Back in my days of school I was not fortunate enough to be able to be in Punjab. I went to school in India starting 1983. We were in Amritsar for a couple of weeks before we went to the school (GNFC) in Mussoorie, UP. That was the last time we were able to be in Punjab till many years later due to the attacks on the Golden Temple in 1984 and subsequent violence.

My brother Dharam Singh and many of the younger Sikhs from my community have been very fortunate to now go to school just outside of Amritsar (Cherta Sahib) at Miri Piri Academy. While I did learn to read and write Punjabi, not many people spoke it, and our teacher was not very good at teaching it. So we learnt mostly Hindi from conversations with locals. Nowadays I speak somewhat of a mixture of Hindi and Punjabi, though I am pretty rusty due to the lack of practice. Whenever I go to India it seems to come back to me which is nice. The "Kids" who went to school there at Miri Piri Academy in Amritsar are another story. They have been growing up there so are totally Punjabi. Many of them speak Punjabi pretty fluently which is pretty great for most western born "White" Sikhs. Even I was a little surprised to hear Sada Sat Simran, Jugat Guru and Harimandir Jot talking Punjabi desi style during a Gurdwara in Singapore. You can hear the audio clip on this page near the end.

At the school the kids do all kinds of sports. One of the sports that they learn and play quite often is the Punjabi sport of Kabaddi. Someone just sent me a link to a video of a big Kabadi competition where the Miri Piri Academy Girls played against some other Girls in Punjab. They won the game too! It looks like a huge event with thousands of people. It's been ages since I played Kabaddi...so it was cool to watch the video.

You can watch the Kabaddi video online here.
The Miri Piri Academy girls are in red.


Ps. Here are a few blogs by MPA students/staff
http://www.miripiri.blogspot.com/
http://news.miripiriacademy.org/
http://gurunam.blogspot.com/

I have been slowly sifting through the SikhNet Gurbani Archive one musician at a time listening to the different Gurbani MP3 files. One thing I have found is that the more music you have the more overwhelming it can be. I end up not being as familiar with the music.

I used to play a game and try to listen to any shabad and guess who the ragi was. For one of my birthdays a few years ago I made a Sikh/3HO "Jeopardy" style game (based on the TV gameshow) and one of the categories was "Name that Ragi". I picked a bunch of tracks and edited them down to few second audio clips that people would hear and try to guess the ragi. It was a lot of fun (though a lot of work to make).

That was back before 120+ GB of Gurbani MP3 files. Now there are just way too many ragis to be familiar with. I also have very particular tastes in the style of Kirtan that I listen too. There are some ragis I used to listen to a lot but don't listen to anymore. Hopefully going through the music I'll re-discover some of my favorites, and find some new ragis which I haven't heard yet. Of course I will feature some from time to time here on the blog so that you can enjoy them too.

Later this year we will be offering a new SikhNet service as part of a "Gurbani Music Club" which will allow you to download a certain number of MP3 files as a supporting member (which will support SikhNet's costs and archiving more kirtan to digital format). When we complete that project I'll let you all know.

For now here is an MP3 clip. I used to listen to this one all the time a long while back, and I still enjoy listening to it today. I just "dug it up" from the archive. :)

Musician: Bhai Amarjit Singh Than
Shabad: Hum Nahi Changey Burah Nahi Koi (Size 9MB)

View the Shabad and Translation

Wahe Guru ji Ka Khalsa Wahe Guru Ji Ki Fateh!

As most of you probably know, today is the birth anniversary of Guru Gobind Singh! A wonderfull day to for us all to celebrate!

May Guru ji bless us all, to have the courage and strength to make the changes in our lives, to be a better people, more disciplined, more loving, more open hearted, more welcoming, and thus able to share these teachings and serve humanity!

