Education

Weekly Knowledge #256
Bangalore Ashram
07 Jun 2000
India

EDUCATION

Education has five aspects

1. Information -- Often we think information is education, but it is only one aspect of education.

2. Concepts -- Concepts are the basis for all research. You need to conceive in order to create.

3. Attitude -- An integral aspect of education is cultivating the right attitude. Proper attitude at the right time and place determines your actions and behavior.

4. Imagination -- Imagination is essential for creativity, for the arts. But if you get stuck in imagination, you may become psychotic.

5. Freedom -- Freedom is your very nature. Only with freedom, do joy, generosity and other human values blossom. Without freedom, attitudes become stifling, concepts become a burden, information is of no value and imagination becomes stagnant.

🌸 Jai Guru Dev 🌸

Why repeat Advance Course/Silence course

When I do the Art of Silence Course, I feel hollow and empty. But again after a week I find that I am full of desires and botherations. How can I be hollow and empty all the time?

Sri Sri : This is like asking, 'How can I eat once for this lifetime and not have to keep eating every day?'
You know, it is such a boring job. Every day you have to cook and eat. If you eat today, again tomorrow you feel hungry. If you eat in the morning, then again in the evening you feel hungry.
You cannot eat just once and be done with it because the body has its own nature. The same is with your mind. Entertainment is not enough once. Would you listen to me if I tell you that it is enough to watch only one movie in your lifetime? You need entertainment again and again. Body needs nutrition again and again. To satisfy hunger we eat food. We drink water to quench thirst. We take rest when we are tired. In the same way, spirituality is also like that. To satisfy spiritual hunger, we need to meditate again and again.

Possessing Propriety

Chapter 14 : Kural: 140 Possessing Propriety

உலகத்தோடு ஒட்ட ஒழுகல் பலகற்றும்
கல்லார் அறிவிலா தார்.

மு.வ உரை :

உலகத்து உயர்ந்தவரோடு பொருந்த ஒழுகும் முறையைக் கற்காதவர்  பல நு}ல்களைக் கற்றிருந்த போதிலும் அறிவில்லாதவரே ஆவர்.

கலைஞர் உரை :

உயர்ந்தோர் ஏற்றுக் கொண்ட ஒழுக்கம் எனும் பண்போடு வாழக் கற்காதவர்கள் பல நு}ல்களைப் படித்திருந்தும்கூட அறிவில்லாதவர்களே ஆவார்கள்

சாலமன் பாப்பையா உரை :

முந்திய அறநு}ல்கள் கூறியவற்றுள் இன்றைக்குப் பொருந்தாதவற்றை விலக்கியும், கூறாதனவற்றுள் பொருந்துவனவற்றை ஏற்றும் வாழக் கல்லாதவர், பல்வேறு நு}ல்களைக் கற்றவரே என்றாலும் அறிவில்லாதவரே.

English Translation:

Ulakaththotu Otta Ozhukal Palakatrum
Kallaar Arivilaa Thaar

Explanation:

Those who know not how to act agreeably to the world  though they have learnt many things  are still ignorant.

Those who don’t learn to abide by the decorous norms of the society,
even if well-read, are unwise.

Compassion and Karma

Weekly Knowledge #221
Bangalore Ashram
15 Sep 1999
India

Compassion and Karma

There are two types of compassion. One is the compassion of the wise, one is that of the ignorant.

An ignorant person's compassion is on the fruit of an action whereas a wise person's compassion is towards the non-availability of knowledge. Compassion for suffering shows ignorance. Suffering comes because of karma, and if you believe in karma, where is compassion? One reaps the fruit of one's actions.

If a judge has compassion for all the offenders then the jails will be empty. At the same time, are the judges cruel to the offenders? No; the judges' compassion is for the non-availability of knowledge, not for the suffering of the criminals. It is their karma.

Often people think compassion is an act, an action. Know that compassion is your very nature. Then you will see that karma and compassion are not contradictory but complement each other.

Suppose two people come to a hospital. One is suffering from starvation, the other is ill from overeating. What type of compassion should the doctor have towards each of them? This is a riddle for you to solve!

🌸 Jai Guri Dev 🌸

Skill in praising

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted: 08 May 2012

SKILL IN PRAISING

Often, when you praise, you praise in comparison to someone else. In order to praise one person, we put down someone else and when we want to point out somebody's mistake we praise another.

Some are stingy in praising, and some are shy.

And some others are simply not used to.

Some praise with motives, and some others just to elevate.

Others praise themselves in order to hide their low self-esteem.

The real praise dawns in a blossomed state of consciousness.

The praise that comes out of an elevated state of consciousness is simply its nature and is quite different. Normally praise comes out of craving and pride. The praise from a heightened consciousness is always out of fulfilment.

Praising can no doubt elevate the consciousness and bring enthusiasm and energy. At the same time it can also bring arrogance. Praising is a skill.

When someone praises you, do you take it without shying away?

Accepting praise without shyness, is also a skill.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

Worship

Weekly Knowledge #240
Bangalore Ashram
10 Feb 2000
India

Worship

Do not worship or idolize worship. Idolizing without a sense of  belongingness is always futile.  Such worship only causes fear and distance.  And there are others who are  paranoid about  worship. They get irritated by seeing others worshipping. The modes of worship or idolizing may be different in different parts of the world. Some worship the pope ; others worship the pop stars.  Some are crazy about the politicians. Look at all the children. They  worship  their heroes  all  over  the walls.  Just adoration makes you a fan. Having a sense of belongingness and seeing the Divinity in those whom you adore, makes you a saint.

Raghu: You mean we can see Divinity in a pop star or politician.

Guruji: If You can;..A Divinity that is distorted ( laughter) Those who worship without a sense of belongingness and those who are against worship are in  the same boat  as both are clogged with fear.  In  the  Bible, it says, " I am your God. And  you shall have no other before  me. "  The same is said in the ancient Indian scriptures. "One who worships God as separate from the "I am" consciousness is dull headed". And  " Poojo aur na deva".Do not worship other Gods. The offering, the offered and the offerer are all ONE.

🌸 Jai Guru Dev 🌸

CAUSE OF SUFFERING

CAUSE OF SUFFERING
When you get hurt, it's your karma. You must have hurt somebody sometime and so you got it back now. Nothing happens without a reason. This is the highest knowledge.
So, some Masters will always say that if you are suffering, it's not because of somebody, it's because of you only. You better suffer and get rid of it.
Instead of that, if you say, "That person is responsible for my suffering", then you are making more karma and carrying it on to the next lifetime. But if you say, "My suffering is because of me, and I take ownership of the karma", then you become free.
Saying, "My suffering is due to that person", will continue the karma because that impression will be there in your mind. Why are you not looking inside? Why are you not moving on? Why are you holding onto an event of the past and blaming the other person for your karma? If you do this then you will continue to be miserable.
~~Gurudev HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji