WHAT WOMEN DO NOT KNOW (ANYMORE)
- Madhukar Dama
- 8 hours ago
- 25 min read
Once the pride of every Indian home, now forgotten under degrees, gadgets, and deliveries.
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SECTION 1: TRADITIONAL COOKING & FOOD KNOWLEDGE
1. Do you know how to soak and ferment millets before cooking?
2. Do you know which spices to use for which dosha or season?
3. Do you know how to make jaggery at home from sugarcane juice?
4. Have you ever sprouted grains instead of using polished ones?
5. Can you cook without a pressure cooker or microwave?
6. Do you know how to make your own cooking oil from groundnuts or sesame?
7. Do you know how to make sambar or rasam powder at home?
8. Have you ever roasted and ground masalas fresh before cooking?
9. Do you know which food increases mucus and which reduces it?
10. Have you ever sun-dried vegetables for storage without a fridge?
11. Do you know how to make rice kanji for fever or weakness?
12. Can you make laddus or snacks without using a single packaged item?
13. Do you know the value of soaking tamarind or dry mango for sourness?
14. Have you ever tasted raw banana stem or flower as a dish?
15. Do you know the purpose of adding curry leaves and hing?
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SECTION 2: HOME REMEDIES & HEALING KNOWLEDGE
16. Can you treat a cough without any pharmacy medicine?
17. Do you know what to do if a child has loose motion or vomiting?
18. Can you apply a natural paste for burns or skin allergies?
19. Do you know which leaves to boil for a fever-reducing bath?
20. Have you ever made your own herbal oil for hair or skin?
21. Do you know how to help your child breathe easier during a cold using steam and herbs?
22. Can you massage a baby using traditional strokes and oils?
23. Do you know how to naturally delay periods or reduce flow using food?
24. Can you relieve stomach ache with a simple kitchen solution?
25. Have you used castor oil for any traditional remedy?
26. Do you know how to make kadha or kashayam for sore throat?
27. Can you apply turmeric paste for wounds confidently?
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SECTION 3: SEASONAL WISDOM & DOMESTIC TIMING
28. Do you eat different foods in summer and winter?
29. Can you say which fruits are in season and which are not?
30. Do you know which pulses or grains are cooling or heating?
31. Have you observed the wind direction or sky color to guess the weather?
32. Do you dry clothes and grains at the right time of day?
33. Have you fasted with just fruit or water to reset digestion?
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SECTION 4: CLEANING & SUSTAINABILITY KNOWLEDGE
34. Do you know how to clean without chemical phenyl or sprays?
35. Can you use ash, tamarind, or soapnut to wash utensils or clothes?
36. Have you ever made homemade bio-enzymes from kitchen waste?
37. Can you remove stains without buying expensive liquids?
38. Do you segregate waste as your grandmother did — even without a bin?
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SECTION 5: CHILDCARE & GROWTH WISDOM
39. Do you know how to calm a crying baby without gadgets or cartoons?
40. Can you handle a toddler without diapers, using elimination communication?
41. Have you sung lullabies or told handmade stories to children?
42. Do you massage babies or feed them based on traditional methods?
43. Do you know how children were toilet trained without potties?
44. Can you identify teething, colic, or indigestion from a baby’s cry?
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SECTION 6: HANDSKILLS & HOMEMAKING CRAFT
45. Can you stitch a button, mend a tear, or weave a simple cloth?
46. Have you ever made a broom, scrubber, or pad from plant material?
47. Can you draw kolam, rangoli, or decorate rice flour art without stencil?
48. Have you ever hand-washed and sun-dried your own sanitary cloth?
49. Do you know how to light a firewood stove or make cow dung cakes?
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SECTION 7: SOCIAL & CULTURAL KNOWLEDGE
50. Do you know why certain festivals have certain foods?
51. Do you follow menstruation-related rest practices — and why they were kept?
52. Do you know the meaning behind haldi-kumkum rituals or oil baths?
53. Have you ever observed food-sharing without pride or shame?
54. Do you prepare food with hands and mind fully present — or while on phone?
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SECTION 8: GARDENING & LOCAL PLANT WISDOM
