|
Events |
Congratulations to
Dilraj Singh Sidhu and Saraswati Kaur Khalsa
on their marriage on September 5, 2010 |
|
|
New Sangat Babies |
Siri Guru Deva Kaur and Sukwinder Singh on the birth of their daughter
Nam Sahai Kaur |
|
Your Community Growth Fund! |
Your consistent monthly donations sustain the foundation of the Mother Ashram. Giving what you can is greatly honored.
What would inspire you to give? If you are considering becoming a monthly contributor, but have reservations, we would love to hear your feedback.
Share your feedback
|
Upcoming Courses
|
Intensive Retreat
and Yatra 2010
Baba Sri Chand
Oct 23rd - 26th, 2010
Dashmesh Sadan, Anandpur Sahib, Punjab, India
Lama Nanak Sharnam
Yatra & Meditation
Retreat
Guru Nanak in Tibetan Buddhism
Nov 1-7, 2010
For more information
|
| Honoring Long Time Contributors |
HGRD Corporation
We would like to honor those individuals of the community who over the years have consistently been able to honor SSS's hukam that every adult is responsible to pay ashram dues of $100 per person. Thank you for your sacrifice, gift and giving.
"Whosoever will serve this house, he shall be served forever."
Yogi Bhajan |
|
|
Hacienda de Guru Ram Das Ashram
1A Ram Das Guru Place
Espanola, NM 87532
505-753-6341
Ashram Secretary
|
|
Espanola Ashram Website Make it your home page! |
|
This bulletin has been compiled by Jaap Kaur and Guru Meher Kaur, Jr. for your reading pleasure. To submit articles or feedback please email:
| |
|
|
You in Community September 2010
Community is our collective giving, loving, sharing and growing. This new monthly bulletin celebrates and highlights the many individuals and projects that create and sustain our beloved mother ashram. As we give, we do receive. Here's celebrating you in community!
|
Events Calendar - September
9/5 - Saraswati Kaur and Dilraj Singh's wedding 9/6 - Akal Takhat Wish and Dish Gurdwara
9/17 - Family Meeting - Langar hall
|
 Family Meeting
Friday, September 17, 6:00 pm
The family meeting will be held in the Langar Hall. Siri Guru Nam Kaur will be preparing a delicious meal and we're hoping a fun skit will be shared, our HGRD Corporation board members will be introduced, and financial information will be up-dated. Find out just how your generous donations are being used! We plan to adjourn by 8:00 pm so your Sadhana won't be threatened. Mark your calenders - you won't want to miss this informative and special gathering of our Sangat.
Blessings to all, Mata GuruMeher Kaur |
 Whats Hoppin' in the Ashram Gift Shop!
Our best selling item of the month... Your Ashram Gift Shop is such a success. Come by and take a peek at all the goodies. Open Thursday's and Sunday's during langar.
Our featured products this month are Kudrat Kaur's malas from The Mala Shop. Prices: $80-$300
How to use a Mala:There are different fingers used with the mala which relate to different parts of the brain. They are like jumper cables! By running the mala over the meridian point of each finger, you are creating mudras which have varying results. The meridian point is located on the side of each finger between the tip and the first knuckle.
 Index finger (Jupiter) - wisdom, knowledge, and prosperity Middle finger (Saturn) - enhances patience
Ring finger (Sun) promotes health and vitality, and builds the nervous system.
Little finger (Mercury) - communication skills and intelligence
Using your mala with a mantra: When reciting a mantra, You may use any affirmation, name or mantra of your choice. The recitation of your mantra may be done out loud, in a whisper (voice of the lover), or silently. Be sure to hold the mental visualization of your projected image as well. Meditations can be done sitting in a simple posture or casually going about your day. |
|
This Month's Unsung Heros are the Non-Profit Organizations:
 3HO: We commend Bhajan Kaur and Anand Singh and the entire staff at 3HO for their incredible job of facilitating another Summer Solstice, Women's and Children's camp this summer.
KRI: Congratulations to Nirvair Singh and Hari Charan Kaur and the entire staff at KRI for their keep-up mode in facilitating the Level 2 -Teacher Training and Level 1 Immersion Course.
