Rescuing a beggar woman in Mumbai

Following was a conversation with my friend in Oct 2005 originally published at blogs.rediff.com/artofliving. Worth sharing again..

@@@SMARTY:TRIM:SCRIPT@@@@@@SMARTY:TRIM:SCRIPT@@@@@@SMARTY:TRIM:SCRIPT@@@@@@SMARTY:TRIM:SCRIPT@@@@@@SMARTY:TRIM:SCRIPT@@@@@@SMARTY:TRIM:SCRIPT@@@@@@SMARTY:TRIM:SCRIPT@@@

Faizaan Marolia appears to be offline and will receive your messages after signing in.

Faizaan Marolia: dude man!
Krishna Reddy: yup man, me back in my seat! 
Faizaan Marolia: sahee hai
Faizaan Marolia: whats the waitlist status? 
Krishna Reddy: yesterday it was 17. 
Krishna Reddy: now i will check again. 
Faizaan Marolia: okie
Krishna Reddy: yesterday sumthing amaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaazing happened! 
Faizaan Marolia: what what? 
Krishna Reddy: Helped a street woman.
Krishna Reddy: She is a mad woman. She went to an egg vendor and broke all the eggs. 
Faizaan Marolia: baap re
Faizaan Marolia: then? 
Krishna Reddy: In retaliation he hit her
Krishna Reddy: Her head was severely injured.
Krishna Reddy: She was bleeding and 
Krishna Reddy: crying
Faizaan Marolia: then?
Krishna Reddy: lying on the road 
Krishna Reddy: people were watching.
Krishna Reddy: Severe injury on head.
Krishna Reddy: Then I, with the help of another person, took her to a muncipal hospital
Krishna Reddy: and admitted.
Krishna Reddy: They put the bandage, gave injections, saline etc
Faizaan Marolia:
Faizaan Marolia: sahee hai
Faizaan Marolia: well done
Krishna Reddy: Took her X-ray
Faizaan Marolia: am proud of you!
Krishna Reddy: thanks!!! 
Faizaan Marolia:
Krishna Reddy: Police regisetrde a case. 
Krishna Reddy: I got it done in such a way that nobody will be harmed. 
Krishna Reddy: I told them what happened. 
Faizaan Marolia: haan..
Krishna Reddy: and made sure eggwala’s name didn’t come into the picture! 
Faizaan Marolia: where was all this? 
Krishna Reddy: N/r national park
Krishna Reddy: By the way I was not there when the incident happened. 
Faizaan Marolia: oh.. 
Krishna Reddy: All I saw was..
Krishna Reddy: Her in injured state. 
Krishna Reddy: Doctors said - she is alright. 
Faizaan Marolia: good good.. 
Krishna Reddy: All of dress was soaked in blood. 
Faizaan Marolia: early morning?
Krishna Reddy: - my dress -
Krishna Reddy: 8:30 pm 
Faizaan Marolia: oh
Faizaan Marolia: baap re..
Faizaan Marolia: so you left her after the doctors? 
Krishna Reddy: Because she was lying in my lap - in the auto.
Krishna Reddy: Yeah -
Krishna Reddy: Doctors apreciated and
Faizaan Marolia: very good of you baba.. you should maintain a blog thing and write about it.. so you remember what u did.. and when..
Faizaan Marolia: so you’re inspired to stay this way in the future also.. 
Krishna Reddy: said now ur responsibility is over and now it is the state’s responsibilty. 
Faizaan Marolia:
Krishna Reddy: Today I am sending some Art of Living teachers to visit her and bless her.
Faizaan Marolia:
Faizaan Marolia: may be you should open a ‘good deeds’ blog.. where everyone can write in their stuff.. and help spread the good work
Krishna Reddy: Yeah .. Great idea!! - Thanks 
Krishna Reddy:
Krishna Reddy: Can u try saving this conversation - I am not able to do. 
Krishna Reddy: - on my PC
Faizaan Marolia: have mailed it to your rediff account 
Krishna Reddy: ok, thnks 
Krishna Reddy: Got it!
Krishna Reddy: My pnr has become - W/L 16!!
Krishna Reddy: Urs?

Sri Sri Ravishankar on Jyoti Basu

Basu was a fan of Vivekananda: Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Bangalore, Jan 17 – Spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Sunday said veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu had great admiration for Swami Vivekananda.

In a statement, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said a few years ago he met Jyoti Basu who had ‘great admiration for Swami Vivekananda and he mentioned that religion and spirituality is the private affair of people’.

Jyoti Basu died in Kolkata Sunday.

‘Jyoti Basu was not against spirituality, but against superstition,’ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said.

He said that they discussed yoga and pranayama.

Sri Sri Ravishankar's New Year 2010 message

Originally posted on my other Art of Living blog.

Sri Sri Ravishankar's Video message for new year 2010.

Every excuse to celebrate is good. there are two aspects of true celebration. one is celebration as thanksgiving, as an expression of gratitude for the divine. the second celebration is to move forward by dropping the past, knowing that life is eternal. welcome the new year with either or both of these true celebrations. Like the christmas tree, life is evergreen. no storm or snow can weather away its leaves. similarly, our spirit is eternal and though time and some adversities may try to cloud the spirit, it still moves forward through personal or social grief and emerges powerful. The nature of spirit is celebration. celebration is the best medicine to help you move forward in life - it gets you out of the gloom after a crisis. in celebration, don't just concentrate on having parties. when celebration has a tinge of sacredness and prayer, it gains depth and dignity. then, that type of a celebration is service, it is sacred. it is not just entertainment for the mind or excitement for the body, but nourishment for the soul. in such celebration, guilt will come nowhere near you. Instead of beginning the new year with an intoxicant, if it can begin with an act of kindness, a moment of reflection and even a second of introspection, we can call ourselves far more civilised. your guilt for celebration is only if your celebration is for your own pleasure. if celebration is aimed at uplifting and uniting the hearts and minds of people around you, if it is to help them to let go of the traumatic past and kindle a ray of hope for the future, if your celebration is aimed at uplifting society, then that type of celebration is service, it is sacred. don't feel stingy. share what you have with others. turn your celebration into a sacred offering for society rather than make it a self-centred pleasure-seeking one. To celebrate life, you don't have to spend a lot of money. celebration comes from enthusiasm and joy, celebration is an attitude and that does not need resources. when things are depressing, celebration is needed even more. a visit to the slums makes you realise that one can celebrate even during tough times. look at those people. they still celebrate. Let time celebrate your presence. when you let time celebrate you, you are a witness amid celebration. welcome the year 2010 with a genuine smile from within. that smile comes when you know for sure that you are loved. if you don't know you are loved by the divine, you will not be able to celebrate life. you will live in insecurity. with insecurity comes greed. with greed comes selfishness. and with that comes anger. with anger comes lust. and with that comes sadness and misery, one behind the other, like a chain. In the past year, check how many days you were entangled in maya? turn back and remember the whole year. when you do this, do not reject anything. let your attention be on the self. this is a delicate balance. this is yoga. this balance is spirituality. spirituality is a harmonious blend of outer silence and inner celebration, and also inner silence and outer celebration! celebration that comes out of silence is real celebration. The year gone by has taught us many lessons: what we should be doing and what we should not be doing. every pain that we went through in 2009 brought us some depth, and the joy and pleasure gave us a new vision of life and hope for the future. difficulties give you depth and joy gives you width. one thing you must know is that life will always be better. it moves in the direction of the best. on the way you may find some rough roads, but it's for the better. reconcile with the past and move on to the future with enthusiasm. The wise will see their past as destiny and the future as free will, and be happy in the present. the unwise regret the past and think the future is destined, and become miserable in the present. in 2010, you have the choice of being one of the two. This new year, let there be sunshine - both in our lives and in society. let us all have the determination to create a violence-free, stress-free society. may your life be filled with peace, joy and true celebration. happy new year! -- Sri Sri Ravi ShankarSri Sri Ravishankar's previous new year messages:
New Year 2009
An earlier new year

Sri Sri Ravishankar's Messsage for New Year 2010

Every excuse to celebrate is good. there are two aspects of true celebration. One is celebration as thanks giving, as an expression of gratitude for the divine. The second celebration is to move forward by dropping the past, knowing that life is eternal. Welcome the new year with either or both of these true celebrations.

Like the Christmas tree, life is evergreen. No storm or snow can weather away its leaves. Similarly, our spirit is eternal and though time and some adversities may try to cloud the spirit, it still moves forward through personal or social grief and emerges powerful.

The nature of spirit is celebration. Celebration is the best medicine to help you move forward in life - it gets you out of the gloom after a crisis. in celebration, don't just concentrate on having parties. when celebration has a tinge of sacredness and prayer, it gains depth and dignity. then, that type of a celebration is service, it is sacred. it is not just entertainment for the mind or excitement for the body, but nourishment for the soul. in such celebration, guilt will come nowhere near you.

Instead of beginning the new year with an intoxicant, if it can begin with an act of kindness, a moment of reflection and even a second of introspection, we can call ourselves far more civilized. Your guilt for celebration is only if your celebration is for your own pleasure. If celebration is aimed at uplifting and uniting the hearts and minds of people around you, if it is to help them to let go of the traumatic past and kindle a ray of hope for the future, if your celebration is aimed at uplifting society, then that type of celebration is service, it is sacred. don't feel stingy. share what you have with others. turn your celebration into a sacred offering for society rather than make it a self-centered pleasure-seeking one.

To celebrate life, you don't have to spend a lot of money. celebration comes from enthusiasm and joy, celebration is an attitude and that does not need resources. when things are depressing, celebration is needed even more. a visit to the slums makes you realize that one can celebrate even during tough times. look at those people. they still celebrate.

Let time celebrate your presence. when you let time celebrate you, you are a witness amid celebration. welcome the year 2010 with a genuine smile from within. that smile comes when you know for sure that you are loved. if you don't know you are loved by the divine, you will not be able to celebrate life. you will live in insecurity. with insecurity comes greed. with greed comes selfishness. and with that comes anger. with anger comes lust. and with that comes sadness and misery, one behind the other, like a chain.

In the past year, check how many days you were entangled in maya? turn back and remember the whole year. when you do this, do not reject anything. let your attention be on the self. this is a delicate balance. this is yoga. this balance is spirituality. spirituality is a harmonious blend of outer silence and inner celebration, and also inner silence and outer celebration! celebration that comes out of silence is real celebration.

The year gone by has taught us many lessons: what we should be doing and what we should not be doing. every pain that we went through in 2009 brought us some depth, and the joy and pleasure gave us a new vision of life and hope for the future. difficulties give you depth and joy gives you width. one thing you must know is that life will always be better. it moves in the direction of the best. on the way you may find some rough roads, but it's for the better. reconcile with the past and move on to the future with enthusiasm.

The wise will see their past as destiny and the future as free will, and be happy in the present. the unwise regret the past and think the future is destined, and become miserable in the present. in 2010, you have the choice of being one of the two.

This new year, let there be sunshine - both in our lives and in society. let us all have the determination to create a violence-free, stress-free society. may your life be filled with peace, joy and true celebration. happy new year!

-- Sri Sri Ravishnakar

Also see Sri Sri Ravishankar's new year 2009 message and another new year message.

Sri Sri Ravianakar's New Year Message

Sri Sri Ravishnakar's message for new year 2009.

Also see HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's earlier new year message.

Shiva Raja Maheswhara by Firangs

Satsang in Losheng by Art Of Living Taipei Center from Taiwan

Lyrics
Shiva Raja Maheshwara
Jaya Shankara Shiva Shambo
Shambo Shambo Jaya Shankara Shiva Shambo
(Shambo Shambo Shambo Shambo Shambo Shambo)

Change of domain!

Changed the domain of this blog from art-of-living-blog.blogspot.com to blog.artoflivingyoga.info.
Henceforth  artoflivingyoga.info will be an all-in-one place for Art of Living info & updates.

Art of Living Daily Sutra: Divine and the shell

You'll find everybody is Divine, every person is Divine, but everybody is covered with the shell of small ego, small mind. And if you drill through the small mind you'll find they're also beautiful, they're also Divine.


- Sri Sri Ravishankar

Sensory pleasures and bliss

Sri Sri Ravishankar says:

"All sensory pleasures in the world are like wrapping paper; true bliss is the present inside. Divine Love is the present, yet we are holding on to the paper believing we have already enjoyed the gift. It is like putting the chocolate inside your mouth with the paper still on. A little chocolate may seep into your mouth, but the wrapper causes discomfort.

Unwrap the present. The whole world is there for you to enjoy. The wise know how to enjoy the gift inside, while the ignorant get stuck with the paper."

DIVINE LOVE AND THE COMPLAINING FACE

How would you like to see yourself happy and bubbling with enthusiasm or dull and difficult to please?

Often you like to be pleased, appeased and cajoled. So you put up a tough, upset face and act difficult to please. If a person has to appease and please ten people all the time, it will be so tiring. People who keep a long face and expect others to cajole and appease them make others run away. Lovers often do this. They expend a lot of energy in cajoling and this brings down the joy and celebration of the moment.

It is okay for you to show your upset mood or tendency once in a while, but doing it over and over again is taxing for you and people you love.

If you feel down, appease and please yourself. Your need to be appeased by someone else is the sign of grossness. This is the root of ignorance. If you want attention, all you get is tension.

Become one whose enthusiasm never dies, come what may.

It is not possible to attain Divine Love with a complaining face. The complaining face is a sign of an unaware mind. If you want to complain, complain to God or your Guru because both have their ears covered. (Laughter).

- Sri Sri Ravishankar

Aggression is a means to overcome depression

Aggression as a means to overcome depression

Lack of idealism is the main cause of depression among the youth today. Life appears to be so meaningless to these children, who are either too scared of the competitive world or bogged down by heavy stimuli. They need an inspiration....
And Spirituality is that inspiration that can keep the spirit up!

Aggression is the antidote to depression.
Depression sets in if there is a lack of zeal to fight.

Depression is lack of energy, and anger and aggression are a bolt of energy.
When Arjuna was depressed, Krishna inspired him to fight and thus reinstated life back in Arjuna. If you are depressed, don't take Prozac - just fight - for any cause!

If aggression crosses a certain limit it leads you back into depression. That's what happened with King Ashoka, who won the Kalinga war but became depressed. He had to take refuge in Buddha.

WISE ARE THOSE WHO DO NOT FALL EITHER INTO AGGRESSION OR DEPRESSION.

That's the golden line of a Yogi.
Just wake up and acknowledge you are a Yogi!

- Sri Sri Ravishankar

Art of Living singers - message from Harshal

From: harshal jadhav <harshalpjadhav@yahoo.com>
Subject: AOL Singers - A Google Group for Singers!!!!

Many of us have a passion for music and love singing our Bhajans in Satsangs, won't it be great if all such people come together and share our passion and learn from each other! For the same a Google Group named "AOL Singers! " is made for Art Of Living volunteers who sing in Satsangs!

The intention of the group is to bring all these singers together, so that they can share their passion for music, learn new things, and excel at singing satsangs!

Join this group on http://groups.google.co.in/group/aol-singers

And we have Amol Shende with us on this group  who would post and share his knowledge with us!!
Please share this with all singers!!

With Love
Harshal

Art Of Living - One Common Website for Entire India!
www.artoflivingindia.in

Proof! - Today's daily Sutra

Proof is one of the main things in the world that you are stuck on to --- you want proof of everything.Whether someone loves you or not, you want a proof about it.

- Sri Sri Ravishankar

Other  Art of Living Daily Sutras

Hari Sundara Nanda Mukunda! sung at Art of Living Silver Jubilee

Enjoy this enthralling and high voltage Art of Living Bhajan "Hari Sundara Nanda Mukunda" bhajan sung at Art of Living Silver Jubilee Celebrations day - 2 (February 18th 2006) at Jakkur Air field, Banagalore. This was sung by Sri Sri Ravishankar Himself as well as Art of Living teacher Rishi Nityapragya etc. Can somebody please post the lyrics and other related links in comments.

Enthralling Satsang in progress at Art of Living Silver Jubilee Celebrations.

A review of Scientology

Mankind knows the concept that we are not our bodies but spiritual beings for many millennia.
Hindu scriptures has been telling the same from time immemorial. Even most other religions like Christianity, Buddhism, Jainism tell the same thing. Hindu Seers have not only well-documented this philosophy through its numerous scriptures which give you deep knowledge about the Self (It is also called Spirit, Soul, Consciousness, Atma etc) but also provides lots of practical, well-established and time-tested tools and techniques like Yoga and meditation to realize your real nature i.e. that is your soul.

I don't see any need for a new "religion" for achieving self-realization (or enlightenment of Moksha or liberation or Nirvana etc). Moreover it seems that Scientology is a propaganda to achieve vested interests by some people. They are making it seem that it is their new "invention" for path to liberation and I seriously doubt whether it is any useful in the path towards enlightenment. Also the very name "Scientology" is a wrong word because it misleadingly suggests that it is a 'new "scientific" way of life "unlike" other religions or spiritual traditions'.
in reference to: Official Church of Scientology Online Videos: What is Scientology, Scientologist Beliefs, Spiritual Healing with Dianetics (view on Google Sidewiki)

Sri Sri Ravishankar on Mathematics, Science and Spirituality!

 Mathematics, Science and Spirituality!
Memorial Lecture given by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at S. M. Medical college, Jodhpur ( 23 February 2005)





(H H Sri Sri Ravishankar, Art of Living Founder spoke in both Hindi and English. Wherever spoken in Hindi has been translated in English here. By the way, Government of Maharashtra (an Indian state) wanted to make mathematics an optional subject from 8th standard! This was ridiculous! Such a move would have disastrous implications on the society in the long run. It would take us several centuries backwards in time. All those who are aware of this should oppose it. Read an interesting article on this by my ex-colleague Sai at: saisureshsivaswamy.rediffblogs.com. Originally posted on my other Art of Living blog in 2006. - Krishna)

Science And Spirituality

I know you all are waiting to hear me, while there are others who are simply waiting to see me, doesn't matter what I talk. Should I speak in Hindi or English? Some want in Hindi and others in English. I will speak in both and whenever I am speaking in the language other than that of your choice, just listen as if you are listening to some music, otherwise you will start feeling restless!

Listening is also an art - there is an art of listening. Are you all listening? It can be any speaker who may speak for ten minutes but we actually hear for about three minutes; this is a statistical figure! The remaining seven minutes, the body remains there but the mind goes out gallivanting and comes back after roaming for sometime. So if one speaks for thirty minutes say, then, in actual effect, you hear for about 9-10 minutes. That's why I said, whatever language I speak, if you do not understand, just hear it like a music otherwise restlessness starts building in the mind, right?

You always complain if someone speaks in the language you don't know. When you sit and gossip for 2-3 hours, you don't know how the time flies but when you are sitting and someone is speaking for a couple of minutes in a foreign language you don't know, even those couple of minutes seem to be very long, hasn't it been our experience? Whenever your mind is engaged, you do not feel the time but when the mind is not engaged, you feel the time is too long, correct? Study of time is both Spirituality and Science. Time is the junction.

