Article

An article I wrote for Swami Pragyapad’s visit to Phoenix .

Seva and the Art of Enthusiasm

- by   Sathyanarayana Bharadwaj

The Art of Living through service, spiritual techniques, knowledge, satsang and celebration is transforming the world, one smile at a time. A fortnight after the World Culture Festival in Berlin’s Olympiastadion celebrating its 30 years of existence, we look back at what moves this largely youthful following of the one famously and lovingly called ‘Guruji’.

Picture 50,000 people from around the world, meditating in silence amidst a downpour in the heart of Europe at the Olympiastadion in Berlin; a venue that is infamously known for the Nazi rallies of 1936 and Zinedine Zidane’s head butt during the FIFA World Cup final of 2006. Few could pull it off, but there is something about the zeal and enthusiasm of its volunteers, most of them below the age of 30, that you are sure the Art of Living has made the World Culture Festival a celebration few have seen the likes of. Its not very hard to point at the source of this youthful exuberance and vibrancy, as you would not have to look beyond the founder, the one everyone fondly calls Guruji. From transforming villages in India to conflict resolution in war torn areas, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s volunteers have time and again displayed the meaning behind ‘world peace through inner peace’.  With a presence in over 150 countries, the Art of Living is today the world largest volunteer based organization, offering stress management techniques through meditation, yoga and pranayama, and handling worldwide service projects in strife torn areas and peaceful locales alike.

From the Art of Living Course for adults to the Angel’s Course for the tiny tots’ of age 4-8 years, a wide variety of workshops for all age groups is a feat in itself. Multiply that by 150 countries or thousands of centers worldwide, and you can gauge the popularity of these workshops. Sudarshan Kriya, a key component of the Art of Living, is a technique that Sri Sri came up with during a 10 days period of silence in 1982. It came to him like a poem or an inspiration, he says. And it is something millions swear by the world over, as a technique practiced for 20 minutes each day which could be integrated with your regular yoga practice or meditation technique, if you have one. The ART Excel (all round training in excellence) Course for children of age 8-12 years and the YES (Youth Empowerment Seminar) Course for ages 13-18 years, have benefited children so much, several schools have signed contracts with the foundation and its sister organization IAHV (International Association for Human Values) to offer them to their students regularly in several school districts in the country. If you happen to walk into a high school class where a few have taken the YES program earlier, it is not very difficult to identify and distinguish them. With a few hundred centers in the United States, these programs are providing a great means to live a life of enthusiasm, joy and love. Coupled with the element of personal development, it is the added element of service or seva, which makes the Art of Living so very unique. An outlook of contributing to the community and making a difference for someone, however small or insignificant is what bring in its volunteers the energy and enthusiasm, that is uniquely Art of Living. What each individual gets from a regular practice of the techniques and the wisdom ingrained in these workshops is very varied, unique and self dependant. For someone it’s the improvements in health, for others it’s a calm and energetic mind, and for yet others it’s a means to achieving their ambitions and goals. For a traditional Indian grandmother it might be the devotional aspect in a satsang that attracts her, for a young professional it might be the company of cool and hip friends following a sustainable and healthy lifestyle, and for yet others it might be the ancient wisdom and knowledge of living an enlightened life. But each is comfortable with another’s expression of their life in this web of love woven by their graceful and charming teacher and guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.

Since the master is not easily accessible to the millions on a daily basis, Sri Sri’s most senior teachers travel the world like Sri Sri, city to city meeting with local volunteers, delivering public talks and teaching some of the advanced programs. One such stalwart, Swami Pragyapad is visiting Phoenix from Aug 7-10. Swami Pragyapad is a graduate of the IIT (Indian Institute of Technology, the equivalent of MIT in the US and one of the premier technical schools in the world) with a bachelor’s degree in Engineering. Swami Pragyapad, formerly Prashant Rajore says, “When I finished IIT, I rejected quite a few offers because they could not bring out the best in me, the full human being. With the Art of Living, my full potential is being realized. My all-round abilities have grown, my confidence levels have gone up and I experience immense satisfaction. Friends from IIT tell me that I have really changed.” Ever since his graduation in 1996 he has participated and deliberated at conferences and seminars covering varied topics such as renewable energy, child and women welfare, social development and yoga and meditation. His lectures have drawn audiences of as many as 10,000 people. These projects have transformed the social and economic fabric of the regions where these have been initiated. Swami Pragyapad will be delivering a workshop in downtown Phoenix at the Indo American Community Center, on Aug. 7 called, ‘Health and Happiness’. It is being billed as an evening of wisdom and meditation with a true yogi – someone with a scientific outlook of the ancient wisdom that is the root of Indian spirituality. He will also be leading participants in an Art of Living Course at the local chapter’s center in Tempe in the evenings on Aug. 8, 9 and 10. All queries can be directed to phoenix@us.artofliving.org and (480) 297 2956 or (480) 577 6333.

