The history and evolution of the Tomato

🍅🌿THE TANGY TALE OF SAUCY TOMATOES 🍅🌱

🍅🌿Similar to the intriguing story of the eggplant, the history and evolution of the tomato is a fascinating journey that spans cultures and continents. Though we may assume the tomato to have originated in Italy, due its excessive use in Italian cuisine, it might surprise you that the tomato actually originated in the Andes region of South America. The ubiquitous cultivation and market presence of the tomatoes globally, makes it hard to conceive that they actually occurred as wild fruits at one point in time. The wild ancestors of the tomato were small, round, and likely yellow or orangish-red. Unlike the eggplant, the wild tomato was already edible, though its taste and texture were quite different from the cultivated varieties we know today. It took a long time overcoming myths about its toxicity before it was accepted as edible. 🍅🌿

🍅🌿The name "tomato" might seem straightforward today, but its origin has some twists. The word "tomato" comes from the Nahuatl (Aztec) word "tomatl," which referred to the globose fruit. When tomatoes were introduced to Europe, they were initially met with skepticism due to their lineage in the nightshade family of poisonous plants. Most Europeans planted tomatoes as ornamentals for their attractive fruits, without realising their edible potential.The Italians, known for their experimentation, were among the first Europeans to embrace tomatoes for edible cultivation and called it "pomo d'oro" or "golden apple," in appreciation for its color and economic potential. Later when it moved to France, it was known as "pomme d'amour," meaning "love apple," highlighting their belief in the possible aphrodisiac properties of this luscious red fruit.

🍅🌿The tomato was also known as "Lycopersicon" which translates to "wolf's peach" referring to its peach-like appearance and some folktale associations of the tomato to attract werewolves.These were believed to be responsible for its toxicity. This historical misconception about the plant's poisonous nature, withered over time, and it became clear that the tomato was safe to eat. Its association with wolves faded into history, yet the first scientific name of tomato was coined as Lycopersicon esculentum, where the word lycopersicon was retained and the added esculentum meant 'edible' clearly stated that it was safe to eat. The scientific name however evolved to Solanum lycopersicum and later to Solanum lycopersicum 'esculentum' to indicate the family and edible nature of this fruit. 🍅🌿

🤔One can imagine the hardship of the poor tomato🍅, having a tough time trying to prove its innocence over a toxic family background!!☣️🍅🌿

🍅🌿The transformation of the tomato from a wild fruit to a culinary staple involved a process of cultivation and selective breeding. Early Mesoamerican cultures cultivated tomatoes, leading to variations in size, color, and taste. Spanish colonizers played a significant role in introducing the tomato to Europe and other parts of the world. Over time, Europeans refined the cultivation techniques, leading to the development of larger, juicier, and more flavorful varieties.

🍅🌿As with the eggplant, the tomato's culinary significance soared as it integrated into different cuisines. Italian cuisine, in particular, embraced the tomato, giving rise to beloved dishes like pasta with tomato sauce, pizza, and caprese salad. Mediterranean and Middle Eastern cuisines also adopted the tomato, using it as a base for sauces, salads, and dips.

🍅🌿The tomato's journey didn't stop with Europe. It traveled to Asia, where it was integrated into dishes across diverse cultures. Its arrival in the Americas marked a homecoming of sorts, as the tomato became a cornerstone of dishes like salsa and guacamole.

🍅🌿A fun fact about tomatoes: While botanically they are classified as berries, they are commonly mistaken for vegetables due to their culinary uses.

🍅🌿Tomatoes are rich in vitamins and antioxidants, making them a nutritious addition to our diets.

🍅🌿The tomato's journey of evolution required this humble veggie to prove itself at many stages. Thanks to agricultural and culinary innovations that have brought it from its humble beginnings in the Andes to its present day global popularity.The tomato today has turned from a simple fruit to an indispensable culinary ingredient, enriching cuisines worldwide.

We'd love to hear how you like to eat your tomatoes 🍅? Share with us 

Reference 

https://www.facebook.com/myplantdiaries?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Plants of Singapore

Be happy with people who are doing good job

Chapter 5 - Overcoming Obstacles 

Day 34 

And we should be happy with people who are doing good job, who are meritorious, who have lots of merit and who are blessed. We should become one with them, feel that we are doing the good job with them. Then, the sense of competition disappears and jealousy subsidies. 

The tendency to find fault with people who are doing good things will disappear. People have a tendency to find faults if someone is good and blessed or meritorious and doing some good work. At least they have done whatever they have done! The persons, who complain, normally, would not have done much themselves. 

Criticism comes from people who do not work. They just criticize others. We should not find fault with people who are doing some good work. We should feel happy about it. Do not find fault, but feel happy for those people who are doing good work. You do this when you will become one with them. If the right hand is doing good job, the left hand will appreciate it and will not stop the right hand from doing it. 

So it feels that it is a part of the other hand. It can hold the table and the paper, so that the other hand can hold the pen and write well. So, we should feel that those who are doing something good are a part of us, and that we are doing a good job along with them. We should feel happy about it. 

Mudita means happiness about people who are doing wonderful job. Share the happiness, feel happy. Ignore those people who are committing sins. Upeksha - just ignore them in your mind. If somebody says something which is not true, just brush it off. It is not even worth thinking about. But we do the reverse. We do not think of people who are doing meritorious work. 

But we keep on thinking about people who do sinful things and we don't just ignore them. All the newspapers will report about somebody who committed a murder or some other heinous crime. The story and the snaps of the criminals will appear in the papers. Fortunately, of late there are some reports on the good and positive things happening to people. But this is comparatively very little. 

So, when you see people doing sinful things, you should educate them and then ignore them. You educate out of compassion and then ignore. Otherwise, you will think about their actions and get bothered. You may think somebody is imperfect. If you go on thinking this, then you will become imperfect. Then, you will be just as they are, maybe, even worse. 

