Thoughts

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, July 15, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Those who yearn to establish themselves in contemplation of Divinity must
seek solitude, practice meditation and repeat Lord’s name at specified
times, and acquire one-pointedness through spiritual exercises. They must
always be anxious to do deeds that will bring about the welfare of all
beings. They must always be engaged in performing work without any concern
for the fruit thereof. Sacrifice your selfish needs. Your desire should be
to establish the welfare of the world. Let there be constant effort to do
good to others. With all these feelings filling the heart, meditate on the
Lord. This is the right path. If everyone is thus engaged in the service of
humanity and in promoting the welfare of the world, the thieves of passion,
hatred, pride, envy, jealousy, and conceit won’t invade people’s minds and
divine possessions, like dharma, mercy, truth, love, knowledge, and wisdom,
will be safe from harm. [Prema Vahini, Ch. 68]


-BABA



Spiritual practices help you to stabilize in such a manner that you will not
be shaken by anything.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said



Be Light Hearted!

Mon, 05/25/2015 Bangalore, India

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(Below is a continuation of the post
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Everything Has A Purpose)

Questions & Answers



Gurudev, what is your opinion about the Make in India campaign (a campaign
launched to promote indigenous Indian products)?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, in the earlier days, every village in India
was self-sufficient, and you could get everything you needed in the village
itself. For example, in Moradabad in UP you would find a lot of brass
utensils. In Kashi (now called as Varanasi) you would find beautiful
Banarasi Sarees. In Agra you would get the sweet Petha, and in Karnataka you
find the Chennapatnam toys.
Similarly, the sugar made in Mandya is famous even today, and the sandalwood
and sandal products from Mysore are also famous. Mysore is also famous for
its silk. Similarly, the silk from Kanjivaram, and the traditional carpets
and bed sheets from Sholapur are famous even today. If someone needed a
carpet in Karnataka, they would be asked to go buy it from Sholapur in
Maharashtra instead. Sholapur became famous because of its traditionally
spun or woven carpets.

So in this way, different unique and indigenous industries emerged and
flourished in many provinces and parts of India in the earlier days. But
just look at what has happened in the last 20 years. So many of these small
scale and indigenous industries have vanished or shut down. Why is this so?
It is because the government’s policies for these industries were not good
and supportive for their growth. If a small scale industrialist wanted to
set up his own factory, he would have to face so many difficulties and
challenges.
China on the other hand did very well to promote its local and small scale
industries. Even today if you go to China, there are villages and small
towns where everyone makes only buttons. So if you wanted buttons of any
kind, you could simply go to that village and buy what you like.
Similarly, if you want to buy needles, there is a whole village engaged in
making all kinds of needles for all purposes. So the Chinese people borrowed
the traditions that we had set up in India and they preserved and promoted
them through the years. We on the other hand ended up ruining and
discouraging our local and small scale industries. Our government went on
imposing different kind of taxes which ultimately slowed down and destroyed
the growth of these industries instead of benefitting them. But now a very
welcome change has been announced in the country. The present government has
announced that there will be one single window to assist with and solve all
problems and grievances of the industry, regardless of the nature of the
industry.

See, suppose you wish to start a College for Architecture studies. Do you
know how difficult it is? It is because you will be stuck with following the
out-dated policies that the British had framed at the time of the British
rule in India. One has to run to five different offices to get permissions
and sanction for doing this. At every office one has to pay a sum of 20
lakhs to get the permission from the administration. It is so time
consuming. By the time one gets the permissions and the necessary resources
to open the college, he would die. It is so difficult for a single person to
do. See, a certification is definitely important for a college. But if one
has to open a college for Architecture or Engineering studies, then one has
to run across five different government departments to get necessary
permissions for starting the college.
At every stage where one seeks permission, they are asked to pay a hefty sum
as bribe for getting their work done, apart from the original fee amount to
be paid for this. All these problematic and corrupt processes need to be
done away with. Our new Prime Minister has given a strong voice to the
people of the country to speak their mind and issues, and this is a very
good step in the direction of good governance.

There are so many skilled people in India, yet we still importing our kites
from China. Just think, how difficult is it to make a kite? Yet we find that
even the kites made in China are of a superior quality. Why? It is because
we never gave proper encouragement and financial resources to promote the
Indian kite-making industry. In fact even our idols of various gods and
goddesses are being manufactured in China and imported by India. This is so
surprising.
In the earlier days, idols of various deities were being exported by India
to different places, but today, even the idol of Lord Ganesha is being
imported from China. If you see the faces of those idols, their facial
structure does not look Indian at all! They seem to resemble the Chinese
people more in their appearance (laughter).

So the Make in India campaign is indeed a very good step. We must encourage
our people to make Indian products, and we can invite foreign companies also
to set up factories and make Indian products here itself. They can do
business here also and earn revenues, and at the same time provide
employment to many more people in India. This is the main idea behind the
campaign. Otherwise what used to happen was that products were imported from
other countries and only a handful of industrialists would benefit from this
trade. For example, only a few of the shipping companies used to benefit
from this trade. But when the same companies set up their establishments
here and make those products, just think of how many people here will get an
opportunity for employment and livelihood. Those companies will save on the
cost of manufacturing and resources by producing those products here. So it
will not only benefit the people of the country, it will also benefit the
foreign investors who come with huge capital to invest in India. This is a
good campaign, but to implement it properly and fully will be a challenging
task. Currently we cannot say how fruitful this campaign has truly been or
not. We will simply have to wait and see.





Gurudev, my friends make fun of me for being spiritual. What should I do?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, it doesn’t matter. When they make fun of you,
you should enjoy that rather than react. Then they will stop doing that. If
someone makes fun of you the next time, do not get angry or shy away.
Instead, stand boldly and tell them, “Oh, come on, come on, tell me more.
Make more fun of me”. Invite others to make more fun of you. Just stand
boldly once and say this, then you will see that the whole atmosphere will
change. You will move with dignity despite allowing someone to make fun of
you.
You know, you need someone to make fun, right? So you think of yourself as
an object to make people happy. Be happy and think that “I have made
everyone happy”. Think that by doing so, you are at least creating some
humour. Think that “I am an excuse for bringing more joy”. Do not take such
things to heart. You should never do that. Only foolish people take such
trivial things to heart. Got it?

Some people take humour so seriously and burden their mind and heart. You
must have seen recently what some terrorists did. Someone had made a cartoon
or a caricature, and they felt offended and went and hurt the cartoonist. It
is just a cartoon. Let there be little humour and fun. Do you not make fun
of others or not? How would you feel if they become serious and depressed at
your humour? And how do you feel when they take your jokes sportingly, in
good humour? You feel good too, right? So that’s it. This is how you should
take it and be light.





What is the difference between Riddhi and Siddhi?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Oh, this is a deep topic, so I shall speak about it
sometime later. Siddhi means perfection. It means to have the ability to
acquire or obtain something even before we think or desire it.





What is the importance of bhajans?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do you like singing them? It uplifts you, isn’t it?
That is what it is. It is not to please God, but to uplift your own spirit.



Our past impressions carry weight and determine how well we face the present
moment and how well we can live life to its full capacity, free from fears
and negative emotions.

To help us to overcome past impressions, our beloved Guruji (Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar ~ founder of the “Art of Living” Foundation) has designed the
ETERNITY PROCESS, a process that enables us to view past experiences in this
and past lives to erase some karmas in a space surrounded by his love and
grace. We emerge having lived through our past impressions, more alive to
the present moment and to open to celebrating life. The process has given
deep healing experiences to many people.

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[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, July 16, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Everyone is proud of their body, mind and intellect, forgetting the
indwelling Atma, which is the real basis. The Atma has no birth or death. It
is akin to the root of a tree, which sustains its branches, leaves, flowers
and fruits. Atma is the basis on which the superstructure of life rests.
Human life is noble, sacred and precious. Every human body is constituted by
the five elements (Pancha Bhutas) and you are enclosed by the five sheaths
(Pancha koshas) — food (Annamaya), life-force (Pranamaya), mind (Manomaya),
intelligence (Vijnanamaya) and the sheath of Bliss (Anandamaya). While all
other living species have only the first three sheaths, human beings alone
have all the five. Hence, embodiments of Divine, it is everyone’s primary
duty to strive and experience that Divine reality. The surest and easiest
way is to begin every day with the feeling that you are very much a part of
the Divine. (Divine Discourse, 5 Jun 1994)


-BABA



We have five types of Bodies

We all have five bodies. Our first body is our environment. If there is
poison in the environment, this physical body cannot exist. That is called
Annarasmaya kosha. Food is not only that you eat. Environment is also food.
Air is food for our lungs. Water is also food. Heat or warmth is also a kind
of food. If you are in a place where temperature is -40 degree centigrade,
then no matter how much food you have but you won’t be able to exist. So,
heat is food for our body. One of course is the food that we eat. Peace and
joy are food for the soul. Our environment is our first body.
Second is Pranamaya kosha – the energy, life force. You can sense when
energy is low and when energy is high. You go to a place where there is low
energy, and you feel like running away. You go to a place of high energy,
and you feel like staying there. How many of you had this experience?
You can feel the effect of eating fresh food and frozen food in your body.
Fresh food has more prana, and frozen food has very little prana. Similary,
you find a difference in eating fresh vegetables, and eating thoroughly
baked and cooked vegetables. So, second is Pranamaya kosha.
Then is breath. You can nourish your body but if your body is not breathing,
it will go under Earth or become ashes. Our physical body has value because
of prana, because you are breathing. 90 percent of impurities in the body go
out through the breath. Only 10 percent impurities are eliminated through
urine, stool and sweat.
Then next is mind - Manmaya kosha, the thoughts in the mind. Are you aware
of the thoughts happening in your mind?
Then comes Vigyanmaya kosha - Intuitive awareness or knowledge. That is
fourth sheet of our body.
Fifth is the bliss. So these are the five levels of body that one exhibits.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

The Law Of Attraction

Bangalore, India

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(Below is a continuation of post
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Questions & Answers

Gurudev, I am getting married soon but I have this one botheration. For the
past 6 months I have had many fights with my fiancé and I am not sure if I
should continue this relationship.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Now, you stop demanding love from the person. If you
demand love or ask proof of their love, you are destroying it. How can
someone prove their love to you? You should not burden the person.
Suppose, someone asks you every day, ‘Are you honest? Are you honest?’ What
will you feel? Bad right? Similarly, if you keep asking someone, ‘Do you
really love me?’ How will the person feel?
The burden to prove one’s love is a very big. Your fiancé is coming to you
to find comfort, and instead of giving the person comfort, you make him
miserable. You should stop demanding love. Love should be given and not
demanded.

Take it for granted that we you both have good understanding and then
understanding will grow. If you question or doubt the understanding, it will
start crumbling. All these things are stupid things to do.
Your feelings need not be the football of others opinions. You should be
independent of the way you feel.
When you feel his attention towards you has reduced, just say, ‘I know you
love me too much. Why do you love me so much!’ Then the person will feel
better and their whole tone will change to the way you want it to be.
Isn’t that want you want to hear? For that you should not blame the other.
When you throw blame, blame will come back to you. If you show humility and
throw compliments on the other person, that will bounce back to you.
Always give compliments and you will see that comes back to you many folds,
and if you throw blame, it will come back to you. This is the law of
attraction. Whatever you throw bounces back onto you.





Gurudev, according to you what is easier, becoming a Guru or or becoming a
disciple?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Easy or difficult is just a concept. Anything is
difficult when you don’t have energy, anything is easy when you are full of
enthusiasm and energy.
You ask someone who is sick and tired, ‘Do you want to walk a mile?’ They
will say, ‘Oh, it is so difficult.’
You ask a young person who is full of energy and enthusiasm, ‘Do you want to
walk one kilometer?'
They will say, 'I will run 10 kilometers!’
You want to stretch yourself beyond your capabilities and limits only when
you have energy, when you’re vibrant and enthusiastic. When you’re
enthusiastic you are automatically a disciple because you want to know more,
and when you’re enthusiastic you’re automatically a Guru because you want to
share what you know and care for others.

When you’re sick and tired of everybody, when you can’t care for others, how
can you be a Guru for others? So, it all depends on your energy level. This
need not be only physical energy. You cannot say, ‘Oh, I am 70 years old and
now I don’t have the energy.’ No!
The physical energy has nothing to do with your enthusiasm! You can be
physically sick but mentally alert. This is when you can be both a Guru and
a disciple, and both will be easy for you.

I know people who are 80-90 and who are so enthusiastic. They ask me ‘What
seva can I do?’
I say, ‘You just sit and bless people!’
Young people don’t say, 'What seva can I do', but the elderly come and tell
me, 'I want to do some seva'. Physically they can’t do much, but the
intention to do more indicates how youthful they are.
It is the youthfulness of your spirit that determines whether something is
difficult or something is easy. So, if the spirit in you is youthful then
you are an eternal disciple, and an eternal teacher too.





Gurudev, you have said that one pointed focus is needed for liberation.
Terrorists also have one-pointed focus, can they get enlightened too?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You cannot generalize with terrorists. In that too
there are many varieties and attitudes. Some do it for money, some do it
with wrong understanding that this is what God wants them to do. So don’t
generalize terrorists into one category.
And, with something like liberation, you cannot say that a terrorist can get
liberated. At the same time you can’t even deny it; it may be a possibility.
Ravana got liberated. Saddam Hussain may also have gotten liberated.
Prabhakaran from LTTE may also have gotten liberated. We don’t know! People
who followed Prabhakaran thought he was a great person and has attained
liberation.

Lenin and Stalin who are considered great leaders, if you look into their
actions, so many people have died because of them, you will not be able to
call them leaders. 10 million people died because of the communist
revolution in Russia. They may be considered heroes in Kerala, but in many
parts of Russia, they are considered criminals. That is why they changed the
names of the Lenin Gods now to St. Petersburg.
You cannot ask such a generalized questions. I will leave it to the
historians and psychologists to look into their mind-sets.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, July 17, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Police and law-makers can defeat only external foes; they have no power to
destroy internal enemies. They will find the task impossible, for they are
not the authorities for that. The internal foes, six enemies (arishadvarga)
that operate within a person, can be uprooted only with the teachings of
great saints, love for God, and the company of the noble and holy. The world
suffers harm at the hands of wicked people when the law-makers responsible
for apprehending thieves themselves become entangled with them. Equally, the
world becomes enveloped in darker ignorance when righteousness (dharma) is
destroyed and those contemplating on the Brahman incessantly and the ‘great’
spiritual aspirants give up the path of well-being of the world and become
victims of sense enjoyment or ambition to earn name and fame. Then suffering
will increase every single day. The whole world will bask in peace and joy
only when everyone — leaders of countries and spiritual aspirants alike —
realize the righteous path and ponder the omnipotence of the Lord. (Prema
Vahini, Ch 69)


-BABA



Do not think that all people survive doing illegal or wrong actions. There
are many good people who survive doing righteous actions. One who survives
on wrong means has only a very short period of survival.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

You Are Cared For

Wed, 07/01/2015 Bangalore, India

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<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/strive-to-be-ordinary> Strive To Be
Ordinary)

Questions & Answers

I am an elderly person, and I feel like dying because I am so dependent.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Life is such; you should not feel that I am dependent,
and I want to be independent. See, no baby has been independent. As a baby,
parents took care of you, and in your old age, your children or someone else
will take care of you. So, life in the beginning, and in the end, is
dependency. In between, we think we are independent but there also we are
dependent on many things.

If your attention is on divinity, then you will not feel the burden of
dependency, or the frustration to have independence, both will disappear.

People who feel that they want to have independence, they are also
frustrated. This is because wanting independence is a frustration. Come on,
wake up. When you were a baby, were you not dependent? No baby thinks 'I
want to go back from where I came because I am dependent on my parents', no!
Whether in the form of parents, or as children, or as friends, the help you
get from anywhere is coming from only one source, i.e., the divinity. It is
only the divine who took care of you as your parents, and it is only the
divine who will take care of you as your nurse, or neighbour, or friends, or
anybody else. Someone will always come and take care of you, you don’t have
to worry at all.

This whole sense of insecurity that we build in us should simply be thrown
out and burned down. Don’t think your children will take care of you. Maybe
during your last breath, your servant or neighbour may come and help you,
who knows? Whoever is helping you, it is not that individual that is helping
you, it is God helping you in that form. Leave it to the divine energy to
help you when you are in need, in whatever form. Soyou don’t need to feel
obliged or burdened by anybody’s help. Got it?

This is a big problem. We feel burdened by somebody’s help. You don’t need
to feel burdened by it; that is ignorance. It is only the divine who is
helping you through other people. If you have this understanding, the
Advaita knowledge, then nothing can restrict your blossoming.



Gurudev, how do we increase our eligibility on the spiritual path?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The thought that you would like to enhance your
worthiness itself makes you move in that direction. When a person starts
thinking, ‘I am very worthy’, that is when you should realise that he has
some problem.

When complaints start coming up, then worthiness starts reducing. When
complaints end; when one’s gaze moves away from worthiness, then simplicity,
ease and modesty dawns.
Whenever we feel that we have been blessed with far more than what we
deserve, then gratitude wells up in us.

If we start thinking that we are very deserving, then something in us starts
becoming small. When we start thinking like this, it is almost as though we
are asking for rewards for our efforts; the same as joining a labour union,
asking for wages. When we think that we do not deserve so much, then we
behave like Masters, we don’t need to ask or get anything from anyone.





Gurudev, a saint gave me a yantra and asked me to worship it every day.
Nothing good has happened. How useful are these things?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do not get caught up with these kinds of things.
People may tell you to pay Rs. 5 lakhs, and say that you will get something,
but don’t get into all that. I know of people, who claim to give you mantras
they know nothing about. They have no clue of Sanskrit, but they give
yantras, and sell to people. People who have belief, they pay huge amounts,
and then come to me saying that it doesn’t work. Of course, it won’t work.
Do not get entangled in these kinds of things. It is our greed that makes us
do such things. Be patient. Sit wherever you are and everything will come to
you.





What is your opinion about religion?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Religion has a role to play. Everyone is born into a
religion. All the rituals in your life go through that religion. It has a
limited role to play. Religion is not everything. You should be more
spiritual.

When your movement is from religion into spirituality, that is more
important. People who move from religion to spirituality, they bring dignity
to their religion. When people move from religion to criminality, they bring
disgrace to their religion. Today, this is what is happening around the
world.

Today, people are not moving towards spirituality from religion, they are
moving towards criminality. They use religion as an excuse to further their
own agenda, and that has cost humanity a great deal.
When you move from religion to spirituality, you will find that everyone is
yours. Otherwise religion divides people. In fact, within religions also,
there are divisions. When you move to spirituality, not only do you unite
within the religion, but also across religions.





Gurudev, you spoke about politics but what about business especially for
youngsters? Any specific advice you have people who want to get into
business?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, go for it.
Be ethical when you do business. You don’t need to be in a rush to make
money overnight. Think about creating a stable, sustainable business. Don't
be too greedy, but at the same time, have a vision and an ambition. Let that
vision and ambition not turn into greed, where it takes you beyond ethics
and makes you collapse. Don’t get carried away by greed.



How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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Eternity Process

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, July 20, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


People are engaged in exploring space but do not make the slightest effort
to explore the Divine within. Of what use are experiments in space when
there is no genuine cultivation of human qualities and the practice of basic
virtues such as acting in reverence with the mother, the father and the
preceptor? People today are living in human form but are filled with beastly
qualities! Scriptures declare that people can attain immortality only by
renunciation (tyaga) and not through actions, wealth or progeny. What must
be renounced? Renounce your bad qualities. To manifest your inherent divine
nature, cultivate love for God and fear of sin and adherence to right
conduct (sangha niti). When you fear sin and love God, you cannot indulge in
immoral acts, automatically ensuring morality in society. God can be known
only by experience and not by experiments. Hence follow your chosen
spiritual practices diligently and sincerely. (Divine Discourse, 5 June
1994)


-BABA



When misery comes, everyone thinks of God. But to one who thinks of God even
when happy, why will misery touch him? There is an old proverb which says
this ‘Sukh mein smaran sabh karein, dukh mein kare na koi. Sukh mein smaran
jo kare to dukh kahe ko hoye.’ This applies to us also. When you are doing
pranayama, Sudarshan kriya, when you are happy, then that happiness will
continue. There was an article in the paper which says that the only way to
cure depression is by meditation. Anti-depression medicines will make the
depression come back. There is a rebounding of depression with
anti-depression medicines but with meditation there is no rebounding. Today
millions of people are suffering from depression and they don’t know
something like this exists. They don’t know there is a way which can make
them free from depression. When you go back, tell everyone about meditation.
It takes one out of depression, suicidal tendencies. Look at Rashid
(pointing to a youth who has come from Kashmir), he is smiling after 12
years and is now doing wonderful service also.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Strive To Be Ordinary

Mon, 06/01/2015 Bangalore, India

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Questions & Answers



Gurudev, is it alright for ordinary people like me to expect to be
liberated?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Only ordinary people have a chance to be liberated.
One who thinks they are special, hold no chance at all; especially VIPs,
they don’t have a chance.





Are there aliens in this universe?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, I am one of them (laughter). At least, some
people think so!





Gurudev, what is the difference between knowledge and wisdom?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is we who give meaning to words and definitions. So
it is up to you; if you think knowledge is information and wisdom is to
integrate it in life, then that is one way to look at it. Some people don’t
see any difference between knowledge and wisdom.





Gurudev, is Ashwatthama really alive or is it just a myth?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Often, when someone dies, we say, ‘Long live so and
so!' For example, we say, ‘Long live Indira Gandhi!’ So, chiranjeevi means
one who lives in the hearts and memory of people forever. In that sense, if
you read The Mahabharata, no one can forget Ashwatthama. If you read The
Ramayana, no one can forget Hanuman. So, the spirit is always eternal
orchiranjeevi.





What is the specialty of the River Ganges that the water can wash away our
karmas?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, it is true that the water from the Ganges is
quite special; this is all I can say. Do you know of the 5 Gans? They are
Ganga, Ganesha, Guru, Gita and you figure out the fifth one. Someone says
Gaan (song) or Gyaan (knowledge); I have told you four, now it is up to you
to figure out the fifth one.





Gurudev, there are some rapid fire questions.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Love: Your nature.
Politics: Nature of the world.
Master: Indispensable.
Education: Needed.
Seva: Intelligent people do it.
Money: Intelligent don’t worry about it.
Wisdom: You need to acquire it.
Technology: Brings comfort, it should be used for comfort.
Health: Most people ignore it.
Relationships: Where people get stuck.
Heart: That comes under the hat.
Karma: It is my karma to answer these questions, and your karma to hear
them.
Power: Should not be misused.
Fire: One of the five elements.
Angels: Rule the planets.
Anger: Ruins life.
Future: Work for it.
Marriage: Option.
Teacher: Deserves respect.
Success: Follows you, if you follow knowledge.
Country: Not just geographical boundary, but more than that.
Krishna: Your soul.
Intelligence: We don’t lack it.
Corruption: Should be done away with.
Craziness: Makes the world more fun.





Gurudev, why is there this huge ego that comes with talent? What is the
relationship between ego and talent? For example, many talented singers do
not let new singers come up. Why so?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If there is talent, there will always be some such
problems. It is difficult to see all good everywhere, and prakriti (nature)
brings some such negative tendency somewhere or the other.
Those who are talented, normally, they are very emotional. They tend to get
angry very quickly, lose their balance very fast. These things happen, and
we have to manage such things.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, July 21, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The road laid out by holy people has to be repaired now and then, either by
those who travel through it or by those who claim authority over it. That is
what is called ‘teaching (bodha)’. It is for the sake of such repairs that
the Lord occasionally sends some authorised individuals, sages, and divine
people. Through their good teachings, the path opened by the God-people of
the past is again made clear and smooth. But how is one to know the
consequence of the soul’s yearning for the Lord’s Advent? Since this can’t
be known, one has to pray until the world is established in happiness. The
happiness of the world is the sign of His arrival; if this is understood,
then it is easy to recognise the Avatar immediately. It is then that the
religion of truth (sathya), of compassion (daya), of spiritual wisdom
(jnana) and of love (prema) will grow and prosper. So until these are firmly
rooted, people must continue their prayers. That is the responsibility of
the people. (Prema Vahini, Ch 70)


-BABA



Everyone prays, whether kids, adults or old people; all of them pray. But
they do it out of fear. I would say, don't do it out of fear, rather to do
it out of love; out of a deep sense of gratitude. When you pray with love
and faith that is when you blossom.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Nurture Peace Through Yoga & Meditation

Wed, 04/29/2015 Washington D.C., United States

http://cdn.artofliving.org/sites/www.artofliving.org/files/wysiwyg_imageuplo
ad/yoga_6.jpg

Now, today's topic of discussion, nurturing peace, is very broad. In order
to understand peace, we first need to understand the problem? Why do we want
peace? Is peace a natural state?

If you ask a baby, 'Do you want peace or a lollipop?'
He would go for lollipop!

I see Swami Vivekananda’s picture here and just remembered a story about
him.
Once a professor in London asked Swami Vivekananda, 'If there is a book of
wisdom and some money on the floor, what would you pick up?'
Swami Vivekananda said, 'I would pick up money'.
Then the professor really made a fun of him. He said, 'Look, you don’t value
wisdom, you are picking up money! I would have picked up the book of
wisdom'.
Swami Vivekananda said, 'Sir you only pick up what you don’t have'.

Children have no value for peace, do you know why? It is because they
already have it. They have peace in their heart. One moment they cry and the
next moment they are smiling, they are able to laugh. The tears are still
there, the tears have not yet dried, but they are able to put a smile on
their face again. But we as adults have lost this elasticity.
Yoga is to bring that elasticity in our mind, not just in our body.
Unfortunately today yoga means just making your body more elastic. It is
considered as just a gymnastic, just a health thing. No!
The founder of yoga has said that the purpose of yoga is, 'Heyam dukham
anagatam', i.e., to prevent the misery even before it arrives. Of course
bodily ailments is one of them. So if you keep exercising then you can avoid
many physical ailments that might make you land up at a doctor’s place.

The other aspect of yoga is to bring skill in action.
Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Geeta, 'Yogah Karmasu Kaushalam'.
Skill in action and skill in communication, i.e., to be able to communicate
from your heart. A heart to heart, soul to soul talk.
Do you know, we communicate more through our presence than through our
words? Have you thought about it? I am sure we all have experienced this,
right? Someone may stand and talk on love for two hours, but a baby can
communicate the same message with one glance. Or a dog will jump all around
you communicate that which could not be communicated through words. Yoga is
skill in communication. It is the skill to relate to people.

Just imagine if Saddam Husain had better skill to communicate with George
Bush, and vise versa, wouldn’t the world have been a better place? If he had
communicated that he really does not have any weapons of mass destructions,
in the right proper manner, the scenario would have been much different.
Where we have landed up today is much worse than where we were ten years
ago. Do you all agree with me?
We may have different opinions, but nobody can deny that wars begin with a
breakdown in communication. Am I correct? Any war anywhere in the world is
the sign of breakdown of communication. War very clearly exhibits lack of
communication skills. When words do not convince, then we try with weapons.
When weapons don’t work, we try to come back to words, which really does not
work. So we keep going round and round in this catch twenty situation. We
get on to this roller coaster which gives rise to more and more conflicts.
As a result of all of this, there are more gun stores in the world today,
and there is increasing fear and lack of confidence in the planet
everywhere.



We definitely don’t want such an atmosphere for our children. Do you all
agree with me? There are many men and women here who agree with me, who want
to give a better environment and a better world to our children; a safer,
secure place for our coming generations. The way to this is by uniting
people, uniting hearts and minds. Uniting cultures, uniting religions and
civilizations. Uniting all age groups and uniting the generations. This is
very important.
All over the world today we see that there is a big generation gap. The
fathers and sons don’t agree, and the mothers and daughters don’t understand
each other. There is a vast gap and this has landed up in a situation where
people are depressed. If family values had been intact, depression would not
have been such a big issue. The World Health Organization has declared now
that depression is going to be one of the biggest killers in the coming
decade. 40% percent of people in Europe are depressed. Can you imagine,
every other person you meet could be depressed.

Yoga is the cure for depression, not Prozac. You can pop in Prozac and it
can give you a momentary relief. But it stops working in the long run.
So again here the words of Maharishi Patanjali comes, 'Heyam dukham
anagatam'. You stop the misery before it lands up at your doorsteps, and
that is what yoga is, that is what meditation is all about, and that is
exactly the purpose of pranayama. And it has worked, we have seen it working
in 152 countries. Even in this country, almost everywhere it has helped
people to come back to normal.

After 9/11, in New York, we started teaching yoga, pranayama and meditation
to the fire fighters and the policemen. We just started a small center, and
today the center is much bigger and so many people are getting benefitted on
a daily basis.
Then we had the 'welcome home' troupes, for the troupes who have been
fighting in Iraq war, Afghan war and Vietnam War. For them, when they learnt
these breathing exercises, meditation and some asana, life became so
different! A big change happened to them. I am going to address few of them
tomorrow morning, here on Capitol Hill along with some Senators of course.



I would like to share a very important story.
When Ethiopia became democratic republic, first people had to be taught what
is the ruling party and what is the opposition, because they are very
innocent people, and they did not know. The opposition would support the
ruling party and the ruling people would oppose themselves. So they didn’t
know the norms of democracy, they had no idea, and there was chaos within
the parliament. But then the American embassy and the British embassy there
taught them what is the ruling party and what is the opposition. So they had
to educate them, when they educated, that gave rise to another problem. The
other problem was that the two parties became so inimical to each other that
they would not even look at each other. They would fight like anything, like
cats and dogs. Then the American and British together sponsored an Art of
living workshop, with the help of Indian Embassy. The Indian ambassador’s
wife or the first lady there, is an Art of Living teacher. So she and some
other teachers got together and taught them The Art of Living course.
I called it Art of Living 35 years ago because those days yoga was a taboo.

So when we did this, then there was a bonding in the whole parliament. They
also invited me to address the parliament. A change had take place in the
people from within. The corrupt people became more compassionate, and more
committed to their work.
You know, corruption begins when the sense of belongingness ends. And yoga
is something that brings that bonding and creates a sense of belongingness
to everybody.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, July 22, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


When the Lord’s will, the needs of spiritual seekers, and the teachings of
great persons produce their combined effect, the happiness of the world will
be assured and undiminished. If all humanity prays together with unity for
unrest, injustice, disorder, and falsehood to be transformed into peace,
truth, love, and mutual service, things will certainly become better.
Worrying is fruitless. There is no other way out. This is no occasion for
despair. It is against the essential nature of people to plead weakness and
want of strength. Therefore, giving up the search for other means, people
must try prayer, service to others, and mutual love and respect. They should
delay no longer; they will soon acquire contentment and joy. (Prema Vahini,
Ch 70)


-BABA



Praying for peace does work! In 2004, there was a war between India and
Pakistan. The chief of the Indian army called me and asked me to pray for
the soldiers. We prayed for both the sides. The war did not happen at all.
Action, education and prayer are all necessary for peace.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Forgive yourself and forgive others


<https://www.facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar/photos/a.384745507535.168659.330
938752535/10152592944077536/?type=1> Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's photo.

If someone has done something wrong, don’t hold on to it. If a mistake has
happened through you, like you forgive others their mistakes, you should
also forgive yourself. Forgive yourself and forgive others; don’t chew on
other’s mistakes or your own mistakes.
When you chew on the mistakes of others, you get angry. When you chew on
your own mistake, you will feel guilty and you will drown in your own
depression. Both are no good. Spirituality takes you away from all this.
As it is said, to err is human. You make mistakes, but don’t sit and chew on
your own mistake or someone else’s mistake. If someone has made a mistake
you should forgive and forget. If you have made a mistake, you should ask
for forgiveness and move on. Don’t get stuck; feel free!
If you are upset with yourself, you can get angry with others very easily.
And if you’re angry with others, you will get upset with yourself. Both
these positions are not favorable.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, July 24, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Embodiments of Love! The hard-working farmer has no fear of starvation. The
one who chants the name of God has no fear of worldly worries. The man of
few words will be free from enmity. Through excessive talk people fall prey
to quarrels. Hence everyone should cultivate moderation in speech. Restraint
in speech is conducive to friendly feelings. The one who is careful in his
behaviour, doing all actions after due deliberation, will have no fear of
danger. All these precepts are related to education. True education consists
in knowing how to lead a peaceful life. This is the mark of every educated
person. In addition to furthering your career, you should aspire for world
peace, for all of you are part of the world community. Your well-being is
intimately tied to that of the world. Hence you should give up all narrow
feelings and acquire the feeling of unity with everyone and fellowship with
the Divine. (Divine Discourse, 14 Jan 1996)


-BABA



The Sign of Unity

Sign of uniting, or sign of yoga, is coming to your self, your mind settling
into your being, your source, with your original nature.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day









What SRI SRI said

<https://www.facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar/photos/a.384745507535.168659.330
938752535/10152818834467536/?type=1> Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's photo.

Longing itself is Divine. Longing for worldly things makes you inert.
Longing for Infinity fills you with life. When longing dies, inertia sets
in. But longing also brings along a sense of pain. To avoid the pain, you
try to push away the longing. The skill is to bear the pain of longing and
move on. Don't try to find a shortcut to overcome longing. Don't make the
longing short - that's why it's called loooonging. (Laughter)

True longing in itself brings up spurts of bliss. That's why in ancient days
longing was kept alive by singing and listening to kathas (stories). When
longing transcends relationships, judgments, jealousy and all other negative
feelings drop off. It is only with wisdom and self-knowledge that you can
transcend relationships. People often think wisdom is devoid of longing -
no! Such wisdom is dry. The longing that comes in true wisdom makes life
juicier. Divine is certainly juicy! Longing gives you the power to bless.
Bless the entire creation. For, the longing in you is God.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, July 27, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The Lord's abode is described in various ways as Vaikuntha, Kailasa, etc.
All these are fanciful names. Which is the abode of God? The Lord told Sage
Narada: "I reside wherever My devotees sing My glories." The Lord dwells in
the hearts of devotees; this is His main address. All other places are
‘branch offices!’ Any message addressed to the Divine as Indweller in your
heart is bound to reach God. What is meant by Ekadashi? It should not be
regarded as some special place or time. The form of Ekadasa Rudra is made up
of the five organs of perception, the five organs of action and the mind.
Rudra is a resident of the human body, which is full of numerous divine
potencies. Remind yourself, today and every day that these special
potencies, including the Divine Himself dwell deep within your heart.
(Divine Discourse, 1 Jan 1996)


-BABA





Make your home God's home and there will be light, love and abundance.

Make your body God's abode and there will be peace and bliss.

Feel your mind as a toy of God and you'll watch and enjoy all its games.

See this world as play and as a display of God Himself and you will repose
in the Non-Dual Self.

Blessing comes to you in many forms.

1) If you are generous, blessing comes to you as abundance.
2) If you are hardworking, blessing comes to you as happiness.
3) If you are lazy, blessing comes to you as hard work! (Laughter)
4) If you are pleasure loving, blessing comes to you as dispassion.
5) If you are dispassionate, blessing comes to you as knowledge of the Self.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Express or Impress?



Don't try to Express yourself or to Impress others...

"Do not make an effort to impress others, or to express yourself. Your
effort to express yourself becomes an impediment. Your effort to impress
someone also becomes futile. If you do not try to impress, expression comes
naturally. When you come from the self, your expression is perfect and your
impression lasts for ages.

Often you don't seem to have a control over your impressions and
expressions. Wisdom is selecting your impressions and expressions.
Enlightenment is when you do not take any impressions at all, whether good
or bad. Then you "master" the art of expression.

Many impressions in the mind cause: Confusion, Distraction, Chaos, Lack of
focus, and finally, derangement of the mind. Nature has inbuilt in us a
system through which it releases some of the impressions - through dreams,
and through meditation.

Excessive expression loses the depth and luster, the serenity of yourself.
Meditation erases the impressions and improves the expression."


<https://www.facebook.com/Swami.Purnachaitanya/photos/a.458437544200361.1132
61.196417737069011/983011318409645/?type=1> Swami Purnachaitanya's photo.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, July 28, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Turn the love that arises in you towards God. Dedicate your body to the
Divine. This is the true mark of devotion. There are three constituents in
every human being: the mind, the power of speech and the body. These three
are called Trikaranas - the three active agents. It is when all three are
used for sacred purposes, your life is sanctified. All need devotion. Every
person must cultivate this spirit, irrespective of one’s beliefs. It is only
spirituality that can purify the heart and mind of human beings. The second
requirement is morality. Morality helps to purify speech (Vaak). The third
is called Dharmikam. All righteous deeds done by the body or hands sanctify
you. It is through spirituality, morality and righteousness that the three
instruments get purified. Only the one who has achieved this triple purity
can realise the Divine. If any of these instruments are impure, you will not
be able to realise the Divine. (Divine Discourse, Jan 1, 1996)


-BABA



The source of the problems is one, i.e., humans, then the solution can also
be one, isn’t it? Spirituality is dealing with that basic aspect of human
beings. If the foundation is not right, then the building will have a
problem. So if you want to keep the building intact, then a strong
foundation is very essential. Spirituality is the foundation.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

A Glimpse Into The Secrets

Thu, 02/05/2015 Bangalore, India

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ad/yoga_5.jpg

In the whole creation, the origin is never seen. A seed sprouts, but what is
happening inside the seed is not known. Similarly a baby is getting formed
in the womb, but it is not visible outside. A river is born somewhere, but
you can never really go to the source of the river. Sothe origin remains a
secret.
Similarly, death is also a secret. Your origin is a secret and what happens
after death is also a secret. From the subtle to the gross to the subtle
again. And from the subtle how again it comes to the gross is again another
secret.

So when you look at the secret, there is amazement and amusement in the
mind. A 'wow'. This amusement is the basis for yoga. When you are amused by
the creation, that means the preface of yoga has started.
Children are amazed by everything. They look at their fingers with
amazement. They look at flowers and butterflies with amazement. They look at
the stars in amusement. So, when amazement or amusement dawns in life, then
yoga (synonymous of union) has also started.



Questions & Answers

Gurudev, how does the individual work when their individuality has already
dissolved?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: These are two dimensions. We live an individual life
and at the same time we also lead a bigger life. When you sleep what is
happening? Your individuality has dissolved into cosmic nothingness. When
you wake up, you have your roles to play.
Similarly when you meditate, what happens? You are dissolved. And when you
come out of meditation into action what happens? Individuality exists.
So life is a combination of the individual and the universal. There is one
aspect in us which is universal.

In the Upanishads there is a beautiful story. It says: two birds are sitting
on one branch. One is watching, another is eating. Similarly inside you,
there is one thing that is universal, that is just watching, that simply
exist. There is another thing that acts: the individual self.

Are you form or formless? You are both! Your body is form, mind is formless.
Right? Someone may say, ‘How is it possible? Either you are form or
formless. How can you be both?’
This is wrong logic.





Gurudev, you are the only saint in the world to reveal all forms of yoga.
Now you have launched The Art of Living Academy of Performing Arts (ALAP).
What is the importance of Arts to the world and to an individual?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Here in The Art of Living, we always look at
everything from an holistic view. Music is definitely part of life. In all
the cultures of the world, music is part of life. Babies first sing and then
only they speak. Music comes first, language comes later.
Have you seen babies singing ‘Aaaa...ooo...eee?' Singing comes first and
then they understand language. So it’s important to have music as part of
life.





Gurudev, I used to work in the financial markets for around eight years
before coming here. One of my primary roles was dealing with risks. I have
seen you taking a lot of risks. How do you manage risks?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, you don’t manage them, you just jump into it and
move on. Knowing very well only the best can come out of it for you.





I learnt a news today that Mongolian scientists are examining a 200 year old
mummified Buddhist monk found in the lotus position, whom some believe is
still alive in a heightened meditative trance called 'Tukdam'. They also say
that it is very close to Nirvana which according to Buddist belief is the
highest possible state achievable when the physical body dissolves. Is that
kind of meditative state ever possible? Can that be true?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Meditative state is possible and it does impact the
body also. The body will not decay for some people.
We don’t know whether somebody is still alive after two thousand years. This
we have to see. Why would somebody hold onto a body for two thousand years.
Would you hold on to the same dress for the next fifty years? When you don’t
like to hold on to the same dress, why would somebody hold on to the body
for so long? I don’t want to say it is a lie or anything. Body may stop
decaying, but it is not necessary that the soul holds onto the body. If a
soul is holding onto a body, it is not enlightened.





What is the difference between ethics and spirituality?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes spirituality connects all aspects of our life.
Ethics is something to do with your relationship with people.
Spirituality is your relationship with yourself and with the universe.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, July 29, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


In the world, you will easily see examples of how some families prospered
because of unity and others suffered because of divisions within the family.
Today the Universe desperately needs unity. It is through faith in God that
unity can be promoted. Look at the diversity of people in the halls of
Puttaparthi! People come from different creeds, nationalities and culture,
but all are united in their common allegiance to Bhagawan. By this single
feeling of faith in the Divine, unity is achieved. All of you are
embodiments of the Divine. You are embodiments of love and peace, of
Divinity; develop this strong conviction. With the power of the Divine to
nurture you there is nothing you cannot accomplish. Karna and Ravana are
examples of powerful men who were destroyed because they did not have the
power of the Divine. The Pandavas were saved because of their faith in the
Divine and their unity. (Divine Discourse, 1 Jan 1996)


-BABA



We need to bring unity in diversity. Terrorism is just lack a of education
in spirituality. the root cause is that and it has to be nipped at the bud.
Schools and colleges should have a broad spectrum of knowledge. Every child
should know a little bit about all the religions of the world so that they
don’t grow up thinking that only they go to heaven and everybody else goes
to hell.
When people think that others are infidels, others are non-believers and
only they have the right over God and God’s word, then that becomes a
problem for the world. People should know that every word and every sound
belongs to God. Multi-cultural, multi-religious education is a must in the
world.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

IGNORANCE



Ignorance is giving importance to something not worth that importance.
Thinking something that is changing to be permanent and imagining something
to be joyful which is not joyful. Considering something impure to be pure,
considering something that is temporary to be permanent. Just like someone
speaks some words to you. It is just a word that came from somebody’s mouth
and vanished. But thinking it to be a permanent thing – keeping it in your
mind – is ignorance. Someone’s comment is a fleeting veil of thought or
energy which came and went. They won’t even have that opinion later on! But
you keep it in your mind, “Oh, this is the opinion so-and -so has about me
all the time.” It is not true. This is one example of ignorance. The
consciousness which is devoid of ignorance, that is free from misery.


<https://www.facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar/photos/a.384745507535.168659.330
938752535/10152739944027536/?type=1> 'Ignorance is giving importance to
something not worth that importance. Thinking something that is changing to
be permanent and imagining something to be joyful which is not joyful.
Considering something impure to be pure, considering something that is
temporary to be permanent. Just like someone speaks some words to you. It is
just a word that came from somebody’s mouth and vanished. But thinking it to
be a permanent thing – keeping it in your mind – is ignorance. Someone’s
comment is a fleeting veil of thought or energy which came and went. They
won’t even have that opinion later on! But you keep it in your mind, “Oh,
this is the opinion so-and -so has about me all the time.” It is not true.
This is one example of ignorance. The consciousness which is devoid of
ignorance, that is free from misery.'

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, July 30, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The tree growing out of the soil returns to the soil; the individual arising
from Brahman (Divinity) returns to Brahman - this truth is not easily
perceived and that is the mystery of this marvellous creation. Embodiments
of Brahman! When a seed is sown in the earth, it sprouts as a sapling and
grows in due course into a big tree. In the tree, the branches, the leaves,
the flowers and the fruits all appear as distinct from each other and each
of them have a specific purpose. But all of them are different forms of the
mud from which they have originated. Seeing a rope at a distance, suspecting
that it may be a snake, one develops fear and screams. Soon someone arrives
and assures that it is not a snake but a rope. The moment that person
realises that, the fear is got rid of. During all these phases, the rope was
only a rope. The rope is Brahman, you mistake it to be a snake or this
creation or Nature. Then comes the jnani (the wise one) who reveals that all
that you see is verily Brahman. All that you see in the entire universe is a
manifestation of the Brahman. [Divine Discourse, 30-Jul-1996]


-BABA



Wake up see, God is present everywhere. God is in all the forms: birds,
trees, flowers and beautiful human beings. What form do you want him or her
to come in? See him in every form. All the forms are of that one formless
that you call God.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Take Refuge Of The Enlightened

Thu, 05/28/2015 Bangalore, India

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ad/SriSri.jpg

(Below is a continuation of post

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/bad-things-to-good-people> Why Bad Things
Happen To Good People)



Questions & Answers



Gurudev, it is said that the worship of the formless divine takes the sadhak
(seeker) to a different state than the worship of the Divine with form.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You have to go from the form to the formless. If you
jump only to the formless, that path is full of misery.
Lord Krishna said in the Gita, that there are people who worship the
formless, but that path is full of pain and sorrow. You can see this
yourself. Take Moses for example, his path has been very miserable and sad.
Jesus - his life was so sad. Take the example of Mohammad Paigambar, he had
to undergo so much pain and struggle, and the bloodiest part of history is
his. It continued after him too, all his family members had a very painful
and sorrowful state.

This is the reason why Buddha said, "Buddham sharanam gachhami", i.e., I go
to Buddha for refuge. Buddha is the formless in the form.
Then he said, "Sangam sharanam gachhami", i.e., I surrender myself to the
society and take refuge in the service of society.
And then he said, "Dhammam sharanam gachhami", i.e., I take refuge in the
ultimate truth.
To get away from misery, Buddha said four things; recognise there is misery.
There is a reason for the misery. It is possible to get out of misery. To
get out of misery, take refuge in the enlightened or Buddha. Again, Buddha
is the formless in the form.

Lord Krishna said the same thing, "Aham tvam sarvapapebhyo, mokshapapebhyo
mokshayishyami ma sucah".
Lord Krishna very clearly said that those who worship the formless, their
path is very tedious and full of misery. That is true.

Any worship is only for the formless, but the path through the form makes it
joyful, easier and more perceivable for people. You may choose a path with
rubble and a lot of potholes, or you may choose a nice road, a highway. This
choice makes a difference.





Why is India the favorite destination for enlightened masters? Why is India
the only country that is bestowed with a rich spiritual heritage? Is there
something special about this land?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There have been saints in almost every part of the
world. If you go to California, every city is named after a saint. Go to
Quebec in Montreal, it is all named after different saints. Of course, India
tops the list.

It is like asking, why are the Alps in Switzerland? Why are there such big
beautiful lakes in America? Why does the Niagara only have such big falls?
That is how it is! Every land is gifted with something special. Geysers are
found in Yellowstone Park. From ages, India has been the land of knowledge,
wisdom, and enlightenment. Perhaps that is why today, when it comes to
knowledge and IT, India has become number one, since it is a knowledge based
industry. Perhaps, this land is more accustomed to knowledge. Higher wisdom
or enlightenment is in the DNA of this land. But no part of the world is
devoid of wisdom; go to China, Japan, there are many saints there.





Gurudev, why is Bhakti Yoga (path of devotion) considered to be above all,
vis-à-vis Karma Yoga (path of action), Gyaan Yoga (path of knowledge)?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Bhakti Yoga is more juicy, easy and much quicker to
attain. This is the tendency of intelligent people, they want to do less and
accomplish more.





Gurudev, is there an expiry date or best before use date for blessings as
well? Sometimes blessings don’t seem to yield the desired result, what is
the reason?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I want to ask you a question; do gold and diamond have
expiry dates? Do you think blessings are less than gold and diamond and
yellow stones and metal? No way!





Gurudev, if sadhana is the wealth that goes with us when we depart from the
world, then why do we not invest our whole time in it alone?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You cannot, because your body cannot do it all the
time. You can’t eat the whole year’s food in two days, or one month. Every
day, you have to eat only a certain amount. Similarly, in sadhana also, you
can’t hurry up and do a lot of sadhana, then you will be what we call a blue
star (here, at The Art of Living). A blue star is someone who is not
grounded; someone who is out there!

Once, in the starting years of The Art of Living, a gentleman did the Sahaj
Samadhi Meditation Program. He was a brilliant person; he found the program
so great, he said, "I want to be enlightened today! I will not give up until
I get enlightened!"
He would sit meditating for eight hours a day. He would go sit in the
Ramakrishna Ashram in Delhi to meditate. He would sit there all day, and
people had to push him out when it was time to close. Suddenly, he started
thinking that he was Lord Hanuman. He went to the temple there and would
say, "I am Hanuman, why are they worshipping this stone?"
You can imagine what would have happened? Twelve policemen had to take him
away, and he landed up in hospital.

In those days, there were no cell phones. I was in Jhansi, and I was to go
to Indore for a program. When I reached Jhansi railway station, I told
people that we have to go to Delhi now. As I reached Delhi, the people there
were so relieved as they didn’t know how to handle this boy.
Of course, he became normal, but what I am saying is that sadhana also has
to be done progressively, step by step. You can do a little more when it
comes to advance courses, maybe four or five in a year, but sitting the
whole day in sadhana is not possible. The growth has to come gradually. One
day, suddenly, you realise, :Wow, I am so changed. Nothing disturbs me
anymore. I am happy; nothing can take away my happiness". This sort of wow
comes to you when you look back at yourself.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, July 31, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The true meaning of Guru is, 'One who is beyond attributes and forms, the
Supreme Self (Brahman)’. When this Self is within you, where is the need to
search for a Guru? A teacher who teaches others has had a teacher himself.
The one who has no Guru above him is the true Guru. The Sanskrit stanza
which hails the guru as Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara and as Parabrahman is
misinterpreted. The right approach is to consider Brahma, Vishnu and
Maheshwara as the Guru. These three are symbolised by the three gunas or
attributes: Brahma is Rajas, Vishnu is Satwa and Shiva represents Tamas. The
whole cosmos is constituted by the three gunas and the gunas are present in
you. The Trinity are present in the form of the three gunas in every human
heart. Hence, you are your own guru. You need not seek him elsewhere. You
have to feel at all times your inherent divinity, which is also present in
everyone. When you help or feed someone you must feel that the Divine in you
is feeding the Divine in others. [Divine Discourse, 30-Jul-1996]


-BABA



Life and Guru are inseparable.

Your life is the Guru tatva(principle).
Throw light on your own life. The wisdom that shines through your life - you
need to honor, that is honouring the Guru.
See, life has taught you so many things - what you did wrong and what you
did right, and if you don’t throw light on your own life, then the Guru is
absent. So reflect on your own life and honor the wisdom that life has
offered you. That is honoring the Guru.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=234681196671180&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> Life and Guru are
inseparable.

Your life is the Guru tatva(principle).
Throw light on your own life. The wisdom that shines through your life - you
need to honor, that is honouring the Guru.
See, life has taught you so many things - what you did wrong and what you
did right, and if you don’t throw light on your own life, then the Guru is
absent. So reflect on your own life and honor the wisdom that life has
offered you. That is honoring the Guru.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Meditation Brings Revelation

Mon, 06/08/2015 Bangalore, India

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Questions & Answers



Gurudev, can one’s basic personality or nature change by practicing sadhana
and meditation?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The answer to this depends on what is your
understanding of one’s basic nature or personality. If you tell me that
anger is your very nature, then I am not ready to believe that.
A person’s essential behavior is determined by the three Gunas – Vata, Pitta
and Kapha, and one's behavior keeps changing due to these Gunas. But the
fundamental aspects of one’s nature is the same for everybody, and that is –
creativity, enthusiasm, joy, and living in harmony with everyone. These are
constant for everybody.
Life is a mixture of things that are constant and things that keep changing
dynamically. We can never say, "Everything has changed”, and we also cannot
say, "Nothing has changed”. Life is a mix of the two. So some things in us
can change and some cannot – and we have to accept them both.

Suppose your height is five feet. Then once you turn 21 years old, your
height is not going to change. But your weight can increase or decrease,
whatever your age may be. You may weigh 70 kilos or even 100 kilos. Life is
a delicate balance between that which is constant and that which is capable
of changing. By Sadhana, your basic nature gets strengthened and more
established, and that which can be changed undergoes change much faster.





Gurudev, where is the fulfillment in life?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Fulfillment in life lies in knowing what life really
is.





If life is a dream, then what is reality?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Who said that life is a dream? Whatever has happened
in the past till this very moment, is nothing more than what remains in our
memory, and our memory is no different than a dream. If you see everything
that has passed in life from this understanding, then it all really appears
as a dream. The moment such knowledge dawns upon you, something stirs and
awakens within you – and that is awareness, that is Prajna(awakened
intellect) . All these practices that we do are only to bring ourselves into
that state of awareness, nothing more.





Gurudev, how do we come into a state of surrender or non-doership?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Stop thinking and trying to differentiate too much
between doership and non-doership. Whenever you do anything, just do it 100%
and be totally immersed in it with all your heart and mind. And once the
work is done, you must also take equally deep rest. What do we usually do?
When we are resting, then too we go on thinking about what we have to do,
and when we are working, we keep thinking, “Oh! There is so much work. I
need to rest. I need to rest”. When you work this way, then you can neither
work properly, nor are you able to take proper rest. So you lose out in both
aspects.





Gurudev, I am unable to control my anger even after meditation. What do I
do?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Go deeper into meditation. Practice more pranayama. It
is impossible that your anger does not quieten down after meditation as
well. And if you still feel that your anger does not subside after
meditation, then you should start observing yourself very carefully.
Earlier when you used to get angry, your anger would last for a long time.
If you have started meditating very recently, then you would have noticed
that anger still comes, but it subsides quite soon as well. In a matter of
four to five minutes your anger disappears, isn’t it so? If yes, then you
should see it as a big step in the positive direction.
When you felt angry in earlier days, when you did not meditate, your anger
would last for hours, days, months or perhaps even a year. But now that you
have started meditating regularly, anger does not stay for long. Why is this
so? It is because when anger comes, that moment the attention shifts to the
breath and you remember your breath – and this helps to regulate your anger.
The experience of past meditation immediately takes you back to a calm and
serene state and stops the anger midway itself. Has it happened this way or
not? How many of you have had this experience? (Many in the audience raise
their hands).

See, others may think or say that "He has been meditating for some time now,
yet he still gets angry”. But you will know from within that you have
changed after meditation. There is some transformation in you. Any
meditation that you do never goes waste.





Knowing that everything would be finished one day, makes me feel very
disturbed. How do I come out of it?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The temporary nature of things around you should
enable you to calm down, and settle in deeper within yourself. It is good if
it disturbs you, if it wakes you up from your slumber (of ignorance). But I
tell you, hold on to it and go deep within. You will find that a higher
horizon opens up within you where you feel invincible; where you will
experience that you are not this finite body but rather you are the infinite
consciousness.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, August 03, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


All the pain and pleasure people experience are the results of their own
actions and not due to any act of the Divine. God is only a witness, a
postman! He delivers to you whatever letter is addressed to you. The grief
or joy you derive from the contents of the letter is intended for you!
Likewise suffering or happiness one experiences is the result of one's own
bad or good deeds! However, God will shower ‘special grace’, when you pray
to God with a pure heart, without a trace of selfishness and with sacred
feelings. Also, when a person has done some unique sacrifice in a previous
life or sometime in the past, the Divine rewards it at the appropriate time.
Lord Krishna rescued Draupadi when Duryodhana attempted to disrobe her by
making her sari endless. This was in return for the spontaneous act of
Draupadi wherein she tore off a piece from her sari to stop the bleeding
from Krishna’s finger. [Sathya Sai Speaks, June 30, 1996]


-BABA



The whole world is made up of cause and effect. If somebody is rich, that
has a reason. If somebody is poor, that also has a reason. But does that
mean we don’t have any independence of Karma? You definitely have freedom.
We have been given discrimination. So, we do have freedom of karma, and also
we are bearing fruits of past actions also. It is like you get some capital
from someone. Now, it is up to you what do you want to do with it. A poor
man can become rich, and a rich can become poor. There are all
possibilities. Your karma decided where you were born. But it depends on you
where do you want to reach.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

The Guru Is Greater Than God

Mon, 06/08/2015 Bangalore, India

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(Below is a continuation of post

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/piece-of-the-master> A Piece Of The
Master)

Questions & Answers



Gurudev, in Maharashtra we have a saying which means that how can one say
who is greater – God or the Guru. Please explain this, else I would believe
as I always have that the Sadguru is always greater.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, yes that saying is true. There is a couplet by
Saint Kabir in Hindi that says, "Guru Govind dou khade, kaake lagoon
paao;Balihari Guru aapne Govind diyo bataye".
(Saint Kabir writes: Both God and the Guru are before me, whose feet do I
bow down to? O my dearest Guru! It is you for by your blessings I could
attain the Divine).

The Guru is the one who leads you to the light of the Divine (Govind). So it
is right. The Guru has always held the highest position in our country since
the ages. It is a very unique pedestal and we need to preserve and honour
the dignity of the Guru.





Gurudev, please ask the people here to plant one tree each when they go back
to their homes in the towns and villages so that the proportion of oxygen
increases in the atmosphere. I find that many of them do not do so once they
return from here.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I would not agree with your request of just planting
one tree only. I would suggest that each person should plant five trees at
least. You know when we had come to this land here where the Ashram is now,
it was completely dry and barren. You could not even find a blade of grass
growing here. But just look at how green and beautiful our Ashram is today.
So we must all keep planting more and more trees continuously.





Gurudev, I read the Namaz five times daily. I have joined the Art of Living
since six to seven months. Can we do our meditation along with our Namaz or
should we have a separate time for meditation?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You can continue performing your Namaz as you always
do, and thereafter you can do your meditation separately once you have
finished. You can do it at the same time, or you can also choose to do it
before or after performing the Namaz.





Gurudev, can you please throw some light upon the competitive spirit that
parents today are creating among children by pushing them to achieve higher
scores in studies like 90-95% etc.?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You should tell such parents to relax. It is a natural
tendency to be competitive but they should not put too much pressure on the
kids. Whatever percentage the child secures in the school exams, they should
encourage the child and tell the child not to worry too much about it. You
should quote some of the top examples for this. Some of the greatest leaders
across the world were quite mediocre and average in their school days. They
would not get the top rank in school, yet they have excelled. Parents need
to kindle talent in their child, and they should not put blame and pressure
on the child.





