About jeevavnabrindavan

Jeevavnabrindavan, which is going to be released on 1^st January 2010 is a translation of a Telugu work with the same title. jeevana brindavanam (Telugu) is in turn a free translation of an earlier work in English titled ‘Divinity in Nature’. This is a compilation of Sriramsir’s informal talk which he had with a group of friends over an extended lunch.

Here is Sir’s Foreword to ‘Divinity in Nature’

The ‘creation’ is concretized ‘creator’ and the ‘creator’ is the creation, made abstract. The simplest proof of this fact is that nothing is ordinary in the creation. Everything is extraordinary. All the apparently ordinary things are astoundingly extraordinary. The ‘eye’ that wonders at the Taj Mahal is more wonderful than all the seven wonders of the world. The eye that sees light is made in the darkness of a mother’s womb by a mysterious, biological hand. An iridescent smile on the tender lips of a baby is as amazing as the rainbow in the sky. The transformation of a little mud and water into a fragrant rose petal by a thin stem of a plant is a more difficult feat than launching of a space shuttle.

Therefore one can justifiably say that ‘Nature’ is God’s PIN code number. Every object in Nature throbs with divine impulses. When the daffodil moves its head to and fro in the gentle breeze, it is the ‘dance of divinity’. It is as though instead of creating Nature, God has become Nature!

Slightly altering the Shakespearean line one can say: ‘Divinity thy name is Nature’. So let us all feel and experience divinity in everything and everywhere in Nature!

Sri Ram

The full text of ‘Divinity in Nature’ is available on the net

www.divinityinnature.com

Governor of Chattisgarh- jeevana brindavan Book Release

‘Jeevana brindavanam’ is translated into Hindi with the same title by Professor Venkateswar. This book is going to be released in Raipur, Chattisgarh on 1st January 2011. His Excellency Shri Shekhar Dutt, Governor of Chattisgarh is likely to be the chief guest. Shri Jain, Commissioner of Income tax will also participate in this function. Sriramsir will grace the occasion. The function starts at 4pm on 1st January 2011 at Pandit Jawaharlal Nehru Memorial Medical College Auditorium, Jail Road, Raipur

Pt J.N.M. Medical College Raipur is centrally situated in the heart of the city. 14 kms from the Airport, 2 kms from the Railway Station.

'Sampada Rahashyam' Book Release function

Book Release at Ravindra Bharathi- 10th December 2010

‘sampada rahashyam’ (Secret of Wealth) of Dr. Warlu, is to be released on 10th December at Ravindrabharathi, Hyderabad. The programme starts at 6pm. Former Chief Minister of AndhraPradesh Sri Chandra Babu Naidu is going to release the book. Other prominent guests include Sri Nageswara Rao, Principal, College of Journalism and Sri Garimella Subramaniam of The Hindu.This book contains Sriram Sir's foreword ‘jeevana maargam’(Way of Life) as 'athidhi adhyayamu( guest's chapter). This programme is likely to be telecast live on Zee News channel.

sir in different moods

Sriramsir

sriramsir on 'death before death'

‘sampada rahashyam’-Book release

‘sampada rahashyam’ (Secret of Wealth) of Dr. Warlu, is to be released on 10th December at Ravindrabharathi, Hyderabad. This book contains Sriram Sir's foreword ‘jeevana maargam’(Way of Life). The Hindi version of 'Divinity in Nature', 'jeevana brindavan' is going to be released as per the schedule in Raipur, Chattisgarh on 1st January 2011. Further 'Fragrance of Life' is also likely to be translated into Hindi.

