Mar 10
This happened in Kerela…
Sri Sri gave an audience to the SIMI (Student Islamic Movement of India) leaders. Four leaders from SIMI came to meet Sri Sri at the residence of one of the organizers. Following their entry, an air of tension enveloped the hall where hundreds were waiting to meet with Sri Sri. Naseeb, one of the devotees, guided them to the room where Sri Sri was sitting with a few of us. They (the SIMI leaders), were dashing youths in their mid 20’s. One of them was carrying the holy Koran. They were little stern and stiff. Their eyes were fixed and seemed to reflect an inner fire. They looked prepared to repulse anything that Sri Sri would tell them and most unlikely to listen to reason.
Sri Sri was His usual smiling self.
The stage was set. It had all the signs of a classic confrontation. On one side were the brash youth – intemperate, impatient, driven by ideology and out to prove their superiority. On the other was a youthful, realized sage, unperturbed, offering sane explanations that echoed an uncommon depth and breadth of understanding. Those of us in the room, were eager to see how Sri Sri would deal with these firebrands. Sri Sri embraced them and offered them chairs to sit. There was not an iota of difference in His attitude. Any casual onlooker could be forgiven for thinking that Sri Sri considered these gentlemen as amongst His most ardent devotees. Perhaps the only difference that we could see was that they were seated on chairs while the rest of us were on the floor! For us, it was yet another opportunity to witness the unconditional love that Sri Sri exemplifies.
The leader of the group spoke first. He asked
SIMI: You had wanted to meet with us.
SRI SRI: Yes. I wanted to understand why your organization was opposed to the Anandotsavam.
SIMI: We thought that holding an Anandotsavam (celebration) on December 6th was a deliberate move to insult our religious sentiments. Do you know about our religion?. Do you believe in the Koran at all?
SRI SRI: Yes of course.
SIMI: (Not expecting this answer, pointing to the Koran, they shot the next question) We believe that Koran is the only knowledge. What about you?
SRI SRI: This is one amongst the various knowledge revealed to man from time to time.
SIMI: But God has said this is the only knowledge. The way of the Koran is the only way. There is no other way.
SRI SRI: This message can be found in scriptures of all religions. In the Vedas it is said “Naanyah Panthaah Ayanaaya Vidyate” meaning “There is no other way but the way of Truth!” The same is said in the Bible, Jesus says, “To go to my father, you have to go through me. I am the only way”.
SIMI: But our scripture says worshipping any form or idol is evil, it is blasphemy.
SRI SRI: What is Good and Evil after all? It is relative. Relative existence is not the complete picture For example: Milk is good, but too much milk can kill you. Poison is harmful, but a drop of poison can save your life. Most lifesaving medicines have poison written on them! These are neither absolutely good nor bad they are just there. Truth transcends duality, and God is the Absolute and only Truth. So, where is the place for evil?
SIMI: Yet you Hindus worship many Gods, whereas our ideal is there is only one God and His message is what is required to go to heaven.
SRI SRI: There is only one god in many forms…
SIMI: (Restless and unwilling to listen to any explanation, they interrupted Sri Sri.) But the Koran says you should only worship Allah who is formless whereas the Hindus worship idols which are only stones.
SRI SRI: At this, Sri Sri suddenly asked them: Do you honour the Koran?
SIMI: (They seemed a little taken aback at this question from Sri Sri and with a righteous air answered). Yes, it is God’s word!
SRI SRI: Do you honor the Mecca?
SIMI: Yes, of course! That is our sacred place.
SRI SRI: So also, Hindu’s honour God’s creation as God. Just like sound (Koran), the crescent moon, Kaaba and the month of Ramadan are sacred for you, Hindus consider the River Ganges, the Himalayas, Saints as sacred. See, a picture of your daughter is not your daughter, but you still adore the daughter’s picture. When you see the picture aren’t you reminded of your daughter?
(They nodded a yes)
SRI SRI: So also, a symbol is not God but is honoured as God. This sense of honouring and sacredness makes you awake and alive. That is why the ancient Rishis said to feel the entire creation and your whole life as sacred. They considered God as omnipresent, as inseparable from His creation; like the dance and the dancer.
