Tuesday 27 August 2024

*Please Walk*

▪️As a person gets older, the accuracy & speed of transmission of instructions between the brain and the legs decreases, unlike when a person is young. *Please Walk* ▪️In addition, the so-called Bone Fertilizer Calcium will sooner or later be lost with the passage of time, making the elderly more prone to bone fractures. *WALK* ▪️Bone fractures in the elderly can easily trigger a series of complications, especially fatal diseases such as brain thrombosis. *Walk* ▪️Do you know that 15% of elderly patients generally, will die max. within a year of a thigh-bone fracture !! *Walk daily without fail* ▪️ Exercising the legs, is never too late, even after the age of 60 years. *W A L K* ▪️Although our feet/legs will gradually age with time, exercising our feet/ legs is a life-long task. *Walk 10,000 steps* ▪️Only by regular strengthening the legs, one can prevent or reduce further aging. *Walk 365 days* ▪️ Please walk for at least 30-40 minutes daily to ensure that your legs receive sufficient exercise and to ensure that your leg muscles remain healthy. *KEEP WALKING* You should share this important information with all your 50+years" friends & family members, as everyone is aging on a daily basis. Have a blessed week ahead
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" *𝑀𝑦 π‘†π‘œπ‘’π‘™ 𝐼𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝐴 π»π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘¦*

Brazilian poet MΓ‘rio de Andrade's poignant poem: " *𝑀𝑦 π‘†π‘œπ‘’π‘™ 𝐼𝑠 𝑖𝑛 𝐴 π»π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘¦* ." 𝐼 π‘π‘œπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘‘ π‘šπ‘¦ π‘¦π‘’π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘§π‘’π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ 𝐼 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ 𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’ 𝐼 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑑 π‘ π‘œ π‘“π‘Žπ‘Ÿ. *𝐼 β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘šπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘“π‘’π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’* . 𝐼 𝑓𝑒𝑒𝑙 π‘™π‘–π‘˜π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘π‘œπ‘¦ π‘€β„Žπ‘œ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘Ž π‘π‘œπ‘€π‘™ π‘œπ‘“ π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘ . 𝐴𝑑 π‘“π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘‘, β„Žπ‘’ π‘”π‘œπ‘π‘π‘™π‘’π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘š, 𝑏𝑒𝑑 π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› β„Žπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘§π‘’π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘€π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘œπ‘›π‘™π‘¦ 𝑓𝑒𝑀 𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑑, *β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘’π‘”π‘Žπ‘› π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘‘π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘š 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑦 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘ π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘™π‘¦*. 𝐼 *π‘›π‘œ π‘™π‘œπ‘›π‘”π‘’π‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘π‘’π‘Žπ‘™* π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘šπ‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘‘π‘¦/π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘¦. 𝐼 *π‘‘π‘œ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘€π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑏𝑒* 𝑖𝑛 π‘šπ‘’π‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘”π‘  π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘“π‘™π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’π‘‘ π‘’π‘”π‘œπ‘  π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’.... 𝐼 π‘Žπ‘š π‘π‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘ 𝑏𝑦 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘’π‘›π‘£π‘–π‘œπ‘’π‘ , π‘€β„Žπ‘œ π‘ π‘’π‘’π‘˜ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘π‘–π‘ π‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘šπ‘œπ‘ π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘π‘™π‘’, π‘‘π‘œ π‘’π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ π‘π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘’π‘ , π‘π‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘‘π‘–π‘›π‘” π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ π‘ π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘π‘ , π‘‘π‘Žπ‘™π‘’π‘›π‘‘, π‘Žπ‘β„Žπ‘–π‘’π‘£π‘’π‘šπ‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘  π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘™π‘’π‘π‘˜. 𝐼 π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘™π‘¦ *π‘‘π‘œ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’* π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ 𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘Žπ‘‘π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘ , 𝑒𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑠𝑠 π‘‘π‘–π‘ π‘π‘’π‘ π‘ π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘  π‘Žπ‘π‘œπ‘’π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠 π‘œπ‘“ π‘œπ‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘  π‘€β„Žπ‘œ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘–π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘’π‘™π‘’π‘£π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ π‘šπ‘–π‘›π‘’..... 𝐼 *π‘›π‘œ π‘™π‘œπ‘›π‘”π‘’π‘Ÿ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’* π‘‘π‘œ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘›π‘‘π‘™π‘’ π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘Žπ‘”π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑣𝑖𝑑𝑖𝑒𝑠 π‘œπ‘“ π‘π‘’π‘œπ‘π‘™π‘’ π‘€β„Žπ‘œ, 𝑑𝑒𝑠𝑝𝑖𝑑𝑒 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ π‘β„Žπ‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘›π‘œπ‘™π‘œπ‘”π‘–π‘π‘Žπ‘™ π‘Žπ‘”π‘’, π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘–π‘šπ‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’..... 𝐼 *β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘ π‘’ π‘€β„Žπ‘œ π‘ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘”π‘”π‘™π‘’ π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘π‘œπ‘€π‘’π‘Ÿ* , π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘ π‘’ π‘€β„Žπ‘œ π‘‘π‘œ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ π‘‘π‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘‘, 𝑗𝑒𝑠𝑑 π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘’π‘™π‘ .... 𝑀𝑦 π‘‘π‘–π‘šπ‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘  π‘π‘’π‘π‘œπ‘šπ‘’ π‘ π‘π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘π‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘‘π‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’ π‘™π‘Žπ‘π‘’π‘™π‘ . *𝐼 π‘π‘Žπ‘› π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘ π‘‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘–π‘›π‘›π‘’π‘Ÿ 𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒 𝑖𝑛 π‘‘β„Žπ‘–π‘  π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘™π‘‘ π‘›π‘œπ‘€*. *𝑀𝑦 π‘ π‘œπ‘’π‘™ 𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑛 π‘Ž β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘¦* .... *π‘π‘œπ‘‘ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘¦ π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘  𝑙𝑒𝑓𝑑 𝑖𝑛 π‘šπ‘¦ π‘π‘œπ‘€π‘™* .... 𝐼 *π‘€π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 π‘π‘™π‘œπ‘ π‘’ π‘‘π‘œ π‘π‘’π‘œπ‘π‘™π‘’* π‘€β„Žπ‘œ π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ "β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘Žπ‘›" - *β„Žπ‘’π‘šπ‘Žπ‘›π‘  π‘€β„Žπ‘œ π‘™π‘Žπ‘’π‘”β„Ž π‘Žπ‘‘ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ π‘œπ‘€π‘› π‘€π‘’π‘Žπ‘˜π‘›π‘’π‘ π‘ π‘’π‘ * ; ..π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘€π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘ π‘’ π‘π‘’π‘π‘Žπ‘šπ‘’ π‘ π‘šπ‘’π‘” π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘œπ‘£π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘π‘œπ‘›π‘“π‘–π‘‘π‘’π‘›π‘‘ π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘–π‘Ÿ π‘‘π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’π‘šπ‘β„Žπ‘ , π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘Žπ‘€π‘Žπ‘¦ π‘“π‘Ÿπ‘œπ‘š π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘ π‘’ 𝑓𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑒𝑑 π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž 𝑠𝑒𝑙𝑓-π‘–π‘šπ‘π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘π‘Žπ‘›π‘π‘’..... *π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘’π‘ π‘ π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘™π‘  π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘€β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘˜π‘’ 𝑙𝑖𝑓𝑒 π‘€π‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘‘β„Žπ‘€β„Žπ‘–π‘™π‘’* 𝐴𝑛𝑑 π‘“π‘œπ‘Ÿ π‘šπ‘’, π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘’π‘ π‘ π‘’π‘›π‘‘π‘–π‘Žπ‘™π‘  π‘Žπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘šπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘’π‘›π‘œπ‘’π‘”β„Ž! *π‘Œπ‘’π‘ , 𝐼’π‘š 𝑖𝑛 π‘Ž β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘¦* . 𝐼’π‘š 𝑖𝑛 π‘Ž β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘¦ π‘‘π‘œ 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒 π‘€π‘–π‘‘β„Ž π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑠𝑖𝑑𝑦 π‘Žπ‘›π‘‘ π‘π‘Žπ‘ π‘ π‘–π‘œπ‘›π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘™π‘¦ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘‘ π‘œπ‘›π‘™π‘¦ π‘šπ‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘–π‘‘π‘¦ π‘π‘Žπ‘› 𝑔𝑖𝑣𝑒.... 𝐼 π‘‘π‘œ π‘›π‘œπ‘‘ 𝑖𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑑 π‘‘π‘œ π‘€π‘Žπ‘ π‘‘π‘’ π‘Žπ‘›π‘¦ π‘œπ‘“ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘šπ‘Žπ‘–π‘›π‘–π‘›π‘” _π‘β„Žπ‘’π‘Ÿπ‘Ÿπ‘–π‘’s_.... *𝐼 π‘Žπ‘š π‘ π‘’π‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘’π‘¦ 𝑀𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑒π‘₯π‘žπ‘’π‘–π‘ π‘–π‘‘π‘’, π‘šπ‘’π‘β„Ž π‘šπ‘œπ‘Ÿπ‘’ π‘‘β„Žπ‘Žπ‘› π‘‘β„Žπ‘œπ‘ π‘’ π‘’π‘Žπ‘‘π‘’π‘› π‘ π‘œ π‘“π‘Žπ‘Ÿ* . 𝐴𝑠 π‘ π‘Žπ‘–π‘‘ 𝑏𝑦 *πΆπ‘œπ‘›π‘“π‘’π‘π‘–π‘’π‘ * : “π‘Šπ‘’ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘‘π‘€π‘œ 𝑙𝑖𝑣𝑒𝑠. *π‘‡β„Žπ‘’ π‘ π‘’π‘π‘œπ‘›π‘‘ 𝑏𝑒𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑠 π‘€β„Žπ‘’π‘› π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘Ÿπ‘’π‘Žπ‘™π‘–π‘§π‘’ π‘¦π‘œπ‘’ π‘œπ‘›π‘™π‘¦ β„Žπ‘Žπ‘£π‘’ π‘œπ‘›π‘’*.”
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LIGHTENING THE BURDEN

God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~ *~*~*~* August 28, 2024 LIGHTENING THE BURDEN Showing others who suffer how we were given help is the very thing which makes life seem so worthwhile to us now. . . . the dark past is . . . the key to life and happiness for others. Alcoholics Anonymous, p.124 Since I have been sober, I have been healed of many pains: deceiving my partner, deserting my best friend, and spoiling my mother's hopes for my life. In each case someone in the program told me of a similar problem, and I was able to share what happened to me. When my story was told, both of us got up with lighter hearts.
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THE CONQUERING HORSE

THE CONQUERING HORSE Around the Year with Emmet Fox August 28 “And I saw, and behold a white horse: and that sat on him had a bow; and a crown was given unto him: and he went forth conquering, and to conquer” Revelation 6:2 The White Horse is the spiritual nature, and the man or woman who rides the White Horse achieves freedom, and joy, and ultimate happiness and harmony. We are told two very interesting things about the Horseman on the White Horse: the Bible says that he that sat on him had a bow. The bow and arrow is an ancient symbol of the spoken Word. When you speak the Word you shoot an arrow. It goes where you aim it. The Horseman on the White Horse speaks the Word. The rider on the White Horse also wears a crown, and the crown is a symbol of victory. The rider on the White Horse is always the victor. This, then, is the story of the Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse. If you want peace, an understanding of God, there is only one way— you must ride the White Horse.
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Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

If someone has to raise you beyond the visible universe to a mystic plane, they must be more charming and Krishna is the absolute charm. Happy Janmashtami!
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Was Lord Krishna feared as a warrior in his era?

