We started for Bangalore from Pune at 4:30 PM on Thursday 12th May...
At Devi Puja...morning 10:30...
After a long journey of 17 hours, we seventeen of us reached The Art of Living Bangalore Ashram in the morning. The first thing we did after alighting the bus was -- headed straight for the Devi Puja. Devi Puja had already started; Guruji was already there immersed in Puja. The Yagnyashala was totally packed not even a space for an ant to move. We had to attend the Devi Puja and Satsang sitting on the wall of Yagnyashala :) [After the Devi Puja, Guruji promised to meet everyone in the evening after the Satsang. Looking at the large crowd, thousands of people and more thousands expected in the evening, it was doubtful if He would really walk the talk] Devi Puja took away all the tiredness of the long overnight journey of more than 17 hours (840 km)! Yes, charged-up, now we were ready to run after Guruji for His darshan. We stood in the line outside the Yagnyashala waited for Him to come out. Finally, the moment came, Guruji came out sat in the car and the car started moving inch by inch ahead. Well that was not so easy! Hundreds of devotees were jumping/pushing/pulling each other to wish Guruji, one could hear lots of 'Happy Birthday Guruji!!!' greetings as the car moved ahead. Devotees made all the efforts by hook or by crook to wish their beloved One and deliver the birthday gifts that they had got for Him (some had got flowers, some had got sweets, some had got Angavastra and some had got toys!). Suddenly there was not even a space for the air to move through where Guruji's car was supposed to pass. I am sure the security team had a wonderful time managing all the devotees :D
[A Maha Tyagi or Maha Bhogi will not refuse to accept some mangoes or a cup of milk when they come by themselves. But he will not crave for them.] The best part to see was, Guruji Himself, like a child He was reaching out from the window of His car and receiving the greeting and gifts from devotees. Just like a child would reach for his birthday gifts. The twinkle in His eye, the mischief in the smile, the joy showed how much He cared for the feelings of His children (devotees). A perfect example of Maha Tyagi and Maha Bhogi as mentioned in Yoga Vaisistha. For a moment everyone must have felt as though it was their Birthday :) [When we stood in the darshan line we were in utter confusion on where to stand, to the right side or to the left of the lane, we had no idea on which side Guruji would sit in the car! We did not want to miss this opportunity to see Him. But as the car came we saw He gave ample time to the people standing on both the sides. The Master always takes care; small mind is always busy worrying :)] At the Satsang...evening 6:00...
Now it was time to wait for the evening Satsang! Dressed up and all ready once again reached the Yagnyashala. Though we were on time, we were very late in the sense, Yagnyashala was already full. Finally after lots of thought and trying out different places at the back of Yagnyashala we settled for a place where we could see Guruji's chair comfortably. Stage was set, Satsang started waited for Guruji to come... Finally the wait was over Guruji came and the whole environment charged up! More than ten thousands of people sangs and swayed together, once again there was no place for even an ant to move! Looking at Guruji, it seemed that He was one year younger instead of getting one year older. After few bhajans Satsang gave way for some new album release at the hand of Guruji and some other announcements. After the announcements Guruji said, "Remember that you are a match stick. The purpose of a match stick is to light the lamps. You know, you strike the match stick and it burns and it lights several candles. Like that so many match sticks in a box can light so many lives. So think you are a super-sized match box. You are here to bring light, wisdom and happiness into the lives of people.
So don't worry about anything, all your little needs and desires will be taken care of, it will all happen. You have to turn and see what you are doing for the world, how you are contributing to this world and how you are enhancing spirituality in the world. This is essential and is very much needed." Finally the moment came everyone had waited for, Guruji stood up and said He would come down and meet everyone!!! [Many years back... Q. "Who is your favorite devotee?" Sri Sri: "The one who is sitting at back of the Hall!"] As we were sitting almost at the back of the hall, I thought it would be hours while Guruji would reach the back of the Yagnyashala. Surprise! Surprise! Surprise! Guruji walked straight down to almost at the back of the Hall. He then started moving through the devotees in zig and zag manner. Voila, Guruji seemed to be close to us as never before, hours of wait turned to few minutes!
