Sri Sri Stories
I was on the lookout for the Art of Living Basic course, as it was called then, in 2007, but I couldn’t find the center, which was just a kilometer away from me (đ). I had always been an agony aunt of sorts, way back in college, always there to help others with their troubles. But life took a turn in 2011, and I felt that my life was over. I even thought of committing suicide, with my child.
One evening in March 2011, a lady came asking for directions to a gentleman’s house for the Basic Course. He had missed his second Kriya that morning and could be called in for the program that evening. I didnât know where the person lived, but I said I wanted to do it. I enrolled for the program that same week, along with my parents.
Since then, life’s hues have been different to this present day. Much gratitude, Gurudev. There are no words worthy enough to express my gratitude.
– Manisha
Jai Gurudev đ
I am Sudeshna Mukerji, originally from Kolkata, India, and now living in Amsterdam. I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to Parampoojya Gurudev for extending four years of life to my husband.
It was New Yearâs Eve 2020, and I was in Bad Antogast with my husband. He had always led a healthy lifestyle, never smoked a cigarette, and walked 10 km every day. He was a senior consultant at Deloitte, loved and admired by juniors, colleagues, and clients alike.
In the Darshan line, Gurudev came to me, put his hand on mine, and looked at my husband standing a little farther away. I bowed down, and He went away. We were surprised.
After a month, my husband developed certain problems, and the doctor suggested some tests and immediately sent him to the emergency room. We were told he had grade 4 lung cancer and had barely four months to live. That news came as a bolt from the blue.
It was then that I realized the Blessings at Bad Antogast. I told my husband not to worry. The hospital wanted to send a nurse to our room so that we could cry, but we refused and asked for a transfer to the best cancer research institute and hospital in EuropeâAntoni van Leeuwenhoek. Our request was granted.
From February 2020, a new life started for us. My husband underwent all cancer treatments, worked rigorously, and we took many family vacations over the next four yearsâthe doctors were amazed.
Despite the dangerous nature of the disease, my husband never experienced pain and had a very peaceful death in December 2023.
This is what a Guru is. He knows everything about our life and gives protection even when we are not aware of it. He takes us through the journey of life and life beyond by holding our hands.
It was the year 2009⌠I was in San Francisco, USA, employed at the time with one of Indiaâs big IT companies and on an assignment as a Business Analyst for one of the large US-based banks. Life was good: interesting work in the morning, Satsangs in the evening.
Gurudev was in the US for a few weeks for multiple events across multiple states, and I had taken a few days off from work. I was seeing Him off at the airportâmy first and only time to date. My mom had given me strict instructions, over Google Talk, to speak to Gurudev, at least this time. For some reason, I had been unable to speak to Him as a normal personâthe mind just goes totally blank in His presence, and all you want to do is just look at Him. Sure, I had asked Him two questions in the past, but that was in a Satsang in the midst of thousands.
This time it was different. We were just a handful of peopleâa great opportunity to have a real conversation with my Guru. Gurudev was about to leave for the gates to board the flight, and here I was under immense pressure. I had promised my mom that I would speak with Gurudev, and that too in Kannada (my mother tongue). But I just did not know what to say! Then I just blurted out in Kannada: âGuruji, neevu Navratri ge Mysore ge barta iddira?â meaning, âGuruji, are you coming to Mysore this Navratri?â
It was late July at the time, and I was asking Him about a festival which is at the end of September. This festival has always been celebrated in a grand manner at the Art of Living International Center, Bangalore, Indiaâan auspicious period when Gurudev would be in Silence for the initial few days, and many sacred Chantings, Homas, and Pujas are performed throughout the nine days for global wellbeing. Gurudev looked at me and, with all seriousness, asked, âAre you from Mysore?â I sheepishly said, âYes.â That was the end of the conversation, but I was relieved that I had completed the task given to me by my mom and that I had something to share with her that night over Google Talk. It was a strange conversation, though.
Me: Hi Mom! I spoke to Guruji today, that too in Kannada.
Mom: Great. What did you say? How did it go?
