Transformation

Get ready to go on a journey past from the first time, I did the first course of “ The Art of Living”.
Here is goes:
My parents did the PART1 course before I did the course. That time I used to study in Kota, u know that IIT coaching and all. I was studying in so called the best IIT coaching center i.e. BANSAL CLASSES. When I was in kota one fine day my mom says “ you know your father did an art of living course”, so I was like ok, I did not pay any heed what this thing is or what the course is all about. But ya I knew there is some MAN WITH THE BEARD behind this course. Then after some days I was talking to my father an he tells me “ your mother is doing the same course which I (my father) did”. I was mmmmm ok, whatever.
Then came the day, I was talking to my mother on the phone and then I said “ give the phone to dad, I want to talk to him”, that was the day I can never forget (you will know later why) to my biggest shock she said “ your dad cannot talk” and I was like WHY?
She said “ he is in silence”. I was like WHAAAT? WHYYY?
She said “ he is doing the Advance course of The Art of Living, so he is in silence”
(those who don’t know what am talking about go for an advance course)
Then I was out of my mind and started “ what are you people doing, every MAN WITH THE BEARD is the same, they just make money blah blah blah blah….I kept on saying.
She said “ keep quite”
I said ok whatever your wish.
Then after completing my studies I came back to my hometown i.e. Meerut.
So, one day there was the birthday celebration of Guruji, by this time I got to know some things about the “MAN WITH THE BEARD” and what happens in the course.
This was the first time I ever stepped into an Art of Living celebration.
I was totally ignorant to go for the celebration, it was a SATSANG. And it was a big NO NO  for me. But you know when you are at home and young, you have to do things according to your parents wish, so I went.
Before I entered the place, a tiny girl came and put a chandan (sandalwood) ka tikka on my forehead. I was like man this is not the place for me, where have I come.
Then there were musicians sitting on the stage and a lady was talking telling something about Guruji (Sri Sri Ravishankar Ji) and there was a photo of his same as my height on the stage.

 Then the lady on the stage said “ close your eyes and we will do a meditation.”
And off course I was expecting this, I wanted to leave the place the moment she said close your eyes, but you know PARENTS
So, I did the thing (meditation) after that everyone around me started discussing, it was soo relieving, soo relaxing, I felt something here, I felt something there. And I was like what is this are these people CRAZY I did not feel anything.
Then started the satsang, then I saw people singing, dancing, going crazy. There was around 80-90 youth of my age and some of them whom I knew dancing like mad people. And I was what has happened to them “ how can a person dance on these spiritual songs man.”
Then this had to happen my parents got me registered for the next coming up course for the youth. YES course (14-18yrs). I never wanted to go for it but again PARENTS. The course to my surprise was total fun which I never expected it to be. I enjoyed all the processes that were done in the course. But, for me it was like ya ok its a good course. The bulb (in my mind) did not glow that much. I did kriya for sometime after the course and left doing it. for those of you who don’t know Short Sudarshan Kriya is taught in YES and not the Long one.
I did YES course in June and then that year in November, there an UTSAV happening in Noida with “BAWA an DINESH”. A 4 day course conducted for masses and in my course there were around 5000 people. So, in the beginning I said I don’t want to do the course. I still remember just one night before the course I fought with my mother, for not doing the course. Actually we (myself and 4 other people) from meerut had to drive to Noida at 5 in the morning for doing the course.
But I don’t know what happened to me when I slept that night. I automatically woke up in the morning and said to my mom am going for the course (she was surprised too). Till I reached the venue I did not know who was talking the course means I had never heard of BAWA an DINESH.
The course started and I knew that Guruji is there in Noida because in the evening there was an event “A symphony of 1200 sitarist named BRAHMNAAD was happening on the 3rd day of my course”.

On the First day I did my First Long Sudarshan Kriya, and I was feeling as if Guruji himself is sitting on the stage and making us do the Sudarshan Kriya. And I don’t know how but when I was doing Kriya I had a strong craving of meeting Guruji i.e. at least touching his feet or getting close to him.
Obviously when we opened our eyes he was not there, means he never came for the kriya. But I wanted to meet him now dunno why? The third day of the course I saw him for the first time but he was far away sitting on the stage. Still that craving was there. The last day of the course we came to know from somewhere (you know from my sources) that in the morning at 6am he is leaving for Bali. So, we all left early at 3:30am that morning (means we everyday used to go to Noida in the morning do the course and come back). We reached Airport and there were hardly 30 people there, obviously waiting to meet Guruji, first Bawa an Dinesh bhaiya came, so got to meet them.


Then after sometime Guruji came, I was the first person to see his car coming and all the others just ran towards the car and it was so crowded. As soon as he came out of the car, I dunno how I caught hold of his right fist . You know I felt so light and his fist was so delicate, I left it in 5sec as it was so feathery I thought it might break.
NOW, that was the first encounter of mine meeting with Guruji.
Till this date i.e. 23nov2008, that “MAN WITH THE BEARD”, turned Guruji for me and I was also a part of those crazy youth who dance on spiritual songs like mad people with full bliss.
So I got to know, yes transformations do happen, which I never ever in my life believed. And certainly everyone doesn't do things to earn but to make people smile and transform the lives. Which surely my Guruji does.

Jai Gurudev!
luv
Rohit