Free yourself from the storms

Be With the Storms

How to free yourself from the grip of storms? This is the only basic problem in this universe. The first thing is to become aware of it and stop regretting it. Like waves come and go, storms in your life too will subside. No one storm can be there for ever. One storm comes and subsides, another comes and subsides and it goes on. As the storm subsides, you experience that inner cool, soft, delicate aspect of yourself. In that space of calm, all the anxiety, fear, feverishness lose their grip on you and you become yourself again. Love dawns. 

When you stop resisting the storms of life and start accepting them with open arms, they will subside on their own. That is the purpose of all spiritual practices, or sadhana,  and meditation. When you realise that somebody really cares for you, you feel at rest and all fears and insecurities drop off. 

You keep running away from small things -- your feelings, sensations, desires -- and this leads to more feverishness. Realize that like the ocean cannot be there without the waves, storms are inevitable in your life. Every storm touches you somewhere and makes you grow stronger. A storm pulls you out of your likes and dislikes and purifies you. So accept all that comes with both arms open. [...]  Even when the storms come, you are still the same ocean, as deep as ever. 

This realization is the culmination of knowledge. When this knowledge dawns, you rise above events; you grow out of them. Everybody in the world goes through crises, insecurities, confusions. It's like drowning in the ocean of life. But the person with the life jacket can survive even the worst turmoil. So keep your life jacket of knowledge handy.

[...] Do not be in a hurry to get rid of the storms, be with them. Looking for perfection creates imperfection inside you. If you are peaceful, everything around you becomes peaceful. You are the center of this universe. Wherever you go, you carry your own mind, and wherever you go, you will create your own storms. It may appear to be calm and quiet for sometime but the storm will surface sooner or later. Unless you realize this, nothing will hold. There is no other permanent solution. Don't resist the storms, instead see them as an amazing play of your personality.

--Sri Sri Ravishankar

Ojas – Fluid of Life

May 01, 2012

Norway

Love is offered to you as a child but when you grow up, somewhere you lose it, and then you try to catch it. You have to climb up to get it. Climb up from the smaller things. That is where real love is. So, when you climb up, get over all the cravings and aversions, and when you catch it, nature rejoices.

That is exactly what nature loves. It puts something in front of you and that gets pushed away, and when you try to catch hold of that, the nature rejoices.

The whole message is there in this one incident. See, there are so many professions in the world, then why do you choose one profession? Why do you want to be a doctor or an engineer? Whatever you chose, it does not matter.
If you had come to catch that one thing, that would have moved away as well. So, whatever you want to catch, it moves away so that you can go higher. Got it?

When we run behind happiness and joy, we don’t get it in small material things, and it is like that for our good. If you would have got it, you would have stayed there and finished. Life would have been dull. But you don’t get it there so that you can go higher. When you go higher, then you get it.
It is so beautiful.

Q: Is Ojas the same as happiness?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Happiness is different from Ojas.
Ojas is a certain type of energy, vibrancy in you. Like in the morning you are very vibrant, then you go to work and get tired, and in the evening you don’t have that same energy, right?
In the same way, when you are enjoying through the five senses, you see television for three hours, or you sit in a movie for three hours and come out, your Ojas is spent. If you listen too much, or eat too much, your Ojas is gone. Too much sex and Ojas totally gets depleted. Ojas is spent when you are engaging in any of the five senses.
Ojas can be rebuilt in the system through proper food, rest and attitude, but not very late in life. You cannot say that you are trying to rebuild your Ojas at the age of 60 or so. It has to be done before a certain age. It is like you cannot become very flexible after a certain age.
Ojas is certain vibrancy in you, energy. Our body has seven substances and Ojas is one of them. In the pulse reading you can see that.
After a certain age, the testosterone hormone is gone; similarly Ojas is related to, let us say, hormones. You cannot build those hormones at a later age.
During teenage, Ojas is maximum, and then if one keeps up with a good routine, good food, then Ojas continues through the middle age. And in the middle age, you can increase it or completely get away with it. That is possible. But after sixty or seventy, you cannot say, ‘Okay, now I want to bring back the Ojas into my system’. It may be possible but it is difficult. It depends.
Then they advise you to do the Kaya Kalpa, which is a particular treatment in Ayurveda, where for forty days you have to be inside a small room with no sunlight. There is a particular diet that you have to follow and you are not allowed to come out in the sunlight. Then people feel totally rejuvenated after forty days.
It is like being in the womb again. Just like a child is in the womb for nine months, they put you through some rigorous treatment for forty days. Only the doctor will come in and give you the treatment, massages, etc.

The right thing will come at the right time

July 01, 2012

Boone, North Carolina

Q: What to do with unfulfilled desires? The lifelong desire of prosperity in relationships goes unfulfilled. As time passes I feel frustrated, regretful, and my energy sapped. How do I manifest these desires and let them go?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You say it is a lifelong desire. Is it really a lifelong desire? Did you have the same desire when you were a kid, or when you were a teenager?

Just take a look at it. Is the desire worth all the effort and time you are putting into it? Or can your life be very useful in some other way? These are a few things that you need to ponder upon. As your energy builds up, let go and you will find that desires just happen. The more you hang onto them, the more you hold on and crave for it, the longer it takes. That is a fact.

We are both, a combination of dependency and independence – body and spirit. While the spirit is independent the body is always dependent. Instead of focusing on the relative and changing aspect of life which is always dependent, put a little more focus on that aspect inside you which is independent, which is eternal and which is the same throughout.

