Wait, I'm Giving!

The most of the Gods, the mudra in which right hand is up near right solder fingers pointing upward and left is down near waist, and generally there is something flowing out of left hand. look this beautiful lord Ganesha picture...

In Narad bhakti sutra Gurudava explained this mudra very beautifully, he says Upper hand's mudra depicting “Wait, don’t be impatient” and lower hand is saying “I’m giving na!”. God says "Wait I'm giving". Here is an experience of my last two birthday's :-), enjoy...

June last year, I went to Banglore Ashram, two days before a program that I had to attend, to celebrate my birthday with Gurudev :-). I reached ashram on 15th, did my morning sadhana on 16th morning, dressed myself with a nicely washed and pressed Lucknow chiken kurta-paijama and reached the secretariat office (Kashchapa in front of Vishalakshi Mandap in Ashram) . Full of expectation, I sent an appointment request through Shabnam in secretariat “Guruji it’s my birthday today and I just want to be with you for sometime”. With a thought that I should get it (after all I’m a full time teacher doing so much service :-)), I was in waiting queue with other few 5-6 people on the pathway to Ganga kutir in Ashram. As my waiting had a touch of impatience into it, every time someone comes down from the pathway to the Kutir, I use to look at them with a hope. My hope started turning into disappointment as someone else use to get the call. This continued for around two hours and cumulative sum of disappointment was beyond my capacity :-).

With mind already started grumbling I went back to my room. Birthday celebration in evening satsang looked usual to me as many people went on the stage myself and Ujjal (another fulltime teacher who also has his birthday on the same day). Guruji did not even paid much attention and it went just like that :-). I started my next day applied my part-I course point (You can guess which one I should have applied :-)) , evening my mind got real clarity when Guruji shared in the satsang that “Agar main tum ko laat bhee maru aur tum phir bhee vaapas aao to tume Guru ke paas aana aya” (Even if you feel that I insulting you, I’m treating you badly and you still you come back to me, them only you have learn to come back to Guru).

This year June, I again happen to be in Ashram for an Advance and SriSri Yoga Teachers Training Course did not have any expectations or desire whatsoever on my birthday. I came to know that Guruji is meeting people in Badri Vishala in afternoon, I went in darshan line, had a very good darshan and little chat with Guruji. Shardaji from back shouted "Guruji, its Anurag’s and Ujjal’s birthday today". “Oh yes yes, we will celebrate.” Said Guruji. As Guruji prompted that, secretariat people allowed us to be I Ganga kutir with Guruji after darshan.
Few of us got to spend around few hours in Ganga kutir in His presence and you ask anyone who had experienced this, it is a lifetime experience. In the evening satsang, he pointed me and Ujjal in “Ha ha both of you come…”. And after cake cutting a group of teachers with us moved to the Ashram canteen for further celebration. And end of it, I was thinking this somewhat I desired last year and now I’m getting exactly in the same way. As I was thinking this, Abhishek a teacher from Rajasthan came running to me and said that Guruji has sent a message for you that he will you birthday gift tomorrow. Icing on the cake, more than what I expected. Next day more time with Him in kutir. He asked “Tumhari Jaroorat kaya hai” (What do you need?)”. Word came out of my mouth, “Guruji meri jaroorat to app hi ho” (You are my one and only need). He said “Oh mai to huin he naa…”, he came out with two kurtas. One for me and one for Ujjal. “Will it fit you?”. And this Kurta is made for my fitting, I love it!

And I was remebering "Wait I'm giving na..."
Love, Anurag

Republic Day @ Srisri Seva Mandir Indirapuram

In late 90s many construction companies started their projects in Indirapuram area on Ghaziabad-Noida border. Labor for this construction work were migrants from the state of Bihar, West Bangal, Orrisa, MP etc. These families moved here and were living (and lot of them are still living) in poor hygiene conditions with no education facilities. In 2002 a team of volunteers lead by Monika started a school in the slums of Indrapuram just behind Shipra Sun City.

The small step...

This is where it all started in 2002, in a small juggi with 30 children from these slums. School is one project which needs consistent commitment (at least from the teachers). Administration, financial support etc can be voluntary. Some full-time teachers joined in and organization like Cadence Design Systems, Asha Munich Chapter started supporting the projects.

The team at work...

Last few years, a team of Art of Living volunteers of Indirapuram and Noida-62 area lead by teachers Rajendra and Sonia ji are nurturing these plants.



It gave me immense satisfaction to be the part of this republic day celebration with around 170 students, 5 teachers and a team of motivated volunteer at SriSri Tapovan Seva mandir Indirapuram.


When the seeds of good deed are sowed and nurtured with the spirit of sewa, the beautiful flowers blossoms as result.




Many such schools are needed!!!

Why can't you be the part of another such inspiring script...

With Love
Anurag

Gurudev's Chhattisgarh Visit: Last

After blissful rain-satang in Bilaspur next morning Gurudev flown in his chopper to Devi temple in dongergarh and Rajnandgaon thereafter. Missing on twice his chance to fly with Gurudev, Jigish bhai finally got a chance to be with Gurudev in chopper. We joined Gurudev in Rajnandgaon and missed on Rajnandgaon satsang as we reached at 3:30PM by car. Guruji was playing (hide and seek) in chappan bhog party (56 dishes prepared by Rajnandgaon devotees) surrounded by devotees, everyone was impatient (to the extend of my annoyance) to get prasadam from his hands. Even volunteer placed to manage the crowd was first to bend down and touch his feet so it was all chaotic rush around him. A car rally moved from Rajnangaon to Bhilai, every few kilometers there were devotees waiting for getting a glimpse of the master and offer flowers.

A ten minuet break in Bhilia Steel Plant Hotel before Gurudev had to move for a corporate talk. As people were throwing flowers on him, I thought it’s a good we should remove those flower petals from his hairs. We could remove only few as he asked to move for the meeting. He unsnarled his hairs little bit and moved out with the comb in his hand. 500-600 odd corporate people in meeting, he stood up in his usual graceful style and said “I’ll talk to you while detangling my hairs, when bal(hairs) get longer (bigger) they get entangle and that is when the comb is needed, same is with bal(child) also when they get entangle the comb of knowledge is required”. What’s an opening of a talk!

First time I was playing the secretary of Gurudev in this talk (as he asked me to carry his black bag and asana) once this thought crossed my mind in Ashram, how lucky are these people who get do this for Guruji. I was very attentively sitting in one corner of the stage for a moment I remembered what Bhanu didi said in last TRM “THERE ARE NO PRIVATE THOUGHTS IN HIS NETWORK”.

Few of the sutras that Guruji shared in this corporate meeting “MnM i.e. Meal and Meditation for better corporate productivity, less acidic and healthy meal and daily meditation”. He said “Get out of seam (personal likes and dislikes that we develop with time), get into team and take social corporate responsibility”. “What kind of joiners you like in your organization? One who always praises you and does buttering or the one who speaks with courage what is right and beneficial from the team?”

Healthy Meal

and Meditation

“Greed, Jealousy and arrogance, these three things creeping in an organization causes the decay of the organization. That is when Guru is needed who can make everyone sit together on one platform and have a dialog”.

Complete collection on chhattisgarh visit stories is on http://anuragarora.blogspot.com/ !

Love,

Anurag

Gurudev's chhattisgarh visit: Part III

Bilaspur satsang was really one of its kinds. Guruji was supposed to fly from Jagdalpur to Ambikapur for a 2 hour program and from Ambikapur to Bilaspur for a satsang at 6 in evening. It was raining heavily in all three districts Jagdalpur, Ambikapur and Bilaspur. So his helicopter could not fly because of really bad weather. He cancelled Ambikapur satsang and decided to go ahead with Bilaspur. Jagdalpur to Bilaspur is 8-9 hours by road. Guruji traveled by car to Raipur and by train from Raipur to Bilaspur. On his way from Raipur to Bilaspur in train he decided to go and meet people. People playing cards, eating their food, chit-chatting got surprise of their life by seeing Guruji coming and seeing them.
Three hours before satsang the ground was in deep water, organizers used waters pumps to drain the water out of the ground. We reached satsang ground at 7:30PM and it was an amazing site, around 5000 people with their umbrellas and rain coats on, dancing and eagerly waiting for the master. The backdrop all made of thermocol holograms and a beautiful and ramp was all under water. Somehow I managed to take few pictures it’s not very clear but may give you some idea.

People singing and dancing with their umbrellas and rain coats on!!!
Guruji arrived at around 8:30PM straight from 9 hours of journey by road and by train. The whole environment got electrifying and straight away he was on ramp, more enthusiastic and charged up then anyone else on the ground. Most of the time Guruji was dancing, singing, playing all in rain. Everyone on the ground was dancing and waiting a glimpse from him. He said I’ve done thousands of satsangs but this one is special. It was raining heavily in whole duration of satsang.
People of Chhattisgarh were praying for rains from long time as rice crop was getting affected. During his visit in almost every district in rained heavily. Both water and grace was pouring all over Chhattisgarh.

With Love,
Anurag

Gududev's Chhattisgarh Visit: Part I

No posting from last 4-5 days as traveling with Guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji is living life at very-very fast pace. You doesn’t get time for anything other then being with pace and flow of events. 1400-1500 kms on road visit to 5 districts, 5 mega satsangs, and youth meets, corporate meets, local volunteer and teacher meets. Next few posting I'll be sharing knowledge and social issues he talked about in satsang gatherings, amazing stories, Life time experiences with Guruji, and pictures etc.

Being with him gives you a glimpse on how he operates, broadness of his vision and simplicity of living. Dynamism in action, swiftness in moment he is One Man Army. In almost every satsang Guruji openly invited Naxalite leaders for a dialog and achieve their goals with peace and not with violence and killing innocent people. He said whatever their motive is, it can be achieved with non-violance. He mentioned that there are states where development is happening even in remote village without naxal violence. Guruji said “These people are not bad people; they are actually courageous people living in deep forests and doing tapas. It’s not easy to live their life. I understand the pain of their heart. I need such courageous youths for the development of this country”.

“I have come here to remind you that God exists and he/she/it listen to you and take care of you, you forget this, which is why I need to come to remind you”.

He talked about household cleanliness, a lot on seva, Voting and corruption in politics, Acidic and alkaline food etc so stay tuned as more postings are on its way…

With Love,
Anurag