Educate & Ignore
Tolerating means giving others sometime to improve. If their behavior
hurts you & you want to give them some time to improve, this is
tolerance. Educate them that what they are doing is going to harm them.
Then ignore because you cannot correct everyone on the planet. Some
people are that way. If you go on thinking about them, you will be
spoiling your own peace of mind. So tolerate, educate, ignore &
don’t react but respond
Worth of our Life
Our life becomes worth living when we are of use to somebody. Helping
through substances is one thing, but that is not long lasting. Helping
others with knowledge or wisdom so that they can know how to manage
their mind and emotions and their inner being is greater
Attachment
Attachment is when you want something in return. If you love and do not
want anything in return, then that love doesn't turn into attachment
Love
Don’t ask anyone if they love you – only fools ask this. Even if someone
is angry, he is demonstrating love. Emotions like anger, jealousy, and
greed are because of love. Love is our nature. If someone is sleeping,
do you ask the person are you sleeping? If you do, then you have already
woken them up
Just Play
Accept: ‘Ok, I am going to fail. So what? I still want to do it.’ It's
like a game you play, whether you win or lose, you play the game.
Correct? If you are playing soccer, you just play, no matter if you win
or lose, you just play. In the same way, don’t be afraid of failure. If
you fail, never mind, still do it. Ok? You need to take some risks in
life
Desires and Pain
Desires need not lead to pain. Some desires, when you want to fulfill
them but you do not have enough energy and you can’t fulfill them, then
they give you pain|
this blog is related to the worlds best organization called the art of living run by volunteers
Thursday, December 12, 2013
Wisdom from guruji
A Balance of the Heart and the Mind
In a home, do you know who the real leader is? Is the father the leader of
the house, or the baby?
You will be surprised to know that it is the baby that leads the house. It
is around the baby that the entire family circles, isn't that so?!
That is why, I consider myself as a baby; as a child.
A real leader needs to have these two qualities, one of the head and the
other of the heart - Sensibility and Sensitivity.
Often what we see, people who are very sensible, are not sensitive, because
they are so focused on reason; on being sensible and logical. And then
there are those who are very sensitive that at the drop of a hat, tears
come into their eyes, but they are not sensible enough.
Neither of these two can become a good leader, because you need to have a
balance of both - Sensibility and Sensitivity; heart and mind, because we
are all made up of these two very important aspects of our life.
Intellect has its unique place, and so do our emotions.
n the past century, the emphasis has been only on the intellect. A tear in
a man's eyes was considered to be something weird. How can a man cry?!
And a woman taking a mike, and standing up and speaking, or fighting for
her rights, was considered to be weird. And that is how the society was.
Women could not lead!
Of course, not in Kerala. In Kerala, a different system has been there. But
world over, women were not given that intellectual power to speak because
she was brushed aside as the more fair and sensitive race. Today, the
scenario has changed.
Today, we need sensibility and sensitivity. We need that softness of a
female in every leader, and the strength and perseverance of a male in
every woman, then one can lead any organization. What do you say?!
There is something very important that I want to tell you. Whenever we have
to discuss about leadership, or anything very dear to our hearts, we need
to be in a very informal atmosphere.
So, why don't we just take half a minute, to greet the person behind us, in
front of us, to our sides, saying, 'I belong to you!'
Done?! Did you greet the people near you?
Some of you were so shy to even say 'Hi' to others.
Many times, we find leaders in such a position. They don't look at people,
they look somewhere else and keep talking. They can't relate to people,
isn't it?!
So did you really tell the people around you, 'I belong to you'; or you did
it as a formality?
You must have noticed, when you get off the plane, the air hostess greets
you saying, 'Have a nice day!' They say this much but they don't really
mean it.
In the same way, most of the pleasantries that we exchange in our daily
lives, is from that level. We say, 'Hi', or 'Welcome', but there is no
warmth of welcoming someone.
But the same words, when it comes to you from someone very dear to you;
your mother, or your sister, or close friend, then it carries some
vibrations.
Most of what we communicate is through vibes, and words play a very small
part of it. Your vibrations send more messages, even before words come out
of your mouth.
A leader when he relies on his words should know for sure that his words
will not be relied upon.
If you rely on words so much, people will not rely on your words. It has to
come from deep within. That is what is called sincerity, when there is a
connect between your vibes, your feelings and your words.
You may tell me, 'Gurudev, it is so difficult to match these three. How is
it possible?! If everybody could match these three, everybody would be a
saint. It is not practical!'
I tell you, okay, I agree with you. You will not be able to match it 100%,
but at least can you match 25%. That much you can do, because people can
feel it; sense it.
So we convey a lot through our vibrations than through words. Words are
important but it needs that presence.
People are intelligent, they can make out when you really welcome someone
and when you are doing it as a formality.
Okay, I have another exercise for you. Will you do it? Are you ready?
Can you turn to the person next to you and tell the person, 'I don't trust
you!'
If your spouse is next to you, this is an opportunity! (Laughter)
You all did it so quickly?!
Did you notice that it was not easy to do that. This is the very first time
that you must have told someone, 'I don't trust you', and you started
laughing and they started laughing as well. Transformation has begun.
You were not relying on their words and they were not relying on your
words, isn't it?!
Just for a minute close your eyes, and just imagine, no one trusts you.
Everybody is telling you, 'I do not trust you.'
You may open your eyes.
How do you feel? Relieved?! Awful?!
(Audience: Awful; miserable; uncomfortable; desperate; sad; horrible;
dejected)
You know, this is what we generate when we have this attitude, 'I don't
trust anybody.'
We create such a vibration, that anybody who comes around us, they feel
that we feel that way, and then there is mistrust in society, and that is
how society starts going down and conflicts arise.
Do you know, most conflicts can be solved at the very beginning itself, if
the pact of trust is attended to.
See, when you feel nobody trusts you, you feel so bad, and you feel such a
bad vibration all around you, and that creates such an atmosphere that is
not good for you or for anybody else.
I don't mean that you have to be naive, but at the same time I want you to
look at this aspect of trust. A society which has no faith in human values
cannot flourish, or progress, or be creative, on any count. This is my
conclusion.
Now you may ask, 'What about self-doubt. I trust others but I don't trust
myself.'
This is another form of the same disease. Lack of trust in yourself leads
to lack of trust in others. Lack of trust in others leads to lack of trust
in the values of society, which leads back to lack of trust in oneself.
This needs to be corrected. And anything that corrects this should be
welcomed.
Trust between communities, trust between members of the same family is
important.
I would say, it is stress that is responsible for distrust.
Don't think everyone is a fraud. There are good people on the planet and
that counts for majority of them. The world is bad today, not because of a
few bad people, but it is the silence of the good people that has created
unfavourable situations. Now it is in our hands to change this.
Each one of you is a leader, don't look for a leader.
What is important is to lead from behind. A real leader is not one who
emphasizes, 'I am the leader, you must follow me', instead he says, 'Go
forward', and he pushes others in front. 'I am here with you, so you run';
just like the coach who assists his participant in a running race, or a
coach who teaches you swimming.
Someone argues, how can I jump into the water when I don't know swimming.
But unless you get into the water, how can you learn swimming?! You can't
swim in the air. So that guidance has to come from one's own very life's
example.
You have seen the big uproar that has happened in India. Finally people
have woken up to the plight of women. It is not the first time that a woman
has been abused, it has been happening for many years and in many places.
People have woken up, and everybody is demanding that these people need to
be punished, but they are leaving out one person, i.e., Mr. Alcohol.
If these people were not drunk, perhaps they would not have gone out of
their senses. And if these people were in their senses, perhaps they would
not have committed such a crime. But they were totally drunk. Isn't it?!
It is alcohol which is the first culprit.
I keep hearing of this everyday; every single day. Men drink at night and
then they go and beat up their wives, and in the morning they ask her for
forgiveness, and she forgives them and life continues.
Q: You just said that alcohol is the main reason behind the Delhi gang rape
case. But today, there have been cases of young girls being raped by their
own fathers. In those cases, it is not just alcohol. What is the bigger
problem?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Correct, it is not alcohol which is the main reason
behind this case.
Sex offenders have primarily three issue. One is hormone issues, where
there could be some serious hormonal imbalances in them.
Second is emotional disturbances. The person must be a victim of some sort,
within themselves.
Third is, total deterioration of human values.
So, these three things together can make a person do such criminal acts
which they themselves would regret.
It is not that they would feel very happy that they have achieved something
great. They are doing such a bad thing to a small child.
They are compelled because of their sick mind, imbalanced emotions and
hormones. So these kind of people need treatment. They definitely need
counselling, and society needs to provide them with this kind of
counselling without any stigma.
Do you know, this is not just in rural places, in fact, it is more in all
the advanced countries. In world over, this problem of child molestation is
prevalent. So many such cases are there. Father molesting his own daughter,
we have heard of something like this in India only recently, but this has
been happening in America for so many years. And it has gone to an extent
with all these television shows, that sometimes, children start doubting,
'Oh, maybe my father did like this to me.'
I want to share one such case with you.
An elderly couple came to me. Their daughter who at time was already 38
years of age, suddenly thought, after watching all these talk shows, that
she is a victim. That her father did this to her when she was a child.
So suddenly, after this television show, the relationship between the
parents and the daughter became so bad.
The father was crying, saying, 'How can I ever do such a crime. My daughter
thinks I have done this to her.'
So, some of these television shows can make such an impact as well, that it
destroys the family.
Are you understanding what I am saying? It took me quite a while to sit
them all together, to counsel them, to make them meditate, and all that.
Of course, finally the family came together, they could let go of these
impressions.
Many times people consider themselves as victims to draw more attention.
These kind of things also happen in society.
We need to put an end to crime against women and children at any cost. This
can only happen when society turns more spiritual, more humane and more
sensitive.
Q: If government is corrupt, how can the nation create good governance.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The government has no personality, it is the people
in the government who become corrupt. It is the people who can become
incorrupt as well.
See, corruption begins where the sense of belongingness ends. Nobody can be
corrupt with people whom they think belong to them. They will not take
bribe from their friends and family. They take bribe only from those whom
they find are outside their sense of belongingness.
So, corruption and crime, these two things have to be removed, otherwise
the government cannot be effective.
Criminal elements in the government is a horrible thing.
Do you know why every party gives tickets to these criminal elements? It is
because they have a vote bank. If you, the good people start making your
own vote banks, you can dictate to every party, 'If you give tickets to
criminal elements, we are not going to vote for you', then no party will
dare to give tickets to corrupt people or to the criminal elements in
society.
That is why I said, we should all, together, stand up for human values in
society, united. Individually we all stand up for values, but we need to
stand up being united.
If all good people in Cochin stand up and say, 'We will not allow Cochin to
be polluted. We stand for cleanliness in our city', then things start
changing.
I feel this is necessary.
Q: There are many corporations that are venturing into social
responsibilities, but recently the government has introduced some policies
where this is being thrust onto corporations. What do you have to say about
this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If the government says that companies have to spend
3% of their profits on social responsibility, a good corporation would
spend 4% of their profits, and not limit to the 3% as per the government's
guidelines.
It is a good thing that the government has given such a guideline. At least
2% to 3% must be given towards corporate social responsibility.
I don't think there is anything wrong with this decision of the government.
I think this one decision is very good, that every corporation should spend
at least some percentage of their profit for the welfare of others.
This has been said in our Dharma Shastras as well. Anyone who gets any
profit has to share a percentage of it for the welfare of society.
Q: Can you say something about entrepreneurship.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Entrepreneur is a projection of creativity. One
aspect of creativity.
An entrepreneur has to come out of his or her comfort zone. One cannot say,
'I want to be in my comfort zone and I want to be an entrepreneur', that is
not going to work.
Entrepreneurship always involves risks and the ability to undergo hardship.
Q: What is the significance of the culture of leadership in organizations?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A leader has to walk the talk. Be sensible, sensitive
and compassionate.
We need three things in life, Passion, Dispassion and Compassion.
You can't have only passion, then you feel very stressed out. You need to
have dispassion, you need to know how to let go. If you keep holding onto
things when they are out of your hands anyways, you will only be more
stressed. And a stressful person is a burden for himself, for the society
and for everybody.
