knowledge

Love with wisdom is bliss. Love without knowledge or wisdom is pain

2010-07-24T12:39:00.001-07:00

Posted: 24 Jul 2010 02:53 AM PDT

Continued from the last post..
Q: Please, please, please, please answer my question. Dear Sri Sri, when there is love, why suffering is also there in a relationship?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Love with wisdom is bliss. Love without knowledge or wisdom is pain. Why is there pain in love? That is what you are wondering or questioning about! It is not love which is giving you pain. If it is just purely love, that means you just care for someone, you want the best for them, and then there is no pain. But when you want something in return from them or you have demands from them, then there is pain. Small things like you love somebody and they didn’t smile at you, that is enough! You love somebody and they are interested in someone else, they flirt around or complement someone, good enough for you to burn the next 24 hours or days. Jealousy, hatred, greed, arrogance and attachment are all love’s distortions. Love by itself doesn’t bring a misery. That is why knowledge and centeredness are so important. If you centered, you can handle all these distortions, they come for a while and they disappear.
Doesn’t matter, I will handle! I can easily manage people from falling!

Q: Another question on love. When you were here last time, you said not to say ‘I love you’ too much for too much expression of love destroys it all. Now, my husband never says it. What to do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Listen! I have no experience of all this and what husband and wife say to each other!
May be, you should ask your husband why does he love you so much. May be he is waiting for you to say. This is a chance when you can say and look at his face.

Q: Where do negative thoughts come from? If they come in me, does that mean I am negative or bad? I refocus on thoughts again and again, but they come back. I judge them, I don’t like them and I think about judgment, but I am not able to get rid of those? What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Now, there is a problem. You chase them and they come to you multiplied. Just give them a tight hug and you will suddenly find they have disappeared. They are scared of your hug, but they are fond of you chasing them. So, they come back again for you to chase them again, again and again.
If too many negative thoughts are coming, reason is lack of circulation in you. Do a lot of exercises. I think you have too much free time to sit and think. If you keep yourself busy, less of negative thoughts will come. If you are constipated, for sure you will have negative thoughts. So, set your bowel movements correct. That will also help you. If vatta, pitta or kapha imbalance comes, then also you will have too many negative thoughts. Ayurveda herbs will help for that. You can take 2-3 triphla tablets in night, and something to soothe your nervous system, like shatavari. These herbs calms and soothes the system.
The company you are in can also affect the mind. Company of people who are negative, can also affect the mind.
One last thing that affect is time. Certain times, certain planetary positions and certain cosmic energies can all affect your mind. But all this will pass. Don’t be paranoid about anything. Just know that time moves on.

Q: What is the relationship between seeker, guru and the Divine?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The beginning, middle and end of a same line. It is the seed, the plant and the tree.

Q: Beloved Guruji, I see you in my thoughts and my dreams. I am free and completely surrendered in my thoughts and dreams. But why is my experience different when I meet you here. Also why don’t I get to spend time with you in person?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You are spending time with me here. You take up some project and you will definitely get to spend time with me.

Q: Guruji, is there any particularly good direction to sit in to practice our spiritual practices, and also when you are sleeping?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Any direction is ok. Usually, you face the sun if the sun is there, east and west during sunrise and sunset respectively. When sun has already set and it’s dark, usually we face the north.
But that is not so important.
Why do we face the sun in the morning or evening? This is because force of energy is from one direction. So, if you are sitting facing one side and force is from the other side that means there is no balance on the other side. Suppose, you have one light here, and no light there, then there is an imbalance between the right and the left. So, sitting accordingly balances the right and the left. You are to balance right and left for meditation. So, it is said that way. But it is secondary, not even secondary, it is tertiary. It is not that important.

The aura of body is mind.

2010-07-23T10:49:00.000-07:00

Posted: 23 Jul 2010 05:41 AM PDT

Q: An ‘Art of Living’ teacher once said that God created us and He is perfect. So, we are perfect. That’s believable. We are perfect, so shouldn’t an engineer’s work be perfect? How come it is not?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The question is perfect and the answer is even more perfect. Everything in the universe is moving from one level of perfection to another level. Milk is perfect and when it turns into yogurt, yogurt is perfect. You take out cream from yogurt, and that is perfect, and then you make butter, and that is also perfect. This is one way of looking at it. The other side of looking at it is, the milk got spoil and you make cheese out of it. When yogurt got spoil, it became imperfect and you took butter out of it. This is another way to look at it. It all depends on how you look at it. It’s imperfection that gives value to perfection. Isn’t it so? How can you call something perfect? Because there is something which is not perfect. So, the existence of something which is not perfect is absolutely essential to understand something that is perfect. So, the imperfect makes the perfect, perfect!

Q: I was wondering what exactly the mind is. Is it a little space in our brain or is it universal? And yes, I want to tell you that you rock.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Mind is energy which is all over the body. See, every cell in your body is emitting some energy and the totality of all that energy around you is what you call the mind. Mind is not present at some point in the brain, but mind is all over the body. There is so much deep knowledge about consciousness; we should sometime go much deeper into it. We will understand more. The more you understand, the more wonder-struck you are. Wow!

You know, people have phantom hand, that means they really don’t have a hand, but they feel they have a hand and they feel sensations like itching or paining in that hand. People who have lost their hand or leg in a war or accident, later sometimes, they feel they have a phantom hand or a leg. Though, they don’t have it physically. That explains or gives a clue that the mind is not just in one spot, it is all around the body. The aura of body is mind. We think that mind is inside the body, it is the other way around - Body is inside the mind. Body is like the wick of the candle and mind is like the glow all around.

Q: Dear Guruji, we have come here to appreciate silence more and more. I love it here but there are times when I would rather be alone and stay in silence. When I go to office or any social place like that, do you think too much silence is a bad thing?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Balance! Balance in life. Anything too much is no good. Too much talking is no good; too much silence is not for you now.

Q: I know that destiny plays an important role in life. Our failures and success in life are connected to destiny. But what role are we playing in our lives?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You make the destiny. What you did yesterday is a tomorrow’s destiny, and what you do now is destiny day after.

Q: The history of ancient India is filled with the accounts of enlightenment, yogis taking on supernatural states of awareness and capabilities. Yet, to help me understand, how does one interpret such stories? Are these methodologies with allegorical significance, or they point to the untapped potential hidden in each one of us?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do you know about the first airplane? Who flew the first airplane? (‘Right brothers’ came the answer). This is what we hear or read in the books. Absolutely wrong. 50 years before Right brothers, one man from Bangalore, Subray Shastry, he went into meditation, in silence and then he went to meet a yogi. The yogi took him to deeper meditation, and he started cognizing the engines, he downloaded all that! He wrote a book called ‘Vaimanik Shastra’ and then he flew the plane in 1800 with a parsi gentleman. Parsis are the migrants of Iran to India who follow Zoroastrian religion. The parsi gentleman funded him to make the first plane. They flew it on the chaupati beach in Mumbai (or Bombay). This appeared in the ‘London times’ newspaper also. These two were put in jail by Colonial power, and they took and confiscated all the diagrams that he had made. A documentary of this came on television recently, with the newspaper cutting from England and the diagrams that he had cognized. He had made five different diagrams and this is available even today in a book called ‘Bhardawaj Vaimanik Shastra’ – The science of plane by Rishi Bhardawaj. He explained what type of engine that a plane has which takes off straight like a helicopter, and one which goes running and then takes off.

You can find all the details in the website http://www.bharathgyan.com/

More from the same conversation in the next post..

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Wisdom from Sri Sri

2010-02-15T10:10:00.001-08:00

Kolkata (India), Feb. 12:

Just before conducting the Rudra Puja on Shivratri night,

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar spoke about the true essence of Shiva andShivratri. Let us understand a little about the Shiva tattva. Only a little can be known. The intellect has to be content and finer feelings awakened. Both scientific understanding and spiritual wisdom are necessary to bring this contentment that is holistic and complete.There is no need to go to on long pilgrimages to find the Divine. If you don't find God here, where you are, then it is not possible anywhere else. Where the minddissolves, Shiva is there. Be established wherever you are. The moment you areestablished, centered, you see that there is Divinity present everywhere. This is meditation. One of the names of Lord Shiva is Virupaksha - meaning one who is formless yet sees all. We know that there is air all around us and we can feel the air as well. But what if the air also starts feeling you? Space is all around us, we identify space. But what if space also recognizes and feels your presence? This happens. Only we don't know it. Scientists know this and they call it the theory of relativity. The one who sees and that which is seen are both affected when seen. The Divine is all around you and is seeing you. He doesn't have a form. He is the formless core of existence and the goal. He is the seer, sight and the scene. This formless Divinity is Shiva.To simply wake-up and experience this Shiva tattva is Shivratri.

Usually when there is celebration, awareness is lost. Deep rest in celebration with awareness is Shivratri. When you face some problem, you become aware and alert. We are at rest when everything is well; on Shivratri we rest with awareness. It is said that a yogi remains awake when everybody else is sleeping. For a yogi, everyday isShivratri. Lord Shiva is beautifully explained in a verse by Adi Shankaracharya (Sri Sri recites a few lines from the verse).

Adyantahinam - One without a beginning or end. Sarvada - He is the Bholenath (innocent ruler of all) who is present everywhere all the time. We think Shiva is somewhere else sitting with a snake around his neck.Shiva is one in whom everything has taken birth, who encompasses everything right this moment, and in whom everything in creation dissolves. Every form you see in thiscreation is all his form.

He permeates the entire creation. He is never born and has no end. He is eternal.

He is the fourth state of consciousness, the turiya avasta, the meditative state, that is beyond the waking, deep sleep and dream states.

