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| Pleasure or pain is an intense sensation in the 4 to 6 foot body. When we are not caught up in this then we are truly and sincerely able to say, "I belong to you." That is when all the cravings and aversions, desires and doubts fall off -- and in a moment the world belongs to you. All your miseries surround the "I, I, I, . . . ", "I want this, I like that, I don't like this . . ." Just let go. The sun rises and sets, the grass grows, the river flows, the moon shines and I am here forever! How do you feel if someone praises you? Answer: "Shy, happy, great, embarrassed . . . " It does something to you, doesn't it? It doesn't do anything to me! When you praise the moon, the mountains, Lake Lucerne, the Black Forest . . .it doesn't do anything to them. They remain the same. Just like that I am part of nature. If you enjoy praising me, you may do so. In fact, you have no choice! (Laughter) You can do with me whatever you like. I am there for you. I am your toy! (Laughter) | ||||
| NEWS FLASH: Time literally stood still in Mauritius. In Satish's house where Guruji stayed, all six clocks and everybody's watches mysteriously stopped! But anyway, Guruji moved on to South Africa where he addressed enthusiastic crowds in Pretoria and Johannesburg. Then on to Botswana where Guruji was received by the President at the State House. Later, Guruji visited a Government Hospital and distributed toys and gifts of clothes and food to the ailing children in the pediatric ward. The children loved it! It was Santa Claus but with a black beard and trim tummy! Guruji distributed blankets and food to the aged and disabled of the entire village of Modipane. The people were overwhelmed and greeted Guruji with joy and cheer. Enthusiastic devotees of Botswana's Art of Living are organizing big basic courses and great satsangs. The tired group went on an African Safari and found two leopards, five elephants, a vulture with a broken wing, and two monkeys! The only enthusiasti c person was the guide. The giggling gang went on and on. Joy knew no bounds and people were forgetting traffic rules as usual. Hema spooned hot pickle into her tea instead of sugar! The Ahmedabad chapter organized a blood donation camp and Bangalore organized a mass feeding of the poor. And in Bad Antogast there was a five story birthday cake with marzipan swans. Instead of "How are you?" Guruji greeted everyone with "How am I?" | ||||
Monday, March 30, 2009
THE WORLD BELONGS TO YOU
DEDICATION AND COMMITMENT
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| Just like you run out of fuel in the car and you have to refill it again and again, in the same way your dedication and commitment runs out in the course of time and it needs constant renewal! You have to dedicate and rededicate again and again. Often people take their dedication for granted and then the mind starts demanding or complaining. When dedication is not complete, it leads to grumbling and complaints. Total dedication brings enormous enthusiasm, zeal, trust, and challenge, and does not leave any room for ego. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH: Spring was in full swing in Bad Antogast (German Ashram). As it was in nature, so it was in all the hearts. The first silent seeds were sown in Austria. A bus full of devotees came all way from Croatia driving for eight to ten hours to meet Guruiji for just a couple of hours in Vienna. Today's full moon is dedicated to Buddha and now it is time to rededicate oneself. | ||||
THE WAY OUT OF SORROW
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| If your are unhappy you better check if one or all of these are lacking: Tapa (penance), Vairagya (dispassion), Sharanagati (surrender). - Tapas is agreeing with the moment, total acceptance of pleasant or unpleasant situations. - Vairagya means I want nothing and I am nothing. - Sharanagati is "I am here for You, for Your joy." If you are grumbling then these are lacking, because when you accept the situation you cannot grumble; when you take it as Tapa you will not grumble; when you come from a state dispassion ("I don't want anything") you don't grumble; and if you are surrendered you will have no complaints. All these three (Tapas, Vairagya and surrender) purify your mind and uplift you in joy. If you donÒ´ do it willingly you will do it in desperation. First you say, "Nothing can be done." Then in anger and desperation you say, "I give up, I want nothing, I have no choice, to hell with it!" | ||||
| NEWS FLASH: On Buddha Purnima, Guruji was engrossed in singing a new bhajan and did not go to the lecture in Innsbruck. Though the next day he surprised the unhappy organizer and made her happy. Pais talk had a full house and sent a big wave of enthusiasm all over France. Three cars and a bus left on Tour de France for ten major cities. Jai Guru Dev Vince Gentiluomo is heading up the India Ashram Project for which he is organizing for people to buy their very own Kutir at the Ashram for courses, retirement or whatever. He can be reached in Cleveland, Ohio at 216-473-4212 or fax at 216-473-9973. Carla Riechman (our Dollar a Day manager) has gotten a good response for Guruji's birthday present of sponsored children at His beloved Ashram. Please contact her at 301-588-6422 or laughter@his.com to learn more about this wonderful program and how your community can be a part of His birthday present. We will present this gift to Him at the Gurupurnima celebration. Please note the wonderful children and teenager programs that are available for the first time at this summer's advanced courses. | ||||
THE DIVINE BEYOND TIME
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| An ignorant person either disbelieves or believes the individual. The wise neither disbelieves nor believes the individual. His faith rests on Kala (time). When the time is good, a foe will behave like a friend. When the time is not good, even a friend will behave like a foe. The wiser one believes in Mahakala (the Grand time or Shiva). An ignorant person disbelieves in time and the Divine beyond time. In the world and in time there is always room for improvement. You can improve your time and your nature. Only the Being is perfect all the time. Take refuge in the Being and become incorrigible. "I am" incorrigible. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH: The discovery of the week is that Guruji has a three piece suit and a mobile phone! Guruji always has a three piece suit (Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh) and only one suit case! The miracle of the week is that the angry, reluctant and uncooperative driver of the "Tour de France" bus has become friendly and very patient with the Art of Living circus. A big transformation has occurred in him by just being with the group. Now he believes that Guruji is more successful than president Chirac. His only puzzle was that whatever Guruji said was so correct, yet the people in the bus were so different. The joke of the week is that by the end of the tour, he started serving us to such an extent that he forgot his own baggage. The Tour de France gave a big boost to the AoL France. The advanced course has begun in a beautiful Zen temple. | ||||