A stressful person becomes harmful and toxic.
In any institution you should identify those who are stressed. The ones
stressed are soon going to become toxic. So, see to it that the person
changes his whole attitude and feels better about himself.
When people are relieved of stress, then you see a wave of change that
arises.
It is not an easy task. If someone is not willing to let go of his or her
stress, you cannot make them let go of it. So, it is an uphill task and you
have to do that.
Q: You have already told that women are naturally good leaders, but there
are not enough women leaders. Can you tell us, what are the barriers for
becoming a good leader?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I want to tell you that India has more women leaders
than any other part of the world. Do you know that?
We have many women members of Parliament, many women in the legislative
assembly, and many states ruled by women. The whole country has been ruled
by women for several decades; so never think that you need to be empowered
by somebody.
Here, in India, women are already empowered. America has to learn that.
America has not yet come to that level as far as women empowerment is
concerned.
Q: In my work environment, I meet different kinds of people, and I may not
like talking to some of them. How do I be diplomatic in my approach?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This is a very tricky question.
Sometimes if you are not direct, and if you don't tell them on their face,
they think that you are giving them some other indications in a subtle way,
or are confirming what they have in their own mind.
At the same time, you need not be rude when you need to express your
opinions, or ideas, which you want to put forth. So, it is really about
striking a balance.
There is no definite formula. You have to play by the ear.
How to be diplomatic - this cannot be taught now and applied later. It has
to come out of you spontaneously at that moment.
In a home, do you know who the real leader is? Is the father the leader of
the house, or the baby?
You will be surprised to know that it is the baby that leads the house. It
is around the baby that the entire family circles, isn't that so?!
That is why, I consider myself as a baby; as a child.
A real leader needs to have these two qualities, one of the head and the
other of the heart - Sensibility and Sensitivity.
Often what we see, people who are very sensible, are not sensitive, because
they are so focused on reason; on being sensible and logical. And then
there are those who are very sensitive that at the drop of a hat, tears
come into their eyes, but they are not sensible enough.
Neither of these two can become a good leader, because you need to have a
balance of both - Sensibility and Sensitivity; heart and mind, because we
are all made up of these two very important aspects of our life.
Intellect has its unique place, and so do our emotions.
n the past century, the emphasis has been only on the intellect. A tear in
a man's eyes was considered to be something weird. How can a man cry?!
And a woman taking a mike, and standing up and speaking, or fighting for
her rights, was considered to be weird. And that is how the society was.
Women could not lead!
Of course, not in Kerala. In Kerala, a different system has been there. But
world over, women were not given that intellectual power to speak because
she was brushed aside as the more fair and sensitive race. Today, the
scenario has changed.
Today, we need sensibility and sensitivity. We need that softness of a
female in every leader, and the strength and perseverance of a male in
every woman, then one can lead any organization. What do you say?!
There is something very important that I want to tell you. Whenever we have
to discuss about leadership, or anything very dear to our hearts, we need
to be in a very informal atmosphere.
So, why don't we just take half a minute, to greet the person behind us, in
front of us, to our sides, saying, 'I belong to you!'
Done?! Did you greet the people near you?
Some of you were so shy to even say 'Hi' to others.
Many times, we find leaders in such a position. They don't look at people,
they look somewhere else and keep talking. They can't relate to people,
isn't it?!
So did you really tell the people around you, 'I belong to you'; or you did
it as a formality?
You must have noticed, when you get off the plane, the air hostess greets
you saying, 'Have a nice day!' They say this much but they don't really
mean it.
In the same way, most of the pleasantries that we exchange in our daily
lives, is from that level. We say, 'Hi', or 'Welcome', but there is no
warmth of welcoming someone.
But the same words, when it comes to you from someone very dear to you;
your mother, or your sister, or close friend, then it carries some
vibrations.
Most of what we communicate is through vibes, and words play a very small
part of it. Your vibrations send more messages, even before words come out
of your mouth.
A leader when he relies on his words should know for sure that his words
will not be relied upon.
If you rely on words so much, people will not rely on your words. It has to
come from deep within. That is what is called sincerity, when there is a
connect between your vibes, your feelings and your words.
You may tell me, 'Gurudev, it is so difficult to match these three. How is
it possible?! If everybody could match these three, everybody would be a
saint. It is not practical!'
I tell you, okay, I agree with you. You will not be able to match it 100%,
but at least can you match 25%. That much you can do, because people can
feel it; sense it.
So we convey a lot through our vibrations than through words. Words are
important but it needs that presence.
People are intelligent, they can make out when you really welcome someone
and when you are doing it as a formality.
Okay, I have another exercise for you. Will you do it? Are you ready?
Can you turn to the person next to you and tell the person, 'I don't trust
you!'
If your spouse is next to you, this is an opportunity! (Laughter)
You all did it so quickly?!
Did you notice that it was not easy to do that. This is the very first time
that you must have told someone, 'I don't trust you', and you started
laughing and they started laughing as well. Transformation has begun.
You were not relying on their words and they were not relying on your
words, isn't it?!
Just for a minute close your eyes, and just imagine, no one trusts you.
Everybody is telling you, 'I do not trust you.'
You may open your eyes.
How do you feel? Relieved?! Awful?!
(Audience: Awful; miserable; uncomfortable; desperate; sad; horrible;
dejected)
You know, this is what we generate when we have this attitude, 'I don't
trust anybody.'
We create such a vibration, that anybody who comes around us, they feel
that we feel that way, and then there is mistrust in society, and that is
how society starts going down and conflicts arise.
Do you know, most conflicts can be solved at the very beginning itself, if
the pact of trust is attended to.
See, when you feel nobody trusts you, you feel so bad, and you feel such a
bad vibration all around you, and that creates such an atmosphere that is
not good for you or for anybody else.
I don't mean that you have to be naive, but at the same time I want you to
look at this aspect of trust. A society which has no faith in human values
cannot flourish, or progress, or be creative, on any count. This is my
conclusion.
Now you may ask, 'What about self-doubt. I trust others but I don't trust
myself.'
This is another form of the same disease. Lack of trust in yourself leads
to lack of trust in others. Lack of trust in others leads to lack of trust
in the values of society, which leads back to lack of trust in oneself.
This needs to be corrected. And anything that corrects this should be
welcomed.
Trust between communities, trust between members of the same family is
important.
I would say, it is stress that is responsible for distrust.
Don't think everyone is a fraud. There are good people on the planet and
that counts for majority of them. The world is bad today, not because of a
few bad people, but it is the silence of the good people that has created
unfavourable situations. Now it is in our hands to change this.
Each one of you is a leader, don't look for a leader.
What is important is to lead from behind. A real leader is not one who
emphasizes, 'I am the leader, you must follow me', instead he says, 'Go
forward', and he pushes others in front. 'I am here with you, so you run';
just like the coach who assists his participant in a running race, or a
coach who teaches you swimming.
Someone argues, how can I jump into the water when I don't know swimming.
But unless you get into the water, how can you learn swimming?! You can't
swim in the air. So that guidance has to come from one's own very life's
example.
You have seen the big uproar that has happened in India. Finally people
have woken up to the plight of women. It is not the first time that a woman
has been abused, it has been happening for many years and in many places.
People have woken up, and everybody is demanding that these people need to
be punished, but they are leaving out one person, i.e., Mr. Alcohol.
If these people were not drunk, perhaps they would not have gone out of
their senses. And if these people were in their senses, perhaps they would
not have committed such a crime. But they were totally drunk. Isn't it?!
It is alcohol which is the first culprit.
I keep hearing of this everyday; every single day. Men drink at night and
then they go and beat up their wives, and in the morning they ask her for
forgiveness, and she forgives them and life continues.
Q: You just said that alcohol is the main reason behind the Delhi gang rape
case. But today, there have been cases of young girls being raped by their
own fathers. In those cases, it is not just alcohol. What is the bigger
problem?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Correct, it is not alcohol which is the main reason
behind this case.
Sex offenders have primarily three issue. One is hormone issues, where
there could be some serious hormonal imbalances in them.
Second is emotional disturbances. The person must be a victim of some sort,
within themselves.
Third is, total deterioration of human values.
So, these three things together can make a person do such criminal acts
which they themselves would regret.
It is not that they would feel very happy that they have achieved something
great. They are doing such a bad thing to a small child.
They are compelled because of their sick mind, imbalanced emotions and
hormones. So these kind of people need treatment. They definitely need
counselling, and society needs to provide them with this kind of
counselling without any stigma.
Do you know, this is not just in rural places, in fact, it is more in all
the advanced countries. In world over, this problem of child molestation is
prevalent. So many such cases are there. Father molesting his own daughter,
we have heard of something like this in India only recently, but this has
been happening in America for so many years. And it has gone to an extent
with all these television shows, that sometimes, children start doubting,
'Oh, maybe my father did like this to me.'
I want to share one such case with you.
An elderly couple came to me. Their daughter who at time was already 38
years of age, suddenly thought, after watching all these talk shows, that
she is a victim. That her father did this to her when she was a child.
So suddenly, after this television show, the relationship between the
parents and the daughter became so bad.
The father was crying, saying, 'How can I ever do such a crime. My daughter
thinks I have done this to her.'
So, some of these television shows can make such an impact as well, that it
destroys the family.
Are you understanding what I am saying? It took me quite a while to sit
them all together, to counsel them, to make them meditate, and all that.
Of course, finally the family came together, they could let go of these
impressions.
Many times people consider themselves as victims to draw more attention.
These kind of things also happen in society.
We need to put an end to crime against women and children at any cost. This
can only happen when society turns more spiritual, more humane and more
sensitive.
Q: If government is corrupt, how can the nation create good governance.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The government has no personality, it is the people
in the government who become corrupt. It is the people who can become
incorrupt as well.
See, corruption begins where the sense of belongingness ends. Nobody can be
corrupt with people whom they think belong to them. They will not take
bribe from their friends and family. They take bribe only from those whom
they find are outside their sense of belongingness.
So, corruption and crime, these two things have to be removed, otherwise
the government cannot be effective.
Criminal elements in the government is a horrible thing.
Do you know why every party gives tickets to these criminal elements? It is
because they have a vote bank. If you, the good people start making your
own vote banks, you can dictate to every party, 'If you give tickets to
criminal elements, we are not going to vote for you', then no party will
dare to give tickets to corrupt people or to the criminal elements in
society.
That is why I said, we should all, together, stand up for human values in
society, united. Individually we all stand up for values, but we need to
stand up being united.
If all good people in Cochin stand up and say, 'We will not allow Cochin to
be polluted. We stand for cleanliness in our city', then things start
changing.
I feel this is necessary.
Q: There are many corporations that are venturing into social
responsibilities, but recently the government has introduced some policies
where this is being thrust onto corporations. What do you have to say about
this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If the government says that companies have to spend
3% of their profits on social responsibility, a good corporation would
spend 4% of their profits, and not limit to the 3% as per the government's
guidelines.
It is a good thing that the government has given such a guideline. At least
2% to 3% must be given towards corporate social responsibility.
I don't think there is anything wrong with this decision of the government.
I think this one decision is very good, that every corporation should spend
at least some percentage of their profit for the welfare of others.
This has been said in our Dharma Shastras as well. Anyone who gets any
profit has to share a percentage of it for the welfare of society.
Q: Can you say something about entrepreneurship.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Entrepreneur is a projection of creativity. One
aspect of creativity.
An entrepreneur has to come out of his or her comfort zone. One cannot say,
'I want to be in my comfort zone and I want to be an entrepreneur', that is
not going to work.
Entrepreneurship always involves risks and the ability to undergo hardship.
Q: What is the significance of the culture of leadership in organizations?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A leader has to walk the talk. Be sensible, sensitive
and compassionate.
We need three things in life, Passion, Dispassion and Compassion.
You can't have only passion, then you feel very stressed out. You need to
have dispassion, you need to know how to let go. If you keep holding onto
things when they are out of your hands anyways, you will only be more
stressed. And a stressful person is a burden for himself, for the society
and for everybody.
A stressful person becomes harmful and toxic.
