East And West Series - February 2022 by East and West Series

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Two

Magic Words DADA J. P. VASWANI

Thank you! I regard these two words to be the two most important words in the English language. Which of us would not like to hear these two words addressed to us? Parents appreciate it when children come to say “Thank you”, to them. Children are thrilled when parents say “Thank you”! Teachers feel fulfilled when students utter these magic words. Why, even God feels happy when you thank Him for His many favours and blessings so munificently conferred upon you! Would you agree that even God appreciates it when you thank Him for His mercy? So, let me tell you a story about Jesus.

Once, Jesus was on his way to Jerusalem. On the long, narrow, dusty road between Samaria and Galilee, he came across a row of lepers, who were standing at some distance from the road, huddled together in a group. In those days’ leprosy was regarded as a deadly, infectious disease. Lepers were not allowed to mix with the people. In fact, they were not even allowed to present themselves before the eyes of their ‘clean’ and ‘healthy’ brothers. They were condemned to live in caves and catacombs outside human settlements. Food and clothes in the form of pitiful alms were dumped near their site, so that they would not venture out

*February 18-24 are observed as Thanksgiving Week.

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to seek food or other forms of relief. When the group of lepers saw Jesus approaching, they cried out in desperation and misery, “Master! Heal us! For only you can help us in our affliction. We pray Master, heal us!” Jesus looked at them with compassion. Nine of them were Jews, and one of them was a Samaritan. In those days, the Jews regarded themselves as superior, while the Samaritans were treated as outcastes. However, the common bond of suffering and affliction had united these men together in a brotherhood of despair. Together, they cried out again and again, “Master! Heal us!” Jesus looked at them with loving compassion and said to them, “Go to the priest!” Now, the lepers were puzzled. They had put all their faith in Jesus. Why did he want them to go to the priest? However, the Master had spoken, and they obeyed him implicitly. They turned to walk in the direction of the Temple. Hardly had they walked a few halting paces, when they became aware of a strange sensation. They felt their spirits lifting, their hearts became light, vigour returned to their limbs, at the same time, the hideous sores on their body began to disappear and melt away, and their very skin became smooth

as that of a new born baby. They saw one another’s faces becoming radiant and beautiful! It was a miracle! “We are healed!” they exclaimed, jubilant and elated. “We are healed! We are healed!” Amidst their ecstasy and self-congratulations, they remembered their families who had been bereft with grief. “Let us rush to our loved ones,” they said to one another. “Let us give them the good news that we are now healed and whole again! Let us share this wonderful moment with our near and dear ones!” In a moment, the nine Jews had rushed off in the direction of their homes. But the Samaritan lingered. “Yes,” he mused, “I must go back to my family... but before I do, I must return to the Master and thank Him for the miraculous gift that He has bestowed upon me!” The Samaritan rushed to catch up with Jesus. He fell at Jesus’s feet and said to the Lord with tears in his eyes, “Master! My gratitude to you. You have healed me and given me a new lease of life! Thank you, thank you, thank you!” Jesus blessed the Samaritan and said: “Ten were cleansed, but only one has come. Where are the other nine?” Even God misses something when you don’t express your gratitude! 

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“I AM IN ALL RELIGIONS!” SADHU VASWANI

There is a beautiful legend which says that in the olden days God spoke from Mount Sinai. And when He spoke, the Voice was heard by the people, as they listened from east and west, from north and south, from earth and heaven. But each man — we read — heard the Voice in his own tongue. That story is suggestive of a great truth. The One Voice of God has spoken to all but has, in its utterance, become many. The One Religion has become the many religions of the world. And this truth has been intuited by the great religious geniuses of the race. So one great Sufi writer says: “The ways of God are as many

as the breaths of man.” And a text in the Gita expresses the same idea wonderfully well: “On whatsoever path men approach Me, on that I go to meet them. For all the paths are Mine!” Prophets of the race, in east and west, have glimpsed this great truth. And yet there is conflict in the religious world. Rivalry in religion, as it seems to me, is due to two things — want of knowledge, and lack of sympathy. Sometimes, there is lack of knowledge: sometimes, there is lack of sympathy: and often, I think, there is lack of both.