EVERY STONE IS PRECIOUS
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| A sculptor in a temple uses all types of stones. Certain stones he uses for the foundations. These never appear outside. From certain stones which are good to carve, the sculptor makes the walls and pillars of the Temple. From other stones he makes the steps. Certain stones become the tower of the Temple. Only those stones which are extremely suitable for carving will become the Deity and be installed in the Temple. When the stone become a part of the Temple, it no longer remains a stone, it becomes a sculpture, a piece of art, it becomes the Living Deity. In the same way many people come to the Master. According to the degree of their surrender they are installed by the Master. All are essential. If there were no steps, how could a person reach the Temple? If there were no foundation, how could the Temple be there at all? What can a tower do without pillars? For a sculptor, each stone is precious and valuable. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The Advanced Course in Paris left everyone joyful, even the unshakeable Zen monks were so moved, as Guruji moved on to Montreal. Here, like the beavers (an animal know in North America for building dams in rivers and lakes), the crew is busily building Guruji's Koutir at the Montreal Ashram. There are many courses happening all over the world including the recently completed course for cancer patients in New York City, and many in South Africa and India. | ||||
SENSITIVITY AND STRENGTH
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| Those who are sensitive often feel weak. Those who feel strong are often insensitive. Some people are sensitive to themselves but insensitive to others . They often feel the others are "bad guys." Those who are sensitive to others but not to themselves often end up feeling Poor me. Some conclude it's better not to be sensitive ,because sensitivity brings pain. They shut off .But mind you , if you are not sensitive, you will lose all the finer things in life, too--intuition, beauty and ecstasy of love. Insensitive people usually do not recognize their weakness .And those who are sensitive do not recognize that their sensitivity is their strength . This path and this Knowledge make you strong and sensitive . Sensitivity is intuition .Sensitivity is compassion . Sensitivity is love .Sensitivity is real strength: calmness , endurance ,silence ,non-reactiveness ,confidence ,faith --and a smile.Be both sensitive and strong. News Flash From India:The children at the ashram school have the best test scores in the entire district, and the enrollment has doubled to four hundred and fifty.Exercise : In your own Satsang group, see how both sensitivity and strength have grown. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH From India:The children at the ashram school have the best test scores in the entire district, and the enrollment has doubled to four hundred and fifty.Exercise : In your own Satsang group, see how both sensitivity and strength have grown. | ||||
THE PERSONAL AND IMPERSONAL
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How can we reconcile the impersonal with the personal? In love you raise the object to life. When you love an object it becomes life. For children everything is personal. Children take each object they play with and make it totally personal. Even a stone has a face; even the sun laughs. When you attach emotion, the whole creation becomes personal. When you remove the emotion, even people become objects. Violence is removing the emotion. How a person can kill another person: it is when they do not see them as a person, they see them as an object. But even a stone attracts reverence when it becomes personal. Dean says: In military training they teach soldiers to see people as killing objects coming toward you that need to be killed first. Susannah says: In the temple even a stone is elevated to the level of spirit. The impersonal cannot attract reverence. Most people see God as impersonal and therefore they do not progress. Dean and Susannah say: "That's why we need a Guru!" Chan says: When we say something isn't real, then it's impersonal. When we personalize something, we make it real. So then, what is reality? You are the Reality. You are not the thoughts, you are not the emotions nor actions. You are not even a person...! Exercise: What you now see as impersonal, see it as personal. And when you feel any negative emotion towards anybody, see them as impersonal. And pretend that you yourself are a robot. Jai Guru Dev | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The Knowledge Fax Book for the first two years is being released by David and Gary. There was a debate about whether to include the news flashes in the book. The majority voted in favor of news flashes. Everyday Guruji continues to be inundated with letters reporting more amazing healing experiences. Art of Living Teachers in North America are now observing two weeks of intense Sadhana. Advanced courses are happening in Poona, Slovania, Botswana and Montreal. People are seeing a totally different Guruji which they have never experienced before. His fiery talks this week have made everyone sit up and take notice. Everyone is very happy. | ||||
THE GOLDEN VEIL
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| Craving comes from encouraging the thought of pleasure. The actual experience of pleasure may not be as pleasurable as the memory. Georgia: That 's why we spend so much time in our minds! Whether you encourage a worldly thought or a Divine thought, they both bring you pleasure. Worldly thought leads to indulgence, which brings you down from pleasure to disappointment and dejection. Divine thought takes you up from pleasure to Bliss, Intelligence, and progress in life. Worldly thought brings pleasure only as memory, whereas Divine thought comes as Reality. Question: What is a Divine thought? "I am not the body; I am bliss, satchitananda; I am unbounded space; I am love; I am peace; I am light." Question: What is a worldly thought? It is about money, sex, food, power, status and self-image. Truth is hidden by the golden veil of the mundane. Pierce through the glittering sheath and know you are the Sun. P.S. In the world everybody is after GOLD; some are after GOOD; but only a few are after GOD. Transcend GOLD, transcend the GOOD, and reach GOD.