Gurudev, I often get visions during my practices about what is going to
happen in life. What do I do?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, when that happens, just be natural and at ease.
Do not get troubled. When you go deeper into knowledge and meditation, these
things may happen. Just be simple like a common man. Do not get stuck in all
this. It may be right up to 90% but there are still 5%-10% chances that your
premonition may not be right. So we should just treat it in a normal way. We
need not fear these extraordinary abilities, neither should we use these
abilities (that come through spiritual practices) for any sort of display.





Our parents are very possessive about us and they call us 8-10 times in a
day. How long do we tolerate this?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If you see the environment of today’s society, it is
natural for parents to worry more for their children. They love you so much
which is why they call and check on you more often. Why do you see it as a
burden? When you think it is a painful burden, you end up feeling disturbed.
Just think about them and think from their point of view also.





Gurudev, what is your favorite knowledge point?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Every knowledge that makes a point is my favorite.





Who is your favorite teacher?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When a teacher favors you, your job is done. And a
teacher favors you when you look at the teacher. That is why they say that
when you become Gurumukhi – when you turn totally towards the Guru, then
everything starts to happen.

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program 7 to 12 September 2015 (6days – evening course) @ APD
Chatsworth (new & repeaters)

1.2 AOL YOGA course (5 evenings) @APD Chatsworth 17 to 21 August 2015

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, August 04, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The hallmark of love is thyaga (selfless sacrifice). Love seeks nothing from
anyone. It bears no ill-will towards anyone. It is utterly selfless and
pure. Failing to understand the true nature of love, people yearn for it in
various ways. You must cherish love with the feelings of selflessness and
sacrifice. In what is deemed as love in the world - whether it is maternal
love, brotherly love, or friendship - there is an element of selfishness.
Only God's love is totally free from the taint of selfishness. Divine love
reaches out even to the remotest being. It brings together those who are
separate. It raises a person from animality to Divinity. It transforms
gradually all forms of worldly love to Divine love. To experience this
Divine love, you must be prepared to give up selfishness and self-interest
and develop purity and steadfastness. With firm faith in the Divine, foster
love for God regardless of all obstacles and ordeals. [Divine Discourse,
June 20, 1996]


-BABA



Have this unshakable faith that the creator of the world loves you very
dearly. Believe that 'God is in me, and I in Him'. This single faith alone
can take you to great heights.
God’s love is 1000 times more intense than the love of your parents towards
you. You may call that supreme power by any name that you like, you can call
it Mother Divine, Lord Shiva, or God, etc. It does not matter. God loves you
very dearly all the same.
So this faith you must have. Just do this once and see how your life
changes. Then whatever you wish for will start to happen. Have this faith in
your heart and just relax and repose within yourself.

So you all must meditate and learn a few pranayamas. Then you will have no
reason whatsoever to be sad or dejected in life.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Love Is About Giving

Wed, 06/03/2015 Bangalore, India

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Questions & Answers



Gurudev, ego, misunderstandings and doubts have destroyed my relationship.
What is the secret of loving relationships?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just be natural and accept people. Love is always
about giving. Know that you have come here (on the planet) to only give love
and not demand love from anybody.





Whenever we chant mantras, do we have to recite them out loud or do we chant
silently in our mind, like when we chant Om Namaha Shivaya?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Both approaches are fine, but one need not chant very
loudly. When we chant mantras loudly and together in a group, then it is
called as Kirtana. When we recite in a normal or medium tone of the voice,
then it is called as chanting. And when you recite quietly or very slowly in
the mind, then that is called as Japa.





Despite doing sadhana (spiritual practices) and seva (service), why do I
find it difficult to give up some habits or tendencies?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This is because of greed. This happens because
somewhere you feel that you are going to get some comfort out of that habit,
although you do not really get anything out of it. It is just that greed for
some joy or comfort keeps you stuck in the habit, but it cannot withhold you
for too long. After some time you feel, “Oh, what’s the use! Let me leave it
now for good”. Haven’t you felt this way sometime? How many of you have had
this experience? (Many in the audience raise hands in agreement).
You feel that you have experienced enough of it, and now it is not of much
importance, so you feel like letting go.





Gurudev, I have been here since two years but I do not see much change in my
attitude, my work and my relationships. Why is this so?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do not be too hard on yourself. Take a look at
yourself honestly. How can you say that you have not changed? It is
impossible for you to have not changed. You are changing. You may be
expecting a lot of drastic changes immediately – and that may not have
happened. That may take a little while. So have patience. Patience and
perseverance will make the difference, so do not give up.

There is a part in you that does not change – latch onto that. That is the
true you. It does not change at all. Do not get confused with that part that
keeps changing all the time.





What is Vayu Sthithi?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I know what paristhithi (situation or a particular
condition) means. I am not aware of this term. As per my understanding, Vayu
means the air and sthithi means its condition or quality. For example, the
quality of the air is quite poor in large metro cities like New Delhi. etc.
Everyone is thinking how one can improve the atmosphere of New Delhi.
Vayustuti is again something different. Just like there are different hymns
sung in praise of different deities, the Vayustuti is a hymn of verses
dedicated to the God of Air (or wind).





What is the role of Yantras (sacred or mystical diagrams) in Astrology?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yantras are like diagrams. If you open a transistor or
a chip, you will see a circuit diagram on the chip. Yantras are circuit
diagrams for cosmic energy, they are used for storing cosmic energy. It
takes a long time to study these in depth. Today you will find many people
who make false claims and advertisements saying “I make so-and-so kind of
Yantras” and they charge huge amounts of money like 5 to 10 lakh rupees. I
tell you, do not go for all these kind of things. Do not get caught up in
such kind of fraud. There is nothing in that.
On TV today you will see all sorts of advertisements for these, such as one
claiming to have a Goddess Lakshmi Yantra and it asks you to pay Rs. 5 Lakh
for it. The people who make these advertisements themselves do not even know
the science and the way to use these Yantras.

There are very few qualified pundits or spiritual people who are really
qualified and have the correct knowledge of using the Yantras. You can of
course purchase a Sri Yantra and install it at your home. There is no
problem in that.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, August 05, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Fill your heart with love. You will be betraying yourself if you entertain
evil thoughts but pretend outwardly to be full of love. Divine love will
manifest itself anywhere at any time. One filled with Divine Love will be
fearless, will seek nothing from others, and will be spontaneous and
selfless in expressing their love. There is no need to pray for gifts from
God. God will give of His own accord what is good for such a devotee. Did
not Shabari and Jatayu get the Lord’s grace without their asking for it? God
will decide what, when, and where to give. Hence, dedicate all actions to
God and Let Him decide what you are fit to receive. When everything is left
to God with pure love and total faith, God will take full care of you.
People today lack such firm faith. Great devotees of the past who faced
ordeals with faith and fortitude, ultimately secured divine grace and
experienced bliss. [Divine Discourse, June 20, 1996]


-BABA



Lack of faith in God, the world or yourself brings fear. Faith makes you
full – faithful.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Sri Sri's Message On Guru Purnima 2015

Fri, 07/31/2015 Quebec, Canada

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There are two worlds that we live in: One is the world of memory and the
other is the real world. In memory, there are three types of memory.
1. You remember but you can't do anything about it. You remember your
childhood, but you can't get it back. This is one kind of memory.
2. Another kind of remembrance is, you remember and you have to make a lot
of effort to get it. Suppose you have left your keys in Toronto and you come
here and remember that you have forgotten your keys, then you have to drive
back seven hours to get them. It is not instantaneous. You remember, but you
have to make an effort to get it.
3. The third type of memory is you remember and you get it instantaneously.
It is like, you are looking for your glasses, and then suddenly someone
says, "Your glasses are right here, on your head".
"Oh yes, it is right here".
Here the remembrance and getting it is instantaneous. You don't have to make
any effort to get it.

Our spiritual path is of the third type of memory. Knowing and getting is
instantaneous, all that you have to do is feel the connection, that's it.
Feeling the connection is that memory which connects us to the real world.
From the world of imaginary memories that we live in, we move on to the real
world.
Now, how do you feel the connection? That is where the Guru Principle comes
to play, because the Guru brings that connection.

See, you are here in Canada. The moment you remember, "I am in Canada", you
are already in Canada. You don't have to make any effort, it is
instantaneous. In the same way, when you feel the connection,
instantaneously, you move from this cloud of unreal memory, to this world of
real existence, which is wow!
So when you feel the connection to the wisdom, to the knowledge, and to the
Guru, then there is no worry. How can there be any worry, any concerns or
any negative feelings? Impossible! Everything just disappears.

Guru Poornima is the day to feel the connection, 'I am connected. I am one
with the divinity'. Here, again, celebration is instantaneous, and joy is
instantaneous. You don't have to prepare to celebrate. Do you get what I am
saying?

A pauper had forgotten that he was the prince. Someone came and told him,
"Hey, you are the Prince". Just with that one sentence, he got the kingdom
back. Instantaneously! There is no effort. If it appears to be some effort,
it is to get rid of the effort, because your mind is so used to putting
effort, so that run of the mind to put effort has to be calmed down. It is
just a direct recognition, "I am connected", and that's it. Done!

That much is enough for today. There is a lot in this. Recollect this again
and remember it.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, August 06, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The greatest disease (or absence of ease) is the absence of Shanti; when the
mind gets peace, the body also will have health. So everyone who craves for
good health must pay attention to the emotions, feelings and motives that
animate you. Just as you wash clothes regularly, you must wash the mind free
from dust and dross again and again! Otherwise, if dirt accumulates and you
form a 'habit', it is difficult to get rid of the ‘stains’, besides it is
harmful for the clothes. So washing should be a daily process; you should
see that no mud settles upon the mind! That is to say, you have to move
about in such company that dirt is avoided. Falsehood, injustice,
indiscipline, cruelty, hate - these form the dirt; Sathya, Dharma, Shanti,
Prema (Truth, Righteousness, Peace, Love) - these are the cleansers. If you
inhale the pure air of virtues, your mind will be free from evil viruses and
you will be mentally sturdy and physically strong. (Divine Discourse,
21-Sep-1960)


-BABA



Unfortunately, Yoga is considered as just the physical exercises. It is just
a beginning, physical exercise is just one part of it. But, then comes the
breath and the mind. Tapping the inner source of energy is important. Yoga
is never complete without meditation. Sudarshan kriya takes you to the
deepest meditation where body, mind and breath comes in the rhythm
connecting to the source of life deep within.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

A Piece Of The Master

Mon, 06/08/2015 Bangalore, India

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(Below is a continuation of post

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/meditation-brings-revelation> Meditation
Brings Revelation)

Questions & Answers



Gurudev, why do we fear loneliness? Why do we always long for someone’s
company?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You feel this way because you have never gone deep
into your inner Self. You have not met your Self. The moment you become
aware and realize your inner true Self, I tell you, all fears and negativity
simply disappear.

How can one meet one’s true Self? For a few moments just keep all your roles
aside and think, 'Who am I?' Go on asking yourself. When you continuously
question yourself this way, you sink deeper and deeper into meditation, and
then you will realize what the truth is. Once that happens, there will be no
place for any kind of hatred, negativity, and aversions. In a matter of
moments all this will simply vanish.

So it is a good exercise to keep asking yourself these questions. If you
feel like, you can do this every day for a few moments. Just sit with
yourself and go on asking yourself, 'Who am I?' As you do this, you will
experience that the mind becomes silent, and begins to settle, and that very
moment you becomes joyous and filled with happiness.





Gurudev, are inter-caste or inter-religious marriages wrong according to
Dharma?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, not at all. It is not the caste or religion that
is wrong. It is your compatibility that is important here. Do not go to
someone and tell them, “I cannot live without you” when you are in a state
of emotional upsurge. If you do so in an emotional state, then very soon you
will also say, “I cannot live with you”. It will be like a flip over. This
is why in such matters you should take the advice of elders also.





How do I know if I really love someone or is it merely attraction?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Time will tell you. Ask them to behave tough towards
you and then you will know. When someone puts too many demands on you, then
you will be able to know how much you really honor them.





Gurudev, what is the secret behind your beauty and attractiveness?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: In English it is said, “Beauty lies in the eyes of the
beholder”. So beauty lies in the eyes of the one who observes. When your
mind is happy and peaceful, then you will also see joy and happiness in the
world around you, and you see everyone as good-natured. When your mind is
filled with negativity and aversions, then everyone appears as an enemy to
you. It all depends on perspective.
Coming here to the Ashram definitely helps in changing one’s perspective. If
that does not happen then something is not quite right with me or with you.
My only job is to see you grow and progress higher in life. If spirituality
did not give happiness, then why would anyone ever turn towards it? Why
would anybody take up the spiritual path if it was burdensome? One
definitely gets something good from spirituality, which is why so many
people practice it. Nature has designed it in this way.





How do I build an affinity and attachment towards knowledge?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This very question indicates that you already have it
my dear. Why do you keep looking for it when you already have it?
If you think that you do not have an affinity for knowledge and then you
strive to cultivate it, I tell you, it is never going to happen. There are
certain things that you should just assume to be present in you. There are
some things that we need to know and understand, and there are some things
that we just need to believe in totally, and take it for granted.
Of course, you cannot know everything so some things you would need to
reason out. For example, if someone tells you, “This is poison, do not drink
it”. You should not say, “Oh! How do I know it is poison? Let me try and see
if it really is poison”. You would not survive to tell the difference
(laughter). Do you get what I am saying? So there are some things you simply
need to assume to be true, and there are other things that you need to know
and understand.

Embrace everyone with love as you walk ahead in life. Often people say that
they will only talk and mingle with people who are like them. I feel that is
very foolish. What is the use of sitting with people who think alike and
behave the same? It makes more sense to talk to people who are not like you
and have a different thought process and beliefs than yours. That enhances
your skills as well and it opens up your mind to new things. This rigid
fundamentalist approach to sticking to one’s thought systems and principles
is a typical sign of backwardness and orthodoxy in our country. A person
follows certain principles or ideologies and stays away or aloof from other
people who may not be following the same; just like how the Communists do in
our country. If a Communist is well-established in his ideology and beliefs,
what is so difficult in talking to people from other religions or
ideologies? Often they run away from people who do not subscribe to their
belief system and ideology. I would say, it is a kind of principles-based
untouchability that they practice.

Even people who consider themselves as religious or spiritual behave this
way. When they happen to meet an atheist, they keep away from them. This is
a sign of weakness of a person rather than being strongly established in
one’s beliefs. When we are well-established in our thoughts and beliefs,
then we should walk freely with our head held high.





Gurudev, how can we be your Masterpiece?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You are already one! You are a piece of the Master,
and you should go and spread the peace of the Master.

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program 7 to 12 September 2015 (6days – evening course) @ APD
Chatsworth (new & repeaters)

1.2 AOL YOGA course (5 evenings) @APD Chatsworth 24 to 28 August 2015

[Pat Gounden]

Jai Gurudev Dear Ones,

You have an opportunity to be part of an unique event - "Planet Meditates
with Sri Sri"

It would be a global online meditation with Sri Sri.

This event is going to be an attempt for The Guinness World Records.

To be part of this event:

1. You need to join the live meditation on www.artofliving.org/webcast or
via the Sri Sri app (www.artofliving.org/apps#srisri) on 8 Aug, 7:30 pm IST

2. Confirm your participation <http://bit.ly/1IVlAPA> on
www.planetmeditates.org <http://bit.ly/1IVlAPA> and be a part of this
global event.

3. After you have confirmed please invite your friends
<https://www.facebook.com/events/703801419726111/> to be part of this.

NB! MORE IMPORTANT THAN THE WORLD RECORD – When a person meditates, the
effects one experiences are of peace and joy, they also reach out to
surrounding and create a positive atmosphere. When a group meditates, the
results are multifold !




When large numbers of people get together and meditate at the same time, it
has an energetic ripple effect on the consciousness of the surrounding
people. People who aren’t even meditating are impacted by the effects of
the meditators. GROUP MEDITATION DEFUSES ACUTE SOCIETAL STRESS, REDUCES
CRIME AND SOCIAL VIOLENCE






<http://bit.ly/1IVlAPA>

4pm South African Time on Saturday 8 Aug 2015




Date: Friday, August 07, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


There are four key questions that every person must show interest in: “Who
am I? Where did I come from? Where am I going? How long will I be here?” All
spiritual inquiry begins with these questions. The four Vedas give you the
answers! Will you drop a letter into the post box without writing the
address of the sender and receiver? If you do, then, the letter will go
nowhere and the effort in thinking and writing the letter would be wasted!
So too, it would be a phenomenal waste of opportunity to have come into this
world, without knowing where we have come from and where we are going. Just
as the no-address letter will go to the dead-letters office, the clueless
individual soul will be caught in the cycle of birth and death for eternity!
To avoid this phenomenon, enquiry about the Self with spiritual discipline
is essential and must be prioritized. The answers will automatically come to
you, as practical experiences. (Divine Discourse, 25 Jun 1960)


-BABA



Keep asking yourself this question again and again – “Who am I?” This itself
paves the way for going deeper into meditation. Just keep aside whatever you
think of yourself or what you feel you are. This question cannot be answered
through words. One who answers it through words does not truly know. This
question is very important. So keep asking this question to yourself again
and again – be it a hundred or a thousand times, over and over.
Then ask yourself, “Why am I?” I would say first you should know who you
really are. Then think over why you are, and also why you are not. Think
whether there is anyone for whom you are not (in existence).
You are not here to be troubled, you are not here to disturb others either.
You are not here to simply eat, drink and sleep from one day to another. You
are not here to gossip. So when you think deeply in this manner, you will
slowly begin to understand why you are here. Start making a list of all the
things you are NOT. Go on negating one (identity or label) thing after
another that you are not. Then you will know why you are here, and that you
are here to be useful and be of help to others around you, and for yourself
as well. When a few people get comfort and relief because of you, then the
happiness and contentment that you get cannot be expressed in words at all.

Sri Sri ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

The Cause Of All Causes Is The Guru Principle

Sat, 08/01/2015 Boone, United States

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It so happened once, a lady went to a Guru and said, "I have two questions".
The Guru said, "Okay, ask me".

The lady asked, "Why did God make this world? Why couldn't he just be happy
with the way it was? And having created it, why did he make it so
miserable?"
The Guru said, "I have only one answer for this! He created this world for
me, and he made it miserable so that I don't get caught up in it".

When your mind is miserable, you try to look for the cause of the misery.
And then you see that the cause of your unhappiness (or happiness) is a
situation, or a person, or an attitude, isn't it? This is the cycle of
ignorance, and this is how it goes on — the cause of unhappiness (or
happiness) is: a situation, an attitude or a person.
We want to immediately find a cause of our misery because unanswered
questions is an irritant in the mind. So we want to find a cause for our
unhappiness and hang on to something. Just look into your mind and observe,
this is happening all the time. And when you find the cause of your
unhappiness, you immediately want to eliminate that cause, or correct it, or
do something about it. Does this make sense to you?
You are unhappy, you think that it is because the other person did this and
now you want to correct them or do something about it. No! That is not the
cause. The cause of all causes is something else. Those people and those
situations were just postmen, or the laptop which got you a bad email. If
you get a bad email, you don't throw the laptop, or change your password.
Changing your password is not going to help in any way. The true cause is
ignorance; ignorance of your true nature. When we are ignorant of our true
nature, we become miserable. The relevance of the Guru is to bring you back
to your true self. That's why it is said, 'Tatvamasyaadilaksham', the goal
of the Guru is to give you that idea that 'You are THAT'.

Now what is THAT? THAT is: Brahmanandam parama sukhadam kevalam jnanmurtim,
dvandvathitam gaganasadrisham tatvamsyadi lakshyam. Ekam nityam
vimalamachalam sarvadhee sakshibhutam, bhavatitam trigunarahitam sad gurum
tam namami.
Brahmanandam - the greatest bliss; the abundance of bliss for which our
heart, our soul and our mind yearns all the time.
Parama Sukhadam - infinite happiness. Happiness which transcends all words
and all worlds.
Kevalam jnanmurtim - it is just pure knowledge.
Ekam nityam vimalamachalam - the one thing that you can eternally depend on.
Sarvadhee sakshibhutam - it is a witness to all types of mindsets and all
types of thoughts. It is a witness to everything.
Bhavatitam - it is beyond the three gunas; beyond the three states of
consciousness (waking, dreaming & sleeping), and yet being with all the
three gunas (sattva, rajas, tamas) -trigunarahitam sad gurum tam namami.
This is the self, the being; this is wisdom, and this is the Guru Principle.



Our identification of our self with the limited thought patterns, emotional
patterns, or any limitation for that matter, is the cause. And so instead of
latching on to the cause of sorrow (as some event, attitude or person), you
say it is because of my forgetfulness of my real identification, of who I
am.

So what did the Guru say? He said, "God made the world so miserable so that
I don't get caught up in it".
If this world was more joyful, you would never look for something higher,
you would never look for something different. When you get so caught up in
small things, then the Divinity tells you, "Hey, wake up and see who you
are!"

What is the meaning of life? This questions seldom arises in people's minds.
When this question comes up, then something else has happened. A spark has
come into our life. Something higher and something more beautiful starts
happening.

You know, there are two types of masters in the tradition.
1. Those who would give you boons, "Okay, what is it that you want? Some
little thing here and there? Okay, have it, but rise above it". Granting
boons, giving blessings, and getting you out of the maya (illusion or
ignorance).
2. The other type of masters are a little different. They are very tough. If
you want something, that's it, you will never have it. If you say that you
want to go to Italy, finished, you will never be able to go to Italy. They
will see to it that you drop your desires, you drop your passion and
everything that you cling on to, and then you will rise above it.
The previous generation of masters used to do that. They would make you
realize, "Hey, my dear, you are much more than your mind, why are you so
caught up in this little mind all the time".
Attaching the cause of our misery to this, this, and this, makes it
concrete. This is ignorance. If you go a little deeper into something that
you find as the cause, you will find that the cause is not there but it is a
little further down. Have you noticed this? (Many in the audience raise
their hands)
For a particular situation you think that 'this' is the cause, but when you
go a little deeper, you will find that the cause is not there but it is
somewhere else. So the cause keeps jumping. And believing that is the real
cause makes our ignorance more concrete.



So when the whole universe is so complex, every event is complex, mind is
even more complex, to get over this they brought this principle of Karma.
And there is a lot about Karma — there is good karma and bad karma. And the
karma that you do, you take the responsibility onto yourself, instead of
blaming it on an event, situations, or people.

Now, how do you get out of karma? That is where knowledge come in. The
knowledge of the Self burns karma, which means, it brings you to the real
cause (cause of causes), which is the being. And the being is all pervading,
it is in every particle of the creation. Knowledge raises you above the name
and form, and gets you onto this pedestal of the reality of true existence.
That is the very solid ground; the ultimate ground. So the cause of all
causes is the Guru Principle.

Enough for today! This itself is a lot. You can slowly digest this.
So on Guru Purnima day, think about all the good things that you have
received in your life. All the good things have given you vastness. All the
stupid and miserable things that have happened to you have given your depth
and made you realize your strength over it. So for anything that has
happened, or not happened, feel grateful, thankful and happy about it.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, August 11, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Never yield to indolence or despair. Suffer loss and grief gladly, for they
help to toughen your personality. The diamond is found amidst rocks; you
will have to blast through the vein to get gold. Follow the strict regimen
that the doctor enforces in order to make the medicine yield the best
result. The battery of your ‘car’ is charged when you come to Puttaparthi or
when you go to some other holy place. Or at least that should be the aim of
the pilgrimage. Charge the battery of your spiritual effort and then, after
you return home, do not keep the car idle. If you do, the battery will run
down; take the car around and keep it going; then the battery will charge
itself. So also, if you do not continue the holy company, the good attitude,
bhajans, and remembering God’s Name as part of your life, all this charging
will turn into a waste. (Divine Discourse, June 25, 1960)


-BABA



Whenever there is any issue, know that Guruji is with you. When Guruji is
with you, know that there will be no dearth of anything. You will need to do
seva, sadhana, and satsang.



<https://www.facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar> Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day

What SRI SRI Inspired

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and the significance of a Guru

July 30, 2015

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

By Vinod Khanna

Vinod KhannaWhen the newspapers reported a public satsang held by Sri Sri
Ravi Shankar — Guruji — in Mumbai in 1999, attended by about a hundred
thousand people, I said to my wife, Kavita, that she must not miss the Guru
this time. I had been a spiritual seeker from the time I read Autobiography
of a Yogi when I was about eighteen years old. I also did Maharishi Mahesh
Yogi’s Transcendental Meditation. But my spiritual journey started in
earnest with my first Guru, when I received sanyas from Bhagwan, (as we then
addressed Osho), in 1975. I had such deep and mind-blowing experiences in
the meditations that Bhagwan asked me to do, that there was a profound shift
in my life and priorities. At the zenith of my film career, I retired to
meditate at the feet of my Master, and lived with Bhagwan in his Ashrams in
Pune and at the commune in Oregon. Kavita, too, became a disciple of Osho’s
in 1993, after he had left his body, and she longed for a Guru who was in
the body. Though I had never met Guruji, when I read about him in 1999, I
knew he was the Guru my wife was yearning for.

Divine providence, and the call of our Master, brought Kavita and me to
Guruji a few months later, early in 2000. As soon as I was in his company, I
had that indescribable experience of being in the presence of an enlightened
Master. We travelled to Rishikesh with Guruji in 2001, where I learned the
Sudarshan Kriya and yoga. A few months later we were back with Guruji in
Rishikesh, to play Holi with him, and we brought in the New Year with him at
the German Art of Living Ashram in Bad Antogast.

Our family has since, on countless occasions, had the joy and privilege of
spending time with Guruji. I love seeing the respect, recognition and love
Gurus, Siddhas, Sadhus and leaders of all religions shower on Guruji. I am
overjoyed to see so many young people flocking around Guruji, meditating,
inspired by him to serve. And I am delighted when I see my wife meditate. I
remember how she could not even sit still and silent for five minutes, but
now spends hours meditating.

The celebration, activity, meditation and energy circles I see around Guruji
remind me of my time with Osho. I once again see seekers who travel
thousands of miles, from every corner of the world, to be with the Guru,
because such a phenomenon — a satguru — is so rare.

Many people ask me whether I am still with Osho. When your Guru accepts you
as a disciple, that relationship does not change. At a satsang I attended at
our Bangalore Ashram, someone in the audience asked Guruji whether it was OK
for him to be there as he already had a Guru. And Guruji replied that he was
where he was meant to be, and that you could only continue your spiritual
journey with another Guru with the blessings of your first Guru. And so it
is with me.

I remember discussing with Guruji whether a seeker’s journey could be
complete. He said that when existence is infinite, until one is enlightened,
there is always more to know and learn. I feel I am blessed to have Guruji’s
support and guidance. I have no words to express how fortunate I consider
myself that he has welcomed me into his fold with love and respect. I am in
wonder at all that he does — tangible and intangible. I am amazed at how
Guruji works tirelessly and continuously to put a smile on each face, so
solve each person’s inner conflicts, to solve regional and religious
conflicts. I admire his attention to national and international affairs in
almost every country of the world and his remarkable achievements as an
ambassador of peace. I admire his work to save and rejuvenate the
environment, to channelize the energy of the youth. I love all that Guruji
has done and does to celebrate diverse cultures and traditions all over the
world, and the way in which he inspires the incredible. The several world
records that have been set by Art of Living, whether the 444 musicians who
played the Kombu horn in Kerala, or the 333 Bulgarian bagpipers in Sofia,
are all mind boggling. What is magnificent is how he does all this with
infinite lightness, love and compassion and always a smile.

At a satsang at a friend’s home, I was requested to ask Guruji a question.
As the mike was brought to me, Guruji said, “Vinod has no questions, but let
him anyway ask for the others.” At this stage of my journey, that Guruji has
come into my life, and I share a connection with him that is beyond the
physicality of words and actions, and beyond the chatter of the mind. I am
so very grateful to existence that it has given another Guru like Osho to me
and to the present generation. Osho’s methods were totally different from
Guruji’s. But then, those who came to Osho in the ’70’s were of a different
mindset. They were restless, discontented with the material world and
willing to sacrifice anything — to give it all up — to be at peace with
themselves.

Today the material and spiritual have come together, and both are necessary.
Today is the age of Zorba the Buddha. You do not have to give up the world.
You can do both together — you can be a meditator in the marketplace,
provided you get proper guidance. Without the guidance of your Guru there is
no way you can progress in meditation or evolve spiritually. As Kabir said,
“Guru Bin Gyaan Na Upaje, Guru Bin Mile Na Moksha, Guru Bin Lakhe Na Satya
Ko, Guru Bin Mite Na Dosh”. For those who are on a spiritual quest, I would
say what I said to my wife Kavita — don’t miss existence’s gift of Guruji.

Happy Guru Purnima to all!

(The writer, an actor and producer, is a Member of Parliament.)

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, August 12, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


No one is outside the Love of the Lord. The eighteen-year old boy is asked
by the mother to go into the kitchen, take a plate and serve himself rice
and curry and eat. The mother is not callous or unkind; she knows the
capacity of the boy and treats him as he ought to be treated. For another
son she accompanies to the kitchen, sits by his side and serves food to him.
But she seats the third son on her lap and feeds with many a song in order
to make the process pleasant for the child. Do not think that the mother is
partial; no, she is only making use of her knowledge of the capacity of her
children to make them progress. That is the nature of maternal love. (Divine
Discourse, Sep 29, 1960)


-BABA



In the path of knowledge, whatever is needed for us will come by itself.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day

What SRI SRI said



The Science of Vastushastra

Wed, 06/03/2015 Bangalore, India

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(Below is a continuation of post

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/love-is-about-giving> Love Is About
Giving)



Questions & Answers



How much importance should we give to Vastushastra?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, Vastushastra is definitely a science in itself.
This science was conceived and developed in the ancient ages, and it is a
part of the Vedas. But as of today, it is not available or accessible to us
completely. It was written down on palm leaves and stored in the ancient
universities and libraries but a lot of those documents (palm leaves) have
been destroyed by termites and rats. A major part of this knowledge is
therefore no longer fully available to us. This is why nowadays you find
that someone or the other develops and markets his own ‘brand’ or concepts
about Vastushastra.

Just remember one thing: no matter what may be the doshas (problems) one may
be facing because of improper Vastu construction, the highest power above it
all is grace, and it can be remedied by chanting Om Namaha Shivaya. All
problems and negativity drop off by chanting this mantra.

Some basics of Vastu are quite self-explanatory. For example, since the Sun
rises in the East, so one should keep the main entrance of the house facing
the East so that the rays of the rising sun enter the house. So, one can
have the main entrance door of the house in the East or in the West. One
should not have the main entrance of the house facing the South. The reason
behind this is that in the earlier days, the cremation grounds were always
located in the South direction. In the South of every town or city, there
was a huge cremation ground where dead bodies were burnt. So to prevent the
air that blew from that direction from coming into the house, the main
entrances were never kept facing the South.
Nowadays it is not so. In some cities today, if the cremation grounds are
located in the East or in the North, then you cannot have the main entrance
of the house facing those directions. If you take Russia’s example, then for
Russia the Sun is in the South direction, so in that country you will find
that the homes there have the main entrance facing the South so that more
and more light comes into the house. So there is a separate Vastu for homes
in Russia.

The Mount Kailash is present towards India’s North-east. People considered
it as very pure and holy and associated a deity known as Ishana with that
direction. It is similar to how it is for the Muslims and the direction of
Mecca. Across the world, Muslims face the direction of Mecca and offer their
daily prayers. The Muslims in India face the West when they read the Namaaz
(reading of the Holy Quran), while the Muslims in Jordan, Lebanon etc., face
East because for them, Mecca is in that direction. In Vastushastra strong
emphasis has been given to the Sun and its direction. Going by this
understanding, the Vastu being followed for Australia or South America will
be totally different owing to the difference in the direction of the Sun as
seen there. So these rules and theories in Vastushastra have been formulated
keeping these aspects in mind.

Another thing to note is that the Vastu of a public place is very different
from the Vastu of a temple, a shop, or an Ashram, etc. This is how
Vastushastra has been conceptualized, but we have very limited knowledge and
texts available to us about this science. Many documents and scripts
relating to Vastushastra were either destroyed or burnt in the libraries of
Nalanda University, or during the times of Aurangzeb. It is said that during
Emperor Aurangzeb’s time thousands and thousands of manuscripts and books
were burnt in the open, and the fires kept burning for six months. Whatever
books remained were destroyed by termites and rats. In those days the
scholars and pundits were not very generous at heart when it came to
spreading knowledge. They would restrict teaching the knowledge of these
sciences to their disciples and children in their ancestral line only, so
that the knowledge remained secret and limited to these families only. Due
to this narrow-minded approach, not everyone could gain access to this body
of knowledge or share it with others.

Vastu is just one of the many sciences. Just see how the same thing has
happened for Yoga as well. Some 40-50 years ago, Yoga was not taught to
everyone. In those days if you wanted to learn Yoga, you would have to go to
a special teacher or a Yoga expert. Yoga was not something everyone
practiced routinely in their homes in those days. Even Pranayama was not
taught in those days. There are so many elders sitting here who are more
than 50 years old. Tell me, was it ever taught so commonly and publicly in
those days? In those days people belonging to a specific caste or background
only were taught Yoga. The teachers would not open the doors of Yoga to just
anyone.

We have lost so much precious knowledge because of being so rigid and
conventional in our ways in India. Only a few people were instructed about
one or two Pranayama and breathing techniques at the time of Upanayanam
(sacred thread-wearing ceremony) by a special pundit who was called to
conduct the ceremony and rituals, and that was it. No one was taught
anything after that.
It was even worse for the ladies because they were never taught Pranayama or
Yoga. It was thought of as a taboo for the ladies. Have the elders ever seen
any lady doing Pranayama in those days? It was almost impossible for a lady
to learn this. It is when we started the Art of Living Foundation, we opened
the doors of Yoga and knowledge to everyone, and by doing so we broke away
from these rigid and obsolete norms that were followed earlier. For the
first time in many years, we raised our support for women also being equally
capable of learning and practicing Yoga and Pranayama techniques.
So the Art of Living Foundation took up this unique opportunity of making
this knowledge accessible to the women as well. Yes, a few Yoga teachers
used to teach these techniques in those days too, but to a very small
extent. It was just a handful few. So this was a major reason why this
knowledge remained limited to a few people only. But one need not worry too
much about this. Why? It is because once we go deeper into meditation, then
whatever comes to us during meditation has everything that we need for our
progress.

Last week we had a discourse on the Vignana Bhairava (an ancient and sacred
scripture said to elaborate various methods to meditation and Samadhi set as
a dialogue between Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati). I too had not read it
earlier; but when I went through it, I realized that so many of the
techniques mentioned in the scripture were already what we were practising
in our Advanced Meditation Programs here. The kind of meditations described
in the scripture was already a part of the Advanced Courses here. I said it
seems as though this scripture gives a stamp of approval and correctness to
the techniques we have prescribed in our Advanced Meditation Programs.
The techniques prescribed in such an ancient and authentic scripture are
also being practiced as a part of the Advanced Meditation Programs. The
essence is the same.
So when we become Antarmukhi – when our mind turns inwards to its source
(Self), then whatever realization dawns upon us in such a deep state is also
in complete agreement with that which is mentioned in the scriptures. There
is no difference.
There is a saying in India which means that whatever comes from the mouth of
a realized Guru and the knowledge that is mentioned in the scriptures – both
are one and the same. There is no difference. This is the real point you
must understand.





What can we possibly give you as a gift on your birthday? Gurudev, you have
everything already.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I need many pillars of knowledge. I want you to really
live the knowledge and also work to see that more and more people come onto
the path of knowledge. There are a number of things you can do, such as
being a part of the recent Sri Sri University. We are developing one of the
best universities in the country with a lot of emphasis on human values. So,
the University should grow and be able to cater to the needs of hundreds of
people.
You can be a part of spreading Yoga and Ayurveda throughout the country.
There are many many such seva initiatives and a number of activities you can
be a part of. Or you can also be a part of improving anything here in the
Ashram. You can mention your ideas and suggestions.





Gurudev, with more and more people coming into the Art of Living family, you
are becoming more and more busy. Earlier you used to spend quality time with
individual devotees, but now it is so rare. Please spend some personal time
with us.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Listen, the quality of time I spend with you has not
reduced one bit (laughter). But yes, the quantity of time spent has come
down for sure. Even when I meet someone for just a minute, I meet them 100%
and am totally with them. If I even see you in a group, then also I see you
100%. So you cannot complain about the quality of time. At the most you can
say is that the quantity of time has reduced. That is anyways going to be
insufficient for everybody, including the secretaries at my office. They
often tell me, “Gurudev, you are not giving us enough time and there are so
many things to do”. People say that the ones who work in the secretariat are
the biggest complainers.





Gurudev, I feel like a puppet in the hands of the Divine, due to Karma,
sickness, pain, old age and death. Where is my freedom?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you have this deep realization that none of this
is you – be it sickness, pain, old age or death, then that is freedom. This
afternoon when we all meditated, so many people felt relieved of body aches
and pains, isn’t it?





If one becomes dispassionate, then the family members think we are ignorant
and neglectful. Please specify the fine line that differentiates the two,
and how can we answer to the family in such situations?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You cannot go on answering everyone’s questions or
responding to their opinions; or trying to correct them all the time. If you
are true to yourself and you know that deep down you care a lot for them,
then that is good enough. You should walk your path and be sensitive to
others’ needs. You cannot please everybody all the time.
Once it so happened that a man was sitting and reading a newspaper. Someone
approached him and said, “Why are you sitting?” The man replied, “Oh, do you
not like me sitting and reading? Okay then, I will stand and read”.
After some time another person came to the man and said, “Sir, why are you
standing?” The man replied, “Oh, do you not like me standing? Alright then,
I will start walking”.
A third person told him, “Sir, why are you walking and reading?” The man
replied, “Oh, do you not like me walking? The footpath is built to walk,
isn’t it! Fine, let me start running then”, and he started running.
When he was running, a fourth person asked him, “Why are you running?” The
man stopped and started crying. He said “Oh my God, you people do not even
allow me to run!”
Another person came up to him and said, “Why are you crying?” The man said,
“People do not allow me to sit, stand, walk, run or cry. What do I do?”
Life becomes miserable if you try to follow everyone’s instructions. Got it?





My dear Gurudev, we often commit mistakes and when we do so, you punish us.
But when we do not realize that it was a mistake, what do we do?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Listen, I do not punish anyone. I do no such thing at
all. You simply bear the effect of what you did. That’s all. There is cause
and effect. If you overeat too much food, then I will not punish you. It is
you who will get a tummy ache, or you get diarrhoea or constipation. That is
the effect of what you ate. Got it? I would say, learn from your mistakes
and move ahead. Do not sit and keep cribbing or brooding over it. Where is
the time to turn behind and cry over what is past? Look forward and march
forward.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, August 13, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


You must dedicate yourself to right conduct (Dharma) and always be engaged
in righteousness (Dharma). Then you will live in peace and the world will
enjoy peace. No one can acquire real peace, nor can they win the grace of
the Lord through any means other than right conduct. Dharma is the
foundation for the welfare of humanity; it is the only unchanging truth
across all times. When Dharma fails to transform human life, the world will
be afflicted by agony and fear, tormented by stormy revolutions. When the
effulgence of Dharma fails to illumine human relationships, people will be
shrouded in sorrow. All religions and scriptures expound Dharma and proclaim
aloud the Glory of Dharma. The stream of Dharmic activity should never run
dry; when its cool waters cease to flow, disaster is certain. God is the
embodiment of Dharma; His Grace is won by Dharma. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 1)


-BABA

You cannot walk even a step in your life without desires. Desires are
present behind every action you do in life. There is a cause behind anything
you do in life, and the cause is desire. So what type of desire should it
be? One that is not in conflict with Dharma but in accordance with it. So
Lord Krishna says, ‘I am all those desires that are in accordance with
Dharma’.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Drop The Past

Sat, 06/13/2015 Bangalore, India

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Questions & Answers



Gurudev, you always say that joy is in the present moment. But there are
some events of the past that hold me back from being totally in the present
moment. Despite wanting to, many times I am not able to be totally in the
present. What should I do?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, if you try to walk ahead keeping you head turned
back, how will that be possible? Just wake up and see, whatever has happened
has happened, it’s finished. Life is new every moment.
Just focus on life right now, this very moment. Drop this questioning, “Oh,
why did this happen this way? Why did it not happen that way?”
There is nothing to gain by thinking about the past over and over again. Let
it go!





Gurudev, till what extent should one compromise; especially when it has to
be with my wife? What if my wife does not listen or understanding?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, I have no experience in these matters (laughter).
How do I tell you this? I would say, you should listen to her and agree, for
she is the boss at home! She is literally like the Prime Minister at home.
What can you do? You need to find out some way to talk to her and make her
understand. If you do not know, then consult and learn some new ways from
others.

There is a small story about this. There was once a gentleman whose wife
would do the exact opposite of everything that he said. Suppose if the man
said, “I do not wish to have any gravy dish for dinner”, the wife would cook
only gravy dishes for dinner.
If he would say, “I do not wish to wear a blue shirt to office today”, she
would only iron a blue shirt for him to wear, and she would put all the
other shirts for washing. So this is how it used to happen. If the gentleman
did not wish to eat out one day, that very day she would insist on eating
out and have her way. In this way, everything used to happen against his
wishes. The gentleman became very dejected because of all this.
Do you know that in India there is a club called the Battered Husbands Club?
Have you all heard about it? Sometime back when I had written a short
article on Women’s Rights, I got a letter from the members of this club. In
the letter, they wrote saying, “Oh Gurudev! Why are you being so partial to
women? Please have some consideration towards us men as well! We have formed
a Battered Husbands Club also for this reason”.
Perhaps this gentleman was also a member of this club. He must have been
quite troubled, and when someone is so troubled from within, they naturally
become restless and sometimes go for walks by themselves. One day as this
gentleman was walking on the road, he met a sage by chance. The sage asked
him, “My dear, what is the matter?” He replied, “O Sage! How would you know
what condition I am in? You are always happy and in bliss”. The gentleman
then narrated his story to the sage. After hearing the story, the sage
whispered a mantra in the gentleman’s ear. The sage said, “Now you just try
this and see what happens”.

So the man went back and did as he was told. Six months later, he met the
sage once again. This time, the gentleman was happy and cheerful. He told
the sage, “O Sage! Your mantra really worked”. At this time, there was
another man standing nearby who happened to overhear this conversation. So
he also approached them and asked, “Please tell me what was the mantra you
used”.
The wise sage then said, “Dear one, in a situation like this, always say the
exact opposite of what your heart wants. Do not speak out what you want, and
do not want what you speak out”. Since the time the gentleman was advised
this, he followed this every day. The day he did not want to have a gravy
dish, he would insist the exact opposite and ask for a gravy dish to be
prepared. When he wanted to wear a blue shirt to work, he would actually
tell his wife that he did not want to wear a blue shirt. So in this way, he
was able to handle the situation by tapping into the root cause of the
problem. This is real skilfulness. Yoga brings out this skilfulness in you.
It makes you so skilful in communication.

If we are able to learn even this much, so many problems will get solved.
Often we hear people complaining, “Oh, no one understands me”. I tell you,
the real problem is that you have not learnt to express yourself properly.
You have not been able to make others understand. This is the essence.





I am not able to do my sadhana properly because of my job, but I really want
to do it more regularly. What can I do?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Alright, I want to ask you a question. When you have
to go for work, do you ever leave without brushing your teeth? Even if you
have a lot of work to do, do you leave without brushing your teeth? I also
had a lot of work to attend to today. I was meeting thousands of people
today since morning. But do you give up drinking water because of so much
work? Suppose today you know you have a lot of work in the office. Do you
simply get out of bed, change into your shirt and trousers and run off to
work? Do you go to the restroom or not before leaving? If you do not brush
your teeth one day, no one will be able to sit near you. So it is necessary
to brush your teeth every day. This is dental hygiene. In the same way,
doing pranayama and meditation every day is mental hygiene.
To free the mind of all stress and to go to work with a cheerful and happy
mind, you need to invest a few minutes every day for this as well. Take some
time out for this. Once it comes into your routine, then it becomes a part
of your day and it does not disturb your schedule anymore. No matter how
urgent things may be, just have this firm determination that I will sit for
10 minutes and leave only after completing my pranayama and meditation. Once
you discipline yourself this way, then that’s all that is needed. Even if
you do it just once in the day, that is good enough. And if by chance you
miss it one day, it is alright; do not worry too much and do it the very
next day. But I am not willing to agree that one does not get time to do
this.

See, everyone has only 24 hours at their disposal. One who works in a job
too has only 24 hours, and even the Prime Minister has only 24 hours for
himself. Both of them feel that there isn’t enough time. How much we are
able to do and achieve in the time we have is a measure of our skilfulness.





Should we exercise first and then meditate or vice-versa? Please guide.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is good to meditate after finishing your exercises.
Even if you meditate immediately after getting up in the morning and then do
your exercises, that is also fine. Both are alright. You do both and see
which approach suits you more. It is good to meditate during the
Brahma-muhurtam (the period between 3 AM – 5 AM), but you need not
deliberately sacrifice your sleep to get up at that hour to meditate.





Gurudev, how can one get out of the past sex impressions?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Your trying to get out of it makes it more difficult
(deepens the tendency or the impression). What you need to do is practice
more pranayama and relax. Then you will see that gradually on your own, you
will overcome it and these thoughts will not disturb you anymore. They will
not come at all.





If love is unconditional then why do we keep expecting something or the
other from loved ones?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, expectations are also natural. When they do come
up, you should simply be aware that by expecting you are only reducing the
joy. When you grow in wisdom, you will see that all these impressions will
drop off and give way to something much bigger and beautiful that you truly
are.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, August 14, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The happiness that one derives from virtues is far superior to the happiness
that we get from the possession of wealth. Unfortunately the educated youth
are striving for wealth, physical strength and friendship. But all these
have little value without the wealth of character. For men or women,
character is the foundation. If one lacks character, one becomes feeble in
all other respects. People of those days strove for noble character. They
were prepared to give up their very lives for a righteous cause. Women
strived to uphold the honor of their husbands. The strength of an individual
lies in one’s character, not in the wealth one earns. One should be prepared
to face any hardship to lead a virtuous life. The country is in dire straits
due to the absence of men and women of character. Materialistic wealth is
not what we need today. We need to earn the wealth of virtues. (Divine
Discourse, 19-Nov-2002)


-BABA





Anything that uplifts the human spirit is spirituality. Anything that brings
you peace, joy, love, comfort and motivates you to do service in society is
spirituality.
We are made up of both matter and spirit. Our body is made up of Amino
acids, carbohydrate, protein and all that stuff. Our spirit is made up of
love, compassion, generosity, intelligence; all these values. So
spirituality is not just sitting and doing something. It is something that
invokes, that builds character in you.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

You Are Not Your Thoughts

Sat, 06/13/2015 Bangalore, India

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(Below is a continuation of post

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/drop-the-past> Drop The Past)

Questions & Answers

If I am the source of thoughts, then is there any difference between the
source and the soul? If it is the same, do bad thoughts affect the soul?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, when do you realize that a thought is good or
bad? You can realize this only when the thought has already come. You cannot
stop a thought or know a thought before it comes. And when it comes, it also
goes away immediately. If you are a witness to the thought, it simply drifts
away and vanishes. But if you hold on to it and chew on it, then it stays
with you.

Thoughts come and go, but that which is the basis of thoughts – is the atma
(soul). And that is what you are. You are like the sky, and thoughts are
like clouds. This could be the nearest example one can give. Clouds come and
go in the sky, but can they disturb or limit the vastness of the sky in any
way? No, not at all.

So when you fly above the clouds, when you go beyond the clouds, you see
that the sky is untouched. It is the same, it is unchanged. It is only the
thoughts which keep moving. This is what happens in meditation. When you
come into Sakshi bhaav, i.e., when you simply become a witness to the
thoughts.

We do not have to attach ourselves to the thoughts. That is foolishness.
Whether they are good thoughts, or bad thoughts – they come and go. You are
far above and beyond all this. This is called the Vihangam Maarg – it means
rising above thoughts and seeing that you have nothing to do with these
moving thoughts.





Gurudev, is it possible for me to merge with you while being in this body;
or will I have to leave this body for that?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, do not leave the body. Do not do such things and
do not even think about it. Who told you such things? We are all anyways
one. Do not be under this impression that you can merge only by dying and
casting off the body. This is foolishness.
The physical bodies anyway can never merge into one. The physical body
always remains separate. If you look at all of us at the level of the
breath, we are all one. When you go even deeper into the subtle layers, you
will see that everything is an extension and expansion of the same mind. So
do not do anything foolish. Just meditate, and be regular with Seva, Satsang
and your Sadhana. You will see that in no time a fountain of love and
happiness will come up from within you, and you will exude great
contentment.





Gurudev, can marriage happen between two people belonging to the same Gotra
(a term in Hindu culture referring to the unbroken ancestral line of
descents from a common male ancestor)?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When I was touring Haryana this time, many scientists
and people met me. They discussed very interesting and unique facts about
this. They spoke about how they differentiate different breeds of cows and
determine the genes a particular breed carries, on the basis on Genealogy.
They told me that they do not marry within the same Gotra or gene pool and
which is why they have such healthy children and generations of progeny.
They told me that out of the 10 sports medals in sport events this year,
nine medals have been bagged by Haryana. And they told me that the reason
why this happened is because they give so much importance to the concept of
Gotra and follow it very seriously.
They told me that for up to three generations, they do not marry within the
same Gotraon the mother’s side as well, which is why their children have
very healthy genes across generations. So we have been following these
principles about the Gotra since many ages.

This concept has great importance in the field of animal husbandry as well.
It is also said that siblings should not marry each other, and marriages
should not be held between very close relatives. So this appears to be
correct from a scientific perspective.

The concept of Gotra is very ancient and has expanded so much over several
hundred years. At the same time, I do not think it is right to be too rigid
and fanatical about it as well. For example, the way you follow Gotras in
Punjab or Haryana may not be the same way you do in Tamil Nadu, because
there can be a great difference. There is definitely a lot of relevance for
the Gotra and as much as possible, it is good to not marry within the same
Gotra.





Gurudev, please throw some light on inter-caste marriages. One of my friends
is in love with a Muslim girl. Do we really need to follow the caste system
in marriages?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, there are good and bad people everywhere. Many
times there are fears that someone should not deceive the other person after
the marriage is done. That is why you should also listen to your parents and
consult them in such delicate matters.

When you fall in love, you sometimes become blind, and you don't think
clearly. You are not able to see what is right and what is wrong. So in such
sensitive matters, you should also take the advice of your mother and
father.

Regardless of the caste or religious background one may come from, if a
person is good at heart and has good qualities, then that has much more
importance over other aspects. If someone belongs to the same caste and
religions background but indulges in wrong activities, or is addicted to
alcohol, etc., then what is the use of such a marriage? So the first thing
you should see is that the person is good by nature and comes from a noble
and respectable background.





I wish to spend the rest of my life doing seva in the Ashram. Currently I
teach Hindi in a school. The Ashram’s beautiful environment has stolen my
heart completely. How can I serve here? Please guide.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: We have a Human Resources department here at the
Ashram. If you are looking to find work, you can approach them for
assistance.

I consider the entire world to be my Ashram. For me, the Ashram is not
limited by four walls and boundaries. What does an Ashram mean? An Ashram is
a place where one can get three things easily.
1. Where you get to be in knowledge, where you get to listen and discuss
knowledge that uplifts you.
2. Where you get good food.
3. Where you get good rest.
Now can you not provide all these three in your own home? When someone
visits you at your home, can you not sit and discuss knowledge with them?
That is the first sign that your home has become an Ashram.
Secondly, when someone comes to your house, do you not offer them something
good to eat? In India, this is a very common practice. So this is a second
sign of your home being an Ashram.
Thirdly, your home should have such a positive environment that whoever
comes should feel at peace, and experience a sense of deep rest and relief.

I want every home in the world to become an Ashram. I want that in every
home in the world, people discuss knowledge and ponder deeper about life
rather than engage in useless gossip and criticizing others. People should
think about “Who am I? What is this life?”

There are three important things: Purity of heart, clarity of the mind and
sincerity in action. Can we not have these three in our life? When you
practice all three, your home becomes an Ashram in the true sense.





Gurudev, when I travel from the Ashram to the City, I see a lot of cows
eating from garbage bins. What can we do about this? I think this problem is
seen all over the country.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, you are right, this problem is present all over the country. You all
should visit our Garbage Transformation Mission department here. We have
been actively working to educate the people all around us, not to throw
plastic and reduce the use of plastic. We have installed a machine here that
converts plastic into diesel. Our volunteers now collect plastic thrown away
in the nearby areas and feed it into this machine.
In the same way, all the waste material that comes from the kitchen is used
for conversion into bio-gas. Every day there is around 400-500 kilos of
waste generated in the Ashram kitchen, such as the vegetable peels, etc. By
converting it all into bio-gas, we are able to refill all the gas cylinders
in the kitchens very easily. So in this way, we can all adopt such little
and simple techniques in villages to manage and convert waste materials, and
save the environment. This will make every village self-sufficient. This is
very important.

It is not good to leave the cows loose in the open to graze where they
wander. It is also not good to dump plastics and waste materials in the
environment. We have to create a lot of awareness in the people. This in
itself is a good seva. So you should channel the strength you gain from your
sadhana towards such good causes in the greater interest of the society. Go
from door to door and educate the people to not litter everywhere and keep
their surroundings clean.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, August 17, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Whoever subdues egoism, conquers selfish desires, destroy one’s bestial
feelings and impulses, and gives up the natural tendency to regard the body
as the Self, is surely on the path of Dharma; they know that the goal of
Dharma is the merging of the wave in the sea! In all worldly activities, you
should be careful not to offend propriety, or the canons of good nature; you
should not play false to the promptings of the Inner Voice, you should be
prepared at all times to respect the appropriate dictates of conscience; you
should watch your steps to see whether you are in someone else's way; you
must be ever vigilant to discover the Truth behind all this scintillating
variety. This is your duty, your Dharma. The blazing fire of Jnana, which
convinces you that all this is Brahman (Sarvam Khalvidam Brahma) will
consume into ashes all traces of your egoism, and worldly attachment.

(Dharma Vahini, Ch 1)


-BABA

In a state of ignorance, imperfection is natural and perfection is an
effort. In a state of wisdom or enlightenment, imperfection is an effort;
perfection is a compulsion and is unavoidable! Perfection is taking total
responsibility, and total responsibility means knowing that you are the only
responsible person in the whole world. When you think that others are
responsible, then your degree of responsibility diminishes.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Making A Better World

Fri, 07/10/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany

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There are problems in life but we have to collectively work towards them and
overcome them. We are so fortunate that we have this knowledge. This
organization is now 35 years, and this is what we have been doing, coming
together and solving problems.

Many people cannot believe what happened in Cuba and Columbia (referring to
the peace talks between the Columbian Government and rebel group (FARC) to
end a more than 5 decades of armed conflict). They say that this is too good
to be true that the rebel group (FARC) are now wanting peace. This war has
been going on for the last 50 years. All the big powers (referring to
America and Europe) tried to get them to cease fire, but it did not happen.

Today, the Spanish news channels are asking me, "How did you do this? What
did you tell them? Everyone else tried and failed. How did you get them to
agree to peace and non-violence?"
I said, "I don’t have any ulterior motive, or any other agenda. I went with
a simple message of peace, and I was ready to listen to them. I understood
their position. They are not bad people, they are also victims".
Usually what do we do is, we point the finger towards the other and say,
"They are bad people, they are the culprits, and I am right". If you go with
that attitude, nobody would want to listen to you.
The first thing I told them was, "I understand your position, you are not
bad people", and that is when the communication began. They agreed and said,
"You are the first person who understands that we too are victims. Everyone
looks at us as culprits". This changed the atmosphere and they declared
unilateral cease fire.

There are issues in the world today, and depression is one of them.
Depression is going to be the biggest killer in the world. Every two
seconds, seven people die out of stress, and what we are doing is helping
people relieve their stress, and this is very significant. If more and more
teachers work towards this, we will definitely make a better world.



Questions & Answers

Dear Gurudev, how to understand when to let things happen and when to put an
effort to change it?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Be spontaneous. If you make mistakes learn from them,
and when you do something right, feel good about it. When you do something
right, share it with others. When you do something wrong share that also
with others. Tell them, "I made this mistake, you better don’t do it!"
Two days back I had tweeted, "People hide their mistakes and money". I was
told that these days even banks do not allow you to hide your money.

Nature of happiness is to share, but you cannot do it if you’re hiding your
mistakes. By hiding your mistakes you are dampening your own progress. When
you share your mistakes, people will appreciate it.
A politician in India made big blunders and everyone thought he would not
win the elections because he had made so many mistakes. So, when he was
standing for elections for the second time, he accepted all his mistakes and
people elected him again. I said, "People have bigger hearts than you
think".
So, when you place your mistakes in front of people, the society is so
generous that it forgives you and accepts you.

In India, there is a saying that one must not hide anything from a doctor,
lawyer and a guru. If you hide from the lawyer, then he cannot fight for you
and you will lose the case. If you hide from a doctor then he cannot cure
you. Similarly, if you hide from the guru, and don’t open your heart and
share your mistakes then even if the guru wants to help you, he will not be
able to help you. You should not put on a defense in front of the guru, you
should be open. A guru is never judgmental, he is very accommodating,
compassionate and only wants the best for you. Not even the second best,
only the best!

The other day, I was in Columbia giving a public talk. A small girl who was
9 or 10 years old stands up and tells me, "My teacher hates me". The crowd
was expecting me to show sympathy to the child or ask her to change her
school or something like that. You know what I said? I said, "Why will your
teacher hate you? What does a teacher get by hating you? No, it is
impossible for a teacher to hate a student. If your teacher is being strict,
she wants to bring out the best in you. She wants to make you tough and
solid. If your teacher scolds you, it is because she wants you to progress
faster and grow stronger".
After I said this, the whole atmosphere changed and the girl also agreed. We
super-impose ourselves in some situation, create an imaginary world of it
and then get sucked into it.

If you watch the world and the people in it, you don’t need any
entertainment! But you should not get involved, step back and watch the
whole fun!





Did Lord Ram and Devi Sita really exist?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, I know that they did exist. It was seven and a
half thousand years ago. Recently, scientists through some of their research
have confirmed that it (Ramayana) really did happen.