He is the non-dual consciousness that is present everywhere. That's why to do Shiva puja, you have to dissolve in Shiva yourself. Being Shiva, you do Shiva puja.Chidananda rupa - He is the consciousness that is pure bliss.

Tapo yoga gamya - One who can be known through tapa and yoga. The Shiva tattva can be experienced in the knowledge of the Vedas. The state of Shivoham (I am Shiva), Shiva kevaloham (there is only Shiva) is attained. Shivratri is the day to experience a wave of joy and contentment. Without yoga, Shiva can't be experienced. Yoga doesn't mean only asanas (physical postures) but that experience of Shiva tattva which happens with meditation, pranayam: when that 'WOW' happens from within.

The word Shambo has come from the same source - to realize how beautiful the Divine is, the creation and the Self is! It is a miracle how the same consciousness ispresent in every being in this creation! There is no other miracle greater than this. How did this One become so many? This tradition (of Shivratri) of moving from many to one is so unique. Yoga and meditation is necessary for that. Without meditation, the mind is not calmed. On the occasion of Shivratri meditation, bhajans are all part of the celebration. Everyone participates with a full heart. Everyone should sing.Shiva is the cause of all causes. Because of which everything is there – the tree growing, the sun rising, the wind blowing... The reason for everything happening is Shiva - because of whom everything happens and without whom, nothing happens.Panchmukha, Panchtattva – There are five faces to Shiva - Water, Air, Earth, Fire and Space. Understanding these five elements is tattva gyana (knowledge of the fiveelements). And then Shiva is worshipped as Ashtamurti (eight forms)– Mind, Memory, Ego are also included. This is both the form and formless aspect of Shiva. Worshipping Shiva is dissolving in the Shiv tattva and then wishing for something good. What to wish for? Wish with a liberal heart for the universal good, nobody should be unhappy in the world. 'Sarve janah sukhino bhavantu .' And make one sankalpa on this occasion. It is something which comes to you again and again like your breath, like yourheartbeat. And when you surrender such a sankalpa to the Divine, it will definitely come true.

We also worship nature. Divinity permeates everything in this Earth. Puja is not complete without honoring the trees, mountains, rivers, Earth and the people living on the Earth. Honoring everyone is Dakshina. Da means to give and Dakshina means giving something that will cleanse us of all impurities. Offering with which all your sins vanish. No puja is complete without Dakshina. When we act in society with skill and free from the distortions of the mind, all negative tendencies like anger, worries, sorrow are destroyed. I will say give your tensions, worries and sorrows as Dakshina. And how does that happen? With Sadhana (spiritual practices), Seva (service) andSatsang (company of the truth).

Ride the boat of the intellect to dissolve in the ocean of finer feelings and faith.

"That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth."
~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

© The Art of Living Foundation
For Global Spirituality

'Trapped in Freedom'

Posted: 14 Feb 2010 09:37 PM PST

Bangalore ashram, Feb. 10:

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar led the audience from 51 countries through a meditation. When everyone opened their eyes, they were surprised to learn that they had meditated for 18 minutes.

He then released a book called 'Trapped in freedom', a compilation of experiences of one on the spiritual path. "It is very interesting to see how spiritual experiences are combined with the mundane in the book," said Sri Sri.

He then honored a scholar, Mithran namboodiripad, who has been with the Art of Living for the last 25 years. Introducing him,He said that Mithran namboodiripad was a learned Sanskit scholar and had memorized five million Sanskrit shlokas .

'Everyone should be given the opportunity to contribute'

Posted: 14 Feb 2010 09:41 PM PST

Bangalore ashram, Feb. 09:

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar reached the ashram at 8:30 pm, and came straight for satsang at the Vishalakshi Mantap. He just returned from Velanganni, a hamlet in Tamil Nadu and shared his experience of addressing 1,000 Roman Catholic priests of the Indian Priests Congress. (The address is available on the wisdom blog.)Then, a little girl stood up and told Sri Sri that there was no Art of Living center at her hometown, because of which programs were not being conducted. After saying this, she started crying.He assured her that a center would come up. The girl's mother stood up and said, "With whatever, we have we want to buy a plot on which we can construct an Art of Living Center."

He said, "You can't be emotional and give everything you have, as I won't accept it like that. Many people should contribute a little to have the center. Many people in the past also said this. At first, when I went to Canada when there was no center there, a man came to me and said, "Sri Sri, my whole life has been transformed. I have $15000 and I want to put all this money and make an Art of Living Center.' I refused him and said, "I am not in a hurry to have the Art of Living Center. If you insist, you can contribute $1000 and if you still want to contribute more, you can give $2000 but not more than that. Everyone should be given the opportunity to contribute."

He said that the Divine's job was to take care of His devotees' needs.

Mantras are those sounds which you hear from deep within during meditation & the aim is to bring one back to the source

Posted: 14 Feb 2010 09:51 PM PST

Bangalore Ashram, Feb. 8:

Q: Guruji, singing Shiva and Krishna songs in satsang make many people wonder. Although we imbibe so many good vibrations this still makes some people think that we are singing Hindu songs. Why do we sing songs of so many Gods? People from otherreligions get confused between the real meaning of satsang and the symbolic meaning behind mantras.

Sri Sri: The sound of 'Om namah shivaya' includes all the five elements – Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. Hinduism is not a religion as such. People have beenchanting this for thousands of years. Mantras are those sounds which you hear from deep within during meditation and the aim is to bring one back to the source. During later days, people started putting faces and drawings to these mantras. Mantras have got certain vibrations/ energy. They are universal.

Even in churches in Latin America 'Marnah nath' is used. Its translation in Latin and Sanskrit is so close. For 'Lord' the word in Latin is nath and also in Sanskrit the word nath is used to mean 'Lord'. So the word marnah nath meaning 'My lord' which is used in Christianity is actually a Sanskrit word.

Chanting in Sanskrit is beneficial because Sanskrit is the oldest language known to mankind. It has a deep impact on the consciousness. We welcome all songs – Japanese, Korean, Spanish. Any song you want to sing is welcome. We sing a lot of songs inSpanish and Portuguese in satsangs in South America. Of course, in India everybody easily connects with ancient mantras. Take any language you want but along with it take this also. How many of you feel singing and chanting these mantras creates some vibrations? (All raise hands in affirmation) It's obvious. In Vedic chanting, many times you don't know even the meaning but it has some effect.

In the morning we did Rudra Abhishek, this has been practiced for over thousands of years. We use crystal, milk, yoghurt and flowers etc. They all create a certain impact and send out positive vibrations.

Q: We are hearing so much about Shivratri. What is the importance of Shivratri?

Sri Sri: We are either in the sleeping, waking or dreaming state. Shiva is the fourth state of consciousness - the meditative state. On that particular day, just before the new moon arises people stay awake all night and celebrate. The belief is that whatever you wish for comes true. For the general public, the night of Shiva is the night of celebration.For the wise seekers who are on the spiritual path, every day and every night is a celebration.

Q: What is the rule to be reborn? Who maintains records of all human beings? Why don't we remember anything about our non-physical form?

Sri Sri: It is not very difficult to know. You can do the eternity process and you could know.

Q: Guruji when will we witness something bigger than the Silver Jubilee Celebrations?

Sri Sri: Should we do something bigger than Silver Jubilee? (A big yes from the audience) Yes, why not? Next year in 2011, the Art of Living will complete 30 years, 3 decades . Let's see. We will plan something. You also plan. Let us make a pool of ideas.

The more sattva/ purity rises in your life, the more easily your tasks get accomplished

Posted: 14 Feb 2010 10:07 PM PST

Bangalore Ashram, Feb. 7:

Swami Ramdev paid his respects to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in the evening satsang at the International Art of Living Center. In his welcome to Swami Ramdev, Sri Sri said 'The progress of India is always done by saints, sanyasis/renunciates. Swami Ramdev has contributed a lot to spread yoga and Ayurveda in different regions of India, including many villages'. Swami Ramdev shared his vision of an India free from hunger, poverty, corruption and all other social evils. He expressed gratitude towards Sri Srifor Art of Living's contribution towards social progress.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The more sattva/purity rises in your life, the more easily your tasks get accomplished. The amount of sattva/ purity in us decides the productivity of our input. If you put in a lot of effort and the result turns out to be less or below your expectations, it means that there is a lack of sattva/ purity in life. When we meditate, then our work happens easily. How many of you have noticed this?(Audience raises their hands). People are unaware of this secret. They think why to spend 20 – 30 minutes meditating, when that time can be spent to earn them money. It is very important to meditate whenever we get time, so that you accomplish your tasks more efficiently and with ease

Q: Will you please talk about animal sacrifice?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Animal sacrifice (bali pratha) needs to be stopped. It is not written in any scripture to kill helpless animals. It means to surrender any animal tendencies that you find within yourself. You can explain this and make othersunderstand too.

Q: Guruji, in Jharkand many efforts are being made by saints to do away with the problem of Naxalism but no solution is working.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Naxalites are good people. They need to be given a little understanding and direction. This is because of the lack of religious and spiritual education. If the educational institute includes even a little bit of religiouseducation no one from that institute will turn out to be a Naxalite. In the name of secularism, religious education has been abandoned.

Q: Guruji when I meditate on you many other Guru's also come into mind. What is the solution?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Good. Greet them all.

Q: Everyday people make requests to you that can be directly requested to God. Is it that God pays more attention to you than to us?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I leave that question with you to wonder about. You should have something to wonder about. Besides, why do want to know all the trade secrets!(Laughter)

Q: What is your advice to youth?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If they want advice, they can take it. Usually I don't give advice that is not taken. If advice is not taken, it remains as orphans in the air. The youth know that they have a responsibility towards their elders. I am always for joint families where all the generations live together but it has both advantages and disadvantages.

