"How wonderful life is.... while you're in the World"

I'm often asked why I continue relentlessly to invite everyone, even those who persistently refuse, to join an Art of Living Course, a meditation workshop, a yoga course, a knowledge session... In fact, I admit I ask myself this question every once in a while at least. I have this knowledge and it brings me everything - joy, peace, creativity, enthusiasm, strength and good health. Why do I waste my time and drive myself nuts chasing after people to make them come experience this as well? Yesterday evening, after a significantly long gap, I remembered why.

A beautiful group of people living in Munich, but originally from all over the globe (Argentina, Bosnia, Germany, India, Spain, Serbia...) have been coming over to bless our home every Thursday during the last 5 weeks. Together, we listen to Sri Sri's commentaries on the Ashtavakra Gita. We start with meditation or a short meditative chant, followed by dinner (that I absolutely LOVE cooking for everyone :D) and then watch one CD from the series of Sri Sri's commentaries.

At the end of the 5th CD that we watched yesterday, I noticed how everyone looked completely calm and content. There were no questions! :) Following a brief summary of the talk that my mom (she's leading the sessions) always gives at the end, we decided to sing a few songs together as always. Meera was tired and almost nodding off, but was still resisting sleep with all her might as she loves the singing and waits around patiently all evening just for these few minutes! As we sang with Meera sitting quietly on my lap, I looked around at the faces of all the people around me - some old friends, some new ones, family members, people I didn't always agree with, people I care about and people who I've often fought with (and still do :D). I watched as each of their faces went from that state of contentment to pure joy and then to deep bliss. Tears welled up in my eyes as I watched each of their smiling faces - so soft, so pure, so full of love, so deeply peaceful, and yet so so joyful. This is bliss. And this is the only answer to the 'why'.

From instances as simple as relief from short-term or chronic back pain, to stories as miraculous as a complete transformation in their lives. I have had friends telling me how they experience fountains of joy erupting from their very core as they do their daily breathing practice. Young students have written long letters telling me how the workshop made them change their mind about committing suicide. Others struggle as they try to describe their experience of living the vast continuum that is the 'present moment'. It is the relief, disbelief, joy, radiance, expansion, enthusiasm, peace, strength, centeredness, belonging, gratitude, or just sheer deep silence that I have seen on the faces of almost everyone who has stayed with these wonderful and simple practices and the deep beautiful knowledge for any amount of time, that drives me to run after people and bug them over and over again to join a workshop. You can call it complete selfishness. But whether it be my health, reputation, well-being, fame, popularity - you name it - I am willing to risk it all - to see that blissful smile on your face. For there is nothing else in this world that is more beautiful. And there is nothing else that brings me such inexplicable irrational joy.

This song I dedicate to my friends around the world - whether or not I have met you thus far. And I wish you all the peace, joy and prosperity in the world. But above all, I wish that you experience this bliss, even if for just a few moments, at least once in your life. And I wish that I'm there to see that smile on your face :)


"Your Song" by Elton John

It's a little bit funny,
This feeling in-side
I'm not one of those, who can
Easily hi-de
I don't have much money, but
Boy if I did
I'd buy a big house where
We (all) could live.
...
...the sun's been quite kind while I wrote this song,
It's for people like you, that keep it turned on.

And you can tell everybody, this is your song
It may be quite simple but now that it's done,
I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
That I put down into words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world.

I hope you don't mind, I hope you don't mind
That I put down into words
How wonderful life is while you're in the world.


Today's blissful recipe (from yesterday's Pre - Ashtavakra dinner)

High fiber, high protein Burritos/Tortilla Wraps

Ingredients (for 12-14 wraps):

14 Large Wheat Tortilla Wraps

Kidney Bean stuffing
2 cups kidney beans - soak overnight, pressure cook with 1 tsp salt and 3 cups water till soft
2 or 3 inch piece of ginger - grated
1 Tablespoon oil
2 tsp Garam Masal
6 large tomatoes - chopped

Avocado spread
5 ready to eat (ripe) avocados
150 grams Yogurt (or Soy Yogurt)
150 grams Cream Cheese (or Soy cream cheese)
1 tsp Italian Herbs
Salt to taste

Miscellaneous Stuffing
2 large cucumbers - grated
4-5 large carrots - grated
Fresh sprouts (1 bowl)
10 long tofu sausages (chopped into thin round slices)
250 grams fresh Arugula (Rucola) leaves


Method
Pressure cook the kidney beans, drain out most of the excess water (leave about 1 cup in), add the grated ginger and stir well. In a separate pan, warm the oil, add the garam masala, stir and wait till the spice starts sizzling gently. Add the tomatoes and stir well. Let the tomatoes cook in the spice for 2 -3 minutes on medium flame. Add this tomato-spice mix to the kidney bones-ginger mix and stir well. Set aside.

