Feb07 newsletter.pub - Hacienda de Guru Ram Das

Volume 16 Issue 2 February 2007
Jas Kirat Singh striking a pose on the
lap of his mataji, Sat Hari Kaur.
This newsletter brought to you
courtesy of YOUR Community
Growth Fund. Your Dollars
Make a Difference.
Table of Contents
Ashram News 1
Community Growth
Fund
Siri Singh Sahib Lecture 1
Ashram Events 2
Computer Corner 3
Birthday’s 4
Missal Duties 6
Food for Health 6
Going Green 7
1
Ashram News
Sat Nam, everyone!
We want to encourage you to participate in
giving to the Ashram Community Growth
Fund (CGF). The Community Growth
Fund is how we cover all of the financial
obligations for Hacienda de Guru Ram
Das, and its only support comes from us,
the people who are blessed to live as members
of this wonderful community. We
have some exciting and much needed improvements
that we are hoping to fund this
year, foremost of which are the improvements
and beautification of the Gurdwara's
outside entry way and the Guru's kitchen
area. And of course we want to maintain
and strengthen the ongoing functions of the
Ashram's facilities and supportive employees.
So please give generously and regularly
whatever you can, and together we
can help to maintain and expand our
Mother Ashram. Thank you and God bless
you.
—Ashram Finance Committee
Sharing my Experience
I started paying my Community Growth
Fund through EFT last year and it is very
easy that way and it eliminates ALL duality
about paying it. The money just comes out
once a month and I don't even think about
it. It saves me a lot of mental space every
month and I feel proud that I contribute
instead of always feeling like I'm not giving
enough which is how I felt before when I
just paid it by hand. I would emphasize
this in all communications about CGF, its
SO much easier paying it this way AND it's
like putting a huge blessing on your bank
account, everyone needs that!
Blessings, Japa Kaur
(Continued on page 2)
Lecture from the Siri Singh Sahib to the
Espanola Sadh Sangat—1975
In the United States of America, we have
often found that there is no family, and for
people in Espanola, this is the Mother House
of this entire 3HO family. That’s why you
have to suffer more. 3HO or Sikh Dharma
started in New Mexico. This is the root of
everything that we have, therefore, this is
our den; here we come for shelter. Here we
come for help. And here we come to get;
and those who need, they must be fulfilled.
If we don’t fill the cup, nothing will flow out
of it. If the cup is empty, what can flow out
of it Nothing. People who are here sometimes
don’t want to listen to anything. But if
you go around on tour, you will be surprised
what people think of you. People think of
you as a Mother. People relate to this place
as a very Divine center where they can get
anything they want. That is why you end up
paying the bills and they end up getting a lot
out of you.
Somewhere in this family there has to be a
pivot; there has to be a center and this place
is always centered. I don’t know how much
you may be complaining, but you are very
virtuous. What is a virtue When people
look to you. What is prosperity When you
can share, you can give, without asking the
reward from it. You are rich. What is rich
When you can spare for others who are
needy. Those are potential virtues which
have been assigned to you. Not by any resolution
or any revelation – it is all Divine who
did it. God alone guided us to this place.
Therefore, I have always said this place
never belongs to any one person; it belongs
to God. Because we never would have
thought of getting it; we would not have
imagined to get it. We had no means to get
it. It is given to us. Therefore, it is of God
and Guru. My dear folks, I am not trying to
put you into any jeopardy of thought. I am
(Continued on page 8)
1

Hacienda De Guru Ram DAS
February 14th
February 19th
6th of the month
Saturdays
8:00 pm—11:00 pm
Wednesdays
12:00—1:00 pm
Gurdwara
First Friday of the
month, 4:30 pm
Every Thursday at
12:30 pm
Fridays
4:30—5:32 pm
Gurdwara or langar
hall
Sunday’s after
langar
February Ashram Events
Valentine’s Day
President’s Day
Ongoing Events
Gurdwara commemorating the
martyrdom of the Akal Takhat.
This is traditionally a “Wish-and-a-
Dish” langar meaning each person
prepares a dish filled with their
prayers and wishes to share with the
sangat.
Ishnaan Seva, washing the marble
floors in the Gurdwara. All are
welcome to participate in this uplifting
event.
Kundalini yoga class for members
of the Secretariat and the sangat.
Theme is for “relaxation into personal
transition.” Donations will go
to the Thursday langar program.