Was Lord Krishna feared as a warrior in his era? Yes. Lord Krishna was the most powerful warrior in all of Mahabharata. When Krishna was just a child, he killed Keshi and Arishta - “When the great-souled one was brought up as a child in a family of cowherds, he made the strength of his arms known to the three worlds. When he dwelt in the forests along the Yamuna, he killed the king of horses, who was like the wind in speed and Uchchaishrava’s equal in strength. There was a terrible danava in the form of a bull. He arose among the cows, like death. Though still a child, he killed him.” 2. Krishna killed Kamsa and his brother Sunama - “The immensely energetic Kamsa was protected by Jarasandha. But with his valour alone, Krishna killed him and his followers in battle. The brave Sunama, the king of Shurasena, was the leader of an entire akshouhini. The valiant one was the second brother of Kamsa, the king of Bhoja. With Baladeva as his second, Krishna, the slayer of enemies, spiritedly consumed him in a battle, with all his soldiers”. 3. Sri Krishna defeated Vidarbha and abducted Rukmini - “Alone on a chariot, he destroyed the kingdom of the king and abducted Rukmini of Bhoja. He obtained a resplendent and famous wife and she bore him the great-souled Roukmineya” 4. Krishna killed Narakasura - “Piercing with lances and striking with razors, he killed six thousand in Nirmochana. He killed Mura and he killed rakshasa warriors. Then the brave one entered Nirmochana. There, a great battle took place between the immensely strong one and the even stronger Vishnu. He was killed by Krishna and was robbed of his life. He was like a karnikara tree uprooted by the wind.” 5. Sri Krishna defeated pandyas, Kalingas and burned down Varanasi - “He killed Pandya by striking him on the chest. He vanquished the Kalingas in Dantakura. He burnt down the city of Varanasi, which remained for many years without a protector.” 6. Krishna killed Ekalavya - “He was challenged by Ekalavya, the king of Nishadha, who was thought to be invincible. But Krishna killed him and robbed him of his life, forcefully smashing him against a rock, like Jambha.” 7. Krishna conquered Gandhara - “Having defeated all of Nagnajit’s sons, he spiritedly churned Gandhara and forcibly freed Sudarshaniya, beloved of the gods, from bondage” 8. Krishna defeated Indra and uprooted Parijata tree - “When he stole the parijata flowers, he defeated Shachi’s consort himself.” 9. Krishna conquered numerous kingdoms - “He defeated in battle Anga, Vanga, Kalinga, Magadha, Andhaka, Kasi, Kosala, Vatsa, Garga, Karusha and Pundra. O Sanjaya! Avanti, the south, the mountains, Dasheraka, Kashmiraka, Ourasaka, Pishacha, Samandara, Kamboja, Vatadhana, Chola, Pandya, Trigarta, Malava and Darada were difficult to conquer. Ashvas, Shakas and Yavanas and their followers arrived from different direction. But Pundarikaksha vanquished them.” 10. Krishna defeated Varuna - “In earlier times, he penetrated the abode of makaras, inhabited by aquatic creatures. In the midst of the waters, he vanquished Varuna in battle.” 11. Krishna destroyed the city of Soubha and killed Shalva - “Soubha, the city of the daityas, was established in the sky. It was protected by Shalva and was invincible. Through his valour, Madhava brought it down into the ocean.” 12. Krishna defeated Shiva, Karthikeya and Banasura - “Shankara
and
Mahasena
will
be
revered
in
the
world
of
the
gods,
but they
will
be
engaged
in
ensuring
the
welfare
of
Bana.Though
they
will
exert
themselves
on
his
side,
I
will
defeat
the thousand-armed
Bana
and
win
back
my
 son
through
force.” 13. Krishna defeated Yama - “There took place a terrible encounter between them both. Thereupon having vanquished the fearful son of Vivasvan, the foremost of Purusha Acyuta obtained the child son of his preceptor. He then brought from Yama’s abode his preceptor’s son lost for a long time.”
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Monday 26 August 2024

CENTERING OUR THOUGHTS

Good Morning!!! God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~*~*~*~* August 27, 2024 CENTERING OUR THOUGHTS When World War II broke out, our A.A. dependence on a Higher Power had its first major test. AA's entered the services and were scattered all over the world. Would they be able to take the discipline, stand up under fire, and endure . . . ? As Bill Sees It, p.200 I will center my thoughts on a Higher Power. I will surrender all to this power within me. I will become a soldier for this power, feeling the might of the spiritual army as it exists in my life today. I will allow a wave of spiritual union to connect me through my gratitude, obedience and discipline to this Higher Power. Let me allow this power to lead me through the orders of the day. May the steps I take today strengthen my words and deeds, may I know that the message I carry is mine to share, given freely by this power greater than myself. ******************************************** To Take Responsibility Learning how to live in the greatest peace, partnership, and brotherhood with all men and women, of whatever description, is a moving and fascinating adventure. But every A.A. has found that he can make little headway in this new adventure of living until he first backtracks and really makes an accurate and unsparing survey of the human wreckage he has left in his wake. The readiness to take the full consequences of our past acts, and to take responsibility for the well-being of others at the same time, is the very spirit of Step nine. TWELVE AND TWELVE – 1. P. 77 – 2. P. 87 ******************************************** Lying to ourselves is more deeply ingrained than lying to others. —Fyodor Dostoyevsky The primary requirement for our recovery is honesty. In order to grow in honesty, we first needed to see how we had lied to others and to ourselves. This was not as easy as it first appeared. Our lies to ourselves kept us so fully in the dark that we did not know we were lying. We sometimes told "sincere" lies because we honestly did not distinguish the truth within ourselves. For so long we had preferred dishonest rationalizations, and we had come to believe them. The spiritual life of this program is based upon experience. What we feel, what we see and hear, is what we know. When we simplify our lives and base the truth upon our experiences, we slowly cleanse ourselves of the lies we told ourselves. With this kind of honesty comes an inner peace with ourselves in whom we can say, "I know myself." Today, I will accept my experience as a simple message of truth.
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THREE WILD HORSES

Good Morning!!! THREE WILD HORSES Around the Year with Emmet Fox August 27 “And I looked, and behold a pale horse: and his name that sat on him was Death, and Hell followed with him” Revelation 68 The first horse is the Pale Horse and "pale" means the color of terror, a kind of ashen gray. The Pale Horse stands for the physical body. If you live but for the body, there is nothing but hell awaiting you on this plane or anywhere else. The body is the cruelest taskmaster of all, when it is allowed to be the ruler. The Pale Horse indicates all other physical addictions too— what the Bible sometimes calls the "world"— money, position, material honors. Whoever lives for worldly pursuits, is the rider on the Pale Horse. “And there went out another horse that was red: and power was given to him that sat thereon to take peace from the earth” Revelation 6:4 The Red Horse is your emotional nature, your feelings. It is dangerous to allow your emotions to have control. This does not mean that emotion is a bad thing in itself. Uncontrolled emotion is a bad thing. A strong emotional nature is a splendid endowment if you are the master, but if it is mastering you, you are riding the Red Horse. “And l beheld, and lo a black horse; and he that sat on him had pair of balances in his hand” Revelation 6:5
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*Anagram Boy*

*Anagram Boy* The little boy looked at me with a haunted expression and said, *"I see anagrams".* My face turned pale. "You mean, like word jumbles?" I asked. "Yes", he said. He pointed to a sign and asked me what I saw. *STOP* I said. He said, I see *POTS*, sometimes, *POST* or *OPTS* or *TOPS*. God, I said, did you tell anyone? Nobody will believe me, he said. I saw you solving a crossword, and thought you would understand. Read that, I said, pointing at *MEDICAL STORES*. *DECIMAL TOSSER*, he said. And that, I said, pointing to a *DICTIONARY*. *INDICATORY*, he said. I gasped. He pointed to a garbage man and said bag manager. He saw a poster of *Britney Spears* and said *Presbyterians*. Stop, I said. This is freaking me out. *The detectives* *detect thieves*, he said. I know, I said. And then I got it. Damn! *Sycophant* *acts phony*, he said. Stop, I begged. Can you help me, he asked. Meanwhile it started pouring. *Heavy rain*, I said. *Hire a navy*, he said, absent mindedly. What's your name, young man, I asked, a trifle peevishly. Salman, he said. *Salman Grover*. I had a flash of inspiration. Does your father's name start with *A*, I asked. Yes, he said, excited for the first time. I scribbled *Salman A Grover* on a paper and showed it to him. *Anagram Solver*, he said, instantly. And his face brightened. Change your spelling, I said. And you will stop seeing anagrams. Thank you, he said, flushed with excitement. Thank you, Mr.... ? Raman, I said. *A.G. Raman*. That is an *anagram* too sir, he said.
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Sudarshan Kriya – Key to peaceful life

Sudarshan Kriya – Key to peaceful life Some years ago, while I was posted at Gorakhpur, an Art of Living devotee happened to read my maiden book, The Matter of the Mind, wherein I narrated the efficacy of the Sudarshan Kriya technique and how it extricated me from the cesspool of alcoholism. Today by the grace of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya I am sober. The devotee connected me to a psychiatrist and soon along with two other faculty members, we began conducting courses for alcoholics and drug addicts at a rehab centre. They were around 40 and we were three. Some looked menacing, others disenchanted, a few engulfed by ennui. But in our arsenal was the potent cassette of Sudarshan Kriya and enveloped with the divine benediction of Gurudev. We began with gentle warm ups. This was followed by Pranayama’s and finally Sudarshan Kriya. A few hardened addicts attempted to derail the Kriya. But the febrile minds gradually settled as the rhythms of Soham resonated the dingy hall. Meaning of Sudarshan Kriya The unique breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya is the fulcrum of the Happiness Programme of the Art of Living. Su means proper, Darshan implies vision and Kriya is a purifying action. Through the actions of our breath, we appreciate a proper vision of who we really are. It is momentous to understand that nature runs on a rhythm. For instance, the sun rises and sets at a particular time, similarly seasons arrive and exit at predetermined times. Our emotions, feelings, thoughts are all cast in the symphony of rhythm. We are unable to distinguish between cacophony and symphony in this frenetic pace of life which is cannonaded by innumerable thoughts. When sounds are harmonised by the syllable of Soham we can term it as magical music. Enlightenment is not accruing anything providential but harmonising our whole being rhythmically. During the breathing process participants feel varied sensations, emotions, tingling sensations, laughter, weeping among others. But the objective is to keep breathing to the syllable of Soham in (chanted in Gurudev’s voice). Eventually all the accumulated stress is extricated and a person is thoroughly relaxed. Cassandras of doubt and prophets of doom have questioned the salutatory benefit of the course and the breathing technique. Researchers at NIMHANS and AIIMS have zeroed on the impact of the breathing technique, which improves the heart rate, benefits cognition, improves breathing pattern, restores calmness in the mind and body, arrests Alzheimer’s affliction, works positively on the endocrine system, all of which increase energy (or prana) levels in the human body. This wonderful knowledge and wisdom have triggered humanness to blossom. Every cell and particle of the body overflows with jollity and life is abundant with the glow of love and the body becomes the wick. Love and belongingness become a natural process of our inner being if practised unfailingly. Several practitioners feel they can practice the breathing technique at home. But that is only walking half the path. It is indispensable and paramount that one must practice the technique daily and attend the follow up once a week, where a certified Art of Living teacher plays the chant of Soham in Guruji’s voice as it reinvigorates the body and mind. One should also be wary of imitations available on YouTube these days. Breath is the very kernel of our very existence. A person will gain more spiritually and physically by traversing on this journey by taking part in the bouquet of courses offered by the foundation. The entire voyage is to spread waves of happiness across the universe.
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STARTING LIFE ONCE AGAIN

