East and West Series - December 2019 Issue by East and West Series

DECEMBER 2019

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KRISHNA

AND

CHRIST*

SADHU VASWANI

In reading the lives and teachings of Krishna and Jesus, I have been struck with resemblance between the two and I have recalled the great text of the Gita: “Sambhavami yuge yuge!” “I manifest Myself from age to age!” Both Krishna and Jesus are Teachers of Wisdom and in both wisdom is related to action or life. Jesus is a Teacher of “righteousness” and of the inner life. Krishna is a Teacher of dharma (righteousness) and of the love that flows from eternity into time and from time ascends to the Eternal: a symbol of that love is the flute. Both Krishna and Jesus speak as only the seers of wisdom have spoken. Their words once heard are not easily forgotten: they linger in the heart. Not without *December 25 is the sacred Christmas Day.

reason has the image of each been treasured in the memory of Humanity. Profound truths they spake in parables. Charged with beauty and illumination, they are still remembered, still recited, in temples and churches. When Jesus said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God,” he spake a truth which came from the eternal Heart of the Universe. And don’t Krishna’s words echo and reecho in our heart: “Live ye in the Life undying! Fleeting are the frames of the Atman (the Spirit): they perish! But the Spirit is deathless, endless, infinite. Flame burneth not the Atman, and waters overwhelm not the Atman. Imperishable is the Atman— unsoiled, invincible, ineffable?” Simple yet profound are the

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words of both Krishna and Jesus. The Purest of the pure are they, and in the thoughts and acts of both, the One Eternal shineth forth. Both radiate love— a love richer and deeper than the love of an earthly mother for her children. Krishna and Jesus were healers. Jesus healed by touch and by word of mouth and by the wondrous gaze of his pure, compassionate eyes. And Krishna healed by the music of his flute. Under its influence the milk-maids (gopis) learnt the supreme lesson of life— that of renunciation. And they grew in the one great lesson of spiritual evolution— detachment. Jesus too, showed in his life that until his disciples had learnt to be detached from the world, they could not enter the Kingdom of God. Wonderful beyond the reach of the senses and the mind are the “Sayings” of both Krishna and Christ. Here are some of them. To read them once is to read them, again and again. To hear them once is to hear a music: which rings, again and again, in our hearts. Jesus said: He that loveth his life shall lose it! And he that is not attached to his life shall keep it unto Life Eternal. * Ask and it shall be given you! Seek and ye shall find! Knock and it shall be opened

unto you!

* Straight is the gate and narrow is the way which leadeth unto Life! And few there be who find it! * The foxes have their holes and the birds of the air have their nests, but the Son of Man hath not where to lay his head! * Take heed that you do not give your alms before men to be seen of them. * Thou, when thou prayest, enter thy closet. And when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret. * Be ye perfect even as your Father which is in Heaven is perfect. * And Krishna saith in the Gita: Indestructible is the Atman (the Spirit), But the bodies It informs transient are: Fleeting frames are they: they perish! But the Atman, the Spirit, Is deathless, endless, infinite! * Arjuna! find thy full reward Of doing right in Right! Let right deeds be Thy motive, not the fruit Which comes from deeds. * Live thou in action! So labour, strive, work!

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Make thy actions as thy worship To the Lord, casting ego aside, Offering all to the One, Not thinking of merit and gain, But in joy and sorrow, In victory and defeat, Equable and beholding The One in all! * Follow not them Who follow virtue for her gifts. Rise above the deeds called “good” or “bad”. * Dedicate thyself to Me! And so in perfect Act Find thy perfect meditation, Arjuna! * Both Krishna and Jesus urged that the heart must be cleaned by these three: (1) prayer or adoration; (2) meditation or reflection; and (3) service of the poor and distressed, the lonely and forlorn. Jesus spent his life in solitary prayers, in deep meditation and in healing the hearts and bodies of the poor and lonely. So did Krishna, too. The service which Krishna and Jesus gave to the weary and heavy-laden sprang from love in their hearts. How beautiful are Krishna’s words to Arjuna: They that take refuge in Me, Arjuna! Though they be forsaken by men and are lowly born, Verily, they attain to the Supreme

Good— My loving Heart! I think of both Krishna and Jesus as artists, seers of the Beautiful. How moving are their parables! They are drawn from nature and the life of man. And with what depth of insight do both speak of the Kingdom Spiritual! Both teach that the Kingdom comes in the hearts and souls of men through love and humility. Krishna’s doctrine of the Atman within— the Spirit— is to me the same as Jesus’ doctrine of “Our Father which art in Heaven.” Our Father in Heaven is our Spiritual Father, the Atman, who is within us and beyond us, the In-soul and the Over-soul of all that is. Both Krishna and Jesus radiate love. Jesus speaks of the coming of the Bridegroom at an hour none knows of: and Jesus says that they who would meet the Bridegroom must keep the lights burning. So Krishna, in his message to the gopis, says that he will assuredly return to Gokul, but of the hour of his return he cannot tell and they must keep the lights burning! Both Krishna and Jesus affirm a profound spiritual truth when they say that the givers of love to the poor inevitably receive the “treasure of Heaven”. The Gita is penetrated with the idea of the Atman, the Spirit: the “New Testament” is penetrated with Jesus’ idea of the Kingdom of Heaven.

