Becoming Shiva

It is once again that beautiful precious time of the year - Guru Poornima. I share with you a beautiful story that Sri Sri shared with us some time ago. Through this story, Sri Sri explained the Guru Principle - but for me, the story is (also) about how even Shiva (the Lord of all Lords) bows down before the one who gives knowledge. The story also made me wonder: "How can I live the humility and innocence that Shiva embodies? For the 'Guru' is born out of this very innocence and humility."


The Story of Karthikeya (as told by Sri Sri)

"Karthikeya was the son of Shiva, the Lord of the Universe. When he reached the school going age, Shiva sent him to Brahma (the Lord-Creator of the Universe). Brahma started teaching him... "Say A for apple, B for ball...." :D But Karthikeya already knew all this. He said "Teach me the highest knowledge first!" Brahma was alarmed! He said, "What do you want to know my son?" Karthikeya said "Tell me the meaning of 'Om'!" Now Brahma was baffled. He said, "I don't know the meaning of 'Om'!" But Karthikeya kept insisting... Brahma was finally fed up. He took Karthikeya to Shiva and said "I cannot teach your son. When I tell him one thing, he says the exact opposite. I don't have the answers to his questions. He knows more than anyone else!" So Shiva asked his son, "What happened?" Karthikeya said, "I want to know the meaning of 'Om'." Now Shiva too did not know the meaning of 'Om'! So he said to Karthikeya, "I don't know the meaning of 'Om'. If you know the meaning, you tell us." Karthikeya said, "Yes, I know the meaning." The Shiva said, "Please tell me!" But Karthikeya said, "I cannot give you this knowledge just like that. You have to first give me the seat of the Guru."

The seat given to the Guru (the giver of knowledge) is the highest seat. A Guru always sits on a higher platform because it is only when the Guru is given the true heart-felt respect that the knowledge can flow from Him.

The story continued...

"With this demand of Karthikeya, all the Gods were in a fix! How can they give Karthikeya the highest seat? There is nothing in this Universe that is higher than Shiva! So Shiva lifted Karthikeya up and placed him on his own shoulder! Thereby giving him the highest seat :) From this seat, Karthikeya whispered the highest knowledge into the ears of Shiva."

The symbolism here (in Sri Sri's words) is: "The Guru Principle is like a child. It is very delicate, innocent, intelligent. Humble yet dignified. Royal, yet humble. The Guru tatva had to be lifted up by Shiva in order for him to receive the knowledge. Like water is there in a well, but in order to use it, we need to first lift it up! The Guru principle needs to be lifted up - honouring the Guru principle (Guru tatva) is so essential in life! When you honour it, you are honouring the Self. Guru is not the body, it is the energy that is all permeating. So is the Self. The Guru and the Self are not different!

When Karthikeya was given this seat, he whispered the meaning of Om into the ears of Lord Shiva. He said "'Om' means love. You are love. I am love. All that exists in this universe, is all love.

Love is the essence of life. It is so delicate. Love and faith should be handled with care. The Guru's body is made up of love and faith. That is the essence. Guru Poornima is the celebration when you recognize the importance of love and faith. And it must be handled with care.

There are 1000s of Gurus (teachers) everywhere. Make your life pure and sincere. You will have no dearth of anything."

To hear the story from Guruji himself, see the Youtube video here.
For more of Sri Sri's golden words on Guru Poornima, click here.

To watch the live webcast of today's Guru Poornima celebrations with Sri Sri, follow the recipe below:

Recipe to watch the Live Webcast of Guru Poornima with Sri Sri

Ingredients
A laptop or PC
Internet connection
A strong heart felt desire to watch the celebrations live

Method
Click on this LINK today at 16:00 hrs (German time) or 19:30 hrs (India time)

The (un)importance of being 'Important'

After a long break, the 'small' mind was blessed with a post from the 'big' mind :) Here it is...

Over a period of 4 years (that ended last December), I was working (apparently tirelessly) on my Ph.D. The topic was fascinating - intellectual property protection for agricultural seeds in India (OK - it was fascinating for ME at least :D!) What made the research all the more exciting (for me) was the fact that it was somehow connected with Sri Sri's vision of promoting Zero Budget Organic Farming using traditional seeds.