New year message from Guruji

2009-12-31T22:44:00.001-08:00

Celebration of the New Year allows you to be wise. Learn and unlearn from the past, and move on.

Do not run away from anything. Do not reject anything. Do not go away from anything.

The time has come now to call the whole world! Don't feel shy to speak about human and spiritual values. When you are living for the sake of the world, the world is fortunate.

Let time celebrate your presence. You keep smiling as ever

Be ever new, happy you!!!! .

"-Sri Sri...

Excerpts from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s opening address at the Parliament of World Religions 2009 at Melbourne, Australia on December 3, 2009

2009-12-04T10:20:00.001-08:00

Excerpts from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's opening address at the Parliament of World Religions 2009 at Melbourne, Australia on December 3, 2009

The purpose of religion is to bring enlightenment to the individual, and happiness in society, and to move from limited individual identity, to universality and communion with the Divine. When at a time these ideals are far from reality, congregations such as these where people of all faiths gather together, have great responsibility to ponder on the pressing issues. It is a necessity for survival of our planet. Faith and Faith-Based Organizations (FBOs) are a powerful tool of transformation in society. Though we have moved away from the blemish of medieval conflicts to a more tolerant and co-operative society, FBOs have the responsibility to make a happy society.

Even if part of the planet thinks they are going to heaven, and the others are going to go to hell, they will create a hell for everyone.

We need multicultural and multi-religious education to reach every nook and corner of the planet.

Violence is appalling today, whether it is domestic violence or societal violence – we see it in every newspaper column, and a sort of pride is being attached to violence. In school classrooms, violent children are considered heroes.

When we were growing up, we grew up with stories about Mahatma Gandhi, about ahimsa, non-violence. If someone lost their temper, people thought they needed to see a psychologist, that there was something wrong. Today, even with our heroes in movies, there is a culture of glorifying violence, which we need to turn around - and that responsibility is on us, the faith-based community.

There are two types of violence in the world today – religious violence, which we are all aware of, but also leftist violence. In India, Naxals control 212 of the country's 604 districts.

Spirituality needs to reach these areas, but we all have to do this work. Even in Columbia, South America, they are also affected by violence. FBOs have to play a role.

As I listened to the symphony this evening, I looked at these beautiful singers and artists, all playing their own tune, but all looking at the conductor.

All religious leaders have to take on this role. We cannot lose sight of that one Divinity, which has created this beautiful diversity. Otherwise we won't have a symphony, we will have a chaos.

The world has witnessed so much chaos, now let's focus on one conductor – GOD – Generator, Operator and Destroyer. Focus on one aspect, but play your instrument. There is no threat to any tradition, to any culture, if we are all uplifted in human values, in communion of One, which is in the heart of each and every one of us.

I am reminded of the Kumbh Mela, which has been going on for thousands of years. When I was at the last Kumbh Mela, I saw something amazing. 30 million people congregate there, and yet there is no crime, no violence, no stealing. Imagine that people can have this faith.

Once at the Kumbh Mela, it was very cold in the night, it was January. We went out to distribute some blankets. We saw a young boy, who had just crossed his 20s – he was wearing some shorts, underclothes, and we offered him a blanket. He said, "I don't need it, I can manage, but under the bridge there are many elderly women, they need it more than me. Please give it to them."

That sense of belongingness with each other, helping each other - only FBOs can bring this feeling on this planet.

Once again, I congratulate all of you for venturing on this noble work of reforming society and uniting with the ever-present being within all of us.

We need to ponder on issues relating to the environment, children, agriculture. The word "Parliament" is really scary! Rather, I would call this a family reunion, because there is more conflict in parliament. A reunion of all faith-based organizations to deal with the problem of depression.

WHO has said that depression will soon be the second biggest killer in the world. Popping Prozac is not enough. It was so painful to hear from our sister from Afghanistan that a whole generation is suffering from depression. 92 percent of Palestine is depressed. 160 billion Euros is being spent on mental health care in the EU alone.

We need to get out of this vicious circle. Many have good cars, good jobs, but if depressed, it's like dressing a corpse, putting make-up on a corpse.

We need to attend to the human values, and how we can elevate the spirit to move out of this deep depression and anxiety, and violence.

Let's all brainstorm something concrete, to bring back to every nook and corner of this planet.

"That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth."
~ Sri Sri

Reverence & Ownership

2009-11-10T23:52:00.001-08:00

Often you do not have reverence for that which you own, and losing that reverence happens unconsciously.

Whatever you revere becomes bigger than you.

When you have reverence in all your relationships then your own consciousness expands. Then even small things appear to be significant and big. Every little creature appears to be dignified. It is the reverence in every relationship that saves the relationship.

When you have reverence for the whole universe, you are in harmony with the whole universe. Then you do not need to reject or renounce anything.

Reverence in ownership frees you from greed, jealousy and lust. Cultivate the skill of having reverence every moment in your life.

|| SUTRA ||

"Surrender is respect plus love. If you love someone, respect them, respect the Divinity in them. That relationship will continue, continue, continue."-Sri Sri

Fwd: Hungry for Power

2009-11-08T02:58:00.001-08:00

Why are people hungry for power?

People are hungry for power because they want attention and recognition. Power is a means, just like money. Passion is for an end. People who do not see power or money as a means but as an end in itself do not live, they simply exist. If you do not realize that you are THE power, that you are enlightened, then you crave for power.

You crave for attention and recognition if you do not have any talents, love or passion, or if you are not innocent and childlike.

If you do not have any talents and you are not contributing anything substantial to society, like an artist, a scientist, an Art of Living teacher or a volunteer, then you are hungry for power.

If you do not have a love or a passion to bring about a transformation in society, then you are hungry for power.

If you are not innocent and childlike and do not have a sense of belongingness with the whole world, then you are hungry for power.

Those who do not have any of these four, like some politicians, also crave for power.

True power is the power of the spirit; real confidence, strength and happiness all spring from the spirit. And one who knows this and has this is not hungry at all for power.

|| SUTRA ||

"Sometimes you arer upset or angry; its ok to be upset or angry. Life does not stop for anything or anyone; it moves. So, just move with the flow."-Sri Sri

You & Ownership

2009-11-08T02:53:00.001-08:00

Man has a tendency to own things. When he owns something small his mind stays small, his life gets stifled and his whole consciousness is immersed in his house, car, spouse, children and such. A recluse leaves his home and goes far away. There also he starts owning his asana, rosar, books, concepts and his knowledge.

Owning has simply shifted from objects and people to ideas and practices. But a wise one knows that he owns the sun, the moon, the stars, the air, all of space and the Divine in its entirety. When you won something big then your consciousness also expands, and when you own something small then small negative emotions start coming up, such as anger and greed.

I wonder why people do not feel connected to the sun? The very existence of life depends upon the sun. Perhaps it is lack of awareness that causes people to refuse to acknowledge and own their connectedness to the macrocosmic universe. The rishis in ancient Indian, the Native Americans and the aboriginals from all over the globe have insisted that you can feel connected to the sun, the moon and the directions.

When you own something magnanimous your consciousness also becomes magnanimous.

|| SUTRA ||

"Inside you, I am only there. And inside me, you are only there. Just peep inside yourself and you will only find me."-Sri Sri...

I am neither honest nor humble

2009-10-13T11:06:00.001-07:00

A lady: I want an honest and humble man in my life.

Sri Sri: I am neither honest nor humble. (everyone is shocked. ) I cannot tell everyone I am God, as not everyone will understand. So I am not honest. I am not humble - how can God be humble?

If I am humble, I am not honest.

If I am honest, I cannot be humble! (laugher )

Hide your dispassion and express your love. By expressing dispassion you lose enthusiasm in life. And by not expressing love you feel stifled. Expressing dispassion may bring ego. Hide dispassion in your heart life the roots of a tree and express love like a ripe fruit.

|| SUTRA ||

"Be content and serve. Anyway, those who are completely devoted to serving society, their needs are fulfilled even as they arise."-Sri Sri...

When we are upset it is an opportunity for us to know how much have we grown in knowledge...

2009-10-12T10:15:00.001-07:00

After many years I have come here, after 6-7 years, Dresden is not the same place. So much transformation has taken place. So have we all, the human race, everyone changes. You are not the same person you were yesterday. What you were 10 months ago, you are not same today.

We all progress on the steps of evolution. Our body changes, mind changes, feelings change, thoughts change, - (looking into the crowd) Alice changes! But there is one thing that does not change. Knowing it, recognizing it, holding on to it is what spirituality is.

To recognize change you need something that does not change. Only that is eternal, stable. To feel stable in life you need to hook on to something that does not change. Because only that which is eternal, which is stable can bring relief, peace. No one is interested in temporary peace.

Ok! You tell me are you interested in 10 days peace? No. We want permanent, stable peace. That knowledge which gives such peace, such love that uplifts your spirit, I call it spirituality.

Momentarily some clouds may come. Your feelings may change but you gain some stability. Isn't it?

For that stability see life from a broader perspective. Learn to relax, meditate a few moments every day.

A birthday is a time for the wave to remember its magnanimity

2009-10-06T00:43:00.001-07:00

The Sanskrit word for birthdays is Jayanti. Jayanti means the pinnacle of victory. Victory is always associated with duality, war, conflict, but birth is beyond conflict because it is celebration. This is when the ocean became the wave and will become ocean again after some years. A birthday is a time to remember that the Atman (Soul/Self) was free at one time, then took name and form and became an individual being. After so many years once again the wave will go back to the ocean.

