Your thoughts on art of living....?

Hi,

Visit : www.artofliving.org for information. The poster says it all.

What is your opinion on Art of Living courses? Is ancient wisdom being sold? Have you ever been to any of the courses? You benefited from it? Or is it only a money earning machine in your opinion?

Are the courses only for the elite (in India) considering there is a good amount of fee related to all courses? {This is what I heard a person claim}Or are people just hesitant to spend the money on a course, and they will easily spend it on shoes or something.😆

I will give my opinion once I read a few.😃

Persy
Edited by reeps - 16 years ago

Hope you modify the topic of the debate!
If its particular to Shri Ravi Shankar and his art of living society somany might have objections on this post! Because he is a famous spiritual guru to somany people and we don't have any much scope to debate or we can say our scope of the debate will be very narrow!
I'm interested to discuss on the Modern day spirituality and the courses ....
Hope you understand my concern....BTW May 13th is the Bday of some great people like Shri Ravi Shankar 😊 ,Myth 😛 ..so no words against them 😛
Regards,
Myth

Originally posted by: mythili_Kiran

Hope you modify the topic of the debate!
If its particular to Shri Ravi Shankar and his art of living society somany might have objections on this post! Because he is a famous spiritual guru to somany people and we don't have any much scope to debate or we can say our scope of the debate will be very narrow!
I'm interested to discuss on the Modern day spirituality and the courses ....
Hope you understand my concern....BTW May 13th is the Bday of some great people like Shri Ravi Shankar 😊 ,Myth 😛 ..so no words against them 😛
Regards,
Myth

Sorry Mitili ji I dont believe shri shri ravi shankar is a myth ...he a real bussines man who take Patent of Art of living method and taking Royality from diff people n braches...but am not againt his works.😳

Originally posted by: mythili_Kiran

Hope you modify the topic of the debate!
If its particular to Shri Ravi Shankar and his art of living society somany might have objections on this post! Because he is a famous spiritual guru to somany people and we don't have any much scope to debate or we can say our scope of the debate will be very narrow!
I'm interested to discuss on the Modern day spirituality and the courses ....
Hope you understand my concern....BTW May 13th is the Bday of some great people like Shri Ravi Shankar 😊 ,Myth 😛 ..so no words against them 😛
Regards,
Myth

I kind of modified, happy? If you want, I can also add about 'laziness' and that makes people not want to do their kriya, etc... and so how valuable a course can be without participants' determination.😊 I have got nothing against Sri Ravi Shankar or art of living... actually been to couple of courses, and they are fun and do instill good "values".... think it is great they get to college students, and been at those courses have been some of the happiest days of my life... sad, but true!

But I don't like it when some refer to him as god.... but it is a person's choice, so I respect the choice to consider 'teacher' a god.

I have seen bunch of politics in the group too... and that makes me skeptical...esp. about bringing people in through others....not that there is anything wrong with it but..... I did read that you got to go thru healthy amount of politics to get to the core of wisdom.😃

Persy

Originally posted by: reeps

Hi,

Visit : www.artofliving.org for information. The poster says it all.

What is your opinion on Art of Living courses? Is ancient wisdom being sold? Have you ever been to any of the courses? You benefited from it? Or is it only a money earning machine in your opinion?

Are the courses only for the elite (in India) considering there is a good amount of fee related to all courses? {This is what I heard a person claim}Or are people just hesitant to spend the money on a course, and they will easily spend it on shoes or something.😆

I will give my opinion once I read a few.😃

Persy

True I would spend some money on getting album of nine inch nails rather than go for something I am supposed to know.. An indian is always aware of the art of living unless he corrupts his mind with western thoughts....😊

Originally posted by: qwertyesque

True I would spend some money on getting album of nine inch nails rather than go for something I am supposed to know.. An indian is always aware of the art of living unless he corrupts his mind with western thoughts....😊

Not all Indians are born life management managers😃, some are same even they get into their mind western thoughts/eastern thoughts or whatever...😃

However, I don't like going to these type of spirituality courses which take lot of money and much more important is ...they claim to teach us something related to our life ,life management ..and hmm! they teach us some of the ways "to deal " the problems /life style of ours......not in a long period of time but in some hours workshop ..how is it possible😕😡!

