Yoga is the best way to enforce prohibition, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says

PUDUCHERRY: Art of Living founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Tuesday termed people who do not practise yoga as ayogiyan (a term in Sanskrit and Tamil which means unethical person). "If you don't practise yoga, you are good for nothing. This has been the belief since ancient times," he said while speaking at the valedictory function of the 20th international yoga festival organized by the tourism department.

He was of the opinion that yoga would be the best way to enforce prohibition. "As violence is connected to alcoholism and substance abuse, we can eradicate the evils if we focus on promoting yoga. It will make our health and society better," he said.

Pointing out that most of the problems in the modern world were mainly due to lack of communication, he said yoga inculcated among people the skills to communicate. "Yoga brings the knowledge, passion and action together," he said.

He listed out types of yoga as bhakthi, karma and gnana and elaborated that love for the universe is bhakthi yoga, action based on love for universe is karma yoga and knowing what action is needed and how to reach out is gnana yoga. He said seer and poet Sri Aurobindo had practised integral yoga.

Sri Sri said there were 18 scriptures in Tamil Nadu and regretted that none of their scriptures were popularized. "If we teach those scriptures to our students they will get the much-needed spiritual strength," he said.

He advocated inclusion of yoga in school and college curriculums. Similarly, yoga and meditation must find space in the legal system. "Yoga and meditation are used in courts in some countries to resolve issues," he said.

Earlier, while speaking to a section of reporters, he sought Indian citizenship of Sri Lankan Tamil refugees staying at the camps in the country.

He said his organization had proposed to launch a movement to popularize works of Mahakavi Bharathiyar. "We will kick start the movement at Coimbatore on January 31," he said.

He appealed to people to spend at least one hour a day for water conservation. He said Aam Aadmi Party, which formed the government at the national capital, would need at least six months to one year to fulfill its poll promises.

He appealed to all voters to exercise their franchise in the Lok Sabha elections. read more at.

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