55. Can you identify tulsi, brahmi, ajwain, or hibiscus plants?
56. Do you know which leaf is good for skin, which for digestion, and which for hair?
57. Have you ever grown curry leaves or chillies in your own pot?
58. Do you compost your kitchen waste at all?
59. Do you know how to make a plant grow from a cutting?
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SECTION 9: RELATIONSHIPS & FAMILY KNOWLEDGE
60. Do you know how to comfort a person without words, just by touch or presence?
61. Can you feed someone with your hand when they are sick or tired?
62. Have you cooked or cleaned in someone’s house just as family?
63. Do you know how to manage emotions during family conflict without shouting or sulking?
64. Have you ever helped a neighbour with postpartum care?
65. Can you guide a teenager just by silent presence and love?
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SECTION 10: DEATH, LOSS & LIFE CYCLES
66. Do you know how to care for a dying elder at home?
67. Have you been part of preparing a body for burial or cremation?
68. Do you know how families mourned and healed without antidepressants?
69. Do you know the meaning of feeding birds after a person dies?
70. Have you sat in silence beside someone, without trying to fix or distract?
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SECTION 11: COOKING TECHNIQUES LOST IN TIME
71. Do you know how to make pickles that last a year without refrigeration?
72. Have you ever roasted brinjal directly on fire for baingan bharta?
73. Do you know why some dishes use iron vessels while others don’t?
74. Can you identify the taste difference between brass and steel cooked food?
75. Have you ever pounded spices by hand using a stone grinder?
76. Do you know how to use buttermilk to reduce spice in a curry?
77. Have you made a meal with no grains, no flour, no processed foods?
78. Can you make butter and ghee from curd at home?
79. Have you used rice starch water as a soup or hair wash?
80. Do you know how to make chutneys without electricity?
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SECTION 12: GRANDMOTHER'S MEDICINE CHEST
81. Do you know how to make onion syrup for cough?
82. Have you used turmeric and salt water gargle for sore throat?
83. Do you know the use of ajwain (carom seeds) in colic?
84. Have you applied betel leaf for swelling or sprain?
85. Do you keep dry ginger or black pepper as emergency medicine?
86. Do you understand the signs of gut imbalance just by stools?
87. Do you know why oil is put in the ear or navel during illness?
88. Can you prepare an anti-lice treatment using neem and shikakai?
89. Do you apply turmeric-lemon paste for acne instead of chemical creams?
90. Have you ever treated anemia with jaggery, sesame, and dates?
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SECTION 13: VILLAGE LIFE PRACTICALITIES
91. Have you ever washed clothes with ash or soapnut instead of detergent?
92. Do you know how to make curd in a clay pot?
93. Can you manage your kitchen for a week with no fridge?
94. Do you know how to purify water using drumstick seeds or copper vessels?
95. Have you cooked using firewood or cow dung cakes?
96. Do you know how to safely store food without plastic?
97. Have you walked barefoot on soil or wet grass every day?
98. Do you know how to naturally cool a room with wet cloth and ventilation?
99. Have you eaten with hands without shame or napkins?
100. Do you know the difference between tap water and rain water for cooking?
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SECTION 14: WOMEN’S WISDOM — THE LOST INTIMACY
101. Have you tracked your menstrual cycle without an app?
102. Do you know which herbs ease menstrual cramps naturally?
103. Have you rested or fasted during periods — like earlier women did?
104. Do you know what foods cool or heat the womb?
105. Have you applied castor oil for fibroids or flow regulation?
106. Can you recognize PCOD signs without a doctor’s test?
107. Have you treated white discharge with banana flower or methi seeds?
108. Do you know how fasting and sunbathing cleanse the uterus?
109. Have you supported another woman through menopause naturally?
110. Do you know the emotional causes behind chronic gynecological issues?
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SECTION 15: NATURAL BEAUTY SECRETS
