the ashram web log

Oh my lord, all the Icons are born in October.

It was Swami Brahmtej ji’s turn to celebrate his birthday with Sri Sri.

Satsang was in Amphi Theater. Cool breeze was blowing. Sweet Tamil and Hindi bhajans were being played. Moon was spreading its light all around the ashram. Celebration and peace could be felt at same time. Knowledge session in such a climate was giving deep relaxation to mind and energizing body.

Q. Guruji, Why sharad poornima is called “Moh Ratri” ?

Ans: Because it’s so beautiful everyone gets mohit (tempted).

Q. In all spiritual paths there are certain concepts which do not make us feel free forever?

Ans: When you get bound then only you feel freedom. So in order to feel freedom it’s great to realize freedom again and again.

Q. Guruji, What is Viparya?

Ans: When your mind thinks something wrong and than it bothers you, is called Viparya.

You would have felt sometime. You would think that your friend has thought something wrong about you and finally you discover that this fellow didn’t have time to even think about you. :) Here we can also understand Vikalpa. It means totally imaginary which can not exist. Like lotus in sky etc. Vikalpa is something that can not be real while Viparya is something, that you are sure, is there but actually not.

Q. Guruji Why all Dashavatar are male?

Ans: All the scriptures must be written by men. :-) But you see they have come out of nail of mother divine. This is called consciousness.

Q. Guruji, It is said that on the day of sharad poornima, Krishna took as many forms as number of gopis and danced with them. What is your plan?

Ans: You were already dancing. We would do meditation. Dance we have done.

Posted in: on Thursday, October 25, 2007 at at 10:21 PM 0 comments  

Today is the day when a wave remembered its ocean.
Today is birthday of a man of celebration, our lovely… cutie.. Rishi Nityapragyaji (Nitin Bhaiya). And I saw that joy in and around VM. Angels were waiting to see that. Guruji cut the cake gave it to Prasanna ji and Nitin Bhaiya.

We got to listen to some new interesting points.

Q. Guruji, You asked us to offer all the negativities into fire of yagya. I felt relaxed doing so, But after sometime problems appeared again. Is there any permanent way to get rid of it?
Ans: Ok, Tell me one thing. Do you get satisfied by eating once? Do you never want to sleep once you had enough of it? Your body needs cleaning time to time as it gets dirty. So what to say about mind, It would get dirty sooner.

Q. Guruji, What are good karmas and bad karmas. Does “Chitragupta” really exist, who takes care of our karma account?
Ans: You see the meaning of name “Chitragupta”. “Chitra” means “image” and “Gupta” means “secret”. So what ever you do, it leaves an image or impression in your mind somewhere hidden. But when you do “sadhana” then all images are vanished. An elephant’s footstep’s impression would cover all other animal’s footstep’s impression. Same way sadhana would cover all the impression.

Q. Jai Gurudev, Few days back you commented “What you see is only 0.003% of existence” Can you throw some more light on this?
Ans: There is one scientist “Michio Kaku” who wrote a book “Parallel Worlds: A Journey Through Creation, Higher Dimensions, and the Future of the Cosmos” You should read this as it says that there is dark energy in this entire creation which is not visible and governs the world. Like you can not see your thoughts but they are very powerful and make things happen. This enormous energy which you see in universe (sun, stars etc) is only 0.003% of what you can see.

Q. Guruji, Where is Hanumanji nowadays?
Ans: He has entered into your breath nowadays. Rama is self. Sita is mind. Ravana is ego. Laxman is alertness or consciousness. So with the help of Hanuman and Laxman (Breath and Consciousness) Rama (Self) would meet with Sita (mind) which Ravana (Ego) had taken away . And victory of Rama is sure. So everyday there is Dussera or Diwali.

Compiled by Satish

Posted in: on Wednesday, October 24, 2007 at at 9:51 PM 0 comments  

Living in a city like Mumbai, battling the same chores daily, one gets very used to the monotony and the non-stop pace of life. In this never-ending pace, a small break to visit the ashram makes you at peace with your own self.

Today, I reached ashram. And after dinner, it was immediately satsang time. Yippee! A few more insights gained in daily life, as is the case when you listen to anything that Guruji says and I will go sleeping today with a few more bulbs glowing in my brain. Heres a sneak peek into some of the questions asked and some of the answers (This is purely my re-collection. As you all know, Guruji said much more, so forgive this shishya's flaws).

