Spirits to Spirituality

‘Courage is the ladder on which all the other virtues mount.”   writes Clare Boothe Luce.

It requires enormous courage to acknowledge our deficiencies and make a 360degree change in our personality  to be acknowledged and acceptable. Normally we live in a state of denial.

Man is a social being who is in seek of recognition and positive strokes. Only a sage or a mad person does not require attention.

This piece is on my personality development and various bottlenecks encountered in the path.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says” If you can win over your mind ,you can win over the whole world”. Body and mind are the precious gifts of nature. And we neglect them leading to physical  and psychological  disorders.

We torture our bodies through various forms of addictions, be it excessive sex, smoke, substance, alcohol, food, desire for power etall. The mind is cluttered with innumerable thoughts which impede clarity in thinking. On an average we receive around 50k to 60,000 thoughts and most of them are negative in nature. These thoughts are either fretting about our past or anxiety of what is expected in the future. We are never in the present moment.  Living  in the present moment is  a state of meditation  and almost  devoid of desires where nature  works wonders .  How does one reach  being in the present state?  There are several techniques  and each one finds his or her path . 

I  became an alcoholic  and a heavy  smoker . It had a deleterious impact  on my mind and body .  I was hospitalised, operated upon  and put in a rehab.  Simultaneously   relations with  family, friends , parents , place of work  get jeopardised . One gets categorised as a no- brainer.

My  dalliance with alcohol was for more than 15 years .  Astrologer friends blamed my fate  on  planetary configurations. Basically I was at war with myself . I could not pursue my areas of interests  that is theatre and  had to settle for a job in the government ( Indian Railway Traffic Service) . I was selected to the Indian Police Service but was dissuaded from joining that job . This added to my frustration   as I  lost out on  POWER.  Slowly I hit the bottle and the situation worsened.

I overcame addiction through various Art Of Living Programmes . The  fulcrum of all Art Of Living programmes is the unique breathing technique called Sudarshan Kriya( Proper Vision Process) which has  magical  curative  powers. Today  by the  grace of the Master ,  I am  an Art Of Living Teacher aswell.

As Sri Sri says” Only the presence of the master will bring fulfilment to your life and to all your relations.”

Breathing techniques  and meditation are extremely powerful  and can harmonise  body , mind ,thoughts complex . Srinivas Iyengar says” breath does not mean air taken in and exhaled , but the Prana( subtle life force) that is the magnetic current of breath.

BRICK  IN , BREAK THE WALL- Teacher -Student relationship

Last  friday  , after  school , my  daughter stormed  into the  house(  it was very hot ,she was sweating and did not  secure good grades in English) . Instead of being greeted by me or by my father , she was questioned about her performance in English. That infuriated her further and my daughter skipped the customary evening  snack and locked herself in her room  only to appear for tuitions later in the evening.

How did I forget my childhood? Why did I not recall , Pink Floyd’s classic ,” Brick in the Wall”. And how did I not recollect  our very own school  production  with Barry John called KIDSTUF , staged years ago  which highlighted the  travails of children  at school and at home.

President Kalam opined that to be a unique human being , an individual needs to possess four qualities , namely  a great aim, continuously acquiring knowledge by reading great books and keeping great company , hard work and great perseverance.

Are   parents , schools , administrators and  teachers  nourishing this dream of  creating   unique children fired with passion , imagination and talent  or producing marionettes from factories ? This needs to be deliberated by all stakeholders including children.

In this age of SMAC( Software , Mobiles, Apps and Cloud) and not SMACK , teachers and parents  need  to navigate the field of technology  adroitly  so that they keep  pace  with the latest information to challenge  the mind of the child and not confront them.

Today  education is imparted in three ways. Face to Face, Correspondence Courses and On- Line. A  student/child/learner expects the  teacher/educationist is respectful( to the demands of the learner),responsive,knowledgeable,approachable,communicative,organised , engaging , professional and humorous  in disposition .

Teachers, need to look at this inventory  list and  do some soul searching . Without, any doubt , a child expects  moments of wonder in the classroom . Students crave for that  AHA! moment to break the monotony of non-stop classes . The educator today  needs to navigate pop culture and understand the lingo of being”cool”, and understand the mind of the child. Mutual trust between students and teachers is absolutely paramount . There should be no politicking, favouritism etc . Studies in Organisation behaviour ,  clearly  indicate that many a times teachers pay attention to certain children or certain columns  in the classroom,  neglecting others at their own peril. This results in resentment and poor grades of the lot  ignored . A bit of humour, being witty , that lighter moment immediately attracts  a child towards the teacher . As Gail Goodwin says,” Teaching is one-fourth preparation and three fourths theatre.”.

Teachers need to  master two secrets to be successful  in their careers . The Law Of Attraction and The Law Of Acceptance . Law  one  makes  a teacher radiate energy, liveliness ,inspire students, invoke positive vibes and thoughts in the classroom .  The second law encourages a teacher  to accept  the learner  in all respects .  The student  is taken seriously, feels  recognised and challenged, develops  special skills  and their  creativity gets harnessed   . Besides the teacher needs to  understand the difficulties, complexes, sexuality and  hesitations of the child . A student is to be embraced not humiliated.

