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FOUR MAGIC WORDS* J. P. VASWANI
Some years ago, we had an earthquake in Poona. The people were frightened. There was one who showed no signs of fear: he was serene and unafraid. “Were you not affected by the earthquake?” they asked him. “No,” he answered, “I rejoiced in the thought that I have a God who can shake the world.” “But what if you had been among the casualties?” they asked him. His answer was a simple one: “Alive or dead. I would still be in His Loving Arms.” There is a beautiful little story told us by the great German mystic, Meister Eckhart. There was a learned man who, for eight years, longed to be shown the way to God. Every day, he sat apart from men and prayed that he might be brought into contact with a Sage,
a Saint, a ‘Tatwa Darshanah’, a Knower of Reality. One day, as he sat in prayer, he heard a Voice say: “Go to such and such a place, and you will meet the man who will show you the way to blessedness and bliss!” Great was his joy when he heard the words. Forthwith he went to the place indicated by the Voice. He was surprised to find a man, humble, simple, poor, with tattered clothes on his body, his feet soiled with dirt and dust. The learned man looked all around him, but found no other man seated there. So, to this man, he said: “Good morning to you!” Quietly answered the poor man: “I have never had a bad morning!” “God give you good luck!” said the learned man. “I have never had ill luck!” The learned man’s astonishment
*February 18-24 is observed as the Thanksgiving Week.
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grew. “May you be happy!” he said to the poor man. To which the poor man answered: “I have never been unhappy!” “I am unable to understand,” said the learned man. “Pray explain it all to me.” “Gladly,” said the poor man. “You wished me a good morning. I have never had a bad morning. For, if I do not get food to eat, I praise God. If it rains or snows, if the weather is fair or foul, I still praise God. If I am despised and have no human company, I praise God! And so I have never had a bad morning, never an evil day. “You wished me good luck: but I have never had ill-luck. For I always dwell at the Lotus Feet of the Lord: and I know that whatever God sends me is the very best that can ever happen to me. I cheerfully accept everything that comes to me— health or sickness, prosperity or adversity, joy or sorrow— as a gift from God. I have never had illluck. “You wished me happiness. I have never been unhappy. For the deepest longing of my heart is to live in union with God’s Will, and I have so entirely yielded my will to the Will of God, that what God Wills, I will!” Astonished, the learned man asked: “What if God should will to cast you into hell?” “Cast me into hell!” exclaimed the poor man. “God is too loving to do that. But even if He sends me to hell, I should have two arms with which to embrace Him. One is the arm of humility, the other of love. With them I should so embrace
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Him that He would have to go to hell with me. And I would rather be in hell and be with God, than be in heaven and remain away from God!” The poor man taught selfsurrender, in utter humility, is the simplest, surest and nearest way to God. When asked, who he was, he answered: “I am a king!” He was the very picture of destitution: and yet he felt he was a king! For he had learnt to walk the way of acceptance. He accepted all that came in his way and rejoiced in all that happened. He expected nothing: he hoped for nothing: he needed nothing: he lacked nothing. Was he not the richest of men on earth? Of a simple, poor ‘dervish’ it is said that a rich man wished to offer him some money— a thousand rupees. And the dervish asked the rich man: “You are giving me a thousand rupees. How much do you have for yourself?” The rich man answered: “I have many thousands of rupees with me.” The ‘dervish’ asked: “Do you still wish to have more?” “Surely, yes!” answered the rich man. “Then I shall not accept your thousand rupees,” said the ‘dervish’. “For a rich man must not receive from one poorer than he!” “I do not understand,” said the rich man. And the ‘dervish’ explained: “Though I have nothing, I desire nothing! You have so much: still you desire more! Surely, the person who desires to have is poorer than the
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man who feels satisfied and desires nothing!” Beautiful are the words ascribed to Jesus. “Nothing in the morn have I,” he said, “and nothing at night. Yet, there is none on earth richer than I!” Jesus was the richest of men, for he desired nothing! Such an one was the poor man in the story of Meister Eckhart. To him, everyday was a happy and blessed day! May it be the same with us all! We asked Sadhu Vaswani once: “When difficulties come, what do you do?” He said: “I praise the Lord!” We asked him again: “When you are ill and have suffering and pain, what do you do?” He said: “I praise the Lord!” We asked him still again: “When you are in the midst of a storm of life, what do you do?” And he said: “Still I praise the Lord!” There is a legend about a man who, when he was about to die, left his son a bag of blessings, full to its brim. As he was about to pass away, he said to his son: The bag will always be full, as long as you remember the four magic words.” One blessing after another was taken out of the bag until the bag was almost empty. By then the son had forgotten the four magic words his father had given him as his parting message. He desperately tried to remember the words but could not get them. He consulted his learned uncle who suggested: “May be, the words are: “O bag, be re-filled!” He repeated those words, but the bag remained almost empty.