In another bowl, scoop out the avocadoes, add the yogurt, cream cheese, salt and Italian herb mix and mash into a paste (some lumps of avocados is OK - but not very large lumps). Keep aside

Arrange all the other ingredients in separate bowls.

Warm the tortilla wraps one at a time on a frying pan or pancake pan. Place the wrap on a piece of aluminum foil. Spread a layer of the avocado spread, followed by 2 tablespoons of the Kidney bean stuffing and then add desired (manageable) quantities of each of the other stuffings. Roll up the wrap and cover tightly using the aluminum foil. Serve immediately.

The Lack Consciousness

Whether or not we realize it, the one thing that perhaps makes most human beings really happy is giving. For years now, I've really enjoyed spending money without a moment's hesitation (even during times that I was not earning) to give things that were needed or wanted - for myself or for others. Somehow, I operated on the deep seated presumption (or knowledge?) that I have enough and more is on its way. And indeed - I've always had more than enough and always keep getting more.

Early this year, my Ph.D. scholarship ran out. The Ph.D. was, however, far from done. I was in a state of confusion - should I focus solely on completing my thesis? Or should I look for a job alongside? Or should I fully focus on first finding a job? The reason for this confusion was simple - I (thought) I needed money to support my family. Accordingly, I decided to do both - my Ph.D. as well as job hunting. As time went by, the only job that came my way was a small part time one, which barely covered my daughter's day care expenses.

As the weeks rolled past, my feelings ranged from impatience to frustration. It was not the first time in my life that I was jobless. But it was the first time that I felt a complete and total sense of lack. I felt lack not just of money, but of time, of patience, of good health, of energy, of ideas.... Slowly and unknowingly, my entire consciousness was turning into what can be termed the "lack consciousness."

I was convinced that the reason I was feeling so much lack was because now (unlike ever before) I needed to support not just myself, but also a family. I wrote several letters as part of the job hunting process. I also wrote several letters to Guruji. I explained this feeling of lack to him: I was aware that I felt lack, but I also felt that it was totally justified. I did indeed need more!

Early last month, my bank balance hit zero. That same week, I was offered an adjunct faculty position. I also received a long overdue travel refund which brought in three times the amount I thought it would bring. I was relieved. But somehow, that deep seated knowledge that I have enough and more will come, was not coming back into my heart. Event after event in my life tried to remind me of the abundance that surrounds me: despite having no proper income, money was flowing in from various sources - expected and unexpected. We had the best food, the best clothes, a beautiful apartment, the best gadgets. We had been blessed with a spot for Meera in a most inexpensive day care with the most loving staff. Whats more, we've hardly ever needed to spend any money on Meera's clothes and toys - she has always received the most extravagant gifts - the best food, the coolest clothes, the cutest stuffed toys. I had no reason to feel lack. But I felt it. I wanted to contribute (more) towards running my family.

Finally, this feeling of lack started bothering me. I realized that it was affecting my thinking and my actions. It was surely affecting my entire being! Although my intellect kept telling me that it was justified, my heart longed to feel that confident contentment again.

Last weekend, we went with Sri Sri on a short boat cruise on the Main river (see picture right, 'On the cruise' :D). Thereafter, we decided to go to Bad Antogast to attend an evening Satsang and knowledge session with him. On the way, we stopped at my husband's friends' home near Frankfurt - a very sweet couple. As we were leaving after the short visit, they gave Meera a cute stuffed sheep toy. Meera decided to name it "Shiva." It was clear that she loved it! When we reached Bad Antogast, I marched straight up to Sri Sri's floor to meet him. As I waited with Meera, I started feeling bad about not bringing a gift for him. I looked at Meera playing with her new stuffed toy and asked her jokingly "Will you give this to Guruji?" Meera smiled and said very confidently "yes!" I was surprised. I asked again. The response was the same. "Yes!" After a while, my husband joined us and I told him that Meera had decided to give the Sheep toy "Shiva" to Guruji :) My husband asked her - "are you going to give 'Shiva' to Gurji?" She said again, "Yes!"

As it happened, we couldn't meet Sri Sri - he walked straight to the Satsang and said he would meet us all later. At the end of the satsang, I was drawn towards a row of people all waiting to greet Sri Sri as he left the hall. While my husband and Meera stood back, I joined the row and realized that I was holding "Shiva" in my hand. I wondered whether Sri Sri would bless it for Meera, but thinking that it would be totally stupid to make him bless a stuffed animal, I did not hold it up. A few moments later, Sri Sri came by and without even looking at me, came right towards the sheep, snatched it out of my hand, and walked on! That very instant, my husband came running towards me with a crying Meera in his arms - she wanted Shiva! I ran after Guruji with my husband and Meera right behind me. But we couldn't catch him. It was really late and we wanted to drive back to Munich the same night. So we decided that Meera would just have to get over it and we left.