STARTING LIFE ONCE AGAIN The period was years ago in Japan There was a Temple of Knowledge in Japan several years ago during the Meiji period. It was headed by a sagacious Old Monk. He acquired enormous knowledge and patience through the quotidian practice of Zazen meditation. Now Zazen, is a form of seated meditation, which is at the core of Zen practice. In fact, Zen is also known as the “meditation school” of Buddhism. Zazen is the road to study the self. Zen Master Dogen was to say that, “To study the Buddha Way is to study the self; to study the self is to forget the self, and to forget the self is to be enlightened by the ten thousand things.” To be enlightened by the enormous knowledge is to recognize the unity of the self and all things. Buddha the enlightened one sat in meditation to attainment illumination and for 2,500 years this technique of meditation has flourished and has been passed on from generations. One of the singular aspects of Zazen has been remarkably easy to communicate and is important for both the novitiate and advanced practitioners. It is also noteworthy to mention that, a person’s experience of meditation can change profoundly and radically transfigure the personality if they practice it with vigor. Through consistent practice, Zazen metamorphoses the mind, heart, soul and the very life of the seeker. Once an Old Monk who headed the estimable Temple of Knowledge was seated on the banks of a river when a strapping youngster posed a questioned to the learned one as to what he was ruminating about. The knowledgeable one peered intently at the ripped youngster who was inquisitive about as to what he was regurgitating about. The sagacious one thought wistfully for a while and replied, “I am waiting for the entire water flow, the mass of water body to pass by,” and after that I shall cross the river. The stripling youngster laughed aloud and hollered, “Old Monk such a situation would never arise and in your lifetime and you would never be able to navigate the river and cross it.” The Old Monk replied, this is precisely what I wanted to teach you : “ people who would normally opine that once the responsibilities of life are fulfilled then they would carouse life.” The perspicacious one was to further add, “It would be prescient and prudent to live in the present and enjoy life to the fullest as the flow of river water would never cease to end.” Aeons ago as per Yoga Vasishtha Once there lived a demoness with a gargantuan appetite which was never satisfied or satiated. In order to fulfill her gluttony and palate she propitiated the creator Lord Brahma and was granted a boon to metamorphose into a Suchika or a mere needle. This fiendish force could after receiving the benison pierce the pulmonary tract of humans, attack the spleen and liver to feast and thus was slaked. Meanwhile the year 2020 was cataclysmic and catastrophic as the novel corona virus afflicted millions of people a too has once again acquired a vice like grip and is spreading its tentacles like an octopus and causing untold misery with its several mutations and variants. In modern times the two world wars and the Spanish flue had caused widespread misery and ruination. During the two wars around 115 million people which included military and civilians lost their lives. And the lives of fifty million were snuffed out by the noxious Spanish Flu. The Novel Corona virus has afflicted 152 million people across the globe and has accounted for 3.19million lives. Today while vaccinations are available, India is desperately gasping for breath as oxygen or O2 is deficient and it will take an enormous effort to vaccinate the entire population. Dark and deathly scenes which are immensely devastating are played out by television channels and on the social media. It is both lachrymose and funereal to be cannonaded by this information every day. How to we cross the woebegone situation posed by the pandemic? Human life like that of the beefy and brawny youngster who learned at the feet of the percipient Zen teacher needs to start life once again. It has twin arsenal of science and spirituality. Science would entail superior health care systems, vaccinating vast multitudes of population and most importantly availability of oxygen ( O2 ) , ventilators and life saving drugs. Simultaneously it is important to practice yoga, pranayama, meditation and relaxation techniques. Singularly the lungs and pulmonary tracts have to be bolstered. “Beating the virus requires collective action. It’s imperative that everyone follows the rules like staying clean, washing hands frequently, maintaining social distance etc. Initially, they might appear challenging, but they aren’t hard to practice,” says the spiritual Master H,H, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.
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SPREADING WAVES OF HAPPINESS – SRI SRI Ravi Shankar

SPREADING WAVES OF HAPPINESS – SRI SRI Ravi Shankar The occidental world, in particular the United States of America consider number 13 as a fiendish number. There is no 13th floor, Apollo 13 went up in flames in the stratosphere. But that is not the case in the oriental hemisphere, especially for the 13th May born Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. He is the founder of the Art of Living which is spread across 155 nations. He is spreading waves of happiness through his atavism, activism; undertaking peace missions in terror stricken and naxalites infested areas and working in different amphitheatres of war. Among other activities are included river rejuvenation initiatives, ecological programmes and rural development applications. Gurudev in the year 1980 cognated the unique rhythmic breathing technique called the Sudarshan Kriya (proper vision process, a purification technique) after observing deep silence for a period of ten days on the banks of the Bhadravati river in the bijou town of Shimoga. This breathing technique is at the heart of all Art of Living courses which are imparted by qualified Art of Living teachers. This breathing technique is imparted in what is now called the Happiness Programme. The talismanic breathing technique is in Gurudev’s voice and disseminated to the participants in three different cycles of slow, medium and rapid breathing on an ancient mantra called ‘SOHAM’ after a set of pranayama styles. It conjures Mandrake like magic which is so subtle and fine that it detoxifies all impurities embedded in the cells of the human body. The sacred breathing technique has a salutatory impact on human body and mind which assuages frayed nerves, and invigorates the being. Suffice to say that Cassandra’s of doubt and prophets of doom have not been able to contest reams of research papers written by eminently qualified medical practitioners and psychologists at AIIMS, NIMHANS and other medical institutes in India and abroad which testify that Sudarshan Kriya boosts bodily functions including those of the heart, the liver, the brain, endocrine system, and kidney to name but a few. The breathing process also brings succour to those suffering from various pestilences like heart ailments, epilepsy, addictions of alcohol and substance abuse. It also silences the distraught mind to incredible levels of hush and shush which helps develop intuition. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says, “Sudarshan Kriya harmonizes the rhythms of the body, emotions and puts them back in tune with the rhythms of nature. Being in rhythm, we feel good about ourselves, love flows naturally in all relationships.” Gurudev arrived on planet Earth on 13th of May 1956. He was born at Papanasam into an orthodox Brahmin family to R.S.V. Ratnam and Visalakshi. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was born on Shankar Jayanti , the birth anniversary of the Advaita saint Adi Shankara. Aeons ago Adi Shankara spread the Advaita philosophy, travelling by foot, and established “mutts” at Jyotirmath in the Himalayas, Sringeri in the vicinity of Kanchipuram, at Puri in the east by the sea and Dwaraka in the west. There is yet another interesting twist to the naming ceremony of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. It was eleven days after he was born which coincidentally happened to be Ramnuja Jayanthi (the proponent of Vishistadvaita School of philosophy). Quintessentially several temples of the Sun and Shankar dot the landscape of Papanasam, thus the seraphic child was christened Ravi Shankar. The cornerstones of Guruji’s teachings are Sadhana, Satsang, Sudarshan Kriya, Seva and meditation. Strategies to develop these aspects of one’s personality are unbossomed in the bouquet of courses offered by the Art of Living. Chronicler’s write that the child prodigy was often found to be in a state of trance or meditation and could recite the Bhagvad Gita by the age of five. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was to become a tutee in physics at St Joseph’s College Bangalore where he was to receive formal education and developed a scientific temperament. Gurudev’s first preceptor was Sudhakar Chaturvedi, a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi and popularly referred to as Banglori. He was later in the fold of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi where he was to learn the nuances of Transcendental Meditation. However, visionaries carve their own niche and he snapped the umbilical cord and went on to establish the Art of Living Foundation upon attaining enlightenment. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has weaved the traditional with the modern, the ancient with the contemporary through a heterogeneous mix of programmes. At the fulcrum are courses like The Happiness Programme, Sahaj Samadhi Meditation, Sri Sri Yoga (which is different from the BKS Iyengar school of Yoga and at slight variance with Ashtanga Yoga), for Guruji stresses more on breathing techniques and meditation to enhance prana levels and jollity among practitioners. Other programmes are the Art of Living Silence Programme (the active and hyper active mind is enveloped with peace, compassion, unalloyed love and compassion), the Divya Samaj worshop where mental and physical boundaries are demolished and the participant emerges out from their comfort zone, the Ayurvedic cooking course – designed to balance the three Doshas in the human body that is Vatta, Kapha and Pitta. The Vedic wisdom programme inducts participants to traverse the spiritual path and gain insights into Upanishads, Vedas, Darshanas. The Prison Smart programme metamorphoses the lives of incarcerated prisoners so that they eschew violence and crime. For children and youth, Guruji has specifically designed courses like Know Your Child and Know Your Teen to unravel their true potential so that they blossom. Utkarsh Yoga (for children between ages eight to thirteen) empowers them and transforms their lives to maintain physical and emotional balance. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has established the International Association of Human Values which is working among the terror-stricken and in war zones of the world through the Stress Relief and Resilience programme. “At a time when many people feel that modern knowledge and ancient traditions tend to contradict each other, it is refreshing to come across someone like Sri Sri Ravi Shankar who has been able to reconcile scientific education with his Vedic training to find a path relevant to contemporary needs,” says His Holiness Dalai Lama.
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Secrets of Happiness