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Temptations H O W TO O VE RCO M E

DADA J. P. VASWANI

There is an amusing little story concerning a young woman, who trained her cat to hold a candlestick in his paws while she ate dinner. This the cat did, night after night, and when the young woman felt satisfied with the cat’s performance, she invited her friends to dinner, so that they could see what she had trained her cat to do. The cat jumped on the table, got hold of the candlestick and sat there quietly. One of the friends spread the food on the floor, thinking that the cat would be driven to it, but was surprised to find that the cat sat motionless, holding the candlestick in his paws. Another friend held a piece of meat close to the cat’s nose but even that did not affect the cat. However, when someone who had brought a mouse in a box, opened the box and let the mouse

go, the cat immediately dropped the candlestick and ran after the mouse. We are like that. We seem to be safe in virtue, but as soon as we see some pleasure, we run after it, forgetting everything else, forgetting even our reputation, our family honour and prestige. The question has been considered in the Gita. Arjuna asks Sri Krishna: “Master! Why does a man commit sin against his will? What is the force that drags him irresistibly to pathways of evil?” Many of us have had a similar experience. We think we do not wish to fall into sin. In our saner moments, we wish to avoid sin. Then suddenly, there wakes up within us a storm, and we are led astray. What is the force that drags us to pathways of evil? In answer, the Master says

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to Arjuna: “You say that man is dragged to the path of sin. That is not so! For man is not a machine. Man is endowed with will-power— the power of determination, the power to make his own choice. Man can never commit sin against his will. Man’s will consents, gives the green signal, before man falls into sin. And Arjuna, you ask me what is the force that makes a man commit sin? The force is kama, desire, lust. It is the enemy of man. It is man’s deadly foe. Beware of it! And, never forget, that desire is insatiable!” Significant are the words of the great law-giver, Manu: “Desire is never satisfied by the enjoyment of the objects of desire. It grows from more to more, as does the fire to which fuel is added.” And the Yoga Vashishta tells us: “We think it is we who enjoy pleasure. But, in truth, it is pleasures that enjoy us. For while pleasure always remains young and vital, it is we who keep growing old and get consumed in the fire of pleasure.” An old man of eighty met me. His hair were white and he walked with a stoop. With tears in his eyes, he said to me: “Even at this age, I feel drawn to the sins of the flesh. My body is become old, my limbs have grown feeble, but the pull of pleasure is stronger than ever before!” Yes: desire is insatiable. There is the classic example of Henry VIII, called the “Great Widower”. He married one woman after

another. He married six times. His lust was insatiable. He had to break off with the Pope of Rome. He said: “What does it matter? I shall set up a new church, but I must satisfy my lust.” Kama cannot be quenched. The more you seek to satisfy it, the more you add fuel to its flame. Kama, desire, lust, reigns over man’s unregenerate senses. His reason is clouded: he cannot discriminate between right and wrong: and there are no depths of degradation to which a man, under the influence of kama, will not stoop. In our own days, in the city of Poona, there was a man who lived happily with his wife for several years, until one day he met a girl. Lust woke up within him. He lost his appetite: he lost his sleep. He but desired to marry the girl. How could he do so? In Maharashtra, there is a law forbidding a man to remarry during the life-time of his wife. So he hatched a plan. To his wife he said: “You have not moved out of Poona for some years. Why shouldn’t we go out for a change to Bombay?” They travelled by a night train on a moonlit night. There were only the two of them in the railway compartment. While the train crossed Lonavla, the man called his wife to the door of the compartment, saying: “Come and see the mountains in the moonlight: how wonderfully beautiful they are!” The wife, not knowing what was in store for her,

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looked out through the door at the enchanting valley. Suddenly the husband pushed her from behind, and down she went, her body rolling on the slopes of the lofty mountains. The man thought he got rid of his wife and would now be able to marry the young, pretty girl. Destiny had decreed otherwise. Early, the next morning, a shuttling engine passed by. The engine stopped at that spot for a while. The engine-driver heard moanful sounds. Curious to find out the origin of the sounds, he went and looked down the mountain-side, and saw the body of a woman lying in a cluster of branches of trees on the mountain slopes. Soon rescue parties arrived and the woman’s life was saved. The husband was tried in a court of law and sentenced to capital punishment. This is what kama, desire, lust does to man. It clouds his reason and leads him to his own destruction. In the Gita, Sri Krishna gives us the mechanics of desire. Desire is man’s deadliest foe: and how does it work? In answer to this question, Sri Krishna says: “Arjuna, desire, kama, lust enters through the outer gates of the senses and captures the fort of the mind and then invades the region of determination and will.” Therefore, if you are wise, if you wish to overcome temptation, if you wish to live a pure, peaceful, happy life, a life of freedom and fulfilment, you must guard the gates. Each sensation of pleasure

should be to you a warning. Watchman! Let not the enemy in! When kama, lust leads the senses, the mind and the reason, the man goes swiftly down the path of decline. Goethe was a great man. He was, perhaps, the greatest poet the world produced during the nineteenth century. But when kama, lust darkened his senses, he ran after girls in restlessness. Nelson was a great general who won many victories on the battlefield: he could not gain victory over desire. In the face of kama, lust, he crumbled, Nelson lived with the wife of another man. Shelley was a man of poetic genius; but his poetic intuitions were darkened by lust, and Shelley, leaving his wife, married another woman, and the first wife committed suicide. The question still remains: How to overcome temptations? What may we do to overcome this which is, perhaps, the greatest foe of man, man’s arch enemy— desire? If I wish to overcome temptation, I must be ready and willing to wash my hands off it right now and here, and I must be willing to make any sacrifice for it. No price is too heavy to receive entry into the new life. I read of a wealthy man, the master of a big estate in England, who was on his death-bed. His thoughts turned to God. He had a servant, named Jim, who was a devotee of the Lord. To Jim the

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Master said “Jim I am dying. I do not know what will happen to me after death. What can I do to earn heaven?” The wise, old servant knew the pride of his master and he said: “Sir, if you want to earn heaven, you must humble yourself. You should be ready to go to the pigsty, get on your knees in the mud and say, God, be merciful to me, a sinner!” The master said: “I could not possibly do that. What would the neighbours and servants think?”

