Guruji's New Year Message for 2012

Sri Sri appeals to Anna to end his fast

New Delhi: Spiritual guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Tuesday appealed to social activist Anna Hazare to end his fast. Nonetheless, the Art of Living founder said that the Gandhian should continue his “agitation” for a strong anti-graft bill. 


"I appeal to Annaji to end his fast and continue the agitation," Ravi Shankar wrote on microblogging site Twitter. 


His appeal came as concerns were raised about Hazare's health. 


Sr Sri had come to meet Anna when he was in jail in August last and has been speaking on the menace of corruption at various platforms. He has been asking his followers time and again to denounce corruption in all forms. Read More

Bangalore to Host Arogya Expo 2012

Bangalore, Dec 27 (PTI): More than 5,000 delegates from 30 countries will participate in the inaugural five day International Conference on Yoga, Naturopathy and Arogya Expo-2012 in this city from February 9 next year. The Rs four crore event is being supported by the Centre and Karnataka government. Karnataka would contribute Rs two crore, the Centre Rs 85 lakh and sponsors the balance amount, Minister for Medical Education S A Ramdas told reporters here. Delegates from USA, China, Hong Kong, Thailand, Malaysia and Singapore have already confirmed participation in the Expo which will also have 300 stalls showcasing various health products, Ramdas said. About 500 papers on Yoga and Naturopathy would be presented during the event which would see Bollywood actor Hema Malini and Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar among others take part, he said. Read More

SPIRITUAL RETREAT: CONFLICT LIVES INSIDE A CHOICE By Sri Sri Sri Ravishankar Guruji

Srimad Bhagavadgeeta is of the oldest scriptures, around 5,200 years old, with over 1000 translations. Geeta means the song divine. Song means harmony but this one has arisen in a war field. Peace has relevance when there is disharmony and conflict. As one grows up one finds in one's life there are choices you have to make, and when there is a choice, there is a conflict.


Some times what ever you choose, you are in the wrong place. In such situations, there is great need for advice and guidance. And this guidance was given by Lord Krishna to Arjuna the prince. That is the Bhagavadgeeta.


Lord Krishna says you are a yogi if you act without attachment to the fruit of action. This is such a complicated thing because every action you do you are expecting some result out of it. Now, there are two attitudes in life. One is doing action expecting joy out of it. Another is doing action as an expression of joy.


If you see a nice movie and then tell your friends to see it, in this action you expect nothing in result. You are simply sharing. A yogi or a sanyasi, a spiritual person, is one whose actions are an expression of joy. Lord Krishna says just by changing clothes or appearance no one becomes spiritual. It is when you act without expecting a result. You care but you are not depending on the result of the actions. You will move on because every action, adverse or congenial, affects you in a positive manner.


If your action brings an adverse result you have learnt something from it. It has brought out the skill from within you and made you efficient in many ways. And if it brings you good results then it brings you satisfaction. In either case you don’t sit and worry about what will happen or whether the results will be good or not. That worrying of the future, weakens you in the present.


Whenever you worry about the future, you are unable to act the way you could have acted. If you are seriously concerned about something your intuition dies off. Intuition and right ideas can come when the mind is calm serene and settled.


You can’t become a yogi, if you have not let gone this hankering for the result. It is natural for intentions and desires keep coming in our mind. But by holding on to them, you can’t relax. You don’t have to drop everything and run away to Himalayas or Alps or go somewhere and renounce everything. Mentally renouncement is the renunciation. Lord Krishna is giving this advice to the politician, the prince who is going to be king. He is telling him to be a yogi. Running away from the world is not going to make you into a spiritual person. You have to be in the world, right here and be centered mentally. Be a yogi and do your action. Your action can only be effective and fruitful, if you are centered. And being centeredness is what yoga is all about.


Some action is needed for one who is getting on to the path. And once you are on the path, you simply have to relax. Once you are on the plane, you should sit and relax. Your running in the plane is not going to reach you any faster. And this is what people do. Either they do nothing or they keep doing all their life. For the sage who desires to attain yoga, action is said to be the means. And when he has attained yoga, inaction is said to be the means.


Happiness cannot be directly earned. Love and happiness comes to you as a gift. And this gift comes to you through merit. But Merit can be earned through good work and good action. You need merit to go deep within yourself and experience, and enjoy, the peace, love and joy inside. Lord Krishna sings this song of yoga, of spirituality, amidst the war and conflict. Only one who has mastery over the mind and universe can do that. And it is then that you become qualified to be called a yogi.

Kind Courtesy Star of Mysore  Link

Spiritual renaissance can reform society: Sri Sri

With millions of followers in India as well as across the globe, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has redefined the paradigm of spiritualism. In an exclusive interview with Zeenews.com’s Swati Chaturvedi on her show Kahiye Janab, the founder of Art of Living shares his views on corruption, spiritual awakening and lots more. 


Swati: You have been involved in so many conflict resolutions. You were part of conflict resolution in Sri Lanka. Why have you not been able to do the same in India? Corruption is rampant in the country. The political divide is glaring. 


Sri Sri: We constantly try to attempt conflict resolution in India as well. We went to Rajasthan during the Gujjar movement; we are also trying to resolve differences in the Maoist areas. We will definitely go and try to resolve conflicts wherever possible. Read More

5 Steps to Healthier Living

Health is not merely absence of disease. Health is being established in the *Self. It is the dynamic expression of life. One can be said to be in a perfect state of health when one is physically fit, mentally calm and emotionally steady. So how does one achieve this state of all-round health in today's fast-paced life? As we get ready to ring in 2012, here are a few steps we can take to help improve our health and the quality of our lives. Read More

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Of Enlightenment

Memory gives enlightenment to your life. When people get enlightened, they say “I remember”. They have remembered their true nature. Being forgetful of your nature is the root cause of all problems and suffering in life. But the very remembrance of your nature, which is godliness, brings freedom. Here memory is your best friend. The purpose of knowledge is to remind you of your true nature.


Understand clearly that everything in the world is impermanent. Understand that which happened in the past is neither living nor real now, and accept those events. Have dispassion and be centered. Increase your prana through meditation and pranayama. Read More

Breathing your way to success - help for entrepreneurs

Silicon Valley startup life is very stressful: you are expected to work long hours; you can’t cash in your options for years; and you live in a roller coaster world of manic passions that seem to be changing the world, and then deep depths of dark despair as everything appears to be falling apart.


It’s a great life (some of the time). Yet it doesn’t have to be so stressful and so difficult. There are well established practices that can help people deal with the tough life of surviving Silicon Valley, and to become more effective entrepreneurs.


I spoke with Michael Fischman, president of Art of Living - a 30 year old organization that teaches people a 20-minute daily exercise that greatly reduces their stress while improving their productivity. Read More