閱讀中受到激勵.
約瑟夫·馬吉德（Youssef Majeed）在內戰中倖存下來，頭腦中有一顆子彈，經歷家中破產和死亡事件。約瑟夫17歲的時候，穿過頭部的子彈，使他失去了腳的行動力。他坐在輪椅上，但你永遠不會遇到一個比他更自由的人！當數百萬人撤離敘利亞時，這名男子正進入戰亂風暴的中心，向最蹂躪的人們傳播快樂。作為生活的藝術老師，他會去敘利亞最受蹂躪的地區，教他們瑜珈和呼吸技術，以及創傷復原和壓力管理技巧。
在與Samhitha Gomatam桑吉妲的坦率採訪中，Majeed馬吉德分享了他非常迷人的生命故事，就在他下一次南部敘利亞進行為期十天任務之前的訪問。
這條道途是光亮的！
在2000年，我第一次上了生活的藝術快樂課程。事實上這對我當時來說是很困難的。在一年內我失去了三個家人，雖然我看過很多戰爭，但這對我來說是一個很大的打擊。我幾乎破產了,我不得不負起照顧我兩個女兒的責任，我不知道我接下來該怎麼面對,晚上幾乎睡不著。
我在朋友的家裡遇到了菲利普。他介紹我學習了淨化呼吸Sudarshan Kriya，所以我想試一試。在第一天,進行一些呼吸練習後，我回家,睡覺像一個嬰兒般！我第二天跑到中心去了！我在kriya呼吸法之後感到非常開心，並且在課程中擁抱每個人！三年來，我生活似乎一直隴罩著一片烏雲。我感覺不到愛或快樂。我可以再次感受到愛。在我生命中那真是一個重新出發的點,我現在能做甚麼?
在我生命中,很長一段時間我完全處於不滿。我以前一直在問'為什麼是我？為什麼我要面對這一切？對我來說這是非常殘忍的。但正當在生活的藝術師資訓練的時候，我們做了一個過程，我看見我的一生在我面前播映。在那一刻，我明白，我必須通過這所有一切，以便現在我在這裡，做我現在必須做的事情。我的道路為我自動敞開，我也知道古儒吉是引領我走上這條路的人。
為什麼他冒著生命危險進入一個其他人都急著走走出的國家。
很多人問我這個問題！我的家人，朋友和他們敘利亞人都問我為什麼在那裡。我沒有具體的解釋，除了我內心深處有一些東西，告訴我我須要在那裡。我只是知道這是我去那裡的時候了。你知道，在大馬士革教的一個課程之後，一位女士來找我說：“感謝上帝,你來了。如果你沒有給我這個經驗，我就要自殺了。“她丈夫和她的父親已經失踪了一年多，她也看到鄰居發生的許多暴力事件。為了這些人我必須去。
我想我一直都是這樣的。幫助人才是我的真性情。當內戰在黎巴嫩爆發時，我才十幾歲。但即使是這樣，我也在我所在地區當起義工幫助所有受傷的人。
古儒吉一次曾說過，“我不想讓你談及我。我希望你能將快樂植回人們的心中。看到他們都在笑，“我永遠不會忘記這一點。當我第一次成為生活的藝術老師時，我在黎巴嫩監獄教監獄的新智方案。經過8天的課程，一名囚犯走向我，告訴我說：“我比過去那還沒進入監獄前的我,感覺更加的自由。”對一個囚徒犯來說那不是一個最棒的感覺嗎？
在我前往敘利亞之前，我總是打電話給古儒吉。我告訴他，“古儒吉，我打算去敘利亞。我應該去嗎？“他總是說，去吧！現在去！“就是這樣,這給了我所有我需要的力量。
關於他在所有戰亂毀壞中的教學經驗
有時在課程中間，我們可以聽到附近發生的爆炸事件。我們的建築物正開始搖晃。我可以看到人們非常的害怕。但我會立即要求我的學生將注意力放在他們的呼吸上，並使他們平靜下來。許多人愛上我們的呼吸工作坊。儘管處於這種狀況，他們都能夠感受到快樂和愛。他們中的許多人現在都更加的接受他們所處的現況。
我在2012年在敘利亞北部的塔爾圖斯籌畫了第一個“生活的藝術”研習課程。那時只有6人。我告訴他們，如果他們帶更多的人來，我會在兩個星期內回來再開一個課程。在這兩個星期內，爆炸事件造成600人死亡。他們失去了一切。沒有醫院，沒有道路，沒有建築物。儘管有很多警告說，去那裡可能還是很危險的，但我還是回去了。而這個時候，約六十個人出現了。到三天結束時，有這麼多的快樂。我拍了照片，把照片發給所有警告我不要回去的人。看到這些美麗的笑容絕對是值得的。
很多時候，人們問我，你為什麼這麼做,不從這裡賺些錢呢？所有我能夠說的是，當你體驗過我所有經歷的時候，你就會知道的。我不能解釋，但這是最棒的感受，似乎我在對的地方做對的事。當我在敘利亞採取這些方案時，我不曾經歷飢渴！整整一天我只需要5分鐘的浴室休息，我就可以繼續前進！
他給我們其他人有一些生命的建議！
生命美好的秘訣就是能夠以孩子的純潔，年輕人的勇氣和老人的智慧來生活。這是為什麼我可以與每個人連結，無論他們來自何方！
如果還有問題，你應該進入廚房。把玩味覺,質感和色彩。它會帶你進入當下這一刻。其實煮菜是我的靜心！它給了我很多的寧靜。當我在廚房裡時，我是如此的鮮活。那就是當我所有的學生抱怨某事時,我就帶他們進廚房！
關於他想怎麼被記起,
你知道這個地區有這麼多偉大的聖徒和思想家。你聽說過Rumi魯米嗎?Khalil Gibran哈立勒吉.布蘭？ Shams Tabrizi？這是我最喜歡大不裡士Tabriz的40則愛的簽言 - “理智和愛是由不同的材料構成的。理智將人連結成一體，並沒有任何冒險，但愛溶解所有的糾纏並會經歷風險。“