A week passed by, and again he spoke to the servant: “Jim, what did you say I had to do to earn heaven?” The old servant replied: “Sir, you should be ready to go to the pigsty.” The master said: “I have been thinking it over, Jim, and I am ready to go.” The servant then said: “Master, you don’t really have to go to the pigsty. You just have to be willing.”

WEALTH OF LOVING SERVICE There is a book rich in wisdom, radiant in the light of the Spirit. It is named the Kural. Its author was a saint. He lived in the South. With what reverence and love is his name uttered by every one who reads the Kural, rightly regarded as the “Fifth Veda” Tiruvalluvar was his name. He was, like Kabir, a weaver by profession. He came under the influence of the wisdom enshrined in the Gita and became a bhakta of Krishna, a seer and a teacher of spiritual life. In the Kural, he calls upon all to do their duty, renouncing all desire for “fruits” of action. “Be like a cloud,” he says “that pours water but asks for nothing in return.” There is the secret of inner freedom. These two notes of the Gita are sounded by the great teacher of Lich Kural: (1) the ethic of inwardness; and (2) the ethic of love— bhakti. Life is not meant to be hoarded: life is meant to be given away, given freely to all, given in love and joy. “The man full of love,” says the inspired teacher of the Kural, “gives his very bones to others!” The voice of the Kural is the voice of the ages, the voice of the saviours of humanity. It says: “Give! Give! Give the wealth of your heart, the wealth of your dedicated life.” For great is the world’s tragedy. Your treasure, sons of the sages of the East! is not your bank accounts, not your cash certificates— not your silver and gold. Your treasure is the treasure of the Heart. The wealth of the world is no better than the world itself— passing, transient, ashes and dust! Give ye the wealth of loving service! —Sadhu Vaswani in Sons of Krishna

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THUS SPAKE THE RISHIS SADHU VASWANI

The Rishis were sons of silence. From time to time, they passed on to their pupils texts, pregnant with thought. On one or more of these they were asked to meditate in silence. So was their inner consciousness unfolded in silence. There is a kingdom of silence: to be linked with it is to be purified and enriched. Here are some of the texts given by the Rishis to their pupils for meditation in periods of silence. I, sometimes, speak of them as the garland or mala of meditation: The ass carries a load of sandalwood. What does he know of its fragrance? To the ass the sandalwood is so much burden! So is the man who has studied the shastras (scriptures) without knowing their real message: he is but a burden- carrier ! *

Purify your vision so that you (1) look upon another woman as your own mother; (2) look upon another’s wealth as earth and stone; and (3) look upon every being as your own self! * Among the finest fruits of yoga are: peace, beauty, grace, lightness, fragrance, melodious voice. At the sight of the Supreme is the knot broken: the knot of “I” in the Heart. * Rise above “learning” (vidya), if you will enter into shakti— spiritual strength. Rise above spiritual strength and you will enter into silence And rising above silence you will become a “knower” of God: beyond it you become a ray of God Himself! *

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The four means of selfrealisation are: (1) Non-attachment; (2) Doing your duties; (3) Tapas or self-control; and (4) Bhakti or devotion. * The God of the house-holder is “Fire”: his is a life of “sacrifice”! The God of the silent one is in his Heart— the God of Wisdom and Love. The Enlightened Ones see God everywhere! * There is but one bondage: desire, trisna. Its destruction is mukti, liberation. * Pride of learning (ahankara), and moha (attachment) for life are the veils which stand between you and the Self. Withdraw the veils and the light of the Atman (the Self) will shine! * Not by physical practices may you truly control the mind. Here are some of the means to control yourself : (1) Have sanga or fellowship with the pure and holy. (2) Restrain trisna or desire. (3) Purify your breath. (4) Study Sant-bani: the “words” teachings, of the pure. * Self-realisation is a revelation to you of the Atman or the Spirit in the Heart. *

The man of meditation is (1) deep in his power of reflection, deep as the sea; and (2) firm as the mountain is he. * Difficult, indeed, is selfcontrol! You may drink the ocean dry; the mountain you may uproot; you may even swallow fire. But more difficult is self-control! * The knower of God realises unity in all. The “knower” finds all beings in himself and himself in all beings. Every particle hath become his Self: and to him neither “attachment” nor “hate” hath a meaning: neither moha nor sorrow! * The “ego” leads to “false” vision: it shadows forth a “thing” in “nothing”! The “shadowing” forth proceedeth out of the “ego”, the manas, mind. Cast it out— the “ego”, and let the Atman shine! * Truth is Light. It awakens by contact with the True, the Good, the Holy ones. * Dost thou still seek the pleasures of sex or stomach? Thou wilt not know Brahman: the Eternal God! * Who does not know, knows! Who knows, does not know! * Contd. on page 24

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WHO IS A TRUE VEGETARIAN? DADA J. P. VASWANI

The true vegetarian, as I think of him, is filled through and through with reverence for life. He reveres life as a Gift of God which no man can bestow and, therefore, may not destroy. Such an one has the following marks: 1. His heart is a flowing river of compassion and love. The basis of true compassion is a feeling of unity, of oneness with all creatures that have the breath of life, I and that tiny winged creature that hovers round yon lamp are one. Men and animals and birds, fish and fowl, moths and mosquitoes— all, all are one— in the One without whom there is no other. To the true vegetarian, therefore, each life-unit is as dear and precious as his own life. To him, every dumb creature of God is his own self wearing another body. And so the true vegetarian will be no party to any movement for “humane” slaughter. On his banner

are inscribed the words in letters of fire: “Stop all slaughter!” 2. The true vegetarian is a man of self-discipline. So many there may be who do not eat flesh but, alas! They easily succumb to the flesh. They cannot resist the temptations of the flesh. They are soft: they have not put out the fire of passion. The true vegetarian is unswayed by passion, unruffled by anger, unmoved by greed of gold. 3. The true vegetarian is a man of humility. Deep in his heart, he knows that he is not free from the sin of killing. For, to breathe is to kill the germs that are in the air around us. To talk is to kill: to walk is to kill. Indeed, to live is to kill. 4. Living in such a world, the true vegetarian becomes a worshipper, a man of prayer. He sees cruelty all around him. How many hearts can he touch? How many lives can he save? And so he turns to Him who is the One

