Sri Sri Stories
In July 2011, Gurudev had announced the ‘World Cultural Festival’ to be held at Olympiastadion in Berlin, Germany. The event would mark 30 years since the foundation of The Art of Living. It was going to be a mega event celebrating the rich cultural heritage of societies across the world.
As I was based in Texas, USA, my family and friends were naturally apprehensive of my plans to visit Germany only for a weekend! Despite their stiff resistance, my mind was made. I purchased the air tickets, booked a nearby hotel and was all set for the exciting journey!
Upon reaching the airport, I realized I had left all of my printed papers at home! I was going to leave the country with just my overnight bag and tickets. I wondered how will I find my hotel in Berlin or even reach the venue without any directions! In those days, even Wi-fi access was not readily available and although I had my cell phone, it was not activated for international roaming. I was in a fix. I remembered Gurudev with all of my heart and thought “This is an experience of a lifetime! There will be several people at the airport and all I have to do is ‘follow the crowd’ “. With this in mind, I boarded the plane.
My flight from Houston to Berlin was comfortable. I was expecting plane loads of people at the airport and a big team to guide us to the hotel. As soon as I got off the plane, I noticed a lady with a board “Art of Living welcomes you to the World Cultural Festival” Ah! I said to myself, why worry about directions, bus and train connections etc., there is a welcome party here!
As I approached her, she told me “I am here to receive Gurudev’s dignitaries, you will have to walk outside the airport and look for a help desk. They might be able to help you, sorry I am busy.” I was floored! I could get lost, I didn’t speak German and I had no clue how to get to the hotel.
Somehow I gathered my strength, apologized to the lady and started walking in the direction she pointed me. I may have walked just a few steps when she came running behind me and said “There has been a mistake and two cars have come to pick-up the same person. You can ride in one of these cars. They will drop you at the train station where you can board a train to reach the hotel.” At that moment, I was just blinking and trying to process the information (A dignitary car for me?!) Just then, another person named Ramakrishna asked her the directions for the same hotel as mine. She directed him to my car and once again I blinked but said nothing! (Now, I get a help too?!)
Both of us were royally dropped off at the train station. As we embarked on the platform, to our horror we realized it was just the two of us! There was absolutely no other passenger on the platform, it was almost abandoned! With no help in sight, we were struggling to fetch the train tickets from the vending machine. As we stood scratching our heads, wondering which direction train should we get into, a lady came by, gave us directions and left the platform. She did not wait for any train and we were left wondering why would she come all this way, only to help us!
We both got into our train reached the hotel. Ramkrishna & I became friends and he took great care of me throughout the festival, ensuring I was never lost. He also made sure that I safely reached the airport for my return flight home.
This was my most memorable event organized by The Art of Living. The World Cultural Festival was so breath taking, there was this beautiful rain during the festival but no one got wet! That was a miracle! I can never forget the rain that happened that day! This trip created one more amongst many other Guru stories where I have been taken care of by Gurudev in His own special ways.
I live and travel in surrender. Gurudev has always taken care of me. All it takes is “Surrender”. I am not the doer!
Jai Gurudev
In Gratitude
Mridula
I did my first Art of Living course in 2010. I want to share a story that shook me from inside and instilled my faith in Gurudev.
I am currently pursuing a Masters Degree at a reputed university in United States. During my previous semester, I had taken a course under a very challenging professor. He was a scholar and expected his students to perform at par with him. I soon started to regret taking his course. I was performing very badly in his assignments. Despite working hard consistently, I almost failed the first mid-term exam.
I was frightened at the possibility of failing the entire course as it was a mandatory requirement for graduation. Everyday, I prayed to Gurudev to help me clear this course. On the day of my final exam, I was terrified. My hands were trembling out of fear. My fellow classmates were equally tensed. I decided to completely surrender to Gurudev and wrote the exam.
After a few days, the exam results were declared. Out of the total 100 students in my class, 40 of them had failed. I was tense but looked up the results. To my sheer surprise, I found out that I had not only cleared the exam but also secured and excellent grade! I was totally dumbfounded & just could not believe it!
I simply sat at my place and did not know whether I should feel happy, or laugh, or cry, or act crazy. It was really momentous. I thank Gurudev and my YES!+ teachers who have been extremely supportive. From time to time, I realize Gurudev’s words- “Main tumhe Girne ka ehsaas zaroor karaunga, lekin girne nahi doonga” (I’ll make you feel as if you are falling, but will never allow you to fall).
We are all truly blessed to have a Living Master in our Life!
Jai Gurudev
I was studying in VJTI Mumbai and we were given a sudden holiday. With nothing interesting to do, I was casually browsing Gurudev’s Facebook page & realised He was conducting a discourse in Rishikesh. Gurudev says, “The sign of youth is the ability to take challenges”. So, despite no preparations I decided to immediately fly out to Rishikesh to meet Him!
I bought a single T-shirt on the way to the airport and within 45 minutes I was in flight to Dehradun. Upon landing, I was not sure of the bus or train schedule for Rishikesh, so I just started walking from the airport and kept following the road signs. After walking for an hour, a car stopped and they kindly offered to take me to Rishikesh. The roads were full of trees and the scenery was beautiful.
After reaching the Art of Living Ashram in Rishikesh, while I did not know anyone personally, many devotees called me by name and hugged me! I was quite surprised but one of them said he had recognised me from my Facebook posts. Moments later, everybody started rushed towards the meditation hall. Even though I was very hungry, I just followed them and to my astonishment I saw Gurudev Himself there! I approached Him and told him I had come from Mumbai for His darshan. He blessed me and gave me an apple.
After meeting everyone, He started walking on the banks of the river Ganga, near the Ashram. We walked with Him for more than an hour. And just like that, in the same clothes, Gurudev took a dip in the river Ganga. It was the very first time I was inside a river and was afraid to take a dip. As I was standing just next to Gurudev, He smiled and gently guided me. After several dips, everyone was ecstatic and we started singing Bhajans. Gurudev started splashing water on everyone!
At night, I was searching for a place to stay. Since most places were full, I somehow managed to get a small room. When I opened the windows, I was pleasantly surprised to see that my balcony was right next to Gurudev’s room!
After basking in His presence for a few days, it was time to return. I had booked an evening flight but as the day progressed, the entire state of Uttarakhand was fully flooded! The river Ganga had taken a different form. Dark black clouds loomed upon Rishikesh. It was raining heavily. I was very worried at the thought of missing my flight. A few moments later, Gurudev arrived. He directly pointed at me and asked “Tumhara plan kya hai” (What is your plan?). I informed Him I had booked a 4pm flight to Mumbai. He gave me an apple and said “Tum niklo main 4 baje tak yeh clear kar deta hoon” (You leave now, I will clear this all by 4pm). While I was totally surprised and also a little confused, I immediately left. The roads didn’t exist anymore, walking turned into swimming. There were no rickshaws plying. I somehow managed to reach the airport, but to my utter dismay I was informed that all flights for the day were cancelled. Although shaken, I kept my faith strong and started praying to Gurudev. And exactly at 4pm, I heard the announcement that my flight was ready for departure! In a couple of hours, I was back safely in Mumbai.
As Gurudev says, “When you take one step towards knowledge, the Master takes hundred steps towards you”. I will forever be grateful to Gurudev for this amazing week with Him!
Tejas Samel
Jai Gurudev,
Few years ago, I suffered from clinical depression. The doctors had prescribed me anti-depressants. My family and friends were reluctant about my taking anti-depressants due to its side effects and addictive tendencies. It was at that time Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar showered His blessings on me!
It still remains a mystery to how my husband somehow met ‘Art of Living’ volunteers who were enrolling people for the ‘Happiness’ course. My husband read about the research on Sudarshan Kriya and its healing effects on depression and anxiety, on the internet. He enrolled me in the course. My teacher told the course participants that we are the chosen ones for the course and I truly felt that the Universe decided to protect and save me.