Therefore a birthday is a time for the wave to remember its magnanimity; it's true nature that it is part of the universal spirit, divinity. Then the atman gets the strength of the ocean.

On Birthdays here we don't blow out candles but light lamps. We move from light to light. We rejoice in the memory of our true nature and pray for more and more victory in all aspects of our life so that we can do more service. Knowledge is when we remain happy in our true nature, which is love.

No celebration is complete without meditation. Meditation helps to seep the celebration/ happiness deeper into our being. So meditate 5-7 minutes whenever you celebrate.
(From the Office of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)
© The Art of Living Foundation

Walk in life knowing that knowledge is life, and life is knowledge...

Posted: 05 Oct 2009 12:17 AM PDT

Q. What is Adhyatma (Spirituality)?
Sri Sri. Adhyatama/Spirituality is that which you know yourself, that which uplifts your Atman/Self.

Q. I can't meditate, please advise.
Sri Sri. When you watch TV, you get into meditation – There is no such thing that mind cannot meditate. Wherever your mind goes, whatever it likes, there meditation occurs. You need to move from "word' (shabdha) meditation to "wordless"(nishabhda) meditation. We separate life and knowledge, but walk in life knowing that knowledge is life, life is knowledge. Just as our relationships are manmade, join that relationship/connection with knowledge.

Q My nature is happiness but am overcome with periods of sadness – how do I overcome these periods?
Sri Sri. Offer them to the Divine. Do your practices and meditate. Sometimes waves of worry/sadness take over. Just know that it's a temporary phase, it's a passing cloud and it'll disappear.

Q. How do we overcome constant aimless feelings even though you're focused?
Sri Sri. Check to see how aimless your life was before knowledge. When you do so, you'll realize that knowledge has transformed your life. Superfluous interest in knowledge will make your life aimless. With deeper interest in knowledge you'll find life is so purposeful. If you think "what about me, what about me", life is useless, you may as well put it in garbage. Knowledge gives life direction – then you find life is so purposeful.

Q. People seek roles and positions and seek temporary power. Can you talk a little bit about this power?
Sri Sri. If you work, if you take responsibility, power comes along with it. If you don't work and don't take responsibility you are powerless. Responsibility is taken and you don't wait for someone to give you that power and we acknowledge that. It's the position not the person who has that power.

Q.How do you know when to be in activity (Pravrati) and when to be in non-activity/rest (Nivrati)?
Sri Sri. How do you know when to sleep, and when to eat? When you get tired, you know you need sleep, when you get hungry, you know its time to eat. Like that everyday take a break to be in meditation then you become recharged and can work better.

Q. What is the difference between ego and self-respect?
Sri Sri. In ego you need someone else. In self-respect, others are not needed, and no one can take it away from you.
(From the Office of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)
© The Art of Living Foundation

YOU ARE NOTHING

2009-09-25T22:51:00.001-07:00

Each experience completes. Completion means being led to void or nothing. In the progression of life, you will leave behind every experience saying, "This is nothing." Anything that is completed loses its importance. That is to say, it leads you to void - this is nothing.

A sign of intelligence is how soon you arrive at this understanding. Examine everything in life and say "This is nothing" and what remains in love, and that is everything.

When "This is nothing" does not come out of knowledge, it comes out of misery. Either through knowledge or through misery, you come to the point of "This is nothing, this is nothing." The choice is yours.

If you got this, it is really NOTHING. If you did not get this, never mind - this is nothing (laughter)

|| SUTRA ||

Krishna is inside you. God, the Divine is inside you. Have a inner connection with the Divine."-Sri Sri

Desire for Truth

2009-09-25T22:39:00.001-07:00

DESIRE FOR TRUTH

Buddha said that desire is the cause of all misery. If your desire does not get fulfilled, it leads to frustration and causes misery. Even if it does get fulfilled, it leaves you empty.

Vasishta said that desire is the cause of pleasure. You get pleasure from an object or a person only when you desire them. When you do not desire an object, you do not get pleasure from it. For example, when a person is hot and thirsty, a sip of cold water gives him pleasure; but there is no pleasure if he is not thirsty. Whatever gives you pleasure binds you and bondage is misery.

Sri Sri says when you desire truth, all other desires drop off. You always desire something that is not there. But truth is always there! Desire for truth removes all other desires; it dissolves and what remains is bliss.

|| SUTRA ||

"Love is very delicate, it makes you very vulnerable deep inside. In love you bcome so weak. Yet,its the greatest strength on this planet."-Sri Sri

Is the Guru responsible?

2009-09-25T22:30:00.001-07:00

Is the Guru responsible for your enlightenment?

If yes, and you do not get awakened, then the Guru is to be blamed. If you get freedom, then the Guru is also to be blamed because ha has been partial to you. If the Guru could set you free, he could have done it to the whole world.

So the Guru is not responsible for your awakening. And yet freedom is next to impossible without the Guru. So the Guru is responsible and yet not responsible. This is a mystery.

|| SUTRA ||

"Company that gives you contentment and silence is a good company. Company which gives you feverishness, greed, jealousy, lust and anger is a bad."-Sri Sri

Education

2009-08-25T04:00:00.000-07:00

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 can 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.

|| SUTRA ||

" Prayer is not asking for something, Prayer is gratefulness, a recognition of the huge tidal waves of Love that God is pouring on you every moment.."-Sri Sri

Truth

2009-08-25T03:57:00.000-07:00

Truth is that which does not change.

Examine your life and identify all that changes as not truth. With this outlook, you will find that you are surrounded by only untruth.

When you identify that which appears to you as untruth, then you will become free from it. When you do not identify the untruth, you cannot become free from it. Your own experiences in life make you identify your own untruth.

As you mature in life, you find everything is untruth - events, situations, people, emotions, thoughts, opinions, concepts, your body - everything is untruth. It is only then that satsang (the company of truth) happens in the real sense. For example, a mother cannot see the child as untruth until the child becomes an adult. For a baby, sweet is not untruth, and for a teenager, sex is not untruth.

Question: Is knowledge also untruth?

Sri Sri : Yes, if it is words, it is untruth. But as existence, it is truth. Love as an emotion is not truth; as existence, it is truth.

|| SUTRA ||

"The Path of Love is not a tedious path. It's a path of Joy, singing and dancing. It's not desert. It is a valley of flowers."-Sri Sri

Seekers Beware

2009-08-19T11:38:00.000-07:00

You can only seek that which you know and when you really do know, you already have it.
You cannot seek something you do not know.

Whatever you are seeking and wherever you seek, it is always only One; and the One is what you already are.

So, you cannot seek something you do not know and when you know what you are seeking, you already have it. When you seek the world, you get misery and when you want to find the way out of misery, you find the Divine.

A man lost a penny and was seeking it in a bush when he found a huge treasure. He was not seeking treasure but only for his lost penny. In the same way, when you seek something, you may get something else.

The truth, or Self, cannot be sought directly.
Dean: Many people come to the Art of Living seeking some mundane thing and find something else.

SUTRA
"A good leader should be multidimensional and should see from the other's point of view."-Sri Sri

Freedom not only for Indians

2009-08-14T11:29:00.000-07:00

Celeberate freedom Now.
in this minute!!!
Wish you all independence day

Ram Navami

2009-08-14T11:24:00.000-07:00

Ra in Sanskrit means "that which is radiant" and ma means "myself."

That which shines forth within me is Rama. That which is radiant in every particle of the being is Rama.Rama was born to Dasharatha and Kaushalya.

Dasharatha means "the ten-charioted one" in Sanskrit.
It signifies the five sense organs and the five organs of action.

Kaushalya is Sanskrit for "skilled." The skillful driver of the ten chariot can give birth to Ram.

When the five sense organs and the five organs of action are used skillfully, radiance is born within.
Rama was born in Ayodhya, which in Sanskrit means "the place where no war can happen." When there is no conflict in our mind, then radiance can dawn.Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, was born of Sumitra - the good friend.
When the ten are cooperating with you, awareness is born.Often we try to look for radiance within. Just realize that you are radiant.

Once when Sri Sri was 5 or 6 years old, he closed his eyes and said to a visiting saint, "Swamiji, I do not see any light." The saint replied, "You are the light! How can you see the light?"

SUTRA
“We need to educate people in human values like friendliness, compassion, cooperation, a sense of belonging and spirituality.” -Sri Sri

Form and formless, aggression and intuition

2009-08-03T20:25:00.000-07:00

Form and formlessLife is a combination of form and formless.

Feelings have no form but their expressions have form.

The Self has no form but its abode has form.Similarly, wisdom and grace have no form but are expressed through form.

Desicarding the formless, you become inert, materialistic and paranoid.

Discarding the form, you become a lost ascetic, a space cadet or an emotional wreck!Aggression and intuitionAggression and assertiveness overshadow intuition.

Often, people who are sensitive tend to become aggressive in order to avoid being hurt.

In this process, they lose sight of their fine intuition.Fine intuition needs sensitivity, but sensitivity is often painful.

In order to avoid pain one becomes aggresive and assertive, and in turn loses one's intuition ability.Intuition is close to the truth.

Often, aggression and assertiveness thrive on the idea of truthfulness - an aggressive person is convinced of the rightness of his position.

To be truthful, you do not need to be aggressive and assertive.

SUTRA
In everything in this creation there is Divine Love. Love is the highest force, the greatest force, and the simplest."-Sri Sri

Reasons to be with a Guru

2009-07-27T11:04:00.000-07:00

There are six main reasons to be with a Guru.

1. You would like to have your wishes fulfilled, and being with the guru 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 attain higher knowledge.

4. You have a vision or goal that you share with the guru, whome you see as a missionary or visionary.

5. You are there just to serve and to give comfort to the guru.

6. You are with the guru because you belong to the guru.

There is no choice.