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Saviour of all. The true vegetarian prays alike for the killer and the killed: and he prays that he may become an instrument of God’s love in this world of agony and pain. 5. The true vegetarian is a man of indomitable faith. He believes profoundly that life is entirely a gift of God. In periods of crisis, in times of famine and flood, his mind wavers not! He prefers starvation to eating fish or flesh. On his sick bed he is not lured into eating

Thus Spake The Rishis Dost thou tread the path of wisdom? Well mayst thou throw away the study of books— as one throws away straw after having threshed out the rice! * With equal eyes may I look upon a poisonous snake or a garland of flowers, a strong enemy or a kind friend, a costly jewel or a lump of earth, a bed of flowers or a slab of stone, a group of beautiful women or useless straw! * As rivers flow into the ocean and lose their individual names and forms: lose themselves: so does the true knower, freed from all names and all forms, find the Supreme: the Light of light. * The bliss of Knowledge is the silence of wonder. *

impure food. To the Sufi dervish, Abu Ala Maeera, his physician said: “O man of God! Why will you not live longer and bless this earth? Eat this chicken soup I have brought you and see how quickly health and strength return to your feeble body.” The dervish laughed a hearty laugh and said: “Must you offer me the soup of a weak, defenceless creature who cannot strike in return? It is not worthy of you! Bring me the soup of a lion’s cub!”

Contd. from page 22 What you do and what you think: that you become! Verily, the Heart is the fountain of Knowledge. * Let the “mind” subside until there is entire forgetfulness of “personality”. Then begins the true ecstasy of the saint. * Remember, this body is the holy Kasi (Banaras). And in this body stand together the sacred places— the holy Kasi, the heavenly Gaya, the longed-for Prayaga. And remember that at the feet of the Guru are all the sacred places. Remember, too, that through all the sacred places God’s purifying Ganges floweth on! And the witness of them is the Inner Self, the Atman— the God within thee!

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RULES TO ENRICH LIFE SADHU VASWANI 1. Return love for hate. Let your heart be so filled with love that not a corner remains for any thought of hatred. Remember that when a man does you harm, cheats you or slanders you, he does it out of ignorance. He needs your loving prayers. The more evil he sends you the more must good go out of you to him. 2. Walk the way of acceptance. Know that all that happens, happens according to the Will of God. And in His Will is our peace. Meet every situation in life with the prayer, “Thy Will be done!” Many things will happen which you, which your erring intellect, will not be able to understand. Complain not, but in the simple faith of a trusting child say to yourself: “I know nothing, Lord, Thou knowest everything. And Thou art my Father, my Mother, my Guardian and my Guide. Thy Will be done!” 3. Give compassion to all— all men and all creatures. He who invokes God as the Lord of Compassion, must learn to give compassion to others. So feed the birds and

animals and give them water. In your diet and dress keep clear of violence. Abstain from meat-eating. And see that no one in need is turned away empty-handed. Above all, give the compassion of your heart to those whom the world condemns as thieves, criminals, gamblers and drunkards, sunk in wickedness and vice. Am I not also a sinner? Yet have I walked the steps in the way of His mercy, and His love has dwelt within me. 4. Each day pray for allmen of all nations, all birds, all beasts, all animate creatures, and all inanimate things. Pray for friends and strangers, for the sick and disabled, for lunatics and lepers, for all who are in the agony of pain— physical, mental, spiritual. Pray that all may be happy, full of bliss. 5. Each day strive to be desire less. Renounce cravings and appetites. Triple is the gate of hell, says the Gita: craving, anger, greed. Turn your face away from this triple gate. Renounce these three and you will be led on to the Gate of the Kingdom of Heaven!

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WHAT INDIA NEEDS TODAY DADA J. P. VASWANI

Once India was respected as a leader of nations, a builder of a wonderful civilisation— a civilisation of simplicity and sympathy and service, a civilisation of light. And pilgrims from the East and pilgrims from the West came to India as to a Holy Land. What is our condition today? What India needs today is leaders of the true type. Politicians we have many: but my heart cries out: “Where are the leaders?’’ There are four marks of true leadership. The very first is absolute unselfishness. The true leader asks for nothing for himself, but everything for the people. The second mark of a true leader is simplicity. A true leader is not

a person who runs after show and ostentation. The third mark of a true leader is judgement. A true leader is a person of judgement. He thinks aright. And thinking aright, he has the gift of taking multitudes with himself. And the fourth mark of the true leader is love for the poor, love for the peasant and the labourer. I think of King Ashoka. Ashoka was a true leader of the people. He was filled with sympathy for all. Not merely tolerance but sympathy is what men want. And Ashoka gave sympathy to all. He spoke not one word against any faith. He spoke of all faiths with beautiful reverence. He realised that in all religions is the One Spirit Divine. There is a

*Being the text of a talk broadcast on All India Radio.

