evening Rensubai Kirtan at Summer Solstice Camp
- Deh Shiva (21MB) - Sunday Gurdwara at Summer Solstice Camp
(Right click on the above link and select "save target as" to download the MP3 file)
Make a donation to SikhNet to help cover hosting the MP3 files
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Quote of the Day
You are holy if you have nine holes and you watch what goes in and out! If it's a conscious act, you are holy. If it's an emotional act, you are unholy. It it's a commotional act, you are insane. If it's an unconscious act, you are an idiot." - Yogi Bhajan
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My Wife "Dr Arjan"
In case many of you didn't already know; my wife is a Chiropractor. And works at GRD Health Center ("GRD" short for Guru Ram Das), with other alternative health care providers from our community (Acupuncturists, Massage, Counseling, etc.). They work really hard to help people with all kinds of ailments and educate people about their body and being healthier.Most people are so trained by society to treat their symptoms (headaches, pains, sicknesses, etc) rather than looking at the body as a whole and treating the causes. Many doctors these days pretty much just push drugs as a solution to people's ailments. Much of the time with little or no lasting results. Think about it. When you have a headache, most people will quickly grab the "pill" of choice to get rid of the pain. When you get a flu/cold... you take the drug to deal with the stuffy nose and other symptoms. Everyone want's a quick fix. There is a pill for everything these days. The drugs do work as intended, but many times just "mask" the problem. When you get a headache it is your body's way of communicating to you that you need to relax or make a change. Instead...you take the pill...and keep going. Tired....? Grab some more coffee/tea and keep going.
We all should take the time to take care of our bodies. Just as a car needs regular service, so do you. If you take care of your car...it will run smoothly for many years. Same with your body. There is much you can do to take care of yourself in a preventive way...rather than waiting till you have problems with your body. If you have health problems and are not getting relief from standard medical doctors, I encourage you to try some alternatives.Arjan was telling me about one of her patients that had been going to doctors for over 10 years trying to get rid of a loud ringing sound that he had in his ears. The doctors just pretty much said there was nothing that could be done. Arjan did some Craniosacral therapy on him and on the second visit the ringing in his ears was gone. Some things take time to get relief on and others (like this example) it was really quick. When I get a headache (on rare occasions) Arjan adjusts my neck and almost instantly my headache is gone. It's pretty cool having a healer as a wife (I do have to make appointments though to see her :). It's too hard at home.
So...enough said for now. If you have not tried any alternative health care, I suggest that you give it a try. I normally make an appointment with my wife Arjan to get a Chiropractic adjustment and then get some acupuncture. I also try to get a massage from time to time, which really helps me with my tension and stress. All those hours on the computer really does stress your body.
If you do come to Espanola, please do come and visit GRD Health Center. They have a lot to offer.
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Tuesday, August 16, 2005
Gurumustuk's MP3 Pick
Peace Prayer Day - June - 2004
Every year at the Summer Solstice camp in the mountains above Espanola, New Mexico we have a huge interfaith event called Peace Prayer Day. We have been having this event every year for 20 years. It is there for people of all religions to come together, share our love, commonality, and pray for peace on this earth.
This audio track is from June, 2004 and is a live recording that has a very spacey meditative feel. It has a medley of different songs sung by Snatam Kaur, Thomas Barquee and accompanied by others in the background.
More to come tommorow!
Music by: Snatam Kaur and Company (44MB).
Title: Various Songs
(right click on the above link and select "save target as" to download the MP3 file)
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Quote of the Day
"It is not because things are difficult that we do not dare, it is because we do not dare that they are difficult." - Seneca
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Sikh Artists
During my 11 years in India I took quite a few pictures of the Harmandir Sahib (Golden Temple) and other Sikh related things. I used to get people asking me all the time how they could order copies. I eventually decided to setup an easy way to make some of my photography available online to purchase, so that it didn't take a lot of my time.I started with a gallery of my photos but then the project grew. I realized that there were not many places you could see Sikh related art online. There did not seem to be a lot of support to artists who created Sikh art in this modern time (partly because of the stigma and association with idol worship). I decided that I wanted to help feature other Sikh artists and show their work; In hopes that it would encourage others who are artistic to use their creativity to make inspirational works of art.
Art is an expression and can be very beautiful and inspiring. We should encourage it and support those who are artistic. Art can come in many different forms (not just paintings/pictures). In the times of the Guru's there many talented artisans. These days they seem scarce, or at least use that creative energy in other ways.I get frustrated when I am in India and see some of the art in the Gurdwaras that is not treasured. In the Baba Attal Sahib Gurdwarain Amritsar (just next to the Golden Temple) there were some really beautiful old fresco paintings on the ceiling and walls of the first and second floor. I took pictures of them all years ago and in my recent visits I was sad to see how they had deteriorated.
The paintings on the first floor were totally trashed (removed) and are no longer there. In there place are cheap white bath tiles with Khanda on them. Definitely 100's of steps backwards artistically. There are still some paintings on the second floor, but they are in bad condition. Worse every visit I see them. What to be done? I guess we need to train the Gurdwara management to treasure and take care of this art. It's our heritage and history.If you are an artist and have modern Sikh related art (or know someone else who does) I would love to see some of it...and possibly have you as part of the SikhPhotos.com gallery.
If you want to look/purchase photo prints of Sikh Art/photos, visit the web gallery at: http://www.sikhphotos.com
Ps. Coming soon! Some new beautiful original oil paintings of the Golden Temple on canvas, based on some of my photography. The first one is pictured to the left. I'll be selling the original 24"x36" inch oil painting and then a limited number of Giclée canvas prints (which will look almost identical). If you are interested contact me and I will let you know of the pricing and availability (probably at the beginning of Sept. when I get back from the UK).
