Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Love and Lust  In love even an object gains life. Stones speak to you, trees speak to you, the sun, the moon and the whole creation becomes alive, Divine. In lust even a living being becomes a mere object. You want to use even people like objects. Here are some salient attributes of love and lust. They are so different yet so close! If you find more you may add to the list. Lust bring tension Love brings relaxation Lust focuses on the part Love focuses on the whole Lust brings violence Love brings sacrifice In lust you want to grab and possess In love you want to give and surrender Lust says all I want you to have is what I want Love says I want you to have what you want In lust there is effort Love is effortless Lust causes feverishness and frustration Love causes longing and pain Lust imprisons and destroys Love liberates and sets you free Lust demands Love commands Lust gets you mixed up and confused In love you are focused and spaced out!! Lust is only dark and mono...

Many of us do not know Sanskrit well. If you read any of the 108 or 1008 names in praise of the Divine the Lalita Sahasranama or Vishnu Sahasranama - and read the names of the Divine written there.  You will feel like closing your ears after hearing the gross descriptions of the various body parts - huge buttocks, hefty thighs, large breasts, the goddess with breasts like an elephant's head.  Why were these descriptions used? Had the rishis lost their minds that they would think like this? Were their minds so sick? These questions come up.  Only those who are daring and have clear, pure minds can say such things. You may have a Vrataratna mald. If you open it, you will see that it contains praises of each and every limb.  In any vrata, or observance, whether of Ganapati, Vara Lakshml, or Svarna Gauri, the practice is to worship every limb of that form of the Divine.  Worshipping in this way, the mind, which is attracted to a particular body part, is liberated f...

Once a A Swami went and stayed as a guest in an elderly gentleman's home in Kanpur. Since the son and his wife both worked outside the home, this elderly man did all the household chores like sweeping and looking after the children.  When the son returned home in the evening, he would scold his father, and once even slapped him in front of the Swami.  The Swami felt pity for the elderly man and asked him, “Why do you struggle so much? I feel bad for you. Come stay at my ashram where I'll look after you and you'll live comfortably”.  “At this age, after having lived 70 years, why do you stay with your son who abuses you? Why lead such a life? Please, come."  The old man, who until this point had been pouring out his sorrows, suddenly became enraged and said to the Swami, "Did you not have any other home to break apart? Why did you come only to my house?”. “Go find some other house to ruin. If I leave the house, what will happen to the children? What will happen to ...

Knowledge can be acquired through analysis and logic. This is what science is. Analysis comes from logic. Knowledge of objects can be experienced, but knowledge of the self is only possible through vitarka.  If you want knowledge of the self, then drop logic and apply yourself to vitarka, or special logic. This logic does not destroy anything.  Spiritual knowledge and vitarka find unity in everything. It sees fullness and understands things as they are. Knowledge of the self is an all encompassing vision.  It is the pinnacle of vitarka. With Vitarka we create questions that have no answer. You can ask yourself, "Who am I?" This question is very complex.  Merely asking this question will take you to such depth. Vitarka has no answer in words. You can know that a person is asleep from his snoring.  If that same person gets up and tells you, "I am asleep," it will mean that he is not asleep. Similarly, if someone asks you, "Have you seen God?" It ...

Question : Gurudev, many times, someone says something unpleasant to me, but at that time I do not know what to reply back. Later on, I keep on thinking about it again and again for a long time. I think, maybe I should have said this. ~ #Gurudev @SriSriRaviShankar Ji : That is where the knowledge helps. I know it goes on eating your head for a long time. That is when you should say, ‘Everything is nothing. All this will disappear. All these people are nothing, and they are all going to disappear one day’. See, the brain keeps giving some opinion here and there, and this tongue which has no bone goes on blabbering. What is the big thing? Those sounds which came from their mouth and reached our ears, need not rattle our mind. See it scientifically. That’s why both gyana (knowledge) and vigyana (science) are important. From both angles if you see, nothing really matters. Knowing this brings you that inner strength to move on with a smile.

Question - Gurudev, if there is one thing, we should bring with us out into the world, what should that be? (shortened)  Gurudev Sri Sri - Keep your smile in tough times, if you could keep your smile, you have won the race of life. When everything is okay, everyone can smile. When things are falling apart, if you could smile, then you have achieved something in your life. So let that be your goal. Meditate a few minutes every day and see how much peace it brings to you.

Father of Biology : Aristole Father of Modern Biology: Linnaeus Father of Antibiotics : Alexander Fleming Father of Taxonomy : Carolus Linnaeus Father of Immunology : Edward Jenner Father of Microbiology : Anton van Leenuwenhoek Father of Modern Microbiology : Louis Pasteur Father of Medical Microbiology : Robert Koch Father of Pathology : Rudolph Virchow Father of Bacteriology : Robert Koch Father of Virology : W.M.Stanley Father of Embryology : Aristotle Father of Modern Embryology : Ernst Von Baer Father of Physiology : Stephan Hales Father of Modern experimental physiology : Calude Bernard Father of Genetics : Rev. Gregor Mendel Father of Modern Genetics : Bateson Father of Human Genetics/ Biochemical genetics : Arachibald Garrod Father of Experimental Genetics : T.H. Morgan Father of Haploid Genetics / Neurospora Genetics : Dodge Father of Ecology : Theophrastus Father of Cloning : Ian Willmut Father of Plant anatomy : Grew Father of Histology (Microscopic anatomy) : Malpighi Fath...