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beautiful saying of Ashoka. He said: “All subjects are my beloved children.” Today, chaotic elements are growing. Today, turbulence is increasing. Today, violence is spreading like wild fire in many parts of the country. Today, India is in danger of losing what she has achieved. Today, discipline is conspicuous by its absence. Today, both knowledge and power are running to waste, are being perverted into instruments of social chaos and destruction. Today Mother India is shedding tears while her children are busy preparing plans to truncate her. Today, Mother India is as an orphan in the night, crying for the light. Whence will the light come? Friends, my hope is not in politics but in education. But education should be directed by men and women of light and inspiration. For a regeneration of India, I turn not to politicians but to educators of the true type. The more I think of it, the more I feel that an urgent, a piteous need of India today is education of a new type— an education which may integrate the character of the pupils through a proper development of the body and training of the will-power and emotions— an education which may give a triple training— of the head, yes, but also of the hand and, above all, of the heart. Illuminated hearts are needed. The problems that are before India today, will not be solved by developed brains alone: they will be solved by

illuminated hearts. We must not neglect the heart. We must not forget that out of the heart are the issues of life. The heart, the emotions are the master: the brain, the intellect is only a servant. Of what use is an education which takes pains to train the servant but does nothing to train the master. In crucial moments when quick decisions are to be made, if the emotions run riot, what can the intellect do, howsoever trained it may be? So it is that we find everyday, so many of our highly educated people easily succumbing to temptations of woman and gold, and our doctors of philosophy, our Ph.D.’s so easily yielding to anger. Their intellect has been sharpened, but their emotions are untrained. Have you ever asked yourselves, why is it that one person, kills another? The killer knows that it is wrong to kill, his brain tells him that by killing another, he is breaking the law of the land, but his emotions have run riot, he cannot control them and he uses the revolver or the sten-gun. Friends, we need a new type of education today— an education which may inculcate in the minds and hearts of pupils the ideals of unity and peace, of reverence for all life, of simplicity, sympathy and service, of fellowship and brotherhood— the fellowship of all races and religions, the brotherhood of all life. Do we want to build a new India, an India of the truly strong, an India of the truly free? Then

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let us begin with the child. The child of today is the builder of tomorrow. My beloved Master, Sadhu Vaswani, said to us again and again: “The nation walks on the feet of the little ones.” Take care of your little ones. Take care of your children. The children are the richest treasure of a community, a society, a nation. Give to your children the right type of training in the home and the right type of education in the school and college— and you will build a new Indian nation. Friends, the hope of the world is in India. And the hope of India lies in unity. Without India what would the world be? And without unity where would India be? The message needs to be spread far and wide that we all, belonging to different castes and communities, religions and races, provinces and regions, we all, Hindus and Muslims, Christians and Sikhs, Parsis and Buddhists and Jains, we who belong to different religions and to no religion— we all are one— children of the One Mother, Bharat Mata. Let us dissolve all differences and join hands together in the great constructive task of building a new Indian nation. May, I, in this connection, offer a few practical suggestions? And the very first suggestion is this: Everyday let us spend sometime is silence. We live in a hectic world: we live in a noisy world. The vibration of noise affects our nerves. And not unoften, we lose our balance and do things

of which, later, we feel ashamed. To keep our balance, let us spend some little time everyday in silence. It was Tolstoy— Mahatma Gandhi called him Mahatma Tolstoy— who said: “If every man spends but five minutes in silence everyday, the world would become new. Spend sometime in silence everyday. Sitting in silence, let me ask myself: What am I? Whence have I come to this earth-plane which is only a transit camp? People come: people go: no one can stay here forever. Where is my true Homeland? What is the purpose of my visit to the earthplane? Sitting in silence let me meditate on the meaning of the mystery of this endless adventure of existence.” And practical suggestion No. 2: Let me breathe out peace to all— all men and all nations and all creatures who breathe the breath of life. There is a small prayer. I offer it many times everyday. May all be happy and full of peace and bliss. May those that are rich and those that are poor, may those that are educated and those that are illiterate, may those that are tall and those that are short, may those that are near and those that dwell far away, may those that are born and those that yet are in the womb unborn— may all be happy and full of peace and bliss! May those that love me and those that for some reason or the other are unable to love me, may those that speak well of me and those that for some reason or the other are unable to speak well of me—

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may all be happy and full of peace and bliss. And practical suggestion No. 3: Build bridges of friendship wherever you go. Make friends with as many as you can— specially with those who do not belong to your caste or community, or country. The only permanent peace-plan for the world is the friendship plan. A man came from a village to a big city and someone asked him what he thought of the city-dweller. The villager said: “They are strange people. They all seem to hate one another. I want to get back home, where people like other people, even if they don’t know them.” Build bridges of friendship. Therefore, let your face wear a smile. It was Mahatma Gandhi who said: “You are not completely dressed until your face wears a smile.” Friends, have you ever asked yourselves the question: Why is it, that when all other ancient civilisations have perished, India alone lives on? Greece, ancient Greece, the cradle of art and culture, Greece is gone. India

lives on! Rome, ancient Rome that dreamt the dream of dominion, Rome whose eagles floated over far-off nations— Rome is gone: India lives on! Egypt, ancient Egypt is gone: India lives on! Assyria, Summaria, Babylonia are gone. India lives on! Yes— India lives on for she has a mission to fulfill in the new age. India lives on for she has a message to deliver to the nations. But India will not be able to do so until her people bear witness, in deeds of daily living, to the great ideals that have been India’s richest treasure throughout the centuries. And I have no doubt that India’s millions, who lie today prostrate in passivity, will rise from their sleep and India will peal forth her message of oneness, of living unity, of peace and spiritual fellowship to the nations of the East and the nations of the West. And India will shine once again in the splendour of the new morning sun, and India will be acclaimed once again as a teacher of the nations, as a builder of a new abiding civilisation of light.

