Where do you search for me? - Kabir

मोको कहाँ ढूंढ़ं रे बन्दे मैं तो तेरे पास में।
ना तीरथ में ना मूरत में, ना एकान्त निवास में।
ना मंदिर में ना मस्जिद में, ना काशी कैलाश में।
ना मैं जप मे ना मैं तप में, ना मैं व्रत उपवास में।
ना मैं क्रियाकर्म में रहता, ना ही योग सन्यास में।
नहिं प्राण में नहिं पिण्ड में, ना ब्रह्मांड आकाश में।
ना मैं भृकुटी भंवर गुफा में, सब श्वासन की श्वास में
खीजी होय तुरत मिल जा इस पल की तलाश में।
कहैं कबीर सुनो भाई साधो, मैं तो हूं विश्वास में । 

English Translation:

Where do you search me?
I am with you
Not in pilgrimage, nor in icons
Neither in solitudes
Not in temples, nor in mosques
Neither in Kaba nor in Kailash
I am with you O man
I am with you
Not in prayers, nor in meditation
Neither in fasting
Not in yogic exercises
Neither in renunciation
Neither in the vital force nor in the body
Not even in the ethereal space
Neither in the womb of Nature
Not in the breath of the breath
Seek earnestly and discover
In but a moment of search
Says Kabir, Listen with care
Where your faith is, I am there. 

The mother divine.

From the past few days this blog has seen some very intimate and high knowledge from 'The Yoga Vasistha' where Sage Vasistha instructs Lord Rama regarding the four paths to liberation.

Today I had been to the Ashram to be with the Master during the DEVI PUJA. It is very special and of course very fortunate to be in HIS presence when the divine mother is being invoked. And the location of it in the satvik and pure enviroment of the Veda-Agama pathshala makes it all the more blissful.
As and when the puja progressed.....Mind vanished, thoughts subsided, tears of bliss rolled and what remained was pure self. When the holy chantings of Lalita Sahasranama got over and Bhanu Ma started singing "Bhagya da Lakshmi...." the bliss inside me knew no bounds. When the singing also began to subside I opened my eyes only to see that the MASTER was in front of me now. Oh! Back to duality!

While my way back only one thought was coming again and again "OH! HOW FORTUNATE AM I!"
Don't you think so?

P.S. The Narada Bhakti sutra sessions at IISc which was on full swing since the past 15 days finally concluded today. Lots of knowledge has seeped inside. It means so much more now than when I listened to it for the first time 3 yrs back.

Yoga Vasistha: Good company(Satsanga)

Satsanga(company of wise) is yet another gate keeper to liberation. Satsanga enlarges one's intelligence, destroy's one's ignorance and one's psychological distress. Whatever be the cost, however difficult it may be, whatever obstacles may stand in its way,  Satsanga should never be neglected. For satsanga alone is one's light on the path of life. Satsanga is indeed superior to all other forms of religious practices like charity, austerity, pilgrimage and the performance of religious rites. One should by every means in one's power adore and serve teh holy men who have realised the truth and in whose heart the darkness of ignorance has been dispelled. They  who , on the other hand, treat such a holy men disrespectfully surely invite great suffering.

These four - contentment, satsanga, spirit of enquiry, and self-control are the four surest means by which they who are drowning in this ocean of samsara can be saved.Contentment is the supreme gain. Satsanga is the best coompanion to the destination.. The spirit of enquiry is the greates wisdom. And, self-control is supreme happiness.

Yoga Vasistha: Contentment

Contentment is another gate keeper to liberation. He who has quaffed the nectar of contentment does not relish craving for sense pleasures; no delight in this world is as sweet as contentment which destroys all sins.
What is contentment? To renounce all craving for what is not obtained unsought and to be satisfied with what comes unsought, without being satisfied in the self, he will be subjected to sorrow. With the rise of contentment the purity of one's heart blooms. The contented man who possesses nothing owns the world.