The thesis journey was in itself a bundle of miracles and brain waves - every breakthrough in the data analysis, every new idea, theory, understanding, insight, came out of a space beyond my intellect - indeed, in these times, I was aware more than ever of how 'I am not the doer.' Yet, as I drew closer and closer to completing my thesis, a subtle feeling took over my consciousness. It started as a confidence and a resolve - "I am doing some important work, I need to give it my 100% effort and enthusiasm." Over time however, it transmogrified into: 'I am doing something important, so I am important, and I should get due importance and recognition." With this feeling, came a heaviness. A burden in my head and my heart - "I have to live up to the expectations of my family, friends, colleagues, my Guru(!). I have to work and work hard for this 'important' cause. I have to make sure that this work reaches far and wide and has a big impact. Only then will I be truly using the skills and talents that the divine has blessed me with!"

I was perhaps at a peak of feeling this 'importance' (and the accompanying heavy weight on my head and heart) when I had the opportunity to visit Sri Sri who was at Bad Antogast for a weekend. I was fully prepared to tell him all about my research and how much its findings would support Sri Sri's vision of Organic Farming. Another part of me was thinking that "maybe I don't need to tell him anything! He knows everything already - so he will just shower me with a lot of love and attention as an indication that what ever I am doing in life right now is great and I should keep going forward." :) I was also dreaming about how he might tell everyone what a wonderful job I was doing, and how everyone in the Satsang would then smile at me with awe and admiration. What happened, however, was something quite different.

Sri Sri met everyone with a great deal of love and affection (as always) and gave everyone copious amounts of prasad and laddoos. I, on the other hand, didn't get so much as a glance from him :( I was devastated. My ego was getting crushed under its own weight and the resulting pain was almost unbearable. No matter how hard I tried to attract Guruji's attention, he kept turning the other way! I left his meeting room feeling hopeless and miserable, my tail well between my legs (in fact so far behind that it was not to be seen at all :(

Early in the spiritual path I had heard that it is very difficult for a Guru to ignore his devotee/disciple. I had also heard that if a Guru ignores you, it is for a very specific reason - there is something subtle but profound behind that. No one ever told me though what exactly it means when a Guru ignores you - what is the message he is giving? A million thoughts raced through me - maybe I was not doing my work 100%? Maybe I was too absorbed in my work and was not giving enough attention to my other responsibilities? Maybe my work was not really useful to his vision? Maybe many people are doing similar work? Finally, when I was able to settle back into some sort of mental silence, a different thought came to me - So what if my work is important? So what if it is unimportant? What if my work and I are not important at all? What if I am not born for any great or 'important' purpose on this planet? The sum and substance of numerous pieces of spiritual wisdom that had been coming my way over the last several months (which I was conveniently ignoring or overlooking) came flooding back into my memory - our lives are not even a dust speck in this vast universe. The time that we spend on this planet is like a microfraction of a second when compared to the infinite time for which this universe has and will continue to exist. In this universe, my work is insignificant. More importantly, 'I' am insignificant!

Quite contrary to what one might expect, this memory (or realization?) did not fill me with a sense of being useless. Instead, it lifted off the heavy weight of 'importance' that I was carrying around in my head and heart. I again felt a sense of lightness and belongingness to everyone around me. The judgment of whether or not they were doing something as 'important' as I was, left me. A deep feeling of joy and confidence, devoid of ego and feverishness dawned on me. It felt like I had finally escaped from a golden cage! I also went back to my thesis with a renewed sense of enthusiasm, this time unaccompanied by the pressure and weight of 'importance.'

This morning, as I browsed through the various quotes and Q&As from Sri Sri on facebook, I came across this question: "Guruji, when you ignore us, what does it mean?" Guruji's answer was simple: "When you think you are important, you will be ignored! Got it?" I laughed and laughed. What a simple and effective way of bringing a devotee back to innocence and simplicity :)

PS: Guruji says that spiritual knowledge is not an end in itself - it is a means to an end. What the 'end' is, I am not sure. But at other times in my life, when I have felt utterly useless, Guruji has showered me with praises and given me 'important' tasks to do. During these times, the sum and substance of the knowledge I received was the opposite: never forget that everyone on this planet, including you, are unique. You are here for a unique and important purpose. So feel proud and happy and do your work with confidence - knowing that you are the chosen one. Chosen to be an instrument of much needed transformation.