Q: Dear Guruji, I know that you love me, but I don't love myself. I wish I was more comfortable within myself and with others around me. What to do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You are doing the right thing; Advanced Meditation Course. That is the first thing we do in the course, praise yourself and praise your partner. Didn’t you do that? Do that sincerely. Don't think that this is just another exercise and they are just asking me to praise, no! Do it seriously. Some of these exercises may appear silly to you on some level, but on another level they really have some impact on our consciousness and our subconscious mind.

Stop blaming yourself - this is the first law of spirituality. The more you blame, the more you will be away from you own spirit. So you should stop blaming yourself and recognize the good qualities that you have. Continue doing this and it will happen.

Sometimes these patterns, these old habits take a longer time to ease out. As you become aware, ‘I have to stop blaming myself’, then suddenly your energy goes up. And do pranayama, it definitely helps. When energy is higher, there is no way that you will continue to blame yourself, that is not possible.

Q: How do I get rid of my fear? I have fear for everything. Everything is scary. Fear of failure, fear of the future, fear of death, fear of flying. Everything! Please help.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Fear is simply an emotion or a sensation in the body. There is no need to associate or attach it to different things.

When you start observing those patterns, those energies that happen in you, you will see that fear, love and hatred all happen in one region, and it is the same energy which manifests love, hatred or fear.

When you have some passion; if you are passionate about something, fear disappears. Fear appears when you don't have any specific passion in life. Isn't this the experience? Only when you have passion, or strongly hate something, then fear will disappear. Fear will disappear when you either have a strong hatred or strong love towards something. In the absence of either, a little lingering fear comes up. But, again, more hollow and empty meditations, pranayama, engaging in some seva activities; all this will help in eliminating that.

Q: If you have a child by mistake, and you are not married; growing and accepting the child and the mother, even though you do not love the mother and letting go of the love of your life because of a mistake; what does one do? Is this it?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Listen, move on. Move on! That is all I can say. Don't sit and brood over it, okay. Just move on. Life is much more. You have many roles to play.

First of all you are a beautiful citizen of this beautiful planet. Recognize that. You are part of a universal light, recognize that; and then you have all of the roles to play, as a mother, or a son, or a daughter or whatever.

You make a determination, ‘Nothing is going to put me down. I am going to play whatever role I am supposed to play 100%’. That is it; it will start happening that way.

Q: My mother passed away a year ago from cancer. I am doing my best, but how do I allow myself to feel free fully from this?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Time heals. Broaden your vision.

Q: How can I get purer? Even though I am doing Sadhana, Satsang and Seva, I do not feel very pure. When I see people who are arrogant, rude and proud, especially Art of Living people, I feel very sad. How do I get rid of this?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You are saying two things. One you are saying that others are arrogant, others are not okay; and the other thing you are saying is you are not okay. This is just mirroring; you are mirroring in both sides.

I would say if you feel that you are impure, pranayama and proper food will help. If you still feel that you are not okay then just go on a fruit and vegetable diet for a couple of days and just sing and chant. When you are sitting in satsang and singing how can you say that you are impure? There is no way. Don't you feel when you are sitting in satsang that how much ever impurity you might have felt in the mind, it all got lifted up?

How many of you feel that way? (Many raise their hands).

See!

‘Nahi Jnanena sadrusham pavitram iha vidyate. Tat swayam yoga samsiddhaha kalen atmani vindathi.’ – (Srimad Bhagavad Gita chapter 4, verse number 38) The old saying is – there is nothing better than knowledge which can purify your mind, your soul and your spirit. Knowledge purifies.

Sit and listen to Ashtavakra Gita for half an hour or 20 minutes; you will feel uplifted.

About your feeling that others are arrogant – it is good that these people have come to me, here, in The Art of Living. I feel happy about it and I have patience, you also keep patience. I patiently keep waiting. Out there in the world they would've created problems and so much trouble to so many. At least here they are in less difficulty, and they are giving you an exercise to practice the first principle - accept people as they are.

Also, I would like you to know that The Art of Living people are not a special species from somewhere, they are normal people in the world and they have all the traits of the people in the world. They are not different.

Yes, your expectations from The Art of Living people is more because you think they are soaked in knowledge, they are in love, they serve people. So your expectations are much higher because you see that they are very privileged. That is correct! But you start from yourself first, you are so privileged, you have the patience to accept everybody.

People ask me questions, ‘Why have you made such people teachers who are so arrogant, who are so angry’, and so on.

I tell them that I need all specimens and all species; all types of people. I carry them along and everybody is comfortable with me, and I am comfortable with everybody. I have patience to see them grow. That is how The Art of Living has grown.

If I was looking for perfection, I tell you, we won't be here today. We would not be sitting here today. I would be somewhere else and you would be somewhere else. We need to have patience.

It is like, in a school, you cannot expect all the kids to be in one class. And it is not that one class is superior to other class. It is not as if the nursery kids are superior to the primary kids. There is no superiority, it is just the way they are. It is just the time and pace they take to grow from one class to another, from one level to another. People keep growing, and we need to have patience. And I tell you, it tests your patience, and it is good.

If you are going around thinking about somebody feeling hateful, angry, revengeful and all that, it is your strong craving for some-thing, or aversion to something which is making you do this. You better get on to doing some seva.

Q: If I pray to you sincerely with utmost longing and all my heart, are you able to listen and answer my prayer even though I am miles and miles away from you physically.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, cell phones don't have miles.

