The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Focus on inner self, students told

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Monday, Apr 03, 2006

Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Focus on inner self, students told

Staff Correspondent

Sri Sri Ravishankar stresses need for humour among people

ACHIEVER: Sri Sri Ravishankar, from Art of Living, presenting the Dr. Prannoy Roy Award to Kamya Ramanan during `Indus Leadership Conclave 2006' in Sarjapur on Sunday. — Photo: K. Murali Kumar

Bangalore: One should focus on inner-self for revolutionising the concept of leadership, founder of the Art of Living Sri Sri Ravishankar has said.

Speaking at a leadership conclave organised at Indus International School, he said prosperity without values is a sure step to disaster.

Students should inculcate a sense of belonging for each other and consider the entire world as one family cutting across all the differences, he said.

Stressing on the need for humour, the lack of which is the root cause for problems in life, he said that personality development plays a major role in a student's life as much as career development.

Even if one has a pleasant personality and is remorse deep within, then it serves no purpose, he said.

"Love yourself and accept your strengths and weaknesses", he said adding that an inhibition-free intellect is required to be spiritual.

Spirituality has nothing to do with religion.

Even an atheist can be a spiritual person, he said.

He said that politicians, in the name of secularism, have removed subjects from the curriculum that inspire moral values and bhakti among the youth.

Sri Sri Ravishankar said students should be ready to take up any kind of job, be it big or small, and have to involve themselves completely. There is a need to compete with oneself rather than competing with others.

Competing with others might demoralise and weaken the strength and potential of an individual.

He called upon youth to join the mission to revive the cultural heritage of the country.

Stating that the Art of Living Foundation will be taking up several new programmes, he announced that a new management institute would be inaugurated in Goa next month. Earlier, the Dr. Prannoy Roy Award for the best student was presented to Kamya Ramanan by Sri Sri Ravishankar.

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