Secondly, you are thinking that the person is wrong and you think you are right. If you look honestly at yourself, you will realize that you may be committing more crimes. If you point an accusing finger at somebody, then there are three fingers always pointing towards you. So, it is one is to three. You have three times more responsibility. But, if you stop differentiating between yourself and others, then you can just turn inward.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

Share the happiness, feel happy

Chapter 5 - Overcoming Obstacles 

Day 34 

And we should be happy with people who are doing good job, who are meritorious, who have lots of merit and who are blessed. We should become one with them, feel that we are doing the good job with them. Then, the sense of competition disappears and jealousy subsidies. 

The tendency to find fault with people who are doing good things will disappear. People have a tendency to find faults if someone is good and blessed or meritorious and doing some good work. At least they have done whatever they have done! The persons, who complain, normally, would not have done much themselves. 

Criticism comes from people who do not work. They just criticize others. We should not find fault with people who are doing some good work. We should feel happy about it. Do not find fault, but feel happy for those people who are doing good work. You do this when you will become one with them. If the right hand is doing good job, the left hand will appreciate it and will not stop the right hand from doing it. 

So it feels that it is a part of the other hand. It can hold the table and the paper, so that the other hand can hold the pen and write well. So, we should feel that those who are doing something good are a part of us, and that we are doing a good job along with them. We should feel happy about it. 

Mudita means happiness about people who are doing wonderful job. Share the happiness, feel happy. Ignore those people who are committing sins. Upeksha - just ignore them in your mind. If somebody says something which is not true, just brush it off. It is not even worth thinking about. But we do the reverse. We do not think of people who are doing meritorious work. 

But we keep on thinking about people who do sinful things and we don't just ignore them. All the newspapers will report about somebody who committed a murder or some other heinous crime. The story and the snaps of the criminals will appear in the papers. Fortunately, of late there are some reports on the good and positive things happening to people. But this is comparatively very little. 

So, when you see people doing sinful things, you should educate them and then ignore them. You educate out of compassion and then ignore. Otherwise, you will think about their actions and get bothered. You may think somebody is imperfect. If you go on thinking this, then you will become imperfect. Then, you will be just as they are, maybe, even worse. 

Secondly, you are thinking that the person is wrong and you think you are right. If you look honestly at yourself, you will realize that you may be committing more crimes. If you point an accusing finger at somebody, then there are three fingers always pointing towards you. So, it is one is to three. You have three times more responsibility. But, if you stop differentiating between yourself and others, then you can just turn inward.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

Be friendly with those who are happy

Chapter 5 - Overcoming Obstacles 

Day 33 

Patanjali said that there can be only four types of people in the world - people who are happy, those who are unhappy, those engaged in good and meritorious acts, and those engaged in bad and demonic acts. Happy people, unhappy people, meritorious and blessed people and sinful people - the four categories. And how do you deal with them?

Patanjali said to have maitri - friendliness with all those who are happy. If you do not, you will be jealous. You are jealous of people who are happier than you. But if you feel that you own them and that they belong to you, it does not bother you when they are very happy. You are never jealous about the happiness of someone very close and dear to you. 

The jealousy arises when the happy person is not connected to you totally. So, Patanjali said that you should be friendly with them. You can see the same Self in everybody but the feelings will not be the same. It can differ for a beginner. You do not feel identified with everybody, though intellectually you may feel that it is only you who is in the other person, but your feelings still have their preferences since they are not fully cultured and established in the Self. 

Then, what preference will you have? Be friendly with those who are happy. If you are friendly with unhappy people, you too become unhappy. So Patanjali said that we should not be friendly with unhappy people. But we should be compassionate to them.

The second bhava which Patanjali has given is karuna. Have sympathy and compassion for people who are suffering. 

But do not be friendly with them because this friendship will drag you down and make you unhappy, too. If you are unhappy and they are also unhappy, then you will not be able to help them. You may think that you should share the unhappiness of your friend. But then, you will not be able to share your happiness with them. So, you should not be friendly with unhappy people, but should be compassionate to them. There is a difference here. 

Be compassionate to them. Karuna is compassion. We do not know how to deal with people who are suffering. We make their beliefs stronger that God had been unjust with them, and that they are suffering. Saying this, we push them lower down the drain. Actually, we have been trying to pull them out. Instead, we do opposite. We do this unconsciously. 

We should not pity people who are suffering. There is much difference between pity and compassion. When we pity, we are not pulling a person up. We are pushing them further down. Most of the people do this. With their pity, they make the belief of the suffering person more concrete about his sorrow in whatever limited logic of relative existence. 

If someone thinks that a great injustice has been done to them and they are miserable and on a self-pitying trip, we do not help them in any way if we pity them. They will have a confirmation that they are suffering. We will not help them in any way to wake up to the truth. We should have compassion for people who are suffering but not friendliness.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

Focus on that one principle see that principle in everything that overcome all obstacles

Chapter 5 - Overcoming Obstacles 

Day 32 

We have considered the 9 possible obstacles in the path of Yoga. There is no tenth obstacle. Every possible obstacle has been included in these nine categories.

Patanjali was a scientist. In just a few words, he had said all that was to be said, that needed to be said. 

Along with 9 nine obstacles, the 5 indications, or signs of a disturbed mind are mentioned. That is dukha - sadness, dourmanasya - bitterness, angamejayatva - restlessness in the body, or lack of co-ordination in the body, bhrantidarshan - hallucination and irregular breathing - imbalance of your incoming and outgoing breath.

When you are happy, or excited, the incoming breath is longer and you are more aware of it. It is more prominent. If you observe the incoming and outgoing breath, you will note that there is a total imbalance. There is a big sigh, when you are unhappy, indicating heaviness and sadness. When you are joyful, you are just aware of your incoming breath. You are not even aware when you are breathing out.

These are the 5 signs, or side-effects, along with the obstacles. Now, how do you get rid of these obstacles? To get rid of them, just go on doing one thing. When you just keep doing one thing, you will begin to get bored and restless. And the restlessness and boredom will take you to a peak that will bring clarity. 