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He went to the priest of the temple and asked him if he could help. The priest said: “Have you tried the four words of the ‘mahavakya’: ‘Brahma sat jagat mithya’?” Once again, the son repeated those words but to no effect. The bag continued to remain unfilled. It was evening. The son felt hungry. He opened the bag and found that there was but one piece of bread in it. Sad at heart and weary, he took out the last piece of bread and was about to eat it when he heard a cry: “I am almost dying of starvation: will someone give me a piece of bread to eat?” Forgetting his own hunger, the son passed on the last piece of bread to the starving one who, before eating it, folded his hands and prayed: “I thank Thee, Lord!” The son jumped with excitement and cried: “These are the words!” He took his empty bag and prayed: “I thank Thee, Lord! I thank Thee, Lord! I thank Thee, Lord!” And the bag of blessing was full to the brim. This is a legend, but it enshrines a great truth. The man who keeps on offering the prayer: “I thank Thee, Lord!” or “I praise Thee, Lord!” will lack nothing. His bag of blessings will ever remain full. “I thank Thee, Lord!” “I praise Thee, Lord!” May those four words be a of our life! May we learn to praise the Lord in heat and cold, in joy and sorrow, in praise and censure, in pleasure and pain, in loss and gain— aye, in the face of disappointment, disaster, disease, death! Then, indeed, will every day be to us a happy and blessed day!
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RISHI DAYANAND*: “Thy Will be done!” SADHU VASWANI THE CITY is asleep. Beneath the street light, I see a small band of singers. Who are they, standing on the road in this early hour, when everything is hushed in holy silence? Who are they— standing, singing a song? Jai, Jai Pitamai! Parama Ananda Data! That is the burden of their song. “Victory, victory to the Divine Father, the Giver of the Joy of Salvation!” How refreshing to hear it! There are so few, alas! in these days to sing of victory to God. And India, too, has learnt more and more, to be modern and to forget her God. Why do they sing victory to God this day? It is a day sacred to the memory of Rishi Dayanand. On his death-bed he was heard uttering the prayer: “God’s Will be done! Om Shanti! Shanti! Shanti!” Methinks, there was in his heart an unuttered message: “Not to one samaj, but to all my countrymen I commit the Aryan message. It is a message for the world.” And for delivering the Aryan message he suffered as the world’s great ones have suffered in this world of suffering: and pain. Aristotle was banished: Galileo was imprisoned; Dayanand was persecuted. But he was dauntless. From place to place, he moved with the mighty message:
“Awake!” He found the people forgetful of their ancient heritage. He found scepticism among the educated, superstition among the masses and nation-wide ignorance of the Aryan Ideal. His soul rose in revolt against unreality in the name of religion. When at Hardwar, he had a flag over his house with the following words: “Pakhand khandani pataka” “The Flag is a call to destory insincerity and untruth.” A symbol was this Flag of Dayanand’s life. Dayanand was tremendously real. “Sincerity, a deep, great, genuine sincerity,” Carlyle rightly said, “is the first characteristic of all men in, any way heroic.” There is the heroic in Dayanand. In his
*February 12 is sacred as Rishi Dayanand’s Jayanti.