Common Medical Abbreviations > *Rx* = Treatment > *Hx* = History > *Dx* = Diagnosis > *q* = Every > *qd* = Every day > *qod* = Every other day > *qh* = Every Hour > *S* = without > *SS* = One & half > *C* = With > *SOS* = If needed > *AC* = Before Meals > *PC* = After meals > *BID* = Twice a Day > *TID* = Thrice a Day > *QID* = Four times a day > *OD* = Once a Day > *BT* = Bed Time > *hs* = Bed Time > *BBF* = Before Breakfast > *BD* = Before Dinner > *Tw* = Twice a week > *SQ* = sub cutaneous > *IM* = Intramuscular > *ID* = Intradermal > *IV* = Intravenous > *Q4H* = (every 4 hours) > *QOD* = (every other day) > *HS* = (at bedtime) > *PRN* = (as needed) > *PO or "per os"* (by mouth) > *Mg* = (milligrams) > *Mcg/ug* = (micrograms) > *G or Gm* = (grams) > *1TSF* (Teaspoon) = 5 ml > *1 Tablespoonful* =15ml ~ *DDx* =differential Diagnosis  *Tx* =Treatment  *RTx* =Radioth...

I did the Art of Silence Course (19 to 22nd March, 2015) with the absolutely brilliant and awesome teacher Percyji. The course was simply liberating, as everyone already knows. What I am about to share here is the Nature Walk exercise. On the second day of the course, we were asked to go and enjoy the beauties of Mother Nature for an hour. Just outside the course venue (Sanyaas Ashram, Ghatkopar, Mumbai), there is a small lane where 4-Wheelers are often parked on both sides.  There must have been a 4-wheeler parked the previous day as well, because I had failed to notice the usually noticeable few potted plants bang opposite the course venue's gates, on the sidewalk. My eyes noticed these plants and the poor state they were in. It so happened that there was a construction site just behind these plants and the site spewed cement and asbestos and what not into the air and this dust had formed a thick layer on top of these plants leaves and pots. Now,cement absorbs water and the mud ...

You always see those surreal moments in the news and movies, where people survive near-death experiences.  But it doesn't cross your mind that it could happen to you one day. I went for a cooking competition in which my sister was participating.  It was held on the rooftop of a well-known mall in Nairobi. All the participants were supposed to report to the mall by a certain time.  But we left home after the reporting time, reaching the mall quite late. Before leaving home, I thought about going later with my cousin and other sister.  But then I just had a gut feeling that I should go now. We reached the mall, and I had to return a shirt that I had bought earlier.  I told my mother to come along with me, but she said that we'd go after the competition finished.  We were lucky that we didn't enter the mall, because about 10 minutes later, we heard gunshots and saw hundreds of people storming out of the mall.  It was a moment of confusion, assuming that i...

I recently conducted a follow-up session at a center in Pune. After the follow-up, I told the following story which I heard in Narad Bhakti Sutra: “Once a saint visits a city. People start talking about him and his greatness. The king of the city also hears about the saint and wants to meet him. However, the king sends his chief commander to meet the saint first. When the commander goes to the hermitage of the saint, he is received very well. The commander feels happy and informs the king that the saint is very nice. King feels that the commander is thick skinned and may not be sensitive enough to judge the saint. So, king sends his minister to meet the saint. When the minister comes to the hermitage, the saint just meets him and speaks for a few minutes. The minister feels happy and informs the king that the saint is genuine. He does not want anything for himself. He didn’t try to please me. You must go and meet him. When the king goes to the hermitage, the saint comes out of his kuti...

This is a story which rolls back to 2010, when I had just finished my 10th standard board examinations and was confused about what to study further. My mom wanted me to take up Science but I hated that subject and wanted to take up Commerce. I went to the Bangalore Ashram for my 2nd Yes! course. During lunch in the kitchen, I met an uncle who approached me and asked me what my name was and what was I doing. Surprisingly, after a long conversation, he somehow convinced me to take up science. My mom was also in the Ashram. I ran up to her to tell her my final decision. To add to my surprise, my mom’s roommate randomly told me that I should take up Ayurveda as a field after 12th. I agreed and was contended. I came back home and things started getting easier for me now because my Master chose everything for me. From my field to my college to my classes, just everything! It was like a cake walk. After completing my 12th board examinations with flying colors, I realized the difficulty of ent...

Chapter 4 - The World Of Immortality  Day 15  The sight does not reach there, nor does the speech. Mind can never touch it. We dont know and we dont know how to even know this and make someone understand it.  We don’t know it and then we dont know how to make you understand. This is the real mysticism. Here the Guru or the Rishi is saying ,"I dont know and I dont know how to tell you this".  That's it. It finishes all your expectations. Once in Sweden a journalist asked me, "Are you enlightened"? I thought if I say yes, I have to prove to this guy. Why take on the trouble? I said," No."  But he said, "No but you are not telling the truth". He was arguing." I said, " No. That finishes there, but what makes you think that I am not telling the truth?  What is that some thing in you that tells this is not true even after hearing it? Listen to that thing inside you. I am telling you now”. I just smiled and said," its finished”.  You...

Chapter 3 - Self Discovery  Day 13  There are three nadis, the sun nadi which is right, the moon nadi - left, and then the fire that is in between - sushumna nadi. When you go near an airport, then also both the nadis function, this is my observation. Because the prana doesnt know whether you are physically uplifted or mentally uplifted.  It is like a computer, somewhere there you are being uplifted and it suddenly shows both nostrils are running. So, I have noticed whenever I pass near an airport, or go to an airport.  Suddenly both nostrils are functioning as though I am going to a place of worship. This is a fact, you can check. It switches for some short time, then it changes.  Because we are living in an ocean of prana, of prana and truth. It is the Consciousness that is the prana of the prana. Even to understand Prana, it takes a whole lot of time.  72,000 nadis are functioning in our body. Nadi means chanel of this life force. They indicate to you th...