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Monday, August 15, 2005
Slowing Down on the Blog
Well, I have to say my blogging activities have slowed down recently. It really does take a lot of time and energy to keep posting a lot of interesting content. I don't think I can continue at the fast pace I have in the past.
I'm also getting ready for my trip to England so have been putting together some material for presentation/speech at some Sikh Camps that I am going to. I love connecting with people and talking about life, spirituality, and Sikhi, however I have never really done a lot of speeches and public speaking, so I am always a little nervous. Ultimately I just "wing" it and try to speak from my heart and share my personal experiences. So... hopefully all will go well and the words come out right.
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Poem on Commitment
by Guru Tej Singh Khalsa
Commitment is the Answer!
Commitment is the Life!
Commitment is the Lover,
Commitment is the Wife!
Without Commitment Love would be lost.
Commitment is the payment,
And commitment the cost.
Love is the power
That makes Saints of men.
Commitment is the reason
The Saints never bend.
Duty is my Sovereign,
Dharma my Banner.
Meditation, my Origin,
And Sadhana my Hammer.
Life is for growing,
God is for loving,
Love is for knowing
Commitment is the Answer!
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 4 Comments
Quote of the Day
"The secret of health for both mind and body is not to mourn for the past, not to worry about the future, or not to anticipate troubles, but to live in the present moment wisely and earnestly." - Buddha
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Sunday, August 14, 2005
Saturday Fun in the Mountains of Jemez
Well...we were going to go with some other friends to Pagosa springs in Colorado and camp in tents, but because of the rain forcast we decided to stay home. Instead we got together with some friends (Harpal Singh, his wife Japa, Pat, Melinda). We squeezed in Harpal's mini van and drove up towards Los Alamos to go to the Jemez hot springs. It was a great day of fun and adventure! I haven't had fun like that in a while. Here are a few pictures from the day.
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Here is Harpal and Narayan starting the climb up the mountain to the hot springs. I really like the red rock that you see on the side. It looks pretty cool. It's hard to tell from the picture.....but is very interesting.
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Narayan heading accross the bridge to go up the mountain. A few minutes after this the rain started pouring down on us. Me and Narayan were ahead of everyone. I accidentally took a different path than I normally do...and ended up on the left side climbing vertically up the mountain in the rain. It was a little challenging trying not to slip in the mud and wet rocks. At one point I was helping Narayan up a steep part and I slipped and we both fell. Luckily no serious injuries. Just shook up narayan and I ended up with gashes all over my arms and legs. Hey...it was all part of the fun adventure. If everything was "perfect" it wouldn't have been so much fun. Sometimes we have to just take a chance and have an adventure, even if it is challenging. I miss doing this type of thing. We used to have lots of adventures back when I was younger and in school. This was a really fun day for me. I needed it.
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The Jemez Hot Springs
Here we are at the hot springs. There are two pool of the springs to sit in. These are natural hot springs that are just on the side of the mountain in Jemez. It's about 1.5 hours from Espanola. Jemez is a great place to go hiking and be in the wilderness.
It was so much fun just sitting in the springs as the rain was pouring down on us; Watching the clouds roll over the hills. The rainy weather made it all more adventurous and fun!
After finishing in the springs my clothes were totally wet from the rain...so I was "soggy" the rest of the day. We went to the town of Jemez after and filled our tummies with yummy food at the Laughing Lizard restuarant. Topped off with some great desserts (pie and ice cream, carrot cake, etc).
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 4 Comments
After it stopped raining the clouds were just rolling down the hills. Reminded me of my school days in Mussoorie (india). There were some amazing sights in Mussoorie...like a place called "Clouds End"...where you are on top of the mountain... looking down on the clouds all around below you..
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Harpal Singh our super driver for the day...make sure that we got motion sickness... hahaha
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Harpal Singh and his wife Japa in the distance with Narayan. The hot springs are about half a mile up the mountain in this picture. About half way up the picture. (straight up)
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Here is Narayan and Arjan after we hiked back down the mountain from the natural hot springs. Narayan brought his new "playmobil" helecopter.
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Valles Caldera National Preserve
On the way to the hot springs in Jemez mountains there you pass through the Valle Grande Caldera which is an amazing sight.
"It's a sunken volcano formed by the collapse of volcanic domes after two massive eruptions about 1.6 and 1.2 million years ago. The basin is some 3,000 ft (915 m) deep, measured from the surrounding rim, which encircles several lava-dome mountains. The landscape is mainly a mixture of grasslands and forested mountains, cut by numerous streams. Like other calderas, it has hot springs, gas vents, and other volcanic features. Wildlife include 17 threatened or endangered species such as the Mexican spotted owl, goshawk, Jemez Mountains salamander, and Rio Grande cutthroat trout. The preserve also is home to elk, mule deer, black bears, mountain lions, coyotes, bobcats, and other mammals, and golden and bald eagles and other birds." ...more
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The rocky mountains on the way down from Los Alamos to Espanola
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Los Alamos Art Fair
On our way to the Jemez Springs we passed through Los Alamos and there was an Arts fair that we stopped at.
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Street Musicians
At the Los Alamos arts fair this was a group of musicians that were playing all kinds of songs for fun. Here is one of the many tunes that they played.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 1 Comments
Saturday, August 13, 2005
Quote of the Day
"Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn't do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover." - Mark Twain
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 3 Comments
Prabhujot is such a cutey. I love his cute little face.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 3 Comments
This is an older picture of some of the local Espanola girls finishing a Bhangra dance for the "Peace Prayer Day" event.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 2 Comments
Guru Darbar Singh reading from the Akandh Path. We have an ongoing Akand path which happens every week in our Gurdwara. Many people don't know how to read Gurmukhi so the set of volumes of SGGS with English translation are used. Those who can read Gurmukhi will read the Gurmukhi version and those who cannot...read the English translation.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 3 Comments
Friday, August 12, 2005
Quote of the Day
"Don't ask yourself what the world needs; ask yourself what makes you come alive. And then go and do that. Because what the world needs is people who have come alive." - Harold Whitman
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 3 Comments
Thursday, August 11, 2005
Narayan's 4th Birthday Party
Well...this evening we had a fun birthday party for Narayan. It was pretty wild though. Whenever you get a lot of kids together and toys are involved it can be stressfull. The kids played in the sprinkler and our little blow-up "kiddy" pool. Then moved on to eating away and opening presents. The highlights were breaking open the pinata and getting candy.