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love of truth he spares neither prince nor priest. He suffers for his integrity, his love of reality. Many are annoyed with him: many call him an “atheist”. Some even plot against his life. The Maharaja of Udaipur invites him. Dayanand preaches against superstitions. The Maharaja offers him mahantship of the Eklinga Temple, having a revenue of a lakh of rupees, if he (Dayanand) will only tune his teaching to orthodoxy. Dayanand has but one answer: he belongs to Truth. From Udaipur he goes to Shahpura, a small State. Here he receives an invitation from the Maharaja of Jodhpur. Dayanand stays at Jodhpur for a few months and tries to infuse a new spirit in the Prince and the People. Soon, there are court-intrigues against him. He has offended a courtesan by reforming the Prince. One day, he catches cold and goes to bed without eating anything. But he drinks milk. Alas! there is poison in it. His cook, Jagannath, has been bribed. Dayanand forgives Jagannath and even gives him money to escape to Nepal. Dayanand’s condition becomes worse everyday. He leaves Jodhpur for Mount Abu. The Prince with a sad heart walks on foot behind the Swami’s palanquin for some distance. At Abu, he gets some relief. But his doctor presses him to go to Ajmer. His condition becomes worse at Ajmer. It is the 30th of October. Dr. Newton and Hakim Pir Iman Ali are called in. Dayanand sends for two of his disciples in the afternoon. He asks them what they want. They say their one
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prayer is that he might improve. “It is only the body,” Dayanand says; “what better can it become?” It is 5.30 p.m. He asks what the paksha and the date are. He looks up. He recites Vedic mantras. He offers prayers. He repeats Gayatri. He enters into samadhi, then opens his eyes and says: “Merciful Lord! Thy Will be done!” He passes away! It is the sacred eve of the Deepavali, when Hindu India commemorates the ancient feast of lights. Sacred is the feast to Lakshmi—the WorldMother. Sacred, too, is the day to Saraswati, the Spirit of Wisdom. And, on the Deepavali Day, passed into the Brahama-loka a gracious son of Saraswati, Dayanand, he who worshipped the Eternal with what the Gita calls “sacrifice of Knowledge”. “Know thyself!” was the great message of Socrates. He believed in Truth and in the One Supreme Spirit; and he was condemned to death. He drank the cup of hemlock cheerfully and passed away in peace. “Know the Ancient Wisdom!” was the great message of Dayanand. He, too, believed in Truth and the One Supreme Spirit. And he was given a slow poison. He forgave all. He passed away in peace. There is a beautiful ancient sutra which says: “Uttishtha! Jagrata!” “Arise! Awake!” The supreme inspiration of Dayanand’s life is verily this—its call to this ancient, long-suffering nation: Sons of Sages of the East! Ye have slumbered long. It is time to awake!
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Hand Yourself To God They who are united with the Lord are happy, indeed. Their wills are merged with the Will Divine. They desire naught but what the Lord wills. They have broken the chains of bondage: they are attached to none: the Lord is their sheet-anchor! Of such as these the Buddha said: “We live happily, indeed, not hating those who hate us! Among men who hate us we dwell free from hatred! “We live happily, indeed, free from ailments among the ailing! Among men who are ailing let us dwell free from ailments! “We live happily, indeed, free from greed among the greedy! Among men who are greedy let us dwell free from greed! “We live happily, indeed, though we call nothing our own! We shall be like the shining Gods, feeding on happiness!
