tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-87448417106054280782024-02-19T01:13:09.546-08:00Wisdom from Sri SriThe Official Blog of Sri Sri Ravi ShankarUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger200125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-58201896157154698642010-07-15T04:01:00.000-07:002011-07-31T00:44:34.606-07:00Wisdom blog is now Shifted to...<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #e69138;"><b>Jai Gurudev!</b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">Wisdom from Sri Sri </span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;">is Now shifted to </span></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"> </div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;"><a href="http://www.artofliving.org/what-sri-sri-said-today">Wisdom From Sri Sri Ravishankar</a></span></b></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: yellow;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: purple;">And </span></i></span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"><br />
</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;">Blog</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: inherit;"> in Hindi is</span></span></div><div style="text-align: center;"><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: x-large;"><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="background-color: white;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #cc0000;">Happy Reading....</span></span></i></span></div></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-32668013236116720502010-02-23T21:07:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.070-08:00‘Your spiritual practices will take you out of bad habits’<p><b>Bangalore ashram, Feb. 22: </b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar just returned from a week-long trip to the North-east of India. Narrating experiences from the trip, Sri Sri spoke about his visit to Bodoland in Assam. “A very remote area, and a tough place, much affected by violence. Our YLTP teachers (graduates of the Youth Leadership Training Program) have done such a good work. Over 1,50,000 people gathered under the hot noon sun for a satsang in Bodoland. In such remote areas, people have started doing good work. There you can’t complain if you don’t have electricity because anyways, there is no electricity! There is no electricity, road or water there. But people were contented. When we have all the facilities, we complain but sometimes where there are no facilities available, people live with contentment.”</p><p>(Someone from the audience asks a question)</p><p><b>Q: How do I drop the desire of alcohol and cigarette?</b></p><p>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There are three things that you can do to drop such a desire for alcohol or cigarette.</p><ol> <li>Do your spiritual practices daily. It will take you out of such desires.</li> <li>Think that intake of alcohol or cigarette smoking will diminish your good luck. If you take like that, then something unlucky or unfortunate may happen. </li> <li>Suppose someone offers you a crore ($10 million), if you stop alcohol or cigarettes for a month. Will you still do it? Each time you get a desire to do that, you will think that you will lose the 1 crore.</li></ol> <p> So, you will control yourself because of greed or fear. To come out of a bad habit, fear and greed are divya aushadi, best or even magical remedies! <p> After that, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led the audience through a meditation. <b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-4361529852065105182010-02-14T22:38:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.946-08:00‘The moment you are centered, you see Divinity everywhere’Kolkata (India), Feb. 12:<p>Just before conducting the Rudra Puja on Shivratri night, </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar</b> spoke about the true essence of <b>Shiva </b>and<b>Shivratri</b>. Let us understand a little about the Shiva tattva. Only a little can be known. The intellect has to be content and finer feelings awakened. Both scientific understanding and spiritual wisdom are necessary to bring this contentment that is holistic and complete.There is no need to go to on long pilgrimages to find the Divine. If you don’t find God here, where you are, then it is not possible anywhere else. Where the minddissolves, Shiva is there. Be established wherever you are. The moment you areestablished, centered, you see that there is Divinity present everywhere. This is meditation. One of the names of <b>Lord Shiva </b>is <b>Virupaksha</b> - meaning one who is formless yet sees all. We know that there is air all around us and we can feel the air as well. But what if the air also starts feeling you? Space is all around us, we identify space. But what if space also recognizes and feels your presence? This happens. Only we don’t know it. Scientists know this and they call it the theory of relativity. The one who sees and that which is seen are both affected when seen. The Divine is all around you and is seeing you. He doesn’t have a form. He is the formless core of existence and the goal. He is the seer, sight and the scene. This formless Divinity is Shiva.To simply wake-up and experience this Shiva tattva is Shivratri.</p><p>Usually when there is celebration, awareness is lost. Deep rest in celebration with awareness is Shivratri. When you face some problem, you become aware and alert. We are at rest when everything is well; on Shivratri we rest with awareness. It is said that a yogi remains awake when everybody else is sleeping. For a yogi, everyday isShivratri. <b>Lord Shiva</b> is beautifully explained in a verse by Adi Shankaracharya (Sri Sri recites a few lines from the verse). </p><p>Adyantahinam - One without a beginning or end. Sarvada - He is the <b>Bholenath</b> (innocent ruler of all) who is present everywhere all the time. We think Shiva is somewhere else sitting with a snake around his neck.Shiva is one in whom everything has taken birth, who encompasses everything right this moment, and in whom everything in creation dissolves. Every form you see in thiscreation is all his form. </p><p>He permeates the entire creation. He is never born and has no end. He is eternal. </p><p>He is the fourth state of consciousness, the turiya avasta, the meditative state, that is beyond the waking, deep sleep and dream states. </p><p>He is the non-dual consciousness that is present everywhere. That’s why to do Shiva puja, you have to dissolve in Shiva yourself. Being Shiva, you do Shiva puja.Chidananda rupa - He is the consciousness that is pure bliss. </p><p>Tapo yoga gamya - One who can be known through tapa and yoga. The Shiva tattva can be experienced in the knowledge of the Vedas. The state of Shivoham (I am Shiva), Shiva kevaloham (there is only Shiva) is attained. Shivratri is the day to experience a wave of joy and contentment. Without yoga, Shiva can’t be experienced. Yoga doesn’t mean only asanas (physical postures) but that experience of Shiva tattva which happens with meditation, pranayam: when that ‘WOW’ happens from within.</p><p>The word Shambo has come from the same source - to realize how beautiful the Divine is, the creation and the Self is! It is a miracle how the same consciousness ispresent in every being in this creation! There is no other miracle greater than this. How did this One become so many? This tradition (of Shivratri) of moving from many to one is so unique. Yoga and meditation is necessary for that. Without meditation, the mind is not calmed. On the occasion of Shivratri meditation, bhajans are all part of the celebration. Everyone participates with a full heart. Everyone should sing.Shiva is the cause of all causes. Because of which everything is there – the tree growing, the sun rising, the wind blowing... The reason for everything happening is Shiva - because of whom everything happens and without whom, nothing happens.Panchmukha, Panchtattva – There are five faces to Shiva - Water, Air, Earth, Fire and Space. Understanding these five elements is tattva gyana (knowledge of the fiveelements). And then Shiva is worshipped as Ashtamurti (eight forms)– Mind, Memory, Ego are also included. This is both the form and formless aspect of Shiva. Worshipping Shiva is dissolving in the Shiv tattva and then wishing for something good. What to wish for? Wish with a liberal heart for the universal good, nobody should be unhappy in the world. ‘Sarve janah sukhino bhavantu .’ And make one sankalpa on this occasion. It is something which comes to you again and again like your breath, like yourheartbeat. And when you surrender such a sankalpa to the Divine, it will definitely come true. </p><p>We also worship nature. Divinity permeates everything in this Earth. Puja is not complete without honoring the trees, mountains, rivers, Earth and the people living on the Earth. Honoring everyone is Dakshina. Da means to give and Dakshina means giving something that will cleanse us of all impurities. Offering with which all your sins vanish. No puja is complete without Dakshina. When we act in society with skill and free from the distortions of the mind, all negative tendencies like anger, worries, sorrow are destroyed. I will say give your tensions, worries and sorrows as Dakshina. And how does that happen? With Sadhana (spiritual practices), Seva (service) andSatsang (company of the truth).</p><p>Ride the boat of the intellect to dissolve in the ocean of finer feelings and faith. </p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-51218701069965784532010-02-14T21:15:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.963-08:00'Trapped in Freedom'Bangalore ashram, Feb. 10:<p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar</b> led the audience from 51 countries through a meditation. When everyone opened their eyes, they were surprised to learn that they had meditated for 18 minutes.</p><p>He then released a book called ‘Trapped in freedom’, a compilation of experiences of one on the spiritual path. “It is very interesting to see how spiritual experiences are combined with the mundane in the book,” said Sri Sri.</p><p>He then honored a scholar, Mithran namboodiripad, who has been with the Art of Living for the last 25 years. Introducing him,He said that Mithran namboodiripad was a learned Sanskit scholar and had memorized five million Sanskrit shlokas . </p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-29316218481449564192010-02-14T21:12:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.955-08:00'Everyone should be given the opportunity to contribute'Bangalore ashram, Feb. 09:<p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar </b>reached the ashram at 8:30 pm, and came straight for satsang at the Vishalakshi Mantap. He just returned from Velanganni, a hamlet in Tamil Nadu and shared his experience of addressing 1,000 Roman Catholic priests of the Indian Priests Congress. (The address is available on the wisdom blog.)Then, a little girl stood up and told Sri Sri that there was no Art of Living center at her hometown, because of which programs were not being conducted. After saying this, she started crying.He assured her that a center would come up. The girl's mother stood up and said, “With whatever, we have we want to buy a plot on which we can construct an Art of Living Center.” </p><p>He said, “You can’t be emotional and give everything you have, as I won’t accept it like that. Many people should contribute a little to have the center. Many people in the past also said this. At first, when I went to Canada when there was no center there, a man came to me and said, “Sri Sri, my whole life has been transformed. I have $15000 and I want to put all this money and make an Art of Living Center.’ I refused him and said, “I am not in a hurry to have the Art of Living Center. If you insist, you can contribute $1000 and if you still want to contribute more, you can give $2000 but not more than that. Everyone should be given the opportunity to contribute.”</p><p>He said that the Divine's job was to take care of His devotees' needs. </p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-72916623534225743912010-02-14T20:41:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.217-08:00Mantras are those sounds which you hear from deep within during meditation & the aim is to bring one back to the sourceBangalore Ashram, Feb. 8:<p><b>Q: Guruji, singing Shiva and Krishna songs in satsang make many people wonder. Although we imbibe so many good vibrations this still makes some people think that we are singing Hindu songs. Why do we sing songs of so many Gods? People from otherreligions get confused between the real meaning of satsang and the symbolic meaning behind mantras.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri:</b> The sound of <b>‘Om namah shivaya’</b> includes all the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. Hinduism is not a religion as such. People have beenchanting this for thousands of years. Mantras are those sounds which you hear from deep within during meditation and the aim is to bring one back to the source. During later days, people started putting faces and drawings to these mantras. Mantras have got certain vibrations/ energy. They are universal.</p><p>Even in churches in Latin America ‘Marnah nath’ is used. Its translation in Latin and Sanskrit is so close. For ‘Lord’ the word in Latin is nath and also in Sanskrit the word nath is used to mean ‘Lord’. So the word marnah nath meaning ‘My lord’ which is used in Christianity is actually a Sanskrit word.</p><p>Chanting in Sanskrit is beneficial because Sanskrit is the oldest language known to mankind. It has a deep impact on the consciousness. We welcome all songs – Japanese, Korean, Spanish. Any song you want to sing is welcome. We sing a lot of songs inSpanish and Portuguese in satsangs in South America. Of course, in India everybody easily connects with ancient mantras. Take any language you want but along with it take this also. How many of you feel singing and chanting these mantras creates some vibrations? (All raise hands in affirmation) It’s obvious. In Vedic chanting, many times you don’t know even the meaning but it has some effect.</p><p>In the morning we did Rudra Abhishek, this has been practiced for over thousands of years. We use crystal, milk, yoghurt and flowers etc. They all create a certain impact and send out positive vibrations.</p><p><b>Q: We are hearing so much about Shivratri. What is the importance of Shivratri?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri:</b> We are either in the sleeping, waking or dreaming state. Shiva is the fourth state of consciousness - the meditative state. On that particular day, just before the new moon arises people stay awake all night and celebrate. The belief is that whatever you wish for comes true. For the general public, the night of Shiva is the night of celebration.For the wise seekers who are on the spiritual path, every day and every night is a celebration.</p><p><b>Q: What is the rule to be reborn? Who maintains records of all human beings? Why don’t we remember anything about our non-physical form?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>It is not very difficult to know. You can do the eternity process and you could know.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji when will we witness something bigger than the Silver Jubilee Celebrations?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri:</b> Should we do something bigger than Silver Jubilee? (A big yes from the audience) Yes, why not? Next year in 2011, the Art of Living will complete 30 years, 3 decades . Let’s see. We will plan something. You also plan. Let us make a pool of ideas. </p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-3346409432136327302010-02-14T20:36:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.796-08:00The more sattva/ purity rises in your life, the more easily your tasks get accomplishedBangalore Ashram, Feb. 7:<p><b>Swami Ramdev </b>paid his respects to<b> Sri Sri Ravi Shankar </b>in the evening satsang at the International Art of Living Center. In his welcome to <b>Swami Ramdev</b>, <b>Sri Sri</b> said ‘The progress of India is always done by saints, sanyasis/renunciates. Swami Ramdev has contributed a lot to spread yoga and Ayurveda in different regions of India, including many villages’. <b>Swami Ramdev</b> shared his vision of an India free from hunger, poverty, corruption and all other social evils. He expressed gratitude towards Sri Srifor Art of Living's contribution towards social progress.</p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> The more sattva/purity rises in your life, the more easily your tasks get accomplished. The amount of sattva/ purity in us decides the productivity of our input. If you put in a lot of effort and the result turns out to be less or below your expectations, it means that there is a lack of sattva/ purity in life. When we meditate, then our work happens easily. How many of you have noticed this?(Audience raises their hands). People are unaware of this secret. They think why to spend 20 – 30 minutes meditating, when that time can be spent to earn them money. It is very important to meditate whenever we get time, so that you accomplish your tasks more efficiently and with ease</p><p><b>Q: Will you please talk about animal sacrifice? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Animal sacrifice (bali pratha) needs to be stopped. It is not written in any scripture to kill helpless animals. It means to surrender any animal tendencies that you find within yourself. You can explain this and make othersunderstand too.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, in Jharkand many efforts are being made by saints to do away with the problem of Naxalism but no solution is working.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Naxalites are good people. They need to be given a little understanding and direction. This is because of the lack of religious and spiritual education. If the educational institute includes even a little bit of religiouseducation no one from that institute will turn out to be a Naxalite. In the name of secularism, religious education has been abandoned. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji when I meditate on you many other Guru’s also come into mind. What is the solution?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Good. Greet them all. </p><p><b>Q: Everyday people make requests to you that can be directly requested to God. Is it that God pays more attention to you than to us?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> I leave that question with you to wonder about. You should have something to wonder about. Besides, why do want to know all the trade secrets!(Laughter)</p><p><b>Q: What is your advice to youth?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> If they want advice, they can take it. Usually I don’t give advice that is not taken. If advice is not taken, it remains as orphans in the air. The youth know that they have a responsibility towards their elders. I am always for joint families where all the generations live together but it has both advantages and disadvantages.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-66109337933470431522010-02-12T01:41:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.779-08:00'You move from one perfection to another higher perfection'Bangalore ashram, Feb. 6:<p><b>Q: Guruji, I often see people bow down to you. Is doing all that necessary?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> No, no, not at all. These things are really insignificant. You know, these outer gestures are insignificant. Don’t give too much importance to them. All these gestures don’t matter. We all are connected from a deeper level, level of heart. That’s how we have met and we are all here.</p><p><b>Q: Yesterday you talked about leela(game). One can comprehend it intellectually but how to make it an inner experience?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>You don’t have to make it an experience. You simply have to wake up and see life is a game. Wake up this moment when I am speaking. Whatever happened till now, is it not like a dream? You had dinner this evening, meditated in themorning, did yoga in morning and went to bed last night, and if you go to your own memory there were good events, bad events, you had profit, you had loss but right this moment it’s all gone. </p><p>Wake up this moment and see from tomorrow to the next 10 years is also like a dream! When you realize this whole phenomenon that has happened in the past and future is all like a play, a game. You don’t have to think this is a concept and I have to experience it. My dear, memory is memory. Your thinking that you have to experience memory is a concept and your thinking that you don’t have it is again a concept. You simply have to realize right away it is a dream. This could be a dream. That very moment you feel a sense of relief. A soothing wave overtakes you. Don’t wait that someday you will experience it’s all a game.</p><p>May be after you leave the body you will experience one day. Then also you will realize I could have done that much before.</p><p><b>Q: What is difference between dispassion and indifference?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Well, in indifference there is a sense of apathy, rejection and disappointment. In dispassion there is joy and enthusiasm.</p><p><b>Q: Do we all have a purpose in life or we can all come and go when it is? If there is one purpose what is it?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> You know it’s best to take out paper and pen, and list out what is not the purpose of life. By negating it will be easier for you.</p><p><b>Q: Is Guruji the best Guru? Is Art of Living the best spiritual path? People say it is the best. Isn’t it a seed of war, calling my belief to be the best? The symbols of other religions in Vishalakshi Mantap (meditation hall in the ashram) tell us that all other religions are also good</b>.</p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>I leave it up to you. You discuss and decide. Go through all the confusion and come to your own conclusion. I never say it is the best and I also don’t say it is not the best. It is up to you. </p><p>It will not be the truth to say it is not the best. And it sounds very funny for whenever someone says, ‘it is the best’, you have a sort of resistance for that. So sometimes some of these questions are best not answered. I am not here to clarify your doubts. I am here to create more doubts. </p><p>Doubt is always about something which is positive. When somebody tells you ‘I love you’ and you say ‘really’. But do you say really when somebody says ‘I hate you’? You doubt your capabilities and you never doubt your weaknesses. You are so sure of your weaknesses. You doubt in the honesty of people and never in their dishonesty. Nature of doubt is such that it always clings to something which is positive. So if you have a doubt I will encourage you that this is very positive.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji you said to be a perfectionist is cause of stress. Yet everything about you is so perfect. You are perfect, your actions are perfect, your words are perfect, your understanding of God is so perfect, this Ashram is perfect and so many other things. What is the difference between your perfect thinking or, mine or ours?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Just that you have to look yourself in the mirror. That’s it. You move from perfection to perfection. You move from one perfection to another higher perfection. That’s how you have to look at life. Otherwise you see this is not perfect , everything is imperfect, everything is hopeless. And we tend to get into negative framework. Isn’t it?</p><p><b>Q: What is upanishad?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Sitting close by and listening is Upanishad. Upanishad is a collection of discourses of high knowledge, how it was transmitted from a Master to students. It is very interesting.</p><p>In one of the Upanishads, it is beautifully said. Once a boy goes to his father who is also his Guru and asked what is God. Father replied, ‘Food is God’ for everything grows from food, everything is sustained by food and in the lack of it, everything dissolves and everything again becomes food. So the boy went and thought about it for several months, understood all about food and came back to his father, and again asked ‘What is God?’</p><p>The father, also his Guru, said, ‘Prana is God’. The boy went, thought and understood all about prana, how it is going in and out of the body, how many types of prana are there and read all experiments about prana. </p><p>He again came back to his father and asked, ‘What is God?’ The father looked at child’s face, so glowing and so vibrant. Father said, 'Ok, the mind is Brahman, mind is God.' Like that, the boy went and thought till he finds the ultimate bliss. Neither the student complaint to the teacher that he was told, ‘Food is God, but it is not the ultimate, you told me the wrong thing'. He simply came and again asked the question. So this is ancient way of teaching step by step – food, then prana, then the mind, then the inner spirit, then the universal spirit, bliss. </p><p>Bliss is Divinity, the space. You are like the space. Then he said, 'There is no difference between you, me and the infinite self. We all are one. The Self, Guru and the universal energy are not different. All are made up of one substance. Today if you talk to scientists who study string theory, who study quantum physics they will say the same thing that is said in the upanishads. In upanishads, it was said thousands of years ago, ‘God is not a person, sitting somewhere up in heaven but God is present everywhere. He is omnipresent and omnipotent, the energy of which you are also made up of, everything is made up of’.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-37321585481604955082010-02-09T23:44:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.651-08:00'If you follow wisdom, fun & joy follow'Bangalore ashram, Feb. 5:<p><b>Q: Guru, I often see people bow down to you. Is doing all that necessary? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> No, no, not at all. These things are really insignificant. You know, these outer gestures are insignificant. Don’t give too much importance to them. All these gestures don’t matter. We all are connected from a deeper level, the level of the heart. That’s how we have met and we are all here.</p><p><b>Q: Yesterday you talked about leela (game). One can comprehend it intellectually but how to make it an inner experience?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>You don’t have to make it an experience. You simply have to wake up and see that life is a game. Wake up this moment as I am speaking. Whatever happened till now, is it not like a dream? You had dinner this evening, meditated in the morning, did yoga in morning and went to bed last night, and if you go over your own memory there were good / bad events, you had profit, you had loss but right this moment it’s all gone. Wake up this moment and you will see that tomorrow, the next 10 years is also like a dream! When you realize this whole phenomenon, that has happened in the past and future, it's all like a play, a game. You don’t have to think this is a concept and I have to experience it. My dear, memory is memory. Your thinking that you have to experience memory is a concept and your thinking that you don’t have it is again a concept. You simply have to realize right away that it is all a dream. This could be a dream. That very moment you feel a sense of relief. A soothing wave overtakes you. Don’t wait till someday you will experience - it’s all a game.May be after you leave the body you will experience one day. Then also you will realize I could have done that much before.</p><p><b>Q: What is the difference between dispassion and indifference?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Well, in indifference there is a sense of apathy, rejection and disappointment while in dispassion there is joy and enthusiasm.</p><p><b>Q: Do we all have a purpose in life or we all come and go whenever? If there is one purpose, what is it?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> You know, it’s best to take out a paper and pen, and list out what is not the purpose of your life. By negating it will be easier for you.</p><p><b>Q: Is Art of Living the best spiritual path? People say it is the best. Isn’t it a seed of war, calling my belief to be the best? The symbols of other religions in Vishalakshi Mantap tell us that all other religions are also good.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> I leave it up to you. You discuss and decide. Go through all the confusion and come to your own conclusion. I never say it is the best and I also don’t say it is not the best. It is up to you. It will not be the truth to say it is not the best. And it sounds very funny for whenever someone says ‘it is the best’, you have a sort of resistance for that. </p><p>So sometimes some of these questions are best not answered. I am not here to clarify your doubts. I am here to create more doubts. Doubt is always about something, which is positive. When somebody tells you ‘I love you’ and you say ‘really’? But do you ask ‘really’ when somebody says ‘I hate you’? You doubt your capabilities but you never doubt your weaknesses. You are so sure of your weaknesses! You doubt in the honesty of people and never in their dishonesty. The nature of doubt is such that it always clings to something, which is positive. So if you have a doubt, I will encourage you that this is very positive. </p><p><b>Q: Guru, you said being a perfectionist is a cause of stress. Yet everything about you is so perfect. You are perfect, your actions are perfect, your words are perfect, your understanding of God is so perfect, this Ashram is perfect and so many other things. What is the difference between your perfect thinking or, mine or ours?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Just that you have to look at yourself in the mirror. That’s it. You move from perfection to perfection. You move from one perfection to another higher perfection. That’s how you have to look at life. Otherwise you see this is not perfect, everything is imperfect, everything is hopeless. And we tend to get into negative framework. Isn’t it?</p><p><b>Q: What is Upanishad?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Sitting close and listening is Upanishad. Upanishad is a collection of discourses of high knowledge, and the manner it was transmitted from a Master to students is very interesting. </p><p>One of the Upanishads beautifully brings this out well. Once a boy went to his father who was also his Guru and asked, 'What is God?' To which the father replied, ‘Food is God’, for everything grows from food, everything is sustained by food and when there is a lack of it, everything dissolves and everything again becomes food. </p><p>So the boy went and thought about it for several months, understood all about food and came back to his father, and again asked ‘What is God?’ The father said, ‘Parana is God’. The boy went, thought and understands all about prang, how it is going in and out of body, how many types of prang there are and read all experiments about prang. He again came back to his father and asked, ‘What is God?’ The father looked at the child’s face, so glowing and so vibrant. The father said, 'Ok, the mind is Brahman, mind is God'. The boy went and thought till he found the ultimate bliss. </p><p>Notice, that the student didn’t complain to the teacher that he was earlier told ‘Food is God’ but later something else. He simply came and again asked the question. So this is an ancient way of teaching, step by step – food, then prang, then the mind, then the inner spirit, then the universal spirit, Bliss. Bliss is Divinity, the space. You are like the space. Then he said, 'There is no difference between you, me and the infinite self. We all are one. The Self, Guru and the universal energy are not different. All are made up of one substance.'</p><p>Today if you talk to scientists who study the string theory, who study quantum physics, they will say the same thing that is said in Upanishads. In the Upanishads, it was said thousands of years ago that 'God is not a person, sitting somewhere up in heaven but God is present everywhere. He is omnipresent and omnipotent, the energy of which you are also made of, everything is made up of.' Don’t confuse God to be a person, somewhere sitting up in heaven. Godliness is your own nature. </p><p>God is Vibration. God is Love. God is Truth, Existence. God is Beauty. </p><p>People right through history have told this. Lord Krishna told Arjuna, ‘People think I am a human being but I am not. People confuse the Divine to be a human being. But God is the force, He is energy. That is Divine and not a person.’ </p><p><b>Q: What is secret of selfless service which is devoid of personal conflict?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Just do service. Don’t think too much, whether it is selfless or selfish. Never mind. Don’t analyze too much. Let’s keep it simple. If you enjoy doing service, it’s good. If you don’t enjoy, never mind because someone who is benefitting, is enjoying. It’s better not to analyze too much. Where is the time to think? If there is an intention only, it will make you feel uncomfortable. Just think I am doing it with all my heart because it has to be done. Finished. That’s it. And if you are enjoying then don’t think, “Oh I shouldn’t be enjoying” because whatever you try to push down, fight with, it simply comes up. </p><p>In my commentary on the ‘Narad Bhakti sutras’, I have said: ‘Without any conflict, repose in the Self’. Now suppose there is some conflict, then don’t try to get rid of it. Simply embrace it and you will find it disappears.</p><p><b>Q: Guru which is your favorite quote from the Gita?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>I have so many. There is no point in you picking my favorite quote. You read it and find your own favorite quote and keep reviewing it every few years because it may change. You can’t find a more contradictory scripture than Bhagwat Gita. In every chapter <b>Lord Krishna </b>says something different. It is like climbing one step after another. And all that is said is relevant from a bigger picture. Arjuna also said, ‘<b>Krishna</b>, you say different things at different times. I am so confused. Please tell me one thing that I should do.’ Then <b> Lord Krishna </b>says intelligent people know there are many facets, many angles, all is spherical whereas dull people think everything is linear.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, how do I know if I am growing on Spiritual path?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Look, there are no criteria. See from the past if you are more calm, or drop all spiritual practices for a month and see how do you feel, whether it makes a difference, or ask people around you if you are behaving better than before. Now none of these are benchmarks. And after listening to all these opinions, throw them all into the basket. If you learn to relax well, if you are able to see everything as a dream – nature of the universe, you are progressing. There is no other way. You are on a conveyor belt, you can’t be stuck, you have to move, or you will be pushed. When you are on conveyor belt, you will be moving. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, I have my partner whom I love with all my heart but I still get attracted to other people even if I don’t want to. How can I get rid of it?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Yes, the mind always gets attracted to something new but the heart always recognizes something which is old. You always say, ‘It is an old friendship’, Preet purani, ancient love. Whatever you are attracted to, if it becomes a little difficult to get, you develop love for that. If you get it easily, it is finished. When love gets deeper, it becomes devotion. When love matures along with wisdom, it becomes devotion. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, I get bored nowadays. I am contented in my heart but nothing gives me joy except from your talks. What should I do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> My dear, why do you have so much time sitting and thinking about yourself? If you are happy, go and do seva (service). We have lots of things to do. Care for others, do some service. There is so much to learn. Learn more. Don’t run behind joy. Let joy run behind you. If you follow joy, misery will follow. If you follow wisdom, fun and joy follow. Wherever you go, fun tags behind you. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, if human being knows that if one is born then he has to die, then why does he worry so much about death?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Well, there is lack of spiritual education, broader vision and knowledge of who one is. Ok, let me ask you all a question. You know, all those who have grown old don’t feel that they have grown old. How many of you feel this? (Many raised their hands). You are 50, 60 or 70 years old and you feel that everybody else has grown but you haven’t changed. You see your little 1- 2 year-old child has grown to 16 years but you don’t realize that you have also grown equally. You know, many times father and son, mother and daughter have this conflict because neither father nor mother think that they have grown older. It is the same problem with mother – in – law and daughter – in – law in India, perennial household word because you feel that you haven’t changed, you haven’t grown. This is because there is something deep inside you which never dies, which never grows old. Time doesn’t touch that aspect deep within you. </p><p><b>Q: When we do mistakes, people get angry. But even when we rectify the mistake people don’t leave their anguish? What to do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Bring them to the course. They are not living in the present. Bring them to the present. They keep on hanging on to the past. You have changed but they forget to change.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-20817534183002096592010-02-09T09:12:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.976-08:00There is no caste for the spirit<p><b>Transcript of Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's address at “Indian Priests’ Congress” -Shrine of Our Lady of Good Health, Velanganni on February 9, 2010. This conference was attended by 1000 Roman Catholic priests across India.<br></b><i>Om Shanthi...Shanthi... Shanthihi...</i></p><p><b>Sri Sri : </b>What a joy to speak to the lovers’of God! I am a child going to blabber in front of scholars. Let us discuss...</p><p>Lovers know the language of the heart-we are all lovers of God who want to unite with the spirit of the world. We all want to serve, ...see divinity in people around...</p><p>Three things are important for this:</p><ul> <li>Context (of life)</li> <li>Commitment</li> <li>Compassion</li></ul><p>We have all the three. Apart from how to unite and connect, we have to know how to face challenges in life. When faith is shaken, how to rekindle it...</p><p>To know faith, we have to know doubt. Doubt is something about positive. We never doubt the negative.. we doubt whether we really happy, but never doubt our misery!</p><p>God is the most positive thing in the universe! Doubt about God, doubt in Self...How to get over these?</p><p>The Upanishads tell about the experience of divinity in four stages for the Seekers:</p><p><b>Saameepya: </b>feeling the proximity of the Divine<br><b>Sannidhya: </b>feeling the Presence<br><b>Saaroopya: </b>doing what the Divine is doing, imitating the Divine<br><b>Saayoojya:</b> Merging with the Divine.</p><p>Another challenge is to arrive at the inner peace and calmness. Mind vacillates between the past and the future. How to bring the mind to the Present? Using our own breath, we can calm the mind, reunite with the Spirit...Simple breathing techniques can remove negative emotions and we can experience Freedom within. Mind can right away go into Prayer easily, effortlessly.</p><p>We all are made of a substance called Love...God has made man in His own image.. and God is love.. Then why all the negative emotions? How to meet these challenges?</p><p>Wisdom, Spiritual wisdom help overcome these hurdles.</p><p>We are all committed to Service: service to God, service to humanity. Still, if something is missing, something is broken, then breathing, meditation can connect us to our inner self. Meditation is Wordless Prayer...words are there and not there at the same time! Ability to connect to everybody.. “There is no Other”...is the Mantra of Love! All is part of One...</p><p>As lovers of God, our relationship is only one...All in One.. One in All.. This is Prayer.. We don’t lack anything. There is abundance ..For the one step we take, the Divine takes ten...!!! </p><p>Let us open the floor for questions!!</p><p><b>Q: I get some experiences of fellow suffering/happiness. But how to go beyond my individuality and identity and get a deeper experience?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri : </b>Do not leave that passion for God. Whatever experience we are getting is due to His Grace.. not through our efforts. If you are able to love everybody, it is a Blessing! We have to be grateful...the more grateful we are, the more we get. What do you say?</p><p><b>Three questions: (a) how to sustain Prayer, when the faith seems lost (dark night of the soul)? (b) Is it possible to reach God without religion, through spirituality? (c) why is it that you never speak anything about casteism?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri : </b>I will answer the last question first! Please go through my book “Heritage of Dalits”. If you see the thousand Rishis of ancient India, 90% of them were “Dalits”-Vyasa, Valmiki and so on. The Upanishads tell that “all are born Soodra and become Dwija by action”...</p><p>I unequivocally condemn casteism. There is no caste for the spirit. When we want to see a good doctor, we don’t ask his caste. When we want to see a good lawyer, we don’t ask his caste. It is of use only in Politics! I don’t know Politics. I speak from heart to heart. I love to be with people of God like you!.</p><p>For the second question, I never tell to drop religion. Do not forget the essence of religion is Spirituality. Do you feel that connectivity, calmness inside...We know that during Tsunami, the Basilica housed people of all religions, temples and mosques housed people of all religions.Only aim was rehabilitation of people.</p><p>Terrorism arises because some people feel their way is the only way to God and others do not have the right to follow their way..</p><p>For the dark night of the soul, Rishi Patanjali describes nine obstacles in the path of the seeker. These include Diseases, Doubt, Dullness (inertia, Disinterestedness, Unsustainability and so on. All these can be overcome by practice of Yoga. </p><p><b>Q: Even when we are doing good, lot of discouraging situations arise. Can you give some suggestions to get over these?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri : </b>When nothing is of help, Prayer helps! A genuine “help me God!”...Any challenge is a chance to reaffirm our commitment....</p><p><b>Q: What is the significance of pilgrimage in Hinduism? What is your experience of any Pilgrimage?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri :</b>Best pilgrimage is Inward Journey! A pilgrimage is an opportunity for people to come together and pray together. As you know, praying together generates more energy, you know, a synergy. But don’t think God is only in pilgrim centres! God is omnipresent and omniscient. Ancient Rishis meditated in some places and put all that energy in some idol there. The scriptures talk about God as having no name and no form. There is freedom to worship God in any form or any name. Wisdom from anywhere was acknowledged.</p><p><b>Q: As a religious leader, what is your opinion about the anti-Christian violence (with a pattern and agenda especially since early 90’s) for Political gains?