What a wonder!

Ashtavakra Gita is profound but little known knowledge given to King Janaka 7000 years ago by sage Ashtavakra. This discourse is being given by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shanker in Bangalore Art of living Centre

Its 7 30 pm, and for the past almost one month, Guruji's Ashtavakra discourse has been raining on my mind, this time, every evening. The yagnashala fills up, the satsang starts. He walks in unassumingly. Closes his eyes and slips into meditation. You don't know when the songs stop.

But suddenly there is silence. A poetry of Ashtavakra is read by a lady in an intense pure poetic Hindi, ending with 'Aashcharya hai, aashcharya hai' (what a wonder, what a wonder).

And then he starts. Sometimes its with a slokas, sometimes its with a random question through which he leads into the depth of profound knowledge, filled with funny anecdotes, Mullah Nasiruddin stories (audience's favorites) and witty punchline in a near flawless Hindi.

Amazingly that day's knowledge feels as though its exactly what you've experienced, and filters through you on an existential level.

The night closes sometimes the knowledge echoes in your mind, but more often, you're just blank. Probably as blank as king Janaka in bliss and wonderment through the very presence of Ashtavakra.

Well if you're not fortunate enough to be a part of this phenomenon, the discourse will be available in DVD's soon (highly edited form though), also very cool tweets are sent by Bau every day.

Ayurvedic concepts

Its about 7 am in the morning, still unearthly in madhuriland......but I just cant resist posting!

have been pretty sick past few days, with my respiratory and digestive system screwed up (cold and stomach ache), have been taking ayurvedic treatments, these weird green gooey pastes, and am not sure if I am getting better because of the medicine or because my body is stunned by the shock treatment subjected due to the disgusting taste.

My eating habits sure have taken a toll this past month, not that it was ever brilliant. So I get to swallow ayurvedic preparation specifically tailor made so that you wont ever fall into trap of eating for 'taste'.

And I have ashram kitchen food to top off the effect, thank god for small mercies like 'canteen'.

On my check list of not to eat these were the things included by my ayurveda doc

Ice creams

chocolates

sweets

milk products

Fried stuff

I just cant bear to go on as I am on the verge of nervous breakdown!

I mean how cruel is this!

So yesterday my mom came back from Bihar, after a month, and brought specialty besen ke laddu, and I could not make her feel bad by refusing....then there were Tirupati prasadam (of course prasad is not counted as calories), and Lindt-Lindor, which Sampath got from half way around the world. And I haven't even met Goli, who's got Belgian choco's from Brussels.....

Wow..its a wonder that my digestive system hasn't collapsed. Guess that gooey ayurvedic paste actually works, even though it makes you wish you never had taste buds.

I am now a totally fan of ayurveda, next time I might actually try them with the diet restrictions.

PS: According to Ayurveda, you need to fallow a healthy daily routine called 'dinacharya' and the fact that i'm up so early and ready for meditation shows that I am on the right track to ayurvedic enlightenment!

Confessions of an Ashramite

Akin to a self sufficient capsule, in idyllic environs, you loose count days, and time simply dissolves.

Living in an ashram, away from the chaotic hustle bustle of the city life was something I took for granted. Ever since my parents moved here a year ago, I've made countless trips.

I remember the first sight of ashram, almost five years ago, the first glimpse of the majestic Vishalakshi Mandap, proudly standing against the backdrop of a clear sky, with a dome that glistens in the sunlight, and changes color at night. It looked as if it was something out of dreams.

And then over the years, with numerous satsangs with the master in the VM, and the meditation sessions in His presence. The sanctity of the place only increased in my eyes. And now, I feel almost as if I have grown up in this ashram, as the world outside ceases to exist the moment I step in here. 

Life before the day I stepped into this enchanted land has slowly faded into oblivion. Every step I walk here feels sacred. Everything seems to take on an ethereal quality here. The colors seem more intense, music, more melodious, its as if mother nature is dressed in her best attire to please her lord.

Calm and meditative, yet alive and kicking. I've lost count of the time I've seen teary-eyed people, wishing they didnt have to ever leave this place. 

Home is where you come back to nature, where you dont have to pretend anymore, where you never need to prove anything.

Its where you get the deepest rest. Its where no matter how much you grow up, you still get taken care off like a child. 