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There are some who believe that there is but one and full and final revelation of the Spirit; so that those who stand outside the circle of their own faith must necessarily be in error. Again, there are some who approach the religious problem in no spirit of sympathy. They fix their attention on certain aberrations and extravagances of a particular religion and say, “Look here, this religion is a monstrosity!” So it is that quarrels, discord and hatred, have entered the religious world. Religion, which was meant to be a bond of union, has become a source of sectarian strifes. I remember, many years ago, while in Europe, I received an invitation to speak at a Church. The minister of the congregation took the chair. I spoke on “The Wisdom of Higher Life.” The reverend gentleman was very kind. At the close of the lecture he said, that evening they had “listened to a non-Christian but to words of inspiration.” Then a friend came to me and said: "There is one little thing I wish to communicate to you. The question of your being invited to speak here was brought before the committee of the congregation, and one member of the committee objected to your being invited at all on

one ground: ‘So and so is an Indian and a heathen!’ What a wonderful teaching comes to us from Sri Krishna in the ancient words: “I am in all religions!” Greece and Rome, Carthage and Assyria, Egypt and Babylonia have vanished and are today a memory of the past; they are gone, but India lives on. And if the history of man be not an aimless pursuit of shadow-shapes that come and go, but a sacred scripture showing a purpose of the World-Will, is there not some great meaning in this survival of India? India has survived the many shocks and changes of time, because I believe India is meant to be the standard-bearer of a great message. I believe that India is meant, under the grace of God, to be an interpreter to the nations of a religion of reconciliation, a religion of harmony. But India may not enter upon her world-mission if you and I will not strive to verify in everyday life the vision of harmony and love. Religion is Love! The highest force in life is Love! Love is in truth the profoundest philosophy of life! For Love is expansion of the self. The Lord of Love is the inspirer of all religions. And the paths of all converge to a common centre. 

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THE PUREST OF DEEDS* SADHU VASWANI

Sisters and brothers! If you will keep silent for awhile, I will speak a word or two: for more than a word or two, I feel, I am not worthy to speak on this occasion. You have been very kind, and I thank you. You have called me to this festival of joy: and I feel grateful. Sisters and Brothers! I am not a sadhu: I am not a sage. Their servant I fain would be. Unworthy am I to loose the latchet of their shoes. I speak to you a word or two this evening as a Servant of the great ones of Humanity: and I speak to you as your brother.

In our great Indian book — the Bhagavad Gita — “offering to God” is referred to as a ‘sacrifice’, a ‘yagna’. You are offering this festival unto the Lord: blessed are you! What you give to the poor, you give unto the Lord. And whatever you have received and what you may receive for a few days more during this festival, you are offering to the poor ones. Therefore am I drawn to you. Therefore I come here not so much to speak as to get your blessings. Bless me — your brother — who though he speaketh in a foreign tongue

There is a non-Christian book: in it are brought together a number of beautiful sayings which are attributed to Jesus. On one of these sayings I tried to meditate today. Some disciples of the Master say to him: “Master! Which is the purest of deeds?” And Jesus says to them: “Your purest of deeds is that which you offer unto God.” Your festival is an offering to God: and so I rejoice with you. *From his inaugural speech at the Fete on the grounds of St. Vincent's High School, Pune.