So here's to the importance of being 'important.' And also to the utter unimportance of it :)


Today's unimportant important recipe: Vegan mousse au Chocolat

This recipe is much awaited (and therefore important) - many have asked me for this recipe because its a really healthy dessert option - rich in calcium and iron. It is however, just another dessert, one of thousands to choose from on this planet (& so its unimportant). But who cares about its importance? I love it and so will you :)

Ingredients:

For the Pudding:
120 ml rice milk, oat milk or soy milk
50 ml thick coconut milk
3/4 tsp agar agar powder

Other ingredients:
20-22 large medjool dates (skin and seeds removed)
4 heaped tablespoons raw unsweetened chocolate powder (I love the Govinda brand - see here)
1 tablespoon agave syrup (optional)

Method

Make the pudding: heat the rice/soy/oat milk and coconut milk to almost boiling point. Add the agar agar powder to the milk while stirring it rapidly with a balloon whisk till the agar is well blended in and has no lumps. Bring the heat down to medium or low and let simmer while stirring occasionally, for about 2 minutes. (If lumps form, blend the whole pudding mix in a high speed blender and then bring it back to the stove, bring the mix to a boil and then simmer on low to medium heat for about 2 mins). Let the pudding cool at room temperature (or if you are in a hurry, use a basin of ice water to cool it quickly) until quite thick and stiff (you should be able to cut it into cubes and scoop the cubes out without them breaking).

Put the pudding cubes, dates, chocolate powder and agave syrup into a high speed blender or food processor. Blend on high speed for about 5-6 minutes or until all the ingredients have blended into a smooth thick paste. Serve with fresh strawberries. Enjoy!

PS: Did you know? Raw chocolate is an amazing source of calcium and protein! 100g of the raw unsweetened chocolate powder (the above recipe uses about 50g) has an whopping 132 mg of Calcium and 21.7 g of protein!

"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)

Choosing Joy over Comfort

Every midwife knows
that not until a mother’s womb
softens from the pain of labour
will a way unfold
and the infant find that opening to be born.
Oh friend!
There is treasure in your heart,
it is heavy with child.
Listen.
All the awakened ones,
like trusted midwives are saying,
'welcome this pain.
It opens the dark passage of Grace.
--- Rumi

I loved the above poem from Rumi (a 13th century Sufi saint and poet) and it struck something deep inside me when I read it recently. I could relate to what Rumi says here immediately. I shared one of my personal experiences with such a pain before (here). Today I share another one...

I was in New York from 2006 to 2008 looking for a job, preparing for the New York Bar exam, working part time as a secretary for the Art of Living center in NY and (of course) teaching Art of Living courses in a number of schools. One fine morning, as I sat in the Art of Living office, answering emails, the then co-ordinator of Art of Living's Youth Programs, Annelies, came and sat in the office with me. She started telling me about how she and another teacher, Narsciso, had started teaching a course to at-risk youth in a detention center in NY city. She was saying that the 15 or so kids there, very prone to violence and bad temper and all using all kinds of narcotic substances, were the most challenging group that she had ever taught. She and Narciso did not know exactly how to deal with the group. As I sat listening to her, a suggestion came out of my mouth (I say "it came out" because it came not from intelligent thinking, but as a flash from somewhere!) : "why don't you split up the group? Start with one group and if there is a student or a few students that start disrupting the class, send them to another room where another teacher or one of you can teach them separately. You can tell them that if they want to be re-integrated with the rest of the group, they have to listen well in this class, do the breathing and then in the next class they will be re-united."

Annelies liked the suggestion but said that she and Narciso both needed to be in the room with the other kids as it was impossible for a single teacher to teach them. She then looked at me and said, "Would you like to come with us to help?" My first thought was "no way! I have no experience teaching at-risk youth. They would all be totally out of control if I try to teach them!" But Annelies's smile somehow made me give the exact opposite response: "ok! I guess I can come along... When?"