Sri Sri elaborated further – Spirit loves diversity. Is there only one type of vegetable or fruit? God created many type of fruits and vegetables. There is not just one type of tree, not just one type of snake, cloud, mosquito….Even you change your dress for different occasions. So how could this consciousness that manifested this whole creation be monotonous? There is only one God in many forms. Only one God is advocated. When you accept the variety of Divinity, you cease to be a fanatic and fundamentalist. A pregnant silence filled the room as they looked at each other expecting the other to speak. Then as a face saving measure, the SIMI leader replied, “I will need to go and consult my higher scholars.” With a compassionate expression on His face, Sri Sri said: Never mind, (with a wave of His hand) forget about religion. We are all human beings. Let us have a peaceful society. Let us focus on development.
SIMI: No No No! What are you saying? You are talking about this world. What we do here is immaterial. The Koran tells us that what matters is what you get in eternal life and not to worry about material life. By doing service to the society you will simply remain here. You have to obey Allah. Allah is the only God and Mohammed is the last prophet.
SRI SRI: At this Sri Sri stopped them and after a pause asked them: Do you think the Sikh Gurus are not prophets. Isn’t Mirabai a prophet? What about Chaitanya Mahaprabhu?
Once again, there was silence. Their expressions had changed. The rigidity had weakened and in its place was some confusion/uncertainty. Sri Sri seemed totally at ease unmindful of the challenges posed at Him.
SIMI: No! You can go to heaven only if you believe in Allah and the Koran.
SRI SRI: No my dear – there was Buddha, Mahavira, Nanak, Jesus, Shankara… Do you think they are not in heaven? If not, then I would rather be with them!
SIMI: You are such a nice person, but we pity you because you cannot get the truth. You can’t go to Allah. You can’t be rewarded by Allah. God will never show mercy on you.
SRI SRI: Never mind. (with a mischievous smile ) I will be with these people (Shankara, Jesus, etc.)
(Even as we were admiring Sri Sri’s patience and objectivity, we were concerned at the wrong indoctrination that these youths had been subjected to. We also observed a few others who were in the room were getting a little restive, possibly wondering why Sri Sri was spending so much time with these people who were obviously not at all receptive and that too when hundreds were waiting outside just for a glimpse of Sri Sri.)
SIMI: Do you know, that over 1400 years ago, in the middle of the desert, God revealed the secrets of creation. Even when there was no science, God said that the Atom is the smallest particle!
SRI SRI smiled and said: Yes, the same is there in the shaastras too which were known more than 10,000 years ago. In the shaastras it is said that the Earth is over 19 billion years old! Truth is beyond time and space. It is not confined to one time or one place One needs to have a scientific spirituality.
As if to conclude the conversation Sri Sri gave them Ladoo as prasad. By now there were traces of a smile on their faces. When they were about to leave He gave them a hug. They definitely seemed to be less stern than earlier. Could their attitude have changed? We wondered whether this (‘changed attitude’) would persist or would they go back to their old fanatic ways. But one thing was for sure, Sri Sri had made an impression that they would not forget!
Later, while Sri Sri was having His lunch, someone asked Him, “Why is that Islam is producing so many terrorists all over the world? No other religion has given rise to so many terrorists in the world. What is the reason?”
SRI SRI: Look at the commitment and the fire in them. Take the good from them and learn what you should not be doing. Don’t label them as bad people. They have not been imparted the knowledge of Vedanta. (Then as He was adding ghee to the chilli powder) He smiled and said “In this creation, there is a place for everything.”
Excerpted from an article written by Swami Sadhyojata and Harish Ramachandran
Jai Gurudeva!
love
bawa
(17 votes, average: 4.76 out of 5)
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yes bau beauutiful article am now back in sydney.. and the week before i left, Guruji was talking about the same things in satsang….that terrorists are brainwashed in the wrong way.. for all the wrong reasons…..we are indeed blessed… JGD…….
His glance and his love has changed so many people in this world. He is the universe manifest in human form.
Love,
Vinay
Wow !
