East and West Series - September 2020 Issue by East and West Series

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MAY MY NAME BE FORGOTTEN! SADHU VASWANI I cannot claim for me the label of any particular Samaj or Church. Like some of the bhikkus of old, I may say I have “gone from home to homelessness.” In my heart is a vision of a Sangha, a Fraternity of the Spirit. Organised religions, with their emphasis on outer forms and creeds, have become organisations of power more than instruments of service or aids to self-realisation. And how often have not organised religions quarrelled with one another? The modern world’s urgent need is a simple inner movement of the Spirit, with its message of harmony of religions, and brotherhood of humanity, and love for man and bird and beast. Religion is yoga or unity— the yoga of science with faith, of knowledge with character, of nationality with humanity. Religion is the yoga of life with love. One aspect of this yoga is control of chit, mind. Mindcontrol is one aspect of yoga. And yoga, also, means subdual of desires. Religion calls us

to ananda. And to enter into ananda we must be impersonal So in that great book of Hindu culture, the Bhagavad Gita, Sri Krishna asks Arjuna to renounce the “fruits” of action. Work thou is an instrument of the Lord. Make thy actions an offering to the Lord. Men are unhappy and will continue to be unhappy as long as their works are vitiated with egoism. Spirituality is non-egoism. The call of religion is a call to impersonal activity. There is a story of an artist who painted wonderful pictures. A friend asks him, what is the secret of his wonderful art. The artist shows a picture and requests his friend to read the words written beneath the picture: “Master! may this picture draw many unto Thee, but may my name be forgotten!” I know of no nobler aspiration than this. Every one of us is a painter of picture: we are painting pictures every day. And the pictures will be beautiful when within our heart will flame up this aspiration of the artist: “Master! may the picture draw many unto Thee, but may my  name be forgotten!”

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BEAT LONELINESS WITH

Gratitude DADA J. P. VASWANI

Why is it that the vast majority of us live perpetually in fear of something or the other? Perhaps, one reason is that we are lonely. The deepest tragedy of the modern man is his loneliness. In spite of an everincreasing number of clubs and cinemas, museums and parks, hotels and restaurants, at heart we feel so lonely. A distinguished visitor to America was taken to a big cinema house. Throngs of people stood in rows awaiting their turn to get a ticket. Asked for his opinion, the distinguished visitor said: “The Americans must be very lonely at heart: else there would not be such a rush at cinema houses!”

the security of protection. We are like the child who, taken to a fair, lost its mother in the crowd. With this difference that the child rent the air with its cries for the mother, “Ma! Ma!” but we have forgotten even to cry for Her. We are like the orphan who was never tired of complaining that there was no one to care for him in this big, boisterous world. It is this sense of loneliness that leads to a feeling of frustration and so many of us do not find it worthwhile to live in the world. Not long ago, a multi-millionaire brought an end to his life after leaving a brief note on his waiting-table: “I feel lonely. I can live no longer. I kill myself!”

Yes— if we will confess the truth to ourselves we will not deny that we feel lonely. We lack

Life is become a burden to untold millions. Only a few commit suicide. The rest die

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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. It looked as though 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 shrieking 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 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 in 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

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of the Mother’s Name. Writing the Name, again and again, is a great help. To start with it may appear labourious, 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, compassion, is love for all. When love, unselfish 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-bhikkhus. But Purna is a 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?”

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“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?”

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.” In the midst of poverty and privation. Saint Tukaram sang: No food have I nor shelter: A homeless wanderer! Whom no child doth greet at eventide!

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.”

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 overflowing!

The 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!”

Come poverty, come pain, With God enthroned within my heart, No ill can lay me low!

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

I dwell in deathless joy, And I have no fear: For I abide in Him, And His immortal touch is on my soul! 

All things pass. As a dream they come. As a dream they go!

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RAM MOHAN ROY*: THE APOSTLE OF FREEDOM SADHU VASWANI

Sep. 27 is sacred to the memory of this great Apostle of Freedom. And every year I bring to his fragrant memory, flowers of my love and reverence. He passed away at Bristol in 1833. In a quiet place there stands his Samadhi: I made a pilgrimage to it many years ago. A solitary bird was there: was he a lover of birds? I sat in silence and in silence I communed with the departed Indian hero in the seclusion of that spot. And I wept until my tears stilled in dumb, deep veneration. I wept to think of India: for India still lies prostrate. And in dumb, deep veneration, I bowed to this Scholar who was a Hero, this Man among men, through whom was thrown up a rebellious surge of a New Reformation. Not yet is it a mighty force, but it will grow from more to more; and it will drive India onward to new heroic deed, until we who today are chained to custom, creed and tradition, become truly a Nation of the Free. ď Ź

*September 27 is sacred to the memory of Raja Ram Mohan Roy.

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THE MEANING OF

Happiness SADHU VASWANI In this broken, bleeding world, we are all seeking happiness, if we could but understand that happiness is an experience which transcends externality. True happiness is not touched by external events. 1. He is happy, who sees God! God-vision is emphasised by the Rishis of the Upanishads. To see God is to be truly happy. 2. To see God is to accept the Divine Will. We become unhappy by following the path of desires. Nations are unhappy because they are dominated by desires, of parties or dictators. 3. These desires constitute what the Gita calls dvandas or pairs of opposites. To be happy you must rise above these “pairs”— pleasure and pain, prosperity and poverty, praise and blame, life and death. These “pairs” are the world’s values. Rise above the world’s applause

and censure if you will be truly happy. 4. God-vision is realisation. Rise above the dvandas and realise your unity with the universe. It is the sense of separateness which makes unhappy. Let the bheda-buddhi go! Develop the abheda-buddhi, the consciousness of unity with the Cosmos! Separation means “tension” and “tension” becomes unhappiness. 5. When you “separate” yourself from “others” you feel “isolated”. Be at one with Nature— and you will be happy. Modern civilisation is aggressive and develops “superiority complex,” which makes one feel “isolated.” All isolation is unhappiness. 6. Try each day to realise your unity with the human and the

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the Simpleway DADA J. P. VASWANI

He was a bhakta (devotee) of God. I saw him every day at the evening satsang (fellowship meetings), singing lustily the Name of God. As he sang, tears flowed from his eyes. His hair were turning grey, but he joined in the kirtan (chanting God’s Name) with the fervour and enthusiasm of youth. He met me, one day, with a look of sadness in his eyes. “What ails thee, O bhakta of God?” I asked. He answered: “I have with me a guest who is a disciple of a great yogi. Last night, as we spoke to each other, my guest asked if I practised pranayama (breath-control). On learning that I knew nothing of pranayama, he said to me that I had wasted my life in vain and that unless I mastered pranayama, I could not advance towards God-realisation. This is what worries me!”

I said to him: “Brother, you do not need to worry. The paths that lead Godward are many. The path followed by your guest is but one— not the only one. What is essential to his path may not be necessary to yours. You walk your way and let your guest walk his. All ways, all paths, ultimately, lead to Him— the One without a second!” I proceeded to tell him that some of the greatest Saints of Humanity— Sons of Light, Friends of God, did not practise pranayama. “Why,” I said to him, “Beloved Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani does not do pranayama exercises. When he was asked if he practised pranayama, Gurudev gave a simple answer: “My pranayama is Rama Nama!” Pranayama and asanas seem to be the fashion nowadays. And the idea is gaining popularity that unless a man learns breathcontrol and is able to sit in particular postures, he cannot

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grow spiritually. Nothing can be far from the truth. Pranayama and asanas have their place in building up a vital, vibrant body, but are not essential to spiritual unfoldment. It is not incumbent on the seeker after God to practise breathing exercises: his breath will automatically become deep and rhythmical in the measure in which his life becomes pure and his consciousness expands. “Purity is yoga!” the words ring in my ears, again and again. In these words is summed up the very first lesson which dear Gurudev gave me, many years ago. The great spiritual Teachers of Humanity have never insisted

that seekers after God should sit in cumbersome and unnatural positions. They have always recommended that, in hours of silence, seekers should sit in postures which they find natural and easy. In our own days, Sri Aurobindo Ghose, one of the leading authorities on yoga, did not attach undue importance to asanas, pranayama or concentration on nerve centres or organs. According to him, what was essential was the lifting up of the individual’s level of consciousness. Maharishi Ramana, too, did not regard yogic asanas essential to spiritual  unfoldment.

