Slather anything in vegan ranch dressing and even the vegetable-averse will happily gobble it up. Were conditioned as children to take our veggies with a quarter-cup of Hidden Valley, and while weve learned to ask for dressing on the side and expanded our options to include vinaigrettes and tahini-based sauces, salad dressing remains a crucial component of any leafy green dish. These condiments quite literally dress up a saladtransforming the bland into indulgent with a simple drizzle. Whether you toss it all together or methodically stick a fork into the dressing before each bite, a salad without dressing is downright sad. Here are seven vegan salad dressings to buy and to make to gussy up any bowl of greens.

Ashley Madden

Offering a citrusy kick without feeling spicy, this light vegan salad dressing provides just the right amount of zing to complement fresh vegetables, tofu, and chilled soba noodles. Not every day has to be a ranch day.Get the recipe

Traditional Caesar dressing includes pured anchovies and dairy to create an addictively good umami flavor profile. The combination of tahini, capers, nutritional yeast, and capers provides the same burst of flavor without the funky fish blend. All you need is a head of romaine, vegan croutons, and this simple dressing to toss together a crowd-pleasing vegan salad.Get the recipe

Sweet yet tangy, this creamy emulsion of sweet maple syrup and bold Dijon mustard pairs well with a variety of greens from peppery arugula to mild mixed greens. It also doubles as an excellent dipping sauce for vegan chicken nuggets or seared tempeh.Get the recipe

There are two fabulous applications for this herby vinaigrette. One is a salad made up of lettuce, red onion, cherry tomatoes, pepperoncini, olives, and shaved vegan parmesan cheese. The other is not a salad at all: pasta salad. When toothsome rotini or farfalle pasta sits in this flavorful dressing, pasta becomes even more appetizing. This dish is perfect for outdoor events or hot days.Get the recipe

French vinaigrette differentiates itself from its Italian cousin by way of its herbs and spices. The former requires less ingredients and tends to be a bit more versatile when it comes to salad pairings. We love using this on vegan Nicoise salads or even over a very simple bowl of hand-torn greens.Get the recipe

Those who believe you can never have too much dill need to try this recipe. Its thick, creamy, decadent, but not heavy thanks to the sneaky silken tofu and plenty of fresh herbs blended in. Generously drizzle this dressing over crisp, hearty greens or dip crudits to your stomachs content.Get the recipe

This standout vegan dressing is creamy, spicy, and slightly nuttytruly emblematic of an umami-based condiment. To tame down the heat, go lighter on the sriracha. Try it over a vegan poke bowl, cold soba noodle salad, or plant-based sushi.Get the recipe

Crossroads Kitchen

Stock up on all eight Follow Your Heart vegan salad dressings, and youll be set for any kind of salad you can dream up. The range includes classics such as plant-based honey mustard, Thousand Island, and Caesar in addition to novelty options like Creamy Garlic and Reduced-Fat Ranch. Pro tip: if youre a ranch-on-pizza kind of person, the Creamy Garlic is definitely something you should try.Find out more

Mother Raw

Looking for a clean salad dressing that wont add junk to your healthy bowl of veggies? All of Mother Raws products are made with plant-based ingredients that provide nutritionnot empty calories. Our favorites include Smokey Chipotle, Roasted Garlic Caesar, and Creamy Tahini. All of these double as dips in addition to dressings.Find out more

@Olivesfordinner/Instagram

Reach for a Daiya dressing if youre in the mood for something thick and creamy to toss with your leafies. Flavors include decadent Homestyle Ranch, Creamy Italian, Hony Mustard, Blue Cheeze, and Creamy Ceasar. These options arent light, but theyre perfect for enticing picky eaters to gobble up a few more greens.Find out more

Hidden Valley

The brand that hooked us all on the creamy blend of secret herbs and spices delivered through a mayo-esque emulsion now makes a vegan version identical to the original. Coined Plant Powered Ranch, the product quietly debuted in 2021, offering a one-for-one swap to its dairy- and egg-based predecessor. Hidden Valley loyalists rejoice.Find out more

Plant Junkie

Several brands carry the basics, but Plant Junkie is one of the few producing a vegan blue cheese salad dressing. This new item is thick, creamy, and just funky enough to remind us of the classic wedge salads we downed in our pre-vegan days. Pour it over quartered slices of crisp iceberg lettuce or let it double as a dip for spicy vegan chicken wings.Find out more