Tommorow is his actual birtday (fri) but we are going to be going on a camping trip this weekend so are celebrating it early with all his friends. Good yummy Arjan food, good company, and good fun.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 20 Comments
Dharam getting ready to hang the Pinata down. This is a Mexican party game (I don't know the history).... but normally you do it blindfolded. The Pinata is made of Paper mache and filled with candy. The idea is the hit and break open the pinata.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 1 Comments
Prabhjot Singh swinging to hit the "Hulk" Pinata...
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Soaking Narayan's foot in water and trying to convince him to let us take a splinter out of his foot. It was quite a scene. Everyone standing around and Narayan crying about how it was going to hurt. He was climbing on our fence without shoes and got a bit splinter in his foot. After a good hour or so we ended up getting it out.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 2 Comments
1983 in Amritsar. This is a group of many of the kids (myself included) who went to school in India. This was our first year of school and we went to Amritsar right before going to the school. It wasn't till many years later that we were able to return to Amritsar.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 16 Comments
GNFC school (Shangrila - the Girls school). This is where I started going to school in Mussoorie, India in 1983. The younger kids (boys and girls) start here. Then the boys move over to Vincent Hill (the boys school) in 5th grade.
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"Vincent Hill" (The boys school). The school is on the side of the mountains in Mussoorie.
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1983 during my first year at Boarding school at GNFC in Mussoorie, India.
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Me rocking out with my Uncle Lenny (who was playing keyboard). This was ages ago during one of my early visits to Cancun, Mexico. I was wearing a funny wig that my uncle had.
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Quote of the Day
"A teacher is not a person. He is like a water pipe. A pipe brings water to you; pipe is not water, water is not pipe. They are just media. Teacher is a medium of teaching. It is the teaching which you live, not the teacher." - Yogi Bhajan
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 1 Comments
Wednesday, August 10, 2005
Like Downloading Gurbani MP3 Files?
Well...I was just looking at the webstats for my blog and seeing all the bandwidth used from people downloading MP3 files during the past week or so. I didn't think it would be that much, but then I saw it... about 23 GB of data transferred! That's a lot for this short period of time. I guess people are downloading away...which is great.
In the past I wanted to offer downloads of MP3 files on SikhNet, however it wouldn't be feasible doing so for free without significant support from the Sangat. SikhNet gets significant traffic for the Gurbani Archive Section and as a result uses over 1.5 terabytes of data transfer every month, which = big hosting costs for the bandwidth.
We are currently working on a new service to support one of our projects, of Archiving old Gurbani Kirtan from audio reels and cassettes. It takes quite a bit of time to process a single tape (digitize, clean up audio, backup original to DVD, catalog info, identify shabad names, split into individual files for each shabad, convert to internet formats like MP3, upload to servers, add to database, etc). In order to support this project we have to get community funding to hire someone to do this work and actually make progress.
Basically we will be offering an itunes/SikhTunes like service where people can become a "Gurbani Club Member", add money to their account, and pay something like 40 cents per MP3 Gurbani track. HOLD Up a sec... all those people thinking "How can you charge for Gurbani?". Keep in mind that this is necessary to support the project and pay for the costs involved with doing it. If we just put up loads of Gurbani MP3 on SikhNet we would end up with HUGE costs for the bandwidth usage and wouldn't get the needed support to sustain the archive project.
If you are like me and many others, you collect as many MP3 files as you can get. The membership fees would eliminate wasteful downloading, and people would be more selective of Gurbani that they really like. And of course this would enable us to continue to archive Gurbani and make it available to everyone.
I am curious to know what you all think about this idea. If you listen to Gurbani MP3 files, would you pay for a Gurbani Club Membership to download kirtan and support this project and SikhNet? Hopefully there is enough interest to support the service. Of course there is always the potential of someone just giving a grant/large donation to cover the costs and make the files freely available. It is one thing if you are an individual doing this small scale on smaller website, but when you do this on a much larger scale and have the number of people that visit SikhNet, it changes all the dynamics.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 26 Comments
Dear Yogiji
What is a spiritual teacher?None of you have any idea about what a spiritual teacher is. In India, it took five thousand years to come to an understanding of what a spiritual teacher is and now they have lost it too. The relationship between student and Teacher is like the relationship between a chisel and hammer and stone. Do you know what happens when a Teacher and a student meet? Sparks. Don't look for a Teacher. Look for integrity. Look for one who can integrate the totality of the Infinity with the reality in the finite of the self, and still laugh. He knows; he won't tell. He understands; he won't speak. Because his power is not his own. His power is his own inner prayer, which is calm, quiet, peaceful, and goes with him. Word is God. In the beginning there was the Word, the Word was with God, the word was Integrity.
What is the job of the spiritual teacher?
My job is not to fall in love with you and sympathize with you or feel good about you. My job is to blast your ego and bring you to a balance of understanding and project you on a path so that you can save your day.
The trouble is that you are blocked. Break the block, face the trouble, find the way, get you out, and get you to move on. That is the job. I cannot be a romantic partner of yours. Neither can I be a paid counselor.
My job is very simple: that your life may keep on running better and more successfully, and you have the experience of the birthright of happiness and you should be happy.
The trouble is that ninety-nine percent of you don't listen to me because I happen to be a male and you have no experience with a spiritual teacher. In the West, obedience or surrender does not exist. It's considered a sign of weakness. Actually, it's a sign of strength. You cannot obey if you don't have strength, if you don't have intelligence. My problem is not to gain good will for me. My problem is to gain your good will for yourself.
