The Art of Living

[Alan]

Jai Gurudev!

Anyone of the hubbers is an Art of living Member? Is anyone from here going to bangalore for the 25th Anniversary Celebrations?

[dev]

I'm a member of Art of Living...:)

[Lambretta]

Is this by Sri sri Ravi Shankar??
I used to read articles by him in Deccan Chronicle a few yrs ago......

[dev]

Is this by Sri sri Ravi Shankar??


yes...

[Alan]

You are? Do you practice SK regularly? I don't..... :(

[Shekhar]

Though I don't participate in Art of Living activities actively, I have great reverence for Sri. Sri. Ravishankar. My atheism has never been a matter of conflict in Art of Living. He is beyond all religions.
I practice Sudarshan Kriya and Meditation (Sahaj Samadhi) every day. It has brought me immense inner peace.
I am in Bangalore and the celebrations have started today. I hope to attend the session on Sunday.

[dev]

Nope... I too don't practise regularly... :oops:

[Alan]

Though I don't participate in Art of Living activities actively, I have great reverence for Sri. Sri. Ravishankar. My atheism has never been a matter of conflict in Art of Living. He is beyond all religions.
I practice Sudarshan Kriya and Meditation (Sahaj Samadhi) every day. It has brought me immense inner peace.
I am in Bangalore and the celebrations have started today. I hope to attend the session on Sunday.

Wow! That's great- I hope you can get to see Guruji although it seems too far fetched an idea with a crowd of 40 lakh AOL members!

[Shakthiprabha.]

Alan,

I get to see lot of banners here with passes given for the program in every major areas.

I have great reverence for him, however, I wonder what exactly can happen amidst huge crowd. Hence Ive held myself away and NOT VISITING celebrations

[Sandeep]

SP,

When huge crowds work in tandem the strength it generates can do wonders for each one in the crowd

[Lambretta]

SP,

When huge crowds work in tandem the strength it generates can do wonders for each one in the crowd
Hmm......ya I've heard/read abt wat 'wonders' happen to women who r caught in such thick huge crowds (at ne occasion/location) sumtimes! :oops:
Maybe tat cud also understandably be y SP wishes to stay away from ther......

[great]

This weekend the Art of Living Foundation, an organisation that has changed the lives of millions around the world, celebrates its 25th anniversary.

From those devastated by the tsunami, the Kashmir earthquake, Hurricane Katrina and numerous others seeking inner peace, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has been a source of inspiration and faith. People are driven to him from places as diverse as Senegal, Bosnia, Botswana and Mongolia, making his ashram on the outskirts of Bangalore virtually an assembly of the world.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on the Rediff Chat

The Guru of Good Cheer spoke to Editor Saisuresh Sivaswamy and Nikhil Lakshman at his ashram in an exclusive interview, which we will publish in five parts. Today, His Holiness discusses the Art of Living Foundation's achievements and the challenges confronting humanity.

Are you satisfied with what the Art of Living Foundation has achieved over the last 25 years?

In Art of Living we work on the level of satisfaction, not on the level of want or ambition. There are two ways to work. One, you have an ambition, a wish, and work towards it and get satisfied when you have that. But that is not the principle here. We are satisfied and we want an expression of our joy.

Looking back at Art of Living's 25 years, how do you feel at the way it has evolved? Anything you feel that has not been done, territory not covered?

I am happy about it. One is that you look back and see the satisfaction it has brought to millions of people around the world. That gives more enthusiasm that many more can be benefited by it. So we need to enlist more people in order to do that.

Most organisations after a point become captive of a routine and stop growing. What is the route that you have charted out for the organisation for the next 25 years? How will you ensure that Art of Living continues to grow organically?

To me, an organisation is not so important. An organisation is like a frame to hold a picture. The most important in all this is the picture itself. Knowledge is being spread to the people, by word of mouth, one on one. That is happening. I am not so much concerned about an organisation, its growth etc. That happens. I am more interested in the individual who is growing.

Daily, newspapers proclaim that religion is in danger. It could be any religion, Hinduism, Islam, Christianity... As a spiritual leader of the 21st century, do you share the perception? Is religion in danger?