Compete without Competition

There is no need for competition in nature. Nature has everything in abundance and also sufficient enough to meet everyone’s needs. Unfortunately we are unaware of this and we fall prey to the temptation to compete with others. When we fail to achieve, we are disappointed. For that matter even some of the winners are not happy. Does it mean we should not compete with others? No, we can compete. But realize that we get what we deserve. There is nothing wrong in striving to realize your goal. The competition should be healthy. We should realize that no role or position is greater than the other. We should also realize that there will be only one first position. And even the second, third and so on are also as important as the first one. A post of peon or an attendant is as important as an IAS officer. None is superior or inferior to the other. Each has its own unique role. If we are not aware of this fact even our victory does not make us happy. That’s the reason why all the winners are not happy. Comparison is the source of your sorrow. And all the losers are not unhappy because they are aware of the nature’s principle of abundance.

jeevana brindavanam in Hindi

We know that jeevana brindavanam is being translated into Hindi with the same title.
Professor Venkateswar has translated it. This book is likely to be released in Raipur, Chattisgarh on 1st January 2011.
By the way jeevana brindavanam is a free translation of an earlier work titled ‘Divinity in Nature’ of Savitha Kurisinkal. This in turn is a compilation of Sriramsir’s informal talk which he had with a group of friends over an extended lunch.

sir's preface to 'sampada rahashyam'

Sriramsir has recently penned a preface to a Telugu work titled ‘sampada rahashyam’ (Secret of Wealth). He terms his writing as ‘jeevana maargam’(Way of Life).
Dr. Warlu, a renowned personality development trainer and the Director of WISE(Warlu’s Institute of Success Education) is the author of the book-‘sampada rahashyam’ (Secret of Wealth). This book is likely to be released in the third week of November in Hyderabad.

'Jeevana Brindavanam' in Hindi

Sriram sir's jeevana brindavanam is going to be translated into Hindi and is likely to be published soon.

Book Release - Live on ABN Andhra Jyothi Channel

Sriram sir is releasing a song book 'Vasantha Geetham' (jayaraj paatalu)on Sunday. Jayaraj is a poet who is known for his concern for the underprivileged. He is the writer of the popular lyric ‘vaanamma vaanamma…okka saari…’
This event is going to be telecast live on ABN Andhra Jyothi channel on 5th September 2010 from 5 PM onwards. This volume also includes a song on Sriram sir. Do watch this programme.

Here is the song 'vaanamma...vaanamma'

Way is the Real Goal.

Here an attempt is made to summarize the discussion I had with sir recently. I may not be as organized as sir explained it to me. The moot point was whether to have a goal and how well can we be unaffected by it.

Do we need goal? Yes. We need it. Goal is important because it gives a direction to your efforts and makes your life meaningful. Further you need it as your mind is meant to do something and you can not keep it idle. Your body suffers when you don’t do any work or if you work excessively. Similarly your mind also needs something to dwell on. And a goal serves the purpose. Absence of a goal is similar to the absence of work. It doesn’t make you healthy. So it is obvious that there isn’t any harm to have a goal more over it is desirable to have one.
But there are two important aftereffects of having a goal irrespective your success or failure in achieving your objective. The first one is that your journey never ends after the achievement. In other words the realization of one goal leads to another. The happiness one gets after accomplishment is short-lived. The second one is with the non achievers who feel disappointed for not realizing their objective. The happiness of achievers dwindles slowly and they do feel just like non achievers after some time. So whether you achieve or do not achieve, it does not give you happiness permanently.
So what should you do with the goal? Shall you have to get away with it and lead a life with out a goal? No. That is not the right solution. Here the often repeated preaching ‘Do your duty and leave the results to the god’ holds well. But you know that it is practically difficult to remain unaffected, more so when you consider your goal so precious. The alternative is to realize the futility of goal and its limited effectiveness so that you can be least affected by its success or failure. You should realize that the success or your achievement does not stop there it leads to more desires and it is never ending process. The happiness you get is also temporary. On the other hand the failure also brings in disappointment but it is also short-lived. After a while both achievers and non achievers are put exactly on the same footing. So the next question would be do you still need a goal? The answer is yes. You need a goal to have a path that leads to your goal. As it has become clear that accomplishment does not give you joy permanently, you have to derive happiness on your way towards your goal. Goal is essential to the extent that it provides you with a path and direction. Just as in hunger…your joy lies in eating when you are hungry but not after eating. A painter or a player derives pleasure while doing their work. They may have a little sense of accomplishment at the end. But the joy they derive while doing the work is more precious than it. You derive pleasure while watching a movie but not after doing it. You should realize that the real joy is available in the process of achievement, not in the achievement of goal. So your goal is not to achieve the goal but to enjoy the path towards the goal. Once you become aware of these facts, you become free of the ill effects of having a goal.
Way is the real goal. Derive the joy on your way to the goal. We should have a goal only because it gives us a path.

