The journey from head to heart is just a few inches, but it is quite a journey!
I was giving my entrance exams for IIT. I had studied enough, knew most things I needed to know, but the morning of the exam, I had a terrible headache.
Dad had learnt some touch healing, spiritual thingie and so far I had steered clear of it, but that morning I thought why not?! And asked him to help relax me.
He did. And my headache and tiredness vanished and I had a great exam, got into IIT for post graduate studies in maths… But more importantly, for a 20 year old who thought he knew everything – a certain faith in the Unknown and Unknowable was ignited.
I underwent a few courses and self development seminars, but always felt there was something missing, something not all there… Until a good friend of mine bulldozed me into an Art of Living course.
(phone rings)
Me: Hi!
Shamal: Hey, what you doing over the weekend?
Me: Nothing much really…
Shamal: There is this course on breathing…
Me: C’mon Shamal, breathing is boring!
Shamal: Look, I don’t have time to talk to you, I have to call hundreds of other people. Just see to it that you are there or else…
Me: ok, ok, will come… How much does it cost?
Shamal: Tere ko kya farak padta hai, tera baap bharega!
Me: Riiiiight ☺
And that was my introduction to the rest of my Life. I didn’t even know the name of the course I had enrolled for! ☺
The Art of Living course was amazing. To experience a state of consciousness, a reality unlike any that I could even begin to dream about was a blessing and a gift. All concepts about what I thought life was all about were shattered. A serenity came that I never knew I had.
Very soon after my Basic course, I went to the Bangalore Ashram for my advance course. Only when I reached ashram did I get to know that the advance course was a silence program. I was the last one to leave the meditation hall that night the silence started and I think the last one to start speaking again when Silence opened.
I was soaked in the Bliss of me. What a wondrous thing to be able to do!
I was in love. And there was no going back. The Art of Living series of courses introduced me to me. That sparkling enchanting quiet space which all of us have within us. Gurudev’s gift to the world.
I will not say that after the Art of Living courses and even becoming a teacher, problems went away and everything was always great. That I never got angry or never felt bad. Sometimes life did suck. Problems did come, but along with them came the quiet confidence that I could handle them. I was simply amazed at how my inward journey so positively affected my outward expression and ability to deal with the challenges that life threw at me.
So begun my journey from head to heart… There were many other adventures on the way and I am sure many more to come. Maybe I will write a book about it all someday ☺ …
Meanwhile, if you have not yet embarked on this voyage inside of you, you have no idea what you are missing out on… Nothing on this planet outside you can even begin to compare with what you have inside of you. Please do yourself a favour and learn to meditate. And if you already know how to meditate – See that you practice every day. It is a glorious thing to blossom, to love, to smile and to be able to spread that to others.
Gurudev was so very patient with me. Totally accepting of who I was and gently moving me to who I could be. It’s one thing to force a rose open, its quite another to give it the time it requires to blossom – That is what Art of Living and Gurudev have done for me and countless others on the planet.
Thank you.
Jai Gurudeva!
Love
Bawa
I was giving my entrance exams for IIT. I had studied enough, knew most things I needed to know, but the morning of the exam, I had a terrible headache.
Dad had learnt some touch healing, spiritual thingie and so far I had steered clear of it, but that morning I thought why not?! And asked him to help relax me.
He did. And my headache and tiredness vanished and I had a great exam, got into IIT for post graduate studies in maths… But more importantly, for a 20 year old who thought he knew everything – a certain faith in the Unknown and Unknowable was ignited.
I underwent a few courses and self development seminars, but always felt there was something missing, something not all there… Until a good friend of mine bulldozed me into an Art of Living course.
(phone rings)
Me: Hi!
Shamal: Hey, what you doing over the weekend?
Me: Nothing much really…
Shamal: There is this course on breathing…
Me: C’mon Shamal, breathing is boring!
Shamal: Look, I don’t have time to talk to you, I have to call hundreds of other people. Just see to it that you are there or else…
Me: ok, ok, will come… How much does it cost?
Shamal: Tere ko kya farak padta hai, tera baap bharega!
Me: Riiiiight ☺
And that was my introduction to the rest of my Life. I didn’t even know the name of the course I had enrolled for! ☺
The Art of Living course was amazing. To experience a state of consciousness, a reality unlike any that I could even begin to dream about was a blessing and a gift. All concepts about what I thought life was all about were shattered. A serenity came that I never knew I had.
Very soon after my Basic course, I went to the Bangalore Ashram for my advance course. Only when I reached ashram did I get to know that the advance course was a silence program. I was the last one to leave the meditation hall that night the silence started and I think the last one to start speaking again when Silence opened.
I was soaked in the Bliss of me. What a wondrous thing to be able to do!
I was in love. And there was no going back. The Art of Living series of courses introduced me to me. That sparkling enchanting quiet space which all of us have within us. Gurudev’s gift to the world.
I will not say that after the Art of Living courses and even becoming a teacher, problems went away and everything was always great. That I never got angry or never felt bad. Sometimes life did suck. Problems did come, but along with them came the quiet confidence that I could handle them. I was simply amazed at how my inward journey so positively affected my outward expression and ability to deal with the challenges that life threw at me.
So begun my journey from head to heart… There were many other adventures on the way and I am sure many more to come. Maybe I will write a book about it all someday ☺ …
Meanwhile, if you have not yet embarked on this voyage inside of you, you have no idea what you are missing out on… Nothing on this planet outside you can even begin to compare with what you have inside of you. Please do yourself a favour and learn to meditate. And if you already know how to meditate – See that you practice every day. It is a glorious thing to blossom, to love, to smile and to be able to spread that to others.
Gurudev was so very patient with me. Totally accepting of who I was and gently moving me to who I could be. It’s one thing to force a rose open, its quite another to give it the time it requires to blossom – That is what Art of Living and Gurudev have done for me and countless others on the planet.
Thank you.
Jai Gurudeva!
Love
Bawa
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