Jeevan Ek Khoj

Tera May 2011

2011-05-14T21:31:00.000-07:00

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

2011-05-08T19:53:00.000-07:00

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

2011-04-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

Bawa and Dinesh's call to action .

Jai Guru Dev,

Art Of Living, IAHV for Japan

2011-03-15T05:58:00.000-07:00

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

2011-03-01T05:36:00.000-08:00

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 !

2011-02-18T05:22:00.000-08:00

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

2011-01-13T02:36:00.000-08:00

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 ,

Happy Diwali !

2010-11-04T23:49:00.000-07:00

As has become our annual tradition, we celebrated Diwali this year with children from a remand home in Pune. They danced - we clapped , we sang - they danced - we had sweets together - everyone was in deep bliss and in gratitude to Guruji for this wonderful path, techniques and knowledge that can touch the soul of a king and an orphan equally.

Wish you all a blissful, knowledge filled, satsang filled, love filled, joyous Diwali 2010 !

Jai Guru Dev,

The Truth About Negative Blogs

2010-08-29T03:55:00.000-07:00

If you've been running into "garbage blogs" that are defaming Guruji and the work of Art Of Living, and felt your blood boil - you are not alone. I just came across this great rebuttal by Swami Sadyojatah, on the blogs of at least 2 senior Art Of Living faculty and thought I should highlight them as they provide an inside perspective on what could be motivating people to write rubbish about Guruji and the Art Of Living Foundation.

http://www.kashikar.net/2010/08/the-truth-about-the-negative-blogs-%E2%80%93-by-swami-sadhyojathah/

http://vinodmathur.blogspot.com/2010/08/truth-about-negative-blogs-by-swami.html

Jai Guru Dev,

Guru Poornima 2010

2010-07-26T02:41:00.000-07:00

Guru Poornima was a serene and blissful one this year unlike the last 3 ones filled with angst and pain at not being able to spend it with Guruji.

We had a beautiful Guru Puja, rocking satsang and a feast a day earlier i.e. Sat in order to allow for folks to enjoy the main Pune satsang on Sunday.

For many of us remand home volunteers however, it was a different affair - our first Guru Puja at the remand home followed by a serene satsang, distribution of certificates to kids who had completed various vocational training courses sponsored by AOL volunteers and finally a sneha bhojan with the kids. I can't post pictures due to sensitive reasons, but the above one with decorations was snapped by a volunteer using his camera.

Seva is Divine !

Jai Guru Dev,

What A Beautiful Response !

2010-05-30T22:37:00.001-07:00

Jai Guru Dev,

Nov '07

2010-05-29T03:12:00.000-07:00

Once in a while to satisfy my ego, I take a peek at what Google Analytics has to say about visitors to my blog. A few vain moments I spend, reveling in statistics such as "Top Content", "Map Overlay" (a feature that tells you which cities in the world your visitors are from), traffic sources (whose blogs drive traffic to mine) etc. Somewhere every writer longs to know who his/her readers are I suppose !

Aside from the postings which make up the bulk of the traffic, I often notice an entry that seems to evince strong interest among readers of my blog - November 2007. Whats so special about this time period - well it was the month when yours truly began to partake in this sweetly addictive past-time called blogging.

Why - I thought - would anyone be interested in something I wrote so long ago. After all those were my early posts - written mostly with a burning desire to check who was reading my stuff - whether it was worth reading or not. And then I realized, this was something I do at times too !

When I visit a blog and like something I read, the first attempt is to find out WHO this person is :-). Many a times, blogs (such as mine) do not provide such information. Then my mind goes automatically to the next most intriguing piece of information : What does this person blog about ? How did they begin their blogging journey? What motivated them initially to start this blog ?

Voyeurism of a kind ? A peek into another person's mind/psyche ? Idle curiosity ? Whatever !

November'07 was certainly the start of something sweet, something creative, something that has been fulfilling to me as a blog author - albeit anonymous. A way to share the precious experiences and joy my Guru has given me with my readers. A way to be inspired and hopefully inspire. A way to share and care.

Jai Guru Dev,

Ho Yahi Gunjan Sa Mann Me

2010-05-23T07:09:00.000-07:00

My favourite from Antarnaad :

Lyrics :

ho yahi gunjan sa ma me hoton par tarana
satya sundar jeevan path par hey eeshwar le jana

ho yahi gunjan sa ma me hoton par tarana
satya sundar jeevan path par hey eeshwar le jana

sadbuddhi ko nikat rakhana durbuddhi ko door || 2
na kare woh kam kabhi jo tumhe na ho manzoor
lobh lalajh ke janjaal me lobh lalajh ke janjaal me
hame na uljhana

satya sundar jeevan path par he eeshwar le jana

raj karta is dharti par buddhi se insan
bhool na jaye ham lekin yeh kis ka hai vardan
tumhine di he buddhi malik tumhine di he buddhi malik
tabhi to tumhe pehchana

satya sundar jeevan path par he eeshwar le jana
satya sundar jeevan path par he eeshwar le jana

ho yahi gujan sa ma me hoton par tarana
satya sundar jeevan path par he eeshwar le jana

he eeshwar le jana (high) || 2

Jai Guru Dev,

Tera Main 2010

2010-05-14T13:10:00.000-07:00

We had a wonderful time celebrating Guruji's Bday with kids at the Remand Home in Pune where a large seva group works consistently to bring peace and opportunity through Guruji's grace. Nothing was more fulfilling for the volunteers than celebrating the glorious occasion of HIS Birthday with the underprivileged (could they still lack privilege with HIS presence ?) kids.

Dance, music performances by the kids, a lovely rocking satsang, aarti to Guruji's photo, cutting Guruji's cake, distributing snacks to the kids...all made for a perfect evening !

Jai Guru Dev,

Verifying Yoga

2010-05-08T03:51:00.000-07:00

Just came across this really interesting article about a yogi who was studied by the Indian medical establishment to understand (verify?) his amazing claims about the complete lack of food or water to survive for the last few decades.

http://www.themedguru.com/20100508/newsfeature/82-year-old-indian-healthy-after-7-decades-fasting-86134962.html

And here is the western perspective .

Reproduced below in case the link goes away :

Surviving without a morsel of food and water for more than 70 years sounds humanly impossible, but Prahlad Jani, an 82-year-old Indian, claims to have eaten not a single grain of rice or consumed a drop of water since the early years of World Water II.

Despite living practically on thin air, Jani, popularly referred to as Mataji, has suffered no ill effects and is sharp in mind and perfectly healthy in body.

At a press conference at the Sterling Hospital in Ahmedabad, Jani said, "I am fit and strong today and even the doctors agree. They ran every test possible for 15 days and proved that I do not need food to keep me strong. I am strong and healthy, because it is the way God wants me to be."

A series of medical tests conducted Baffled by his ability to survive through such a long period without sustenance, medical experts conducted a battery of rigorous tests.

A team of 30 doctors, including specialists from Defence Institute of Physiology and Allied Sciences (DIPAS), closely monitored Jani for 15 days starting from April 22, 2010.

Surprisingly all the medical reports- cardiac [pertaining to the heart.] , MRI [magnetic resonance imaging, a non-invasive procedure that produces two-dimensional view of an internal organ or structure, especially the brain and spinal cord.] of chest, abdomen [between the chest and the hips that contains the stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, gallbladder, pancreas, and spleen.] and spine, EEG reports were normal.

Dr G Ilavazahagan, director of DIPAS stated, “Clinical, biochemical, radiological and other relevant examinations were done on Prahlad Jani and all reports were within the safe range throughout the study. He is healthy, his mind is sharp.

“What is truly astonishing, and something we have no explanation for, is that he has not passed stools or urine. To my knowledge, that is medically unprecedented."

Doctors conducting the test stated, “During the tests we found that in Prahalad Jani’s bladder [a hollow organ that urine drains into from the kidneys.] , the amount of liquid fluctuates even when he does not pass urine.

“We did blood tests for haematology, biochemistry, hormone profile and the reports were in the pre-determined safety range throughout the observation period as per the protocol.”

Investigated earlier in 2003 Scientists had earlier tried to get an insight into how Jani has endured decades of fasting in 2003. He had undergone medical investigations under the supervision of Dr Sudhir Shah, a consultant neurologist from Ahmedabad.

He was closely watched for 10 days in a special glass-walled room with the toilet sealed to verify that he felt no urge to urinate or defecate.

He was allowed a small amount of water for mouthwash which was then collected and measured to make sure that none had been swallowed.

Despite such a starvation of diet, his body exhibited no signs of damage and he was normal and perfectly healthy.

Scans revealed some urine accumulation in his bladder, but this seemed to be re-absorbed by the body because it was never passed.

A yogi’s explanation to the unexplained mystery :

According to a mystic from Himalayas, yoga helps normal people survive without food or water.

Individuals who have renounced the world in search of spirituality adopt extreme practices of standing on one leg or refusing food and communication for years on end.

While the article made for fascinating reading, what was also interesting was the extent to which modern science had to go to understand the powerful effects of yoga. I don't dispute the need for scientific verification to eliminate false claims made by quacks and such, but that an Indian doctor should find such effects "baffling, astonishing and inexplicable" bears testimony to the extent to which westernization has completely taken over Indian scientific thinking & practice.

That someone born in the land that gave the world Yoga, Ayurveda and other wonderful practices not to mention glorious texts such as the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Vasishta, should have no clue as to the effects of the practice of yoga shows how much damage the last 400-500 years of British rule has done in covering up tens of thousands of years of glorious Indian heritage. Our modern educational system fails completely in uncovering this aspect too. Thanks Macaulay !!

In this context, Bawa's series on "The Technology Of Spirituality" is truly worth watching. High time India woke up to her true heritage - the glorious practices of spirituality that it has created and given so freely to the rest of the world.

Jai Guru Dev.

Progress ?

2010-05-01T03:53:00.000-07:00

Regular readers of this blog will notice a familiar theme to this post. I've used different words to express the same quest, the same angst, the same ponderings....but nevertheless they remain my deepest questions.

When will I progress ? The question comes up often especially when the times are hard. For tough times seem to impede progress. But that begs the question "What really is progress ?"

Often I defined progress is defined of a set of personal and professional milestones leading to that proverbial pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.Where is the rainbow and is there really a pot at the end of it ?

Back to hard times. Do hard times mean progress has stopped ? What kind of progress ? Personal. Perhaps. Professional. Perhaps. But a deeper introspection suddenly reveals that the "progress" I am missing is just an exercise in bloating my ego. A set of achievements that will mean nothing to nobody when I leave this body. Nothing that is truly long term - across lifetimes. The futility of running after "progress" suddenly strikes home as does the inevitability of the PRESENT MOMENT.

Guru says "The sign of success is your smile" :-) :-)

And when does one have to make a real effort to smile ? Its during the tough times right ? Whats so great about grinning from ear to ear when the sun is shining, the birds are singing, the coffers are overflowing, the belly is overfull ....? Its adversity that really challenges one to address this question "What is Success ? What is Progress ?"

After much agonizing I realize that real spiritual progress happens during the tough times. After all it is during these times that one really has to practice and live the points of the Art Of Living Course - acceptance, not resisting, living life through the opposites, living happily in the present moment......

Its quite amazing. This knowledge has been built for one to navigate the choppy waters of life. As Krishna says in the Bhagavad Gita "Anithyam Asukham Lokam, Imam Praapya Bhajasvamaam".

When I accept that all my hankering for achievements is so temporary and meaningless, the mind calms down and bows to the present moment.

I have to be grateful for this knowledge to be made available to me in this lifetime when the Master giving this knowledge is in his physical form. And yet the question remains "Why this creation with all these problems at all ?" If it is all just a play, why is it so painful at times ? If all goes back to the source, then why leave it at all ? Can illusions be so painful ?

Pain is inevitable - Suffering is optional - Sri Sri Ravishankar.

Jai Guru Dev

What W Wants

2010-04-06T03:04:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, during the final days of my visit to the US of A, I was given an unenviable task by a female relative - that of buying a gift for another female relative - and this gift had to be a piece of apparel. I agreed, little knowing what I had signed up for.

So I entered a store and demurely walked to the section featuring female clothes. As I uneasily ventured close to the section, horrific memories long forgotten began to arise in my mind. Long waits inside small stuffy shops with little or no ventilation, in the heat of summer, where I stood watching dear female relative calmly ask the shop attendant to unload the entire shelf of clothes on the counter while she even more calmly sifted through the pile sorting them into "Strong Possibility Of Buying", "Can't Make Up My Mind About This One", "Maybe" and "No Way". I would stand and wonder what on earth would take her so long to make up her mind. If my male relative or me wanted to buy a shirt it was basically - Walk Into Store, Look at 2-3 choices, Pick 1, Pay, Walk Out" - In and Out in 10 minutes TOPS. And here we were for almost an hour and dear female relative seemed in no mood to make up her mind. And when she did, the long waits outside the trial room lasted another 30 minutes. Another 30 minutes of price haggling followed before a triumphant She and a miserable I walked out of the store, bags and my poor aching legs in tow.

Anyways I digress.

It'll all be over soon, I told myself. After all you are alone. Little did I know the fate that awaited me. It is said that manufacturers and advertisers and stores design the entire store around the female shopping psyche. How True ! As I walked down the innumerable aisles that comprised the female apparel section, I was conscious of a foreboding feeling and a growing sense of helplessness - perhaps the kind that someone who was told to climb a hill would feel when he discovered that the hill in question was Mount Everest and that he had neither the skills nor the required oxygen for the journey.

C H O I C E - C H O I C E - C H O I C E !
C O N F U S I O N - C O N F U S I O N - C O N F U S I O N !

What to buy ? Will she like this or that ? Is this too fashionable or not enough ? Am I paying too much or too little ? What about the color ? O M G what size was I supposed to pick up ? Eek!- I am thinking like a woman !!!

A sweat broke out on my brow as I faced increased doubts about my ability to complete my mission. Silently I cursed the moment I had eagerly signed up for this assignment. I have run 10K races, gone for days without sleep but this was totally out of my league.

A sudden movement behind me caused me to turn suddenly. It was a female shopper who looked uncomfortably at me as she passed the section where I stood in utter confusion. She gave me a look - not quite THE look - but something with a mixture of pity, contempt, irritation - almost like "What are YOU doing here ?" I turned away only to face another female shopper. This time, the look was quite like the one you see a lioness give to a animal (on National Geographic Channel) that has trespassed on its territory. I retreated 2 steps.

All right I told myself - lets get this done and get OUT !

Not that easy right ! Many confused choices and rejections, cold unfriendly stares and buckets of perspiration later, I picked something I thought was right and ventured out of the section, ran to the aisles, paid for the item and almost ran into the parking lot, relieved the ordeal was over.

A few days later I handed the bag with the apparel to my female relative hoping for an award of some sort for all I had been through. What I got instead was a disdainful look and words to the effect "I should have never asked you to do this in the first place. Do you even think she will wear something like this" ?

Shocked and hurt, I walked away licking my wounds. I silently wowed never to accept such a task EVER again. My thoughts went to a movie I saw a few years ago "What Woman Wants" starring Mel Gibson. In that movie, Mel went through similar torment until he was struck by lightning. That finally gave him the ability to think and reason like women. Wow - does one have to be struck by lightning to gain an insight into the female psyche ?

I have nothing against women. You make wonderful mothers, sisters, aunts, nieces, friends, classmates, colleagues, bosses. But PLEASE PLEASE don't ask me to shop for you again - EVER !!

Ain't nothing spiritual about this post right :-) But it was a life's lesson well learnt !

Jai Guru Dev,

Bliss in Texas

2010-03-23T12:29:00.000-07:00

I had the privilege of attending a Art Of Silence (erstwhile known as the Part II or Advanced course) at the beautiful Sri Sri Ashram in Regan Wells, Uvalde, Texas. I did not have the foresight or will to carry my camera so the above photo is from the Ashram website. Likewise photos below are from the internet or were taken by other participants.

One word describes how I felt upon boarding the flight to San Antonio - Disbelief. One word describes how I felt upon reaching the Ashram - Disbelief. One word (ok two) describes how I felt after the course - Intense Gratitude.

Our teacher was none other than the Divine Tanu Ma (Tanuja Limaye), wife of Rishi Nityapragya. I had attended a couple of satsangs with her before but an entire Part II course was a whole new experience all together. Word fail how the days just zipped past in a flurry of sadhana, seva, knowledge, meditation and satsang.

Sriram (a wonderful Sri Sri Yoga teacher from TX) led the morning sadhana. An amazing personality - you have to meet him to know him.

The rest of the day would be spent in intense, beautiful, enlightening and humorous sessions with Tanu Ma. The evening satsangs were amazing. So many amazing singers, so many good instrumentalists, such a rich variety of bhajans - just bliss.

It isn't possible to put a Part II course in words, so I'll stop trying. So if you are curious, just go take one. (of course you need to have done the Part I course first).

The last 3 years have been interesting - both painful & enlightening at the same time. I was looking back an an old blog post from 2007 and was wondering how the last 3 years seems like such a dream despite its trials and tribulations. One thing that was totally affirmed after this course was how Guruji has held my hand and cared for me so much all these years when I could not do a single course. And now this shower of blessings in the form of a silence course. I am in awe and surrender.

I met M in the flesh - actually in the spirit :-) - on the course ! An amazing coincidence given that we were simply following each other blogs for the last year.

My gratitude goes out to Tanu Ma, the organizers and the other wonderful folks on the course that made it such a cherish able experience. A special thanks to S who on finding that I was shivering in the Texas (YES TEXAS) cold, gave me a sweater and prevented me from freezing to oblivion.

As Guruji said in a knowledge tape on the course (not verbatim) : Wake up and see - there is no suffering. If it is still there, give it to me. What an amazing state to be in - one with no suffering !!!

Gratitude stays, the longing for the next Advanced course begins. Until then "Jai Jai Radha Ramana Hari Bol......." !

Jai Guru Dev,

HELP HAITI

2010-01-15T02:52:00.000-08:00

Q: Guruji what do we tell people that have been through a calamity?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Tell them to give all their worries to me. Disasters and calamities also have a positive side to them. They bring people together.There is a new creation after every calamity. Nothing is permanent. In every crisis there is an opportunity. The Chinese word for crisis contains the word opportunity in it. Every crisis reminds you to smile, makes you aware of the impermanence of everything, even ourselves. So instead of sitting and blaming, lets see how we can move forward, rebuild and help others.

IAHV, the humanitarian sister organization of the Art of Living
Foundation, is already mobilizing relief efforts in Haiti.

Please donate generously at : IAHV- Haiti Disaster Relief Online Contributions

Jai Guru Dev

A Spellbinding Evening

2010-01-13T01:48:00.000-08:00

It was an affair to remember, to cherish, to experience, to meditate, to dance, to be grateful. 2750 voices sung as one, swaying to the baton of Shri Shashi Vyas. Chitra Roy's mellifluous rendition of "Sarya Vyapini" as none another, Shankar Mahadevan in his element as he rendered "Bhola Shankara Bhola", powerful politicians behaving like meek rabbits in HIS amazing presence, a superbly enthusiastic Pune crowd.....ANTARNAAD!

Surely the gods and angels in heaven would have taken a break from their evening duties to watch the program on Sanskar channel :D . The evening reminded me of a similar event in the not-so-distant past - Feb 18th 2006, during the Art Of Living Silver Jubilee when thousands of south indian instrumentalists rocked Jakkur Airfield. Well Antarnaad was the first such event where vocalists were involved.

Imagine a satsang where 2750 trained voices chorused along with the lead singer. The conductor must have felt like GOD - one twitch of his hand and 2750 voices rose in crescendo. Words run out....

Jai Guru Dev,

Health & Happiness , Antarnaad

2009-12-29T22:08:00.001-08:00

What a way to start the New Year 2010 !!!! Join us in Pune for 2 amazing events with Guruji

http://artoflivingpune.org/antarnaad/requestpass.asp

Learn practical tools from H. H. Sri Sri Ravishankar on how to achieve and maintain health and happiness in our modern day hectic world. Sri Sri will cover a wide array of topics like eliminating stress, challenges faced in day to day life, handling emotions, responding to life style changes, cultivating healthy habits and many more things.

http://artoflivingpune.org/antarnaad/antarnaadpass.asp

Watch Antarnaad Live !

Jai Guru Dev,

A Milestone to Infinity

2009-11-17T21:53:00.000-08:00

2 days ago, I finished another reading of a book - perhaps the one book that I can never put down and one that has had and continues to have the GREATEST influence in my life - The Yoga Vasishta by Swami Venkatesananda.

My first reading started in July 2003 and ended 9 months later. After that I tried hard to restart several times, but wasn't successful until last year when a chat with my teacher made me pick it up again. And 2 days ago, my eyes moist, hand trembling, heart reverberating with gratitude, I read the last paragraph.

At the end I held the book with love and reverence and thanked Guruji from the bottom of my heart for blessing me to be able to finish the book.

Some beautiful things about the Yoga Vasishta :

1. It is a unique scripture. Bhagavad Gita is about God giving his devotee Arjuna the knowledge of life. Yoga Vasishta is about Sage Vasishta narrating the knowledge to Lord Rama himself.

2. If you have deep questions about creation, consciousness etc, this book is a must read. Here are the Sections :

On Dispassion
On The Behavior Of A Seeker
On Creation
On Existence
On Dissolution
On Liberation

3. To be read right after kriya/meditation - just 1 page a day.

4. Guruji has this scripture read to him every day.

Available at the following stores :

Most Art Of Living Divine Shops in India (it is titled "The Supreme Yoga" in India)
Online in India here or here.
Online on Amazon.com here.

I leave you to ponder the last para. Hopefully it will inspire you to begin/continue reading this amazing knowledge :

"Thus I have told you the story of Rama, Oh Bharadwaja. By practice of this yoga, attain supreme bliss. He who constantly listens to this dialogue between Rama and Vasishta is liberated, whatever be the circumstances of his life, and he attains the knowledge of Brahman".

On Dispassion......the journey continues.....

Jai Guru Dev,

He Is Coming :-)

2009-11-07T00:57:00.000-08:00

Guruji will be in town Jan 12 - 14th 2010, just 2 months to go :-) :-). Its been 2 years since He came to Pune and we are all understandably excited !

Details : http://www.artoflivingpune.org/antarnaad/event.asp

Jai Guru Dev,

This Path

2009-09-08T22:27:00.000-07:00

Interesting thing spirituality - the promise of enlightenment - something that can only be experienced, never explained.

But also a practical way to live life through its trials and tribulations.

A promise of a deep dive into the unknown or just a simple way to handle the next tough situation.

Simple yet complex, encompassing the micro and the macro, the good and bad.

Something for everyone - from the utterly innocent to the complicated intellectual - everyone can take a dip and take it from there.

Something so attainable yet requiring so much effort.

Something that brings about outward compassion, and inner unshakable strength.

So tangible yet so abstract.

Meant to help with addictions but such a sweet addiction in itself.

Seemingly the end of all things bad and unnecessary in life
Yet the beginning of a seemingly endless journey in itself.

Providing answers to the seemingly simple questions of life
Yet throwing up deep mysterious unanswerable questions of its own .

Right in this moment yet a quadrillion light years away .
In every atom and yet encompassing the entire cosmos.

Attainable by the humble cobbler and the Nobel prize winning physicist.

Destiny brings one to it but only self effort moves one along.

So universal yet so personal. Taking everyone along yet one has to walk alone.

Seemingly everything and yet nothing at the same time.
Beauty of a nature unexperienced before.

Love unfathomable. Grace unlimited.

Whatever it is , life is incomplete without it.

And yet my head is buried in the sand
A small speck in my eye obscuring infinity :-)

Jai Guru Dev,

Om Namah Shivaya Chanting - Join Us

2009-08-12T08:08:00.000-07:00

The Swine Flu crisis is a problem all over the world, but here in Pune India, it has truly become a crisis. Death is always tragic - more so when school children are involved. Each passing day brings more bad news of people infected and patients succumbing to the deadly flu. Schools, malls etc. are being closed down in large numbers. The city which is usually a hubbub of human activity is slowly taking on a small-town look-and-feel with people venturing out only when absolutely necessary. Parents are panicking since the papers are reporting that the only available medicine causes serious side-effects in younger children.

Enuf Bad News !

Some of us Art Of Living satsangees in Pune are organizing a 24-hour Om Namah Shivaya relay chanting to pray for the quick recovery of those directly affected by the flu, to strengthen our own minds and to pray to the Divine that this frightening crisis may pass quickly.

The response has been overwhelming. About a 100 folks from across the globe have each(or in groups) picked a 30 minute slot starting Thu Aug 13th 4:00 AM IST so that we can cover a 24 hour window ending Fri Aug 14th 4:00 AM IST.

You chant On Namah Shivaya at home or wherever you are. There is NO need to congregate at a specific location. In fact if you live in Pune, it is not recommended to get together in groups.
You can chant alone or with family/friends
Pick at least 1 30 minute slot / more. Please NOTE the timings are all IST. If outside India, please convert to your specific time zone before picking a time slot using www.time.gov or some such similar website.

The following time slots (IST = Indian Standard Time) are still available if you are interested in joining :

Fri Aug 14th 1:30 - 2:00 AM (taken)
Fri Aug 14th 3:00 - 3:30 AM

Of course if these timings do not work for you you may pick any 30 minute slot in the 24 hour window specified above.

I do realize this is awfully short notice ! Please leave a comment with your time slot if you are joining.

Jai Guru Dev,

My Enlightened Helmet

2009-07-26T10:19:00.001-07:00

I feel almost foolish writing this post, but hey - how bout some frivolity once in a while :) ?

Something ain't right :) . I thought inanimate objects are further away from a desire to get enlightened than us humans. My headgear has been busy proving me wrong !

Last year I owned a helmet that I did not much fancy. I longed for one with a visor in the front - the kind that looks a little cooler. It was May 13th - you know the significance of that day. I went to Vikram Bhaiyya's satsang in Pune and lost myself completely in the divine music and upon returning home realized I had lost my helmet too. Attempts to find it were in vain.

Secretly I was happy as I could get a new helmet !

Recently by Guruji's grace, I (re)started going to satsang regularly. Owing to the rains in Pune, i wore my helmet each time. It has happened to me consistently over the last 3 weeks, so I refuse to believe it is a coincidence. Every single time I return from satsang, my helmet stays behind. Upon reaching home, I realize it and frantically text a friend there to pick it up for me. Yesterday was the third time and it had me thinking.

Is my helmet's longing for satsang stronger than mine :) ? Sure looks like it !

A friend jokingly remarked yesterday - Its already Hollow and Empty !

Amen to that !

Jai Guru Dev

Salutations

2009-07-06T23:28:00.000-07:00

Nitya Suddham Nirabhasam Nirakaaram Niranjanam
Nityabodham Cidanandam Guru Brahma Namamayam

I prostrate to that Guru, who is the Eternally Pure Brahman, free from reflection, formless, taint less eternally awake as Pure Consciousness and Bliss.

A day for gratitude, meditation, service and longing. What a wonderful day ! My heart is with Guruji in Chicago and though he is thousands of miles away, I feel so close to HIM.

My salutations today also to R - my first Part I teacher, who with her love and masti and very presence made Art Of Living a part of my daily life for the last 8 years.

My salutations to M - my Ashtavakra teacher, at whose place I literally spent my most precious and definitive growth years between 2003 - 2006. She treated me like a younger brother though I was a year older and it was her not-so-gentle (LOL :-) ) pushing that got me to take responsibility and do seva regularly.

My salutations and love to N - a dear friend who taught me to do seva with a smile- no matter how tough or irritating the circumstances. That smile stays with me day and night and inspires me whenever I feel low.

My love and salutations to all my teachers, the countless volunteers and satsangees (that includes you) many of whose silent work, encouragement, sharing and smiles have been instrumental in my progress on this beautiful path.

And for them, on this occasion of Guru Poornima, I remain eternally grateful to you Guruji ! Love Hugs Masti Devotion !

Jai Guru Dev,

Guru Poornima Day

2009-06-29T07:05:00.000-07:00

Thousands are expected on Guru Poornima day (July 7th) in Chicago. Ahh..the lucky ones who'll get to watch Guruji do Guru Pooja himself, listen to some divine knowledge, attend an ethereal satsang, meditate and feast with thousands of other spiritual seekers !!

Attendance is free, but the organizers are asking for a mandatory RSVP to help budget for food and other logistics.

RSVP : http://secure.artofliving.org/event_details.aspx?event_id=3432

Jai Guru Dev,

Advertising

2009-06-09T07:17:00.000-07:00

Several years ago when I was not associated with the Art Of Living, a friend from Mumbai who was quite active but a little dismayed by what he saw as "advertising" of AOL courses wrote me an email that went something like the following :

"A good product should sell itself, don't you think ? Something that is inherently good does not need promotion, people will understand it without being told"

Back then I agreed with him completely. Stark irony is that he is today employed in the ad industry :-) . Recently too a friend accused me (in jest) of advertising Guru Poornima on this blog. Which had me thinking : Is advertising really a BAD thing ?

Advertising According to Wikipedia :

Advertising is a form of communication that typically attempts to persuade potential customers to purchase or to consume more of a particular brand of product or service. ......

Many advertisements are designed to generate increased consumption of those products and services through the creation and reinvention of the "brand image"

Advertising is a powerful medium. Used too often to spread the wrong message. The biggest spenders of advertising money these days are the wrong people - cigarette/liquor companies, sellers of carbonated drinks and junk food. All this targeted at the most vulnerable audience - children, teens and youth - the future of tomorrow's world.

And they are all too successful. Just look around at what kids eat and drink today. Look at a group of young kids on bikes gathered at a corner and one sees columns of smoke emerging . Advertisers know their target audience and its vulnerabilities - only too well. Make something hip and happening, find a film star or music icon to endorse the product, throw in a slick ad campaign and they will fall for it - hook, line and sinker.

On the other hand, talk to a youngster about yoga, pranayam or spirituality and what you get back is bemused stares. This is the whole problem - IMO.

The effects of bad advertising stare us in the face.

It has become cool to burn your lungs out using Malboro Lights (even though the manufacturer tells you you are going to die from its consumption) , uncool to strengthen them using yoga and pranayam. Cool to party hard and get high on liqour and other substances, uncool to find the same high in a bhajan satsang. Cool to watch movies, hang out and waste time, uncool to do service. Cool to read pulp fiction - uncool to read knowledge(after all it is PHILOSOPHY) .

I was just driving and saw an ad for a tobacco based chewable product that was displayed on the back of a bus : Only Rs 1 !! How slick ! Just Rs 1 to get someone addicted to a dangerous, toxic substance that may result in anything from mouth, tongue or throat cancer not to mention a foul smelling mouth and destroyed public hygiene.

In this commercial busy world, with ads such as the above being blasted at us through every possible avenue including newspapers, TV, radio, the Internet, where is the hope for messages that extol the virtues of vegetarianism, regular exercise, doing yoga, pranayam, kriya, meditation, service etc. Does anything good stand a chance in this deafening din made by advertisers ?

Therein lies the mistake that many have made and continue to make. It is often though that one should keep such practices and ones own religious/spiritual beliefs to oneself. Talk about a movie you just saw or food you just ate but don't talk about your meditation practice !

As Guruji says often, we need to take take the message of peace, meditation to all. Not because we want to benefit from it - but because we want society to see and experience the benefits of our age old traditions that are being fast forgotten and abandoned in favor of a fast paced materialistic existence that will bring nothing but a diseased body, confused intellect and a troubled mind.

Sorry dear friend - but I stand corrected. Advertising is just a medium. Its whats advertised that counts. In fact all that should NOT be advertised, is advertised way too MUCH. The only option left for "inherently good things" is to shout even LOUDER- otherwise the precious message spirituality has to offer v.i.z the benefits of yoga/pranayam/meditation/Ayurveda/peace of mind - will stand subdued and stifled - much to the detriment of society.

Advertise the living daylights out of it I say :-)

And such advertising is a GOOD thing ! Opinions welcome.

Jai Guru Dev,

Gauri Nandana Gajanana

2009-06-03T07:59:00.000-07:00

A beautiful bhajan by Vikram .....

Watch On Youtube

Lyrics :

gauri nandana gajanana girija nandana niranjana || 2
parvati nandana shubhanana || 2
parvati nandana shubhanana
shubhanana shubhanana

parvati nandana shubhanana
shubhanana shubhanana || 2

gauri nandana gajanana girija nandana niranjana
parvati nandana shubhanana || 2
shubhanana shubhanana || 2

paahi prabho maam paahi prasanna
gauri nandana gajanana girija nandana niranjana
oh..gauri nandana gajanana girija nandana niranjana
parvati nandana shubhanana
shubhanana shubhanana || 2

parvati nandana shubhanana
pahi prabho maam paahi prasanna || 2

gauri nandana gajanana girija nandana niranjana
oh..gauri nandana gajanana girija nandana niranjana
girija nandana niranjana || 2

The Case Of The Self-Driven Car

2009-05-24T23:33:00.000-07:00

Twas Guru Poornima 2006 at the vast expanses of the San Mateo Expo Center in the Bay Area, CA. Guruji was there, the full moon was blossoming eagerly in anticipation of Guru Poornima, the expo center was a hubub of frenzied nay devoted activity to host the multitude of people on the various courses. The advanced course had started and we were in silence. The course was a non-residential one, so we all had to drive up to the course center from our homes each day.

Many of us driving in from the South Bay would car pool to the course. The communication in silence was so interesting and yet amusing. Let say I had to pick up S at her home at 6:00 am. I'd drive up to the street, and call her on the cell. I would not say anything. She would answer - in silence. Moments later she would appear on the sidewalk and sit in the car. This process would repeat until the car was full. We would then start driving towards the center.

One one particular day, B and me were the only 2 folks in the car and I was driving. We were a little late and finally arrived on the street on which the entrance to the expo center was located. Moments later we should have taken a left into the parking lot of the expo center, as was our daily routine on those 7 days.

I can't explain what happened in those next few seconds. But suddenly I found myself on the wrong street. My mind had completely blanked out and I was on a 1-way street opposite to the Expo center. There was no turning back. I would have to take 3 right turns and come back on to the street of the expo center. We were going to be delayed.

B and I looked at each other in surprise. No words since we were in silence. There was no option - only another right turn and we found ourselves on a street where 2 hotels were located. These hotels were housing out-of-town participants who were on the course. There was a seva group responsible for picking up folks from the hotels and driving them to the course location. Since we were already on that street we decided to go to one of the hotels and see if anyone needed a ride.
Accordingly we turned into the entrance of one of the hotels.

S was the volunteer in charge of making sure that all the participants in that hotel had left for the course. He signaled us as we arrived - Everyone has left. You can leave too. I began to turn my car around and just about to leave when it happened.

An old gentleman waved to us frantically from the top floor of the hotel - Wait for me ! Turned out he woke up late that day and missed the regular shuttles to the course. He was the last one to leave the hotel and we were the ones that drove him there.

Driving back, B and I looked at each other in awe, bewilderment, amazement and gratitude. How the Master had taken care of this situation so beautifully. There were hundreds of participants on the course and yet His attention was on each one. And how we were made instruments of His grace. And all this in total silence.

On the last day, we came out of silence and I was sharing this experience with a dear friend D. His mouth opened in surprise. He had the exact same experience except he had ferried 4 waiting passengers to the course after finding himself mysteriously on the wrong (right :-) ? ) street. They too had awakened late at a different hotel and were in silence unable to communicate their need for a ride, but it was SO taken care of.

