I Promise...

Poem by H.H.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for all of us...

I PROMISE

If I had to promise you something, what would it be?

I can’t promise that you would always be comfortable…
Because comfort brings boredom and discomfort.

I can’t promise that all your desires will be fulfilled…
Because desires whether fulfilled or unfulfilled bring frustration.

I can’t promise that there will always be good times…
Because it is the tough times that make us appreciate joy.

I can’t promise that we will be rich or famous or powerful…
Because they can all be pathways to misery.

I can’t promise that we will always be together…
Because it is separation that makes togetherness so wonderful.

Yet if you are willing to walk with me,
If you are willing to value love over everything else ~

I promise that this will be the most rich and fulfilling life possible.
I promise your life will be an eternal celebration,
I promise you I will cherish you more than a king cherishes his crown,
And I shall love you more than a mother loves her newborn.

If you are willing to walk into my arms,
If you are willing to live in my heart,
You will find the one you have waited forever….
You will meet yourself in my arms…
I promise.

Poem written by H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Came across this beautiful story (by our Guruji :)

Why do we read Geeta, even if we can't understand a Sanskrit word???

An old Farmer lived on a farm in the mountains with his young grandson.Each morning Grandpa was up early sitting at the kitchen table reading his Bhagavat Geeta. His grandson wanted to be just like him and tried to imitate him in every way he could.

One day the grandson asked, "Grandpa! I try to read the Bhagavat Geeta just like you but I don't understand it, and what I do understand I forget as soon as I close the book. What good does reading the Bhagavat Geeta do?"

The Grandfather quietly turned from putting coal in the stove and replied, "Take this coal basket down to the river and bring me back a basket of water."

The boy did as he was told, but all the water leaked out before he got back to the house.

The grandfather laughed and said, "You'll have to move a little faster next time," and sent him back to the river with the basket to try again.

This time the boy ran faster, but again the basket was empty before he returned home. Out of breath, he told his grandfather that it was impossible to carry water in a basket, and he went to get a bucket instead.

The old man said, "I don't want a bucket of water; I want a basket of water. You're just not trying hard enough," and he went out the door to watch the boy try again.

At this point, the boy knew it was impossible, but he wanted to show his grandfather that even if he ran as fast as he could, the water would leak out before he got back to the house.

The boy again dipped the basket into river and ran hard, but when he reached his grandfather the basket was again empty. Out of breath, he said, "See Grandpa, it's useless!"

"So you think it is useless?" The old man said, "Look at the basket."

The boy looked at the basket and for the first time realized that the basket was different. It had been transformed from a dirty old coal basket and was now clean, inside and out.

"Son, that's what happens when you read the Bhagavat Geeta. You might not understand or remember everything, but when you read it, you will be changed, inside and out. That is the work of Krishna in our lives."

"Celebrate Life. Care for others and share whatever you have with those less fortunate than you. Broaden your vision, for the whole world belongs to you."

and the chocolate sauce...

well, this one's easier :
1) 50g (not sweetened) cocoa powder (i use cadbury)
2) sugar ~ 70g (here we go again !!)
3) almonds ~ cut to small pieces
4) i spoon of vanilla ice-cream or 3-4 drops vanilla essence.
5)some butter
the beauty of making chocolate sauce lies in the fact that all measurements etc. are done on the spot. use your intuitions!!

a)take some water in a pan ( around 2 cups)
b)heat it for 5 minutes
c)add sugar...heat it for a minute.then add 2 spoons of butter and let it melt.
d)add the cocoa powder, keep stirring and heating till the syrup starts boiling
e)reduce the gas temperature and stir the sauce till it becomes thick. (an indiacation that you're doin' it right is : the sauce sticks to the spoon you use for stirring).
f) whenyou reach the state when chocolate aroma fills you inside out, add the almonds and the spoon of vanilla ice-cream (yeah! the dark brown colour just lightened!).
g)let it boil and then cool (gets thicker and better as it cools.

tastes heavenly with vanilla ice-cream {don't eat too much though!!}
:D
Jai Gurudeva.

the cake!!

ready to make an eggless chocolate cake !!
here's how :
1. 250g maida
2. 250g sugar (powdered)
3. 200g butter
4. 150ml curd
5.baking powder
6. gems (for decoration)
P.S. : yes, the ingredients sound dangerously fattennin' etc, but you do have the option of not eating the whole cake :)

a)mix the maida and sugar in a bowl.
b)melt the butter and add it to the mixture
c)add curd to the batter and mix!! mix!! mix!!
d)when the batter is all rich brown and soft, add 1tsp baking powder to it (if the mixture is stiff, a few spoonfulls of milk maybe added to it)
e)bake in an oven at 180'C for ~12/ 15 minutes (do keep checkin' the status of the cake using a toothpick, now and then.
f) let cool for half an hour. DONOT REFRIGERATE.
g)decorate with those gems (if you still haven't finished it all ;)
h)serve with sewa bhaav. hehe.
have fun.
love,
Jai Gurudeva :)

the blog is hollow and empty ;)

to,
AOL ppl :D
Havin' established a blog, the next thing which comes to my mind is well, i'll have to put in a few words!! those few words might just as well be a 'welcome to my blog!! :) will put up some new posts soon. till then,'accept people and situations as they are'. " ;)
Jai Gurudeva :)