You know, any story which is a lie cannot stay for a very long time. At one
point of time, the entire world was very influenced by Ramayana. Not just in
India, but in the entire Far East including Japan, South America, North
America and in Europe there are places named after Rama. If you do a
research, you will know that this was not just fiction but a happening long
time ago.
This is why it is called itihasa (history). There are two things in the
Vedic literature. One is Puranas, which is a story (fiction), and the other
is itihasa (history). Iti means so andhasa means a happening. So, both the
epics, Ramayana and Mahabharatha are itihasa.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, August 18, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


You are wasting a lot of time in meaningless pursuits. Time wasted is life
wasted. Our ancients never wasted even a minute. They considered God as the
embodiment of time and extolled Him thus: Kalaya Namah, Kala Kalaaya Namah,
Kalaateetaya Namah, Kalaniyamitaya Namah (Salutations to the Embodiment of
Time, to the One who conquered time, to the One who transcends time and to
the One who ordains time). Why have you forgotten the truth that time is
verily God? You eagerly await a Sunday thinking that you can relax and
enjoy. In fact, you should feel sad that you are wasting time without doing
any work on a Sunday. You have to utilise your time in a proper way. If you
do not have any work, undertake social service. Help your fellowmen. Life
becomes meaningful only when you make proper use of time. (Divine Discourse,
Nov 19, 2002)


-BABA





Have you taken some time for yourself, to cleanse the system of all these
negativities, negative emotions?
Have you taken some time off to find the source from where we have come up
and where we will be going back?
Don't think you'll be here forever!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Sri Sri's Commentary on the Bhagavad Gita Chapter 8 - Part 1

Sat, 08/15/2015 Bangalore, India

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In Chapter 8, Lord Krishna begins by telling Arjuna, “I am the Supreme Lord
and the governing deity of all Yajnas – whether they are material or
spiritual in nature. I am the One who everyone wishes to know and attain in
the last moments of their life. And I am the One into whom they all dissolve
at the time of death”.

The moment Lord Krishna says this, Arjuna becomes even more thirsty to know.
Arjuna then asks, “O Lord, what really is Brahman? What is Spirituality?” We
all have also heard these words quite often – Brahman, Karma, Purusha
(referring to the Cosmic all-pervading Being),Adhyatma (Spirituality), and
Devta (demigods). What are all these, really?

When present in the battlefield, one remembers and thinks about his last
moments of life. In the battlefield a person thinks, “Will I overcome Kaal
(death) or will death overpower me?” This fear arises in the mind, and one
suddenly becomes aware of the impermanence of life. So in such a situation
it is natural for such questions to arise in the mind. In the same way,
Arjuna too began to have these questions. So this intense curiosity arose in
Arjuna to know what is Karma; what is Spirituality; what is Adidaivik, etc.
Hearing this, Lord Krishna says:

8.3

"Aksharam brahma paramam svabhavo 'dhyatmam uchyate. Bhuta-bhavodbhava-karo
visargah karma-samjnitah".

What is the Brahman?
That which is the highest, the supreme, the ultimate; beyond which there is
nothing. It is that which is indestructible and can never be destroyed or
diminished; that which is constant and unchanging; that all-pervading One
Consciousness which is Satchidananda(the all-blissful one) from which
everything in creation has come forth and into which everything ultimately
dissolves – that is the Brahman.



What is Adhyatma (spirituality)?
Spirituality is about being established in one’s true nature. It is
returning to one’s very nature.What is your nature? Your nature is to run
towards joy and happiness. The pace and the intensity with which we run
towards the Brahman, towards happiness is what spirituality is, and that is
your very nature. Being spiritual is in everyone’s nature.

What is Karma?

Many kinds of feelings arise within us. All these feelings propel or cause
some action. So that feeling is also called Karma, and the (resultant)
action is also called Karma. For example, when a desire to create arises
from within you, then that desire or feeling is also Karma. The action has
already begun. The moment there arises a desire in your mind, say, to build
a new building, then that’s it – the work or the action has happened. It is
calledSukshma Karma (action or karma at the subtle level). And then there is
the Sthula Karma(action at the gross or material level), i.e., actually
building .

You all have heard this so many times that one must remain detached and
dispassionate while doing Karma. What does it mean? It means that definitely
you must act, but do not attach yourself to it, and get stuck to it because
whatever impression gets imprinted on the mind becomes Karma (that one must
go through).

8.4

"Adhibhutam ksharo bhavah purushas-chadhidaivatam. Adhiyajno aham evaatra
dehe deha-bhrtam vara".



What is referred to as Adibhuta?
That which is perishable and ultimately gets destroyed or comes to an end is
called asAdibhuta. It may exist today and not exist tomorrow.

What are the Devtas (divine deities or gods and goddesses)?
See, there is some humidity in the atmosphere. It means that there is some
(proportion of) water element present in the air. We also see the water
element in the form of ice. Then we also see the water element in the form
of clouds.

When water evaporates from the oceans to form the clouds, then you cannot
see it. But once the vapor accumulates to form the clouds, then you are able
to see it. In the same way, there are special powers or spirits which you
may call as angels or Devtas. Special manifestations (of the all-powerful
one consciousness) having special attributes or qualities are given the
title of Devtas.
(Here water represents God, and vapor, ice, clouds which have their specific
qualities, even though they are all just water, represent the Devtas).

So what is the Adidhaiva?
It is the Purusha, the powerful One Consciousness that is present within us
all. Even theBrahman is nothing but consciousness only, but it is present
everywhere. In the realm and space of this omnipresent consciousness
(Brahman), the special forms that can be seen or realized as a unique and
concentrated manifestation of the same consciousness is called thePurusha.
When it (Purusha) gets even more concentrated just as when water as vapor
gets even more concentrated; then it becomes Prakriti.
You can understand it this way: (water as) ice is Prakriti, and (liquid)
water is the Purusha; and (water as) vapor is the Brahman. The Brahman is
Space. Everything exists in Space.

What does Yajna mean?
Lord Krishna says, “It is I who experiences all these in the physical body.
I am the Adiyajnaalso”.
Yajna is that which unites and brings everything together, the one that sees
and understands everything – the Seer. So Adiyajna is that which understand
and brings all these three together - Adibhuta, Adidaiva and Adhyatma. The
intention to unite and bring everything together arises only when one is
able to see these as distinct and separate.

Lord Krishna says, “I am that divine principle that emerges and becomes
visible when these three unite”. This is why Lord Krishna says that “All the
demigods and goddesses reside within Me”.
It means that the One Consciousness contains and holds both the Purusha and
the Prakriti.

Lord Krishna says, “By this perspective, I reside within all beings and I
sustain and run everything in this Creation. I uphold and bring everything
together, and I am also the one who experiences everything. Everything in
Creation is My divine play, a game created by Me. I am the ball, the player,
the playground on which the game happens and I am also the audience, and I
am also the umpire who stands and judges the game”.
This is Yajna. Yajna is a sacred process of honoring all these three.

We remain entangled in cravings and aversions for others. But when we have
the essence of the Yajna - meaning when there is total unity and harmony
within us, when everything within us comes together in a perfect balance;
then the entire world feels like our own, and we feel everyone belongs to
us.

8.5

"Anta-kale cha mam eva smaran muktva kalevaram. Yah prayati sa mad-bhavam
yati nasti atra samshayah".



Lord Krishna further says, “It is alright to go about your life as you like,
but in the last moments of life, you should remember Me and establish your
mind and intellect totally in Me. There is no doubt that when you remember
me with devotion, you will surely unite with Me”.

But the truth is that whatever we do throughout our lives is what we
actually remember in the last moments of our life as well. In those dying
moments too, the same things disturb the mind. That is why Lord Krishna,
after having given so much knowledge, also says, “In your final moments,
remember Me”.

8.6

"Yam yam vapi smaran bhaavam tyajaty ante kalevaram. Tam tam evaiti kaunteya
sada tad-bhava-bhavitah".



It is an irrefutable truth of life that whatever we think of at the time of
death, that is exactly how we become (in the next life). The impressions in
the mind with which one leaves the physical body at the time of death, will
need to be washed off, for which one then needs to take on another physical
body.
With whatever desires or state of mind you leave your present physical body,
the same (desires or state of mind) determine the kind of physical body and
state of mind you attain to in the next birth. That is why Lord Krishna
says, “Always keep remembering Me”.

8.7

"Tasmat sarveshu kaleshu mam anusmara yudhya cha. Mayy-arpita-mano-buddhir
mam evaishyasy asamshayah".



In the next verse Lord Krishna says, “Think of Me even as you struggle or
battle in life".
When you give your 100% in anything that you do, then that is a battle. A
battle does not always imply killing someone. A battle means, wherever you
put all your efforts and everything at stake. So if life appears to be a
struggle, then put in your 100%. But Lord Krishna says, “Do so by keeping Me
in your mind at all times as you struggle. Surrender both your mind and your
intellect to Me when you do this”.
It means to surrender totally – both by feeling and by understanding
(logic).

Some people do not apply any understanding but are driven greatly by
feelings only. Some people are able to understand and interpret things
correctly but there are no feelings or emotions in them. That is why Lord
Krishna has said many times in the Bhagavad Gita, “Be connected to Me both
by your feelings and by your intellect”.

Krishna says, “Surrender unto Me and accept Me totally – both at the level
of emotions and the intellect. By doing so you will surely attain Me and
there is no doubt about this. You will attain that steadiness and
equanimity; you will awaken into that true Self that is Me. I do not reside
somewhere distant away from you. I reside within you".

8.8

"Abhyasa-yoga-yuktena chetasa nanya-gamina. Paramam purusham divyam yati
parthanuchintayan".



Now how can one achieve this? To this, Lord Krishna replies, “You must do
Abhyasa (regular practice)".
What is the nature of the mind? The tendency of the mind is to run off in
different directions. Steady and regular practice (Abhyasa) prevents the
mind from straying into different directions.

In any person in whom the Divinity is kindled and awakened, you will find
that they have so much depth in them. When a person’s mind is scattered and
strays in different directions, then you cannot see the Divinity in them.
Such people are not able to achieve anything in life, even though they may
be great scientists or great artists, you do not find something solid and
admirable in their personality.

How can one nurture that steadiness and depth in one’s personality? It can
happen when one’s Consciousness is one-pointed and fixed on one single goal,
or in a single direction. Only then is a person able to do something, only
then can one see the Divine qualities or the Divinity in a person.

Do you know what is the nature of Consciousness that gets distracted in
different directions? Such a person always thinks of getting something or
the other; something from here, or something from there and so on. This is a
sign of lack and feeling like a beggar. When you become steady and
established within yourself, then that is a sign of prosperity and
abundance. It is a sign of being graceful and beautiful. When someone is
very graceful and dignified, it means that their spirit or consciousness
does not stray here and there, rather it is collected and firmly established
in the Self. It means that there is a deep sense of contentment. Contentment
is what makes you divine; happiness makes you divine; skillfulness makes you
divine.
For all these divine qualities to blossom and manifest in you, Lord Krishna
advises – You must engage in Abhyasa Yoga (regular practice).

Often people associate regular practice (Abhyasa) with something that is
very boring, dull and lifeless. It is not so at all. Abhyasa here means to
go towards the source of all joy. The moment one understands this fact, all
the Abhyasa becomes very easy and joyful.

Now if you find this understanding too abstract and difficult to bring into
practice as Arjuna claims also, then Lord Krishna says, “My dear, I am here
before you. Just remember Me”. This is where the importance of the Guru
lies.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, August 19, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


“Sacrifice ignorance (ajnana) and ego (ahamkara) at the altar of wisdom
(Jnana), and install righteousness (Dharma) therein" - this is the message
of the scriptures. Every single unselfish act, which prepares the ground for
the merging of the Soul with the Over-Soul, which broadens the vision
towards the Divinity immanent everywhere, is a righteous act. Each such act
is a tiny stream that swells the river of holiness rushing towards the sea
of knowledge of Divinity. Your acts and activities are all rituals in the
worship of the Paramatma that pervades the Universe. Whatever is done in an
attitude of dedication and surrender is a component of the Dharma, which
leads to Realisation. The strategy of the ancient Bharathiya (Indian) way of
life is directed towards the sanctification of every moment and every word,
thought and deed as a step towards realising the Divine. (Dharma Vahini, Ch
1)


-BABA





Wisdom is to rise above prejudice and see the whole world as one family. If
this idea comes, there will be no war, no crime and none of the problems
that we are facing in the world today. There is so much violence in the
world. This is all because of lack of wisdom.

<https://www.facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar> Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152810017090912&set=a.38239056091
1.162679.825685911&type=1> VEDIC WISDOM
Wisdom is to rise above prejudice and see the whole world as one family. If
this idea comes, there will be no war, no crime and none of the problems
that we are facing in the world today. There is so much violence in the
world. This is all because of lack of wisdom. - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Meditation: The Fastest Way To A Quiet Mind

Fri, 07/10/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany

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(Below is a continuation of post

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/making-a-better-world> Making A Better
World)

Questions & Answers



Gurudev, what is better, doing one’s daily spiritual practices, or doing
smarana (remembering God), or just observing the thoughts as they come and
go?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You shouldn’t split it like that. What we do when we
sit for meditation is we keep thinking about work. And when we are working,
we want to go and rest. When you’re working give your 100%, and when you sit
for meditation, just relax and retire. When you work, don’t worry about what
is happening in your mind.

When your meditation matures it transforms into a state where a depth of
silence and peace continues to exist even in activity. It is not a practice,
it is a by-product.





Dearest Gurudev, are there any correlations between Kato Upanishad and Bardo
Thodol of the Tibetan Buddhist tradition, or are they two different ways to
approach death?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Kato Upanishad is an ancient text. And His Holiness
Dalai Lama himself has said, "We consider Hinduism as the mother of Buddhism
and it is through that that we have got our Tibetan Buddhism".
So, it is from Hinduism that Buddhism has branched out, and this knowledge
is only a branch of Kato Upanishad.





How can true divine guidance be recognized from false guidance (of self
proclaimed gurus and coaches)? Isn’t the Self your true guide?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If your intention is to find the truth, you will find
it. But if your intention is to get something quickly, then you can get
trapped. Whenever such scandals come out, I only say one thing, "If you put
water in a pot which is not baked, neither the pot remains, nor the water.
Both fall apart". And this is what happens to people who proclaim to be
gurus and try to teach some techniques to people.
For sometime people get something out of it, but then eventually everything
falls apart.





If time is only a concept of the mind, then how do we fit more activities in
our day?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Even this is a concept! Time and mind are connected.
When you’re happy, time feels so short, and when you’re unhappy, a short
time appears to be so long. If you have to wait alone in the plane, or in
the train station, you look at the watch ten times. But if you have someone
to chat with you, then you can’t feel time passing. When you meditate, you
transcend time.





Dear Gurudev, my mind is very scared and not ready to accept the emptiness
of the present moment. It constantly looks for something or someone to hold
on to.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This is the nature of the mind! Never mind! People who
are fed up with the mind only say, ‘Never mind!’ The mind is like that, but
you are not just the mind, you are much more than that.
Don’t try to repair the mind. Repairing the mind is like trying to stop the
waves in the ocean. Can you stop the waves in the ocean? If you want to see
an ocean without the waves, you have to dive a little deeper! When you dive
deep inside of you, you will experience the stillness of the ocean. And if
it all frozen, that is enlightenment!





When we don’t get to spend one-to-one time with you, how do we communicate
with you on a day-to-day basis?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Twitter, Facebook, emails and meditation! Meditation
is the best, but if you’re not satisfied with the communication through
meditation and silence, then there is always email and twitter. Our SMS is
silent message service!

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, August 20, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


You are not a despicable creature, born in slime or sin, to eke out a drab
existence and be extinguished forever. You are immortal and eternal. So when
the call comes, respond with your whole heart. The Principle of Divinity
must be experienced, for it is beyond expressions and explanation. The
richness, fullness and depth of that experience can never be communicated in
words. You must feel that it is your highest destiny to attain that
experience. You are a mixture of Deha and Deva - the mortal and the
immortal. Liberation means stoppage of grief and acquisition of joy. All
that you have to do is to place all your burdens on God. It makes you
care-free and grief-free. Then you will take everything as a divine play of
the Lord you love and live in bliss just as He is, when His plans are going
through! (Divine Discourse, Feb 11, 1964)


-BABA



The purpose of life is not to be miserable or to make others miserable. With
this guideline, move on. Go by your gut feeling. Anything that gives you
short term happiness and long term misery is not wise.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Practice Being Content

Sat, 08/15/2015 Bangalore, India

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Deep rest is the essence of sadhana. You have become so tired by doing
something or the other all the time. Now just sit down for some time and to
be with yourself. Do some meditation. When you meditate, you will start
seeing a new world in front of you.
You get deep rest is meditation. You get rest when you are content, and this
rest is what gives rise to Happiness.

Running behind happiness makes you tired. When you run behind happiness you
get tired, but when you repose in the self, when you rest, you get energy,
and that brings you strength, joy and happiness. So every once in a while,
stop the rat race, and take some time out to be with yourself, and get some
rest. This is what knowledge is and this is what spirituality is.

Many time, in the name of sadhana also, we start engaging ourselves in some
activity, and once again we get tired. I tell you, the physical body does
not make you as tired as the mind does. Work doesn’t make you as tired as
much as your desires. Nothing else makes you more tired than your own
desires, or greed. So what is important is for you to become content. Again
and again, be content. This is an art and this is what meditation is. True
sadhana is to being calm, contented, and rested.



Questions & Answers



Dear Gurudev, I want to surrender my ego, but I fear that in doing so, I
will lose my self-respect. Please guide.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If you find that there is ego, then let it be. Even
ego belongs to the divine. Don’t try to surrender, don’t struggle. If you
say that I have surrendered my ego, then it is bigger ego. It’s like saying,
"I am the most humble person in this entire world!" That doesn’t show
humility. Just be Natural.

The more you grow in knowledge, you see that ego goes away. You know, around
the seed there is a membrane. When you soak it in water, the seed bulges,
sprouts and automatically the membrane breaks away. But if you try to peel
the skin, the seed itself will break. Same way, when you soak yourself in
knowledge, in devotion, in love, and in wisdom, you automatically find the
ego going away.





Gurudev, when we are in pain, we are centered. But when we are happy, we
move away from this centeredness. How should we remain happy and centered at
the same time?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, this is a good question. When we are happy, we
experience a sense of expansion; the mind expands, And when we are
miserable, we experience a certain depth. That ,is why, whether you
experience happiness or sorrow in life, treat both as equal, because
happiness bring expansion and sorrow brings depth, and both make you
stronger. And the way to go beyond both of these is meditation.
By meditating and being in knowledge, both centeredness and expansion start
to co-exist within us. And that is because this is the nature of the self.
It is said (in the Upanishad), "Anor aniyan mahato mahiyan". Which means,
smaller than the smallest and bigger than the biggest, that is what I am.
This feeling starts coming up within you.





Gurudev, many times while doing seva, the sense of doership starts arising
within me? Would I lose the merit of doing the seva if I feel this way?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No! Don’t worry about it. Thinking whether you would
lose the merit of doing seva is a bigger problem. Just be natural. Even if
the ego comes, what’s wrong with it? Let it be! Keep it aside somewhere. You
don’t need to show it others, just let it be.





I end up meeting the wrong people in my life. How can I solve this problem?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It’s okay if you are meeting wrong people, they are
waiting for you to make them right! What is important is that you should not
become wrong. They are coming to you like sick people coming to a doctor.
Just remember that you are the doctor and they are the patients. Instead of
you joining their club, pull them toward you.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, August 21, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Beautiful fields and groves run wild with neglect and soon become
unrecognizable bushland and thorny jungle; fine trees are hewn by greedy men
and the shape of the landscape is changed. With the passage of time, people
get accustomed to the new state of things. This has happened to Dharma also.
Misunderstood by incompetent intelligence, unbridled emotion and impure
reasoning, the scriptures have been grossly diluted and their glory has
suffered grievously. Just as the raindrops from the clear blue sky get
colored and contaminated when they fall on the soil, the unsullied message
of the ancient rishis, the example of their shining deeds, and the bright
untarnished urges behind their actions are all turned into ugly caricatures
of the original grandeur, by uncultured interpreters and scholars. Hence,
every one of you must acquaint yourselves with the outlines of Dharma,
expounded in the Vedas, Sastras and the Puranas. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 1)


-BABA



Any action of yours that goes against Dharma will prick you inside. It will
keep troubling you from within and you will feel, ‘Oh, I think I have done
something really wrong’. Your conscience will tell you this. But when you
act in accordance with Dharma, then you feel relaxed and at peace.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

What Makes A Great Warrior

Thu, 07/16/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany

http://cdn.artofliving.org/sites/www.artofliving.org/files/wysiwyg_imageuplo
ad/Great-Warrior.jpg

The word great warrior refers to a man with valor and is usually said to the
people who fight in the world and win over their enemies. But, one who sits
still, one who follows the path of ‘ahimsa’ or non-violence totally, is also
called a great warrior.

In the word Mahaveer, veer means warrior, and the word warrior comes from
the Sanskrit root veera. Mahaveer (a great warrior) is a title given not
only to people who fight, win and succeed, but also to people who are in
deep meditation.



But, how can someone who is non-violent and who meditates be called a great
warrior?
There is turmoil in the inner world (referring to the mind) as much as there
is turmoil in the outer world. There are more conflicts inside you than what
you can find outside in the world.

The world is made up of five elements and they are all in conflict; conflict
is their nature. Fire and water are never friendly; fire evaporates water
and water extinguishes fire. Similarly, air can put off fire and it is only
because of air that fire can exist, and it is fire that can split air. And,
Earth is affected by all the three elements; fire, water and air.
Similarly, there is conflict world over. Inside you, the heart and mind are
in a conflict. The heart is compassionate but the mind is logical and
reasons everything. When the mind says, "This is right to do", the heart
doesn’t want to do it. When the heart wants to do something, the mind says,
"This is no good". The fight between mind and heart, likes and dislikes
bother you. These are storms that get created inside you and doesn’t let
your mind be at peace.

If there is nothing for you to worry about, then you worry about your
neighbours, friends and family. Worry, conflict, sadness, unhappiness, all
these emotions pose a great challenge for meditation to happen and do not
let you be at peace. When you are peaceful and happy for few moments,
something comes up and it destroys your peace. There are hundred and one
reasons for you to be miserable, and if you’re not intelligent, your mind
makes up thousand and one reasons to be unhappy. Sometimes you are unhappy
because there is conflict, and sometimes you are unhappy just because you
have lost your peace of mind. This continues throughout life.

People in their eighties and nineties grumble and complain constantly
knowing too well that this complaining is not going to give them any
benefit, or solve any problem. People with enthusiasm and energy get fed up
with these complaints because it is just the opposite for them! When you are
enthusiastic and with lot of energy everything appears bright and you want
to take up challenges; you feel like a warrior. But when somebody’s prana or
energy is low, they complain and pull your energy down and that’s what you
fight with. This is a challenge.

In the same way, in meditation a million things can come up, but if you
raise your head above all these conflicts, and feel unmindful of it, not
questioning why they have come, it makes you go deep in your meditation. By
thinking why these bad thoughts are coming, you are being party to the
conflict, and this makes you weak. Let them come and go. You think that you
have nothing to do with it. This is the strategy to win over inner conflict.



When inner conflict arises, this strategy is there to remind you that you
are much more powerful and much bigger than the conflict. Then you rise
above it, flying above the clouds, piercing through them and reaching the
clear sky.
Similarly, sit still in your inner space, unmindful of any conflict, any
thought or emotion. If they come, let them come and go, and when you think,
"I don’t care about how I feel", then that will give you the strength.

The previous generation of masters used to do this. When someone comes and
says, "I don’t feel good", they would say, "You will have to bear your
cross". They would never show compassion. They would say, "If you are
suffering it is because of your karma. You have to go through your karma,
suffer and finish it off. If you don’t go through it, you will have to carry
that karma to the next life time".

You have to stand up against the inner conflict and fight it. The world
doesn’t care how you feel; the world is only interested in what you have
done and what you are doing. One day you may feel good and another day you
may not feel so good. Feelings go up and down but the world will only ask
you, "What good have you done, and how have you contributed to the world?"

When we get into this complex emotional turmoil, so much time and money is
wasted. Not only do we waste our time, we waste someone else's money and
time through phone calls. If people get over this emotional turbulence, if
they don’t succumb to it and waste time, the world would be a much better
place, and we can save trillions of dollars.

All the ancient wise men and women have asked, "When will we wake up from
this maya? This is all an illusion. It appears to be something but in
reality it is not that. And winning over maya is being a mahaveer (a great
warrior). You can win over people outside, but when you can win over the
turmoil inside and be still and keep a smile, then you are a great warrior,
and that requires valor.



If we run away from something, we are only running away from our self.
People run here and there like headless chickens with likes and dislikes,
and get nothing. Who cares what you like and dislike? How long does it take
to dislike something you like, and if you dislike something how long does it
take to start liking it again? We need to wake up from this slumber. That
will bring inner strength.

Everyone likes someone who is strong. You want people to like you and love
you, but how will people like or love you when you are so weak and wiggly
inside? They have compassion, and they tolerate you for some time, and then
they want to get out and have free time for themselves. They feel
suffocated. This happens in all relationships and that is why people runaway
from relationships. You suffocate them with your likes and dislikes, with
your emotions; you put your emotions on their head and ask them to carry it
when they already have enough of their own to carry. If you do this they
will drop everything and runaway.

In any relationship, be a giver of strength. This you can do only when you
are strong. When you are emotionally dependent on somebody and you keep
asking them if they really love you, even if they had any love, it will just
drain away.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, August 24, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


I have come to reform you; I won’t leave you until I do that. Even if you
get away before I do that, don’t think you can escape Me; I will hold on to
you. I am not worried if you leave Me, for I am not anxious that there
should be a huge gathering! Who gave hand-written invitation to everyone
present here? People come, on their own, in thousands - you attach
yourselves to Me! I am unattached. I am attached only to the task. But be
assured of one thing. Whether you come to Me or not, you are all in Me. I
have the love of a thousand mothers. I love each one of you and protect you
always. Whenever I appear to be angry, remember, it is only love in another
form. I do not have even an iota of anger in Me. I express My disappointment
when you do not shape up as I expect. (Divine Discourse, Feb 11, 1964)


-BABA



My job is not to satisfy you but to make you restless to get the Highest
knowledge. In that restlessness you achieve awareness.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

The Wisdom of Secrets

A wise person makes no effort to conceal a secret. But he does not make an
effort to reveal a secret either.

For example, you do not talk about menstruation, death, etc. to a
five-year-old, but as they grow older these things are not hidden from them
any more. They become known as a matter of course.

An unenlightened one tries to protect a secret; and he also reveals the
secret at the wrong time, to the wrong person, in the wrong place and makes
a big fuss about secrets. Trying to protect a secret causes anxiety and
discomfort.

An ignorant one is not comfortable with a secret, whether revealed or
unrevealed, but the wise one is comfortable with a secret whether revealed
or unrevealed!


<https://www.facebook.com/Swami.Purnachaitanya/photos/a.458437544200361.1132
61.196417737069011/1039599456084164/?type=1> Swami Purnachaitanya's photo.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, August 25, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Some of you may think, “How can Dharma, which sets limits on thoughts and
words, and regulates and controls, make a person free?” Freedom is the name
that you give to a certain type of bondage. Genuine freedom is obtained only
when delusion is absent, when there is no identification with the body and
senses, and no servitude to the objective world. People who have escaped
from this servitude and achieved freedom in the genuine sense are very few
in number. Bondage lies in every act done with the consciousness of the body
as the Self, for one is then the plaything of the senses. Only those who
have escaped this fate are free; this ‘freedom’ is the ideal stage to which
Dharma leads. With this stage constantly in mind, if you are engaged in the
activity of living, then you will become a liberated person (mukta-purusha)
in this very life. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 2)


-BABA



Our mind is responsible for both our bondage and freedom. Our own mind is
our best friend and our worst enemy. So freedom from our own mind, is what
we need look at. The mind constantly judges and discriminates. Sometimes we
should tell the mind 'Just relax'. When the mind relaxes, and you keep
awake, that is meditation. Usually mind is throwing all the tantrums and you
are sleeping, this is ignorance. Mind resting and you being awake, that is
wisdom. That is meditation, that is joy.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

The importance of Death in Spirituality



Death brings you in touch with the reality of life. Death creates a vacuum,
a void.

Void is the fertile ground for the spirit to manifest. All talents,
invention, creativity springs forth from the void, and creation has a
tendency to return to the void.

All the places of worship in all religions are connected with places of
burial/cremation, as the awareness of death alone can bring dispassion and
make you well grounded in knowledge.

According to the Indian mythology, the abode of Shiva is in Mount Kailasa as
well as in Smashana (the cremation ground). Kailasa means "where there is
only celebration", and Smashana is where there is only void. Thus the
Divinity dwells in the void as well as in celebration. And in you there is
void, in you there is celebration.


<https://www.facebook.com/Swami.Purnachaitanya/photos/a.458437544200361.1132
61.196417737069011/1039598009417642/?type=1> Swami Purnachaitanya's photo.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, August 26, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The Universe is the best university; Nature is your best teacher. With an
observant mind you can learn many lessons from rivers and hills, from birds
and beasts, from stars and flowers and from trees. The trees offer cool
shade to all who seek it; they do not deny it to anyone on the basis of
caste, creed or colour. They offer their fruits to all, irrespective of
their social or economic status. Prosperity is to be welcomed but that alone
is not enough. Prosperity without the will to share it will only breed fear
and anxiety. Human nature is an amalgam of animal, human and divine
characteristics. Love, compassion, humility, charity - these are all divine.
One has to cultivate these in order to be at peace with oneself and others.
These spiritual qualities are your real life-savers; they elevate you from
being human to the status of the Divine. (Divine Discourse, 21-Jun-1979)


-BABA



Nature does not judge you, this earth does not judge you. You misuse it in
all possible manners, but still it doesn't refuse you.
Creation does not reject you - not water, nor earth, nor sky, nor this air,
nor the sun, the moon, the stars. Breath makes no distinction - it moves
into a saint as well as into a wicked person.
Unconditionally creation loves you, supports you and holds you in its arms -
this entire creation is shivatattva, innocence.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day

<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=269010989904867&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> Nature does not
judge you, this earth does not judge you. You misuse it in all possible
manners, but still it doesn't refuse you.
Creation does not reject you - not water, nor earth, nor sky, nor this air,
nor the sun, the moon, the stars. Breath makes no distinction - it moves
into a saint as well as into a wicked person.
Unconditionally creation loves you, supports you and holds you in its arms -
this entire creation is shivatattva, innocence.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

https://scontent-lhr3-1.xx.fbcdn.net/hphotos-xpf1/v/t1.0-9/11811504_10285262
20505166_5882823098766314670_n.png?oh=3611473e9f48c5219ab6b7851b4db889&oe=56
576836



What SRI SRI said

WHAT ARE MOTHER'S RESPONSIBLITIES? - A message by
<https://www.facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar> Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You have a responsibility towards your husband and your kids. You have to
fulfill that, and you should do it with complete honesty and sincerity.

Do not go on the pleasure trip and think, “I will do only that which gives
me comfort and pleasure”, that is no good. People who follow pleasure alone
get ruined, but people who follow commitment in life, those who do service
towards others, will surely shine out.

Remember that you have a responsibility at home. Keep your family happy and
united. Meditate every day to find your inner happiness. Do not expect
something from your kids.

I tell you, you do your duty towards your children, and remember that God is
there to take care of you. You have not produced children so that they take
care of you in the future. If that was the intention, then you are totally
mistaken. I do not think this is the idea in any mother’s mind.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, August 27, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The Gurus (preceptors) of the past taught only from experience; they loved
their pupils and sought to correct their faults and failings, that is how
their students lead happy and useful lives. When the pupils finally left the
Guru’s home, he exhorted them to follow two guidelines (Sutras) which were
as essential for life as the two eyes (netras) - Speak the truth; Walk on
the path of righteousness (Satyam vada, Dharmam chara). The Guru had the
faith that the pupil (shishya) would take the advice to heart, for he
himself was the living proof of their value and validity. The Guru always
takes great care to remove from the heart of the pupil the weeds of evil
habits and tendencies, and implant therein the seeds of love. He insists on
spiritual discipline (sadhana) for purifying the pupils’ minds and to render
them strong enough to overcome temptations of all kinds. Virtue and
character alone marks a truly educated person. (Divine Discourse,
21-Jun-1979)

-BABA





Anything that uplifts the human spirit is spirituality. Anything that brings
you peace, joy, love, comfort and motivates you to do service in society is
spirituality.
We are made up of both matter and spirit. Our body is made up of Amino
acids, carbohydrate, protein and all that stuff. Our spirit is made up of
love, compassion, generosity, intelligence; all these values. So
spirituality is not just sitting and doing something. It is something that
invokes, that builds character in you.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day

What SRI SRI said



Within



There is a place you can come where everything is beautiful. Tourists go
from place to place looking for beauty. They try to take beauty from that
place. They only get tired and tanned. Yet the most beautiful spot anywhere
is right here. When you come here, you find that wherever you are,
everything is so beautiful. Where is this place? Don't look here and there.
Where do you go? Within you. When you come here, then any place is
beautiful. Then wherever you go, you add beauty there. If you are unhappy,
even the moon is irritating to you. Sweet things are nauseating, music is
disturbing. When you are calm and centered inside, noise is musical, clouds
are magical, rain is liquid sunshine. Book yourself on a trip to this most
beautiful place in the universe. Then you find that every day is a vacation
and a celebration.


<https://www.facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar/photos/a.10151493598082536.10737
41828.330938752535/10152986677987536/?type=1> Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's photo.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, August 28, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


When you eat a banana, you have to first remove the skin; so it is with
other fruits as well be it a mango or an orange. The sweet substance has to
be reached after removal of the bitter skin. For Emperor Bali to be received
and accepted by God, the bitter cover of egoism and power-mania had to be
removed. Ignorance, maya (delusion), illusion, pride, etc. are the
components of the skin. The festival of Onam comes and goes, but you are no
way nearer to God. This is because while Onam is thoroughly welcomed and
enjoyed, generosity, renunciation, love and the spirit of service are not
given an equally hearty welcome. Take this as the Onam Message - strive to
manifest, cultivate and express Love, suppressing pride and egoism, so that
you win the Grace of God. (Divine Discourse, 30-Aug-1974)


-BABA




<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10151641906682536&set=a.384745507535
.168659.330938752535&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> The path of love is not
a tedious path. It is a path of joy. A path of singing and dancing. It is
not a desert. It is a valley of flowers. - Sri Sri Ravi Shankar





What SRI SRI said

Is God Testing You?



Testing is part of ignorance.

You only test that of which you are not sure. If God is testing you, that
means God doesn't know you well enough.

... How could people ever think that God is testing them? God does not test
you because he knows you in and out; he knows your past, present and future;
he knows your strengths and weaknesses, and he alone gives you strength. So
he doesn't test you. You can test yourself. When you do not have confidence,
then you test yourself. If you are confident, why would you test yourself?
If you are testing yourself, you do not know yourself. Are you testing God?
God will never pass your test because He will never show up for your test.
If He shows up for your test, then He is not God (laughter). Whether you get
this or not - just laugh!


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=219598231512810&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> Is God Testing You?
----------------------
Testing is part of ignorance.
You only test that of which you are not sure. If God is testing you, that
means God doesn't know you well enough.
How could people ever think that God is testing them? God does not test you
because he knows you in and out; he knows your past, present and future; he
knows your strengths and weaknesses, and he alone gives you strength. So he
doesn't test you.

You can test yourself. When you do not have confidence, then you test
yourself. If you are confident, why would you test yourself?
If you are testing yourself, you do not know yourself.
Are you testing God?
God will never pass your test because He will never show up for your test.
If He shows up for your test, then He is not God (laughter).
Whether you get this or not - just laugh!

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, August 31, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


rules of the world? Bhagawan emphatically explains to us today. Practical
dharma, or rules of good behaviour (achara-dharma), relates to temporary
matters concerning our problems and physical needs, to our passing
relationships with the objective world. The very instrument of those rules,
the human body, is not permanent, so how can then these rules be eternal?
How can their nature be true? The Eternal cannot be expressed by the
evanescent; light cannot be revealed from darkness. The Eternal emerges only
from the Eternal; truth emanates only from truth. Therefore, follow the
objective codes of dharma relating to worldly activities and daily life,
with the full knowledge and consciousness of the inner basic Atma-dharma.
Then only can the internal and external urges cooperate and yield the bliss
of harmonious progress. If in your daily avocations, you translate the real
values of eternal dharma into love-filled acts, then your duty to the inner
reality, the Atma-dharma, is also fulfilled. Always build your living on the
Atmic base; then, your spiritual progress is assured. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 2)


-BABA





A pyramid is an external environment. But it is not like only in a pyramid
you will have great meditation, no! Even in a dome you can have good
meditation and in the open sky you can have even better meditation. So your
atma shakti (power of the Self) is much more powerful than any shapes and
forms. You know, shapes and forms are a limited sphere of influence but more
than that is the sound of the mantra. The mantra influences several times
more than shapes and forms and more than the mantra is the silent presence.
So all this is effective only when there is meditation.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Success Is An Attitude



Success is an attitude, it is not a phenomenon. When you agree to be bogged
down, that is the sign of failure. Resist getting bogged down, just like a
candle.

... You light a candle and turn it upside down, the flame always goes up,
and it never goes down. In the same way, if we can have the enthusiasm to
say, ‘I can make it, I can rebuild my business’; that is what I would
consider a sign of success.




<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=220218861450747&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> Success Is An
Attitude
-------------------------
Success is an attitude, it is not a phenomenon.
When you agree to be bogged down, that is the sign of failure. Resist
getting bogged down, just like a candle.

You light a candle and turn it upside down, the flame always goes up, and it
never goes down. In the same way, if we can have the enthusiasm to say, ‘I
can make it, I can rebuild my business’; that is what I would consider a
sign of success.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program 7 to 12 September 2015 (6days – evening course) @ APD
Chatsworth (new & repeaters)

1.2 AOL YOGA course (5 evenings) @APD Chatsworth 14 to 18 September 2015

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, September 01, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Your heart should be like glass, with the spiritual light inside
illuminating the world outside. The inner urges on interacting with the
world outside should make one lean towards service, empathy and mutual help.
Presently, people read and study all kinds of unintelligible Vedantic texts
and struggle with commentaries and translations to grasp their sense.
Knowledge is being poured down their throats; but the potion does not get
down to soften their heart. The spiritual truths should not be put on for
mere public exhibition, as in a drama, where appropriate dresses are worn on
the stage but taken off when the actor moves off the stage. They must be
adhered to all the time to derive the Atma ananda (Bliss of the Soul) which
they genuinely confer. Bliss is easily attained by careful, well-timed and
regulated discipline; it cannot be got by spurts and skips. You must take
the effort to learn each lesson of virtue through systematic study and
diligent application to attain success. (Divine Discourse, 21-Sep-1960)


-BABA



With rest - you achieve devotion. When you put in effort along with rest you
get power or strength. Effort and prayer, both, go together. Either is
incomplete without the other. For completion of any task both are required.
Normally women only pray and men only put in effort but both should do both.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Karma Is Not Forever!


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=225490974256869&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> Karma Is Not
Forever!
--------------------------
Every karma has a time period and its result is only up to that time period,
whether good to bad.

Good karma will affect you only for a certain period of time, and bad karma
also can affect you only for a certain period of time; not forever.
So even the worst sinner, the moment he sits and his heart blossoms, and he
comes into devotion and acknowledges the Divinity, he is already getting
free from all the bad karma.
That is why Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita, that even if someone is
wicked, when he turns to me with an unwavering mind, he should be considered
as a good person, as a wise man; a saint.
Like how you treat a saint, that is how you should treat my devotee. Even if
he might have done all rubbish in the past, it doesn't matter, because in
the present, he is free.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Every karma has a time period and its result is only up to that time period,
whether good to bad.

Good karma will affect you only for a certain period of time, and bad karma
also can affect you only for a certain period of time; not forever.

So even the worst sinner, the moment he sits and his heart blossoms, and he
comes into devotion and acknowledges the Divinity, he is already getting
free from all the bad karma.

That is why Lord Krishna said in the Bhagavad Gita, that even if someone is
wicked, when he turns to me with an unwavering mind, he should be considered
as a good person, as a wise man; a saint.

Like how you treat a saint, that is how you should treat my devotee. Even if
he might have done all rubbish in the past, it doesn't matter, because in
the present, he is free.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, September 02, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Virtues must be cultivated in each home; each member sharing in the joy with
the rest, each one seeking for opportunities for helping others. This
attitude must be stuck to, so that it may stay as character. How can a
vessel kept with a closed lid be filled with water? It must be open to
receive good impulses! In all your efforts, trust in a Higher Power which is
ever ready to help you. Then your work is made easy. This comes out of
devotion, and reliance on the Lord who is the source of all Power. When you
travel by train, you only have to purchase the ticket, board the proper
train and take a seat, you can leave the rest to the engine. Do you carry
your luggage on your head? So too, trust in the Lord and march to the best
of your ability. Have faith and earn the Lord’s grace by using the
intelligence and the conscience He has endowed you with. (Divine Discourse,
21-Sep-1960)


-BABA



You have heard about all the scams, isn’t it? There are plenty of them, one
after another, every month.

No, don’t go for quick money; you will lose it also that fast. A sustained
economy is good.
If your ethical principles are strong, you will say, ‘I am going to make a
lot of money, but with ethics. And no money in an unethical manner.’
In the past century, people had the fear of bad karma, or that God will be
unhappy. Fear of God, or fear of karma, would ensure that people didn’t get
into unethical practices.
People would say, ‘Oh, that is a bad karma; I don’t want to take that
money.’ Do you know why? It is because people had a strong belief that money
earned in an unethical manner will have to be spent in a manner which will
not bring them happiness.
They would say, ‘It’s going to make me more miserable’. This was a strong
belief. In fact, people would say, ‘If you earn money unethically, that
money will be spent in courts and in hospitals.’
So that consciousness was there, pricking people. Today, that is missing.
They say, ‘When we do CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility), it is going to
come back to us many times, multiplied.’
CSR was always thought of as an investment, and unethical money was thought
as a punishment. Those values have almost disappeared today. So we must
re-look at this.


<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=313830318756267&set=a.2009832333743
10.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> This is how the
scams begin (laughter).
You have heard about all the scams, isn’t it? There are plenty of them, one
after another, every month.
No, don’t go for quick money; you will lose it also that fast. A sustained
economy is good

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Do something good in society


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=225715240901109&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&ref=nf> Don't think only about yourself, but
do some service activity. Then you will see that whatever you want for
yourself, you ask and it will come to you.
You have to do something first, then when you ask, you will get.
If you say, ‘I want only for myself, I don't want to do anything’, no, that
will not work. You should do some good work in society, bring smiles on the
faces of people and gain some merit. If you bring smiles on the faces of
others then you have a right to demand something for yourself. Do you see
what I’m saying? This is real currency.
See, if you have money then you can go shopping. If you have no money, no
credit card and you go shopping, who will give you anything? You need to
have some bank balance first, isn't it? So, when you do seva, your bank
balance goes up. Then when you ask for whatever it is that you want, you
will get it.
You can buy the whole supermarket if you have enough points.
So let us resolve to do something good in society, and let us have the
confidence that whatever we

Don't think only about yourself, but do some service activity. Then you will
see that whatever you want for yourself, you ask and it will come to you.

You have to do something first, then when you ask, you will get.

If you say, ‘I want only for myself, I don't want to do anything’, no, that
will not work. You should do some good work in society, bring smiles on the
faces of people and gain some merit. If you bring smiles on the faces of
others then you have a right to demand something for yourself. Do you see
what I’m saying? This is real currency.

See, if you have money then you can go shopping. If you have no money, no
credit card and you go shopping, who will give you anything? You need to
have some bank balance first, isn't it? So, when you do seva, your bank
balance goes up. Then when you ask for whatever it is that you want, you
will get it.

You can buy the whole supermarket if you have enough points.

So let us resolve to do something good in society, and let us have the
confidence that whatever we need will come to us; will be given to us.

Our wish will definitely be granted. When we wish something, it will be
granted.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, September 03, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


True friends are those who help in uplifting your life by cleansing your
ideals and emotions. Those who drag you into pomp, pedantry, paltry
entertainment and petty pranks are enemies, not friends. True friends cannot
be won by social status, external scintillation or verbal assertions. A
friendship knit by monetary bonds is disrupted as soon as you ask the loan
to be repaid. So, when you oblige your friend with a loan, the friendship
too is broken at that very moment. How can friendship be cemented by words
or by coins? The feeling of friendship must activate every nerve, permeate
every blood-cell, and purify every emotional wave; it has no place for the
slightest trace of egotism. The companionship which seeks to exploit or
fleece for personal benefit cannot be elevated into the noble quality of
friendship. Perhaps, the only friend who can pass this rigorous test, is
God. (Divine Discourse, 24-May-1973)


-BABA



Do you know what is the sign of a good friend? There is a criteria to judge
if someone is a real friend or not. Do you know it?
When you go to a friend with a problem and if you walk away from them
feeling lighter, then they are a good friend. If you go back from them
thinking that, Oh my God, I thought it was a small problem, but it is so
big, and you feel heavier, then they are not good friends.
The same thing applies to you. When someone comes to you with a problem, do
you magnify the problem and tell them it is insurmountable, you will be
doomed, and make them feel more miserable? Or do you make them feel lighter
and more confident so that they walk away with a smile? This is the criteria
of a friend. Have any of you thought about this before? If not, today you've
learned something new to think about. Just test it and do a trial run.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Dispassion

We keep living as if we are going to live forever and we hang on to things
like it will be there forever. We forget the sense of time and sense of
life, the flow of life, isn’t it. Isn’t that our only problem.
You are so concerned about your relationship, that lady didn’t smile at me.
This boy went away with somebody else. What is it you are worried about?
Where will they be, people are burned down about this sense of relationship.
People are burned down about friends, wasting precious life and time isn’t
it. That friend of mine behaved badly with me and it hurts me. What is that
hurts you? Your foolishness is hurting you! Let them behave the way they
want, no you want everybody to go on your railways platform, line. You have
set railway tracks for people and you want everybody to walk on those
tracks. The moment they give a surprise to you you go hai hai, I never
wanted this thing in my life, how do I get over it. What is that you want to
get over it? Just wake up and see, neither that person is going to be there
any long and neither are you going to be there for long. You both are going
to be under this mud in no time.


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=226023384203628&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> We keep living as if
we are going to live forever and we hang on to things like it will be there
forever. We forget the sense of time and sense of life, the flow of life,
isn’t it. Isn’t that our only problem.
You are so concerned about your relationship, that lady didn’t smile at me.
This boy went away with somebody else. What is it you are worried about?
Where will they be, people are burned down about this sense of relationship.
People are burned down about friends, wasting precious life and time isn’t
it. That friend of mine behaved badly with me and it hurts me. What is that
hurts you? Your foolishness is hurting you! Let them behave the way they
want, no you want everybody to go on your railways platform, line. You have
set railway tracks for people and you want everybody to walk on those
tracks. The moment they give a surprise to you you go hai hai, I never
wanted this thing in my life, how do I get over it. What is that you want to
get over it? Just wake up and see, neither that person is going to b

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, September 04, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Teachers should regard their vocation as a sacred duty. They have the
responsibility to mould the future generations of young students by what
they teach, referencing practical examples from the lives of illustrious
leaders. Teachers should inspire, and be an example by the way they live
outside the classroom. Educational institutions have the responsibility to
give to society well educated persons who are competent, who possess
integrity and who can be relied upon to serve society with devotion and
competence. What gives education its true value and significance is its
moral and spiritual content. If teachers dedicate themselves to this noble
cause, students will not go astray. I hope teachers will devote themselves
to their duties with greater vigour and enthusiasm, and bring about a
transformation in the students so that they become useful and worthy
citizens. ( Divine Discourse, 15-Dec-1985)


-BABA



Teacher is one who leads by example. Who shares what he knows and grows by
sharing.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

External Beauty


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=227544880718145&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&ref=nf> For external beauty, you put on
things; for real Beauty, you have to drop all things.
For external beauty you have to Make-up; for your real Beauty you only have
to realize that you are MADE-UP!

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

For external beauty, you put on things; for real Beauty, you have to drop
all things.
For external beauty you have to Make-up; for your real Beauty you only have
to realize that you are MADE-UP!


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=228206670651966&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&ref=nf> See, if you are not looking
beautiful, don’t feel low because someone else is
beautiful. They may have a beautiful body, you have a beautiful mind.
Remember that. Not everyone with a beautiful body has a beautiful mind.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

See, if you are not looking beautiful, don’t feel low because someone else
is

beautiful. They may have a beautiful body, you have a beautiful mind.
Remember that. Not everyone with a beautiful body has a beautiful mind.

[Pat Gounden]

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, September 07, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


What is seen by your eyes, what moves your mind, what awakens your body and
what shapes your entire life is the creation around you. Gopala is well
versed in tending the cows, caring for them and nurturing them. The word
‘Go’ refers to cow, earth, sensory organs, heaven, speech, etc. So Gopala
can play with you and make you sing. He can move you and all others. He can
protect you and make you happy. This is the aspect of Gopala, the Divine
Incarnate. The act of creation and the creator are permanent and they go on
forever. Conditions may change and times may alter but Divinity will never
change. The most important aspect of the Divine (Paramatma) is to look after
the cows (His creation), protect them and ultimately ensure they merge in
Him. Hence make sincere efforts to promote the divinity that is present in
you and enjoy bliss. You should persevere to elevate yourself and never let
yourself slip down. (Summer Showers in Brindavan, 1978 Ch 23)


-BABA



Krishna gives a long list of those who are very close to him. It is a long
list. The 12th chapter of the gita is full of it. He says, the one who has
no dislike for anybody, one who is compassionate and friendly with everyone,
one who does not have extreme attachment, one who does not have ego, those
who are equanimous in all situations – are all close to me. Don’t you also
express whatever you like? Your liking something does not mean you don’t
like anything else.

Sometimes Krishna also says this to create confusion. His work is to create
confusion only. So when Arjuna was completely shaken by confusion in his
mind, he asked Krishna to tell him one single thing(to follow). Then Krishna
says –“All this is one. Even if I say different things, it is all one”.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Keep Up Your Enthusiasm!

March 18, 2013

New Delhi, India

(On 2nd February 2013, Volunteer for a Better India, an initiative of the
Art of Living, held a National Youth Summit in New Delhi, India.

The Premise for the Summit is sensitization of the young leaders under the
overarching spirit of human values to address issues relating to HIV and
AIDS,the Declining Child Sex-Ratio,Sexual-Reproductive Health and Rights,
Drugs & Alcohol, Corruption, Millennium Development Goals, Safety for Girls
and Entrepreneurial Opportunities.

Below is a transcript of H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar's speech at the event.)

2282



(Sri Sri begins to speak to thundering applause)

Wow! You are all pretty wired up. This is very rare to see, especially in a
conference. After 2-3 hours of a workshops, usually people are half asleep,
or are looking here and there. And here I see such vibrancy. This is unique!

I’m amidst a very illustrious panel here; people on the dais, and of course
the audience. What we need to do, is discuss how we can have a better India,
and the action we need to take for it. Together, all of us can make a
change. Mainly because we have started the change first within ourselves,
that we want to see in the world. We are finding the peace, the strength and
commitment first within ourselves. And so we are sure to bring it to the
society around us. Now, what we need to think is, how we can multiply this?
How we can reach out to all other youth? This is the challenge that we need
to look into.

All these burning issues that have taken and discussed (AIDs, female
feticide, drugs and alcohol menace, corruption, female safety, rural
development, etc.) need to be addressed as a whole.

Many people will say, ‘Chalta hain (let it be), anyways what can you do?’

There will be an effort to put down your enthusiasm. When you go with an
idea, a dream, there will be many who want to pour cold water over your
enthusiasm. How many of you have experienced this? The challenge is to face
this and keep up your enthusiasm. And if you keep your enthusiasm, it slowly
percolates to others. People catch onto it.

We are covering issues across rural and urban areas.

Do you know how the food we eat has so much poison in it? We need to, and we
can improve our food production.

There is a saying, ‘Jaisa Ann Waisa Mann’ (You are what you eat). All
changes have to start with yourself. There are so many toxic elements in
food which affects our brains, our studies and our moods. It affects our
life and behavior.

Same with alcohol. People who are drunk can commit any crime as they are not
in their senses. Nobody is talking about this, but we are talking of
punishing people who commit crimes.

I am just returning from a visit to Tihar jail. We started a skills
development center there. The people there are like you and me. Somehow in
the spur of the moment, they lost their senses in a fit of anger. They lost
sense of what is right and what is not, and they committed a crime. Some of
them were under the influence of intoxicants and did such heinous crimes,
which they now regret. Now, after they have experienced meditation, they
have a different outlook towards life. They are completely transformed.
Their enthusiasm was amazing. They were wearing Volunteer for Better India
t-shirts, and they wanted to volunteer and do social service. They want to
combat menaces like violence against women and children, and other types of
crime.

We can put an end to these issues, only if awareness is kindled, because
inside every human being there is a beautiful soul, a beautiful being; there
is a beautiful mind. This mind just needs a little washing. Not
brain-washing, but mind washing.

We can build a better, safer and a beautiful society. We can build a vibrant
and productive society. There are many people are un-productive.

I am so happy that all of you are working in small groups and are conducting
workshops. These workshops will have to translate into action. Think about
it.

I will end with a small story.

A villager complained that he was having a head-ache, and so he asked his
friend, ‘What should I do?’

His friend told him, ‘Just drink some alcohol.’

He was surprised. He said, ‘If I drink alcohol, my headache will go?’

He friend said, ‘Why will it not go? My land went, my job went, and my
wife’s jewelry has also gone. Everything has gone with alcohol, a headache
is no big deal!’

So, in life, no matter what we lose, we should never lose our enthusiasm.

Don’t lose your enthusiasm, and all the best to all of you.

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth (new &

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, September 08, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


To every being born on earth, Truth is the visible manifestation of God. The
entire cosmos composed of moving and immovable objects has emerged from
Truth, is sustained by Truth and merges in Truth. Truth is Divine and
eternal (Sathyam-Jnanam-Anantham Brahma). Hence everyone must revere Truth.
Sathya and Dharma (truth and righteousness) will not submit to anyone. Every
kind of strength, physical or otherwise, will have to come under their sway.
Success follows Sathya and Dharma. Whatever be your scholarship or position,
you have to cultivate respect for human values. Protect Sathya and Dharma
always. What students and people must safeguard is not merely nations, but
Sathya and Dharma. In turn these values will protect the Universe. Educated
persons, who in the name of countries are giving up truth and right conduct,
are actually undermining the human civilization. It is more vital to
cultivate virtues than go after scholarship or other worldly riches and
possessions of transient nature. (Divine Discourse, 20-May-1990)


-BABA



That something has the brilliance of a million suns, it is the source of
happiness. Let that consciousness which is more real that the real (most
true) inspire my intellect, and may I be soaked in that truth.
What is truth? Truth is that which doesn’t change in the past, present or
future, it remains the same. It is the Summun Bonum of this creation and
into that let my intellect soak, and that is what is meditation!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Sorry, No Smoking!


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=228225880650045&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> Sorry, No Smoking!
----------------------
If you want to progress on the spiritual path, you must put some barriers,
for instance, tobacco.
Smoking was considered part of the culture some 35-40 years ago. Today, it
is not the same.
We have been saying this for so many years and it has taken so long, and has
cost so many millions of lives. So many lives would have been saved if there
was no smoking.

No smoking, no drugs, no alcohol – put these barriers.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

If you want to progress on the spiritual path, you must put some barriers,
for instance, tobacco.

Smoking was considered part of the culture some 35-40 years ago. Today, it
is not the same.

We have been saying this for so many years and it has taken so long, and has
cost so many millions of lives. So many lives would have been saved if there
was no smoking.



No smoking, no drugs, no alcohol – put these barriers.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, September 09, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


In this transient world, wading through joy and grief, people have a sore
need of someone of their kind with whom they can communicate their feelings,
share their discoveries and depressions, their moments of bliss and
sorrow;someone to be by their side while trekking the hard road to truth and
peace. However, friendship and friends today are far from the ideal. Friends
who can confer real counsel, comfort and consolation are rarely found. If
friendship must last then heart must understand heart, heart must be drawn
to heart. Friendship must bind two hearts and affect both of them
beneficially, whatever be the circumstance - loss or gain, pain or pleasure,
good fortune or bad. The bond must survive all the blows of fate and be
unaffected by time, place and situation. The trust and honour of each is in
the safekeeping of the other. (Divine Discourse, 24-May-1973)


-BABA



Ask yourself what is it that you want from your real friend. You will find
there is nothing. You just want their friendship. Friendliness is your
nature. It has no motive or purpose. It does not matter whom you are
friendly with.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=269908693148430&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> Ask yourself what is
it that you want from your real friend. You will find there is nothing. You
just want their friendship. Friendliness is your nature. It has no motive or
purpose. It does not matter whom you are friendly with.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Strange Are The Ways of Karma

How many of you have had this experience that without doing any harm to
anybody, or anything wrong still people became your enemies. (Many raise
their hands) So many!

Now tell me, you have not done any big favors and still some people have
become your friends. How many of you have this experience too? (Many raise
their hands) Look at this!

You have not done any harm to anybody still people became your enemies, and
you have not done any good to somebody but even then they have become very
good friends. Very strange are the ways of Karma.

That is why it is said that the ways of karma are unfathomable. ‘Hone wala
karm aur karne wala karma mai bahut farak hai’

Apart from our actions the events that have to happen keep happening. That
is why the ways of Karma are very strange. And that is why I tell you, keep
all your friends and enemies on one side and relax; repose in yourself, and
keep your attention on the Divine.


