Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

My name is Deepa Singh and I am a Yoga teacher from Mumbai. I have been into Art of Living for the past ten years and life has been a blissful journey since. However, there is only one sad feeling that kept bothering me, which was that I have never gotten to meet my Guru face to face and talk to him. In all these years, I was only able to have eye contact with Him, as there are always so many devotee’s waiting to take his blessings. I always complained to myself, that when will I get to talk to Him properly. A part of me kept thinking, if I don’t meet Him, will He even know me? Then one day, a relative of mine had come home and he told me that he had managed to get a meeting with Gurudev. He had sent an email to Him because he needed to talk about some important personal matters, and he got an appointment to meet Guruji in the Bangalore Ashram. While I was very happy for him, this made me even sadder. Luckily for me, the very next day I got a call that Guruji is in Mumbai and that he w...

I would like to share my story with Guruji, right from the scratch. Well, the journey started in the year 2009. I got into Engineering College. I then did the Art of Living Basic course, but couldn’t continue doing Short Kriya on a regular basis. You know the engineering life. I would find it difficult to make time. But at the end, I knew I could if I really wanted to. As they say “Nothing is impossible!” Then in 2012, Guruji visited my home in Durgapur (West-Bengal). My parents are active volunteers serving AOL since years. Well, it was that day which changed my life completely. Guruji spoke with me for a while, and I showed my urge to study abroad. He just asked me one question “Kriya karte ho daily”? (Do you do your kriya daily?). Then, I replied “Haan Gurudev, kabhi kabhi” (Yes Guruji, sometimes). He saw my expression and gave me a smile and said “Har din kiya karo”(you must do it daily). He then asked me “Tumhe sach mein jaana hai USA padhne”? (Do you really want to go in the US a...

Question - Dear Gurudev, what can I do to increase my capacity to take your blessings? How can I make my cup bigger? Gurudev Sri Sri - In the Advanced Course you all have heard of the shatt sampatti (six wealths, or six-fold virtues) • Sama (calmness of mind) • Dama (self-control or restraint of the senses) • Uparati (satiety) • Titiksha (power of endurance) • Shraddha (faith), and •Samadhana (equanimity or one-pointedness of the mind) This is what you must focus on increasing more in your life. By enhancing these virtues, your capacity to receive blessings will increase. Among the four pillars of knowledge, the third one that has these six wealths, that is what we must increase. Also we must do Seva (service) and Sadhana (spiritual practices).

Question - Gurudev, it is said that, we can live our entire lives as meditation. How is this possible? How can my life become a meditation? Gurudev Sri Sri - Every moment is a new beginning. You wake up and say, 'This is a new beginning'. That is it. There is no 'How', that is how it is. Just let go.

Question - Gurudev, when love turns into bitterness, what to do? Gurudev Sri Sri - Just wait, don't react, the bitterness will turn back into love again. You often see that the people for whom vou have done so much, they turn bitter. And you expect everyone to be in an enlightened state, that is not possible in the world. Everyone is not just going to be smiling and accepting you as you are, and unconditionally being in a giving and loving space. That is not possible. You will have to face reactions, and you should face it, that is all.

Question - Gurudev, how do we get salvation in this life time, and how do we get rid of negative people that live with us? Gurudev Sri Sri - I said to leave all your problems here, but do not leave your family members who are troubling you (Laughter). Once it so happened, I said the same thing in the Ashram, 'Leave all your problems here.' One lady said, 'My mother-in-law is my biggest problem, so can I leave her here?' I said, 'Let me ask your mother-in-law, she will say the same thing about you.' See, challenges are there in life. Challenges come, people with different mindsets come, but when you expand your vision and see your life from a broader perspective, you will let go of all these small little issues that seem to be so significant to you right now. You have to broaden your vision. If you find some people are negative, keep them at a distance that is number one. The second thing is, know that they will not be like that forever. With time, they will chan...