The Indian Ticket

Masters Piece

2011-01-27T04:00:00.000-08:00

You are a Masterpiece - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

"A plum once said, 'just because a banana lover came by, I converted myself into a banana.

Unfortunately, his taste changed after a few months and so I became an orange.

When he said I was bitter I became an apple, but he went in search of grapes.

Yielding to the opinions of so many people, I have changed so many times that I no more know who I am.

How I wish I had remained a plum and waited for a plum lover.'

Just because a group of people do not accept you as you are, there is no necessity for you to strip yourself of your originality.

You need to think good of yourself, for the world takes you at your own estimate. Never stoop down in order to gain recognition.

Never let go of your true self to win a relationship. In the long run, you will regret that you traded your greatest glory - your uniqueness, for momentary validation.

Even Gandhi was not accepted by many people. The group that does not accept you as you is not your world.

There is a world for each one of you, where you shall reign as king /queen by just being yourself. Find that world... in fact, that world will find you.

What water can do, gasoline cannot and what copper can, gold cannot.

The fragility of the ant enables it to move and the rigidity of the tree enables it to stay rooted.

Everything and everybody has been designed with a proportion of uniqueness to serve a purpose that we can fulfill only by being our unique self.

You as you alone can serve your purpose and I as I alone can serve my purpose. You are here to be you... just you.

There was a time in this world when a Krishna was required and he was sent; a time when a Christ was required and he was sent;

a time when a Mahatma was required and he was sent; a time when a J.R.D.Tata was required and he was sent.

There came a time when you were required on this planet and hence you were sent. Let us be the best we can be.

Don't miss yourself and let the world not miss you.

In the history of the universe, there has been nobody like you and to the infinite of time to come, there will be no one like you.

Existence should have loved you so much that it broke the mold after making you, so that another of your kind will never get repeated.

You are original. You are rare. You are unique. You are a wonder. You are a masterpiece. .. your Master's piece. Celebrate your Uniqueness."

~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar-

Garbage Enzyme

2010-08-18T23:51:00.001-07:00

Last week, I attended a program where they taught how to make garbage enzymes. You can protect your environment by using this garbage enzyme. In a day, we use so many things which has so many harmful chemicals which affect our planet earth. Garbage enzyme is one such solution to Go green!!!

What is garbage enzyme?

Garbage enzyme was first developed by Dr. Rosukon of Thailand.

In very simple language, garbage ezyme is the product of fermentation of vegetable/fruit wastes in a mixture of water and brown sugar after a period of 3 months. The final enzyme liquid is obtained after filtration and removal of the residue. The process of fermentation with the key ingredient of brown sugar that is metabolized by bacteria into alcohol which subsequently is reduced to acetic acid or vinegar.

It is very easy to make garbage enzyme. The main ingredients are vegetable cuttings and fruit peels and fruit skins. The other ingredient is brown sugar. Then you add water and let ferment for 3 months. That simple! I know because I am making the enzymes. The ratio is 1 part brown sugar, 3 parts vege/fruit cuttings, and 10 parts water.

The use of this enzyme is reported to be able to help reduce global warming.

Method of making garbage enzyme.

Use plastic container with air-tight cap, preferably with bigger cap. Avoid using those soft drink bottles with small caps. They are the ones that may even "explode" if left unopened. Do not use glass containers.
Mix 1 part brown sugar, 3 parts organic (fruit & vege) waste, and 10 parts water.
My preferences are pineapple skin, orange peel, any citrus leftover, and papaya skin.
Leave some space for fermentation.
Close the lid tightly.
Initially,release the bottle cap at least once a day, to let out the built-up gas.
After a few days, gas built-up will be reduced.
Gently shake the bottle to mix the garbage, once every few days.
During the process, white, black or brown residue may form at the top. Just ignore them.
After 3 months, the enzyme is ready for use.
Filter and remove the vegetable/fruit peels.
The enzyme will have a dark brown color.

Uses for garbage enzyme.

The enzyme should be diluted for use. There are numerous uses for the enzyme. The following are the common uses.

As a general household cleaning liquid. Dilute with water or add to detergent.
Remove foul odours, molds and grime in the kitchen and toilet.
Drive insects away, especially spraying on plants.
Cleaning carpets and remove ticks.
For laundry.
Moping floors.
Washing cars.
Fertilizer for plants.

Dilution Ratio

Enzyme for fertilizer 1:100 / 500 / 1000 Enzyme for insecticide 1:1000Enzyme for pesticide 1:100For anti odour / air freshener Dilute 200x As plant hormones to get more flowers and fruits Dilute 500x

When the enzyme is diluted with water, it becomes more effective.

For shampoos, dish-washing liquids, detergents: add 1 teaspoon of enzymes for 500cc, 1 tablespoon of enzymes for 1 litre to enhance the nutrients and reduce the side effects of the chemicals in the detergents.

For more detailed versions you can check http://www.hewo.com/en/article.aspx?id=885

Inner Peace

2010-01-13T05:03:00.000-08:00

H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Happiness, peace and prosperity are wished for by every lip on New Year, but do we really know what peace means? Peace lies within us and we know it too. As we move beyond a year and enter new year, lets all take a resolution to become aware of this peace inside and allow our smiles to reflect the true sign of the prosperity that lies inside us. Here are seven ways to do it.

1. Give divine a chance, be grateful

This year, let the devotion flower to its fullest and give it a chance to work. Our love, faith & belief should be deep rooted, and then everything else moves on its own. The feeling that “I am blessed” can help you overcome any failure. Once you realise that you are blessed, then all the complaints & grumbling disappear, all the insecurities disappear & you become grateful, contented and peaceful.

2. Take out time for yourself

Everyday you are engaged in only gathering information and you do not take out time for yourself to think and reflect. Then you feel dull & tired. A few quiet moments are sources for creativity. Silence heals and rejuvenates and gives you depth and stability. Some time during the day, sit for a few minutes, get into the cave of your heart, eyes closed, and kick the world away like a ball. Taking out some time for yourself improves the quality of your life.

3. Know life’s impermanence

See the impermanence in this life. Millions of years have passed & millions will come and pass. Nothing is permanent.What is your life? It is not even a drop in the ocean.

Just open your eyes & ask; who am I? How am I on this planet? What is my lifetime? Awareness dawns & you will stop worrying about little things. All smallness will simply drop & you will be able to live every moment of your life. If you review the context of your life, the quality of your life improves.

4. Do random acts of kindness

Make a commitment to make this world a better place to live. Do some acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Service alone can bring contentment in life. It creates a sense of belongingness. When you bring some relief to someone through selfless service, good vibrations come to you. When you show kindness, your true nature which is love & peace comes to play.

5. Make your smile cheaper

Every day, every morning, look at the mirror and give a good smile to yourself. Dont let your smile be snatched away Usually, you give your anger freely and smile rarely as though a smile is costly. Make your smile cheaper and anger expensive! When you smile all the muscles in your face get relaxed. The nerves in your brain get relaxed and you become peaceful within. It gives you the confidence, courage & energy to move on in life.

6. Make meditation a part of life

When we have higher goals in life it leads to stress & restlessness which can only be released through a few minutes of meditation & introspection. Meditation gives you deep rest. Deeper you are able to rest, dynamic you will be in activity.

What is meditation?

- Mind without agitation is meditation.
- Mind in the present moment is meditation.
- Mind that has no hesitation, no anticipation is meditation.
- Mind that comes back home to the source which is peace & joy is meditation.

7. Be a Student always

Know that you are a student forever. Do not underestimate anybody. Knowledge may come to you from any corner. Each occasion teaches you & each person teaches you.

The world is your teacher. When you are always looking to learn, you will stop underestimating others.

Humility will dawn in your life.

Wish you all a very Happy & peaceful New Year.

Deccan Herald, 28th December, 2009

H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Balance Sheet of Life

2010-01-05T07:24:00.001-08:00

I happened to get this on email and wanted to share this with all of you.

Our Birth is our Opening Balance

Our Death is our Closing Balance

Our Prejudiced Views are our Liabilities

Our Creative Ideas are our Assets

Heart is our Current Asset

Soul is our Fixed Asset

Brain is our Fixed Deposit

Thinking is our Current Account

Achievements are our Capital

Character & Morals, our Stock-in-trade

Friends are our General Reserves

Values & Behaviour are our Goodwill Patience is our Interest Earned

Love is our Dividend

Children are our Bonus Issues

Education is Our Brand / Patent

Knowledge is our Investment

Experience is our Premium Account

The Aim is to Tally the Balance Sheet Accurately.

The Goal is to get the Best Presented Accounts Award. Advice as you Chart your way forward. Don't waste MAJOR time on minor people and things. LAUGH . Make it part of your daily exercise.

Asangoham!

2009-10-07T04:16:00.000-07:00

"Asangoham, asangoham, asangoham punah punah:
Satchidananda roopoham, ahamevahamvyayah:
Nitya shudda vimuktoham, nirvikarohm avyayah:
Bhoomandandaswaroopoham, ahamevahamavyayah:
Nityoyam niravadyoyam nirakarohamachyatha:
Paramananda swaroopoham, ahamevahamvyayah:
Anatar jyoti bahir jyoti, pratyak jyoti paratparah:
Jyoti jyoti ahamswayam jyoti, atma jyoti shivosmyham"

"Unattached, unattached, unattached, am I (to the body, mind, intellect,
I alone and changeless exist in the form of consciousness and bliss.

I am ever pure and free, without change of form and nature.
I am ever full- I alone exist changeless.
I am eternal and without boundaries, immutable and unshakable,
I alone exist I changeless in the form of consciousness and bliss.
Effulgence am I both inside and outside,
The light which is apparent as well as transcendent.
Light of all lights, self effulgent, the light of the atman,
Filled with auspiciousness am I"

Navaratri, the inward journey to attain perfection

2009-09-24T03:49:00.000-07:00

By Poojya Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji

According to Vedic science, everything is recycled by nature - a continuous process of rejuvenation. Navratri is a festival for one to take the mind back to its source. The word Navaratri means nine nights in Sanskrit. During these nine nights and 10 days, nine forms of female divinity are worshipped. It is a festival of worship and dance to honour Goddess Durga.

The seeker gets back to the true source through fasting, prayer, silence and meditation. While fasting detoxifies the body, silence purifies speech and brings rest to the chattering mind. Prayer and meditation takes one deep into one's own being.

The inward journey nullifies negative karmas. Navaratri is a celebration of the spirit which alone can destroy mahsihsasura (inertia), shumbha-nishumbha (pride and shame) and madhu-kaitabh (extreme forms of craving and aversion). Deeply ingrained inertia, negativities and obsessions, unreasonable logics and blurred vision can be overcome only by raising the level of prana and shakti (lifeforce energy).

The nine days of Navratri are also an opportunity to rejoice in the three primordial qualities that make up the universe.

The first three days of Navaratri are attributed to tamo guna (inertia and dullness), the second three to rajo guna (feverish and restlessness) which then blossom into sattva guna (purity, balance and harmony) of the last three days.

Whenever sattva dominates in life, victory follows. The essence of this knowledge is honoured by celebrating the tenth day as Vijaydashmi.

The three primordial gunas are considered as the feminine force of our magnificent universe. By worshiping the Mother Divine during Navaratri, we harmonise the three gunas and elevate sattva in the atmosphere.

Navratri is celebrated as the victory of good over evil and from the Vedantic point of view, the victory is of the absolute reality over the apparent duality. Recognizing one divinity, in every form and every name, is the celebration of Navratri.

Special prayers, honouring all aspects of life and nature, are performed during the last three days. Through wisdom and devotion, one can attain perfection.

Source: Hindustan Times, 23rd September, 2009

The Golu is Back

2009-09-18T20:52:00.000-07:00

I am there!!

2009-09-17T04:40:00.000-07:00

Ashram Navratri 2009 - Art of Living

2009-09-16T03:10:00.000-07:00

Virodhi Samvatsara Sharada Navaratri - Shatha Chandi Homam

Ved Vignan Maha Vidya Peeth, Art of living International Centre, Bangalore, India

In the Divine Presence of Poojya Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji

Schedule of Vedic-Yagnas

24th September, 2009

Shashti - Anuradha Nakshatra

8.30 AM

Sri Maha Ganesha Pooja, Anugya Pooja

SRI MAHA GANPATHI HOMAM

Sri Maha Lakshmi Homam

SRI SUBRAMANYA HOMAM

SRI NAVAGRAHA HOMAM

12:30 PM

Poornahuthi, Mangalarthiooranhuthi

4:00 PM

Vasthu Shanthi, Rakshabandhanam

Sri Chandi Devi Kalasa Sthapanam

Sri Durga Sapthashathi Parayanam

Charthurveda Parayanam

Chandi Homam Prarambam

8:30 PM

Poornahuti Mangalarati

25th September, 2009

Sapthami - Jyeshta Nakshatra

7:00 AM

SRI MAHA RUDRA HOMAM

10.00 AM

Sri Chandi Homam

12:30 PM

Poornahuthi, Mangalarthi

5:00 PM

SRI MAHA SUDARSHANA HOMAM

Sri Vishnu Sahasranama Parayanam

Sri Durga Sapthashati Parayanam

Sri Chandi Homam

8:30 PM

Poornahuti Mangalarati

26th September, 2009

Ashtami - Moola Nakshatra

7:00 AM

SRI SHATHA CHANDI HOMAM

Sri Dwara Pooja

Sri Chandi Navavarana Pooja

Sri Durga Sapthashathi Adhyaya Homam

Kanyaka Pooja, Suvashini Pooja

MAHA POORNAHUTHI, Mangalarthi

Kalasha Abhishekham, Prasada Viniyogam

27th September, 2009

Navami - Poorvashada Nakshatra

8:30 AM

Sri Guru Devatha Pooja

SRI RISHI HOMAM

Poornahuthi, Mangalarthi

28th September, 2009

Dasami - Uttarashada Nakshatra

VIJAYA DASHAMI

DSN - The Master's Grace

2009-09-13T23:09:00.000-07:00

The DSN program from the Art of Living - I experienced this in the last 3 days. Let me tell you I have no words to describe it. I did my basic course in 2002 and subsequently repeated a couple of basic courses and then went to do the Advance course. I had done a couple of advance courses also in the Bangalore ashram, but this DSN was an amazing experience because the master was right there in his physical presence before the DSN started on Thursday, 10th September 2009. The course was happening at Manandi, Jaya nagar 5th Block. I left office early as the reporting was on Thursday evening at 5.00 pm. As i reached the venue, I had a big surprise waiting for me. The banner outside read '' Lions Club of Bangalore'' invites '' Sri Sri Ravi Shankar''. First, I couldnt beleive it and read it again and again. There was no rush except for the people waiting for him inside the hall. Guruji had come to inaugrate a program by the Lions International Eye Bank for pledging eyes (eye donation) - Gift your sight, its divine. After inaugration, as gurudev walked out of the hall, he gave darshan to all the DSN participants. The divine has its own ways, Jai Gurudev!!

DSN

Breaking Boundaries of the Mind

DSN (Divya Samaj Nirman) is a unique program that trains one to break boundaries of the mind and go beyond oneself to serve society. The name, in Sanskrit literally translates as 'Creating a Divine Society.'

We all have personal barriers, old habits, or inhibitions that hold us back and keep us from fully participating in life. Yet we all have a deep desire to be the best we can be - for ourselves, our families, our communities, and even the world around us. Using a powerful combination of yoga, special meditations, breathing techniques, group processes, and deep spiritual knowledge, DSN empowers participants to break personal barriers and self-concepts.

This rigorous, delightful, and transformational course provides the first opportunity for the individual to take more social responsibility, and experience the power of one’s inner strength. This course is open to all those who have completed the Art of Living Part I Course.

For more log on to www.artofliving.org

Namaste – A gesture to welcome

2009-08-11T02:45:00.000-07:00

Namaste – A gesture an Indian welcomes you with.

Its also greeted as Namaskar – in many homes and namaskarams – in many south Indian homes

It just got me thinking for a while today as to why people greet eachother like this. It’s actually a gesture where you bring both your hands close to the heart chakra, bow your head a bit and greet/ welcome the other person. This gesture is very popular among Hindus, Jains, Buddhists. Its actually a gesture to express deep respect. Though it’s a very ritualistic act for most of us at homes in front of the puja altar it actually means "I respect that divinity within you that is also within me".

We must have done namaste during yoga postures, dance postures and while greeting people. I am sure it does have a secret to open your heart chakra. In current times, when we have so much of precautionary measure being issued for Swine Flu, one of the popular ways to greeting clients at work and friends would be in the form of Namaste, where there is no fear of any virus or flu being passed from one to the another. So next time you want to wish people, just a Namaste would do. Our ancestors were so intelligent that they designed and popularized these gestures without any harm to anyone, but expressive indeed.

