Imagine yourself lying on a beach, or in a mountain meadow watching the clouds go by. You observe various forms and shapes. Puffy clouds, some darker clouds, clouds smeared by the wind. Your reaction to all of them is the same. They are all part of nature. They are all perfect in their moment. Imagine if we looked at ourselves and the world around us through these same eyes.

One of the most powerful illusions in human consciousness is the illusion of imperfection. We see the world as a series of problems to be fixed. This illusion is one which most people overlook.

Myth 2
Herbal formulas contain high levels of contaminants.

An article in the Journal of the American Medical Association in December 2004 reported the presence of heavy metals in certain Ayurvedic remedies. The researchers obtained the Ayurvedic medicines, all manufactured in South Asia, from small, privately owned Indian groceries in their local Boston area.

As it turns out, the formulas in question contained bhasmas, or purified, specially processed forms of heavy metals purposely added to the formula according to traditional Ayurvedic principles. These mineral ash constituents would certainly show up in the finished product when tested for heavy metals.

This makes a good company dish and an easy way to introduce people to Ayurvedic cooking. Amadea Morningstar, who created this recipe, owes the flavor of this dish to Usha Lad, Dr. Lad's spouse. When she was first trying to teach herself Indian cooking, she had a fair number of humbling flops, and this was an early one. Her beans were tender, but very bland in flavor. She hadn't a clue as to how to proceed. Usha said, "Here, look." and pulled out the chili, ginger and coconut from the refrigerator, and popped them in the blender with a bit of water. Aah. Much better. And a delicious example of south Indian cooking.

Personally I didn't never really like green bean much. The first time I made this ate the whole pound of beans in one sitting! Enjoy this tridoshic gem of a recipe.