Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Special Session with US Congressmen

On Thursday, April 30, 2015, renowned spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar had a special meditation and talk with Congressional Representatives in Washington DC.

This unique event served as a platform for the nation’s leaders to discuss the importance of meditation in resolving the nation’s pressing concerns, specifically Post Traumatic Stress Disorder symptoms among the country’s elders and youth.

Contrary to what people usually think about meditation – as a technique for concentration, Sri Sri Ravi Shakar shared with his august audience of war veterans and policy makers, that meditation is in fact de-concentration or the art of letting go!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar went on to share that “Stress arises when we have too much to do, and not enough energy or time to do it. We can neither change time nor the number of things we need to do. So, the only option is to increase our energy levels. And this can be accomplished through yoga, breathing techniques and meditation.”

“It is just wonderful to have Sri Sri Ravi Shankar come to Congress and remind us of the power and beauty within us,” said Congresswoman Katherine Clark. “Clearly, the meditation was the very best part. The feeling of self-control and empowerment got reinforced. I feel so good right now, after 20 minutes of meditation. I think it’s a really beautiful and self-empowering experience and I’m so excited about the impact that it can have on veterans and school students,” said Illinois Congresswoman Jan Schakowsky.

“We now know as a matter of science that [meditation] produces empirical benefits to our society, to our country, to the world. There is no better spokesperson for it than Sri Sri,” added Congressman Steve Israel.

The Art of Living’s ‘Project Welcome Home Troops’ (PWHT) program in the US has helped more than 1000 war veterans experience relief from PTSD symptoms, and re-adapt to civilian life, through breathing techniques and meditation.

“I struggled for 10 years. I looked to medication, and I was at a point where suicide seemed like a really good option…. until I found PWHT and that was a life-changing event.” shared Tom Voss who served in the infantry in Iraq during 2003-2006.

Congressman Tim Ryan commended the effectiveness of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Guruji’s techniques, and his commitment to social causes. He said, “Sri Sri has an approach that can solve a lot of problems. He is very much an inspiration.”

By empowering individuals through his stress relief programs Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has made a global impact transforming the world into a happier, safer and peacful place to live in.

Spiritual Guide – By Sri Sri

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar explains beautifully about the spiritual path.

Difficulties will arise within all young persons. The time and duration may change, but everyone will experience fear and inhibition.  Parents can help ease the burden by treating their children as friends.  There is an old saying in Sanskrit: “When your son or daughter turns sixteen, behave with them like a friend.” Parents shouldn’t act like teachers; they shouldn’t tell their children what to do or what not to do. Instead, they should just share their difficulties with them. Be a friend to them – a friend who is at their level. A friend understands them, and pays attention to their emotions and difficulties.

Teenagers should keep their spirituality as a tool always. Whether experiencing inhibition or fear, a strong and consistent spiritual practice will see young adults through both the highs and the lows of growing up. Indeed, spirituality will help students understand that failing an exam is not the end of the world, or that true happiness depends on what their friends think about them.

Students should commit to self-realization.  Such commitment can take you across all obstacles; and the greater the achievement, the greater the commitment. The more you commit, the more your capacity to do any work. Commitment is always about shouldering something a little more that what you can do. You don’t say, “I am committed to drinking a glass of water or walking one kilometer”, which you do anyway. Your commitment has to be more than what you think you can do. Commitment is about stretching your capabilities.

There is so much talk about success everywhere. Everyone wants to be successful. Have you ever thought, what success is? It’s simply ignorance of your capabilities. You have set a limitation on your self, and whenever you cross your own boundary or limitation, you claim success. Success is ignorance of the power of your self because you assume you can do only that much.

You never say, “I successfully ate a banana!” When you put a limitation on something, you are limiting the power of your own self, your own consciousness. Every time you achieve something, you feel proud about it, isn’t it? Actually, you should feel sorry about it. You are just proud of what you can easily do, because you do not know that you can do so much more than what you are proud of. When you are successful, you are proud of it, and if you fail, you feel guilty and upset. Both can drag you out of joy, out of the greater potential that you possess.

So the best thing is realize your success, and surrender it to the Divine. If you are successful, so what? It is just another happening, another thing that you did, and you can do much more. Through spiritual practice and raising awareness, our youth can expand their limits and move through the obstacles of growing up. We need to work together to move our fears aside, release our inhibitions, and move forward with a smile and grace in our lives. As we let all the thoughts, emotions, and judgments pass by and consciously choose to focus on the joy in our lives, our difficulties will naturally recede into the background as we become light and buoyant, and reflect the light of the Self.

