Amazing Grace

A plum once said, "Just because a banana lover came by, I converted myself into a banana. Unfortunately, his taste changed after a few months and so I became an orange. When he said I was bitter I became an apple, but he went in search of grapes. Yielding to the opinions of so many people, I have changed so many times that I no more know who I am. How I wish I had remained a plum and waited for a plum lover." Just because a group of people do not accept you as you are, there is no necessity for you to strip yourself of your originality. You need to think good of yourself, for the world takes you at your own estimate. Never stoop down in order to gain recognition. Never let go of your true self to win a relationship. In the long run, you will regret that you traded your greatest glory - your uniqueness, for momentary validation. Even Gandhi was not accepted by many people. The group that does not accept you as you is not your world. There is a world for each one

Five Types of Seva There are five types of seva. The first type of seva is when you do not even know that you are doing seva. You do not recognize it as seva because it is your very nature - you cannot but do it! The second type of seva is what you do because it is needed in that situation. You do the third type of seva because it gives you joy. The fourth type is done out of your desire for merit - you do seva expecting some benefit in the future. And the fifth type is when you do seva just to show off, to improve your image and to gain social or political recognition. Such seva is simply exhausting, while the first type does not bring any tiredness at all! To improve the quality of your seva, regardless of where you start, you must move up to higher levels of seva. -Sri Sri Jai Gurudev!! Shruthi

Wonderful composition! Amazing lyrics!... Sau raginiyon se sajaa Bharat anokha raag hai Sau raginiyon se sajaa Bharat anokha raag hai Ye pyaar ka sangeet hai Ye shaanti ka geet hai Ye ekta ka raag hai Bharat anokha raag hai Sau raginiyon se sajaa Bharat anokha raag hai Anokha raag hai Bharat ke is ek taare pe Goonje hai jo jo ragini Sab mil gayin ek dhun bani Iss dhun pe naara ek hai Iska taraana ek hai Ye raag sabka raag hai Bharat anokha raag hai Jai hind jai hind Jai jai jai hind, jai hind Jai hind jai hind Jai hind jai hind Iss des ki reet ek hai Hain dhadkane ek taal mein Sur anginat geet ek hai Ye des sabka des hai Kya bol hain kya raag hai Sab gayen aisa raag hai Sau raginiyon se saja, Bharat anokha raag hai Bharat anokha raag hai, Bahuroop me anuraag hai Sau raginiyon se saja, Bharat anokha raag hai Jai hind, jai hind, jai jai hind...  Watch it! Jai Gurudev! Love, Shruthi

We spent the weekend in the most relaxing n refreshing way. Had been on a one-day trip to Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary and Mysore. We set off early in the morning...It was quite foggy, but pleasant. It was such a great feeling to watch the sunrise! - a perfect break from the monotonous life. After satiating our tummies with a sumptuous breakfast on the way, we set off towards Ranganathittu Bird Sanctuary.After an hour n a half's drive, we reached the sanctuary. It's a small island on the banks of river Kaveri and is rich in flora and fauna. A place where all bird lovers would love to be. The sanctuary is a nesting and breeding center for all kinds of birds. The sanctuary owes its existence to the world famous ornithologist Dr. Salim Ali who convinced the Maharaja of Mysore in 1940 to declare it as a protected area. We began walking alongside the huge n tall trees, bamboo groves and chirping sounds of brids, wishing that we could treat our eyes, watching

Shivaratri is the day of Lord Shiva. Shiva is the lord of meditation and therefore the lord of awakening. Shiva Tatva means to be awakened. Shivratri is thus an occasion to awaken one’s self from all sorts of slumber. Shivaratri is not a night to be slept over. One should try and be up through the night. It signifies being aware of everything you have and being grateful about it. Be grateful for the happiness which leads to growth, and also for sadness which gives a depth to life. This is the right way of observing Shivaratri. For the pious, the following method of Shiva worship is advisable – sit down in lotus posture, do some Pranayam to stabilize your breath, then indulge in Dhyana, followed by chanting of ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. It is the greatest mantra and the devout should drown himself in its Kirtan. Shivaratri worship leads to fulfillment of a devotee’s wishes. There are certain days and time frames in a year that enhance one’s mental and spiritual faculties. In such tim

Mumbai and Poona have seen a sudden increase in teen suicides. As the two cities struggle with the tragedies, Art of Living has swung into action by launching a helpline in association with Just Dial. Only, we called it the HopeLine. It’s for anyone who needs to talk, but doesn’t have any one they can talk to about anything they wish to. Please spread the word and let many people know about this. You may just save a life!! Jai Gurudev! -Shruthi