AOL fan blog: World is a play and display of Prana/Life force
Search This Blog
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Life. Show all posts
Tuesday, July 5, 2011
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Living the mystery of life
Deccan Herald, 17th May, 2010
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
What is the purpose of knowledge? Purpose of knowledge is to make you feel that you don’t know! If knowledge makes you feel that you know it all, then it has not fulfilled its goal. The more you know, the more you become aware of the unknown.
There is one ‘‘I don’t know’’ that comes out of ignorance. But when one goes through knowledge then it becomes a transformed ‘‘I don’t know!’. This ‘‘I don’t know!’’ is wonderful. This is how you can turn every question into a wonder. The difference between a wonder and a question is that a question is associated with sorrow and restlessness whereas wonder is an expression of joy.
Purpose of knowledge is to create awareness of the Being. This creation is enormous and infinite. It is a mystery. Mysteries are not to be understood but to be lived. Love is a mystery, sleep is a mystery, your mind is a mystery and all that you see around is a mystery. Your life is also a mystery. Trying to understand mystery is confusion, but living it fully is called enlightenment.
What is your life? In the time scale, millions of years have passed and millions will come in the future. After all, how many years are you going to be here on this planet? May be 60 years, 70 years or 100 years? Your span of life is insignificant. It is not even a drop in the ocean. In terms of space you simply don’t exist! This understanding dissolves the ego.
Ego is ignorance of your reality, ignorance of your existence. Just open your eyes and see, ‘‘who are you? How are you on this planet? This brings awareness and then you do not worry about small things like, ‘‘this person said this thing to me and how could he do that to me” etc. You will see that all the smallness will simply drop away.
Ignorance has its necessity. Ignorance keeps the joy in the game. In a game if you know the result before you are playing you won’t be playing sincerely. If you know you are going to win or lose the game, there is no charm in playing. The game is joyful when its results are unknown. Nature is so kind and loving that it does not tell you about your future and does not remind you of your very old past. But, even with the short little memory it has given, you try hard to make your life miserable!
Have you noticed that the mind is not at all stable; it is like a roller coaster, crowded with thoughts going up and down. This is because you want to know all the time. You try your level best to understand your feelings and your emotions and get into more and more confusion. This is what has happened with psychology today. It tries to explain to you why you feel like the way you are feeling. The question ‘why’ arises always when you are unhappy. Nobody ever asks, ‘‘why am I so happy?’’ or ‘‘why is there so much joy and beauty in the world?’’ Everyone wants to understand, ‘‘why am I not feeling good?’’ or ‘‘why this pain is given to me? The more you try to understand and try to dig it; you seem to understand less and less. The mystery deepens and there is just an illusion that you know all. But that’s for a short while.
Just be in the innocent state of ‘‘I don’t know!’’ and you will see the mind becomes quiet. This makes life simple. This life is a beautiful mystery. Just live it! It is only when you live the mystery of life that joy dawns.
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
What is the purpose of knowledge? Purpose of knowledge is to make you feel that you don’t know! If knowledge makes you feel that you know it all, then it has not fulfilled its goal. The more you know, the more you become aware of the unknown.
There is one ‘‘I don’t know’’ that comes out of ignorance. But when one goes through knowledge then it becomes a transformed ‘‘I don’t know!’. This ‘‘I don’t know!’’ is wonderful. This is how you can turn every question into a wonder. The difference between a wonder and a question is that a question is associated with sorrow and restlessness whereas wonder is an expression of joy.
Purpose of knowledge is to create awareness of the Being. This creation is enormous and infinite. It is a mystery. Mysteries are not to be understood but to be lived. Love is a mystery, sleep is a mystery, your mind is a mystery and all that you see around is a mystery. Your life is also a mystery. Trying to understand mystery is confusion, but living it fully is called enlightenment.
What is your life? In the time scale, millions of years have passed and millions will come in the future. After all, how many years are you going to be here on this planet? May be 60 years, 70 years or 100 years? Your span of life is insignificant. It is not even a drop in the ocean. In terms of space you simply don’t exist! This understanding dissolves the ego.
Ego is ignorance of your reality, ignorance of your existence. Just open your eyes and see, ‘‘who are you? How are you on this planet? This brings awareness and then you do not worry about small things like, ‘‘this person said this thing to me and how could he do that to me” etc. You will see that all the smallness will simply drop away.
Ignorance has its necessity. Ignorance keeps the joy in the game. In a game if you know the result before you are playing you won’t be playing sincerely. If you know you are going to win or lose the game, there is no charm in playing. The game is joyful when its results are unknown. Nature is so kind and loving that it does not tell you about your future and does not remind you of your very old past. But, even with the short little memory it has given, you try hard to make your life miserable!
Have you noticed that the mind is not at all stable; it is like a roller coaster, crowded with thoughts going up and down. This is because you want to know all the time. You try your level best to understand your feelings and your emotions and get into more and more confusion. This is what has happened with psychology today. It tries to explain to you why you feel like the way you are feeling. The question ‘why’ arises always when you are unhappy. Nobody ever asks, ‘‘why am I so happy?’’ or ‘‘why is there so much joy and beauty in the world?’’ Everyone wants to understand, ‘‘why am I not feeling good?’’ or ‘‘why this pain is given to me? The more you try to understand and try to dig it; you seem to understand less and less. The mystery deepens and there is just an illusion that you know all. But that’s for a short while.
Just be in the innocent state of ‘‘I don’t know!’’ and you will see the mind becomes quiet. This makes life simple. This life is a beautiful mystery. Just live it! It is only when you live the mystery of life that joy dawns.
Friday, May 7, 2010
Feel your existence!
Bombay Times, 7th May, 2010
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Head understands head and heart understands heart. The nose can only smell; eyes can only see; ears can only hear. Ears cannot see. Similarly, heart can feel. We try to put the heart in the head and the head in the heart and it doesn’t seem to work. Your heart feels something is beautiful, whereas head says it is beautiful. We cling on to the word in the mind, but we don’t feel it. We repeat the word ‘beautiful’. We repeat the word ‘beautiful’ in the head and it doesn’t seem beautiful.
Same thing about love, you talk too much about love, you get stuck in the head and it doesn’t rise in the heart. In silence love emits, radiates. We experience ourselves in the things we love more. That is why, when we lose the things we love, we feel hurt; we feel unhappy. Suppose you love your piano very much and you hear that something has happened to your piano, something gets cut off in you. Or, if something happens to your car or your dog, you feel a loss. You are not just living in your body, but you have also made that your home. But if we can expand this existence even more to cover the entirety we know that there is no loss and we are total.
You are a blue pearl. Blue is beautiful; blue is something that is big, vast and infinite. All that is immense, that is infinite in creation that has depth expresses itself in blue. The sky is blue, the ocean is blue. You are a blue pearl, in the sense that you can’t be measured. You are so deep in your being. Though you are in the body, nobody can measure your being. The being in you is not just the blue infinity; it’s a shining radiant infinity that is deep and immense. Blue pearl means that which is shining, that which is radiant, that which is infinite; yet, it seems to be finite, it seems to be comprehensive.
When we start listening to our heart then we know that all is one; and one God is in all. See, in our body we have so many cells and each cell has got its own life. Many cells are being born every day, many cells are dying, but they do not know you. You know if something is wrong with one particular cell; you can feel it. Similarly, though we all have small lives, there is one life that covers and governs all the other lives.
We are all floating in an ocean of life; a big life. It is not just empty space all around us; it is lively big life. And in the big sea of life there, all shells are floating and each shell has got a little water in it which is not the water separate from the water in the sea. So, we come out of our shells and experience, “I am not just in the body, but I am expanded all over; everywhere, it’s me there and it’s me here. I see myself in everybody”. That is the essence of life!
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Head understands head and heart understands heart. The nose can only smell; eyes can only see; ears can only hear. Ears cannot see. Similarly, heart can feel. We try to put the heart in the head and the head in the heart and it doesn’t seem to work. Your heart feels something is beautiful, whereas head says it is beautiful. We cling on to the word in the mind, but we don’t feel it. We repeat the word ‘beautiful’. We repeat the word ‘beautiful’ in the head and it doesn’t seem beautiful.