Have a Guru Poornima story to share ? Add it to the comments or better yet, blog about it and leave a link.

Guru Poornima 2009 is happening in Chicago, Jul 2-7th. Will you be there ?

Jai Guru Dev,

Guru Poornima 2009 - Will You Be There ?

2009-05-20T07:20:00.000-07:00

Program and Registration Details

As you must already know, Guru Poornima 2009 will be celebrated with Guruji in Chicago, July 2nd - 7th, the 7th being Guru Poornima day. I can't go, but my heart is already there. Fond memories go back to Guru Poornima 2006 in the Bay Area, CA when I did the Advance course in the presence with Gurudev. What an unforgettable event it was for me ! My first Guru Poornima (not technically), with Guruji - so many beautiful experiences, amazing miracles ...........cherished memories to last several life times.

If you can attend, please DO. I can't think of a reason not to, but if you need some reasons, here are a few I would give myself :

1. Its Guru Poornima.
2. Guruji will be there.
3. He will be giving a discourse on the Bhagavad Gita (4th chapter onwards). Ever saw Ashtavakra Gita / Bhakti Sutras and wondered how lucky those folks were that were getting the knowledge directly at his feet ? Well here is your chance .
4. There will be thousands waiting to see him - where else would rather be ?
5. People will travel from all over the world to be there - what about you ?
6. Be with the master during Guru Poornima. Imagine - the disciple and the master in HIS physical form - together.
7. The most amazing knowledge flows from Guruji at this time (when does it not ?), but during Guru Poornima - it has a special flavour.
8. Rocking Satsangs with some of the most amazing AOL rock stars like Bhanu Didi.
9. Many Advanced course sessions with Guruji.
10. Courses for all age groups. Its the most amazing family event for the spiritually inclined at this time of the year.

Still need convincing ? Didn't think so :-) I pray you can make it.

Jai Guru Dev,

Tera Main

2009-05-12T01:00:00.000-07:00

Image Credit : http://www.artofliving.ie/Images/guruji.jpg

Happy Birthday Dearest Guruji ! Tears, Love and Gratitude !

A beautiful song from the album - Tera Main - by Sachin Limaye. Every word rings so true and touches the heart.

View On YouTube

LYRICS :

Pyaar Ke Saagar Ho Gyaan Ke Mandir Ho
Aakhon Me Baste Ho Hoton Pe Haste Ho
Har Pal Jatate To

Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main

Pyaar Ke Saagar Ho Gyaan Ke Mandir Ho
Aakhon Me Baste Ho Hoton Pe Haste Ho
Har Pal Jatate To

Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main

Duniya Main Aaye Ho Roshini Laye Ho
Sabke Dulare Ho Har Dil Pe Chaaye Ho
Har Pal Jatate To

Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main

Oh Man Ke Charaago Main Tum Jhil Milate Ho
Bhooli Si Yaadon Ko Roshan Kar Jaate Ho
Yaad Dilate Ho

Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main

Sabke Do Peheron Main Raahat Ban Jaate Ho
Sabke Dilon Ki Tum Chahat Ban Jaate Ho
Haskar Keh Jaate HO

Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main Tera Main

Sunlo Yeh Gaate Hain Gaake Sunate Hain
Sunlo Yeh Gaate Hain Gaake Sunate Hain
Aaj Batate Hain

We Love You Oh Guruji
We Love You Oh Guruji
We Love You Oh Guruji
We Love You Oh Guruji
We Love You Oh Guruji
We Love You Oh Guruji

Jai Guru Dev,

Sad

2009-04-25T23:48:00.000-07:00

The Times of India (TOI) - Pune edition carried a front page article on April 24th (the day after Pune voted for the Lok Sabha elections) with the following title :

At 40.6%, poorest show in Pune.

..........The Pune Lok Sabha constituency witnessed a paltry turnout of 40.6% on Thursday - the lowest ever in the history of the 15 LS Polls held in the city since 1952. More than 10 lakh out of the 18 lakh electorate in the constituency did not exercise their constitutional right to vote.

My heart sank. Pune has been known as the "Oxford Of the East". Home to the famous Pune University and educational institutions like Symbiosis that attract students from all over India, Pune has always prided itself on its educated middle classes. It is also the cultural capital of Maharashtra. Its citizens are known for being socially active and taking up cudgels and protesting vociferously when things go wrong in the city.

What happened then ? Why this terrible apathy when the country really needs its citizens to go out and make a noise and tell the politicians that enough is enough. After 26/11, it seemed for a while that India had awoken.

Going in to vote in the morning it was obvious something like this was bound to happen. I had to wait 1 minute to cast my vote. A relative who went in later in the afternoon reported the same wait time. There was no flood - only a trickle.

Think for a moment all the excuses one can give for not having voted that day : a holiday to relax, IPL on television, the sweltering heat, messed up voter lists, new voting booths with not many people knowing about it, an "I could not care less" attitude etc. etc. Ironically our domestic help (maid-servant) who came in to work after having worked for 4 hours in various homes and was going to return home walking in the sweltering 40 degrees C heat, said to me enthusiastically that she was going to vote after going home !!!!

The next day , TOI carried another article on Page 2 titled "Urban apathy cause of low turnout". The article went on to say "It was an issueless election".

Issueless ? Issueless ? Surely not everything is hunky-dory in India right now.

Isn't massive corruption an issue ? Isn't rampant religious conversion in the North East an issue ? Isn't terrorism - that has resulted in so many attacks on Indian soil in the last 4 years - an issue ? Isn't massive poverty an issue any more ? Isn't pseudo-secularism that slams anything and anybody who uses the word "Hindu" as being communal an issue ?

Or perhaps the public wasn't made aware. Maybe they've heard political parties talk about stuff so often only to forget it right after the elections that the whole exercise has become a sham. Maybe thats why we were - as AOL volunteers - asked to go out and campaign hard to get people to vote. Many of us did - as did other NGO's and student bodies. Obviously it wasn't enough for Pune to wake up.

Hope folks in places where Phase III and Phase IV polling is yet to be done are doing all they can to inspire a large voter turnout.

The Bhagavad Gita asks us to do our duty and not focus on the result. It also asks us not to be attached to inaction. Thats tells me we should not be discouraged by the above result and continue to work hard on multiple fronts.

One - to bring the message of peace and spirituality to people. Only an aware and awake mind will know what is happening and decide to take action. And this awareness can only come from spiritual practices. Two - to keep telling people to come out and use that most precious gift that democracy gives us - OUR VOTE .

As Guruji said in Mumbai after 26/11 - there is a need for becoming a Sant-Sipahi for the sake of our nation.

Please read Bawa's article on why voting is critical. A picture of Guruji casting his vote.

The journey has only just begun.

PLEASE VOTE !

Jai Guru Dev.

A Humble Request

2009-04-25T21:54:00.000-07:00

It is an honor to have you visit this blog. Whether you comment or not, it inspires me when I see that you found it worthwhile to spend your valuable time reading what I write. Recently however a few of my writings have showed up on yahoogroups - that I am a part of :) - or other blogs without any link back to the original blog post and worse - the blog owner flat out denies having used the material on this blog. This is a little disappointing ! Whenever I use any material from another blog, I always add a link to the original writings. This is how I give respect to the person who thought up the stuff in the first place.

I know this does not apply to most of you, so please don't mistake me.

Sometimes however these acts of "plagiarism" happen inadvertently. I have too in the past - without malice - committed such mistakes. Here are a few guidelines that helped me.

1. If you like a post and feel like forwarding it to someone, please copy and paste the URL link to the entire post to that person. Don't just copy the text and send it off by email. If you do this, the material begins to take on a life of its own. People make contextual modifications and keep forwarding it and the original author is nowhere in the picture.

2. Another reason to copy the URL from the browser bar and email that link is that it is simpler and also saves precious bandwidth since the text is only read when the recipient clicks on the URL.

3. Use the "Email Post" Link at the bottom of the post and it gives you a nice form that contains your name etc. that identifies you to the recipient - while still preserving the integrity of the original post.

4. If you want to include the contents of the original post in your own blog post there are 2 ways : a) As above, please only include a link. b) Copy and paste the text into your blog BUT ALSO please add a link to the original to give credits to the original author.

By following the above simple guidelines you are giving credit and honoring and encouraging the original author to write more.

Your views as always are welcome . I hope I have not hurt anyone's feelings. It feels almost stupid, but I've added a non-commercial license (Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5) to the blog to prevent plagiarism of the writings here.

Jai Guru Dev,

Satsang with Swami Pragyapada

2009-04-20T04:12:00.001-07:00

The vast grounds of New English School in Pune was witness to a beautiful satsang in the presence of Swami Pragyapad (formerly Prashant Rajore). It was my first satsang in many months and I was in sheer bliss. I don't know who was singing but dudes - you totally rock !!! I mean it. I was in meditation in 2 seconds flat. They started with this beautiful bhajan : Hey Shivanandana

Hey Shivanandana Lambodara Hey Vishwavinayaka Namonamaha
Namonamaha Namonamaha Vishwavinayaka Namonamaha || 2

Siddhivinayaka Mangala Daata || 2
Parvati Nandana Gajanana || 2

Namonamaha Namonamaha Vishwavinayaka Namonamaha || 2

................

This other bhajan "Ek Tara Bole..." went straight deep in somewhere.

Swamiji then started in his trademark funny style. He told us a joke and asked those who had already heard it to laugh again (phirse has lena) :-) LOL....

His first "joke" was about a person who slips on a banan peel. The next day he sights another banana peel and thinks " Man I gotta fall again today". :-) He then went on to explain how we get stuck in similar patterns everyday. A thought or memory of someone (the peel) we dislike or have a problem with is enough for us to "slip" (i.e. get angry , mad, furious). This had me totally in splits as I have had this problem with a relative for years. Even though I was thousands of miles away, just the memory of this person would have me fuming.

He then suggested the remedy - the next time you encounter the peel - say to yourself silently - Dear peel, I am not gonna slip today :) Man was I impressed or what.

A few jokes later a Q&A started and he dwelt forth on issues such as terrorism and dharma and why it was so important for us to VOTE - FOR CHANGE in the coming elections. I had to leave then but came away totally blissed out and grateful for the 2 hours of pure happiness that the Divine had given me in the midst of turmoil.

PLEASE VOTE !

Jai Guru Dev,

TOP 10 Reasons Why I'll VOTE

2009-04-12T04:37:00.000-07:00

A few reasons that inspired me to register to VOTE this year.

10) Cos something within me says strongly I should.

9) I stood in line on the last day of the voter registration in Pune and braved a suffocating room, edgy impatient crowds, a yelling policeman, people breaking the line, being nudged by several sweaty arms etc. to register. I am not gonna let all that go waste now - am I :)

8) The ability to vote in a democracy is a right. Right means power. Power implies responsibility. So its my responsibility to vote.

7) I am eager to practice what the Civics books preached back in high school. All that stuff about democracy and why voting is **essential** to its success - nay survival - needs to now be practiced.

6) I firmly believe MY Vote has the power to change India. In the Art Of Living, we believe that the power of good intention combined with responsible action DOES result in manifestation.

5) I am a member of the vast educated middle classes that have given up on voting and consequently democracy and consequently this country. Such cynicism has become the bane of the democratic process in India. Now the politician does not even CARE as he/she knows that all he/she needs is about 20% of the vote which can be bought with liquor, sarees, lungis, shawls, 100 rupee notes, coercion, bogus voting, just belonging to a particular caste etc. I want this to change.

4) The Bhagavad Gita says that one must not be attached to inaction. Inaction is also action. If I don't vote thinking that nobody deserves my vote, someone else casts my vote for the wrong guy and by not acting, I have actually acted in the wrong fashion. So this time the least of the evils gets my vote.

3) Being the Change ! If I don't vote, I have no right to complain when I get a paunchy, raunchy, rude, pan chewing, insolent, selfish, creepy pseudo-secular politician as my representative for the next 5 years. Even if I vote, this individual may show up, but at least I did my bit.

2) I refuse to be taken for granted. I believe in secularism provided it is defined right. Democracy has been defined as the rule of the majority combined with rights of the minority. In India it has of late become "Rule of the Minority and the Majority be damned" As a member of the majority community in this country, I believe I deserve respect and equality. Not more than anyone else in this country - but certainly NOT less.

1) Guruji said so.

JAI HIND !

Jai Guru Dev,

Jaago Re India

2009-04-05T21:04:00.000-07:00

As you all know Guruji has asked everyone to come out and vote this year and inspire at least 10 others to vote. The Pune satsangs have been organizing a "Parivartan Padayatra". As part of this campaign, many AOL volunteers have been standing at traffic intersections, malls, under flyovers holding banners that say the Hindi/Marathi/English equivalent of "Wake Up and VOTE".

Picture of one of our volunteers standing under the University Flyover.

Yesterday was my first time. I started out with trepidation in my heart. Stand in public in front of hundreds that would drive past and smirk and smile derisively ? What if someone I know or knows my family sees me ? Blah Blah......

Turns out I was dead wrong. Little did I know I was in for an evening of fun and adulation. As I stood under the university flyover with a banner that read "Utho Jaago - Vote Karo", heart in a flutter, arms aching, eyes trying to avoid the direct gaze of commuters that whizzed by in bikes, auto rickshaws and cars, I became a witness to the mood of a microcosm of India today.

People - young and old alike - whizzed by with thumbs raised and a broad smile on their faces. One guy even whooped as he whizzed by :) An MBA student from Pune University stopped by to talk about who we were and what we were doing and why. When I said we were AOL volunteers, he was even more impressed.

Then it happened - my 2 minutes of fame :)

A group of youngsters in a car actually STOPPED in the middle of the traffic junction (youngistan - you have guts I'll say) , yelled out at me and - took a picture of me with the banner. Then yelling out "We will vote", they whizzed away ! LOL !

Ah - My Dear Aching Arms - This was so worth it :) :)

This is such an easy and fun seva. If in India, you should do it too. Its so important for us to take responsibility. Many drops make a mighty ocean.

And seriously - as Mahatma Gandhi said : Be The Change You Wish To See In This World ! As someone remarked in satsang yesterday, unless the educated middle classes make the politicians realize that their vote matters too, there is no way they will take their job seriously. And this change will only happen when India's vast middle classes go out and VOTE in large numbers. Until then votes will be bought by money/liquor/coercion/bogus voting.

So whether you are a member of Youngistan, Middle-Ageistan or Senioristan, come Your Voting Date, PLEASE COME OUT AND VOTE !!! And between now and then, please inspire others to do so too .

Guruji's article in the Times Of India Speaking Tree

Sri Sri Urges People To Vote

Guruji talks about the upcoming elections in this video .

Jai Guru Dev

Feeling Your Presence

2009-03-31T02:57:00.000-07:00

Just this morning, I had a beautiful thought like never before : Guruji, I know you are there. What more can I want ? Why should I worry ?

Since then the sun shines brighter, the birds sing merrier, the sky is bluer, the mind is calmer, the smile is prettier...the heart is fuller, the intellect is clearer, life is easier....Ahh.....

Jai Guru Dev, :)

Utsav With B & D

2009-03-29T01:00:00.000-07:00

Bawa and Dinesh are teaching an UTSAV course April 2nd - 5th in Pune for the first time. Don't miss it !

UPDATE :Times Of India covered the event in this article.

Jai Guru Dev,

Interesting Website

2009-03-24T22:57:00.000-07:00

I recently started reading this website http://www.historicalrama.org after a friend recommended it highly. Started by a couple D.K.Hari and D.K.Hema Hari (more about them here), the website along with its parent website - BharatGyan, tries to put India's amazing Vedic culture, its rich heritage and history in scientific and historical perspective. For me it made fascinating reading especially the research done on Lord Rama.

I do wish more details had been added on the main website. 2-3 paragraphs certainly do not do justice to the amazing knowledge that the land of India has given to the world over the ages. I'd like to see more on the amazing concept of cosmic time (1 day of Bramha) , vedic mathematics etc.

In any case, I think it is time we stand up to who we really are. The west has been able to accept India up to Buddha's time and many narrow minded people in our country cannot stand any talk about this rich spiritual heritage in the name of (pseudo)secularism. The world needs to know what Sanathan Dharma really is. In it, I believe lie the answers to the world's woes.

Guruji has blessed their efforts too
.
Jai Guru Dev.

Is Spirituality Selfish ?

2009-03-21T13:54:00.000-07:00

Selfishness is often thought of a non-spiritual quality. In the world One craves for possessions - money, gadgets, a big house, swanky cars etc. or people - relationships, friends, popularity, power etc. At some point the mind gets tired of these amusements and starts looking at spirituality. One does the Art Of Living course and now finds himself or herself in new exciting company of people in search of other things.

It starts with small things. The craving now shifts : How many courses have I done, How many senior teachers do I know / hang out with ? How many spiritual friends do I have ? What organizational position do i hold ?

For a while all this troubled me. Whats the point of being on the spiritual path if the objects of craving change but the tendencies remain the same ? But there was a realization that I also had the company of kriya, meditation, satsang, knowledge and the Master - stuff I did not have before. All these brought me back to the center whenever the focus was on gaining something.

As someone said : Being on a spiritual path does not mean it won't rain, just that you now have an umbrella.

Then the cravings moved to less material and more abstract ones.

"I want to conduct a satsang at my place so that the sattva of my home goes up". "I want to meditate so I am peaceful". "I want to do kriya every day so I have less problems in life". "I do seva so my karmas are dissolved". "I will volunteer for this event so I can meet Guruji"

The goals then move higher. Let me meditate so I am liberated / enlightened in this life time.