This is the only way out. Our mind is troubled because it is dwelling on duality. It has choices before it and so is more confused. It wonders if it should do this thing or the other. And then it is jumping all around the place, and the mind is further divided. 

A divided mind causes misery and a one-pointed mind causes joy. At all those moments when you had been very happy, the mind had become one, had become whole. You had experienced joy, peace and bliss. Then, you had experienced life totally. Duality, or divided mind, is the cause of fear and misery. So, if you keep doing two things or too many things, it is not eka tattvaabhyaasa. It is not one practice. 

So what is the eka tattva? It is attending to one principle. This one principle could be God, could be a matter, could be Guru or could be Self. It could be anything but you need to practice just one of those things - eka tattva abhyaasa. Then, you get over all the other obstacles. 

All the 9 obstacles can be got rid of. You can attend to one principle, only if there is certain amount of calmness and subtleness in the mind. Otherwise, even that does not seem to be possible.

In one-pointedness there is a certain degree of calmness in the mind. You see that one principle in everybody. 

You feel that you are present everywhere, that your Master is present everywhere. There is nobody other than your Master. He is everything for you or God is everything for you. This is the skill in life - holding on to one principle and seeing that principle in everything. 

Our life has to be loved in the realm of multiplicity. In he world you live with many people and everybody is not the same. But how can you see the same thing in everybody? Nothing appears to be the same. No two people appear to be the same. But we need to see one thing in everyone. Look at and focus on that one principle.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

Why we don't get to see any flowers on the Banyan tree, while it bears fruits!!

Ever wondered why we don't get to see any flowers on the Banyan tree, while it bears fruits!! Banyan is quite an introverted, non-ostentatious species. Its tiny flowers are hidden inside the fruit-like structure that we call the Banyan Figs. These figs are edible but tasteless. And take care as you pluck one, your hands might get covered in a sticky resin/sap.

Scientific name: Ficus bengha

Common name: Indian Banyan

Family: Moraceae

Reference 

https://www.facebook.com/myplantdiaries?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Plants of Singapore

Five signs of the obstacles in Yoga

Chapter 4 - Who Is God 

Day 31

These obstructions and obstacles cause dukha, sorrow. Dourmanasya means bitterness in the mind. Dukha or sadness gives way to bitterness, dourmanasya. You do not feel good with anybody. There is bitterness with others and there is bitterness with oneself.

Angamejayatva comes next. It means that your body is not obeying you, just like a drunkard. A drunkard wants to go to the left but his body takes him to the right. He wants to walk straight, but his body goes haywire. He tries to hold his glass but goes on putting his hand on the table away from the glass. 

This lack of coordination between the body and the mind is Angamejayatva. The body does not listen to you. You want to walk but the body does not move. These are the five signs of the obstacles overtaking you - Dukha - sadness, dourmanasya - bitterness, bhrantidarshana - hallucination, angamejayatva - lack of co-ordination of the body, it is not listening to you, shwaasa prashwaasa - irregular, shaky and uncomfortable breathing.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

Yoga Maya

Chapter 4 - Who Is God 

Day 30

Bhrantidarshan is hallucination. You imagine that you are somebody special. Suddenly you think that you are a superstar. This is a problem with many people. Many seekers practice something and they get some visions. 

They get caught up in that vision because that vision is neither completely false, not completely true. It is a mixture of some truth, and some falsehood. So people try to hold on to it. Many cults have been formed because of this. 

They have never really understood the obstacles that can come up in the path of Yoga. This is called Yoga Maya. Yoga Maya is a vision that brings a message, an intuitive message. You may be meditating and you will get an intuition to open the door because somebody is waiting for you. And when you do that, you really find that person waiting outside. 

And you will get very excited. You will think that God had told you about it. And this will happen again and again. This is because you are not completely hollow and empty. There are residues or traces of your desires, hatreds, and fears. These ideas will come from the form in which you see God or your Guru or through someone else. 

And it will give you ideas which will make you suffer. This happened to one of our devotees. She had various visions and most of them happened. She had one vision which indicated that she should not take her husband to the doctor, that, he would be cured without a doctor. She was already apprehensive of going to a doctor and averse to allopathic medicine. 

And when she had her vision, she became quite determined not to go to a doctor. Then, her husband's blood sugar level shot up and he was not treated for it. This resulted in his losing eyesight. The devotee became very angry, feeling that her inner voice had deceived her. This really happened because of lack of proper understanding. 

Most of the factors were alright, there was no impurity in them. But then her own fears and cravings influenced her intuitive thoughts with unpleasant results. This is an obstruction. That is why we should not gallop on the horses of delusions. Many people get trapped in it. 

It is the non-attainment of any state of samadhi, any peace, or tranquility. Sometimes, people feel that they have been doing various practices for many years but do not seem to be getting anywhere. They feel that they are just sitting and nothing happens. Just thoughts come and they have not attained any state. 

Non-attainment of any state or samadhi, any peace, or any tranquility is another obstruction - the 18th obstruction. This is where one feels completely stuck and thinks that they are getting nowhere. But, despite these thoughts, they do not give up the practice. However, they feel stuck without any progress.

Then, which means instability. You may get some good experiences. You may feel very calm and wonderful. But the feeling doesn't linger. It evaporates quickly. This is another complaint.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

Rosary pea, Abrus precatorius is native to Asia and Australia.

Rosary pea (Abrus precatorius) is a slender, herbaceous, perennial climber in the bean family Fabaceae. The plant is native to Asia and Australia. 

🌿The vine usually twines around trees, shrubs and hedges. It has no special organs of attachment.

🌿The leaves are long, pinnate compound leaves with opposite leaflets .

🌿Pinkish-white flowers are produced in tightly clustered racemes, that are much shorter than the leaves

🌿The fruit is a flat, oblong pod with sharp deflexed beak and has a silky-texture. The seedpod curls back when it opens to reveal the seeds.

🌿The plant is best known for its seeds, which are used as beads and in percussion instruments, and which are toxic because of the presence of abrin. Ingestion of a single seed, well chewed, can be fatal to both adults and children.

🌿There are two varieties, one with white seeds and the other with red seeds.

The white variety is used to prepare oil that is claimed to be an aphrodisiac. A tea is made from the leaves and used for fevers, coughs and colds. Seeds are poisonous and therefore must only consumed after proper heat treatment.

🌿Seeds were also used in jewelry making and weight measures in olden days.

Source:

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/3/4/3480

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abrus_precatorius

http://www.epharmacognosy.com/2013/02/abrus-precatorius-l-family-fabaceae.html

https://powo.science.kew.org/taxon/urn:lsid:ipni.org:names:469605-1/general-information#us

Reference 

https://www.facebook.com/myplantdiaries?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Plants of Singapore

Bracteate Flemingia , Flemingia strobilifera , a Wild Hops , Luck Plant is native to India and Malaysia.

Bracteate Flemingia (Flemingia strobilifera) also commonly known as Wild Hops / Luck Plant is a perennial shrub from the family (Fabaceae), native to India and Malaysia.

The plant grows up to 2 m high.

It has simple ovate leaves, with wavy margins. 

The flowers small, white coloured with purplish streaks and are like typical pea flowers but produced in dangling racemes within overlapping leaf-like bracts. The bracts are persistent and turn brown as the flowers mature. 

The fruit is an edible bean. The beans explosively dehisce on maturity to release seeds. Seeds are brown-black with red spots.

The plant has medicinal uses in traditional medicine. Its root is used for treatment of epilepsy, hysteria and inducing sleep. The pounded root is also used to reduce fever. The leaves are used as a vermifuge for children.

The plant requires full sun and moderate water for growth.

Source:

http://www.flowersofindia.net/cat.../slides/Wild%20Hops.html

Reference 

https://www.facebook.com/myplantdiaries?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Plants of Singapore

Infinite Being that You are

DAY - 24

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Vipaaka is fruit of the action; consequences of the action. Enjoying or suffering the fruit of an action is not applicable here. This does not touch that core of your being and existence, which is the Lord of creation; that consciousness which is free from this. And Aashaya. Aashaya means latent desires or impressions, opinions, seeds, etc. 

So when a consciousness or a being is free from klesha, misery, karma, vipaaka - the fruit of action, and aashaya, the impressions of actions, then that being or consciousness is Eshwara or Lord. And the Lord is not somewhere in the sky but in your heart. It is in every being's heart. Your actions and the events taking place around you do not touch the central point of your life. The central core remains a virgin. Jesus was born to a virgin. This means that Jesus, the Lord was born to this virgin area deep inside you which is untouched by any events or happening in life. पुषवशेष - that special being is the Lord when your external mind is worshipping the core of your being. All worship is done by the mind to its Being. It is like the circumference collapsing into the center. When a boundary collapses to the center, what happens? The area, which had been enclosed by the circumference, becomes infinite; becomes limitless. When out little chattering mind prays, it does so to the Infinite Being that you are. That is prayer - when you ask your Lord to help you. Krishna meant this when He said that one may pray to whoever he wants. But the prayer goes only Him because he is the core of existence. You may worship one form of God. Another may worship a different form. A third person may worship yet another form. Essentially, worship is just an act of dissolution - a sugar doll or candy getting dissolved in water. It does not matter which point it gets into the water. It is going to dissolve and merge. Just like this, worship dissolves the mind of the worshipper. it is the act of dissolving the mind into its being which is free from klesha, karma, aashaya and vippaka. This takes place almost instantaneously. That is why there is no difference between God, Guru and your self. Eshwaro gururatmeti murti bheda vibhagine. It is just a matter of using different words which are synonymous. The Master is the core of your being. And so is the Divine who rules entire creation.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

Sea Bean ,Entada spiralis is a vulnerable species native to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra

 🌿Sea Bean (Entada spiralis) is a vulnerable species of woody climber from the family Fabaceae, native to Singapore, Thailand, Malaysia and Sumatra. 

🌿The woody liana grows up to 25 m long, climbing with support from neighboring trees.

🌿Its leaves are bipinnately compound, with up to 4 pairs of stalked secondary leaflets (pinnules) per primary leaflet (pinna). Its oppositely arranged pinnules have papery leaf blades that are elliptic to drop-shaped, with a notched tip.

🌿Its solitary flowering spikes are 15–20 cm long and arise from the leaf axils. Its white flowers are 5-merous, and either male or bisexual. The flowers are pollinated by insects.

🌿The legumes (fruits) are large, spirally coiled, irregularly segmented, woody pods. The plant can be propagated by seeds.

🌿Its bark and seeds contain saponin which can be used as a substitute for soap and also used in making shampoos, or skin wash to treat a range of disorders including itching and parasites.

Source:

https://www.nparks.gov.sg/florafaunaweb/flora/1/3/1389

https://tropical.theferns.info/viewtropical.php?id=Entada+spiralis

Reference 

https://www.facebook.com/myplantdiaries?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Plants of Singapore

Who Is God

CHAPTER - 4

 ~ Who Is God ~ 

 DAY - 23

 ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ 

"Asmita" means "me" or "I."

 This feeling of "me, 

I" is the second cause of suffering. 

That is the reason we do the Hollow and Empty process.

 When we do it, there is no "I". 

You exist as though you are not there. 

You exist like a flower; like a cloud. 

You exist like the space - free, and hollow and empty, rather than as if you are somebody - "I,

 I, me, me." Asmita is feeling what people think about you, what you want from them, how you could take advantage of them, whether they consider you to be good or bad, etc. 

This gives you misery. 

Nothing else can give you misery - need give you misery. 

Your own idea of "me, mine, me, mine," not being one with the existence, having a separate feeling and identity, or having a superiority or inferiority complex give you misery.

 In fact, all those people who consider themselves intelligent and everybody else fools, know deep down that they are really bigger fools. 

To avoid thinking of their foolishness, they consider everybody else crazy or foolish. 

This asmita eats you up, and is the cause of your suffering. 