 

Finding Life Direction By Sri Sri

“Just like the water has to keep flowing, in the same way, life has to keep moving”
A river needs two bunks to flow. The difference between flood and a flowing river is that water flows regulated in a direction in a river. During floods the water is muddled and has no direction. Similarly, the energy in our life needs some direction to flow. If you don’t give direction, it is all confusion.

Today most people are in confusion because there is no direction in life. When you are happy, there is so much of life energy in you; but when this life energy doesn’t know where to go, how to go, it gets stuck. When it stagnates, it rots! Just like the water has to keep flowing, in the same way, life has to keep moving.

For life energy to move in a direction, commitment is essential. Life runs with commitment. If you observe the small or big things in life, it moves with certain commitment. A student takes admission in a school or college with a commitment. You go to a doctor with a commitment saying that you are going to take the medication or listen to whatever the doctor says, The banks work on commitment. Government works on commitment. Needless to say, a family runs on commitment: mother is committed to the child, child is committed to the parents, husband is committed to wife, and wife is committed to husband. Whether it is in love or business or friendship or at work or any area of life you take, there is commitment.

What would really irritate you is non-commitment. If you just observe, you expect some commitment from someone and when they don’t do it, you get upset. Or when someone doesn’t keep up his or her commitment, you get upset. Commitment is essential in life. You cannot stand someone who does not commit, but see how much commitment have you taken in your life?

In life, what you always want is more joy, more power and more energy. You want more, anything you are given, you want more – more money, more fame, more beauty, more joy, more pleasure. This “wanting something more” envelopes your mind and then you do not look at your capabilities. More will be given to you only if you utilize properly what you already have! This is a law in nature. Why should the nature give you more when you are stuck with your little mind?

This tendency of wanting more is there in you; you only have to give a twist to it. Instead of “what more I can have”, just turn it around and start asking yourself “what more I can do?” Then you will see that there is joy. Nature of joy is to give because you are the source of joy!

Usually we think we should have resource and then we will commit. The greater the commitment youtake, the greater the resources will come to you automatically. You don’t have to sit and worry how you will get resources. When you have the intention to do something, resources simply flow when it is needed and how much it is needed.
In doing what you can do, there is no growth. Stretching a little beyond your capacity will increase your capacity. In whatever capacity you do something for the society, for the environment, for the creation, that much you progress further both materially and spiritually, value wise. The heart opens up with a feeling that you are part of everyone.

The technique to get depressed is to sit and think only about yourself! If you just sit and think, “what about me, what will happen to me?” you will surely get depressed. The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share other’s sorrow and joy. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow. When you expand in knowledge with time, then depression is not possible. Your innermost source is joy.

The way to overcome personal misery is to share universal misery! The way to expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking “what about me?” “What can I gain from this world?”think “what can I do for the world?” When everyone comes from the point of contributing to society,
you have a Divine Society. We have to educate and culture our individual consciousness in order to expand in time with the Knowledge from “what about me?” to “what can I contribute?” A commitment can only be felt when it oversteps convenience. That which is convenient, you do not call it commitment. If you just go on your convenience, your commitment falls apart causing more inconvenience! If you keep dropping your commitment because it is inconvenient, can you be comfortable? Often, what is convenient does not bring comfort, but gives an illusion of comfort.

Whatever you are committed to brings you strength. If you are committed to your family then your family supports you, if you are committed to your society, you enjoy the support of society.If you are committed to God, God gives you strength. If you are committed to Truth, Truth brings you strength.

Often one is not aware of this idea and that is why one is hesitant to commit to a greater cause. Also there is a fear that commitment would weaken one or take away one’s freedom. To the wise, their commitment is their comfort. Whenever their commitment is shaken, their comfort is also shaken.To the lazy, commitment is torture though it is the best remedy! Your commitment to a cause is bound to bring you comfort in the long run.
Are there any commitments that can be given up? Yes, commitments made with shortsightedness can be given up because when you are committed without a vision, you feel stifled when your vision expands. When your commitment brings misery to many in the long run, it can be given up. Just like you run out of fuel in the car and you have to refill it again and again, in the same way your dedication and commitment runs out in the course of time and it needs constant renewal! Commitment in life grows toward a higher cause. The higher the commitment, the greater is the good for all.