In the car, Meera once again asked for "Shiva". This time, on being reminded that "Shiva" was now with Gurji, she said - "Ah! OK... We can buy a new one for me then." She was quite happy and did not ask for "Shiva" again. But I was not able to let go of the incident. I kept wondering why Guruji had snatched the toy away from me even though I was clearly not giving it to him. If there is one thing I am certain of, it is this: the actions of a Satguru are never without meaning. They are never careless and they are never a mistake. I told myself that maybe because Meera had earlier intended to give "Shiva" to him, he may have sensed this intention and taken it from me. But this answer did not completely satisfy me.

I spent all of the remaining weekend feeling strangely quiet and "empty." This morning, I woke up at 4am. I still felt this strange emptiness. I sat down to work on my thesis and the thoughts flowed out effortlessly. I started feeling light and happy. Suddenly, out of nowhere, I remembered a saying from the bible that Guruji quotes often: "Whoever has will be given more, and they will have an abundance. Whoever does not have, even what they have will be taken from them." Tears rolled down my eyes as I realized that in snatching away 'Shiva', Guruji had re-established that feeling of abundance in my heart.

Today's abundant recipe: Kerala Style Vegetable Stew

Ingredients:

1/2 cup green peas
2 large carrots - cut into medium sized squares
2 potatoes - cut into medium sized squares
20 - 25 green beans - cut into three pieces each
1 cup watery coconut milk
1 cup thick coconut milk
1 tablespoon cooking oil
Salt to taste

Fresh spices:

Head of 1 or 2 spring onions - chopped
1.5 inch piece of ginger - grated
1 or 2 small green chillies - chopped (optional)
10 - 15 fresh curry leaves

Dry Spices

4 cloves - gently crushed
1/2 tsp whole black peppar - gently crushed
1 small piece of whole cinnamon - gently crushed
2 - 3 green cardamoms - gently crushed

Method

In a large non-stick frying pan, warm up the oil. Add the chopped spring onions and stir till light brown. Reduce the flame/heat to minimum and add the dry spices. Stir for 1 minute. Add the ginger, green chillies and curry leaves. Stir for another 15-20 seconds. Add all the chopped vegetables. Stir well till the spices are well combined with the vegetables. Add the watery coconut milk, place the lid on the pan and cook on medium heat for 8-10 minutes. Add the thick coconut milk and salt, stir, close the lid again and cook on low flame for another 5-7 minutes. Serve immediately with lemon rice or plain white Basmati rice or Appams.

Note: To separate the watery and thick coconut milk from a can of coconut milk, let the can cool in the refrigerator for a few hours. Remove the can from the refrigerator ensuring that you do not stir or shake the can. Open the can and carefully drain out the liquid on top (which should be the thick or solidified coconut milk) into a cup. The remaining liquid is the watery coconut milk.

The Truth about Buckwheat

Meditators and yoga practitioners around the globe are often (or maybe always?) vegetarians or vegans. This may well have something to do with Patanjali's Ashtanga Yoga - the 8 fold path of yoga - the 8 steps that help practitioners of Yoga reach Yoga's ultimate goal. Within the first step of Ashtanga Yoga, Sage Patanjali recommends that the student of yoga practice "non-violence." However, most meditators and yoga practitioners I have met have chosen to become vegetarians or vegans after extensive research on the subject. Understandably, those who are not as interested in Ashtanga Yoga (or any other form of Yoga), may or may not have the inclination to conduct such indepth research into the health benefits of being vegetarian. A growing number of people are, nevertheless, very interested in vegetarianism - either as a means of saving the planet (If you are confused about how these are related, read the United Nations Special Rapporteur's McDougall Memorial Lecture here) or due to food allergies, or with the aim of saving their own health. :)

I decided therefore to write a few posts on protein, iron and calcium rich foods - three things that vegans get worried (or badgered) about quite often. But first, a recent episode that strengthened my faith in nature's ability to provide us every thing we need, without us having to resort to killing animals.

Soon after my daughter's 1st birthday, the staff of the kinderkrippe (cretch) that Meera goes to expressed concern over whether Meera was getting enough of the basic nutrition needed in her diet - especially given that we were insistent on her being given purely vegan food (she's allergic to milk and yogurt and can only eat very small quantities of cheese once a week or so). They wanted a certificate from a nutritionist that (a) she was getting enough nutrition needed for her healthy growth, and (b) that she was indeed allergic to milk and joghurt.

Honestly speaking, given the number of times I had been told by a vast number of people about how deficient vegan diets are in iron, protein, calcium, etc. etc., I was myself rather concerned (I was brought up vegetarian, but not vegan). We decided therefore to visit an expert nutritionist for a thorough analysis.

The nutritionist gave me a long lecture about how she was almost certain that Meera was not getting enough protein, calcium and iron in her diet. B-12 was also most definitely a problem. So she asked us to write down in absolute detail, down to the last gram, exactly what she ate and how much of it, for three weeks. I was very happy that we'd gotten such a thorough doctor :)

I proceeded to note down with clinical precision what Meera ate, when, and exactly how much. At the end of the 3 weeks, I sent the report to our doc.