Secrets of Happiness What do humans imply by happiness? It is a state of jollity, felicity, gaiety. Psychologists qualify happiness into two categories. Firstly there is hedonic happiness. This is nothing but short-term positive emotions like joy and excitement which are ephemeral in nature. Then there’s eudaimonic happiness, which focuses the human mind with long ranging outcomes and singular life satisfaction. It is noteworthy to mention that happiness research has been conducted with startling results in a wide variety of scientific disciplines, including gerontology, social psychology, clinical research and happiness economics. In the field of philosophy, happiness is translated from the Greek concept of eudemonia, which refers to an opulent life (though not in a negative sense of the term) or a flourishing, as against a short emotion or pleasure. The latter is merely a flow of electric current in the mind and body. These are momentary pleasures and do not really enhance the growth or development of one’s personality. Hormones which act as a trigger Researchers have zeroed in on four chemicals which are singular in shaping the happiness quotient among human beings. These are endorphins, dopamine, serotonin, and oxytocin. Endorphins Footslogging on the treadmill, going for long walks, pumping iron, doing regular yoga, swimming, aerobic exercises like Zumba or rhythmic dancing where humans burn out adequate number of calories sweating it out, all these activities lead to the release of endorphins. Humans savour and relish exercising for a couple of reasons. The assay assists us in not gaining weight, remaining fit, releasing toxins from the human body and significantly the process of discharge of endorphins makes human joyous by nature. Humans ought to spend a minimum of forty-five minutes physically exercising every day; a daily dose of reading or watching amusing material every day, these measures help to obtain the daily dose of endorphins. Dopamine Achievers are not quitters and get acknowledged for their accomplishments in life, both officially and among their dear ones in family circles. These are positive strokes which assist in the release of dopamine and ensure all-round happiness. Whenever humans receive positive strokes they feel a sense of deep fulfilment within the core of their hearts and this releases dopamine. The flip side is lack of positive strokes leads to unhappiness and general dissatisfaction. This could be the reason as to why several homemakers remain desultory and unhappy. They rarely get acknowledged or appreciated for their intense contribution in running a household. Do we recall Sridevi’s the sterling performance in the movie English Vinglish? Despite taking care of the family comprising of her husband, children and mother-in-law, her efforts were seldom recognised and she was perpetually chastised, constantly receiving barbs. Serotonin The third chemical, a natural mood regulator, is released when actions of humans benefit society at large. As the adage goes, “Service to mankind is equivalent to service to the Divine”. Humans transcend themselves and make a singular effort to return to society, nature and their fellow beings. This process is indeed spiritually uplifting and releases serotonin. These activities are usually beyond the ambit of our regular sphere of work. For instance an Art of Living teacher conducts courses such as the Happiness Programme (Anand Utsav) for people, or works among alcoholics and drug addicts to transfigure their lives which paves the way for their recovery towards a life of sobriety and rehabilitation. Such activity is extremely fulfilling and enriches their personality and empowers them to take on bigger challenges. The twin effect is that it metamorphoses the lives of the afflicted too. Oxytocin This is the substance which is released when we become close to other human beings. Humans transcend their covetous, mercenary and self-seeking nature when they drop inhibitions and without seeking any favour in return become close to fellow beings. In such a state nature from its womb bestows abundance. And abundance leads to the growth of consciousness and self-fulfilment. A hug is an act which is either frowned upon or evokes derision. But a simple hug without expecting anything in return establishes a deep connect with our fellow beings. During the process the chemical oxytocin is released. The Jadoo ki Jhappi from Munnabhai indeed conjures magic and dramatic positivity. This is the secret formula of spiritual Masters. Similarly, when we shake hands or put our arms around someone's shoulders, gargantuan amounts of oxytocin is released. So these are chemical substances working and operating in compartments and perhaps an individual gets a small dosage, like say in homeopathic treatment. This could also contribute to a feel-good factor. It is noteworthy to mention that the cerebellum is a significant part of the human brain. It is situated at the backside of the brain. By following regular sadhana of various spiritual practices, pranayama, yoga, meditation and the unique rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya the cerebellum releases efficacious thought process. “For every minute you are angry you lose sixty seconds of happiness,” wrote Ralph Waldo Emerson.
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Efficacy of the SATSANGS of Sri VSR Moorty

Efficacy of the SATSANGS of Sri VSR Moorty By Ravi Valluri It was a desolate sight to see my nonagenarian grandmother Vemavarapu Ganga Bhavani, fondly referred to as Pedda (the venerable elder one) by my daughter and son. A deeply religious person whose life was dedicated to the Almighty, once the proud owner of Farhat Bagh in then Madras at Mylapore, and now afflicted by Alzheimer’s, she was lying in an incapacitated manner in a small nursing home in Bangalore. There was just a nurse to attend to her needs. Ammamma was vacantly looking at the ceiling. Misty-eyed, I entered the room along with Moorty garu and Kishoreda. She was quite unexpectedly injected with vital prana as she stared at us. “Moorty garu aa,” she uttered loudly, much to the astonishment of the nurse. Grandmother had been barely speaking or eating anything. Ganga Bhavani and Moorty garu were then involved in an animated conversation reminiscing the years of their association. “Nenu, Bala satsangalu ki vastamu,” she exclaimed quite animatedly. As we left, Ammamma looked forlorn and Moorty garu blessed her. That was my final interaction with grandmother and is etched in the alcoves of my mind. A somnolent 94-year-old woman abruptly awakening up upon seeing Shri VSR Moorty, obviously meant that the satsangs he rendered were exemplar. We all were a witness to several satsangs rendered in flawless Telugu and most importantly without any script. There was one rendition on the Narada Bhakti sutras at our Capri Towers house in Hyderabad which is etched in my memory bank where he spoke, extempore as usual, on the traditions of Hinduism. The text details the process of devotion, or Bhakti yoga and is thus of particular importance to many of the Bhakti movements within Hinduism and Moorty garu gave an evocative description of many a seeker. The man has been blessed with a remarkable memory and the ability to speak effectively in any forum with remarkable ease. I have heard Moorty garu speak on religious, spiritual, current affairs, political matters and social problems with consummate ease. His trademark crisp, dhoti-kurta attire and pleasant demeanour add value to the delivery. Hush and shush prevail as he spoke. He invariably speaks for an hour without a break, without fumbling and with absolute clarity. This is without any doubt a gift endowed to him by the celestial beings and the benediction of Bhagwan Sathya Sai Baba. *********************** The year was 2014 and it was a crisp and cool morning in early November. The place was Hyderabad. I was then posted as the Chief Traffic Planning Manager, South Central Railway. As I was poring over files, in walked two gentlemen who have been closely connected with Bhagwan Satya Sai Baba. They were Shri VSR Moorty and Shri G Ramaniah. We exchanged pleasantries and Moorty garu focussed his attention on my computer screen. Pictures of H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar were flipping across the monitor. He looked at Gurudev’s photograph quite intently and in an unfazed manner uttered, “Ravi, I would like to have an interaction with H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.” I was taken aback. Moorty garu added further that the interaction would be recorded by SVBC. I was not aware about SVBC and expressed my ignorance. Moorty garu dispelled my doubt and mentioned that SVBC meant Sri Venkateswara Bhakti Channel. Millions of devotees of Gurudev wait to have a glimpse of the Master and I had the onerous task of organising an interaction with the Master himself. But that is a challenge for any seeker. Immediately I contacted Shri Kishore Mukherjee, fondly called Kishoreda. He was excited about the proposal and asked me to send a mail to Gurudev directly, marking a copy to him and the secretariat. While these developments were taking place, Moorty garu made a few quick calls to SVBV authorities, their production team among others. I was amazed at the alacrity with which Sri VSR Moorty acted and his supreme confidence about the execution of the project. He then shared, “Ravi, the sankalpa needs to be pure, rest Almighty God will take ensure that things fall in place, Sai Ram.” The two of them soon left my room. I was in a stupefied and exhilarated state and could only say, “Jai Gurudev.” Meanwhile that evening, I received a call from ABC (the media team of the Art of Living foundation) that dates had been fixed for the interaction between H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the spiritual scientist Sri VSR Moorty. Moorty garu, Kumar and Mani Naidu (also members of the Art of Living family) and yours truly made our peregrination to the Bangalore Ashram of the Art of Living. We were soon joined by the SVBC team led by Srinivas. For three days and three nights we were witness to something above normal and absolutely singular. The interaction ranged on a variety of subjects from ancient Hindu practices, various schools of Hindu philosophy to the present day. It is well-nigh impossible to decode the Divine and pen the interaction. My request to the reader would be to view the interaction on SVBC. It is a visual treat, be it a stock individual or a seeker. A senior teacher of Art of Living, Shri Vinod Menon was to tell Moorty garu, “This is the closest one could unravel divinity, you are fortuitous coming so close to the Divine.” In the amphitheatre on my mind the graphic scene of BR Chopra’s Mahabharata, the television serial played out, where Lord Krishna tells Bhishma, “Arjun woh nar hai jo Narayan ke darshan karwayega.” (That is, Arjuna is the person who will reveal the resplendence of Narayana himself). So Moorty garu was the Arjuna, who during the course of his interactions demystified God or Divinity in its pristine form. We, the audience, perhaps like Sanjaya of Mahabharata were a witness to the grand spectacle. Through the television screens, thousands could watch the proceedings across the swathes of the globe. The landscape of Bangalore Ashram is dotted with scenic and sublime spots like Radha Kunj, Gurukul, the Amphitheatre and the Panchakarma centre where Gurudev and Sri VSR Moorty had interactions on esoteric subjects of Hindu philosophy, Lalitha Sahasranamam, Agni Sooktam, various schools of the pristine Hindu thought among others. We were overwhelmed and were a witness to two more such interactions. So, this was satsang … What does one mean by satsang? (I quote Yogapedia to describe satsang) Satsang is a Sanskrit term derived from two roots: sat meaning “true” and sangha meaning community, company or association. It can be translated as “associating with good people” or simply “being in the company of truth”. It refers to the act of gathering with like-minded, uplifting people, especially those on a spiritual path. Satsang may also refer to a group of people engaged in a spiritual dialogue. Although the term is generally used to highlight the importance of community on spiritual growth, by definition satsang can additionally be considered as a lone relationship with truth. Satsang is associated with the inner quality of sattva (goodness or purity), which is one of the three gunas (natural attributes) alongside rajas (passion) and tamas (inactivity). Sattva manifests as thoughtfulness, wisdom, contemplation and a peaceful demeanor. A sattvic person makes a natural satsangi, or “seeker of truth”. Sri VSR Moorty has been now conducting regular satsangs on Bhagwan Satya Sai Baba, other eminent Hindu philosophers and various tenets of Indian philosophy and spiritual leaders for around four decades. I had the fortune of attending to those satsangs on some occasions, especially when I was passing through most woebegone times in my life, when I was addicted to the Bacchus. My grandmother, my mother, my cousins Jaya and Chinna Jaya had on numerous occasions attended the satsangs. My mother recorded as many as 300 cassettes worth of Moorty Garu’s satsangs which she would play and listen to them fervently every day unflinchingly. My grandmother whenever visiting us in Hyderabad would listen to the renditions. Many a times her hearing aid would fall-off and she would get vexed, but soon listen intently to the satsangs. My grandmother would always gift a white or cream Bush shirt to Moorty garu on his birthday. There has been a very intimate bonding between our family and Moorty garu, which goes beyond satsangs. Perhaps we were Gandharvas in our previous birth and mother and grandmother have been King Sagara and Ganga who resuscitated the Valluri and the Vemavarapu families from various misdemeanours committed in life. Moorty garu would always say that, “Amma and Lakshmi used to prepare a concoction of powder, full of nutrition which they gave me out of love and concern.” He is extremely fond of my wife and guided her to recite the 72nd shloka of the Lalitha Sahasranamam which Moorty garu says is extremely efficacious and brawny. Moorty garu has always encouraged me to write and always reads my works with great span of attention. It has been a very profitable and providential association with the spiritual scientist and I am indeed grateful to my parents on making him a part of our extended family. I would recommend people to read his works and delve into his satsangs. Jai Guru Dev
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Swami Vivekananda

Swami Vivekananda Barely thirty years of age, the young monk from India rose on September 11, 1893 at Chicago, where his baritone voice resonated thus, “Sisters and brothers of America. It fills my heart with joy unspeakable to rise in response to the warm and cordial welcome which you have given us. I thank you in the name of the most ancient order of monks of the world; I thank you in the name of the mother of all religions, and I thank you in the name of millions and millions of Hindu people of all classes and sects….” These were the inspiring words and thoughts of Swami Vivekananda, the intrepid evangelist. Born Narendranath in Calcutta (now Kolkata) on January 12, 1863, he lived barely 39 years. His unwavering surrender to his Guru, Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa metamorphosed his personality. The dynamic and resplendent personality of Swami Vivekananda was representative of the socio-political-cultural- religious renaissance which occurred in the second half of 19th century India. Narendranath’s early struggle in coursing for jobs where he was unsuccessful made him skeptical and scornful of the rigmarole of daily existence. The clairvoyant saint, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa and his obedient devotee were both bound by one cardinal principle. This was service or seva to mankind. Swami Vivekananda, like the Buddha, comes across as a powerful reader of the human mind by adopting a less visceral approach to attend to the muddles and complications confronting humans. He was full of vitality and zest, infinite dynamism, with high prana and energy levels. He was a man possessed, with little time for rest, to fire the imagination of people in general and the youth in particular. Swami Vivekananda was markedly influenced by the characters of Sita, Savitri, and Damayanti of Hindu mythology. He was inspired by their contribution to Indian womanhood, which he believed was a living embodiment of Universal Motherhood. The undaunted seva warrior trained in Vedanta and deeply spiritual, fumed at inertia. He exhorted his fellow monks and others to cast away the Bhagvad Gita and play football instead. He aspired for muscular minds and bodies. He once famously remarked, “I want men whose muscles are of iron and nerves made of steel, and who possess minds wrought from thunder.” Swami Vivekananda was razor sharp and he was fully abreast of the latest political currents of socialism, anarchism and nihilism sweeping across the globe. The minds of the youth of Congress, who were fervently participating in the Swadeshi movement, were ignited by the philosophy and approach of the fearless Swami. So much so, Pandit Nehru was compelled to draw a parallel between Swami Vivekananda’s brand of socialism and the old Vedanta. The indomitable Swami was at the forefront of the cultural and spiritual renaissance of the country. His mind was unsettled by the prevailing poverty, caste system and the social mores of the times. He dreamt of contemporary India rising from the huts of the impoverished peasantry, cobblers, fishermen and other deprived sections of the society. However, what really stood out in his personality was the pristine quality of humility. His modesty made him accessible to all. He never appropriated the movement. He was very clear in his mind that after him, several more Vivekanandas would rise to serve the motherland and each one of them would be greater than him. There may be many who would try to appropriate his contribution to India today, but would appear weak mimics. Romain Rolland, the renowned philosopher has aptly written, “If this man is not a God-man, who else is?”
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The Power of Mind

The Power of Mind Realisation and awareness are two sterling qualities that shine the light on the amazing power of the human mind. Aeons ago lived, lived an ambitious king named Suddhodhana, chieftain of Sakyan republics. He was captivated with the thought of perpetuating the dynasty. However, his battle fatigued son Siddhartha, was not ensnared by the Mara of trappings and adornment of power, carnal pleasures and family life. Siddhartha eschewed violence, cast away royal clothing and adorned ochre robes in the search of quintessential truth. Upon attaining enlightenment, the Compassionate One dissected the bewildering characteristics of the human mind. He was soon to quantify, and in a plain sailing manner decree that. “We are what we think and our thoughts shape our lives.” In case the mind is bestowed with positive thoughts, humans are endowed with the enriching aura of positivity. This eclipses negative thoughts and the persona is encompassed with the stamp of shimmering joyousness. However, if the human mind is cannonaded by antipathetic thoughts, there is depletion in the prana level. The mind is then not resplendent or robust nor suffused with ennobling thoughts. On the contrary the human mind is brim-full of gloom-ridden patterns which are distressing and obstructive. Ironically, the moment an individual realises the magnetic potential and prowess of the human mind the Universe suddenly becomes magical in its desire to support all efforts. The mind remains an enigma. Our resoluteness and positivity are the lodestars to harness its embryonic ability. This is the key to scale the summit of triumph and glory. Once a government administrator was invited by several media houses and reputed institutions to deliver lectures as to how he combated and conquered the battle against the bottle through the contacts of a friend named Sudhakar. Only much later did he realise that Sudhakar had lost some close relatives to the perils of alcoholism, and that he found succour in espousing the Several centuries ago Once Gautama Buddha was travelling with a group of disciples. The compassionate one felt thirsty and desired some water to quench his thirst. He asked a disciple to fetch some water from a nearby lake. The enthusiastic disciple rushed to the lake but was horrified to find the water turgid as a farmer had just crossed the lake on his bullock cart. He returned back remorsefully as he could not fulfil the wish of the holy Master. Buddha was to send the disciple a couple of times to fetch water to quench his thirst. But to the dismay of the tutee on each occasion the water remained dirty and turgid. While the devotees were fidgety and distraught, Buddha remained patient. Eventually, the devotee animatedly brought fresh water from the lake and offered it to the compassionate one. Buddha smiled and drank the water. He was to say, “You did nothing. The mud settled down and the water was purged of the impurities. Let your mind also settle all the dust accumulated over a period of time.” Make no effort, let the mind settle. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar succinctly says, “Effort is a state of the body and effortlessness is a state of the mind.” This can be achieved through regular and unflinching practice of yoga, pranayama, meditation and the unique rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya. Thus, effortlessness is the trailblazing quality of mind. This is the state of total surrender, where the grace of Guru flows and miracles unfold and the amazing power of human mind unfolds itself.
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Therapeutic Approaches for Better Living

Therapeutic Approaches for Better Living Anand was a mere mentee at a celebrated flautist’s music school. The youngster was bewitched by a damsel who too was learning to play the flute under the expertise of the legendary musician. Anand and Bhairavi were ensnared by craving; they were in a tearing hurry to achieve stardom through soulful renditions of the fabled Ananda Bhairavi raga. Their respected Master was however certainly not impressed at the proffer of his novitiates and admonished them. “One needs enormous tapas to arrive at the world stage,” he added. A Zen Story Years ago, a greenhorn was learning various nuances of breathing techniques and meditation at a temple of knowledge. After acquiring some basic skills, he approached his monk as to how soon could he graduate from the monastery and begin to spread the knowledge of Zen Buddhism. The impassionate monk was to say impassively, “It will take you ten more years.” “Master, I will practice twice the number of hours, then how long will take me to become a suzerain of Buddhism?” “Thirty years,” was the bland reply. Learning to Learn Forbearance and endurance are paramount keys to achieve success. Tearing hurry and sheer desperation to climb the ladder to achieve fame in any field leads only to severe psychological problems. Psychotherapy The intent of a therapeutic approach is to upend the pyramid. It is to ensure betterment of the victim’s life. The therapy reinforces the client’s resolve for mitigating distress leading to an improved lifestyle. By adopting a holistic line of treatment, the mind is blessed with positivity and becomes robust and develops the ability to eschew unwelcome habits. There is an astonishing progress in the victim who undergoes a mental transformation; the thinking pattern changes dramatically and becomes empowered to take mindful decisions on the voyage of rehabilitation. Gifted and trained psychotherapists, combine their clinical insights and their mental GPS to zero-in on suitable psychodynamic therapies. Dynamics of Rehabilitation and Recuperation Fundamentally, psychodynamic therapy cogitates that it is intra psychic conflict which is primarily responsible for the psychological malady. The fountainhead of the problem lies within the psyche of the individual. Research in the field opines that querulous desires of childhood and unmitigated childhood fears are essentially responsible for intra psychic disorders. Keeping in mind the above two factors, psychotherapists deploy the technique of free association and eliciting information through visualisation, dreams, thoughts, and feelings to create a data base. The therapeutic relationship between the client and the therapist is such that psychotherapist empathises with the woebegone situation confronting the victim and suggests alternative mechanics to assuage fraught nerves. The cutting edge of the therapy is provided as the therapist glides and floats from the intellectual frame to an emotional plane. Psychodynamic therapy enfranchises the therapist to understand the mind of the patient and provide emotional succour. Last and but not the least, duration of treatment is of tremendous significance. The magnitude of the problem is obviously a key determinant to the span of treatment. However, around 15 to 20 vigorous sessions put the patient well on to the road to renascence. Alternative therapies Unbridled ambition could also trigger alcoholism, bulimia, heavy smoking, and substance abuse among others. In such cases alternative therapies such as practicing the unique rhythmic breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya, Vipassana, sessions of yoga and pranayama, meditation technique of Yoga Nidra, help in relaxation of the mind and body immensely. “Mental health needs great deal of attention. It is the final taboo and it needs to be faced and dealt with,” wrote the English musician Adam Ant.
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TO BE TRULY CENTRED

TO BE TRULY CENTRED Once upon a time lived a woman. She was struck with an unexpected tragedy as her husband passed away untimely. The lady was now left with only one son and precious jewellery. Since she was hounded by creditors to repay the debts accrued by her husband, she conjured a trick to hide the wealth. In sheer desperation to keep the jewellery safe from the creditors, the lady wrapped the precious wealth in a piece of cloth and hid it under a tree. The mother and son lived in an impoverished state. Her mind was always disturbed about the fact that she did not share this piece of vital information with her only son. As it turned out, she carried this secret to the grave. Consequently, the son inherited plenty of debt, a barren hut and a cot. The son had to work hard for sustenance and to repay the ever-rising liabilities. He toiled hard to survive and regretted his misfortune. ‘Property is not the sacred right. When a rich man becomes poor it is a misfortune, it is not a moral evil. When a poor man becomes destitute, it is a moral evil, teeming with consequences and is injurious to society and morality,’ opined Lord Acton. Indeed, the impoverishment of the poor is heart-wrenching. One day while cutting the branches of a tree, he stumbled upon the jewellery. Dumbfounded and stupefied, the strapping youngster hid the bijouterie in a pit he dug in the hut, petrified that the creditors would appropriate the wealth. He too committed the cardinal mistake of not sharing the secret with his wife and carried it to his grave. The mother and son were not mindful and wakeful enough to be in the Present Moment and remained prisoners of their past and future. Two Buddhist monks were once discussing a flag flapping in the wind. While one felt it was the wind moving, the other conjectured it was the flag fluttering. The imbroglio could not be resolved and they sought the intervention of a Zen Master. The master impassively said, ‘It is the MIND that moves, neither the flag nor the wind.’ Humans need freedom from their past and future in order to be in the present. And being in the NOW or present is true enlightenment and mindfulness. The past is full of sorrows and regrets while the future brims with anxieties and worries and humans are caged in that mindset, thereby postponing their happiness quotient. To appreciate true happiness and joy, the human mind should not vacillate between the past and the future, but remain in the PRESENT. A young monk was once travelling in pursuit of happiness and truth. During his travels, he encountered a massive river that he could not cross. A short while later, he saw a senior monk on the other side of the river. He hailed him and sought assistance to cross the river to reach the other side. The senior monk pondered and replied, ‘You are already on the other side’. This fact can be appreciated only when the mind is centred. Breathing techniques such Sudarshan Kriya, Pranayama, Yoga, Meditation and Vipassana all help in dissolving the mind so that it becomes centred. ‘True happiness is not possible without freedom. We have to learn the habit of being free. We do not allow our past, the future, our projects, or our fear to get hold of us. We are free. Every step is free. Every step is nourishment. Every step is healing. Every step is joy,’ says Thich Nhat Hanh. ABOUT THE AUTHOR Ravi Valluri is working as the CEO of Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd. and Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd. He was an officer of the Indian Railway Traffic Service and worked on various zonal railways. He has authored both fiction and non-fiction work and is a faculty of the Art of Living. His recent works include collection of short stories Heartbreak at Coffee Shop – An Array of Tales, A Tale of Parallels, novels like Art of War to Art of Living and A Story of Faith and Miracles. He can be reached at valluri.ravi@gmail.com or WhatsApp at 9618564024.
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The Importance of Confidence Building in Schools

The Importance of Confidence Building in Schools – RAVI VALLURI It is often said that schools are the best place for children to know and grow. But it’s very important to understand the environment of the school so that the upbringing of children would be done in a healthy matter. From a survey conducted by The Times Bharat team we have found out that a lot of under confidence issues in writing stem out from schools. Let us talk about this issue in Times Bharat in Collaboration with a branding agency Koala Kraft. We welcome Author Ravi Valluri for an interview. Q1) Namaste Ravi Valluri! We are so glad to have your opinion on this important topic “Confidence Building in Schools.” Tell us a bit about your schooling and did you start writing since childhood? Ans: I was educated in Delhi and my alma mater is St Xavier’s School. My admission to this school is nothing short of a story of faith and miracles which I attribute to the immense confidence in my mother. She fought against all odds and saw to it that I was admitted to this prestigious school in Class 7. I have penned this episode in my autobiographical book “A Story of Faith and Miracles”, available on Amazon. Initially there were several hiccups in school as numbers and science subjects gave me nightmares which I barely managed to pass and soon become a laughing stock in my neighbourhood and school. A tyro from St Michael’s School stepping into the hallowed portals of St Xavier’s School. I was certainly at my wits end, scared to show the term scores, half yearly and final mark sheets to my father fearing a hiding. However, my mother was a pillar of strength who saw to it that I received tuitions in mathematics. Soon in 8th standard my marks skyrocketed from 8/80 to 78/80. Jaws of our neighbours fell as I scored more than their children in the 10th standard board examination. In fact, I was coming out of a severe recurring problem related to the stomach, called malabsorption (where the food consumed just could not be digested and I had a nagging pain in my abdomen) which flared up whenever I was tense after an average performance in the examination, fearing a severe tongue lashing at home. But fortuitously by Divine grace and the prayers of my mother by standard 11th I was catapulted to become a prefect in the school (that is a couple of rungs above a class monitor) and also began participating in school plays, debating, writing for school magazine and sports. I was to win accolades as the best new face award in a Hindi one-act play and also represented my school in the famous play “Andher Nagri Chaupat Raja” written by Bharatendu Harishchandra, which stood second in an inter-school play competition. But the high noon of my school days was when I was selected to participate in a musical production called “Kidstuff”, sponsored by Max Mueller Bhavan and created by Barry John and Param Vir which we performed at Kamani Auditorium, Delhi, Sophia College, Mumbai, Doordarshan and I understand was later staged at Gaiety Theatre, Shimla. We were to also perform at Broadway but narrowly missed the bus. But life is not all hunky dory. My childhood was not exactly troubled, but had health problems related to the stomach, also was a witness to spats between my parents. My mother used to suffer from a heart condition called PAT which was identified much later in life. Those were frightful moments in our lives. I could never learn swimming as the swimming teacher, for reasons best known to him took a dislike towards me. I personally feel we all should be proficient in swimming, driving and being proficient in IT. Unfortunately, I score in none. There was another chutzpah moment in school as I topped the 12th standard examination in Commerce stream to obtain admission in Hindu College Delhi University in B.Com.(Hons). Our English teacher in 11th standard found me to be proficient in English and advised my father that I should read biographies and autobiographies and plays, develop a robust vocabulary and write, apart from continuing with debating. This perhaps gave me the initial stimulus to write. St Xavier’s School paid attention to both academics, extracurricular activities and sports. In my opinion the true development of one’s personality takes place when one gets exposure to all facets of life. Q2) Do you feel that there is favouritism in schools. Have you faced any such issues or do you know someone who has come across an issue like that? Ans: In an ecosystem wherever it is pursuit of academic results/performance and not pursuit of knowledge, there is bound to be favouritism or partiality. Academic institutions, course content and teachers are all sucked into such a cesspool with the poor children/students becoming hapless victims, as marks obtained in schools is a deciding factor for further education. Perhaps that could be a reason that students seeking admission in Delhi University admissions to undergraduate and post graduate programs is done solely through the CUET exam and through Common Seat Allocation System (CSAS). But of late I read that students have lost faith on account of paper leakage and other corruption charges. But I cannot talk about this in a definitive manner. Admissions to various higher educational institutions, defence forces, chartered accountancy among others are now through competitive examinations. So, are Class 12 examinations a preparatory examination? And more than schools, several coaching centres have mushroomed to ‘provide best possible’ score/result. The entire pattern has become highly market driven to identify the one who scores the maximum, he/she need not be the brightest of them all. In many ways I feel there is excessive dependency on rote learning and the ability to recall with element of creativity and surprise being sacrificed in the bargain. And in such an environment academic institution, teachers and the curriculum would favour those students who have higher ability to score marks, retention power and prowess of rote in order to ensure their institution survives. Certainly, we need students who can recall, remember, reproduce for certain skillsets but in my opinion a true visionary is one who is creative, a wager, thinks out of box and is a problem solver. But in the given rat race and dead heat, we are in search for instant results and thus that leads to favouritism and partiality. It is like people getting selected to the Indian cricket team on the basis of their performance in IPL and not the grind of Ranji and Duleep Trophy matches. Performers get appreciated and a large mass of students feel demotivated in such circumstances. There were several of my friends at school who were exceptionally bright but just could not secure adequate marks and felt demotivated when compared with the ones who were scoring highly. Let us revisit the epic Mahabharata. Were Eklavya and Karna not victims of some kind of partiality shown by Guru Dronacharya towards the Pandavas, in particular Arjuna? So much so Eklavya had to sacrifice his thumb and Karna was to feign being a Brahmin to learn the craft of archery under Guru Parashurama and was cursed for uttering a lie. This is something to ponder about. But the epic also reflects on the robustness of our culture and the intellectual honesty on part of the writer to pen such a sensitive subject. Essentially the academic system and evaluation procedure should be fair and devoid of favouritism. It should harness creative minds and talent and not merely rote learning. Let academicians watch “3 Idiots” or the drama “Educating Rita” and listen to Pink Floyd’s iconic lines from “Brick in the Wall’ to judge for themselves what one means by creative challenge and igniting our thought process.  Eva Harshman We don't need no education We don’t need no thought control No dark sarcasm in the classroom Teachers leave them kids alone Hey! Teachers! Leave them kids alone! All in all it's just another brick in the wall. All in all you're just another brick in the wall. giving all students what they need  school Q3) What should be a teacher’s role according to you; to imbibe confidence in kids? Ans: Let us once again revisit the amazing lyrics of the talismanic Pink Floyd’s band. When we grew up and went to school There were certain teachers who would Hurt the children any way they could By pouring their derision Upon anything we did And exposing every weakness However carefully hidden by the kids But out in the middle of nowhere When they got home at night, their fat and Psycopathic wives would thrash them Within inches of their lives Now a non-performing student or one who is aspiring to be an astounding achiever in this Macaulian system of 3Rs and examination pattern may suddenly feel insecure as his/her performance is below par. This is when we say, Ashish’s or Anshu’s self-esteem has hit rock bottom. We tend to blame the student. The child could have been born with either high or low self-esteem. Then they have no other choice but to accept the DNA. Or on account of adverse environmental factors. It is so many factors about which only the child / student is privy and no one else. And this where a sensible, sensitive and skilful teacher’s role comes into play. -Building Self -Esteem This couldn’t be further from the truth. Self-esteem is a construct shaped throughout our students’ childhood and adolescence. It is strongly related to how we as parents and teachers correctly attribute their actions. Establishing realistic expectations for how it is attained is also key. If we tell a student that, is he is clumsy every time he knocks something on the floor, it’s going to be very difficult for his self-esteem to be positive and healthy. The converse is also true. If a student is praised for everything she does and any errors are blamed on others, she might develop self-esteem that is both false and negative which can have a dangerous impact on other students. - Fostering self-esteem The children’s attachment figures must set them goals and tasks that they can attain through effort and sacrifice. The eminent Russian psychologist Lev Vygotsky called this type of objective the Zone of Proximal Development. Healthy self-esteem is not achieved by setting goals the child has already achieved, or by encouraging them to meet unattainable goals. Messi, Michael Phelps, Virat Kohli or say Ussain Bolt are inspiring personalities but not all can become them. Teachers should inspire and develop self-esteem but not make unrealistic comparisons. Children consider their parents and teachers to be singular people who can either calm their frayed nerves or do the exact opposite. We should encourage students to be increasingly more independent and trustworthy. -Mistakes are part of learning Humans and children in particular are different from machines in countless ways, and are bound to make mistakes. Teachers should realise that if a student is making a mistake, he or she is attempting something and not whiling away their time. They should be encouraged and not punished for a fault. I recall during my 10th standard chemistry practical test; I mixed up wrong compounds and solutions which led to a mini explosion and the entire lab could have caught fire. My eyes were burning with the fumes, students were coughing, my books got scorched, but the teacher handled the situation with elan and composure. She extinguished the mini fire, led us out of the room patiently and took me to our school medical clinic. After I was declared fit, she left with a parting advise, “Ravi, be careful next time.” My respect for her grew enormously unlike the swimming teacher who chastised me that I was good-for-nothing and just not fit enough to learn swimming. And till date I have not been able to learn swimming which is one of my big regrets in life. Empowerment Empowerment of our students is mandatory. Believing in them, in their possibilities and telling them what they cannot do or what is dangerous is paramount. Encouraging them, believing in their potential and helping them when they make mistakes is essential. Q4) As we know children spend most of the time in school, around 8-9 hours of the day, do you think that parents and teachers should work effectively to eradicate the problem of under confidence and lack of self-esteem in children? Ans Parents and teachers in tandem should harness the potential of a student by working on their self-confidence and power of resilience. Resilience is the capacity to adapt well when faced with adversity or stress. This innate characteristic helps students to stave off the potential adverse psychological effects of challenging experiences. Resilience goes beyond persistence despite the difficulties encountered.   • Emotional regulation (ability to remain calm and express feelings to improve the situation) • Impulse control (making a conscious choice to act on a desire to act and the ability to delay gratification and perseverance) • Causal analysis (problem analysis and accurate causation) • Empathy (understanding of someone else's feelings and needs) • Realistic optimism (remain positive without negating reality) Developing self- confidence among students A teacher should map the mind of a student and conduct a SWOT analysis of the child and guide the student to pursue the right combination of subjects. For instance, I was selected for the Indian Police Service but was swayed by my father and some cousins not to opt for that particular job. This creates resentment and heart burn among children/ students/tyro professionals. Some how our pedagogy is always in pursuit of perfection and not excellence. This is not advisable for building self-esteem, realistic ground reality and self- confidence. We are merely in the rat race following the rote system not acquiring knowledge but regurgitating information which hardly helps in leading our lives. Teaching methodology should be to allow students to commit mistakes and the learn in life. Or else they become entitled and self-opinionated marionettes who lose out in the battle of life. Teachers should appreciate that self-confidence is an attitude in harnessing skillsets of children/ students and building capacities. It means you accept and trust yourself and have a sense of control in your life to develop self-confidence. Apart from focusing on self-confidence, developing self-esteem and fostering resilience a qualified teacher should create safe and supportive learning environment, celebrate students’ progress, have them set a goal and reflect upon it. It is important to build a sense of belonging in the school community, empowering students with responsibilities and embrace unstructured time and free play. Motivate and praise students, help develop communication skill sets, make students write and discuss about, empathise with their personal problems and educate them about being healthy and maintaining cleanliness. Teachers should treat students as their friends. But how many even attempts to do. I would recommend psychological counselling from class 8 once a child attains puberty as it would go a long way to understand basic concepts of life. This will develop immense camaraderie among students and teachers. Q5) As a writer, what does supportive background mean to you? Ans: We should not miss the wood for the trees. As I have already mentioned the focus should be to develop the personality of the child. However much I may be against the typical ‘rote’ system or the Macaulayan model we cannot brush it aside. Yes, there are schools run by say the Art of Living Foundation, Jiddu Krishnamurthy Foundation, Aurobindo Ashram and Chinmaya Mission, Satya Sai Institutes which pay focus on the over all development of a child’s personality. It is a known fact that not all students can become toppers to don the yellow metal for which they are literally coerced by parents and teachers. Some will stand second and several will fall behind or become laggards. Do all Chandrayan Missions make a soft landing? Why cannot parents, teachers, students, academic institutions and financers understand this simple principle in life? The support system includes a conducive atmosphere at home in school where students can study at peace and not be disturbed with several chores to perform. It is the moral duty of the parents to keep away gizmos from the reach of the students when they are preparing for examinations or studying. Children should have a nutritious diet and spend time in sporting activities, yoga, pranayama, meditation to bolster their physical and mental strength to release positive endorphins and become performers and achievers and not merely memorize lectures and bookworms. Never make comparisons with other students for who knows what lies in the womb of future. Students should be blessed with good physical and mental health. That is why I have advocated the presence of a trained and qualified psychologist who can hear out various issues and problems of children/students. Many a time students are unable to express their demonic thoughts and fears and health problems to parents, teachers and others. A psychologist can provide the necessary sounding box. Next if the student’s parents are not well educated it is paramount that the teachers to play a significant role in carrying the students along in the team and addressing their fears and complexes. The socio-economic condition, sexuality of the child are extremely important factors which are all papered away by the factory of educational system. It is here that teacher’s ought to listen to the ‘inner voice’ of the students and assuage their fears and make them part of the class in a highly demanding atmosphere. This constant comparison in families with neighbors’ children, cousins and fellow students shatters the self-confidence of the students. As a positive support system teacher’s need to provide positive strokes to students so that they can blossom and flower. Only a teacher and a mother can spot the positive quality or the X factor in the child. Why mother? As she carries the child for nine months in her womb and has a special bonding with the child despite the snapping of the umbilical cord. In my opinion – there ought to be a mother-student-teacher triad frequently to address issues of all students whether performing well or not. Teacher’s can easily appreciate as to in which field a student is interested and capable. Thus, there is no point in making a student study science when he or she is interested in commerce or vice versa. Wrong choice wrecks the life of the child. Not all students are A++ graders. Therefore, teachers should counsel the parents and students to do their best and also harness the potential of a child in extracurricular or co-curricular activities. Not all students can become a Dr APJ Abdul Kalam, perhaps there is a Tendulkar or an Amitabh lurking in him. And today there are so many opportunities that everyone need not become a doctor, engineer, IAS officer, chartered accountant. The field is open, it is for the parents and teachers to guide students to discover their talent. Q6) We really thank you for expressing your views on this topic as it would help thousands of people to know about this problem. As a writer what is your thought on this topic? Can you express it in a form of a small quote or sentence? Ans : As an author and a Faculty I fully empathise with this topic and feel that it is something extremely relevant for the health and wealth of all the stake holders. And all stakeholders should sit down and thrash out the issues. Let us not forget the concern of our Hon’bl President of India expressed recently about higher number of suicides and drop outs by Dalit students from IITs. This goes to say positive affirmation is still to reach the bottom most rung of our society. A quote for all stakeholders “He who asks a question is a fool for five minutes; he who does not ask a question remains a fool forever.” —Chinese proverb The pedagogy should make us think not merely memorize.
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Waves of Happiness

