Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Symphony and Cacaphony

Ensures1 Comment

Let me set this blog to music with what His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has to say about “Music”

HH Gurudev Sri Sri Playing the Veena during Navratri
HH Gurudev Sri Sri Playing the Veena during Navratri

“Spirituality and music, together, can uplift people, get them out of depression and help them start a new life with enthusiasm. For a stress-free life, you have to embrace both these facets (spirituality and music).”

The Art of Living has laid a foundation stone for unity and harmony through a series of events.

He also said “In a place where there is music, where there is art, where there is dance, where there is meditation and yoga, how can there be violence there? Read more here

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Now that the piece is set to Music, let me not sing the old tune and get into brass tacks right away … with a small Note of warning (LOL! No Warning Bells as yet)

You are Warned
You are Warned

When someone pointed out that it was quite a while since I blogged,  I tweeted about what would my next theme. Me who is always fit as a fiddle decided to be blow my horn with this Operatic effort & include all that jazz. A small inadvertent break for unfortunate reasons  (reasons explained later).

Musical Restroom
Musical Rest Room

And Lo! a blog idea came when I heard a TV Panelist (who is supposed to run some blog in support of a party) who  is capable of making chin music for hours at a time. And when he was recently relegated from Prime Channels to some side-kick ones it was music to my ears. Even there this guy incessant blabber is like an Elevator music and heard that the other panelists are not Bells on when he is on the drone and tries to pass it off as a Symphony.  While we all know clearly who calls the tune in his case 🙂

Music All Over
Music All Over

And when my thoughts were clear as a bell and almost ready to be published come the news of Hyderabad Blasts. I stopped the music and stopped the (word)Press  & decided to fine tune this blog and launch it today after pulling out all stops.  I could not afford to be seen as a person Fiddling while Rome burnt like our Home Minister who keeps changing the tune and together with his bosses have decided to sell our Nation for a song.  Media and these politicos decided to march to their own drum beat with no sense of order giving a damn to us despite they playing a jarring note. The entire opposition also seem to play a second fiddle and did they strike a chord with sentiments of nation at this crucial hour? A big No. A whistle-stop tour to the blast site, some sound-bytes to the media channels and then a curt “Whistle for peace” message to gullible public.

No Music this
No Music this

Did Music-Deaf authorities forget that on matters of national security, they cannot be whistling in the dark or issue cannot be played by the ear. It has to be an orchestra where every Note has to be Scripted in the sheet to create a symphony.

Despite all this the eternal Optimist that I am, I still keep whistling Dixie and still kiss my kids goodnight saying “See you on the big drum”

Signing off with this lovely musical video Foo Fighters-Learn to Fly

PS: Photographs used in this piece belong to Respective Owners. If in any copyright infringement please let me know 

Picture Says it All

Ensures
This Blog wins the “Longest Standing Blog” Award in
Art of Living’s International Bloggers’ Conference (Click this link for details)

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Award from His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji
Founder of The Art of Living 

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The Cherished Possession (More than the Trophy receiving it from HIM)

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Speaking on “Why Blogging & Beyond Blogging” during the Conference

Drop it…NOW!

Ensures7 Comments

I am Back! With another story (an old one) and a message through it  How many times in our lives do we be burdened by things when we could have just dropped it and moved ahead in life. And it almost seem that we tend to hold on to things that are negative (pain, tragedies, hatred etc) and never do hold on to some many positive things that life offers us. Dropping and moving on is what the real  Art of Living is all about and lessons that His Holiness Pujya Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar professes

Here is a story someone told a while ago and relevant to the subject….

There was this teacher, a very enlightened Master who just walked into an assembly of his disciples for the day’s lessons.

As soon as HE enters, the Master orders one of his disciple to get him a glass of milk. The disciples were shocked because that just was not HIM or HIS style – usually a very gentle and jovial self. While they were wondering as to what went wrong, a disciple rushes into the kitchen asks the Master’s wife for a glass of milk and promptly brings it back. The Master receives it and with a still grim face, holds it in his hands and addresses the disciples, “How much do you think this glass with milk weighs?”

A-Glass-Of-Milk-Light

100 grams, 150 grams, 200 grams, 225 grams…. comes the reply from the assembly of disciples. The Master then says, “Never mind, the weight really does not matter, what happens if I hold it up like this for a few minutes?” Saying this HE raises the glass of milk and holds it for everyone to view.

“Nothing would happen” was the chorus of replies.

“Yes, Now what happens if I hold like this for an hour?” (Master retains his glass in raised position as yet)

Disciples say, “It begins to hurt a bit”.

“Absolutely, Now what happens if I hold on to this for a day?”

One of the disciple says, “Guruji, your hands would become numb, ,may result in a terrible muscle strain, may also get paralysed calling for a medical treatment”

“Very fine, during the entire period, did the weight of this glass of milk change?”

“No, it is the same” said the whole assembly in unison.

“So what causes the aches, pains or paralysis” asks the Master.

The Disciples say, “Please put the glass down” the pain would go away.

“My dear disciples, There are serious lessons in this simple exercise – yes very serious and important lessons, which explains my behaviour at the beginning of the day.”

First and foremost, you stereotype my behavior, you expect Master is always playful or a playful character all the time, which is false. A different behavior as compared to my usual left you shell shocked, with no enthusiasm
because you were victims of your expectations. This is the first lesson,

Planning is quite good and required, but if it does not work to the plan it is not the end of the world. Work to the plan but don’t correlate the work to the results. Work irrespective of results without any expectations. Bhagavad Gita Summarizes this in a single Sloka (2:47)

Bhagavad-gita As It Is 2.47

Another true and important lesson of this exercise is even more valuable and to remembered for the rest of your lives. The raised glass of milk is exactly like the problems of our lives. Carrying it or thinking about it for a few seconds or minutes is fine. Thinking about it for a longer period of time turns this thought into an ache and for longer time it turns into paralysis we will be numbed into inaction.

Challenges and problems are an important part of our lives, required for our growth. It is even more important to DROP IT and move on in life, if we were to make any progress or else like our arms it would be numbed to inaction. We need to DROP IT every moment to recharge and be fresh ourselves to take on new Challenges in our lives and GROW UP.

DROP your Glass Today….NOW… Everyday ……EVERY MOMENT

Pain is inevitable, Suffering is optional

Growing Old is inevitable, Growing Up is optional.