Are you all here? What is happening now? Waiting-  waiting for a phone call, waiting for someone to come, waiting for something. But you know what's interesting is that we don't know what waiting itself is! If you can experience the pure waiting- that becomes meditation. Suppose I am not going to speak for next 20-25 minutes, are you willing to be here? Yes! Waiting for infinity is meditation and if we don't understand what waiting is, we tend towards frustration.

See, waiting is the junction that either leads you to frustration on one side or, on another side, takes you to a meditative state. If you are a meditator then you know what dhyaan (meditation) is, then nothing can frustrate you because every moment that you are free and have to wait for something, you drop into meditation!

We become carefree when we realize that waiting can lead to either meditation or frustration. You can be free from frustration if you meditate and be happy and joyful. Many moments come in our lives, when we have to wait and with this waiting we are filled with frustration, anger, restlessness - all kinds of disorders of mind. So to become free from all such disorders it is very essential to know about meditation.

"What is this?"- is Science ; " Who am I?"- is Spirituality. It is only in India, in this country, that no conflict ever happened between Science and Spirituality. It is only in India that from ages the science and spirituality said the Earth and other planets are
moving round the Sun. We also teach our students but unfortunately in a wrong way. We teach today in our schools that Galileo discovered that the earth is round. We don't remember that it is India which has given the concept of earth being spherical 'khagoal' (kha means Earth and goal means round), 'bhoogoal' (geography- the study of earth ) etc. The earth was always considered spherical. In the 7- 8th century sculptures you see the Varah Murti carrying a globe on their tusks. That means our ancestors, the people in India in ancient days knew that the earth was spherical.

From the times of Vedic age itself, our ancient people knew the placing of the sun and the planets. In today's time too we worship the same way by placing the sun in the center and all planets around it. Long ago, from ancient times, we knew that the sun was the center of our solar system yet we teach wrong and give credit to Galileo for discovering it! We need to change such history now. Similarly the value of Pi and its formula were known long ago. They were well advanced in mathematics. All geometry, trigonometry etc was given in verses with not just formulas but also with detail and diagrams. So we were never ignorant but very advanced in Science from ancient time but unfortunately what is being taught is that our ancestors were ignorant and foolish. It is heard that a professor of History, in Delhi University, is teaching the children that the ancient man burnt incense to scare the God saying- "See the incense in my hand, fulfill my wish or I will burn you down." And if that was not sufficient to scare then he went with the lamp etc. According to his teaching the ancient man knew nothing else but to scare for fulfilling his wishes and because of such foolish ideas only he began doing worship! If we teach such things to the children then these children will become naxalites in future. It is the lack of spirituality in education in our country, that the youth are becoming naxalites. On one hand they commit suicide or on other hand they become violent and aggressive.

What is spiritualism? To understand this, ponder over this "Who am I? What am I made up of?" This body is made of food we eat etc but then consciousness, the spirit within it is made up of what? What are its ingredients?- to know this all is spiritualism. Our ancestors have given the beautiful explanations of it. Asti, Bhati, Preeti , Naam and Roop - these are the five ingredients/elements or aspects of self. Asti, Bhati, Priti- are the three forms of our consciousness, our mind. Asti meaning "I am", bhati is realizing that it is and preeti , the love with which it is made of “these are the three forms with which our consciousness is made of. If all the lights were put off in this room, even then you feel your presence, don't you still feel , I am here? - this feeling of I am is - asti.

Are you all listening? Still here? The mind has not gone out for a tea break na? Yes! So ,when you say you are listening to me you, you realize your presence that is bhati. And your nature is love- that is preeti. So these are the three aspects of our consciousness. And the body or matter has two aspects - naam or name and roop or the form. Every thing has a name and a form. With a form or property and a name different things exist in the world.

Science examines or studies on name and shape, while Spirituality on asti, bhati and preeti. What is this? - is Science ; Who am I?- is Spirituality. Can there be any conflict between the two? Never! Both are the two ends of the same thread of knowledge. People may say that spiritualism begins where science ends but I do not agree with that. Science and Spiritualism are not separate, they go together, they are always in oneness. And there can be no dispute after the theory of relativity which proved about matter and energy.

And what is happening now? As I am speaking you are also thinking in your mind - "Yes, yes, he is speaking right, or, No, no, how can that be right.. like that Yes, yes.., No, no" going on in the mind, isn't it? That faculty by which you perceive is Mind and that by which you agree/accept or disagree is Intellect. And the study of this inner, internal layers of consciousness is Spirituality.

Sri Krishna also said in Geeta - Gyaan vigyaan pratyaatma. One gains the Complete knowledge only if gets the knowledge of both science and spirituality. From our four Darshan shastras - the first three are of science only! Vaisheshik Darshan says - padartha gyaanatva mokshah. Sage Vaisheshik said that knowledge of one element contains the full knowledge of all other elements, knowing which you can attain pure bliss. If you understand and have full knowledge of one atom, you are liberated. Even if you don't believe in God but understand even one atom thoroughly, it gives you liberation- this is what the ancient scriptures have said.

How to achieve it? Put your attention to know one thing fully. Understand an atom. What is your body? - a heap of atoms. When all atoms embraced and combine with each other- a body is formed and when they become at daggers with each other and separate with each other- the body disintegrates and death takes place. This body is made up of so many atoms. What is an atom? What is the function of an atom? "So who am I? Am I the body? What is this body? Do you know this body is not solid but fluid like a river? 98% of our body is empty- space element. If you observe a small piece of your skin under the microscope, it looks like a mosquito net- so porous and full of holes! Likewise take any metal, it has lot of empty space also. And out of remaining 2% - 60% is water element and 15% air element in the body. You are like a water or a juice sachet! After you drink juice, how does the packet looks- pressed and bad similarly if all the water is removed from your body,  you will become depressed! And if air is removed then, as the fish perishes if removed from water, you will perish too! We don't know fully about our body itself. So it is good to have full knowledge like this first. If you know about your own body, the mind becomes still and liberation happens. So where is the conflict? Science is a logical, sequential understanding of the reality and spirituality goes one step ahead from the aspects you know. You will see there are many types of logic - Whether the means of understanding itself is correct or not? The correct aspect is there or not? The subjective analysis- the aspect from which you learn, by which you know, whether your apparatus or analysis itself is correct or not- and this is spirituality. So unless you take both approaches, your knowledge will not be complete.

Belongingness is the sign of spiritualism. In today's life, man has become rigid like a stone living in a small world of his own. We convey more through our presence than through our words. We live whole of our life in a formal atmosphere and lose the naturalness and belongingness. One can have a simple, lovable nature or personality through spirituality only.

Truth is multidimensional. This is a gift given to the world by India. Knowledge or Truth is not linear but spherical. Isliye virodhaatmak batein sath sath hoti hein. That's why controversial things co-exist - and that's what we teach in the Art of Living course - that opposite values are complementary. Unless you take both approaches, knowledge will be incomplete. Any life devoid of Spiritualism is dry and lack of knowledge makes one sad, and sorrowful.

Some question/ answers

Q- What is God?
A-Bhoomi jaise sahansheel, Agni jaise prajvalit, vayu jeise halkaa, paani jeise vinamra aur nubh jeise sarva vyaapak- jismein yuh sub tutva hein , vuh bhagvaan hei. Patience like the Earth, Glow of the Fire, light like the Air, humble like the water(which flows downward) and present every where like space- the one having all these elements is God!

Q- How to realise faithfulness?
A- The same way you feel the pain. When there is a pain, you just know it!

Q- Guru se bada kaun? Who is above Guru?
A - Guru ka matlub hee hei - bahut bada toe jaan jao khud hee! Guru means Great so you know the answer yourself

Sri Sri Ravishankar's advice to married couples

In this video lecture Sri Sri Ravishankar, advices married couple on how to nourish their relationships. He says the wife should "pump up" the husband's "ego" and the husband should value the wife's emotions.

Sri Sri Ravishankar's video lecture on how to improve wife and husband relationships.