Oh My GauSh!!

Happy New Year :)

2011-12-31T17:47:00.002+05:30

This year just breezed by with a lot of activity and very few breather breaks.
Like Bau says we all were ' Happy being Busy and Busy Being Happy! '
Some of the things that we did:
Winter Break 2010-2011 ended with La Khana and a super fantastic Bhakti concert in the Amphitheater.

Bawa N Dinesh Da's visit to Gujarat with DSN and Bhakti's in Rajkot, Ahmedabad and Baroda was super cool with Dinesh da's physical presence and Bau's cosmic presence over skype :) We even had Guruji and Bhanu Ma coming on skype in the Baroda Bhakti.

World Cup celebrations in Ahmedabad where every living being was out on the road cheering. wish the same would have been there for the support of Anna.

India Against Corruption rallies all over India in support of Anna.
Celebrated my birthday with Guruji in the Bangalore Ashram- one of the most memorable days in my life- Life is Prasadam were the words. one of the most amazing months spent in the ashram with Vishala cafe food :)

World Culture Festival- 30th Anniversary of The Art of Living in Berlin. Followed by Europe tour with Bau N Dinesh da- unforgettable July 2011.

Navaratri in Ashram- the place to be for Navaratri.
Diwali with Guruji in Gujarat- more posts to look forward for.
Did my Part 1/Basic course with Guruji in Ashram 11/11/11

Refresher meet with Santa followed by winter break :)

it was really unbelievable how time flew this year, with just a blink the year was over.
Resolutions???? only one- to be a better person today than what i was yesterday (http://ohmygaush.blogspot.com/2011/04/guru-what-guru.html)
more posts coming up with our adventures :)

Love,
Jai Gurudev!
G

truly an Inspiration...

2011-11-14T12:21:00.000+05:30

Hello everyone,

its been long and hope you are having a blast reading Gauri's adventures, I mean writing. on the topic of LOVE :)
How vey apt this is one topic on which everyone would have something to say...

so here I am sharing another aspect of this LOVE "again" and its about the one who makes my life go round (literaly)
and never leaves a dull moment in it, never ever...
so here's presenting Sri Sri and how HE beautifully explains about the birth of Sudarshan Kriya. For those of us who've experienced it, you know what I'm saying and for those who are yet to do so, hope you have the fortune to do it asap :)

"What is it that would help people have deeper experiences in their meditation?
I wanted to find a way to bring an unshakable smile and a glow to people.
Close to the Bhadravati river I went on a fast and silence for 10 days and Sudarshan Kriya was born."Sri Sri

So long, till we meet again ...

Lots of love
S
Jai Gurudev!

quote source www.artofliving.org

Love Actually Part 2!

2011-09-07T13:23:00.001+05:30

ok so the much awaited post has finally come.

really sorry about the delay but i had to do a market study before i present their case.

so after covering varied gamut of specimens i have the following on behalf of MOM- Men on Mars rofl (i know....i sometimes surprise myself as well!!! guys you can also smirk if not giggle!)

1. Denial- they will act all casual in public and DENY big time.oh we are just friends!!

2. in a group they will find excuses to be with you- find some work which you can do for them.

3. they will notice all your accessories- right from nail paint to the hair is different or the eye shadow. suddenly they will know the word- eye shadow, mascara n stuff found only in a girls purse...and will comment on your looks.

4. they are curious about your career plans but for a different purpose- to find out your location in the near future!

5. act all chill pill in public but from inside waiting for your sms/call.

6. make fun of you to get your attention initially

7. they will not like the people who you don't like.

8. proudly display that they have reached the highest level in the game/or some guy stuff. basically wanting to show off in the guys team also in front of you.

9. want to show off their technical skills of how tech savvy they can get or be.

10. suddenly behave more accommodating about things or situations!!!

11. pay attention as to why someone is your fav actor- and build similar qualities in them!

12. they might realise they like you when you tell them about your new crush.

13. have group meals together, see if they can place themselves next to you and stuff.

14. secretly wait for your sms and get even more frustrated when some random person sms's....

15. they also become fashion conscious.

16. start listening to different set of songs- maybe different language or type....(her type)

17. pay attention to and remember everything you said (cross referencing is always going on in their mind)

18. they will also have special songs that remind them of you. sometimes the songs are not necessarily romantic....they can be rock romantic, or pop mushy etc etc etc or just a rock song which reminds them of you!

19. some things from the previous post also guys land up doing.....

special thanks to all my previous crushes and Perviz, Abhiram, Gowrishankar, Jdu and my sis for their inputs for this post.

now this may vary from person to person do please do not take it personally......

love,

Venus

ps: part 3 in the making.....

Ganapati chya Hardik Subhecha :)

2011-09-01T21:57:00.001+05:30

Ganapati Bappa - Morya

Love,

Jai Gurudev!
G

Love Actually!! Part 1

2011-08-27T11:30:00.000+05:30

some tell tale signs

1. jumping whenever the phone rings for sms and immediately replying with a goofy smile pasted on your face.

2. when there is no sms, re-read all previous sms's and yet read them again.

3. negotiate with God that if he really loves me, he will do some particular thing or say something........and then go ahead and make him do it!!!

4. day dream of situations in your mind when you meet him.

5. all the stuff which you find corny, movie dialogues to songs to situations, suddenly are not corny anymore.....

6. your playlist will suddenly have all love songs.....or music which inspires day dreaming :)

7. night time you keep your phone charged and not busy and wait for sms or phone call.

8. day dream again of past situations with a twist and remember that next time i will do this.....

9. remember every moment spent with him and every word he said along with what dress you were wearing on that day.

10. more chick flicks :)

11. you will dress up properly to look that you casually threw something on....

12. every few minutes you want to know where he is in the room and what is he doing...

13. give him pet names which only you use.

14. generally pick up a fight and get some tell tale signs that he likes you out of the fight.

15. when in the same place, you take out reasons to pass each other or interact

16. more day dreams to chalk out more of point number 15 :) (fluttering heart beats!!)

17. mushy songs on shuffle mode

18. try to picture his face without looking at picture

19. tease him with someone else to check his reaction or defense rather!!

20. go over every detail of past cute meetings!!

21. you become more aware/ particular of how you look or rather how you want to look!! and what you wear (hate to admit this myself but you really do!!)

22. when you mail to him, you wonder how to start.....the opening is so important..... you do not want to sound desparate yet not too casual to be mistaken for 'just friends'

guys on the other hand..........

wait for the next post.....:)

ps: please comment and add to the list if you think i missed something. i'm sure i must have!!!

Love,

Jai Gurudev!

Action Action Action!!!!

2011-08-25T01:31:00.001+05:30

Sorry for the last few days that i could not update anything.
have been busy with a lot of things which came up and writing took a back seat.
Had a rally to support Anna ji in his movement. well it has become everyones movement now.

One man says i want a corrupt free India
The country supports him
Then Ramdev tries to do something similar rather than join the movement
This mocks the whole movement and govt thinks it can pass through this and that this will not last long.
Our Anna does an action replay of 1947 Gandian movement for independence.
Again the whole country joins him but this time with more vigor.
Sonia is conveniently not in the country.
Rahul Gandhi refuses to comment on anything.
9 days Anna has not had food (and Sibbal eats cashews in the parliament!!!) and the Govt is still deciding WHAT???? really what are they discussing?
how better to hide how much deep they are in trouble if the bill is actually passed?
they should not even be thinking what will happen if they do not pass the bill.....things are better left unsaid.
they cannot handle the non violence with their usual methods of solving or skirting things under the carpet.
its been too long and they are under estimating the intelligence and patience of the citizens.
one cannot ignore this anymore and tolerance of non violence is really stretched too far.
He has nothing to gain in this whole movement. He has already been over the hill, so clearly he wants it for his country and the future generation- for US...yes US...the future of India.
It is time for US to TAKE ACTION. Get out there and support in any and every way you can.
It is not a person's movement- it is OUR movement for OUR COUNTRY and OUR FUTURE.
if this continues just think of where and in what conditions our kids will be living 30 years down the line.
its time to clean our own house from poly-tics.
Vande Mataram
Bharat Mata ki Jai

ps: and no i do not insult any religion by saying that!
Jai Gurudev!
Gauri
pps: subramanian swamy cleared many things....you tube him.

Tup Tup Tup....Dubuk.....!!!

2011-08-11T13:15:00.004+05:30

monsoons makes me mushy.....and nostalgic.

oh and rains means

- sinhagad and lonavala and marine lines!!

- skidding and doing villy

- 2 things- bhaji and ginger tea (not the english ginger tea but our own ghati ginger tea)

- going home and snuggling up in a warm blanket with hot chocolate or coffee and a good book or movie :)

- watching the rain from the window and enjoying the slight breeze carrying the drizzle inside.

- sitting under the fan with soaked pants and wet shoes and then trying to focus on the lecture. did not enjoy but happened quite regularly (murphy's law-

when you leave for college it will pour. it will stop when you reach college)

- being the only people going crazy on the road and getting SOAKED to the core while others run around to find a dry spot!

- NDA and university

- eating bhutta- once we had landed up finishing the vendor's bhuttas as what started with 5 people soon became 20 with friends joining in on the way

back from college.

- walking together with one umbrella and enjoying every moment of it :)

- trampoline- we have one in ashram and i enjoy jumping on it in the rains and otherwise :)

- dancing on the terrace with music blasting in my ears

- oh and how can i forget - FOOTBALL.....initially i used to land up kicking people but now i manage a goal or two :)

- kashid beach

- old ashram side with frogs making their own music :)

- watching chick flicks (or guy flicks) and feeling mushy :)

- kichad fight

- sleeping with the pitter patter background music

monsoons is a love n hate season-

hate it when you get wet on your way to meeting/college/any work

love it when it stirs your hearts and makes it flutter

hate it when it blocks roads and makes traffic which becomes noisy for no reason

love it when it kicks some adrenaline into you and makes you want to do crazy stuff

hate it when you have to walk in the kichad

love it when you skid and play

hate it when it sometimes makes the day gloomy

love it when it makes the world greener and pretty

hate it when it rains continuously for days

love the first rain and the smell of the earth

what is it that monsoons does to us.....

age pani...piche pani...upar pani...niche pani....dubuk!

Fairytale

2011-08-04T21:15:00.002+05:30

As kids we have always imagined our life as a fairytale and day dreamed about all those events where we are the prince/princess charming and the world is so different.

Well step into my world for a bit and see this princess in her world.

It indeed was like that when I went to Berlin and knew that I will be performing in the Olympic stadium on the 30^th Anniversary celebrations of the Art of Living- World Culture Festival. And it was literally just that- a World Culture festival. People from all over the world were there, sharing and cheering- humanity and not a country.

There was rain and wind and it was cold and it did nothing but increased the smiles and laughter even more. On 2^nd July morning we were all excited to perform. In the rains next to the stadium in the hockey stadium we were practicing for the grand finale dance. Barefoot with the light drizzle and the wind we practiced not knowing exactly what was in store for us in the evening.

All of us were in Berlin for the first time and the stadium was HUGE…..it took us 15 minutes to just walk to the changing rooms. To find our room was like entering the world of Alice in Wonderland. The same door (atleast we thought it was the same one) opened to different things and we were lost underneath the stadium. Adding to the confusion the lift had doors on either side that opened. We had a flight of stairs going down followed by a short walk across the parking and up we went two floors and into a hallway with identical doors opening to different things and sometimes linked to each other. It was a maze. Luckily we had a fairy Godmother who took us from the room to the artists entrance to the ground.

Once there we just had to wait along with others for our performance. The wait made us a little edgy, as we were the last ones to perform. The HMMMM process in YES!+ came to rescue and we all stood in a line and climbed the stairs leading to the walkway right in the middle of the stadium. When we reached upstairs we were hit with a wave of applause and cheers. I could hear my heart pounding in my ears and excitement danced all over me. We turned back, waved to Guruji (silently took blessings) and then there was no looking back. With smiles pasted on our faces we were ready. It was a 10 minute performance and those 10 minutes nothing else mattered.

The rain, the wind, the slippery floor- nothing mattered. We were just THERE and doing what we had practiced with thousand times more energy for the one person who changed all our lives. Grace flowed in our every move and we had the time of our life. A laser show followed and we were on the tracks. I felt like running the whole lap and shouting all the way.

I couldn’t thank my stars enough and still wonder what I did to be there on that day. Right there in the middle of the Olympic stadium with thousands cheering and millions watching across the globe. It was like a dream and this princess was there, right there. But this princess had a Fairy Godfather in her life. And HE was there to guide her and grant her every thing that is best for her and be there with her in every breath she took. Like you have a shield around you that will protect you from anything so that you are untouched.

And that dream is my living reality.

HE has only one thing to say- Reality is limited by your imagination!

So go wild, LIVE your own dreams J

Jai Gurudev!

Love,

Train Travels

2011-08-03T20:25:00.002+05:30

Hmmmm…. In the last few months I have been travelling by train a LOT….so this post was kind of expected. More about the Europe trip will come soon…..too many posts to write so please hold on for a bit.

Travelling by deccan queen to Bombay and parents came to drop me so was prompted to write this asap.

I love train travels….everything about it right from the whole lot of food packets you carry. The pack of cards and the news paper. In my childhood we used to travel to Bangalore quite often to visit my grandmom. Our typical travel food of potato veggie or spring onions along with roti and curd rice with pickle was a fixed dish. Ofcourse if you have a Gujarati in your coupe or boogie then food is the last of your worries. We happened to have a set of only gujju uncles with us and they managed to feed a 5 course meal to boogie and still food was left the next morning J

So many things happen on the train station itself……if you just visit one and be a witness and not part of the hustle bustle you will be amazed.

Someone is anxiously waiting for the train to arrive and to see that someone’s face coming out of the door. Smile which was held back for a while suddenly fills up the face and short run to the compartment with waves and a series of questions follow through the window.

Some have come to see off close people. The constant checking of the clock to see how much more time they have with their loved one distinguishes them from the former. The waving of the hands with a napkin till the train goes out of sight and then slowly walking back with a dreamy expression on the face.

Then there are these set of on the spot people who arrive just when the train is about to leave with practically everything they have at home…..the amount of gratitude on their face to see the train stationary is a pleasure to see. I am sure God wants more of such expressions for other events as well but anyways I digress.

Oh and how can I forget the waiting list…..people flocking the TC with a hope to get a seat to sit as long as they are on the train. The desperation and the ‘I will not give up till the train starts moving’ attitude is something which I feel we use for anything and everything we do will make our life so much simple and easy. (its also called giving your 100% incase you are wondering what I mean)

The last but not the least you will see the Vishnu type people who are on the station half an hour before the train and are patiently waiting for the train sitting with their luggage. Or a group of people travelling together. With the constant counting of baggage and head counts.

In my train travels I generally catch up on my sleep, reading and writing. (in that order) the upper berth of the 3^rd ac compartment is very comfy to just forget about everything and cuddle up and sleep undisturbed without your phone ringing J

Which means it is time for me to snooze now so see you in a wink ;)

Love,

Jai Gurudev

G&S

my first knowledge sheet :)

2011-07-27T21:31:00.001+05:30

we had a very mesmerizing knowledge session with Bawa n Dinesh da and in one of them Guruji asked everyone to write their own knowledge sheet. so promptly that night i wrote this. enjoy and share your views :)

Steigenberger, Gstaad, Switzerland 13th July 2011
GO BEYOND THE SENSES

Humans have a tendency to possess. it can be seen in simple involuntary actions, which when we observe we realize that this urge to possess anything that we see or eat or drink or touch or feel or smell is such a impression.
When we were travelling from Venice to Switzerland every turn we took we were in amazement at natures hand in creating this place so lavishly and with a lot of attention. But our small mind wants to immediately posses and capture so out comes the camera and we attempt to capture desparately by clicking pictures.
But there are limitations, the wow happening inside us cannot be captured by clicking thousands of pictures. so after a while we just let go and relax and settle down. this is when you can enjoy the nature and beauty around you. when we go beyond the senses then AHO happens inside.
in this trip i have realised how much a sadhak and someone on the path can truly 100% enjoy the nature and the world around them as a part of one big conciousness. thank you Guruji for this wonderful gift.

NEWS FLASH:
the whole group went to Gstaad and had a very FULL dinner at Realto. the Italian owner was more than happy to house and serve 30 young hungry souls. the whole party will leave for Paris the next day and celebrate Guru Poornima with Bawa n Dinesh in french :)

love,
Jai Gurudev!
G&S

Art of Living foundation 30years celebration...

2011-04-28T11:22:00.047+05:30

Jai guru day!!!
Today I'd like to talk about the force in my life and Gauri's life, who creates happiness and bliss, sustains enthusiasm through the mundane and destroys the negative in and around us. That force I call GOD...fortunately for Gauri and me, we didn't have to die and go to heaven, my GOD not only found us but also caught us totally unaware(both of us have our own set of stories to share) :) Suprise... So thus began our journey with HIM.

So today is about Him so il share what we know as breifly as I can ...

When He was born everyone around knew He was special, it was only a matter of time that He blossomed to the world...after 10 days of Silence HE was given the Kriya and since then He has tirelessly travelled across the world reaching out to everyone, with just one motto 'put a smile on everyones face' and it's happening :)

So this year Art of Living celebrates it's 30th year and we are going to be celebrating, pls see the link below for further details...

And definitely hope to see you all there.
Thanks Abhi n Gowri n team for creating these beautiful videos and sharing them with us :)
Lots of Love
GnS
Jai Gurudev!

Welcome to Communication!? in the Virtual world...

2011-04-24T11:43:00.010+05:30

I open my FB page and there are these posts, that I don't care about or cant relate to, one such post loudly shouts at me, asking people if I'm a good kisser? that was it, of all the requests to join farm ville or some underworld game and choosing between mafia n don etc etc, basically crap this kissing post topped the list of ITS HIGH TIME FB MET A PSYCHIATRIST.

I mean how on earth are a bunch of people, no let me be honest 80% of people who are my VIRTUAL FRIENDS (I mean i never even met them) how on earth are they going to decide if i SMELL NICE or if I'M A GOOD KISSER or whether I'D RATHER BLUSH THAN KISS, and I'm not exaggerating any of this, these are the very questions that stare at me when I open my page.

Where on earth is communication heading to? and why am I complaining??????? I have a reason, in spite of all this once upon a time FB was fun- long long ago and there was this pure thrill that

I could reach out to soooo many people at once and that WALL POST & WHATS ON UR MIND were cute concepts, I LOVED THEM
reconnecting with old friends, this was a total wow factor and when i saw all my dear old friends , and their posts n pics, it felt like - CATCHING UP FOR LOST TIME without feeling GUILTY & it was COMMITMENT FREE - iv never had to tell people IL write/chat with you at this time, "I chat if your there, I wont wait n all :)
also I connected with everyone (including those id hardly care about) sans effort & emotion...U C FB IS NOT JUDGING ME OR MY INTENTIONS :) so I'm god to everyone, and I'm treating EVERYONE ALIKE (far from real) - that's how FB projects me, cause ppl are only seeing that cute profile pic of mine, when they are relating to me...

all my pics always get a thumbs up ALWAYS, its such a good feeling
I could just write a common message and post it, everyone whom I want to know will know and a few more :) and well those that i barely knew, they didn't really complaint about me so I'm assuming they just felt good receiving my posts, like as though they r saying," hey that's Shilps post, isn't she a darling, wonder when we can meet her"...or something like that
so in short FB was a very SPIRITUAL experience , full of positivity and warmth and so many people still waiting to connect to me, man to top it all the number of people on my friends list gave me such a thrill...

but now on FB I see, weird and tasteless posts, questions about weird and tasteless things, so I'm disappointed + I have to scroll quite a few times up and down to find out the posts that really matter :(

am I the only one complaining? or am i just too old fashioned!?, I don't know , its just that I don't want to see what I don't want to see on MY FB PAGE, Is that being too ambitious ????? and let me tell you Iv never been too adventurous in the VIRTUAL world ...not joined, checked any irrelevant sites, never encouraged insignificant questions...but as my teenage bro puts it " its cool di, that's how we connect these days, and all these questions are so fun" well maybe I'm just 1% of the population that FB has, which just wants to communicate - so according to bro either I upgrade my virtual communication skills or just move back & stick to GMAIL ...now that I'm yet to decide...

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev !

Ekalavya...

2011-04-19T22:24:00.007+05:30

Ekalavya was the son of a hunter, he would secretly watch the royal princes of the Pandava and Kuru families learn archery under their able teacher Dronacharya. It was a rule in ancient times that the teacher to the royal family cannot teach any other. So Ekalavya would hide and learn the tricks of trade, he would then run back to his forest and practice archery in front of a statue of Dronacharya that he made. He would treat it with utter devotion, like it was his master and bring flowers and fruits to offer.

Ekalavya had become so adept with the bow and arrow that even by listening to the wolf attacking the sheep from far , he would shoot right into the eye of the wolf thereby saving the sheep. This was so rare that news spread far and wide about this skill of Ekalavya's. Dronacharya and Arjun the crown prince came to know of this and so one fine day went to confront Ekalavya and on reaching the forest what do they see, they are greeted by this hunter boy and he is practising in front of Dronacharya's statue.

In anger Arjuna reminds Dronacharya that he had promised to make Arjuna the best archer in the world and now, here is this hunter boy of all people who is such a skillful archer, this was a breech of royal promise.

Dronacharya is in a fix and as he realises the greatness of Ekalavya he came up with a solution. He asks Ekalvya to give his thumb as Gurudakshina* ,for having learnt Archery. Without blinking his eye Ekalavya does so...and you know what Ekalvya lives on as an example of a Perfect student, no one remembers Dronacharya as a great teacher though:(

When I first heard this story there was nothing but symapthy for Ekalavya, it was only after Guruji shared this in a satsang that two things struck me
firstly that a Guru cannot harm a disciple even if he wanted to, cause the disciple is always taken care and nothing can touch him...as his faith is his protection :)
2ndly the act of surrender (even if its just a lifeless statue) empowers one to move forward from strength to strength, and in such a way that nothing can stop you...
so for all my dear friends who have CONNECTED to their GURU- dont ever let it go,
for those who are yet to experience it, praying that you do so ASAP,
and those who think they dont need it, you have no idea what your missing...

Love
Shilpa
Jai Gurudev!
*in the eastern world there is a very sacred tradition that a student offers a gift to the teacher for the knowledge imparted
Image source: google images

GURU!? what GURU...

2011-04-07T11:23:00.010+05:30

Scene 1: TEMPLE - It feels so good as I bow down to this stone statue in the temple, i feel Divine, I do, I'm certain there is something special the vibrations, the everything, THE PRESENCE, GOD is here i can feel it :)

Scene 2: ON THE STREET - blasting my lungs out on this guy who just banged into my car, I mean cant he see, what the hell, its so unacceptable, i feel my blood boil to ---- with him @#$%$#^$#@$@$%#, feel like punching him on his face :(

how often Iv been through these extremes of feeling utter devotion capable of melting statues in temple and almost instantly lost it all to some human being who just reset my state of mind, isn't that funny and it happens all the time, its easier to be so gentle with the statue, show reverence to the rivers and trees and to Gurus who are no longer in the physical form, cause they don't ask, don't say, don't question you at all,me thinks the fear arises when you see an Enlightened Being and In knowing truly and deeply that HE is one...*

pls note that : experience speaking- having a Master is challenging, its chaotic (w.r.t small mind) its strange (w.r.t rest of the "normal world") its scary cause you never really know whats going to happen or in fact what's happening but who cares YOU HAVE A GURU :) HURRAY (fireworks) right!?

*cause IF YOU HAVE MET THE GURU then you cant do what the small mind says, you cant just do things without knowing the consequences, you cant be irresponsible, insensitive and get away with saying but I don't care, you cant you just cannot dear, you unfortunately have to start feeling connected, take care and this list is so endless that too much of DIVINITY will just kill the whole thrill of being human, i guess and therefore its so convenient going to places, dipping oneself in the rivers praying to photographs of physically non existent beings (with all due respects to all of them, if you know what i mean)

so that's why, is liye (Hindi), people pray, offer, etc etc but wont go to a Living Master cause its very riksy (that's how i spell it) very very riksy and there has always been someones someones someone who either ran away to the Himalayas on the pretext of meeting a master or was duped by one and blah blah blah blah but we wont meet the MASTER,

see its easier to be / feel divine for a few minutes in a day / month/ year, who the hell wants it for lifetime!? AND THAT'S WHY ITS EASIER TO SEE GOD IN OBJECTS THAT YOU CANT RELATE TO, SEEING HIM IN EVERYONE IS TOO MUCH OF A CHALLENGE AND MORE SO WHO WANTS A GURU who does that ALL THE TIME...

...on my GURUday for and with my GURU

lots of love

Shilpa

JAI GURU DEV ! :)

p.s. pls support Anna Hazare in every way you can, today we are doing a candle march near gateway of India...

India Against Corruption

2011-04-05T19:47:00.000+05:30

it is time we stand up and do something rather than complain later.
join the movement on facebook.
http://www.facebook.com/IndiACor

more about the movement and why we should attend it please click :
http://bawandinesh.name/india-against-corruption/

Jai Hind
Jai Gurudev!
G n S

I AM :)

2011-03-24T18:54:00.000+05:30

“Im old enough to know what exactly I want but not old enough to let go,

Im kind enough to share stuff I have but not all that I adore,

Im honest enough to share the truth as much as you can hear, not all of it Im sure,

Im loud enough for you to hear me scream, cause you matter, not everyone around me dear,

Im calm enough to smile at will, else with a broken heart im painful as a shredded glass…

IM understandING yes I am but definitely not mature,

Im The imp in your life who colours it bright …Im me…the hermit in the city…unresolved yet so plain, with my noble intentions I could put a saint to shame!!!

“What does a hermit really need??? Roti kapda and makan – to put it simply…”

the pure air at the mountains refreshes my senses and im so at peace that im ready to unsettle myself by indulging in a mad city – Delhi…so today as I forced myself to venture to the heart of the city to eat good food at lunch hour (god forbid) I was horrified when I was made to stand at the door of this good restaurant and wait (no lobby can you imagine, no sitting just standing at the door, for all the money they have, they don’t even have the courtesy to place a few seats, even if they are plastic chalse, but some chairs please) in the corridor of a shopping area, not really sure how the others take it but it didn’t go down too well with me L and to top it all was this really unpleasant, rude, frustrated and the most grim faced guy I had ever seen, since I last saw Golum in Lord of the Rings, at the door who was writing names…god I could go on but I wont, so I promptly barged in, complained to the manager that they were rude and I walked off to find another place… few minutes away near Jantar Mantar was this very doubtful looking eatery, which was flanked by all kinds of people- politicians, rickshaw walas, students, aunties uncles etc etc…I couldn’t resist the smell of yummy sambar and I pushed myself towards the stall, but when I saw all the people eating what they ordered I was shamelessly salivating like a school kid who gets to eat at restaurants once a week, I was so filled with greed that I promptly ordered upma, vada and dosa, without even having an inkling if I can digest it all, man it was so yummy and I ended the lunch with a mango milk shake J my first mango shake for this summer…hurray. Not going to Sarvana Bhavan was such a blessing in disguise…and to top it the person who serves food at this small joint was so sweet he gave me extra sambar 3 times, without a frown on his face J isn’t that sweet, yes it is and it was so clear that it’s the people who really make a place happening or not happening, an expensive interior might just serve as a good showroom not a restaurant…so anyway im proud to have found this place and the better than the best part was I landed up paying only what I would have paid for ordering extra sambar at Sarvana...

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

of farewells and welcomes...

2011-03-24T18:35:00.002+05:30

every farewell has the hope of a welcome,

every goodbye has a hope of a new arrival,

yesterday i said bye to a very beautiful woman, she was the daughter to my friend, who was returning to states,

though we met just for a few hours, her enthusiasm was infectious and her warmth undeniable,

and when i went to say goodbye i felt something within, and my eyes were moist,

it was so strange and funny, i hardly knew her yet she felt so familiar...

as Guruji says "meet naye, preet purana..." the mind races for new things but the heart yearns for things that are old...

Jai Gurudev

Love

G&S

Tomato Chutney

2011-03-20T09:30:00.000+05:30

Its been a long time since I wrote a recipe so here it is guys.

This recipe just came to me when I was asked to cook something real fast and the only thing that I had were tomatoes and our spices.

You will need:

Tomatoes

Mustard seeds

Haldi/turmeric

Jeera power/whole jeera

Garam masala

Dhania powder

ajwain

Kadipatta

Salt

Jaggery

From the ingredients I am sure you have guessed what is to be done but I shall still elaborate.

Chop tomatoes into medium size pieces.

Heat a little bit of oil in a pan

When it becomes hot add a few kadipatta leaves, mustard seeds, jeera, haldi, garam masala, dhania powder, salt and little bit of ajwain.

On low flame let the mixture cook a bit but DO NOT let it burn.

To this add the tomatoes and mix it up and let it cook properly.

When it is about to be cooked properly add a little bit of jaggery so that it becomes tangy but not sweet.

After a few minutes switch off the gas and serve hot along with khichadi or have it like another veggie with roti.

Bon Apetit,

Jai Gurudev

Journey towards being graceful

2011-02-24T22:08:00.000+05:30

Last summer for 2 weeks I learnt the ancient indian martial arts called KaraTandav

Kara means hands and Tandav means dance. So when you fight the whole movement looks like a tandav.

The Karate and Judo and Taikwando descends from this ancient art form. Why i keep calling it an art form is because your movements when practiced to perfection looks like a graceful dance. Even when you are learning you can feel the movements and make it a power packed dance.

24 of us used to begin the day by clearing our throat with loud sharp breaths while practicing our punches and blocks and kicks. Our teacher Dr. Giriprasad took a vigorous warm up session after which when we were half wet already we used to start practicing our techniques. One thing I learnt was that more than strength the technique was important to defeat the opponent.

My chest ached after 2 days of practice so much so that when I laughed it ached. To this Dr. Giri just smiled and said it will change in a few days…….few days???? Few minutes were painful to go through…..because when you are in the ashram you are invariably smiling or laughing that made few days a long long way to go…..

Nonetheless in a day or two the pain reduced as my body got used to the exercise and the movements became more smooth and the dance more graceful.

We had progressed from punches and blocks to kicks and sequences and techniques. It was very interesting and practice was the only thing that made us perfect. Every move had to be precise and perfect to get the desired output. You can only go to the next level if your teacher thinks you can. There was so much of sacredness in the art. The teacher student bond and respect for the martial art was special. In those 2 weeks we put a small sequence which was performed in the summer magic. http://www.facebook.com/video/video.php?v=411544441107

Needless to say people loved it. But more than that they were introduced to this ancient art which was with our ancestors and is still practiced by some devoted souls. Our land has so much more to teach us. We should be open to it and be proud to know it and spread it. Like Guruji says- broaden your vision and deepen your roots.

Deepen your roots…. Know where you come from and what your ancestors were like and what they did. Bawa’s talk on Technology of Spirituality is fantastic to give us a glimpse of this. Watch it on youtube.

Love,

Jai Gurudev!

long time no write :(

2011-02-08T10:02:00.000+05:30

Hiya....
shilpa n i have been very busy doing many things since the last post....
first there was the winter break where we had THE time of our lives with La Khana the restaurant.
Bhakti happening for the first time in Ashram in the amphi and the majestic VM as the back drop.
over to Ahmedabad for organizing the first YES!+ DSN and Bhakti there.
The DSN was super fantastic DSN with Dinesh da's physical presence in the afternoon and Bau's cosmic presence over skype in the night. It ended with Bhakti (more details on www.bhaktitheconcert.com)
the crowd was enthralled and we had the gala time dancing garba to local songs and swooning over the others and meditating to the divine music. The stories left us wanting for more and i am sure another Bhakti is right round the corner :)
i have a bad throat and so cannot speak much so i am taking this as an indication that i should go into advance course :) so will see you all next week with a brighter and more vibrant me!

Love,
Jai Gurudev!
GnS

When you have lots of time……

2010-12-18T09:00:00.005+05:30

Well I was stuck in this train which I thought will take 24 hours to reach Bangalore but I was proved wrong….. I was to reach the next morning instead of the previous night……10 more hours in this train.

Acceptance came very late and I already finished calling up everybody I know and waking them up at 11.30 just to tell them how miserable I was feeling about this piece of information that just came to me like a slap in the face. Jd had booked his ticket to match my arrival time so that we can go together and my ill luck to find this out when I finish settling in the train and waiting for it to start moving fast towards Bangalore.

If only my longing to reach earlier could make the train go faster I can sit and do only that……every min I was there in the ashram meeting everyone I love…….

Jumping on the trampoline, running around with kaali and walking around the ashram. Attending satsang with G and snuggle in my bed and fall in deep slumber……but hold it I was thousands of kilometers away still making my way towards Bangalore at a snails pace (yes it is SLOW compared to my lllloooonnngggiiinnnggg)

So this is a list of things you can do when you have lots of time on hand and nothing much to do but wile away the time…..

go through all the pics on your laptop and see if you can organize it.
Call all those useless people who you keep postponing because of how busy you are……yes it is time to pick up the phone and call them and talk :)
Talk about life and the purpose of your life and what can YOU do to change things for the better……it is time to think baby because you cannot act….you are having lots of time to wile away remember…….
Watch movies which you have already watched and only those fav parts
Ssssssssssssssslllllllllllllllllleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeppppppppppppppp
Read a book with big print so you can fool yourself that you are reading fast and finishing most of the book in no time at all,…. I would suggest Sophie Kinseller…..all of her books are amazing…..esp can you keep a secret? One of the most gripping book I have read till date.
Paint your nails, oil your hair, put a face pack….pamper yourself
Solve Sudoku….hard ones which take longer than the easy ones given in the times ;)
Count the leaves on the trees
See if you can sleep with your eyes open…. and then tell me if you can.
Repeat this sequence and see if you can do something creative along with this….

Just goes to prove that idle mind is not a devil’s workshop…..its all in your mind so go unleash it……

Guruji once said – reality is only limited by your imagination.

Lets go WILD and MAD (make a difference)

Love,

Jai Gurudev!

Our link to our culture and ancestors

2010-12-16T09:00:00.007+05:30

The one person who can beat you to winning most of the arguments with your mom- Her Mom…….your grandmom/ajji/gran.

Everyone has a special corner for their grand mom.

My granny and I shared a very special relationship. Since childhood my granny used to be the fevicol that bound everyone. In our summer vacations we used to pack our bags and set up our tents in her place. She stayed along with my uncle and aunt on the out skirts of pune, sahakarnagar. Well it was outskirts in those days now it is part of the city and heavily populated. So behind her house was a small range of hills called Parvati and Waghjai and Taljai. We were 6 cousins and 2 aunts and mama mami and granny heading the team.

She would be the first to wake up in the morning and get ready and prepare the tea and breakfast along with my aunt. After incessant calls we used to get up and rush to climb one of the hills. Racing around in nature with muddy small pathways made by perpetual walking. Calling out after granny till she came in the balcony so that we can wave to her before running to dig in our breakfast plates first.

Afternoons with granny was fun because she would give in to us while playing cards so that we win hands down and overlook our cheating ;)

There is a small temple close by where she will walk to every evening and spend sometime with her fellow girlfriends. Talking knowledge and singing and reading ‘Pothi’ various ancient scriptures and poojas.

She will tell us stories about different Gods and why they were named what they are and why we follow some rituals and what we should do and knew all the different old bedtime stories that you will not find in the books. She will also tell you stories about how naughty your mom was and how she did not listen to her like us. These used to be interesting stories which we never forgot and always remembered to use wisely when fighting with mommy next :)

When I grew up and was in college I used to visit my granny’s place every weekend and she made the most amazing thalipits in the world. Those of you who do not know what thalipits are they are basically maharashtrian pancakes which are not sweet but tasty and healthy as well as they are made from all the dals. Thalipits never tasted so delicious and yummy and crispy with ghee melting on its surface and curd alongside it ….ok I am seriously hungry again. And she made the most incredible dal……yes even a simple thing like dal was wonderful the way she made it. My mom must have whacked her brains out on how to make it just like her. Gran even told her the recipe but still it will not taste the same. She was the most practical person I have seen in applying the new outlook of our generation with hers. When I used to fight with mom on how deep the neckline can be she used to always side me :) saying it was the age to dress up and go to parties rather than wear rags and sit at home ;) but she was quick to turn round and reprimand us if it affected our grades. Not that she was more into us for the grades. But she firmly believed in learning whenever you can esp in our age. She was one of the few who studied when others just settled down. She married my granddad because he was more educated and intelligent rather than money or looks. Imagine at that age in that era where all people were bothered about was how good looking you are and how handsomely paid your husband is my gran chose my grand dad. she brought up all my uncles and aunts and my mom (how can I forget ;) ) the six of them have stories to tell us how they were raised. How the division of labor was done at home chores and how homework was monitored and taken and taught by the elders to the younger ones.

She had a gamut of home made remedies to almost everything. What should be eaten for stomach ache, head ache, fever, cramps, glowing face, improvise the diwali dishes incase they turned out to be disasters. Home cooked food and different types of dishes were given more importance than eating outside. Traditional recipes were shared and imbibed and taught and witnessed from a small age with us. All those read in between the lines of the cookbook recipes were taught. In all this I have never seen my grandmom ever getting angry or shouting at anyone. She was in total acceptance of things and people around her and worked her way around them and taking the people along with her. She gave the sweetest scolding I have ever heard and it had a better effect on us rarely repeating the mistake after that. The love that oozed out of her every word she spoke and the care in every action of hers made her the most respectable and lovable in the house.

Lets share our granny stories this week. Write to us and we will put them up on the blog for all :)

Love,

Jai Gurudev!

Happy Birthday Mommy!!

2010-12-14T13:14:00.000+05:30

It was my mommy's b'day yesterday.unfortunately i was traveling so could not put up this post on time....but anyways here it is :) the anchors of my life :)

This woman is a gem. She always is and will be for everyone. The amount of love in every action that a mom does for you is unfathomable. Whenever there is something to be done for you she gives herself a no exit option and will get food from no where and make those things happen for you. All her energies will be focused to make you comfortable and things effortless for you.

Getting up everyday of her life even if she has fever to get the food on the table and on time without murmuring anything.
Making you GOD and getting everything for you when you are studying for your exams.
Sitting next to you and praying while you revise for the paper a few hours before the exam.
Revising with you when she is plating your hair
Worrying about you when you come late
Stay awake till you sleep
Studying with you for the papers where you flunked in the exam
Being there for you and dropping everything at your beck and call
Call up everyone to tell them that she learnt how to chat with you online
Accidently send you a blank sms before sending the actual sms.

While on the other hand .........

Wake you up twenty min before scheduled time to ask you what veggie to make
Wake you up just before you fall asleep to ask you what veggie to make next morning
Change the timings on all the wall clocks so you get confused which one is the right time.
Interrogate all your friends who fortunately, unfortunately come home. She MUST know everyone’s family tree.
Nag you to tidy your room the way she wants and not leave it in the organized mess that it is in so that when you finish cleaning up you forget where you have put what and take twice the time to find it.
Wants you to be there and help her make the smallest of all decisions
Call you and complain that you never talk
Never listen to what you talk and just speak what she has planned to tell you anyway
When you are cooking she will cook along with you so that you land up assisting her
Virtual driving with you from the passenger seat as only she can see the other vehicles coming for us
Always feeding you as we are always in the age group where growth is very important
Never bothering much on mother’s day till after I became 24 suddenly I had to call her and wish her happy mommy’s day otherwise she will call the other day and demand it from me ;)
Becoming a kid and asking me what I got for her when I come home from another city.

This bitter sweet relationship that we share with our mom is what makes it so special. Each fighting with each other for the other’s happiness and comfort.

I have learnt a lot from my mom

How to do things and how not to do things ;)

So today on this very special occasion I wish her a very happy birthday and many more to come. May she continue to be the way she is and brighten others life like she did in mine. Love you mommy, momma, momya, aai……

Next post I will introduce you to someone who can beat my mom at this :)
any guess????

Love,
Jai Gurudev!
G

Effortless travel- part2

2010-12-11T17:40:00.000+05:30

As I ran towards the station with my bags, the auto driver was busy parking and then getting the other big bag of mine. I rushed on the platform and shouted in general hoping someone will respond,’ where is paschim express?’

‘right in front of you madam.’

the train was not moving :D

‘oh thank God, Jai Gurudev, thank you Guruji’

I check the sms to find out my boogie and seat number- B2,42.

I ask someone again where is B2

IT IS RIGHT IN FRONT OF ME!!!!!!!!

The train, boogie and seat in which I am supposed to go is right in front of me.

All I had to do was get in and relax!!!!

Can you imagine my surprise…….you are in a hurry and run on the station from the nearest available entry point to you…..the train and the boogie in front of you is yours to enter……what are the odds…. I am dumbstruck for a few mintues. Passers by acknowledge it and tell me that the train will leave in another 15 min so I can take my time. The auto driver gets my luggage and I get on the train. Next few minutes I am sitting and digesting what just happened. Small grateful prayer and tears of joy and quick sms to Jd, Bau n Dinesh da, chaital bhaiya, shrivi n shruti and Abhi later I am all settled to enjoy the journey to Bombay. Pack my bags properly in the organized way that I wanted, freshen n tidy up and settle down with an archies to doze off in deep slumber to open eyes to Bombay. Pune is a few more hours to go and I will be home to my fav food cooked by mommy :)

Gratitude, blessedness, love, faith, trust, peace, joy all overcame me that day and I realized that you do not need an event to trigger that …you can always be that and it is all up to you ;)

love,

Jai Gurudev!

Effortless travel- part1

2010-12-09T00:19:00.000+05:30

After the rocking course in Ahmedabad I then went to Baroda where an even more rocking course in the morning was awaiting us. On the second day of the course Guruji came to Baroda and we had a fantabulous Laxmi pooja and satsang with Him. After which we proceeded to the Vasand Ashram, an hour away from Baroda. Since it was my first time in the Ashram I was busy wandering around and exploring the Ashram. It was a clear night and the sky was sparkling, slight dew on the grass made it irresistible to have a quite walk. Of all the places I have travelled to it is very different and peaceful to sleep in the ashram. There is deep rest and you invariably wake up with a smile on your face :) the only place where I can manage to take a cold-water bath at five in the morning :)

The morning was beautiful and I had fun feeding the cows and taking a walk humming to myself. We were to leave by six thirty for the city as I had an eight forty train to catch.

But we didn’t, we left late and got late and then I had to pack and leave. At eight thirty I got into the auto with everything that I had got with me all dumped in it. While we drove to the station I sort of arranged everything into 3 bags. I did not have the print of my e ticket, just an sms telling me the boogie and seat number. Two minutes before the scheduled departure I am in the parking lot of the railway station. I instruct the auto driver to get one of my bags and I run with 2 bags towards the station……

Did I catch the train? Or miss it? Next post ;)

love,
Jai Gurudev!
G

Ahmedabad calling......

2010-12-02T08:48:00.002+05:30

Ahmedabad is a hot place even in winters. Ofcourse with rains in the winter you do get a few days of cold mornings and pleasant evenings :)

On 2^nd Nov we had the Anna Brahma- where 5600 different varieties of dishes from all over India were made and put up on one stage. Can you imagine the whole big stage full of food. We had it on Uninor grounds and it was HUGE……. So many dishes being blessed by Guruji. The food was then distributed by our YES!+ team to all the poor kids in Ahmedabad. We reached to around 35000 kids that night. It was a miracle…….also went in the Guiness book of world records :) some kid never would have thought that sitting in Gujarat he will get to eat Bengali sandesh or kerala sweets. All of this without an event management company!!!! By all gujju bens handling the cooking and we handling the distribution. It was truly a one big family. Everyone was doing something or the other and in the end by His grace every bit fell in place.

We were there in ahmedabad to organize a YES!+ course in 10 ten days. We had an amazing team led by Rashmin. Day used to begin with Sadhana and then all the hungry souls used to eat whatever they could for breakfast and then we went to work. Divided in teams we went to various colleges, tuition classes, hostels, hangouts, malls, multiplexes……you name it and we were there…..

But the best time was from 7-9pm when we had a trailer to YES!+ called Life Rocks. It was fun and unexpectedly unpredictable as to what Rashmin is going to speak and all the day’s tiredness used to vanish with the 20 min meditation he used to conduct for us. Night life in Ahmedabad was just hostels or sleep. We watched a couple of movies on the laptop and dozed off to sleep.

Our school SSRVM was in Mayur Pankh colony where we had peacocks wandering around the campus and jumping from one gate to the other and basking themselves on the terrace. It was a wonderful sight in the morning to see them sashaying their pretty hues. Though they are not so lovely when they fight- the noise is unbearable.

In those 10 days we did not think we just acted. Talked and talked and talked to people about the course. Everyday was precious and I believe we LIVED everyday to the fullest. There was life in everyone and everything around us and it was infectious. Teams competing for registrations and everyone sharing their little story of the day. Everyone had one and I am not surprised why ;) .Those 10 days people had put their other life on hold and were just working for making others life more happy and wonderful. There is little doubt that such a noble deed will not be rewarded. Suddenly our problems or concerns in our life were small and insignificant as compared to joy and happiness that one got when someone experienced the peace within themselves on doing the Sudarshan Kriya. And this joy made those small problems disappear. The best win-win situation I have seen. My teacher’s teacher once told us that the best thing to do when you have problems in your life is to help out others and even nobler thing to do is to help them out without expecting a return favor.

Guruji’s message for the Diwali was to KNOW that you are blessed and have the FAITH that whatever you have got and will get is what is needed for you at that moment. On that note we had a blast in the Diwali and I have a special story to tell you’ll on my way back from Baroda to Pune.

Love,

Jai Gurudev!

Food Food everywhere not a bite to spare!

2010-11-12T20:59:00.002+05:30

Yes I am talking about Gujarat. Food oozes out of every cell here.

We spent a fantastic Navaratri in the Ashram and I really wished that I could be with Guruji for the Diwali.

And the next day on the Rishi homa day Bau tells me that I am going to Ahemdabad for organizing a YES!+ course there. Which means that I am in Baroda for Diwali……wishes just get fulfilled instantly isn’t it!

So the next day we celebrate Dassera in the ashram have a blast, stay up the whole night and get on the 6am train to ahmedabad.

There are 8 of us and loads of luggage going to baroda and ahemdabad. After a nice long fight without swear words for the taxi fare we now have the task of shifting mt everest from the parking to the platform. So we pay porters to wheel in the luggage but the only difference is that WE help them load, WE push the carts along with them and WE unload it as well…..i could have freaking bought the cart wheel at the price I paid for this shift of weight.

SSSSSSSLLLLLLLEEEEEEEEEEPPPPPPPPPPPP possess us the moment we board the train. We hibernate till late afternoon only because our stomach kept rumbling and we finally had to give in. after we devoured whatever was edible in our vicinity we watched this super amazing movie Harishchandra chi Factory a marathi movie without the emotional garbage and songs of the hindi movie based on a true story of how the motion picture was first brought to India and the beginning of Indian film industry. The post on the review will be next ;)

We decided to fully explore the limits of the first 2 sources of energy :) food followed sleep followed by sleep and so it continued till evening. then we realized our folly and sat and meditated for a while and got Kriyad :) fresh dose of satwa brought a cheerful round of stories that lasted for long till we reached Solapur.

Amazing hot food was waiting for us here. Prepared by Dev’s mom we had a scrumptious meal of sabudana khichadi and chivda and son papdi :)

Tummies full with food we got cozy and gibber gabbered about things and slowly fell asleep.

We opened our eyes when we reached Gujarat and we were hungry :) yes saying that word makes you hungry. So we did eat, but not till we reached Surat. we really did not know what was the matter with us. We were behaving like we have not eaten for months. Ravaging on every dish that we found on the platform J and hence began our journey of eating……Surat, Baroda and finally Ahemdabad. This was the place where in the next 10 days we were expected to make the impossible possible. We believed and when you believe only then you can….. so more to come soon about this little miracle in Ahmedabad :)

Love,

Jai Gurudev!

Happy Navaratri

2010-10-19T20:47:00.002+05:30

Shanti Rastu

Pusthi Rastu

Tushti Rastu

May there be Peace prosperity and Contentment in your lives...

Navratri in Ashram was beautiful and the knowledge shared by Guruji was amasing,

its all expressed to perfection by Bawa on his Fb page so do read it,

if you wernt present in Ashram thats the least you can do to yourself :)

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

Varalakshmi Puja at home 2day :)

2010-08-20T23:26:00.000+05:30

Jai Gurudev dear all,
as the first friday of Shravan maas we had a Devi Puja at home today, it was really amasing, meditations were deep and so was the peace and joy at home. Everything was abundant right from the flowers for decoration to the food :)
I was attending it at home after many years, so all at home felt like a long lost happy family reunion :)
thats all for now and yes if you get a chance to perform or organise a Pooja this season Rudra Puja or Devi puja, dont miss it.
Its very auspicious.
Love
Shilpa
Jai Gurudev

The most coolest interview i have ever heard :)

2010-08-20T10:18:00.004+05:30

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p0090py7

the best way to spend your 27 minutes. BBC interviews Guruji
simply bowled over :)

and he completely bowled over the MTV people as well!

http://www.mtv.com/videos/misc/553223/spreading-positivity.jhtml?xrs=share_fb

was speechless.......coolest, adventurous, fun and loving Guru :)
enjoy and share your reactions :)

love,
Jai Gurudev!
GnS

PS: please share your views on the BBC interview to theinterview@bbc.co.uk

lazy, long and away :P

2010-08-12T21:24:00.006+05:30

well that is how Id describe what Iv been upto, but thanks Gauri dear the blog looks jhakas:)

just wanted to stop by say hi and also the fact that we are now having Art of Living courses in general and YES!+ in particular for sportsmen and athletes in our country, Akash Avinash Rashmin and I have done our bit so far and I have been particularly involved with Gopichands badminton academy.

The players are taking to the course and Kriya like fish to water...its amazing how it seems like everyone is waiting to experience Kriya:)

We also have the Youth Ashram coming up fine, thanks to Kedar Dhige and Anjana in Mumbai, courses travel Satsangs and work happening in abundance :)

as I write this Gauri is sharing Grace in extremely thrilling and adventurous ways in nooks and corners of Maharashtra.

life is beautiful...

in love n prayers

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev !

Surrender- the true meaning :)

2010-07-16T10:54:00.002+05:30

Today i have practically felt the verb- surrender :)

this was supposed to be another post but after the latest turn of events this is what i thought of sharing with you'll first :)

i had happily packed for leaving for Aurangabad last week when Milan calls and asks if i could drop by in Mumbai for a day or two for some office work. You can't say no to him .....somehow..... :)

so here i was travelling from Ghatkopar to Charni Rd by local everyday. i had to change at Dadar and move from western to central lines and reach Ghatkopar. Luckily for me it is a station where fast locals stop so i could travel in 40 min (one way) and reach office.

After a lllllllloooooooooonnnnnnnnnnggggggggggg day with the accounts guy (i would like to believe that it is this profile that makes the person boring but hey that is in the next post!) i left with Siddhika and unfortunately got on to a fast train to Virar to get down at Dadar.

DO NOT EVER EVER EVER EVEN BY MISTAKE DO THIS!

all was fine till i got to Dadar. the instructions given to me were: do exactly as i do without a seconds gap.

and i was supposed to jump out before it stops and without wondering on whom and where i am going to land if i wanted to get down from the train at Dadar in one piece. it is assumed that you will be taken care of after you make the first move!

for a first timer like me who happened to be in this place by mistake it was an event in my life which i will never forget.

as the train approached the dadar station and the announcement of it approaching was done in hindi, english and marathi (they have to start atleast a km in advance to finish by the time the train stops on the station) i saw the crowd that was waiting to get into that ladies compartment. all physics laws go for a toss here. After seeing the amount of people pour out one feels that the compartment should be comfortably empty but lo...behold yourself. as you enter you see all the seats already occupied and people already standing inbetween and in every cubic inch available and yet miraculously all the people get a place to stand in this compartment. it is seriously one of the wonders of the world :)

but getting out is a trick here. i took a deep breath and let go. i have often heard these words said in the context of surrender but i did it this time. all you have to do it let go. let go of the pole/handle/hand/little piece of whatever that you are holding and fling yourself in the face of this crowd. understand that the crowd wants to come in and you have to go out. once you take this bold first step of letting go the rest is just a happening which you have no control over and suddenly you find yourself on the platform after a lot of pushing and getting shouted at for being so late in letting go and stuff which is all *&^%$%$## for me.

i found myself take a deep grateful breath in and exclaim victoriously of making it through only to find my chappal broken. :) i really wonder how much money a shoe repairer must be making. a considerable amount i am sure!

while i go ahead with another day of travelling you'll enjoy yourself and see in how many other instances you can feel the magic of surrender!

Love,

Jai Gurudev!

Gauri

The First time i ever cooked for 150 people!

2010-06-14T19:01:00.001+05:30

Teacher's Training Course from 23rd June 2008 to 12th July 2008 in the heavenly Bangalore Ashram. Those 21 days are the most amazing and memorable days in my life. there were 110 of us for this TTC programme. it was the first and probably the only YES!+ TTC.
we had the fantastic Mahavir Hall as our venue for the next 21 days where we caterpillars were going to be beautiful butterflies.
We had an amazing team headed by Bawa and Dinesh Dada who were taking charge of this battalion.
On one of the days we were told that there is a team of young leaders coming to the Ashram in the next 2 hours and we had to prepare a whole presentation along with the lunch for them. The teams were quickly formed according to our strengths and not necessarily our likings.
I chose to head the cooking team. Learning and cooking for Bawa and Dinesh dada for the last one year i thought.....well nothing impossible to pull this one off in 2 hours. i had absolutely no idea what i was getting into and it was everyone's first time at this added to the fact that we had only one and half hours to do it.
Sundar mama, the head of the kitchen in the ashram is someone you will invariably meet in a few hours time after entering the ashram.
You will either meet him when you are late for any of the meals or at the washing area asking people not to waste food. Don't be fooled by his demeanor, inside there is a sweet soul always ready to help. I realized which space he is coming from after that day in my life.

At home when you are cooking the ingredients are all added as per our estimate. Here we had to first make a list of the ingredients with the quantity which will be supplied to us and then we could start cooking. Hurdle one crossed, then we had to cut the veggies. Fast was the word buzzing around. Under the time pressure with whatever man power you have absolutely not a second to spare. its serious work but it can be fun too with some music and jokes :)
Everything was the first hand experience for me. starting from the huge vessels and stirring the veggies in it. The amount of oil was humungous according to me but after a quick glance at the amount of veggies going in the vessel i relaxed a bit. my arm felt so heavy after just 2 mins. Mixing is very important otherwise the spices will be underneath and not evenly spread. we took turns in mixing and finally the tangy mix vegetable was done.

Around 15-20 of us along with the help of Sundar Mama in 2 hours cooked a carrot salad, pumpkin soup, mix veg, rice, dal and Paysam (south Indian sweet dish)
We were famished ourselves but we did not feel the hunger till everyone had eaten and then we sat to eat. serving people and seeing them hog was a fullfilling experience. Bau says that cooking is one thing which you do whole heartedly only for others. if it was a meal for myself i would not cook a whole 4 course meal. quick fix recipe would have done the job. but when you are cooking for others suddenly new recipes and funky dishes pop out. :) the happiness in giving is so much more than sitting and having a quiet meal.... and we did exactly that.... rocking meal with all the teachers and the to-be teachers :)

TTC is unforgettable, crazy, fantastic, super duper learning and self realizing experience. Shiva Shakti at work during those days to transform us mortals and spearhead us in this spiritual path. This was my group after the graduation ceremony. It was in this beautiful place where 110 butterflies on 12th July fluttered their wings out of the cocoon. This was my group which i will never forget. Ah TTC..... and after that.....another story altogether.

Jai Gurudev!
Love,
G&S

Naughty Nutty !?!

2010-06-13T20:22:00.002+05:30

well you need only 2 ingredients for this sweet dish.
yes you guessed it right- nuts...peanuts actually and jaggery.
so its really simple.... you heat the jaggery in a pan till it becomes liquid and gooey. make sure you do not burn it. to avoid that you might want to keep stirring the jaggery so that you know when it has just about melted. to that you add roasted peanuts.
Now the peanuts can be done in 2 ways. you roast them and remove the skin or you can roast them and mixie them for a whir or two.
any which ways add this mixture to the molten jaggery and mix it properly.

ok now here is the part where you have to be really really quick. on the back of a steel plate (basically a flat surface on which we can put this mixture and use the knife to cut into small peices) put a layer of Ghee/butter so that the mixture will not stick when you flatten it. Empty the mixture from the pan onto the plate and before it gets cold use a belan (rolling pin) to flatten the mixture on the plate in an even thickness. after a few minutes before the mixture completely cools off you can cut the burfhi into small squares.

and incase you are wondering why the name naughty well.... it is not always that after cooling that the burphi remains in the shape that you want it to be in. so if that happens then you just roll the mixture into nutty balls. (no puns intended) :)

oh and before i forget if you replace the nuts with 'Til' (Sesame seeds) then you get Til Gul which is the sweet we exchange on Sankranti in Jan.
The Til and Gul (jaggery) are high in pitta and increase the heat in your body so in winters they are literally a sweet treat.

Happy Cooking :)
Jai Gurudev!
Love,
Gauri

PS: you can add 2 table spoons of liquid glucose in the jaggery mixture before putting the peanuts to add a shiny glaze to the chikki :)

Good Citizens: JUST DO IT!

2010-06-12T16:05:00.000+05:30

Dear One,

Jai Gurudev !
If you are an Indian national, I invite you to fill up the nation-wide Survey on Combating Corruption which will eventually be presented to the policy makers of our country. It may take you about 20 minutes to complete and it would be good learning and great awareness as well. Its ideal to send this to a few of your friends or colleagues or get it filled up by your mom and/or dad and if possible, your maid. This is 'cos we need representative samples from various sections of society. The survey is available online till 15th June midnight, but may I request you to fill it up before it becomes Urgent and Important, which is basically NOW :-) ! Kudos for being proactive and being a part of the solution to the problems of our people!

For the Survey on Combating Corruption, please click on the following link...

http://bit.ly/bYeVAl

Love,
Jai Gurudev!
G&S

Strengthen the voice of Ahimsa

2010-06-01T23:41:00.001+05:30

This was Guruji's message to all after the attempt at shooting Him on 30th May in the evening.
What I fail to understand is the how this incidence can be interpreted in all the "imaginary" ways?
Fact is so simple - The bullet missed Guruji and brazed a thigh of a devotee. This happened after the evening satsang got over at 6pm. Guruji proceeded to the city for His other appointments and we had a super fantastic satsang later in the evening where He is giving a discourse of Astavakra Geeta.
Life at the Ashram is unchanged as ever. We had Rudra Pooja the next day at 7am and a wonderful satsang.

When i watched the media projected ridiculous versions and ways of how this incident can be interpreted so as to get the spiciest version and the most watched. The misunderstandings were so clearly explained by Guruji.
"left the satsang" does not mean "out of the ashram" it means He has left the stage and whilst meeting devotees is leaving the ashram by car.
The ignorance of the police shows clearly that they did not even know the full name of the injured devotee "Vinay Mallikarjun" and that he just completed the basic course in the ashram so clearly it had nothing to do with fights between the devotees over previous property.

Why does one have to rush to give some conclusions to the media before even doing some amount of work. Just by coming to the venue to retrieve the bullet and screen the satsang venue is not enough to give these baseless comments. It just shows that they are in the hurry to clear things without wanting to know the truth.

The cherry on the top is that we at the ashram are having a ball of a time. nothing has changed and everything changes every evening when Guruji gives us beautiful knowledge on the Ashtavakra Geeta.
So WAKE UP stand up for non violence. the best would be to be in the sadhana and spiritual practices. When you are in that space you have a KAVACH (shield) around you that violence cannot penetrate.
It is our silence that makes even the meek presence be heard loudly.

Visit for Guruji's response to the attempted attack

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R9PdMgb-J-U

Jai Gurudev!
Love
G&S

on a walk with the Master...

2010-05-20T19:24:00.004+05:30

a walk is a walk, how different can it get with anybody????

well it can be something you've yearned for a lifetime specially if its with you loved one,

the wind, the snow and the sun only compliment the entire experience,

like Guruji says nature bends down to accommodate you...

n yes you have to be a part of @least one such walk to understand what i mean :)

more coming up soon...

love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

Arosa n Germany...

2010-05-19T15:32:00.003+05:30

I'm so overwhelmed with my trip to Arosa, that every time I sit to write, dunno where to start :)

So till i formulate my expressions, will share a few videos and Pics for you...

Arosa, etched my my consciousness forever, here goes

more coming up soon,

I dont want to keep you'll waiting...so keep looking for more

love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

Few Pics from Aurangabad :)

2010-05-15T20:22:00.003+05:30

This was a few days after i came to Aurangabad. On one pleasant evening we suddenly had an hailstorm.

This was during Dumb charades, Akhil was at his best here for 'Saransh'

Afternoon heat was cool for us with cards and cooking and games

Getting ready for Guruji's Birthday Mega Satsang, please notice Vaibhav's sun glasses. they make another interesting pic by itself :)

Akhil n me at the satsang. The balcony was full of YES!+ gang.

More pics to come :)

Love,
Jai Gurudev!
Gauri

Happy Birthday Guruji!

2010-05-13T19:39:00.000+05:30

5 years back a junior from college bugged me till i forcibly complied and gave 36 hours of my time over a period of 7 days for something which i had no idea about. Even in my wildest dream i did not think that it would affect me so much and would change my entire life into a totally different more vibrant and colorful picture. Yes i am talking about the YES!+ course. I sat through the course with an open mind and no expectations. I was a normal human being with a fun life and handling a new job which had not gone stressful ;) yet and really thought that i am happy and do not need this course. But this Junior kept bugging so i said what the heck a few evenings from my so called busy schedule and after that i will be back. The course did a few subtle changes in me which i did not realize till i saw the effect after a month.
Within a week i was standing in the Bangalore International center in front of the Founder Sri Sri RaviShankar. His eyes have always fascinated me. They have this deep look that you know He has scanned you. And the connection is made! You feel electrified and smile for no reason. He will ask you only 2 things- are you happy? and did you have food?
the first ones is both a bleassing and an order!
My first meeting was just checking Him out. Who is this person who the whole world is going crazy about? I couldn't help but be in awe and was floored in the satsang with the ease with which he handles everybody's question and the sense of humor with which He makes everyone giggle like school kids.

In 5 years i have learnt many things, handled events and projects and traveled. Changing people's life and seeing that smile on their face is worth every bit of the effort. It has been awesome to be a part of this movement and being an angel in people's life. It is a journey which had made my smile stronger and unshakable. Facing fears and making the impossible possible is a given on this path.

Today is my Guru's birthday. The most rocking, lovable, coolest, gorgeous, happening, naughty, humorous, knowledgeable, humble person i have ever met. Wish you a very Happy Birthday Guruji. We love you :)

Love,
Jai Gurudev
G&S

PS: Shilpa was with G on His birthday this year. while i had a blast in Aurangabad and had an amazing satsang with Swami Suryapadji.

Innocence...partly true :)

2010-05-02T19:42:00.008+05:30

Ishat from Iran who is my sisters hostel mate has inspired me to write this :)

"Salam" she said as she saw me and gave me tight hug, wow I thought, what a way of greeting, "ek dam dil kholke" (with an open heart) as we say in Hindi... she giggled and we spoke on many topics from India to Iran to religions and when she knew that I was an Art of Living teacher she said can you teach me to meditate.

I had Guruji's guided meditation, and there was no better way, so we fixed the next day morning 6 am to meditate soon after her Namaz. My sister was threatened at the prospect of loosing precious sleep early morning and after all the protests we managed to meditate the next day at 6am. It was beautiful, I meditate everyday but was impressed with the eagerness and enthusiasm Ishat showed. She then thanked me and went off to her department. As I was wondering how her day was and she could see the difference after meditating, she barged into my sisters room with an emergency and asked "when are we meditating again? can we do it now, right now? It was 11pm and we were preparing to sleep so I promised her we'd meditate next morning.5.30am and she was up, her door was wide open (as if to say I'm ready lets meditate FAST) we meditated again and she again thanked me and said she would definitely do the Art of Living course, since the meditation helped her feel very calm.

I did not meet Ishat after that since I was travelling back home, but what struck me the most about meeting this beautiful person was the sense of urgency she showed to do something so good. How many times I've postponed, procrastinated for doing good, just because off 'getting used to' feeling or just because of feeling it "a part of mundane", it was such an eye opener . Also she said "we have so much trauma back home, meditation is such a gift", ironically we value things the most after they are gone or when they are at the brink of extinction, I felt gratitude swelling in y heart for having a Guru without even asking for, suddenly I felt so abundant and rich... And yes that sense of urgency is what Id never forget, it was so innocent, so pure and so inspiring...

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

Nothing in particular...

2010-04-22T20:28:00.003+05:30

Hello dear all,
how long its been, hmmm, 5 good movies have released from the time we last met :)
mild summer turned out to be full swing
some predictable IPL controversy cropped up,
some people gained weight, some lost weight,
someone was born, someone said good bye,
someone ditched ignorance n started doing Kriya, someone is still waiting,
someone fell in love, someone fell out and someone is still waiting,
someone is fighting, someone is crying, laughing, meditating, waiting,
somewhere it rained, somewhere it got hotter,
no dears this is not the weather dept. speaking,
just a million things that are existing, co-existing, fusing, breaking...
all the time, all at this time,
wake up I tell myself, is there time to be stuck?
no no no there isnt there isnt...
check Baus blog, you have to see the video of the knowledge sheet find Comfort in Conflicts ...
take care
love
Shilpa
Jai Gurudev

The Perfect Khichadi

2010-04-12T10:05:00.004+05:30

Well this is a quick fix healthy recipe for dinner. We generally have it for dinner here in the ashram. its light and its good to have light for dinner ;) i like it a bit liquidy but you can reduce the amount of water and make it your way too :)
we have to first cut the veggies that you want in the khichadi. ah but before that we must measure the rice and the yellow moong dal and wash them and keep them soaked. so the proportion is 50-50 for rice and the yellow moong dal. one fistful of rice per person and you are all set. rinse the mixture atleast 2 times and then let it soak in the water.

The veggies i use are french beans, carrots can be cut round or like match sticks, tomatoes and some green peas as well. you can add other veggies as per your taste.

ok so the tadka can be of oil or ghee, either ways once it is hot enough put some curry leaves so that they can crackle in it and then add whole jeera and mustard seeds so they cackle as well. then add some salt and don't forget to sniff it before you put it (that is the magic of making it tasty) and haldi. i love the smell of this simple tadka.
then add the veggies and let it cook for a min or so. then add the khichadi mixture and add water twice the amount of the mixture. i add a wee bit more for making it nice and liquidy. 3 whistles of the cooker will do the trick.
garnish with coriander and grated coconut (optional) add ghee (as per your diet ;)) and a few drops of lemon.
you can also have it with the peanut chutney. Recipe of which will come next week :)
Bon apetit!
love,
Jai Gurudev!
Gauri

PS: Shilpa has perfected the khichadi over this winter break when i was in aussie.

A whirlwind...

2010-03-27T15:46:00.008+05:30

Mumbai here I was :)

thats exactly what id call all that was in store for the last one month of my life,

a mega course for 1000+ youth in Mumbai,

mediating and meditating with people for peace,

interacting with responsible leaders in government, semi government and private sector,

communicating with thousands of youth to make them aware of a happier, stress free way of excelling in life, making new friends, mistakes and accidents and so much more...

and how can i forget the musical Anand and Benaifer a love story, scripted by Suparna, from the Hermit series fame (in Baus blog)

So all in all Mumbai was fun, hectic, tiering, irritating at times, pushing me to my limits, throwing me off my comfort zone, squashing my ego, disturbing my delicate sense of balance,

but it was fun and I wouldn't trade it for anything... Thanks Bau and the entire Mumbai YES!+ gang for making it so... also Priya Mani, her mom, dad and brother for coping with our erratic schedules, sleeping and eating habits :) not to forget Alku, Sharan, Shrey and Jba dearest,

man it sounds like I'v just won an Oscar,

well what the heck, its my blog and also its so convenient not to thank and to forget and postpone, so better late than never...

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

Happy and Colorful Holi!

2010-03-04T12:15:00.000+05:30

Wish you all a very Happy and Colorful Holi.

i was going through my pics and found this one. 2 years back my first Holi in the Ashram with Guruji.

i was doing my blessing course then. something which i had not planned but at 1am it was decided to do the blessings course and not the YES!+ advance. so there i was in absolute bliss enjoying the course with Swami Pragyapadji. it was a blessed week and life was wonderful. This year i am in pune for the mega course from 25-28th March at the Agricultural college grounds from 5.30-9.30 pm.
Coming back to pune after almost 5-6 months has been great and am simply loving the time here.
Happy Holi and Ranga Panchami.
Enjoy and play safe.

Love,
Jai Gurudev!
Gauri
G&S

A Quick Fix Recipe

2010-02-22T20:52:00.001+05:30

This is something which is easier than maggi ;)
and guys can do as well. not try but just do it and see.
you will need
1. 8 slices of wheat bread (white bread has maida which is not at all good for you)
2. basil leaves - handful of them
3. tomatoes - 2-3
4. butter
5. cheese (want to say optional but it really is yummy with it so .....)
6. Eggless Mayonnaise
7. olive oil (optional)

will serve 2 hungry souls or one very very very hungry soul.

wash the tomatoes and the basil leaves.
chop them separately.
butter the bread generously and then add a layer of mayo on each side.
sprinkle some chopped tomato and basil and make a sandwich, heat in the sandwich maker for sometime.
and voila your cheese tomato basil sandwich is ready.

you can also just use only one slice of bread and heat it on a pan with a cover till the cheese melts.
i love it this way.

oh and you can sprinkle some pepper and/or olive oil.
tomato sauce dip is welcome.

lemme know how it went.

love,
Jai Gurudev
Gauri
G&S

ps: its making me hungry so i am gonna go have dinner. :)

Fan on karo dimag ki batti jalao

2010-02-16T14:15:00.001+05:30

The same satsang Guruji spoke about how a fan can be so insightful.
enjoy!

today morning I was just thinking that how air is everywhere but by putting on the fan we can feel the air.
jsut like that grace is everywhere. by practicing spirituality (your sadhana, attending satsang's and meditation) one can feel the grace more intensely. it does not mean that it is not there when you do not practice, just that you get a chance to feel it more when you practice spirituality.
one must see that we are all a part of one vibration.
each planet has a manifestation on the earth in different forms and even in our human body as well.
life for example mars is represented by the sunflower and the gram seed (toor dal) and in our body by the liver.
it is funny to see how mars, sunflower, gram seed and liver are all connected....
but it is true and scientists have now discovered it. they say that from one cell of a human dna we can create the whole world. while from any other species cell we cannot create the whole universe, a few other species yes but not the whole universe.
it is the same thing that is said in our Upanishads but it sounds so different when science discovers it. :)

Breathe and feel the divine within you.
Welcome to yourself.
Love,
Gauri

ps: next mega YES!+ course in Pune is from 11th to 14th March 2010. send all the people you know to it.

God has not studied Economics

2010-02-13T19:57:00.001+05:30

i landed in India on 2nd feb and was in Bangalore Ashram on the 3rd morning with a quick halt in Pune for a few hours where i unpacked my australia luggage and repacked for Bangalore Ashram.
there was a sense of urgency to reach there asap.

As i neared the Ashram there was a restlessness in me which could not be curbed.

this was the place that i was away from for 2 months and suddenly my patience was lost.

live in the present moment was out of the window and i was flooded with old memories of meditating in Sumeru in the mornings and pathways to my office in the monsoons and satsangs in the Vishalakshi Mantap with Guruji and cooking in Bau's kitchen and playing with our dog Kaali. i was very excited to meet Bau and Dinesh - my teachers and my pillars of knowledge.

I met Guruji after what seemed liked years but were actually 2 months. He looked fabulous as ever in simple angavastram and vesti with slight emboidary at the borders. He manages to look gorgeous on every occasion with the same angavastram and vesti in different styles while we have so many different attires for every occasion. one can keep wondering how He manages that!

In the satsang that evening He said a very beautiful thing which i will do my best to quote verbatim. so here is what he said

someone asked what is the purpose of life if you anyways are going to die? that there were people born before you and they died. you are going to doe some day and in the future there will be people who will be born and they will too die.

naughty smile and then lauches Himself into the funniest knowledgeable explanation that someone has ever given.

you are saying this from the view of a business that why should someone take birth again and then go to school and fall in love and then out of love, get married, have kids and blah blah and then die only to be born again and repeat the same thing.

one might think it is stupidity that why do leaves come and fall in autumn and then come back again in spring.

it does not absolutely make sense.

but you have forgotten one thing- God has not studied Economics.

so this is how it is and this is how it will be.

one should realize that life is a game..... leela as we call it in hindi. there is a story here of an alien who came to a football stadium and watched the game.

he got so confused after seeing the game that in the interval he asked where he would get a ball like the one they were playing with in the field. he then bought 21 such balls and went and gave each player one!! why do you fight for that one ball. please take one and be happy.

what can one say to the alien now? [giggles and claps]

so life's a game and one should play by its rules and play your best.

then all iz well!!

Now i know what you are thinking. about some movie right?

I met the producers of the movie and told them that it is a beautiful way of putting what YES!+ has been teaching in a form of a movie.

well needless to say the audience was floored and it was one of the best satsangs i have attended.

love,

Jai Gurudev

Gauri

G&S

Train choot gaya :(

2010-02-11T21:23:00.004+05:30

the first time ever in the history of Indian railways and Shilpa Rau she missed a train and to top it my wait list didn't get cleared how can?

I was soooo furious and praying all along that some miracle happens and by some divine power the train just stops :(

nothing like that happened, so anyway, until I decipher some sophisticated understanding of this event, Il sulk in peace and praying that none of you have to ever meet this similar FATE as I have...

Jai Gurudev

Love

Shilpa

I n Ego

2010-02-09T21:15:00.001+05:30

The "I" or ego in you is a tiny atom. If this atom is put with the body, the matter, it identifies with the matter. If this atom is put with the Being, the Infinite, it identifies with the Infinite.

When this atom, this ego, is associated with the material world, it becomes mundane. When it is associated with the spirit, it becomes Divine. It becomes shakti when associated with the Being, the Self. It becomes miserable when identified with the body.

You see, in a huge atomic reactor, it is just one tiny atom that is exploded. In the same way, in our whole body, there is just one little tiny atom of "I". And when this "I" explodes, that is when it becomes the light of the Self.

Usually we say, "I am miserable, " or "I am happy".

Shift this atom from identifying with the body and the conceptual world, to identifying with the Real World... Sri Sri

Glass or lake ?

2010-02-06T11:22:00.003+05:30

Once there was a master he have his disciple a glass of water and added handful of salt in it, after making the disciple drink that water he asked, "how does it tast" to which the disciple said "awful",

the master then took the disciple to a lake and asked him to mix another handful of salt,

after mixing it he asked the disciple to taste the water, the master asked again :how does it taste"

the disciple said, i cant taste the salt"to which the master said "the pain of life is pure salt; no more, no less. the amount of pain in life remains the same, exactly the same. But the amount we taste the 'pain' depends on the container we put it into. So when you are in pain, the only thing you can do is to enlarge your sense of things

Stop being a glass. Become a lake!"

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

Rudra Day

2010-02-01T20:25:00.005+05:30

Jai Gurudev,

Mondays are beautiful, yes they always are, waking up to the thought that its a day of the pure, intense and innocent Shiva, I cant help but feel the same.

Rudra Puja came into my life after Guruji and there has always been something to learn, remember w.r.t knowledge on Mondays. Today in particular was on the sadder note, with two souls who departed from the friends circle, I couldn't but think of the impermanence of life. Guruji had once said death is like changing clothes, abandoning one set for a new one. That was such a simple way of putting across such a complex phenomena I thought. However there was a doubt in my mind but what about the memories?

We miss them all the time, and to that Guruji had said when "memories overpower consciousness there is misery, bliss is knowing that you are more powerful than the memory, the situations and events" and this experience can only be had in Meditation...

Om Shanti Shanti Shanti...

Jai Gurudev !

Here comes another Guru Story :)

2010-01-28T21:02:00.005+05:30

Happy Guru Day :)

Once Guruji was on an agyatvas, no one knew where He was or where He was going, not even the person who was driving Him around. Guruji would randomly say, take left, lets go straight, and after a very long and winding path that took them into the forest, Guruji told Chainsingh (who was driving the car) to stop the car infront of a small hut. Surprised Chainsingh did so, Guruji then got out of the car and knocked on the door. A very shabby looking farmer opened the door and was so overwhelmed to see Guruji, he had tears in his eyes.

Guruji went in as though HE was familiar with the place. After giving Guruji some water the farmer showed Guruji a piece of paper cutting from a Kannada daily that had a knowledge sheet. He then removed many such cuttings that he was collecting from someone in the nearby village ,as he could not even afford to have newspaper.

With tears streaming in his eyes, he finally spoke to Guruji, I have been reading your knowledge sheets for a long time and was praying intensely to meet you, and was wondering how to do so, cause I do not even have enough money for the bus fare to see you at the Ashram. To which Guruji replied, "I know that's why I'm here" ...

Guruji had once said when a devotee calls me intensely, I cant but be there...with such a master, all you need to do is count your blessings and know that you are never alone.

Jai Gurudev

Love

Shilpa

Happy Republic Day

2010-01-27T09:33:00.004+05:30

assuming I'm in American west coast, I'm not late :)

Ok so I was reading all the papers yesterday and celebrities were claiming how proud they feel to be a nation that is 60yrs old, everyone had the same thing to voice (or were told to voice that) just different expressions, FYI we are not 60yrs old, INDIA is over few hundreds of thousands of years old, how can we overlook or forget that.

Our culture thrived when people in rest of the world were learning to adapt from nomads to settlers. We had scientists talking about Trigonometry, Pythagoras theorem, performing plastic surgery when rest of the world was just figuring out how to construct permanent structures.

Look at it, and we are forced to believe that we are just 60yrs old? its not fully true, why are we made to believe what is politically right to be the truth, its not always required? hmm intelligence over ruled by political correctness I guess...

Source :www. youtube.com

Anyway, there was this video that was made called Phir Mile Sur on the eve of our REPUBLIC DAY, personally I think it lacks continuity, its ok. Yes I like the part where Ustad Amjad Ali Kahn and his sons sing and play the Sarood, the only part that sounds authentic.

More about India et al in another post.

Balki has been insisting to write a Guru story that I will in the next post.

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

A Light n Healthy Snack...

2010-01-24T19:58:00.009+05:30

even if your stomach is not keeping well, you can safely snack on this, ha ha

actually I made it up for myself in the same situation :)

whats it called? that Id not thought about, hmmm,

HEALTHY CRUNCHIES... lets see maybe we can have a contest for that,

Ingredients

1 Bowlful of Mudi / Murmura /puffed rice (size of bowl depends on you)

1 Pinch of rock salt

1/2 T spoon of Jeera powder (jeera seeds roasted and powdered)

1/2 T spoon of Mishree (crystal sugar, its healthier n replacement for the poisonous sugar that we generally consume everyday)

Handful of coriander leaves

1/2 cup of Butter milk

Preperation Time 15 Secs (max) you will only take time to procure all the stuff, after that its easy

Preperation

take a bowl and just add all the ingredients and stir with spoon so that Mishree, rock salt and jeera powder mix well with the butter milk

chop coriander leaves and sprinkle

you can add more buttermilk if you like it :)

n eat it, seriously that's it and it is very very yummy trust me...

make it fast n let me know how it tastes,

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

3 idiots...

2010-01-17T18:53:00.001+05:30

I had the privilage of watching the film yesterday,

and there is alot to write, Bawa's blog says it all....

http://bawandinesh.name/

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

If you cross the India border...

2010-01-17T18:15:00.001+05:30

This mail has been doing its round as a foward for quite a while, still wanted to share it, sad but true...

If You Cross The North Korean Border Illegally You Get 12 Years Hard Labor.

If You Cross The Iranian Border Illegally You Are Detained Indefinitely.

If You Cross The Afghan Border Illegally, You Get Shot.

If You Cross The Saudi Arabian Border Illegally You Will Be Jailed.

If You Cross The Chinese Border Illegally You May Never Be Heard From Again.

If You Cross The Venezuelan Border Illegally You Will Be Branded A Spy And Your Fate Will Be Sealed.

If You Cross The Cuban Border Illegally You Will Be Thrown Into Political Prison To Rot.

If You Enter Britain Illegally You Will be Arrested, Prosecuted And Sent To Prison And Deported

If You Illegally Cross The Indian Border (through West Bengal/ Assam, Meghalaya... ..)

You Get A, Ration Card,

Voter Identification,

Passport,

Haj Subsidy,

Job,

A Drivers License,

Identity Card,

Job Reservation,

Special Privileges,

Credit Cards,

Subsidized Rent Or A Loan To Buy A House,

Free Education,

Free Health Care,

A Lobbyist In New Delhi And Voting Rights.

Sad but true ,Jago India Jago

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

Solar Eclipse Jan 2010

2010-01-15T13:32:00.003+05:30

Hello dear all,

I had the chance to see the eclipse on the net, so you can see it too

http://www.ndtv.com/news/videos/video_live.php?id=LIVE_BG24x7&live=tv

Schematic diagram of how the eclipse happens

Thats how the sun looked engulfed by the moon :)

more about its effects we have already written in a previous article Triple Eclipse of 2009.

so please go through http://www.bharathgyan.com/Book_Synopsis_Triple_Eclipse.pdf

What a sight its truly very divine

Im enjoying the eclipse now as i type this so will write more later :) we have some very interesting stories in the Puranas, would love to share that.

love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

Happy New Year

2010-01-05T05:32:00.004+05:30

We wish you a very Happy and prosperous and Guru filled gratefull year ahead!

I was in Sydney to watch the Fireworks at the Harbour bridge which lasted for about 13 minutes and the government spent about a million bucks for this event.

here is one of the pictures of the new years.

it was awesome to watch the fireworks along the river. we reached home at 2.30 am where the trains were filled with people like mumbai locals ;)

more of this in the next post :)
Jai Gurudev

Love,

gauri

Jacquot and the Angel....

2009-12-14T16:56:00.007+05:30

Its been a very interesting week at all fronts... there was the Telangana uncertainty, which effects real estate development across the state, how we will talk about later... work was good and so was my spare time, apart from Guruji's amazing guided meditations that put me on the fast track of recovery, I was basking in literature with a classic suspense mystery Jacquot and the angel by O' Brien a french writer...

I was bowled over by the countryside that the author so elaborately and precisely sketched in my mind. The book is very french, elaborate yet precise without being called as boring. Some highlights, the writing is flawless, I cant think of any part that can be rewritten or replaced, the characters are well defined, the plot very well thought off and the best part is O' Brien has the skill to effortlessly intertwine facts about the mystery with the beauty of the locales and setting...

A complete book I'd say and looking forward to reading some of his other works...when one reads a book like this it cuts across genres, its basic identity is that of literature due to its richness in language and content, that I find missing largely in the books these days... its worth having in your library even if you will have the patience to read it only once... no Im not talking about the charecters or the plot, dont want to spoil the fun for you :) Thanks for writing a good book Mr. O' Brien...

Cant think of a better way to end "Love is paying attention to the smallest details" Sri Sri

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

Cap Trade

2009-12-08T15:21:00.007+05:30

With the talks in Copenhagen on about Climate change, it would be a good idea to educate ourselves on whats happening, and this vedio just does that. Environmental awareness today is no longer about being emotional and carrying placards to stop pollution......so happy viewing and yes do share this valuable information around.

Love

Shilpa

p.s. Gauri wrote back from Australia saying she is busy and will write later but she said "get ready to roast in jealousy" now I'm all curious and looking forward to her mail/s :)

Love, beauty, truth.....

2009-12-07T22:31:00.003+05:30

Dedicated to all my dear loved ones in Singapore, who are experiencing the depth and height of

existance and an overdose of emotional turmoil and vacum all at the same time........

“That which you cannot express is Love.

That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.

That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.” ~ Sri Sri

couldnt think of anything more apt to express and this song for this special moment.......

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbZ-8n6b-xI

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev!

Bandh in hyderabad......

2009-12-07T12:34:00.010+05:30

Extended holiday for my recovery, that's all I can think of......and yes more work on the computer as Internet has no borders nor has greed to earn the buck :) So Hyderabad saw a state bandh starting day before late afternoon and every sane soul is only praying it ends ASAP.

(Image source: thehindu.com)

This unexpected Holiday is good specially for those who had exams and had not prepared at all,

no one else, buses were burnt, malls were rampaged, thousands of hyderabadis got caught in traffic unable to return to their families on time, I'm really thinking hard whom is this helping, shutting down the basic functioning of a city, whats the point. Yes our media had loads to show off and the reporters were sooo busy, putting their dear life at stake to cover the "event".

One thing is for sure you are not going to get any popularity, fame, votes or supporters at least not the sane educated people and specially youth by indulging in primitive attention seeking techniques.Unemployed, spaced out youth, yes but I'm sure those kind of people are not going to help.

Its sad and funny that our politicians use their supporters as nothing more than hired goons and whats worse is that the founder of the party who "made the bandh happen" and who "fed the unruly mob" with fiery speeches and crap, actually is an engineer from a reputed institute. Yes instead of wasting such resources they should have used the media to voice out their concerns (if they genuinely have one left) , use a blog, create some songs with good music with their motto as lyrics, a cycle rally,I don't know do something different, something that catches the attention of the youth and they would go wow, i want to be a part of it, not man what a bunch of losers.........sorry dear hospitalized leader, but your battle is lost and so is your cause......farewell to yet another sinking ship in the horizon of politically manipulated India......

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

The Watchman....

2009-12-06T20:53:00.002+05:30

Do you want this book ? which one?

The Watchman by Robert Crais.............

an average story with few good details, the author has mastered the art of writing a good story, probably he has read many good writers, not a masterpiece just a good read, even if you did buy it , after reading once you will be looking forward to give it away as a gift to someone who wouldn't suspect...... What makes me so sure? I'm already looking at he birthday calender on my wall :)

Ok so its about this agent a fed-ex- the hero , a pampered royal brat - the heroine, her ultra rich father, a very deceptive villain, another not so clever one, a very good friend, a few guys from the underworld, minimal but existing locales - and off course a mystery.....

that's about it....... After completing the predictable "mystery" I was wondering where it was recycled from. I missed that fresh wow, after completing it :(

I don't see what stopped the author from naming it Bodygaurd? maybe the name already exists...anyway, I spent too much of me on that so I will catch up after erasing it from memory hopefully very soon.

Love

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

movies, songs et all......

2009-12-04T13:55:00.010+05:30

a prelude.......

Movies this month - (actually this is from the limited resources that I had)

Avery long engagement :) :) :)
Fashion :( could go on to say how bad it was but will refrain cause I have better things to write about
A peaceful warrior :) :) :)

Songs this month

Shanai Twains Khaching :) Thanks Srivi, its a very old number, still very hummable
Tum Mile from the film Tum Mile - someone actually sang this in Satsang for Guruji and it was really cute
wayfarer by nightwish and also the track for the movie Narnian- the Escapist
G n R with sweet child o mine :) yes i love oldies n they have melody......

in detail....

This month has been a cleansing month, with me lying on the base of my spine ever since I returned from Mumbai, so books and movies have kept me going, yesterday i saw a very beautiful world war based film "A very long engagement" it was a gift that was with me for almost 3years and I finally watched it.

Man what a treat....the film is in French and watching it with the English subtitles only makes it all the more exciting.....its for those who appreciate the art of story telling that is rare in Indian films, leaves alot for the viewer to understand and the director is in no hurry to throw his decision on his viewers.....you must watch it if you get the chance, its produced by Warner Independent pictures. The Love story of Manche and Matilda a very young 20 Yr old couple in France is set at the back drop of world war 1. Its worth buying the DVD.......

and yes Iv been thoroughly enjoying Tum Mile the title track which I find very apt for Guruji....Please forgive the casting and the desperate attempt of the actors to look natural, we will focus on the music and stick to that, remember in India not all great music has come from good films :) Tum Mile is from that league........ casting and story quite forgettable and yes I don't want to get started on the costumes of the heroine.....Iv said too much already

Too tired to express it all, but will do so as and when I feel up to it...

Tc,

Love

Shilpa

p.s. Gauri is having a blast with Guruji in Australia :)

A good book ......

2009-11-24T23:06:00.004+05:30

Hi all,

Gauri n I had an amasing time at Murud with the Indian ocean :)

n then we had a blast with Guruji in Ashram,

right now Gauri continues to do so and I am down with throat infection in hyderabad.

The day began Yesterday with this strange feeling of sadness and boredom which were inversly proportional to my movement to the outer world.

So i grabbed Mark Twain's Tom Sawyer and man it just changed everything, i was thrilled to read that classic for 8 year olds, the adventures were so well written, the story line was soothingly simple and the charecter Tom adorable. It was like I was kid again reading the book.

Whats a good story without love and dejection and adventure, not to mention a very scary villan........Tom Sawyer has it all. The story is about Tom who is an orphan brought up by his aunt and who also lives with his cousins Sid and Mary, he has Huck and Joe his friends and accompliances, not to miss not to miss .....I wont spoil the fun for you....you must read it

For those of you are really busy battling through the complexities of existence these children's classics can be such an escape.

so read on :)

Love

Shilpa

45 mins with the Master........

2009-11-03T16:33:00.004+05:30

13 Jun 07

Singapore

prelude . confusion a common phenomena

Guruji was on transit via Singapore yesterday evening, and it was extreme emotion coexisting, one saying WOW HE is going to be here, the other saying but for just 45mins. I couldn't sit in my office so I left for the airport to share my anxiety, excitement with the space of HIS arrival. Nothing surprising to see quite a few restless souls like me to meet the Master. Then starts the trade mark Guruji's Visit Confusion . are we in the right terminal, but Guruji's is coming from another terminal, ok then we made calls to teachers to confirm, ok we are in the right terminal, then started another round of confusion, are we standing at the right place, where will He come from, then some more confusion and calls and we finally decided to stand at a certain point. It was amazing round 50 (of us by now, still multiplying), grown up, well educated looking people, moving all over the terminal like a flock of sheep possessed by something, funny but true and all willingly just doing whatever sounds "intelligent at that moment" just to be with the Master, get HIS glimpse FIRST, be closest to HIM (physically when HE arrives), well then we were there 200 odd of us at Changi airport.

HIS arrival....

Its unbelievable the timing and the way everyone just went and formed two lines for HIM to pass through, we did not yet see HIM physically but everyone was just following one single impulse, "to welcome the Master" , in the meanwhile some very intelligent person got the "idea" that we were blocking the way, for other passengers and that we should have a quieter place to spend time with Guruji, yet not to far from HIS entrance back into immigration...so some very unwillingly volunteered(me included) to find a place.and well we did manage....

By then the excitement just shot up, with a glimpse of Guruji at the far end on the other side of the glass barrier, im sure for many of us there was none, seeing HIM was it....He started waving and that just made us all so terribly excited, like children everyone jumping, waving, bowing..and all the "Sri Sri phenomena" of driving people nuts, that goes..... I have no clue how people in other planets welcome HIM , but at least on earth, and I mean all parts, this is how it is, just growing bigger, crazier and more intense....

And then HE glided through us to agree for the spot we had selected, and it was amazing, what struck me was from the moment I saw HIM, HE was just looking at us smiling, waving, hugging, blessing and even when we settled down, HE just started giving us goodies, not a min to sit, HE was with us every single second, and when HE personally handed all with goodies, HE knew exactly whom HE had missed, and whom HE had already given, from the moment HE was there, HE was just sharing with us HIMSELF, so that we felt better, met each and everyone, managed to advice few who seeked advice, all this in just 35mins, with 200+ people (10mins to walk in and out)....someone asked HIM how HE was (like that's a question to ask) HE asked back how do u think I am? And started twirling adorably, with a smile....and then quite a few suggested that HE should make Singapore HIS transit for all international flights, for which HE laughed...and someone very sincerely said, Gurudev, its so nice to see you, im sure everyone tells HIM this, but HE just stopped to give the man a very special look.....how HE manages to make us feel special, though these may be the same thoughts, actions, problems, questions that people all over the world keep asking, seeking a zillion times......

onto another flight...to another place...for HIS devotees and then HE waved us bye and left (physically)......and then there was a part two of emotions after HE left, some in bliss, some in tears of gratitude, of love, some zapped, unbelievable that HE came and went, HE actually came and went, all that only HE can tap and make us feel, realise......

HE is unbelievable you know, as a phenomena, HE beats everything, id say including the creation of earth, in terms of intensity, presence, awareness, everything imaginable by the mind......i had this terribly empty feeling, that im yet to get over....still 45mins with the Master were BEAUTIFUL..

Shilpa

Jai Gurudev

2009-10-30T16:45:00.002+05:30

ध्यान मूलं गुरुर मूर्तिः पूजा मूलं गुरुर पदं
मंत्र मूलं गुरुर वाक्यं मोक्ष मूलं गुरुर कृपा
Dhyan moolam gurur murthih Pooja moolam gurur padam
Mantra moolam gurur vakyam Moksha moolam gurur krupa

ध्यान मूलं गुरुर मूर्तिः (Master's form is the root of all Meditations)
पूजा मूलं गुरुर पदं(Master's feets are the root of all worship)
मंत्र मूलं गुरुर वाक्यं (Master's Words are the root of all Mantra)
मोक्ष मूलं गुरुर कृपा (Master's Grace are the root for Liberation)

this is something special...........its beauriful to have a master in one's life..........

love

G & S

ha ha ha.....laugh on

2009-10-28T21:32:00.005+05:30

If Columbus had been married he might have never discovered America ......

Because he would have to answer:

Where are you going?

Who are you going with?

What are you going to discover?

Why only you?

Also, he would have to answer:

What shall I do when you are not here?

Can I also come?

When are you coming back?

Most importantly: Mere liye kya laoge?

Love

G & S

2009-10-28T15:24:00.001+05:30

Hi all,

There is so much good happening around and we can be a part by just spreading the good word if not more, so here go two articles that you need to read, specially the one from Philippines is so refreshing

http://lifestyle.inquirer.net/wellness/wellness/view/20091027-232452/How_I%92ve_imbibed_the_energy_of_my_Indian_guru

http://www.themanitoban.com/articles/21805#comment-8917

Happy reading, couldnt wait till tomrrow.

Love

G & S

Lateral thinking!

2009-10-28T14:05:00.003+05:30

Many years ago in a small Indian village, A farmer had the misfortune of owing a large sum of money to a village moneylender.

The Moneylender, who was old and ugly, fancied the farmer's beautiful daughter. So he proposed a bargain. He said he would forgo the farmer's debt if he could marry his daughter.

Both the farmer and his daughter were horrified by the proposal. So the cunning money-lender suggested that they let providence decide the matter. He told them that he would put a black pebble and a white pebble into an empty money bag. Then the girl would have to pick one pebble from the bag.

If she picked the black pebble, she would become his wife and her father's debt would be forgiven.
If she picked the white pebble she need not marry him and her father's debt would still be forgiven.
But if she refused to pick a pebble, her father would be thrown into Jail.

They were standing on a pebble strewn path in the farmer's field. As they talked, the moneylender bent over to pick up two pebbles. As he picked them up, the sharp-eyed girl noticed that he had picked up two black pebbles and put them into the bag. He then asked the girl to pick a pebble from the bag.
Now, imagine that you were standing in the field. What would you have done if you were the girl? If you had to advise her, what would you have told her? Careful analysis would produce three possibilities:
The girl should refuse to take a pebble.
The girl should show that there were two black pebbles in the bag and expose the money-lender as a cheat.
The girl should pick a black pebble and sacrifice herself in order to save her father from his debt and imprisonment.
Take a moment to ponder over the story. The above story is used with the hope that it will make us appreciate the difference between lateral and logical thinking. The girl's dilemma cannot be solved with traditional logical thinking. Think of the consequences if she chooses the above logical answers. What would you recommend to the girl to do?

Well, here is what she did ....
The girl put her hand into the moneybag and drew out a pebble. Without Looking at it, she fumbled and let it fall onto the pebble-strewn path where it immediately became lost among all the other pebbles. "Oh, how clumsy of me," she said. "But never mind, if you look into the bag for the one that is left, you will be able to tell which pebble I picked."
Since the remaining pebble is black, it must be assumed that she had picked the white one. And since the money-lender dared not admit his dishonesty, the girl changed what seemed an impossible situation into an extremely advantageous one.

MORAL OF THE STORY: Most complex problems do have a solution, if only we attempt to think!

an update.....

2009-10-27T18:15:00.005+05:30

Hello everyone,

our dear followers, and those who are yet to be :)

hope you are all in the pink of your health, just an update from Gauri and my end,

we are doing great in different cities :), I managed to complete taking a YES!+ in Telugu, that was the funniest part and Im learning, Gauri is busy in Ashram preparing the base for a mega YES!+ with Bau 14-18 Nov and is also organizing the special sessions that we are going to host in Ashram on 2-3 Jan 2010, don't miss it for anything, we will have topics right from career to dance in the form of workshops conducted by experts

I have been having fun reading Bau's blog and hope that you have been doing so too,

if not please do ASAP, some of the articles like Antoine's story, the Diwali post etc are just fabulous,

so read and do share with your friends too....

love

G & S

some quotes.....

2009-10-27T13:28:00.008+05:30

These are some very intresting quotes by one of our dearest friends and guide, Aban Mummy,

rain or shine there are smses that are so apt from her, they make our day happier :) thanks mummy , here are few of them

the answer to the toughest question ever is here Q) how do you know when you are in love ?

Ans : you know you are n love when you start looking for the cheapest mobile plans :)

It is estimated that millions of tress are accidentally planted by squirrels who bury nuts and then forget where they hid them...........

so moral : do good and forget it :)

Once santy and banty were feeling happy.......... happy felt disgusted and left :)

Patience in planning and impatience in execution always creates miracles.

ha ha ha.....

have a great day :)

Love

G & S

OMBRES.......

2009-10-26T18:11:00.003+05:30

Have fun dears,

creativity and precision at its best.....

Love

G&S

a beautiful poem.......

2009-10-25T18:12:00.001+05:30

Legendary is the love that withstands rejection. It will be free of anger and ego.

Legendary is the commitment that withstands humiliation. It will be one-pointed and will reach the goal.

Legendary is the wisdom that withstands turbulence. It will be integrated in life.

Legendary is the faith that withstands a million chances of doubt. It will bring perfection (siddhis).

Legendary are the events that withstand time. They will become morals for the millions.

- Sri Sri

Love

G & S

Oh My Gaush's 109th article :)

2009-10-16T19:08:00.005+05:30

Hurray, n thank you all

this is the 109th article on Oh my Gaush n it had to be special, so we are sharing this very very special article, close to our heart.

Happy reading :)

One day, while Lord Shiva was performing a puja, his consort Parvati sees him bowing his head in reverence. Seeing this, she asks: You are the Supreme Consciousness, the substratum of entire Creation . Who is it that you bow down to ?

Shiva replied: Dear Parvati, for the benefit of all humanity, I will answer your question . It is to the all pervading guru tatva that I bow down to. In the many beautiful verses that followed called the Guru Gita, Shiva explains the guru principle, and says how fortunate one is to have a living master in his life.

The guru in the physical form is called pratyaksh. In the presence of the master, our enthusiasm and spirit are in an elevated state.

Our sorrows diminish, joy wells up, there is contentment , knowledge is nourished and protected, and talent blossoms.

When a drop feels connected to the ocean, it feels the strength of the ocean. When we are connected to this tradition, we feel the strength and protection of all the masters. All these masters are an expression of the same Infinite, Undivided, Supreme and Pure Consciousness. The guru is a tatva an omnipresent , omniscient, omnipotent principle. Establishing connection with this tatva is a source of great strength. We know we have forefathers, great-grandparents and so on. Yet we feel most attached and connected to our parents or grandparents because they are with us. Similarly, we have many gurus in our tradition , but when we come in the presence of a living master, the connection is established immediately .

The entire knowledge from time immemorial is made available to us.Guru Purnima is a time to feel grateful. The more grateful we are, the more grace flows into our lives. On Guru Purnima , we remember all the masterswho were, who are and who will be in the future. We feel gratitude towardsthe master who moves us from a limited understanding and pride of I know everything to i am everything .

A disciple seeks knowledge. A devotee seeks nothing. A devotee is soaked in love and devotion. Guru Purnima is a special day of the devotee as well. When a river meets the ocean, the river no longer remains a river. It becomes the ocean. It is the same when the devotee meets the Divine. Only Divinity remains. The individual I dissolves in the One Divinity. When we look at the world through the eyes of the master, the world will look so much more beautiful a place filled with love, joy, compassion and virtues.

The masters presence is one that is unlimited, vast,infinite and all-inclusive . The presence of the master in ones life brings fulfilment in all other relationships. To that one, eternal,pure, unbounded embodiment of knowledge and absolute bliss, to the lotus feet of my master, I bow down with respect and gratitude.

Thank you Guruji :)

Love

G & S

What is Meditation?

2009-10-14T12:46:00.003+05:30

Sri Sri : Bangalore -September 18 (eve of the nine-day festival of Navratri*)
There are two attitudes that we have to pay attention to. One is when we go inward, we say everything is Ok. Not a blade of grass moves without Divine intervention. God has kept us like this, so let it be so.Everything is Ok.
This is the attitude when you have to go inward (Nivriti).When you have to come out and work (Pravritti), then you see perfection in even small details. Wherever you see imperfection, you have to pay attention on how you can correct it. Find out ways to improve on all the things.So while acting, we see where we can improve and what we can change.
When we retire into meditation and say that everything is perfect, only then we can go in.

Usually when people close their eyes and go inward, they say, `This is not ok, that is not ok and find fault with everything'. They can neither meditate, nor be quiet. And in activity, people think that everything is fine the way it is, why do we have to do anything about it?

Then, we are at a loss. So when we are acting, we see what we can do and when we have to retire we say everything is Ok.

This attitude will help you go deep in meditation.

I want nothing

I do nothing

I am nothing.
These are basic principles of meditation. We have to pay attention to this thing.
Love
G& S

Karma

2009-10-13T12:12:00.008+05:30

A good friend of ours was going through a rough patch in life, was wondering why inspite of all the good he was doing it was happening to him........so here comes words of wisdom from Guruji. Hope you guys find it useful too and happy reading.

Sri Sri: Some karma can be changed and some cannot.When you prepare halwa, if sugar is less or ghee is less, water more or less, it can all be adjusted, repaired. But once soji is cooked, it cannot be reversed.If the buttermilk is sour, milk can be added, salt can be added to make it drinkable. But it can never be reversed back to milk.Prabdha karma cannot be changed. Sanchita karma can be changed by spiritual practices. Satsang burns the seed of all negative karma. When you praise someone, you take on their good karma. When you blame someone you take on their bad karma.

Know this and surrender both good and bad karma to the Divine and be free.

Jai Guru Dev

G & S

25 Most Valuable Indians

2009-10-03T17:21:00.005+05:30

This is an article which is written by T.N. Seshan.

I am fortunate to have met him an interacted very briefly for a few moments where he showed his chivalry and value for women which really floored me.

So here is the article. No other words required.

Love,

Jai Gurudev

Gauri.

G&S

The Week, 16th August, 2009

By T.N. Seshan

I have met quite a few eminent personalities from all walks of life but His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is among the few people I have the highest regard and esteem for. I have been enormously attracted by his simplicity, his love for humanity and his tireless efforts in promoting world peace. He goes right to the middle of the problem wherever and pours balm on the souls that are affected. I am impressed with his sincerity of vision and compassion.

I first met Sri Sri several years ago, when he came to address one of the management schools in Pune, with which I was associated. We had invited him to come to the school and he had kindly agreed to. He spoke for some time and at the end, instead of taking questions from the students, he began asking questions to the students, provoking them to contemplate on the basic realities of human truth. This is how I first came to know him.

I remember that he asked me to come and see him at the Art of Living International Centre (the ashram) in Bangalore. However, I could not go for several weeks and months.

In 2006, when he was visiting Madras for the Art of Living’s Silver Jubilee celebrations, I went to see him at his place of residence. He was very nice. Among other topics, he asked me how things were politically and how they were shaping up in the country. At the end of our meeting, I asked him if I could work with or for him. He then once again, invited me to visit the Art of Living International centre for a couple of days to get an insight into the activities of the foundation. I could then decide what I wanted to do. I visited the Ashram after 15-20 days where I spent two days familiarizing myself with the various things happening there in terms of their humanitarian as well as educational projects. Sri Sri had then just come back from Orissa after signing a Memorandum of Understanding with the Chief Minister for setting up a Sri Sri university in Bhubaneshwar. When I met him finally I told him that I thought that the Sri Sri University is perhaps the best place where I could be of some use. He has made me President designate of the university. That’s how it happened!

The Art of Living Foundation covers a fantastically wide sweep of activities ranging from education and health, rural development, conflict resolution to disaster and trauma relief etc. The Sudarshan Kriya™, a powerful rhythmic breathing technique that I’ve learned from there is a very, very simple way of keeping you healthy all the time. I am not a very religious person but I have benefited greatly by doing the Sudarshan Kriya everyday. I’ve been doing it very regularly ever since I learnt it from one of his trainers. It makes you feel more healthy and lively each day. It gives me much more energy. For a man of 76 years, I am very energetic.

I am an admirer of all good men and women, all leaders of human thought whether it is Sai Baba in Puttaparuthi or Amma in Kerala. In the case of Sri Sri, I was attracted by the broad band of his activities for human welfare including all the work that is being done by the Art of Living with regard to education particularly in the rural areas. I have studied in great detail his involvement in resolving human conflict and alleviating human suffering in strife torn areas such as Afghanistan, Kashmir, Iran, Iraq and Sri Lanka. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - may His tribe increase!

T.N. Seshan is former Chief Election Commissioner of India

Happy laughing :)

2009-10-02T14:12:00.002+05:30

Dear all,
its Devi day today so, had to post something to show the smartness of the fairer sex.

We had an amasing Rudra Puja, Devi puja and chaturdashi Devi Homa in Ashram in the presence of Guruji........

A SPANISH Teacher was explaining to her class that in Spanish, unlike
English, nouns are designated as either masculine or feminine.

'House' for instance, is feminine: 'la casa..'
'Pencil,' however, is masculine: 'el lapiz.'

A student asked, 'What gender is 'computer'?'

Instead of giving the answer, the teacher split the class into two
groups, male and female, and asked them to decide for themselves whether
computer' should be a masculine or a feminine noun. Each group was asked to
give four reasons for its recommendation.

The men's group decided that 'computer' should definitely be of the
feminine gender('la computadora'), because:

1. No one but their creator understands their internal logic;

2. The native language they use to communicate with other computers is
incomprehensible to everyone else;
3. Even the smallest mistakes are stored in long term memory for
possible later retrieval; and

4. As soon as you make a commitment to one, you find yourself spending
half your paycheck on accessories for it.

(THIS GETS BETTER!)

The women's group, however, concluded that computers should be Masculine
('el computador'), because:

1. In order to do anything with them, you have to turn them on;

2. They have a lot of data but still can't think for themselves;

3. They are supposed to help you solve problems, but half the time they
ARE the problem; and

4. As soon as you commit to one, you realize that if you had waited a
little longer, you could have gotten a better model.

The women won.

Love
G & S

9 cakes and 1 more to go!

2009-09-24T00:37:00.002+05:30

It was Bau's 40th Birthday yesterday....
and we cut 9 cakes.....we celebrated his birthday twice on the 13th September as well as yesterday....
and we have been cutting cakes since 13th...... mixed fruit, pineapple, carrot cake, apple pineapple crumble, pineapple cake from canteen, strawberry cake, mixed fruit again and the list continues...
more on the celebrations coming 2 days time when i catch my breath back after finishing all the cakes......

Happy Navaratri!
Jai Gurudev!
scrumptiously yours,
Gauri n Shilps

Guess what it is......

2009-09-17T23:03:00.007+05:30

ha ha ha, culdnt stop laughing........

This mail was sent by my uncle titled DOG or TOWEL?

I would definetly call it "adapting" - being ONE with the environment

Love

G & S

Welcome Kaali

2009-09-16T11:17:00.003+05:30

Kaali completes a year with us.... yes she does...and i am finally writing about her after a long break here....
Well it all started with Bidisha finding a tiny little white puppy and taking care of it... and everybody joined in later because she was so cute and so she stayed in the Vishwamitra lounge ;)
there was a basket for her and we had to give her a bath in the basin (as she fit in there!) which she detested a lot and made a lot of hue and cry about. that's her after her first bath in her basket....

No we did not name her Kaali ;) for obvious reasons.... :D so from all the options Tiny was to be her name. She was a cute little thing lopsided to the left so she used to look at everything tilting to the left.....and fall down if she ran fast as she use to run with the tilted head. she ate all sorts of stuff even pineapple :) which was her favorite!
With Tiny in our lives the lounge had become more lively....JD and Devang potty trained her so that the lounge is clean. JD gave her nice trainings where her lopsidedness reduced considerably.
As days went by Tiny became stronger than before and like any other toddler demanded attention.....
it could be anything ranging from purposefully peeing in the lounge so that we run behind her to shoo her away or go and instigate a fight with another dog or simply run inbetween our legs and play ball.
Suddenly there was another guest that came who started eating some of Tiny's food and made herself comfortable in another box and used to play with Tiny. She came uninvited and soon became a part of our lives in her own way.
Meanwhile Tiny had her own plans.
More about her in the next post.

Love,
Jai Gurudev!
Gauri.

of husbands n wives........

2009-09-07T13:45:00.021+05:30

Guruji's sense of humor is amasing, here just read this :)
Q : Would you please encourage our husbands wash utensils and cut vegetables even at home just as they did here during the advance course? (Followed by loud cheering from all the women in the course).

Guruji : yes yes definitely. But then it would be nice if you too maintained silence at home just the way you did in the advance course. (Followed by loud cheering by all the men in the course)

love

G&S

Happy Teachers Day

2009-09-06T15:27:00.007+05:30

Did you know that Teachers day is celebrated across the country because it is Dr.Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan's b'day. He was a great philosopher and visionary who was respected in west and east. He was also instrumental in setting up the higher education system in India post British.

Sharing with you two of his quotes which are my favorite

"Man has learned to fly in the air like a bird,

swim in the water like a fish

but he is yet to learn to live on earth like a man"

another one

"Religious feeling must establish itself as a rational way of living. If ever the spirit is to be at home in this world, and not merely a prisoner or a fugitive, spiritual foundations must be laid deep and preserved worthily. Religion must express itself in reasonable thought, fruitful action and right social institutions."

To all the teachers in our life, thanks for everything.

Love

G&S

To know more about Dr.Radhakrishnan, one of the sites you can visit is www.uramamurthy.com/srk_phil.html

Ananta Padma Chaturdashi

2009-09-04T22:49:00.006+05:30

Hello all,

My parents did this pooja yesterday, its done by couples and every 14yrs = 1 cycle, so as my dad was happily sharing that they are in their third cycle I was wondering what this festival was all about. Did'nt have to wait long, Guruji shared it yesterday evening :) its so beautifuly explained, happy reading and enjoy the festive season.

Q. What is the significance of Ananta Padma Chaturdashi* and what is the reason behind wearing a thread on the wrist?

Sri Sri: Ananta Padma Chaturdashi celebrates the Ananta (infinite, eternal). Experiencing the infinite is the highest aim in life. Without the experience of the eternal, human life is like the animal life. A mere glimpse of the vast infinity of the Self brings transformation in our life. All seekers do this, they become seekers through this- a glimpse of the infinite and they experience it in meditation.The painter portrayed Lord Vishnu like this - there is a sheer sagar (ocean of milk) with a bed of snakes, on which Maha Vishnu, the lord, rests. Sheer sagar is the blissful mind, the mind in which waves of contentment arise. The snake represents an awakened state of mind, kundalini shakti, that is within us. The consciousness rests in the blissful and awakened state of mind.There are three layers to it. The ocean of milk means that the environment is very balanced. Only when the environment is favorable can samadhi (deep meditation) happen. Even for the discussion of scriptures or to sit and think peacefully, one needs to be assured that the atmosphere is free from trouble.

If there is a flood or earthquake around, then no one would read scriptures or talk of research and knowledge. Thus the ocean of milk represents a favorable environment.Until the depth of knowledge is experienced, it remains on the surface. No matter how many Vedantas one reads, it is important to have a favorable environment. When the kundalini shakti rises, the chaitanya shakti that lies within us, the infinite and eternal reigns. From the stomach of that infinite power, a lotus comes out effortlessly, from which Brahma appeared. Thus the creative power rose from there.A blissful consciousness gives rise to creative power. The greatest of scientists came up with new inventions, only when they were in rest. It is extremely vital for researchers and those who experiment to have a favorable environment, one without noise and chaos. You cannot ask someone to do an invention in two days. Invention is not bound to time and cannot take place in an unfavorable environment.

The navel is also called the second brain. There are two brains in our body. One is the head and the other, the navel. It is called the solar plexus. The work that brain does is supported by the solar plexus. Half of the work is done by it. That is why when the stomach is upset, mostly there is chaos in the mind, there are a lot of thoughts in the mind.So it is said, those who practice yoga sadhana have a blossomed solar plexus. Those who don't practice yoga sadhana have a solar plexus smaller in size like that of an amla (Indian Gooseberry). The solar plexus grows to the size of an orange for those who do yoga sadhana and meditation. And the one in whom the kundalini shakti is fully, it is even bigger than an orange – it is like a blossomed lotus.

The thread is a wonderful symbol. Every month we have a festival here (India), the message is to celebrate somehow and rise above. Some people fast, some do pooja and as a symbol of that they put the thread with fourteen knots around the wrist. Especially a day before or after the full moon, we have a festival in our country. The mind is associated with the moon. There is more activity in the mind during the full and the new moon. Psychological and physical illness may increase during these times. Therefore if we are busy in celebrations during those days, then it is good for the health too.Also, during full moon, one tends to get less sleep so the activity of the celebrations helps with the sleep.Every vrat (fast) has associated stories. About kings or businessmen who maintained the fasts and overcame their troubles and got immensely benefitted. So, out of greed people do certain practices.

Every story depicts some problems and show how the problems are overcome after performing pooja. These days people think that just by listening to the stories they can overcome their problems. Our ancestors were really skilful so with every festival they associated some reward.Thus, desiring the results and benefits or out of fear we remain engrossed in pooja and other rituals. This is not excellent.The best way is to be grateful for all that we have received in life.

To perform pooja out of greed is medium and it is lowest to perform it out of fear. But still it is beneficial to do it anyhow.

Love

G & S

For the Sadhak.......

2009-09-02T12:32:00.007+05:30

For all the Sadhaks hope this one is an inspiration :)

To a nation that has produced such gems and continues to do so, may no influence be stronger than herself.

Jai Gurudev

G & S