ART OF LIVING ARTICLES n VIDEOS

Weekly Knowledge #2⃣ Big Sur, California 21 Jun 1995 USA CLOSE TO THE MASTER If you're not feeling close to the Guru, it's because of you. Because of your mind, because of your ego concepts. Share with the Guru that which is very important or intimate to you. Share that. Do not feel shame, shy, or judgmental about yourself. Unless you express to the Master that which is very intimate and important to you, just being on the formal and informal communication levels cannot make you feel close. "How are you, where are you going? How have you been?" Stop formal and superficial conversations with the Master and speak with your heart that which is very important and intimate, very deep to your life. Don't just say how much the squash costs, 30 cents or whatever. If you don't feel close to the Master, there's no point in having a Master. It is just another burden to you. You have enough already. Just say "Goodbye," get rid of it. Question: When you p...

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Humor is the buffer that saves you from humiliation. If you have a good sense of humor you can never be humiliated. And if you refuse to be humiliated you become invincible. Humor brings everyone together, while humiliation tears them apart. In a society torn with humiliation and insult, humor is like a breath of fresh air. A good sense of humor relieves you from fear and anxiety. Humor should be coupled with care and concern. Mere humor without care and concern or appropriate action often irritates those who come to you with serious problems. Humor can keep the spirit high, yet if overdone it leaves a bad taste.  Humor without wisdom is shallow.  Humor with wisdom creates an atmosphere of celebration. Humor without sensitivity is satire - it comes back to you with more problems. The wise use humor to bring wisdom and to lighten every situation. The intelligent use humor as a shield against humiliation. The cruel use humor as a sword to insult others. The irresponsible use hum...

It is a mistake to think time is going. Time is not going. Time is here until the world ends. It is you that is going. You don’t waste time. Time is infinite. You waste yourself.  You are finite. It is you that grow old and die. Time doesn’t. So make better use of yourself before you expire. And one of the worst things to do with time is comparing yourself to others. A cow eats grass and gets fat but if dog eats grass, it will die.  Never compare yourself with others. Run your own race. What works for one person may be that which will kill you. Focus on the gifts and talents God gave you and don’t be envious of the blessings He gave others. Both Lion and Shark are professional hunters, BUT: A Lion cannot hunt in the Ocean and a Shark cannot hunt in the jungle That a Lion cannot hunt in the ocean doesn't make him useless and that a Shark cannot hunt in the jungle doesn't also make him useless both have their own territory where they can do well If a rose smells better than toma...

 

 WATCH YOUR SPACE! There’s a reason why people say “Choose your friends wisely” and “Show me your friends and I’ll tell you who you are”.  The people you’re around the most, be it friends, family, even colleagues, can have a massive effect on you and your vibrations/mentality. No matter how positive, spiritual, or goal-driven you are, if you hang around people who are the opposite, they may not completely cancel that out (depending on how stubborn you are about those things), but you won’t really thrive in that environment.  Someone who’s full of positivity and someone who’s full of negativity can’t really reside in the same place as they are. One will definitely become either more positive, or more negative. And when it’s your group of friends or family etc. that are mostly negative, it’ll be close to impossible to stay as positive as you are because of that friction. They may not be aware that they’re doing that, but because of their low vibrations and all, they’ll do a...

Educators from schools and colleges across India asked questions as they come to sign an MoU with The Art of Living for conducting courses in their institutions.  How is the intuition power developed in the intuition program? In our country, a lot of parents have been given to guru, parents. Before independence, every movement was brought out by an educator. The freedom movement was facilitated by acharyas of schools and colleges. Revolutions in education, society and life have to be brought by gurus. We are moving away from that culture. Right now there is a gap between teachers and students. In DU, we had a program where we asked students whom do they dislike or hate. 85% said they disliked their teachers. 57% disliked their parents. After the 8 day course, we invited their parents who remarked how their behavior had changed. They began helping in the house. Their relationship with teachers also improved. This knowldge which comes from the ancient and new has brought transformati...

 Today one person has hurt you, tomorrow someone else will. You cannot control the entire world. Recognize that the problem is not outside; it is in your own mind. You have given the reins of your life in someone else's hands, just take them back! Make the fortress of your mind so strong, that no one in the world should have the right to take your smile away!

 

 Never in your life have the arrogance to say that you have achieved big heights. If you have achieved something it is the divine will, it is the divine intervention that has always protected you, cleared your path and given you the right opportunities at the right time.  Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

*Division I : Aram (Righteousness)* *Chapter 22: Awareness of, and alignment, to the ways of the world* *Kural : 220* ஒப்புரவி னால்வருங் கேடெனின் அஃதொருவன் விற்றுக்கோள் தக்க துடைத்து. மு.வ உரை : ஒப்புரவால் கேடு வரும் என்றால் அக் கேடு ஒருவன் தன்னை விற்றாவது வாங்க...

Division I : Aram (Righteousness) Chapter 22: Awareness of, and alignment, to the ways of the world Kural : 216 பயன்மரம் உள்ளூர்ப் பழுத்தற்றால் செல்வம் நயனுடை யான்கண் படின். மு.வ உரை : ஒப்புராவாகிய நற்பண்பு உடையவனிடம் செல்வம் சேர்ந்தால் அஃது ஊரின் நடுவே உள...

*Division I : Aram (Righteousness)* *Chapter 22: Awareness of, and alignment, to the ways of the world* *Kural : 215* ஊருணி நீர்நிறைந் தற்றே உலகவாம் பேரறி வாளன் திரு. *மு.வ உரை :* ஒப்புரவினால் உலகம் வாழுமாறு விரும்பும் பேரறிவாளியின் செல்வம்  ஊரார் நீருண்ணும் குளம...

Weekly Knowledge #267 European Ashram 24 Aug 2000 Germany PROBLEMS? ONE MORE The first solution to the problem is not to have the problem at all. (Laughter) The second thing is to willingly accept the problem and see it as a challenge. Third, know that the problem is a boogey man, it is not real. Fourth, know that nature has provided you the solution even before giving you the problem. First you met me and then you had a problem (Laughter). When it snows, there are no bacteria since no herbs to heal you grow in that season. In the spring, the herbs come first and then the bugs. In the summer, the shade comes before the summer sun gets strong. So, nature takes good care of you. Sabya: What if the longing is a problem? Sri Sri: Longing ripens you. Do not solve all your problems. At least keep one of them. You need something to munch on - and life goes on... 🌸 Jai Guru Dev 🌸

Navratri is that time of the year that is rich with colors, tradition, songs and dance. It is also a very sacred time, especially for a spiritual seeker. It is a time when we withdraw from the world of senses and rest through spiritual techniques to uncover the potential for greater bliss, joy and enthusiasm in our lives. This movement from the outer to the inner can happen effortlessly only when the quality of sattva rises in us and  fasting is one of the ways to increase the sattva level in us . What is sattva? This world is made up of five elements and these five elements have  three qualities : Sattva – the quality that brings forth positivity Rajas – the quality that brings forth activity Tamas – the quality that brings forth inertia All spiritual practices such as meditation, chanting, fasting, silence increases the level of sattva in us. When sattva increases, it brings forth knowledge, alertness, awareness and joy in life, as these qualities co...

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 🌸

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 ...