Friday, February 19, 2021

243 Avenue Rd., Toronto

 

At the Pots

 

There is bliss in service. That bliss is demonstrated by those in the devotional realm of bhakti. One person, whom I snuck up on, who characterizes this joyful practice, was a person in the kitchen of our ashram. Uttamananda is a kind soul — and a kind soul is usually a happy one — and in the early hour of 6 a.m. he was immersed in pot washing. That’s how I was able to get in from behind him. The pot sinks are against the wall, so anyone who has that designated role of pot washing has a wall in front of him. In front of that wall is a stack of pots, bowls and an assortment of cooking utensils. That stack diminishes in size as you tackle the darlings.

 

For the one who faces that stack of bliss (if you have the right attitude), as you embark on the task it becomes an act of exhilaration. It is like looking at a gorgeous mountain, snow-capped and all. For mountain climbers it becomes an act of ecstasy, a rush, even just thinking about ascending it. For the kitchen optimist it becomes an anticipation of releasing karma, and getting clean. As you scour away at the foodstuff stuck to the base and walls of a pot, both inside and outside, you can really feel good. The heart can savor in the cleanliness of it all. Such a feeling is genuine and real.

 

When our guru’s guru welcomed new recruits to the ashram, for training in monkhood, he would direct them to the kitchen and more particularly to the pots. It was the best service for a novice.

 

As I approached Uttamananda from behind I caught him in a blissful mood. He was busy working away at a large Chinese wok. I asked him if he was wok-ing. He liked that.

 

May the Source be with you!

2 km

 

Please view our new film, Rolling the Dice:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF3legHdMgI

 

Thursday, February 18, 2021

243 Avenue Rd., Toronto

 

Another Reminder

 

Texas got hit hard by a winter storm; residents are not used to such weather. Snow, cold and more Arctic dynamics put the whole state into unpreparedness.

 

“Get your winter coat on!” a northerner might say.

 

“We don’t have any!” answers a southerner.

 

While we do share empathy for the people of the big state, it is always important to pay heed to the reminder which nature is trying to reveal about our fragility.

 

Not just the extra chill but power outages and other non-expectations are something we should now see as part and parcel of material existence. It might not even be a bad idea to connect with higher powers capable of shedding a certain light on this world. Nature and its operator are there to help. Prayer is powerful. We simply need to test it. Some good will come out of its utility, guaranteed.

 

In the group call that we have on Thursdays, 5 to 6 p.m. EST, we discussed, once again, our futility in this world; that we are led to believe that we, as individuals, are so much in control of ourselves. I mean to say that beavers may make a dam but nature, with a storm, can destroy it. The things we attempt can be frustrated very easily because, while we are tiny movers and innovators, we are not God.

 

I’m sure that many Texans, of whom many are Christian, understand the point about our vulnerability. Let us take shelter. The world, with its unpredictable forces, is humbling us.

 

May the Source be with you!

0 km

 

Please view our new film, Rolling the Dice:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF3legHdMgI

 

 

Wednesday, February 17, 2021

Queen’s Park, Toronto

 

Dark Brown Chutney

 

Today I learned how to make tamarind chutney. It goes good as a dip for samosas or pakoras, although probably not good for monks. There’s just too much sugar in it, although jaggery is a natural sweetener.

 

At this time of year in India the sap comes out of date-ras trees. The substance is collected, then boiled down to a crystallin form. The weather is so perfect in India right now. Mayapura is the place, a four-hour drive from Kolkata, where the action is currently. On this day a bhakti luminary was born, Advaita Acharya, and he was a contemporary of monk Chaitanya.

 

I’m sure people of that era, 500 years ago, must have relished preparations made with the abovementioned hardened tree sap. Such items would be most appropriate as offerings for Krishna to become prasadam.

 

Now, how did I make tamarind chutney under the guidance of our cook, Dwarkanatha? Here is the procedure, without detailing the quantities:

 

1) A chunk of tamarind was put to soak in a bowl of water.

2) After the pulp loosens you blend this soft substance.

3) Then strain it to separate all the strings and pits.

4) Boil the substance and add generous amounts of jaggery.

5) Roast coriander seeds, then fennel, cumin and black pepper.

6) Blend the spices with water and add the mixture to the pot.

7) Salt is added.

8) Let chill.

 

The end product was divine.

 

May the Source be with you!

3 km

 

Please view our new film, Rolling the Dice:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF3legHdMgI