Contd. on page 16

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A SUNRISE GIFT DADA J. P. VASWANI

We are, most of us, creatures of the mind. And the mind is unsteady, fickle, restless, and wayward as the wind. The mind sits over us as a tyrant and will not let us rest in peace. That man is truly happy who has broken the thraldom of the mind — truly happy, because he is truly free. The mind of such an one becomes his friend, a co-partner in the constructive, creative tasks of life. In the case of so many of us, alas! The mind is an enemy, a despot. Held fast in its grip, we feel miserable: and we feel utterly helpless. Significant are the words of Madam Blavatsky: “The mind is a good servant, but a cruel master.” The other day, a grown-up sister came to me and said: “I am tormented by thoughts of jealousy: and I can bear it no longer. I want to end my life.” As she spoke, her eyes were flooded with tears. And I said to her: “Sister! Life is endless: it cannot be ended! Life goes on even after

the body drops down. And your hell you will carry with yourself, even if you finish with the body. So, why not face the issue now? Why not make an earnest effort to convert your hell into a heaven of peace and joy and bliss?” “Is that possible?” she asked in wonder. And I said to her: “With God nothing is impossible!” “Tell me what I may do!” she implored. And I said to her: “All that God asks of us is sincerity. Relax yourself and radiate love and good-will to her of whom you feel jealous. Think of her as a friend and pray that Divine Love may pour His choicest benedictions on her.” She relaxed her body. And together the two of us prayed. After some minutes of silence, she opened her eyes: she no longer appeared agitated. And she said to me: “For a long time I have not felt as I feel now. I am at peace. True it is that my

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happiness does not depend on anything outside of me: it is a product of my own inner attitude.” And I whispered to her the immortal words of the Buddha: “It is good to tame the mind and to guard one’s thoughts. A tamed mind and thoughts well guarded bring happiness.” Much of our restlessness would vanish if we could but tame the mind. Not many of us seem to realise yet the part which the mind plays in our daily lives. As a man thinks, so he becomes, Significant are the words of the Dhammapada: “All that we are is the result of what we have thought; it is founded on our thoughts and is made up of our thoughts.” One reason why the modern world has gone astray, is that it lays undue emphasis on the “work” aspect of life. Work has its place in life: but more important than “work” is “thought”. Take care of your thoughts! Every thought is a force which we generate for good or evil. Someone may well remark, thoughts come to us from goodness knows where. They overwhelm us: and we feel helpless. Is it our fault that evil thoughts come to us, from time to time? No, it is not our fault if evil thoughts come to us and tear into bits the fabric of

good life which we may have gradually built. But it is our fault if we permit them to stay in our mind. As soon as an undesirable thought seeks entry into our mind, we should with all our might throw it out! Once an evil thought is allowed to enter the mind, it poisons the whole system, paralysing the limbs, holding us captive in its relentless clutches. In one of the sayings of Judaism, we read: “Temptation is at first like a passerby, then like a lodger, and finally like the master of the house.” Behind every evil thought is an evil force. When we permit evil thoughts to invade us, we open ourselves to the influence of dark powers. We become their victims and before we know it, we create “hell” for ourselves. If we think good thoughts — thoughts of love and compassion, of beauty and joy, of faith and freedom, of peace and wisdom — we invite to ourselves good forces, forces of light, and, in that measure, we create “heaven” around our selves. “Heaven” and “hell” are of our own making. By thinking “heavenly” thoughts, we get into touch with “heavenly” forces and we feel happy and spread around us the sunshine of joy.

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All we need to do is to raise our consciousness to the realm of infinite peace and calm, beauty and joy, truth and holiness — the realm where God dwells in the endlessness of bliss. This, however, is not an easy task for the beginner. If he succeeds in lifting himself up to this plane even for a few seconds at a time, it will be regarded as an achievement. Once a person has this truly wonderful experience — for howsoever short a period — he knows that its value and worth is more than all the wealth of the world. It is the experience of true freedom — freedom from the cage of flesh, liberation from the prison of desires, the thraldom of the lower self. It is like flying in an attenuated atmosphere — unfettered and free. To those of us who cannot reach such heights, the following suggestions may be found helpful. 1. Perhaps, the simplest and most efficacious method of escaping the lower self is that of kirtan. Whenever two or three gather together, let them sing in chorus the Name Divine and, in the Name, lose themselves, drown themselves. Sing in love: sing with devotion. This method is so simple that often its importance is overlooked.

