Guest guest Posted June 15, 2005 Report Share Posted June 15, 2005 Some incidents happen and they leave me wondering ...open to all kinds of interpretations. But mostly I found this incident really funny ! It all started with my earnestly wanting to cook at the Mandir. Now I cook - for myself and family and friends and I HAVE cooked at the Mandir before. Many people including Maa and Swamiji were very kind to say nice things about my dosas ... but I wanted to expand my repetoire a little bit ! And since there were some folks that werent too keen on Indian food a lot I wanted to try my hand at a more popular choice - Italian and PIZZA ! At Mandir , there is a disciple who excelled in making pizzas. She had moved to a new place and was no longer able to come regularly. So I vowed to myself to learn her technique and share the food amongst those poor ashramites that craved for a decent pizza (Of course Maa's pizza IS the best but aside from Her ...) So I applied myself in EARNEST once I learned the basics of the dough, the yeast , the sauce and the toppings. Every evening I made a pizza at home and learned to eat my own cooking. This went on for five days. Each day I experimented with variations in toppings/temperature of the oven/ amount of cheese ... you name it. Safe to say that I musta been the only person in all of San Jose , maybe even in all the world to have eaten pizza for breakfast/lunch and dinner for five consecutive days. My days began preparing the dough and my nights ended with a solemn evaluation of the day's experiments. All, of course , for a NOBLE cause - to feed the hungry, pizza-craving friends at the Mandir. Came Saturday ! I went to the grocery store, got all kinds of ingredients to suit all the different diets at the Mandir. Pesto for this person, non-tomato sauce base for the other.. the list went on. I confidently entered the kitchen that evening, with grocery bags in my hands, full of anticipation -- the poor starving hungry (my imagination had by now run riot and I saw everyone gratefully thanking me for saving them from a non pizza existence) when ... ...EVERYBODY in the kitchen was eating a pizza !!!! I stood dumb founded ! "You are eating pizza?" is all I could manage weakly . "Yes, and its REALLY GOOD too" , said one of my friends, "come have a slice" , he offered graciously. Then I came out from kitchen and began to laugh ! It was really so comical , after all the efforts of my past week, instead of culminating in a pizza heaven and wonderful compliments, had fallen flat. So much for my preparation. I met Maa and Swamiji that evening and shared the joke with them. They had a hearty laugh with me. I told them about the amount of cheese that I had consumed that past week and they laughed harder. Of course I never made the pizza the next day - two consecutive days of pizza was alright for me the experimenter but not for the general populace. I did get to make it another day and it was kinda sorta OK. Nothing great but OK. I always sit back and think on this episode ! And the different ways to interpret this episode ! If it aint meant to be, NOTHING that I do will make it happen!Serves me right! For my actions were trying to impress, not for trying to be of service. and last but not the least It was funny even if the joke was at my expense ! You should have seen Maa and Swamiji laughing right along with me ! The best laid plans of mice and men ... JAI MAANanda Discover Find restaurants, movies, travel &; more fun for the weekend. Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 16, 2005 Report Share Posted June 16, 2005 Great story, Nanda! It is only Ego who can steal the pure beauty of seva and make of it a cause of shame. I offer this prayer (one I often utter of late) for us all, "Oh, Mother, please cut the head from my ego. Let me be free of its constant defiling of all that is beautiful and pure in this jiva." JAI MAA!!!! Chris , Nanda <chandimaakijai> wrote: > Dear All, > > Some incidents happen and they leave me wondering ...open to all kinds of interpretations. > But mostly I found this incident really funny ! > > It all started with my earnestly wanting to cook at the Mandir. > > Now I cook - for myself and family and friends and I HAVE cooked at the Mandir before. Many people including Maa and Swamiji were very kind to say nice things about my dosas ... but I wanted to expand my repetoire a little bit ! And since there were some folks that werent too keen on Indian food a lot I wanted to try my hand at a more popular choice - Italian and PIZZA ! > > At Mandir , there is a disciple who excelled in making pizzas. She had moved to a new place and was no longer able to come regularly. So I vowed to myself to learn her technique and share the food amongst those poor ashramites that craved for a decent pizza (Of course Maa's pizza IS the best but aside from Her ...) > > So I applied myself in EARNEST once I learned the basics of the dough, the yeast , the sauce and the toppings. > Every evening I made a pizza at home and learned to eat my own cooking. This went on for five days. > Each day I experimented with variations in toppings/temperature of the oven/ amount of cheese ... you name it. > > Safe to say that I musta been the only person in all of San Jose , maybe even in all the world to have eaten pizza for breakfast/lunch and dinner for five consecutive days. > > My days began preparing the dough and my nights ended with a solemn evaluation of the day's experiments. > > All, of course , for a NOBLE cause - to feed the hungry, pizza-craving friends at the Mandir. > > Came Saturday ! I went to the grocery store, got all kinds of ingredients to suit all the different diets at the Mandir. Pesto for this person, non-tomato sauce base for the other.. the list went on. > > I confidently entered the kitchen that evening, with grocery bags in my hands, full of anticipation -- the poor starving hungry (my imagination had by now run riot and I saw everyone gratefully thanking me for saving them from a non pizza existence) when ... > > ..EVERYBODY in the kitchen was eating a pizza !!!! > > I stood dumb founded ! "You are eating pizza?" is all I could manage weakly . > > "Yes, and its REALLY GOOD too" , said one of my friends, "come have a slice" , he offered graciously. > > Then I came out from kitchen and began to laugh ! It was really so comical , after all the efforts of my past week, instead of culminating in a pizza heaven and wonderful compliments, had fallen flat. So much for my preparation. > > I met Maa and Swamiji that evening and shared the joke with them. They had a hearty laugh with me. I told them about the amount of cheese that I had consumed that past week and they laughed harder. > > Of course I never made the pizza the next day - two consecutive days of pizza was alright for me the experimenter but not for the general populace. > > I did get to make it another day and it was kinda sorta OK. Nothing great but OK. > > I always sit back and think on this episode ! And the different ways to interpret this episode ! > > If it aint meant to be, NOTHING that I do will make it happen! > Serves me right! For my actions were trying to impress, not for trying to be of service. > and last but not the least > It was funny even if the joke was at my expense ! You should have seen Maa and Swamiji laughing right along with me ! > > The best laid plans of mice and men ... > > JAI MAA > Nanda > > > > > Discover > Find restaurants, movies, travel & more fun for the weekend. Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted June 17, 2005 Report Share Posted June 17, 2005 Thank you Nanda Ji, this is such a great story! --- Nanda <chandimaakijai wrote: > Dear All, > > Some incidents happen and they leave me wondering > ...open to all kinds of interpretations. > But mostly I found this incident really funny ! > > It all started with my earnestly wanting to cook at > the Mandir. > > Now I cook - for myself and family and friends and I > HAVE cooked at the Mandir before. Many people > including Maa and Swamiji were very kind to say nice > things about my dosas ... but I wanted to expand my > repetoire a little bit ! And since there were some > folks that werent too keen on Indian food a lot I > wanted to try my hand at a more popular choice - > Italian and PIZZA ! > > At Mandir , there is a disciple who excelled in > making pizzas. She had moved to a new place and was > no longer able to come regularly. So I vowed to > myself to learn her technique and share the food > amongst those poor ashramites that craved for a > decent pizza (Of course Maa's pizza IS the best but > aside from Her ...) > > So I applied myself in EARNEST once I learned the > basics of the dough, the yeast , the sauce and the > toppings. > Every evening I made a pizza at home and learned to > eat my own cooking. This went on for five days. > Each day I experimented with variations in > toppings/temperature of the oven/ amount of cheese > ... you name it. > > Safe to say that I musta been the only person in all > of San Jose , maybe even in all the world to have > eaten pizza for breakfast/lunch and dinner for five > consecutive days. > > My days began preparing the dough and my nights > ended with a solemn evaluation of the day's > experiments. > > All, of course , for a NOBLE cause - to feed the > hungry, pizza-craving friends at the Mandir. > > Came Saturday ! I went to the grocery store, got all > kinds of ingredients to suit all the different diets > at the Mandir. Pesto for this person, non-tomato > sauce base for the other.. the list went on. > > I confidently entered the kitchen that evening, with > grocery bags in my hands, full of anticipation -- > the poor starving hungry (my imagination had by now > run riot and I saw everyone gratefully thanking me > for saving them from a non pizza existence) when ... > > ..EVERYBODY in the kitchen was eating a pizza !!!! > > I stood dumb founded ! "You are eating pizza?" is > all I could manage weakly . > > "Yes, and its REALLY GOOD too" , said one of my > friends, "come have a slice" , he offered > graciously. > > Then I came out from kitchen and began to laugh ! It > was really so comical , after all the efforts of my > past week, instead of culminating in a pizza heaven > and wonderful compliments, had fallen flat. So much > for my preparation. > > I met Maa and Swamiji that evening and shared the > joke with them. They had a hearty laugh with me. I > told them about the amount of cheese that I had > consumed that past week and they laughed harder. > > Of course I never made the pizza the next day - two > consecutive days of pizza was alright for me the > experimenter but not for the general populace. > > I did get to make it another day and it was kinda > sorta OK. Nothing great but OK. > > I always sit back and think on this episode ! And > the different ways to interpret this episode ! > > If it aint meant to be, NOTHING that I do will make > it happen! > Serves me right! For my actions were trying to > impress, not for trying to be of service. > and last but not the least > It was funny even if the joke was at my expense ! > You should have seen Maa and Swamiji laughing right > along with me ! > > The best laid plans of mice and men ... > > JAI MAA > Nanda > > > > > Discover > Find restaurants, movies, travel & more fun for the > weekend. Check it out! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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