For six months, I did Short Kriya every morning/evening and attended weekly long kriya. Also, I shifted my mind from negative thoughts of fear, anger to faith and forgiveness. I am glad to report that I overcame depression fully. Sudarshan Kriya played a very important role in healing my mind. I strongly recommend people suffering from depression to try the natural healing method of Sudarshan Kriya. I am also grateful to all the Art of Living teachers who take out time from their busy schedules to teach Sudarshan Kriya to people all across the globe.
Geeta Verma
(name changed)
I recently conducted a follow-up session at a center in Pune. After the follow-up, I told the following story which I heard in Narad Bhakti Sutra:
“Once a saint visits a city. People start talking about him and his greatness. The king of the city also hears about the saint and wants to meet him. However, the king sends his chief commander to meet the saint first. When the commander goes to the hermitage of the saint, he is received very well. The commander feels happy and informs the king that the saint is very nice.
King feels that the commander is thick skinned and may not be sensitive enough to judge the saint. So, king sends his minister to meet the saint. When the minister comes to the hermitage, the saint just meets him and speaks for a few minutes. The minister feels happy and informs the king that the saint is genuine. He does not want anything for himself. He didn’t try to please me. You must go and meet him.
When the king goes to the hermitage, the saint comes out of his kutir (simple cottage) for a moment and goes back. He does not even speak to the king. However, the king feels happy and goes back.
The disciples of the saint are surprised and ask him the reason for not talking to the king or not welcoming him properly. The saint says – for a good horse, the shadow of the whip is enough.”
After telling this story, I said that Gurudev was in Pune last week. Many of you must have met Him. Some of you might be thinking that so and so had good Darshan (an opportunity to see Gurudev in person) but not me.
Do not ever judge your meetings with the Master. Gurudev knows what to do when. Being in His presence itself is a big boon.
I usually visit Bangalore ashram for Shivratri and Navratri. When the Aarati thaali (a small plate containing sacred ceremonial fire) comes to devotees, lot of foreigners open the photos of their dear ones on their phone and give Aarati to the photos. They feel that their dear ones could not come to meet Gurudev but at least they can get His blessings through the Aarati. When these foreigners get to meet Gurudev, they show their relatives’ photos to Him and seek His blessings.
Here in India, we get to meet Him personally! So be grateful for it.
With this, I concluded the follow-up. While I was packing my bag to leave, one devotee came to me and said – “Thank-you so much for telling this story. When Gurudev was in Pune, I could not meet Him because of a wedding in my family & I was feeling miserable about it. I thought maybe something is wrong with my karmas. That is why I could not meet meet Him. After listening to this story, I felt very light and relaxed. I do not have that guilt any more.”
I usually do not prepare any knowledge points before conducting a session. Whatever comes to me at that moment, I share with people. This incident made me realise that Gurudev delivers the required knowledge through us and makes His devotees happy.
We do not have enough time to count the blessings bestowed by our master! Just surrender everything to Him, move ahead in life, and spread happiness.
Jai Gurudev
Dr. Sirisha
I would like to share my story with Guruji, right from the scratch. Well, the journey started in the year 2009. I got into Engineering College. I then did the Art of Living Basic course, but couldn’t continue doing Short Kriya on a regular basis. You know the engineering life. I would find it difficult to make time. But at the end, I knew I could if I really wanted to. As they say “Nothing is impossible!”
Then in 2012, Guruji visited my home in Durgapur (West-Bengal). My parents are active volunteers serving AOL since years. Well, it was that day which changed my life completely. Guruji spoke with me for a while, and I showed my urge to study abroad. He just asked me one question “Kriya karte ho daily”? (Do you do your kriya daily?). Then, I replied “Haan Gurudev, kabhi kabhi” (Yes Guruji, sometimes). He saw my expression and gave me a smile and said “Har din kiya karo”(you must do it daily). He then asked me “Tumhe sach mein jaana hai USA padhne”? (Do you really want to go in the US and study ?) I said “Yes Guruji, I eagerly want to go! He then kept His hand on my head for a while and blessed me saying “Dont worry ho jaayega! ” (Don’t worry it will happen)
It was from that day, when He blessed me that I started doing my Kriya after months. I then got admits from Universities and I was on cloud nine. Usually, the Visa interviews are difficult to crack, but you might not believe me when I say, I had my interview only for 30 seconds. I was just asked what my parents do and I was instantly approved the Visa. All doors seemed to be opening for me slowly. I went to the States and studied well, with all my focus and dedication. But there were still some closed doors. Life is not all that easy, after all. In the course of my exams, I had a subject due in engineering. This was my last chance to clear it. If not this time, then it would cost me thousands of dollars, as all of my fees were paid for university abroad. I had my return flight on August 9, and the result came out just 2 days before that. I took a sigh of relief. I had finally cleared it! I am just so grateful to Guruji for being with me through my testing times and sailing me through, all victorious!!!