In any institution you should identify those who are stressed. The ones
stressed are soon going to become toxic. So, see to it that the person
changes his whole attitude and feels better about himself.
When people are relieved of stress, then you see a wave of change that
arises.
It is not an easy task. If someone is not willing to let go of his or her
stress, you cannot make them let go of it. So, it is an uphill task and you
have to do that.
Q: You have already told that women are naturally good leaders, but there
are not enough women leaders. Can you tell us, what are the barriers for
becoming a good leader?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I want to tell you that India has more women leaders
than any other part of the world. Do you know that?
We have many women members of Parliament, many women in the legislative
assembly, and many states ruled by women. The whole country has been ruled
by women for several decades; so never think that you need to be empowered
by somebody.
Here, in India, women are already empowered. America has to learn that.
America has not yet come to that level as far as women empowerment is
concerned.
Q: In my work environment, I meet different kinds of people, and I may not
like talking to some of them. How do I be diplomatic in my approach?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This is a very tricky question.
Sometimes if you are not direct, and if you don't tell them on their face,
they think that you are giving them some other indications in a subtle way,
or are confirming what they have in their own mind.
At the same time, you need not be rude when you need to express your
opinions, or ideas, which you want to put forth. So, it is really about
striking a balance.
There is no definite formula. You have to play by the ear.
How to be diplomatic - this cannot be taught now and applied later. It has
to come out of you spontaneously at that moment.
Wisdom from Guruji - I don't need to catch you because you all belong to me
The very meaning of Kailash is where there is only celebration, only joy,
nothing else besides it. In the same way, Vaikunth is where Narayana
resides, means a place where there is no lack of anything. Everything is in
abundance, and there is all prosperity and all joy. That is Vaikunth. Are
Kailash and Vaikunth somewhere far? Where are they? Right here!
And you sang a song Vishalakshi, meaning what? One with big eyes, who has a
broad vision
Q: Dearest Guruji, it is said in Shiv Sutras - Gyanam Banda’. How can
knowledge be a bondage?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You study that; I have spoken very well on that. Read
the whole Shiv Sutra.
Q: Guruji, what should be the ratio of simplicity and ego in our life? How
can I balance between these two? Because sometimes when I present myself
simply, people take me lightly.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That is your vivek, sense of discrimination. You know
where to do, what to do. Best thing is to be spontaneous.
Q: Dear Guruji, my family is from Kashmir and we were forced to migrate to
other places due to terrorism. When Kashmir had so much spiritual and
religious knowledge and produced so many Saints and Sufis, why is there so
much violence over there?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well times keeps changing. Fanaticism had entered
Kashmir, but now the next generation of people are realizing it. So, keep
your hold there. Go back to Kashmir valley. Still there are some people in
the valley.
Now people are realizing that we have lost our Pandits here. It was such a
nice atmosphere before, but now that is not there. So they are welcoming;
you go back to Kashmir, buy land and be there or at least keep on visiting.
Many people who have come back from Kashmir do not want to go back, that is
the problem. Now the situations are different and you should go back and
claim your rights there.
Q: Guruji, I want to be 100% both at my job and Art of Living. If I give
100% at one, then the other gets compromised. What do I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Need not be!
You know most of our trustees in Art of Living and Apex Body members all
over the country, they have many other things. They do their business,
their job and they are still very busy engaged. And there are thousands of
teachers who do their business. Their businesses are doing very well and
they are also teaching Art of Living courses. They are doing both. You
should hear their experiences.
We had a Teachers Refresher Meet, and we had teachers from all over the
country who came. There were 315 industrialists in one TRM alone and they
are teaching courses. They said, ‘Guruji, before our business was dull and
we were not doing anything. But now we are teaching the Art of Living
course and we don't pay much attention to business, but it is also running
very well.’ Some of them have made 4 to 5 times more turn over in their
business. They were all sharing their experiences.
So, don't think they are contrary. Don't think either or. You can do both,
this and that. Unless you see that you are ready to take a bigger
responsibility for the nation and for the world. And you have very little
requirement for yourself or no requirement, then you come and become full
time and we will send you all over the place. But when you have some
responsibilities and when you have some needs, you should do both.
Q: Guruji, today I felt very sad for some reason, but after seeing and
listening to you over the web, I feel so happy. Your magic is casting a
world wide web. Did you catch my thoughts today?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I can catch you; I don't need to catch your thoughts.
Thoughts come and go, don’t own them. You don't own them and I don't own
it. But I don't need to catch you because you all belong to me. If you are
different from me only then I need to catch you. You are part of me.
Q: Guruji, You have told us to love everyone. In the bargain what has
happened is everyone has started loving me. Now it has become very
difficult to choose one partner. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, I leave that challenge to you. Let me watch
what you are going to do and whom you are going to choose. You choose
somebody or somebody chooses you, let’s see.
But don't delay for too long, okay!
A gentleman was 62 years old and came to me and said, 'Guruji, I want to
get married. I was looking for the perfect lady and I could not find one in
all these 60 years.'
I told him, ‘okay, you look for another 15 years. Maybe later on both of
you can find each other in heaven or hell.’
If you could not find a good match for 62 years on this planet, what is the
guarantee that you will find in the next few years?!
Q: Guruji, when I am in the Ashram I am very happy and energetic. But when
I go back home, it immediately drops. Please help me to have at least half
of that at home.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Has everyone at home done the program? If not, make
them do.
Keep listening to knowledge, keep singing. And you be determined, come what
may, I take the challenge; I will not let my enthusiasm go down.
Do you know how it goes down? Because you start arguing or you start
expecting others to be like you, and to be understanding like what you have
experienced here. Those things cannot happen. You have to implement the
first principle of Art of Living, ‘accept people and situations as they
are.’
Don't get involved in every situation with the intention that, through the
experience of this situation, I will derive pleasure and fun. When you go
after fun and pleasure, you will experience misery somewhere or the other.
Fun and pleasure are not the only goals in life.
Accept people as they are and go deep in knowledge. It will make a
tremendous difference.
Q: Dear Guruji, in today's engineering institutions we have to study almost
54 subjects to complete our degree. In the ancient time like in Nalanda
University, did students have to study so many subjects? Please do
something about it.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, people were very studious. Those days, students
never got time to do any entertainment. There is a proverb that says, 'if
you are a student then there is no happiness, joy for you and if you are in
the pursuit of pleasure then you cannot be a student.' You have to work
hard. In those days people used to work hard. Now there are computers, you
have calculators. The previous generations never had any computers or
calculators. We had to memorize all multiplication tables. We had to
memorize so many things.
In fact, in those days the brain was used a lot, now we do not use it as
much.
Do you remember, a few years back when there was no cell phone; you had to
remember peoples’ telephone numbers? When we had only landline connections,
we all used to remember the telephone numbers of people. Today with the
cell phone, nobody remembers the number. Once you feed it in there that is
it. The moment you press somebody's name, the number comes itself. Many
times you do not remember your own number.
So we are using less of our memory and more of technology. Sometimes it is
scary that we may lose the ability to remember things, and it is fast
happening.
Any youth who watches at least 2 movies a week, after 3 months if you ask
them the story of any one particular movie, they will blink. They will mix
stories from one movie with other movies. They can't even narrate the whole
story. This is why Attention Deficiency Syndrome has become so common today.
Q: Guruji, in the Yoga Sutras Vyadhi (physical illness) has been considered
an obstacle. Is Vyadhi not a part of me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No! Vyadhi is an obstacle.
Vyadhi, Styana, Samsaya, Pramada, Alasya, Avirati, Bhranti Darsana, Alabdha
bhumikatva and Anavasthitattva. These are the nine obstacles that have been
told and the means of getting rid of them have also been told – take one
way and just go deep into it.
Q: Guruji, how to overcome the difference in opinions between parents and
children on account of generation gap?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: hat is why, bring them to the YES, YES+ and ART Excel
courses and you will see how quickly it makes a difference.
Q: Guruji, in Uttarakhand there is a tradition of Devi and Devatas
manifesting in people. Is that true?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, it is true, but many times their mind also gets
entangled.
That is why, unless that person is a saadhak, who has gone deep within, you
cannot say that he is channeling the Devata's voice completely. Devata's
voice will be there and also partly his own mind; it will be mix of both.
So a lot of what he might say will be true, and some of it may not be
correct.
It is like looking at the sun through a dirty piece of glass covered with
dust, so the rays coming through are not as pure. They are somewhat
impacted by the dust.
Or if the glass is blue, then the light coming through also looks blue.
That is why, if the person channeling the Devi or Devata lacks innocence
and purity, then all that he says will not be entirely true. But if they
are pure and innocent, then everything will be accurate.
Q: Guruji, what is right, what is wrong, how does one decide? Please share
an easy trick for this.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There is a very simple definition to know what is
good and what is bad. 1. That which you do not want others to do to you is
bad and that which you want others to do to you and you do to others is
good. 2. That which gives you short term joy and long term unhappiness is
bad. Anything which gives you long term happiness and short term problem is
good.
Q: Since childhood there was fear of parents, then fear of teachers, and
now there is fear of God. Why do we make room for fear in our lives? Is
this fear necessary?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Not at all necessary! Why fear? Love doing a
head-stand is called fear. Just make it stand the right side up. Fear is on
account of love. If there is no love, there will be no fear.
Tulsidas has said, 'Bhaiy bhi na hote na preet gosai'. Fear and love are
two different forms of the same thing. Where there is love, there is no
fear; where there is fear, there is no love. This thing manifests in these
two forms.
Q: Guruji, often in spite of knowing, I commit mistakes. Is there a way to
become aware of knowledge in a timely fashion so that I do not knowingly
commit the mistake?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just this thought is sufficient, that I should not
repeat this mistake that I have done in the past. This feeling itself will
begin to take root.
Okay, go ahead and make how many mistakes you want. Eventually you will get
tired. I will wait for you. You keep making mistakes till you become
exhausted and fall down. Then, everything will be all right.
Just look at all those people who are suffering so much on account of
making the same mistakes over and over again.
After committing the same mistake once, twice, three times, ten times, you
will finally give up and say, 'No more! I am done with it.'
But this realization should dawn before this life ends! It shouldn't keep
happening throughout life. If you are on this path, it cannot happen this
way. You will have the awareness fairly soon.
That is why it is said, 'Swalpamapyasya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat' -
if you follow this knowledge even to a small extent you will be free of the
greatest of fears. No fear will touch you.
Q: Guruji, since olden times there has been a tradition that no new work
should be started during Rahu kalam. A lot of importance is attached to it.
Is this appropriate? Is there is scientific standpoint behind this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Look, Rahu period is that time which is considered
suitable for prayers. It is considered ideal for any spiritual activity. So
beginning any wordly project during that period is not considered
appropriate because in our body there is a switching of channels (naadis)
at that time.
However, we should not attach too much importance to this. If you
absolutely have to do your work at that time, just say, 'Om Namah Shivaya'
and move forward.
nothing else besides it. In the same way, Vaikunth is where Narayana
resides, means a place where there is no lack of anything. Everything is in
abundance, and there is all prosperity and all joy. That is Vaikunth. Are
Kailash and Vaikunth somewhere far? Where are they? Right here!
And you sang a song Vishalakshi, meaning what? One with big eyes, who has a
broad vision
Q: Dearest Guruji, it is said in Shiv Sutras - Gyanam Banda’. How can
knowledge be a bondage?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You study that; I have spoken very well on that. Read
the whole Shiv Sutra.
Q: Guruji, what should be the ratio of simplicity and ego in our life? How
can I balance between these two? Because sometimes when I present myself
simply, people take me lightly.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That is your vivek, sense of discrimination. You know
where to do, what to do. Best thing is to be spontaneous.
Q: Dear Guruji, my family is from Kashmir and we were forced to migrate to
other places due to terrorism. When Kashmir had so much spiritual and
religious knowledge and produced so many Saints and Sufis, why is there so
much violence over there?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well times keeps changing. Fanaticism had entered
Kashmir, but now the next generation of people are realizing it. So, keep
your hold there. Go back to Kashmir valley. Still there are some people in
the valley.
