6:00 PM
Many more people have arrived in Vyakti Vikas Kendra. Some folks come in with Harmoniums. There are a few foreigners in the group. We are totally about 50 people in the second floor.
The Bhajans start.
‘Om Namah Shivaya’. This goes on and on. We all sing. No sign of Ravishankar.
‘Om Namo Bhagavathe Vasudevaya’ Starts. Most of us are singing. Some of them are shy and don’t like singing. Some are just making lip movements with not much sound coming out. The AOL teachers are trying to out sing each other. They are the guides and need to set an example to their pupils. I am singing as well.
Still no sign of Ravishankar. His seat is empty. It is one of the traditions in India among religious Gurus and Politicians. They never come on time. Most times it is on purpose. The wait and suspence increases the anticipation of the followers. People wait and wait and finnaly when they see their leader they go into ecstasy.
Ravishankar has still not arrived. People are looking at the room where he is in. There are some people with their cordless phone moving in and out of the room. Maybe Guruji is giving dictates to the different centres around the world. The people coming in and out of the room seem very important people of high social standing. The singing is going on wehave sung that Guru is everything – Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva. We are now singing glories of the female goddess Durga.
Its 6:30 and Ravishankar emerges from the room in Spotless white robes. He is humming the song and making mischeious gestures. He comes and sits cross legged on his throne. All our eyes are on the master. He smiles at all. People garland him. One Garland, two garlands and many many garlands. he now starts throwing the flowers at all of us. People are diving to catch the flowers. It is guru prasad. The singing continues. We sing of Krishna, Radha, Rama, Shiva. We leave no stone unturned. We invoke all the major gods. One white lady was dancing. Some of the Indian women in traditional attire are little bit embarrased but they manage to keep their smiles. One art of living teacher also joins the white lady in dancing. It is all blissful. Ravishankar is making all gestures in his hands. Sometimes he closes his eyes and goes to trance and sometimes he opens his eyes. Throws some flowers and again goes back to closing his eyes. Its 7:00 PM now.
Ravishankar adjusts the small microphone in front of him. That is an indication to stop singing. Slowly the singing stops. The master speaks. He involes the silent guru Dakshinamurthi and chants a sloka. Then he opens a book on Shiva Sutra and chants one of the shiva sutras. Ravishankar talks today about auras. He says diseases manifest six months before in the Aura much before it becomes a physical reality. He also talks about the importance of Food and satwic food. Not only the importance of the quality of the food but how it is prepared. he mentioned the cook influences the psychic condition of the food. He gave an example of a 70 year old sanyasi who was staying in his ashram. This fellow was a celibate since many decades and one day he was called for dinner to the house of a devotee. After dinner and while sleeping this man started to have ‘Kama Vasanas’. Poor guy. Then he came next day to Ravishankar and asked him why so. Ravishankar mentioned that it is because of the Food he ate in the house. The people who cooked the food were full of lust. I started wondering what kind of mind the cooks in our hostel mess harbour. That’s where I have my breakfast and dinner. How can I come out of these bonds. Ravishankar finished his talk and asked us if we have questions. One man asked how to be ‘Stithapragna’ – the one of steady conciousness. Ravishankar did not like this question or the man. He told just reading books and picking up sentences like Sthithapragna and wanting to become that is meaningless. Ask some original question and do not try to test his knowledge. The man became silent. One lady asked how can we be always blissful. He said pranayama, kriya, meditation and proper food. He said it has been proved by western scientists now that Sudarshan Kriya can change your aura through kirlian photography. Ravishankar showed a photograph of a women before Kriya and after Kriya. Beofre Kriya her aura is grey and she is gloomy. After Kriya her aura is brigh saffron and she is smiling and radiant. I was not sure whether this photo was real or hoax created by some charltan in california. I had read one book which had kirlian photographs which were all black and white. Maybe technology has improved. (Now more than a decade later Kirlian photography has been proved as a hoax). But now we are all convinced and made a vow o practice pranayama and Kriya regularily.
Its 7:45 now. Ravishankar starts a Bhajan – Radhe, radhe and people join in. Again a round of raptourous bhajans and finally it ends at 8:00. Now time for prostration to the master. I wait my turrn. After most of the crowd have finished I prostrate the Guru and smile. I tell him I am doing basic course. he asks me – how is the kriya. I told him it is wonderful. He said hmm and he asked me whether I am coming for the two day residential ashram retreat. I say yes. He says that will be good. I ask him whether he has any special instruction and message for me. He says just practice pranayama and meditation. I say thank you and go down. Eat the prasad which is my favourite south indian flavoured rice. Then walk all the way back to my hostel. I am looking forward to the Residential stay in the ashram over the weekend.
