Sounds Interesting...

The Last Official (?!) Post here...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:05:00 +0000

Thank you everyone for having the patience and sharing the excitement as we created our site exactly as we wanted it...

You will see that the links on the top don't work yet, some graphics may be slightly out of place, but i don't want to hold out any longer... Things will get polished and start to work the way they are supposed to in a few days/weeks as we put more and more of the site together... i had no idea getting a site up would be so much of work :) but the main section is done... and now ready to be viewed...

Rupal did the designing... and its absolutely brilliant! We fought for hours about which colours go where and how it should look ... but even she is happy with the result :)

Prasanth did the programming... hours and hours of it... nudging things into place with infinite patience... not complaining even once when i would change something he had spent 2 hours on :)

He convinced me to move to Wordpress from Blogger and i must say i am glad i did it. For the Look and feel i had in mind, blogger simply couldn't cut it with the way it is now... Wordpress is a PAIN to set up, but once its up and running its an absolute pleasure to use...

Dinesh and i are really, really proud of this site (its become so much more than just a blog) that so many people have helped create.

Here it is for you to see...

http://bawandinesh.name

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawandinesh

The Secret of Lord Ganesha III

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 15 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Shiva had granted a boon to Ganesha that before anything auspicious is begun, Ganesha’s name would be invoked... So Ganesha also represents the beginnings of anything good.

When light passes through a prism and breaks into its constituent colours, Red is the first colour visible to the human eye... The beginning! Lord Ganesha’s signature colour is red. How astonishingly scientific!

Every year, especially in the city of Mumbai, around the beginning of September, the festival of Lord Ganesha is celebrated with great reverence, enthusiasm and joy. Lakhs of idols of Ganeshji are installed for 10 days with great pomp and ceremony. Small idols find their way in various people’s houses and really giant ones (3 floors high) are installed in various colonies all over the city. Poojas and Aartis are done, Prasad is given... And everyone has a great time.

The energy and feeling of the entire city completely changes as the atmosphere gets charged with the mantras and the devotion of millions of people... It is a magical time to be there...

On the last day however, all these idols are taken and submerged into the seas off the coast of Mumbai... To the cries of “Ganapati Bappa Moriya!! Pudhcha Varshi Laukar Yaa!!!” Meaning Victory to Lord Ganesha, Come back to us quickly next year...

(By the way, this does affect the seas and the environment, but more and more people are becoming environmentally conscious and having Ganeshji’s idols made out of quickly degradable materials... I am sure soon we will see very green Ganapati Festivals in Mumbai!)

There is a great significance to this: All the Gods are within us... In every cell of our Being. During the festivals, with great reverence we ask them to manifest themselves in the idols so we can worship them and play with them... Once we are done with the celebration, the final Pooja mantras actually invite the Gods back within us... So now its just a pretty statue... And so that we can learn non attachment, all the idols are put in the sea... This is done every year, to keep reminding ourselves about our own Divinity... And of course to celebrate and enjoy this great journey called Life!

Ganapati Bappa Moriya!!
Pudhcha Varshi Laukar Yaa!!!

Jai Gurudeva!
Love
Bawa

The Last (official?!) Post here...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 12 Sep 2008 00:45:00 +0000

http://bawandinesh.name

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawandinesh

Moving has started...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 22:52:00 +0000

Please do not post any more comments here, coz they will not be reflected on the new site...
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

One more sneak peek :)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 09:22:00 +0000

Here is how part of the side bar looks... pretty no?! :)

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

Start Living!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 21:45:00 +0000

Somehow i don't want to premier the site on 9/11

At 6:15 am on the 12th of September, we will unveil the new site... I have already written the last post... and it's scheduled to appear here at this time... Why this time? Well... let's just say it's a very special time for me :)

Meanwhile here is a superb thingie i wrote...

Q: Do we all need someone in our life to make us feel happy? cant we be happy all by ourselves ? i mean its not necessary that everyone finds the right person so does it mean that he/she should wait for that person to come in our lives and make us feel happy or can we be happy in the absence of anybody?