Children’s Program in Langar
Hall. Stories, music, games, food
and arts & crafts inspired by our
history and the Gurus. Guru Simran
Kaur (Ranch) coordinates the
program.
Langar served in the Langar Hall.
All welcome! To help, call Amrit
Kaur, 753-7705 for food preparation,
and Deva Singh at 927-0988
for general information.
Prosperity Meditation to “develop
the intuitive business mind and
bring prosperity home.” (Originally
taught by SSS at a business course
in Hamburg, Germany in 1990.)
Free healing sessions are held in
the Gurdwara. Acupuncture treatments
by Guru Mitar Kaur and Sat
Nam Rasayan Free Clinic treatments.
“To be at peace physically, mentally, and
spiritually is the most important thing in
human life.”
—Siri Singh Sahib Ji
(Continued from page 1)
EFT forms are available through the Ashram office.
Please call GuruMeher Kaur at 505-367-1315 for complete
details.
Letters from Cairo
My beloved family,
As promised, I am sending my updated contact information.
At the beginning of November, I moved to Cairo, Egypt. It
was hard for me to leave my family. But with much loving
support from all of you, I finally cut the apron strings and
through grace of God, I am here.
I really enjoy living in Egypt. It's opening a bold new world
for me...on many levels. I've moved here with my fiancé,
David Megalli. Many of you have met David either at Akal
Security or in sadhana. He is Egyptian, and decided to
move back to his hometown of Cairo after being in the
United States for 20 years.
I'm still doing graphic design and website development for
our community, and clients in New Mexico and other states.
I've been offered design jobs here in Cairo, as well as many
offers to teach Kundalini yoga. Yoga and meditation is a
growing interest here in Cairo. But, I want to take some
time to learn the language and settle into my surroundings.
I'm receiving intense classical Arabic lessons and I'm finding
it exciting to read and write Arabic.
David and I invite anyone visiting Egypt to call us and let
us know. We would love to do what we can to host you here.
Even if you're not visiting Egypt, I'd love to hear from you.
Please email me! I miss everyone so much. Looking forward
to summer solstice.
With love, Dev Dharam Kaur
My contact info:
email: luvmtns@mac.com
Home Telephone: 011-2-02-795-8431
Mobile 011-2-012-585-0393
Gmail chat: luvmtns@gmail.com -- Skype: Ishttah
Hacienda de Guru Ram Das Newsletter
01-A Guru Ram Das Place
Espanola, NM 87532
505-367-1315
Co-Editors: GuruMeher Kaur, Sr. and Guru Meher
Kaur Jr.
If you would liked to place an ad, please call Guru-
Meher Kaur, Sr. at 505-367-1315 or email to: gurumeherk@sikhdharma.org
2

Hacienda De Guru Ram Das
Computer Corner
To Vista, or not to Vista That is the question
By Guruka Singh
Back in July of 2006, I first wrote in this column about the
new version of Microsoft Windows – Windows Vista. At that
time I installed a pre-release copy of Vista and explored it as
fully as possible so that I could report to you, and I reported
that it had lots of cool new usability and security features
along with an attractive new 3D look called “Aero Glass.”
Now that it’s February, the new operating system is here. It’s
available to everyone to purchase, so you may be thinking
about upgrading. And by now you’ve probably seen the many
Microsoft ads talking about all the benefits that the Windows
Vista operating system will bring to you. So it’s time to revisit
the subject, and yes, I’ll cut to the chase and say this. As a
whole, Vista feels more evolutionary than revolutionary.
Vista's real competitor is Windows XP. For most of us, XP is
good enough. And for all the advances in Vista, it's hard to
avoid seeing the things that aren't as good as they could have
been, and as is, Vista is not bug-free. There are still a variety
of small but annoying glitches and plenty of features that don't
work as seamlessly as I would have liked. I can't shake the
feeling that Vista's release was rushed. Vista is good—in
some respects very good—but not spectacular. Call it a niceto-have
product rather than a must-have.
If you're buying a new PC this spring, it probably makes sense
to get Vista. Soon, of course, there won't be much of a choice.
According to Microsoft's support life cycle, retail PC buyers
will have only a year after Vista's release to buy Windows XP.
