Bangalore: It was a symphony with 1,100 veenas that left music aficionados spellbound in Bangalore.Held to foster India’s ancient heritage of classical music, a concert organised by the Art of Living (AoL) Foundation saw veena exponents from Bangalore and eight other cities across Karnataka play away at the Bangalore Palace grounds on Wednesday evening.
The concert had veena exponents and their disciples plucking the stringed instrument to churn out some mesmerising music.“In happy times your love for music is spontaneous. In tough times music can soothe, heal and de-stress you. So, make music an integral part of your life. Veena is the most ancient instrument known to mankind. Its resonance is unparalleled, captivating and takes you to another dimension,” AoL founder Sri
Sri Ravi Shankar said on the occasion. Read More
Have you observed what is happening in your mind every moment? It vacillates
between the past and the future. It is either in the past occupied with what has
happened or in the future thinking about what you have to do.
Knowledge is being aware of this phenomenon of the mind -- of what is
happening right now in your mind as you are reading this article. Information can
be acquired by reading books or browsing the Internet. You can open a book on
any subject such as how to lose weight, how to prepare for an interview,
success 101 and so on. There are innumerable volumes available on a
countless number of topics, but the awareness of your own mind cannot be
learnt from a book. Read More
Bangalore, Mar 29 (IBNS) Spiritual leader and founder of ‘The Art of Living’ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was conferred the Citizen Extraordinaire Award here on
Thursday. The Citizen Extraordinaire Award is instituted by the Prestige Group in
association with Rotary Bangalore Midtown.
Ravi Shankar was accorded the honour by Irfan Razack, Chairman and
Managing Director, Prestige Group.
Razack said, “I cannot think of anyone more suitable than His Holiness Sri Sri
Ravi Shankar for this award, in recognition of his commendable efforts towards
bringing peace, unity and harmony in a society plagued with innumerable social
concerns." Read More
LUCKNOW: Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Sunday said that he hopes that UP's newly appointed chief minister Akhilesh Yadav works without any pressure. Speaking to reporters, the spiritual leader sais, "He (Akhilesh) can do a lot for UP by working without any pressure." In Lucknow, as a part of his campaign against corruption and a mission to build violence free and stress-free society, he said that the first thing UP needs to give is a better life to its people and generate jobs.
LUCKNOW: Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has a lot of hopes from UP's newly appointed chief minister Akhilesh Yadav. Addressing a press conference here on Sunday evening the leader said, "He can do a lot for UP by working without any pressure." In Lucknow, as a part of his campaign against corruption and a mission to build violence free and stress free society, he said that the first thing UP needs to give a better life to its people is generate job. "Training the work force is essential," he said. The founder of the art of living is ready to share his experience with Team Akhilesh if need be. "I have been to rural areas of UP and found that the people are leading a miserable life. But they all are positive, warm and welcoming. Given a right direction, their inner strength would make UP shine," he said. Read More
KARACHI: Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar wants Pakistan and India to have better relations because it would be beneficial for both. “They can become the largest economic powers in the world,” said the soft-spoken peace guru to his audience, who looked back at him in awe and with smiles on their faces.
“No country would sell arms to us, incite conflicts or make our people poor,” he went on, as applause broke out in the hall which was brimming with people. The peace ambassador, popularly called Guru ji, was in Karachi, while on a three-day visit to Pakistan. Shankar is known for his meditation practices and stress-management therapies in many countries and is the founder of the Art of Living Foundation.
Before Guru ji addressed his admirers at Sheraton Hotel late on Tuesday night, qawaal Fareed Ayaz made the people sway to the beat of Amir Khusro’s Chhaap Tilak, and later, to Lal Meri Pat.
When Shankar arrived, the bare-footed audience gave him a standing ovation, while chanting “Our Guru ji is here,” and welcomed him with garlands of fresh flowers. The Muttahida Qaumi Movment’s Farooq Sattar and adviser Sharmila Farooqi also came in just after Shankar.
As Guru ji settled on the stage, adorned heavily with roses, Fareed Ayaz greeted him by singing “Mera piya ghar aaya,” and then presented him with an Ajrak and a Sindhi topi.
A teacher, Shakeela Jabeen, had come from Norway just to see Shankar. “I got to know three days ago that he was coming to Pakistan,” said Jabeen, beaming. “He was coming to my homeland I had to be here.”
Finally, the wait was over and Shankar said that it was overwhelming to visit Karachi after eight years. Soon after, he began a session of serious and thought-provoking questions and answers, packed with humorous one-liners. He spoke in English and Hindi and kept asking the audience for Urdu equivalents during his one-and-a-half-hour-long talk.
Of love and onions
The first question was a predictable one: How to promote peace between Pakistan and India?
“There is real love between the masses,” he said. “But to increase it, there should be an increase in trade, exchange of culture, tourism, and, religious and political dialogue.”
When he entered Pakistan from the Wagah border, he saw onion-laden trucks coming here from India. “I wish that pyar (love) also arrived with piyaz (onions),” he said. “From the other end, I saw trucks with cement. Most of the buildings in India are made of Pakistani cement.”
Read More
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar hopes 'pyar arrives with piyaz' on Indo- Pak ties
Art of Living opens its first peace centre in Islamabad
Spiritual guru of the ‘Art of Living (AOL)' fame Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Tuesday offered to engage with the Taliban to help resolve the ongoing conflict. Speaking to his followers in the federal capital after opening the first AOL Peace Centre in Pakistan, he said: “I want to talk to the Taliban, understand them; give them my opinion, my piece of mind.”
This was his refrain through his interactions here; both with his followers and the media. Asked how AOL could be used to deal with the situation facing Pakistan and Afghanistan, he said: “AOL should engage in conflict resolution wherever possible. We can make a difference. We should keep trying and not give up.”
Earlier, while interacting with the media, ‘Guruji' said he was willing to meet the Taliban and have a dialogue with them. “Life is too short; we do not have enough time to love. Where is the time to fight?” Read More
LAHORE: - Indian Spiritual Leader and Yoga Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar arrived in Pakistan on a three-day peace mission crossing Wagah border on Monday. Sri Sri, founder of the “Art of Living” organisation is visiting Pakistan for the second time after 2004.
During the course of his visit, Sri Sri would hold talks with business leaders, academicians, spiritual leaders, top political leaders, student organisations and opinion leaders in Lahore, Islamabad and Karachi to strengthen collaborative efforts between the two countries.
On his first day, Sri Sri or as his followers call him Guru Jee met with a group of intellectual and business elite of provincial capital including columnist IA Rehman, Director Usman Peerzada, Pakistan Today Editor Arif Nizami and Wateen Telecom CEO Naeem Zamindar in a local hotel.
Later in the day, Sri Sri delivered a lecture to students in Forman Christian College University. The Sinclair Hall of FCCU, jam-packed with students and faculty members, warmly welcomed Sri Sri Ravi Shankar as he walked in along with varsity Rector Peter H Armacost. Sri Sri’s solution to make the globe peaceful and violence-free was “to celebrate the differences not fight on them” as he said universe also loved the diversity it had. He was of the opinion that when a person thought that only his way led to heaven and others’ to hell, the thought created problems. He advised listeners to attain wisdom but not at the cost of their innocence. The innocence without maturity and maturity without innocence was worth nothing Sri Sri told students and added that the science of Ayurveda and Yoga had been born in Taxila, Pakistan.
Answering a question about promoting peace in South Asia, Sri Sri said “If we spend one-tenth of what we have spent on conflict, we could create a much more prosperous South Asia,” emphasising the urgent need for people-to-people movement and urging the youth to commit to a non-violent and harmonious South Asia, Sri Sri said, “We have spent a lot on conflicts, on escalating conflicts and on destruction of life and environment. Now we have to work towards peace.” He also addressed issues like drug addiction and vegetarianism.
Read More
LAHORE: The Aman Ki Asha by bringing Indian and Pakistanis together without any political tagging has obligated the politicians on both sides of the border to change their approach of attracting voters through war rhetoric and hate mongering.
This was stated by humanitarian, spiritual leader and ambassador of peace Sri Ravi Shankar in an exclusive interview with The News on his visit to Lahore on Tuesday. He lauded the initiative taken by the Jang Group and Times of India and termed it the most effective way of eliminating the misconceptions between the peoples of two countries.
“Majority of Pakistanis see Hindus as polytheists and majority of Hindus see all Pakistanis as extremists while both these concepts are wrong; Indians are monotheists and not all Pakistanis are extremists,” he said.
“By taking away the complications associated with governmental policies and political pressures, Aman Ki Asha is not only working to clear these misunderstandings but is also achieving political and regional reformation between the peoples of these countries,” he reflected.
Answering a question about extremist elements at both sides of the border, Sri Ravi Shankar said that although religious extremism also existed in India and the Senas might portray a rather violent face yet it had very bleak following among the people.Read More
Bangalore : Hindu spiritual leader and The Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will visit Pakistan on a three-day peace mission from March 12, his office said Friday.
This is his second visit to the neighbouring country. The first one was in July 2004, an AoL release said.
Ravi Shankar will hold talks with business leaders, academicians, spiritual leaders, student organizations and opinion leaders to strengthen collaborative efforts between the two countries. He is likely to meet the top political leaders as well, the release said.
Ravi Shankar will enter Lahore from the Wagah border and proceed to Islamabad and Karachi.
Quoting Naeem Zamindar, chairman, Art of Living Foundation Pakistan, the release said: "As an ongoing effort to create a stress-free, violence-free society, The Art of Living's Pakistani instructors conduct stress-elimination programmes. Eight Art of Living Teachers in Pakistan have trained thousands of people through art of living courses." Read More
This week many physicians and medical professionals across the country will be watching the documentary, "Race to Nowhere" being screened on the occasion of National Sleep Awareness Week. The film casts a spotlight on the growing dissonance in the education system where students cram for tests with the aim of higher performance and achievement, and the quality of life of our young students is in jeopardy because of an academic load that is not directed towards educating the student as a whole.
It has become critical to create and nurture school policies and practices that prioritize not only student performance and health but also look at the importance of a child's overall development in light of perceived success. This challenge is a societal one, where the intense pressure for success has put tremendous strain on the vulnerable group of teens and young adults who -- when unable to cope with pressure -- take the step of ending their life. Read More
Bhanumathi Narasimhan chooses spirituality over religion that she says, continues to divide people.
Who: Bhanumathi Narasimhan, director of The Art of Living's women and child welfare programmes.
You know her as: The Art of Living (AOL) founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's sister. She's the woman behind the 175-odd rural schools run by the volunteer-based humanitarian NGO.
What's more dear to you - religion or spirituality? Spirituality (smiles). It leads to the wholesome development of an individual and touches the deepest core of your being. It's all-inclusive, it encompasses religion and more. Spirituality unites at a time when religion is still dividing humanity. Read More