Raaga - means a strong craving for anything and Dwesha means aversion or hatred. 

And abhinivesha, fear. 

Craving, aversion, fear, "me,I" - that separate entity of "I" - and ignorance; these are the five sources of misery. 

The Lord is devoid of these five miseries. 

That consciousness deep down in you is devoid of them. 

You may be miserable or craving for something.

 But, if you really go to the core of your existence, you are free from it. 

Outwardly, you may be hating somebody, but in the core of your existence there is no hatred.

 There is fear only at the circumference;so also ignorance.

 At the core of your existence, there is no fear or ignorance. 

There is no 'you' there. 

When these five kleshas are eliminated even at the circumference, then whatever is in the center becomes very eminent. 

The Lordship in you blossoms and the God in you is manifested. 

God is that purusha,that being, or Lord, which is devoid of these five kleshas, suffering or miseries and He is also devoid of karma. 

There are four types of karmas. 

One is the karma, which will give merits.

 There is another type of karma - action which brings you demerits. 

You may do something good for somebody, and they feel good about it and may thank you for it. 

They thank from their heart, and that brings you a good karma. 

Then again, you may do something bad to somebody. 

And they suffer because of it and are miserable. 

That brings you karma of demerit. 

And there are certain karmas which have the combination of merit and demerit. 

This is third type of karma. 

The fourth type of karma is devoid of both merit and demerit - for example, you go for a walk in the evening or you are vacuum-cleaning the hall. 

These actions have no merit or demerit. 

They are just actions. But if you are doing it for somebody,eg., you are helping someone in kitchen, then that is an action of merit. 

If you are cutting the vegetables and cooking the food for everybody, then it is an action of merit. Actions which give merit, which give demerit, which give mixed results and which has no results at all (neutral results) are the four types of karmas. 

At the very core of your existence, the being is free from all these karmas. 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS

Fully blossomed state of consciousness

CHAPTER - 4

 ~ Who Is God ~ 

DAY - 22

­ Surrendering to the Lord, you can achieve the fully blossomed state of consciousness.

 Now, what is the Lord?

 Who is the Lord? 

Where is He?

 It is easy to say surrender to God, but what is God? 

Where is God? 

Nobody has ever seen God. 

What is it that rules this world? 

You will find that it is love that rules the world.

 The centre core of the existence rules whole universe.

 Just like the sun is the center of the solar system and rules all the planets, 

love is the core of your life.

 Love is beyond your changing body, changing thoughts, and changing feelings. 

It is the very center, core, of your existence, which is very subtle and delicate.

 It can be called love or anything else. 

That consciousness, the core of existence is responsible for this whole creation. 

There lies the Lordship. 

A bird feeds its young ones because of love.

 A flower blossoms because of love. 

Ducks hatch eggs because of love. 

Cows take care of their calves because of love. 

Kittens are taken care of by cats because of love. 

Have you seen how monkeys care for their young ones?

 Love is in-built in creation. 

This is how creation is functioning. 

That is why Jesus said, " Love is God." 

They are synonymous. 

Patanjali analysed this very beautifully in the next sutra. 

What is that state of consciousness? 

Who is Lord? 

That consciousness is free from misery or suffering. 

What is suffering? 

"लेशकमॅवपाकाशयैरपरामृः पुषवशेष ईरः" 

Klesha karma vipaaka aashaya aparamrishtah purusha vishesha eeshwarah.

 It indicates that core of consciousness which is free from suffering. 

There are five types of suffering. 

One is ignorance, avidya. 

When your consciousness is filled with ignorance, then there is restlessness. 

There is unhappiness and suffering. 

Misery is due to ignorance. 

Ignorance is giving importance to something which is not important; that which is not worthy of that importance - thinking that something that is changing to be permanent, imagining something which is not joyful to be joyful, considering something impure to be pure, etc. 

Someone may have said something unpleasant to you. 

Those were just words that came out of his mouth and vanished. 

But, to regard them as permanent and brooding over them is ignorance. 

Someone's comment about you is a fleeting wave of thought or energy which came and went. 

He may not even have that opinion later. 

But you keep that ever in your mind as his opinion about you, which is not true. 

This is one example of ignorance. 

So, the consciousness needs to be devoid of ignorance and free from misery. 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS

Deep meditation, Equanimous mind, The result is samadhi

 CHAPTER - 3

~ Samadhi ~ 

DAY - 20

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­This is the most vital sutra. Shraddha means faith.

 Faith creates such good qualities in your consciousness. It is made stable, steady and solid. 

Doubt in consciousness makes you very vulnerable, fearful, uncertain - fluid. But faith makes you solid. 

Faith brings totality in you. It pulls together all the loose ends of your consciousness. It integrates your whole personality. 

Doubt scatters and destroys you. It disseminates you and your energy. 

It pulls you apart.

 Dissemination of energy is doubt. 

Consolidation of your energy is faith. 

The feeling when you have faith is a form of consolidation; a strength. That is why Jesus also said faith is your strength. 

They are synonymous - faith and strength. 

When you are strong and bold, you have faith.

 When you are weak and feeble, you have doubts. 

Doubt and uncertainty are signs of weakness. 

Faith is strength, then samadhi is also achieved. And there is equanimity. 

Meditation takes place just out of faith. And then there is veerya. 

Veerya is one hundred percent vigour or force, courage and vitality.

 It is totally courage and valour; the valour with which a country is defended by its army. 

What happens here is that all the energy in the system comes together. 

We fight for our country when it is in danger; when the religion is in danger. 

This is how the valour rises in people. It is not done without any joy. 

In that moment of valour and extreme sense of patriotism, there is tremendous joy. 

That's why this world has wars again and again. 

If people completely condemn wars and if nobody likes them, then they cannot take place.

 Though the after-effects of war are very unpleasant, 

it's course is very thrilling.

 People enjoy thrilling movies for the same reason. 

A thrill is a sense of veerya, valour. 

Every cell in our body becomes united and the whole consciousness becomes one. 

The defence system gets awakened in you. 

This is strength. 

When the defence system peaks, it is very joyful because there is equanimity, too. 

There is a sense of patriotism, devotion and gratitude. 

That sense of patriotism, or valour, or vigour also takes you into a state of meditation.

 ा वीयॅमृत । Smriti means memory.

 Once you have had a very peaceful and beautiful state of mind, the very memory of an experience will make you re-live that experience.

 Memory of samadhi reproduces memory of one's being;of the Self, freedom, devotion, surrender, love and joy. 

This takes you back to your Self. Often, we do not remember nice things.

 What we keep remembering are negative things. 

We do not remember compliments but we remember insults. 

Yoga is turning the wheel around to remember those wonderful moments you have had. Sit and be with it, and with that very memory your entire being gets back to that wonderful state.

 मृत समाध ापूवॅक । 

Then awareness 

is gained through samadhi, deep meditation, equanimous mind, and the result is samadhi, prajna. Equanimous mind gives rise to a heightened awareness. 

So, there are the avenues and ways by which you can blossom in life. 

These are the ways of being aware of the Self,

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

 ­ ­PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS

Avirati is a big obstruction in the path of Yoga

CHAPTER - 4

~ Who Is God ~ 

 DAY - 29

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ And then comes आलय or laziness. 

You may be very active but when it comes to doing asanas, postures, exercises or pranayamas, you are lazy and do not do them. 

And that laziness can spread to any aspect of your life. 

You may intentionally not do something. 

Then again, you may feel a heaviness or laziness come over you. 

अवरत means being obsessed with sensual objects and not letting them go.

 You may be hungry and eat some food.

 But after your tummy is full, then there is no point in thinking about food the whole day. 

It is the same if you want to see a beautiful place. 

Once you see it, your want should subside. 

You should not go on thinking about seeing a beautiful place all the time.

 All the actions of the sense organs should be limited to some time.

 It should be over after that. But thinking about something and being feverish about it all the time is Avirati or obsession. 

You eat and after eating you should not think about it.

 The same applies for sex. 

You have had sex and it is over. You do not carry sex in your head twenty-four hours. 

People see blue-movies day and night. 

Their head gets hot. 

The body is incapable of functioning and mind is obsessed with the thoughts of sex. 

Even old people have this problem. 

They are seventy, eighty, ninety years old, but they are thinking about sex. 

Then that is Avirati, non-detachment.

 It is said that Mullah Nasseruddin celebrated his seventy- fifth birthday. 

Someone asked him what he thought about girlfriends.

 Mullah replied that he should not be asked that question because he has stopped thinking of girls three days back. Incompletion of any sexual experience creates an avirati, attachment to that sense object, and lack of non-detachment to that sense object. 

Avirati is a big obstruction in the path of Yoga, for it does not allow you to get centered.

 It just pulls you down and keeps you from moving on.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

 PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS

Obstruction or Obstacle in the path of yoga.

CHAPTER - 4

~ Who Is God ~ 

 DAY - 28

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ " ाधयानसंशयमादालयावरतातदशॅन अलध भुमकवानवथतवान चावपेातेऽतरायाः " Vyaadi styaana samshaya pramaada aalasya avirati bhrantidarshana aalabdha bhoomikatvaan avasthi tatvani chitta vikshepaaha aste antaraayaah

 The first obstacle is ाध - means illness in the body. 

Then comes यान - means illness of the mind - being retarded and having an inability to comprehend, to listen, to understand, to follow, and to practice.

 Many of you will become ill when you do a course. 

When you start doing some practice or meditation, you will have pains in various parts of your body.

 It is an obstruction or obstacle in the path of yoga. 

It you are watching television, nothing happens, but if you sit for meditation,your body becomes restless and there are pains here and there. 

The next obstacle is संशय or doubt. The mind is bogged down by doubts.

 There are three types of doubts. One is a doubt about oneself. 

You wonder if you are good enough. You feel that you cannot so something that is required to be done. 

You may see that everyone is meditating and in a blissful state or that they are in a very happy and pleasant mood. 

You feel that it is just you who are suffering and that you are no good. You do not think that you can ever make it. So, initially there is a doubt about yourself. And then doubts arise about the techniques. 

You may feel that they may not do you any good and that you should try some other technique. 

Next, doubts about the teacher arise. These three types of doubts can hamper progress. 

Your doubt is always about something that is good. 

You never doubt the negative.

 You always doubt the positive. 

You never doubt your depression. You never wonder if you are really depressed. 

But, you will certainly doubt your happiness. 

You will wonder if you are happy; if what is making you happy is really what you wanted. 

Doubt is the third obstruction. माद is the next obstacle.

 It means doing something wrong willfully; doing it with some motive. You may know that certain things are not good for you. 

Despite this, you continue to do it. Conversely, you may know the need to do something, and then you do not do it, for instance, you know very well that you have to pay the tax and you don't pay it. Suppose you are sick and should not eat ice - cream, etc or that you should not overeat, yet you do so. 

You may have some sugar problem and should not eat much sugar. Despite knowing this, you go on eating sweets or chocolates. So, being careless and not being alert and attentive is another obstacle. This is Pramaada. ­ ­ 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS, 

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ¯ PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS¯

Feeling of elevation, consciousness dawns in you.

CHAPTER - 4

 ~ Who Is God ~ 

 DAY - 27

 ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ " तजपतदथ्भॅावनम्"

 This is another important sutra. If you say Japa loudly, the very sound can remind you of that state of feeling during Japa. 

For example, if you say mango, the word itself makes your mouth water.

 Immediately there is a reaction and there is a feeling.

 Saying " Christmas " immediately generates a feeling of celebration and giving and receiving gifts.

 So, तजपतदथ्भॅावनम - means that when you say "OM", you remember that totality of your being - that being which is at the very core of this existence,

 that life which is free from misery and which is all unconditional love. 

The sound "OM" reminds you of the Lord of the Creation.

 " ततः यचेतनाधगमोऽयतरायाभावच्" Tatah pratyak chetna adhigamo apyantaraayaabhaavascha. When you reach the core of your existence and when there is a feeling of elevation, consciousness dawns in you. 

It is a different form of consciousness. 

Your mind gets totally transformed. 

There is clarity in your thinking and in your feelings.

 The whole body undergoes a transformation. 

You become a alive and full of prana and all the obstacles get removed from your way. 

Just the memory of the Lordship, of the Divine can remove obstacles from your way. There are nine obstacles.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

All-knowing is present in the Lordship, in that state of consciousness

CHAPTER - 4

 ~ Who Is God ~ 

 DAY - 26

 ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ " त नरतशयंसवॅवबीजम्" 

This indicates that the seed of all-knowing is in that state of consciousness. This is very important. 

त नरतशयंसवॅवबीजम्। 

The seed of all- knowing is present in a very subtle manner. At this point people get confused. 

They wonder that if Lord Krishna knew everything why did He try to pacify all concerned, and try to stop the war three times.

 He knew that a war was going to take place. But, He never told Arjuna this, and also that he was going to win this war, he would rule the world. And, if he lost it he would go to heaven. 

It did not seem as if He knew everything and, consequently, the result of the war. He did not give the right answers, the right knowledge or the right instructions. 

He did not indicate the future results. So if Krishna was Lord and knew it, why did he not reveal it? 

This is the second question that comes. 

त नरतशयंसवॅवबीजम्-

 This seed of all-knowing is present. For example, you have a dictionary. 

You can check the meaning of any word that you want. 

But, you do not need to memorize every word there. 

Nor do you need to know all the words in the dictionary all the time. 

You may open yourself up to this highest form of your consciousness. 

At that moment you have all knowledge - you can know and feel all the beings in the world. You can know how many are there and what they are doing - some may be waking up, some going to bed, some taking baths, some in their motorcars, some fighting, some eating and some doing other activities. 

This is just about the people. 

But take into account the entire living creatures. 

There are so many connected activities - so many chickens are hatching, so many are being slaughtered, so many buffaloes are wandering around and so many cows are chewing the cud, so may monkeys are jumping from tree to tree. 

There are so many ants, cockroaches, flies, mosquitoes, amoebas, etc. 

There are being billions of viruses and bacteria. 

Many are dying, many are being born and many are hatching. Many are growing. There is an enormous activity going on at any moment. But amidst this enormous activity you just wonder what a particular person is doing. This takes so much effort and is not worth it. Sometimes, people ask me how I know their most well-kept secrets;those which they ance not told anybody. I tell that I do not know but that I know. And then sometimes, I search for my own keys which I have misplaced. This is more confusing to such people. They wonder how I know something that they have never told anybody but how I do not know where I have kept my keys! I tell them that it is possible - just like they do not know how many hair they have on their heads? They know they have hair, but they do not know how many. So, knowledge and ignorance co-exist. Even if you pull one hair you are aware of it.

 That is why it is said, " त नरतशयंसवॅवबीजम्" This seed of all-knowing is present in the consciousness. It is amazing that it is present there. त नरतशयं- The seed of all-knowing is present in the Lordship, in that state of consciousness. पूवेॅषामप गुःकालेनानवछेदात्- This consciousness is the Master of even those who lived in this world earlier. Tasya vaachakaha pranavaha - how do you address the consciousness? Patanjali said to address it as OM. It is the nearest sound that it could be addressed with because when OM is said, the prana, and the consciousness is total. OM is constituted of "Aaa", "Ooo" and "Mmm". When you say "Aaa", the prana is in the lower portion of the body; with "Ooo" it is the middle and with "Mmm" it is in the top portion of the body. When you say, "OM", the prana is total; it is complete. "OM" is the sound which is so special. It is the nearest sound that could be used to address this totality of consciousness. The "OM's" distorted form is Amen in Christianity and "Amen" or "Ameen" in Islam. That is why "OM" is the one sound which is accepted by all the religions in the world. All of them have an important word which is "OM", or very close to "OM". So "OM" is one sound which comes very close to this totality of consciousness. All other names are just on the periphery. ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

­ ­ ­ ­ ­  PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS

Consciousness is Guru

CHAPTER - 4 

 ~ Who Is God ~ 

 DAY - 25

­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ " स पूवेॅषामप गुःकालेनानवछेदात्" This being, this consciousness is Guru. It is a guide to even the ones who were here before. This is because there is no break in time, as far as the consciousness is concerned. There is something similar in the Bible. 

God had said that He was Abraham before and had taught people who were before Him. The same thing is touched upon by Krishna when he told Arjuna that He had taught Ikshvaku and Manu. And Arjuna wondered how could Krishna have taught them? They had been born long ago and Krishna was his contemporary. So Arjuna exclaimed that he was terribly confused already. And that he should not be told those things - that Krishna was a Guru to people who were living thousands of years before Him. How could it be possible? Then Krishna said that Arjuna did not really know Him. That He had come so many times to this world and Arjuna, too, had come many times. He had forgotten but Krishna knew it all. He had taught at that time and he was teaching then, too and would continue to teach in the future. The Guru principle is the same because there is no break in time. It continues. Jesus is continuing throughout. It is not that he stopped somewhere. People may think that He will be coming in the future. Poorveshamapi guruhu. He was, is and will be the Master at all times because there is no break in time. ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji 

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS

One-pointed devotion to God Samadhi is possible. ­ ­ ­

Samadhi ~ 

DAY - 21 ­

 ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ " तीसंवेगानामासः । " 

Often we give third, fourth or fifth preference to our practices. 

First preference is always given to wordly things - our survival, and last preference to anything that is spiritual. 

Then the spiritual growth will be slow. Patanjali said,

 "ती संवेगानाम असः" 

When you give first preference to your spiritual practices, then it is easier. 

The focus of your life should be spiritual growth and peace. 

Then, all the other things will be around it. 

Your first and foremost commitment in life is to be with Truth, and to evolve in Truth. 

This should be followed by your duties and responsibilities, social obligations, etc. 

If this is followed it is very easy for you to become aware of your self.

ती संवेगानाम असः । 

It is very easy for one who gives first preference; one whose mind really wants to be aware.

 Even then, there are three levels of commitment. 

" मृमयाधमावातोऽप वशेषः । "

 मृcan mean the rate; slow, medium or fast. 

There are also three grades of people - 

the first are those who are one hundred percent into spiritual practices, 

then there are those who are not completely into it, and 

the last category are those who do the practices because they have to do it.

 Then the next sutra says " इरणधानाा " 

Just by devotion to God, one-pointed devotion to God also samadhi is possible. ­ ­ ­

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS

 ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­

Prakritilaya meditation dissolving yourself with nature

CHAPTER - 3

 ~ Samadhi ~ 

DAY - 19

 ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ ­ Prakriti laya is a big practice. People sit in solitude for years till all thoughts disappear. And all that they are left with is emptiness. You can try doing this as experiment when you are very worried or tensed. Just sit by a flowing river or stream and keep looking at the water. Within a few moments, you feel as though there is a magnetic pull; that your mind is being pulled in the direction of the current. Then, sit on the other bank and do the same thing. Then you'll see that your eye is being pulled in the other direction. 

That is why many people who want to jump into a river and commit suicide, cannot do so once they look at the flowing water. Something happens in them at the sight of flowing water. There is a shift, and they can no longer commit suicide. This happens because, by looking at the water, there is a change in the vibrations of their minds, the prana in the system. In a short while, all their anguish, delusions and whatever was tormenting them flows away. They become fresh. People love the ocean because there is more prana there; more ozone. And when you go on looking at the waves and waves and waves and waves, it washes something off. This is Prakritilaya meditation, where you are dissolving yourself with nature. And videha means knowing that you are not the body; that you 'have' a body and the body is yours. But that you are not the body. This is videha. This sutra has been so wrongly interpreted over the centuries. People have wrongly understood it again and again. Patanjali said that these things will suit certain people at certain times. It is not a practice which is done everyday by everybody. For instance, all the people do not go into the mountains every day. It is done by people at certain times. This leads to samadhi.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

Different types of yogis

Chapter 3

Samadhi

Day 18

" भवययो वदेहकृतलयानाम्" 

This goes more into an esoteric line. Samadhi does not belong to just a particular level of existence. It surpasses that level, too. It goes into other world also. People who do not have a body can be affected by the meditation, too. 

When you meditate you are not just bringing harmony within yourself but you are influencing the subtle levels of creation and the subtle bodies at all the different levels of existence in the creation. So, your meditation influences those people who lived hundreds of years ago - their consciousness and their minds. 

It influences the minds and consciousness of people who would be living in the future, too. Though, life is there in every moment, it is also infinite. Your life has been here from centuries and will continue to be here for centuries more. 

There are different types of yogis. One is called वदेह, means one who does not have a body. You can go on feeling as though you have no body, and the mind will be in a high state of equanimity. And those who do not have a body also come within the influence and effect of Yoga. 

It is the same with कृतलय । कृतलय means those who are completely submerged in nature. They also attain same state of equanimity. They are so away from material existence that they are not even aware of it. Videha is complete unawareness of the body and surroundings. Your eyes are closed and you are totally immersed. Then, too are you in samadhi, in a state of meditation. When you are looking at a mountain or at a sunset, Prakritilaya is taking place in you. You are merging with nature at that moment. You are looking at the sunset. The sun is setting. You are there along with the sun and the vision that you are having about it. And then in a while you are not aware of yourself. You are just aware of Sun. When you are watching a mountain, sometimes you forget yourself. You have no awareness of your thoughts, mind I body. No awareness at all. This is कृतलय समाध । However, when this happens, your mind suddenly pops up with the thought that you are being stupid just staring away at water. You think that you should better use your time and do something else. You may think of somebody or something. Then you are not dissolving in nature.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji

PATANJALI YOGA SUTRAS 

Asian pigeon wings , Clitoria ternatea , blue bellvine, blue pea, butterfly pea, and Darwin pea

Asian pigeon wings (Clitoria ternatea), commonly known by many other names like, bluebellvine, blue pea, butterfly pea, and Darwin pea, is another climber plant belonging to the family Fabaceae.

🌿It is a perennial herbaceous plant, with compound leaves having elliptic leaflets. 

🌿It grows as a vine or creeper, doing well in moist, neutral soil.

🫐 The most striking feature about this plant is the color of its flowers, a vivid deep blue, with light yellow markings. Some varieties yield pale blue or white flowers.

🌿The fruits are 5–7 cm long, flat pods with six to ten seeds in each pod. They are edible when tender.

🫛🌿It is grown as an ornamental plant requiring little care when cultivated. Being a legume, its roots form a symbiotic association with soil bacteria known as rhizobia, which transform atmospheric N2 into a plant-usable form (a process called nitrogen fixing), therefore, this plant is also used to improve soil quality through the decomposition of nitrogen rich plant material.

🌿In Southeast Asia, the flower is used as a natural food colouring 

In Burmese and Thai cuisines, the flowers are also dipped in batter and fried.

🫐🌿Butterfly pea flower tea is made from the ternatea flowers, this tea is commonly mixed with honey and lemon to increase acidity and turn the beverage a pink-purple color, to produce for a drink usually served after dinner, or as a refreshment.The tea is found in both hot and cold varieties

🫐🌿In traditional Ayurvedic medicine, it is ascribed various qualities including memory enhancing, nootropic, antistress, anxiolytic, antidepressant, anticonvulsant, tranquilizing, and sedative properties.

🌿 In traditional Chinese medicine,  its extract is used for its ability to reduce intensity of behavior caused by serotonin and acetylcholine.

🌿The flower can be used to dye natural fibers.

🙏🌿 In India, it is revered as a holy flower, used in daily puja rituals. 

ClitoraTernatea

Blue Pea Flower

Reference 

https://www.facebook.com/myplantdiaries?mibextid=ZbWKwL

Plant of Singapore