If you've already got a PC running Windows XP smoothly, it's
harder to see a reason to upgrade right away. You can wait
until you replace your machine, or at least a few months, until
Vista's kinks are worked out. Remember it took over a year
for Windows XP to get completely stable and reliable with the
release of Service Pack Two (SP2) and Windows Vista is
brand new.
So what are some more things to watch out for with the new
OS
1. SMB2 - Vista introduces a new variant of the SMB protocol
called SMB2, which may pose problems for those
connecting to non-Microsoft networks, such as Samba on
Linux.
2. Hardware - For Vista to perform adequately, most PCs
will need significant hardware upgrades. Despite Microsoft’s
stated “minimum requirements,” Vista takes a lot
of RAM, a very fast processor and a 3D video card with
256 MB or more of video RAM in order to use all the
features of the new Aero Glass interface.
3. Antivirus - Vista does not bundle an antivirus application,
and most third party antivirus applications are not yet
compatible with Vista. The Vista Welcome Center includes
an invitation to purchase Windows Live One-Care (nice
product placement!) but most users will probably want to
stick with their old favorite security suite. That's where the
trouble starts. McAfee, Symantec, and Trend Micro say
that current customers will get free upgrades to Vistacompatible
versions and another dozen AV vendors plan
for compatible versions before, or along with, Vista's January
30 th release date. Four more AV vendors say that Vista
compatibility will come later.
4. Driver Support - Vista includes thousands of drivers, but
most have been created directly by Microsoft. Many hardware
manufacturers do not yet have drivers available for
Vista. That means your current printer or scanner may not
work with Vista.
5. Compatibility - Vista does a good job of running most
common applications, but many of the applications you
may be running now are not yet fully supported.
6. Memory - Vista loves RAM, but more is better. Plan on at
least 2 Gigabytes to meet real-world needs.
7. Five Different Versions - The array of Vista editions could
prove to be three too many, and upgrades between versions
remain an unknown.
8. Activation - The need to activate the product via the Web
(even corporate volume licensed versions!) could prove to
be a real time-waster.
9. Storage Space - With Vista taking as much as 10 Gigabytes
of hard drive space all by itself, big and fast hard drives are
a must.
10. Backup - See No. 9. Backing up desktop computers will
take a great deal of space on the backup media.
11. Urgency - Unlike with Windows XP and Windows 95,
there seem to be no must-have reasons behind upgrading to
Vista.
12. Learning Curve - Vista is just different enough from XP
that both technicians and users will need training.
13. Cost - Moving to Vista can prove to be expensive when
one considers the price of the software itself along with the
cost of necessary hardware upgrades and the cost of migration.
Software upgrades from Windows XP start at $200!
14. Hardware Vendor Support - Tier-one and tier-two hardware
vendors seem to be taking a slow approach to offering
"Windows Vista Capable" systems.
15. Windows Backup - Vista's backup application is even more
limited than XP's, forcing users to use third-party backup
applications.
16. Windows Meeting Space - Lacks so many features that it's
all but useless. No VoIP capabilities or shared whiteboard.
17. User Access Control Center - Lacks intelligence and forces
you to constantly approve the use of many native applications,
such as a task scheduler or disk defragmenter. Vista
has what it calls “User Account Protection (UAP) so when
you install Vista you do not get administrator privileges.
There are very few things you can do without them. Every
time you try to create a new folder or edit the registry, etc.
a window pops up asking for the admin password. Even if
you enter it once, you have to enter it again and again
(Continued on page 5)
3

Hacienda De Guru Ram Das
Siri Singh Sahib Gurdwara Lectures —Tapes are
available through Ancient Healing Ways, 747-2860 or
800-359-2940.
Gurdwara
Month
Ads & Tidbits
Date Lecture Topic Lecture Date
January 7 Guru’s Grace 1/1/89
14 Who is a Sikh 12/27/88
21 Religion 12/31/88
28 Profile of Life 11/23/88
Priya Kaur (Priya means beautiful) was born on
January 5th at 8:50 a.m. to proud parents Seva Singh
and Jaap Kaur (and big brother Vasu). Priya was 18
inches long, and weighs 7.54 pounds.
Baby Circle
Clockwise from the top: Shiv Antar Singh, Amritdev
Singh, Shanti Kaur and Siri Sunderi Kaur.
