Same, Same But Different is the new book out by children’s author/illustrator Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw who is also part of our Taos Satsang and a devotee of Baba.
The story is about Elliot who lives in America and Kailash who lives in India. They are penpals and by exchanging letters and pictures, they learn they both love to climb trees, have pets, and go to school. Their worlds (and their alphabets) might look different, but they are quite similar. Same, same. But different! Throughout the book are Elliot and Kailash's artist signatures "E" and "K" which spell "EK", One. Baba even makes a cameo riding in a taxi with "Sub Ek" on the side.

Jenny Sue is donating a signed copy of her book to ONE of you!  Please leave a comment below to enter. ALSO, you can purchase Same, Same But Different through the ashram's Puja Dukan . It would make a sweet holiday gift to a young child who loves India!

Winner will be announced Tuesday December 6th! 

CONGRATULATIONS TO SUSANNAH!  YOU WON.

Thanks to all of you who put in your comments!

Here is our new baby peacock, the first one born at the ashram.   This little fella hatched on the day after Krishna's birthday in August and we don't know yet if its a female or male… but we have named it Little Govinda.

We have 7 peafowl- (2 peacocks, 4 peahens, and one pea chick-- ) here at the ashram.. They wander freely about the grounds, sometimes in places they shouldn't be .  Peacocks are India's national bird, associated with the goddess Laxmi and represents benevolence, patience, kindness, compassion and luck. Its just a delight for any visitors that come here to see them.  Especially when the males show off their magnificent plumes.  
Some things you many not know about peacocks…  they are known for calling in the monsoon rainy season - their call, which sounds like "Jai Ho"  brings the first rains of the year.   They can live through the winter outdoors and they don't get affected when they eat poisonous plants.  
We are in the process of rebuilding their pen into a Peacock Palace!    Stay tuned to see the finished product.   

Also wanted to include some photos of the autumn colors taken two days ago… today there is snow on the ground. Weather changes rapidly here in the high desert.  Taos Dham Ki Jai!

On a hot day from the back porch of the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram, one can see project director Rico Zook and his team of five volunteers from the Lama Foundation working a large patch of unforgiving ground in the field behind the ashram. Their mission is to turn an expanse of the hard ground, which at present hosts only coarse grasses and bindweed, into the fertile bed of a future herb garden.

To enrich the soil Rico and his team employ a method of fertilization called "sheet mulching" or "sheet composting," in which an entire area of land is essentially transformed into an in situ composting site. Instead of treating the ground with compost that has already been decomposed and prepared for gardening, the volunteers bring the components of organic compost to the site and let them process on the spot.

They layer manure, green vegetable matter, straw, and cardboard to create an environment in which the carbon and nitrogen of decomposing ingredients fertilize the soil below, which is kept weed-free thanks to the sunlight-blocking cardboard. This year they build on their similar work of last year, and aim to do some planting in tandem with ground maintenance each season until the garden's completion. 

Rico, an experienced permaculture designer, has big plans for the garden-in-progress. The shape of the egg and the crescent moon feature prominently in the layout of the garden's different sections, and are symbols which represent creation--a fitting theme for what will be a site of much new life. He expects to have the soil ready for its final planting within three to five years, at which point it will stand out as yet another example of natural beauty on the ashram's grounds, and of the beauty of the selfless service that created it. 

 

Due to insurance requirements, the large play structure at the ashram that includes the slide has been removed. (thank you to local satsang seva crew!) The play structure has served children at the ashram for over ten years and now that its gone we need to rebuild a new play structure that aligns with acceptable safety standards.  Our plan is to replace the slide with a new one and add a play house and a climbing area. The gravel will be removed and sand placed under all the play equipment. Landscaping will be used to create natural play spaces and a children's meditation path. A space for parents and children to sit and eat will be created as well. The fencing around the playground will be redone for safety. All of this activity will take several summers to complete, but over time we will create a beautiful and safe place for the children and all of the satsang to enjoy. There are many ways to contribute to the playground renovation. Monetary donations are always welcome and accepted through the office, but you can also contribute by donating materials or seva/time/energy. 

BHAKTI BAKE SALE - we already had a successful bake sale this past Monday- thanks to all who baked, attended and helped to make it a great day!
And we will have another on JULY 1st. The money raised from the bake sales will help raise funds for the new slide. Contact Nikki – 575-776-1264 – if you want to contribute baked goods, or help at the table during the day. This is a local event taking place at Cid's Market in Taos.


We also need the following materials:

Sand
Adobe Dirt
Straw
4ft diameter by 3-6 ft long culvert

Additional Seva at the site:

We hope to have some kid-friendly times to get together and work so that the kids can help out too. To be announced.

Look for flyers around the ashram for more in the moment information about this exciting new project!

Thank you!

Ram Ram!

We have a very special event taking place at the ashram this week.  A satsang member from Colorado is here with her family reading the Ramayana all week. They will be here reading twice a day - 9am until Noon and 2 pm to 5pm.   Readings will take place through Friday at noon.  Please drop by, join in and enjoy this unique puja.

Ram Ram
My first blog, my first entry, what to say?  Since moving here in December to assume the role of General Manager for the ashram my life has been profoundly impacted.  To wake up every morning, look out my window and see the Temple with the Indian Pueblo’s sacred mountain behind it is moving beyond words.   Living in community like this, for the first time in my life, watching everyone’s “stuff” come up for them, yet thinking I was immune, was my first big lesson.  I’m glad Maharaji keeps a special 2” x 4” just for me that he uses to hit me right between the eyes every time I need it.  I now feel settled in, more at peace than ever, both happy and proud to be living and working with the other staff and satsang who help to make this temple come alive every day.
So I’m back to what is that special message I want to say to all?  I meditated on it quite a bit during Hanuman Jayanti celebrations and then it hit me; as I participated in and watched the weeks of preparations, the big push right before and all the activity during Jayanti, this place lives and breathes because of Seva (selfless service).  Selfless service and a love of Maharaji is what keeps all of us here, working, living and coming back, but there is a very special group that deserves quite a lot of credit, our sevaks.  
We have many types of sevaks affiliated with our ashram:  from those who come and bake bread regularly to those who come to weed the grounds, from the board (who selflessly volunteer time, work and all forms of support) to those who come to shower and spend the next two hours cleaning bathrooms.
For this blog, though, I want to mention the sevaks that live and work here on a daily basis.  They are comprised of both long term and short term sevaks.  Some of them stay for 6 months or more, some come for a few weeks or days.  Some of them live in more permanent residences “on campus” and some camp on the grounds.  Some come not knowing much about us, Maharaji or this ashram, but, over time, we can see the dramatic transformation that takes place as they participate more and more in our life here: in Aarti, in making meals, in our family activities and in our love of one another and the power that moves us all forward, Maharaji.  They go from showing up to do a few hours of seva “work” each day to being unable to stay away from washing dishes, cleaning windows, mopping floors, hanging flags, cutting firewood or spring planting because they have become One with the concept of seva, One with this wonderful, magical place.  It is their efforts that help to ensure you are greeted with well manicured grounds, a pukkha temple, delicious food, clean dishes and a smile each time you visit.  You may be more familiar with the managers and caretakers and never really get to know the sevaks, but please know they are here, helping us to carry Maharaji’s message forward every day.  So the next time you visit us, please get to know those whose efforts enable us to keep this sacred sanctuary alive.  Say hi to Mani, Greg, Drea, Jonathan, Matt, Danny, Fayble, Ben and Max or those who come in their place.  Know that without them this most special of places could not be what it is today.  Their acts remind us all to:
Love Everyone, Serve Everyone, Remember
Sri, Sri, Sri Neem Karoli Santa Maharaj Ki Jai!
Ganapathy Das, General Manager

A 1.5 parcel of land directly adjacent to the Neem Karoli Baba Ashram in Taos, NM is now available for sale.

The land is 1+1/2 acres with trees, an acequia, water rights, electricity, private well, beautiful views of Taos Mountain, right near the Ashram and Hanuman Ji.
Perfect for Satsang of Sri Sri Sri Neem Karoli Baba!

The buzz at the ashram is completely palpable these days.  I am not sure what it is, but the energy has definitely shifted from the lulls and stagnancy of winter into a full fledged spring of growth and change.  Most days, the sun room is full of people and life from early in the morning until well past dark.  The growing tomatoes add to the vibrancy and reminder that new life is abounding and seem to inspire excitement for the farm and upcoming summer in general.  
I have never seen so many tents in the field so early with more inquiries about summer seva opportunities arriving daily.  I wonder what drives so many people here all of a sudden.  Amazing people, willing to do Baba's seva and have so much joy and fun while doing it.  It all feels so good, my heart grows bigger with each person who arrives, the collective heart grows exponentially feeling the warmth of working together with common affinities.  Whether its maintaining inside the ashram, cutting new beds in the field for planting or joining the greater community for the annual acequia cleaning, I am overwhelmed with gratitude for this place, the people and energy which it magnetizes.  I am doubly in thanks for the way these things affect

my children and support our family as a whole through the hard times and the ease.  
Many times in the past few months have I gone into the temple room and been overtaken with the awareness of 'satsang', not only how we can do seva, sing, pray and eat together but how all of these things seem to spiral us together into a centrifuge of invisible, often silent, yet tangible love for one another.  The strands of the web fortified by the quietest acknowledgements of each other's lives, our struggles and triumphs.  It amazes me more and more, the gift of living at a place like the ashram, getting to know Baba's grace deeper and deeper, and learning to accept it in all its forms.            

