Vipassana Meditation

POWER OF SEEING INSIDE

These are stressful times we have around us and we all know how tough it is these days keeping up with all that we have.

We were introduced to Vipassana meditation by close friends in 1973. Since then we meditate using this technique in daily practice and longer courses. We have found remarkable improvement in our physical and mental health. It is a great Dharma.

Our respected Guru Satnarayan ji Goenka (in the photo above) teaches the remarkable technique of Vipassana meditation that our breath possesses a vast power, wisdom and is capable of guiding each of us to control our emotions and quietening our monkey mind. Everyone who was ever born came alive with their first breath.We all deserve to breathe. And breathe easily. It is our birth right.

Wisdom, health and peace are very forceful elements guiding each of us to enjoy very happy and productive lives.We are more energetic, less susceptible to sickness and disease and capable to perform our daily affairs more effectively and with greater clarity and ease.

Scientifically researched Vipassana meditation technique have proven effective in the education sector, lower-achieving and gifted students and teachers and administrators. Numerous benefits have been realized by individuals, schools, police departments, hospitals, corporations and prisons and other entities. I am sure this meditation improves living of all people of all around the world. Every day practice improve personal health, performance, attitude,increase confidence and over all well-being.

ALL WE NEED TO SEE OURSELVES WE NEED LENS OF AWARENESS.

" YOU MUST BE THE CHANGE YOU WISH TO SEE IN THE WORLD"

----MAHATMA GANDHI

Lapsee a traditional Rajasthani/Indian sweet

As I mentioned cooking is my hobby. Most of the time I try to make some thing different in our meals.

But, today I remember old style family festival desert Since decades this sweet made and served on very special days. Like weddings, new arrival in families, birthdays, wedding Anniversaries.travelling day, Diwali (light of festival) Holi (festival of colour) and many more.

Lapsee is a delicious sweet dish as well as very healthy.This is made with cracked wheat,pure refined butter (ghee), saffron. green/brown cardamom and molasses.


To make this dish ingredients required as:

1 cup) cracked wheat
3 cups boiling water
1/2 cup liquid unsulphate molasses
3 tbsp. refined butter (ghee)
1 tbsp. cracked and cleaned freshly pound brown/green cardamom
2 tbsp cracked pistachios

Direction to cook

On medium temperature of burner put a medium heavy saucepan heat ghee add cracked wheat and continuously stir for 4/5 minutes add saffron mix it well lower the heat add boiling water and liquid molasses stir and mix it properly and cover. Let it cook on the low heat for 30 minutes however in interval stir it. when it is cooked wheat will be very soft and it will separate ghee and will look golden brown colour now add cracked cardamom half of the pistachios. Let it rest for a while on the hot plate at least for 10 minutes.Off the temperature of the burner.

Serve in a beautiful serving round bowl. Garnish with remaining cracked pistachios.

Generally this dish is served with main meal lunch/dinner.

communal peace and harmony

Life in India was much different in our time than it is now. Six decades ago, our village town had population of about twenty thousand with different castes, class and religious backgrounds; it also had agriculture-based economy. Just as other cities/towns were dominated by larger population, our town also had its own  cultural rhythm.

In our town and nearby villages, people with money who owned land had houses built from concrete. In front of the house, there were small shops that sold groceries, clothes, aluminium and brass utensils, plates and other useful household items. 

Village life was just like today's web - defined  by groups and communities. Above all, the extended families were also paid full attention. Often families would visit each other on occasions like marriages/deaths and some times on festivals. Moharam and Id were celebrated by Muslims but Hindus were also participating and enjoying both the events. Tajias were made with colourful paper and cloths on Moharam and a procession went through the entire town. On Id children were always enjoying special  "samiyan", a sweet made with rice noodles and with or without milk.  It was served with barafi (a type of Indian sweet).  Hindus were greeting their Muslim brothers and in the same way, on Hindu festivals like Diwali (festival of light) and Holi (festival of colour), Muslims were greeting Hindus. On Holi, Muslims were also playing colour with Hindus. Both communities were living in peace and harmony.

