Weekly Knowledge #85
Dallas, Texas
22 Jan 1997
USA
ACCEPT THE WORLD AT ITS WORST
Suppose the worst of the world is given to you; what would you do with it now? You cannot complain if you get the worst. You can only complain if you don't get the worst. If the world is at its worst, then it can only get better and you are here to make it better.
Jim: When things are at their very worst, then there is only time and space. (Laughter)
Patty: When you see that life is suffering then you go within.
Paula: It is like running out of breath and you have to inhale.
What happens when you have to do it all by yourself -- no one comes to help? You do everything by yourself?
There are three options:
Frustration and complaining.Take credit that you did it by yourself -- thank others for not helping so that you could take all the credit. (Laughter)Be grateful, pray deeply, and know that you get all the energy needed to do it all alone. There is only one doer.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
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Saturday, March 26, 2016
Tuesday, March 22, 2016
SURRENDER AND SELF-RELIANCE
Weekly Knowledge #81
Lake Lucerne
25 Dec 1996
Switzerland
SURRENDER AND SELF-RELIANCE
Self-reliance needs enormous courage.
Surrender needs less courage.
A person who cannot surrender cannot be self-reliant either.
If you don't have enough courage to surrender, then it is impossible for you to be self-reliant. You simply fool yourself. People who are afraid to surrender fool themselves. Because even a little fear is detrimental to self-reliance.
If you don't have a hundred dollars, you cannot have a thousand dollars.
Self-reliance contains surrender. Fifty dollars contains ten dollars.
Question: Why does self-reliance need so much courage?
When you want to depend on yourself for everything, there is nobody else, then it needs a lot of courage.
Often people think that surrender is a way to escape from responsibility and they end up blaming the Divine for all their problems. In fact, the true surrender is taking total responsibility for everything.
Susannah: How can we do that?
You take responsibility and you pray for help.
Surrender eventually leads you to self-reliance. Because there is nothing other than the Big Self.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Lake Lucerne
25 Dec 1996
Switzerland
SURRENDER AND SELF-RELIANCE
Self-reliance needs enormous courage.
Surrender needs less courage.
A person who cannot surrender cannot be self-reliant either.
If you don't have enough courage to surrender, then it is impossible for you to be self-reliant. You simply fool yourself. People who are afraid to surrender fool themselves. Because even a little fear is detrimental to self-reliance.
If you don't have a hundred dollars, you cannot have a thousand dollars.
Self-reliance contains surrender. Fifty dollars contains ten dollars.
Question: Why does self-reliance need so much courage?
When you want to depend on yourself for everything, there is nobody else, then it needs a lot of courage.
Often people think that surrender is a way to escape from responsibility and they end up blaming the Divine for all their problems. In fact, the true surrender is taking total responsibility for everything.
Susannah: How can we do that?
You take responsibility and you pray for help.
Surrender eventually leads you to self-reliance. Because there is nothing other than the Big Self.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Sunday, March 20, 2016
Is it possible to get enlightenment on this path?
Sri Sri....
Q. Is it possible to get enlightenment on this path? How do we know when someone is enlightened?
Guruji:
- when you are completely detached, completely detached from everything around you
- when you feel love for everyone and feel you are love
- when you feel you are space, untouched and pure
- when all that you see here around you does not interest you, does not provoke you, does not disturb you...then another world altogether opens up....even gods, goddesses don't interest you, then another dimension opens up altogether
...this is enlightenment
Q. How to keep trust in people after many disappointments in life?
G: Don't keep trust in people, keep trust in that one divinity who is taking care of you by knowing that only the best will happen to you.
Q. Is it possible to get enlightenment on this path? How do we know when someone is enlightened?
Guruji:
- when you are completely detached, completely detached from everything around you
- when you feel love for everyone and feel you are love
- when you feel you are space, untouched and pure
- when all that you see here around you does not interest you, does not provoke you, does not disturb you...then another world altogether opens up....even gods, goddesses don't interest you, then another dimension opens up altogether
...this is enlightenment
Q. How to keep trust in people after many disappointments in life?
G: Don't keep trust in people, keep trust in that one divinity who is taking care of you by knowing that only the best will happen to you.
Saturday, March 12, 2016
What is pitr lok
After leaving the physical body, the place where soul departs to is Pitr Loka. These lokas are present here only. It is like TV channels. If you change a channel on the television, that does not mean the other channel disappears. It is still there, but you just can't see it. Similarly, we can see only this dimension, but there are other dimensions also that are present here, which we cannot see. The mind is like a television box, and the soul is where we have all the channels. This is so interesting.