Now people are realizing that we have lost our Pandits here. It was such a
nice atmosphere before, but now that is not there. So they are welcoming;
you go back to Kashmir, buy land and be there or at least keep on visiting.
Many people who have come back from Kashmir do not want to go back, that is
the problem. Now the situations are different and you should go back and
claim your rights there.
Q: Guruji, I want to be 100% both at my job and Art of Living. If I give
100% at one, then the other gets compromised. What do I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Need not be!
You know most of our trustees in Art of Living and Apex Body members all
over the country, they have many other things. They do their business,
their job and they are still very busy engaged. And there are thousands of
teachers who do their business. Their businesses are doing very well and
they are also teaching Art of Living courses. They are doing both. You
should hear their experiences.
We had a Teachers Refresher Meet, and we had teachers from all over the
country who came. There were 315 industrialists in one TRM alone and they
are teaching courses. They said, ‘Guruji, before our business was dull and
we were not doing anything. But now we are teaching the Art of Living
course and we don't pay much attention to business, but it is also running
very well.’ Some of them have made 4 to 5 times more turn over in their
business. They were all sharing their experiences.
So, don't think they are contrary. Don't think either or. You can do both,
this and that. Unless you see that you are ready to take a bigger
responsibility for the nation and for the world. And you have very little
requirement for yourself or no requirement, then you come and become full
time and we will send you all over the place. But when you have some
responsibilities and when you have some needs, you should do both.
Q: Guruji, today I felt very sad for some reason, but after seeing and
listening to you over the web, I feel so happy. Your magic is casting a
world wide web. Did you catch my thoughts today?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I can catch you; I don't need to catch your thoughts.
Thoughts come and go, don’t own them. You don't own them and I don't own
it. But I don't need to catch you because you all belong to me. If you are
different from me only then I need to catch you. You are part of me.
Q: Guruji, You have told us to love everyone. In the bargain what has
happened is everyone has started loving me. Now it has become very
difficult to choose one partner. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, I leave that challenge to you. Let me watch
what you are going to do and whom you are going to choose. You choose
somebody or somebody chooses you, let’s see.
But don't delay for too long, okay!
A gentleman was 62 years old and came to me and said, 'Guruji, I want to
get married. I was looking for the perfect lady and I could not find one in
all these 60 years.'
I told him, ‘okay, you look for another 15 years. Maybe later on both of
you can find each other in heaven or hell.’
If you could not find a good match for 62 years on this planet, what is the
guarantee that you will find in the next few years?!
Q: Guruji, when I am in the Ashram I am very happy and energetic. But when
I go back home, it immediately drops. Please help me to have at least half
of that at home.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Has everyone at home done the program? If not, make
them do.
Keep listening to knowledge, keep singing. And you be determined, come what
may, I take the challenge; I will not let my enthusiasm go down.
Do you know how it goes down? Because you start arguing or you start
expecting others to be like you, and to be understanding like what you have
experienced here. Those things cannot happen. You have to implement the
first principle of Art of Living, ‘accept people and situations as they
are.’
Don't get involved in every situation with the intention that, through the
experience of this situation, I will derive pleasure and fun. When you go
after fun and pleasure, you will experience misery somewhere or the other.
Fun and pleasure are not the only goals in life.
Accept people as they are and go deep in knowledge. It will make a
tremendous difference.
Q: Dear Guruji, in today's engineering institutions we have to study almost
54 subjects to complete our degree. In the ancient time like in Nalanda
University, did students have to study so many subjects? Please do
something about it.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, people were very studious. Those days, students
never got time to do any entertainment. There is a proverb that says, 'if
you are a student then there is no happiness, joy for you and if you are in
the pursuit of pleasure then you cannot be a student.' You have to work
hard. In those days people used to work hard. Now there are computers, you
have calculators. The previous generations never had any computers or
calculators. We had to memorize all multiplication tables. We had to
memorize so many things.
In fact, in those days the brain was used a lot, now we do not use it as
much.
Do you remember, a few years back when there was no cell phone; you had to
remember peoples’ telephone numbers? When we had only landline connections,
we all used to remember the telephone numbers of people. Today with the
cell phone, nobody remembers the number. Once you feed it in there that is
it. The moment you press somebody's name, the number comes itself. Many
times you do not remember your own number.
So we are using less of our memory and more of technology. Sometimes it is
scary that we may lose the ability to remember things, and it is fast
happening.
Any youth who watches at least 2 movies a week, after 3 months if you ask
them the story of any one particular movie, they will blink. They will mix
stories from one movie with other movies. They can't even narrate the whole
story. This is why Attention Deficiency Syndrome has become so common today.
Q: Guruji, in the Yoga Sutras Vyadhi (physical illness) has been considered
an obstacle. Is Vyadhi not a part of me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No! Vyadhi is an obstacle.
Vyadhi, Styana, Samsaya, Pramada, Alasya, Avirati, Bhranti Darsana, Alabdha
bhumikatva and Anavasthitattva. These are the nine obstacles that have been
told and the means of getting rid of them have also been told – take one
way and just go deep into it.
Q: Guruji, how to overcome the difference in opinions between parents and
children on account of generation gap?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: hat is why, bring them to the YES, YES+ and ART Excel
courses and you will see how quickly it makes a difference.
Q: Guruji, in Uttarakhand there is a tradition of Devi and Devatas
manifesting in people. Is that true?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, it is true, but many times their mind also gets
entangled.
That is why, unless that person is a saadhak, who has gone deep within, you
cannot say that he is channeling the Devata's voice completely. Devata's
voice will be there and also partly his own mind; it will be mix of both.
So a lot of what he might say will be true, and some of it may not be
correct.
It is like looking at the sun through a dirty piece of glass covered with
dust, so the rays coming through are not as pure. They are somewhat
impacted by the dust.
Or if the glass is blue, then the light coming through also looks blue.
That is why, if the person channeling the Devi or Devata lacks innocence
and purity, then all that he says will not be entirely true. But if they
are pure and innocent, then everything will be accurate.
Q: Guruji, what is right, what is wrong, how does one decide? Please share
an easy trick for this.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There is a very simple definition to know what is
good and what is bad. 1. That which you do not want others to do to you is
bad and that which you want others to do to you and you do to others is
good. 2. That which gives you short term joy and long term unhappiness is
bad. Anything which gives you long term happiness and short term problem is
good.
Q: Since childhood there was fear of parents, then fear of teachers, and
now there is fear of God. Why do we make room for fear in our lives? Is
this fear necessary?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Not at all necessary! Why fear? Love doing a
head-stand is called fear. Just make it stand the right side up. Fear is on
account of love. If there is no love, there will be no fear.
Tulsidas has said, 'Bhaiy bhi na hote na preet gosai'. Fear and love are
two different forms of the same thing. Where there is love, there is no
fear; where there is fear, there is no love. This thing manifests in these
two forms.
Q: Guruji, often in spite of knowing, I commit mistakes. Is there a way to
become aware of knowledge in a timely fashion so that I do not knowingly
commit the mistake?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just this thought is sufficient, that I should not
repeat this mistake that I have done in the past. This feeling itself will
begin to take root.
Okay, go ahead and make how many mistakes you want. Eventually you will get
tired. I will wait for you. You keep making mistakes till you become
exhausted and fall down. Then, everything will be all right.
Just look at all those people who are suffering so much on account of
making the same mistakes over and over again.
After committing the same mistake once, twice, three times, ten times, you
will finally give up and say, 'No more! I am done with it.'
But this realization should dawn before this life ends! It shouldn't keep
happening throughout life. If you are on this path, it cannot happen this
way. You will have the awareness fairly soon.
That is why it is said, 'Swalpamapyasya dharmasya trayate mahato bhayat' -
if you follow this knowledge even to a small extent you will be free of the
greatest of fears. No fear will touch you.
Q: Guruji, since olden times there has been a tradition that no new work
should be started during Rahu kalam. A lot of importance is attached to it.
Is this appropriate? Is there is scientific standpoint behind this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Look, Rahu period is that time which is considered
suitable for prayers. It is considered ideal for any spiritual activity. So
beginning any wordly project during that period is not considered
appropriate because in our body there is a switching of channels (naadis)
at that time.
However, we should not attach too much importance to this. If you
absolutely have to do your work at that time, just say, 'Om Namah Shivaya'
and move forward.
Knowledge sheet - Doubt
DOUBT
A doubt is a gray area. Gray is something which is neither white nor black.
Now, how to solve the doubt? An event, knowledge, convention cannot help.
Then what can help? Accepting it either as black or white. Put it either as
black and accept it or as white and accept it -- whether or not it is black
or white. And see the gray as a shade of black or white. Either way you
accept it. Honest or dishonest -- accept it. Then the mind is quiet. You
are not in the gray area.
See, the eyes are dark, eyebrows are dark, and the thymus -- the most
powerful organ of the body -- is black. Haemoglobin -- the main force of
the body -- is black. You cannot survive without black. It is part of
you.Or see it as white. Eye is also white. Bones are white; the structure
on which the whole body stands is white.
Put your doubt in a category of black -- no problem -- accept. Put it in a
category of white -- no problem -- doubt is not there. Have conviction, "I
accept. They are dishonest and still part of me. That's it. Finished.
|| Jai Guru Dev ||
A doubt is a gray area. Gray is something which is neither white nor black.
Now, how to solve the doubt? An event, knowledge, convention cannot help.
Then what can help? Accepting it either as black or white. Put it either as
black and accept it or as white and accept it -- whether or not it is black
or white. And see the gray as a shade of black or white. Either way you
accept it. Honest or dishonest -- accept it. Then the mind is quiet. You
are not in the gray area.
See, the eyes are dark, eyebrows are dark, and the thymus -- the most
powerful organ of the body -- is black. Haemoglobin -- the main force of
the body -- is black. You cannot survive without black. It is part of
you.Or see it as white. Eye is also white. Bones are white; the structure
on which the whole body stands is white.
Put your doubt in a category of black -- no problem -- accept. Put it in a
category of white -- no problem -- doubt is not there. Have conviction, "I
accept. They are dishonest and still part of me. That's it. Finished.
|| Jai Guru Dev ||
Wisdom from guruji
*Q: Dear Guruji, I find it difficult to be natural with everyone. You have
said we are closer to the Divine when we are natural. How can I be natural?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* What makes you unnatural is the fear that somebody
may criticize you.
Someone may think you are a fool. Why don’t you act like a fool for half a
day? Then you will see that all the fear will disappear. Fear of committing
mistakes makes you unnatural. Just see, it is okay to commit mistakes. If
they are not big blunders, mistakes are okay. You should be afraid of
committing blunders, but not small mistakes.
*Q: Guruji, many times I promise you that I will never repeat the same
mistake. I repeat it again, and I get very upset and I feel very bad after
that.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* That is good. It is good to feel that pinch.
Once, twice, thrice or four times it happens, then the tenth time at least
you will be aware of it and you will move away from it. Don’t worry, it is
good to have that pinch, and keep promising me.
*Q: Can going deep in sadhana and making people meditate take care of the
problems of today’s world, of corruption and terrorism? Or do we need to
make an effort on the physical level as well?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Both! We need to make effort on the physical level
and with the inner and spiritual strength. Both are essential.
They are like the eyes and ears when you are watching television. You need
to see and you need to hear as well.
*Q: Guruji, you said accept everybody and don’t leave them, just because
they are not like you. But you have also said, if the company is affecting
you, you can take yourself away from that company. Please throw some light
as it seems like a contradiction.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, life is full of contradictions, and all the
instructions will be contradictory. That is why it is the truth. That is
where vivek (discrimination) is essential. You have to balance, see when,
where, what!
*Q: Dear Guruji, how to honor the Gunas and not indulge in them? Sometimes
one is unable to resist the grip of indulgence. How to overcome this?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* The mind having an intention not to commit a
mistake is like having a brake in the car. You are going somewhere and if
there is a hand brake and it works well, then you put the brake anytime you
want! And if there is no brake at all, you will be prone to accidents.
Similarly, when the mind says, I don’t want to do this or I shouldn’t do
this, that is because it just promises joy but it doesn’t really deliver
and gives pain.