Jai Guru Dev | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The Quebec Ashram fountain is creating rainbows. An advanced course is happening, and the ART Excell course is a big hit with the youth, whose inhibitions are dropping away. As course participants move from the small mind to the Big Mind, the children move super-sized frogs from the small pond to the big lake. Both frogs and humans are happy in their spacious abodes. Vashista makes regular visits each noontime, as we read his ancient teachings in the Yogavasishta. | ||||
With Whom Are You At Ease?
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| With whom do you feel really comfortable and at ease? You feel comfortable with someone who does not question your love, someone who takes for granted that you love them. Isn't it? If someone doubts your love and you constantly have to prove it, this becomes a heavy load on your head. When someone doubts your love, they start questioning you and demanding explanations for all your actions. To explain everything you do is a burden. Your nature is to shed the burden, and so you don't feel comfortable. When you question the reason behind an action, you are asking for justice for yourself. You are creating a distance when you ask for justice. Your whole intention is to come close, but you are creating a distance. You are a witness to all your actions. You are as much a stranger to your own actions as you are to someone else's. You are the Eternal Witness. When someone asks for an explanation, they are speaking from doership and imposing that doership on you. This brings discomfort. If somebody is just there with you, like a part of you, they don't question you. They are like your arm. There is thorough understanding and questions don't arise. Neither demand an explanation nor give an explanation. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The big frogs have come back from the big pond to the small pond!! Pitaji has arrived in North America for the first time, and we are greatly enjoying his stories from the Puranas. A well-known acupuncturist from China, Dr. Sha, came to take Guruji's blessings and offer his knowledge of healing to the devotees. Seven people gained back their hearing. The question basket is bringing forth some extraordinarily deep and beautiful knowledge. | ||||
LET LOVE BE
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| Let love be. Don't give it a name. When you give it a name it becomes a relationship, and relationship restricts love. There is love between you and me. Just let it be. If you name love, for example, brother, sister, mother, father, guru, you are making it into a relationship. Relationship restricts love. Let love be. DonÒ´ give it a name. What is your relationship to yourself? Are you your wife, brother, husband, guru? | ||||
| NEWS FLASH During the last two days at the Montreal Ashram, Guruji and crew went to a Waterfall for a swim. Guruji said from underneath the Waterfall, "If the course didn't help you become silent, then come sit under the Waterfall." The party moved to California where at the Agape Church the audience became participants and sang, "Hoya Heya!!" Meetings with leaders from the Black community have gone well and the phone is ringing off the hook as people from all over the world prepare to gather for Guru Purnima at Lake Tahoe. | ||||
Make Everything Personal And Universal
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| Manatha Sri Jagan Natha My Lord is the Lord of Creation Mad Guru Sri Jagad Guru My Master is the Master of the Universe Madathma Sarva Bhutatma My Soul is the Soul of Every Living Being Tas Mai Sri Guruve Namah I Bow Down to the Glory of My Guru Dev
Often what is universal is not personal and what is personal does not belong to everyone. What is "mine" and what is "universal" are completely opposite. This is the cause of greed, fear, jealousy, and lack of contentment. On this Guru Purnima wake up and realize that the Lord of the Universe is very personal to you. Your personal Guru is the Guru of the whole world. The Guru is your very SELF and your SELF is the very life in every being. Make the universal personal; it makes you richer, wiser, stronger. Make the personal universal; you will find freedom, compassion, love. Jai Guru Dev
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| NEWS FLASH The Guru Purnima Celebration was an explosion of BLISS and is still going on for the six hundred course participants in Lake Tahoe as it must be the Devotees around the world. Guruji continues to thrill us all with singing, laughter, knowledge, and some new meditations. Everyone and everything is sky high here -- altitude, attitude, consciousness, cake, and even water balloons. Many centers around the world celebrated Guru Purnima by starting Seva projects in their area. | ||||
On Respect