Solar Eclipse

2009-07-18T00:12:00.000-07:00

WE are currently in one of the most negative periods of the year.

The 21st century’s longest total solar eclipse will occur on July 22 and in Indian astrology, this is an inauspicious event. People have to be extra careful because it will have a negative impact on them.

The eclipse will be visible in India, Nepal, China, Hawaii and over the Pacific Ocean and will last for up to 6 minutes and 39 seconds.

The path of the Moon’s umbral shadow will begin in India and cross through into Nepal, Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China. After leaving mainland Asia, the eclipse will cross into Japan’s Ryukyu Islands and curve southeast through the Pacific Ocean.

A partial eclipse will be seen within the much broader path of the Moon’s penumbral shadow, which will include most of eastern Asia, and the Pacific Ocean.

A dark red shadow will creep across the sun and this can be observed in Malaysia from 9.07am to 9.48am on July 22.

Astrologically, this eerie dark light is viewed as inauspicious and it will cause some form of discomfort. Any eclipse signals a time to be wary and this is especially true if the sun is involved because all living beings are dependent on the sun for light.

As I have said in an article in January about a solar eclipse which occurred during the Chinese New Year, the power of negative energy is said to increase during such a time. When the environment becomes conducive for negative energy to amass, the chances of it affecting people increases.

The impact of the negative energies when the sun is obscured causes a lack of courage, fatigue and low self-esteem.

People are advised not to carry out activities as usual during the eclipse period as they may behave irrationally. Everyday activities that should be avoided during the time of the eclipse are sleeping, conjugal relations, swimming, holding meetings and weddings and all religious or special events.

All Hindu temples will be closed during the eclipse period. People are urged not view the eclipse directly, and it is better not to travel during the period and stay indoors.

Those who were born during an eclipse should take even more care than others and those born under the zodiacs following the moon sign of Aries (Mesha), Pisces (Meena), Libra (Thula), Sagittarius (Dhanus) and Gemini (Mithuna) should also exercise caution this month.

After the eclipse, people should offer prayers and clean their houses to remove all “harmful energies’’.

There are also six transits in the astrological chart this month which will see Jupiter moving backwards into Capricorn. The movement indicates negative effects.

During such an unfavourable period, every individual will experience some sort of disruption at work, home, business and travel.

Eating Fruits the right way!

2009-07-14T23:26:00.000-07:00

We all think eating fruits means just buying fruits, cutting it and
just popping it into our mouths. It's not as easy as you think. It's
important to know how and when to eat.

What is the correct way of eating fruits?
IT MEANS NOT EATING FRUITS AFTER YOUR MEALS! - FRUITS SHOULD BE EATEN
ON AN EMPTY STOMACH. If you eat fruit on an empty stomach, it will
play a major role to detoxify your system, supplying you with a great
deal of energy for weight loss and other life activities.

FRUIT IS THE MOST IMPORTANT FOOD - Let's say you eat two slices of
bread and then a slice of fruit. The slice of fruit is ready to go
straight through the stomach into the intestines, but it is prevented
from doing so.

In the meantime the whole meal rots and ferments and turns to acid.
The minute the fruit comes into contact with the food in the stomach
and digestive juices, the entire mass of food begins to spoil.

So please eat your fruits on an empty stomach or before your meals!
You have heard people complaining - every time I eat water-melon I
burp, when I eat durian (fruit from Asia with a foul smell yet
delicious flavor) my stomach bloats up, when I eat a banana I feel
like running to the toilet etc - actually all this will not arise if
you eat the fruit on an empty stomach. The fruit mixes with the
putrefying other food and produces gas and hence you will bloat!

Graying hair, balding, nervous outburst, and dark circles under the
eyes all these will not happen if you take fruits on an empty stomach.

There is no such thing as some fruits, like orange and lemon are
acidic, because all fruits become alkaline in our body, according to
Dr. Herbert Shelton who did research on this matter. If you have
mastered the correct way of eating fruits, you have the Secret of
beauty, longevity, health, energy, happiness and normal weigh.

When you need to drink fruit juice - drink only fresh fruit juice, NOT
from the cans. Don't even drink juice that has been heated up. Don't
eat cooked fruits because you don't get the nutrients at all. You only
get to taste. Cooking destroys all the vitamins.

But eating a whole fruit is better than drinking the juice. If you
should drink the juice, drink it mouthful by mouthful slowly, because
you must let it mix with your saliva before swallowing it.
You can go on a 3-day fruit fast to cleanse your body. Just eat fruits
and drink fruit juice throughout the 3 days and you will be surprised
when your friends tell you how radiant you look!

KIWI: Tiny but mighty. This is a good source of potassium, magnesium,
vitamin E & fiber. Its vitamin C content is twice that of an orange.

APPLE: An apple a day keeps the doctor away? Although an apple has a
low vitamin C content, it has antioxidants & flavonoids which enhances
the activity of vitamin C thereby helping to lower the risks of colon
cancer, heart attack & stroke.

STRAWBERRY: Protective Fruit. Strawberries have the highest total
antioxidant power among major fruits & protect the body from
cancer-causing, blood vessel-clogging free radicals.

ORANGE: Sweetest medicine, eating 2 to 4 oranges a day may help keep
colds away, lower cholesterol, prevent & dissolve kidney stones as
well as lessens the risk of colon cancer.

WATERMELON: Coolest thirst quencher. Composed of 92% water, it is
also packed with a giant dose of glutathione, which helps boost our
immune system. They are also a key source of lycopene - the cancer
fighting oxidant. Other nutrients found in watermelon are vitamin C &
Potassium.

GUAVA & PAPAYA: Top awards for vitamin C. They are the clear winners
for their high vitamin C content. Guava is also rich in fiber, which
helps prevent constipation. Papaya is rich in carotene; this is good
for your eyes.

Drinking Cold water after a meal = Cancer! Can you believe this??
For those who like to drink cold water, this article is applicable to
you. It is nice to have a cup of cold drink after a meal. However, the
cold water will solidify the oily stuff that you have just consumed.
It will slow down the digestion. Once this 'sludge' reacts with the
acid, it will break down and be absorbed by the intestine faster than
the solid food. It will line the intestine. Very soon, this will turn
into fats and lead to cancer. It is best to drink hot soup or warm
water after a meal.

Karkidaka Masam – Karkidakam Month in Kerala

2009-07-13T02:36:00.000-07:00

Karkidaka Masam, or Karkidakam Month, is the last month in the traditional

Malayalam calendar followed in Kerala. The month is also known as the

Ramayana Masam – the epic Ramayan is read in the month in homes and

temples. The monsoon rains are at its peak in Karkitakam month. In 2009,

Karkidaka Masam begins on July 17 and ends on August 16.

Karkidaka Vavu Bali a ritual dedicated to the dead ancestors and relatives is

performed on the Amavasi or no moon day in the Karkidaka Masam. Thousands

of people visit the sea shores and riverbanks to perform the ritual.

Two decades ago, Karkidaka Masam used to be one of the difficult months due

to heavy rains and floods. Majority of the people depended on agriculture and

this month used to be the month of scarcity. With the farm fields flooded, there

used to be no work and the economy used to come to a stand still. In some places,

due to the rains, it was even hard to venture outside the house. To ward off nature’s

fury people used to read the Ramayana in the month.

But things have changed and the there are no heavy rains and agriculture in

Kerala. But still people follow certain rituals in Karkidakam month.

New ventures and auspicious functions are not held during the month by Hindus.

Another highlight of Karkidakam month is the specific ayurvedic treatments followed

by people. Some people drink Karkidaka Kanji, a gruel mixed with herbs and

medicines, in the month.

There are people who also conduct Bhagavathi seva in their homes during this month to ward of evil. The Lalitha sahasranamam will be chanted to invoke the devi and the archanas will be offered. In temples there are sahasranama archanas everyday in the evening for the entire period of Karkada.

In our home, this was a celebration with the main lamp for the devi being polished and cleaned before the puja. Appa (my father) made the prasadams (payasam and vadai) himself. After the puja the entire family sat together and had the palaharam (tiffin) which would be mainly idli and chutney followed by vada and nai payasam!! Now most of us are scattered in different parts of the world and such a gathering has to take place only with some kind of divine intervention.

During this month in olden days, the newly wedded bride was generally sent to her home. The couples had to stay away from eachother. In those times, there was no much means of communication like today we chat and make calls so fast. So the couples used to write letters to eachother giving the postal departments their share of profits!! Nowadays these sentiments and values are missing in our life because we have got mechanical with our jobs and expect to interact with people only through chats and emails.

Why Creative Visualization Works

2009-06-22T03:17:00.000-07:00

Experience has shown that creative visualization works. It is quite possible to prove that circumstances and events follow thoughts. Take any situation or happening in your life, and go back to find what kind of thoughts preceded the event. You will find out that a particular event, followed particular thoughts.

Here are the reasons why visualization produces results:

# We are an inseparable part of the creative Universal Mind. Our thoughts are projected into this omnipotent power, and cause its tremendous power act on our behalf. The Universal mind and us are partners in creating our life.

# Everything in the Universe is interconnected. Each thought, action and event in the universe are connected and influence each other. Each thought and action cause reactions and repercussions.

# Everything in the Universe is energy. We see differences because each object has a different wavelength and density. We live in an ocean of energy. Each wave in this ocean influences the other waves. Thoughts, as part of this body of energy, work with the creative Universal energy and interact with it.

# Thoughts are like a magnet, they attract similar thoughts and circumstances. Thinking one thought invites into the mind more similar thoughts and ideas. These thoughts tend to attract circumstances that are in accordance with them.

# A clear mental image radiates from the mind of the one thinking it, and is transmitted to other minds. Whoever is receptive to this kind of thought may perceive it and act on it, thus being the agent to fulfill the desire.

# By repeating the same thoughts day after day, the subconscious mind is driven to act on them. In this way habits and behavior are formed. The thoughts that sink into the subconscious mind drive people into corresponding action.

# Each thought we think arouses an associated emotion. If the emotion is strong enough, it incites to action. Strong thoughts energized by emotions cause more energetic and definite action than weak thoughts. Such an action brings results in accordance with the thought that prompted it.

# Similar thoughts bring people together. When one person has a need, and the other can supply it, their thinking can bring them together in a surprising manner. This is what we call a coincidence.

Some time ago I have heard the following story, which can illustrate such a coincidence:

A woman has been searching for of a new job as a graphic designer. One morning, while going towards her car, she found out that she had a flat tire. Reluctantly, she took the spare tire out, and prepared herself for the unpleasant task of changing it.

As she was trying to loosen the screws of the tire, a car stopped by, and the driver asked her if she needed any assistance. She accepted his help, and while changing the wheel they started to talk.

It turned out that he owned a graphics designing company, and needed desperately a qualified and experienced graphic designer. To her surprise and joy, he requested her to come to his office later during the day, with her certificates and recommendations for an interview.

She did not have to wait for the interview, as she was always carrying her certificates and recommendations with her. When he saw them, he was deeply impressed and hired her on the spot.

This meeting brought together two people who needed each other in some way. It was no coincidence, as one was thinking about hiring someone, and the other about finding a new job. Their thoughts brought them into meeting each other.

This is an excerpt from the book "Visualize and Achieve" by Remez Sasson

Remez Sasson teaches and writes on positive thinking, creative visualization, motivation, self-improvement, peace of mind, spiritual growth and meditation. He is the author of several books, among which are "Peace of mind in Daily Life", "Will Power and Self Discipline", "Visualize and Achieve" and "Affirmations - Words of Power".

The Rice Effect

2009-06-10T04:28:00.000-07:00

The human body was never meant to consume rice! You see, our genes have hardly changed in more than 30,000 years. However, our food choices and lifestyle have changed dramatically. The caveman would hardly recognise our food or way of life.

Caveman food was never cooked as fire was not yet tamed. Thus, he ate only those foods that you can eat without treatment with or by fire. He ate fruits, vegetables, fish (sushi anyone?), eggs, nuts and meat. Yes, even meat! You can even eat meat raw if you were starving in the forest. You have the necessary enzymes to digest meat.

However, rice, like wheat and corn, cannot be eaten raw. It must be cooked. Even if you were starving in the desert, you cannot eat rice in the raw form. This is because we do not have the system of enzymes to break rice down. You were never meant to eat rice. To make matters worse, you not only eat rice, but also make it the bulk of your food.

In some parts of Asia , rice forms up to 85% of the plate. Even if you take rice, keep it to a minimum. Remember, it is only for your tongue - not your body. Actually, rice and other grains like wheat and corn are actually worse than sugar. There are many reasons:

Rice becomes sugar - lots of it!
This is a fact that no nutritionist can deny: rice is chemically no different from sugar. One bowl of cooked rice is the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. This does not matter whether it is white, brown or herbal rice. Brown rice is richer in fibre, some B vitamins and minerals but it is still the caloric equal of 10 teaspoons of sugar. To get the same 10 teaspoons of sugar, you need to consume lots of kangkong-10 bowls of it.

Rice is digested to become sugar.
Rice cannot be digested before it is thoroughly cooked. However, when thoroughly cooked, it becomes sugar and spikes circulating blood sugar within half an hour-almost as quickly as it would if you took a sugar candy. Rice is very low in the 'rainbow of anti-oxidants. '

This complete anti-oxidant rainbow is necessary for the effective and safe utilisation of sugar. Fruits come with a sugar called fructose. However, they are not empty calories as the fruit is packed with a whole host of other nutrients that help its proper assimilation and digestion.

Rice has no fibre.
The fibre of the kangkong fills you up long before your blood sugar spikes. This is because the fibre bulks and fills up your stomach. Since white rice has no fibre, you end up eating lots of 'calorie dense' food before you get filled up. Brown rice has more fibre but still the same amount of sugar.

Rice is tasteless-sugar is sweet.
There is only so much that you can eat at one sitting. How many teaspoons of sugar can you eat before you feel like throwing up? Could you imagine eating 10 teaspoons of sugar in one seating?

Rice is always the main part of the meal.

While sugar may fill your dessert or sweeten your coffee, it will never be the main part of any meal. You could eat maybe two to three teaspoons of sugar at one meal. However, you could easily eat the equal value of two to three bowls (20-30 teaspoons) of sugar in one meal. I am always amused when I see someone eat sometimes five bowls of rice (equals 50 teaspoons of sugar) and then asks for tea

Eating rice causes you to drink less water.
The more rice you eat, the less water you will drink as there is no mechanism to prevent the overeating of rice. Rice, wheat and corn come hidden in our daily food. As rice is tasteless, it tends to end up in other foods that substitute rice like rice flour, noodles and bread. We tend to eat the hidden forms which still get digested into sugar.

Rice, even when cooked, is difficult to digest.
Can't eat raw rice? Try eating rice half cooked. Contrary to popular belief, rice is very difficult to digest. It is 'heavy stuff'. If you have problems with digestion, try skipping
rice for a few days. You will be amazed at how the problem will just go away.

Rice prevents the absorption of several vitamins and minerals.
Rice when taken in bulk will reduce the absorption of vital nutrients like zinc, iron and the B vitamins.

Are you a rice addict? Going rice-less may not be easy but you can go rice-less. Eating less rice could be lot easier than you think. Here are some strategies that you can pursue in your quest to eat less rice:

Eat less rice-cut your rice by half.

Barry Sears, author of the Zone Diet, advises 'eating rice like spice'. Instead, increase your fruits and vegetables. Take more lean meats and fish. You can even take more eggs and nuts.

Have 'riceless' meals.
Take no rice or wheat at say, breakfast. Go for eggs instead.

Go on 'riceless' days.
Go 'western' once a week.

Take no rice and breads for one day every week.
That can't be too difficult. Appreciate the richness of your food. Go for taste, colours and smells. Make eating a culinary delight. Enjoy your food in the original flavours.

Avoid the salt shaker or ketchup.
You will automatically eat less rice.

Eat your fruit dessert before (Yes! No printing error) your meals.
The fibre rich fruits will 'bulk up' in your stomach. Thus, you will eat less rice and more fruits.

It's your life. Decide what you want to eat! But eat less rice!

Want to be a Happionaire!!!

2009-05-26T21:31:00.000-07:00

Recently a car company’s ad showed how a small girl is being ignored by all her classmates and friends, but when her father buys a new car everybody starts taking notice of her. Should people buy expensive cars, just so they are noticed? Is the self worth of a person depended on the car he or she drives? A person should be noticed, loved and respected for who they are and not for what car they drive. Today the West and America are bankrupt because for the past three decades such a materialistic message has been promoted in their society. Society has been brainwashed and made to believe that without that expensive suit or fancy mansion, their life is incomplete. Unfortunately most Americans are suffering because of this brainwashing and propaganda. When a life is lived on the basis of paying EMIs and debt to have useless things, it is then that life becomes really incomplete. I find it a disgrace when investment bankers and Wall Street guys continue wanting to ask for huge bonuses while their entire nation sinks into the worst bankruptcy mankind has ever seen. When your life has no purpose, no spirituality, no love and no family, the only thing that matters are artificial and temporary sources of happiness. Our life is meant for greater things and is a very special gift.

