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MAHAVIRA*:
A PICTURE OF PEACE SADHU VASWANI
Like the Buddha, Mahavira goes upon his great mission of teaching. For thirty years he moves from place to place. He preaches in Bengal and Bihar his great gospel of happiness. He takes his message even to savage tribes, unmindful of their cruel treatment to him. He goes on his mission to Srasvati and the Himalayas. How beautifully calm and patient he remains in the midst of many troubles and persecution! A teacher, he is, also an organiser. He has eleven chief disciples: over four thousand monks and laymen join in the faith. Brahmins and nonbrahmins are admitted to the *April 25 is sacred as Mahavir Jayanti.
fold. He is no believer in “caste”. He passes away on the Diwali Day in 526 B.C. at the age of seventy-two, in Pavapuri (Bihar). How beautiful the life of Mahavira! He goes from place to place to preach his doctrine and many mock at him: he is silent! At meetings they disturb him, insult him: he is silent! A band of men beat him in the forest as he sits in meditation: he is silent! A disciple of his deserts him and goes about spreading evil reports against him: he is silent! He becomes a Mahavira, a great victor, a superman, because he develops sati-shakti, the power of peace.
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A CHILD OF GOD* DADA J. P. VASWANI
Shanti was a true child of God. She was a pure soul — pure as a pearl, in the words of Sadhu Vaswani. Fair was her face and charming was her figure, and regal was her bearing. There came, one day, to Sadhu Vaswani a rich man, saying: “My son has recently returned from England, after acquiring a degree in Engineering. He has a well-paid post in an industrial concern. I am looking out for a suitable bride for him. I can think of none better than Shanti.” Sadhu Vaswani said to him: “I shall feel happy if dear Shanti gives her consent. I shall give her a lakh of rupees as my wedding present.” When the proposal was presented to Shanti, she gave her answer in the words of a song of Saint Mira: Mira is Thy bride, Beloved! Protect me then; * April 25 is sacred as Sister Shanti’s Birthday.
Guard Thou Mira’s honour, Lord! At Thy Lotus Feet Do I shelter seek! My refuge art Thou, Beloved! Shanti aspired to live at the Lotus Feet of the Lord, the Purest of the Pure. And each day she prayed for strength to dedicate herself — her heart and all its love — to the Lord and to Sadhu Vaswani who was, to her, a manifestation of the Lord. One day, Sadhu Vaswani said to her: “Tell me my child, what is your deepest aspiration?” And Shanti answered: “To become a bride of God!” “Then you must go into yourself,” said Sadhu Vaswani to her, “and chant the Holy Name!” And, again and again, she retired in silence into the depths within her. Is not our life — with its vain pursuits
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after pleasure and power, its struggle and strivings, its activities and ambitions — a life of wandering? “Sit silent,” said Sadhu Vaswani, “and commune with the Lord in Love!” And the way to communion is the way of repeating the Holy Name. The Name of God was on dear Shanti’s lips — and in her heart. She chanted the Name while walking or working, at meals, in bed, here, there, everywhere! Shanti loved silence. For hours together, she would sit in a silent corner, repeating the Holy Name. She would wake up in the middle of the night, when most of us were asleep, and with tear-touched eyes commune with the Beloved within her heart. At times, her spirit would burst forth into a song: Inebriate with love am I: And no one knows of the love Born within me. Sing thou, my heart! Sing thou of the Lotus Feet Of the Ageless, Ancient One! Beloved! all that is on earth below, And in the skies above, And between the earth and sky, Will pass away! So be not vain Of thy body and thy brain!
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Of dust are they: To dust will they return! O wanderer! Wander no more! Thy way is not to wander thus! The way is still to sing the Name In love at thy Lotus Feet!
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Sri Rama*: HERO OF MILLIONS SADHU VASWANI
One of the meanings of the word “Rama” is “beautiful”. What was the secret of Sri Rama’s beauty? His tapasya. His great sacrifice for his people was the secret of his simple, beautiful life. Sri Rama goes into exile for 14 years. He wanders from forest to forest. The story of his life is poetically told us in the Ramayana, and that word, literally, means: “The Wanderings of Rama”. The whole story of his “wanderings” is a very moving one: it touches mine eyes with tears. And Rama’s “wanderings” enrich his life. He returns to Ayodhya and occupies the throne with a new intensity of experience, a new energy of inspiration. Rama returns with a wealth of tapasya. How he “endures”! How he builds his “home” in “homelessness”, wandering for 14 years in the wilderness! How he faces *April 21 is sacred as Ram Naumi day.