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| Question: What do you do if people don't respect you? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Thank them. They have given you freedom. (Laughter and amazement) When people respect you, they often take away your freedom. They expect you to smile at them, recognize them, behave in a certain way with them. If they don't respect you, you are not obliged to answer their questions and you can drop all the formalities. Either you will be naturally smiling or frowning. So you will be complete. When people love and respect you, you are obliged to return their courtesies because you don't want to hurt them. When they don't respect or love you, they will not be hurt by your actions and expressions. So they set you free. When you gain respect, you often do it at the cost of your freedom. Wisdom is to put the freedom first and not bother about respect. Q: Will freedom not bring arrogance? A: True freedom is not an "I don't care" attitude. It is lightness from within, a genuine smile and not stiffness. When someone is stiff and arrogant, they are not really free. True love blossoms only in such freedom. And when there is genuine love, respect simply follows you. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH Midway through the Art Excel Course at Lake Tahoe, the teenagers staged a 'rebellion' against the course teachers. A half hour meeting with Guruji totally changed the situation both for the teenagers and the teachers. The American tour ended with an outdoor Satsang at Emerald Bay overlooking Lake Tahoe. Now onto the beginning of the European summer celebrations! | ||||
Sacrifice
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| Sacrifice is letting go of something that you are holding on to or are attached to, which gives you pleasure, for something bigger that would bring good. Sacrifice brings strength in life. Life without sacrifice is stagnant. Sacrifice gives you the quantum leap. It takes you to a higher pedestal. Often people think sacrifice makes life dull and joyless. In fact, it is the sacrifice which makes life worth living. The amount of sacrifice in your life brings out your magnanimity and helps you move out of misery. A life without sacrifice is worth nothing. Zeal, enthusiasm, strength and joy are all connected to sacrifice. Question: Some people say, "I have sacrificed so much," and complain. Answer: That is good. The thought of sacrifice has given them strength to complain and saves them from blaming themselves without which they would even be more depressed. Sacrifice never goes unrewarded. There can be no love, no wisdom and no true joy without sacrifice. SACRIFICE MAKES YOU SACRED. Become sacred! | ||||
| NEWS FLASH As you all know, our Art of Living team of three teachers had gone to facilitate in the peace process between Armenia and Azerbaidzhan in Karabakh. In the short span of only two weeks they have come out with flying colors in their mission. Three courses with 40 participants each of Army officials and another series of courses for civilians had been conducted. There was an article in the Moscow Times saying that the fighting factions had agreed to stop fighting only two weeks after our team started work there. This was reported in the newspapers and television shows. From Bad Antogast: Can you imagine, translations in ten languages are happening simultaneously and the course participants all speak in one language -- silence. | ||||
Window Shutters
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| To the degree that you are awake, everything around you brings you knowledge. If you are not awake, then even the most precious knowledge does not make any sense. (Suddenly there was much noise from outside and Kiran went to shut the window.) Sri Sri: Awareness depends upon your ability to shut your windows. When there is a storm you need to shut your windows, otherwise you will get wet. When it is hot and suffocating inside, you need to open your windows. Your senses are like the windows. When you have the ability to open and shut your windows at your will then you are free and you are awake. When your windows cannot be shut or opened, you are bound. Attending to that is sadhana or practice. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH There was extensive media coverage about Guruji both in Copenhagen and in Stockholm. In Copenhagen, Guruji and the evening Satsang were featured in "Good Morning Denmark", a TV program which "wakes up" Danish people in the morning. In Stockholm, far more people came for the evening program than could be accommodated. Guruji first went and greeted those who could not get into the auditorium. The last comes first! | ||||
RAKSHA BANDHAN
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| This full moon is dedicated to the seers -- the rishis. It is also called the raksha bandhan. Bandhan means bondage, raksha means protection. A bondage that protects you. Your bondage to the knowledge, to the master, to the truth, To The Self, All Saves You. A Rope Can Be Tied To Either Protect Or Strangle You. The Small Mind And Mundane Things can strangle you. The big mind or knowledge saves you. Raksha bandhan is that bondage that saves you. You are bound by your bondage to the satsang. Your bondage to the master, to the truth, to the ancient knowledge of the rishis is your savior. Bonding is essential in life. And let the bonding be divine in a life free from bondage. Question: Who is an atheist? Answer: One who has a concept of God. Question: What is peace? Answer: Undivided mind. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH From Sweden we moved on to Norway. The program was held in the most beautiful hall in Oslo where the Nobel Peace Prize is given out yearly. The talk and the meditation gave priceless peace. On to Denmark for the advanced course. During a public talk in Arhus, it was hot and humid and the speaker system did not work, but all the adverse situations were turned into profound knowledge.A number of TV stations interviewed Guruji and several newspapers carried articles in Scandinavia. | ||||
TRUTH ONCE FOUND