Unfortunately today the very same type of thing is starting to happen in India. Everyday we are bombarded with images of fancy cars, cell phones and several other things. The media and advertising play a major role in shaping and influencing our modern lives and what has been used since decades to brainwash people. At the same time, the education system is also in tune with such a philosophy, no wonder there isn’t enough focus on financial literacy and leading a balanced life. The crash that happened is very good because it finally helps millions of Indians realize that the American dream of excessive consumerism fuelled by toxic loans– is not a dream but a nightmare. I feel sad for millions of Americans who have lost everything, because of a system that works only for a select few and ignores the rest.

No matter how intelligent someone thinks they are, when they buy a new cell phone every 6 months, even though they don’t really need it, they are being brainwashed into giving their money away to big capitalistic corporations based outside India. I have always believed that the downfall and bankruptcy of the West has been because of such a lifestyle. When children start comparing each other on the basis of what car their family drives, we know something is terribly wrong.

When I was a child, none of us cared what car a family drives. My family didn’t even have a car, but by the grace of God, we had a happy and healthy childhood. A life where people are working as slaves for 16 hours just so that the money they earn can be spent back on overpriced ‘commodities’ will seem insane to anybody logical. People are made to believe that an expensive cream or big diamonds will make them feel better, look better and be happy. But we all know that this isn’t true. Happiness comes from within and not from driving big cars that pollute the environment and make us EMI slaves.

What I am saying is truly a modern way of thinking, because old world capitalism is extinct – and that is a good thing. In a modern world, the principles that India’s civilization has stood for thousands of years need to return. Life needs to be more balanced because just living a materialistic and consumerist life leads to unnecessary stress, depression and a sense of emptiness. Today everybody in the world needs to be a Happionaire first, it is the need of the hour and then people can choose to be millionaires and billionaires.

A lot of people have loved Cash the Crash, (Also read - Can I really cash the crash?) however there has been a small minority who have shown a lot of resistance to the ideas shared and believe it or not, I have even got a few hate messages from these people. For instance I had a builder telling me how I am responsible for a real estate crash, because I have revealed things that weren’t spoken or written about in the mass media and now potential buyers are quoting my formulas and logic to them. I have had a few foreign investment funds and rating agencies, telling me how I did a wrong thing by revealing their methods of sending false signals through the media and tricking investors into buying overpriced stocks. I have had a financial advisor telling me how I am simplifying finance so much that people are now asking him questions that they would never ask before.

When people become smarter, it becomes harder to fool them and trick them into buying unnecessary ‘investments/insurance, etc’. They are feeling scared, because the writings are so simple and interesting that a much larger percentage of the population is getting access to such ideas. Earlier such ideas were known to a very elite few, because financial language was filled with jargon meant to confuse and dissuade the masses from learning more. Besides finance, even fields like law purposely complicate things in order to maintain exclusivity and intimidate the common man.

I have no hate towards anybody, and I have openly mentioned that all these people can create much more wealth if they follow ethical ways. If they really look beyond the surface, they can understand that being ethical can help them win many more new clients and grow.

Ratan Tata for instance is already following what was shared in the book with low cost housing projects near Mumbai. But I guess there will always be people in the world who try to resist and oppose what is right. In fact a part of me is very happy, that our vision of educating people to become financially responsible and literate is having an impact. Happionaires are gaining power and influencing the real economy.

We still have a long way to go and we need the Happionaire way to spread to more people. If we need to make sure that our nation is not destroyed by the same forces that destroyed America, we need to spread principles of leading a Happionaire life, with your children, friends and loved ones.

We need to discourage people we know from taking loans and spending on unnecessary things. We need to make sure they save and invest wisely. The money saved can be used for much better things and for building a society that values and respects resources. Since our childhood we have been taught to respect Goddess Saraswati and Laxmi, we can’t let anyone destroy our way of life and brainwash us with their propaganda that wants everybody to be bankrupt. We will not let this happen and should make sure no Indian gets brainwashed.

A car is just something that gets us from point A to point B, our children don’t need a car to make them feel special, loved and cared for by the world. They need our time, attention and love.

Keep smiling and keep learning!

- Yogesh Chabria

Yogesh Chabria dreams of making each and every Indian financially literate the Happionaire™ Way. His latest bestselling book, Happionaire’s Cash The Crash helps investors make the most of now, while sharing little known insider secrets. You can find out more by visiting www.happionaire.com.

Buy a Term Plan - For Life Cover

2009-05-26T01:20:00.000-07:00

There’s a fine line between insurance and investments yet it goes unnoticed. Till date, many of you buy insurance in the name of investments, which is wrong! You should buy insurance so you can protect your family financially in the unfortunate case of the death of the primary holder.

Let’s understand this with this little story.

Sachin, 26, works with a multinational company. He has three dependents; his mother, father and his younger brother. His mother is a house wife, father is retired and younger brother is doing his MBA. Sachin is the only earning member of his family. He makes Rs 20,000 per month and he plans to retire at the age of 60. He is worried about who will take care of them if he dies.

One day, Sachin gets a call from an agent asking him to buy an insurance policy. The agent throws some jargons like guaranteed returns and Sachin falls prey. Sachin agrees to pay Rs 10,000 in the product, which is expected to give him Rs 11,000 at the end of 1 year.

Was this the right move? NO!

Why? Sachin has made an investment indeed but the investment does is not in line with his goals. What is his primary goal? To protect his family in case of his death.

What does Sachin really need?

What Sachin needs is a term insurance, which covers risk for a limited period and will substitute his income after retirement. He should buy a term insurance costing around Rs 5,000 per annum (Incidentally, term insurance costs half of a guaranteed insurance product). And, in case of his unfortunate death, his family will get Rs 30 lakh, which is a substantial sum. If this amount is deposited in a bank, it would give at least Rs 20,000 per month as interest. This could have actually helped Sachin and his family. But unfortunately Sachin invested in a scheme which will give him a guaranteed return of 11,000 after a year. This Rs 11,000 will not help Sachin’s family to survive in case if he dies.

Why Rs 30 lakh sum assured?

We have used a rule of thumb (Income Multiple rule) to calculate the total sum assured required for Sachin.

Income Multiple Rule:

As per this rule: You should buy life insurance cover for a sum which is equal to a certain multiple of your annual net income. Annual net income means, the residue of your salary after paying for your personal expenditures. The multiples are mentioned below in the table.

Age	Minimum Multiple	Maximum Multiple
Below 35 years	12	15
35-50 years	10	12
50 years and above	8	10

Sachin, who is 26 earns a salary of Rs 240,000 per annum, has a personal expense of Rs 2,000 per month, ie Rs 24,000 in a year. His life insurance need falls in the range of 12 to15.

His net income: Rs 216000 (Rs 240000-24000)

His life insurance need: 216000 x 14 = approximately Rs 30 lakh

Where did Sachin go wrong?

He forgot to ask himself three basic questions before making investments:

1. Do I need this product? If yes, then how much do I need to invest?

2. Do I understand this product?

3. Can I become financially wealthy with this investment?

Tip:

So the next time you go out to invest, ask yourself these questions. If you have answers, go right ahead. Else, you might want to think again.

What do YOU do with your money? Where do YOU invest? Share your story with us. Mail us at jana_sree@yahoo.com, mentioning your name, age, profession and the city you reside in. Would love to hear from you!

(Source - Moneycontrol)

Guardian serves a Sundal!!

2009-05-22T21:54:00.000-07:00

Yotam Ottolenghi's recipe for sundal. Photograph: Colin Campbell/Guardian

This southern Indian snack, made with chickpeas or other pulses, can be served warm or at room temperature. If you like, bulk it up a bit with some fresh leaves - mint or Thai basil, say. Some versions also include shredded green mango. Here I've combined the chickpeas with soy-boiled peanuts, a recent discovery from Malaysia that make the most addictive snack on their own. Even if you do not make this recipe, consider the boiled peanuts next time you're serving drinks - they make a lovely change from dull old crisps (you can also cook them in a pressure cooker to save time).

Serves two to four.

150g dried chickpeas, soaked overnight, then drained150g whole peanuts, with the skin

1½ tsp soy sauce

1½ tsp caster sugar

Salt2 tbsp

groundnut oil1 tsp

mustard seeds1 tsp

coriander seeds

10 curry leaves

½ tsp asafoetida

½ tsp garam masala

30g grated fresh coconut (you can use desiccated instead, but only as a last resort)

1 tbsp lemon juice

1 green chilli, finely chopped3 tbsp chopped coriander leaves, plus whole leaves to garnish

Cover the chickpeas with plenty of cold water, bring up to a boil, then simmer for an hour or more, until totally soft but not disintegrating. Drain and set aside to dry.Put the peanuts in another pan, cover with plenty of cold water, add the soy, sugar and a teaspoon of salt, and bring to a boil. Cover, turn down the heat and simmer for three hours, or until the nuts soften up. Drain.

Heat the oil in a medium saucepan. Add the mustard and coriander seeds; once they begin to pop, add the chickpeas, peanuts, curry leaves, asafoetida, garam masala and some salt. Cook, stirring, for about five minutes.Off the heat, add the coconut, lemon juice, chilli and coriander. Taste, and add salt only if you need it. Serve garnished with the whole coriander leaves.•

Yotam Ottolenghi is chef/patron at Ottolenghi in London. http://www.guardian.co.uk/lifeandstyle/2009/may/16/yotam-ottolenghi-sundal

13th May - Happy Birthday Guruji

2009-05-12T21:36:00.001-07:00

The day started with listening to Radio AOL with lot of dedication and lovely song requests send to gurudev from all the parts of the world. I was dedicating dosas to gurudev as I was making them for breakfast!! There was a talk on Guru Sishya Sambandh and Why do we celebrate birthdays - Knowledge sheet.

The most auspicious day for this Universe - Tera May - ''I am Yours''- 13th May

Wishing you Happy Birthday Gurudev!!

Green Juice - Good Health Booster

2009-05-10T21:16:00.000-07:00

My MIL was in from Kerala this week and she has been propagating the use of green juice for a long time now apart from ayurveda and accupressure. Her day starts and end with this juice which is made with all the green leaves and a few vegetables. Its a very good tonic to cleanse one's blood stream, skin and also helps in cell repair. We are in this fast paced world where we do not get time to even take care of our health and our own body's needs. Exercise and Yoga are a few things which all of us want to do but due to lack of commitment we never seem to find time!! This time over the weekend we were on some green juice treatment and its taste was not that bitter as I expected it to be. This juice was indeed tasty and you just need to have a small cup of it regulary for 21 days to see the wonderful benefits on your system. 21 days is generally prescribed for most of the practices so that it gets into your day to day routine and system.

The early morning walk started with some edible leaf purchasing with all the vegetable vendors.Its always good to prepare this green juice fresh and do not store it as it may lose its nutrient value. You may buy any leaf which is green in color, should be edible and should not be poisonous.

Gnana Yoga - Benefits of Green Juice

Ulcers can be healed

Relieves you of acidity and any gastric trouble

Cleanses the Liver

Good for skin care

and a lot more....

Here is the way we went about preparing the green juice to serve four in the family

Karma Yoga

1 bunch coriander leaves

1 Bunch curry leaves

1 Bunch Pudina (mint) leavess

1 bunch Methi leaves

1 bunch palak leaves

Some Tulsi (Basil) Leaves

A Few Neem Leaves

A Few Vilva Leaves

1 tbsp honey

1 tbsp lime

One small piece of ginger

One small piece of Aloevera

1/2 cucumber

One small piece of carrot and 1 piece of radish

You can also add wheat grass if you wish to or celery

Clean all the leaves and put them into the mixer and grind it into a fine paste with little water, strain and serve.

Green Juice Provides us with the Enzymes that we need to cleanse, detoxify and renew at a cellular level. Enzymes are also needed to digest food. We cannot have amazing health without enzymes. Cooking and processing of any type destroys all enzymes, so raw food, especially greens, is absolutely essential to maintain healthy enzyme levels. A daily green juice is a sure way to maintain enzyme levels as they are alkaline and contain a lot of minerals, vitmains and enzymes. This juice can even be given to children as they may not like a few vegetables but may drink it in the form of juice.

Green leaves can surely get you into the pink of health!!! Trees and plants are worshipped in our country. So go for it, do not delay. If you can start of with just making a juice with 2 or 3 leaves from your garden please go ahead and make the healthy beginning. Its never too late.

Why worship in a temple?

2009-05-06T23:03:00.000-07:00

Till the age of 11, I often listened to appa and amma and went to the temple in the mornings or evenings during specific days (Tuesday, Friday).The specific days to visit the temple depends on your favourite diety (Ishta Devata). Certain days are meant for fasting for specific deities now. There was a Ganesha temple (Sree Vigneshwar Devasthan) close to my home and we often used to involve ourselves in the temple service activities. But often in our youth we start questioning whether going to the temple really helps us or not. Our intellect starts questioning that how is it beneficial to us by going to a temple. But since olden times all religions, traditions and countries have emphasized on visiting shrines, belief in a divine power - God. However in current times, its very important to keep our temples cool and calm and therefore visiting temples and meditating for sometime will be of great help. Nowadays a lot is being written about the temple architecture, vaastu shastras etc and how these ancient temples were built in order to experience the divine energy. Here is a small write up which caught my attention

THERE are many who question the need for so many temples in India. For a religion that says 'God is within us,' the natural question is — ''Then why should we go to temple and worship God?'' In a question and answer session with Sri Sri Ravishankar that was popularly circulated through email some years ago, he replied: ''There is air in the room. Yet we need a fan to go around and direct the air for our use.''

It works the same way with temples too. There is divine energy all around, nevertheless. It takes many facets of the construction of the temple, the sounds and symbols used, the activities performed in the temple and the objects used for worship to harness that energy for use by human beings. There is contemplation of divinity involved in every aspect of the construction of a temple. Talking to any Sthapathi or the traditional community of engineers who build temples, carve the idols and install them in the sanctum sanctorum, one would realise that the shilpa sastra contains details of construction, which go to make that temple a great energy field.

The prakaram or pathway of big temples incorporate the five koshas or the five sheaths of a human being — the physical body or the annamaya kosha is the most decorated part of the temple, the outermost structure and a tower which is the shape of a pyramid with a flat top. The studies happening in pyramids today reveal that the particular shape is a repository of universal cosmic energy. This is the most colourful part of the temple that signifies all the different activities of life possible.

Temples are different energy vortices that draw in from the cosmos — a particular energy form to serve public needs. If people believe that they get richer by worshipping Balaji at Tirupati, then that is the particular aspect of auspiciousness that the temple attracts. Many who visit the Santhana Sreenivasa Temple hidden in a corner in Chennai's Mogappair area are aware that the deity has the particular energy speciality of blessing people with children. There are even many who have not had children for years, but were blessed with babies after special offerings were made in the temple.

‘Aalayam Thozhuvadhu Saalavum Nandru,’ said the Tamil poet Avvaiyar. In these days of rationalist arguments against going to temples, this saying makes us wonder why such a reputed poet would have said this. It is good to just go to any temple and be in that energy atmosphere. The geometry of the temple, the position of the main and other deities, the geometric diagrams or yantras that are placed beneath the deity, the flowers and fruits that are offered in worship, the sounds or mantras that are chanted while worshipping, the mudras or symbols that the priest uses to worship, the folding of the hands in prayer and falling flat on the ground in a sashtanga namaskara posture — all go to help us merge into that universal energy field all the time one is consciously inside the temple and all the time one remembers with the mind. Energy is the primary need to help human beings perform all activities. This energy is abundant in nature. However, with increased industrialisation and modernisation, temples are the scientific structures in which this universal energy is harnessed and maintained through pujas done for four or six times a day.

Collage

2009-04-26T00:41:00.000-07:00

In school, we had this craft session where the arts teacher asked us to carry all the scrap items, newspapers, color papers. The first instruction would be to tear them into pieces. Unlike every session where the teacher used to dictate and we had to write or copy notes this was indeed a very unique experience. First tear all the newspapers and colored papers in bits and pieces and then stick them into your drawing book. Arts teacher ensured that everyone tore papers and stuck them into the drawing book and created some design.

In the past, there were some family photos which used to be professionally collaged in a photo studio but now Google allows you to collage your photos too. Here is mine. My hubby has done a collage of some of our trips - Mysore, Wayanad and Guruji ofcourse. Will try my collage with fruits, vegetables and cookery soon.