A: As long as you have Guruji in your life, you don’t really need anyone else :). However, if you have another person in your life, who shares the same love that you do for Guruji, for the Knowledge, for Seva, Sadhana and Satsang, then both of you can pull each other up and such a relationship can be an asset for you, and the other person.

People who need people for their happiness become like parasites to each other. Possessiveness, guilt, anger follow very quickly and annihilate whatever love that might have been there. You can’t stay alone by yourself and be happy, you are bored... So you go out and bore some others... Don’t feel too bad, even they are the same... Majority of the people are like that: disturbed, bored, not at peace and not comfortable with themselves. And they want to inflict their company on others who are more or less in the same boat... This sadness we term as society!

You need to be whole and complete by yourself. And the other person needs to be the same too... Actually, there's nothing to do except have the realization that you already are indeed whole and complete... Then you don’t need each other to have a fulfilling life experience, but, if you are together, then you complement each other and true enchantment happens!

Instead of having the usual check list for your “perfect” person... Start making yourself eligible for that person! See what are the things you need to be, so that you can become a “perfect” match for someone else :)

And you will see that that person will magically appear for you! This “right” person may already be there for you in your life...

When the Guru steps into your life... Things change... Wisdom, Love, Peace and Happiness dawn. At last you are utterly comfortable being you! And like a brilliant light, you bring life and brightness wherever you go... Finally you stop asking the question What about me? What about me?

You become eligible for truly satisfying, wonderful relationships.

You start Living!

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

Almost the Last post here...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 15:32:00 +0000

In about 4 hours, we should be ready to roll out the new blog...
Its not complete, but it will do... and we will keep adding everything else that's needed to make it even more interesting...
Sneak Peek: Here is what the Categories look like:

Stay tuned...
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

The Secret of Lord Ganesha II

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 10 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Ganeshji is the remover of obstacles... Obstacles are there because there is no Knowledge and awareness... as soon as wisdom dawns, all obstacles and problems just vanish like dew in the sunlight...And really what obstacle can stand in the way of an elephant?!

He has a huge stomach which signifies an all accepting nature... He is the Lord of all kinds of groups (Gan means group), so He accepts everyone... but He also wears a snake as a belt around the stomach, which means that He accepts you, but with the full awareness of a snake! It is not passive chalta hai attitude acceptance, but an active, participative acceptance...

He has many hands, one holds a rope, another a poke and still another a modak (yummy sweet).

He offers you the modak (sweet) of Wisdom and Knowledge and when you come near to Him to take it, He quickly ties you with the rope (probably while you are eating it)... meaning that once Wisdom has dawned, you can never really go back to whatever you used to be!

And it may happen that even having all the Knowledge and Wisdom, you may feel low, unhappy or miserable... then He pokes you (remember the snake? He accepts you as you are, doesn't cast you away, but takes action after accpetance)... to wake you up to Reality... And sometimes if the poking is too much for you and you try to run away (you can't He has got you tied with the rope! :)), He gives you the sweet, the Knowledge :) and that brings you back to Him. And so Lord Ganesha binds you sweetly and firmly to Himself!

He is Vinayaka. The peerless leader. He reports to no one!

And the mouse?

The mouse nibbles the veils of ignorance that surround our consiousness, so that true Knowledge can get established in the Self. So, Lord Ganesha rides the mouse who eats away the anger, the ignorance and allows the Bliss of Knowledge to dawn...

Thus Lord Ganesha is the gift of Lord Shiva for Parvati to teach and nurture her to always be in her true nature... The Celebration and Bliss of the Self!

Ganapati Bappa Moriya!!!
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

The Secret of Lord Ganesha I

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 09 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Click The Birth of Lord Ganesha to read about the very weird tale of how Lord Ganesha was born. What follows is the interpretation of that story...

Parvati is the Celebrative aspect of our consciousness. Parvat means mountain: The Earth herself rising up in celebration...

Now Parvati was dirty, meaning, the celebration had gone out of life, feeling of sadness, etc had arisen, and she decides to take a bath (be alone)...When you are not feeling good (your celebratory aspect is dirty), you say, give me my space, leave me alone...