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| It is the intellect that divides and that synthesizes. Some creatures in the world only synthesize and some creatures only divide. But the human being has both abilities, he divides and synthesizes. Ants only synthesize, they bring Things Together And Build An Ant Hill. But Monkeys Cannot Synthesize, They Can Only Divide Everything. You Give Them a garland for example, and they tear it to pieces and throw it all over the place. A monkey can only divide, or analyze. But a beaver synthesizes, it brings all the wood together and builds a dam. Birds also synthesize such as the Weaver birds. A human being both analyzes and synthesizes. So you analyze from the relative world and synthesize to find the one. The intellect divides to find the truth. Truth once found synthesizes everything. When the intellect becomes quiet, it brings out the intelligence. Often people think that gathering information makes one intelligent. This is not so. It is the "samadhi" which brings out the intelligence. An unintelligent man, in spite of having all the information, cannot be creative. An intelligent man without much information can be creative. A sign of intelligence is to see the one in many and find the many in one. There is an old Sanskrit proverb: The first sign of intelligence is not to start anything. The second sign of intelligence is if you have started something, you have to continue it to the end. If you have annoyed somebody, don't stop it in the middle, take him to the edge. (Laughter) **** News Flash: Bellund, Denmark had about 150 advanced course participants. The course had good silence, meditations and lively Satsangs. It had interesting questions and answers, tears of gratitude and lots of laughter. Guruji's "secret visit" to the beach in Lübeck had about 50 devotees trailing behind. A fun train that Guruji and the gang boarded had its driver blissed out so that he took the fun-train off its normal course along the beach into the traffic of the main road for a much longer ride, to the amazement of the on-looking citizens of Lübeck. In less that two weeks of preparation, the Hamburg devotees had a full hall for Guruji's talk. This week also saw an advanced course in Calcutta, big Satsangs in Durban, Krishna's birthday celebrations in the German Ashram and teacher's training in the Bangalore Ashram. Jai Guru Dev | ||||
| NEWS FLASH: Bellund, Denmark had about 150 advanced course participants. The course had good silence, meditations and lively Satsangs. It had interesting questions and answers, tears of gratitude and lots of laughter. Guruji's "secret visit" to the beach in Lübeck had about 50 devotees trailing behind. A fun train that Guruji and the gang boarded had its driver blissed out so that he took the fun-train off its normal course along the beach into the traffic of the main road for a much longer ride, to the amazement of the on-looking citizens of Lübeck. In less that two weeks of preparation, the Hamburg devotees had a full hall for Guruji's talk. This week also saw an advanced course in Calcutta, big Satsangs in Durban, Krishna's birthday celebrations in the German Ashram and teacher's training in the Bangalore Ashram. | ||||
THE BIG DILEMMA
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| If there is complete faith, then there are no questions. If you don't have any faith then there is no point in asking any questions because how can there be any faith in the answer that is given? Harish : What About The Questions That We Ask With Complete Faith? Sri Sri : If you have faith in God or yourself or your family and friends then questions cannot arise. When you know somebody is taking care of you, what is the need to ask any question? For example, if you have taken the Karnataka Express to Bangalore, then there is no need to ask at every station "Where is the train going?". When there is someone to take care of your desire, then why go to an astrologer? Rajesh : But what about blind faith? Sri Sri : Faith is faith...it cannot be blind. When you call it blind it is not faith - at least not yours! Blindness and faith cannot meet. It is when you lose faith, you become blind. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The Swamis (Saints) from Adichunchungiri Mutt, arrived in our German Ashram. There was a grand Satsang on Friday night and a picnic to the nearby water fall on Sunday. Next stop - Mumbai. More than four thousand people filled up a beautiful hall for a fabulous Satsang and a fantastic meditation led by Sri Sri. The sound system which had hiccups(!!) miraculously delivered crystal clear sound whenever Sri Sri spoke. This is being written on the way to a sudden Satsang attended by 600 people after which Sri Sri returns to the Bangalore HQ. | ||||
How To Get Centred
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| Shifting the awareness from the experience to the experiencer; since all the experiences are on the circumference and they keep on changing. The experiencer is at the centre. Again and again come back to the experiencer. If you are frustrated, instead of spending all the time on the experience of frustration, ask Who is frustrated? Similarly, if you are unhappy, ask Who is unhappy? If you think you know something, ask Who knows it? (Laughter) If you think you are enlightened, ask Who is enlightened? (Laughter) If you think you are ignorant, ask Who is ignorant? If you think you are poor me, ask Who is poor me? If you think you are highly devoted, ask Who is devoted? Shed all your faces and face the I. Then you have truly come to Me!