SUTRA
“Leave all your worries here, however the past has been, it doesn’t matter. That’s all gone. And now, today”."-Sri Sri

The FIVE Secrets

2009-07-15T10:56:00.000-07:00

There are five secrets that are sacred and are guarded by the subtle beings and angels in the creation. They are:

1. Jananarahasya (the secret of birth) : Birth is a secret. How a soul takes a body, the criteria for selecting the place of birth, time of birth, type of body and parents are all a secret.

2. Maranarahasya (the secret of death) : Death is a highly guarded secret. Death remains a mystery. The process of separation of spirit from matter and its journey from then on is a secret.

3. Rajarahasya (the royal secret, the secret of ruling) : The principles of governing, the principles of maintaining orderliness in creation are a secret.

4. Prakritirahasya (the secret of nature) : Nature is a mystery. The more you know about nature, the more the mystery depends. The more a scientist knows the more he feels there is much more to know. Science though appearing to resolve the mystery in creation,has deepened it. The knowledge of particles, wave functions, black holes, the vacuum state have only deepened the mystery.

5. Mantrarahasya(the secret of mantras) : The mantras and their effect, influence, method and mode of working are all a mystery. Mantras are the impulses or rhythms of consciousness, which itself is a mystery.

Usually in the West, a secret is shameful and dishonest. But in the East, it is honored and regarded as sacred.

SUTRA
"If you are a giver you are always winning. If you are a taker then, without your knowledge, you are losing.” SRI SRI...

INTENTION

2009-07-15T10:52:00.000-07:00

Intention keep the tension in.

Being hollow and empty means dropping all intensions. Within tension, rest does not become deep. But devotion dissolves intentions.

Intention pushes you to the future yet bliss is always in the present. The one who wakes up to this truth is wise. Occasionally, if an intention arises in a state of bliss, the intention manifests effortlessly.

The more intentions you have, the more, "in tension" you will be. To minimize your intentions could be your last intention.

SUTRA

"Laugh and make others laugh. Don't get entangled and don't entangle others."-Sri Sri...

Aggression as a way to overcome depression

2009-07-01T11:15:00.000-07:00

Lack of idealism is the main cause of depression among youth today. Life appears to be so meaningless to these children, who are either too scared of the competitive world or too bogged down by heavy stimuli. They need an inspiration, and spirituality is the inspiration that can keep the spirit up!

Aggression is the antidote to depression.Depression sets in if there is a lack zeal to fight.Depression is the lack of energy; anger andaggression are a bolt of energy.
When Arjuna was depressed, Krishna inspired him to fight and thus reinstated life back into Arjuna.

If you are depressed, do not take Prozac - just fight for any cause.

If aggression crosses a certain limit, it leads you back into depression. That is what happened with King Ashoka who won the Kalinga war but became depressed. He had to take refuge in Budha.

Wise are those who do not fall either into aggression or depression. That is the golden rule of a Yogi.

Just wake up and acknowledge you are a Yogi.

SUTRA
"Don't be greedy of your gains. Whatever you may gain, you will leave it all here and go ! When you go, you will go with your hands empty!.” SRI SRI...

Think Fresh

2009-07-01T11:11:00.000-07:00

To think fresh you need to be free of all impressions.

Let go of all impressions right this moment and be hollow and empty. When you have a word, the sound conveys the meaning instantaneously. Similarly, the knowledge that you are sitting, standing or talking needs neither confirmation nor proof.

Just an intention to be free makes you free right away. Realization that freedom is your very nature brings enormous Shakti (energy).

Forget about this knowledge sheet and be fresh!(Laughter)

SUTRA
"The path is very long, the goal is in every momemnt, the goal is where you are.” SRI SRI...

Life is a war

2009-06-08T05:37:00.000-07:00

Life is a war.

Doctors fight against disease.
Lawyers fight against injustice.
Teachers fight against ignorance.

Depression happes when you lose the will to fight. Arjuna was depressed; he did not want to fight. His bow fell from his hands and his fingers trembled. Krishna urged him to wake up and fight! The decision to fight can take away your depression as it did for Arjuna.Bharat: Fight until you give up.

Prashant: Not give up...give in ! (laughter)Even your body is a battlefield.

SUTRA "You are total. You are full. You have all that you need. Do not underestimate yourself.” SRI SRI...

Two Anecdotes

2009-06-08T05:00:00.000-07:00

Once somebody made a mistake and Sri Sri asked him, "What punishment can I give you?"

The person replied, "Don't punish me, Guruji, I won't make the mistake again."

After some time, Sri Sri asked another person who had made a mistake, "And what punishment can I give you?"

With a bright smiled Nityanand replied, "Any punishment, Guruji."

At this Sri Sri turned to the rest of us with a smile and said, "See, he is so cofident of my love for him that he is not afraid of any punishment."Where there is love, there is no fear.Do not be afraid of being punished by God.

Trust in the love that He has for you.

SUTRA "There is something in you that is beyond death. And that is before birth, also..” SRI SRI...

Compassion and Karma

2009-06-08T04:49:00.000-07:00

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 toward the fruit of an action - the sickness or suffering that he witnesses. But a wise person's compassion is toward the lack of knowledge - the underlying reason for sickness or suffering.

Compassion for suddering 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 lack of knowledge, not for the suffering of the criminals. It is the criminals' karma.

Often people think compassion is an act, and 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 toward each of them? This is a riddle for you to solve!

SUTRA

"You are the source of enthusiasm - undying enthusiasm, ever new enthusiasm, ever new spirit.” SRI SRI...

AnuVrat

2009-06-01T05:49:00.000-07:00

The mind lives on "more". Misery starts with "more and more". Misery makes you dense and gross.

Self is subtle. To go from gross to subtle you go through the finest relative - the atom. To overcome aversion, hatred, jealousy, attraction or entanglements, you have to go to the atom. Going to the atom means accepting a teeny tiny bit of all this.

It may be difficult to accept something that you do not like but you can definitely accept a teeny tiny bit of it - an atom. The moment you accept that one atom, you will see change happen. This has to be done in a meditative state.

Suppose you love someone. You want more and more of them, yet there is no fulfillment. In Anu vrat - the vow of an atom - you take just one atom of that person and that is enough to bring fulfillment to you.

Though the river is vast, a little sip quenches your thirst. Though Earth has so much food, just a little bite satisfies your hunger. All that you need are tiny bits. Accept a tiny bit of everything in life - that will bring you fulfillment.

Stephano: What about trouble?

There is so much trouble in the world, you can accept just a tiny part of it.

Tonight go to bed feeling that you are satisfied, taking a tiny part of divinity with you. Satisfaction comes from the subtle and not from "more and more."

Question: What about giving?

You take a tiny part, and the rest you give away.

|| SUTRA ||

"Make your body God's abode and there will be Peace and Joy” SRI SRI...

What enhances your beauty

2009-05-30T10:52:00.001-07:00

When you are not complaining and you are responsible, courageous, confident, hollow and empty, then you are inexplicably beautiful.

The worldly mind is a complaining mind; the Divine mind is a dancing mind. Complaining without indicating a solution is irresponsibility. A person who does not take action to correct something has no right to complain. And when a person can act and correct, he will not complain. If the solutions are not workable, finding alternative solutions is courage.

Complaining is a sign of weakness, the nature of utter ignorance when one does not know the Self. Complaints take away the Beauty that is inborn in you--and this shows up more on one who walks the Path.

For external beauty, you put on things; for real Beauty, you have to drop all things (including your complaints).

For external beauty, you have make-up;
For real Beauty, realize you are already "made up"!

|| SUTRA ||

"You are the goal. You are the past, present and future.” SRI SRI...

Drop your Self-Image

2009-05-30T10:49:00.000-07:00

Kashiap: How can we make everyone happy?
Sri Sri: Become me.
Rama: How do we become you?

What stands between you and me is your self-image. Your self-image restricts you from being me. Your self-image, whether good or bad, causes misery.

When you think good about yourself, in a subtle manner you think bad about others. Then feelings like anger, jealousy, and hatred follows.

When you think bad about yourself, you feel low, and again you start getting angry and hating everyone.

When you think good about yourself,
you are in trouble.

When you think bad about yourself,
you are in greater trouble.

So drop your self-image.

|| SUTRA ||

"Being more aware in life and laughing every moment, we pass through this world. That is growth, that is blossoming in our personality.” SRI SRI...

The World Belongs to You

2009-05-30T10:45:00.000-07:00

Pleasure or pain is an intense sensation in this 4-6 foot body. When we are not caught up in them, we can truly say, " I belong to you." All cravings, aversions, desires, and doubts fall off-and in a moment the world belongs to you.

All your miseries surround the I,I,I. "I want this, I like that, I don't like this..."

Just let go. The sun rises and sets, the grass grows, the river flows, the moon shines, and I am here forever!

How do you feel if someone praises you?
Answers: Shy, happy, great, embarrassed...

It does something to you, doesn't it? But it doesn't do anything to me! When you praise the moon, the mountains, Lake Lucerne, the Black Forest...it doesn't do anything to them. They remain the same. Just like that, I am part of nature. If you enjoy praising me, you may do so. In fact, you have no choice! (laughter)

You can do with me whatever you like; I am there for you. I am your toy!

|| SUTRA ||

"Only speak knowledge. Do not repeat anything bad that someone tells you about someone else.” SRI SRI...

Dedication and Commitment

2009-05-30T10:44:00.000-07:00

Your car runs out of fuel and you have to refill it again and again.

In the same way, your dedication and commitment run out in the course of time and need constant renewal! You have to dedicate and rededicate, again and again.