Me: I said, âGuruji, are you coming to Mysore for Navratri?â Guruji said, âAre you from Mysore?â I said, âYes.â
Mom: <<Facepalm>> End of conversation.
I was back in the office after this short vacation, and a week or so later, I was informed by my manager that I would be released from the project, due to a project funding crunch, by the end of August or the first week of September. Typically, the project resource goes back to the project base location, which in this case was Chandigarh. However, I was asked to go back to my base location, which was Mysore. I only had 2-3 weeks to close my rental agreement, sell my household stuff, my car, etc. But I was happy to be able to go home, that too just a few weeks away from Navratri. And I had multiple farewell parties by the lovely Bay Area Satsang groups.
Back in the Mysore office, on the very first day, I was asked to take a mandatory week off as part of safety precautions (H1/L1 virus scare). Navratri was just a week later, and I was yet to be assigned to any project, so I applied for nine days of leave (post the mandatory one-week âforcedâ paid vacation). On the same day, I got to know about a week-long Ashtavakra Gita Knowledge session with Chayanna in Hornadu, a beautiful temple town. I was overjoyed that I would now be able to attend that. (Sorry, I became aware of social distancing only after COVID-19⌠ignorance can be bliss.)
After the blissful week filled with Knowledge, Bhakti, and Music with Chayanna, I returned to Mysore, only to be met with another Divine surprise! Gurudev would be in Mysore on the first day of Navratri! Something we had never heard of before, as all the celebrations happen in Bangalore in Gurudevâs presence. I was present there to greet Gurudev in the Mysore Ashram and then traveled to the Bangalore Ashram to spend the rest of the sacred nine days there (another blog coming soon to narrate the amazing Guru story from that time).
Now, here comes the kicker! Back in the office, after all the 18-20 days of mind-blowing spiritual extravaganza, what was the first official email I receive? An email asking me to join back the same project in San Francisco ASAP!
I had to get a new rental agreement, buy a new car, furniture, and stuff, not to mention go through the friendly teasing from friends to return the farewell gifts! All this for a simple, harmless question blurted out without thought: âAre you coming to Mysore for Navratri, Guruji?â Remember, I said âcomingâ and not âgoing.â
– Chaitra Chandrashekar
That special day when she waited in the hot sun for her Guru with Payasam in hand and the wait went on too long… Read on to see how that story of Grace unfolded for Nandini Sundar, a journalist from Bangalore.
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My association with the Art of Living goes back over 10 years, to August 2011, when on a sunny Sunday evening, I found myself pulled into what at that time I did not know was a Satsang with Gurudev. That was my first meeting and first interaction with the Master. Needless to say, there has been no looking back since. My life has changed 180 degrees after that interaction. The journey since then has been nothing but Showers of Grace, clearing the path, the unseen hand holding me and propelling me forward. And when the journey got too tough to negotiate or impossible to pass through, the same hands were physically lifting me up and transferring me onward.
While there have been many serious interventions and abundant, continuous Guru Grace over the last decade, I decided to pick one that happens unfailingly every single year and leaves me stunned every single time: My meetings with the Master every single year on His Birthday.
On Gurudevâs Birthday, the crowds gathered have to be seen to be believed. To connect with Him on that day is nothing short of a miracle. But it happens to me every single time, in the most unbelievable fashion. And every single time, the Payasam I make specially for him and hold in my hand, without having eaten anything till he takes it from my hands, will be reached out and taken from my hands directly, however large the crowd may be. And it would leave me stunned, amazed every time at the level of His Grace.
I shall relate the story of just one such year when I came to the ashram, all dressed up, and holding that precious Payasam I had made with all the Shraddha and love. It was around 9 am in the morning, outside Yagyashala, and I decided to post myself there and wait for him, dressed in a beautiful saree as it was the most beautiful day of the year. I waited in the May heat for more than 45 minutes, getting restless as there was no sign of him. Another 15 minutes and I heard that He was in Gurukul, in Puja, and unlikely to come in the next hour or so.
I realized I was not going to see Him soon and got upset, angry as I was also extremely uncomfortable in my saree. I then walked to the gate and asked the security guard when Gurudev was likely to come. I was shocked when the security guard told me, âDidi, go to Gurukul, He is there.â I said, âBut Bhaiya I am not allowed to go there without permission.â But he insisted I should go and almost forced me to go to Gurukul. I could not fathom this, why was he pushing me there?