It was so amazing to watch Guruji, to see Him talking to devotees, receiving their greetings, gifts, flowers, toys, love and affection. As promised He met everyone, stretched to take the gifts from everyone waiting for Him. It was the same energy, enthusiasm, child like mischief and smile that was seen in the morning after Devi Puja. It was no wonder everyone who met Guruji behaved just like a child :) Q. "Who is your favorite devotee?" Sri Sri: "The one who is sitting at back of the Hall!"
Heard that before, seen and experienced this today :) [Master is an embodiment of Patience, Compassion and Love] As He was moving through the crowd, bhajans were going on. It seemed that Guruji did not want the Satsang team to sing the bhajans in high note, high tempo, which would make the devotees to stand up and dance. This would only make His job more challenging, or may I say challenging for the security volunteers and other devotees! So as the tempo of bhajan went up, He used to cut it down and Himself sing a line in slow tempo just to indicate to keep the tempo low.
Alas! Not so easy, again the tempo would go up in zest of His birthday celebration and again Guruji would cut it down sing in slow tempo just to indicate to keep the tempo low amidst all the pushing/pulling by the devotees. This happened almost five to six times, in fact till the end of bhajan. But every time Guruji would lovingly pitched in and bring the tempo down. And how many times He must have requested devotees to keep seated at their place.
Patience! Compassion! Love! Heard about in the Part I course, demonstrated again and again by Guruji! [If you cannot see the divine in the form, you will never be able to see the formless divine - Sri Sri] Well we finished off with our darshan and headed straight to Annapurna for dinner. We had some delicious Birthday food, strolled around the Ashram, and went to see Vishalakshi Mantap. Ashram was looking as beautiful as ever from the top of Vishalakshi Mantap. Ooops! More than one and half hour had passed; we realized that there were still bhajans and noise coming from Yagnyashala! With curiosity we headed towards Yagnyashala, just to see Guruji still meeting people...almost two hours had passed!
Now, who would let go the opportunity to see Guruji once again. So once again stood in the darshan line, in fact the last line He was heading to, which was the line near the stage. We watched Guruji meeting devotee's receiving gifts. Something beautiful happened. Someone gave Guruji a small statue of Ganesha enclosed in a glass container; Guruji took it and carefully handed over it to the volunteer to keep it safely. I could see His eyes stuck watching the Ganesha statue moving from one volunteer to the other then to the other till it vanished from His sight. It was a look of total concern, it looked as though He was totally concerned if that statue was been handled properly or not. As though the real Ganesh was been carried away! If you cannot see the divine in the form, you will never be able to see the formless divine - Sri Sri [His Promise]
Finally! Guruji came where we were standing, it was simply amazing to see the same zest and zeal even after more than two hours moving through the crowd, talking to people, handling so many gifts, taking care of so many minds! The same mischief, twinkle in the eyes, love unlimited. By the time He finished He had met more than five thousand people (some said 10,000). Even when He met the last person it was felt as though He was meeting the first person in the day and He could go on like this the whole night.
He had kept His promise -- He met everyone! "Khethe hain jaab bhagwan apne bhaghato pe kush hote hain, to bhagwan swayam, guru ka roop leke apne bhaghato ko darshan dete hain!"
Haan, Tera Main unnis soo chappan ko bhagwan ne avatar liya! This was all my peanut sized brain could see in the ocean of events in the magnanimous play of the Divine! Feel blessed...Nothing more can be said!
It so happened once there was a disciple, the only thing he used to wear was 'langot' rest everything he had renounced. But His Master knew, though the disciple had renounced everything he was not dispassionate. He tried every technique to make the disciple dispassionate, but without any success.
