We often tend to forget that we act because He inspires and moves us. Instead, we think that we are the ones accomplishing noble deeds and doing seva. It is a precarious thought, conceived by our own ego. Even staunch devotees sometimes stumble over their ego. In the Bhakti Ras column of this issue, you will meet such a devotee, who was initially swayed by Maya, but with God's grace, realized that ego drives a wedge between his soul and the Supreme Soul. That satsang helps us to break away from the destructive power of ego and engage in bhakti is illustrated through the story of saints in the Inspirations for Living column.

This month, we bring words of wisdom on ego, so read on.....

With the blessing of Radha-Krishna, the construction of underground utility infrastructure at the temple site continues as planned. A maze of trenches crisscrossed the 3.2-acre site when the water, sewer and storm lines were installed. The sounds of clanking metal and stone were like music to the ears of devotees, indicating that we are a few steps closer to the abode of God. The last lines to be installed were the sewer and storm lines.

The trenches for the sewer lines are 10 to 12 feet deep. At this depth, the utility contractors encountered dense blue shale rock, which made this phase of construction quite laborious. Yet, it appears as if Lord is guiding the construction process of our very own temple because the workers skillfully and patiently excavated by working around other existing utility lines, requiring the delicacy of a surgeon in order to not disturb other existing lines.

The utility contractors continued their work with four large backhoe-loader machines and several crew members. Once these lines were installed and inspected, backfilling of the trenches was initiated. The next stage of construction will involve installation of the lines for electrical power, natural gas, and phone and data connections. This will be followed by more grading and excavation work prior to pouring the concrete for parking lots, fire lanes and the building foundation. How fortunate are the construction workers to be involved in building a temple for the Lord and this too is a form of bhakti!

Ego, one of the five sheaths of Maya, is the biggest hurdle on the path of God-realization. It clouds our mind, leads to arrogance, and tricks us into believing that "I am doing everything." This is a dangerous trend says Saint Kabir:

मैं मैं बड़ी बलाई है, सकै तो नकसो भाजी |

कब लग राखौ है सखी, रूई लपेटी आगी ||

Mai-Mai Badi Balai Hai, Sakai To Nikso Bhaji,

Kab Lag Rakhou  He Sakhi, Rui Lapeti Aagi.

In other words, "My friend, it is better to put aside the ego instead of exclaiming 'I, I' all the time. Such proclamation is as dangerous as cotton balls surrounded by fire".

Hearing this day in and day out, the king was swollen with self-pride; he became a victim of his self-admiration. One day, while conversing with the Lord, Toṇdamān asked, "O Lord, I don't think there is a devotee like me on this entire planet, is there?" The Lord smiled at his ignorant question, and decided to teach him a lesson, as He always protects His devotees from Maya.

Lord Venkateswara and Toṇdamān

After a few days passed by, Toṇdamān went

to the temple one morning for the Lord's darshan, sat down with his closed eyes and started praying. When he opened   his eyes, he saw the Lord appear in front of him, with the golden lotus flowers that he offered at His feet. Along with the sparkling, beautiful, golden lotus flowers, he a saw a withered, muddy, pink lotus flower at the Lord's feet. The lotus lying at the Lord's feet surprised the king Toṇdamān. So he asked the Lord from where that lotus emanated.

With a gentle smile, the Lord answered, "My child, near the foothills, there lives a poor villager in a hut. He loves and adores me. He carved my image in a little piece of wood, made a niche in the mud wall of his hut, placed it in the niche, and worships it every day. He envisages me in this little, crudely carved wooden form. You know that I appear where ever my devotees see me - either in animate or inanimate objects. That's my law of love. You heard of how I manifested from a pillar for Prahlada, did you not?

This poor villager neither knows any mantras nor performs any yagnas. He just chants my names and sings simple bhajans. He does everything in my consciousness. Whether he is working, walking, or eating, he always meditates on me. Every morning, he wakes up before the Sun rises, walks two miles to get to a pond before anyone else, gathers the lotus flowers in the pond, offers them to my wooden form in his hut, all the while chanting my names. The withered, muddy, pink lotus that you see here at my feet is the one that he offered me today. I am bound by his love and devotion."

Hearing these words of the Lord, king Toṇdamān fell at His feet. With teary eyes and choked voice, he said, "O Lord, please forgive me. What do I know? I am such an ignorant fool to assume that I am the best devotee. You are so compassionate; you saved my soul and extinguished my ego. I will go to the village and meet that great devotee of yours right now."

So, we need to completely strip off our ego if we wish to make our soul an abode for God. Like the German scholar Paul Deussen said, "Egotism is like a cloud that keeps God hidden from our sight. If egotism vanishes by the mercy of the true Guru, then God is seen in His full Glory." Saint Kabir has put this very nicely:

 प्रेम गली अति सांकरि, या में द्वै  न समाहीं || 

Importance of Engaging in Bhakti through Satsang

Azhwars, the great devotees of MahaVishnu and the saints of Tamil Nadu, sang the glory of the Lord and kept the divine nectar flowing continuously. The first three - Poigai Azhwar, Pei Azhwar, and Boothath Azhwar - were contemporaries that showed us how to overcome the ego and engage in bhakti.