But it is one of immense value to us all. Are our homes breaking? Is our community crumbling? Are nations at war with each other? The cure of these and other ills is kirtan. O pilgrims on the Path! Get together and form kirtan-bands. You will sanctify your own lives: you will purify — as did Sri Chaitanya, centuries ago — the atmosphere of your town and country: you will release forces for the healing of the human race. 2. As you wake up in the morning, breathe out an aspiration of purity, of love, of joy, of peace, of humility, of trust — any aspiration that may express your inmost need. Repeat this aspiration as often as you can during the day, even in the midst of your work. I know of a young man who, in the years of his adolescence, was troubled, again and again, by violent storms of passion. He repeated the words: “Make me a child of Light, ever pure and bright!” He repeated this line — which, to him, was sacred as a mantra — many thousands of times a day. And as he repeated the words, he imagined God in the form of a Great Moon radiating to him cooling vibrations of purity. He persisted in the practice for six months: the day came when

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he became pure as a pearl. And, today, he can safely walk through objects of lust with no feeling of lust but with purity in his eyes and love in his heart. 3. As you retire at night, read a little from the life or teaching of a saint, a bhakta, a man of God. This has a purifying influence on the mind and, consequently, on one’s dream-consciousness. I have found the following books specially helpful: The Imitation of Christ by Thomas A’ Kempis; The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna by “M”; and Beloved Dadaji’s (Sri T. L. Vaswaniji’s) Gita: Meditations and Thus Have I Learnt. 4. When evil thoughts come to you, do not struggle with them. The more you struggle, the more you will strengthen them. The best way to face evil thoughts is to let them alone and to think divine thoughts. Light dispels darkness. Every good thought is as a ray of light which clears the dark clouds of evil thinking. 5. Keep yourself relaxed at all times — both in body and in mind. Work with unhasting speed: and speak gently, sweetly, with love and understanding. Above all, let nothing disturb your inner peace. Remember, work of the true type — creative work — is performed only when your

heart is at rest. Glide very gently, very quietly from one task to another — taking time to rest and pray between. Our activities take us away from the Peace of God. In the midst of our duties let us pause for a while, again and again, and enter into the Rest and Joy of God. So many, alas! Spend their life in a self-created “hell,” while it is within their power to live a life of heavenly joy. It must not be forgotten, however, that “heaven” is not the goal of life. Beyond both “hell” and “heaven” must we go to abide in the Eternal. This “abiding” is the state of “contemplation” at which we arrive after the “self” is dead; the “ego” is annihilated. It is the unitive life of Love. It is the life of him who exclaims with the great mystic, Rabia: Beloved! If I come to Thee To be saved from the fires of hell, Let me burn in hell! And if I come to Thee To gain the joys of Paradise, Let the gates of Paradise Be shut against me! But if I come to Thee For Thine own sake, Beloved! Keep me not away from Thee. So bless me that I may abide, For ever and evermore, In unbroken communion With Thy Eternal Beauty!

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Blessed is the man who aspires to live in unbroken communion with the Lord. He has learnt the art of maintaining the interior peace in the midst of adverse circumstances. Living in a world of disharmony and discord, of misunderstanding and mistrust, he builds his own harmony by keeping his ears The Purest Of Deeds

does not bear a stranger’s heart. I come to ask you to bless me. I believe that the poor ones are pictures of the Lord: and you are serving the poor: so are you serving the Lord. What more may I say to you? Serve them: but serve them in love. It is the service of love that truly blesseth. Serve the poor ones in love for the Lord. In a beautiful passage in a Hindu scripture, not familiar to many of you, we read that he who serveth the poor in love, he is blessed, for in his heart the Lord cometh to sing. His becomes a singing heart. And I breathe out an aspiration that your hearts may be filled with the Song of the Lord. So singing, singing in the heart within, you may bless so many around you. I recall the words of an eastern sage: “May your life be everyday a life of a hundred benedictions!” So singing, singing in the heart