It is so interesting - this path of spirituality. One maybe selfish in ones goals, but the result is yet a better life for a lot more people other than myself. If I meditate regularly, I am a more peaceful person and that means people around me are more peaceful. At the very least I am less of a pain for others around me. If I do seva - even non-altruistically - people benefit from my efforts. If I participate in a group meditation / long kriya - the group effort results in a more peaceful environment around for all. As I am more spiritually inclined, I am also more grateful and consequently more generous with my money, time, effort.

And when one reaches the ultimate goal - Nirvana / Liberation / Enlightenment - then What ? Just looking at Guruji's life gives the answer. One who has nothing to take cannot but give.

As Guruji says : The Divine is complete responsibility.

One who can go to the Himalayas and quietly sit in meditation is instead on the road, in the air, day after day, meeting terrorists and naxalites, resolving conflicts, bringing more peace to this planet. What a wonderful state to be in - where one cannot but give !!!!

And He wants us all to be like HIM !!! How fortunate we are !!!

What a beautiful journey this - from utter Selfishness to utter Selflessness, from doership to complete and total responsibility, from taking to giving, from darkness to eternal light.

Jai Guru Dev,

Pain and Suffering

2009-03-20T22:58:00.001-07:00

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TWzwgn7Ygt8

Jai Guru Dev,

? , !

2009-03-13T05:21:00.000-07:00

Been reading the Bhagavad Gita and Yoga Vasishta regularly for a few weeks now and pondering on how the infinite wisdom within applies to my life and the knowledge that I have gained in Guruji's grace. A little Q&A with myself.

Q> Do spiritual people also face suffering ?
A> The Mahabharata is full of spiritual folks that were divided across the battlefield and perished.

Q> When one has a Guru, does one face tough situations ?
A> Arjuna had Krishna Himself as a charioteer in the Kurukshetra war and lost his own son, Abhimanyu, on the battlefield. Whats the point of being given precious knowledge like "Accept situations as they are" if there are not going to be any situations to deal with ?

Q> Why do some folks progress more than others on the spiritual path ?
A> The Yoga Vasishta starts its amazing commentary by emphasizing "Self Effort". As a teacher of mine used to say "The Sun is always shining. Its your choice whether to open the blinds or stay in darkness".

Q> If God is doing everything, why do I need to do anything ?
A> The entire Bhagavad Gita is devoted to this question. Even while showing Arjuna the Vishwaroopa Darshan where the entire Kaurava army was dissapearing into Krishna's infinite form (i.e. they were already dead), Krishna exhorts Arjuna to fight and do his duty as a warrior.

This reminds me of something a teacher of mine used to say regarding seva "The event will happen - whether to participate or not is your choice". I used to think of it as arrogant - why should I participate if my participation makes no difference ? Now I see it differently :) Participation is not about changing how things evolve - it is about my own evolution as part of the universe's evolution i.e. being God's hands and thus becoming a channel for HIS grace.

Q> If all is ONE, then why so many shapes and forms, joy and misery, the dualities ? Could the ONE not just BE ?
A> This question is still the deepest one I have. No answers anywhere yet - not in the Gita, not in Yoga Vasishta. The only thing I notice is that I want things to get over only when I am miserable. When joyous, I can accept the world as is. But this question comes again and again. Maybe thats why Guruji says in Ashtavakra "Wonder about it" !

It so interesting - suffering. A beautiful intense phase where one comes face to face with ones own boundaries, cravings, desires, limitations, fears. If I give knowledge a chance, all this will dissolve in a second, if not, I continue to reel in misery.

Guruji - Can I accept ?

I WONDER.

Jai Guru Dev,

Words That Trouble Me

2009-03-04T23:22:00.000-08:00

Philosophy and Social Service. Two beautiful words. Used (actually abused) a lot in daily conversations. Have the potential to have deep profound impact on an individual and society but get relegated to the back of the conversation line so often that they almost become obscure. Thats why I call them bad words.

Friend : I am facing this terrible problem

Me : OK did you try this or that .

Friend : Yeah they did not work .

Me : Hmm...did you try talking to XYZ.

Friend : Yeah that did not work either.

Me : Hmm...yeah just stay calm and have faith in God. Things will get better.

Friend (getting upset) : Don't give me philosophy.

"Don't give me philosophy" - What a fine way of taking the real solution to the problem and throwing it into a deep well and continue to reel in misery !!!

This I believe is the problem. You visit someone's home and find beautiful bound copies of the Bhagavad Gita ,writings by Swami Vivekananda, Srimad Bhagwatam - all nicely adorning the top shelf of a bookshelf - conveniently out of bounds to the hands or the mind. Whats the point of this precious knowledge if one is unwilling to incorporate it into daily life ?

This for me has been the most beautiful experience on this wonderful path called the Art Of Living. Guruji's path of seva-sadhana-satsang is so simple, practical yet so profound that it really almost forces one to LIVE the knowledge. Regular Sadhana builds the awareness and the calm space for the knowledge to settle, knowledge and bhajan satsangs fill this space with awareness and beauty and seva is the ultimate lab/practical/ expression of this awareness and beauty. How amazing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The other word is "Social Service". I remember commuting between Pune and Mumbai some years ago. The train pantry would serve snacks in paper plates and beverages in paper/plastic cups. Where do you think these plates/cups would settle after they had been used ? Under the seats, in the passage, in the toilet bowl. Some kindred soul decided to take it upon himself to fix this mess. He would put on a pair of gloves and a trash bag and go from seat to seat asking people for their trash. He would collect it all together and dispose it off at the next station in a trash can. Guess what he got in return - Smirks from passengers, snide comments like "Dekho Samaaj Seva Kar Raha Hai", cold unfriendly stares. The poor guy gave it up after some time.

Why has "Social Service" become such a catch phrase that applies only to a small group in school or NSS groups in college or college graduates in Social Work ? What about the rest of us ?

My memories go back to school when in the 8th Grade we were given the option to join the Boy Scouts or join the Social Service group. Here is how it would work : All the tall, well built, cool guys who were on some sports team or those with a pleasing personality used to get selected for the Boy Scouts group. The rest had no choice. Rejected by the scouts group, they joined the Social Service Group. Their job - keeping the school premises clean while the scouts folks had cool camps to attend. What they got in return : Snide remarks from the smartly dressed students in a Scouts uniform : Abbe Jhaduwale (Hey Janitor). Smarting under the humiliation of being rejected by the scouts group and the remarks they got, these folks would obviously disregard their duties.

Small wonder that social work is not a fashionable thing to do in our country. Until it finds its place of pride along with professions like medicine, engineering, finance and other exalted (and overrated) occupations, this beloved country of ours with a brilliant past faces a bleak future.

Words like philosophy (read knowledge) and service need to be the most important words in our vocabulary. Until them I will call them "bad words" :)

I am so grateful to Guruji for his guidance that turned my priorities upside down . I have learnt that to give is to really acknowledge the abundance I have been given.

Jai Guru Dev,

Misery

2009-02-26T22:15:00.000-08:00

Misery is - well - a miserable thing. Sucked into its vortex, life takes many tumbles. Like clothes in a washing machine spin cycle, it turns me around and around. Like a whirlpool or quicksand, it sucks me into its fold. Like jeera or pepper just added to boiling oil in a cauldron it makes me jump, crackle and cry. Like freshly cut onions it makes me weep. OK enough analogies.......

More recently I've thinking a lot about misery. In those moments when I am not consumed by it just watching its ways provides some truly interesting perspectives into life.

What is Suffering ?

Guruji says that "Suffering is the product of ignorance". Ignorance of what ? Ignorance of myself. Ignorance of my purpose in this life and body. Not accepting people and situations (however horrible) as they are.

Now what prevents me from accepting situations and people as they are ? Lets see. Tough situations put life into a tailspin. My own plans for life have to be set aside. A lot of compromise is necessary. Sacrifice is necessary. I am forced to stop taking from life and start giving.

All the above are not easy. Why ? Desires Desires Desires Desires.

My own desires in the form of goals, ambitions, likes, dislikes, all subdued by the situation start a tug of war with the present moment. The situation demands I accept and be and do what is needed NOW, but desires pull me in the opposite direction. This tug of war tears my mind apart and results in my not being able to function fully in the NOW.

The Use Of Suffering

Suffering has been a great way for me to realize that pleasure is temporary and that more indulgence in pleasure will only bring more suffering. My own suffering also teaches me to look around and realize that there are others in deeper pain. By supporting them I see that my own pain is not that bad.

Why Suffering ?

Obviously karma has something to do with it :) Why would a benevolent God want to heap suffering on his children ? A good thing about thinking about karma is that is prevents the blame-game / self pity cycle from going on and on. I realize that I have dues to pay and that suffering is basically payback time.

But why does suffering even exist ?

This is a deep question. What if there were no suffering ? What would happen to this world ? Life would become one endless indulgence in the pleasures of life leaving no time or need to dwell into the true nature of who we really are. Nobody would have any problems and obviously removing the need for anyone to solve them. Would life have any meaning left ? Would it even exist ? The Yoga Vasishta chapter on Prahalada and Vishnu goes much deeper into this aspect.

Another Way ?

A baby struggles out of its womb causing pain to itself and its mother before that moment of bliss called birth. A butterfly struggles out of its cocoon before spreading its beautiful wings. Any achievement in life is preceded by a struggle of some sort. Just wondering, is this the only way life can evolve ? Chaos always preceding and resulting in bliss. Could it not have been easier ? Even possible ? Just wondering.

Jai Guru Dev,

Silence

2009-02-17T11:54:00.000-08:00

My third visit to the remand home. This time it was different for a variety of reasons : more volunteers to control the kids, a warden to help us out - things flowed more smoothly. However I saw and learnt something this time that taught me to revere even more this precious knowledge I have and make me more committed to sharing it with others.

I was trying to gather a group of reluctant kids who refused to participate in the meditation and get them to join the rest of us. Among them sat this lean lanky kid who absolutely refused. I was intrigued and told him "Aao Aao bas kuch minton ke liye" (Come on it'll just be a few minutes). The other kids laughed and said "Ise kuch samajhta nahin" (He does not understand anything). The kid looked at me and gestured that he did not want to come. I thought he was being particularly difficult and was mocking me as some kids there do.

Then it struck me - He was mute.

I gestured to him to join the meditation and he agreed. Ah - i was finally talking his language - the language of silence. As the group sat down and closed their eyes, and the meditation started,I realized something else was going on. This kid was the butt of others ridicule. He was being pushed and prodded by others, some kids sat in front of him and imitated him. Small wonder he did not want to participate.

With the help of another volunteer I seperated him from the rest of the group. He finally settled down and closed his eyes. It was so touching - he could not chant "Ram Ram", but his eyes were closed throughout the meditation. Then he lay down. As the satsang started, he kept his eyes closed and began to clap. Even though he could not sing, he was totally immersed in the bhajans.

It was a touching experience for me as I realized how fortunate I was. Just having a place and environment to meditate is something to be so grateful for. I realized I had more than I actually deserved and comparing myself to people who have more would not get me anywhere. As a volunteer I realized I have to be more resourceful and tuned into the seva to be able to realize what is actually going on and how I can help.

Each time I go to the remand home, I learn something new - not just a new skill - but gain a new insight into life itself. Thanks Guruji for showing me the light !

Jai Guru Dev,

Memories

2009-02-14T03:18:00.000-08:00

Just came across this video of Guruji arriving at the AOL Toronto Center. Just watching it brought back beautiful memories of many such moments I've been privileged to witness and experience. The air is filled with love, expectation, happiness, fragrance, devotion, prayerfulness, gratitude - those moments a culmination of years - nay - lifetimes of merit and a touch of His grace. Moments to live for, Moments to die for.

On one such occasion, after Guruji had passed us, a volunteer in bliss said "If life ends this moment, it will have been worth it". Amen to that !

Jai Guru Dev,

Why Should I Do This Course ?

2009-02-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

If you have taken an Art Of Living Course or are a volunteer, then no doubt you've asked yourself this question from time to time. A course is announced, a senior teacher is visiting town, the volunteer team is formed and the phone calls begin .

A conversation from many years ago :

Caller : Hi Jai Guru Dev

Me : Jai Guru Dev

Caller : Hey did you know that ABC is coming to town to teach the XYZ course ?

Me : Yes

Caller : So you have to take it

Me : Why ?

Caller : Pause. Because it is the most wonderful course that has ever been offered by Art Of Living.

Me : Did you not say this the last time Course MNO was being offered ?

Caller : No No. You don't understand -this is the BEST course ever. You must take it. All strong volunteers must take this course.

Me (under pressure trying to figure out a way to end the call) : Yeah thanks for informing me, I'll check my schedule and call you back.

Caller : Yeah sure. Please sign up today ok ! JGD!

Me : Ok Thanks Byeeeeee JGD. (Thinking : Talk to you like NEVER again)

Whew !

Often times I have thought - Why so many courses, and Why do we have to take them all and Why is there so much pressure to take them ? Initially these thoughts irritated me to no end. But I have finally made my peace with them. There was a time when I could but refused to take courses. There was a time when I could and did. Now is a time when I yearn for an opportunity and am willing but cant. Interesting phases of life -huh ?

I thought I'd write a little FAQ (Frequently Asked Questions) to myself. These are questions my little mind brought up from time to time and the answers gleaned from interactions with helpful teachers and volunteers, introspection and experience. Whether you agree or disagree - hopefully you'll find them interesting.

Q> Why do you call it a course ? Isn't this knowledge available freely or in books or on the internet ?
A> Some things can't be read up in a book. Like learning to play the guitar or playing football. You need a teacher. The modern commercial mind understands 2 things - time and money. Isn't it ? When someone asks you to do something - what are your 2 questions ? How long does it take ? How much will it cost ? RIGHT ? So there you go - thats a course.

Q> Why are there so many courses in AOL ? Part I, Part II, Sahaj, DSN, Blessing, TTC1.....?
A> In the ancient days a student would go to the ashram of a master and serve and learn at his/her feet for about 8 years gaining all the knowledge and skills needed to navigate the choppy waters of life before returning to his/her worldly duties. Today this is not possible for most of us in our commercial modern world. Also our modern day education has no provision to teach valuable life skills that truly equip us to navigate the pressures of life. Hence Guruji (Sri Sri Ravishankar) has created these little courses (packets of Grace I call them), that can be taken one at a time with a limited time/money commitment. Once you take one and practice it, you will see the profound effect it has on some dimension of your life. If you want to grow, take the next one, if not - well !

Q> Why does the course cost so much ? You say it is priceless - why charge so much ?
A> The course is priceless - not worthless. Do you see the difference ?

Q> Last time the same volunteer said that the previous course was the most wonderful. Now he says this course is the most wonderful. What should I believe ?
A> There are 3 degrees of praising in the English Language : Good, Better, Best. All AOL courses are the BEST in their own way. What can the poor volunteer do ? The English language falls short of ways to describe one's experience and infinity.

Q> I am doing great on all fronts - health, friends, job, studies, fun. Why are you asking me to do this course ?
A> Do you buy home insurance after it has burnt down ? Health insurance after you've been admitted to hospital ? Start saving money after becoming bankrupt ? Life can be like the Titanic - icebergs in the form of karma lurk around unexpected blind corners. When the ship of life does hit one, what would you like to be holding in your hands - a life jacket or a violin :) ?

Q> No but seriously WHY should I take this course ? And for WHOM ?
A> You have to figure that out. Sometimes I took a course because a friend was going. Sometimes because my favorite teacher asked me to. Sometime just to see who this International Traveling teacher that everyone was raving about was . Sometimes for Guruji. Sometimes I was choice-less. No matter what the reason, I NEVER regretted my decision. All the skills I gained are applicable at every moment in my life these days.

If you asked me today - I would say that I want to take all that my dear Guru has to offer to me in this lifetime of mine. Not to please a teacher / volunteer - but for myself. After all who benefits after a course - it is me !

This post had to be written. Like it or not :) There - the years old itch has been scratched !

Jai Guru Dev.

For a Few

2009-02-06T09:21:00.000-08:00

I accompanied E again to the remand home about a week ago and it was another amazing tryst with the lives of some young souls in search of peace. As we arrived, a bunch of kids ran up and said "Not today please...we want to play...these folks never let us play". Seeing us come, the warden rounded them all up and sent them to the hall that serves as their sleeping quarters, TV room, and meditation hall. As we entered, a few kids ran up and wanted to be picked up and hugged. Seeing them others ran up and for the first few minutes, all we did was to hug them and smile at them. Ah...all the world wants is love and how many are out there just looking for a kind smile and some affection !!

This time despite having another volunteer ,M help out with controlling the kids, things were pretty chaotic. The warden was busy helping another kriya session that was on below that involved convicted criminals and could not help us out. The result - CHAOS. Kids disturbing each other, refusing to co-operate, nudging each other, shouting out loud. I have to admire E's poise as she led them through the bhastrika, OM and Ram Meditation. M and I ran about trying to get them to sit up, close their eyes and stop troubling each other. As it got done, we were in despair.

Then a serene E pointed out to 2 kids sitting up front. Among 80 kids who were creating a ruckus after the meditation was over, 2 sat still in padmasana, their eyes shut, completely oblivious of the chaos around them. So beautiful..........

Just as I was to conclude that this session had not been a success, more touching events were to unfold. One kid walked up and took Guruji's picture and put it into his pocket. Another one took me aside and told me in real earnest "Can you please bring Sri Sri Ravishankar here next Monday". I told him to pray each night for Guruji to come, but he was not satisfied :). As I turned to leave, 2 more kids ran up, said Jai Gurudev, suddenly touched my feet and ran away. I thought of Guruji and asked Him to bless them...I felt an immense gratitude that moment - Guruji all this respect - do I deserve it ?

As we left, E remarked : Bas un dono ke liya hua aaj ka session". (Today's session happened just for those two). All the drama just to reach out to those who are ready. Wow Guruji, Amazing are your ways.....

