"I have committed myself to building a violence-free world because of my love for humanity"Bulgaria, Europe, April 25(Saturday):

Sri Sri is currently in Bulgaria.On his arrival, he was interviewed on 'Seismograph', a prime time show with Svetla Petrova, a leading Bulgarian journalist on the television channel BTV.

Excerpts from the interview:

Q. You said in an interview that you see the world as one family?

A.: The world is one family - language is no barrier, religion is no barrier, culture is no barrier. It's the love in our hearts. The love in our hearts connects us all with one another.

Q. Then why is religion the reason for so many conflicts?

A.: I would say the differences should be celebrated. If you don't have distance you can't breed conflict out of nothing. Multiple cultures would bring in more tolerance, more learning and you have to relieve yourself from stress. We all need to create a stress-free and violence-free society. Actually violence is an outcome of stress. If someone hasn't slept well or is stressed they become aggressive. With the breath you can calm yourself. When the mind is calm and the person is happy it's impossible to commit crime. It's all in the mind. We don't learn anything about the mind at home or at school. We tell people don't be angry, don't get upset but we don't teach them how not to. This is how the ancient Indian teaching has helped people and should be available for everybody. It's so useful. A violence-free society. Disease-free body. Confusion-free mind. Inhibition-free intellect. Drama-free memory and a sorrow-free soul. This is the birthright of everybody.There is a lot of violence in the media and in video games. Every emotion is connected with the breath. If you change the breath, change the hythm, you can change the emotion.

Q. Is it possible to breath in a different way without thinking about it?A.: We all have talents. We all have ten fingers but some can take a guitar and produce music and some can’t. But, everybody has abilities. If we learn about the different rhythms in our breath, we are able to have control in our lives. Take long deep breaths in and breathe out as slowly as possible. Deep inhalation and slow exhalation calms the mind. When one is working with a computer the eyes start worrying and it's good to do some eye exercises. This will build up the circulation. I just landed now from India after eighteen hours of flight. Do I look tired?

Q. Can you comment on the recent crimes over Easter in Bulgaria?A.: There is violence in the youth today because they have emotions trapped inside and they are not taught how to handle their own minds so they just burst out into actions such as this violence you have recently seen in Bulgaria. It is absolutely essential to teach our children how to control their mind using their own breath. We have done experiments in America, in India, and people have been saying, in prisons for example – “If I had known how to handle my emotions I would not have had these problems..”And the process is very simple, just four or five days and you learn the relationship between breath and the mind. I would like all the teachers to learn it. Many schools have started this program so that children learn how to handle their minds.

Q. What can we expect from the meetings you are having with Ministers?A.: I would want to know how we can help. Probably we would like to train some youngsters who would like to volunteer and help prisoners get a peaceful, calm mind.

Q. What made you commit your life to building a world without violence?A.: I do this work because of my love for humanity. When you have something precious it's natural to share it with everyone. It's a natural instinct to share.

Q. What did you have to sacrifice?

A. Now what did I have to sacrifice in order to do this! In the beginning there was a lot of prejudice, East-West prejudice and North-South prejudice.. People outside India criticized but I said – “No, this is very good and everyone needs it.” I did not mind what people thought.

Q. Can you tell us about the process to discover the techniques you teach?

A.: For me personally, it was with limited food and ten days of silence and going with fruit juice and cleansing the body but, it's not for everybody. One has to listen to their own body. What they feel is good for them. You don't need to do all that; you just need to learn a little bit about your breath. That is for everyone.

Glimpses from the YES! course at Kamala Vihar sports club

Waiting to read all your experiences and comments in the comments section!!! Your comments will be considered for the volunteer training programme.

You can see lots n lots more photos on

http://picasaweb.google.co.in/vishwasalka/YES21stApril26thApril2009KandiviliW#

Bali Bliss with GURUDEV!

http://picasaweb.google.com/vishwasalka/BaliBliss02?feat=email#

We spent four days in Bali with Guruji, each moment was fulfilling. Sharing with all of you some moments from Bali.

On the last day we had a grand feast and celebration with loads of Indian goodies which Inodnesian and balanese people loved. We asked them to have masala dosa.....masala dosa means a combination of the good and evil for them....so they did not want to have this combination.

Guruji ended the session saying,"During the day find some or the other reason to be greatful, make a shift from grumbling to greatfullness...the more greatful the more grace flows."

Guruji said next year lot of people should come to Bali. The people of Bali are very loving and sweet. For the shopholics......you can go and enjoy and get loads of stuff back home....the dates are 7th,8th,9th April 2010. So you can start to earn more and save more and plan more.....hope to see you there.

Are you busy?

Are you busy?

