Where Laksmi Lives

Edited 8/30/24 

Laksmi devi, the goddess of fortune, who was born from the ocean of milk while it was being churned by the demigods and demons while the Lord was in His form of Kurma, and so on, is described in the Srimad Bhagavatam.

There one learns why Lord Vishnu is called Laksmi pati because Laksmi accepted Him as Her husband.  Naturally, since He is the best of all persons. And She is the Lord's agent for providing all necessities in the form of natural opulence. Not only in the material world but also in Vaikunthas the Lord is served. so by developing our bhakti for Her Lord, we automatically satisfy Her.

Sri Lakshmi lives:

WHERE NOT A GRAIN OF RICE IS WASTED
When I first heard this, I was in some anxiety never to waste a grain because sometimes you can't just help it! That anxiety passed, however, to great appreciation for this teaching when I realized that if a person has trouble wasting even one grain, certainly they are not inclined to waste anything else! "Waste not; want not" is a saying that describes how frugality and wealth go hand in hand. Still, a devotee does not anxiously have to endeavor to never waste a thing in order to increase in opulence because not wasting becomes natural to him. An increasing love and care for the Lord naturally overflows to everything that is in our existence because everything belongs to Him!

However, not long ago I was faced with a grain-wasting test! I mean, literally. We had just moved from a very dry climate to a humid one and began noticing how the salt in the salt shaker is harder to get out. MH told me to add rice grains to the salt to absorb moisture, and so I complied. The thing we overlooked is that our salt shaker containing offered salt for those who desire more (a makeshift item that used to hold spices), had a top with holes large enough that the rice grains inevitably passed through. So husband said to get rid of the rice, we'll try something else.

I could have thoughtlessly tossed those grains away, about a teaspoon full, or at least feed them to birds or something...(I confess, I never can seem to waste anything!). Instead, I took the trouble to boil those grains separately and added them (because they had been mixed in prasada from Lord's plate) to my plate when we honored lunch prasada that day. Still, it took energy in the form of heat and water to cook that little bit than if I'd simply fed it to the birds! On the other hand, Krishna is not poor, so no real worries over a little extra heat and water. So, in conclusion, it was nice to honor Laksmi and Lord by not throwing away the rice, but at same time we don't have to be overly anxious about it.

WHEN THE HOUSE GETS SWEPT CLEAN FIRST THING IN THE MORNING
This was brought to my attention by a common Indian belief that if you sweep your house in the evening, "Laksmi will not go there." A better way to understand this is that if you are so lazy and neglectful or disorganized that you don't get around to sweeping until night time or not at all, which is often the case, then sure, goddess Laksmi, and everyone else for that matter, may pass your house by. But if you are a very busy person, who has a tight schedule and can't always sweep first thing or have a helper to insure that it gets done, I can't see how you would be penalized just because its done around bedtime. Better late than not at all, or in other words, the actual point to be put across here should be: "Sloth is the way to poverty".

WHERE HUSBAND AND WIFE DO NOT QUARREL
This present age of Kali yuga is the age of quarrel, so it can be expected. Still, a good wife shows respect for her husband by refraining from quarreling with him. Simply put, it helps him to get a better perspective of the situation much more quickly, rather than simply reacting to her retaliation and then letting it snowball into a bigger problem. Problems can be worked on more calmly after the dark clouds of raja and tama guna have lifted and intelligence returns. This in turn saves time from missing one's duties because of an argument or hurt feelings and so on. And steadiness in duty, Bhagavad gita says, is the way to elevation, which includes materially.

I’ve personally witnessed how such a chaste woman, who knew how to control her anger and words, even while her husband was reportedly a spendthrift, lived in grand opulence. She had no outside income; she seemed to produce all necessities, as if by mystic power. 

And if you are a husband reading this, it is important to take care of your wife and be careful of her feelings, so that she feels valued and is therefore protected. A happy grha laksmi (a wife is another form of laksmi) makes Mother Laksmi attracted, too.

WHERE LORD KRISHNA IS WORSHIPED
Not only because Vishnu or Krishna is Laksmiji's all-famous husband, and She goes wherever her husband is worshiped, but also because by worshiping Krishna you become brightfaced due to great spiritual happiness. This in turn attracts others and they want to hire you or to be engaged in working with you, and then things get done, money is made, etc. It is all very natural how Laksmi is attracted that way! I've seen this more than a few times. One devotee in particular would miss going to work at least once a week, but his boss liked him so much, he would not fire him!

