My friend Siri Dyal Kaur Ji sent me the following pictures from a place called Paso de Cortés near Mexico City. It's a place between the Popocatépetl and Ixtaccíhuatl volcanoes in central México.
picture of Ixtaccíhuatl
picture of Popocatépetl
This place is called 'feet of the sleepy woman'
View from the mountain to part of the city
I was coming home from work one day last week, and it was a nice warm temperature. The sky was blue (as always here) and the clouds seemed to be resting on an invisible surface of the sky endlessly. I was driving so I asked my brother to take some pictures.
Warm in the valley, snowy in the mountains.
The sweet smell of apricot blossoms.
We had warm weather early and so the apricots blossomed early (like they often do). If we're lucky we won't get a late freeze that kills all of the apricots. I was scraping ice off my windshield again this morning so I'm not too optimistic. Well I can't be sure if we'll get apricots this year, but I can still be optimistic about other great things :-) Like the upcoming warm weather...
A few years ago, some friends and I went to a nearby overlook, which overlooks the Española Valley and the Rio Grande. We noticed a cross made out of stone, which gave us the idea to make our own work of art. Do you see something in the middle of this picture?
Can you see it better now? :-)
It was about 20 feet by 20 feet. It lasted about two weeks, when we noticed that whoever made the cross, turned the little cross into one of those Jesus fish and ruined our art to make another bigger cross. It's unfortunate that religious bigots couldn't appreciate the intricate work of art and instead decided to ruin it and make a plain cross. If they could have turned the stones into something that looked like Jesus, it would have been impressive, but to take the stones and make another plain cross was just not that impressive. Still it was fun to do this, it took about 45 minutes to an hour. (It was really big and required finding and moving a lot of rocks to make a good shape).
My Pitaji was in a Bhangra troupe over 30 years ago and now I'm in a Bhangra troupe. I'm sure my Pitaji was probably the only Gora (white guy) in his troop and the troupe was probably all men, but times are changing :-) Here's a couple of videos from a performance that we were asked to do at a Diwali celebration in Albuquerque last year.
The first video is short, it's the first part of the first dance we did. (I'm the guy in green.)
The second video has most of the rest of the first dance. Unfortunately it doesn't have our cool finale or the second dance, but still it's fun to watch.
Thanks to HariBhajan Kaur Ji who filmed this from the audience on her digital camera.
I really appreciate the website Sikhchic.com. I think it's great to highlight achievements of the Sikh community. Especially since we get so little media or negative media in the West and more often negative media in the East. In highlighting achievements and getting known by the public and in the media, the name of the game is 'IMAGE.'
It's great for a Sikh to be proud of their image, this is becaues a Sikh stands in the image of our great Gurus. We stand in the natural image of God's perfect creation. This is why we never alter our bodies or desecrate the sacred temple of the body that God has created. We never cut our kaysh (hair) and we do not mutilate the flesh (tattoos, piercings, etc.). In this Dharmic (righteous) practice we honor the creator and the instructions of our beloved Guru. However if we fall into the Karmic (unconscious consequences of actions) cycle of self will and self image, what do we achieve?
A Sikh strives to defeat false pride in self and feels pride in the acheivements of their Guru. The only pride I honor in myself is my pride for the great example and acheivements of the Gurus and the Guru Khalsa Panth. Pride in self, as any spiritual seeker knows, is more damaging than helpful on the path of Dharma. In this vein I cannot feel any pride in the achievements of individuals.
When a Sikh in the Guru's roop (the Guru's form) achieves something great, that achievement is associated with a Sikh of the Guru, with the image of the Guru, with the Khalsa Panth. Those who honor the Guru while making achievements create victories for all Sikhs. When a Sikh who has abondoned the image of the Guru achieves, what does it do for any other Sikh? I appreciate the achievements of the Indian community as I appreciate achievements of any other community, but how can I appreciate a Sikh achievement when there is no 'Sikh' representation in the achievement? When it comes to image and pride, if it's not for the Guru or the panth, it is for the ego.
The following are a few articles that can be found on Sikhchic.com:
Here are a few higlighted INDIVIDUALS:
'Kash the Bash' presumably because he bashes people?
Bob Dhillon (like Bob Dylan?) who is "more spiritual than religious."
GOP "Babe of the Week"
golfer
congress man
jewelry artist
novelist
Here are some achievers who have promoted the image of the Khalsa:
Baltej Singh, first Sikh Mountie (real victory for the panth!)
Narinder Singh, Father of fiber optics
Sanjit Singh, business leader
Satyendra Singh, community leader
BibiJi Inderjit Kaur Khalsa, community leader
Mohanbir Singh, Professor of Technology
Waris Singh, actor
Dya Singh, singer
Snatam Kaur, peace activist
The list goes on at Sikhchic.com
In closing, I commend Sikhchic.com for their efforts in promoting the acheivements of Sikhs. Further I commend those Sikh achievers who respect the Guru's roop and through their achievements share their victories with the whole panth.
This is another picture taken by Akal Singh Ji last Fall. This was taken in some hills near the river (Rio Grande) of the valley and the Sangre De Cristo Mountains to the East of the Española Valley.
People seem to wonder often how I can live in the desert and be in the green forest in a half hour. Here's a picture that kind of demonstrates that.
This is another photo from my friend Akal Singh Ji taken last summer. It's also on the same road as the site for the summer solstice camp, but farther up the road.
This picture was taken by my friend Akal Singh Ji. This is a picture of some of the mountains from the road called 31 mile road. It's the road where the site of the summer solstice camp is located, however this is a few miles past the site. This picture is from last summer.
I like this picture because it's got ducks swimming in a pond on a sunny day, with the snowy mountains in the background. It was a sunny day, but it was still cold.
Some day I will invite you all to stay with me at the location providing this view. Until then I can only invite you to take a walk and enjoy the sunset from my land.
Yesterday's sunset was incredible. I usually leave my camera in the car just for such occasions, however I was in a different car yesterday. I've been putting a lot of pictures from my phone lately :-) These pictures don't do it justice, the whole sky was lit up and it was beautiful.
Bhai Sahiba Bibi Inderjit Kaur Khalsa Ji had a kirtan program at her house in Albuquerque on Friday, the day before Bhai Sahib Bhai Kultar Singh Ji left. I forgot my camera again so I took pictures with my phone. I tried to use my mp3 player to record some of the program, but I'm not sure what all I got. It was a great program! As usual the kirtan and the sangat were amazing.
Harimandirjot Singh Ji from Chardi Kala Jetha played tablas part of the time.
Bhai Sahib Ji was asked to read the hukamnama as well. The message from the hukamnama was very similar to the theme of the kirtan that night. Bhai Sahib Ji mentioned how often that happens, and how people forget that the Siri Guru Granth Sahib is our "living" Guru.
My view on the way home from work yesterday. I'm amazed how well some of my pictures come out despite having the windsheild right in front of the camera.
You can see part of a road sign in this picture. I'm pretty sure it's the sign that indicates the sharp curves coming up.
The moon was looking pretty cool also.