The dirt that comes off her and she gives life to is the Ego... She tells the Ego see that no one disturbs me while i am not feeling well... dont let anyone come in!

Thats exactly what most people do when they are not feeling good: people usually isolate themsleves, feel separate from everyone and dont like others around them...

This is the significance of Parvati animating her ego and asking it not to let anyone disturb her because she is feeling dirty.

Lord Shiva is the protector of Parvati. So when He sees her that way with her ego standing guard, keeping the Bliss of the Self out, He does what any protector would do... Kills it!

Chopping off the head signifies killing the ego... Now, when you have had your ego trampled upon, you are going to feel even more hurt and bewildered, which is where Parvati flares up... to appease her and teach her, Lord Shiva replaces the child's (ego) head with an elephant head.

The Elephant in Hindu mythology is held in great reverence. In old times, if a lover wanted to praise his girlfriend, he would tell her she is like an elephant... That was supposed to be the ultimate praise! Please don't try this today... you just might get flattened :)

The big head symbolizes Knowledge. The eyes of the elephant are kind, full of compassion and innocence: the most beautiful in the animal Kingdom. So Shiva replaces the head of ego (ignorance) with Knowledge and innocence! That's not all, if you have ever seen an elephant walk, stately and strong, you can see that nothing can stand in its way! So Shivji removed the ego and replaced it with Strength, Grace, Knowledge and innocence. What a superb combination! And the perfect gift for an angry, sulking wife! :)

Lord Shiva then names the child, Ganesh. The Lord of Knowledge and Wisdom.

Tomorrow more will be revealed about the mouse and some other really fascinating aspects of Ganeshji...

Jai Gurudeva!

love

bawa

ps Dinesh is flying with Guruji to Oslo for the Nobel Laureates Conference... hopefully he will be posting about the goings on there :)

Quick Update

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 21:49:00 +0000

it's 3:30 AM... the internet connection in my room in Vishwamitra is down because of a storm... The blog is coming along... but not yet fit to be seen by all of you... I would say it's 75% done!

After making everyone wait so long, i want to show you guys something really nice... where almost everything works :)

Soooo ... Please hold on for a few more hours ... Lemme catch some sleep and we will start working on it again

Good Night!

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

Still Counting :)

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 08:06:00 +0000

I thought Monday Morning would be when it would happen ... Maybe today evening? Maybe a bit before that? Maybe tomorrow morning ... Keep coming back and checking ...

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

Ganeshji

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 08 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

The birth of Lord Ganesha is one of the weirdest tales i have ever come across...

Shiva's wife Parvati decides to take a bath... While bathing, a lot of dirt comes off her body (may have been meditating many years... these things accumalate :)), and being creative (pun intended) puts that dirt into the form of a really handsome child... and being a Goddess blew life into the child and asked him to wait outside (she could be modest too) and not let anyone come in till she finished her bath (and accessorizing)...

So the little kid goes out and waits and soon enough along comes Shiva, and asks the boy to step aside and let him go in. Boy refuses. Shiva gets angry. Shiva shouts and threatens. Boy doesn't budge. Shiva chops off boy's head! (Children in those days faced pretty harsh disciplining)

Parvati is very upset when she comes to know Shiva has killed her son ... son?! Shiva must have thought... when did that happen?!!... in any case to make her feel better, Shiva chops off the head of a passing elephant and attaches that to the body of the fallen child and gives Him life... Parvati is aghast at how her son looks and says everyone will mock him... no one will respect him... Lord Shiva smiles benignly and says that He will give a boon to the little Ganesha that before any Pooja or ritual of any kind is started, He, Ganesha will have to be worshiped first!

Parvati is quite mollified by this, but demands a vehicle for Ganesha... Shiva presents Ganesha with a mouse as his vehicle... Parvati was very happy with that and the family lived happily for many eons to come (ever after really as far as us humans are concerned)

And that's how Lord Ganesha was born... like is said it is a very weird story with plenty of really big loop holes and questions! To start with Parvati must have been really REALLY dirty for so much dirt to come off her... Then Shiva is the Lord of the Universe, if a small kid told Him to come back later, He could have gone somewhere, looked after a galaxy or two, meditated or something :)... but no, He chops off the kid's head!

Then He puts an elephants head on the child and gives a mouse as a vehicle... no sense of proportion whatsoever!, should have been the other way round! Give a mouse's head and the elephant as a vehicle...

We could go on and on... but as usual there is a secret to the story... Come back tomorrow and you will find it :)

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

Countdown...

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:15:00 +0000

... to the new look :)

AND the new domain, both together... I think if all goes well, Monday morning's post will be on the new domain with the new look!!

Blogger has served me well for 200 posts... and its almost time to say good bye to this Magical Template which i have been using for a long time now... It was made by Amanda from Blogger Buster

Thank you for reading all that dinesh and i have written ... and commenting and laughing :)

See you all very soon, with the new improved "Sounds Interesting..."

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

Wal Mart woes

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 07 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

I got this on a mail ... was too funny not to post here ... have a good laugh!

Dear Mrs. Samsel,

Over the past six months, your husband has been causing quite a commotion in our store. We cannot tolerate this behavior and have been forced to ban both of you from the store. Our complaints against Mr. Samsel are listed below and are documented by our video surveillance cameras.

1. June 15: Took 24 boxes of condoms and randomly put them in people's carts when they weren't looking.

2. July 2: Set all the alarm clocks in Housewares to go off at 5-minute intervals.

3. July 19: Walked up to an employee and told her in an official voice, 'Code 3 in Housewares. Get on it right away.'

4. August 4: Went to the Service Desk and tried to put a bag of M&M's on layaway.

5. August 14: Moved a 'CAUTION - WET FLOOR' sign to a carpeted area.

6. August 15: Set up a tent in the camping department and told other shoppers he'd invite them in if they would bring pillows and blankets from the bedding department.

7. August 23: When a clerk asked if they could help him he began crying and screamed, 'Why can't you people just leave me alone?'

8. September 4: Looked right into the security camera and used it as a mirror while he picked his nose.

9. September 10: While handling guns in the hunting department, he asked the clerk where the antidepressants were.

10. October 3: Darted around the store suspiciously while loudly humming the 'Mission Impossible' theme.

11. October 6: In the auto department, he practiced his 'Madonna look' by using different sizes of funnels.

12. October 18: Hid in a clothing rack and wh en people browsed through, yelled 'PICK ME! PICK ME!'

13. October 21: When an announcement came over the loud speaker, he assumed a fetal position and screamed 'OH NO! IT'S THOSE VOICES AGAIN!'

And last, but not least.

14. October 23: Went into a fitting room, shut the door, waited awhile then yelled very loudly, 'Hey! There's no toilet paper in here.'

Regards,
Tom Richards
Wal-Mart Manager

A Weekend Competition!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 06 Sep 2008 05:07:00 +0000

How many ways can you use the word up to mean different things depending on how you use it?
Make up a paragraph or a story using up in as many ways as possible!

Here is a start up for you:

As she was putting make up on her face, she made up her mind that she was going to close up the matter once and for all... She was fed up with the half truths that he was making up to cover up the stuff that she was suspecting he was up to... She looked up to the sky to get some strength to be able to one up him when she met up with him in a few minutes... She saw how the clouds were covering up the sun, just like she suspected him of covering up the truth...

I am going to leave the rest up to your imagination... and wind up this little post here :)

Most creative and maximum uses of up will get 100 EC credits and an invitation to lunch with me next time you are at Bangalore Ashram!

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

Don't Look at the Moon!!

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Fri, 05 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

On the day (night) of Ganesh Chathurti, we are warned not to look at the moon... Mythology says that if you look at the moon on this night, then you will get blamed for something you didn't do!

So don't look at the moon!!!

This particular belief sounds quite odd... What if the rays of the moon touch you? Will you still get blamed? If you look at the reflection of the moon in water: You are not looking up at the sky, you are looking down and there it is... in the puddle of water! What then?!

Well, at least this Ganesh Chathurti, we in Bangalore Ashram were spared from the naughtiness of the moon... the sky was overcast and there was no chance to see the moon... but no one was taking any chances, everyone was walking about focused intently on the ground :)

Is there some deeper meaning to this? You bet there is! And i am not going to make you wait till tomorrow to read it either :)

The moon symbolizes the mind... Just as the moon waxes and wanes, the mind goes up and down... Some days it makes you feel good, other times it can drag you down into the pits of despair for the smallest of reasons... The mind is what constantly gets you into trouble...

Ganesha is the Lord of Wisdom and it is He who teaches us how to get over the vagrancies of the mind, how to be established firmly in Knowledge and let nothing shake us out from the Bliss of the Being. And so on the day when we are going to celebrate Lord Ganesha, we don't look at the moon... meaning Follow Knowledge, not your little mind!

Don't look at the moon! Don't let that small mind of yours rule you... Be in Knowledge, Be wise, Be happy!

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

PS more about Lord Ganesha coming up...

Apple and Potato Soup

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Apple and Potato??? Yup you read it right! I ate (do you eat or drink soup? Well, whatever...) this soup in the ITC Eden Pavilion at Kolkata... and as usual modified it to taste better :)

It is incredibly simple to make and tastes otherworldly...

5 medium sized sweet apples, peeled, cored and cut into medium sized chunks
3 small potatoes or 2 and a half medium sized potatoes which are cut into medium sized chunks, don't peel the skin and remember to wash and scrub them well before using.

We are using a little less than 1/2 the number of potatoes compared to apples.

2 cloves of garlic crushed
Few basil leaves
Olive Oil
A small piece of cheese grated
3 small cinnamon sticks
Salt to taste

In a pressure cooker, heat up a generous amount (3-5 tablespoons) of Olive oil and put in a tablespoon of butter (optional). add the garlic and cook till brown, add the basil leaves, stir for a minute. Add the salt.

Add potatoes and cook for about 3-4 minutes. Then add the apple pieces and cook for another few minutes. Add the cinnamon sticks. Add the cheese. Add water to cover the entire mixture. Pressure cook for 3-4 whistles. Remove from heat and put aside.

Allow the cooker to stand for about 10-15 minutes. Then remove the whistle and carefully open the cooker. Fish out the cinnamon sticks. and whirrr the whole mixture to a smooth consistency.

Garnish with a sprig of Parsley and serve piping hot. It's absolutely delicious. You don't need anything at all to go with it!

The New Look

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Thu, 04 Sep 2008 04:23:00 +0000

for our blog is just a few hours away... once we upload the template its going to take a week or so to stabilise ... so please be patient if things dont work right :) and please keep giving comments on whats wrong and where and what else can be added

after things become alright we will migrate to our very own domain!!

I really like how it looks now and hope all of you will too :)

just a few hours more now...

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

3 Sutras to Samadhi

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Wed, 03 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Before you sit to meditate, remember these three things:

1. Achaha: Meaning right now, i don't want anything... Right now, i want nothing...

2. Akinchen: Meaning I am nobody, i am nothing... just ask yourself... who am i? who is ? You will see you are nothing and nobody... dont bother intellectualizing this one... just know and experience that you are indeed nothing and nobody and relax...

3. Aprayatna: Effortlessness... To meditate there is nothing to do. Just be. Like when you go for a massage, you just lie there, do nothing and let the masseuse massage you... similarly, you just sit with your eyes closed and let the Guru Shakti meditate for you!

Before meditating, just relax and remember these 3 sutras (effortlessly)... they will allow you to sink blissfully into Samadhi!

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

Cutlets

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 05:00:00 +0000

This will require some planning.

Curdle about a liter of milk by adding juice of a lemon. Drain the water, we will not need it but its very healthy and can be used to make rice in or add to flour to make chapattis, etc. Hang the curdled part in a muslin cloth or a hanky. Its exactly the same way you hang curds.

After a few (5-7) hours, you will get a nice white mass which in Kolkata they call Chaannaa (or something similar)

Now you will need:

2 small carrots chopped finely
1/2 a cabbage chopped well
2 small potatoes boiled and mashed with lumps
handful of green peas parboiled (meaning just dipped in very hot water for a few minutes, so they get cooked but dont loose their fresh green colour)
Fresh spinach and coriander leaves finely chopped
Any other veggies you want to add... bits of french beans, broccoli, mushrooms are good ideas :). These should be cooked and/or chopped very fine.

