Happy Navaratri to all !!
During the festival of Navratri, Goddess Durga Devi is worshiped in nine
avatars.
During these nine holy days, each day Goddess Durga Mata is worshiped in 9
different avatars
Day 1 - Mata Shailputri
Day 2 - Mata Brahmacharini
Day 3 - Mata Chandraghanta
Day 4 - Mata Kushmanda
Day 5 - Maa Skandamata
Day 6 - Mata Katyayani
Day 7 - Mata Kalratri
Day 8 - Mata Maha Gauri
Day 9 - Mata Siddhidatri
Today on the 1st day of Navaratri, we worship Mata Shailputri...
Mata Shailputri is a daughter of ‘Parvata raju’ (mountain king) – Himalaya
/ Himvanth.
She is the first among nine avatars of Durga and worshiped on the First day
of Navaratri . In her previous birth, she was ‘Sati Bhavani Mata’, the
daughter of King Daksha.
Mata Shailputri, also known as Parvati got married with Lord Shiva. On the
first day of Durga Navratri, Paravathi Devi is worshipped.
Mata Shailputri holds a ‘Trishul’, a weapon, in her right hand and a lotus
in her left hand. She rides on bull. She has pleasant smile and blissful
looks.
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Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Tuesday, September 1, 2015
how can we be your Masterpiece
Q: Gurudev, how can we be your Masterpiece?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are already one! You are a piece of the Master, and you should go and
spread the peace of the Master.
How do I build an affinity and attachment towards knowledge?
Q: How do I build an affinity and attachment towards knowledge?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This very question indicates that you already have it my dear. Why do you
keep looking for it when you already have it?
If you think that you do not have an affinity for knowledge and then you
strive to cultivate it, I tell you, it is never going to happen. There are
certain things that you should just assume to be present in you. There are
some things that we need to know and understand, and there are some things
that we just need to believe in totally, and take it for granted.
Of course, you cannot know everything so some things you would need to
reason out. For example, if someone tells you, “This is poison, do not
drink it”. You should not say, “Oh! How do I know it is poison? Let me try
and see if it really is poison”. You would not survive to tell the
difference (laughter). Do you get what I am saying? So there are some
things you simply need to assume to be true, and there are other things
that you need to know and understand.
Embrace everyone with love as you walk ahead in life. Often people say that
they will only talk and mingle with people who are like them. I feel that
is very foolish. What is the use of sitting with people who think alike and
behave the same? It makes more sense to talk to people who are not like you
and have a different thought process and beliefs than yours. That enhances
your skills as well and it opens up your mind to new things. This rigid
fundamentalist approach to sticking to one’s thought systems and principles
is a typical sign of backwardness and orthodoxy in our country. A person
follows certain principles or ideologies and stays away or aloof from other
people who may not be following the same; just like how the Communists do
in our country. If a Communist is well-established in his ideology and
beliefs, what is so difficult in talking to people from other religions or
ideologies? Often they run away from people who do not subscribe to their
belief system and ideology. I would say, it is a kind of principles-based
untouchability that they practice.
Even people who consider themselves as religious or spiritual behave this
way. When they happen to meet an atheist, they keep away from them. This is
a sign of weakness of a person rather than being strongly established in
one’s beliefs. When we are well-established in our thoughts and beliefs,
then we should walk freely with our head held high.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This very question indicates that you already have it my dear. Why do you
keep looking for it when you already have it?
If you think that you do not have an affinity for knowledge and then you
strive to cultivate it, I tell you, it is never going to happen. There are
certain things that you should just assume to be present in you. There are
some things that we need to know and understand, and there are some things
that we just need to believe in totally, and take it for granted.
Of course, you cannot know everything so some things you would need to
reason out. For example, if someone tells you, “This is poison, do not
drink it”. You should not say, “Oh! How do I know it is poison? Let me try
and see if it really is poison”. You would not survive to tell the
difference (laughter). Do you get what I am saying? So there are some
things you simply need to assume to be true, and there are other things
that you need to know and understand.
Embrace everyone with love as you walk ahead in life. Often people say that
they will only talk and mingle with people who are like them. I feel that
is very foolish. What is the use of sitting with people who think alike and
behave the same? It makes more sense to talk to people who are not like you
and have a different thought process and beliefs than yours. That enhances
your skills as well and it opens up your mind to new things. This rigid
fundamentalist approach to sticking to one’s thought systems and principles
is a typical sign of backwardness and orthodoxy in our country. A person
follows certain principles or ideologies and stays away or aloof from other
people who may not be following the same; just like how the Communists do
in our country. If a Communist is well-established in his ideology and
beliefs, what is so difficult in talking to people from other religions or
ideologies? Often they run away from people who do not subscribe to their
belief system and ideology. I would say, it is a kind of principles-based
untouchability that they practice.
Even people who consider themselves as religious or spiritual behave this
way. When they happen to meet an atheist, they keep away from them. This is
a sign of weakness of a person rather than being strongly established in
one’s beliefs. When we are well-established in our thoughts and beliefs,
then we should walk freely with our head held high.
what is the secret behind your beauty and attractiveness?