If you are interested in getting pet food locally or having
it delivered to you, keep reading! We will be providing
the products from Critters and Me once or twice per month
(depending on interest). You can pick your order up at a
pre-determined time near the ashram or we will deliver it to
your home. Prices are the same as Critters, but for your
first 2 orders, we are offering 5% off OR free delivery for
trying the service. Call 927-1497 or email petfood2u@hotmail.com.
February Birthday’s
1 st Varnjeet Kaur
2 nd Nam Nidhan Kaur
3 rd Amar Singh (son of Sat Kartar S. & Sat
Bachan K., Albq)
6 th Hari Amrit Kaur (daughter of Hari Jiwan
Singh & Sat Bachan Kaur)
8 th Bhai Daya Singh
9 th Deva Singh (aka Josh, Hari Nam Simran
Kaur’s son)
10 th Gobind Singh
Jaap Kaur
13 th Devta Kaur (daughter of Sat Bir Singh &
Nirinjan Kaur)
14 th Sumpuran Kaur
15 th Dr. Seva Kaur
Sarib Jot Kaur (daughter of Siri Nirongkar
S. & Jiwan Shakti K.)
16 th Ravi Kaur (Bhangra)
Sat Sundri Kaur
18 th Sat Amrit Kaur (daughter of Hari Jot
Singh & Seva Kaur)
20 th Guru Jai Singh
21 st Ravi Kaur (teacher)
Meagath (Har Krishna Kaur)
23 rd Prabhu Jot Singh (son of Kartar Singh &
Deva Kaur),
Sat Guruprasad Kaur
24 th Har Nal Kaur
25 th Devmurti Singh
Sukhwinder Singh
Mukhtiar Kaur
26 th Karm Singh (grandson of Darshan K. &
Marc)
27 th Peraim Kaur
Ardas Singh
28 th Mukta Kaur
Tyaga Singh
4

Hacienda De Guru Ram Das
(Continued from page 3)
every time you want to change something, except Laptop
users will be able to set a WEP key to attach to a home
wireless network. You can install printer drivers. You can
download and install updates from Microsoft. VPN and
dial-up connections can be created and established and
you can run most applications. But what about installing
new applications Many new programs will not install
without you supplying the admin password. This is being
done to protect you from yourself. I find it completely
annoying.
The PMP is Microsoft's assurance to content providers (i.e.
the TV and movie industry) that their 'premium' content
will be safe from illegal duplication when played on Windows
Vista. The basic building block for this is the Vista
PE (Protected Environment). The Vista PE is a system state
that allows a Windows Vista computer to play what Microsoft
refers to as 'premium content.'
The PE is built on certified hardware using certified drivers,
and can be invalidated by the presence of “un-trusted” software,
drivers or hardware. What constitutes unsafe software
will likely be decided by Microsoft and concerned interests
like the RIAA and movie industries so it will probably include
CD and DVD copying software.
The Microsoft Vista operating system will check its hardware
and drivers upon startup to establish that all components
meet with current Microsoft “Protected Environment”
requirements. It will then periodically re-check the system
state as protected media is played, to ensure that nothing
has changed.
The introduction of invalid software, hardware or drivers
will either be blocked by the PE or, more likely, cause the
PE to be removed. This will disable or reduce the quality of
protected media playback, but will probably not affect the
computer's other operations.
18. Buried Controls - Many options and controls are further
buried, many requiring half a dozen mouse clicks or
more to get to. Network settings and display settings are
offenders here.
19. Installation – This can take hours on some systems. Upgrades
from XP or Windows 2000 are even slower.
20. HHD - Hybrid Hard Drives. These are potentially a huge
performance booster, but there's little information and no
support is available (even though it should be available
later on.)
21. Fifty Million Lines Of Code - Even with the five years of
development and long beta test period that went into
Vista, undiscovered bugs are sure to turn up.
22. Volume Activation 2.0 (VA2) - New volume-licensing
technology limits installations or requires dedicated keymanagement
servers to keep systems activated.
23. Missing Features - When first envisioned, Vista promised
a new file system (WinFS), virtual folders and many other
features that have just plain disappeared and are not included
in the current release.
24. Some Protocols Eliminated - Vista does not include support
for IPX, Gopher, WebDAV, NetDDE and Apple-
Talk.