In this town education had its importance. There was a public school but not many students were attending; although village folk tried to send their children, not many attended because they had to work.

There were other schools as well, with good teachers, where the children of traders and merchants were educated. In these schools, both Hindu and Muslim children were educated together. There was a Sanskrit University where Brahmins were taught vedas and upanishads.  

    

simple community life

Today I am going to write about the simple and tasteful artistic life of villagers. Most of them saw the outside world differently. preferring the deeper value of  home, family and their small piece of farm land and mother nature. They were more relaxed living among their own community.

 

During the daytime men and young women worked in the farms. They took care of  the cows and sheep grazing there. In the evening they came back home, put the cows in the enclosure  (gowali), and gave them water, food and milked them. After cleaning their faces and hands, men use to come to their small courtyard and rested on beds made from coconut fibre rope and beautiful four coloured wooden legs. If there were small children in the house, they were put in their laps.  After coming from the farm young women gave help to their mothers in law. Generally the older women of the house were serving food to children and men.

After finishing dinner men washed their hands and mouths and talked a little with their mothers. After putting one white sheet called 'chadar' on the shoulder and  a local cap called 'pagari' or a Gandhi cap on their heads, they went out in the communal space called 'choupal', a place where village people used to meet, relax, smoke waterpipes called 'hukkas', and discuss common problems, punishments, marriages and so on. If someone was not behaving according to so called social rules, a hard punishment was decided by the local assembly ('Panchayat')  as community sense was very strong.

 

Village people did not worry what to eat and drink and what they should wear when meeting friends and relations. There was no show off.

I remember repeatedly our helpers were not turning up for work for a couple of days. One day with curiosity, I asked one of them how they manage without work for so many days? In a very relaxed way one maid replied they are not anxious for about tomorrow for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Each day's own trouble was sufficient for that day. 

At the end of summer and the beginning of the rainy season, most of the house roofs were repaired or changed  to prevent leakage throgh rain water. House walls were also coated with 'gara' (cow dung and mud mixed well with water). Some houses were decorated with faces and figures of cows, gods and goddesses from mythology.

   

Women were making hand made quilts with patchwork ,rugs with old torn clothes ('jajam'), applique work in their long skirts, embroidered pillow cases, bed sheets, cloth hand bags (used for travelling) and wall hangings and many more.

 

They were also making baskets with from a special local durable grass. The grass was first cleaned and coloured with different colours dried in the sun, then used for making baskets for storing fruit and vegetables and other uses. 'Dagaras' were made with bamboo which was used for cleaning grains and drying fruits and vegetables. There were many more uses. Later in the cities people liked these products. Now these products have great demand in export market.

 

Two times a week, Hat-Bazar were organised in the centre of the village town. Farmers brought their saleable products, and there were also small cloth merchants and glass bangle makers (chudiwala). Earthen pots ('kumhar') and many other household items and objects for entertainment were also brought and sold in this market.

Many people with family and friends were buying things needed for the house, especially young women were wearing colourful outfits were shopping glass bangles and other cosmetics. Old women were also enjoying meeting and chatting  with the shoppers buying a few kitchen utensils and vegetables.

  

When I am talking about vegetables, I remember how they used turmeric in their daily life.

Turmeric's natural properties are tremendous. Turmeric is one of the very important ingredient for Indian curry; its use gives good flavour and attractive colour and is good for digestion. We all use turmeric in rice pilaf. It has medicinal value to strengthen our gums. Villagers enjoyed its utility. Most women used facial masks from turmeric mixed with oat meal, almond powder, sandalwood powder. lemon juice and honey in milk.

 

This tincture has an excellent antiseptic value.  On hairline fractures, sprains and damaged tissues, plaster of turmeric with lime stone is good. Put a little butter and  spread turmeric powder on a nan roti (flatbread), warm it on a griddle, and tie onto any swollen places with a cheesecloth - this makes you feel better.  When suffering from a sore throat due to cold and running nose, before resting in bed at night, drink turmeric in a cup of milk and honey, which also reduces chest congestion

In this way, the village people were always were trying to find natural remedies for their daily health problems.