So the details were given to me and on the designated day, I got up, got ready and left for the given address. As I came closer to the detention center however, something inside me started screaming "no no no... I cant do this! What if they hate me? What if I disrupt the whole session even more? What if this... that... blah blah blah" my mind was chattering endlessly and the extreme pain of intense resistance gripped my entire mind and being. Despite the resistance, I followed the mantra that I use all the time in life: "feelings change all the time, so follow your commitments, not your feelings!"

When I reached the detention center and met Annelies and Narciso at the entrance, as expected, my feelings had already started changing... a sudden confidence and smile had come over me. I marched in, with my heart full of joy and mind completely blank. We reached the group and Annelies asked three of the most naughty disruptive students to go to another room. They were immediately furious. "NO! We want to be with everyone else!" But Annelies didn't budge and with the help of the detention center authorities, the three kids were escorted to a different room already prepared for this purpose. Now Annelies turned to me and said "Why don't you go ahead and teach those three kids and Narciso and I will continue with the other kids." I was shocked! Why me? I was the least experienced of the three teachers there and the three kids were the most disruptive kids of the class!!!

Very half-heartedly, I went with heavy steps, prepared for the worst 1.5 hours of my life, to the other room. I sat down with the kids and looked at them. They were very angry and were yelling repeatedly that they want to be with the rest of the group. Looking at their behavior, once again, a sudden calm came over me. I said "we will for sure bring you back with the other kids but you must first do the breathing as I instruct you, giving your 100%." The kids agreed immediately. I lead them through their first ever Sudarshan Kriya and the results, as expected were amazing. When they opened their eyes after the breathing, they were visibly calmer and yet, quite happy. They no more demanded that they be taken to the other group. I had been wondering the day before whether at risk kids would even have the attention span needed to listed to the beautiful stories that are part of the YES course. Now, as they sat there, calm and happy, a story from Indian history came to me- how India had won its independence from the British without any violence. The kids were listening in rapt attention. "Winning a war without any violence! Wow! Who was this Gandhi guy? How did he do it? Was he a magician?" :D The 1.5 hrs were already over (it seemed like it had been just 10 mins since the start of the class!) I told them that I would come back a few days later and that since they had learned the breathing so well, they would be joining the rest of the group for sure the next time. They were thrilled. So was I :)

We taught these wonderful kids, all hailing from broken families, living in at risk environments full of gang violence and substance abuse, for several months. Their experiences and the transformation we observed in them during this time was incredible, no doubt. But the greatest transformation happened within me. Each time, before entering the class and often during it, my fears and their reactions caused me deep anguish and pain. But the mantra of following my commitment (rather than my feelings) and the memory of the joy I felt when I saw the smiles on their otherwise stressed and angry faces, made me keep going back, ready to face any discomfort... and experience ever greater joy!

Today's joyful (and comfortable!) recipe:

Eggless (almost vegan) Whole Grain Pancakes (I got the best, yummy, fluffy pancakes ever :) - even tastier than the normal ones and a lot healthier!)

Ingredients

1 cup whole grain spelt flour (Vollkorn Dinkel Mehl)
1/3 cup whole grain rice flour (Vollkorn Reis Mehl)
2 tablespoons white flour (weizen mehl)
1/3 tsp salt
2 level tablespoons Sucanat (or whole brown sugar - powdered well if possible)
1/2 tsp Cinnamon Powder
1 tsp baking powder (Backpulver)
1/3 tsp baking soda (Natron)
1.25 cups rice milk or soy milk (I guess normal milk should also work fine!)
1 tablespoon silken tofu (Seiden tofu) - Optional (not needed if using soy or normal milk)
1 tablespoon Olive Oil
2 Tablespoons melted butter (optional)

Method

In a mixer, blend the silken tofu and the rice/soy milk - beat up really well so the tofu mixes completely in. Set aside.