Take bread (5-7 slices should be enough and stale whole wheat bread is best) and toast it in an oven for 10ish minutes or until very crisp but be careful not to burn it, then put in a grinder and powder it. To this add some (2 heaped tablespoons should be enough) rava (or suji or semolina). Keep aside.

Add all the veggies to the Chaannaa, add some garlic paste and salt to taste. Mix the whole thing up really well. Make spherical or ellipsoidal (sorry, cant think of any other words to describe it) medium sized shapes and roll them in the suji bread crumb powder so that they are totally covered.

Heat up oil to deep fry in a saucepan. When the oil is really hot, slide in the raw cutlets and fry for a few minutes till they become a yummy golden brown. I usually do only one at a time. Its pretty quick, a batch of about 15 cutlets will get done in less than 20 minutes.

Arrange on a platter. Serve very hot with a dash of lime and tomato slices, garnished with corriander!

This is one of the yummiest veggie cutlets i have ever had and i learned how to make them at Vibha's home in Kolkata.

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

AMEX and Art of Living II

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 04:16:00 +0000

The Jharkhand project has made it in the top 25... we are at 23!

ty everyone who voted!!

It's not over yet, now the top 25 will battle it out to get to top 5 and when that voting starts i will let everyone know... it could mean $2.5 Million to Art of Living (that's Rs 10 Crores!) ... imagine how many schools we could start in that much money in Jharkhand... so stay tuned and get ready to vote again in a few days!!

Thanks a lot again!

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

ps here is what vijay wrote to everyone who voted, i reproduce his mail word for word :)

Dear All,

MY SINCERE PRANAM AND GRATITUDE TO GURUJI FOR HIS BENEVOLENCE AND GUIDANCE IN ACHIEVING THIS!!!

CONGRATULATIONS TO ALL OF YOU FOR NOMINATING JHARKHAND TRIBAL PROJECT INTO THE ROUND OF 25! AS OF 9PM PDT, WE STAND AT NO. 23 WITH A TOTAL COUNT OF 2172 NOMINATIONS. WE COULD NOT HAVE DONE THIS WITHOUT EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU!!

My sincere pranams & gratitude goes to out to each one of you who have nominated this project, to our US Care for Children team which has put up an amazing show, our India team spearheaded by Bava and the Ashram group who picked it up and PROPELLED it to the heights that it has reached and other non-AOL companions who have really worked together to reach this important milestone.

To put it in perspective - IN THE LAST 11 DAYS WE HAVE MOVED FROM THE LAST PROJECT AT NO. 1190 TO NO. 23!!! THAT IS JUST A GLIMPSE OF WHAT WE DO TOGETHER!!!

Care for Children is the most unique program among all of the top 25 nominated. No other project even comes close in vision and here are my reasons. The five categories chosen for funding are: Arts/Culture, Education, Health, Environment & Community. In real life, none of these exist in isolation. They must coexist to flourish. Care for Children is the only project that addresses ALL of them - from providing holistic education that strengthens the children & adults, providing healthcare and teaching yoga and meditation that addresses sound mind and body, teaching organic farming that cares for the environment, preserving culture and art forms of tribal, rural and urban communities and building the communities through social responsibility - WE HAVE IT ALL! Ours is simply the most comprehensive program that there is to build the future of this world!!! My complete surrender to our Guru for this Masterpiece!!! SO LET US ALL COME TOGETHER AGAIN AND TAKE THIS TO ITS CONCLUSION ---- NO. 1!!!

I am waiting for official confirmation of our position which I will know in the next few days. Subject to confirmation, there will be another round of voting to determine the final five projects to get funding. The US CFC team is now at work to collate and provide all the details on this. I am sure it will be a tougher round and the top teams stand to make AT LEAST $100K in funding.

Other quick highlights: In the final 4 hours, we slipped from No. 21 to 23 as other groups pounded on the AmEx website to register their nominations. As we approach the next round of nominations, please remember that it counts to be engaged all the way to the very end. We cannot let up!

