Preparing Our Daughters Part II

In regard to the quotes from Srila Prabhupada posted previously, one important item was studying the lives of women in the sastra: "There are many stories, Nala-Damayanti, then Parvati, Sita, five chaste women in the history. They should read their life." -Conversation: July 10, 1975, Chicago

"Not only was mother Sitä powerful, but any woman who follows in the footsteps of mother Sitä can also become similarly powerful. There are many instances of this in the history of Vedic literature. Whenever we find a description of ideal chaste women, mother Sita is among them. Mandodari, the wife of Rävana, was also very chaste. Similarly, Draupadi was one of five exalted chaste women. As a man must follow great personalities like Brahmä and Närada, a woman must follow the path of such ideal women as Sitä, Mandodari and Draupadi." -SB 9.10.27p

On the contrary, a representative of the ISKCON Women's Ministry has recommended that the lives of the chaste ladies given in the sastras and suggested by Srila Prabhupada as part of a woman's education, are currently negligible and should therefore be replaced with Kali yuga career women role models. She seems unaware of an increasing number of western men who are actively seeking out traditional minded women from other countries with the help of matchmaking services. Seeking out traditional women has been happening in ISKCON, too, quite naturally. So, it is not that traditional thinking is dead. Rather, it is making a recovery. It is better that we catch up by replacing the current Women's Ministry with a more dharmic ministry that promotes the return of traditional role models (LATER NOTE: Thankfully, this is starting to happen via the ISKCON Institute for Spiritual Culture and HG Devaki Mataji).

GOOD REASONS TO AVOID JUMPING INTO THE CAREER WOMAN HOLE:
1. Once one invests so much trouble into education as a career woman, she will feel forced to use it, even at the cost of future family life and happiness. And really, what mundane careers are that precious?

Becoming a lawyer to defend liars? Becoming a professor required to teach atheism? Becoming a doctor to prescribe dangerous drugs for an increasingly sick world? Bhagavad Gita says to examine the flaws of every Kali yuga job.

2. Srila Prabhupada was right on the mark that a university education for young women means learning to kill their own children. Normal women are designed to bear children, and to counteract this, feminist-funded education on abortion and contraceptives has become widespread. Think about it- supporting career education for women supports child killing.

3. Imagine the shock of women discovering infertility after devoting their youth pursuing the career they got trained for, what to speak of trying to find a husband when they are much older. It gets tougher, since health problems become more serious with age. After all, nobody wants to marry a walking doctor bill, and unless attachment has had much time to develop, reluctantly will someone want to care for such a person if they should become seriously ill.

On the other hand, a woman who married young and her children are now grown up, took care of all that biological business already, and now has the time do as she likes. 

4. The career woman model is known for killing off femininity. Ever notice how working women are increasingly looking like and or acting like men? Being surrounded by men in most working places makes it a survival tactic.

5. If a woman is successful in her career, her wages give her a certain amount of independence. That means she gains the option to dump her husband when the going gets rough, rather than learning how to work at a relationship. Wealthy women are famous for this. And it puts off maturity.

6. There's a saying that "Credentials on a wall do not make one a decent human being". In other words, it is far better to be a humble housewife with full faith in Krishna and respect for all living beings rather than a faithless, academic addict who derides the Supreme Personality of Godhead Lord Rama as a woman hater or thinks a pure devotee such as Srila Prabhupda is conditioned by his cultural background. The latter exist in ISKCON today, due to association of mundane colleges.

"“Unless you cent percent agree with the spiritual master’s opinion or philosophy, there is no need of accepting a spiritual master. There is no need." (Lecture: Bhagavad-gita 2.8-12 — Los Angeles, November 27, 1968)

“Although a devotee may apparently express himself to be ignorant, he is full of knowledge in every intricate matter.” (SB 3.7.8 purport)

“…if one considers the spiritual master an ordinary human being, one is doomed. His study of the Vedas and his austerities and penances for enlightenment are all useless, like the bathing of an elephant.” (SB 7.15.26 purport)

“If the spiritual master is considered an ordinary man, the disciple surely loses his chance to advance further.” (Srimad-Bhagavatam 5.12.14, Purport)

7. All further education can be better learned instead by good association and good, useful books. Large amounts of time and money can be saved as well from going into the pockets of mundane colleges and it can be better invested for a woman's future home life, what to speak of saving her future husband from having to shoulder a huge college debt!

8. Outside employment is meant for sudras. Srila Prabhupada says:  "You see here that all young girls are carrying water, collecting. In the morning collecting water, cleansing the house, utensils, clothes, taking bath, then cooking, those girls. Their first business. Man's business is to earn money, go to the market, the necessities. Woman's business is take care of household affairs, children, and they have got engagement. And in the presence of father or elder brother or husband, a woman has to earn livelihood—that's a great insult." - (VAD talk, SB 2.1.1-5, 6/28/77, Vrndavana)

9. When women stick to their prescribed duties, deferring to men what are theirs, men naturally will be encouraged or feel needed to perform them. This not only applies to the services at a temple, but in one's home and at the work place as well.

Unfortunately, most employers are now forced to give women job preferences over men out of fear of "sex discrimination" lawsuits. As a result, there has been an increase of working women everywhere, taking over more than 50% of the job force in the west. The same goes for favoring women over men- even if the men prove more qualified- for getting into an educational institution. Thus all of this so-called "progress for women" really means that men are being cheated out of educational, employment and service opportunities. Even a word has been coined to describe this- "misandry". And Bhagavad gita calls it greed, one of the gates to hell, (Bg 16.21)

In this regard, George Gilder, author of Sexual Suicide wrote, "To most men, success at work is virtually a matter of life and death, for it determines his sexual possibilities and affirms his identity as a male in a socially affirmative way... For a female employee the sexual constitution of money is much less important. Her sexual prospects are little affected by how much she makes. Thus even if the woman is a very dependable employee, a payment to her does not usually purchase as great a commitment as does a payment to man." 

