Dear Friends,
I am here to share my experience of residential course at art of living, Pune Triveni Ashram done 3 months back.
Me and my friends had done foundation course which was a fun filled time with yoga and pranayam.
The trainers had suggested that we should do'advanced course' within 6 months.it is a vacation for mind, body n soul bla bla bla.
We were lured by this and decided to go for residential course - advanced course - art of silence. reaching the triveni ashram was a nightmare! it took at least 3 hrs to reach there form Pune city. It is located on some hill top near markal village.there were no roads at all.
Driving there by car was extremely scary and riskily. We were continuously praying that we reach safely. no lights, no roads, no signboards and we were driving.such a scary ride.
finally we reached.at the reception we see there were 20+ people awaiting registration.we got into queue.paid 3500 INR in cash per head.they said there would be hot water for bath n all.5 people were crammed into 1 room.morning we get a rude shock.no hot water.not even lukewarm.it was cold.n we had to use the same.so the torture began there.
session starts at 6 am in morning.we went to meditation hall.we did suryanamaskar, padmasadhana (yoga) followed by sudarshan kriya n pranayams. (This was same as foundation course)
break was at 8 am for breakfast.food was amazing.food was the only good part of our experience!
we were broken into groups on 10 and were asked to do "seva" in various areas like kitchen, campus cleaning, housekeeping, gaushala etc etc till 10 am.
Next session at 10 am. One Godman enters in white robe and starts taking recap of foundation course gyan.till 2 pm.then lunch.
Next session at 2.30 pm. Meditations. Close your eyes.meditate.again n again for 3 hrs.phew it was a torture. then lie down for a while and people would start snoring!
now next shock - at 6 pm our MAUN VRAT(Silence vow) starts .and we are not suppose to utter a word till last day.OMG .we were shocked.
next 3 days were same - only morning yoga session was good.else whole day sit, close ur eyes, listen to some audios.no talking, no communcation.total maun vrat.no use of cell phones.no msging no writing.etc etc
it started getting on our nerves by day 2. a place where there were 100 people which youth, old alike and we are wasting our time by keeping silent.what are we achieving? no ice breking, no new friends.no fun element.have we come here to become hermits?
no way!
most of the time they asked to close eyes n sit. no talk, no seeing.it was "suffocating".i would open my eyes in between.cudnt take it.
1 session was - close eyes think about your life experience, secrets and cry loudly.my god it was a painful and depressing session wherein most people cried, wailed loudly.
it put us on a low mode.evening go for walk alone.dont look at anyone.it felt it was a REHAB centre with mad people around.looking lost.
*we were told to write any questions, botherations on paper and put in a "magic box".it will get solved by "Guruji's" blessings.
people filled the box.and then came the mockery.*
next day the young volunteers opened the chits and started reading it aloud.and people laughed on the problems.the godman gave some vague answers and sometimes ignored the question and moved to next.they picked 20 questions.people had written confidential stuff and they read it aloud and mocked.that was so insensitive.
evening there was satsang wherein bhajans were sung.that was okay types.
this continued for 4 days.and last day maun vrat over and course also over.so no time to "connect" with the participants.we hardly knew other people's names.who they are etc.the godman gave a big lecture on marketing AOL before course go over.bring more people to AOL.take oath to send 5 people to AOL courses every month.donate money for ashram.
*Guruji will take all ur sorrows away.become empty.bla bla bla.
we were surprised to see how easy it is to fool innocent people.most people would gather around the godman.touch his feet and all.
the same man when everyone was closing eyes and "meditating" would play on his big smartphone! wow what hypocrisy.*
so at end of course if people ask what is taught in advanced course - I have no answer.we were made to keep quiet, close eyes and "meditate".come on you cant be doing this for whole day!
only morning yoga session were good.but that is not patented by AOL.it is ancient practice which they have inlcuded.we can do yoga by paying nominal fees every month at local yoga classes.no need to pay 3500 for this.
There were old people who could even do anything.they just came, sat in hall or would sleep and snore.and for this pay 3500.many people came there only to SLEEP.
there was no value addition.imagine the amount of money AOL is making.and they dont even use it to build roads to their ashram.they are risking peoples lives.
Only good things of the 4 days -
the food was very good.sattvik food, daily different variety and very good taste.grace to the food. the ashram is very close to nature.so got to breathe fresh air, see sunrise and sunset.
end of course they took everyones's cell no. and email id and now being flooded with marketing emails of next courses.they told some new courses with fancy names.art excel, sahaj samadhi, teacher training etc etc.and the godman said please do this in next 3 months.! wow same funda.
and they ask people to repeat this crap "advanced" course of art of silence and not count it.keep repeating after 3-6 months.and there were people who had done the course 5-18 times already.
Oh my God.please save my country people's time and money.let them think logically and question what is told to them and not blindly follow these godmen.
not once they mentioned of "Higher Power" or "God".everything in AOL stops at SS Ravi Shankar.he is God for them, period.
people blindly worship him, donate their time, money and lives.
there were donation boxes kept everywhere - people were putting their hard earned money into the boxes.
there are so many needy people, children outside AOL who are very much in need of our help.
the AOL followers are brainwashed and taught that "guruji" will resolve all ur problems.
Please give this a thought and think 10 times before going for AOL courses.whenever anyone "recommends" you to enroll for the course.
*paying 3500 to keep maun vrat for 4 days is the most foolish thing I have done in my life.i regret it.i could have put that money and my time to better use by helping some underprivilged kids.
neverthelesss, I take this as a eye opening lesson.*
Thank for reading the long review, do stop by and share your views.
Regards.