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— J. P. VASWANI
“Victory breeds hatred, for the conquered is unhappy. He who has given up both victory and defeat, he the contented, is happy.” Such men live in this world free from fear. They have no fear even of death. Death, to them, is a messenger of God’s mercy, a gateway to the Life Eternal. And when, in the Providence of God, death comes to them, they greet it with open arms. I write this on the day sacred to the millions of mankind as the anniversary of St. Francis (Oct. 4). He is on his sick-bed, suffering the agony of physical pain: but his face smiles! And when the doctor, by name Good John, visits him, St. Francis asks: “What do you think of this my infirmity of dropsey?” And Good John answers: “By the grace of God, Brother, it shall be well with thee!” And Francis, smiling a sweet, seraphic smile, says to him: “Tell me the truth, Brother! And do
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not fear, for by the grace of God, I am so made with Him, that I am equally content with death as with life.” And the physician says to him: “Then let me tell you this, Father, that thine infirmity is incurable. And I believe that either in the end of September or on the fourth of October, thou wilt die!” On hearing this, Francis, so the ancient records tell us, “lying on his bed, spread his hands out to the Lord with great devotion and reverence, and said with great joy of mind and body, Welcome, my Sister Death.” The one thing needful is to focus the mind on God, to live in His presence and to dedicate ourselves to Him. By doing so we will not, of course, be free from all faults. If it is God’s Will that human nature should be frail, I should, for the love of God, accept my faults, finding comfort in the thought that they will teach me to be humble. No one reached God except on the path of humility. And humility, by revealing to us what we are, teaches us that of ourselves we can do nothing: for we are nothing. All the good that is done through us is done by God. Humility, therefore, means utter surrender to God and to God alone. And so the best thing that man can do is to hand himself over to God, to accept everything including disgrace and disease, trouble and tribulation, misfortune and misery, as coming from God. And whatever comes from God is good: it cometh to purify. Therefore rejoice in every situation and circumstance of life, giving gratitude to Him whose
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works are ever the works of mercy. In this faith lived and worked that great little man, the Cure of Ars. He was simple and humble and gentle; and his life was filled with the holiness of a true man of God. He went about doing good to all who met him, helping them, comforting them, blessing them, showing them the right path. He transformed the lives of many. This holy man, too, had to pass through a period of test through which every servant of God has to pass to be finally purified. He received many letters written in insolent and abusive terms. A leading priest of his days wrote to him, saying: “A man who knows so little theology as you ought never to sit in the confessional!” In answer, the Cure of Ars wrote in his characteristic humility: “You are one of those few who know me thoroughly. Help me, therefore, to obtain the favour I have been so long seeking, namely, to be replaced in my position here, which I am indeed unworthy to occupy on account of my ignorance, and that I may be free to withdraw into a corner and weep over my sins.” Referring to this storm of hatred, a friend said to him once: “Such calumnies could only be invented by the most perverted of men!” To this the Cure of Ars replied: “Oh! no, they are not perverted: they are not wicked at all: it is simply that they found me out and know me better than others.” And when his friend asked: “How could they reproach you with having led a bad life?” this holy man of God answered with
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a sigh: “Alas! my life has always been bad. I led in those days the kind of life I am leading now. I was always good for nothing!” During all the years that hatred and calumny were let loose upon him, this gentle servant of God had but one answer, the meekness and love of a saintly heart. For deep within him was the conviction that all was well. Out of this conviction is born that inner calm which keeps a man at peace with God, firmly poised in eternal life. The way to it is of love. It is love that man nearest to God. one essential mark of who loves God, is that joyfully all the suffering
the way brings a And the the man he bears and pain
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that God sends him. He who has become a captive of love lives a life of surrender to God: in this surrender is true freedom. Watch, therefore, for the ring of love and when it closes in on you, feel happy, for in your captivity you will have found the freedom of the truly free. Then in your heart you will hear songs of rejoicing. And each day will bring to you thrills of joy. Love God with all your heart and soul. Talk to Him. Think of Him. Rest in Him. In the midst of your daily work, turn to Him, again and again. These glad turnings of a loving and grateful heart are your best prayers to God.