Peace of Mind

2009-04-23T21:54:00.000-07:00

Once Buddha was walking from one town to another town with a few of his followers. This was in the initial days. While they were traveling, they
happened to pass a lake. They stopped there and Buddha told one of his disciples, “I am thirsty. Do get me some water from that lake there.”

The disciple walked up to the lake. When he reached it, he noticed that right at that moment, a bullock cart started crossing through the lake. As
a result, the water became very muddy, very turbid. The disciple thought, “How can I give this muddy water to Buddha to drink!” So he came back and
told Buddha, “The water in there is very muddy. I don’t think it is fit to drink.” After about half an hour, again Buddha asked the same disciple to
go back to the lake and get him some water to drink. The disciple obediently went back to the lake. This time he found that the lake had
absolutely clear water in it. The mud had settled down and the water above it looked fit to be had. So he collected some water in a pot and brought it
to Buddha. Buddha looked at the water, and then he looked up at the disciple and said,

“See what you did to make the water clean. You let it be…. and the mud settled down on its own – and you got clear water.

Your mind is also like that! When it is disturbed, just let it be. Give it a little time.. It will settle down on its own. You don’t have to put in
any effort to calm it down. It will happen. It is effortless.”
What did Buddha emphasize here? He said, “It is effortless.” Having ‘Peace of Mind’ is not a strenuous job; it is an effortless process!

Also remember that you could be in very peaceful surroundings, where everything is wonderfully beautiful, but if you’re inside is disturbed,
then that beauty is of no use to you. It does not mean anything to you. For you to be peaceful, peace has to be generated from deep within you - from
your being to the mind, and from the mind to the environment.

When there is peace inside you, that peace permeates to the outside. It spreads around you and in the environment, such that people around start
feeling that peace and grace

(Got this beautiful story by email yesterday. I liked the effortlessness in the story. Simple story but a beautiful moral)

Pooram - Where Gods come together

2009-04-21T03:06:00.000-07:00

I was 6 years old when Appa introduced me to Pooram. Pooram means festival, where gods & goddessess come together and there is celebration everywhere and ofcourse the elephants are the major fascination of this event. Nowadays, we see lot of documentaries in Discovery channel etc about this big festival in India. A lot is being written, documented and filmed about pooram now. Appa was quite sentimental about his birth place, Wadakkancherry, Kerala and had migrated to Mumbai in 1963 with his entire family in search of livelihood. They had spent all their childhood growing up in this small town in Kerala and annually there was this Pooram festival which used to take place near the Uttralikaav temple. The Utrallikaav temple is a beautiful place in Wadakkanchery amidst Paddy fields. Divinity just envelopes as you walk through the paddy on both sides towards the temple.

Then at the age of 6 I didnt have a camera to catch the glimpse of this event like the many small children today who sport their handy cams or the mobile camera. So much of advancement has happened and the communication has just got faster and faster. Now we can see a Live telecast of this pooram festival on the cable television through some local channel. Later in 1993 during one of the summer vacations, Appa insisted that we must see Thrissur Pooram also. The pooram festival begins early with the exhibition of all the kodas (umbrella), Anna pattams etc. Fireworks is also one of the attractions of this pooram. But its too crowded!!

The Thrissur Pooram is about to start in Kerala on April 30th. Below is a small article which my cousin sent this afternoon.

Pooram - Thrissur (30 April)

If there is a festival that celebrates the meeting of gods in Kerala, it is Pooram. The word ‘Pooram’ it self means ‘a group or a meeting.’ It is believed that every year the gods and goddesses of the neighbourhood meet each other for a day of celebration. Thousands of devotees converge at Thrissur to take part in the festivities. Fireworks spectacle, umbrellas showing contest and a magnificent procession of gold-caparisoned elephants are the main high points of the Pooram Festival.

The best elephants from across Kerala are gathered in Thrissur to take part in the Pooram festival. The giant procession provides an excellent opportunity for photographers to click this giant in all its regalia. Marching of more than a dozen elephants in perfect rhythm is a sight to behold. The procession of the caparisoned elephants is commonly known as ‘Aana Chamayal pradarsanam’.

The Pooram Festival is celebrated in Thrissur at Vadakkumnathan Temple in the month of Medam (April-May) where the reigning deity is Lord Shiva. The temple located on a hillock right in the centre of the city attracts thousands of devotees from different parts of the country and the world. The grand Vadakkunnathan Temple is one of the oldest temples of Kerala. The temple is also known as the Thrissur Pooram Temple.

Thrissur can be reached from Kochi (63 km), which is the nearest airport. Direct rail connections are available from Thiruvanantahpuram, Chennai and Mangalore. Frequent buses run to Thrissur from Palakkad, Kochi and Kozhikode.

Indigo - Green

2009-04-19T05:22:00.000-07:00

I was doing my regular cooking this morning. Since last week was Vishu and we had picked up a whole lot of vegetables and fruits from the market, I was experimenting with differnt combination of sabjis. Here comes the violet cabbage and capsicum combination. I was just chopping them and it striked me to take a picture of the violet and green contrast. Just beginning to photograph vegetables!! Will soon start with fruits too. God has created all this contrast for us to just enjoy them, rejoice their colours. Simply perfect isnt it? With the five color diet given loads of importance these days in food, I am trying to get vegetables in five different colors in the market. Lime, carrot and tomatoes were my other picks from the market the other day for some quick salad. Lime - yellow, Carrot - Orange, tomato - red, capsicum - green, cabbage - Indigo - violet!!
Green is the color which symbolises growth and vitality
Indigo is said to be the color of spiritual growth, self mastery , self attainment and the balance of power and love

Wisdom

2009-04-17T02:21:00.001-07:00

Words are too small to convey the Truth

Yet they can trigger the flames of wisdom,

Shower comfort on the intense longing,

Raise cheers of joy and make you know

I treasure your love for me.

Like God his creation,

The root its trunk,

Unknown, unheard, unseen,

In the silent chamber of heart

I am in you as you,

You are in me as me

Ha! What a blessing!

- Written by H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Vishu Kani

2009-04-12T03:25:00.000-07:00

Vishu Kani at Home - April 2009

Its was a long weekend (Good Friday) and my in laws also turned up from Kerala and this time they celebrated Vishu with us in Bangalore. As every year, the hunt for Kani poo begins early for Vishu in my moms place. It is suppose to be auspicious to see this flower for Vishu, whole lot of fruits, vegetables and ornaments on this occassion. All the items are arranged in the pooja alter with good decoration as it is believed to bring lot of good luck to be seeing this on the first day of the new year. Most of them wear new clothes on this day and the food preparations are also grand ranging from avials to pappadams, and mambazha pachadi ofcourse!!

One more feature on this day is the kaineethams which one gets from the elders in the family. In childhood, I look forwarded to this day as my pocket money increased three fold. All the thatas - pattis, periappas- periammas in the family had a strong purse to distribute the kaineethams. Actually, the message of this festival is to live life happily and in a state of abundance. God has given us the most beautiful things to enjoy and rejoice and yet most of the time we are cribbing and complaining over petty issues. Flow with life and take life as it comes!!

I could also take gurujis blessing at the ashram this time. Also posting a picture of Indrani and Maheshwaran from the ashram. They are the elephants at the ashram. Indrani is so cute. They have just had a meeting with guruji and are coming back from Ganga.

Promise

2009-04-07T02:02:00.000-07:00

If I had to promise you something, what would it be?

I can’t promise that you would always be comfortable…
Because comfort brings boredom and discomfort.

I can’t promise that all your desires will be fulfilled…
Because desires whether fulfilled or unfulfilled bring frustration.

I can’t promise that there will always be good times…
Because it is the tough times that make us appreciate joy.

I can’t promise that we will be rich or famous or powerful…
Because they can all be pathways to misery.

I can’t promise that we will always be together…
Because it is separation that makes togetherness so wonderful.

Yet if you are willing to walk with me,
If you are willing to value love over everything else ~

I promise that this will be the most rich and fulfilling life possible.
I promise your life will be an eternal celebration,
I promise you I will cherish you more than a king cherishes his crown,
And I shall love you more than a mother loves her newborn.

If you are willing to walk into my arms,
If you are willing to live in my heart,
You will find the one you have waited forever….
You will meet yourself in my arms…
I promise.

Poem written by H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Power of Your Vote

2009-04-02T03:00:00.000-07:00

India's problems are complex. And unfortunately these are compounded by vote-bank politics. Instead of uniting the different sections of society, many politicians divide it to keep their vote banks intact. If people are united, politicians won't be able to get votes through divisive politics. In such a situation, the only way for them to win votes would be through good performance.

As citizens, we must protect our country from those who manipulate issues for their personal gains and who lead by playing vote-bank politics. Those with vested interests support insensible decisions and oppose sensible ones. We have to steer clear of such leaders. We must encourage broad-minded politicians and leaders to come forward and take charge, and to educate and uplift the society - spiritually, morally and socially.

We need leaders who are satya-darshi (truthful), sam-darshi (equanimous),priya-darshi (pleasant), paar-darshi (transparent) and door-darshi(visionary). So, before we elect our leaders, we should examine their qualifications.

We must elect leaders who will do away with policies based on caste, creed, religion and region; who will ensure that every child gets a multi-cultural, multi-dimensional education.

We need leadership with a mission and a vision, leadership with a spirit of sacrifice, compassion and commitment. We must choose leaders who have a long-term vision and short-term plans to achieve it. They should have great personal integrity, and place the country before themselves.

Unfortunately, most of our politicians lack a sense of sacrifice and inclusiveness. Irrespective of the party they belong to, people perceive politicians as insincere. Today, people are fed up of them. This is when apathy sets in among people. They dismiss politics as a whole and withdraw from their basic duty of voting.

Our votes are an important tool to bring about a change in the system; they give us an opportunity to raise our voice against injustice. But many of us have developed a chalta hai attitude, because we fail to see the power of our votes. This attitude is dangerous for the country. By not voting we are encouraging the status quo.

Each one of us must not only vote but also encourage others around us to vote. When good, intelligent and well-educated people don't vote, they play into the hands of politicians, who use money and vote bank politics to seize power. People should not lose hope. Good politicians exist. And they must be given a chance to do the best they can for the country, for its people.

We have seen the shortcomings of capitalism, communism and socialism. Now is the time for humanism and spiritualism. Politics without humanism and spiritualism is bound to be dirty. Many people believe that spiritualism is not for this world, that it is not a practical tool to bring about societal transformation. But that's a misconception. Mahatma Gandhi was spiritual. He conducted satsangs every day and played an important role in bringing freedom for our country.

That is why today we need leaders who have a spirit of sacrifice, and who are spiritual in their outlook, to enter politics.

Posted By Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian whose mission is to unite the world into a violence-free family. Sri Sri is the founder of The Art of Living Foundation, an international non-profit, education and humanitarian organisation and The International Association of Human Values, a humanitarian non-profit organisation that advances human values in political, economic, industrial and social spheres. While his self-development programmes have popularised traditionally exclusive ancient techniques, Sri Sri’s social initiatives address an array of issues such as conflict resolution, disaster and trauma relief, youth leadership, women’s empowerment and access to education. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who was born in a village on the Karnataka-Tamil Nadu border, lives and runs The Art of Living from its headquarters in Bangalore.

Sacrifice & Wishes

2009-03-30T00:09:00.000-07:00

I got this email as a forward this morning. There was a cousin who visited us over the weekend and was discussing about his daughter. Though many families are going nuclear in India, there are still families where joint family system prevails in India. The house if full of people, children running here and there, oldies watching television. The double income parents have to strike a balance between their children and their kids. The issues revolve from the childs eating tantrums to fighting for the remote to watch the channels of their choice. Because of this there are homes which have two televisions now. Everyone has a choice of their own to watch various TV channels. Children want to watch cartoon channels and the oldies have a series of soap operas to be watched on regional channels. The parents now are worried as to how to strike a balance between both? This conflict is bound to rise in many homes. The role of a manager now doesnt end for many in the office, they have to be extremely good managers on the domestic front as well. Here goes the story and the moral also follows.

My parents left for our native place on Thursday and we went to the airport to see them off. In fact, my father had never traveled by air before, so I just took this opportunity to make him experience the same. In spite of being asked to book tickets by train, I got them tickets on Jet Airways. The moment I handed over the tickets to him, he was surprised to see that I had booked them by air.. The excitement was very apparent on his face, waiting for the time of travel. Just like a school boy, he was preparing himself on that day and we all went to the airport, right from using the trolley for his luggage, the baggage check-in and asking for a window seat and waiting restlessly for the security check-in to happen. He was thoroughly enjoying himself and I, too, was overcome with joy watching him experience all these things.

As they were about to go in for the security check-in, he walked up to me with tears in his eyes and thanked me.. He became very emotional and it was not as if I had done something great but the fact that this meant a great deal to him. When he said thanks, I told him there was no need to thank me. But later, thinking about the entire incident, I looked back at my life. As a child, how many dreams our parents have made come true.

Without understanding the financial situation, we ask for cricket bats, dresses, toys, outings, etc. Irrespective of their affordability, they have catered to all our needs. Did we ever think about the sacrifices they had to make to accommodate many of our wishes? Did we ever say thanks for all that they have done for us? Same way, today when it comes to our children, we always think that we should put them in a good school. Regardless of the amount of donation, we will ensure that we will have to give the child the best, theme parks, toys, etc. But we tend to forget that our parents have sacrificed a lot for our sake to see us happy, so it is our responsibility to ensure that their dreams are realized and what they failed to see when they were young. It is our responsibility to ensure that they experience all those and their life is complete.

Many times, when my parents had asked me some questions, I have actually answered back without patience. When my daughter asks me something, I have been very polite in answering. Now I realize how they would have felt at those moments. Let us realize that old age is a second childhood and just as we take care of our children, the same attention and same care needs to be given to our parents and elders. Rather than my dad saying thank you to me, I would want to say sorry for making him wait so long for this small dream. I do realize how much he has sacrificed for my sake and I will do my best to give the best possible attention to all their wishes.

Just because they are old does not mean that they will have to give up everything and keep sacrificing for their grandchildren also. They have wishes, too..

Bird's View

2009-03-25T03:28:00.000-07:00

There is a tree in front of my home in Bangalore. It does not have any leaves nor flowers in it, but this bird has made its home in this tree. One of my cousins who was on a visit to Bangalore photographed the bird when it was about to enter its tree nest in the evening. Here is a sneak peak. I dont even know what bird this would be, however if there are any ornithologist who view this blog, kindly help.

Come to me

2009-03-25T03:14:00.000-07:00

Jai Gurudev

Beyond the heaven is my abode
Come to me.come to me.
Don’t stop.come to me.
If you get stuck in the heaven,
you will return back from there to hell,
Don’t stop in the heaven,
come to me, come to me.

My abode is beyond heaven, far way from here.
Come to me,come to me
All the charming faces,boys and girls,eyes and noses,
hairs and dresses, cookies and sweets and chocolates,
pass them on.
Smiling and dancing, come to me, come to me.

My abode is beyond the heaven
come to me.
Joyfully move in this direction, a thousand blessings on the way.
Walk through them, don’t get stuck.
Pass through them.
come to me.

Angels are ready to serve you, and crown you with the highest.
Don’t stop before that.
Come to me,come to me.

-Sri Sri Ravishankar.

Be Careful When eating apples

2009-03-19T05:08:00.000-07:00

An Apple a day keeps doctor away. However, here is one type of wax which is used to keep the shine of the apple intact. Just washing it will not do, you will have to peel of the wax coating with the help of a sharp blade knife. I got this mail from one of my friends. Since there are lots of foodie bloggers I would like to circulate this.

Please don't eat the skin of the apple because it's coated with wax.

Check before you eat many of the fruits. Same applies to grapes also. Most of us do not wash the grapes properly and end up getting sore throat after consuming it. These are because of the chemical contents in the skin. Grapes can be soaked in warm water with salt for 15 minutes before you have it.

WAX is being used for preservation purposes and cold storage.

You might be surprised especially apples from USA and other parts are more than one year old, though it would look fresh. Becox wax is coated, preventing bacteria to enter. So it does not get dry.
Please Eat Apples after removing the wax as demonstrated below. Please follow this and let others also know

The Final Touch - Master's Poem

2009-03-12T02:29:00.000-07:00

The Final Touch

When you look at something
With deep love and gratitude
You are in a state
of Surrender

In this state
Of non-possessive love
You are touching something deeply

You are not just seeing
Your sight is touching
And feeling

The awareness
Is so powerful

Many times one feels
That one's heart
Is touching something
Have you had this experience ?

It is something wonderful
Something divine

Deep inside somewhere
You feel a fine vibration
That touches -
That is divine grace.

