India is mourning for the bloodshed that happened in the past week. Personally, I was upset as well…not sure why but this is reality. Death…whether it comes in the form of raging hate bullets or in the form of time…either way we have to face it. Along with the proposition of death is the thought of fear of death. So, more than the actual death…it is the fear that causes immense anxiety. The fear of losing everything that we hold as sacred. The fear of the unknown after death. Our cultural conditioning of attachment to family, friends and material life. All this combined causes an upset in our tummy and manifests as fear.
So whether we are mourning for the horrific incident or whether we are mourning about the harsh reality of death is hard to tell. As devotees we should be prepared always…at least this is the teachings of our previous acharyas. Our sadhana (devotional practice) will be surely tested at the time of death. Our unalloyed love for Krishna or our love to our own ego and mind will be surely tested. If by practicing Krishna Consciousness we do not cultivate true knowledge of detachment and renunciation of ego and mind and practice attachment towards Krishna…then we will have fear in our hearts while approaching death. In other words, the fact that we have fear is an indication that our sadhana is poor.
Therefore, Krishna is eternally teaching us through world incidents such as the one last week and through personal life incidents that what our purpose on this planet is? If we diligently submit to the teachings of Guru and Krishna we can cross over this miserable condition called material life…if not we are on our own!
We have to practice to die before dying!
śrī-bhagavān uvāca
aśocyān anvaśocas tvaḿ
prajñā-vādāḿś ca bhāṣase
gatāsūn agatāsūḿś ca
nānuśocanti paṇḍitāḥ
The Supreme Personality of Godhead said: While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor for the dead- BG 2.11
Hare Krishna
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Plastic...beware!!!
I got this in the mail....thought I should share this. It is crazy!Did you ever drink from a plastic bottle and see a triangle symbol on the bottom with a number inside?
Do you know what the number stands for?
Do you know what the number stands for?
Did you guess that it's just for recycling?
Then you are WRONG !!!!!!
THE NUMBER TELLS YOU THE CHEMICAL MAKE UP OF THE PLASTIC.....
1) Polyethylene terephalate (PET)
2) High density polyethylene (HDPE)
3) Unplasticised polyvinyl chloride (UPVC) or Plasticised polyvinyl chloride (PPVC)
4) Low density polyethylene LDPE
5) Polypropylene (PP)
6) Polystyrene (PS) or Expandable polystyrene (EPS)
7) Other, including nylon and acrylic
What you aren't told is that many of the plastics used are toxic and the chemicals used to create a plastic can leach out of the plastic and into the food / drink.
Think about it, how many times have you or a friend said "I don't like this, it taste like the plastic bottle ..... "
THAT'S BECAUSE YOU ARE TASTING THE PLASTIC
Did you know chemical released by plastic water bottles can cause cancer
(It is not the water that affecting you but the chemical releasing from the bottle)
The WORST ONES are Nos: 3, 6, and 7 !!!
DO NOT USE THESE NUMBERS if stated at the bottom of the bottle) !!!
Monday, December 1, 2008
Friday, November 28, 2008
shopping madness!
This is the power of maya. People running mad behind money and material objects. When this madness is manifested in physical energy, it can even kill a person. So this physical energy is directly proportional to the amount of lust that is contained in one's heart. The three modes of materialnature (especially passion and ignorance) just rules the planet. Our only hope to get out of this deep bondage is by taking shelter unto Govinda- the Supreme Personality of Godhead.
"For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murāri, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is paraḿ padam, Vaikuṇṭha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step" - SB 10.14.58
Please read the Yahoo news article below.
NEW YORK – A worker died after being trampled by a throng of unruly shoppers when a suburban Wal-Mart opened for the holiday sales rush Friday, authorities said.
At least three other people were injured.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in Bentonville, Ark., would not confirm the reports of a stampede but said a "medical emergency" had caused the company to close the store, which is in Valley Stream on Long Island.
Nassau County police said the 34-year-old worker was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m., an hour after the store opened. The cause of death was not immediately known.
A police statement said shortly after 5 a.m., a throng of shoppers "physically broke down the doors, knocking (the worker) to the ground." Police also said a 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital for observation and three other shoppers suffered minor injuries and were also taken to hospitals.
The dead worker's name was not released.
"Local authorities are looking into the situation," said Wal-Mart representative Dan Fogleman. But he said it would be "inappropriate for me to share any additional information" until authorities investigate further.
Shoppers around the country lined up early outside stores in the annual bargain hunting ritual known as Black Friday. Many stores open early and stay open late. The Valley Stream Wal-Mart usually opens at 9 a.m.
"For those who have accepted the boat of the lotus feet of the Lord, who is the shelter of the cosmic manifestation and is famous as Murāri, the enemy of the Mura demon, the ocean of the material world is like the water contained in a calf's hoof-print. Their goal is paraḿ padam, Vaikuṇṭha, the place where there are no material miseries, not the place where there is danger at every step" - SB 10.14.58
Please read the Yahoo news article below.
NEW YORK – A worker died after being trampled by a throng of unruly shoppers when a suburban Wal-Mart opened for the holiday sales rush Friday, authorities said.
At least three other people were injured.
Wal-Mart Stores Inc., in Bentonville, Ark., would not confirm the reports of a stampede but said a "medical emergency" had caused the company to close the store, which is in Valley Stream on Long Island.
Nassau County police said the 34-year-old worker was taken to a hospital where he was pronounced dead at about 6 a.m., an hour after the store opened. The cause of death was not immediately known.
A police statement said shortly after 5 a.m., a throng of shoppers "physically broke down the doors, knocking (the worker) to the ground." Police also said a 28-year-old pregnant woman was taken to a hospital for observation and three other shoppers suffered minor injuries and were also taken to hospitals.
The dead worker's name was not released.
"Local authorities are looking into the situation," said Wal-Mart representative Dan Fogleman. But he said it would be "inappropriate for me to share any additional information" until authorities investigate further.
Shoppers around the country lined up early outside stores in the annual bargain hunting ritual known as Black Friday. Many stores open early and stay open late. The Valley Stream Wal-Mart usually opens at 9 a.m.
Wednesday, November 26, 2008
Raspberry Blackout Cake
My wife made this deliciously wonderful cake. I think the cake came out super excellent moist and all that...i loved it! I think the frosting and the topping made all the difference in my opinion.
We used carob instead of cocoa and regular dairy products for soy products. Enjoy the recipe!
Hare Krishna
Raspberry Blackout Cake with Ganache-y Frosting
courtesy Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (2005), p 217-218
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups plain rice or soy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 (10 oz) jar raspberry preserves (reserve 1/2 cup for the batter)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
Fresh raspberries for decorating and yumminess
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch round springform cake pans with cooking spray. If you don’t have springform then use parchment paper rounds on the bottom of two ordinary 8-inch round cake pans to prevent sticking.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine the rice milk, oil, 1/2 cup of the preserves, the vanilla, and the sugar in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer or strong fork. The jam should be mostly dissolved with the rest of the ingredients; some small clumps are okay. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches and mix until everything is incorporated . Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pans.
When the cakes have cooled fully, spread one layer of cake with a thin layer of the preserved raspberry preserves (give the preserves a quick mix with a strong fork to get a spreadable consistency); spread a layer of chocolate frosting on top of the preserves. Place the other layer of cake on top and spread its top with preserves. Carefully spread the chocolate frosting over the top, then ice the sides. I like to put a circle of fresh raspberries around the circumference of the top. If you happen to have a decorating bag and tips around, you can alternate a rosebud or star flourish with a raspberry, and a few raspberries in the center will finish it off. Makes 12 servings.
Chocolate Ganache-y Frosting
3/4 cup soy creamer (I use Silk Soy Creamer but if it’s not available plain soy milk will do)
6 tbsp nonhydrogenated margarine
10 oz semisweet chocolate chips
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the soy creamer to a low boil. Add the margarine and melt, turn off the heat, and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Let sit for at least 1 hour. It should still have a pourable consistency at this point. If you want a spreadable consistency then refrigerate for an hour (If you refrigerate it for more than a few hours, it sets too much to spread easily, so you will need to reheat it, then let it sit at room temperature before using.)
[Note: the frosting recipe makes about double what you'd need if you plan to just ice and not decorate much]
courtesy Vegan with a Vengeance by Isa Chandra Moskowitz (2005), p 217-218
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup Dutch-processed cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups plain rice or soy milk
1/2 cup canola oil
1 (10 oz) jar raspberry preserves (reserve 1/2 cup for the batter)
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 1/4 cups sugar
Fresh raspberries for decorating and yumminess
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Spray two 8-inch round springform cake pans with cooking spray. If you don’t have springform then use parchment paper rounds on the bottom of two ordinary 8-inch round cake pans to prevent sticking.
Sift together the flour, cocoa powder, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Combine the rice milk, oil, 1/2 cup of the preserves, the vanilla, and the sugar in a large bowl and mix with a hand mixer or strong fork. The jam should be mostly dissolved with the rest of the ingredients; some small clumps are okay. Add the dry ingredients to the wet in batches and mix until everything is incorporated . Divide the batter between the prepared pans and bake at 350 degrees for 40 to 45 minutes, or until a toothpick or knife comes out clean. Remove from oven and let cool in pans.
When the cakes have cooled fully, spread one layer of cake with a thin layer of the preserved raspberry preserves (give the preserves a quick mix with a strong fork to get a spreadable consistency); spread a layer of chocolate frosting on top of the preserves. Place the other layer of cake on top and spread its top with preserves. Carefully spread the chocolate frosting over the top, then ice the sides. I like to put a circle of fresh raspberries around the circumference of the top. If you happen to have a decorating bag and tips around, you can alternate a rosebud or star flourish with a raspberry, and a few raspberries in the center will finish it off. Makes 12 servings.
Chocolate Ganache-y Frosting
3/4 cup soy creamer (I use Silk Soy Creamer but if it’s not available plain soy milk will do)
6 tbsp nonhydrogenated margarine
10 oz semisweet chocolate chips
In a saucepan over medium heat, bring the soy creamer to a low boil. Add the margarine and melt, turn off the heat, and stir in chocolate chips until smooth. Let sit for at least 1 hour. It should still have a pourable consistency at this point. If you want a spreadable consistency then refrigerate for an hour (If you refrigerate it for more than a few hours, it sets too much to spread easily, so you will need to reheat it, then let it sit at room temperature before using.)
[Note: the frosting recipe makes about double what you'd need if you plan to just ice and not decorate much]
Tuesday, November 25, 2008
sati rite
Sati as a practice is outlawed today in India. This is because women were forced to step into the funeral pyre once their husbands died. This practice was stigmatized by Raja Ramohan Roy during the British rule and completely abolished (although in some Indian villages reports of forced sati is documented)
The practice of sati in the true sense was an act of chastity from the side of the wife. Srimad Bhagavatam, a classic Vaishnava literature documents such chastity in the form of Gandhari, the wife of Drthrashtra. Srila Prabhupada comments on this particular verse describing sati practice.
dahyamāne 'gnibhir dehe
patyuḥ patnī sahoṭaje
bahiḥ sthitā patiḿ sādhvī
tam agnim anu vekṣyati
SB 1.13.58
Translation
While outside observing her husband, who will burn in the fire of mystic power along with his thatched cottage, his chaste wife will enter the fire with rapt attention.