I LOVE YOU! “I have heard you urge the people to keep on telling God, time and again, ‘I love you!’ ‘I love you!’ ‘I love you!’ Don’t you think God would be tired of listening to the same words?” a young man asked. I said to him: “How many times did you tell your girlfriend today that you loved her?” “Many times.” “And how many times did you tell her yesterday?” “Very many times.” “And the day before?” “Times without number.” “Does she not feel tired of listening to the same words, again and again?” “No,” answered the young man. “She rejoices to hear those words, every time I tell her.” “You have answered your own question,” I said to him quietly.
— J.P. VASWANI
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ONLY GOD I SEE! In the market and the cloister, Only God I see! In the valley and on the mountain, Only God I see! I behold Him beside me: In favour and in fortune, Only God I see! In prayer and in fasting, In praise and contemplation, Only God I see! Neither soul nor body, Neither qualities nor causes, Only God I see! Like a candle I melt in His Fire! Amid the flames out-flashing, Only God I see! I look with God’s Eyes And only God I see! I pass away into nothingness, I vanish in the Beloved: And lo! and behold! Only God I see!
— Sadhu Vaswani
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BUILDERS OF THE RACE SADHU VASWANI
INDIA’S great gifts to her children are five: these must we receive, assimilate in our education, our thoughts and aspirations, our activities and institutions. The first of these five gifts is “purity.” The Rishis called it “brahmacharya” “control of the senses,” “reverence for the body.” Uddalika was one of the great and gifted Rishis of whom we read in the Upanishads. He had a son who was named Swetaketu. Rishi Uddalika very much wished to see his son grow in the beauty and strength of dedicated life, the life dedicated to the Spirit. The very first lesson the Rishi gave
to his son was: “Swetaketu! maintain brahmacharya!” Be pure, was the Rishi’s word to Swetaketu. Make your body a Temple of the Spirit! Blessed is he whose body becomes a “temple”: it is not dominated by passions: it is radiant with light. What a beautiful aspiration is breathed out in the Hindu’s morning chant: We bow unto Light Divine! It shineth in every heart that is awake. This Light is benediction of the Spirit: This Light is unending joy: This Light is the Peace that passeth understanding: This Light is the Wisdom that knoweth all:
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This Light is boundless, is spaceless, is Infinite. It is the Light Divine; Unto It we bow! Be not dominated by passion: be radiant with Light, was the teaching of the ancient Rishi. Two passions, specially, must be combated and conquered. The first is impurity; the second is anger. Both these passions are “flames.” O child of India, be thou filled with “Light.” Anger is a passion which burns up brotherhood, friendship, social solidarity, spiritual fellowship. Muhammad’s great disciple, Ali, was once insulted. Ali bore the insults for a long time: but he lost patience, at last: then Ali returned tit for tat! Muhammad, who was present all the time, got up and walked away, leaving Ali and his opponent to themselves. Meeting Muhammad in the evening, Ali said: “Master I why did you go away when you saw that I was being insulted? Why did you leave me in the lurch?” Quietly answered the Prophet: “O my friend! that man who insulted you was, indeed, rude and cruel: and I was happy to see that you
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were silent. I saw that there were, at that time, ten angels keeping guard over you and blessing you. But as soon as the angels saw that you gave tit for tat, they left you, and I, too, came away,” Ali lost his purity: Ali defiled his mind and his mouth. Every one of the senses must be kept pure: the eye, the vak (voice, speech), and the prana (breath), must be kept pure. If we control speech only but not the vibrations of prana, we get bad dreams. To be pure, so train yourself in the school of brahmacharya that your dream-state, your subconscious life may, also, be pure. Therefore, repeat “Om” or “Hare Rama” or any other “Guru-mantra” as often as you can, by day and by night. India cannot be truly great if Indians squander their bala or bodily vigour. Religion must build up strength. Don’t squander your life-force! Develop your vigour and use it in the service of man. So may you be as the light as grass, humble yet strong. So purified, you may see the Beauty of Nature and the Truth of God. Blessed are the pure: for they are the builders of the Race!