Jai Guru Dev,

A Visit to a Remand Home

2009-01-19T06:02:00.000-08:00

Last week, E called and asked me to accompany her to a NCS (Nav Chetna Shibir) follow up at a remand home (juvenile home). A few seva warriors who conducted a NCS camp there some time ago, go there every day to conduct a meditation for the kids interned there.

I was totally reluctant given my own woes but was fortunate to remember what Guruji says "Give the Divine your most precious time". Also trying to look at family members for excuses did not work - they all said GO.

OK I said - Guruji this time is yours and off I went.

Walking into the center was an experience itself. E said "We are from Art Of Living" and we were greeted with "aaiye" / "haan haan aap jaa sakte hain" ( Please come / You may go on). Speaks volumes for the kind of respect the work of Art Of Living had generated at this place.

Walking up to the hall was gut wrenching. Young kids, mostly less than 10 years of age were lined up on the staircase. E told me that they had either committed crimes and were too young to be jailed or were put here since both their parents were in jail and there was no one to take care of them. Swallowing this bit of reality I entered the hall.

At the far corner a large group of kids sat - their eyes glued to a television set. Upon seeing us a few kids ran up and greeted us. As an official set up the mic and speakers, one of them espied my helmet. With great fascination he put it on. That attracted the attention of a whole bunch of kids who ran up and took turns putting it on. I began to feel connected to them.

It was time to start. Most kids sat down but a few started creating a ruckus. E asked me to call their "sir", a burly looking man with a stick, whose very look scared the jeepers out of these little ones. They all settled down and E started bhastrika. I was tasked with making sure the kids closed their eyes. In the next few minutes I was witness to so many facets of life. It was a touching and moving experience.

Some closed their eyes tight and followed the instructions. Some merely ignored the process. Others did bhastrika with their eyes open and I went around gently asking them to close their eyes. Some complied, some ignored me, others stared back coldly. Some "little krishnas" were full of masti. They were deliberately making funny sounds to disturb the others :)

For me playing "cop" was quite an exercise (pun intended).

As the bhastrika ended, more eyes were closed and they all chanted OM. Finally as the meditation started, many settled down. It was a touching sight to behold. Some faces peaceful, some contorted, some disturbed, others disinterested, some angry, some confused, some curious, some playful - all striving for the same peace they had been denied at this tender age.

Then satsang started. I mean WOW....7 1/2 years in Art Of Living ....my most fun satsang. Kids singing along to Achutam Keshavam, standing up and dancing, asking for the mic, correcting E when she said "sote nahin" instead of "khate nahin".....man it was fun. I danced with gay abandon too...mind you this comes from someone with 2 left feet who would not dance if his life depended upon it.

E then asked them to keep faith and told them that they needed to study and listen to elders if they wanted to get ahead in life. She reminded them that Guruji was there for them. It was time to leave. We said our goodbyes saying we would be back next week.

Guruji says that seva is its own reward. That beautiful feeling of love, bliss and gratitude that I was floating in was a stark reminder that life is not always painful, that there are others who have nothing and that if I accept and move through life, giving the highest priority to seva, sadhana, satsang and the pursuit of truth, no sorrow can overcome me.

Deep down a prayer went out for all these kids. Happy that through their troubled times, they had the company of the knowledge and the blessings of a Guru. A reaffirmation that "Having a Guru does NOT mean there will be no storms, just that the boat will NOT sink"

For the next few hours, there was no pain - just bliss.

I pray I can go back there often.

Jai Guru Dev,

Amazing

2008-12-31T05:56:00.000-08:00

Just as I was flipping through Celebrating Silence to write the previous post, I read another post on celebration by Gurudev. The lines which struck me really hard were these :

A poor man celebrates New Year once a year. A rich man celebrates each day. But the richest man celebrates every moment.

How rich are you ? Do you celebrate once a year ? Once a month ? Every day ? If you celebrate every moment, you are the Lord of Creation.

Sri Sri Ravishankar
Weggis, Switzerland
December 27 1995

2008 has been a trying year for us. And all this year, on each festival that we celebrated with such gaiety in the past - Ganesh Chaturti, Gokul Ashtami, Diwali, Navarathri, my mind would go to my problems and dwell on how our home had lost its happiness since we were unable to celebrate as before.

And now this knowledge ! Funny - I've read it so many times before but it hits me so hard on New Years Eve. Something beautiful to ponder on : Am I poor / rich / the richest ?

Certainly I will aspire to be the richest this coming New Year. Thanks Guruji !

Jai Guru Dev,

True Celebration

2008-12-31T05:39:00.000-08:00

Let time celebrate your presence. People usually make a wish for the New Year, but this year make no wish. Let the New Year celebrate you. If the New Year wants to bring you nicer things, just let it.

Usually you are lost in celebration. When you let time celebrate you, you are a witness amidst celebration.

The New Year is fortunate because you are living at this time. When you are living for the sake of the world, the world is fortunate. You are not living for yourself, but for the world. Whatever the world needs or wants, you are here for that.

Sri Sri Ravishankar
Lake Lucerne, Switzerland
January 1 1997

(Excerpt from Celebrating Silence) .

A Happy and Peaceful New Year to all my blog readers. May the New Year bring you joy, peace and more opportunities to move towards your Self.

Jai Guru Dev,

Bare Necessities

2008-12-29T22:38:00.000-08:00

Been watching the 1967 Disney classic - The Jungle Book with my little niece lately and there is this song I just love - The Bare Necessities .

These are my favorite lines as they take me back to what Guruji says about needs and desires and how the Divine takes care of all our needs.

Look for the bare necessities
The simple bare necessities
Forget about your worries and your strife
I mean the bare necessities
Old Mother Nature's recipes
That brings the bare necessities of life

.....

The bare necessities of life will come to you
They'll come to you!

...............

And don't spend your time lookin' around
For something you want that can't be found
When you find out you can live without it
And go along not thinkin' about it
I'll tell you something true

The bare necessities of life will come to you

Jai Guru Dev,

This Moment

2008-12-26T10:30:00.000-08:00

Little One You woke and cried for Mom
And I came instead
You accepted me and lay your little head on my chest
The tears ebbed and your eyes closed

Dare I move for fear of waking you
Dare I breathe for fear of disturbing your gentle breathing
For those brief moments we breathe as one

Am I your Mom/Dad/Uncle/Friend
Beyond Names and Relations is this moment of ours
All your tantrums are forgiven right now

This very moment - A Tear Contentment Bliss Love Peace Eternity

Jai Guru Dev,

Being Spiritual

2008-12-24T01:15:00.000-08:00

As 2008 winds down, time for some soul searching and perspective. Undoubtedly 2008 has been the most challenging year of my adult life. A crisis that started in Jan this year continues to be the mainstay of all my activities and decisions.

It also marks the lowest point in my participation in Art Of Living activities for the last 7+ years in terms of taking courses or volunteering. The total and complete preoccupation with my situation has made it impossible for me to do any justice to either of the above.

Which led me ponder - Am I being spiritual enough ?

Or rather - What is being spiritual ? For long I have equated my spirituality with the regularity of my daily sadhana, regular long kriyas, satsangs, taking more courses and of course seva. I have been quite regular - or rather life has been very gracious in allowing me to be regular with the first two - without which I have no idea how I would have made it thus far.

It took me a while to get the significance of regular Part II courses - unfortunately I managed to do only 2 of these before life caught up. Satsang - I was just getting to realize the importance of being regular. Seva - a touch and go for me most of the time, but something I did whenever I could. Being with Guruji - 2005 and 2006 offered me so many opportunities to meet Guruji that I was beginning to get used to it .

And then 2007 happened.

Once the nectar has been tasted, staying away from it is P A I N F U L. This has been my direct experience in the last year of not being able to participate more actively in AOL satsangs, courses and seva.

But then what does Part I teach us ? Accept situations as they are !
And why ? Because these situations are going to come in life. What is the point of this knowledge if I cant apply it when it matters the most ?

At some level I have come to realize that one reason I loved participating in the aforementioned activities was the social interaction it offered. Am I missing my Spiritual hang outs :) ?

Another realization for me is that it is super hard to completely give of myself. I have imagined doing this for a loved one, but now being faced with it, I realize I have come up short - quite short.

Perhaps this is the lesson Guruji is teaching me - to accept the situation and be with it completely and not see it as different than any of the other things I would rather be doing right now .

On the positive side I am able to see I am deeper than what I thought I was, more dispassionate, less attracted to pleasure and closer in my heart to Guruji.

Sometimes Being Spiritual is just Being .

Jai Guru Dev,

Who Am I ?

2008-12-19T17:00:00.000-08:00

Where do you work ?

A common refrain that inevitably follows the initial customary "Hi/Hello", in the professional world. I've have asked and been asked this question a few hundred times in my life. There was a time when I took pride in this question. Immediately I would blurt out "I work as XYZ for ABZ co" and wait for that look or sigh of admiration from the fellow conversationalist. My biggest fear was being unemployed and the most stressful times were the times of layoffs - a frequent phenomenon in my company in the 2000 - 2005 period in the Bay Area. I prided myself on my work and didn't think much of life outside of it . Constant comparisons with the progress of my friends, colleagues and college mates was my mind's primary occupation.

Along the way came the Part I course, Ashtavakra, Yoga Vasishta, Part II , satsangs, seva. And slowly the belief began to solidify that I was indeed being taken care of. A larger perspective to life began to emerge and a life outside of work, promotions, stock options, office politics, 11 pm coffee breaks began to take shape. Spirituality and my other passion - going back to the academic world - began to take precedence and the feverishness and attachment with my job slowly began to drop.

Today I am jobless (yes - and no I don't feel like a smaller person because of it) and am comfortable seeing it as a phase of life just like the time I was employed. Life is indeed an interesting journey - When I had a job, I lived in constant fear of losing it. Now I have no idea if and when I will get back to work on the same terms as before and I am at peace. Happy I am to have dropped this one strong identification.

My association with the Art Of Living and Guruji are clearly what I value the most. I don't miss work but I do miss the satsangs, courses, being with Guruji a LOT .

Life indeed is a spiritual journey. I play many roles that of a student, professional, family member, friend, colleague. These roles sustain me in a society that demands that one play these roles and accords me a social status based on my degree of success in these roles.

But the most important relationship - that of me with mySelf - independent of what society thinks or says - is what matters in the end.

Jai Gurudev,

Thank You

2008-12-10T07:06:00.000-08:00

Thank you Pain
For you make me realize pleasure is temporary

Thank you Suffering
For you teach me this world is only you

Thank you Uncertainty
For you make me realize everything is changing

Thank you Confusion
For you teach me there is another way

Thank you Torture
For you make me realize I am not just this body

Thank you Failure
For you make me realize you are but a milestone

Thank you Desire
For you make me realize you are but an empty bowl

Thank you Lust
For you teach me what is really love

Thank you Friendship
For making me realize there is only ONE real friend

Thank you Sleeplessness
For you teach me I was asleep

Thank you Troubled Times
For you center and focus me on the real GOAL

Thank you Guruji
For the knowledge and grace to realize the above

Jai Guru Dev,

Seattle Vigil For Mumbai Victims

2008-12-05T21:35:00.000-08:00

Several other Indian organizations partnered with Art Of Living and held a candle light vigil for the Mumbai victims at the Red Square on the University Of Washington (UW) campus in Seattle.

Words of wisdom from the local AOL teacher - David Longenecke.

http://dailyuw.com/2008/12/4/vigil-held-mumbai-victims/

Go AOL Seattle ! Go Huskies !

Jai Guru Dev,

Sri Sri Ravishankar in Mumbai

2008-12-03T10:37:00.000-08:00

UPDATE : For those that missed the broadcast on Sanskar TV - here is a web link that some kindred soul put up. Watch it while it is still up there.

http://www.pitechniques.com/aol/traumacare/meditationlive.htm

Join us in our quest to create a peaceful, stress-free society.

What : Sri Sri will conduct a special prayer, pranayama and meditation session for all Mumbaikars

Where : Priyadarshini Park & Sports Complex, Nepean Sea Road

When : Dec. 6 at 6:30 pm.

Have Burning Questions ? Click here

The Art of Living Foundation is conducting trauma care and counseling sessions, following the recent terror attacks in Mumbai.

Helpline numbers: +91-9821620948, +91-9967477004, +91-9820612152

Jai Guru Dev,

Insurance

2008-12-02T15:40:00.000-08:00

This post is somewhat on the lines of my earlier post Long Term Investing, but i've been reflecting a lot about what my association with the Art Of Living, daily practice of the Sudarshan Kriya and Guruji have meant to me over the last 7 1/2 odd years and was inspired to write this.

We all buy insurance for various things in life. Home insurance to protect ourselves if god-forbid a catastrophe like a fire should happen. Life insurance to make sure our loved ones have financial security if something were to happen to us. We insure our vehicles such as cars, bikes to ensure that an accident does not leave us with hefty bills.

All this to protect what ? Items that we hold dear to our happiness and peace of mind ? We pay a premium now so that we are protected in the event of an unforeseen event that we don't know about and in fact don't want to have happen to us at any time. Ironically there is an aspect of spirituality here too. We insure to protect something, while knowing at the same time that it won't last forever. Implicitly we acknowledge that nothing will be safe forever.

And life is quite unforeseen isn't it ? As I have experienced too. Life is full of surprises. People get sick - extremely sick at times. Accidents happen. Jobs are lost. I have personally had to use health and auto insurance.

But the greatest insurance to me through life's travails has been my spirituality. Through tough times, traumatic times, unforeseen challenges, physical and mental pain, disappointments - the only thing that had steadfastly stood by my side is my sadhana, satsang, knowledge and the grace of the Guru. The ability to keep my mind sane through tough challenges and keep the faith strong - even smile sometimes through problems - has been the most precious thing to me in the last few years.

I've been reading the papers and often read news of young, highly qualified professionals/ students committing suicide for various reasons - job stress, family problems, a failed love affair, loneliness - and it pains me. Not just because a promising life was cut short, but because he/she did not have the tools and techniques to handle the agony that the situation in life was presenting. Looking around me, i see that it is the need of the moment - a way to handle our stresses and challenges without giving up,or collapsing, or destroying our health - and facing life with equanimity and smilingly.

Now as I face the most challenging (so far) phase of my adult life, I am glad I bought insurance many years ago - the Art Of Living course. It serves me each day, each moment, when I need it - unfailingly. It helps me manage this complex beast called the MIND and calm it down - no matter what. It helps me dispose off the garbage accumulated during the day and be free.

This to me is the REAL Life Insurance. I am grateful for the grace of the Guru that brought me to this precious knowledge when I most needed it. And it is my duty now to reach out to others so they may have these most precious tools when they need it too.

Are you insured ?

Jai Guru Dev,

Seva Provides Succor

2008-11-30T22:11:00.000-08:00

The YES+ folks (youth group of Art Of Living) organized a blood drive yesterday at New English School in Pune. It was a heart warming sight to see so many young collegians, AOL teachers, young professionals trickle in, in groups and donate blood. Irrespective of whether this blood will reach the victims of the Mumbai tragedy, it was very therapeutic to go and donate blood. Somewhere somehow there was a feeling of having done something and the helplessness vanished giving rise to hope and faith.

'The day you feel hopeless, horrible, and worse, on that day get out of your room and ask people, "What can I do you for you ?" That service you have done that day will bring a revolution inside you. It will change your whole gramophone record.'

-Sri Sri Ravishankar

Kudos to the YES+ team in Pune for having acted promptly in this situation.

Are you young at heart ? Do you want to make friends with a bunch of young, cool and hip spiritually aware meditators and socially aware and active youngsters ? And gain the skills to enhance the quality of your life and that of others ?

Take the YES+ course happening in Pune in December :

Dates : Dec 15th - Dec 21st
Venue : Government Polytechnic (Opp E-Square)
Time : 6:00 PM - 10:00 PM
Contact : 9822082363, 9922053368

Jai Guru Dev,

Grace Unlimited

2008-11-30T11:45:00.000-08:00

A beautiful account by 2 Art Of Living teachers recently rescued from the Taj. Their tale of how they turned from victims to being instruments in the most difficult times is a beautiful read. This certainly underscores the importance of the spiritual practices in daily life and in the role of seva and above all the Master's Grace.

Personally for me, reading this story was a reminder of how we are constantly taken care of, in the most difficult of times. As Guruji said in Guru Poornima 2006 "The sign of having a teacher, a master is that you do NOT worry" .

From Vikram Hazra's blog .

Rajita shares her experience

Jai Guru Dev,

My Beloved Mumbai

2008-11-29T13:00:00.000-08:00

(Image Courtesy : www.msnbc.com)

The TV reports that the siege has ended, the terrorists have either been captured/killed, the hotel guests either freed or being carried out in body bags, the soldiers and policemen either standing down or being buried.

It almost too surreal. Having worked in Mumbai several years ago and having walked down the very lanes and edifices that have been attacked so brutally by the crazed maniacs who so heartlessly mowed down people like weeds, I am still unable to believe it.

As Dad put it : The rakshasas of the olden days are still alive - they are called terrorists today.

Taj Hotel where I attended training, Metro where I watched movies, CST where I use to alight on my way to the Queen's Necklace.....memories come flooding back. Mumbai has been a victim to terror many times before and this horrible incident too shall fade in time from public memory, but the pain I am feeling right now is unfathomable.

Death spares no one . Usually such incidents in India affect the middle classes and the poor as previous incidents were mostly due to bombs set off in public places. This time the well heeled, Bollywood actors, corporate honchos, tourists, security personnel, the common man mowed down at VT - have all been victims.

Terrorism has no religion. A newspaper reported about how 6 members of a muslim family were mowed down at the VT railway terminus by the devils-in-human-form who were ostensibly doing this for the betterment(sic) of that community in this country.