In a separate bowl, mix all the dry ingredients (spelt, rice and white flour, salt, cinnamon, sugar, baking powder and baking soda). Add the Olive oil and the rice milk-tofu mix. Mix with a gentle hand using a wooden spatula till all the ingredients are well mixed with no flour clots. Add the melted butter (while it is still warm and liquid!) and stir lightly again till well mixed. (I got the idea of adding melted butter from here - I usually make these pancakes vegan, but I guess the melted butter does something, because this time, the pancakes turned out even better, softer and fluffier than before!)

The batter should not be too liquidy - but must still be pourable.

Heat a (non-stick) pan on medium heat, pour in 1/2 tablespoon of oilive oil and spread it around the pan. Pour a ladle full of pancake batter (do not spread out too thin onto the pan - keep it a little thick so it can be fluffy, but not so thick that it remains uncooked). Once bubbles start forming (and you see the corners turning a light brown), you know that the pancakes are ready to flip. Cook till both sides are a golden brown or a not too dark brown.

Serve immediately with marmalade, maple syrup, fresh cut fruits, chocolate spread or any way that you'd like to :)

Anger Facts # 3

While I was in India earlier this year, I was traveling with my mommy, hubby and baby (hereinafter referred to as "my family") from Goa to Bangalore. My family, who had been more organised than me, were booked on an earlier flight and my flight was scheduled to depart 45 minutes later than theirs. I was rather unhappy with myself - they would have to wait for me in Bangalore for almost an hour - how dumb of me to not book my tickets on time!

Anyhow, we reached the airport well in time and first checked in my family onto their flight. Once they were safely in the security area, I left for the other terminal from where I needed to check into my flight. I had just finished checking in my bags when I got a call from my husband... "Our flight is 4 hours delayed!" I was shocked! "What? But what about Meera? She will get so restless! We don't even have enough baby food to last her 4 hours!" My husband was resigned to the inevitable - they were already in the security area and there was no way they could come out - all they could do was accept the situation and wait!

Somehow, I (who am usually the first to resign to acceptance) was not convinced that this was how it was going to be. But my mind didn't seem to have any answers - "what in the world can I possibly do in this situation? I am in a different terminal, the security guards are not going to dream of letting me out of the airport to get to the other terminal since my baggage is checked in; Even if I do get to the other terminal, what in the world can the airline ground staff do now that my family has already gone through security check? Would there even be available seats in any flight leaving sooner??" The questions were endless and there was no solution in sight.

Despite these doubts and impossibilities, I found myself walking towards the exit gate of my terminal, with my boarding card and my hand baggage in hand... I paused at the exit and looked around for the security guards... there were none in sight! As if on an evening walk, I danced out of my terminal and marched into the other terminal - once again, unnoticed and unquestioned! I proceeded to the airline ground staff member who had checked in my family's luggage and (conveniently) forgotten to mention that the flight was 4 hours delayed. I was quite calm... I went up to him and said, "you just checked my family's baggage into a flight that is 4 hours delayed! Why didn't you tell us? Now my family with my baby are in the security area with no extra food for the baby. This is not acceptable." The gentleman was totally unshaken: "The flight departure time is mentioned on your boarding card - you should have read it!" I was now completely amazed at the man's indifference. I walked away convinced that talking to him was like talking to a stone wall (or at best similar to writing a complaint that would end up in the bin without any action being attempted on it.)

Interestingly, my mind was still calm, but something inside me kept nudging me to continue "doing" something. I saw another ground staff member (this time a very busy looking lady with a huge walky-talky in her hand). Without pausing to think what I should say to her, I walked towards her. As soon as she looked at me, I said "where can I lodge a complaint against your airline?" Her eyes became big and concerned and she said "why madam, what happened?" I calmly repeated the exact words I had said to the previous ground staff member. This time, the reaction was entirely unexpected... She said "Madam, how many people are there inside?" I said "My husband, baby and my mom." What happened next, I have no idea. She started running around in all directions and after 5 minutes came back to me and said "another flight of ours is leaving for Bangalore in 5 minutes. Please ask your husband to come out with the baby and we will re-check their baggage." I immediately said, "what about my mom? She is 70 years old. I am not going to let her wait for 4 hours and travel alone!" The lady looked horrified for a second and said, "madam, we have only 2 seats." I didn't know what to say (I should have said, 'yes, that is enough because my baby will anyway not need a seat! She is only 13 months old!') But this didn't occur to me at the time. However, without waiting for me to speak, the lady disappeared again and came back in 2 minutes yelling, "madam, please ask them all to come out at once. We have seats for everyone!"