When you can connect with people around the world with a little plastic box called cell phone by just pressing some buttons, why do you underestimate your brain, your heart and your feelings, which are many times more powerful than a plastic toy?

I tell you it happens, doesn't it?

A close friend somewhere, maybe in Japan or the West Coast has some feeling and you also feel that. They are happy and you are happy, they are upset and you are also upset, hasn't this happened to you?

How many of you here feel that it does happen to you, without any verbal communication? (Many raise their hands)

That is a level of communication that happens. It is a very subtle and ethereal level of communication. Yes, it is there. It is not as obvious as a cell phone, for some, but if you observe and look back you'll see.

Q: What exactly is meant by forgiveness? I am trying to forgive someone but I feel like I am not able to do it a 100%. I am wasting lots of time and energy on it, but I can't stop thinking about it. What should I do to truly forgive and move on?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just forget the whole business of forgiving. I think you have too much free time. Come to the kitchen and wash the dishes there. If that is too light a seva, go up and down the stairs about ten times. When you are physically exhausted, your mind will stop thinking about that person also. If you are going around thinking about somebody feeling hateful, angry, revengeful and all that, it is your strong craving for something, or aversion to something which is making you do this. You better get on to doing some seva. I tell you, it will definitely help you.

Don't forgive, never mind. Go to the kitchen and take especially that vessel which has to be scrubbed very well; take a brush and keep scrubbing with all your force. If the floor is dirty somewhere, put some soap and think of that person, and put all your strength and wash the floor. That may be a very good way to let out your anger towards that person.

I don't think there are enough coconuts here, or I would tell you to take some coconuts and one by one break them. Break the coconuts and may be some relief might come to you. I’ll ask if there are any vessels in which the food got burnt, for you. Scrubbing the burnt vessels, that is a very good idea. If there are many people then cooks will have to allocate the vessels that way.

Q: I have been with my husband for seven years. For the last two years I have been having problems with his family. I hate his father. I try to avoid his family so that we have no problems, but his father has the ability to push my buttons. Sometimes I wish I can kill him. How to deal with the situation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I would like you to take two days off and go and do some service in a mental hospital. Just stay with mentally deranged persons for two days and do some work there. When you volunteer in a mental hospital, then you will know how to deal with crazy people. If they are crazy what will you do? You will handle them with patience. You don't go and slap them or strangle them, isn’t it?

I tell you this is a very good exercise, going to a mental asylum and doing seva for one or two days and if that is less then go for a whole week. It is good. Then you will know that there are similar people at home and everywhere. The world is full of mental people, some are in the asylums and some are outside, only they don't have the label. Then you will get enormous patience to deal with all of them.

For your own sake don’t do anything that would put you behind bars, okay! Sometimes when your own father or mother makes a harsh comment, you don't mind it. You have taken many harsh comments from your parents and it stays with you for one day and then it just blows away. But when the in-laws say even half of what your parents would've said that goes right inside and makes you very upset, isn't it? Now you have to reverse the role and think, suppose they were your own parents, how would you handle it? It would make a big difference.

Usually I say in the ashram to everyone that they should leave all of their botherations here and go home happily. One lady said, ‘Can I leave my mother-in-law here and go home happily?’ I said, ‘If your mother-in-law also says the same thing, I will have to have two cells, one for mothers-in-law and one for daughters-in-law.’

I asked her, ‘Hasn't your mother criticized you more than your mother-in-law?’ The lady thought and said, ‘You are correct. My mother is always on me. For every little thing she is finding fault with me.’

I said, ‘Why do you take it differently? When your mother is criticizing you, you don't take it so deep, but with your mother-in-law your attitude is different.’

Just when we throw some light on these facts, our attitude changes and then our circumstances also change.

Q: How can one be enthusiastic but dispassionate at the same time?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That is the real skill.

When self-interest is not there then it is much easier. Like when you do seva, you are passionate as well as dispassionate, isn't it? So many of you are doing seva in kitchen, are you not doing it passionately?

(Response: Yes!)

At the same time it doesn't matter to you as well, right! There is passion and there is dispassion. The best thing is the seva here, the transport seva, the housing seva, the van running up and down, and putting the mattress till 12 o’clock at night.

I took a round nearly at midnight and I saw these boys and ladies taking the mattresses and making the beds, making sure everybody is comfortable. They were not doing it for recognition. They didn't do it because they were getting something out of it. They were not even thinking that they would get some big merit by doing it. It needed to be done and they just did it. There was passion and at the same time dispassion.

I said, ‘All of you go now and sleep. It will be done tomorrow.’

They went and slept happily and comfortably. This was with everybody. I am just giving you one example; it is the same with all the sevaks. There is passion and there is dispassion. Seva is the best example of having both together.

I need all types of people. I carry them along and everybody is comfortable with me, and I am comfortable with everybody. I have patience to see them grow. That is how The Art of Living has grown. People keep growing, and we need to have patience.

Q: Can a person have more than one Guru?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: One itself is very difficult to handle.

If you have been on some other path with some Guru, know that it is their blessings only that has brought you here today. So thank them. It is because of them only that you took one step and you came here.

Now if you ask me about technique, I would say we should not mix techniques. Like you are doing Kriya and then you start doing something else also, then it will all become a mess. So, you were doing one thing, you have finished that and now you are doing this. Now you should put your 100% and just do this.

