Har Har Meditation w/ Sri Sri

Why should I meditate?

What is the use of meditation for young people? This is a question many ask. Do you want to develop in to an all round personality? Then meditation is a must to be happy, healthy, compassionate, humorous, and loveable. All these human qualities blossom through meditation. Ok meditation has got 3 rules. 

The first rule is:
1) I don't want anything... how is it possible when I want better job, grades in school, family and prosperity? Only for next 10 minutes say “I want nothing”.
Can you say that? Remove your wants like a cap & keep it on the side. Just for 10 minutes

And then
2) I do nothing: When a scholar came to Lord Buddha, HE said just relax, become hollow & empty.
I do nothing for next 10 minutes. I don’t concentrate on anything, don’t focus mind on any thoughts: good thoughts, bad thoughts let them come & pass. I do nothing.

Neither I welcome thoughts nor do I resist thoughts.

And the 3rd rule is
3) I am nothing
For next few minutes, put off the label of being student, corporate, male, female…anything. 

Now let’s meditate. -Sri Sri

Meditate, it takes no effort at all

When you are tired what do you need? Rest. When you are thirsty what do you need? Water. When you are hungry you need food. When your body is dull, you need a little more exercise, correct. In the same way when your mind has low energy, dull that’s when you need meditation. 
Yes, sometimes you may fail to recognize what you really need, you don’t know. Like you know children sometimes they cry; they don’t know what they need. They want to go to sleep and they don’t know how to go to sleep and they cry, isn’t it. They are hungry they want to drink but they don’t know and they cry. Similarly whenever we are unhappy, miserable, know for sure we really need food for the soul. And food for soul is meditation. So you must take time and just meditate. It is effortless, no effort at all. 

Symbolism of the Five-Headed Cobra

If you look at the mythological pictures, you will find Mahavir sitting with a five headed cobra behind him. Or Lord Vishnu is sitting in meditation and there is a cobra behind him.

Even in the pictures of Rishis, you will find a cobra with its hood open at the back.

Have you seen such pictures?

It is a very subtle thing!

Cobra is a symbol of the

energy that raises and

opens up; energy which

is alert and at the same

time restfulness.

It is not that there was

really a cobra at the back

of their head; it is a symbol

of wakefulness in the deep

state of meditation.

See, when you are sitting in meditation, what is happening? Your consciousness is getting alert, opened and awakened, as though in your back ground there is a thousand headed cobra. Cobra signifies alertness.

How many of you feel a lot of alertness in the back of your head during meditation? A sort of wakefulness!

So the cobra is a symbol of the energy that raises and opens up; energy which is alert and at the same time restfulness.

It is not that there was really a cobra at the back of their head, it is a symbol of wakefulness in the deep state of rest, and that is meditation – totally restful, wanting nothing, doing nothing, being nothing and being open, like the hood of a cobra; alert without any effort.

There are two types of descriptions for this. In one they talk about a Cobra, and in another they talk about a flower; it is like a thousand-petaled lotus, blossoming on the top of the head; on the crown chakra.

So some describe it as a flower, very delicate, and some describe it as a cobra which means alert. Both fit very well.

Now if you don't feel like that, then that means you have stuffed yourself with too much food. Then you won’t find any cobra, you will only find a buffalo, because you have stuffed yourself so much and you feel so dull.

That is why, world over people always talk about fasting and prayer; fasting and meditation. At the same time you should not fast too much. Sometimes people fast all day and then eat too much at night. That is no good. Fasting has some rules that need to be followed.

Naturopath and Doctors will tell you how you should begin a fast and how you should slowly come out of it.

Sometimes in Navratri we fast, and in the name of fasting, we feast.

People say, ‘We will not eat any grains, we will only have potato’, and we eat French fries and everything else.

‘We will not have rice, but we will only have idly.’

This is cheating I tell you. Real fasting does not include eating halwas (sweet dish) and puris (fried pancakes). It is a wrong type of fasting. You should not fast like that.

Alpahara Mitahara - a little bit food and easily digestible food.

That also counts as fasting. Little bit fruits and water.

So when body is not so heavy and dull, then it blossoms and meditation happens better.

At the same time too much fasting makes your Pitta go high and then also you cannot meditate. That is why drink enough water so that the Pita in your body does not go high.

Q: Gurudev, even though there is no difference between Lord Vishu and Lord Shiva, who originated from whom? The Vishnu Purana glorifies Lord Vishnu and the Shiva Purana glorifies Lord Shiva.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you think, who originated from whom, you are thinking on linear terms. But truth is not linear, it is spherical. 

That is why this is also true and that is also true. From which side you see, that is where it comes from. 

If you see from that side then that is true. If you see it from this side then this is true. But both are same actually. This is what spherical thinking is. 

It depends from where you start and where you go. 

Shiva and Vishnu are different, yet both are the same.

