East and West Series January 2018 Issue by East and West Series

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The Fragrance of Gandhi’s* Life SADHU VASWANI I speak of Gandhi in love and reverence. Over and over again, have I felt, when speaking of the great-souled Gandhi that I sit at the feet of a gracious world figure. I believe I do not exaggerate when I say that since the appearance of Gautama Buddha, who came with his great message of compassion and reverence for all life, there has not appeared in India another to whom India’s millions offered greater reverence. How they came, thousands upon thousands of men and women, to hear him! Frail was his figure and short was his stature! But there was something indefinable which went out of him and touched the hearts of millions of the Motherland. How they came to listen to this little man! How they came and touched his feet and his garments, saying to him: “Bless us! Bless us!” The word ‘Gandhi’ is a significant word. Its real meaning is ‘fragrant’. Gandhi’s memory is fragrant. His life was fragrant. What was the secret of the fragrance of Gandhi? You call him Mahatma Gandhi. He was a Mahatma, a great soul. But there is one word which to me is dearer even than the word, ‘Mahatma’. I love to think of Gandhi as a brother, Brother Gandhi. A brother was he — a brother, a burdenbearer of the millions of this ancient land.

On one occasion, Gandhi spake the words which I cannot easily forget. Gandhi said: “I would rather be torn to pieces than disown my brothers and sisters.” He saw an image of God in every one, in the drunkard, in the gambler, in those who went astray. Gandhi saw God’s image in the sinner — an image of Divine Love. He forgot everything except the needs of his brothers and sisters. His brothers and sisters were all. To him, India was not a country apart, but a part of humanity. On one occasion, Gandhi spoke the following significant words. He said: “My idea of nationalism is that my country may become free and, if need be, the whole of my country may die if only the human race may live.” To Gandhi, India was a part of humanity. Gandhi was filled through and through with the Gita’s ideal of ‘Lokasangraha’. ‘Sangraha’ means “welfare”: ‘loka’ means the world, humanity. The welfare of humanity, Gandhi sought: the welfare of humanity is what Gandhi worked for. This concept Gandhi never forgot. On one occasion Gandhi said: ‘I am wedded to India because I believe that India has a mission for the world.” Himself a servant of all, he wanted India to be a servant of Humanity.

*January 30 is sacred as Mahatma Gandhi’s Martyrdom Day.

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J. P. VASWANI

Life has become a burden to untold millions. Only a few may commit suicide. The rest die what are regarded as natural deaths but which are, in any case, too premature. So many feel lonely, and loneliness sits as a heavy burden on the heart, sapping its strength, eating into its vitals. Heart diseases are on the increase. Hypertension is become a common ailment. Nervous breakdowns take a heavy toll. A heart specialist said to me only last evening, “Not a day passes but I am called to the bedside of a dying heart-patient. It was not so, a few years ago.” We feel lonely, we feel lost, we feel abandoned, we feel forsaken and forlorn. Again and again, we lose the sense of security which belongs to us as children of God, we fall into the abyss of fear. I can never forget the sweet, serene face of a child I saw over thirty years ago. I was on board

the S. S. Versova, travelling from Bombay to Karachi. Suddenly, a terrible storm arose. Thick clouds appeared in the skies, covering the face of the sun, and the day became dark as night. Huge waves lashed against the steamer which tossed as a paperboat. All the passengers were filled with terror. We felt sure we were doomed to a watery grave. In the midst of this sorrowful scene sat a little child, barely six years old, calm, serene, undisturbed by the shrilling storm and the rolling wave. I was, then, about ten years of age, and I marvelled at this child’s unruffled serenity in the face of death. I said to him, “The steamer is about to sink: are you not afraid?” With a cherubic smile he answered, “What have I to fear when my mother is so near?” I can never forget these words. When in the depths

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of despair and sorrow I have repeated these words to myself, repeated them again and again, I have felt relieved, “What have I to fear when my Mother is so near?” Our Mother — the Mother Divine, is so near to each one of us. Closer is She than breathing and nearer than hands and feet. Alas! We have turned our faces away from Her. In our shouts and shows, our engagements and occupations, our business and commerce, we have forgotten Her. We have lost the child-like spirit. To be childlike is to renounce criticism, is to rejoice life, is to share all we have with all men, is to love and laugh. We think we have grown up and no longer need the Mother’s loving care. We need to become children again, friendly and loving towards all — not critical, not fearful. We need to contact the Mother. This is done through meditation and prayer and constant repetition of the Mother’s Name. Writing the Name, again and again, is a great help. To start with it may appear laborious, but as concentration develops, writing the Name becomes a source of indescribable joy. And as you keep on writing the Name, again and again, one blessed day you lose yourself, you find the Mother! This is all that matters. It must not be forgotten that, it is impossible for me to find the Mother through my own efforts and endeavours. It is only through the Mother’s grace that She is found. On our part we must make an attempt