Mumbai will arise again(it already has) as it has on many previous occasions, politicians will start the blame game, the heroes will be buried, and life will go on. But has anything been really learnt from this incident ?

There have been calls for a core group to handle just terrorism and better infrastructure and training to police. A lot of technology and intelligence will be thrown at this problem.

But as the lessons learnt from 9/11 and Virginia Tech last year tell us, no amount of technology can fathom the depths of evil in the human mind or hatred in ones heart. Only when minds are healed and hearts are won, can this war against evil be won. All the more reason to meditate and bring more people to the path of meditation and service.

Sri Sri says :

If every child in the world learns a little bit about all cultures, a little bit about all values, the whole scenario will be different. Then one will not think, 'Only I will go to heaven. Everyone else will go to hell'. This wrong education or lack of education has caused so many problems in the world. A sense of belongingness with the whole world - it doesn't matter what colour or race you are - is that shared value that we are talking about today. Even if one pocket in the world remains ignorant of these shared values, common values, the world will not be a safe place. So we need to address these issues with a lot of patience. It is not a job that we can do overnight, but through education and creating that sense of community, through inspiration and example .

- Sri Sri

We can clearly see the effect of some pockets of the world being used to indoctrinate youth in the name of religion, fooling them into believing that they are somehow better than the others, that they are the chosen martyrs who will achieve God by murdering others. Ironically these are our fellow human beings who are being misguided and used to promote terror.

A time for meditation and prayer, a time to honor the fallen, a time to rededicate oneself to the practice and promotion of human values around us.

Jai Guru Dev,

Sri Sri Condemns Mumbai Terror

2008-11-28T11:03:00.000-08:00

Source : www.artofliving.org

Jai Guru Dev,

An Award :)

2008-11-27T23:16:00.000-08:00

I am inspired to join Art of Living, reading this blog. This award is for you.

Kiran just gave me an award :)

Thanks Kiran, much appreciated : All I can say is that your statement above makes the 80 odd posts on this blog over the last year or so - worthwhile !

I'll just dedicate it to my Guru.

Jai Guru Dev,

What Can I Do ?

2008-11-26T19:51:00.000-08:00

In the light of the tragedy that is currently underway in Mumbai, it is worth reading and acting on Bawa'a post about such incidents .

http://bawandinesh.name/?p=293

Loka Samastha Sukhino Bhavantu
Om Shanti Shanti Shanti Hi

Jai Guru Dev,

Your Guru

2008-11-26T02:07:00.000-08:00

A few days ago, I was having an argument with a RespectedElder. Things got a little heated. For a while the awareness and knowledge came up saying "Shut Up RR..Shut Up NOW".

Then suddenly in a blinding flash of anger, I said something I would regret for a long time to come.

Pat came the reply.

RespectedElder : Your Guru would never approve of this !

Me: (Eyes Blazing, Nostrils Flaring) : Don't drag my Guru into this !!!

RespectedElder : I WILL . Isn't this what you preach to me all the time ? THIS is the time you need to apply the knowledge He has given you. He WONT be proud of this.

RespectedElder was right. And knows how to GET me too :)

I was just wondering after this altercation : How much I love Guruji that I am willing to defend him against someone I have known all my life and love so much too ?

And how ironical ? Guruji DOES want to be in the middle of such altercations - maybe he creates them too :) ? After all it is in moments of such strife that he wants us to keep the awareness and apply his precious knowledge.

Guru Matru Pita
(Guru is Mother, Guru is Father)
Guru Bandhu Sakha
(Guru is Friend, Guru is Companion)
Tere Charano Me Swami
(At your feet Oh Lord)
Mere Koti Pranaam
(My countless salutations)

Jai Guru Dev,

Long Term Investing

2008-11-25T11:00:00.000-08:00

What is good investing ? For a completely finance-challenged person like myself, it would be investing in those things - money, education, possessions, health, relationships that would keep me comfortable in the long term.

Everyone invests for a return. Otherwise there is no point investing.

Good fitness means good health at an older age and less vulnerability to health problems. Having money means that when the rainy day arrives, we are not running helter-skelter to meet our needs and those of our family. Positive relationships would mean having good company and friendships and hopefully help when one needs it. A good education means increasing the probability of getting a good well-paying job.

For how long do these investments keep me company ? No longer than I am in this body. And how long am I going to be able to keep this body ? 1 hour / 1 day / 10 years / 50 years. Do I really know ? There is a finite time limit on the ability of my investments to give me a return.

Ever thought of investing for the real future ?

Sadhana - Sa (forever) - dhana (wealth) : that wealth that stays forever.

The scriptures tell us that the mind is just energy. Physics tells us that energy is never destroyed - just transforms from one state to another. Whether one believes in rebirth or not - it is a living scientific reality around us. How else do you explain a 1 year old infant suffering from an incurable disease or a 90 year old person living a healthier life than someone half his/her age. How does one explain Adi Sankara who united India with his knowledge and attained enlightenment at the age of 21 ? Or a Sri Sri Ravishankar who chanted the Bhagavad Gita at the age of 4 ? Or........

Numerous examples exist in our daily life that tell us of the effect of the mind and the impressions it carries from lifetime to lifetime. Mind - Energy - never destroyed but taking on different bodies from time to time and manifesting those impressions in that body. A cleaner mind with fewer negative impressions = a better and happier life in this body.

So - you are not this body. Your mind never perishes. You - the spirit never die !

Wouldn't you rather carry a cleaner and purer mind with you ? Would you rather not carry the rubbish of this life time on to the next ? In the light of this do not all other investments (though important) seem short term ?

Diversify your portfolio. Invest really long term. Invest in you.

Do the Art Of Living course.

Jai Guru Dev ,

Karma

2008-11-22T22:17:00.000-08:00

Many a times, my mind goes : Why this intense suffering ? No answers.
Karma is the closest explanation.

Karma - 1 word , the effect of several lifetimes. I've been saying this to myself and family members a lot these days - its our karma. A lot of folks have said this to me too. Its your karma.

Karma is an interesting concept. Too complex to understand or start a discussion here but suffice to say that it influences almost everything in life -- good and bad . In times of intense suffering, dwelling on this concept saves the mind in some ways.

Its easy to blame bad times on fate . Meri kismat kharaab hai ! (My bad luck)

The Yoga Vasishta says this beautifully of fate and self-effort :

In this world whatever is gained is gained only by self-effort, when failure is encountered, it is seen that there has been slackness in effort. This is obvious but what is seen as fate is fictitious and is not seen. Self-effort, Rama, is that mental, verbal and physical action which is in accordance with the instructions of a holy person well-versed in the scriptures.

So Karma. In Wisdom For The New Millenium, Guruji describes the 3 types of karma -Prarabdha (begun), Sanchita (piled up), Agaami (not yet come). Guruji says that prarabhdba karma is that which is yielding its effects right now and cannot be changed. Sanchita karma can be burned off, changed by spiritual practices before it becomes manifest.

Despite doing spiritual practices when the suffering becomes too much, sometimes the mind goes How much more prarabdha karma do I have ? :) At least the blame game does not start.

I was wondering - I read the newspaper and it reports how the high and mighty got away in a court case involving an accident just because they were rich. Or how someone innocent was murdered for seemingly no fault of theirs. Of how a mentally retarded child got raped.

For a moment one thinks GOD where were you ? Then it is clear - it was their karma. Cruel though it seems, there is no other explanation.

The same rule applies to me too - just because I think I have been a good person in this life, it does not mean I was a good person in my previous life times too. God knows what atrocities I performed on whom. If I want the murderers of modern society to pay for their deeds and if I rejoice silently when a certain perpetrator of a ghastly car accident involving a BMW was sent to jail, I must be ready to pay my dues as well.

How and Why should I be exempt from my mistakes ?

I sometimes wonder how God can watch the sufferings of all his children. However an omnipresent, omnipotent and omniscient God has to be totally fair. He loves all equally and clearly ANYONE who abused their own discrimination/free will MUST be led in the right direction, through the path of misery - towards light.

There seems to be no other way to liberation. For only when the mind gets tired of the games of this world - the suffering, the misery does one move towards God in a real sense.

Not just offer fruits and flowers and dress up on occasions , but TRULY MOVE towards GOD through spiritual practices. A mind totally caught up in objects of this world cannot move towards God. Maybe thats why the need for misery as well. To see the true nature of this world.

Gautama Buddha walked away from his royal life when he saw the misery of this world. Lord Rama went through the same misery until Sage Vasishta taught him about his true nature.

As Guruji says in The Secret Of Secrets - a quote from the Bhagavad Gita :

Anithyam Asuhkam Lokam
(Impermanent and Unhappy is this world)

Imam Prapya Bhajasvamam
(Knowing/Having this attain me).

Without forsaking this world, but inquiring into and knowing the true nature of this world, we are able to move through life easily .

How beautiful ? You really must listen to Guruji's interpretation of this in The Secret Of Secrets - it'll move you to tears as it has me on many occasions. Oh Guruji !

For all this seeking to happen in my life A Guru was necessary. Despite being on the spiritual path, I am in suffering. But I am grateful to have a Guru who holds my hand through it. I am grateful for the Sudarshan Kriya to which I can surrender my miseries at the end of the day.

As is often said in the Art Of Living :

Having a Guru does not mean there will be no storms
It means that no matter what, the boat won't sink .

If I have learnt anything in the various courses (Part I, Advanced, Sahaj, DSN etc) that I have taken in the Art of Living - it is this.

Practice what Guruji has said, have undying faith in HIM and I WILL be free - no matter what karmas.

Dhyanam Moolam Gurur Moorti
Pooja Moolam Guror Padam
Mantra Moolam Gurur Vakyam
Moksha Moolam Guru Krupa

Jai Guru Dev ,

Pranayam Dhyan Shibir - Bangalore with Sri Sri Ravishankar

2008-11-22T04:17:00.000-08:00

Bangalore City is blessed :)

http://www.artoflivingbangalore.org/pds.html

Jai Guru Dev,

Getting Away

2008-11-20T08:24:00.000-08:00

Image Source : http://majorlycool.com/item/sunset-ride/catid/10

Sometimes when life gets too crazy, I feel like riding into the sunset. Don't care on what : a bicycle, a motorcycle, a car, a horse, camel, a buffalo (nah not really!) ....somewhere, somehow just GO.......

Am I running towards something ? Or away from something ? Myself ?

And then I realize that I cannot run from the situation. And also with my MIND as a permanent - sometimes unwanted - companion, can I really go far ? Don't think so.

Been reading the Yoga Vasishta regularly for a few weeks now and it dwells so beautifully on the secrets and tendencies of the mind. A must read after you meditate - it elevates one to a different level of consciousness. A little secret - some lucky soul reads some pages to Guruji every day - phir meri kya zurrat ki mai na padhoon ?

Yoga Vasishta - not just a book, but a Guru's blessing.

But someday I will take that ride into the sunset and it won't be running away.

Jai Guru Dev,

Chandrayaan Lands

2008-11-14T21:32:00.001-08:00

(Image Courtesy : www.space.com)

Yesterday Chandrayaan (Moon Vehicle in Sanskrit), successfully sent a probe to the moon with the Indian tricolor painted on all sides making it the 5th country to have a presence on the moon. The world has received this with a mixture of admiration, support, suspicion and downright derision. Nevertheless this represents a proud moment for all Indians - a country of 1 billion plus representing a sixth of humanity and the world's oldest civilization.

I read several articles on this great event leading from the launch all the way to the probe's impact on the Moon's surface but a couple of them touched me more than others. Not because they reported the event well but because they underscored how easily science and spirituality mix in India.

NY Times Piece :
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/29/opinion/29varadarajan.html?partner=permalink&exprod=permalink

Times Of India :
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Though_probe_crashlanded_tricolour_intact/articleshow/3715205.cms

(ISRO chairman Madhavan Nair said on Friday: ‘‘We have planted the national flag near the Shackelton crater. In the month of Karthikeya, Chandrayaan has been wonderful to us and the Moon has been favorable.)

Astrology cheek-by-jowl with Astronomy :) :) ? A touch of Faith ?

In India the moon has a special significance in life. Every month the full moon day "Poornima" represents something beautiful - Krishna's Birthday,Buddha'a enlightenment, Guru Nanak Jayanti....... The effect of the moon on the mind has been understood by sages and seers since times immemorial.

The west has often struggled with these 2 pillars of modern day society. In the US, concepts such as intelligent design, creationism and Darwin's theory of evolution all fight pitched battles all the way from school board meetings to the US Supreme Court.

In India however, there is seldom any conflict. I grew up in the colony of a primer scientific institute in India and watched my father do his pooja every morning and head to work thereafter. The colony celebrated all festivals in a big way with no conflict whatsoever.

Who is more advanced - the West or India ? May seem like a moot question to most but I'd like to think that advancement of a civilization comes from advancement of its spiritual thought - not just by putting out more gadgetry (sophisticated and necessary though they may be) .

As Guruji Says :

Science and spirituality are like two ways of looking at the creation. Science regards life as matter and spirituality regards even matter as life. Spirituality elevates matter to the level of life, level of divinity and adds a sense of honour. While science brings us material and physical comfort, spirituality gives comfort to our souls. Science cultivates logic and spirituality develops intuition, another faculty of inquiry. Ancient rishis (sages) recognized this interplay between science and spirituality and said true fulfillment in life can come only through gyana (spirituality) and vigyana (science).

.....

The time has come for India to reclaim her rightful place on the world stage. In order for this to occur, we need to become more confident and take pride in our cultural and spiritual roots. The spiritual wisdom, which was her glory in the past, has been almost forgotten and needs to be revived.

Sri Sri Ravishankar

Jai Guru Dev,

The Evil Twins

2008-11-10T00:35:00.000-08:00

This one inspired by Rashmin's post.

Lets call them P1 and P2 - the conjoined twins.

P1 is the tail of P2 - a little known fact
The mind wants to run from P1 towards the waiting open arms of P2
P2 wears a strong perfume
The lure of P2 is hard to resist
She woos me assiduously promising me joy
I follow (rather my mind does) salivating
She delivers the fun - for a few seconds
Then smiles and walks away
Leaving me in a dust heap
To face the whiplash of her venomous tail
This lasts a lot longer than the fun
A sip of nectar revealing a pool of poison

Through time I have learnt to recognize that whiff
And run a thousand miles away
Sometimes though I indulge again
And get lashed brutally though knowing well I will
Despite knowing a greater and more permanent joy exists
Why do I let the small mind win ?
Again and Again

Self Effort Self Effort Self Effort
Transcend Transcend Transcend

In a dream I beheld P2 and asked
May I ask thy name ?
"Yes for sure - I am Pleasure and my twin here is Pain"

Jai Guru Dev,

At This Age

2008-11-07T22:53:00.001-08:00

Through my troubled times and pain, I sometimes think - This is not an age for me to be stuck like this. I ought to be out - like everyone else - working, traveling, teaching, meeting friends for lunch, skiing, biking, doing advanced courses, living life !

Right.

So Should He.

And She.

And They.

One of my all time favorites by Phil Collins says it all :

One word : Gratitude.

Images Courtesy : National Geographic, http://weightofsilence.files.wordpress.com

Jai Guru Dev,

When The Earth Shook

2008-11-06T13:00:00.000-08:00

It was sometime in May in 2002 (i think) in the Bay Area . Someone had told me that Guruji would be in the now torn-down Ricky's Hyatt hotel. I told two close friends of mine I was going and they said they would come along.

Later that evening I came home exhausted from work and decided to skip out. My friends called and asked me why I had not picked them up as discussed. My retort - I am too tired and cant go. C'mon they said - you promised. So i went over with them to the hotel. Interestingly these friends were not part of Art Of Living at that time.

Those were still the days when Guruji was somewhat accessible in the US - unlike the recent Diwali celebrations that saw about 3000 folks turn up.

We went and took our place - almost in the front and Guruji was seated on the podium. People were singing. A famous Indian businessman who was a devotee was in the front talking on his cellphone :) . Guruji was serenely looking around. Here is where I got my second look - just that brief moment - which seemed like eternity.

Then suddenly it happened - a small earthquake happened that shook the room. Just 2-3 seconds and it was over. A loud cheer arose from the crowd of devotees - I did now know I was one at that time - so i just stayed quiet and skeptical.

Then Guruji spoke about how lucky we were on this path - we have everything - the technique, the service, satsang, knowledge and the company of a Master. My small mind then interpreted this as self-promotion.

Then the Q&A started and ended. Someone shouted - Marry me Guruji. Guruji carried on unperturbed.

The evening ended and we all went home.

Looking back I can only think how lucky I was back then. I was not ready for him but he was there lovingly beckoning me to him. Today I thirst for his company and circumstances in life prevent me from meeting him. Ironical ?

Maybe it is because he is always with me and he wants me to know that.

But the longing to be with him only grows day by day.

From a oh-so-beautiful Meera bhajan sung by Lata Mangeshkar :

Payoji Maine :

paayoji maine ram ratan dhan paayo

bastu amolaka di mere satguru,
krpa kari apanayo

janama janama ki punji pai,
jaga men sabai khovayo

Kharcha na koi chor na lutai
Din din badhat savayo (payo ji maine)

Sat ki naav khevatiya satguru
Bhavsagar taravayo (payo ji maine)

Meera ke prabhu giridhar nagar
Harash harash jas gaayo (payo ji maine)

Paayoji maine ram ratan dhan paayo

Jai Guru Dev,

Ay Zindagi

2008-10-30T03:16:00.000-07:00

This one inspired by Rekha's post on faith.

Why is there suffering/pain in a tough situation ?

Sri Sri says "Suffering is a product of limited knowledge"

What limited knowledge ?

The Part I course says " Accept situations and people as they are"

When in pain or suffering, the last thing I want to do is accept. After all who wants pain ? The best solution is to try and escape it and to enable this, the mind is ever willing to :

jump into the glorious past
jump towards a non-existent future OR
take flights of imaginary fancy .
keep asking the eternally unanswerable question "Why ?"