25. WordPad – The ability to open .doc files has been removed.
26. Digital Rights Management Issues - The Windows Vista
PMP (Protected Media Path) and PE (Protected Environment)
Don’t get on the wrong side of Vista
We know Microsoft wants Vista to redefine computing. But
how about redefining the English language
I’m talking about Windows Vista’s so-called and ridiculous
“enhanced reduced functionality” mode, designed to cripple
a non-activated installation of the OS in the event it isn’t
verified as genuine software within 30 days. Fail to do this,
and nothing in the OS will work except port 80 and Internet
Explorer so you can connect to Microsoft to activate the
installation.
"Windows Vista will have a reduced functionality mode but
one that is enhanced," says Microsoft’s description of its
new licensing technology. Gee, a whole new concept of
“Enhanced Reduced Functionality.”
Huh We should learn to hate it as much as we should learn
to love Vista.
I’m not even going to bother calling it “Orwellian”, because
that would be to invoke the over-used if apt concept of doublespeak.
Hold on, I just called it Orwellian. Ok, it's Orwellian.
Trying to analyze it makes my head spin. It’s enhanced
insofar as it’s reduced…er, that is to say that is has been
reduced but not so far that it can’t accommodate a degree of
enhancement.
(Continued on page 7)
5

Hacienda De Guru Ram Das
Kartar Singh Khalsa installed as American Chamber
of Commerce Chair in Eugene, Oregon
By Ravitej Khalsa CVO, Khalsa Marketing Group Inc.
On Wednesday, January
24th, 2007, Kartar Singh
Khalsa, CEO of Golden
Temple Inc and a driving
force for Sikh Dharma, was
installed as the Chairperson
for the Eugene Area Chamber
of Commerce. It was a
gala evening at the annual
“Celebration of Business”
attended by over 700 leaders
of the business community.
Kartar is possibly the only
Sikh to become an American
Chamber of Commerce
Chair. The national association of Chambers of Commerce
told Dave Hauser, long time Eugene Chamber
President, they feel this is a significant event, applauding
and looking for inspiration from it.
Kartar Singh's acceptance speech was full of hope and
consciousness. It pointed out how we can prosper in
peace and work for each other. And most importantly
how to serve. President Dave Hauser reported many calls
to his office after the Celebration with very positive
comments on Kartar's speech with one bank even asking
for transcripts to use in a motivational seminar for it's
employees. Dave forwarded the following message received
from Jim Torrey, former Eugene mayor, chamber
chair and outstanding Christian leader in the community.
“Kartar, I just wanted to let you know that your presentation
last night was outstanding. It was the finest speech
of this type that I have had the privilege to hear in my
years of involvement with the Eugene Chamber. You set
the perfect tone for the next year. Please let me know if I
can assist you in any way. Respectfully, Jim. P.S. Others
have said the same in my discussions today.”
Food for Health
Broccoli and Tofu in Spicy Peanut Sauce
Modified from a recipe in The Enchanted Broccoli Forest
by Mollie Katzen
Sauce
½ to 1 c. hot water (depending on the desired thickness
of sauce)
1/2 c. peanut or almond butter
1 T. rice vinegar
2 T. tamari sauce
1 T. honey or blackstrap molasses (optional)
1/8—1/4 tsp. cayenne ( adjust for spiciness)
1 tsp. sesame oil
1-2 cloves garlic, pressed
In small saucepan, whisk together peanut or almond
butter and hot water until you have a uniform mixture.
Whisk in remaining sauce ingredients and set aside.
Sauté
1 lb. broccoli
2 tsp. grated fresh gingerroot
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 lb. tofu, cubed
2 c. onion, thinly sliced
1 c. coarsely chopped peanuts or cashews, lightly
toasted
2-3 T. tamari sauce
2 minced scallions
Stir-fry half the ginger and half the garlic in 1 T. oil.
Add tofu chunks, stir-fry for 5-8 minutes. Mix with
sauce. Wipe wok clean and sauté remaining ginger and
garlic in 2 T. of oil. Add onions and fresh pepper, and
sauté for about 5 min. Add chopped broccoli, and tamari;
stir-fry until broccoli is bright green. Toss sauté
with tofu and sauce, mixing in the minced scallions and
peanuts or cashews as you toss. Serve over rice.
Interestingly the NorthWest President of Key Bank, the
event sponsor, had a message of importance in his
speech as well. And the first citizen, a prominent attorney,
also spoke of consciousness and giving. Both
seemed to sense this will be a year of changes and serving.
The MC and outgoing chair is a leading Christian
leader in town and was full of respect and admiration for
Kartar. It was a shining example of Sikhs serving and
bringing a sense of leadership and inspiration.