Q: Guruji, I have everything but still I feel such emptiness in my life. Please guide, what should I be doing?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That is good, it is the first step. First you empty everything and then you become full. Satsang and knowledge is the best filler to the emptiness.

Q: Dear Guruji, how do I know what is my purpose in life, what is my Dharma?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Seva, seva, seva. Our Dharma is to do whatever we can for all those around us. If you sit and think, ‘What about me, what about me’, all the time then this is the technique to get depressed.

If you come from the space of, ‘What can I do? How can I contribute? How can I be more useful?’ Then that opens many avenues and brings so much fulfillment in life.

Q: How to choose the right career?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You should see what your tendency is and what you want.

There is nothing called Job-Satisfaction. This word should be removed from the dictionary. Satisfaction comes only through service. Do you get it? Service is a different thing. But for your livelihood you should do some profession. Take any profession that suits you, that fits you, and in addition to that, do your social activities, spiritual activities, literary activities and your hobbies.

Often people try to make their hobbies as their profession, and their profession a hobby. That is when neither the profession sticks nor the hobby sticks. Music is your hobby; keep it as a hobby, yes!

What you are doing here is the perfect thing, i.e., becoming more hollow and empty, and the right thing will fall at the right time. Isn’t this happening? For how many is it happening? The right thing just comes at the right time, and everything goes smooth.

Q: There are few questions in the question basket about people who are emotionally dependent on other people. What to do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Life is dependent on many factors. When we were born we were dependent. When we grow old we will be dependent, not independent. In between, in these few years, we think that we are very independent. That is an illusion. Even at that time we are dependent on so many people for so many things. So, if you see from this angle the whole life is a continuum of dependency.

On the other side, if you take a look at the spirit, not the body, just the spirit, the consciousness, it has been independent throughout. This is very subtle and may go above your head now. But just listen, and sometime later when you think about it again, you will see that we are both, a combination of dependency and independence – body and spirit.

While the spirit is independent the body is always dependent. Body is dependent on the environment for everything – clothing, water, electricity, education, you name it.

If you didn't have a proper school teacher you would never be where you are, isn’t it? So I would say, look at life from a very different and new angle.

Some people are emotionally dependent, some people are intellectually dependent, and some people are physically dependent. There are many different levels of dependency. Instead of focusing on the relative and changing aspect of life which is always dependent, put a little more focus on that aspect inside you which is independent, which is eternal and which is the same throughout. Are you getting what I am saying?

There is something within you which is continuous; the same all through. Put more attention there and you will find that life is becoming more powerful, more independent, more fulfilling and more satisfying. All these aspects, all that you aspire will continuously blossom. It will blossom without effort.

Q: I had an experience of oneness about five years ago. It lasted for about one full day.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Forget about experiences. Don't worry about it; you might have had it, so what? It has gone and what has gone is not real. What is real will never leave you and it has never left you, it is there even now.

We should not hanker for experiences. Experiences are also fleeting. They come and they go. Pleasant or unpleasant, good or bad, all experiences are fleeting, and the relative are always fleeting, they come and they go. You are not that! Focus on the person who has the experience. Who is experiencing now? And who experienced it then? Who is that who wants an experience now? That person is there even now, right now, and that is real!

The person who is craving for the experience is more important than the experience. One day experience of yours is worth nothing. Good it went off in one day. That which is not true comes for one day and it leaves. That which is the truth, is inside you and stays forever; and that is the experiencer. Got it?

Q: I get doubts in almost every aspect of life. My confidence gets low due to it. Please suggest what I can do to fix this problem.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That is not my job. My job is to create more doubts. Doubts are like baking soda, it bakes you well, so get baked!

Once, I was in Sweden, I was in a Satsang and there was this journalist who came and stood in front of me and said, ‘Guruji, you always beat around the bush, you never answer questions directly. I am asking you a straight question now. You should answer me otherwise I am not going to leave you’.

I said, ‘Okay.’

‘Are you enlightened?’ He asked.

I looked at him, smiled, and said, ‘No.’ Why to take the headache of proving? When you say no, matter is finished. The conversation ends. Full stop! Nobody in the past could ever convince anybody, or even tried to convince anybody that they are enlightened. If somebody had said that, then they would run into problems, they might be crucified and put somewhere. So I simply said no, but he would not move.

He said, ‘You are simply kidding, tell me the truth.’

I said, ‘No’.

He said, ‘No, no. I don't agree, tell me the truth.’

I said, ‘It would make sense if I had said yes and you did not agree; but when I said no, how can you say that you don’t agree with me. That means something in your heart is telling you that there is something more. Listen to your own mind then, why are you asking me?’

So, one is the intellectual level, and the other is something else; the sixth sense tells you, ‘Oh yeah, this is the correct answer, this is the truth.’

We should not mix techniques. Like you are doing Kriya and then you start doing something else also, then it will all become a mess. Now you are doing Kriya, put your 100% and just do this.

Q: How do I bang on the door with such a force? I have been out and in and without a raincoat and shivering. Is TTC the next natural step?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, do it. You know Pre-TTC is good; it brings a lot of energy and enthusiasm. Everybody should first do Pre-TTC. Whether you want to do Teachers Training or not, is the next step. But these two weekends of Pre-TTC is good, you learn a lot. Your potential, your skills, many things can come out.

After Pre-TTC you can decide whether you want to do TTC or not. The teacher will also tell you.

Q: Where do we come from? What is the purpose of life, and where do we go?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Great! My job is done. My job is to invoke these questions inside of you, not to give the answers. You have got these questions, now my job is done. Now your car can move. You have gas in the car.

Keep asking these questions; keep coming back and sit in these hollow and empty meditations, and to advance courses, it is great.

Desires

We are not even aware where our desires are taking us. We are galloping on a horse of desire without awareness, without knowing where we want to go, what we want to do. In a devotee's heart, as soon as a desire arises, it gets fulfilled. Nature awaits to fulfill the needs of one who is in deep love with the entire existence.

Remember that you are innocent in the present moment

December 11, 2011


Q: When we are on the path of knowledge, how do we define the limits of fulfillment?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Wherever the mind can go, that is its jurisdiction. When a desire gets fulfilled, the mind goes away from it.
For example, if you want an umbrella, that is the area of desire. Once you get the umbrella, why would you think about the umbrella? Till you get the umbrella, the mind looks for it. Once you get what you desire, the mind moves away from it. This is a natural tendency of the mind. The mind thus keeps wandering from one desire to another.
In the path of knowledge, whatever is needed for us will come by itself.


Q: We say that Guru is a Garbage Collector. We give our thoughts, emotions and worries to you. What do you do with it? How are you?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is not that Guru is actually a garbage collector. A Guru removes garbage, i.e., ignorance. Now, why are you bothered with how I handle the garbage? Just give it to me and be happy. I know how to process them! How do I appear to you? Fine, isn't it!


Q: Would you consider becoming an advisor of the government if they were more forthcoming?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, all of you should work together to ensure that such a government is formed. I keep giving advice, but some people don't listen to it immediately, they listen to it later. That's also good.


Q: What is the meaning of the rising sun and two swans in the logo of the Art of Living?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When the VM building was constructed, what happened is that there was a satsang in Mumbai where there were swans. Someone got the swans from Mumbai and kept it here. Now, when there are swans, it needs water, so we constructed a fountain.
Then someone else brought the Nandi (Bull). They had ordered it for a temple in America but somehow it could not make it there. So it was brought here.
Next, somebody brought a Garuda (Eagle). It is a one ton Garuda brought from Indonesia.
I suddenly realized this very recently that all the 3 Vahanas (Vehicles) have automatically come in front of the Guru Peetha. This has happened due to Divine will, otherwise why would someone want to bring a Swan here? That means that the Guru Tattva can travel by water, land or air to reach and protect you. Whatever transformation is needed in your life is possible.
It is not that someone just brought them here. There is a reason behind it. We had never thought about getting all these here. All of them started coming one after the other.
That means there is Truth in the Peetha.


Q: I always get negative thoughts. No matter how much we try to control them, they keep increasing.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: At least now you have realized that they increase if you try to control them. Don't try to control them. Embrace them.


Q: Nowadays, the divorce rate has increased. What is your advice to maintain a harmonious relationship?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Let everyone do the Art of Living course.
Couples must participate in this together. Not just once but at least once in 3 months or 6 months. You will observe that all the bitterness goes away an attitude of service arises. If they are busy in seva and celebration, when will they get the time to fight?


Q: Guruji, can you please speak about Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Gyana Yoga? Which path do we choose?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What do you like?
(Answer: Bhakti)
How did you know you like Bhakti? Through Gyan (Knowledge).
Now after you know that you like it, will you sit quiet?
You will attempt to obtain it. That is Karma Yoga. So with one the rest also comes along.


Q: When we are in the satsang, the mind is calm and centered. However, when we go back, the mind gets distracted. Why is that?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That’s natural. That is to remind you to keep coming back to satsangs. When you keep the company of good people the mind changes accordingly. When you keep the company of bad people, the mind naturally goes towards that.


Q: Can I learn through a CD?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No. Learn through a teacher first. You can later practice it by yourself. You can do meditation through a CD, but not the Kriya. That is why we have made many meditation CD's available.


Q: I read in your book that Radha was much older to Krishna and she was already married. The love between Radha and Krishna is celebrated. How is this acceptable for a married woman?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: In those days it was accepted. Draupadi was also accepted.
Laws change from place to place and time to time. So you cannot have all the Dwapara yuga laws today. Eve teasing was permitted in those days, but today it is an offence.
Take the good things from every age.
There have been problems in every age. There have been weak points in every time of history.


Q: When I sit for meditation, the guilt of the wrong doings that I have knowingly or unknowingly committed torments me.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just surrender them. Know that I am here to take care of you. Drop all your botherations and be at peace.
Remember that you are innocent in the present moment. You may have done something wrong in the past, but have the faith that you are innocent in the present moment.


Q: It is said that the path of Yoga should be followed under the guidance of a Guru. Is it possible to learn like Ekalavya, who was not initiated by Dronacharya, but accepted Dronacharya as his Guru?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, you can. Once you have learnt something from the Guru, then the picture of the Guru is enough.