That is wonderful
That is the fulfillment of life

Everyone is longing
To touch from their hearts

When you love someone
You embrace them

The hearts come closer
But still they remain apart ...

But you can hug someone
Without using your arms
You can hug them
With your heart

Your heart
Can embrace
Everyone in the room
And at the same time
There is no space limitation
There is no time

Your heart
Can hug everybody
At all times

You may be sleeping
But your heart can be hugging Everyone

Your heart can reach far and wide

You can be here
And you can be hugging someone
In Russia
Japan
Nova Scotia
Africa
or India

That is enlightenment
That is your true nature
That is the fulfillment
Of human life

And this body has come
For one Not to look around
Here
There
Everywhere

But it has been given
So that

One can experience
What one is ..........

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Celebrating Colors in Life with Holi

2009-03-10T22:52:00.000-07:00

The rainbow has seven colors

Our seven chakras have seven different colors

God created so many fruits, vegetables, flowers in so many colors.

We wear clothes in colours depending on our moods.

So we celebrate colors every moment in our lives. To remind us that life is very colorful, we celebrate holi. In the north, on this day people dissolve all their differences by pouring water and color over eachother and come together with colors.

Holi is one of my favourite festivals. In school days this festival would always come in between my exams (especially the toughest subject) on the very next day. Therefore, appa and amma did not want me to be in water for too long and I would have strict timings to return home. The celebrations would start one day in advance in the evening with a bonfire. This bonfire is the burning of 'Holika' - Holika was the sister of King Hiranyakashipu, who was brought to kill Bhakta Prahlada. However, Prahlada was firm in his bhakti to Lord Narayana which saved him and Holika was burnt into ashes. Bhakta Prahlada's story is one of the most famous associated with the festival of Holi.

There was a society with lots of children close to my home, so I used to often land up there with a bag full of water balloons. Generally by knotting these balloons a day earlier I used to hurt by thumb. It was a deal betweem amma and me, the more lessons I would complete or the more number of hours put in study on the earlier day, the balloon dozens would increase so that I could aim at my friends. Often we used to split ourselves in two teams. These balloons were used to aim our opponents during the so called '' Holi Masti''. Once the balloons were over, the aunties in the building poured lot of water from their balconies, we all used to drench ourselves in it. Finally came the red colored gulal which would be smeared all over your body. If you resist this coloring from all friends, you are sure that your hair would be colored with this!! Generally after this festival for days together you would not need a hail coloring to be done. The hands also retain the colors for weeks together. By afternoon all of would be tired and we would order samosas for snack. Most of us were below 18 and we couldnt consume 'Baang', so we used to settle for a simpler version of thandai and some sweets.

Traditionally, people played with chandan, haldi, neem, bilva and natural colors. However over the years the use of chemicals have caused lot of skin problems with people , so they refrain from playing. Now the natural colors are marketed by companies for playing holi very safely. Holi is also a festival inviting the scorching heat of summer, giving a message to all the people to keep their body and mind cool and calm at all times. Earlier Ayurvedic doctors prepared these colors with natural agents which acted as a coolant for the body.

In recent times, with too many townships evolving in India, Holi is celebrated by event management companies in a grand way. There is rain dance with the rain technology which is used in movies to shoot rain scenes. There would be a DJ (Holi Jockey) who would play the latest hindi songs for which people would drench themselves in water and then dance. In some big groups, there are also corporate sponsorships invited for Holi. The HR team in all companies organise a special event of Holi for employees as part of their employee engagement initiatives. T - Shirts and goodies like pichkari (Spray) are specially made for corporate holi. The television and radio would showcase some of the popular songs shot on Holi. ' Rang Barse' being one of the most popular Hindi song.

Festivals add spark to your life and sadhana (spiritual practices) . On this day it is basically colors, water, sweets, dance and celebration in India. The Holi day is also a Holy day (if not a holiday this time in office because of recession) for soaking oneself in spiritual knowledge after the color masti!!

Guruji Sri Sri Ravishankar playing holi in Bangalore Ashram

Warren Buffets Advice for 2009

2009-03-09T00:21:00.000-07:00

Nature at its best

2009-03-06T21:27:00.000-08:00

On the way to office this morning, caught a glimpse of this beautiful tree with only flowers all over. No leaves in it. There are trees similar to this which blossom with yellow, lavender and red color flowers before summer in Bangalore. Nature at its best!!

Agnihotra - Grace of Subtle Energies

2009-03-04T23:53:00.000-08:00

It was evening 6.30 pm. Periappa was calling Prakash from the balcony after getting back from office, Prakash was busy playing his first innings with the apartment cricketers. Periappa was calling him for Sandhya vandhanam (refers to the prayers which are performed thrice daily after the upanayanam – Thread ceremony in Hindus) to be performed with him. Being a strict disciplinarian himself, he wanted his son also to follow the same practices as part of the culture building process, preserving traditions, imparting morals through rituals. At the age of 9, Prakash was initiated into this practice known as ‘Brahmopadesam’ – it is the initiation of the child into the knowledge of the infinite (Brahman) by his father or a revered guru. It is called as thread ceremony by many in English now. In Indian traditions every ritual has the use of a holy thread involved in it. For instance, in marriages it’s a mangal sutra (the symbolic locket attached to a sacred thread). Similarly in punal ceremony also this thread is significant and it reminds the child of his brahmacharya. The Sandhya vandhanam consists of a few pranayamas, mantras, namaskarams etc. In earlier days most of the men in Brahmin homes use to perform these rituals religiously during the sunrise, noon and sunset. They definitely had the effect in boosting sattva in the home and the entire atmosphere. Here is another such simple practice where dried cowdung, rice and ghee is turned into ashes with a small flame with some mantras – it’s called Agnihotra. This is suppose to purify the entire surroundings with positive energy. If there are any vaastu doshas, this ritual has got lot of power to minimize the vaastu defects and clear the space. Often this practice is done during sunrise and sun set (morning and evening Sandhya vandhanam). The mantras to be chanted while performing are also mentioned above. Please note.

It is believed that by performing Agnihotra in the farm , farmers have been able to double their produce, spread more peace around the place. Plants are more receptive and produce better crops etc by the regular practice of this technique. It’s a very simple and easy practice to follow on a regular basis. After the floods in Mumbai a few years ago, this practice was done to get rid of the mosquito menace, reduce the ill effects of water pollution, diseases etc.

In Peru, the government has been supporting Agnihotra to promote peace, prosperity and organic farming. On the weekends, there are volunteers who educate the masses about the practice of Agnihotra. The practice of Agnihotra is simple, easily adoptable and universal. It may be performed by any one irrespective of barriers like religion, sect, creed, nationality, color, sex and age.

To know a little about this practice

The process of Agnihotra consists of making two offerings to the fire exactly at the time of sunrise and sunset along with the chanting for two small Sanskrit mantras. The offering consists of two pinchfuls of uncooked rice grains smeared with a few drops of cows pure ghee. The fire is prepared out of dried cowdung cakes in a small copper pot of a semi – pyramid shape. The positive effects of Agnihotra are an outcome of simultaneous functioning of many subtle scientific principles such as effect of chanting of specific sounds on the atmosphere and mind, energies emanating from the pyramid – shape, nutritional effect of burning of medicinal ingredients and the effects of bio rhythms etc.

For the practice of Agnihotra a few disciplines are observed:

1. Agnihotra is performed exactly at local sunrise/sunset timings.
2. A semi-pyramid shaped copper pot has to be used.
3. A small fire prepared using dried cow dung cakes.
4. Two pinchfuls of uncooked rice grains smeared with few drops of cow's ghee are offered in fire.
5. Two simple Sanskrit mantras are chanted while offering.

The positive effects of Agnihotra are an outcome of simultaneous functioning of many subtle scientific principles, such as, effect of chanting of specific sounds on the atmosphere and mind, energies emanating from the pyramid- shape, nutritional effects of burning the medicinal ingredients, effects of the bio-rhythms etc.
Agnihotra balances the cycle of nature and nourishes the human life.
It creates pure, clean and medicinal atmosphere.
It cleanses the negative effects of pollution.

In today's polluted atmosphere, we witness Mass Destruction of forests, Disappearance of many species of plants, animals, insects, birds, Disturbance in Ecocycles,Ozone Depletion, Global Warming, Acid rain and Decreasing Agricultural Production. Human health is at stake. Many killing diseases like Cancer and AIDS are on the rise. Increased alcoholism and drug abuse is a great challenge. Human mind is under great stress giving rise to more violence and many complex family and social problems. The list is unending.

If we want to live happily it is imperative to end the Vicious cycle by starting a Virtuous cycle. Agnihotra is the starting point of the virtuous cycle. With the regular practice of Agnihotra many of our problems will find their solutions automatically. As an individual you will find yourself a totally changed person! A stress-free & happy man!
With Agnihotra you bring happiness to yourself and others.
So you not only better yourself but also immensely contribute for the betterment of the world.

(Information Source –www.agnihotraindia.com)

Short Stories

2009-03-03T21:10:00.000-08:00

Story 1 :
       A boy and a girl were playing together. The boy had a collection of marbles. The girl had some sweets with her. The boy told the girl that he will give her all his marbles in exchange for her sweets.

       The girl agreed.

       The boy kept the biggest and the most beautiful marble aside and gave the rest to the girl. The girl gave him all her sweets as she had promised.

       That night, the girl slept peacefully. But the boy couldn't sleep as he kept wondering if the girl had hidden some sweets from him the way he had hidden his best marble.


Moral of the story:
If you don't give your 100%, you'll always keep doubting if the other person has given his/her 100%??? and all your future actions/ relations with him/her will be based on the perception produced by your own suspicion.

Story 2 :

One day a Sage from the himalyas was bathing in the Ganges. He saw a scorpion just fell into the water, he went to save his life by pulling it out of the water.

As he took the scorpion in his hands to safely land him on the ground the scorpion hit him on the finger and fell out of his hands back into the water.

This happened thrice, a man standing nearby was watching this and couldn't understand why this saint again want to attempt the same when he has already been hurt thrice...

He went to the saint and asked him " Guruji the scorpion had bitten you thrice still you want to save its life? Why don't you just leave it ?"

The sage smiled and said if the scorpion cannot leave his Bad habits why should I leave my Good ones...and pulled the scorpion safely out of water saving it's life...

Moral of the story :
If others do wrong with you, that should never stop you from doing the right things... be helpful to everyone always...

God Bless !!!

NEVER BE SOUR ABOUT LIFE – TRUST, LOVE BLINDLY.

If you fall, you can always get back on your feet – doesn’t matter

The Painting on the Wall

2009-02-28T02:29:00.000-08:00

There was a king who was a great admirer of art. He encouraged artists from all over his country and gave them valuable gifts.

One day an artist came and said to the king, "Oh King! Give me a blank wall in your palace and let me paint a picture on it. It will be more beautiful than anything you have ever seen before. I promise you shall not be disappointed."

Now,the king happened to be constructing a big hall at the rear end of the palace. So he said, "Alright you may work on one of the walls in the new hall." So the artist was given the job and he was very pleased indeed.

Just then, another young man said, "Oh King! Please allow me to work on the opposite wall. I too am an artist." The king said, "What would you like to make?" The man said, "My Lord, I shall make exactly what that man will make on the opposite wall. Moreover, shall do so,without looking at his work. I would even request you to have a thick curtain put up between the two walls so that either
of us can not see the other."

Now, that was a tall statement. Everyone in the king's court, including the king and the first artist were intrigued. But the king loved surprise and he decided to give the young fellow a chance.

The following day a thick curtain was put into place and both the artists got to work. The first artist brought in a regular supply of paint, oil, water etc. The second one would some with a cloth and a bucket of water every day.

After a month the first artist told the king that his work was complete and he would like to show it to the king. The king sent for the second artist and asked him, "Young man, when would your work be ready? I am coming to see the first wall this evening." The man said, "My Lord, my wall is ready too!"

The king went to see the first artist's wall. He was very, very impressed with the painting and gave a hefty sum as a reward to the artist. He then asked for the curtain to be opened up.

Lo and behold! The same painting was to be seen on the opposite wall too! Amazing! But true! Each line, each minor detail was exactly as it was on the
first wall. But this man had not been seeing what was going on, on the other side of the curtain. So how had he done it?

The king wanted to know the secret. He gave a double reward to the fellow. Then he said, "Young man, I am indeed very happy with your work. But you must tell me; how did you do it?"

The lad said simply, "It's very easy! I just polished the wall every day!"

It was a wall made of white marble! The fellow polished it till it shone like a mirror. The reflection of the painting across the room, showed up in it!

REFLECTION

That is what it means to polish our self. For when we polish our hearts and souls we see God's reflection within. The soul is placed in the body like a rough diamond and must be polished, or the luster of it will never appear.

It is said that the world is a reflection of you. Whatever you are, the world will seem to be that too.

If you are happy, the world will look to be happy. If you are sad; jealous; dejected; angry; restless ... that is what the world will seem to be to you!

Hari Om!!
(This is yet another beautiful short story sent by my friend Krishnan from the Nityakalyan group and picture in the inset is the divine eye - the ring nebula)

The Divine is Unfathomable

2009-02-25T23:49:00.000-08:00

I got this email from one of my close friends whose name is Krishnan. He keeps forwarding me lot of divine stories as he attends most of the Geeta classes, Vedanta classes etc (actually these are satsangs - the company of truth ). It would be unfair to term them as a class. Since I have lot of blog friends who cook and try different kinds of dishes, I thought I must post this for them. In India, there are bhagavatha sapthahams which are conducted for a period of 7 days where the bhagavathams are read and the divine stories in praise of krishna are rejoiced by the devotees. Stories are a very good way of imparting human values and feeling the presence of divine. I felt the presence of Krishna when I read this story, read on if you want to experience...

THE FRUITS OF TRUE DEVOTION

Respected Bhagavatha Shri Shankarapillai told one real life story during his Naaraayaneeyam discourse. This happened about 5-7 years ago and I feel it is worth sharing with all of you.

There is a small town near Guruvayur by the name Chaavakkad. I have heard that in Chavakkad, there is no household without at least one member of the family employed in the Gulf countries. Anyway, there is no importance for that aspect in this story.

There was a woman in that village or town who made her living by making and selling sweets like Jilebis, Laddus,Mysore pak etc. In addition to her excellent cooking skills, she was a very sincere devotee of Guruvayurappan. Every time she made sweets for her clients, she would offer a few to Guruvayurappan before she packed everything for them. To put it differently, she offered the sweets to Bhagavan and made it a prasadam before delivering to the customers.

One day, one customer who had to fly to Dubai the next afternoon gave emergency order for some jilebis and laddus.Poor "maami" accepted the order and she had to get the necessary ingredients in the late evening. Some how she managed to make all the sweets by next day morning. She had to hurry up to pack the whole thing and in that hurry, for the first time in her life, she forgot to offer a few sweets for her Lord Guruvayurappan.

Customer came on time and picked up the sweets and "maami" went to Guruvayur for the daily darshan. When she was about to enter the inner praakaram of the temple, a beautiful boy about 8-10 years old came and asked her " Maami, can I have a few jalebis and laddus?'

She told the boy that she did not have any left at home, but will make some and bring for him when she comes for evening darshan. The boy agreed. Maami went home made some more sweets and brought with her when she came to the temple in the evening. The same boy was standing near the inner praakaaram (naalambalam) and waiting for the sweets. Maami gave him and they were talking about something.

Then the security guards asked Maami why she was talking to herself. Maami said: "I am talking to this boy who asked me for some sweets in the morning and I could give him only now. I was explaining to him how I got a late order and how I had to work almost all night."

Security guards told her that they could not see any boy near her and they
were wondering why Maami was talking to herself. They said: Maami, may be you did not sleep well and you are confused.

Maami looked again to show the guards, the boy holding the sweets she just now gave, but unfortunately the boy had disappeared from her eyes also!

Then Maami realized along with others around her that the boy who asked for sweets and accepted sweets from her was none other than Guruvayurappan Himself! She sat there and cried calling "Kanna, come again near me, I will give you more sweets." All the eyes of devotees watching this incident welled up and they did namaskaar to Maami who could see her Lord Kannan and treat Him with sweets made exclusively for Him with her own hands!

When Respected Shankara Pillai narrated this story with utmost Bhakthi and bhaavam, tears rolled down my cheeks and I am sure all the devotees felt the presence of Krishna in that room. It was an experience!

True devotion really pays, what more would one ask for in life than having the darshan of the Lord! How blessed are such devotees who are so pure hearted that the Lord Himself comes down in search of them to give His darshan!

Sreekrishnaarpanamasthu!!

What Greed can do ?

2009-02-25T01:22:00.000-08:00

Greed caused this recession.

In earlier days when natural calamities would happen or any global phenomena would take place our grandparents - ancestors used to say that when greed increases, unethical business practices and malpractices prevail such global phenomenon and natural calamities would persist.Then as grandchildren we couldn't understand why they said so and often would ignore what they said as we couldn't connect to the chain of events logically, but what economist say today is a similar version but said in a way which would appeal to an intellectual mind. We all want to read intellectually stimulating reading materials, case studies, white papers etc but we never want to delve deep into our ancient scriptures and traditions. Today foreign authors write and publish books on Indian culture, traditions and human values. The best books on yoga, ayurveda etc are written by American authors. They seem to be understanding the wealth of the Indian heritage more than we Indians. We are busy aping the western culture and are stuck between religious conditioning and fighting new age spirituality in recent times .

As a Bal Vikas class student, in childhood like many I was taught about Kama (desire) , Krodha (anger) , Lobha (greed) , Moha (delusion) Mada (ego - feverishness), Matsarya (envy - not seeing others happy). This was 20 years ago, but the same laws and rules apply even now. That is why they are timeless wisdom. These are also called as shatripus or the six enemies of the mankind and we are witnessing the repercussions at large because of 25000 rich business men who wanted to get more rich. You can also call it as collective karma (samuha karma) that we are facing now. .This recession proves that spirituality is way ahead of materialism. This is a victory of the ancient shastras, puranas and the rishis who kept reiterating the fact that human values are the most important component of every society.The Human values of love, trust, faith, compassion, integrity etc are more relevant in these times also when companies are coming into light for forging books of accounts and conducting unethical business practices. This recession therefore is a manmade calamity which the entire globe would witness.

I recently read a report by an economist about how greed can cause so much harm to the entire society at large, its a vicious circle. For the first time some of the best companies in Japan have reported loss after a gap of 20 years, the banks which were considered strong are considering bailout plans. If this money which is being used for bailouts could have been used to make schools, temples of knowledge, better health care for the globe, towards cleaning the environment we would have made the entire planet a better place to live in.

Simplicity is the essence of Life

Satyam Shivam Sundaram

2009-02-22T09:06:00.001-08:00

Today is the special day to immerse yourself in Shiva consciousness. Be one with the Shiva Tattva. Many choose to fast, pray, penance, keep themselves awake through midnight and meditate on this day to give a boost to their spiritual upliftment. So experience truth, consciousness and bliss (satyam shivam sundaram) throughout this day. Who knows Lord Shiva might grant you all your wishes as he is also called as bholanath (innocent)? Shivaratri - Celebrate with Shiva

Shivoham! Shivoham! Shiva Swarupo

Nityoham Shuddhoham Buddhoham Muktoham

Would be doing puja in the morning, offering panakam (jaggery concoction) to the god, attending the rudra abhishekam, followed by satsang in the evening.

Loka Samastha Sukino Bhavanthu

Kanji Payaru - Kerala Khichdi

2009-02-21T01:52:00.001-08:00

The kerala homes had a lot of people and food was available and cooked in abundance. So especially for dinner a lot of rice would remain after providing for lunch in the noon. So at night the brown rice would be boiled in 2 cups of water and would be served along with payuru (green gram fry). This is also the poor man's dish in Kerala, some roadside hotels provide this dinner everyday. I make it as dinner sometimes during the week if I am too tired after work or even if I feel too lazy or I am home alone (since I eat to live)

Ingredients - Gnana Yoga

1 Cup - Brown Rice

1 Cup - Green Gram

2 tbsp - Grated Coconut

3-4 Shallots (ulli - 'kutti' onions)

1tbsp Mustard seeds

1 tbsp - Oil

Coriander Leaves (For garnish - optional)

Karma Yoga

If the brown rice remains after the lunch preparation, just boil it with 2 cups of water. If not, then pressure cook or boil fresh brown rice with 2 cups of water. You can soak the green gram dal in the morning before you go to work or else you can even pressure cook it. Once the green gram is cooked, take a pan , pour oil, once its heated add the mustard seeds, 3-4 shallots (finely chopped) . Let it turn pink and then add the cooked green gram and mix well. If you like you can add coriander leaves to the payuru along with some grated coconut. Its tastes really divine!!

If you are extremely lazy like me, you can add the brown rice and the green gram together in one shot and pressure cook it, add some salt to it and serve hot. Probably you can add some chopped onions and grated coconut in the beginning itself before you pressure cook and serve hot. We all lead fast lives isnt it and look for short cuts ;>)

This food is given especially when you are taking ayurveda treatments in Kerala because of its nutritive value and balanced nature. You can also have it when you are not feeling too well to have spicy or masaledar dishes.

Bhakti Yoga - Eat food with a sense of offering, neither in a hurry nor with violence. - Sri Sri

Cherata Puttu - Kerala Delight

2009-02-21T00:16:00.001-08:00

The first time I saw this gadget in sasural (husband's home) , I felt as if a rocket is ready to take off from the space station. But now this rocket often takes off from my kitchen space especially for weekend breakfasts. This is the 'Chombu' and 'Koyal' to make 'Koyal Puttu' (in english you just pronounce it as 'put'). Puttu is made in many different ways in Kerala. One such gadget I came across in Wayanad in which puttu can be made was 'cherata'. We were at a handicraft store where we saw this 'cherata' (basically the form taken by coconut after it is grated and scrapped). This salvaged cherata is cleaned and softened by the local adivasis to give it a good look and feel. They convert the top portion as a lid by fixing a cork and three holes are pierced in the top to let the steam. In China, they use these coconut cups to serve tea. Making cherata puttu also saves a lot of fuel as it can be placed on top of a pressure cooker as you cook your other dishes. Instead of placing the cooker weights you can place this cherata filled with the contents. You also save enough time in the morning when you are rushing to work.

Puttu is very simple to make in current times when there are so many brands of Puttu powder available in the market. (Double Hourse is the brand, I use) Some people make the rice powder at home. However for a good work life balance I use the readymade puttu podi (powder). There is Rice Puttu, Ragi Puttu, Wheat Puttu, Corn Puttu powder also available. The procedure is the same, you may choose what variety you want !

Gnana Yoga - Ingredients

2 cups Puttu Podi (Rice powder)

1 cup grated coconut

Pinch of salt to taste

Karma Yoga - Method

Mix the puttu podi and salt with right amount of water (not too soggy, not too stingy). Then boil some water in the 'Chombu' as you fill the puttu content in the koyal or cherata. Be generous with the grated coconut in the end of the koyal and in between the pieces (koyal can generally fill 3 small pieces or 2 big pieces of puttu). In Cherata also you can do some innovations while filling the content so that you can have the puttu in layers. Once it is cooked in the steam, it is ready to be served!! Push the 'puttu' by inverting the koyal, cherata.

Bhakti Yoga - 'Puttu' is generally taken with Papadam, Pazham (banana), kadala curry or stew. Some of them even have it with milk or sugar. The taste and preparations vary from home to home. So invent your puttu and share your experience!!

Love & EnJoy

Raggi - The Health Drink

2009-02-20T23:03:00.000-08:00

Bored of the tea, coffee, chukku kapi, bournvita, horlicks , complan and a whole lot of health drinks in the past few months, last week I had been to the Bangalore ashram (Art of Living International centre) and they have their Sri Sri Ayurveda store in their campus. As a health & wellness freak I couldnt stop myself from entering the store. The products in Sri Sri Ayurveda are prepared by Divya Aushadhi process (Divine process) so that the person who consumes also experiences divinity and gets rid of all his health problems. The factory staff are regular in their kriya, sadhana, sattvic food habits etc which eventually reflects in their products they manufacture.

I got the natural ragi powder (called as finger millet in english) which was available in flavours - elaichi, vanilla, chocolate etc . Probably catering to the taste of children (or else they wouldnt want to consume ragi with so many fancily packed health drinks available in the market). Now ragi forms a part of my breakfast every morning because its very nutritious and good for health. You also need not bother about the caffeine content, acidity etc.

Ingredients - Gnana Yoga

1 spoon Ragi

2 pieces of Vellam (Jaggery)

(You can use sugar also, however if you want to maintain sattva preferable to use 'achu vellam'. Also the ragi tastes much better with jaggery more than sugar)

Method - Karma Yoga

The preparation is quite simple. Keep some hot water to boil. Make a paste of ragi in a small dish. Once the hot water boils, you may put the jaggery in it. Once it melts you can add the ragi paste. Stir the drink and serve hot.

Bhakti Yoga - Meditation is the comfort in life - Sri Sri

So have the ragi health drink in a meditative mode :>)

With the globe moving towards health & wellness I hope we have a Raggi Vending Machine in every office, every busy street, malls, schools and colleges etc. In Karnataka they prepare raggi mudde for breakfast, raggi dosa, raggi upma, ragi roti etc for tiffin (evening snack). Will explore more and let you know about this wonder food in the next series - Ragi Express!!

Love & Gratitude

Vegetable Stew - Morning Breakfast

2009-02-20T08:39:00.000-08:00

Being a tambrahm I didnt know this recipe - vegetable stew unless I learnt it from my MIL. Stew was not a common recipe at home. There are lot of mallu specialities which I have learnt in the last 2 years. For the extended family its a favourite recipe which has to be had very frequently as an accompaniment to the main recipes like appam, chappati, idiappam etc. Any Kerala food , there has to be coconut ingredients in it as it is available in abundance.

It is weekend time and the fridge needs to be cleared of its stocks. So for breakfast this morning, I prepared vegetable stew in my style. If you are fond of vegetables you can fit in any veggie that you need to add.

So here goes the karma yoga for Vegetable Stew!!

Ingredients (basically whatever vegetables left over in the fridge)

2 -3 potatoes

1 onion (optional if you want the stew to be highly saatvic)

2 carrots

10 pieces beans

Some green peas ( I have not added in this recipe, but you can add)

2 pieces capsicum (optional)

4 -5 Beans

Ginger finally chopped

3 Green Chillies

10 - 12 Curry Leaves

1 Grated Coconut

1 tbsp Salt to taste

Ideally, you have to grate the coconut and then get the thick coconut milk from it. However, I had to rush to work today and I used the ready made one (coconut milk hommade - dabur). The readymade milk is also quite thick. Its just that we cant store it for more than a week.

Method

All the vegetables to be cubed. You can slit the gree chillies also pressure cook it along with the other vegetables. Ensure that the veggies are not overcooked. (2 whistles max) The vegetables need to retain their cubed form. You can add the curry leaves also when you pressure cook.

Then add this thick coconut milk to the vegetables and mix it well. If you wish to you can boil it for 2 minutes. You can smash 4 pieces of potato in the mix so that it gives a unique taste to the stew. It is the curry leaves and the finely chopped ginger which gives the stew its divine flavour.

Bhakti Tip - Garnish it with love and devotion. Any one can cook. A few years ago I thought that I cannot be one, but now I am improving and I am quite happy with my progress. So just go and cook!!

Be faithful in small things because it is in them that your strength lies - Mother Theresa

One World, One Space

2009-02-20T01:04:00.000-08:00

This is my new World space receiver, got it gifted my loving sister. It has got more than 40 channels which one can tune into. Its day 1 and day 2 so a lot more to explore. I started my day with the radio art of living this morning . It has soul stirring flue recitals in the morning, followed by some divine bhajans which can take you to a different plane of existence all together. It also has talks on various subjects by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in repeated intervals throughout the day. Some of them so adapted to your current situation and circumstance in life. The talks offer practical solutions to complex problems – some of them so simple. There are some guided meditation cassettes and Ayurveda medicines that I have got recently from their ashram in Bangalore. Apart from that I also loved the logo of this beautiful swan which is spreading its waves throughout the world through the satellite radio medium.

Shruti is one more channel which I found quite interesting. During the days I learned music my teacher used to emphasize on listening more carnatic classical music to be able to understand shruti, bhava, ragas etc. However due to academic pressure, it was not possible to do all this then and also there were more cassettes unlike MP3, CDs and Ipod today. The channel has carnatic music played all throughout the day with so many artists of the past and present giving you a blend of both classical, current and fusion music (instrumental) . For anyone who loves carnatic music Shruti is simply the best. The shruti logo is the Meera with the tanpura in her hand (reminded me of the meera bhajans sung in devotion for Lord Krishna)

As I listen to the other channels, will keep you all posted about what a small receiver can do and also offer so much food for thought, food for soul. Love you World Space!! God is one, God is one, God is one for everyone!!!

Love is not an emotion, love is your very existence – Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Mobile Wellness Gadget

2009-02-19T22:16:00.000-08:00

Wondering what are the items that you are seeing in this picture. They are my mobile wellness gadgets which I carry whenever I am travelling. There are 2or 3 items which I also carry to work so that on the way I can make use of them and see their impact on my health. In my previous posts I have mentioned about your health is in your hands. In olden days people had manual tasks be it cooking, cleaning etc. There were lot of things which were not mechanized like it is today. Today we have gone one step further from mechanization to the shrinking size of technology as each day passes. The world is also in our hands. (ipod, iphone, palmtops) . But don’t forget that your wellness also is your responsibility and unless you take steps to improve it no god can help you.

The pen type gadget you see in this picture can be used to massage points in your palms. As you do this you will realize if you have any pain in a particular part (go by the sensation) . This means that part of your body needs attention, there is some kind of imbalance. Every day early in the morning you can massage all your pressure points for atleast 1 minute each. It just takes 10 minutes overall. If you are extremely busy, you can carry some of these acupressure gadgets so that you can use while you are travelling. You can also see there are 2 wooden acupressure balls. Need to keep it in your hands and press it for about 5 minutes in the morning and in the night. The one which bears the shape of a tongue cleaner is actually used to massage your fingers. Because it is in the fingers that the secret for your sense organs like ears, nose etc are present. There is one wooden prick roller which I use for massaging the feet after a hard day’s work. These gadgets are available in any local wellness store in India and now even in the West. These are prepared from any wasted wooden pieces after in the process of making furniture.

The man is making the attukal(stone grinder) by carving. In certain parts of South India this gadget is used in making dosa batter. Grinding in this gives the food its original taste and ofcourse the required minerals.

In olden days women in India used to beat the curds with a wooden stick, traditionally called “ mattu” to convert them into butter milk. Probably this served as an acupressure for the palms. Grinding the dosa batter in the stone carved (Attu kal) would be good exercise for the shoulders and the entire neck region. If you have experienced grinding the dosa batter in the attukal you would have realized your breath also changes with the pace of your grinding. May be this was their sudarshan kriya (breathing technique taught in Art of Living programs worldwide). Even the clothese washing was different. There used to be a stone placed outside every home or in the backyard where people would wash clothes by hitting it hard on the stone. Also drawing water from the well each time they needed water. So all this in some way or the other has had an impact on their health and longevity.

I have also attached the picture of various organs in our body and their position in our hands and legs (foot chart is not attached). This will give a better idea of how to use these acupressure gadgets to your advantage. Ensure that you do not overdo any of these or else all your organs can start overworking. Just use these items for 10 – 15 minutes in the morning and at night. For more detailed explanations on every point and treatments you can refer to Health in your Hands – Volume 1 and Volume 2 by Devendra Vohra. Hope you are benefited by this chart .

Celebrate Recession

2009-02-19T02:47:00.000-08:00

Recession is just like the recess we had in school to eat our tiffins. In school we had this break after the first 5 classes, which was called as a recess. So as in my earlier posts, there are good ways to help yourself getting depressed from this recession. The first and the foremost is to change your thinking. Think that God is granting your last holiday and you are going to enjoy this break as if you were never going to be born in this planet again. This thought is much better than thinking about yourself all day and get depressed.

So celebrate your recession, initially its easier said than done, but celebrate this recession. You are a rich person because you have all the time in this world.

Wake up early and go for a walk. If you have not been able to stick to your exercise regimen or fitness resolutions get it back on track. Yoga, pranayama and meditation will also help in the early morning.

Ensure that you plan a healthy breakfast for the entire family a day in advance and go to the supermarket and shop for all the vegetables and groceries. This can take quite a lot of time and planning the entire week. Post breakfast and after sending children to school, you can be with your plants for some time. For a change interact with the plants (they tend to listen more carefully and respond better in the form of better flowers & fruits). I am not joking because this is my personal experience when I give reiki to plants. If you are a nature enthusiast you could also consider talking to a tree in the garden, people walking around will also have fun.

Give up the idiot box, newspapers, self development books also . The television is not going to help you. It is only going to give a rise to your feverishness as you come to know that more people have been laid off. The media is not going to stop this because they know that they need to earn money. Instead play any musical instrument of your choice and learn to play more songs. If you are singer or wish to learn music probably you could consider that also. How about learning a new language from your neighbor. Plan your next day’s recipes as if you were to present it in your board meeting (wife and children). Instead of the idiot box get hooked to your Ipod or may be if you have a satellite radio channel which plays the songs of your choice (preferably choose the health, wellness, lifestyle channel) . They have lots of good music which is pleasant for your soul.