attuned to Heaven’s music. To such a man each new day is as a wondrous sunrise gift from God. He moves through life in the fullness of joy — the joy of the man who knows that every little detail of his life is planned by the love and wisdom of God. Oh! The joy, the beauty, and the wonder of a God-guided life!  Contd. from page 11

within, go forth to serve the poor! Serve the poor, and praise the Lord and give thanks unto Him! They asked me some time ago: “When difficulties come, what do you do?” And I said: “I praise the Lord.” And they said to me again: “When you are ill or have suffering and pain, what do you do?” And I said to them: “I praise the Lord.” And they said to me again: “When you are in the midst of a storm of life, what do you do?” And I said: “Still I praise the Lord .” And coming to this festival, witnessing this festival, witnessing your enthusiasm, your kindness and your love, I praise the Lord and I offer thanksgiving unto Him who has drawn us together in the Blessed Name. And may the benedictions of your Master and my Master shine and shine and shine upon you forever and ever more! 

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Laugh Your Way To Health

On a sign outside a lawyer’s office: “Where there’s a will, there’s a way; Where there’s a way, there’s a law; Where there’s a law, there’s a loophole; Where there’s a loophole, there’s me, WALK IN.” *** An attorney’s wife was complaining about the shabby state of their home. The furniture was old, the curtains were falling apart and the carpet was a wreck. “Look, sweetheart,” said her husband, “I got a divorce case today. As soon as I break up their home, we’ll start fixing up ours.” *** Wife: “Donald, when was the last time we received a letter from our son?” Husband: “Just a second, honey, I’ll go look in the cheque book.” ***

A waiter suddenly became ill and was rushed to the hospital emergency room. He was lying on the operating table in great pain when he saw an intern walk by. “Doctor, you have to help me,” the waiter pleaded. “Sorry,” the intern “This isn’t my table.”

said.

*** When the landlord heard the price for cleaning his chimneys, he said, “Forget it! I’ll clean them myself!” “Okay,” said the chimney sweep with a shrug. “Soot yourself.” *** One evening the company manager telephoned a customer. A youngster picked up the phone. “Is your father home?” asked the businessman.

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“Yes, but he’s busy,” the boy whispered. “Your mother, then?” “Yes, but she’s busy too.” “Well, is anybody else home?” asked the manager. “My sister, but she’s busy as well.” “What are they all doing?” “We’re playing hide-andseek, and they’re all looking for me.” *** An accountant answered an advertisement for a top job with a large firm. At the end of the interview, the chairman said, “One last question — what is three times seven?” The accountant thought for a minute and replied, “Twentytwo.” Outside he took out his calculator and saw he should have said 21. He concluded he had lost the job. Two weeks later, however, he was offered the post. After a few weeks he asked the chairman why he had been appointed when he had given the wrong answer. “You were the closest,” the chairman replied. *** A woman dining out summoned her waiter and requested that the air conditioning be turned down. Minutes later, the same woman

was fanning herself, and she again summoned the waiter, asking that the air conditioning be turned up. As her complaints continued, a man seated at the next table beckoned the waiter. “She must be driving you crazy,” he said, “making you turn the air conditioning up and down like that.” “Not at all,” the waiter replied. “I’m driving her crazy. We don’t have air conditioning. *** Having purchased a new car, my friend was chary of hiring a chauffeur because he had been warned that most chauffeurs exchanged new car parts for old and made some money on the sly. However, since my friend did not know how to drive, he had to engage a chauffeur, but he questioned every movement of the driver. Once when we were riding together, the car slowed, then picked up speed. “What happened?” my friend asked the driver. “I just changed the gear, sir,” the driver replied. Turning to me my friend whispered, “I’ll have to fire this fellow. He not only changed the gear but has the audacity to admit it!” 

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THOUGHTS AND ASPIRATIONS DADA J. P. VASWANI Love one another or perish! There is no other choice.