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=232130756926224&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> Strange Are The Ways
of Karma
--------------------------------------
How many of you have had this experience that without doing any harm to
anybody, or anything wrong still people became your enemies. (Many raise
their hands) So many!
Now tell me, you have not done any big favors and still some people have
become your friends. How many of you have this experience too? (Many raise
their hands) Look at this!
You have not done any harm to anybody still people became your enemies, and
you have not done any good to somebody but even then they have become very
good friends. Very strange are the ways of Karma.
That is why it is said that the ways of karma are unfathomable. ‘Hone wala
karm aur karne wala karma mai bahut farak hai’
Apart from our actions the events that have to happen keep happening. That
is why the ways of Karma are very strange. And that is why I tell you, keep
all your friends and enemies on one side and relax; repose in yourself, and
keep your attention on the Divine.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

htt

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, September 10, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


You should realise that for every action there is a consequence. The results
of each action depend on the nature of the action, just as the nature of the
tree depends on the seed which is sowed. The consequences of one's actions
are inescapable and it is for this reason that the Emperor Manu laid down
that all should observe Dharma. The consequences of actions may appear
sooner or later but they are bound to occur. When you constantly think of
God and perform all actions with Divine feelings, you will experience the
full blossoming of the human qualities. Consider every action as dedicated
to God. You cannot avoid actions. You must transform work into worship. You
have to perform work in this spirit. You cannot substitute prayer for work.
You have to combine both work and worship. (Divine Discourse, 31-Aug-1992)


-BABA



See; don’t think that by giving your 100% alone that work gets done. For
success or work to get done there are five things you require. First the
intention of the person who is doing, then availability of the instruments
or things needed to do the work, then the willingness or mindset to do the
work. Then doing the work at the right time, there is a time to do the work,
if you don’t do it at the right time then there is no use. If you sow seeds
in February then there is no use, you then cannot say that I sowed the seeds
but nothing has come. You have to wait till April after the rain then you
sow the seeds and then you yield the results. So time is a very important
factor and you could get results now or you could get it later that also you
cannot say.
When we came to this Ashram this whole land was barren, there was not one
leaf or one tree on this land. Today see how many trees and plants are there
and these trees did not come in one day, so many people have put lots of
effort and after some time the trees grew. So this is how time is an
important factor and then grace. Without grace of the divine there will be
no success, that is why if you want grace then you must do Seva, sadhana,
satsang and in time you will get the fruits of all your efforts. Okay! None
of your efforts will go waste that you should be assured about, if not now
you will see the results later.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day









What SRI SRI said

The world’s nature is to cause you irritation!



If the world does not cause you irritation, it is not a world. It’s doing
you no good otherwise you’d be stuck here forever. You are stuck in a world
which irritates you.
Think about a world which never irritates you, you’d be stuck with it
forever.
So, all these things in the world are there to help you to turn inward for
your own growth; for you to look into the Being.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, September 11, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


There is electromagnetic energy in every body. Nature is the embodiment of
the same energy. This energy may assume different forms, but its essential
character is one and the same. A lighted bulb, a fan that is revolving, and
many other things working through electrical power depend on the same kind
of current. The energy may manifest itself in the form of light, heat, or
magnetic energy, but it proclaims the power of the Divine, which is the
source of all energy. This electromagnetic energy in man expresses itself in
the form of radiation. It is also called reflection of the ‘Inner being’.
The power of sight, hearing, speech, digestion, and movement of the limbs is
derived from this energy. Water also contains this energy. In fact, the
entire cosmos is permeated by this divine energy. On the basis of this,
Vedanta declares, “Sarvam khalu idam Brahma (verily, every being is
Divine).” (Divine Discourse, 25-Aug-1998)


-BABA



In the Upanishads, there is a story. A young boy of eight years asks his
father, ‘Dad, what is God like?’
So, the father takes the boy by the hand outside the home, and he asks,
‘What was there in this place before the building was built?’
The boy said, ‘Empty space.’
The father asks, ‘And where does this building stand?’
The boy says, ‘In the space.’
‘And when the building is demolished, what will be here?’
The boy said, ‘Space'.
The father said, ‘So, space is something which is always there, right?’
The boy said, ‘Yes.’
The father said, ‘That is what God is like.’
God is like the space in which everything comes, in which everything stays,
into which everything dissolves. That can never be destroyed. And it is
always there. You have no escape. You cannot go away from God at all.
Impossible!

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Religion vs Spirituality

The empty space in any vessel is all the same space. It is only when you
fill it with something, does it become different.

Let us say, you have ten vessels in front of you. You can fill one with
water, another with milk, another with tea, another with some grain. The
contents can all be different, but when you empty them all, the empty space
in all of them is the same.

So, religion is like the different contents, and spirituality is like the
empty container; hollow and empty space.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, September 14, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


For acquiring selfless love, the quality of kshama or forbearance is a vital
necessity. (kshama is a word rich in meaning. Besides forbearance, it also
implies extreme patience and an enormous capacity to forget as also
forgive). Every individual must cultivate this noble quality. Kshama is not
achieved by reading books or learnt from an instructor. Nor can it be
received as a gift from someone else. This prime virtue of kshama can be
acquired solely by self-effort, by facing squarely diverse problems and
difficulties of various sorts, by going through anxieties and suffering as
well as sorrow. In the absence of kshama, man becomes susceptible to all
kinds of evil tendencies. Hatred and jealousy easily take root in a person
lacking this virtue. Divinity is merely the combined manifestation of prema
(love) and kshama. (Divine Discourse, 25-May-2000)


-BABA



Tapa helps to purify all the organs of the body and rid them of impurities.
The entire body gets cleansed and all the sense organs become stronger with
tapa.

Tapasya is not done to please God, or to attain self realization, but it is
done to make the body and mind stronger.

You must have seen that so many saints do very austere penances (tapasya),
especially among the Jains. The Jain saints are able to walk bare foot for
long distances. They do not feel very cold in the winters, or too hot during
the summers. They develop a resistance towards extreme climatic conditions
because of their tapasya. So this is one of the benefits of doing tapasya.

But you should not stretch or overdo this at all. Doing too much tapasya and
troubling your own body is not advisable at all. It is wrong to do that.

There are some people who sit with four fires burning all around them, and
one on top of their head and do meditation. It is called Panchagni tapasya.
All this is not necessary. Torturing the body like this is wrong and should
not be done. But a little bit of tapasya is necessary.

It is said, ‘Tapovai dwandva sahanam’, which means forbearing the opposites
is tapasya.

Suppose you are travelling somewhere in a bus, and it is a 12 hour long
journey for which you have to sit. Then that also is a sort of tapasya.

Being in a state of equanimity, and enduring whatever come, whether it is
hot or cold, good or bad, praise or criticism, is tapasya.

Can you listen to an insult with the same equanimity as when you listen to
compliments? That is tapasya. When someone praises you, you listen to it
with a smile. When someone criticizes you, can you listen to it with the
same smile and equanimity, and watch what is happening inside you? That is
tapasya.

When you do not like something but are able to undergo that, then that is
tapasya.

If you can like something, can you be a witness to it and not be feverish
about it, then that is tapasya.

Forbearing the opposites is called tapasya, and it is essential in life.

The extent to which we follow tapasya in life, to that extent we become
stronger and stable.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Lesson from your Car

In a car, you have a rear view mirror, you have a big windshield, and there
is a small rear view mirror.

Your car can teach you a lesson. What is the lesson? You need to look back
only a little bit, just like that little mirror.
The rearview mirror represents the past, and the present is the windshield.
The future is like the side view mirrors. So, when you drive, you will have
to look to the side and to the back as well, but most of the time, you have
to look in the front.

If you only keep looking at the side mirrors while driving, you will meet
with an accident. So you should look front, but sometimes look at the side
mirrors, and sometimes at the rear view mirror. Look a little at the past
and the future, but most of the time be in the present.




<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=235130159959617&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> In a car, you have a
rearview mirror, you have a big windshield, and there is a small rearview
mirror.
Your car can teach you a lesson. What is the lesson? You need to look back
only a little bit, just like that little mirror.
The rearview mirror represents the past, and the present is the windshield.
The future is like the side view mirrors. So, when you drive, you will have
to look to the side and to the back as well, but most of the time, you have
to look in the front.
If you only keep looking at the side mirrors while driving, you will meet
with an accident. So you should look front, but sometimes look at the side
mirrors, and sometimes at the rearview mirror. Look a little at the past and
the future, but most of the time be in the present.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, September 15, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Study of books alone will not enhance your capability; they will merely
provide you with superficial or bookish knowledge. This obviously is not
enough. Real capability and strength come by tapping the Inner Power latent
in you. All that is outside is artificial. Real truth and power are both
inside, in your heart. It is the heart that must be strengthened, but,
unaware of this fact, people become furiously active in the external world,
only to get lost there. There are many types of food catering to the needs
of the gross body but what about food for the heart? That food can be
obtained only when you turn your head toward God. You must understand the
subtle linkages here – food, head, and God. Thus, along with the acquisition
of worldly knowledge, you must also give importance to culture and
refinement. (Divine Discourse, 25-May-2000)



When we become like children, then we realize that we have greater power. It
is within each and everyone. Realizing this, is most beautiful. Beauty is
not in clothes. It is in the inner quality. Appearance is beautiful, but if
anger, jealously or greed finds a place, then it reflects in the
personality, and all the beauty is lost.

How to get back to that beauty that we are born with? Go anywhere, to the
North, South, West or East, one finds every child beautiful. Children
radiate joy and love. As we become adults, we learn skills and gain
abilities but we somewhere miss maintaining the inner beauty, that spark of
love in our life. Can we maintain those powerful skills and yet retain that
beauty we were born with? I would say yes, that is what The Art of Living is
all about - Making life a celebration; dream about a stress-free,
violence-free society, disease-free body, confusion-free mind and
sorrow-free soul. Tell me who doesn’t want all this? It is possible. In the
last 30 years of The Art of Living, we have seen that everybody needs love
in every corner of this planet. And that is what we spread.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day

You Are Unique

<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=235108289961804&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&ref=nf>


Just because a group of people do not accept you as you are, there is no
necessity for you to strip yourself of your originality.

You need to think good of yourself, for the world takes you, at your own
estimate.

Never stoop down in order to gain recognition.
Never let go of your true self to win a relationship.

In the long run, you will regret that you traded your greatest glory, i.e.,
your uniqueness for momentary validation.

Even Mahatma Gandhi was not accepted by many people.
The group that does not accept you as YOU is not your world.

There is a world for each one of you, where you shall reign as king or
queen, by just being yourself. Find that world; in fact, that world will
find you.

What water can do, gasoline cannot and what copper can do, gold cannot. The
fragility of the ant enables it to move, and the rigidity of the tree
enables it to stay rooted.

Everything and everybody has been designed with a proportion of uniqueness,
to serve a purpose that can be fulfilled only by being our unique self.

You, as you alone, can serve your purpose, and I, as I alone, can serve my
purpose. You are here to be you; JUST YOU.

There was a time in this world when a Krishna was required, and He was sent.
A time when a Christ was required, and He was sent. A time when a Mahatma
was required, and he was sent. There came a time when you were required on
this
planet, and hence, you were sent.

Let us be the best we can be. In the history of the universe, there has been
nobody like you and in the infinity of time to come, there will be no one
like you.

Existence should have loved you so much that it broke the mold after making
you, so that another of your kind will never get repeated.

You are original.
You are rare.
You are unique.
You are a wonder.
You are a masterpiece; your Master's piece!

Celebrate your Uniqueness!

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, September 16, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


For spiritual progress kshama (forbearance) is the real basis or foundation.
Great people and countries have lost their glory, prestige, and reputation
because of the disappearance of Kshama. Without patience and the capacity
for forbearance, one becomes spiritually weak. Such weakness leads to bad
feelings, undesirable thoughts, and unbecoming actions. This virtue is best
cultivated under adverse circumstances, and one must therefore gladly
welcome troubles instead of regarding them as unwelcome. Thus times of
distress, and an environment of sorrow and misery offer the ideal
opportunity for the development of Kshama. However, because of mental
weakness and ignorance, we shun painful experiences and distress. You should
not be weak; be brave and welcome troubles. Let them come, more the merrier.
Only with such a courageous attitude, you would be able to bring out the
kshama hidden within you. (Divine Discourse, 25-May-2000)


-BABA



The test of your peace is only when there are obstacles. Be thankful for
obstacles.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day

What SRI SRI said

Wisdom

If you have imbibed wisdom, there is no way you can be miserable.
Wisdom is such that you know there will be pleasant days, and there will be
unpleasant days. There will be good people, and bad people.
Sometimes your friends behave like your enemies, and sometimes your enemies
become your good friends.
All this is a way of life, these things happen. They help you become
centered, and solid.
Then, no storm can shake you.

Even if you can forget all my other talks, if these five lines that I have
said stays with you, I tell you, you have done it!
You have won!

That is why it is called Maya.
All these thoughts and emotions, which we think are real, they are unreal,
an illusion. Our concepts about others, about ourselves, they are all
unreal.
Shake them all, and wake up!
You will see, you are just the bubbling energy, bubbling enthusiasm!
You are the fountain of love!


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=236084793197487&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1>

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, September 17, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Easwara blessed Ganapathi saying, “I have many attributes, but not Your
intelligence. Hence, before offering worship to Me, let all people worship
You. This is the boon I confer on You.” Easwara is a parent who conferred
such an honour of a higher status than His own on His son. Hence Ganapathi
represents no commonplace principle. He is the embodiment of all potencies.
He is the abode of every kind of intelligence. Nothing untoward can happen
wherever He is present. Ganapathi occupies the position of one who is the
source of all prosperity. Moreover, when He is invoked before any
undertaking, there will be no impediments to its completion. People look
upon the Vighneswara festival as some routine affair. But Vighneswara
embodies all the forms and all the powers of all the deities. It is not
enough to worship Him once a year. We must worship Him always. (Divine
Discourse, 25-Aug-1998)


-BABA



If you go to a Catholic church, there is an altar for mercy, and an altar
for healing, isn’t it? It is the same Mother Mary and the same Jesus Christ,
but are there not many altars? This is present in old churches. Why have
they kept so many. For different purposes!
Similarly, in this room, the chairs, tables, doors, and podium are all made
of wood. But you cannot use the podium as the floor and nor can you use the
door as a chair. So, for functional usage, they are different. In the same
way, in Hindu tradition, it is said, 'Ekam Sat Vipra Bahudha Vadanti' –
there is only one God, but it is perceived in many forms for different
purposes. So, if you find obstacles, you go to Ganesha, the elephant God.
You know, elephants never change their route if there are any obstacles. It
never deviates from its path – never walks like a chicken. It walks with
strength, so if you have obstacles, you go to Ganesha because that energy
will help you in the difficulty you are currently having.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

The Symbolism of Ganesha

September 19, 2012

1507 Ganesha is the formless Divinity - encapsulated in a magnificent form,
for the benefit of the devotee.
Gan means group. The universe is a group of atoms and different energies.
This universe would be in chaos if there was no supreme law governing these
diverse groups of entities.
The Lord of all these groups of atoms and energies is Ganesha. He is the
supreme consciousness that pervades all and brings order in this universe.

The essence of Ganesha is brought out beautifully by Adi Shankara.
Though Ganesha is worshiped as the elephant-headed God, the form (swaroop)
is just to bring out the formless (parabrahma roopa). He is, ‘Ajam
Nirvikalpam Niraakaaramekam.' This means Ganesha is Ajam (unborn), he is
Nirvikalpa (attributeless), he is Niraakaar (formless) and he symbolizes the
consciousness which is omnipresent.
Ganesha is the same energy which is the reason for this universe. It is the
energy from which everything manifests and into which everything will
dissolve.

We are all familiar with the story of how Ganesha became the elephant-headed
God.
Parvati became dirty when she was celebrating with Shiva. When she realized
this, she removed the dirt from her body and created a boy out of it. She
then asked him to keep guard while she bathed.
When Shiva returned, the boy did not recognize him and obstructed his
passage. So Shiva chopped off the boy’s head and entered.
Parvati was shocked when she saw this. She explained to Shiva that the boy
was their son and pleaded with Shiva to save him at all costs.
Shiva then instructed his helpers to go and get the head of someone who was
sleeping with their head pointing to the north. The helpers then got the
head of an elephant, which Shiva affixed to the boy’s torso and Ganesha was
born!

Does this story sound strange?
Why should Parvati have dirt on her body?
Didn’t the all-knowing Shiva recognize His own son?
Was Shiva, the epitome of peace, so short-tempered that he cut off the head
of his own son? And why an elephant head on Ganesha?
There is a deeper meaning to all this.

Parvati is symbolic of festive energy. Her becoming dirty signifies that
celebration can easily become Rajasik, or feverish and can take you away
from your center.
Dirt is symbolic of ignorance, and Shiva is symbolic of the Supreme
Innocence, Peace and Knowledge.
So when Ganesha obstructs the path of Shiva, this means that ignorance,
which is an attribute of the head, does not recognize knowledge. Then
knowledge has to overcome ignorance. This is the symbolism behind Shiva
chopping off the boy’s head.

And why the elephant head?
Elephant represents both gyan shakti and karma shakti.
The principle qualities of the elephant are wisdom and effortlessness. The
enormous head of the elephant signifies Wisdom and Knowledge.
Elephants don't walk around obstacles, neither are they stopped by them.
They just remove them and walk ahead – signifying effortlessness.
So, when we worship Lord Ganesha these elephant qualities within us are
kindled and we take on these qualities.

Ganesha's big belly represents generosity and total acceptance. Ganesha's
upraised hand, depicting protection, means, 'Fear not, I am with you', and
his lowered hand, palm facing outwards means endless giving as well as an
invitation to bow down, this is symbolic of the fact that we will all
dissolve into earth one day.
Ganesha also has a single tusk which signifies one-pointedness. Even the
implements Ganesha wields are symbolic. He carries in his hands, the
‘Ankusa’ (signifying awakening) and the ‘Paasa’ (signifying control). With
awakening, a lot of energy is released, which without proper control, can go
haywire.

And why does Ganesha, the elephant-headed God travel on something as small
as a mouse? Isn’t that so incongruous? Again there is symbolism that runs
deep.
The mouse snips and nibbles away at ropes that bind. The mouse is like the
mantra which can cut through sheaths and sheaths of ignorance, leading to
the ultimate knowledge represented by Ganesha!

Our ancient Rishis were so deeply intelligent that they chose to express
Divinity in terms of symbols rather than words, since words change over
time, but symbols remain unchanged.
Let us keep the deep symbolism in mind as we experience the omnipresent in
the form of the elephant God, yet be fully aware that Ganesha is very much
within us. This is the wisdom we should carry as we celebrate Ganesh
Chaturti.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, September 18, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


In the twilight of dusk, one mistakes a thick rope for a snake. When the
place is lit, only rope remains - the snake was never there. A momentary
delusion caused the appearance of the snake and the absence of the rope.
This phenomenon is called Maya. Maya makes you imagine the presence of what
is not there and believe in the existence of that which is nonexistent. The
combined power of Prakriti, Avidya and Maya (Phenomenal world, Ignorance and
Delusion) makes people forget their true nature. People often imagine that
they accomplished many things, and believe that all their achievements are
entirely due to their own efforts and capabilities. They forget the truth
that there is a higher power which is the driving force for action as well
as the results thereof! This is the effect of delusion (bhrama). To help get
rid of this delusion and enable one to comprehend the inherent divine
nature, the ancients suggested prayers. (Divine Discourse, 12-Sep-1991)



When we pray, we should remind ourselves that when we were born in this
world, we were so dependent on our parents and family for all our needs.
When we grow old, we shall again become dependent on our children and family
for something or the other. So both, in childhood and in old age we have a
dependency on others. And in between these two points of our life, we still
are dependent on so many things, like the rains, the society, etc.
So throughout our life, we have a sense of dependency on something, or some
person. But when we remember that this dependency in the true sense is our
dependency on God for all our needs, then this sense of dependency becomes a
source of great inner strength rather than a source of weakness. Then we can
find strength even in moments of helplessness. This is the secret to
worshiping God.

You must have heard this saying in Hindi, 'Nirbal ke bal Ram' (God is the
strength of the weak). So first acknowledge that you are weak and then know
that God is the strength of the weak. When you have this strong faith, then
can you continue to feel weak and helpless? No, this knowledge brings
immense strength and makes you self-reliant and independent. It is very
necessary for our farmers to become independent and self-reliant.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Goal



You have to have a goal, a vision of what you want to be and what is it that
you want to do – this you must have.

One is your personal goal: I want to achieve this, and this, and this, in
life.
The other should is a goal for the planet: What do I want to give?

Usually, when you think about a goal, you want to see what is it that you
want to get.
That is why I say you should have two goals: one is what you want to get,
the other is what you want to give.
If both become the same, it is even better.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, September 21, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Every being is an embodiment of the Divine. True human relationship can grow
only when this truth is recognised. The first stage is where you recognise,
‘I am in the Light.’ Next is when you know, ‘The Light is in me,’ and
finally you realise, ‘I am the Light.’ ‘I’ represents love and light which
connotes Supreme Wisdom (Jnana). When love and light unite, there is
Realisation. The path of devotion is easier than the path of wisdom. Love
should come from within, not forced from outside. Develop spontaneous love.
The attitude of petitioning to God for favours should be given up. Love of
God should not be based on quid pro quo, seeking favours in exchange for
prayers and offerings to God. Place your faith in God and do your duty to
the best of your ability. Saturate yourself with love and share it with all.
(Divine Discourse,15-Sep-1988)


-BABA





Go deep within yourself for the true experience of the Self.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

In Satsang

"In our country earlier, we used to give punishments earlier, which is now
being established in America as a super brain technique! Even the children
who are differently abled, when they follow that punishment exercise, their
health improves. It’s very interesting, how even in temples in Karnataka and
Tamil Nadu, people used to hold their ears and do sit-ups. It is now
established by research that this stimulates the brain. Now all of you start
doing this! We have to show this to everyone and make them do it.
( Video: <https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSwhpF9iJSs>
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KSwhpF9iJSs)

What we thought was a superstition of holding left ear with right hand and
right ear with left hand, has been now established by research that it
improved the balance of both sides of the brain."



Ques: Which is the best way to pardon others?

<https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/srisri?source=feed_text&story_id=101535721
17348555> ‪#‎SriSri: There is no method. You just have to pardon.



Ques: When God is within us, then why use a symbol or an idol?
#SriSri: It’s only to create an environment. This is a preparation to make
our mind go into meditation.



Ques: How to face the emptiness that I feel when I have lost everything?
#SriSri: When we do satsang and mediation, there is no emptiness. Where
there is devotion and love, there is no emptiness.



Ques: What are the rules and benefit of wearing rudraksha?
#SriSri: There is a lot of information of what to do, when to do, but don’t
get into any of them. There are no rules or regulations as such. If you
wish, you can wear.



Ques: What are the signs of a good devotee?
#SriSri: Open mindedness and devotion are enough. Whenever there is
discontinuity in your practices, you should come back to the practices
again.



Ques: Why do we say Shanti, Shanti, Shanti, three times?
#SriSri: There are troubles that come from three levels – Adi Bhautik,
Adhyatmik and Adi Daivik. Peace from society, peace from the mind and peace
from the soul.



Ques: How to come out of guilt?
#SriSri: Through meditation.



Ques: When the wife progresses more than the husband, the husband gets
jealous. How to handle that?
#SriSri: See I don’t have any experience in this. You have dialed the wrong
number! You ask that person who has a lot of experience in this field.



Ques: It is said in silence we meet God, is it really God?
#SriSri: Is it evening now? (yes) It is that obvious! Does anyone ask during
day time, if it is day time?



Ques: I get angry very often. A jeweler asked me to wear pearl. Seriously
does it benefit?
#SriSri: Seriously, the jeweler gets benefitted! Whether you get benefitted
or not, the jeweler definitely gets benefitted. Do pranayama and meditation,
you will definitely get benefitted from it.



Ques: The Vedas have such great science in it, how can we get all that
knowledge?
#SriSri: You have come to the right place. Keep learning here, keep doing
one program after another.

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth 16-21
November 2015(new & repeaters)

1.2 AOL YOGA course (5 evenings) @APD Chatsworth 2-6 November 2015

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, September 22, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


You may install idols and worship them. But do not forget the inner
significance of all that worship. All external activities are necessary only
to help you to get the spirit of non-duality and experience unity in
diversity. Love and sacrifice are very important. Where there is pure,
unsullied, selfless, sacred and sublime love there is no fear at all. Giving
and not getting is the underlying principle of spiritual sadhana. Your heart
is full of love, but you are using it only for selfish purposes instead of
diverting it towards God. God is in the heart and not in the head. The heart
is full of love. Every day, remind yourself that God is one; all religions
uphold the same principle of ‘One God, who is omnipresent.’ Do not have
contempt for any religion, as each is a pathway to God. Fostering love
towards your fellow-beings, receive the blessings of the Divine. This is the
goal of life. (Divine Discourse, 9-Sep-1994)


-BABA



Drop this identity---that you are somebody. You are nobody. You are nothing.
You are the Non-Dual.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day

What Sri Sri said

in Satsang today


<https://www.facebook.com/TheBangaloreAshram/photos/pcb.10153574852763555/10
153574775428555/?type=1>



Renowned music director, Swara Veenapani from Andhra Pradesh presented his
unique composition in satsang today, where he has encapsulated 72 melakartha
ragas in a six and half minute song. ‪#‎SriSri congratulated him by saying,
“This is India, we can bring innovation in every field!”



Ques: When we use the mind, the intellect gets sharp. The same is not true
with emotions. How to bring perfection in emotions?
#SriSri: Emotions are a part of life and so is intellect. Sharpen your
intellect and soften your emotions. And when you are stressed, you cannot
have soft emotions, or when you have no confidence, your emotions are very
crude. In fact sometimes it appears that those who are weak don’t have a
strong mind. I tell you, a strong mind can carry a weak body but a weak mind
cannot even carry a strong body. So mind has to be strong. Strength of mind
comes when you are free from stress, emotions are soft and intellect is
sharp.



Ques: Is there a relation between the human nervous system and the
realization of truth?
#SriSri: Yes, yes. Nervous system plays a very important role in expressing
the consciousness. And its through the nervous system only that we express
our emotions. Perception, observation and expression, all three things are
affected by the state of our nervous system.



Ques: What is the best way to deal with the Guru Mandala?
#SriSri: Just relax and chill. Relax and don’t be distracted by many things
that happen around you. Many times people take on a very good project as a
volunteer. Suddenly you had to face some criticism from somebody or some
jealousy from somebody or you have to hear some harsh words, what do you do?
You just drop everything and run away. This is being caught in the Guru
Mandala. You go with steadfast conviction. Conviction, commitment,
compassion, these three things together brings you out of the Guru Mandala.



Ques: Why do we celebrate festivals and fast?
#SriSri: See in the olden days, they used to just grow grains. They needed
an excuse to keep them busy with some celebrations every month. Now you see
the Ganesha festival is and crime rates have gone down because people are
busy in celebrations! So this is done to keep up the enthusiasm among
people.



Ques: Emotions take over our mind. What do we do then?
#SriSri: When you do business, do it with your intellect and when dealing
with loved ones, do it with your emotions. At home don’t do business, deal
with love.



Ques: There are a lot of expectations from my parents. What do I do?
#SriSri: What do you expect from yourself? This you look into. Fulfill your
responsibilities. Take your time, tell them it will take time. You set your
goal and take your time. But don’t be lazy. As long as you don’t consider
yourself lazy, you are saved!



Ques: I want to stay in Ashram.
#SriSri: See there are three qualifications for an Ashram. Where you find
happiness, some food and some knowledge for your intellect. Can’t you give
all three in your home?.. Your home can also be an Ashram. And you can
always come here any time you want.



Ques: Shiva used to have intoxicants, why can’t we?
#SriSri: You know what Shiva had before intoxicants? He had poison. You
first have poison, then you have intoxicants! The qualification for having
intoxicants to first have halahal (poison). Don’t get into all this. Lord
Shiva used to meditate too, first you meditate!



Ques: How to feel that we are love constantly?
#SriSri: See you don’t have to have the same feeling all the time. You fall
in love, you get out of love, your heart breaks. But once you know how to
meditate, your heart will not be like a brittle glass piece, it will be like
rubber, like a diamond which never breaks.. Love is not just an emotion, it
is our very nature! Our spirit is made up of a substance called love. Don’t
say “oh, I can’t live without you”.. Love is not just an emotion. This is
what I have been saying now for 35 years!



Ques: I want to clear my past and move on and I want to balance my gunas
too. How do I do all this?
#SriSri: Listen, just relax. You have an intention? You have to let it go.
That’s how things work. Intention, attention and manifestation. Suppose you
want to go to Mysore from here, what do you do? You get a thought, you sit
in a car and you go to Mysore. The entire way to Mysore for two hours, you
don’t say “I wan to go to Mysore, I want to go to Mysore,…” Where will you
land up? In a mental hospital! So get out of this feverishness and just
stick to intention, attention and let go and then manifestation happens.



Ques: I won prizes in singing but I have been discouraged by others. But I
want to sing.
#SriSri: Dream big and go for it. There are many people who say many things
to you. You cannot be football of their opinions. When I first went to Los
Angeles, people told me, “Why do you come here, it’s a waste of your time.
You should just go to Canada, Montreal and the East Coast where there are a
lot of people who come to your programs. Here there are 10-15 people and
there are so many things happening in L.A.” I just smiled at them. Second
time I went there were only 15 people. But you know, now all through
California, all through the West Coast there are hundreds and hundreds of
centers! So you must keep your focus and don’t listen to others.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, September 23, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


There is nothing greater in the world than Bhakti (devotion). Once sage
Narada demonstrated to his disciples how devotion is greater than anything
in the world, including the Divine. While the Divine was greater than the
cosmos, which the Lord as Vamana could measure in two steps, the Lord
Himself is held in his heart by the devotion of the devotee. Devotion
bestows the highest benefits. Devotion alone is the means to Realisation.
Devotion alone confers supreme peace. Devotion is the panacea for all ills.
Divine love encompasses all sacred acts. To achieve oneness with the Divine,
one will have to be prepared to sacrifice everything. It is not easy for
anyone to recognise the truth about the Divine. His leelas (miraculous
sportive activities) are beyond the grasp of the mind and speech. There is
no Veda or Sastra superior to devotion. (Divine Discourse, 15-Sep-1988)


-BABA



In Bhakti there are four letters. It's made up of ""bha"", ""ka"", ""ta"",
and ""i"" (ee). ""Bha"" stands for fulfillment and nourishment. ""Ka""
stands for knowing - a means of knowing. ""Ta"" stands for redeeming, for
saving, for salvation. ""I"" (ee) stands for shakti.

So in Bhakti four things are there: fulfillment and nourishment; means of
knowing; ""tarana"" or salvation; and energy. Bhakti saves you. Bhakti
nourishes you. Bhakti is the means of knowing, the right knowledge. When
Bhakti is there the doubts don't come. It gives the most energy. So Bhakti
contains as the seed all the four qualities.

All the emotional upheavals one undergoes is because one doesn't know
Bhakti. When all intense feelings flow in one direction that is Bhakti, it
becomes Bhakti. What is the difference between a canal and a flooded field?
In a flood what happens is the water does not have a bank to flow in. When
the water flows within banks you call it ""river"". When water is scattered
all over, it's all flooded. So when the emotions get flooded everywhere,
mind is in a mess. If it is intensely flowing in a direction, then that is
Bhakti. And that is most powerful.

A sign of Intelligence is Surrender or Bhakti.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day

What SRI SRI said

in Satsang today





"To express feelings, to form a relationship, you need a face. If there is
face then a person is able to establish a relationship easily. Since the
ancients times we call upon the Gods and Goddesses, through chanting of
mantras, into pots (kalash)of water or rice. This is the tradition. In South
India we do puja to Varalaxmi. I remember my grandmother used to do Pooja to
Varalaxmi and do a lot of preparations for that. She would fill the kalash
with rice, keep a coconut on top of that and call upon the Goddess. But she
would make a face on the kalash as well as the coconut. Then she would be
satisfied that it is the Devi. You normally use pots everyday, what
relationship can you establish with a pot? But if you see a face on the pot,
then you can start a dialogue with it, even if it is in the mind, you
establish a relationship. In the same way, in Gauri Ganesh, you don’t have
an idol of her whole body, just the face on the kalash. Just the face on the
pot will make you feel that you are connecting with the Gods. You get mental
satisfaction. This is the mystery behind idol worship, invoking emotions.
The purpose of the Guru is also the same, to awaken emotions within us. The
dormant energy in us is suddenly awakened. That is why it is said “Ishwaro
Guru Atmeti MoortiBheda Vibhagini”. There are differences in the idols but
in the tatva there is no difference. Whether put the face of Gauri or Ganesh
or Varalaxmi, there is difference only in the faces not in the feelings.
There is no difference in the feelings only in the expressions. Through
different modes of expression, awaken the sleeping consciousness, the love
trapped in inertia and faith. Once it is awakened it removes all this. We
use help of the modes we do this. For example, if there is a small container
of ghee, we either have to bend our finger to get it or a spoon. The use of
the spoon is only till the point that the ghee has been retrieved by it. In
this way, the idols help in evoking theses feelings within us. Mantra also
does the same thing. Take the support of mantras and idols you can do this
and then go beyond it into meditation. The idols and mantras are only guides
to get into meditation. When we go into meditation then we realize who we
truly are, ‘So Hum’, that there is no difference between us and That."



Ques: Is silence more important or sound?

<https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/srisri?source=feed_text&story_id=101535769
98448555> ‪#‎SriSri: Sound has it’s own importance and silence it’s own. Why
do you want to bring one up and keep the other down? The importance of
silence is because of sound. And sound has come out of silence.



Ques: Can we not achieve the turiya state in the conscious state?
#SriSri: There are many ways. The sleeping, waking and dreaming state or all
part of consciousness. Beyond that is the turiya state which comes in
glimpses between these states. Like when you are about to sleep but not yet
asleep, you are in a stupor. In that state you feel as if the time has
stopped, everything is a state. This sort of a feeling is there. In the same
way when we wake up but are not yet fully awake, then too you get a glimpse
of the turiya state. And when we start meditating regularly then we can
continuously experience that state.



Ques: what is the significance of cutting our upanayanam thread before
taking sanyas?
#SriSri: It just means, leaving the old behind and donning the new. When we
take sansyas then we are relieved of our responsibilities, and the janeyu
thread reminds us of our responsibilities. Like a snake sheds it skin, in
the same way we shed our past and come into the present moment. When our
responsibilities our over then we take sanyas, meaning we become centered
with no desires.



Ques To love is a Divine quality, however my love is causing pain to others?
#SriSri: You have made mistake of thinking love is an action. Love is your
nature. Be in your nature, love will radiate from you naturally. A candle or
a lamp does not make an attempt to take the light to others, they just be in
their nature, spreading light. If others get hurt due to your love then
maybe you are expressing your love too much it seems, hide your love a
little, lock and keep it, don’t spend it. There are ways to express love,
that is why we should express only what others can understand and is in
their capacity to take. Expressing too much love is also dangerous. People
feel suffocated otherwise. Supposing you say someone that ‘I love you very
much, I love you very much, I love you very much, I love you very much..’
then that person will say, okay, now what next? If you say 20 times then
they will think what do you with you! Don’t assume that everyone is
knowledgeable. A wise one can digest everything, accepting such expression
of love will not be difficult for a knowledgeable person. Whereas a normal
person’s mind is at a different level & their capacity to take or give love
is also less, limited. If they have limited capacity and you express
limitless love on them then they get irritated. This is one of the reasons
for relationships to break. Because they express love too much and other
person feels like it is a burden, so they run! That is why hide your love
and express it little here and there.



Ques: Gurudev. ‘aghori’ look very scary, does this path also leads one to
God?
#SriSri: See this word ‘aghor’ itself is very different. To look ‘ghor’
means scary, one which is very beautiful is called ‘aghori’. If someone
looks very beautiful then we say ‘aghori’. That which is very beautiful from
inside and outside, where there is no aversion of any type, is ‘aghori’.
‘Shiva’ is called aghori. (Verse). Rudra is ghor as well as aghor and that
which is good for everyone, beneficial to all. I bow down to you O Lord
Rudra, you are very beautiful and ghor also. All the five elements are like
this. Fire is so beautiful in the form of candle, but if a house is on fire
then, it is so dangerous. Similarly air element is beautiful but if it comes
in the form of storm then it is destructive / ghor form. Shiva is ghor as
well as aghori, beautiful and fierce at the same time. He does good to
everyone. There is no mantra above the aghor mantra, which says the form of
Shiva is more beautiful of the most beautiful and more fierce than the
fiercest.
Nature is like this only. If a water stream is flowing then it looks so
beautiful but if Tsunami comes then it is so dangerous. Cascade looks so
beautiful, but if water comes in form of flood then it is so devastating
also. If there is small waterfall then you can take shower underneath it and
feels nice. At the same time if you see Niagara falls then you will feel
scared. It looks beautiful from distance, but if you go near then you will
get scared looking at the same as water falls from thousands of feet.



Ques: Gurudev, ‘Mumukshutva (desirous of attaining salvation)’ is called
pillar of knowledge. When divine is so amazing then why one be hesitant to
go towards God?
#SriSri: It happens like that in the beginning, then once you are used to
it, you will feel relaxed.



Ques: Gurudev why do you love me so much?
#SriSri: Keep asking this question again and again you will be on the right
track. All complaints will go away. And ask this same question to everyone
whenever complaints arise in you, then assume that they love you so much
hence they are behaving in this manner. Then you will be happy in yourself,
centered and safe.



Ques: How to accept people whom we don’t love?
#SriSri: It is not compulsory to accept someone only after loving them.
First you accept them as they are, then love comes later.



Ques: How can we have enthusiasm and dispassion at the same time?
#SriSri: That is pravritti and nivritti. When you are in Pravritti, you have
to take full responsibility and move ahead and in Nivritti you take rest in
total surrender

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, September 25, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


To be free is your birthright! When you guide your steps along the path
illumined by the universal unbound dharma you will become really free; if
you stray away from the light, you will get bound. What you call ‘freedom’
is a certain type of bondage. Genuine freedom is obtained only when delusion

is absent, when there is no identification with the body and senses, and no
servitude to the objective world. People who have escaped from this
servitude and achieved freedom in the genuine sense are very few in number.
Bondage lies in every act done with the consciousness of the body as the

Self, for one is then the play thing of the senses. Only those who have
escaped this fate are free; this ‘Freedom’ is the ideal stage to which
dharma leads. With this stage constantly in mind, one who engages in the
activity of living, can become a liberated person (muktha-purusha). (Dharma
Vahini, Ch 2)


-BABA



You are free this very moment. At any moment you can relax totally and let
go, that very moment you are peaceful.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=353970788075553&set=a.2009832333743
10.46109.200979063374727&type=1>

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Today in Satsang,

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was interviewed by Doordarshan. The interview led to an
interesting question & answer session!


<https://www.facebook.com/TheBangaloreAshram/photos/pcb.10153578856963555/10
153578856228555/?type=3>



Ques: How was your childhood? Were you naughty like other kids?
‪#‎SriSri: Yes absolutely. I still am I think! I think my childhood never
got over. Not childish, but I am still child-like.



Ques: What kind of atmosphere did you receive in childhood? What did you
talk about with your parents?
#SriSri: There is a feeling that was always there with me since childhood,
to spread love & togetherness throughout the world. I knew that people were
waiting for me everywhere. In those days when I used to say this, people
would think that I am lying. Many times my ears were pulled for this! My
mother used to ask me –‘why are you lying? You don’t lie about anything
else’. I could not understand how I should explain this to everyone. There
was always this conflict.



Ques: Any memory of your childhood that you can share about your parents.
What did they talk with you?
#SriSri: They were both very good people. They gave me very good values. My
parents were very interested in spirituality. See, if any child gets a
spiritual environment at home where Pujas etc are happening, then it
definitely leaves good values in them. There are some things we imbibe from
the environment, but a lot of values we bring with ourselves from past
births. The seed is always there. So, it’s not the first time we have come
to earth. We have come many times before. If you observe, a child till 3
years of age remembers everything about their past lives. They use their own
language to explain it but the people don’t give a lot of importance to it
and don’t take it seriously. Our past is very deep and vast. But we have
never paid any attention to it. When we go deep in meditation these past
samkaras start opening up. What is good in those things grows and what is
meaningless falls away.



Ques: How did you manage to balance both spirituality and education?
#SriSri: Yes, Yes. It was always together. I have been fortunate that I
could study also and at the same time continue on the spiritual path. I
always had an interest in science from a very young age. And I never found
any contradiction between Science and Indian spirituality. We should always
move in life keeping science and knowledge together. If there is scientific
outlook, then you question everything. You don’t accept anything without
asking questions – that is the sign of a scientific temperament. The sign of
spirituality is unshakable faith. If you get both of these in life, then
life blossoms.



Ques: How did you manage to keep the balance between education & spiritual
path
#SriSri: My childhood was spent with elders and now I am spending time with
the Youngsters! I never had too much interest in cricket, football etc. I
had to be forced to take interest in these things but I used to find them
meaningless. I used to enjoy sitting with elders and discussing with them. I
was surrounded with older people through out my childhood. My guru had spent
time with Mahatma Gandhi when he was in jail. He was the one who has taught
him Bhagavad Gita. He was also there with him when Kasturba Gandhi passed
away. So, he used to narrate the stories to him. See, in those time, there
was neither Radio nor television was present. So, there was nothing else to
do. Yes, there were classical music gatherings used to take place during the
festivals, which I used to enjoy



Ques: Who were the great people in your life that influenced you?
#SriSri: There were many saints that I used to meet. The Shankaracharya of
Kanchi used to look at me with a lot of respect. I used to find that
uncomfortable that I am younger than them, even then they are treating me
with such respect. But then I got used to it!



Ques: What was the turning point in your life?
#SriSri: There was no such turning point in my life. Some people face some
failure in their business, some get cheated in love, some people’s heart
gets broken, nothing of this sort happened with me. I never got depressed
and ran away from home! But there were many joyful instances that happened.



Ques: How did you come up with Sudarshan Kriya?
#SriSri: I used to teach yoga and meditation before that too. But I felt
that there was something missing, something more needs to be done, it didn’t
feel complete. Like something was on the way. So I went into silence for 10
days, on the banks of the River Tungabhadra, near Shimoga, Karnataka. After
that, there were some 30 odd people from the city who asked me to say
something. And then I started speaking, and in that moment I taught them
(the Sudarshan Kriya) and I also learnt it at the same time. It came out of
me like a poem arises within a poet, through inspiration. I never used my
intellect for it. This is called ‘antahsparana’. It’s like downloading, not
like composing. You download something which is already there. Our brain is
like a super computer. You can download a lot of things!



Ques: After Sudarshan Kriya, is there anything else which is on the way for
us?
#SriSri: From time to time, whatever is required for whomever, that
knowledge will keep coming automatically. All this is so amazing. This world
is full of wonder. There is wonder in everyone’s life. And when we go deep
inside and become quiet, then many such wonders arise in life. And wonder is
the preface for Yoga. When such wonder keeps happening in life, then another
dimension opens up in life. Then we start to experience the unseen and the
unmanifest. And this applies to all, it’s not just meant for a select few.
But only a few are able to take advantage of it.



Ques: Do you also get worried?
#SriSri: Yes, I worry about everyone, the country, the world. But it doesn’t
trouble me!



Ques: How and why did you go out of the country for the first time?
#SriSri: Once in Delhi, I had conducted a workshop for all the embassies.
People liked it and some of them asked me to come to England. This is how I
got an invitation. Then one by one it just kept happening and I had to go
all around the world!



Ques: There are so many who just follow you on youtube!
#SriSri: This is a gift of technology. This is a huge contribution that
technology has made, by which we can reach to every corner of this planet.
The knowledge which had, since the ancient times, been limited to certain
communities and not passed on to the masses, but which is so useful to
everyone, should not be tied up but distributed to all. Given this, I
decided to make this knowledge and technique available to all and taught it
to everyone in the world. This knowledge and technology is not limited to a
particular religion or community, it is for all of humanity. It doesn’t
matter what religion you follow, you can keep following your religion but at
the same time you can learn something that will give your mind peace, give
energy to your body, make your heart blossom, sharpen your intellect.
Everyone need’s this knowledge. So I thought that I would work towards
“vasudhaiva kutumbakam’, a one world family and reach out the knowledge to
every home.



Ques: Everyone wants to meet you..
#SriSri: I also want to meet everyone! This is where technology can help.
You can even send me emails, I get thousands of them. And there is one
communication which at an outer level and there is another communication
which is an inner communication. When we believe that everyone belongs to
me, then that becomes a reality. So all you have to do is believe. Every
person’s thread is connected everyone else in the world, is what I believe.
There are billions and trillions of cells in our body. Every part of our
body is connected to the Universe and every person is a part of this
Universe. So we should know deep inside that we are all connected. And that
itself is meditation.



Ques: How is it that the youth, which don’t listen to parents get connected
to you so easily?
#SriSri: Yes, the youth have a lot of enthusiasm. They know that I encourage
enthusiasm. The youth have curiosity, and they know that it gets fulfilled
here. And the youth are filled with love and they know that it gets respect
here. Youth is not determined by age, anyone who has an inner energy and
enthusiasm is youth. Those who do not tire, they are youth. Many old people
come here and become young! The moment tiredness vanishes and your mind
becomes ready to take on new challenges, when enthusiasm dawns, that is also
a sign of youth. Now I always tell them, that they must do something for the
society and not just think about themselves. There is a joy that one gets in
acquiring something. There is another joy that is there in sharing with
others. That is an even bigger joy. Life is a journey from moving from the
joy of getting to the joy of giving. And the youth have so much energy and
power, they can definitely give a lot to the society. And they do want to
give.

When the heart is pure, then there is innocence. And every child .. if there
is purity in heart, clarity in mind and spontaneity in action, then we can
go back and to innocence.



Ques: What is the significance of the upcoming World Cutlture Festival 2016?
#SriSri: 10 years back we had a big event in the theme of vasudhaiva
kutumbakam, in Bangalore in 2006. Then 5 years back, in Berlin, we had the
World Culture Festival. Now it is the turn of Delhi to host it. People from
154 countries will come and present their culture in this festival and along
with that it will also be a family reunion for us, where we will all get
together and do sadhana, yoga, meditation. This will be an example to the
world, that instead of talking about wars and conflicts, people from all
over the world will give a message of peace and belongingness, in a festive
atmosphere. This is the intention. Humanity is still alive, this message has
to reach everyone. There is so much depression all around, people have
become selfish, they think with a small mind only about themselves, which
leads to mental illness. To get out of this, a celebration is required. You
need to have a display of belongingness.



Ques: Whenever you do a program, it becomes trouble for Guinness World
Record team! What is the secret of organising such big celebrations?
#SriSri: There is one verse in Sanskrit ‘naalpe sukhamasti yovaye bhuma tat
sukham’. There is no joy in small things, joy is in big things. So when the
thought is big, work also happens in a big manner. When the heart is big how
can the work be small? And everyone automatically joins in. The vision
should be big, the heart should be big, then work also transforms into a big
success. This does not happen with only one man’s intention, it happens with
everyone’s desire (sankalpa) to do big. It is very interesting how an
organisation comes together, chaos is also there and then how things come
out shining from chaos, it is very unique in it’s own manner.



Ques: If we work continuously for four to five hours, or if we meet ten
people then also we get tired, we feel that we should relax a bit. Do you
ever take holidays?
#SriSri: In between lifetimes! Between two lives. See, when we do not do
something different from our very nature then we do not get tired. A river
does not get tired of flowing, air does not get tired of moving, Sun never
gets tired of shining. Similarly, when we are established in our element, in
our very nature then everything after that works as per nature. When we do
something other than our nature, when we show-off then we will definitely
feel tired. Be natural, you will not feel tired.



Ques: What message would you like to give to Your followers?
#SriSri: Know and understand some things. You cannot understand everything,
but you can understand a few things. Accept a few things, you cannot accept
everything, but you can accept few things and greet everyone with love. If
someone says that this is sweet, then do not accept, you should taste it and
then accept that it is sweet. And if someone says that this thing is poison,
do not touch it, then don’t say that I will touch and see for myself whether
it is poison or not. No. If someone says that this is drugs and you should
not go for it then just accept it. And greet everyone with love. A clear
mind, a pure heart and sincerity in action, spontaneity in action is al that
is needed. And stop thinking ‘what about me, what about me, what about me?’
Start asking ‘what can I do?’ give your attention there. We are here on this
planet for a short while, challenges do come in everyone’s life, but they
come and go. Don’t lose hope. Spirituality is one such thing that will give
you that inner strength and along with it new thoughts and ideas as well.



Ques: When we see you we feel very happy, how do you feel when you see your
devotees?
#SriSri: I feel they are all my very own. Whomever I have seen, till today,
I have felt that they are my very own. Till now I have not come across even
a single person, whom I have felt as a stranger.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, September 28, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Though Alexander the Great conquered most parts of the world, he could not
take with him even an iota of the property he won. He left the world with
empty hands. To demonstrate this truth to the world, he instructed his
ministers to take his dead body in a procession through the streets of his
capital keeping both his hands in a raised position pointing the sky. When
the ministers asked him the reason for this strange request, Emperor
Alexander replied, “I conquered several countries, accumulated great wealth
and controlled a vast army; yet, I am going back with empty hands -
demonstrate this truth to everyone.” You may spend a lot of time struggling
to acquire a lot of wealth. Yet, not even a handful of earth will come along
when you leave the body. Hence at least now accept the fact that you are
Divine, and strive to appreciate the same Divinity in everyone around you.
(Divine Discourse, Jan 1 2009)


-BABA



Life is such; you should not feel that I am dependent, and I want to be
independent. See, no baby has been independent. As a baby, parents took care
of you, and in your old age, your children or someone else will take care of
you. So, life in the beginning, and in the end, is dependency. In between,
we think we are independent but there also we are dependent on many things.

If your attention is on divinity, then you will not feel the burden of
dependency, or the frustration to have independence, both will disappear.

People who feel that they want to have independence, they are also
frustrated. This is because wanting independence is a frustration. Come on,
wake up. When you were a baby, were you not dependent? No baby thinks 'I
want to go back from where I came because I am dependent on my parents', no!
Whether in the form of parents, or as children, or as friends, the help you
get from anywhere is coming from only one source, i.e., the divinity. It is
only the divine who took care of you as your parents, and it is only the
divine who will take care of you as your nurse, or neighbour, or friends, or
anybody else. Someone will always come and take care of you, you don’t have
to worry at all.

This whole sense of insecurity that we build in us should simply be thrown
out and burned down. Don’t think your children will take care of you. Maybe
during your last breath, your servant or neighbour may come and help you,
who knows? Whoever is helping you, it is not that individual that is helping
you, it is God helping you in that form. Leave it to the divine energy to
help you when you are in need, in whatever form. Soyou don’t need to feel
obliged or burdened by anybody’s help. Got it?

This is a big problem. We feel burdened by somebody’s help. You don’t need
to feel burdened by it; that is ignorance. It is only the divine who is
helping you through other people. If you have this understanding, the
Advaita knowledge, then nothing can restrict your blossoming.


Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=266545716818061&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> There is no
expectation of qualification to attain the Divine.
No need for any effort. Just be.
Akinchan- I am nobody,
Aprayatna - I do nothing,
Achaha - I want nothing!

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

What SRI SRI said

in Satsang

Ques: Why is it that Parvati had to do penance to reach Lord Shiva. Lord
Shiva knew that Parvati is born and he loved her also yet why the penance?
‪#‎SriSri: Puranas are the stories. It’s just to tell you don’t take the
highest for granted. That even though it is yours, it is a part of you,
still you have to forbear. What does Tapas mean? Keeping the balance.
However dear you are, still you have to maintain your balance. Tapas means
forbearance of opposites. And life is full of opposites and your ability to
smile through them all is Tapas. What is the benefit of Tapas? Body becomes
strong and senses become sharp, sensitive and pure. That’s all.



Ques: When an avatar is born how much does he or she retains of his or her
divinity and how much does him or her adapt to Humanity?
#SriSri: Why do you keep Humanity so far away from Divinity? Divinity is in
Humanity and that’s why in all our Puranas everywhere you find the Human
aspect in Divine also. You must respect Humanity the way it is. Respect for
Humanity will lead you to Divinity and respect for Divinity will make you
more humane.



Ques: I have a strong feeling that people don’t like me or gel with me. I
crave for love but when I get it I can’t handle it. What is wrong with me?
#SriSri: You need to be centered. Never mind if someone expresses love for
you or not. From your side you have friendliness for everyone. You wish good
for everyone.. Once that is done then everything will be taken care of.



Ques: While meditating from time to time I see between my eyebrows fire. Is
there any significance in seeing fire during meditation?
#SriSri: Take it as an experience, that’s all! During meditation you get
many experiences, of all the five sense. You may feel some touch. You may
feel some cool breeze. You may hear some sound. You may see some light. You
may smell some fragrance. Take them all as an experience and move on. You
know there is a story about Tirupati. It’s said that Tirupati Balaji wanted
to come and stay there on Lord Srinivasa. So he needed a place but the place
belonged to one Varaha Swami. So he asked if he could give him some place
for rent. He said ok but what was the rent that you will give me? He said
whoever comes to see me I will ask him to visit you also. This was the
rental agreement. That anyone who comes to see Lord Venkateshwar should
visit Varah Swami and only then their visit will be complete. But today many
people go to see Srinivasa but they have forgotten the Varah Swami which is
in the foothill. Lord Venkateshwar is a tenant by default now! Default means
that he has not paid his dues. These stories may appear to be very funny or
mundane. Why do they put such mundane stories? Just to make you feel that
you are part of the Divinity and Divinity is part of you. Otherwise you put
Divinity at a very high pedestal and you feel I am here and God is there and
we have a big disconnect. To make you feel more connected they put all these
anger, Shiva got angry, or all this other human imperfection also they put
in the Devas and Devtas, so that you feel the closeness. It’s interesting.
That’s why if you read the Puranas you will feel why would God be this way?
Why would the Divine personality behave this way? It’s only a reflection of
what is in the Human society. And having said that keep it all one side and
go deep in meditation and what will you find in deep meditation? Pragyanam
Brahma. Consciousness. That lively consciousness is what all this is. This
is what you are and what everything else is made up of. That is God and that
is Divinity. Divinity is in your heart. Don’t find yourself far removed from
it. In your heart there is love and that is God. That is Divinity.



Ques: Vegetarianism comes from compassion and non-killing of other living
beings. But sometimes at home we kill rats, cockroaches etc.
#SriSri: No, no, doesn’t matter. You are liberating them, they find better
life times! Don’t worry. Total Ahimsa (non-violence) is impossible because
your own body destroys every bacteria that comes into it. Your body attacks
and kills many bacteria. And birth and death is continuous process. You know
on your forehead, there are these tiny little creatures called mites. And
there three types of mites. One at the top of your head, one in the middle
of your head and one near the eyebrows and they all have their territory,
they don’t cross their territories. The mites never your eyebrows, never
goes above and the one in the middle, does not come down. The three
vibhootis you put (on your forehead), the three lines? It’s exactly like
that. The three different mites live in three different levels on your
forehead. And they are territorial. Similarly there are bacteria in your
intestine, they are territorial. This Universe is unfathomable, it’s
amazing. So every moment new cells are being born in your body, every moment
cells are dying in your body. So just be natural. Himsa (violence) is when
with anger and greed you destroy someone’s life. If you are walking,
unknowingly many creatures get crushed under your feet. That is not himsa.
You are walking and there are ants you did not see, knowingly or unknowingly
many creatures die. Your mere existence kills many creatures. While talking
many bacteria die. You breath out that causes disturbance to many bacteria.
And you cannot go to that extreme… Just take the essence. The essence is
non-violence. By words, by deed, by your thought, don’t destroy anybody’s.
Don’t have an intention to destroy anybody. That keeps your mind alive, pure
and sensitive to others. That is good enough.



Ques: How can we get angry and simultaneously feel peace inside us?
#SriSri: You are feeling that way? That is good. A part of you is always
peaceful. If you can latch on that, then you have won the game. A part in
everyone of you is peaceful all the time. And there is another part which
goes through all the turmoil. And if the part that goes through turmoil is
smaller, in fact it is smaller but it appears bigger, when you realize it is
a small part of you, which undergoes turmoil, you have won the race.



Ques: Do ghosts exist? I am scared of them.
#SriSri: No, no, no.. If you feel you have come across such a thing then
just chant ‘Om Namah Shivayah’, they will run miles away.



Ques: Why is it easier to meditate with a guided meditation than by
yourself?
#SriSri: You know some of these questions are just wonders. Why is it easy
to meditate with guided meditation? It is easy, that is why it is there!
What you cannot do alone, or when you are not able to do alone, in a group
it makes it better.



Ques: How can I deal with an emotionally unstable man in my life?
#SriSri: When you know people are like that and you have studied them, you
have two options. Wait till they change and till they change accept them.



Ques: Is there such a thing as good luck and bad luck?
#SriSri: Yes, there is. There are times when things happen effortlessly.
When does it happen? When Sattva increases in us, then whatever we want
happens easily. When there is lack of Sattva then we have to put in a lot of
effort for the same thing. And if you don’t have any Sattva then even after
a lot of effort, nothing happens.



Ques: I am not able to make a choice, please tell me what to choose? I am
very confused.
#SriSri: You choose and I will give you blessings, what else! My job is to
only confuse, not to convince! Because in every confusion, you grow.



Ques: When a person is about to die, can we chant Maha Mrityunjaya mantra,
will it bring back the person?
#SriSri: When someone is about to die, we can chant the Maha Mrityunjaya
mantra, there will definitely be some good in it. And then you drop it, if a
person’s death is destined, then person will pass away at that time.



Ques: Whenever I do meditation or yoga, I feel I am doing something wrong so
I repeat the programs again and again. But I am not satisfied. What do I do?
#SriSri: You feel you are doing something wrong? Ok, leave it to me.
Meditation is the art of doing nothing! Don’t sit and do anything in
meditation. When you go for a treatment, what do you do? You just sit. When
you go to a dentist, do you do anything? Dentist puts a finger in your
mouth, do you bite it? You do nothing, you just keep your mouth open and sit
and the dentist does the whole job. You drop your jaw, sit with awe and
meditation will happen automatically, you have to do nothing!



Ques: Akshatam (rice) is used in blessing the bride and groom in a wedding.
But in the process so much rice gets wasted. What is to be done?
#SriSri: That is right. It should not be wasted. It can at least be given to
birds, if it falls down. Do you know the meaning of akshat? That which
doesn’t reduce, that which is imperishable. Akshat has two qualifications,
one which is used with mantra becomes akshat, when you say the mantra and
put the rice on the head with the mantras, it becomes mantrakshate, it is
very auspicious. India had abundance of food grains, once upon a time. Then
they used to use rice to bless people, like you put flowers to bless people.
And the rice that gets thrown on the couple on their wedding day, that
should be fed to birds, creatures or use flowers. Instead of rice, use
flowers, that will also do. Akshat means imperishable, rice or food is
imperishable. Because that food becomes the body and food becomes the mind,
food becomes the thought. And thought remains in the Akasha, space. So that
is why it is called imperishable.