THE BEGINNING

In 1999, Shri Brij Bhushan Chawla was blessed by H H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, the founder of the Art of Living, to start tribal schools in Jharkhand, one of the most backward states of India. Today, Art of Living is running ten tribal schools in Ghatsila Block and twenty more in the tribal belt of Jharkhand and West Bengal. These schools provide education to 2,734 tribal children from 60 tribal villages who come from families that have been ignored for centuries and bypassed from mainstream development.
COMPREHENSIVE UPLIFTMENT OF TRIBAL POPULATION

Sri Sri ravi shankar school

It is not just the students, but entire families who are being uplifted. The tribal school teachers provide counseling to the villagers besides running the adult education program since many years. Regular medical assistance is provided to the villagers by Art of Living doctors who visit these areas at least once in a fortnight to conduct medical camps. Medicines are made freely available for the patients at these camps. Before Art of Living started its tribal school project, malaria was rampant in the area and child mortality rate was pretty high. Today, the regular supply of medical help by Art of Living volunteers has minimized the death toll.

UNFAZED IN FACE OF CHALLENGES

The team remained unfazed in the face of many challenges that came up while setting up the schools. The first and foremost challenge was lack of proper connectivity to these remote tribal areas. Miles away from roads, there was no electricity, and water supply in the area. Lack of infrastructure prevented sufficient and timely medical help from reaching, leading to deaths of tribals during emergencies. The Art of Living team led by Chawla ji toiled hard to get the electricity lines and the roads built to reach these places. They also created clean water sources by installing hand water pumps at every school and digging wells. The rising spread of Naxalism in the surrounding area was also a matter of great concern. Today, due to the good work that has been happening over the past decade in this area, there is no threat from the naxalites in running these schools.

Initially the parents were reluctant to send their children to school. They preferred to send children to work or engage them in household chores or baby sitting. The volunteers had to convince the parents of the value of education and make all the arrangements for the kids to attend the schools. These schools run free of charge and provide books, uniforms, school bags, bicycles and transportation, along with lunch and milk to the students.

FROM VISION TO REALITY

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji says, “Knowledge and spiritual awareness should go hand in hand with social and political system. Only then can justice prevail in the society and there be a sense of belongingness with everyone in the world, irrespective of their religious and cultural background or age group. We need to impart this education – at the levels of schools and colleges.”

After visiting the tribal schools in Jharkhand, one can truly feel that this vision of the founder is becoming a reality in this nation with the dedicated efforts of the volunteers of the Art of Living with his inspiration. The Art of Living has started 209 such schools all over the country, making education a reality for 24,209 students.

Navaratri Special Talk By Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Navratri festival of Goddess Durga & the importance of the nine days

The festival of Navratri is celebrated with prayers and gaiety in the beginning of the Ashwin(autumn) and the beginning of Chatira (spring). This period is a time for self-referral and getting back to the Source. During this time of transformation, nature sheds the old and gets rejuvenated; animals hibernate and life emerges back afresh in the spring.

According to Vedic sciences, matter reverts to its original form to recreate itself again and again. The creation is cyclical, not linear; everything is recycled by nature – a continuous process of rejuvenation. The human mind, however, lags behind in this routine cycle of creation. Navratri is a festival for one to take the mind back to its Source.

The Mother Divine is recognized not just as the brilliance of intellect (buddhi), but also the confusion (bhranti); she is not just abundance (lakshmi), she is also hunger (shudha) and thirst (trishna). Realizing this aspect of the Mother Divine in the entire creation, leads one to a deep state of Samadhi. This gives an answer to the age-old theological struggle of the Occident. Through wisdom, devotion and nishkama karma, one can attain advaita siddhi or perfection in the non-dual consciousness.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar talks on Corporate Governance & Spirituality

Question: What is the relationship between business and spirituality?

Sri Sri: Many think spirituality is against economic prosperity. Look at the benefits of spirituality. It brings enthusiasm. There is more time in your life, as you can do with only 5-6 hours of sleep. It will increase your energy levels. It will enhance your creativity. All these lead to prosperity. Is this any different from business? Creativity needs alertness and awareness of the present moment. You get both of these through spiritual practices.

 

Source: Twitter town hall Pinterest image

Question: On the issue of corporate governance, what is your advice to the management?

Sri Sri: People have lost faith in the corporate sector after all the scams. Trust is lost. Business runs on trust, and that trust needs to be reinstated. There are a few things that you should bear in mind: Are you doing service projects? You cannot forget the aspect of welfare, especially with regard to your employees. You cannot just think about the physical aspect, give workers a raise and that’s it. Such motivation dies very soon. You have to instill a sense of belongingness and caring. Greed first kills the customer and then oneself. Be ambitious, but not overambitious. Competition is fine, but there should not be any unethical practices. There should be clear guidelines for workers and management. Top management should be concerned with the ‘what’ (goals for the organization). Middle management should be concerned with the ‘how’, and lower management should be concerned with the quality. Then there is integrity in the whole management team. And that will bring out commitment in the strata of management. This is what we at Art of Living focus on. Ask the worker, “How do you see the problem?” The Vedas say to put yourself in different shoes and places; then your awareness will expand. Whenever you can find time, get together to sing and meditate. All this will enhance team spirit.