*** If your thoughts are always positive, you will be at peace with yourself, and all around you the world will smile!

*** If while praying, we can think of worldly matters, why can we not, while doing worldly matters think of God?

*** If you want to change things or conditions, you must change yourself.

*** When love wakes up in the heart, the soul is resurrected.

*** Are you passing through a dark period of your life – a period of trials and tribulations? Is your mind confused? Do you find yourself at a dead end, knowing not where to go? Then offer this simple prayer: “Let Thy will be done!” And a way will be shown to you.

*** To the person who loves and is loved, every winter becomes a spring, and the world a garden of God!

*** Worrying is like a rocking chair. Though it keeps you occupied, it leads you nowhere!

*** Teach me, O Lord, to observe all the rules of the game of life, never to lose my sense of humour, and always to hold my tongue when it is so difficult to hold it.

***

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Children’s Corner RIDDLES 1.

During which month, do people sleep the least?

I have no doors, but I have keys. I have no rooms, but I have a space. You can enter, but you can never leave. What am I?

What gets sharper the more you use it?

What can you hear but not touch or see?

I call the trees my home, yet I never go inside. If I ever fall off the tree, I will surely be dead. What am I?

I am the sweetest and most romantic fruit. What am I?

What has a thumb but no fingers and isn’t alive?

I have hands, yet I cannot shake your hand. I cannot give you a high five, and I have no fingers. What am I?

Born in an instant, I tell all stories. I can be lost, but I never die. What am I?

10. What do you find at the end of the line? 11. What is made of water, but if you put it into water will die? 12. Name three consecutive days that aren’t the names of the days of the week. 13. What fruit is always sad? 14. People walk in and out of me. They push, and I follow. When they walk out on me, I close up. I wait for the next person to walk into my life and then I open up again. What am I? 15. What is lighter than a feather but can’t be held for a long time? 16. If an electric train is travelling south, which way is the smoke going?

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17. They are many and one; they wave and they drum. You take them with you everywhere. What are they? 18. How can a man go eight days without sleep? 19. You walk into a room with a match, a kerosene lamp, a candle, and a fireplace. Which do you light first? 20. What has a bottom at the top of them? 21. What gets wetter and wetter the more it dries? 22. What do teens say when they have trouble in their math class? 23. The person who makes it does not need it. The person who buys it has no use for it. The person who uses it can neither see nor feel it. What is it? 24. What kind of room has no doors or windows? 25. What kind of tree can you carry in your hand? 26. What is so delicate that saying its name breaks it? 27. You can’t keep this until you have given it? 28. What has 13 hearts but no other organs? 29. There was a greenhouse and inside the greenhouse, there was a white house. Inside the white house, there was a red house. Inside the red house, there were lots of babies. What is it? 30. Two fathers and two sons went duck hunting. Each shot a duck, but they shot only three ducks in all. How come? 1. February. It’s the shortest month, with the fewest nights. 2. A keyboard. 3. Your brain. 4. Your voice. 5. Leaves. 6. Honeydew. 7. A mitten. 8. A clock. 9. Memories. 10. The letter “e.” 11. Ice.

Answers:

12. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow. 13. The blueberry. 14. An elevator. 15. Your breath. 16. It’s electric. There is no smoke! 17. Your hands. 18. He sleeps at night. 19. The match. 20. Your legs. 21. A towel. 22. “I can’t even.”

23. A coffin. 24. A mushroom. 25. Palm. 26. Silence. 27. A promise. 28. A deck of cards. 29. A watermelon. 30. The hunters were a man, his son, and his grandson.

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RECIPES FOR THE MONTH CLEAR MACARONI SOUP Ingredients: Cabbage, finely shredded................................1 cup Carrot, coarsely grated................................ 1/4 cup Onion, thinly sliced...................................... 1/4 cup Tomatoes,thinly sliced.................................. 1/4 cup Macaroni, uncooked..................................... 1/2 cup Water..............................................................4 cups Olive oil..........................................................2 tbsp Oil (for boiling the macaroni)..........................1 tsp Green peas boiled (optional).........................2 tbsp White pepper................................................ 1/2 tsp Salt ..............................................................to taste Cloves of garlic finely chopped.............................. 4 Method: 1. Boil macaroni in salted water with oil. Drain and keep aside. 2. Heat the olive oil in a pan and add garlic. Sauté till aroma arises. 3. Add onions and fry till pink. 4. Add cabbage, carrots, tomatoes, water, salt and white pepper. 5. Bring to a boil, then lower the flame and simmer for about 10-15 minutes, till vegetables are cooked. 6. To serve, place 1 1/2 tbsp of boiled macaroni and a few peas in individual bowls and pour the hot soup over it. 7. Serve immediately.