Q: Gurudev, what is the secret behind your beauty and attractiveness?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
In English it is said, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. So beauty
lies in the eyes of the one who observes. When your mind is happy and
peaceful, then you will also see joy and happiness in the world around you,
and you see everyone as good-natured. When your mind is filled with
negativity and aversions, then everyone appears as an enemy to you. It all
depends on perspective.
Coming here to the Ashram definitely helps in changing one’s perspective.
If that does not happen then something is not quite right with me or with
you. My only job is to see you grow and progress higher in life. If
spirituality did not give happiness, then why would anyone ever turn
towards it? Why would anybody take up the spiritual path if it was
burdensome? One definitely gets something good from spirituality, which is
why so many people practice it. Nature has designed it in this way.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
In English it is said, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the beholder”. So beauty
lies in the eyes of the one who observes. When your mind is happy and
peaceful, then you will also see joy and happiness in the world around you,
and you see everyone as good-natured. When your mind is filled with
negativity and aversions, then everyone appears as an enemy to you. It all
depends on perspective.
Coming here to the Ashram definitely helps in changing one’s perspective.
If that does not happen then something is not quite right with me or with
you. My only job is to see you grow and progress higher in life. If
spirituality did not give happiness, then why would anyone ever turn
towards it? Why would anybody take up the spiritual path if it was
burdensome? One definitely gets something good from spirituality, which is
why so many people practice it. Nature has designed it in this way.
How do I know if I really love someone or is it merely attraction?
Q: How do I know if I really love someone or is it merely attraction?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Time will tell you. Ask them to behave tough towards you and then you will
know. When someone puts too many demands on you, then you will be able to
know how much you really honor them.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Time will tell you. Ask them to behave tough towards you and then you will
know. When someone puts too many demands on you, then you will be able to
know how much you really honor them.
inter-caste or inter-religious marriages wronG
Q: Gurudev, are inter-caste or inter-religious marriages wrong according to
Dharma?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, not at all. It is not the caste or religion that is wrong. It is your
compatibility that is important here. Do not go to someone and tell them,
“I cannot live without you” when you are in a state of emotional upsurge.
If you do so in an emotional state, then very soon you will also say, “I
cannot live with you”. It will be like a flip over. This is why in such
matters you should take the advice of elders also.
Dharma?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, not at all. It is not the caste or religion that is wrong. It is your
compatibility that is important here. Do not go to someone and tell them,
“I cannot live without you” when you are in a state of emotional upsurge.
If you do so in an emotional state, then very soon you will also say, “I
cannot live with you”. It will be like a flip over. This is why in such
matters you should take the advice of elders also.
NO TIME FOR SPIRITUAL PRACTICES
I want to ask you a question. When you have to go for work, do you ever leave without brushing your teeth? Even if you have a lot of work to do, do you leave without brushing your teeth? I also had a lot of work to attend to today. I was meeting thousands of people today since morning. But do you give up drinking water because of so much work? Suppose today you know you have a lot of work in the office. Do you simply get out of bed, change into your shirt and trousers and run off to work? Do you go to the restroom or not before leaving? If you do not brush your teeth one day, no one will be able to sit near you. So it is necessary to brush your teeth every day. This is dental hygiene. In the same way, doing pranayama and meditation every day is mental hygiene.
To free the mind of all stress and to go to work with a cheerful and happy mind, you need to invest a few minutes every day for this as well. Take some time out for this. Once it comes into your routine, then it becomes a part of your day and it does not disturb your schedule anymore. No matter how urgent things may be, just have this firm determination that I will sit for 10 minutes and leave only after completing my pranayama and meditation. Once you discipline yourself this way, then that’s all that is needed. Even if you do it just once in the day, that is good enough. And if by chance you miss it one day, it is alright; do not worry too much and do it the very next day. But I am not willing to agree that one does not get time to do this.
See, everyone has only 24 hours at their disposal. One who works in a job too has only 24 hours, and even the Prime Minister has only 24 hours for himself. Both of them feel that there isn’t enough time. How much we are able to do and achieve in the time we have is a measure of our skillfulness.
To free the mind of all stress and to go to work with a cheerful and happy mind, you need to invest a few minutes every day for this as well. Take some time out for this. Once it comes into your routine, then it becomes a part of your day and it does not disturb your schedule anymore. No matter how urgent things may be, just have this firm determination that I will sit for 10 minutes and leave only after completing my pranayama and meditation. Once you discipline yourself this way, then that’s all that is needed. Even if you do it just once in the day, that is good enough. And if by chance you miss it one day, it is alright; do not worry too much and do it the very next day. But I am not willing to agree that one does not get time to do this.
See, everyone has only 24 hours at their disposal. One who works in a job too has only 24 hours, and even the Prime Minister has only 24 hours for himself. Both of them feel that there isn’t enough time. How much we are able to do and achieve in the time we have is a measure of our skillfulness.
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