The Meaning Of Happiness Contd. from page 17 animal, your kinship with the plant and the rock. The sun and the moon and stars, the earth, the water, the wind and the fire and the sky are not aliens. You belong to them: they belong to you. Enter into unity with them. 7. Therefore, go into silence every day. One of the “disciplines” to achieve happiness is silence. 8. In periods of silence, you develop the sense of wonder. Wonder is the beginning of knowledge, and wisdom ends in wonder. In periods of silence you

feel that you live and move in mystery. 9. If you would be happy, you must make your life an experience of gratitude. Yes— in gratitude you adore the Mystery that surrounds you, and in this adoration you feel happy. 10. And coming out of silence you work in love. Your life becomes a procession of love. In loving dedication of all you have and all you are to the service of Love is the secret of the happiness which the world cannot give and cannot take away! 

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UNTO THE NATION’S YOUTH SADHU VASWANI Sometime ago I saw a beautiful picture painted by a Hindu artist. A picture of the passing of Buddha! Wise was he— the Buddha— wise beyond the wisdom of the schools; wise and strong and pure and full of compassionate love for all creatures. He too, must leave the world. And in the Picture I have in view, you see him stretched on the ground— a simple white sheet covering his body. And by the Master are standing a few disciples: one of them his best beloved disciple, Ananda. Ananda was to Buddha what John was to Jesus. Ananda is weeping, for the Master is passing away. ‘‘Weep not,” says the Blessed One. Then speaks Ananda: “Master! Now you go, leaving us in a world broken, forlorn,

and bereft of beauty: give unto us, Master! A parting message!” Then speaks Buddha. He speaks two little words as his parting message. Buddha says: “Atto dipa!” And these two Pali words mean: “Be ye lights!” So the ancient Rishi prayed: “Tamaso ma jyotir gamaya”. “From darkness lead me into the light”. It is a prayer we all need to pray: “Lead us from darkness into Light.” There is but one darkness, the darkness of desires! There is but one light, the light of sacrifice! Is there this light in our education? Or is there that darkness of desires? Desire for gold and silver to be used, not for the service of the poor but for selfish ends? Desire for bhoga and the pleasures which mean decay of the soul?

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I have looked into the faces of students and young men, and I have said to myself: “They look so awfully tired, discouraged, intellectually sick, and spiritually forlorn!” I am told schools and colleges for boys and girls are multiplying, and the number of students is increasing. Yes; scholars and students are multiplying. But to what end? Knowledge has increased. Are the homes happier? Education has spread: has deti-leti (cruel dowry system) declined? Schools and colleges have grown: are the youths of India vital, stronger, and more appreciative of the deeper values of life? Or do they feel depressed? Cut off from Great Ideals, singing in their hearts no song of the Truth that is Sacrifice and the Beauty that is God? A School boy greeted me with a smile. And I said to myself: “Who will build asramas for my spiritual sons?” Asramas were nurseries of the Aryan nation. The nation’s youth! How my heart goes out to them! My sun and stars are they! And I long for the day when He, the MasterBuilder of India’s Destiny, will bring together many of them in the service of truth and love. How my heart rejoices to read of the work of a few among the poor. Blessed are these young men! For they have learnt to worship the Spirit in the soiled ones!

The asramas where the youth may be trained for service and self-unfoldment must be centres of culture and sadhana. Young men must learn self discipline; they must, also, be imbued with the spirit of true Indian culture. Current education suffers from worship of the West. Current education is of an imitative character. Knowledge is more than imitation or analogy. There is a little story of a man, who having seen a smith plunge red hot iron to cool it, applied the same treatment to himself one day. He got fever, and he plunged himself into a pool of cool water! He died! And so we have the saying: “Fools kill themselves with analogies!” There is abroad a cult of pride and comfort, a cult of cleverness, a cult of imitation, a cult of decadence. To its attractions are succumbing today so many of the youths of India. The youths of India need a message of the Simple Life. For in simplicity is strength as in imitation is weakness. And simplicity flowers into sacrifice. Worse than useless is that education which is not inspired by this ideal: and schools and colleges, which do not seek to kindle in the hearts of students the light of sacrifice, are no better than dark prison-cells. Youth-asramas are urgently needed. For true education is emancipation, at once of the

Contd. on page 25

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WHAT DOES GOD ASK OF US? DADA J. P. VASWANI

What is it that God asks of us? Does He need gold ornaments and priceless jewels? Does He feel happy if we consecrate to Him an “air-conditioned” temple with the most up-to-date fittings and furniture? He rejoices when a few simple, childlike souls are gathered together in a quiet corner to sing His Name and offer Him the loving adoration of their aspiring hearts. Does not Tukaram say: “God dances when His Bhaktas (devotees, lovers) sing”?

In household duties, Feels in her heart the thrill, The delight of love! Even so doth the bhakta Abide in the blissful state of love, While engaged in affairs of the world!

The bhakta approaches God in a loving, direct way. In his heart is the yearning of Majnu for Leila, of Shirin for Farhad, of Sasui for Punhu, of Heer for Ranjha– the yearning, the pure passionate love for the lover for his long-lost Beloved. The life of a bhakta is an unending love-story. Significant are the words of Sri Chaitanya: The woman love-lorn Pines for her lover— And though engaged

“What is it that you desire?” was the question put to Narada. And this great Teacher of bhakti answered: “Two things: (1) love for the Lotus Feet of the Lord and (2) strength to resist the attacks of world-bewitching maya.”

The way of the bhakta is the “little way,” he shuns the limelight of the world: he loves to dwell at the Lotus Feet of the Lord. He lives a hidden life of faith and devotion, of humility and love.

The bhakta has realised the vanity of all that the world is madly seeking— possessions, power, honours, fame, earthly greatness. All these are a delusion and a snare. The bhakta desires

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to accomplish no great thing. He has no desire to be even a great preacher of the Word of God: he has no desire to be a builder of great institutions. Of St. Theresa of Lisieux, it is said that in her early years she aspired to devote her life to missionary activities, but as she grew in the love of God, she said: “I will hide myself in a cloister to give myself more fully to God.”

Ashram.” He requested Sadhu Vaswani to be present on the auspicious occasion. The Swami was with me for over half an hour. He had a kindly face and sweet disposition. In the course of his conversation, he asked me: “Who are you?” “I am nothing!” I answered without hesitation.

The true bhakta ever aspires to be a humble servant of God and His suffering creation. He has no ambition to grow to the stature of Godhood: he but longs to be near the Beloved, birth after birth.

Suddenly, the colour of his countenance changed. The pitch of his voice rose as he said: “Never say that! When you call yourself nothing, you but insult the divinity within you! You are everything! You are all! You are Brahman!”

Several years ago, a Swami came to meet dear Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani. The Swami represented an august assembly of Sadhus who had met together at Bombay on the occasion of the opening ceremony of the “Sadhubela

I smiled. I touched his feet in lowly reverence and said: “So bless me, Swamiji that I may be an humble servant of Him who is the All-in-one and the Onein-all— and of His saints and bhaktas!” 

