The Art of Living Course Review

Its not an enviable job - Sri Sri speaks candidly..

One of the most busy humanitarian of our times. Meeting millions of people everyday. How does he manage to do this? Many of us must have thought about how his schedule would be. What would it be like to be Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. In one of the most candid talks, in the video Guruji talks about how he manages to look at everyone and smile at them. How some devotees do gimmicks to grab attention. And about the hyperactive Art of Living volunteer.

Some of the interesting things he says in the video are:

"Whenever I am with a person I'm with them 100%" - Sri Sri

"Do you think it is an easy job? I tell you it is not at all an enviable job." - Sri Sri

"And there are some others who just want to draw attention, they do all sorts of gimmicks." - Sri Sri

"Our volunteers are hyperactive sometimes. They do kind to everybody else other than me." - Sri Sri

"When people ask me 'Do you watch movies?' I say "I'm watching movies everyday! I can't find a better entertaintment!"

Your Guru knows what you need.

I was inspired to write this post by a video which I saw in youtube.

Many a times we feel that the Guru does not know about our specific problems and issues. Many times we feel disconnected. Many times we clamour for a more "PERSONAL" attention from the Master. It becomes difficult to understand whether we are really lagging behind in our spiritual growth or just the ego is begging to stick on.

It is common to see people who have newly discovered this bliss unearthed by the techniques taught by the Master to feel angered, or left out or hurt . The single complain is " He is not giving me personal time."

If you are in a spiritual path then hasn't this happened to you?

Guru is just a reflection of your infinite self

Gurudev says "The Guru is not just a personality. Guru is the presence."

We can understand it this way... Realizing that the difference between individual bodies is just a temporary and realtive notion ( Maya ). The reality is that we are all one and there is no two. Advaita on non-dualism taught since the dawn of this creation cycle by Rishis and sages like Adi Shankaracharya, his four disciples, Brahmananda Saraswati and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,  all points to the fact which modern physics has just been able to start realising that everything is connected and everything is energy.

So Guru is a complete manifestation of that Shakti, the energy. All the practices we are doing is for the realisation that we are already connected to the Guru Tatva and the difference between the Guru and the disciple only exists in the mind of the unrealized disciple. Looking towards the Guru more as a presence eases our mind and gives us an opportunity in realizing the fact that the Guru is all around us at all times. Protecting and caring for  the disciple. How many events have been created for you to realize this?

Guruji was celebrating his 2010 birthday in Germany. Out of thousands of people present there, Guruji was able to make out that there was one old lady in the crowd who had pain and was suffering. He first gives a sign for the volunteers to help the lady. When no one understands the sign given by him, he himself gets up and helps her to be comfortable. You can see the flood of gratitude in the face of the old lady.

The Guru knows what you need and when. You just have to have faith!

Jai Gurudev.

  

Walking the Path - A Book on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

It has been Amazing Reading this book . In the lines of Stumbling into Infinity, It contains so much knowledge. Rather than a Biography, it is like a collection of knowledge given by Guruji. The Author also shares some experiences with the Master and the knowledge coming out of those events. Written by Frederique Lebelley, the French journalist & author, it is definitely one of the better reads.

An Excerpt :

The voice of the Master leads the community in meditation, eyes closed, through the mythical frontier of time. Counting the last minutes...  It is going to be New Year..

"New possibilities are opening up to this new age... Welcome these new possibilities... Four and a half minutes to go ... Four minutes...Just two minutes... One minute only! Thirty seconds.. Chant Om!"

 The tremendous vibration of the thousand voices seems to bless the entire earth, and greets the next three hundred and sixty-five coming "today".

"Tonight and tomorrow, remind yourself of all the people to whom you must be grateful for something. Think of what has been given to you by them."

And Gurudev adds "Before going to sleep, cover yourself with a blanket of grace. Wake up tomorow with a smile..."

Amateur fireworks are organized outside, in the snow. Everybody gathers to watch them. But Gurudev goes up to the first floor to see it... I followed him with a few others. Elbow against elbow at the windowsill, we overhang the group of disciples, with their heads raised now towards him, now towards the plumes of sparks banging in the black night.

So near the forest, the powder is thundering with a power amplified by the resonance chamber of the trees, so much so that it releases a mini avalanche between the trunks. Everything seems to me very beautiful. Utter happiness! Gurudev is resting his shoulder against mine, as he often does with the clarity of his innocence. I look at him; his face is serious, displeased. he worries, "Oh, We are going to wake the birds up!" To make his intentions known to the firework operators, he goes away towards his apartment, and says again, "We are disturbing the birds!" Nobody other than him had thuoght about that. Even in an atmosphere of celebration, when everyone seems caught up in the fun, the Master keeps an attention and a sensitivity to everything around him. 

Go and Read this book today! It is available in the Bangalore Ashram Divine shop. You can also buy the book from Flipkart in the link below:

Guruji effects..

Silence is the goal of all answers. If an answer does not silence the mind, it is no answer - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

How to be always happy? Drop the "always" and you will be Happy! -Shri Shri Ravi Shankar

"Don’t wait for the best person with the best qualities to be in love. Just love them and bring out the best in them.." - Sri Sri

“My job is to create the temptation to go deep in yourself” - Sri Sri

"When you come to a Guru, seeking ends. Blossoming Begins." 

- Sri Sri

HAPPY BLOSSOMING!!!!

Michael Fischman - First meeting with His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Michael Fischman is one of the first Art of Living teachers and his experience with Sri Sri goes back to the days when Guruji was still travelling with Maharshi Mahesh Yogi. He has written his experience of nearly 30 years of the Art of Living in his super fantastic book Stumbling into Infinity. I had earlier written a review on this book
IN THIS ARTICLE.

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar when still travelling with Maharshi Mahesh Yogi.

In the video below taken in one of the book reading sessions Mike recounts his tale of his first meeting with Guruji. How just the first look from the masters brought out flood of emotions and tears. For me, the most touching sentence he spoke in this video is " It was not the technique that blew me away. It was the Love!"
If you are a devotee, you'll know the truth in this statement. Jai Gurudev!

Beginnings(the video) - The initial days of The Art of Living and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Just came across this wonderful video broadcasted by The Art of Living Channel in Youtube. If you have not yet subscribed to it, its high time you do because they have some great stuff over there.
I have waited for this video for a loooooooong time. Not exactly a biography.... but it recalls the initial days of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's people's movement and mission of putting a smile on every face...
The video has wonderful photograph clips some very rare and never seen (atleast by me).....  
It's just a thing of awe that one person (or 'THE' ONE) could bring such a difference in so many lives around the world... Enjoy the video... Jai Gurudev!



"The sun rises and there will be light everywhere!" 
                                      -Maharshi Mahesh Yogi

The Value of listening to Knowledge.

What do we do most of the time ?
If we really sit and take account of the 24 hours given in one day and categorize them, what would we find? How much time is used (?) for acquiring a living (earning money), how much time is spent in resting, how much time is spent on entertainment, how much time is spent on eating, talking, gossiping and the other myraid number of things we as humans do!
How much time is spent in service? How much time is spent on meditation? And how much time is spent in the company of the wise... listening to knowledge ??

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says "When you go to heaven, only two question will be asked - How much love you gave and How much knowledge you gained ?"

Guruji has given so much knowledge on so many topics all ranging from the subtlest philosophical connotations to the solutions of simple practical issues of daily life! How much time do we spend  listening to knowledge?
I have noticed that my life has moved so smoothly and effortlessly in love, joy and devotion when I have made the habit of listening to the knowlegde tapes ( Bhakti Sutras, Yoga Sutras, Ashtavakra Gita etc.).
Sri Sri says "When life gets stuck, you have to go to Narada, he will connect you to the centre!"


Let us move in knowledge, let us take out time to listen to knowledge. Jai Gurudev.