30-November-2011 (Wednesday)
Thought for the Day!!!

One day I had a great desire to take panthabhat (Boiled rice kept in water overnight-a common dish in rural Bengal) and asked the Mother for it. She said, "Wait for a while. I'll fry hot chillies and pulse-cake in oil. People in your part of the country are very fond of chillies." The Mother mimicked the tune of a traditional gramaphone record, saying, 'I shan't give you even one less than thirty-two chillies.'(The people of East Bengal - now Bangladesh - are fond of hot chillies and the people of West Bengal make fun of it.) Saying this, she began to laugh heartily.

The Gospel of The Holy Mother - Section II (3) - (RECORDED BY Surendranath Sircar): Page 234

Location: Bangalore

Namaste!

This is our Daily Sri Ramakrishna Quote:

-

to Miss J. MacLeod, March 5, 1899, Sunday Night , 16 Bose Para Lane, Bagh Bazaar, Calcutta

...And when I got to the Math--& evening came on, they lighted a little wood fire for me under the tree--& for a while Sw. sat there with me--dividing the flame into Siva "the blue-necked one" -- & Kali.
Then came supper. Coffee--cold mutton & bread & butter--& he sat beside me all the time & then I came home alone on the roof of the little boat. Went in & saw the Mother & her ladies & translated Mrs. Hammond's letter straight thro' twice--& came here & went straight to bed...
...Now for Sunday. It was a huge success. I wish you had seen the lunch, cooked as it turns out by the hands of our blessed Master himself. He also waited a table &c!!! We had a table in the upper verandah--& Sarola sat where whe cd. see Dukineswar.
It was a geographical meal as follows---

1. Yankee--Fish Chowder
3. Norwegian--'Fish balls--"taught me by Madame
Agnewason (?). "Who is Madame A,
Swami? What does she do? I seem
to have heard her name." "She
makes fish balls amongst other
things."
3. English--Boarding House Hash
He assured us it was properly made & (or Yankee?)contained nails--but we only found
cloved--& lamented absence of(...)
4. Mince pie & la Kashmir
(Meat with almonds & raisins).
5. Bengali Raschegalle & fruit.

Wasn't that fun?[

"Letters of Sister Nivedita" Vol II, pp 1257-1259, Mr. Basu

Location: New Bern, NC

Mother and Her children know how to look at the simplest things in life (like food) also in the lighter vein...not losing "focus" on the Real Purpose.... _/_

Location: Bangalore