Today also happens to be the 37th Anniversary of the 3HO. Yogi Bhajan gave his first public lecture in the United States on Sunday, January 5, 1969, and from that first lecture in Los Angeles sprang this beautiful, timeless and invaluable wealth of his teachings as well as the unique and inspiring 3HO family all over this world. From the US to Russia, from Chile to India, from Australia to Canada and Europe to Japan and everywhere in-between, we are living and teaching and shining our light in this troubled time.

"Where there is forgiveness, there is God. Where there is sacrifice, there is compassion. And where there is service, there is radiance of the human. Is there anything more precious in a human than these objectives?" - Yogi Bhajan

In this video Guruka Singh explains about the different parts of Ardas and the role of the Ardasi (The person doing the Ardas).



Download Video /Audio Only

This past Sunday I was in Gurdwara and we were standing for Ardas. Narayan was whining about how he was tired, didn't want to stand, and was not really listening to me about being respectful. I then whispered to him how important it was to stand tall, still and pray. To remember those Sikhs who came before us and sacrificed a great deal to maintain the Sikh way of life. I realized he didn't really understand what this was all about, and that I had to start explaining more about why we do these different things (Specifically "Ardas"). Now that he is getting older (4-1/2) it is easier for him to understand spiritual things, and to relate to this all.

I whispered in his ear about the moguls trying to convert the Sikhs to Islam and all the torture that they committed on the Sikhs. His eyes lit up; he was interested. I told him later I would tell him some stories.

After Gurdwara I ran into my office and printed out a document which had an explanation of Ardas with pictures (by Prof. Onkar Singh, Phx.) and took it home with me. Since then every night before Narayan goes to sleep I have been reading a page or two of the stories from Ardas. Each time re-enforcing the concept of why we do Ardas. Narayan is especially intrigued by the torture parts. For some reason anything with blood/injuries/fighting/etc is very interesting.

Today I just finished the story about Bhai Mani and getting cut up at every joint. I looked at the next page and saw the picture of someone being scalped. Phew! Some heavy duty stuff when you think about what these Sikhs went through and how brave they were! It make you realize how easy we have it!

I am feeling my time coming to really start teaching Narayan about many of the Sikh concepts. In the past he didn't understand or relate much. I think now he is starting to understand more, so it is exciting for me to start sharing with him. This is new for me. This is my first time being a father...so it is nice to share these things which give so much more meaning as to why we are Sikhs and should live a certain way. It's also cool that he is interested in it!

I think as parents we just have to take the time to explain these things in a way that they can relate to and enjoy. Now that I started with this....I feel like flood gates have opened and there is so much that I need to start teaching him. Such is the life of a Parent right? All I know is that I want to do my best to instill the values of Sikhi in a way that he understands and appreciates. Then it is up to Guruji to guide him when he is older. I have seen many friends who used to be Sikhs but don't practice anymore. I try to keep a very open mind with this. Ideally I want Narayan to live the Sikh lifestyle. However if he chooses not to, my prayer is that he at least lives a conscious and spiritual lifestyle. It hurts to see loved ones throw it all away just to be a regular "Joe" and "fit in". I for one...like to stand out. I think Guru Gobind Singh intended for us to stand out, be leaders and protectors.

So much to learn and share as a parent. It's an interesting journey that I am on :)

PS. You can read about the meaning of Ardas on SikhiWiki at: http://www.sikhiwiki.org/index.php?title=Ardas

When Yogi Bhajan came to the USA in the late 60's and taught yoga classes he would prepare a blend of tea containing cinnamon, cardamom, cloves, ginger and black pepper which the students later dubbed "Yogi Tea". Most people (myself included) have fond memories of this hot, yummy, spicy, healthy tea. This tea has become a part of the 3HO/Sikh Dharma culture. At any home you will find a batch of "Yogi Tea" in the refrigerator. It is an energizing and healthy tea which which can help your overall health.

