This is a video of the recent wildfires in Croatia, and it made me think about everything that lies behind a wildfire.

People being evacuated. Homes and livelihoods being destroyed. Enormous amounts of material wealth being lost. Ecosystems being damaged.

And then there are the lives we rarely see on our screens: animals whose homes are burning around them, often with nowhere to escape.

There is another layer we don't see as easily.

Wildfires release fine particulate matter and other pollutants that can harm human health. They also release enormous amounts of CO₂. Globally, wildfires emit billions of tonnes of CO₂ each year, although some of that carbon can eventually be absorbed as vegetation regrows.

Climate change is also making conditions for severe fires worse in many regions through increasing heat, drying vegetation, drought and changing weather patterns.

So we become better at fighting fires. We evacuate people faster. We build better firefighting systems. We rescue animals. We rebuild homes.

All of that is necessary.

But if we keep treating only the symptoms, how far will we get?

At some point, we have to look upstream: at our consumption, our demand for more, the energy we use, the forests and land we transform, and the enormous material footprint of the way we live.

Climate change isn't some distant environmental problem happening somewhere else. It is increasingly showing up as heat, fire, smoke, displacement, destroyed ecosystems and enormous economic loss.

And perhaps this is where the real question begins.

We are the ones consuming. We are the ones demanding more. Now is the time we need to look at ourselves that what is it within us that keeps pushing us to consume endlessly, even when we can see the consequences?

Perhaps the environmental crisis is also a crisis within us.

If we don't understand ourselves (the ego) that constantly demands more, we may keep treating the symptoms while leaving the disease untouched.

Treating the symptoms can save lives today. But understanding the disease is what can change tomorrow.

What a place for a morning walk🤩

India Gate’s fountain was meant to be a public space, yet despite clear signs prohibiting entry into the water, people entered freely, turning it into a play area.

It is easy to say, “People need more civic sense.” But perhaps the incident points to something deeper.

Everyone who entered could see the sign. They knew the rule. So why did it stop mattering?

Perhaps because, for many of us, discipline is still external. We follow rules when someone is watching, when there is a fine, or when we fear being caught. Remove the watchman, and the discipline often disappears with him.

Then the crowd makes it easier. One person enters, others follow, and soon the presence of many people breaking the rule becomes its own justification: “If everyone is doing it, why shouldn't I?”

This is why stricter rules or more warnings may not address the root of the problem. The deeper questions we need to ask ourselves: What is within us that wants to ignore the notice? Why does the crowd make us feel that the rule no longer applies to us?

Real civic sense begins when we can act responsibly even when nobody is watching.

WeekendWithMaster GOA

16 Aug 2026

First experience at HIDP

I’ve come to HIDP for the first time, and I’m very happy to be here.

Till today I had never stood on a stage or been part of a play. There was always a fear that if something went wrong, what would people say? Anyway, in the world, plays are going on every day, and I’ve been a part of those.

But doing a play while knowing myself is a totally different kind of fun. I enjoyed it, and one of my fears disappeared.

My experience has been truly wonderful and memorable.

These HIDP sessions are something else entirely; they tell us about what lies within us.

Thank you, Acharya Ji.

Reflection post by Ulhas Kush, AP Gita Student

A viral video purportedly from a government primary school in Uttar Pradesh, appears to show children being served rotis with an extremely watery vegetable curry, with barely any vegetables.

In contrast, a school meal in China shows nutritious food, properly prepared and served with dignity.

A nation is built by its people. If our youngest and growing minds do not receive proper nutrition, how can we expect to build a strong nation?

We have schemes for children's education, nutrition and welfare. But what good are schemes if their implementation becomes merely a formality? The problem is not always the absence of policy. Sometimes, it is the absence of intent to make it work.

The government and administration have a huge responsibility. But so do we.

Perhaps one of our biggest problems is that we have stopped seeing ourselves as part of the whole.

If a government school doesn't provide good education, we move our child to a private school. If public healthcare fails, we find a private hospital. We secure our own family and move on.

But what about the child whose parents cannot afford that alternative?

When something is wrong in a public institution, do we raise our voice, demand accountability and stay involved? Or do we simply look after ourselves?

We cannot build a strong society by individually escaping every broken system.

Intent is revealed through action. If we truly care about the future of our country, then responsibility cannot end with our own family.

Before asking the government to become responsible, we need to become responsible citizens ourselves.

I have always imagined elephants as huge, gentle, almost magical animals. Growing up, I heard so many stories about elephants from my parents.

But while watching this video of wild elephants in Sri Lanka rummaging through a landfill for food, I found myself wondering:

What stories will I tell my child about elephants?

Will I tell her about the magnificent animals that lived freely in forests, or will she grow up seeing videos of elephants searching through our garbage for something to eat?

Not every elephant is living this way, of course. But this reality exists, and sooner or later, our children will come across such videos.

Similar stories come from India too, where cows, buffaloes, and calves are often seen eating plastic from garbage piles, many becoming seriously ill or even dying because of it. Animals are suffering everywhere. 

What is more painful is that these animals did not choose this.

They did not create the garbage. They did not destroy their own habitats.
They are simply living with the consequences of our consumption.

But consumption itself may not be the root of the problem. It can be a symptom of something deeper.

An inner restlessness that keeps telling us that something is missing, and that perhaps the next thing we acquire will finally make us feel complete.

But it never does.

This is where Vedanta invites us to look deeper. Instead of endlessly trying to satisfy our desires, can we understand the one who is constantly desiring? Until we understand that inner movement, changing our consumption and reducing our garbage may remain only a temporary adjustment.

Because the question is not simply how much we consume.

It is:

Why do we keep wanting more?

This story from Bangladesh is about a 13-year-old girl who has been given custody of her seven-month-old son.

I grew up in a place where girls getting married very young and having babies soon after were quite common, so this story is not completely unfamiliar to me.

But while watching the video, I remembered myself at 13. I was in school, studying, playing, cycling, making friends, exploring new places and slowly understanding the world around me.

And here is a 13-year-old who has already gone through marriage, pregnancy and childbirth, and now has the responsibility of raising a seven-month-old baby.

She is smiling and kissing her child. The tenderness is real, and it is a beautiful moment. But I couldn't help wondering:

How much of this life did she actually choose for herself, and how much was decided for her by her family and society?

From childhood, girls are often taught what a "good girl" should be. Speak softly. Behave properly. Take care of the home. Marriage is important. Children are important. Be a good wife. Be a good mother. When these messages are repeated for years, they can become so deeply embedded that we stop questioning them. We simply accept them as the way life is supposed to be.

And that is what makes conditioning so difficult to see. We don't always feel forced. Sometimes we simply grow into the life that was prepared for us and start calling it our choice.

Her story made me look at my own life too.

“How many things that I call "my choices" have I actually chosen consciously? How many were shaped by my family, society and culture?”

When I look back at my own life, I can see many moments where I thought I was making the decisions, but something else was actually driving me: my conditioning, my fears, my beliefs and what I had been taught to consider normal.

What began to change things for me was “self-inquiry”.

Stopping. Reflecting. Asking questions. Not being satisfied with, "This is just how things are."

Perhaps education should also be about turning towards ourselves, questioning what we have been taught, and understanding how and why we think, choose and live the way we do.

This is the most beautiful place I’ve ever been in my life. I’ve been a lot of places in almost 40 years, this is my number 1. Fully exceeded my hopes and dreams.

We did:
Avalanche Lake
Iceberg Lake
Grinnell Glacier
Hidden Lake (full trail not just overlook)

We got exceptionally lucky. When we got here Sunday it was a smoky hellscape. Luckily for us it was much better right up until today when it kinda got bad again. We didn’t see any bears in the park, but luck was on our side and we saw pretty much everything else. A few times it was happening upon the animals in the trail. We moved aside and sometimes they were still pretty curious. We did not touch or feed of course.

We stayed in West Glacier which I would not do again simply because my favorite hikes were all on the east side, but we enjoyed a lot of time on GTTSR so it wasn’t all bad. Also the rental cabin was fantastic and we ate at the same restaurant three times (Highland outside of West Glacier) because those buffalo burgers and pie to go really hit after 11 mile hike days.

I leaned into my inner bear and huckleberrymaxxed. I had the ice cream, The huckleberry honey ale, the tart, the pie, the margarita, the mule, you name it. If we were eating, I was eating those berries. I recommend that too, just for the fun of it.

If you bring your kids here, please teach them to treat the park kindly. Not throwing rocks, breaking up the snow, not picking wildflowers, staying on the trail, etc.

You can find the full recipe with step-by-step instruction pics here:

Vegan Scallion Pancakes

If you have any questions, let me know 😄🌱

Ingredients

• 1 cup All-Purpose Flour
• ½ cup Hot Water
• 1 tsp Salt
• 4 tbsp Oil
• 4-5 Scallions/ Spring Onions

Instructions

• Add the flour, salt and hot water to a bowl and start mixing them. Once it starts coming together, knead it into a smooth dough. If it feels too sticky, sprinkle in 1–2 extra tablespoons of flour as you go. When it’s soft and no longer clings to your hands, cover it and let it rest. You don't have to let the dough rest for long at all. I usually prepare the other ingredients and use the dough once I'm done with that step. 
• Chop the scallions into fine rings or halve them lengthwise first if you prefer smaller pieces.
• In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon of flour with 4 tablespoons of oil until you get a thin, smooth paste. This will help create those flaky, layered textures later.
• Divide the dough into six equal pieces. Roll one piece out thin on a floured surface. Brush it with the oil-flour paste and sprinkle a generous handful of chopped scallions over it. Roll the dough up into a long log, then coil it into a snail shape (like a cinnamon roll). Press it flat and roll it out again into a thin pancake. Repeat with the remaining dough pieces.
• Heat a bit of oil in a pan over medium-high heat. Slide one pancake in and fry for 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and crispy. Add a little more oil between pancakes if you want to keep them from getting dry.
• Cut the pancakes into quarters and serve them warm with your favourite dipping sauce. Enjoy!

If you've seen the recent videos of Punch, the little Japanese macaque from Ichikawa Zoo, you've probably noticed something remarkable.

The same monkey who once struggled to find his place in the troop is now surrounded by younger monkeys. They climb onto him, play beside him, and he responds with remarkable patience and gentleness.

But Punch's story began very differently.

Shortly after birth, his mother abandoned him, and zookeepers had to step in. They hand-raised him and gave him a stuffed orangutan as a source of comfort. When he was later introduced to the macaque troop, it was heartbreaking to watch him being pushed away as he tried to find his place and companionship.

Experts explained that much of this was part of normal macaque social behavior, but that didn't make his journey any less moving.

Today, the videos tell a different story.

Why Punch is so gentle with younger monkeys, we can't truly know. Maybe it is his personality. Maybe the care he received from his keepers shaped him. Maybe it is a combination of both.

But his story makes us think about something much larger.

Life isn't always fair. Some of us grow up surrounded by love and support. Others experience rejection, loneliness, neglect, or loss.

Those experiences leave a mark.

Sometimes they make us withdraw. Sometimes, without even realizing it, we pass the same hurt on to others.

But sometimes, something beautiful happens.

Someone who knows what it feels like to be left out becomes the first to welcome others.

Someone who has experienced loneliness becomes the one who notices when another person is alone.

Watching him gently interact with younger monkeys reminds us of a possibility:

Our past may shape us, but it doesn't have to become our future.

We often believe that our suffering is caused entirely by external circumstances, and that freedom will arrive only when those circumstances change.

But what if the real prison is not outside us?

What if it is within us?

This is a deeply moving reflection by Megha Jethwani on the Acharya Prashant App. Her journey stayed with me because it beautifully illustrates the transformative power of self-understanding.

In 2016-17, Megha was a survivor of domestic violence. Emotionally shattered and unsure of what to do, she sought professional help. Yet, despite receiving practical advice, she remained trapped.

Why?

Because she believed the reasons keeping her there cannot be ignored:

"I have children."

"What will happen to my family's reputation?"

"What will society think?"

"How will I survive?"

Years later, after listening to Acharya Prashant, she realized that these weren't merely practical concerns. Beneath them lay fear, attachment, insecurity, and the need to protect an identity she had built for herself.

As she writes:

"The transformation in my life didn't come because my circumstances changed. It came because I began looking within."

That inner shift changed everything.

The woman who once stood before the police seeking help as a complainant today trains police personnel across the Government of Madhya Pradesh in communication, behavior, and human skills.

She didn't become stronger because life became easier.

She became stronger because she stopped running from the truth within herself.

This story is a reminder that healing is not just about escaping painful situations. It is also about seeing clearly the fears, attachments, and assumptions that quietly govern our lives.

Reflection by Megha Jethwani on acharya Prashant app.

"Challenging your fears is the only way to awaken your strength."
~ Acharya Prashant

The video makes a very important observation: our cities are increasingly built around consumption. If you want to spend your free time, the default options are usually a mall, a café, a restaurant, a movie, or shopping. We are slowly becoming consumers before we become citizens.

Being from a small town, I can see this trend reaching there as well. Shopping malls are growing even in places where people may not have much income to spend. Yet many people feel a sense of happiness and achievement just by being inside a mall. It makes us think: why are we so drawn towards consumption?

Marketing and social media have definitely amplified this tendency. Every day we see what others are buying, eating, wearing, and experiencing. But these things succeed because they tap into something that already exists within us.

That inner restlessness is the real issue.

Non-dual philosophy points towards the ego, which always feels incomplete and keeps searching for fulfillment outside itself. It believes that the next purchase, the next meal, the next experience, or the next achievement will finally bring satisfaction. But nothing external can permanently fill an inner emptiness.

The market did not create this hunger. It simply learned how to profit from it.

Of course, governments, builders, and corporations play an important role in shaping our cities. But we are also the drivers. A city is not built in isolation. It reflects the consciousness of the people living in it.

If our lives revolve around consumption, status, and instant gratification, our cities will naturally move in that direction. Malls multiply because there is demand for them. Cafes grow because that is how we choose to spend our time.

The crisis is not only that our cities have become consumer-driven. It is the endless hunger within us that keeps demanding more.

I was taking a 5 minute timed astrophotography shot, and with like 1 minute left, I started hearing what sounded like gunshots and it clicked in my head that it was some kind of rockfall, it lasted like an entire minute and it was terrifying lol. I wish I wouldve stopped the picture to record the sounds of it. I thought I was done for 🤣

A video is going viral where a priest is pouring milk on a globe, claiming the ritual will reduce global warming.

If that is truly the claim, this is not spirituality. It is superstition.

Global warming is caused by greenhouse gas emissions, deforestation, overconsumption, and the destruction of nature. It cannot be solved by pouring milk on a globe.

What is even more saddening is that such videos end up representing Indian philosophy. As I continue reading Advaita Vedanta, I find exactly the opposite. At its core, it encourages inquiry, self-understanding, and the courage to question, not blind belief or mechanical rituals.

A ritual, at its best, is not meant to change the outside world. It is meant to change the person performing it. Its purpose is to cultivate awareness, humility, gratitude, and self-discipline. It can inspire us to live differently, but it cannot replace reality. The moment a ritual claims to cool the planet, cure diseases, or replace scientific understanding, it stops being a spiritual practice and becomes superstition.

Climate change is not only an environmental crisis. It is also a human crisis driven by endless desire and consumption. Science, technology, and better public policies are essential. But without understanding the ego that fuels this endless consumption, every solution remains incomplete. Self-awareness does not replace science. It complements it by addressing the root of the problem within us.

Ironically, this ritual also wastes milk, a product that already comes at a great cost to animals. Advaita speaks of compassion and non-separation from all life. Exploiting animals while claiming to protect the planet contradicts that very spirit.

What do you think about this video?

I'd like to hear your thoughts and different perspectives.

This one looks impressive 😅 but it's mostly just three simple components stacked together.

The ladyfingers
→ Whip aquafaba (chickpea juice) with cream of tartar and sugar until you get stiff, glossy peaks
→ Fold in oil and vanilla, then the sifted dry ingredients, gently, keep the air in
→ Pipe them side by side in a strip, plus 2 discs slightly smaller than your ring
→ Dust with sugar + icing sugar, bake 15 min

🍦 The princess cream (whipped cream + pastry cream)
→ Whipped cream: hot soy milk poured over coconut oil, blended, then chilled overnight, this is the step you have to plan ahead for
→ Pastry cream: sugar, cornstarch, plant milk, orange blossom water and margarine, cooked while whisking non-stop until it thickens
→ Whip the chilled cream to firm peaks, fold the pastry cream in

🍓 Assembly
→ Line your ring with the ladyfingers
→ Soak the discs in plant milk
→ Layer: biscuit, cream, strawberries, cream, biscuit, cream, strawberries
→ Smooth the top and decorate with the rest
The one thing that makes or breaks it: fill it generously with big chunks of strawberries. Don't be shy.
Eat it right away or let it set overnight in the fridge 🤍

https://elinestable.com/recipes/vegan-strawberry-charlotte