For those who do not have faith in God, fear is a way to protect them. But if faith is strong, there is no anxiety about something in danger. Faith in the divine and faith in one's faith. You know everything is being protected, and everything is being taken care of.

What are the five biggest challenges confronting humanity, and what should be done to overcome them?

Why are you limiting it to just five biggest challenges?

The challenges are different in different places, for different people, and that moment for them that is the biggest challenge.

When the tsunami hit Southeast Asia, the trauma was the biggest challenge for people there. Though they had food and medicines, though people jumped in and provided shelter, the biggest challenge was to make them realise how to value their money, how to handle their anxiety and fear.

The biggest challenge now in Kashmir after the earthquake hit the region is to shift people from the cold to a warmer place. Clothing is available, food is available, but people need warmer shelter. So the biggest challenges depend on different situations.

The Art of Living Blog

Would you single out anything as the overwhelming challenge?

The overwhelming problem in the world today, everyone knows, is terrorism, where people in the name of religion kill each other, kill others just to go to heaven, and thinking only they will go to heaven. This sort of thought, the indoctrination of such a mentality is a challenge.

The second challenge is a lack of trust in human values. When people lose faith in the natural goodness of the human character, the lack of trust in spiritual goodness, that is one reason why corruption has become so widespread today.

How can spirituality confront, overcome these challenges?

By broadening one's vision, spirituality can help.

We are trapped in an ideological vacuum. We can help by means of the love and compassion spirituality creates.

For a person to be a terrorist somewhere he has to block his heart. Somewhere he has to block his feelings. If that block is removed he can't believe in violence.

[Shakthiprabha.]

sandeep, lambretta,

I dont DENY huge crowd can be interesting at times, where great vibrations of good ppl is filled at one place.

10 days back, I went to get the darshan of "matha-amruthanandamayi"

I loved every experience of it.

I am hesitant here because, THE TIMIGNS dont suit me.
Morning hours I have my family to attend.
My duty comes first. :)

[Lambretta]

I am hesitant here because, THE TIMIGNS dont suit me.
Morning hours I have my family to attend. My duty comes first. :)
Ohh.....sorry, 'thot it was sum other reason....! :oops:
Neways, however, I really appreicate ur commitment to ur family!! Wondra-full I say!! :clap: :D

[dev]

I am hesitant here because, THE TIMIGNS dont suit me.
Morning hours I have my family to attend.
My duty comes first. :)

Hmmm... Once in a while, letting ur family do those duties of yours, will give them more maturity... They'll learn a lot from such experiences...:)

[Lambretta]

*DIGR*
Hmmm... Once in a while, letting ur family do those duties of yours, will give them more maturity... They'll learn a lot from such experiences...:)
*phew* thank God once in a while thaan sonnenguh! :lol:
Btw, family in the sense who, only the husband cud be able to do it......no idea how old her kid is.....
*END DIGR*

But w. crowds of 40lakhs it cud take u like half a day if u wan2 meet him/talk to him personally.......?

[dev]

Depends on what that 'while' means to one...;)
Kids too can do some of the work themselves... definitely not all but atleast a few...it depends on how old...

My husb, who used to be a good,enthusiastic cook, almost forgot cooking since I was taking care of it( I love cooking & didn't give him much chance in the kitchen)... It was only when I had to leave him for a few months last yr, he realized how difficult it has become for him to do his own work(though he used to help me in the household work)... Infact, he has lived alone for almost 5 yrs before marriage,doing all the work himself....So, we now have an understanding that he'll do the weekend cooking & me the weekday cooking... This way U can maintain/improve one's skills & not forget it once for all because of being pampered by the spouse...:)

[dev]

But w. crowds of 40lakhs it cud take u like half a day if u wan2 meet him/talk to him personally.......?

If one wants to meet him/talk to him personally, it's better to visit him at the ashram some other time than during such celebs...

[Alan]

Jai Gurudev!

The coverage of the Silver Jubilee Celebrations of the Art of Living by Sanskar TV is beyond words! Its beautiful! Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a miracle by himself!