"Cloves take away pain, cardamom aids digestion, cinnamon is good for the bones, black pepper stimulates the digestive process, and ginger is an Ayurvedic panacea, giving strength and energy. And the synergistic effect of all the herbs is more than the sum of its parts"

At any of our camps or events fresh yogi tea is always served. When you come to visit Espanola check my fridge to make sure I have a stock of tea! (I have to make some more tomorrow). In the summer I mix it cold with apple juice and it is like a great spicy apple cider. Everyone makes it a little different. I personally like it with loads of ginger which makes it spicier and gives me lots of energy. I drink lots of the tea especially if I get a "cold" or am not feeling well. I prefer natural healing methods rather than drugs, which in many cases just mask the symptoms, rather than dealing with the cause.

I prefer to stay away from caffeine and other stimulants, so this tea gives me the energy that I need to keep going. I am already so energetic that if I have caffeine I'll bounce off the walls and go nuts!

So...now that I have raved all about it, you have the chance to make a batch of this tea and try it for yourself. Everyone I know seems to make it a little different (some people make it better than others). It's one of those things that people perfect to their taste.

The Yogi Tea Recipe - Yield 2 Quarts
Yogi Tea comprises a specific combination of spices, mild and black tea. Health-promoting, delicious, soothing, and great coffee substitute. Yogi Tea is easy to make from scratch. We like to make a big pot-full (without adding milk), store in the refrigerator. To make a cup of tea just fill your cup three-forths with tea, add milk and heat (stove or microwave oven).

In the science of Ayurveda the spices are said to have the following properties: Black Pepper: blood purifier; Cardamom: digestive aid; Cloves: nervous system and generate heat in the body; Cinnamon: bones; Ginger root: for colds, flu, physical weakness, digestions, increased potency. The milk helps in the easy assimilation of the spices and coats the stomach lining to avoid irritation there. A pinch of black tea gives just a touch of "pick up".

These spices can be purchased at most health food stores (US/UK/Europe) or an Indian grocery store.

2 Quarts of Water (1.89 liters paani)
15 whole cloves (Long)
20 green cardamom pods (Elaichi)
20 black peppercorns (Kala Mirch)
3 Sticks cinnamon (Dal chini)
8 slices of gingerroot (Adarakh)
1/2 tea spoon black tea (Chai patti)
3 cups of milk (Dood)

Bring water to boil in a 3-4 quart pot. Add cloves and boil for 1 minute. Add cardamom pods (to better release flavor, crush or split pods), peppercorns, cinnamon sticks and gingerroot. Cover and boil gently for 20-30 minutes. Add black tea.

At this point, you can let the tea cool, strain it and refrigerate. Or, add the milk, return to boil, and immediately remove from heat (or else it will boil over). Add sweetener to taste...and enjoy!

Recipe from the cook book "From Vegetables with Love" by Siri Ved Kaur Khalsa

The Yogi Tea was so popular that in the 80's it was packaged and sold commercially. This has grown over the past 20 years to become one of the most popular herbal/health teas in the USA and Europe. They now have expanded way beyond the classic "yogi tea". You can see their website online at - http://www.yogitea.com/ and Europe: http://www.yogitea.nl/

Well, I was just sitting at home eating lunch when I noticed one of my favorite cook books, by one of my friend's mother (Siri Ved Kaur Khalsa). I used to live in Los Angeles and grew up with her and her daughter. When I was in school in India...and craving different foods I would turn to this book and cook up delicious stuff. There is everything in it, and some very easy stuff to make (for all you bachelors).

If you don't know how to cook, love to cook, want to eat healthy and nutritious food, this book is for you! I'm not trying to boost sales or anything. I honestly love the book, so wanted to share it. It has such a medley of healthy and yummy food. From Indian food to just about everything, sweets, snacks, Community kitchen (for langar or large numbers of people), . This is the type of food that I grew up on. I wanted to pick out a recipe to share, but there were too many options and couldn't decide.

Here are some notes from the back of the book:

All of her life Siri Ved Kaur has had a natural love of cooking, learning first in the kitchen with her Grandma Kosten, making breads, noodles, streusels, sausages, and pies all from scratch, and then at the side of her spiritual teacher, Yogi Bhajan, starting in 1971, just shortly after she had become a vegetarian.