Today  the teacher today is harassed , has odd timings, plenty of corrections to undertake , rear children at home ,  manage  two fronts(home and school), invariably carries school to house and home to school, does not have time to exercise , yearns for that  Sunday or holiday to relax and unwind .  In such a scenario teachers  have  certain expectations   from children, administration, fellow  teachers  and their  spouses and families .

From  Students- Teachers expect  children are prepared , committed to learn, motivated , respectful , understand their strengths and weaknesses , respect each other and  do not become bullies .

From Parents- It is expected that  the parents do not become super teachers . The common goal is the interest of the child . Parents need to be participative and not coercive . They need to inculcate habits which  need not be moral policing but  to encourage their children to blossom.

From Administration- Not to play petty politics  amongst teachers . Inculcate discipline among the fraternity , provide good packages , encourage  them and support them during crisis . Invariably the  home front  impinges upon the circumference of the school , but the school is so tied up with the TRPs of SRPs- Scholastic Report Performance Schemes)  that they lack the ability  to hear out the teacher, forget even listening to them.

From Co- Teachers- Need to be collaborative, professional, supportive , respect differences among them and also accept unity  among some groups  gracefully.

From Family- To be  warm and proud of the profession and provide that extra space  in their lives .

All this may appear to be altruistic , but  is perhaps essential for the teacher to sport a SMILE to the child  and GREET and be GREETED everyday by  the children. And most essentially to increase the SPAN OF ATTENTION of the child  in the classroom.

This  piece covers  the spectrum of public schools  which have reasonable resources . There  are millions of children who are illiterate  and several schools in  India which do not have  necessary infrastructure , including TOILETS ,which  leads to large drop outs especially among  the girl child.

In the final analysis as Kofi Anan put it  “ Knowledge is power , information is liberating , education is the prism of progress in every society , in every family.”

Life spent in equilibrium, equipoise and equanimity

My uncle Shri  V.K.Rao, the last surviving ICS officer completed 101 years of distinguished and an eventful life on 15^th July, 2015 It has been my privilege of knowing him and receiving his affection, though I must confess I was only on the ringside. Possibly his way of bestowing kindness was in a measured way, not ostentatiously but in a silent fashion. People talk of detached attachment, the result possibly of his long association with  Bhagwan  Sathya Sai Baba. When I cleared the competitive examinations, he was discretely anxious what about what particular service I would choose.

The third son of an assistant engineer, he was relocated in his schooling days; but wherever he was educated  he distinguished as a student of immense potential. The shifting ended when he joined Loyola College in Madras where he excelled in  intermediate and BA (Hons) courses. He stood second in MA and there was no looking back. It was in 1932 he married Smt.Prabhavati from the Nidamarti family. My aunt breathed her last on 31^st December, 2014.  Uncle absorbed the tragedy with great equanimity. He proceeded to Cambridge  in 1935, where he was selected as a Wrangler in mathematics and in the same year 1937, stood fourth in the I.C.S. examination.

On his return to India, uncle was posted to the then Bengal province where he worked in Midnapore and then Manikganj, near Dhaka. The family lore has it that his young wife would on occasions spend tremulous time when he would go out on inspection on a boat in surging rivers. Later during the Bengal famine and the tumultuous pre partition riots, the family was  ensconced in Ballygunj but they spent anxious times nevertheless.

Post partition my uncle opted to serve in India. After three years of service in the Madras Secretariat in different departments, revenue, finance etc. he was posted as Collector at  Vizag.  In 1953 when the process of dividing Madras into Andhra and Tamilnadu  began , he represented Andhra in the committee formed to oversee the division of the state.

In 1959 he was appointed as a Joint Secretary in the Planning Commission. However he began to feel that the entire exercise of planning was quite  unnecessary and wasteful . Interestingly the present government has converted Planning Commission to NITI Ayog.  Not surprisingly thereafter, he moved over to the Works and Housing Ministry where he worked along with Shri.Dharamveera.

  The then Minister Meharchand Khanna, a tall well built person, often guffawed that between Dharamveera and my uncle who was taller, as both were short statured personalities.  The call of the State  made uncle  move back to Andhra where he served as  Secretary to  various departments. It culminated  in his becoming the Chief Secretary of Andhra Pradesh.

When Andhra was engulfed in agitation he was made an advisor to the Governor along withShri H.C.Sarin, who would present himself as the points person of the P.M. After the agitation petered out he was made Vigilance Commissioner.

He served on the interview board of UPSC.  A young aspirant apparently rendered a Carnatic classical song  during viva voce and was selected for the  IAS.

 His final posting with the government was to work  as Special Secretary to  Shri. Neelam  Sanjeeva Reddy, when the latter was the President of India.