Question: How does one deal with corruption? One faces it in the office everyday.

Sri Sri: This is another area where meditation helps. There are deadlines, pressures, etc. But then, there should also be relaxation, which builds confidence and enthusiasm. It is the most vital ingredient during pressure. Dealing with corruption requires spiritual awareness. There was Kumbh Mela (a mass Hindu pilgrimage) 3 years ago. Approximately 30 million people came there. But there was not a single crime, and no theft. I wish the whole country could be a Kumbh Mela. Lack of belongingness is the cause for corruption, and we all have to combat it together Weigh situations, and consider individual circumstances. Exercise the skill of discrimination.

Question: Business problems relate to production, personnel, and finance. To some we find solutions, to some we don’t. How will love, compassion, and a smile help?

Sri Sri: What type of boss would you prefer? One who frowns all the time and is frustrated? Anger is essential. But use your anger judiciously. Work then happens better. If all the while you keep using anger, it loses its essence. Be with people. Create a sense of belongingness, and make them comfortable rather than creating fear. Anger should be used as an emergency button only.

Question: Guruji, how does one smile all the time when there are problems from the time one wakes up until bedtime?

Sri Sri: If you only look at the problem, then there can be no smile. But if you see the solver, and see that he is more powerful than the problem itself, then you will smile. You don’t need to meditate the whole day. The same way, just see the problem, and see that it is being solved at the same time also. Problems bother you when you feel that they can’t be solved. But just look back at history: so many problems in the world came and went, including the Second World War – one of the biggest problems the world has ever seen. Just like that we will overcome other problems too. Your spiritual strength will lift you from problems. Today, most suicides occur amongst the educated masses. That’s because they don’t know how to nurture their souls. That nurturing comes not just from food and water, but from support within. Spirituality is for the rich as well as for the poor. For the rich, it opens their hearts. For the poor, it gives them self-confidence.

If you ahve any questions nad if you are searching answers for them , then dont miss the the twitter town hall with Sri Sri Event.

Tips to Personality Development

It can be hard to know where to start a self-development program. There are many facets to your identity, so which one should you work on first? The following paragraphs will give you the direction you need to achieve the Personality Development you have always wanted. In the below article, you’ll discover some excellent tips to utilize to help you reach success.

Personality Development

Unfortunately, stress is quite a killjoy to a person’s state of happiness, joy and personality development  When our minds are busy dealing with stress, we are causing damage to our entire body, both mentally and physically. Eliminating stress is essential for thinking clearly and achieving goals. Schedule in relaxation times throughout the day, clearing your mind in a peaceful setting. This peaceful mental relaxation will refresh your mind, and improve your inner self.

Surround yourself with like-minded people. If you are surrounded by people who are negative or who do not believe in you, eventually you might start to believe in personality development. So keeping company with positive people with positive outlooks will benefit you in many ways.

Stress is what often brings down happiness. When we are feeling stressed, our minds aren’t just affected. Our entire bodies are too. If we desire to work toward our goals calmly and methodically with a clear head, we have to eliminate the stress inside our heads. Schedule some time every day simply to unwind. Just sit back, let your mind go blank, and think about what’s important to you. This time to yourself can make you feel more peaceful.

Art of Living Project on water harvesting

Due to the initiatives of these volunteers, Kapsi village can now withstand two years of no rainfall, has doubled its agricultural yields and is 90 % alcohol-free.

Life has changed completely for Dadasaheb Khatar, a farmer who lives in Kapsi village on the dusty two-lane Phalton-Satara highway. His days of waiting areover. He no longer looks out for the tankers from Phalton that used to bring them 12,000 litres of water every two days for his cows, his family and his fields. He now gets water from one of the many check dams built in his village by volunteers of Vyakti Vikas Kendra India (VVKI), worldwide known as Art of Living Foundation. Kapsi is one of 1200 villages in Maharashtra that is transforming on many fronts due to the tremendous efforts put in by VVKI volunteers. With a population of approximately 1,700 people and no industrial activity even in nearby villages, drought conditions from 2000 to 2003 had put the village back by almost 20 years.Till Dr Madhav Pol, an Art of Living teacher decided to take charge. Most of the villagers were addicted to alcohol. Taking inspiration from the 5H programme (Health, Hygiene, Housing, Harmony in Diversity and Human Values) designed by His Holiness Poojya Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji, he, along with the sarpanch and a few villagers, decided to tackle the problem at its roots.

They started conducting Navchetana Shibirs – a five-day stress-elimination workshop offered by VVKI for rural folk that helps in getting rid of addiction. “Today,90 per cent have given up alcohol,” vouches Khatar.

Simultaneously, VVKI teachers and volunteers started building check dams to collect rainwater for future use in order to tackle the severe water problems of the villagers.

“Today there are 28 check dams – 17 gabian structures and 11 underground structures – to collect rainwater. As a result we can withstand two years of no rainfall,” says a proud Dr Pol. “Three cement bandaras (permanent structures that collect water) have also been built to further consolidate its water position.”

Khatar’s happiness is evident. “What could be better? Today there is water, water everywhere. All the fields are well-watered because of the underground structures. The water tables have risen and when we think of our previous situation, it’s unthinkable. What could be better than having enough water for a farmer,” he asks simply.

Built from the seed money donated by Vyakti Vikas Kendra India and the initiative of its volunteers, the dams have resulted in raising the water table so high that all the wells are full.

The sarpanch of Kapsi, Deepak Kadam, too is grateful for the long-term relief provided by these projects taken up by VVKI. “During the drought period if we had approached the government they would have built roads to provide employment which is not a solution to our problems. But these projects have addressed our very needs.” Kapsi has already won an award at the taluka level and is attracting hordes of visitors.

With the help of the state government, VVKI volunteers and villagers have implemented Continuous Contour Trench method of rainwater harvesting on 400 acres of land. Along with this the volunteers have been holding seminars on chemical free farming (CFF) to educate the farmers on how to get better yields through natural means and zero-investment. Four such seminars have been held in the last two years that were attended by 1200 farmers, 600 farmers, 700 farmers and then 2,000 farmers each. The last in the presence of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar when he visited the village this year. As a result of these seminars, 30 per cent of these farmers have adopted CFF and the village has almost doubled its agricultural yield this year.

Next on the cards, says Dr Pol is “a massive tree plantation drive to plant over 1,00,000 trees on 400 acres of land”.

Toilets and Smokeless Chullahs

The volunteers also identified the need for toilets and smokeless chullahs. There were no toilets in Kapsi. The women in this village were so used to answering nature’s call at night that a toilet next to their house called for a complete orientation. Curbing natural toilet needs was affecting the health of these women. The volunteers had to first change their mindset to build the toilets. After the first five toilets were built, the rest just followed. Kapsi now boasts of 100 toilets! Each toilet has its own septic tank, which after 10 years will yield manure.

Firewood was also the only medium of cooking as a result of which homes were filled with fumes that led to respiratory and otherproblems especially in women. VVKI provided 100 smokeless chullahs to villagers in Kapsi that not only reduced respiratory problems but also saved firewood by over 60%. The chullahs are designed in such a way that two cooking operations can be carried out simultaneously – saving time and energy.

Bhanumathi Narasimhan (Bhanu Didi) : Biography

Bhanumathi Narasimhan is the Director of the Art of Living’s Women and Child Welfare Programs.

Bhanu Didi

Bhanu Didi’s commitment to social causes was inspired by her brother, renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Through her workshops and initiatives, Bhanu Didi strives to spread the message of harmony, human values, and a “Violence-Free Stress-Free Society.” One of the hallmarks of Bhanu Didi’s work as a social entrepreneur is the biennial International Women’s Conference, an innovative venture that highlights and brings together inspirational women achievers and leaders across the world. The Conference is attended by delegates from 72 countries and the proceeds have supported various global initiatives, including girl child education, vocational training, female prisoner rehabilitation, poverty eradication, female health awareness, eradication of female foeticide, environmental conservation, and domestic violence awareness. In recognition of her unwavering dedication to society and to women’s issues, Bhanu Didi was awarded the Government of India’s 2007 Sadguru Gnanananda National Award. Furthermore, Bhanu Didi is a renowned meditation instructor whose programs attract thousands of participants worldwide. She is also a recording vocalist, whose albums in Sanskrit, Hindi, and Kannada have sold thousands of copies.

Know More about Bhanu Didi

Birthday Celebration of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Here are some beautiful pictures captures during the birthday celebration of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at Bangalore International Ashram of Art of Living.

 

Crowd gathered for the celebration

Master with is devotees

The dance performance

The top vies of the venue of the birthday celebration.