Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷               Chapter 2                Beyond death       🌻 Day 13 🌻 Question: Is communication possible with someone after their death? Sri Sri: In death, only the physical body gets separated from the subtle body and casual body. Subtle body is where all impressions are. Definitely there is communication form the other side. Communication in the sense, there is a witness from there. Like you are on the hot air balloon and you can see everything happening down. You can’t do anything about the traffic. You can see there is a traffic jam, but you are in the hot balloon and you keep moving. Question: Is there any way that we can help people in coma? Sri Sri: Coma is a state where you lose three senses, but mentally there is alertness. You still hold on to the sense of sight and sound. And you have not left the body; you stay in that state of limbo for a long ...

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷                Chapter 2          Beyond death       🌻 Day 12 🌻 यस्मिन्निदं विचिकित्सन्ति मृत्यो  यत्साम्पराये महति ब्रूहि नस्तत् । योऽयं वरो गूढमनुप्रविष्टो नान्यं तस्मान्नचिकेता वृणीते ॥ Nachiketa said, “I won’t go for anything less than this. It is a rare opportunity that I have come face to face with you. Now, please teach me.” What happens just before death – sense of touch, taste and smell, these three things go away. The mind has shrunk already. It carries along with it two senses which are still active – sound and sight. When people are in coma, they are still listening, but they can’t act. Sense of action is completely frozen. Body is frozen, but you can hear what people are saying. They want to respond, but they can’t respond. Have you had the experience when you are in deep sleep and someone is asking something or calling you, and you are saying, “Aah, ooh”...

A daily oil massage (Abhyanga) works wonders for you! It relaxes the nervous system, nourishes the skin and deep tissues – something no moisturizing lotion, however expensive, can do. Try sesame and almond oil for Vata Dosha. Coconut and olive oil for Pitta Dosha. Sunflower and Grapeseed oil for Kapha Dosha. 🌺 Sri Sri Tattva Panchakarma  Bringing balance to your life

Including daily walk in your routine will not only help burn calories, is good for your heart and lymphatic system,   you will also feel refreshed, happy and more energetic!  📞 +91 7218681000 and appointment with us to know how to plan your Dinacharya (daily routine)!  Sri Sri Tattva Panchakarma I Bringing balance to your Life

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷        Chapter 2        Beyond death        🌻 Day 11 🌻 देवैरत्रापि विचिकित्सितं पुरा  न हि सुविग्येयमणुरेष धर्मः । अन्यं वरं नचिकेतो वृणीष्व  मा मोपरोत्सीरति मा सृजैनम् ॥ Yama said, “Don’t ask me this. Please release me from this promise. This doubt has haunted so many people. They haven’t known it. Please ask for anything else. I will give you any other boon, but don’t ask me the secret of death.” There are five great secrets. The secret of death and the secret of birth are among them. The Lord of Death said, “Ask anything else. Ask for pleasure, ask for lovely women. Whatever is your desire – you want a kingdom, I will grant it to you. Leave me with this. Since I have promised, I have to fulfill my promise. But please don’t ask me the secret of death.” श्वोभावा मर्त्यस्य यदन्तकैतत्  सर्वेन्द्रियाणां जरयन्ति तेजः । अपि सर्वं जीवितमल्पमेव तवैव वाहास्तव नृत्यगीते ॥ न वित्तेन तर्...

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷        Chapter 2        Beyond death       🌻 Day 🔟 🌻 प्र ते ब्रवीमि तदु मे निबोध  स्वर्ग्यमग्निं नचिकेतः प्रजानन् । अनन्तलोकाप्तिमथो प्रतिष्ठां विद्धि त्वमेतंनिहितं गृहायाम् ॥ लोकादिमग्निं तमुवाच तस्मै  या इष्टका यावतीर्वा यथा वा । स चापि तत्प्रत्यवदद्यथोक्तं  अथास्य मृत्युः पुनरेवाह तुष्टः ॥ Nachiketa was instructed to climb the steps of heaven. What are those steps? He was taught how to bring together 720 bricks, how to organise them. This is a secret. Think, what is this 720? Nachiketa learnt all this. When the disciple learns fast, it is the pride of the teacher. The Lord of Death got very pleased, “You learnt this with such sincerity, honesty and with such sharp attention; I will give you one more gift.” He gave Nachiketa a necklace. तमब्रवीत् प्रीयमाणो महात्मा  वरं तवेहाद्य ददामि भूयः । तवैव नाम्ना भविताऽयमग्निः सृङ्कां चेमामनेकरूपां गृहाण ॥ It was a most amazing piece ...