Often people take their dedication for granted; then the mind starts to demand or complain. When your dedication is not full, it leads to grumbling and complaints.

Total dedication brings enormous enthusiasm, zeal, trust, and challenge--and does not leave any room for ego.

|| SUTRA ||

"In GURU Shakti, all three Shaktis (Brahma Shakti, Vishnu Shakti & Shiva Shakti)have fully blossomed.” SRI SRI...

The Way Out of Sorrow

2009-05-30T10:42:00.000-07:00

If you are unhappy, you better check if one or all of these is lacking:

Tapas (penance)
Vairagya (dispassion)
Sharanagati (surrender)
Tapas is agreeing with the moment, total acceptance of all pleasant or unpleasant situations.

Vairagya means I want nothing and I am nothing.

Sharanagati is I am here for you, for your joy.

If you are grumbling, then these are lacking. When you accept the situation, when you take it as tapas, you cannot grumble; when you come from a state of dispassion ( I don't want anything), you don't grumble; and if you are surrendered, you will have no complaints.

If you don't do it willingly, you will do it later in desperation.

First you will say, "Nothing can be done." Then later in anger and desperation you will say, " I give up, I want nothing, I have no choice--to hell with it!"

All these three--penance, dispassion, and surrender--they purify your mind and uplift you in joy.

|| SUTRA ||

"A wise one is happy even in bad times. And the ignorant one is unhappy even in good times, you make the time good or bad.” SRI SRI...

How to Conquer jealousy or envy

2009-05-30T10:37:00.000-07:00

There are many ways to conquer jealousy or envy.

1. Know that the person of whom you are jealous or envious has done some good karma in the past and is now reaping the fruit.
2. See it as an inspiration to gain merit yourself.
3. Create a sense of belongingness with them. See that they are a part of you.
4. Think of all you have that they do not have and feel grateful.
5. Observe the sensations.
6. Join hands and form a team with them.
7. Realize that in the current of moving time all will perish.
8. Think of everyone who is jealous of you for what you have and see that what they envy has not brought you joy.
9. Go and ask them, "Are you happy?"

Caroline : And what if they say, "Yes"?

If the anser is "yes" then they must be in the Art of Living! (laughter)

Ananda : What should you do if others are jealous or envious of you?

1. Praise them in superlatives.
2. Create a sense of belongingness in them by your kind actions.
3. Know that their feelings are temporary.
4. The best is not to recognize their envy or jealousy at all. If you recognize a feeling as a reality, it only makes your ignorance grow.
5. Know that all feelings and emotions are just passing clouds.
6. Do not show off your talents to them.
7. Know that they are puppets. THey will all perish like apples and tomatoes--just with a longer shelf life. (laughter)

If nothing else works, just go to sleep (Shirley: And don't forget to take a pillow)

|| SUTRA ||

"Move on & be free. Stop looking for more, then you will be free & compassion will flow from you ” SRI SRI...

Every Stone is Precious

2009-05-28T22:17:00.000-07:00

sculptor for a temple uses all types of stones.
Certain stones he uses for the foundations. These never appear outside.

From certain stones which are good to carve, the sculptor makes the walls and pillars of the temple.

from other stones he makes the steps.

Certain stones become the tower of the temple.

Only those stones which are extremely suitable for carving will become installed as the Deity.

WHen a stone becomes part of the temple, it no longer remains stone; it becomes sculpture, art-it becomes the Living Deity.

In the same way, many people come to the Master. According to the degree of their surrender, they are installed by the Master.

All are essential.

If there were no steps, how could a person reach the temple?

If there were no foundation, how could the temple be there at all?

What can a tower do without pillars?

For a sculptor, each stone is precious and valuable.

|| SUTRA ||

"Sacrifice never goes unrewarded. It brings strength in life & takes you to a higher level. Sacrifice makes you sacred. Become sacred” SRI SRI...

The Divine Beyond Time

2009-05-28T22:14:00.000-07:00

An ignorant person either believes or disbelieves somebody. THe wise one neither believes nor disbelieves. His faith rests on kala (time).

When the time is good, even a foe will behave like a friend. When the time is not good, even a friend will behave like a foe. The wise believe in Mahakala (the Grand time or Shiva )--the Divine beyond time.

In the world of time, there is always room for improvement. Only Being is perfect all the time.
Take refuge in Being and become incorrigible.

..............

"All of your work & talents are for others. If you don't make use of your talents, they will not be given to you again.” SRI SRI...

Note from a devotee

2009-04-18T19:01:00.000-07:00

Someone has called your Guru a devil. What do you do?

1. Get into an argument.
2. Say nothing, and silently wish the person health and happiness.
3. Say nothing, but wish you had.
4. Envision your life without your Guru and allow the tears of love to speak for you. --Kevin Hopf

|| SUTRA ||

“If your level of prana is high, you can sustain a smile through whatever may come.” SRI SRI...

Where is He?

2009-04-18T19:00:00.000-07:00

To those dying of hunger,
God comes in the form of food.

To the helpless newborn child,
God comes as mother.

To the sincere seeker of Truth,
God comes as Guru.
--Joe Hardy

|| SUTRA ||

See a mistake as a mistake, not as "my" or "his" mistake. "My" means guilt; "his" means anger.” SRI SRI...

Cast Your Vote to the Right Candidate who can lead our Nation with long term vision and short term actions

2009-04-14T10:53:00.000-07:00

Dear friend,

In this 15th loksabha election,
You are requested to Cast Your Vote to the Candidate who has the social commitment irrespective of any Political part interests or vested interests.

We need an India free from terrorism, communalism and anti social/humanitarian actions.
`
We need India with good leaders who can control terrorism, who have a vision of happy and prosperous future (where we live with calm and peaceful atmosphere) and activities to materialise the long-term vision in short term action plans.

The short tem plans should focus on all type of people irrespective of cast, community, wealth, physical health, labour class, gender, poor or rich.

Activities should focus on ensuring clean and safe drinking water, air, soil, atmosphere, production of non-toxic food through organic based farming – zero budget farming, farming following sustainable agricultural practices based on scientific principles, which promotes more employment opportunities;

non-agricultural but natural resourse based development opportunities- ensures health and safety; Ensuring Forest, Environment and Natural resourse protection- special consideration to wildlife

ensuring infra-structure development activities – with careful utilisation of nature and natural resources;

Ensuring protection and promotion of traditional culture and living practices – for promotion of sharing of love and affection among human beings;

ensuring the freedom to hold any belief system – which practices communal harmony etc.

We need India to become No.1 in all fields but through Sustainable development Practices and living styles.

With love and regards,

S.Guruvayurappan

Add to read : THE POWER OF YOUR VOTE - previous blogs

How to deal with rude behaviour?

2009-04-09T10:13:00.000-07:00

December 5 , 1996Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), India

SRI SRI: What do you do when someone behaves very rudely towards you?

Get upset
React rudely back
Get frustrated
Run away and avoid the person or situation
Blame the person
Preach to the person

None of these will in any way strengthen you.

It indicates the intensity of their commitment
It indicates their stress and insensitivity
It projects the upbringing of the person
It shows a behavioural pattern
It shows lack of observation of the mind and its sensations
It shows you behaviour to avoid
It is an opportunity for you to welcome and absorb the rudeness
It strengthens your mind
It reveals the love that you are as unconditional

The next time when someone is rude to you, just give back a broad smile. If you can digest their rudeness, nothing whatsoever can shake you.

Faith of the Faithful

2009-04-09T09:59:00.000-07:00

It takes a special faith to walk the spiritual Path. It is rare in this world. Without it, sooner or later people will fall away.

What is this faith?
Just this: A firm "knowing" that nothing in the material world will ever finally satisfy you, that what you seek is within.

Without this faith, you will not make time for your spiritual practices. You will always be too busy chasing some glitter in the world.

Jesus said, "The kingdome of God is within you." Yet we still pursue the objects. We forget that things do not create joy in us. A worldly attraction is like a mirage in the desert--it always evaporates once you reach it. Fleeting, unable to be possessed, it only hints of the heaven residing deep within us at all times.

It's so easy to find an excuse to fall away from our practices: I must work, I must go to the store, I must do this, I must do that..." Excuses mean we have more faith in the world and less in the spirit. Faith in the world causes unfaithfulness in our sadhana. We soon exhaust our joy and become tired.

After you bake in the desert long enough, you will eventually want to soak in the bliss of your Being. Again walk the Path in earnes--while maintaining your worldly duties. Gracefully balancing both, you become faithful to your Self. -- David Burge.

|| SUTRA ||

"Faith is the beginning, confidence is the result.” SRI SRI...

The music of life

2009-04-09T09:40:00.000-07:00

God is the unseen conductor. The Master is the one hooking us up to the melody until we can play it again on our won.

Once we catch hold of the rhythm, the Master skillfully steps back to let the music flow. --Andrew Behla

|| SUTRA ||

"Life is a package of surprise gifts for you.” SRI SRI...

THE POWER OF YOUR VOTE

2009-04-06T05:36:00.000-07:00

India's problems are complex. And unfortunately these are compounded by vote-bank politics. Instead of uniting the different sections of society, many politicians divide it to keep their vote banks intact. If people are united,
politicians won't be able to get votes through divisive politics. In such a situation, the only way for them to win votes would be through good performance.

As citizens, we must protect our country from those who manipulate issues for their personal gains and who lead by playing vote-bank politics. Those with vested interests support insensible decisions and oppose sensible ones. We have to steer clear of such leaders. We must encourage broad-minded politicians and leaders to come forward and take charge, and to educate and uplift the society - spiritually, morally and socially.

