Month: January 2013

Confession of a Untroubled Soul

Ensures13 Comments

I was carrying this for more than 24 years now. And I had to say that out loud today. I can’t bear this anymore.

While I have nothing hidden from my Guru, His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar of The Art of Living, this is something that I could never go and reveal to him. Not even to my wife of 21 years – who thought I was an open book and knew everything about me.

I had an intimate affair with this marvelous creation, even creator have undergone tremendous transformation.  I happened to chance upon her when her maker, for material reasons passed her on to a middle man. I simply had to have her, more out of the necessity of my age, blame it on the changes due to hormones.

The affair started that day. Not a single day has passed since August 1988 when I haven’t felt that warm, foamy and silky caress on my face.  Oh yes! not every day.  Save 41 days of Annual Vrat (penance) for Sabarimalai that I used to observe, Strict Brahmacharya was a norm. But I swear I used to pine that touch without which needless to say, I would appear unkempt and ruffled

A constant companion wherever I went, all over the world – the Hotels we stayed, the bathroom, the dressing table. I simply could not imagine not having her with me, for the same things she did since August 1988.

While this may not measure up to the letter or spirit of Sacrament of Penance and this blogsite is definitely no substitute  for a confessional, I nevertheless would like to seek healing of my soul and laughter to you. “Bless me readers, if I have sinned. It has been more than 24 years I have hidden this from all of you” As a token of penitence, and in the fond hope of redemption I reveal whom I have been cheating with. And with no intention to call it off. Look at her from every possible angle and Pardon me for I am still unable to abandon her as yet. Click the Bouquet to reveal it all.

Fresh_Beautiful_Bouquet_Pink_Roses

I am sure you have got a word or two to say about my prized possession

Not a Sweet Matter…

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I found this piece written in the form of a letter by a dear friend and Art of Living faculty from Kolkatta Ms Sujala Roy. Here is unedited version (except for Hyperlinking)

Dear friends

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Satsang in Progress in Amphi Theatre

During December 2012, when I had visited Art of Living Ashram to do my 10 days Advanced Course (Part-2 Course), there was something startling that He mentioned.

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Just after a woman , shared her osteoporosis health problems with Gurudev in the Satsang, He said, one of the main reasons for weak rubbery bones once people hit 50 years of age, is the consumption of white sugar. White is NOT the natural color of sugar. Some chemicals like phosphorous is added to give the white color. When we consume this , it corrodes the calcium in our bones making them soft like rubber.
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Unrefined sugar or brown sugar is not easily available in the Indian market because there is no demand for it (blame it on our fascination for color white !). His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar promised us that soon Art of Living will get in touch with manufacturers (it is pertinent to note here that a group of Art of Living Volunteers have started a Sugar Co-operative in Sangli, Maharashtra – Click the link for details) and package and sell “raw” sugar in mass scale.
Turbinado_sugar
Till that time, He urged us to find brown sugar from the local market and consume that only. Guruji also said, rather than sugar (white/brown) , jaggery is the best and the healthiest sweetener available to us.
I did some research on the internet too. There are a lot of articles which describes the poisonous effects of white sugar on human body scientifically. The basic problem is , since refined sugar is only carbohydrates with no minerals, its’ metabolism requires calcium and other minerals which it extracts from the human body depleting it of these vital minerals.  Some sentences verbatim from the articles are :
 

“Refined sugar is lethal when ingested by humans because it provides only that which nutritionists describe as “empty” or “naked” calories. It lacks the natural minerals which are present in the sugar beet or cane.”

“In addition, sugar is worse than nothing because it drains and leaches the body of precious vitamins and minerals through the demand its digestion, detoxification and elimination makes upon one’s entire system. So essential is balance to our bodies that we have many ways to provide against the sudden shock of a heavy intake of sugar. Minerals such as sodium (from salt), potassium and magnesium (from vegetables), and calcium (from the bones) are mobilized and used in chemical transmutation; neutral acids are produced which attempt to return the acid-alkaline balance factor of the blood to a more normal state.”

Links to some articles
Point to be noted is the commercially available brown sugars not really raw sugar , but that is the best deal we can get. I have found a brand of brown sugar in Spencer’s . I urge each one of you to –
  • Cut down the intake of sugar
  • Switch to jaggery or raw sugar or brown sugar
  • Buy the raw sugar from Art of Living when it is available
Health, happiness and energy to each one of you ! 🙂
You can read other blogs of Sujala Roy here
Here is the transcript of the Original Talk from Gurudev Sri Sri Ravishankar (His twitter (Source of Transcript🙂 
Gurudev urged everyone to stop using white sugar IMMEDIATELY.

Apparently white sugar has sulphur added to it during processing in order to give it its characteristic white sheen. Sulphur leeches calcium from our bodies making us susceptible to osteoporosis (incurable) and a host of other bone diseases.

He exhorted everyone to immediately switch to jaggery. He cautioned that some manufacturers add sulphur even to jaggery in order to make it lighter in colour. Purchase your jaggery from reputed and reliable places. Remember that the darker the jaggery, the more nutritious it is.

Some AOL members have begun manufacturing different kinds of raw sugar (light brown, medium brown, dark brown) and even white, sulphur-less sugar. Their products will soon be made available in #Bengaluru Ashram. These sugars are comparable in price with table sugar but are a whole lot more nutritious. If you wish to switch to raw/brown sugar right away, alternative places to source them (in Bangalore) are FabIndia (raw sugar, cane sugar, evaporated cane sugar, jaggery etc all organic) HyperCity (Waitrose brand has light brown,medium brown cane sugars, and dark brown muscovado sugar), Spar etc. However these are typically over-priced!!!

A Divine Wedding

Ensures2 Comments

Today is Subramanya Shashti or Margashira Shuddha Shashti ( Shasti is the 6th day of the 14 day phase of moon, shuddha shashti is the 6th day after every full moon day).

Majestic Kukke Subrahmanya Temple Amidst Kumara Parvata
Majestic Kukke Subrahmanya Temple Amidst Kumara Parvata

Every year a famous car festival is being held in Kukke Subramanya (pilgrimage in Karnataka) on ‘Margashira Shuddha Shashti’ with special poojas to the Lord Subramanya.

Story behind it is Kukke Subrahmanya is on the bank of river Dhara. According to Hindu Mythology Lord Kumaraswamy came to this place after killing the demon rulers Taraka, Shoorapadmasura and others in a war; and the Lord washed his Shakthi Ayudha (a battle-ax of the type of a bayonet) in this river.

Presiding Deity - Lord Subrahmanya
Presiding Deity – Lord Subrahmanya

From this onwards the river is famous as Kumaradhara. After battle with the demon, Lord Kumaraswamy came to the top of Kumaraparvatha along with his brothers Lord Ganesha, Veerabahu.. He was received by Lord Indra along with other Gods; pleased by the success of the war Indra prayed the Lord to be Kind enough to marry his daughter Devasena. This was agreed upon courteously and the marriage took place on the banks of Kumaradhara on ‘Margashira Shuddha Shashti’ (The shashti is on the first half of Margashira Masa.) Lord kumaraswamy also gave a darshan to Vasuki, the head of the Nagas, who was making a penance here. Vasuki prayed the Lord to stay along with him permanently in the place and the Lord blessed Vasuki with the boon.

The Famous Car Festival (Theru) of Kukke
The Famous Car Festival (Theru) of Kukke

From that time it a believed that the Lord has made his spiritual presence in this shrine along with his wife Devasena and Vasuki.

This Piece contributed by Sindhu-ji ,  Faculty at The Art of Living and follower of HH Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

She blogs here and and tweets with @agnyaa  handle