My Experience with Art of Living
I have been connected with Art of Living since April 2005. I have brought atleast a few people including my family members to the Art of Living programs and most of them became active followers.
Many people, who start out with skeptics, changed to active followers very soon. The benefits one gain from Sudarshan Kriya is very very powerful to ignore in daily life, even for those who never had any interest in spiritual life. But the most impotant thing to keep in mind is to continue the practice after the first course. If possible, repeat the part I within 2-3 months, follow it up with an advanced course. Those have done meditation and yoga might feel the benefits sooner or deeper than those who have never done anything like that before. One thing for sure, every one can experience the positive aspects, which are too many to list out here.
One thing, personally I felt is while it is very good to spread the knowledge, one should not fall out of the primary focus of life - That is to grow and live by the knowledge. The physical impact one can make to the society or to other people are limited. However, when one grows in knowledge and practice deep meditations, the impact on the society and the people around are much more powerful. Gurudev himself said this in his recent visit to Washington DC. He said " Seva and all are OK. But dont forget to go deep into meditation".
When we try to make things happen by working hard (believing that we make things happen), it also pre-supposes that there is a particular causation behind everything. Is this true? Logically it does not seem so. Everything can be the cause of everything. For eg: I am sitting here and writing this blog - So many things over many years has to happen so that I could sit here and write this blog. I myself saying that I am the owner or writer of this blog does not make any sense at all. So if one broadens one's vision, there is no particular cause for anything. Everything is caused by everything. Or in other words, you are not the doer. The entire universe makes everything happen!!! What a powerful conclusion!!
This does not mean that one should not work hard. When one realizes that there is no particular cause for anything, the resistance to the action drops and the seva happens automatically. And the results just dont matter at all...
Jai Gurudev...
Many people, who start out with skeptics, changed to active followers very soon. The benefits one gain from Sudarshan Kriya is very very powerful to ignore in daily life, even for those who never had any interest in spiritual life. But the most impotant thing to keep in mind is to continue the practice after the first course. If possible, repeat the part I within 2-3 months, follow it up with an advanced course. Those have done meditation and yoga might feel the benefits sooner or deeper than those who have never done anything like that before. One thing for sure, every one can experience the positive aspects, which are too many to list out here.
One thing, personally I felt is while it is very good to spread the knowledge, one should not fall out of the primary focus of life - That is to grow and live by the knowledge. The physical impact one can make to the society or to other people are limited. However, when one grows in knowledge and practice deep meditations, the impact on the society and the people around are much more powerful. Gurudev himself said this in his recent visit to Washington DC. He said " Seva and all are OK. But dont forget to go deep into meditation".
When we try to make things happen by working hard (believing that we make things happen), it also pre-supposes that there is a particular causation behind everything. Is this true? Logically it does not seem so. Everything can be the cause of everything. For eg: I am sitting here and writing this blog - So many things over many years has to happen so that I could sit here and write this blog. I myself saying that I am the owner or writer of this blog does not make any sense at all. So if one broadens one's vision, there is no particular cause for anything. Everything is caused by everything. Or in other words, you are not the doer. The entire universe makes everything happen!!! What a powerful conclusion!!
This does not mean that one should not work hard. When one realizes that there is no particular cause for anything, the resistance to the action drops and the seva happens automatically. And the results just dont matter at all...
Jai Gurudev...
Comments
I dont need a lecture, sermon or positive points about AOL.. i just need someone to say " here are the books of the main centre, the headquarters, please feel free to look through them and to audit them again anytime".
Thank you for posting your comments.
Ask this question. Who are you? Why do you want to audit Art of Living books? There are laws and governments taking care of all those things. Art of Living do have audited financial numbers. I can guarantee that. However, what do you want to do with it? Do you want to verify what AOL is doing with the money?
My dear friend, when will you wake up? I have Guruji and that is enough. Whether money comes or goes, who cares? When divine is with you what else you need to bother?
So if you want to really check the financial results of Art of Living, please ask for a copy of audited financial results from IRS or Charities registration in different States.(I am not sure whether they will give. But you can try! I am 100% sure that IRS has audited financial results of AOL).
My dear friend, when the time come for you to wake up, to see things as they are, when you know the meaninglessness of words, you will realize that you have come to Guruji and then you are doing " The true art of living". Jai Gurudev
I was just having a debate with my friend regarding AOL. To begin with I have not done any course with AOL and also wanted confirm that i believe in yoga and also the breathing excercise being taught by SSRS is essential for anybody in his life. Just like the anonymous guy had asked I'm also interested in knowing certain facts about AOL.
Have you ever thought
How much revenue would AOL generate in a year.
If you are a follower of AOL would you have the guts to ask some higher official from AOL of the same.
why are they into so much publicity???