Ques: Does Hinduism move along with science or not?
#SriSri: Hinduism is like a mixture of sugar and sand. If you become an ant
you will be able to remove the sugar from the sand. In Hinduism, there are
some basic essence which is like sugar but in the course of time a lot of
things have been added, which has no meaning, and people did not understand
those. There are such scientific things in the dharma. It is the Hindu
Sanatan dharma which gave the world zero. It made the world’s first iron,
boat, all of this. The fact that the earth revolves around the sun was first
propounded by India. Go on the internet, you will find a lot of things.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, September 29, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Some people hold the opinion that being employed is bondage, while sitting
at home without any specific work is freedom! This is a sign of lack of
intelligence. When employed in a job, one obeys their superiors. In the same
way, being at home, can anyone escape the demands and compulsions of the
family? Even when you are amidst your friends, can you avoid the necessity
of acting according to their fancy? Hence, understand that all life is a
prison; the differences are merely in the types of imprisonment! You will
feel it this way as long as the attitude of identifying yourself with the
body is there. On the other hand, the liberated ones will trample down their
egoism, discriminate sensual pleasure from real happiness, and perform their
duties. They will use duty (Karma) as an aid to help in the destruction of
the ego. This is the path to freedom and happiness. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 2)


-BABA



The world is of change, the Self is of non-change. You have to rely on the
non-change and accept the change. People think that certainty is freedom. If
you feel that freedom when you are not certain then that is ‘real’ freedom.
If you are certain that everything is uncertain, then you are liberated.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day

What SRI SRI said.

in Satsang



Ques: Why is a girl’s life so full of sacrifice and adjustments, especially
after marriage?
‪#‎SriSri: Is it so? I heard the other way around! I heard the boys feel
that they have no freedom afterwards. They have to take permission for
everything!



Ques: When I see people disrespect their parents I feel hurt. What is your
message for such people?
#SriSri: I would advise on both sides. Parents should also remember their
limitations and stay in their own boundary and children should definitely
walk that extra mile to make the parents comfortable. They have to do all
that in their capacity to make them happy. But you know if sometimes it so
happens, in spite of people trying all their best, still the parents keep
cribbing. You cannot bow down to everything in that sense. But they can walk
that extra mile to make them happy.



Ques: I am Christian. Since the doing the Art of Living Course I don’t
necessarily follow the Christian rules and customs. Should I?
#SriSri: That’s ok. Meditation is the highest form of prayer and what you
are doing is good enough. Because rituals and forms were developed much
later. It’s only an external thing. It’s like what clothes you wear and what
clothes you eat, sort of thing. It has very little relevance on the
development of consciousness.



Ques: We are ashamed when we see the conduct of our members of Parliament,
fighting like fishermen. How to change all this?
#SriSri: You should not compare them to fishermen, they are very nice
people! Fishermen, they don’t fight. Fishermen have their own dignity. Now I
would advise you not to put everyone in one basket. There are good
parliamentarians and there are not so good parliamentarians. It is not what
they are. It is how our education system is. They have not made a system, in
which we bring up people with certain decency, certain etiquettes and
certain mannerisms. And that is missing. Why only in the Parliament, see
what people do in the streets. Now our education system needs that moral and
ethical and refined cultural sensitivity. This is needed. And children who
have gone to such schools where they teach moral and ethical education, they
don’t behave like that. They don’t behave like rowdies. It is the lack in
education and education system. In that sense, western Europe and some parts
of America have done a better job. Singapore has done a very good job. I
would say Singapore is one of the finest educational hubs where people are
taught how to behave. And they have very strict norms. Singapore colleges
are free from drugs, alcohol abuse and rowdiness. Eve teasing, ragging and
all have stopped, as far as I know. If someone knows the other way around,
please tell me. Singapore has much better discipline. Then even America.



Ques: There is ongoing research on Electro Magnetic Frequencies(EMFs), which
are used for healing. Why do we not connect to Earth while meditating?
#SriSri: We are already connected with the Earth. Your vibes are intertwined
with that of the earth, that of the whole planet. There are many
methodologies on the planet. All are welcome. Anything that benefits human
existence, we always welcome.



Ques: How not to get attracted to girls. This is to much distraction for me
while meditating.
#SriSri: No it is ok, it’s natural for you to get attracted to girls, but if
it is an obsession you’ll be in danger sometime or another and others will
be in any danger as well. So it is a normal, natural thing. But see that
your hormones are in control. Don’t let your hormones control you.



Ques: Why do Hindus kill animals in the name of bali or sacrifice?
#SriSri: This is ignorance. It’s part of people when they start enjoying the
food, they start offering to God. And this is how the bali tradition
started. People who started enjoying non-veg food, they tried to take the
name of God and then they started enjoying it. Nowhere in the scriptures
they said you must sacrifice animals. No. Even if someone argues that there
is, I would say, you don’t need to listen to them, you don’t need to do it.
There are other verses which says, you should have compassion for
everything. Hold on to that.



Ques: With love comes attachment, you get so used to a person that their
absence is painful. How to handle such situations?
#SriSri: Now if you try to imagine, I have to do something at that time,
it’s not going to work. When the situation comes, just have faith you will
get the strength to handle the situation also.



Ques: You have often said, humour is one of the hallmarks of true
spirituality. Could you talk about developing humour that doesn’t become
frivolous?

#SriSri: Humour is essential in life. There is no reason to be so serious. A
mind which is free from fear, which is not heavy with worries & a heart
which is light, not filled with hatred, is always humourous. You can’t try
to bring humour inside you, by reading books like ‘Two thousand insults for
all occasion”! Humour dawns in you, when you feel lighter. That’s why
whenever there is humour, then you say it’s in a lighter vein. Your vein
should not feel heavy. You body, your heart should feel lighter, your mind
not bogged down with worries. Then humour is already there, it’s part of
your life. If you don’t take things too seriously, that is humour.



Ques: I want to become a hermit but my mother is not agreeing, like
Shankaracharyas mother. What do I do?
#SriSri: Well, make her agree somehow. Without the permission of the
parents, you cannot become one. And we have to use for skills to make them
agree. And it is not mandatory to wear certain clothes to become a sanyasi,
in your mind you can be a sanyasi. Why do you want to hurt your parents? It
is not required to change your style of dressing or renounce your home.
Respect and take care of your parents. Here all the Swamis meet their
parents, keep talking to them. In India there are sanyasis who are not
allowed to meet their parents for fear of attachments. They are meeting so
many people, they can meet their as well, if you have such fears then you
better not become a sanyasi! People become so hard hearted. It is not
required.. forget about everything and just be in the service of people.



Ques: When the Devi is an awakened energy, then why do we say (Jago, Jago
Maa)
#SriSri: First from inertness, humanness is born and from humanness divinity
dawns. The cry of humanness is prayer to awaken some divinity. That is why
we say “Suprabhatam”, which means, wake up, You are inside me, but you are
asleep, wake and come into my experience. This is the prayer of a devotee.
So there are different types of devotions, this is also one of them.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, September 30, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


You are unnecessarily struggling and planning several schemes, thinking
about them day and night. In spite of all your struggles, what has to go out
of your hands will go. The body is like a water bubble. The mind is like a
mad monkey. If you follow this mad monkey, you will get into trouble. In the
same manner, if you believe in the body, you do not know when this body,
which is like a water bubble, will burst. Nothing is permanent. Only the
Atma (Self) is eternal and immortal. ‘I’, ‘Self’, ‘God’ are all different
names by which the Atmaswarupa is called. God incarnated as Rama, Krishna,
and the like, and underwent several difficulties to demonstrate great
ideals. Finally, they too left the mortal coil. The physical bodies of the
Avatars undergo changes, but the Divine Atma in their bodies remains the
same. It is omnipresent, eternal and changeless. Divinity in all the human
beings is one and the same. (Divine Discourse, Jan 1 2009)


-BABA



To know that everything is changing you need to have a reference point. That
reference point is the unchanging in you. There is a non-changing, eternal
element in you because of which you can experience change.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

in Satsang on Ganesha Chaturthi



“Today we celebrated as Ganesha Chaturthi all over India. See in life when
you do anything you face some obstacles. That too if you do something good
you face more obstacles. But if you want to blame someone there will be no
obstacle. If you want to go and do some wrong things there won’t be many
obstacles, there may be some obstacle there also, I have no experience! But
when people want to do something good, I know there will be many hurdles
that come on the way. Now it’s through knowledge that you can make hurdle to
your advantage. You can make crisis as a stepping-stone to move further.
Obstacles can be seen as an impediment for progress or as a catalyst for
moving further, as a stepping-stone for a higher goal, achievement. And how
can u turn crisis into an advantage? Only through knowledge, only through
wisdom. It’s the wisdom gives you courage, confidence, ideas and energy to
take on any crisis, any obstacle. And Ganapathi is nothing but an embodiment
of wisdom. And He comes with Siddhi and Buddi, He comes with sharp intellect
and perfection. Siddhi means perfection, Buddhi means intellectual height,
intellectual ability. If you turn around and see, all that we use in our
life is product of Buddhi and Siddhi. If it was not for intellect, there
could not have been any electricity, there could not have been computers,
there could never have been internet and everything that we use in our day
to day life for our comforts are all products of Buddhi and every time a new
model comes, it is a product of Siddhi! Because in Buddhi you achieved
something and in Siddhi you keep perfecting it. Before the landline was
there that was through Buddhi, but then Siddhi came and it became cellphone.
So how landline turned into cellphone, the landline was perfected and it
became Siddhi. Like that, Buddhi comes up with thoughts and Siddhi starts
manifesting it. Usually people think Siddhi is miracles happening. Of
course, miracle means something extraordinary that happens with perfection.
Unthinkable perfection, unthinkable happenings are called Siddhis. Few
decades ago, cellphone was unthinkable! Biometric system was thought to be
some sort of magic, not reality. Today you know, there are biometric locks.
Only when a particular person puts his thumbprint, the door will open. This
is biometrics. Even cellphones are locked with your thumbprint. Bioenergy,
how your cellphone can recognize you have a particular energy in your body,
you must be foolish not to recognize there are so many such Divine energies
all around. Even if you don’t want to say Divine, there are so many
different patterns of energy in the Universe. Your cellphones are locked
with your thumbprint, your bioenergy. Someone else puts their thumb to open
your cellphone, does it open? No, they have the same size thumb, but it
doesn’t open why? The energy, the diagram is different. Then this minute
perfection is present in creation, it is only foolish not to believe that
there are different patterns of energy with different names which is beneath
the happenings of the Universe. And Ganapathi is that energy, is that aspect
of Divinity that removes obstacles and gives perfection in life.
Imperfection in your intellect is called dullness, dumbness. Imperfection in
emotion is called misery. Emotionally you have ups and downs, you are
disturbed, that is emotional imperfection and Siddhi is bringing
intellectual perfection and emotional perfection, both. And if you stretch
it a little further, perfection in action, what is perfect in action is that
which brings result. Many do action but result is not there, that is
imperfect action. If there is no gap between intent and achievement then
that is called perfect action and Siddhi is gaining that perfect action or
result of the action. When achievement and intent are the same, that is
Siddhi. When intellect and intent coincide that is Buddhi. So Ganapathy is
that force that brings in our life both Buddhi and Siddhi. So from time
immemorial ganapthy has been adored, not just in India. You can find
Ganapthy in Peru, in Scandinavia, all over the world, when they dug the
ancient sites they found the Ganapathy there. In Mexico, the found
Ganapathi. So at one point of time, all over the world, this system has been
prevalent. But as Lord Krishna said in a time cycle, the knowledge gets
lost, it shrinks to a smaller global space. But then again it gets revived
time and again. Now the time has come for this wisdom, this knowledge, the
perfection in life to manifest again. To just a few people enjoying the
wisdom, it now has to knock on every door of the heart of every individual."



Ques: It is said that Jesus Christ doubted twice, once in the desert & once
on the cross. Does doubt ever enter your mind sometimes, and if it does,
what do you doubt about?

<https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/srisri?source=feed_text&story_id=101535654
23273555> ‪#‎SriSri: In order to understand faith, you must understand
doubt. Doubt is always about something that is positive. When you are happy,
someone asks you are you happy, you say well I am not sure. But when you are
miserable, you really have no doubt about it. You never say ‘Am I really
depressed?’ Nobody asks. If you are depressed, you are so sure about
depression. Similarly when someone tells you, "I love you so much" you ask
them, "Really?" Someone tells you ‘I hate you’, you never say ‘Really?’ We
doubt in the goodness of people. We never doubt the bad quality of anybody.
But good qualities we start doubting. So, I understood doubt. So, it cannot
just fool me, just come into my mind. Anything you understand, that’s it.



Ques: I am gay and I can’t seem to be able to accept myself or blame God for
it. Most important can’t seem to be able to tell anyone about it, it kills
me.
#SriSri: First of all, don't put a label on your head, okay. And if you have
this tendency come up in you, know it is a tendency and it has come, that’s
it, accept it. It may be there for all lifetime or it may not be there, it
may change. I have seen many people who have been gay before then they get
married and they have family, they have wife. And there are other men also
who get married and suddenly they realise that was not their interest. They
are interested in same sex, whether male or female. These things happen.
Remember one thing, that you are made up of both male and female elements.
Sometimes the male element dominates, sometimes female element dominates in
you. They come, they start manifesting in you. Just accept and move on.
Don’t sit and blame yourself. You don’t need to blame God or blame anybody.
Just be natural. Self-blame is the biggest impediment in the spiritual path.
Because if you blame yourself, you can never go to your ‘self’. So best
thing is stop blaming, just accept this and move with a smile. And you don't
have to put a label on your head. If at all you want to put a label, you
should say you are the bubbling consciousness, you are joy, you are space &
you are energy. I am Satchidanand, Shivoham, Shivoham. This is what you must
say.



Ques: Is it possible to be born a woman in one life and a man in another?
#SriSri: Yes, yes, it Is possible. But some people try to change it here
itself, by paying a lot of money to the doctors and go and get all the
operation done. It is better you keep it for the next lifetime, don’t go
into this. I prefer you accept whatever you are born with now and don’t try
to change your gender. It’s preferable. I know some people have already done
it, never mind, never regret, move on.



Ques: The Syrian refugee crisis is confusing. Some people are saying they
are all genuine refugees & should be taken by Europe, others that they will
create cultural & religious imbalance wherever they go. What do you think?
#SriSri: I have also heard that among the refugees there are some extremist
elements have also entered. That is really a matter of concern. But real
refugees need shelter, because they are human beings. This sort of thing had
also happened in the past also, in India. That’s how so the Konkanis, the
Coorgis all these people came all the way from Kashmir. Coorgis came all the
way from Kashmir. They came to Mysore to find a safe heaven and plains were
too hard for them so they went to the hills, Coorg. Religious intolerance
has been there in this planet since the middle ages. I would not say from
the very beginning. Ancient times, no. Middle ages religious intolerance had
rocked this world. Many wars have been fought. In the recorded human history
of three and half thousand years, the Earth has been at peace only for a
small number of years. Only for a small number of years, world has been at
peace, miniscule. Rest of the time there has been some or the other
conflicts happening on this planet.



Ques: Why wasn't I born in a Hindu household?
#SriSri: Keep aside Hindu, Muslim, Christian, you are a beautiful human
being, let us recognize that. While having said that you are a beautiful
human being, you have been so lucky to have found this knowledge, to have
experienced meditation and being on the spiritual path.. In fact it is
better to start on a spiritual path with a clean slate rather than having
concepts and starting. Just because some people have a tradition doesn’t
mean that they know the tradition. And what is Hindusim? Is it a uniform
tradition? Not at all.. So feel happy, grateful that you found the
knowledge, that you have a path. This path can unite everybody. It’s like
the pathless path. In the sky there is no defined path. On the road, you
have to travel only on the road. If it’s a train, you have to go only on the
rails but in air you can fly around. It’s all path but it’s vast. And that
is the wisdom.



Ques: There is a story that Ganesha fell and the moon laughed, so we are not
supposed to see the moon on this day. Is there a deeper meaning?
#SriSri: Knowledge was encapsulated in small stories, little anecdotes, so
that even children can get something out of it. The story goes, Ganesha ate
so much and he was trying to ride on the rat and he toppled and his stomach
broke open and the moon started laughing and he suddenly took a snake that
was moving around and tied it as a belt and stitched his own stomach. This
is the story. And he saw the moon laughing so he broke one of his teeth and
threw it at the moon, so there is scar on the moon. This is the story. There
is nothing serious about it. But if you go deeper you can find some meaning
in it. Moon is mind and Ganesha is lord of the intellect. When there is a
conflict between mind and intellect, usually it is emotion that wins over,
your mind wins over the intellect. That is misery. But happenings is when
intellect wins over your emotions. If intellect makes a dent on the emotions
then there is beauty, then there is wisdom, there is celebration. And then
it became a celebration.. All this is symbolic. Snake is awareness. So if
your acceptance is without awareness, without wisdom, it’s going to break
one day. Many times the people at home they tolerate and tolerate and one
day they burst out. So if you are accepting, keeping everything inside you
without awareness, its going to burst one day. That’s why He fell off and
you will fall off. When you fall down your mind will say, ‘Look I told you.’
Mind is always revengeful, mind says, immediately take revenge.. Mind
laughs, "You kept accepting, you should not have accepted." Then awareness
came, He threw one of the teeth, he became one pointed. The intellect,
wisdom is one pointed… This is symbolism. Not that one day Ganesha ate so
much and he couldn’t digest it, stomach breaking out, just imagine these
things! We should not take these stories literally. There is higher
symbolism higher meaning. See symbols are eternal. The meaning of words
change. Every few hundred years the meaning of words change. But symbols
never change and symbols are Universal. See the danger word, if you put it
in English only people who know English can read it.. But you put skull and
two bones, everybody knows this is danger!.. So this is a symbolic thing. On
the day of Ganesha Chaturthi, this is the day of wisdom and if you get it
into your mind stuff, you are going to face the music for that. This is what
it says, that’s all.. All this is to keep your awareness, keep your mind
soaked in devotion. That is important, keeping the mind soaked in devotion.
All that we see all around, everything, and the one who is seeing, the one
who is comprehending all this is one Divinity. And that is devotion.



Q: 21st of September is World Peace Day, what’s your message for this
special day?
#SriSri: World Peace is only possible with inner peace. The world is
comprised of individuals we should never forget that. Of course the world
has nations, families and individuals, I would jump and say the world is
formed by individuals. Unless we find the inner peace among the individuals
world peace will remain a far fledged dream. One who finds inner peace will
only create peace around. And one who has not found peace inside he will
only create disturbance all around. Unless we inculcate the art of inner
peace in human endeavour, we cannot achieve world peace. So on this day of
world peace it’s pertinent that we recognize the inner peace of individual
as the basic element to build up towards unbroken families, harmonious
society, prosperous nations and a peaceful world.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, October 01, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


When the waves of egotist fear or greed drives one into the privacy of the
home, the loneliness of the forest, or anywhere else, it is impossible to
escape suffering. However in daily practice, when one’s acts are motivated
by the basic principle of the reality of the Atma, every act becomes stamped
with the seal of dharma (righteousness). On the other hand, when acts are
motivated by convenience and selfish interest, the dharma becomes
pseudo-dharma. Why, even the feeling ‘he is a friend’ or ‘she is an enemy’
is an error. This delusion has to be given up. The Lord, the embodiment of
love, is the only constant friend, relative, companion, guide, and
protector. Know this and live in that knowledge. This is dharma built on the
bedrock of understanding, this is life built on the bedrock of dharma.
[Dharma Vahini, Ch. 2]


-BABA



You should not ask proof of Divine’s love for you.
Always know that the Divine loves me, that is it! Full stop!



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=663882863646501&set=a.3209317346082
84.80176.308066685894789&type=1>

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

in Satsang

"Ever since childhood, everyone develops one habit – that is to influence
others. Look at small children, showing everyone something that they have
written, if they make some painting- they show it to everyone who comes to
their house. “look, what I have made, I have worn a new dress, I have worn a
new shirt” . Showing off and influencing everyone – This is a habit which is
formed since childhood. And what happens to that habit when we grow up? The
children don’t lie, but the adults start doing so. Why? Because they want to
make an impression on others and till their death they remain in this
endeavor to impress others. This is a childish and wasteful activity which
you have to give up. At some point you have to grow up. When do we leave
childhood and grow up? The moment you give up this tendency, lies will
disappear from your life. Why do people lie? To impress other people. What
do you get by impressing others? Respect, money and attention. Only these
three things. What do you attain even after having these three things in
your life? You remain empty handed. Suppose you dress up and wear jewellery
to impress others, do you think others become happy looking at you? Do you
think other people find happiness in your happiness? The family members who
are close to you, only they find happiness in your happiness. If children
are happy, parents become happy. If the parents are happy, then children
feel good. Apart from this we see that no one else finds happiness in your
progress. Within the others, two kinds of feelings arise. Either the desire
arises within them & they want to become like you or they become jealous.
Raag (Craving) or Dvesh(Aversion). What do you attain by giving birth to the
feelings of cravings or aversion in someone else? You attain nothing else
except misery. I’m not saying that you should not live properly, but why do
you have to lie to impress others? You know, even if you have impressed
others, your work does not happen. If it happens, it happens according to an
order in nature. How many people were your friends for whom you had done
everything good, did they not turn into your enemies? Then there are people
for whom you have not done anything great, still they turned out to be your
friends. So, becoming friends and enemies is because of Karma. If our time
is good, then even our enemies behave like our friends. When our time is
bad, then our own people, be it mother father, son or daughter start
behaving in a manner that you cannot even understand. So, learning from this
experience, know that the entire world is governed though a niyama(law) and
that niyama is called Karma. Therefore, after knowing this, when we stop
lying to impress the others, then we will find such strength in life from
inside. Then there are people who say – “I always speak the truth” but they
are so stiff. There is no need to be harsh along with being truthful. If you
ask all the people who are angry, they say – “I am speaking the truth”. They
tie the knot of anger with truth and it destroys everything. It’s not
required. Similarly, people combine sweetness with manipulation. There is a
saying in Sanskrit that you all must remember ‘Ati Vinayam,dhurth
lakshanam’(somebody who is very sweet is cunning). Beware of people who are
extremely humble and say – ‘oh! I am nothing; I am like the dust of your
feet”. Extreme politeness is a sign of cunningness. There must be something
going on within their mind, some planning etc. even though on the outside
they appear to be extremely polite. These people are called sycophants. When
you come out of all these distortions, you become stronger and established
in knowledge. What is the sign of one who is established in knowledge? They
speak sweetly yet they are firm. They have both firmness and sweetness.
Speak the truth but there is no need to be rude. Don’t be rough and rude.
All those people who are harsh, they always feel that they are right because
they are speaking the truth. It’s alright that you are speaking the truth,
but what will you get by behaving in rude manner with everyone and making
them upset? Even if you speak truth with harshness, it will not be
acceptable to people. Why do you talk? So that you can make the other person
understand what is in your heart. But if you speak with this rudeness, the
other person will never accept what you are trying to say. And don’t speak
so sweetly that it is filled with lies. These are the opposite values and
are poles opposite to each other. It’s very easy to be on any one end but it
is an art to maintain the balance between them. This is a sanskar, this is
our sankriti (culture). Be in the middle. That is the right education. If
you receive right education, you will be like this - You will be both sweet
and firm. Then you become capable to achieve success in anything. After
hearing all this, now you have to remember one thing – Whatever is ours will
come to us. We just need to keep making effort from our end. That’s it.
Don’t think that you will get anything by manipulating or impressing other
people. It will never happen. You will keep on becoming weak yourself in
trying to impress others. Know that whatever you need, will come to you,
wherever you are right now. If we have such contentment, doesn’t it bring
strength from inside? A strong person is liked by everyone. Only God, Guru
and the knowledgeable ones like even those who are weak. For them everyone
is alike but the society loves the strong people. God loves everyone but
society loves the strong. But even if you are strong, you should feel weak
when standing in front of God! Standing in front of God and saying I’m
strong is of no use, in front of Him, you say “I’m nothing”. This is our
sanatan(eternal) tradition. Even a king bows down to the Guru. This rule has
been in place since the ancient times. That’s why Ram and Krishna bowed down
to their Gurus. This tradition has been followed in our country for
centuries.



Ques: My mother has recently passed away and I’m not able to get over it.
Please show the way

<https://www.facebook.com/hashtag/srisri?source=feed_text&story_id=101535632
13753555> ‪#‎SriSri: Listen, she has lived a full life and she has passed
away. She is gone now, you have given her a good farewell? What does a
mother want for a son or daughter? A happy life right? (Ques: She would ask
everyday if I have taken my medicine. Now who will do that?).. Why should
someone keep asking you everyday? You should remember.. Do you forget to put
on your shirt? Do you forget to brush your teeth? At least you will remember
that she used to ask you and take it. Don’t take any excuse to become sad or
ask for self-pity. You should never say, poor me. No. She has gone, she has
happily gone, she is happy somewhere and you be happy here. (Ques: But the
pain is burning) I know, that why there is knowledge. Are you reading Yoga
Vasishtha? Why this tradition is there from day one that someone dies, you
read Bhagavad Gita? You got peace reading Bhagavad Gita? Yes, some pain will
be there, it is natural. Do satsang, sit and meditate. Know that this body
of yours is not permanent, this will also go someday. That gives a big
opening to your mind which was just thinking in a small way. You have come
many times here, you will keep coming again.



Ques: Whenever there are disturbances in work or in the family, why are
there waves in the mind? Why can’t we be stable in all circumstances?
#SriSri: Well, the nature of the mind is like that. It creates waves, but
it’s the knowledge that makes you more knowledge.. Hold on to the knowledge,
its like the life jacket. That’s why good company, people around you also
support you saying, move forward, move on. And you can move through any
storms, they just come and they go. There is a part of you that none of
these emotions, storms can touch.



Ques: When I am here in front of you I feel fantastic but it goes away when
I go back. How to hold on to it?
#SriSri: Effect of anything stays for some time but then you have to
recharge it again and again. But a time will come when it stays all the time
with you, that feeling. Now if you have food, then you will be good for some
time. Afterwards you will feel hungry again. You never question, it was only
yesterday that I ate, again I’m hungry?! We take it for granted, we eat
everyday. The same is with knowledge, same is with energy also. That is why,
again and again, whenever you feel there is a need, you just sit and
meditate and listen to knowledge, immediately you get back.



Ques: What is the connection between yagna and karma?
#SriSri: Yes, yagna is also a karma. It is a good karma, doing which you can
get rid of many negative karmas.



Ques: My neighbour’s son drinks alcohol and creates trouble. What can I do
to better the situation?
#SriSri: Yes, alcoholism is a big problem. I too am thinking what can be
done about it. People drink and go from unhappiness to unhappiness. They
drink because they are unhappy and then they get unhappy because they drink!
It’s a vicious circle. To get them out of it get them to do Sadhana and
yoga.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, October 02, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Speaking truth is the foremost quality of a human being. In fact, truth must
dance on your tongue. To speak untruth and talk irresponsibly does not
behove a human being. If you indulge in useless and indiscriminate talk, how
can it be called truth? Before you speak something, you must enquire whether
it is truth or not. Speak only truth which emerges from the heart. The
entire world has emerged from truth and everything merges into truth. The
clouds moving in the sky sometimes obscure the Sun; once the clouds move
away, the resplendent Sun is fully visible. Similarly it is only when the
dark clouds of resolutions and confusions in our heart are cleared, truth
manifests. The five human values are not independent of each other. They
closely follow one another. These qualities are God’s gift to humanity. All
human beings must manifest these five human values by practicing them.
[Divine Discourse, Sep 29, 2006]


-BABA

Nurturing the human values, the qualities in you, is spirituality. It is
seeing life from a broader perspective, i.e., 'I am not just flesh and
bones, but I am scintillating energy. I am a fountain of love. I am
feelings. I am intelligence. I am thoughts'.
This identification with our consciousness is what spirituality is.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

in Satsang

Ques: Sometimes I feel that I am just getting carried away with life. Do I
really not have my own existence?
‪#‎SriSri: If you have realized this, it’s great, it means that you have
already awakened. You know that you were dreaming only when you wake up.
This is awakening. Now you will not drown, you know now how to swim.



Ques: In the Purnanas, lord Shiva grants boon to both demons and gods. Does
it mean that goodness and evil is same for God?
#SriSri: The rain drops fall on both stones and earth. It does not
discriminate. But, when it falls on the stone, it gets washed away whereas
it stays when it falls on earth. It gets stored inside the earth. This is
the way. The grace of God is same for everyone but the capable ones receive
it, whereas the incapable ones are not able to receive it.



Ques: What is the veil on the soul that is inside us?
#SriSri: The veil of ignorance. The veil of Narrow-mindedness.



Ques: Can you please explain the Ardha Narishwar form of lord Shiva(Shiva
that is half man and half woman)?
#SriSri: Every creature, be it animals or human beings, are made of the two
parts. Within each, there is equal part of both mother and father is
present. This is what is depicted by Ardha Naarishhwar. That we all are Aadi
Shiva & Aadi Shakti.



Ques: The tradition of the Vedas have talked about Six Darshan(Six views or
insights; six philosophies). Can we attain the god through Nyaya or Logic?
#SriSri: Yes absolutely. These Six Darshanas(views or insights) are full of
wonder. The first one is Naya Darshan(System, rule; logic) – Meaning the
knowledge that we are attaining, is it being attained with the right means.
If everything is appearing yellow to us, then it checks is it beacuse we
have jaundice or if we are wearing yellow glasses. In this way, The Nyaya
darshan is concerned with means of acquiring the knowledge. Like the sun
appears to be rising and setting, but in reality it is neither rising nor
setting. It only appears to be so. For example a crow comes and sits on the
tree branch and the fruit falls on the ground and we conclude that the fruit
fell because of the crow. The crows keep flying and sitting on the branch
all day, but the fruits do not keep on falling on the ground because of
them. It only appears that the crow has made the fruit fall off but in
reality it is different. The fruit was about to fall anyway, but the crow
came and the fruit fell off at the same time and we conclude that the fruit
fell because of the crow. This is called Kaag Taaliya (Nyaya) or the Logic
of the Crow. Similarly there are other types of Nyaya. These show the
pinnacle of amazing intelligence. You will be amazed when you read Nyaya
darshan. The ‘means’ through which we know, Is that correct or not –is nyaya
darsha. The second one is Vaisheshika (Distinctionism) – What is the
relationship between the dravyas(substance) and the Guna(quality). How many
substances are there and how many qualities are there. What is the relation
between the sugar and sweetness? What is the relation between the salt and
saltiness? If the substance does not have the quality, why will it be called
by that name? It’s called by a name because of its quality. Only because of
the saltiness you call it salt, only because of the sweetness you call it
sugar. If you take sweetness away from sugar, will you still call it sugar?
So this relation between substance and its quality are described in
Vaisheshika Darshan. It also says that it you know any one substance in its
completeness, you will become liberated. The Third one is Sankhya
Drashan(reckoning) – The relationship between Prakriti and Purusha. Alive
consciousness and inert Prakriti. The living creation and the inert part,
this is what has been described. It is 24 in elements. The fourth is Yoga
Darshan – The union of Purusha and Prakiriti. Watching that Consciousness is
different and the intellect is different. There is difference in body and
consciousness. Highlighting this difference is Sankhya and the union between
them is the Yoga Darshan. The fifth one is Mimamsa Darshan- The different
rituals, Yagnas and practices & the performance of Vedic rites is decribed
in Mimamsa Darshan. The sixth one is Vedana Drashan (End (or culmination) of
the Vedas) – This is quantum mechanics. Everything is one. All these 6
Darashans are unique within themselves.



Ques: The fertile forests are being cut and replaced by concrete jungles.
How will we take care of our food production like this?
#SriSri: You are right. Everyone within your house, or outside your house,
wherever possible, you should grow something. Grow some trees or vegetables.
It’s important that everybody takes interest in this.



Ques: There was a time when all the yoga asanas were easy for me. These days
I can’t even touch my knees with nose. Is it because of planetary influence?
#SriSri: It’s okay. The body has its own limitations and you will have to
accept it. What you can do at the age of 25 you can’t do at 60. The energy
of the body depletes and it has its own limits. Honoring that limit is
necessary.



Ques: Sahaj Samadhi is often called as meditation. What is the difference
between Samadhi and meditation?
#SriSri: Meditation is the process and Samadhi is the result. Meditation is
the doorstep or portico of a home and Samadhi is what’s inside the house.



Ques: If we have to fight our own, it’s very frustrating. Should we maintain
the balance of mind even when fighting our own?
#SriSri : It’s good to fight as if they are your own. If you feel they are
not yours, and then you fight them then there is hatred. But if you feel
that they belong to you, there is love. Fighting with ego is different and
fighting with belongingness as if you have a right over the is different.



Ques: What is the difference between a tradition and religion?
#SriSri: Tradition is limited to time and space and religion or dharma is
beyond time and space. Like there is a practice in Kerala that you cannot
wear shirts in the temple, you cannot wear anything on the top half of the
body. For that climate it is ok. But if you try to do the same thing in
Kedarnath or Badrinath, high up in the mountain, then you will catch a cold.
You can’t do this in Nepal. The same priests from Kerala wear coats and
pullovers and do the aarti. If you go to Pashupatinath, it is the same
priests but they are dressed fully, with closed neck coats and do the same
worship, but they wear socks. In Badrinath it is the same . See this is what
they did for national integration. As per tradition you take water from
Rameshwaram in the South and offer it in Kashi and take the water from Kashi
and offer it in Rameshwaram, only then do you get the fruit of your
pilgrimage. This is how they united North and South. The priests from Kerala
will perform their priestly duties in Badrinath, up in the North. Every year
they go from Kerala and it is the Namboodaris who do the puja there.
Similarly, priests from North India are used in South India. There is one
temple where priests come from North India. And Karnataka was united with
Nepal, by bringing priests from Karnataka to Pashupatinath. And like that
some priests from Nepal, I am told are in Varanasi and some other places. So
this tradition was made to unite the whole country. Even now there is so
much dispute over every language and region and thousands of years ago, this
work was done. It must have been even more difficult at that time. No
translation in those days, no telephone, no transport. Even then they took
priests from here and put them there. The priests would go from here and
maintain the traditions in both places. So uniting the country in one
tradition, one string is very important. Today’s politicians are not able to
do what the great souls of that time did.



Ques: Did Shankaracharya give every Peeth (seat of knowledge) a different
way of Sadhana?
#SriSri: Yes, he distributed the Four Vedas among the four Peeths. Rig Veda
in one place, Sama Veda in one, Yajur Veda in one, in this way each of the
four Vedas were housed in the each Peeth. All four Vedas were there in each
of the Peeth but one out of them was given prominence in each peeth. Because
the knowledge is vast and so it is beyond the capacity of one person. It
takes 12-13 years to read a single branch of the Vedas, so in those days it
who knows how long it would take.



Ques: I want to do Seva like Hanuman. My devotion is like Him but not my
abilities. What do I do?
#SriSri: Whatever your capacity is, is your Seva. Do that much. Hanuman
lifted the Sanjeevani mountain. Now it is not required! There are no such
wars happening, there doesn’t seem to be any Ravana in sight who picked up
Sita and went. So that is why, as per this era, the strength that has been
given to you is enough. If your feeling is that of Hanuman that is best. If
you have the same feeling as Hanuman that is enough. The strength will
automatically come. Even Hanuman was not aware of the strength that He had.
At the appropriate time, resources become available. If your intention, your
goal is right then that is enough. The strength, resources and support will
automatically come forth. Whenever you have to do some great task, you feel
that how you will complete it. Whatever is needed to complete the task comes
forward automatically.



Ques: What is the connection between mind and aura
#SriSri: Aura is just the reflection of the mind. That is it.



Ques: How do I channelize my intensity in a positive direction?
#SriSri: You have the intention to channelize it in a positive direction,
then know that it is already happening. Just keep away from bad habits. You
have to keep reminding yourself of that. When we sit and just gossip, then
time just goes by without us realizing it. At that time your tongue is not
in your control, you just anything. And then you have to suffer the
consequences. Even if you say something in good humour, it can cause big
problems for you going ahead. So you have to exercise a little control.
Practicing silence from time to time is a good idea.



Ques: How to get over lethargy?
#SriSri: Do you really want an answer to this question? What if I give you
some idea and you are lethargic to even use it. Your lethargy is lack of
energy. So take good rest and watch your diet. If your sugar level is
normal, find out. Your D3, Vitamin B12 is not in balance, then also lethargy
can happen in the body. Mental lethargy is an indication of the lack of
prana. Do Bhastrika, lot of pranayama. One more thing with lethargy, when
there is danger, lethargy vanishes, when there is love lethargy vanishes or
when there is greed, lethargy vanishes. So love, fear and greed are three
solutions to get out of lethargy. So you feel so lethargic and someone says
hey you are getting 10 lakh rupees if you walk one kilometer right this
moment, do you think you will feel lethargic? You will get out of your bed
and run. Or someone whom you love a lot is waiting for you at a certain
place, will you say ‘Oh, I feel lethargic’? No you will wake up and run to
meet them. Right? And if there is fire, danger, even in a sleep os state you
will run! Sense of emergency can lift you out of lethargy.



Ques: I can’t handle people’s arrogance. What wrong have I done that I am a
victim to their arrogance? Is there something lacking in me?
#SriSri: No, don’t be too hard on yourself. Just wake up.



Ques: Many a times I hear this ‘Who am I?’ , it is not leading me anywhere.
#SriSri: You are on the right track. If it had given you some answer then I
would have been worried!



Ques: How to get over obsession and lust?
#SriSri: Meditation, pranayama and Seva.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, October 05, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


One cannot escape from disquiet as long as the fundamental ignorance
persists; mere change of occupation, prompted by the desire for more comfort
or the need for satisfying some passing likes will not give lasting
satisfaction. It is like hoping to improve matters in a dark room by a mere
readjustment of furniture. Instead if a lamp is lit, passage across the room
is rendered easier even without readjusting furniture. There is no need to
interfere with the furniture at all. So too, in this world, it is difficult
to move about truthfully, correctly, and peacefully without knocking against
some obstacle or other. How then are you to succeed? Light the lamp of
spiritual wisdom (jnana)! Let it reveal the reality! That will solve all the
difficulties. You may claim that you live according to dharma, but have you
evaluated if your acts are done in a spirit of dedication to the Divine? If
so, they will authentically be stamped as ‘dharmic’. [Dharma Vahini, Ch. 3]


-BABA



When you can do any action with mindfulness, you are aware of what you are
saying or doing, this makes you a yogi.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said



in Satsang

Ques: How can we be a witness to all our thoughts?
‪#‎SriSri: It is to be a witness to our thoughts that we have pranayama and
meditation. Then we get to know that all these thoughts are coming. I am not
only these thoughts, I am bigger than this. This is what we need to
understand.



Ques: People who do not care about liberation, should they do pranayama and
meditation?
#SriSri: Yes, yes. Even if you need your health to improve, your intellect
to sharpen, if you want your mind to be happy, for all this you need
pranayama and meditation.



Ques: In these times what do we need to do to be loved by the Divine?
#SriSri: First know that you are already loved by the Divine. However you
are, the Divine loves you, that you be sure of. Once you are sure of that,
love will blossom inside you.



Ques: What are the changes in the education of science that you think should
be there?
#SriSri: Science is sometimes loaded with prejudice. People who are called
scientists, if they don’t have an open mind, then it is not science. If they
are not open minded then they are not scientists at all.



Ques: What is the significance of doing homa on birthdays?
#SriSri: This is the time to pray, asking for better health. All the prayers
in our culture is through homas and yagnas.



Ques: How does karma work?
#SriSri: It is very difficult to say which karmas give which type of result.
There is group karma, there is individual karma, family related karma, place
related karmas.



Ques: Are we not powerless given the law of karmas?
#SriSri: If you feel you are powerless, Divine is there for us. Just know
that and every thing will be nice.



Ques: After Upanayanam can ladies also perform the last rites of parents?
#SriSri: Ladies have all the rights, don’t worry about it. Girls have as
much rights as boys do. At some time in our country there was discrimination
against women and they were barred from doing certain things. But in the
ancient times this was not the case. It is written that Sita had performed
Shraddha for her father.



Ques from a Child: Why can’t we see God?
#SriSri: Because He is playing! When you grow up then you will see Him.



Ques: How to live life in the correct way with people who have ego and have
jealousy?
#SriSri: That’s good, thank them! Because they are like that they bring good
skills within you. Good people will not be able to bring as much skills in
you as wicked ones. Because you have to be careful, you have to use all your
skills. With good people you can just sleep.



Ques: One of my friends was asking if You are enlightened? It is difficult
to answer him and I become silent.
#SriSri: That is better! Once a journalist asked me the same question. You
know, it is easy to say no, so I said no. But he would not move from that.
He said, ‘You are not telling me the truth, tell me honestly”. I said, once
you say no, then you don’t need to prove anything! But your heart says, no
this is not the right answer. Then you listen to your own heart.



Ques: Can we come on stage and take blessings from You?
#SriSri: You get blessing wherever you are.You get home delivery! For
blessings you don’t need to move an inch. Be still wherever you are.



Ques: If someone blames us wrongly then what do we do?
#SriSri: Educate and ignore. You make them understand and then let it go.
Whether they understand or not is up to them.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, October 06, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Egoism and greed are still rampant; hatred has not abated and envy eats into
the vitals of society. There is no dearth of scriptural books telling you
how to be free from grief. All sacred and holy books including Gita,
Bhagavata and Ramayana are available in all languages at a very low cost and
most books are sold in more than thousands of copies per day; but there is
nothing to indicate that they have been read and assimilated. The breath of
the mouth must give an inkling of the food partaken, is it not? But the
habits, the conduct, the character of the readers of these books have not
undergone any change for the better. Hence each of you must examine your own
mental make-up and evaluate whether you have used your discrimination and
worldly knowledge to clothe yourself in detachment (vairagya), so that you
do not suffer from attachment to things that will fade away. [Dharma Vahini,
Ch. 2]


-BABA



I don’t use the word dispassion much because it has been distorted so much.
I have seen so called dispassionate people who have no glow or happiness on
their face. Dispassion means absence of any kind of feverishness but a joy
is there. Adi Shankaracharya has beautifully said that there is no joy which
dispassion cannot give you. Dispassion means - You don’t run after joy but
you are joyful from within.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

What is wisdom ?

What really is wisdom? Why should we be wise? Nobody wants to be in
suffering. Nobody wants to be upset. That something which takes us away from
suffering, which gives us a vision, which makes life vibrant, and which
connects the individual you to the universal you that exists in the
universe, is wisdom.

Wisdom brings immense satisfaction that small gratification does not bring.
And it is available to everybody. It has nothing to do with education, I
tell you. You will find wise people even amongst the illiterates in the
villages. Perhaps even more. They know how to manage their homes, they know
how to keep harmony in their neighborhood, they know how to bring people
together, and how to bring celebration in life. Wisdom is that which brings
celebration in life, which brings a smile on your face. That which keeps you
healthy, and gives you the intuitive ability to see what is ahead of you in
life.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, October 07, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Some clever people might have this doubt and raise a question: “Can we kill
and injure in the name of the Lord, dedicating the act to Him?” Well, how
can a person get the attitude of dedicating all activities to the Lord
without at the same time being pure in thought, word, and deed? Love,
equanimity, rectitude, nonviolence —these are the attendant virtues of the
servant of the Lord. How can cruelty and callousness coexist with these
virtues? To have selflessness, the spirit of self-sacrifice, and the
spiritual eminence required for the dedicatory outlook, one must have first
won the four characteristics of truth, peace, love and nonviolence (sathya,
santhi, prema, ahimsa). Devoid of these four virtues no one can make any
deed a worthy offering at His Feet. [Dharma Vahini, Ch 3]


-BABA



Do it till you become it!



Virtues have to be practiced till they become your nature. Friendliness,
compassion and meditation should continue as practices till you realize that
they are your very nature.

The flaw in doing something as an act is that you look for a result. When it
is done as your nature, you are not attached to the result and you continue
doing it. An action that arises from your nature is neither tiring nor
frustrating. For example, daily routines like brushing one's teeth or
bathing are not even considered actions because they are so integrated into
one's life. You do all this without doership. When Seva is made part of your
nature, it happens without doership.

Q: When do you realize that compassion, meditation and Seva are your nature?

Sri Sri: When you cannot be without it.
Wise men continue the practices just to set an example, even though for
them, there is no need for any practices.


<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=350714881734477&set=a.2009832333743
10.46109.200979063374727&type=1>





What SRI SRI said



Blessings

You can sit anywhere and ask for blessings in your mind, and you will
receive blessing.

You may ask me how is that possible. Tell me, how does Kama Vasana (lust)
get aroused? Just by thinking such thoughts, isn't it?! Hormones are then
secreted in excess in the body.
How do you get angry? Just by thinking.
How does hatred come? By thinking about others whom you dislike. You think
about those who you don't like and your body begins to quiver.
How does fear come? By thinking.
So, if by thinking, lust can come, anger can come, fear can come, hatred can
come, then can blessing also not come just by thinking?
Are blessings so ineffective, or do you think that you have to work so hard
to get blessings? No! You don't need to do anything. Just by thinking you
get blessings.

This is how it happens.
So, whenever you feel grateful just think that blessings have certainly come
along with it.





<http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=236513766487923&set=a.20098323337431
0.46109.200979063374727&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf> You can sit anywhere
and ask for blessings in your mind, and you will receive blessing.

You may ask me how is that possible. Tell me, how does Kama Vasana (lust)
get aroused? Just by thinking such thoughts, isn't it?! Hormones are then
secreted in excess in the body.
How do you get angry? Just by thinking.
How does hatred come? By thinking about others whom you dislike. You think
about those who you don't like and your body begins to quiver.
How does fear come? By thinking.
So, if by thinking, lust can come, anger can come, fear can come, hatred can
come, then can blessing also not come just by thinking?
Are blessings so ineffective, or do you think that you have to work so hard
to get blessings? No! You don't need to do anything. Just by thinking you
get blessings.
This is how it happens.
So, whenever you feel grateful just think that blessings have certainly come
along with it.

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, October 08, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Joy is your birthright; peace is your innermost nature. The Lord is your
staff and support. Do not discard it; do not be led away from the path of
faith by stories invented by malice and circulated by spite. Take up the
name of God; it could be any one of His innumerable ones that appeals to you
the most, and also chose the form appropriate to that name, and then start
repeating it from now on - that is the royal road to ensure Joy and Peace.
That will train you in the feeling of brotherhood and remove enmity towards
fellowmen. When you sow seeds in the field, they can be eaten away by ants
or washed off by rains or picked on by birds or destroyed by pests, still
some seeds stave off all these and grow as strong and sturdy seedlings.
Similarly, you must do everything to uphold the privilege of this birth and
strive to return to the Lord. (Divine Discourse, 23-Nov-1960)


-BABA



Many souls compete to get a body and only one can win. It’s like a running
race. Like millions of people compete and only one wins, in the same way
there is a rush and only one gets a body. That’s why it is said that the
human birth and life are very precious. Don’t waste it on insignificant
things. We eat to live and not live to eat. Many people start living just to
eat. There are many possibilities – what soul can come and what not? The
possibilities are infinite. Nobody knows.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Generosity Is Your Nature

What parents do, is they give their children some money and they say, ‘This
is your money, you keep it with you. Don’t give it to anybody.’

When children go to school with their lunch boxes, we tell them, ‘See, this
is your food, you only eat it and don’t give it away to your friends.’
By saying such things we are killing the generosity that is in the child. We
are killing the generosity which is the nature of children.

[Pat Gounden]

Dear Ones

Daily messages will be temporally unavailable from 12 to 30 October 2015.
There may be intermittent messages during this period, whenever possible.

Blessings for a wonderful Navarathri of new beginnings.

- Pat




Date: Friday, October 09, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


People everywhere are degrading themselves from their status as children of
eternity (amrita-putra) to that of children of futility (anrita-putra)!
Holding nectar in their grasp, they are drinking the poison of sensual
pleasure. Neglecting the joy of contemplation of the fundamental divine
reality of the universe, they are entangling themselves in the external
trappings of this objective world of appearances. This immortal dharma
(amrita-dharma) is described in the Upanishads, and since the Gita is the
kernel of the Upanishads, the same is emphasized in the Gita too. The Gita
teaches Arjuna to develop certain qualities that help the practice of the
Atma Dharma (the righteousness that springs from the True Self). These are
delineated in verses 13 to 20 of Chapter 12. The dharmic (righteous) way of
life is like the very breath; it is the road to self-realization. Those who
walk along it are dear to the Lord. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 3)


-BABA



We need to spread the knowledge of human values (dharma). The lesson of
‘dharma’ is humanity; compassion and commitment to responsibilities: all
these must be instilled in us, and allowed to blossom.

These qualities are there, present in everyone. Do not think, 'I do not have
these, I do not have honesty.' Honesty is there inside you. Just that an
effort should be made to bring this to light. Honesty is hidden somewhere.
It has been overshadowed by dishonesty.

That is why if all of us together take the pledge that neither will we take
bribes nor accept bribes. All those sitting here, who accept bribes; I
request them to give it up for just one year. And for my sake, don’t accept
it for one year. Make this sacrifice for the nation. We will see after that.
If all those who take bribe, take this pledge that I won’t accept it for one
year, and those who give bribes pledge that they will never give again, the
work will be done. This is necessary!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Sharing and Caring!



There are two tendencies that are within us, one of taking and the other of
giving.
What is worth noting is which value system we are imbibing in our children.
If they are hesitant to take or ask, then that is a sign of good values. But
if they are hesitant to give then there is something wrong there.

It is a good sign when people feel hesitation to put their hand out to take.
But if people hesitate to extend their hands out to help then we need to
change the direction of society.

We have got to imbibe the value of giving and sharing in children; happiness
in giving and sharing. And they should feel hesitation to put their hands
out and ask.
There are people who have enough yet they keep asking for more. This is very
strange.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, November 03, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Today people are wasting a big portion of their precious lives by indulging
in flimsy gossip and watching scenes of violence and cruelty. Many are
unaware that time sanctified by service offers high rewards to themselves as
well as to those they serve. All acts of service are not equally sanctifying
or uniform in the benefits they confer. When service is undertaken by
power-hungry people, or under compulsion or by imitative urges, it results
in more harm than good. A sincere aspirant undertaking service must avoid
egotism (ahamkara), exhibitionism (adambara) and favouritism (abhimana).
Before embarking on a service project, introspect and examine whether your
heart is full of selfless love, humility and compassion, whether your head
is full of intelligent understanding and knowledge of the problem and its
solution, whether your hands are eager to offer the healing touch, and
whether you can gladly spare and share time, energy and skill to help those
in dire need. (Divine Discourse 21 Nov 1986)


-BABA



You know, we should have a goal in life. My goal is to bring happiness to
more and more people. If we sit and keep thinking of ourselves all the time,
we’ll be depressed. We should see, ‘How can I be of service? How can I be of
use to others?’ This thought is very useful. Very, very, very useful. Ya?
So, ‘Art of Living’ provides a platform for everyone to come together and do
some service. You know, when United Nations announced, ‘Stand up and take
action’ - they wanted tree planting; ‘Art of Living’ volunteers have planted
55 million trees around the globe.
We all can jointly do some service activity. Reduce violence, reduce stress,
create a sense of belongingness, and spread the positive vibration of love
and peace. Shall we all do this together? Is everyone committed to do this?
(A resonating yes from the audience.)

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

A Way To Increase Your Magnanimity

Wed, 05/20/2015 Bangalore, India



(Below is a continuation of post
<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/changing-the-other> Changing The Other)



Questions & Answers



How does one know if something is coming from one’s head or heart?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The heart is stronger than the head. Anything that
comes from the heart comes with passion; anything that comes from the head
comes with ambition. Sometimes, both together, can bring up your feelings,
emotions and thoughts.

Do business with your head, and live life with your heart, both are needed.
Don’t relate with your spouse, girlfriend, boyfriend or friends only with
the head. At the same time, there is no point in being too emotional, too
wiggly-wiggly.

Don’t keep on questioning the past, asking people, ‘Why did you do this in
the past?’ When you love somebody, never question their love for you! ‘Do
you really love me?’ Never ask this! Just imagine, if someone is asking you
every day, ‘Do you really love me?’ You will say, ‘My God! How am I going to
prove to this lady or this boy that I really love them?’
Don’t put the burden of proof of love on anybody’s head. This is the way you
destroy love. When you demand love, you destroy love. Instead, you should be
more grateful. If you find someone loves you less, you should ask him, ‘Why
do you love me so much?’

You should always feel that you are not worthy of the love that you receive;
think that the love you receive is much more than what you deserve. If you
come from this space of humility, then you will behave with magnanimity and
dignity in all your dealings. You won’t chew on the past, you will live in
the present moment, you will honor other people’s opinions, you will
understand other’s predicaments; that magnanimity will come from within. If
you keep this in mind (that I don’t deserve this love), you will not demand
love. And when you don’t demand love in your life, it keeps on increasing.

When you demand love, you destroy love. Even if someone has a lot of love
for you, they feel fed up. Just imagine if someone is complaining to you
every day, questioning you, policing you all the time, doubting your
intention; how many of you will feel suffocated? (Many in the audience raise
their hands).
It is totally suffocating. The suffocation will show up in your behavior,
and your relationships will get strained and suffer.

In all relationships, whether it is your parents, children, siblings,
spouse, friends, families, neighbors; what is most important is your
understanding of your emotions, your mind, your ability to be stable, and
your own ability to see things from a broader perspective. And that is
spirituality.

Spirituality is that which gives you a broader perspective in life; it gives
you strength and stability; it gives you a vision and a mission in life.

If you don’t have a vision or a mission in your life, then you feel like a
person roaming around without a goal, you have nowhere to go; you simply
keep on going around in circles, and then you feel depressed. This is what
is happening in today’s society.

Any achievement does not bring about happiness in people’s lives. Even
though you have achieved material comforts, family, friends, in spite of all
that, there is an emptiness that haunts you. And this haunting emptiness is
so painful. To fill that emptiness, people take all sorts of addiction.
Okay, you intoxicate yourself, you forget about this world for a few
moments, but when you wake up, you are back to square one, the same place or
even worse. This is because the intoxication drains you of your energy, and
you then have low prana. And with low prana, what comes to mind is the
feeling of life being meaningless, you feel, ‘Let me end it here’.

We need to reverse this feeling by being in knowledge. Listen to Ashtavakra
Gita, do some Pranayama, Shakti Kriya, Sudarshan Kriya. Millions around the
world have found solace, how come you will not find it? You will definitely
find it!





My daughter has married a boy from another religion. My wife holds me
responsible for this, since it was my idea to send her for further studies.
How is this my fault, what position do I take and how do I get out of all
this?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Everyone has to get out of here, some day. Until one
leaves, keep smiling, keep good relations and give love to everyone. Make
everyone happy.

Tell your daughter not to leave her religion. She should continue to have
faith in her religion and also have respect for the other religion. Explain
to her that she should sit with her mother and respect her too.

Pujas, especially Durga puja have a lot of significance for Bengalis. Tell
her to come home especially for puja holidays. Lay that down as a condition
for her. Many times, when people get married into other religions, they are
told to drop their own religions and not celebrate their festivals or follow
their rituals; then there is a breakdown in the relationship between both
the families. Tell your daughter to celebrate their festival too, and come
home for her own celebrations.

Daughters should be able to have their say. Daughters should not live like
slaves. In love, there is co-partnering, not slavery or bondage.





Dear Gurudev, yesterday you said that Shiva is formless, but we have heard
stories of Shiva and Parvati in their physical form.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is not their physical form, it is the subtle form.
In the subtle dimension there are many manifestations.
It is one energy; that energy becomes light and in light there are different
colors. Yet all these colors are only light and light simply means energy.

Understand it like this. There is electricity which is energy, and it is
unmanifest. You can’t see it, you can’t touch it, you can’t experience it;
nobody can. Yet, when it becomes light, you can experience it.
In the same way, it is one parabrahma (divinity), manifested as Shiva and
Shakti, and then there is dialogue. These are all subtle phenomena. Simply
remember this: all in one and one in all.





Dear Gurudev, is astrology always true?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Astrology is a road map only. What you are sitting
here for, meditation and spirituality, is one step higher than astrology.
Spirituality has the power to bestow and grant wishes. Astrology only
predicts what might happen, not what will happen.

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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Date: Wednesday, November 04, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Among the qualities that make up a flawless character, love, patience,
forbearance, steadfastness, and charity are the highest and noblest. The
hundred little deeds that we indulge in every day harden into habits; these
habits shape the intelligence and mould our outlook and life. One’s present
is but the result of one’s past and the habits formed during that long
period. But whatever be the nature of the character that one has inherited,
it can certainly be modified. Nobody’s wickedness is incorrigible. Wasn’t
robber Angulimala, turned into a kindhearted person by Lord Buddha? Didn’t
thief Rathnakara become Sage Valmiki? By conscious effort, habits can be
changed and character refined. People always have within them, the capacity
to challenge their evil propensities and to change their habits. By selfless
service, renunciation, devotion and prayer, old habits that bind people to
earth can be discarded and new habits that will take them along the divine
path be instilled. (Prema Vahini, Ch 2)


-BABA



There are only two reasons why you don’t follow knowledge or wisdom:

First: Bad habits. Old habits don’t leave you so fast.

Second: Your temptation of doing wrong gives some pleasure. For example, you
know that eating too much of ice cream would increase your sugar level as
your doctor has warned you, but your temptation says, 'No, I should eat
that. Just one more day let me eat it.' You do it because it gives you
pleasure.

It is ok, you can violate the laws as long as you are ready to take the
consequences. Eating after 8 pm is not good, you know? But if you still do,
then keep awake in the night, keep burping and keep suffering with
indigestion! If it is ok with you, then do it.

So, only these two things stop you from following the knowledge.

Like, you know that smoking is bad for health but you still smoke. Smoking
is not giving you any great pleasure but to drop it has become so difficult
because it has got ingrained as a bad habit in you.