It was during those years of serving as Yogi Bhajan's personal cook that her intuitive understanding of conscious food preparation first blossomed. He guided her in the art and science of yogic food preparation, while his wife, Bibi Inderjit Kaur, trained her in the wonderful art of Indian cooking.

Since then, she has authored two vegetarian cookbooks, Conscious Cookery (1979) and From Vegetables with Love (1989). She now owns "Yogi Eats!", a popular vegetarian catering and home delivery service in Los Angeles, that specializes in healthy, healing, nurturing, yogic foods. You will find many recipes that she has developed for Yogi Eats included in her column, "There's a Yogi in the Kitchen!", as well as in her upcoming third cookbook (likely by the same name).

You can get a copy of the Book "From Vegetables, with Love" Here

"Laughter is the shortest distance between two people."

"It is not how much we have, but how much we enjoy, that makes happiness." - Charles Haddon Spurgeon

During the time when Siri Singh Sahib Harbhajan Singh Khalsa was alive he used to talk to the sangat in Gurdwara every week on some topic related to Sikhi, in an effort to educate and inspire people. Over the past 30 years these were all recorded. Now every week, near the end of Gurdwara, we listen to one of these lectures.

This past sunday I recorded the talk which he gave on Sept 13 1987 on the topic of "Gurmat". You can download it to listen on your computer or listen to it directly from this page below. For those users who have MP3 players I am now posting all the audio/video content to the MrSikhNet Podcast so you can listen in your car or on the go too.

Download the Lecture (10MB) - 40 minutes long.

"Simple law of life is, that life is worth living when it is guided by the light of the Guru. Nobody I have seen, dumbest person I have not seen, driving the car with lights off at night. Have you seen anybody? Why you do this? You want to lead your life and switch of the light and keep going? You think you'll make it? Forget it! You may be depending on your insurance. I'm not sure about it. Even I have seen some places on the freeway where they say switch on your light during the day time. When you pass through the tunnels they say switch on your lights. So life is just like a tunnel of actions and reaction, and It's not dark and it's not light, it needs your light. Either use your own light 'Manmat', or use Guru's light which is a pretty search light. It will find out things for you and You will be happy, I'll be happy. We'll be happy.

Give your ego. And go to God with Grace. "

I got an e-card from someone in my family wishing me a Happy Anniversary. I was a little confused at first and thought it was a mistake, but then I realized that tomorrow IS my 7th wedding anniversary! Good thing I got the reminder! Phew! You have to remember stuff like this with women. I have learnt that lesson well in the past. Us guys don't think so much about these things (like Valentines day), but for many women these are the few times they can squeeze some romance out of their man. They expect it! We really do need to take the time out of our busy days to spend quality "couple" time with each other.

For those of you married people...remember back to the early days when you first met. How does your "romance" compare to then. If you are like most, romance is probably non-existent. When I say romance I don't mean sex. I mean doing nice things for each other, going on surprise dates, giving flowers when not expected, doing creative/fun things together to enjoy your spouse.

Time really does fly by. I met Arjan around Dec 1996 at the Winter Solstice Camp (which was just held in Florida)...and got married a few years later after she graduated from Chiropractic College. Wow...I guess that is only 10 years ago. Seems like a lifetime ago.

I have been so blessed to have such a wonderful wife and family. I always pray for the same for my single friends. It is such a learning experience and joy to be married.

Here are some articles that I have posted on the blog this past year relating to marriage that you might find interesting.