I decided to walk down, in the mid-summer heat, gathering my saree, and speaking to Gurudev in my mind, âWhy are you making me walk in this heat, in a saree, when you know fully well they will not allow me?â I continued walking, grumbling to myself, sure that I would be shooed away on reaching Radha Kunj gate. But all of a sudden, a shuttle comes next to me and the driver says, âDidi, you want to go to Gurukul, please get in, I will take you.â I was speechless.
Here I am thinking how will I enter and then a shuttle comes to pick me up and drops me right outside Gurukul!!
I enter Gurukul and I see all the senior teachers gathered there. I walk down and reach the puja Mantap doorstep. As soon as I reached the doorstep, Gurudev turns, looks at me straight in the eye, those beautiful eyes silently telling me, ‘You have reached now, will you stop grumbling now?’ Needless to say, all thoughts drained out of my head and I truly became hollow and empty!
The puja gets over and Gurudev comes outside, looks at me, smiles, indicates with his eyes that I am looking nice all dressed up, and then reaches out to take that precious Payasam from my hands, waves, and leaves!
I realized then, the Master is with me always, forever. I only do not recognize it and the small mind complains endlessly!
What does it take for a left-brain, sceptic couple to turn around and follow a spiritual leader like Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar for over two decades? Read on to find out what author and educator Sheel Parekh has to say about her husbandâs stroke, its aftermath, and the change that the Art of Living wrought in their lives.
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February 1997: I was in for a shock that first day when I walked into the hall to attend the program my husband and I, Sheel, had registered for. There, beside the instructorâs chair, was a picture of a man with flowing hair and beard, with a rudraksha mala over white robes. I recalled the face; it was one I had first seen a year and a quarter ago, on a poster pasted on the wall outside my computer class.
At that time, I had noticed that the poster was announcing a satsang â and I had the distinct impression that the man was gently requesting me to come to the satsang. How strange! I thought, and curious to know what was behind it, I mentally decided to attend. But then, in the midst of my busy yet humdrum everyday existence, I had promptly forgotten about it. Now, a little over a year later, here was that picture again! Somehow, that man, who I learned was the founder of the Art of Living, Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, had found his way to me!
The next minute, I put that thought away as my attention went back to my husband. Was he comfortable? Eight months earlier, my husband had suffered a debilitating paralytic stroke followed by falciparum malaria in a month. It had taken six months for him to recover enough to get back to work, albeit with two limbs much weaker than before and an extremely bad stammer. He struggled to articulate words, and as a result, he had begun to remain silent in company rather than attempt to speak up. The whole episode had taken a heavy toll on me as well, despite having had family support â my parents, siblings, and a host of uncles, aunts, cousins, as well as my in-laws â all through the ordeal. In looking after him, I had neglected my own health, closed my fledgling business, and generally lost sight of the world around me. We were on this program because we had been pushed into it by my parents, who thought it might do both of us some good.
If you, my reader, are a practitioner of the Sudarshan Kriya, by now, you are probably anticipating that some miracle took place. And youâre right. At the end of the fourth day, we were doing the second part of the Sudarshan Kriya, the trademark Art of Living technique that clears toxins from the bodyâs cells. I experienced certain things during the process. Tears of frustration welled up within me, and slowly began to flow. In a few minutes, there was a great rush of relief within, as if some dark weight had suddenly been lifted off me.
It was only when the instructor began to whisper into my ear to sit up and open my eyes that I came to. I turned to look at my husband and saw a look of pure joy that I hadnât seen on his face for months â I was in a daze. The instructor was asking people to share their experiences, and he stood up and walked to the front of the class. I noticed that he was walking with a barely noticeable limp. And then he spoke â I couldnât believe my ears, for he was uttering whole sentences with only a very slight stammer, halting sometimes, but eager to speak! This was the same person who had four days ago been struggling to walk straight and couldnât utter a single word without a stammer! The transformation was astounding! Tears flowed without restraint down my cheeks now; I sobbed and sobbed a long time, until I could no longer cry.
Gurudevâs grace had touched and transformed both of us. It has now been almost a quarter of a century since that day, and since then, I have felt the hand of Gurudev always upon me, taking care of me in ways little and large. I canât recount the hundreds of instances here, nor do I have words to express the gratitude I feel, but this I will say: all one needs to do is to be fully present and in a state of total surrender â and feel the Grace flow.
“Not a single scratch on my body despite such a steep fall! It was a moment of reckoning; a feeling of deep gratitude was all I felt,” says IT professional and Art of Living faculty, Divya Sachdev.
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Way back in 2004, when I was a teenager in grade 11, I went through a phase of doubt and questioning of my faith in Gurudev. I used to think that the miracle stories I heard were perhaps some kind of far-fetched imagination or a strategy.
One day, while reading the book âSri Sri as I Know Him,â which is a collection of personal experiences and anecdotes about Gurudev, I had a discussion with my mother as she was leaving to conduct an Art of Living Happiness Course. I told her that if “her” Guru really has the power I had been reading about, I wanted him to prove it to me in whatever way. For some reason, the conviction in my challenge was so intense, as though I wanted to reinforce my faith in the Divine through this.
And what followed was truly a miracle â a defining moment in my life. Our home, which was on the ground floor, was under renovation and we had construction material lying in the veranda along with two massive glass panels. We also had sheds on the ground floor, which were weak considering the property was almost 50 years old.
One day, the lady who resided on the second floor accidentally dropped a blanket on the sheds. She requested me to help her, and there I was, standing on the second floor and struggling with a stick to somehow push the blanket down to the compound. In all my enthusiasm to help, I lost my balance and fell right through the sheds into the heap of construction material and landed on the glass panels.
I was trapped amidst the construction material, with glass pieces all over me, including broken shed portions. I was in a state of shock and went blank. My neighbors rushed to my rescue, attempting to pull me out amidst fears that I may be dead, considering the graveness of the mishap.
A few minutes later, I was rescued, and to everyoneâs amazement, there were no broken bones nor any injury. I was fully conscious and not a single scar on my body. Not a single scratch on my body despite such a steep fall! It was a moment of reckoning; a feeling of deep gratitude was all I felt, and it dawned on me – this is the miracle of the Grace of Sri Sri â the very proof that my intellect was seeking. Divine intervention had happened that day.
Such is the Grace and Love of my beloved Master. I feel blessed and so special to have Him in my life and simply know He is always there to protect me and that I am taken care of each moment that passes by.
One of the most common phrases we hear in AOL is, “Gurudev does everything; we are just in name.” I had been ill for a long time, one illness after another, bedridden, etc. In 2017, I went to five follow-ups with my mom nearby. I would lie down after reaching the center. On my last day, the teacher asked if anyone could volunteer for a computer-related task. I couldn’t even sit for five minutes straight, yet I was surprised to see my hand raised up by itself with enthusiasm. I was really thinking in my head, “Why on earth did my hand raise? And what’s with that grin on my face???”
She later said it was to enter school children data into excel sheets. I agreed. She knew my problem, so she suggested I do it at her home so she could assist whenever she could. I did go for two days, but then I couldn’t even get up from the next day. The work was pending, and I had no intention of giving in. I called the teacher and told her I would finish it by noon as promised.
Now I sat with my laptop, my spine aching like hell, compelling me to give up, and I was only continuing the task by sheer willpower. After a few minutes, I couldn’t take it anymore. Not much left, but I just couldn’t sit anymore. Tears that were stubbornly held back left my eyes, and a prayer happened. “Gurudev, I am grateful for the opportunity and determined to finish the task. I have done my best, but I failed, and I am hating it. No matter what, I must submit it in the next few minutes, so please help me.”
And that’s it! I cannot explain it clearly, but there was suddenly a shift in myself. The pain was still there, but instead of verifying each row, my hand was moving by itself to the needed row, and this continued for the remaining sheets. It’s so bizarre that I was aware of what was happening, but my body was not mine. It was like, “I am watching myself doing the task.”