Same thing about love, you talk too much about love, you get stuck in the head and it doesn’t rise in the heart. In silence love emits, radiates. We experience ourselves in the things we love more. That is why, when we lose the things we love, we feel hurt; we feel unhappy. Suppose you love your piano very much and you hear that something has happened to your piano, something gets cut off in you. Or, if something happens to your car or your dog, you feel a loss. You are not just living in your body, but you have also made that your home. But if we can expand this existence even more to cover the entirety we know that there is no loss and we are total.
You are a blue pearl. Blue is beautiful; blue is something that is big, vast and infinite. All that is immense, that is infinite in creation that has depth expresses itself in blue. The sky is blue, the ocean is blue. You are a blue pearl, in the sense that you can’t be measured. You are so deep in your being. Though you are in the body, nobody can measure your being. The being in you is not just the blue infinity; it’s a shining radiant infinity that is deep and immense. Blue pearl means that which is shining, that which is radiant, that which is infinite; yet, it seems to be finite, it seems to be comprehensive.
When we start listening to our heart then we know that all is one; and one God is in all. See, in our body we have so many cells and each cell has got its own life. Many cells are being born every day, many cells are dying, but they do not know you. You know if something is wrong with one particular cell; you can feel it. Similarly, though we all have small lives, there is one life that covers and governs all the other lives.
We are all floating in an ocean of life; a big life. It is not just empty space all around us; it is lively big life. And in the big sea of life there, all shells are floating and each shell has got a little water in it which is not the water separate from the water in the sea. So, we come out of our shells and experience, “I am not just in the body, but I am expanded all over; everywhere, it’s me there and it’s me here. I see myself in everybody”. That is the essence of life!
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Tuesday, April 20, 2010
You Are A Blue Pearl
The Times of India, 20th April, 2010
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Head understands head and heart understands heart. We try to put the heart in the head and the head in the heart and it doesn’t seem to work.
Your heart feels something is beautiful, and you can feel it. When head says something is beautiful, we cling on to the word; it’s there in the mind, but we might not feel what we feel when the heart says the same thing. We repeat the word ‘beautiful’ in the head but it doesn’t seem or feel beautiful the way it would have if it had come from the heart.
Let’s talk about love. It’s the same thing - you talk too much about love, the word love’ gets stuck in the head, but somehow there no depth of feeling. That’s because it’s in the head, not in the heart. In silence, love emits, radiates. We experience ourselves in the things we love more. That is why, when we lose the things we love, we feel hurt; we feel unhappy.
Suppose something happens to your car or your dog, you feel a loss. So you are not just living in your body, but also in that of the objects or people you love. But if you can expand this existence even more to cover the entirety, you will know that there is no loss and you are total.
You are a blue pearl. Blue is beautiful; blue is something that is big, vast and infinite. All that is immense and infinite in creation and that which has depth expresses itself in blue.
The sky is blue, the ocean is blue. You are a blue pearl, in the sense that you can’t be measured. You are so deep in your being. Though you are in the body, nobody can measure your being. The being in you is not just the blue infinity; it’s a shining radiant infinity that is deep and immense. Blue pearl means that which is shining, that which is radiant, that which is infinite; yet, it seems to be finite.
When we start listening to our heart, then we know that all is one; and one God is in all. See, in our body we have so many cells and each cell has got its own life. Many cells are being born every day, many cells are dying but they do not know you. You know if something is wrong with one particular cell; you can feel it. Similarly, though we are all made up of small units of life, there is one life that covers and governs all the other lives.
We are all floating in an ocean of life; a big life. It is not just empty space all around us; it is lively big life. And in the big sea of life there, all shells are floating and each shell has got a little water in it which is not the water separate from the water in the sea.
So, we come out of our shells and experience, “I am not just in the body, but I am expanded all over; everywhere, it’s me there and it’s me here. I see myself in everybody”.
That is the essence of life!
H.H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Head understands head and heart understands heart. We try to put the heart in the head and the head in the heart and it doesn’t seem to work.
Your heart feels something is beautiful, and you can feel it. When head says something is beautiful, we cling on to the word; it’s there in the mind, but we might not feel what we feel when the heart says the same thing. We repeat the word ‘beautiful’ in the head but it doesn’t seem or feel beautiful the way it would have if it had come from the heart.
Let’s talk about love. It’s the same thing - you talk too much about love, the word love’ gets stuck in the head, but somehow there no depth of feeling. That’s because it’s in the head, not in the heart. In silence, love emits, radiates. We experience ourselves in the things we love more. That is why, when we lose the things we love, we feel hurt; we feel unhappy.