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LAUGH YOUR WAY TO HEALTH “I heard that you met Mr. Brown’s wife the other day. What kind of woman is she?” “Well,” came the answer, “she is the kind that talks for hours about things that leave her simply speechless.” *** “What’s the matter with you?” growled a man at his wife. “Why do you keep talking about that mistake I made? I thought you said you had forgiven and forgotten?” “I have forgiven and forgotten,” snapped the wife. “But I just don’t want you to forget that I have forgiven and forgotten.” *** “If we get married will you give up smoking?” “Yes.” “And drinking, too?” “Yes.” “And will you stop going to your club in the evening?” “Yes.” “And what else are you thinking of giving up, darling?” “The idea of getting married.” *** The car stopped at the border. The customs official checked the passport and found everything in order. Then he asked, “That’s fine, sir. But now how can you prove that this lady is your wife?” The traveller glanced at his companion out of the corner of his eye, bent out of the car and whispered to the customs official, “If you can prove that she isn’t I’ll
give you a hundred dollars.” *** “Golf! Golf! Golf!” wailed the wife, as her husband clubs in hand, started for the door. “I really believe I’d drop dead if you spent one Sunday at home.” “Now, now,” said the husband, “there’s no use talking like that. You know you can’t bribe me!” *** A woman had mildly spanked her seven-year-old daughter one day. The little girl turned and said: “When I grow up and get married, I won’t paddle my children.” “You won’t?” said her mother. “No, I’ll say ‘Stop it’ and they’ll stop,” said the girl. Then she added, “But then, I’m going to have much better children than you.” *** A little girl from a city was spending her first summer in the country, and was asked how she liked running about barefoot. “At first I could hardly walk,” she said, “but the rocks got softer every day.” *** Little Johnny had just been vaccinated and the doctor started to put a bandage over the vaccination spot. Johnny objected – he wanted the bandage put on the other arm instead.
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“Why, Johnny,” said the doctor, “the bandage should be on the sore arm so the boys at school won’t hit it.” “Put it on the other arm, Doc,” Johnny insisted. “You don’t know those boys!” *** 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.” *** While arrived home with two black eyes. “Fighting again!” said his mother. “Didn’t I tell you that when you are angry you should count a 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 seven-forty-five train and he was afraid he’d miss it. So I let the bulldog loose and he was just in time.” *** A little girl had a birthday party. From all accounts it was highly successful – at least, one would gather so from the report she gave a friend. “It was swell-nineteen out of twelve came.” *** A woman went to a dentist for the fifth time to ask him to grind
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down her false teeth again because “they don’t fit.” “Well.” said the dentist, “I’ll do it again this time, but no more. By every test, these should fit your mouth easily.” “Who said anything about my mouth?” the woman answered testily. “They don’t fit in the glass!” *** The difference between a man and a woman is that a man will pay two dollars for a one-dollar item he wants, while a woman will pay one dollar for a two-dollar item she doesn’t want. *** There is usually only one reason why a man buys, but with a woman, so they say, it might be one of eight: (1) because her husband says she can’t have it: (2) it will make her look thin: (3) it comes from Paris: (4) her neighbours can’t afford it: (5) nobody has one: (6) everybody has one: (7) it’s different: (8) “because.” *** In a school examination paper appeared the question. “Give an account of the creation of man.” One little girl answered: ‘First God created Adam. He looked at him and said, ‘I think if I tried again I could do better.’ Then He created Eve.” *** The assistant manager, noticing the frown on his superior’s face, said, “You sure look worried!” “Listen,” replied the manager, “I have so many worries that if something happens today, I won’t have time to worry about it for another two weeks.”
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Children’s Corner Count the Rabbits
Help the Mother Turtle Find Her Baby
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Join the dots from 1 to 60 and colour the picture.