None of this helps and muddles the mind even more.

Question to self : Isn't it easier to just accept ?

Another way is resistance.

This is NOT happening to me
This is not happening to ME.
THIS is not happening to me

Another point of the Part I course says "What you resist persists".

When I resist obviously the suffering persists . And what am I resisting ? The flow of life ? I am but a little boat caught up in this ocean of samsara which throws up perfect storms now and then. Of what use is my resistance ?

Question to self : Isn't it easier to not resist, live the knowledge and just BE ?

Guruji says that when we are faced with a storm - to gulp it in its totality and then we realize that there is really no storm .

Reminds me of a beautiful song from the movie Sadma :

Aye Zindagi Gale Lagale
Hum ne bhi
Tere har ik gam ko
Gale se lagaya hai Hai na ?

Roughly translated :

Oh Life Embrace Me
I've embraced all the suffering you've given me
Haven't I ?

When no knowledge works, faith does ...infinite faith does WORK - especially when the Storm is a long one.

Jai Guru Dev,

The Purpose Of Carnatic Music - IMHO

2008-10-29T23:07:00.000-07:00

Image Courtesy : http://www.swaralayam.org

I'll start by saying I have no formal training in Carnatic Music. But growing up in a middle class south-indian family leaves you no choice. The ethereal voice of M.S Subbulakshmi chanting Subrabaatham is as ubiquitous as the cock-a-doodle-doo early in the morning.

I grew up listening to the great compositions of Thyagaraaja , Purandaradasa and other great composers rendered by stalwarts of modern day Carnatic Music such as the inimitable MS, Balamurali Krishna , The Bombay Sisters, Radha Jayalakshmi, Unnirishnan and many others. Though many of my family members were trained in Carnatic music, I never showed interest in getting training in this medium - much to the chagrin of my father.

Maybe I never had the patience for the rigorous sadhana that accompanies learning this amazingly complex medium. Maybe my mind wandered too much and experimented too much with reading, sports, extra curricular activities , much like a butterfly that courts a flower only as long as it had sweet nectar to offer. Maybe.....

More recently I have been having rancorous debates with my dad - a big-time carnatic music enthusiast and aficionado and an amateur violinist . He can quickly recognize raagas like most other enthusiasts, easily recall which song was composed by which composer, the life history of the composer....you get the picture. And I cant do any of the above.

Me : Dad, today's singers are too commercial. They don't sing in devotion, only to show their talent and make fame and money.

Dad : They are like any other professional, some are dedicated, some are not.

Me: But Dad, Carnatic music is ALL about the Divine - every word.

Dad : Everything is all about the Divine, are all professionals devoted to their professions.

Me : The composers of yore were saints first and singers only after that. Today's singers are well....just singers.

Dad : Yes

Me : Dad , the purpose of Carnatic music is to take you deep within yourself - in touch with your being. The raagas dont matter, the words dont matter, the singer does not matter.

Dad : But it is the raags, the rendition and the words that take you deep within.

Me : But Dad ......

Sullen Silence . Nobody Wins.

I guess we are both coming to the same truth from different angles.

For my dad, complete appreciation of music means knowing about it as well - the composer, his/her life, the raaga, the variations, the renditions etc.

For me , music is an experience, just closing my eyes and dissolving in the sound. It does not matter what is being sung - A Bollywood number, a gazhal, a bhajan, a carnatic composition. It has to touch me deep within. If so the song has served its purpose. If not...something is missing. I became really aware of this during the deep bhajan satsangs we used to have in the Bay Area.

As Guruji Says : "Singing helps to bring serenity. Singing is simply merging into the sound, floating on its waves with sense of contenment and meditativeness"

Whats your experience like ?

Jai Guru Dev,

Guruji in Dallas

2008-10-29T11:23:00.000-07:00

Nice Video .

http://cbs11tv.com/local/Diwali.Festival.of.2.850964.html

Jai Guru Dev,

Happy Diwali

2008-10-26T22:53:00.000-07:00

(Image Courtesy : http://sneha1967.sulekha.com )

A festival has different flavors - the holidays (fun time) , the shopping for clothes, gifts (fun material time) , family and friends (people time), food (yum time :) ) ,rituals (pooja and prayer time), mythology (story time) and celebrations.

At the core though is the essence of any festival - what it stands for . Diwali is all of the above and also represents the triumph of good over evil - not just in the world, but also within us .

Here is wishing you all the essence and everything else this Diwali !!

For those of you with Guruji this Diwali - well lucky you :)

Here is a beautiful article on Diwali by Guruji :

Diwali is lighting :

The lamp of love in one's heart;
The lamp of abundance in one's home;
The lamp of compassion to serve others;
The lamp of Knowledge to dispel darkness

Every lamp that you light is symbolic of a good quality. There are good qualities in every human being. Some have forbearance, some have love, strength, generosity; others have the ability to accept all as one' own, yet others have a scientific temperament that will uplift humanity; and others have the ability to unite people from all religions. A latent talent is a lamp. When latent talents awaken, that is Diwali. Don't be satisfied with simply lighting one lamp; light a thousand. Eg. If you are a good sevak, don't be satisfied only with that; light the lamp of wisdom in you. Acquire knowledge. If you are interested in acquiring knowledge, don't limit yourself only to that. Take an interest in the creative arts, in dance, music etc.

Do you know why we do aarti? It is so that light of our life always rotates around the Divine.

Do you know why we burst crackers? We suppress many emotions within ourselves; cravings, aversions, hatred or too much attachment and we reach bursting point. When there are a lot of worries, people say, "I feel my head is going to burst." If there is a lot of sorrow, people say, "My heart is going to burst." Knowing this experience, the ancient people said that when you see an explosion outside, you feel similar sensations within you as well. Along with the explosion, there is so much light. Similarly by lighting the crackers, when there is an explosion outside, you release the suppressed emotions and become hollow and empty. You become free and are able to celebrate the festival and distribute sweets.

The darkness is dispelled, light has come into the house, and joy spreads. This is a festival of joy. For the wise man, Diwali is every moment and every day.

Diwali - the Festival of Lights. The streets and buildings are lit up with colorful lights.

The four aspects of Diwali:

1. Lights: symbolizing the spreading of Knowledge.
2. Firecrackers: Watching the firecrackers gives a relief to the explosive tendencies inside. When the explosion happens outside, the explosion inside is diffused.
3. Gift exchange and distribution of sweets: Sweets dispel the bitterness and renew the friendship.
4. Feeling abundance: Feeling a sense of abundance brings awareness and gratefulness for what one has.

When this wisdom dawns, it gives rise to celebration. However, in celebration you may lose your focus or awareness. The ancient Rishis knew this, so to maintain awareness amidst the gaiety of celebration, they brought sacredness and puja to every event.

- H.H.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Happy Diwali , Jai Guru Dev,

Music and Memory

2008-10-19T02:09:00.001-07:00

Its quite amazing. I've been observing how music is an an index into my memory. Just a strain or note from a song and the mind floats back into its database called the memory and transports me back suddenly to events in my life that I thought I had forgotten. (hmm..how can I think about something if I have forgotten it ? But I digress.)

Its almost like placing a stylus on record groove - the memory starts playing the song that life sang way back when.

Image: FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Here are a few songs(not necessarily my most favorite and in no particular order) and the events they take suddenly me back to. (I know we drop the past in the Art Of Living but sometimes this painful indulgence is a little sweet - even if bitter-sweet).

I Just Called To Say I Love You (Stevie Wonder) : I went to an all boys school. At the bottom of the hill was our sister institution - thats right - the all girls school. They used to have a fund raiser each year - called the fancy fete (why they called it that - I don't know) - a highly anticipated event. This song was the number 1 for many years - played as requests from guys to gals.

Papa Kehte Hain Bada Naam Karega : Released right around our Std 10 farewell party (junior high graduation), this song was a super-hit from the Bollywood flick "Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak". Someone sung it at the farewell - as we all stood there with goosebumps - at the threshold of our teen years, suddenly realizing that we would never be school kids again - wondering what lay ahead.

Tujhe Dekha To Yeh Jaana Sanam : A hit from the Bollywood movie Dilwale Dulhania Le Jayenge . I was alone in Nashik working on a tough project, struggling to make sense of people - situations - life in my early professional years. This song would play on the movie promos on television each night as I snuggled into my hotel bed, glad the day was over, surrendering my pain, confusion and uncertainty to the night, wishing the next daylight would never come.

Ya Devi Sarva Bhuteshu : This a prayer chant glorifying the qualities of the Mother Divine chanted during Navaratri . We had no TV when I was young and I would love listening to this on All India Radio early in the morning.

As Long As You Love Me : A Backstreet Boys hit number released in 1998 as I first set foot on foreign land. Expectation, a foreboding feeling, exuberance, apprehension, obligation, excitement all played in my mind as my friend drove me to work each day blasting this on his car speakers.

Unbrake My Heart : A Toni Braxton hit. Also brings back visions of driving into Cupertino each morning awaiting an interview.

Nahin Samne : A beautiful number from the Bollywood flick - Taal - an A.R Rahman composition. I remember sitting in the passenger seat of my friend's car when this wafted through the speakers. Instinctively my eyes closed and i was quietly humming this song till the very end asking my friend to play it repeatedly until he went :( . Rahman's delicate Sufi touch is soooooo beautiful.

He Nanda Nanda Gopala : A beautiful Vikram bhajan. I had attended satsang for years, never had the guts to lead a bhajan. One day determined to sing, I went to satsang. A bhajan ended...silence....my voice and sweat broke out simultaneously...finally breaking the ice...with myself.

Gita Govindam : Rendition by Unnikrishnan. I was leaving to go buy groceries when my dad played this on the cassette player. I remember stopping in my tracks, taking off my footwear and running back in asking my dad - What did you just play ? Over the years this tape has taken me very deep each time I played it.

Maa : A bhajan collection by Jagjit Singh. First heard it at U's place during an Ashtavakra Gita session. Hey Govind Hey Gopala..will forever be imprinted on my memory. I then discovered that the gazhal king also sang soulful bhajans. I remember meditating so deeply after listening to this one.

Hey Ram Hey Ram : Another Jagjit Singh beauty. Takes me back to the Ashtavakra Gita sessions. Deeply meditative....

Kaisi Hai Yeh Rut : A beautiful Shankar-Ehsaan-Loy number from Dil Chahta Hai rendered by Srinivas. Just goes deep....dunno where.

And So Many More ......

Jai Guru Dev,

Stood Up and Spoke Out

2008-10-18T21:10:00.000-07:00

Today after Long Kriya, about a 100 of us stood up and took an oath to support and implement the goals of the Millenium Development Goals program of the United Nations. What we heard was not new, but for a mind just cleansed and more aware with long kriya, some facts were very hard-hitting :

30 thousand children D I E every day of poverty .
3 thousand youth fall prey to HIV every day .

and many more I cannot readily recollect .

It was a solemn and sincere 10 minutes of standing with our hands raised as we took a pledge. S Bhaiyya administered the oath in his signature sincere yet enthusiastic manner.

Somewhere a sense of deep gratitude arose for everything I have in life and a sense of empathy towards those who don't.

We each pledged to plant a tree, put some money and food aside every day that would be put towards the cause of eradicating hunger and poverty.

We ended with an unusual but interesting slogan :)

I ACCEPT - WE ROCK - LIFE IS A CELEBRATION

Jai Guru Dev,

One = Infinity

2008-10-14T22:28:00.000-07:00

I never learned Sanskrit properly. I had a chance about 22 years ago during summer break, but I was firm in my belief that the summer holidays were meant for enjoyment and NOT roting. So enjoy I did and blew my chance to dwell deeper into Devavani (Deva = God , Vani = speech/language) - literally "Language of the Gods".

For a few years the word "Dehant" has been popping up quite often in my head. Literally and colloquially it means "Death" and is used in a respectful manner to describe someone's passing - as opposed to "Maut", the more common term.

Breaking it up, we find it is is actually a compound ("Deh" = Body, "Ant" = End). In other words "Death = End Of the Body" .

I was wondering why it was necessary to emphasize the body so much. Isn't death the end of everything ? Not so say the scriptures - The Bhagavad Gita, The Yoga Vasishta, Vedanta.

Guruji says that death is just like a long sleep from which we don't get up.

Deh-Ant : If it is only the body that ends, what does NOT end ? The mind - with all its impressions - good and bad. The undying spirit that we all are !

I was astounded at how much meaning a simple, single word could express !! Just one word captures the very essence of philosophy, the scriptures, the very meaning of LIFE.

Its so interesting - we spend so much money, time and effort on caring for, obsessing over and lusting at this perishable bag of bones and flesh that is going to be either burnt to ashes, buried 6 feet under or fed to the vultures. And so little or no time over nourishing that which is eternal, undying - the spirit. People spend thousands on clothes, perfumes, gym memberships, beauty salons , eating out etc., but crib when you ask them to spend a few dollars/rupees/currency of your choice on doing the Art Of Living course.

Ah when will they understand ?

Guruji explains why chanting is so much more powerful in Sanskrit. He says that the mind is very old and so is the Sanskrit language. These chants thus have a powerful effect on the mind when chanted correctly .

I have to learn SANSKRIT someday !

Jai Guru Dev,

Bliss 2008 : Sri Sri Ravishankar in the US

2008-10-13T22:29:00.000-07:00

Looks like its raining blessings in the USA . Guruji Sri Sri Ravishankar is going to be touring the US and there are so many beautiful opportunities to meet HIM .

http://events.artofliving.org/

And if you are REALLY lucky, you can celebrate DIWALI with HIM. Just imagine - the depths of silence exploding into eruptions of Joy !

Diwali Advanced Course :
http://secure.artofliving.org/course_details.aspx?course_id=3485

Mahalaxmi Puja :
http://secure.artofliving.org/event_details.aspx?event_id=1897

Are you the lucky ONE ? Self Effort Brings Grace !!

Jai Guru Dev,

Smiling Through

2008-10-12T04:31:00.000-07:00

It was during Guru Poornima 2006 - my first and only so far - with Guruji . In a huge hall at the San Matep Expo Center, CA. We were all participants in the "Yoga and Meditation Seminar" (also called PDS in India), being led by none other than Sri Sri Ravishankar.

About 300 of us were twisted like pretzels in a difficult pose - grunting, sweating and breathing at the same time, when Guruji's soft ethereal voice wafted over the microphone "Smiling In a Difficult Pose Is Yoga" .

Boom..crash...flash of lightning...the whole town visible from a hilltop.....Aho !

Suddenly it was so clear what He was saying - If you can smile through tough times in life, you have attained that state called Yoga. This was the MOST amazing definition of Yoga I had ever heard in my life.

The essence of the Bhagavad Gita says the same thing. Krishna exorts Arjuna to fire the arrow, but from a state of calmness. In the midst of what would have been a world war in those days, when Arjuna was in the most tumultous of times in his life, Krishna asked him to be centered and do his duty - no matter how difficult.

Guruji says this very directly too - The sign of success is your SMILE.

Ah - that elusive SMILE :) :) . Every week, at Long Kriya, the teacher asks us to do the same thing again and again - S M I L E. At times I feel like...Grr...just get on with the pranayams already, but its clear that the goal of Art Of Living is not just to teach folks a few asanas and breathing techniques - it is to bring back that lost smile on people's faces.

Especially on faces like mine that look perenially like :( .

And this smile has to be from within - not the polite smile that masks the agony from within - not the "Tum Itna Jo Muskura Rahe Ho, Kya Gam Hai Jisko Chupa Rahe Ho" Smile, but the SMILE of the BEING ! The SMILE that shines through the clouds of darkness, misery, desires, failures, setbacks. The SMILE that makes others forget that they are in misery .

And after all who is not subject to miserable events ? Krishna had his uncle plotting his murder before he was even born and was hounded by him for years. Guruji's own mother Amma fell a victim to cancer when Guruji was about to address thousands at a satsang hundreds of miles away. Buddha had to leave his family and kingdom and walk away to attain nirvana. Jesus was nailed to the cross for showing people the path of love. The difference between these noble souls and us : The SMILE never went away even in these tough situations. These situations were just events to them, not problems.

When Will I really SMILE ? Well until then as they say in the Art Of Living "Fake It Till You Make It" !!

" You sell you happiness for peanuts! You sell your smile for pennies! I tell you, it's not worth it. The entire world is not worth your smile. Even if you are made the king or the emperor of the world, it's not worth giving away your smile. " - Sri Sri Ravishankar
Oh Gurudev, you have so much to give - am I ready to receive ? How much will I receive in this lifetime ? The Yoga Vasishta says "Self Effort" .

Jai Guru Dev,

Is Life.... ?

2008-10-08T04:41:00.000-07:00

Is Life Worth Living ? It depends upon the liver - so goes the old adage / joke !

I've been reading Yoga Vasishta for about 2 months now after meditating and a question comes up often : Why this foolish creation? Why the pain and suffering? Why the avatars ? Why the dualities ? Why the roller-coaster ride of pleasure and pain ? Whats the point of this creation if all is anyway ONE ?

If just ONE consciousness exists then why can't just 1 consciousness BE ?

Why create these individual small minds, let them make mistakes, gain bad karma, then provide a Guru to show them the path, allow them to suffer on it and then finally go back to where you were anyways - in the Self ?

What has been achieved ?

Why is the wave allowed to be separate from the ocean ?

Agar Duniya Aisi Hai to Aisi Yeh Duniya Kyon Hai ? (from a lovely song from the movie Saath Saath, I think) .

Are folks like Sage Vasishta, Krishna, Guruji and others exempt from pain and samsara ? Were they always enlightened ? If I am God, then why am I not like them, why do I have to suffer a million births before getting to where they are ?