6

Hacienda De Guru Ram Das
(Continued from page 5)
Gosh, Microsoft’s phrase contains such portent within it. Okay,
let’s see… it’s pretty awful, but not so utterly bad as to be totally
non-functioning. In other words, it is a bad situation but
one that could have been worse, so be thankful that it's not.
And so by dint of not being worse, it's actually better after all.
Got that
Microsoft has guts when it comes to linguistic contortions. I
mean, come on… the “Windows Genuine Advantage” program
turned out not to be as good as it sounded at first because it
turned out not to have any real advantages that were “genuine.”
So my suggestion is to stick with Windows XP for a while and
let’s see how Vista evolves. An upgrade is probably in our
future, but I’m not jumping in right away.
That’s it for February. Do let me know if this column is useful to
you and also send me any of your suggestions, tips or cool
downloads you’d like to share with the Sangat so I can put them in
this newsletter.
Free Kitchen Group Serves at the Espanola Soup
Kitchen—By Guru Meher Kaur, Jr.
Thanks to Kulwant Kaur a new seva group has formed to
serve lunch once a month at the San Martin de Porres
Soup Kitchen in Espanola. This soup kitchen operates
through the generosity of various church groups in the
valley and is directed by Susan Roybal. Much of the
food and supplies are obtained through a commodities
program. The facility is small, but clean and efficient
and serves approximately 30-40 people from the surrounding
area regularly. They serve lunch every day and
now our group is part of this important program.
After just three meetings, we managed to organize a
group of approximately ten people who cooked, served
and cleaned at the kitchen on January 26 th . Members of
the group included Deva Kaur, Japa Kaur, Guru Meher
Kaur, Har Pal Singh, Kulwant Kaur, Ravi Har Kaur, Sat
Kartar Kaur, Seva Kaur, Sangeet Kaur and Sat Kartar
Singh. Our first meal consisted of Frito pies, calabasitas
and yogi tea, (lovingly made by Sat Kartar Singh and
Deva Kaur), corn bread (home-baked by Kulwant Kaur),
and some lovely carrot cake (donated by the Chocolate
Maven). Sangeet Kaur graciously shopped for all of our
fresh ingredients.
We were not really sure what to expect on our first day,
but were pleasantly surprised with much praise and compliments.
They really like our food (even though there
was no meat in anything we made) especially the red
chili sauce and the calabasitas. We received numerous
utterances of “God bless you,” which was truly thrilling.
I even heard one person exclaim, “You are good
people!”
All of us are very excited that this project has gotten
off the ground so quickly and are eagerly looking forward
to our next serving day. We will be contacting
some of the health food markets in Santa Fe as well as
Walmart here in Espanola for donations. We will also
be talking to local farmers for produce as the growing
season begins. The Rotary Club might get involved in
helping us with some fund raising and the possibilities
of other organizations getting involved is expanding.
If you are interested in getting involved in some way,
please email Kulwant Kaur at:
kulwantk@sikhdharma.org.
What’s new at GRD Clinic
Navraj Singh, D.C., is
now in practice and
treating a variety of conditions
from acute or
chronic low back and
neck pain to chronic fatigue,
fibromyalgia
(achy muscles and
joints) and irritable
bowel syndrome as well
as rehab following accident
or injury. Call for
your appointment today
and experience good
health the way it is
meant to be, with joy and anticipation. Call 753-3369.
February Missal Duties
Date Set-up Langar Clean-up Akhand
Path
1/29-2/4 1 2 3 4
2/5-2/11 2 3 4 1
2/12-2/18 3 4 1 2
2/19-2/25 4 1 2 3
2/26-3/4 1 2 3 4
7

Hacienda De Guru Ram Das
(Continued from page 1)
trying to think the way I think. I am sharing with you my thought
patterns and remember my words. Whosoever will do a little in
this house, God shall stand for the entire incarnation for that person.
If ever I have spoken a truth and you have ever believed me,
whosoever will serve this house, he shall be served forever. I am
very sure of that. That’s why when I see somebody very miserable,
in a tragedy, I say La Hacienda de Guru Ram Das. Go –
you’ll be happy there. There’s no herb there, there’s no medicine
there, there’s nothing you can see, but Guru Ram Das is everywhere—his
mailing address is here.
