QnA - 5

Q. I was to meet my friend and when she told me her cousin was going to be coming too i cancelled out cos her cousin was my classmate in school and i don’t much like him. I guess she told him and he sent me a very very vulgar message in yahoo.
I cant get it out of my head. Its keeps haunting me over and over..
How do i cope?
And also how do you know so much?!!

Vulgarity of any sort should simply be ignored, it shows an immature, unsophisticated consciousness... take it as spam and just forget about it and feel good that you didn’t go to meet your friend!
Move on... relax and smile :)
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa

ps i know so much, coz i have a terrific sense of curiosity and i love to learn more and more about many many things :)... And I love teaching things to others about all I know, so the knowledge stays with me fresh...

Q. Until now, till I did YES!+, I have been quite a shy person. Probably I would have never asked you this question before. I am well educated, have been a studious person through my life, did MTech from IIT Delhi and now working in a good company.
See, I like this girl, but I don't know her name or any other information about her. We did Seva together in the ashram during the advance course but as the silence was broken she had to leave and I never ever got a chance to talk to her…another reason was, that I was a bit shy. I just want to talk to her and find more about her and keep in touch. I don't have any lust or any bad feelings about her but just wish toto talk her. What should I do?

Do another Adv course! And another and another, she is bound to come back for one :) and next time if you like someone on a course, open your mouth and go and introduce yourself and exchange info :)... Just observe how throughout your life, this shyness of yours has cost you so much. I would say drop it! You have much to say to the world...

Q. Good afternoon sir, i m doing my b-tech (2nd yr) from nit-trichy. but am not at all interested in my core subject or getting into any software company. so its no point wasting 2 more years for this degree, and i have no reason why i should go for an mba.
i have never attended ny aol course, but am very sure that i m very interested in such things (spiritual n all n serving others) and i do believe in them......
Now, i want to know bout having a future in it. i mean means of living as a volunteer with some monthly income. actually money is no great deal 4 me but i will have to send something to my parents. i am in no hurry. its ok if i dont earn anything for 2-3 yrs(full service without income). i m ready to devote all my time to aol. i m ready to do seva n serve all day as my payment 4 aol courses, coz i dont think my parents will pay 4 it. unless i assure them of my future security,they wont allow me to chuck my college n go for aol n all...and i m quite sure tat this is d only way i can b happy in my life....
i want to b a part of ur institution....n only u can help me find some way......
waiting 4 ur reply very eargerly.......thanks a lot......

Hi varun and Jai Gurudeva!
First off, please do a YES!+ course... You say you are “interested”, well then go ahead and do something about it! If you feel your parents will not give you money to do the course, earn it! Please dont ask me how... Use your intelligence and skills... There is always the market research bureaus, thats how I used to earn money during the time I was studying... That and giving tuitions...
Next, giving up something simply because you dont ”like” it, is an attitude of a loser. There are going to be plenty of things in life that you may not like, but that you have comitted to do! Its your job to see to it that you finish what you have started. Guruji had beautifully put it, Move from success to success, not from failure to failure! However uninterested you are in the degreee you have chosen to do, first finish it before starting anything else. You also say you want to give up your degree, my friend, how can you give something you dont have?! Cmon finish it off... While you are doing it, you can organise YES!+ courses in your campus... Get into some hobbies, whatever, but see to it that you have completed what you started.
Do not join AOL to earn money. If you want to earn money there are millions of other options available. At the same time, if you are working with AOL, you will be taken care of financially... I like to put it this way, your needs will be taken care of, and maybe some of your greeds :)
According to me, AOL can be a viable career option, if your intention is to be happy, make others around you happy and not bother too much about finances... In time, money does come...

Q: When ever I tell my friends(who haven't yet done YES!+) about the seva activities happening in AOL, and ask for their contributions, they ask me how do I trust this organization ? And they reason out that in every NGO, lot of money gets wasted in the middle tracks and what reaches the needy is not even 40 %... I believe the money will reach the right people at right time in AOL. How do I make them believe ?

