Sri Sri Ravishankar - in conversation with students, teachers and parents

The Art of Living supremo, Sri Sri Ravishankar, took a gathering of school-children, parents and teachers on a cheery and reflective trip...

Lucknow was beaming under the stars, when Guruji as he is fondly addressed by devotees, picked up the microphone on his first visit to Lucknow. This was at City Montessori School's lawns.

"You all want me to say something. What is going on in your minds? You are waiting, and wondering what I’m going to say. This is the internal dialogue of the mind. Seeing this internal dialogue increases awareness of the self."

The goal of education

"The goal of education is to increase awareness not information. ...Watching our inner-responses, knowing that they are there, increases our self-awareness."

He juxtaposed the words - ‘hosh’ awareness, and ‘josh’ excitement; to say that hosh, awareness was essential for creating something, while josh without hosh was a destructive force.

Did you know that your comfort is a direct result of the commitment of the people around you? The Karmayogis.

Success in life?

"A successful person is one, whose smile nobody can take away. A face bubbling with joy!"

"The second sign of success is, to be friendly."

Addressing the children, he asked them to make a new friend everyday. "To begin with, change places in class to get an opportunity to sit with a different child everyday, so that eventually, everybody could be everybody else’s friend. This is the way to begin being friendly to the whole world. Sab Hamaare Hai."

"Khub shararat karni chahiye, aur mast rahna chahiye Bachcho, khub hanso, khub hasao; Mat fanso, mat fansao."

Parents, smile please...

"Nobody ever taught me how to keep a smiling face. Parents should become like children again – free, uninhibited, natural. If parents stay like this, children will catch on from them."

Model Teachers :-)

"You should know that your life is very valuable. You are putting the foundation stone of the building. We play several roles, that of mother, father, teacher, friend, etc. We can play our roles in life in two ways. You could do as a Karmayogi, or you could do it as an Akarmyogi."

"Did you know that your comfort is a direct result of the commitment of the people around you? The Karmayogis."

"When an Akarmyogi doctor sees you, he will charge you, and then discharge you. He does not really care for your well- being. He is only concerned with money. A Karmayogi doctor gives you a thorough check-up, and is concerned that you become healthy."

"An Akarmayogi teacher is one who doesn’t care whether the students study or not. As long he gets his salary, he feels that he has done his duty by the students. This is an Akarmayogi teacher."

"A Karmayogi teacher is deeply interested in his students. He thinks day and night on how to give his best effort to the children. He wants the children to learn and grow."

Citizens' charter?

"Then there is an Akarmyogi citizen, and a Karmayogi citizen. The Akarmyogi citizen does not care if a tap is running on the road, or if there is garbage lying around. He goes his way without bothering to set things right."

"Whereas, a Karmyogi citizen takes care. He stops to switch off the running tap, or tells the authorities about the garbage heap. He is a Karmyogi citizen. Would you like to be an Akarmyogi citizen, or a Karmayogi citizen? Similarly, do you like an Akarmyogi doctor or a Karmyogi doctor? An Akarmyogi teacher, or a Karmayogi teacher?"

"An Akarmyogi father, provides for his child, without bothering to mix with the child, without bothering to know his child, her dreams and aspirations. You have thus created a gap with your children. Whatever we do, it should be done to the best of our ability."

Education...

"The purpose of education is to create a sense of belonging to everybody: Sab Hamaare Hai. In ancient times, children were instructed on Brahmopdesh, ‘You are love, you are anand, you are chetna, you are that, Tum Vahi Ho.' Bacche Pratibhavan bante the. They discovered their strengths and did their people proud."

"Nowadays, we use the wrong kind of language, negatively charged... Galat sankalp karte ho – 'You are useless, you know nothing….' Such remarks make the child’s foundation weak.

Happy children do well in studies and life

"Instead, take the children to an amusement park, let them be happy. And encourage them to do their best."

"Don’t make any subject a burden for the child. The rule for education is that it should be interesting. Concentration is such an effort! Is this shocking for you? Whatever you love, you like doing. You don’t have to concentrate then. Concentration is effortless then :-)"

"Children should be allowed to be natural, free, uninhibited. They should be able to speak to anybody, they should be able to shake hands, hug anybody in the family. Then, there will be no generation gap, no parental gap, no teacher-student gap..."

Anisha Sharma
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Guruji, i love you the most you are the one who made me realise that life is full of masti and love. Jai Gurudev

harshit mahindru on Monday, June 9, 2008

Beautiful! Thank you for knowlege, for being with us, for sharing closeness and teaching us how to share.

Ru on Tuesday, June 10, 2008

Very inspiring...many many blessings.... much...much...love

dino on Tuesday, July 15, 2008


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