Mr Ravi Shankar, I’ll Contribute To Your Program, After You Do This

This is with reference to the claims by the 8-10 middle aged women who wanted a contribution from me towards the ‘Aanandotsavam’ program to be held by Shri (another Shri?) Ravi Shankar at Kannur on February 15th, 2011.

(Since the whole Art of Living foundation claims to enlighten people and make them grow internally, which is exactly what I try to do with this blog, you can of course consider this article just as one grown out of jealousy. Or you can THINK)

I WILL contribute towards the program, provided you agree to comply with the following requests.

1. Agree that any breathing exercise can improve concentration up to an extent. And when this happens human mind is drawn away from worries into the breathing pattern. And so, tasks which are done without those worries get done much more efficiently.
   And that whatever breathing you teach (with copyright) is not drastically different from this modus operandi.

2. Agree that since you have got a copyright for Sudarshana Kriya (or whatever) only to prevent commercialization by others, you will allow organizations or people who are ready to teach this free of cost, to do so, without any copyright concerns coming in the way.
3. Agree to make your income/expenditure balance sheets public and transparent and easy to access (and clear so that my friends in the commerce section will not find it difficult to calculate)
4. Agree that the spiritual knowledge (that those women said brings mental calm) can be achieved not only through your course (paying heftily) but also from a local library and/or a local guru (because there are so many of them, and they can’t be all frauds; if that’s the case you’d be the only one who’s genuine) at whatever concession fee they offer.
5. Agree that spirituality sells, like sex do.
6. Agree that whatever is said in the following sites against you are wrong, baseless and not to be trusted (if possible, with proof):
   • How genuine is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?
   • A further discussion on “How genuine is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?”
   • Answering AOL: A blog publishing the polemic that grew around the article “How genuine is Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?”
   • The The great great Sri Sri NGO NGO scam scam
   • LEAVING THE ART OF LIVING

If you agree with all of these. And still live to see me, I will surely give you the contribution. But don’t expect more than Rs. 100. That’s all I have in my purse, because Google Adsense isn’t paying anything. (And the reason why I still continue blogging is not the hope that I can make a living online, but that there are people who read what I write and I’m obliged to them)