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷        Chapter 2        Beyond death       🌻 Day 9⃣ 🌻 स्वर्गे लोके न भयं किञ्चनास्ति न तत्र त्वं न जरया बिभेति । उभे तीर्त्वाऽशनायापिपासे शोकातिगो मोदते स्वर्गलोके ॥ स त्वमग्निँ स्वर्ग्यमध्येषि मृत्यो  प्रब्रूहि त्वँ श्रद्धधानाय मह्यम् । स्वर्गलोका अमृतत्वं भजन्त  एतद् द्वितीयेन वृणे वरेण ॥ The natural desire of every life is to have comfort, to get into a place where there is no misery, no sorrow. The goal of human life is to move towards heaven. Heaven means a place where there is no death, no destruction, no old age, where there is no suffering. Where is this place? Is it somewhere up in the heaven? How to get there? What you should do to get to a state where there is only bliss? This was the second boon. The Lord of Death taught Nachiketa how to attain heaven, where there is no misery. Life is heavy when you recognize that there is misery. Whenever you recognize misery, you want to g...

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷            Chapter 2       Beyond death      🌻 Day 8 🌻 Fire is present in piece of wood. But it is not manifest. For fire to manifest, you need another piece of wood to rub against it. That is how they would make fire in the ancient days. From a long, long time, Knowledge has been flowing between the Master and the disciple. The Master is one wood, the disciple is another – one is answering and the other is questioning, and together they produce this fire – the question and answer. Their sincerity gives rise to spiritual fire, which consumes the wood, which consumes life. After having heard from his father,“I give you to death,” Nachiketa moves to the door of death without any fear. Often children don’t know any fear. They are very curious; very scientific in their approach. They are logical. At the same time their emotions are alive, they are not dry or dead. For a seeker this is essential – the mind i...

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷                Chapter 2        At the door of death        🌻 Day 7 🌻 Further in the Upanishad, what is the size of the soul, what all happens, how it moves is explained. यथा पुरस्ताद् भविता प्रतीत  औद्दालकिरारुणिर्मत्प्रसृष्टः । सुखँ रात्रीः शययिता वीतमन्युः त्वां दद्दशिवान्मृत्युमुखात् प्रमुक्तम् ॥ First boon is granted – let my father’s anger be appeased. Many times, as seekers when you meditate, you feel, “Nothing is happening to me.” Do you know why? Because some of your merits are being passed on to your forefathers. There is no escape from it. When you meditate. Or do something good, a portion of it, those good vibes are passed on automatically. It is like clearing your past debt. When you meditate, a little amount of merit goes to those who gave you this body. Somebody gave you this body and because of it, you are doing everything that you are doing. So some p...

It was the December of 2009. Having been associated with the Art of Living for just about 4 odd years, I was very keen to do an advance course in the presence of Pujya Gurudev at Rishikesh. Those associated with AOL would know how beautiful and serene the environs of Rishikesh are and what fun it is to partake in an advance course there…Guruji’s presence simply makes it the perfect setting for a spiritual sojourn! I booked myself for the last of the 4 batches for the Rishikesh course which was to happen in February 2010! With the excitement comparable to that of a child eagerly waiting to meet his mother after a long stint at boarding school, I reached Rishikesh a day prior to when the course was scheduled to start. Partly because it was quasi mandatory to register for the course a day prior and make the stay arrangements etc, but largely because I was keen and hopeful to meet Pujya Gurudev somehow and seek his blessings at least in a darshan line. (Given that there are th...

Recently, I did an AMC at the Ashram. Normally Guruji gives Darshan to all the AMC participants at the end of the course. This time was no exception either.  The Darshan went really well and I was really happy after meeting Gurudev. I met Gurudev once more that week, and I felt that all my questions were answered. It's such a state of bliss one feels on seeing Him, it's truly unexplainable.  The following week, while working with the Ashram Events & Promotions team, news came that Gurudev was going to meet people in the evening. One of my fellow Ashram sevak (volunteer) was the first one to know about it.  He was really excited to meet Gurudev, as this was his first time at the Ashram. He asked me if I could accompany him in the evening at the Darshan queue. I was in two minds.  It was only last week that I had met Gurudev, and secondly there was a lot of pending work. But still I said a 'yes' to my friend, just to keep him motivated. Very soon our da...

On 22 November, 2012, which was a very special day of my life, I entered into the magical world of the Art of Living. I did the Part1, Yes!+ and DSN courses. I heard a lot about the Advance Course, but did not get a chance to do the course because it was a full day course of four days and somehow I was not able to take leave for it.   My craving for doing the course was increasing day by day. One day, Saleel Bhaiya, who was my Part1 and DSN Teacher happened to talk to me and suggested that I go to the Ashram for an Advance course with Guruji. I liked the idea very much but my mom and dad refused to give permission to go alone so far. Later on, fortunately, they agreed to send me to Bangalore on Maha Shivaratri with my friends. I was happy in doing the course in Mumbai only, but Guruji always gives me the best, so He wanted me to do the course in the Ashram so that I could have the best experience of this course. In order to reach the Bangalore ashram, I needed to travel by bus f...