Not being given to politicking he moved back to Hyderabad once the President’s term ended. Some well-wishers wanted to see him occupy higher positions but the “powers” at helm opined that, he was not sufficiently “political”.

An important characteristic of his personality is that he remains detached. The profound spiritual influence of Baba made him not to aspire for positions but positions came his way. He spends his time mostly reading and receiving old friends and sharing with them his thoughts. I understand he  also spends times listening to music. He is happy and contended and instead of identifying with situations, he observes and witnesses them in a detached manner. That is the essence of Ashtavakra Gita.

SRI SRI EXPRESS- ANUGRAHA YATRA

(15^th to 19^th February 2014)

In ancient India , Kings performed Aswamedha Yagya to expand their kingdoms through forcible conquests or  states accepted the suzerainty and became vassals . Guruji undertook a cultural conquest spread over 5 days and won the hearts of the people through Divine love . The horse was replicated by a train.

This train consisting of 20 coaches including a saloon meant for Guruji was christened SRI SRI Express ( Anugraha Yatra). The journey covered 18 districts of Andhra Pradesh , where Guruji interacted with lacs of people . 4 major Satsangs were held at Produttur, Tirupati, Mangalgiri and the coastal town of Kakinada . Further he mingled  enroute  at several stations with thousands of people . The YATRA commenced at Kacheguda on the 15^th of February , covered Telengana , Rayalseema and Coastal districts of Andhra Pradesh .

 It would be a fair statement to make that Mahatma Gandhi had undertaken a similar journey by rail crisscrossing the country side spreading the message of peace, non violence, evils of consumption of Bachus and communal  harmony besides exhorting people to  take up  cudgels against the tyrannical British rule. This Yatra  too was reminiscent of  the journey undertaken by the Mahatma. This was  mentioned  by those   frail in body but strong in spirit senior citizens or offspring’s of those who witnessed the earlier event.

A background

A chilly and wintry morning greeted us in Bangalore sometime in 2010 .As part of my protocol duty along with other senior railway officials we received Gurudev Express( a special train commemorating 150^th birth anniversary of Rabindranath Tagore) at Bangalore Cantonment Station . There was a fleeting thought in my mind that had  Guruji been  the Chief Guest of the function , the headlines and breaking news would have been GURUDEV RECEIVES GURUDEV .  The seed of SRI SRI EXPRESS was thus sown.

Promptly a mail was sent to Guruji to travel by   a special train in Karnataka showcasing various facets of Art Of Living , particularly Sudarshan Kriya and various Seva activities of the NGO .

Some   tentative plans were chalked out to run the  train  , on the lines of Deccan Oddesey  or Palace on Wheels .But perhaps the time was not ripe and the mission got aborted.

Meanwhile , I was transferred to South Central Railway , and along with Kishoreda kept requesting Guruji to allot dates and travel Andhra Pradesh  by a special train . But a mere request is not answered without a  deep Sankalpa  . It needs to be supported by a concrete action plan . Guruji was scrutinizing our seriousness and determination . Along the way ,  Kumar from Railways , Mani Naidu and Ravi Bhaiyya a DSN teacher from Andhra Pradesh joined the team and we kept persisting with our proposal . Between 2011 to 2012 we kept  a request letter at the sanctumsanctorum  during Shiv Ratri and Navratri Pujas seeking Divine blessings hoping that Gurudev would give his nod.

Finally , Guruji  in a TRM  agreed to the dates sometime in February 2014. But  we were overcome by anxiety and feverishness which  literally  forced  Guruji to advance the programme to November 2013. We did not anticipate poor response  in bookings, inclement weather conditions and the agitation by the populace of Seemandhra against  the bifurcation of AndhraPradesh . The Divine was aware all but  gave us a long rope and in all magnanimity changed the dates to the earlier planned February 2014. The super conscious mind had all along known the dates , but the ordinary mortal did not comprehend the Divine plan.

During the course of this historical Yatra , SRI SRI  addressed 4 major Satsangs and several station side meetings .Our present day politicians revel in road side shows , should have witnessed the fervor of the faithful and the casual onlooker at the stations where SRI SRI EXPRESS was provided a scheduled or an unscheduled halt .

The entire thrust of Guruji was a campaign against an unjust bifurcation of AndhraPradesh (keeping the sentiments of Seemandhra in mind) , forcible proselytization and  the need for good governance not only in Andhra Pradesh but in the country as  a whole. And Guruji skillfully and succinctly raised these issues during the entire Yatra without offending any particular group’s feelings or sentiments . His gem at all Satsangs and addresses was that we keep changing our Gods and not the guards(leaders) who administer us . By changing Gods  neither are we devoted  to any faith  but also betray our ancestors .Further by  constantly reposing faith in the same Guards , the  wheels of growth and development get fossilized and do not provide succor to the hapless population. Thus the need to Vote for  a better India. He was quite candid in mentioning that Lord Krishna could have comfortably played the flute for the Gopas and Gopikas of Brindavan , but plunged into politics to uphold Dharma .

