Edible red berries in Uttarkashi

Many years back one of my colleagues from army background told me that the army students were given various trainings to survive in the hardest conditions. If during war or in any other situation by chance they were left alone in a forest without food and water, in such a difficult situation what they would eat to survive. And the situation worsened if they were in a forest where the vegetation was unknown to them and they couldn’t differentiate between the edible and non edible fruits and berries. Then, in such a condition they were told to eat green colour berries as the chances of their being poisonous were very less as compared to yellow colored berries. And the red colored berries should be avoided as the chances of their being poisonous were very high as compared to yellow berries.

On seeing a tree full of red berries which was growing close to ashram in Uttarkashi, I recalled this incidence. The red berries were very attractive and tempting. I was looking at the tree admiring the beautiful berries.

Suddenly a tree pie came from nowhere, sat on the top branch and started eating berries. It appeared that the bird loved the taste of those berries.

As it flew away, I gathered my courage to eat unknown berries whose chances of being non edible were very high but my mind said bird was relishing them so at least they were non-poisonous.

I plucked some and ate. I loved the taste which was slightly sour to slightly sweet. Thank God, I didn’t die after that! ;)

Later on from a local villager I came to know that they were used to prepare chutney in which til (sesame) was added. The chutney tasted delicious.

Age Factor

"How old are you?" One of my batch-mates asked me.
"What?" I was surprised if I heard her correctly.
"I am 42 years old. What is your age?" she asked again.
I passed a long smile to say her to leave this stupid question but she was adamant to know.
She repeated, "My age is 42 years. You must be younger to me. What is your age?"
I inquired, "How does it make a difference if you know my age and if you don't know my age?"
She elaborated, "A is ...years old, B is ... years old, C is ... years old and ....."
She knew age of all batch-mates and had prepared a mental chart of it. She conclude ,"Most of the students is this course are either in their late twenties or early thirties except me, Mr. 'Z' who's age is... and Ms. 'Y' who is ... years old. You know, Chandrika they say if your back is flexible then you are young!"
"Ya. True."
"That's why I am keeping my back flexible."
"That's nice!" I said with a smile. "According to this theory. you are the youngest among us."
She was happy like a child and asked one more question popping up in her mind. "What is Mataji's age (Director's age)?"
"WHAT! I do not know."
"Can you guess her age?"
"I have no idea. In general, people who do meditation look younger than their age."
"Then she must be 40 years old."
When I didn't know what to say for a stupid question then I just smiled.
"Or 50 years old."
I broadened my smile.
"Or 60 years old."
I tried to broadened my smile further but couldn't because there is a limit of my facial muscles to expand in contrary to stupidity which can expand limitlessly.

Aroma of puris

As soon as we heard the ringing of bell from the temple while doing the last leg of yoga class, we started feeling hungry as it meant now the class would end and we all would rush to dinning hall for dinner after that. By that time the aroma of sattvik food being cooked in the kitchen below the asana hall also started entering our nostrils.

One day, the teacher was explaining Samanu pranayama which was every important for progressing in meditation but it was very confusing and difficult to understand as it had to be done with specific number of different mantras while focusing on different chakras, energy centers.
One of my batch-mates whispered, "Can you smell the puris? It seems that they have prepared puris for us. I love puris."
"I can't understand Samanu pranayama." I said.
Later on I pondered, back home I could prepare, smell and eat much more delicious puris than here. I had come so far to learn the right technique of doing pranayamas, some new powerful pranayamas like Samanu, bandhas and different mudras which would help me in progressing further on my spiritual journey.

A photo worth lakhs!

"Chandrika, click my photo!" A millionaire guy asked me. At that time he was holding a broom in his one hand and a wet mop in another. "You can sell that photo for worth lakhs as I have never done cleaning before and everybody will be surprised to see me like this, holding broom and mop. For the first time I am going it here, in ashram as Karam Yoga."

An Important Announcement

“OM! OM!! OM!!! An Important Announcement is to be made! Please pay your attention to my words. There is shortage of glasses, those glasses in which we drink tea! Today, there were not sufficient glasses for each one of us for having tea. Some of the glasses are missing. Whoever taken the glasses in their rooms for drinking tea and had not returned them, please return them. Please search your cupboards and sill of windows properly, wash them thoroughly and put them back in basket for the storage of utensils.” When she was making this announcement a long smile appeared on my face because she had 22 glasses in her cupboard which she intentionally or unintentionally didn’t return which created this problem. 

That crazy Selfie Girl!

Whenever I saw this foreigner girl, she was always busy having selfies with the batch-mates, teachers or director. She even enjoyed having selfies with the priest, cook and cook’s assistants. She hadn’t left anybody in the Ashram with whom she hadn’t clicked the selfies with. She was a crazy ‘Selfie girl’!

One day, we were studying a serious topic in the class about the Vedanta philosophy when she noticed a big monkey passing by the corridor at a distance. She was happy like a child. She was excited. It seemed that if she wanted to have a selfie even with that monkey!

Three days before the examination day, she prepared a mock paper which she solved with some of her friends. I was surprised rather shocked to see her uttering all the Sanskrit terms correctly along with their meanings whereas in the class she was not able to understand some of the words in English. To help her, one of her friends translated the difficult words in her mother tongue for better understanding. In the busy schedule of one class after another, surprisingly she found time to click selfies as well as to mug up complex words and theories whereas I couldn’t find time for both.

Conquered my adjustment problems

On my first day in hostel sort of thing, I met a dark n fatty woman who smelt more like a cigarette, a smell that I hate the most! Her face expressions and gestures clearly showed that she was depressed. Most of the questions she asked me were irritating, confusing and weird which most of the time gave me a feeling that she was trying to read my psychology. One more thing that I hate! You won’t believe me but she stunk even after bathing thrice a day. Her presence in my room gave me a feeling that I was living with a ‘Buffalo’.

‘Buffalo’ played a musical instrument once in a while but that sounded horrible. She never flushed after using toilet and if by chance she used it then for sure the flush handle will be jammed. She never closed the door of toilet before and after using it. Whenever I entered the room I found her either sleeping, eating or applying cream or some fruit pack on her face. After eating fruits, she put the fruit peels on the window sill. I found it difficult rather very hard to adjust with her. I was irritated with her dirty actions and my mind was busy thinking about her and her unclean manners. I was fed up with thinking about her.

One day while meditating I prayed to God, “O, God! I came here with so much difficulty You know that very well. I am here to practice yoga and to meditate to think about You and not her. Please help me so that I can adjust with the ‘Buffalo’. I believe whenever I have a problem God comes in the form of written words in a book or internet to guide me. On the very same day, I read a story about Swami Sivananda and Swami Vishnudevanada.

Excerpt from ‘Teachings on Yoga Life’by Swami Vishnudevananda are as follows which I read:-

One evening during silent meditation, there was a loud crash. Everyone looked up and was horrified to see a distressed disciple swinging an axe at Master’s head. Swami Vishnuji, sitting close to the Master, jumped up and pulled the assailant away from Sivananda in a great fury. Master told him later, “Vishnu Swami, you must learn to control your emotions.”

The assailant was taken to jail. But the next day, Sivananda took him fruit and flowers, garlanding his would-be assassin. He had him set free and set a disciple to accompany him home.

This incident was a great learning experience for Vishnu Swamiji. He saw that, to a Realized Master, God comes in many forms. To Sivananda, a person who would take his life was as much as God as a man who would come to garland him. He had great love for both. 

Next day, I found the peels and pips on the window sill of our room as usual but my attitude towards them was changed. I told myself it was done by God. I cleaned them. I felt better after that, could focus easily on my goal and meditated beautifully.