Sunday, January 29, 2012

உலக பொருளாதார மாநாட்டில் குருஜி

வாழும் கலை அமைப்பின் நிறுவனர் குருஜி ஸ்ரீ ஸ்ரீ ரவிசங்கர் அவர்கள் சுவிட்சர்லாந்து நாட்டின் டாவோஸ் நகரில்  நடைபெற்ற உலக பொருளாதார மாநாட்டில் கலந்து கொண்டு முக்கிய உரையாற்றினார். 

Wednesday, January 25, 2012

உலக பொருளாதார மாநாட்டில் குருஜி ஸ்ரீ ஸ்ரீ ரவிசங்கர்

வாழும் கலை அமைப்பின் நிறுவனர் குருஜி ஸ்ரீ ஸ்ரீ ரவிசங்கர் அவர்கள் சுவிட்சர்லாந்து நாட்டின் டாவோஸ் நகரில் நடக்கும் 2012 ஆண்டிற்கான உலக பொருளாதார மாநாட்டில் முக்கிய பேச்சாளராக அழைக்கபட்டிருகிறார். 

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

முன்னாள் தீவிரவாதிகளுக்கு வாழும்கலை பயிற்சி - அஸ்ஸாம் காவல்துறையினர் முடிவு

குருஜி ஸ்ரீ ஸ்ரீ ரவிசங்கர் அவர்களின் வாழும் கலை அமைப்பின் தலைமை இடமான பெங்களுரு  ஆசிரமத்தில், இருநூறு முன்னாள் போராளிகளுக்கு ஆன்மிகம், நல்லொழுக்கம் மற்றும் தொழில் சார்ந்த துறைகளில், அவர்களின் வாழ்வை புனரமைக்கும் விதமாக பயிற்சிகள் வழங்க அஸ்ஸாம் மாநில காவல் துறையினர் தீர்மானித்துள்ளனர். 
சென்ற வருடத்தில் நடைபெற்ற மணிப்பூர் மாநில தீவிரவாதிகளுக்கு வழங்கப்பட்ட பயிற்சிகள், அவர்களிடையே நல்ல மாற்றத்தை ஏற்படுத்தியதின் விளைவாக, இந்த முடிவு எடுக்கப்பட்டுள்ளது. 
தற்போது நடைபெற உள்ள இந்த புனரைமைப்பு பயிற்சியில் கலந்துகொள்ள பல உல்பா தீவிரவாதிகள் கலந்து கொள்ள விருப்பம் தெரிவித்துள்ளனர்.

200 ex-militants to get spiritual training


The Assam police has embarked upon an ambitious plan of sending 200 former militants for spiritual, behavioural and vocational rehabilitation training at the Art of Living in Bengaluru.
Disclosing that the institute of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar would not only be imparting training to them in technical skills, authoritative security sources told this newspaper that these ex-militants, who laid down arms in past few years, would be given complete rehabilitation.
“The training programme is aimed at to stress elimination, bringing inner peace, sensitivity and making them socially responsible citizens,” security sources said adding that alongside, the ex-rebels would be exposed to Vocational Skill Development Training programme to impart technical training in computers, mobile-repair and other electrical equipment.
Pointing out that there have been instances of surrendered militants taking to arms again, security sources said that the Art of Living and its sister organisation, International Association for Human Values had conducted a 90-day intensive spiritual and vocational rehabilitation programme for more than 100 Manipuri militants also.
security sources said that a number of Ulfa rebels have expressed their willingness to start cooperative movements.

Saturday, January 7, 2012

மயிலாடுதுறையில் வாழும் கலையின் மனிதகுல சேவைக்கான விருதுகள்

மயிலாடுதுறையில் 50 ஆண்டாக சேவை செய்து வரும், திரு.என். நாராயணன், திரு.வி.ராமமூர்த்தி மற்றும் திரு.எம்.நிசார் அகமது ஆகிய  மூன்று மருத்துவர்களுக்கு குருஜி ஸ்ரீ ஸ்ரீ ரவிசங்கர் அவர்களின் வாழும் கலை சார்பாக மனித நேய சேவைக்கான விருதுகள் ஜனவரி முதல் திகதி வழங்கப்பட்டது. 

Thursday, January 5, 2012

குருஜி ஸ்ரீ ஸ்ரீ ரவிசங்கர் அவர்கள் அருளிய பத்மசாதனாவின் முக்கியத்துவங்கள்

IMPORTANCE OF PADMA SADHANA

Padma Sadhana is a sequence of yoga asanas specially designed by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for the DSN (Divya Samaj Nirman) Course. Padma means lotus and Sadhana means effort.