111. Have you made face packs from kitchen ingredients?
112. Do you know how to use hibiscus, amla, and curry leaves for hair?
113. Have you ever used ubtan for body cleansing instead of soap?
114. Do you avoid makeup during skin healing phases?
115. Do you know how to lighten tan using buttermilk or aloe vera?
116. Can you stop using deodorants and replace with lemon or neem?
117. Have you sun-dried your hair after oil bath?
118. Do you know why women wore glass bangles and toe rings?
119. Have you used coconut shell, clay, or loofah as scrubber?
120. Do you know how different oils suit different body types?
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SECTION 16: EMOTIONAL HEALING & SILENT STRENGTH
121. Can you sit with pain without suppressing it?
122. Do you cry and release — or bottle up and scroll?
123. Have you comforted a family member just with touch and silence?
124. Can you cook or sing when your heart is broken?
125. Do you know how to grieve without posting it?
126. Have you ever fasted as a form of emotional clarity?
127. Do you recognize signs of anxiety without needing a therapist?
128. Can you soothe yourself without ordering food or shopping?
129. Do you talk to trees, moon, or animals when lonely?
130. Have you asked elders for guidance before turning to influencers?
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SECTION 17: DOMESTIC ECONOMY & COMMON SENSE
131. Do you know how to run a home without buying packed snacks?
132. Have you reused old clothes into rags, quilts, or bags?
133. Do you save water while washing dishes and vegetables?
134. Do you know how to shop once a week and still cook fresh daily?
135. Can you cook a full meal under ₹30?
136. Have you bartered, shared, or exchanged instead of buying?
137. Do you know how to stretch one sabzi across three meals?
138. Have you ever cooked for 10 people with 3 ingredients?
139. Do you know the difference between hunger and craving?
140. Can you say no to relatives who shame your lifestyle?
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SECTION 18: ELDERLY CARE & INTERGENERATIONAL LOVE
141. Have you cleaned your grandparents with your own hands?
142. Do you feed your elders first, without telling them “wait”?
143. Do you sit beside them without phone — just listening?
144. Can you translate their wisdom into your daily life?
145. Do you know how to cook the dishes they miss from childhood?
146. Have you massaged their feet, without being asked?
147. Do you respect their slowness without getting irritated?
148. Have you ever asked how they managed without doctors?
149. Do you store their stories like treasure — or ignore them as noise?
150. Have you told your children what their great-grandmother knew?
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SECTION 19: FERTILITY, PREGNANCY & BIRTH KNOWLEDGE
151. Do you know which foods increase fertility naturally?
152. Have you ever supported conception using lifestyle, not IVF?
153. Do you know how to prepare the womb for a healthy pregnancy?
154. Can you identify emotional blocks that affect fertility?
155. Have you massaged your lower back to relieve menstrual or fertility issues?
156. Do you know how village women gave birth without C-sections?
157. Have you read or heard real birth stories from elders in your family?
158. Do you know how food, posture, and emotion affect the position of the baby?
159. Have you ever practiced squatting or breathing for natural delivery?
160. Can you guide another woman to recover from a traumatic birth?
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SECTION 20: NATURAL FAMILY LIFE & EMPOWERED MOTHERHOOD
161. Do you know how to carry a baby without a pram?
162. Have you cooked while holding a child on your hip?
163. Can you breastfeed in public without shame?
164. Do you know how to manage a child’s tantrum without distractions or gadgets?
165. Have you made toys from cloth, seeds, or coconut shells?
166. Do you know how to discipline without shouting or bribing?
167. Have you sat with your child and made a rangoli together?
168. Do you know how to teach numbers or letters with no books?
169. Can you understand your child’s behavior as a reflection of environment?
170. Do you raise your child to be nature-connected — or job-prepared?
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SECTION 21: SPIRITUAL PRACTICE WITHOUT RELIGIOUS SHOW
171. Do you sit in silence daily without music or guided apps?
172. Have you offered food to birds, ants, or dogs as a prayer?
173. Do you clean your home as a spiritual act — not a chore?
174. Have you ever fasted without ritual, just to observe your mind?
175. Do you chant or sing without worrying about your voice?
176. Do you teach your child the value of quietness?
177. Can you experience God without going to a temple or guru?
178. Do you know how many women once held the family’s spiritual rhythm?
179. Do you light a lamp for your inner clarity — not superstition?
180. Have you let go of a grudge instead of lighting incense?
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SECTION 22: DISASTER RESPONSE & SURVIVAL WISDOM
181. Can you live without electricity for three days?
182. Do you know how to store water for a week for the whole family?
183. Can you cook a full meal with no packaged item or gas?
184. Have you stocked your kitchen with grains, pulses, and seeds that don’t expire fast?
185. Do you know how to treat a wound, fever, or sprain without going to hospital?
186. Have you ever cooked in the open during a power cut?
187. Can you bathe with just one mug of water if needed?
188. Do you have skills that are useful in any crisis — or just degrees?
189. Can you keep your child calm without mobile, TV, or snacks during blackout?
190. Do you store dry wood, candles, matchbox, or homemade disinfectants?
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SECTION 23: WISDOM OF EMPTINESS & LETTING GO
191. Do you know how to be content with three saris, three vessels, and a few books?
192. Have you gifted away something valuable without expecting return?
193. Do you unclutter your home without waiting for New Year?
194. Can you sit in a room with no noise, no light, no activity?
195. Do you accept aging as natural — or keep fighting with fairness creams?
196. Have you accepted that not every child needs to be “smart”?
197. Do you know how to simplify instead of add one more app, item, or idea?
198. Can you let your child fail without rescuing or blaming?
199. Do you know how to laugh at yourself without guilt or shame?
200. Have you ever bowed to someone who taught you something by living, not speaking?
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SECTION 24: TOUCH, PRESENCE, AND SILENT CARE