I called my husband and he, along with my mom and Meera, looking completely confused, came out of the security area and were immediately made to re-check their luggage, get new boarding passes and escorted to the boarding gate of the other flight!" My husband kept asking: "What happened? What did you do? How is this happening?" :D All I could say is, "I have no idea!" :D

In the mean time, I had only 10 minutes left to board my flight! I went running out of the terminal (once again, the security guards were apparently on an extended tea break!), running into my terminal, waltzing through security check and reaching my boarding gate just as the last few people were boarding.

And so it happened... despite my tardiness (in not booking my flight tickets on time), I reached Bangalore (only) 5 minutes after the rest of my family :)

Sri Sri says "When you are meditating, you don't need to show aggression. Things will happen without need of aggression for the one who meditates." :)

Today's aggression free (effortless) recipe: North-South Chickpeas

Ingredients

2 cups chickpeas (the recipe tastes MUCH better if you use small black chickpeas, called Kala Chana, rather than regular chickpeas, called Kabuli chana - See picture below) - soaked in 4-5 times the quantity of water for 12 to 24 hours.

1 cup coconut milk
8-10 fresh curry leaves - chopped into 2 or 3 pieces each
2/3 tsp cumin seeds
1/3 or 1/2 teaspoon red chili powder (Or 1 green chili - chopped)
1/2 tsp sugar or 1 tsp grated jaggery (Gur)
1.5 tsp grated fresh ginger
1 tsp Coriander powder
1/2 tsp curcuma (Turmeric) powder
1 tablespoon ghee or cooking oil
Salt to taste

Method

Pressure cook the chickpeas till soft. Drain most of the water (leave about 1/2 cup of water in). Add the 1/2 the salt and grated ginger mix well and set aside in a closed container (or in the pressure cooker itself).

In a large frying pan, heat the ghee/oil. Add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds start sizzling a little, reduce the heat to minimum and add the turmeric powder, coriander powder, chili powder and jaggery and stir well (make sure the spices don't burn - you know they are burnt if a heavyish smoke starts coming out of the pan!). Add the curry leaves, stir again. Add the coconut milk and the remaining salt and grated ginger. When the coconut milk starts simmering (this will be soon!) add the chickpeas-ginger-salt mix and stir well. Place the lid on the pan and let cook on low heat for about 5-6 minutes. Pour into a serving dish, garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately with masala-raisin rice or fresh rotis. (Recipe coming soon!)

"How fortunate we are to perceive the infinity within us..." :)

Today is Guru Purnima. Purnima means "Full Moon" and Guru Poornima is the full moon dedicated to remembering all our teachers, especially the Satguru - one who gives us knowledge about the Self. Today, with a heart full of love and gratitude for my Guru, HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, I re-post here what Sri Sri says about Guru Purnima and its significance. (Taken from here)

“The Guru principle is so vital in life. There is an element of the guru in every human being. That wisdom in each one has to be invoked and awakened. When this element is awakened, misery in life disappears....

The word guru is used today to mean expertise – like an expert in business management. Guru means enormous, the biggest. Of course, expertise is a part of it. There is perfection in everything. There is that depth.

In our consciousness, wisdom comes to life when the guru tattva comes to life. When we have no desires of our own, then the guru tattva dawns in our life. Do you ever wish to do something for someone without expecting anything from them? Then you have played the role of the guru. The mother is the first guru. Then there are the teachers – the veena (musical instrument) teacher and so on. The Satguru gives you knowledge of the truth, the ultimate reality, spiritual knowledge.

On Guru Purnima, one must reflect, “Where was I before I got this knowledge? Where am I now?” When you see the contrast of where you were without this knowledge, then gratitude wells up.

This full moon is also called Vyasa Purnima. Vyasa categorized the entire lore of wisdom into the 4 vedas, the Upanishads, the Upavedas, the 27 Smritis, 27 Upasmritis – a huge lore of knowledge pertaining to every aspect of life from Ayurveda to architecture to alchemy to medicine. This full moon is named after him.