To be continued

Pizza

Yeast bread I have heard is not offerable to Radha and Krishna, so it is not a favorite for me to make. Still, on occasion we make and offer to Guru and Gauranga. Also, I generally do not buy anything canned or frozen or factory-made. Such things are known to inevitably be contaminated and old from sitting on a shelf. When we bhoga shop we try to buy everything fresh. One exception would be a can of olives for when we decide to offer pizza. I guess because they are hard to get uncanned(!) And to me, pizza just isn't the same without olives.

Anyway, in this recipe, ghee is used instead of olive oil because ghee withstands higher temperatures from cooking and baking. Still, you can add some olive oil at the end of baking. If you love it like I do. Just be sure you are getting the real thing rather than something that is labeled and looks like the real thing but isn't, as this article explains: Is Your Olive Oil Fake?

That said, here's a recipe I've been following for the past few bakes. Still needs a few tweaks, but not bad. Lots of recipes and further instructions for making pizza are on the web, so I only added a few tips that I learned after much trial and error at making that "perfect pizza". The most exciting of late is to use my twin cast iron skillets instead of going out and purchasing the much talked about "pizza stone". That will be explained more below.

Makes 3 pizzas.

INGREDIENTS:
FOR THE CRUST:

• 3 cups whole wheat flour
• 1 T sugar
• 1 package of yeast
• 1 1/2 t salt
• 2 T ghee 
• warm water

FOR THE SAUCE

• About 5 large tomatoes or 10 smaller Roma tomatoes, blended (4 1/4 cups), preferably with skins and seeds removed
• 1-2 T ghee
• 1/2 t asafoetida
• 1/2 t freshly ground black pepper
• 2 T sugar
• Salt

FOR THE TOPPING

• 4 cups of Rennetless mozzarella cheese or cheese of your choice, grated
• About 2 cups of bell pepper, chopped
• Scant 3 cans (2.25 oz ea) of black olives
• Italian seasoning, at least basil and oregano flakes

PREPARATION:
FOR THE CRUST:

1. Sprinkle yeast into a small bowl of warm water and a little sugaṛ. Set in a stove top or other warm place for the yeast to activate
2. Stir remaining dry ingredients together
3. Whisk in the ghee
4. Add the yeast and slowly add warm water while making a dough
5. Knead the dough until smooth.
6. Place in a gheesed bowl, cover with a damp cloth and leave in a warmed oven for 40-45 minutes for dough to rise

FOR THE SAUCE

1. Chaunce the asafoetida and black pepper in the ghee
2. Add the blended tomato
3. Stir in sugar
4. Bring to high boil
5. Lower heat to a simmer
6. Simmer until tomato sauce thickens
7. Add salt

FINAL ASSEMBLY:

Preheat oven to 500 degrees for at least 15 minutes
A couple of cast iron skillets work great for baking pizza. You can leave them in the oven while it is being preheated (or keep warm on the stove top). Then take them out when ready to assemble pizzas. Spread a little ghee on each skillet. Next:

• Sprinkle sooji or flour onto a large cutting board
• With a little ghee on hands to prevent sticking, punch down and roll out 1/3 of the pizza dough onto a large cutting board. Shape the dough to the size of the cast iron skillet
• Spread on top of the dough a thin layer of the tomato sauce
• Sprinkle on generously the basil and oregano or favorite Italian seasonings
• Sprinkle on a couple handfuls of cheese. Not too heavily. Just enough to cover well.
• Sprinkle on a handful or two of chopped bell pepper
• Sprinkle on a handful or two of olives

Next, using a large spatula, slide the pizza onto the hot skillet and immediately put it in the oven

Bake at 500 degrees for about 8-10 minutes or when cheese is bubbling and starting to brown. It helps to have a lighted oven with a window!

Do not begin assembling the second pizza until the first one is done! Or else it'll get soggy from the toppings and begin to stick to the cutting board.

If the dough is too soft, it'll be hard to transfer to a skillet. In that case, roll it out, fold into quarters and quickly transfer to the skillet and unfold the dough. Then proceed with the toppings.

Repeat the above assembly instructions twice more.
Offer with a big salad and some kind of light beverage!

