Protection

Only that which is temporary, small or perishable needs protection,
while that which is permanent, big or vast does not.
Your body needs protection, your soul does not.
Your mind needs protection, the Self does not.

Sri Sri ..

Arunachala & Machu Piccu - The connection!

Sri Bhagavan was of the view that Arunachala was the top of the spiritual axis of the earth and that there must be another mountain corresponding to Arunachala at exactly the opposite side of the globe. The other axis point is likely to be Machu Piccu in Peru where the Inca civilisation flourished. This site is quite amazing as the structure closely resembles the Sri Chakra.


It is believed that individuals with psychic abilities have re-affirmed that the feminine or the Shakti power is immense in this mountain.

Courtesy: http://shravanam.blogspot.com

‘People who meditate have double responsibility’

Bangalore ashram, March 27 (Friday), 8:15 pm: “Everyone wants to be happy in life, but usually are unhappy,” said Sri Sri to a 5,000–strong crowd at the satsang this evening. Held in celebration of the New Year observed today in many parts of India, the satsang took place in the ashram’s amphitheatre.

“There are three aspects which bring unhappiness:

1. Disturbance
2. Fear
3. Poverty

How can we remove these aspects?

An unselfish feeling removes any disturbance.

Detachment erases fear.

Removal of greed alleviates poverty.

The greater the feeling, the faster we can tackle these challenges.

Today, the New Year begins, Every year is given a name. This year’s name is Virodhi – year of conflict.

Sadhaks and seekers have to calm this conflicting force. A bad person is one who will increase conflicts. A good person will reduce it. This year will test your character.

We need to use skill to remove this feeling of opposition. In some cases, we can use proper understanding, compassion or knowledge.

Virudh is necessary in life. Virudh was started so that we stand up against injustice. Conflicts have a place in life. There are disease-fighting bacteria in our bodies – that’s how we stay healthy. One should not quell opposition to injustice. If we want to stand up against any malaise, this year is the best time to do so.

Elections are coming up in India. Oppose corruption. We should stand against every instance of injustice. Don’t think, “The fire is in someone else’s house - that’s why I won’t act.” It won’t take long for the fire to spread to your house.

There are 10 types of conflicts that can arise this year. The first one is doubt. Doubt could be self-doubt, amongst people, nations and religions. When you are aware of a doubt unfolding, then you know that it will pass. It is only a matter of time.

This year, people who meditate have a dual responsibility. Not only do we have to maintain our steadfastness but also help others who are in trouble. This is the right time to get into knowledge, service and devotion. The first thought in our minds should be: ‘I want to gain self-realisation.’

God is all-permeating. It is truth, beauty, consciousness. When God is inside you and in everyone, why can’t the individual experience it? There are 5 reasons:

1. Ignorance
2. Ego
3. Craving
4. Aversion
5. Fear

When these five aspects disappear, then you are moving towards divinity.

In this New Year, observe yourself: Has your ignorance reduced? Recollect the time when you did your first part one programme and advanced progamme:

Has ignorance reduced?

Have you become more natural?

Are you able to take insults?

Are you able to smile when others are frowning at you?

Has your fear reduced?

If not, meditate more. You will find that these aspects will reduce. Meditation, pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, padmasadhana and seva will reduce these five aspects and bring you closer to knowledge.

The difference between God and an ordinary life is that these five aspects are absent in God. In an intelligent person, these aspects are present in small proportion. A foolish man has them dominant in his character.

Gauge each year by observing how much these five aspects have reduced. You will find that there has been definite progress.

Courtesy: Wisdom from Sri Sri

New Year message from Sri Sri on Ugadi

‘This year keep your spiritual goal’
Sri Sri’s message on the festival of Ugadi (New Year), celebrated in different parts of India:

Bangalore ashram, March 27 (Friday), 12:00 pm: Happy Ugadi! Happy New Year! We are entering the 5,110th year… it has been 19 billion 729 million 49,100 years since the beginning of the planet earth.
A cycle (of time) comprises 60 years. Every year has a name. This year is called Virodhi (which literally means to oppose). There are more chances of people fighting in this time.
Antarmukhi, sadasukhi: When one is centered, then there is happiness always.
This New Year will be good. It will always be good, always evolutionary for the devotee – whatever the time and the prediction. It is time to move to a higher dimension.
Whatever happens, happens for the good. Chant Om Namah Shivay.
Meditation is important. Even if one percent of you all meditate, it helps the remaining 99 percent of the population. This year everyone has to meditate and do satsang. The rest of the population will thrive on your spirituality. This year keep your spiritual goal. The material goals can be kept aside.
Meditate, do satsang, read knowledge sheets. By doing that, you are helping others who have a hard time.
People eat neem leaves and sweets on Ugadi to remind themselves that life is a mixture of both – the bitter and the sweet.

Courtesy: Wisdom from Sri Sri

Message from Sri Sri for the New Millennium

The Sun rises and Celebrates
The Sky embraces and Celebrates

Winds blow and Celebrate
Rivers flow and Celebrate

Birds sing and Celebrate
Peacocks dance and Celebrate

Trees flower and Celebrate
Buds bloom and Celebrate


We Smile and Serve
Meditate and Celebrate

KNOWLEDGE AS A BURDEN

Knowledge is a burden if it robs you of innocence.
Knowledge is a burden if it is not integrated into life.
Knowledge is a burden if it doesn't bring joy.
Knowledge is a burden if it gives you an idea that you are wise.
Knowledge is a burden if it doesn't set you free.
Knowledge is a burden if it makes you feel you are special.

Chaitra Navratri

Chaitra Navratri/Vasanth Navaratri/Raam Navaratri
Chaitra Navratri, as the name indicates is observed during the Chaitra month (March – April) in a traditional Hindu calendar followed in North India. The festival is dedicated to Goddess Shakti and three of her most popular forms– Goddess Durga, Lakshmi and Saraswati – are worshipped during the period. It begins on the first day of the Chaitra month and ends with Ram Navami. In 2009, Chaitra Navaratri begins on March 27 and ends on April 3.

Chaitra Navratri is known by different names like Ram Navaratri, Vasant Navratri, Basant Navrathri and some people also refer it as Spring Navaratras.

Chaitra Navratri is observed when Mother Nature undergoes an important climate change. It also marks the beginning of the summer season. There is a popular belief that the fasting during Chaitra Navrati is to prepare the body for the ensuing summer season.

Chaitra Navratri is more famous in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and in other parts of North India. Some of the most important temple fairs in the Shakti Temples in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand take place during this period.

Happy Ugadi, Gudi Padwa n Chaitra Navaratri

Ugadi
The word Ugadi derives from the word Yugadi. 'Yuga' is the word for 'era', and 'aadi' stands for 'the beginning'. Yugadi specifically refers to the start of the age we are living in now, Kali Yuga.

It is believed that the creator of the Hindu pantheon Lord Brahma started creation on this day - Chaitra suddha padhyami or the Ugadi day. Also the great Indian Mathematician Bhaskaracharya's calculations proclaimed the Ugadi day from the sunrise on as the beginning of the new year, new month and new day. The onset of spring also marks a beginning of new life with plants (barren until now) acquiring new life, shoots and leaves. Spring is considered the first season of the year hence also heralding a new year and a new beginning. The vibrancy of life and verdent fields, meadows full of colorful blossoms signifies growth, prosperity and well-being.

The festival marks the new year day for people between Vindhyas and Kaveri river who follow the southern Indian lunar calendar, pervasively adhered to in the states of Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

Predictions of the Year :
Ugadi marks the beginning of a new Hindu lunar calendar with a change in the moon's orbit. It is a day when mantras are chanted and predictions made for the new year. Traditionally, the panchanga sravanam or listening to the yearly calendar was done at the temples or at the Town square but with the onset of modern technology, one can get to hear the priest-scholar on television sets right in one's living room.

It is a season for raw mangoes spreading its aroma in the air and the fully blossomed neem tree that makes the air healthy. Also, jaggery made with fresh crop of sugarcane adds a renewed flavor to the typical dishes associated with Ugadi. "Ugadi pachchadi" is one such dish that has become synonymous with Ugadi. It is made of new jaggery, raw mango pieces and neem flowers and new tanarind which truly reflect life - a combination of sweet, sour and bitter tastes!


Gudhi Padwa in Maharashtra!
In Maharashtra, the new year is celebrated as Gudhi Padwa - a festival that heralds the advent of spring (March-April). Early on the morning of the first day of the Chaitra month, people finish their ablutions, wear new clothes and decorate their houses with colorful "rangoli" patterns. A silk banner is raised and worshipped, and greetings and sweets are exchanged. People hang "gudhis" on their windows on this day to celebrate Mother Nature's bounty. A "gudi" is a decorated pole with a brass or a silver vessel placed on it.


Cheti Chand - the Sindhi Thanksgiving Day!
The Sindhis celebrate Cheti Chand on their New Year day which coincides with Gudhi Padwa in Maharashtra and Ugadi in Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh. Cheti Chand falls on on the first day of the month of Chaitra, also called ‘Cheti’ in Sindhi. This day is observed as the birthday of Jhulelal, the patron saint of the Sindhis. On this day, Sindhis worship Varuna, the water god and observe a number of rituals followed by feasts and devotional music, such as bhajans and aartis.