Sometimes its not easy to accept things which are so blatantly natural, that truth shines from every pore of it. I got so accustomed to living in a artificial and pretentious world, that there were times when I felt uncomfortable, times when I felt my identity dissolved, times when I felt like rebelling.

And then I felt a presence, so comforting, so unconditional, that I knew, no matter what I did, I will always be taken care of. And those insecurities that lash on, only makes me stronger by the day, so that when I go outside, to take on the world, I would be able to extend the same unconditional love and comfort to those not as fortunate as me.

Ashram....even a simple act like typing this post in its space feels divine. 

Jai gurudev!

Clarity and confusion

My 23rd birthday....

There's nothing special about turning 23. It just turns out to be another day of the year.
but being the hopeless romantic that i am, i'd been waiting this day for ages, the day when i'd get to meet Guruji, and he'd totally pamper me- garlanding me, cutting my cake......an event that i'd see happening to every person for the past 3 years, making me feel insanely jealous.

That day finally arrived......and within no time, i was sitting at the satsang balancing a cake and a huge garland, and suddenly i wished the satsang would never end. Guruji sang 'Hari narayan...., and i really really wished time would just freeze. The closer i got to 'the moment' the more i wished it could be prolonged.

Then finally there i was on the stage, fighting for his attention with 15 others (i swear most had fabricated birthdays) almost like a shark attack on Him.
I remember suddenly realising that i was standing in front of him, and there is a garland on my neck, as well as my cake, cut. Time froze

It was almost as if i experienced eternity that moment. The moment he flashed an angelic smile.
That passed too.....
The following week was utter chaos and confusion in life, as if every doubt floating in the existence decided to grace my life.
And then one day, i go about doing my things, as un purposefully as ever, dangerously close to falling into the never-ending doubt pit, i get an SMS......i usually hate SMS's i think its worse than spam in certain ways, as most of the time you dont even have a choice but to open and read some really pathetic ones.

The SMS said "when you are neither confused nor clear, only then can you be the perfect instrument of the divine", sent by a close friend called Ashish.

At that moment, i remembered Guruji's angelic smile, and i realised, in that presence, neither clarity nor confusion matters. Just being. And i realised in clarity and in confusion.......there is no silence.

Its 12:30 am, on 29th august, and i am exactly 12 days late in realising Guruji's birthday gift to me. A blessing to be silent. A place where i can always go back and 'be' just by the memory of that smile, that was meant just for me. Sorta like a room of requirement ( refer to Harry Potters)

Neither being clear, nor confused.....just silent.

A fly by visit to ashram

Crazy hyderabad heat is certainly NOT a favourite!

oh yeah i changed the heading of my blog, i stole it from a beautiful song in the movie 'the sound of music' (dont tell me u havent seen it!), i've always loved it.

My ashram visit:

As chaotic as can get: booked a last minute flight from hyderabad to reach ashram, to catch a glimpse of gurudev, and predictably, i got the last ticket in the flight :) and made it just in time for long kriya!

Had a yummy Sunday lunch (its worth travelling all the way for) with ashram curd rice and payasam, them the YES!+ group went to Bau's room and woke him up....he woke up grouchily, and said accusingly "how can u be awake in this weather"? confusing us Hyderabadis even more as the weather in ashram was paradise compared to Hyd.

then he asked us to go work for Utsav Jaipur and Chennai.....and i'm so gonna be there!

Hurrah, gonna book my tickets now, and will head there as soon as we wrap up with the yes!+ course that starts on Monday.

That reminds me, i have ta have ta finish filling up the TTC forms. Its like the weirdest TTC form ever! Imagine answering a question like

"if you could spend 24 hours with guruji, what would u do?"

Ans: be enlightened!

Its really hilarious, but also serious in a way.

me again!

I knew i would fall prey to discontinuity monster....and i have!
Lots has happened between now and earlier, made a fly by visit to b'lore, and had a gr8 family reunion.
Life's changed so much! Two years back i was living with my family, and all i would do is fight with them, and now when they're not here i miss em so much....and mostly i miss those years i lost taking them for granted due to my self centered rebelliousness. That's a big lesson for me! if you take for granted what you have, it will eventually be taken away from you.
My bro's down there doing an Advance course, and what i wouldn't do to be in his shoes.


And oh, we finished one series of Ashtavakra Geeta discourse this week: it was mind blowing, i wanna keep repeating it as long as i live.