We met her the following week and she said that she was extremely impressed. We saw the charts she had made out - Meera was getting way way above the required minimum amount of iron, calcium and protein - even when compared to the diet of non-vegetarians. She was also impressed at the diversity of foods that Meera was getting - all rich is a number of vitamins and minerals essential for the growth of a child. The only thing needed was Vitamin B-12. And our vitamin supplement was taking care of this too. :) She was also amazed that a small child (just over 1 year) was eating such a diversity of things!

Following this episode, I have noticed more and more frequently how amazed people are that Meera happily eats Tofu, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Dates, Almond butter, Buckwheat muffins, Millet balls, Quinoa, all kinds of fresh fruit, cucumber, avocados, whole grain rice and pastas, all varieties of lentils etc. etc. with so much enthusiasm. Needless to say, she is at least as tall and healthy (and sometimes visibly more so) than most kids her age. She is a bundle of joy and energy and displays sensitivity, maturity and intelligence well beyond her years (of course, part of this is a mother's love for her child speaking - but I assure you that many doctors we have visited have said the same).

In the coming weeks, I will write out some recipes and tips for current or aspiring vegetarians and vegans - so that they can go to bed each day feeling confident that their dietary choices are not leading them to long term ill health.


Vegan Banana Bread (Low sugar, high protein, high iron)

About the Key Ingredients:

Buckwheat is a fantastic substitute for white flour when baking. 1 cup of buckwheat (as used in this recipe) contains 21% of the daily requirement of Iron, and an amazing 45% of the daily requirement of protein! It is a fantastic source of dietary fiber (1 cup of buckwheat will give you 66% of the daily requirement of dietary fiber) and an impressive source of Selenium (1 cup gives 20% of the daily required amount of Selenium, which is a very important mineral necessary, inter alia, for the normal functioning of the thyroid gland.)


Sunflower seeds are also an amazing source of Selenium and folate.

Black strap molasses (sold in Germany under the name "Goldsirup aus Zuckerrüben" is another fantastic source of iron. 1 tablespoon contains 25% of the daily requirement of iron.

Almond butter is a great source of both iron and calcium. Three tablespoons of almond butter (as used in this recipe), will give you 12% of the daily requirement of Calcium and 9% of the needed iron. It will also give you 15% of the protein!

Note: The original recipe for this bread (available here) uses only white flour, double the amount of brown sugar, no molasses, and no almonds. With the below modifications, the bread becomes a lot healthier, but remains extremely moist and yummy!

Ingredients

1 cup whole buckwheat flour (I make the flour fresh at home from the whole grain using a small coffee grinder)

1 cup white flour

2 tablespoons powdered sunflower seeds (I used the coffee grinder again for this)

50 g brown sugar

1.5 tablespoons molasses

60 g cooking oil (I suspect you can even get away with using less - try it and let me know!)

3 tablespoons almond butter (I used white almond butter)

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg powder

1/4 teaspoon vanilla powder

2.5 teaspoons baking powder (I used Bio Reinweinstein backpulver)

1/3 tsp salt

3 super ripe bananas (the more ripe they are, the better the bread will taste)

Method

Pre-heat the oven to 200 degrees Celsius.

Mash the bananas using a fork or potato masher (do not use a blender!). Add the oil, sugar, molasses and almond butter and mix using the potato masher or a wooden spatula till everything is pretty much uniform other than the small lumps of banana. Set aside.

In another vessel, mix all the dry ingredients (other than the sugar) - buckwheat flower, white flour, cinnamon, nutmeg and vanilla powder, baking powder, salt and powdered sunflower seeds. Mix well using a dry wooden spatula.

Pour the dry ingredients-mix into the wet mix and mix well using a light hand with a wooden spatula.

Pour the batter into a pre-greased bread form. Bake for 20 minutes. Cover the form well with an aluminum foil and bake for another 30-40 minutes.

Let cool for at least 30 minutes before removing from the form. Serve with warm or cool lemon water :)

Quantifying grief?

One of the first books I read about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the Art of Living is titled Guru of Joy. Written by FranCois Gautier, the book relates people's experiences with Sri Sri and the Art of Living in a simple, sincere, and beautiful way. One of the stories in the book is about how Sri Sri gave so much attention to a person who was grieving over the death of her cat, and so little to one who's mother had recently passed away. I do not remember the details of the story, but what I took away from it was this: One cannot judge the extent of grief or misery that anyone is going through.

Another time, in a public talk, someone asked Guruji - "Why does the Art of Living give so much emphasis to helping the middle and upper class people manage their stress? Why not focus all of one's energy only to providing material relief to people who belong to economically weaker sections of society?" Sri Sri's answer, as always, was sensitive beyond imagination. He said (and I paraphrase based on my memory) "Just a comfortable bed does not bring restful sleep. Even rich people often suffer from deep grief and stress. We cannot exclude anyone from our efforts. In the same way, just bringing material comforts to the poor is not enough."