VARIATIONS:
One day I threw in some warmed up yogurt whey for making the dough and could swear the dough was puffier, chewier. I need to try this again to confirm.

FOR A NIGHTSHADE FREE VERSION:
Try dandelion pesto made from ground dandelion (or fresh basil leaves) and walnuts with hing, lemon juice, salt and pepper.

In Memory of My Mangala Sutra

Mangala means auspicious and one of the meanings of sutra is strand or thread. In this case, it's a strand of garnet beads. I got them on the day of my Vedic wedding. Guests gave gifts to the brides and grooms (It was a triple marriage). I remember getting this small stainless steel plate which I used for making offerings to my deities forever afterwards. And then I was given a garnet necklace.

I didn't know at that time what it was. Later on I learned it is something worn by married women. Had I known that earlier, maybe I would have been more careful with it because not long afterwards, I lost it but luckily it got returned. Then after I discovered what it was for and wanted to wear it daily, the strand broke a couple of times! It took me years between times to restring and put it back on.

Then one day, I had grown tired of waiting and carefully restrung it with heavier threads and added some tulasi because many of the beads had by then become misplaced. I was so excited!

I took photos:

          

But for some karmic reason, our happy union was just not meant to be.  About a week later, we made a major move cross country and I was so sleepy during one part of the drive that I didn't take it off when we pulled over and rested in the car. As you can see, it didn't have a very secure type of latch to keep the two ends connected. It must have slipped off into that parking lot situated way out in some snow filled countryside on the way to California, after I woke and walked sleepily to a restroom there in the middle of the night. Sigh.

So now all I have is a memory.

Actually, a few days ago, I noticed a few beads that over the years of not restringing the mangal sutra right away, had ended up on my restrung tulasi strands instead, and which I am still wearing. I had forgotten all about doing that.  I guess a few beads from the original mangal sutra is better than none!

Yoga on the Go

It may be challenging to take time out to do exercises, especially slow ones like yoga postures require space and time, but don't worry about that too much; you can do yoga on the go! For example:

Sitting in class kneeling, called "Vrajasana", as displayed by Maharja Pariksit in the image above or in a lotus posture as the sages of Naimasaranya are doing, requires some strength to hold the body erect to stay alert.

Bending over to reach something under the table while doing housework, you then can pause to hold a form similar to what is called "Adho mukha Svanasana".

Waking up regularly every morning, you may have discovered the pose called "Apanasana" or "Little Boat" that will help any yogi wannabe pass number 2 first thing in the morning when rising.  Now, don't stress about following the example given exactly because the trick is to simply get in the pose and then relax as far as possible. Without falling back asleep! Chanting prayers for waking, etc. helps avoid that.

While seated in a lotus position chanting japa, occasionally give your legs a break by sitting with them stretched out in front. This pose is called "Paschimottanasana", but no problem if you don't touch your toes (or hold a rope) because of holding your bead bag. This, too, takes strength to hold the form as straight as possible and relaxed.

Also while sitting, try to do the butterfly pose, "Baddha Konasana", for the same reason.

Paying obeisances during Prema Dhvani prayers at the temple each morning can be a simple variation of what is called "The Child's Pose", "Balasana".

And while relaxing or sleeping, there is the position well known as "Savasana".

So this is one way to keep exercise simple,(another way was posted here: "Housework Workout"), so to carry on with the real purpose of yoga.

"There are many systems of bodily exercise...and they help keep the body fit, reduce fat, and help the digestive system. Therefore there is no need to practice yoga for these purposes. The real purpose for practicing yoga is to realize that I am not this body. I want eternal happiness, complete knowledge, and eternal life—that is the ultimate end of the true yoga system." -A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami

Thus, we can use all our energy in loving actions by doing it all for Krishna. That love is the highest meaning of yoga.

Srila Prabhupada did mention on occasion to disciples that they can do some hatha yoga to keep fit, and considering where we are at, spiritual advancement wise, some people really benefit at times in their life for a full on daily session of yoga postures to help develop their breathing, an ability to relax and let go and so on. It's called accepting what is favorable for our devotional service. Originally, this page was inspired while web surfing and found this article: Yoga for Addiction Recovery  at the "Yoga Journal" Website. It can make one realize how simple a yoga asana really can be!