You know, it is so mind-boggling, there are so many layers to this creation; one layer is of human life, another layer is of the departed souls, another layer is of the deities (everything happens from this layer). Then there is the layer of the Gandharva (the realm of music). Any renowned musician you meet, they have a Gandharva soul attached to them.
Like this, the creation has many layers.
You know, it is so mind-boggling, there are so many layers to this creation; one layer is of human life, another layer is of the departed souls, another layer is of the deities (everything happens from this layer). Then there is the layer of the Gandharva (the realm of music). Any renowned musician you meet, they have a Gandharva soul attached to them.
Like this, the creation has many layers.
CELEBRATING THE SILENCE
Weekly Knowledge #71
Bangalore Ashram
16 Oct 1996
India
CELEBRATING THE SILENCE
One who has given everything has also given freedom: Honor the freedom first and make good use of all things given to you.
Your sankalpas (intentions) and desires separate you from God.
Offer all the desires and your sankalpas to the Divine... then you are divine... you are God... you are free... lacking nothing.
Effort is the key in the relative,
Effortlessness is the key to the Absolute.
Your mind does not belong to you. Don't blame it.
Let the BIG SELF embrace it.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Bangalore Ashram
16 Oct 1996
India
CELEBRATING THE SILENCE
One who has given everything has also given freedom: Honor the freedom first and make good use of all things given to you.
Your sankalpas (intentions) and desires separate you from God.
Offer all the desires and your sankalpas to the Divine... then you are divine... you are God... you are free... lacking nothing.
Effort is the key in the relative,
Effortlessness is the key to the Absolute.
Your mind does not belong to you. Don't blame it.
Let the BIG SELF embrace it.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Monday, March 7, 2016
THE WELL BAKED POT
Weekly Knowledge #66
Bangalore Ashram
12 Sep 1996
India
THE WELL BAKED POT
If you pour water into a half baked pot, the pot becomes wasted and so does the water. If the pot is well baked and strong, then it does not matter whether you put the water into the pot or the pot into the water.
During Satsang that evening a devotee presents a beautiful hand crafted pot to Guruji. Another devotee presents a bouquet of roses. Placing the bouquet into the pot Guruji says, "If the pot is well baked, then it will hold the flowers."
Yet another gift of sweets is given to Guruji and He adds, "When you blossom the sweets come to you." Then came a box of (Sandesh) Sweets and Guruji concluded, "This is today's sandesh." (Sandesh is the Hindi word for message.)
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Wish you a very Happy Shivratri
Bangalore Ashram
12 Sep 1996
India
THE WELL BAKED POT
If you pour water into a half baked pot, the pot becomes wasted and so does the water. If the pot is well baked and strong, then it does not matter whether you put the water into the pot or the pot into the water.
During Satsang that evening a devotee presents a beautiful hand crafted pot to Guruji. Another devotee presents a bouquet of roses. Placing the bouquet into the pot Guruji says, "If the pot is well baked, then it will hold the flowers."
Yet another gift of sweets is given to Guruji and He adds, "When you blossom the sweets come to you." Then came a box of (Sandesh) Sweets and Guruji concluded, "This is today's sandesh." (Sandesh is the Hindi word for message.)
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Wish you a very Happy Shivratri
Saturday, March 5, 2016
SPECIAL or ORDINARY
Weekly Knowledge #64
Grimstad
28 Aug 1996
Norway
SPECIAL or ORDINARY
Are you special or ordinary?
What makes you special on the path? (Everyone is silent) Your perception, observation, and expressionhave advanced. What makes you ordinary on the path is that you are special! (Laughter) . . . . Because everybody thinks they are very special in some way or another!
Your perception has improved. You see the cause behind every cause, the Divine, and you see the great plan behind every small plan. You don't see the intentions behind others's mistakes and you are not a doubting Thomas.
Kiran: Who was doubting Thomas?
Shirley: Thomas doubted Jesus.
Bhanu: But I think he also got enlightened!
Stefano: Yes, but he was not sure! (Laughter)
Before getting onto the path you never observed your emotions. Now you observe your emotions, positive or negative, love or hatred, anger or compassion, pain or pleasure. Your observation has improved.
Your expression has improved. In the center-core of everyone there are all the good qualities. In the unfortunate and stressed ones it has not found an expression, but you have given an expression to these great qualities.
And soooo . . . . . you are extra . . . ordinary!
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Grimstad
28 Aug 1996
Norway
SPECIAL or ORDINARY
Are you special or ordinary?
