By Dinesh Nath

Spiritual or self-help teaching is a slippery path to walk upon. Being a spiritual teacher comes with a danger that one can have a notion of knowing without knowing. For example, i t is one thing to intellectually understand yoga is good for the healthy body but then doing it every day to keep the body healthy is an entirely different thing. Similarly, it is one thing to understand the benefit of practicing acceptance for the peace of mind then to living the acceptance.  Let's  expand upon it a bit. There are three kinds of understandings viz intellectual, experiential and existential. The first level of understanding is the intellectual understanding which is the most superficial one, like understanding of the mental phenomenon, methods of quietening the mind, and one can easily intellectually understand this knowledge or inner science which is very similar to the understanding of any other field like physics, chemistry, mathematics etc. Here the process mostly involves...

There is wisdom beyond every event. There is love beyond every person. There is infinity beyond every object. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar These are beautiful lines spoken by world renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. Though sounds very simple but these few lines are impregnated with vast wisdom which immediately bring the shift in consciousness by little dwelling. Other significance of these ' sutras ', the tenets of wisdom is that it covers most of mind stuff/activity/thought. If carefully deliberated one find mind dwells either on events, people or objects most of the times and all most all over conflicts whether personal or otherwise can be attributed to these three dimension of existence namely events, people and objects. Interestingly, events, people and objects brings two kinds of experiences, pleasurable or miserable. When these attributes brings pleasurable experience mind develop craving for those events, people or objects (e.g. partyin...

So what it means to be an ideal teacher. We all are student of life as well as serve as teachers to others at many juncture of life. Lots of people come in our contact and learn many thing about us and from us while sometime we take this formal role of teacher. I was writing my teaching philosophy and came up with following write up. Please go through and share your view on being an ideal teacher. This will help me to take different perspective as well as this exercise will help you as well to be a better teacher when situation needed. I am sure many of you remember this pic: Teaching is one of the most noble profession which is mother of all other professions. Since childhood, I have had a passion to learn anything and everything, not only knowledge but also the style of great teachers who shaped me. Now, when I look back; I find, it was not just teaching but a character-building process. This realization has helped shape my temperament to be an inspiring teac...

Stress is the root cause of all evils! Stress clogs our intellect, creates smoke-screen on our memory and induces disturbed emotions and under these impaired conditions even sane individual with all the formal training in ethics and moral values falter and indulge in violence at metal, verbal or action level which further fuel the stress in individuals as well as societal level.  In the wake of such times when the news of gun-shooting in US hitting headlines almost everyday, or safety and security of women is being compromised by heinous crime like rape against women and many other kind of emotional violence by creating terror of fluctuating market place and creating financial mess and sky rocketing-inflation, the helpless mind cries out for change. A change which can sooth the mind bring harmony among fellow human beings and in our society. Keeping this intention to create a violence-free and stress-free society, Art of Living Founder Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will join million...

Last month tragic and one of the most heinous and horrific crime happened in India's capital New Delhi, a 23 year old medical student was brutally gang-raped and assaulted almost to death (and later died) by six young man including one juvenile. This incident caused country wide protest and even caught attention of foreign media. This incident also served as ignition point for and anger and rage which has been building in civilized men and women around the world about women safety and dignity. Protesters were out on street in chilly winter of Delhi and demanded for harsh punishments and fast-track court to punish the culprits of this horrific crime. A committee headed by former Chief Justice of India J S Verma was constituted for revising the laws to deal with this perverted mind set which involve in rape. Suggestions were asked from the public in general. Media houses ran debate on this issues and day in an day out more rape cases around the country was reported. All had one int...

Many times conversation turn into argument when we have divergent view points. In such time Mr. Right in us takes up the charge to prove our view point as the correct and righteous on the subject. Any sentence which can win over others view point bring an elated feeling while anytime we feel the argument made by other person is stronger, either it bring aggression and mind racing even faster to find better argument. During such conversation, are we really happy and peaceful, answer perhaps in not that affirmative. We might have win the arguments with the force of logic but what it has done to other person over whom we feel psychological or social victory whether expressed or latent in mind. It has done exactly what we feel when we feel lost in making our point, perhaps sad, frustrated and even grumbling in mind and looking for chance to prove our point back. Even if you won the argument, does it really make you happy. Being or proving Mr Right comes at the cost of many lost oppor...