There is some element within us that does not perish

There is some element within us that does not perish
Mahasatsang with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at Delhi

Life is eternal; we never give a thought to this truth.
When someone dies we declare that the person is immortal, but the truth is we ourselves are immortal. That is why we do not feel that we have grown old.
No matter how old a person is, he feels he is never going to die. This feeling is always there. If someone else dies, we say, ‘that poor fellow died.'
Everyone else dies but I don't; this is the feeling which goes on. There is a stream (awareness) within us that cannot be destroyed, which is undying.
To acknowledge and observe that stream is spirituality. Such courage, such strength, such solidity comes in life that nothing can shake you, no one can shake you. It is a subtle stream - 'I have not changed, I have not grown old, I am just the same.'
When you examine your life, the observing of life is spirituality; it is satsang.
Satsang is not just singing bhajans, but pondering the truths of life. What is the most important truth of life - there is some element within us that does not perish, that does not die. There is something within that does not diminish, is inerasable, unchanging and undying. If even the slightest attention is directed to it, life becomes easy and uncomplicated.
The second truth - everything changes - body changes, mind changes, intellect changes, thoughts change, and everything is changing.
This is all I have come to say.
And if we change ourselves, we can change our environment, our society and this world. First and foremost, it will have to start within us. Such a smile should blossom from within us that can never fade, cannot be robbed - this is knowledge. To sit in an effort to gain this knowledge is satsang.
'God knows Guruji, how many lifetimes it will take for me to gain this awareness' - do not harbor these thoughts.
Now that you have come to my satsang, believe that you have already gained it. Once you are on the train, know that you will reach the destination. That is for sure.
Being human we all have certain needs and certain responsibilities. Tonight when you go home, sit down and make a list of all your needs and responsibilities.
If your needs are more than your responsibilities, there will be unhappiness in life, guaranteed! If our responsibilities are more than our needs, life will be peaceful. What we need to do is reduce our desires and take on more responsibility.
And when in our life, personal needs disappear and desires no longer exist; an extraordinary, mystical ability is awakened within us that enables us to bless others. When we do not want anything for ourselves, we develop the strength to fulfill the desires of others. This is the second step you have to climb.
First, become aware of your desires and reduce them and whatever is left, have the confidence that by God's grace they will be fulfilled.
The next step is, 'I need nothing.'
When you need nothing, you will become so strong that whatever you say to anyone will become a boon to them. If you bless anyone, it will manifest.
I do not have any desires or demands and this happened naturally. I want that you also view things this way.
Turn back and look, how our country was; how Delhi was 200 or 500 years ago. In a hundred years from now, if you were to be reborn in the same family, or in a neighbor's family, what kind of world would you like to see? What kind of Delhi or what kind of Yamuna would you like to see? What kind of environment and atmosphere would you like to grow up in? Just think about it.
It is then that we realize that we need to take up some responsibility for our society.
May there be a greater sense of morality and may we be useful to one another – we will have to create such an atmosphere. If it cannot be done alone, we all can join together and do it.
8, 10, 15 or 20 people should get together and take up any social cause. We want a violence-free society that nurtures a sense of belongingness, a society where we are useful to one another, where there is a feeling of love and understanding amongst neighbors and a mutual sense of respect. Don’t you want that?
Of course you do! But what responsibility have you taken on for it? Now think about it.

I would say that we should all focus our attention on some issues.
The foremost among them is a corruption-free society that we all need to envision. Corruption begins right where belongingness ends. One does not behave in a deceitful manner with their own people. The corrupt accept bribes from people they do not consider their own. We want to sacrifice ourselves on those whom we consider our very own, and we want to grab from those with whom we feel separateness.
Spirituality is where no one is a stranger. It is the mantra of love and the absence of separateness from anyone; where no one is an outsider.
So we need to envision a corruption-free society. Law is necessary, but that law alone can abolish corruption; I am not willing to believe. We all will have to join hands and, to begin with, take an oath not to give or accept bribes.
Next is female feticide. We have to put an end to female feticide.
In this country we have always believed that man and woman are equal - God's other half is Shakti.
Shiva Shaktyayukto Yadi Bhavati Shatah Prabhavitum
You must have heard of the concept of 'Ardha Nareshwar', it is so scientific. In every individual both elements exist, the female and the male. Committing female feticide or any act of violence against women is a very bad thing to do. We have to stop it.
The third issue is alcohol. Nowadays, alcohol has acquired the status of God in India. People drink in sorrow and people drink when they are happy. They drink at weddings, and when someone dies to forget the departed. When the election is won, alcohol flows, and when it is lost, then too alcohol is there - it has become excessive.
It is being said that the sale of alcohol has risen in our society. Addiction has gone out of bounds. We have to protect ourselves from this. The only way to save us is if we experience a greater euphoria than alcohol - that which one can get in our midst.
If you sit in satsang, you experience such a high that is hard to get over.
One can afford to remain in that high as one doesn't have to spend anything, and one's health is also protected.
This universe has five qualities: naam, roop, asti, bhati and preeti. This entire universe is name (naam) and form (roop); everything has a name and a form, and consciousness (asti), which is experienced (bhati) and whose nature is love (preeti).
Go to any corner of the world and look into the eyes of a child - you will find nothing but love. Every child born in this world is an image of love and a treasure of joy and smiles. A child smiles all day long. And as it grows up, no one knows where the love disappears, and the smile vanishes.
The meaning of education is to save the smile and spread the love.
Both you and I have died several times; I remember, whether you remember or not, I do not know. When we die, only two questions appear before us: how many people have you shared love with, and how much knowledge have you gained.
Knowledge does not mean information, it means awareness. So we have named this process of gaining awareness, and sharing love, The Art of Living.
Putting together certain techniques, various programs such as Yes+, ART Excel, etc., were created so that people might find it easy to learn.
Too much knowledge all at once cannot be digested. Knowledge should be given in small doses, like in a five course dinner: first the appetizer, then the soup, then the mail meal and in the end dessert. This way we can digest the food.
It has been thirty years since the Art of Living began. This world is one family - this dream has been realized today. This was a very ancient dream of our Rishis. It is inscribed in our parliament also, ‘Gananda laghu chetasaam udara charitaanaam tu vasudhaiva kutumbakam'.
In our country this knowledge and this tradition has been there since eternity. There are such beautiful and timeless truths that we have overlooked, and neither learnt nor implemented in our lives. Application of this knowledge keeps our body healthy, mind at ease and happy, sharpens the intellect, and there is such a feeling of peace within!
If you all ask me Guruji, what do you want? Why you are doing all these things and why are you holding these satsangs? Why are you traveling to all these places?
Shall I tell you my secret, why I am doing all this? I want to see an India where there is no violence. Where in every individual there is creativity and joy. I want to see a divine society. I want to create a violence-free and trouble-free society.
How many of you are with me in this? We all have to come together and bring about the divine society till the time we are in this world. We have to do things in such a way that we should leave behind a beautiful society for the next generations. When we leave this world behind, we should leave it better than how we got it.
What do you think? One day or the other, we are going to die. So for today’s younger generation we have to give a better society. Will you all work together for this? Yes?!
Just look around whoever is not raising their hands up! Just ask them, ‘what is the problem!’

Q: Guruji, what is life? What is Art of Living?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The Art of Living is keeping your mind under control even in adverse conditions and being in equanimity and then accepting people as they are.
Not all people will be like you, but do not go away from the relationship because they are different, and have a different kind of thought processes. Whatever kind of people, accept them as they are and whatever way we can be of use to them, do that. Third point is, do not be a foot ball of others’ opinions.
Fourth is, if someone makes a mistake, do not see an intention behind it. Do not think that they have done the mistake purposely. Just the way it happened by you, same way it happened by another person also. Like this, see the personality behind the mistake, recognize that and have compassion towards them.
And the fifth one is live in the present moment. Learn from the past and plan for the future but live in the present. Whatever is there in this moment take advantage of it. Do not sit and keep on thinking about the future and do not have anger towards the past and punish yourself.
The Art of Living is based on just these five points.

Q: Dear Guruji, how many Gods are there?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: How many rays of the Sun are there? Tell me! There are as many Gods as there are rays of the sun.
One God but many rays, and each ray is a form of God. Each ray represents a particular aspect of the Divinity.

Q: Guruji, sometimes we feel fed up of only being a good person and feel that we should also sometimes do something wrong.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, whenever you are frustrated and you take an action it is not going to make you happy for sure, remember that. You will only regret it when you become calm and come back to a pleasant state of mind. So do not take hasty actions when you are frustrated. Take a break for a few minutes, calm down and then act, do not react.

Q: Guruji how can I become Antarmukhi?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: By meditating. Keep meditating for a few minutes every day. Sometimes you may find it hard to meditate because the mind is going here and there but that is why I have given so many guided meditations. In all languages CDs have been made.
To start with, practice meditation with the CD or learn it from a teacher who teaches meditation. When you keep doing this, the mind will go inward.

Q: Dear Guruji, I love you so much but my mind keeps on doubting. What to do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That’s the job of the mind, to give a lot of doubts.
Being in love is the job of the heart and being in doubt is the job of the head. Both have got its places. You need to have both. How much doubt you can have, just keep having and when all the doubts are over and no more doubts come up, from there the faith begins.

Q: Guruji, how is the experience of God? To experience God what do we need to do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: We get Ram in Vishram.
You have to rest and deep rest is called meditation. By doing anything you cannot get God but when you rest you will get God. Rest will happen only when all the desires of the mind are settled and in order to settle the rajasic and tamasic desires of the mind, we have to do seva.
After doing seva, meditate and in that rest, you will get God.

Q: Guruji, Buddha ran away from his responsibilities and family. Still why do we worship him even though he shrinked away from his responsibilities?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When Buddha ran away he was ignorant. He was seeking, he was depressed and upset. Without knowing the reality of life he felt life is meaningless.
In that state of low energy, depression, he went on seeking.
Once he found, he returned back. He took great responsibility not just of his family, but for the entire world, the whole society. When Siddhartha became Buddha he came back to the society and for 40 years he traveled around and did great work.

Q: Dear Guruji, in all religions there is only one God and in Hindu religion there are so many. My friends from the other religions make fun of me. I do not have any answer to give. What to do? How to make them understand?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: God likes variety. God did not just make egg plant or just potatoes. Just imagine having only potatoes all your life.
He made different types of interesting vegetables. When God has made so many different types of vegetables, different types of flowers for you, would the same God like to be in one uniform? He will be wearing different types of costumes.
And so he will manifest in different names and different forms. He has the right to do that.
He who likes variety and has created so many varieties of forms also is available in different names and forms. That is why we say one God but with different names and different forms. That is why they say, see ‘One’ in everyone, and see everyone in that ’One’. This is what is ‘Vishwaroop Darsan’, where Krishna showed Arjuna that everything was in him. ‘Rudra, Shiva, Ganapathy, it is me who is present in all forms.’

So do not think Gods as separate from one another. God is only one, but there are different Devathas.
Just like how one cell becomes the human body. A drop of semen and one egg joined together forms one cell. From this one cell the human body is formed, but in this there are 33 different aspects. One aspect becomes the eyes, one aspect becomes the ears, and one becomes the throat and tongue. The textures are so different.
Your nails are different from your eyes and eyes are different from your ears. These are Devathas. That is what the ancient people have said; in our body Devatha’s are present. In each organ there is a Devatha which means divine quality. All these divine qualities, all these Devatha’s are one God’s manifestation. These are 33 chromosomes derived from the one cell. That is why our ancestors have spoke about 33 crores of Devatha.