GOD’S IMAGE I have seen God’s Image shining in birds and beasts. I have learnt of them lessons which have drawn my heart nearer to Truth and Love. And one of the purest aspirations of my life is to be spent, more and more, in the service of these younger brothers and sisters in the one Great Family of Him who loves all life. – Sadhu Vaswani

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Laugh Your Way To Health A bachelor asked the computer to find him the perfect mate: “I want a companion who is small and cute, loves water sports and enjoys group activities. Back came the answer: “Marry a penguin.” *** “The Concorde is great,” says Howie Mandel. “Travelling at twice the speed of the sound is fun– except you can’t hear the movie till two hours after you land” *** Travel agent: I can get you three days and two nights in Rome for a hundred bucks. Customer: How come so cheap? Travel agent: The days are July 11, 12 and 13. The nights are July 21 and 22. *** When the fellow called a motel and asked how much they charged for a room, the clerk told him that the rates depended on room size and number of people. “Do you take children?” the man asked. “No, sir,” replied the clerk, “Only cash and credit cards.” *** A gentleman entered a busy florist shop that displayed a large sign that read “Say It with Flowers.” “Wrap up one rose,” he told the florist.

“Only one” the florist asked. “Just one,” the customer replied. “I’m a man of few words.” *** Mrs. Willencot was very frugal. When her husband died, she asked the newspaper how much it would cost for a death notice. “Two dollars for five words.” “Can I pay for just two words?” she asked. “Willencot dead.” “No, two dollars is the minimum. You still have three words.” Mrs. Willencot thought a moment, “Cadillac for sale.” *** “My tax man is so considerate and compassionate,” says Joey Adams. “He’s the only accountant I know with a recovery room.” *** Patron: What time do you have? Bartender: I don’t have a watch anymore. I bought one that was waterproof, dust-proof, and shockproof. Patron: Well, where is it? Bartender: It caught fire.

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LAUGHTER IS A TONIC DADA J. P. VASWANI There was an old man. He knew his time was up. He called his children together and said to them: “I have no material things which I can leave to you. But I shall give you four rules of life. If you live up to them you will be among the happiest of men. And happiness is all man needs.” What are the four rules? First, never be afraid of what they say. “They” exist only in your fears and imagination. What you do is the thing that counts. Do what you regard as right. Do it in the living presence of God. And say to yourself: They say. What do they say? Let them say! Second, do not run after material things. You think you possess things. In truth, you are possessed by them. The more you have, the less is your freedom. Never surrender your freedom and always enjoy life as it comes. Third, take serious things lightly. And take light things seriously. It is the little things that count. Fourth, laugh as often as you can. And always laugh at yourself first, before others do. There is

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something ludicrous about every person. Watch yourself in a spirit of detachment: and don’t be afraid to own your faults and failings. Yes: laughter is a tonic: physical, mental, spiritual. It is a dry cleaner which cleanses you from inside. It gives a new tone to your life. The day on which you have not laughed is a lost day, indeed. It was Victor Hugo who said: “Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.” And George Santayana said: “The young man who has not wept is a savage, and the old man who has not laughed is a fool.” I would suggest, “The young man who has not shed tears needs to move in the company of the lovers of God and the old man who has not laughed needs the company of the little ones.” When a black mood of gloom and despair creeps over you, perhaps, the best and the simplest way to ward it off is to laugh. Laughter is contagious. If someone beside you laughs, you find it difficult to suppress laughter. There is a man who has pinned to his wall pictures of people laughing heartily. Whenever he feels sad or depressed he has but to take a look at the pictures: he cannot help but laugh, and immediately feels better. I read of a man who

rendered service to the sick in a simple way. All he had with himself was an album which cost next to nothing: it was a collection of “laughing” pictures taken from discarded newspapers and magazines. With this album, he went to patients, many of whom were in the throes of physical agony. They had not known what it was to smile, for days together. At the sight of the “laughing” pictures, they burst into laughter; they forgot their physical ailments for a while; they felt so very much better. Surely, this must have helped them in making a speedy recovery. Laughter is medicine. It helps in building up moral muscles. It is a spiritual uplifter. When you feel sad or downcast, look at your face in a mirror. It looks so tensed, so ugly, so unlike the face you would wish to wear. The strain in the face is due to some negative emotion which is playing havoc in the mind. One way of breaking the force of the negative emotion is to relax. Relax the whole body. You will find that the last part of the body to relax is always the face: and of the face, the mouth is the last to relax. So smile and laugh! You will see how quickly the clouds vanish and you are happy again!

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Children’s Corner THOSE FIFTEEN SHEEP

A certain cyclopedia has the following curious problem, I am told: ‘Place fifteen sheep in four pens so that there shall be the same number of sheep in each pen.’ No answer whatever is vouchsafed, so I thought I would investigate the matter. I saw that in dealing with apples or bricks the thing would appear to be quite impossible, since four times any number must be an even number, while fifteen is an odd number. I thought, therefore, that there must be some quality peculiar to the sheep that was not generally known. So I decided to interview some farmers on the subject. The first one pointed out that if we put one pen inside another, like the rings of a target, and placed all sheep in the smallest pen, it would be all right. But I objected to this, because you admittedly place all the sheep in one pen, not in four pens. The second man said that if I placed four sheep in each of three pens and three sheep in the last pen (that is fifteen sheep in all), and one of the ewes in the last pen had a lamb during the night, there would be the same number in each pen in the morning. This also failed to satisfy me. The third farmer said, ‘I’ve got four hurdle pens down in one

Answer– THOSE FIFTEEN SHEEP: If we read the exact words of the writer in the cyclopedia, we find that we are not told that the pens were all necessarily empty! In fact, if you will refer back to the illustration, you will see that one sheep is already in one of the pens. It was just at this point that the wily farmer said to me, “Now I’m going to start placing the fifteen sheep.” He thereupon proceeded to drive three from his flock into the already occupied pen, and then placed four sheep in each of the other three pens. “There,” says he, “you have seen me place fifteen sheep in four pens so that there shall be the same number of sheep in every pen.”