I confess that neither of the above experiences touched my heart. I really felt that only the poorest people, in the poorest countries, truly needed and deserved help from any organization, especially from a humanitarian organization like the Art of Living.

In 2005, I went to the US to do my masters in intellectual property law. Close to the end of my LL.M, hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans. The US Art of Living group was calling to people around the US to join them in their relief efforts. A good friend of mine, Emily Peck, an Art of Living teacher, called me and asked if I could join them for a week or so. My first thought was, "why do people in a developed nation need help from the Art of Living? What is their loss and suffering compared to the loss and suffering of people in developing countries which are constantly suffering all kinds of natural and man made disasters?" Nonetheless, I said "yes." I joined Emily and her team in New Orleans for 1 week.

Doing what they are truly experts at, the Art of Living was conducting free trauma relief workshops in communities affected by the hurricane. I hung around with them wondering how I could contribute... I was not a trained trauma relief teacher and honestly, compared to what I had seen in India during the course of my life, the city of New Orleans looked fantastic! The only thing out of place was the air (or maybe it was the vibe?) - it was so heavy! I felt half drunk and sleepy almost all the time! On mentioning this to Emily, she said in a her ever caring style - "yes, the city atmosphere is dull because its people are shocked and in low spirits."

I frankly could not understand where the grief was... everyone who had lost their homes had been provided fantastic shelters in fully equipped large vans that doubled as huge cars! They had mobile homes! They could go caravaning!

On the second day that I was there, I went with the team to assist a trauma relief workshop. About 20 people were in the workshop - people from all kinds of social and economic backgrounds. The workshop seemed not too different from the Part I course of the Art of Living. I attended the workshop like one of the participants, sharing some experiences here and there like I always do when assisting a course. At the end of the course, as always, the teacher asked if anyone wanted to say or share anything. A local lady, who I thought was mostly disinterested in the workshop, was the first to raise her hand. She started crying and talking all at once. The only thing I could understand was that after the very 1st day of the workshop, she was able to finally sleep a full restful night of sleep without nightmares of the hurricane taking over everything, her whole life. She spoke of how the smell in the mobile homes donated to them was nauseating and she feared that the paint was poisoning her. She was so grateful for the relief that the workshop had brought to her.

It was in this instant that I first appreciated the weight of Sri Sri's words - "Just a comfortable bed does not bring restful sleep. We cannot exclude anyone from our efforts."

Since then, the weight of Sri Sri's words has struck me over and over again in various ways. Most recently, in my own life, struggling through a short but extremely painful period of bad health, repeated infections, rapid weight loss, and bouts of unexplainable, severe depression, I have recognized the full force and meaning of his words. During this time, more than during any other in my life so far, I have experienced the benefit and depth of the Sri Sri's teachings. Having finally understood the medical cause of this bad health phase, I am not only grateful for the speed with which I am now recovering, but most deeply, for the compassion, advise and moral support that Sri Sri himself and all the wonderful teachers and volunteers of the Art of Living (including my dear husband) have showered on me during this time. It is Sri Sri's words of wisdom and the compassion of those around me that has kept me afloat, far far away from taking extreme steps that I had, during much less difficult periods of my youth, often contemplated.

Grief, whether or not logically justifiable, cannot be quantified and cannot be judged. In order to overcome grief, misery, suffering or pain, one needs compassion, skill and knowledge. A single gesture of compassion and a few words of self knowledge can go a long way for one who is in deep distress, for reasons that are often incomprehensible.

This time, when Art of Living Germany has called out for help in its flood affected regions, I do not hesitate to say, yes - help and compassion are needed here, as they are needed anywhere else in the world. It is beautiful to see how so many people from so many countries are here to help. But more are needed. And even if our contribution may appear small and meaningless, as many a wise men and women have said, every drop contributes to making the ocean. I invite you all to take some time out and contribute to these efforts. Who knows? You might unknowingly help someone suffering silently come through an extremely difficult phase of their life. And who knows? You too might benefit from the exercise in mysterious and unimaginable ways.

For the "official" invitation from the Art of Living to join the flood relief efforts in Germany, click here

For an energizing recipe to help anyone and everyone come out of grief (even if momentarily), see below:

Zero Sugar Energy Balls

Ingredients

4-5 unsweetened Dinkel Zwiebacks (spelt rusks) (If you don't mind sugar, use chocolate filled double cookies instead)
10-12 medjool dates (please remove the seeds!)
2-3 tablespoons cocoa powder
1 tablespoons coconut flakes (or fresh grated coconut)
4 tablespoons almond butter
5-6 pieces each of any nuts of your choice - e.g. walnuts, cashewnuts etc. (I would not include peanuts though, as they make the taste strange)
2 tablespoons sunflower seeds
1-2 tablespoons honey (I used Akazien honey)

Method

Put all the ingredients into a blender and beat up well. Scoop out the mixture from the blender and roll into big or small balls. Roll the balls over extra coconut flakes, or, if you don't mind some sugar, dip into melted chocolate before serving.

