Uttarakhand Relief Work

I have been receiving reports of what our volunteers have been doing to bring relief to the tragedy-struck region of Uttarakhand. I wanted to share an overview of the tremendous work being done. 100 trucks of relief material from various parts of the country have been sent to Uttarakhand A team of about 300 volunteers has been working in different areas of the region. They have been working with the para-military forces and the Disaster Management Team assisting them in rescue operations. Apart...

Keeping the Faith

To move towards growth in life, we require faith in three things - in oneself, in the goodness in society and in God. However, looking at the recent incident in Kedarnath, where so many innocent lives were lost, one wonders if God exists. If He does, why would He do such things to His own devotees? It is on these occasions that faith becomes fragile and one tends to lose it. However, it is also on these occasions that faith is most needed too. We must remember that God is impartial; He is present...

Leadership: From Mob to Movement

Leadership is a manifestation of strong love and compassion for people. It represents a commitment to principles. In that sense, a certain degree of leadership is dormant in every individual. The challenge comes when one has to nurture it. A true leader—whether political, religious or social—has many challenges to face. The capacity to express one’s commitment varies from individual to individual. It is often clogged by one’s likes and dislikes. Yet, a leader has to view everyone with the...

Five Types of Questions

The spark behind every great discovery that has taken place on this planet has been the spirit of inquiry. When that inquiry is directed outwards – “What is this? How does it happen?” it is science and when it is directed inwards – “Who am I? What am I here for? What do I really want?” it is spirituality. We have a daily informal gathering every evening and after some group singing, I take questions from those present. Over so many years, I must have been asked hundreds of thousands...

Different Faces of Life

The ancient scriptures say that we are all floating like shells in a vast ocean of life. Even though everybody is born out of the same Consciousness, no two lives are the same. As diverse as our lives are, they are inter-dependent on each other and there is something to learn from everyone. To get an all-round exposure to life, take out five days – not too many, just five days. Spend one day – morning to evening, with a farmer. Go with him to the farm early morning and see whatever he does all...