This day we remember the contribution of all those who have been on this planet for the wellbeing of the human race. We remember what they have done. We see the contrast (brought about by spiritual knowledge) in our lives and feel grateful.

How fortunate you are to perceive the infinity within you - in this finite framework of the body-mind complex. The body and mind are finite but the expression of the spirit is infinity.

For the Seeker, the New Year is from Guru Purnima to Guru Purnima. When it is half way for the rest of the world, we celebrate one whole year on the spiritual path. One year towards the Divine manifestation in our life. One year towards feeling the oneness and seeing the world through the eyes of the guru. That is the guiding star for us. Let me do that which a guru, a wise person would have done in this situation. A wise person would never react. He would respond. You will learn by putting yourself in that position (of the guru or wise person) again and again - by attempting infinite patience, immense intelligence, complete compassion and unblemished joy.

Nobody knows when the tradition started. Billions of years before, on this earth, so many sages and rishis have been here and so many (will come) in the future too. We thank of all those in the past, present and the future for the continuation of wisdom on this dear planet. Without wisdom it is not living, only existing. Life begins with wisdom.

This Guru Purnima think about all the blessings that you have received and feel grateful."


Today's Pure and Grateful Recipe: Ghee (Clarified butter)

Ghee is of great significance in an Ayurvedic diet. Ghee is said to optimize the digestive fire and aid in proper digestion of food. A spoonfull of ghee can thus be added on top of the food that you are eating at any meal - it adds to the taste and helps the digestive process. It is also said to have a purifying effect on the food and the body.

Ingredient

As much butter (unsalted is better) as you like (at least 250 grams is needed to make a good quantity of ghee)

Method

In a heavy bottomed pan, on high heat, let the butter melt. Reduce the heat to medium and let the butter keep cooking till you can see the bottom of the pan through the butter. The butter will froth a lot - once the froth settles a little, you can remove the froth floating on top with a spoon and continue to let the butter cook. When the butter froths up a second time, turn off the heat and skim off the froth from on top. You will see a deep brown sediment at the bottom of the pan - thats the sign that the ghee is ready. :) Let it cool for 10-15 minutes (but don't let it solidify!), transfer after straining, into a completely clean and dry glass jar. Store in tightly closed glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 4 weeks.

"Stay with the Pinch, not with the Guilt!"

At the end of each yoga class that I teach, I read a knowledge sheet from one of Sri Sri's books titled Celebrating Silence. The page that came up recently was titled "mistakes." Sri Sri says "It is hard not to see your own mistake. Outwardly, you may justify yourself or try to prove your innocence to someone else, but a mistake pricks the conscience. Do not justify yourself. Instead, feel the prick of the mistake. That very pinch will take you out of the mistake. The pinch will not let the mistake happen again. Live with the pinch, not the guilt." This is one of my favorite knowledge sheets and as I read it out in my yoga class, I remembered fondly the first time this knowledge came alive in my life. I share with you all, this very personal story:

My uncle (Dad's youngest brother) is, by profession, a biotechnologist and an entrepreneur (rare combination in India!) - he has his own biotech research company (and is also a great cook!) In addition to these admirable qualities, another quality I admire in him a great deal is his willingness and readiness to help any and everyone - at any time and ALL the time! Amazingly, his feeling of belongingness with people is so strong that he also feels no hesitation in asking for help when he needs it - another admirable quality in my opinion, as my ego interferes way too often with my asking for help (until its too late!)

On one such occasion (when I was in my early 20s and had just started teaching the Art of Living's Youth Empowerment Seminar (YES)), my dear uncle asked for my help in modifying and improving the language of a project that he was writing for his company. This was, of course, a huge compliment to me, (had I had the maturity to realise it back then) because it suggested that he trusted and liked my language skills. Being a restless young adult however, I found this request rather annoying and very half-heartedly sat down next to the computer with him to edit the document in question. From the get go, I got irritated at the smallest mistake I found in the document. Rather impolitely, I also made this irritation very obvious! Uncle was patient for a long time... he kept listening to me and agreeing with all my suggestions without commenting at all on my behavior. Finally, after several rude noises and complaints had already come out of me, and the barrage of irritated expressions were becoming more frequent, my uncle suddenly exploded! He yelled "I don't need your help, you can leave! You think this work will not happen without your inputs? You talk great spiritual wisdom and constantly talk about how seva (service) and Karma Yoga are so important to you, yet you can't do this one small thing for your family without grumbling so rudely?"