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 Hours in a day are not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar . . . and the coffee.

A professor stood before his Philosophy class and had some items in front of him.

When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and proceeded to fill it with golf balls.

He then asked the students if the jar was full.

They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured them into the jar.

He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.

He then asked the students again if the jar was full.

They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar.

Of course, the sand filled up everything else.

He asked once more if the jar was full.

The students responded with an unanimous "yes."

The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand.

The students laughed.

"Now," said the professor, as the laughter subsided, "I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life.

"The golf balls are the important things - your God, family, your children, your health, your friends, and your favorite passions - things that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full.

"The pebbles are the other things that matter like your job, your house, and your car.

"The sand is everything else--the small stuff.

"If you put the sand into the jar first," he continued, "there is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls.

"The same goes for life. "If you spend all your time and energy on the small
stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you.

"Pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness.

"Play with your children"

"Take time to get medical checkups".

"Take your partner out to dinner".

"Play another 18".

"There will always be time to clean the house and fix the disposal"

"Take care of the golf balls first, the things that really matter"

"Set your priorities"

"The rest is just sand."

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented.

The professor smiled. "I'm glad you asked.

"It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there’s always room for a cup of coffee with a
FRIEND "

Art of Living Courses in Kandivili West - YES (Youth empowerment Seminar)

YES!

"Just information is not education. It is culturing our behavior, culturing our attitude and the ability to perceive things better. Perception, Observation and Expression - the three aspects of education have to be improved”- Sri Sri Ravishankar

Today, more and more youngsters are visiting psychologists, psychiatrists and seeking help from counselors. Clearly stressful factors like an arduous education system, rising competition, increasing parental pressures, common teenage issues, tough careers and large expectations from the youth are taking their toll on these young minds. The present day youth has no direction. He/she is totally confused. Lacks guidance.

The Art of Living has recognized the need of the young adults in society and has a program, which is specifically tailored to the youth. Called the ‘Youth Empowerment Seminar’ or The YES Program, this workshop teaches teenagers how to accept themselves and other people, handle all situations in life, makes them responsible and efficient, tackles problems like depression, lack of confidence, loneliness and lack of concentration. All these are the very problems the youth face and are not able to bring to the fore. By subduing their inner feelings, they become reserved, shy, reticent and depressed. Through fun processes, games, laughter and meditation, the teens are taught to tackle various issues. The Young Adults Workshop prepares all youngsters for a better life ahead, no matter how confident, responsible they already are. Gone are the days when yoga and meditation were considered activities for the middle aged and old generation. Today, more and more youngsters are enrolling in the YES Program to get a grip on their lives.

YES is both fun and challenging, this 18 hour seminar provides teens of the age group 14-18 Yrs with a comprehensive toolbox to both manage their own emotions and stress as well as dynamically navigate through adolescence. The program broadens youth's vision of the world and provides practical knowledge and skills they need to realize their highest potential. Independent research has also shown that the processes learned on YES! reduce anger, violence and depression, as well as improve focus, clarity of mind and concentration.
MEGA YES!
21-26TH APRIL ‘09
KAMALA VIHAR SPORTS CLUB
KANDIVALI (W) MUMBAI
CONTACT: 9320244556/9821551936

Courtesy:Navin Uncle

Art of Living courses in Kandivili West - ART EXCEL

To truly excel in life is an art, and though much emphasis has traditionally been placed on higher academic achievement, more can be done to give children the tools to handle stress and live life to their fullest potential. The true measure of success is a happy, healthy, well-adjusted child that is able to deal effectively with life’s challenges. The ART Excel course is a highly effective stress management and human values training program for children.

A unique aspect of the program is a specific set of breathing techniques that systematically release emotional and physical stress.

Children can use these techniques in any situation to bring about a state of calmness and relaxation, and human values such as joy, friendliness and compassion that are naturally present in children but may have been hidden by stress become apparent.

Practice of these techniques also increases mental clarity and focus. With the ability to thinking clearly, manage their emotions and release stress, children are able to excel in all aspects of life; academic, social, and extracurricular.

The course starts on 21st April to 26th April at KVSC from 11am to 2 pm

Courtesy:Navin Uncle

The Art of Living courses in Kandivili - Basic Course (Part 1)

Discover Your BREATH!! Transform Your LIFE COMPLETELY!! - Learn the Art of Living!!
WHY The Art of Living Part I (Basic) Course???
Because, throughout our lives, we learn many skills such as reading, writing, science, music, & arts but very rarely have we been taught how to handle our negative emotions- anger, stress, fear etc. in short, how to handle the everyday stresses of today’s fast-paced life. Regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya (taught in Basic Course) brings about
a) Greater joy in personal relationships;
b) Increased fulfillment in work;
c) Deeper sense of community and belonging to society, and
d) Enriched spiritual life
This course also brings about such profound changes in individuals from “within” that the company/business that they work for benefit greatly from their much higher focus on work, improved productivity levels, leading to a higher sense of task ownership, responsibility and commitment to meet and surpass organizational goals!

COURSE STARTS ON 5TH MAY 2009 TILL 10TH MAY 2009 Kandivali (w) From 6.30 pm to 9:30 p.m.

Courtesy:Navin Uncle

Pictures from Voters awareness campaing 12th April 2009 near Siddhi Vinayak Temple, Prabhadevi Mumbai.

LET US ALL MAKE A DIFFERENCE!!! LET US ALL VOTE!!!

Guruji's message from Bali !!!

'Comfort is not just a nice bed and room, its inner comfort’

Bali, April 8, 2009 (Wednesday): The beach, open skies, gentle breeze and meditation: the biannual advanced meditation program in Bali began on April 7. Thousands have flocked from different parts of the world to listen to Sri Sri’s knowledge and experience the program in his presence. Sri Sri’s talks and programs appeal to people from diverse backgrounds, bridging together diverse communities and ideologies.

An excerpt of Sri Sri’s talks during the satsang this evening:

Prakriti & Purusha

Our consciousness has three qualities, the whole universe has got five qualities.

    * Asti: Existance

    * Bhati: There is consciousness, it feels

    * Preeti: love

    * Nama: Name

    * Rupa: form

For every name, there is a form. In the material world, there is name and form. The body is a matter, mind is energy. The whole universe is made up of body and mind, matter and energy.

Energy exists, it is conscious and is love. Matter is just the name and the form.

The ancient people called this whole universe as prakriti and purusha, matter and consciousness. What do you think you are? Are you the body or mind? Most of the time we think we are the body. Our body is like the wick of a candle, the mind is like the glow all around it. Our mind or consciousness exists and it is called love.

Prakriti or matter changes. Everything is changing in the world, right? Purusha, the reference point, doesn’t change.

So, think for a moment. Just wake up and think, “I am not the body, I am not the mind, not the matter.” It brings such a shift, in your behaviour and in your interaction.

When you interact with somebody, who are you interacting with? That somebody is the body or mind, body or spirit. You don’t know the spirit. You are simply caught up in the outer behaviour.

Obviously, you cannot communicate with a dead body. That is because the mind has gone from that body. Suddenly, you find your communication has got cut off. This is because you’ve been communicating with the complex called the mind.

A change in our attention is required. When you see the whole universe as the wick of a candle and the unseen consciousness as the glow, it makes a lot of difference in our lives.

It is important to understand that there is a distinction between the body and mind. Everyday, our body is changing. Many cells are dying and new cells are being born. This body is changing all the time and the spirit is unchanging. It’s alive, it’s love, it’s consciousness.

It is the breath that connects the body and mind. It is the breath that brings you deep relaxation and good rest.

Astrology

The science of astrology is called jyotish which means the knowledge of light. Now, suppose all these are the bulbs, glowing bulbs. Astrology is the science of knowing the color of this bulb. It recognises that the bulb is glowing and understanding its light. Not that light (points to a tube light), but the light above called human light. Astrology will recognise whether this light is Capricorn, whether this glow has come from Capricorn or a Sagitarian. The science of astrology will explain the glow, how big or small it is, when it’s going to blink. You see what I am saying?

Save the Mind

Events in our lives come and go. Right now, wake up and see. All that happened till now, is it not like a dream? Or is it, in anyway, more than a dream?

Yesterday you came here on an airplane. Those who came 20 days ago, you were packing your suitcases to come here, then boarded the plane. This moment when you wake up and see - it’s like a dream, isn’t it ?

The fact that a doubt never arises shows that it’s a dream. When you dream, there is no logic. You are on a horse, suddenly you are in an ocean, you are driving into the ocean. There is no logic, nor doubts in a dream. I tell you, the same thing is happening in this world. We don’t doubt what we need to doubt. This happening, is it real? All the conversations that you have in your own mind, or about the people around, are they real? All these years, we have blamed so many people. It has made you and others miserable. Is this what we need to do in our lives? We are miserable and make others miserable too.

Wake up and see, another 40 years. Doesn’t it seem like a dream? We always want some perfection, we want the way it should be. So what? You will be here for a few years and the world will continue. There will be imperfections the way that are now. Your children and their children will do things that you don’t like. So what? Is it going to change? Our hanging on to perfection, brings stiffness to our own minds? We are spoiling our health and causing misery around. Is this the way you want to live?

Wake up and see that all that has happened is a dream - some pleasant, some unpleasant. Will you get angry about the past? Is there any reason for getting angry about the past? Can you justify it? You can’t be angry about the future, right?

You can be angry, but it shouldn’t stay longer than the time you need to draw a line on water.

You should drop it and move on. Can you do that? That’s it! Then you have won the race. Save that consciousness. Save this mind. When you meditate, how do you feel? Like a delicate flower within you. This mind needs protection. What can protect it? With knowledge, we raise to a higher level of awareness. That makes us so strong to deal with any situation, right now. And we will be able to do that with a smile.

Skill through silence

Suppose your mother is nagging or complaining all the time and you don’t know how to handle her. It could be your niece or spouse too. You need skill to handle that. Right?

You get that skill by inner silence of the mind. Silence enhances our skill. In life, you need both. Comfort is not just a nice bed and room, its inner comfort.

Spiritual knowledge gives depth and comfort. Comfort to the soul and mind. Silence enhances our skill. Skill in dealing, working and in doing everything. Skill in speech, skill in action.

Divine Love

You know, when we think, I have nothing to do, just remember when you were a child, you couldn’t even eat your own food. A baby needs to be fed by the mother, right? Somebody needs to feed a baby or an old person. Nature has made arrangements in such a way that you are taken care of, in the beginning and at the end.

If you see reality, divinity is taking care of you throughout your life. You were taken care of when we couldn’t walk. Someone fed you, someone comforted you, someone put you to sleep. Somebody will take care of you towards the end of your life. That’s not a person, who is taking total responsibility for everything.

That consciousness gave you love as a father, a mother, a teacher, a sister. It is the big mind that has been comforting you as a friend, a partner. One consciousness has played all those roles.

If you cannot understand this right away, just have some patience. You can go deep in meditation or study physics.

A physicist will call different substances or particulars as one wave. It’s one electricity that is becoming the fan and the light bulb. The mind can argue: what does the fan have to do with light? This mind is not intelligent or informed enough. Almost everything - the television, fan, air conditioner, light bulb, water system - is run by electricity. In the same way, the whole universe is run by consciousness.

What we have always wanted, the deepest desire of every living being is to attain this higher level - right here, right now.

Q. Guruji, will divine love take care of my worries? Will divine love cure the illness of my loved ones?

A.: Divine love is not a currency that you can use for whatever you want. You cannot even use the same currency everywhere.

Definitely, divine love will take care of you but don’t keep thinking about it as though that is the main problem. You know, love means letting go, not trying to grab. If you think god loves you, then god knows what is best for you. He doesn’t need your recommendation. You see what I am saying? Nature knows. It will take care of things. We do our best, leave rest to nature.

Mega course 17th -22nd March 2009

Sharing with all of you the pictures of the Mega course held on 17th March 2009 at Kamala Vihar Sports Club, Mahavir Nagar, Kandivili (W). It was wonderful being with all of you for these six days celebrating knowledge together. Waiting to see all your comments and know your experiences.

Fly HIGH with the MASTER!!!

Fly HIGH with the MASTER!!!

Course schedule

ART EXCEL and YES at Mahavir Nagar Kandivili from 21st April 2009. 

Sahaj Samadhi course from 23rd April 6:30-8:30 am.

19th May 2009 - MEGA Part 1 course. Evening 7 -10 pm

Narad Bhakti Sutra - 14th - 19th April 2009

Sahaj Samadhi: 3-5 April 2009  Mulund.

    29th - 1st April 2009  Bhandup.

DSN with Vishwas Bhaiyya - Sun 14th May - Mulund.

As the angels sing....!!!

On 11th march 2009 we had a divine satsang at Akshay Bhai's Society. Grace flowed on all of us as we sang alongwith Dr. Bimal. Even angels sang with us......the camera captured a couple of angels who blessed us.....sharing the love and grace with all of you. 

Chaitra Navratri

Since the chaitra navratri is going on we had a DEVI pooja at home. We did Guru Pooja followed by Ganesh Stuti and Lalita Sahasranaam and Devi bhajans. All our eyes were filled with gratitude to the Divine Mother.

As the Divine Mother takes care of her devotees; similarly a mother takes care of her children. She nurtures them, protects them, points out their mistakes and showers them with love and affection.

At the same moment the thought of my mother came to my mind. She stood by e against all odds on the path I had chosen. The path of "ART OF LIVING". With all the members of the family on one side and me on the other, she stood by me as a pillar of strength. At times explaining to the family that she would like her daughter to follow the spiritual path and participate in Satsangs rather than drain her self by being a part of the pub culture.