That’s when it hit me. When teachers, devotees, and volunteers say that they are not the doers but Gurudev himself, they are not just saying it out of emotion. Technically, that’s exactly the phenomenon that happens. It’s an undeniable fact.
My head can argue that I have very keen eyes, have been a software tester or whatever, but I clearly know it wasn’t me at all then. Raising my hand and finishing the task all by himself, Gurudev made it indisputable for me. I had no choice but to feel immensely blessed. Not only did he save me from the upcoming regret and self-blame, but he also bestowed on me such an incredible “non-doership/witness” experience.
We are very fortunate that he chose to descend on this planet just for us. His every word is an experience by itself, and we all can experience everything just by staying connected with him. A master’s unconditional love and compassion can only be felt.
Stay connected, stay blessed! Jai Gurudev!
– Neeta Teerdhala
I was a hard-core criminal, committing serious crimes one after the other. I was arrested with arms in Delhi and was sent to Tihar jail where I was introduced to the Art of Living program. The light that I first saw during my first Sudarshan Kriya has flooded my entire life with brilliance, shares DINESH GURJAR, a natural farming expert and an Art of Living faculty.
I was a hard-core criminal. After serving a sentence of four years, I escaped and absconded for 10 years. I started committing serious crimes one after the other, without even realizing what I was heading for. In 1999, I was arrested with arms in Delhi and was sent to Tihar jail. It was here that I was introduced to the Art of Living program. While doing my first Sudarshan Kriya, I had a vision of the Divine Light. The experience was incredible. Something happened within me and I felt connected with myself.
Two months later, I was released from jail. However, in 2000, I was again arrested for a criminal offense I had earlier committed. I was caught with 6.5 quintals of drugs at the Gujarat-Maharashtra border. I fell seriously ill in prison. I suffered from an attack of asthma and sciatica but recovered because of regular sadhana. This was when I realized that I wanted to be on the spiritual path and give up on my notorious acts.
For the next two years, I was kept in different jails and went through a lot of upheavals and finally, I was placed in Udaipur jail. My life took a new turn as I felt inspired from within to organize stress elimination workshops in prisons. While I was an inmate myself, regular sadhana had made me calm. I started motivating each and every individual in prison to attend the workshops. It was amazing to see a wave of devotion rising in the prison as inmates started participating in satsangs, discourses and other spiritual activities. I was entrusted with the responsibility of organizing a huge range of events in prison.
I enjoyed my new life thoroughly. It was a different intoxication here, a divine madness that took over me. In 2011, I was finally released from jail and forever. In the following year, Guruji visited Udaipur and felicitated me on the stage. It was the experience of a lifetime as Guruji applauded and appreciated my efforts. Now I started chasing Guruji, every now and then. I was smitten by him and mesmerized by his love. I would follow him wherever he went. Soon, I became a teacher in the same year.
I am now entirely dedicated to the Art of Living. I have conducted about 20 prison programs and touched the lives of 700-800 prisoners. My focus is on being an instrument for transforming the lives of criminals. I have also started doing Organic Farming in my village. Besides, a documentary film, Bawan Parinde, has been made on my life story, as an inspiration for people to contribute to society. As Guruji says, in every criminal there is a victim crying for help. I am no longer a victim, but I still cry only to bring out tears of joy. The light that I first saw during my first Sudarshan Kriya flooded my entire life with brilliance. Until now I have been looting the world, and Guruji has looted my heart with all his love. I am still basking in the glory. When you have a master in your life, you donât need anything. Life is complete.
He showed me the truth that Guru is a caring essence, and that no matter how busy things around Him get, He knows. He always Knows. In all the busy-ness, He is still looking out for you, shares RUCHIRA ROY, blogger and former journalist with The Economic Times. This fascinating narration is a story of oneness, read on.
The doubting Thomas that I was, I used to harbor many misconceptions about Gurudev. One was, Gurudev must be too busy to care about me or my problems. After all, I am just one among the millions of devotees all over the world, some who have served Him longer and with more dedication and commitment. Why would he bother about me? I knew Gurudev was not an ordinary man but I was yet to come to terms with what happened to me on 5th March 2016. Of course, He did not look at me, as my pet peeve had always been, but He looked out for me.