Now, habits can be overcome only through three things:
One is out of greed. Say, someone tells you that you will get one million
dollars if you don’t smoke for one whole month then you will say, 'Why one
month, I will not smoke for 35 days. Five extra days to make sure the
counting is right.' Greed can stop you from habits that you don’t like.

The other is fear. If someone says you will get these different types of
cancer if you smoke, then you won’t touch it.

Third is the promise to a loved one. If you made a promise to a loved one
then also you won’t do it. The love for them will will stop you from
smoking.

So, I prefer the last one to the other two.

Or, in the end you will realize by yourself, 'Oh! It is painful. It is
misery that I am buying by continuing with this habit.' So, one day when you
realize this, then it will drop the habit itself.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

A Voice Without Words

Thu, 10/29/2015 Bangalore, India

(A a group of singers from Tamil Nadu joined the satsang, and recited
ancient poems in Tamil written by a renowned saint Manikkavachakar.)





The group that has come here today from Tamil Nadu belongs to one of the 63
saints of Tamil Nadu. There were 63 Shaiva saints (saints who worship Shiva)
in Tamil Nadu. The 3rd one is called Manikkavachakar. It means that his
words are like pearl of wisdom. They are like diamonds and rubies. Whenever
he would talk or speak something, it would be so clear that it would be like
diamonds and rubies.

In this song, he has done a beautiful analysis of life. He says that how god
is playing is like a girl playing skipping rope. When you are playing with a
skipping rope, you jump so that you do not step on the rope. So the same
skill with which you jump when you are skipping, is what you need to use to
face all different issues in life. Skip them all to reach to the divine.

He also says that Lord Shiva opened his third eye and burned three cities.
What are these three cities?
1, Karma or the past impressions
2. Ego
3. Delusion
These are the three cities in which a human being gets trapped and goes
round and round in it. To get out of it, to find freedom, to attain
liberation, you need God’s grace. That’s why he says, play with each event
like how you play with a skipping rope. The problems are like the rope, but
you need to be alert enough to jump over it. .And when you jump over the
problems in life then you find the grace, and you realize that it has always
been with you. This is what the song means.

There is another meaning to this poem. The three cities are the waking,
dreaming and sleeping states. When grace dawns, when the divine comes into
your life, then you reach the fourth state of consciousness, which is Shiva
itself. That is "Turiya" state or the meditative state. And that is what you
are doing when you are meditating. You are neither awake, nor sleeping, nor
dreaming because you go beyond the three states.

Manikkavachakar has written this poem 2,000 years old. There is a small
group of people that are preserving these ancient versus from the saints. I
asked them to come here. We can sit and talk about these poems for hours and
hours and forget about everything else. So In India, every corner, there are
many devotees. So many saints have sung beautiful poems.

We have Jnanappana (a devotional poem written as a devotional prayer) by
Poonthanam (a famous devotee of Guruvayurappan who lived in Kerela). Then
here in Karnataka we have Vachanaas of Basavanna (a 12th century Indian
philosopher who wrote devotional poetry popularly known as Vacahanaas). Then
we have the Vachanaas of Allama Prabhu (a 12th-century mystic-saint and
Vachaana* poet). Then we have Akka Mahadevi who was a lady saint who wrote
beautiful versus (her two short writings called Mantrogopya and the
Yogangatrividhiare considered her most notable contributions to Kannada
literature). In Maharashtra we have Sant Dnyaneshwar ( a 13th-century
Marathi saint, poet, philosopher and yogi of the Nath tradition whose
commentary on the Bhagavad Gita (Dnyaneshvari) and Amrutanubhav are
considered to be milestones in Marathi literature.)
Almost every province of India has great spiritual awakening. There were
saints in many provinces and they wrote so many poems and such versus. So
India is a land of saints, philosophy and knowledge.

* Vachaana sahitya is a form of rhythmic writing in Kannada. The word
vachaanas literally means "(that which is) said".



(Left top: Sant Poonthanam. Left below: Sant Akka Mahadevi. Center: Sant
Dnyaneshwar. Right top: Sant Allama Prabhu. Right below: Sant Basavanna)



Questions & Answers

We were studying about the Vaisheshika Darshana (one of the six orthodox
schools of Hinduism from ancient India). Could you speak on how the ancient
saints knew so much scientific knowledge without any instruments like a
microscope?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I think it is mind boggling.
This morning I was reading a book by a scientist who has written about the
physics in the Vaisheshika Darshan. I just read a couple of sutras and
thought, this is mind boggling.
The Rishis in the ancient days (which is some 10,000 years ago) have
described the atom. They have described that how if one atom is destroyed,
it destroys many other atoms. They have explained the connection and
movement of atoms, and how the knowledge of one atom alone is so liberating.
This only indicates that there is another way to know things, which is not
through the senses. There is what is called the sixth sense. Using the sixth
sense, you can know many things about the past and the future.

In The Art of Living, we have developed a program for the kids to open up
their sixth sense. Adults can also do this course, but for them it will take
a longer time. For children, it only take a few hours or weeks to develop
this. They will be able to read with their eyes closed. You know, some
children even told me what I am going to say at satsang the following
evening. So their ability to access the sixth sense is developing very fast.
I’m sure this is what the ancient Rishi’s had; very strong intuitive
abilities.

If you go to the Thanjavur temple which is in Tamil Nadu which was built
1000 years ago, you can see they have carved a picture of a British man with
hat and a gun. A thousand years ago there were no British people in India,
and there were no guns, but they had foreseen that the British would come
and rule over this place. And so they made a carving of a British soldier
with a hat and a gun. So, this is possible because of their intuitive
ability or the sixth sense which all of us have used at some point of time.
It has to be methodically accessed through Meditation.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, November 05, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Today, we are confronted everywhere by statistics parading quantities and
reports in glowing terms. Do not bother about adding to the number or
achieving a target. I value quality, not quantity. Genuine and intensive
devoted service offered in a few spots or villages is more fruitful than
superficial service offered to a large number. Convince yourselves that life
cannot continue long without others serving you and you serving others.
Every relationship - be it master-servant, ruler-ruled, guru-disciple,
employer-employee, or parents-children and so on - is bound by mutual
service. Everyone is a sevak (servitor). The farmer and labourer whom you
serve, produce by their toil your food and clothing as their service to you.
Remember that the body, with its senses-mind-brain complex has been awarded
to you to be used for helping the helpless. Seva is the highest of paths of
Devotion which wins the Grace of God. Service promotes mental purity,
diminishes egoism and enables one to experience, through empathetic
understanding, the unity of mankind. (Divine Discourse, 21-Nov-1986)


-BABA



Happiness is in making others happy, and in serving others. When you do seva
the divine streams through you. Seva opens you up.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day

What Sri Sri said today



The Divine Armor

Tue, 10/20/2015 Bangalore, India



Move on in life with the confidence that you will be given everything in
abundance, and that you are being protected by the Divine. There is a divine
armor around you that is protecting you; you have nothing to worry about.
Know this and keep walking ahead in life with satisfaction, confidence, joy,
patience, fullness and faith.

Tomorrow is Rishi Homa. It is the day when we honor the tradition of Masters
from time immemorial. Tomorrow is also Ayudha Pooja. All the instruments and
all technology is a part of the Divinity, so tomorrow, we will honor all the
instruments and recognize them as gifts from the Divine.
See, in spirituality, life is taken holistically. It is not that
spirituality is one corner of life, it is the skill to see the wholeness of
life. Everything is part of spirituality - food, music, dance, knowledge,
instruments, technology; everything. And spirituality is attending to this
wholeness of life. So Ayudha Pooja is when all the instruments are
recognized and honored as Divine gifts. All the computers, cell phones,
tools, technologies, screwdrivers, hammers; every possible instrument is
honored as a part of the Divine.

Today, in the Chandi Homam, young children, boys and girls, elderly couples,
ladies, horses, elephants, everything were honored as a part of the Divine.
Every little bit of the universe is pervaded by the Mother Divine energy,
and so we recognize and honor Her presence in all life forms.
When you close your eyes, the space and the light is all Mother Divine
(Shakti). When you open your eyes, all the forms that you see, with all its
perfections and imperfections, everything is a form of Shakti (also called
Kundalini Shakti, Chitta Shakti, Para Shakti). So whether it is desires or
knowledge, everything is part of the same Shakti.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, November 09, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The human being is a composite of man, beast and God, and in the inevitable
struggle among the three for ascendency, you must ensure that God wins,
suppressing the merely human and the lowly beast. Man must know the Universe
as basically Brahman or Divine. You and the Universe are one; all are
subsumed in the same unique entity. The cosmic vision can be acquired either
by watching the Universe or one's own inner Cosmos. One has only to discover
oneself. In the citadel of the body, there is the lotus temple of the heart,
with subtle akasha (space) within. In it are contained heaven and earth,
fire and air, sun and moon, stars and planets - all that is in the visible
world and all that sustains it, and all into which it submerges. Instead of
rotating round the earth in the higher realms of space and planning to land
on the moon or Mars, if only one plans and prepares to travel into one’s own
inner realm, what sublime joy and peace can be attained! (Divine Discourse,
24-Oct-1965)


-BABA



Everything belongs to One, is part of One. One has taken these infinite
forms. Even in the zero and the hundred, there is everything. Even a stone
will have jadta (low prana) and chaitanya (consciousness). Jad and
chaitanya, both, are merged in Brahma (creation). They are one part of the
Brahman. Lord Krishna says in the Bhagwad Geeta, “This maya is also from Me,
the whole world is in Me, yet I am in none.” The philosophy in the Bhagwad
Geeta may seem confusing. Without a true experience, the philosophy will
seem like just principles. Go deep within yourself for the true experience
of the Self.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day

What SRI SRI said



A Devotee Can Never Fail

Sat, 10/31/2015 Bangalore, India

http://cdn.artofliving.org/sites/www.artofliving.org/files/wysiwyg_imageuplo
ad/failure4.jpg

Questions & Answers

When we fail, who is the doer? When I’m successful, I say it’s God’s grace
or that Gurudev did it but when I fail, then God does not seem to be around
me to take the responsibility!



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Look back and reflect on the many times you have
failed. Don't you now feel that those failures were good for you. How many
of you feel this way? (Many in the audience raise their hands)
When you look back at your failures, you will see that you have learnt
something from them, and they have been stepping stones for you to move
ahead.
I tell you, when you are on the path, when your heart is clean and when you
are meditating, there is no way that you will fail, or go down. It will
appear as though you are failing but that little failure is only to get you
towards higher success. This is for sure.

In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna promised the world that 'My devotee will never
perish'. It is impossible for a devotee to perish!
A devotee is the one who has a pure heart. If you are cunning which is why
you got failure, then you have to bear the cost. But if you are doing good
things and failing, never bother about it. You are only going to go up.





You have mentioned earlier that Jesus lived in Mylapore which is in Chennai.
Would you please talk more about that?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Jesus lived in Mylapore, that is where he learnt the
Vedanta. When he went back Saint Thomas would always doubt him. Jesus told
him, “If you don’t believe me, you go see for yourself”. And that’s when
Thomas came to India. He landed in Kerala and came to Mylapore and spent his
last days there. And that’s why to this day you can see St. Thomas Mount,
where Thomas sat and meditated and learnt all about the Vedanta, yoga and
meditation.
His grave is still there. Of course, Vatican may not recognize it publicly
but they do realize that St. Thomas was here, and the lineage of St. Thomas
still wear red dresses and the rudraksha like Sanyasis. There are many
evidences but if you go deep in meditation you can yourself see things from
the past. For that you have to meditate for a long time.





My understanding, based on what I have learnt is that, everything is Brahman
and there is nothing outside Brahman. How does it happen that being part of
such an intelligent and omnipresent Brahman, we are living in ignorance? How
does this ignorance arise?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Ignorance is also the part of Brahman. Brahman is the
totality; the sum of all that is.





I sometimes wonder, is there anything without Maya. Everything I see, feel
or experience sounds like Maya in one form or the other. It makes me feel
that there is nothing worth running after in this world and yet I run after
you! Please help me differentiate between Maya and no Maya.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just follow your heart! Maya means that which can be
measured. The word ‘measure’comes from the word Maya. All that can be
measured on this planet is Maya.

What you see can be measured. If you go to a doctor for an eye check-up, he
will say that your eyesight is 0.5 or something like that. So vision can be
measured. Similarly, sound can be measured, taste can be measured, touch can
be measured, as the world is made up of the five elements – which are
measurable.

What cannot be measured is your compassion. You cannot say that I have 10
liters of compassion, or 2 degrees of compassion, or 5 degrees of love! Love
cannot be measured, truth cannot be measured, compassion cannot be measured,
and bliss cannot be measured. So these are a part of the Brahman. They are
part of consciousness; the nature of consciousness and they are beyond
measurement, and so they are beyond Maya.

It is natural for consciousness to move towards higher state of
consciousness. It is like the small mind moving towards the bigger mind.
Just like a baby runs towards the mother, like that the small consciousness
or the small mind runs towards the big consciousness or the big mind.





How do I overcome the fear of failure which sometimes prevents me from
taking initiative?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just play with the kids, and be ready to lose the game
with the kids. That is a very good exercise. Do you want to win all the time
when you play with kids? You are playing a game with children, being older,
do you always want to win? Your joy lies in making them win. So, you fail
but you are still enjoying the game.
In the same way, some failures come in life, so what? Never mind because
there is something deep within you that can never fail.





What is the role and purpose of art and an artist? What is the relationship
between spirituality and artistic expression?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Life is art. Art is appreciating what ‘is’. If there
is a heap of flower, you would just see it as a heap of flower. But if you
appreciate it and put it in a certain pattern, then you call it an art.
Art is conveying something to you. Art is something that uplifts your heart,
uplifts your feelings and intrigues your mind

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, November 10, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


From this day onwards, you must win over everyone through love and
compassion. Nara (man) falls into Naraka (hell), through over-indulgence.
Senses generally run wild and like raging floods, spell destruction. The
festival of Deepavali is to express gratitude at the defeat of the demonic
(Naraka) tendencies in humans, which drag them down from Divinity. Naraka is
the name for hell, and the demon whose death at the hands of Krishna is
celebrated today is called Narakasura, the personification of all the traits
of character that obstruct the upward impulses of every person. The home
(griha) where the Name of the Lord is not heard is a cave (guha), and
nothing more. As you enter it or leave it, and while you are in it, perfume
it, illumine it, and purify it with the Lord’s name. Light it as a lamp at
dusk and welcome it at dawn as you welcome the Sun. That is the genuine
Deepavali, the Festival of Lights. (Divine Discourse, 24-10-1965)


-BABA



For the one who is not in knowledge, Diwali comes only once a year, but for
the wise, Diwali is every moment and every day. This Diwali, celebrate with
knowledge and take asankalpa (vow) to serve humanity. Light the lamp of love
in your heart; the lamp of abundance in your home; the lamp of compassion to
serve others; the lamp of Knowledge to dispel the darkness of ignorance and
the lamp of gratitude for the abundance that the Divine has bestowed on us.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day

Sri Sri's Message on Diwali

Fri, 11/06/2015 Bangalore, India



Our life is like a lamp. Just like a lamp needs oxygen to keep burning, the
same is with our life. If you were to be locked up in a glass cage, then you
would be able to survive only as long as there is oxygen in the cage. In the
same way, if you cover a lamp with a glass, then the lamp will burn only as
long as there is oxygen. So there is definitely some similarity between a
lamp and our life. That similarity is fundamental to the celebration of
Diwali. It is to remind you that you too are a lamp.

Diwali celebration has been celebrated in our country since time immemorial.
Life is like a light, it has always been associated with light. Our soul is
also a light, it has always been associated with light. That is why whenever
someone dies, it is a custom to light a lamp near the head of the dead body.
Whenever a child is born in a house, the first thing people do is light a
lamp in the house. So the lamp has a very unique relationship with our life.

It is not sufficient to light just one lamp to bring light. All the lamps in
our society need to be lit (here meaning people need to shine with joy and
wisdom). Only then can our society make progress. That is why in Sanskrit we
chant, “Sangachhatwam”, which means let us all walk together, and may there
be light and happiness in everyone’s lives. This is the unique message of
Diwali. That is why on the festival of Diwali, we light not one but a 1000
lamps. Lighting one lamp alone does not suffice to dispel the darkness (here
meaning the darkness of ignorance and negativity). Many thousands of lamps
need to be lit to dispel the darkness. That is why in Diwali we light so
many lamps during the night and come together to celebrate. That is why it
is called as Deepawali.

There is a strong relationship of the festival of Diwali with our ancient
epics and scriptures such as Ramayana and Mahabharata. Many events in the
Mahabharata and the Puranas are related to the festival of Diwali. For
example, when Lord Rama returned to Ayodhya after completing 14 years of
exile, everyone in the city celebrated His return by lighting lamps
everywhere. There is a deeper meaning to this as well. It means that once
the light of knowledge dawns from within, then there is light everywhere in
the world around us. The whole world starts scintillating with the light of
knowledge. To convey the unique importance of spiritual knowledge in our
life, we celebrate Diwali.

Lord Buddha said, “Aappah Dipo Bhavah”. Lord Buddha says that one should not
think that one has really celebrated Diwali simply by lighting oil lamps in
the house. The real essence is that you too should shine with the radiance
of knowledge, so that you can illumine the path of many others in life. This
is what Lord Buddha has said. So everyone should meditate regularly.

In the Yoga Sutras, Rishi Patanjali has said, “Murdha jyotishi siddha
darshanam”(Vibhuti Pada, #32). It means that once you recognize the (Divine)
light within you, you will attain perfection, and many Siddhis
(extraordinary abilities) will be awakened. Your intellect will be refined
and illumined. This is what is said here.
So this Diwali, light the lamp of knowledge within you, be happy, content
and spread this happiness to many others around you. Drop all the problems
and negativity of the past and put it aside. Be in harmony with everyone
else, let there be sweetness and gentility in your behaviour towards
everyone.

During Diwali we burn firecrackers to bring our mind to the present. Have
you noticed, when your mind is disturbed with too many cravings and
aversions, you feel as if your head will burst, isn't it? That is why when
you burst crackers, the burst on the outside settles something inside, and
you feel light and more alive. Also, in the earlier days, there was no
electricity, and so children used to burn fireworks to have fun and feel
happy. Today we are living in the age of electricity, so you all do not need
to burn fireworks. You can light up so many places using electric lights
instead of using firecrackers. This will also prevent air pollution.
It is alright to burn a few crackers, but again you should not burn crackers
that are very loud and create too much smoke. So many birds and animals get
very disturbed because of the noise. They experience a sense of shock
because of these fireworks. You know, birds experience trauma because of
loud crackers. So, I would suggest you all to refrain from fireworks this
Diwali. If at all you cannot keep yourself from bursting firecrackers, then
you can light a few sparklers and celebrate. There is no need to burn loud
crackers which create so much sound and disturb everyone. Even the birds and
animals in the environment get so scared because of these disturbing
fireworks.
Also, it is not necessary to eat a lot of fried foods to celebrate Diwali.
Have food that is healthy and nutritious and serve the same to others as
well.

Remember the vastness and eternal nature of your life and feel a deep sense
of gratitude for all that you have received in life. Light lamps to spread
light everywhere and also remind yourself that you too are a beautiful lamp
and are here to spread the light of joy and knowledge. Everyone who comes to
you should experience the light of joy, no one should feel sad. This is what
you should pray for.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, November 11, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Naraka Chaturdasi (or Deepavali) is the festival that teaches you to
remember how character decides destiny, designs achievements and demarcates
one as divine or demonic! Laziness is a demon that possesses and debilitates
an individual. Its brother is conceit. Add anger to it and it will totally
debilitate anyone! Anger weakens your nerves and heats up your blood,
changing its composition. A simple burst of fury consumes the strength
gained in three months! The Lord chose to invade Narakasura’s kingdom
repeatedly, forcing him to explode into furious anger again and again! His
resistance was thus annihilated. Learn from the Lord’s strategy. On this
Deepavali day, people insist on wearing new clothes. Let your hearts too
rejoice, clothed in fresh ideals, feelings and resolutions. Relish the
sweets of virtues from today, and mould your lives into sweet songs of Love.
(Divine Discourse,26 Oct 1981)


-BABA



Just as when a cracker bursts, sparks fly and sparklers emerge, may our
minds also explode giving rise to bliss. The festival of Diwali is unique
in the world, do you know why? There is a psychological secret hidden in it.
All year long we interact with people, socialize with them, and some anger,
some frustration builds up and some attachment and aversion accumulates. And
we continue to live with these emotions. Sometimes people say, ‘Oh my head
almost exploded! There is so much anger and frustration inside that I was
ready to explode.’ How to eliminate this hidden attachment and aversion?
When we observe firecrackers exploding in front of our eyes, we become empty
within. This is the underlying psychology. Then we distribute sweets and
begin the New Year by lighting lamps to awaken the light of knowledge, so
this is important.

Okay, I would advise you not to light too many firecrackers. Burn as few as
is possible. So many birds and animals and even children get scared, and we
should not bring fear in any living being. Burn more sparklers and the
firecrackers that do not make noise, and very few of the noisy ones. I won’t
say not to light on Diwali, but light a few, okay!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day

What SRI SRI said



Feel Abundant This Dhantheras

Mon, 11/09/2015 Bangalore, India





"Happy Diwali to everyone! So today is Dhanteras, Diwali starts today.
Dhanteras is where you feel abundance, you feel everything is there. From
abundance, abundance grows. So everyone feel content and abundant. Walk with
the feeling that whatever we need is already with us. This is the message of
Dhanteras. Whatever we want will keeping happening, will keep coming to us.
Abundance."

"Whenever there is victory, it is due to some grace. Whether it is victory
in sports, in lottery, in studies, you win a competition or in politics,
that happens through grace alone. If a person forgets that and gets into ego
then their downfall takes place. So always remember that whenever, wherever
there is victory, it is through grace."

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, November 12, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Utilize your authority over this body to foster the welfare of the world.
This body is but an instrument, an implement given by God. Let it serve its
intended purpose. Until the realisation of the purpose for which the
implement is given, it is your duty to watch over it vigilantly and protect
it from injury and disablement. During winter, woollen clothes are worn to
withstand the rigour of the cold gales, but when the cold subsides, they are
discarded. So too when the cold gales of material life don't affect us in
the least, the material body will no longer become essential.
"Thou-art-That" - this is the highest and holiest spiritual maxim! You are
the indestructible Atmic principle (Divine Soul). It is to realise and
experience this Atmic principle, you have this body! In the process to
realise the Supreme Lord here and now, you must take good care of yourself.

- Prema Vahini, Ch 12.



The body will shine if the character is fine. Serving all and worshipping

God will preserve its charm. - Baba



The body is the instrument of carrying out one’s Dharma (one’s duties or
karma). It is said, ‘Sharira madhyam Dharma-khalu sadhanam’. It means that
if one has to carry out one’s duties or one’s karma, it can only be done
through the means of the physical body. Those who are Asariri – meaning
without the physical body - cannot do it.
That is the reason even the Demigods (Devtas) have to take a human form to
carry out their Dharma for attaining liberation.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Diwali Message

Remember the vastness and eternal nature of your life and feel a deep sense
of gratitude for all that you have received in life. Light lamps to spread
light everywhere and also remind yourself that you too are a beautiful lamp
and are here to spread the light of joy and knowledge. Everyone who comes to
you should experience the light of joy, no one should feel sad. This is what
you should pray for.

<https://www.facebook.com/AOLUniverse/photos/a.157877484236715.33042.1540335
51287775/1078493008841820/?type=3>



Q: Please share your message on Diwali

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Diwali is the festival of lights, the festival of joy,
prosperity, knowledge, wisdom and everything because light indicates many
things. And it is not enough if one lamp is lit, we need lots of lamps to be
lit for knowledge to blossom and for the darkness to go. So that is why on
Diwali lots of lamps are lit.
A physical lamp is just a symbol. The real lamp is you and you have to be
lit up, vibrant, smiling, joyful and full of energy because that is the real
festival. And this can only happen with knowledge, not just with comforts,
gadgets, money or friends. Real happiness comes with knowledge.
The world that we see is just a tip of the iceberg because there is so much
more, and pooja (prayers) and chanting is the ancient system to connect to
the other side. Now how do we do that? We just have to sit in deep
meditation and listen to the mantras; bathe in the mantras. In India it is
called 'Mantra Snanam', which is just sitting down and listening to the
mantras and bathing in the sound. The vibrations of these ancient chants
energizes our whole self or the soul. Though we may not understand
everything that is happening in the pooja, we just sit with eyes closed or
eyes open and enjoy all that is happening. That is what is called shradha,
which means falling in love with the unknown. We know that there is
something, but we don't know what that is. Once we fall in love with it then
we start knowing it. Then you feel, 'Wow, this is an energy'. Then you
realize that mother divine is not just a concept that has come from
somebody's mind, but it is a reality. It is a reality of the universe. The
subtle energy is so real.
So until this becomes so real and obvious, we start loving this unknown.
There are two steps:
1. Love the unknown, and once you do that
2. You start knowing the unknown
When you know it, you realize it is a part of you and not different or away
from you. This is the Veda and the Vedanta, i.e., knowing the divinity and
merging into it.
All of us sitting in pooja, meditating together and singing together is
called yagna. Now what does yagna do? It brings swasti (health and
centeredness), shradha (unshakable faith), meta (awakened intellect). Faith
and intellect are often considered to be opposing to one another, but in a
yagna both get sharpened. Faith gets deepened and reasoning becomes very
sharp.
Like this there are many benefits of yagna: yasha (good name), pragya
(heightened consciousness), vidya (education), buddhi (knowledge), balam
(strength), veeryam (valor), ayush (long life), aishwaryam (wealth), and
many many more.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, November 13, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The farmer ignores food and sleep, and focusses on ploughing, levelling,
scattering seeds, watering, weeding, guarding and fostering crops. He knows
that the harvest he brings home is critical for his family’s subsistence and
if he fritters away the precious season in idle pursuits, his family will be
confronted with hunger and ill-health. So he prioritises all his attention
on farming alone and defers all other pursuits. He bears all difficulties
and deprivations, and toils day and night, watches over the crops and
garners the grain. As a result, he happily spends the months ahead, in peace
and joy with his family. All students and spiritual seekers must learn this
lesson from the farmer. Youth is the prime season for mental culture. Use
these years intensively and intelligently for your progress irrespective of
difficulties and overcome every obstacle. Silence the clamour of your
senses, and control hunger and thirst; the urge to sleep and relax also be
curbed until spiritual harvest is obtained.(Divine Discourse, 26-Oct-1981)


-BABA



You may have to face disappointments one hundred times, but the 101th time
you will succeed, but for this you need to have patience and perseverance.
You should hold onto your vision and your ethics.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Why Crime?



Crime happens due to lack of understanding, wrong education, wrong
indoctrination, emotional outbursts as we don’t know how to control our
rage, anger and frustrations.
When uncontrolled emotions springs into action, it becomes a crime.
It is wisdom which checks these uncontrolled emotions; wisdom which makes
you think before you act.
Crime happens when you act first and think about it later.

Someone who is happy, content and in love will not harm anyone. It is
impossible. If someone harms another, it is because there is a deep wound or
scar inside of them which needs to be healed.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, November 16, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


You can light more than thousand candles from a single lamp. Remember only a
burning lamp or candle can be used to light other candles. An unlit candle
cannot light the other unlit candles. So too only the one who earned wisdom
can enlighten others who are in ignorance. One who is not illumined cannot
illumine others who are dwelling in the darkness of maya: So you must strive
to light your own lamp from the Universal Light of Love and from there
transmit illumination to all who seek and strive. All lamps shine alike,
since they are all sparks of that Param-jyothi, the Universal Luminosity,
which is God. Lamps are many but light is one. Every patch of water on earth
has the reflection of the sun in it but the original sun is one. Just as the
one sun is seen in a million pots, lakes or wells the one same Divine
(Paramjyothi) shines as wisdom in a million hearts. -Divine Discourse,
26-Oct-1981.


-BABA





You want enlightenment? You want to see God? Do service and just relax!



When you go to bed, go to bed feeling you are just a glow of light --
nothing else.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

How The Awareness Of Death Brings More Life

Tue, 07/14/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany



Time and life is such, it comes like a storm and swabs your mind. Let me put
it this way: the negativity comes like a storm and takes over your mind and
swabs you out. Hasn’t this happened to you? (Many in the audience raise
their hands). It does happen. Negativity just comes and takes over your
mind.

Just being aware that this is happening itself is a big step. It is like an
airplane having the facility to takeoff in spite of all the dark clouds. The
airplane pierces through the dark clouds and starts flying above clouds. Do
you see what I am saying? We need to put such a mechanism in our mind (of
being aware). When negative clouds come and takes over, you should be able
to soar high above them.



What helps you to soar above them is wisdom. And what is wisdom? It is
knowledge and experience, together. Wisdom is not just knowledge, it is not
just experience. It is both – knowledge and experience that this is all
temporary, everything and everybody is going to die.

You know, if people only remember that they are going to die, they won’t be
greedy, they won’t be jealous, they won’t be angry. Our problem is anger,
greed, jealousy, attachment, lust, etc., because we forget that we are going
to die! Or we have never put attention on the fact that we are going to die
and that all of this is temporary. Nothing is permanent here.

Now if you say, “I will never die”, and if you go to that philosophy, I will
tell you, “Okay, it is true that there is something in you that never dies,
but at least remember: this world is all temporary, and one day it will all
vanish like the dew drops on the grass. Jealousy, anger, greed, none of
these will exist!

How much money do you want to enjoy? Even if you get all that money, one day
you might have a sudden heart attack and you are gone! Then what will happen
to all the money you have stored underneath here and there; or in the banks
in Switzerland, Luxembourg or anywhere else? So many people have put money
like that and have died, and the banks don’t know who the money belongs to.
There are billions in the bank, I was told. They must have earned all that
money with so much heartache, pain, greed and jealousy, put it in the bank
and then died. And later, it belongs to nobody. Whole life wasted just for
some money!
I am not saying that you should empty your bank account tomorrow, but I want
you to just take your attention and awareness there (that life is
ephemeral). I am not saying you should go and jump off the cliff today and
die, no! I am telling you, we are all going to die one day, at least put
your attention on that. Then the knowledge of it puts you on right track. It
puts you at peace. It will take you out of all the negative clouds that you
get sucked into. This is one part, i.e., the knowledge.

The second part is experience. In the past also negative clouds have come to
you; even when you were a child. In childhood what happened? You had a toy
and another boy or girl came and they broke it, and that’s it, you became so
negative. Your parents made you come out of the toy shop before you could
get all the toys you wanted, and you got upset. Then you got upset with your
friends at school and college. You got upset when you didn’t get the right
grades. And you got into such a negative mood with your boyfriend or
girlfriend. My goodness! So many times this has happened in your life. Now
when you look back at your past experience, you see that it was all nothing.
When you see this, it helps you rise above the clouds of negativity. This is
life's experience.



Another way is remembering the experience of inner peace and tranquility
because recollection of that experience gives you again the same experience.
Many of you must have experienced this that when you are very upset,
suddenly you start doing short kriya. This is because the mind wants to go
back to that state of tranquility which you experience after kriya, So when
the mind is disturbed, it knows that rhythmic breathing will get you out of
negativity, and you do get back to that state of tranquility.

So, experience and knowledge, both can take you out of the cloud of
negativity.

When you are under the influence of a negative cloud, you will find
everybody is wrong. You will find mistakes in the best person. You will find
fault with everybody including yourself. First you will blame others, you
will say, “This person is wrong, that person is wrong”, because you don’t
see your fault. And if you see your fault, you will start blaming yourself
also. And then the next step is getting into depression. This is the
mechanics; this is the way it happens.
Now, you have to get over this with wisdom. Wisdom is knowledge and
experience. Knowledge is knowing that everything is temporary. Experience is
remembering that these situations come and go. When you realize this, the
smile comes back on your face. Then even if you get a little disturbed, you
will not mind it.

You are pure space my dear! Nothing can ever touch you!



What SRI SRI said

On Terrorism

The attacks in Paris are a shocking and horrifying for the whole world. This
is a direct assault not only on the European way of life but on values that
are common to all liberal societies. India has also suffered greatly due to
terrorism over many years – the 26/11 attacks in Mumbai were carried out in
very similar fashion as in Paris.

Today, we are seeing terrorism of two kinds in the world: one that arises
out of ideological reasons and one arising due to religious fanaticism. Many
times people who feel very passionately for a cause feel justified in
adopting violent means in its pursuit. These are not bad people but they end
up making such choices due to circumstances or incorrect understanding. They
are driven by a sense of righteousness, though misplaced and their
commitment to their cause is commendable. They are willing to resolve
differences through dialogue if approached in the right way. We have been
able to successfully bring back many extremists from a life of violence and
rehabilitate them in mainstream society. In fact, many of our free tribal
schools in terrorist-affected regions in India are being run by former
extremists. They were hostile in the beginning, threatening our volunteers
but when they saw that these efforts were benefiting their own communities,
they became volunteers themselves. Earlier this year, we had meetings with
the Colombian rebel group, FARC as well. We impressed on them that in the
five-decade-old conflict that they had been having with their government,
both sides were victims and that non-violence was the only way towards
social justice. They responded positively, immediately announcing that they
would adopt the Gandhian way and soon declared ceasefire. The Colombian
government also reciprocated with a ceasefire from their side.

However, the terrorism arising out of religious fanaticism is quite
different. When people become utterly blinded by their beliefs, then instead
of offering or seeking solutions, they see destruction as the only way. For
them, violence is not a means to an end, violence is the means and the end.
In their doctrine, people who think differently or do not believe in their
scripture do not even have a right to exist. On my visit to Iraq in
November, 2014, I offered to have a dialogue with the Islamic State group;
they responded with a death threat! If even a small part of the world lives
in such darkness, the world cannot be a safe place.

The real culprit is the indoctrination of hatred in the name of education.
We have seen in numerous instances around the world that these attacks are
carried out by youngsters, who have been brainwashed into this ideology of
hatred. To counter this, religious leaders can play a big role in imparting
a multi-religious education and an education in peace. There is a need to
bring a shift from the idea of “sole ownership of heaven” to an ideology of
“many paths to One Goal”. Diversity is an essential characteristic of our
planet and it is through an education that honors this diversity that
children can grow into responsible global citizens.

Our thoughts and prayers are with those affected by the attacks. Such
incidents cause anger which can lead to polarisation based on ethnicity and
religion, but the real polarisation is between open and narrow-mindedness.
While a narrow fanatic outlook can only lead to differences that divide us,
it requires wisdom and a broad vision to go past them and arrive at values
that unite us. The world needs the latter a lot more than the former.

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, November 17, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Every aspirant who seeks the Eternal through the path of devotion should
strive to keep away from the turmoils, cruelties, and falsehoods of this
world and practice truth, righteousness, love, and peace. This is indeed the
path of devotion. Those who seek union with God and those who seek the
welfare of the world should discard as worthless both praise and blame,
appreciation and derision, prosperity and adversity. They should
courageously keep steady faith in their own innate reality and dedicate
themselves to spiritual uplift. No one, not even a great spiritual
personality (maha-purusha) or Avatar, can ever escape criticism and blame.
Learn from their lives. Great souls hold on to truth and live by them. Those
who indulge in criticism or blame will realise their greatness in time. As
aspirants, stay away from ignorant people and desist in discussing your
beliefs and convictions with them. Become immersed in holy books and be in
the company of the Lord’s devotees. -Prema Vahini, Ch 17.


-BABA



You cannot like something without knowing about it. Suppose you like gulab
jamun(Indian sweet). Knowing about its taste is gyan yoga, buying and eating
it is karmayoga, and liking it is bhakti yoga. Devotion is liking something.
When you like something then their arises a thirst to know about it. All
three go together.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

How can we be devoted in our daily life/family?


Devotion is nothing but love; with maturity.
See you love somebody, because you like something in that somebody. Your
likes and dislikes are always changing.
Suppose tomorrow your likes changed, your dislikes changed, and then your
love turns into hatred.
But when the love matures and doesn’t turn into hatred, that love is called
devotion. Someone is so devoted to wife means, how much she is, whatever she
is, I just am committed to her. That’s devotion.

The first is attraction; just on the physical level. Attraction dies on very
fast. On the physical level there is attraction.
The step further on the mental level, there is love. And it is in the mental
level - jealousy, possessiveness, hatred all these distortions of love
happens.
But when you surpass that level, then there comes Devotion. It’s like the
love of the mother to her child. Mother doesn’t bother what the child thinks
and does. You know, the child kicks the mother or screams at the mother; she
is not perturbed at all. Still she goes and picks him up with love, sits and
dissolves everything.

Child is kicking in, screaming in, running in, it refusing to take medicines
but she still chases after the kid; and sees that he has what he needs , she
gives it; and that is what Devotion is; which is independent of the reaction
or response.

The love which is independent of response is called Devotion…

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth

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p...@pgco.co.za

Eternity Process & Sahaj Samadhi Meditation (21-23 November @ Heidi)

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, November 18, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


There is nothing greater than mother’s love. Mother’s words are always
sweet. At times she may use harsh words, but understand that those words are
meant only to correct you, not to hurt you. There may be a wicked son or
daughter, but there can never be a wicked mother in this world. All of you
must understand the value of mother’s love and her concern for you. Among
the mother, father, teacher and God, mother is given the highest rank and
priority. In the present times, modern youth do not care for their mother or
parents. Many think they are highly educated and that the mother does not
know anything. It is a great mistake to think poorly about anyone. Never
look down upon your mother. Always remember the love she has for you, and at
all circumstances strive and make her happy. God will be pleased with you
only when you truly make your mother happy. -Divine Discourse, 19-Nov-1999.


-BABA










Your mother is your first Guru

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Skill In Communication Makes A Huge Difference

Let me tell you a story about an astrologer.

Once an astrologer went to a king. The king showed great reverence to the
astrologer, made him sit and honored him with gifts.
The king then showed his palm to the astrologer. He examined everything and
then said to the king, ‘O King! You will lose your entire family. Everybody
is going to die before you. You will be the last to die’.
The king got very upset upon hearing this and put the astrologer in the
jail.

This news shook the entire astrologers’ community. They thought, ‘We cannot
tell the truth to the king. If we do so, he will simply put us in jail.

The king called for another astrologer to appear before him. Many tried to
escape this request but one senior astrologer agreed to meet the king.
He went before the king, and the king welcomed him in the same way with
gestures and gifts. The king then showed his palm to the astrologer.
The astrologer said, ‘Oh King! What a great fortune you are blessed with!
You have a very good horoscope. Nobody in history has had such longevity of
age as you are going to have. In fact, nobody in your dynasty has had such
great longevity’.
The astrologer never said to the king that he was going to outlive everybody
else in the royal family. Instead, he told the king that he was blessed with
great longevity and that he had a great horoscope.
The king was so flattered upon hearing the news of his long life and good
health. He told the astrologer, ‘Ask whatever gift you want from me and I
shall give’.
The astrologer said, ‘Please release my poor colleague who is in the jail’.

So skill in communication makes a huge difference.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, November 19, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Adi Shankara, Vivekananda and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa attained exalted
positions only due to the sacred feelings of their mothers. Gandhiji’s pure
and loving mother had a maidservant named Rambha, who looked after children
with love and care. One day, Gandhi came running to her and told that he was
haunted by fear. Rambha said, “My dear child, where is the need to fear when
all-protecting Ramachandra is with us always. Recite the Name of Rama
whenever you are fear-stricken.” Since then, Gandhi chanted the name of Rama
and did so till his last breath. The reason for My telling you all these
examples is to emphasise that women and mothers have noble and sacred
feelings. Since time immemorial, women are the repositories of truth and
culture. Children take to the path of righteousness because of noble women.
November 19 is celebrated as the Ladies’ Day so that you delve deep into the
sacred qualities of women and treat them with respect. (Divine Discourse,
19-11-2000)


-BABA



The role of women in the development of society is of utmost importance. In
fact, it is the only thing that determines whether a society is strong and
harmonious, or otherwise. Women are the backbone of society."

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

There are five types of restlessness.

The first type of restlessness is due to the place you are in. When you move
away from that place, the street or the house, you immediately feel better.
Chanting, singing, children playing and laughing can change this atmospheric
restlessness. If you chant and sing, the vibration in the place changes.
The second type of restlessness is in the body. Eating the wrong food or
vata aggravating food, eating at odd times, not exercising, and overworking
can all cause a physical restlessness. The remedy for this is exercise,
moderation in work habits and going on a vegetable or juice diet for one or
two days.
The third type of restlessness is mental restlessness. It is caused by
ambition, strong thoughts, likes or dislikes. Knowledge alone can cure this
restlessness. Seeing life from a broader perspective, knowledge about the
Self and the impermanence of everything. If you achieve everything, so what?
After your achievement, you will die. Knowledge of your death or life,
confidence in the Self, in the Divine, can all calm down the mental
restlessness.
Then there is emotional restlessness. Any amount of knowledge does not help
here. Only Kriya helps! All that emotional restlessness vanishes. Also the
presence of the Guru, a wise person, or a saint will help to calm your
emotional restlessness.
The fifth type of restlessness is rare. It is the restlessness of the soul.
When everything feels empty and meaningless, know you are very fortunate.
That longing and restlessness is the restlessness of the soul. Do not try to
get rid of it. Embrace it! Welcome it! Usually to get rid of it people do
all sorts of things - they change places, jobs or partners, do this, do
that. It seems to help for some time, but it does not last.
This restlessness of the soul alone can bring authentic prayer in you. It
brings perfection, Siddhis and miracles in life. It is so precious to get
that inner most longing for the Divine. Satsang, the presence of the
enlightened one, soothes the restlessness of the soul.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, November 20, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Past, present, or future, women are the backbone of progress and the heart
of the nation. In fact they are its very breath. Charged with holiness, they
play the chief role in the dharma of life. No nation can be built without
investing in the culture of its women. The world can be lifted to its
pristine greatness only through women mastering the science of realisation
of Reality (Atma-vidya). If a nation is to have lasting prosperity and
peace, women must be trained through an educational system that emphasises
moral conduct and moral qualities. Every woman must be able to understand
the problems of the family, society and the countries. She must render such
service and help as she can, within the limits of her resources and
capacity, to the family, community and the country. The present downfall in
moral standards and absence of social peace is due to the neglect of this
aspect of women’s education. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 5)


-BABA



The role of a woman in society is the only thing that determines whether a

society is strong and harmonious, or otherwise.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Handling Constant Blame

See, you get used to anything that is constant (Laughter). So don’t worry
about it. If someone constantly keeps blaming you, then do not care about
it.
It happens so often, when mothers constantly blaming their children, the
children stop caring about what their mother is saying. This is because they
know she is going to continue the same behaviour every day, right?
The trouble happens when someone who never complains suddenly complains.
When someone who is never rude suddenly becomes rude, that bothers you more,
isn’t it so?

Either you are eternalizing the problem, or you lack the skill to deal with
what is happening. These are the only two aspects to it. So skilfully handle
these situations and do not eternalize them.

Everybody has a right to be a little imperfect. You should accept others’
imperfections and your own imperfections as well. When you do not accept
peoples’ imperfections, you get angry. And when you do not accept your own
imperfections you feel guilty and then you become angry at yourself. Both
situations are not healthy and congenial for you. So, you need to keep a
little space in life for imperfections, and just move on. Do not get stuck
in the past.

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth

1.2 AOL YOGA course (5 evenings) @APD Chatsworth 30 November – 4 December

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, November 23, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


It serves no purpose if you merely acknowledge that the Lord has come but do
not yearn to benefit by the Advent. Offer your entire self, your entire
life, to Him; then your adoration will transform and transmute you so fast
and so completely that you will merge into Him. He thinks, He feels and acts
as you do; you think, feel and act as He does. You will be transformed as a
rock is transformed by the sculptor into an idol, deserving the worship of
generations of sincere men and women. In the process you will have to bear
many a hammer stroke and chisel-wound, for He is the sculptor. He is but
releasing you from petrification! So today, offer your heart to the Lord,
and gladly let Him transform you. Practice the three disciplines of silence,
cleanliness and forbearance. In silence you can hear the voice of God.
Through cleanliness you earn purity. By forbearance, you cultivate love.
(Divine Discourse, 23-Nov-1968)


-BABA



Okay now sometimes anger comes or some negative feeling comes, how do we get
rid of them? By doing Sudarshan Kriya, pranayama and some meditation for a
little time and you will see how the mind becomes so clean. As the mind is
cleaned the behaviour of a person is also improved. And when our behaviour
is good then we make many friends. Wherever you go, whoever you meet will
feel like your own. And when everyone becomes friends, then what more,
nothing will be lacking.
That is Vishwatma. That is what? Recognizing the one consciousness which is
in everything and which is in me as well and serving this one consciousness
is Pooja.

So keep your mind clean with sadhana, seva and satsang!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Atheism Is Not a Reality

It is difficult to see God as formless and it is difficult to see God as
form. The formless is so abstract and God in a form appears to be too
limited. So some people prefer to be atheists.
Atheism is not a reality, it is just a matter of convenience. When you have
a spirit of enquiry, or in search of truth, atheism falls apart. With a
spirit of enquiry, you cannot deny something which you have not disproved.
An atheist denies God without first disproving it. In order to disprove God,
you must have enormous knowledge. And when you have enormous knowledge, you
cannot disprove it! (laughter!)For one to say that something does not exist,
one should know about the whole universe. So you can never be one hundred
percent atheist. An atheist is only a believer who is sleeping!
For a person to say, "I don't believe in anything", means he must believe in
himself - so he believes in himself about whom he does not even know!
An atheist can never be sincere because sincerity needs depth - and an
atheist refuses to go to his depth. Because the deeper he goes, he finds a
void, a field of all possibilities - he has to accept that there are many
secrets he does not know. He would then need to acknowledge his ignorance,
which he refuses to do, because the moment he is sincere, he seriously
starts doubting his atheism. A doubt-free atheist is next to impossible! So
you can never be a sincere and doubt-free atheist.

When the atheist realizes his ignorance, what does he do? Where does he go?
Does he go to a Guru? What does a Guru do to him?

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth

1.2 AOL YOGA course (5 evenings) @APD Chatsworth 30 November – 4 December
2015

Kassie Gounden : 031 4099697/083 7999 899 <mailto:kas...@pgco.co.za>
kas...@pgco.co.za

Pat Gounden : 031 4099 697/083 7999 699 <mailto:p...@pgco.co.za>
p...@pgco.co.za



Eternity Process & Sahaj Samadhi Meditation

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, November 24, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Be pure, alert and humble. I am in you; you are in Me. You hoist the
Prasanthi flag in Prasanthi Nilayam. Remember, the flag is a sign that is
significant for each and every one of you. It is a reminder of your duty to
yourself, and so when you hoist it you must unfurl it in your own hearts. It
reminds you to overcome the urge of low desires, of anger and hate when your
desires are thwarted; it exhorts you to expand your heart so that you
embrace all humanity, all life and all creation in its compass; it directs
you to quieten your impulses and calmly meditate on your own inner reality.
It assures you that, when you do so, the lotus of your heart will bloom, and
from its center will arise the flame of divine vision, which guarantees
Prasanthi (infinite peace) to every one of you. (Divine Discourse,
23-Nov-1968)


-BABA





We are all anyways one. Do not be under this impression that you can merge
only by dying and casting off the body. This is foolishness.
The physical bodies anyway can never merge into one. The physical body
always remains separate. If you look at all of us at the level of the
breath, we are all one. When you go even deeper into the subtle layers, you
will see that everything is an extension and expansion of the same mind. So
do not do anything foolish. Just meditate, and be regular with Seva, Satsang
and your Sadhana. You will see that in no time a fountain of love and
happiness will come up from within you, and you will exude great
contentment.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Guru Utsav Divas

Fri, 05/09/2014 Bangalore, India

http://www.artofliving.org/sites/www.artofliving.org/files/wysiwyg_imageuplo
ad/teacher-guru.jpg

The Teacher’s Day in India got a new name today – it will be called as Guru
Utsav Divas from now on. It is also very appropriate. You know, if you
consider the word Guru as a neutral gender, then the name of this day would
translate as The Great Celebration.
Guru always means great. I think it is a very good idea that the Prime
Minister of India has re-christened the name of this day. People from world
over today are using the word Guru in many ways, like Management Guru,
Consultant Guru, etc. So why should we use Teacher’s Day then?

A teacher is one who simply teaches, but a Guru is one who guides also. A
teacher is one step lower than a Guru because a teacher gives you
information or teaches you skills, but a Guru is one who makes you reach
your destination. Do you see the difference? It is a new way of looking at
things.
A teacher can give you a lot of information, but it is not necessary that
the information is holistic. On the other hand, a Guru is one who takes you
all the way to your destination. So today’s day is very apt for celebrating
this. For many years, we have been celebrating this day as Teacher’s day in
India. Today, by re-christening this day to Guru Utsav Divas, it has
acquired a greater dignity and a higher pedestal in our life.



Questions & Answers



Gurudev, what actions should a person do to increase his paatrata (the
ability to receive Grace or blessings)?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just having the intention to increase one’s paatrata
itself does half the job. When this desire arises, then one also understands
one’s shortcomings and can make efforts to overcome them. That too happens
by itself, just by having this sincere intention.
The most important thing to achieve this is to be natural and simple, and to
be humble.One should have humility from within, then you will see that
paatrata naturally increases.

Also, do not have this fixed thought in your mind that everything that
happens in life happens according to one’s paatrata. It is not always so.
Sometimes even a less deserving person also gets good things. It is just a
matter of poor timing.
For example, there was a chief minister in our country who met with an
accident and was in a coma for six months. Despite that he did not resign
and continued to rule, though he was in a coma.
There is a chief minister of a particular province in India who has
Dementia. Do you know what Dementia is? It is a brain disorder in which a
person becomes forgetful. A person who has Dementia forgets people and
things. So though he is the chief minister, he does not do any work. It is
his secretary who does all his work, and he just sits there on the chair. He
speaks whatever the secretary writes and gives to him. He does not remember
anything by himself.
Then, there is another chief minister who becomes furious at the drop of a
hat. He gets angry just by seeing the rustling of leaves in the wind. We
have such people in the administration. Such people become the chief
ministers in our country, when they should be in a mental hospitals instead
and get themselves treated (laughter).

So you have only two options. One is to see that everything is a play of
Karma. The less-deserving person also must have done some good deeds in the
past, because of which he is reaping the merits now. Either you see it as
the play of time, or you can go on thinking about it and make yourself weak.
Then you will also become shaky and will stray from the path of truth. Or
you will feel dejected and think, 'Oh! What good did I get by following the
path of the truth? I too should adopt some crooked ways like this to get
what I want in life'.
I will tell you a secret. If you think like that and adopt the same wrong
ways, you will sink even deeper in misery and suffering.
Suppose you see that a man is prospering by stealing from others, and you
think that you too should do the same to become rich. I tell you, he will
still escape the hands of law but you will get caught and have to suffer the
punishment for it. It is because such wrong actions are not in your nature.
If such wickedness was in your nature, you would never come to Satsang and
listen to this knowledge from me.
If you are sitting here listening to knowledge, then it means that
wickedness is not in your nature. It is not there in your DNA at all. Maybe
that other man must have earned some merits from his past good actions, due
to which he would be managing to escape. But if you do the same thing, you
will surely get stuck.





Does contentment come after indulgence or without indulging (the senses)?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Contentment comes with an elevation of your
consciousness. It is a higher experience. It comes when you do not dwell on
something again and again. That is why in the Patanjali Yoga Sutras,
Maharishi Patanjali answers the question, 'How to get
Vairagya(dispassion)?', by saying, 'Drishtanu shravikavishaya vitrush’asya
vashikara sanjna vairagyam'.
If you keep focusing your mind on all that you have seen, all that you have
heard, etc., then you will only get more of that.

In the Bhagavad Gita also, Lord Krishna says, 'Dhyayato vishayan pumsah
sangas-teshupajayate. Sangat sanjayate kamah kamat krodho 'bhijayate'.
Krodhad bhavati sammohah sammohat smrti-vibhramah. Smrti-bhramshad
buddhi-nasho buddhi-nashat pranashyati'. (2.62 & 2.63)
It means: If you keep thinking about food the whole day, then the moment you
see food the more you will want to eat, even though you are not hungry. It
is only because your mind is dwelling on it. The capacity of our senses to
enjoy is limited, but the hunger in the mind is unlimited. When there is
disproportion between the mind and the body, there is disharmony.

The needs of the mind and the body are different. If the mind and the body
are not in harmony and sync with each other, then it causes a great
imbalance. It causes huge embarrassment, and a host of problems follow.
These disorders like Bulimia, etc., are the result of all this. So, for
contentment the first thing to do is to put a brake on the mind. You have to
first decide that you want to put a brake to this (habits or tendencies of
the mind). And then, to counter what follows, you have to give it some
substitute.
For example, someone has a habit of smoking, and you make them give up
smoking. They cannot immediately give it up, you need to offer them some
substitute for the smoking. And the best substitute is Sadhana (different
pranayamas etc.) By doing sadhana, a different kind of joy rises within.
That is what is called Pratyahara.

When the Silver Jubilee celebrations of the Art of Living were happening,
Mr. Prasanna and Commodore Rao were active on the field the whole day. They
did not have food, they did not sleep. They were working day and night.
Other teams too were working very hard. Swami Pragyapadji and others in the
Ashram were putting in their heart and soul in the event, because their only
goal was to ensure that this particular event has to happen very well. They
were putting in their 100% at all times, and did not think about anything
else. There was only one thing on their mind and that was that this event
has to be finished successfully.
So many times, a deadline for your work brings a different kind of energy
from within you. At that time nothing else matters. No sense gratification
is an issue then. When there is a dedication in life to do some work, or
when there is an emergency to get something done, then all your energies are
automatically channelized in the fulfilment of that work. All cravings and
aversions simply get subdued automatically. Now you cannot have that all the
time. But having a goal or a cause from time to time will help you come out
of your hunger for insatiable desires. So, by being one-pointed towards a
task or a goal through the help of your Viveka (sense of discrimination)
helps.
The second thing that helps here is Sadhana (spiritual practices). And
greater than these two is the state of being in utter love. When you are so
deeply soaked in love, then you simply do not bother for anything else. In
that state, following rules and discipline also does not feel like a burden
to us, because our love and dedication is focused towards a goal.





Gurudev, what is the difference between Moha (attachment) and Mamtaa (a
mother’s love)?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, a mother’s love is permanent, it never goes away.
What is attachment? When (a mother’s) love makes us blind, then that is
attachment.
Suppose a mother’s son is not qualified to become the Chief Minister of a
state, and the son also does not want to become the Chief Minister, but the
mother forces the son to become the Chief Minister because she is unable to
recognize that he is not the right person for the job, then this is
attachment.
What King Dhritarashtra felt towards his son Duryodhana was attachment. On
the other hand, the love of Mother Yashoda towards Lord Krishna was nothing
but purely a mother’s love for her child.

Attachment gives your misery because it blinds you. When you get entangled
in attachment, you overlook the person’s true capability and what they
deserve. Mamtaameans having the feeling of 'Mine'. So, your motherly love
should expand and it should be for everyone else.

Lord Krishna says in the Gita, 'Yes, I do have attachment also, but it is
equal towards all beings'.
Samo 'ham sarva-bhuteshu na me dveshyo 'sti na priyah. Ye bhajanti tu mam
bhaktya mayi te teshu cha-api aham'. (9.29)
This is a very unique quality and only Lord Krishna can speak like this. A
normal person can get very attached to one person. But when a person says,
'I have that same strong attachment towards all beings', then that is
unique. So Lord Krishna presents attachment also in a positive way.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, November 25, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Without the control of senses, spiritual practices (Sadhana) are
ineffective; it is like keeping water in a leaky pot. Pathanjali (the
celebrated sage and author of the Yoga Sutras) has said that when tongue is
conquered, victory is yours. While the eye, the ear and the nose serve as
instruments of knowledge about one particular characteristic of Nature, the
tongue makes itself available for two purposes: to judge taste and to utter
words - symbols of communication. You must control the tongue with double
care, since it can harm you in two ways. When the tongue craves for some
delicacy, assert that you will not cater to its whims. If you persist in
giving yourself simple food that is not savoury or hot, but amply
sustaining, the tongue may squirm for a few days, but it will soon welcome
it. That is the way to subdue it and overcome the evil consequences of it
being your master. (Divine Discourse, 23-Nov-1968)


-BABA





Awareness depends upon your ability to open and shut your windows. When
there is a storm, you need to shut your windows – otherwise you will get
wet. When it is hot and suffocating inside, you need to open your windows.

Your senses are like windows. When you are awake, you have the ability to
open and shut your windows at will; then you are free.

If your windows cannot be shut or opened at will, you are bound. Attending
to this is sadhana, or spiritual practice.

To the degree that you are awake, everything around you brings knowledge. If
you are not awake, even the most precious knowledge does not make any sense.

Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

How To Live In The Present

Mon, 09/14/2015 Bangalore, India



It is possible to grasp the reality of the present moment totally only when
you see everything that has happened in the past as a dream. When you
discard everything that has happened until now as a dream, only then can you
understand the truth of the present moment.

It is the bhootkala (the past) that has overwhelmed and burdened our mind.
Without being free of this bhoota (here meaning the past) you cannot attain
the Bhootnatha (a name for Lord Shiva). To attain Bhootnatha we need to see
everything in the past as a dream. And this is not a very difficult thing to
do. All that we need for this is a little awareness.

You must have seen cats and dogs, sometimes they roll in water or dirt, but
when they get up, they immediately shake everything off their body and walk
ahead. In the same way, you too can play in the water or the mud, but every
once in a while, just stand up and shake everything off and come into
awareness. Then you will find that Lord Shiva is right here, right now. When
you do this again and again, this realization begins to dawn and deepen
within you.

Many times people become dejected and say, “Oh, I do not find interest in
anything”. For you to have interest in something, you need to wake up and
shake everything off. Why does one’s interest wane? It is because the clear
mind is consumed and burdened by events of the past.

Whether pleasant or unpleasant events, whether it be your friends or
enemies, all these entangle and burden the mind so much. They seem to take
up so much space in your mind, as if you have given that part of your mind
on rent to them. The past lives in your mind, but you don't really get
anything in return (laughter). There is only loss in this entire transaction
(by letting the past take up space in your mind).
So every once in a while, you will have to stand up and say, “This is my
home”, and discard the past, else the tenant (events of the past) will think
it is his home and he will take control, and then you will not know who the
real owner is. So don't let the past consume your mind, displace you, and
make your miserable.

