You are in the right place.
Don’t be in a hurry. Do your practice and keep doing the Art of Silence
program every 3–4 months, at least for a couple of years, and will start
going deeper into meditation.
Doing the Art of Silence course
once is not enough. Not enough at all! You have to do it again and
again. You know, when they whitewash the wall, they put primer first and
then put one coat, and then the second coat, and the third coat, and
every few years, you have to repeat the whole process again. This is
because there is wear and tear. In the same way, we are using our mind,
our intellect, our memory so much, that it needs overhauling, it needs
servicing. Our body needs servicing, our mind needs servicing, and the
Art of Silence courses give us the much needed servicing.
Scientists
say, if you meditate for eight weeks, the structure of the brain
changes. The grey matter increases, your immune system becomes stronger,
your intellect becomes sharper, and your memory becomes clearer. So
many benefits have been ascertained by scientists, and we have seen this
in our practical life.
this blog is related to the worlds best organization called the art of living run by volunteers
Tuesday, October 13, 2015
Navratri
Navratri means the nine nights and the new night.
Creation happens in the darkness. In the womb of the mother and underneath
the soil. Nine months in the womb are like nine long nights where the
spirit takes human form.
Night provides rest and rejuvenation. At night the entire creation goes to
sleep including the ashram night watchman. (Laughter) People working come
home at night and they really celebrate, rejoice and pray. Nine nights are
precious as they have subtle energy. The subtle is enriched.
There are 64 divine mother impulses which govern the subtle creation. These
are responsible for restoring all earthly and spiritual benefits. They are
simply part of one's awakened consciousness. These nine nights are
celebrated to rekindle those divine impulses and celebrate the innermost
depth of our lives.
Cleanse your body and cleanse your soul. Cleanse your body with water and
your soul with knowledge and your spirit with pranayam and kriya. There is
no penance higher than Pranayam. It is the greatest penance.
happy navratri
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.
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.
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.
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