201. Have you massaged someone’s back or head just because they were tired?
202. Do you know how to calm a baby without singing, swinging, or speaking?
203. Can you cook while watching over a sleeping elder or child?
204. Have you sat near a sick family member without checking your phone?
205. Do you know how to read someone’s eyes without words?
206. Have you touched your child’s feet while they slept?
207. Can you sense discomfort in a guest even when they smile?
208. Do you know how to pray with your hands, not your lips?
209. Have you used your hands as a warm blanket for someone shivering?
210. Do you remember when your mother touched you without instruction — just love?
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SECTION 25: TIMELESS TIMEKEEPING WITHOUT CLOCKS
211. Can you tell time by the position of the sun or shadow?
212. Do you know how birds and insects announce different times of day?
213. Have you followed your body's hunger instead of a mealtime bell?
214. Do you wake up without an alarm — just by habit or sunrise?
215. Have you ever timed a recipe by smell and sound, not timer?
216. Can you prepare for a festival by moon phase, not calendar?
217. Do you rest when tired — or wait for official bedtime?
218. Can you tell when it will rain without a weather app?
219. Do you remember when time was felt, not scheduled?
220. Do you ever ignore the clock and just follow life’s rhythm?
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SECTION 26: FOOD AS RELATIONSHIP, NOT JUST NUTRITION
221. Do you cook differently when your family is upset — to comfort them?
222. Have you offered food as apology or love instead of words?
223. Do you sense when a child is full just by the way they chew?
224. Have you observed that how food is served changes how it is received?
225. Do you know that your emotions enter food while cooking?
226. Can you fast as a prayer — not punishment?
227. Do you wait to eat until everyone has enough — not just yourself?
228. Have you made food without garlic or onion for rest days?
229. Do you understand that cooking is not a burden but a bond?
230. Have you fed someone who can’t thank you — without ego?
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SECTION 27: PLANTS, PETS, AND THE INVISIBLE WORLD OF LIFE
231. Can you keep a houseplant alive for more than a year?
232. Do you know how to feed street dogs and cats safely?
233. Have you planted a seed, watered it daily, and waited without control?
234. Do you greet the tulsi or touch the neem tree in your home?
235. Have you kept water for birds in summer?
236. Do you remove weeds by hand — or ask someone else to do it?
237. Can you hear the difference in birdsongs from morning to evening?
238. Do you consider your waste before throwing it into soil or water?
239. Have you watched ants carry food silently — and learned from it?
240. Do you allow your child to walk barefoot on earth?
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SECTION 28: HONESTY ABOUT ILLUSIONS OF MODERN LIFE
241. Do you know how to be happy without photos, filters, or likes?
242. Can you admit that your degree never taught you how to live?
243. Have you ever said, “I don’t know” — with full humility?
244. Do you know that shopping rarely fixes what is emotional?
245. Can you see that therapy cannot replace grandmother’s lap?
246. Do you accept that convenience is not always comfort?
247. Have you noticed that you’re more tired now than your uneducated grandmother was?
248. Do you agree that hospitals cannot heal what your food and rest can?
249. Can you say that real wealth is how many people you can feed with your own hands?
250. Do you believe that your child needs you — not just your success?
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SECTION 24: RURAL WISDOM AND VILLAGE SELF-RELIANCE
251. Have you ever repaired your own clothes by hand stitching?
252. Do you know how to make fuel-efficient chulhas or outdoor stoves?
253. Have you ever cleaned your teeth with neem twig or charcoal?
254. Do you know how to make soap using traditional methods?