When this awareness comes up in our life, even if for a few minutes every
day – that all that has happened in the past, whether good or bad, is
nothing but a dream, then you gain the strength to face whatever comes up in
life. Then you will experience a surge of energy and expansion in your
consciousness that was earlier clouded by these events.

Now this is not some mood-making technique to keep fooling or tricking the
mind every now and then by saying, “Oh, it is all a dream”. When you feel
hungry, then you do not see it as a dream. You feel it is real, isn’t it? So
there is some practical truth to this.

So, every once in a while, stand up and just shake off the past and see that
everything is a dream. This is the essence of sadhana (spiritual practices).
Sadhana does not mean to venture off into some other realm or dimension. It
means to be here and now, doing all your duties and responsibilities, but
also withdrawing from it all and awakening ( to the higher truth ) from time
to time. It is awakening and kindling one’s awareness towards the ultimate
truth. When we keep rekindling this awareness from time to time, I tell you
then, life becomes so wonderful. Not just for yourself, but also for all
others around you . Then all the people who come near you will also
experience peace and happiness. You will have so much positive energy and
good vibrations around you. And this is the only way to create that positive
energy in and around you.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, November 25, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY

Putlibai, Mahatma Gandhi’s mother, spent her life in the contemplation of
God. She observed a vow wherein she wouldn’t partake food until she heard a
cuckoo sing. One day it so happened that the cuckoo was not heard. Gandhi, a
small boy then, couldn’t bear to see his mother fasting for a long time. He
went behind the house and mimicked the cuckoo’s song. Putlibai felt
extremely sad when she realised that her son was uttering a lie. She cried,
“O God! What sin have I committed to have given birth to a son who speaks
untruth?” Realising the immense grief he had caused to his mother by
uttering a lie, Gandhi took a vow that he would never indulge in falsehood
ever again. It is imperative that mothers train their children in moral
values right from their childhood. Never overlook children’s mistakes –
correct them immediately when they stray away from the righteous path and
reward them for their good deeds.

- Divine Discourse Nov 19, 2000.


-BABA



Every child is born innocent. But they learn abusive language from
environment. Initially they only imitate their parents or people in their
surroundings. But then it becomes a habit. Whatever you give comes back to
you. That spoils your mind only.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Sharing Life's Abundance

Mon, 09/14/2015 Bangalore, India

(Below is a continuation of post

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/how-to-live-in-the-present> How To Live
In The Present)



Questions & Answers



Gurudev, I am a soldier. Will doing sadhana reduce my zeal and enthusiasm?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, not at all. In fact, doing sadhana will help you
strengthen and maintain your enthusiasm and positivity. Do not think that by
doing sadhana you will become passive and lose the will to fight. If that
was the case, then why would the Bhagavad Gita have been recited in the
midst of the battlefield? Why would Lord Krishna encourage Arjuna to fight?
Lord Krishna’s very purpose behind reciting the Gita was to fill Arjuna with
enthusiasm from within. Arjuna had become dejected and lost the will to
fight; he just wanted to run away from the battlefield and retire into the
caves of the Himalayas as a recluse.
He told Lord Krishna, “O Lord, what would I possibly need? Just two square
meals a day to sustain myself? I would readily get that there also. Why
engage in all this bloodshed? I can live off the fruits from the trees”.
But Lord Krishna persisted and told Arjuna, “O Arjuna! It is not so. All
this is just the weakness of the mind that you are caught up in. Drop all
this and fight”.

See, sometime or the other, even a strong soldier gets caught up in
emotional weaknesses of the heart and mind. He may feel loneliness, or he
may be overcome with doubt and fear. For a soldier to be able to rise above
all such negativity, Sadhana will be of utmost help. So do not ever think
that one loses enthusiasm and zeal because of doing sadhana. Yes, by doing
sadhana, one becomes free from the clutches of anger, aversions and envy,
but you will never lose your sense of duty and responsibility.

Do not think that if there is no sense of hatred or aversion, then you will
not be able to fight. It is not so. Hatred and aversion only make you
weaker. A person filled with hatred may appear to be angry and very strong
on the outside, but in reality he gets shaken because of this and the mind
becomes weak and unsteady. Even our muscles and sinews grow weak. So when
you fight, do not fight out of hatred and feverishness; instead fight with a
firm determination and steady mind. There is a huge difference between these
two states, When you fight, fight with full enthusiasm and also with total
awareness. This is the spiritual path, this is Dharma.





Gurudev, it has been 15 years since my father passed away, but I am still
not able to forget him. I remember him a lot. What do I do to overcome this?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why are you making efforts to forget him? It is okay
to remember him. You do not need to do anything about this.
Just like your father, there are thousands of fathers who will leave this
world one day, and there are so many who have left, and there are also many
who are going to be born as well. You have limited your life to a very small
space and are feeling stuck in it. Everyone has to go one day or another.
Why grieve for those who are certain to leave (this world)?

No one is going to be here permanently. You too will leave this world one
day, isn’t it? But till the time you are here, be happy and cheerful, spread
peace and love. Do good deeds, be in knowledge, and spread knowledge to
everyone around you.

I will not sympathise with you and tell you, “Do not cry. It is such an
unfortunate thing that has happened to you”. Instead, you will get a tight
slap here (so that you wake up and realize the truth). And a slap from me
will only make you smile. All your crying and grieving will stop.





Gurudev, what is the importance behind Anna-daan (donating food grains in
charity)? Is there any special significance of doing Anna-daan on specially
auspicious days such as Shivaratri, or Navratri?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, the very first layer of our body is the Annamaya
Kosha (the gross or outermost layer of the body nourished and sustained by
food). Food affects the prana (subtle life force) and our prana has an
effect on our mind. The mind is the seat of knowledge and knowledge takes
one to joy and bliss. This is the way of life. So food is responsible for
our existence. That is why food is necessary for all living beings to
nourish and protect the prana . It is the most basic source of sustenance.
What will happen to you if you do not get any food? If you do not get any
food to eat, then you will simply discard all the knowledge in the dustbin.
What will be the value of all the education you have received without any
food? It is of no use. Having food to eat gives value to all the other
aspects of life.

Food is the basic foundation of life. This is why donating food is a noble
deed that one can do. Even if you cannot do this every day, at least once
every few days you should do so. You can donate on your birthday, or you can
choose a day to donate food in the memory of your ancestors. This is why in
our culture, we have specific days set aside especially for this. On such
days, we donate food in the name of our ancestors; or during festival days
we prepare good food and share it with everyone. This has been a regular
part of all our customs.

In the Ashram, not only do you get good knowledge, you also get good food to
eat. Isn’t it so?
Even when you go to a temple, you don’t just get to see the deity, you also
get some prasadam (sacred offering) to eat before you leave. So this is the
importance of Anna-daan. This has been in practice in India since many
centuries.

It is said, “Anna-daanam param daanam vidhya-daanam tat param”. It means
that imparting and giving knowledge to others is even higher than the act of
donating food. But at least to start with, one can always begin with
donating food grains from time to time.





Gurudev, if we are all born yogis, then why do we have to learn and practice
yoga?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, that is because you lost touch with it somewhere
along the way. Yes, everyone is a born yogi, but if you had retained that
same child-like innocence as you grew up, then there would have been no need
to learn and practice yoga again. We have moved away from that child-like
innocent nature and have collected so many impressions (samskaaras) along
the way. We have spoiled our balance and peace of mind. This is why we need
to do yoga and sadhana in order to keep our body, intellect, mind and
emotions healthy and in balance.





Gurudev, one has to make some effort in order to gain something in this
world. Even on the spiritual path, one has to engage in seva and sadhana in
order to make progress. Until I become enlightened, even seva is like some
work for me and I seem to be tired. What do I do?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, when you get tired, just relax and meditate. You
will go deeper into meditation then. We need to make meditation a part of
our lifestyle.

When you feel tired doing seva, relax and meditate for a while. When you
become bored of meditating, then get up and do some seva. When you grow
tired of both, then read or listen to knowledge. There are so many options
given to you here. Why is it so? It is because we know that initially it all
feels like you have to strive and put in efforts to get something. Over a
period of time, you yourself will realize by your own experience that in the
beginning it does take some efforts. And you should make some efforts in the
beginning as well. After some time it will all seem so effortless to you, as
if it is your very nature.

Just do one thing: for one whole week, do not do any sadhana, do not do any
meditation at all and see what happens to you. See what the state of your
mind is. When you sit somewhere by yourself, you will automatically go into
meditation. Then you will realize, “Oh, this comes so naturally. It is my
very nature”.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, November 27, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


People develop in themselves an abounding variety of selfish habits and
attitudes, causing themselves great discontent. The impulse for this comes
from the power complex, the greed for accumulating authority, domination and
power! The greed for things can never be eternal and full, and in fact, it
is impossible for anyone to satiate their desires fully. A person might feel
elated to become the master of all arts, owner of all wealth, possessor of
all knowledge, or repository of all the scriptures, but from whom did the
person acquire all these? You may think you earned all this through your own
efforts and toil. The source from which all authority, talent, energy and
power originate is the Lord of all. Ignoring Lord’s omnipotence, deluding
oneself that the little greatness acquired is supreme, is indeed
selfishness, conceit and pride (ahamkara). A genuine aspirant can be
recognized by the characteristics of truth, kindness, love, patience,
forbearance and gratefulness. Wherever these reside, ego cannot subsist; it
has no place. Therefore seek to develop these. [Prema Vahini, Ch. 15]


-BAB



Just know that you are not selfish. That’s it. Why? Because when you feel
you are selfish, something irritates you and you don’t feel comfortable. You
feel comfortable when you feel at home everywhere and with everyone. And
that is already being generous. You can never cultivate virtues. You simply
have them. You have to assume that you have them; then virtues will grow.
You know, what is doubt? Doubt is always about something that is positive.
Isn’t it? If someone tells you, ‘I love you so much’, you say, “Really?” We
never doubt when someone says, ‘I dislike you.’ Immediately it comes, ‘If
you dislike me, I hate you more!’. We doubt someone’s integrity. We question
someone’s honesty. We never question their dishonesty. We doubt our
capabilities. We never doubt our incapabilities or weaknesses. We take our
weaknesses as the gospel truth. Similarly when someone asks if we are happy,
we say we are not sure! But this is never said in regard to depression. We
doubt love. We doubt someone’s honesty. We doubt sincerity. Someone may be
sincere all their life and be insincere in one incident. We believe in that
insincerity more than their sincerity. Isn’t it? It’s the nature of doubt.
That’s why we doubt the existence of God also. God is all truth and so we
doubt - He may or may not be there. When you know the nature of doubt and go
through the doubt, something starts to wake up within you. That is what I
would call trust.
Trust in yourself. Trust in people around you and the laws of nature. This
will keep you healthy. Otherwise paranoia takes over the mind. If you can’t
believe anybody, you can’t believe your spouse, your children, your
neighbors, your friends, and your brother. You will find everybody is a
cheat and out to get you. This sort of paranoia shrinks our personality. I
say,“ Spirituality is Air Conditioner for the mind. Just as this room is
air-conditioned so that you can feel comfortable sitting here, spirituality
do the same for the spirit and mind.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

The Power Of Intention

Fri, 05/15/2015 Bangalore, India



Paramātmā – Param is that which is beyond the Atma. Atma is the Self.

Nobody can deny Atma. If I say I do not believe in anything, at least I
believe in this sentence that I am saying. If someone says, "I do not
believe in anything", that means he does not believe in what he is saying
either! Got it?
It is next to impossible to say something and not believe in what you are
saying. So when someone says, "I don't believe in anything", they mean, "I
don't believe in anything other than myself". But who is this myself? This
you need to find out.

Keep God in one corner – don't worry about God. First find out – Who am I?
What is my life? Where was I before? Where will I go later? Just these three
to four questions are good enough; the journey has begun.

The way to find out who you are is meditation. Kabir Das has said, “When I
was saying Hari, Hari (a name of God), I could not meet Hari. But now that I
am settling into myself, Hari is behind me, calling me Kabir, Kabir”. So be
still! Stillness of the mind is the main thing.

There are so many emotional surges that come into us from time and again –
you like something, there is a huge wave; if you do not like something, then
again you are shaken. The mind is shaken by both cravings and aversions. So
you have to take a leap, take a jump from this. And that is why you are all
here! You are in the right place, doing the right thing.



Questions & Answers

Dearest Gurudev, could you please tell us what is the relationship between
Shiva and Krishna? Are they friends? Are they colleagues? If yes, is there
any hierarchy among them?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you try to know any one of them, you will get to
know both because they are one and the same.

If there is a cup and I move the cup from here to there, is it the same
space or has the space changed? It is the same, yet different, isn't it? The
space in the cup here is the same, when you move it, it is still the same
space, yet it is different. It is just like that with Shiva and Krishna.

Krishna walked on this planet Earth. Shiva was not a person, it is an
energy, it is in the subtle only. Inside all of you is Shiva, when you
realize this, that is Krishna. That is why we sing (the song) "Shivoham,
Shivoham (I am Shiva, I am Shiva)". God is not sitting somewhere up in the
heaven. Just sit, be still, and you will see that there is nothing other
than Shiva in the whole Universe.

Do you know how they describe Shiva? They say, "The whole universe is your
Jata". The whole universe is the body of Shiva, that is why Shiva is
depicted in blue. Blue is not the color of somebody, it is just the energy
in which we are always living, and that energy is Shiva.





Gurudev, our true good actions might cause troubles to someone else. How do
we handle the affected person?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If your intentions are correct, then that is all that
matters.

See, a doctor also cuts open the stomach of a patient and a thief also puts
a knife into someone. They both are using the knife on someone, but for very
different causes. One is to keep someone alive and the other is to kill
someone. And there are chances in both cases that people may die, and in
both cases people may survive. So what matters here? It is the intention.





In quantum physics, there is the concept of quantum teleportation, which is
similar to that in ancient days when Gurus used to disappear and reappear
wherever they wanted to. Is the new algorithms of teleportation the same as
how it was implemented in the ancient days?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, our subtle bodies can do that. In the subtle
body, you can appear in many people's dreams at the same time. All that is
possible.

For the physical bodies, in theory, teleportation is possible because we are
all just energy. If an image can be transported from one place to another by
transforming it into electricity and then get printed somewhere else
(referring to the fax machine), then anything is possible.





There are people who have done The Art of Living course yet they exhibit
such angry and egoistic behavior. How to manage these people?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Suppose these people would never have done The Art of
Living course, then how would they have been? They would have been much
worse.

Some people do The Art of Living course, but they do not practice the
exercises after the course ends. If they do not practice it, whose fault is
it? Is the course at fault or the people at fault? If they have done the
course, and they are showing some ego, then what is needed? Practice! They
need to do the exercises again and again!

Six or eight hours after eating, you will feel hungry and need to eat again,
isn't it? You cannot say, "I ate food yesterday, how come I am getting
hungry today?" You take shower everyday but you do not question, "Why do I
have to take bath again? I took bath yesterday, why am I smelling today?"
So if you have taken bath once, that is not enough. You have to take a
shower again and again. If you have taken a bath, that freshness lasts for
half a day or one day. But again and again, you have to repeat certain
things.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, November 30, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


When you desire to transform a silver statue into a Krishna idol, you cannot
succeed by simply covering the silver idol with a cloth and uncovering it
after a few seconds! You have to break the statue into pieces, melt the bits
and pour the silver into the Krishna mould! So too when you yearn to
transform yourself into Divine, you must break the pieces with the help of
the attitude of detachment, melt them in the fire of wisdom (jnana), and
pour your mind into the mould of devotion. Then the entire consciousness
takes on the Divine Name, Form and Substance. Then, whatever is spoken or
done or thought assumes the splendour and purity of the Divine. Remember,
nothing will please God more than rigorous adherence to righteousness
(Dharma). You can stick to the path of Dharma only if you are conscious of
the Divine in everything that you see or hear, touch or taste. [Divine
Discourse, Nov 1970]


-BABA








To overcome difficulties in life one needs to be strong, and the strength
comes only through spiritual knowledge.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar










Blessings for a GOoD day






What SRI SRI said

Sri Sri's New Year Message (Let us reflect on 2015 before taking on 2016)


Wed, 31/12/2014 Bad Antogast, Germany


Changing Time, Unchanging Witness


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ad/happy-new-year.jpg

A New Year is the time when a lot of people stumble at the realization, "Oh!
Another year has gone by!" We wonder for a few moments at the current of
time that flows by, and then again we get busy. The funny thing is that this
happens nearly every year.

If we go deeper into these moments of wonder, we realize that there is an
aspect of us that is a witness to all the events of time. This witness
inside us is unchanging, and it is from here that we observe all the change
that time brings.

All the events in life that have passed have become a dream. Wisdom is
becoming aware of this dream-like nature of life even as it is unfolding
right now.

All the events in life that have passed have become a dream. Wisdom is
becoming aware of this dream-like nature of life even as it is unfolding
now. Knowing this brings tremendous strength from within and you do not get
shaken by events and circumstances. At the same time, events have their own
place in life. We need to learn from them and keep moving.

Among the major developments this year, the elections in India brought a
significant shift in the social and political atmosphere. People actively
united in voting against corruption and mis governance and after three
decades, the country got a stable majority government. This change has also
positioned India very strongly on the world stage. Our relationships with
other countries are much better than they have been and the United Nations
has recently declared an International Yoga Day at Prime Minister Narendra
Modi's call. The successful mission to Mars a few months ago also showcased
India's merit in technology.

However, news and videos of barbaric mass killings by terror groups around
the world have been a very disturbing development this year.
Tehreek-e-Taliban, the same group that burnt the Art of Living Center in
Islamabad earlier has now killed over 130 school children in Peshawar. IS
has also wreaked havoc in several countries. Our volunteers have been
engaged in relief work in Sinjar Mountains and Erbil in Iraq where the
survivors of the genocide on the Yezidi community have been trapped. Despite
many difficulties, our volunteers have been able to airdrop about 120 tons
of food and rescue 200 girls from IS but a lot more needs to be done.

As you go inwards, the witness aspect grows in you and you remain untouched
by events. And as you go outwards, the actor in you becomes more skillful in
responding to situations.

Whatever the challenges, we need to keep making efforts to create a better
world. This is possible when we are established within ourselves. In you,
there is an actor and there is a witness. As you go inwards, the witness
aspect grows in you and you remain untouched by events. And as you go
outwards, the actor in you becomes more skillful in responding to
situations.
These two entirely opposite aspects of our being are nurtured by meditation.
When you come closer to the Self, your action becomes powerful in the world
and right action in the world brings you closer to the Self.

As the new year approaches, let us resolve to be unshakable within and move
towards a better world. Time changes people but there are people who change
the time. May you be one of them.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, December 01, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The almanac might indicate that ten units of rain will fall, but even if you
fold that news sheet ten times and squeeze, not a drop of rain can be
extracted. Almanac’s purpose is to give information about rain. Rain is in
the clouds above. After learning from scriptures, if you immerse yourself in
spiritual practice, then the world and its worries will not affect you. It
is only when you are far from practice that you experience suffering and
feel pain. As you approach the marketplace, you hear a huge indistinct
uproar. But when you enter it, you can clearly distinguish each
conversation. So too until the reality of the Supreme (Paramatma) is known
to you, you are overpowered and stunned by the uproar of the world! But when
you practice sincerely, everything becomes clear and the Divine reality
awakens within you. Until then, you will be caught up in the meaningless
noise of argumentation, disputation, and exhibitionist flamboyance. [Prema
Vahini, Ch. 16]


-BABA

Some people do The Art of Living course, but they do not practice the
exercises after the course ends. If they do not practice it, whose fault is
it? Is the course at fault or the people at fault? If they have done the
course, and they are showing some ego, then what is needed? Practice! They
need to do the exercises again and again!

Six or eight hours after eating, you will feel hungry and need to eat again,
isn't it? You cannot say, "I ate food yesterday, how come I am getting
hungry today?" You take shower everyday but you do not question, "Why do I
have to take bath again? I took bath yesterday, why am I smelling today?"
So if you have taken bath once, that is not enough. You have to take a
shower again and again. If you have taken a bath, that freshness lasts for
half a day or one day. But again and again, you have to repeat certain
things.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Peace And Prosperity Go Together

Fri, 05/15/2015 Bangalore, India



(Below is a continuation of post The Power of Intention​ )



Questions & Answers



How to manage to stay in the present moment on a day to day basis?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: First of all, we are always in the present. We are in
the present, we only have to bring our mind to the present.

When you appreciate the beauty of something, you are in the present moment.
When you are concerned about an issue, you are in the present moment. When
you have fear, you are in the present moment. So, extreme emotions also put
you in the present moment. At the same time, when you witness all these
emotions as not you, when you realize that they come and go, then you are in
the present moment.
With mindfulness or alertness you can be in the present moment. And all
these practices like pranayama and meditation help you to be in the present
moment.





How to be peaceful and yet prosperous?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, peace and prosperity go hand in hand. Where there
is no peace, there cannot be prosperity. And this is what is happening with
all the Naxal affected areas. Since there is no peace, there is no economic
development at all.

All other districts have developed except the 200-odd districts that have
Naxal problems? Why? Nobody wants to start any business there.

Now how to be peaceful? This one should learn. If you have mental peace, you
have energy to work. If you are disturbed and are feeling upset, then you do
not want to do any work. When you do not do any work, your productivity will
be zero. And if you have zero productivity, you will have no income. So and
through meditation develop your intuition and increase your peace and
enthusiasm, and you will be prosperous.





How to achieve universal peace?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, universal peace starts with individual peace. If
individuals are peaceful, families are peaceful, societies are peaceful, it
all will contribute towards universal peace.
Quantum physics has completely removed this last straw of doubt from the
minds of people that your vibrations do have an effect on everybody else.





People say there is something called Manglik Dosha. What does it mean and
how do I get rid of it?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, Manglik basically means that the person is a
little hot-headed, that's all. All these planetary positions indicate your
physical and mental status, and they can always be remedied by meditation
and chanting. All these remedial factors exist to get rid of these doshas.
It is not fatalistic, it is always changeable.





If God has no form or shape, then why does Hinduism have so many idols and
temples?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The ancient Vedic people discovered that (as human
beings) we cannot relate to something that has no form. You are talking to
me, but do you talk to the space next to me here? If you do, then you must
have gone mad and you will be taken to the mental hospital. What do you
relate to? To a form! We can only relate to forms. This is why they created
so many forms and said, "When you need to relate to the highest spirit,
relate through this form".

Gods and Goddesses have subtle forms (light forms) and not physical forms.
They have subtle energies. The ancient people connected a particular type of
energy to a particular form. It is totally scientific. If you go deep into
it, you will be amazed by how beautiful this ancient knowledge has been.





How to come out of suicidal thoughts? I am being made the culprit for so
much negativity, which I can't bear.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Time and again, what happens is a cloud of negativity
comes and bombards your head, isn't it? From college kids to retired people,
this is a problem. In fact, it's not even a problem, it's a challenge.
Suddenly negative clouds appear and everything seems so bad and life appears
to be hopeless. Everyone appears to be cunning and you feel people are after
you. So this negative cloud comes and takes over your mind. What to do? This
is the time you have to remember to push the negative clouds away and save
your mind. Make a resolve to yourself, " I won't let any negative clouds
take over me and my life".

It is all about our perception. Our perception gets so distorted with the
negative clouds and we keep doubting everything and everybody. And life
appears meaningless and depression takes over. So when negative clouds hound
you, first know that you are under the influence of a negative cloud.
Second, stand up and say, "I am not going to be a victim of this, I am not
going to be overcome by a negative cloud."

It is only for you to have this awareness and strength that we have satsang,
sadhana and the Guru. Otherwise what else are they there for? So remember
this – I have a Guru in my life, I have knowledge, I have wisdom, and I have
meditation. And so I'm not going to let the negative cloud (which is an
illusion) take over me. I will win over this illusion!
You will need to have this conviction.

Negative clouds are like a shadow. If you have your back towards light, what
will you look at? A shadow! And a shadow appears small or big? It appears
very big because you are not looking at the light! When you simply turn
around and look at the light, the shadow disappears! One little turn is good
enough. And that is what is called Gurumukhi – turning yourself towards the
knowledge.
Vimukhi is having your back towards the knowledge. When you turn towards the
light, then you do not see the shadow and you will never be afraid of it.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, December 02, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


I have often said, “My Life is My Message”. Avatars make such a proclamation
only to demonstrate their Divinity. They are children among children, men
among men, and women among women, so that they may respond to everyone’s joy
and sorrow, console them and infuse confidence and courage into their
drooping hearts. Avatars appear among humans since birds, beasts, trees,
etc. have not slid into unnatural ways. It is only human beings pursuing the
mirage of worldly happiness and sensual pleasure, who have forgotten the
task for which they came to earth. God assumes human form only to restore
Dharma and lead you back into the path of virtue and wisdom! Hence God is
pleased with the rigorous adherence to Dharma. Practice righteousness, it
will fill every moment of your life with bliss and the joy of
self-realisation. God is everywhere. He is all-powerful. He sees everything.
He resides in every heart and listens to every agony and prayer. Have faith
in God. [Divine Discourse, Nov 1970]


-BABA

The Divinity is omnipresent. It is nirvishesha – beyond qualities and place.
It is as common as air, water and light. God is the cheapest commodity and
present everywhere. It’s you who keeps God somewhere far up in the sky.

The Rishis considered even a cruel and hard-hearted person like Parshurama
as an avatar. He was so heartless, he beheaded his own mother. Aren’t we all
much better than him? He killed so many Kshatriyas. Even in a cruel
Parshurama if you can see God then there is no place left devoid of God. See
him in a boar, a fish, a dwarf, a tortoise... in everything.

If you are looking for flaws, you can find flaws in all the avatars. One who
sees flaws cannot attain God. Be a anasuya: not among the one who sees
flaws. Krishna told Arjuna, I am telling you the knowledge, the secret
because you are anasuya.

See God in the thorns as well as the flowers. It is a leela (that's why we
say Ramleela). It’s a play.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

To Make The World A Better Place

Tue, 07/14/2015 Bangalore, India

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(Below is a continuation of post

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/awareness-of-death> How The Awareness Of
Death Brings More Life​)

Questions & Answers



Does everyone have to find his calling and how to do it?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You have already done it. Your calling has come and
that is why you are here at The Art of Living. The Art of Living is nothing
but a collective calling of many to uplift the world consciousness. Everyone
getting together to make the world a better place. Your calling has come,
you have already bought your ticket, you are sitting on the ship and the
ship is on the move.

See, to achieve something great on the planet, you alone cannot do it. You
have to move with the sangha (everyone together), and that is what you are
already doing.

Just before I came here, somebody was sharing with me how people are now
turning to spirituality in Paris and in many other places in France. It is
very good news. Everyone must work together collectively and spreads
happiness.





Dear Gurudev, how do I help my mother stop talking ill of her sister? My
mother is 76 years old and her sister is 74.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Don’t try to do that. Let her talk and empty it all
out. If you want to play some games, write a nice card and say, "Your sister
has sent you this!" Anyway, they both may not be able to read it properly so
you say, "I will read it for you. She said that she loves you so dearly".
Send a card from both sides to each other and see if you can make an impact.

You know, when someone is in such a negative mood, they will say, "See, she
is taunting me". At that time, it all appears like taunting and teasing. If
you are in a negative mood, even if someone sends a rose, you will see it as
taunting. And if someone is determined to be in a negative space, God only
can help them. But nevertheless you keep trying. The God inside you can make
an effort.





I feel that my wife and kids are moving away from spirituality. I do not
want to push them. Is there anything I can do, except having patience?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That’s okay. You don't push kids too much, but
sometimes you should gently encourage them. Sometimes you feel too shy
thinking that they might take it as pushing, so you don’t even encourage
them. I would say, you need to encourage them to walk on the spiritual path.

Another trick you can do is, one day you say, "I am not going to meditate
for two days", and then become so irritable. Your wife will ask you, "What
is wrong with you?"
Then you say, "I did not meditate. I gave it up".
She will then say, ‘Please meditate. The days you meditate and do your
sadhana, you are so sweet to us".

One mother shared this experience, her son came and said, "Mom, you seem to
have not done your meditation. You are being nasty to me. The day you do
your meditation, you are very sweet".
So, use all the tricks and skills and make your way through this world which
is so complex.



Dearest Gurudev, what is your understanding of Asperger’s Syndrome,
otherwise known as High-functioning Autism. My loved one has just been
diagnosed.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I can’t comment on it as I have not studied this
disease in-depth. Someone should do deep research on autism as to why so
many kids are being diagnosed with the condition these days, especially in
America. It has become a very big issue there.

Sometimes vaccination is a really bad thing. You know, you have to
compulsorily take Yellow Fever vaccinations when you travel to South Africa
and people get reactions such as boils on the skin.





How can we be sure that it is intuition and not the ego?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Time will tell you. If it was intuition, it will never
go wrong. If it has gone wrong, it was never an intuition.





Dear Gurudev, when does the soul take on another body? When the soul has
taken on another body, can we still connect to that soul?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, these are all deeper secrets! What are you going
to do by knowing the answers?

Yes, souls come back. Sometimes kids, when they are just two or three years
old, they keep talking and saying some things, and you just brush them away.
You don’t keenly observe or listen to them. A two-year-child would say, "My
house is there in Oppenau". Or he may say, "I have friends in Oppenau", or
"My shoes are in Oppenau".
They say something but you don’t pay attention. Many times children, before
they are three years old, they remember all those past-life things. Many
such instances are there, not one or two, but hundreds.

There is no criteria of when a soul will come back after leaving a body. It
can come back any time. Immediately, same day, same hour, or many years
later. It depends.
Don’t try to communicate with the departed souls, there is no need. They
know everything about you. You don’t need to communicate verbally, they know
even before the thought arises in you. Non-verbal communications already
happens.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, December 03, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The Lord is attained only through supreme devotion (para-bhakthi). Supreme
devotion can be acquired only through spiritual wisdom (jnana). Spiritual
wisdom can be cultivated only through faith (sraddha), and faith comes only
through love. So how is love to be cultivated? Through two methods: 1.
Always consider the faults of others, however big, to be insignificant and
negligible. Always consider your own faults, however insignificant and
negligible, to be big, and feel sad and repentant. By these means, you avoid
developing bigger faults and defects, and acquire the qualities of
brotherliness and forbearance. 2. Whatever you do, with yourself or with
others, do it remembering that God is omnipresent. He sees, hears and knows
everything. Discriminate between the true and the false, and speak only the
truth. Discriminate between right and wrong, and do only the right.
Endeavour every moment to be aware of the omnipotence of God. (Prema Vahini,
Ch 19)


-BABA



That something has the brilliance of a million suns, it is the source of
happiness. Let that consciousness which is more real that the real (most
true) inspire my intellect, and may I be soaked in that truth.
What is truth? Truth is that which doesn’t change in the past, present or
future, it remains the same. It is the Summun Bonum of this creation and
into that let my intellect soak, and that is what is meditation!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Making A Difference

Tue, 07/14/2015 Bangalore, India

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Questions & Answers



Gurudev, as a budding writer, what seva can I do?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is very good that you can write. There is a lot of
work that you can do. Contact our website team and our ABC (Art of Living
Bureau of Communication). They are looking for writers. There are so many
projects happening in The Art of Living around the world and we need good
writers to put those things in the right format.

Recently, I went to Cuba and met with the FARC (a rebel group) people from
Columbia. They are all Communists, so at first they were very hesitant. They
said, "We had never thought we would be so lucky as to meet a living saint.
We only saw saints in wood and stone".

On the first day, they were reluctant, but by the second and third day, they
changed totally. When I was leaving, they said, "Please don’t abandon us",
and I told them, "Look, 50 years of war, 2.6 million people have been killed
in this. How long are you going to go on like this?" They said, "No,
non-violence is not practical. Please don’t tell us, we can’t do this. It
will be hypocrisy to say that we will follow Gandhian principles. We are not
going to do it".
I told them, "What do you mean by hypocrisy? You want to have the same fate
as Prabhakaran or Saddam Hussein? See what happened to all these people? You
will be finished. Wake up now".

I told them, "Today you are also victims, and you play your victim card.
Don’t be aggressive, stop bombing".
Finally, they agreed. They said, "We will do social justice through Gandhian
principles of non-violence". And the war which had been raging for the last
50 years came to an end. They unilaterally announced ceasefire!

You need some people to tell them, talk to them. They said, "This is what
was missing in our movement – spirituality. We had dedicated ourselves for
the cause of social justice, we have been fighting, but this was missing -
your guidance was missing. Please keep guiding us".

There were 13 of them and 3-4 of us, and we sat with them for three days.
Then they started coming with me wherever I went. I went to the Indian
Embassy and they also came with me! They did meditation, they had Indian
food, perhaps for the first time in the Indian Embassy. They were like
devotees, very happy. Their faces started relaxing. So we should keep doing
what we can.

And then one journalist asked me, "How come so many big countries - Norway,
America, Cuba - all of them were trying to get these people to announce
ceasefire and they were not ready. What is it that you said to them?"
I said, "It is not what we say but what we are that makes a difference".





Dear Gurudev, how do I forgive my brother for all the nasty things that he
has done to me and my family?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, your brother was never educated in human values.
It is not his fault. He was never shown that beautiful space that lies deep
within him. Nobody guided his spirit, nobody guided his emotions, nobody
taught him how to get rid of greed, anger, jealousy and all the negative
feelings. So why do you blame him? He is a sick person! This education is
missing.

You think if he were happy, if he had spiritual education, he would do wrong
things? He would never have done anything wrong! So who is at fault?
Everyone is at fault. The parents, the siblings, the society; everybody is
partner to the fault of one person. It is not solely his responsibility. If
your brother is bad, the society is also responsible, your school system is
responsible, your upbringing is responsible. Don’t blame the poor guy. He is
sick, he needs help. Do you see what I am saying? See from my eyes and you
will see the whole world from a different light.

Those whom we condemn, they are not worth condemning. They need compassion
and they need education.





Dear Gurudev, how do I find peace for the misery I have caused. My husband
passed away in April 2015. He lived alone for 15 months and made his last
telephone call to me and I screamed at him. I did not listen to what he had
to say. He was having affairs throughout our marriage and I caught him 15
months ago. I could not forgive him. Today, I am sorry.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That’s okay. You should move on. Life is like a river.
Sometimes muddy water fills the river, sometimes clear water fills it;
sometimes all the leaves of the fall float in the river and sometimes logs
float, but the river never stops. A river has something to teach us, and
that is — just move on. That’s it.

It’s okay to scream at somebody. It doesn’t matter if you have done it in
the past. Never mind, don’t repeat it in the future. And don’t sit and keep
regretting it either, "Oh, I did that". Well, you did it, what to do now? It
is finished! Move on and on, don’t stop. If the water stops, it stagnates
and rots, if it keeps moving, it becomes clear.





Dear Gurudev, how do I help my adult children to forget about our past and
be loving again?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: As I said, don’t ask for explanations of the past.
Don’t say, "Let us sit and talk it out". Don’t do this. I am not for this at
all.

When people have misunderstandings, they say, "Let us talk it out". This
‘talking it out’ makes it worse. People should just live in the present
moment and keep moving to the future. Don’t stop, and talk to them as if
nothing has ever happened before; totally be in the moment. This is the best
way to behave and to get over the past. Digging into the past and then
complaining or giving an explanation are stupidity.
Also, if someone comes to explain, you should not listen. If someone comes
to explain, tell them, "Come on, forget about it. Move forward, I never turn
back and see what happened. I am very fast. I have so many things to do".

Who is going to sit and listen to why you said something, or what you did in
the past? Your mind is not in your control, and you blabber something, who
cares? Why should I be pulled into your mind’s rut?
Sometimes people say, "Gurudev, you are not listening to me".
I say, "I won’t listen. I have no time".
You made a mistake and then you try to explain why you made all those
mistakes. You become so innovative! You don't even know that you have
committed a mistake. Then you become innovative and try to give some
explanation for it! Who is bothered to listen to such things? What is the
use of post-mortem? Waste of time! Young girls, you all listen to this very
carefully: Never ask for explanation or even listen to an explanation. We
should just move on. We don’t have time for such things.

Educate and ignore. There are two ways to ignore. One is just ignoring the
past, but better is to educate and ignore. If someone thinks or says
something about you, just tell them, "Look, I did not mean to do this thing
to you. What you are thinking is wrong".
One word, that’s it. Finished. Move on!





My family and boyfriend don’t understand spirituality and The Art of Living.
Should I move on from my boyfriend and family, and create something better
and lighter?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, this is a challenge. Have some patience and see
how you can make them understand, and also get them to get a taste of it.
Use your skills to communicate what you feel, and how spirituality is so
good for you and others.

There are many people like this. They brought their boyfriends, girlfriends,
husbands and wives who initially were not willing. But then later, they went
even one step ahead of them! It is happening. All possibilities are there.
You do your 100% to introduce them to wisdom.

You can ask your boyfriend for a birthday gift. No boyfriend or girlfriend
will say no. Then you say that you want both of you to do the Happiness
Program (Part-I Course) together. And that’s it! Or, on his birthday, gift
him the Happiness Program along with yourself. So both of you come and sit
and do the Happiness Program (Part-I Course). You will see the difference
right there. Use all your skills.





Dear Gurudev, how do I get rid of manipulations? Is it to affirm ourselves?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Listen, if you are manipulating, stop it right away
because it is not going to give you any good results. When you manipulate,
you will realize, "Oh my God, I didn't get anything in my hand? All I got is
mud!"
After manipulating, you will see that you didn't get gold in your hand, you
got mud! It is not worth it. Okay, if you get gold by manipulating, then I
would say, "Yes, manipulate". But that will not happen!
So, if you think that you are manipulating, then take a sankalpa
(determination) not to do it anymore. If others are manipulating, have
compassion for them.

Manipulation happens because of insecurity or over-ambitiousness, and both
are not in a healthy state of mind. If you are over-ambitious, you won’t
reach anywhere! It is like riding the horse on the merry-go-round. Where
does it reach? Nowhere! Where you got in, from the same place you have to
get out. This is over-ambitiousness. Just know that over-ambitiousness is
sitting on that horse which runs very fast on the merry-go-round. It’s not
going to help you.

If someone else is doing that, know that they are immature. Let them realize
that and bless them. But you come out of your illusion. When you think
others are manipulating, your anger towards them and your wanting to cut off
from them makes things even worse. You get into the negative cloud. Do you

see what I am saying?

You think, "Oh, that person is manipulating", and you start being nasty to
them, and that is equally as bad as manipulation, not any better; it all
smells foul. It doesn’t matter whether it is a rotten banana peel or a
rotten tomato, both are rotten. So anger is equally wrong as manipulation;
nastiness is equally as bad as someone’s manipulation.

See, usually anger comes because of your self-righteousness - 'I am right'.
This ‘I am right’ brings such anger and makes you behave nastily. It is as
bad as someone telling lies. Got it? You getting nasty or angry, don’t think
it is right, that is equally bad.

So, if between two people, one is angry and the other is nasty, or one is
telling lies and the other is nasty or angry, you leave them both and walk
away because they are settling scores among themselves, you don’t have to
interfere. This is good advice.

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth 18 – 23
January 2016

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, December 04, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The individual ‘I’ believes it is limited; but that is an illusion. It is
the same Universal Spirit, imagining itself to be limited. This awareness
can come to you either through a flash of intellectual analysis or a flash
of Universal Love. The awareness is an act of identification which requires
Love. Love is God; Love is the means and end. That is why there are no
atheists for there is no being without love of some kind or other. And love
of any kind, of any measure, is but a spark of Divinity. Love knows no fear,
it promotes truth, it finds peace, it builds faith, and it promotes concord.
To develop love, the easiest, highest and the most fruitful sacrifice is
that of the ego. Crucify it and be free. Dedicate it to God, and be rich and
happy beyond all your imagination. (Divine Discourse, Nov-1970)


-BABA



Some say the purpose of life is to ensure that one doesn't come back to this
planet because it is bereft of love. They feel if there is love then why is
life so painful? All that one want in life is love. Every human being is
longing for a love that doesn't die out, a love that doesn't cause pain, a
love that grows and stands forever. By taking a multilateral view of life,
one can see life in a different way and realise that the purpose of life is
to achieve this kind of love and blossom in that ideal love.

Suppose you are immensely successful and have all the riches at your command
but there is no love in your life, then life would not really be worthwhile;
it would appear barren. But still most of the people lead a loveless life.
Have you ever thought why this happens? It is your ego that prevents you
from achieving that love. As long as there is ego, there cannot be love. And
when there is love, there is no sign of ego. What is ego? Ego is simply
being unnatural. Half knowledge brings ego but when knowledge becomes
complete, ego drops and simplicity dawns.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

How To Handle Politics

Sun, 07/05/2015 Bangalore, India



Questions & Answers

Dear Gurudev, I am involved in several community service projects, and have
many leadership positions, and now the politics around me is bothering me
and making me less effective. Please advice.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Wherever there are people, politics is bound to be
there. Don’t shy away from it and don’t worry about it, you be rock solid.
What appears to be politics will find its own way out. Have faith that only
the best will happen to you and you will be able to do only the best! Keep
these aphorisms with you like a treasure.

When you resist politics then you get deeply into politics. Your perception
becomes political and you will get paranoid about it. All those who are
paranoid about politics get deep into it. You should not mind it and then it
will never bother you.

What is politics? Different people have different mindsets, and they air
their opinions. For a while these opinions remain and then it all changes.
Some people praise you and the same people will make nasty remarks about
you, all this is very common. You should take this for granted or you will
become uptight. When you are uptight you are not aware of how you behave.
It is better to keep oneself on a higher pedestal, smiling, laughing,
accommodating and accepting that there is politics. Let politics be there,
so what? You have to create this confidence that you will move through it.

Our trouble is that we expect everyone to be Mr. Perfect or Ms. Perfect! We
expect everyone’s behavior and dealings to be perfect. We expect everyone to
be saints but they are not, this is the trouble . And when anybody does
anything different, we say, "Oh there is politics!" People’s actions is
nothing but politics , it doesn’t have to be dirty all the time, though most
of the time it is. So let it be!

It takes quite a bit to rise above all this and keep your mind on the
infinite, and that is enlightenment! You rise above it.

Water is never scared of mud. So if something is muddy, you are water, you
can wash it all off! Just remember this,politics is mud and I am water, I
will run over it.

There is a beautiful poem in Kannada ‘If someone builds a home in the forest
and is afraid of animals, what can I tell them? If someone has built a home
on the sea shore and is scared of the waves, what can I tell them? And if
someone has built a home in the middle of a market place and is complaining
about the noise, what can I tell them?'
Similarly, when you live on this planet, people will give you compliments
and people will give you derogatory remarks. They will create politics. How
can you be afraid of politics when you are on this planet? Never complain
about people playing politics, that is what they will do and will continue
to do.
Lord Krishna never complained to anyone about the politics played by the
families. He didn’t say, "Don’t play politics, I will not come to you", no!
He was right there! Even during the time of Jesus and Buddha, there was
politics.





Gurudev, why does anyone on this planet ever need to suffer?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional. One
doesn’t need to suffer if they are educated and if they have the knowledge.





How do we make sure that we don’t engage in unintentional bad behavior or
bad speech?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You’re wanting to not do that, know that it’s half
done. For the rest half, be more mindful and silence will definitely help.





Gurudev, how does one release a deep seeded fear of death?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: First of all, don’t think that fear is deep seeded.
What is deep seeded is love and fear cannot be as deep as love, fear is only
the circumference. There is an intense sensation and if you go deep into
that sensation then on the other end you will come to a space where there is
total relaxation and love.

Meditation is very useful to turn around all these negative emotions of
fear, hatred, jealousy, etc., and you will see the other side where there is
serenity, peace, confidence and compassion.





I understand that there is a tradition of fasting on certain days of the
month. Why should we do these fasts and do you recommend it?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The ancient people knew that our body being 60% water,
full moon and new moon days affect our body and aggravates any chronic
illness. So three days before the full moon or new moon they ask you to fast
so that all the food that you have had gets flushed out and the body gets
cleansed.

Fasting cleanses the body and the base of the toxins and harmful bacteria is
removed.
Then on the twelfth day, the first thing one should eat is a particular type
of green vegetable so that the body gets enough anti-oxidants and becomes
stronger. That was a system created, but it is not necessary that you have
to fast on these days.

One can only marvel at the brilliance of the traditions that our people made
in the past. People would wear a sacred thread and when they have to use the
toilet they would tie it around their left or the right ear. One scientist
did an experiment where it was found that there are nerves behind the ear,
which when squeezed, enhances bowel movements. You should marvel at the
depth of knowledge the ancient people had.





Gurudev, what is the definition of true happiness?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why do you want to define it? What is the point in
defining it? You can all have your own definitions. Definitions is of the
head, happiness is of the whole being.





Is there an anti-dote to worry?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Singing, meditating and the knowledge of death. You
are going to die anyway, why should you worry? Die with a smile!

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, December 07, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Everyone, be they learned or illiterate, should feel an overwhelming urge to
know God. God has equal affection toward all His children, for to illumine
is the nature of light. Utilising that illumination, some choose to read
good books while others do their daily tasks, whatever they are! Similarly
uttering God’s name, one can progress in the realisation of God, another may
choose to do wicked deeds! It all depends on how you choose to use the
light. But the Lord’s name is without blemish, always and forever. God’s
name must be recited and listened to. For some ailments medicines are
prescribed for external application while for others, they are to be
consumed. But for this universal ailment of the cycle of birth and death
(bhava-roga), the medicines prescribed are listening to spiritual discourses
(sravana), singing God’s name (kirtana), and the like. (Prema Vahini, Ch 21)


-BABA



God is unbiased and not at anyone’s side. But the one who surrenders to God
comes on God’s side.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=666775166690604&set=a.3209317346082
84.80176.308066685894789&type=1>

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Why Acceptance is Important In Relationships

Sun, 07/26/2015 Qubec, Canada

http://cdn.artofliving.org/sites/www.artofliving.org/files/wysiwyg_imageuplo
ad/26July2015_0.jpg

You know medical science is evolving. At one point of time, people were told
antibiotics are good, but now it's said they are not so good. At one point
of time, a whole generation left this planet thinking butter is very bad for
your heart, but last year, in June, an article in the TIME magazine said
that doctors now say butter is good for your heart! (laughter)

Someone asked me, "I am a nurse; I feel so agitated and tired. Will
meditation help me?"
Definitely, it will help. What we need today is a holistic medicine. Doctors
are now admitting that there are certain things which can be cured by
alternative means such as yoga, meditation, breathing exercises. Also some
herbs can go a long way in bringing better heath.

You know, in the Bangalore Ashram (The Art of Living International Center),
we have one of the best Ayurvedic hospitals and an Ayurvedic medical
college. Many people who have the problem of varicose veins, to whom doctors
say that you have to operate the knee, just come here for one week and
they’re fine - no operation needed! People become so fit and they start
running.

We want to bring this sort of education and these treatments to people all
over. I know so many people here in Quebec have arthritis and varicose
veins. You should stop worrying. It’s the worry that makes the problem
worse. Why do you worry? One day everyone is going to go under the ground.
You shouldn’t wait for that day to be peaceful. Some people say, "May your
soul rest in peace", we should be in peace vertically not horizontally!
(laughter)



Questions & Answers

Dearest Gurudev, how can I be a strong leader and also not hurt others'
feelings?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, strength does not mean aggressiveness.
Today, aggression is being misunderstood as a sign of strength, but it is
not so. You can see that school children and college boys and girls feel
that if they are aggressive, then they are leaders, and they are strong. No!
I consider aggression as a sign of weakness. Anger is a sign of weakness.

You know, whatever is in your capacity, you do not get angry about it. What
you cannot do, or when you find something difficult to do, only then you get
angry, right? So, anger and aggression are not signs of heroism, they are
signs of weakness.

This is what they mostly show in the movies — anger and aggression, and
children get bombarded with these impressions and they think this is the way
of life. We must change this, don’t you think so? Instead, friendliness and
happiness should be signs of strength.

I would say, every child and every youth should make one new friend every
day. Life is so short. There is not enough time to spread happiness, love
and harmony. Why do we waste this time with aggression, anger and fight?
Misunderstandings crop up, it is a normal and natural phenomena, whoever it
is, maybe your best friends, there will be some misunderstanding. Between
husband and wife, there will be some misunderstanding. Between parents and
children, there are misunderstandings happening. Wisdom is to rise above it.
We get so upset and angry because we don’t leave room for imperfections. We
should leave a little room for imperfection.

You know, you keep a garbage can at the house so that you can put any
garbage in the can. Suppose you think there should be no corner for the
garbage can at home, do you know what will happen? There will be garbage
everywhere, in the whole house! So, this is why we must leave some space for
imperfections. If someone is imperfect, just accommodate them. In due course
of time, they’ll change. This will increase your tolerance level. You know,
today, this is what we lack very seriously. People are becoming less and
less tolerant. Look at the older generation, how calm and tolerant they are.
And look at the other generation - how intolerant they are becoming! This is
the case all over the world: in the East, West, North, and South,
everywhere.
See how Montreal was 30 years ago when I came, and how it is now? There is a
big difference, isn't it? Crime is increasing and the reason for crime is
lack of tolerance.

I heard about an incident in Mexico. There were two taxi drivers and they
got into an argument at the traffic light. They got out of their cars, took
their guns and shot each other, while the passengers were sitting in the
taxi! I thought, my God, this is too much. So, we started a program in
Mexico and I tell you, it has transformed so many thousands of lives. Now,
the Government of Mexico has asked us to teach 150,000 students.
I happened to meet several of the Senators, the Congressmen of Mexico, and
they all want the Happiness Program in their county. Now we need more
teachers.



There are many kids living on the streets in the cities. What can be done to
get them off the streets?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Is it here in Canada? We should do some program for
those kids. We should bring them here to the Ashram maybe, and they can do
some gardening and get rid of all the bad habits.

You know in India, we have 421 schools and about 48,000 kids are given free
food and education. It's total transformation of these street kids. We have
two orphanages in Sri Lanka also. Sister Concilia is here from Sri Lanka.
She is also an Art of Living teacher and she has done such good work after
the war in Sri Lanka. She went around and did a lot of work with all the
other teachers and volunteers. She has also written a nice book called 'The
Spirit Blows Where it Wills'.





Gurudev, I know I am a very bad person but I want to be good. Please help
me.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, you are not a bad person. The moment you want to
be good, you have already started becoming good. Whatever you think as bad
in you is only in the outer circumference that can be easily removed. Deep
inside, you are a good person and believe that you are a good person. Don’t
think you are a bad person and cement that idea. From now on, you should say
that you are a good person. You might have done some bad things in the past
but that is irrelevant.





Many nurses are suffering from stress and would readily benefit from having
a meditation centre. I want to have a meditation centre in Toronto General
Hospital but the approval has not come.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, it takes some time for people to come out of
the old, closed mindset. So you keep at it and keep convincing them.
Recently, there was a research done in Toronto or London, where they found
that the remission of depression was 14% with all drugs and medicines, but
with the Sahaj meditation, it was 64%.





During the silence program, do we continue to smile at others or do we not
maintain eye contact?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You can definitely smile. Silence does not mean
keeping a long face. This silence is not the silence of mourning. The
silence is that of joy. So, you should keep smiling . In fact, you will
automatically start smiling. You don’t have to make an effort for it.





If all members of both the teams in a soccer match strongly believe in God
and pray for victory before the match starts, why does one team win and the
other lose?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: God likes to do everything indirectly, not directly.
So, he gives one team the privilege of giving the gift of winning to the
other team because the joy in getting is small, but the joy in giving is
greater.

We all came to the world with the joy of having things, but when we leave
this world, we should have experienced the joy of contributing and giving
back to the society. That is a mature joy, the real joy.

Ask grandmothers how much they enjoy when they give to the kids. God knows
that there is greater joy in giving, and so he makes one team give the gift
of winning to the other team. Either you win or you make others win, that’s
all. You know, Jesus has said, “The meek will inherit the world”, and that’s
what it is, the loser gets the greater joy.

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth 18 – 23
January 2016

1.2 AOL YOGA course (5 evenings) @APD Chatsworth 30 November – 4 December
2015

Kassie Gounden : 031 4099697/083 7999 899 <mailto:kas...@pgco.co.za>
kas...@pgco.co.za

Pat Gounden : 031 4099 697/083 7999 699 <mailto:p...@pgco.co.za>
p...@pgco.co.za

Eternity Process & Sahaj Samadhi Meditation 18-20 December 2015

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, December 08, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


In ancient times, people never gave up the practice of Dharma even when
threatened with death at the point of the sword. Now without even the
slightest pressure from others, people slide down and fall into
unrighteousness (Adharma). Practicing Dharma is not an ordinary affair. The
one who does not practice dharma is as bad as dead; one who practices it is
of the divine nature. Presently there is an urgent need to turn people onto
the dharmic path through the traditional methods of counselling with good
advice, sharing with them the attractive consequences of following the path,
threatening to dissociate from those who do not, and inflicting punishment
as a last resort. You should derive the greatest possible benefit from
dharma and while following it, avoid causing any injury to yourselves or
others. You must spread the glory of dharma by making yourself a shining
example of the peace and joy it gives. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 5)


-BABA



Do not think that all people survive doing illegal or wrong actions. There
are many good people who survive doing righteous actions. One who survives
on wrong means has only a very short period of survival.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day









What SRI SRI said

An Easy Way To Forgive

Sat, 07/18/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany



Singing is essential. It should be a part of our life. Even before we
started talking, we started humming. Every human being, every bird, and most
of the animals sing because singing is part of the expression of life.
Spending a few minutes with music every day is essential. That will
stimulate the right brain activity.

The whole day, from the time we wake up until we go to bed, we are only
using the left brain – calculating, talking, logical reasoning, taking
decisions. So our development is one-sided. So, for some time, we have to
give rest to the left brain and swing to the right side, to be balanced! So,
to be balanced, sometimes sit and listen to music and sing.

Our habit has been that we put on music but yet we keep talking. Music is
running, it is going on, I don’t know for whom to hear, but you are busy in
doing something. How many of you do this? (Many in the audience raise their
hands). Nearly everyone! The music is going on in the background but we are
not engrossed in the music. You are not soaking yourself in music. You are
not letting the music take over you.

Satsangis when you just sit and allow the music to take over you and be
totally soaked in music. Then, the right brain activity is dominant and you
feel very good. The whole system gets energized. It can be an antidote for
many illnesses and also help in prevention of several psychosomatic
disorders. This can only happen when you listen to music, and be engrossed
in music. What do you say?



Questions & Answers



Dear Gurudev, I say that I have forgiven, but when I am meditating, the past
comes back and I feel that I am losing out on my experience. Forgiving is
easier said than done. Please help me to forgive and be free because I am
still hurting.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Forgiving is not only difficult, it is almost
impossible as long as you think that someone is a culprit. But if you see
that person, whomsoever you want to forgive, not as a culprit but as a
victim of situations, a victim of ignorance, or just a postman to deliver
what was due to you, you don’t need to forgive them. They just simply
disappear from your domain.

When a postman has delivered you a parcel, that’s it, you don’t think about
the postman. You are with the parcel, whether you like it or not. You do
whatever you want to do with the parcel. This is exactly the attitude you
should have.
As I said the other day, when you get a nasty email, you don’t bang or throw
your computer or laptop because you’ve got a nasty email. Whatever email
came, the laptop just reflects that. That’s all! Similarly, people are just
like laptops. You don’t need to forgive them. You simply need to have a
better understanding.

If you ask them, sometimes, they also may not know why they behaved that
way, why they did acts that hurt you.





Gurudev, what is it like to be free of maya, of the ego, of the small mind,
of all this nonsense. If I can imagine it, at least then I can finally
become free! Is there anyone who will not get enlightened in this lifetime
being with you? I hope that’s not me.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, wanting the highest, wanting freedom itself is a
sign of awakening. If you are in slumber, you don’t even care about it. When
you wake up and see, you say, "I don’t want all this. I want to be free",
then you are half-done. You are already moving in that direction.

Being free is like being a kid again. A baby is free but it is weak, but an
enlightened one is free with strength. A baby is free with dependence;
enlightenment is freedom with utter independence.





Dear Gurudev, if you were to die tomorrow, is there a natural successor in
place? Or, must that person be elected? After all, these things are not
eternal!



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I haven’t thought about it yet, but this knowledge
will continue. Many people will lead it in many places, as necessary.





Gurudev, what is better – to do the course or stay here like a guest? Guests
seem to have a nice time compared to us. Last year, I did the Advanced
Meditation Course here four times and the same guests were here enjoying.
Who gets more of your blessings and why?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, the guests miss it. They miss what you are
having, what you are enjoying. The meditation and the silence, this is even
more important. Since they cannot come for 4-5 days, they come for 1 or 2
days and I just meet them only once. Don’t imagine that I have guests
hanging around with me upstairs and we are all having a nice time. No, I
don’t let that happen. I tell them to go down, that there are people who are
in silence here, meditating. And there also are other guests who do some
seva.

You know, guests may think the other way round, "Oh, I didn’t get this
opportunity. People who are doing the course are enjoying and looking so
bright. Everybody is enjoying silence".

Definitely, those who sit for silence get more benefits. No doubt about it
by any means.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Wednesday, December 09, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


People have taught the eye, ear, and tongue the luxury of constant novelty.
Now do the opposite. Turn your mind towards the good and examine every
minute’s activities. Each deed is a chisel stroke shaping the rock of human
personality. A wrong stroke may disfigure the rock. Therefore even the
tiniest of acts must be done with great care and devotion. For a drowning
person, even a reed is some support. So too to a person struggling in the
sea of inborn desires (samskara), a few kind words might be of great help.
No good deed is a waste; every bad deed has its consequence. So strive to
avoid the slightest trace of evil activity. Keep your eyes pure. Fill your
ears with stories of Divine; don’t allow them to listen to calumny. Use your
tongue for uttering good, kind, and true words. Let it always remind you of
God. Such constant effort will grant you victory. (Prema Vahini Ch 27)


-BABA



First of all, don’t label everyone as cunning and corrupt. Then you will
only see them in that light. Do not label people like that even if they are
like that. Your sankalpa or your thought can bring up the worst in them.
However, if your sankalpa is good even in the people who appear to be worst,
good will come out of them.
Today one of our teachers from Srinagar called me; he completed a YLTP
course of 50 youth. He was mentioning that the transformation was so much in
the youth. The district collector came for the closing ceremony and said,
"This is a miracle. What has happened to these youths here? So much
transformation”. The youth were saying that you have never given us this
kind of spiritual education before and you blame us that we do this and we
do that, but nobody ever taught us inner peace.