Take them to the places where Seva is happening. Our school in the slums of Dharavi and other places, villages where stuff has been put into place... Bring them to our Bangalore Ashram school and let them interact with the children studying there, Take them to jail courses and let them see for themselves what happens. Also, note that AOL is not liable to do Seva with the money collected on the courses. Thats the money we have earned! Its not a donation.
But Guruji is truly a philanthropist and so a huge percentage of even this money is ploughed back into society for reform where it is needed.
Finally, understand that there are a few people who will see flaws and defects everywhere... They have corrupted minds :) and there is just nothing you can do about it, other than bring them on a course and pray :)

Q:I am single and not married, working in a software company. I used to see gals who are very bad in behavior. I have seen gals who get engaged with one guy and have physical contacts with some other guys even after their engagement. I am very afraid that the gal whom I might get married to will also be of same character. Please help me to overcome this.

Not all women (or men) are like that. Also, once a woman (or man) is in a steady relationship, she may completely change her ways... Get out of this mind set that all women (and men) are unfaithful. Some definitely are, but most are not. Do be careful in selecting the one you want to get married, and treat her as she has a great character. Dont already assume she is not nice, simply because you know many women who are “bad”... Whoever you are going to get married to, make her do the YES!+ course and the Adv course :) and treat her with respect, not with doubt...

Q:The youth in the north east region of our country are in total strife. There is communal and spiritual discord. And the fact remains that there are many who want to be different and who want to make a difference. If i were to initiate action in the north east with your help do you think we could make it happen...?

Definitely... Things have been looking up now in the NE of India. There have been 3 YES!+ courses so far and many more will happen. Deepak Sharma is our teacher who is in charge of bringing about a miracle over there... Do contact him, his email id is d_s@email.com

Q: I am a 'fresher' in this world of AOL...and like everyone else even I am so inspired by you and especially by your speech. Its difficult to match the amount of knowledge that u have, but i surely want to have a vocab like yours. I am good in talking but i fall short of words...can u please suggest me how to get over this.
I have recently incorporated the AOL in my life and i can already see the difference n hope to make some contributions too.
Now that I am about to enter this world with my engineering just getting completed, I am a bit confused about AOL, Infosys, MBA n wht not...
I just dont wnt to get disconnected with AOL but at the same time worried about carrer. I know guruji will d der behind me..
Also all my good wishes to your mom. I hope she gets alright soon.
It was nice to write to u for the 1st time.
If u found it a bit boring....Just accept people as they are :)

Hi Rishab... Jai Gurudeva! And no, your question was not the least bit boring :), and i do accept people and emails as they are!!
and thanks for your wishes to my mom. She is still not completely alright, keeps going up and down, but these days it much more up than down, so I am pretty sure she will be absolutely fine soon! (She has already started sending her crazy SMSes to everyone she knows, thats a great sign:))
Being confused about what to do is perfectly natural... If you ask me, get the job while you decide what to do...
Come and meet up with me or any YES!+ teacher and talk about it... Like I said earlier, Art of Living and teaching YES!+ can be considered as a very viable career option... We do need many young and dynamic people to take Guruji’s special message for the youth all across the planet. So if you like being happy and making others happy and travelling all over... And not worrying too much about finances, believe me the money will come, then becoming an Art of Living teacher is perhaps the most satisfying and fulfilling job in the world! :)
You touch so many lives... So many smile because of you, so many are healed through you... It is a really wonderful and meaningful way of living. Dont get me wrong, there are challenges and problems, and its not all roses, but in the end, I personally would not do anything else :)


Q:I wanted to ask you about the Latest world summit held to anticipate different views given by Scientists in various countries. They have given very frightening declaration regarding the consequences of the Global Warming. Is it really happening?

Yes, It is really happening, and many people because of the immensity of the problem choose to just ignore it or shiver about it. You dont make that mistake. Take it up, and start talking very loudly about it wherever you go. Its our planet. We do need to fight for it!
More people learn to meditate and regularly practice meditation will automatically help them take responsible, intelligent action, instead of the thoughtless environmental rape that they are propogating... I had read in a journal recently, that 27% of global warming happens because people eat non veg food! Thats something we can all cut out. Its more than all the pollution caused by all the vehicles and airplanes all over the world!
So some of the solutions to this mega problem are fairly basic... And something each person can right away implement, if they only cared enough... And I am very proud that Art of Living is actually showing people a better lifestyle, than simply making a movie about it and ignoring the most important cause of global warming in it :)

Q: i m feeling very alone nowadays....i dont have a single person by whom i can spend time when i m bored.....does this life need a companion to go along.???......i keep feeling as though i m being let out by my mates.....a sense of being alone in this world constantly surrounds me.....i keep feeling as though this life is very dull....i m uselesss fellow....as though i m missing a lot of fun....