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri : </b>I see violence in a bigger context. I am concerned about all violence. Violence in the red corridor (Maoist)...Even domestic violence. I am also concerned about the increasing suicidal tendency in the country. Suicide is violence against the self.. When mind is stressed, it leads to violence. Depression leads to suicide. We have to work together. We have to bring back the human values. Education about human values...</p><p>The world is undergoing an identity crisis!.. A reversal of identity is needed.. First of all, our identity is that we are all Divine.. then we are human beings, then our gender, religion, country and so on..</p><p>We have to educate the society about the ONE divinity.. When that shift happens, we can relate to anybody, whatever be our ideology. Fear will be eliminated. Inside every culprit, there is a victim crying for help...what is troubling him?...He could have been a victim of ignorance or brain washing or violence...</p><p>This education is the only way to bring peace around us, to make this world a beautiful place to live in...Thank you.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-20925804992033525032010-02-08T07:11:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.788-08:00'Love is the magic which binds everything together'Orissa, Feb. 2:<p><b>Q: Guruji, the atmosphere in this satsang is so beautiful. What is the magic behind? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>I know only one magic – love. It is the magic which binds everything together. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, why are people moving away from religion and culture? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> See, the enthusiastic crowd here. I am not feeling the same after looking at this crowd. If we walk on the path of religion, others will also do the same. The youth is moving away from religion because of the way religion is presented to them. The people who present religion have no smile on their faces, no joy flows out of them. </p><p>At the same time any religion should be practical which can be integrated into our lives. There is no other culture as joyful as the Indian culture. </p><p><b>Q: How does one know who his true Guru is? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>I suggest that you don't bother too much on who is true and who is not. You see what is it that you need. You take knowledge and then continue to move on. There are so many Gurus today and you should move ahead thinking yourself to be one of them. You are not less than any of them. But we need to adopt a balanced approach. There should neither be guilt or self blame nor arrogance or pride. On the spiritual path, both of these attitudes must not be there. There is only loss involved either way. And hence one should move on that middle path. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, the youth is getting disappointed today because of chaos in society and corruption in politics. What is your message to youth? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>All the youth should stand up now and start moving ahead together. When you all work in group then there is no such task that can’t be accomplished. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji in Orissa, the Sri Sri University is going to be established. How can we connect to it and get benefitted? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Bhubaneshwar is not that far from this place. You should all join in and contribute. I invite all of you there. You send your children to study there and you also visit the place. It’s not my university but yours. </p><p><b>Q: This question is also related to education. Can you please talk about primary education? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Work for primary education is going on and it will continue. We are providing training to teachers as well students in all schools. Parents will also be involved in yoga, pranayama and meditation. </p><p><b>Q: I'm confused – should I take Ayurvedic medicines? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>We definitely need to adopt certain things from Ayurveda. When there is a stomach disorder, lots of thoughts disturb us. When vatta or pitta in the body gets imbalanced, too many thoughts arise in mind. There is Triphala (an Ayurvedic tablet) which balances the three imbalances in body. It is good to take Triphala for one– two months. You can take one–two tablets or one spoon of Triphala churna before going to bed. It increases energy levels in the body. Vitamin C also provides you immunity. Sometimes allopathic doctors prescribe medicines for 15 – 20 days for stomach disorders and that adversely affects the liver and body. There is Devati which you can take. It is very effective in curing fever also. Ayurveda has this specialty of correcting disorders and diseases without any side effects. And hence we should adopt Ayurveda. All these are home remedies and one should keep this with oneself. And if at some time some disease prolongs then one should definitely consult doctor. </p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-74134809479561471732010-02-08T00:57:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.641-08:00‘I am independent means I am inner dependent’<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 26: </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, during the course I feel very good but once I go out, I feel misery again. What to do to get rid of that? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Imbibe this knowledge. Independence means depending on the inside. Your independence is only when you are dependent on the inside. You are miserable when you want things from others for your comfort. How much can you take? And even if you take everything, it is of what use? This is what I think. I am independent means I am inner dependent. So I want nothing from anybody. Just this aphorism, reminder of this, time and again, will take your mind, which is sticking to the outside, come to its center. You will feel the relief. Misery simply means you are stuck to the outside. Joy means you are in your element which is inside. If you depend on others for your comfort, you lose your joy. First, have this faith that nature will provide whatever I need or I deserve, it will never happen that nature doesn’t provide you with what you need. Secondly, I want nothing from anybody. And third whatever I have, be it be intelligence, great voice, qualifications, skill is only for others and not for me and I serve others as much as I can. Finish! Where is the misery then?</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, you love each one of us so much. I feel my love for you is much less as compared to your love for me. How can I increase my love for you? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>No way, you can’t increase your love. It is already there. You simply have to relax and realize it is there. Never question or doubt your love. You think, ‘Oh, others are having tears in their eyes and I am not having any’. Never mind, never look from at things that angle. Every child from the mother’s womb is complete. It is not that the first child is more complete than second and third is further less. Every mother knows that every child is full, complete. Same way your love is total, complete, at its height. Never doubt that and never compare it with others.If you feel your expression of love is less, it is because of your selfishness. All that you can do is be generous, be less selfish and you can’t do it overnight. Day by day, slowly be more generous, be more centered, and be more dispassionate. Then the love which is inside you, will start expressing itself.Even in the expression of love it should not be too much or too less. It should be the middle path. The problem in the world is that in the West, they express love too much. Husband and wife keeps on saying ‘honey’ and then they become diabetic (laughter), can’t touch honey any more. (laughter) It is just the opposite in the East, they never express love at all. Both ways are extreme. There should be a middle path. It’s like you want a seed to sprout, it neither sprouts when buried deep down in the soil nor when it is put on the top. It needs a little bit of soil and put in it and that’s it. Take the best of the orient and the best of the occidental. That is the middle path. </p><p><b>Q: What is surrender? Does that mean doing nothing and letting nature do whatever it wants to? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>This word ‘surrender’ has been used, misused and confused so many times. I think we should use some other word. (laughter) Just relax, be in your element, feel the connection, have a sense of belongingness. In fact, the connection is already there, you simply have to feel it. This is a better word. What is it that you have that you can surrender? Worries, anxiety, tension, and depression! And those, too, you don’t know how to surrender.I want to be done away with this word ‘surrender’. I want none of you to use this word hereafter. It’s like a straw out of which juice has already been taken out, like sugarcane straw that you keep chewing and nothing comes out of it. Some better word is to be used now. Let go, relax, feel the connection and that’s it. </p><p><b>Q: How to be one pointed on the path? There are so many distractions pulling us back. </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>With wisdom, you come back. This very question tells you that that you are coming back, in fact, you have already come back, you are not distracted. Through wisdom or misery, you are brought back to the center. When you go off center, you are beaten, you start crying and then come back to your center. The wise come back to the center through wisdom. The not-so-wise face problems here and there and then come back to the center. This is the law of nature. This is how things are.</p><p><b>Q: In my country, most people are of the opinion that you can’t raise a child without a non - vegetarian diet, as the body will lack amino acids and the brain won’t function properly. What should I do? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Ample research has been done to contradict this theory. Look into that. There are millions of people who are vegetarian in the West and they are very brilliant. In fact, all the genius people in the West, including Einstein were vegetarian. Many of the top scientists have been vegetarian. This theory that the brain doesn’t work needs to be questioned.</p><p><b>Q: While Ayurveda is considered to be an indigenous system of medicine then why did English (allopathic) medicine have permission by a government to take over Ayurvedic medicines? Also English (allopathic) medicine claims to have a faster recovery rate? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>You know, statistics show contrary to this. Even in modern medicine, the probability factor of medicine not affecting is very high. Research says that the placebo effect with modern medicines is nearly 40 percent. 40 percent of the effect from medicines being administered can be brought about using a placebo. Modern medicines are being discovered every day and those which were used 10 – 12 years ago are being discarded. The problem is that these pharmaceutical companies have a lot of western interest. It is the economy which is ruling modern medicine rather than their effectiveness. I feel we should have a combined, holistic approach. Ayurveda has some very good qualities, allopathic medicines also have some very good aspects and also homeopathic. Holistic medicine is the best. It is wrong to completely discard modern medicine and it is equally wrong to discard natural cures, ayurveda. In case of emergency, allopathic does well and ayurveda has a unique way of attending to the root cause of disease. Not only symptoms but also healing without side effects. Today, much research has been done on this and many have experienced this. For instance: The probability of remission of piles by allopathic treatment is very high but in the case of Ayurveda it is less than one percent. These are the things one should adopt about Ayurveda. Ayurveda is, anyways, adopting modern methods of investigation. So, the best is to adopt the holistic approach. Our aim is not to benefit pharmaceutical companies but people. </p><p><b>Q: What is the spiritual path? How does one know if one is on the spiritual path? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Anything done to uplift your spirit, to make you walk towards the truth, that brings up human values within, that connects you to the innermost and outermost is spiritual. Meditation, pranayama, yoga, service, singing, chanting, creating happiness around you are all part of spirituality.If you create misery, then that is not spirituality. If you can create joy, it is spiritual. But not momentary joy. Such joy, in the long term, creates misery that is not spiritual. Alcohol, drugs can create momentary joy but they are not at all spiritual. That is the spirit.</p><p><b>Q: Krishna is ‘bhavana bhahit’. What does that mean? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>You have used some phrase, you tell its meaning.God is hungry for feelings. He doesn’t need your sweets or flowers. So if you sit with feelings, that is enough. See <b>Krishna</b> everywhere. <b>Lord Krishna </b>says in the Gita, “Wherever you see in any form, I am there. I am knowledge in a knowledgeable person, wherever there is knowledge I am there, I am strength in the strong, beauty in the beautiful, all is me”. Read the Gita deeply and best is to meditate. Be a yogi, yogi is the best. </p><p><b>Q: Why do some people not smile at others but are happy with themselves only? What is good? To maintain happiness with oneself or to be happy with people around also? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> (Jokingly) Ok, somebody didn’t smile at you and was smiling at himself being adjacent to you, is that your problem! (laughter) The world is like that, some people don’t smile at you, you don’t smile at someone. Leave others. Are you smiling? We maintain our smile that is good enough. </p><p>Everybody has one’s own set of problems and if that much compassion has arisen in you then you go and ask, ‘What is your problem? Why are you not smiling? Do you need any help?’ But then see whom are you asking (laughter) and in case you are slapped by someone, then give them your second cheek too. (Huge laughter) If that compassion is there, then ask everyone, ‘Why are you not smiling?’ </p><p>Once in Switzerland, we were waiting for some conveyance and we saw that nobody on the road was smiling. I thought, everything is here and still people are not smiling. I had so many flowers with me and so I asked the devotees who were accompanying me to give flowers to those who were not smiling on the road and ask them to smile. That was such a fantastic program. After that we raised a wave called ‘Spread your smile’ in Netherland, France, Germany, Switzerland where people give flowers and said, ‘ Please smile and make others smile by passing on this flower’. Some people were shocked initially that nobody till that day bothered about their smile and suddenly somebody coming and asking them to smile. </p><p>But if you are in India, take care before giving flower to anybody. (laughter) Be a little cautious before giving a flower here in India. In India, if a girl smiles at a boy it is taken in a different sense. It is not normal, and a boy giving a flower to a girl is not taken as a very nice gesture. (Huge laughter) But in Europe, it is not considered bad. (Somebody from audience asked, ‘Let’s start this in New York also’.) Yes, we are doing there also, something called ‘A Rose of friendship, Pass it on’. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, I am from Kerela. I want to ask – what does it mean to do puja (worship)? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> There is a saying that talks about puja. Yen ten prakaren,Yatra kutrapi dehina,Santosham janaye pragyaTadaye vishva lochanCreate patience in people. When you bring a wave of happiness, wherever you go, that is puja. Whatever way when you create happiness and patience, that is puja, truly worshiping God. How beautiful it is! </p><p><b>Q: Guruji there are mental hospitals for mentally challenged people, what is the place for people who are in love with the Divine? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>For them, this whole world is their own. Such madness is welcomed everywhere. Everybody will invite them; everybody will welcome them and would love to talk to them. Because they know, we spread such fragrance.</p><p><b>Q: I feel lustful at times. What to do and how to get rid of that? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> When there is no joy in life then lust increases in you because then you get joy in that only. But when you find joy in life otherwise also, then the frequency of such desires starts reducing. When you start finding joy in sadhna (spiritual practices), joy in service, joy in satsang, joy in devotion, joy in surrender - that is the only way to come out of lust. No other way exists. When all are done together slowly, you come out of lust. Otherwise, you will have to wait for age. May be then you will be out of it. You won’t be capable physically to do it but you get rid of it from the mind or not, that is not sure.No guarantee is there. Usually very old people see all obscene stuff and try to get satisfaction from it. </p><p><b>Q: South Indians are deep into rituals. Are rituals very important to reach the spiritual path or the ultimate goal? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Man can’t be without ritual. Let’s be clear about it. Today is the Republic Day of India. What happens today in New Delhi and the capitals of other states is a ritual. There is a particular way you walk, a particular way you hoist flag, a particular way you behave. It is a national ritual. Even in communist Russia in Kremlin, three guards shot three gunshots in the sky everyday and perform a ritual.This is a ritual. Human beings can’t be without rituals. If your ritual is meaningful and environment friendly, then all the more better. A wise ritual is offering flowers, lighting a candle, creating love, planting a tree, distributing sweets, these are rituals with more meaning. And not killing an animal, that is not at all a good ritual. We don’t have any right to transgress other life. Violence or anything that pollutes environment can’t be a ritual. It is not a kind gesture to nature. If caring for the planet is considered a ritual or worship, that is the best ritual.In ancient Vedic times this is what they designed or considered. In one other school of thought around the world, going to temples and give bali (animal sacrifice) is a ritual. I won’t approve of those inhuman rituals. Ritual should be something that uplifts your spirit, that which elevates your spirit.In ancient times they call ritual puja. Puja – pu means out of fullness and ja means born out of it. So when you do something with full of gratitude, it is ritual. Even that has been distorted today.Human beings can’t be done away with rituals altogether. You can’t say, 'I don’t want ritual at all’. Have you noticed in homes where no ritual is performed, the energy is low? For there is no celebration, no vibrancy. Performing some sort of ritual, some sort of chanting or reading in home creates positive ions in the atmosphere and also has a good impact on children. That’s why I would say don’t be stuck too much with ritual but also don’t drop rituals altogether. Adopt a middle path. Like on Christmas you light a candle, you put up a Christmas tree.On Diwali you light lamps, decorate homes, exchange sweets, burn a couple of incense sticks. Also on Eid you clean homes, perform prayers, there is function. Whenever there is little bit of ritual, it creates a good atmosphere especially for children and develops a healthy, social, religious and spiritual kind of mind. Don’t you think so? </p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-4014289412654312562010-02-06T06:17:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.578-08:00‘When you broaden your vision, dispassion is there’<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 25:</p><p><b>Q: I feel so good and full here but at times when I see rich and famous people, I feel I am nothing, I feel lack. Please help.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Well, if you want to become one of those stars then go for it, it’s not so difficult. Whether you are a hero, heroine, you will find once you are in the field which you are finding very great - it is just ok. If your calling is very strong then go for it, it is not difficult.