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A VOICE IN A GARDEN DADA J. P. VASWANI
I
passed by a street-corner: and I saw several of my brothers and sisters absorbed in speaking to each other. I paused to listen. And soon I gathered that they were discussing, in
the severest language, a sister who had been “caught” in sin. And a voice within me whispered: “Move on! This be not the place for you!” I moved on! I went and sat in a quiet corner in a garden. The flowers bloomed, the earth was carpeted with green grass, the birds were happily singing songs of love which travelled from tree to tree.
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And, me thinks, a Voice spoke to me, saying: “My child! remember, there is no sin greater than the sin of separateness. When you sit in judgment upon a brother, a sister, whose sin has been exposed, you indulge in a worse sin, an inexcusable crime. And in judging another, you but condemn yourself. Is it not true, that if you strip yourself of all ‘coverings’, you will find that within you lurk all the sins man is capable of committing? Alas! the shadow of your passions darkens your eyes!” The Voice continued: “If you will but honestly examine a thousandth part of the dreams that come to you night after night, if you will but analyse the desires that arise out of the deep during your waking hours, you will not have the strength to reveal your face to your fellow-men. The tragedy is that you move about as a gentleman among gentlemen, whereas all of you are creatures of weakness, carrying the stains of many a sin which are not hidden from Him who seeth all!” And I asked: “If I may not condemn a brother who has sinned, how shall I help him to change his ways?” And the Voice whispered:
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“Let the sin of your brother teach you to turn the searchlight on yourself. It will reveal to you your own sin. And as you endeavour to cleanse yourself and to extirpate the sin, you will know how deep are the roots thereof and how oppressive it is to keep up the good fight. And through your experience you will know how great is your need of sympathy and love in your struggle against sin, how when this sympathy and love flow to you, you are strengthened in your efforts to find a lasting cure. The best way to help an erring brother is the way of sympathy, example, love!” The Voice continued: “As you sit in your morning meditations and your evening prayers, and as you move about during the day, send out loving thoughts to all who have fallen into the dark abyss of sin but would fain climb out of it to greet the light of the morning sun. And pray for them who lie fettered in prison-houses and for all who are on beds of illness groaning in the agony of pain. For the sinner, too, is a sick man: he needs the loving treatment of a great MotherHeart. Nothing else will cure him, nothing else!”
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I ND I A :
LAND OF ETERNAL PROGRESS SADHU VASWANI
Kingdoms and empires have appeared and disappeared, but our beloved Mother-land goes on! Three groups of servers are India’s urgent need, at this hour. The first group I shall call “volunteers” — volunteers of India, volunteers of the nation. I am afraid, we still are thinking in terms of the “Hindu”, the “Mussulman”, the “Christian”, etc. Why can’t we think in terms of India? Volunteers of India are needed, volunteers of the nation. What a sweet name, India! This name was given to the land by Greek travellers. They were impressed, among other things, with the “purity” of the Indian people. The Greek travellers found that India’s women were pure and India’s men were pure. They said this was a land of the “pure”. India is derived from the Sanskrit word, “Indu”, which means “moon”. Indu, the moon, is a symbol of purity, and so they called this land “India”. The word “Hindustan” is equally significant. This word is derived from the word “Sindhustan”. “Sindhustan” means “the abode of the Sindhu”. In Sind flows the Sindhu, the strong river whose praises are sung in Vedic mantras. From the word “Sindhustan” you have the word “Hindustan”.
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“Sindhustan” means “the land of the Sindhu”, And the meaning of the word, “Sindhu”, is that which flows on, flows on, flows on. “Sindhu” is a symbol of progress. As Tennyson tells us in his two beautiful lines: Men may come and men may go: But I go on for ever.