We need leaders who are satya-darshi (truthful), sam-darshi (equanimous), priya-darshi (pleasant), paar-darshi (transparent) and door-darshi (visionary).So, before we elect our leaders, we should examine their qualifications.

We must elect leaders who will do away with policies based on caste, creed, religion and region; who will ensure that every child gets a multi-cultural, multi-dimensional education.

We need leadership with a mission and a vision, leadership with a spirit of sacrifice, compassion and commitment. We must choose leaders who have a long-term vision and short-term plans to achieve it. They should have great
personal integrity, and place the country before themselves.

Unfortunately, most of our politicians lack a sense of sacrifice and inclusiveness. Irrespective of the party they belong to, people perceive politicians as insincere. Today, people are fed up of them. This is when apathy
sets in among people. They dismiss politics as a whole and withdraw from their basic duty of voting.

Our votes are an important tool to bring about a change in the system; they give us an opportunity to raise our voice against injustice. But many of us have developed a chalta hai attitude, because we fail to see the power of our
votes. This attitude is dangerous for the country. By not voting we are encouraging the status quo.

Each one of us must not only vote but also encourage others around us to vote. When good, intelligent and well-educated people don't vote, they play into the hands of politicians, who use money and vote bank politics to seize power. People should not lose hope. Good politicians exist. And they must be given a chance to do the best they can for the country, for its people.

We have seen the shortcomings of capitalism, communism and socialism. Now is the time for humanism and spiritualism. Politics without humanism and spiritualism is bound to be dirty. Many people believe that spiritualism is not for this world, that it is not a practical tool to bring about societal transformation. But that's a misconception. Mahatma Gandhi was spiritual. He conducted satsangs every day and played an important role in bringing freedom
for our country.

That is why today we need leaders who have a spirit of sacrifice, and who are spiritual in their outlook, to enter politics.

Why are you still frustrated?

2009-03-29T23:35:00.000-07:00

It's like this:

You've got a cup, and you drink of it....love, joy, peace, contentment. After the Art of Living course, your cup, as they say, runneth over. And for some time you are fine, everything is hunky-dory and pip-pop. Then a bit of anger or frustration creeps in.

Why?

Well... are you doing SEVA??? Your cup is too small for you now! You want--you need--more. Doing sadhana and Satsang fills the cup, but seva gets you a new bigger cup. A few hours of seva can push your consciousness into samadhi.

Do seva. Get a bigger cup. Do sadhana and satsang and fill it up. Then drink and enjoy...(hic!) Get it!!!??! ---Bawa

|| SUTRA ||

“Weigh your words before you speak them out. They are pearls of your life. Dont throw them; dont lose them for nothing.” SRI SRI...

Unending Wealth

2009-03-29T23:34:00.000-07:00

When Craig was playing his sitar, he was struck by the fact that the "drone" (continuous tone) of a raga seems to go on forever. This note, sa,is that root note which underpins all the beautiful melodies. Dhana means wealth. So sa-dhana means that wealth that goes on forever!

We cannot take any worldly treasures with us when we die, but the wealth from sadhana stays with us always!
--Craig and Jenny Pruess

|| SUTRA ||

“Respect everyone as you respect me, but do not expect from everyone what you expect from me.” SRI SRI...

Jai Gurudev :)

The Five Aspects of the Universe

2009-03-19T11:51:00.000-07:00

You have five aspects to yourself:
1) Asti (is-ness)
2) bhati (knowledge, expression)
3) preti (love)
4) nama (name)
and 5) rupa (form).

Matter has two aspects : nama and rupa (name and form).

Consciousness has three aspects: asti (is-ness), bhati (it knows and expresses), and preti (it is loving).

This is the secret of the whole universe.

Maya (ignorance or delusion) is not being aware of the three aspects of consciousness and getting caught up in the names and forms of matter.

Question: Why are we imperfect?
Sri Sri: SO that we can grow to perfection. Life is a movement from imperfection to perfection. A seed contains the tree, but to become a tree it must cease to be a seed. In life you can either see imperfection at every step, or you can see a movement from one perfection to another pefection.

Wherever you put your attention, that will grow. If you put your attention on the lack of something, the lack will increase.

|| SUTRA ||

“Take life as it comes. Sometimes you are upset or anger; its ok to be upset or anger. Life does not stop for anything; just moves on. So, just move with the flow .” SRI SRI...

Self Reliance and Surrender

2009-03-19T11:20:00.000-07:00

Self-reliance needs enormous courage. When there is nobody else or you want to depend on yourself for everything, you need a lot of courage.

Surrender needs less courage.

A person who cannot surrender cannot be self-reliant either. If you don't have enough courage to surrender, then it is not possible to be self-reliant; you simply fool yourself. If you don't have a hundred dollars, you cannot have a thousand dollars. Even a little fear is detrimental to self-reliance.

Self-reliance contains surrender. Fifity dollars contains ten dollars.

Often people think that surrender is a way to escape from their responsibilities, then they end up blaming the Divine for all their problems. In fact, true surrender is taking total responsibility for everything.

Sussannah: How can we do that?
Sri Sri: You take responsibility and you pray for help.

Surrender eventually leads you to self-reliance because there is nothing other than the Big Self.

|| SUTRA ||

“This is the role of knowledge: in knowledge, you smile and laugh at the event. You grow out of the event with the power of knowledge..” SRI SRI...

Accept the World at Its Worst

2009-03-19T11:17:00.000-07:00

Suppose the worst of the world is given to you.
What would you do with it?

You should not complain if you get the worst. If you have received the worst, then things can only get better. And you are here to make it better.

Jim: When things are their very worst, there is only time and space. (laughter)
Patty: When you see life as suffering, then you go withing.
Paula: It is like running out of breath and you have to inhale.

What happens when you have to do something all by yourself--and no one comes to help? Here are three options:

1. Be frustrated and complain;

2. Thank others for not helping so that you can take all the credit;

3. Be grateful, pray deeply, and know that you will get all the energy needed to do it alone. There is only one Doer.

|| SUTRA ||

“Love, joy, bliss, compassion, beauty and enthusiasm - all make up the spirit. Enlivening these is spirituality.” SRI SRI...

In the Solitude of the Self

2009-03-10T11:12:00.001-07:00

Buddha is not on the peak, rather the peak is beneath Buddha. One who goes up to the peak comes down, but the peak seeks the one who is stationed higher, in the inner space.

Shiva is called Chandrashekhara, which means the mind that is in Shiva (transcendence) and is always above the peak.

People run after parties and celebrations, but for the one who does not run after them, parties and celebrations follow him wherever he goes.

If you run after parties, loneliness comes to you;
If you are in the solitude of the Self, parties sorround you.

||SUTRA||

“Do not follow me. In fact, you can't follow me, because I am behind you. I am behind you to Push you forward” SRI SRI...

In the Solitude of the Self

2009-03-10T11:12:00.000-07:00

See the Divine

2009-03-10T11:11:00.000-07:00

If you can't see the Divine in me, then open your eyes! If you can see the Divine in me, then you are a part of me;you cannot be away from me. If you feel a part of me, you will see the Divine in yourself. And when you see the Divine in yourself, you'll see the Divine in everyone.

|| SUTRA ||

“When we are Joyful, we do not look for perfection. when you are looking for perfection then you are not at the source of joy” SRI SRI...

Annihilate Conflict

2009-03-10T11:08:00.000-07:00

When you are in a harmonious environment, your mind picks up any excuse to be in conflict. Often small things are enough to create a big turmoil. Have you noticed this?

When your survival is at stake, you don't complain that nobody loves you. But when you are safe and secure, you start demanding attention. Many people create conflict in order to get attention.

Ask yourself this question: Do you seek harmony in every situation, or do you seek to widen the differences and prove your righteousness?

The seed of negativity and the tendency for conflict in you can be annihilated only by sadhana.

“When you can see the whole world through the eyes of the Master, it is a sign that you have come to the Master; you have entered the door. This is the purpose of having a Master.” SRI SRI...

Whether You Win or Lose

2009-03-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

After Satsang, a group of about 150 people sat with Sri Sri and playfully argues with him, telling him how mean he is that he doesn't spend much time with them and yet he has stolen their hearts. Guruji kept "winning" over their protests by twisting their arguments; everybody laughed and had a great time.

Sri Sri : Whether you win or lose an argument with me, you are still laughing. Why?

Because you have a total sense of belonging. WIth a sense of belonging, real play happens; winning or losing is irrelevant.

Normally, what happens to you when you lose an argument? You get sad and upset, hurt and angry. But whether you lose or win an argument with me, you are still happy. How come?

There is the sense of belonging;
Your love stands out above everything else (like perfection, comfort, desires, etc);
You put the "Being" before the happening;
Your confidence is in the ultimate good.
Can you have this same attitude with everyone?

Krishna's life was full of conflicts, yet he kept smiling and dancing. May you dance through all the conflicts and contribute to this planet.

||SUTRA||

“When you see this whole flow of events as temporary, as non-existent, then, even when someone scolds at you, you smile..” SRI SRI...

The Well-Baked Pot

2009-03-03T09:56:00.000-08:00

If you pour water into a half-baked pot, the pot becomes ruined and the water is also wasted. If the pot is well-baked and strong, it will hold up whether you put water into the pot or put the pot into water.

During Satsang that evening, a devotee presented a beautiful handcrafted pot to Sri Sri. Another devotee gave a bouquet of roses. Placing the bouquet into the pot, Guruji said,

"If the pot is well-baked, then it will hold the flowers."
Then a gift of sweets was given to Sri Sri, who added,
"When you flower, the sweets come to you."
Then came another box of sweets-Sandesh brand- and Guruji concluded,
"This is today's sandesh."(Sandesh is Hindi word for message)

“Have you ever been proud of Love? Be proud of Love that Nature is giving to you, the Divine is giving to you, people are giving to you.” SRI SRI...

jai gurudev

The Fall that Rises

2009-03-03T09:38:00.000-08:00

You see only the fall of the water. You don't see how the ocean becomes a cloud; it is a secret. But the cloud becoming the ocean is obvious.