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| NEWS FLASH Sri Sri was conferred with the Guru Mahatmya Award in Pune for outstanding contribution to humanity, by the Chief Minister of Maharashtra. The Bangalore Ashram is in great celebration. An Advanced Course has ended and an even bigger Advanced Course has begun !!! | ||||
The Five Insights
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| Love is your nature. In the process of its expression, you often get caught up in the object. This is when your sight is caught outside. To return back to your nature, you need insight. Pain is the first insight. It takes you away from the object and turns you towards your body and mind. Energy is the second insight. A bolt of energy brings you back to your Self. Divine Love is the third insight. A glimpse of Divine love makes you so complete and over rules all the relative pleasures. Trance is the fourth insight. An elevation of consciousness and partial awareness of the physical reality around is Trance. Non-dual existence, that all is made up of one and only one, is the fifth insight. When love glows, it is bliss, When it flows, it is compassion, When it blows, it is anger, When it ferments, it is jealously, When it is all Nos, it is hatred, When it acts, it is perfection, When love Knows, it is ME! **** | ||||
| NEWS FLASH Service projects such as free medical aid, sanitation and housing for the poor, blood donation camps etc. have been launched. Every Satsang group is asked to take up service projects, keeping aside personal likes and dislikes. Many healing experience are pouring in from all corners. | ||||
The Five Signs Of Satguru
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| In the presence of Satguru: 1. Knowledge flourishes 2. Sorrow diminishes 3. Without any reason, joy wells up 4. Lack diminishes; abundance dawns 5. All talents manifest To the degree you feel connected to the Guru, these qualities manifest in your life. Sit with your eyes closed, feel the connection with the Guru, and start making your own knowledge sheet. Next week's knowledge sheet will be written and spoken by those whose name starts with the letter "A" and this will continue in alphabetical order. So, 1. Make a knowledge sheet 2. Take a commitment for a seva project. The more you give, the more strength will be given to you. Exercise: Sit with your eyes closed for one minute and surrender your name. How do you feel . . . ? Dissolving the name is awareness. Dissolving the form is meditation. World is name and form. Bliss transcends name and form.
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| NEWS FLASH The ashram is being visited by renowned saints from all over the country. After a series of Advanced Courses that ended in tears of joy this week, it is a brief respite for the Ashram volunteers. Guruji was a guest of honor at a gathering of over 15,000 people at the Adi Chunchinagiri Ashram. Preparations are on for Navarathri (nine days of the Mother Divine). | ||||
Six Signs Of A Seeker
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| 1. Acknowledging that one knows very little. Many people think they know, without knowing or they get stuck in their limited knowledge. So they never learn. So the first thing is to acknowledge that one knows very little. 2. Willingness to know. Many people acknowledge that they do not know, but they are not ready to learn. 3. Being non-judgmental and open-minded. Some people would like to learn but their judgmental attitude and close-mindedness does not allow them to learn. 4. Total commitment and one-pointedness to the path one has chosen. Some people are open-minded but lack commitment and one-pointedness. They keep shopping here and there and never progress. 5. Always putting truth and service before pleasure. Sometimes even committed and one-pointed people stay away from the path in pursuit of momentary pleasures. 6. Patience and perseverance. Some people are not swayed by pleasures and are committed and one-pointed, but if they lack patience and perseverance, they become restless and dejected. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The festival of Nine Nights of the Mother Divine (Navarathri) has begun. Yagnas are being conducted in these nine days for the peace and prosperity, health and happiness of all devotees (present and future!). More about Yagnas next week. The renowned Saint Swami Pragyanandji is in the Ashram, giving discourses on the Shrimad Bhagavatam, as Guruji is in silence. | ||||
Yagnas
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| Yagnas are the ancient method of enriching the subtle. They also purify the individual and the collective consciousness. Yagna has three aspects: 1. Deva Puja: Acknowledging and honoring the Divine in all the forms. 2. Sangatikarana: Hastening the process of evolution by bringing together all the elements and people in creation. 3. Dana: Sharing and giving what one has been blessed with. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The depth of Sri Sri's silence was such a contrast to the noisy, irritant celebration. Activities start early in the morning and finish late at night. The Meditation Hall has become a feast for the senses. The Ashram is fully lit and so are the faces. The vedic chanting, the beat of the drums, the loud clarinets, the visiting Swamis and the usual ecstatic bhajans have made it magical. New clothes and gifts were distributed to the poorest of the poor women from seven villages. For many of them it was the very first gift of new garments in their life and there was such gratitude. The rich fasted and prayed and the poor feasted in this genuine celebration. | ||||
God As A Child