DOT TO DOT of my fields, and a small flock of wethers, so if you will just step down with me I will show you how it is done.’ The illustration depicts my friend as he is about to demonstrate the matter to me. His lucid explanation was evidently that which was in the mind of the writer of the article in the cyclopedia. What was it? Can you place those fifteen sheep? DECEMBER 2019

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RECIPES FOR THE MONTH DUM PANEER KALI MIRCH

MAKHMALI KOFTE

Ingredients: Oil.....................................................................1 tsp Cloves..................................................................... 4 Green cardamoms................................................. 4 Cinnamon..............................................1 inch piece Onion (fried till brown and blended with little water to make paste)............................................. 1 Paste of 1 tsp ginger and 1 tsp garlic with 4 green chillies Dahi / Yogurt..................................................3 tbsp Dhaniya / Coriander powder............................1 tsp Pepper powder.................................................1 tsp Cumin powder............................................... ¾ tsp Salt...................................................................1 tsp Cream............................................................2 Tbsp Paprika........................................................... ¼ tsp Haldi / Turmeric.............................................. ¼ tsp Garam masala ............................................... ¼ tsp Paneer........................................................250 gms Coriander................................................. to garnish Fresh mint leaves .................................... to garnish

Ingredients:

Method: 1. Heat oil and add the cloves, cardamoms and cinnamon till it’s nice and fragrant. 2. Now add onion paste and cook well. 3. Add ginger, garlic and green chilli paste. Saute. 4. Add yogurt / dahi. 5. Cook and add coriander powder, cumin powder, pepper powder, haldi and red chilli. 6. Add salt. Cook and add cottage cheese cubes and cream as well as ½ cup water. 7. Seal the pan with foil and put a lid on top. 8. Reduce flame to low and let it simmer for 15 minutes. 9. Now open it and cook further if you like to dry it up. 10. Check for salt, adding more if needed, serve garnished with coriander and mint leaves.

Prepare the koftas: 1. Mash the khoya smooth, so that no grains remain. Mix in the maida and soda and knead it into firm and pliable dough. Shape the dough into marble sized balls that are smooth and creaseless. 2. Heat the ghee in a kadahi till a piece of dough thrown in comes up at once. Lower the heat and fry a cube of bread till a light brown (this lowers the temperature of the oil). 3. Lift out the bread and add as many balls as will come in, without touching each other. Keeping the heat low, fry these till are golden brown. 4. Lift out of the fat and drain. Increase the heat for a few seconds, and then lower it before adding the next lot. Keep the koftas aside, while you make the gravy.

For the koftas: Khoya (solidified milk), firmly packed..........½ Cup Maida.............................................................6 tbsp Meetha (baking) soda................................... ⅛ tsp Ghee (Clarified butter).................... for deep-frying For the gravy: Ghee (clarified butter).........................¼ cup (60 g) Jeera (cumin seeds)..........................................1 tsp Finely chopped ginger....................................1 tbsp Khus khus (poppy seeds)................................2 tbsp Nariyal ka burada (dessicated coconut).........¼ cup Powdered dhania (coriander seeds)...............1 tbsp Salt to taste.......................................................2 tsp Garam masala..................................................1 tsp Kali mirch (powdered black pepper).............. ¼ tsp Cornflour................. 2 tbsp dissolved in ½ cup milk Chopped hara dhania (coriander leaves), for garnishing.................................................2 tbsp Method:

Prepare the gravy: 1. Soak khus khus and nariyal in some

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water for an hour and grind to a paste. 2. Heat the ghee in a heavy based pan, and add the jeera. When the seeds splutter, add the ginger and saute till a light brown. 3. Add the ground khus-khus and coconut paste, dhaniya, salt, garam masala and the black pepper and saute till the fat separates. Add 3 cups water, bring to a boil, and simmer for about 5 minutes. 4. Add the cornflour solution, simmer for a couple of minutes and add the koftas. Simmer again for 2-3 minutes and serve garnished with the cream and the coriander leaves.

AWADHI VEGETABLE BIRYANI WITH BURANI RAITA Ingredients: Basmati rice................................................400 gms Onion..................................................................... 2 Clove...................................................................... 8 Mace...................................................... as required Ginger paste...................................................3 tbsp Shelled peas................................................ 100 gm Cauliflower.................................................. 100 gm Carrot........................................................... 100 gm Black cardamom.................................................... 4 Mint leaves...........................................................½ Wheat dough......................................... as required Water...............................................................8 cup Ghee...............................................................7 tbsp Cumin seeds....................................................1 tbsp Cinnamon stick...............................................2 inch Nutmeg......................................................... ¼ tbsp Garlic paste.....................................................3 tbsp Potato.........................................................100 gms Bean...........................................................100 gms Yoghurt (curd)............................................400 gms Cardamom...................................................4 green Unsalted butter...............................................2 tbsp Garlic...........................................................6 cloves For garnishing: Salt........................................................ as required Bay leaf................................................................. 2 Rose water............................................. as required Powdered black pepper..................................1 tbsp Kewra.................................................... as required Chilli flakes................................................... ½ tbsp

