Kiran Naik

These days, I am following Art of Living(AOL) activities. Mainly inspired by Guruji’s teachings and Deepak. By seeing all these AOL activities, my wife decided to finish her long pending activity. She decided to complete the AOL Basic course beginning from Tuesday August 11 2009. With no other choice:), I agreed to drop her to the center. As the AOL center is around 6 KM from Banashankari, I thought there is no point in dropping and again come back to pick up back. I decided I will also join the course as a repeater. As I have done my course last year.

I know so many people who have done the repetition of the course. This is actually on of the great things about the course and from second time onwards its free of cost (FOC). (Thats what was my thinking and thought I can give guru daskshina:)). I contacted another SRI SRI (Deepak) and he told it can be done any number of times. He contacted the center staff and he told me that you have to pay some amount of Guru Daskhina. I agreed. Later to my surprise, Deepak informed me that now they have made it as a fixed amount for repeater. It is 500 Rs. I agreed.

As usual on Tuesday, first day I attended the basic part 1 course and as usual it was amazing. I came early from office, picked up my wife on the way. After the course, volunteer called me up and said, you have to pay 1000 Rs. I said, I have already done my AOL basic course here last year. She said, Yes I know but Teacher told that yours is considered as first time. So you have to pay full course amount. You discontinued last time. I am stunned. When I asked teacher, he said “Yes. Yours is discontinued last time. As you have not come to the course at the last day of the course”. 

Actually I did not went last day of the course because of personal emergency. I had informed my teacher a day before. He said, ok try to make it and it is really very good. I had said “I would not be able to make it”.  It was a embarrassing situation. I had no choice. Either do the course as a first time class or drop the course. But I felt really bad and frustrated. I was thinking AOL and SRI SRI SRI Ravishankarji (Guruji) teaches lot of things about human values, making the world a better place. But what actually is happening now? The people and the teacher, whom I know and still these statements made me feel bad. I am sorry, I am not talking about here is the money and the fees. Its about the values, trust and confidence. SRI SRI SRI is a guruji and an incarnation in this era and but along the way, his values and teachings are somewhere are not followed properly. I decided, I would not go for the course.

It does not mean, I am against AOL and basic course. I really love the course. It has made the transformation in my life. The course is really amazing. Now I am thinking about the quotes which read as  “Anger always comes from frustrated expectations”

“Expecting the world to treat you fairly because you are a good person is a little like expecting a bull not to attack you because you are a vegetarian”

Here is one from Elbert Hubbard “Our desires always disappoint us; for though we meet with something that gives us satisfaction, yet it never thoroughly answers our expectation”

Jai Gurudev, give me the strength to not to have expectation.