Sikh Dharma Worldwide: Wahe Guru to Sikh Dharma Worldwide Staff, Shanti Kaur, Ravi Kaur, Jaap Kaur and all the many unnamed individuals who gave their donations of time and money to make the Life and Legacy of Yogi Bhajan party a great success. |
This Month's New Community Member
 This month's featured new community member is Gian Dharam Kaur. She is originally from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and has been here since Summer Solstice and will be here until December. She came here to learn as much as she can about everything we do here and is involved in many seva projects. She is very happy to be here and to get know our beautiful sangat! So please introduce yourself and make her feel welcome.
|
| Featured Community Member:
Arjan Kaur
Arjan Kaur is so active that even here best friends have a hard time knowing how she gets it all done. Besides being a wonderful mother and wife, she also works as a chiropractor at the Espanola Center for Advanced Healing. She puts out a monthly newsletter on  Healthy Tips for Staying Healthy and offers an Open Clinic twice a month on a donation only basis.
Her oldest child, Naranyan Singh, is attending school in India, and she worked on the Silent Auction at Solstice to raise money for Miri Piri Academy. Since her youngest child, Charn Jeet Kaur is here going to school, Arjan stays very involved with other mother's in the Children's Program at the ashram. We feel fortunate to have such a kind-hearted and loving person such as Arjan Kaur as part of our community!
If you would like to read more about Arjan Kaur's work, check out her website: http://drarjan.com/ |
 Notes from the Editor
The HarvestLast newsletter I asked for pictures of sangat gardens to highlight in the September issue. I was amazed at how accomplished some of our gardeners are especially in the harsh conditions we face in New Mexico.
 Megeath's (Har Krishna) Roses
Tarn Taran's Vegetable & Flower Gardens
 Tarn Taran Kaur has been away in Europe for many weeks and asked several sangat members to help take care of the harvest from her tremendous garden while she was away. Well, I was more than happy to help with this endeavor so took some pictures to showcase what she (with the help of Mother nature) has done. She grew corn, beans, snow  peas, tomatoes, cucumbers, several types of peppers, squash, eggplants, and jerusaluem artichokes, just to name a few. Also, she had a beautiful array of sunflowers, morning glories, calendula and cosmos bordering her vegetable garden.
|
 Ashram Community Garden
The Community Garden had a successful vegetable sale after Sunday gurdwara last month. Keep your eyes open for their next harvest sale this month. |
 Guru Ram Das Birthday
11 nights of chanting - beginning Sunday, Sept 28 thru Oct 8th.
We are approaching our beloved Guru Ram Das' birthday, Oct. 9th. As is our tradition, we chant the shabd, "Dhan Dhan Guru Ram Das Guru" for 11 nights before his birthday. This year, you have two options to host a night - either in your home or in the Gurdwara. Here are some points to consider if you would like to host:
- Consider if your home can comfortably fit 50-75 sangat members.
- You will need to make arrangements for musicians, food, & a short story about GRD at the end of chanting.
- Consider teaming up with other sangat members or families to pool your efforts for cooking, etc. It's more fun too. Contact Jivan Joti Kaur at jivanjotikaur@gmail.com.
- Enjoy the bliss
|
Computer Corner
Get the Grunge Out!
By Guruka Singh
I've had a lot of computers through the years, and we have quite a few at SikhNet too. Every computer (unless its brand new) can benefit from a little regular physical housekeeping. You see, a PC's constantly whirring fans draw in a huge volume of air. Even in a seemingly clean home or office environment, the amount of dust and dirt that can build up inside a PC's case is nothing short of astonishing. This layer of dust literally acts like a sweater on your PC's delicate electronics, preventing them from getting rid of their heat, and heat is the enemy of all electronics.
I'm sure your computer probably looks clean from the outside, but you can't tell from a casual inspection if it really is OK, or if it is slowly cooking itself to death on the inside.
At best, excess heat will shorten the life of a PC; if allowed to worsen, it may cause erratic behavior, data errors, lockups, spontaneous reboots, and other intermittent problems; and in the worst cases your computer will stop working completely.