255. Have you ever collected rainwater and stored it for home use?
256. Can you identify ten local trees by name and benefit?
257. Do you know how villagers bathe using just one bucket?
258. Have you used cow dung to clean and disinfect the floor?
259. Can you identify animal sounds and their meanings?
260. Do you know how to braid and dry onions or garlic for long storage?
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SECTION 25: THE LOST ART OF PATIENCE AND STILLNESS
261. Have you ever waited for something without checking your phone?
262. Do you know how to do nothing — and feel no guilt?
263. Can you sit beside someone without needing to talk?
264. Have you ever prepared food slowly — just to nourish, not to impress?
265. Do you let water boil without opening the lid again and again?
266. Can you bear a hungry child’s whining without panicking or bribing?
267. Do you know how to comfort without fixing?
268. Have you waited for your plants to grow — without rushing them?
269. Can you go a whole day without asking, “What next?”
270. Do you allow your body to rest without shame?
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SECTION 26: UNSPOKEN SOCIAL SKILLS OF THE ELDER WOMEN
271. Do you know how to read a guest’s discomfort before they say it?
272. Can you feed a crying child of a neighbor without permission?
273. Have you stepped in silently when someone was overwhelmed — not waiting to be asked?
274. Do you know how to de-escalate a family conflict without taking sides?
275. Have you ever given up your comfort for someone else’s dignity?
276. Do you know how to manage gossip without hurting anyone?
277. Can you make people feel welcome even with little to offer?
278. Have you guided a younger woman through her first periods or marriage?
279. Do you know how to bless someone without using religion or fear?
280. Can you hold space for grief, rage, or regret — without rushing healing?
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SECTION 27: DEEP DOMESTIC AWARENESS AND MEMORY
281. Can you remember how much rice your family eats in a week — without checking notes?
282. Do you recognize everyone’s hunger patterns and emotional food triggers?
283. Have you ever planned meals using only what’s already in the house?
284. Do you notice when someone has stopped singing in the kitchen — and why?
285. Can you spot when a child is dehydrated — just from their eyes?
286. Do you remember where everything in the home is — without labeling or apps?
287. Have you adjusted the spice levels naturally, by instinct?
288. Do you know how much oil, salt, or water a person prefers — without asking?
289. Can you make everyone feel they got their favorite part of the dish?
290. Do you remember not just birthdays, but sorrows and dreams?
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SECTION 28: INTEGRITY, TRUST, AND INVISIBLE SERVICE
291. Have you cleaned something nobody asked you to, just out of love?
292. Do you return containers, money, and kindness without being reminded?
293. Can you be trusted with someone’s child, secret, or home without fear?
294. Have you ever refused gossip — without preaching?
295. Do you help the helper, not just the host?
296. Can you be relied on — not just for skills, but for silence?
297. Have you done a chore again because someone did it with resentment?
298. Do you remove slippers silently when someone is resting?
299. Have you ever done something difficult — without needing praise?
300. Can you disappear from spotlight — just to let someone else shine?
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SECTION 29: NATURE'S CALENDAR AND INTUITIVE TIMEKEEPING
301. Can you tell when to plant or harvest just by observing the moon or soil?
302. Do you know which birds return during which seasons in your region?
303. Have you tracked your menstrual cycle using moon phases?
304. Do you change your cooking style with the changing wind or light?
305. Can you smell when rain is near?
306. Do you adjust your sleeping times by season, not office?
307. Have you matched your child’s nap rhythm with the day’s temperature?