Method: 1. For the perfect Awadhi Vegetable Biryani, wash the basmati rice and soak it in water for half an hour. 2. Slice the onions and carrot in a bowl. Heat the pan with 4 tablespoons of ghee in it and add the sliced onions and fry in batches until they turn golden brown in colour. Once done, remove with a slotted spoon. After this, drain the fried onions on an absorbent paper. 3. Saute half of the black cumin seeds till they begin to sizzle. Add cloves, cinnamon, nutmeg and peppercorns and saute them. 4. Add ginger and garlic paste and saute for a minute. Now add salt, pepper, yoghurt and vegetables and saute them over a low flame until vegetables turn tender. 5. Meanwhile, in a separate large pan, bring 8 cups of water to a boil with 2 teaspoons of salt in it. 6. Tie the remaining cloves, cinnamon sticks, cumin seeds, black cardamoms and green cardamoms in a piece of muslin cloth to make a small bundle and add to the water with bay leaves. 7. Cook on low flame for 15-20 minutes to allow the spices to infuse the water with their flavour. 8. Drain the extra water of rice and add the rice in the pan. Let the rice cook until tender and remove from the flame and reserve the strained water. 9. Stir the remaining ghee into the rice and set aside. To assemble the biryani, spread half of the fried onions at the base of a deep heavybottomed heatproof casserole. 10. Spread half the rice over onions. Then spread a layer of the vegetables and the chopped mint over the rice. For garnishing, sprinkle rose water and kewra water over the rice. 11. Dot the rice with unsalted butter. Pour in a cup of the strained water. Cover with a lid and seal it with the wheat dough. 12. Place on a hot tawa or griddle and cook on a low flame till steam begins to escape. 13. Remove from heat and let it stand for 2 minutes. Remove the dough seal and fluff up the rice with a fork. Serve hot along with burrani raita!

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SIMPLE RULES OF HEALTH NATURAL CURES HOT COCONUT WATER AND CANCER Dr. Rajendra A. Badwe, TATA Memorial Hospital gives a natural tip to cure Cancer. Hot coconut only kills cancer cells! Cut 2 to 3 thin coconut flakes in a cup, add hot water. It will become “alkaline water”. Drink every day, it is good for anyone. Hot Coconut water releases an anti-cancer substance, which is the latest advance in the effective treatment of cancer in the medical field. Hot coconut juice has an effect on cysts and tumors. Proven as a remedy of all types of cancer. This type of treatment with coconut extract only destroys malignant cells, it does not affect healthy cells. In addition, the amino acid and coconut polyphenol in coconut juice can regulate high blood pressure, effectively prevent deep vein thrombosis, adjust blood circulation and reduce blood clots. BAY LEAVES If you have bay leaves, there is no need for a pharmacy. Recent scientific studies have shown that bay leaves have many benefits. The benefits of bay leaf are: • Bay leaf treats digestive disorders and helps eliminate lumps, heartburn, acidity, constipation. • It regulates bowel movement by drinking hot bay tea.

• It lowers blood sugar and bay leaf is also an antioxidant. • It allows the body to produce insulin by eating it or drinking bay tea for a month. • Eliminates bad cholesterol and relieves the body of triglycerides. • Very useful in treating colds, flu and severe cough as it is a rich source of vitamin ‘c’, you can boil the leaves and inhale steam to get rid of phlegm and reduce the severity of cough. • Bay leaf protects the heart from seizures and strokes as it contains cardiovascular protective compounds. • Rich in acids such as caffeic acid, quercetin, eigonol and bartolinide, substances that prevent the formation of cancer cells in the body. • Eliminates insomnia and anxiety, if taken before bed, helps you relax and sleep peacefully. • Drinking a cup of boiled bay leaves twice a day breaks kidney stones and cures infections.

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BITTER GOURD IN HOT WATER

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(KARELA)

Hot bitter gourd (Karela) can kill cancer cells. Cut 2-3 thin slices of bitter gourd and put in a glass, pour hot water, water will become alkaline. Drink it at least once everyday. It is useful for everyone. Hot water bitter gourd (Karela) will emit an anti-cancer substance. Hot water bitter gourd extract affects cysts and tumors. Using bitter gourd in treating cancer, it will only kill the malignant cells of the tumor. It will not affect healthy cells. In addition, amino acids and polyphenol oxidase in bitter gourd can balance high blood pressure, blood circulation, reduce blood clotting and can prevent the occurrence of deep vein thrombosis. FRESH BANANA LEAF

Anyway, since most of us still have elderly loved ones to look after, I would like to share with you the healing properties of banana leaf, for those battling with bedsores. My diabetic dad suffered from one persistent bed sore a few months ago on his sitting bone. Just when we thought we have lost the battle, our maid suggested for us to try her kampung method of covering the bedsore with a fresh banana leaf. Like a miracle, the bedsore started healing within 48 hours and was gone after a week. So, if you know of anyone battling with bedsores, maybe recommend them the use of fresh banana leaf.

NO ONE SHOULD DIE OF CANCER, EXCEPT BY CARELESSNESS

Dr. Gupta says: No one should die of cancer, except by carelessness; (1) The first step is to stop all sugar consumption, without sugar in the body, the cancer cells would die a natural death. (2) The second step is to mix a lemon in a cup of hot water and drink it for 1-3 months. It will make the cancer go away. According to research from the Maryland College of Medicine, it is 1000 times better than chemotherapy. (3) The third step is to drink 3 tablespoons of organic coconut oil, morning and night, and the cancer would disappear, you can choose any of the two therapies after avoiding the sugar. Ignorance is not an excuse. Hot lemon water is more beneficial than cold lemon water. Hot lemon water kills cancer cells. Add in hot water 2-3 lemon slices. Make it a daily drink. The bitterness in hot water with lemon is the best substance to kill cancer cells. Cold lemon water only has vitamin C. Lemon hot water can control cancer tumor growth. Clinical trials have shown that hot water with lemon works. This type of treatment with lemon extract will only destroy malignant cells and does not affect healthy cells. Citric acid and lemon polyphenol in lemon juice, can help reduce high blood pressure, effective prevention of deep vein thrombosis, improve blood circulation and reduce blood clots.

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