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Answer: Count the Rabbits 17
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SIMPLE RULES OF HEALTH FINDING FITNESS: 10 WAYS TO GET IN EXERCISE Sometimes the problem isn’t motivation — it’s simply finding the time. But scheduling exercise isn’t as difficult as you might think. Here are 10 ways to get you moving more often: Be less efficient. People typically try to think of ways to make daily tasks easier. But if we make them harder, we can get more exercise. Bring in the groceries from your car one bag at a time so you have to make several trips. Put the laundry away a few items at a time, rather than carrying it up in a basket. Shun labor-saving devices. Wash the car by hand rather than taking it to the car wash. It takes about an hour and a half to do a good job, and in the meantime you’ve gotten great exercise. Walking up or down a few flights of stairs each day can be good for your heart. Avoid elevators and escalators whenever possible. Be a morning person. Studies show that people who exercise in the morning are more likely to stick with it. If you do your workout in the morning, you’re not only more likely to do it, but you’ll also set a positive tone for the day. Ink the deal. Whether morning, afternoon, or evening, pick the time that is most convenient for you to exercise and write it down in your daily planner. Keep your exercise routine as you would keep any appointment. Watch your step. Investing in a good pedometer can help
you stay motivated. If you have a pedometer attached to your waist and you can see how many steps you’ve taken, you’ll see it doesn’t take long to walk 5,000 steps and you will be inspired to do 10,000 steps a day. Hire the right help. While weight training is important, if you don’t know what you’re doing, you run the risk of injuring yourself or not being effective. It’s best to get instructions from a personal trainer at the gym. Keep records. Grab a diary or logbook, and every day that you exercise, write down what you did and for how long. Phone a friend. Find someone who likes the same activity that you do. Exercising with a friend or in a group can be very motivating. Don’t have a buddy who is available? Grab an MP3 player and listen to your favorite music or an audio book while exercising. Do what you like. Whatever exercise you choose, be sure it’s one that you enjoy. You’re more likely to stick with it if it’s something you have fun doing rather than something you see as a chore. If you can’t fit 30 minutes a day into your schedule, get more exercise simply by being less efficient with your chores and adding a little extra walking distance everywhere you go. However, if you pick an activity you like, finding time for fitness will become effortless and the rewards enormous.
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Recipes for the Month SEYAL BHEENDEE PATAATAA (Masala Coated Lady’s Fingers with a flavour of Sindh) Ingredients: Oil.................................................................3 tbsp Lady’s finger [bhindi] ............................. 250 gms Coriander paste............................................½ cup Turmeric powder (haldi]................................½ tsp Coriander seed powder [dhania].................... 1 tsp Salt..............................................................1½ tsp Onion - quartered....................................... 1 large Potatoes (slices of ¼” thick)....................... 2 large Tomato - cubed...................................... 1 medium Water...........................................................375 ml Grind to a paste Onion.......................................................... 1 large Fenugreek leaves [methi patta]................. 25 gms Coriander leaves [dhania patta]................ 50 gms Tomato..................................................................1 Ginger - chopped...........................................1tbsp Garlic - chopped...........................................1 tbsp Green chillies 4 garnish Coriander leaves..................................... a handful Method: • Heat the oil in a thick bottomed pan. Lightly fry the lady’s finger. Remove from the oil and drain. Keep aside. • In the same oil, add the coriander paste. Stir fry over a medium flame for 2-3 minutes. • Add the turmeric powder, coriander seed powder and salt. • Cook over a high flame for 5 minutes, till the oil starts to separate from the mixture. • Then, add the onion, potato and tomato. Stir and cook over a high flame for 5 minutes. • Add water. Bring the mixture to a boil. • Then, reduce the heat. Cover the pan and let the vegetables simmer for 15-20 minutes, till the potatoes become tender.