Unto The Nation’s Youth Contd. from page 23 mind and the heart: and the light that shines and shines in the ages of History is the Light of Sacrifice. Lafcadio Hearn who lived for years in Japan tells us that, one day, he asked some youths of Japan the question: “What is the eternal in literature?” And one of them answered it beautifully: “The eternal in literature is the spirit of sacrifice.” It is the eternal in

History— the light of the Ages! Across the centuries flames the Cross! There is hunger in your hearts, O youths of India! There is a longing within you— a new stir, a new unrest. Nothing small will satisfy you. No comfortcult will make you whole. India’s Rishis and Heroes have worshipped the Light of Sacrifice. Will ye not, also, worship the Light? 

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Childrenâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Corner PUZZLERS ADD TO AY ___ay body of water ___ay horse feed ___ay a bird: blue ___ay to place ___ay no ___ay to talk ___ay to wander away

MAY PUZZLE Each of the words below begins with may. The definitions will help you guess the answers. may___ perhaps may___ head of city government may___

spread for sandwiches

may___

this is decorated to use as center for games and dances

May___

Pilgrims crossed the Atlantic on this

May___

radio-telephone signal word used as a call for help

RUNS AROUND Comes in at every door, Comes in at every crack. Runs around and around and around some more, But never leaves a track. But never leaves a track.

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Reach Out Sharon M. Behr I recall the words my mother said when I was very small, And so afraid to reach out for fear that I might fall: “You must have faith to walk, my child, before you can go far, “But with that faith you’ll find the way to reach your brightest star.” Then believing is the key for what you want to be, Seeing not with eyes alone, but seeing inwardly. For what if the little bird that’s hatching feared to come out and sing? He’d never know the beautiful Truth that he was born to take wing. Reach out, believe, be not afraid, but take a giant stride. How joyous is the knowledge that God if by your side!

Pass It On! Henry Burton Have you had a kindness shown? Pass it on; ’Twas not given for thee alone, Pass it on. Let it travel down the years Let it wipe another’s tears Till in heaven the deed appears Pass it on. Answers: Add to AY: bay, hay, jay, lay, nay, say, stray; May Puzzle: maybe, mayor, mayonnaise, maypole, Mayflower, Mayday; Runs Around: the wind

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RECIPES FOR THE MONTH CINNAMON ROLLS

Ingredients: For the Dough: Paneer............................................................¾ cup or Cottage cheese.............................. a 5 inch chunk Low fat buttermilk....................................... 1/3 cup (lukewarm milk mixed with lemon) it should be curdled White sugar....................................................2 tbsp Unsalted butter.................................... 2 inch chunk Vanilla extract.................................................1 tbsp Flour.................................................... about 2 cups Baking powder...............................................1 tbsp Salt............................................................... ½ tbsp Baking soda.................................................. ¼ tbsp For the Filling: Unsalted butter...............................................3 tbsp Packed brown sugar.......................................¾ cup Cinnamon powder...................................... 1½ tbsp Ground cardamom....................................... ¼ tbsp For the Glaze: Cream cheese.............................................½ packet Powdered sugar..............................................2 tbsp Skim milk.......................................................1 tbsp Vanilla extract.................................................1 tbsp Method: 1. Heat the oven to 190OC. Grease the sides and bottom of a round baking pan with butter. 2. Put the paneer, buttermilk, sugar, melted butter, and vanilla in a food processor and process until smooth, for about 20 seconds. 3. In another bowl, add the flour, baking powder,

salt, baking soda and add this to the mixie. 4. Start and stop the mixie in short bursts just until the dough clumps together. The dough will be soft and moist. 5. Dump the dough out and knead it with floured hands 4 or 5 times until smooth. 6. With a rolling pin, roll the dough into a 12x15-inch rectangle. For the Filling: 1. Brush the dough with the melted butter, leaving a ½ inch border unbuttered around the edges. 2. In a medium bowl, combine brown sugar, powdered cinnamon and green cardamom powder. 3. Sprinkle the mixture over the buttered area of the dough and press gently into the surface. 4. Starting at a long edge, roll up the dough jelly-roll style. Pinch the seam to seal. 5. With a sharp knife, cut the roll into equal pieces. Place them in a greased pan and bake until golden brown and firm to the touch. Say, about 15 minutes. Set the pan on a wire rack to cool for 5 minutes. 6. For the glaze, in a small bowl, mix the cream cheese, powdered sugar, and vanilla to make a smooth glaze. Add milk as needed to achieve desired consistency. Spread onto warm rolls.

