Religion should create happiness

By Jaime LicaucoInquirerLast updated 01:09am (Mla time) 04/24/2007
Last week, I wrote about Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, who is in Manila for the first time. He starts his public lectures and advanced seminar on the Art of Living (AOL) tomorrow at Edsa Shangri-La.
As I said last week, after my initial skepticism, I was grateful to the AOL Organization in the Philippines for what the course has done for me and, I found out, for millions of people around the world.Here are excerpts of spontaneous answers given by Sri Sri Shankar to questions asked of him:

What is your idea of God and how can man reach him through the Art of Living course?
“That which is the basis of all creation, from which you can never be separate, that is Divinity, that is God.

“So there are different levels of understanding. On one level, on the intellectual level, God is like the space, the basis of the whole creation in which we are, we remain and we dissolve all there was, all that is, and all that will be. On the emotional level, we all seek love. Love is God and God is love.

“You cannot know God through the five senses, that has to be felt from the heart. That is why we say love is God, because only in the state of love you can experience love.

“The AOL course can get you into that unstressed state of mind. You cannot experience love if you are stressed; so when you get out of stress and tension and go into deep meditation, then you realize that you can feel the love for God. ”

Have you seen God?
“There are certain questions for which no answer is the right answer. Like if someone is sleeping and you ask ‘Are you sleeping?’ and if he doesn’t answer, then he must be asleep.“If he says ‘Yes,’ that means he is not sleeping. This is one such question. God is not an object of your senses, it is the very basis of your life.”

What is your concept of hell and heaven?
“I have none. Heaven is, perhaps, when there is harmony in your environment and within yourself, and hell is when there is no harmony within you and around you.”

You said, if you wanted to introduce religion, let it be the religion of happiness. That sounds like a negation of religion as we know it.
“No, definitely we should learn a little about every religion and we should be firm and strong about our own religion. Religion should not create hatred, guilt but happiness.“One who is full of happiness, compassion and love is truly religious; it is when one doesn’t see that one gets disheartened. Religious people should bring that happiness. If a religion does not have love and broad-mindedness then it is not worth following.”

What are your long-term objectives?
“To see a smile on every face, a smile that is not fragile, a smile that does not evaporate and disappear just like that.”

Well, Guruji will surely see a lot of smiling faces in the Philippines like he has never seen anywhere in the world.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will be the speaker at “An Evening of Music, Wisdom, and Meditation,” at 6 p.m., today, at the Edsa Shangri-La Hotel. He will conduct a “Health & Happiness” workshop, 6:30-8:30 p.m, April 25-27, at the Isla Ballroom, Edsa Shangri-La Hotel. Call 0917-7910190.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=62048

Guru of joy and happiness

When I told some people that Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was coming to Manila for the first time later this week to give public lectures and conduct the advanced seminar on the Art of Living (AOL), they all responded: “Who is he? Never heard of him.”

That was the same reaction I had when his AOL course was first brought to my attention a year ago. I completely ignored it.

Only recently did I attend the seminar because a former student volunteered to pay for it and insisted that I attended it.Now I am grateful to her and to the AOL Organization in the Philippines for what the course has done for me and, I found out, for millions of people around the world.
One reason I was reluctant to attend the course is a strong bias against gurus in general and Indian ones in particular.I have met several and they all have bloated egos while preaching love, humility and spirituality.
They all bask in the admiration of credulous people and expect everyone to worship them. So I have avoided them like the proverbial plague.
But my initial skepticism and resistance soon vanished, as I came to know more about this man behind the AOL seminar that has swept the globe in so short a time.
Guru for the skeptics
He is a guru for those like me who hate gurus. He is an exception to the rule. Although I have not personally met him, I have come to admire his childlike attitude toward life and the simplicity and his return-to-basics philosophy.
The breathing technique called Sudershan Kriya and Yoga postures taught in his courses are so easy to do by both young and old that they get their full benefit from regular practice, unlike the more complicated techniques of other schools of thought.
When asked what his goal in life was, he replied: “To put a smile on everybody’s face.” He described himself as “a child who never grew up.”
But let not his childlike innocence, forever smiling face and simple charm deceive you. He is not at all superficial or shallow. In fact, his outward childlike demeanor hides a formidable intellect.
At the age of 4, he surprised his parents and his teachers by reciting complete verses of the Bhagavad Gita, the Holy Book of the Hindus.By the age of 17, he had obtained an advance degree in modern science. Later, he received an honorary doctoral degree from Kuvempu University, Karnataka, India.
He was for a time with Maharishi Mahesh Yogi who introduced Transcendental Meditation (TM) to the Western world.
In 1981, he parted ways with the Maharishi, “with no ill feelings,” and established the Art of Living Foundation, which has become one of the world’s largest volunteer-based educational and humanitarian organizations with a presence in 150 countries.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has brought to the masses ancient mental techniques, which were traditionally kept exclusive.
He has designed many self-development modules that people can take home to calm their minds and heighten enthusiasm.
Through this highly effective and practical program, thousands have come out of stress, depression, suicidal tendencies and aggressive behaviors.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar public talks are on April 24-27, text AOL space (your name) space (your message) and send to 2920 for Globe and Smart subscribers; or 0917-7910190.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=60755

Meditation posture, focus, etc.

Here are interesting questions on different types of meditation and their effects, from reader John Morales:
“What are the differences between a meditation with a distinct aim in mind (i.e. trying to lose weight) and a meditation which has no distinct aim, just coasting along and observing? Can one practice these two types … interchangeably without the meditator being affected or confused in the process?

“Do different meditation postures, including the hand postures, have different effects on the meditation process?

“I have been meditating using the seated position with my arms rested on my lap but I have noticed that after about five minutes my hands get numb, which bothers me.

“How can I avoid numbness in my hands? Is numbness in any part of the body a natural occurrence in meditation, and should I just observe it and try not to be bothered? Or should I find a solution to that? Can I adopt the other hand positions, like resting my hands in an upward position and making my first finger and thumb touch in an ‘O’ position?”

Aside from Mr. Morales, I also received several questions about meditation from people I met. Most of them say they have difficulty concentrating on a single topic. They get easily distracted, etc. So the question of Mr. Morales is quite timely. Here are my replies to his query.

I distinguish between two types of meditation depending on the objectives. The first is what I call passive meditation. Here, the objective may simply be relaxation and peace of mind.

The other type is what I call active or dynamic meditation. Here the meditator has a specific objective or purpose in mind like, as you said, losing weight, or solving a problem, or healing one’s self or others, or achieving a particular business or personal goal. This is the type of meditation I teach in my inner mind development seminar or workshop.

In active meditation, one begins with passive meditation to reach a very relaxed mental and physical state. This may simply consist of counting downwards or focusing on one’s breathing.

Once full mental and physical relaxation is achieved, then he/she can begin with the active or dynamic meditation by visualizing achievement of a goal, healing one’s self or others, losing weight, getting a new car, etc.

Of course, one can practice these two types without any bad effect or confusion. The first is only a part of the other.

Different meditation schools have different theories about the value of various postures when meditating.
Some practitioners of Indian yoga and other Eastern schools of thought, like Zen and Tibetan systems of meditation, prescribe strict rules regarding postures. They believe that certain positions have an effect on the subtle energy circulating in one’s body; but others do not think so.

For example, Dr. Herbert Benson, a cardiologist from Harvard Medical School, did extensive research on various forms of meditation and came up with four basic factors to bring about the meditative state, which he called the “Relaxation Response.” He wrote a book with the same title, which sold millions of copies in the United States and abroad, based on his findings.

The four factors are: quiet environment, mental device, passive attitude and comfortable position.
A “quiet environment” is necessary, especially if one is a beginner, to make sure he/she is not distracted. Later, he/she should be able to meditate and achieve a relaxed state even in noisy surroundings.

A “mental device” is any sound, object or symbol that one focuses his/her mind on so it will not wander. A mantra is an example of a mental device. And so is a word, or sound, symbol or object.

A “passive attitude” means a “letting go” feeling. It is the most difficult to achieve, according to Dr. Benson, but it determines whether one succeeds in meditation or not.

Once a passive attitude is developed, the telephone may ring or someone may call and the person will not respond. If he/she does, a passive attitude has not been achieved.

The last factor is a “comfortable position.” Dr. Benson said it was not important to assume a lotus position if one was not used to it. If he/she insisted on doing so, he/she might only get cramps, which would distract him/her from the task. His advice was to assume a position that was most comfortable for the person.
Perhaps what I would advice a would-be meditator is to assume a comfortable sitting position with spinal column straight but not stiff, and eyes closed. That’s all.

Your numbness may be caused by the fact that you may have gone lower than the alpha level of the brain waves. You may already be at the theta state, in which case you may indeed feel numb. The theta level is the level of deep trance. You have to monitor this condition carefully. I am assuming you do not have a medical reason for being numb. Have your uric acid checked. Hope the above explanations help you.

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=59408

A unique spiritual discussion group

In the evening of March 9, a group of 11 intellectually curious individuals, seven men and four women of varied educational and social backgrounds, aged 40 to almost 70, met in a small room of Wack-Wack Golf and Country Club to discuss ideas and questions about Christianity and other spiritual topics in an open and free manner.

After nearly three hours of animated exchange, the group agreed to meet again and start what could be the only spiritual discussion group of its kind in the country.

The usual Bible and other religious study groups have one “authority figure,” a pastor or preacher who tells members the supposedly “correct” interpretation of the Bible. His interpretation is the only one accepted, no matter how ridiculous, baseless or illogical it is.There is really no free discussion of ideas. Members are led like ignorant children to believe only one “official” interpretation. There is no room for disagreement or dissent. Anyone who disagrees is no longer welcome and becomes an outcast.

Dissatisfied
From time to time, I meet highly intelligent individuals who quietly express their personal dissatisfaction with the traditional teachings of the Catholic Church, which they cannot intellectually accept or understand.

Some of my former schoolmates were dissatisfied with their Bible study groups, and eventually got fed up with the discussion leader who could not stand being questioned and who discouraged free expression of contrary opinions.

I also recently met a widely read advertising and marketing consultant who questioned some of the most cherished beliefs of the church but did not know what to substitute for them.

Another person I met could not accept intellectually the concept of hell but was afraid that, if hell existed, he might be condemned to spend the after-life in it. Therefore he just accepted it until proven otherwise.
All of them felt frustrated and said they could not discuss these ideas within their own families and close circles of friends. So they chose to keep these doubts and questions to themselves.

Different
So, one day, I told these people: “Why don’t we form a small discussion group on religious and spiritual matters? But it will be different from any other existing today.

“No authority figure will tell us what or what not to believe. We shall express and share our ideas and opinions and not try to convince each other. We will not allow debates to prove that one is right and the other wrong. We will respect differences in opinion, especially those contrary to our own. No attempt will be made to convert others to our own belief system or religious views.

“In addition, there will be no leader or follower. We are all equals, all on the same boat, all seekers of the light. Each will be as a torch light to the other. This way, everybody grows in consciousness and awareness and no one is intellectually superior to the other.”

These characteristics are what make this spiritual study group unique, the only one of its kind in the country.
I described to them a very effective, orderly and highly democratic way of group discussion handed down to us by our elders and by ancient tribal traditions of various cultures.

Perhaps a major example in history would be the Areopagus in the ancient city of Athens. The Christian Bible describes this in the Acts of the Apostles. When St. Paul started preaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ in various cities, he was often rebuked, ridiculed, even jailed and tortured for spreading a foreign religion.

Place for free speech
But in Athens, he was welcomed precisely because he talked to them about something they had never heard before. They brought him to the Areopagus where people discussed freely anything new under the sun without any form of censorship.

And they said to him, “May we know what this new teaching is that you are presenting? It sounds rather strange to us, so we would like to know what it means.”

And the Bible tells us that Athenians and foreigners living there loved nothing more than to tell and hear new things all day (Acts, 17:19-21).

This openness to new ideas, no matter how strange or contrary to our views, is probably why democracy was born in Greece. Freedom of belief and expression could not have survived under an authoritarian atmosphere.

The group, tentatively called the Areopagus Spiritual Discussion Group, will meet again next month. Possible topics for discussion are reincarnation and karma; who Jesus really was; individual concept of God; life after death; pagan origins of Christian teachings; the Nag Hammadi Gnostic Gospels; The Dead Sea Scrolls, etc. There is a strong interest in discussing the ideas of Ken Wilber, Teilhard de Chardin and other thinkers.
Membership in the group is strictly by invitation.

Note: For inquiries on books; paranormal services and seminars on Inner Mind Development; ESP and Intuition Development; and Soulmates, Karma and Reincarnation conducted by this writer, call 8107245, 8926806; fax 8159890; or e-mail jtlicauco@tri-isys.com

http://showbizandstyle.inquirer.net/lifestyle/lifestyle/view_article.php?article_id=58487