Jai Guru Dev!
Vijay

A Reminder

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 13:39:00 +0000

Guys its only 12 hours or so to go for the AMEX project
We are at about 23now, need to get into the top 20 please... so need another 400 votes and 12 hours to go...
Please go vote!!!
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

Ashram Memories

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Mon, 01 Sep 2008 05:12:00 +0000

Last YES!+ advanced course in the ashram was a Sattvic blast!

600 young people from all over India and a sprinkling from abroad arrived at the ashram for the YES!+ advance course. The sad part was that we had to refuse a little over 200 ‘cos the ashram was stretched to capacity (acco wise) and they were not quick enough to act on the registration (habits, patterns, old and new impressions made them believe everything can be done by trying in the last minute of the eleventh hour). Alas!

The excitement in the air was at its peak since four fifths of them were coming to the ashram for the first time. It reminded me of my first advance course back in ‘95 and how we could feel the energy from a few kilometers away while riding in the bus on route to the ashram.

By the way, those who came a day earlier (always a good idea) were treated to a session of Mathemagic with Bawa.

The YES!+ stay was in Khodays – a hostel style acco just across the ashram border, very much like the IIT hostel I stayed in with 280 rooms with 4 wings (2 for girls and 2 for boys).

Some of the early birds who arrived first chose the rooms closer to the stairs to avoid walking all the way down the corridor and others chose to leave that convenience to those coming later. The later who thought about others were rewarded with the best view of the entire ashram from their rooms.

Coincidentally that night Guruji spoke about Tyagabuddhi (an attitude of sacrifice), how you open yourself to receiving the highest with tyaga. I felt the creation is truly a play of paradoxes – when you let go something dear, the best gets to you.

I visited and saw the rooms they were staying in in the afternoon and taught a few disgruntled participants to flush the toilet. Guruji also visited in the night and he too went into the rooms and even in the toilets to see everything was in order. I felt good about myself for having the foresight to check everything and not to mention that the girls and the boys in their night clothes were thrilled to bits seeing him when they least expected… and prayed most…

The day of talking was incredibly boisterous and yet it brought an amazing sense of serenity in its passing. You have heard about the evening in Roma and an evening in Paris, but the evening in the ashram is something to live for and sing about. Ashram is an enchanting land, sizzling with magic at every step. Steeped in tradition, rooted in ancient wisdom and dazzling with new born freshness. The evening in the ashram ambience is when nature shamelessly romances and flirts with the spirit of every thing and every being – trees, clouds, birds, animals, humans and even stones. The cool weather and the heady and lingering breeze caressing the leaves in the trees and delightfully ruffling the garments on the body and anything that falls in its way. The ashram breeze copiously suffused with sattva never fails to tickle my prana to an intoxicating high!

As silence descended over the ashram, the love became more and more dense, intense and palpable. The meditations were blissful, the processes; thought silencing and joy provoking.

Teeny weeny tiny bit of discontent that people had for staying in Khoday’s and doing the advance course in kitchen top and not in Vishalakshi, was soon doused by an overwhelming sense of contentment. We usually go to a shrine or a place of worship and meditate there to soak in the pure and powerful vibrations of sattva there. Imagine living in it the whole day, makes every cell of the being pulsating and sparkling with Sssshivaaa energy…

The divine is singing to you through the birds. (Guruji had once started a meditation with that line). So true!!! When all the birds are celebrating their evening home coming, the participants too were feeling more and more by the day that they have reached home. And truly there is no place on the planet like home.

On day three, Guruji came to the session and walked in between rows of jubilant participants and mass hysteria (more of miss hersteria).

And yet everyone was disciplined and hence Guruji had the freedom to do what he wanted and needed. More than pushing one selves onto him, the youngsters followed the principle of pulling him to them by their devotion and intensity of longing. After the darshan (blessings), we all sat silently with eyes closed and immersed ourselves with the shower of blessings.

The knowledge that Guruji showered in Satsang was delicious, delectable and delightful about which I will blog here and there.