308. Do you celebrate festivals based on feeling, not just dates?
309. Have you felt time slow down during Amavasya or Poornima?
310. Can you predict seasonal illnesses just by watching the sky or trees?
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SECTION 30: DYING WISDOM OF NEIGHBORHOOD INTERDEPENDENCE
311. Do you ask your neighbor if they need something when you go shopping?
312. Have you ever watched someone else’s child without being requested?
313. Do you borrow and lend freely — without shame or pride?
314. Have you taken a tiffin to a sick neighbor without formal invitation?
315. Do you give without counting and forgive without confronting?
316. Have you ever taken advice from a lesser-educated but wiser woman nearby?
317. Do you know how to build trust without talking much?
318. Can you step into someone’s kitchen and find what’s needed?
319. Have you sat on a neighbor’s step and shared life without judgement?
320. Do you know your neighbor’s medicine needs, allergies, or fears?
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SECTION 31: REAL EDUCATION THROUGH EMBODIMENT
321. Have you taught a child to fold clothes patiently — not just quickly?
322. Do you involve children in real work — not just assignments?
323. Have you shown how to serve elders — not told?
324. Do you demonstrate gratitude instead of demanding manners?
325. Can you teach math through cutting vegetables, not apps?
326. Have you helped your child feel their feelings instead of analyzing them?
327. Do you educate by how you live — not by what you preach?
328. Have you ever explained injustice by sharing your own story?
329. Do you teach by presence — not pressure?
330. Can you admit when you were wrong and let your child learn from that?
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SECTION 32: INVISIBLE STRENGTH OF GENERATIONAL WOMEN
331. Do you know how your grandmother managed anger without violence?
332. Have you asked what your mother gave up to raise you?
333. Do you honor your ancestors through food, rest, and service?
334. Have you lit a lamp not for God but for gratitude to your lineage?
335. Do you ask family elders how they healed heartbreak?
336. Have you made amends for past hurts in the family without needing closure?
337. Do you carry your foremothers in your cooking, voice, and care?
338. Have you cried over something your mother never got to do?
339. Do you recognize that your strength is not yours alone?
340. Have you passed on even one of their teachings to your child?
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SECTION 33: LIVING WITHOUT SHAME OR EXCUSE
341. Have you breastfed in front of in-laws without fear?
342. Do you cook without comparing your style with others?
343. Have you let go of “what people will think” and worn comfort clothes?
344. Can you say “I don’t want that” without justifying yourself?
345. Do you speak gently without performing politeness?
346. Have you loved your body even when it changed after childbirth?
347. Can you live a simple life without defending it to others?
348. Do you stop trying to appear perfect in front of your relatives?
349. Have you laughed at your own superstition, mistake, or belief?
350. Do you let others shine without shrinking yourself?
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SECTION 34: RETURN TO WILDNESS AND INNER DIRECTION
351. Do you walk without purpose — just to feel the wind?
352. Have you danced alone when no one was watching?
353. Do you allow yourself to sing badly — but fully?
354. Have you touched trees, rocks, or animals to calm your nerves?
355. Can you hear your own breathing without trying to fix it?
356. Have you stayed awake at night just to listen to silence?
357. Do you dream of a life without deadlines or selfies?
358. Have you eaten with your hands and licked your fingers with joy?
359. Do you let your child climb, crawl, jump — even when others judge?
360. Can you say no to comfort if it kills your inner truth?
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SECTION 35: EMBODIED UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE & DEATH