So you see it's not a matter of being fastidious to clean out your computer from time to time: There are real, tangible benefits in terms of increased longevity and reliability.
read entire article > |
 Summer Pleasures
Blueberry Peach Cobbler
By Jill Markstein Filling: 6 peaches, sliced 1 pint blueberries 1/4 c. honey 2 T. lemon juice 1 T. flour 1 tsp. ground cinnamon 1/2 tsp. vanilla extract Topping: 1 c. unbleached flour 3 T. butter 1/2 c. buttermilk or thinned yogurt 1 tsp. baking soda 1 T. honey pinch of salt Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Butter an 8" x 8" baking dish. Combine all filling ingredients. Pour into baking dish and spead evenly. In a bowl, mix honey and buttermilk together. Pour this into flour mixture and stir until just blended. Drop by the spoonful on top of fruit. Bake about 15-20 minutes until golden. Serve with whipped cream or ice cream for a real treat! |
 Sikh Spiritual Practice
The Sound Way to God
By Siri Kirpal Kaur Khalsa
Sikhism is one of the finest - and least known - spiritual practices around. This book explains the spiritual underpinnings of Sikh practice, including how Sikhs use sound to experience the Divine.
You've seen Sikhs and wondered why they wear turbans and what they believe. Or you've been invited to a Sikh event and are wondering what to expect. This book explains what Sikhs practice, how they practice it and why. Along the way, you'll get to read Sikh poetry, which includes passages by the great Sufi/Hindu saint Kabir.
You're a Kundalini Yoga student and wonder what the connection is between Sikhism and Kundalini Yoga. This book explains where the two disciplines meet and where they differ. It also includes some Kundalini Yoga you can practice, including one previously unpublished meditation.
You were born a Sikh and wonder why anyone born to a majority faith would choose a religion that looks funny to everyone else. This book tells stories of people who became Sikhs voluntarily and why they did so.
Available through Amazon, Powells, Barnes & Noble, Borders, www.yogatech.com and www.0-books.com.
Siri Kirpal Kaur Khalsa is a practicing Sikh, who has discussed Sikhism on televised discussion panels and who has spoken about Sikhism to school children, church groups and government workers. After the 9/11 attacks, she founded the Oneness Coalition, which organizes interfaith services. She is a retired Kundalini Yoga teacher who has taught to convicted criminals among others. Her previous book, Yoga for Prosperity (Yogi Ji Press 2002), has been published in Russian translation. She is also a published poet. |
| Hari Jiwan's Wall
Another Perspective
Our beloved Siri
Singh Sahib ji was continually teaching about "perpetual endurance." That
particular teaching always seemed a bit harsh to me. In fact, it sounded
like hell - at least until the blessings kicked in. I didn't want to have
to endure forever. It's taken me too many years, but I've finally figured
out the "get out of jail free" card. Here it is: so long as I'm praying
and meditating on "perpetually enduring," why not just add "effortless" onto
the prayer. After all, our teacher always taught us that prosperity has
no limits. Just because he was stronger than I, doesn't mean that my
intuition/creativity can't help level the field. I like to think that I
can "perpetually endure," but life has enough challenges. If I can
eliminate as many as obstacles as possible, I will only have more time to focus
on those that remain.
I have now added
the word "effortless" to my practice without any guilt about
following the Siri Singh Sahib ji's teachings. I've come to realize that
it actually pleases my teacher, my Guru, and God when I focus in their service
and don't perceive any limits in their blessings. I see this concept
affirmed in our Dharma. After so many years of service and devotion to
our mission, the dedication just keeps paying off. Our continued commitment
to "perpetually enduring" has become "effortless perpetual endurance." So
now, I humbly request that we all refocus and rededicate our energy to
effortless selfless service to our Dharma. We now have time to stop and
smell the roses. Our duty has become an experienced, continued
blessing. This Dharma continues to be real and is waiting to be
re-experienced.
|
Sangat Birthday's for September
Now featured on the ashram website at: www.espanolaashram.com |
Missal Duties for September 2010
|
Date |
Set Up |
Langar |
Clean Up |
Akand Path | | 8/30-9/5 | 3 | 4 | 1 | 2 | | 9/6-9/12 | 4 |
1 |
2 |
3 | | 9/13-9/19 |
1 |
2 |
3 |
4 | | 9/20-9/26 |
2 |
3 |
4 |
1 | | 9/27-10/3 |
3 |
4 |
1 |
2 |
|
|
| How can we continue to serve you?
The ashram management team welcomes your feedback. We would also like to understand your individual needs. If you or someone you know is in need of something please let us know how we can move forward in supporting you. All emails are kept confidential. Confidential feedback
In service,
Espanola Ashram Management Team
"If God has guided you here and has given you the virtue to do service here, and has given you that chance, then don't waste it. It's a place to gain and to be what is yours to be. Therefore, I say to you that take the very earth of this place and put it on your forehead. It will rewrite your destiny."
~Yogi Bhajan | |
|
