Your real wealth is your inner strength. Your inner sense of fullness and not your bank balance is your real wealth. You may have lots of money in the bank, but if your mind is fearful and small, then what is the point?
Today a gentleman came from Mandya (a small town in Karnataka) to meet me. He has two houses and doesn’t have a job. He wants to sell one house and use the money to start a business. He wants to donate the other plot for a meditation center.
He insisted that I take the land. The land costs several millions of dollars. He had even come with the land papers. I took the papers and told him: ‘This is mine, but it will be with you. You take care of it. You keep it. You start your business, make your life stable, and make your finances better. I’m not going to accept it.’
What I’m saying is that those who have very little have big hearts to give. I appreciate it. This is the most precious offer. That man came with his wife and mother. They kept saying, ‘Guruji, please make a Temple of Knowledge over here. We have benefitted so much from the courses, we want others to enjoy.’
Just the gesture is enough. The heart that wants to do gets blessings.
Isn’t it so interesting? Values of humanness and generosity are still alive on this planet.
People with big hearts are still alive.
I remember on the last day of the Silver Jubilee (The Art of Living celebrated 25 years of service in 2006), I met all the volunteers. As I was leaving, a 25-year-old boy came up to me, gave me an envelope and began to cry. He grabbed my feet and hands and sobbingly said: ‘Thank you, please accept this.’
I took it and asked him what he did for a living. He was a laborer from Kerala (an Indian state) and had come to do seva for 15 days. ‘Guruji, I don’t know how to express my gratitude. My life has changed. Please accept this.’ (Pointing to the envelope.)
I opened it and saw that it had Rs 5,000. It must have been his salary of two months.
I asked him about his family responsibilities. He has a mother, sister and is the eldest of two sons. I took Rs 100 from the amount and told him: ‘This money is worth millions to me. Take the rest of the amount home.’
All that we need is to have a heart to do something. Nature will help you.
God will help you...........
------------------------------
Question: How important is money in pursuing goals, career and achievements? If we don’t have enough, will we achieve our goals?
Sri Sri's Answer: If you go with a ‘lack consciousness’, then any amount of money won’t be enough for you. You will have thoughts like: ‘What will happen in my old age? What is going to happen?’ One day, however much you feed your body, it is going to go.
Money is a means. Earn money, don’t spend foolishly. People are ready to spend money on parties, weddings , garments…yet when it comes to giving to a good cause, I don’t know where that stinginess comes from.
You should put that sankalpa: ‘I will get what I need. I will never suffer from a shortage.’
------------------------------
Question: What is self-respect? How is it different from ego?
Sri Sri's Answer: Self-respect is respecting yourself irrespective of what others call you. A thousand years ago, when India was attacked in the North east, a saint was captured. The captors tried to humiliate the saint, chained his legs and wanted to sell him as a slave. The saint kept smiling. He said: ‘A slave is on sale. Who wants to buy him?’
There are many examples of people who were humiliated in the world. Yet they kept on walking with their heads held high.
In self-respect, you keep your composure. Ego needs someone else to be there. When you’re all alone, there is no ego. When someone comes in, then the ego comes up. Your body language changes. If someone pokes you, then your ego gets hurt.
Nobody can take away your self-respect.
Just keep smiling and be happy, Embrace the ups and downs of life and continue walking. Do whatever you can do for others.
------------------------------
Question: I find myself lacking in every aspect: business, family, everything.
Sri Sri's Answer: Your sankalpa is wrong. Who said you can’t manage? You have managed everything till now. Tell yourself that you will do justice to all the roles. You can play all the roles: ‘I’ll be a good spouse, good child, good parent, good citizen. ‘You simply have to acknowledge and take it. Assume that you have all these equalities in you. It is already in you. Just let it blossom.
------------------------------
Question: We lost a 33-year-old son last January. How to overcome the grief?
Sri Sri's Answer: There are four ways:
1. Know that you have the strength. The problem has come, the grief has come. You can’t do anything about it.
2. Realize that everyone is going to die one day. Everybody here will go under the soil. It will all happen in the next 100 years. Someone has gone earlier.
3. Look at those who have greater troubles than you. When we see people who have greater difficulties, and start serving them: our problems will disappear. See what is happening in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.
In Iraq, the plane will land in circles. If it lands in a straight line, it can be targeted and shot. The amount of fear that people have …..
People in Sri Lanka don’t even know if they’re coming back, once they leave for their jobs in the morning. If you are a Tamilian, they will whisk you away.
When you see the bigger problems on the planet, then yours will become small.
4. The Divine is with you. Offer your problems to the divinity and relax. We must have that confidence.
------------------------------
Question: Can students be equal to their Guru? If yes, then how?
Sri Sri's Answer: Yes, absolutely. The Guru will make you an equal. The Guru will make you like him. This is only for those who want to be like him. It is not by compulsion. Knowledge melts the difference between you and me.
------------------------------
Question: What does the intellect have to do with spirituality?
Sri Sri's Answer: Spirituality makes your intellect sharp. They are not contradictory, they complement each other. Don’t think spiritual people shut down their intellect. They have a spirit of inquiry. Your questions assume a higher dimension. If your intellect is mature, then you have no choice but to be spiritual.
------------------------------
Question: Why does insecurity develop in us and what should we do to overcome it?
Sri Sri's Answer: The cause of insecurity is that you think nobody loves you. That is your own misunderstanding. There is so much love in the universe.
1. I’m here. When you have that confidence, then fear disappears. At least here (at the ashram), there are so many people who love you..
2. Usually you feel that if someone loves you, you think they expect something from you. I want nothing from you, other than your smile and happiness. When you know this, all your fears will vanish.
3. Practice pranayama, asanas, kriya, and meditation regularly
4. Your entanglement can cause fear. More the entanglement, more the fear. Only knowledge can bring freedom from entanglement.
> Craving brings lack of peace.
> Attachment brings fear and insecurity.
> Greed brings 'lack of consciousnesses', and poverty.
> Freedom from craving, will give you peace.
> Through non-attachment, you are free from fear.
> Generosity will help you to get over ‘lack of consciousness.’
No comments:
Post a Comment