Happening this week at the Ashram in Taos 

Ram Dass Book Event for his new book  BE LOVE NOW
March 30, 2011

Board Meetings March 31-April 2 

General Satsang Meeting to take place at the Ashram March 31 at 5:30pm

This week is a busy one at the Ashram.  First we are sponsoring a book event to highlight Ram Dass' new book BE LOVE NOW. That will take place this Wednesday, March 30 at 7pm at Lenny Foster's Living Light Studio in Taos ( 107 Kit Carson Rd.)  Rameshwardas , the co author and one of our board members will be speaking and signing books.  Ram Dass will be webcast in from his home in Maui as his health does not allow him to travel.  
On Thursday, March 31st our semi annual board meeting will begin.  The first day will be followed by a General Satsang meeting at 5:30pm at the ashram.  All are invited to attend. Come and meet the board members and talk about the Temple issues important to you.   The board meetings will continue through Saturday.

Ram Ram ~ Blessings to all  

What crazy weather it has been this winter.  From -20 three weeks ago to close to 60 all this week, little dapplings of snow here and there but never a big dump that sat around.  I am curious how the plants are holding up, I am sure they are as confused as the rest of us here at the ashram.  Because of all this early warmth, we really needed to get on to pruning our fruit trees before they decided to break bud before we got to them.  So, up the ladder we go trying to encourage as much fruit spurring as possible, attempting to get to those far up branches in the hopes of trees laden with big juicy fruits come summer and fall.  Clip, clip, snip, snip.  Please let this be a good fruit year, we would love to see the pantry full of yummy jams and chutneys and the cellar lined with boxes of fruit to offer Maharaji and Hanuman all fall.  

As spring starts to show with a few crocus and mini iris’ giving a little bright show around the sunroom walls, Shivaratri is  when the first bulbs start to appear, I too am poking around more and more.  Looking to see what might go where in the big vegetable plot, watering the new orchard and testing the springiness of their branches and swelling of buds for signs of winter survival and tiptoeing around the cutting garden for hints of the early tulips and daffodils.  Mostly all is still a bit brown and gray but soon soon the green will appear more and more and the farm will be in full swing before we know it!  

After a few months of neglect in the greenhouse, I peeked under the row cover a few days ago to find the chard sitting happily in

some state of dormancy.  I quickly turned on the water to give them a good drink and am excited to harvest for a month or so before turning them back under to make room for more basil, peppers and flowers for summer.  It always amazes me the tenacity of such plants, just sitting there waiting to get more water and some warmth to start growing again.  At times they seem so fragile and thin and yet, I surely wouldnt have made it through the winter with such a thin cover!  

Nine trays of tomatoes have been started. Yum!  Most of them have been  potted up and will be sold as starts at the farmer’s market but many will find there way into our greenhouse once it warms up a bit.  Cherokee Purple, Roma and Ropreco Pastes, a French Heirloom and a beefstake hybrid especially for the greenhouse will be making our tongues sing come July.  There are also a couple of different sweet peppers I am trying, an orange and a large, sweet red heirloom.  Big hopes of lots of roasting and freezing and canning and fresh eating going to those currently teeny little leaves!  

My favorite thing happening at the moment on the farm is the construction, or retro fitting of a small, 12X12 greenhouse, which

was donated a few years ago.  This little but potentially spacious greenhouse will house all the early starts from now on.  With a little help from an electric heater I intend to retire the sunroom windows spring duties and harness a lot of sun and vertical space towards the raising up of all our flowers, herbs and many veggies.  I also hope to put a potting bench in and store most of the black plastic, trying to contain and organize more and more.  Its the little things in life...

So, the anticipation of spring grows as the sun shines for longer and longer each day.  We have had lots of interest for volunteers this summer and all though my hands are a little more full this year with a new baby, the interest in helping from both local satsang and inquiries from abroad provides a lot of energy, inspiration and hope for an awesomely lush and productive season, come join us!!!