If what sri sri teaches is good why cannot he sit just in baglore or chennai and keep teaching people just like what Ramana Maharishi did???
Why does he have to travel around???
Is he seeking publicity???
Why does he have to build such big ashrams all over the world.
If the ultimate aim is to attain bliss through yoga why dont you seeek someone who knows yoga???
Why do you go to Guruji alone???
To me AOL just takes advantage of peoples weakness "that is the everyday stress that people are in to" and teach them yoga to rip some money.
I do not say Sri Sri is into making money but he has got business minded people around him. Why do they need so much money for??? If they conduct a satsang any where in North America the average cost to get in would be around 70 to 100$.
lets say they are collecting the money to cover the cost of SriSri's travel and the cost of the auditorium they hire, they would still have geenrated a good profit after covering thise cost.
At last one question my dear seeker in you comment to Anonymous guy you mentioned
"My dear friend, when will you wake up? I have Guruji and that is enough. Whether money comes or goes, who cares? When divine is with you what else you need to bother? "
To your confirmation I'm not sleeping in my life for i have a job on a daily basis and it pays me for my bun and butter.
Since you have Guruji with you and you had said that is enough for you would you stop earning money or stop what ever you are doing just for money??? and also donate all your money and assets to charity???
Since you have divine with you i believe you would not bother to donate all your assets.
Awaiting your reply!!!
All the questions come from the mind. There is something beyond mind. Go beyond the mind and all the questions will be answered. Till then whatever answers one give will not satisfy you.
Asking questions are not to get the real wisdom or knowledge. They are to prove oneself.
So I challenge you to first take a course, do the kriya for sometime and then you will see for yourself. Why take the trboule of trying to analyze all the things?
May God Bless you!!!
Jai Gurudev
Thanks for your advice asking me to take a course with AOL.
As far as I'm concerned SSRS is business man like any other. Bill gates had the skills to market his software findings and SSRS has got the skills to market his breathing techniqes findings.
Anyway GOOD LUCK with AOL!!!
Love and Jai Gurudev
i have taken basic course-I, sahaj samadhii, DSN courses with AOL in a span of just 5 months.
I was never a believer of people oriented organizations before. however after having undergone the courses, i feel that HH SSRS has created an amazing organization which is working for the betterment of the world.
If someone objects to this opinion, i personally challenge them to attend the course and find out for themselves as to what knowledge is being spread for pea nuts (rs.1000) in the basic course.
unless you experience it, i feel that you would not be completely aware of what you would say.
Anyways, HH SSRS is truly a godly person who is working for all of us and is not a business minded person.
Jai Guru Dev
Surya kumar reddy
1. Useful at Basic Level, If you are not doing any physical exercise, yoga, pranayam, just do the course and continue the practice. It can bring positive changes in your life. BUT..
STOP.. at the basic level course. If you go on for advanced courses, designed in 10/12 different names, you are trapped. REMEMBER. I am saying this by my own experience.
Art of living financial info available on guidestar.
Ravi Shankar is in the business of spreading peace and smiles on everyone's face, if U want to do a business this should be iT Don;t u think? :)...The money is generated by hard work of volunteers doing courses etc. and is then used for charity. We don't ask for donations for charity, we give you a fantastic course that will truly enrich your life and from that money we do charity.
read this as well to get more insight on AOL & money ( as if u keep a tab of every penny spent by u on charity or how coke and honda use there money to spread peace!)
http://bawandinesh.name/q-n-a/
Basic is the foundation level course for youth between 18-30 years please do a Yes!+ course it's lot of fun!! There are many advance level courses which one can do right after a basic or Yes!+ course. They are very beautiful and fun! :)
Don't doubt the positive my friend! Be a part!!:)
There are many people who are against AOL courses and teachings and even are against Sri Sri ....I want to tell to all those people out there ...show me one person who has been harmed by doing this courses and following his philosophies....instead of focussing on the negative ...we should concentrate on the positive ....millions of Sri Sri's followers are not fools ....they have obviously felt a positive change in themselves and in their lives!
He has founded the largest NGO in the world. The revenue from the courses goes directly to funding all of the service/humanitarian work AOL does. Besides Art Of Living is the largest volunteer based organisation in whole world .
Interesting facts about the Art of Living course:
• AOL is part of the training for NASA astronauts.
• It is included in the curriculum in eight German universities and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology among others.
• Sudarshan Kriya(a Powerful breathing technique) has been acknowledged by the World Health Organization.
Besides..... stress,negativity,terrorism are no longer confined to a particular region ...it is spreading its tentacles all over the world...it is precisely because of this that Sri Sri visits as many places he can .....all over the world just to spread the message of peace and love...what's wrong with that?
JAI GURUDEV !!!