每當你遇到莎士比亞，我要讓你想起我！
看 DW 中東的媒體怎麼紀錄他
https://www.facebook.com/aolbenice/posts/931529473666714?pnref=story
(好友Youssef ，在我們的義工組織與我同期一樣有17年多的時間，他在敘利亞內戰區域，教導許多「淨化呼吸」，帶給受戰亂流迫害及流離失所的人快樂。未受傷前，他是一個非常優秀的専業瑜珈教師及藝術家。受傷後，他仍保有生命勇氣，仍然用灰諧幽默的氣氛教導生活的藝術的瑜珈。
瑜珈是生命的一種態度。
瑜珈是內在的慈慈與柔軟。
瑜珈更是生命的勇氣！ )
An amazing experience and interview with an Art of Living teacher from Lebanon. Read on and stay inspired...
Youssef Majeed has survived 2 civil wars, a bullet in the head, bankruptcy and deaths in the family. Shot at in his head at the age of 17, Youssef Majeed, pulled through, but lost all mobility in his legs. He’s bound by a wheelchair, but you’ll never meet a freer man! While millions are evacuating Syria, this man is making inroads into the centre of the storm to spread happiness to its war-ravaged people. As faculty with the Art of Living, he is going to some of the most devastated regions of Syria, teaching them yoga and breathing techniques for trauma management and stress relief.
In a candid interview with the Samhitha Gomatam, Majeed shares his very fascinating life story, right before he sets off on his next mission to Southern Syria for a ten day tour.
The path is lit!
It was in 2000 that I first did the Art of Living Happiness Program. That was actually a very hard time for me. I had lost three members of my family within one year, and although I’d seen a lot of war, this was a big blow for me. I was nearly bankrupt. I had to take care of my two daughters and I had no idea how I was going to manage. I could barely sleep at night.
I met Philip at a friend’s house. He asked me to learn the Sudarshan Kriya, so I thought I’ll give it a try. After some breathing exercises on the first day, I went home and slept like a baby! I was running to go to the center on the second day! I was so happy after the kriya that I went and hugged everyone in the program! For three years it seemed like I was living with a dark cloud. I couldn’t feel love or happiness. I could feel love again. And that was really the starting point for what I’m able to do now in my life.