Q. People say 'Adhyaatma maarga Guru aagya kevalam'. Please elaborate.

Guruji: Before commenting, we need to know what is the source of any quotation.

So, I guess it was time for question no. 2.

Q. Sometimes, we feel very pained when we look at a beggar in the street. Is this corect?

Guruji: If you see someone hungry and you feel something in your heart, it is only a natural thing. It only means that you have humanity alive in you. If you do not feel anything, then your heart has become a stone.

But, you should at the same time know that if you start feeling very depressed about it, you have only increased the sadness in this word and contributed to nothing. If you feel sad, do seva. Help these poor, hungry people. Convert your sad feeling into compassion immediately. If you only feel sad and pained about it, it is of no use. Look at the doctor in the hospital. He is amidst patients all days. He cant say that since everyone is so unwell out here, even I should become unwell. Rather, a doctor or a nurse has to remain healthy among the patients and serve the unhealthy people. Similarly, you should not just be sad about this but you should make a difference by doing seva.

Again, at the same time, dont do seva by giving money to all beggars on the street. You might give a beggar a Re. 1 not realizing that he has enough money to give you a loan. People have converted begging into a profession. Dont let such people deceive you. If you see children begging in the streets, take them to a school and get them educated. We, and many other institutions too, are running schools for such children. India, today, has a lot of job opportunities and needs. There is a severe lack of household workers, drivers, plumbers, electricians etc. Today, the number of uneducated unemployed people in India is less than educated unemployed people. Perhaps, its time to look at our education system too, and make it far more application-based. Afterall, what is the use of you studying so much if your PC is not working properly and you cannot repair it on your own. [Everyone around seems to be smiling!]

Q. Today, people have lost the meaning of festivals. How can we revive it?

Guruji: Festivals will have some amount of rituals. You cannot talk about knowledge all the time. A person who has a high level of understanding can understand knowledge. But, festivals are meant to forget all differences at all levels. They are meant for everyone from kids to grown ups. Everyone needs to forget the differences and come together. That is true 'Utsav' or festival.

Yes, but sometimes, we forget the larger picture of things. Festivals have a bigger purpose than merely following rituals. They bring us together, and we should together celebrate with some silence, some music, some sadhana, some seva. We should not forget the bigger picture in following rituals.

Q. We have 1 day for MahaShivratri and 9 days for Navratri. Does that mean that it is easy to please Lord Shiva compared to pleasing Durga Ma?

Guruji[Smiling]: No, this is not the case. There are so many forms of Durga and the 9 days are for the 9 forms of Durga. Afterall, a man becomes a father in one day but the woman feeds and takes care of the child in her womb for 9 months before becoming a mother.

But, if you fast to please Durga Ma, and you eat fried potatoes and puri, it doesnt make sense. If you wish to fast, eat only fruits or vegetables and drink a lot of water. It helps in cleansing your body. And do not fast to please Durga Ma. A mother is always pleased with her children. All she needs is her children to be happy. So, fast to keep your body cleaner and healthier.

Q. Does working in an old age home help me to clean away my sins?

Guruji: Working in an old-age home, children's home all of this helps you clean away your sins. Rather, every second you have an opportunity out here to clean away your sins.

Q. Does destiny exist and has it got anything to do with karma?

Guruji: When things dont work out the way we wanted them to, we call it destiny. And if they work out as we wished, we call it free will. [Smiles again] Yes, ofcourse karma plays a role in all of this. Karma makes you take your decisions - right or wrong and thus, you get the fruits of your decisions based on this karma.

Last question!

Q. What does the spiritual self feed itself on?

Guruji: All the spiritual self needs to feed itself is sadhna, meditation, seva, music, love... That is all that is needed to feed your soul.

I hope after reading this, you too will go back to whatever you were doing with a few more bulbs glowing in your head. I am feeling blessed again!

- Shreyans

Posted in: on Thursday, October 11, 2007 at at 1:06 PM 1 comments  

He breaks the ice with his usual but very special "Hmmm... " chant, and which gives the same joy to AOL devotees that omkar would have given to our rishis.

He announces to talk in hindi today as for next few days he would talk in English or probably won't talk at all.

