Buddha pornima

Today is Buddha Poornimaa, the day buddha was born��������. He got enlightened, he attained nirvana and he died also on the same day.Tomorrow, it seems the moon is 20% more than other full moon days. It is a very big moon. So you should watch the moon rise.
There is a little Buddha in everybody, and that Buddha is in the form of Siddhaartha.Do you know who Siddhaartha is? Before Buddha became Buddha he was Siddhaartha. He was wandering, lost. He had tried everything but he couldn’t find; but he had that spirit of enquiry.He said, ‘The world is all sorrow and I want to get rid of sorrow.’ Siddhaartha understood everything is sorrow, but he did not know the way.So everybody has a little Buddha inside of them, only he has to wake up.
Buddha tried this and that and that and this. He ran from pillar to post, he did technique after technique after technique, but nothing worked. Because while doing all this, his mind was outward, and when he got sick and tired of everything and dropped everything, that moment he got enlightened. This is the story as it goes.So, when he got tired of trying hard and trying hard and trying hard, then he said, ‘Okay, let me just relax. I give up.’ So he gave up and sat, and the mind turned inward and then he became Buddha.So turn the mind inward.
Unfortunately Buddha never got a Guru. He couldn’t get a Guru at that time. But Aadi Shankaraachaarya had a Guru. So he met the Guru and the path became much easier, smoother. He could just sit and go into Samaadhi. But for Buddha to go into Samaadhi and meditation was not possible. It was hard for him. So he fasted. Somebody told him to fast and he fasted, because he was a King from the royal family and he did not know about surrender, or about devotion, or about letting go. Doing, doing and doing, that is what he heard, and what he knew as he was trained. So the big ego, and that big doing, made him run around for several years.Finally he gave up and then he got enlightened; that is how the story goes.
So that little mind inside of you doesn’t want to let go and to just give up, it goes on the trip ofI want to do, and I want to do, and I want to do. I will achieve this and I will achieve that.When you see, what is there to achieve? Then everything drops, you surrender, you let go and meditation happens. You know, it is like getting onto an Aayurvedic massage table. You just get onto the table and that is it, you don’t do anything. Everything is done for you; so even meditation will be done for you. You just sit and meditation will happen. ~Sri Sri

Satsang 20 May 2016

Balancing Creativity And Productivity

Q: Gurudev, sometimes our prayers get a little delayed in getting answered,
is this because the number of your devotees are increasing day by day? How
do you keep up with the demands of your devotees?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

The consciousness is like a super computer. It is not a body but a
consciousness and there is only one consciousness in the entire universe.
So, to whom-so-ever you may connect to, whom-so-ever you pray to, it
connects to the same consciousness. The divine consciousness is not
dependent on the number of people praying; it does not have any limitation,
it has unlimited capacity. It all depends on your faith!

Q : I saw a few pictures of volunteers doing relief work and programs in
Iraq. I cannot imagine where they get the courage from to take up such
risky projects?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

When there is inner peace then strength comes, and you are not scared of
anything. When your intentions are right and your heart is in the right
place, then you know (from within) that you can go and do what you want to
do. This is the real selfless service.

In the last few days, there are thousands of children and women trapped in
Iraq and there is no food and there are no medicines. Our volunteers and
teachers are constantly thinking how they can get relief material over
there. They are also in negotiation with the army - to give them some
passage through which they can get the supplies to these people. This shows
how committed our volunteers and teachers are. They understand the pain of
the people and that is why they have gone to serve in such a dangerous
atmosphere.

They have collected around 80 tonnes of food and are waiting for the permit
to go into Fallujah. This is bravery and service, and they are doing this
service without any sense of doer ship. You know, service for us is
natural, we are not making an effort to do it, or even thinking, 'Oh, I am
doing a big service!' No. We do it because we can't but do it, that's all!

Q : What is the way of the universe? Is it accident or destiny?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

When you don't find a cause, you say it is an accident. When you know the
cause, then you call it destiny. It is just your view-point.

Q: What is the place of the discipline in life?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Discipline is essential. Without discipline, nothing can work. At the same
time, creativity needs some space. Creativity needs freedom while
productivity needs discipline. If you don't have freedom you can't be
creative, and if you don't have discipline you can't be productive. So,
life is a balance of both - creativity and productivity. You can come up
with a great idea, but to realize that idea you need discipline. You know,
many young people have great ideas, but they don't have the discipline to
translate them into reality. And there are some people who are great
managers but they don't have the time to even think about something more.
These people cannot rise up to the occasion when there is a crisis, because
crisis management requires creativity. Most of our education is not tuned
to educate in crisis management. And when we don't know crisis management,
there is always some fear and uncertainty. So education should combine
these two things in such a manner so that there is a space to create and at
the same time a discipline is also followed, because if it is only
discipline, it will stifle you. You become so regimental that you cannot do
any crisis management. So this is a very fine balance that one has to
strike - freedom and discipline.

Q: What do we do to stop these dramatic climatic changes? The heat is so
much that it is scary. I only hope that it does not get any worse. I am
very concerned.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I think everyone should be concerned about this. In the WCF event, all the
religious leaders who attended the event committed to speak about this in
their congregations, and they will all work towards a better environment.

As volunteers, we have already been doing this, since the past 35 years. We
are glad that this has now come to the attention of the global leaders and
I sincerely wish that they take the necessary steps in the fastest manner.

Many times our intentions are in the right place, but for that to become a
ground reality a lot of time is lost in-between.

Q: What is your opinion about student activism in politics in Indian
Society?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Students are the future of the society, and they should start owning this
planet. I would just ask of them one thing - please do not sacrifice your
studies for politics. Give utmost priority to your studies.

Those of you who are interested in politics, it is a good thing because all
the student movements that have happened in the world have had a great
vision, and they wanted to do something good for society. They want to
fight injustice. Just one thing you must keep in mind is - don't have any
prejudice. If the youth have prejudice, it is a sad thing. The youth should
have an open mind. Don't put your mind into categories - have an open mind
and be open to logic and reasoning.

Bias and prejudice are the greatest enemies for logic and reasoning. If we
lose reasoning, we have lost everything in life. So reasoning and logic is
essential, and along with it - an open mind.

Sometimes, values like patriotism which are essential in life, get
associated with one particular ideology. When you identify yourself with
one particular ideology, then you become so blind that you don't want to
even look at any other new ideas or other ways. So students should be free
from any sort of bias or judgements and have an open mind. There is nothing
wrong in student activism but should follow reasoning.

Q: How do you connect to different sections of society? Do you think ISIS
can be transformed?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I never loose hope. See, deep inside everyone is human being. If you keep
aside the ideology then everyone is same inside. I have Malice to none. I
have hatred to none. People who engage in violence are mentally,
spiritually and emotionally sick. A doctor never hates a sick person, if he
hates then he can't treat them. We have done work with ULFA in Assam and
Columbia, we have good experience in this field.

Save your mind and use your brain.

Nature, Divine and I bless you. You have to expand your capacity to receive
the blessings.
Anything can happen with prayer and effort.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

Satang 20 May 2016

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at The Art of Living International Center in satsang today (20-5-2016).

#SriSri: "Sri Sri Ayurveda Medial College graduates just told me that in the history of medical science college, no batch has ever held 50% distinctions. Our kids have created history with 100% pass results out of which 50% are rank holders. This shows how dedicated the teachers are and how disciplined the students are."

Q. Guruji, Which is greater Bhakti marg or Gyan marg? Is it necessary to do rituals or remembering (smarana) God is enough?
#SriSri:  Smarana is enough. It is good to have some rituals like lighting a lamp, keeping some flowers, it creates a beautiful atmosphere at home. But you should do meditation, that is enough.

Q. Jai Gurudev, in Puranas it is said  “You will be punished for your sins”, then why do we need to take rebirth to pay for sins and karma?
#SriSri: Don’t worry, you come and sit in satsang that is enough, every sin is washed away. Nama-smarana ( remembering the god) washes away all the sins  The more read the Puranas the more confused you will get, that’s why in Gita Sri Krishna said ‘’Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja” -  you leave everything and take refuge in Sharanagathi (surrender). Keeping this truth in you is enough.

Q. Jai Gurudev, when women don’t have the right to take Gayatri initiation because of menstruation dosha, they cant do homa, then why are you giving this initiation in Upanayanam?
#SriSri: Who said that they have no right? That is not written anywhere. Everybody can do Gayatri japa, there are no such boundaries. All these things came in middle ages. In ancient times there were no such things. Goddess is only Gayatri, Gayatri mantra adhishtatha(holding) is only Goddess. During menstruation cycle Agnihotra cant be done but remaining days it can be done.