Finally the Master said, I am now sending you to the King Janaka, only He can teach you this and if He fails then no one can teach you. Listening to this disciple got frustrated and said how can a King living in luxory teach about dispassion?
But still His Master persisted and he had to go.
By evening the disciple reached the palace, as he entered the palace he saw King Janaka sitting on His golden throne, which had diamond and precious stones embedded in it. The King Janaka was being entertained by royal dancers and musicians, delicious food was being served. Looking at this scene disciple got more frustrated and said to Janaka, my Master had sent me here to learn dispassion but now I see I am in wrong place. You yourself are so deeply rooted into all these pleasures and luxury, what will you teach me? Hence I wish to take leave.
As the disciple was leaving King Janaka requested him to wait till next morning as it was already dark and it was very dangerous to travel alone in jungle. Having no choice disciple waited. That night the disciple could not eat the food as he had already renounced delicious food. He could not sleep properly because he had renounced sleeping on comfortable bed, he could only sleep on hard floor.
At the dawn King Janaka invited the disciple for bath at the royal river flowing behind His palace. The disciple kept his spare 'langot' at the palace to change after having bath. As they were having bath the disciple saw that palace was on fire and immediately yelled King your palace is on fire, your whole property is being destroyed, all your wealth is turning into ashes! How will your survive in future? Run!
King Janaka was totally unmoved as He walked toward the palace to take corrective action, looked at the disciple, smiled and said 'Hum Khali Haath Aye The Aur Khali Haath Hi Jaayenge, Tum Itne Vichalit Kyun Ho Rahe Ho!' but the disciple could not wait to hear all this. He ran feverishly for his 'langot' that was kept at the palace!
That moment the disciple realized his foolishness, even after renouncing everything he lost his peace of mind just for his one 'langot' and on the other hand King Janaka being amidst of all the pleasures and luxury last night and now on verge of losing everything was unmoved, calm and peaceful; totally dispassionate!
Disciple fell at the feet’s of Janaka...
Dispassion does not mean renouncing the world, nor shunning the enjoyments of life. It simply means living in the present moment. Being free of regrets of past and worries of the future!
Q: Rain falls plants come and go, when will there be Nothing?
Sri Sri: It is in the Nothing that rain falls. See for something to fall, if everything is filled then Nothing can fall. Rain falls in the Nothing, plants come in the Nothing and they go into Nothing and what remains is Nothing!
If you didn't understand, then never mind it's Nothing :)
Actions that are unintended, without effort they are our nature e.g. when we are thirsty, this action is routine and so does not create an impression. Certain actions when we look for result create impressions. So routine is a part of your life and those actions don’t bind you. Example, If you are an expert in your field then the job is effortless. Seva is your nature, service is a part of you, like your breath. Violence is taught in the military, people are being taught to be insensitive, such actions bind us, they cannot set us free.
When your mind is obsessed with too many desires then actions become imperfect, do one thing at a time, be free from feverishness of the mind. Act without expectations, then the actions become perfect and free from blemishes. Otherwise even the best of actions has negative repercussions when done with feverishness. Comparison with one’s own performance is healthy. Being free of jealousy, have an equanimous mind do not think of whether you will succeed or not give your 100% and don’t worry whether you win or lose. Then it is a real game, work is like a game, a yogi considers work as a game. Yogi means one who does little things in perfection due to an equanimous mind. That is YAGYA, it is that action which does not bind you but brings only good to you. Realizing your unity, oneness, is honoring the divine and knowledge.
There are 3 types of YAGYA’s:
1. Deva Puja: Honoring and offering the elements 2. Sangati Karana: Taking all along with you. 3. Dana: Gifting and Honouring.
The whole universe is a YAGYA. All the elements help each other, they are all purifiers. Breath itself is a YAGYA. Meditation and Seva they purify.
Anashudhi: grace before eating, during this time we put one spoon full of ghee on the rice actually according to the nutritionist, digestion takes a little longer with the ghee in the rice and it is better for you.
Dhanushudhi: a portion of your income should be used in charity (money becomes pure when a little percent is put toward charity).
Sound, listening, pranayamas all are Yagya’s. Fasting is also a Yagya. All traditions of the world, note that fasting and prayer are for body cleansing, not for God. Withdrawing the mind from the senses that is Yagya, how beautiful, fresh it feels when you withdraw from the senses.
The wise, does Yagya by transcending to the level of Prana, Prana gets dissolved. In meditation we offer our self. The whole self, universe is Brahman, fire is Brahma, the one who makes an offering into the fire is Brahma in Dravya Yagya (offer 108 herbs) the offering itself is Brahma. When you do Yagya, often the rain comes. Agnihotra is being revived in India again from Peru. Real action of Brahman is Samadhi uniting with the cosmos is Yagya.
Tapo Yagy, sitting together, singing together, listening to knowledge together is all Yagya. All purify the planet. The spirit being uplifted, feeling the support from nature that is Yagya.. One who does not engage in Yagya cannot be happy in this world or the other. There are many different types of Yagya. Take pride in it!
Gyana Yagya is being immersed in knowledge, in self knowledge all action ends in knowledge. When well founded in knowledge delusion does not come. It is good to sit with the enlightened ones, serve them sit with them in knowledge. Then you will not fall into delusion, knowing this you can act.
I guess this one is good to have on the blog, in-fact anything that is said by Guruji!
Question: What is the science of relativity? How does it work in life? Sri Sri: You go on the internet. There is so much on it. Volumes and volumes. Everything is related: If you've slept well, you see everything better. If not, then things are blurred. The observer and the observed vary. That is why it is said that different states of consciousness understand different knowledge.
Have you heard the Japanese story?
In Japan, there is a rule that a motel-owner must give free boarding and lodging to monks. To test if a monk is genuine; the owner would ask a knowledge question. If the question is answered, monk can then stay. If the owner gives the right answer, then the monk will go further.
There was a motel run by two brothers. The elder one was very intelligent. The younger one was dull. The elder brother used to manage affairs such that he did not have to give free rooms to the monks. If the elder brother had to go away, he would tell the younger one: 'If any monk comes here, act dumb. If you're silent, the monk will not stay here.'
As soon as the elder brother left, a group of monks arrived.
They said: 'Come we will argue’ The younger brother gestured: 'I am in silence’ The monks: 'We will have a dialogue in silence’ They showed the forefinger to indicate 'one' The younger brother had only one eye. The other eye was bandaged. He showed two fingers. The monks then showed three fingers.
The brother then showed a fist.
The monks became very happy and left. When the elder brother came, the younger one explained what happened:
'They told me that you have only one eye’ So I said, 'You have two’ They then said: ‘The dialogue is between three eyes’ So I said: ‘I will punch you'
Later the monks returned and told the elder brother that the younger one had shared the highest knowledge in silence.
The monks narrated: We asked: ‘What is the one truth?’ He said: ‘Not one, there are two: Buddham and Dhammam’ We said: ‘There are three things: Buddham, Dhammam, and Sangham’ He said: ‘They are all one!'
It was such a mind-blowing realization!
This story shows that different levels of consciousness can interpret different things, differently. Fools always create conflicts over nothing. And die for it. The intelligent will celebrate diversity. Fools can't tolerate diversity.
The ancient sages in the Rig Veda have said: 'Accept even the atheist and they have included them in prayers: Those who call You as no God and think there is no Divinity, I bow down. Those who say, You are not there, I offer my obeisance.'
One accepts even atheism.
That is true wisdom: You have broad vision which accepts people and differences. Intelligent people celebrate diversity, fools fight over diversity.
In quest of realizing - Two Plus One Equals Zero!
I am teacher for Art of Living for Part One course and Youth Empowerment Seminar. I am here on this blog to share knowledge and learn more.
“I am the goal,
I am the path,
I am the seeker,
Don’t move an Inch” – Sri Sri