PINEAPPLE HALWA Ingredients: Crushed paneer or ricotta cheese................. 250 gm Canned pineapple - crushed........................ 450 gm Sugar............................................................. 60 gm Ghee...............................................................2 tbsp Saffron..........................................................a pinch Yellow food color (optional)....................Few drops Pistachios - sliced Method: 1. Mix the cheese, ghee and crushed pineapple in a pan and bring to a boil. 2. Once it starts to bubble, add the yellow food color.

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3. Cover and let it cook on medium till the water evaporates. 4. Add the sugar and saffron and saute it for 5-10 minutes or till it leaves the sides of the pan. 5. Transfer on to a serving dish and garnish with chopped pistachios.

HOT PANEER SANDESH PUDDING Ingredients: Home-made paneer (cottage cheese)......... 250 gm Full fat cream.................................................2 tbsp Stevia ...............................................................2 tsp (a natural sugar substitute derived from a plant, adjust to your taste) For the fruit stew: Green apple-thinly sliced & seeds removed.......... 1 Strawberries, chopped......................................8-10 Orange Juice..........................................about 1 cup Cloves..................................................................3-4 Cardamom..........................................................3-4 Cinnamon sticks..................................................... 2 Whole black pepper............................................3-4 Butter............................................................ ¼ tbsp Almond slivers........................................for garnish Method: 1. In a saucepan melt the butter and add the orange juice to it. 2. Add the cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and black pepper. (they have to be fished out later) 3. Once the juice is hot, add the apple slices. Let it stew covered for about 5-7minutes. Uncover it after a while and let it simmer till half of the orange juice evaporates. 4. Once done, turn off the heat and remove all the whole spices from the liquid. 5. Now add ¾ of the strawberries. Reserving some for garnishing. This is the fruit stew.

6. Mash the paneer well with a fork and add whipped cream to it. Blend in the stevia. Mix well. 7. Flatten out this mix on a plastic sheet or foil paper according to the size of the baking dish you are going to use. 8. Preferable you should use a 15 cm square baking dish. 9. Pour in the stewed fruits in the baking dish. 10. Flip the paneer layer (that you had flattened earlier on a plastic sheet) over to fit on top of the stewed fruit in the baking dish. 11. Dress it up with leftover strawberries and some almond slivers. 12. Place it in a hot oven preheated at 220O C and bake for about 15-20 minutes, till the paneer’s edges look a bit brown. 13. Serve hot.

SHAHI TUKDA Ingredients: Refined oil......................................................2 tbsp Bread slices............................................................ 2 Milk............................................................... 100 ml Sugar free.......................................................2 tbsp Saffron..........................................................a pinch Raisins..........................................................25 gms Cashew nuts..................................................25 gms

Method: 1. In a pan, fry bread slice with little bit of oil and keep it on the plate. 2. In a pan, add milk, sugar free and saffron. Mix them well together. 3. Add raisins and cashew nuts into it and mix them well. 4. In plate, place the toasted bread and pour the mix over it. 5. Serve hot. 

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SIMPLE RULES OF HEALTH HOW TO USE PURE CAMPHOR FOR HEALING YOURSELF & YOUR HOME