How do you teach your students what they need to learn?
Poke, provoke, confront, elevate. First I must wake you up. That harshness you face from me, which is sometimes to the point of rudeness, is to wake you up from your spell of arrogance in which you have lost the game to begin with. After that, I get you into a dialogue. Third is to give you a reasonable experience so that you can move out of it and gain your life as it is, and be on your way. The process is not to make you my "clients." That's not the process here. The process here is that you have the right to happiness and you have the right to success. Therefore, you must work to achieve it.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 16 Comments
1973 Amritsar - Gurumustuk sitting with Baba Nihal Singh
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Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Quote of the Day
"Evil (ignorance) is like a shadow--it has no real substance of its own, it is simply a lack of light. You cannot cause a shadow to disappear by trying to fight it, stamp on it, by railing against it, or any other form of emotional or physical resistance. In order to cause a shadow to disappear, you must shine light on it." - Shakti Gawain
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 3 Comments
Lego Gurdwara?
I came accross this website which is showing pictures of a church built out of Legos. It's amazing that someone can spend this much time on a hobby like this. I was just imagining some Sikh kid making a Gurdwara out of legos.
People make all kinds of wild stuff out of legos. Narayan has a big box of legos but he is just getting started and making pretty simple stuff (Star Wars Jets, plantes, etc).
Anways...you can see pictures of the Church made of legos at: http://www.amyhughes.org/lego/church/photosfirst.html
It took about a year and a half of planning, building and photographing to create it. I'm sure the person had fun.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 5 Comments
Gurumustuk's Gurbani MP3 Pick
Ok...today I have chosen a few live recordings that I did during visits to Harmandir Sahib, Amritsar. It's nice sharing unique audio clips with everyone. I hope you all are enjoying them. I know some of the MP3 files are pretty big. When I get time I might split some of them into multiple files or encode at lower bitrates so that the files are smaller.
- Rehiras Sahib at Harmandir Sahib (18MB) - This is a nice recording from outside Harmandir Sahib of Rehiras. The very beginning is a little distant as I was walking quickly to get closer to Harmandir Sahib from the Nivas. The part that I like most is starting about 4 minutes into it. I love the sound of the Gyani's voice echoing around the parkarma. Listening to it brings me there in spirit.
- Cherdikala Jatha Playing Gurbani in Harmandir Sahib (73MB) - This is a live recording during my visit to Amritsar in 2003. Chardikala Jatha played Gurbani inside Harmandir Sahib right after Ishnaan Seva (before Asa Di Var started). My favorite part is at the end when I took the recorder outside while they were still playing Kirtan. The echo of the Gurbani around the parkarma really gives you the feeling of being at Harmandir Sahib. Otherwise you can't really tell where the recording was.
- After Morning Seva at Harmandir Sahib (13MB) - This recording is from the same morning as the above clip of Cherdikala Jatha. After Ishnaan Seva inside Harmandir Sahib before the Ragis play kirtan the sevadhars singh this. I love hearing this clip.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 9 Comments
Women being allowed to do Seva and Kirtan at Harmandir Sahib
Well, This is finally coming back again and we are making progress! This is one of those things which I always wondered how the SGPC was able to let slide (not allowing women to do kirtan and Ishanaan Seva in Harmandir Sahib). Yesterday in India the SGPC decided to make some changes. Here is one news story on it.
This is a HUGE step I think for Sikh women, and a good change for the Gurdwara management in India (Especially in Amritsar). Of course this isn't the first time "permission was allowed". You can read some of the hukamnamas and things from the past. SikhNet had a whole campaign for a while, to educate the community and pressure the management in Amritsar to make changes.
I used to always get frustrated when I heard people boasting how in Sikhism "women are equal", however, in practice this is more talk than practice in many places.
So, This might not all happen right away, however it is good that it is starting to move in a positive direction. I'll definitely be watching to see how this all plays out and what actually happens.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 14 Comments
Monday, August 08, 2005
Blogging Through Music
Well, the last few days have been pretty much sharing different Gurbani clips. It has been more about sharing the vibration of Gurbani and the Sound-current than of words in the blog. Music and Gurbani are so much of my every day life. I treasure these little jewels. I always keep Gurbani playing in my home and listen to music all through the day. It definitely enhances my day and gives me an extra boost.
It has been shown how words, thoughts and music effect water (and ultimately a person), so naturally the vibration of music and Gurbani can have a big impact on our lives.
So far you there have been quite different styles that I have posted. I got a few requests for some "western" Gurbani. So, I took a few minutes and looked though my hard drive, and found a few live recordings that I haven't yet edited or done anything with. These are not studio recordings and were recorded with my little Nomad Jukebox Mp3 player/recorder in 2003.
Snatam Kaur
I know most of you have heard of Snatam Kaur and her beautiful musical voice. She has such a gift and it is so great to see her use it for the betterment of humanity (touring around and recording music which promotes peace and acceptance).
Here are some recordings of our morning Sadhana. We normally do seven different meditations as part of our daily practice (Sadhana). Here are a few that I recorded of Snatam Kaur and Guru Ganesha Singh leading the meditations in the early hours of the morning in 2003 during one of their visits to Espanola.
- Mul Mantra (10MB)
- Rakhe Rakhan Har (13MB)
- Sat Siri Siri Akal (9MB)
- Waheguru Wahe Jio (32MB)
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 3 Comments
Quote of the Day
"Better to light one small candle than to curse the darkness." - Chinese Proverb
When I read this I think of not criticizing other people, and to instead light the candle of "change" to help make a difference, rather than complaining about what is wrong with the world.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 1 Comments
My Teacher's Teacher
Shanti Kaur relays Yogi Bhajan's tales of his own spiritual teacher, Sant Hazara Singh.