I personally don't understand the beauty of those workshops....because their methodologies sound very artificial and I don't like spending money on such stuff...Most of these type of costly courses have young people as instructiors....I don't like young people speaking about spirituality much...I hate to hear from them..because ..some preach..teach as if they had lot of experience in life.....this may sound like a paradox...but even I've immense interest on spirituality...in real life ....I somehow don't like discussing these issues related to spirituality/philosophy with young people..may be I don't trust their knowledge in that field..

but at the same time..if I get time and chance to hear the lectures of some decent Elderly spiritual folks on Television.....I don't miss their leactures...😛

Instead of spending money on the spiritual courses... I allocate that money in equal proportions to charity and my self and my family ! Because doing some reasonable charity gives me immense satisfaction and spending money to me,my books,my CD's ,my cosmetics...and gifts to my family members gives me lot of satisfaction,happiness...having happiness is the ultimate  art of living ....I some how don't entertain..the idea of some external agent teaching me "ART of LIVING ".....afterall its "MY LIFE" 😊

Edited by mythili_Kiran - 16 years ago

[quote]having happiness is the ultimate art of living ....I some how don't entertain..the idea of some external agent teaching me "ART of LIVING ".....afterall its "MY LIFE" [/quote]

I don't agree; having happiness can't be the ultimate art... the art is to be 'unmoved' or not be taken over by the ups and downs in life... cause you are gonna be happy and sad.

And nobody can be taught how to live..you lead your own life, make your own choices ...but you can definitely learn to see or understand how your own mentality works, and work on it to improve your life... it teaches a way to handle stresses.... so, I don't see why money can't be spent on courses.... most of the money is said to go to charity, esp. for this organization.....I guess we can be told something, but eventually upto the individual to accept what he/she does want to, and integrate into his/her life.

Persy

Originally posted by: reeps

Hi,

Visit : www.artofliving.org for information. The poster says it all.

What is your opinion on Art of Living courses? Is ancient wisdom being sold? Have you ever been to any of the courses? You benefited from it? Or is it only a money earning machine in your opinion?

Are the courses only for the elite (in India) considering there is a good amount of fee related to all courses? {This is what I heard a person claim}Or are people just hesitant to spend the money on a course, and they will easily spend it on shoes or something.😆

I will give my opinion once I read a few.😃

Persy

Not only Art of Living, I'm not much interested in any such organisations and gurus. To me Art of Living is a business organisation and Ravi Shanker is just another businessman who had a somewhat new idea and implemented in a economically successful manner.

As for the other parts, no I've never been to any of their courses and not interested to join in the future also. I don't know what wisdom they sell, new or old, useful or not, but obviously selling is done and they are doing it very well. And of course it's a money making machine because this much is obvious that they are not there for charity.

Edited by souro - 16 years ago

Originally posted by: souro

Not only Art of Living, I'm not much interested in any such organisations and gurus. To me Art of Living is a business organisation and Ravi Shanker is just another businessman who had a somewhat new idea and implemented in a economically successful manner.

As for the other parts, no I've never been to any of their courses and not interested to join in the future also. I don't know what wisdom they sell, new or old, useful or not, but obviously selling is done and they are doing it very well. And of course it's a money making machine because this much is obvious that they are not there for charity.

To continue.. you prefer living at an exchange, food for you is indian currency, dessert is some foreign currency, Stock market is the play pen,.......😆 😆

Originally posted by: reeps

[quote]having happiness is the ultimate art of living ....I some how don't entertain..the idea of some external agent teaching me "ART of LIVING ".....afterall its "MY LIFE" [/quote]

I don't agree; having happiness can't be the ultimate art... the art is to be 'unmoved' or not be taken over by the ups and downs in life... cause you are gonna be happy and sad.


Persy

So you say unmoved in sense we need to attain "Sthitapragnatha", in sense..react ....in the same way to a sorrow and a happiness...in the sense..say reacting in the same manner ..

• .if we get a Euro lotterry or if there is a theft in our home
• if we see some George Clooney or Hritik or John  and a young workless beggar...

This is the last stage any ordinary human can attain....that balance in reactions and emotions is really a tough task and one should strive for it...continously...

But there is a step lower to Sthithapragnatha..that is Satchitandanda..rather bliss(which is more than just happiness)..

I bet each and every act of human is to attain bliss.....what gives bliss to a person..varies..from person to person and even for a person it changes from the age..and the development of the maturity of the person...

What gives bliss to a human..is a factor  completely dependent on the acts a human does..there are several levels of bliss and mind you, the acts which recur...which are materialistic....donot give the ultimate bliss..they give some temporary happiness...what gives you bliss...should be known by YOU only..no external one can tell you...

Cheers,

Mythili