Learning verses. And the Sanskrit

During an especially difficult phase of life some years ago, I started chanting Narasimha kavacha every night and was amazed in the morning that I was starting to remember much of it, so I thought why not try to learn some Bhagavad gita verses? So I decided to try and study the Sanskrit word for word transliteration more carefully and some how or other ended up learning the devanagari script, too. There is a saying, "To write is to remember." Funny, because not long before that Sanskrit just looked too scary, and so I never considered even trying to learn any of it besides what I would hear over and over in classes and reading and therefore mostly ignored it. But with the help of  Paramatma, of course, and then Youtube on how to write the letters and combinations, and especially by studying the letters and the pronunciation key in the back of the Bhagavad gita As It Is, and then simply copying the verses one by one, I now can read the verses without the help of the English transliteration. But what is especially nice is seeing how studying the Sanskrit helps in not only remembering things better, but also in understanding the meaning of the verses.

Actually, I first learned this study method from Ruth Beechick. She calls it the "Natural Method" taught by Charlotte Mason and used by Benjamin Franklin and others in learning how to write English prose and so on. Artists also use the method via copying other artists as part of their studies.

Now I wish to find time to learn the word for word meanings for all the Vaisnava prayers we sing or say in our deity worship every day.

Dark Reader and Reader View

I am able to blog again with the help of Dark Reader! It darkens the screen of my computer wherever I go on the web and the result is less eye strain from computer lighting.

Dark Reader ki jaya!

Another great help is Reader View. I got this version: Chrome Reader View. Works wonders by eliminating everything but the text and photos and darkening the page . Cannot be used same time as Dark Reader, but it's easy to toggle between the two!

If you must use a computer, darken the screen! What a relief.

Candied Pecans

A quick and easy sweet for Krishna's offerings.

INGREDIENTS
Pecans
ghee
Sugar, as desired
Cinnamon, as desired
Salt (optional)

PREPARATION
Usually I just throw in a handful or two of pecans into a pan with a dash of ghee, toast them, sprinkle sugar and cinnamon over them and with a little splash of water if needed to get the sugar to melt more easily and then cook until thickened. So until I get some actual measurements for this recipe, you can experiment on your own the proportions!

OTHER QUICK DESSERTS include honey on a chapati or fresh fruits like bananas or mangoes or dried fruits. These all go well with a full meal.

Bhaja Bhakata Vatsala Sri Gaura Hari

A classic song to play or sing for Lord's pleasure during His noontime bhoga offering! Written by Srila Bhaktivinoda Thakur.

Prayers to Lord Narasimha

This video really helped me through a difficult time.

Narasimhadeva ki jaya!

Everything is Arcanam

Arcanam, one of the nice processes of devotional service, refers to deity worship and it's interesting how everything in this blog can be ultimately linked to arcanam or worshiping the Lorḍ. Whether it's referring to setting up and maintaining a home altar or keeping the house clean for the home deity to live in comfortably or shopping for bhoga and other sacrificial ingredients and cooking daily offerings or serving one's husband as prescribed by Lord Krishna or serving the people in your family or practicing hospitality with friends and other guests for the pleasure of the deity within everyone's heart and distributing prasada or keeping healthy and fit so we may continue on, it all has some connection to arcanam. And all the other processes of devotional service when you think of it are connected. For example hearing and chanting for the pleasure of your deities. An gradually you realize you have your own personal deity of Krishna within your own heart. He is personally present there in His deity form of Supersoul to witness all our activities, so we do them nicely, control our sense etc. His satisfaction should be our sole aim in life.

And Srila Bhaktivinoda sums up and strengthens this mood in a wonderful prayer when he dedicates his all to the lotus feet of the Lord:

 Whatever I am, whatever I possess, I offer at Your lotus feet, O merciful Lord. I no longer belong to myself. Now I am exclusively Yours. The soul inhabiting this mortal body has given up the false ego attached to the word “I”, and now the eternal, spiritual sense of being Yours has entered his heart. All my possessions - body, brothers, friends, and followers, wife, sons, personal belongings, house and home- all of these I give You, for I have become Your servant. Now I dwell in Your house. You are the Lord of my house, and I Your most obedient servant. Your happiness is my only endeavor now. Whatever piety or sins were done by me, by mind or deed, are no longer mine, for I am redeemed. My desire has become one with Yours. From this day Bhaktivinoda has no other identity.