Q: Dear Guruji, you always hold flowers, do you not feel that to straighten out the issues in society today you need to hold a stick rather than flowers?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A stick cannot hurt as much as a flower can hurt.
The change that happens through a flower stays, but the change that happens through a stick is only for a few days, it would not stay long.
Some will hold flowers, some will hold sticks. If you are holding a stick then I am holding flowers.
Usually what we do, we do not even go to cast our vote. We say, ’oh all are the same, whom to vote for.’ Thinking this we sit at home.
Do not do that. When elections come, that is your stick, go and cast your vote and choose the right person. Someone who is good, someone who will do good work for the society and one who is cultured and humble, send them to the parliament. That is necessary.

Q: Dear Guruji, the whole nation is looking at you in full anticipation on what you are going to do to save this nation and when will you do it Guruji?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The job is only mine? We all will do it together.
Bring about a wave in the nation of happiness, joy, sincerity, this is very necessary. A wave of spirituality should definitely come up. And those youngsters who are willing to work with me, I need them to do work in the society. We will go to each area and we will do work to reform the society.
Two years ago we had started ‘Save Yamuna’ project and it is not done yet. More people should join that movement. There are 18 streams that are flowing into it. Those who are interested should come together and pressurize the government to clean it.
Read Celebrating Silence, meditate and do Sudarshan Kriya. Each one of you is a treasure of knowledge and love.

I want to tell you about Pravarthi and Nivarthi. A satvik intellect will know Pravirthi and Nivirthi.
When you are going to do a job, we need to identify the problems in it and make it alright. When we are doing meditation, we need to accept that everything is fine. God has made everything fine. Then the meditation will be deep.
But we do the opposite.
When we work, we think, this will be like this only, what we can do and we become lazy. But when we are doing meditation all the complaints come up in the mind. Then both rest and work are not happening properly.
So when work has to happen, see the problems and with enthusiasm do the work. When you are meditating, have the feeling that everything is alright; God will make everything alright, I am just a tool.
When you are resting deeply, you will be successful in your work. So this is a satvik intellect that recognizes Pravarthi and Nivarthi.

Same way, accept the past as destiny. Whatever has happened, it has happened.
Think of the future as free will and be in the present moment. It is foolishness thinking that past was free will and future as destiny.
An intelligent person thinks that past is destiny, future is free will and is in the present moment.

I want all the youths to make a commitment with me that we will bring a transformation in society and in ourselves as well. In a country where the youth are awakened, the country also has awakened. I am so pleased that so many youth are so connected and so joyful.

Guruji's Knowledge Sheet: Joy & Desires

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When you take science and spirituality together, then you will progress in life

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Inner joy and true happiness alone can stop the feverishness in society that arises through desires

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You having desires is not the problem, but the problem is when desires have you

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You should have desires, but the desires should not have you

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Wisdom from Sri Sri's updates

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Stimulate your soul through sadhana

DNA, 22nd November, 2009

H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Where desire dominates, there will be stress and sorrow

Among all the planets in the solar system, the Earth is privileged to host life in many forms. Among all the species on Earth, humans are the most privileged, as they can host knowledge. One is repeatedly reminded that within the human is also hosted the Creator. Those who do not realise that they host the Creator within themselves are underprivileged. Yet, they also host, but they host all the negativities.

The body exists with the sole purpose of making you aware of how beautiful you are and to also make you realise that it is possible to live all the values you cherish and believe in. It also exists to create a world of divinity around you. Like the birds that return to their nests no matter where they fly to, it is important for the human to return too. Only then can you realise that you host the Creator.

When a part of the body is stimulated, there will be pleasure. When your soul is stimulated, there will be love. Love has no end, but pleasure ends sooner or later. Often people equate pleasure with love. Only the lucky few truly understand the distinction between pleasure and love. Taste stimulates the tongue, music stimulates the ears and sight stimulates the eyes. And what stimulates the soul? Spiritual practices sadhana and satsang stimulate the soul!

All one needs in life is stimulation of the soul. Even a faint idea of how to do that keeps life going. Every other stimulus is superficial and on the surface. The stimulus of the soul energises and the stimulus of the body brings tiredness. Every stimulus should lead you to the Self.

Desire, awareness of the Self and action are all manifestations of the same energy that is you. At any given point of time, one of these three will dominate in the person. When you have lots of desires, you are not aware of the Self and awareness of the Self will be at its lowest. Thats why all philosophers around the world have always advocated renunciation and the dropping of desire. When there is awareness, happiness dawns. When desire dominates, it leads to stress and sorrow.

When actions dominate, there will be restlessness and disease. When your actions and desires are sincerely directed to the Divine or to the welfare of society, then the consciousness is automatically elevated, and knowledge of the Self will be attained.

When you love something, you have a sense of belonging with it. When love is cast over the entire creation, then you are the Big Self. That is the Lordship. When no sanchita karma (past impressions) is left, the Self shines through. And this becomes very obvious in the presence of the Guru. But all those qualities that you appreciate in a Guru are also in your very you. Being with the Guru is like being with ones higher self. Guru, God and ones own self are synonymous. Often one recognises wisdom but sees a gap between wisdom and ones own life. The purpose of becoming a disciple is to bridge that gap. Respecting the Guru simply means honouring your innermost nature.