Vegetarian Cuisine
GOMASIO – A typical Japanese macrobiotic condiment both appetizing and highly nutritious. Gomasio is a tasty way to reduce salt consumption. It is worth making a large amount of this mixture at a time as it stores well.
Ingredients:
¼ cup sesame seeds, rinsed and drained
½ tsp unrefined sea or rock salt
Preparation:
- Roast the seeds in a hot oven for 10 minutes, stirring once.
- Add the sea salt and roast for another minute.
- Cool slightly, then grind with a pestle and mortar.
- Store in a sealed container for up to 2 weeks.
Be spiritually hungry. Then alone will the Lord fill you with Grace. – Sri Swami Sivananda
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Spiritual Calendar
| JULY 2016
01 Ekadasi AUGUST 2016 02 New Moon |
Glossary
KRISHNA JAYANTI / KRISHNA JANMASHTAMI – (see Calendar)
This is the birthday of Lord Krishna, the Eighth Divine Incarnation.
It falls on the 8th day of the dark half of the month of Bhadrapada (August-September). This is one of the greatest of all Hindu festivals. Lord Krishna was born at midnight. A twenty-four hour fast is observed on this day, which is broken at midnight.
The Lord appeared when the moon entered the house of Vrishabha at the constellation of the star Rohini, on Wednesday, the 8th day of the second fortnight of the month of Sravana, which corresponds to the month of Bhadrapada Krishnapaksha, according to the Barhaspatyamana, in the year of Visvavasu, 5,172 years ago (from 1945), which means 3227 B.C.
According to traditional sources, the Janmashtami is observed on the day when the ashtami tithi occurs at midnight. If the ashtami tithi AND the Rohini nakshatra occur on the same day, then the observance is considered to be doubly sacred; otherwise the observance is held on the day on which the ashtami prevails at midnight. The vrata mainly consists of fasting, spending the whole night in the worship of Krishna, reciting hymns of praise and Krishna’s pastimes, reciting prayers from the Bhagavata, offering arghya to Krishna, and the parana or the ceremonial breaking of the fast. The next day is celebrated as Krishna Jayanti.
Though everything happens according to the Supreme Will, the Karma of the individual determines the form or shape of the experience that is to be had. – Sri Swami Sivananda