A Talk by Rishi Vidhyadhar ji

We base our happiness on factors which are outside our control. Life is ever changing and full of opposites. Basing our state of mind on such factors outside our control leads to depression, frustration and unhappiness. For e.g.; if we are happy because of good health then we are sure to lose our happiness as and when our health deteriorates. If we feel secure because we have money then its opposite is also not far away. If we are in high spirits being in love then whenever we are alone again due to death or separation from partner and without any assurance that the partner will ever come back, we are bound to be depressed. If we are contented because of our progeny, then losing our progeny to death or separation due to some other cause will lead to utter discontentment. If we are happy due to fame and power then their lack will also cause total unhappiness.All these factors are outside our control and hence basing our mental state on any one of these is dangerous and is bound to end in unhappiness. The only happiness which is stable and free from external influences is the one which is what we feel when we do sudarshan kriya, which is without any reason.The happiness based on the 9 factors- pleasures based on 5 senses, fame, love, progeny and money is short lived and leads to pain whenever one of these factors is missing from our lives.On 26th June, 2000, Gujarat lost 120,000 people due to earthquakes but was back on track in an year’s time. In 2005, in Tsunami, a lady in Nagapattinam lost both her sons and when she met Gurudev sometime after she was all smiles. In contrast, USA is still reeling under the effects of 9/11 even after 5 years. This is the power of spirituality which allows us to come back from setbacks and be happy
Imagine being in an environment which is stinking with smell of dead bodies some of whom are your relatives and loved ones, very very unpleasant to the eyes, a depressing scene. This is what Krishna stood amidst and was smiling still. This is the power of spirituality. When you can smile through all these situations in life- losing a loved one to separation or death, losing fame and status, losing money and there is no hope for any redemption, then that state is of a liberated person. This is enlightenment and this is the Art of Living.

Mind and Understanding

There are three kinds of understanding- intellectual
understanding, experienced understanding and
existential realisation. .

Intellectual understanding says `yes'-
it agrees.Experienced understanding feels-
it is obvious.Existential realisation is irrefutable-
it becomes your very nature.

If you have only an intellectual understanding, you
will think you know everything. Most theologians are
in this category. You can understanding intellectually
that you are hollow and empty but sitting and feeling
you are hollow and empty is totally different.All that
you hear will just remain a jumble of words if there
is no experienced understanding, which is more on the
feeling level.When you have an experience, you want to
understand more about it and so you become a seeker.

Existential realisation comprises of experienced as
well as intellectual understanding. Yes it is beyond
both of these.How do you acheive existential
realisation? ..There is no way to acheive it….when
the fruit becomes ripe….it falls….

When Intelligence and innocence go together.......

When Intelligence and innocence go together, a profound beauty dawns.....

The Mind can know only fact.Beauty is nothing but exaggeration.There is no fact in beauty.If you try to analyse beauty with your mind,you are gone.The beauty is also gone.
Beauty is the language of heart.It decorates, it elaborates, it exaggerates.Even if you see one good quality in somebody, catch hold of it,exaggerate it.you will see your word, your thought, and your intentions have powers.That person will become that way.
You create your people.You create your world.You may say this is exaggeration, but i tell you this is true.Life is very short.Time is running out.In this short persiod of time why be bothered by others or bother others ourselvs? look at your life now through a broader wide angle lens.then you will see that life rise in waves of beauty.
At diferent stages, different things appear to be beautiful, but beauty is not that object or that thing.It s a sensation. a wave that comes in you taht is your true nature.Whatever beauty you see, see here and there is only a projection of your Being.Whenever you have felt a sense of great beauty that is when u have reached ur home. that is when u have been in touch wid yourslef, because u r so , so beautiful.Thats why something else in the world also looks beautiful to you.
You get Glimpse of Self; a lill shower from this glimpse comes to u.When waves of beauty come to you unceasingly, that is called Enlightenment.
You have this depth;its not that u dont.Take off all the silt and u wil c that you r so deep , you are so beautiful.
Nothing much to be done.That is the power of this Knowledge...Sri Sri RAviShankar.

GURUJI'S MESSAGE

Like fish in water, you are in air;
Thoughts are in the mind;
Mind is in the Big Mind;
The Big Mind in me is love;
Emotions are ripples in love;
Love is all knowledge.

Every atom of the Big Mind is crammed with knowledge-
Knowing this, you stop seeking.
You seek until you come to the Master.
You walk until you come to the swimming pool but you do not walk or run
in the pool you swim or float.

Once you come to the Master, seeking stops and
blossoming begins.
You are knowledge.
Every atom in you is shimmering with knowledge.

This word 'go' in sanskrit has four meanings:
knowledge, movement, achievement, and freedom or liberation.

"pal" means friend or protector ” one who takes care.

Be a 'gopal'; Be a friend in knowledge.
Often you become friends by gossiping about negative things,
complaining together, having similar cravings or aversions, sharing
common enemies or common problems, or sharing common goals or common
addictions.

Coming together in knowledge is rare.

You become friends because you have something in
common.
Be a friend in knowledge.
Uplift each other in knowledge.
Those who attend satsang are gopals reminding each other, coming
together in and for knowledge.
Be a gopal, a protector of this knowledge.

... Sri Sri

I GOT MY ROAD MAP :) did u????

Que :You have said that everyone must find their own way. So is having a guru essential? What is the role of a guru?
Answer: A guru is like a road map. You can travel by yourself if you want. Vasco da Gama and Columbus sailed by themselves. Of course, Columbus landed in the wrong place and that’s where you are!
When you are traveling uncharted terrain, it is good to have a road map. It is also possible to go without one but to find something that is right next to you, you may go around the world and come back. But if you go with somebody who has already traveled the path it is much easier. If you want a wild and adventurous time, you can go by yourself. We don’t know how long it will take.

10 ways to raise your consciousness

1.Forgive yourself and others:
Life is too short to hold on to regrets, grudges, miscommunications, or disappointments. Free yourself by forgiving and letting go of any negative energy you’re holding on to about yourself or others. The process of forgiving yourself and others will result in your feeling light and free; it will raise your vibration.


2. Practice gratitude and appreciation:
Whatever you focus on grows. So, when you focus on every thing in your life you feel grateful for all and the wonderful people you appreciate, the universe hands you more to feel grateful about.

3. Live each day as though it were your last:
Then you will be living in a state of light, love and unconditional contribution. What would you say to the people you care about?

4.Meditate or pray:
You open up a direct link between yourself and the spiritual realm when you meditate or pray. You will come closer to your creator energy, raise your vibration experience, peace, clarity, joy and connection, as well as a perfectly balanced state between your mental, physical, emotional and spiritual realms.


5.Suspend judgment:
One judges another to feel less guilty about one’s own misgivings. Judgment energy is dense, dark and heavy. On the other hand, unconditional acceptance is light, free and accepting. Let go of judging and criticising yourself and others. Everyone is on a different path and some appear to be farther ahead on their path than others. Neither path is better nor worse than another. Raise your consciousness to one of acceptance.

6. View every experience as a gift:
If you look back at occurrences in your life, you can easily see how even the worst situations you experienced in your life ended up teaching you invaluable lessons and therefore resulted in putting you in perfect place for your continuing development. When you view every experience — the good, the bad, and the ugly — as a gift, life flows more like a gentle, inspiring breeze.

7. Stay consciously aware of all your thoughts...
Stay consciously aware of all your thoughts and feelings:
It is easy to fall into negative patterns of complaining and feeling like a victim of society and your life. When you catch yourself in the negative zone, don’t feel badly about it and beat yourself up. Simply choose to switch your consciousness to one of gratitude and positive thinking.


8. Treat your physical body as your temple :
Your body is the only vehicle you’ve been given for this ride called life. The better you care for your body by eating a healthy, balanced diet, and by implementing a regular exercise routine, and by giving your body the rest it requires, the more you will experience increased energy, vitality, joy and freedom.

9. View the world through the eyes of a child:
Children are enthralled by the process of observing and experiencing the wonder and beauty in every single thing. They can’t get enough. Look at every tree, sunset, cloud and human being as a child would and you'll be in a constant state of wonder, joy, surprise, acceptance and enlightenment.

10.Give love, love, love from your heart:
It’s all about love. Love is the highest vibration. Allow yourself to receive love unconditionally from others. Give love from your heart unconditionally to yourself and others and you will experience the highest state of consciousness possible.

His Promise

If I had to promise you something, what would it be ?

I can’t promise that you’d always be comfortable……
Because comfort brings boredom & discomfort.
I can’t promise that all your desires will be fulfilled…
Because desires whether fulfilled or unfulfilled bring frustration.
I can’t promise that there will always be good times…
Because it is the tough times that make us appreciate joy.
I can’t promise that you will be rich or famous or powerful…..
Because they can all be a pathway to misery.
I can’t promise that we will always be together…
Because it is separation that makes togetherness so wonderful.

Yet, if you are willing to walk with me,
If you are willing to value love over everything else
I promise that this will be the richest & most fulfilling life possible.
I promise your life will be an eternal celebration,
I promise I will cherish you more than a king cherishes his crown.
And I shall love you more than a mother loves her newborn.
If you are willing to walk into my arms,
If you are willing to live in my heart,
You will find the one you have waited for, forever…
You will meet yourself in my arms….
I promise….

