Vegetarian cooking lesson 1
Preparing a simple, digestible vegetarian meal with Mediterranean influences.
We begin a risotto by toasting raw pistachios and seasonal vegetables like cauliflower and carrots in oil. Washed rice is added. Whole cumin and coriander seeds are ground for optimal flavor and digestibility, then added with turmeric to lower the glycemic index of the white rice. Once the rice pearls, add warm water at a two-to-one ratio to rice, and a little salt. A green soup is made by boiling broccoli. A creamy salad dressing is prepared from yogurt or, for vegans, chickpea flour mixed with water and spiced with cumin, coriander, and turmeric to aid digestion. These spices, used daily in small amounts, act as antioxidants and help prevent parasites. Prepare a fresh salad with cucumbers and leaves, garnished for visual appeal. Season dressings with dissolved salt to control intake better than using crystals. Finish the soup by blending it creamy, optionally thickening it with the chickpea cream, and adding olive oil at the end to preserve its nutrients. Garnish the risotto with herbs or cheese. The meal is fresh, green, and healthful.
"Jeera makes any food very easily digestible."
"In this salad dressing, the salt is already dissolved, and when it comes to our tongue, we feel just enough seasoning and don’t need any more."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
Up next
Why Guru is important?
Evening satsang with Swami AvatarpuriJi from Jadan Ashram, Rajasthan, India. Why you should never doubt your Guru? A story about Lord Shiva. If you do good karma in a previous life you will get the fruits in this life. Karma is always coming back. Even Lord Rama and Lord Krishna had a Guru. Mauna makes you happier inside. Singing Bhajans.
Gurudev can make the impossible possible
Devotion is a fragile vessel that must be cultivated and protected. Its value lies in the feeling, not in physical objects. As that inner feeling increases, spiritual benefit increases; if it decreases, the benefit is lost. Doubt is a crack in this vessel, destroying its inner resonance and harmony. It can spoil devotion as lemon curdles milk, transforming its essence. This inner purity is the proper vessel for spiritual wisdom. Without it, teachings are lost. The body is temporary, but one should maintain health without excessive focus on it. The ultimate aim is the supreme reality.
"Benefit is in the bhāva (feeling, value), not in the goods."
"Doubt is a crack in a beautiful vase or an instrument. When there is a crack, there is no resonance."
Filming location: Australia
Relationships between brothers and sisters
Rakṣā Bandhan celebrates the sacred bond of brotherhood and sisterhood. This festival reminds us of our fundamental relationships. It is a call to revive the pure, unconditional connections that form society's foundation. The bond between brother and sister exemplifies a love deeper than mere emotion, rooted in protection and promise. True relationships are soul to soul, not based on status or intellect. Brotherhood fosters peace through kindness, respect, and forgiveness, not just words. Cultivating such bonds without condition is the essence of this observance. It is a step toward universal harmony.
"Don’t always repeat love, love, love. Respect is love. Protection is love. Kindness is love."
"The ancient festivals were not just any festivals; they were there for us to remember in our hearts what bonds, relationships, and what we have promised."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
We need Gurudev
The disciple must never abandon the need for the guru or the teachings, for that is the gravest error. The guru is the principle that leads from ignorance to knowledge. This Guru Tattva is the essential diamond, not the physical form, yet it is embodied to provide tangible guidance. God aids the seeker by sending the guru, who is thus revered as indispensable. The aim is to merge the individual self with the cosmic Self, like a river entering the ocean. This is the Advaita understanding, where the one supreme reality is reflected in all individuals. This merging is the true purpose of yoga, achieved through the guru's grace and teachings. The embodied form concentrates this divine energy, making darśana transformative. The state beyond the three guṇas is inexpressible; it can only be pointed to as 'not this, not that.'
"The moment you think you know everything, very soon you will find yourself asking, 'Where are the bricks? Where is the parachute?'"
"God will send your friend with the boat. And the Guru is here."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
