Tera May 2011

We had a lovely time with kids at a home in Pune yesterday. We celebrated Guruji's BDay a day late but with the same fervour, love, masti and joy ! This has become an annual event for us now along with other festivities such as Diwali and Guru Poornima.

We started with bhastrika and Ram Dhyaan and 130 kids meditated with pin-drop silence. Then the kids put up a bhajan performance followed by a  lovely dance performance - something they had been rehearsing for many weeks now !  Then we distributed certificates for participants of a vocational trg course our seva team had sponsored. Then satsang started  :)

The kids sang and danced with unadulterated joy as volunteers joined them. Finally we all had prasad together.  Finally a child came up with a card (in photo above) that he had made for Guruji. He had been working on it for 4 days !

Everyone left with their heads empty, hearts full and hands, having been an instrument in bringing Guruji's grace to the kids.

Just one request Guruji : Keep us all in your service forever !

Jai Guru Dev,

Computer Trg Center - Seva Project

After 2 months of work, it all finally shaped up the way we wanted. Endless phone calls and emails, visits to various prospective donors, amazing experiences of grace, a couple of delays - HE finally pulled it off.

A beautiful Guru Puja, satsang preceded the inauguration and prasad was distributed afterwards.

A 10-computer training centre at a children's home in Pune with a lot of help from individuals and the industry. The seva team will start training courses for the children very soon.

UPDATE : Write up by Sakaal Times.

Jai Guru Dev,

Guruji on Anna Hazare, corruption

Bawa and Dinesh's call to action .

Jai Guru Dev,

Art Of Living, IAHV for Japan

The slowly unfolding horror that is Japan today is there for everyone to see. I was waiting and praying for our response and finally found some information on the IAHV web site. While a team is being put together, the disaster fund raising has already begun. Please donate today (Choose Japan Earthquake Relief from the drop down).

UPDATE :  Guruji's message:  Text . Audio.

Jai Guru Dev,

Mahashivaratri With Guruji March 2nd 2011

Join in LIVE the Mahashivaratri Celebrations in Jaipur on 2 March 2011 with Guruji in the following ways:

1. LIVE Webcast of Maharudra Puja and Mahasatsang with Sri Sri on www.artofliving.org/satsang or live.aofl.eu from 6:30 pm IST onwards

IN INDIA :

2. LIVE Telecast on Sanskar Channel from 7 - 9 pm IST

3. D-Live Telecast on Shraddha Channel from 8 pm IST (here is the way to configure Shradhha channel from your cable operator)

3.. D-Live Telecast on Shraddha Channel from 8 pm IST (here is the way to configure Shradhha channel from your cable operator)  

http://www.artofliving.org/in-en/daily-schedule-sri-sris-talks#shraddhatv

JGD,

Prayers !

As World Cup fever grips the nation, its not exactly the right time to say anything against cricket. But when I came across this slide-show which shows die-hard cricket fans offering aarti at one of the holiest Ganesha temples in Mumbai - Siddhivinayak - for the success of Indian cricket team, something snapped within me.

Lest I be mistaken, I should place on record that, though not a cricket fan, I am as enthusiastic as any Indian about us winning the World Cup. However the act of offering (rather public) prayers for this to happen had me thinking about recent events in India. Thousands of crores of public money were looted with impunity by a couple of our esteemed members of parliament. The price of daily commodities maintains an upward trajectory,putting it out of reach of the common citizen. The morning newspaper brings with it dismal news of a youth committing suicide or a woman being molested by a group of thugs drunk with liquor and power.

At the risk of earning the wrath of any cricket fan that happens to read this blog, I'll say this. Can't we pray for better sense to prevail among our leaders and populace ? Cant we pray for better treatment of women in our country ? Can't we pray for a better life for the millions still living in abject poverty ? Better still can't we do something actively about it ? If anyone can, it is an Indian - a proud citizen of the world's spiritual barometer.

But only if we get our collective heads to think of something that really matters for a better life for our citizens. Something tells me that that something is not cricket.

JGD,

Guruji in Pune

Guruji was in Pune today in a brief stopover from Mumbai - to give the keynote at the 1st Parliament of Indian Council Leaders at MIT College. He arrived at 11:30 sharp and was welcomed warmly by the thousands of students attending the various sessions. Among the various speakers who are scheduled to address the meet are the former President Abdul Kalam, Narayana Murthy (Infosys), Dr. Kiran Bedi and others.

UPDATE : Summary of Guruji's session here.  TOI's coverage here.

He started the session by chanting the DakshinaMurthy Stotram :

Om namah pranavarthaya shuddagyanaikamurtaye
Nirmalaya prashantaya dakshinamurtaye namah

Guruji then continued by saying how he was inexorably dragged to Pune around Jan 12-13th each year :-) ! Last year he he was here on the exact same dates for Antarnaad. Gosh I can't believe it has been a year since seeing HIM in person !

He talked for a bit and then took Q&A from the students. HE talked about character, about how if you wanted to see love you should go to an Indian village, about the need for spirituality in student's life etc.

Another highlight was how he empowers others. A student asked Guruji to lead a pledge for the students to free the country from corruption etc. Guruji asked him to lead it instead. The student said something like "I am a small person compared to you". Guruji gave him back the mic saying "No No you are NOT small" and made him take the pledge and actually took the pledge along with all of US !

Amazing huh ? Guruji Tussi Great Ho !

I didn't take any pictures. Somehow I can't get myself to do that any more at Guruji's events. "Photo Lene Ke Liye Haath Yeh Uthe Nahin" (Original by Chitra Roy : Prarthna Karne Ko Haath Yeh Uthe Nahin) :-)

None of us got to get close to him as he was whisked away to his Mumbai programs for later today.

Watch Guruji's Mumbai satsangs live at www.artofliving.org/satsang

Jai Guru Dev ,