Furthermore, with so many people now available for hire, flooding the marketplace, wages are affected, which in turn affects those women who sincerely wish to remain at home. Helen Andelin, author of the best selling classic "Fascinating Womanhood" foresaw this when she wrote: “If you women continue to demand your choice to work, you will so upset the economy of this country that the time will come when you will not have a choice. You will have to work.” And you can thank the feminists for getting rid of the family wage.

A respectable lady, too, has talents and skills she can use to serve humanity, but rather than give class to men, she prefers sharing we Krishna katha with lady friends. Rather than becoming a temple president, she prefers to manage her own household as an expansion of Lord's temple. Rather than being the head pujari, she loves serving her own deities at home and hosting guests to feed them prasada. And rather than preaching to the masses, she engages in various programs with her husband or female companions. In this way, more men can feel encouraged to do their duties rather than become lazy, thinking the women will do everything for them.

10. The more important work for women, caring for their families, won't be neglected. Otherwise, so many disadvantages every child faces who is left to be raised by strangers. One is when the day care is unsteady and the child is switched from one caretaker to another during his most impressionable, formative years. Of course, family women may maintain a nanny or nurse to assist in caring for her children, but she should  be at home directing the caretaker and household help.

In other words, it's not that a lady at home can't have her personal desires met within the domestic sphere. The only real problem is when there is a lack of support from society as a whole, since the lady at home often goes about her business quietly and behind the scenes. Left untrained and uncultured, most women prefer to be seen and heard.

SOCIAL CONDITIONING
Feminist social engineers argue that the traditional roles for men and women are due to a social conditioning that needs to be unlearned. So, even if that were true, that people who want traditional roles still exist, how about we undo feminist conditioning instead?

Actually, we can by teaching our daughters properly. And with a major shift in ISKCON's mindset back to Srila Prabhupada's teachings, they'll soon have lots of company and won't  feel lonely or discouraged. Many a young woman will be able to admit her natural, feminine propensities with a sigh of relief...rather than having to dress like a neon sign board!

So, sensible people need to take a look at the huge, growing discontent displayed against feminism on the web and by talking to people around them. It didn't work. That's because all that was really missing in the past traditional role models was Krishna consciousness. Thus, instead of listening to these gender conscious women who say "by women for women only", let's get back to the business of giving the real knowledge that everyone is thirsting for- Krishna consciousness.

Krishna consciousness, working for the pleasure of Krishna, is so important because in nearly every discussion about the role of women that includes "liberal" minded devotees, there have been disparaging remarks in regards to the position of a mother or a homemaker. They talk like its some sort of nasty duty women are forced to bear in order to get on to better things. They don't seem to understand how anything done for Krishna is an ever-fresh, ever-increasing blissful experience. Nor do they seem to understand what an absorbing and fulfilling service family life can be in relation to Him. It appears all they are really doing is repeating what their Women's Studies classes taught them, rather than experiencing anything for themselves.

Actually, it is this feminism that is repressive and sexist. It is uncivilized and demoniac. Feminist history reveals the expectation for human society to adapt to an artificial, humanist and ultimately confusing ideology, and whoever does not or cannot- is expendable. Therefore, any sane person should reject it.

Undoubtedly, the Hare Krishna movement, seen and revealed by the wise and gentle devotees, is completely transcendental. At the same time, external ISKCON will have its faults or maya's coverings. We've all had our share of misconceptions about Krishna consciousness and endured that of others, but if we are actually hearing and chanting, we should be able to get over them and help newcomers and especially the younger generations to get the right information. Similar to mine, one mataji wrote about her experience joining a women's asrama. Her asrama leader had left her husband and the preaching going on was that family life is maya, children are stool bags and sankirtana is more important than cooking.  Fortunately, when she went to visit her future guru maharaja, he asked her what the position of women was according to Prabhupada's books. She answered that it was to serve her husband in Krsna consciousness. That is what got her wondering whether staying single was a good idea...She said "the moral of this story is we must be careful what we preach to women who come to Krsna consciousness.."

And for those that resolutely dislike domestic life, there's the idea to maintain an all women's temple. In a letter (Nov 1975) Srila Prabhupada wrote:
"My dear Palika devi dasi, Please accept my blessings. I am in due receipt of your letter dated November 27, 1975. Yes, the separation of man and woman is desirable. If Yamuna and yourself can develop such an institution of a woman's asrama, that will be nice."

As for our daughters, they can be trained in herbal and natural healing, learn about the arts, social graces, nutrition, cleanliness, child care, healthy relationships and so much more. There is a life time of stuff to keep the normal woman busy without the need for a college education, which Prabhupada repeatedly criticized as meant for sudras. Most importantly, given an education in Krishna consciousness, they can become spiritually strong women who are able to withstand the inevitable difficulties this material world has to offer rather than hiding behind artificial philosophies and material adjustments. In other words, let's bring back the beautiful, feminine women- but who are now Krishna conscious.

This could prove to be our most powerful preaching program of all.

Patriarchy, Matriarchy or Anarchy?

A representative of ISKCON Women's Ministry complained that the men in the Hare Krishna movement  do not protect the women properly. She then suggested an artificial remedy called "International Law". Apparently, she neglected the fact that men in general can no longer protect the women and children, because for the last forty-five years they have been stripped of their power by feminism. For one thing, if they do show any sort of authority, they are quickly labeled "control freaks". And every one of us knows to beware of the feminist woman's wrath, backed by taxpayers money and laws that infiltrate every facet of western society. As a result, many men come from broken homes where Mom ruled and Dad didn't exist except in the form of a child support payment (Check out Cassie Jay's documentary "The Red Pill" for a discussion about why) And now Superwoman, who has generally taken over every job a man had done traditionally, wants to give him his job back?

Actually, we should know by now that feminism strives to abolish patriarchy. In a patriarchal society, men lead and women cooperate. But think about it- if we abolish patriarchy then... society must naturally shift to a matriarchy- where women lead and men cooperate. Otherwise, what do we have left?

Without leadership, all that's left is anarchy.

Anarchy is just a stronger way to describe a society without a brain or plan behind it, giving in to the whims and sense desires of individuals rather than they being guided as a group. Yet, it must exist in order for the purest intentions of feminist equality to exist. Howard J. Erlich writes:

"Anarchism is the only mode of social organization likely to prevent the recapitulation of social inequalities. Anarchist feminists know what other radicals often have to learn from bitter experience: the development of new forms of organization designed to get rid of hierarchy, authority, and power requires new social structures. Further, these structures must be carefully built and continually nurtured so that organizations function smoothly and efficiently, and so that new or informal elites will not emerge."

Sounds unnatural? complicated?  expensive?  Again, take "International Law" for an example (see the link above). It's a far cry from the simple life Srila Prabhupada envisioned for us. And the result of such is that devotees are now confused about instructing women what their duties are, since Lord Krishna's opinion has been scrapped.

In Krishna's varnasrama system, everyone has a job to do, and when this is neglected, there is trouble for the entire society. It has a ripple effect, This has been pointed out many times in previous posts: the sacrifices made by a wife and mother are not easy, so when there is no solid support or it becomes weakened by divorced and career or position-oriented women as role models, the chance of success in these very important duties is greatly reduced. Now so many women are without husband and family life. An intelligent person will quickly realize that equality is an impossibility materially. Always there will be persons who must cooperate with another in a subordinate role for a society to run smoothly and to get what they need in life.

Despite this fact, another woman proposed: "If the truth is to be told, it is about everyone: men, women and children in our society who require recognition, honor and respect with sufficient opportunities for devotional service, free from impositions of culture, race or gender (really she just mean's gender). It's about opening a solid, recognisable platform of services in all areas of equal proportion and recognising, identifying, correcting and preventing areas of mistreatment against any devotee in ISKCON by any other ISKCON member." Mayapur GBC meeting 1998

Sound familiar? This is a very good example of the anarchist feminist position described by Erlich above.*

Although such speeches may initially sound very nice, again such equality is not possible on the material platform. Rather, it is spiritual equality we must strive for, which is available internally. It means that the same facility, namely chanting Hare Krishna to develop all good qualities, the fruits of love of Godhead, is available to everyone regardless of race, gender and social position, and so on.
And "correcting and preventing areas of any mistreatment against any devotee"? Get real! Distress in our relationships is a fact of life! Good one day, bad the next. Good one minute, bad the next. We may be so afraid of disagreement and dissension, we may wish for utopia on earth, but disagreement and discord are just another part of dealings in any genuine relationships. Otherwise, trying to eliminate trouble and dissension altogether is something voidists and mayavadis wish for and propagate.

Therefore, let us promote Krishna consciousness instead, a loving tolerance and strength of spirit, rather than women's rights (what about the men's rights? the children's? the animals'? human society's?), feminist sensitivity training or the feminization of ISKCON society (Which are all signs of a matriarchy, by the way). There will always be men who need to assert their authority. These are the same men that will risk their lives on the battlefields, and should be offered all respect rather than shaming tactics and victimization self-justification. And let us consider that the Women's Ministry's attempt to forever perpetuate the adjustments made by Srila Prabhupada early on for his westernized disciples, minus propagating a varnasrama culture, is what gives rise to social disruptions in the first place! Srila Prabhupada explained this very simply:

Woman reporter: What happens when women are not subordinate to men?
Prabhupäda: Then there is disruption. There is disruption, social disruption. If the woman does not become subordinate to man, then there is social disruption. Therefore, in the western countries there are so many divorce cases because the woman does not agree to become subordinate to man. That is the cause.
Woman reporter: What advice do you have to women who do not want to be subordinate to men?
Prabhupäda: It is not my advice, but it is the advice of the Vedic knowledge that woman should be chaste and faithful to man.
Prabhupäda: I am not trying. You are already not equal with the man because in so many respects, your functions are different and man's functions are different. Why do you say artificially they are equal? As I told you that the husband and wife—the wife has to become pregnant, not the husband. How you can change this, both the husband and wife will be pregnant? Is it possible? Is it possible?
Woman reporter: No, it is not.
Prabhupäda: Then by nature one has to function differently from the other.
(TV interview, 7/9/75 Chicago)

Yet, it appears that "time and circumstance" preaching is basically the direction preached within ISKCON- perpetually. Sure, time and circumstance preaching has its place- to attract the conditioned souls, but so does a long term cultural cultivation that supports them afterwards. In other words, we see that preachers do bring people in, but afterwards they have no place to go. There is no social structure in which converts may be supported in everyday matters beyond the spiritual.  This is probably one of the main reasons people leave ISKCON, disenchanted;  Prabhupada's books on social organization remain largely theoretical or are labeled "impractical".

Yet, in many ways,  families in other faiths seem to be doing a better job following them than we do. Surprise! Check out the links from this blog which describe an upsurge in this regard. And they are doing a decent job of training their daughters to be chaste women and their sons to be responsible men. Too bad if ISKCON does not attract those sort of people to our movement, which would be the majority of sincere theists today. If conservative theists could just add Krishna consciousness - the perfection of patriarchy- they could conquer the world.

So what to do? Every society, down to the tiny ants, must have leadership. Who should lead? Whenever in doubt, devotees of the Lord are supposed to consult sastra. According to sastra, men have been assigned the leadership role and women are meant to cooperate. This is stated in every theistic scripture in the world. Why? Because normal women become pregnant; they are meant to become wives and mothers. To go against this is to go against nature. Ever notice how without contraception and abortion, feminism could not exist?  (And this is a reason why women shouldn't vote. Outnumbering decent men -thanks to the wars and so on -  it is women who voted for legal abortion). Nature's laws are God's laws and sastra is the final criterion for understanding who is a theist and who is not.

"The conditioned living entities are divided into two classes in this world. Those who are born with divine qualities follow a regulated life; that is to say they abide by the injunctions in scriptures and by the authorities. One should perform duties in the light of authoritative scripture. This mentality is called divine. One who does not follow the regulative principles as they are laid down in the scriptures and who acts according to his whims is called demoniac or asuric. There is no other criterion but obedience to the regulative principles of scriptures. It is mentioned in Vedic literature that both the demigods and the demons are born of the Prajäpati. The only difference is that one class obeys theVedic injunctions and the other does not." -Bg 16.1p

Take your pick, because the first likely outcome of a society predominated by feminism  is to abolish patriarchy and establish a matriarchy. It is what  we see currently with increasing horrors of abortion and weakened men who are over- attached to women.  There must be someone in charge for any society to exist.

At a Christian website I found similar concern: "Matriarchy is the behavioral extension of gender inversion--the goal being female dominance. Often, the man, having relinquished, beginning with the spiritual, his male role and responsibility creates a 'leadership vacuum' into which the woman is drawn (whether she likes to or not). Or the woman, under encouragement and support from mother or female associates, usurps her husband's position through subtle manipulation (maybe sexual) or outright abusiveness and violence, or both. If the husband is other than passive, conflict is inevitable. Over time, if she persists, she may likely destroy the marriage (or even her family!) in her bid for control and dominance.

"When this usurpation extends to the local church, the women may control from behind the scenes or increasingly take an up front leadership roles. Scripture is twisted or altogether ignored to allow women access to ministerial positions, equality of role, and authority over men."

 

So we need to fight the host culture which is producing all these unwanted things. Are we not taught to be servant of the servant? Why not let our men and sons do the job they are supposed to do? We can offer support by not only doing what we women are supposed to do, but by also desisting from the urge to do everything else for them. That is a good way to train them, to make them understand that they are needed. Prescribed duties are Krishna's plan given in every theistic scripture of the world. The difference is that we've been given detailed knowledge why and how to perform our duty while thinking of Krishna  That will please Krishna and if Krishna is pleased, the whole world will follow.

*Is this to say that there are anarchist feminists in our movement? Krishna Kirti prabhu (ACBSP) has a better explanation, one also mentioned in previous posts, how subtly and all pervasively the feminist attitudes have infiltrated our lives, not only before becoming devotees, but from various continued non-devotee association. He explains:

"Even in Srila Prabhupada’s presence there have been significant, internal controversies. The controversy between the sannyasis and the householders in 1976 is but one example, and many more came after Srila Prabhupada’s departure in 1977. Although ISKCON’s most infamous controversies are usually credited to immaturity, pride, or ambition, rarely have they been credited to prior conditioning—'normal' social attitudes and patterns of thinking that devotees developed before they came to ISKCON. If the Western countries are filled with impersonalism and voidism, then Western patterns of thought and their underlying ideologies have played an important yet invisible part in bringing about these controversies. The clash between ideologies underlying Western culture and ideologies underlying traditional Indian Vaishnava culture has been at the heart of these controversies."  - ISKCON'S Idealogy Part II, A-Brief-Exploration-of-the-History-of-ISKCON

Ksatriya

The ksatriya's qualities are most interesting:

• Diplomatic - but ready and able to fight when necessary
• Religious- perhaps to the extreme, seeing only the black and white of things due to their passionate nature, a stern people not sentimental, but they are:
• Devoted to the brahmanas- who guide them to see the finer shades of gray and therefore to make wise decisions.
• Tough- and super determined and can endure physical discomforts without complaint, but
• Proud- They cannot endure insult or disregard. They also don't mix with just anybody.
• Generous- They are prepared to give up anything to the worthy.
• Protective- Prepared to do anything to protect them, too, 
•  Resourceful - careful, energetic managers 
• Leaders -by engaging everyone properly in Krishna's service while setting an example.
• Powerful- Empowered by God to rule over others towards God consciousness and peaceful life.
• Keenly Intelligent - Able to grasp and execute the brahmanas' ruling.
• Heroic- Willing to take up a challenge and bravely stand up for what is right. Perhaps even recklessly, but again, that's where the brahmanas' guidance come in.

We need ksatriyas! Instead of an androgynous society, ISKCON needs to encourage ksatriya men along with the women who follow them- proud, pure, devoted women. Srimati Rukmini devi didn't act helpless when she discovered her marriage had gotten arranged to Sisupala instead of Krishna, and Queen Draupadi belted Jayadratha when he sinisterly tried to steal her away.  Queen-like women, who will attract and give birth to great souls to this world. Women who give meaning to the word "woman". Men who give meaning to the word "man". Fierce traditionalists tamed by brahmanas.