danger and peril! Not without reason is Sri Rama become the hero of millions of hearts. A Muslim saint heard someone read that “the inhabitants of paradise are occupied in enjoying themselves”. On this the saint commented thus: “The inhabitants of paradise are unfortunate in their occupation.” Unfortunate, indeed, are they who “enjoy”! Endurance, not enjoyments, is the mark of a true aspirant. “I feel,” said a young man, “something within me, something fine and heroic, but I don’t know how to release it.” The heroic is released through tapasya. To study history is to know that great epochs and
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movements have been started by men of tapasya. God’s great ones have suffered for Truth and Righteousness. But in suffering is the seed of shakti! The Cross is the way to victory. Sri Rama won: He rescued Sita from Ravana by the power of sacrifice. Sita is represented as having “sprung up from the Earth”: and the “Earth” was in the clutches of Ravana. Who was Ravana? He symbolised bhoga and ahankara — pleasure and pride — the two sins of modern civilisation. Civilisation is in the clutches of bhoga and ahankara. A new spirit of tapasya — is needed to rescue the world from Ravana and to save civilisation. And so we understood what a great message has this Ancient Book — The Ramayana for the modern man who, victim to a machine-civilisation and wornout in vulgar pleasure hunting, is becoming more and more forgetful of the Unseen Law which the Books name the Dharma or Dhamma. The Call of the Law came to Sri Rama. How nobly he met it! But a day before, preparations were afoot to crown him King. Suddenly, they were cancelled: the wheel had turned: Sri Rama was called upon to go into exile for 14 years. With what spiritual calm and dignity he stepped out of the palace into the tapobana, the Forest of Exile! Sri Rama kissed tapasya. For life, in its depths, is Divine: and man is of the Spirit! So complain not. Strive on! And Achieve!
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The Ramayana reflects the culture and civilisation of an age when India was great and vital. It was a civilisation of strength. Life is shakti: Dharma is shakti. There you have one of the greatest utterances of the Hindu soul as voiced in the Ramayana. Sri Rama, the first “superman” of Hindu history, is an “Avatar” of Shakti. He is the Ideal Knight of Aryavarta. His is a story which thrills with action. And still they read the thrilling story of old in our villages. But they know not, also, that the message of Sri Rama is essentially a message of action, selfless action — a message of sacrifice. Foolish it is to say that the ancient Hindus were a nation of “dreamers”. Why, the very name for India as given in the Ancient Books, the name karmabhumi means the “Land of Action”. Rightly did the Aryan people look up to Sri Rama as their Leader, the great Guardian of their culture and civilisation, their polity and dharma. His was a life offered daily as a sacrifice to the mystery that is God. India has worshipped tapasya. Her story through the ages is the story of men of tapasya, who have re-lit, again and again, the extinguished lamps of our national life. Sri Rama was an embodiment of taposhakti. Not without reason is Sri Rama become the beloved of Aryavarta.
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DO YOU KNOW YOUR UNSEEN FRIEND? DADA J. P. VASWANI
Every experience that comes to us is just the right experience occurring at the right time to train us in the right way. Not long ago, a sister came to me. Her eyes were touched with tears. She sobbed as she spoke. Her husband, whom she loved and who loved her, had decided to travel to a distant land for purposes of business. He did not lack money: God had given him several lakhs of rupees. “He does not need to go so far, leaving me here all alone,” she said. “Pray that he may abandon this idea altogether.” My answer might have appeared cruel to her at that time. “I do not pray for this or that to happen,” I said to her.