Yoga Vasistha: Spirit of Enquiry

Vasistha continued:
Enquiry(the second gate keeper to liberation) should be undertaken by an intelligence that has been purified by a close study of the scripture, and this enquiry should be unbroken. By such enquiry the intelligence becomes keen and is able to realise the supreme; hence enquiry alone is the best remedy for the long-lasting illness known as samsara.
The wise man regards strength, intellect, efficiency and timely acton as the fruits of enquiry. Indeed, kingdom, prosperity, enjoyment as well as final liberation are all the fruits of enquiry.When the mind has been rendered dull by the absense of enquiry, even the cool rays of the moon turn into deadly weapons, and teh childish imagination throws up a goblin in every dark spot. Hence, the non- enquiring fool is a storehouse of sorrow.
They in whom the spirit of enquiry is ever awake illumine the world, enlighten all who come into contact with them, dispel the ghosts created by an ignorant mind, and realise the falsity of sense-pleasures and their objects.
The eye of spiritual enquiry does not lose its sight even in the midst of all activities; he who does not have this eye is indeed  to be pitied. It is better to be born as a frog in the mud, a worm in the dung, a snake in a hole, tha to be one without this eye.
What is enquiry? To enquire thus "Who am I? How has this evil of samsara(repetitive history) come into being?"
Knowledge of truth arises from such enquiry and ends all sorrow.

Yoga Vasistha : SELF CONTROL.

VASISTHA continued:
Rama, there are four gate-keepers at the entrance to the Realm of Freedom(Moksha).They are :
Self-control.
Spirit of enquiry.
Contentment.
Good Company(Satsang).


He alone is the best among men,O Rama, whose mind rests in the eternal and is therefore, fully self-controlled and at peace.He sees that pleasure and pain chase and cancel each other, and in that wisdom there is self-control and peace. He who does not see this sleeps in a burning house.
He who gains the wisdom of the eternal here is freed from samsara and he is not born again in ignorance. One may doubt that such unchanging  truth exists! If it does not, one comes to no harm by enquiring into the nature of life for seeking the eternal will soften the pain caused by the changes in life. But, if it exists, then by knowing it one is freed!
The eternal is attained neither by rites,rituals, pilgrimages nor by wealth; it is to be attained only by the conquest of one's mind, by the cultivation of wisdom. Hence everyone - gods, demons, demi-gods ro men should constantly seek the conquest of the mind and self-control  which are fruits of wisdom.
All that is good and auspicious flows from self-control. All evil is dispelled by self-control. No pleasure in this world or in heaven is comparable to the delight of self-control. The delight one experiences in the presence of the self-controlled is incomparable. Everyone spontaneously trusts him. Noone hates him.
Self-control , O Rama, is the best remedy for all physical and mental ills. When there is self-control the food you eat tastes better.He who wears the armour of self-control is not harmed by sorrow.

Art of Living blogs.

A significant number of blogs are now visible with content related to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's teachings and the Art of Living foundation.Most of these are blogs run by Art of Living teachers, volunteers and devotees. When I started blogging then I wanted a comprehensive list of blogs related to Art of Living.Google and Google Blog search helped but not quite satisfactorily.
So here I take up the initiative of bringing to you a comprehensive list of "Art of Living blogs".
I'm sure that online presence of Jai Gurudeved souls will increase tremendously in the coming years in parallel to the expansion in the family in the real world.( What is real? Let's not go that deep now!).
I am sure you will find some really interesting people/blogs and some really interesting things to read from the list below.
The list is not exhaustive and plz leave a comment if I have missed any.

1. Sounds Interesting : Bawa and Dinesh's blog pretty much dominates the blogosphere in terms of Art of Living presence. Daily views, comments,response are very high and impressive. The best of the lot in terms of look,content,maintainence and regularity.
2.Happynings : Rajesh Jagasia's blog. Very actively maintained and an excellent combination of knowledge,facts,Guru stories,adventures,recipes. The template is also very cool.
3.Rendezvous with Rashmin : Rashmin Pulekar's blog.One of my personal favorites and the simplicity of the blog is definitive of the man behind it. Full of knowledge and original content presented in a light and humorous manner. Look out for the latest fiery posts:)
4. Heart to Heart : Saleel Pulekar's blog. Again a superb combination of knowledge and seva experiences.
5.Hues of Joy : Abhishek Ratna's blog. Seva experiences and course happening's are a big hit.The template deserves a mention.
6. Vikram Hazra's blog : One of the star blogs. Or rather I sould say, the blog of a star. Guitar, music, seva,knowledge,travel experiences and everything else sent from his Blackberry device. Well maintained and updated fairly regularly.
7. Gaata Rahe Mera Dil : Ramnik Bansal's blog. Very well designed(by himself).Clean and fresh. Course happenings are the favorites. Please the read the latest article here.VVVImp.
8. Vivek Barun's Blog : This blog. U tell me how is it?
9. 2+1=0 : Kapil Saini's blog. Mixed articles. Seva experiences are a hit.
10. Keeping it Real : Bhawana Kapoor's blog.A vibrant new look. Thoughts on life and happenings. The poems are a big hit.
11. Beyond the horizon : Vinod Patil's blog.
12. Confusion : Jeet Bookseller's blog. Interesting articles regarding interesting things.
13. Life in full speed : Abhay Karnataki and Shabari's blog. Articles regarding seva experiences, Yes+ happening in Bangalore, knowledge and life in general.
14.Sounds Divine : Interesting design. Ask him who did it! Articles on courses, knowledge, guitar etc.
15.Season's of Consciousness : Very informative articles. Knowledge too.
16.Niranjani : One of the oldest and regularly updated blog. Some really informative articles can be found. A must read.
17.Aparna's Lounge : Very soothing design.Volunteer activities and regularly updated. Yes+ news from Chennai.
18. Scribble, Scrabble, Stroo.. : Akhilesh's blog. Informative articles.
19.Waves of bliss : Anand Jage's blog.
20. Guru Kripa : An excellent blog about articles realted to Guruji. Highly recommended.
21. Celebrating Silence : Guru gyan served. Updated very regularly.
22. Vinay's Weblog : Vinay Subramaniam's blog.
23. Celebrate life : Bhanuja's blog. A happy soul.Some really thought provoking posts.
24. Golden Sunshine, Golden me : Jatin's blog.
25. Andheri Yes+ : Yes+ activities in Andheri.
26. Masti Ki AAg : Yes+ activities in Bangalore.
27. Yes+ Chennai : Yes+ activities in Chennai.
28. Yes+ Pune : Yes+ activities in Pune.
29. Yes+ Ranchi : Yes+ activities in Ranchi.
30. Kashi Kshetra : Dinesh Kashikar's blog. Brilliant design and excellent content.
31. Anandji : Anand Rajendran's website. Simply Awesome.
32. Inquiry into the reality : Dinesh Nath's blog.
33. Art of Living SEattle : Very cool design.
34. 42 : Very thought provoking articles.
35. Seated under the bodhi tree :
36. Satyamevajayate
37. Guruvaani  : Some really cool articles.
38. Breakfree : Komal's blog.
39. Welcome to the world : Sunand K Nambiar's blog.
40. I see beyond : Asish Raina's blog.
41. Living Literally
42. Mirror Image : Deepti Unni's blog.
43. Aho Aham Namo Mahyam : Vaibhav's blog.
44. Wisdomblog : The official blog of artofliving.org. Updated daily.
45.Art of Living, Pakistan 
46. Whisper from the infinity : Nice design and superb experiences of people from around the world. If u         like                                         Guru stories(who doesn't) , this one is for u..
47.Art of Living Yoga - A collection of everything aol. Nice looks... and nice contents too.
48. Shambho
49. Re-living - Jitesh's blog
50. Dushyant Savadia - An international aol teacher's blog.
51. Virat and Vasudha's Blog - Amazing content and frequently updated.
52. Rick Evertsz - Contains the music sheets for some Aol Bhajans.
53. Urvi's World - Bright and Warm. Original content.
54. Stumbling into infinity - Blog for the Book.
55. Gopuaol - Gopalakrishnan's Blog
56. Suntrack with Arunji - Arun Madhavan Ji's blog.
57 AOLnewslinks - News related to Art of Living.
58.YESPLUS Kolkata - Art of Living Kolkata.
59. AOLinfo - Very detailed information and regularly updated.
60. AOL Life Stories - Experiences of people with Art of Living.
61. Lemonlyf - Swati Gupta's blog.
62. Art of Living Bangalore - Course details in Bangalore.
63. Celebrating-silence-of-life
64. AOL USA : Art of Living Foundation USA Blog.
65.Perception of Life - Gaurav and Sourav's Blog.
66.Art of Living Hong Kong.
67. Art of Living West - Los Angeles Center
68. Sri Sri Blogspot
69. Neelanjandev Bharadwaj's Blog
70. Swami madhusudhan
71. Artoflivingsblog : A Blog inspired by Sri Sri and Art of Living
72. ArtofLivingSecrets: One of the most happening Blog right now.
73. ArtofLivingUniverse :  Well organised and nicely maintained Art of Living Resources.

So how many of the above do you read and which one's your favorite? 
Have I missed any blog????         Plz leave a comment on that!! 






You might also be interested in ,,,,......

Shocked beyond words! Vote for CHANGE!

Indian Govt is giving FINANCIAL AID to families of TERRORISTS in Kashmir. See below video:



If we allow the current govt to continue I will not be surprised if terror attacks are planned, discussed and officially approved by the Parliament.

We need to throw these ENEMIES of the nation out of power.

Lets all VOTE FOR CHANGE

Some more CREDENTIALS of the current Govt of India

• 3850 dead in Terror attacks in over 3000 incidents since 2004.

• On the day of Mumbai train blasts, Govt of India gave Rs 150 crores for earthquake relief in Pakistan

• Govt of India gave Rs 3000 crores to Afghanistan. Innocent citizens of India who are Victims of terror attacks HAVE NOT GOT ANY AID.

• Rs. 51,000 Crore missing from the Indian Treasury - Report of Auditor General

• 72,80,000,00,00,000 You cant read that number...its Rs. 72,80,000 Crore(1500 Billion USD) black money of Indians in Swiss Bank. Our PM refused to demand for account holders identity, though Swiss Bank had offered to reveal. No marks for guessing why
  

• Madrasas are being shut down in Pakistan. Govt of India is giving them CBSE status !! Our Muslim brothers and sisters are being deprived of scientific secular education.

• Our Government has given 25 lakh scholarships ONLY to minority students. But poor students of other communities are not given similar scholarships.

• Out of 36000 temples in Andhra Pradesh, 28000 have closed down in the last five years.

• The minorities in Nagaland, Mizoram & Kashmir have not got the similar privileges like the minorities in other states? The Govt is following different rules for different religions?

• By the Home Minister's own admission : "India is surrounded by a circle of fire". Rajiv Gandhi's vision of a powerful "SAARC" is now defunct.

• Below poverty line population increased by a horrifying 20 per cent. From 27 crores in 2004-2005, its now 32.5 crores.

• The Pakistani flag is now being hoisted in five districts of Assam. 92000 Hindu and 6000 Christians who have been evicted by Bangladeshi infiltrants, are now languishing in refugee camps. The government has turned a blind eye to this....

...the list is endless...

Don't be deceived. What appears to be communal is not communal, and what appears to be secular is not secular.

Vote for a
Terror free nation,
Criminal free politics,
Corruption free governance,
VOTE FOR CHANGE

Though I am not aligned and working for any political ideology or party, i think the time has come for a change.
And to put it simply.
Vote, vote for BJP. This time.

Zakir Naik Rebuffed!!!!

What shall I say about this. Just hear it from Guruji himself.