Poigai Azwar                               Pei Azhwar                         Boothnath Azhwar

Once, while doing penance in the forest on a stormy day, Poigai Azhwar decided to take refuge in a cave nearby.  The cave was rather small and dark, but there was enough room for one person to lie down comfortably.  He thanked his beloved Lord and lay down, as he was tired from the day's work, and continued chanting the Lord's names.  As coincidence would have it, Pei Azhwar, who was meditating in the same forest, also came to the cave to take shelter from the storm.  Since there was only enough room for two to sit down comfortably, they both sat down and continued chanting His names. Soon, Boothath Azhwar, who was also meditating in the vicinity, came to the same cave to seek shelter.  Because there was only enough room for three people to stand, they all stood up chanting, drawing inspiration from one another.  Their devotion intensified and their enthusiasm in calling out to Sri Hari knew no bounds!

All of a sudden, the cave felt very crowded.  They felt a lot of pushes and tugs and could not stand their ground; however, the dark cave filled with the fragrance of Tulsi and chandan.  When they opened their eyes, to their amazement, they saw none other than the Lord Himself, along with MahaLakshmi, Garuda, and surrounded by all the great saints from the divine abode, trying to squeeze into the limited space in the cave. The Lord, who is an ocean of kindness, bound by the loving calls of His bhaktas, left His divine abode and rushed to the tiny cave to be with them.

If you ever think that you are alone in the time of stress or hardship, please draw inspiration from the knowledge that the Lord Himself has established the importance of Sadhana with sincere devotees in a Satsang. Participation in Satsangs helps to abolish the ego and make room for the Lord.

By Champa Sriram 

Self-Assessment Requires Courage to Face the Truth

A little boy whose name was Nirmal, walked into a store to buy something for his class project. He could not find what he was looking for and asked a customer representative for help. While he was waiting for her to bring the specific item he was looking for, Nirmal pulled his cell phone out of his pocket and pressed a number on his speed dial list. The manager of the store was walking toward Nirmal to ask if he had been helped, but stood aside because the boy had started speaking with someone on the phone. So, the manager waited and listened to their conversation.

Nirmal said, "Mrs. Singh, can you give me the job of cutting your lawn?" Mrs. Singh said loud enough to be heard by others, "I already have someone cutting my lawn and do not need anyone at this time."   Nirmal persisted and said that he would cut the lawn for half the price than what she paid someone else. Mrs. Singh reiterated that she was very happy with the person who was presently cutting her lawn but Nirmal did not take "no" for an answer. He told her that he would even sweep the floor and the stairs of her house for free if she hired him to cut her lawn. With a little irritation, Mrs. Singh told Nirmal to stop insisting or else she would track his number and tell his parents. Nirmal smiled and turned off the phone.

The store manager, who was waiting and listening to this exchange, walked over to Nirmal and said that he liked his positive attitude and good communication skills and would be happy to offer a job in the store. Nirmal said very politely, "No thank you." The manager was taken by surprise and asked Nirmal why he was so persistent with the lady if he did not want a job. Nirmal replied, "I was just taking stock of my performance at the job I already do. I am the one who cuts Mrs. Singh's lawn."

This is called self-assessment because we all want to do the very best we can with the ability that God has given to us. That said, self-assessment requires courage to face the truth. Courage to face the truth can sometime be difficult because it requires us to let go of our ego (or the thought that I know everything or I know more about something than anyone else).

We would like to hear from our Bal-Mukund friends or their parents about ways in which our Bal-Mukunds have shown courage to face the truth or not been afraid to risk failure for the good of someone else. Please contact us at [email protected]

We love to hear from you!

Thanksgiving Recipe- Cranberry Pickle

Given how time flies, in the wink of an eye many of us will be planning for Thanksgiving. One popular item at Thanksgiving is cranberries.

History says that Native Americans used cranberries for a variety of purposes, including medicinal and cultural (e.g., to make dyes). Many nutritionists have labeled cranberries as a "super food" given their high antioxidant and low caloric content. Cranberries also help to boost the body's immune function and are rich in Vitamins C, E and K, fiber, and many minerals including manganese. According to the USDA nutritional standard, ½ cup of cranberries provides 55 grams of protein but very low amount of fat.

Cranberries are beneficial for preventing gum disease and reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease, urinary tract infections, and slowing the growth of tumors in the liver, prostate, breast and colon.

Cranberries are typically used for making sauce, relish, homemade trail mix with other kinds of nuts, supplemented in stuffing or breakfast muffins, added to desserts and even for beverages and smoothies. An item that might be appealing to those who have a spicy palate is cranberry pickles. Here is an easy recipe for Indian-style fresh cranberry pickle for immediate use.

Ingredients:

• 2 cups fresh cranberries
  
• ¼ teaspoon red chili powder, adjust to taste
• 1 teaspoon black mustard seeds ground (rai)
• 1 teaspoon fennel seeds crushed (saunf)
• 1/8 teaspoon asafetida
• 2 tablespoon mustard oil
• 2-2 ½ teaspoon salt

Method:

1. Thoroughly wash the cranberries and wipe them dry on a paper towel.
2. Slit the cranberries into two halves and move to a wide bowl.
3. In the same bowl, mix the chili powder, ground mustard seeds, crushed fennel and salt.
4. In a kadai, heat the oil, add asafetida and pour the oil over the cranberry mix, and mix it well.
5. Pour into a serving bowl and eat fresh with any of your Thanksgiving recipes. However, it does taste better if it has been marinated for a day.

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