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Smile Please by Rishi Vidhyadhar

We base our happiness on factors which are outside our control. Life is ever changing and full of opposites. Basing our state of mind on such factors outside our control leads to depression, frustration and unhappiness. For e.g.; If we are happy because of good health then we are sure to lose our happiness.As and when our health deteriorates,We would be unhappy.If we feel secure because we have money then its opposite is also not far away. If we are in high spirits being in love then whenever we are alone again due to death or separation from partner and without any assurance that the partner will ever come back, we are bound to be depressed. If we are contented because of our progeny, then losing our progeny to death or separation due to some other cause will lead to utter discontentment. If we are happy due to fame and power then their lack will also cause total unhappiness.

All these factors are outside our control and hence basing our mental state on any one of these is dangerous and is bound to end in unhappiness. The only happiness which is stable and free from external influences is the one which is what we feel when we do sudarshan kriya, which is without any reason.The happiness based on the 9 factors- pleasures based on 5 senses, fame, love, progeny and money is short lived and leads to pain whenever one of these factors is missing from our lives.

On 26th June, 2000, Gujarat lost 120,000 people due to earthquake but was back on track in an year's time. In 2005, in Tsunami, a lady in Nagapattinam lost both her sons and when she met Gurudev sometime after,she was smiling.This is the power of spirituality which allows us to come back from setbacks and be happy.

Imagine being in an environment which is stinking with smell of dead bodies some of whom are your relatives and loved ones, very very unpleasant to the eyes, a depressing scene. This is what Krishna stood amidst and was still smiling. This is the power of spirituality. When you can smile through all these situations in life - losing a loved one to separation or death, losing fame and status, losing money and there is no hope for any redemption, then that state is of a liberated person. This is enlightenment and this is the Art of Living".


I remember couple of instances related to this talk.Here you go.....

1.An experience sharing :-

Once Guruji was giving darshan in Bangalore Ashram, he saw a friend of mine being silent(worring about something),

Looking at him Guruji asked him "What is the sign of AOl Person ?"

Friend replied "SMILE"

Then Guruji said "I donot see that on your face...... !!!!!!!!"


2. An AOL Teacher once said "Guruji says "BE HAPPY ",you know It can be taken as an Order as well as a Blessing".

Courtesy -

http://keku13.blogspot.com/search/label/Swami%27s%20n%20Rishi%27s%20from%20AOL

The Six Mistakes……….see what Pitaji says…

The Roman philospher and statesman Cicero said this some 2000 years ago
and it is still true:

Mistake One: The delusion that personal gain is made by crusing others.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

Mistake Two: The tendency to worry about things that cannot be changed
or corrected

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

Mistake Three: Insisting that a thing is impossible because you cannot
accomplish it.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

Mistake Four: Refusing to set aside trivial preferences.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- ---------

Mistake Five: Neglecting development and refinement of the mind

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -

Mistake Six: Attempting to compel others to believe and live as we do.

------------ --------- --------- --------- --------- --------- -
Courtesy:Vasudhaiv Kutumbakam (yahoo group)

Jai Gurudev

Home Page

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click on the link below to access respective websites


AOL FOUNDATION
The Art of Living is a multi-faceted, not-for-profit educational and humanitarian NGO with a presence in over 140 countries.
We are engaged in diverse initiatives aimed at uplifting humanity by bringing peace at the level of the individual, society, nation and the world as a whole.

Biography
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a humanitarian, proponent of the values of non-violence and peace as well as a spiritual leader. He is committed to bringing a positive transformation in the world.

COURSES OFFERED
The Art of Living Foundation is dedicated to inspiring, uplifting and empowering individuals to live life to its fullest potential. It has customized programs for various sections of society with a common emphasis on nurturing human values common to all cultures, religions and traditions..

Programs for Every Age

Art Excel (All Round Training In Excellence) ages 8yrs-13yrs
Presented in a practical and fun framework that appeals to youth of all ethnic, racial and religious backgrounds, ART Excel offers an enlightening approach that awakens youth to their deepest potential and life's higher values.

YES! for Teens (Youth Empowerment Seminar) ages 14yrs-18yrs
Both fun and challenging, this 18 hour seminar provides teens with a comprehensive toolbox to both manage their own emotions and stress, as well as dynamically navigate through adolescence.

YES!+ for College Students (Youth Empowerment Seminar Plus) ages 18yrs+
YES!+ is an innovative and dynamic educational and life skills program that provides young students and professionals the tools to achieve their ideal life with ease, creativity, energy, and without inhibitions.

The APEX Course: Programs for Corporations
The APEX Course is a practical training program that has been shown not only to reduce workplace stress and burnout but to increase mental clarity, creativity, awareness, and overall happiness.

The PRISON-SMART program: Programs for the Criminal Justice System
The Prison-SMART Program serves the entire criminal justice community: incarcerated adults, juveniles and their families; ex-offenders; victims of violence and crime; correctional officers and law enforcement administrators.

HIV program: Special Health Programs
Yoga of the Breath for People Living with HIV is designed to quiet the mind, eliminate stress, improve vitality and expand awareness.



SERVICE PROJECTS

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Teaching of Meera

Meera bai once visited Shri Virndavan that time a great saint named Shri Jeev Goswami resides there. He was a brahmchari and never used to meet any women. Meera bai wanted to have darshan of that Big saint. When she visited his kutiya she was stopped by one of his disciple. He asked Meera Bai to go away because Jeev never meet any women. Meera bai replyed in a meditative way –‘ I heard that in Virndavan only Krsna is a Purush n all his devotees r Gopis. When Jeev Goswami's discple told this to his master Goswamiji was stunned and came out of his kutiya to see Meera Bai.

So this is how a great Brahmancari devotee learnd real meaning from Krsna Bhakti from a real Gopi 'Meera'.

10 RULES FOR A HAPPY DAY

1. TODAY I WILL NOT STRIKE BACK:
If someone is rude, if someone is impatient, if someone is unkind... I will not respond in a like manner.

2. TODAY I WILL ASK GOD TO BLESS MY "ENEMY":
If I come across someone who treats me harshly or unfairly, I will quietly ask GOD to bless that individual. I understand the "enemy" could be a family member, neighbor, co-worker or stranger.

3. TODAY I WILL BE CAREFUL ABOUT WHAT I SAY:
I will carefully choose and guard my words being certain that I do not spread gossip.

4. TODAY I WILL GO THE EXTRA MILE:
I will find ways to help share the burden of another person.

5. TODAY I WILL FORGIVE:
I will forgive any hurts or injuries that come my way.

6. TODAY I WILL DO SOMETHING NICE FOR SOMEONE, BUT I WILL NOT DO IT SECRETLY:
I will reach out anonymously and bless the life of another.

7. TODAY I WILL TREAT OTHERS THE WAY I WISH TO BE TREATED:
I will practice the golden rule - "Do unto others as I would have them do unto me" - with everyone I encounter.

8. TODAY I WILL RAISE THE SPIRITS OF SOMEONE WHO IS DISCOURAGED:
My smile, my words, my expression of support, can make the difference to someone who is wrestling with life.

9. TODAY I WILL NURTURE MY BODY:
I will eat less; I will eat only healthy foods. I will thank God for my body.

10. TODAY I WILL GROW SPIRITUALLY:
I will spend a little more time in prayer today: I will begin reading something spiritual or inspirational today; I will find a quiet place (at some point during this day) and listen to Guruji's talks!!!

SUCCESS

What is success? Whom do you call a successful person? What are the signs of
success? Ulcers? Blood Pressure? Fear? Ego? Anxiety? Problems? Are these the
signs of success? Then what are the signs? Power?

Look at all the people who are in power, there is such a struggle and they
are not happy. Then when they have power, there is so much fear that they
may lose it! To maintain it, again there is struggle and when they have lost
it the memory of that power makes them miserable...

A Smile that comes from the depth of an innocent heart, the freedom which
you are able to feel in life.. these are the signs of success.

Are you free? Then you are successful!

Are you in the present moment? Then you are successful!

Are you useful to the people around you? Then your life is a success!

Do you feel love for all humanity?

Then that is a sign of success in Life!

- SRI SRI

TIPS FOR HAPPINESS

Some tips to be happy

1)change the way you look at things

2)Think of solutions, not problems.

3) Listen to relaxing, uplifting music.

4) Watch funny comedies that make you laugh.

5) read inspiring book or article.

6) think of pleasant things.

7) look at what you have done and not at what you haven't.

8)do something good for yourself. It can be something small, such eating ur fav food, watching fav program on TV

9) Each day do at least one act to make others happy. This can be a kind word, helping your colleagues, stopping your car at the crossroad to let people cross, giving your seat in a bus to someone else, or giving a small present to someone you. When you make someone happy, you become happy, and then people try to make you happy.

10) Always expect happiness.

11) Do not envy people who are happy.be happy for their happiness.

12) Associate with happy people, and try to learn from them to be happy.

13) Do your best to stay detached, when things do not proceed as intended and desired. Detachment will help you stay calm and control your moods and reactions. It is the acceptance of the good and the bad and staying balanced. Detachment has much to do with inner peace, and inner peace is conductive to happiness.

14) Smile more often.

LOVE IS NOT AN EMOTION; IT IS YOUR VERY EXISTANCE.

You are Love.The raw material making you is LOVE. Love is not the feeling, a mood or a habbit,that you have to move or cultivate over time. Love is your very true nature. Feelings come and go.We can be in love and can feel good or bad.When we forget our center we start attaching ourselfs to feelings. We are not the feeling itself; we are like the one who experiences different type of feelings.When deep stresses and strains are removed, we began to understand our true nature.The heart opens.The we realise what we truely are: LOVE.
The glimpse of devine love brings escatsy.Love comes to be experienced in much broader and deeper context.Judgements and expectations of ourselves and others fall off.Life takes on a new flavour of joy and happiness. One becomes free on dependancy on other persons, place or things for personal fulfillment.We soon discover that this Devine love is the very source the very core of all other types of love.Every cell of oour being reverberates with the essence of LOVE. Once you are tasted it, you know this love in side you can never die. It may appear to have gone,but it cannot. It only gets covered. There is not a single person on this planet whose heart is empty.Every heart at its depth is full with LOVE.

SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR.

Three point program By Rishiji

Rishiji's knowledge
It was my greatest pleasure yesterday to attend a satsang and a knowledge session with Rishi Nityapragyaji. I was completely bowled over with the knowledge he imparted. So practical yet so profound. I could not resist the temptation of sharing it. Following is a summary of what he said.

Whatever thing you give importance to in your life is the cause of happiness or misery. For e.g. you give importance to respect in your life. You entire life will be centered around it. You will do those actions by which you will get respect. You will be unhappy when you do not get the respect.

So if you feel you are giving too much importance to something just use the three point program to get over it.

The three point program is
 Take a deep breath in
 Remember your connection with Guruji
 Take a deep breath out and let go of what is troubling you

Use the three point program to get rid of the thoughts and emotions that are troubling you. The three point program is useful in bringing you from a negative state of mind to a neutral state of mind. But to go from the neutral state of mind to a positive state of mind you need something else. This something else is enthusiasm, responsibility and love. Whatever thing you do with enthusiasm, the quality of whatever action you are doing becomes more profound, more intense.

The highest form of seva is to bring someone on the path of knowledge.

After that he took a wonderful meditation about implementing the three point programs. He told us that we should practice the three point program for 5-7 minutes thrice daily (before having your meals).

as shared by a devotee ..

In search of bliss by Sri Sri

The Divine has given you all the small pleasures in the world, but has kept the bliss to Himself. To get the highest bliss you have to go to Him and Him alone. Don’t be too smart with the Divine and try to fool Him. Most of your prayers and rituals are just attempts to trick the Divine. You try to give the least and get the maximum out of the Divine and He knows. He’s an astute businessman; He will trick you even more. If you go underneath the carpet, He will go underneath the floor.

Be sincere in your attempts. Do not try to outsmart the Divine. Once you get the bliss, then everything else is joyful. Without the bliss, joy in anything in the world will not stay. What type of time do you give the Divine? Usually you give the time that is leftover, when you have nothing else to do, when no guests are coming, there are no parties to go to, no nice movies to watch, no weddings to attend.

This is not quality time. Give quality time to the Divine. It will be rewarded. If your prayers are not answered it is because you have never given quality time. Give Satsang and meditation your highest priority. Give prime time to the Divine. You definitely will be rewarded.

Suppose you go to God, get a boon, and walk away. When your intention is to get a boon, then you are in a hurry. Another person who knows he owns God is not in a hurry for anything. Infinite patience comes up in him. When you know you own God, you are not in a hurry to get something out of God. Your hurry to get something throws you off balance and makes you small.
Have ‘eternal wait’, infinite patience. Then you will realise God belongs to you. Either through awareness or through practice you reach the same spot. The Divinity belongs to you. It’s not like shopping at the supermarket in a hurry and rushing back home. When you see the whole store is at home, you are not in a hurry to shop. You are at ease. To develop patience just observe the thoughts and feelings and don’t regret it.

When you know you are part of the divine plan, you stop demanding. Then you know
everything is being done for you. You are taken care of. Usually we do it the other way: we hurry the mind and are slow in our action. Impatience means hurrying the mind; lethargy means slowness in action. Patience in the mind and dynamism in action is the right formula.

The Divine does not test you. Testing is part of ignorance. Who will test? One who does not know will test, isn’t it? God knows your capacity, so why does he have to test you? Then, why the misery? It is to bring out thithiksha, or forbearance, in you. And forbearance could be increased by prayerful surrender or vigorous challenge for patience!

Strange are the ways of karma. The more you understand it, the more amazed you become. It brings people together and separates them. It causes some to be weak and some to be strong. It makes some rich and some poor. The entire struggle in the world, whatever it may be, is the bondage of karma. It cuts across all logic and reasoning. This understanding will lift you from getting stuck to the events or personalities and help you in your journey to the Self.

You may think that a thief can say it is my karma to steal? Then the police have the karma to catch him too! Only human life has the ability to be free from karma. And only a few thousands aim to be free from it. Only through Grace can the bondage of karma be burnt. Performing actions cannot eliminate karma.

Some karma can be changed and some cannot. When you prepare halwa, if the sugar or the ghee used is less than required, or if the water is more or less than is needed, it can all be adjusted, repaired. But once soji is cooked, it cannot be reversed. If the buttermilk is sour, milk can be added, salt can be added to make it drinkable. But it can never be reversed back to milk.

Prarabdha karma cannot be changed. Sanchitha karma can be changed by spiritual
practices. Satsang burns the seed of all negative karma. When you praise someone, you take on his or her good karma. When you blame someone you take on his or her bad karma. Know this and surrender both good and bad karma to the Divine and be free.

Attachments cause feverish breath and feverish breath takes away peace of mind. Then you are in pieces and fall prey to misery. Before you get scattered too much, gather yourself and rid your breath of the feverishness through surrender and sadhana. Unfortunately, most people do not notice this until it is too late.

When someone is drowning in the ocean of attachments, surrender is the life jacket they can put on and wait for the rescue team. Without fighting the attachments, observe the feverish breath and go to the cool place of silence within. Your first step in this direction is directing your attachment to the Knowledge, to the Divine. Your non-attachment to the mundane is your charm. Your attachment to the Divine is your beauty.

There are three things: the Self, the senses, and the object, or the world. And there are three words: sukha, pleasure; dukha, sorrow; and sakha, companion. These have one thing in common: kha, which means ‘senses’. The Self through the senses experiences the world. When the senses are with the Self, that is pleasure (sukha), because the Self is the source of all joy or pleasure. When the senses are away from the Self (dukha) in the mud, lost in the object that is misery.

Self is the nature of joy. In any pleasant experience, you close your eyes; you smell a nice flower, or you taste or touch something. So sukha is that which takes you to the Self. Dukha is that which takes you away from the Self. Sorrow simply means that you are caught up in the object, which goes on changing, instead of focussing on the Self.

All the sense objects are just a diving board to take you back to the Self. Sa-kha, companion, means: ‘‘He is the senses’’. Sakha is one who has become your senses, who is your senses. If you are my senses, it means I get knowledge through you; you are my sixth sense. As I trust my mind, so I trust you. A friend could be just an object of the senses, but a sakha has become the very senses. The sakha is the companion who is there in both the experiences of the dukha and of sukha. It means one who leads you back to the Self. If you are stuck in an object, that wisdom which pulls you back to the Self is sakha.

Knowledge is your companion and your companion is Knowledge. And the Master is nothing but the embodiment of Knowledge. So sakha means, ‘‘He is my senses, I see the world through that wisdom, through Him.’’

Knowledge has an end. Knowledge completes. So also does discipleship. For the disciple is aimed at acquiring Knowledge. Once you cross the water, however nice the boat is, you get off the boat. After twelve years, the disciple completes his studies. The master does a ceremony called Samavartha, where he tells the disciple that he is ending the discipleship and asking him to behave at par with him, and let the Brahman dynamically manifest.

Your head will be in the mud in a few years; Don’t put mud in your head while you are still alive. If you follow fun, misery follows you; If you follow knowledge, fun follows you!

Q. : What is meditation?

.
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Q. : What is meditation?

Sri Sri : It’s very simple. When the mind becomes free from agitation, becomes calm and serene and is at peace, meditation happens. By doing meditation, you can turn your body into a power-house by generating an inner source of energy.


Q. : What are the benefits of meditation?

Sri Sri : You don’t get blood pressure and health problems. The mind becomes clear, intuition develops, obstacles and negative influences due to the planets will be removed and problems become smaller before coming to you. Mental peace, happiness and plenty of other benefits are there.


Q. : Why is meditation so boring?

Sri Sri : In the beginning it may be boring, but that will change. Stay on. Go step by step. Meditation is resting in yourself, becoming the seer from being the seen.



Q. : What is the distinction between sleep and meditation?

Sri Sri : One is vertical another is horizontal. For now, just think that much. But tomorrow when you sit for meditation don’t think about it. You’ll neither be able to meditate nor be able to sleep. Now is the time.


Q. :I always go to the sleep while meditating. Does it happen with everybody? What experience do they have? How to solve this?

Sri Sri :Don’t worry about the experiences of others. Be with your own experience and the experience varies from time to time. So don’t worry.


Q. : Is there any maximum limit as to how much we can meditate?

Sri Sri : Do only as much as necessary. There is no need to do too much. Meditation is like taking a bath. To wash the mind, you need meditation and once the mind is clean.


Q. : Why do I lose my concentration when I meditate?

Sri Sri : Concentration is not meditation. Meditation is de-concentration, letting go. Meditation calms the mind. It feels good.

Q. : What is equanimity? What is the significance of silence?

Sri Sri : Brain has two sides. The left side is logic and the right side is music. Both are needed to make one whole. If only music is there the brain won’t function properly. If there is only mathematical and logical mind, there will be no feelings and we will be deprived of the finer aspects of life. So, both are needed. When you are endowed with both then it becomes a satsang. Good song is a satsang. Don’t think about what there is in singing, or whom to sing about or why? Just sing, open your mouth and sing along or sing from the heart.

