ART OF LIVING ARTICLES n VIDEOS

Whenever a problem comes in front of us, we eternalize and generalize it. We should stop this. If there is a problem and you say, I want you to say, ‘Oh, I will face this problem!’ Instead what is it that you do? When there is a problem you eternalize it, you say, ‘Oh, everybody is foolish, everybody is bad. Nobody likes me'. This is generalizing. How can this be possible? In our mind we blow it up, generalize and eternalize the problem. When you sow such seeds (in the consciousness), such things will occur more and more.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: ‘Annadata sukhi bhava’ means ‘those who are providing me with this food, let them be happy’. Will you all say this one mantra every day before your meals? When you say this, you are wishing prosperity for three people. One is to the farmer; the second is to the trader who buys from the farmers and sells the produce, and the third is to the woman who cooks the food and serves it to you. First, we wish well for the farmers. When the farmers are happy, then the ones who eat the food will also be happy. But, if the farmers are unhappy, and they are shedding tears and giving us food, then when we eat that food, we become sick. So, you must wish the farmers good health and happiness. In this country we are ignoring the farmers. Farmers are committing suicide because they are sad and unhappy. When they are sad, then the food they produce brings us only misery. So, all of you should wish them happiness. Second, we should wish well for the traders. If the ...

Stress is too much to do, too little time, and no energy, Do you agree with me? In a short time, we have to do a lot, but there is no energy, and this causes stress. How to get rid of stress? By reducing the workload - This does not appear to be a possibility these days. By increasing the time - This is which we cannot do. It is fixed, unless we go to another planet. By increasing the energy level within us - And this is the only option we are left with. When we have enough energy and enthusiasm, we are able to handle any challenge. One aspect of the yoga way is to provide us with tools and techniques to lead a stress-free life and a tension-free life. On the other hand, I would say, yoga is also the greatest wealth of humankind.

It is often believed that glory and dispassion are contradictory and cannot co-exist. Glory and luxury without dispassion is a nauseating pomp and show. Such glory does not bring fulfillment for anyone, it is shallow. Alternately, the dispassion that is afraid of glory is weak. True dispassion is oblivious to glory. The glory that comes with dispassion is something that is true, that is permanent and authentic. When someone runs after glory they are shallow. Like movie stars, politicians and religious leaders who try to hold on to their status, to their glory, they are certain to lose. If you run after glory all you get is misery. When you are dispassionate, glory comes to you. If you are afraid of glory, that means you are not well-founded in dispassion. In India, the Sadhus run away from glory. They think they will lose their dispassion and get trapped in the web of the world, the circus. The dispassion is so blissful, they get attached to the dispassion. They are a...

Krishna says in Bhagvad Gita: 'The foolish think of me as the un-manifest coming into manifestation, knowing not my higher immutable unsurpassed nature. 'I am un-manifest, but people only see my manifested aspect. They only see my outer appearance'. See, whenever you relate to somebody, you only relate to their external. In fact, it is the self or the mind, or the spirit inside them which you are relating to, but you never pay attention to that. Do you see what I am saying? When you are relating to someone, what is it that you are relating to, the body or the spirit? You have never even thought about this. Krishna continues in Bhagvad Gita: 'People think of me only as the external human being, they do not see that space, that consciousness which is in fact speaking and which is doing everything. They only see the eight fold prakruti, nobody sees something beyond that. Such people are not intelligent'. Then he says, 'And it is not their mistake also...

Krishna says in Bhagvad Gita: 'The foolish think of me as the un-manifest coming into manifestation, knowing not my higher immutable unsurpassed nature. 'I am un-manifest, but people only see my manifested aspect. They only see my outer appearance'. See, whenever you relate to somebody, you only relate to their external. In fact, it is the self or the mind, or the spirit inside them which you are relating to, but you never pay attention to that. Do you see what I am saying? When you are relating to someone, what is it that you are relating to, the body or the spirit? You have never even thought about this. Krishna continues in Bhagvad Gita: 'People think of me only as the external human being, they do not see that space, that consciousness which is in fact speaking and which is doing everything. They only see the eight fold prakruti, nobody sees something beyond that. Such people are not intelligent'. Then he says, 'And it is not their ...

Keep smiling and spread the smile and happiness. There is so much work to be done in the world. There are conflicts in Syria, in Egypt, in Ukraine, in Pakistan, in Columbia, and in many other parts of the world. We should see what we can do. If this is too big a task, you can take smaller tasks. In your city, in your town, wherever you are, spread happiness. Start happiness centers and let people come there, sit and breathe, and learn some knowledge, and become happy. Tell them, "Leave all your stress and tension, and smile more!". That is what we should do – put more smiles on the faces of people, don’t you think so? Give them confidence to move on in life. I think this is what you all can do. You can tell at least five of your friends, "Hey come, let’s breathe together, let’s get rid of tension, let’s spread happiness and not hatred. Let us learn to manage our mind".

Approaches to Life A wise person is said to have four techniques, both inwardly and outwardly — Sama, Dana, Bheda and Danda. To deal with people and be wise, the first thing you use is Sama which means in a peaceful and understanding way. When that doesn’t work out, then you try Dana which means allowing it to happen and forgiving. When people don’t recognise your generosity in allowing them space, then the third principle called Bheda comes in, it means to intentionally create a gap or misunderstanding. If a person still doesn’t realise that they have made a mistake then it is time to use the stick, Danda, the final approach. The same four methods apply to your inner life, your Being. Sama — maintain the equanimity. Take both the good and the bad with equanimity. Dana means giving up that which disturbs you, that which cannot put you in the royal seat of equanimity. It means to surrender the mind which is the cause of your sorrows, problems and misery. Dana includ...

You have to go from the form to the formless. If you jump only to the formless, that path is full of misery. Lord Krishna said in the Gita, that there are people who worship the formless, but that path is full of pain and sorrow. You can see this yourself. Take Moses for example, his path has been very miserable and sad. Jesus - his life was so sad. Take the example of Mohammad Paigambar, he had to undergo so much pain and struggle, and the bloodiest part of history is his. It continued after him too, all his family members had a very painful and sorrowful state. This is the reason why Buddha said, "Buddham sharanam gachhami", i.e., I go to Buddha for refuge. Buddha is the formless in the form. Then he said, "Sangam sharanam gachhami", i.e., I surrender myself to the society and take refuge in the service of society. And then he said, "Dhammam sharanam gachhami", i.e., I take refuge in the ultimate truth. To get away from misery, Buddha said f...

What is the mind? The mind means the many desires that you carry within you. Nature knows very well the number of desires you drag and carry as a burden within you. Nature sees how tightly and feverishly you hold on to your desires, so sometimes it grants those desires and sometimes it does not. But when we remain happy and centered whether our desires get fulfilled or not, then you can say that you have killed or overcome the mind. Suppose you are going to a cinema theatre to watch a movie and you stand in line to buy the tickets, and you get to know that the theatre is house-full. Do you feel angry or frustrated about it, or do you feel “Oh, it’s alright. Never mind”. and simply move on ahead. You may also think that since you did not get a ticket for the cinema hall, so you might as well go to a temple for some time (laughter); or sit in a satsang for some time. When you are able to do this (skilfully), then know that you have killed and overcome your mind. Have this ...

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 beco...

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 ...

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....

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.

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 tha...

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.

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.

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.

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 p...

Deep rest is the essence of sadhana. You have become so tired by doing something or the other all the time. Now just sit down for some time and to be with yourself. Do some meditation. When you meditate, you will start seeing a new world in front of you. You get deep rest is meditation. You get rest when you are content, and this rest is what gives rise to Happiness.  Running behind happiness makes you tired. When you run behind happiness you get tired, but when you repose in the self, when you rest, you get energy, and that brings you strength, joy and happiness. So every once in a while, stop the rat race, and take some time out to be with yourself, and get some rest. This is what knowledge is and this is what spirituality is.  Many time, in the name of sadhana also, we start engaging ourselves in some activity, and once again we get tired. I tell you, the physical body does not make you as tired as the mind does. Work doesn’t make you as tired as much as your desires. Noth...

This full moon is dedicated to the seers - the Rishis. It is also called the Raksha Bandhan. Bandhan means bondage, Raksha means protection. A bondage that protects you - your bondage to the Knowledge, to the Master, to the Truth, to the Self, all Save You. A rope can be tied to either protect or strangle you. The small mind and mundane things can strangle you. The big mind or knowledge saves you. Raksha Bandhan is that bondage that saves you. You are bound by your bondage to the Satsang. Your bondage to the Master, to the Truth, to the ancient Knowledge of the Rishis, and that is your saviour. Bandhan is bonding and bonding is essential in life. Let the bonding be divine in a life free from bondage.

If you find that there is ego, then let it be. Even ego belongs to the divine. Don’t try to surrender, don’t struggle. If you say that I have surrendered my ego, then it is bigger ego. It’s like saying, "I am the most humble person in this entire world!" That doesn’t show humility. Just be Natural.  The more you grow in knowledge, you see that ego goes away. You know, around the seed there is a membrane. When you soak it in water, the seed bulges, sprouts and automatically the membrane breaks away. But if you try to peel the skin, the seed itself will break. Same way, when you soak yourself in knowledge, in devotion, in love, and in wisdom, you automatically find the ego going away.

Lord Krishna says, “Think of Me even as you struggle or battle in life".  When you give your 100% in anything that you do, then that is a battle. A battle does not always imply killing someone. A battle means, wherever you put all your efforts and everything at stake. So if life appears to be a struggle, then put in your 100%. But Lord Krishna says, “Do so by keeping Me in your mind at all times as you struggle. Surrender both your mind and your intellect to Me when you do this”.It means to surrender totally – both by feeling and by understanding (logic). Some people do not apply any understanding but are driven greatly by feelings only. Some people are able to understand and interpret things correctly but there are no feelings or emotions in them. That is why Lord Krishna has said many times in the Bhagavad Gita, “Be connected to Me both by your feelings and by your intellect”. Krishna says, “Surrender unto Me and accept Me totally – both at the level of emotions and the intelle...

Benefits of Meditation Take a few moments every day for doing nothing. It really brings a lot of energy and uplifts the spirit. I think this is what is needed today. Our brain is bombarded with so much information, and so we need to recharge from time to time. Isn't it so? So a few moments of conscious relaxation will make a difference. There are two types of relaxation: One is unconscious relaxation, which is absolutely essential, and which we do every single night; probably in the day time also. But there is a rest which is different from sleep, when we are conscious and still relaxing. That is what is meditation. You must have heard about a research paper which has been published recently, that if someone meditates for two months, i.e., eight weeks, the structure of the brain changes; the grey matter increases. So, there are many benefits of meditation: It just gives you more alertness It gives you a very relaxed and happy feeling from inside It helps you create a s...