What makes you special on the path? (Everyone is silent) Your perception, observation, and expressionhave advanced. What makes you ordinary on the path is that you are special! (Laughter) . . . . Because everybody thinks they are very special in some way or another!
Your perception has improved. You see the cause behind every cause, the Divine, and you see the great plan behind every small plan. You don't see the intentions behind others's mistakes and you are not a doubting Thomas.
Kiran: Who was doubting Thomas?
Shirley: Thomas doubted Jesus.
Bhanu: But I think he also got enlightened!
Stefano: Yes, but he was not sure! (Laughter)
Before getting onto the path you never observed your emotions. Now you observe your emotions, positive or negative, love or hatred, anger or compassion, pain or pleasure. Your observation has improved.
Your expression has improved. In the center-core of everyone there are all the good qualities. In the unfortunate and stressed ones it has not found an expression, but you have given an expression to these great qualities.
And soooo . . . . . you are extra . . . ordinary!
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Friday, March 4, 2016
SURRENDER - SHAME AND SHYNESS
Weekly Knowledge #63
London
22 Aug 1996
United Kingdom
SURRENDER - SHAME AND SHYNESS
In surrender the head bends and meets the heart. The head that does not bend has no value, and the head that is stiff will have to bend sometime, either in surrender or in shame. The head that bends in surrender will never have to bend in shame. Shame accompanies arrogance. Shyness accompanies Love. See how children are endowed with shyness, that is natural. Shyness is inherent. Shame is inflicted by society and is acquired. Shame brings guilt and shyness adds to one's beauty. Retain your shyness and drop your shame.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
London
22 Aug 1996
United Kingdom
SURRENDER - SHAME AND SHYNESS
In surrender the head bends and meets the heart. The head that does not bend has no value, and the head that is stiff will have to bend sometime, either in surrender or in shame. The head that bends in surrender will never have to bend in shame. Shame accompanies arrogance. Shyness accompanies Love. See how children are endowed with shyness, that is natural. Shyness is inherent. Shame is inflicted by society and is acquired. Shame brings guilt and shyness adds to one's beauty. Retain your shyness and drop your shame.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Thursday, March 3, 2016
INFINITE PATIENCE AND SMART SHOPPING
Weekly Knowledge #62
Santa Monica, California
14 Aug 1996
USA
INFINITE PATIENCE AND SMART SHOPPING
Suppose you go to God, get a boon, and walk away. When your intention is to get a boon, then you are in a hurry. Another person who knows he owns God is not in a hurry for anything. Infinite patience comes up in him.
When you know you own God, you are not in a hurry to get something out of God. Your hurry to get something throws you off balance and makes you small. Have "eternal wait," infinite patience. When you have infinite patience, you will realize God belongs to you. Either through awareness or through practice you reach the same spot.
Question: What do you mean by "owning God?"
Answer: The Divinity belongs to you. It's not like shopping at the supermarket in a hurry and rushing back home. When you see the whole store is at home, you are not in a hurry to shop. You are at ease.
Question: To develop patience do we just observe the impatience?
Answer: Just observe the thoughts and feelings and don't regret about it.
When you know you are part of the divine plan, you stop demanding. Then you know everything is being done for you. You are taken care of. Usually we do it the other way: we hurry the mind and are slow in our action. Impatience means hurry in the mind; lethargy means slowness in action. Patience in the mind and dynamism in action is the right formula.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Santa Monica, California
14 Aug 1996
USA
INFINITE PATIENCE AND SMART SHOPPING
Suppose you go to God, get a boon, and walk away. When your intention is to get a boon, then you are in a hurry. Another person who knows he owns God is not in a hurry for anything. Infinite patience comes up in him.
When you know you own God, you are not in a hurry to get something out of God. Your hurry to get something throws you off balance and makes you small. Have "eternal wait," infinite patience. When you have infinite patience, you will realize God belongs to you. Either through awareness or through practice you reach the same spot.
Question: What do you mean by "owning God?"
Answer: The Divinity belongs to you. It's not like shopping at the supermarket in a hurry and rushing back home. When you see the whole store is at home, you are not in a hurry to shop. You are at ease.
Question: To develop patience do we just observe the impatience?
Answer: Just observe the thoughts and feelings and don't regret about it.
When you know you are part of the divine plan, you stop demanding. Then you know everything is being done for you. You are taken care of. Usually we do it the other way: we hurry the mind and are slow in our action. Impatience means hurry in the mind; lethargy means slowness in action. Patience in the mind and dynamism in action is the right formula.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Wednesday, March 2, 2016
Faith and Devotion
Weekly Knowledge #61
Los Angeles, California
07 Aug 1996
USA
Faith and Devotion
Faith is the subject of head. Devotion is the subject of heart. And meditation is of both and connects both.