For a long time in my life I was absolutely resentful. I used to keep asking ‘Why me? Why do I have to face all this? It’s been so rough for me.’ But when I was training to be a teacher with the Art of Living, we did this one process and I saw my whole life flashing in front of me. In that moment I understood that I had to go through all of that in order for me to be here now, to do what I must do now. My path opened itself for me, and I knew that Gurudev was the one who was going to guide me on this path.
On why he risks his life to go into a country that everyone else is rushing to get out of.
So many have asked me about this! My family, friends, and Syrians themselves ask why I’m there. And I have no concrete explanation to give, except that there’s something from deep inside me, telling me that I need to be there. I just know that it’s my time to go there. You know, after one of my courses in Damascus, this one lady came to me and said, “Thank God you came. If you hadn’t given me this experience I was going to commit suicide.” Her husband and her father have been missing for more than a year now and she has seen quite a lot of violence in her neighbourhood. I have to go for all of these people.
I think I’ve always been like this. It’s in my nature to help people. I was barely in my teens when the civil war broke out in Lebanon. But even then I was a volunteer in my area helping all the injured people.
Gurudev once said, “I don’t want you to talk about me. I want you to return happiness to the hearts of people. See that they’re all smiling.” I’ll never forget this. I worked in Lebanese prisons when I first became an Art of Living teacher. After an 8 day program, a prisoner came and told me, “I feel more free than I’ve ever felt when I was outside the prison.” Isn’t that a wonderful feeling for a prisoner?
I always call Gurudev before I leave for Syria. I tell him, ‘Gurudev, I’m planning to go to Syria. Should I go?’ He always says, ‘Go! Go now!’ That’s it. That gives me all the strength I need.
On his experiences of teaching in the midst of all the destruction
Sometimes in the middle of courses, we can hear bombings happen nearby. The building we’re in starts shaking. I can see that people are very frightened. But I immediately ask my participants to take their attention to their breath, and that calms them down. Many people fall in love with the workshops. They’re able to feel happiness and love despite being in such a situation. Many of them are now more accepting of the situation they’re in.
I organised the first Art of Living workshop in 2012 in Tartous, to the north of Syria. There were only 6 people then. I told them that I’ll come back in 2 weeks to take another workshop if they gather more people. Within those two weeks, explosions killed 600 people in that small area. They had lost everything. No hospitals, no roads, no buildings. Despite many warnings that it might still be dangerous to go there, I went back. And this time nearly 60 people showed up. By the end of three days, there was so much happiness. I took their pictures and sent them to all those who had warned me not to go back. It’s definitely worth it to see those beautiful smiles on their faces.
Many times people ask me, why is it that you do this when you don’t make any money out of it? All I can say is, when you’ve experienced what I’ve experienced, you’ll know. I can’t explain it, but it’s the most wonderful feeling, like I’m in the right place doing the right thing. When I’m taking these programs in Syria, I don’t experience hunger or thirst! I have barely 5 minutes for a bathroom break in the entire day and I can keep going!
He has some life advice for the rest of us!
The secret behind a good life is to be able to live with the purity of children, the courage of young people and the wisdom of the old. That’s how I can connect with everyone, no matter where they’re from!
If you’ve still got a problem, you should go into the kitchen. Play with the smells and the textures and the colours. It’ll bring you into the present moment. In fact cooking is my meditation! It gives me so much peace. I feel so alive when I’m in the kitchen. That’s where I send all my students when they come complaining about something!
On how he wants to be remembered
You know there’s so many great saints and thinkers from this region. Have you heard of Rumi? Khalil Gibran? Shams Tabrizi? Here’s my favourite quote from Tabrizi’s 40 rules of love- ”Intellect and love are made of different materials. Intellect ties people in knots and risks nothing, but love dissolves all tangles and risks everything.” Every time you come across Shams Tabrizi, I want you to think of me!
#Syria #ArtofLiving #SriSriRaviShankar