This is so amazing…
And what can I say about His humour
thank you for sharing! jai gurudeva!
Thanks for sharing this thrilling real time incident. It is as though I was THERE experiencing what has happened.
Jai Guru Dev.
There were tears in my eyes and i was almost choked by flood of gratefulness.Also gave me an insight into how to answer such questions. Thanks for sharing such a beautiful article.
Thanks for sharing this… It’s amazing how effortlessly and naturally he cares and shares. It’s unparalleled!
JGD it is inspiring to see guruji’s courage and the several attempts he is making to resolve the issues.
i hope we all start living in harmony in such a beautiful land called india.
manjula.
Dear bao…
Please take a break for every 10 days and write..this was too good…:):)
Am just dumb struck by the depth and simplicity of his message. His love is just way too unconditional. Jai guru dev.
wow !!! wow !!! wow !!! ………..
its truely a blessing for me to even read this post….
amazzzzing !!!!!
Jai Gurudeva
Wow! Amazng. Hats off to our Master.
Reading this post was like meditating.. I was lost in it completely..forgetting everything around me.. This is amazing!!! Thanks for sharing this..
Jai Gurudev!!!
hello bau..very nice article..enjoyed reading it and was shocked too
bau ..this was like enlighntenment…. reading this post felt like i was present that moment while this conversation happened….it was out of this world….. fantastic…
jai guru ddev
love
Hmmmm…
Jai Gurudeva!
thank you for sharing this awesome dialogue.
i would like read the entire article. please tell me where can i get it.
Really nice post bau. We are truly blessed to have guruji in our life. He cares about everyone! Jai Gurudeva!
Amazing! Bau!!
Thanks for sharing!
Swami Sadhyojata and Harish Ramachandran Thanks for compiling it in the first place!
Jai Gurudev!
This was really amazing Bau…Love is Supreme.
Thanks for sharing this Bau.
Jai Gurudev!!!
i feel so blessed…….guruji is soo full of love
amazing
Bau thx a lot
i loved this
Please post the link for the original article (if available) as well…
Jai Gurudev!
“In this creation there is place for everything.”
CRACK !!!! PHODA !!! GURUJI ROCKS !!! AMAZING !!! That 1ine holds so much deep meaning … beautifully compiled by Swamiji and Harishji …
jgd, luv,
vj
This is a very good dialog and description indeed. It showed me how to respond to such situations, and gave a good overview of the two viewpoints. thanks!
YEEEEEEHAAAAA! HE is just sooooooo smoooth…and so innocent and compassionate at the same time. In the ashram He had us all eating out of his hands on the issue on madrasas being given CBSE status. And yet, he had the graciousness and magnanimity to state that the only way out of this trouble is when we can embrace the wisdom from all traditions…brilliant
awesome awesome awesome… too good yaar… JGD!
simply awesomeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
WOW mind blowing bau
simply amazing JGD
Wow. I feel so horrified. Just wish Guruji could spend more time with them. The children are being totally brainwashed. And many religions including mormon are going around saying this life does not matter and yet do they see, they are living this life, so they better make it matter!
jai Gurudev,
smita
too good
it’s a pity that youths r being involved in terrorists groups
but with the master’s grace these things will come to an end
nice!!!
happy holi bau n dinesh bhaiya!!!!!!
This is soooooo touching… Just couldn’t control my tears…
Love,
Manasi
if we have the same vision and see everyone as they belong to us then definetely peace will coexist.
love
jaigurudeva
Awesome Awesome Awesome .. !!
Simply superb ..!
i was in awe of Guruji, i can see no one else talk so ‘lovingly’ to them when faced with such animosity. the best part was that he decided that he would rather stay with the others rather than with Allah….and then end with such compassion…no one but HIM can do this….i throughly enjoyed the post. thank you. Jai Gurudev!
This is easily the best post in the entire blog Bau, simply fantastic
This article takes me back in time 5 years ago. I translated this dialogue from English to Hindi for our Lucknow souvenir for Guruji’s visit then.
I looove my Master
Filled me with love….
