Aug 3
For 7 years, every week Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) used to send out a page of Knowledge to be read out and discussed at the satsangs happening all over the world. He used to call it the Knowledge fax … This was before email became popular enough for everyone to use 
Every week we waited eagerly for what Guruji would say through these Knowledge Sheets, many times we would be with Him while He dictated them out and we compiled them. The atmosphere would always be full of wisdom coupled with big doses of mirth. And the Knowledge sheets themselves are always profound, sometimes quite funny…
Dinesh and i decided to do a commentary on them, reliving those precious moments spent with Guruji, reading them out for you and peppering them with stories and examples of how this Knowledge from Him has come alive for us in our lives.
Re reading them now, after so many years of Sadhana, Seva and Satsang has made us realise just how beautiful and precious these words from Him are … We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves making these videos, we know you will love watching them too.
Knowledge sheet no. 20
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa n dinesh
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Jul 26
For 7 years, every week Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) used to send out a page of Knowledge to be read out and discussed at the satsangs happening all over the world. He used to call it the Knowledge fax … This was before email became popular enough for everyone to use
Every week we waited eagerly for what Guruji would say through these Knowledge Sheets, many times we would be with Him while He dictated them out and we compiled them. The atmosphere would always be full of wisdom coupled with big doses of mirth. And the Knowledge sheets themselves are always profound, sometimes quite funny…
Dinesh and i decided to do a commentary on them, reliving those precious moments spent with Guruji, reading them out for you and peppering them with stories and examples of how this Knowledge from Him has come alive for us in our lives.
Re reading them now, after so many years of Sadhana, Seva and Satsang has made us realise just how beautiful and precious these words from Him are … We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves making these videos, we know you will love watching them too.
Knowledge sheet no. 19
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa n dinesh
Jul 22
Knowledge from Arosa
Guruji spoke at length two times a day on the 6th chapter of the Bhagavad Geeta, for almost an entire week.There were many stories, deep wisdom and much mirth. I have just written out the essence of what He said of what struck me… When the dvds come out for this set of discourses, please get them and listen to them again and again…
Chapter 6 of the Bhagavad Geeta
Krishna says One who acts without expecting fruit of action is a Yogi.
There are two attitudes while performing any action, one is to perform it expecting joy out of it, the other doing it as an expression of joy.
A Yogi is one whose actions are expressions of joy.
You care about the result, that is why you are performing the action, but you are not dependent on the result to give you joy. An action is fruitful in both cases, an action giving adverse result can help you in improving or enhancing some skills in yourself, while if result is of your choice it gives you satisfaction.
Intentions or sankalpas keep coming in our mind. This is natural. But holding on to them does not let us rest. Before sleeping you anyways drop all sankalpas, only then can you rest. To do this while awake is to have wakeful rest.
How to Meditate?
Sit comfortably to meditate.
The Golden Principals of meditation (wakeful rest) are:
For the next few minutes:
I want nothing
I will do nothing
I am nothing
This is mental renunciation, running away from the world does not make one a Yogi. Even a small desire, like i want a glass of water will not allow you to meditate. So just for a few minutes you say, i want nothing. Later you can have all the wants again. For now, for a few minutes, I want nothing.
For the one for whom the journey on the spiritual path has just begun, effort is the way. For example- If I have to take a train, I have to go to the station, buy a ticket, and sit in the right seat. This much action is needed. But once on the seat you need to relax, knowing that the train will take you where you need to go. Running around in the train will not help you get to where you need to get to any faster. Not catching the train in the first place is another mistake.
Generally people either do nothing right in the beginning or they don’t relax later, they don’t know when to stop doing.
Effort is required to do Pranayam and then effortlessly meditation happens. Once i have done my pranayamas, i will do nothing. Like when you are getting massaged, there is nothing for you to do. Just be there and the massage happens. Similarly do nothing (after doing your pranayamas, etc) and meditation will happen.
A person who feels he is someone cannot meditate. If you feel you are the greatest, you are rich or poor, you are useless or stupid. meditation will not happen. Let go of whatever identity you have. You are nothing. Just relax. Then meditation happens spontaneously and effortlessly.
What are the advantages of meditation?
Meditation purifies you removes toxins from the body, by wiping the past impressions. Otherwise life is only seen through glasses of the past. Eg if one servant stole something, you start thinking every servant is a thief. Yoga cleanses both the body and mind.
Meditation frees you from sorrow. From the childhood you keeps crying for one thing or other. When you are a child it’s a toy. Then as you grow it’s for friends, later for grades and jobs, then for partner… It is never ending. Meditation frees you from this.
Meditation brings skill in action and improves perception. Yoga takes you from being most unlucky to most lucky. Most unlucky is one who’s desires never get fulfilled. Luckier is one who desires and after sometime they get fulfilled. Luckier is one who desires and those desires immediately gets fulfilled, but luckiest is the one who even before he desires, finds that everything has already been provided. Regular consistent meditation will take you to this place.
Also meditation makes you become compassionate, get siddhis, enhances immunity, improves voice, makes you shine.
Meditation elevates the conscious mind.
Meditation brings success in ones endeavors, skill in action and happiness in ones being.
Love and Happiness are given as a gift to you. Its a gift for the merits you have earned. Merits are earned through good gestures, seva. This is the reason why charity has been an integral part of our tradition.
Make your mind your friend.
Your mind can be your friend or enemy. If mind is bombarded with multiple impressions it becomes your enemy. It is the mind which perceives through the senses. It is not the ears that hear, it’s the mind that hears through the ears. Similarly with the other senses.
Inward journey is Yoga, outward is Bhoga. Unless inward journey is taken you cannot even enjoy the outward. Nothing appeals to you. When union with inner being happens, mind becomes your friend, otherwise it will be your greatest enemy.
If the water is still, a clear reflection can be seen. In a mind that is still, the universal mind reflects. Then you are anchored within and the opposites do not touch you.
“Save the mind at any cost” is the message of the Bhagvad Geetha.
Don’t hate the sinner, hate the Sin. A yogi sees everyone with the same perception. Every one is playing an outer role inside they are same. For the director of a movie, hero and villain are exactly the same.
Focusing on the being gives inner strength.
Qualities of a Yogi.
A yogi is moderate in activity and rest. Every baby is a yogi. And every Yogi is a baby. He is united with the universal spirit.
Anyone who is an expert will not get perturbed or disturbed in his area of expertise. A chef in a kitchen will move with ease and grace while cooking. Never clumsy or careless.
A Yogi moves with ease through life. He is graceful doing anything, because he has attained proficiency at the root of everything. He feels at home everywhere. His intuition works. This is the spiritual connection. Having attained this there is nothing else the yogi wants to gain in life. He will not worry or feel feverish about getting more. Problems don’t move him who has attained the highest.
When he gets things or loses somethings he is not affected. A yogi does not get blown away by fleeting moments because he realizes all is maya, illusion.
Never rely on emotions. They are momentary. No one cares about them. Base life on wisdom, on that which is not changing. Hook onto that which does not change.
Some good comes out of every mistake. Greatest endurance (tapasya) is tolerating stupidity. Your patience increases by enduring stupidity. While dealing with stupid people your communication improves. You either become frustrated or gain patience.
That which you reject, you feel is not a part of you. And that you appreciate you feel is a part of you.
Yogi is one who see’s every one as one self. You don’t want any one to think bad about you, similarly why would any one want you to feel bad about them. Such a yogi who wants to live happily and wants every one to be happy is the best.
Mind Matters!
You cannot control wind you can only predict it, the mind is like that, so what should you do? How can you make your mind your friend?
By dispassion and practice.
Mind goes towards pleasure- how long can you see something? How much can you eat? How much music can you listen to? How much sex can you have? How much money, fame or power can you have? None of these outside things give you great pleasure.
Capacity to experience through senses is very limited, but the desire to enjoy is unlimited. The way out is Vairagya or dispassion. (Raga is craving and Vairagya means I am satisfied).
You need to cleanse the system and remove negative thoughts. For the intellect Knowledge and wisdom is needed, for emotions it is music and for the body ayurveda and some massage.
Anyone who does anything good will never suffer. As much good as you have done that much you will enjoy. If one doesn’t find perfection now he enjoys a comfortable position in the other world and is reborn in a well to do family or in a yogi’s family. Our karmas take us in those direction and at some point of time those impressions will carry them to finish the journey. There are many life times. Sadhana is the real currency!
Greatest role one can take is that of a yogi. He is better than someone who does a lot of work. Yogi is higher than a wise man, an ascetic or a scholar. A yogi knows intuitively, in his vibration there is love. With faith if you understand this, you are the greatest.
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa
ps the above was compiled through notes that Vasudha took. I have taken the liberty of adding a bit of my own language and examples to make it more readable
Jul 19
Freedom and Discipline
For 7 years, every week Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) used to send out a page of Knowledge to be read out and discussed at the satsangs happening all over the world. He used to call it the Knowledge fax … This was before email became popular enough for everyone to use
Every week we waited eagerly for what Guruji would say through these Knowledge Sheets, many times we would be with Him while He dictated them out and we compiled them. The atmosphere would always be full of wisdom coupled with big doses of mirth. And the Knowledge sheets themselves are always profound, sometimes quite funny…
Dinesh and i decided to do a commentary on them, reliving those precious moments spent with Guruji, reading them out for you and peppering them with stories and examples of how this Knowledge from Him has come alive for us in our lives.
Re reading them now, after so many years of Sadhana, Seva and Satsang has made us realise just how beautiful and precious these words from Him are … We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves making these videos, we know you will love watching them too.
Knowledge sheet no. 18
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa n dinesh
Jul 15
Weisshorn
One evening in Satsang, Guruji announced that He would take all of us up to the highest peak in the area, the Weisshorn the next day in the afternoon. We would go to the peak first and then do the Geeta class. That night the organizers told Guruji that there was a storm and snow warning for the next day and that it would be difficult, possibly dangerous to go to the peak. Guruji just told them to relax and make all arrangements for the trip to happen…
The next morning, there was a heavy ominous fog and it was snowing.
A foggy gloomy day
The weather was still inclement as we went to the town hall for the Geeta class. Guruji told everyone that we will first do the Geeta class. After His discourse, the weather was still hostile. We could see from the tall windows. He just asked everyone to close their eyes and lead us into the usual deep meditation. We must have meditated an hour or so… When we opened our eyes, the sun was shining cheerily through the windows, the snow had totally stopped and the clouds had cleared away!
Many people piled into cars and drove up a steep mountain road, while some braver ones (like us) walked. We even did a bit of cross country up the mountain.
Some people walked part of the way before hopping into cars
From there, it was a gondola which took us up right into the peak of the Weisshorn almost 1000 m above Arosa. A gondola is not a boat. It’s just a big bus compartment, from which they have removed the wheels and stuck a thing on the top which is on a sort of a ski lift/cable car.
A gondola
The snow had not melted up on the Weisshorn, and it was soft and thick and a winter wonderland awaited us. Guruji was in His element. He started a few snowball fights, took photos with everyone. I was wrapped up well to protect against the cold and He pooh-poohed me and said how much warm clothes you are wearing! He threw a snowball at me which just took away the cold and i was content with just a shawl and after playing and running and rolling in the snow for a bit, got rid of that as well!
Me and Dinesh on the Weisshorn all shawled and jacketed...
The snowball
Not feeling cold any more!
Mom’s leg was hurting and He just held her for a few minutes and her pain went away… and she actually forgot her age completely and she too rolled in the snow down a small incline.
Mom, Farida Aunty (her best friend) and Guruji
Guruji and us at the Weisshorn
We made a snowman, some snow angels, took even more photos, rolled down a small hill, rolled down again for videos and photos, you get the picture … All too soon it was time to return back for Satsang.
Wonder what he is doing ...
Later in the night, I asked Guruji that there had been a storm warning, how had He been so sure that it would be clear? He laughed and said the storm can wait… my devotees cannot!
That night there was a snow storm and when we woke up the next morning, everything was a pristine soft white…
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa
ps i can’t find the videos of us rolling in the snow, when i find them, i will put them up here
Jul 12
The Only Thing You Must Remember
For 7 years, every week Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) used to send out a page of Knowledge to be read out and discussed at the satsangs happening all over the world. He used to call it the Knowledge fax … This was before email became popular enough for everyone to use
Every week we waited eagerly for what Guruji would say through these Knowledge Sheets, many times we would be with Him while He dictated them out and we compiled them. The atmosphere would always be full of wisdom coupled with big doses of mirth. And the Knowledge sheets themselves are always profound, sometimes quite funny…
Dinesh and i decided to do a commentary on them, reliving those precious moments spent with Guruji, reading them out for you and peppering them with stories and examples of how this Knowledge from Him has come alive for us in our lives.
Re reading them now, after so many years of Sadhana, Seva and Satsang has made us realise just how beautiful and precious these words from Him are … We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves making these videos, we know you will love watching them too.
Knowledge sheet no. 17
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa n dinesh
Jul 9
A Time to go Inwards
Guruji has indicated that the next few months, upto around the middle of October are not so good and He has advised that we keep three things in mind
1. No adventure trips at all. No trekking, rafting, mountain climbing, etc
2. Cut down on partying and night outs
3. Drive slowly, carefully and don’t leave your house till you have finished your Sadhana
For these few weeks, please be more sattwic, eat at home more, not outside as much as possible…
What i see in this, is it’s an opportunity for all of us to go more inwards. Clean up our life and start up some really good habits.Do all your Sadhana, Surya Namaskars, Padma Sadhana, Sudarshan Kriya, Sahaj. Also do chanting, Om Namah Shivaya and the Guru Pooja if you know it.
Start to read the Bhagavad Geeta and the Yoga Vasishtha … You know you have been wanting to do it, instead of that trek, sit home and read these books. Doesn’t matter if you don’t understand or it is too deep for you, just reading will open something up in you… Read these books just after meditation.
Go Inwards.
Be safe…
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa
Jul 8
Katja, Christoph, Werner, Neringa, Jaya, Tatiana, Bruno, Urmilla and Aberhard, Tina, Spencer … so many more from the European team were there and they all welcomed us and took such care of us, even pampered us It was perfect.
Tina, Spencer, me and Andreas
The Kulm is a 4 star Hotel and the volunteers of Art of Living were running every service. From the kitchen and dining to the laundry, even the spa. And they were doing it with a staff of about 30-40 people!
Neringa was the over all coordinator for the course and she did a fabulous job!!
Andreas from Norway more or less adopted us. He is Rashmin’s student and had heard of me and dinesh and he did all he could to spend more and more time with us. He worked in the kitchen and so apart from the terrific food that was anyways served, we would go and cook up even more stuff every now and then.
Dinesh, me and Andreas on one of our walks
He really took care of us. And Arosa was even more fun because he was around
The Advance Course of Arosa was very different. We started with Yoga early in the morning and then had a fantastic breakfast. Croissants, pumpernickel bread, whole wheat bread, a variety of cereals, juices, 2-3 different types of flavoured butter and super delicious swiss cheese… What a spread!
Then everyone did some Seva or went for a walk in the mountains. From the second day, Guruji went for a walk with groups of people. Then at around 11:00 am we all assembled for a Geeta talk with Guruji in the town hall, the only hall big enough to have all of us comfortably seated. Guruji would talk at length on the selected Shlokas for that session and then lead us into deep, deep meditation after some pranayama.
We would walk or bus back to our respective hotels to a scrumptious lunch which would have some European food and some Indian food along with 2-3 different types of desserts and some of the most amazing fruit flavoured lassi i have ever tasted.
Lunch!!
After that meal, it would be time to rest for a bit, have a session of hollow and empty and then we would start off for an early satsang, all of us usually walking from the hotel down to the town hall with Guruji in the lead. There would be just a few bhajans beautifully sung after which Guruji would resume His talk on the Geeta. He would take a few questions from the audience every evening, and lead us into meditation again. The evening takes a long time to fade into night and even when we would finish Satsang at about 9:30 pm, it would still be light. Most people would then bus back to their hotels for a brilliant dinner.
Satsang
Many people would sit in the lobby around the fire, or just hang around for some time after dinner before heading for bed. I had found a piano and would play every evening for a few people who would find me. Guruji would be meeting groups of people almost throughout the day. He would also take tours of the hotel, going into the kitchens and dining areas and seeing to it that everything was running smoothly and more importantly that everyone was happy.
Bruno and Tatiana were in charge of the Western Kitchen...
...while Sundar Mama did the magic with all the Indian Food
By now, you will have guessed with all those walks and food and time with Guruji, that there was no Silence on this Advance course. Yet, the depth of meditation and the sparkling wisdom of Guruji was as if we had been in Silence for a few weeks! I have said it myself many times, it’s not the techniques, it’s the Grace, the power and shakti of the Guru that makes things work in Art of Living. Once again, i was privileged to see this in action.
Guruji
This was really an Advanced Course!
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa
Jul 5
For 7 years, every week Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) used to send out a page of Knowledge to be read out and discussed at the satsangs happening all over the world. He used to call it the Knowledge fax … This was before email became popular enough for everyone to use
Every week we waited eagerly for what Guruji would say through these Knowledge Sheets, many times we would be with Him while He dictated them out and we compiled them. The atmosphere would always be full of wisdom coupled with big doses of mirth. And the Knowledge sheets themselves are always profound, sometimes quite funny…
Dinesh and i decided to do a commentary on them, reliving those precious moments spent with Guruji, reading them out for you and peppering them with stories and examples of how this Knowledge from Him has come alive for us in our lives.
Re reading them now, after so many years of Sadhana, Seva and Satsang has made us realise just how beautiful and precious these words from Him are … We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves making these videos, we know you will love watching them too.
Knowledge sheet no. 16
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa n dinesh
Jul 2
Arosa Arrival
Arosa - Tram Train
We entered the lobby of the Kulm Hotel, and many, many friendly faces gave us welcoming smiles and yells of Jai Gurudev! and we felt we had come home. On the top of a mountain in the Swiss Alps, here was an oasis of Sattwa.
Satsang had just got over and Guruji had gone back to His room. We checked in and were shown to our beautiful, comfortable rooms. Dinesh and i were in the Kulm on the floor just below Guruji’s and Vishwas and Nikhil were just down the road in another Hotle called the Club Robinson. We freshened up a bit and went up to Guruji’s room to see Him.
I had not been in His physical presence for quite some time and even after being with Him for 19 years now, my heart was still racing as we stole into His room for our first darshan with Him in 3 months. Seeing Him smiling His twinkling smile of greeting made me feel so nice… He nodded us gently out of the room, saying go rest…
Went back to our room, and I had a bath, a long one, and went to bed.
The morning was fresh and cold. It had snowed a bit during the night and there was a delicate silence in the air.
Early Morning (see i do wake up early!) Fog
There was a perky fog, which was clearing up and after we finished our Sadhana had gone completely leaving a clear bright sky and mountainsides with patches of snow.
We had arrived a day before the scheduled arrival date and went around the hotel for a bit, getting to know what was where and who was in charge before eating a hearty breakfast. The whole day people trickled in and dinesh and i were quite busy helping people settle in, sneaking in a few walks and spending some time with Guruji who was absolutely resplendent… Lunch, dinner and Satsang came and went. Tomorrow the Advance course would begin with the Bhagavad Geeta discourses.
(Our) Room with a View
Arosa awaited us. And so did much Knowledge, laughter, Wisdom and deep meditation…
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa
