About The Art of Living And Behind The Scenes

On any given day, thousands are present in satsang at the Bangalore Ashram. Many years ago, it was just a few hundreds.On one such day after the satsang, Sri Sri began moving through the crowd and distributing sweets.

A little boy crept through the crowd and made it all the way to Sri Sri and held out his hand. Sri Sri smiled at him and lovingly placed a sweet in his little palm. Bubbling with excitement, he turned back and vanished into the crowd. Sri Sri continued distributing sweets and had moved just a few steps ahead when the little boy appeared again through the crowd and stretched out his hand. He was given another sweet and he rushed back again. When this happened a few times, the volunteer holding the packet of sweets pointed out to Sri Sri, “He has come for the fourth time.”Without stopping for a moment, Sri Sri replied, “Jab tak ye baant-ta rahega, main ise deta rahunga.”(As long as he keeps distributing them further, I will continue to give him.)

Anybody who has ever come forward to take any initiative with even a trace of sincerity has only received encouragement, appreciation and compassionate guidance from Sri Sri. If not forced by circumstances, most people would spend their lives within the small pond of their limited experiences. What he had to offer opened them so much that in profound gratitude, they disregarded all shortcoming they believed they had and stepped forward with the sentiment, “What can I do for you?”  It is very tender and delicate inside the person who feels it but when it acts, it moves with a tremendous force.It is this force which has  driven the mammoth expanse of  the Art of Living movement all around the world.

For these people, stepping out of their shells and taking responsibility has caused enormous growth in them. Most people who are teachers now had no prior experience of speaking in a group; most people who lead satsangs are not trained singers; people who have done massive construction projects started with hardly any knowledge of construction. “If God has really made me in His own image, what is it that I cannot do?” This conviction comes to them and they are able to do phenomenal things. They don’t do it for their ambition or a sense of achievement. They do it in gratitude for the person who unlocked something profound in them.

Art of Living may give off the appearance of an organization but this whole movement is not run by any management strategy or policy. It is run by an authentic personal experience that deep within, you are love and it is the same love that you are made up of, that moves this world.This realization, because of its purity and universality, has brought so many different people together. Love is the force that binds these people and looking at the magnitude of this phenomenon, it can only be a force of Nature.

Posted by Nakul Dhawan

 

N E Exodus: Art of Living Ashram turns a safe haven

The mass exodus of thousands of north-eastern people from various parts of India, coming on the heels of Assam riots and consequent displacement of hundreds of thousands of families, is a huge blot on the country.

It is time to rally around our North Eastern brethren and open up our hearts and homes to assure them that they have a million homes in India. They are not alone and don’t have to flee.

This was the message taken by Art of Livingteachers Sanjay Babu, Neelam Kochchar, Deepa Dave and their team of volunteers to the thousands of panic- stricken North Eastern people at Bangalore Raliway station ready to leave in the next train to the North East.

Sanjay Babu explained, “There were many distributing food and water at the railway station to the insecure north eastern crowd. But none could assure security to them. We were sent by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji to assure them that they are safe and there was no need to panic and flee from Bangalore.”

The Art of Living teachers reached out to thousands of fearful north eastern workers and students of Bangalore and persuaded them to stay back instead of fleeing. Those who were fearful of going back to their residences in Bangalore were offered a home in the Art of Living Ashram. Around 200 north eastern people are now safely living in the Ashram premises till they feel safe to go back to their homes. In fact, thanks to the feeling of security given to them by Gurudev, many of them are already feeling confident of returning to their jobs in Bangalore.

Over 33,0000 people are reported to have left Bangalore because of direct and indirect threats to leave the city before August 20. Many also left because they were being called back by family members in Assam so that they could, “protect their house together or die together!”

Sri Sri and a few of the N E people at Ashram

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has encouraged the north eastern students in Bangalore to continue their studies. If they need help, Sri Sri University would come forward to enable their education. The workers have been assured that Art of Living would help them find jobs. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, has been engaging the people of North East since many years through personal interactions and many service initiatives. 121 children from Nagaland, Meghalaya and Assam are staying & getting education at Art of Living Ashram since six years.

Only a genuine peace maker like Sri Sri can remove the mistrust and fear that has engulfed Assam in recent times.

During his recent visit to Assam (watch video) in the aftermath of ethnic clashes, Sri Sri was heard with eager anticipation by the people from the both sides of the divide.He effortlessly got the Bodos and Muslims to see reason and talk in conciliatory tones thus sowing the seed for reconciliation. But the question remains whether the rulers of the day will be interested in watering the seed?