“I shall pray that you may grow into an understanding of what God wills for you and that you may co-operate with His Will and let it work, uninterrupted, in and through you!” The day arrived when she made her husband a tearful goodbye. “You did not do anything for me,” she said to me. “You could have helped me if only you had wished to do so!” I smiled and said to her: “Sister! do not despair! God fulfils Himself in many ways!” After a few months she met me again. Her face was wreathed in smiles. She was full of the joy of a child. “Now, I know.” she said, “that there is the hand of Divine Love and
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Wisdom in all that happens. When my husband left, I wept and wept. Then, gradually, it dawned on me that if God had willed my dear one to travel to a far country, it must all be for my good. Indeed, it has proved to be so. My husband’s going away has given me many spare hours. I utilise them in a study of the Gita and the Guru Granth Sahib and Sadhu Vaswani’s beautiful books on the Santbani and the lives of Saints. I pray and I meditate. I sit in Sadhu Vaswani’s holy company. I sing God’s Name and I serve the children of the poor and the lowly. They love me: I love them. And I feel happy and blessed!” This is perfectly true. Our journey through life has been perfectly planned by Infinite Love and Infinite Wisdom: there can be no mistake. So, accept all that comes and do not attempt to circumvent anything. Again, and again, we try to run away from what appear to us as unpleasant experiences: again, and again, we try to avoid what we regard as difficult situations. We may succeed in keeping them away for the time being, but we can never avoid them all the time, for they are, indeed, essential to our growth. God wants us to face them, and so to develop our moral and spiritual muscles. If we avoid an unpleasant experience, it will
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return to us in due course with redoubled force and we shall be compelled to take up the challenge until we have learnt the lesson it has come to teach us. The best way, therefore, to face difficult situations is to accept them and co-operate with their inner purpose, all the while fixing our mind and heart on Him who has planned for each one of us the glorious liberty that belongs to the children of the Spirit. He whose refuge is the Lord, lives in the constant awareness of God’s presence. Such a man is never alone! The Lord is always with him, by him, blessing him, guiding him, protecting him, leading him on! He hears His gentle footfalls: he feels the warm pressure of His Hand on his: he hearkens to the voice of his Unseen Friend: and he always feels safe and secure even in the face of danger and death.
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IN AN ANCIENT ASHRAMA SADHU VASWANI
The Hindu Dharma, in the day of its true greatness, looked up to the (Rishi) as the “seer” of the Science of Life, the seer of Religion. The Rishi took charge of his pupils and led them on the Path. He taught them by word of mouth: he taught them by his life of singular purity and love. The ashrama student was called ‘‘beloved.” The Rishi taught by his loving devotion to the student. The Rishi gave food and clothes to his pupils. The Rishi taught them to wake up early and greet the Sun and get his blessings. The Rishi taught them by his silence and his daily life. When a student asked a Rishi: “What is God?” the Rishi was silent. The student repeated his question. The Rishi was silent again. When pressed once more, the Rishi answered: “Beloved!
have I not answered you already? God is Silence!” The Rishi taught his pupils to meditate in silence. They served him and they grew in humility and obedience, until they learnt to be self-reliant and to develop their intuitions. The Rishis are referred to in the Yoga Vasishta as “great souls free from likes and dislikes,” “free from desires,” as “resolute sons,” “full of the highest goodness.” The Rishis are called the “really wise.” Calm they were, their hearts filled with a strange peace passing understanding. The Rishis were men of rich experiences and deep spiritual insight. With reverence and love did the pupils sit at the feet of the Rishis to learn what the books could not teach.
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One of those pupils says in the Chandogya Upanishad: I am only versed in words, Gurudeva! I know nothing of the Atman. The words of Sages have reached my ears that the knower of the Atman rises above all sorrow. So I come to you, Gurudeva! Teach me! For with all the learning I have gathered from the books, I know I am not happy: Full of discontent and sorrow am I: O take me to the other side of this ocean of sorrow! So we read in the Mundaka Upanishad that a wealthy householder, Saunaka by name, comes to Angirasa and says to him: Gurudeva! Wealth I have, But wisdom I need and peace of mind. Teach me the knowledge that is, The Essence of all that is! To every pupil who came to the Rishis with a longing to know and understand, the Rishi said: Practise concentration: Meditate in silence! The very beginning of the true life, the Rishi said, was silence. Much speaking was never commended by the Rishis: they taught that vain words must be renounced. Silence and its companion, humility, were recommended by the Rishis. In the heart of the student who practised silence