MEANWHILE

Although ksatriya men and women are greatly needed, they are not much appreciated at present by the politically correct. They are a stern people, and the ksatriya ladies do not mix.

Meanwhile, we have full faith in the power of the holy name and the supreme will of the Lord. The more we take shelter, the more hearts are cleansed to see clearly their worth, and people will naturally increase in godliness and religiousness as individuals and strive to do what is right which would include resurrecting a ksatriya varna, encouraging the chastity of first class ladies, starting varnasrama villages, protesting philosophical errors, etc.

Satsvarüpa däsa Goswami: One day Prabhupäda called in the G.B.C. members. It was in the afternoon, and we could see he was feeling very blissful. He was hearing the kirtana in the temple. He said everyone should come to Mäyäpur and chant twenty-four hours a day. He said, "There is so much room here. The morning class is so nice-Prahläda Mahäräja's instruction a million years ago. A five-year-old boy was speaking. The chanting, according to Bhaktivinoda Thäkura, is the only solace. It is nothing material, the chanting. Ajämila called the name of Näräyana and was saved."

Prabhupäda said that batches of devotees should come to Mäyäpur so that there should always be five hundred men present. Then a devotee said, "In America they are trying to chant more, twelve hours a day, trying to get a twenty-four-hour kirtana schedule." "Yes, everywhere," Srila Prabhupäda said, "this chanting should go on. Instead of meetings, resolutions, dissolutions, revolutions, and then no solutions, there should be chanting."  --SP Lilamrta 6.49

fluffy biscuits

Krishna loves butter. Here's something yummy to offer to Him with it.

(Preheat oven to 450 degrees)

INGREDIENTS:

• 2 c atta or whole wheat pastry flour
• 4 t baking powder
• 1/4 t baking soda
• 3/4 t salt
• 4 T butter, chilled (this is most important. The shock of chilled butter meeting a 400 degree oven is what makes the finished product fluffy.)
• 1 cup buttermilk or thinned yogurt, chilled

PREPARATION:

1. Combine dry ingredients in a mixing bowl.
2. Cut the butter into the flour mixture until the consistency is like fine crumbs.
3. Make a well in the mixture and pour in the buttermilk. Stir briefly to begin moistening all the dry ingredients.
4. Empty contents onto a lightly floured, clean surface and lightly knead the ingredients by  folding 5 or six times, incorporating all remaining mixture that is still loose. 
5. Gently pat the dough until it is about 1" thick. Cut into biscuits. I used a 3" diameter cutter to make 8 large biscuits. Gently push together any remaining scraps to form a last biscuit or two.
6. Place biscuits close together on a ghee greased tray (I use my cast iron skillet). Bake for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned on the edges and the top is firm and beginning to brown.

I offered these to Krishna this morning with a bowl of wet kitchri and a bowl of fresh, honey sweetened yogurt.

DROP BISCUITS
I whip these up much, much more often. Again, I bake them on a gheesed cast iron skillet. Makes about 8 biscuits.

Preheat oven 400 degrees
INGREDIENTS:

• 1 1/2 c atta or whole wheat flour (I grind my own)
• 1 T baking powder
• 3 T sugar
• 2-3 T ghee
• salt (as desired, optional)
• Whey (from yogurt or paneer. Or simply use what's available- couple tablespoons yogurt or sour cream and water)

PREPARATION:

1. Whisk all the dry ingredients with ghee together in a mixing bowl.
2. Add the whey. If you don't have a lot of whey, also add water. 
3. Stir lightly until all the ingredients are moistened well.
4. Scoop biscuit sized amounts of batter onto a cast iron skillet coated with a little ghee.
5. Bake 10 minutes. Offer to Lord Krishna with hot milk for a light evening snack.

My Choice

At seven A.M., I don't envy the mob
Who rise, shine and shower and go to the job.
In rain, sleet or storm, whether snowing or blowing,
I stay home and savor the joys of not going.

Cheers to you dears out fulfilling yourselves.
I'll bake a nice cake, and I'll straighten my shelves,
I'll knit babe some socks and with the kids take a walk.
If my neighbor drops in, I'll have time for a talk.

I'd rather have a family than fortune or fame;
I don't think my apron's a Red Badge of Shame.
You're welcome to banking, computers and math,
Guns, plumbing and business. I'll take a hot bath!

Art, music, reading—the good things of life
Are no less my own, since I'm mother and wife.
If I scrub, mop or dig in the garden, I'm free...

Remember, the choices were all made by me.

-Helene Lewis Coffer, lightly adapted

"O son of Kunti, all that you do, all that you eat, all that you offer and give away, as well as all austerities that you may perform, should be done as an offering unto Me." -Bhagavad-gita As It Is 9.27

"A Kṛṣṇa conscious person is always dovetailed with the supreme desire, for he has no desire for personal sense gratification. He moves exactly like a part of a machine. As a machine part requires oiling and cleaning for maintenance, similarly, a Kṛṣṇa conscious man maintains himself by his work just to remain fit for action in the transcendental loving service of the Lord." -Bhagavad gita As It Is 4.21p

Crunchy Cauliflower Pakoras

Always a hit and-cooked in ghee- the best vegetarian substitute for fried chicken. Ghee-fried makes cauliflower pakoras a truly delicious choice for "animal food without slaughter."