Q. Jai Gurudev, Everybody is scared of death, what should we do to reach a state where we can accept death happily?
#SriSri: Now be with the life, we will see about death later when it comes. When there is devotion, knowledge, meditation all these fears drop. Look at all the Gods, they are in Abhayahasta (reassurance mudra), they give this message - “Don't be scared. I am there”

Q. What can we do to always keep smiling?
#SriSri: Do Meditation. Do Seva. Do both.

Q. Jai Gurudev, when there are 82 lakhs species in this world ,don’t they need this education? Why only for humans?
#SriSri: What do you want to say, we should send these dogs, cats to educational institutions? There is an importance of human life i.e Gnanarjana (thirst for knowledge)

Q. In 2013 I was diagnosed with chronic myeloid leukaemia, you asked me to go to Dr.Ganesh and to take Shakti drops. I’m taking treatment in Sri Sri Ayurveda hospital since 3 years. My white blood cells which are normally between 4000-12000, were more than 1 lakh before the treatment. My latest reports are completely normal, my cancer is untraceable.
#SriSri: Very good.

Q. Though many women are on the spiritual path, they are mothers but they are not spiritual leaders. Could you please explain why this is happening?
#SriSri: Who says mothers are not spiritual leaders? Every woman is as spiritual leader, she leads the whole family into spirituality. Women lead everybody at home, family, neighbours. Women are naturally spiritual.

Q. What does it feel like to be Sri Sri Ravi Shankar?
#SriSri: Just me. Just what it is. Theres no comparison. Be hollow and empty you will get there too. Purity in heart, Clarity in mind and Sincerity in action.

Satsang on 19 May 2016

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in satsang on 19 May 2016 at The Art of Living International Center

Q: After a desire is fulfilled, we feel content. How to be in a state of contentment even before the desire is fulfilled?
#SriSri: When you have the confidence that the desire will be fulfilled, then you are content. But it is not easy. It is difficult. When the desire is there, either you have the faith that it will anyway get fulfilled or (have a feeling) 'I don't mind if it happens now or later or if it never happens.' This sense of ease or witness for one's own desire is most preferable. This is called Stitha Pragya, where your consciousness is established. Then you are not feverish about the desire. Then it is no longer a desire, but just an intention.

Q: How come good people remain silent and bad people make a lot of noise? Is this a quality of the time we are living in?
#SriSri: No. The voice of good people should be heard loud and clear. Good people should also make noise.
You should raise your voice. Raise voice against injustice, adharma, aniti, anyaya. You must raise your voice.

Q: In the state elections, the local parties have won with the exception of Assam. What do you have to say about the trend of local parties winning the elections?
#SriSri: They know the local situations and perhaps they have good connectivity with people. It is the connectivity which matters. And it is the leader who matters. Whether it is local party or national party, that doesn't matter. What really matters is how the candidate connects with the people. That seems to be happening with some people and not so much with some others.

Q: In the Rig Veda, there is reference to Som. What is this Som?
#SriSri: There is fire element in the base chakra. Do you know whenever you are eating food, the brain sends some signals and enzymes get created in the body? Do you know about it? Soma is that cooling fluid, which is generated from top chakra. Life is a combination of Soma and Fire, the cool and the hot. There is the fire element in the Mooladhar Chakra, Swadisthan Chakra, Manipur Chakra and sometimes in the Hridya chakra also. Sometimes we say that I have fire burning in my heart, isn’t it? So, in these 4 lower chakra’s the fire element is dominant. And the upper three chakras have cooling element dominant. If you see, it is said that the third eye which is related to anger, has fire element dominating. We never say that we have feeling of fire in our throats. When we feel sad or very grateful the throat gets choked ‘ Kanthavrodh’. So, Somras is the fluid which is released from the brain and flows downward in the body and the fire, which rises upwards from the lower chakras. They meet at the Hridaya (Heart) chakra and that is what is called ‘Agnistoma’. This is what is the essence of the Vedas, The technique of meditation that creates an equilibrium between the hot and the cold, which creates a positive balance. 

Q. Gurudev we had Rig Veda chants in the ashram a few days back. What is the essence of Rig Veda and why does chanting go on for so many days.
#SriSri: It is a tradition. Pandits from Maharashtra recited the whole Rig Veda with the fire ceremony here in ashram. It is for the welfare of the planet.
  
Q: What do I do in this lifetime, so that I am not forced to take birth in the next lifetime and I can come with my own wish?
#SriSri : Just be content!

Q: How to work with those people who are negative and have a criticizing nature? Even after doing regular Kriya I am not able to deal with such people?
#SriSri: First of all don't think that negativity is the permanent feature of some people. Nobody can be permanently negative, it is just a tendency. So be hopeful, anyone can be positive anytime. When you label people that they are ‘negative’, your behaviour towards them will be very different. You will overreact. So, people with negative tendencies will bring more skills form within you. With a positive person, you don’t need to develop any skills, but to deal with negative people you need to have more skill. It’wrong to say negative people, when the negative ‘situation’ arises- it calls for more skill, more talents from you. So, actually you should thank them, because they will make you more skillful.