</p><p>You know, our body is constantly emitting energy, vibrations. You are emitting energy all the time. And when you know your vibrations is what makes things happen in the world, you will know that you are in control. So when you are thinking that things are going to be negative then that is what seed you are putting in the universe, and that is going to happen. So with your positive thinking, positive ideas, positive sankalpa… It is said, that let positive vibrations come out of you. </p><p>Negative thoughts arise in you, yet you tell, everything is positive. And how does that happen? Not by just thinking, but by relaxing. Cutting a thought with another thought is only superficial but cutting a thought by silence, by letting go, bydevotion, by faith, by surrendering to God, it is deeper. </p><p>Maharishi Patanjali says that poise of mind happens when you offer all that you can’t handle yourself to God, to the universal spirit. </p><p>The universal spirit is all around you, all the time. It doesn’t have a form, a name but it is around you all the time and you surrender your desires to that universal spirit. Be sure and know that your problem is going to be solved. That is siddhi,perfection. You notice in your own life, be centered, relax and let go and you will see things are happening effortlessly, it has to happen that way and if you don’t find that way, then there is some screw in the mind that is loose, that needs to be fixed. People ask for blessings and I give blessings in abundance, blank cheques of blessings but you should know how to fill it, encash it and the way to encash it is, ‘it is going to be done’, ‘my needs will be taken care of’, ‘best will be done’ without a question. Sometimes we don’t know what we desire, or we desire for something that we don’t deserve, or we desire for something much less than what we deserve. Ask and it will be given. When we deserve for more and desire for less, ask skillfully. So what is the way? Ask skillfully, and how: ‘I want this or anything better than this’.And have that positive frame of mind because it’s all neurons. One of the scientists says that our brain has different types of neurons, and there are certain neurons which create barriers. When a person in front of you touches someone else, the brain says, ‘You are being touched’ but there are certain neurons in hand which sends a signal to the brain that says, ‘it is not you being touched’. If your hand is given anesthesia and then if someone touches someone else, you will also feel the touch. And he (the scientist) says, we all are nothing but neurons, we all are connected,everybody is connected. The subtler we go we find there are only vibrations, and there are no neutrons, protons, electrons but all that exists is – vibrations. And then he says numbers are very important. </p><p>In Rudrapooja we say ‘ekachame, trisraschame…’,yesterday only we understood why do we say that. We chant odd numbers first and then even numbers in the Rudrapooja. He said if numbers won’t be there, the whole universe will collapse. Everything exists on numbers, on figures and if one number goes missing, the whole universe will collapse. It’s like on a cell phone you want to make a call and if you dial one wrong digit the call never goes to the right person. One can’t argue saying, ‘If one digit is wrongly dialed, how come I can’t make a call?’ And if everything is right, then life gets connected, so numbers are so important. And it is all just vibration. </p><p>One of the greatest physicist who was in the team of creating first nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki says. ‘I studied matter for 35 years to find out it doesn’t exist. What exists is just vibration’. Everyone of us is emitting andabsorbing vibrations. And chanting, singing creates such a positive vibrations, you become a source of energy. </p><p>What is the difference between a bulb which is lit and a bulb which is not? One is emitting energy and in the other, no energy movement is there. And all singing,chanting and meditating is like lighting the bulb. Have you noticed the difference between those who are doing all this with faith and someone who has never done this? It reflects on their face. If you haven’t started noticing you better start noticing! (laughter) </p><p>What happens when you are worrying all the time? Suddenly you find the brain, the upper part has become like a stone, the heart has become like a stone. Similarly what happens when you hear a negative comment about yourself from somebody, the whole body has become heavy. You can’t avoid people saying negative things about you. How many have this question? And how many have this experience? When someone says something negative about you or when a close friend of you is feeling very low, suddenly you also start feeling the same, your whole energy gets down. That is why satsang is that important, this knowledge is that important. When you focus on someone who isdepressed, you also feel the same and when you participate in a satsang your whole focus is shifted to knowledge. That’s why the Guru is important because when you think of Guru, when you shift your focus to the Guru in a few moments, your energy gets restored, you get back to your normal self. How many of you have experienced this? There is an old proverb ‘Guru bina gati nahin’ means there is no progress without the Guru because there are so many people around you and you are being tossed and turned by everybody’s moods, emotions and blames, and you are stuck, you can’t notice that. But when a Guru is there nothing of this will matter to you and even if it does it is only for few minutes or hours and then you are able to push through it, move through it. Like you have a rain coat and if it is raining you can always protect yourself from rain. In this context ancient people in India, Korea, Japan even in China had said that spiritual teacher, master or a person who is on the path is so important, so that you don’t have to keep feeling this negative vibrations, heaviness for daystogether. </p><p>Secondly, if you find nobody is available, no commune is available then what you do? Chant, do pranayama, nature walk, Vedanta or this science that everything is just vibrations.</p><p>Numbers are very important, so we chant <b>‘Om NamahShivaya’</b> 108 times, in Islam also they put a number 786, right? In Rudra Abhishek we chant an odd and even sequence of numbers. That changes the vibrations. Even pundits don’t have answers of chanting numbers in Rudra Abhisheka. We have to listen to the scientists to understand. They say this whole space is curved. Space is also like water, like you put a ball in water it curls. Water is a medium, like that space is also a medium and this was also said thousands of years ago in Vedas and that is why, it is the fifth element. Space is where vibration travels, it is a medium like water, air, fire and earth. And the same thing, scientists are saying today. It is amazing to see how people 10,000 years ago knew that space has a curvature, it is a medium and there are not one but 10 dimensions, which is the spirit. These facts open your mind to a higher reality.</p><p><b>Q: How can dispassion be practiced with close relations like family? Won’t that make me indifferent?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> You know when you broaden your vision, dispassion is there, it comes naturally. It is not something that you force yourself to practice and say, ‘I am going to be dispassionate’. The mind says, ‘You want to do this’ and you say, ‘No, I need to be dispassionate’. It is not an intellectual exercise but a phenomenon. Dispassion happens when knowledge expands, awareness expands and when you are more alert. The state that comes in you is dispassion.</p><p><b>Q: What is the meaning of surrender? Does that mean not to do anything, let things happen and nature will take care of you?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> No no. You do your 100 percent and when you can’t do any more instead of saying, ‘I give up’ in frustration, you say, ‘I give up’ with a smile and that is surrender. When you say it with anger it is frustration and when you say it with a smile; that is surrender. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, it takes effort to start sun salutation but then I start finding intoxication in it. Will you please describe the phenomenon behind?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Yes, you should do sun salutation. A little effort is needed for a beginner and a little effort is essential to begin with. What is happening with effort? The ‘rajogun’ or the restlessness in body is getting channelized. Thetendencies to act get fulfilled and then what you are left with is simple harmony and that is sattva. So rajogun (restlessness) gets exhausted by your exercise and sattva brings you into meditation. So it’s good to put some effort in the beginning and in the end you let go and relax, there lies the reality.</p><p><b>Q: What karma should I do that I don’t have to take birth again?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Why not take birth again? We don’t want to take birth again because we find this birth miserable but when there is joy in this birth, you are doing satsang daily, then why not take birth again? When you are in joy, doing satsang and serving people around then you will say I should have hundred more births like this. When you are so tired of this birth, when hopes and desires have tired you, whendesires have burnt you then only you say, ‘I don’t want to take birth again’. Whatever desires you have, fulfill those and those which are not to be fulfilled, drop those and be happy.</p><p><b>Q: What is the difference between a dream and an aim?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> When you talk about an aim you think it is practical, but when you say I have a dream, you think it may be or may not be practical. When you say, ‘I have a dream’ there is a little doubt about it but you feel stronger about having an aim.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, does healing work?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> From your side, definitely. If it heals from your side other’s will get healed.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, you are so beautiful, so serene that I can’t move my eyes from you? Who are you? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>First ask yourself, ‘who am I?’ and when you get this answer you will also know who I am.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-71964169080485081792010-02-06T06:08:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.146-08:00‘There is a non-changing, eternal element in you’<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 24:</p><p>As it was Sunday and <b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar </b>usually talks in Kannada, there were many people in the ashram who didn’t understand Kannada. So <b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar</b>said, ‘If you don’t understand kannada it doesn’t matter. Just be a part of everything. Laugh when everybody laughs and clap when everybody claps’. </p><p><b>Q: I am little nervous in front of you and my heart beat is also rising. While doing the course I heard that our existence is eternal. I want to know what is connection of this incarnation with the eternal presence?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>To know that everything is changing you need to have a reference point. That reference point is the unchanging in you. There is a non-changing, eternal element in you because of which you can experience change. </p><p><b>Q: I am coming from Tamil Nadu. I took the course. After the course, I underwent lots of struggles. The more I do my sadhana, lots of challenges, problems are coming. What to do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> There is a saying in Tamil which means that ‘God created the tail of the goat according to its capacity’. Be bold and face the problems. Don’t worry, only that kind of problem will come in life which you can handle, which is within your capacity to handle. So handle it, go through it all boldly.</p><p><b>Q: I do seva for the society by organizing courses and I sometimes fail to do my home duties. In that case, my parents scold me saying, I am not taking care of home. Should I take care of the society or home? What to do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Your know, how to ride bicycle? How do you balance? Like that, you have to do both and balance the duties.</p><p><b>Q: I want to know the relationship between the conscious mind, sub-conscious mind and the infinite intelligence of the sub-conscious mind?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Yes! The sub-conscious mind has infinite intelligence. Whatever you put in the sub-conscious mind, it will manifest. If you put the thought that you are poor, that will start happening and if you put positive thoughts that everybody is good then that will start happening.</p><p><b>Q: In 2003, you came and started good work from the temple. All good work is happening till now. We request you to come again and bless the people.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Yes, in Tamil Nadu, you have to do lots of work. There is a lot of problem regarding caste. You all have to do something, work for it.</p><p><b>Q: I am coming from Polachi. I was having a spinal cord problem before taking this course. I took the course and now I can sit and do all my work without anybody's help.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> See, what doctors can’t do, pranayama does. It can do wonders<b>Q: After solving one problem, one more comes up. What should I do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Have the faith that you will be helped and your problem will get solved.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, I am physically handicapped. I was thinking, how can I contribute tosociety? Now I am working with the Divine Karnataka Project, presently, in theSheshadripuram slum (in Bangalore). I am feeling very confident.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> We have to work a lot in slums. We have to make them literate and we have to eradicate castism from slums. For that we all have to work together. In Bangalore alone there are 400 slums and Art of Living is working in 105 of thoseslums. People in slums are addicted to alcohol and we have to stop this. Those very places and countries have lost their culture where people were too much into alcohol. People in these areas earn good money but they spent more than half of that onalcohol. How can we stop them? By giving them an alternative source of intoxication, by bringing them to satsang and making them experience intoxication and the joy of meditation. Do you feel intoxication in meditation and satsang? (‘Yes’ from theaudience) So, you feel change after doing all this. All DKP yuvacharyas (youthleaders) have to go to slums and work in these places. You may face some obstacles but walk ahead and keep working. A member of the audience shares an experience:“I did the basic course three months ago in Andhra Pradesh. The happiness I haveexperienced in the last three months, I didn’t experience in the last 26 years of my life. I am very thankful to you.”</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-72970552038542949472010-02-06T05:19:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.110-08:00‘Culmination of prayer is meditation’<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 23: </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, I think life is miserable. What should I do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>You think life is miserable because you are hanging onto desires of the past, impossibles of the past, you are not accepting the present, you are not moving ahead or you are hoping for something too much. Correct? Be practical. Life is a mixture of problems and pleasure. What does your mind do? It messes up the problems and blows it out of proportion and makes oneself miserable. So who isresponsible for your misery? Yourself. So when is the program? When is the program not to be miserable? (Laughter) Now, right now have you gotten over your misery right now? (A dim ‘yes’ from the audience) The ‘Yes!’ should be louder (A strong ‘Yes’ this time). That is it.You know, if the room is dark for 20 years, it doesn’t take another 20 years to bring light in. it just needs one connection, one switch on and the whole darkness goes away. Your life may have been miserable in the past, but wake up and see, so what? Problems come and go in everybody’s life. Look at your past, problems came and they have all vanished. Right? We forcefully make the problem stay, just wake up and see, where is the problem? The problem is not there. You can have some physical problem in the body sometimes, some pain here and there but is there anyone who has never suffered physical illness?Everybody has some physical problem at some point in their lives and when you violate laws of nature, pain comes, suffering comes. Pain is inevitable, suffering isoptional. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, is there any past birth and rebirth?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> This question is futile now. You know why? Because it is proven by the scientist community, it is beyond doubt now. Parapsychological department in psychological clinics have done experiments and past life regression is used as a therapy in most of the clinics and many people have gotten well. You can also do an eternity process hereand ask the teacher to take you deep in it. Have your experience, it’s not a big thing.It is beyond question now, it is a fact.</p><p><b>Q: How to overcome fear, anxiety and insecurity?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Fear, anxiety and insecurity are same shades of the same color. One is slightly brown, another is dark and the third one is the darkest brown. Grey is a better color, light, medium and dark grey. Meditation, pranayama and the faith that you are not alone, faith in the Divine will definitely help. Divine faith is very abstract, at least faith in the Guru, teacher is there, Master is there, faith in yourself, faith in the universal spirit, faith in the goodness of people around. There are good people in the world. When you thinkeverybody is wrong, everybody is bad then insecurity dawns. Suppose this is not your experience and you have found wrong people, who had deceived you all the time then at least look for good, enlightened people. Ok, now if you understand all this intellectual stuff and still anxiety comes, then what to do? Sudarshan Kriya,pranayama and meditation.After the tsunami (in South-east Asia, 2004), so many people could not sleep, they couldn’t even see the ocean. A lady witnessed her three to four children being washed away, she had a child in her arms and she couldn’t do anything for she had to look for her own self. Such incidents happened in front of so many people. So many families, somebody’s children, somebody’s wife, somebody’s parents were flooded away. All people were saying, ‘Take us anywhere but not the ocean’. And all those were fishermen. What would a fisherman do on mid land? After the earthquake, people couldn’t get into their homes. For days, people slept outside their houses on roads till our workers, our volunteers went there and taught them Pranayama, bhastrika and meditation, and then they went to their homes. That is where trauma relief, meditation, pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya helps tremendously. We have hundreds and thousands of such experiences and you should go through their experiences. In a matter of two days fishermen said, ‘Give us boats and we want to go out into the ocean’. They had come out of fear, anxiety. This hashappened with thousands of people.I am telling you we have such beautiful knowledge, practices that can take us out of misery, worries, anxiety, conflicts and suicidal tendencies. Just in the recent past, 20 students in Bombay alone committed suicide. In Bombay, Maharashtra, suicidal tendency among youngsters is so high that we have announced that anybody having the slightest tendency to commit suicide, call us at the Art of Living helpline. Our volunteers and teachers are working 24x7 to help them out. </p><p>The YES+ program (Youth empowerment seminar) has helped 1000s of youth to come out of suicidal tendencies. All this happens because we don’t see life from a bigger, broader perspective; A girl got 92 percent and committed suicide for she could not get admission in the college of her choice. Because you don’t give them spiritual education, a bigger vision and ask them to only perform and perform that the pressure of performing better, pressure of marks becomes bigger than life itself. Don’t pressurize children too much, we have to give them a broader vision. Never mind you lose one year. Life is more precious than your profession, your success, your so-called success, your finance, and your prestige in society. Finance is for life and not life for finance. These all are only periphery, accessories for life and not the core of life, existence. This vision has to be brought to children.</p><p> Wake up and see everybody is caught up in their own things. Whether your financial status goes up or down, whether your relation is going good or bad, who cares insociety? I tell you, nobody cares. Don’t worry about what others may think, what will my status in society be? If you are doing well they are jealous of you, if you are not doing well they don’t even count you. In either case, you don’t have to worry about others’ opinion about you, to show yourself up. And these inter cast marriages; parents are worried what others will think of their children. Who has got time to think to whom your son or daughter got married to?Whether it is in outcast or same, let it be, let it be outcast, you be more free, happy. (laughter and applause) These are silly, insignificant things that people have put in their minds and worry. Wake up and see, there is so much love in life, there is so much wisdom in life.</p><p><b>Q: Do impressions in the mind have a role to play in the next birth?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Yes, your impressions in the mind are responsible for your next birth. Your strongest impression is the factor. <p><b>Q: Yesterday, you said there is no significant purpose for the universe but it is also said that every individual is born for some purpose. Isn’t it contradictory?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Truth is contradictory. Every little thing has a purpose, at the same time, it has no purpose because this whole thing is a game. If you consider the world as a game, then there is no purpose. A game has no purpose, it is an expression of joy. Dance doesn’t have a goal because dance in itself is an expression of happiness.What is the purpose of you laughing? Does laughter have any purpose? You are happy, so you laugh. You don’t have to wait for a joke to laugh. You know, children don’tunderstand jokes but they laugh, babies do laugh. If you think jokes are the only reason for one to laugh then babies would never laugh till they understand your jokes. You have an illusion that you have to listen to a joke to laugh. Laughter has nopurpose because it is an expression of being, an expression of joy.</p><p> Love has nopurpose because it is your very nature. The sun has no purpose to send its rays. If you ask me, why does sun shine, what does it achieve? I’ll say, ‘Oh my God, you are such a businessman, you need a purpose for everything!’ The sun shines because it is its nature. It can’t but shine. So, in this context, I said, ‘Whenever you think, ‘what is the purpose?’ you are caught up in the cause and effect phenomenon. No doubt, the cause and effect phenomenon is there, it is a law of nature but truth is beyond the cause and effect phenomenon. Divinity is much bigger, more vaster, Divinity is beyond that. It is much bigger and vaster, so in this sense I said, there is no purpose.Sun shines because it is its nature, wind blows because it is its nature. What is the purpose of the tsunami? Was it just to kill people? If it’s purpose was to kill people only then it must have hit only those areas in which people lived. But it hit those areas also where there were no people. Nature is beyond cause and effect or conclusion, theory, understanding or misunderstanding. It is the existence which is total, beyond purpose. So you can say, virtually there is no purpose. If at all you have to pin down to a purpose then the purpose of nature is to take you to the Source, is to remind you of the Source, connect you to your Source.</p><p><b>Q: How can the Self be love, joy and peace? Aren’t they all different?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Can there be joy without peace? (No, said the audience). If you want to make a distinction, then peace is very mild and always connected to disturbances, love is more to the heart and could be hate or love. Then joy, you find small or big joy. But they are all your nature. Like you can see, you can hear, you can smell, you can taste, but it is all you. There is something deep inside you which unifies all. All emotions are part of you. Their functions and expressions are different but all are in you. All arise in your mind. In this sense, they all are one, in another sense they are all different. When you smile you are different, when you sleep you are different, when you eat you are different but all are you. In this sense, they all are one. When someone dies, people stand up and say, ‘Let’s have a moment of peace’. Certainly that is not a joyous occasion and nobody will say, ‘Let’s have a moment of joy,somebody has died’. In some joyful celebration, like marriage, people don’t say,‘Let’s have a moment of peace’, that will always be called a moment of joy. My dear, all are part of you, all arise in you and in that sense all are one, all are linked.</p><p><b>Q: What is thought, Why it comes and from where it comes?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Is this a thought? It came in you? Why did it come? Now find out. As soon as you realize this, the question is, itself, a thought and it has come in you, you have answers for the first two questions. And why does it come? Because of a lack of any other questions.Now I want you find its source. When you start finding source of thought, you have started on a journey for which you are here. Our journey is to find the source, from where this thought has arisen. I want all of you to be scientists. Scientist goes on experimenting, asking questions. It’s a very goodopportunity to find out where it comes from? What is its origin? Since it comes in you, you find its answer. If it doesn’t come in you and somebody else, then I’llanswer. </p><p><b>Q: There is so much conflict and violence in world in the name of religion. Is there a need of religion?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Communists opposed religion for 50 years. They didn’t get success. Communist people think religious people, especially in Russia and China are very authoritarian, they don’t give freedom. So they want to be done with religion but did they not unleash much more violence? In Stalin, Lenin and Mao Zedong, millions were massacred in the name of communism. Religion ruled with fear, fear of you being sent to hell. Religious leaders were authoritarian, trying to get hold of society by creating guilt and fear in people. Communist also did the same thing but not with guilt but with fear. They remove only guilt but they couldn’t remove fear, instead they instill more fear and violence in society. I don’t think communism did any better. It didn’t make people rich. After 50 years, people have come back. A big church in Moscow was demolished and a swimming pool was made instead of it. Today that swimming pool is demolished and a church is made again. I think it is humanism which is most important. If humanism is there in religion, it does good. And when humanism disappears from religion, it becomes like a mafia. In the same way, communism also ignored humanism. So when humanism went away, violence and fear dominated even in communism. These Maoists party! Did it do any good in the country, in all 213 districts? Itdidn’t make anybody rich. So you can’t be done away with religion. </p><p>We need to have interreligious communication, inter-religion faith. Every child should know a little bit about other religions also. Yes, we don’t need religions if all become spiritual. If we can transform this world into a higher plane of religion, which is spirituality then it will really be an intelligent thing to do. But just opposing religion ascommunists do, can’t serve any purpose. It is like throwing the baby with the bath water. Because religion has some moral values, some human values, it gives somestrength and solace, and if you also take solace without replacing it with spirituality then you are doing injustice in the society. </p><p><b>Q: Why are love marriages and arranged marriages increasingly leading to divorces?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Yes, divorce is happening day by day while family values are eroding, the generation gap is widening and interdependence is being forgotten.Husband and wife forget that they are interdependent. They need each other and both look for independence. I haven’t done any research on this why this is happening. (laughter) but if some of you do that research and publish a paper it will be good. Atleast people will be aware of these pitfalls. Whether it is a love marriage or arranged marriage, marriage is always a chance, if it clicks it is a chance. Sometimes it may appear to have clicked for a short period of time but in the long run, it becomes a question mark. And vice versa also. Sometimes in the beginning it may appear to be completely incompatible but as time goes itbecomes very compatible. It is like a chameleon – changing colors all the time. If someone can see this, they have a hope. And if it appears to be not so, then move on without guilt because there is no point in suffering life long. If you have given 100 percent then you better move on your path and let the other move on his/her pathrather making the whole live of both, miserable. But the question is whether you have given your 100 percent, have you made all the effort to make it work? That isimportant. </p><p><b>Q: What is the importance of horoscope matching when it comes to marriage?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Astrology is a science but all astrologers are not scientists. (laughter) First of all, you don’t know whether the time of your birth and all other factors are right or not. Sometimes, we don’t keep records and there are variousfactors. There is probability in all those factors. So, if you find someone who is good, the astrologer says, ‘Good, it does have a value but it is always with a pinch of salt.’It is said that there was a great astrologer of this country and he made all thehoroscopes of his daughter. But his daughter’s marriage didn’t work. It was quoted as a probability factor.In all scientific experiments, there is always a probability factor – may be, may not be.So we must take it with that probability and not as definite. </p><p><b>Q: What is the difference between God (Parmatma) and Devta?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> <b>Parmatma</b> is the sun, <b>devta </b>is its ray. Without the sun, there is no ray and without the ray, there is no sun. A ray has all seven colors, these all different devtas. God is the combination of all the seven colors. God is certainly not made of one color. When all colors combine, white is obtained and that is <b>Parmatma. </b>You can understand this like different organs - eyes, ears, nose, all combine to form you. Your eyes are different from ears, your nose is different from tongue but all is part of you. The totality of the whole creation, with all the energies is given a name and it is called <b>Parmatma,</b> Parampita (supreme father). In ancient terminology, God is called <b>Parmatma</b>, Parampita.</p><p> Why only Parampit , He is also Parammata (Supreme mother).Why should God be called father only? God is also the mother. God is father, mother and God is also the Self. All Gods, goddesses are like rays of the sun, one sunlight and all the rays together is God but these are all different aspects of God. All are different aspects of the one Divine like in one human being, one cell somewhere becomes the eyes, somewhere the ears, somewhere the nose, and all this has happened from one fertilized cell, embryo. So, God is the sum total of all Divine elements and in the Vedic times, ancient rishis identified all these elements and called then devtas. They designated 33 types of Divine energy and called them devta and they tell how these are connected with the cosmos, like the eyes are connected with the sun. They established connection between the micro cosmos and macro cosmos. …It is very amazing analysis, amazing science of unity of the universe. It is not too many Gods, it is aspects of God. Though you are one, you have different functions. When you sleep you are different, when you smile you are different, when you eat, you are different. Crore means category, 33 crores means 33 categories of devas. Crore is also a number, 10 million but here it is not referred to as a number. 33 crore means 330 million and so people started taking that way. </p><p><b>Q: What is difference between prayer and meditation?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Prayer is asking, meditation is listening. In prayer, you ask, ‘Give me this, give me that’, giving instructions, demanding. In meditation, you say, ‘I am here to listen, what is it that you want to tell? Tell me, whenever you are free, I am here. Culmination of prayer is meditation. Prayer goes to the peak and that is meditation.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-73844484522704748362010-02-06T03:55:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.916-08:00‘Enlightenment is a connection with the universal spirit’<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 22:</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, the world knows you as a spiritual leader. Would you please share your experiences of your knowing that you are endowed with such spiritual power? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>What do you want to know? I am like this from the beginning and I will continue to be like this in the future also. Usually, people come to the spiritual path when they get some disappointment. This is not the case always, but usually it is such. People take sanyas (renounce the world) when they have had failures in their love lives, or some problem or another. Nothing like that, at all for me. In fact, every child is born with spiritual knowledge but when you grow up, you start losing that. A yogi is becoming a child again, getting in touch with your pure essence. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji whenever I think of you I become very emotional, tears begin to roll down and my heart starts melting. What to do? Is it good or bad? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Don’t tag your emotions as good or bad. When your heart opens up tears come, it’s natural. Let it be. It is said in scriptures that tears of love are so precious that even angels run to collect them. Even on heaven, there are no tears of love. The most wonderful thing on the planet, on earth is to have tears of love, tears of gratitude. That indicates that our life is glorious. That makes our life rich and fulfilled. Fulfillment in life is when you have tears of gratitude and that comes by luck. You can’t manufacture tears of gratitude; you can’t put glycerin and have tears of gratitude coming in. When you realize what all you have received in life, your heart opens up.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, sometimes I feel connected to you and sometimes I don’t. I am confused if you are my master or someone else. What should I do? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> You know on these matters I don’t give any clarifications. I create even more confusion for you to work on that confusion .You are given an exercise so that you do it. The teacher gives you the problem and he wants you to find a solution to the problem. In schools and colleges you are not given solutions and asked to find problems for that. A teacher’s job is to create confusion so that you can exercise your intellect, your mind, your intuition and your inner voice to see and come up with a solution. </p><p><b>Q: Dear Guruji, our brain is more than a computer. Scientists say that we use very little of our brain. Einstein is said to have used 32 percent of his brain. If we want to use 40 – 50 percent of our brain what efforts do we need to put? What will be its consequences if our brain becomes overactive? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> That’s a problem. So we need to first learn how to calm our mind down. Only a calm mind can come up with collective thoughts. Disturbed and chaotic mind will give rise to chaotic thoughts only and chaotic thoughts are coming in abundance. How to streamline the thoughts is an art in itself, the art of silence. How can you do it? With meditation, the mind becomes calm and collective, thoughts become focused, meaningful, purposeful and focused. </p><p><b>Q: Does man need money or God? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Some think God is money. Many think money is God and very few know that God himself is money. God is love and when you have richness of love in you, you will see how abundance flows in life. There is a saying in sanskrit: <i>‘Udyoginam purush sindh mupayi tilaxmi’</i>God comes to you in the form of money - wealth is a consort of God. Consort of God, spirit of God comes to you as abundance when you put effort, to one who is working and not to one who is lazy. And one who has confidence and courage. So the one who has courage and confidence, and who puts in effort will get money. Don’t keep buying lottery tickets and sit at home. This is the biggest problem - you want money but you don’t want to do anything. So we have to put in effort. Money is just a means not an end in itself. You will need that but is it everything? No. You may have a lot of money but if you can’t eat, you can’t sleep well at night then that money is of no use. It loses it’s utility. So many people come here who have a lot of wealth and are depressed. They want to quit everything, their job, everything. </p><p>The World Health Organization (WHO) says that in the next 20 years, 40–45 percent of the population will be depressed. What’s the point in having so much money and prosperity in the world when so many people are getting depressed? That’s why you need to have balance in life, balance of material and spiritual life. Isn’t it? Often people think spirituality means do nothing and sit quietly. No, it is not so. You should work. Even in the ashram there are 600 people who work -day and night. There is no Sunday and no Monday for them and they work round the clock. People come here all the time and they work. Kitchen people are working so hard. The kitchen never takes rest. You have any idea how much food they cook everyday when there is no big program? 600 – 700 Kg of rice is being cooked daily, 70 Kg of salt is put in, and 100 kg of vegetables are cut every day. So much of work they do. The housing department works tirelessly. And they are still smiling. And there are people who go and work in the fields. They are working in slums. There are teachers who are working worldwide. They work day and night. In Karnataka, itself, we have 78 slums and there are many different classes being run, educational classes, computer classes. Seva is a part of spirituality and definitely you can’t do charity with an empty bowl. You need money for service. But here nobody worries about money and charity happens, everything happens spontaneously. So these are some of the things we need to keep in our mind. You have money, you earn money, it’s good but you should keep aside some part for charity, whatever your capacity is 3 – 10%. Keep it aside.Along with it do your spiritual practices daily. </p><p>Once in a year, keep seven days completely for spirituality and then you don’t sit and calculate money. You come here and be 100 percent here, and take care of your health, do yoga, pranayama, meditation and learning. It is a very common experience when businessmen come here leaving their jobs for some time and do seva, meditation and the advance course, they start getting better contracts. Their wealth on the other side starts increasing. What they used to get putting in a lot of effort, starts to happen with very less effort. That is when sattva in you rises. Sattva is positive harmony within you and when that dwells up, your work outside also becomes smother and better. </p><p><b>Q: What is enlightenment? When is one said to be enlightened? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> When you say a word, you have already heard a definition for it. I would say enlightenment is a connection with the universal spirit, realizing that you are part of it, you are that. Living unconditional love without any effort, you don’t have to put any effort for that. Being like an open book, being natural and all these qualities are there in every individual. It only needs a little nurturing and then it starts blossoming. So when you walk, walk like you are enlightened, you are open, you are like a child, and you are free - emotionally, mentally and intellectually. Enjoy the freedom. When you don’t have any cravings and aversions of your own, then you can give yourself a certificate that you are enlightened. But you should be over all your cravings and aversions.Clear heart, clear mind and clarity in action are all part of enlightenment. If you look at a child of two-three years, or a baby of six months - there is unconditional love in his eyes. Every baby has all these qualities but minus wisdom. When you grow old keep all these qualities in you like innocence, and have the depth of wisdom along with it. That is what it is. </p><p><b>Q: What does a Guru want from a disciple and what does a disciple want from his Guru? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>A Guru only wants the disciple to progress, to blossom, not to be unstable, just be happy, unselfish and serve people. And whatever a disciple wants from Guru, Guru keeps on bestowing that. Initially, a disciple asks for little things and then asks for great things. The Guru sometimes give him the little things he wants and sometimes doesn’t. (laughter)</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, Kabirdas has said Nindak neare rakiya angan kuti shava,bin pani sabun bina nirmal kare suhayHow to identify a good critique? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> How can a critique can be classified as good or bad? (laughter)Nindak neare rakiya angan kuti shava,bin pani sabun bina nirmal kare suhayThe great Indian saint Kabirdas has said that keep someone who criticizes you close by, that will keep your house, your mind clean - without soap and water. Like you need soap and water to keep your body clean, like that one who blames you, you should keep close by. If everybody around keeps praising you, they may not keep all the facts in front of you. Someone who is criticizing you, will show you your pitfalls. Welcome criticism, anybody who criticizes you, welcome that. Don’t shy away from criticism. Isn’t it a part of DSN? (an Art of Living program) You all have done DSN? You should be able to give constructive criticism and also take criticism. That is the strength. And there is no good critique or bad critique.Keep them nearby means that don’t run away from critique, don’t stop talking to them. You stop talking with someone who criticizes you. Yesterday if somebody criticizes you; you talk to them normally today. Don’t shun them. </p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com23tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-80918265156523142562010-02-05T00:35:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.100-08:00‘Live in surrender, surrender leads to Samadhi’<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 21:</p><p><b>Q: What is significance of time when everything is happening in the present moment?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> (After a pause of a minute) It (the past minute) is past now. Present is ever present. Past and future are also present.This whole creation has no significance, nor does the time and nor does the space. </p><p><b>Q: What is the connection between the thought and the action?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> You should never do thoughtless action or you will be in trouble. There are two dimensions of our life. Sometimes you act without thinking and sometimes you only think and don’t act. Source of both - thought and action - is you. Knowing who you are, your thoughts get streamlined and actions become perfect. Your thoughts and actions are aligned.</p><p><b>Q: Freedom comes from knowledge of the material world yet ‘Advaita’ says there are no two, all is one. Which to follow?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Both are correct. They all have their place. When you understand one single substance, you are liberated. The substance tells you that there are no two substances. A great scientist of our times, Dr. Hans Peter Durr is 81 at present and said ‘I have been studying matter for the past 70 years; matter which never existed.” This is higher physics. It is very interesting.</p><p><b>Q: How to learn from experience? Often we keep doing the same thing but don’t learn.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> If you keep doing the same thing again and again, knowing that it brings you misery, you really don’t understand it brings you misery or you think it brings you some pleasure. Craving for pleasure and non-awareness that it is going to cause you misery are two things which makes you commit the same mistake again and again. That’s why they’re called habit. Habits don’t give you pleasure but they inflict pain by not following them.