Nothing remains “mine”. Father, friend, brother — You are even these to me. Those whom I called friends, wife, sons, and daughters are all Your servants and maidservants.

Whatever care I take for them is only as it relates to You.  If I continue to maintain my wealth, family members, home, and wife, it is because they are Yours. I am a mere servant.  For Your service I will earn money and bear the expense of Your household.  I know neither good nor bad. I merely serve. I am but a watchman who guards the properties in Your household.  The exercising of my senses — hearing, seeing, smelling, tasting, touching — is done according to Your desire.  I no longer do anything for my own pleasure. Bhaktivinoda says, “Your happiness is the essence of everything”.

I have become supremely joyful by surrendering myself at Your holy feet. Unhappiness has gone away, and there are no more anxieties. I see joy in all directions. Your two lotus feet are reservoirs of immortal nectar where one may live free from sorrow and fear. I have found peace there now and have given up the fear of worldly existence. I shall render service in Your household and not endeavor to enjoy the fruits of that service, but rather I shall strive for whatever pleases You, fully devoted to Your lotus feet. Troubles encountered in Your service shall be the cause of great happiness, for in Your devotional service joy and sorrow are equally great riches. Both destroy the misery of ignorance. I have completely forgotten all past history by feeling great joy in my mind. I am most certainly Yours, and You are indeed mine. What need is there of any other treasure? Bhaktivinoda, diving into the ocean of bliss, devotes all his efforts for Your service and dwells in Your house according to Your wishes.

Excerpt from Saranagati,  Atma Nivedanam Songs 4-5 and 8. For the entire supremely relishable song, click here.

Roasted Beets Subji

Preheat oven 400 degrees
INGREDIENTS:
3 large beets, washed and peeled
beet greens, washed and chopped
1-2 T ghee, for greasing the roasting pan and for chauncing the beets
1/2 t fresh ginger root, minced
1 pinch hing
1 t coriander powder
1/4 t black pepper
1/2 t turmeric

salt

PREPARATION:
1. Roast the beets about 30 minutes in a gheesed pan, preferably with a lid over iṭ.
2. Use remaining ghee to make a chaunce. Heat it very hot in a frying pan, add the ginger and fry until browneḍ. Add hing and coriander and pepper and turmeric and then add the greens in quick successioṇ
3. Stir fry a  minute or two. Add about a cup of wateṛ Cover and cook on high heat until water evaporateṣ
4. Chopped up the roasted beets and add to the greens for offering to Krishna.

An Example Given by the Acaryas

"We have to practice remembering the Lord always, twenty-four hours a day, by chanting His names and molding our life’s activities in such a way that we can remember Him always.

"How is this possible? The ācāryas give the following example. If a married woman is attached to another man, or if a man has an attachment for a woman other than his wife, then the attachment is to be considered very strong. One with such an attachment is always thinking of the loved one. The wife who is thinking of her lover is always thinking of meeting him, even while she is carrying out her household chores. In fact, she carries out her household work even more carefully so her husband will not suspect her attachment. Similarly, we should always remember the supreme lover, Śrī Kṛṣṇa, and at the same time perform our material duties very nicely. A strong sense of love is required here. If we have a strong sense of love for the Supreme Lord, then we can discharge our duty and at the same time remember Him. But we have to develop that sense of love. " - A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Bhagavad-gita As Is Is, Introduction

reminiscing (garden 2018)

It's the dead of winter here, but found these images to remember fondly our last garden, while dreaming up the next one. A variety of plants were growing.

 Dug up two beds that were full of gravel over 5" thick (Found out this used to be a driveway)!

 Established a narrow stone tile pathway.

 Lots of composting was going on.

 Grew lots of marigolds for the deities.

Did a ton of weeding.  Lots of them were edible- purslane, lambs quarter and mallow, to name a few.  Also put in an area of new sod. It was leftovers when they put new sod in front of the temple across the street.

Also I got a feverfew plant from a neighbor. I'd always heard of feverfew and finally our meeting took place. I love meeting new plants, especially as fragrant and useful as feverfew. I potted up the tiny seedling she gave me to overwinter, and so glad to see it's grown quite a bit. It should be ready to put into the garden as soon as the weather is warmed up enough.

 But the best part was not only the pretty plants and sunshine and exercise and fresh air and the lovely sight of a garden each day, but especially offering the fresh produce from it to Krishna!