Note: If the mixture comes out too dry or too sticky, add more dates/almond butter or Zwieback as needed.

Happy Birthday!

Today is Guruji, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's birthday. Once someone asked Guruji in a public talk "When is your birthday Guruji?" Guruji smiled and without a moment's hesitation said: "Mai Tera!" :) For those who don't understand Hindi, "Mai tera" translates into English as both "13th of May" and "I am yours/ I belong to you" :)



On the birthday of an enlightened master, all the disciples of the master wish each other "happy birthday" - for on this day it becomes certain that the lives of people around the globe will change forever - and for the better. The day we choose to walk onto the spiritual path, misery born out of ignorance is replaced by joy and gratitude born out of the dawn of wisdom in our lives. Dullness and lethargy are replaced by creativity and enthusiasm. All feelings of lack are converted into a feeling of abundance leading to ever increasing joy and generosity.

As a teenager, I remember reading a prayer ever so often in school - "Lord, make me an instrument of thy Peace." A child must go to her parents to ask for tea cups, water, milk, cookies etc. to organize her small toy "tea party." After arranging everything that she gets from her parents, she invites the parents themselves to the tea party! :) This is the way we all are - for everything we need in our lives, we need to go to nature - or to the Divine. Once we get what we ask for, we give it back to the society, to nature to people who are all part of this creation, part of Divinity, part of nature or God. On this day, my Guru's birthday, with a heart so full of joy and gratitude, I pray to the Divine to give me strength, faith, courage, skills, health and prosperity so that I can be a better instrument of His peace. That I may serve society better and bring about any change that would make the lives of people around the globe better and happier.

And I wish you all a very happy birthday!

Vegan Birthday Muffin Recipe

Dry Ingredients

1 cup white flour
1 cup Buckwheat flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp egg replacer (if you dont have this, you can increase the quantity of baking powder and baking soda by 1/4th spoon each)
1/3 tsp salt

Wet ingredients

3 or 4 tablespoons almond butter
1/2 cup cooking oil
2/3 cup sugar (you can also use brown sugar or sucanat - but you'll need 1 full cup)
1 very ripe banana
1 apple (peeled and cut into large pieces)
1 pear (peeled and cut into large pieces)
1/3 tsp vanilla (powdered)
1.25 cups oat milk or almond milk or soy milk

Method

Preheat the oven to 180 degrees Celsius. Put muffin cups into the muffin baking tray or grease the muffin tray. Set aside.

Mix all the dry ingredients using a wooden spatula. In a large high speed mixer, blend all the wet ingredients until smooth. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix well using the wooden spatula so that no lumps remain. Pour out the batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 22-25 minutes. Let cool a little. Serve while warm but not hot with herb tea or hot chocolate and other birthday goodies. :)

"Aren't you tired?"

"So, so you think you can tell... Heaven from Hell,
blue skies from pain.
Can you tell a green field... from a cold steel rail?
A smile from a veil?
Do you think you can tell?
And did they get you to trade your heroes for ghosts?
Hot ashes for trees?
Hot air for a cool breeze?
Cold comfort for change?
And did you exchange... a walk on part in the war... for a lead role in a cage?
How I wish, how I wish you were here.
We're just two lost souls swimming in a fish bowl, year after year,
Running over the same old ground.
What have you found? The same old fears.
Wish you were here."

This old Pink Floyd number: "Wish you were here," has always been my favorite! But I never really stopped and thought about the depth and true meaning of its lyrics until I heard one (of several) simple, yet profound talks by Sri Sri, where he starts with a commonly asked question - "Are you tired?" What follows this straightforward question, is a discourse on a fact so simple, that we are hopelessly unaware of it! Sri Sri says: "Only when we are tired, can we come "home"!"

Since the time I first heard this talk, I've noticed ever so often that I am actually just not tired enough! I continue to run like a hamster in a wheel, swim around like a fish in a bowl - doing the same things over and over and over... This conference, that dinner invitation, another meeting, another round of drinks with friends, another few hours in the office, another few hours of sleep, once more a visit to the mountains, a trip abroad... The same cycle with minor modifications here and there - over and over and over. And I am not tired. I am not even bored!



In the spiritual (note: not religious) traditions, it is said that only the most intelligent or the most fortunate truly get tired - not physically or even mentally, but tired at a deeper level - tired of repeatedly doing the same things over and over and ending up in the same place - with "the same old fears" and the same old struggles. The rare but precious moments when I am truly tired of attending yet another "important conference", going for yet another trip abroad, accomplishing yet another task, another party, winning yet another accolade... are the moments in which I long to come "home."

We know "home" to be a place where we can be ourselves, a place of comfort. But there is a "home" that is even closer to us than our dwelling place, one we rarely turn our attention to - the silent space within us - the space of deep, still meditation. The space where there is a glimpse of an answer to the deepest mysteries of life, diving into which (almost ironically!) also gives us the energy to continue skillfully through this illusion called life.

These moments when I am truly tired, are also the moments in which I feel truly grateful. Grateful first and foremost, for the tiredness itself - it is responsible for my quest for a deeper meaning to life. It alone is what makes me, if not a better person, at least a more introspective one. It opens up a new paradigm - a new way of looking at every event in life. It is what brought me to Sri Sri - the enlightened teacher who has the skill and the patience to guide me towards the answers - to guide me "home" - to that space of silence, to that space of true celebration.

I invite you, all my dear friends - whether or not you are tired - to come and experience the beauty and depth of this vast space within you. I invite you, to jump out of the comfortable routines and experience something spectacularly new. I invite you, to a beautiful weekend of fun-filled wisdom, laughter, and life transforming SKY breath meditation with one of the most respected meditation teachers of our time. I invite you, to come home!

Recipe to attend the first ever Online Meditation and Breath Workshop with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Europe (26-28 Feb 2021)

Ingredients:

A registration confirmation at bit.ly/MeditationDe
A smile
A (relatively) light/empty stomach
A yoga mat, blanket and comfy cushions in any quiet corner of your home

Method:

Sign in 15 minutes before start time, on the Zoom link you get on registering.
Find a comfortable spot in your own home where you wont be disturbed.
Enjoy the ride into infinity, on the endless wave, the present moment! 

The Beauty of Belonging'ness'

It was the year 1998. I was in the first year of law school. The law school is located in a far away village area of India. As I walked from the school to my student hostel one afternoon, I heard an old lady waving and calling out to me. When I walked to her, she told me to lift a large basket full of cow dung that was lying on the ground and place it on her head (it was dry cow dung - just in case you are wondering, :) dried cow dung is used as cooking fuel in rural India and is carried home in baskets placed on the head from the farms where it is left to dry. See picture below)

Just how heavy these baskets are, I realized for the first time that day as I lifted it up with the old lady's help. As soon as the basket was stable on her head, she walked away. So did I, feeling very happy within me for getting an opportunity to help someone. After several minutes of enjoying that feeling, it struck me that the lady had not said a word of thanks (or any word at all) after I helped her! In fact, she had not even requested help - she just told me to place the basket on her head - it was clearly too heavy for her to lift up herself. What was even more amazing was that I did not expect a "thank you" from her - it didn't matter! The opportunity to help was in itself my reward as it left me feeling happy.

In one of the knowledge series, Sri Sri talks about how a baby doesn't feel grateful for all the love and caring that the mother showers on her. She takes it for granted because she feels a complete and total belonging and connection with the mother - when food is needed, it will be given and has to be given :). When couples do the chores in their homes or together carry the grocery bags from the car to the apartment, they do not feel a sense of gratitude towards one another - this is just the done thing and they feel happy doing things together. The closer we are to people and the more we consider them to be part of us, the lesser will be our hesitation to ask for and accept help. The more will be the ease with which we offer help, without expecting anything in return - not even a "thanks".

More recently, as I was going through a period of bad health, the above incident from 1998 came back to me. I remembered how the old lady had asked for the help she needed with such a high degree of belonging that she did not feel the need to say "thank you" and I didn't expect or miss these words of formality. The memory came to me almost as a moment of "revelation" as I realized how much my ego prevented me from asking people for help. I complained endlessly about how the elevator at the U Bahn was not working just when I was feeling so tired and unwell. It was so difficult to get my 2 year old (paced comfortably in the kinderwagon/pram) up and down from U Bahn station using the stairs. Yet, I was more willing to suffer this hardship than ask someone for help! In other words, I was more willing to suffer physical pain than the pain of a punctured ego! Yet, the fact is that people are not just willing, but happy to help.

In another meeting recently, Sri Sri, while answering a question (which I do not remember) from the audience, asked: "If you see that a person on the street needs some kind of help, will you not go and help them? Yes, of course you would. Then what makes you think that others will not be willing to help you?" We forget that others are not different from us - everyone wants to be helpful. We are all raised that way. Having faith in the goodness of those around us and feeling one with them is the key to spirituality - and that is what we call the "feeling of belonging," or simply "belongingness." And it is beautiful! :)

Today's beautiful recipe: Paalak Paneer (Spinach with Indian Cheese)

Ingredients

750 grams fresh spinach
500 grams home made Indian cheese (Paneer) - see Paneer recipe here
2 tablespoons cooking oil
1.5 tsp Coriander Powder
1 tsp cumin seeds
1-2 green chillies (optional) - slit open from the middle and cut into large pieces
2 Tablespoons fresh cream or soy cream
1 inch piece of fresh ginger - grated
Salt to taste

Method

Wash the spinach really well. Stem cook it or cook it in boiling water till it can be mashed easily (7-9 minutes of steaming should be adequate). Put the steamed/cooked spinach with 1/2 to 1 cup of the water into a high speed blender and beat to a smooth thickish liquid. (You can add more or less water depending on how thick you like the spinach in the dish to be). Set aside.