Over the past thirty years I listened to Yogi Bhajan speak of his many spiritual guides. However, there is only one man whom he called his teacher, and that was Sant Hazara Singh of Gujaranwala (an area of northern India which is now part of Pakistan). Nothing changed the look on his face more dramatically than when he recalled "Santji." Suddenly his features would soften, his eyes looking to the distant past, the pain of separation like a fresh wound. When he spoke of his own spiritual teacher, you knew it is a profound matter.
A while back, I began compiling these stories, not only because they give me a better window on my own teacher, but also because they help me understand that I am indeed part of an eternal Golden Chain. In a real way, Sant Hazara Singh is my teacher too.
It all began for the Siri Singh Sahib at a very young age, when he was still known as Harbhajan Singh. He recalled:
I was born into a very rich family. I played with diamonds for marbles and I had great authority. I was the elder son of the ruling dynasty, like the Prince of Wales, and I had every opportunity to act like a total idiot. There were thousands of servants to whom my word was the law, and I could have whatever I wanted, like a rich, spoiled kid.
But I was lucky. I had a very saintly grandfather, and a saintly family tradition and disposition. I met a lot of holy men who would come to our house, and I chose a very saintly teacher. His approval of me was considered the joy of the family. His mark on me is so deep, I love him even now. Do you know that I still do not recognize the face of my grandfather or my teacher? I never, ever, looked at their face, but I can accurately draw their feet. That's the consciousness of it. - Yogi Bhajan
Harbhajan was just eight years old when he met Sant Hazara Singh, a great mystic and yogi of his time...... Continue Reading This Article
Copyright © 2005 Aquarian Times Magazine
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 6 Comments
Gurumustuk's Gurbani MP3 Pick
Here is another meditative Gurbani MP3 track from Bhai Anoop Singh. I remember listening to this and the others tracks for hours and hours while I was out in the yard landscaping and "working the fields" (a few years ago). I would just have the mix CD on repeat and I would get so into the work. It was nice.
Music by: Sant Anoop Singh
Shabad: Bhainay Savan Aya (Size 17MB)
(right click on the above link and select "save target as" to download the MP3 file)
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 25 Comments
Sunday, August 07, 2005
Weekend off from blogging
Well... I am offically on vacation from the blog this weekend. I think that God wanted to make sure of it, because since friday afternoon my DSL service has been down at home. So, it's been an interesting weekend doing other things :)
ps. I couldn't help taking a peak on my computer at the office before Gurdwara.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 6 Comments
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Gurumustuk's Gurbani MP3 Pick
Today I wanted to share two Gurbani Mp3 files by Bhai Chattar Singh. He used to visit our Gurdwara from time to time when I was young and living in Los Angeles. There is something about the vibration and mood when he plays Gurbani Kirtan. I find it very meditative and soothing. Here are two MP3 files which I archived from old tapes from around 1980 (?). Today you get a "bonus" track because Bhai Chatter Singh is one of my favorite ragis and it's hard to just put ONE.
- Mera Man Loche (43MB) - This track is looped and is 31 minutes long. In our home we always keep Gurbani Kirtan playing to set the vibration in our home. This is one in particular that I remember my mother playing in our home a lot. Very beautiful.
- Sat Guru Daya Nidh (6MB) - This is another classic Bhai Chattar Singh for me that I used to listen to quite often when I was younger. It is still one of the Shabads that I
Do you have an MP3 Gurbani shabad that is a favorite of yours? Email me if you want to share it.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 11 Comments
Friday, August 05, 2005
Featured Gurbani MP3 Track
Here is another unique Gurbani track that I enjoy a lot, by Shafaqat Ali Khan.
Enjoy!
I think it is time to take a break from the computers and relax/rest this weekend. Don't you think? I sure do feel tired. I went to sleep pretty early last night and still feel worn out. Normal work at SikhNet coupled with all the Blog action I guess takes a lot of energy. Especially with all the comment action. It's nice having lots of people comment and share, but I have to say the critical comments do wear me down and take extra energy.
Music by: Shafaqat Ali Khan
Shabad: Waho Waho Gobind Singh Apay Gur Chela (Size 8MB)
(right click on the above link and select "save target as" to download the MP3 file)
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 10 Comments
Quote of the Day
"The place to improve the world is first in one's own heart and head and hands." - Robert M. Pirsig
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 2 Comments
Thursday, August 04, 2005
Arjan organizes evening girls soccer (right outside my office window at the Gurdwara) every Thursday. Mostly meant for the Girls, but this time it was mostly the kids. I always try to go outside when they are here and take a break. They are always having so much fun and it helps bring me out of the virtual reality that I am in so much (sucked into the computer world).
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 5 Comments
Another Day at SikhNet
Well, I'm here in my office and it's the end of another long day at SikhNet. Quite often it seems like a whirl-wind of things that have to get taken care of. There are always so many things to do, and there never seems to be enough time and people to do them. I feel like even though SikhNet has been on the internet for about 10 years, that we have only scratched the surface of what we COULD be doing.
I am in no way dis-heartened, because I know that things happen slowly and at the right time. Everything that has happened; even the startings of SikhNet, were "stumbled upon", and one thing leading to the next. There is always some tree of situations which lead SikhNet down it's path of evolution. Everything always seems to get taken care of somehow, and be the right thing for the current time. Just as this blog has changed many things in my life (personally and for SikhNet) and taught me much.
Since 1997 SikhNet has been fortunate enough to be self supportive to a large part as a result of the income from the SikhMatrimonials.com service that SikhNet runs. SikhNet has grown a lot since the early days and is a much larger operation to maintain and run. Unfortunately though the Sikh Matrimonial service has not kept up with the growth of SikhNet's needs and has actually decreased significantly due to major competition from other major Indian Matrimonial services. Part of this decrease has been because we have not had the people resources to devote to the Matrimonial service. SikhNet's main mission is not "Sikh match maker" or a commercial profit company. It really is to serve and educate people about Sikhi.