 Before SRI SRI EXPRESS embarked upon the historical tour several  roadblock  and knots were cleared by the grace of the Guru . So much so that Railways provided the Art Of Living with concession even though it was a commercial project as far as railways was concerned. To begin with there were a few of us involved in this Yagya . And we  got caught in the vortex of ego and Gurumandal. Guruji purged it all by his grace thus a larger group was formed to execute the project .During the course of the preparation the AP Apex  astutely led by Shri Ramachandranji  andShri Ravi Kumar formed select committtees  to keep an eagle’s eye on each aspect of the project . These pertained to marketing , catering,logistics and operations, hotel arrangements, publicity et all.

Day-1  - Kacheguda to Yerraguntla

A special train consisting of 10 sleeper coaches, 6 air conditioned coaches( 2 each of ac three tier , two tier and first class) ,a pantry car , saloon for Guruji and guards van rolled into Kacheguda station of Hyderabad . 1000 travellers awaited Guruji’s arrival with bated breath . Guruji was greeted by Nadaswaram and he literally floated to his saloon . The faithful could hardly believe their eyes and jostled with each other to have the glimpse of the Master .

Sri Sri Express( Anugraha Yatra) stopped at Mehboobnagar, Gadwal, Kurnool Town, Dhone, Gooty  and Tadipatri before reaching Yerraguntla . Thousands flocked to have a glimpse of the Master .  He was accorded traditional welcome and people could scarcely believe that Guruji was amidst them and speaking on esoteric subjects like spirituality, pranayama, dhyana,yoga and topical subjects like bifurcation of the state, voting for a better and stronger India , perils of alcoholism etc.

Guruji who is pure energy personified  sprang surprises on the passengers by boarding the train and meeting each and everypassenger, celebrating their birthdays , commiserating with their problems if any and primarily making them happy . Devotees were dumbstruck that , Guruji like any ordinary traveller was traversing through the 20 coaches of the train . This is what they pine  for , this is what they long for ! To have a glimpse of the master . Each and every traveller opined that they never had such an interaction with Guruji ever in their lives.

He interacted with the security personnel and the cooks of the pantry car . With remarkable presence of mind  he  mentioned that Indian Railways ought to have  air-conditioned pantry cars in trains so that the food cooked does not get contaminated in any manner . His concern about the quality of food being provided to both nationals and internationals was indeed  touching .

As the sun sank at Yerraguntla and shadows lengthened , the train chugged into the station . The IRCTC( Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation ) who were not only providing security and food arranged buses to ferry passengers to Prodottur , where the first of the 4 Mahasatsang was organized in the trip . Even though the train was running behind schedule a record crowd had turned up for the Satsang , where Guruji conducted meditation and spoke with  effortless felicity and ease which perhaps only he can.

Day2- Renigunta- Tirupati

SRI SRI EXPRESS arrived early in the morning at Renigunta on the 16^th.

Gurudev (  Narayan) left early in the morning to Tirumala and freshened up at Padmavati Guest house and was received by Shri Bappi Raju ( MP) , the Chief of Tirumala Tirupati Devasthanam .He meditated and was present during the Suprabhata Puja. What  a mirror image of Narayana performing Puja to the Lord . At the crack of dawn , with a slight drizzle and incandescent bulbs still glowing provided the setting of Vaikuntha.

Guruji was felicitated by the priests of Tirumala with Vedic Hyms and incantations reverberated the temple.  Meanwhile 1000 devotees travelling on the special train got ready in various hotels at Tirupati and reached Tirumala . Vaishali , STC of AP along with a senior bureaucrat made arrangements for the Darshan of Lord Venkateswara . It was quite a task to ensure that all devotees went in a group for the Darshan . Guruji , had other plans . He  conducted a meditation for 1000 devotees , before they all could have Balaji Darshan . In one stroke Guruji ensured the presence of all the devotees  rather they going astray. Corporates and Governments  alike  can learn a few lessons in  skillful management of men,material and time.The devotees had never experienced such a powerful meditation nor a group Darshan of this nature .

Before the evening Satsang , Guruji paid homage at Goddess Padmavati’s temple at Tirachanur , where the incantation of the hymns were absolutely meditative and intoxicating .

This was followed by a massive Satsang at the University grounds . The meditation and Bhajans by Shalini and Srinivas held people spell bound . YesPlus activists enacted the jingle of Rail Yatra … Sri Sri  to perfection . The jingle in Telugu which incidentally  was  the theme song of the Yatra indicating the places where Guruji would be visiting along with different facets of Art Of Living is almost like a rap song and with proper marketing can become a very big hit with public . Years back Ashok Kumar the legendary actor sang a similar kind of jingle in the film Ashirwad and is still a very popular number.