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and humility, awakes the Atman, the Self. Recollection awakes! Remembrance quickly comes in: “I am of the Eternal!” Jesus asked his disciples “not to speak much, for speaking hardens the hearts.” The Rishi asked his students to practise these three: silence, humility and the simple life. Not a few of the saints have spoken of God as Simple and Silent: Glory to the Silence that spake by the Incarnate Word! Glory to the Hidden One! Beyond speech is He and above the intellect. And the aspirant must cultivate silence and develop intuition — must unfold spiritual insight in the mystical quiet which rises above the senses and outward forms. By meditation and by service to the Guru, the student was taught to prepare himself for realisation of the Atman in the “cavity of the Heart.” The Rishi of the Kathopanishad points out that “through the practice of concentration,” the aspirant comes in contact with the “Alleffulgent One the Atman”. The Atman shineth in the Heart and the jignasu (seeker) transcends “all pleasure and all pain.” Gradually, through meditation, the aspirant opens a centre in his heart and is prepared for the next stage, when he may behold the beauty of the “Self in self,” — the Spirit in the soul — and the aspirant no longer feels that he is “imprisoned in the flesh.” His heart is become a shrine
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of God, a temple of the Holy Spirit. The aspirant becomes an ‘‘awakened” one — “wakeful and prayerful in darkness”: and him in the depth of darkness a “light unseen surrounds.” To him, the wakeful one, are addressed the significant words of a seer: “Watch thou as a light in this night of starry light!” Silence gradually trains the aspirant for detachment — outwardly from all possessions and inwardly from all that is unreal. Through meditation and seva (service) of the Guru, the aspirant learns to be detached from this world, and detached also from the Heaven world. He has no desire for the joys of paradise. He seeks only the One True, the One Good, the One Beautiful, the One Beloved. To this world and to the next he is indifferent. “Thou only!” is his continual cry. What does the aspirant learn at the feet of the Rishi? 1. Reflection has its place in spiritual life. Book-knowledge avails little. What is needed is spiritual knowledge and this is secured through reflection. Spiritual knowledge is light: this is necessary to know life and its mission. “Nothing but light,” says a Rishi, “can ever reveal the meaning of life.” 2. As you sit in silence and reflect, many questions spring up within you. Some of them are indicated by a Rishi thus: What am I? Whence is all that is?
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What is the cause of sorrow and suffering? What do I seek? Sitting in silence the aspirant grows in the spirit of reflection. What is his test? The Rishi tells us that the man in whom reflection grows, “continues to lose, from day to day, all desire for enjoyment.” Three marks there be of the man of reflection — of him who meditates on life and its meaning: (i) He becomes deep, says the Rishi. His depth is that of the sea. (ii) He becomes firm. His firmness is that of the Himalayas. (iii) He becomes cool. Pure and cool is he, as the moon. 3. In all the adventures of life, I seek the Truth. How may I attain to the Truth? Truth must attain to me. I am unable to ascend: Truth must descend and capture me. My mind or intellect is, indeed, useful — when I consider the world of relativity, its things and their relations, one to the other. But the mind or intellect falters before the Eternal, the Infinite. “The mind,” says the Rishi, “is the source of ideas: but the Heart is the fountain of Wisdom.” “The Word,” says the Rishi, “is the one Truth of all the Vedas!” Of the Word is Heart the shrine. The pure in heart will see the Word, hear the Word, and rejoice. None may see the Supreme — the Truth that is Sanatanam, Eternal — until his “knot of egosim in the heart” breaks asunder.
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4. Truth, Reality, is named Atman. The Atman is not attained by knowledge of books. This knowledge is proud that it knows so much. There is another knowledge which knits us to Truth — spiritual knowledge. It awakes in the Heart: the key to it is humility. Book learning is a burden. “Let a Brahmin,” says the Rishi, “renounce learning and become as a child.” And Jesus, pointing to children said: “Of such is the Kingdom of Heaven”. The Atman is attained not by book learning but by direct perception, by the Heart which sees, by immediate insight, by inward feeling, by intuition: and intuition opens up when the senses are cleansed and still, when the mind is washed away from crookedness and all evil doing and thinking, when the Heart is freed from fetters of the flesh — when the inner self is pure. Blessed is he who is deaf to the noises of the world and hears the deep silence of the Heart! Blessed is he who has emptied his Heart of all earthly desire to hear alone the Voice within! The Western critics are sadly mistaken in considering the Hindu Faith as “pessimistic.” Ananda, joy — is the deepest aspiration of the Hindu heart. The Hindu Faith is not a saddening religion. In almost every village they had an ashram — a centre of the Rishis, teaching. Life was meant to be a vehicle of joy, a centre of
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communion with Him who is Ananda, Eternal. The Hindu outlook has proved fruitful in philosophy and social action — fruitful in culture, art and the science of life. It is true, when fructifying seeds spend their strength, disintegration sets in. But fecundity can be renewed when there sets in a new integration. The Hindu Faith has passed through periods of renewal and re-integration. A new integration of Hinduism is needed in the age in which we live. This re-integration will be achieved through new Rishis realising that the joy of life is in Brahmagnana, the Wisdom of the Spirit. In Brahmagnana, you are merged in one humble prayer, in a wordless adoration, in silent meditation on the Divine Presence, in a deep recollection of your long-lost Home, in one concentration on the Atman — the soul released from the fetters of the flesh — one absorption in the Truth that is Nama — the Name Divine, the Beauty that is the Beloved. Well exclaimed the great mystic Rabia of Basra: O Beloved of Hearts! I have none like unto Thee. Have compassion on me! I come to Thee, Beloved! My hope and my delight Art Thou! Thou alone! The Heart can rest in none but Thee!
