Menoculayshunal; Fed Up

Following on from the interest generated by last week's post regarding food, let me share with you a little more on the subject. Indeed, it is the very fact that it raised queries that brings forth the key thing about food... that it is universally looked upon with a degree of lust!!! 

idlis (rice cakes) and sambar (south Indian dahl)

It is important to understand that by entering the gurukula, all students were avowing brahmacharya - restraint. The lads were referred to as 'Brahmachaari Name' and the gals as 'Brahmachaarini Name'. [For interest - Those of us who were senior might also be called 'Appa' (father) or 'Amma' (mother) by those from south India, or 'Chaachaa' (uncle) or 'Mausii' (aunty) by Hindi-speakers.]  While many wear white in India when it is heard that one is brahmachari, that cachet goes up. People are immediately deferential and seek to offer things—most particularly food. To feed one on the spiritual path is seen not only as a part of dharma but also as a way of expiating one's own erroneous nature. This might take place on an individual level, but the wealthier devotees sought to provide food for the whole batch at the ashram. (We were 15th Batch at Sandeepany.) 

dosa with coconut chatni

Most of the time, our breakfasts consisted of upma in one version or other (my fave was the lapsi or broken wheat), or poha, but on Wednesdays, it was idlis and sambar, and on Sundays, we might get dosa!!!  

It showed our lack of restraint that most of us got rather excited about breakfasts at least twice a week! 

There are fortnightly fasting days (vrat) in the Hindu calendar, and on those days, we had simply water and fruit, which was refreshing.

For our midday meals, there was usually rice with a curry of sorts, mostly based on one vegetable, and as the months went on, that tended to be one of either carrot, beetroot or cabbage, and beetroot was always welcome. Still, somehow the carrots became less and less attractive. If there was a bhiksha (donated) meal from a visitor, then it might be upped to the fancier ingredients such as chana (chickpeas) with poori (fried bread) or mixed vegetable jalfrezi and better quality rice. There was always a gilass (tumbler) of chaas - which in our case was a teaspoon of curd mixed into water. 

Evening meals were simpler altogether and lighter - dahl with roti, for example. Then, every so often, there would be big functions. The ashram might host a wedding or a conference (as income -but the trade-off was an extra special bhiksha for all residents of the compound), and then we ate exceptionally well from banquet-style foods. Also, festivals - but my post next week will be about those.

We ate almost exclusively in Annakshetra ("field of food"), the canteen in the compound's centre, from our provided utensils, at long steel tables. In theory, in silence. That was sometimes hard to maintain, particularly if we had outside visitors, but we were generally pretty good. Before every meal, Chapter 15 of the Bhagavad Gita was chanted as well as the food prayer.

For the first eleven or twelve months, I was going really well. But then the rheumatoid arthritis decided to kick in hard - attacking my spine, now that most other joints had had a going over. I'd also had a bout of malaria by that time. Aacharya-ji became a little concerned and suggested that I might have to be given a some leeway on the matter of food (and certain attendances - of which more later). I had mentioned previously about obtaining refrigerators for a handful of us to keep fruit and milk. Now I was permitted to go shopping for other items that would help to keep me healthy. This added some interest and variety that I had not been expecting. Not to mention some mixed emotions, but again that fits into the Vedantic part of things and will be covered again later. 

Once a fortnight, I would take permission to exit the gate and obtain an auto (rickshaw) to whizz round the lakeside to Hiranandani. Many wonderful shops, including Haiko supermarket where I could get fresh fruit and veg and spices and - cooking pots!

My 'One Pot' was a rice cooker and veg steamer in one, and I valued it highly. It is still a tiny regret that I could not bring that out of India when I left! I became very adept at creating dishes from it, called my 'one-pot 1ders'.

Veg in coconut kadhi with fresh curd

Mattar-paneer-chawal (peas and cheese and rice)

Barley and veg broth.

I would occasionally invite fellow students to come and share with me - which had to be done diplomatically. If they were caught (particularly 'my sons'), they might have to serve prayaschitta (penance). I shall ever be grateful to Aachaarya-ji for permitting me this boon. It is quite possible that without it, my health would have become fully worse. I always attended breakfast and most midday meals, but I rarely ever went to the evening meal after that midway point.

Next week, mela and mangoes...