In the world, only a few can notice your inner growth and height, but your outer expressions are apparent.

Never brood that people don't understand you. They can see only your expressions!

||SUTRA||

“Why are you sad? Why are you sorrowful? Its because of your carving, you are holding on to the past- a memory of carving from the past creates sadness now .” SRI SRI...
Jai gurudev.

Vivek

2009-01-29T01:16:00.001-08:00

If you say that you have no one in this world, then you are disowning me. And if you disown me, then I cannot do anything for you.

Vivek means discrimination--the Knowledge that everything is changing.Time and again you have to reawaken to this--that the world, people, your body, your emotions, are all constantly changing.

When you experience sorrow, understand that vivek has been overshadowed.

Question: What am I here for?
Sri Sri Find out you are not here for

1. You are not here to blame;
2. You are not here to cry;
3. You are not here to sleep;
4. You are not here to show off;
5. You are not here to fight;
6. You are not here to be miserable;
7. You are not here to be angry;
8. You are not here to worry.

When you follow fun, misery follows you...
When you follow Knowledge, fun follows you.

Source of action is thought, Source of thought is yourself. Whatever thought you encourage about yourself, that is the direction taken... " SRI SRI...
Jai Gurudev

Knowledge and Faith

2009-01-22T11:20:00.000-08:00

In science you have knowledge first, then faith follows. In spirituality, faith comes first, then knowledge follows.

For example, the knowledge of pesticides and chemical plan fertilizers came through science, and people had faith in them; all over the world they have been used. Then another knowledge came that these were not good and the faith shifted to organic farming. The same with antibiotics.

A particular knowledge brought faith, yet when the knowledge changed, then the faith also changed. The knowledge and faith of science is from an isolated "happening" instead of from a fully blossomed knowledge of life.

In spirituality, faith is first and knowledge comes later. Like Sudarshan Kria, pranayama, yoga asanas, and meditation -- first you have faith and then knowledge follows. For example, if you do pranayama faithfully, then you get the knowledge of prana; if you do your meditation faithfully, then you get the knowledge of consciousness follows. Even an illiterate person, through faith, attains deep knowledge.

Science considers even human beings as matter; spirituality considers even earth as mother, even rivers and mountains as living beings.

Science regards life as matter,Spirituality regards even matter as life.

"Life is not all about achieving. It is about contributing. What you contributed to the world or to the people around you? These questions will bring meaning to your life " . SRI SRI

Keep §miling
Jai Gurudev

Abiding in the Self

2009-01-21T09:55:00.000-08:00

Abiding in the Self, you become the valentine for the whole world. Spirit is the valentine of matter and matter is the valentine of the spirit. They are made for each other. They uphold each other.

If you hold onto matter and do not respect the spirit, the matter is not pleased. If you honor the spirit, then you will care for the world, and when you care for the world, it will take care of you.

I am the valentine of the whole world and I reside in every heart. If you are my valentine, you will see me everywhere.

Have the same love for everyone, with different flavors. You cannot behave the same way with everyone, but you can love all of them. Love transcends behavior and etiquette.

"Enligtenment is simple - that state where nothing can wipe the smile from the heart." SRI SRI.

Jai Gurudev.

Keep smiling

Indebtedness or Abundance

2009-01-13T11:13:00.001-08:00

Question: God is all abundant, totally full, and we are all connected to God. Then why are we in debt, except for some? Why do they have, and we don't have?

Sri Sri: It is only money you lack? When you say you are indebted, that means you have received something! Otherwise how can you be indebted? Those who have received should feel indebted. Be thankful for having received. The more abundance you have, the more indebted you will feel. And when you feel indebted and grateful, more abundance comes to you.

Feel indebted. Feel grateful.
Then abundance grows.

Abundance and indebtedness coexist.

Someone in the group: An abundance of indebtedness!
Sri Sri : You think you are indebted, but you really are not. Yet it is better to feel totally indebted, because every bit of what you have doesn't belong to you anyway, including your body, for Knowledge, for things you have received, and for your own life, then you bask in the abundance of the Creator.

Someone in the group: I feel very indebted. Thank you!

P.S. The answer to day before yesterday's riddle is "advice" , which hangs like an orphan in space; the giver keeps on giving, with one to take....

"Love is the ultimate flowering & you can't force it to happen. Its a gift to you, its happening, a spontaneous phenomemnon." SRI SRI.

Jai Gurudev

Keep §miling

Overcoming Events

2009-01-13T11:13:00.000-08:00

All the problems that you face in life are because you attach overimportance to events.

The events grow bigger while you remain smaller.

Say, for example, you are riding a motorbike on a busy street and in front of you another vehicle is emitting exhaust fumes.You have three options:
1. You can complain, somehow bear with it, and still follow the vehicle.
2. You can slow down or wait for some time to allow the vehicle to move far away from you.
3. You can use your skill, overtake the vehicle, and forget about it.

As in the first case, most of you stick on the events and are miserable, like inhaling fumes throughout your journey.In the second case, you don't get permanent relief, because another bigger vehicle might come in front of you. Running away from events is not the permanent solution.

Wise people use their skill to surmount the event. If the vehicle is in perfect condition, the skill is effective.

Conditioning the vehicle is sadhana--practice. And skill is the grace of the Guru.The mistakes you have made in the past have made you humble; you need not make mistakes in the future to become humble.

"How far to heaven? Just open your eyes and look. You are in heaven." SRI SRI.

Keep smiling

Jai Gurudev

Our Body: a Washing Machine

2009-01-08T00:22:00.002-08:00

Our body is like a washing machine.
Our mind is like cloth.
Love is like pure water.
Knowledge is detergent.
Each lifetime is one wash cycle.

The mind comes into the body to get cleansed and pure. But if you put in mud instead of detergent, your clothes become dirtier than before. You will have to go on putting your clothes in the washine machine to get them cleansed. And the process repeats again and again.

Similarly, you will have many more births until you stop repeating the mistakes that you have made.

"If you are loving, then you are welcome everywhere you go and people are ready to do anything for you." SRI SRI.

Keep §miling

Jai Gurudev

How to Maintain Intimacy

2009-01-08T00:22:00.001-08:00

What breaks intimacy?

Ego or taking a position
Desire
Taking intimacy for granted
Finding imperfection in oneself or others
Expectations
Insensitivity or over-sensitivity
Lack of vivek or vairagya (discretion or dispassion)
Judgements
Grumbling or lack of gratitude

How can you maintain intimacy?

Intimacy is dissolving into infinity, which brings you to the moment. You go beyond the events.Look beyond the events, dissolve into infinity, and be in the moment.This is the way to maintain intimacy.

"Do not depend on arguments. Mystery is beyond argument, miracle is beyond arguments and Love is a miracle in life." SRI SRI.

Keep §miling

Jai Gurudev

Boredom and Sadhana

2009-01-08T00:22:00.000-08:00

What is boredom?

Just a repetition without interest or love. That causes a monotonous state of mind and overshadows the Self.

Spiritual practices (sadhana) are again a repetition whose purpose is to destroy the boredom and reunite you with the Self. A practice itself creates boredom, but as you continue, you penetrate the boredom and destroy it once and for all. Whether the practice gives you joy or boredom, it must be continued.

Only your practices, your sadhana, can overcome the mind.The Self if love and love is always repetitive. Love letter are simply repetitive and yet there is no boredom there.

If you are so bored with yourself, how much more boring are you to others?

Root out the boredom in you through deep and continued meditation. Wake up and walk upwards.

"There are only selfish or bad moments; there are no bad people in this world. They are ignorant. Inside every culprit is a victim crying for help. Feel compassionate for such people." SRI SRI.

Keep §miling

Jai Gurudev:)

Sakha: Your Reliable Sense

2009-01-05T00:32:00.000-08:00

There are three Sanskrit words: Sukha, Joy; Dhukha, Sorrow; and Sakha, Companion. These have one thing in common: kha, which means senses.The Self experiences the world through the senses. When the senses are with the Self, that is sukha(joy), because the Self is the source of all joy or pleasure. When the senses are turned away from the Self--in the mud, lost in an object--that is Dhukha (misery). Mud, misery, mind--they are all connected.

World SelfSorrow(Dukha) <-----------Senses("Kha")-------------> Self Joy (Sukha)

Sukha is the nature of Self. And all sense objects are a diving board to take you back to the Self. You close your eyes in a pleasant experience: when you smell a flower, when you taste or touch something nice. Sukha is that which takes you to the Self.

Dukha is that which takes you away from the Self. Sorrow means that you have been caught in an object that has pulled you off your Self.

Sakha is the companion who is there for you in all experiences of sukha and dukha. Knowledge is your companion, and the Master is the embodiment of Knowledge. If you are stuck, in an object, his wisdom pulls you out and leads you back to your Self.Sakha also means He is the senses. Sakha is one who has become your senses. It means you get Knowledge through him; he is your sixth sense. As you trust your mind, so you trust him.

Usually a friend is an object of your senses, but a sakha has become your senses. Sakha means, "He is my senses, I see the world through through his wisdom."Your head will be in the mud in a few years; in the meantime, don't put mud in your head while you are still alive! See through the eyes of the Master and you will see the whole world as divine.

"Our first and foremost commitment in the world is to do seva -'service'." - SRI SRI.Ravishankar

Jai Gurudev