We observe silence only during mourning. But here it’s different. It is not like the silence of mourning. In mourning, we can’t stand silence for more than two minutes. Here it’s inner silence, a joyful silence. Before you go into silence, don’t keep any troubles in the mind, put it in the basket. We are here to calm the mind and when mind is silenced you experience true peace.


Q. : But in our daily lives, we also have to handle paying bills, parking vehicles and other mundane things. How can we do this with the same calm mind without getting irritated or perturbed?

Sri Sri : You take a shower in the morning to clean your body. After that you do all the daily activities. You don’t have to keep on taking a shower throughout the day. It is like that. You meditate and calm your mind, then go on with other activities. It is not easy to keep yourself undisturbed but will happen as you keep doing the practices regularly. Then it will become easy

Value of Sadhna (Rishi Nityapragya)

What does Sadhana - Sudarshan kriya, Hollow & Empty or Padmasadhana do to each and every layer?

Body level - It makes you strong, physically fit, builds inner strength, resistance to illness, and also imbibes ability to be still, introduces discipline.

*Breath* - It becomes steady. Stability is the word. More regular is the Sadhana, less is the quiver in your breath. Any emotion may come and go, wash you, splash you but your breath remains calmer, deeper, happier. Breathe happy and you are happy.

*Mind *- It allows your mind to slow down its pendulum motion between past and the future and be more routed in the present moment. Again and again you need to practice this as a discipline and mind will be trained in that.Indisciplined mind can be shaken to the root when any turmoil any storm comes in way. Ability to disconnect from the past or the future also makes you rid of all the negative emotions that could arise from dwelling in the past or the future - anger, regret for the past and worry, anxiety, fear for the future.

*Intellect* - Now, mind, intellect, memory and ego - they form your inner environment. Chidakash. What happens to the intellect? It becomes more intelligent! If you feel good in a certain place and not so good in another place, intellect is capable now to discriminate and realise oh, I like this place. More and more rooted you are in sadhana, your intellect can tell you what is good and what is not good for you - your body, mind.. all aspects. It will also guide you in your relationships.

You are required to be different with different people. Your ability to recognise who needs what flavor of you, will impart you a great skill. For some you need to be just loving, affectionate. For some you need to surrender, let go, bow down. Some can give you more respect the taller you stand in your person. For some you need to be strict to awaken their self esteem.
If someone comes to you seeking a crying shoulder and asking for sympathy, you need to be intelligent enough to realise that you need to be straight and strict.

If you also give in, he/she is going to remain and grow more weak. It is said that stand up against injustice in the world. But if we look at it in a bigger perspective - from a 100ft height may be, we can see things in different light altogether. What is so called injustice perhaps could be result of your being in 'poor me' attitude, victim consciousness. Just step out of that victim consciousness and see.

*Someone asked - how to deal with people who feel jealous towards you and it disturbs working together?*

*Answer* - They could be genuinely jealous, however you also see if you are into habit of blowing your own trumpet all the time. In case of jealousy, you make them your own. You cannot feel jealous for your own people. Give in, let them feel they are bigger than you. Praise them in front of others whom you both know. Even if anyone comes to you with complaints about someone else, you first praise the person being complained. Many a times, the complaint dissolves or reduces in intensity. Sadhana gives us this fine ability to see what is required in which situation - Viveka - importance of intelligent mind is unparalleled. But in the realm of devotion and a devotee, we have not really looked into it deeper. Next step to better intelligence is better intuition - ability to see what is coming in future and base your actions. Decisions in the now accordingly.

---- Courtesy
http://keku13.blogspot.com/search/label/Swami%27s%20n%20Rishi%27s%20from%20AOL

Deeper Insights about yourself - Rishi Nityapragya

Four types of people come on the path of gyan or even bhakti (knowledge or devotion).

1) First are the Aart (suffering from pain or misery) and they come on the path to get rid of the misery

2) Second are Artharthi (who desire something from this world) come to the path to obtain that.

3) Third are Jigyasu, those who want to know something more about life, they are curious, enquiring kind.

4) Finally Gyani, those who have already learnt or known about the meaning or the lack of it (of life).They come on the path to progress.

The fourth type are the ones who are steadfast on the path, but the other types remain on the path till their needs get satisfied. This does not mean they are bad. One can start from anywhere and with effort the status can also change quickly from one to the next category.To make you more free, refined and skillful to tread this path and to lift the level of consciousness (chetna), whatever ingredients are required will be available automatically, so should not worry at all.Similarly for Seva, satsang or Sadhana- one can start anywhere but a balance is what is needed. Seva alone can get you tired quickly. The energy levels lifted in Sadhana will not be useful unless utilised in Seva. Similarly Satsang is required to have the celebration (utsav). Balance!

In Seva, it is good to provide food, clothing, waterto the hungry, naked or thirsty, for sometime the need is quenched but only for sometime. After sometime their need arises again. However if you are able to get the same person on the path, you are opening a door to infinity. This will influence his or her life till infinity, in this life and beyond.Samarpan is not contrary to using intellect, this is a wrong notion. Many say that 'do not use your mind just surrender'. Actually only those who have intellect can surrender. Surrender of an Agyani (deluded or person not in knowledge) will be temporary.
They would often complain, 'despite so much prayer I have not got the result that I wanted' as against the firm conviction that 'He is always with me, nothing can shake me'. Once in Rishikesh I shared my thought with Gurudev that we have lot of celebration (utsav/masti) in Art of living but less seva or knowledge. And you see, in recent times you would be amazed at the amount of seva projects and knowledge sharing that is happening. The depth of the questions during satsangs indicate this. How about some questions now.

Q: Out of the 7 levels of existence which one goes with you?
(for those who have forgotten, the 7 levels of existence are the Body (Sharir), Mind ( Man),Intellect (Buddhi), Breath ( Saans), Memory ( Chitta),Ego (Ahankar) and Self ( Atma)

Nitin bhaiya: Body is connected with the other 5 equipment though breath. When you die only the body is left behind as the breath stops. Remaining 5 continue to exist. Right at this moment there are so many people ( jiva) who are living without a body.

Q: When the body expires where is it that the memory or the experiences of the past kept, is it in the brain?

N: Is it the brain or the mind, which remembers, is the ears that hear or the mind that hears. Have you noticed that? Did you notice that the even the newborn have a nature (swabhav). Some kid keeps on crying without any apparent reason, others keep smiling. This is no coincidence. Effects of memory of past life iscarried on in the child's behavior who has no experience in this life. Scientists are also beginning to accept this.

Q:Will we be born as human beings in the next life?

N: Most of the human beings will be born as human beings unless ofcourse some very grave misdeed has got performed in this life.The jivas who have understood to experience in this life only through senses, in the next life also aspire to donn another body. They crave for a body the moment the body is no more.
For a meditative jiva the interest in the world reduces gradually and involuntarily. Mind matures and even the place where to look for joy changes. He no more looks in the object of senses for joy. Such a jiva has experienced in this life the Joy as if not in the body, while in meditation.A secret. When you leave the body, it is a freeing experience. No visa or passports here. But this exhilaration is only for those who are not connected to the body.

There is no desire to come back to a body. I will however came back if Guruji asks me to come! Sure! Another secret, When a body is being born, many jivas try to occupy the body. I do not know the criteria yet. They look for a environment of their liking. It is therefore customary to ensure that the expectant mothers are kept in happy and comfortable state so that the environment of the to be born is peaceful and the jivas who try to occupy such body are also noble ones.

There are five occasions when a soul enters a body.
1) At the time of conception, when the union of sperms and eggs happen
2) 3 months after conception
3) 5 months after conception
4) 7 months after conception
5) at the time of birth
So it is advised to have a peaceful ( sattvic) environment while the mother is expecting.

7 easy to follow mantras to a prosperous life for 2009 by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

7 easy to follow mantras to a prosperous life for 2009 by His
Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

1 Time and again, reflect on your life in relation to the cosmos. It
is not even a drop in the ocean. This awareness will simply drop all
the smallness in you and you

will be able to live every moment of your life.

2 Remind yourself of the highest goal in your life. You are not here
to grumble ot to complain. You are here for something much bigger.

3 Serve! Engage yourself in community service to whatever extent you
can.

4 Have faith that the Divine loves you dearly and is taking care of
you. Have the trust and faith that you will get whatever is needed in
life.

5 As we flip the calendar, we need to keep flipping our mind as well.
Often, our diaries are full with memories. See that you don't fill
your future dates with past

events. Learn and unlearn from the past, and move on.

6 Smile more! True sign of prosperity is an unconditional smile on
your face.

7 Take some time to walk by yourself. Nurture yourself with music,
prayer and silence. Do a few minutes of meditation, pranayam and
yoga. This heals and rejuvenates

you, giving you depth and stability.

Friends Isn't that so cool.This article was published in The Times Of
India ,New Delhi edition dated 2jan 09.

Bawa on Suicide

I get questions about people feeling suicidal because of the problems and challenges that life has thrown at them that they feel they cannot handle… In a recent Utsav course i asked how many people had contemplated suicide at some time or other in their lives, and an alarming 60-75% raised their hands. Even i had thought about suicide at some points in my life before Art of Living… I wanted to write this little post as a warning to everyone who have ever thought about this drastic step… Please read.

Suicide is ALWAYS completely out of the question. Suicide is a spiritual crime and perhaps the absolutely worst thing that you can do to yourself.

When you have a body and you are stressed and angry, or sad and frustrated or feeling depressed, you have a way of expressing it. You can shout, scream, hit, cry whatever and vent out those negative feelings…

When you die, the physical body drops off, but you take your mind, memory and intellect with you. Just imagine how it would be, if your mind has all that turmoil but you don’t have a body to express it! You can’t cry, you can’t shout or scream… Your worst nightmare is nothing compared to what you would undergo if you committed suicide. It is said that suicides come back with deformed bodies when they are reborn… That they are condemned to live through circumstances far worse than they were in when they took their own lives. Suicide is a karmical catastrophe.

Feeling suicidal just indicates lack of energy, low prana, and no wisdom. Doing very regular Sadhana, lots of Yoga, attending Satsang will quickly snap you out of it. A few advance courses will see to it that tons of energy is pumped back into your system, and soon you will not even recognize the “other” person who was feeling suicidal.
Suicide is the extreme form of depression which comes because you keep asking What about me? With Knowledge, Meditation and Seva you can move through it and start living and enjoying life once again…

Here is another brilliant article about suicide by ashwani and the comment that he wrote for this post is so good, i felt it needs to be included right here:

Few months back I had this strong feeling (to commit suicide) again…What helped me out this time was 3 things:

1) The scenes from Munnanbhai M.B.B.S and Lage Raho Munnabhai :)…

In first Munna shouts at a young guy in the Hospital who attempted suicide 3rd time over failed love, that ” For a girl you met 90 days back, you are going to kill yourself…Can’t you live for your Mother who has loved you for 19 years?” (Sounds better in hindi :))…

And in Lage Raho Sanjay Dutt says this to another young man who has lost 7 lakhs of his father’s life savings in shares and is conteplating suicide - “DON’T TALK NONSESNE! Your father will be very happy when he hears and sees your lifeless body?…Same shoulders on which he carried you when you were a child, how will he feel carrying your dead body on the same shouldres now? Proud? Arrey, for months he won’t even believe that you have died…He would dial your phone no. again and again just hoping to hear your voice once”…

2) I used to think that I am a very weak person coz I am thinking of Suicide and that made me feel even worse…and then I read a part of ‘Autobiography of a Yogi’, even Swami Paramhamsa thought of ‘hurling his body in front of a speeding train”….If he can have such feelings then me having the same feelings is not totally wrong…

3) One of my Yes!+ friend Pradeep died in a bike accident just before Navratri 2 years back…I’ll never forget how uncosolable and shattered his parents were when they saw his stitched up body…I will never knowingly do that to my parents and people who actually care about me…I am not THAT selfish!
I have one question though Bau - I wonder sometimes that people who completely believe in Guruji why do they meet with such terrible consequences. E.g. my friend Pradeep believed in Guruji a lot, his parents are AOL teachers in Gulf and one of other Basic course teacher I know, died of cancer and she was just in her early 30’s! I cannot understand this…

We all die, whether it is through some disease or an accident, young or old, death is certain… Life is fragile and this is all the more reason not to postpone the important things in life… saying i love you, and thanks, doing as many advance courses as you can, spending more time with the people you love…

Guruji is not here to save you from death… He is here to help you cope with life, and He is here for your ultimate enlightenment… As far as He is concerned, death is simply a longer sleep than usual… A cousin of mine was lost at sea, missing presumed dead. When my mother asked Guruji about him, Guruji became thoughtful and then gently said, he died, but he is already back!

Guruji is here to see to it that if and when you come back, you have a say in it… When you are enlightened, you don’t have to come back… you CHOOSE to come back and play with life… Guruji takes you beyond Karma…

Death is the ultimate adventure… but like all good things, you HAVE to wait for it to happen, otherwise it becomes a tragedy and a calamity… Meditate, Breathe, do Seva and quieten your mind… This will make you happy, peaceful and satisfied in the Here and the Hereafter!

Jai Gurudeva!

love

bawa

Courtesy:http://bawandinesh.name/suicide/

The Five Secrets of Creation By Sri Sri...

This is a spiritual discourse from Great Spiritual Master Sri Sri Ravi Shankar.



Deepening the mystery of creation is science. Deepening the mystery of self is spirituality.

The purpose of the technology is to comfort human beings. When spiritual values—human values are ignored and neglected, technology brings fear and destruction instead of comfort.

Technology without human values would see nature as a dead object. Science gives insight into the life of nature, and spirituality makes nature come alive. For example, in the eyes of the children, there is nothing dead in the world, animals, trees, the sun the moon all are alive, and have emotions and feelings. But in the eyes of the stressed and ignorant person, even human beings are like robots or objects!

Technology without spirituality is destructive. Spirituality is the technology of consciousness, and the whole world is the play and display of consciousness.

One whose eyes are not opened is not amazed by the magnificence of the creation. Tell me, what in the creation is not mystery? Birth is a mystery, Death is a mystery and life itself is certainly a greater mystery.

Samadhi is being completely immersed in the mystery of life and in this creation. Your knowing or believing in really does not matter.
This creation is an unfathomable secret! A wise person makes no effort to conceal a secret. But does he make an effort to reveal a secret either? For example, you do not talk about menstruation or death to a five-year-old. But as children grow older, these things are not hidden from them. These become known as a matter of course.

There are five secrets that are sacred and guarded by subtle beings and angels in this creation.

Janama Rahasya or secret of birth : Birth is a secret. How a soul takes a body, and the criteria for selecting the place and time of birth, type of body, and parents are all a secret.

Marana Rahasya or secret of death : Death is a highly guarded secret. Death remains a mystery. The process of separation of spirit from matter and its journey from then is a secret.

Raja Rahasya or the secret of governance : The principles of governing and the principles of maintaining orderliness in creation are secret.

Prakriti Rahasya or the secret of the nature : Nature is a mystery. The more you know about nature, more the mystery deepens. The more a scientist knows, more he realizes there is to know. Science, though appearing to resolve the mystery in creation, has deepened it. Knowledge of particles, wave functions, black holes and the vacuum state have only deepened the mystery.

Mantra Rahasya or the secret of Mantras : Mantras are impulses or rhythms of consciousness. The mantras and their effect, influence, method and mode of working are all a mystery.
In the West, a secret is usually shameful and dishonest. However, in the East, a secret is honored and considered sacred. Mysteries of creation only deepen. Getting steeped in the mystery is devotion.

Deepening the mystery of creation is science. Deepening the mystery of self is spirituality. They are two sides of the same coin. If neither science nor spirituality can create wonder and devotion in you, then you are in deep slumber.

Whenever you consider a symbol, place, time, person or act as sacred, your attention is undivided and whole. When the things are the same, you tend to slip into unawareness and inertia. Why does an act that is performed repeatedly lose its sacredness? This happened when your memory overpowers your consciousness and you loose your sensitivity. For example, people living in Varanasi (Benaras), a holy city in India, do not feel that it is a sacred place. Through living in a present moment and through Sadhana, spiritual practices, we can preserve that feeling of sacredness in our acts.

There is a pleasure in rest and there is pleasure in activity. The pleasure in activity is momentary and causes fatigue. The pleasure in rest is magnanimous and energizing. To one who has tasted pleasure in rest (Samadhi), the pleasure in activity is insignificant. But in order to have deep rest, one must be active. The proper balance of both is essential.


The Mind :

Let us examine the five factors that influence the mind. : space, time, food, past impressions, associations and actions.

Space : The place you are in. Every place you are in has a different impact on the mind. Even in your house, you can see that you feel different in different rooms. A place where there has been singing, chanting and meditation has different influence on mind. Suppose you like a particular place, you may find a little later it will not be the same.

Time : Time is also a factor. Different times of the day and year have different influences on the mind.

Food : Different types of food that you eat influence you for a few days.

Past impressions or Karmas have a different impact on the mind. Awareness, alertness, knowledge and meditation all help erase past impressions.

Associations and actions : The people and events you are associated with influence your mind. With certain people your mind behaves one way and with others a different way.

Although these five factors influence your life and your mind, know that Self is more powerful. As you grow in knowledge, you influence them all.

Restlessness:

Now let us examine the types of restlessness and its remedies. There are five types of restlessness :

The first is due to place you are in. When you move away from certain places, streets or houses, you immediately feel better. Chanting, singing, or the innocence of children playing and laughing can change this atmospheric restlessness. If you chant and sing, the vibration in the place changes.

The second type of restlessness is in the body. Eating the wrong food, Vata or aggravating food, eating at odd times, not exercising, and overworking can all cause physical restlessness. The remedy for this is exercise, moderation in the work habits and a one to two day vegetable or juice diet.

The third type of restlessness is mental restlessness. It is caused by ambition, strong thoughts, likes or dislikes. Knowledge alone can cure this restlessness; this includes seeing life from a broader perspective, knowing about the Self and realizing the impermanence of everything. If you achieve everything, so what? After your achievement you will die. Knowledge of your death or life, confidence in the Self and in the divine can all calm down mental restlessness.

There is also emotional restlessness. Any amount of knowledge does not help here. Sudarshan Kriya helps! All that emotional restlessness vanishes. Also the presence of the Guru, a wise person, or a saint will help calm emotional restlessness.