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, yesterday you talked about prana level. You said for human beings it is between 7 and 16. How do one find out?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> All that you have to do is increase your prana level and you are doing it. Pranayama, meditation - all this increases your prana level.</p><p><b>Q: Adi Shankara says, ‘Kasya sukham na karoti viraga’ (What pleasure can dispassion not give!) It is also said, tivra samvega nam asannah (When you have a great desire, intense longing – everything becomes easy). How to be in that state of mind and yet be dispassionate?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Truth is contradictory. Completely opposite values together form the truth. This is also true and that is also true. Intense longing will take you to the goal and at the same time dispassion also takes you there. Dispassion gives you happiness.</p><p><b>Q: Why are dreams there if they don’t turn to be true?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Because those are dreams.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji how come you have so many disciples?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b>Somebody asked me, ‘How come you have so many followers?’, I replied, ‘I keep on running ahead of everybody.’(Laughter) People continue to come behind me. Then he asked, ‘How do you do it?’ to which I replied, ‘It’s very easy. You keep running ahead.’(Huge laughter) </p><p><b>Q: Turiya avastha (state of Samadhi) of chetna (consciousness) is shiv tattva. How to achieve shiv tattva?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b>Nirvikar (without any blemish)and prayatna rahit (without any effort). Dropping all efforts and all vikar in the mind, you relax.</p><p><b>Q: How do we ensure that a good soul is born? Do we need to follow some rules?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b>Just be happy and keep your heart clean and soft. When you doubt, when you are angry or frustrated, your heart and feelings get hardened. With the knowledge and wisdom, your heart remains soft and supple. Otherwise you say everybody else is wrong and only you are right. You don’t see how wrong you are. You do so many mistakes you don’t look at that but when somebody else does mistakes, your heart gets hard. Isn’t it so? There is a saying in India of saint Kabir which says‘Bura dekhan main chala, bura na milya koi’ which means ‘I wanted to search a bad man but I couldn’t find one but when I looked at myself I couldn’t find anybody worse than me.’This is coming from a saint. So seeing mistakes in others hardens your feelings. I don’t agree so much with the other line. If you keep on looking at your own mistakes, that will also not make your feelings soft and brings guilt. So I only use the first line of this. </p><p><b>Q: If we do something wrong with somebody and that person does good to us, do we have to bear fruit of that karma (action)?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Don’t do so much of analysis. The karma that you need to go through, you will. And the karma which you don’t need to go through, you won’t. That karma which is to be finished with sadhna, pranayama will be finished. By surrendering to God, we get new life all the time. Don’t think too much.Live in surrender, surrender leads to Samadhi. </p><p><b>Q: I can’t think of more questions. Please tell me some question to ask?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> That’s good. My job is not to tell you or give you questions but to take away your questions.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-14646777566764384142010-01-25T00:05:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.906-08:00Meditation time!<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 20:</p><p><b>Sri Sri</b> asked everybody, “Are you happy”? The audience replied enthusiastically with a ‘Yes!’ After a few bhajans, <b>Sri Sri</b> led everybody through a meditation which highlighted the principles of the <i>Yogasara Upanishad</i>. Later, everybody was surprised when they realized that the meditation lasted for 40 minutes. It seemed much shorter.Then <b>Sri Sri </b>concluded the satsang with <b>‘Jai Jai Radha Raman’</b>.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-20554969131102896152010-01-21T07:39:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.376-08:00The centeredness of the mind is the most important thing in spiritual evolution<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 19: </p><p><b>Q: How important is prana (life force energy)? One, of course, is it gives life. How does one improve one’s prana? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Prana is present in everything. In fact, we are floating in air, in prana, an ocean of prana. When the unit of expression varies, it makes a difference. Stones have got one unit of prana. Water has got two units of prana. Fire has got three units of prana. Air has got four units of prana. Plants have got five units of prana. Animals have got six units of prana. Human beings are capable of holding from seven to 16 units of prana. The expression of prana is the whole universe. When prana is lower than one, that’s when you feel depressed. When prana goes further low then you feel suicidal. When prana is normal, you feel normal. When prana is higher, you feel enthusiastic. When prana is very high, you feel energetic and blissful. That is why when people are depressed, low just giving counseling doesn’t work, what needs to be done is to raise the level of prana. When prana is high there is joy, vibrancy, understanding. When prana is low, then the mind starts complaining, depression, lethargy, suicidal tendencies arise. All is play and display of prana.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, the other day you talked about effort and effortless. But it needs lot of effort to be effortless. </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> It’s worth doing it.</p><p> <b>Q: Why was Krishna’s navel called Padamnabha (solar plexus)?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> The solar plexus is called the second brain or mid brain. For a yogi, the solar plexus is larger in size. Scientists have also said this. It is small in a person who doesn’t do yoga and meditation. A yogi who does meditation and yoga has a larger solar plexus. When solar plexus is larger, one is creative and generous. When it is smaller, one is jealous. </p><p><b>Lord Krishna</b> is called <b>Padamnabha</b>, his solar plexus was like a fully blossomed flower. Padma not only means lotus, it also means flower. Fully blossomed flower is usually referred to as padma. </p><p><b>Q: There are so many attractions and distractions but still youth are so bored. </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Youth are bored and it’s their fortune. If they were satisfied, then growth would have stopped. When they are bored, then the quest comes in them. They are not satisfied with the things available around. And this is the stage when they can take a step to look within, a leap in their inner journey, a step towards spirituality. An interest in higher growth gets kindled, when you are bored with things around. When you find the source of joy within, then obviously everything around is also reflecting the same source of joy, then you find interest in everything. Continuous bombardment of senses by stimuli can cause inertia. Inertia is boredom, is a form of boredom. Again, when prana level goes up, you move from inertia to enthusiasm.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, you give so much importance to Satsang. Is there any scientific reason behind? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Satsang means the company of reality, being in touch with the truth. Satsang is not just singing. Singing some complicated songs which you don’t understand is not Satsang. Music is a part of it. The second part is understanding the logic. The third part is sitting and reposing in yourself, in deep meditation, being with yourself. </p><p><b>Q: Why does the Divine answer and reward some while the prayers of others go unanswered?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Well, I don’t know why some prayers get answered and some are not. I have no idea. Perhaps it is good for you. Perhaps you may change your mind about what you want. People go for shopping - this often happens at least in India - go for shopping and ask shopkeeper, ‘Can I come later and exchange it if I don’t like it?’ They go home and don’t like it and get it exchanged the next day. The most unreliable thing you have is your own mind because you don’t know what it likes and when it doesn’t like that. That is why bringing mind to its source is so important. Its centeredness is the most important thing in spiritual evolution. Understanding what is transient and what is permanent, what brings you permanent joy and what causes temporary convenience and long term misery, what causes temporary discomfort and permanent joy and what causes long term discomfort. That is what is called viveka, discrimination, wisdom – knowing this from that.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji can a woman follow Brahamcharya (celibacy)? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Brahamcharya - it’s your personal choice. If you want to get married then marry. If you don’t want to get married then don’t marry. There are people who are married and miserable. There are people who are unmarried and miserable. All I want you to be is wise. Be wise in either case. Be centered. That is most important.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, are there a fixed number of souls or one soul in the whole universe?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Infinite souls. It’s like asking are there fixed number of stars in the sky? There are infinite stars. Vedic shastra and Agma shastra says there are 224 earths, worlds like ours in this galaxy. There are many but mainly 224. These are the visions of saints who have gone deep in meditation and explored the universe. </p><p><b>Q: You have talked about hidden meanings behind symbols in Hinduism which seems to be very illogical. Could you please talk about many crores of devtas?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Crores, koti means types. 33 crores means 33 types of Divine impulses. In our body also there are 33 types of divine impulses. There are 33 types of genes in our body. A particular type makes the eye, a particular type makes the nose, like that a particular type makes eardrums, hair, nails. All these are made up from a particular type of gene which are of 33 different types. </p><p>Like this, there are 33 rays of Divinity. There is one light, one <b>God</b>, one <b>Parmatma </b>yet there are 33 aspects. Devas are the 33 different aspects of Divinity. Here crores is not referred to as a number. The Divine has no form but ancient saints have said you can adore Him in any form or name. All the thousand names belong to God only. This is very, very deep science or deep knowledge. It’s amazing. When you go deeper into this, then you feel the ‘wow’. People - who have written this, have discovered this - have simply stupendous knowledge. The Universe is not so simple. It’s very complex. Modern physics also say that the deeper and deeper you go, there are so many different type of particles. So the universe is diverse. The Divinity which manages, rules, and has made this diverse universe is devta.The English name, David, is a Sanskrit word. Dev + vid, dev means Divinity, vid means to know. David means one who knows Divinity. Divinity is not somewhere up in the heaven. It is present in the world, universe, everywhere. And it has to be realized when the mind is calm, serene and settled in our heart and when the emotion and intellect merge into a serene blend in silence then you are able to perceive the subtle reality of Universe and that is devta. </p><p><b>Q: When a disciple is dead what is the role of the Satguru?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Satguru knows that there is no death to the disciple. Atma never dies. Even after death he continues to get direction on the path.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, is it difficult for a woman to organize something for she has to manage the home also. How does a woman do it effectively? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Don’t think of anything as difficult. Even if it is difficult, it becomes more difficult when you perceive it to be difficult in your mind. If you get a difficult task to do, however much difficult it seems to be, know that we have an even greater power within. It is available to us and according to that we get tasks to do.</p><p><b>Q: Is the world permanent or changing?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>You can see that the world is not permanent.</p><p><b>Q: What is puja?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> That which is born from purnata (fullness) is puja. When gratitude is overwhelming, the throat chokes in gratitude then whatever action you perform in such a state is puja. We surrender everything – that bhavana (feeling) is puja.</p><p><b>Q: To whom do I surrender?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> To the Divine who resides within me as me, to that Divine I surrender.</p><p><b>Q: How do we remember the good things and forget the bad? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> It is better to forget bad things and it is good to remember good things. Both together are life but we forget this and remember all the negative things. It is important to remember what you hear in Satsang. Forgetting other people’s mistakes is important. Remembering not to repeat our mistakes is important.Remembering lessons from others’ mistakes is also important. </p><p><b>Q: What is meaning of kodagana koli nungitha (a bhajan in Kannada)?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Its meaning is so amazing. I was thinking I was a big person but when I look at the Guru’s feet, so magnanimous. My ego, that I thought was so big and Guru’s feet small, but it was the reverse. The feet of the Guru swallowed my big ego.</p><p><b>Q: What is the meaning of Ashwamedha? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Ashwamedha means to purify. Shwa means that which is the past or future. Ashwa means that which is present and medha means cleansing. Ashwamedha is when the cleansing of the mind and buddhi (intellect) happens in the present moment. Keep the mind/buddhi (intellect) in the present moment. </p><p><b>Q: How to increase atmabal?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Atmabal…do prarthna(prayer), pranayama, sadhana.</p><p><b>Q: What is Guru tattva and who is Guru?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Guru tattva is viveka, discrimination. Does it matter who the Guru is? It is enough to take the knowledge and move forward. Don’t worry who the Guru is.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-79447401029588936272010-01-21T06:48:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.631-08:00The moment you are aware that you are judgmental, you are already out of it<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 18: </p><p><b>Q: Why do we need to put in so much effort to physically meet you or is it that the Guru creates unavailability for some purpose? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Not at all! I am easily available. I am most easily available. You know you enjoy putting effort and whatever you get after putting effort, you enjoy more. You don’t enjoy what you get easily. This is normal human psychology. </p><p>Heart yearns for the old. Mind yearns for the new. Ego yearns for the difficult and unique. </p><p>Ego takes pride in doing difficult things. ‘Look I did such a tough job! I achieved such a tough thing! No one has achieved what I have achieved. I did something unique.’ Just be aware of these laws of nature, how the mind and heart works. I am not saying that is good, or that is bad. That is how it is. </p><p>Heart yearns for old. Heart takes pride in old friendship. Like wine is sold when it is old. New wine has no value. You don’t say, ‘This is my latest love, my fresh love.’ We go for the latest model - latest computer, latest car. We don’t say, ‘Oh this is a two decade-old car which I bought now’ - unless it’s an antique. We take pride in having the latest model or something which is unique. Like climbing the Mount Everest.</p><p> ‘Oh, I climbed the Mount Everest.’ A very tough job. What do you get after climbing the Mount Everest? You don’t know! People go in hot air balloons across the world. Very tough job. Why you want to go in hot balloon when planes are available (laughter) and create so much heart ache, anxiety? Because the media is after you for you are doing something tough. Why do you want to do the impossible because the ego wants to do something. The memory clings to the negative. If ten positive things happen and one negative thing happens, the memory just goes and holds on to it. The Self is just a witness of all this phenomenon. </p><p>Untouched, unruffled, unconcerned with what happens to the mind, intellect, ego. It is just there, just enjoying. That is why if you have got just a glimpse of the Self, it doesn’t matter. The Upanishad has also declared that once you get glimpse of that unchanging aspect in you, the very central aspect of you, then everything else is futile. Knowing this, everythingbecomes glorified.When you are centered,ego becomes all encompassing,body glows,intellect becomes sharp,memory becomes sharp.All layers of existence simply glow when the Self is realized. I don’t like to use word self realized. It has been used so many times and distorted too much. I would say when you have a glimpse of Being.</p><p><b>Q: How does one know when to put effort and when to have patience once we are on the spiritual path?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>When you are getting onto the spiritual path, you have to put effort. You have to put effort to come here (to the ashram). You don’t get a holiday, you don’t get train or plane ticket. When you want to come here, someone will come and distract you saying, ‘Let’s go to Goa and enjoy, have fun and this and that. Let’s go to watch movie. Why to go? What’s the fun in meditation and sitting with the eyes closed? Let’s keep our mind open and take everything from a movie. </p><p>Like this 100 obstacles and 1 million temptations will come. Then you put effort, ‘I want to go, I want to meditate, I want to be centered, I want to go within’. That much effort you need to put in. But once you reach here, no effort is to be put. You simply sit. That’s it. You don’t have to do anything. </p><p>This doesn’t apply to ashramites (ashram residents) here. (laughter) You have to get up in the morning and go for sadhana. You can’t say, ‘I have come to the ashram, now let me sleep and relax.’ I give you another example. To get into a train, you put effort. You go, stand in a queue, get to the right platform and then the right coach with all the luggage. At times you have to forcibly get your seat, especially, here, in some of the trains in India. (laughter) But once you sit inside the train or plane, then that’s it! Then there is no effort. If then, also you keep the luggage on your head and run inside the compartments, it has no meaning. You are not going to get to the station any faster. Then you either end up in a police station or a mental hospital! </p><p>To begin a practice you have to put in effort. But once you are on the path, you have to relax. You won’t reach any faster if you keep running inside the train. Know that all is done for you. You don’t have to put effort. There is effort to light a candle. Once it is lit then no effort is required to pull the light out of thecandle. Light is coming to you on its own. But you have to light the candle. You have to put that much effort to switch on the lamp. If you don’t even switch on and say, ‘There is no light’, then you have to put that much effort. (Once you do that), then you find light is pouring on you. So you have come here. Just relax. </p><p>In hindi, it is said:Shamma jali hai tere liye,Tujhko kuch nahin karna hai. </p><p>(The candle is lit for you, you don’t have to do anything)</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, the Master and the Self are most charming. Obviously, the mind moves towards that which is most attractive. How to effortlessly establish the mind on the experience of the Self? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> I think I have already answered this.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, even after being on the spiritual path, feverishness is still there. What to do to get rid of this feverishness?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> It’s good to have little bit of that feverishness. That’s ok. Maharishi Patanjali also said in the yogasutras ‘tivra savenganam asana’If there is little feverishness, there is intensity of longing. It’s easy. It’sgood. It takes away laziness in you. It takes away procrastination in you. That is why the path needs to be attractive so that it takes away lethargy in you. The Master has to be attractive. That is a professional need. (laughter) So that you are able to handle distractions, so that worldly, small things don’t hold you back. Movies and little pleasure hold you back and keep you in the same circle. I am not saying don’t watch pictures. But prioritize your life from small material gains to higher values. That is what spirituality is all about. That is what the Master is all about. Higher values have to be more attractive to keep you on the higher plane,higher path.</p><p><b>Q: What can we do on our level to get people of all cultures and religions together in celebration?</b></p><p> <b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>We are already doing it. We continue doing the same thing. Call everybody and say, ‘Let’s sing together, let’s do service together, let’s sit together in silence.’ Silence is the best form of prayer. Often prayer is in some language – German, Hindi, English, Spanish. In fact, they all mean the same. But silence is one step further, one step beyond the barriers of language which the whole universe can understand. Nature resonates with it. Silent prayer! Prayer in words also has to lead you to silence in the heart. Purpose of words is to create silence. Purpose of action is to bring deep rest. Purpose of deep rest is to bring you fulfillment. In fulfillment you find joy, bliss. Purpose of love is to create blissful state deep within. </p><p><b>Q: What is the difference between prayer and meditation?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> I have already said it. Prayer is asking, meditation is listening. In prayer, you ask, ‘Give me this, give me that, giving instructions,demanding.’ In meditation you say, ‘I am here to listen, what is it that you want to tell?’ Listening to God is meditation. Asking God is Prayer.</p><p><b>Q: How to be non-judgmental?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> By studying your own past. Look at how many times you have been judgmental. Every time you have been judgmental, you have been on the wrong foot. So just be aware of that. The moment you are aware that you are judgmental, you are already out of it. You can’t be judgmental in the present moment. You are judgmental in the past.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, you say, ‘I am you and you are me’. But I feel a difference. How to realize that I am you? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> In silence, in service.</p><p><b>Q: I don’t have a job and parents and relatives worry about it and keep on asking, ‘Where am I? When am I going to have a job?’ What to do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>You don’t have a job (Yes, came the reply). Keep looking for a job. Don’t be too choosy. Once you get a job that they won’t ask the same question. They will ask something else. (laughter) When are you getting married? And once you get married, the question will be, ‘When will you have kids?’ One after another,people will keep asking questions and you are not to satisfy them all. Count on those paths, status.(Then the person asks, ‘Guruji, I am contented but my parents…’ to which <b>Sri Sri</b> replies: There is no but - if you are contented - the ‘but’ disappears!)</p><p><b>Q: Why does our mind run after fame money and glamour? Is it necessary?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Well, you got this question! First, you understand that the mind is running. Then you get this question, ‘Is it necessary?’ I leave this question to you. It is very personal, very individual. I don't think it is necessary. But myanswer will not necessarily suffice for you. It is has to come from within. Otherwise, it will be just a mood making. ‘Oh, I don’t want money’, but one part of the mind will say, ‘No, I need money.’ One mind will say, ‘I don’t need fame andanother will say, ‘No, I need fame’. Like this, the conflict starts happening. But when you wake up and see, and see those people who have had all this - how shallow and hollow they are, then naturally you find there is no significance in all this. Then neither will you crave for it, nor will you make any effort to renounce it. People who say, ‘I don’t want fame’, inside, somewhere, the mind is saying, ‘Oh, I want fame, I want fame’. When the sun hasarisen, what is the use of a torchlight? You are moving with a torchlight and suddenly you realize there is no meaning in moving with the torchlight, when the sun is there.Then that is your experience, your true experience. So when you run behind things which are illusive - you will realize that it is causing more pain, more suffering and ‘it is not giving me what I really want’. </p><p>Then there is fulfillment, centeredness, a subtle solid strength comes from within. Then if fame comes, money comes, it doesn’t touch you. It comes or doesn’t come, doesn’t matter to you. ‘I want it’ or ‘I don’t want it’ are two sides of the same coin. Somewhat we need to be – let it be. </p><p><b>Q: How does one handle disappointment when something undesirable happens or you lose a dear one? How one can still smile and be centered?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Come on, wake up and see. It’s all a dream. Things happen or don’t happen. It is still a dream. An intelligent person won’t sit and cry, ‘Oh,yesterday this happened in the dream, I was the Prime Minister’. </p><p>Just imagine someone is very happy because yesterday, (in his dreams), he was the prime minister or became the richest man in the world. What will you say? What to tell them? It’s foolishness, stupidity. You are overjoyed about a good dream and you are miserable about a bad dream. A dream is a dream. Come on. Wake up. Have a cup of tea. (laughter) Herbal tea. (Huge Laughter and applause) By the way, I don’t drink any tea, not as a habit. Sometimes, if I go somewhere and they only have tea and nothing else, just to satisfy them I will have.</p><p><b>Q: When to use dispassion and when to use compassion?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> When you are bothered about an attachment, use dispassion. And at all other times, use compassion. In fact, you can’t use compassion. Either you are compassionate or you are not. It is not a screwdriver which you can use at sometimes and keep aside some other times. Compassion is like your nose. To realize it is there you have to be there and if it is not there, you are also not there. (Huge laughter) Got it? To realize you have a nose, you have to be there and to realize it is not there, you won’t be there.</p><p><b>Q: What is the alternative solution for white sugar and tea?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> You know, don’t be too fussy about anything. You can’t go to a restaurant and say, ‘You can bring me only jaggery tea and no white sugar tea’. Your body has got enough capability to adjust itself. So, sometimes you have to have white sugar, it’s ok. Your immune system is strong. But don’t make it a habit. Every day, eating a lot of white sugar. Jaggery is the most desirable one. </p><p>Organic food is the most desirable one. But sometimes you don’t get organic food, don’t think you are immediately going to fall sick. People who are too finicky about food, their immune system keeps going down and down and down. People who are too fussy about food and all that, they don’t have thestrength to defend themselves. When do you give your immune system a chance to work? When something challenging is given to the immune system. So now and then, once in a while, the immune system should be challenged. Then the self defense will come up from within. Otherwise, you become so finicky and you become so weak and then anger comes in the mind. ‘Oh ah.. I want only organic food. I want only this. I can’t have junk food.’ Your system should be flexible, adjustable. And that can happen when you make itmentally strong. You resolve mentally that ‘this is not going effect my body so much’. I am not saying eat unhealthy food. No, not at all, but I am saying, ‘Don’t be too finicky about food, quality of food and this food. </p><p>Chose a middle path. You know, people in India live or are born in slum areas, and their immune system is so strong. They don’t get affected by diseases easily because their immune system is getting to work. They can come out of any illness. Chose that middle path.I suggest internationals who have come here not to go for hawker food unless you find it hygienic. Don’t have cut fruits on the street for knives may not be sterilized. You better not go for that. You can go for whole food.</p><p><b>Q: When do we know we are on the middle path?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> When you don’t fall off, you are on the middle path.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-2344048030580545652010-01-19T19:57:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.859-08:00‘Happiness depends only on your mind’<p><b>What Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said today: <br>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 17: </b></p><p><b>Q: When everybody is sleeping, Guruji is awake. Don’t you face any problem because of that? </b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>There is a watchman in front of the house when you sleep. For someone with big problems, small problems don’t bother them. Yogis are not bothered about what people normally worry about. For yogis, anything is possible.</p><p><b>Q: Where should I go to have bhakti (devotion)? </b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Bhakti – preeti – you don’t have to go anywhere to reach bhakti. With smarana (remembrance), you can do anything. Wherever you are, you can have bhakti. Can anyone stop you? While walking, eating, you can be devoted. </p><p><b>Q: The Art of Living has given me so much, I also want to contribute, serve? How can I do that?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>You can come and serve in the Ashram anytime. </p><p>(The person then tells <b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>I’m very happy to have food with many people, with no differences between people and so much togetherness.) </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, my past disturbs me a lot. What should I do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Let bygones be bygones. Forget even forgiving. Even to forgive you have to remember. Think it as a dream. Does anybody analyze a dream? Like that you have to let go of your past. One devotee astrologer said one day, “I got my leg fractured. I slept at night and dreamt of fighting with a tiger. I kicked the wall and got a fracture. The tiger was in my dream, I should have kicked in the dream.” Don’t stop for any obstacles, keep walking on. </p><p><b>Q: Wherever I go, I find unhappiness. Where do I go and what to do? </b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Antarmukhi (going within). Outside is a bazaar, a market. In the city market, below the bridge, people will be sleeping! You can learn from them. They can sleep in the middle of the bazaar. You can also meditate and be calm. Come here otherwise. You get peace. There might be 20 bad problems yet there are 100 good things. The mind is still stuck with 20 bad problems. </p><p><b>Q: I could not follow the instructions on the meditation CD.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Do not try to listen to me in meditation, whatever happens, let it happen. Do it like you listen to advice. Listen in one ear and let it come out from the other! It’s enough if you simply sit. </p><p><b>Q: In society, everyone is living peacefully. Yet some people create disturbances. What should we do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Sometimes you have to, sometimes no. Asprushate (caste division) doesn’t help anyone. Don’t keep hatred towards anybody. In there is a dead snake and you keep beating it, your hand will get hurt. Yet, in some places, the stick is necessary. Don’t have dvesha (aversion) for it. </p><p><b>Q: I follow the principle of whatever you resist will persist. Yet, I find myself resisting some things.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>The rule for the body and mind is different. What you resist persists in the mind, not so in the body. </p><p><b>Q: What is the definition for life? How to lead a happy life?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>That is what Art of Living is all about. Life is beyond definition. Much more than whatever you can capture or define. It is so vast, so big, it can’t be encapsulated in a few words. When defining life you are limiting the scope of life. Happiness is a factor that we have to consciously pursue. Unconsciously we all are happy, but somewhere in the pursuit of happiness we get stuck and miss the goal. That is what spirituality is all about - bringing that one smile. </p><p>Once you are able to see the light, you see the entire past as a dream, move on. Wake up and see the present, you will find happiness is there, unconditional happiness. Then you are happy and not dependant on others for your happiness. Happiness depends only on your mind. When the mind is free of past impressions and future cravings, happiness is there. </p><p><b>Q. God in his infinite wisdom made the world the way it is, I don’t understand why should I not eat meat? I am a born non–vegetarian and I am not able to leave non-veg.</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Ok. What is it that makes you crave for non-vegetarian? (The lady answered smell and taste). What brings the smell and taste to the food is spices. Ok, forget all about taste and smell and spirituality. You know, what is the latest finding of non–vegetarian food? One kg of meat is equivalent to the meals of 400 people. If only 10 percent of the world population become vegetarians, the problem of global warming will be reduced. </p><p>On this count we have to save the planet. We will have to reduce the consumption of non-vegetarian food. For the sake of the planet, so that everybody gets food, for that we must be concerned. God has given us the sense to care for others and planet also! You have eaten enough, so consume a little less so that others who have nothing to eat can have a little at least, so that more and more people gets something to eat.</p><p>We are consuming 40 -50 percent more than we produce. Plant trees, be vegetarian, it’s part of being spiritual. Spirituality is not only meditation. India had 400 cows for every 1,000 people when we got independence. Now we have less than 100 cows per 1,000 people. In 20 years, there will be only 20 cows per 1,000 people. Children will not get the basic staple diet like milk, yogurt, ghee. We have to protect the animals, and save the planet. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, man is always fighting. Will there ever be a world free of violence and which is all peace?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>Yes, that is what we should dream and work for. The whole world is one family. One world family is our ancient calling – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam.</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-45556644865446684472010-01-18T04:39:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.533-08:00You are a child of nature & nature loves you<p>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 16: </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, the way I feel so connected to you, do you feel the same? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>More than that. You know, connection means that there is a difference. I don’t feel connected for I don’t feel the difference. I feel you are a part of me.</p> <p><b>Q: If truth is contradictory, how to find the truth?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Truth is something you can’t avoid nor confront. There is no effort. Truth simply comes out. If you tell a lie, you have to manufacture. To tell a lie, a lot of effort is required. You’re feeling cold, you’re feeling hot, that is how you feel. No effort is needed.</p><p><b>Q: Even after surrendering problems, I worry about them. What to do?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>This is to say, ‘I gave it away’ and even after giving you say, ‘I have it with me’. If even after giving it away again and again, it comes back to you like a ball you again and again keep giving it away. Don’t give up until you have totally given up!</p><p><b>Q: What are the characteristics of an ideal devotee?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> (After a little pause) You are One. You don’t doubt that. And whatever additional quality you want to have, you can always develop.<p>• Someone who has a calm and serene mind, </p><p>• Wants to live in knowledge, has some knowledge and a desire for knowledge,</p> <p>• No grudges, no hatred towards anyone,</p> <p>• Has compassion.</p></p><p><b>Q: What do you expect from us?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>A lot. You live in knowledge, you keep smiling, you keep serving, you keep connected. I don’t expect - I know you will do it. Only I am impatient. I want you to do it quickly.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, telling the truth causes problems outside and telling lie creates problems inside (us)? What to do?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Solve the problem. Problems are to be seen as challenges. Someone who is brave like challenges and you are brave, I tell you.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, when we say Jai Gurudev to someone, are we referring to the Guru in the person in front or we are remembering the Guru in ourselves?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> I leave it up to you, whatever you want. It has so many meanings – Hello, How are you, Good bye, Welcome, Thank you…So many words come in that Jai Gurudev. You want to say, ‘Oh my God’ you say Jai Gurudev, you want to say, ‘Oh I give up’ you say Jai Gurudev. It’s just become a habit. I don’t insist at all. You say whatever you want to say. </p><p><b>Q: Do I exist beyond body and soul? And if I do then in what form?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Nothing exists beyond the soul. Beyond the body? Yes. When you realize, you see you are not your body and you will realize thatyourself.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, there are moments when I am enthusiastic, when I am very confident but there are two problems: 1. I forget things. 2. I fear of what happens if this state continues. This is predominantly from my wife’s side. What to do?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> I remember in one course a gentleman with his wife participated. At each knowledge point, the husband would say, ‘Look, I have been also saying the same thing.’ Like I said, ‘Forgive and forget’ and she would say, ‘I told you the same thing, now Guruji is also saying same.’ (Laughter) Itold him, these points are for you to apply and not to just pass on. Charity begins at home, Love begins at home. Start from where you are.</p><p><b>Q: I get physically attracted to many people. What to do? Is it ok to be physically attracted?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> If you see your mind, so many thoughts come. You can’t act on all the thoughts. If you try to act on all the thoughts, you end up in a mental hospital. Whether thoughts of attraction or repulsion come, you do not get attracted but you also feel repulsion for many people. For example, the mind says to strangle somebody, you have to act out of wisdom. You have to see what is right and what is wrong. You have to see what is evolutionary and what is not. You have to see what is giving you happiness in the long term and what is giving misery. You have to see what is permanent and what is temporary. That is discrimination, Viveka, is so important. Otherwise, it will be just senseless, thoughtless action leaving you in misery.</p><p><b>Q: We give so many botherations to you? To whom do you give all these botherations?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> That you don’t worry. I have a processing unit where all garbage gets processed to manure.</p><p><b>Q: If atma (spirit) is neither created nor destroyed then from where do these new souls come? How is the population of the world increasing?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> My dear, so many animals are also getting extinct. Very few sparrows are left, many crocodiles are missing. Like this, many other species are missing. Just imagine. I think you will get the rest of your answer. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, I do all practices when I am in problem but otherwise I stay away from path. What should I do? </b></p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: </b>This you figure out. When misery comes, everyone thinks of God. But to one who thinks of God even when happy, why will misery touch him? There is an old proverb which says this Sukh mein simran sabh karein, dukh mein kare na koi,Sukh mein simran jo kare to dukh kahe ko hoyeThis applies to us also. When you are doing pranayama, Sudarshan kriya, when you are happy, then that happiness will continue.Today, there was an article in the paper which says that the only way to cure depression is by meditation. Anti-depression medicines will make the depressioncome back. There is a rebounding of depression with anti-depression medicines but with meditation there is no rebounding. Today millions of people are suffering from depression and they don’t know something like this exists. They don’t know there is a way which can make them free from depression. When you go back tell everyone about meditation. It takes one out of depression, suicidal tendencies. Look at Rashid (pointing to a youth who has come from Kashmir), he is smiling after 12 years and is now doing wonderful service also. </p><p><b>Q: When I come here I find so much peace and harmony. How can I take this same peace and harmony back to Kashmir also?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> You also come up with ideas, I will also think. More youth like you should come from Kashmir, experience this and go back and serve. We will start the Art of Living in Kashmir and make it big. If you all resolve, we will definitely do it. We can do organic farming there. We can train more teachers, all can heal and bless them, bring happiness in them. We already have a residential school there. We all need to do more and more.</p><p><b>Q: If something bad happens to a person we say that the previous birth karma is responsible. Will you please speak about that?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> ‘Paap kya punya kyat tu bhulade’Karam kar phal ki chinta tu mitade’Forget what is sinful and what is noble. Be free from the desire of the fruit of action. Don’t sit and worry too much about all this.I have spoken more on this in Celebrating silence (a book written by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ravi Shankar). </p><p><b>Q: It is said in the Gita, do your duty and don’t expect for the result. How to live this knowledge in normal life?