Plant Perfect

Green Goddess salad dressing is one of the outliers when it comes to condiments, but it certainly has its place. Plant Perfect offers a solid vegan option for all who worship this mythical flavor goddess, along with several other tasty products like tangy Cilantro Lime and spicy Chipotle Ranch.Find out more

For more on vegan condiments and recipes, read:19 Vegan Condiments Better Than the Real Thing16 Salads You Wont Believe Are SaladsVegan Seafood Pasta in a Tangy Asian-Style Dressing

Tanya Flink is a Digital Editor at VegNews as well as a writer and runner living in Orange County, CA.

Get FREE vegan recipes delivered to your inbox by signing up for our award-winning VegNews Recipe Club.

Sign Up

Get FREE vegan recipes delivered to your inbox by signing up for our award-winning VegNews Recipe Club.

Sign Up

View post:

13 Vegan Salad Dressings to Make You Crave Any Salad - VegNews

Legendary recording artist and social media star DJ Khaled is adding a plant-based chicken option to his menu at Another Wing, a chicken wing shop he launched last year. The new vegan chicken wings are made from a base of non-GMO soy by LikeMeata LiveKindly Collective brand. The LikeMeat wings will be covered in a choice of Another Wing sauces, none of which are currently vegan. However, a spokesperson for the brand told VegNews that a vegan sauce might be in the works.

This LikeWings collaboration is an incredible opportunity for people who dont eat meat to enjoy the incredible flavors of Another Wing. This collab combines the flavors of Another Wing with the plant power of LikeMeat, DJ Khaled said in a statement. Lets win more with LikeWings.

A play on his catchphrase another one, DJ Khaled launched Another Wing in November 2021 across over 150 locations and three continents at the same time on the REEF Kitchens platformthe largest operator of parking real estate and delivery restaurants in North America.

Starting today, LikeMeat wings will be available at Another Wings US locations for delivery through all major services. LikeMeats wings also recently launched in the retail sector and are available at 3,600 Walmart locations, along with other retailers such as Target, Sprouts, and Sams Club.

Another Wing

This years upcoming 4/20 celebration is all about cannabis, and DJ Khaled has just the thing to satisfy the munchies associated with the holiday. To promote the collaboration with LikeMeat, DJ Khaled is opening a pop-up dispensary in Miami. The Another Wing Dispensary will operate on April 20 from 3pm to 9pm in Miamis Wynwood neighborhood where LikeMeats wings will help guests satisfy their appetites with plant-based chicken.

Were flying high with this new partnership and are beyond excited for Another Wings fans to try these awesome LikeWings the next time the munchies strike, Michelle Collette, Head of Foodservice for LikeMeat, said in a statement. This is LikeMeats first flight into the ghost kitchen world, and were in it to wing it.

DJ Khaled is no stranger to vegan chicken and experimented with going plant-based back in 2016. Musical artists Beyonc and Jay-Z inspired DJ Khaled to take on a vegan challenge with the help of 22 Days Nutritiona meal delivery company co-founded by Beyonc and vegan entrepreneur Marco Borges. After completing the challenge, DJ Khaled followed a plant-based diet on and off, and updated his social media followers about his diet and exercise plan with the hashtag #veganalert.

In 2018, DJ Khaled was one of two openers during Beyonc and Jay-Zs On the Run II Tour. He brought the conversation about plant-based eating on stage at one show at the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA. Do we have any vegans in the house? he said on stage which elicited hoots and hollers from the 40,000-strong crowd. The performer then went on to promote the 22 Days meal plan that inspired him to try plant-based eating.

KFC

Another Wings addition of LikeMeats chicken wings is part of a larger growing trend of restaurants and companies getting into plant-based chicken. Last year, leading plant-based meat companies Beyond Meat and Impossible Foods both released vegan chicken products in retail. In the fast-food sector, Impossible Foods teamed up with Burger King to launch its Impossible Nuggets at select locations last October. The nuggets are also available at AMC theaters across 37 states and more than 150 restaurants nationwide.

As for Beyond Meat, the brand has been busy creating custom vegan chicken solutions for chains such as A&W, KFC, and Panda Express, while at the same time developing products in new categories such as Beyond Meat Jerkywhich it launched in partnership with PepsiCo at retailers nationwide last month.

Other players in the space include TiNDLE (a product made by Singapore-based Next Gen Foods which just welcomed culinary icon Andrew Zimmern as an advisor); Atlas Monroe (a Black woman-owned brand with an in-demand sandwich at vegan chain Copper Branch); and VFC (a United Kingdom-based brand thats coming stateside with the mission of taking chickens out of the food system).

For more about vegan chicken wings, read:Pizza Chain Donatos Launches Vegan Wings at Nearly 200 LocationsNestl Leads $4 Million Investment in Skin-On Vegan Chicken Wings Pizza Hut Launches Vegan Wings in Australia

Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.

Get FREE vegan recipes delivered to your inbox by signing up for our award-winning VegNews Recipe Club.

Sign Up

Get FREE vegan recipes delivered to your inbox by signing up for our award-winning VegNews Recipe Club.

Sign Up

View post:

DJ Khaled's New Meatless Chicken Wings Were Made To Satisfy the Munchies - VegNews

I wouldnt say Im the biggest fan of salads, although Im very much a Caesar and arugula salad kind of gal. But this vegan green goddess salad recipe from @bakedbymelissa is viral for a reason.

And, luckily, if you have a blender handy, its also pretty easy to make.

1 head cabbage, chopped, shredded or diced

1 large cucumber (or 3-4 baby cucumbers)

2-4 green onions or scallions

A handful chives ( cup)

For the dressing:

cup olive oil

cup lemon juice

2-3 cloves of garlic

1 small shallot

1 cup spinach

1 cup basil

cup nutritional yeast

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoon rice vinegar

nuts (pine nuts)

Thinly dice the cabbage and cucumber and add to a large salad mixing bowl. Slice the scallions and chives and add to the mix.

Depending on how thinly you chop the cabbage and cucumber, this dish can easily be a salad or a dip. Either way, it pairs well with blue corn tortilla chips (crumbled into the salad or dipped). But I recommend the dip.

Now youre ready to start on the dressing. Add olive oil, the juice of one large lemon (or cup), garlic and shallot to a blender. Then add spinach, basil, nutritional yeast, salt, rice vinegar and nuts of your choice (cashews, walnuts, pine nuts or a combination of the three).

Finally, if you have a smallish amount of leftover chives, add them to the dressing mixture. Blend until the ingredients are thoroughly combined.

Pour over the salad greens and toss until the dressing is equally distributed.

Top with a little fresh ground pepper, break out the tortilla chips, and youre in business.

The rest is here:

Versatile vegan green goddess salad is simple to make - The Spokesman Review

It seems that every week in vegan food news is more exciting than the last and this week is no exception. York Street Marketa supplier to airports, colleges, and corporations in 24 statesnow offers snack boxes filled with Field Roast pepperoni and Chao Creamery cheese cubes. Ice cream chain Baskin-Robbins is expanding its dairy-free ice cream selection with a brand new flavor. And gelatin-free gummies get their wings on German airline Eurowings. Read on for more.

York Street Market is a catering supplier to major airports, colleges, corporations, and sporting stadiums in 24 states in the Midwest and Northeast regions and it recently partnered with Greenleaf Foodsparent company of vegan brands Lightife, Field Roast, and Chao Creamery. This partnership has borne four exciting food items at York Street Market locations:

Greenleaf Foods

As the leading fresh food solutions company throughout the Northeast and Midwest, York Street Fresh Market is dedicated to meeting our customers changing tastes, which include an increased demand for accessible, great tasting plant-based options, Joe Lorenzo, President and CEO of Lorenzo Food Group and York Street Market, said in a statement. Were excited to be working with industry leader Greenleaf Foods, SPC as our first-ever plant-based partner to feature a variety of their delicious, protein-packed products as part of these new menu options.

In addition to pepperoni and cheese snack boxes and sandwiches, world travelers can look forward to even more vegan options in the friendly skies. This week, German supermarket chain Veganz partnered with European airline Eurowings (a part of Lufthansa) to get its vegan gummies aboard more than 70 flights. The gummies are made without gelatinan ingredient derived from collagen in animal bonesand come in five assorted flavors: strawberry, orange, black currant, apple, and lemon.

Veganz

Veganz has been operating in Germany as a pioneer vegan grocery brand since 2011 and is expanding its reach not only to the skies with Eurowings but to other areas where vegan food is in high demand (read: everywhere). Veganz also recently partnered with foodservice giant Aramark and German football club RB Leipzig whose stadium catering services have been selling Veganz products since the start of the current Bundesliga season.

Hodo Foods, a cult-favorite company based in Oakland, CA, is known best for its tofu productswhich can be found in stores and on the menu at Chipotle as the chains vegan protein option: Sofritas. Hodos been around for nearly two decades and in that time, has replaced approximately 3,000 tons of animal proteins each year.

Now, the brand is getting into the vegan egg market with its new All-Day Egg Scramble, which is made with a base of Hodos tofu and flavorings such as nutritional yeast and black salt (for that eggy flavor). Designed to be a convenient swap for eggs, the protein-packed scramble is heat-and-eat and can go atop toast, inside burritos, or at the center of the plate with a side of meatless bacon.

Hodo Foods

The All-Day Egg Scramble is a twist on a Hodo bestseller from our early days at farmers markets, reflecting the wholesome craveability and convenience of this plant-protein egg alternative, Hodo Founder and CEO Minh Tsai said in a statement. Hodos Egg Scramble tastes like eggs and is made of clean, whole plant-based ingredients: true to Hodos farmers market roots in deliciousness, health, and convenience.

Hodos new vegan egg scramble is now rolling out to 1,500 stores nationwide, including Whole Foods Market, with Sprouts Farmers Market and online grocery store GTFO, Its Vegan bringing it on in the coming months.

With Earth Day right around the corner, organic brand Forager Project is finding a new way to send the message that choosing plant-based foods is better for the planet. The brand is already dedicated to bringing awareness to the damaging effects of dairy production by offering vegan products such as yogurts, milks, cheese, and sour cream.

Forager Project

Now, Forager is putting the message Eat Organic Vegan Food & Help Save Our Planet on the foils of its best-selling cashew yogurt products found at more than 10,000 stores nationwide. Why use this prime packaging real estate to send a climate message instead of advertising? The company wants to do its part to fight the climate crisis and help you do yours by simply choosing to eat plant-based.

Baskin-Robbins is the worlds largest ice cream chain and up until a few years ago, its only vegan options were sorbet. Now, the ice cream giant is going all in on dairy-free. After two years in development, Baskin-Robbins launched its first two vegan flavors, Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough and Chocolate Extreme, made from a base of coconut oil and almond butter in 2019. Last year, Baskin-Robbins became the first national ice cream chain to add oat milk ice cream to its lineup with the launch of its May flavor of the month: Non-Dairy Strawberry Streusel.

This week, Baskin-Robbins is embarking on a rebranding journey with a new logo, packaging, employee uniforms, and tagline Seize the Yaya message to encourage consumers to celebrate small moments of happiness. To give customers more reason to celebrate, Baskin-Robbins is launching a new vegan flavor: Non-Dairy Mint Chocochunk. Made with a coconut milk base, the flavor features sweet mint, thick chocolate chunks, and a gooey fudge swirl.

For more than 75 years, Baskin-Robbins has been the destination for celebrating the moments that matter most. Our new look and manifesto recognize the extraordinary role ice cream has played in our customers lives, along with our continued commitment to innovation and creating someones next favorite flavor, Jerid Grandinetti, Vice President of Marketing and Culinary at Baskin-Robbins, said in a statement. Small moments that spark joy often get taken for granted. Were encouraging people to pause and celebrate any moment that brings happiness with Baskin-Robbins.

For the latest vegan news, read:How Billie Eilish Is Turning Nike Vegan, One Sneaker Collection at a TimeChildren Less Likely Than Adults To See Animals as Food, Study FindsWhy a Protein in Leaves Could Be the New Vegan Meat

Anna Starostinetskaya is the Senior News Editor at VegNews and is always keeping an eye on all things vegan in her home city of San Francisco, CA and everywhere else.

Get FREE vegan recipes delivered to your inbox by signing up for our award-winning VegNews Recipe Club.

Sign Up

Get FREE vegan recipes delivered to your inbox by signing up for our award-winning VegNews Recipe Club.

Sign Up

Go here to read the rest:

New Baskin-Robbins, Airport Snack Boxes, and More Vegan Food News of the Week - VegNews

This article was created in partnership with Hey Bud Skincare. Editors hand-pick every product that we feature; when you purchase through links on our site, we earn an affiliate commission.

Anyone who's been within five feet of me recently has had the absolute pleasure of hearing me complain about my stress acne. About a month ago, I began an arduous move from Boston to New York City, and, having moved around frequently during my adult life, I knew exactly what that transition meant for my skin: Lots of stubborn blemishes on my cheeks, forehead, and chin that take ages to go away and result in hyperpigmentation. At first, I resigned myself to this inevitability, and when I received Hey Bud Skincare's Glow Up Bundle, I thought, "Why not? These products can't possibly make my skin any worse." Lo and behold, they did not make it worsethey made it unbelievably better.

Hey Bud is a vegan, organ, cruelty-free, and gluten-free brand whose products are based in hemp oil, which is derived from the cannabis sativa plant. The brand promises that its products help smooth aging skin and control oil production without stripping skin of its moisture. In short, hemp-based skincare is meant to be the ideal cure-all for combination skin like mine, because it seeks restore balance by moisturizing dry spots and curbing the excess sebum production that results in acne.

Filled with tentative hope, I started by trying the Daily Hemp Gel Cleanser. The lightweight formula definitely made my face feel clean and relieved of its greasiness, particularly after coming back from a workout, but I also didn't feel too dry in the way I sometimes do after using products heavy in salicylic acid. Similarly, the Hemp Moisturizer felt light and dried matte on my face, but also provided substantial moisture.

The next product in the bundleand the one I was most nervous about tryingwas the face oil. Being that I tend to break out when I'm stressed, I didn't want to add any more oil to my skin, but I also know that ultra-dry skin can worsen breakouts by causing skin to ramp up oil production. Plus, the spot treatment I'd been using on my zits was starting to make certain areas of my skin flake, so I needed a moisture boost fast.

The face oil was a perfect option. It's rich enough to feel luxurious and heavily moisturizing, as intended, but it also doesn't make me look shiny or leave residue on my pillow when I go to bed. Personally, I like it best for use at night, as a follow-up to the thick Hemp Clay Mask.

Speaking of the mask, it is very much a clay mask in that it's thick, creamy, and oil-reducing. I recommend ensuring that your face is nice and moisturized before using the mask, or your skin will sting, but when your face (or back, or chest, or anywhere) is feeling particularly oily, this mask is an excellent option. I felt like I was giving my skin a fresh, clean new start after wiping it off. The mask also comes with a cute little brush so that I don't have to poke at my face with my fingers when I apply the formula once a week.

After using these products for about two weeks, I've noticed a huge difference in my skin. This was the only part of my skincare routine that I changed, so I can say with confidence that these products are responsible for the intense relief I feel now and for the significant decrease in the amount of concealer I have to put on in the mornings. Now that Hey Bud has rid me of my acne, I just need them to market a product that makes moving less stressful, but I've yet to hear back from the brand on that.

Below, check out a few more Hey Bud products that'll have me moving into my new crib with confidence.

This headband is such a cute way to keep the baby hairs out of your face while you're treating yourself to a facial.

This serum promises to keep sebum production under control, making it perfect for those with oily or acne-prone skin.

This firming rolling is always so cool to the touch and is such a refreshing, luxurious way to start the day.

This serum is perfect for those looking to combat signs of aging and revive tired skin.

View post:

This Line of Vegan Products Single-Handedly Cured My Stress Acne - Marie Claire

April 20, 2022

1650468492

Dolma Vegan Fragrances of the UK is one of the oldest 100% vegan and cruelty-free makers of perfumes and aftershaves and has been operational since 1982 as one of the very first vegan perfumes on the market.

Theres no reason why customers cant have a fragrance that both aligns with their values

Founder Jim Payne was a vegan, Buddhist and chemist who saw the gap in the perfume market and started experimenting with essential oils. He sold the company in 2015 to the current owners who updated the line and added four new womens fragrances last year.

Dolma fragrances do not contain parabens, palm oil or phthalates. The companys ethics focus on honesty and transparency regarding the ingredients in its womens perfumes and mens aftershave and the company also takes part in several sustainability initiatives such as planting a tree for each purchase and using 100% recyclable materials in its products and packaging.

General Manager Sharon Beecham says: When we took over Dolma, we decided to reformulate and update some of the lines and create four new womens fragrances that could compete with the name brands people know and love. Theres no reason why customers cant have a fragrance that both aligns with their values and is something they love to wear every day. Our customers feel good about their purchase and we are thrilled we can provide high quality, sustainable fragrances.

All of our own-brand cosmetic and personal care products are approved under the Cruelty-Free International Leaping Bunny programme, the internationally recognisable gold standard for cruelty-free products. All of our ingredients are sustainable and we try to do our part to lessen the impact of the planet with recyclable materials, adds Beecham.

Head to http://www.dolma-perfumes.co.uk to find out more.

Continued here:

Dolma Vegan Fragrances Celebrates 40 Years of Business - vegconomist - the vegan business magazine

Read the Bhagavad Gita online with profound and easy-to-understand commentary by Swami Mukundananda. Unravel the philosophy of life and the spiritual essence of the Bhagavad Gita in the most practical and systematic way.

In this authoritative commentary, Swami Mukundananda reveals the original meanings of the verses with crystal clear explanations and perfect logic. Adopting a comprehensive and holistic approach not attempted hitherto, he intersperses his purports with illustrative stories and real-life examples to make the teachings easy to comprehend and implement in everyday living.

He masterly quotes from all the Vedic scriptures and many other sacred texts, opening up a panoramic view to help us see through the window of the Bhagavad Gita, the whole Absolute Truth.

Unable to deal with the immediate problem at hand, Arjun approached Shree Krishna for a palliative to overcome the anguish he was experiencing. Shree Krishna did not just advise him on his immediate problem, but digressed to give a profound discourse on the philosophy of life. Hence, the purpose of the Bhagavad Gita, above everything else, is to impart Brahma Vidya, the science of God-realization.

The Bhagavad Gita is not content with providing a lofty philosophical understanding; it also describes clear-cut techniques for implementing its spiritual precepts for everyday life. These techniques of applying the science of spirituality in our lives are termed Yog. Hence, the Bhagavad Gita is also called Yog Shastra, meaning, the scripture that teaches the practice of Yog.

Inexperienced spiritual practitioners often separate spirituality from temporal life; some look on beatitude as something to be attained in the hereafter. But the Bhagavad Gita makes no such distinction, and aims at the consecration of every aspect of human life in this world itself. Thus, all its eighteen chapters are designated as different types of Yog, since they deal with methodologies for the application of spiritual knowledge to practical life.

See more here:

Bhagavad Gita, The Song of God Swami Mukundananda

As an ancient Indian scripture, Bhagavad Gita provides many ways to explore contemporary management concepts, conflicts, dilemmas, and trade-offs in business, according to IIM-A.

April 20, 2022 / 01:41 PM IST

Its not a temple, matha, or spiritual conference, but one of the top B-schools in India that has produced hundreds of chief executive officers (CEOs) and entrepreneurs.

The elite Indian Institute of Management at Ahmedabad (IIM-A) is going to teach a course titled Understanding Bhagavad Gita- A Journey towards Leadership Excellence. The 10-day online course will be rolled out in May to offer leadership lessons, conflict resolution, ethics, self-management and business acumens derived from the scripture.

The course is designed with at least five objectives and learning outcomes: one, gain insights into ethics and values to promote meaningful impacton organisations; two, develop insights into how to make effective choices; three, strengthen concepts of contemporary management and value-based leadership;four,develop an understanding about leadership excellence; andfive, acquire insights about how to lead a life with excellence and happiness.

As an ancient Indian scripture, it provides many ways to explore contemporary management concepts, conflicts, dilemmas, and trade-offs in business. Lessons from Bhagavad Gita suggest powerful ways to promote management practices that are consistent with the business model and yet ethical, IIM-A said.

This course is focused on early reflections on those learnings. The course will also enable participants to develop competence to face challenging times in their career with aplomb and confidence. The programme aims to sensitise them on ways to develop themselves into effective leaders in the corporate world, it added.

Download your money calendar for 2022-23 here and keep your dates with your moneybox, investments, taxes

Prashant K Nanda is an Associate Editor at Moneycontrol .

Read more here:

IIM-A rolling out Bhagavad Gita course aimed at helping execs navigate dilemmas and trade-offs in business - Moneycontrol

Our own inequities keep us bound to an Earthly concept of life. They bind us to the cycle of repeated birth and death

In time of war, do you choose God or Gods army?

In the Indian epic Mahabharata, the supreme personality of Godhead, Krishna, offers this choice to Duryodhana and Arjuna. These two cousins contested each otherss dominion over their ancestral lands.

Arjuna and his brothers, the Pandus, tried various forms of diplomacy to avoid a fratricidal war, but Duryodhana remained adamant. He would not give his cousins enough land to sick a pin in.When all diplomacy failed, the Pandus determined they should resolve the conflict through combat.

Arjuna and Duryodhana approached Krishna at the same time. Krishna told them he would not personally fight in the battle, but would offer his army to one side and himself as an advisor to the other side. Duryodhana quickly chose Krishnas army. Just as quickly, Arjua chose to have Khrisna as his personal advisor and chariot driver.

At the onset of the battle, Arjuna asked Krishna to advance the chariot between the phalanxes of the two great armies. The conversation that ensued between Arjuna and Krishna forms the Bhagavad-Gita (BG). When he looked across to his adversaries, he saw cousins, uncles and teachers that held positions worthy of respect.

Out of an overwhelming sense of compassion, Arjuna told Krishna it would be better to detach himself from the conflict and live the life of a mendicant.

Arjuna told Krishna, I will not fight.

Krishna advised Arjuna, While speaking learned words, you are mourning for what is not worthy of grief. Those who are wise lament neither for the living nor the dead,(BG 2.11).

Krishna goes on to differentiate between the inevitability of death for the body, including bodily relations, and the immortality of the soul, the self slays not nor is slain.

All those present on the battlefield would perish, with the exception of Arjuna and his brothers. The combatants would not be the cause of anyones death, only instruments. As such, they are bound by duties and obligations and propelled by their egos to act out their destines as if they were someone in a dream. The real cause of death is the time factor.

Each and every one of us face this same inevitable cause of our demise. Just as we were destined to take birth in this world, we are destined to die. Both birth and death are symptoms of the time factor.

Time I am, destroyer of the worlds, and I have come to engage all people. With the exception of you [the Pandavas], all the soldiers here on both sides will be slain, (BG 11.32). Time is the universal cause of death. Old age, bodily injuries and various forms of illness are just symptoms of that time factor.

We face the same decision as Duryodhana and Arjuna. We can choose between Gods army which includes doctors, hospitals and progressions of health care, the church, various rituals rites, teachers as well as armies and their strategies or we can choose God himself who will instruct each of us through the heart.

When we choose to foster our most imitate connection with God then we can receive instructions from Him. He can guide us as the super soul from within the heart. After instructing Arjuna, Krishna tells him, I have explained to you the most confidential of all knowledge. Deliberate on this fully, and then do what you wish to do, (BG 18.63).

Free will enables us to choose between God and his energies. His armies, their celestial armour and weapons are just manifestations of that energy. God does not have a need for us to choose him. He is fully satisfied within himself. Choosing God is solely for our benefit.

We have a complex network of desires, doubts and misgivings curtained over our hearts. This shading obscures us from recognizing directives and activities in our own best interest. By choosing to serve ourselves and satisfy personal objectives we devise plans and schemes that estrange us from our own best interest.

Our own inequities keep us bound to an Earthly concept of life. They bind us to the cycle of repeated birth and death.

For this reason, in his concluding instruction of Bhagavad Gita Krishna tells Arjuna, Abandon all varieties of religion and just surrender unto Me. I shall deliver you from all sinful reaction. Do not fear,(BG 18.66). Surrender, Not Gods might or greatness is the ultimate shelter and principle of religion.

When we surrender unto God, we find peace by aligning our will with his. All adversity we face is presented to us by his grace. When we try to overcome our lives struggles through his armies we inevitably face setbacks, frustrations and ultimate failure.

When we try to overcome these struggles through aligning our desires and will with him, we are ultimately victorious.

Harold Meier lived in Taiwan for over 20 years. He worked as an aircraft maintenance technical instructor and quality manager with Lufthansa Technical Training. During his time there he studied eastern religions, primarily Vedantism, and became an active member of the Hare Krishna community. Meier holds a masters degree in educational practices. He repatriated back to Canada with his family four years ago. Currently, Meier is working in the social services sector.KTW welcomes submissions to its Faith page. Columns should be between 600 and 800 words in length and can be emailed to editor@kamloopsthisweek.com. Please include a very short bio and a photo.

Read more from the original source:

Faith: Choosing God over God's army - Kamloops This Week

Dr. Binaya Bhusan Jena

Today is the International Mother Earth Day. First celebrated on 22nd April 1970, a time when environmental protection was not yet a priority of the national and international political & policy agenda. However, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared Earth Day as International Mother Earth Day in December 2009, almost after 40 years of the first celebration of Earth Day.

It may be true that were better off today in material living standards and have made remarkable progress in science & technology and have enough food to eat. But this has come at a huge environmental cost. Since 1970, according to an estimate of the World Wildlife Funds Living Planet, the wildlife population has declined by 40 percent. It was reported by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) Red List, that there are 37,480 species threatened with extinction. In India, we have around 200 species that are identified as critically endangered that includes animals and plants. We are literally destroying the ocean, the ecosystem and her biological richness and altering the oceans chemical makeup with greenhouse gas and pollution, particularly plastic pollution, and have already created hundreds of dead zones threatening the marine bio-diverse ecosystem including the coral reefs. Hundreds of marine species including turtles and birds die from consumption of plastics and the rising carbon emissions are making the oceans more acidic, weakening its ability to sustain life both underwater and on land. As per a survey conducted by WWF, 88 percent of marine species are harmed by serious plastic contamination in the water, and more than half of the worlds marine species do stand on the brink of extinction by 2100.

Our rainforests that capture vast amounts of carbon, aid cloud formation, protect against desertification, contain the majority of terrestrial life on earth and provide a huge assortment of life-saving medicines continue to vanish at staggering rates. It dose not just stop there. According to the UN, Seven billion people will suffer from water scarcity by 2050. Thirty Indian cities, including Mumbai, Jaipur, Kolkata, Amritsar and Kozhikode could dramatically face severe water crisis unless urgent action is taken to mitigate and adapt to climate change.

Since 1970, we have seen several declarations that address climate change. However, the situation has gone from bad to worse in the last five decades. Biodiversity and bio-abundance continue to decline and unless large-scale actions are taken on war footing, we might face devastating environmental and climate-related consequences.

There is an urgent need to recall the wisdom of our ancestors. While the mainstream Western philosophy sees nature as mere resources for human consumption, we see nature-human relation in the light of a mother-child relation. The verses of the Vedas reveal profound reverence towards Mother Earth. The Bhagavad Gita tells us that a life without contribution toward the preservation of ecology is a life of sin and a life without purpose or use. The Upanishad says, tat sristva ta devanu pravisat(after creating the universe, the Creator entered into every object created). That is why they always worshiped the pancha mahabhutas, mountains, rivers, animals, and birds, as they had understood the interdependence. The concept of Mother Earth advocated in the Vedas, particularly in Bhoomisukta, is inimitable. The Hindu Declaration on Climate Change, presented in December 2009 at the Parliament of the Worlds Religions in Australia, reminded the world of the symbiotic relationship between the Earth and the Human. Mata Bhumi Putro aham Prithivyah! Earth is my mother, I am her son! Atharva Veda, 12-1-12.

The theme for International Mother Earth Day 2022 is Invest in our Planet. Question is, how do we invest and what do we invest? We can no longer sit idle and keep complaining about governments and industries that are yet to find an effective roadmap for addressing the environmental challenges the planet is facing. We are at a horrifying stage for our own existence and for the existence of all other forms of life that depends on this earth. Our behavior continues to be like the fabled woodcutter who is cutting the branch of a tree on which he is sitting. The menace of environmental crisis is gradually approaching a point of no return. So, if we really want to invest in our planet, we have to raise the collective and individual consciousness about the environmental impact. Recall the third Avtar of Lord Vishnu, the Varaha Avtar, wherein he appeared as a wild boar to save Mother Earth from the clutches of a demon named Hiranyaksha. Let us invoke the Varaha Avtar of Lord Vishnu, already present inside us, to reappear and save our Mother Earth.

Dr. Jena is a Professor and practitioner of sustainable fashion at National Institute of Fashion Technology (NIFT), Bhubaneswar, known for his concept and model of Farm to Fashion.

Read the original post:

International Mother Earth Day: Time for Recalling Vedic Wisdom | Odisha Special - Ommcom News