[Shekhar]

The Art of Living Foundation headquarters, Guruji's "Ashram" is on Bangalore-Kanakapura road, just 15 kms from my residence. I have visited a couple of times. The meditation sessions are held from 5 - 6 PM on sundays and 6.30 to 7.30 PM on otherdays. Sri.Ravishankar himself guides the session, whenever he is in station, which is becoming a rarity with his touring round the world. Luckily, whenever I have visited his ashram he was there.
You experince an elated sense of peace, the moment you step into the ashram premises.

[Shakthiprabha.]

Dev,

Yeah we need to let them share the duty at inevitable times. I did so when I visited amruthanandamayi.

Here, like what lambretta puts it, i was sceptic about how much quietness and peace would be got with ocean of ppl around me.

I basically like to go to quieter places when I am interested in self_improvisation.

yeah, with bhajans and keerthans around u would feel elated.

Ive experienced in amruthanandayi's prescence, THE VIBRATION AND elation which is unexplainable.

I am told sudharshan kriya is good.

I intend going to shri.ravishankar ashram sometimes. It would happen soon. :)

[Alan]

bump for Sujana- incase you could not find this thread.

[Cindy]

Any AOL members have the complete lyrics of the bhajan sung in the silver jubillee function - "Hari sankara nanda mukunda... narayana hari om...-- aaorey.. aoorey.. ansoo bhachaorey...."

[RP]

He who binds to himself a joy
Does the winged life destroy;
But he who kisses the joy as it flies
Lives in eternity's sun rise..........

Any Comments

[Lambretta]

Um, yea RP:
Shudn't this hav been in the quotes thread? :)

[RP]

Um, yea RP:
Shudn't this hav been in the quotes thread? :)

Yeh..........ALSO?
Art of Living? :roll:

[Shakthiprabha.]

I am planning to go to sudharshan kriya. Did not get luck still. Guess in next batch I shall try to go :(

[Lambretta]

Yeh..........ALSO?
Art of Living? :roll:
Nope I meant tat poem u typed.....!
Seemed apt- to me atleast!- for quotes thread too! :)

[Pushpa]

I have been trying for quite some time to get lyrics of the song, Guruji sings after completion of Kriya and before 'Asatho ma sath gamaaya...

It starts something like, 'Vandhanam guru.....'. No luck even while I googled. Anybody knows, please respond -- is it a Kannada shloka ?

[Alan]

Yes, I got the Cds of the song "Hari sankara nanda mukunda... narayana hari om..........." by a friend ( who is a staff of the Centurion bank- they had sent all their staff for the AOL celebrations) He couriered it to me from Kerala.

Its beautiful, enchanting!
I'll write up the lyrics for you, Cynthia, later, not now. Ok?

[swathy]

My uncle somehow know ravishankarji and srisrisri has visited our house in his 30s.

When he passed a house in our area he saw a name board written as adharmaraj. i.e the period betwen the initial and the name dharmaraj was missing. He was disturbed on seeing that and he said i could feel some bad vibrations here.


Just in one week the owner of the house committed suicide.

[RP]

My uncle somehow know ravishankarji and srisrisri has visited our house in his 30s.

When he passed a house in our area he saw a name board written as adharmaraj. i.e the period betwen the initial and the name dharmaraj was missing. He was disturbed on seeing that and he said i could feel some bad vibrations here.


Just in one week the owner of the house committed suicide.

What do u feel about VIBRATIONS.......... r they real?

In the 1960's the word "vibrations" came into vogue. Young people, influenced by the mystical traditions of the East, experimented with ways to raise their consciousness. They used the term to describe some ephemeral quality of people or places. Although not defined in any formal way, it gradually worked its way into the popular culture, showing up in songs and phrases. The implication was that one simply had to "tune in" to appreciate this alternate experience of reality.
We use the term vibrations now as well, and it hasn't changed much in terms of its meaning. It still conjures up images of invisible rays of energy flying through the air and influencing people in various ways.

[tomato]

Yesterday there was a talk by Sri Ravi Shankar at the 'Suntec City' Singapore. It was my first brush with AOL. It was a nice experience.