Post lunch should be the activity time, You have no choice but to draw, sketch and paint till tea time. You have to discover the artist in your. Who knows you might want to change your profession and want to open up a new art gallery. This recession could also be a turning point in your life in terms of discovering your true vocation. Most of us don’t choose our professions correctly and end up slogging for livelihood. This is the right time to pursue what we love to do.

Engage yourself in social service. There are so many NGOs and organizations working today for specific causes relating to global warming, social issues etc. If you have expertise in dealing with administration, counseling services or any skill that you can help them with, this is the best time to give back to society in terms of your time and skills. Play with your children and read good bed time stories for your children(imparts moral values), help your wife with household chores and talk with your parents. They are angels who love unconditionally throughout our lives. They need us and let’s spend the best time with them instead of cribbing and brooding over the recession. There are some things which we can’t control, they just happen like calamities. But there is ray of hope, that things will become normal. Bad times never exist always and they have to come for us to treasure the good times.

Love & Grace

Make Life a Celebration for Life is short!

Blog Trafficking

2009-02-18T22:34:00.000-08:00

Everybody has been listening, reading, seeing, editing and uploading their blogs. Some have already started their vlogs (Video logging) But what the average blogger or avid blogger wants is traffic! We don’t prefer traffic jams in roads on the way to work or home, but we wish traffic for our blogs. Why do we wish traffic for our blogs? So that we get the motivation to post better blogs, to earn money by placing more adverts on the blog or basically just creating awareness and educating people about several environmental issues, citizen awareness issues, social trends etc. Some don’t bother but a good traffic to ones blog also motivates you to blog more and better. Blog trafficking, Here are some tips which I feel are relevant

Originality in content – Since the world wide web is like the entire universe, you have many web pages which give you the copy paste option to your blog. However, it doesn’t work if you copy paste for too long. What is needed is originality in content on the topic that you wish to write. The experience shared by a blogger has more power in improving readership and attracts more followers to your blog. So keep aside the copycat marketing for a while and explore your own creativity. You too will be surprised to know that how creative you can get at times.

Maintain One Blog – I have read quite a few blogs and viewed blogger profiles and I realized there are more than one blog which a blogger has to maintain. There were 8 -9 blogs one had to manage. Don’t you think too many blogs also creates clutter and managing them becomes a very cumbersome exercise. It helps in posting one or two blogs regularly. In order to generate traffic many bloggers follow unnecessary blogs which doesn’t generate loyal traffic to the blog. Even this is not recommend. Follow only those blogs which are relevant to you and you wish to follow. Too many cooks spoil the broth.

Pictures – Pictures speak a thousand words. The intelligent use of pictures along with the posting content can keep the reader interested. Engaging your reader is very important and therefore ensure you write from your own experiences on food, travel, living, lifestyle, books etc. Something which is not authentic is never read. Just think about yourself and what articles you read in the newspaper this morning. You would be uninterested with some content as soon as you begin to read.

Be generous – Read other relevant blogs of interest to you and comment on them. If you are a selfish blogger you also invite selfish readers L. Do not hoard if you wish to comment on the posting, give feedback, give tips to improve the blog or praise the blog. Spread your knowledge so that it grows more and more. As you sow so shall you reap. For god sake do not blog just because your neighbor next door is blogging or a favorite celebrity is blogging. I am now studying blog behaviour (blogging, reading blogs, posting blogs etc)

Everyone talks about search engine optimization , key word density, tagging, archiving to generate more traffic to the blog, however I would tell all bloggers to optimize their content. Write what the world wants you to write, think what the world is thinking at the moment, I am sure someone else in the world is also thinking what you are thinking. Someone else is also planning to cook what you are cooking. After all we live in One World, One family – Vasudeva Kutumbakam

Blog your heart!! Blog smart!! – Janaki Gopikrishna

MatriMoney – Matter of Money

2009-02-18T02:49:00.000-08:00

Today, there is a new industry emerging of getting two people together through the internet medium. It’s an industry worth more than Rs 125,000 crore and growing at 25 per cent every year, so anyone who can find an avenue would like to attach themselves to the great Indian extravaganza. Matrimony is taking place with internet playing a major role. In earlier days marriages happened in India by exchanging horoscopes and checking the astrological compatibilities. Word of mouth advertising in social circles and family circles also helped in getting two people closer within a particular community and getting into a wedlock. But as times have changed, net meeting and net marriages have become common. People get introduced to each other on social networking platforms through common friends and take the relationship forward to a marriage. This trend is also showing the launch of a new marriage portal being heavily advertised and launched every week. Simply Marry, Shaadi, Vivah, Svayamvara, Muhurat etc are the common marketing words and platforms used to market marriages. Meeting points are created for elders and couples to meet after the net meeting takes place and the horoscopes have matched . After several meetings and discussions if the families and couples find each other compatible they go ahead with the marriages.

Parents who are not very tech savvy in searching the soul mates for their sons and daughters are forced to learn basic computing skills now to check prospective profiles online. After all they wish for a long and happy matrimony for their children. Earlier days the marriage classifieds with prospective bride and bridegrooms appeared in the Sunday newspapers. Now the entire model has shifted to the internet where photos, likes, dislikes, horoscopes etc can be posted. The truth is that even your marriage has become a source of income for many right from the search stage to the wedding completion stage advertisers, portal owner who is now the marriage broker, wedding planners, caterers, decorators. Some of these advanced wedding planners also take the contract for arranging honeymoons to scenic locations for the couples.

Firstly the matrimonial website helps you in finding the perfect match for your life and then the post search stage is also taken care by the wedding planners and enthusiastic event managers. They will customize their service offerings based on your needs, religious beliefs and specific rituals (wedding practices followed in your custom. Decoration, food, clothing requires a special set of planning. Taking care of the guests, attending to the partners family, being hospitable to all is part and parcel of the entire package (goes without saying). InIndia , marriages are one of the important samskaras and huge amounts of money is spent on weddings to prove social status and celebrate with the entire family. Significant amount of savings are accumulated from an early stage for the wedding affair in the family .Many of them also take loans for the weddings. 30 – 40% goes for the designer jewellery, clothing, 10 % for the invitation cards, food and entertainment services (concert, dance show post wedding). These wedding planners can even plan marriages in palaces, forts, mountains, temples in India to have a unique marriage experiences. This is called as wedding tourism

Marriage now means business and it’s becoming a business more people want to get into. For many of you who have been hit by the recession, probably should try being a wedding planner or a event manager. Touted as a recession free business, entrepreneurs are trying to cash in on the burgeoning business opportunity being posed by weddings. On the other hand there are also weddings which are conducted by many institutions if a couple wants to get married in a particular tradition in a low profile manner without much fanfare and just the family members present . Mass marriages are also conducted for couples those who cannot afford to have abig fat Indian wedding. And those who believe in not spending heavily on marriages. Both forms are available, an individual needs to choose what type of wedding he/she wants.

The Sexiest Vegetarian

2009-02-17T21:18:00.000-08:00

A leading news channel posted the photos of the Sexiest vegetarian on this planet yesterday. What surprised me was the sexy element attached to being a vegetarian? Or was it just an exercise to make people embrace vegetarianism . But one thing is for sure, it was a celebrity endorsement to be a vegetarian. In ancient times, by means of religion an individual was conditioned to be a veggie. But over a period of time the eating preferences have changed. The new generation wants to explore food fusion and therefore lot of birds and animals have to lose their life in the process. They become breakfast for some, lunch for many and dinner for the majority when they have a major role to play in maintaining our biodiversity, preserving the climate on this planet in their own natural ways. No wonder we are seeing so many NGOs coming up for ethical treatment of birds and animals, fund raising for their cause so that they don’t become extinct.

Do not wait for leaders, do it alone person to person – Mother Theresa

It is said that vegetarian food takes just 3 or 4 hours to digest completely whereas the non vegetarian food takes more than 3 days to digest. Over a period of time it remains in our system and starts reflecting as obesity, cardiovascular problems like cholesterol, indigestion etc. Research has also proved that vegetarian food is good for health, longevity and wellbeing. The same rule applies to the Chinese food also which is available in plenty in Indian cities. Most of the Chinese food gets cooked in oil, vinegar, preservatives and the rice and vegetable are half cooked, resulting in poor digestion. We need to embrace all cultures, tradition, cuisine but must also ensure good maintenance for our own body and this planet. By being a vegetarian you also use less energy from the earth to digest your food. If you are a hard core non veg eater then you take more energy from the earth to digest your foods. Nature has its own laws and it calculates the energy deposits, withdrawals perfectly.

To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction – Newton’s Third Law of Motion

The new age mantra is to be sexy by adopting vegetarian food habits. Who said vegetarians are not strong ? Elephant is the most gigantic animal on earth and guess what? It is intelligent ,powerful and strong.

So do not wait for Kareena Kapoor, Mallika Sherawat to turn vegetarians, in order to save yourself and this planet. Go green! Eat Green Vegetables and cleanse your body and mind and help the planet in maintaining its natural beauty, bio diversity. In the west, more and more people are embracing a vegetarian diet, however they need to curb the practice of food wastage. A diet rich in vegetables, fruit juices also helps in maintaining sattva and more concentration on spiritual practices is possible. There are many vegetarian recipes, websites and blogs available online to help you with your vegan diet. So don’t wait to change

In the meanwhile, I too have to be in the list of sexiest vegetarian J

"For as long as men massacre animals, they will kill each other. Indeed, he who sows the seed of murder and pain cannot reap joy and love."- Pythagoras, mathematician

Health is in your Hands

2009-02-17T04:25:00.000-08:00

Thanks to the fast paced life and monotonous human life, the alternative healing therapies have got their market share. Every urban city street in India boasts of a Ayurveda clinic, health spa, yoga class or some alternative healing clinic. Employees in my office feel it’s fashionable to have lunch late to prove that they have loads of work, some of them are hooked to their mobile phones throughout the day, they find this happening!! But what they fail to realize is the punishment that they are giving their own body and mind. Eventually the bodily distress and mind problems appear (body mind complex) . Therefore, I feel if you want good health, good living and a good life YOU are responsible for it. God can help only those who help themselves. Only You can help yourself from this state because Your health is in your hands.

Good living, healthy food habits etc is a culture. It is a habit which has to be mastered continuously. Regular meditation and pranayam is also a culture that you build into your daily routine. But with materialistic desires and fast life, we are unable to juggle with the spiritual and material. There are many alternative healing services available in the health & wellness market today. So here again the intelligent consumer has to choose what he wants and make wise choices . The purpose of all these products is to uplift your spirit. But do not get entangled in the long spiritual shopping list and alternative healing supermarket. In order to progress in this path also, there is a commitment required from the seeker. There is so much reading material available on the internet today for alternative therapies that anyone can get confused and misled. For instance, the practice of reiki has now taken forms like animal reiki, plant reiki, karuna reiki, crystal reiki, chakra reiki so on and so forth. However, reiki is just plain and simple reiki – its connecting to the universal life force energy which is called as prana in Sanskrit and chi in Chinese.

The world is waking up to the immense benefits and relief these practices have to offer. However, it is very essential to adopt practices like yoga, pranayama and meditation in our everyday lives just like we brush our teeth, take bath, eat, sleep and drink. They have their own benefits which we can experience in our overall wellbeing. Having undergone self development programs , lectures, workshops over the last few years and read some of the best seller books in spirituality, I think they all have the same lessons to teach, it’s just that their formats are different. Their primary purpose is to offer the path of enlightenment, happiness and relief from any pain and suffering. Following are few techniques which I have experienced and incorporated in my daily life.

Reiki – is a healing technique given by Mikao Usui where the life force energy is channelized through the palms. The energy can also be channelized through distant healing by certain symbols. The reiki attunements are given by a reiki master to the healer .The healer has to abide by the reiki principles given by Usui.

Some of the Reiki principles are

Just for today I will not worry

Just for today I will not anger

Just for today I will live with the attitude of gratitude

Just for today I will work honestly

Just for today I will respect and honour my parents, teachers & elders

These were the 5 reiki principles which Mikao Usui gave it to the practitioners of reiki. If you read all these principles carefully, it mentions ‘Just for today’, ‘’Just for today’’ which emphasizes on the need to live in the moment and make the most of the present. Worry is mainly of the future and anger is of the past. Most of us vacillate between these two states. These teachings are timeless wisdom.

Recently I was also reading a book by Devendra Vohra about Health in your Hands. The book has two volumes and explains the human body and its function just like a machine. For any imbalance or disorder the book also addresses the cause and effect. By pressing some pressure points in our palms and foot we can get relieved of our stresses and strains. This has to be done regularly, but the results are phenomenal for all problems. Most of the complex problems in our lives just have simple solutions. I just press the pressure points on my finger tips to get myself relieved of cold and headaches. Within a few hours or minutes it just vanishes away.

Most of our ancestors incorporated all these techniques unknowingly in their daily lives and that is their secret to a happy and long life. They have followed the disciplined exercise regimen, healthy eating habits and not to forget the ayurvedic massages.

Tomato Fry - Fast, Tasty & Easy

2009-02-16T21:35:00.000-08:00

Tomato Fry - Fast, Tasty & Easy

Good Morning Folks, I am trying my first recipe in writing today. Never attempted writing recipes before, though struggled to make quite a few of them. Tomato Fry is one of the first recipes which I learned to make from my extended family. You can say this is our family recipe because everyone knows to make it and the ingredients by heart. (just like we have our national anthem, national bird etc). So let’s begin the Karma yoga technique for this recipe before we eat with Bhakti.

Tomatoes are a great source of Vitamin C if they are fresh. They have the lycopene antioxidant which helps in fighting cancer and heart disease. (Gyaan - Lycopene is the most common carotenoid in the human body and is one of the most potent carotenoid antioxidants)

Ingredients

5 -6 tomatoes – Ensure that they are juicy red tomatoes (not the green tomatoes)

2 onions

1tbsp – turmeric

1 tbsp – Salt

Coriander Leaves

2 Green Chillies

Mustard seeds

Urad Dal

Procedure

Clean and wash the tomatoes before you cut them into long pieces. Onions also need to be cut in long pieces (in most recipes the onion is finely grated into small pieces).

Once these items are chopped, pour the oil in a frying pan, once its heated drop the mustard seeds and urad dal in it. Once the urad dal becomes light pink in color, you can add the chopped onions and the green chillies. You may wish to add a bit of ginger garlic paste for better taste. Heat it till the onion turns slightly pink in color. Add the tomatoes and nicely mix it. After this some turmeric can be added. (Turmeric is an antioxidant and therefore its widely used in Indian cooking. It develops resistance in common cold & flu). If you wish, you can add little jeera powder and methi powder (fenugreek seeds powdered) for good taste.

Keep the lid closed, let the tomatoes & onion cook. As the Tomato Fry is getting ready you will see that the juices from the tomato have mixed well with the onions, that adds taste to this fry. This can get ready within 10 minutes. You can add the coriander leaves for garnish.

This recipe can be used as a side dish for Chapattis, roti, appam, dosas, iddiappam and pav (Indian bread) . The combination tastes super. Eat with Bhakti. Stomach gets filled faster.

In every culture & tradition there is a practice of saying prayers before having food. But with respect to some cooks prayers is a must always. Hahahhaha!! So you figure out what type of a cook are you. Happy Cooking.

Hope I have not done a Bheja Fry J. I am carrying this recipe for lunch today and those of you wish to join me can let me know their experience of making this recipe.

'' Love begins at home, and it is not how much we do... but how much love we put in that action'' - Mother Theresa

Chanakya Niti - Arthashastra and Nitishastra

2009-02-16T02:26:00.000-08:00

What management teaches us today with jazzy power point presentations in air conditioned rooms, the ancient kings taught their prajas in the durbars ; Chanakya and Lord Krishna taught us thousands of years ago in the war field. It’s just that over a period of years the format for presenting this knowledge has changed and got distorted. Most of the books on strategy and self development which are written by the present age scholars and self acclaimed gurus owe their success to all these ancient spiritual philosophers and sacred texts. This knowledge is a timeless wisdom and therefore it has sustained civilizations, ages and times. With the changing face of the society and man’s quest for knowledge the format for presenting these truth has changed. I think the corporate world today has a lot to learn from these ancient management techniques in the area of administration, better time management , ethics, leadership, communication skills, team work and etiquette. Recently we had a training at our office and it was conducted in the Large Scale Interactive Process (LSIP)method, however this form of training was practiced in the ancient gurukul system where students were grouped into smaller study groups encouraging team work, sharing, accepting others opinions and assimilation of knowledge.