CRUNCHY SALAD WITH BREAD MAYONNAISE Ingredients: For the salad Cucumber, diced...............................................1 cup Apple, diced.....................................................1 cup Watermelon, diced...........................................1 cup Walnuts, chopped.........................................60 gms For the mayonnaise Bread slices............................................................ 4

Hung curd........................................................1 cup Powdered sugar..............................................1 tbsp Mustard powder................................................1 tsp Black pepper powder.................................... 1/2 tsp Olive oil............................................................2 tsp Salt ..............................................................to taste Method: 1. Mix all the salad ingredients and put them in a bowl. 2. Trim the crust from the bread slices. 3. Crumble the bread and soak in yoghurt for a few minutes. 4. Blend along with the seasoning and oil to get a sauce like consistency. 5. Mix the bread mayonnaise lightly with the salad ingredients. 6. Serve chilled.

MUSHROOM RICE CAKE Ingredients: Mushrooms, quartered...............................400 gms Celery, finely chopped.................................. 1/4 cup Spring onions, finely chopped..................... 1/4 cup Lime juice.........................................................2 tsp Soya sauce........................................................2 tsp Butter................................................................2 tsp For the marinade Vinegar...................................................... 1 1/2 tsp Soya sauce........................................................3 tsp Sugar................................................................1 tsp

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Salt and pepper ...........................................to taste

Milk ......................................................for brushing

For the paste Onions, sliced and deep fried................................ 5 Garlic.........................................................10 cloves Red chillies............................................................. 6 Tomatoes, quartered.............................................. 3 Ginger......................................................... 1” piece Oil............................................................... 2-3 tbsp

For the Topping: fresh sweetened cream, beaten..................100 gms

For the rice Rice................................................................1/2 kg Oil...................................................................2 tbsp Salt ..............................................................to taste For the garnish Celery....................................................a few leaves Method: 1. Marinate the mushrooms in all marinade ingredients. Refrigerate for at least an hour. 2. Heat oil in a pan and shallow fry all the paste ingredients except the onions. 3. Cool this and grind together with the fried onions to make thick paste. Keep aside. 4. Cook the rice, with the oil and salt till slightly soft and keep aside. 5. How to Proceed: 6. Heat butter in pan, add the paste, and the soya sauce and cook for about 5-7 minutes. 7. Add in the marinated mushrooms and cook. 8. Add the celery, spring onions, and lime juice and cook for a few minutes. 9. Grease a baking dish. Layer the dish with 1/2 the quantity of the cooked rice. Press well. 10. Now spread all the mushrooms evenly over the rice. 11. Top with the remaining quantity of the rice and press well. 12. Garnish with celery leaves, cover with foil and bake on medium heat for 10-15 minutes. 13. Serve hot.

CHERRY TARTS Ingredients: For the Tarts plain flour...................................................200 gms butter..........................................................100 gms powdered sugar.......................................... 2-3 tbsp Cold water............(enough to make a hard dough)

