Surrender in not submission

Surrender is not submission. What is the meaning of surrender? It is realizing that everywhere, everything belongs to the Divine already. “I” am not in control – that is surrender. And with this realization comes a deep relaxation, a feeling of trust and being at home. Why is there so much fear about surrender; you think you will lose something? I tell you, you will gain in the kingdom of world and heaven.

Surrender brings dignity to life

"Surrender brings that dignity to life. I tell you, you have no power to lose! What can a drop lose by getting into the ocean?! It's an illusion that it is big! A drop thinks, "I am great! I am so big! Will I vanish?!" You'll vanish, if you don't unite with the ocean!

If you are at ease with yourself everyone will be at ease with you

Celebrating Silence Blog: April 06, 2012 -Bali, Indonesia 

Contentment and happiness are very important. Other things come and go. We have come on this planet so many times, we will come again. Life is continuous; it is coming and going, coming and going.

Q: How do I keep my spirit high all the time?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just remember why you are disturbed, it is because of small things and know that it will all be alright.

So when you see all these things come and go and everything will be alright, then you say, ‘I am not going to be disturbed by this. I am bigger than this.’ Yes!

Just that thought in the mind – I am bigger than this. Then the spirit is uplifted higher.

So I am not the body; body is undergoing so many changes all the time. Sometimes I feel tired, sometimes I feel strong. I am much bigger than the body.

People think mind is inside the body, this is wrong, body is inside the mind.

The mind is like a candle, there is a wick and there is flame above the wick. If you close the candle with a lid, it will burn only as long as there is oxygen. In the same way, if you put somebody in the room and close it, they will be alive only till oxygen is there in the room. So the mind is like the glow that lives on oxygen, on consciousness. So first there is the body and then there is the mind, so the mind is much bigger. When you remember this, that the mind is like a flame, it is much bigger then there is peace. Still if something bothers you then breathe (referring to Sudarshan Kriya). With fast breathing and Bhastrika, it becomes better.

Q: Guruji, why do relationships take away our freedom?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If there is wisdom in relationships, it does not take away freedom. If there is no wisdom, then there is no freedom. It is not the relationship that gives you or takes away freedom. It is lack of wisdom.

Q: Dear Guruji, what is my duty?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Listen to your heart. You heart will tell you what your duty is.

Q: Jai Gurudev, are the bad things in our life also grace?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If you look from a broader perspective, you will see, those incidences which were painful has given you some depth and made you more mature. So the painful incidences give you depth and maturity. Whenever you are unhappy you should surrender. Usually when you are angry you say, ‘I give up!’

So you should have the power to drop things when you are unhappy, and power to do service when you are happy. Service in happiness and renunciation in unhappiness.

Q: Guruji, I want to make a difference in the world in a massive way. How do I discover the way to make that difference?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I want people like you who have this spirit to make a big difference in the world. Come and I will send you to different places where you can go and do a lot of work. You already have a ready-made platform. You don’t have to do it from scratch which would take another thirty years to do. You have a ready-made platform, take a jump from here and take it to another level.

See, I want to do something, is one thing, but another is, what is needed in the world we need to do that. I want to make a difference is different from we need to make a difference in the world. What is needed for the world let us all do that. This is the spirit that we should have.

Q: Dear Guruji, fear bothers me a lot, what to do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why fear, when I am here. You belong to me and I belong to you. When you feel that you are alone and you have nobody, only then you fear. Fear is when you feel loneliness, when you feel that you are not connected. Fear is love standing upside down. Never mind, just do some ujjayi breathing and attend satsangs, and it will change.

Q: Guruji, I think I am addicted to sex. I have no self control when it comes to sex. I try very hard, but I can’t control myself.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I think you have too much free time. If you are busy and you work hard and then you get so tired that you are waiting to hit the pillow, the moment you hit the pillow you will fall asleep.

Either you have too much free time or you are eating too much, then obsessions and addictions come up. It is always related to too much food and too much sex.

Q: On the spiritual path is it bad to marry and have children?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, you can marry and you can have children.

That is why I have started the department Sri Sri Matrimony, so that all the single girls and bachelors can put their names in it, and then one day we will have a swayamvar. Then you can choose whom you want to marry.

We have that already, it just needs to be developed a little. Someone needs to put a little attention into it; someone who is good at match making.

Q: Guruji, after all these years, I am still struggling, why? Love you Guruji!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You love me and then you are struggling. Struggling for what?

You are struggling for money, then don’t sit and day dream, do hard work. If one business does not work, choose another business and do it.

You can only struggle with two things, a job or relationship.

If you are not getting married, you have been too choosy and so things are not working. And if you are already in a relationship and then you are struggling, then of course the knowledge point comes here, accept people as they are. So you try to accept them more and more, but your mind says no. Know that it is because of the knowledge that you are able to sustain and survive. Do you see what I am saying? Somehow you are making things work.

So don’t think nothing works for you. I don’t think that is a fact.

The third issue could be health. There is no fourth issue. And being in The Art of Living always helps you to somehow manage all the three.

Don’t sit and day dream and only think about miracles to happen. Miracles do happen, but if you crave for miracles then they will take a back seat. Nature wants you to be dynamic.

There are people who have asked me, ‘Guruji, please give me some numbers for my lottery ticket. I just want to win a lottery so that I don’t have to do anything. Just do sadhana all the time and some seva.’ No ways!

First of all, decide what it is that you want from life.

Struggling with what? With money?!

You know money is something that you will always find people short of money. Always!

You can see for example, the richest country, the only super power on this planet is USA and it is under heavy debt; trillions of dollars of debt. You take big companies; many of them are in debt. The richer a person gets, the more expenses he has to do. At the same time, there are poor people who are contributing towards charity, poor people who take time to do service, which is amazing. They feel so much abundance.

The other day in India, a gentleman comes to me. He has a small shop; a small little kiosk for himself, and he had inherited two plots of land. So he comes to me and offers me one plot of land. He says, ‘I want to give this plot to you’, he insisted. He came with his whole family, his wife, his mother and said, ‘I have two, I want to donate one and keep the other one.’

The plot is in a very expensive location of the city and he could make a big fortune from it. But look at the heart in that guy.

I said, ‘Okay, I will take it, but it will be in your name only. You should keep it for me and you build your shop here. Sell the other plot and with the money that you get, do business.’

I could not say I won’t take this to him because he will feel hurt, so I said, ‘Yes this is mine, but it will be in your name and you should have it.’

Look at the broad mind of that person.

Another day, a very poor lady comes, and she had just one gold chain that she inherited. I was going in the car and she comes running and gives me an envelope in my hand.

Usually people give me envelopes with letters in it of some problems. So I took the envelope, and in it I found a gold chain. Then I told some people to go and find this lady and give the chain back to her saying, Guruji sent you blessings.

Do you know, during our silver jubilee, there is a beautiful story that happened! I came down from the steps on the last day and a small boy comes running to me with tears in his eyes and he gives me an envelope. I take the envelope and it had Rs. 5000 in it. I looked at that boy and I said, ‘What do you do?’

He said he is a laborer.

The money in the envelope that he had given me had two months of his earnings, and he said, ‘Please take this.’

He said, ‘I can’t tell you how much my life has transformed. Please accept this.’

I took just Rs.100 from that and returned back Rs. 4900. I told him, you know this Rs.100 is so precious for me, this is enough. I will take this.

2 months of his salary; someone who is a laborer who does manual work, he comes and offers. Such a big heart is there in people.

What I am saying is you too should feel abundance. You don’t have to be very rich to feel the abundance. In fact many rich people don’t feel abundance at all, they feel lack. They are not generous. But poor people are very generous; they have that feeling, that art.

Don’t imagine a situation where you will become super rich one day and then you will start doing some seva, no, nothing like that. You can feel abundance at any point of time. And the moment you start feeling abundance, you will see things will get better, got it!

Similarly, don’t be feverish about a relationship, just relax and you will find your relationship with people will improve and become better. If you are like a leech, clinging on to somebody in a relationship and bugging them, even though you say all nice words, that person will run away from you because they can’t handle it.

One aspect is to give love, and another is to know how to handle love, receive love as well. It needs only a centered, enlightened person. Now don’t expect that type of behavior from everybody.

You have to be very much at ease with yourself. If you are at ease with yourself, everyone will be at ease with you.

Q: Guruji, I want to fully surrender myself to you.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, don’t do it at all. Why do you want to surrender? Why do you have to surrender? No need. Just relax!

Your wanting to surrender becomes such a big work for you and for me; headache! You don’t need to surrender, just relax. What do you need to surrender? Your heart, mind and soul? No way, it already belongs to me. Everything belongs to me.

Someone was singing, ‘Oh, you stole my heart.’ Why should I steal something which is already mine? Why would I steal your heart? I feel everybody on the planet belongs to me already, got it! I don’t need to steal and you don’t need to surrender. You already belong to me. So just relax!

You know this word surrender helps when you have a load of negativity on your head. If you have negativity or hatred then you surrender that. You don’t need to surrender any good qualities or anything that is nice because it is already mine. What is not mine is all the negativity, and if you seem to have it, just give it up.

Serve when you are happy; Let go when you are sad

March 10, 2012

Mahasatsang at Udaipur

Being human beings, we all have some responsibilities and some needs. If we sit and make a note of our responsibilities and our needs, and if we find that our needs are more than our responsibilities, then life will lead to misery. If we take more responsibilities and have fewer needs, then we will be happy. This is the secret, and it is simple.

Today itself, sit and make a note of all your responsibilities and all that you want for yourself.

Now, God has given us an intellect and we need to make use of it. An intelligent person will see and know that when everyone is happy, then he can also be happy. ‘When my family is happy then I can be happy.‘

So what do we need to do? We need to understand our responsibilities. First we need to understand our responsibilities towards our family. Then we need to understand our responsibilities towards society. We need to think how we can be useful to the society, and then what can we do for the entire nation.

We need to think on these three levels, i.e., responsibilities towards family, towards society and towards the nation.

The more responsibilities we take, the more we grow in our abilities and our strength to do work increases.

Now, having desires is very natural. But if we are unable to fulfill our desires or we don’t have the means to fulfill them, then we must pray! In life, effort and prayer both are essential. Some people just pray and don’t put any effort, this will not work. And there are some people who get tired of putting efforts and even then they don’t pray. They are also unable to achieve success.

This is why in our scriptures it has been said, Purusharth (effort) and Samarpan (surrender). These two should go together. We need to do as much as we can do and surrender the rest to God.

The purpose of my coming here is to remind you of this. To remind you that there is a Divine power sitting inside you and by any means you must connect with that power. Let that connection happen between you and Divine power within. Once that connection is made, then there will be no lack of anything in life. See, a wealthy person will give money and knowledgeable person will naturally give knowledge. But if one does not have knowledge, how can he give knowledge? Similarly, one who is liberated, only he can liberate others. If one is stuck in bondage, how can he liberate anyone? And if he can’t liberate anyone then where is the question of love, meditation, celebration, bliss. All these are far off things.

But once you gain that inner freedom in your heart and that inner freedom in your mind, you experience such blossoming that no one can take your smile away from you.

Everybody is looking for such a smile, and for joy that does not diminish or disappear.

What do we need to do to achieve this? We need to awaken that faith that is within us.

When we are happy, then we can spread happiness to others. Those who are contented in life can bring contentment to others as well.

In our country, we have a custom of taking blessings from the elderly whenever we are about to begin some good work or a new task. Do you know why?

There is a very scientific reason behind this. It is said that once a person becomes contented, any intention that arises in his mind becomes fruitful, and so their blessing is very powerful. If a person is miserable himself, then how can his blessings bear any fruit?

So the ability to bless others comes to us spontaneously when we become contented from within. We need to be contented, at least for some time. With contentment comes the power to bless.

Why do we go to Gurus or to saints? Because they are contented, and when they give blessings for something, the work gets done.

Doesn’t it work? How many of you are getting what you desire? See!

Now, how and when will we achieve such contentment?

Contentment can come by sitting with a contented person; or through satsang. If you sit with a frustrated person, you will become more frustrated. A restless person will spread restlessness. The happy and contented will spread happiness and contentment.

So the secret behind this is simplicity and naturalness. We must be simple and natural. Till now, we have been doing everything in a formal manner.

People came and we welcomed, greeted and garlanded them and gave them respect. These are formalities, and no doubt and they have their place in life. But, we should not get stuck in formalities.

For example, you buy garland from a shop and it comes in a plastic bag. Now, the bag is not the main content but what is inside the bag is the main thing. We need to reach inside the bag.

Similarly, in life this is what we do. We take the plastic bag and think the bag is the main content, like how we live life with formalities, without any belongingness.

It is when belongingness increases that corruption ends, and everyone feels to be our very own. No one is a stranger.

When there is belongingness, life is enriched. And when each person feel enriched, society is enriched. This is because society does not progress with philosophies, but it progresses with the progress of each individual, and it is the individual that directs society. That is why it is important to understand each individual with an attitude of belongingness. If there is belongingness, a big change can happen, and dullness or disinterestedness in people can be wiped out.

Dullness and disinterestedness is the cause of all desires and imperfections. But if joy and bliss arise within us, then you will see everything will come to you spontaneously.

For such joy to arise in life, there are three things that are important:

1. Gyan (knowledge)

2. Dhyan (meditation)

3. Gaan (music)

Infuse all these three into your life. Do kirtan and satsang for a little time every day. Listen to knowledge for some time, engage in some service activities and sit and meditate. Being silent for fifteen or twenty minutes and becoming calm from within gives us lots of benefits. The body becomes strong, our behavior improves, mind feels pleasant, intellect sharpens, memory power increases and soul becomes blissful.

What else you need?

You have heard of the saying, ‘Ek Saadhe Sab Sadhe,Sab Saadhe Sab Jaaye.’ (If you follow one thing you will achieve it, but if you want everything, you won't achieve anything). Following that one thing is this; the self! Sit and do meditation.

In the Gita it is said, ‘Yogastha Kuru Karmaani’, one who practices Yoga become more qualified. Skills increase and success is achieved effortlessly.

So today, we will do all these three. We will sing, we will meditate, we will discuss some knowledge and we will take some vows for the society and for the country.

We all want India to emerge as a strong country. I too wish to see that happening.

We have gone into a slumber, but now we have to wake-up. We need to wake up. When the youth of the country wake up, after that nobody can stop the country from progressing. If the youths are struggling with drug addictions, violence, casteism and narrow mindedness, and they lose sight of their roots, then nobody can save the country.

I have a dream of a Divine society.

In my childhood I used to think that I will take the knowledge that we have in India to the whole world. Foreign clubs came into India, and people used to go to rotary clubs in India. So there should be some organization from India too that should be all over the world.

Today, the Art of Living has completed 30 years and it is present in 152 countries around the world. This happened very naturally. I didn’t do anything. I just had the intention and it all happened.

The knowledge in India is so great! We need to present this knowledge in such a manner that it catches the interest of the youth. This is what is happening.

Thousand and thousands of youth have joined and are joining the Art of Living and their lives have blossomed. But it is not enough; we need to reach out to more of the youth.

Addictions and violence should be removed from society. I have a dream of such a Divine society where in there is no stress, no violence or corruption.

How many of you want to be a part of it? Raise your hands.

We all need to do something to achieve this. Together we all can bring about a big change in the society.