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Live naturally. All Art of Living points are from life’s experience. There is no effort in it. Do some meditation, yoga you will see how life has transformed effortlessly and automatically. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, is it true you have some super power. You have stopped rain so many times just looking at sky, you can read thoughts.</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> You know love is the most super power in this world and that power is with everybody, not only with me. When mind is free from lust, greed, possessiveness, arrogance etc., when the mind is in the pure form with which we were all born with, then nature listens to you. You are a child of nature and nature loves you. When that manifests, when you are clear then two things happen - your wishes get fulfilled and you can fulfill others’ wishes also. When you are content, that is when blessing happens, Don’t think only <b>Guruji </b>can do it. This is no achievement and no effort is required. That isnatural from our state of being, that state of innocence. Most of us have lost it but I still haven’t lost it. </p><p><b>Q: How do you speak so sweetly always?</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> It’s like asking jaggery, how can you taste so sweet? It’s the nature of the jaggery to be sweet. I don’t put any effort to speak sweetly. If I put in effort, it will turn to be salty. What I am, I speak the same. That’s why you find it sweet. And secondly, you are also sweet so you find me also sweet. If your mind is turbulent then even if I speak sweetly, you will find it salty. I also don’t know how to be otherwise. I am grateful that I never got an opportunity also to do something which is not in my nature. There was never a need to speak a lie or cheat someone. It has never happened that I pretend to be someone else which I am not. It doesn’t seem also I would be doing it in future. (laughter) But I don’t give any guarantee (more laughter). It hasn’t happened till now and God knows about future.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji I worked in a slum and I got so much happiness. I am feeling so blissful and life is so beautiful.</b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:</b> Life is beautiful but we don’t crave for happiness: ‘Oh, life is beautiful. I want joy.’ When you are happy – serve.When you are sad – give up, have the courage to give up your misery. Adveshta serva bhutanam maitra karuna evacah|Nirmamo Nirahankarah samah sukah dukkah kshami||<b>Lord Krishna</b> tells Arjuna that one who is dear to me, who doesn’t hate anybody, who doesn’t have any ego – I, I, me. One who is calm in success or failure. Whatever he gets - sorrow or happiness - he takes it all with a smile. The Gita also talks about the three gunas – Rajas, Tamas and Sattva. What type of food you should eat, how the cosmos affects. Ayurveda, yoga, psychology, all these subjects are there. People from Tamil Nadu had come for the satsang.</p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar</b> welcomed them and introduced the Pongal festival which was celebrated on January 14.<i> Pongal</i> is the biggest festival in Tamil Nadu. The flavor of <i>Pongal</i> is a little bit salty, little sweet and is prepared with rice, dal (pulses), and turmeric in a clay pot and celebrated. </p><p><b>Sri Sri Ravi Shankar</b> said: The Intelligent celebrate everydayFools fight everyday </p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img border="4" alt="art of living TV" width="450" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" height="75"/><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global SpiritualityUnknownnoreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-75806673477423738062010-01-16T23:11:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.395-08:00Beyond all phenomenon is Divinity<p><b>What Sri Sri said today: Jan. 15, 2010</b></p><p><b>Bangalore ashram, Jan. 15: </b></p><p><b>Q: Guruji, why don’t I have same experience in doing meditation here and at home?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Places do have an impact – that’s only in beginning. The stronger you become, you start influencing places instead of places affecting you.</p><p><b>Q: Can you please talk about restrictions during eclipse like not to eat?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>The mind has a deep connection with the moon and the moon is connected to water and water is connected to the body: 60 to 70 percent of the body is water. Everything is interconnected. When a celestial phenomenon happens, it impacts the body also. For example, the way you feel early in the morning is different from how you feel in the afternoon or evening. Evening goes with romantic music and melodies, morning goes with wake up calls. You can’t play romantic music in the afternoon. </p><p>The mind has an impact on the mind and body complex. Time has an impact on the mind. Planets have an impact on mind and the mind-body complex. Ancient people have written about it. When the mind says, ‘It’s wrong’, you try to prove it wrong and when you can’t prove it wrong, the mind accepts it. For example, turmeric. In the 70s and 80s, people dismissed it as only being a pigment with no food value but now scientists say it has the best anti oxidant value like amla (gooseberry) and tulsi (basil). They have started rediscovering the ancient sacred herbs as being very useful and a must for healthy living. </p><p>The reason we say, don’t eat during and before the time of eclipse is because the food increases metabolism in the body. Increased metabolism doesn’t let the mind be in a calm state. If you have food, you would simply fall asleep. We advise this to soothe the system and not excite it during the celestial phenomenon. </p><p><b>Q: I would like to have self realization. I have come to the advanced meditation course. At what stage and in what course will my desire get fulfilled?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>It’s good. This is the highest desire, the only one worth pursuing. Whether you acknowledge this or not, everyone has come to this planet with this desire. If you have recognized this it’s very good.</p><p><b>Q: The advance course will take me to what level and how many steps do I need to take?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Very few steps for enlightenment. What is enlightenment? Being unconditionally happy. Everyone wants love that doesn’t get distorted. Love gets distorted as hatred, fear, jealousy and other imperfections. Enlightenment is having such a love. </p><p>There are two steps to enlightenment:</p><ol> <li>From being somebody to being nobody.</li> <li>From being nobody to being everybody.</li></ol><p>And how to be nobody? Just wake up and realize that this is a vast universe. What are you in this? Who are you in this? You may be a great businessman or scientist or doctor but how long will you be there on this planet? In 70 – 100 years you will go and the earth will continue to exist. It has been there from billions of years and it will continue to be there. Who are you? Where are you with respect to this magnanimous universe? </p><p>From being nobody to be a part of everybody. </p><p><b>Q: Knowing that my life goes by karma, is it still alright to ask for something after prayer/puja?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>It’s like asking should I feel thirsty? If you feel thirsty, you will ask for water. Should I ask for water has no meaning, since you have already indicated that you’re thirsty. If a prayer comes, let it come. It just comes up. </p><p><b>Q: I have been on path for many years but I don’t feel your grace as people talk about?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Don’t focus on what others want. See what is it that you want. When you stop looking inside and look at others, that is when you miss the boat. </p><p><b>Q: Can you please elaborate on the power of mantra? It is said that the power of mantra is greater than that of a planet. Does a sadhak (one who is on the spiritual path) need to pay attention to horoscope?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Yes, mantras are very powerful. The power of mantras is greater than the power of the horoscope. Don’t worry too much about horoscope. Om namah shivaya , Om namoh narayana are much more powerful. Shiva has five letters which refers to the five elements. All the five elements earth, water, fire, air and ether are referenced when you chant Om namah shivaya. You don’t have to imagine that Shiva has a big trishul and is sitting somewhere. Artists had made that mistake. Shiva is not a person. Shiva is tattva. </p><p>It’s said in the Upanishad:</p><p><i>“Shivam shantam, advaitam, chaturtam, mannyante sa aatma sa vigyeya.”<br></i><br>What is Shiva? Shiva is so auspicious, so benevolent, so soothing, so beautiful, so comforting. ‘Chaitanya atma’ – the consciousness is Shiva, not a person but that energy. </p><p>In Kashmiri Shaivism, there is a book called the Shiv sutras. In some books of Kashmiri Shaivism, it has been so beautifully described. Some of these books are so precious, so nice - all that knowledge, those books are lost.</p><p>The main purpose is to express the timelessness of mind, the consciousness. That fourth state of consciousness which is neither awake nor asleep is called shiv tattva. </p><p><b>Q: I am in a dilemma. I am a second year student of engineering. I took engineering with my choice but now I find that it is not for me. I find journalism my choice. What should I do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Choice is yours blessing is mine.</p><p><b>Q: What to do when responsibilities come between you and your practices?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Guru Nanak or one of the ten Sikh Gurus has spoken on how a student should be. Like water. When stones are there on the path of water, what does it do? Water rises above the stones and flows. Similarly obstacles are there in life. You rise above obstacles and move through it. Have patience and flow over them. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji there are so many people in the world who are suffering on behalf of ancient beliefs and rituals. Can you please talk about it?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>People are suffering with modern beliefs also. They think drugs, cigarette, alcohol gives them joy and then they suffer. Not every ancient belief is wrong and not every modern belief is right. We need to accept combination of both old and new. People are suffering because of superstitions which have no sanction of scriptures or science. People are suffering because of some rituals which are not at all part of ancient scriptures. It’s a lack of wisdom which make people suffer. Nothing else. </p><p><b>Q: How can we love someone who did a terrible thing to us?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Don’t love them. Just accept them. First accept and then see the culprit not as a culprit but a victim. Due to circumstances they did so. If they would have had wisdom they wouldn’t have done it. </p><p>Just a few days ago, a lady came to the ashram. She has three children and her husband was killed by Maoists. Later she became an Art of Living teacher and when she went back, she taught the Maoists Sudarshan Kriya and pranayama. Maoists were so amazed. They asked her: ‘You are not angry with us, we killed your husband?’ She said, ‘No, you didn’t have knowledge of what you were doing. I want you to be in knowledge’. They all did Sudarshan Kriya, pranayama and left the path of violence. They were crying in front of her like babies. The way she described brought tears in everybody’s eyes. All those 2000 people present had tears in eyes. </p><p>This is the power of wisdom. It unites people of all roles and attitudes. </p><p><b>Q: Guruji, how much influence does previous karma have on our present life. Is one sad or happy owing to previous karma?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>I have already talked about this in a book ‘Celebrating silence’. You can refer to that for deeper understanding.</p><p>Our mind is ancient so it has impressions. Previous karma does have an impact but so does your present karma. Don’t be too much stuck into that. Don’t have a fatalistic attitude. You have a free will to change it as well.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, I am very possessive about my things. I can share my things only with my dear ones and I don’t like others using them. What can I do to come out of it?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Never mind. Others have accepted you as you are. You can think you have given a chance to accept as you are. Never mind. The time will come when you will rise above all this, me and I. Right now, don’t feel guilty. Allow your boundary to expand gradually. Don’t force yourself. May be after 10 years or 100 years! Then anybody can use your things. Then you can’t say only my grand children can use my things. (Laughter) </p><p>Mind is so tricky and so funny when it comes to possessiveness. It’s ok. There is a time for everything. </p><p><b>Q: I want to do a lot of work in society but I don’t know where to start, how to start?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>The seed is there and it will grow. You want to work for society, the seed will grow. Good. Let it grow. Satsang, sadhana will nurture this seed.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, the surroundings I am in have many drug addicts and people in all such other stuff. Can we do something for them?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Definitely. We can conduct courses there. We have many de addiction centers running. We will think about it.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji you often answer my prayers and questions but sometimes I feel you completely ignore me. </b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Because you are so special. I pay attention to only ordinary people to make them extraordinary. You are already extraordinary.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, under stress and tension for small things I have spoilt much of my hard work which has affected results also. </b> </p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Stress and tension can spoil anything, you understand this by your experience that’s very good. People keep on doing the same and then also they don’t realize this. When stress and tension starts, become aware and do pranyama, Sudarshan kriya and get rid of it. That is why we have courses. It’s good you have acknowledged that stress is the culprit. </p><p>The second stage is to get rid of it. And the third stage is ‘Don’t let it come’. Here wisdom helps. </p><p>Practices are there to get rid of stress and wisdom doesn’t allow stress to come. We need to have both. Practices alone won’t work because more stress will come again. Wisdom alone won’t work because it will be only set of ideas. Both are required. </p><p><b>Q: What is the best form of prayer?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Prayer happens in two conditions. One is when you are utterly grateful and second is when you are utterly helpless, nowhere to go. Both are authentic and always get fulfilled. Being both, helpless and grateful, is very rare and very powerful. It is a total form of prayer.</p><p><b>Q: Guruji, the more I follow you, the more attached I get to you. What to do?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>I don’t know what to do? (laughter) You know, what is it that you are attracted to? Good qualities. But if qualities are only superficial they will go and if qualities are your very nature they will never go. I tell you, all those qualities are present in you. Enhance those qualities more and more. Then you will find that you are me and I am you. </p><p>Longing and love are two sides of the same coin. You can’t say, ‘I love you but I don’t long for you’. And it is impossible to long for someone without having love. That is why it is said: ‘RadheShyam’. Radha is longing and Sham is love. RadheSham (longing and love) go together in life. </p><p><b>Q: How to see Divinity beyond the objects?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Don’t try to see Divinity. Take it for granted. It is there, like the air. You know that the air is all there. You inhale air and exhale air. You can’t see air but you know it is there. Similarly Divinity is all there. Only the heart can feel. Eyes can’t see it. When you are totally relaxed you feel that the whole universe is filled with Divinity. When your mind is relaxed, your body is relaxed, you find that the chirping of the birds is Divinity, </p><p>the moving of leaves is Divinity, <br>the flowing of water is Divinity,<br>Even people fighting, & mountains - all - exuberate Divinity. You will find that beyond all this phenomenon, there is a field or phenomena that exists – that is Divinity. </p><p><b>Q: How to handle people who argue using kutarka (wrong logic)?</b></p><p><b>Sri Sri: </b>Intelligent people never argue, especially bhaktas, lovers, devotees never argue. It is said in the Narada bhakti sutra that if you are a devotee, you are lover of God, you never argue. Arguments have got no loyalty. They can go this way or that. </p><p>There are eight types of kutarkas. I tell you our nation, Vedic philosophy has tremendous knowledge, insight on this aspect. Like one is ‘pitanga’ – conveniently quoting one line and forgetting the other line. The second type is ‘I am saying so it is right’. Different types of logic to confuse you and make you feel like you have won.</p><p>At the time of Adi Shankracharya, ancient time two garlands were put on people involved in arguments. It was believed that the one who is wrong, who is trying to prove something wrong, his garland will wither away and the one who is authentic and trying to put forward the truth, his garland will stay. That is how Adi Shankracharya won arguments from place to place. </p><p>Wise people don’t get into arguments. They say, ‘Ok you want to win, ok you win.’</p><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img alt="art of living TV" border="4" height="75" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" width="450" /><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global Spirituality<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-41751487068236408572010-01-14T23:02:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.208-08:00‘Let there be sweetness in our speech’<br />What Sri Sri said today<br /><br />Bangalore ashram, Jan. 14: <br />Today it is Sankranti in India, the harvest festival. Farmers celebrate this day all over the country. In South India, it is called Pongal. People exchange sesame seeds and sugarcane with each other. Whatever you receive first, you have to give away to somebody. We exchange things.<br /><br />In ancient times there was no money, only the barter system. Almonds were exchanged for apples, sugarcane with rice, there was always give and take all over the world.<br /><br />Today is the day everyone can exchange like that. Usually, sweets are given (jaggery and sesame seeds). We have this and say, ‘Let us speak sweetly this year, let there be sweetness in our speech.’ “Have a nice day, happy birthday” are modern day wishes, but in ancient times we say, ‘let us be sweet to each other, may you speak sweetly,’ meaning, ‘The whole year, may you speak wisdom’. <br /><br />We had a huge program in Maharashtra, I have just come from there. In Maharashtra, it is said, <br /><br /><em>Tilgul ghya, </em><br /><em>Gud gud bola. </em><br /><br />(Eat <em>tilgul</em> (little balls of sesame seeds and jaggery); speak sweetly.) <br /><br /><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img alt="art of living TV" border="4" height="75" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" width="450" /><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global Spirituality<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8744841710605428078.post-54443817039741016922010-01-14T11:03:00.000-08:002010-02-24T21:35:26.241-08:00‘It not your doing, but your Being’<em><strong>Sadguru Pariwar presented the Sadguru Bhushan award to Sri Sri in Pune, (India) on January 13.</strong></em><br /><em><br /><strong></strong></em><br /><br /><strong></strong><br />While accepting the award, Sri Sri said – ‘Maharashtra has been a land of Saints and will continue to be so. In every household there is a saint. In every child there is a saint and in every saint, there is a child. The Sadguru group is doing a wonderful job of keeping alive the traditions and cultures among children. This award is an excuse for us to sit together. There is only One doer. It not your doing, but your Being. You don't become a saint with what you have done, but with who you are. How much compassion, service, love one has in one's heart. The job gets done with the collective effort of so many people. But if we want our inner being to shine then your own intention is enough. The wave of devotion and karmyog in Maharashtra must be always kept alive. Our culture is to sing, dance and celebrate not to fight or dispute. <br /><br /><br />A girl from a village of Maharashtra - how she became a queen, she made 181 temples, created an army of women to preserve Indian heritage. Every child must know this story of Ahilyabai Holkar. Her life has been so well portrayed by a foreigner in India, Francois Gautier. This can be an inspiration for every child in India.<br /><br />The Sadguru Parivar must take the light of knowledge everywhere and I hope that it never gets extinguished.<br /><br />The inner light must always be kept alive.’<br /><em><br /></em><br /><br /><strong></strong><br /><b></b><br /><b><i>“That which you cannot express is Love.<br />That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.<br />That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”</i></b><br /><b>~ Sri Sri Ravishankar</b><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/artoflivingtv" target="_blank"><br /><img alt="art of living TV" border="4" height="75" src="http://i644.photobucket.com/albums/uu164/Aputa/Untitledpicture-1.png" width="450" /><br /></a><br />© The Art of Living Foundation<br />For Global Spirituality<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0