Wednesday, August 25, 2010

Facing the world takes faith



Mankind is passing through difficult times. With rising stress levels, terror attacks, environmental pollution, there are dangers lurking in every corner.


When times get difficult, we need to renew our faith. It’s faith that pulls one through difficult times. It brings out the hidden courage and potential in more ways than one.


Another thing you need to have in order to sail through difficult times is a calm mind. When the mind is calm and you are centred, it’s much easier to face any situation. For this, you need to train the mind a little to live in the present moment and drop the stress. This can be done by attending to your breath.


Combine the inner calm with your faith, and then you have a formula to face any situation. Having faith is to realise that God’s protection is there for you. This much faith is enough to move ahead in life. During the time of reaping the harvest, the farmer holds a broad sieve and puts all the grains into it and stands on an elevated platform and shakes the sieve. If it is mere husk, it just flies away in the air and is lost.


If grain is present, then it falls to the ground and stays. If your faith shakes very quickly, then you are akin to being like the husk.


If your faith shakes quickly when difficulty strikes, you will not be able to face it with your smile intact. If you have faith, you will be able to find ground. And when you have faith that everything will be all right, everything will settle down.  Courtesy DNA

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

After Attending Art of Living Course Maoist leader surrenders in Jharkhand

BOKARO (JHARKHAND): A top Maoist leader today surrendered before the police here with his weapon, taking the total number of surrendered rebels to ten in Jharkhand since July.

"Ramendra alias Guruji surrendered before Inspector General of Police (Zonal) Manoj Kumar Mishra and handed over his pistol to him," Superintendent of Police, Saket Kumar Singh, said here.
The rebel told the police that he was inspired by Art of Living classes of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar which he had attended in disguise at Garhwa.


In 1996, Ramendra joined People's War Group which later merged with Marxist Comminust Centre to form CPI(Maoist). He became a self-styled sub-zonal commander of CPI(Maoist), Singh said.
The surrendered Maoist, who faced four Naxal-related cases, was entrusted with 'political education' in a couple of villages of Bihar and Jharkhand, he said.


Ramendra, who became the tenth ultra to have turned in before the police since July this year, received Rs 50,000 in case on surrendering and would be rehabilitated as per the government?s surrender policy, the SP said. Read More

Tuesday, August 17, 2010

Message of peace and joy


INDIA’s renowned spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has urged Malaysians to appreciate the country’s prosperity.




He says everyone aims for prosperity since they want to give their children a better world.


“Malaysia has it all. So make sure we leave a better world for our children,” he said at a talk entitled ‘An Evening of Wisdom and Joy With His Holy Highness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’ at the Penang International Sports Arena (PISA) on Saturday night.


The one-hour event was attended by some 13,000 people including Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.


Sri Sri, who is affectionately known as ‘Guruji’ reminded the people to take care of their health.


“Keep your mind clear and free of stress by exercising and performing breathing meditation,” he said.
Read more

Monday, August 16, 2010

World not ending in 2012, says Guruji







GEORGE TOWN (Aug 16, 2010): A famous guru from India who is in Malaysia for a series of motivation and right livelihood programmes has found himself beset with questions from Malaysians about 2012.

It's not over in 2012...  Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (right) with Lim before his talk at the Penang International Sports
Arena recently Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, a proponent of the "Art of Living" philosophy, said he had received numerous queries since landing here about whether the world was going to come to an end in the next two years.

"No, no… It’s only in the movies that it (the world) ends," he told an 8,000-odd crowd that had gathered at the Penang International Sports Arena over the weekend. Read more

Sunday, August 15, 2010

Serve with a smile, spiritual leader advises Guan Eng



GEORGE TOWN: Serve the people with a smile - this is the advice from renowned spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng.


"If you don't carry a smile while serving the people, you will not be able to serve them well.


"Politics must always be accompanied with spirituality. We must care for the world and not only for a particular organisation," His Holiness, who is affectionately known as Guruji, said during a dialogue session at Penang International Sports Arena Saturday night. Read More

Communication regarding Art of Living Foundation's 30th Anniversary Celebration

I append below a communication regarding 30th Anniversary celebration of our Foundation in Berlin (Germany) next year.  Shri. K.K. Ganesji.


Next year will be the 30th Anniversary of the Art Of Living Foundation and Sri Sri Ravi Shankar announced the global celebration will take place in Europe,  2nd and 3rd of July 2011with Berlin as the host city. The European team have already secured the Olympic Stadium, Olympia, in Berlin where more than 100,000 people are expected to celebrate and meditate together for world peace. 

Swami Jyotirmaya rocking Bulgaria !

Guruji Visits Hindu Temple in Hampshire - BBC Interview link



NASHUA – Unbeknownst to many, a world-renowned Hindu humanitarian visited Nashua last week.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar visited the Hindu Temple of New Hampshire on Taggart Drive on Friday, Aug. 6.The visit was just a piece of increasing prominence the region’s previously unseen Hindu population has planned. Those plans culminate in a permanent temple to serve southern New Hampshire’s Hindus to be built in the next couple of years. Read more

Guruji's interview in BBC link

Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar pays homage to Leh flash flood victims



Spiritual Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar today paid their homage to those who lost their lives in the flash foods in Leh.

In a programme, the spiritual guru and others prayed for the victims of the flash flood, triggered by a cloudburst in Leh last week.

A candle light vigil and a prayer meet was also organised at Jantar Mantar under the banner of 'Friends of Ladakh'.

The meeting was also supported by Kashmiri Pandit Youth groups including 'Roots in Kashmir' and 'Panun Kashmir', said a press release. Message Courtesy DNA

Tuesday, August 10, 2010

Reverence for nature only way to save it - Says Guruji.



We can take our lessons in environment preservation from nature. Nature digests waste material and produces something beautiful every time. Despite all the extreme characteristics one finds in nature, somehow, a balance is struck. It is not the science or the technology that is harmful; it is the waste material produced that is toxic. This waste needs to be minimised and recycled.

ANCIENT scriptures say we have five sheaths: physical environment, physical body, mind, intuitive sheath or subtle environment, and the Self.

Indian tradition believes in the sanctity of nature. Our rishis perceived the mountains, rivers, Sun, Moon and trees to be sacred. That which is sacred is honoured. Environmental consciousness has been built into our way of life, to become our second nature. But when we start moving away from our nature we begin polluting the environment. Unfortunately, we pollute our rivers and mountains in the name of sacred rituals.

We also suffer from the misconception that ecological degradation is an inevitable by-product of technology and development. But the two need not be mutually exclusive. The purpose of technology is to harness nature, to bring information and comfort to human beings. When spiritual and human values are ignored, technology brings pollution and destruction, instead of comfort. The role of spirituality is to help maintain harmony in the environment even while allowing technology and science to grow. This is the challenge of the present century.

We can take our lessons in environment preservation from nature. Nature digests waste material and produces something beautiful every time. Despite all the extreme characteristics one finds in nature, somehow, a balance is struck. It is not the science or the technology that is harmful; it is the waste material produced that is toxic. This waste needs to be minimised and recycled.

The greatest pollutant is, of course, human greed. It comes in the way of preservation of ecology, as it gives higher priority to quick profit and quick results over eco-friendly manufacturing practices. Greed pollutes the subtle environment and mind of man with negative emotions and impressions. Pollution permeates both the physical and subtle environment. An angry person exudes anger which spreads to others around him. It is a chain reaction. At the root of all wars is compounded negativity of emotions. Often we are not aware that something that is anti-environment is also anti-health.

By reviving traditional reverence for nature, we could restore a degree of purity to our surroundings. We can see God in nature-this would make us more sensitive to the way we treat nature. Then you can’t but be environmentally conscious. Both ancient and modern methods need to be adopted.

Vedic farming was done with cow urine, cow dung and neem leaves, and these have now been proved to be excellent for crop production. Recent experiments in India have shown that the yield has tripled just by natural farming done without fertilisers and pesticides. Just because something is new, it need not be good and just because something is old it need not be discarded. A good mix of the two can help us balance our lives with that of the environment and in this manner, we can prevent further degradation of Planet Earth. This can only happen when human consciousness rises above greed, selfish motives, and exploitation. We need to ask ourselves: How much do we want to exploit Earth? Or how much do we want to preserve it?

Spirituality checks greed. It raises awareness and brings a sense of caring and commitment for the whole planet. Spirituality elevates our consciousness. It opens our eyes to the beauty of nature, and encourages us to honour nature and life-and helps bring more joy and celebration into our lives. A spiritual outlook and sensitivity is essential to foster environment consciousness.

Article courtesy  http://www.organiser.org/dynamic/modules.php?name=Content&pa=showpage&pid=357&page=36