old clippings and photos

click here for some more videos and photos

Sir in Himachal Pradesh

Sir in the Land of Gita

Sir in Kurukshetra.
It is believed that the Lord Krishna preached the Gita to Arjuna here

Sir in Himachal Pradesh

Sir on 'guru and disciple'

I called sir to wish him on the occasion of gurupurnima and asked him about his views on the concept of guru and disciple. Initially he tried to avoid my question and changed the topic. But when I insisted on, he replied that his views may not be accepted by all. Later when I heard his views I said they are ‘logical’. He corrected me immediately saying that they are not logical but ‘natural’. I wish to share them with you here.

A real guru is one who makes his presence progressively unnecessary for his disciple. Similarly a real disciple is one who doesn’t require any guru at one stage. The relationship is analogous to that of a doctor and a patient. If a patient always needs a doctor, the doctor is not of high caliber. So the doctor, who doesn’t make the patient free from him, is not a great doctor. This is so with a guru too. In other words a real disciple doesn’t need a guru at one stage. Similarly a real guru matures in to a state where he does not need a disciple. So a guru looking for a disciple or a disciple seeking the support of a guru- need to move ahead and reach a stage where they don’t need each other. Both of them must feel the need for absence of each other. In other words, it suggests that continuation of guru-hood or disciple-hood is not possible. Having no bond itself creates a link between the guru and his disciple.

(You can also read sir's views on master or guru ' Master who makes you rich without giving you anything!' posted in March 2010)

‘Fragrance of Life’ & ‘Sriram, O Prema Kamalam’Book & audio CD release

The Book & audio CD release programme is finalized. It is on 8th August 2010.
venue- RTC Kalyana Mantapam near RTC cross Roads

The function starts at 5pm.
5 to5.30 pm - tea and snacks
5.30 to 6 pm –devotional songs
6pm onwards-The launching of the Book & CD
(‘Fragrance of Life’ & ‘Sriram, O Prema Kamalam’)
Speakers- Professor Sivaramakrishna, Sumita Roy, Ramkrishnanada and Sriram sir

Sir in MAA tv Super Singer programme-Prize Distribution

Sir in MAA TV Programme

Where is God?

sir's concept of love

Fragrance of Life & Sriram, O Prema Kamalam

‘Fragrance of Life’ is the title of a new book that is going to be released soon. This is an English translation of Smt. Vimala Sharma’s Telugu work titled ‘Jeevana Saurabhalu’. The translation is rendered by Professor Shiva Rama Krishna, a great scholar who has done a voluminous work on Sriram Sir. The book appears to have been completed except the cover design and the Introduction. We hope that Sir would offer his message in the form of an introduction or foreword to this work. The book is likely to be released on 8th August at RTC Kalyana Mantapam near RTC cross Roads.
In addition an audio CD titled ‘Sriram, O Prema Kamalam’ is also likely to be launched on the same day. This is composed by Sri Ramakrishnananda. It’s a ‘sravya natakam’ that contains songs and dialogues. The interesting feature of this is that it also includes sir’s short speech. Music for this audio is contributed by Sri S.Dhanunjaya where as Sri B.Dhanunjaya supervised it. The CD was recorded in Vizag. Once the programme is finalized, I will post the exact timings on this blog.

Sir in the Netherlands

Why does nature have so many colours?

When I saw sir’s recent tour photos I thought I should share them with you all. He was initially reluctant to share them with me saying the usual dialogue that ‘he was an ant without antennae and so on’ but at last he gave me the permission to post them on this blog (perhaps he couldn’t withstand my pestering and hurled a few photos). I didn’t stop there and as I haven’t contributed any thing to this blog for the past few days, I wanted to add a few words to the photos. So I posed a question to sir, thinking that I had asked a profound question and expected a philosophical reply . “Why is nature so full of colours?” But soon I realized how foolish my question might have sounded. He shot back “Why shouldn’t it have?”. Soon he switched to his usual soothing and pleasing tone as if not to hurt me and said that nature can be enjoyed more immensely only when we do not probe the cause for its existence or try to look for the justification for the presence of variety. There can not be anything that is useless or purposeless in nature. we should not waste our precious time in trying to decipher it.We should only be glad that we are not colorblind. We can create neither the eye nor the colours in the nature. So thank the God for giving us the eyes and also the beauty to take pleasure in. I got something to post now.

Sir in Himachal Pradesh

Sriram sir in Kasouli, Himachal Pradesh.
This place is 70 km from Simla.
There is an Anjaneya temple here. It is believed that Lord Hanuman landed on this place before jumping on to the Sanjeevani Hills to get the Sanjeevani herb for Lord Rama’s brother Laxmana.

Sir near the Royal Palace

Sir in Nature

Sir in Nature

Sir in Nature

Keukenhof Gardens - Dutch Spring Gardens Near Amsterdam

Sriramsir at Journey into Joy- Book Release Function

Praise is Prayer

Praise is Prayer… that is the reason why a poet is always considered greater than a painter. A painter merely paints a picture and presents it as it is. We all know that if somebody praises us we feel happy. Despite that we are so frugal in heaping praises on others. Praising is an art and there can’t be anyone who doesn’t like to be praised. More over if we praise the people it is nothing but praising the lord who has created them. Will there be any father who won’t be pleased if his children are praised? If all of us are children of God, it is our duty to praise them generously. We are always economic in our praises. Everyone will have one or other quality that needs to be praised up on. There can not be one who doesn’t have any worth deserving praise. Praise your fellow beings liberally so as to praise the Lord indirectly.

Sellers of Spiritual Truth

You come across hawkers selling fruits or tender coconuts in the street. Some of them appear weak and sick. Are you shocked to find them so? Do you expect that they should possess all the vitamins that their products carry? Certainly it is foolish to expect a fruit vendor have all the vitamins that fruit gives us. But when it comes to spiritual vendors we always expect that they should have all the traits that they preach in their discourses. Consequently we are disillusioned sometimes when we find them contrary to our expectations. Here it is to be noted that a milkman need not be strong because he delivers you milk, the highly nutritious drink everyday. Similarly a fruit vendor need not have all the vitamins that are found in fruits. When they sell a product judge them by the utility of their product. Don’t be shocked to find a few sellers of spiritual truth devoid of the things they are talking about or selling.

Be a Zero Steeped in Sorrow

To know something one should have an ‘empty’ mind. For instance if a box is full it has to be emptied first before filling it up. Similarly a mind is to be emptied before being filled. It is a psychological feat and it cannot be termed as being ‘ignorant’. It is dynamic nothing which is equivalent to zero. It is similar to the act of adding fertilizers to the field before sowing. It is not the absence of something. But this blankness is dynamic nothing. It is similar to the status of zero. Zero is capable of converting one into hundred, thousand and so on. It borrows one and keeps it on the left side, the value increases. If it is kept on right side it’s of no use. Many a time the spiritual knowledge that is gained is kept on the right side. In other words it does not make you happier. So unless you become a zero you can not become any other thing. Similarly one who is steeped in sorrow will be able to know the value of happiness. That is the absence of sorrow leads to the absence of happiness too. Conversely the presence of sorrow gives you the ability to enjoy happiness to the full extent. Summer enhances the capacity to enjoy rain. So is sorrow, it creates happiness. ‘Be a zero steeped in sorrow’. It reminds us of Peter Ralston’s curious and paradoxical fact, “the true awareness arises from a state of nothing.” (The Book of Not Knowing)
**

Master who makes you rich without giving you anything!

Who should we call our guru? Is it the one who gives us riches? Or is it the one who makes you rich? Great masters never make you rich in the usual sense. They do not show you the way to riches either. They don’t even give you the treasures. Then what is that they do? The real master is the one who tells you that you are already rich. They will make you feel rich. A master or a guru can not remove your sorrow. He can not make you happier. Unknowingly people seek the help of the Masters and gurus expecting that their problems would just vanish. Some of them do find some solace but it is not the ultimate one and more over its momentary and on some occasions it may also lead to disappointments. But the real master makes you realize that you are already happy. He would make you discover the unheard wealth of happiness which is already within. He will make you the Columbus of your own life. In other words he is not the one who would merely show you the path. He is the one who makes you realize that you are ‘the path.’ Yes he makes you rich in one sense but with out giving you anything.

Sorrow

Sorrow is an 'ununderstandable' process of creating joy. Just as summer is the only process of creating rainy season. One has to enjoy oneself in nature but be prepared for the sorrow that follows. Tears and smiles do exist together because they enrich each other. Just as summer is the mother of rainy season, a tear drop is the mother of smiles. If we hate tear drops we are denied smiles. Those who love tear drops need not pray for smiles. We always try to separate them which is not possible and also not desirable. A story doesn't have only heroes or protagonists. The presence of a villain enhances the effect of the work. we can imagine how dull a literary work would be with out conflicts. But when it comes to life we expect it to be devoid of sorrow. is it possible to have only happiness without sorrow?

Detached Attachment- Essence of Gita

Therapeutic attachment:
Another aspect sir always emphasizes is detached attachment. sir gives a simple example to explain this. While climbing up using a rope one has to hold the rope with one hand and leave the other. This process of holding and leaving the rope continues till one reaches the end of the rope. Similarly in life one has to be attached for a while as long as it gives happiness and detach oneself soon to move ahead. Sir doesn't prefer an ascetic life.Sorrow is an 'ununderstandable' process of creating joy. Just as summer is the only process of creating rainy season. One has to enjoy oneself in nature but be prepared for the sorrow that follows. Tears and smiles do exist together because they enrich each other. Just as summer is the mother of rainy season, a tear drop is the mother of smiles. If we hate tear drops we are denied smiles. Those who love tear drops need not pray for smiles. We always try to separate them which is not possible and also not desirable.

Your Body is Your Gita

The Gita is not a book of desirelessness!
But it is a book of desires!
It asks you to develop desires!
It never asks you to put an end to desires….
Now are you not shocked when you hear this?...Desirelessness doesn't mean disappearance of desires or annihilation of desires.
Desirelessness= desires minus the undesirable consequences.
What did Arjuna do after having been taught the Gita? Did he leave the desire to fight ? Or did he fight? Strictly speaking-earlier he did not have the desire to fight-now the Gita teaching developed in Arjuna the desire to fight. It is not escape from life but into life. When you touch a hot object, your body instantly leaves it. This attitude is nothing but detached attachment or therapeutic attachment. While climbing up using a rope one has to hold the rope with one hand and leave the other. This process of holding and leaving the rope continues till one reaches the end of the rope. Similarly in life one has to be attached for a while as long as it gives happiness and detach oneself soon to move ahead.

Success

His Views on Success:
Why do sometimes people fail despite their hard work?Sir says two factors are important for achieving success- Two Ks- (‘manava krishi’ and ‘madhava krupa’) your endeavor and divine blessings. That is why at times despite our efforts we fail for want of one.Further one should be submissive to reach new heights. A mountaineer always bends while climbing up. A horseman also does the same while surging ahead. So the greatest achievements are not merely the outcome of hard work but the result of individual submission to the divinity.

Death

Death is painful but an inevitable dramatic requirement of Cosmic play.
Death is an alluring secret and an awful mystery sealed in the bososm of life, which is like a peerless pyramid worth hugging and worth kissing; there are stifling echoes and intimations of ‘death’.
Death …is not that dreadful as it appears to be. (Journey into Joy p8)
Why does death exists?- to enhance the beauty of life.
The death that apparently appears to be so dreadful, in fact, equally delightful if understood in the cosmic light. (Journey into Joy p9)
Death is a cosmically induced attempt to recapture childhood.
….like the one happily preparing for sleep one must prepare for death.
…death is the extinguishing flame of life, if death takes away happiness, it also takes away sorrow; if it extinguishes flame of joy it also lights the flame of hope. Death reveals us that there is life beyond it, just like there was life before it. (Journey into Joy p12)
‘ “ It is impossible that anything so natural so necessary and so universal as death should ever have been designed by providence as an evil to mankind"

Do we need God?

God takes care of us and knows our needs so much that we do not need him at all. God is one who solves all the problems even without you asking for a solution? God is not the one who will give you what you have asked for but He is the one who will see that you have nothing to ask for.