Guruji in Washington DC, March 19, 2009

Guruji (Sri Sri) was in Washington D.C. on the week of March 16th, 2009, meeting with political and business leaders and spending time with teachers and volunteers.

At a satsang with more than a 1,000 people on Thursday at the Hyatt in Crystal City, he shared the following knowledge:

[What is here is primarily verbatim. However, there are missing sentences and phrases -- I was typing on a phone :)]

-- "If you are not happy, upset, sad:

1. Know: Everything is changing. It is impermanent. It's a passing phenomenon. Have conviction about this.

2. You have the capacity to face it. You are much more powerful than a situation or problem that is in front of you.

3. Look at those who have greater problems than you. People in Sri Lanka, people in Iraq, even here in inner city areas – see what crisis or problem they have. And do something for them. When you start doing something, then your problem will appear like nothing, miniscule. Your problem will get solved because it appears like nothing big.

4. Know: You have always been helped. Haven't you been helped? Look back and see...Have that faith: I will get help. I will move through it. Nature will take care. God will take care... It will be handled.

5. See: In this whole cosmos, everything is nothing. Every particle is nothing. I am nothing, we are nothing, this is all nothing. A few moments of that awareness that everything is nothing brings enormous strength and courage in you.

-- And love ... See when you are angry, you say 'I give up.' When that comes from knowledge, the 'I give up'...intense prayer happens: I can't handle this. I give up."

-- "Every day, take some time to reflect on knowledge. When you are driving - instead of putting on some music or listening to something, put your attention on knowledge."

-- A world renown physicist spoke at the Art of Living's German ashram last week

- about 200 youth from all over Europe are undergoing intensive training in music, arts, yoga, etc. for one month and leaders in every field are coming in to address them - about how science is coming to the conclusion that everything is nothing, or advaita. In every molecule, atom, particle -- there is space, nothing. When he presented this to other scientists, they said it reminded them of Buddhism, which says everything is nothing.

Guruji said, "That exactly is the ancient principle. Three, four, five thousand years ago, that is what is said...in the Vedas. But that nothing is not like emptiness - it is consciousness, being, love. We are floating in an ocean of love. I am no different from her. She is no different from him. Everything is one. But to even count one, there has to be two. That's why it is said there is no two (advaita). Knowing that there is deep rest. Meditation happens spontaneously."

-- Guruji was stopped near customs at an airport recently by a man who worked at the airport and was carrying the book Celebrating Silence (a collection of Guruji's talks.) The man, who has not taken the Art of Living course, said a friend gave him the book and it changed his life.

Guruji said: "This is the time when anything can be a catalyst for the lid to be open. Every individual is a fountain of joy, a fountain of love...The time is coming now...There will be a spiritual wave in the world. It's already come."

He said to share wisdom and knowledge -- don't be shy. We talk about everything else, movies, politics, gossip, for hours and hours. We can also talk about knowledge. Even spend one or two weeks a year traveling around, speaking to people, blessing them, singing with them...Even when giving gifts, we can give wisdom.

"We are all so connected. You become happy and an unknown person becomes happy, who is linked to you. A friend of a friend of a friend."Like this, if each one of us is centered and happy, and if we spread that, it reaches so many people.

Jai Gurudev

Sanjay Pandey