361. Have you washed a dead body or witnessed its final rites closely?
362. Do you speak of death in front of children — or hide it away?
363. Have you accepted your own mortality — not just feared it?
364. Do you keep a photo or memory alive of someone without guilt?
365. Have you fed the poor or birds in memory of the departed?
366. Do you know that grief is a ritual, not a pathology?
367. Have you worn old clothes after a loss — as a mark of inwardness?
368. Can you witness your parent grow weak — without pretending it’s okay?
369. Do you feel love that doesn’t demand return — even after someone is gone?
370. Can you let someone go — while still living with their wisdom?
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SECTION 36: RESTORING BALANCE WITH MEN WITHOUT WAR
371. Can you teach a man with love — not sarcasm?
372. Have you honored a father’s effort even if he was emotionally absent?
373. Do you guide your partner with your action — not control?
374. Can you mother a boy without suppressing his sensitivity?
375. Have you supported a man in failure — without shame?
376. Do you correct with softness, not passive-aggression?
377. Have you taught men how to serve — not just lead?
378. Do you praise without manipulation?
379. Can you stop competing with men and still remain powerful?
380. Have you ever forgiven a man without making him small?
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SECTION 37: COMMITMENT TO A LIFE OF LESS, DEEPER, SLOWER
381. Have you spent an entire day without spending a single rupee?
382. Do you live in one room without feeling poor?
383. Have you simplified your wardrobe to a few meaningful clothes?
384. Do you buy ingredients, not snacks?
385. Have you taught your child how to cook before they can code?
386. Do you know how to store grains to last a whole year?
387. Have you said no to a new gadget just because the old one works?
388. Do you avoid malls, apps, and sale days — not out of poverty but clarity?
389. Have you replaced ten things with one — happily?
390. Do you sleep early even if the world stays up?
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SECTION 38: UNCONDITIONAL CARE FOR THE WHOLE WEB OF LIFE
391. Have you poured water on a thirsty plant even when you're busy?
392. Do you take kitchen scraps to cows or compost piles instead of bins?
393. Have you taught a child that insects have a role too?
394. Do you make space for street dogs to lie down peacefully?
395. Have you rescued a sparrow or fed a hungry squirrel?
396. Do you clean your drain or street — even if it’s not your job?
397. Have you thanked the Earth aloud — not just symbolically?
398. Do you let natural cycles rule your habits more than the economy?
399. Can you live a day where nothing you do harms another being?
400. Do you believe that living gently is the highest form of success?
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SECTION 39: LOST LOGIC OF BODY-MIND CONNECTION
401. Have you ever traced your headache to what you ate yesterday?
402. Do you connect your acne to liver heat or hormonal stress?
403. Have you observed that constipation affects your mood and energy?
404. Do you notice how sleep heals things no pill can?
405. Have you changed your food after observing menstrual pain?
406. Do you track your child’s emotions by their bowel movements?
407. Have you healed bloating by chewing, not medicine?
408. Do you understand the silence behind fatigue?
409. Can you read your cravings as clues — not weaknesses?
410. Have you cried out a sickness instead of suppressing it?
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SECTION 40: UNLEARNED MASTERY OF HEALING KITCHENS
411. Do you know how to make jeera, ajwain, or fennel water for digestion?
412. Can you prepare a warm drink that calms anxiety?
413. Have you ever made khichdi with just three ingredients that heals everything?
414. Do you fast when the tongue feels coated or bitter?
415. Have you made rice starch for children with fever?
416. Do you let cooked food rest before serving — to cool its energy?
417. Have you ever sat in the kitchen like a temple — sacred, quiet, aware?
418. Do you taste your food while cooking — not just follow instructions?
419. Have you refused to cook while angry — out of responsibility?
420. Can you make a simple rasam to cure cold better than syrup?
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SECTION 41: THE SCIENCE OF SLIPPERS, WINDOWS, AND VESSELS
421. Do you know why metal vessels were chosen for different recipes?
422. Have you observed how clay pots change the taste and energy of food?
423. Do you know why slippers were removed at thresholds — not just for cleanliness?
424. Can you tell when to open windows and when to close — by wind and time of day?
425. Have you adjusted home layout based on sunlight and cooking heat?
426. Do you use each vessel with care — not randomly?
427. Have you avoided mixing hot and cold metals while cooking?
428. Do you know how to clean copper with natural materials?
429. Can you cook a meal using only five basic vessels?
430. Have you eaten on banana leaf or stitched plate — and felt the difference?
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SECTION 42: UNWOVEN TAPESTRY OF SACRED ROUTINES
431. Do you begin the day with silence, not screen?
432. Have you swept the floor as an act of mental clearing?
433. Do you wash your feet after coming home — not for hygiene but grounding?
434. Have you observed silence before eating?
435. Do you rest in the afternoon without calling it laziness?
436. Have you bathed after cooking a large meal as purification?
437. Do you light a lamp at dusk with inner stillness?
438. Have you taken deep breaths before bedtime — instead of news?
439. Do you sleep with gratitude — not pending tasks?
440. Have you kept your home’s rhythm intact even during crisis?
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SECTION 43: THE FORGOTTEN POWER OF HANDS
441. Do you know how to soothe a child with just a hand on their back?
442. Have your fingers ever remembered your grandmother’s way of rolling rotis?
443. Do you grind masalas by hand — not for flavor but to stay connected?
444. Have you made anything without machines — just your breath and touch?
445. Do your hands clean, comfort, cook, create — or just type and scroll?
446. Have you wiped tears from someone else’s face — silently?
447. Do you offer your hands in times of death, birth, or despair?
448. Have you used your fingers to heal more than to point or tap?
449. Can you touch a wall, a cloth, or a person with awareness?
450. Have your hands remembered a love story that your words forgot?
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SECTION 44: UNSPOKEN ART OF PROTECTION & GUARDIANSHIP
451. Do you shield children from fear — not by hiding it, but by absorbing it?
452. Have you protected your family’s rhythm from rush and noise?
453. Do you say no to guests when your home needs rest?
454. Have you refused outings when your child’s energy is fragile?
455. Do you build boundaries not with anger — but with quiet strength?
456. Have you stepped back from a fight to preserve the house’s peace?
457. Do you regulate what enters your home — as much as what leaves?
458. Have you stood between your child and a screen, like a wall?
459. Can you turn down a function, purchase, or trip — for your womb’s peace?
460. Have you guarded the unseen — not just the visible?
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SECTION 45: THE POETRY OF UNEDUCATED WOMEN
461. Do you remember the words your illiterate grandmother sang while cooking?
462. Have you seen wisdom in silence more than in citations?
463. Do you honor the woman who taught you to walk barefoot, not in heels?
464. Have you accepted that books without hands-on life are incomplete?
465. Do you respect the lady who gave birth squatting — more than the one who gave lectures?
466. Have you learned about death from someone who never read a line?
467. Do you weep when you realize she knew more about life than your textbooks?
468. Can you live by instinct, not just intellect?
469. Do you allow your heart to rewrite what school erased?
470. Have you told your daughter that the village woman is a teacher too?
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SECTION 46: THE FINAL GIFT — EMPTY YOURSELF
471. Can you drop every rule and simply feel what’s needed now?
472. Have you loved a day so much that you forgot to count it?
473. Do you know how to die before death — and live fully?
474. Have you dissolved pride, position, and performance — into presence?
475. Can you let your child teach you things school never told you?
476. Have you returned to the kitchen without resentment — just reverence?
477. Do you allow people to leave you — without hatred or clinging?
478. Have you said, “I don’t need more, I just need to return”?
479. Can you love your home like it’s alive — not just a building?
480. Have you ever stood in the middle of your house and just bowed?
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SECTION 47: EPILOGUE — RETURN OF THE WISE WOMAN
481. Will you choose skills over symbols?
482. Will you stop chasing feminism if it makes you forget your foremothers?
483. Will you replace power with presence?
484. Will you teach your son to cook, to cry, to serve?
485. Will you clean not because you must — but because it heals?
486. Will you stop laughing at the village woman who walks barefoot?
487. Will you speak your truth without needing an audience?
488. Will you cry without shame, and then get up without drama?
489. Will you say: I do not know — but I am ready to learn again?
490. Will you light a lamp for her — the forgotten you, the old you, the whole you?
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SECTION 48: CLOSING QUESTIONS FOR THE SEEKER
491. What will your daughter inherit — your lifestyle or your life wisdom?
492. What do your hands remember that your head forgot?
493. Whom have you abandoned — in your rush to be admired?
494. What would your grandmother ask you to remember today?
495. When did you last sit still without guilt?
496. When did you last serve without resentment?
497. When did you last love without condition?
498. When did you last forgive without needing an apology?
499. When did you last eat with your hands, your family, your full attention?
500. And when, finally, will you come back home — to yourself?
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