Why something is bad? Because it gives pain to oneself and pain to someone
else. That is the reason something is said as bad. It gives short term
pleasure but long term pain to both you and to others.
*Q: Guruji, when Krishna was there, the Gopas and Gopis were also there
with Krishna. My heart knows who Krishna is now, but are we the same Gopas
and Gopis?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* What if you are someone new. Why do you have to be
the same ones? Could be! You could be the same ones!
See, the knowledge is eternal and feelings are eternal too. Now don’t tell
me, ‘Guruji, you said feelings are temporary, they come and go!’
It is temporary too and it is eternal too!
Are you confused? Then my job is done.
Who said my job is to convince people? No! My job is to confuse you! And
every time you get confused, you go one step higher.
*Q: There is a lot of confusion and lack of decision making even with small
things. Confusion is between the good as you said, but how do I make a
choice between the good.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* If I tell you something more, you will get even
more confused. You think your confusion is not enough? I don’t want to add
more. Too much confusion becomes a problem too.
Be with your confusion and see where it leads you.
Check the greed in you. If you are too greedy, check the greed and the
right thing will fall on your lap.
*Q: I read in one of the knowledge books that ‘Fear is love standing upside
down.’ Is love also fear standing upside down? *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* If you look at it from the other side, if you are
upside down, then you will see it is upside down. Got it?
*Q: Many festivals are celebrated in Nepal by animal sacrifices. Do we have
such practices mentioned in our sacred texts as well? How do we bring about
a shift?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Education! You have to educate people. Nowhere in
the scriptures does it say that you should kill an animal to please Gods
and Goddesses. No!
‘Ahimsa paramo dharma’. You should not sacrifice any animal.
You know what has happened in the world amongst all the religions and
cultures? It has become like a mixture of sand and sugar. There are good
things, but there are other things which are not in the scriptures but have
been interpolated, or have come as a practice. And people think this is the
religion and this is the tradition. This is unfortunate. Such practices
need to be shunned and stopped.
You should educate people not to kill animals!
The scriptures have said, let go of your animalistic tendencies. Let go of
the inertia in you.
You know in Sanskrit many words have two different meanings. Like ‘mahisha’
means inertia. It is not just buffalo.
A buffalo is also called buffalo because it is inert. If you honk the car,
it won’t move. You have to get down from the car and push it. If you show a
stick, it doesn’t move.
Cows are very sensitive, but buffalos are not that sensitive. So a buffalo
is also called mahisha.
So mahisha means the inertia should be killed inside you. Similarly, ’Aja’
does not just mean goat. It also means that which is neither born yesterday
or tomorrow. ‘Ja’ means born. So, there are deeper meanings in all this.
Usually ’Gau’ means cow. The word cow comes from the Sanskrit root ‘Gau’.
And ’Gau’ also means knowledge, movement, attainment.
There are four meaning for ‘Gau’:
- Gyan (knowledge)
- Gaman (assimilation)
- Prapthi (attainment)
- Moksh (liberation)
Unfortunately the meanings have been distorted.
*Q: Jai Gurudev, I don’t understand the knowledge point which says, ‘the
best work comes out when you work without any motive’.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, this is intuitive work or a sudden sprout of
thought. In intuition, you do not sit and calculate. Intuition means that
which simply comes up beyond reason.
Did you get it? You have seen when Archimedes was thinking and thinking, it
didn’t work. But, when he relaxed, suddenly he got the Archimedes
principle.
Like that, many scientists got something out of the sixth sense. That is
intuition and that needs to be developed. So don’t’ depend only on your
five senses or the intellect. Intuitive sense is also important. That is a
deeper, closer to the truth, reality. Otherwise you see your judgments are
often wrong.
How many of you find your judgments were wrong? You judged people and a
little later on you felt that is not the way it was. I thought something
else, there was something else. Isn’t it? So, your intuition will not fail
you because it is coming from a deeper space.
If it is intuition and if it really comes!
*Q: Guruji, for how long should a man make an effort to succeed. If after
ten years of effort, one has not achieved success, then what should one do?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, then you should change your strategy. If you
have strength, then try a little longer, for as long as possible. Use your
entire strength, and if it doesn't work out even then, then 'Haare ko Hari
naam'; accept that it is not working out and move on. Relax!
For a sankalpa or an intention to manifest, effort will definitely be
needed, energy will be expended. However, the satisfaction that you get
after accomplishing the task was there even before the desire to do the
task; just remember this!
This sankalpa arose ten years back - were you happy before that or not? And
you will be happy afterwards also - this is what we need to keep in mind.
We should not think that we will be happy only after fulfillment of our
desires or sankalpa. Then the feverishness within us will subside. Once the
feverishness is at rest, whatever is to happen will happen. This does not
mean you should not work. One should apply effort, work, and relax.
said we are closer to the Divine when we are natural. How can I be natural?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* What makes you unnatural is the fear that somebody
may criticize you.
Someone may think you are a fool. Why don’t you act like a fool for half a
day? Then you will see that all the fear will disappear. Fear of committing
mistakes makes you unnatural. Just see, it is okay to commit mistakes. If
they are not big blunders, mistakes are okay. You should be afraid of
committing blunders, but not small mistakes.
*Q: Guruji, many times I promise you that I will never repeat the same
mistake. I repeat it again, and I get very upset and I feel very bad after
that.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* That is good. It is good to feel that pinch.
Once, twice, thrice or four times it happens, then the tenth time at least
you will be aware of it and you will move away from it. Don’t worry, it is
good to have that pinch, and keep promising me.
*Q: Can going deep in sadhana and making people meditate take care of the
problems of today’s world, of corruption and terrorism? Or do we need to
make an effort on the physical level as well?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Both! We need to make effort on the physical level
and with the inner and spiritual strength. Both are essential.
They are like the eyes and ears when you are watching television. You need
to see and you need to hear as well.
*Q: Guruji, you said accept everybody and don’t leave them, just because
they are not like you. But you have also said, if the company is affecting
you, you can take yourself away from that company. Please throw some light
as it seems like a contradiction.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, life is full of contradictions, and all the
instructions will be contradictory. That is why it is the truth. That is
where vivek (discrimination) is essential. You have to balance, see when,
where, what!
*Q: Dear Guruji, how to honor the Gunas and not indulge in them? Sometimes
one is unable to resist the grip of indulgence. How to overcome this?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* The mind having an intention not to commit a
mistake is like having a brake in the car. You are going somewhere and if
there is a hand brake and it works well, then you put the brake anytime you
want! And if there is no brake at all, you will be prone to accidents.
Similarly, when the mind says, I don’t want to do this or I shouldn’t do
this, that is because it just promises joy but it doesn’t really deliver
and gives pain.
Why something is bad? Because it gives pain to oneself and pain to someone
else. That is the reason something is said as bad. It gives short term
pleasure but long term pain to both you and to others.
*Q: Guruji, when Krishna was there, the Gopas and Gopis were also there
with Krishna. My heart knows who Krishna is now, but are we the same Gopas
and Gopis?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* What if you are someone new. Why do you have to be
the same ones? Could be! You could be the same ones!
See, the knowledge is eternal and feelings are eternal too. Now don’t tell
me, ‘Guruji, you said feelings are temporary, they come and go!’
It is temporary too and it is eternal too!
Are you confused? Then my job is done.
Who said my job is to convince people? No! My job is to confuse you! And
every time you get confused, you go one step higher.
*Q: There is a lot of confusion and lack of decision making even with small
things. Confusion is between the good as you said, but how do I make a
choice between the good.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* If I tell you something more, you will get even
more confused. You think your confusion is not enough? I don’t want to add
more. Too much confusion becomes a problem too.
Be with your confusion and see where it leads you.
Check the greed in you. If you are too greedy, check the greed and the
right thing will fall on your lap.
*Q: I read in one of the knowledge books that ‘Fear is love standing upside
down.’ Is love also fear standing upside down? *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* If you look at it from the other side, if you are
upside down, then you will see it is upside down. Got it?
*Q: Many festivals are celebrated in Nepal by animal sacrifices. Do we have
such practices mentioned in our sacred texts as well? How do we bring about
a shift?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Education! You have to educate people. Nowhere in
the scriptures does it say that you should kill an animal to please Gods
and Goddesses. No!
‘Ahimsa paramo dharma’. You should not sacrifice any animal.
You know what has happened in the world amongst all the religions and
cultures? It has become like a mixture of sand and sugar. There are good
things, but there are other things which are not in the scriptures but have
been interpolated, or have come as a practice. And people think this is the
religion and this is the tradition. This is unfortunate. Such practices
need to be shunned and stopped.
You should educate people not to kill animals!
The scriptures have said, let go of your animalistic tendencies. Let go of
the inertia in you.
You know in Sanskrit many words have two different meanings. Like ‘mahisha’
means inertia. It is not just buffalo.
A buffalo is also called buffalo because it is inert. If you honk the car,
it won’t move. You have to get down from the car and push it. If you show a
stick, it doesn’t move.
Cows are very sensitive, but buffalos are not that sensitive. So a buffalo
is also called mahisha.
So mahisha means the inertia should be killed inside you. Similarly, ’Aja’
does not just mean goat. It also means that which is neither born yesterday
or tomorrow. ‘Ja’ means born. So, there are deeper meanings in all this.
Usually ’Gau’ means cow. The word cow comes from the Sanskrit root ‘Gau’.
And ’Gau’ also means knowledge, movement, attainment.
There are four meaning for ‘Gau’:
- Gyan (knowledge)
- Gaman (assimilation)
- Prapthi (attainment)
- Moksh (liberation)
Unfortunately the meanings have been distorted.
*Q: Jai Gurudev, I don’t understand the knowledge point which says, ‘the
best work comes out when you work without any motive’.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, this is intuitive work or a sudden sprout of
thought. In intuition, you do not sit and calculate. Intuition means that
which simply comes up beyond reason.
Did you get it? You have seen when Archimedes was thinking and thinking, it
didn’t work. But, when he relaxed, suddenly he got the Archimedes
principle.
Like that, many scientists got something out of the sixth sense. That is
intuition and that needs to be developed. So don’t’ depend only on your
five senses or the intellect. Intuitive sense is also important. That is a
deeper, closer to the truth, reality. Otherwise you see your judgments are
often wrong.
How many of you find your judgments were wrong? You judged people and a
little later on you felt that is not the way it was. I thought something
else, there was something else. Isn’t it? So, your intuition will not fail
you because it is coming from a deeper space.
If it is intuition and if it really comes!
*Q: Guruji, for how long should a man make an effort to succeed. If after
ten years of effort, one has not achieved success, then what should one do?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, then you should change your strategy. If you
have strength, then try a little longer, for as long as possible. Use your
entire strength, and if it doesn't work out even then, then 'Haare ko Hari
naam'; accept that it is not working out and move on. Relax!
For a sankalpa or an intention to manifest, effort will definitely be
needed, energy will be expended. However, the satisfaction that you get
after accomplishing the task was there even before the desire to do the
task; just remember this!
This sankalpa arose ten years back - were you happy before that or not? And
you will be happy afterwards also - this is what we need to keep in mind.
We should not think that we will be happy only after fulfillment of our
desires or sankalpa. Then the feverishness within us will subside. Once the
feverishness is at rest, whatever is to happen will happen. This does not
mean you should not work. One should apply effort, work, and relax.
Wisdom from Guruji
After chaos there is bliss. After a storm there is peace. This is the way
of life. Once I was in a satsang in Washington DC with about three hundred
people. From behind came a tall and imposing man who started screaming,
'You are the devil!' In the name of Jesus he came to attack me. He said,
'This yoga, spirituality and Hinduism are all the works of the devil.'
Everyone was frozen with fear. Nobody could get up. They were stuck to
their seats with fear. As he drew close to me, I held up my hand and said,
'Wait! what is the matter?' As I said, 'Wait', he dropped to the ground and
began crying. He had a change of heart and begged forgiveness.
So I remembered Maharishi Patanjali has written, 'Ahimsa pratishthayaam,
tat sannidhau vairatyagah.' This proves that when nonviolence is
established in one's life, all enmity and ill will disappears from the
minds of those who come near him. So Maharishi's statement cannot possibly
be false or wrong. This incident proves it. I got to witness this at three
or four different places, where people came with such anger to harm me, and
then underwent transformation. They even became teachers of The Art of
Living afterwards!