Cut the Paneer (Indian Cheese) into large cubes. In a large frying pan (a non-stick one would be best), warm the oil and add the cumin seeds. When the seeds start sizzling, add the coriander powder and green chillies. Reduce the heat to half and stir for a minute. Put the paneer in and mix well so the spices quote the paneer cubes evenly. Add the salt and stir well again. Turn the heat to minimum and place the lid on the frying pan. After 2-3 minutes, turn the paneer over to make sure that none of it is stuck to the pan or over cooked. Add the steamed/pureed spinach and grated ginger mix well. Once again place the lid on the frying pan and let cook on low heat for 2 minutes. Turn off the heat and remove the lid from the pan. Add the cream/soy cream on top just before serving.

Tastes amazing with steamed rice or Indian bread.

Shouting out loud... for PEACE!

Something in me hesitates when it comes to talking to (most of) my wonderful friends, relatives and acquaintances about peace, non-violence, compassion and ironically, even about friendliness. Such is the intensity of this hesitation that it turns into embarrassment when ever I choose to ignore the hesitation and actually express my thoughts on these subjects. Although the embarrassment may be triggered to some extent by the reactions (or non-reactions) of the people who I express my thoughts or ideas to, in greater part, the embarrassment is the direct result of my own deep seated concepts/notions on what is or is not considered "cool" by people around me.

After hearing the news of the gruesome rape and murder of a young girl in New Delhi recently, I spent the last several weeks worried about this hesitation and embarrassment in me. It is no wonder that violence is on the rise in society today - most of those who are or feel violent do not hesitate in expressing their violence or aggression. On the other hand, so many people who are deeply concerned about bringing peace within societies or within individuals in the society are just busy hesitating or feeling embarrassed! The opinion of the person to whom the concern for peace is expressed is secondary - I daresay, it is perhaps not relevant at all! What is relevant is that the people who feel strongly about non-violence (including myself), are so very often not brave enough to say it out loud!

In a public talk given by Sri Sri a few years ago (one I was lucky enough to attend), someone asked Sri Sri: "Why are there so many bad people in this world and such few really good people?" Sri Sri said - "There is no shortage of good people in this world. But there is a shortage of wise people. Make that distinction." He then went on to add "how many really 'bad' people do you personally know? People who are murderers, rapists, robbers or thieves? How many? Probably none, or at most 1 or 2. And how many 'good' people do you personally know - people who you call your friends or acquaintances? You know so many! The problem in society is not that there are too many bad people - the problem is that these very few really bad people actually go out and do something! (They shoot people, they bomb buildings, they make their presence and their feelings known! Loud and clear!) While the majority who are "good" just sit around and talk!" (Oh! how terrible that such and such person or group did such and such horrible thing! Many don't even talk, they just click their tongues and move to the next page of the newspaper!).

Sri Sri also gave examples of how, during his childhood, there was a shame associated with being violent. If a child said the word "gun", people around him would all get shocked and stare - "oh look at what words he used! How could he say that!" Where and when did that sense of shame associated with violence and aggression disappear? How did it change into an acceptance of gifting violent video games, toy guns, and even violent action figures to our own children and to those of our neighbors and friends? What can be done to bring back that shame associated with violence and aggression? How can the human values of love, compassion, friendliness, sharing, smiling and serving become the "cool" things to do? And most importantly, when will I stop hesitating or feeling embarrassed to invite people to come out in the open and engage in constructive thought, talk, and action to find solutions to the growing problem of violence?

HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a world renowned humanitarian and peace ambassador. To millions across the globe, he is an enlightened teacher. On 26th January, India's Republic Day, the Art of Living Foundation has organised a "Google + Hangout with Sri Sri" to find ways of creating a "Violence Free, Stress Free Society." It is the largest ever online international meeting of common people and celebrities, people from all walks of life, people from more than 150 different countries, different religious and cultural backgrounds, people who care about peace, non-violence and non-aggression, all coming together to ask questions, find answers, organise constructive action, and make the voice of peace and non-violence heard loud and clear!

Almost 20000 people have already signed up. I invite you, this time without hesitation or embarrassment, to come and contribute to this voice.

Recipe to join the Google+ Hangout:

Ingredients:

A will to create or contribute to creating a stress-free, violence-free world
OR
A will to help yourself or people around you better cope with stress
AND
A laptop, PC, or phone with an internet connection

Method

Register for the Hangout at this link (you can bring upto 9 guests along): http://goo.gl/ATWDz

Post your questions, comments and suggestions following the steps indicated on the above link or send them by email on or before Friday, 25th Jan to: presse@artofliving.de

Join the Hangout on 26th Jan, 2013 at 4pm, German time (or 8.30pm IST, 10.00am GST, 3.00pm GMT)