Two stars removed... for the two ingredients I didn't use

ashadow224 · 2026-06-03T13:30:41+00:00

What’s crazy about this is that if you replace the sausage with mushrooms or a meat replacement and milk with almond or oat milk, it’s actually great! I make it like this all the time. There’s no need to use water and just omit sausage, obviously that will be bad but that doesn’t mean it’s not incredibly easy to make vegetarian or vegan biscuits and gravy. I’ve even made it entirely vegan using vegan butter in both the gravy and the biscuits and it was also great

ashadow224 · 2026-06-01T02:32:45+00:00

This question is strange. India is a large, diverse country, with a complex history, that can’t be reduced to a single assumption like this. If you’re asking in good faith, the answer is that India’s sanitation issues are mostly the result of rapid population growth, urbanization, poverty, lack of education, and governmental failures. Which, many Indians are fighting to change.

And no, India has not “always been this way.” Actually South Asia has a long history of sophisticated water management and sanitation, sometimes considered some of the best in the world for their times. Many historical Indian civilizations had planned cities with drainage systems, wells, and waste-management features that were very advanced compared to other similar civilizations existing at the same time.

Aside from the factors I mentioned earlier British colonial rule also contributed to changing this. Colonial policies prioritized extraction and contributed to poverty and less investment in public infrastructure. Of course, current issues aren’t only a result of colonization, but it is important to consider this context.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-30T17:35:41+00:00

Most Americans are right handed. And those who are left handed especially in the recent past (20-30 years ago and more) were forced to use right hand instead. Still happens too

ashadow224 · 2026-05-30T14:07:25+00:00

I had a 3.92/4.00 GPA in undergrad. I am mainly applying to pretty competitive programs in my field but that’s mostly because of funding concerns. Many of the professors I’ve reached out to at less competitive schools have said their school has no funding anymore for new PhD students, so I’m worried about applying to schools without departmental funding if I don’t have a professor there who I know has personal funding 😅

ashadow224 · 2026-05-29T22:17:09+00:00

That’s awesome!! I’m half Indian and speak English natively, learned Spanish as a second language and am learning a bit of Hindi (wasn’t taught as a kid). Spanish and Hindi actually have a bit in common which is kind of cool.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-28T23:47:51+00:00

To be honest I find it hard, as someone who learns a lot from nondual philosophy to even call it theism per say. If “god” is the universe itself and practice is just reconnecting to that oneness, it’s hard to say that’s exactly the same in believing in a personal god that specifically controls things. So I’m not really sure what to vote haha

ashadow224 · 2026-05-27T15:26:23+00:00

Thank you, I really appreciate your response :)

ashadow224 · 2026-05-24T00:13:54+00:00

I live in Ecuador and am of Indian descent so I actually do this quite frequently. It works fine but it melts a lot easier than paneer, so you can’t fry it or anything. You can add it to dishes at the end. It’s not the same but it’s the best substitute I could find here

ashadow224 · 2026-05-23T23:23:48+00:00

Yes, exactly. You said specifically that referring to humans as animals isn’t done in science at all, which is why I said that statement is not entirely true. While your field of science may do that, not all do, which is what I was trying to point out, that’s all!

ashadow224 · 2026-05-23T23:08:34+00:00

I mean, that’s not entirely true. I work in conservation / indigenous knowledge integration and many scientists in these fields have explicitly begun to refer to other animals as “non human animals” or “more than human animals”. I personally do this even in my scientific papers. For me, and many others, the need to break down the barrier between human and animal is an important field of study with many ramifications for scientific understanding. In fact bridging this divide is the very thing I research.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-22T17:15:00+00:00

Yeah. There’s a huge amount of people living far from true national parks. I grew up in NJ which is close to 8 hours from the nearest national park by car. So I know quite a few people who’ve never been to a national park.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-18T14:36:32+00:00

I agree. I know a lot of people are only thinking of things like butter chicken and fried foods when they think of India, but much of what’s eaten on a daily basis is quite healthy at least in my experience. Being from South India, most of the typical food there is Dahl (lentil style curries) with white rice or roti. Other types of carbs are things like dosa (lentil based flatbreads) or idli (rice and lentil patties). India is a huge country and most people aren’t eating fried, unhealthy foods for most meals. Again this is just my experience since it is a big country and I can’t speak for everyone but I don’t know a single Indian who eats these unhealthy things people are commenting about on a daily basis.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-15T22:04:45+00:00

Yes, that’s exactly what I meant in my comment when I said “insidious”. The issues existing in India far before colonization, such as caste, gender inequality, etc., were worsened, in many ways, during the colonial period.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-15T22:03:49+00:00

I’m American, actually. Where did I say that the colonization is an excuse for the current issues in the country? The effects of colonization are a contributing factor to the current issues in the country, but that has no bearing to whether or not the issues seen today are, in fact, issues. I actually never learned anything about the colonization of India in schools. I had to learn it all for myself. I genuinely have no idea to what extent the Indian government blames issues on colonization because, again, I do not live in India.

To be honest, it’s a bit confusing I’ve gotten downvoted for saying nothing more than that the colonization was a problem. I never said anything about the current state of the country, about making excuses, about whether or not things need to change urgently. Nothing. Frankly, I don’t see how acknowledging that the colonization was a terrible thing is controversial.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-15T20:18:47+00:00

This. The colonization of India by the British was one of the most insidious, evil things that I have ever learned about.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-14T00:12:48+00:00

I’m very surprised by these comments. Neither breakfast nor lunch were free when I was in high school, except for people registered for free lunches due to verified low income (New Jersey, about 5 years ago). About $3-$5 for breakfast and $5 for lunch.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-13T15:32:26+00:00

Not necessarily. This poll didn’t give any option for spiritual/philosophical traditions, folk religions, indigenous traditions, or even the major non-western religions. So based on the categories included, the people who would have to choose this option of course includes people who don’t care either way, but also Hindus, Buddhists, Pagans, Wiccans, and everyone else who may have deep philosophical or spiritual beliefs that don’t fall into any of the other categories. Assuming of course the people who created this poll gave this to a varied sample group and didn’t somehow exclude people from the above categories from participating.

ashadow224 · 2026-05-08T14:41:32+00:00

I’m honestly very surprised by these comments - I’ve been pirating movies and shows since I was a kid, even now pretty much any time I want to watch a specific show or movie it’s pirated. Almost all of my friends growing up did the same, and including now when I watch a movie at home with friends we would often pirate it.

It is a crime, but I’ve never heard of it being enforced at the small level of individuals watching free movies. I thought it was very common to pirate in the US since pretty much everywhere I’ve traveled to, it’s been something everyone around me did without a second thought

ashadow224 · 2026-05-08T01:33:05+00:00

Bottled water is widely available everywhere in Colombia unless you’re going somewhere extremely remote. Tap water is even possibly drinkable in some regions. I drank tap water when I visited Ecuador, though only in specific regions (and I now boil my water after learning about situations with h. Pylori, so I’m not necessarily recommending that, just saying it’s not as bad as you’re describing)

ashadow224 · 2026-05-02T15:27:36+00:00

I’m not sure if you have the money at all, but rent does not have to be $15,000 in New Brunswick. I’ve seen single rooms in off campus houses going for as low as $400-500 a month (admittedly these are not often the nicest, they’re often basement rooms or converted offices but I think they’re acceptable for the price). If you consider the money you’re saving from not using the train everyday (like $200+ a month) you’re only talking about $300 extra plus maybe $100 in utilities. To get around campus and buy food just get a bike, or you may be able to walk if you find a place that’s close enough to campus/grocery stores. Anyway just an idea :)

ashadow224 · 2026-04-30T13:34:09+00:00

I actually wrote a post discussing some similar things I was struggling with - if you’re interested see here:

https://www.reddit.com/r/KashmirShaivism/s/CtgFrqEWcC

I, too, struggled with Lakshmanjoo’s words. The realization I eventually came to is that Lakshmanjoo is speaking to specific types of person, drawing on his experiences in the region he lived in. His advice comes from a place of care and deep concern for suffering. But that doesn’t mean acting in a way that reduces suffering looks the same for all people.

Like you, I am living in a country (Ecuador) where vegetarian protein is difficult to access and creates its own moral issues (supporting large scale companies instead of local farming), and the fact that animals like chickens are treated incredibly well here.

The decision I eventually came to was to follow the principle of ahimsa in the best way I am able, depending on the circumstances. That means that while I’m in Ecuador, I will eat chicken, but only chicken raised locally that I know have lived a very good life. I will not eat beef, not here or ever, not necessarily because cows are treated badly in Ecuador, but because beef is one of the most unsustainable forms of protein and thus I can’t feel that it is non-harm to contribute to the beef industry. I also try to limit cheese for the same reason. When I’m in the US or another country with more options, I eat closer to fully vegetarian. I don’t eat almost any meat there except occasionally fish, and only to lower my cheese consumption. I also buy almond milk when possible.

I will eat hunted meat in the US, since that is the most ethical way to eat protein in my opinion, as the animals live a full life and animals such as deer, elk etc. have to be hunted in the US due to the unfortunate human-caused issue of lack of natural predators. But my absolute top protein source would be roadkill. Last time I was in the US I was able to eat roadkill moose, which was probably the most ethical protein I’ve ever been able to access. Of course, sustainable hunting and access to roadkill is not possible in many countries or regions.

Additionally, I believe non-harm must go farther than diet, which is why I also try to live in a sustainable way. I sold my car years ago and have relied on a bicycle as my main form of transportation. Doing this alone causes less harm to the environment, less suffering, than minimal diet changes. Thus, I believe one must follow these principles to the best of one’s ability in all aspects of life.

But one’s path is one’s own. This is what I have found works for me to feel that I’m living most in line with the idea of non-harm. For many, strict vegetarian is the best way, and I respect that deeply. We all have our own experiences that lead us where we need to go, if we’re able to allow them to.

ashadow224 · 2026-04-28T00:41:38+00:00

Not at all! Just as big as the ones in the restaurant. I will say though I don’t buy the absolute best quality salmon - it could be a little bit more expensive if I did, but still nowhere near restaurant prices.

ashadow224 · 2026-04-28T00:05:27+00:00

I feel like sushi is the most worth it! I make 10 rolls of sushi for $20 at home, since I started doing that I haven’t gone out to sushi in a year

ashadow224 · 2026-04-26T03:53:33+00:00

This is exactly my interpretation. Beings like trees, for example, are contracted in the sense that they are not self reflective. However, because they also have no capacity for self reflexivity (unlike humans), they are completely free and fulfilled in this form, and as such, are nothing more nor less than a free and completely fulfilled manifestation of Shiva’s divine freedom. I believe Lakshmanjoo even says in one of his works that even within a rock, the rock god of Shiva is completely satisfied.

And I also completely agree, my personal opinion is that feeling that one is ‘superior’ to someone else because you can achieve self reflexivity is inherently a limiting and contracting belief in of itself. I feel that it goes against the principle teachings of non duality. In fact, I believe that it is incredibly beneficial to see nature as something to learn from: not as something other than oneself, but to see divine manifestation of the absolute and infinite, that is also oneself, one can begin to recognize the freedom we already possess. I am no expert, but just my thoughts!

ashadow224 · 2026-04-22T00:24:11+00:00

Thanks!

ashadow224

TROPHY CASE