Another positive change that took place in my life after coming to USA was that I started going to long Kriya weekly sessions and started doing the short Kriya regularly. This gave me a whole lot of steadiness in my life.
Coming to the present, I was searching for an internship in USA for summer. And with His constant blessing, I got into IBM. Well, you all may think “So big deal!” But it truly is a big deal. Getting an internship in USA is a whole lot of big deal, and that too with such a well reputed brand. I applied only to one company and I got through it. I was the first one in my class to get Internship.
This beautiful and fruitful journey of mine would have never been possible without my Masters support!
Don’t underestimate the power of a Guru in your life. Just keep a positive thought and keep focus on what you want. The Guru will take care of it. You just need to walk ahead, and the path will be created for you. And always show your gratitude towards Him, that’s very important.
I sincerely hope and pray that each one of your dreams gets fulfilled, just like mine did☺
Regards,
Karan Goenka
My name is Deepa Singh and I am a Yoga teacher. I stay in Mumbai. I have been into Art of Living for the past ten years and life has been a blissful journey since.
However, there is only one sad feeling that kept bothering me, which was that I have never gotten to meet my Guru face to face and talk to him. In all these years, I was only able to have eye contact with Him, as there are always so many devotee’s waiting to take his blessings. I always complained to myself, that when will I get to talk to Him properly. A part of me kept thinking, if I don’t meet Him, will He even know me?
Then one day, a relative of mine had come home and he told me that he had managed to get a meeting with Gurudev. He had sent an email to Him because he needed to talk about some important personal matters, and he got an appointment to meet Guruji in the Bangalore Ashram. While I was very happy for him, this made me even sadder.
Luckily for me, the very next day I got a call that Guruji is in Mumbai and that he will be staying at Sangeeta Jani’s place! I got so happy, I quickly went to meet Him. When I went, there were many devotee’s already waiting to meet Him, so I also joined them. Finally, when Guruji came I got to touch his feet and He also gave me Prasad. I was happy, but I still felt doubtful about whether he would remember me or not. So I quietly went and joined the next line as well!
When Guruji came and saw me again, He told me, “I just met you right? Don’t worry I remember and I will always be there.” When I heard this, I realized that He knew me and He understood everything that I was feeling. This gave me such joy. I realized that all our wishes get fulfilled after coming on this path if we have a strong ‘sankalpa’. All doubts get resolved, only faith is needed. We get immediate solutions and wisdom. Life becomes a celebration. We are all extremely lucky to have a Guru in our life.
JGD,
Deepa
After taking a one year break from work, I was eager to get back to my career. I was searching for a well-suited job. In the beginning, I was rejected after a bunch of interviews. It was disheartening but I told myself to keep my momentum up. I chanted Om Namah Shivaya every day along with an audio recording of my Guru, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. It helped keep up my positivity.
Finally, I was selected for a job that I thought I really wanted. I knew it was because of the Guru grace. I expressed my gratitude to him in my usual habit of praying and talking to one of Sri Sri’s photograph. I was satisfied knowing I won’t remain jobless. However, the thought of this job did not bring me much joy. My family was delighted, though, that I wasn’t just sitting idly and wasting my time. I was reluctant to join the organization. I attended one of the pre-hiring orientations and I realized this was not the place for me. I wouldn’t be able to adjust with and adhere to their terms. I returned home with a feeling of disappointment.