(The author is a doctoral student at Arizona State University, and a teacher of the YES program of the Art of Living. He has been associated with Sri Sri since 1999. The title for this article is inspired by a talk given by Sri Sri in 1991 on the value of service in one’s life.)

Identity

Rumi said, when you are with nobody but me you are with everybody, when you are with everybody but me you are with nobody. Or something like that. When we uphold the Guru in our consciousness, then the lines between craving and aversion, pain and pleasure get thinner. When we uphold Him in our consciousness every waking moment, then the walls between meditation and activity, spiritual and material worlds, divine and devotee disappear. Then we become a devotee of the caliber of Janaka. It is a very beautiful phenomenon. This thought occurred to me first thing after meditation tonight. This past week and a half, has been one of total activity in the world of my work and studies. There has been just enough time for food, adequate sleep and deep meditations. But at the end of the week, on a Friday evening all I am left with is total oneness with Guruji. Not any of the activities that I have engaged in during the time has been a so-called spiritually uplifting one. But throughout, I had felt no separation from Him. Everyone and everything around only invoked a deep sense of love.

the way we are wired

Ever wondered how sometimes we have the capacity to amaze ourselves? Some actions that happen through us seem so effortless, we ask – Where did that come from? Well, methinks its the way we are wired. There are somethings cultured in us, through societal and parental influences. And there are others that are: part of our nature. We all have two sides, a bitter side and a sweet side – figuratively i.e. All ‘truly’ effortless acts are borne out of our real nature. It is true also that sometimes somethings can get so ingrained that we may act on those impulses involuntarily. But, there is a distinction. Okay – that has now been established. Now the next step: to understand that our true nature is the sweet side. This is the hard part. But, its true. I’ll let you figure that one out…

blackberry iphone and rishiji

I am doing some research on a blackberry vs. the iphone; and when I was reading some stuff about the iphone recently, I suddenly remembered Rishiji!! Why? He was the first one to introduce me to the iphone. I still remember the first time I met him in Sedona, he showed me his iphone and he was marveling at this wondrous piece of creation. This was the original iphone (quite primitive to the iphone 4) and he showed us the maze game and how the interface was the coolest thing I had seen. But two years hence, more than the iphone or the game or even those few momentous days, what really stayed with me, and continues to and will always stay with me, is his presence. Its really unbelievable, and I am truly [and tearfully] blessed to have spent such intimate moments with him. The silent (most times unsaid) wonderment that he introduced into everything around us and the power of his presence are unmistakable. He just exudes energy, power and grace. He is one of a kind – another one of His many uniquely beautiful creations; who has left an indelible mark. Silence and Celebration coexisting effortlessly with an air of amusement!

Jai Gurudeva!

Dinner

God descended from heaven manifest in the little dinner I prepared today. Just the right texture of the daal, cooked to the perfect softness, and just the absolute best thickness. The zucchini bobbing up and down and spinach floating around happily. Aroma of coconut wafting amidst a tinge of hinge. Color, taste and smell all divine! Ate it all before I could take a picture! Maybe, next time. Maybe.

stumbling

I read the book after I have had the good fortune of meeting and being close with both Michael Fischman and His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. This book opened my heart to the author and his experiences and gives me immense strength in my value for sincerity and integrity in one’s life. Michael’s story is an inspiration for all that I hold true in my life – love, honesty, compassion, fun, joy and peace. After Michael’s book, to put it plainly – I know myself better.

I will be really surprised if this book does not move you. I would recommend this to anyone who is seeking anything in life, no matter what it be. If you need nothing, then and then alone you don’t need to read this.

checkmate

Okay!!!

So here is the deal. I have simply too much to share with you. And it can’t all be said in words. I hope to do my best and sincerely hope whatever I write here does to you at least as much as it did for me.

Checkmate

Those that make you return, for whatever reason,
to His solitude, be grateful to them.
Worry about the others, who give you
delicious comforts, that keep you from prayer.
Friends are enemies sometimes,
and enemies friends.

…

If you cant do this work yourself, don’t worry.
You don’t even have to make a decision,
one way or another. The Friend, who knows
a lot more than you do, will bring difficulties,
and grief, and sickness,
as medicine, as happiness,
as the essence of the moment when you’re beaten,
when you hear Checkmate, and can finally say

I trust you to kill me.

Jai Gurudeva! <3