A mature intellect is devoted. A mature heart is full of knowledge. And meditation matures your intellect as well as your heart.
Mr. John Pb: But people with good intellect seem to have less faith.
Guruji: They have more faith in the matter. Head puts the faith in the matter more and heart puts the faith in the abstract more.
It's next to impossible that one can be in total lack of faith or total lack of devotion. It's only a question of balance.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Los Angeles, California
07 Aug 1996
USA
Faith and Devotion
Faith is the subject of head. Devotion is the subject of heart. And meditation is of both and connects both.
A mature intellect is devoted. A mature heart is full of knowledge. And meditation matures your intellect as well as your heart.
Mr. John Pb: But people with good intellect seem to have less faith.
Guruji: They have more faith in the matter. Head puts the faith in the matter more and heart puts the faith in the abstract more.
It's next to impossible that one can be in total lack of faith or total lack of devotion. It's only a question of balance.
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Tuesday, March 1, 2016
DON'T BE GRATEFUL!
Weekly Knowledge #60
Bad Antogast
31 Jul 1996
Germany
Today is a gift from God -- that is why it is called "present!"
DON'T BE GRATEFUL!
Warning! Watch out! This Knowledge Sheet contains explosives! It can explode your head or your heart. If it explodes your heart -- nothing is left! If it explodes your head -- everything is attained!
Guruji: How many of you are grateful here? (Everybody raises their hand.) If you are grateful, you don't belong to Me! (Everyone is shocked.) You are not part of the Master. When someone gives you something, you are grateful. That means you feel separate. You are not grateful to yourself.
Gratefulness is inevitable. When you go beyond gratefulness, then union happens. No "I," no "you" remains. You are part of the Master. You are just One Being with a thousand heads and a thousand arms, but with one heart. You have got to be grateful on the path, but you have to transcend gratefulness. Better stop being grateful. (Laughter.)
When you are grateful then you are the center, you are more important. When you are grateful to God for having received something beautiful, for example, eyesight, who is important? You or God? You! So your gratitude indicates ego.
Richard: But you are not grateful?
Guruji: I am simply great and I am full! (Laughter) Don't be grateful; just be great -- and be full! (Laughter)
This Knowledge is very dangerous! When you are part of the Master, you have every right to be happy. You have every right to Knowledge, happiness, and the whole universe!
Angelika: Small children don't feel grateful as long as they feel one. They take everything for granted.
Meike: You are not grateful to your own hand which feeds you.
Ananda: On one of the courses you said in the thanking process, "Now, thank yourself for being here!" So you can thank yourself.
Guruji: if you wish, you can! This is true celebration: thanking yourself!
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
Bad Antogast
31 Jul 1996
Germany
Today is a gift from God -- that is why it is called "present!"
DON'T BE GRATEFUL!
Warning! Watch out! This Knowledge Sheet contains explosives! It can explode your head or your heart. If it explodes your heart -- nothing is left! If it explodes your head -- everything is attained!
Guruji: How many of you are grateful here? (Everybody raises their hand.) If you are grateful, you don't belong to Me! (Everyone is shocked.) You are not part of the Master. When someone gives you something, you are grateful. That means you feel separate. You are not grateful to yourself.
Gratefulness is inevitable. When you go beyond gratefulness, then union happens. No "I," no "you" remains. You are part of the Master. You are just One Being with a thousand heads and a thousand arms, but with one heart. You have got to be grateful on the path, but you have to transcend gratefulness. Better stop being grateful. (Laughter.)
When you are grateful then you are the center, you are more important. When you are grateful to God for having received something beautiful, for example, eyesight, who is important? You or God? You! So your gratitude indicates ego.
Richard: But you are not grateful?
Guruji: I am simply great and I am full! (Laughter) Don't be grateful; just be great -- and be full! (Laughter)
This Knowledge is very dangerous! When you are part of the Master, you have every right to be happy. You have every right to Knowledge, happiness, and the whole universe!
Angelika: Small children don't feel grateful as long as they feel one. They take everything for granted.
Meike: You are not grateful to your own hand which feeds you.
Ananda: On one of the courses you said in the thanking process, "Now, thank yourself for being here!" So you can thank yourself.
Guruji: if you wish, you can! This is true celebration: thanking yourself!
🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸
How would you know who is your true disciple?