So, as a result we have to spend a significant amount of time figuring out new fee services and ways to raise money to support and grow SikhNet. We normally have an annual fundraiser and many people contribute to support SikhNet. However the percentage of SikhNet visitors that actually support SikhNet is very small. You can say things like...if everyone gave $5 then we could take care of things, but in reality that doesn't happen. Maybe people just assume that there is loads of money in SikhNet.
The reality is that we really do need significant community financial support. There is only so much that can be done as seva. To have people do seva you need people to manage the volunteers and the tasks. You need skilled people with good experience (writers, graphic designers, web developers, programmers, etc) who are committed to do work. Too many times people have offered to help and in the end just didn't have the time. Or they didn't have the level of experience that was needed. So, the result is that the only way to really get things done properly is to have paid staff. This of course doesn't include actual operating costs aside from staff (servers, hardware, computers, offices, etc).
Did you know that SikhNet get's over 130,000 unique vistors per month? That's a lot of people isn't it. So...the next time you feel appreciative of something on SikhNet, stop and think about what you can do to give back to support this valuable resource (SikhNet), which in turn will help enable many more people to learn and experience the same thing as you.
I honestly didn't start this post thinking about fundraising or a "state of the union" of SikhNet speech. It just kind of flowed into this message at random. I was just feeling tired and the pressure of trying to keep up with everything at SikhNet. I really was just wanted to share this one shabad that I was listening to and is one of my favorites. It always makes me feel peaceful and was helping with my stressfull day.
So... here you go. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. Something about the mood and feeling of the Shabad that put's my mind at ease. Do any of you have any other Kirtan by Prof. Paramjot Singh? This is the only track that I have.
Music by Prof. Paramjot Singh
Shabad: Main Man Vaddi Aas Hare (Size 15MB)
(right click on the above link and select "save target as" to download the MP3 file)
PS. If you have any good ideas on funding help for SikhNet please do email me. Or, if you know someone who might be willing/able to donate new computer equipment for SikhNet let me know.
I'll post some more of my favorite MP3 tracks in the coming days.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 31 Comments
Prabhu Singh's Blog
There are some great pictures of the Ishnaan Seva which is done once a week early in the morning to clean the marble floors of our Gurdwara in Espanola, New Mexico.
Check Prabu Singh's blog at:
http://prabhukhalsa.blogspot.com
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 8 Comments
Quote of the Day
Everybody can be great...because anybody can serve. You don't have to have a college degree to serve. You don't have to make your subject and verb agree to serve. You only need a heart full of grace. A soul generated by love. - Martin Luther King, Jr.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 4 Comments
Remember Those Who See the Faults of Others but Overlook Them
by Sat Jivan Singh KhalsaThe words from our Ardas acknowledge the challenge facing us today: "Dekh ke andith kita", "Remember those who have seen the fault of others, but overlook those faults." Every time we pray, we acknowledge that human shortcoming of seeing the faults in others. This is normal, human behavior. But through the grace of our Guru we can transcend this human condition and be granted the divine inspiration to look beyond the flaws to see God in every human being. If it were easy, we would not have to pray daily for the strength and ability to do so. It is extremely difficult. How important is this ability? Obviously very important because we remember those who achieve this in the same breath as our remembrance of the Punj Piare, the Four Sons of the Tenth Master and the Forty Liberated One. We must seek that Divine aspect within our human consciousness in order to achieve this.
At a time when the world seems to be taking sides against us we cannot allow ourselves to start picking each other apart. We lose before we even begin if we cannot overcome the human propensity to find fault and allow the Divine Spark within us to see that Divine Spark within others. My humble request is that we avoid the natural human tendency to rush to judgment, find the ability to look beyond these faults for the moment and maintain our unity.
In 1971 I made a decision that changed my life forever. I became a Sikh of the Guru. During my thirty years as a Sikh the hardest thing I have had to deal with has not been the negative reactions of the American people to my turban and flowing beard or the bigotry and discrimination I experience at the hands of the citizenry of my native land. What has been most difficult and painful for me has been how the members of my chosen religious community seem to find ways to create fights within itself, to allow itself to be divided; to let itself be torn apart from within by seeing every difference, then dissecting and magnifying them. One of my early lessons about my new faith and my new religious family was that if we did not have a common enemy to fight we often turned upon ourselves and began to tear ourselves apart. It was so difficult watching the fights, which were usually power struggles over position and control. It still is.
Continue reading this article....
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 10 Comments
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
The Fresco
Take a moment and close your eyes and travel back in time to 1971. The delicate seeds of Sikh Dharma lovingly planted by the Guru in the fertile Western soil and tended by his gardener, YogiJi, were just beginning to sprout. There was no Gurdwara in Espanola. We didn't understand Siri Guru Granth Sahib. There was only a dedicated band of about 20 young settlers, living on the land and rising in the amrit vela to chant the Nam together in the cold dark morning. We had a single old unheated adobe building on the property, and it was there that we gathered and huddled in our shawls for warmth to do our morning sadhana together by candlelight.
A man came and said he had a vision of our future and that God told him to paint a fresco in the wet plaster of our cozy little meditation room... our little incubator.
He was an amazingly humble man and a very talented artist. He painted his divinely inspired vision on the wall.
Today, 34 years later, our little community numbers over 400 Khalsa and we have been blessed to build together a large beautiful Gurdwara. The roof is supported by eleven vigas (tree trunks) representing the 10 Gurus and Guru Granth Sahib. The walls are three foot thick adobe. A huge gold Khanda decorates the Guru's platform and the interior floor and walls are covered with beautiful white marble imported from India and set in place by skilled artisans.
