Vasanti S Iyer - Art of Living Experience

Art of Living Teacher

My name is Vasanti S Iyer. I was born in Mumbai in a south Indian family. My upbringing has therefore been shaped by the modern society that I lived in and also the traditional values practiced at home. I had heard the Beatles , Carpenters, seen the hippy generation as a child and also learnt the Vishnu and Lalitha sahasranama. My father had always been my greatest source of inspiration. His will, enthusiasm, sense of duty, his perseverance, discipline and a never say die attitude are attributes that I will always cherish. While my father continues to have a special place in my life, my Guru has shaped me, directed me and guided me in my spiritual journey and also to this beautiful stage of service and love that I find myself in today. Although  I met Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi Shankar) in the Year 2000, I realised however that the connection has been eternal.

I feel light and happy after the Art of Living course

My mixed upbringing has always made me use the rational part of my brain. As a teenager, I found that accepting whatever is stated as it is was,was always a difficult proposition. I had never bowed down to a swami in life as I always considered them to be frauds. Saints existed for me however they were only in the form of Budhha, Jesus, Mahavir and as part of history.  It was however a volte face after the Art of Living Part I course which happened inadvertently for me later in life. The Art of Living Part I program offered such depth of knowledge and an experience which cannot be expressed in words.  After that there has been no looking back. I quit a professional job to offer my life to the service of humanity. There has never been a better bargain I could have asked for as I effortlessly live to spread smiles in peoples lives. I feel so light and happy as an individual today as compared to the world of competition, ambition, selfishness and greed that I had surrounded myself with.

Uplifting wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Talk

Ask not what you get out of this world, ask what you can offer this world – this beautiful sentence is my anchor in life offered by my Guru. It is difficult to summarise the teachings from Guruji as he continues to impact me everyday. In the Ashtavakra Gita he says “ Situations are created around you for you to apply the knowledge and it is so true. My spiritual sojourn has been a path so far of exploration and understanding the vagaries of my mind . Guruji has always encouraged us to go beyond seeing the Guru only in a human form and look at the Guru Tattva (principle). Through him I found out that being spiritual implies having a state of mind of acceptability, having infinite patience and love.  Every moment spent with the Guruji is so uplifting.

Mistakes should be viewed with compassion and love

Sometimes when I see people's outburst and criticism, I feel they have not digested the wisdom of the teaching. It is not their mistake but more so the nature of the monkeying mind which doubts. This world is made up of only two things – Love and distortions of Love.  Hence whatever someone says should be viewed with total compassion and love. I wish I could help them to see beyond. It is faith in this beautiful creation and the divinity that helps us get in touch with ourselves. They need to understand that they create their own world. Hence if today their monkeying mind is making them doubt it is their own creation. It is therefore also easy for them to move away and replace it with faith in the divine and they will experience the bliss within. All we require is awareness of the play of the mind.

My family today feels proud of the decision taken by me 10 years ago of embarking on this beautiful path. Today I have their full support and they too find solace in the teachings of Guruji Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. It is difficult to summarise my story succinctly however I end by saying that I have been able to get a glimpse of the true wealth within me and that is love for humanity in all its forms because of Guruji. I thank him with gratitude.