More from the samagam

The sangat in the langar hall, which used to be the Gurdwara.
Me and the guys.
Hari Singh Ji talking to two people from Las Vegas. One is originally from Chile and the other is originally from India. Amar Ji is on the right, he is the one from India :-)
Harpreet Singh Ji noticing that I'm taking his picture. The rest came out blurry, but at least I got him :-)
Gagan Singh Ji, Harsharan Singh Ji, and Gurpal Singh Ji.
More of the sangat. On the left is Deva Singh Ji and Jagat Singh Ji from Española.
If you read my blog regurlarly you'll probably remember that I met Balbir Singh Ji at the L.A. samagam last year. It was cool to see him again this year. My brother, Hari Singh Ji, is the blurry person in this photo.

The samagam

View of the Gurdwara from behind the Guru.
Bhai Jagjit Singh Ji with his kids in Gurdwara.
The sangat.

The view just before we left to drive back home. We drove through the night and got back Sunday morning. Gurdwara in Española on Sunday was beautiful, the kirtan was amazing. For those who may have tuned in, you're probably already aware :-)

The Gurdwara

This is the Gurdwara where the samagam was held in Bakersfield California.


The entry way.
Lights around the fountain in front of the Gurdwara.
I'm not sure why they call it 'Sikh Temple' rather than Gurdwara. It's lit up at night.

Master

Your legacy is beyond words! We love you.

Driving Out

Please click on these images to better appreciate them :-)


I thought this was a funny street name.

Roadtrip anyone?

Destination Bakersfield. For a samagam http://samagams.org/

If you're in the area and you're reading this, it will be cool to meet you.
Hopefully I can blog from there, otherwise this will be the last post until Monday next week.

Shining moment

I made a post below, which I thought might be kind of a bummer, since I think most people come here for something to smile about. So I thought I'd balance with a shining moment.

Not a shining moment

I just went to the following website:
http://www.myfootprint.org/
and I went through the survey. I was figuring I would do pretty good, because I compost all my organic waste and I recycle and generate very little trash.
Actually I've lived in my current residence for over two years and have taken my trash out 4 times. Just 4 times in two years, whereas they come to pick it up weekly. I carpool and I don't shop or consume much more than food.
I didn't do so well and found out that it would take 4.6 earths if everybody lived like me. What really nailed me were two things that I really wish I could change, but are somewhat out of my control. The main thing that really nailed me was the acreage (ecological footprint) required for my residence. Because I live alone! I really don't like living alone, but I don't really have room for a room mate so there's not much I can do about that. The other thing is that almost none of the food that I eat is grown locally and a lot of the food I buy has some kind of packaging. I wish I could grow all my own food.
So good luck with the quiz.

It's almost been a year

It's hard to believe it's almost been a year since I was in Punjab. A part of my soul remains forever at the Hari Mandir Sahib and at Sri Anandpur Sahib. WaheGuru, just thinking about those amazing places gives me peace and happiness.
Here are some pictures from a Gurdwara that I visited with a friend that I met up with in Phagwara.

Quite a large Nivas adjacent to the Gurdwara.
Beautiful marble work. Dhan Guru Pyaray!

Summer afternoon

This is a video from this summer.

Me diving at Abiquiu - in slow motion

Me diving at Abiquiu - double speed (for some reason I tried to put a video of me diving at regular speed and google keeps doubling the speed?) It's a very curious phenomenon.

Me doing a back flip at Abiquiu - at regular speed.

Twilight

A place of contrasts.
A well built house abandoned amongst trailer homes. A forest in the desert. A rural area meters away from the center of the city. The former homestead of a large Spanish family, yet now completely empty. The land settled by some of the first immigrants to America, surrounded by Mexican immigrants, some of the latest immigrants to America. Boarded up windows with a sign that says 'keep out,' yet frequented by drugees and miscreants. Across the street from my house and yet never visited by me.
It's amazing how rural my neighborhood feels considering we're literally meters away from the main street and the center of the city of Española. I keep hearing a donkey and wondering where he's kept. If the inhertors of this property could figure out who owns it, I'm sure it would be developed. The mayordomo (ditch boss) helped me to establish my irrigation rights and told me about the family of Don Carmen (or something similar) who had many children and no will to straighten out the ownership of the land. My neighbor is his 'cousin' but he couldn't remember her name. There is so much history here, probably there have been Europeans where I live for 400 years.