Q: How would you know who is your true disciple?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I don't care. Why should I know if someone is true or
untrue? If they are truthful, they will move up. If they are untruthful,
they will fall down because nobody's intellect is in their control.
Why should anyone doubt anybody, whether they are true or false? In my
eyes, everybody is good, and if they do something wrong, they are
definitely going to go down, but they will come back up again. It's very
simple mathematics.
I don't need anything from any disciple. If they move up, very good, if
they don't, let them face the music. See, even facing the music makes them
good and stronger. You know, I never go to console anyone, "Oh, I am so
sorry, you poor thing". You have a problem? Okay, good, deal with it!
This is intimate knowledge, not to be spoken out to the masses. This is to
make one understand how to move in the knowledge, and how to move in the
path. So there are very many ways.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I don't care. Why should I know if someone is true or
untrue? If they are truthful, they will move up. If they are untruthful,
they will fall down because nobody's intellect is in their control.
Why should anyone doubt anybody, whether they are true or false? In my
eyes, everybody is good, and if they do something wrong, they are
definitely going to go down, but they will come back up again. It's very
simple mathematics.
I don't need anything from any disciple. If they move up, very good, if
they don't, let them face the music. See, even facing the music makes them
good and stronger. You know, I never go to console anyone, "Oh, I am so
sorry, you poor thing". You have a problem? Okay, good, deal with it!
This is intimate knowledge, not to be spoken out to the masses. This is to
make one understand how to move in the knowledge, and how to move in the
path. So there are very many ways.
Souls and Karmic Connections
Souls and Karmic Connections
We have traveled through many lifetimes and lived with many different souls amid family, friends or those who don't really get along with us. Some may have even tried to harm us emotionally, physically or spiritually. All said and done. We all are the same and belong to only one group that is SOULS. We all have traveled together in different lifetimes and have shared various relationships with each other such as,
Father-Mother
Husband-Wife
Uncle-Aunt
Brother-Sister
Friends
Neighbours
Servants
Drivers and
even so-called Enemies.
Each person is a Soul that tries to help the other move forward spiritually and reduce the Karmic baggage.
Sometimes the Soul that loves us the most, might willingly take birth as an enemy or a tormentor in a lifetime, just to help us work out our karma. Thus, a person, who we think hates us and we in return hate, might be our greatest well-wisher spiritually.
He or She may be responsible for our becoming spiritual or compassionate. That very person who is creating hell in our lives may bring us closer to spirituality. In the present lifetime, he/she may be doing so because that could be the only way to teach us a lesson.
Sometimes, a Soul is reborn just to comfort us and be there in times of need.
So, who is our friend and who is our enemy? They all are part of the Soul-Family who wants to help us and want help in return. Sometimes an opportunity comes in the form of a Disaster. Sometimes, the only way to grow spiritually and in life is through pain, sorrow and turmoil.
That is when Life seems strange.
Hence never form judgements, abuse or hate and never say nasty things about anyone. Who knows we may be harming the Soul who loves us the most spiritually but are not able to recognize it as the soul is wearing a different body in this particular lifetime.
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
We have traveled through many lifetimes and lived with many different souls amid family, friends or those who don't really get along with us. Some may have even tried to harm us emotionally, physically or spiritually. All said and done. We all are the same and belong to only one group that is SOULS. We all have traveled together in different lifetimes and have shared various relationships with each other such as,
Father-Mother
Husband-Wife
Uncle-Aunt
Brother-Sister
Friends
Neighbours
Servants
Drivers and
even so-called Enemies.
Each person is a Soul that tries to help the other move forward spiritually and reduce the Karmic baggage.
Sometimes the Soul that loves us the most, might willingly take birth as an enemy or a tormentor in a lifetime, just to help us work out our karma. Thus, a person, who we think hates us and we in return hate, might be our greatest well-wisher spiritually.
He or She may be responsible for our becoming spiritual or compassionate. That very person who is creating hell in our lives may bring us closer to spirituality. In the present lifetime, he/she may be doing so because that could be the only way to teach us a lesson.
Sometimes, a Soul is reborn just to comfort us and be there in times of need.
So, who is our friend and who is our enemy? They all are part of the Soul-Family who wants to help us and want help in return. Sometimes an opportunity comes in the form of a Disaster. Sometimes, the only way to grow spiritually and in life is through pain, sorrow and turmoil.
That is when Life seems strange.
Hence never form judgements, abuse or hate and never say nasty things about anyone. Who knows we may be harming the Soul who loves us the most spiritually but are not able to recognize it as the soul is wearing a different body in this particular lifetime.
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
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