For sure this is going to happen, when all you can think is only about yourself... Poor me, poor me. Cmon, stop this! Get out of your shell and take a deep breath and get interested in life! Do some Seva, go on an Adv course at Bangalore Ashram, attend some swinging Satsangs, take up a new hobby, and maybe find some new mates! :)

Q. Bau I recently did the UTSAV ACT II with you and Dinesh bhaiya in Mumbai. First of all thank u sooo much for all those wonderful moments. Well I used to come there for the course on my bike due to which I missed a chance to have the cake n soup which u prepared, fortunately my friend did get a chance to have it n he was with full of praises which made me feel all the more jealous, Bawa when will i get a chance to meet u in person and have food with u (something which u have prepared)??? n Dinesh bhaiya man, he's too good.. Please do convey my special thanks n regards to him also...... Really looking forward to meet u both. One small question why is it that whenever I feel like asking u somethin' I go blank? (kaan mei batana kissi ko nahi bolunga)...jgd

You can come and hang out with us... But be warned that you will suddenly find yourself neck deep in some work or the other. Both Dinesh and me are extremely busy making a difference in people’s lives wherever we go and having loads of fun in the bargain :)
Going blank when you are in the vicinity of any person who meditates regularly is normal... For years I couldnt ask Guruji anything meaningful, then I started writing out the questions on paper before going to see Him... That worked until I started loosing the paper... :)

Q: I have done my first yes plus @ varanasi last sept. I have a problem - whenever any body approaches me for any work, though I know that I will not be able to complete that work I still take commitments ....(and as being a medical students more n more ppls approach me with their works:)... now the problem arises when even from deep inside I wanted to help all of them ...it all just results into UNMET COMMITMENTS .... n that gives a guilt feeling ..... how to get out of all this???

Very simple. Learn to say NO once in a while. Another way is to learn to increase your capacity to do stuff. Sudershan Kriya, Meditation, Pranayama, Satsang and Seva do just this!

Q: Bavuu!!!!!
Distress here in chennai..My very close friend Shiva has a younger brother...Swami. Swami is mentally imbalanced..has fits of anger..and delusions and breaks stuff at home. He even beat up his mother when Shiva was not at home. Shiva and swami had lost their dad some time back. Shiva is married and is even more distressed in not being able to do anything about his brother's behavior. Psychiatric treatments of no avail..they even took him to Kerala for mystic treatment. Those people have "diagnosed" him to be possessed.
P.S. both of them haven't done the basic course.
Please help

Really dont know what to say, other than beware of quacks... And maybe bring them to Bangalore Ashram for some treatment. A good homeopath or Ayurvedic doctor could also help a lot... Make all the people in the family do the course. Chanting Om Namah Shivaya may also help... And finally tell them to pray that things sort themselves out...

Jai Gurudev Bawa!!!!!!
Bawa we are all eagerly awaiting for utsav1 which will take place in mumbai from 24th!!
oh baau i cant explain it feels so great to see our friends getting into this amazing, superbly fantabulous "roller coaster"ride for he first time which they would be enjoying throughout their life thereafter! i have pulled in 7 of my friends in just one day to do the course!and i ll get as many as possible!! i dont coax them i literally force them(ofcourse in a friendly manner :)) to get themselves enrolled for the course) lol
its simply feels wow to gift someone such a miracously beautiful experience and make them aware tht an outstandingly amazing loving and caring Guru is always behind them!
on the other hand clean up mumbai is in full swing!! its so damn fun and cultivates a sense of responsibility to work for society n mother earth and by he end of tht day brings tremendous satisfaction!
bawa it feels great to read ur blog everyday!
do keep posting everyday!
jai gurudev! (let the victory of the big mind prevail forever!! :) )

Thats not really any question, but its written so well, and reflects so accurately what a lot people who do Utsav feel, that I felt it should be included here :)
Jai Gurudeva! May many many people come to this superb Knowledge through all of you... I mean all of us! :)

Q. I was working in company it was life insurance company since december 2005. There is lot of politics which was being played with me I mean I am being tortured mentally mostly. I have won all rewards and recognitions of the company but they still want more business. Since 28th march 2008 Iam not going to office. I feel suffocated there. I had given my resignation to them but they did not accepted it. What should be my next step how to react to them am very confused now. our office timing are rubbish it starts at 8 in morning and ends at 12 or 1 in night with standing Cextending for 2 hr regularly. I am not even getting leave to do course. so at end of day I feel very tired and depressed. I am eager to do seva but because of our office timing not being able to manage it.. we have very untimely meetings and we are tracked every hour. where we are what we do? Even calls go to customer asking if we have visited them or not?
i had happen to attend your session at nasik during pds and i am almost fixed to start a business in financial consulting but still i need your guidance as this is first time am thinking of business and need guruji's blessing we are starting business in name of mudra.
but please do guide me how to solve my office problem.
the impact of office work has increased lot of personal problem in my life.
now as am not going to office am also volunteering for utsav nasik may course

Just quit! Dont bother to go to such a place. Talk to rashmin (rpulekar@rediffmail,.com) about alternative sources of income. Believe me there are plenty! :)

Q. Bawu, I am looking forward this as an opportunity for me to communicate the thoughts in my mind. Please read through.

Bawu, Inspite you being a great inspiration for me and the respect I have for you, there is a factor fear in me towards you. This fear factor pulls me back from raising any question in your presence and clearing my doubts.

The fear may be started because initially I did not have complete faith in the activities of the World which I belong to now, i.e. Art of Living. In the earlier days of my involvement in the activities of Art of Living, an incident occurred in which I sensed that you were aware of these negative thoughts in me. Now in spite me having full faith, the guilt has remained within me in the form of fear. I am sure when you were able to recognize the negative thoughts in me, you will also be able to bring me out of this situation.

Dont bother about feeling negative or fearful or whatever... Relax, take a deep breath, smile and you are fine! :) :) :)

Q. Bawu, here is another issue which I am facing at my work place. There is a small conflicting idea between my Manager and me. Wherein I am not satisfied with what my manager is offering for me (Process), as I feel there is not much scope. This offer was also rejected by one of my colleague who is a new joiner (I don't know if this is ego). At the same time my manager is ready to offer what I am looking for keeping in consideration that my colleague (new joiner) accepts his offer.

I am in a perplexed state, between my manager, my colleague and my aspirations. Should I go ahead and accept the offer given?

Bawu, advice me.

You have to decide. Only you can decide anyways. Do you see that even if i give an answer, you have to make up your mind about taking it or not... so only you can decide :) Also know that there are lot of alternative ways of earning money... Maybe I should start up a blog on that :)... Meanwhile do talk to rashmin about it. His email is rpulekar@rediffmail.com

Q: I have a strong intention of helping my friends and other people, but hardly have any influence over them which makes any advice of mine to them useless. Till my high school I used to be the kind of guy who is silent, sitting in a corner totally cut off, helping my friends who are weak in studies, hoping they would progress and knowing that it is best to share knowledge.Should I give advice or knowledge which has helped me in solving a problem without being asked for, though I know that it is most likely to be ignored?

Start being a bit more assertive... Take leadership is some Seva project like organising a course... You will see people will start to take you seriously when they see that you are a “doer” not just a “talker”

Q. I'm from Punjab, was moved to Nottingham in UK for my LLM since then missing my AOL family. I realize that AOL will not only bring me back to my family but the youth here need it as well.

Nottingham is a city full of youths from different countries, as there are 4 universities so, there are number of youth here doing their graduation and post grad..........
Why not give your magic to them. so, they all get do well away from their home and lead a stress free life.........

Looking fwd for your reply


Please talk to Dr. Kapil Mathur (kaps108@yahoo.com) in London for courses in Nottingham. Get a big enough group and maybe me and/or dinesh will come there to teach it... London is one of my favourite cities in the world :)

Q. Which Olive oil should I use in my cooking? There are so many types, I get confused about which to buy...

Look out for Extra Virgin, Cold Pressed Olive Oil. It's is my favourite...
Any Brand is fine, i look for which bottle will go best with my kitchen decor :)

You can also buy a bottle and put some basil leaves in it. Leave to stand for more than a month. and you will be surprized at the taste. You can replace basil leaves with red chillies, fresh rosemary, a mixture of fresh herbs... whatever for a very different flavour to your Olive Oil.

Finally, do drizzle a little bit of olive oil on salad (even our simple indian kachumber is fine) and on pizza for a very different taste...

Experiment with different types, they do have different tastes, sometimes quite subtle, sometimes very obvious...