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HOW TO OVERCOME TROUBLE DADA J. P. VASWANI Every trouble is a soiled packet — soiled on the outside — which contains a precious gift. At the heart of everyone — everything — is goodness. And this is true of every experience, howsoever unpleasant it may appear to be. Life is a mixture of the “pleasant” and the “unpleasant”, of joy and sorrow. As the great English poet, William Blake, says in one of his poems: “Joy and woe are woven fine, a clothing for the soul divine!” And as the Psalmist
declares: “Weeping may endure for a night, but joy cometh in the morning!” Joy and sorrow follow each other as day follows night. But when suffering comes, the period of tribulation appears to be interminably long. A year of joy is but as a day: and a day of suffering appears longer than a year. Suffering is a part of life, and suffering is a teacher. We would miss some of the best lessons of life, if suffering did not come to us. Many of us, alas! Do not recognise this truth and do all
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we can to avoid a seemingly painful experience. When trouble approaches us, we try to run away from it: but trouble can never be dodged. The unpleasant experience recedes – but only for a while – to return to us again, wearing a more formidable form. By avoiding trouble, we invite greater trouble – at a later stage. There are some who, knowing that trouble cannot be avoided, resign themselves to the experiences which fall to their lot. They do not resist: they become resigned. Often times such persons are heard to say, “What cannot be cured must be endured!” But there is a third way of meeting trouble, it is the only right way. The first way — the way of avoiding trouble — is folly. The second — the way of becoming resigned — is avidya — ignorance. The third – the way of greeting every unpleasant experience as a friend. Do not try to run from trouble: you cannot do it. Do not let in trouble, simply because you must. But move forward to meet trouble, to greet it with the words: “Welcome, friend! what message do you bring to me from God?” Every unpleasant experience is a package which hides a wealth of wisdom and strength. The person who knows this, greets suffering with
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a smile. He is a true victor, and his way is the way of victory! Of one such man, I read some years ago. He had a flourishing business. Suddenly one night, when he was away from town, his shop and house caught fire, and all that he possessed was reduced to ashes. His property of several lakhs was lost. What did he do? Shed tears? No! On his face was a smile, and lifting up his eyes, he asked: “Lord! What wouldst Thou have me do next?” And over the shambles, which once was his shop, he put up a signboard on which were the following words: Shop Burnt! House Burnt! Goods Burnt! But Faith not burnt! Starting business tomorrow! Here was a man who knew of the right way to meet trouble.
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Laugh Your Way To Health
Wife: Tell me who is STUPID? You or Me? Husband (calmly): Everyone knows that, you are so intelligent, you will never marry a STUPID person. *** When you are wonders happen.
in
love,
But once you get married, you wonder, what happened. *** At the beginning, every wife treats her husband as GOD... Later, somehow don’t know why... alphabets get reversed... *** A young minister had been asked, quite unexpectedly to address a Sunday school class. To give himself time to collect his thoughts, he said to the class, “Well, children, what shall I speak about?”
Adjust your speech to the people, whose minds you wish to influence. Don’t talk over their heads. The great Quaker leader, Rufus Jones, was called down at a meeting of worship by a woman who thought he was talking too high. When Jones sat down, the woman said solemnly, “Jesus said, ‘Feed my lambs,’ not ‘Feed my giraffes.’” *** “Friends,” said the speaker, “I know I’ve been a little lengthy here tonight, but I feel justified in so being because I am speaking for the benefit of posterity...” “Yeah,” yelled a heckler, “and if you don’t hurry, they’ll hear you.” ***
One little girl, who had herself memorised several declamations, called out, “What do you know?”
An eight-year-old girl, a recent visitor to the Hayden Planetarium, upon receiving an increase in her allowance, endorsed her father thus: “You’re the best daddy in the whole world, including outer space.”