Day3- Renigunta- Mangalgiri

The day was Monday (17^th) . The organizing team felt that something was amiss . How could the Master not perform Rudra Puja ? Gurudev( Shiva)  reached Srikalahasti  and was present during the Rahu, Ketu and RudraPuja . As soon as the train reached Srikalahasti , Guruji joined SRI SRI EXPRESS .The devout saw the Divine energy spreading as he entered his saloon.

Guruji touched , Nellore, Ongole, Bapatla, Chirala, Tenalai before reaching Mangalgiri . Enroute he was greeted by enthusiastic crowds and the Master spread the divine knowledge and his deep concern to make India a strong country . There are a very few spiritual leaders who make such strong pitch not only to rejuvenate the country spiritually but also politically . He has no stakes. His only mission is to spread the gospel of truth and purity . Infact Gurudev is the Supreme Consciousness. He is purity, hollow and empty, sacred , he is Narayana and Shiva .

This energy made him visit each coach several times a day .And get down at every  station  and address the devotees . On average he would have walked around 8 kilometres  daily without fail .And with enthusiastic devotees jostling and falling over him made  the task even more arduous and cumbersome.

That evening  a grand Satsang was organized at a resort called Hailand at Mangalgiri . The grandiose stage did not quite impress the Divinity . He specifically spoke about the need to ensure  austerity and simplicity . He was quite candid in mentioning that such backdrops  act  as   distractions .

The 1000 odd devotees were  housed at Hailand resort and suddenly problems of boarding and lodging  cropped up . Guruji assuaged the devotees by uttering  the word Toilets in his inimitable trademark  style  and disarmed all agitation and disquiet  from the minds of the faithful . By his grace , despite purported lack of accommodation , every traveller was provided a place to sleep and to freshen up the next morning. It was again the energy and magic of the Master at work.

Day4- Mangalgiri –Kakinada

While the devotees boarded the train at Mangalgiri , Gurudev performed Puja at Narsimaha Swamy temple .

Gurudev in this segment  of the journey stopped at Vijawada, Gudiwada, Akividu, Bhimavaram Town, Kovur , Rajamundhry and finally the train terminated at Kakinada . Thousands flocked at the stations and Guruji’ s grace simply flowed . Despite the crowds , the Master walked from one end of the platform to the podium in the circulating area of the station which  was at a quite a distance.

Like a child , Guruji through his saloon transfixed his gaze at the bridge over Godavari river and asked questions about chain pulling , crossing of trains , speed of trains etc . 

The journey culminated at Kakinada where Guruji addressed a massive gathering . There were 108 Grama Devatas , which added color to the existing splendor .

It would be pertinent to mention that , senior officers from railways travelled various segments of the journey who facilitated the movement of the train . It was almost running like a Rajdhani or Shatabdi Express . Interestingly all these officers have done some course of Art of Living and are indebted to Gurudev for the change in their lives .

The dream journey culminated on the 19^th morning at Kacheguda . While one can chronicle the physical aspect of the journey , it is next to impossible to gauge the spiritual energy received by the 1000 travellers , station staff enroute, staff on board , a few lac people who saw Guruji  in the physical form . People were transported from the mundane to sublime in these 5 days and  memories will be always etched to become better human. beings and contribute to the society .

The Journey has just begun

Metro India , Secunderabad  contacted  me  yesterday  regarding sustainability of Yoga Day . This is courtesy our ABC team ( Vani Bala ). I had written  a piece ,  and part of which appeared today in the newspaper."

            

 Celebration of International  Yoga Day on 21st of June by 192 countries simultaneously is nothing short of a miracle and is akin to a cultural conquest of this ancient Indian tradition.  Kudos to PM, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Baba RamDev and Shri Jaggi Vasudev.The fact that United Nation has endorsed the project -  mission Yoga makes it sustainable .  The west  and several countries in Far East have adopted Yoga almost as a way of life.

However , any project can be sustainable if it is financed  ,  packaged, marketed   and promoted properly . This should not be a mere photo -op session  for celebrities and politicians . The government has set itself an ambitious goal of creating an infrastructure where it would be setting up Yoga centres across the country right down to the village level  and plans to employ almost 6 lac Yoga instructors .

The Associated Chambers Of Commerce ( ASSOCHAM)  on friday stated that " The increased  focus on Yoga by the government  , coupled with growing awareness about traditional Indian ways of dealing with stress in corporate sector has improved opportunities in yoga training with commensurate demand for trainers set to grow by 30 to 35% in a couple of years." 

Several allopaths  and hospitals are convinced that practice of Yoga , Pranayama and Meditation can  help in the  treatment of cardiac ailments, cancers, diabetes , obesity and blood pressure. In this direction  HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in his interview to CNN IBN  succinctly put it that man  has  to either reduce his wants and desires( unlikely), increase his time span in  a day( not possible) or reduce his stress levels . And practice of Yoga   positively helps in reduction of stress levels, much as the cassandras of doubt and prophets of doom may feel otherwiise.  

