Download | Duration: 00:13:05

It is now more than 13 years since my Guru, Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba drew me into His Fold. In this period, I have learnt so much from Him about Life and Death, Living and Dying, Joy and Sorrow - and most importantly, about how to approach all of these in a manner that constitutes ‘Dharmic’ action, or ‘right’ action.

Bhagwan’s Teachings transcend the domain of religion – in fact, His Symbol is the ‘Sarva Dharma Stupa’ or the symbol of integration of all religions. The very foundation of His Teachings is built on the principles of equity for all, and non-discrimination on the basis of social, economic, and political factors, such as class, caste, gender, etc.  

This year is a special year – the 85^th year of Bhagwan’s Advent. I wondered what I could give to One who commands everything, and who desires nothing! A difficult paradox to solve! Then it occurred to me that I could give Him my experiences and struggles in meeting the challenges of undertaking the spiritual journey with awareness and willingness, along the path taught by Him.

Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba is known to several lakhs (hundred thousands) of devotees who have accepted Him as their Divine Lord. Perhaps it is because of the presence of this large family of Sai Devotees that I am surprised when I meet someone who either does not know Him, or who does not recognize His Divinity! As a devotee who has gained so much from Baba, I feel that it is so necessary to share what I have learnt, and what I continue to learn, with others. If this sharing of spiritual experiences and reflections in a collective is mutual, then all of us participating in this endeavour will benefit – this is definitely a ‘win-win’ situation!

I have been a qualitative, practice-based researcher for so long! Yes, it was 30 years ago that I undertook my first research project on the situation of pavement dwellers in my city, which was then known as Bombay, and which now is Mumbai. During these years I have been a part of various premier academic institutions in this country, and my observation of the commonly occurring gap between ‘knowledge systems’ and their practice has led to the development of a strong commitment within myself to putting into practice theoretical knowledge. Over the years, this commitment has developed into a mission, and I quite plainly assert that knowledge that is not practiced is a wasted resource! Well, this also holds true for knowledge pertaining to the human being’s spiritual journey. Spiritual lessons can only transform the individual and society if these are practiced and internalized.  

This nonprofit site – thespiritualvegetarian.com - has been initiated on the basis of these reflective threads of thoughts – to share experiences related to putting into practice the Universal Spiritual Teachings of Bhagwan Sri Sathya Sai Baba – so that all of us who participate here strive towards reducing the gaps between our thoughts, words and action, thereby achieving internal integration through adherence to Truth – a necessary condition for progress on the spiritual path.

In achieving this objective, it is also necessary to reflect on Bhagwan, Himself. He has asserted that ‘His Life is His Message’. The more I reflect on this, the more I realize that He continuously is the Living Example of the Practice of His Teachings! Hence, from time to time, this site will explore Bhagwan, as Avatar (to be discussed in later posts) and His Life. It must be emphasized here that all references to Bhagwan’s Teachings will be from documented Discourses, which have been systematically recorded and are available in Prashanthi Nilayam, Puttaparthi, Andhra Pradesh, India, that is, the ashram established by Bhagwan. All of Bhagwan’s Teachings referred to in this site will be correctly referenced.

And where does vegetarianism fit into all this? Bhagwan has clearly specified the spiritual ill-effects that result from not following a life style characterized by a vegetarian diet, and non-consumption of alcohol or any addictive substance. At this point, I must share with you that 13 years ago I was a non-vegetarian! Once I understood Bhagwan’s Teachings on this subject, I decided to become a vegetarian, and in fact, this was one of the first significant changes I made in my life to align myself with Bhagwan’s Teachings. I learnt so much about how one can move from a non-vegetarian diet to a completely vegetarian one (and feel satisfied by the same) by undertaking this change myself. This will be something I will write about in greater detail as this site develops. I did think that I would write one simple vegetarian recipe at the end of each post that all could easily try out. Today’s recipe is further down this page.       

I began this first post with joyful greetings for today – on the occasion of Guru Purnima. I would like to end this first post by remembering the one Bhagwan says is the first Guru for all of us – our mothers. My late mother – Mohini Mahtani (nee Metharam) – was the one who set me on the path to seek autonomy as a woman at a time and place when women were not permitted the opportunities many take for granted in more open societies. We need to remember that many of our sisters in India and elsewhere in the world still have to struggle in contexts of injustice and oppression. My late mother was unafraid of confronting situations of injustice, and I greatly admired her for this, and endeavoured to learn and internalize this trait from her.

The recipe I will share with you today was one of my mother’s favourites – it is easy and quite refreshing and delicious! It is called ‘Beetroot Raita’.

A ‘raita’ in north India is simply a single vegetable, or a mixture of vegetables in yoghurt. It is somewhat similar to the western concept of a salad in a yoghurt dressing, but not quite the same. A raita has a larger quantity of yoghurt as compared to a western salad, and it also has spices which are not usually used in salads.

Well here’s the recipe for Beetroot Raita (for one person – this makes multiplication easy, doesn’t it?):

 Beetroot Raita

Ingredients:      

1 cup of curds, or yoghurt, whisked into a smooth paste

½ cup of beetroot, boiled and finely grated
½ teaspoon of roasted cumin seeds, powdered
Black pepper to taste, powdered
Salt and sugar to taste (the two flavours need to be balanced)
A handful of finely chopped coriander leaves, for garnish
 

Method:

Gently fold-in the finely grated beetroot into the fluffy, whisked curds / yoghurt. Add into this the spices, salt and sugar. Garnish with the finely chopped coriander leaves.

Well, that’s all for today, I will get back to you soon. Please do write in to share your experiences, views, and of course, vegetarian recipes! Let me know what you would like to focus on in the reflections on this site. I look forward to hearing from you. Send me mail at rajshri@thespiritualvegetarian.com .

Would you like to be informed about future posts on this site? If so, then do fill-in your email id in the ‘subscribe’ form alongside. Your email id will not be shared with anyone.

You are welcome to write your comments at the end of this article by clicking on the button 'Add Comment' . All comments can also be viewed by clicking on the button 'View Comments' at the end of this post.

I will be happy if you join me on Twitter: thespiritualveg@twitter.com. The link to my Twitter posts is in the margin alongside.    

Oh, yes – if you would like to know more about Bhagwan’s present activities / Discourses, etc. then do log on to http://www.srisathyasai.org.in/

Om Sri Sairam.

Best wishes,

 

(Rajshri Mahtani)