The fifth type of restlessness is rare. It is the restlessness of the Soul. When everything feels empty and meaningless, know you are very fortunate. Do not try to get rid of it.
Embrace it! This restlessness of the Soul can bring authentic prayer in you. It brings perfection, Siddhis and miracles in life. It is so precious to get that longing for the Divine.
Satsang and presence of enlightened once, soothe the restlessness of the Soul. Do not look for the Divine somewhere else in the sky. See God in every pair of eyes, in the mountains, water, trees and animals. How? Only when you see God in yourself. Only Gods can worship Gods.

Heightened awareness brings you close to the reality. And for this you have to increase your Prana. This can be done through 1. fasting and eating fresh food 2. Pranayams, Sudarshan Kriya, and meditation 3. Silence 4. Cold water baths 5. The right amount of sleep 6. Emotional contentment 7. Presence of the Master 8. Singing and chanting 9. Giving without Givership and service without Doership.

All these together are called as Yagya. When you have reverence for the whole universe, you are in harmony with the whole universe. Then, you do not need to reject or renounce anything. When you have reverence in all your relationships, your own consciousness expands; Even small things appear to be significant and big. Every little creature appears dignified. It is the reverence in every relationship that saves the relationship. Cultivate the skill of having reverence for every moment of your life.

There is also emotional restlessness. Any amount of knowledge does not help here. Sudarshan Kriya helps! All that emotional restlessness vanishes. Also the presence of the Guru, a wise person, or a saint will help calm emotional restlessness.

The fifth type of restlessness is rare. It is the restlessness of the Soul. When everything feels empty and meaningless, know you are very fortunate. Do not try to get rid of it.
Embrace it! This restlessness of the Soul can bring authentic prayer in you. It brings perfection, Siddhis and miracles in life. It is so precious to get that longing for the Divine.
Satsang and presence of enlightened once, soothe the restlessness of the Soul. Do not look for the Divine somewhere else in the sky. See God in every pair of eyes, in the mountains, water, trees and animals. How? Only when you see God in yourself. Only Gods can worship Gods.

Heightened awareness brings you close to the reality. And for this you have to increase your Prana. This can be done through 1. fasting and eating fresh food 2. Pranayams, Sudarshan Kriya, and meditation 3. Silence 4. Cold water baths 5. The right amount of sleep 6. Emotional contentment 7. Presence of the Master 8. Singing and chanting 9. Giving without Givership and service without Doership.

All these together are called as Yagya. When you have reverence for the whole universe, you are in harmony with the whole universe. Then, you do not need to reject or renounce anything. When you have reverence in all your relationships, your own consciousness expands; Even small things appear to be significant and big. Every little creature appears dignified. It is the reverence in every relationship that saves the relationship. Cultivate the skill of having reverence for every moment of your life.

100 WAYS TO BE HAPPY

1. Never put yourself last.

2. When you extend a helping hand to one person, be careful not to kick someone else in the teeth.

3. Always own a pair of old, faded jeans.

4. Count your blessings every day.

5. Acknowledge your successes along with your downfalls.

6. Burn the candle that has been in storage for the last two years.

7. Strive for progress, not perfection.

8. Remember, the voice telling you that you cannot do something is always lying.

9. At least once a day sit and do nothing.

10. Don't close your heart so tightly against life's pain that you shut out life's blessings.

11. Celebrate all your birthdays no matter how old you get.

12. Examine your life for limitations and ask yourself why you put them there.

13. Plant a tree, pull weeds, or get your hands dirty.

14. Diminish your wants instead of increasing your needs.

15. Cry when you feel like it.

16. Rejoice in other people's triumphs.

17. Don't wait for someone else to laugh or express joy.

18. Forgive yourself for any mistake you make, no matter how big or small.

19. Keep good company.

20. Never take a pill for a pain you need to feel.

21. Use your enthusiasm to put yourself in forward gear and give yourself a spark to move ahead.

22. Look in the eyes of the ones you love when you are talking to them.

23. Remember that one is a whole number.

24. Walk in a summer rain shower without an umbrella.

25. Do a kind deed for someone else.

26. Keep your eyes and ears open to get the messages you need from people and events in your daily life.

27. Be patient.

28. Eat something green.

29. Change what you can and leave the rest alone.

30. Walk hand and hand with truth.

31. Make laughter an d joy a greater part of your life than anger and grief.

32. Embrace solitude instead of running from it.

33. Be zealous, not jealous.

34. Forgive anyone you've been holding a grudge against.



35. Slow down and enjoy the present.

36. Walk in others' shoes before judging them.

37. Send yourself a kind message.

38. Remind yourself that the company you keep is a reflection of what you think of yourself.

39. Go on a picnic.

40. Accept your fears, no matter how crazy they seem.

41. Don't let other people's opinions shape who you are.

42. Say a prayer.

43. Never attribute your accomplishments to luck or chance.

44. Know when to say no.

45. Look at the positive side of negative situation.

46. Remember that you are a spiritual being in a physical body.

47. Avoid seeking out other people for constant approval, because it make th em the master and you the slave.

48. Go fly a kite.

49. Avoid fads and bandwagons.

50. Accept the things you cannot change.

51. Look inside instead of outside yourself for answers to life's problems.

52. Remember that all feelings are okay.

53. Shield yourself from bad influences.

54. Stand up for what you believe in.

55. Respect the wishes of others when they say no.

56. Seize every moment and live it fully.

57. Give away or sell anything you haven't used in the past five years.

58. Never downgrade yourself.

59. Take responsibility for what you think, feel, and do.

60. Pamper yourself.

61. Never say or do anything abusive to a child.

62. Let yourself be God powered instead of flying solo.

63. Volunteer to help someone in need.

64. Refrain from overindulging in food, drink, and work

65. Finish unfi nished business.

66. Be spontaneous.

67. Find a constructive outlet for your anger.

68. Think about abundance instead of lack, because whatever you think about expands.

69. Think of yourself as a survivor, not a victim.

70. Cuddle an animal.

71. Be open to life.

72. See success as something you already have, not something you must attain.

73. Experience the splendor and awe of a sunset.


74. When you score a base hit, don't wish it was a home run.

75. Learn to be in the present moment.

76. Instead of believing in miracles, depend on them.

77. Take a child to the circus.

78. Change your attitude and your whole life will change.

79. Never turn your power over to another person.

80. When your heart is at odds with your head, follow your heart.

81. Always remember that the past is gone forever and the future never comes.

82. Live your life according to what is right for you.

83. Acknowledge your imperfections.

84. Plant a tree and watch it grow.

85. See "friend" instead of "enemy" on the face of strangers.

86. Watch an army of ants build their houses and cities and carry food ten times their weight.

87. Believe in something bigger than yourself.

88. Let the playful child within you come out.

89. Make haste slowly.

90. Work through your problems step by step and one day at a time.

91. Accept compliments from others so you can see the truth about yourself.

92. Sit on the lawn without worrying about grass stains.

93. Don't condemn yourself for your imperfections.

94. Do humility check periodically by loving the truth about you

95. Tell someone you appreciate them.

96. Never live your life according to what is right for someone else.

97. Talk less and listen more.

98. Admit your wrongdoing and forgive yourself for it.

99. Thrive on inner peace instead of on crises.

100. Affirm all the good things about yourself.

Unknown author

The Secret Message

100 Quotes from "The Secret"

A Secret Scrolls message from Rhonda Byrne Creator of The Secret

There is one power within you that is stronger than any other power. This power is the Supreme Power! When you use this power it will dissolve all chaos, it will wipe out all negativity, and it will cut through every single situation, unfailingly. Any situation of negativity in your life is simply the absence of this one almighty power. You can rely on it to obliterate every negative thing, because nothing can stand up against it. You can use it on yourself or anyone else, and the more you use it, the more powerful it becomes. You have an unlimited source of this power, which is the most magnetic substance in the entire Universe...

This Supreme Power within you is Love. Send it outwards, send it inwards, and then stand back and watch what happens to your life...



1. We all work with one infinite power.

2. The Secret is the Law of Attraction (LOA).

3. Whatever is going on in your mind is what you are attracting.

4. We are like magnets - like attract like. You become AND attract what you think.

5. Every thought has a frequency. Thoughts send out a magnetic energy.

6. People think about what they don't want and attract more of the same.

7. Thought = Creation. If these thoughts are attached to powerful emotions (good or bad) that speeds the creation.

8. You attract your dominant thoughts.

9. Those who speak most of illness have illness; those who speak most of prosperity have it.

10. It's not "wishful" thinking.

11. You can't have a universe without the mind entering into it.

12. Choose your thoughts carefully... You are a masterpiece of your life.

13. It's OK that thoughts don't manifest into reality immediately (if we saw a picture of an elephant and it instantly appeared, that would be too soon).

14. EVERYTHING in your life you have attracted... Accept that fact... It’s true.

15. Your thoughts cause your feelings.

16. We don't need to complicate all the "reasons" behind our emotions. It's much simpler than that. Two categories... good feelings, bad feelings.

17. Thoughts that bring about good feelings mean you are on the right track. Thoughts that bring about bad feelings means you are not on the right track.

18. Whatever it is you are feeling is a perfect reflection of what is in the process of becoming.

19. You get exactly what you are FEELING.

20. Happy feelings will attract more happy circumstances.

21. You can begin feeling whatever you want (even if it's not there)... the universe will correspond to the nature of your song.