Purport
Gāndhārī was an ideal chaste lady, a life companion of her husband, and therefore when she saw her husband burning in the fire of mystic yoga along with his cottage of leaves, she despaired. She left home after losing her one hundred sons, and in the forest she saw that her most beloved husband was also burning. Now she actually felt alone, and therefore she entered the fire of her husband and followed her husband to death. This entering of a chaste lady into the fire of her dead husband is called the satī rite, and the action is considered to be most perfect for a woman. In a later age, this satī rite became an obnoxious criminal affair because the ceremony was forced upon even an unwilling woman. In this fallen age it is not possible for any lady to follow the satī rite as chastely as it was done by Gāndhārī and others in past ages. A chaste wife like Gāndhārī would feel the separation of her husband to be more burning than actual fire. Such a lady can observe the satī rite voluntarily, and there is no criminal force by anyone. When the rite became a formality only and force was applied upon a lady to follow the principle, actually it became criminal, and therefore the ceremony was to be stopped by state law. This prophecy of Nārada Muni to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira forbade him to go to his widowed aunt.
Hare Krishna
The practice of sati in the true sense was an act of chastity from the side of the wife. Srimad Bhagavatam, a classic Vaishnava literature documents such chastity in the form of Gandhari, the wife of Drthrashtra. Srila Prabhupada comments on this particular verse describing sati practice.
dahyamāne 'gnibhir dehe
patyuḥ patnī sahoṭaje
bahiḥ sthitā patiḿ sādhvī
tam agnim anu vekṣyati
SB 1.13.58
Translation
While outside observing her husband, who will burn in the fire of mystic power along with his thatched cottage, his chaste wife will enter the fire with rapt attention.
Purport
Gāndhārī was an ideal chaste lady, a life companion of her husband, and therefore when she saw her husband burning in the fire of mystic yoga along with his cottage of leaves, she despaired. She left home after losing her one hundred sons, and in the forest she saw that her most beloved husband was also burning. Now she actually felt alone, and therefore she entered the fire of her husband and followed her husband to death. This entering of a chaste lady into the fire of her dead husband is called the satī rite, and the action is considered to be most perfect for a woman. In a later age, this satī rite became an obnoxious criminal affair because the ceremony was forced upon even an unwilling woman. In this fallen age it is not possible for any lady to follow the satī rite as chastely as it was done by Gāndhārī and others in past ages. A chaste wife like Gāndhārī would feel the separation of her husband to be more burning than actual fire. Such a lady can observe the satī rite voluntarily, and there is no criminal force by anyone. When the rite became a formality only and force was applied upon a lady to follow the principle, actually it became criminal, and therefore the ceremony was to be stopped by state law. This prophecy of Nārada Muni to Mahārāja Yudhiṣṭhira forbade him to go to his widowed aunt.
Hare Krishna
Monday, November 24, 2008
social (mis) fit
It’s a gorgeous day…we should be out today!
Do you have any big plans for the weekend?
How was your weekend?
Have a nice weekend!
Where are you going for vacation?
Oh…boy…it is snowing?
Do you know what the weather is outside…it is cold!
It is a perfect day out…I am planning to take the rest of the day off!
It is going to get cold and may rain!
Happy Holidays!
Well…this is all the socializing I do with the people here…oh yes all with a big grin on my face…oh….trust me this is not fun!
Not that I am a wierd Hare Krishna that I refuse to have a decent conversation but trust me people here...all they talk about is their consumer lifestyle, Obama, and the weather and of course they love their office gossip...oh well!
We give the word "shallow" a whole new meaning...Hare Krishna!
Do you have any big plans for the weekend?
How was your weekend?
Have a nice weekend!
Where are you going for vacation?
Oh…boy…it is snowing?
Do you know what the weather is outside…it is cold!
It is a perfect day out…I am planning to take the rest of the day off!
It is going to get cold and may rain!
Happy Holidays!
Well…this is all the socializing I do with the people here…oh yes all with a big grin on my face…oh….trust me this is not fun!
Not that I am a wierd Hare Krishna that I refuse to have a decent conversation but trust me people here...all they talk about is their consumer lifestyle, Obama, and the weather and of course they love their office gossip...oh well!
We give the word "shallow" a whole new meaning...Hare Krishna!
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