The last day after the last process, as everyone opened their eyes, there was Guruji sitting in the teacher’s seat. People rubbed their eyes, they jumped out of their seats cos for the life of them, they could not believe that Guruji was actually there. It took a full half hour of spontaneous sharing by almost everyone how they were praying deeply that Guruji should come right away. And Guruji had to make an absolutely unscheduled visit to be with them. It is said “Bhakt bhagavan ko sirf bhav se bandh sakte hai”. You can pull god only with devotion.

And He in turn pulls you totally by his love. Give the best of your excuses, but you will get pulled to the ashram on 9th September for the 10-14 September (Bawa’s Birthday Special) YES!+ Advance Course.

And here's Guruji saying bye before leaving on a day trip to Mysore this morning after Rudra Pooja...

Jai Gurudev
love
Dinesh

Aglio e Olio

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sun, 31 Aug 2008 05:00:00 +0000

Very tasty, very classy and extremely quick spaghetti to make ...

Though strictly speaking aglio e olio means only garlic and olive oil, i like to add just a teeny bit of other veggies to give it colour and make it more interesting!

For 4 people, you will need

3/4th a packet of whole wheat spaghetti
7 pieces of sun dried tomato
A handful of French Beans chopped long and thin
1 small carrot chopped thin
a small handful of green peas parboiled
Olive Oil
Butter
10-12 fresh Basil leaves
2-3 (depending on how garlicky you want it) small pieces of (a full) garlic either chopped fine or crushed
1 dried red chilly (you may add more to make it spicier or not add it at all for a blander taste)
Salt to taste

In a large pan, add a tablespoon of salt and some olive oil to water and heat to a rolling boil. Add the spaghetti and cook for 10-12 minutes (look on the packet for directions). Remove from heat, drain and put aside.

In a large saucepan, heat a generous amount of olive oil and a dollop of butter. Add the red chilly and the crushed garlic and cook until the garlic turns brown. Add the veggies (first the french beans, then the carrots and finally the sun dried tomatoes and the green peas) and saute them until they are cooked. Add the spaghetti and toss the whole thing until all the spaghetti is well coated, you may add just a little bit more of the olive oil if you think the whole thing is too dry...

Serve hot. Usually served with different types of bread, i like mine solo.

Feel free to add or subtract the veggies, you could add mushrooms, broccoli, zucchini, etc to it... simply remember that the veggies should be just a very tiny part of the whole thing. You could even add some grated cheddar cheese or shavings of parmesan cheese right on top while serving. If you make a soup to go along with this, it makes a brilliant complete meal.

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

AMEX and Art of Living

noreply@blogger.com (Anonymous) — Sat, 30 Aug 2008 08:02:00 +0000

Hi everyone
Jai Gurudeva!

All of us could potentially see to it that a nice partnership can be formed between AMEX and Art of Living... read on...

AMEX (American Express) has offered USD$2.5 million for a Service project that will be chosen among many that people all over have put up on their website... The process of choosing is simple... people vote, the top 25 projects will be reviewed and considered for the grant... There are many interesting projects out there... AND Art of Living has 2 projects, who need votes to get into the top 25 (about 600 votes away)... i would prefer them to get into the top 5 :) (about 4000 votes away)

Could whoever reading this please goto their site and vote for these 2 projects?

You can sign in as a card member if you own an AMEX card, or you can sign in as a guest as well... and you can do so anonymously too!

So please, take a few minutes out and go vote for these projects... btw, you can vote for multiple projects, so if any other catches your eye, feel free to vote for those as well :)

Voting stops on Monday the 1st of September, so PLEASE do it now!! :)

here is what you do:

1. Click the links below
2. SIGN in either using your American Express Card Membership or as a guest. (When u click the link below, a window opens and bottom right there's guest signup, go signup and assign yourself a screen name)
3. Once you have registered,window automatically opens to the project selected. Click the Nomination Button. Thats it!

Jharkhand Tribal Project

End Gang and Youth violence in California

Once you have done it, PLEASE leave a comment here to let me know that you did it :)

Also get friends, relatives, family, etc to do it... It will be great if Art of Living can have a partnership with AMEX to do the fantastic work that it is anyways doing!

Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa