The sixth International Women’s Conference (IWC) will be held in the International Center of the Art of Living International Foundation in Bangalore, India from February 7-9, 2014. The conference, inspired by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, humanitarian and founder of The Art of Living Foundation, will bring together eminent personalities and women leaders from over 100 countries around the world.
A press release said that under the leadership Bhanumathi Narasimhan, chairperson of the IWC, the focus of the conference will continue to be on the relevance, inner strength and deeper insights in, and valuable contribution from, women who will discuss and share innovative solutions to restore harmony at both the societal as well as individual level.
Bhanumathi stated in the release, “As a woman on the path to success, we expect to feel a sense of achievement when we reach the top. We might wonder, how does it look from there? Will the world and people around you look more beautiful? Will the journey to the top be pleasant and memorable?
“For many women I have met, this journey has certainly not been easy. It is not always a journey of mutual support, collaboration, and friendliness. Instead, you are being constantly careful about who is conspiring to push you down. There are many challenges, not just due to gender bias, but also due to jealousy from other women. This kind of a journey can be very stressful and takes its toll on our body and mind. Moreover, many women impose limitations on themselves, believing that they are not fully qualified, and often talk themselves out of achieving their potential.
“So what do successful women do right? I believe that successful women are able to find their inner strength to make the most of opportunities – be it at the workplace or at home. A woman has to balance her work, family, relationships – all of these and more on the road to success. When you realize that you are multi-faceted and multi-dimensional, you know you can handle different roles in life. This realization dawns when you are in a calm and serene state of mind – which can be achieved through meditation.
“I find that meditation can help us be more productive. It is my experience that when you meditate, a task that would take four hours to do, gets done in two hours. I believe it is necessary that we give prime time to ourselves – to relax and rejuvenate, to realize that we have so much more potential than we think we do. Otherwise we limit our capabilities. When you meditate, you realize the expansion within you – the limitlessness within you. Such an expanded awareness can help you perceive the connections between people and lead you to realize your purpose in this world. Connectedness and commitment are a byproduct of meditation. Meditation brings us in touch with our inner source of strength.
“True success is when it extends to both the material and inner realms. It is not just about getting promoted at work, accumulating a lot of money, or appearing on magazine covers. Are you enjoying the little things in your life? Have you recently observed the glistening dewdrops in the grass? The birds chirping, the sparrows sipping water, the Blue Jays feeding, the eagles circling overhead, the beautiful flowers… Have you cleaned your windowpane, have you watered the small little plants in your garden? Have you observed the lucky bamboo plant with two new leaves, enjoyed craftsmanship of your carpet – all the beautiful colours, made a new salad dressing, and experimented with your sandwich? I believe that living every moment to the fullest with an expanded awareness is a sign of a successful woman.
“The whole essence is summed up in a quote by Warren Buffet, Chairman and CEO of Berkshire Hathaway: “I have always believed that a woman is the heart of the society – she brings families together, and has a multitude of talents and abilities to lead. A society that empowers women to succeed is a society on the path to prosperity.”
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Friday, December 13, 2013
Inner truth: Devotion of the Seer
Throughout their lives people desire small things, like a promotion, or more money, or a more fulfilling relationship. But all of these are very limited in that all these cannot give everlasting joy or contentment. People who spend their whole lives in achieving these desires are actually putting so much effort for very small gains in life. By being devoted to the scenery outside — with these goals and desires, one only reaps short-lived results.
But one who is devoted to the seer within receives eternal gains. Meditation is a process to shift your focus from the scenery back to the seer. You place your faith on the scenery because you get something from it. But whatever you gain is because of the devotion you have within, which is the devotion of the seer. When our senses, which are always focused outwards come to rest, we can go inward, and that is when we can experience the bliss that springs forth from going inward. The fruits of such devotion never diminish.
But one who is devoted to the seer within receives eternal gains. Meditation is a process to shift your focus from the scenery back to the seer. You place your faith on the scenery because you get something from it. But whatever you gain is because of the devotion you have within, which is the devotion of the seer. When our senses, which are always focused outwards come to rest, we can go inward, and that is when we can experience the bliss that springs forth from going inward. The fruits of such devotion never diminish.
In a devotee's heart, every desire gets fulfilled
In the next sutra he says:
Yad prapya na kinchid vanchati na shochati,
na dveshti, na ramate notsahi bhavati
Having attained which, there is no desire left.
Na shochati - nothing to grieve about.
Na dweshti - nothing to hate, nothing to be so excited about.
Notsahi bhavati - nothing to be motivated about.
For every action there is a motivation behind that action. Something motivates you because you are going to get something out of it. But one who has attained love has no other motivation at all. Whatever you desire, the ultimate goal of all desires is to be in love. When that is already there, what is there to desire? One of the signs of siddhi is you have things even before you feel the need for them. Before you feel thirsty, there is plenty of water. And before you feel hungry, people are already offering you food to eat. Even before desires arise, they are already fulfilled, so where is the question of galloping on a desire?
We are not even aware where our desires are taking us. We are galloping on such a horse of desire, without awareness, without knowing where we want to go, what we want to do. Na kinchid vanchati — no desires are left to be fulfilled. In a devotee’s heart, as soon as a desire arises, it already gets fulfilled. Nature awaits to fulfil the needs of one who is in deep love with the entire existence.
Buddha has said desire is the cause of misery, of sorrow. When there is no desire arising, where is the question of sorrow? There is nothing to be grieved about. Na, dveshti — hatred comes behind the grievances. They are all linked, do you see that? You have a desire and when that doesn’t get fulfilled, you become upset, sad and when you are sad, you don’t want to be in a sad state, so you start hating that person, or that object, or that thing. Hatred is behind sorrow or pain. A relationship causes pain and pain is not palatable to any living creature. So one starts hating the source of pain, not knowing it is one’s own mind. We project that on to the other person. So then there is no question of hating anybody here. Na dveshti, na ramate notsahi bhavati — nothing to be motivated, nothing to be excited about.
Is it a very dull state then? There is no excitement, there is no hatred. Is it so? It does not mean you are devoid of enthusiasm or that you are not enthusiastic about anything.
Yad prapya na kinchid vanchati na shochati,
na dveshti, na ramate notsahi bhavati
Having attained which, there is no desire left.
Na shochati - nothing to grieve about.
Na dweshti - nothing to hate, nothing to be so excited about.
Notsahi bhavati - nothing to be motivated about.
For every action there is a motivation behind that action. Something motivates you because you are going to get something out of it. But one who has attained love has no other motivation at all. Whatever you desire, the ultimate goal of all desires is to be in love. When that is already there, what is there to desire? One of the signs of siddhi is you have things even before you feel the need for them. Before you feel thirsty, there is plenty of water. And before you feel hungry, people are already offering you food to eat. Even before desires arise, they are already fulfilled, so where is the question of galloping on a desire?
We are not even aware where our desires are taking us. We are galloping on such a horse of desire, without awareness, without knowing where we want to go, what we want to do. Na kinchid vanchati — no desires are left to be fulfilled. In a devotee’s heart, as soon as a desire arises, it already gets fulfilled. Nature awaits to fulfil the needs of one who is in deep love with the entire existence.
Buddha has said desire is the cause of misery, of sorrow. When there is no desire arising, where is the question of sorrow? There is nothing to be grieved about. Na, dveshti — hatred comes behind the grievances. They are all linked, do you see that? You have a desire and when that doesn’t get fulfilled, you become upset, sad and when you are sad, you don’t want to be in a sad state, so you start hating that person, or that object, or that thing. Hatred is behind sorrow or pain. A relationship causes pain and pain is not palatable to any living creature. So one starts hating the source of pain, not knowing it is one’s own mind. We project that on to the other person. So then there is no question of hating anybody here. Na dveshti, na ramate notsahi bhavati — nothing to be motivated, nothing to be excited about.
Is it a very dull state then? There is no excitement, there is no hatred. Is it so? It does not mean you are devoid of enthusiasm or that you are not enthusiastic about anything.
Divine love is not an object of desire
In the next sutra he says: Yad gyatva, matto bhavati. Knowing which one is intoxicated! When you go through all this paraphernalia of negative emotions, that is when you just want to forget everything. Then people just want to drink and intoxicate themselves. But love is the best intoxicant available. Divine love is such an intoxication. Yat gyatva, matto bhavati - knowing which you become drunk, you get intoxicated, spaced out.
Stabdho bhavati - what else will any of this excitement do to you? It brings you to a state of amazement, doesn’t it? “Ahh, wow!” This feeling arises in you. Love takes you to that state. Knowing which you become so stunned, smitten, completely awestruck! Atmaramo bhavati - you become so still, you repose in yourself. You are in such deep rest, deep peace. You are rejoicing yourself and - atmoramo bhavati - reposing in the Self.
All these are the glories of love. “How can I have it now? I just want to have that, nothing more, finished with everything else - no job, no work. I will leave everything, I want just that. How can I have it...?”
This desire to have such an ultimate love, which has been painted into such a glorious picture, this feverishness, if it arises in you, then Narada is there waiting with a stick, right in front of you. He says: Sa na kamyamana, nirodha rupatvat. It is not an object of desire, stop wanting it. You know, when you want to sit for meditation, the more you want that thoughts should not come, the more they come. The mind works on a completely different set of laws.
Sometimes people say, “I want nothing, I just want liberation.” This desire for liberation or desire for the ultimate sometimes makes them go around in circles. When it comes to knowledge, you must have a little desire for liberation to be free. But when it comes to Divine love, he says, it is not an object of desire.
Love is not an object of desire. Love is what you are. So nirodha rupatvaptvat — settle down, calm down, quiet down. It is like you are wanting to rest, but you keep running from room to room saying, “Oh, I want to sleep. I want to sleep.” All that you want is to relax, but you are running.
How can you relax if you are running? If you can relax here, you can relax there also. If you can relax in your living room, you can relax in your bedroom. If you cannot relax in your bedroom, running around the house cannot bring you relaxation.
Whether it is on the street or under a tree in the park or at home or on the bus, anywhere, wherever you are, you can relax. Isn’t that so?
Stabdho bhavati - what else will any of this excitement do to you? It brings you to a state of amazement, doesn’t it? “Ahh, wow!” This feeling arises in you. Love takes you to that state. Knowing which you become so stunned, smitten, completely awestruck! Atmaramo bhavati - you become so still, you repose in yourself. You are in such deep rest, deep peace. You are rejoicing yourself and - atmoramo bhavati - reposing in the Self.
All these are the glories of love. “How can I have it now? I just want to have that, nothing more, finished with everything else - no job, no work. I will leave everything, I want just that. How can I have it...?”
This desire to have such an ultimate love, which has been painted into such a glorious picture, this feverishness, if it arises in you, then Narada is there waiting with a stick, right in front of you. He says: Sa na kamyamana, nirodha rupatvat. It is not an object of desire, stop wanting it. You know, when you want to sit for meditation, the more you want that thoughts should not come, the more they come. The mind works on a completely different set of laws.
Sometimes people say, “I want nothing, I just want liberation.” This desire for liberation or desire for the ultimate sometimes makes them go around in circles. When it comes to knowledge, you must have a little desire for liberation to be free. But when it comes to Divine love, he says, it is not an object of desire.
Love is not an object of desire. Love is what you are. So nirodha rupatvaptvat — settle down, calm down, quiet down. It is like you are wanting to rest, but you keep running from room to room saying, “Oh, I want to sleep. I want to sleep.” All that you want is to relax, but you are running.
How can you relax if you are running? If you can relax here, you can relax there also. If you can relax in your living room, you can relax in your bedroom. If you cannot relax in your bedroom, running around the house cannot bring you relaxation.
Whether it is on the street or under a tree in the park or at home or on the bus, anywhere, wherever you are, you can relax. Isn’t that so?
Moderate activity is essential to eventually retire in life
When you want to swim in the lake, you can jump from any side of the lake. Even if you take a boat and jump from the middle of the lake, it is the same as jumping from the shore. You cannot learn swimming unless you are in the water. You cannot say you will first learn swimming and then get into the water. “I don’t want to wet my feet, my socks will get wet, but I want to swim.” This is not possible. Sa na kamyamana - it is not an object of desire, you cannot make it into an object of desire. Nirodha rupatvat - it is of the nature of restraint, of relaxation, of retiring.
If one is in a corridor and is walking from this end to that end, and all the person really wants is to relax, what you will say? “Wherever you are, just sit and relax. That is called nirodha - withdraw. No, withdraw is not the correct word, retire, repose. Repose wherever you are - nirodha rupatvat.
Nirodhastu loka veda vyapar nyasah
What are you retiring from? From all worldly and religious activities. You do worldly activities in order to gain comfort and religious activities in order to gain some spiritual merit. You do so many charities and work so that when you die and go to heaven, there you will enjoy these comforts. There is this desire to gain a better accommodation in heaven, to have a more comfortable air conditioned room if you have earned the merits (laughter)!
A gentleman came to me and said, “Guruji, my mother wants to see you. She wants to ask a question.” When she met with me, she said, “See, I am going to die in a few months or maybe a few years, but I am not used to new places. How is it there in the heavens? I think you know how it is there. Can you tell me what I should do to prepare myself? You see, I don’t get any sleep when I change places. When I go to New York from Connecticut, I cannot sleep. So I am a little anxious to know how it is there, on the other side.” I told her; “Don’t worry mother, all will be very comfortable. You will sleep well there also. You better sleep here. Thinking about sleeping there, don’t lose your sleep here.” She kept saying, “I’m not used to new places you know...” (laughter)
Relax from both worldly and religious activities. Retire from all activities. Sometimes people retire easily from worldly activities but they go on doing other things non-stop - using rosaries non-stop, chanting non-stop, doing something. And this non-stop doing wears you out.
You feel worn out and tired and all that you do is fall asleep. Loka veda vyapar nyasah - retiring from both spiritual and secular activities, religious and social activities. In any activity maintaining that calm.
Another meaning for nyasah is not acting out of feverishness.
How can you retire? Does that mean not doing anything at all? Just sit? Do neither worldly activity nor spiritual activity? No. When can you really retire? When you are really into the activity. Only then does retirement really mean anything. If you never got a job, there is no question of retirement. An unemployed person cannot retire. Only one who is in some employment can retire. So when can you retire? When you are engaged in an activity, then you can retire. So moderate activity is essential.
This word nyasah also means being centred. Being centred in any activity you do - spiritual, social or religious. Be centred, maintain that calm, maintain that balance. Being centred in all activities and in your work - not to act out of feverishness.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation
If one is in a corridor and is walking from this end to that end, and all the person really wants is to relax, what you will say? “Wherever you are, just sit and relax. That is called nirodha - withdraw. No, withdraw is not the correct word, retire, repose. Repose wherever you are - nirodha rupatvat.
Nirodhastu loka veda vyapar nyasah
What are you retiring from? From all worldly and religious activities. You do worldly activities in order to gain comfort and religious activities in order to gain some spiritual merit. You do so many charities and work so that when you die and go to heaven, there you will enjoy these comforts. There is this desire to gain a better accommodation in heaven, to have a more comfortable air conditioned room if you have earned the merits (laughter)!
A gentleman came to me and said, “Guruji, my mother wants to see you. She wants to ask a question.” When she met with me, she said, “See, I am going to die in a few months or maybe a few years, but I am not used to new places. How is it there in the heavens? I think you know how it is there. Can you tell me what I should do to prepare myself? You see, I don’t get any sleep when I change places. When I go to New York from Connecticut, I cannot sleep. So I am a little anxious to know how it is there, on the other side.” I told her; “Don’t worry mother, all will be very comfortable. You will sleep well there also. You better sleep here. Thinking about sleeping there, don’t lose your sleep here.” She kept saying, “I’m not used to new places you know...” (laughter)
Relax from both worldly and religious activities. Retire from all activities. Sometimes people retire easily from worldly activities but they go on doing other things non-stop - using rosaries non-stop, chanting non-stop, doing something. And this non-stop doing wears you out.
You feel worn out and tired and all that you do is fall asleep. Loka veda vyapar nyasah - retiring from both spiritual and secular activities, religious and social activities. In any activity maintaining that calm.
Another meaning for nyasah is not acting out of feverishness.
How can you retire? Does that mean not doing anything at all? Just sit? Do neither worldly activity nor spiritual activity? No. When can you really retire? When you are really into the activity. Only then does retirement really mean anything. If you never got a job, there is no question of retirement. An unemployed person cannot retire. Only one who is in some employment can retire. So when can you retire? When you are engaged in an activity, then you can retire. So moderate activity is essential.
This word nyasah also means being centred. Being centred in any activity you do - spiritual, social or religious. Be centred, maintain that calm, maintain that balance. Being centred in all activities and in your work - not to act out of feverishness.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation
Freedom is essential for love to blossom
Love can only blossom in freedom. When freedom is restricted, love suffocates. You need to be free. Often love stifles.When you are in love or when you love somebody, you feel stifled because you are obliged. When there are so many obligations that you need to fulfil, then these obligations become like a load on your head and you get the added responsibility not to hurt the people you love and who love you. In a subtle sense, this takes the freedom away and slowly demands start arising in you. The moment demand arises in you, know that love is on its death-bed. Love is in an oxygen chamber and it doesn’t live very long.
Demand destroys love. Freedom is essential.
So whether in the world, in religious or in spiritual matters, follow love rather than the rules. This was the sutra that we heard.
A lover is beyond all rules. There is no rule on how to express your love. All expressions are a spontaneous outburst of love and love finds its own expressions - you cannot streamline it. Your eyes cannot hide the love, your gestures cannot hide the love, your steps cannot hide the love. Love flows in all your expressions, in your behaviour, in your walk, in your talk, in your whole life.
One thing you can never fully hide is love. You can hide anger to a great extent, you can eat anger inside you, you can put a big smile on your face. People may not notice your anger, your vengeance - but you cannot hide love. It comes flooding from your eyes, your smile and your gestures. There are no rules on how to express love, because when you are in love, you cannot make a mistake. A lover is beyond all rules, beyond all scriptures, beyond all theories and philosophies.
Yet, Narada says in the next Sutra : Bhavatu nishchaya dadhrya durdhvam shastra rakshanam
Yes, certainly a devotee is beyond all rules, because for a devotee the Divine is the only goal, the only concern. A devotee has nothing of his or her own. Yet you need to follow the scriptures in order to preserve and protect the scriptures and in order to honour the tradition. The tradition needs to be maintained and devotees have always followed. Although it doesn’t mean anything to them, it doesn’t matter to them, yet one honours the tradition, the injunctions; one honours certain rules.
Anyatha patitya ashankaya : Otherwise there is a possibility of falling out of it. If you don´t follow certain codes of conduct, there is a possibility that you will fall out of that love. Anyatha patitya ashankaya - there is the possibility to fall off the knowledge, off the path of love. So just follow and stick to these rules. This is very, very beautiful. No doubt you need freedom to blossom in love, but in turn love brings freedom in all situations, all circumstances. Nothing will be stifling, nothing will be bonding to you, nothing will restrict you, your freedom, in the true sense of love. Are you getting what I am saying?
When you are in love, nothing is a burden to you. When nothing is a burden, how can anything take away the freedom from you? You lose freedom when something is a burden to you. So love in turn brings that freedom. When a rule is imposed on you by someone else, then it is restricting to you. But when you have taken a rule on yourself, on your own, it is not any restriction, it is not suffocating to you. Like when you take on the rule of driving on the right side of the road, then that is it.
Discipline (rules) bring more freedom to us although, on the surface, it appears to restrict freedom. But if you go a little deeper, you will see that your own rules, your own disciplines bring you freedom. Though you are beyond all discipline, yet it is good to have your own discipline. Though it doesn’t matter to you what you do, when you rise, what you eat etc., it is better to have a certain discipline because that gives you such freedom.
-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation
Demand destroys love. Freedom is essential.
So whether in the world, in religious or in spiritual matters, follow love rather than the rules. This was the sutra that we heard.
A lover is beyond all rules. There is no rule on how to express your love. All expressions are a spontaneous outburst of love and love finds its own expressions - you cannot streamline it. Your eyes cannot hide the love, your gestures cannot hide the love, your steps cannot hide the love. Love flows in all your expressions, in your behaviour, in your walk, in your talk, in your whole life.
One thing you can never fully hide is love. You can hide anger to a great extent, you can eat anger inside you, you can put a big smile on your face. People may not notice your anger, your vengeance - but you cannot hide love. It comes flooding from your eyes, your smile and your gestures. There are no rules on how to express love, because when you are in love, you cannot make a mistake. A lover is beyond all rules, beyond all scriptures, beyond all theories and philosophies.
Yet, Narada says in the next Sutra : Bhavatu nishchaya dadhrya durdhvam shastra rakshanam
Yes, certainly a devotee is beyond all rules, because for a devotee the Divine is the only goal, the only concern. A devotee has nothing of his or her own. Yet you need to follow the scriptures in order to preserve and protect the scriptures and in order to honour the tradition. The tradition needs to be maintained and devotees have always followed. Although it doesn’t mean anything to them, it doesn’t matter to them, yet one honours the tradition, the injunctions; one honours certain rules.
Anyatha patitya ashankaya : Otherwise there is a possibility of falling out of it. If you don´t follow certain codes of conduct, there is a possibility that you will fall out of that love. Anyatha patitya ashankaya - there is the possibility to fall off the knowledge, off the path of love. So just follow and stick to these rules. This is very, very beautiful. No doubt you need freedom to blossom in love, but in turn love brings freedom in all situations, all circumstances. Nothing will be stifling, nothing will be bonding to you, nothing will restrict you, your freedom, in the true sense of love. Are you getting what I am saying?
When you are in love, nothing is a burden to you. When nothing is a burden, how can anything take away the freedom from you? You lose freedom when something is a burden to you. So love in turn brings that freedom. When a rule is imposed on you by someone else, then it is restricting to you. But when you have taken a rule on yourself, on your own, it is not any restriction, it is not suffocating to you. Like when you take on the rule of driving on the right side of the road, then that is it.
Discipline (rules) bring more freedom to us although, on the surface, it appears to restrict freedom. But if you go a little deeper, you will see that your own rules, your own disciplines bring you freedom. Though you are beyond all discipline, yet it is good to have your own discipline. Though it doesn’t matter to you what you do, when you rise, what you eat etc., it is better to have a certain discipline because that gives you such freedom.
-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation
Love is rejoicing in the self, without any conflict
Lokopi tadeva
bhojanadi vyapara stvasharira dharanavadhi
Our body is bound by discipline, it is bound by some clock. Whether you want it or not, whether you like it or not, your system gets tired at some time, wants to sleep at some time, a definite time, is hungry at a definite time, it goes for nature calls at a definite time. Your body is in certain discipline as long as we are in this body, on this planet, with people around us. We need to honour the rules, honour the discipline, honour whatever rules, in whichever place. Here, (Lake Tahoe, Montreal), driving on the right-hand side is the rule. If you go to India or England, it is left-side driving and you have to honour that rule there. Honouring the rules, the Shastras, the scriptures brings you enormous freedom and freedom sustains love; love in turn brings you enormous freedom, the true freedom. Nothing can take away the freedom that love brings you - not the mind. There is a subtle difference. Be in the world like anybody else, like a common, ordinary person. Be one with everyone in the world, in society.
Tallakshanani vachyante nana matbhedat
Different rishis, different traditions spoke about this Divine love and its characteristics. But they are all different - different perceptions. The Truth is the same but they saw different characteristics.
Poojadishu anurag iti Parasharyah : Parashara, one of the pioneers of the Vedic tradition, said, “A deep interest in Pooja is a sign of Divine love.” What does Pooja mean? It is not just a ritual. ‘Poo’ means fullness, ‘Ja’ means that which is born out of fullness.
When you are so full and you are so grateful, what you do from that state of mind, of existence, is Pooja. And how is Pooja done? Not just using limited mind, but using the entire universe, all the five elements and the Soul, the Mind and the Being.
And offering of the totality is Pooja. An intense interest in Pooja is one of the characteristics of devotion, of Bhakti. A sense that comes up in you that you want to offer every little bit of what you are or what you have. “I have been given this universe, now I offer the universe back. I have been given this body and every particle of this body, I am offering back to you.
You gave me this world and I offer this back to you. And I am yours.” This intense feeling of offering, merging, giving everything to the Divine - every bit of it is called Pooja. An intense interest or liking for Pooja is one of the signs, one of the characteristics of such a deep devotion - a total offering, not saving something for oneself, becoming the offering itself, is Pooja.
Kathadishviti Gargah
The Rishi Garga said Katha, meaning story - talking about the glory of it. Listening and talking about it.
When you are in love with someone, you want to know everything about them. What do they do? Where do they sit? Where did they go? What do they think? What is their opinion? What do they say?
You want to know everything about them. And an interest in listening to that story and telling the story of the beloved is another characteristic of such a deep devotion, such a deep love. No other subject interests you. When you are in love, you only talk about the beloved and the beloved’s stories. This is another sign, another characteristic of such Divine love. In nothing else is there any interest - kathadishviti gargah.
Atmarati avirodhena iti Shandilyah : Another Rishi by the name Shandilya says a characteristic of love is rejoicing in the Self without any conflict. This is a sign of Divine love. The moment you are happy, immediately a conflict arises in you, “Oh I shouldn’t be happy.” Society has stuffed so much guilt in you. And you cannot be at peace having guilt in your heart. But when you are in love, such deep love with this existence, with all the people on this planet, there is no way you can have any guilt. Guilt is always associated with selfishness, with self-pleasure.
Guilt cannot be with sacrifice and love is sacrifice. Wrong understanding imposes guilt in you. Atmarati means reposing in the Self, being in the Self, rejoicing in the Self without any conflict.
To cross the conflict you need wisdom, you need grace. Shandilya’s way to look at Divine love is reposing, rejoicing in the Self without any conflict.
And love brings you that. Divine love, Supreme love makes you rejoice in the Self without any conflict.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation
bhojanadi vyapara stvasharira dharanavadhi
Our body is bound by discipline, it is bound by some clock. Whether you want it or not, whether you like it or not, your system gets tired at some time, wants to sleep at some time, a definite time, is hungry at a definite time, it goes for nature calls at a definite time. Your body is in certain discipline as long as we are in this body, on this planet, with people around us. We need to honour the rules, honour the discipline, honour whatever rules, in whichever place. Here, (Lake Tahoe, Montreal), driving on the right-hand side is the rule. If you go to India or England, it is left-side driving and you have to honour that rule there. Honouring the rules, the Shastras, the scriptures brings you enormous freedom and freedom sustains love; love in turn brings you enormous freedom, the true freedom. Nothing can take away the freedom that love brings you - not the mind. There is a subtle difference. Be in the world like anybody else, like a common, ordinary person. Be one with everyone in the world, in society.
Tallakshanani vachyante nana matbhedat
Different rishis, different traditions spoke about this Divine love and its characteristics. But they are all different - different perceptions. The Truth is the same but they saw different characteristics.
Poojadishu anurag iti Parasharyah : Parashara, one of the pioneers of the Vedic tradition, said, “A deep interest in Pooja is a sign of Divine love.” What does Pooja mean? It is not just a ritual. ‘Poo’ means fullness, ‘Ja’ means that which is born out of fullness.
When you are so full and you are so grateful, what you do from that state of mind, of existence, is Pooja. And how is Pooja done? Not just using limited mind, but using the entire universe, all the five elements and the Soul, the Mind and the Being.
And offering of the totality is Pooja. An intense interest in Pooja is one of the characteristics of devotion, of Bhakti. A sense that comes up in you that you want to offer every little bit of what you are or what you have. “I have been given this universe, now I offer the universe back. I have been given this body and every particle of this body, I am offering back to you.
You gave me this world and I offer this back to you. And I am yours.” This intense feeling of offering, merging, giving everything to the Divine - every bit of it is called Pooja. An intense interest or liking for Pooja is one of the signs, one of the characteristics of such a deep devotion - a total offering, not saving something for oneself, becoming the offering itself, is Pooja.
Kathadishviti Gargah
The Rishi Garga said Katha, meaning story - talking about the glory of it. Listening and talking about it.
When you are in love with someone, you want to know everything about them. What do they do? Where do they sit? Where did they go? What do they think? What is their opinion? What do they say?
You want to know everything about them. And an interest in listening to that story and telling the story of the beloved is another characteristic of such a deep devotion, such a deep love. No other subject interests you. When you are in love, you only talk about the beloved and the beloved’s stories. This is another sign, another characteristic of such Divine love. In nothing else is there any interest - kathadishviti gargah.
Atmarati avirodhena iti Shandilyah : Another Rishi by the name Shandilya says a characteristic of love is rejoicing in the Self without any conflict. This is a sign of Divine love. The moment you are happy, immediately a conflict arises in you, “Oh I shouldn’t be happy.” Society has stuffed so much guilt in you. And you cannot be at peace having guilt in your heart. But when you are in love, such deep love with this existence, with all the people on this planet, there is no way you can have any guilt. Guilt is always associated with selfishness, with self-pleasure.
Guilt cannot be with sacrifice and love is sacrifice. Wrong understanding imposes guilt in you. Atmarati means reposing in the Self, being in the Self, rejoicing in the Self without any conflict.
To cross the conflict you need wisdom, you need grace. Shandilya’s way to look at Divine love is reposing, rejoicing in the Self without any conflict.
And love brings you that. Divine love, Supreme love makes you rejoice in the Self without any conflict.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, spritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation
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