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
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
posted by Misteryo Philippines Network (MPN) at 1:36 AM
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