It is all Guru's work, and our hands are his hands. We are very blessed.
And way back, behind the main Gurdwara is our little incubator. The cozy little room where we were moulded by the Guru and where we set our consciousness upon this sacred path. And on the rear wall of that room (which was crowded with only 20 people in it) is Ed O'Brian's fresco. The seeds of Guru's vision sprouting in the West. It is a most sacred and divine vision. It is our childhood. A beautiful reminder of our sweet beginnings.
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Mural (Fresco) by the Late Ed O'Brien
(Download a large version of the painting to see more detail)
I want to share with everyone this beautiful mural that is in the back of the Gurdwara here in Espanola, New Mexico. The picture here doesn't do the real painting justice.
I know for many people, at first glance all kinds of questions come to mind, and possibly criticisms. So, If you are one of them, I ask that you stop your judgemental mind for a few minutes. Open your mind to other perspectives and read on..... (Thank You!)
Introduction by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur
from an old discussion on SikhNet
It's interesting - if you study sacred art - that when a spiritual tradition moves into a new culture, that culture creates artwork which combines the symbols of the new religion with familiar symbols of their own. Study Buddhist art from India through to Japan and you'll see what I'm talking about. As the symbols of that faith moved from one country to another, each culture found a unique way to artistically express their experience of the Buddhist teachings. But despite the varying cultural expression of Buddhism through artwork, at heart, the tenants remain the same.
With that framing mind, I'd like to share the story of the painting that's being discussed on this thread. The one that has the Lady of Guadalupe merged with the Khanda. It's a beautiful mural that adorns the back wall of the Gurdwara at the Hacienda de Guru Ram Das community in Espanola, NM.
First - a little background about the artist. His name was Ed O'Brien. He studied a unique form of fresco paintings in the 1930's - an artistic technique that's not very well known today. The fresco is painted in layers in such a way that, as the paint ages, the mural will take on the characteristics of stained glass. After World War II, Ed went to Mexico City to the Basilica and saw the Guadalupe. He had a great religious experience there, and, in order to share his religious experience, he decided to dedicate his life to painting Our Lady of Guadalupe. It was a spiritual mission for him. He would be guided to different places to paint murals and he always included Our Lady of Guadalupe in those murals. Ed did paintings in churches all over the United States. And then he came to New Mexico.
While living in New Mexico, he met some of the younger people from the Sikh Dharma community living in Espanola and spent time with them learning about the Sikh tradition. His experience when the symbolism of the Khanda was explained, was that the notion of the Adi Shakti - the Primal Creative Power of God matched the spiritual experience he had in Mexico with Our Lady of Guadalupe. Even though he had spent his life painting murals for churches, he felt guided to do a mural at the Gurdwara. So he approached the community and requested permission to paint. We didn't have any money to pay him, but he wasn't looking for payment. He slept in the Gurdwara, the community fed him meals, we bought the materials he needed and for days on end - he painted that mural out of his own inspiration of the relationship between his experience of our Lady of Guadalupe and the Sikh Khanda.
The mural is complex and beautiful and there's all types of symbols in it. Ultimately, though, it is a painting that harmonizes East with West, Past with Future, God with Humanity.
Ed O'Brien died a week after completing the mural. It was the last work he did. For the members of the community who had fed him and supported him while he worked on the painting, it was a deeply spiritual experience. He came to us from his own spiritual vision, he spent his time without asking for payment and then, somehow, in the act of doing this painting for the Sikhs, his soul had completed its mission and moved on. It's a sacred work to us not just because of the painting, itself, but because of the way the painting came about to begin with.
What happened was that a man of Christ and an artist, through the symbol of the Khanda, had a chance to move into truly Universal consciousness and realize that his symbol of the Lady of Guadalupe and our symbol of the Khanda point to that same Divine Power which mothers all of Creation. And ultimately, isn't that what our Sikh faith is about - giving people a chance to move beyond a one-aspected understanding of the Divine into an understanding that every faith, every culture, every symbol is trying to describe that one Indescribable Power behind Creation?
I just wanted to share the story behind the painting so you can understand what it meant to a man and a community and why we cherish it so very much.
Read more about the details and vision of this mural.
It's amazing learning about all the aspects of this painting and the detail that went into it. The above was just a quick summary by Ek Ong Kaar Kaur. This other page gives more details which are very interesting.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 67 Comments
Quote of the Day
"The yogi is one who has union with his supreme consciousness.
If flexilbility of the body is the only yoga,
then clowns in the Circus are the best yogis." - Yogi Bhajan
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 2 Comments
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Narayan Singh holding the sword during Ardas. Right after the hukam the kids love to take the swords and hold them in front of the Siri Guru Granth Sahib and then Escort the Guru to his room after Sukhasn.
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The Ambulance Guy... AKA: Dharam Pal Singh during Ardas
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Ardas after bring Siri Guru Granth Sahib to his resting place for the night.
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Narayan Singh waiting for Sukhasn of Guru Granth Sahib
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Sahib Singh (son of Sat Guru Singh from SikhNet and Sat Mittar Kaur)
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Narayan getting a ride on his papa (me) after Gurdwara during langar. Adarsh kaur (right) checking Narayan out.
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Remembering Singh Kaur
By Sat Kartar Kaur Khalsa
Before Enya, before Deva Premal, and before today's burgeoning chant music movement, there was Singh Kaur.
In the 1970s and 1980s Singh Kaur was the best-selling vocalist in the New Age music scene. She was the first American Sikh musician whose music reached beyond 3HO and impacted the worldwide spiritual community. During that time, I traveled to many 3HO ashrams as a chant vocalist and kirtan teacher. Everywhere I went, two things were always a given: 1) you would always smell the warm cinnamon aroma of Yogi Tea cooking, and 2) you would always hear Singh Kaur's voice emanating from the stereo, bringing a heavenly frequency into the spaces where we were growing a spiritual life. These sense memories, along with the music legacy she left, remain today as cornerstones of 3HO historical culture and tradition.