The Master is beyond words, he not only patiently explained such wonderful things to these youngsters wishing them so much good and also tells us not have averse feelings for anyone. His love is truly infinite. But cant help but feel sorry for people who have being subjected to such brainwashing.
Love you all…
Filled me with love tooo
thanks bawa for bringing this nice example to me
Like how Ruppert Grint would have put it, “That was bloody brilliant!”
)
it is really good example and learn many from master, how he accept people and handle the different kinds of situation very delicately.
Its amazing , and its something that only our Guru can do..
Deep river’s flow is streamlined whereas the shallow streams show turbulence. I am proud to be a hindu.
Great one Bau,
Guruji is Simply amazing, as usual.
i made every body read this in my office….:)
Jgd
Parth
great of u bau publishing the article!!! i wud circulate it to all i can.
and one thing its “Kerala”.im quite fanatic about home state:)
wow bawu ,
thanks for the message
love
santhu
Jai Gurudeva!
Before attending the UNAIDS conference, I found it hard to BELIEVE that Guruji is Divine. But now after attending it and meeting Guruji, I KNOW that he is a GOD. Hats off to his style, serenity, wisdom, simplicity and above all humour.
Love
Meghana
[...] [See here the attitude of SIMI leaders.] [...]
Loved reading this…. My Master at HIS Best… Am sure He was telling the boys, Not SIMI, SEE ME!
And no, they could not have “gone back to their fanatic ways!”
Not after meeting The Master!
It is awesome! Love you GuruJi.
its too good.. waant to know more such incidences from guruji’s life.. he is the master brilliance of the world
Sri Sri is god’s gift to the world. Let us hope we can see the world with Human values.
Hi friends and jai guru dev
Its been a long time since I’ve been a part of art of living . I was regular to art of living and sudarshan kriya . My experience was pretty good early on I even attended the silver jubilee program . I can understand how Guru ji felt with S.I.M.I . This kind of animosity is something that I experienced in art of living circle . My name happened to be a Muslim but never been a practicing one . My believes lean towards agnosticism . I’ve met various teachers from art of living like normal people there were good and bad ones . I was once told by art of living teacher that Muslim’s keep their house dirty . Such snide remarks from time and again did infuriated me . The instances of insulting and marginalizing Muslim’s do happen in art of living circle , but I won’t generalize it because good and bad people are every where in every organization and in every religion .
Today I can understand and empathize with Guru ji it made me sad the entire discussion with zakir naik was a lost cause . I was at a receiving end myself from art of living teacher and her dislike towards Muslims doesn’t seem to end . You can’t expect from fanatics I still wonder why is guru ji talking to simi , when Muslims like moulana mahmood madani from jamat-e-ulema- e -hind reveres and respect him . In fact moulana mahmood madani has raised a fatwa on terrorism . Not all Muslim’s are terrorist there lot of things going on in this world and without understanding the intricacies of world politics will always put us in the same trap of hating others . There are lot of things that need to be understood .
I do not want to name the teachers to insulted me for having a Muslim name as I see her ignorant and no better than those simi fanatics . But I would request people in art of living to broaden their horizon its not about Muslims Hindus if anything I can do for this unity and brotherhood I’m their for it . Today I’ve understood that fanatics have no religion they come in every form and every religion . And the comment he made in the fag end was really great he never buy the idea of Muslims as terrorist , on the contrary he still had something positive to say . And most important he said learn what you should not be doing . That almost sums up everything I wish the teacher and participants in art of living understand this message otherwise you would fall in the same trap as your counterparts .Then what difference would be between you and them . I would never really like to be like the art of living teacher who insulted me that way .
jai guru dev ..
your friend
ahmed .
“Later, while Sri Sri was having His lunch, someone asked Him, “Why is that Islam is producing so many terrorists all over the world? No other religion has given rise to so many terrorists in the world. What is the reason?”
SRI SRI: Look at the commitment and the fire in them. Take the good from them and learn what you should not be doing. Don’t label them as bad people. They have not been imparted the knowledge of Vedanta. (Then as He was adding ghee to the chilli powder) He smiled and said “In this creation, there is a place for everything.”