A BUSY EVENING
We were a week away from one of the biggest events of the year-the World Cultural Festival that was going to witness the gathering of more than 3.5 million people from 155 countries, a colorful cultural celebration of our One World Family. There were super VIP international guests traveling to our ashram for the event every day, the new accommodations were coming up, and Shivratri was to be celebrated a day later. And then there were multiple media interviews from hundreds of publications that Gurudev was tirelessly addressing. Not once did I see his energy diminish. I could not believe my eyes. I could not believe someone could attend to so many situations, each seemingly more important than the other, without losing His energy, centeredness, and compassion. All of this blew my mind already.
Back then, I had recently started serving with the Art of Living media team (ABC). One day was particularly busier for us all when Gurudev easily had more than 6 or 7 interviews to attend to, three of which were supposed to happen in the evening, on 5th March. One of the channel guys came in to set up the camera. He handed an earphone (with a mic) to Gurudev. And I thought, this must be a used one. We should get Gurudev a new and unused one, before the interview starts.
THE ONE WITH THE DRY THROAT
I ran down from Ganga Kutir, towards Gate 3 (Ashram kitchen gate), hitched a ride with a sevak to the nearest shop in Udipalya, and bought 2 pairs of headphones (one black and one white, so He could pick a color of His choice.) They were no Apple headphones but the best I could find in that place, with the money I had in my pocket. The wonderful sevak dropped me back at gate 3. I ran back up to Ganga kutir. I ran the fastest I could, as if I was being chased by 2 greyhounds, and I am certainly not much of a runner. Only He can make lazy people run and restless people settle, with Love. Anyway, so I reached Ganga Kutir, and despite my personal record best running, I was late. The first interview had already ended, and the second one was going to begin. I had just enough seconds to pass on the new headphones to Sreekumarji (a long-time Ashramite), to give it to Gurudev. To my surprise, Gurudev took them and put on the new headphones, for the interview with NDTV. I was all smiles. I sat down with the small group of people who were around in the room.
BELIEVE IT OR NOT
Now you should know I had run and climbed up a little too fast. So my throat was all dried up and contracting in discomfort, forcing a cough out of me. But I could not, because the interview had started rolling, the lights in the room had been dimmed down and there was pin-drop silence, apart from the interaction between the NDTV journalist and Gurudev. There was no way for me to excuse myself out of the room, as that would attract unnecessary attention. But my throat was drying up, and it was becoming more and more difficult to hold back. I surrendered the discomfort to Him and sat tight.
A minute or two into the interview, Gurudev started coughing incessantly. The filming stopped for a bit. Gurudev drank some water before continuing with the interview. And just like that, my throat felt hydrated and the urge to cough simply disappeared. I sat there with tiny tears in my eyes because I knew what He did there. After the interview ended, devotees around Gurudev were trying to figure out why Gurudev was coughing so much. Gurudev said, â(It) must be the carpetâ and He moved on to the next interview.
HE CHOSE ME!
That evening, after all the interactions ended, my friend and fellow sevak with ABC, Mansi Dharmaraj, who was also coordinating the media interactions, asked me where I had been in the evening. I told her, I had gone to fetch new earphones for Gurudev because I suspected the channel guys were giving Him all the used ones and I wasnât sure if those were clean. What Mansi told me next, left a lump in my throat and to this day, it remains the most special in my entire life. Mansi told me, after the first interview (when I ran down to Udapalya), Gurudevâs secretary had also offered to fetch Gurudevâs personal and new/unused Apple earphones. But apparently, Gurudev refused themâŚonly to later use the sasta ones I got, with zero qualms. That moment I realized, how casually without a word spoken between us, in the midst of the chaotic and extremely busy evening that was for Him, Gurudev did the unthinkable for me, that nobody had ever done for me-acknowledged my love. He showed me the truth that Guru is a caring essence, and that no matter how busy things around Him get, He knows. He always Knows.
Later that night as I went to bed and reran the whole evening in my head, it dawned on me⌠I pulled out my phone, to see it gleaming on my wallpaper- âYou are in me as me and I am in you as you.â Indeed, You are and indeed I am.