Q: Guruji, according to Bhagavad Gita, everything that has happened, is happening and will happen is for the good. Then why is there a distinction between the good and bad?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I will send two people to you and I will ask one to praise you a lot and I will ask the other to abuse you. You will come to know the difference between good and bad easily?

One gives you pain. No one likes pain. Even an insect doesn’t want pain. That which is painful, is bad. That which gives you short term joy but long term misery, is bad.

That which makes you undergo short term discomfort and gives you long term happiness is good.

This is the measuring scale.

Q: If I have to choose between the career of my choice and that of my parents, which one should I choose?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Negotiate with them to some extent.

Tell them that you don’t like the career they are choosing. Talk to them.

Also, if they are telling you something else, they could be telling you with some broader vision. If they have a family business to take care of, they would like you to do MBA and join the business. Now if you wish to go to some other profession, then no parent having a family business to take care will approve that, because they are worried, who will take care of the business after they are gone?

So, think and act.

Many times we get confused between our hobby and profession. We want to make our hobbies as our profession and we become careless about our profession. So, discuss with your parents or talk to your teacher or professor.

Q: Why does the mind feel sad when I can’t meet you?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When the hearts are connected, where is the need for a hug?

There is one spirit in all of us. We all are one.

I have been to so many countries in the world. Nowhere did I ever feel that I am meeting a stranger. Whomsoever I met, I felt them to be my very own and they too experienced the same for me. So, you too see everyone with same eyes and accept everyone.

This only is the knowledge of the self, where no one seems like a stranger.

Q: Guruji, why do we exist and who are we?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This is a very good question! Don’t give the question to anybody. Keep asking this question within yourself time and again. Keep the question within you.

These are some precious questions. Don’t sell them for pennies and don’t get satisfied with some little answers from here and there.

Those who answer you are doing a big injustice to you. Those who know will never answer such a question because they know it is a sign of a spark that has arisen in your brain of Vitarka (special logic). From Vitarka the knowledge of the Self dawns.

Those who know will be very happy to see it arising in you. Those who don’t know will confuse you with long explanations.

Q: How does God keep us protected?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That is a wonder!

Since the moment you were born, He has protected you in many ways.

He has protected you through the love of your mother and father. From whomsoever you are receiving love; it’s all from the Divine. God only is providing you everything.

Q: We should give quality time to the Divine. Please tell us what is that quality time?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It means don’t give third grade time to the Divine.

When you have nothing else to do, you don’t have any movies to watch, there is no work to complete, then if you plan to do Bhajan that is useless leftover time. Don’t give leftover time. Daily sit for meditation for at least ten minutes twice a day, morning and evening.

You are not doing this for God. God doesn’t want anything from you. It is for your own sake that you meditate and serve the poor and miserable and that time is the best time.

Give your efforts in service.

Q: Everyone wants liberation. But in this 21st century, what should one do to attain liberation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, every one desires for freedom!

There is a limit to enjoying pleasures, after that limit is reached then the desire for freedom starts arising.

For example, if you ask someone to eat ten parathas (flat breads) he won’t be able to do so. After six or seven parathas he will say, ‘It is enough.’

The thirst for liberation is quite natural. Each person wants to feel free from inside. This is a very natural feeling!

Q: Guruji, you are going to Pakistan. There is lot of violence there. What do you feel about the future of Pakistan?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The news of my arrival has spread over there. After so many days, they have banned a terrorist organization which is responsible for killing many of the Shia muslims. Pakistan as well is a victim of terrorism today.

I am going there day after tomorrow for a three day visit. There are many devotees there as well and they all have invited me with so much love.

When I went there in 2004, they said, ‘Guruji we waited for you for five years, now don’t make us wait for another five years’. But now I am going there again after seven years.

We have to establish a ‘peace center’ there in Pakistan.

I invite the youths here to come forward and to learn yoga and meditation, and teach others. How many of you want to become teachers? We will plan for a teacher training program for you here.

There is a requirement of meditation teachers from India all over the world. In Pakistan, around one lakh people have been reached out to through service activities by Art of Living. When there were floods in Sindh, then too people from the Art of Living set up a trauma relief camp there and a lot of work was done.

I would say, from the amount of money that India and Pakistan are spending on defense, if they would spend even one percent of that on a movement towards a peaceful resolution between the countries, and if the common man from both the countries maintain good terms with one another, then there will be no room for terrorist forces to prosper.

When we need a good doctor or a lawyer, we don’t ask him which caste or religion he belongs to. But when it is a question of politics, we get stuck to casteism. We need to change this equation. If India has to move forward, if everyone has to get economic and financial justice, then we need to come out of this narrow minded thinking.

Q: Guruji, you travel so much. You change flights and cars. You don’t even have time to sleep or eat properly. How do you manage to do all these?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When there is willingness to do, strength automatically comes. When there is some celebration or festival at your home, you too don’t think about food. You get busy with the preparations. Likewise for me every day is a celebration.

Q: Guruji, in U.P a youth is going to become the Chief Minister today. He has proclaimed that he will eradicate autocratic power that uses money or muscle strength. Do you feel that a youth can bring changes in this country?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Definitely! Youth want such a change. I congratulate Akhileshji for bringing U.P. to such great heights. And taking him as an ideal, the youth in other states should move forward. Let the youth be a part of the ministry. This is very good news.

Autocratic power using money or muscle strength should be eradicated and I would say, take spirituality along with you as well, because it is spirituality that can eradicate autocracy. The law against autocracy should be very strict.

Q: Guruji, you feel belongingness to every country, every religion and all types of people. This is your greatness. But what is that secret that they too feel belongingness to you.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Whatever is inside us is reflected outside too. The world is like a mirror. If we feel bad inside then everything outside appears bad as well. If we are good from inside and we feel good from inside, then those who come in contact with us, even if they are bad, they start becoming good.

Q: Guruji, we came to know that you visited prison today. Was that a karma of yours that led you to prison?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes! Not only today I have been there many times. Prison was the birth place of Lord Krishna (laughs). He was born in a prison.

In the prison here at Udaipur, thousands of people have done the Art of Living Part 1 course and the silence program. They have been doing the practices for many years, so today I went there to meet them. They were very happy and seeing their happiness, I also felt happy.

Also two people have become teachers after coming out of prison.

Q: Guruji, if all my work is being done by your grace, then why should I put any effort?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Then get yourself involved in service.

Sukh mein seva dukh mein tyaag; this should be our motto of life. When you are happy, do some service, and when you are sad or miserable then surrender.

If you can’t let go of misery, then how will you let go of pleasure? So, serve when you are happy and let go when you are miserable.

Q: Guruji, what is it about you that just by looking at your photograph, taking your name and getting the news of your arrival, all work gets done. How can I have the same effect?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I too don’t know. I am a simple child who refuses to grow up. A child is there inside you too. Awaken that child and get rid of the stiffness that has set inside you.

Q: Guruji, today’s youth either want to sit before a computer, or want to watch TV, or want to go for parties. Where else can we encourage them to divert their energy?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is okay if they want to do these things, there is no problem, but they should also get involved in working for the society. The youth need to participate in the task of awakening the people of this country. The youth should wake up and come forward; the youth should be part of politics.

Many people don’t even go and vote because they think that all the political parties are alike and there is corruption everywhere. They sit back with such a disinterested attitude. Don’t do this!

In this society, the good people are more, but they are sitting quiet. Society has gone down not because of bad people but because the good people are keeping quiet. To inspire and motivate these people who are quiet, the youth should come forward. Then you will see our country progress in leaps and bounds.

When spirituality in our country was high, we were very prosperous. There was no shortage of any kind. One third of the world’s GDP came from India. There was so much wealth in this country. Now if you see, we are facing all sorts of losses and that is why I am asking the youth to wake up and to come forward. Come forward and eradicate ignorance and superstition. Even today, animal sacrifice is practiced in many temples. This should be stopped. Discrimination based on caste should be stopped. Many of our ancient seers and sages were born in the lower castes.

Worshiping the feet is a tradition in this country. Feet have never been considered as low or derogatory. Here in India, we do Paad Pooja (worshipping the feet), in fact the head is not worshipped, but the feet have been given importance.

In foreign countries, saying ‘my foot’ is considered as an abuse. But in India, feet are considered sacred and more significant than the head.

So if the Shudra (considered to be a lower caste in India) is compared with the feet, it does not mean they are low but it means they are more honorable. All castes and sections should be looked at equally and everyone should do their duties.

Q: Lord Rama’s war was against Ravana in Treta Yuga. Lord Krishna’s war was against the Kauravas in Dwapar Yuga. Who is your war against in this Kalyuga?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: My war is against ignorance, injustice, lack and impurity.

I have heard some people say that soul was very pure in Satyuga and eventually it became less pure, and in Kalyuga it became impure. This is complete non-sense. It is not like that.

In Satyuga also there were Rakshasas (demons) like Hiranyaksha and Hiranyakashipu, they would intervene every time someone prayed or took the name of God, and the Avtaras had to come four times to get rid of them from the Earth.

In every age, the soul is beyond time and is eternally pure. It is wrong to think that the soul has become impure.

Kaliyuga is also good. Don’t blame the time.

You have heard the saying, Kalyug Kewal Naam Adhara. Just by chanting the name of the Divine it is easy to attain God in Kalyuga. So don’t say Satyuga was better than Kalyuga.

Irrespective of the time, seekers have been doing sadhana and have attained the ultimate goal. So, you too can attain such perfection even today.

Q: In a world filled with attractions, how to preserve our customs and traditions?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Our consciousness is full of joy.

We think spirituality is boring and makes people dull and unenthusiastic, no! Spirituality is the means to living a life full of joy. A life of peace, happiness and inner contentment. Getting such an experience is what is called meditation. Once you experience meditation, then everything else starts to feel dry. Once you have established that connection with your inner self, everything on the outside starts to feel dry and unexciting.

Q: Guruji, God wants for me to become a good human being. You too want the same for me and my parents also want the same. Please tell me why did God create evil in the first place?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Who said you are bad? I never said that you have to ‘become’ good. You are already good.

Just wake up and see, you have the ability to drop all the small little habits that you are stuck with this moment.

Okay? So just drop them.

Q: Guruji, with an increase in the number of spiritual teachers and devotees, why is crime and corruption increasing as well?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, spiritual teachers are not the cause for the increase in crime and corruption.

I will ask you one question. Ten years ago, there were not as many hospitals in India as there are today. The number of hospitals has increased; so are hospitals responsible for people getting sick?

Hospitals have increased and ailments have also increased in this decade. Will you hold the hospitals responsible for the prevailing ailments? No.

In spite of hospitals, ailments are increasing.

Similarly, in spite of Saints, if crime is increasing then just imagine what the condition of India or the world would be if there was no spirituality at all. Do you see what I am saying? Each and every village needs a saint. A Purohit (priest) is needed; a person who can uplift the people and bind them together. One who is concerned about the well being of everyone, and whenever there is some conflict, he should be there to counsel them and calm the situation down.

A person who can remove the lack, such a person is needed. In India, we have seven lakh villages. In each village, if there are two people like this who can work for the well being of the people; teach them yoga and meditation, then the our country will transform tremendously. We need 14 lakh service oriented yoga and meditation teachers.

So you also become one among such teachers. Learn yoga yourself and teach others as well so that others too can find peace in their lives.

Q: Guruji, what are the effects of the planets and time on our lives?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Whatever be the effects, you can remove them by chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, and through devotion and meditation also their effects are reduced. Nothing else is required.

In this world, every object has an impact on the other. It is said that if a butterfly flutters its wings in South America, it impacts the clouds in China. This is what scientists say. So it is possible that the Moon, Sun and Planets have some effect on our lives, but not to such an extent that you get confused and upset. Many times, we get so caught up with astrologers and we do so many things and when we don’t get the desired result we get depressed.

We don’t need to do such things. Good and bad times come in everyone’s life. They affect the body, mind and intellect to a certain extent.

On Full Moon and New Moon days, the Moon does have an effect on the body and mind. The remedy for this is pranayama, yoga and meditation.

Q: Guruji, in the land of Rajasthan, valor and values hold a very high place. However the youth today are forgetting this and are getting influenced by western thinking. How can we preserve the Indian values in them?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Definitely, these values should be preserved!

If you go for anything western, you will have to come back to the roots in India eventually. Today, even foreigners are turning towards India. They want to know about Indian culture, they want to marry according to Indian tradition, etc. The world is round; you will ultimately have to come back here even if you go west. Coming back sooner, this is intelligence.

Q: Guruji, many people have sent their problems and botherations here on the stage.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, leave all your botherations and problems here.

I have heard that nowadays there is an increase in the number of suicides and that too from affluent and educated families. I would say, if you have any such botheration or pain in the mind, know that you are not alone. I am with you! Give all your problems to me. I am with you!

Do sadhana, seva and meditation. Come forward and do something for this country.

So go back with a smile and before going to bed, meditate for ten minutes and surrender whatever you desire and sleep happily. This is the way to take a sankalpa or an intention. Take the intention and then drop it.

Q: Guruji, you have said that success in yoga is achieved by dispassion and practice. I am doing my practices, but I am married and I don’t have dispassion. How can I progress in yoga?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No! Fulfilling your responsibilities is also dispassion. Attend to your responsibilities. Do what you need to do, complete it and rest. That which you need to drop, drop it and rest, this is dispassion.

There is no need for you to leave your home and run away somewhere. You can walk on the path of yoga while fulfilling your responsibilities. Being at home also you can achieve the ultimate truth. There is no problem at all.

Q: Please give us three messages for the people of Udaipur.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Thousands of you have come here today. All of you should become volunteers and do some service. At least give two hours in two weeks for serving the society.

Every Sunday morning from 9am to 11am, all of you come together and clean the city, plant trees, and motivate people to drop addictions and stop female foeticide.

Groups of fifteen to twenty people assemble together and go to a nearby village and conduct satsangs there. Tell them some good things and make them feel that we are all one family. If all of us get together in this manner and work for the society, then we can bring a big transformation. A wave of devotion, knowledge and spirituality will arise in the country.

Q: Guruji, when are you coming into politics?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: By coming into politics, I don’t want to corner all the good people. There is a need for good people, both in the ruling party as well as in the opposing party.

It is good for a journalist, a saint and a social reformer to be impartial, and to choose and send good and authentic people forward at the time of elections. Not on the basis of caste, money or muscle power.

So I take the position of a reformer and a guide, and if youths want to come forward and get into politics, I will support them completely and encourage them to enter politics with a spiritual and service oriented mindset and not to make politics as a business.

The nation comes first, then the political party and at last comes ’me’. This should be the mindset

Love for the country and love for God are not separate

February 17, 2012

Happiness should also be controlled. When we are happy, we should channelize our happiness. Sukh mein seva dukh mein tyaag – memorize this formula.
When you are happy, do some sevice, and when you are sad or miserable then surrender your sorrow. If you do not have the attitude of surrender, sorrow will never leave you. If one does not surrender even in sorrow, then there is no way out for that person. Surrender and service, both should go together in life.
The happiness that we are experiencing must be given a direction.
See how joyful we are – we have been meditating since morning and we all feel so good. We must think, what do we have to do so that everyone may experience this joy?
Do seva, we have to build a corruption-free, violence-free, and oppression-free society. For that we have to fight against ignorance. There are a variety of superstitions in our country and we have to eliminate those. There is illiteracy which we have to remove. We have to fight against ignorance.

To all those people who are watching (the webcast), I would tell them too that they should meditate for a little while every day. Meditation increases joy, keeps the body healthy, intellect sharp and makes one intuitive - whatever is about to happen gets reflected in the mind beforehand.
Embrace all bad thoughts. Why? Because if you try to chase them away, they will persist. So if you shake hands with them, they will immediately go away.
Kshane Kshane Uparameti – slowly, gradually, as the mind is released from the stream of thoughts, within two to four minutes, or ten to fifteen minutes, the mind settles. As we continue to practice this, such a joy and peace will arise and honesty will become the nature of our life. We will not have to make any effort to be honest; honesty will become our nature. We must keep ourselves open.

Annaji (Anna Hazare) has come here today. In his life he has always had a completely open personality; a deep sense of belongingness with everyone. Just as we are here, absolute openness!
This same kind of openness on your part - to do something for the country, to sacrifice and feel, ‘I don’t need anything for myself, everything is for my country.’ If this spirit awakens in every one of our youth, then the very look of the country will change.
It has to change and we will have to bring that change, there is no other option.
Are you all ready?
Annaji, your army is ready! We have a factory here for preparing the army!

Without going inward, life will not move in the right direction. Neither will there be success at work – for success at work also one has to go inward, at least for a little while every day. When one achieves success at work, then there will be stability in life and we become peaceful. And then, whatever we wish for will start happening. How many of you have experienced this?
This is the significance of the spirituality of India – Sankalpa Siddhi. Defeat does not come near us. Why? It is because of the increase in sattva. When there is an increase in satoguna, you can gain victory over the world. Wherever you go, in whichever corner, no matter what kind of challenge you face, you will overcome it effortlessly with a smile.
How? It will not be the achievement of a single individual or the small mind. It is the universal consciousness, the cosmic consciousness, the supreme power - when we get connected to it, only then can we achieve success and attain perfection (siddhi).

There is an old saying in U.P. (Uttar Pradesh) Ram jharokhe baithe sabka mujra le. This is proven in life, so if you try to do something without spirituality, you will never achieve success. Spirituality is our essence, our foundation, and the very basis of our life. So, hold on to it, and then see how everyone’s mind changes, even the worst minds change.
Nobody in this world is bad but even those who appear to be bad, we can transform their minds also. There is so much power in this knowledge. That is why it has been called Brahma Gyaan (supreme knowledge).

Yesterday, someone asked me, ‘Why have all these corrupt people come here?’
I said, ‘I would like you to bring all the corrupt people in the world here, to the ashram.’ Let them come and sit here for some time, and witness the joy here. They give so much importance to money because there is no love in life, no sacrifice, no peace has been experienced, no joy achieved. If they experience the joy here then money will lose its charm. If they could jump and dance like all of you and sing in ecstasy, then everything else will lose its charm. Wealth, alcohol are nothing, they have no juice. So let there be juice in life.
So, just like how you have found such joy in life, spread this joy and this juice to everyone around you. Let them drink it – you drink and make others also drink. In a bar, the bartender makes others drink, but does not drink himself. But we first drink ourselves, and then make others drink.

Today Arvindji (Arvind Kejriwal) is also sitting with us. He is so good, so articulate, so informative. He keeps all information and knowledge. There is intense love for the country in Arvind’s heart. Every one of us are with him, and he has a lot to do for the country in the future.

The voice of truth should be bold. Make your voice so powerful that it is heard in every corner. Love for the country (desh prem) and love for God (daiva prem) are not separate. If you love God, you will definitely love your country, because it is the creation of God after all! They both are not separate. And if you love the world, the creator who is sitting inside you, you will turn towards Him also and thank Him sometime. If you don’t do that, it will not work.

See, each one of us is like corn. Corn is hard and popcorn is soft and white. In the same way, energy from the meditation and all these (practices) makes the corn pop and become fluffy! It makes your heart open and your mind clear. It is such beautiful wisdom. Isn’t it such a nice and great wisdom?!

Q: Guruji, all of us seem to have a clear idea of how other people should lead their lives, but very few have an idea about their own lives. Why is it so and what can we do about it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Now, are you talking about yourself, or your spouse, or someone else? 
Of course, your spouse will give you ideas on how you should be living and what you should be doing, and your mother will give you advice, your sister will dictate you, and your daughter will tell you ‘Papa, this is how you should behave.’ 
The same happens with women also. Your husband will tell you and your brother will advise you.
You are swamped with advices. You are bombarded with advices. Take them and listen to them, but don’t lose sight of what you want to do. Don’t lose sight of your goal. 
Set up a goal for yourself and one for society, where you want the society to go. 
Now, advices are not bad. You can’t discard all the advices. At the same time, you can’t take them all in. So, you need to keep your mind very open. What is it that you want in life? What progress have you made? Look into it. 
Every now and then, we need to revisit our own state of mind. ‘Where are we going? What is it that I want? What I did, is it correct or what I am going to do, is it right?’ This introspection is essential.

Q: Guruji, you just mentioned about the stream of thoughts. Is there anything we can do to stop or reduce the bombarding of thoughts?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Thoughts are part of your consciousness; they come and go. 
Now, how to get rid of thoughts? There are four ways. 
One is when you are shocked. If you get a shock, even an electrical shock, your mind goes blank. I don’t want you to do that (get an electrical shock) and get to that (state)! Every shocking incident creates blankness in your mind. 
Second is music. If you are singing, if you are participating in music, then also thoughts become less. 
Any strong emotion can bring down the number of thoughts at that particular time. 
The third is exercise. 
And the fourth is with pranayama and deep meditation. 
Still, if you are bombarded with too many negative thoughts, know that something must be wrong with your bowel movement. Do Shankh Prakshalan (intestinal cleansing). That would also help. It will make your mind much calmer. But pranayama and meditation is the best.

Q: Dear Guruji, we are all the same at the very core. Then, why do some people long to know about the self and spirituality and other people do not? Isn’t it the same spirit in them too?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, it varies. Different people have different interests. Some people are so fond of mathematics. Ask Bawa (Khurshed Batliwala); he is so fond of mathematics. He did a video on mathematics ((a+b)2 = a2+2ab+b2) and there were so many hits that the server crashed! There were two and half lakh hits on that website. 
So, he (Bawa) is a genius in mathematics and he goes into it. And ask D.K. Hari, he has explored history so well! Hari has made a book on corruption called ‘U Turn India’. It is a very well thought about plan on how India can turn around to make a better economy; change the economy of the whole state from the very basis. 
The Ganges, which we think is a natural river, he has proved that it is a man-made river. It is an artificial river, with all proof and evidence. If you go to bharatgyan.com, it is amazing work that Hema and Hari have done. 
So, it is the interest, and some people get this inquisitiveness, this interest to know ‘Who am I?’ ‘What is this consciousness?’ ‘What is this Self?’ ‘Who is this Self?’
‘I eat, sleep, drink, and do all this activity, but finally who am I? One day I am going to die; after death what will happen to me? Where do I go?’ 
These questions come. They are very natural and they show the sign of maturity of intellect. Only a mature intellect can fathom into spirituality; the quest of spirit of enquiry comes then. So, when India was materially very prosperous, spirituality also dawned. When India was spiritually at its peak, it is exactly then when it was also materially very prosperous. But today, it has gone down in both; it needs a U-turn.

Q: Guruji, is there any effective way of dealing with anxiety? I feel anxious even for small household jobs.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Ujjayi pranayam. Keep doing it several times now and then and notice it will start reducing from the very first sitting. Also, regular meditation.

Q: Dear Guruji, while answering a question, you mentioned that our energy level goes down after watching movies. But when I watch you Guruji, I feel more energy. 
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That’s ok! So, you have your own experience. 
What I am saying is, when you see people who go into movie theatres, they look so fresh and energetic. When they come out of the movie theatre, look at their faces. They look so tired and dull! They are not coming out with great enthusiasm or energy, but all drained. Isn’t it the experience? 
I am not saying you should never watch movies. You can watch movies, doesn’t matter, but not too many and not too often, take care. 
You need to be updated about the news, but you don’t have to watch the same violence, domestic fights and all these sort of things. Then when you close your eyes you see all that violence in your mind. That is no good for a Sadhak. 

Q: Dear Guruji, I don’t have any questions. All I want to say is that I love you and thank you for everything. But tell me Guruji, do you want to say anything to me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Listen, I have been saying it all the time! What I want to say, I keep saying, right?

Q: (A member of the audience spontaneously asked a question without speaking into the mike. The question was inaudible in the recording.) 
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, you should never think the future is karma or destiny. See the past as destiny, future as free will and be happy in the present. This is the intelligent way to be. You know what the fools do? They keep regretting the past, thinking the past was free will, and they think future is all destined and they don’t do anything about it and in the present they are miserable. So, you have two choices, got it? 

Q: What is the principle behind the Shiva Linga? Please explain.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Love is Shiva. The substance which is everywhere is Shiva. 
Something that is everywhere, how can we recognize it? To recognize it as a symbol, a stone is kept, a form is kept. That is it. 
God is not in that form. The form is a symbol that reminds us of God. It is like you look at your grandfather’s photo and say this is my grandfather. Seeing the photo you get reminded of your grandfather or grandmother or mother. But is that photo your grandfather or grandmother? No! Because of the photo, we get reminded of them. In the same way, through the form we worship the substance beyond the form.

Q: It is said that there are similarities between Islam and Christianity and also Christianity and Hinduism. Is there any similarity between Hinduism and Buddhism?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, definitely. Gautama Buddha was born as a Hindu, and then he became a Sanyasi. There is no difference between what Gautama Buddha said and what is there in the Upanishads. It is almost the same. 
In Hinduism, we went into a lot of rituals and customs; he said there is no need for all these. 
Killing animals for sacrifice should not be done. No need for yagyas. Thus he took people from that state to the state of meditation. Buddha spoke about meditation. 
In Buddhism, it is said that let everyone be happy, let all the Gods take care of us. It is the same that is said in the Upanishads.

Q: Guruji, I want to give these peacock feathers to you and Annaji.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Keep the wings with yourself, you have to take flight. We have already flying. You need it, keep it with you. Learn to fly! I don’t take feathers, I give feathers!