I was shocked! Immediately, my mistake was clear to me! I could feel the pangs of deep guilt jolt through my entire being! For a moment, I was too shocked to speak! Finally, in a small voice, I said "sorry uncle, you are right. I will do the work now. Please let me." My uncle, the gracious soul that he is, immediate accepted the apology and sat back down in the chair. We resumed the work and completed it cheerfully!

While I was doing the work though (after the explosion that set my brains right), I was very aware of the discomfort that was inside my mind and body. I was also immediately reminded of Sri Sri's knowledge on mistakes (which I taught to my YES students all the time!) - "stay with the pinch, not with the guilt." The feeling of guilt was arising in my mind with several associated thoughts. "How could I behave so badly?" "I wish I had not done that!" At the same time, I felt an intense pinch (physical discomfort) at the level of my body - my throat, chest, head - they all felt this strong PINCH! "Applying" the knowledge, the best way I could imagine how, I kept taking my mind away from the guilty thoughts to the pinch I felt in my body. As I observed this pinch, it somehow seemed to intensify and become clearer... The thoughts associated with guilt started fading into the background somewhere and my mind focused more and more on just the physical discomfort. "Oh God!" I thought, "I never want to feel this kind of pinch EVER again!" From that day on, without any effort, I never felt irritated on receiving any work given to me by my uncle (or any other family member I think!?). Perhaps because at a very sub-conscious level, I never wanted to feel that pinch again! :)

Over the years I've noticed that when I go on a guilt trip, I learn nothing. Because one cannot blame oneself for too long - the guilt eventually turns into blame leveled at the other... and when this happens, it is the end of my learning from the mistake. Sri Sri's knowledge sheet on mistakes has several other beautiful suggestions and useful observations - and I have had the good fortune of being able to use these several times in my life so far!!! More stories coming soon... :)

Today's guilt free recipe: Dal Tadka

Ingredients (for 4 to 6 servings)

2 cups yellow mung beans - washed well and soaked in 5 times the quantity of water for 3-4 hours
4 tablespoons cooking oil
15-20 fresh curry leaves - chopped into 2 or 3 pieces each
2 tomatoes - chopped
1.5 inch piece of fresh ginger - grated
1.5 tsp cumin seeds
1/3 or 1/2 tsp red chili powder (or 1 or 2 green chilies - chopped)
1 tsp turmeric powder (curcuma)
1.5 tsp coriander powder
1/4 tsp Hing (Asafoetida) powder
7-8 Fresh coriander leaves to garnish
Salt to taste

Method

Drain the water from the pre-soaked mung beans and add fresh water upto about half inch above the level of the lentils. Cook in the pressure cooker for 3 whistles or if you have the type of pressure cookers we have in Germany, keep for 5-6 minutes on the flame and then let the pressure release at its own speed. In short, cook till the lentils are soft! (If you don't have a pressure cooker, you can soak the mung beans overnight, use twice the quantity of water, and slow cook in a closed vessel - this will take about 20-30 minutes once the water comes to a boil).

Once the lentils are cooked, add the ginger and salt to it and set aside in a closed container.

In a small frying pan or tadka pan, warm up the oil. Add the cumin seeds. Once the seeds start sizzling a bit (do not burn them!) add all the spice powders (and the green chilies). Stir on low heat for 20-30 seconds. Add the curry leaves and stir again for 15-20 seconds. Add the chopped tomatoes, stir, and let cook covered for 2-3 minutes (or till the tomatoes are soft). Transfer the entire spice mix into the lentils, stir quickly to let the aroma spread throughout the lentils. Garnish with fresh coriander leaves and serve immediately with fresh Basmati rice, lemon rice or Rotis :)