Fortunately , Government Of India and Corporate Sector have realised  the palliative benefits of Yoga to increase  productivity . But in the government  the  odd Babu  or bureaucrat  acts like a road block . The Government should consider  restarting   the  Government Executive Programme   with the Art Of Living   thereby  spreading  the awareness and benefits of Yoga , Sudarshan Kriya , Pranayama and Meditation among its employees . Around 1 crore government employees ( both Central and State governments)  can be imparted this training . Once the employees receive this training , their family members too would take up Art Of Living Programmes . Similarly the defence forces  and public sector need to take up the programme  to cope with pressures of modern living. 

The Corporate Sector need to park money as part of their Corporate Social Responsibility to promote Yoga and  its associated  practices . This will ensure healthy living  of the employees only to increase productivity . It was heartening to read today that  a corporate employee opined that  come what may , he does sun salutations despite his hectic schedule.

The next target are schools , colleges and universities to promote  Yoga as a way of  healthy living . Perhaps today';s young generation feel that only pumping of iron and acquiring a six pack ab promotes fitness and" health". But the human body is much more than its physical self , it is  a complex aggregate of mind , body and soul. More toxins are released through breath control that sweating on a treadmill.

Though a lot needs to be done  ,  a broad  road map has been laid . However how focused , committed   government  and private sector are remains to be seen . I am optimistic  and hope that government does not fritter away the immense popularity the event has generated . There would be definitely an odd Babu in the corridors of power and a recalcitrant corporate employee who would act as a stumbling block. It is a challenge to change their mindset .

POINT  AND COUNTERPOINT-HOT PURSUIT

Dear     Rajyavardhan Rathore, ,
I';m making this delayed post for I waited the whole morning for a clarification,if any, on a statement attributed to you in today';s Indian Express, in which you legitimately celebrated our troops'; cross-border raid on militant hideouts in Myanmar.
But what left me wonder-struck was your claim that the strikes were a message to all countries, including Pakistan, that harbored terror intent towards our country.
Now that';s a pretty bold exposition Mr Minister--- abysmally short though on correct appreciation of the geopolitical realities in our immediate and distant neighborhoods. Pl don';t get me wrong. But your hyperbole reminds one of George Clemenceau';s famous quote that ';war is a thing too serious to be left to soldiers';.
A widely improvised version of the French writer';s quotation is that war';s too serious a business to be left to generals... or ex-colonels such as yourself. The Modi regime can pat itself on the back as what our troops achieved in Myanmar was an example of good diplomacy with Naypyidaw and operational precision on the ground. The response was essential to keep up the morale of our army.
But to call it hot pursuit would be erroneous as it was a retributive raid with the consent of the country on whose territory we struck. Likewise, to show it as a signal of what we could do with Pakistan isn';t just indiscreet but reckless.
If we have any such plans, we';d need to keep them under wraps even after finishing the task. It won';t be an achievement for us to shout from the rooftops. Please don';t forget, that we are a nuclearized sub-continent where a conflict situation would attract world attention to keep it from escalating into a full blown N-war.
Before signing off, may I leave you with a thought---- that you might want to share with your superiors in the government--- belonging to Brajesh Mishra, who was AB Vajpayee';s NSA. At a meeting I had with him before his death, he said he decided against writing a book because much of what he knew needed to go with him to his grave. The best patriots, Mr Rathore, are those who seek no recognition, no gratitude from the country. They are reconciled to dying unsung. 

Sincerely, 

Vinod Sharma

Dear  Shri Vinod Sharma,

Gurudev, Rabindranath Tagore had aptly said” Let us not pray to be sheltered from dangers but to be fearless when facing them.”

Col Raghavendra Rathore   a sharpshooter who once donned the uniform may have got carried away  and indulged in a bit of chest thumping , but should we not  praise the commandos and Indian Army for a remarkable job done.

I vividly remember watching, how the Israeli commandos stormed Entebbe and rescued hapless hijacked passengers. Contrast that to the pusillanimous act of  an abject  surrender enacted  during NDA rule years ago when, our Foreign Minister Major Jaswant Singh escorted  ultras to Kandahar  to  seek the release of hijacked passengers.

2 States,   a similar situation  and how one state acted and another prostrated.

Ofcourse war is not an option . Yudh Koyi Vikalpa Nahin Hai.  But do we need to be  a soft state ?

A  strong message has been delivered .  Why do we feel negative about the act. And  it is the need of the hour . US post 9/11  launched an all out offensive , Israel  always uses this option . Why  are such bogies raised when India  launches counter offensive ? The secular champions,pacificists, environmentalists and human right activists form a neat cartel  during such scenarios.

Why do they forget , Mukti Bahini  and Atalji likened Madam Indira Gandhi to Goddess Durga  or IPKF  or Kargil war?

Collateral damage is inevitable in such situations . We suffer from amnesia and forget  rulers like Ashoka, Pushyamitra Sangha, Krishnadevaraya,Prithviraj Chauhan and Rana Pratap. They took to arms to protect their kingdoms and populace.