The other day I received an email from my closest pal, aged 12 regarding Chanakya and his sutras. He was learning about Chanakya in history and it compelled him to learn more about his teachings. Once I read the sutras I was convinced about its application even in the current times. The knowledge is very much alive, it’s just that people have to become more aware, take little time off to read the old scriptures, the purports, understand the meaning behind those sacred texts. What is called as globalization today, was coined by the ancient sages and rishis as “Vasudeva Kutumbakam” – One World, One Family long ago . It’s just that over the last few years the senior management is realizing the importance of these old shastras in current times, though many are still skeptical. They rely on foreign authors, speakers and management gurus without realizing the fact that this knowledge originated in their own land. All these workshops and seminars are heavily priced at the leadership level.

Two books are attributed to Chanakya: Arthashastra and Nitishastra which is also known as Chanakya Niti. The Arthashastra discusses monetary and fiscal policies, welfare, international relations, and war strategies in detail. Nitishastra is a treatise on the ideal way of life, and shows Chanakya's in depth study of the Indian way of life.

A few of these sutras and their relevance in current times from Chanakya’s desk
1) "Learn from the mistakes of others... you can't live long enough to make them all yourselves!! " - Chanakya
One of the most important sutra which is relevant in today’s time after the Satyam episode. All the senior management must have this sutra on their desktops. Business must be conducted in a ethical manner though the motive is profits. Maximization of profit must not be at the cost of cheating people and unethical trade practices.

2)"A person should not be too honest. Straight trees are cut first and Honest people are screwed first."- Chanakya
Most of us would have experienced this in relation to our government services. You try to be transparent and open to the government officials if you have broken the rules, but the policeman favors the person who has violated the traffic rules and offers him a bribe. In the worldly life, survival is of great importance. Every individual must be able to apply these rules for his livelihood and survival.
3)"Even if a snake is not poisonous, it should pretend to be venomous."- Chanakya
A wise person will never get angry on himself and others, he will only show anger just like a mother does to her child. Similarly, in business if your competitors are ahead of you and a threat to your market share then ensure that your marketing strategy is competitive enough to entice the customer and give the competition a tough fight.
4)"The biggest guru-mantra is: Never share your secrets with anybody. It will destroy you."- Chanakya
I am sure the patent , trademark theory in business originated from this sutra. That is the reason that many corporates today patent their inventions and protect their trademarks, logos and any developments in research. In business terms any new technological innovation can be monetised and if it has to saved from the competitor then it has to be patented.

5)"There is some self-interest behind every friendship. There is no friendship without self-interests. This is a bitter truth." - Chanakya
This relationship is so true in today’s context where a media company supports a particular political party. Or a political party is too friendly with a media channel. It’s a relationship of TRPs and reach to a better voter base. The bitter truth is very evident by the media coverage. We are made fools by our very own people and media. Similar example is of freebies that are being offered by the retailers to clear of their inventory. But human beings keep on accumulating loads of stuff which is not necessary for them.

6)" Before you start some work, always ask yourself three questions - Why am I doing it, What the results might be and Will I be successful. Only when you think deeply and find satisfactory answers to these questions, go ahead."
- Chanakya
Such a beautiful anecdote given by Chanakya on planning before proceeding with any kind of project. Create the objective and scope of the project clearly before proceeding for execution. More often projects are started with huge investments without a clear idea of their feasibility and success rate.
7)"As soon as the fear approaches near, attack and destroy it."
- Chanakya
We all have fear in some form or the other. Fear of speaking in public, fear of heights etc. Slowly and steadily we need to work on our way to fearlessness individually and professionally also. Some companies also do not come out in open fearing that they may lose business or their manpower would be poached. However, this fear has to be removed by empowering people within the company and creating a good professional reputation for the business.
8)"The world's biggest power is the youth and beauty of a woman."
- Chanakya
In India currently our population is 50 % youth and this is the best time to get the youth to vote and get good leadership in the country. Today’s youth has a global outlook and is willing to take lot of responsibility for the country. Many of them run their own service projects and NGOs dealing with specific social and rural issues. Woman empowerment has also helped women seek better careers and professions which was just a dream in the past. Women are born leaders.
9)"Once you start a working on something, don't be afraid of failure and don't abandon it. People who work sincerely are the happiest." - Chanakya

10)"The fragrance of flowers spreads only in the direction of the wind. But the goodness of a person spreads in all direction." - Chanakya
This sutra is applicable to all the people who devote themselves in the serive of the poor and the needy and empower people in all ways. In our current times Mata Amritanandamayi, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba Ramdev etc are doing good social service and empowering the globe helping in peace efforts, betterment of health, stress management.
11)"God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple."
- Chanakya
The current scenario in the world of terrorism is created because of the wrong ideologies of God. Chanakya explained this in his sutras in such a simple manner that god is the feelings in the human being. Our spiritual journey towards our Self is of utmost important to understand God. Majority of the wars are manmade in the name of God.
12) "A man is great by deeds, not by birth."
- Chanakya
The other day I had got a forward asking me to remember the last 10 Nobel Prize winners. With great difficulty I could manage 2 names. But when i was asked to name the people who put a smile on my face, who could help me in troubled times, I could easily list 5 names. Every person has immense potential and it just needs to blossom.
13) "Never make friends with people who are above or below you in status. Such friendships will never give you any happiness."
- Chanakya
Much before Dale Carnegie wrote How to make friends and influence people? Chanakya has given a one liner on making friends
14) "Treat your kid like a darling for the first five years. For the next five years, scold them. By the time they turn sixteen, treat them like a friend. Your grown up children are your best friends." - Chanakya

A very beautiful tip on parenting, the way to deal with children in various age groups.

15) "Books are as useful to a stupid person as a mirror is useful to a blind person."
- Chanakya
Many of us do not read books which will open our mind and help us in broad thinking. We are too busy with prime time television and soap operas. It is the time to get back to our sacred texts, scriptures, understand the meaning and give the right interpretations to our next generation. They help us in building good human values. Not many parents read stories to their children these days because they are too busy with soap operas or busy with gadgets (mobile phones, laptops) etc.
16) "Education is the best friend. An educated person is respected everywhere. Education beats the beauty and the youth." -Chanakya

The need of the hour in India is the education of the rural youth, children and women. We will pave our way for success if we empower the rural public. They are more action oriented and need direction. Only Youth can empower youth and You, so let each one of us take responsibilities in whatever way possible.

The Divine is the Valentine - Om Namo Narayani

2009-02-15T02:46:00.000-08:00

Make the divine your Valentine - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

This valentine we tried to make it special by visiting the Sripuram - Spiritual Oasis in Thirumalaikodi in Vellore, Tamil Nadu. It was 5.00 am in the morning, took a cold shower, packed the breakfast (not sure of good eateries on the way) and left to the nearby busstand. We had to board the bus leaving for Chennai and get down on the way at Vellore. It took us about 4 hours to reach Vellore from Bangalore. By 11.30 a.m we reached Vellore bus stand and then took another bus to the Golden Temple, Vellore. There was lot of rush as people from the nearby states of South India would plan a visit to this marvellous structure on the weekend.

The entry to the temple is very strict. We have to submit our mobile phones, camera and any handbaggage before we enter the temple premises. All these services are very well organised with proper queue and coupon systems. So atleast you are assured that your items are safe and secure. We collected our Divya Darshan pass (Rs.100/- each) to escape the queue and meet the goddess a bit early. But the experience to the main temple was amazing as we had to passed through a star shaped pathway.

In between the star shaped pathway is where the goddess resides. In and around this star shaped pathway are beautiful sutras which are given by Shakthi Amma (the spiritual master) who is the inspiration behind Sreepuram. Every step that we took to the temple was unique as we read the sutras. It was a message from the God to practice all these basic principles in life before we reach him. Some of these sutras were

You become what you think

Only as a human being can we offer services to other people who are less fortunate and needy

Chanting and mantras can create divine energy and help in soul cleansing

Every human being requirs a 'Guru' to remove the bad karma and lead him to the patch of righteousness

Good Thoughts, Good deeds, Good actions

Surrender to the divine can help you from all your worries.

Throughout the day there are various pujas which are conducted at Sripuram for world peace, happiness and unity. The chanting of ''Om Namo Narayani'' and bhajans were on throughout as we walked towards the temple. The area around the Sreepuram Golden temple is sorrounded by a water pool. As always devotees want to satisfy their wishes. I saw many people offering coins in the pool and a few women even praying and offering their bangles in the water. I am not too sure why they do this, but many were. As we entered the temple, the yellow metal gold started reflecting in the eyes as if a thousand rays of the sun. The chandeliers from the cieling we are all glittering. There were pillars around which had the golden elephant and the mandarin ducks.

As the queue moved, we seeked the blessing of the Goddess Lakshmi Narayani. After the darshan, we have to move out through the last phase of the start shaped pathway again to the exit. Here again, those sutras were listed to remind about peace, unity, happiness and fulfillment in life. It is said that certain shapes can attract divine energy and therefore the Devi is placed in between the symbol. The beautiful landscaped gardens also have the statues of Devas which makes it look like a Secret Garden. As we came out of the temple, we were offered prasadam and then we moved ahead to the Annalakshmi restaurant to have lunch. The food was sumptuous and divine. Then we proceeded for our retun journey to Bangalore by bus.

The golden temple at Sreepuram, Vellore is a place every devotee must visit , if you have not been able to visit the Amritsar Golden Temple in Punjab.

Sarva Mangala Mangalye

Shive Sarvartha Saadhige

Sharnaye Thiryiambike Gowri
Narayani Namosthuthe

Om Namo Narayani

For more details you can visit http://www.sreepuram.org/

http://www.narayanipeedam.org/

Meditation Booms, Recession Looms

2009-02-13T02:47:00.000-08:00

A group of employees from a well known IT company with pink colored slips in their hand came running to Lord Vishnu. They were all crying and concerned about their job loss and worried about running their families in the months to come. Lord Vishnu, cool and relaxed as always asked them all not to worry and dive deep into their Self. As the employees asked how, the Lord replied “ Meditate more, Mall Less J Save More, Spend Less J Remember me more, Think of me at least one minute everyday with devotion!!Goddess Laxmi didn’t wish to comment as she was adoring Lord Vishnu and his styleJ. Brahma was busy recreating the whole world and was in trance. Lord Shiva was not present, he was busy performing his duties of a destroyer (destroyer of evil) on earth. It was time to protect earth from all adversities. Mans desire to acquire more wealth had depleted enough natural resources in the planet causing enough turmoil in the form of environmental problems – climate changes, global warming, green house gas emissions, extinction of species affecting bio diversity. So the Gods decided to have a board meeting where they decided and planned this recession. They ensured that they will teach the world a lesson this time – a lesson which they will never forget for many lifetimes. See there would not be even a single human being on this planet who has not learnt anything from the current scene which is expected to last for a few more months - years.

Uncertainty!! Job Cuts!! Recession!! Melt Down! Bailout all these are just the most read and spoken words for the last couple of months in the news papers, social functions and friend circles. We started of the New Year of 2009 with the Satyam fiasco. Also read somewhere that the marriage market also has seen a slowdown because or prospective marriage guys/gals losing jobs. No new projects! Travel Ban for senior officials !! No sky rocketing salaries! Forget about the increments and bonuses this year. The happenings are very uncertain. But there is still a ray of hope. Now is the right time to pursue passion and what genuinely interests you. In our routine life we do not find enough time to pursue what we want to do, it may be our hobbies like writing poetry, reading story books, writing stories, blogging, listening and composing music, experimenting with cooking etc. So do not wait to pursue all this, just begin rather than just feeling too low about what is happening around. All these happenings are very cyclic in nature and we as individuals have no power to control them directly. Sensex shoots up high, so it has to have a correction. Job market which was good also needs to go through its cyclic fluctuation. Lets accept it as a blessing from God for self renewal and a chance for the entire world to heal, revive the global economy.

As I go through many blogs, chat rooms, Q & A everywhere the question is posed as to how to manage career gap, how to manage recessions, how to cut costs etc. Many of them have become restless and feverish reading the same news items, watching the same news, gossiping the same topic over and over again. But the only best way to deal with these times are to meditate more and relax one’s self, listen to the mind and body which otherwise has to go through the daily routine of hurry, worry and curry. Most of us take it for granted our daily blessings of getting to eat food, having a well paid job, buying branded clothes, dining in glamorous restaurants, frequently visiting pubs etc. We pay Rs.1500/- for a Reebok shoe, 2000/- for apparel and fashion accessories, then why can’t we pay for self development programs which are aimed at self renewal, helps with stress management. I often hear people commenting about the heavy charges levied for these meditation programs . I don’t deny that some of these programs are heavily priced but as a consumer you have the right to choose the best product here also. This recession is also a learning for the many IT head honchos and BPO professionals to take money seriously. What they earn can also be lost very easily if they don’t plan their finances properly or spend too much without saving a penny. So one may also infer that its gods divine plan to make many individuals understand the value of money and never take it for granted just because you have it. Spend it, respect it and use it wisely. In my earlier blog I have also written about the art of giving.

Spirituality is the only savior to help cope up with this recession and India can help the world cope up with this situation. Mass meditations, Mass Prayers, peace concerts, harmony fests, service projects will help the world change its course. India’s answer to the global recession

The South Indies

2009-02-12T03:26:00.000-08:00

I have heard of the West Indies when the cricket matches used to be on at home. My brothers watched these matches without giving access to the remote and carried it all along with them at home just like the mobile phone.

But this anniversary, I had a unique experience at South Indies for dinner . Guess what South Indies is all about? It’s a restaurant which serves authentic south Indian cuisine from Karnataka, Andhra, Tamil Nadu and Kerala in the perfect ambience and carnatic classical music in the background (frequently changed to fusion) . The food tastes so perfect, authentic and rich. There were those filter coffee vessels which were kept beside every table to remind you of the decoction “kapi”(coffee) . We had opted for a four course meal for dinner ;.) because it was unlimited though we knew we could have very little at the end of the day.

As we entered, we were served the tomato saar(from Kerala, basically our very own tomato soup) with some cooked beans. Then went on with the starters from four different states of India – Chena porichathu (yam marinated with red chillies paste, grated coconut and curry leaves, deep fried), Batata malligay (potato wedges marinated in coriander and spice, deep fried), cauliflower bezule (also one of the favourite dishes in Bangalore – version of gobi manchurian) , mokka junna miriyalu fry (wondering what this is – baby corn marinated with crushed pepper, tamarind and besan flower, deep fried) and our very own kuzhi paniyaram (shallow fried rice and urad dal dumplings) . This was itself quite heavy but hubby dearest had a super starter as I waited for the main course to begin. I just didn’t want my appetite to die fast because I wanted to try every dish on the menu ;.). The main course began by serving the mavinakkai menaskai (raw mango in a sweet and sour gravy) from Karnataka, karuvepilai pondu kuzhambu (a tangy and spicy gravy flavored with roasted garlic and currey leaves), mirapakaya pattani curry (yellow chillies and green peas cooked in a cashew and coconut based gravy) and finally our very own alleppey vegetable curry also called as vegetable stew at home ( mixed vegetables cooked in a coconut milk based gravy with ginger raw mango and green chillies. These curries being served in side plate and the neer dosa (handkerchief thin rice dosa)came first, had two servings 9was quiet light) and then came the appams (like dosa but not dosa – preparation varies). The appams and the vegetable stew were divine and the most happening. The coconut milk gravy was thick and the cooked vegetables just mesmerized our appetite wanting for more. After this feat, we were not spared by the hospitable restaurant staff, they got pudina rice and curd rice (staple food in most south Indian homes at anytime, any hour of the day). After all this, we just couldn’t get up from the table hahaha, so the finger bowl came to the table. The staff had got us the menu card if we wanted anything specific. It was not all over here , the desserts had to follow. We had a small serving of kasi halwa (stewed white pumpkin with saffron sugar) and ada pradhaman (rice flakes and jaggery cooked with coconut milk, flavored with cardamom). After this we were told about the new home delivery service which South Indies had started. Hubby and I looked at eachother with twinkling eyes and also about their new outlet opening up close to home.

Most of these dishes I also make at home, but the authentic taste of every item was good enough to be stored in my memory for the next visit. Looking forward to it. Do comment if anyone wants to join me for a treat.

Annam Brahma – In Indian traditions food is honored and respected for every occasion. Of course we must also keep in mind that we must eat to live and not live to eat.

Our scriptures say that the entire universe is present in one rice grain and food is always honored. In India the wastage of food is less compared to other countries because of our culture and religious traditions.

You can visit their website at www.thesouthindies.com

Picture courtesy (www.mydiversekitchen.blogspot.com)