Satsang 10Aug 2016

Transcript of today's Satsang with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at the Art of Living International Center

Q: I loved your tweet about spontaneity and impulsiveness , could you also talk about righteousness and 'right ness'
#SriSri: Righteousness is associated with strong perception. When you believe in your perception, then you feel righteous. What you consider' right' is only a perception. When you realize this, you see another dimension; because the perceptions keep changing. A particular situation can be considered right from one perception and wrong from the other perception. This is where the conflict begins. Because to you something is correct and to the other person , it's not right. So it is very interesting to see that when you have an open mind; you perception changes. When your perception changes, your fixed notions change. Then you have an altogether a different scenario. Every time you are angry, know that it is because of righteousness.  People who feel that they are righteous, they have tremendous temper and less patience.  In a mature mind, when you have become more wise; of course you are righteous, but you go beyond righteousness. When you go beyond righteousness, you see everything in a different light altogether. Ascertaining righteousness, i would say is a weakness. Being righteous is good, but when you ascertain it, I would say there is a weakness somewhere.

Q: In the webcast on peace in Europe, you have mentioned that the education is essential in order to combat terrorism. Could you please shed light on how we can educate someone who doesn't feel the need of being educated?
#SriSri: Skill. This is where your skillfulness comes into play. How skillfully you can maneuver the situation.  Education is not just the technical education. When people say that education is the antidote to terrorism, I don't agree with them.  Because when you see the biggest terrorists on this plant, they were all highly educated. One of them was an engineer, the other was a doctor and even today all the terrorists that are caught are not illiterates. They are technically educated and qualified in the modern standards. But what they lack is the spiritual education. Here we need to be very specific. It is the spiritual education, which broadens the mind, enhances one's ability to honor and respect everybody and everyone's religion. That gives a very compassionate heart. That type of spiritual education is need, not just education.

Q: What is the importance of Upākarma(Annual ritual of changing the upanayana thread ). Why should we change the sacred thread and what significance does it have?
#SriSri: It is just reminding oneself of the commitment to society, knowledge, family, wisdom that has been received. Just renewing it.

Q: Meditation is often called 'Turya avastha',  where wakefulness and the rest exist simultaneously. If this state is so efficient, then is it possible to stay in this state for longer period of time and not just during 20 minutes of meditation ?
#SriSri : You know you take shower only for ten minutes but the freshness stays with you the whole day, it's like that. If not the whole day, like in summer- it stays for at least half a day; till you take the shower again.

Q: If I am feeling suffering from inside, can I still stay happy and smile on the face?
#SriSri: You know life is like a 'Thali'(Plate) in which you have something sweet, something salty, something pungent , all different tastes are present. Like this, in your life you have little sadness(Maybe you have lost something or have lost money, share markets come crashing down your money that pinches. Yes that pinches but if you just hold on to that pinch only, hold on to that pain only, then the life cannot go on. Unless you are so well soaked in wisdom, in knowledge, in spirituality ; you will continue to have some little grievances here and there and if you stop smiling because of those; in that case you will find the world to be a very depressing place. You should keep smiling having a strong hope that whatever pain and suffering that you have inside; will vanish. Anyway it doesn't matter - that wisdom one should have. To bear the discomfort and move forward and smile helps you to do that.

Q:Gurudev my friends often ask me how does the Sudarshan Kriya work? I have come here to the teachers training program; could you please let me in to the secret?
#SriSri:  Well it works, let us see that first of all and how it works it is open researchers to find out.  It is not just a technique; it is something beyond. And diving deep into that is spirituality. The more you go deep into yourself, you discover amazing things about the universe

Q: Gurudev where is the end of the Cosmos?
#SriSri:  My dear, first tell me where is the beginning and the end of a tennis ball then I will tell you about the Cosmos. You have a tennis ball in your hand, tell me where it begins and where it ends

Q: Gurudev I have come here to become a teacher. In your opinion what are the 5 main qualities that a teacher should have?
#SriSri:  I would like you to note that down. You have seen teachers and what do you think is the ideal teacher ? Come on, you come up with that and let me see

Q: Gurudev in all these years of teaching, have you seen any difference in people from 30 years ago to now?
#SriSri:  Oh yes! all the time. On one Level everything is changing; people's thinking have changed from place to place, from time to time. Change is a constant thing. At another level there is one thing that is running throughout; that has not changed. A lot has changed and a lot has remained unchanged. Both exist in this world

Q: Gurudev could you please speak about the great Jupiter transit that is happening tomorrow.
#SriSri:  This keeps happening every year and planets are changing all the time. You don't have to worry about all of this. Yesterday only I told that for a 'sadhak' everyday is a good day ;every time is a good time .

Q: Guruji Krishna is dark and so is Shiva. Is the dark energy more powerful?
#SriSri:  Well you can say that. That's with the scientist also say - that the dark matter is so powerful that is why the sun is in the spherical shape. The example that scientists give is of an air bubble trap inside a water bottle. Why is it in a spherical shape? because of the pressure from all the sides push it to assume a spherical shape. Similarly , the dark energy is so strong is so powerful it is keeping all the planets in a spherical shape. If Mars is spherical, it is not because of the substance present in Mars but the vacuum of the all the dark matter around the Mars makes it so. It is same with all the planets.

Satsang 09Aug2016

Transcript of yesterday Satsang with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at the Art of Living International Center:

Q:How to balance Excellence and Dispassion?
#Sri Sri: When you want to get a balance, you are already looking for it. Whenever you are out of balance, it pinches you. Listen to the pinch, that's all. If you have too much passion and no dispassion, you will lose night's sleep. You cannot do anything, you cannot meditate and it catches you like a fever, then remember dispassion. Know that there is a bigger power that is taking care of everything, I have nothing to do! Then you will become calmer. Remember the dream nature of everything. Everything is a dream, then the  dispassion comes up automatically. If you find yourself being too lazy, thinking everything is dispassion and why do I have to do anything? Why do I even have to do my yoga class in the morning! C'mon! Wake up, do something. Never mind if it's a dream, you have to do something in the dream also.

Q: Can we also say that the indifferent person is dispassionate?
#Sri Sri: Why you want to call somebody who is lazy and indifferent as dispassionate? You want to honor them?

Q: Is the bad period over? If yes, what will unfold in the good phase?
#Sri Sri: Here in Satsang ( where all of you are sitting) it's a good period! See, it's upto you, how you define it. If it is a phase in which whatever you do is not giving any results and things are falling apart, it is an opportunity for you to show your brilliance and you ideas. The bad period can bring out all talents and good qualities in you. It can show how patient you are, how balanced and strong you are. If you have good intentions and you are doing good work, every period is a good period. Yes, some periods are more challenging than the others. That period will show you who your real friends are. Actually in bad period, even your very good friends behave like enemies. And if the time is good, even your enemies behave with you like your friends. This is what you must understand. In Kannada there is a poem - 'The one who has 'Hari'(Lord) in his heart, for him, every time is a good time. Today is the best day when you think of the divine. This moment is the great time to remember the divine'.

Q: Do meditations have effect on the global events? I am concerned about the situation is Kashmir. What can I do to bring peace there?
#Sri Sri: Definitely it has an impact. Meditate and have an intention to bring peace there. If a butterfly can flutter its wings in South America and have an impact on the weather in China, you think your thoughts and prayers have no impact? C'mon, wake up! You are more than the butterflies(laughter)

Q: What is the secret of Astral Travel, travelling beyond time and space?
#Sri Sri: In the name of Astral travel, there is so much nonsense going on. People can get into hallucinations, that's why we don't talk about it much. But if your mind is centered and you are well grounded, then of course you get connected to everything and everyone in the world. All of this is normal at a particular stage of growth within you

Q. Gurudev, Monday is for Lord Shiva and Friday is believed to be for Goddess (Devi). What is the relation between time & God?
#Sri Sri: All the days are for you & me only (laughter). At all times, time is for us only. It is a belief that days are associated with planets (Graha) and planets belong to one or the other God (Devta). But you should not worry about these things too much. 'Shivaratri' does not come only on Mondays, it can fall on any day. The day on which 'Shivaratri' falls, that day is of Lord Shiva only, right! It is not that only Monday is for Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva has control over some stars, planets, hence a rule is made like this. Not only days, but even Nakshatra have respective ruling deity. If you want to pray then pray to Parmatma, all the Gods are inside Him. That is why there are ‘Ishta-devta’ (Deity of entire family). We have ‘Kul-devta’ / ‘Ishta-devta’ for family, then ‘Gram-devta’ for entire village, ‘Kshetra-paal’ God for a particular area. All these rules are fascinating. We have prayers for three levels ‘Adhyatmik’, where we have knowledge of self, then we have ‘Adhyatmik’ traditions, etc., then ‘Aadi-bhautik’ divine energy, subtle energy. That is why we say ‘Shanti’(Peace) three times, ‘Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti’, for Aadi-devik’, ‘Aadi-bhautik’, ‘Aadhyatmik’. ‘Kul-devta’ is there in a family, then we have ‘Chandi’ and ‘Vinayak’ for effect of time.

But we should keep in mind that we are not keeping fast for God. 'If you fast on a Friday, then Goddess will become happy; if you fast on a Monday then Lord Shiva will get pleased', No, nothing like that! You are not fasting on Monday to please Lord Shiva. You are doing fasting just for your own sake, for your health,  body cleanliness and purification.

Q. Gurudev, it is because of your peace talks that there is peace in Columbia now, same thing is necessary for our country also. Please bless and do something like that here also.
#Sri Sri: We are working silently in our country also at various locations. Our teachers went to naxalite area and worked for these people’s transformation. We have Mr. Sanjay who went to Bihar and worked there. Lot of people are working in Bharat, but we do not publicize these social service projects, we work silently. Even in Kashmir we have worked with thousands of people, our teachers working there.

And if you also would like to work in these areas then please come forward, I am ready to send you along with a team.

Q. Gurudev, how to take complete responsibility yet not to feel doership and pressure of results?
#Sri Sri: Look, forget about doership, just do it I tell you. Be a doer and do it, never mind. Don’t keep any split in mind, just do good work. Even if you say ‘I have done this’, ‘I have done this’, then also it’s okay, but do, we will see later. I will tell you later.

Q. Gurudev, I have come here to do Teacher’s Training Program and become a Teacher, I feel that there is some connection that is why I am here. Secondly, accordingly to you, which is most important quality that I should have?
#Sri Sri: You have come here to become a Teacher, good. You will go through lot of friction, washing and polishing. Then you will shine!  Just that do not leave and run away in between. To make you a teacher, we will make you go through lot of challenges, difficulties, so that you become strong. After that you see that you will do wonders in society. There was Shankaracharya Maharaj Ji, Gurudev of Badri-Kashi, who used to say that those who go through difficulties in my ashram will not face any difficult outside the ashram. One will become very strong and only praises will follow.

Q: What can we do to help the refugees get connected to spirituality when even their basic needs are not met?
#SriSri: Why only the refugees? Even the slum dwellers are in the same position. See, you cannot go on supplying everybody with everything they need. You do whatever is within your capacity. Along with that see if the refugees are in the violent mode they can create disturbances; the poor people can  take stones in their hands and throw at  others, then they can also meditate and pray for other people. These are two different things. One is giving them food and the other is giving them the ability to become calm.  They are not contradictory at all. In fact, they are complementary. Making someone self dependent isn't making them weak. By making them self dependent, you are bringing out their inner strength. To bring that strength, meditation is required. It's not a case that only the rich can  meditate, spirituality is need even for the poor people so that they can stand on their feet. In fact, it's needed all the more for poor people because then they can manage themselves better with it. They can manage their feeling, emotions and they also get enough energy to act. It's needed as much for them as its needed for the wealthy people.

The Other Side of Ego

The Other Side of Ego

Ego is an impediment for a leader, wise man, merchant or a servant, but it is a necessity for a warrior, a competitor. A warrior is one who takes on challenges and commitment and stands by it. Ego makes one sacrifice oneself for a cause. Ego gives strength and courage, brings valour to meet the challenges with endurance and perseverance. A strong ego will counteract depression. Often ego is thought to be selfish but it is the greatest motivating factor for creativity and generosity. Ego propels one to venture into the unknown. There are 3 types of ego - Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic. Tamasic ego is barbaric and blind, and has self-destructive tendencies. Rajasic ego is self-centered and causes misery to oneself and others. Sattvic ego is creative and has protective tendencies. If you cannot surrender, at least have a Sattvic ego, as a Sattivic ego is always ready to sacrifice.
Bhanu: This is very good! It gives many people a relief. (laughter!)

Why repeat Happiness program

Q: Guruji, why is it important to repeat the Happiness Program time and again?

SRI SRI : During any of our courses, what is visible is not the motive. On a subtle level, within your consciousness, there is a change related to those processes, those stories, those Knowledge Points and that is the reason you feel a change within your 'Self' after the course.

Just like in one of the process, sharing your Life Story is not the objective but what is happening actually is that you feel some lightness within. You get rid of deep life impressions that bother you. Similarly, there is something important related to each and every process, story and even your homework. The more you give into each, the more you get out of it.

Now what many of you think is - "Why go again and repeat all that we have gone through?", "We know what is being taught during the course", "We've already learnt Sudarshan Kriya and continue with our daily practice, then what's the point in repeating" and all such concept blemishes our intellect. I tell you, every time you repeat the course you'd find it absolutely new. Always! How many of the repeaters have had this experience? (Many in the audience raise their hands) It's not just YOU but the other participants as well because of whom you complete the course and every time there is a new lot of participants which means it's all NEW level of Happiness.

Your experiences of Sudarshan Kriya get more deep everytime you repeat the course because everytime you come, you learn about the small mistakes that you make. Ujjayi Breath still is a challenge for many and there are people who are not able to follow the Sudarshan Kriya Rhythm. Specially the faster circles. They are on their own breathing as fast as possible. NO! Follow the Mantra - 'Sohum' precisely. It is very important. Your practice gets more towards perfection when you are corrected for your mistakes.

Similarly, many of you don't even remember how many layers are we all living on. Knowing and remembering about yourself is the most important aspect of our life else what's the difference between you and a robot?

The Golden Keys shared with you during the course are the most precious as they are the crux of your life applicable in any situation, but at the same time they need repetitive hammering because once you are done with the course, over time, you start getting stained back in your normal life.

I suggest you all, including the teachers, keep repeating the Happiness Program at least once in SIX months.

Get all the doubts out of your mind and just come and sit, I'll be there to welcome you. Have this faith!

|| Jai GuruDev ||

5 Types of Sewa

5 Types of Sewa

1st type of Sewa is done when you do not even know that you are doing it. You do not recognise it is as Sewa because it is your very nature- You can not help doing it.

2nd type of Sewa is the Sewa you do because it is needed for the situation.

3rd type of Sewa is done because it gives you joy.

4th type of Sewa is done out of your desire for merit- You do sewa expecting some benefit in future.

5th type of Sewa is when you do sewa to show it off , to improve your image and to gain social and political recognition. Such Sewa is simply exhausting whereas the 1st Sewa does not bring any tiredness at all.

To improve the quality of your Sewa, regardless of where you start , you must move to the higher levels.

-Sri Sri Ravishankar
November 23, 2001
Bangalore Ashram, India

Negativity needs an anchor

Weekly Knowledge #222
Bangalore Ashram
21 Sep 1999
India

NEGATIVITY NEEDS AN ANCHOR

Negativity cannot remain without a support.

Positivity, happiness can be without any reason.

The mind goes on trying to find support for its negativity. It looks for a hook to hang its negativity on - if not this person, then that thing or that person and so on.

This perpetuates the maya!

The creeper of negativity needs a support in order to grow. But negativity or aversion for even one person can guarantee a one-way ticket to hell - you need nothing else!

All negativity is a pointer to move to the centre and broaden the vision to the cosmic intelligence.

Instead of focussing your attention on support for your negativity, look at the seed of negativity.

With meditation, silence, kriya, the source of negativity is nipped at the root.

�� Jai Guru Dev ��

meaning of Panduranga Vitthala

Q: What is the meaning of  Panduranga Vitthala?

*Sri Sri Ravi Shankar* :
Pandu is the five elements. The whole world is color of the five elements: Earth, Fire, Water, Wind, and Space. This world, which is made up of the elements, is a stage. The person who is dancing on this stage is Pandu. The one who is still, non-moving is Vitthala. ‘Thal’ means that which is changing and which moves. Atal or Vitthal means that is specially still. Your body is Panduranga. It is made up of the five elements. The soul (atma) is Vitthala.
Vitthala, the word, means the one who is still. The one who does not move, but moves others. The one who is still. And the one who is the base or root. This is called Vithhala.