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| Can you see God as a child? You have always thought of God as a father, up in the heavens somewhere. Can you see God as a child? God is the very core of your existence. You are pregnant with God. You have to take care of your pregnancy and deliver the child into the world. Most people do not even deliver. One who delivers can also grant wishes. God is your child. He/She clings onto to you like a baby till you grow old and die. God keeps crying for nourishment. God clings onto the devotee. He/She needs you to nourish Him/Her in the world. Sadhana, Satsang and Seva are the nourishment. You always think of God as a father. Then you want to demand and take from God. But when you see God as a child, you have no demands. Belma says: You cannot pray to a child; you can only pray to your father. Sri Sri: Why do you want to pray? Why do you want to ask? A good father knows what to give. Belma: What about surrender? Sri Sri: Your surrender to a child is more authentic as it has no demand. TAKE CARE OF YOUR GOD! Atheists are around the corner! Doubts, disbelief and ignorance are atheists in your mind, so better take care of your God! | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The climax of the Navaratri celebrations came at high voltage like a bolt of lightening. Even the learned pundits were visibly moved. As the grand finale approached, the Ashram reverberated with enormous energy leaving everyone spellbound. The devotees accompanied Guruji on a visit to a village at some distance from the Ashram where our organization is giving shelter and training in self-employment skills to the neediest of the women. An Advanced Course has begun in the Ashram. Guruji will be touring the South starting this weekend. A Satsang will be held in His honor in Shimoga. (Shimoga is the town where it all began fifteen years ago.) | ||||
FEEL BLESSED
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| Break through all the barriers and feel that you Are Blessed. This Is The One And Only Step You Have To take - the rest will all happen. This deep sense of feeling that "I am blessed" can help you overcome any obstacles in life. It gives you courage and confidence and it will open your lid for grace to be poured in. Once you realize that you are blessed, then: All the complaints disappear All the grumbling disappears All the insecurities disappear A sense of feeling unloved disappears Wanting love disappears. If you don't realize you are blessed, then the doership begins. If you want to make a difference in your life, feel you are blessed. And especially for those on this path of knowledge, there is no reason for you to not feel blessed. So, feel you are blessed. This is the first step towards the Self. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH Thousands thronged the two Satsangs in Coimbatore to glimpse Sri Sri. In the morning, it was a treat to experience 1800 people doing pranayama and Kriya together! On to Shimoga, where Sri Sri gave the first Art of Living course 15 years ago, for a touching reunion with old devotees and a grand Satsang. On the way, Sri Sri visited the Temple of Mother Divine, where He was received with full honor. In Shimoga, saints from various ashrams greeted Sri Sri and all the devotees with such warmth and enthusiasm. A royal reception given by the villagers for Sri Sri was moving. The entire village came out dancing to receive Him in a 20 ft electric chariot with thousands of lights. Sri Sri looked quite bewildered! | ||||
DIWALI
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| Time and space are infinite. Grains of sand are countless. Atoms in the universe are innumerable. So also the stars, the galaxies. The same is with the life on this planet. Neither is there a beginning nor is there an end, because it is all spherical. A sphere has neither a beginning nor an end, nor a goal, nor a direction. Truth has no direction, no goal. Truth itself is the goal and truth is infinite. Feeling or experiencing the infinity within this finite body, living the timelessness within the time span of life, uncovering the bliss within the misery. This is what you are here for. Today is Diwali - the Festival of Lights. The streets and buildings are lit up with colorful lights. The four aspects of Diwali: 1. The lights: Symbolic of spreading the Knowledge. 2. Fire crackers: 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: Brings awareness and gratefulness for what one has. When true wisdom dawns, it gives rise to celebration, and in celebration you may lose focus or awareness. The ancient rishis knew this so to maintain awareness in the midst of gaiety of celebration, they brought sacredness and puja to every celebration. Celebrate the Knowledge and feel the abundance, for "those who have will be given more"! | ||||
| NEWS FLASH After the trip to Shimoga, the Ashram hosted a Family Day for local course graduates while their guests were introduced to the Knowledge and programs. A Maha Kriya was held for 2,000. Lunch served to 4,000 without a hitch was a marvel to behold, and volunteers were jumping and dancing by the end of the day. After Satsang in Pune, crowds crushed onto the stage for Darshan with Guruji, while volunteers were busy controlling the ever-enthusiastic crowd. The thousands of pairs of neatly packaged and numbered shoes in the entry way got into disarray in the chaos which followed. Many people lost their shoes but they were too happy to care. The next morning, in spite of it's being a peak-season Diwali business day, 1,800 course graduates joined Guruji for Satsang. Coincidentally, on this day of Diwali festival, 60 blind women are beginning a week-long residential course at the Bangalore Ashram. | ||||
Love Is Your Very Existence
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| Suppose someone shows a lot of love to you, what do you do? 1. Often you do not know how to respond. 2. You feel obliged and bound. 3. Shrink or shy away. 4. Feel foolish and awkward. 5. Try to reciprocate even though it is not genuine. 6. Doubt the love expressed and ones own worthiness. 7. You are afraid of losing respect because love does not allow distance and respect tends to keep distance. 8. Your ego hardens and does not allow you to receive and reciprocate. 9. Anything else. (Fill in the blanks). The ability to receive genuine love comes with the ability to give love. The more you are centered and, by experience, know that you are love, the more you feel at home with any amount of love being expressed in any manner, for deep inside, you know : Love is not an emotion !! It is your very Existence !!!