Amar Singh, a multi-instrumental musician who worked extensively with her, recalls: "We were sitting in the St. Louis airport with Yogi Bhajan, who was waiting for a connecting flight to New York. He asked Singh Kaur to put Rakhe Rakhan Har to music. I was sitting next to her as Yogi Bhajan tapped out the heartbeat rhythm on an empty Styrofoam cup. I wrote the rhythm down, and when we got home, we put the rhythm into Singh Kaur's drum machine. This is the beat heard on the final recording. The next day I went off to work. When I came home that evening, I asked Singh Kaur about it, and she played a rough recording-basically the finished piece. She had sat down in the morning and the music just flowed through her. I was always amazed and awed by her ability to put the perfect music to any words that came her way-English or Gurmukhi."
Sat Jivan Kaur, her close friend, recalls, "One night at Winter Solstice celebration in Florida, around 3:00 a.m., I was stirred awake by this beautiful sound. I arose and went through the camp, to see where it was coming from. Finally, I came upon the gurdwara. Singh Kaur was literally singing the Siri Guru Granth Sahib. I sat and listened in near-tearful awe, then went and asked security to broadcast it through the camp. She had no ego, and she'd let anyone chant with her. I loved singing with her."
My own approach to composing and singing was expanded in one of our mutual hold-eachother-up conversations. One day I told her, " I just can't get the tune or words on this song to come out right. I feel so blocked."
"Silly girl," she said, "Don't you know that the song has its own spirit? If it wants to visit you, it will come and play you." Play me? "You're the instrument that the song is playing upon. Works much easier that way, you know," she explained. My perception of the musical process has never been the same since.
Towards the end of Singh Kaur's life, violist Sahib Amar Kaur played on two of her ethereal recordings, Fairy Night Songs and the upcoming Universe, soon to be released on Sequoia Records. Sahib Amar recalls:
"She told me that she wanted Universe to be her gift to the [3HO] family. I think it was her way of saying thank you, and of making peaceful closure with everyone. Up to the very end of her life, she was creating music for all the rest of us to enjoy."
To purchase CDs/Tapes of Singh Kaur's music visit:
- SpiritVoyage
- InvincibleMusic
- Ancient Healing Ways (They have some that are only available on cassette tape and not yet on CD)
To hear Singh Kaur's music online visit:
Sat Kartar has performed and facilitated sacred music experiences worldwide for over 30 years. She has made several recordings (visit www.satkartarmusic.com) and is working on a new CD. An original member of the Khalsa String Band, she has sung on many other chant artists' recordings, including Krishna Das and Wah!
This article is from the winter 2005 issue of Aquarian Times Magazine
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Monday, August 01, 2005
The Flipster Twins
Hari Singh and Prabhu Singh doing their super kund-fu flips again. This time you can watch the videos.
These were from yesterday (sunday) after playing our weekly Ultimate Frisbee games.
Posted by Gurumustuk Singh | Permalink | 3 Comments
Job Security
Gurutej Singh describes how job rejections led to the founding of the multi-million dollar Akal Security, Inc.
It should have been one of the happiest days in my life. It was my graduation day from the Police Academy. I was the class valedictorian with the highest academic scores and the highest range scores. At my graduation, I received two letters of commendation from my instructors. The future should have looked bright, but in my mind and limited vision, I was losing hope.
For years I had been trying with one-pointed focus to get into law-enforcement. First I tried the Army because, under Eisenhower, the Army dress code had been modified to allow Sikhs to keep their beards and turbans. But the Commandant of one of the Army schools would not allow me on his installation. That ended my military career.
Thereafter, I began testing for every lawenforcement agency I could find, Federal, State, County and Municipal. I always scored very high on the tests, but when it came to the interview and the issue about my turban and my then much darker and much shorter beard, things never went further. It became an exercise in learning how to handle rejection. Finally, in the summer of 1978, an acquaintance of mine became the Chief of Police for a tribal agency near Espanola, and gave me my first job.
After a year, I had the opportunity to attend the Federal Police Academy and the New Mexico Peace Officers Academy to get my certifications. However, the news that I got the day before my graduation was that there had been a change of administration. We now had a new police chief who wanted to meet with me as soon as possible.
We met and he decided that with a beard and turban, I was not qualified to be a police officer. We went 'round and 'round, but I realized that it was a losing battle. I turned in my badge. Then, I went whining to Yogi Bhajan.
"Why do you want to say 'Yes, Sir!' all your life? Let's start our own company. Then we will hire the police and the army officers and they will say 'Yes, Sir!' to you."
Fortunately, at that time my spiritual brother Daya Singh needed something to do, so Yogi Bhajan put us together. Under his guidance, Daya and I created Akal Security, Inc. Twentyfive years later, our company employs almost fifteen thousand former military and lawenforcement personnel, including two former U.S. Marshals. It is the fifth largest security firm in the U.S. and the second largest provider of security services to the federal government. Akal officers are present at the gates of eight Army installations and hundreds of federal courthouses and federal buildings throughout the U.S. We have become an integral and most trusted element of the homeland security program.
And they all say, "Yes, Sir!"
Gurutej Singh Khalsa is the founder of Akal Security, Inc. In 1999 his moving historical novel, Rajni, was published in India and will be published in the U.S. in 2005. His collection of poetry, Children of the Cusp, was published in 2001. Contact Gurutej@kiit.com.
Security is commitment, training, intelligence, devotion, sacrifice, and pride in the duty and honor of selfless service. These are and will always be the values of Akal Security: deathless, unlimited, and forever. - Yogi Bhajan
This article is from the winter 2005 issue of Aquarian Times Magazine
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Quote of the Day
"Faith can move mountains, otherwise the stones are very heavy" - Yogi Bhajan
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