Olive tree Did you know that the Olive tree and its products are an integral part of the Mediterranen diet, which has the honour of being called an intangible cultural heritage of humanity, and it grows widely in the northern to southern Africa , Arabia, India to China? Did you know that Olive oil is still used in many religious ceremonies and symbolizes wisdom, fertility, power, and purity? The Olive tree with botanical name, Olea europaea, is an evergreen tree or shrub tracing its origin to the Mediterranean Europe. It was also integrated into the religious practices of all the "known religions" of the region with implications of peace, fertility, strength and purification. It now grows widely in the northern to southern Africa , Arabia, India to China. Hundreds of cultivars of the olive tree are known.  Historically, the olive plant was first cultivated some 7,000 years ago in Mediterranean regions. For thousand...

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷        Chapter 1        At the door of death        🌻 Day 6 🌻 तिस्रो रात्रिर्यगवात्सीर्गृहे मे ऽनश्नन् ब्रह्मन्नतिथिर्नमस्यः । नमस्तेऽस्तु ब्रह्मन् स्वस्ति मेऽस्तु तस्मात्प्रति त्रीन्वरान्वृणीष्व ॥ Yama gave three boons to the boy – “I owe you three boons because you have been so calm , so quiet , you have meditated , you have been spiritual. You have been thinking of something higher.” शांतसङ्कल्पः सुमना यथा स्याद् वीतमन्युर्गैतमो माऽभि मृत्यो । त्वत्प्रसृष्टं माऽभिवदेत्प्रतीत एतत् त्रयाणां प्रथमं वरं वृणे ॥ Nachiketa said , “O Lord of Death , as the first of these three books , grant that my father’s anger be appeased, so that when I return he may receive me with love.” Father’s anger weighed heavy on the child , Nachiketa. The first boon he asked was an immediate relief from that. A very simple mind , simple question , simple needs. The greater you are the simpler your needs and desires ar...

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷                Chapter 1        At the door of death            🌻 Day 5 🌻 Nachiketa goes to the abode of death and waits there for 3 days without food and water. There is greater , deeper knowledge here. What happens in the process of death? What happens to you when you die? First , the mind withdraws from the five senses with their impression. You stop feeling, numbness comes. Sensations in the body disappear. Then , sight gets blurred and vision goes away. Sense of touch goes away , sense of taste goes away , sight goes away and then smells and finally sound disappears. When body is dying , they keep a candle burning so that if the soul, the spirit leaves the body , it can feel the light , see the light and remind itself that it is light and move on. This ritual is there in all ancient traditions. The mind retrieves from the five senses , with the impressions of those sens...

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷        Chapter 1        At the Door of Death             🌻 Day 4 🌻   बहूनामेमि प्रथमो बहूनामेमि मध्यमः । किँ स्विध्यमस्य कर्तव्यं यन्मयाऽद्य करिष्यति ॥ Nachiketa thought , “let me be the first to do among those who are going to die. Everyone is going to die. I will go a little earlier. Like corn which ripens and falls and then , comes up again. Everything is temporary. People are dying and I will also die. It’s just that I am going a little early , I am going to go to the Lord of Death.” Nachiketa knew that his father said it in anger , but he still went to death. This is very beautiful. This Upanishad is about dialogue of this young boy and the Lord of Death. What is death? What is the ultimate secret that nobody is able to unwind? What is that? There is another story related to Nachiketa. Once , Vajashravas was praying on a river bank. He accidently left all his belongings on...

🌷 Katho Upanishad 🌷       Chapter 1       At the Door of death        🌻 Day 3 🌻 उशन् ह वै वाजश्रवसः सर्ववेदसं ददौ । तस्य ह नचिकेता नाम पुत्र आस ॥ The Vishwajit yagna was done by Vajashravas and he gave away whatever he had , in the ceremony. He had a small eight year old son. His name was Nachiketa. तँ ह कुमारँ सन्तं दक्षिणासु  नीयमानासु श्रद्धाविवेश सोऽमन्यत ॥ He saw his father giving everything away. He was running around and observing what his father was doing. He was watching everything with a lot of faith , “Oh. Father is doing all this. He is doing such a great job. He has given everything away.” He also saw his father giving away cattle which were old. He noted that his father would not get any merit out of that. Children are very smart , smarter than their parents. They are so innocent. पीतोदका जग्धतृणा दुग्धदोहा निरिन्द्रियाः । अनन्दा नाम ते लोकास्तान् स गच्छति ता ददत् ॥ Sometimes people give away things whi...