When body is not so heavy 

and dull, then it blossoms 

and meditation happens 

better. 

People always talk about 

fasting and prayer; fasting 

and meditation. At the same 

time you should not fast too 

much. Sometimes people fast 

all day and then eat too much 

at night. That is no good. 

Alpahara Mitahara - a little 

bit food and easily digestible 

food.

Q: In the Ashtavakra Gita, it says, ‘You can go on reading scriptures, but you will get liberation only when you forget the scriptures.’ 

So then what is the purpose of reading the scriptures?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, you get into a bus, but then you also need to get out of the bus. 

Now if you argue with me that, ‘If I have to get out of the bus then why should I get into the bus?’ 

You get into the bus from somewhere else and you get out from somewhere else. 

If you have to get out of the bus, why should you get into the bus in the first place - this argument doesn’t hold. 

So, the scriptures are to make you understand your nature, the nature of the universe, the nature of this mind which is stuck in small things, and to give it a bigger vision. 

So knowledge is like the detergent. See, you put soap on your body but at some point you wash it off as well, isn’t it?!

Similarly, you have this desire, ’I want to be liberated’, and that desire takes you away from all other small desires. But if you keep holding on to that thought, then it will also become a problem at some point. You have to wash that off as well and become free. 

’I want liberation, I want liberation, I want liberation’, you won't get liberation. But that desire is essential till you are free from all other small desires. Then a point comes when you say, ‘If I have to get liberation let it be, otherwise let thy will be done.’ 

In that moment you are already free.

Q: What is the signifiance of Mahalaya Amavasya?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Actually this Amavasya is dedicated to the departed souls. 

When you leave this body you are guided into another world by a set of Devas or Angels. Pururava, Vishvedeva - these are their names. They come and guide you from one level to another level. 

Mahalaya Amavasya is the day when you remember all the departed souls and thank them and wish peace for them.

There is an ancient tradition in which the family members take a few sesame seeds and little bit of rice, and then they think of their ancestors and say, ‘May you be contented, may you be contented, may you be contented.’ 

They say this three times and then they drop the little grains of sesame seeds with some water.

The significance of this ritual is to tell the departed that – If you still have some desires in your mind, know that they are like sesame seeds. They are not significant, just drop them. We will take care of them for you. You be free, happy and contented! There is huge universe in front of you. The universe is infinite, so look forward and go; drop whatever is pulling you back. 

This is called Tarpana.

Tarpana means bringing satisfaction and fulfillment to the departed. It is done to tell them to be contented and move further.

Water is the symbol of love. To give anyone water means giving love. 

In Sanskrit, Ap means water and it also means love. And in Sanskrit someone who is very dear is called Apta. 

So, in their memory, you give them water as a symbol of love and life and that is why this is called Mahalaya Amavasya.

On this day think of all your ancestors.

In Vedic tradition, three generations on the mother's side and father's side are remembered, and all others friends, relatives, and anyone who has crossed over to the other side. Think of them and tell them to be satisfied. 

Usually in their memory, people also do some charity, by giving food to some people and to animals.

This is there almost in all the cultures of world. I was surprised to see that this is there in Mexico as well. 

In Mexico, on 2nd November, every year people celebrate this. 

Similarly, they do this in China as well. In the Chinese tradition, they have one day on which they remember their ancestors, and whatever was dear to the ancestors, they make that and offer it to them. 

They do this in Singapore as well. Although Singapore is a very clean city, but one day in a year it becomes very dirty for a few hours because they celebrate this on the streets. 

Do you know what they do? They make huge cars and homes out of card board and burn them on the streets so that it goes to their ancestors. 

They also buy a lot of fake currency notes and burn them so that people on the other side get this offering and give blessings.

If you say, ’I want liberation, 

I want liberation’, you won't 

get liberation. But that desire 

is essential till you are free 

from all other small desires. 

Then a point comes when you 

say, ‘If I have to get liberation 

let it be, otherwise let thy will 

be done.’ 

In that moment you are already 

free.

Almost all over the globe, from the ancient civilization, everyone practices this.

In Christianity also, there is a day called All Saints’ Day when the ancestors are remembered. On this day people go to the graveyard and pray for the departed. 

This is also done just to remind oneself that life is temporary, and so many years these other people lived here and have now gone. We have come to this world and one day we will also go. So you wish them peace and thank them. That is the main idea.

In India the ritual is all in Sanskrit and so people don't understand them. The pundits say something and then they ask you to do this and do that, and you just do it with faith. 

That is not bad but it is good to do it with a little understanding.

Q: How does the Karma of our parents and ancestors affect us? Are we also punished because of their bad karmas?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Listen, if your ancestor has left you a house, is it not a boon for you now? Why are you asking such obvious questions?!