This is the voice of the river Sindhu: “Men may come and men may go, but I go on for ever”. Kingdoms have come and kingdoms have crumbled, but the Sindhu goes on! Dynasties have appeared and disappeared, but the Sindhu flows on! Sindhustan means the land of the Sindhu: Sindhustan means the land of the people who go on, go on, go on. Unroll the pages of history: what do you find? Kingdoms and empires have appeared and disappeared, but our beloved Motherland goes on! Hindustan means, literally, a land of eternal progress. Hindustan means, literally, a land of the people who march onward, march forward. Onward! Forward! This should be the motto of the people of this ancient country. An inhabitant of Egypt said to me, one day: “Why don’t you call yourselves Hindis? You of Hindustan are all Hindis.” Who, then, is a volunteer? A volunteer is one who pays
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homage to the nation, who thinks of India first. India first, India first: this is the watchword and this is the mantra of every one who would be a volunteer of the nation. What do these words signify: “India first”? “India first” means, be manly! Develop the culture of manhood! A volunteer of the nation must grow in the spirit of manhood. And volunteers of the nation should celebrate hero days. India has thrown up, again and again, mighty heroes. So is India’s history, for me, a shastra, a scripture. Some years ago, I went to Rajputana and there was told, in detail, a thrilling story, the story of one of the greatest heroes of Rajputana. His name is Rana Pratap Singh. He stands up all alone to face the Moghul power. Princes and friends forsake him, one by one; and the Moghul army is after Rana Pratap: he is not dismayed. His “mother’s milk”, says the Rajput chronicle, “is resplendent in him”! Single-handed and for twenty-five years, Rana Pratap runs from rock to rock: Rana Pratap wanders far and wide. For some time, he hides himself in the forest: savage beasts surround him. His wife and Contd. on page 13
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KRISHNA-LIGHTS SADHU VASWANI
In a garden Radha* saw Krishna with her hand-maidens and Krishna walked alone. She saw Him: and He looked into her eyes. How radiant were Krishna’s eyes! How different from other men’s! And that night she saw Him again in her dream! Some days passed by: she saw Him again, through her window: He had a flute on His lips: the song of the flute ravished her heart! And she gazed at Him, again and again: why did her body tremble and her soul quiver within her? Krishna was beautiful: and there was a fragrance in His
face. And she said to Him: “Krishna! won’t you come into my house?” “With pleasure — someday!” said Krishna. He was in the house of her heart already! It was a blessed day when He met her again, in her house, and His dawn-eyes looked into her eyes radiant with the light of longing, and she burnt incense to Him and in silence He called her to his heart and He said to her: “Radha! There is the atman within you: the atman is the real you and I have loved that from Ancient Days!”
*September 14 is the sacred Radha Ashtami Day.
***
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One day, alas! pride enters Radha’s heart: and so suddenly the Lord of Love leaves Brindaban. He goes to Mathura. And the next day Radha finds not the Lord of Love. She waits: the morning is over: the noon is over: the evening and the night are over: the Lord is not there. The next day, too, she looks for the Lord. He is not there. And so, several days pass by: Radha and other milk-maids (gopis) are disconsolate. One day, Radha calls an intimate friend of hers — a gopi (milk maid) — and says to her: “I know not where the Lord has gone! Go out of this village. Go, and search for Him: go and find Him: and when you meet Him, give Him this message from me and my friends: ‘Lord! when wilt Thou return?’”
And the milkmaid goes out: and after some search she finds Him where He is. And meeting Krishna, she says to Him: “Lord! Radha and others wait for Thy return: and from them I bring this message unto Thee: ‘Oh! Lord, when wilt Thou return?’” And Krishna says: “Go back to Radha and tell her and her friends I shall return, but on one condition: “Keep the lights burning!”
India: Land Of Eternal Progress
Contd. from page 8
children are with him, and there are days this great one has not food to give them.
Moghul who is pursuing me. Better to starve and die than rob my race of her honour.”
And the wife says to him: “My Lord! you starve: I starve: but I cannot see our little ones starve.” Then Rana Pratap says to her: “O thou who art dear to me as the breath of my life, listen! I never shall surrender the honour of my race. I shall not go to make peace with the
They sang to me in Rajputana a moving little song about Rana Pratap. And this song revealed the secret of this hero: “Pratap renounced wealth and lands but he never dishonoured his race! The secret of his strength was his soul of manliness!”
*** “Keep the Lights burning,” saith the Lord! There is a Temple better than any which human hands may make. It is the Temple of the Heart: within it keep the Lights burning — the lights of Truth and Love!”
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The Master AA NN D D
Said
DADA J. P. VASWANI
A
nd I said: “Master! many there be who speak praisingly of the life of action, the life of service: and there be others who exhort us to walk the way of knowledge. Tell me, Master! which of the two is better—action or knowledge? Action or understanding?” And the Master said: “The two cannot be separated, one from the other. For verily, action without understanding is blind, even as knowledge without action is empty. And
remember, my child, that the root of both is life in God: and to live in God is to do the Will of God. If God wills that I should retire from the ‘active life’ and spend my days away from the multitudes, who are in suffering and pain and whose wounded hearts cry out for helpers of the true type, I still must rejoice in being in a quiet corner as long as He wills it. And again, however deeply I may love solitude, if it be God’s Will that I come and take my stand
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on the battle-field of life, I must bow to His Will and feel happy in mingling with the crowds.” After a brief silence, the Master said: “Guru Gobind Singh was a poet and a prophet. He sat upon the mountain-height lost in contemplation of the Divine. And there came to him the call: ‘Gobind! Gobind the people suffer and are in sorrow. Renounce the joys of solitude and descend upon the plains below and become a servant and a saviour of the people!’ And Guru Gobind Singh obeyed the call: he did the Will of God. And to him who doeth the Will of God there are no distinctions. He does not regard one as being better than the other. He has no prejudices or partialities. He lives the true life— a life of surrender and, therefore, a life of complete relaxation, a life free from worries and cares. For he knows that, whatever happens is just the right thing: for all that happens, happens according to the Will of God. Such a man feels perfectly at home in God and breathes in a new atmosphere of freedom, beauty, joy!” And I said: “Master! I have often heard you speak of the true life. Tell me in a few
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words what is the essence of the true life.” And the Master said: “In three words only: true life is —fellowship with God!” “And what is fellowship, Master?” “Fellowship is service, my child!” “And what Master?”
is
service,
And the Master said: “Service is doing the Will of God. There is nothing beyond it. The world has many doers. But in this critical period of social disorder and chaotic decay, the tortured soul of humanity cries out for willdoers — those who do the Will of God. Our politicians have been doing, doing, doing: they have been doing mischief. Our social workers have been doing, doing, doing: they have been doing disorder. Their doing has been the undoing of God’s Plan. Strive to be a willdoer, my child! Then will your action, blended with bhakti (devotion), be radiant with knowledge. For verily, the three are one, and the one is three!”
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Laugh YOUR WAY TO HEALTH
Two friends were boasting about their knowledge of foreign languages. One said, “Do you know French language?” The other replied, “Oh Yes, when it is spoken in English.” *** Raj to his friend: “Why do you look unhappy?” Friend: “I found a Rs. 100 note while walking with friends and spent it on a feast with them.” Raj: “So what is wrong in that?” Friend: “Later I came to know that it was my own note which fell from my pocket!’’ *** Judge to the accused: “You have committed a dozen thefts in one week!”
A servant said to his master: “I am leaving the job.” Master: “What complaint?”
is
your
Servant: “You don’t trust me.” Master: “But I leave all the home keys with you.” *** A fond mother received the following letter from her son:
The accused said, “Sir, you are right and that proves that I am a very hard-working person.”
“Dear Mom: I joined the Navy because I liked the way the ships were kept clean and tidy. But I never knew until this week who keeps them so clean and tidy. Love, Jim.”
***
***
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“I heard that you met Mr. Brown’s wife the other day. What kind of woman is she?”
The Man said: “My motherin-law.”
“Well,” came the answer, “she is the kind that talks for hours about things that leave her simply speechless.”
The Man said: “My dog bit her.”
*** “You should be very, very happy, madam,” the fortuneteller murmured. “A nobler man than your husband you have yet to meet.” “How exciting! But when?” *** “Will you really marry me?” the trembling youth exclaimed, as if unable to realise his good fortune. Then: “When we’re married, darling, the dark clouds will roll away and the blue sky-”
Banta: “How did she die?”
Banta: May I borrow your dog for a day? The Man said: “You better get in the Q!” *** A judge asked the culprit “how many times have you been imprisoned earlier?” He replied “12 times.” Judge said, “You are a hard nut, I will give you maximum punishment.” The culprit pleaded, “Sir, give me some discount, as I am your regular customer!” ***
“Just put the ring on my finger,” suggested the practicalminded girl, “and you can forget about the weather report!”
Two wives were comparing the speaking skill of their husbands.
***
The other said, “That is nothing! Mine can talk for hours without any subject!”
A young doctor asked his senior, “Sir why do you ask your patients what they ate the previous night.” Senior: “Oh. That is a very important clue for their paying capacity!” *** Banta saw a long procession led by an old man. He asked, “Who has died?”
One said, “My husband can talk for hours, on any subject!”
*** An officer asked his old office, peon “How is it that your moustache is black but your hair is white?” The peon said, “Sir, my moustache is 18 years younger than the hair on my head!” ***
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Children’s Corner Hidden-Objects Puzzle Can you find a bird, a worm, a turtle, a butterfly, a rabbit, a duckling, a bee, a chick, a fish, and a goose hidden in this picture?
Puzzle “LE” Match column two with column one to make the words. Put the underlined letters on the blanks below to name an animal. 1. gig
a. fle
2. rid
b. tle
3. pur
c. gle
4. spar
d. ple
5. pif
e. dle
6. lit
f. kle
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Answer: Puzzle “LE”: Puzzle “LE”: l–c (giggle), 2–e (riddle), 3–d (purple), 4–f (sparkle), 5–a (piffle), 6–b (little), GIRAFFE.
Follow the dots from 1 to 46
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RECIPES FOR THE MONTH COCKTAIL PANEER
Ingredients: Paneer, cut into ½" cubes...........................150 gms Dried mango powder.......................................1 tsp Garam masala................................................ ½ tsp Lime juice.......................................................3 tbsp Gram flour......................................................3 tbsp Ginger paste...................................................1 tbsp Coriander leaves, chopped.............................3 tbsp Green chillies, finely chopped.............................1-2 Tandoori colour.............................................a pinch Salt...............................................................to taste Method: 1. Mix the dried mango powder, garam masala, gram flour, a pinch of tandoori colour and salt in a bowl 2. Add the paneer pieces and toss lightly. 3. Add chillies, ginger paste, coriander leaves and lime juice. 4. Make sure that all the paneer pieces are well coated. If too dry, add 1 tbsp water. 5. Marinate for at least ½ an hour. 6. Deep fry until golden brown. 7. Serve hot with mint dip.
FRESH CORIANDER SQUARES Ingredients: Gram flour......................................................½ cup Whole wheat flour..........................................½ cup Coriander leaves, finely chopped.....................1 cup
Sesame seeds..................................................2 tbsp Green chillies, finely chopped................................ 2 Roasted peanuts (coarsely pound).................½ cup Turmeric powder............................................. ½ tsp Red chilli powder..............................................1 tsp Garam masala................................................ ½ tsp Cooking soda.................................................. ¼ tsp Oil...................................................................2 tbsp Oil............................................................. for frying Method: 1. Mix gram flour and whole wheat flour. 2. Add in all the other ingredients except the cooking soda and the oil. 3. Add water to make a thick paste (like cake batter). 4. Add the cooking soda and oil and mix well. 5. Grease a 10" diameter round baking tray, pour the mixture evenly and steam for 15 minutes. 6. Cool and cut into squares. 7. Deep fry in hot oil and serve with green chutney.
NUGGET CUTLET Ingredients: Soya chunks or granules.............................100 gms Potatoes, boiled..................................................... 3 Onion, finely chopped............................................ 1 Ginger-garlic paste.........................................3 tbsp Bread crumbs..................................................¾ cup Red chilli powder..............................................1 tsp Garam masala..................................................1 tsp Coriander, chopped finely.................................1 tsp Oil...................................................................3 tbsp Salt ..............................................................to taste Oil ....................................................for deep frying Method 1. Wash (do not soak) the soya chunks and grind coarsely. 2. In a non-stick pan, heat 3 tbsp oil. Add the onions and fry till pink.
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3. Add ginger-garlic paste and sauté for a few minutes. 4. Add chilli powder, garam masala and salt. 5. Next add the ground soya. Cook for 10-15 minutes so that there is no uncooked taste. Keep aside. 6. Mash and salt the boiled potatoes. Add bread crumbs, coriander and the soya mixture. Mix well to form a smooth dough. 7. Grease your palm and roll into round, flat cutlets 8. Deep fry in hot oil. 9. Serve hot with sauce or chutney.
STUFFED MUSHROOMS
Ingredients: Mushrooms.................................................400 gms Paneer, grated............................................100 gms Cheese, grated............................................100 gms Onion, finely chopped...................................1 small Spring onion, finely chopped....................... 2 stalks Pepper powder............................................... ¼ tsp Oregano.......................................................... ½ tsp Chilli flakes..................................................... ½ tsp Garlic, finely chopped...............................3-4 cloves Tomato ketchup..............................................2 tbsp Oil.....................................................................1 tsp Salt ..............................................................to taste Method: 1. Remove stalk from mushrooms, peel, boil and keep aside. 2. Chop the mushroom stalks very fine. Boil and keep aside. 3. Heat oil in a pan and sauté the chopped garlic for a minute. 4. Add onion and chopped mushroom stalks and sauté for a few minutes.
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5. Add grated paneer, cheese, salt, pepper, oregano, chilli flakes and spring onion. Mix well and cook for a minute or two. 6. Stuff each mushroom with the above mixture and bake in a preheated oven for 10 mins. 7. Dot with Tomato ketchup and serve immediately.
VEGETARIAN SHEEK KABAB Ingredients: Carrot..........................................................300 gms Beans..........................................................300 gms Palak (spinach).............................................50 gms Cashew, broken.............................................50 gms Khoya, grated...............................................50 gms Paneer, grated............................................100 gms Gram flour (besan).....................................200 gms Jeera powder................................................10 gms Salt...............................................................10 gms Elaichi powder................................................5 gms Oil.................................................................10 gms Garam masala..............................................10 gms Turmeric powder...........................................10 gms Method: 1. Wash the vegetables thoroughly and chop them finely. 2. Pour the oil in a kadai and fry the vegetables. 3. Add paneer, khoya, palak, jeera powder, turmeric powder, garam masala, elaichi powder, cashew bits and salt to the vegetables and heat and mix them thoroughly in the kadai. 4. Once the vegetables have cooked add gram flour to it and knead it thoroughly to form the kabab dough. 5. Take the dough and bind it on a sheek rod evenly for approximately ¾ the length of the rod. 6. Put the sheek inside the tandoor and allow it to bake for 10-12 minutes. 7. Take out the sheek and remove the baked sheek kabab. Cut it in lengths of 4 inches. 8. Arrange neatly on a plate with juliennes of spicy onion as accompaniment. 9. Serve with mint chutney.
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SIMPLE RULES OF HEALTH 11 INCREDIBLE HEALTH BENEFITS OF COCONUT WATER
Coconut water is never out of trend despite various attractive aromatic and nutritious drinks in the market. It is a miraculous drink beneficial for our body in multiple ways. Coconut water has been consumed for centuries in tropical regions around the world. Coconut water nutrition facts Coconut water is a clear liquid present inside of green Coconuts. Over 95% of Coconut water is water. An average green Coconut provides about 0.5–1 cup of Coconut water. Coconut water is rich in various minerals and electrolytes like potassium, calcium, manganese, antioxidants, amino acids and cytokinins. Coconut water is the best source of potassium and contains almost 470 mg of potassium. It is low in calories, carbohydrates, sugar, unlike other juices. Benefits of Coconut water 1. Energy booster: Coconut water is a great beverage to drink during and after a workout. It is rich in
minerals, electrolytes and antioxidants that help to boost your energy level instantly. It may help athletes to refuel their energy stores and recover a little faster. If you drink this water during exercise, it may prevent fatigue and dehydration. 2. Best alternatives for sugary juices: Coconut water is mildly sweet and nutty in flavour. It is low in calories, sugar and carbs, unlike other sugary juices and sodas. It makes it a better choice for diabetics or individuals looking to reduce their consumption of added sugar. 3. Helps to lose weight: Fresh Coconut water is beneficial in weight loss management programs. It is lower in calories than other beverages, like soda or juices that help to lose weight. One cup of Coconut water contains only 48 calories. 4. May benefit to manage diabetes: Research shows that Coconut water may help to manage blood sugar levels and improve
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diabetes symptoms. It is a good source of manganese, which may increase insulin sensitivity and reduce blood sugar levels. 5. May be beneficial for heart health: Drinking Coconut water may be beneficial to prevent heart diseases. It may help manage cholesterol levels in the blood and maintain good heart health because it is high in potassium. 6. May help to reduce high blood pressure: Being high in potassium, Coconut water may help to manage blood pressure. Research suggests that potassium-rich diets can help support heart health by managing blood pressure and even protecting against stroke. 7. Help in good digestion: Coconut water is rich in manganese that helps to regulate your bowel movements. It may prevent gaseous distension of the abdomen, constipation and acidity. 8. May help to detox the body: Coconut water is versatile due to the presence of minerals, electrolytes and antioxidants. Coconut water helps detoxify your body by providing hydration and antioxidants. 9. May help to prevent kidney stones: When you have a kidney stone, your doctor will advise you to drink a lot of water. Although plain water works wonderfully, don’t miss adding
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Coconut water to your diet. Coconut water may help to prevent kidney stone formation when taken in moderate amounts. 10. May prevent urinary tract infection: Coconut water is known to be a diuretic (increase urine output). Hence, it may help to flush out toxins by way of urine. It makes you pee frequently but that’s the way your urinary infection may void out. 11. May reduce fatigue and stress: There are instances such as fatigue, stress where you feel lethargic and don’t want to eat or do anything. Sipping on a cup of Coconut water may help you feel relaxed and it calms your mind. The disadvantage of Coconut water Coconut water beneficial for our to the presence nutrients. However, exception to it.
is all over health due of various there is an
People who suffer from kidney (renal) failure should not drink Coconut water as it is rich in potassium. In kidney failure, your kidney may not remove extra potassium, which leads to stagnation of potassium in the body. Hence, be cautious with Coconut water consumption in renal failure patients.