• MARRIAGE - My Advice and Experiences
• M * A * R * R * I * A * G * E - Here is a talk given to the women at KWTC (Khalsa Womens training Camp - which is held every year in Espanola, NM.)
• Thoughts on Marriage - Life is like a nest which must be built straw by straw.
• The Wedding Lavan in English
• Pictures from my wedding (Jan 3rd 1999)
• Video of my wedding (Realplayer needed to watch)

Tonight I would like to share a Gurbani track from the Sadhana music CD by Sat Shabad Singh (Eduardo Balázs) who is from Chile (South America). I heard this CD after my mother came back from South America and really enjoyed it. This is the CD that I now use to meditate with in the morning. It is very peacefull for me to sing and meditate with. Sat Shabd Singh was kind enough to allow me to post part of the "Wahe Guru" track for you all. I trimmed it down to 11 minutes which will be perfect amount of time for you to meditate with.

The CD is Titled:
Inspirations from the Universe,
Sadhana chants from Chile.
by Sat Shabad Singh (Eduardo Balázs)

Download MP3 Audio File (10.5MB)

I went through all the pictures that I posted this past year and struggled to narrow the many thousands of images down to 300. I put together a little movie/slideshow of some of these images. Most of the images are a little window into the life of my family and sangat here in Espanola, New Mexico (USA).

The video is about 25 minutes long, so if you want to watch, Go get some tea or snacks, download the video, and sit back and enjoy :)

Download The Video (Best quality - size 10MB)
or watch the video below with "ok" quality.

Ps. If you are a windows user you can download (for FREE!) the cool program I used to make this video. It is great because it is so simple and easy to use and the windows media files it generates are pretty small compared to a standard video.

Well, 2005 is gone and a new year is ahead of us all. Here I am sitting on the couch with my laptop by a roaring fire (Yes, a real fire!), Listening to some Celtic music as I look back at this past year. I see so many changes in my life and a lot of accomplishments. One of the major changes in my daily activities has been blogging (posting content to this website every day). It started 9 months ago with casual pictures of my family and has really grown into something much more useful, and I think interesting.

It took a lot of time just to post the family pictures (The blogging is what I do in my "free time"), so I said to myself "If I am going to keep doing this, it has to have a bigger purpose." It's not enough for me to just entertain people with pictures and happenings. I guess this is how my family raised me, and the way I am. For me everything has to be productive and have some value. When I was growing up my father worked a lot, and most of what we did together had some level of educational value. We didn't watch sports and I rarely played video games (Though back in my younger years (80s) games were pretty basic. Anyone remember castle?). So, that rubbed off on me. While I was getting into computers and setting up SikhNet, many of my friends were playing video games late into the night or just passing time with this or that. I guess I felt like watching too much TV or games just wasted the time away and didn't give me a sense of accomplishment. Everything I do is measured in what I have accomplished.

For the past few years I was feeling boxed in. In the early SikhNet years it was just me developing the website. I used to come up with ideas and "Just do it" (create the service). Over time as there were more services on the website, the number of visitors increased, and the staff of SikhNet increased, it took much more time to maintain. (SikhNet is now run by 6 different people in various capacities. A few of us have roles in our jobs that fall outside SikhNet so in reality we have about 2-1/2 full time staff hours).

I found myself trying to keep my head above water, and struggling to keep up with the day to day operations of SikhNet. I had to do more management stuff, budgets, financials, manage employees, figure out funding to keep up with the growing expenses, and stuff like that. This was a shift for me. I love the creative and teaching aspect of SikhNet and found myself not having much time to do these "fun projects" anymore. I didn't feel like I was accomplishing the things that I wanted to do. I enjoy creating NOT maintaining. My main motive for SikhNet was to provide a way for Sikhs to connect all over the world and to support the Sikh youth.

I remember the end of 2004/beginning of 2005 feeling empty, uninspired, and not excited about my work and life. I know I needed some change or shift in my life, but wasn't sure what. Guruka Singh had just come to work with SikhNet as Executive Director (as well as working with other areas of some of our organizations) which was such a blessing! Siri Singh Sahib had passed away earlier in the year and we were all going through personal changes. There was a large group of people that went to India in January to bring the ashes (from his cremation) to spread in the river at Kiratpur Sahib (Just outside Anandpur Sahib). I went on this "yatra" to participate, document and photograph the event. This trip to India gave me the opportunity to get out of my normal day to day routine and have a chance to think about my life. It really did help to break my normal pattern of day to day life. For me this was much needed.