GURUDEV Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji told me: “Mere saath kya guilt? All I want from my teachers and volunteers is to be happy and be active.” Read this touching account by POOJA TOLANI, leading faculty from The Art of Living’s Canada Chapter.
I have never had a job in my life, hence never faced any of the ordeals office-goers talk about. Iâve been a full-time teacher with the Art of Living for about 20 years now and there isnât a thing I would want to change about my life. It’s perfect! But there is one person who works overtime to make it this beautiful â My Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar!
He has taught me to recognize and celebrate the many miracles that life brings, and there have been plenty of them. He has taught me to notice and be grateful for the unconditional love that nature and he constantly showers me.
CANADA CALLING Ever since I became a faculty with The Art of Living, he would ask me to share the stress-elimination techniques on different parts of the world to bring smiles on people’s faces. Initially, I traveled on my own and then with my husband. We traveled and taught The Art of Living Programs in India, Europe, and then North America. With his blessings, wherever we went, we were fortunate to be able to teach many people. We were by now, so to speak, a âsuccessful coupleâ.
In 2009, Gurudev asked us to go to Canada to teach these life-transforming techniques. Canada was somehow more challenging than anywhere else we had been to. It took us a lot more effort to organize courses and get things moving. While in other countries, within days of arriving, we would have people gathering in large numbers, in Canada, it had been over a year and we were still struggling to put courses together.
I began to feel stressed, burdened, impatient, and unhappy about the fact that Gurudev was taking such good care of us, yet we werenât able to offer anything back.
MEETING WITH GURUDEV – This drove me to a point where eventually when Gurudev visited Canada Ashram in the summer of 2010, I spoke to him about this. I had to. I couldn’t take it any longer. So, I said to him, âGurudev, Iâve been feeling very guilty that we havenât been able to perform well here. Courses are so small, nothing is happening. I feel guilty that so much effort and money are being invested in keeping us in Canada but we are unable to be useful. Perhaps we should return to India or go to another countryâ. Gurudev, after listening very intently, looked at me with his eyes full of compassion and yet a sense of authority, and said, âMere saath kya guilt?â (How can you feel guilty with me?). Then he went on to glorify the little work we had done and boosted us up by telling us how well he thought we had done. We were surprisingly, within minutes, feeling uplifted. And then he looked at me in a way that I will never forget and said, âAll I want from my teachers and volunteers is to be happy and be active! Are you active?â I said yes. âAre you happy?â I looked at him with my eyes welling up with tears of love and gratitude and without even pausing to think, said, âYes Guruji!â. âThat’s it thenâ, he reaffirmed.
I walked to my room so full of love and purpose. But this time the purpose was not to organize a course or quantify the work I was able to do or not do. The only purpose I was focused on was âTo be happyâ. I kept thinking, of how many relationships do we have in our lives where the other wants NOTHING from us but our happiness. Here was Gurudev who has been unconditionally and continuously only giving, and all he wants in return from me is to be happy! I have to be able to give this to him. I will be happy simply because he wants me to! And that’s enough for him and for me. So that day I decided I would be happy despite everything â whether courses happen or not, whether I am able to perform and live up to my ego or not. I will be happy! I AM happy!
BE HAPPY! A few days later Gurudev left for India and we returned to our city in Canada. To my surprise, as soon as we came back, I felt different. I didn’t know how, but I was happier, lighter, and more at ease. This is when courses began to happen effortlessly, people started coming, we were now organizing big events, we started getting media coverage, and the face of AOL Calgary changed! I didn’t have to do anything, but sit and watch it happen.
Since then, Gurudev has visited Calgary twice, in 2013 & again in 2018. Both were extremely successful visits with multiple events, meetings with Government officials from the Mayor to the Lieutenant Governor, corporate leaders, social change-makers, and media personnel. All in all, Calgary moved, grew, and was ready for Gurudev!
Soon we attended a North American Teachersâ Refresher Meet with Gurudev where he asked us to share with everyone how we work and organize courses. I went up on stage and all I could say was, “By being happy â that’s it!â