Adi Shankara gave road map for the success on the spiritual path. He prescribed four qualifications to gain spiritual wisdom. Once practices with sincerity and surrender, success is ascertained.   1. Viveka (Discrimination) : First qualification to walk on the spiritual path is to have viveka (power of discrimination): Discrimination between what is real and what is unreal. Whatever that changes is unreal and whatever doesn't change is real. 2. Vairagya (Dispassion): The second qualification to gain spiritual wisdom is to have vairagya (dispassion), once the first qualification (ability to discrimination between real and unreal) is gained, dispassion automatically follows it. Dispassions is not droping things in life it is just droping the feverishness to gain or get rid of something. It is simply going beyond craving and aversion. 3. shat Sampatti (Six Wealth): The third qualification to gain spiritual wisdom is to have what is called shat Sampatti (...

As the part of tradition, we have been celebrating different festivals, following different rituals and sometime our intellectual mind doesn't agree following these age old traditions and ask what is the meaning behind all this and at that time the only what can quench our intellectual thirst is somebody wise de-codify the deep meaning behind these rituals and restore the faith. The following talk by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spiritual Master from India whom millions of people around the world revere as Guru, has helped  to understand the meaning the traditions of navaratri and elaborate pooja performed during these nine days. I hope you also enjoy this. :-) DEVI MAHATMYAM ‘The Glory of Divine Mother’  A portion of the Markendeya Purana is called Chandi or Devi Mahatmya. It is also called Sri Durga Saptasati, which means 700 verses to Sri Durga. These sacred verses are recited during Navaratri, Durga Puja and chanted during the Chandi Homa. It extols the...

There is ever increasing movement waking up in India, my love against the corruption. People are just fed-up with the system, whether political leaders, bureaucrats, babus, officials and it seems this poison is rotting and eating every fibers of humanity. This problem does not only limit to the boundary of India, it pervades beyond boundaries and it pervades in the limitless mind. Cleaning the system, putting strong laws, checks and balances are necessary to run the system efficiently in just yet it is also equally important to clean up the mind and habits of people who are going to run that system. Now who are those people, it's me myself, you and all other people who are there in the system. Because we altogether make the society. Definitely higher the position one hold, higher the moral standards one need to live because of their higher positions one get the ability to influences other people lives to greater extents. Yet it's applicable to all. Reading an article in T...

Many people suffer from the sleep disorders including; not able to sleep on time and get up on time, to feeling sleepy during work, to being night owl or insomnia. This adversely affect their work, relationship as well as confidence and self respect at large. Many of us make resolution about getting up early and may end up breaking it right next morning and then being frustrated about this; while for some it has gone to an extent that they have given up the hope that they can wake up before sun rise. Though we have heard many benefits for early risers including physical, mental, emotional and of course material benefits as well. But how to strike it is the key. Lets understand some of the science behind it. Our mind body complex work in rhythm in accordance to external stimulus like light and we create our biological clock which is known as circadian rhythm . Here is the pictorial representation of normal 24 hr cycle of physiological activity. Now if you closely look into this picture ...

Just read these lines again as again. As I read these line my heart is full , throat is choked and eyes are wet. If a devotee has to express his love for his Master, perhaps so elegant words are rare to find in this universe. Sri Tulsi Das has put them in Sri Ram charit Manas (Bal kand/first canto) बंन्देउ गुरुपद परम परागा , सुरुचि सुवास सरस अनुरागा अमीय मुरीमय चूरन चारू , समन सकल भव रज परिवारू || १ || सुकृति शम्भुतन बिमल विभूति , मंजुल मंगल मोद प्रसुती जनमन मंजू मुकुर मल हरनि , किये तिलक गुण गन बस करनी || २ || Bandeu Gurupad Param Paraga, Suruchi Suwar saras anuraga | Ameeya murimaya churan charu, Saman Sakal bhav raj pariwaru || 1 || Sukruti Shambhutana vimal vibhuti, Manjul mangal mod prasuti | Janamana manju mukur mal harni, kiye tilak gun gan bas karni || 2 || मैं गुरु महाराज जी की चरण कमलों की धुल का वंदन करता हूँ जोकि सुख, सुगंध तथा अनुराग रूपी रस से पूर्ण है | वह अमरु मूल (संजीवनी जड़ी) का सुन्दर चूर्ण है, जो संपूर्ण रोगों के परिवार को नाश करन...

Have you ever noticed whenever you are happy, how is your energy level 'high' while on contrary whenever you are sad your energy level is 'low'. Or sometime even when things are alright and normal you don't feel all good and you feel something inside you is sinking. What is that something is sinking and cause a up moods, its nothing but the life force energy moving up ward or downward. Whether it's blame, sadness, loss, bad health or criticism we feel low while when we win, gain or received appreciation and recognition we feel uplifted. Its just a play of energy which is taking us on this ride of mood swings. What we can do to keep in under control, start working on the basics of life. What basics which keep our life force energy uplifted and high. Keep a check of things which are the source of energy, namely food, rest, spiritual practices, good company, a inspiring read. Food: Take good nutritious food on time. Specially at least one serving of vegetable, spro...