When I got back I had a renewed sense of mission and inspiration. I felt it was time for me to "Just do it" again, and take more of a leadership role. Around this time I had also met Ashvinder Singh who was about to start the SikhPal.com website. For so long I have felt alone in the internet world of Sikhi. I didn't have friends that had the same passions for this work, and were doing it on a regular basis. Even though I was involved with one of the largest Sikh websites, I lived in small town (Espanola) and didn't feel connected with the rest of the Sikh Community. Honestly I felt pretty disconnected. My life revolved around SikhNet work and my family.

It was really great for me to meet Ashvinder who had the same type of creative ideas and visions that I had. Plus he was ready and willing to spend the time to put these ideas into action with me. When I see him now...It reminds me of when I was much younger starting SikhNet up. Anyways, making friends with him was a big support for me. I didn't feel so alone. Since then we have continued to come up with new cool ideas and put them into action. It's great having someone to talk and share ideas with on a day to day basis. Nowadays he lives in Singapore, but we chat all the time on Skype about upcoming projects.

I also decided figure out a way to travel to different places around the world and network/connect with other Sikhs. I have been to Toronto a few times and once to England which was really great. I hope to travel more to different communities around the world. It really does help me to stay in touch with the issues of Sikhs and also to build support (Plus share personal experiences with the youth). I can only do so much, and really want to work together with other motivated Sikhs to continue SikhNet.

(Back to the topic of blogging......) Over the past years I have been bogged down so haven't kept up with the latest technology and internet trends. Ashvinder on the other hand seems to do so pretty well. I visited him while he was still living in Toronto, Canada. He showed me his blog and how easy it was to add pictures. He was trying to convince me to blog but I didn't quite get what a blog was. I didn't have much free time, and I didn't understand what benefit would come out of blogging. I am a photographer and take lots of pictures, so when I saw how easy it was to post them to a blog decided to give it a try.

This blog has evolved since then to what it is today. Once I got started, things just kept on moving. I'm up to my neck in blogging that's for sure (I just starting podcasting too, yet another new thing to explore). About four years ago SikhNet bought a video camera because I had plans to do little educational Sikh videos for the youth. I never found the time to do this at SikhNet, and it wasn't until this year that I just jumped in and decided to do it in my free time. Blogging is pretty time consuming. I work all day at the SikhNet office and then end up again on the computer at home. If this were not being done for a good cause I don't think Arjan (my wife) would let me spend so much time on the computer. I tend to live a lot on the computer, so I am always struggling with keeping balance in my life and taking care of myself and my family. I feel like there are never enough hours in the day to do the things that I want to do.

A big part of what motivates me to spend the time doing this, are all the emails and comments that people post on the blog. I am always blown away with how this blog and SikhNet has impacted so many people. It has been such a wonderful learning experience for myself and many others. It has put me more in a role of teaching and sharing rather than just providing a Web service. I have always felt that my destiny was to teach and share with others ("Guru Mustuk"). Service like this is what gives my life purpose and satisfaction. I try to stay humble and just leave it up to the Guru to guide me since I know it is not really me that is doing this. I definitely feel my life being guided by some higher force and know that ultimately everything is always taken care of and goes the way it is supposed to.

It is also cool to see more people read and participate in this blog. In any given week about 4,000 people visit the blog which is really cool. You can see where some of the last 100 visitors are from.

I am really happy to see our little Blogiverse grow and to see so many other Sikhs use this medium to share with others in a very personal way. I wish to thank all of you who have participated in this evolution and supported me in a big way. My prayer is that Guruji continues to guide me in my life so that myself and others can continue to share with you all in this way. Thank you again, and I look forward to more blogging adventures in 2006.