Waves of Happiness “Are you happy Amma?” Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was to ask my mother, when we went seek his blessings at Art of Living International Centre, Bengaluru Ashram sometime in 2009. I had overcome my addiction to liquor through the breathing technique of Sudarshan Kriya and the supreme grace of the Master. By his blessings I emerged triumphant and became a faculty of the foundation. Today I have been sober for more than 16 years, which astonishes my friends, colleagues and family. Recently, we were waiting for his blessings. As the Master stroked my wife’s forehead head with a rose flower, he said to me, “Yes, there is something in my mind. Are you a teacher? You should upgrade your skills,” and passed by us. He was happy when I gave a copy of my latest book A Story of Faith and Miracles. I had sent a mail seeking an assignment, post my retirement from the Indian Railway Traffic Service. My mind was gripped with uncertainty. But the Guru knows it all and scripts the events accordingly. Only when one surrenders unflinchingly does the grace flow. We need to expand our bowl for Him to shower blessings. He always says, “You will get what you need and not what you want.” Back in Chennai I had undertaken the Happiness Programme conducted by the Master himself and was soon involved in seva activities. I could overcome the demonic thoughts by conducting follow ups and organising a new programme called Har Ghar Dhyan. Through the help of the General Managers of Southern Railway and Integral Coach Factory we were working on the courses for Railway personnel – officers and staff. Shortly, after a due selection process, I was posted as the CEO of Chhattisgarh East Railway Ltd and Chhattisgarh East West Railway Ltd and I am scheduled to upgrade skills as a member of the faculty. How does this magic work? Total surrender! On 13th May 1956, in the bijou town of Papanasam in Tamil Nadu, a divine child was born to Visalakshi and R.S. Venkataratnam. He was named "Ravi", which means "sun" because his birth was on a Sunday, and "Shankar" after the eighth-century Hindu saint, Adi Shankara, whose birthday happened to be on the same day. Gurudev’s first teacher was Sudhakar Chaturvedi, an Indian Vedic scholar who was a close associate of Mahatma Gandhi. Gurudev as he is famously addressed worked as an apprentice of Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and learnt Transcendental Meditation. He was to chart his own path after a 10-day period of silence on the banks of Bhadravati River in the township of Shimoga. He gifted to mankind the unique rhythmic breathing technique of “Sudarshan Kriya,” and soon the foundation was established. Over the years the organisation has grown manifold and marks its presence in 180 countries across the globe. The bedrock of all the courses of the Art of Living is the Sudarshan Kriya. Alongside are yoga, pranayama, meditation and a host of seva projects. The spiritual Master has focussed on sadhana, seva, satsang, Sudarshan Kriya and meditation. These processes have metamorphosed the lives of millions of people in the world. There are innumerable accounts of His manifestations and reams have been written about them. Gurudev and the organisation have played an epochal role in troubled and violence-hit spots of the globe providing succour to people. The master is an apostle of peace. “Happiness is an attitude. If you are used to being unhappy, even in the best of situations you will still grumble and be unhappy,” says Gurudev
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What Impacts the Mind?

What Impacts the Mind? The Bengali siblings were my close companions; their staple diet was fish curry with rice. The older one was a dreamer while the younger one was pragmatic in his dealings. Their father died of Alzheimer’s and mother succumbed to abdominal cancer. Though they seemed to have recovered from the double whammy and proceeded with their lives, they could never realise their full potential as their minds swayed between the past and the future. Marketing lexicon talks of 4Ps- product, place, promotion, and price. I choose to add a few more to the cocktail that impinges human mind. These are our past impressions, partaking of food and the path of time. Human talent spans from the ordinary to the exceptional. This is the product available. Now, the product can be harnessed and developed through tapas. Resolute sadhana and breathing techniques embellish and burnish the product to reach an exalted state. Let us envisage a house enveloped with positive and negative auras. This is the place where the mind resides. The quality of the mind to be in the present moment would appreciably increase when impacted by positive thoughts, incantations, meditations, inspirational speeches, or soulful singing. The same mind becomes unsettled and distraught through provocative speeches or squabbles. How does one promote the mind? The mind loves challenges, however daunting these may be! Maj DP Singh runs with a prosthetic leg. During the Kargil conflict he lost his limb but resolved to acquit himself with every activity that those with normal limbs can undertake. Price of the mind is directly proportional to the quantum of sacrifice the body is willing to undertake. Both mind and body are conjoined in this endeavour. Mind may be willing; but the body may not submit to its authority. Incidentally, Stephen Hawking despite suffering from motor neuron disability unravelled the mysteries of the universe. Past impressions have a profound impact on the mind and its performance. Tulsidas writes, “Our destiny was shaped long before the body came into being.” Impressions or karmas are impacted by our thoughts, attitudes, acts, and actions which others undertake under our orchestration and administration. As per Hinduism there are three types of karmas or impressions, namely Sanchita (accumulated karma – which we cannot bear all in one lifetime), Prarabdha karma (fruit bearing karma) and Kriyamana karma (this can change our destiny). The first is carried on forward to the next lifetime. Prarabdha karma can be mitigated through meditation and yogic techniques, while proper action (Kriyamana karma) can reduce sufferings. Partaking of food has a consequential impact on our thoughts and thereby minds. Thoughts are opinions or conceptions. We can have brooding or glum thoughts, celebratory ones, or meditative ones. The human vessel consumes three kinds of food, namely satvik, rajasik and tamasic. Satvik food is easily digestible, generally consisting of fruits, nuts, and vegetarian fare. Disciplined practitioners of yoga consume this food.
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Zen Buddhism: Law of Attraction