What I am saying is that spirituality is not a short-term entertainment,
where you read a book and feel somewhat satisfied, and then move on. It is
a complete and proven knowledge. 'Jo ichcha kariho man maahi, prabhu pratap
kachhu durlabh naahin' (With God’s Grace, whatever you desire is not
difficult to obtain). I can say this with confidence that this is a power
that works.
It works, doesn't it? How many of you have experienced this in your lives?
Whatever you desire gets done, doesn't it? Extraordinary or not? Miracles
happen or not? This is the thing. Otherwise, preachers give discourses, and
the audience listens for a while, and then falls asleep. While listening
they fall asleep, and sometimes, the speakers also speak while sleeping. I
am not condemning anyone, but it has become a habit in our country to
listen and to tell, without translating it into one's life.
When does it manifest in life? There are four things: Presence (Saanidhya),
Closeness (Saameepya), Grace (Saarupya), Union (Saayujya). Saanidhya –
Initially one sits in the presence of the master; then experiences
closeness - there is no feeling of separation, that the master is someone,
and I another. No! My very own. That is why there is also a shloka (Verse),
'Mannatha Shri Jagannatha' - my Lord is the Lord of the Universe, my Guru
is the Universal Guru, my Soul is the universal Soul; this is the feeling.
Once this feeling of intimacy and belonging awakens, Saameepya has
occurred. Next is Saarupya, there is no difference between the master and
I. Then comes Saayujya, Total merging, Union.
So, this Saanidhya is to take one to Saayujya.
*Q: Guruji, there is something wrong happening in front of us, but we are
unable to do anything. What to do?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* A lot of times when something wrong happens, one
cannot do anything alone, but together something can be done - as a group
(sangha) it will be possible. If as a group also it is not possible, you
can at least pray, 'This person is doing wrong, bless him with awareness.'
Whatever we are unable to do ourselves, we should surrender in the form of
a prayer, 'This is not my job, Bhagwati Maiya (Divine mother), it is yours;
God, it is your responsibility; Guruji, it is your job'. Then too, it will
be done. As I told, I could not have (physically) contended with that man.
He was such a strong, huge, seven-foot tall, hefty man who had come to
attack me. What happened? I wasn't scared. I quietly said, 'Wait!'. He
dropped down and began crying. This has happened several times. I gave just
one example.
*Q: Guruji, why does it appear that it is always truth that is in trouble?
Untruth and falsehood are never in trouble, only truth is bothered. *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Neither truth nor falsehood will be troubled. Truth
is there, and those who walk the path of truth are troubled, or those who
speak lies are happy. It is not so! It might seem that one who walks the
path of untruth lives like a king. This is only for a couple of days, but
afterwards he has to undergo imprisonment. Didn't it happen? What happened
was, these same DMK ministers and their people who consider themselves to
be atheists, are opposed to all spiritual gurus. These people were the
heads of the Ayurveda department, health department. Let me tell you a
story. We are running our Ayurvedic college in Bangalore, which is known as
the best. Out of ten ranks in the state, our college has won five. Whereas
the average pass percentage of all other colleges is Fifty or Sixty
percent, our college achieved Ninety three percent! So, these people came
to the college and instituted a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)
inquiry. They said, this is understaffed, the hospital is not up to the
mark, this is not right; and had the admissions cancelled. Fifty kids were
studying. What would happen to their lives, if they terminated their
studies in the middle? So we immediately went to the court and obtained a
stay order. They claimed that there were only eight teachers teaching,
whereas there were thirty five teachers. They threatened the Principal, 'Do
you know who we are? We are from the CBI. Whatever report we have written
up, just sign it!' So what could the Prinicpal do? He signed the document,
but attached the register to it. In the register, there were thirty five
names. But those people forced him to sign on the document reporting only
eight teachers. 'This is not my job!' Isn't this the mantra you chant? What
is the mantra in the sapta shati (700 verses in honour of the Divine
Mother)? So, the victory of truth is always guaranteed. Always go with this
determination. It might seem that truth is being deceived or that one who
sticks to the truth is experiencing a downfall, but in the future, the
victory of truth is certain. When people use wrong means to climb up, it
might seem as though they have risen to the top, but they will definitely
suffer.
*Q: Guruji, the point 'Accept people, objects and situations as they are'
appears to be a compromise.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* No, don't compromise. First accept, and once the
mind is at peace, then fight. If you feel like fighting, then fight. And if
you want to slap someone, slap with a smile; not with anger - that makes
you weak. When you hit with a smile, you will hit with a lot of strength.
That is why the prescribed approach is, 'Saama, Daana, Bheda, Danda.' If
you start off with a stick, that is not right. When you become angry, you
will pick up the stick first. That would reverse everything. No, Saama,
Daana, Bheda, and at the very end, if a cane is appropriate for the
buffalo, then one should pick up a cane.
*Q: Guruji, I get very angry. If anything goes even slightly against my
wishes, I get extremely angry. For this reason, no one wants to stay near
me. I get so lonely at times, that sometimes I feel like committing
suicide. How do I get past this?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* No, never take such a step. In case you feel like
committing suicide, take my permission first. I’ll tell you where to jump
from and when to jump! Otherwise, you’ll be left nowhere. You will be
hanging in between, neither in this world, nor the other. If you get angry,
do bhastrika, sit somewhere and do sudarshan kriya, release your anger
through your breath, it will come out, don’t worry! Do the Part-2 (Art of
Silence) course. You should do meditation regularly. That will make a lot
of difference.
*Q: Guruji, these days children are so attracted to television. *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Only kids? Even the elders are so attracted to
television!
*Q: Guruji, is there a regulator of this world or is it self-moving? *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* What do you feel? I leave this question to you.
Keep thinking about it. Is there a controller of this world or is it moving
on its own? Keep thinking about it. Let us see. This thinking is called
reasoning. This reasoning leads to knowledge of the self. There are certain
questions whose answers are not disclosed by the ones who know. An
intellectual person will never answer some questions. This is one of them.
The other such questions are, ‘who am I’ and ‘what is all this’? He will
not answer these questions as well. This helps you think and delve deeper.
*Q: Guruji, between Krishna and Arjuna, Arjuna used to question Krishna
again and again. But there are certain devotees who never ask a question.
What kind of devotees do you prefer?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* I like all types. I collect specimens of all types.
In English, it is called, ‘assorted nuts’. I have people of all kinds close
to me and not just one type.
*Q: Guruji, there has always been a conflict between spirituality and
science.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Not at all. Where is the conflict between
Spirituality and Science? Spirituality begins where Science ends. The
conflict hasn’t been in our country. It has only been in the western
countries, where religions were against science, therefore these areas had
been in conflict. In our country, we first attain the ‘Tattva Gyan’
(Metaphysics, knowledge of the essence lying under everything) and then the
‘Atma Gyan’(knowledge of the self). What is tattva? First attain the
knowledge of these five tattvas; earth (prithvi), water (apa), fire(tej/
agni), air (vayu), ether (akasha), then attain the knowledge of the mind,
intellect and ego, and then the knowledge of the self. It has been very
systematic in India. ‘Gyan Vigyan Triptatma Kutastho Vijitendriyah, (Yukta
Ity uchyate Yogi Samaloshtrashmakanchanah’: Srimad Bhagavad Gita; Chapter
VI Verse 8) You should be satisfied through knowledge and science, this is
the knowledge of the self. So, we have never been against science. That is
why ours was a forward country. Did you know that the first plane was made
in India? There is a village called Anekal near Bengaluru. There was a
person named Subbaraya Sharma Shastry in that village. He was told by a
saint as to how to construct a plane. He made the first diagram for the
plane. Then, he went to Mumbai where he met Dadabhai Navroji who funded his
plan. He flew the first plane at the Chowpatty Beach. The plane was in the
air for fifteen minutes. This news was published by a newspaper in England
titled, ‘First plane in space took flight from India’. Then both of them
were imprisoned by the British. The British forced them to reveal the
blueprint they prepared for making the plane. And thirty years later, the
Wright Brothers flew the plane based on that blueprint. The flight wasn’t
successful because he revealed the plan only in parts, not fully. He did
not pass on the entire knowledge. The Wright brothers had to work a lot on
that plan; only thirty years later did they take flight. But the fact that
the first plane was flown in India is not known to Indians, and our
children. They think that science has come from the west. They say,
‘Galileo was the one to find out that the Earth is spherical and revolves
around the sun’. Ask our pundits (scholars), they call it ‘khagol’ and
‘bhugol’ (Bhu-Earth; Gol-Spherical); it is spherical and therefore they
call it ‘bhugol’. We knew it first. The leftists who prepare the curriculum
should be sent to China. They destroyed the education system of our
country. And they have dashed the self-confidence of the people of our
country. Our country has borne the biggest loss because of this. Nobody
knows that steel was first manufactured in India. Our children are not
taught this. The first surgery was performed in India. Sushruta performed
the first surgery here when nobody in this world knew how to do it. We have
started a website, www.bharathgyan.com ; check that website to know more
about India.
*Q: Guruji, I spread love everywhere, but I do not get love in return. Is
it because of my karmas?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Don’t think that you don’t receive love. It will
come. It might be a little late but it will come back to you. You just
relax!
*Q: Guruji, a lot of people are caught in the trap of ‘shaniti’ and ‘saade
saati’ (Inauspicious Planetary effects). What message would you like to
convey to them?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* This is true. Planets do affect us. However, for
‘Sadhaks’ (People on the Spiritual path), the effect is minimum. And for
devotees, the effect is negligible. The planets will have very little
effect. That is why, when you do sadhana, you sing ‘Om Namah Shivaya’
because Lord Shiva is the lord of all planets. When the master of the house
is in your control, what will the servants do? You should chant ‘Om Namah
Shivaya’.
*Q: Guruji, this question is connected to the previous one. Is there
something like ‘pitru dosh’ (Inauspicious effects by the departed souls)?
Does someone trouble us even after their death? *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* May be. There might be some souls that are
unsatisfied, they might trouble a little but they won’t be able to harm you
much. You might face some problems, but again, I tell you that it doesn’t
affect the devotees much. Chant ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ and no dosha (negative
effect) can touch you for Lord Shiva is the Lord of all planets.
*Q: Guruji, who are you? Whenever I think about you, I don’t find an answer
(Jawaab).*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, I am Lajawaab (unfathomable)!
*Q: Guruji, in Mahabharata, who is superior between Karna and Arjuna? *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* As it is, the brothers fought in the Mahabharata,
you are causing another fight. They fought for the land. Now, how does it
matter to you as to who is superior and who is inferior? Everyone has their
own accounts. You tell me, what would you like to become, Karna or Arjuna?
The seat is vacant.
*Q: Guruji, in my irritability, the cause of anger are my past experiences.
I feel that they get released after I get angry and let it out at people.
Is it okay?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, it is okay, but how long will you do this? It
seems that you find enjoyment in getting angry. See, you must talk to
people and inform them that you will be releasing your anger in this
manner. Tell them and then release your anger.
*Q: Guruji, what will I have to do to become like you?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Nothing, just stand in front of the mirror. Look at
yourself. You are what I am.
*Q: Guruji, my mind doesn’t stay in the present. What should I do to bring
it back to the present?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Okay! Where does it go? To the past? Past is also
in the present. Detachment-Look at all that is happening, as if it is a
dream. All this is a dream, it will all end. Our entire life is a dream!
*Q: Guruji, you are my favorite ( audio cut off ).*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Read the twelfth adhyaya (chapter). In that
chapter, Lord Krishna mentions who is His favourite. He lists all the
qualities there. One whose mind does not rest anywhere else other than in
me, (audio cut off)
*Q: Guruji, even Sri Krishna and Sri Rama had their respective Gurus.
Please tell us something about your Guru.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes. It was so with me since childhood. I met a
number of people. Read the book ‘Guru of Joy’. It contains all the stories.
*Q: Guruji, I want to live with you. Please guide as to how I will be able
to do this. *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, sure, come along. Ask Swamiji. First be with
him, and then you will be able to come along with me. All those people who
want to do something for the country, for three months or more are most
welcome to come along. It is absolutely fine, if you want to join us for
your lifetime. Everyone is welcome. But you’ll have to work a lot.
*Q: Guruji, what are the parameters to judge whether I am walking on the
right path or not?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* If you have a dream of long-term happiness for
everyone, then it is fine. Happiness for a short period and misery for a
long period is not right.
*Q: Guruji, what is Advaita? How can we practically understand it?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* : This chair, the stage and the background are all
made up of wood. Knowing that all this is made up of wood is called
Advaita. But knowing that the stage, the chair, the tent and the door are
all different, is called Dvaita. Both are true. If you go to a goldsmith,
he will weigh the gold, whether it is earrings, bracelet, bangles, finger
ring or necklace. He will weigh the gold in it. He can see only the gold in
them. But you can’t wear the necklace in your hand and the bangles in your
ears. If somebody gives you a necklace to wear in your ears, what will you
say? ‘No, we have a different ornament for the ears, and the hands’. This
is Dvaita Gyan. Both are true. This is true and that is also true. ‘All
this is gold and nothing else’ is true and ‘all these are different; the
finger rings, the bangles, the necklace’ is also true. You can’t wear a
necklace for a bangle and a bangle for a necklace. Can you do that? No!
This is Dvaita gyan.
*Q: Guruji, you say that good people should enter politics. Then, from The
Art of Living, can I join politics?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, sure, why not? You join politics and all of us
will support you. We need to make a vote bank of genuine people. There is a
vote bank of various castes. If we make a vote bank of genuine people, then
all the politicians will compete on the basis of their genuineness. Now,
since we are divided on the basis of caste, they have made this difference
as the basis of their competition. But if we prepare a vote bank of genuine
people, then they will project their genuineness and compete on this basis.
This should happen.
*Q: Guruji, there is a saying, ‘chor chor mausere bhai’. The bad are always
together, but the good people are not. What to do?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* I am also thinking on these lines. What should be
done to bring together all good people? They do come together. When we
celebrated our Silver Jubilee in Bengaluru, one thousand saints were
together on the same stage. Have you ever seen this happening? The good
people will come together. All the pearls just need a string to hold them
together.
*Q: Guruji, how much does it matter to match the kundalis (Horoscopes)
during marriage?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* : If you feel like, then get it done. Otherwise,
you will always have a doubt in mind whether it will match or not. It is
okay to match it. Now, suppose you like the other person in all ways but
just one thing doesn’t match in the kundali, then there is a solution to
it. Meditate, pray, and do havan (oblation) and everything will be sorted
out. It is not difficult to please all the planets. Chant ‘Om Namah
Shivaya’ and it is done.
*Q: Whom should we serve first; our parents or our Guru?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* One should serve his/her parents, that is clear.
After that, one can serve others, the society, the Guru, and the nation. We
don’t invite those who have not received permission from their parents. Get
your parents ready for this. There are certain mothers who ask their
children to go and serve the society and the nation.
*Q: Who is the greatest in this world?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* You! (Reply by the same person): I consider my
mother to be great. You consider your mother to be great and therefore I
called you great. Am I correct? Only the great can recognize the great.
See, all of you know the answers beforehand, then why do you make me answer
it?
*Q: (incoherent)*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Nasti Tapah Pranayamat Param- There is no penance
greater than pranayama. Doing the pranayama correctly itself will be a
penance. Tapo dvandva sahanam- You should bear the conflict. You shouldn’t
be depressed in times of grief and too excited in times of happiness. This
is penance. To bear the conflict is penance. You bear the heat and the cold
here. It isn’t so cold or so hot in Bengaluru and Pune. The people of Pune
don’t have to bear so much. This side, you have to perform more penance.
See, I said this and the sky is cloudy now. The entire nature is my friend.
I have entered into a deal with it!
of life. Once I was in a satsang in Washington DC with about three hundred
people. From behind came a tall and imposing man who started screaming,
'You are the devil!' In the name of Jesus he came to attack me. He said,
'This yoga, spirituality and Hinduism are all the works of the devil.'
Everyone was frozen with fear. Nobody could get up. They were stuck to
their seats with fear. As he drew close to me, I held up my hand and said,
'Wait! what is the matter?' As I said, 'Wait', he dropped to the ground and
began crying. He had a change of heart and begged forgiveness.
So I remembered Maharishi Patanjali has written, 'Ahimsa pratishthayaam,
tat sannidhau vairatyagah.' This proves that when nonviolence is
established in one's life, all enmity and ill will disappears from the
minds of those who come near him. So Maharishi's statement cannot possibly
be false or wrong. This incident proves it. I got to witness this at three
or four different places, where people came with such anger to harm me, and
then underwent transformation. They even became teachers of The Art of
Living afterwards!
What I am saying is that spirituality is not a short-term entertainment,
where you read a book and feel somewhat satisfied, and then move on. It is
a complete and proven knowledge. 'Jo ichcha kariho man maahi, prabhu pratap
kachhu durlabh naahin' (With God’s Grace, whatever you desire is not
difficult to obtain). I can say this with confidence that this is a power
that works.
It works, doesn't it? How many of you have experienced this in your lives?
Whatever you desire gets done, doesn't it? Extraordinary or not? Miracles
happen or not? This is the thing. Otherwise, preachers give discourses, and
the audience listens for a while, and then falls asleep. While listening
they fall asleep, and sometimes, the speakers also speak while sleeping. I
am not condemning anyone, but it has become a habit in our country to
listen and to tell, without translating it into one's life.
When does it manifest in life? There are four things: Presence (Saanidhya),
Closeness (Saameepya), Grace (Saarupya), Union (Saayujya). Saanidhya –
Initially one sits in the presence of the master; then experiences
closeness - there is no feeling of separation, that the master is someone,
and I another. No! My very own. That is why there is also a shloka (Verse),
'Mannatha Shri Jagannatha' - my Lord is the Lord of the Universe, my Guru
is the Universal Guru, my Soul is the universal Soul; this is the feeling.
Once this feeling of intimacy and belonging awakens, Saameepya has
occurred. Next is Saarupya, there is no difference between the master and
I. Then comes Saayujya, Total merging, Union.
So, this Saanidhya is to take one to Saayujya.
*Q: Guruji, there is something wrong happening in front of us, but we are
unable to do anything. What to do?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* A lot of times when something wrong happens, one
cannot do anything alone, but together something can be done - as a group
(sangha) it will be possible. If as a group also it is not possible, you
can at least pray, 'This person is doing wrong, bless him with awareness.'
Whatever we are unable to do ourselves, we should surrender in the form of
a prayer, 'This is not my job, Bhagwati Maiya (Divine mother), it is yours;
God, it is your responsibility; Guruji, it is your job'. Then too, it will
be done. As I told, I could not have (physically) contended with that man.
He was such a strong, huge, seven-foot tall, hefty man who had come to
attack me. What happened? I wasn't scared. I quietly said, 'Wait!'. He
dropped down and began crying. This has happened several times. I gave just
one example.
*Q: Guruji, why does it appear that it is always truth that is in trouble?
Untruth and falsehood are never in trouble, only truth is bothered. *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Neither truth nor falsehood will be troubled. Truth
is there, and those who walk the path of truth are troubled, or those who
speak lies are happy. It is not so! It might seem that one who walks the
path of untruth lives like a king. This is only for a couple of days, but
afterwards he has to undergo imprisonment. Didn't it happen? What happened
was, these same DMK ministers and their people who consider themselves to
be atheists, are opposed to all spiritual gurus. These people were the
heads of the Ayurveda department, health department. Let me tell you a
story. We are running our Ayurvedic college in Bangalore, which is known as
the best. Out of ten ranks in the state, our college has won five. Whereas
the average pass percentage of all other colleges is Fifty or Sixty
percent, our college achieved Ninety three percent! So, these people came
to the college and instituted a CBI (Central Bureau of Investigation)
inquiry. They said, this is understaffed, the hospital is not up to the
mark, this is not right; and had the admissions cancelled. Fifty kids were
studying. What would happen to their lives, if they terminated their
studies in the middle? So we immediately went to the court and obtained a
stay order. They claimed that there were only eight teachers teaching,
whereas there were thirty five teachers. They threatened the Principal, 'Do
you know who we are? We are from the CBI. Whatever report we have written
up, just sign it!' So what could the Prinicpal do? He signed the document,
but attached the register to it. In the register, there were thirty five
names. But those people forced him to sign on the document reporting only
eight teachers. 'This is not my job!' Isn't this the mantra you chant? What
is the mantra in the sapta shati (700 verses in honour of the Divine
Mother)? So, the victory of truth is always guaranteed. Always go with this
determination. It might seem that truth is being deceived or that one who
sticks to the truth is experiencing a downfall, but in the future, the
victory of truth is certain. When people use wrong means to climb up, it
might seem as though they have risen to the top, but they will definitely
suffer.
*Q: Guruji, the point 'Accept people, objects and situations as they are'
appears to be a compromise.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* No, don't compromise. First accept, and once the
mind is at peace, then fight. If you feel like fighting, then fight. And if
you want to slap someone, slap with a smile; not with anger - that makes
you weak. When you hit with a smile, you will hit with a lot of strength.
That is why the prescribed approach is, 'Saama, Daana, Bheda, Danda.' If
you start off with a stick, that is not right. When you become angry, you
will pick up the stick first. That would reverse everything. No, Saama,
Daana, Bheda, and at the very end, if a cane is appropriate for the
buffalo, then one should pick up a cane.
*Q: Guruji, I get very angry. If anything goes even slightly against my
wishes, I get extremely angry. For this reason, no one wants to stay near
me. I get so lonely at times, that sometimes I feel like committing
suicide. How do I get past this?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* No, never take such a step. In case you feel like
committing suicide, take my permission first. I’ll tell you where to jump
from and when to jump! Otherwise, you’ll be left nowhere. You will be
hanging in between, neither in this world, nor the other. If you get angry,
do bhastrika, sit somewhere and do sudarshan kriya, release your anger
through your breath, it will come out, don’t worry! Do the Part-2 (Art of
Silence) course. You should do meditation regularly. That will make a lot
of difference.
*Q: Guruji, these days children are so attracted to television. *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Only kids? Even the elders are so attracted to
television!
*Q: Guruji, is there a regulator of this world or is it self-moving? *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* What do you feel? I leave this question to you.
Keep thinking about it. Is there a controller of this world or is it moving
on its own? Keep thinking about it. Let us see. This thinking is called
reasoning. This reasoning leads to knowledge of the self. There are certain
questions whose answers are not disclosed by the ones who know. An
intellectual person will never answer some questions. This is one of them.
The other such questions are, ‘who am I’ and ‘what is all this’? He will
not answer these questions as well. This helps you think and delve deeper.
*Q: Guruji, between Krishna and Arjuna, Arjuna used to question Krishna
again and again. But there are certain devotees who never ask a question.
What kind of devotees do you prefer?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* I like all types. I collect specimens of all types.
In English, it is called, ‘assorted nuts’. I have people of all kinds close
to me and not just one type.
*Q: Guruji, there has always been a conflict between spirituality and
science.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Not at all. Where is the conflict between
Spirituality and Science? Spirituality begins where Science ends. The
conflict hasn’t been in our country. It has only been in the western
countries, where religions were against science, therefore these areas had
been in conflict. In our country, we first attain the ‘Tattva Gyan’
(Metaphysics, knowledge of the essence lying under everything) and then the
‘Atma Gyan’(knowledge of the self). What is tattva? First attain the
knowledge of these five tattvas; earth (prithvi), water (apa), fire(tej/
agni), air (vayu), ether (akasha), then attain the knowledge of the mind,
intellect and ego, and then the knowledge of the self. It has been very
systematic in India. ‘Gyan Vigyan Triptatma Kutastho Vijitendriyah, (Yukta
Ity uchyate Yogi Samaloshtrashmakanchanah’: Srimad Bhagavad Gita; Chapter
VI Verse 8) You should be satisfied through knowledge and science, this is
the knowledge of the self. So, we have never been against science. That is
why ours was a forward country. Did you know that the first plane was made
in India? There is a village called Anekal near Bengaluru. There was a
person named Subbaraya Sharma Shastry in that village. He was told by a
saint as to how to construct a plane. He made the first diagram for the
plane. Then, he went to Mumbai where he met Dadabhai Navroji who funded his
plan. He flew the first plane at the Chowpatty Beach. The plane was in the
air for fifteen minutes. This news was published by a newspaper in England
titled, ‘First plane in space took flight from India’. Then both of them
were imprisoned by the British. The British forced them to reveal the
blueprint they prepared for making the plane. And thirty years later, the
Wright Brothers flew the plane based on that blueprint. The flight wasn’t
successful because he revealed the plan only in parts, not fully. He did
not pass on the entire knowledge. The Wright brothers had to work a lot on
that plan; only thirty years later did they take flight. But the fact that
the first plane was flown in India is not known to Indians, and our
children. They think that science has come from the west. They say,
‘Galileo was the one to find out that the Earth is spherical and revolves
around the sun’. Ask our pundits (scholars), they call it ‘khagol’ and
‘bhugol’ (Bhu-Earth; Gol-Spherical); it is spherical and therefore they
call it ‘bhugol’. We knew it first. The leftists who prepare the curriculum
should be sent to China. They destroyed the education system of our
country. And they have dashed the self-confidence of the people of our
country. Our country has borne the biggest loss because of this. Nobody
knows that steel was first manufactured in India. Our children are not
taught this. The first surgery was performed in India. Sushruta performed
the first surgery here when nobody in this world knew how to do it. We have
started a website, www.bharathgyan.com ; check that website to know more
about India.
*Q: Guruji, I spread love everywhere, but I do not get love in return. Is
it because of my karmas?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Don’t think that you don’t receive love. It will
come. It might be a little late but it will come back to you. You just
relax!
*Q: Guruji, a lot of people are caught in the trap of ‘shaniti’ and ‘saade
saati’ (Inauspicious Planetary effects). What message would you like to
convey to them?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* This is true. Planets do affect us. However, for
‘Sadhaks’ (People on the Spiritual path), the effect is minimum. And for
devotees, the effect is negligible. The planets will have very little
effect. That is why, when you do sadhana, you sing ‘Om Namah Shivaya’
because Lord Shiva is the lord of all planets. When the master of the house
is in your control, what will the servants do? You should chant ‘Om Namah
Shivaya’.
*Q: Guruji, this question is connected to the previous one. Is there
something like ‘pitru dosh’ (Inauspicious effects by the departed souls)?
Does someone trouble us even after their death? *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* May be. There might be some souls that are
unsatisfied, they might trouble a little but they won’t be able to harm you
much. You might face some problems, but again, I tell you that it doesn’t
affect the devotees much. Chant ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ and no dosha (negative
effect) can touch you for Lord Shiva is the Lord of all planets.
*Q: Guruji, who are you? Whenever I think about you, I don’t find an answer
(Jawaab).*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, I am Lajawaab (unfathomable)!
*Q: Guruji, in Mahabharata, who is superior between Karna and Arjuna? *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* As it is, the brothers fought in the Mahabharata,
you are causing another fight. They fought for the land. Now, how does it
matter to you as to who is superior and who is inferior? Everyone has their
own accounts. You tell me, what would you like to become, Karna or Arjuna?
The seat is vacant.
*Q: Guruji, in my irritability, the cause of anger are my past experiences.
I feel that they get released after I get angry and let it out at people.
Is it okay?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, it is okay, but how long will you do this? It
seems that you find enjoyment in getting angry. See, you must talk to
people and inform them that you will be releasing your anger in this
manner. Tell them and then release your anger.
*Q: Guruji, what will I have to do to become like you?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Nothing, just stand in front of the mirror. Look at
yourself. You are what I am.
*Q: Guruji, my mind doesn’t stay in the present. What should I do to bring
it back to the present?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Okay! Where does it go? To the past? Past is also
in the present. Detachment-Look at all that is happening, as if it is a
dream. All this is a dream, it will all end. Our entire life is a dream!
*Q: Guruji, you are my favorite ( audio cut off ).*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Read the twelfth adhyaya (chapter). In that
chapter, Lord Krishna mentions who is His favourite. He lists all the
qualities there. One whose mind does not rest anywhere else other than in
me, (audio cut off)
*Q: Guruji, even Sri Krishna and Sri Rama had their respective Gurus.
Please tell us something about your Guru.*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes. It was so with me since childhood. I met a
number of people. Read the book ‘Guru of Joy’. It contains all the stories.
*Q: Guruji, I want to live with you. Please guide as to how I will be able
to do this. *
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, sure, come along. Ask Swamiji. First be with
him, and then you will be able to come along with me. All those people who
want to do something for the country, for three months or more are most
welcome to come along. It is absolutely fine, if you want to join us for
your lifetime. Everyone is welcome. But you’ll have to work a lot.
*Q: Guruji, what are the parameters to judge whether I am walking on the
right path or not?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* If you have a dream of long-term happiness for
everyone, then it is fine. Happiness for a short period and misery for a
long period is not right.
*Q: Guruji, what is Advaita? How can we practically understand it?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* : This chair, the stage and the background are all
made up of wood. Knowing that all this is made up of wood is called
Advaita. But knowing that the stage, the chair, the tent and the door are
all different, is called Dvaita. Both are true. If you go to a goldsmith,
he will weigh the gold, whether it is earrings, bracelet, bangles, finger
ring or necklace. He will weigh the gold in it. He can see only the gold in
them. But you can’t wear the necklace in your hand and the bangles in your
ears. If somebody gives you a necklace to wear in your ears, what will you
say? ‘No, we have a different ornament for the ears, and the hands’. This
is Dvaita Gyan. Both are true. This is true and that is also true. ‘All
this is gold and nothing else’ is true and ‘all these are different; the
finger rings, the bangles, the necklace’ is also true. You can’t wear a
necklace for a bangle and a bangle for a necklace. Can you do that? No!
This is Dvaita gyan.
*Q: Guruji, you say that good people should enter politics. Then, from The
Art of Living, can I join politics?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Yes, sure, why not? You join politics and all of us
will support you. We need to make a vote bank of genuine people. There is a
vote bank of various castes. If we make a vote bank of genuine people, then
all the politicians will compete on the basis of their genuineness. Now,
since we are divided on the basis of caste, they have made this difference
as the basis of their competition. But if we prepare a vote bank of genuine
people, then they will project their genuineness and compete on this basis.
This should happen.
*Q: Guruji, there is a saying, ‘chor chor mausere bhai’. The bad are always
together, but the good people are not. What to do?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* I am also thinking on these lines. What should be
done to bring together all good people? They do come together. When we
celebrated our Silver Jubilee in Bengaluru, one thousand saints were
together on the same stage. Have you ever seen this happening? The good
people will come together. All the pearls just need a string to hold them
together.
*Q: Guruji, how much does it matter to match the kundalis (Horoscopes)
during marriage?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* : If you feel like, then get it done. Otherwise,
you will always have a doubt in mind whether it will match or not. It is
okay to match it. Now, suppose you like the other person in all ways but
just one thing doesn’t match in the kundali, then there is a solution to
it. Meditate, pray, and do havan (oblation) and everything will be sorted
out. It is not difficult to please all the planets. Chant ‘Om Namah
Shivaya’ and it is done.
*Q: Whom should we serve first; our parents or our Guru?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* One should serve his/her parents, that is clear.
After that, one can serve others, the society, the Guru, and the nation. We
don’t invite those who have not received permission from their parents. Get
your parents ready for this. There are certain mothers who ask their
children to go and serve the society and the nation.
*Q: Who is the greatest in this world?*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* You! (Reply by the same person): I consider my
mother to be great. You consider your mother to be great and therefore I
called you great. Am I correct? Only the great can recognize the great.
See, all of you know the answers beforehand, then why do you make me answer
it?
*Q: (incoherent)*
*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:* Nasti Tapah Pranayamat Param- There is no penance
greater than pranayama. Doing the pranayama correctly itself will be a
penance. Tapo dvandva sahanam- You should bear the conflict. You shouldn’t
be depressed in times of grief and too excited in times of happiness. This
is penance. To bear the conflict is penance. You bear the heat and the cold
here. It isn’t so cold or so hot in Bengaluru and Pune. The people of Pune
don’t have to bear so much. This side, you have to perform more penance.
See, I said this and the sky is cloudy now. The entire nature is my friend.
I have entered into a deal with it!
Daily Sutras
Trust in yourself.
Have faith in your choice of actions and the path you would be following. If you don’t trust yourself, how can you trust the Master? It is enough to have faith in yourself. A Master or a Guru does not remove the doubt, but He creates more doubt. The more you burn in the fire of doubt, the more strong you come out to be. Truth is never afraid of doubt, and truth can never hide
Criticism
In life we don’t want anyone to think badly about us. We don’t like if a few people say bad things about us. Do you also do same with people? Of course, you can't always say that all the apples in the basket are good. Sometimes you have to criticize. But when you criticize, let it come from your lips only and not from your heart. Don’t hold on to it in the mind. Don't hate anyone. It harms only you and no one else
Balance
Life needs to be a perfect balance between sound and silence, between dynamic activity and stillness, between being funny and jovial, and then being serious. If one aspect is missing, life is incomplete. If you are only serious, and not funny, then it’s not complete. If you are only funny, you become superficial. You are not deep. Silence is our ability to switch between them, this is most important
Contentment and Frustration
Contentment can come by sitting with a contented person; or through satsang. If you sit with a frustrated person, you will become more frustrated. A restless person will spread restlessness. The happy and contented will spread happiness and contentment
Do not get stuck
It’s ok if you get angry. Don’t get angry because you got angry. Sometimes you feel good, sometimes you feel bad. Life is like a jungle. Thorns are also there, flowers are also there, fruits, peacocks, deer, lions, tigers everything is there. Just be natural, easy and relax. Take things as they come and move forward. Don’t get stuck in a place
Wonder
Wonder in anyone’s eyes is a charm in itself. Children look so beautiful, you know why? Because they have a wonder in their eyes. Wonder indicates liveliness. When you loose all wonder in your life, you become very inert, dull and lifeless. Sign of life is wonder and thats why nature has created so many things to wonder about and make life wonderful!
Have faith in your choice of actions and the path you would be following. If you don’t trust yourself, how can you trust the Master? It is enough to have faith in yourself. A Master or a Guru does not remove the doubt, but He creates more doubt. The more you burn in the fire of doubt, the more strong you come out to be. Truth is never afraid of doubt, and truth can never hide
Criticism
In life we don’t want anyone to think badly about us. We don’t like if a few people say bad things about us. Do you also do same with people? Of course, you can't always say that all the apples in the basket are good. Sometimes you have to criticize. But when you criticize, let it come from your lips only and not from your heart. Don’t hold on to it in the mind. Don't hate anyone. It harms only you and no one else
Balance
Life needs to be a perfect balance between sound and silence, between dynamic activity and stillness, between being funny and jovial, and then being serious. If one aspect is missing, life is incomplete. If you are only serious, and not funny, then it’s not complete. If you are only funny, you become superficial. You are not deep. Silence is our ability to switch between them, this is most important
Contentment and Frustration
Contentment can come by sitting with a contented person; or through satsang. If you sit with a frustrated person, you will become more frustrated. A restless person will spread restlessness. The happy and contented will spread happiness and contentment
Do not get stuck
It’s ok if you get angry. Don’t get angry because you got angry. Sometimes you feel good, sometimes you feel bad. Life is like a jungle. Thorns are also there, flowers are also there, fruits, peacocks, deer, lions, tigers everything is there. Just be natural, easy and relax. Take things as they come and move forward. Don’t get stuck in a place
Wonder
Wonder in anyone’s eyes is a charm in itself. Children look so beautiful, you know why? Because they have a wonder in their eyes. Wonder indicates liveliness. When you loose all wonder in your life, you become very inert, dull and lifeless. Sign of life is wonder and thats why nature has created so many things to wonder about and make life wonderful!
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