As per an ancient Indian scriptures and holy texts, camphor symbolises a strong connection with the sacred and divine. Camphor when burnt or diffused, releases fumes that signifies becoming crystal pure through the virtuous of divine. The fumes and fragrance of the camphor possess the power to redefine your surroundings by releasing healing energies that uproot any negative energy present and magnify positive energies. From serenity to being soothing, Camphor is a natural powerful concoction of piquant smell, menthol-like, nose prickling fragrance which awakens the subtle peaceful healing agents by manifesting an ethereal and divine feeling of tranquility. Sometimes there is a persistent feeling of stress, anxiety and negativity inside us and in our

environment and these negative energies can influence and pervade throughout the body and the environment you live in. The fumes generated by camphor significantly releases all the blocks accumulated within us and in our environment by banishing timidity, fearfulness and negative energies and it enhances the flow of positive peaceful energies. There are various techniques to manifest peaceful healing energies of camphor that are empowered to remove all the negative energies. Here goes the list of how to use Camphor and what kind of benefits can be garnered at the same time 1. Tea light Candle Diffusers: Diffuser is just what you need to enlighten your atmosphere with grace, calm and serenity. You

SEPTEMBER 2020

EAST AND WEST SERIES

can use high quality Camphor essential oil or you can also put 2 to 3 pieces of Camphor on top of it and let the candle vaporize it. Fume, scent or mist that comes out from the diffuser, diffuses all over the place. This technique purifies the air to bring tranquility and peace in your environment and drives away all negative energies. The fragrance released from the diffuser can help improve concentration and enhance the experience by grounding you and promoting a sense of calmness and propelling one to become receptive to enlightenment. 2. Burning Camphor: Do not get influenced by negative energies around you, burn camphor during your morning rituals to inhale the medicinal properties like anti-fungal and antibacterial that spreads out all in the air and caste off any bacteria or negative energies present within you or in the environment. Burning camphor makes it unsuitable for the lower vibrational entities to survive and drives them away. Burning Camphor can also bring prosperity and abundance of wealth to your family. It helps in releasing the blocks and thus helps in financial abundance. To cleanse your aura, you can pass a camphor piece around your body from top to bottom and then burn that piece. 3. Camphor Essential Oil: Camphor oil is the oil extracted

from the wood of camphor trees and processed by steam distillation. The essence of Camphor oil can be used as a shield to protect your aura from coming under any bad influence of negative energies. Mixing few drops of camphor oil or crushed pieces of camphor in bathing water will suck and cleanse all the negative energy present in your aura. Camphor essential oil can also be used during Chakra balancing meditation. You can take a very small portion of the oil in your finger and apply it in your third-eye chakra (between your eyebrows) in a circular form to experience the deep reflection of mindfulness and a heightened spiritual sense of awareness within your mind. It is highly recommended to use high quality pure camphor instead of synthetic ones to best utilise their healing energies. 4. Other uses of Camphor: • Treatment of nail fungus • Treatment for Eczema • Helps induce sleep • Treats cold and cough • Promotes hair growth • Home remedy for head lice • For Fumigation • Insect repellent • Treats acne, warts • Relieves pain, irritation and itching of skin • Relieves chest congestion.

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SEPTEMBER 2020

EAST AND WEST SERIES

Laugh Your Way To Health An old couple went to a restaurant and ordered one sandwich, one sweet and one cup of tea. The husband cut the sandwich and sweet into two pieces each and placed one piece each in front of his wife. Then he sipped tea and gave the cup to his wife who also took a sip and returned the cup. Some people noticed this and enquired about it. They said that they always share these things. But the wife was not eating anything. When asked about it, she said, “I am waiting to have the dentures which my husband is using now.

*** A Govt, employee found an old brass lamp. He rubbed it and a ginnie appeared who asked for his wishes. The Govt. employee asked for two things—a palace and all comforts. The ginnie got these for him and waited for his third wish. The Govt, employee said, “Oh I wish, I have no work to do.” The Ginnie put him back to his office chair.

*** Seven black men met God and asked for a boon, which God granted. The first 6 persons asked God to make them white and God did so! When God asked 7th person for the boon,

he said, “Please make them all black again!’

*** Son to Father: Who made this earth? Father: God made it. Son: What did he do thereafter? Father: After that he took some rest and then mace a man and then took some rest. Son: After that, what did he do? Father: After that he took some rest, and made a woman! Son: After making a woman, God took some rest. I guess, you will say this. Am I right father? Father: Oh. No, you are wrong. After making woman neither God nor man could take rest!

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