22. What you focus on with your thought and feeling is what you attract into your experience.

23. What you think and what you feel and what actually manifests is ALWAYS a match - no exception.

24. Shift your awareness.

25. You create your own universe as you go along" Winston Churchill.

26. It's important to feel good ( ( ( (((good))) ) ) ).

27. You can change your emotion immediately... by thinking of something joyful, or singing a song, or remembering a happy experience.

28. When you get the hang of this, before you know it you will KNOW you are the creator.

29. Life can and should be phenomenal... and it will be when you consciously apply the Law of Attraction.

30. Universe will re-arrange itself accordingly.

31. Start by using this sentence for all of your wants: "I'm so happy and grateful now that.... ".

32. You don't need to know HOW the universe is going to rearrange itself.

33. LOA is simply figuring out for you what will generate the positive feelings of having it NOW.

34. You might get an inspired thought or idea to help you move towards what you want faster.

35. The universe likes SPEED. Don't delay, don't second-guess, don't doubt.

36. When the opportunity or impulse is there... ACT.

37. You will attract everything you require - money, people, connections... PAY ATTENTION to what's being set in front of you.

38. You can start with nothing... and out of nothing or no way - a WAY will be provided.

39. HOW LONG??? No rules on time... the more aligned you are with positive feelings the quicker things happen.

40. Size is nothing to the universe (unlimited abundance if that's what you wish). We make the rules on size and time.

41. No rules according to the universe... you provide the feelings of having it now and the universe will respond.

42. Most people offer the majority of their thought in response to what they are observing (bills in the mail, being late, having bad luck...etc.)

43. You have to find a different approach to what is through a different vantage point.

44. "All that “we are” is a result of what we have thought" – Buddha.

45. What can you do right now to turn your life around?? Gratitude.

46. Gratitude will bring more into our lives immediately.

47. What we think about and THANK about is what we bring about.

48. What are the things you are grateful for?? Feel the gratitude… focus on what you have right now that you are grateful for.

49. Play the picture in your mind - focus on the end result.

50. VISUALIZE!!! Rehearse your future.

51. VISUALIZE!!! See it, feel it! This is where action begins.

52. Feel the joy... feel the happiness.

53. An affirmative thought is 100 times more powerful than a negative one.

54. "What this power is, I cannot say. All I know is that it exists." Alexander Graham Bell.

55. Our job is not to worry about the "How". The "How" will show up out of the commitment and belief in the "what".

56. The Hows are the domain of the universe. It always knows the quickest, fastest, most harmonious way between you and your dream.

57. If you turn it over to the universe, you will be surprised and dazzled by what is delivered... this is where magic and miracles happen.

58. Turn it over to the universe daily... but it should never be a chore.

59. Feel exhilarated by the whole process... high, happy, in tune.

60. The only difference between people who are really living this way is they have habituated ways of being.

61. They remember to do it all the time.

62. Create a Vision Board... pictures of what you want to attract... every day look at it and get into the feeling state of already having acquired these wants.

63. "Imagination is everything. It is the preview of life's coming attractions." Albert Einstein.

64. Decide what you want... believe you can have it, believe you deserve it, believe it's possible for you.

65. Close your eyes and visualize having what you already want - and the feeling of having it already.

66. Focus on being grateful for what you have already... Enjoy it!! Then release into the universe. The universe will manifest it.


67. "Whatever the mind of man can conceive, it can achieve" W. Clement Stone.

68. Set a goal so big that if you achieved it, it would blow your mind.

69. When you have an inspired thought, you must trust it and act on it.

70. How can you become more prosperous?? INTEND IT!!

71. 'Checks are coming in the mail regularly'... or change your bank statement to whatever balance you want in there... and get behind the feeling of having it.

72. Life is meant to be abundant in ALL areas...

73. Go for the sense of inner joy and peace then all outside things appear.

74. We are the creators of our universe.

75. Relationships: Treat yourself the way you want to be treated by others... love yourself and you will be loved.

76. Healthy respect for yourself.

77. For those you work with or interact with regularly... get a notebook and write down positive aspects of each of those people.

78. Write down the things you like most about them (don't expect change from them). Law of attraction will not put you in the same space together if you frequencies don't match.

79. When you realize your potential to feel good, you will ask no one to be different in order for you to feel good.

80. You will free yourself from the cumbersome impossibilities of needing to control the world, your friends, your mate, and your children.

81. You are the only one that creates your reality.

82. No one else can think or feel for you... its YOU .. ONLY YOU.

83. Health: thank the universe for your own healing. Laugh, stress free happiness will keep you healthy.

84. Immune system will heal itself.

85. Parts of our bodies are replaced every day, every week etc... Within a few years we have a brand new body.

86. See yourself living in a new body. Hopeful = recovery. Happy = happier biochemistry. Stress degrades the body.

87. Remove stress from the body and the body regenerates itself. You can heal yourself.

88. Learn to become still... and take your attention away from what you don't want, and place your attention on what you wish to experience.

89. When the voice and vision on the inside become more profound and clear than the opinions on the outside, then you have mastered your life.

90. You are not here to try to get the world to be just as you want it. You are here to create the world around you that you choose.

91. And allow the world as others choose to see it, exist as well.

92. People think that if everyone knows the power of the LOA there won't be enough to go around .. This is a lie that's been ingrained in us and makes so many greedy.

93. The truth is there is more than enough love, creative ideas, power, joy, happiness to go around.

94. All of this abundance begins to shine through a mind that is aware of its own infinite nature. There's enough for everyone. See it. Believe it. It will show up for you.

95. So let the variety of your reality thrill you as you choose all the things you want... get behind the good feelings of all your wants.

96. Write your script. When you see things you don't want, don't think about them, write about them, talk about them, push against them, or join groups that focus on the don't wants... remove your attention from don't wants... and place them on do wants.

97. We are mass energy. Everything is energy. EVERYTHING.

98. Don't define yourself by your body... it's the infinite being that's connected to everything in the universe.

99. One energy field. Our bodies have distracted us from our energy. We are the infinite field of unfolding possibilities. The creative force.

100. Are your thoughts worthy of you? If not - NOW is the time to change them. You can begin right were you are right now. Nothing matters but this moment and what you are focusing your attention on.

10 Beautiful Messages

1. QUIT WORRYING:

Life has dealt you a blow and all you do is sit and worry.

Have you forgotten that I am here to take all your burdens and carry them for you? Or do you just enjoy fretting over every little thing that comes your way?

************

2. PUT IT ON THE LIST:

Something needs done or taken care of. Put it on the list. No, not YOUR list. Put it on MY to-do-list. Let ME be the one to take care of the problem. I can't help you until you turn it over to Me.

And although My to-do-list is long, I am after all... God. I can take care of anything you put into My hands. In fact, if the truth were ever really known, I take care of a lot of things for you that you never even realize.

************

3. TRUST ME:

Once you've given your burdens to Me, quit trying to take them back.

Trust in Me. Have the faith that I will take care of all your needs, your problems and your trials. Problems with the kids? Put them on My list. Problem with finances? Put it on My list. Problems with your emotional roller coaster? For My sake, put it on My list.

I want to help you. All you have to do is ask.

************

4. LEAVE IT ALONE:

Don't wake up one morning and say, "Well, I'm feeling much stronger now, I think I can handle it from here." Why do you think you are feeling stronger now? It's simple. You gave Me your burdens and I'm taking care of them.

I also renew your strength and cover you in my peace. Don't you know that if I give you these problems back, you will be right back where you started? Leave them with Me and forget about them. Just let Me do my job.

************

5. TALK TO ME:

I want you to forget a lot of things. Forget what was making you crazy.

Forget the worry and the fretting because you know I'm in control. But there's one thing I pray you never forget. Please, don't forget to talk to Me - OFTEN! I love YOU! I want to hear your voice. I want you to include Me in on the things going on in your life.

6. HAVE FAITH:

I see a lot of things from up here that you can't see from where you are.

Have faith in Me that I know what I'm doing. Trust Me; you wouldn't want the view from My eyes. I will continue to care for you, watch over you, and meet your needs. You only have to trust Me.

Although I have a much bigger task than you, it seems as if you have so much trouble just doing your simple part. How hard can trust be?

************

7. SHARE:

You were taught to share when you were only two years old. When did you forget? That rule still applies. Share with those who are less fortunate than you. Share your joy with those who need encouragement.

Share your laughter with those who haven't heard any in such a long time. Share your tears with those who have forgotten how to cry. Share your faith with those who have none.

************

8. BE PATIENT:

I managed to fix it so in just one lifetime you could have so many diverse experiences. You grow from a child to an adult, have children, change jobs many times, learn many trades, travel to so many places, meet thousands of people, and experience so much.

How can you be so impatient then when it takes Me a little longer than you expect to handle something on My to-do-list? Trust in My timing, for My timing is perfect. Just because I created the entire universe in only six days, everyone thinks I should always rush, rush, rush.

9. BE KIND:

Be kind to others, for I love them just as much as I love you. They may not dress like you, or talk like you, or live the same way you do, but I still love you all. Please try to get along, for My sake.

I created each of you different in some way. It would be too boring if you were all identical. Please, know I love each of your differences.

************

10. LOVE YOURSELF:

As much as I love you, how can you not love yourself? You were created by me for one reason only -- to be loved, and to love in return. I am a God of Love. Love Me. Love your neighbors. But also love yourself.

It makes My heart ache when I see you so angry with yourself when things go wrong. You are very precious to me, Don't ever forget.

***************