A walk with a friend!

During my stay in Netala, I didn't talk much with my batchmates. I tried my best to follow the rules of ashram like speak less and read more, chat less and practice more. I wasn't much curious to know about others and wasn't there to make contacts. I wished to devote my time to my prayers, meditation, spiritual reading and introspection. I wanted to devote each and every second of my time for progress on the spiritual path.

There, I hardly talk with others and preferred to maintain silence. Mostly out of formality, I opened my mouth to utter monosyllables or sometimes sentences. Contrary to that back at home, I was talkative; generally enjoyed talking with persons of all age groups, all genres, all cultures and all socio-economic status. I loved to talk about various topics but I hesitated to talk about my emotions with others. A walk with that friend in the hills around ashram made me so comfortable with her that I shared my inner most emotions with her, may be because we are of same age or shared the same interest or in childhood days lived in a small city and then moved to a metropolitan for professional growth.

We went to a nearby village situated on a hill and from there on the narrow lane into the forest to Bharoon ka mandir (Temple of Lord Bharoon) which was though closed at that time.

We watched the villagers working, cows wandering in hills with bells in their necks, small houses here and there with their tempting kitchen gardens full of organic vegetables like pumpkin, bottle gourd, ridge gourd, beans, brinjal, lady finger, tomato.

The most interesting thing I liked was these toothbrush holders. :) During the walk, my mobile battery said 'Goodbye' so I asked her to click these photos for me. A short but memorable trip! :)

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A bowl of kadhi of a differrence!

"It tastes delicious!" As I sipped the steaming hot kadhi of Ankoot prasadam, I thought.
It did not contain any pakoodis as usual even than it was the tastiest kadhi I have ever eaten. Mango pickle masala was added to it to give it a sour taste as the buttermilk was not that sour. It also contained dried gaur ki phalli. Musturd seeds and cumin seeds tadka made it yummy. Like usual Ankoot kadhi it was not too hot. But the chillies were balancing the taste of pickle very well.

Seeing the bowl of kadhi today in my plate reminded me of that mango pickle taste of kadhi that I ate about a month ago.

Being vegetarian - A fashion statement

"I am vegetarian." A European guy told the group which were dinning together in a restaurant.
"You are vegetarian." I said with a surprise.
"I am also vegetarian." A European woman said.
"But.......how do you manage it?" I asked. "These days it is even difficult in India to be vegetarian."
"These days people are opting to even vegan diet in Europe." The woman explained.
"There are lots of vegan and vegetarian restaurants in Europe." The guy explained.
She told the group, "Its a fashion statement in Europe to be vegetarian."
I said, "Its a fashion statement in India to be non-vegetarian."
She said, "More and more people are opting for vegetarian diet in Europe so more number of eat-out options. I love cooking and mostly cook food at home."
The guy said, "I love to eat-out in resturants, sometimes I cook at home and near my work place there is Hare Krishna Temple, quite often I go there and have prasadam - totally satvik food."

Hilarious business meeting

"So, what do you think about this business case?" My boss, Mr. 'L' said to Mr. 'R'. They both were senior citizens.
"As you say." Mr. 'R' replied as if he has lost all interest in business, "After my wife's death, I shifted to Mumbai and was living with a woman who already had a son from her previous marriage. Some years back, I was very depressed. I felt lonely. There was no company. My sons and daughter-in-laws didn't take care of me. They even did not talk to me."
Mr. 'L' wanted to talk about business, "I think we should file a fresh application."
Mr. 'R' wanted to talk about his love story, "I receive her call for the first time when I was in office. She needed my help. To sort out the things we talk on phone for a couple of times. And we like each other and started loving together in a newly bought flat in Mumbai."
Mr. 'L' wished to focus on work, "We should do something about this business deal."
Mr. 'R' wished to focus on his new love story, "I meet her for the first time she was looking..................she was wearing......................she was feeling.................."

Before this meeting, my boss asked me, "Jot down all the important points of this business meeting." I was writing an unusual love story rather than the boring business related points! ;)

In search of a passenger

“Where that blue checked t-shirt guy went?” The shared taxi owner inquired looking at the back seats of taxi.

“He put his bag on the seat and went away, without telling anyone which way he is going.” One of the passengers sitting on the back seats replied.

“Now, the taxi is full, we must leave for Gangotri.” The taxi driver said. “Today was a bad day it took more than three hours for the taxi to get filled with the passengers.”

“He must have told you where he is going.”

“He didn’t tell me. Moreover, we have already waited for him for more than 30 minutes. It is getting late. We must search him in the vegetable market.”

The taxi driver turned the taxi towards the vegetable market, which was in opposite direction to Gangotri. He moved the vehicle very slowly and asked all the passengers to look for the person in blue checked T- shirt. After covering some distance, I who was one of the passengers pointed at a young person wearing blue checked t-shirt. At that moment, that guy was buying some green leafy vegetables in the market.

I said, “There is that fellow whom we were searching.”

“The taxi driver closely looked at him and said, “No, he is must taller and slimmer than him.”

The taxi moved further to the farthest end of the market but there was no trace of blue checked T-shirt passenger. The taxi driver turned the taxi to go towards the taxi stand. When we reached taxi stand, the blue checked T-shirt guy was waiting there. On seeing the taxi full of passengers, he complained to taxi driver, “How did you left me behind? I was waiting for you for the past 15 minutes.”

“We went towards the vegetable market in search of you! Now, get in quickly! We are getting late!!”

Sleeping Intensive

During the Sadhana Intensive course, I noticed very unusual behaviour of one of the student of the course. I saw Ms. 'D' sleeping all the time on her yoga mat in Satsang Hall and that too close to altar. Whenever I climbed up or down the stairs from Asana Hall where I used to practice my yoga asana and pranayama, I noticed from the glass panes of Satsang Hall that she was sleeping all the time while the rest of the students in that hall were either practicing pranayama, reading or clicking their photos in different as well as difficult asanas. For a few days, I thought she was not feeling well. The point to ponder is that if she was not feeling well then she should have taken rest or at least she should have shifted away from the altar. But even after a week I saw her sleeping on the mat at the same place. I never saw her doing any asana, pranayama or reading book.

It was really very annoying to see her sleeping so close to the altar. The positive vibes near altar help in better meditation, in better focus and in better breath control. For the first time I was noticing someone who was utilising the positive vibes for sleeping more soundly, a tamasic activity.

It was the course for self improvement and development, we all were improving our Sadhana practice where as she was improving her sleeping practice. On the day of convocation, I was really curious to know whether on her certificate it was mentioned that she had done Sadhana Intensive Course or Sleeping Intensive Course.