to radiate thoughts of love, to speak words of comfort, to live a life of service and sacrifice. “You are not lonely, O Arjuna,” says Sri Krishna to His beloved disciple in the Gita. “I am with you, within you, all around you. Whatever you eat, whatever you give, whatever you do, do it unto me!” So may our petty wills be blended with the Will Divine. And in the measure in which our wills are blended with the Will of God, in that measure do we grow into the likeness of God. Then we think as God would have us think, we speak and act as God would have us speak and act. Then it is that fear vanishes from our life as mist before the morning sun. And we move through life trusting every ray of the sun and every drop of rain, every rose and every thorn, every stone and every grain of sand, every river and every rock, trusting the sun and moon and stars, trusting thunder and storm, trusting everything and everyone, giving the service of love to all. Significant are the words of Saint Francis, “Where there are compassion and wisdom there can be neither fear nor ignorance.” The secret of fearlessness is sympathy, is compassion, is love for all. When love, selfless love, enters into the heart, fear departs. Purna is a devoted disciple of the Buddha. One day, as he sits in meditation, he gets an urge to go and spread the Master’s message among the wild people of Sronapranta. The plan appears preposterous to many of his fellow bhikkus. But Purna is a

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man of faith, he has no fear in his heart which is filled, through and through, with love and compassion for all who live in the darkness of ignorance. Purna comes to the Buddha for his blessings. And the Buddha says to him, “Purna! You know so well that the people of Sronapranta are wild and ferocious. They insult and slander one another and are given to fits of anger. If they speak to you insultingly and abuse you and get angry with you, what will you do?” “If they behave with me thus, Master!” says Purna, “I shall think them to be kind and friendly, since they do not beat or stone me.” “And what if they beat or stone you?” “Even then I shall think them to be kind and friendly, since they do not attack me with weapons.” “And what,” asks the Buddha, “If they attack you with weapons? “Then, too,” answers Purna, “I shall think them to be kind and friendly, since they do not kill me.” “And what if they kill you, Purna?” And Purna says. “Even if they kill me, Master! I shall still think them to be kind and friendly, since they will have liberated me from the limitations of the body.” Buddha is well pleased in Purna. To him the Blessed One says, “Purna, you are gifted with the greatest gentleness and patience. You can go and dwell among the people of Sronapranta. Show to them the way to be free as you are free!” Blessed was Purna. He was free. He was fearless. And he showed to many the way to be

fearless and free. It is not the way of lusting after pleasure or of accumulating possessions or of acquiring earthly power. It is the way of knowing that we are very near and dear to God. “Are not five sparrows sold for two farthings?” asked Jesus. “And not one of them is forgotten in the sight of God. Fear not: ye are of more value than many sparrows.” It is the way of giving gratitude to God for all that happens, of being glad in all circumstances and rejoicing forever, singing the song, “The golden age is in my heart today.” So it was that in spite of poverty and privation, Tukaram sang: No food have I nor shelter: A homeless wanderer I Whom no child doth greet at eventide! And yet there is none richer than I, For I have all love and all joy. I have God: His grace and His love Fill me to over flowing! Come poverty, come pain, With God enthroned within my heart, No ill can lay me low! All things pass. As a dream they come, As a dream they go! I dwell in deathless joy, And I have no fear: For I abide in Him, And His immortal touch is on my soul!

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The New Year’s Call The New Year comes: be thou renewed In faith and hope, in strength and love, Look not below! Look thou above Self-known and radiant, self-subdued! For in thy hands is wealth and pow’r To fill thy life with sunshine bright, To grow in beauty, love and light, To be to men a blooming flow’r! The world, alas! is broken, sad, But thou canst still the world repair, The de profundis of Despair Thou still canst touch with tidings glad! Of Them that are with God in th’ mire, His Servants bright, the Sons of light, The Krishna, Buddha and the Christ That bring from th’ height th’ Eternal Fire! So give up ease! Awake! Arise! And stop not till the goal is won: Not yet, O Ageless One is done Thy Task: March on And win the Prize!

