The conflicts of sadhus abroad...a clash between sanctity to food and its longevity!

Heard this story from a friend who is a frequent visitor to ashrams abroad. As this story portrayed the clash of life style and world views clearly wanted to write about it. In one of her visits to an ashram in the US recently she had to cook for a retreat. Used to the customs in India, she prepared fresh food for all those who came apart from a few speciality dishes the monk present would have liked. She was also informed that that this would be a pot-luck retreat and others would bring in food too. To her utter dismay she found that people (both Indians living there and locals) bringing in food that has been prepared for some other occasion and refrigerated for long. In her own words, '...in America, you get plenty of food for small amounts, their serving is really large (compared to India) and it was shocking to find that people brought left overs from some birthday party of a few days back, others brought food left over from a party they had given...I thought how could you bring food left over for a retreat or offer it to a monk?'. Of course, courtesy demanded that she does not ask this question aloud and perhaps even the monks living under the patronage of the same people who attend such retreat could not ask these questions.

Sanctity to food is an old Indian thought that carries many values along with it. Food is always prepared fresh, offered to a deity and only then partaken. Fresh preparation means normally food is bought in fresh also, which in turn means that it is seasonal food and not from the cold storage (In fact different festivals of India have different seasonal foods, fruits in particular associated with them so as to ensure that only fresh food is consumed). When it is freshly prepared, it retains its nutrients still fresh and most often than not it is consumed immediately after offering it to the deity through a pooja or a ritual of offering. As any expert in nutrition would vouch for, such immediate cooking (in certain ways) and consumption of fresh food is the most nutritious. In India the sanctity attached to it ensures that this health imperative is adhered to with much rigour and discipline. The food prepared for a monk or sannyasi is prepared with the same amount of reverence that would be attached to preparing for the offering to a deity or God. Retreats are special spiritual occasions where you not only convene to share spiritual thoughts, but, also practice some aspects of spirituality.

The availability of cold storage devices, of easy access to food, of dollar power, of inability to make up ones mind to discard old food all add up to such a situation as what this friend described. More important than any of these for me was the lack of sanctity to food. Sanctity enjoined with health consciousness and understanding of nature could be so helpful if only people were aware of the meaning of such rituals. This is where culture and the current conservation priorities join hands and there could be so much that can be achieved. However, it seems to have been compromised in the quest for a way of life. Americans are large consumers is well known, but, that Indians can lose their idea of sanctity for food so easily in the American environment is unfortunate.

Perhaps it is time some of the Ashrams that are established start teaching mundane day to day things where sanctity is practised. This may be more practical and useful (perhaps not very popular) and will at least address the growing menace on inequitable consumption pattern and eventually address the issue of 'way of life'.

Another Master passes away

This blog is getting updated only whenever I feel the loss of one more of the giants all around us. Laurie Baker dies day before, he was 90. Here is an architect who understood Gandhiji and interpreted him through his work of simple, low cost, local material based construction.

He must have inspired generations of architects who yearn for simple functional construction and see the aesthetics of it. His designs all bear an unique mark and never leave you without asking the question 'who designed this place'.

A British who became a native and through his profession articulated a true 'indian world view', he will for long be remembered by many as a marg darshak.

Dharampal - an historian who lived and inspired the Indian World View

Dharampal passed away early this evening. As I write this I think of all the time spent with him and what he has meant for me personally and in developing an understanding of the Indian World View, I started learning of these things with him.

He came from a large family near Meerut in UP, got involved with the freedom struggle, married a British women in 1948, his children today live in Britain and Germany, his wife died many years back. His personal life perhaps has to be written in such a single long sentence and the rest is his public life, his ideas often laced with a sense of humour, his utter humility with which he would listen with rapt attention to very simple people. His attention for details, his need for perfection in everything, particularly the written word (he would certainly have looked down at the blog kind of impulsive writing, his every word is weighed so much you often got an impression that he actually weighs it with a small scale or something), his insight into the internatinal politics that made him come up with some amazing predictions about the way the world is and would change...I can go on.

For someone who has spent a large amount of time with him in the past few years, it is a sad day to know that he is no longer going to be around, to argue, to fight, to agree and disagree, to listen to, talk and discuss things, ...he was one intellectual on whom the intellectual label didn't sit very heavy.

He was a gentle Indian teacher, at times very harsh, at times extremely soft. He could not give lectures to big audience like many teachers cannot, he was always best with a small group of people sitting close by and having a long interaction.

Will continue...

Indian village deities worth a billion

This is an interesting news report. As far as I know there has never been an estimate made of the amount of resources at the disposal of the village dieties across India. This is meant to be common property of the public in the village and that it is held in the name of the village diety provides a sense of security for the property. There was never a question of material valuation or external security for these.
That there is a news report (below) on the security needs indicates that the 'other india' (that one which looks at every village resource as a commercial opportunity) is taking note. Is this a threat?? Flag this and keep watching.

Indian
village deities worth a billion: "Indian village deities worth a billion
Baldev S Chauhan in New Delhi October 06, 2006 02:20 IST"

Ustad Bismillah Khan: Benaras, Ganga and Shehnai

Ustad Bismillah Khan passed away today. A producer of melody of the old school and one with a child like laughter will be missed by the generations who listened and enjoyed his kind of music among whom I count myself.

I remember once watching a television programme in which he said, 'what is better than doing riyaz on the banks of the ganga, watching the crowds of Benaras and having the prashad of the Vishwanathji ka mandir'. This is truely an Indian character. Benaras is only possible in India - the dirt, the pollution, the utter chaos everywhere and amidst all that the sadhus, the gangaji, the cremation that goes on, the serene sights...there is no place on earth like this for its diversity, its colours, its festive air, its utter craziness and its amazing sanity to go on. I have spent a whole night on the banks of the Ganges in this city listening to recital of bhajans...music is a nerve that maintains this city.

Gangaji, Benaras and Vishwanathji Mandir will miss their favourite shehnai player and India, a true Indian and a Master. In deep respect to an amazing performer who have given me hours of blissful listening to a classical music that is fast disappearing. I strike off from my wishlist today a long pending wish to listen to Ustad play the sad tunes that he did only in the Muharram procession at Benaras.

21st August 2006