In our belittlement, we forget a lot of things. We chip off walls,
we don’t clean, we yell and scream—we feel we are miserable.
No, my friends, without protection of this house, you may have
experienced much misery. Yet God knows how much shelter the
psyche of this place is providing you. You have no estimate. I
wish you should see with the eyes what I see. I see how the unseen
showers His grace and blessing on each one here. I see it
and know it and therefore I can say it also. Nobody on the earth
could plan to be here – we are guided here. It was given to us
and it was not done by any man. In times to come, the very dust
of this place, whoever will touch it, will be cured. It will heal
people, give people prosperity. Joy and happiness will come to
them in abundance who will just do a little seva, a little service
here. Therefore, please recognize what history has to say. In the
end of our consciousness, we all feel that we have to belong to
somebody. And here we are in a position that the entire family
feels that they belong to you. Do you understand that privilege
It is the first house of the Khalsa Council. It was first La Hacienda
de Guru Ram Das ever bought and purchased. It is the
birthplace of 3HO. It is the fountain spirit from which the saints
and soldiers, the future of this earth, lives. This place is the fountain
place of 5,000 years of humanity to follow. History will record
it and you are few, those fortunate souls who have been
persuaded to receive the gift to serve this house. Just think and
imagine it! The life is not important which cannot serve, cannot
give comfort to others. Life which cannot give anything to others
is not important at all. The value of life is what it can give. That
is why I always say, “Let us plant trees. Let us work here.” It
will be acceptable to God, because God guided us here.
The prosperity of self, and the future of Dharma tied in with the
entire humanity, looks to you as the Mother Center. Mother, the
giver of life, prosperity, coziness, calmness, advise and wisdom
– the One who nurtures. This is that place where people saw the
twilight and the mother figure—even in the sky. Therefore, in
the depth of our meditation, we must recognize it.
Those who will think that this is just dirt; their life will be dirt.
And those that think that this is a holy place; their life will be
holy. Those who will give their seva, their service, or do simran
here because God guided them, then God will also guide them to
Infinity. Those who will serve with ego, their generations will
suffer. Those who will serve here egolessly, shall be recorded as
angels. Because this is a place where our birth happened. In the
western hemisphere, this is our birthplace. This is the fountain of
prosperity where generations will enjoy. That’s why
whosoever will meditate here, this will be just as if he is
meditating at Hari Mander Sahib, the Golden Temple.
Therefore, it is my duty to remind you, lest you might
have forgotten where you live and what you live for.
You do not know from this place how much Light
comes from the angels. I wish you should see what I see.
Don’t misunderstand because I have earthly life, that I
live to relate to you. But what I live, I wish you could
live too, at that frequency, and see what I see. It is amazingly
a world of splendor. Mr. O’Brien, who painted the
mural, came here—nowhere else.
There are other centers of 3HO. They don’t have those
facilities which you have here. Therefore, 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. Try to understand the basic virtue of this place,
just meditate and feel the coziness you’ve got here. That
is why I say to you. Don’t run around. Don’t be foolish.
Don’t waste time. You are fortunate and you are most
fortunate! Now if you put pearls before a swine, what
can I do My job is just to let you know.
There are a lot of funny things, but I tell you – just
sometimes grab a handful of certain earth from this land,
this house, and just put it on where you think nothing
can cure. Just watch in a few minutes what it does. You
don’t believe other than the practical, right But I want
you not to believe it, just do it. And you’ll be amazed.
Oh my dear sons and daughters, somewhere in your destiny
God guided you here. One day the day shall come
when the very dust of this place shall bring peace and
prosperity and shall cure humanity. This is a virtuous
land. Here dwells the spirit of Guru Ram Das, the healing
guardian of this planet, the great master of destiny of
the humanity and guide to health, happiness and the
spirit of the being.
I just want to remind you that if you know how to meditate,
then meditate on this land and beautify it. Your
generations will live in beauty and grace. There are
homes and there are houses; there are palaces and there
are kings and kingdoms. But Jerusalem is Jerusalem,
and Amritsar is Amritsar. And this La Hacienda de Guru
Ram Das will be this La Hacienda de Guru Ram Das.
There shall be nothing to equal it. And there shall be
nothing to parallel to it. Therefore, if you want virtues
out of your lifetime, give a couple of hours so that you
can know the depth of your self. That is meditation. It is
the beginning of the dawn of time. I want you to fulfill
your life in prosperity and peace. After all, if you have
to know the truth, you have to live the truth.