— SADHU VASWANI

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met him on the mountain height; I met him in the dark of night. He had a tall figure: his face shone like molten gold. And from his lips flowed a smile which travelled to the stars. He saw me: and his eyes flashed a look of recognition. And he said: “Welcome, my child! I have been expecting you.”

OUT OF

DARKNESS I N T O LIGHT J. P. VASWANI

I looked at him, breathless and full of wonder. And I felt as though I had met a friend of an earlier birth. And I made bold to say to him: “Beloved! May I stay with you?” And he said: “Yes, but for three days only.” I stayed with him for three unforgettable days. And when the time came to bid farewell, I said to him with tear-touched eyes “Beloved much have you taught me during my brief stay with you. Grant me, as your parting message, a teaching which enshrines the essence of all that you have taught me.” He looked into my eyes and gazed into the depths of my heart. And he said: “I know of no teaching nobler than this: Hand yourself over to the Highest!”

Then came the parting moment. I bowed low to touch the dust of his feet. I walked away from him with reluctant footsteps. And my eyes were upon him until I could see him no more! And though this happened many years ago, it seems as though it was an occurrence of yesterday. Hand yourself over to Highest! Before you can do you must be convinced nothing on earth or heaven

the this that can

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prevail against the power of God. Trusting in Him completely, seek your protection and safety at His Lotus Feet. No harm can ever befall you there. Of this be sure! And you will feel as though you dwelt in a strong castle, carefully guarded, basking in the sunshine of His Love. This is the best security of life. A girl of tender years met me the other day. In her heart is a sincere aspiration to dedicate herself to God. Her aged father and mother are anxious to see her married and settled in life before the call comes to them to leave the world. She will not hear of it. And she said to me: “My parents tell me that being a girl, I cannot live, unprotected and alone, in this vast, wide world! There must be someone prepared to take up my responsibility. Will you do it?” I smiled as I said: “Only the strong can bear the burden! Weak, are my shoulders. Go to Him who is the source of all strength. Turn to Him for everything. Rely on Him for all you need. He will not fail you! He will free you of all your burdens and, then, you will move through life, singing as you go.” If only we learnt to drop all our burdens at His Lotus Feet, how happy we would feel, how full of the true joy of life! All our burdens, mind you, not merely the burden of sin and guilt but, also, the burden of poverty and privation, of trouble and tribulation, of suffering and sorrow, of misery and pain. And this we shall be able to do in the measure in which we live and move and have our being

in Him. As a child turns to its mother, every time it hath need of something, so let us turn to the Mother Divine for all our needs! Speak to Her! Open out your heart to Her! Yearn for Her! Cling to Her! Rest in Her loving Arms! Abide in Her, not for a single moment forgetting that She provides where She guides! Wondrous beyond description are the words of Sri Krishna in the Gita: Those that bring Me their worship, Meditating on Me alone, In patient perseverance, To them I grant what they lack: And l make secure what they already have! The life of every true child of God, of him who has handed himself over to God, who worships Him and meditates on Him alone, is packed with ‘miracles’ which, in reality, are not miracles but the fulfilment of a divine law. Swami Vivekananda, in the period of his wanderings when he was still unknown, was travelling in a third class compartment. One of his fellow-passengers was a Bania who scoffed at the Swami calling him a “lazy lout”. The Bania said to the Swami: “It is well that you and such as you, who do no work and are a burden on society, should starve. That will teach you to give up your idle ways and take to some trade. We work and toil and earn our daily food. This tiffin-basket contains puris and packoras and sweets. I shall eat them while you will look on!”

Contd. on page 17

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15 Laws of Life SWAMI VIVEKANANDA 1. Love Is The Law Of Life: All love is expansion, all selfishness is contraction. Love is therefore the only law of life. He who loves, lives; he who is selfish, is dying. Therefore, love for love’s sake, because it is law of life, just as you breathe to live. 2. It’s Your Outlook That Matters: It is our own mental attitude that makes the world what it is for us. Our thoughts make things beautiful; our thoughts make things ugly. The whole world is in our own minds. Learn to see things in the proper light. 3. Life Is Beautiful: First, believe in this world — that there is meaning behind everything. Everything in the world is good, is holy and beautiful. If you see something evil, interpret it to mean that you do not yet understand it in the right light. Throw the burden on yourselves! 4. It’s The Way You Feel: Feel like Christ and you will be a Christ; feel like Buddha and you will be a Buddha. It is feeling that is the life, the strength, the vitality — without which no amount of intellectual activity can reach God. 5. Set Yourself Free: The moment I have realised God sitting in the temple of every human body, the moment I stand in reverence before every human being and see God in him — that moment I am free from bondage, everything that binds vanishes, and I am free.

6. Don’t Play The Blame Game: Condemn none: if you can stretch out a helping hand, do so. If you cannot, fold your hands, bless your brothers and let them go their own way. 7. Help Others: If money helps a man to do well to others, it is of some value; but if not, it is simply a mass of evil, and the sooner it is got rid of, the better. 8. Uphold Your Ideals: Our duty is to encourage everyone in his struggle to live up to his own highest ideal, and strive at the same time to make the ideal as near as possible to the Truth. 9. Listen To Your Soul: You have to grow from the inside out. None can teach you, none can make you spiritual. There is no other teacher but your own soul. 10. Be Yourself: The greatest religion is to be true to your own nature. Have faith in yourselves! 11. Nothing Is Impossible: Never think there is anything impossible for the soul. It is the greatest heresay to think so. If there is sin, this is the only sin — to say

*January 12 is sacred as Swami Vivekanand’s Birth Anniversary.

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that you are weak, or others are weak.

All are put cry

psychological language, be what he ‘discovers’ or ‘unveils’; what man ‘learns’ is really what he discovers by taking the cover off his own soul, which is a mine of infinite knowledge.

13. Learn Every Day: The goal of mankind is knowledge, now this knowledge is inherent in man. No knowledge comes from outside: it is all inside. What we say a man ‘knows’, should, in strict

15. Think Different: All differences in this world are of degree, and not of kind, because oneness is the secret of everything.

12. You Have The Power: the powers in the universe already ours. It is we who have our hands before our eyes and that it is dark.

Out Of Darkness Into Light So saying, the Bania began to feast himself on his “well-earned” food. The Swami looked on with quiet eyes. He had not tasted a morsel of food for several hours: but he believed firmly that Lord would not let him starve longer. Just then a man came rushing to the station. In his hands was a carpet and tiffincarrier bigger than that of the Bania. The man seemed to be looking for someone. As soon as he sighted Swami Vivekananda, he spread the carpet on the floor and, opening the tiffin carrier, requested the Swami to partake of the food. It consisted of warm puris and fresh packoras and sweets of different; types which made the mouth of the Bania water. The Swami expressed surprise and said that there must be some mistake as he had never seen the man before. The man answered: “It is true, Swamiji you have never seen me before. But I have seen you. And I have

14. Be Truthful: Everything can be sacrificed for truth, but truth cannot be sacrificed for anything.

Contd. from page 13 been ordered by my Master and Lord to bring these things to you and ask you to bless me.” “How is that?’ asked the Swami. And the man replied: “I am a seller of sweet-meats. I was taking my afternoon nap when Sri Rama appeared to me in a dream and asked me to wake up and prepare puris and packoras and bring them post haste to the station where your train would stop for a while. I woke up but, finding that it was only dream, went to sleep again. But once again Sri Rama appeared in a dream and this time He gave me a shaking with His own hands and woke me up saying that I must not wait a moment longer as otherwise I would miss your train. So here I am!” Astonished, the Swami sat on the carpet and partook of the meals. With a grateful heart, he thanked the Lord: “Thou art! O Lord, Thou art!” And the Bania felt humbled!

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KEEP AWAY FROM FUN-KILLERS

FILL YOUR HEARTS WITH LOVE

If you wish to have fun out of life, keep away from all those things which take the fun of life. A great American teacher calls them fun-killers. Put an end to the funkillers, he says, that you carry with yourselves every day. And what are fun-killers? One of them is hate. Let there be no feeling of hatred in your heart.

If you would have real fun out of life, fill your heart with love, love of God, love of your fellow-men, love of brother birds and animals, love of nature, love of yourself. Where there is love there is fun. If there is one thing India and the nations need today to come out of the dark night in which we find ourselves, it is a resurgence of love.

BE POSITIVE One of the worst of all the joy killers is the habit of thinking and talking negatively. I read of a businessman who carried a card in his pocket. On the card were written the words, “I shall not speak any negative words today. I shall not think any negative thoughts today.” The businessman takes a new card every morning and writes the words afresh. He has been doing this daily for about a year and, as a result, he says, “My conversation is almost cleared of negatives. Before I started this practice, I spoke negatively about almost everything, — and I found that there was no fun in life. Today, life is so much full of fun that I sometimes feel that I may burst.”

KEEP YOURSELF BUSY If you would have real fun out of life, don’t remain idle for a single moment. Keep yourself busy all the time. Two centuries ago, William Cowper said, “Absence of occupation is not rest, a mind quite vacant is a mind distressed.”

SEE THE GOOD IN ALL See the good in everyone. There is not a man on earth who does not have some good in him, which you and I will do well to emulate. See the good in others: be blind to their faults. The great prophet of Iran, Baha’u’llah, said “If a man has nine virtues and one fault, forget his one fault: and if a man has nine faults and one virtue, think of his one virtue, forget his nine faults.

Contd. on page 22

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NEW YEAR QUOTES 1. Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us. Cheers to a new year and another chance for us to get it right. — Oprah Winfrey 2. For last year’s words belong to last year’s language and next year’s words await another voice. And to make an end is to make a beginning. — T. S. Eliot 3. A new year is unfolding — like a blossom with petals curled tightly concealing the beauty within. — Unknown 4. Always bear in mind that your own resolution to succeed is more important than any other. — Abraham Lincoln 5. There are far, far better things ahead than any we leave behind. — C. S. Lewis 6. Write it on your heart that every day is the best day in the year. — Ralph Waldo Emerson 7. Your success and happiness lies in you. Resolve to keep happy, and your joy and you shall form an invincible host against difficulties. — Helen Keller 8. The New Year comes with the message: God has not lost hope in you. He is giving you another chance of becoming new. — Dada J. P. Vaswani

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Through the Apostle’s Eyes J. P. VASWANI Sadhu Vaswani taught by precept and example that life was larger than livelihood. He urged that character, not money, should rule the world: and character must grow out of courage. He was careful to point out that courage must be distinguished from the will-topower which made men and nations aggressive and selfish. He was a born orator. He addressed large crowds of men and women. They heard him: they marvelled at his words. He awakened new aspirations in the heart of those that listened to him. When he spoke, he filled the hall with the rich music of his words and the richer music of his heart. He was a prolific writer in English and in the sweet, lyrical Sindhi language. In his writings an unknown

*January 16 and 17 are sacred as Sadhu Vaswani’s 52nd Punyatithi.

world unfolds itself before us: new dimensions fill us with unbounded wonder. In him intellect was blended with eloquence and both were penetrated, through and through, with a spiritual fire. In his life was the aspiration to meet God in sunshine and in rain. He preached the great truth of salvation through communion with the common man. Dear to him as children of the One Eternal Life were the “disinherited” and the “downtrodden”. And in his heart was reverence and love for all the spiritual leaders of Humanity, for all seers and sages and saints, for Krishna and Jesus, Buddha and Chaitanya— Muhammad and Ramakrishna, Tuka and Gnyaneshwara, Zoroaster and Lao Tzu, Socrates and Plato, al-Ghazali and Rumi, Nanak and Kabir. Sadhu Vaswani was a disciple of the Flute, a worshipper of the Cross. He had experienced the rapture of the vision of unity — of all races and religions in the One

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Spirit. “There are,” he said, “so many who can believe only one thing at a time. I am so made as to rejoice in the many and behold the beauty of the One in the many. Hence my natural affinity to many religions: in them all I see revelations of the One Spirit. And deep in my heart is the conviction that I am a servant of all prophets.” His life was radiant with the great truth of fellowship with all creation. “The creation of God,” he said, “is bound by golden chains to the Feet of the One God, the One Divine Father of us all.” At His LotusFeet are we all one — men of different religions and no religion. No one is an alien in the Kingdom of God. And Sadhu Vaswani’s earnest advice to all seekers on the Path was to limit themselves to no one scripture but to regard all scriptures as receptacles of spiritual wisdom. For all do flow from the One Front of Inspiration. To Sadhu Vaswani, therefore, all sectarian strifes and quarrels in the name of religion were born of ignorance, illusion, maya. He worked on, day after day, asking nothing for himself, seeking only opportunities to serve the poor and lowly. His body was frail, but he felt he had the strength of ten, because in his heart was love, and every fiber of his being thrilled with faith in the Living Lord. “In His Love,” he

said, “the Lord has broken, is breaking, my life into innumerable fragments and scattering them in different directions. May every fragment serve Him, singing His Name, the Name of the Beloved!” He healed many sorrowing hearts: and in wisdom and love he helped many of those who struggled through the dark forest of this life. His face radiated the love which filled his heart: and on his countenance was the calm born of deep faith in God. “Happy is my heart,” reads an entry in his Jail Diary, “which rejoices in doing simple daily tasks and leaves the rest to God, the Builder of destiny.” With this conviction, in this faith, he had gone to many climes in East and West, carrying everywhere the message of Ancient Wisdom, giving consolation to men and women, encouraging them in the good path restraining them from the path of evil, imploring all to believe in the brotherhood of religions, the unity of all races, the fellowship of all nations. Such, superficially, was Sadhu Vaswani about whom the American Baha’i preacher, Miss Martha Root, wrote some years ago: “To meet a soul like Vaswani is worth making a journey across the seas.” Simple, unpretentious, singularly free from show and ostentation, he moved

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about as a man amongst men, serving them without any consciousness of sacrifice and as he moved on, attending to his daily tasks in life, he hardly knew how much healing there was in his presence. In his eyes I saw the light of a pilgrim to the Eternal City of Love. He belonged to the small band of pilgrims, wayfarers, who come from a Land distant and unknown, a Land beyond all that we behold. They come to Earth and live and move in our midst as simple, ordinary men. They call us their brothers, their own: they comfort us with words of How to Have Real Fun Out of Life

LOVE-OFFERING In everything that you do, pour the best that is in you. Whatever be the task that you are handling, pour into it the best that is in you. The smallest duty not done or badly done leaves a blemish on the whole world’s work. The great Arabian poet said, “Are you an artisan, a mason, a house-builder? Are you helping in building a house? Do it in the consciousness that your Beloved will occupy the house someday. Are you a weaver working on the loom? Weave your cloth in the consciousness that your Beloved will wear it someday!” There you have the secret of true work, work which will never be a drudgery but always a source of joy and fun.

hope, they cheer us on life’s difficult way, they bless us and heal our broken hearts. They come without air-planes and atom-bombs to establish their kingdoms in the hearts of men and in the free spaces of the soul. To this small band Sadhu Vaswani belonged. And at his feet I, an unprofitable servant, sat again and again to receive of him his gift of love — the gift he freely gave to all who came to him with hunger in their hearts, with thirst in their souls, and with tears of aspiration in their eyes. [An Excerpt from the book He walked with God] Contd. from page 18

BE A MASTER

Be a master, not a slave. Be a master over circumstances, over passions, desires and animal appetites. Therefore learn selfcontrol. Develop self-discipline. The man who is a slave to his desires and appetites soon finds that life becomes a burden. Do not allow yourself to be ruled or defeated by those things over which you should be the master, at all times.

LET GO, LET GO, LET GOD

Let go, let go, let God. If you are frustrated, disappointed, hurt, in spite of putting forth your best efforts, you have failed, then let me say this to you, Let go, let go, let God. Let go of everything. Let God take charge of all your affairs. If only you can do this, you will find miracles happen in your daily life.

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SIMPLE RULES OF HEALTH

HEALTHY FACTS ABOUT FRUITS AND VEGETABLES Most of us eat fruits and vegetables on a daily basis. After all, they have been a part of our diet since the dawn of history. We eat them raw, cooked, frozen, drink them as juices and combine them with just about any other food we eat. But just like anything else that’s been around for so long, there are many things you don’t know about fruits and veggies that can be very useful and important to know. 1. Never mix grapefruits with medications Grapefruits are among the most nutritious fruits out there but they can also be bad for you if you are taking certain medication. The chemicals in a grapefruit can cause a bad reaction with some drugs that can even have fatal results. If you’re on medications, be sure to check with a medical professional before drinking

or eating grapefruit.

any

amount

2. Fruits and veggies have a lot of fiber The benefits of fiber include keeping your bowel movements regular, helping lower cholesterol, regulate blood sugar, and help you feel fuller for a longer time. Even if you don’t need any more of the vitamins, minerals and other healthy ingredients in fruits and vegetables, they are still one of the best things you can eat on a daily basis. 3. Bananas are fascinating Two incredible things you never knew about these delicious source of potassium and vitamins: First, bananas are technically herbs and belong to the same “botanical family” as mint or basil. Secondly, in 1950 almost all of the banana species in the

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world were wiped out by the Panama Disease. Today, most of the bananas sold and eaten around the whole world are direct decedents of the same Asian breeds that survived the disease. 4. Broccoli has more protein than a steak Calorie for calorie, there is more protein in broccoli than there is in an average steak, and with no saturated and trans fats or cholesterol, you can get all the protein you need with a significantly lower risk of cardiovascular disease. So if you are trying to grow and strengthen your muscles, broccoli is the food for you. 5. The most hated vegetable in the world is one of the best Brussels sprouts reign supreme as the least enjoyable vegetable by children, and also some adults. It might be because of their bitter taste, the repugnant smell or even just its bad reputation. However, Brussels sprouts are among the most nutritious veggies you can ever find. They have no fat, no cholesterol, hardly any calories and plenty of vitamins and minerals. It’s a shame that none of these facts make them taste any better… 6. Peppers encourage clotting While most people use them as spice and not as a whole

food, peppers (spicy ones in particular) can work wonders to promote the clotting of blood over wounds. According to some experts, you can even sprinkle some cayenne pepper into a wound where it will act as gauze. IRON-THE BRAIN SABOTEUR There has been much debate in recent decades about fats and carbohydrates, but in my view the most worrying dietary factor of all is iron. There is no doubt that iron, which is abundant in red meat as well as many other foods, is a critical nutrient for proper functioning of the body and mind — it is an essential mineral which forms an important component of haemoglobin, the substance in red blood cells that carries oxygen from your lungs and throughout your body. However, most adults in the developed world get far too much iron. And while we all know that young people are more robust and can tolerate stresses that might harm older people, what we don’t fully appreciate is that some things that are good for us when we are young can harm us as we age. [Article from Ideas Exchange]

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Children’s Corner Ice-cream for the Soul I took my children to a restaurant. My six-year-old son asked if he could say grace. As we bowed our heads, he said, “God is good. God is great. Thank you for the food, and I would even thank you more if mom gets us ice cream for dessert. Amen!” Along with the laughter from the other customers, I heard a woman remark, “That’s what’s wrong with this country. Kids today don’t even know how to pray. Asking God for ice cream! Why, I never!” Hearing this, my son burst into tears and asked me, “Did I do wrong? Is God mad at me?” As I held him and assured him that he had done a terrific job and God was certainly not mad at him, an elderly gentleman approached the table. He winked at my son and said, “I happen to know that God thought that was a great prayer.” “Really?” my son asked. Then, in a theatrical whisper he added (indicating the woman whose remark had started this whole thing), “Too bad she never asks God for ice cream. A little ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.” Naturally, I bought my kids ice cream at the end of the meal. My son stared at his for a moment and then did something I will remember the rest of my life. He picked up his sundae and, without a word, walked over and placed it in front of the woman. With a big smile, he told her, “Here, this is for you. Ice cream is good for the soul sometimes.”

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NEW YEAR PUZZLE

ANCESTORS BOAR COMPASS DOG DRAGON DUMPLINGS ENVELOPE FANS FESTIVAL FIREWORKS

HORSE JADE LANTERN LUCK LUNAR MONEY MONKEY OX PARADE RABBIT

RAT RED ROOSTERS SHEEP SNAKE SPRING TIGER ZODIAC

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Laugh Your Way To Health When I was 15, I was given to spending half an hour in front of the bathroom mirror, experimenting with makeup in an effort to look 21. I do the same thing at 39. *** What makes you think you are so smart? Oh, my dad says I am bright and calls me his sun (son!) *** Harry: Hi Ed what’s new? Ed: New Hampshire, New Mexico, New York, New Jersey, New Brunswick. Harry: Did you hear about the sale on electric pencil sharpeners down the Block? Ed: Yeah, I did. But I can’t use one for I don’t have any electric pencils. *** Ques: Who is the first businessman mentioned in the Bible’? Ans: Well, it probably was Noah. He floated a limited company when the rest of the world was in a state of liquidation. *** He was so proud of his play as a golfer that he wanted to show off. So he invited his mother-in-law along to watch

him. As he started off for the first tee, he said to his opponent, “I’m particularly anxious to make a terrific drive. That’s my wife’s mother standing over there.” “Sorry, old man,” said the other, “but you can’t expect to hit her at 200 yards”. *** A Stockbroker was trying to convince an elderly gentleman that he should invest in the stock market and watch his investment grow. “No, no,” replied the man, “At my age, I don’t even buy green bananas at the grocery store.” *** Mother: What? You have got zero in your sums again? Ram Dayal: No, mom. I should’ve got stars. But the teacher couldn’t draw one. So she drew a moon. *** “My family is just like a nation,” Mr. Brown told his colleague. “My wife is the minister of finance, my mother-in-law is the minister of war, and my daughter is foreign secretary.”