In the Agama tradition, it is said that the Devi (Goddess) sits on a 5 layered seat or asana. The base of this seat is a tortoise, which represents stability. The second layer is the snake, which represents awareness. Above the snake sits the lion, it symbolizes grace. Above the lion sits the Siddha, The Perfect Sage. And above the perfect sage sits the lotus, the symbol of full blossoming.
When our asanas have all these 5 qualities – Stability, Awareness, Grace, Perfection and Full blossoming, then the divinity dawns in us and that is Padma Sadhana. 

Padma Sadhana refers to the blossoming of the mind, body and soul through the practice of these asanas. It releases many optimum hormones in the blood stream and induces tranquility and harmony, improving one’s alertness, dynamism, courage and commitment.

Doing Padmasadhana before Sudarshan Kriya deepens our experience and takes us deeper in meditation. It helps in centering our mind and consciousness. 

Make Padmasadhana a daily part of your morning and evening practice.

Tuesday, January 3, 2012

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why am I here?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why am I here?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | Tuesday, January 3, 2012
Certain questions indicate the maturity of our mind. They are: What is life? What is the purpose of my life? Why am I here? What do I want?
These questions are vital. Where am I? Are you aware you are on this planet Earth? Have you ever thought “I am on planet Earth and this planet is in the solar system”? So, I am in the solar system. The solar system is just a dot in the Milky Way. So, I am in the Milky Way. This expansion of awareness to the macrocosm and being aware of where you are in this body is important. Just sit with your eyes closed and ask yourself “where am I in this body”? Am I in the head, in the nose, in the heart? Where am I in the body?
Then the sharpness of the mind happens, awareness happens. You are able to perceive that you are nowhere and you are everywhere in the body. A shift in the quality of awareness happens instantaneously. And it is this awareness that can eliminate stresses and sorrows from life. This awareness is called wisdom. 
When we raise our consciousness, we become more aware of the sensation that is happening in the body and we see that the sensations change. An intense sensation that is pain and an intense sensation that is pleasure, both become pleasurable. Love and pain, they are very closely related. The symbol of Jesus on the cross means that the cross is pain and Jesus is love. One is with the other. The transformation of this pain into bliss, the love into bliss is what happens with awareness.
Without awareness the mind shrinks. When the mind shrinks, the joy diminishes. Whenever we are happy, we feel that something in us is expanding and the expression of sadness is the contraction of mind.
Meditation is a technique where the mind expands and relaxes. And whenever we are relaxed, we are expanding automatically. It is worth knowing this expansion because then nothing can disturb us or take our smile away.
Otherwise, small things can throw us off balance. It is not worth letting your mind or your life undergo such suffering and misery.