(Continued on page 9)
8

Hacienda De Guru Ram Das
(Continued from page 8)
That is why I say, meditate on this place of prosperity where
the spirit of God falls at 90 degrees direct. It is your birthplace.
It is a fountain of virtues. It is a healing land. Therefore,
please remember where you do live and where you do
dwell and where your destiny has to be. Therefore, in the
depth of your thought, we should just live here just meditatingly.
There’s no greater opportunity but to serve this house
and meditate here! Sing and praise the Lord. It will be heard;
I vouch for that.
Going Green
Authoritative Report to Confirm Global Warming
By CTV.ca News Staff (Canada’s #1 broadcast communication
company)
Scientists and government officials are finishing a muchawaited
report expected to say that climate change is real,
serious and that human influence on it is undeniable. The Intergovernmental
Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) will release
the report on Friday at a news conference in Paris, although
a simultaneous one will be held in Ottawa.
"The climate's changing and it's going to change some more
no matter what we do—particularly if we keep consuming so
many fossil fuels," Michael McCracken, the Climate Institute's
chief scientist, said Monday in Washington.
"They say 'think globally, act locally', so we're hoping that it
will convince people that climate change is real and that we
have a responsibility for much of it, and that we really do
have to make changes in how we live," Kenneth Denman told
reporters in Paris. He's co-author of the report and a senior
scientist at the Canadian Centre for Climate Modeling and
Analysis.
Scientists have been tightlipped about the contents of the report.
However, they say it is both more specific and more
sweeping than the organization's previous efforts. A final review
of the draft began on Monday. IPCC officials will issue
a policy-maker's summary of the full report after they finish
days of secret word-by-word editing. Rajendra Pachauri, director-general
of the Tata Energy Research Institute, chairs
the IPCC. He said in Paris that the report would make
"significant advances" over the last one issued in 2001. The
new report will also address gaps in the past assessment and
contribute new knowledge about climate change, he said. The
report draws on research by 2,500 scientists, including skeptics
and industry researchers, from more than 130 countries.
Rising seas
Some scientists say that within a century, rising sea levels
could swallow most of Prince Edward Island and threaten
cities like Halifax and Vancouver. However, others say that's
an unlikely scenario. Early drafts of the document forecast
that by 2100 the sea level will rise between 12.7 and
nearly 58.5 centimeters. Many top scientists reject those
figures. A study published in the peer-review journal
Science this month predicted an increase of nearly 51 to
140 centimeters by 2100. Other climate experts, including
NASA's James Hansen, predict even bigger sea level
increases.
Some critics worry that the IPCC scientists did not take
into account the recent melt-off of big ice sheets in
Greenland and Antarctica. The melting ice sheets have
surprised some scientists, who don't know how to predict
the effects in their computer models. Their forecasts
considered only how much the sea level would rise because
of melting glaciers -- which are different from ice
sheets -- and the physical expansion of water as it
warms. "The whole question of how much melting will
take place in Greenland and Antarctica is difficult to put
numbers exactly on," Gordon McBean, a climate change
scientist in London, Ont. While some fear this will mean
the world's coastlines will be flooded earlier than
thought, others believe the ice melt is temporary. The
debate matters to policy makers because without accurate
estimates, they won't know how to plan coastal development.
This contentious debate is expected to dominate
discussions in Paris.
A German scientist said documents such as this one tend
to underestimate risk. The prediction that the IPCC is
considering is "obviously not the full story because ice
sheet decay is something we cannot model right now,
but we know it's happening," Stefan Rahmstorf told The
Associated Press. Rahmstorf, a physics and oceanography
professor at Potsdam University in Germany, says,
"In a way, it is one of the strengths of the IPCC to be
very conservative and cautious and not overstate any
climate change risk."
The report must be unanimously approved by 154 governments,
including the United States and oil-rich countries
such as Saudi Arabia. This installment of the report
will not address how global warming's impacts or how
to tackle the problem. Those sections will come later
this year.
However, the Australian newspaper, The Age, reported
on Tuesday that towards the end of this century, global
warming will cause food and water shortages that would
affect hundreds of millions of people. Countries in Africa,
for example, or like Bangladesh would be most
affected because they would be the least able to cope
with more coastal damage and drought, according to an
early draft the newspaper obtained.
9