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“Sounds interesting,” his colleague replied. “And what is your position?” “I’m the people. All I do is pay.” *** A Kindergarten teacher was observing her classroom of children while they drew. She would occasionally walk around to see each child’s work. As she got to one little girl who was working diligently, she asked what the drawing was. The girl replied, “I’m drawing God.’ The teacher paused and said, “But no one knows what God looks like”. Without missing a beat, or looking up from her drawing, the girl replied, “They will in a minute.” *** A boy asked his grandfather how the family had become so rich. Grandfather explained, “In the Great Depression, I couldn’t get a job but everyday I bought some apples, polished them and sold them or double the price. At the end of the month I had $4.” “What happened then, Grandpa?” said the boy. “What happened then?” echoed the old man. “Your grandmother’s father died and left us two million bucks.” *** The homeowner was delighted with the job the painter had done on his house. “You did such a great job,” he said as he handed the man a cheque, “There’s an extra 100

rupees in there to take the Mrs. out to dinner and a movie.” Later that night, the doorbell rang. The homeowner went to the door and found the painter standing on the porch. “What’s the matter,” he asked the man. “Did you forget something?” “Nope” replied the painter. “I’m just here to take your Mrs. out to dinner and a movie like you asked.” *** A teacher asked her students to use the word “beans” in a sentence. “My father grows beans,” said one girl. “My mother cooks beans,” said a boy. A third student spoke up, “We are all human beans.” *** Two guys are walking through a game park and they come across a lion that has not eaten for days. The lion starts chasing the two men. They run as fast as they can and the one guy starts getting tired and decides to say a prayer, “Please turn this lion into a Christian, Lord.” He looks to see if the lion is still chasing and he sees the lion on its knees. Happy to see his prayer answered, he turns around and heads towards the lion. As he comes closer to the lion, he hears the Lion saying a prayer: “Thank you Lord for the food I am about to receive.”

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Recipes For The Month ORANGE CAKE

BEET SMOOTHIE

Ingredients All-purpose flour.............................................1 cup Baking powder............................................... ½ tsp Baking soda................................................... 1/2tsp Salt...............................................................1 pinch Orange juice...................................................¾ cup Refined sugar.................................................¾ cup Butter..............................................................¼ cup Orange zest.................................................... ½ tsp Corn flour.......................................................1 tbsp

Ingredients: Pomegranate juice (2 pomegranates).............1 cup Whole milk greek yogurt................................½ cup Cooked beets................................................2 small Pink grapefruits, peeled, seeded and sectioned........................................2 small/medium Honey.............................................................2 tbsp

Method 1. Preheat the oven to 180O C. Sieve the allpurpose flour, corn flour, salt, baking powder and baking soda. Keep the sieved mixture aside. 2. Take a bowl and add the sugar and butter. Beat the mixture till well blended and creamy. 3. Add the freshly squeezed orange juice to the sugar and butter mixture. 4. Add the sieved mixture and the orange zest to the bowl as well. 4. Mix all the ingredients well in order to make sure that there are no lumps in the cake batter. 5. Pour the batter in a greased tin 7x4 inches. Tap the pan from the sides so that the excess air bubbles are released and the batter becomes even in the pan. 6. Bake in a pre-heated oven for 180O C for 30-35 minutes. 7. Serve the orange cake with a piping hot cup of coffee or tea. *Nutritional Fact: Choline is an important nutrient found in oranges that helps with sleep, muscle movement, learning and memory. Choline also helps to maintain the structure of cellular membranes, aids in the transmission of nerve impulses, assists in the absorption of fat and reduces chronic inflammation.

Method: 1. Combine the pomegranate juice, yogurt, beets, grapefruits, honey and in the blender. *Nutritional Fact: Beets are a unique source of betaine, a nutrient that helps protects cells, proteins, and enzymes from environmental stress. It’s also known to help fight inflammation, protect internal organs, improve vascular risk factors, enhance performance, and likely help prevent numerous chronic diseases. BAJRA NI RAAB Ingredients: Ghee.................................................................1 tsp Bajra (black millet) flour..................................1 tsp Dried ginger (soonth) powder..........................1 tsp Jaggery (gur)..................................................2 tbsp Method: 1. Heat the ghee in a kadhai, add the flour and saute on a medium flame, till the flour turns pink in colour. 2. Add 2 cups of water slowly and stir continuously. 3. When it boils, add the jaggery and ginger powder and mix well. 4. When the jaggery melts and the mixture is boiled, remove from the flame and serve immediately. *Nutritional Fact: Bajra is rich in insoluble fibre that aids digestion. It also reduces secretion of bile acids and is linked to a lowered risk of gallstone formation.

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