Antidote to terrorism Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


Antidote to terrorism

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | Jan 2, 2012, 12.26PM IST

Antidote to terrorism
Antidote to terrorism
The Bhagwad Gita encourages reasoning while terrorists are blind to any reasoning. The Russians need to study the mind of a terrorist as much as they need to study the Gita before calling it a terrorist scripture, says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
Terrorists are cowards. Whenever terror has struck in any part of the world, we have heard people say it is an act of cowardice. A coward runs away from action but harbours all negative feelings and does it surreptitiously.
This is exactly what happened to Arjuna. Arjunawas angry, upset and sad and wanted to run away. In the Bhagwad Gita, Krishna says, 'Don't be a coward'. Hence the Gita is an antidote to terrorism. Krishna says bravery is the way: Face the war when it is inevitable and do your duty.
A terrorist is stuck in his identity; he hides it, has no rationale and inflicts pain. Whereas the Bhagwad Gita helps you transcend your identity. It encourages reason and infuses wisdom. Therefore, it could be called the antidote to terrorism.
Medicine of righteousness
The duty of a policeman, soldier or king is to be impartial for the sake of the nation, whether it is their mentors or relatives. Terrorists are never impartial. A soldier is brave; a terrorist is a coward. A soldier protects and prevents violence and a terrorist inflicts pain and suffering. The Gita is the scripture of bravery in both realms - physical and metaphysical.
The Gita wants you to act without hatred. Terrorism is steeped in hatred. It is unfortunate that some people in Russia were thinking of banning Gita. Instead of finding a solution to the disease of terrorism they were trying to destroy the only medicine available - of righteousness, of spiritual uplift and an action or duty that ought to be performed even in the most compelling situation.
Let the judges be assured that in the last 5,149 years of the existence of the Gita, there is no evidence of someone becoming a terrorist after reading it. In fact, M K Gandhi wrote commentaries on the Gita and it was an inspiration for his non-violent movement. The Gita is a unique scripture which caters to the entire range of human evolution, comprising of every level of this vast existence. However, if Russia was thinking of banning the Gita, it amounted to depriving its people of a life-transforming scripture.
High standards
The Gita stands for poise and equanimity and for performing one's designated duty. Krishna does not encourage everyone to take to weapons and fight but a soldier cannot sell bananas in the market. He has to take his weapon to bring security to his people. If the Gita is a terrorist scripture then all military academies in the world are nothing but terrorist organisations. Doesn't this sound strange? Would the courts ban LeninMarx and Mao Tse-Tung, who, to stay in power, inflicted terror on millions? A terrorist or a coward hides and inflicts pain on others whereas a soldier sacrifices his own life to bring security and peace to people. They both may take the gun but their intentions are poles apart.
The Bhagwad Gita encourages reasoning and dialogue while terrorists are blind to any reasoning and are closed to any form of dialogue. The Russians need to study the mind of a terrorist as much as they need to study the Gita before calling it a terrorist scripture.
Interestingly, in any military training worldwide, soldiers are asked to view enemies as dangerous objects that need to be eliminated. The psychology behind such indoctrination is that when they think the enemy is a human being, soldiers are unable to raise their arms. There are many such survival tactics where the army is desensitised. Arjuna faced a similar situation. Krishna went step-by-step to deal with Arjuna's emotions, ego, mindset and concepts. He finally touched on the nature of his spiritual being; revealing to him the highest knowledge and his eternal nature. This brought him enormous strength and then propelled him to perform his worldly duties.
Krishna says, no sin accrues to him whose intellect is unattached and free from cravings and aversions, even if he kills the whole world. Now, the condition of an intellect free from cravings and aversions itself counters terrorism. Terrorism exists when the intellect is deeply attached and is hateful. The metaphors and the high standards of humanism exhibited in the Gita are unparalleled.
Metaphysical nature
Jesus said, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household." In the Quran, there are many verses which talk about striking terror in the hearts of infidels and cutting off their fingers. By these standards, if you still call Gita a terrorist scripture, then you have to precede such statements with those from the Bible and Quran.
The fact is that scriptures do not inflict terrorism; it is the misinterpretation by an ignorant and stressed mind, which justifies their actions quoting scriptures.
The author clarifies that this article is to cater to the common man and to those in Russia to whom metaphysics may appear far-fetched.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

2012 singers to usher in the Year of Happiness in Northern Sri Lanka

2012 singers to usher in the Year of Happiness in Northern Sri Lanka
In what is seen as the most optimistic prediction and a much-needed blessing for humanity His Holiness Sri Ravi Shankar`s message for the New Year has already brought  tons of cheer and hope to millions across the world.  Sri Sri opens his New Year message on a brilliantly inspiring note thus  “ In your personal life have  a strong conviction , the faith that all is well and all good is going to happen to me”.  Putting aside the much touted doomsday story that the world is coming to an end, Sri Sri goes on to say “According to the Vedic calendar from March 2012 onwards the year is called `Nanda` meaning happiness …the year of happiness. First comes happiness and the year that follows is called victory. You will be happy and victorious, so don’t` worry. Resolve to do some good work in society”.
Inspired  by Sri Sri`s  vision  and  mission , the Art of Living Foundation in Sri Lanka is organizing a grand choir of  2012 people to sing the most revered Tamil devotional poetry called Thevaram on February 11th and 12th .  This program is to be held for the first time in Jaffna and Vadamarachi towns of  Northern Sri Lanka.  Several  thousand  students,  youth,  artists  and  dignitaries are expected to participate which would be the first mega public event in Northern Sri Lanka since the conclusion of the war in May 2009. 
The Thevaram is the most cherished and popular tamil devotional poetry embedded with spiritual teachings. In Tamil “Theva” means The Divine and “aram” denotes a beautiful garland, representing the first seven volumes of the Tirumurai, the twelve-volume collection of Tamil Saivite devotional poetry. All seven volumes are dedicated to the works of the three most prominent Tamil poets known as Nayanars - Sambanthar and Appar lived around the 7th century AD, while Sundarar lived in the 8th century AD. During the Pallava period these three poets travelled extensively delivering discourses and songs characterized by devotion to Lord Shiva.
“All the hymns in the Thevaram (called pathikam in Tamil) are in sets of ten. The hymns are set to music denoted by Panns and are part of the canons of  Tamil music ” shares Swami Sadyojathah, Director, Art of Living International Office. This unique event is also expected to see the participation of admirers of Tamil literature and music from Europe, Malaysia, US and India.