ART OF LIVING ARTICLES n VIDEOS

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 ...

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...

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? Accep...

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 ar...

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 ...

Neither accept people as they are nor tolerate them. Many people think tolerance is a virtue but tolerance is actually a negative term. If you like something,you do not have to tolerate it. Tolerance indicates a deep sense of dislike. It indicates a sense of separateness,small mindedness,limited awareness. When you are tolerating,it means you are temporarily putting up with it. Tolerance is a potential volcano. If you are tolerating,it means you are still holding on to something. Acceptance is also negative. You accept only that which is not lovable. Question: Do you need self assurance to love people? Only the self is assuring-nothing else. This is our company-The Self Assurance Company. Question: "But aren't we supposed to accept people as they are?" If you do not love them,then you have to accept them. I tell you,do not accept people as they are. Just love them as they are. Tolerance and acceptance come with judgement and separation. -----Guruji at Williams Isla...

HAPPY JANMASHTAMI !!! TODAY IS KRISHNA'S BIRTHDAY BIRTH OF THE CENTER OF ATTRACTION Krishna means the most attractive . . . It is the divinity that is the most attractive; the energy that pulls everything to it. Krishna is the formless center which is everywhere. Any attraction from anywhere is coming only from Krishna. Often people fail to see the spirit behind the attraction and merely hold on to the outer shell. And the moment you try to possess the shell, you will see Krishna has played a trick and you will be left with an empty shell in your hands and tears in your eyes. Be clever like Radha -- don't be tricked by Krishna. Krishna could not escape from Radha, for her whole world was filled with Krishna. If you can see that wherever there is an attraction, there is Krishna; then you are Radha, you are in your center. The mind moves towards beauty, joy and truth. Krishna tells Arjuna, "I am the beauty in the Beautiful, the strength in the Strong, the wisdom in the ...

Weekly Knowledge #239 Oslo 03 Feb 2000 Norway PROBLEM Guruji says: There is no problem that cannot be solved!!! Someone says: I have a few I can give you. (Laughter) Guruji says: When you have a problem and you think it cannot be solved, then you have accepted it then it is no longer a problem; it is a fact. For example: Suppose you think it is a problem that the ocean in Norway is too cold. Obviously, you cannot heat the ocean. If it cannot be solved, you accept it and it's no longer a problem. Only when you are searching for a solution is there a problem and so there is no problem that cannot be solved. (Laughter) The moment you realize there is no solution, a problem ceases to be a problem. The solution is the tail of every problem. Solutions come to you when :      You are calm and collected       You use intelligence      You are not lethargic but active      ...

Weekly Knowledge #236 German Ashram,Bad Antogast 13 Jan 2000 Germany Being with the Guru People have various reasons to be with a Guru. Broadly they can be put in these 5 catagories. 1. You would like to have your wishes fulfilled and because it is more pleasurable. 2. Everything else looks more painful to you and you come for comfort. 3. You want to evolve and become enlightened; you want to know higher Knowledge. 4. You have a vision or goal; you share a vision of the Guru. Missionary or visionary. 5. You are there to just serve and give comfort to the Guru. You are with the Guru because you belong to the Guru. There is no choice. 🌸 Jai Guru Dev 🌸

IMPACT OF DESIRES !! Do you know what entropy means? Entropy is said to rise when there is an increase in the heat or restlessness (due to desires) in the body. Then various kinds of distortions arise in the body because of this. Scientists say that the entropy (of a body or a finite system) is proportionate to orderliness. You must have observed that in the colder regions, there is a greater degree of orderliness at every level. Everything seems to function in a much more organized manner. Also, whenever any distortion or desire arises in the mind, then there is some corresponding sensation or disturbance in the body also. What happens when you go deep into meditation? The mind becomes cool and calm. It becomes still and all its restlessness drops. So, when we get into a state of being a witness, then the mind becomes so calm and clear. This sense of calmness in turn solidifies the state of being a witness. Both go hand in hand. Scientists say that for greater orderliness to prevai...

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR Posted: 01 May 2012 Mechanics of action The dynamics of how events happen is a big mystery. Only one who is 100% in doing can recognise the happening. The healthiest way to apply this knowledge is to see the whole past as happening and the present as doing. If you see the past as doing, then ego and regret come along. And when you see the present as happening, laziness and unawareness set in. Let the happening be for the past and the doing for the present. And the future is a mix of both. The wise will see the doing in happening and the happening in doing simultaneously. One who does a lot of work will never say he did a lot. If someone says he did a lot of work, it that means he can do more. He has not done enough. Work does not tire you as much as the "doership" does. All actions happen through consciousness. The world moves because of consciousness. Consciousness expresses the three shaktis as — gyan shakti, ichcha shakti and kr...

Weekly Knowledge #235 Milano 06 Jan 2000 Italy Five Factors That Influence the Mind Place, Time, Food, Past Impressions, Associations and Actions The space -the place you are in.  Every place you are in, has a different impact on the mind. Even in your house, you can see that you feel different in different rooms. A place where there there has been singing, chanting and meditation has a different influence on the mind. Suppose you like a particular place; you may find that a little later it will not be the same. Time is also a factor.  Different times of the day and year have different influences on the mind. Different types of food that you take influence you for some days. The past impressions-the Karmas- have a different impact on the mind. Awareness, alertness, knowledge and meditation all help erase the past impressions. Associations and actions  The people and events you are associated with do influence your mind. Your actions and associations effect yo...

This query of Arjuna, "Who are you?" Now Lord Krishna says, "kalo 'smi loka-ksaya-krt pravrddho. I am the time in which everything dissolves, from which everything comes. It is in time things arise and in time they all dissolve. And I am the Time." The suspense was kept till now, and now it is out. Who am I? I am the grand time. I am the NOW. This now is so deep and that's what we don't realize. We are in now; we are in time; we are in the moment. But we have not realized that this moment is deep and vast. What Arjuna experienced is the vastness and depth of time. It is scary when the mind is small. Now, Lord Krishna says,  "I am the Time of which you are scared. I am with you." When the time is with you, what is it that you need to worry about? There is no fear. Time has already executed all this work. It has already slain all these people. He says, "You just become an instrument of mine. You just be my instrument. You be hollow and empty...

*Shravan Special* 🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚🐚 *Q. Gurudev, its Shravan's 1st Monday. Day of all devotees to worship Shiva. Then why do they worship a Stone (shivlinga) Why not murti or photo of Shiva himself?* 🍃 *SRI SRI*🍂 Thats the speciality of our ancestors. They were Master in Spiritual Science. Shiva was never born. Shiva is not a body. Shiva is energy, Shiva Tatva which commands whole creation. His body is just imagination made out of knowledge of his energy. And its secret. You wanna know ??? (Crowd: Yessss) *7 secrets about Shiva :* 1⃣ 🐍 *Why Snake?* Snakes are a symbol of awareness. You can't be asleep with a snake around your neck! 2⃣🌪 *Why Ashes?* To remind you of the impermanence of life; knowing that we live life fully. 3⃣🌛 *Why Moon?* Is the Moon an Ornament? The moon and the mind are connected. To be h...

♣It's very interesting to analyse how a normal 80 year old has spent his life. ♣He has slept for 40 years. ♣He has eaten food for 8-10 years. ♣Another 8 years of his life have been spent in bathrooms & toilets,15-20 years have been spent working & being stuck in traffic jams. ♣And hardly 2-3 years being happy,smiling , loving people & sharing a sense of belongingness with everybody! ♣Introspection about life & how about how can you improve its quality can help you feel better about yourself. ♣This intention itself will open many doors for a person. Sri Sri Jai Gurudev🙏🏽

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 ...

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...

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!)

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 ...

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

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 🌸

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.