Just occurred to me that whenever these questions came up in my mind, the quality of life wasn't that great. Disappointments, hardships, unfulfilled desires, a sacrifice to be made, pain...whatever be the reason, my mind was never at rest. When I was happy, my mind never questions anything, I am just floating in the bliss of that moment !!!!!!!!!!

Guruji has simple answers for this : Wonder About It ! God Loves Fun !

Haan Guruji .....Par Yeh Dil Hai Ki Maanta Nahin Guruji !!!

More sadhana, satsang, knowledge, seva...........now only if life allowed me to fully soak in all these...sigh.....Accept the situation as is.

Jai Guru Dev,

For Those Missing Guruji ..........

2008-10-02T04:55:00.000-07:00

Missing Guruji badly ? Yeah I know...Me Too :(

So very much right now. Its Navarathri and everybody who is somebody or nobody is in the Bangalore Ashram and I can't go.

Well I have to just feel his presence and well....watch youtube videos.

Here are a couple of beautiful ones I found from Navarathri 2004, 2006 and 2007.

Smile if you can :)

2004 :

2006 :

2007 :

Jai Guru Dev,

An Interesting Life

2008-09-27T23:17:00.000-07:00

Swami Maheshgiri is known as one of the power-teachers of AOL . Dad took a course with him last year and was impressed with his enthusiasm and powerful style. I just came across this link about his life prior to and after meeting Guruji - nice reading .

http://www.maheshgiriji.net/maheshauto1.html

Jai Guru Dev,

Sarhadein

2008-09-26T21:06:00.000-07:00

A few days ago, i was taking a walk on my apartment complex . I passed by a bush of flowers that folks from the apartment pick everyday for pooja offerings. A new building recently came up nearby and the bush has grown over the dividing wall into the other side.

Passing by I heard someone remark - look our plant has grown over to the other side - they get the fruits - er - flowers of our labor now .

My mind went back to several years ago when as a child I watched my family and the neighbor jostle over a big mango tree that was just over the border separating our 3 houses. The roots lay firmly in the neighbor's garden but the heavy branches grew over to our side resulting in a lot of friendly and sometimes not-so-friendly arguments between the 2 neighbors about who the mangoes really belonged to.

I also suddenly remembered a song composed by the lyricist Javed Akhtar , for the Bollywood flick, Refugee . They go something like :

पंछी नदियाँ पवन के झोके
(panchi nadiyaan pavan ke jhoke)

कोई सरहद ना इन्हे रोकें
(Koi sarhad na inhe rokein)

सरहदें इंसानों के लिए है
(Sarhadein Insaano ke liye hain)

सोचो तुमने और मैंने क्या पाया इंसान होके
(socho tumne aur maine kya paya insaan hoke)

A rough near-literal translation would go :

Birds, Lakes, Breeze
No obstacles (borders) stop these
Borders are for humans
Think what you and me have gained by being human

Add Trees to Birds, Lakes, Breeze...

What if we all gave up our pettiness and shared freely with our fellow beings ?
School children sharing their lunch with hungry friends, toys with needy kids, teens mingling freely with others and avoiding the cruel group ism that disfranchises a few, adults helping others find jobs and succeed in them, society looking out for the have-nots . Small steps with a profound impact on society and its ills.

What a wonderful world this would be, What a wonderful world this would be !

I realized why Guruji's vision of a world with Human Values is so important. He said at the US Art Of Living Silver Jubilee function : "Technology has made the world a global village, Human values will make it a Global Family" .

All the more important why its important for me and you to bring more folks to the wonderful Art Of Living programs that make this process a lot more easier and natural.

Jai Guru Dev,

Kya Cool Hai Guru

2008-09-25T21:29:00.000-07:00

Read Dinesh Bhaiyya's ETHEREAL post at http://bawandinesh.name/?p=346

Jai Guru Dev,

Beauty Lies ...

2008-09-21T01:38:00.000-07:00

(Image Courtesy : http://shreeguru.rkphotoworks.com)

We've been watching Guruji's video commentary on the Shiva Sutras the last few weeks just before Long Kriya. The commentary is in Hindi. Each tape is a new revelation, a new simple technique to unlock the mind . This time he talked about "Thark KuThark ViThark" .

HE started by saying "Beauty Lies in the eyes of the beholder". Suddenly a closed door in my mind got unlocked. So far I had interpreted this knowledge as meaning that each individual had their own concept of beauty and that an object or person that did not seem beautiful to person X might actually seem very beautiful to person Y.

But what Guruji was saying here was that "Beauty Lies Within". We are Beauty and what we see (behold) outside is simply a reflection of that beauty.

I mean WOW !

I've heard this in different ways before but never as an interpretation of "Beauty Lies in The Eyes Of The Beholder" .

Guruji often says that if we see something beautiful like a flower, we should then withdraw our attention from the flower to the beautiful feeling of beauty arising within . It became clear why HE was saying this after today's kriya.

On my way home, I was then wondering why I don't see everything as beautiful - the way Guruji does .

Simple Answer : I am not Guruji :)

Complicated Answer : I am seeing everything through the confused, contorted filter of my mind, my senses, my cravings and aversions, desires and biases and until these filters are removed, the REAL beauty of a person / situation WILL not shine through .

Sathyam Shivam Sundaram !

I guess thats why Guruji says Punah Punaha - More Seva - Sadhana - Satsang - Part II courses , Knowledge !

Aho...Oh Guruji Tussi Great Ho !

Jai Guru Dev,

ROCK ON Amol !

2008-09-20T06:36:00.000-07:00

Jai Guru Dev,

That First Look

2008-09-19T08:08:00.000-07:00

It was Guru Poornima 2001 at Lake Tahoe, CA , USA. A few of us who had recently completed Part I (then known as the Basic Course) were driving up to meet Sri Sri Ravishankar - the founder of the Art Of Living Foundation. My thoughts were varied as we drove up.

I was not yet a devotee. I had only just finished my course. I had no clue or direct experience of AOL as an organization. It was the July 4th long weekend and all my friends were out traveling / celebrating .

I vaguely remember my sharing at the end of the Basic Course -....ramblings....more ramblings....teacher says ' say 1 thing' ....I say: "This is going to be an important part of my life from now on" .

Well it was important enough for me to say "No" to my friends on a long weekend and join a bunch of singing, ecstatic folks driving 5 hours north up to Lake Tahoe to see someone, I knew nothing about .

When I look back I realize, this pull was irresistible, I had no other choice.

We were accompanied by people that were mostly strong devotees. Occasionally they would ride along for a small part of the journey and sing bhajans or talk knowledge or discuss Guru stories. All this was strange to me.

Finally we reached the beautiful South Lake Tahoe and drove along to the resort where Sri Sri was conducting an advanced course. We parked and started walking towards the venue when IT happened.

A frail looking man with flowing hair and a beard was walking towards a car parked in front of the venue. Accompanying him were about 10 swamis - evident from their shaven heads and saffron robes. Those were the days when Sri Sri was still relatively accessible in the US. He walked to the waiting cars and waited for the swamis to take their seats first . I still distinctly remember him saying "Banni....Koothkoli.....Koothkoli" (Kannada for 'Please come - be seated').

As he passed me, I waited and stood still not quite knowing what the appropriate response ought to be. I was not yet in love - just saw Him for the first time - respect I did have - not really sure . Thus spake my mind as He passed me and gave me - the look - and as I bowed - walked on .

"Banni ...Koothkoli.....Koothkoli"....the cars were filled up and He was gone . Little did I realize then that the LOOK would change my life forever.

My next opportunity to see him was at satsang that evening - my first satsang with HIM. The room was abuzz....Divya, John and other old-timers rocking the satsang, folks in the room seated with eyes closed, folks at the edge swaying in a trance....all strange yet strangely comfortable and acceptable. 'J' and I were asked to sit close to the stage which we did...and after a while we left. We had decided to only stay for that day (looking back I feel like a fool) .

As soon as we left the room, we looked at each other and said the same thing " I still don't think he is God or anything :)" . Looking back I always smile broadly.

Looks :

A devotee , NR , now in the Bay Area, tells me of his look. Guruji arrived for satsang in the Bangalore Ashram and passing him , gave him the look. Since that moment, NR did not smoke or drink or while his weekends getting drunk with friends. His life changed and he is an AOL teacher today .

Someone shared something beautiful about their "look" today - so beautiful and true : His look was more loving than a mother's, more concerned than a father's ,more intimate than a partner's and more caring than a friend's. I could not have said it any better.

Over the years there were many more such looks - each one a definitive milestone on the path of grace and growth . More about them in later posts.

Did you have a look that influenced/changed your life ? Please share it in the comments.

Jai Guru Dev,

Ganesha Never Leaves

2008-09-14T23:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday marked Anant Chaturdashi, the 10th and final day of the Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations in Pune. Anyone that hasn't been to Pune during these days is missing something.

This is also the day the Ganeshs idols are taken out in procession and immersed in the sea. This ceremony is called "Visarjan" . To read more about its true significance, read Bawa's insightful comments by clicking on the following links.

http://bawandinesh.name/?p=241

Ironically at Long Kriya yesterday, they were raising funds for the Bihar flood affected victims by selling some beautiful idols of Ganesha. Upon asking who made them and why they were being sold on the last day of Ganeshhotsav, I got the following answer :

These beautiful Idols are part of the 1000 Idols, hand-crafted by Mr.Anil Kamble, an Art Of Living member, in a Non-Stop 72 Hrs marathon (a record) and has been covered by several Newspapers and News Channels like NDTV, AAJ TAK, ETV MARATHI, STAR etc.

Mr. Kamble also happens to be a senior faculty of the Sumeru Academy of Digital Arts .

I was stunned to see the creativity and love of this one individual who went out of his way to do something to help the less fortunate. I immediately bought 3 beautiful idols for myself and as potential gifts. It is said in India that whenever a Ganesh comes to you, it brings good fortune.

I am indeed fortunate to be the proud owner of a work of art or should I say a labor of love of Mr. Kamble .

My hat's off to you Kamble-ji. May your tribe increase !

Jai Guru Dev,

Blogging is Sharing - Really ? :)

2008-09-12T09:58:00.000-07:00

Blogging starts out by being altruistic, purely about sharing ones life and experiences with whoever is interested. At some point, the lure of stats takes over ....google analytics, geo counters, live updates of who is arriving on a blog...blah blah. Move over altruism, its time for real time voyeurism ! Not that there is anything wrong, just an observation.

BLOGGER EGO BOOST

BLOGGER EGO BUST

Jai Guru Dev,

A Voice Said

2008-09-06T22:39:00.000-07:00

Something came up before, during and after Long Kriya today. Here it is .....

Jealousy arose on seeing someone grow
A voice said - don't compare, look how much you've grown

Anger arose, fury clouded the intellect, the smile refused to shine through
A voice said "Make your anger expensive, make your smile cheap"

When will I be a teacher, why have others raced ahead of me ?
A voice said "Be grateful Be content, All will come to you "

When will the barriers fall, when will i be free ?
A voice said "Wake up my dear - you are already free"

Why is it all so hard, why am i so stuck ?
A voice said "its easy, your ego is making it hard"

Why is it all so helpless, why do i feel so weak ?
I am with you always, find your strength in me

Why is it all so cloudy, why is it all so dark ?
A voice said "its all light, it is your eyes that are closed"

I gave money and more money to causes
A voice said , "I don't want your money, I want you"

Why does my mind race ahead, why does it want more and more ?
A voice said repeatedly Achaah, Akinchan, Aprayathna

Why do none listen to my entreaties to do the course ?
A voice said "you are not doing quite enough my dear !"

Why don't people come close to me ?
A voice said, "they want to but you push them away"

Why the distance , why for so long ?
A voice said " Keep the longing, for it never dies"

Why do I feel so friendless so neglected ?
I am your company your friend, your solace, your everything

Dearest Guruji ,

Please help me find contentment
Please help me be grateful
Please help me give more of myself
Please help me be more useful to others
Please help me break the barriers
Please help me find refuge in just YOU

Jai Guru Dev,

Art of Living For Bihar

2008-09-02T02:53:00.000-07:00

As anyone following the news in India these days would know, the state of Bihar in northern India has been devastated by floods. Hundreds of villages have been inundated and lakhs have been left marooned, homeless, hungry......

Art Of Living and its sister organization, IAHV are working actively in the affected areas to bring material and other relief to the victims .

Details/updates : http://help-biharfloodvictims.blogspot.com/

Sri Sri Ravishankar, the founder of Art Of Living has appealed to everyone to support this cause.

How can YOU contribute?

CREDIT CARD: Please go to our secure website http://www.iahv.org/donate.asp to make a donation. (Choose Disaster and Trauma Relief - Bihar Flood Relief)

CHECK/MONEY ORDER (in the USA only) : Please make them payable to IAHV and mail to: IAHV, 12121 Quadrille Lane, Bowie, MD 20720.

For in-kind contributions or volunteer in the affected areas, the local VVKI offices can be contacted to donate money and other supplies .

Pune Contact :

Pune Information Centre. 405, 'Citi-Centre' Bldg.,Opp. Ayurved
Rasashala, Karve Road.,Pune. (Tel.: 020-25411821, 020-64002463, 9423005328)

UPDATE : Guruji visited Bihar to personally meet the victims of the flood disaster and review Art Of Living's relief work . Here is a wonderful video of Him addressing some affected victims :

Jai Guru Dev,

Achaah Akinchan Aprayanthna

2008-08-21T19:46:00.000-07:00

The Daily Sutra arrives everyday. Occasionally the mail brings in a beautiful knowledge sheet. Sometimes though the sutra / knowledge sheet are like a bolt of lightning. So clear, precise, addressing just the problem I thought I was having and could not overcome.

I restarted my regular practice of Sahaj Samadhi meditation a few weeks ago as life began to normalize a bit. Somehow though the meditations were quite disturbed...thoughts, more thoughts, resolutions ,plans, projects, title of my next blog...all kinds of stuff that didn't quite help the meditative process.

'T' forwarded this beautiful knowledge given by Guruji at the recently concluded TRM (Teacher's Refresher Meet) at the Art of Living Bangalore Ashram.

Guruji gave the secret to go into meditation/samadhi. He said just remember three things before you go into meditation.

1. Achaah
2. Akinchan
3. Aprayanthna

Only when your mind is established in these three you can effortlessly go into samadhi.

Achaah - Being desire less! I want nothing; no desires for anything worldly or spiritual else the mind is either caught up in the outside world (people-relationships, bills, payments, laundry etc.), thinking about it or looking for some spiritual experience (light, fragrance, out of body experience etc.) in meditation. This is the biggest impediment to get into your being.

Desirelessness is bliss!

Akinchan - I am nothing! Dropping the 'I' for sometime, else the mind gets irritated even on the smallest of disturbance, noise. Even a door bell, barking dog or sound of utensils in the kitchen can drive you away from the center. And the mind goes 'I am meditating and people are making so much noise! I need to teach them a lesson!'

Dropping the 'I', I am nothing!

Aprayanthna - No effort! Meditation is effortless; you don't need to put any effort. Like you go to have a massage, you just lie down and the masseur gives you the massage, you don't have to do anything! Do you?

Let the divine work for you !

- Sri Sri Ravishankar

Needless to say - the kriya and meditations have been much better since. I just hope that this knowledge stays in my awareness each time I sit down for kriya or meditation.

Jai Guru Dev,

Cross Country

2008-08-15T00:32:00.000-07:00

August 15th was India Independance Day. Belated Happy 61 India !

To commemorate the glorious occasion, Art Of Living, Pune organized a tree plantation at 10 locations - part of Mission Green Earth. I happened to attend one at Baner Hills at Baner, Pune.

Getting there was tapas - no less ! Once I entered village off the main road i went off completely and overshot the entrance to where the plantation site was supposed to be. I called the coordinator who told me to head back to the village and climb a *few* steps to a temple and cross over to the plantation location.

I started climbing the steps to the temple. Nice trek I thought - haven't been exercising a lot lately ! The steps kept going and going as if testing my resolve. I reached the roof top and looked around.

No Trees Being Planted - No People - No Nothing !

Panting, I went to the roof and looked far out - about a mile away on another hill were a group of people. W H A T ! - the mind went. I just climbed thrice as many more steps than I sometimes have to when the lights fail and the elevator in my apartment gets stuck .

I called the coordinator and he confirmed my suspicion. Waving to me from a distance he told me to get over T H E R E IF you can. The mind went - I am already late - whats the point - lets go back.

But something else said - you've already come so far - keep going .

Long story short - I got there - and helped plant just 1 sapling - as if it was waiting for my arrival. The coordinator, G, had a nice comment as I arrived, panting, gasping for breath - "Kriya Ho Gaya Aate Aate" ? (Did you finish Kriya trecking over here ?) :)

Sure Did G !

Though I didn't do much to save the planet on this day, I did learn an important lesson. It reminded me of what the teacher said last week at Long Kriya.

Dus Nikalte Hain - Ek Pahunchta Hai ! (Ten start this journey - One Arrives) .

This path too is full of steep precipices, long treks, moments of hesitation and despair - but its important to keep going.

As Longfellow wrote in "A Psalm of Life"

Not enjoyment, and not sorrow,

Is our destined end or way;

But to act, that each to-morrow

Find us farther than to-day.

........

Let us, then, be up and doing,
With a heart for any fate;
Still achieving, still pursuing,
Learn to labor and to wait.

जय हिंद ! Jai Guru Dev !

On The Path

2008-08-11T21:13:00.000-07:00

Just read this Sutra ..isn't is amazing how Guruji clears the fog and makes the most difficult things seem so simple !!!!!

"You see how a plane moves through clouds, fog and mist as it lands on to a landing strip. Its focus is on a narrow strip and does not mind all the obstacles in its way. You too should be untouched by the difficulties and keep on the track of your path"

Sri Sri Ravishankar

Jai Guru Dev