For the Cherry Filling cherries.................................1 small can (250 gms) strawberry or mixed fruit jam....................200 gms butter..............................................................1 tbsp Lime Juice.................................................. of 1 lime sugar........................................................... 6-8 tbsp corn flour................................................. 1 1/2 tbsp cochineal (red liquid food colour)............2-3 drops Method: For the Tarts 1. Sieve the plain flour and sugar. 2. Mix in butter using fingers until it feels like bread crumbs. 3. Make a hard dough with cold water. 4. Roll out dough into small round shapes enough to fit your tart mould or cupcake mould. 5. Press in the mould and prick lightly with a fork all over and brush with milk. 6. Bake in an oven until light brown and crisp like a biscuit. 7. Remove from the mould and keep aside. For the Filling 8. Drain contents of the cherries and keep aside the syrup. 9. Deseed cherries and cut into halves. 10. Mix corn flour with 1/2 - 3/4 cup cherry syrup and keep aside. 11. In a non-stick pan, melt butter and add jam. 12. Mix well till the jam melts. 13. Add sugar and cherries and mix well. 14. Add the corn flour mixture, lime juice and cochineal. 15. Let it boil, stirring occasionally. 16. This mixture should be very thick (if not, add a little corn flour paste). 17. When sauce is ready, put off the flame and keep aside. To Serve 18. Fill tarts with cherry sauce and heat in the oven for 7-10 minutes. 19. Serve topped with sweetened cream. 

FEBRUARY 2022

EAST AND WEST SERIES

SIMPLE RULES OF HEALTH TOP 10 HEALTH BENEFITS OF FLAX SEEDS For centuries, flax seeds have been prized for their healthprotective properties. Nowadays, flax seeds are emerging as a “super food” as more scientific research points to their health benefits. 1. Flax Seeds Are Loaded with Nutrients Flax seeds are good sources of many nutrients. Their health benefits are mainly due to their content of omega-3 fats, lignans and fibre. 2. Flax Seeds Are High in Omega-3 Fats Flax seeds are a rich source of the omega-3 fatty acid ALA. Plant-based ALA fatty acids are proven to have heart health benefits and are linked to a lower risk of stroke.

3. Flax Seeds Are a Rich Source of Lignans, Which May Reduce Cancer Risk Flax seeds contain a group of nutrients called lignans, which have powerful antioxidant and estrogen properties. They may help in preventing breast and prostate cancer, as well as other types of cancer. 4. Flax Seeds Are Rich in Dietary Fibre With so much fibre packed in each tiny seed, adding flax seeds to your diet promotes regular bowel movements and can improve your digestive health. 5. Flax Seeds May Improve Cholesterol The high fibre content of flax seeds can help lower cholesterol

FEBRUARY 2022

EAST AND WEST SERIES

and may play an important role in improving heart health. 6. Flax Seeds May Lower Blood Pressure Flax seeds have been proven to lower blood pressure and are especially helpful for those with high blood pressure. 7. They Contain High-Quality Protein Flax seeds are a good source of plant-based protein and can be an alternative protein source for people who do not eat meat. 8. Flax Seeds May Help Control Blood Sugar Flax seeds may lower blood sugar due to their insoluble fibre content. They can be a beneficial addition to the diet of people with diabetes. 9. Flax Seeds Keep Hunger at Bay, Which May Aid Weight Control If you have the tendency to snack between meals, you might want to consider adding flax seeds to your beverage to stave off hunger pangs. One study found that adding 2.5 grams of ground flax fibre extract to a beverage reduced feelings of hunger and overall appetite. The feelings of reduced hunger were likely due to the

soluble fibre content of flax seeds. It slows digestion in the stomach, which triggers a host of hormones that control appetite and provide a feeling of fullness. Flax

seeds’

dietary

fibre

content may aid weight control by

suppressing

hunger

and

increasing feelings of fullness. Flax seeds keep you full for

longer

and

may

help

you manage your weight by controlling your appetite. 10.

Flax

Seeds

Can

Versatile Ingredient Flax seeds or flaxseed oil can be added to many common foods. Try the following: •

Adding them to water and drinking it as part of your daily fluid intake

•

Drizzling flaxseed oil as a dressing on salad

•

Sprinkling

ground

flax

seeds over your hot or cold breakfast cereal •

Mixing

them

into

your

favourite yogurt •

Adding them into cookie, muffin, bread or other batters

•

Mixing them into smoothies to thicken up the consistency

•

Adding them to water as an egg substitute.