It's always been valuable to know what is worth knowing or otherwise we might end up wasting lots of time asking useless questions. Some says it's worth while to know from where this universe came into existence? Who is the creator of this universe? What will happen in 2012? ;-) etc etc. Here is where I will start, say you got a machine say new computer and according to manual it can run on 110 volt and suppose you plug it into a source of 220 volt or 440 volt what will happen? you know, you might end up blowing it up? And also say you got a calculator and you expect it to heat your food? how stupid it would be! Means in nutshell, it's very important to make the best use of anything, you must know what it can take and what is its capacity or potential to deliver. Isn't it? Taking this simple analogy to our life what immediately becomes important to know what our system can take? What is it made up of? What is our potential? Knowing these basic things only we would be ab...

Silence-generally when something goes wrong we observe silence, may be we have an argument or fight then we keep quiet and don't talk. May be we want to talk much more than usual but we keep our lips tight. This silence has no meaning as it is just a physical silence but their is no silence inside rather there might be more activity, restlessness inside, isn't it! The true sense silence is so soothing, so peaceful, silence is so awakening and its so energizing, its so beautiful and it sharpens our focus, it enhances our observation, it accelerate our speed, it creates a sense of rest, it gives depth to perception and it improves our expression, it gives us peace, it gives us space and time. Silence is so powerful and LOUD and Silence is silent yet silence speaks so much. All the best moments whether love, joy or peace whether the presence of your loved one or a view of scenic place or tasting a yummy delicacy or smelling a sense locking fragrance from roses or ev...

Here are few more Q & A with Swami ji: Q. What is consciousness? A. Everything is consciousness! Whether you can see it or not, feel it or not! Q. What is the purpose of my life? A. On this question, Swami ji asked the participant to pat himself and said congratulate to yourself that mind is opening up and going beyond the day to day life, my job, my family, prestige etc. Then he said I will tell you three things in reference to this question: i. One who know will never tell you the answer. ii. Those who are telling don't know the answer. iii. Keep asking your question and whatever answer comes keep putting them in trash and one day you will get the answer to this question :-) Q. Who am I? A. Again for this question Swami ji asked the participant to congratulate himself and he said again follow the three things I told you in answer before. i. One who know will never tell you the answer. ii. Those who are telling don't know the answer. iii. Keep asking your question and what...

Swami Pragyapad, one of the senior most teacher in Art of Living Foundation came to Pittsburgh on his 4 days visit to Pittsburgh and what an amazing wave of knowledge & Wisdom soaked in peace and humor took over the city. As soon as Swami ji landed, he was straight drove to a strong gathering of more than 200 people for Health & Happiness Workshop. This was an awesome experience for the Participants and for the media also that a Swami teaching a workshop about well-being of life in a CHURCH (the First United Methodist Church of Pittsburgh). Swami ji gave the secrets of healthy life and happy and peaceful mind. He taught 'subtle Yoga' and this is amazing you can do it any where in your office, during flight or watching TV which is so helpful in today's fast life and can relax your body. (you got to learn it, its just amazing :-)). Swami ji taught the Art of Living course for around 70 people and that was just awesome and he also visited SV Temple and Hindu Jain Tem...

This is 100th post on this blog and I was just thinking about what we should pursue here as the blog reader are increasing and I am increasingly getting overwhelming responses on the diverse posts we are putting on the blog. We will be bringing more post which will help to introspect the deeper level of understanding in life. One of the subtle dimension which is the central force of the whole universe is MIND. We all know that we have mind yet we have not seen it with naked eyes and as you are reading these lines some part of yours telling you YES, this is true!; that YES is coming from the mind. Isn't it! We have not seen the mind yet we have experience this subtle field of bio-magnetic energy (why am I calling it bio-magnetic, I will come on it later) called Mind. This itself is enough to give us realization whatever we can't see is not necessarily false or non-existential or on contrary whatever we seen is not necessarily true and existential. Isn't it! This can also hel...

I think 30 years of selfless service has not attracted the eye of our media as much as a bullet. Ironically, the victim had to justify why the bullet was found close to him! A Swami is expected to remain silent irrespective of the seriousness of offense against him whereas strong voices of support are heard for terrorists and anti-social elements. Corrupt officials are not condemned and the society’s silence implies it is fine with them. ‘Swami’, a title much revered in India in the past only raises eyebrows in suspicion now. Swamis and Sadhus were respected for dedicating and sacrificing their lives for society and now they are being condemned. This shows the unfortunate deterioration of the Indian culture. Is it not a systematic psychological warfare against Swamis? We also see a section of the media in our country jumping to hasty conclusions especially in matters concerning swamis and spirituality. ‘You have the right to remain silent...’ is usually a warning given t...