Suppose something happens to your car or your dog, you feel a loss. So you are not just living in your body, but also in that of the objects or people you love. But if you can expand this existence even more to cover the entirety, you will know that there is no loss and you are total.
You are a blue pearl. Blue is beautiful; blue is something that is big, vast and infinite. All that is immense and infinite in creation and that which has depth expresses itself in blue.
The sky is blue, the ocean is blue. You are a blue pearl, in the sense that you can’t be measured. You are so deep in your being. Though you are in the body, nobody can measure your being. The being in you is not just the blue infinity; it’s a shining radiant infinity that is deep and immense. Blue pearl means that which is shining, that which is radiant, that which is infinite; yet, it seems to be finite.
When we start listening to our heart, then we know that all is one; and one God is in all. See, in our body we have so many cells and each cell has got its own life. Many cells are being born every day, many cells are dying but they do not know you. You know if something is wrong with one particular cell; you can feel it. Similarly, though we are all made up of small units of life, there is one life that covers and governs all the other lives.
We are all floating in an ocean of life; a big life. It is not just empty space all around us; it is lively big life. And in the big sea of life there, all shells are floating and each shell has got a little water in it which is not the water separate from the water in the sea.
So, we come out of our shells and experience, “I am not just in the body, but I am expanded all over; everywhere, it’s me there and it’s me here. I see myself in everybody”.
That is the essence of life!
Friday, January 15, 2010
Excerpts of Sri Sri's talk at Antarnaad
Indian music and India’s heritage of Adhyatma are the two strong powers which will help us overcome all the strife around us and it is essential for us to preserve these and other strengths of Indianness in our fight against ill-will and hatred, said spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Tuesday. Addressing thousands of his disciples at Antarnaad, a musical programme hosted by The Art of Living Foundation to mark the golden jubilee of Maharashtra, Sri Sri said Indian music has evolved entirely from the nature around us and thus has the basic power to sustain. Music is the route to achieve oneness with the God, he said. The sprawling S P College ground came alive with simple yet graceful decoration where Sri Sri’s disciples and followers filled the air with calls of ‘jai gurudev’ and listened to him all ears as he spelt out his mantra for a stress-free, peaceful living. There were men, women and children eager to get a piece of wisdom of their beloved Guru, who treated them through a session of dhyaan (concentration), gyaan (wisdom) and gaan (music). Sri Sri stressed the need to protect everything created by nature if India had to lead the mission of world peace and added that the original principles of living, such as nature-based farming (as against farming that uses chemical fertilisers), caring for the girl child and keeping the honour of woman, will guide in the process. Sri Sri said mediation is not superstition, but can be pursued while maintaining a scientific mindset. “I am not preaching an insipid, dry lifestyle but want all of us to enjoy life in all its beauty and listen to the music of the soul, unblemished by hatred or jealousy,” he said. “Haath baantke to dekho, kaam banta hai ki nahin; muskarake to dekho, duniya apnaati hai ya nahin (extend a helping hand and the task will become simpler; offer a smile and the world will accept you in all its generosity),” Sri Sri appealed, stressing the importance of smile and brotherhood in life. More than 2,750 singers from all parts of the country and abroad — perched on a grand multi-level stage — sang in unison musical compositions set to ragas such as ‘Shankara’, ‘Shree’ and ‘Basant Bahar’ as the voice of the audience blended itself with the artistes. The singers, men and women uniformly dressed in white kurta-pyjama and off-white sarees, were a picture of bhakti (devotion) and shraddha (dedication) as they presented the well-rehearsed compositions. Renowned musicians, including singers Rajan and Sajan Mishra, Shankar Mahadevan and Chitra Roy, as well as tabla maestro Arvind Kumar Azad led the presentation of the compositions. The programme is set to find an entry in the Guinness Book of Records, the organisers said. Members of the state cabinet, including deputy chief minister Chhagan Bhujbal and Harshwardhan Patil, were present for the function along with MPs Suresh Kalmadi, Shivajirao Adhalrao and Gopinath Munde. Shashi Vyas and Kathak dancer Sharvari Jamenis compered the programme adding value to the musical experience.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)