Pranayam

pavan guroo paanee pitaa maataa Dharat mahat.
Air is the Guru, Water is the Father, and Earth is the Great Mother of all.

Fall tree

Super cute

'What's going on here?'
'Oh I'm in a high chair. I have 3 teeth now, can I eat solid foods with you as well?'

Coming home

The moon was big on the horizon as I was coming home from work one day last week.

Fire

The reactor has blown!
Just kidding it's a water tower with the sunset in the background
Waves to the sunset.

Khalsa Arts

On Guru Gaddee Day after a beautiful nagar kirtan, I saw a talented member of our sangat place a beautiful work of art in front of the Guru. I thought to myself 'WaheGuru, we have such an amazing sangat who truly has so much devotion and so much diversity and talent.' The same man who made the model of the Hari Mandir Sahib (which is featured in my archives), Mukhtiar Singh Ji, also made the work of art. He told me later that he wanted to see one in every home! I though that's going to be expensive considering it is made of gold rubies and pearls. Then he told me the cost price and I thought, I have to get one since I have the Siri Guru Granth Sahib at my home. This is now decorating Guru Ji's room:
It's the mool mantra in gold with 11 rubies and it is bordered by pearls.

Flashback

Sunset in the summer time.
For those who've been to summer solstice, these views may look familiar.
These are more pictures from my friend Akal Singh.
Across the valley.

Home is where the heart is

More pictures from my friend Akal Singh Ji, taken this summer.

I love Sikhnet.com

I live in a relatively remote area in Northern New Mexico. People don't often come through here to reach a big city. People don't often come here for economic opportunities as there is a lot of material poverty here. People either come here to be here, or come through on their way to enjoy the surrounding nature or culture or art.
People come here to be in the spirit of something beyond themselves and simultaneously within themselves. People come here for beauty. People come here now, because they know who we are.
Before the internet our community and many other communities were not connected so strongly with others as they are now. Having never schooled in India or spent significant time in India, I only had the opportunity to learn about Sikh Dharma from my local sangat which was small when I was growing up. Then along came Sikhnet.com. I learned so much and I met so many people. I began to see what the global community was like. There were many things that shocked me as I began to learn more about the global community via the internet, but at the same time I saw a gathering place for the global community. Even if there are millions of 'Sikhs' who commit unrighteous acts, there are thousands of Sikhs (even on the internet) that live righteous/Dharmic lives and are here to share that inspiration.
Most of what shocked me I learned outside of Sikhnet, and much of what has inspired me I learned at Sikhnet. That's why I love Sikhnet.com.
Further I appreciate so much of what Gurumustuk does. He never quits. I'm sure he doesn't get a large salary and still even when he's not at work he's doing seva. He works for Sikhnet all day and then later does mrsikhnet.com which an inspiration to all of us. I was thinking about his tireless efforts the other day after talking to my brother and a friend who had been instant messaging Gurumustuk on off hours on two consecutive days. It wasn't just chatting with friends Gurumustuk was discussing Sikhnet work and projects etc. Sikhnet.com is a legacy. It's the kind of service and inspiration that any Sikh would be proud to be a part of in their lifetime. Thanks to the whole Sikhnet team.
We can't put a monetary value on what Sikhnet has given us, but we can certainly make a contribution to support this amazing service.

Beauty of Akal Purakh

These photos were taken by my good friend Akal Singh. They are from this summer. We had a good monsoon season this year and everything got real green.
This is the valley I call home. This sacred land will forever live in my heart.
All the native grasses were green and the whole desert was alive!
Looking towards the site of our Summer Solstice camp. A place where people have been gathering in remembrence of God for centuries and will continue for centuries to come. WaheGuru!

Gurdwara - where I feel peace

Hari Bhajan Kaur Ji did some real nice kirtan, Gurujot Singh Ji played dilruba very nicely, and Siri Chand Singh Ji played excellent tablas. I always try to get a space right in front, when I go to Gurdwara.
More nice ramalas :-)
Suraj Kaur is so cute. She's kind of shy and kind of ran away when I was trying to take a photo, but some how this one came out pretty good.

Fire in the sky

I was outside at the right time on Sunday. These pictures were taken from the road I live on, in front of my neighbor's house.