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 c besan
• 1 T ground cumin
• 1 T ground coriander
• 1 T ground black pepper
• 3/4 t hing
• 1/2 T turmeric
• 1 T salt
• water
• ghee for deep frying
• cauliflower, chopped in nugget-sized flowerettes

PREPARATION:

1. Chop the cauliflower into nuggets for coating with batter.
2. Combine all dry ingredients.
3. Add water to make a semi thick batter
4. Before dipping the cauliflower into the batter, dip them into flour first. That way the batter will stick better to the vegetable. Then after dipping into the batter, deep fry in hot ghee until crispy on the outside and tender on the inside. They will be a deep browned color. Ideally, they are darker than the ones pictured. They'll be more tender.
5. Drain on a clean kitchen towel.

Offer to Krishna immediately, with a favorite chutney.

VARIATION: Gourmet friend Katelin recommends replacing the besan with rice flour and replacing the plain water with club soda. The result was a batch of pakoras with ultra crispness!

All Glories to Sri Nityananda Rama!

                   
A favorite song for offering Lord Nitai on His holy appearance day:

DALALERA GITA by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakura
(1)
boro sukher khabor gāi
surabhi-kuñjete nāmer hāṭ khule’che (khoda nitāi)
(2)
boro mojār kathā tāy
śraddhā-mūlye śuddha-nāma sei hāṭete bikāy
(3)
jata bhakta-bṛnda basi’
adhikārī dekhe’ nāma becche daro kasi’
(4)
jadi nāma kinbe, bhāi
āmār sańge calo, mahājaner kāche jāi
(5)
tumi kinbe kṛṣṇa-nāma
dasturi loibo āmi, pūrṇa ha’be kāma
(6)
boro doyāl nityānanda
śraddhā-mātra lo’ye den parama-ānanda
(7)
ek-bār dekhle cakṣe jal
‘gaura’ bole’ nitāi den sakala sambal
(8)
den śuddha kṛṣṇa-śikṣā
jāti, dhana, vidyā, bala nā kore apekṣā
(9)
amani chāḍe māyā-jāl
gṛhe thāko, bane thāko, nā thāke jañjāl
(10)
ār nāiko kalir bhoy
ācaṇḍāle den nāma nitāi doyāmoy
(11)
bhaktivinoda ḍāki’ koy
nitāi-caraṇa binā ār nāhi āśroy

TRANSLATION
1) I am singing news of great happy tidings. Lord Nityananda Himself has opened a market-place of the Holy Name in Surabhi-Kunja.

2) The news of its great results is that He is selling the pure Holy Name in that market-place for the price of only one's faith.

3) Lord Nityananda, the proprietor of the market, seeing all the devotees become attracted, is selling them the Holy Name after bargaining with them.

4) O brother, if you want to buy the Holy Name, then go with me. We must go to the presence of that great soul, Nityananda.

5) You will buy the name of Krsna, I will take my commission and all of our desires will be fulfilled.

6) Lord Nityananda is greatly merciful. Taking only one's faith, He gives the highest ecstasy.

7) If Nitai sees only once tears in the eyes while chanting the name "Gaura", then He gives all resources to that person.

8) He gives the pure teachings of Krsna to everyone and does not care for one's birth, wealth, knowledge and strength.

9) Now, giving up the illusory snare of Maya, either remain in household life or in the forest as a sannyasi for no more troubles remain.

10) There is no more fear of the age of Kali. The merciful Nityananda gives the Holy Name to even the candalas.

11) Bhaktivinoda calls out: "Except for the lotus feet of Lord Nityananda there is no other shelter!"

pineapple chutney

 The general standard is a chutney that is "Too hot to eat, but too sweet to resist"!

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 medium-large ripe pineapple, washed, peeled, cored and chopped into bite-sized chunks
• 2-3 T ghee
• 1 T grated ginger
• 1 t cumin seeds 
• 1/2 t dried red chilis (or as desired)
• 1/2 t coriander powder
• 1/2 t fenugreek seeds
• 1/2 t turmeric
• 2/3-1 c firmly packed brown sugar (or turbinado sugar if preferred)

PREPARATION:
1. Heat the ghee in a saucepan and fry the cumin seeds and chilies until they brown. Add turmeric and pineapple chunks.
2. Stir-fry a few minutes. Cover and cook over a low- medium flame for 15-30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. Remove the cover. Mash a bit. Stir in the sugar and cook over a low flame until jam-like thickness. If in a hurry and there is  a lot of juice (especially if making a large quantity), I mix water into a little arrow root and stir into the hot mixture to thicken. It only takes a few minutes. Turn off the heat when desired thickness is attained.

Offer to Krishna with piping hot pakoras.

Handling a Difficult Man

Helpful advice from Helen B. Andelin:

What do I mean by a difficult man? It can mean many things but especially one who is impatient, irritable, angry, grumpy, stubborn, obstinate or just distant. In the 1980 TV movie series, “All in the Family,” Archie Bunker is a perfect example of a difficult man and his wife Edith handled him remarkably well. What are the...rules for handling such a difficult man? I recommend the following:

First, check into your own life...Do you have a smooth running home? Are things picked up around the house? Dinner on time? When dinner is unnecessarily late and he is increasingly hungry, it can bring out the worst in a man. Are you spending too much money? Too much time talking on the phone? And how are you treating him?... Do you build him, or trample on him? Are you nourishing his soul with appreciation and admiration, and filling his other masculine needs?...

Next, check into his life. Is he having problems in his work? Are his plans being frustrated? Is he overloaded with responsibility with no solution in sight? Under a strain? Is he working for a goal that is draining off his energy, his patience? Or is his life the opposite - dull and monotonous, passing him by with nothing to show for it? How is his health? Does he feel up to par physically? If any of the above applies you can help him immeasurably by being patient and understanding, by expressing sympathy for his problems and trust in his ability to solve problems or reach his goals. When a man’s life is difficult his wife has her best opportunity to prove her worth. She is more indispensable to his happiness.