***
***
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Willie arrived home with two black eyes. “Fighting again!” said his mother. “Didn’t I tell you that when you are angry, you should count till hundred before you do anything?” “Yes, I know,” returned Willie, “but the other boy’s mother told him only to count fifty.” *** The boy scout remarked at the breakfast table, “I’ve already done my good deed for the day.” His father replied, “You’ve been very quick about it.” “Yes, but it was easy,” replied the boy. “I saw Mr. Smith going for the 7:45 train and he was afraid he’d miss it. So, I let the bulldog loose and he was just in time.” *** Stories attributed to Beatrice Lillie (Lady Peel) are legion. Here is a new one which is doing the rounds. She was wearing the famous Peel pearls at a garden party, when a woman she knew said maliciously, “What lovely pearls, Bee. Are they genuine?” Miss Lillie nodded. “Of course, you can always tell by biting them,” said the woman. “Here, let me try.”
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Wife of a rising young tycoon hired her first interior decorator to fancy up her new menage. He showed her a whole spectrum of colours. She insisted that she wanted “something different, something none of our friends will have.” Finally, the decorator choked. “Madam, there is no such colour! It’s just a pigment of your imagination!” *** With his wife sick in bed, hubby — and pandemonium — reigned supreme in the kitchen. But the tea was missing. He looked high and low and finally called to his wife: “I can’t find the tea, dear. Where do you keep it?” “I don’t know why you can’t find it,” came the peevish reply. “It’s right in front, on the cupboard shelf, in a cocoa tin marked ‘matches.’” *** A woman stepped off the penny scales and turned to her husband. He eyed her appraisingly and asked, “Well, what’s the verdict? A little overweight, eh?”
“Gladly,” said Lady Peel, proffering the pearls, “but remember, Duchess, you can’t tell real pearls with false teeth.”
“Oh, no,” said his wife. “I wouldn’t say that, but according to that height table, printed on the front, I should be about six inches taller!”
***
***
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Children’s Corner WORD BUILDING Are you a good detective? Sentences offer a clue to a short word. The same word placed after the letter ‘S’ will make a new word. The first two are done for you: With heat we manage to keep w a r m . A crowd of bees is called a s w a r m . To speak or say means to __ __ __ __ . A celery stem is called a __ __ __ __ __ . A long and lanky man is __ __ __ __ . A space in a stable is called a __ __ __ __ __ . Oxen work together as a __ __ __ __ . Hot water vapour is called __ __ __ __ __
.
For Experts Only: A journey or voyage is a __ __ __ __ . A long piece of anything is a __ __ __ __ __ . The sound of music is the __ __ __ __ . A small piece of rock is called a __ __ __ __ __ .
GOOD FOOD! Fill in the missing letters to find foods that are good for you. __ E AS __ RANGES __ EANUTS __ O R N __ K R A __ I C E __UTS The first letter of each word will spell another food that is not only good to eat, but fun! __ __ __ __ __ __ __
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MIXED-UP MESSAGE Two letters of the alphabet got switched and the wrong one ended up below. Can you replace it with the correct letter, seven times, to make this message make sense? The berry bonth of Bay bakes be feel like hubbing!
BEE MAZE Help the bee find his way to his hive.
Answers: WORD BUILDING – Talk, Stalk; Tall, Stall; Team, Steam; Trip, Strip; Tone, Stone GOOD FOOD! – peas, oranges, peanuts, corn, okra, rice nuts, popcorn Mixed-up message – M must replace B - The merry month of May makes me feel like humming!
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RECIPES FOR THE MONTH BACHELOR FRIENDLY BIRYANI RECIPE Ingredients: Rice..................................................................1 cup Beans..................................................................... 6 Carrot..................................................................... 1 Cloves................................................................8 pcs Green Cardamom.................................................. 3 Curd................................................................4 tbsp Salt........................................................ as required Red Chilli Powder.............................................2 tsp Turmeric Powder...............................................1 tsp Coriander Powder.............................................1 tsp Ginger Garlic Paste...........................................1 tsp Oil / ghee........................................................2 tbsp Mint...................10-12 Leaves / 1 tsp dried powder Water............................................................1½ cup For Raita: Dahi.................................................................1 cup Water...............................................................1 cup Oil.....................................................................1 tsp Cumin Seeds............... 1 tsp Curry Leaf - 3-4 leaves Green Chilli............................................................ 1 Cucumber............................ 2-3 tbsp finely chopped Salt...............................................................to taste Method: 1. Wash the rice 2 to 3 times and soak it for some time. 2. Take a kadhai and add all the cut vegetables, dry masalas, curd, oil, ginger-garlic paste, oil/ ghee. 3. Next add water, mix it well and place the kadhai on the gas on high flame. 4. When the water boils nicely, then cover the kadhai and place a cloth and some weight on the lid and reduce the flame to low. 5. Let it simmer for 8 to 10 mins. 6. Then turn off the flame and serve hot with Raita.
KADAI MUSHROOM Ingredients: For Kadai Masala: Coriander seeds..............................................1 tbsp Dry red chillies................................................ 3 to 4 Cumin seeds.................................................... ½ tsp Cinnamon..................................................... ½ inch Green cardamom................................................... 1 Cloves..................................................................... 2 Whole black pepper........................................ 3 to 4 Mace – optional...............................1 single strand Other Ingredients: Button mushrooms – sliced......... 200 to 250 grams Thinly sliced capsicum.....................................½ cup Chopped tomatoes, pureed..............................1 cup Finely chopped onions....................................½ cup Ginger-Garlic Paste..........................................1 tsp Crushed dry fenugreek leaves..........................1 tsp Turmeric powder – optional........................... ¼ tsp Water...............................................½ cup (125 ml) Any vegetable oil............................................3 tbsp Salt........................................................ as required For Garnishing: Chopped coriander leaves.......................1 to 2 tbsp Ginger.............................................................1 inch Variations: Cream – low fat.....................................1 or 2 tbsps Garam Masala Powder................................... ¼ tsp
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Method: Making Kadai Masala: 1. First dry and roast all the spices mentioned above, on a low flame in a kadai or a pan till fragrant. Don’t burn them. 2. Once the spices cool down, add them to a grinder jar. 3. Grind to a semi-fine powder. You can also grind to a fine powder. Keep the grounded kadai masala aside. 4. In the same jar, add chopped tomatoes. Blend the tomatoes to a smooth puree. Keep it aside. 5. Rinse, wipe and then slice the mushrooms. Also thinly slice the bell pepper and chop the remaining vegetables. Keep them aside. Sautéing Mushrooms. 6. Heat oil in a kadai or pan. Add the sliced mushrooms. 7. Stir and sauté the sliced mushrooms. First you will see the mushrooms releasing a lot of water. 8. Then later the water evaporates. Saute till the mushrooms get brown from the edges. 9. Remove the mushrooms and keep them aside. Making Dry Kadai Mushroom: 10. In the same oil, add finely chopped onions. Saute the onions till translucent or light golden. 11. Now add the ginger-garlic paste and saute till their raw aroma disappears. 12. Add the tomato puree. Stir and saute till you see some oil releasing from the sides. 13. Then add the sliced capsicum (bell pepper). Stir and sauté for 5 to 6 minutes on a low flame. 14. Add the grounded kadai masala which you made. You can also add ¼ tsp turmeric powder at this step. (Adding turmeric powder is optional though.) 15. Then add ½ cup water. Season with salt. 16. Stir and bring the gravy to a simmer on a low flame till you see a few specks of oil on top. 17. Add the sautéed mushrooms and mix well. You can add some more water if the gravy looks dry. 18. Lastly, add crushed fenugreek leaves (kasurimethi) and mix well. Switch off the heat. 19. Serve kadai mushroom hot with roti, paratha
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or naan. While serving you can garnish with ginger julienne and chopped coriander leaves.
UTTARPRADESH STYLE HING JEERA ALOO Ingredients: Potatoes..........................................3 medium sized Green chilli - chopped........................................... 1 Ginger - finely chopped................................ ½ inch Cumin seeds......................................................2 tsp Asafoetida (Hing)......(⅛ tsp) about 2 to 3 pinches Turmeric powder............................................. ¼ tsp Red chilli powder............................................ ½ tsp Coriander powder.............................................1 tsp Dry mango powder (amchur)...........................1 tsp Chopped coriander leaves..............................2 tbsp Oil...................................................................1 tbsp Salt........................................................ as required Method: 1. Boil or steam 3 medium sized potatoes (250 grams potatoes). When slightly hot or warm, peel and chop the potatoes. 2. Also finely chop ½ inch ginger and 1 green chilli. Keep aside. 3. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan or kadai. Add 2 tsp cumin and let them splutter. 4. Add ⅛ tsp asafoetida/hing. (About 2 to 3 pinches of asafoetida.) 5. Add the chopped potatoes and stir well. 6. Add all the spice powders – ¼ tsp turmeric powder, ½ tsp red chilli powder, 1 tsp coriander powder, 1 tsp dry mango powder/ amchur and salt. 7. This recipe is a bit spicy. For a less spicy version, reduce the red chilli powder to ¼ tsp. If you don’t have dry mango powder then add 1 tsp lime or lemon juice. You can also add dried pomegranate seeds powder (anardana powder) instead of dry mango powder. 8. Stir again and saute for 2 to 3 minutes. 9. Lastly, add 2 tbsp chopped coriander leaves/ dhania patta. 10. Give a final stir. You can also garnish the dish with chopped coriander leaves. Serve hot with pooris, chapatis or parathas or as a side dish with dal-rice combo. You can also add few drops of lemon juice while serving.
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SIMPLE RULES OF HEALTH TOP 6 COOLING SPICES FOR SUMMER 1. Cardamom: Active compounds present in cardamom have the ability to detoxify unwanted chemicals and toxins from the body. This tones down the body heat from within. It also aids in digestion, fights nausea and heartburn, which further helps the body to relax and cool down.
heat stroke. Cumin seeds are a great remedy for flatulence and bloating. It makes you feel lighter and refreshes your body, making you feel better even on a hot day. Drink a glass of cumin water every morning or add cumin powder to a glass of buttermilk to cool your system down.
2. Fennel Seeds: Fennel seed is a cooling spice, which can guard you against heat. Hence, drinking a glass of fennel water before you go out in the hot sun can prevent heat stroke and keep your body cool.
4. Coriander: Coriander helps the body to get rid of excess heat and toxins. It detoxifies the body and keeps the body cool and fresh. It soothes the digestive tract, and fights inflammation. Eating coriander encourages sweating. Coriander also relieves fever or high body temperature via its diaphoretic properties, which induces perspiration and reduces the inner body temperature. Both, fresh coriander leaves and coriander seeds are commonly used in the Indian food preparations.
Indigestion or heartburn may be a contributing factor to body heat. Fennel seeds promote proper digestion of food, prevent hyperacidity and stimulate the production of intestinal juices, which help in the breakdown and digestion of foods we eat. Fennel seeds, not only keep the gut healthy, but also help in cooling down the body. 3. Cumin: Cumin water is hydrating and it protects you against the negative effects of
5. Fenugreek Seeds: Heat stress may affect your body and cause nausea, rashes, boils and a feeling of discomfort and uneasiness.
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To combat such a feeling, add fenugreek seeds to your summer diet. It also helps in getting rid of flatulence, which can be an outcome of excess heat. Drinking fenugreek seed tea or its water during summer days may help you stay cool and refreshed. 6. Ginger: Many of you may think that ginger is not the right spice for summers, but this is not true. Having fresh ginger tea during summer has a cooling effect via various mechanisms: • High environmental temperature increases the susceptibility to oxidative stress. The body then produces free radicals to maintain normal physiological functions. Therefore, during the hot summer days, your body needs a cooling spice like ‘ginger’ that can combat heat stress as well as fight against oxidative stress. • Essential oils present in ginger improve the antioxidant status as well as reduce the body temperature. Gingerol the active constituent of ginger, interferes with the mechanism underlying body temperature regulation and causes a drop in the body temperature. • Ginger tea also boosts your appetite and relieves nausea and dizziness, which are common during summers.
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RECIPES TO COOL DOWN YOUR BODY Are you bored with drinking plain water during summer? Here are some recipes to spice up your plain and boring water — 1. Herbal Water: Soak one teaspoon of any one of the herbs (fennel seeds, cumin seeds, coriander seeds, fenugreek seeds) in half a litre of water for 4-5 hours or overnight. Strain the water and drink it all throughout the day along with your regular water. 2. Herbal Tea: This recipe works best when you drink it on an empty stomach in the morning or before your meals. To make this tea, boil one teaspoon of grated ginger/8-10 mint leaves/8-10 basil leaves/ one teaspoon coriander seeds in a cup of water. Bring it to a boil and strain the tea. You can even club 2 spices together, for example: • Ginger + basil tea • Mint + coriander tea • Fennel + cardamom tea During summer, the external environmental temperature is already high and at this point in time, your body needs foods that keep your inner body temperature cool and prevent heat stress.