Q: When we are not in control of anything, how can we make decisions from a place of control?
#SriSri: Indecisiveness is also a decision. You see what I’m saying. If You think – ‘I want to be indecisive’, you have made a decision to be indecisive. Remember – Intention, attention is followed by manifestation.

Q: How do I handle infidelity in my husband? In Russian society, it’s not considered to be a big deal, but after I coming to India and experiencing the culture here, I feel this is wrong. What should I do to change this situation?
#SriSri: I have no idea how can you change someone. Unless the person turns spiritual and sees beyond the gross and the material, he will continue to behave that way. The mind continues to seek some greater pleasure, greater happiness in one thing or another. So they keep on jumping from one thing or one person to another. But sometimes, somewhere, they should get tired of it I suppose. Just Pray. Just by talking to people, giving them advise – people don’t change. Even after knowing something is bad or wrong, people continue to do it because their emotions are much stronger than the thought patterns. In trying to convince someone that something is bad or not right – even though they get convinced, they will not walk on that path – because their emotions are stronger than their thoughts. That’s where one needs to believe in a higher power which taking care and will take care. And it is not only the fools who make mistakes. The wise also make mistakes. Why does this happen? Because they feel some pleasure or enjoyment even in the mistakes. Till the time they stop enjoying committing the mistake, the mistakes will keep happening. There is only one way to move away from it - When you experience a higher pleasure than you get from committing the mistakes. This is possible only through Spirituality.

Q: The intellect looks at the world in a certain logic and sometimes things happen which cannot be explained by logic. Does one seek logic or go beyond logic?
#SriSri : Logic definitely has some place in life, but you should give some room in life to see something beyond logic.

Q: Gurudev, We are going to have whole of Africa to meditate. Could you tell us the three most important reasons to meditate?
#SriSri: To keep your health robust, to keep your mind alert, to keep your intellect sharp and keep your soul connected and healthy.

Faces of infinity

*Faces Of Infinity*

You have many faces. Only you don't face them. When you come face to face with your faces then conflicts, confusion and chaos arise in you.

From time to time in different phases, different faces appear. As you come close to your Being, all the faces melt and leave you as the Space that you are.

At the gross level, you identify yourself as somebody. At a subtle level, you identify yourself as some energy or an incarnation of some angel, saint or prophet.

When you go beyond even this identity, you are whole, holy, Brahman - Purna Brahman Narayana.

*Jai Guru Dev*

Devotion and organization

*Devotion And Organization*

Organization is control. Devotion is chaos!

Organization needs attention to details, a material awareness. Organization is being worldly.

Devotion is getting lost, forgetting the world, being in ecstasy.

These are opposite in nature. They don't go together, yet they cannot be apart or exist without each other. No organization can arise without devotion. When there is so much devotion, you simply want to organize. Devotion brings faith, compassion, and responsibility. With responsibility and caring, you want to give knowledge, wisdom, and love. Then organization happens. So organization exists through devotion.

If you are devoted, you won't just sit. The nature of devotion is to give. If you think you are devoted and you are not caring for the world, then you are merely selfish. Real devotion means being one with the Divine, and the Divine cares for the world.

Often you lose devotion in organizing. And often in the name of devotion you create chaos and disregard the organization. You have to be a saint to be both in organization and devotion. If you have both, you are on the mark. So . . .

Get lost and be guided!

�� *Jai Guru Dev* ��

When a mistake is not a mistake

*When A Mistake Is Not A Mistake*

Blessed are those who don't see a mistake as a mistake....!!!

But it is hard not to see your own mistake. Outwardly you may justify yourself or prove your innocence to someone else, but a mistake pricks a conscience. Do not justify yourself. Instead, feel the prick of the mistake. That very pinch will take you out of the mistake.

A mistake means something that brings misery to you in the long run. So why would someone knowingly commit a mistake?

While pointing out a mistake to someone, do you consider him as separate from you and go on pointing out his error or do you make him feel a part of you? When you point out a mistake to someone, does it make him more stressed, or does it create more awareness in that person? Often you do not point out someone's mistake when it is required. Not pointing out a mistake -- with due consideration to time and place -- is also a mistake.

When you make a new mistake, it is not a mistake; you have learned a valuable lesson. But when you keep doing the same mistake over and over, it is a BIGmistake. A mistake simply means you have missed taking a lesson that has come your way.

Do not lament over your mistake. Just take the lesson from it. You will not be judged by your mistakes, but by your virtues. Mistakes are of the earth. Virtues are of the Divine.

Wise is the one who learns from other's mistakes.

Less wise is the one who learns from his own mistakes.

The fool keeps making the same mistakes again and again and never learns from them.

�� *Jai Guru Dev*��