And last, you may have to accept some of his obstinacy as inborn. Some men have thin nerves. Life is more difficult for them. So, accept his short tempered nature as a part of him and don’t try to change him into a sweet tempered man or you may be in for more trouble. He may not know how to change and this can frustrate him, trap his emotions and make him more ill tempered than ever. It has been observed by some that the higher a man’s goals the more short-tempered he is inclined to be. We have covered the three possible causes of a man’s difficult nature and the best way to deal with them. But, how should a woman react at the moment a man is difficult? The following are two positive methods...:

One way is to be feminine. Use a gentle approach. An old Christian Hymn reads, “You can speak a gentle word, to the heart with anger stirred.” It is a method of handling an irritable husband in a way that will disarm him so that his anger softens or even disappears.

An excellent example of this is the way in which Mrs. Carl Sandberg handled her husband, recorded in the book, A Great and Glorious Romance. The Sandberg’s daughter Helga writes of her parents, “There never were loud arguments back and forth in our house. My father raged and roared, and often. But it was one way. My mother coaxed him out of it. Once when he was very old I saw him pull at a door that was stuck. He rattled the handle and shouted. My mother, a small woman, looked up at him and patted his chest. “What a fine strong voice,” she said. Disarmed he stood there, in love. It was a thread established early, and woven through their life.”

The second and probably the best way to handle a difficult man, at the moment he is difficult, is to react (with)...teasing playfulness... The prime example I have given of this quality is Babbie from the novel The Little Minister by James Barrie. Babbie is such an excellent example that I have devoted most of the chapter to quotes from the book, which demonstrate her childlike quality of teasing playfulness in handling the short tempered Little Minister in a way that won his heart and soul. To quote from the book:

Babbie had tricked the Little Minister into helping her escape through a line of soldiers by pretending to be his wife. Gavin was furious. “It was beautiful,” she exclaimed, clasping her hands merrily.

“It was iniquitous,” he answered. “And I, a minister.”

After listening to his scolding, Babbie’s face changed and she became as a child. “I am very sorry,” she said, as if he had caught her stealing jam. The hood had fallen back and she looked at him pleadingly. She had the appearance of one who was entirely in his hands.

“I do not understand you,” Gavin said weakly. Only a few hours ago you were a gypsy girl in a fantastic dress. Now you fling a cloak over your shoulders and become a fine lady. Who are you?”

Babbie answered mischievously, “Perhaps it is the cloak that has bewitched me.” She slipped out of it. “Ay” she said, as if surprised. “It was just the cloak that did it, for now I am a poor ignorant little lassie again. My goodness but clothes do make a difference to a woman.”

This was sheer levity, so the dignified minister walked away, but he was charmed.

A Word of Warning
When speaking to a man... take particular care that you do not wound him emotionally. By this I mean do not say or do anything that would make him feel guilty, ignorant, anxious, humiliated or inferior. Such feelings can be painful, sometimes injurious and will do nothing for either of you but put a wedge in your relationship. Avoid awakening these negative feelings in your husband, your children or anyone you are cultivating a relationship with. The only way we can help anyone to grow is to look to their better side and help them find happiness.

apple chutney

Another chutney? At the buffet where I assist my husband, I always make the chutney, so here's another customer favorite to add to my collection:

INGREDIENTS:
6 medium large apples, peeled, cored and chopped
4 T ghee
2 t grated ginger
2 cinnamon sticks
1 t anise seeds
2 or 3 dried red chillies, crushed
5 cloves
1 t turmeric
1/4 c water
1/2 c brown sugar

PREPARATION:
1. Chaunce the spices in the ghee and add apples; stir fry.
2. Add water cover and cook on high 15 minutes, stirring often until apples get juicy and soften; mash well.
3. Add sugar and continue to cook until thick. Let cool. You may wish to pick out all the hard pieces like the cinnamon sticks before offering. Delicious served with cauliflower pakoras.

pumpkin

Not only do they look nice around the house, pumpkins make me think about how kind Krishna is to living beings, how perfect He has created and arranged everything for our well being. What's neat about pumpkins and similar foods such as butternut and spaghetti squash is that they have a long shelf life. That means fresh vegetables to eat even during the cold season without the trouble of drying or preserving them in some way. They just need a cool dark place for storage.

Pumpkins are rich in vitamins, too. They are delicious prepared in various ways- pies, cakes, soups, even cookies. Perhaps the nicest way to prepare it, though, is the simplest. Just cut the pumpkin into slices and roast in a pan with a little ghee.
Another way is to put larger slices in a pan of water and steam before adding salt, pepper and butter.
It's easier than how I used to do it below:

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 small fresh pumpkin, seeded and peeled and cut into chunks (or the pumpkin may be prebaked at 400 degrees for about 45 minutes and then cooled to make cutting easier. By cutting it into large sections and not baking too long, it should turn out less mushy)
• 4-6 T butter
• salt
• 1/2 t ground black pepper
• 1/4-1/2 t nutmeg (optional)
• water
• salt

PREPARATION:
1. Melt the butter, add pepper and nutmeg and the pumpkin. Stir on medium to high heat a few minutes, coating the pumpkin with the butter and spices.
2. Add a little water and cover and cook pumpkin on high heat about five-ten minutes (longer and with more water if the pumpkin is not prebaked) until tender. Add salt and offer. Serve piping hot with parathas on a cold morning.

KRISHNA CONSCIOUS CARVINGS
For those who like carving pumpkins, here's one our artistic son-in-law carved last October:

Jaya Jagannatha!