Zen Buddhism: Law of Attraction Aeons ago a strapping youngster gained admission into an estimable temple of knowledge. He was fortunate to be imparted precious pearls of wisdom of Zen Buddhism by sagacious and knowledgeable masters. Over a period of time, he attained a reasonable degree of compassion and insight into the human mind. During the course of his tutelage what struck him most was the simplicity, humility and truthfulness of his teachers who practiced Zen Buddhism. What is Zen Buddhism? As per Norman Fischer Zen Buddhism is: “A special transmission outside the scriptures. No dependency on words and letters. Pointing directly to the human mind. Seeing into one’s nature and attaining Buddhahood.” The cornerstone of the practice is that over a period of time, through unflinching practice of the appropriate techniques, a postulant becomes aware and awakened. The mind of such a person becomes pristine and gains clarity in thought process. However, it is well-nigh impossible to effectuate or reify such a state without the grace of a Guru, who can be thought of as the doorway to the ambrosia of divinity. The young monk upon was directed by the Masters of the monastery to spread the knowledge of Zen Buddhism. Significantly, the now more spiritually aware monk uttered only truth and never denounced anyone. Powers of the human mind Exhausted and weary after relentless travel, one day he sat under a majestic blossoming tree. The monk was feeling ravenous and wished that his hunger would be satiated. Quite unexpectedly a maiden walking that way offered him a bowl filled with food, no sooner the monk expressed his desire. He was taken aback at the turn of events and expressed his gratitude to the damsel. After the hearty meal the monk felt extremely thirsty. He pined for a glass for water and sure enough a stripling youngster offered him juices to quench his thirst. The monk was extremely beholden and appreciative of this serendipitous act of kindness. The mind of the monk was now suffused with joy as his twin desires of food and liquid were satiated with remarkable ease. He now wished to sleep. Suddenly it darkened and there was a cloud cover across the sky. The weather which was arid and hot turned salubrious and he fell asleep. After sleeping for hours together he felt sufficiently reinvigorated. The monk, when hungry was satiated with food, when thirsty was provided with energizing drinks and was comforted by angels of sleep when he felt worn-out. The Law of Attraction His thoughts and words were resonating in the universe and the mind became a unique springboard wherein whatever he wished for, eventuated. Once trained, the mind develops a few qualities. It becomes luminous and radiant, light as a feather and not weighed down by the baggage of negative thoughts. The monk was hungry, thirsty and deprived of rest. He meant it; there was no dubiety or incertitude in his mind. The mind was not wavering and his desires did not oscillate between “hope to be fed” or “if provided will partake of food”. A robust and a radiant mind which can authentically develop the qualities of Law of Attraction is one which knows the art of letting go, dropping all affectation. The unique mantra of this success is when an individual genuinely believes in the production of dreams and corrals thoughts to be efficacious ones. Pre-eminently the individual blessed with these attributes, the Law of Attraction operates and resounds quite amazingly. “All that we are is a result of what we have thought,” said Gautama Buddha the enlightened one.
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GIVING IT AWAY

Good Morning!!! God grant me the Serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; and Wisdom to know the difference. Thy will, not mine, be done. *~*~*~*~*^Daily Reflections^*~ *~*~*~* August 26, 20224 GIVING IT AWAY Though they knew they must help other alcoholics if they would remain sober, that motive became secondary. It was transcended by the happiness they found in giving themselves to others. Alcoholics Anonymous, p.159 Those words, for me, refer to a transference of power, through which God, as I understand Him, enters my life. Through prayer and meditation, I open channels, then I establish and improve my conscious contact with God. Through action I then receive the power I need to maintain my sobriety each day. By maintaining my spiritual condition, by giving away what has been freely given to me, I am granted a daily reprieve. ********************************************* Rebellion or Acceptance All of us pass through times when we can pray only with the greatest exertion. Occasionally we go even further than this. We are seized with a rebellion so sickening that we simply won't pray. When these things happen, we should not think too ill of ourselves. We should simply resume prayer as soon as we can, doing what we know to be good for us. A man who persists in prayer finds himself in possession of great gifts. When he has to deal with hard circumstances, he finds he can face them. He can accept himself and the world around him. He can do this because he now accepts a God who is All – and who loves all. When he says, "Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be Thy name," he deeply and humbly means it. When in good meditation and thus, freed from the clamors of the world, he knows that he is in God's hands, that his own ultimate destiny is really secure, here and hereafter, come what may. 1. TWELVE AND TWELVE, p. 105 2. GRAPEVINE, JUNE 1958 ********************************************* Willing to Make Amends The Eighth Step is talking about a change of heart, a healing change. This attitude can begin a great chain of repair and healing in our relationships with others and ourselves. It means we become willing to let go of our hardheartedness – one of the greatest blocks to our ability to give and receive love. In the Eighth Step, we make a list of all people we have harmed, and we allow ourselves to experience a healing attitude toward them. It is an attitude of love. We do not, in this Step, dash madly about and begin yelling, "Sorry!" We make our list, not to feel guilty, but to facilitate healing. Before we actually make amends or begin to consider appropriate amends, we allow ourselves to change our attitude. That is where healing begins - within us. It can change the energy. It can change the dynamics. It can begin the process, before we ever open our mouths and say sorry. It opens the door to love. It opens the door to the energy of love and healing. It enables us to release negative feelings and energy, and opens the door to positive feelings and energy. That energy can be felt around the world, and it starts inside us. How often have we, after we have been hurt, wished that the person would simply recognize our pain and say, "I'm sorry?" How often have we wished, that the person would simply see us, hear us, and turn the energy of love our way? How often have we longed for at least a change of heart, a small dose of reconciliation, in relationships tainted by unfinished business and bad feelings? Often. Others do too. It is no secret. The energy of healing begins with us. Our willingness to make amends may or may not benefit the other person; he or she may or may not be willing to put matters to rest. But we become healed. We become capable of love. Today, I will work on a change of heart if hardheartedness, defensiveness, guilt, or bitterness is present. I will become willing to let go of those feelings and have them replaced by the healing energy of love.
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THE FOUR HORSEMEN

Good Morning!!! THE FOUR HORSEMEN Around the Year with Emmet Fox August 26 Read Revelation 6. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse give the key to the nature of man as we know him. When you understand these symbols thoroughly you will understand your own makeup, and you will be able to begin the work of getting dominion over yourself and your surroundings. The Bible is not written in the style of a modem book. It has a method of its own of conveying knowledge through picturesque symbols, the reason being that this is the only possible way in which knowledge could be given to people in all ages in different parts of the world and of different degrees of spiritual development. A symbol, appeals to any audience, each individual getting just what he is ready for. The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse stand for the four parts or elements of our human nature. There is, first of all, the physical body— the thing that you see when you look into the glass. Then there is your feeling nature or emotions, and although you cannot "see" your feelings, you are tremendously conscious of them. Third, there is your intellect, which contains every bit of knowledge that you possess. Finally, there is your spiritual nature, your real eternal self; the true you, the I AM, the Indwelling Christ. This is your real identity, which is eternal. Almost everyone believes in its existence, but most people are very little conscious of it as an actuality. Ultimately the time will come when the first three will be merged in the fourth, and then we shall all know instead of only believing that the spiritual nature is all. “And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart” Jeremiah 29:13
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Excellent information about Bhagwan Shri Krishna

Excellent information about Bhagwan Shri Krishna 1) Krishna was born *5252 years ago* 2) Date of *Birth* : *18 th July,3228 B.C* 3) Month : *Shravan* 4) Day : *Ashtami* 5) Nakshatra : *Rohini* 6) Day : *Wednesday* 7) Time : *00:00 A.M.* 8) Shri Krishna *lived 125 years, 08 months & 07 days.* 9) Date of *Sharir Tyag* : *18th February 3102BC.* 10) When Krishna was *89 years old* ; the mega war *(Kurukshetra war)* took place. 11) He died *36 years after the Kurukshetra* war. 12) Kurukshetra War was *started on Mrigashira Shukla Ekadashi, BC 3139. i.e "8th December 3139BC" and ended on "25th December, 3139BC".* 12) There was a *Solar eclipse between "3p.m to 5p.m on 21st December, 3139BC" ; cause of Jayadrath's death.* 13) Bhishma died on *2nd February,(First Ekadasi of the Uttarayana), in 3138 B.C.* 14) Krishna is worshipped as: (a)Krishna *Kanhaiyya* : *Mathura* (b) *Jagannath*:- In *Odisha* (c) *Vithoba*:- In *Maharashtra* (d) *Srinath*: In *Rajasthan* (e) *Dwarakadheesh*: In *Gujarat* (f) *Ranchhod*: In *Gujarat* (g) *Krishna* : *Udupi in Karnataka* h) *Guruvayurappan in Kerala* 15) *Bilological Father*: *Vasudeva* 16) *Biological Mother*: *Devaki* 17) *Adopted Father*:- *Nanda* 18) *Adopted Mother*: *Yashoda* 19 *Elder Brother*: *Balaram* 20) *Sister*: *Subhadra* 21) *Birth Place*: *Mathura* 22) *Wives*: *Rukmini, Satyabhama, Jambavati, Kalindi, Mitravinda, Nagnajiti, Bhadra, Lakshmana* 23) Krishna is reported to have *Killed only 4 people* in his life time. (i) *Chanoora* ; the Wrestler (ii) *Kansa* ; his maternal uncle (iii) & (iv) *Shishupaala and Dantavakra* ; his cousins. 24) Life was not fair to him at all. His *mother* was from *Ugra clan*, and *Father* from *Yadava clan,* inter-racial marriage. 25) He was *born dark skinned.* He was not named at all throughout his life. The whole village of Gokul started calling him the black one ; *Kanha*. He was ridiculed and teased for being black, short and adopted too. His childhood was wrought with life threatening situations. 26) *'Drought' and "threat of wild wolves" made them shift from 'Gokul' to 'Vrindavan' at the age 9.* 27) He stayed in Vrindavan *till 10 years and 8 months*. He killed his own uncle at the age of 10 years and 8 months at Mathura.He then released his biological mother and father. 28) He *never returned to Vrindavan ever again.* 29) He had to *migrate to Dwaraka from Mathura due to threat of a Sindhu King ; Kala Yaavana.* 30) He *defeated 'Jarasandha' with the help of 'Vainatheya' Tribes on Gomantaka hill (now Goa).* 31) He *rebuilt Dwaraka*. 32) He then *left to Sandipani's Ashram in Ujjain* to start his schooling at age 16~18. 33) He had to *fight the pirates from Afrika and rescue his teachers son ; Punardatta*; who *was kidnapped near Prabhasa* ; a sea port in Gujarat. 34) After his education, he came to know about his cousins fate of Vanvas. He came to their rescue in ''Wax house'' and later his cousins got married to *Draupadi.* His role was immense in this saga. 35) Then, he helped his cousins establish Indraprastha and their Kingdom. 36) He *saved Draupadi from embarrassment.* 37) He *stood by his cousins during their exile.* 38) He stood by them and *made them win the Kurushetra war.* 39) He *saw his cherished city, Dwaraka washed away.* 40) He was *killed by a hunter (Jara by name)* in nearby forest. 41) He never did any miracles. His life was not a successful one. There was not a single moment when he was at peace throughout his life. At every turn, he had challenges and even more bigger challenges. 42) He *faced everything and everyone with a sense of responsibility and yet remained unattached.* 43) He is the *only person, who knew the past and future ; yet he lived at that present moment always.* 44) He and his life is truly *an example for every human being.*πŸŒ·πŸ™πŸ» *Happy Janamastmi*πŸ™
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