Let your spirit soar

Guruji's answer is that we need to fight our own demon: our own fear, inertia, or negative emotion. The long-term remedy for terrorism is multi-faith education, says Guruji; teaching students a little bit of the wisdom of each tradition will go a long way in curbing fundamentalism and terrorism. It will give youth a broader vision of life. They will not be ready to kill the innocent for the promise of a berth in heaven.

There are a number of instances where spirituality has helped militants and jail inmates give up aggression and lead a reformed life. There are other benefits for youth as well. Spirituality helps them get rid of stress which is a major issue in their lives. Pranayama and meditation are effective in releasing negative emotions and anger. Here we are looking at spirituality as life-skill. If the youth use this tool to release stress, and literally to breathe it out, there would be no need for alcohol and drugs. Spirituality can give you a high that is far more potent than any drug. Guruji's advise to the youth is: Just soar high on your own spirit. However, while the youth is lectured on how to manage the whole world, no one teaches them to manage their own mind and emotions.

Interestingly, corporations today are much more proactive in introducing yoga and meditation programmes at the workplace; spirituality makes good business sense in a world where a large part of the health budget is spent on dealing with stress-related ailments. Read more