More recently the contribution of Netaji Bose who was willing to shake hands with the Fascists or say Hindustan Socialist Republican Association of Chandrashekar Azad, Bhagat Singh also chartered  a path  which was not acceptable to the mainstream politics. But it brought an element of urgency and  drama in the freedom  struggle. Ofcourse collateral damage is inevitable.

Post cold war , after the fall of Berlin Wall , with several countries going nuclear , WAR is no option . The  merchants of death (arms manufacturers)  in these times  conveniently supply arms to both the parties( terrorists and countries affected)  to ensure their profitability.

Most importantly the social and economic model  being pursued  has created such fissiparous tendencies that there is a tormentor and a tormented . And both release their angst through violence.

Why does the cartel forget the role of Russia , in its neighborhood  or  the hegemonistic designs of China ?

As a country we  need to be strong and safe.

Regards,

Ravi Valluri  

Spirits to Sudarshan Kriya

Astrologers blamed my problem and misfortune on planetary configurations and the stars, clairvoyants postulated theories that it was bad fate- Karma, science opines that alcoholism is perhaps genetic. Well some relatives had become alcoholic. An uncle fought back through the fellowship of Alcoholic Anonymous. The fact of the matter was that I had a severe drinking problem and like all alcoholics was in denial mode.

Substance abuse, smoking and alcohol have a detrimental effect on human body, mind and soul. Repair is an arduous and painstaking task which necessarily requires Divine intervention. Science would vouch for professional help. But the addict is absolutely oblivious to any help and is cocooned in his world of self denial and arrogance, and refusing any form of help and closes all doors. I have seen it happening with myself and a few colleagues succumbing to the lethal disease.  When the addict surrenders to Divine mercy, that professional help works as a miracle.

Those struggling to cope with addictions and really desirous of a 360 degree change in their lives should invariably and without any hesitation clutch the hand of the Divine, whose manifestation is a Guru, in order to survive and help themselves and their loved ones.

Today, I recall those wintry weekends of Bikaner, when I hit the bottle after performing a part of my official duties where I was in charge of passenger and freight operations. Infact, railway operations involves a 24x7, 365 days effort. All those involved have to be extremely sharp and alert and here I was mixing my work with alcohol. A typical weekend meant speaking with my bosses at Delhi with a mixture of false bravado but primarily trepidation, over several packets of cigarettes, taking a quick shower, a light breakfast and then settling down with my precious bottle of gin.

Later in the afternoon, I would settle down with yet another bottle of gin. All through, spar with supposedly non performing staff, quibble with my wife and shout at my children and literally sleep over lunch , while the telephone  from the railway control office would be ringing incessantly .The pattern continued . It was a strange fixation with the drink . I vomited only to drink more. One could call it drinking bulimia. As the sun sank in the deserts of Rajasthan , shadows lengthened in our railway bungalow , the prestigious Palace on Wheels chugged along , coal rakes were being supplied to powerhouses, gypsum and food grain was getting loaded and  I was trying to handle the second bottle of gin. As a routine it became one a half bottles of gin on weekdays and over the weekends there were two bottles. Nothing to trumpet about .It was a wretched life to lead, no friends, no social gatherings it was only alcohol. Whenever we were invited for lunches or dinners, my family was absolutely petrified as a drunk and violent person accompanied them for the outing.

This was the scenario every weekend and holiday. My mind was always desperately pining for that bottle of Gin. Why Blue Riband Gin?  The fact was that I thought gin did not stink. Gin is euphemistically referred to as a lady’s drink, but the stuff has almost 40% alcohol in it.

It is indeed a matter of surprise to me as to how the official establishment accepted and tolerated me. I reckon it was the deep prayers of my mother, grandmother and those of my wife-though she was losing faith in the Divine and lamenting her fate.

Year after year, starting, somewhere in 1995 to end 2006, I was drinking like a fish and smoking like a chimney. And this was across all my postings on various railway systems and different places. The consumption was 2 bottles of gin; around 3 to 4 packets of Wills Navy Cut and several packets of Pan Parag (I hoped that it would camouflage the odour). Essentially, I was revolting inside. My body, mind and soul were all tormented and I was looking for an elusive succour. Perhaps I was enjoying the pain. However the guardian angels and almighty God were protecting me.

Sometime in November 2003, my wife registered my name for the Part 1course of Art of Living at Jaipur, which I attended. Upon completion of the course that Sunday, I rang up my mother and could discern palpable happiness and gratitude in her voice. After years, her son had spoken in a sober condition over a weekend. Tears of gratitude flowed for the Master (HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar), who cognated the unique breathing technique called Sudarshan Kriya.  She had by then seen Gurudev at a Satsang in Hyderabad, apart from watching his discourses on television. However, I was still to give up drinking.

 A few years later in 2010 when my mother met Guruji, the only questioned he asked her was,”Amma are you happy?” I had quit drinking by then.

It is essential that a participant who undergoes the Part 1 course (now called the Happiness Programme) should attend the weekly follow up of Long Sudarshan Kriya apart from practising the short Sudarshan Kriya every day without fail to receive full benefits of the programme . And also attend various programmes from the bouquet of courses designed by Guruji and imparted by the Art Of Living Foundation. Unfortunately, I did not fail to attend the weekly follow up schedule, nor did I attend the Advanced Meditation Course. The organisers of the course were quite considerate in accommodating me as a non residential participant, so that my dependency on Bacchus would reduce. But my mind was transfixed as to how I would be able to survive the evenings without alcohol and the desperation for cigarettes during the day. Primarily these were all self made barriers which I had yet to overcome.

Though I did not attend the weekly follow ups nor participate in any other course of Art of Living, by the grace of the Gurudev   continued to practice the Short Sudarshan Kriya   at home daily. Why that happened is a mystery.  My wife and father took me to a liver   specialist in Hyderabad a few years later. The doctor exclaimed and wondered as to how I was moving around given my history of drinking , my answer was that I practice Short Sudarshan Kriya every day( despite consuming alcohol), drink plenty of buttermilk and consume Liv. 52. She acknowledged that Sudarshan Kriya did have immense therapeutic values and benefits.

Several medical practitioners’ agree that this unique breathing technique increases the level of prana (chi) and helping it to virtually permeate into    each cell of the body. And the weekly long Kriya session imparts a tremendous boost to the immune system and totally detoxifies the human body. There have been studies conducted in AIIMS, NIMHANS and several other hospitals which corroborate this point of view.

During my stint at Guntakal Division on South Central Railway, I happened to visit the mutt of Raghavendra Swami at Mantralayam. The alcoholic mind smuggled a bottle of gin and a few cigarettes into the precincts of the holy shrine.  After paying obeisance at the shrine, I was desperate to consume liquor in my room at the mutt. I was shocked to see the bottle absolutely empty. There was no crack in the bottle nor was the seal tampered with or broken, yet the entire alcohol was spilt outside on the carpet and my clothes. Only my Puja material and the notes of Part 1 course of Art of Living which I had jotted down at Jaipur were spared. To me this was a strong signal.  This was no hallucination, but a clear message sent to me by Raghavendra Swami and Guruji that enough was enough! I had to quit drinking. The seeds of change were being slowly implanted.

Some months later, as the winter chill was setting in, November 2006 to be exact, I started having apparitions of HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Satya Sai Baba virtually every day, exhorting me to give up alcohol. Now these are things which science would turn down out right. But those nights were quite miserable. I was drunk and kept dreaming of Gurudev and Baba. Through all of this every morning even though I was literally a zombie I practised Sudarshan Kriya. And then quite suddenly, by the grace of the Master, I stopped drinking in early December 2006. And it is once again purely his grace that I have not touched alcohol despite all provocations. It is now seven years of sobriety.

Thereafter I did various Art of Living courses including the Teacher’s Training Course and have become a part of the faculty. I recall during one mega Advanced Meditation Course, Guruji met all the participants. I broke down and thanked Gurudev for pulling me out of the morass and quagmire I was in. So did another youngster sitting next to me, from the IT field. We did not know each other, yet happened to sit together at Vishalakshi Mantapam (at the Art of Living Centre Bangalore). Interestingly we both had given up substance and were at the feet of the Master.I think that is what Gurudev does when a person surrenders unflinchingly. One has to surrender, bow down and leave all the impressions gathered over a period of time and then the magic works.

Guruji asked me to share my story with the whole world to motivate them to take to this path of Happiness. By his grace several railwaymen have done the course across the length and breadth of this country with startling benefits. We have testimonials of drivers giving up smoking, drugs and alcohol. Similarly, loco pilots who could barely sleep and only saw signals in their dreams, now enjoy a sound night’s sleep. This has been video graphed by a former Divisional Railway Manager of Trichy. Similarly office staff of Divisional Railway Manager, Bangalore had to undergo lung function test. Smokers, who had undergone the part 1 course of Art of Living, were surprised to observe there was no trace of tobacco in their system unlike smokers who did not participate in the programme. Such is the power of Sudarshan Kriya. If Indian Railways is the Life Line of the nation, Sudarshan Kriya is the life force. Regular practice of Sudarshan Kriya and surrender to Gurudev has transformed the lives of millions across the globe. Let everyone experience his grace.

Last year , I travelled with Guruji by a special train - SRI SRI Express. Anugraha Yatra travelled across the undivided Andhra Pradesh. The moment we crossed Kurnool, Guruji gave me Prasadam from Mantralayam. I was taken aback and reminded of the incident at Rayar’s Mutt ( Raghavendra Swami’s Mutt), where I had carried liquor in the holy precincts. I thought to myself if Rayar taught the theoretical aspects of science of breath, Guruji provides the practical explanation. It is only divinity which transcends body, mind and spirit.

Guruji spreads waves of happiness and transforms lives of millions through the unique breathing technique called Sudarshan Kriya.The grace should keep flowing across the globe.