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.”
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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.
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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