They have earned a lot of money, toiled and built a home and they left it to you. You are enjoying their karma, is it not?! And if they are gone with a big debt in the bank, and if you have to pay that back then that is your karma too. So naturally it affects you.

Not just parents but your company also affects you. 

If you keep sitting with very depressed people, you also feel down and depressed as well. If you are in the company of joyful and spiritual people your karma improves.

You have no escape from bad or good karma in the world. We have to carry on with this, because there are times when we have to interact with people who are sick. You cannot say I don't want to be near sick people. If everybody says that then what will happen to all the hospitals and the patients? 

So in the world we need to be with everyone, and that is why being in knowledge and seva will help shield you. These are called Kawach.

Chanting Om Namah Shivaya is like an armor around you, it is like a Kawach. It protects you from all the unwanted karma, and other not so good affects are shielded. 

But you don't have to chant Om Namah Shivaya 24 hours a day. If you do that, your brain will become so dull. Just for a few minutes every day, like brushing your teeth. 

You don’t brush your teeth every hour, do you? If anyone brushes their teeth every hour you will not find any teeth at all later on. They will all fall off. And if you do not brush at all, then also it is no good. 

In the same way, just like dental hygiene, you need mental hygiene as well. A few minutes of chanting, a few minutes of meditation, all these will help. We take shower only for few minutes, isn’t it?!

By the way, everybody conserve water. There is a big water scarcity around the world that has come up, and in Bangalore also. All the lakes are dry and there is not much water this year. 

So we will all conserve water. Use only as much water as you require.

Guided Meditation Video ** Pls Share**

What is the ''Art of Living''?

Have a desire in your mind to experience the Divine Light. The higher goals in life can be realized only through a few minutes of meditation and introspection. A few quiet moments are a source of creativity. Some time during the day, sit for a few minutes, get into the cave of your heart, eyes closed, and kick the world away like a ball. But, rest of the time, be 100% attached to your work. Eventually, you will be able to be both attached and detached. This is the skill of living, the art of living.

Am I taking the correct decision?

August 31, 2012

Brazil, South America

How many of you feel that without you doing any bad, you have gained enemies?
People become your enemies. You have not done any harm to them, any wrong to them and still they become enemies.
Similarly, you have not done any big favors to some people but they became your very good friends. Isn’t it?
How many of you have this experience?
See, this is it, people become friends and enemies by some strange karma, some strange law. There is some strange law due to which suddenly friends become enemies and enemies become good friends.
So, put all the friends and enemies in one basket and become free.

When you make a decision,
somewhere you get the gut
feeling that says, ‘Yes, this
is correct.'
One thing you should know
is that even if you take a
wrong decision, it always
leads you to growth.

See, what bothers your mind is either your friends, or your enemies. Isn’t that so?
When you sit for meditation, you should keep them all aside, your friends, enemies and everybody, put them one side, sit, relax, and become free.
What do you say? Isn't that correct?!

When your mind is satisfied, when it is quiet and happy, it gains a very peculiar power, i.e., the power to bless.
When you are happy and contented, you are able to give blessing to others.
If your mind is agitated and you have a lot of desires then you cannot give blessings. Even if you give blessings, it does not work that well. So, time and again, we must see to it that we have contentment.
When you are contented, not only your desires, but you can fulfill the desires of others as well.

Q: How do I know if I am making the correct decision?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you make a decision, somewhere you get the gut feeling that says, ‘Yes, this is correct.'
One thing you should know is that even if you take a wrong decision, it always leads you to growth. You become stronger, you learn a lesson somewhere deep inside. So that is why, don’t worry.

Q: Please speak about compassion.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: In life there are three things which are essential:
1. Passion
2. Dispassion, and
3. Compassion 

Passion is like breathing in, and Dispassion is like breathing out. No one can say, ‘I want to only breathe in, I don’t want to breathe out.' Impossible! So breathing in is essential, and that is Passion, for things in life. Then, there is also a need for Dispassion. Dispassion means the ability to just let go of everything. Dispassion brings you relief and then Compassion becomes your nature. So you must have Passion when you do work, Dispassion when you want to rest, and Compassion as your very nature. That is it!

Q: Please talk about Reciprocity.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Reciprocity is very natural.
At a higher state of mind, reciprocity is instantaneous. Only when someone is not sensitive there is no reciprocity.
Often people reciprocate the bad things. If you blame somebody, they are ready to blame you immediately. If you insult somebody, they insult you immediately, but it is not the same for the good.
If you do something good, not everybody think they should reciprocate the goodness. That happens only when the mind is at a higher state.

Often people reciprocate
the bad things. If you blame
somebody, they are ready
to blame you immediately.
But it is not the same for the
good. If you do something
good, not everybody think
they should reciprocate the
goodness. That happens only
when the mind is at a higher
state.

Q: I am going through a separation. My wife and I have chosen different paths and live different lives. We both want our child to be with each of us. In this situation, what is the wisest thing to do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The child should be exposed to both paths, and allowed to choose.
If there is no understanding between the couple, it is definitely a strain on the child.
What both parents should keep in mind is that they should not go on blaming each other in front of the child. Putting the child against one of the parents is no good. That is a very narrow minded approach.

Q: Gurudev, sometimes what make me happy conflicts with the expectations of my family and friends. In that case what do I do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, you need to balance both.
Balance between your search for happiness and the expectation of others from you.
It is a little delicate but you should definitely make an effort.

Q: Dear Gurudev, I sometimes feel I am very arrogant. How do I get rid of this arrogance. I have done The Art of Living Course and I am doing my practices.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: One thing you must notice, before also you used to be arrogant, but you were not aware of it. But now at least you have become aware that you are being arrogant. That awareness is there, 'Oh, this is happening.'
It is good to have this awareness. This is the first step to get out of it.
Second step is to have a broader vision of your own life.
The more and more you steep into knowledge, you will see that all these little games that the mind plays is like a child playing. Once you see this, you will not mind it, and so you accept it and move beyond it.
When you see that the mind is like a small child playing, you will see it from a bigger background, a bigger perspective.

Q: What is the need for meditation and relaxation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you relax, the mind expands.
Have you noticed when you are happy what happens? Something inside you starts expanding.
And when you are unhappy what happens? Something inside you starts shrinking.
So when you relax the body, then the mind starts blossoming.

Q: Please tell us what is death?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There is no need to define death. It is an obvious phenomenon. We are born and we are going to die one day.
When we came to this world, the first thing we did was we took a deep breath in, and then we started crying. And the last thing we will do in this life is breathe out, and then others will cry.
If we don’t make others cry, then we have not lived a good life.

Balance between your
search for happiness and
the expectation of others
from you. It is a little
delicate but you should
definitely make an effort.

When the soul leaves the body with full contentment, with a lot of love and wisdom, then it is not compelled to come back. It can come back on its own will.

Q: Please let us know what is the biggest limitation for human beings?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Body has limitation, mind has limitation, but the spirit has no limitation.
When you think you are the body then you have limitation. Then you can do only that much.
When you think you are the mind, mind also has some limitation. But your love has no limitation. Your consciousness has no limitation.
See, how with one small cell phone, you can reach the whole world. You can reach any number of phone numbers with one call phone, isn’t it?
Similarly, our mind which invented the cell phone is much more powerful than the cell phone itself. You only need to make it available.

11 Ways for Glowing Skin

“Beauty is an inner phenomenon. Beauty is not in objects, not in people, not even in the eyes of the beholder. It lies in the heart of every person,” says Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, and this beauty in the heart reflects so naturally as radiance and a glow on the person’s face.

Beauty goes farther than being just skin deep. Yet our skin is one of the most visible expressions of this beauty.

We are made up of both matter and spirit. This means that our skin, beyond being the visible outer layer, is full of life and activity! It is an organ like any other part of our body and needs to be kept healthy and nourished. Most beauty treatments that are available today address the physical needs but do not reveal the secrets of how you can make each cell of your skin glow from within and pulsate with energy and radiance.

Our skin wears down with age, stress, lack of attention and often wrinkles, dark circles, dry patches, age pores, pimples, tiredness and dullness all show up as uninvited guests.

However, there are many natural and simple methods for cleansing and rejuvenating the skin.

#1: Go back to your roots.

In ancient ayurveda lie the secrets of beauty. Ayurvedic scrubs or ubtans gently nourish the skin, and help it breathe better. What’s even better is that you can find the ingredients in your kitchen.

Your perfect beauty pack:

• 1. Chickpea Flour – 2tb
• 2. Sandalwood Powder
• 3. Turmeric Powder – Half teaspoon
• 4. Camphor – a pinch
• 5. Plain water / Milk / Rose Water

Mix chickpea flour (besan), sandalwood powder, camphor and turmeric powder in plain water, milk or rosewater to make a thick paste and evenly apply on your face. You may leave on for 20 minutes and wash with water. You could make it an even more rejuvenating experience by dipping two cotton swabs in chilled rose water and place them on your eyes. Better still – switch on some soothing instrumental music! At the end of 20 minutes, what do you have? A glowing skin and a relaxed you!

#2: Sweat it out!

Some running, jogging and a few fast-paced rounds of surya namaskars will give your body the necessary blood circulation. The sweating will be good for you! Be sure to wash yourself with some cool water soon after so that your skin is left clean.

#3: Keep your yoga mat handy

While immersed in the downward dog pose, have you observed your breath? The beauty of yoga practice is that there is attention on the body (as it stretches) and on the breath. Every time you exhale, you get rid of toxins from your body. Yoga and the process of conscious breathing, accelerates the cleansing of the entire body and leaves the skin refreshed and energized.

#4: Know who you are!

Are there some days when no matter what lotions you apply your skin is still dry? Sometimes you and your friend could use the same product yet the effect is not the same on both of you? You might need to acknowledge the role of your unique body constitution. According to Ayurveda, every individual is a combination of two or three elements: Vata, Pitta and Kapha.

Interestingly, each of these constitutions have specific qualities that define your body and personality type as well as determine the make-up of your skin. If you have dry skin, chances are that Vata is dominant in you. A pitta body type tends to have normal skin while oily skin is usually attributed to those with kapha. Knowing what body type you are will help you understand what kind of food you should eat and avoid.

#5: What you eat is what you are!

We are made up of the food that we eat. So, obviously eating fresh, clean, juicy foods enlivens our skin as well. A balanced diet, with sufficient protein and vitamins, and more of fruits, leafy vegetables, eaten at the right time in the right quantity is advisable.

#6: Indulge yourself…weekly

A gentle facial massage with oils could work wonders. Depending on your skin type, you could choose from psiridala or Narayana taila. Oils from mustard, coconut, almond or Kumkadi are excellent nourishing agents.

#7: Make Sudarshan Kriya your beauty mantra

Do you think breathing right could rid you of spots and pimples? Yes, its true! When we are relaxed, outer manifestations of stress like pimples and rashes reduce. The Sudarshan Kriya breathing technique releases accumulated stresses from both the body and the mind making us relaxed, restoring harmony and balance in our constitution.

#8: Meditate everyday

A candle cannot but radiate light. Meditation greatly influences how bright your inner candle is. The more you meditate, the more you radiate. We often see artists depicting meditators with an aura. This is not just a figment of imagination. This is quite true. Meditators shine from within and without … often with riddance to make-up.

#9: Silence is truly golden

How do you feel when you’ve spoken for a very long time and a lot? Often drained? Speaking nineteen to the dozen can be fun yet can bombard our body and mind with an overdose of frivolity. Silence conserves a lot of energy. If you’d like to try something out – give the Art of Living Part 2 program a shot. The effects of silence combined with deep meditations will amaze you. Not to forget, leave you with glowing skin!

#9: Save your mind at any cost

If you are unhappy, angry, frustrated or sad, your face simply cannot look great. So make sure that you get yourself some peace of mind and happiness that is unshakeable. For this, meditation is the only way. It is not a luxury anymore. It is a simple necessity!

#10: 18 till I …why not?

We have to embrace the journey of life…with all its inevitable wrinkles and greys. Looking beautiful normally also means looking young and having a fresh approach to things. Yet if you feel young, you look young. Meditation slows this ageing process naturally and retains the youthfulness and freshness in us. So go ahead, dream away and remain 18 at heart.

#11: Flex those facial muscles

You’re dressed in Dior and are wearing the most expensive baubles, your Louis Vuitton bag is perfect … yet you need something to complete the look. Your smile! While we spend much time, energy and money on honing our bodies and looks, we forget to express our inner joy and happiness. And this is from a simple stretch of the lips...reaching the eyes!

So smile more, make yourself look beautiful and add beauty to the world as well!

We’re not lying, these tips work.

Based on inputs by Bharathy Harish, Sahaj Samadhi meditation Course Expert and Dr. Nisha Manikanthan, Ayurvedic Expert.

Stop and see, where is life going?

September 14, 2012

Lima, South America

So what should we discuss tonight?


I am playing the role of the speaker and you are all listeners. How nice it would be for me to know what is it that you want to know tonight.

You can think of topics.

You know, to discuss something which is very dear to our hearts, we need to be in an informal atmosphere.

A formal atmosphere is not congenial for wisdom; for authenticity.

I have a habit of doing everything in an informal way.

So let us begin by turning around and greeting the person in-front of you, next to you and behind you. Become familiar with everyone around you.

We spend half of our health in earning money, and then we spend half of our wealth to get the health back. Not so smart! We need to find where life is going? We keep working and we keep on doing things without knowing - What is the Purpose! Without even enjoying all that this nature has provided us.

I want to ask you a question.

Did you really greet the person or did you do it as a formality?

You don't have to tell that to the person next to you. You don't have to tell them, 'Hey, I just greeted you as a formality.'

I want you to ask yourself, did you really greet the person?

You know when you get off the plane, the air hostesses greet you saying, 'Have a nice day', but they don't mean it.

It is just coming from the lips.

But if the same words comes to you from your mother, or sister, or a close friend, it carries some vibration with it.

So we convey more through our vibrations.

Someone can stand and give you a talk about love for two hours, but that does not convey what a baby or dog conveys to you through vibrations.

You go into a place where people are depressed, you will see that for no reason you are also depressed. Similarly, you go to a place where people are happy and you feel the joy coming up within you.

The whole world is just vibrations; waves and waves.

Our mind is vibrations, our body is all vibrations, thoughts are vibrations and our emotions are all vibrations. But we don't do anything to improve the vibrations, the positivity in us, isn't it?!

That something, doing which, your vibrations become very joyful, positive and peaceful, is Meditation.

This happens very fast through the breathing techniques and meditation.

Usually when one says Meditation, you think, one has to leave everything and go to Machu Picchu, or somewhere in the Himalayas; no, it is not like that. You can experience it in your own home.

And what are the benefits of meditation? Why should we do it? As I said, our vibrations become positive.

Sometimes, when you meet someone, you feel some repulsion and you don't want to talk to that person. Have you experienced this?

And then, there are some people that you meet, and you feel like talking to them and engaging with them. Again, this is vibrations.

Similarly, you get some thoughts, and they are absolutely right. And at other times, you get thoughts that are completely wrong. Isn't that so?

So, we are like walking in the darkness without understanding our own consciousness. If you understand consciousness, a lot of things happen and your life becomes much happier. Our health becomes better, our relationships with people improves.

You must have heard from people, how the violent tendencies in life go down. And most important, our desires get fulfilled.

There are four kinds of people.

Some people have desires, and they desire and desire but nothing gets manifested.

There are others who desire and work so hard for it, and then after a long time, it gets manifested.

And the third one are those who desire, and immediately it gets done, without much hard work.

And the fourth one are those who don't even have to desire, even before the desire arises, things are already there.

So which category do you want to be in? Fourth one?

Yes, that is the luckiest. It is just like, you have not even felt thirst and already there is water.

There is a proverb in India which says, 'When you had teeth, you didn't get peanuts, and when you got peanuts, you didn't have teeth.'

Many people are in this situation. They work so hard all their life, make all the money, put it all in the bank and they die. And then the children fight over the money of the parents.

In the world, about 70% of the court cases are about inheritance.

Now, see nobody fights over the money they have earned. So what you have done is, you have made money, put it in the bank and then made your children fight with each other for the money. Is this an intelligent thing to do?

We spend half of our health in earning money, and then we spend half of our wealth to get the health back.

Not so smart! Not so economical.

See, when the mind is bitter, you can't find happiness anywhere in the world. When the mind is sweet, then you find sweetness everywhere. So meditation is all about finding sweetness deep inside.That something, doing which, your vibrations become very joyful, positive and peaceful, is Meditation.

We need to find where life is going?

There is a story of a wise fool!

A wise fool was sitting on a donkey, and the donkey was running. It went round and round the same streets many times. So someone asked this gentleman, 'I see you going up and down several times, where are you going?'

He says, 'I don't know, ask the donkey!'

Most of the time, our lives are that way. We keep working and we keep on doing things without knowing - What is the Purpose! Without even enjoying all that this nature has provided us.

See, when the mind is bitter you can't find happiness anywhere in the world. When the mind is sweet, then you find sweetness everywhere.

So meditation is all about finding sweetness deep inside us. And when you find it, do you know what you want to do? You want to give it to everybody.

People ask me, 'What is your motivation? What do you get? Why are you running around to all these places around the world all the time?'

I asked them one question, 'Suppose you see a very nice movie, what do you do? Do you just sit quiet in your room? Or do you pick up the phone, call your friends and tell them, 'Oh, it is a great movie, you must go and see this movie.' Now what do you get by doing that? Do the movie producers give you some commission? Or the actors give your some money? What do you get for making all those phone calls? You do it because the nature of joy is to share.'

The nature of joy is sharing.

There are two types of joy, one is the joy of grabbing. As kids we were born with this tendency. If you leave a child here, it will go and grab this flower, grab this sheet, pull that chair, turn everything around upside down, and hold on to things.

It will hold on to anything, even a knife. Without knowing it is going to hurt its hand, the child with grab a knife. But mothers are very clever, they will give the child something else to loosen the child's grip from the knife. Isn't that so?

When children catch on to something that is not good, you give them something else.

So this is one type of joy, the joy of getting, having. This is a childish joy; childish happiness. There is another type of happiness, joy, that comes from giving.

Many ladies here, when guests are coming home, or children are coming home, what do you do? You make many different types of food and decorate it and put it on the table. Your joy as a mother is in giving, isn't it!

Look at grandparents, they love to give gifts to the children, isn't it?! There is a joy in giving, and this is a mature joy.

We cannot live life by just having the joy of getting without understanding the joy in giving.

Once you have a little taste of the joy that comes from giving, you will find that life is worth living, life is fulfilling.

So, smile more!

You know a baby smiles 400 times a day, a adolescent smiles only 17 times and an adult rarely smiles. And if you become an officer or a politician, then forget about it. Your smile disappears, flies away.

A smile is not something artificial, it should come from within. That can only happen when the stress is gone, when we go deep in meditation.

If someone says, 'I am meditating', that means that they smile more; there is serenity, sensitivity and sensibility, and this is spirituality.

Spirituality means sensibility, sensitivity, sweetness, smile; all these put together.

Usually when one says Meditation, you think, one has to leave everything and go to Machu Picchu, or somewhere in the Himalayas; no, it is not like that. You can experience it in your own home. And what are the benefits of meditation? As I said, our vibrations become positive.

Q: What should I do if the stress factor is coming from outside. If it is something I do not control or it is beyond me. How do I transmit peace?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That is why we need to educate people on how to handle their stress. If one person is not well in the family, does it not affect the whole family? Yes, it does affect. Similarly, if a few are mentally unwell in the society, crime increases in society.

There are people who are in prisons who say, 'Oh, now we don't want to be in violence', but there are so many more outside who are causing problems to society and that is why we need to give this spiritual education to people.

We need to educate people on how to be calm, how to handle their negative emotions and how to handle their mind, because neither at home, nor at school did anyone teach us how to handle our mind.

So then there is anger, jealousy and hatred, and when you live with these emotions then you act on them. You don't know how to get rid of it. You hold on to it and then you act from that and then you regret. This is the problem.

These practices and this knowledge here is the solution.

Significance of the Guru Disciple Tradition

August 06, 2012

Bangalore, India

Q: Sometimes I wonder, I have so many unending desires and you keep on fulfilling them. This makes me smile. How to get rid of hankering over desires Gurudev?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know your desires are getting fulfilled, that is enough. Be busy in fulfilling the desires of others, not your own desires.

See, what is the significance of the Guru Disciple Tradition? It is for the Disciple to realize that desires are endless.

‘Like the waves of the ocean desires keep coming one after the other. That is why I must keep my desires aside and do as per the Guru desires. ’

When you do this then the mind becomes hollow and empty and you start feeling a sense of lightness. Life then moves beyond joy and sorrow, and all craving and aversion automatically disappear.

This is the only way to remove cravings and aversions.

Significance of the Guru Disciple tradition is for the Disciple to realize that desires are endless – ‘That is why I must keep my desires aside and do as per my Guru desires.’ When you do this then the mind becomes hollow and empty. Life then moves beyond joy and sorrow, and all craving and aversion automatically disappear.

That is why it is said, ‘Na Guror Adhikam, Na Guror Adhikam, Na Guror Adhikam’ (There is nothing greater than Guru, there is nothing greater than Guru, there is nothing greater than Guru because Guru is the embodiment of all that is greatest.)

So leave everything on the Guru, and surrender to the Guru.

Fulfillment cannot be achieved through desires because if one desire is fulfilled another one comes, and if that is fulfilled another one comes. And then the mind keeps wandering between desires. Some desire or another will keep troubling your mind day and night.

Do you know, if there is anything in this world that troubles you, the topmost on the list is your own mind!

I am saying topmost because you do not see this. You feel that someone else is bothering you. You think your mother in law is troubling you, or your daughter-in-law is troubling you, or your wife or husband is troubling you. Keep all that as second on the list.

It is your own mind which is troubling you; there is no other enemy out there. Once you realize this you will understand that it is not the other, all the botherations are of the mind.

Q: In Yoga Vasistha, Lord Rama tells us that three worlds exist because of mind stuff. When the mind vanishes the worlds also vanish. What does he mean by mind stuff and how can the world exist because of the mind?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This cannot be explained, this can only be experienced.

Till the time it becomes your experience just take the words and don’t look for an explanation.

If I say laddoo is sweet and if you ask, ‘How is laddoo sweet?’ I have no idea. I will say, ‘Just wait till you get a laddoo in your hand and put it in your mouth, then you feel it.’

In the same way when you hear the Vedantic Truth, the more explanation you seek, the more confused you become.

Vedantic words are to be heard and just allowed to sink. When it sinks in, then it comes as an experience.

If I say I am Divine, you will ask me, ‘How come you are Divine and how is it that I am Divine?’ There is no way to explain. When you go deep into meditation, you suddenly realize, ‘Ah, I am Divine.’

Just now I was meeting the Iranian group and one gentleman was telling me a story. He is making a movie, and he said that in the movie a group of 30 people go to seek God to some mystic place. So, they go and seek and finally what happens is that they see their reflection in the water and say, ‘Now I have found – I am God.’

Similar stories are there in the Pañcatantra, you seek something that you already have. But the seeking is essential because it takes you one whole round till you get to that point where you realize Anhalhak (meaning: I am the Creator), it’s an Urdu word.

The same thing has been said in Vedanta – Aham Brahmasmi (meaning: I am Brahman). So Anhalhak means Aham Brahmasmi.

But unfortunately those who said, ‘Anhalhak’, were all crucified. Their heads were cut off in the Arabic world. But in India, fortunately, that was not the case. One who said, ‘Aham Brahmasmi’, they put a nice chair for him and gave him garlands. That is what happened.

But these are truths that one needs to experience deep inside. Any explanation will spoil it.

What do you say to a person who is scared of noise but has built his house in the market?’ What do say to a person who has built a home on the seashore and hates waves?’ In the same way, what do you tell a person who lives in society and is scared of accusations, blames and praises? People blame and they say things,

what can you do? Educate and ignore.

Q: You encourage people to think freely but how is free thinking compatible with faith?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, this is the beauty. Usually you think faith means blind faith, or reason has no place in it. But that is not the case here.

The Vedanta always talks about Vichara (deliberation) and Viveka (discrimination).

Even in Samadhi it is said, ‘Vichara-anugama Samadhi’ (A meditative state in which you are with some experiences, thoughts, ideas, feelings hovering around); ‘Vitarkanugama Samadhi’ (A meditative state with irrefutable logical understanding of the creation).

Even in Samadhi, Tarka (logic) is allowed.

That is why there is Savitarka Samadhi (A meditative state in which there is a dialogue or argument in one part of consciousness with the other part of the same consciousness), and Nirvitarka Samadhi (A meditative state which has no dialogue, where there is no reasoning).

Then there is Sarvichara Samadhi (one in which there is some knowledge flowing. In this state of deep Samadhi some faint thoughts move through), and Nirvichara Samadhi (one where there is no thought. This is a thoughtless state which is the experience of nothingness or just emptiness).

So Tarka, i.e., reason is not considered a bad thing, or contrary to faith. It is through reason that people go to faith, isn’t it? When your reason is satisfied then your faith is strong; then nobody can shake your faith.

If one says, ‘Once faith is there don’t reason’, that is when the faith is weak. A weak faith is always scared of reason. But truth will never be scared of reasoning.

When truth is there, in whatever manner you reason, the truth will be the same. When you have faith in the truth, it will always stand out.

That is why Lord Krishna after giving his Upadesha (teachings), in the end he says, ‘I have said whatever I needed to say now you decide. If it appeals to your reason you take it.’

‘Yathecchasi tathā kuru’ (As you wish, you may do), this is what Lord Krishna says.

This is very important. You see, reason and faith are not in conflict here in the Orient. Especially when knowledge is based on experience, not presumptions, you don't have to worry about faith being shaken by reasoning.

Now wrong reasoning is not allowed. Logic is good but illogically if you try to condemn things then that is contrary to faith. So, an honest seeker will not use Kutarka (wrong reasoning).

An example for wrong reasoning is - if a door is half closed you can say it is half open, but if a door is fully closed it does not mean it is fully open. If you say that it is fully closed when it is fully open, it is Kutarka.

In science, first is reason and then faith. Correct? You reason out and then you start believing what appeals to reason.

Q: Gurudev, what to do when someone blames your character or integrity?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There is a very beautiful couplet in Kannada that says, ‘What do you say to a person who is scared of noise but has built his house in the market?’

‘What do say to a person who has built a home on the seashore and hates waves?’

‘What do you say to a person who has built a home in the forest and is scared of animals?’

In the same way, what do you tell a person who lives in society and is scared of accusations, blames and praises?

People blame and they say things, what can you do? Educate and ignore.

When you hear the Vedantic Truth, the more explanation you seek, the more confused you become. Vedantic words are to be heard and allowed to sink. When it sinks in, then it comes as an experience. If I say you are Divine, you will ask me, ‘How is it that I am Divine?’ There is no way to explain. When you go deep into meditation, you suddenly realize, ‘Ah, I am Divine.’

Even if you have done all good and nothing but good still people will blame you. They will see you as not right or not straight. What can you do? Nothing!

As I said, even when you have done nothing wrong still people become your enemies. How many of you here have experienced this? (Many in the audience raise their hands).

You did not do any harm to them but they have become your enemies.

Similarly, you have not done any big favors for some people but they have become your friends, isn’t it?!

So becoming a friend or an enemy works on some other special law and that is Karma.

When Karma if there you have no words or no explanation for certain happenings. That is just how it happens. So don't worry if people blame you for things that you have not done. Don't get disturbed.

It is easy to say don't get disturbed. You do get disturbed, but at that time this wisdom will help you – ’It is some strange Karma, let it be there. So what, what can we do? That is the nature of the world.’

In this way you should make yourself dispassionate. One who is dispassionate always remains joyful.

’Kasya Sukham Na Karoti Viragah’

(There is no pleasure greater than a state of mind that does not seek pleasure.)

Q: Dear Gurudev, in deep meditation the breath slows down and even stops sometimes. How does the body function at that time?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When the breath slows down, the activities in the body slow down, the entropy is low. Samadhi is almost zero activity. I won't say it is zero activity; almost zero. Still a little bit something will be happening. Little bit of breath will be flowing out at a very slow pace.