Waste Not; Want Not

For me it's a lot of fun- a hobby even (or maybe its due to my being the progeny of a concentration camp survivor)- to find ways to reuse, recycle and repurpose every day items.

VEGGIE SCRAPS
Instead of throwing out the leaves and or stems of various greens, cauliflower, cabbage, etc., they can be chopped very fine and added to soups! Takes longer to use them up and therefore is a good way to stretch the food budget

WRAPPING PAPER
One example is the paper for these wrapped gifts. It came from the lining of large bags of flour in a temple kitchen that ordinarily get tossed at an astounding rate. The paper got new life when it was decorated with splatters of holiday colors and topped with silvery snowflakes (made from sour cream inner seals).

UNUSUAL BOOK ENDS
Google image search sparks dozens of ways to reuse and repurpose various items, even the unusual like brand new license plates that were not needed (an old man fell asleep and totaled our truck). With a little bending they make suitable book ends. They can be spray painted and then decorated with acrylic paints or left as is.

OSMOSIS

Got some wilted celery, lettuce, carrots  or coriander in the refrigerator? Well, as long as its not rotting, you don't have to throw it away. They look that way because they are dehydrated. To rehydrate put them in cold water for about an hour or two,  shake off excess water and then put back to the refrigerator whatever you are not using right away. Things can be revived this way, via a process involving osmosis.

Now... if I could just get those wrinkles out of my face...

EMBROIDERY FLOSS DISPENSER

I found a way to reuse empty dental floss dispensers. I peeled the label off and removed the innerparts. Then I rolled up some floss to put inside. Each color can get its own compartment. That way they won't get tangled and there's a little cutter on the top, too!

SALT AND PEPPER SHAKERS

These used to be spice containers, but got repurposed for the dinner table. The glue under the labels was super tough, which is what would probably discourage most people from removing them, but after soaking overnight a razor quickly finished the job.

STORAGE JARS FOR THE CUPBOARD

These were soaked first to remove the labels. Some labels are tough, so a razor may be needed after peeling off as much as possible by hand.  If the glue is really stubborn, dab vegetable oil on it and then rub vigorously with a terry cloth. Wash in warm soapy water after the glue is removed.

REUSED BLANKET FILLING

The outer cover was badly torn. First the filling was well washed and dried, and then a new patchwork covering sewn on made from durable fabric odds and ends.

WOODEN SPOON MAKEOVER

Wooden spoons used in cooking inevitable get burned. When this happens, a sharp whittling knife can be used to trim off the burnt part (not shown in this picture) and produce an almost new cooking spoon to continue using rather than throwing away. And speaking of burning, kids can have fun wood burning designs on the handles.

REUSING PLASTIC LIDS

These can be used as a embroidery hoop or frame. The top lip of a large tub of sour creams was cut off along with the inner portion of the lid itself. Snap back together to form the hoop with the cloth in between.

framed artwork, fun craft for kids

HAT MAKEOVER

Unraveling the top yarn and binding off, an ear warmer was made and the unraveled yarn was used to crochet a decorative flower. Instructions are available on YouTube.

JAPA BEAD REPAIR 

Simple beeswax can be melted and poured into cracked beads which acts like a superglue when it hardens.

MAKE STUFF FROM STRIPS OF CLOTH

Rag crochet hot pad:

Rag weaving. To sit on, sleep with (make more blocks like it), cover something or use as a kitchen mat...

 

REUSING PAPER ALREADY WRITTEN OR PRINTED ON VIA COLORED MARKERS

Got junk mail? Old or useless books? Or any piece of paper already written on will do. 

Tossed and Found

When it comes to furnishing a home, what's your style? A popular one is eclectic which means mixing and matching items from many different styles. For a devotee it also means depending on Krishna to send stuff our way.  In that case, it is fortunate to live near an alley in which pieces of furniture may be found abandoned by neighbors, and with a little Googling (especially image search), new ways can be found to revive otherwise homeless pieces.  Below is a sampling:
 

This drawerless dresser got turned into shelving for art supplies. To look more like shelves, the middle portion of each shelf had the middle piece removed that drawers once slided on to. Bulk containers were added instead. Some graffiti was removed via a gentle scrubbing with baking soda.

These two shelving units appeared at different times and finally ended up paired together on a table top in my sewing corner for storing sewing and crafting supplies. The lamp on the top shelf to the right was also broken somewhat, but turned upwards, still gives good lighting.

This chair had its crumbly, musty stuffing and a torn cover removed. It was re-covered with a cozy blanket instead.. It used to have worn looking wooden armrests and leg coverings, too, but it was decided- to save time- to do without them in the final result. It was quickly claimed for a student's desk.

 This chair found its way into the kitchen, along with a new seat cover that matches the kitchen curtains. What's especially nice about the chair is that the seat is removable from latches underneath it, so the cover fabric can be easily changed at whim.

This ottoman just needed a good dusting and a little wiping and sun baths before making it to the bedroom. It not only makes good extra seating, but has a storage compartment inside when the top is lifted off- something a small child may be fascinated by.

Krishna kindly provides, so that like the spider that sits in its web, one can patiently wait for stuff to show up instead of wasting valuable time hunting it down. Also we learn to "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without" (a conservation motto during WWII)

And by Krishna's mercy, it usually takes only some cleaning and creative loving for found pieces to get functioning again.

SB 2.2.5: "Are there no torn clothes lying on the common road? Do the trees, which exist for maintaining others, no longer give alms in charity? Do the rivers, being dried up, no longer supply water to the thirsty? Are the caves of the mountains now closed, or, above all, does the Almighty Lord not protect the fully surrendered souls?"