• Remove from the stove and garnish with fresh coriander leaves. Tip: • Instead of lady’s finger, you can put 250 gms Indian baby gourd - tinda (slit crosswise], or 250 gms small brinjals (slit crosswise]. Cook in the same manner. GUAAR JEE BHAAJEE (Garlic flavoured young cluster beans) Ingredients: Cluster beans [guaar phali], finely chopped.......................................... 250 gms Water...........................................................125 ml Oil.................................................................2 tbsp Garlic, chopped...................................10-12 cloves Green chilli, chopped............................................1 Tomatoes, diced..................................... 2 medium Salt.............................................................to taste Red chilli powder...........................................½ tsp Coriander seed powder [dhania].................... 1 tsp Turmeric powder (haldi)................................¼ tsp Method: • Pressure cook the cluster beans along with the salt and water, till soft. Drain out excess water. Keep aside. • Heat the oil in a frying pan. Add the garlic and green chilli. Saute till light brown.
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• Add the boiled cluster beans, tomato, salt, red chilli powder, coriander seed powder and turmeric powder. Cover and cook on a low flame for 10 minutes. • Stir at regular intervals. If required, sprinkle a little extra water if the cluster beans (guaar] start sticking to the bottom of the pan. • Serve hot with rotis (Indian Bread].
a high flame. Remove from the stove. • Serve hot with Saavaa Chaavarn or Bassar jo Pulaao or Taahreen
SAAYEE BHAAJEE
Ingredients: Oil............................................................for frying Elephant yam (suran), ............................ 200 gms Oil for cooking..............................................2 tbsp Onions - chopped..................................................2 Ginger paste / chopped ginger....................... 1 tsp Green chillies........................................................2 Garam masala powder...................................1 tsp Cumin seed powder (jeera)............................1 tsp Turmeric powder [haldi]...............................V2 tsp Spinach (paalak), washed and chopped........y2 kg Tomatoes - chopped..............................................3 Sour yogurt............................................... 115 gms Salt.............................................................to taste
(Spinach combined with vegetables, cooked with spices) Ingredients: Bengal gram [channa daal]....................... 50 gms Oil.................................................................2 tbsp Onion, finely chopped............................ 1 medium Garlic, finely chopped.............................4-5 cloves Spinach, washed and chopped.................. 250 gms Carrot, cubed......................................... 1 medium Brinjal, cubed.............................................1 small Potato, cubed........................................ 1 medium Tomatoes, chopped............................... 2 medium Turmeric powder (haldi).................................1 tsp Green chillies, finely chopped...............................2 Ginger, chopped............................................1 tbsp Water [to be added while cooking].............250 ml Salt.............................................................to taste Method • Soak the Bengal gram in water for 15-20 minutes. Drain out the water. Keep aside. • Heat the oil in a pressure cooker. • Add the onion and garlic. Cook on a medium flame till the onion turns pink in colour. • Now, add the spinach, along with the cut carrot, brinjal, potato and the soaked Bengal gram. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes on a medium flame. • Add the tomato, turmeric powder, green chillies, ginger and water. • Close the cooker and pressure cook for 2 whistles, till the vegetable mixture becomes very soft. Simmer over a slow flame for 10 minutes. • When cool, open the lid and add salt as required. • Then, blend lightly by hand with a potato masher. Boil uncovered for another 5 minutes on
PAALAK SURAN JEE BHAAJEE (Spinach combined with yam, cooked with yogurt and spices)
Method: • Heat the oil in a pan and fry the elephant yam [suran] till it turns brown in colour. Keep aside. • Separately, heat the oil in another pan and saute the onion, ginger and green chillies, till the onion turns pink in colour. • Add the fried elephant yam [suran] and garam masala powder. Stir fry for 2-3 minutes over a medium flame. Add the cumin seed powder and turmeric powder. Fry for 10 minutes. • Add the chopped spinach, tomato, and yogurt. Coarsely mash the ingredients. Do not stir. • Let the vegetables simmer for 10 minutes over a slow flame. • Then, add salt to taste and stir continuously, till all the water dries up. • Serve hot with rice or Indian bread.
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