When guruji said to ask a questions one lady stood and ask “Guruji When are you coming to chhatisgarh?”

Gurudev “ Don’t ask these question? For this ask at counters?”


Q) What is the significance of "Shradh"*?

Ans) This very world has come out of world "shradhha". Remembering our parents or grand parents who are not in this world is called shradh. This tradition is there across the cultures and continents. In china they they burn currency notes thinking that their ancestors become happy and would return them ten times. At some other place they make cars and other things and burn it. But in India during the shradh we give away something, that was very dear to the passed away person.

We offer food, clothes etc. When we offer food or any thing to someone, he becomes happy and emits positive vibrations. These vibrations are transmitted to our fore fathers because though they are not there in body form but their consciousness remains here. But it happens only when you offer it to a person who is in need.

But when you offer something to a greedy person, he would still want some more and would not help. It’s not the food but that happiness is transmitted. At the same time we don’t give it for the sake of getting these vibrations. They just come on the way. We do it for own sake. When you start giving something, just know, that humanity started dawning into you.
You are the part of this creation.

Q) Do we have to bear our negative karmas of past lifetimes in this birth.

A) If has been doing something wrong for many years he has to bear a fruit of it.
Timeline may vary. But if you do your sadhana, seva, satsang regularly it would burn the seed of all karmas.

Guruji told two incidents that happened during his recent visit to “Kosovo”.
All cops were standing and suddenly a teacher came. Guruji asked “so how is courses going on?” . She innocently said “ No one comes for follow up. Those prisoners have run away after the course” ( Actually one wall of prison was broken or something had happened in prison and prisoners could escape.) How funny it was? In front of all cops.

After a big function guruji met with the health minister of Kosovo. He was very greatful for the work that AOL has done there in last 7 years. So he asked guruji whether he can do anything for him. Normally guruji would say nothing. But this time he said “ Ok, If we can get a place to do courses, kriya, pranayam?” So minister said “ He would work it out once he gets the project plan from AOL?” Then suddenly one teacher curiously jumped into conversation and innocently said “ Can we get that big hall in mental hospital for courses etc?” ( Everybody laughed) Guruji said can you imagine an announcement for course or satsang in mental hospital.

There was a big function organized where the cream of that place took part. It is said to be a biggest gathering in Kosovo. People from all walks of life had come there. Guruji was taking meditation and suddenly cops asked to vacate the hall as some terrorist group had given wrong information about the bomb. So guruji asked them to wait as meditation was going on. (Guruji laughed “ I knew there is no bomb in the hotel.” ) But since they have to perform their duty. Guruji made everyone open their eyes soon and then they evacuated the place.

Cops were stunned as first time they saw such a fearless crowd that was moving out without any hesitation and then talking and gossiping out there. They felt the calmness of those people gained from meditation. Then guruji told the significane of knowledge, satsang and asked us to do it regularly. Even if 2-3 members are their we should do satsang.

On one question he said that we have to take everyone together if they are following some different practices, don’t be against them but add meditation into their path.

You have right to be ignorant

A) Guruji, what’s the difference between luck and action. If everything depends on luck then why I am blamed for a mistake?

Q) Human being have been given intellect to take decision. You are free to take decisions. Animals don’t have this ability.

Cows are called as “saadhu”. They don’t harm anyone . Also they give us many things.

Now I don’t remember some points. Probably Ishan would update it with his inputs.

Jai Guru Dev,
Satish Kumar Suthar

Posted in: on Tuesday, October 9, 2007 at at 10:12 PM 0 comments  

... And after a long awaiting, He's back to the ashram, bringing big smiles on our face!
Well, ashram is in its full glory with 'lights' all around.. People from all over the globe are joining celebration here day after the day..
Its stunning to see, various faces with overflowing charm of serving and ecstasy of satsang.
And above all - HIS Presence!
Yesterday (8th OCT) he just came for satsang, asked about any programmes happening in the ashram and then we all had a brilliant presentation on 'Bharat Gyan' (Knowledge of India - rather Indian Heritage)..
Guruji did not speak then , he just bloomed the birth day buddies and dissolved behind the VM stage!
Thats it for yesterday..
We'll come up here again to update this space..

Joy with GuruDev!

Posted in: on at at 7:28 PM 0 comments