Yet, the next day, I began browsing for more jobs. Within 30 minutes of searching, I saw a posting that looked really great and suited my work profile. I immediately got in touch with the company’s HR. They said it was the last day of conducting interviews for this position and if I could make it in time for giving one, I would stand a chance.
I rushed to the location and next to the elevator, I found the metal inauguration board of the building. I started reading as I waited and to my surprise, the inscription started with the words “Jai Guru Dev.”
I learned that the building was inaugurated by none other than Guruji.
This felt like a divine blessing from him. I walked into my interview and cracked it. I was chosen for the position. I was happy about their terms in the offer unlike with the previous job, which weren’t in line with my requirements.
I could clearly understand that it’s all the result of unwavering trust and devotion towards Gurudev. He bestowed me with exactly what I wanted. My lesson is to always have faith.
Jai Guru Dev,
Raeshma Reddy
I was not really a part of the Art of Living family or a devotee but thanks to the miracle I experienced recently, it has made me want to be a part of this family.
My younger brother, Madhav, was on the wheel chair due to severe Polio. For him, walking even one step was an almost impossible task. We went to several doctors but everywhere, we got the same answer: nothing could be done. We also went to some Ayurvedic doctors but even they said he wouldn’t be cured. We were told to accept the truth.
However, we had often heard about Art of Living, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and all the positives and miracles that have happened. So we went to the Sri Sri Ayurveda hospital for a consultation. We got a big shock here.
The doctor told us Madhav would start walking within three months. We were told at the hospital that Sri Sri’s blessings will also make a difference.
The treatment started, which included both medication & various Panchkarma processes. Within 10 days, we got a huge surprise.
My brother was able to walk almost 500 meters without any discomfort. While leaving the hospital, we left the wheel chair behind because my brother was able to walk quite properly. We have to continue the treatment for further recovery.
I’m amazed. Sri Sri has become my Guru. I am deeply indebted to him and to Art of Living for taking care of my brother.
Jai Guru Dev,
Chandan
I did my first Art of Living course in 1995 at Model Town in Delhi with teacher Rajesh Sharma. I was not a spiritually inclined person back then. As a humble policeman, I was focused on earning money for my family rather than doing any spiritual practices. My mind was not calm at all. All I could think about back then was ways to earn more money and it was the top priority of my life. I could not even dream of owning a home, accommodating my parents and children in it, having a small family car, and a convent education in a reputed school for my children. Even though all this seemed impossible to me at the time, all of my efforts were directed towards achieving it.
The experience of Sudarshan Kriya was so powerful for me that it brought about a complete change in my life. For the first time, I realized that there were things which were beyond my boundaries of understanding. I was spellbound, amazed, and stunned with such a wonderful experience.
A few days later after the course, I was going back home from my office on my bike in the evening. But my bike lost balance and I collided with a Tata 407 truck and fell on the road. Yet, I simply got up after the accident with not even a scratch on my head. The crowd, which had surrounded me, could not believe their eyes. For me, it was truly a miracle. I felt grateful to Sri Sri at that time.
My faith in Guruji became even strong during an Advance Course I did in Rishikesh. I was not feeling well before the course, but had still decided to go for it. I asked Guruji if I did the right thing by taking a medical leave to attend this course. He responded with a smile, “You are on the right track my dear.” Even though I was sick before, I did not feel sick at all during the course. Every course in the Art of Living gave me something new. Doing 23 advance courses, 5 DSN courses, Sahaj Samadhi, Blessing course, TTC 1 and 2, and many others, each helped me climb higher on the spiritual path. They changed my mindset, from thinking small to thinking big.
The regular sadhana, seva and satsangs have become my real wealth. I have realized it’s not about having a lot of money in your bank account. My life has been totally transformed.
Instead of thinking what I could gain, I think about what else I could give.
My words may fall short but Guruji’s endless grace is taking care of my life. I am in Delhi police department and how circumstances help me grow more on this spiritual path is miraculous. I want to do something for my brothers and sisters in the police department so as to reduce their stress level, as well.
My sincere gratitude to my beloved master.
Jai Guru Dev!
Satyavir Naulakha