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| NEWS FLASH As Diwali celebrations continue in the valley of the Saints, the candlelight Satsangs were electrifying. Advanced course participants broke all barriers of planning and management as 200 people dropped in without prior intimation. Thanks to the volunteers, smiles prevailed on 500 odd.....!! faces. The Advanced Course participants cleaned up tons of garbage from the banks of the Ganga. Note : Indian teachers and Organizers have resolved to start the following Sri Sri Seva Projects ( S S S P) and all the Satsang groups are invited to join in. 1. Minimum 2% of individual income should be donated towards rural development and hygiene. 2. Contact your nearest supermarkets / stores and encourage them to use paper or cloth bags instead of plastic bags. Jai Guru Dev To the USA Satsang Groups: As you've recently read in the National Newsletter, Saturday, November 22nd is National Seva Day!!! We encourage all of you to organize and participate in Seva projects in your community as a group. This is a wonderful way to appreciate Guru Dev's message of service, bring the Satsang group closer together, as well as promote the Art of Living as a positive force in the community. There are many projects which you can organize. For example, you can volunteer at a local food bank, shelter, or meal distribution center; you can contribute to a convalescence home as visitors to the patients; you can participate in literacy programs for Adult Education or volunteer at schools; and you can affiliate your Satsang with any number of national and local volunteer organizations (such as Habitat for Humanity 1-800-HABITAT, City Cares of America 1-212-533-4734, the Red Cross, the Names Project, etc.). You can be creative--there is so much Seva to be done! You can even look under "Volunteer" in the Yellow Pages! Please contact your local teacher for organizational help, and any of us for aid in coming up with ideas, contact information, or anything else we can assist you with! | ||||
YOUR EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE
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| You feel a lot of love for someone and they do not take it. What do you do? 1. Get frustrated 2. Turn the love into hatred and wish for revenge 3. Again and again remind them how much you love them and how little they love you 4. Become fussy and cranky 5. Throw tantrums 6. Feel humiliated and try to protect your respect 7. Resolve never to love again 8. Feel hurt and mistreated 9. Try to be aloof and indifferent ...and you have seen that none of these work. They only make the situation worse. What is the way out of this? How do you maintain your lovingness? 1.Have patience and change your expression of love. 2. Be centered and limit your expression of love. Sometimes over-expression of love puts people off. 3. Take it for granted that they love you too and accept their style of expression. For example, a mother with three kids. One child talks, one child does not talk, one child throws tantrums. Mother's love is the same irrespective of their behavior. 4. Genuinely acknowledge their love for you. This will turn your demand into gratefulness and the more you are grateful in life, the more love comes your way. 5. Know that hurt is part of love and take responsibility for it. When you move away from your center, you will definitely get hurt and the nature of worldliness is misery. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The Rishikesh silence course was deafening, as the joy chased the silence into the mountains. A paper rose kept near Guruji's photo in a home in Delhi blooms in the evenings and closes in the mornings! ( No prizes for guessing how ..... it is happening.) Sri Sri was welcomed to a packed audience in the country's most prestigious auditorium (Siri Fort, New Delhi) Sri Sri visit to the Pink City (Jaipur) was celebrated in Rajasthani style (warm, friendly, colorful). His photo was seen on practically every wall of the city and he was crowned with a typical Rajasthani turban. | ||||
EGO
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| When is there Ego? 1. When you don't get attention. 2. When you seem to be losing attention. 3. When you get attention (Laughter). Ego causes heaviness, discomfort. It doesn't let love flow. Ego can be transcended by knowing the Truth; by enquiring "Who am I?" Often, your attitude towards one who has ego is of contempt or jealousy. But rather you should have compassion, or even pity, isn't it? There is also a positive aspect of ego. It drives one to do some work. A person will do a job either out of compassion or out of ego. Most of the work in the society is by boosting the ego. But in Satsang, work is done out of love. Ego is separateness; non-belongingness. It is wanting to prove and to possess. And when you wake up and see, there is nothing to be proved and nothing to possess, ego dissolves. | ||||
| NEWS FLASH The Satsang tour continued on to Hyderabad, where despite a cyclone warning, swarms of people came to be blessed by the Master and were surprised to hear Him speaking chaste Telugu. Many healing experiences were shared. Guruji's talk to the doctors the next day was simply stunning and as with all his best talks, it was not recorded. Fireworks and exuberant Ashramites welcomed Guruji back to Bangalore. An Advanced Course is in progress and preparations are on for a big public Satsang in Bangalore on the 23rd. | ||||