So it is up to us to bring out the best in others, often we criticize others
saying, "You are hopeless”, but you know there are some good things also,
you have to give them some hope. Bring out the Divine qualities in the
people around you; take this as your mission. I am not telling you to be
naïve. Be careful, at the same time bring out good qualities.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Sri Sri Reminisces



Wed, 09/23/2015 Bangalore, India

(Ajay Shukla, a representative from Door Darshan, conducted an interview
with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at The Art of Living International Ashram on 23
September 2015, reminiscing his childhood days and the discovery of the
Sudarshan Kriya. Below is the transcript of what Sri Sri said:)

http://cdn.artofliving.org/sites/www.artofliving.org/files/wysiwyg_imageuplo
ad/SriSri_1.jpg

Questions & Answers



Gurudev, when we think about you or talk about you, we often wonder what
kind of atmosphere did you grow up in? What did your mother and father tell
you?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I always had this deep feeling right from the
beginning that the entire world belongs to me and is my own family. I always
felt that there were so many people waiting for me. When I used to say this
in those days, people would not believe me and would say that I am lying.
They would often catch my ear and also scold me. They would tell me, “You
never lie about anything. Why are you lying to us about this?” I could not
understand how I should help them understand this. So this used to confuse
me many times in those days.





Gurudev, do you have any special memories of your childhood days and of your
parents? Is there anything that you can remember that has made an impression
on your mind?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: My parents were very nice and they taught me many good
things as I grew up. My mother was deeply spiritual and my father also had a
very strong inclination towards spirituality. When children grow up in a
spiritual environment where there are some poojas being done, then they
imbibe and pick up those habits from an early age.





Gurudev, at what age did you start having this inclination towards
spirituality?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, I always had some interest in spirituality since
the beginning. We all carry certain samskaras (impressions) through
lifetimes; some we imbibe from the environment and some we carry with us
through lifetimes. So the seed is always there.

This is not the first time that we have come on this Earth. We have been
here many times before as well. If you pay close attention to children, you
will see that any child up to the age of three years is able to remember the
things about his or her past life. Children also try to express about it in
their own way, but many people around them do not take it very seriously. If
we actually try to listen and understand them then we will be able to know
what their past was like. The past for each and every one of us is very deep
and vast, but we never really pay much attention to this. When we go deep in
meditation, when we go deeper in our sadhana then all these levels open up.
All our past impressions from previous lives also emerge. The good
impressions get carried forward with us while the meaningless ones get left
behind.





Gurudev, as per what we have heard about the many saints of India, it
appears that as they progress on the spiritual path, their formal education
gets left behind. But you have grown up in a very different environment. How
did you balance the two?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, for me both spirituality and my education always
went hand in hand. I would say it has been my good fortune indeed. Even as I
continued to go deeper in Spirituality, my education also continued. I
always had a strong interest in Science. And I never thought that Indian
Spirituality is separate, or far away from Science. I never saw any
contradiction or conflict between the two.

A person should attend to both spiritual knowledge and science, and should
have a scientific view or approach to everything. One should not blindly
accept anything without asking questions about it. That is a sign of having
a scientific perspective. For progressing in spirituality all you need is
unshakable faith. Life should be a beautiful combination of the two.





The youth of our country listening to you would be definitely inspired by
knowing how you were able to maintain a balance between the two. Please tell
us more about this.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A great part of my childhood was spent in the company
of the wise and the elders of my family. Now the latter part of my life is
being spent with children ( laughter ).

When I was young, I never used to have much interest in sports like cricket,
etc. I used to force myself to take interest in games but used to find it
quite meaningless most of the times. But I used to really like sitting with
wise elders and asking them questions. I was surrounded by wise elders most
of the time. My teacher, Pandit Sudhakar Chaturvedi Ji, was a very close
associate of Mahatma Gandhi. He had spent many years with Gandhi Ji. He was
the one who taught the Bhagavad Gita to Mahatma Gandhi. He even spent time
with Bapu (Mahatma Gandhi) in the Yerwada Jail when Kasturba Ji (wife of
Mahatma Gandhi) was breathing her last.

My teacher used to narrate many stories to me from the Vedas, Puranas and
the Upanishads. In those days there was no television and the radio used to
be on air for a very short time during the day. There was nothing else other
than that for entertainment. There used to be musical gatherings for
classical music on festivals such as Ram Navami , and during Navratri . I
used to take a lot of interest in music and entertainment.





Gurudev, you just spoke about your teacher. Please tell us about those great
personalities whom you have met and who left an impression on you during
your growing years.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I had the good fortune of meeting many great people
during those years. I met the Shankaracharya Ji of the Kanchi Mathh. They
would always regard me as their equal and gave me a lot of respect when I
would go meet them. But I would feel a little uncomfortable because I was
very young and they were quite elder to me. After some time I became used to
it ( laughter). Anything new does feel a bit strange in the beginning, but
eventually one gets used to it over time.





Was there ever any turning point in your life?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, I never had any such shocks or turning points in
life where I got cheated or got heart broken in love. Neither did I go
through any kind of loss like how people suffer in business. I fortunately
have never faced anything like this, and I never had to run away from home
because of depression. There was nothing traumatic in my life. Yes, there
were many experiences that I had and each of them were interesting.





Gurudev, you have become famous all over the world today and you have
inspired so many people. We wish to know how did you start teaching and how
did you take this knowledge outside India for the first time?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Once when I was in Delhi, I was invited for a program
in Surajkund which is a resort. We had organized a two-day workshop there,
everyone really liked and appreciated it. Some people from the group of
participants that day approached me and requested me to come to UK, and to
Italy. In this way, I kept getting invitations from different people and
places and I traveled. Slowly and slowly, things started happening and
before I knew it, I was already going round the world every now and then.





Gurudev, do you attract everyone with your words?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, I do not know what this attraction or persuasion
is. But I will say one thing here, when your heart is pure, then you can
always be childlike and innocent. Every child has the power to attract and
draw everyone’s attention to them. When there is purity in heart, clarity
and sharpness in the mind, and there is spontaneity in action, then we can
return to our childlike innocence.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, December 10, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Just as the woman should consider one person and one person alone as her
master and husband, the man too has to be faithful to one woman and one
woman alone, as his mate, his wife. She has to consider the husband as
Divine and worship him and minister to and follow his desires for the
fulfilment of her duty of loyalty to the husband (pativrata); so too, man
should honour his wife as the ‘mistress of the home’ and act in accordance
with her wishes, for she is the Grihalakshmi (Goddess of prosperity of the
home). Only then can he deserve the status of ‘man’. Name and fame, honour
and dishonour, vice and wickedness, good and bad are all equal and uniform
to both men and women. There is no such thing as woman alone being bound and
men being free; both are equally bound by the rules of dharma. Both will
fall into adharma if they conduct themselves without due consideration of
the attributes mentioned above. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 6)


-BABA



You know, I am a rebel in this field. I say women have equal right as men,
and here (in the Ashram), we say women can all do poojas. Women can
participate in all rituals, and be priests as well. You have the right, you
can do it.
Nowhere, at least in the scriptures, what I have learnt or whatever little I
know, is there any discrimination on the basis of gender. So, women should
come forward and take up their rightful place. Don’t ask someone to give it
to you.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Sri Sri Reminisces (Continued)

Wed, 09/23/2015 Bangalore, India



(Below is a continuation of post <http://wisdom/sri-sri-reminisces> Sri Sri
Reminisces)

Questions & Answers



Gurudev, today the Sudarshan Kriya is such a technique that has changed the
lives of millions around the world. How did you come to know or acquire it?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I used to teach meditation in my early years. But I
often used to feel there is something still missing, and something more is
needed to make the experience complete. I always used to feel as if
something more is going to come up. So I took a vow of silence for 10 days
in Shimoga, in Karnataka, near the Tungabhadra river. After that, a few
people collected there to meet me and asked me to speak. So I spoke to them
and taught them the Sudarshan Kriya, and I also learnt along with them as I
taught them.

The Sudarshan Kriya came to me like an inspiration, just like how poetry
happens so spontaneously. I never had to put in too much of my mind for
this. It all came through deep intuition, like how we download things from
the Internet these days. Our brain is a supercomputer. We can download so
many things into our brain.





Do you feel that apart from the Sudarshan Kriya something more is in store
for us all?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: From time to time, knowledge gets revealed as per the
need of the hour. It all happens spontaneously, by itself. This is all very
amazing. The whole creation is filled with wonder. We often speak of
miracles and they do keep happening in everyone’s lives from time to time.

When we are at peace within and repose in that depth of the Self, then there
is really no lack of such things from happening. There is no end to the
wonders in creation, and wonder is the preface to Yoga. When surprising
things start happening in our life, we naturally become aware of another
higher dimension in life. We start to have some realization about that which
is unmanifest, invisible and far greater than we can imagine.

This is not limited to a few special people. Anyone can have this
experience, but only a few people actually get this.





Gurudev, when I was coming here today, one of my friends in Dubai sent me an
SMS asking me to record your voice and send him the audio and also ask you
to bless him. He has never met you but has seen so many of your knowledge
talks on YouTube. The amazing thing is that there are so many people in
Dubai and Abu Dhabi (UAE) who regularly listen to your talks and videos and
get relief from stress. What would you want to say?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, this is a great gift of the modern technology. It
is because of these technological advances that today we can reach out to
every corner of the world.

Knowledge which till now was held secret by certain people or communities is
now able to reach so many people. We can share our knowledge with far more
people now because of technology and the Internet. And this is why I chose
to open the doors of knowledge to everybody.This knowledge is so precious
and is not for being restricted to people of any one particular religion or
community. This knowledge belongs to the entire humanity everywhere. All of
mankind can be greatly benefited by this knowledge regardless of whichever
religion or faith they follow.

Along with religion, I feel that following certain practices that bring
peace and happiness to the mind and spirit is also very important and should
be a part of everyone’s life. Such practices help strengthen the body, make
the mind and heart blossom in joy, and sharpen the intellect. I think
everyone needs access to such knowledge. This is why I thought about taking
this knowledge to every home following our ancient Indian motto –
Vasaudhaiva Kutumbakam (the whole world is one family). The Art of Living
began with this intention.





Gurudev, everyone in the world wants to meet you – be it the most
influential and powerful people, or the poorest of the poor in the world.
Please tell us a little about how you feel.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, I too want to meet everyone. And today
technology has made it possible to connect with everyone and reach out to
the farthest corners of the world. Even through media personalities like
you, it has become possible to reach out to many more people.

People can write to me anytime they feel like. Today we have the convenience
of email. I get thousands and thousands of emails every day.
See, there are two kinds of connections:
1. The external connection
2. The inner connection
We also need to re-establish that inner connection with ourselves. And when
we sincerely feel that belongingness with people from within, then they
automatically become our own. We just need to understand and accept them
from within. That is all that is needed.

At the subtle level we are all wired together, we are all connected with
each other. It is said that there are a trillion cells in our brain. Every
part of our body is connected to the larger universe. Every individual is a
part of this universe. We just need to go deep within and realize that we
are all connected. That is when meditation happens.





Gurudev, all our complaints and worries disappear automatically the moment
we see you. Do you ever worry about anything?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I worry about everyone. I worry about this country,
about this entire creation. I do worry but I do not get troubled by it.





Gurudev, you just spoke about making that inner connection. As I was making
plans to visit you, I came across many parents who are not able to connect
with their own children and relate to them. They often ask, “What is the
magic that Gurudev has, because of which so many people get drawn and
connected to him instantly, when they do not listen to their own parents?”



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, the youths have a lot of enthusiasm and they know
that I always encourage enthusiasm. They also have a lot of curiosity and
sincere intentions to learn, and when they come here, their thirst for
knowledge and curiosity gets fulfilled. The youths are full of love and joy
and they know that it is honored here.

One does not become young only by age. Anyone who is young at heart, who is
full of zeal and enthusiasm, I would call such people as the youth. Those
who are not yet tired out, are really young. In fact, even old and elderly
people start feeling young after coming to the Ashram. The moment they feel
relieved of their tiredness and worries, the enthusiasm to take up new
challenges gets rekindled in them.

Here at the Ashram we often inspire the youths to do something beneficial
for the society. One kind of happiness is what you get by taking or gaining
something. But there is another kind of happiness that you get when you
share with others. You get a lot of joy by that. So, life is the journey
from the happiness that you get by taking, to the joy that you get by
sharing more and more with others. There is so much energy in the youth,
they can do so much good for the society, and they genuinely want to do
something as well.





The Art of Living has completed 35 years of its existence. In 2016, a huge
program called the World Culture festival has been organized to celebrate
this in New Delhi. There are many grand festivities planned and many eminent
personalities are going to attend this program. What is the need of this
festival and what is the impact that such a program will have on the people?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Ten years back in 2006, we had celebrated the Silver
Jubilee of The Art of Living in Bangalore to commemorate the 25 years’
anniversary. Five years after that, we had organized the World Culture
Festival in Berlin. This time it is Delhi’s turn to host the grand event.

People from 154 countries will come to attend this event as a One World
Family to display the rich cultural heritage of their own countries. It will
be like a family reunion where everyone will get together to meditate, do
Yoga and celebrate. This will establish a unique ideal before the entire
world. This will be our way to convey that we believe in love and peace, and
spreading that peace instead of listening to or getting caught in negativity
and violence. The World Culture Festival shall convey the message of world
peace, love and universal harmony to the entire world.
Humanity and human values are very much alive even today. This message needs
to reach everyone today.

Depression has become so wide-spread today. People think with a limited mind
and heart, and only think about what will happen to them all the time. In
order to get out of that mindset, we need to get out of our negativity and
come together and join hands in a celebration of peace and happiness.



Gurudev, whenever you conduct any program, it becomes a big challenge for
the media to cover it. What is your secret behind always having such
celebrations and events on such a grand scale?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There is a saying in Sanskrit which says, " There is
no joy in the small and limited, joy is always in that which is grand and
large ". So when you have a broad vision, when you think big, then obviously
you are also able to do big things.

When you have a large and generous heart, then how can you act small?
Everything automatically gets connected and starts happening. This cannot
happen by the will of one person alone. Everyone needs to have that broad
vision and great determination .
It is all very interesting to see how these big events happen. The entire
organization starts working towards it and there is so much chaos and work
to do, but it all starts to fall in place and comes together. It is unique
in its own way.





Gurudev, if we work for four to five hours, or meet 10 people during the
day, we get so tired. We just feel like relaxing and doing nothing at the
end of the day. Do you ever take a vacation?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes of course, in between life times! (Laughter)
See, we never get tired when we do anything that is in our nature. The river
never gets tired of flowing, the air does not get tired of flowing, the Sun
does not get tired of shining. So when we are in our own element, when we
get established in our true nature, then everything simply happens and does
not tire us out.





Gurudev, today you are at the pinnacle of spirituality. What message would
you like to convey to our spiritual seekers who are not here with you today?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I would say, try and gain knowledge about something
and at the same time have faith as well. See, you cannot possibly know
everything. And you also need to have deep faith in something. Embrace
everyone you meet with love. That is my message.
See, if someone gives you something and says, “It is very sweet”, then you
should first taste it yourself instead of simply believing them.
If someone tells you, “It is poison, do not touch it”, then you should not
say, “No, first I will taste it and then believe you” (laughter).

Three things are needed for life:
1. Purity of heart
2. Clarity of mind and
3. Sincerity in action or spontaneity in action.
Do not get stuck in just thinking, “What will happen to me?” See, there are
problems in everyone’s life, but remember that they do not stay forever.
They come and go. Do not let them overwhelm you. And spirituality will give
you that much needed strength and stability to withstand and overcome all
problems with a smile. Spirituality can give a new direction to your
thoughts and to your life.



Gurudev, one last question. When we see you or meet you, we feel so
overjoyed and also get some guidance in life after listening to you. What do
you feel when you look at your devotees?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I feel they are mine and belong to me completely.
Whomever I have met till today, I always feel that they are mine and belong
to me. I have never met a stranger in my life.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Friday, December 11, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The net result of all this living and toiling is whatever comes to memory at
the last moment of life. Therefore direct the entire current of life towards
acquisition of the mental tendency (samskara) that you want to have during
the last moment. The feeling that dominates the moment of death works with
great force in the coming life. This truth must guide a person for the
journey of this life too, for inborn desires are the wherewithal for this
journey as well as for the journey after this. Therefore from tomorrow,
always keep death, which is inevitable, before the eye of memory and engage
yourself in the journey of life with good wishes for all, with strict
adherence to truth, seeking always the company of the good, and with the
mind always fixed on the Lord. Avoid evil deeds, hateful and harmful
thoughts, and don’t get attached to the world. If you live thus, your last
moment will be pure, sweet, and blessed. (Prema Vahini, Ch 27)


-BABA



Yes, it is true. It is at the time of death that the mind separates from the
body. So at this time, whatever impression one bears in the mind become the
reason for the next birth. This is a scientific truth. You can see this for
yourself. If you observe, the first thought on your mind when you wake up in
the morning will be same thought that you had before you went to sleep.
Now, usually your mind is so consumed with thoughts of something or the
other, that at the time of death, you may not even remember to chant
Narayana. That is why the ancient people have said keep remembering God all
the time by chanting His name (Narayana). Remember him every night before
sleeping; while you take a shower; even while eating your meals, remember
him and thank him for the food you receive. Before starting something new,
remember Him to make it an auspicious beginning. The ancient people were
very intelligent and they made it a custom.
So, whenever one opens a new shop, the first thing they must do is naam
smaran(remember the name of God), and then they start the shop. If one buys
something new, they must remember Narayana and then begin. We all do this,
is it not so? We do this even today.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

Why Sincerity Is Important?

Sat, 07/18/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany

(Below is a continuation of post

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/an-easy-way-to-forgive> An Easy Way To
Forgive)

Questions & Answers

Dear Gurudev, congratulations for the meeting with the FARC in Cuba and
their resolution to adopt non-violence. Is there a way that you can also
approach Hamas leaders from Gaza to inspire them to do the same, as well as
Israeli government members?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes. You know, when politics gets involved, somewhere
sincerity disappears and ambition steps in. In some places, people are happy
that there are conflicts, because conflict is a cash cow for them.

Many people don’t want world peace! Or else what will happen to their arms
market? Developed countries have a lot of arms and ammunitions, if there is
world peace, they will have to shut down the huge factories! For them, it is
necessary that some conflicts happen so that they can sell their weapons.
This is the bitter truth. You must know this.

It’s like the toddy business in India. The government encourages people to
drink and get addicted to alcohol because it is a source of revenue for
them. And what happens? People drink and drink and they become addicts to
alcohol and their families suffer. Who suffers? The women folk suffers.

Peace is not that easy. It is very complicated. That’s why I say that
leaders and decision-makers should start meditating.

This time on World Yoga Day when I taught world leaders meditation, you know
what the United Nation people, including our Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon
said? He said, "We need to do this every day before going to negotiations.
We feel so good after meditation".
It was the first time that many of them had meditated. They said, "We feel
completely different. So fresh. We should do this regularly".
Meditation is essential when you want to make an important decision which
affects millions of people.

A journalist from Colombia asked me, "How come the FARC listened to you and
agreed to ceasefire? Big powers such as America, Norway, failed to get them
to declare ceasefire. What did you say?"
I said, "It is not what I say but what I am that made a difference!"
So, if you are sincere, people recognize that and that makes all the
difference. It is not the strategy but sincerity that makes a difference
because the world moves with energy, and it is this positive spiritual
energy (of sincerity) that uplifts the other. When you have positive and
loving energy in you, that brings a difference to the world. Do you see what
I am saying?

There are peace conferences where people keep on talking and talking till
you get headache from listening to them. So exhausting! I have visited many
of these conferences, and now I decided - no more such conferences! If I go
to a conference, I am going to give my talk and get out of there, I am not
going to stay and listen! It is so tiring. People only talk. How many of you
have experienced this in conferences? (Many in the audience raise their
hands)

The conferences that The Art of Living organizes are much different, whether
it is our International Women’s Conference, or our Corporate Culture &
Spirituality Conference. People say it is different. Why? We ensure that it
is done with positive, sincere energy, and meditation is part of our
program. That makes the difference.



(A member of the audience asked a question relating to terrorism, but it was
inaudible)



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The horrible crimes that people are doing today, is
very unfortunate. We need to have pity on these people. They have not gotten
proper education. They are victims of the education system.

Just imagine, you were born in that place and you were told that you had to
do God’s work and God doesn’t want these other infidels to live in the
planet, and that it is your duty, what would you do? You would do the same
thing as they are doing.
They are like soldiers. If you are a soldier working in the military or
army, what are you taught? If an enemy comes, see them not as a human being
but as an object and shoot at them, isn’t it? This is proper army training!
Every military man is taught not to see humanness in the person with whom
they are fighting. ‘See them as a dangerous object which is coming to attack
you. See them as an animal, shoot them!’ This is their education.

That’s why I say, every child in the planet should be educated a little bit
on all the diverse cultures and religions of the world, and are made to
understand that the world is one global family - you should respect, honor
and love all human beings. If this education is given, will anybody take a
gun and shoot another? Impossible! When you are educated in the principle of
non-violence, you can’t kill people! Horrible crimes happen because this
education is lacking.

If you tell growing-up children that cruelty to animals is bad, and they
grow up with this concept that ‘cruelty to animals is bad’, they wouldn’t
want to hurt animals! But you know that in some places in the Far East, they
have pet dogs in their home, and one day it comes on their dining table! Do
you know this?
An American told me that he was in the Far East and was a guest in
somebody’s house. There was a nice dog there. Next time, after a month or
two, he went back and asked, "What happened to your dog?" It was already on
the dining table!

That is the culturing of the mind, that is how the mind is being cultured –
it is okay to do that. If it is okay to shoot a dog which has been a pet at
your own home, then it is okay to shoot somebody who is your neighbor too!

Today, crime is increasing in the world because of the virtual video games
of gunmen shooting people. Kids keep shooting and they don’t find it bad.
You can shoot in the virtual world. But then kids get confused and don’t
find any difference between the virtual world and the real world. In the
real world also, they take the gun and shoot!
In America, there are more gun stores than grocery stores. Gun stores are
almost twice as much as the grocery stores. So kids have access to guns.
They take the guns to school and they shoot people, and they don’t find
anything wrong in it because they have grown up playing video games with
guns! They don’t see that in the video game, you shoot them down, they come
back again, but in real life they don’t! You shoot somebody and they are
finished forever!

Classroom and campus crimes are increasing in the world. Street crimes are
increasing, family disputes are increasing. Yesterday I was told that 50% of
the family disputes end up in divorces. It has become a very big issue. And
that is why what we are doing (The Happiness Program) is so relevant. Our
vision is a stress-free and violence-free society, and we need to make our
voice heard loud and clear.

This morning, a very big terrorist had called me on the phone. He has been
fighting in the jungles, and has been wanted for the last 35 years. I told
him, "Look! What are you doing? You are 65 years old now. How long are you
going to run around in the forest? Some countries will give you weapon, they
will give you money to de-stabilize another country, but they can never give
you honor. You want to die with such disgrace and dishonor? No country will
give you asylum. I know you want to help your people, you want social
justice. That is your cause. You are fighting against injustice. Correct, I
agree with you. But gun is not the way. It won’t lead you anywhere. 35 years
you have been fighting, where has it lead you? It is better that you return
to your homeland and have an honorable life. I will stand with you. We will
create a peaceful situation".
You know what he said? He said, "You are the first person who understood me.
I trust you. I don’t think anybody else had this understanding".
I told him, "I understand what you want. You are not having a party in the
forest. Your children and wife are suffering somewhere, and you are stuck
with an ideology which has become almost obsolete today. Today, the world is
interdependent".
He agreed to have a meeting with me. At first, he said, "I am very busy for
three months".
I said, "Look, you are busy, I am busier than you (laughter)! It is even
difficult for me to give you a date, I have all dates booked".
He called back again and said, "Yes, we will meet". He also gave me a date.
We need to put this sense in people’s heads.

I see serious flaw in our education system. We have not given spiritual
education to our children. We have not made them realize that the whole
world is one family. We have not given them the vision or a mission in their
life that unites people. So they take up missions and visions which divide,
or which they perceive as God’s wish, that is sheer nonsense!

There are people who are fighting on the Communist ideology or for social
justice, this is one side. And there are people who are fighting on
religious ideology. We have to get them to the central goal of human
civilization. Don’t you think so? And what is the central goal of human
civilization? It is love, compassion and joy. It is realizing that for the
short time that we live on this planet, we need to make life a celebration!
This is what The Art of Living is all about.

So there is this consciousness of 'Injustice has been done to me, so I want
to do things right in the world’.
All these people who want to set things right in the world, for example the
terrorists, what do they want? They think that everybody has spoiled the
planet and the civilization and so they ruin societies and families, and
think that they are going to bring God’s order or law on this planet; social
justice and peace for everybody, and that’s why they fight. They want to
remove all the rotten apples. In their eyes, everyone who doesn’t belong to
their ideology is a rotten apple. Right? They want to get rid of all this.
People who create havoc in the society, they think everybody else is bad.
This is their understanding.
That’s why yoga, meditation, and this spiritual knowledge what we are
espousing today has so much relevance because the basis of this is
non-violence and harmony in diversity.

Multi-cultural and multi-religious education, education in non-violence, and
education in spiritual values is essential in the world. If this education
is given, we can avoid many future disasters.
The world cannot be a safe place even if you leave one small country
thinking that only they have the truth, everybody else is going to hell and
only they are going to heaven. They are going to create hell for everybody!
They will become terrorists. That’s why we all have a great job to do. We
have to bring this knowledge to every doorstep. We have to tell people about
meditation because when you go inward, you find peace within and you will
not harm others. Who harms others? One who is disturbed inside, one who has
not found peace.
So if someone has cheated, that man is not a happy man. If that man or woman
is happy inside, content inside, why would they cheat somebody?

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, December 14, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Twenty hammer strokes might not succeed in breaking a stone, but the twenty
first might. Does this mean the first 20 blows were of no avail? No! Each
stroke contributed its share to the final success which was the cumulative
effect of all 21 strokes. So too, your mind is engaged in a struggle with
the internal and external world. Needless to say, you may not always
succeed. You can attain everlasting bliss by immersing yourself in good
works and saturating your mind with the love of God. Infuse every moment of
life with that love. Then evil tendencies will not obstruct you. When your
mind dwells with the Lord always, you will be drawn automatically only
toward good deeds. The objective of all spiritual practices is to destroy
the mind, and some day, one good deed will succeed in destroying it, just
like the 21st stroke. Hence no good deed is a waste - every little act
counts! (Prema Vahini, Ch 28)


-BABA



You Are A Diamond

Realize that you are much more than the actions that you do. You are much
more than your situations, your surroundings, your thoughts, your emotional
patterns. You are much more than what you think about yourself.

Again and again, recognize this, 'I am a diamond, but unfortunately, I have
fallen into a garbage can. Now I am getting out of it, and washing myself!'
It could be an annual wash, or a bi-annual wash, then you realize that all
the stuff you have been holding with yourself, is not you anyway. You are
ever pure.

Is it hard to recognise or believe this? That is why we do Sudarshan Kriya
and all the other processes, just to recognise that you are so pure, and
something so wonderful.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Are you managing the world?

"If you think that you are managing the whole world, you are mistaken.
There were two lizards on the roof, one said “it is nice and sunny outside,
let’s go and take a walk.” The other said “If I leave, who will hold the
roof?”
Billions of people have come and gone, they get this illusion that they own
it all – and then they disappear.
We were born on this planet knowing the whole universe is filled with life –
and that is the truth. But as we grow up, we started thinking everything is
programmed and automatic.
Atheists cannot accept something is alive and dynamic – even intelligence to
them seems to be mechanized and lifeless.
Spiritualists consider the whole universe to be alive and vibrant with
intelligence. And that intelligence is what you are. The spirit is formless.
The consciousness is formless.
That which is formless, which is ever present can be perceived in all the
forms.. What we perceive as a form is also formless e.g. an ice cube is also
made of water. "


<https://www.facebook.com/TheArtOfLivingGlobal/photos/a.120979187957098.2904
0.119952078059809/793263380728672/?type=3>

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth 18 – 23
January 2016

1.2 AOL YOGA course (5 evenings) @APD Chatsworth

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, December 15, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


As your day progresses, as one enters the field of daily work and toil, you
are infused with the passionate quality (rajoguna). Before you take your
lunch, meditate on the Lord again and dedicate the work, and the fruit
derived from it to the Lord Himself. Start eating only after this act of
devotion and grateful remembrance. This is the meaning of the noon
(maadhyannika) worship. By observing this ritual, passion is kept in check
and is overpowered by the satwic nature. During the day, people are
possessed by a third nature, tamas or dullness. When evening descends, one
hurries home, eats one’s fill, and is overpowered by sleep. But a duty still
remains. To eat and sleep is the fate of idlers and drones. When the worst
of the qualities, tamas threatens to rule, one must make a special effort to
escape its coils by resorting to prayer in the company of those who extol
the Lord, reading about the glory of God, the cultivation of good virtues,
and the purposeful nursing of good rules of conduct. This is the prescribed
evening worship (sandhyavandana). (Dharma Vahini, Ch 7)


-BABA



Wisdom is to rise above prejudice and see the whole world as one family. If
this idea comes, there will be no war, no crime and none of the problems
that we are facing in the world today. There is so much violence in the
world. This is all because of lack of wisdom.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar


<https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10152810017090912&set=a.38239056091
1.162679.825685911&type=1>

Blessings for a GOoD day









What SRI SRI said

Let Go Of Fear Of Other People's Opinion

Tue, 07/21/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany



Questions & Answers

Gurudev, sometimes I find it difficult to explain to other people the
benefits of meditation.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, you don't try to convince people who don't know
what meditation is. Even if they get convinced, they will not do it. So
better leave it. Say to them, "You have not meditated, you have missed
something great in your life", that's it, and you walk away with a royal
attitude. They will come behind you.

It is not your convincing power that will make people start. It’s your
conviction that will make them start. How much conviction you have in what
you believe. That changes the world around you.

Do you know what the spider does? It makes a net all around itself from its
own saliva. It walks and weaves a net. The spider does it all by itself!
This is what you must remember. Have this conviction that you create your
world, you create the people around you and you create the situations around
you.

Don't give too much importance to what others think, what others say because
it has no basis. They just vanish in no time like bubbles in the air.
Why do we give so much importance to what people think? People who you think
are great friends, how much time will it take for them to turn against you?
Hasn't it happened? You have done so much for people and they have turned
against you. How many of you have this experience? For no reason, they
became your enemy. You wonder one fine day what happened to this guy, what
happened to this lady? You can't find logic. You search for a reason why
they have gone against you, and you can't find one.

Similarly, someone who you did not know come to your help. Hasn't this
happened? All this happens on its own law. If your time is good, even
enemies behave like friends, and if your time is not good, it can happen the
other way around. So remember you are like the spider. You weave your world
around yourself. When you move with this conviction, everything falls in
place, not you trying to convince somebody.

People having known something is good, still they don't do it. Who does not
know exercising is good? Civilized, educated people, they all know, but do
they do it? No! Educated people know very well that junk food is bad for
them. Do they stop eating it? No! So it is not necessary that people do what
is good for them. But when you give them a vision of something beyond,
something mysterious, something more beautiful, then they will want to find
out what it is. When you trigger the interest in them, trigger the spirit of
enquiry in them, then the people will walk the path, not because they know
or they are convinced.





Gurudev, according to the law of attraction, we attract everything. There is
a trend in us where we train ourselves to attract all kinds of wealth,
especially material goods, and also partners, love, friends, etc. What is
your opinion about this phenomenon?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The law of attraction is an ancient concept. It’s
nothing new. You call it the law of attraction or you call it the karma
theory, it’s the same. What you need to know is: you are much bigger than
that. You are much more than the law of attraction, for you have the power.
.
Don't give too much power to the law of attraction. You have a say in the
law of attraction as well.

Somehow, when the new-age people talk about the law of attraction, they make
you feel as though you are a slave to this law, as though it is fatalistic.
It’s not fatalistic. The law of attraction is one of the powers of your
existence; your mind. , So you have the power to say no to it also. ,





Gurudev, when you were here in April and we had satsang, I saw a person who
was not physically here. Can you say something about this phenomenon?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, many experiences happen in life but you don't
have to give too much importance to it. You may see things, you may hear
things, you may smell things, you may taste - all the five senses can get
different experiences, but you just take them as they come. This is a door
to another dimension; the unknown dimension. So all that we are doing –
singing, meditating, is not just some technique to relax, it is the door to
a deeper dimension of existence.





Gurudev, you once mentioned that the movie has already been filmed and now
it’s all happening. Could you please explain more on this mystery of time?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, the movie has already been shot and you are just
seeing it. That's from one dimension. .
Mysteries cannot be explained, it can only be experienced. Mystery is only
there to create a wow! And the wow is when the mind transcends and goes into
your being. All understanding is only to silence the mind and to create a
wow. In the wow, your whole dimension shifts to somewhere deeper.





I thank you for accepting me the way I am, without fear or complaint, for
sharing your love with us so dearly and generously. I bow down to the divine
in you and in me.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That's important. It’s not enough to see the divine in
me. You have to see it in you also. That’s important – and to see it
everywhere as well.





Gurudev, the self is God. The empty space we experience in meditation, which
is called the soul, is it also called the ego, or is it something in between
the ego and the self? Please enlighten me on this.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Ego is that which needs somebody else to express
itself. Ego needs two and there are many definitions of ego. One of the
definitions of ego is, it is the antidote to being natural, and naturalness
is the antidote to ego.

Second, on another level, there are three types of ego - Satvik, Rajasik
and- Tamasik ego.Satvik ego is "I am everything" or "I am light", this is
Satvik ego. Tamasik ego is "I am somebody", identifying with particular
qualities.

Ego has many dimensions. When you say, "I am bothered by ego", you are
bothered because there is some unnaturalness. You don’t feel at home, that
is when ego is a botheration. When you feel at home, then you can say, "Oh
that is Nirahankaar", i.e., no ego; being at ease. That which puts you at
ease is egolessness. This is one of the definitions.





Gurudev, how important is it for a seeker to be close to his Guru's physical
body presence. Can we realize ourselves by just remembering our Guru?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, it’s possible. You think of someone whom you
don't like, immediately something happens in your body, isn't it. When you
dislike somebody and you think of them, something happens in your body, and
then don't you think that something will also happen inside when you think
of the Guru? Yes, it should happen (laughter) and it will happen.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, December 17, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The inborn desires and mental impressions (samskaras) make or mar the
individual (jivi); they are the steps that take all individual souls to the
goal. Samskaras make the individual wade through loss and grief. Only
through good mental tendencies you can attain the Lord. So every individual
has to be wholly engaged in good actions (sath-karmas). Good and noble
action is authentic worship (puja). It is the best form of remembering the
Lord. It is the highest devotional song. It spreads love, without
distinction and difference. It is service done as the duty of the
individual. Be engaged in such noble actions (karmas). Revel uninterruptedly
in the thought of the Lord. This is the royal road to the goal you have to
reach. (Prema Vahini Ch 29)


-BABA







<https://www.facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar/photos/a.384745507535.168659.330
938752535/10152684317612536/?type=1>



Use every moment of joy to serve & see every challenge as an opportunity for
growth.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

The Twists And Turns Of Karma

Tue, 07/21/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany

(Below is a continuation of

<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/let-go-of-fear-of-other-peoples-opinion>
Let Go Of Fear Of Other People's Opinion)



Questions & Answers



Gurudev, how come some people come to The Art of Living, experience this
path, and then suddenly change their mind and go away. I really cannot
understand this.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, there are different types of people on this
planet. Again I am telling you, when for someone time is not good, they go
away, then later on they come back. People stop all this and suddenly, they
start again. All these different types of people are there. You don't worry
about the attitude of others' — why someone stopped meditating and went back
to doing wrong things, etc. They will start again when the time is right.
What you need to see is are they happy? Many people who leave are not happy.
They look miserable, and when the misery goes beyond a certain level, they
come back. Have you not seen this happening? We see this every day. It’s
like a tree has lots of fruits and people start enjoying the fruits and
forget to water the tree. When the tree starts drying, fruits start
dwindling, and when this happens then they start watering the tree again.
This is human nature.

This has happened in the past with all the prophets. Some of the closest
people to the prophets turned against them. They went away from the path.
Hasn't it happened? The law of karma is unfathomable. It’s vast, it’s huge.
You cannot try to understand that as 2 + 2 = 4. . It’s not like that.





Gurudev, why do we have a VIP table in the ashram? Why a few people can
serve themselves as much as they want without thinking about the others.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, you find a reason and tell me, I don't know. I
have no idea.
People are in silence, so it would be good for guests to be in another
separate table, away from those who are in silence. So why not?

Don't get into these small things. Why someone is sitting in a chair? Then
tomorrow you will ask me, why are you sitting in a sofa so high? (laughter
in the audience). I'll have to give you an explanation that I am sitting
here because I can see all of you, or all of you can see me. We should not
get into these small nitty-grittiness — why somebody has a label, why
somebody does not have a label? Why everybody is not putting on the
same-size military dress? These sort of questions are irrelevant. Put your
mind in knowledge. You are here for a greater cause. Don't let small dust
sit in your eyes. There is an abundance here of everything. Whatever you
want, you have it, take it. It’s your home, feel at home. It’s for you to
feel at home. Don't expect someone else to come and make you feel at home.





How can I connect more and more to the divine in myself? Do I need many
lifetimes?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just relax, you are already connected. You just have
to wake up and see this, that's all! Just relax. In the Bible also there is
a saying, "Be still and know that I am God".

You are in space, right? Do you have to look for space? What do you need to
understand? I am in space. You don't have to keep repeating, "I am in space,
I am in space"..
So you are in Germany, you know it and that's it. You don't have to wake up
every morning and say, "I am in Germany, I am in Germany" (laughter). You
may land up in mental hospital maybe within Germany or across the border in
Strasbourg! Some things you should simply accept and assume. How can that
happen? When you have total relaxation, when you don't do anything. When you
do nothing, that is when you tap into the source of energy. And later on,
when you do any action, just be spontaneous.

If you don't get this now, never mind, because as long as there is a lot of
rajas (tendency to act) in the system, you won’t understand this. That's why
I would say, just meditate, relax and keep alive this passion to be
connected and that will take you forward step by step.

You have to have patience. Don't be in a hurry. If someone says, "I am going
to connect you today", never do that. Say, "Okay, thank you. It’s not an
emergency sort of thing". .
When you sit still and meditate, know that you are in that space. You can't
be there forever and so you come out and act. Be dynamic in your activity.
Of course, these two are conflicting, but a time comes when that state of
consciousness continues for you, even in your activity. Anything you do, you
won’t lose that state, anything you do, it will be there all the time. But
this takes its own time.

Gurudev, I have low self-esteem. I criticize myself and others. How to work
with my ego? I notice it happens when my energy is low but is it possible to
get rid of it for good?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You can get rid of it right now, this moment,
otherwise there is no chance. Are you ready for it? If it is ever possible,
it’s possible now in this moment, and that's it. .
Remove this label that you have put on your own head that I have a low
self-esteem. Who said you have a low self-esteem? This is an illusion, this
is nonsense. You don't have any low self-esteem. Peel off this label you put
on your own head that you have low self-esteem.





What should we do when we are feeling a longing for the Guru?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The longing is good. Longing itself is the power. That
itself is the greatest power. In Hindi, it is said "Tadap hi ishwar hai"
(longing itself is God). Blessed are those who have longing.





Gurudev, how does the botheration basket work?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It works, doesn’t it? (Many in the audience agree)
That’s it! That is my trade secret which I will tell you some other time.
What I am saying, all this is a secret and very sacred too. Everything I say
is a secret and very sacred.

[Pat Gounden]

Dear One

Please note that “Thought for the day “ will resume again daily on 11
January 2016. Blessings for a joyous festive season and a peaceful and
prosperous 2016.








Date: Friday, December 18, 2015


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Lord of Death (Yama) is as omnipresent as Lord Siva! Yama is associated with
the body (deha); He cannot affect the individual soul (jiva). Siva is
associated with the individual soul, but He won’t allow the body to subsist
for any length of time. The body is the essential vehicle for the individual
soul to understand its real nature. Still who knows when the body may become
the target for the attention of Yama? The individual soul, burdened with
this destructible body, must grasp the above-mentioned caution and be
all-eager to merge in Siva! No single moment that is passed by can be turned
back. People usually delay doing some things; yesterday’s till today and
today’s till tomorrow. For the tasks of spiritual discipline, there is no
yesterday and no tomorrow. This very moment is the moment! The minute that
just elapsed is beyond your grasp; so too, the approaching minute is not
yours! Only those who have this understanding engraved in their heart can
merge in Siva. (Prema Vahini, Ch 40)


-BABA



Wake up to the present moment now. It is not just a fleeting moment. The
present has the depth of infinity in it. The entire past and future is in
the now. Your entire exercise should be to be in the now. Who cares how you
feel? Are you doing what you need to do? Whatever you do, are you keeping
the delicate aspect of your consciousness or are you being a bulldozer? The
present moment is sensitive. Usually when you are sensitive, you become
weak. When you are strong, you become insensitive. Have a combination of
both – sensitiveness and strength. That is wisdom. The effect of past
actions is limited. It is not forever. Brooding over the past is not
alright.

Face the consequences. Be calm now. Wake up! When you wake up, even the
consequences you fear will not occur. The moment you acknowledge your
mistake, you are forgiven. You are innocent every moment.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day

What Sri Sri said

Know you are here only to give instead of take’

Bad Anotgast (Germany), May 15 (Friday): Tonight, the Q§A session with His
Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, as usual, had that mixture of depth and
lightness that captured all the audience.

Q: Dearest Guruji, you spoke of the ant and the elephant in the video today.
I would like to know how to be in Divine Love. Am I like the ant? What is
the way of Divine Love? Is it to be an ant, or an elephant?
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you realize you are an ant, you
become an elephant. If you think you are like the elephant, you become the
ant! (Laughter)

Q: How can I strengthen my male energy blocked inside? I have very little
male, and more feminine energy.
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You have both energies in balance, equal.
One is being expressed more, the other is dormant. Just have an intention,
and it will be expressed.

Q: I am a wife, daughter, daughter-in-law, and am on the spiritual path.
What is my dharma, especially in light of my husband who is also on the
spiritual light?
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is easier for you. So, all the roles
are coming together. Just be at ease with it. The question comes: ‘Am I
balancing all my roles?’ You are, and you will be. Especially if you are a
mother, you feel you have not done enough for the child. All mothers feel
like that. No mother feels she has done enough for the child. It is the same
if you are a daughter. You feel you have not done enough for the father.
With the husband, you feel you have done enough! (laughter) I can’t answer
that. Just have an intention that you have that balance. If you open your
eyes, you will see there is the balance.

Q: A hundred years of a disease-free body, and stress-free mind seems like a
theory. How is it possible in this age to live a hundred years, in a
disease-free, and stress-free state?
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Have an intention. 100 years does not
mean exact 99 years and 12 months, or 99 years 11 months 29 days. Rishis (a
renunciate) used to say a 100 years. When people bless, they usually say
‘Live 1,000 years’. It does not mean that they want you to live 1,000 years.
When you get tired of this life, you say you have stayed too long on this
planet. But when you are connected to the Divine, the natural wish that
comes is ‘Let me live to the maximum of human life. Let me work till the
last breath. Let me live healthily.’ These are natural wishes.

Q: When was the first human being born? (laughter)
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Tell me - where is the first point of a
ball, of a tennis ball? This answer will follow. We keep thinking everything
should have a beginning, and an end. But this universe has no beginning, no
end. So, the Rishis used two words Anadi, and Ananta. Anadi means without
beginning, and Ananta means without end.

Q: If everything is impermanent, and life is moving at such a speed, how can
everything be impermanent? How can the impermanent, and the absolute
coexist?
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You cannot know impermanence unless there
is something permanent. Change is there when there is non-change. To notice
changes, there should be a reference point, and that is non-change.

Q: Why do people stop behaving like normal people as soon as they think Sri
Sri will turn up the next moment? (laughter)
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I have no idea. (laughter)
There is a story. It is very famous in India. There was a king called Vikram
Aditya. He was known for his righteousness, and piousness. He was a saint of
a king. He had all the characters that were required of a king - wise man,
saint, good human being, and very intelligent also. There are many good
human beings, but they are not intelligent (laughter), and intelligent human
beings who are not good. This king had all the aspects. He was very patient.
After he died, there was nobody who could take his place. His seat was so
powerful, nobody could get on the throne. After some time, the throne got
buried. Many years passed. There was a garden, and in the garden, a small
hillock. The gardener would go sit on the hillock, and have a big smile on
his face. From there he would invite all the passer-bys he would see on the
road. He would invite people to come, and have fruit from the garden -
mangoes, coconuts.
But when they came, he would take a stick, and chase them. He would fight
with them. ‘How dare you come to my garden? How dare you trespass?’ People
would not understand his behavior. Some thought he was mad. Others thought
there must be something else. So, they decided to dig the hillock, and find
out. They dug the hillock, and found the throne of the king. It had such an
impact on the gardener, the vibrations.
If you sit in negative company, you feel negative. If you sit where there
are doubts, then this is what you will feel. That´s why Buddha said
‘Sangha’. The company of people who are positive, focused on the higher
goals of life is important. If someone is always thinking of money, or of
cheating, those vibrations will have an impact on you. If you sit in joyful
company like here (in satsang), you will feel joyful.

Q: Why are we here back on earth if we have to eat, breathe, sleep? What is
the purpose of life?
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What is the purpose of life? Make a list.
Your purpose is not to eat, breathe, sleep. (laughter) Your purpose is not
to watch TV, die, fight. Your purpose is not to be selfish. If you go by
elimination, you will find the purpose.

Q: I spent a lot of my life chasing questions. How to be calmer and
decisive, instead of being tensed?
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Make a drastic shift in your life from
wanting everything from everybody to giving to everyone. Know you are here
only to give instead of take. The strength for you is ‘I want nothing from
anybody and if I can be useful to 10, 20 people in life that´s good enough,
and my needs will be taken care of by nature. This body belongs to planet
earth. It is made of the materials of the planet earth, and will go back to
this earth.’ When you can’t lift your hands, nature will make arrangements
to feed you. You will be taken care of, if you can’t see. It will put that
compassion into someone to come, and feed you. So you must know that this
body belongs to planet earth and it will take care of you.
How can I be useful to the planet? Just having these thoughts gives better
direction. The lack will disappear. How to draw abundance towards you is not
to be greedy, self-centered.

Q: Silence is not so cheerful. It brings a lot of sadness. What is the best
way to deal with this?
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Something deep inside is coming out, so
let it come out. It is like vacuuming the carpet, and removing the dust
mites. So, never mind, let it come out. From meditation, the practices, it
will come out.

Q: If somebody does not like their name, is it OK to change it?
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Change. So what? (laughter) It´s like
changing the clothes. Last question.

Q: Is this life only to test my strength, and courage to love people around
me, and not to be loved back?
His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This life is not a test. Nobody is
testing you. I do not subscribe to that idea of someone testing your life.
No, it is not a test. Just relax. It’s learning, and unlearning. Just learn,
and unlearn.
Q: I am afraid of people and very tight when I speak to them. I often ask
what they think of me. How can I be more open and communicative?

His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Get onto the DSN course (laughter) and if
that does not work, get onto the TTC (more laughter). Till you do that, now
for an immediate remedy. Don’t be the football of other´s opinions.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, January 11, 2016


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Bharatiya Samskriti (Culture of Bharat) is a composite of purity, divinity,
sublimity and beauty. This combination is reflected in sports and games.
Although there may be differences among nations in their food and
recreational habits, the spirit of harmony and unity displayed in sports is
a gratifying example to all. It is a distinctive quality of sports that
differences are forgotten and persons engage themselves in games in a divine
spirit of friendliness and camaraderie. Sports help the players not only to
improve their health but also to experience joy. Students, however, should
not be content with realising these benefits. It is equally essential to
promote purity of the mind and develop large heartedness. True humanness
blossoms only when the body, the mind and the spirit are developed
harmoniously. The enthusiasm and effort which you display in sports should
also be manifested in the spheres of morality and spirituality. (Divine
Discourse, 14-Jan-1990)


-BABA







Sports is such an integral part of life. A child starts playing even before
it starts speaking. Language comes later, but sports come first. Games are
so inherent in our nature, and after retirement also, people sit and watch
soccer with a cup of cappuccino, almost through-out their life.
I think that the one thing that continues through-out life is sports, and
sports keeps the spirit of life up.

If the sports organizations take an active role in peace building
initiatives around the world, then the thousands of youth who are taking to
guns in search of some heaven can perhaps drops the guns and take footballs.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day

What SRI SRI said



The Global Family (Vasudaivakutumbakam)

Fri, 11/13/2015 Wassennar, Netherlands

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Below is the continuation of the Post -
<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/Diwali-celebrations-with-sri-sri-part-1>
Diwali-Celebrations-With-Sri-Sri-Part I)



So this festival of Diwali is celebrated to emphasize that there should be
many lights. Just one light is not enough to dispel the darkness but every
home, every individual should be lit up. That is the message. Let this lamp
brings wisdom into our life and let it destroy the animosity that pops up in
our minds and in our hearts -- Shatru buddhi vinashaya. Shatru means enmity.
Enmity comes in your mind due to cravings and aversions, so let wisdom
destroy the enmity and make our lives happier and harmonious.

Having said this, I would like to say, today, 13th November 1981 is the
founding day of our organization Ved Vigyan Vidya Peeth in India, and today
we completed 35 years. And why this organization? I thought this knowledge
would bring people together in harmony and celebration.

We do everything for life but we forget life itself. Money, relationship,
power, position, name, fame, everything is for life, but what is life
itself? How much value are we giving to the life in us? To the human values?
How are we enjoying or celebrating the diversity we see in the world? These
are the questions that came up and as an answer to these questions, this
foundation began.
It began with the thought of uniting people across the globe, across
religious and racial divide, and to see if we can imbibe the feeling of a
global family, and I am glad to say today, after 35 years, we have hope that
we can do this.

Here again, it is just the matter of establishing the connection. The candle
has been lit and the other wicks are ready. All that is required now is a
little of the human touch to confirm that humanness is still alive on the
planet and we care for each other, and share with each other. This one human
touch can transform other human beings.
Each one of us can do a lot in creating harmony, within ourselves and all
around us. We all have this ability. Today on Diwali, let us revisit our own
passion to create a society with compassion.





_____

Meditation is known to reduce stress, eliminate anxiety and create a
positive environment in the surroundings. At a time when the world is going
through turbulent times, restoring peace and order is of utmost importance.
But outer peace stands less chance of being a reality until we ourselves are
at peace. And meditating together is just another step in that direction.

On January 17th 2016, global humanitarian and spiritual leader, Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar will lead an online meditation where thousands across the globe will
start the New Year by meditating for global peace. The event will be
streamed over <http://facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar> Facebook from 8 PM
IST onwards and will be open to all.

<http://aolu.co/WCFMeditation-FBEvent> Confirm your participation today

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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cid:image0...@01D14C05.81004100

_____

Meditation is known to reduce stress, eliminate anxiety and create a
positive environment in the surroundings. At a time when the world is going
through turbulent times, restoring peace and order is of utmost importance.
But outer peace stands less chance of being a reality until we ourselves are
at peace. And meditating together is just another step in that direction.

On January 17th 2016, global humanitarian and spiritual leader, Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar will lead an online meditation where thousands across the globe will
start the New Year by meditating for global peace. The event will be
streamed over <http://facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar> Facebook from 8 PM
IST onwards and will be open to all.

<http://aolu.co/WCFMeditation-FBEvent> Confirm your participation today

Date: Tuesday, January 12, 2016


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


The greatest disease is the absence of peace. When the mind is peaceful,
your body will be healthy. So everyone who craves for good health must pay
attention to their emotions, feelings, and motives that animates them. Just
as you wash clothes, you must wash your mind free from dirt every day. To
cleanse your mind you should mix in good company and avoid dirt elements
like falsehood, injustice, indiscipline, cruelty, hate, etc. Truth,
righteousness, peace, love — these form the clean elements. If you inhale
the pure air of clean elements, your mind will be free from evil bacilli and
you will be mentally sturdy and physically strong. As Vivekananda said, you
should have nerves of steel and muscles of iron. You must brim in hope and
joy as your unshakable resolution, not display despair and dejection.
(Divine Discourse, 21-Sep-1960)

-BABA



Okay now sometimes anger comes or some negative feeling comes, how do we get
rid of them? By doing Sudarshan Kriya, pranayama and some meditation for a
little time and you will see how the mind becomes so clean. As the mind is
cleaned the behaviour of a person is also improved. And when our behaviour
is good then we make many friends. Wherever you go, whoever you meet will
feel like your own. And when everyone becomes friends, then what more,
nothing will be lacking.
That is Vishwatma. That is what? Recognizing the one consciousness which is
in everything and which is in me as well and serving this one consciousness
is Pooja.

So keep your mind clean with sadhana, seva and satsang!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Wisdom Is Also A Wealth

Thu, 11/12/2015 Frankfurt, Germany



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Questions & Answers



What is puja?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The word 'Pu' means fullness, and 'Ja' means that
which is born out of fullness. So puja means that which is born out of
fullness. And what you get out of doing puja is also fullness, and
contentment. Doing puja creates a subtle vibration in the atmosphere which
brings positivity.

Diwali is festival of lights. Lord Buddha said, "Appo deepo bhava", you
become a light unto yourself. And the Vedas and Upanishads say 'You are all
lights, some of you are lit and some of you are unlit, but the potential to
glow is in everyone'.
So Diwali is the day to remove darkness. And to remove darkness, one light
is not enough, the entire society will have to light up. It's not enough if
just one person is happy in a family, every member has got to be happy. Even
if one member is unhappy, the others cannot be happy. So said every home
should light up.

The second thing we need to bring into our lives is sweetness. Distribute
not just sweets but also sweetness to everybody. The festival of Diwali is
to remind you that if you have any bitterness, any pressure, or any stress
in your heart, like fire crackers burst it all out and start a fresh new
life, and make it a celebration.

Diwali is celebrated on a new moon day, and on this day we invoke the
Goddess Lakshmi. Goddess Lakshmi represents the divinity manifesting as the
giver of prosperity. In India, God is not only 'He', God is also 'She'. So
sometimes God is addressed as 'He' and sometimes as 'She'. Like how white
light has seven colours in it, similarly the one divinity has many different
flavours. So today is the day we will invoke Lakshmi with all the ancient
chanting from the Rig Veda and feel the positive vibrations and the
abundance.

The day before Diwali is called Dhanteras. In the ancient days, people would
bring all the wealth on this day to the house and place it in front of the
Divine. Usually people keep their wealth in the bank, or keep it in the
lockers and hide it. But earlier, on Dhanteras day, they would put all their
wealth in front, see it and feel abundant. Wealth is not only gold and
silver, wealth is also wisdom. So it was celebrated like that. You also must
cherish your wisdom and feel abundant.
Dhanteras is also the day of Ayurveda, as herbs are also a wealth. Herbs and
plants are wealth. It is said that it was on the day of Diwali the nectar
was given to mankind.

So today, move ahead in life feeling that you are blessed, and feel
contented. Whenever we feel blessed, more comes. There is this saying in
Bible, "Those who have will be given more and those who do not, whatever
little will also be taken back".
From the ancient time, the thought is -- you must feel the abundance.
Abundance starts from within and then manifests on the outside. So you have
plenty of blessings. Go with this feeling.



How to get rid of anger in the heart?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just remember you are going to die one day. Do you
want to die with a smile or with anger when you cross over? Certainly you
don't want to take garbage with you when you travel in the plane, or in the
train. When you pack your suitcase, do you take garbage with you? So
remember this, “I don't want to take the garbage”. Dump it and go happily.
We must know that every culprit is also a victim.





What is the meaning of life?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: One who knows will not tell you, anyone who tells you
does not know. This very question is like a vehicle for you to move ahead in
life. So keep it with you like how you keep something very sacred and I tell
you, one day you'll get it. Before that, start honouring life.





How do I know if me and my partner are right for each other?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Very simple. Just irritate your partner for one week
and you'll know. If he or she still loves you, then they are really good for
you. One week, don't tell them, just do all that they don't like.





How do deal with injustice?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Injustice should be countered with patience and
perseverance. Not with anger, but with perseverance. Anything we do with
anger, we always regret.



What should be my priority - my family which is far away in India, or my
career which is going great in Europe?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You be open and be available. Suppose your parents
want you to come there and they're not well, or they need you desperately,
you should go there. If they're fine, comfortable and you want to pursue
your career, do that. They don't need to be in conflict with each other. Of
course the mind sometimes gets into conflict. When you go there you want to
come here and work. But just take it easy.

[Pat Gounden]

cid:image0...@01D14C05.81004100

_____

Meditation is known to reduce stress, eliminate anxiety and create a
positive environment in the surroundings. At a time when the world is going
through turbulent times, restoring peace and order is of utmost importance.
But outer peace stands less chance of being a reality until we ourselves are
at peace. And meditating together is just another step in that direction.

On January 17th 2016, global humanitarian and spiritual leader, Sri Sri Ravi
Shankar will lead an online meditation where thousands across the globe will
start the New Year by meditating for global peace. The event will be
streamed over <http://facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar> Facebook from 8 PM
IST onwards and will be open to all.

<http://aolu.co/WCFMeditation-FBEvent> Confirm your participation today

Date: Wednesday, January 13, 2016


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


For all actions, the inspirer, the performer and the experiencer is the
Sun-God. For people caught up in a meaningless existence and going through
an endless round of futile activities, the Sun-God stands out as the
exemplar of tireless and selfless service. He enjoys no respite from work.
He is above praise and censure. He carries on his duties with absolute
equanimity. Everything he does is only for the well-being of the world and
not to cause any harm. Draw inspiration from Sun-God. The world cannot
survive without the Sun. Life on earth is possible only because of the Sun.
The Sun teaches man the lesson of humble devotion to duty, without any
conceit. The Sun is the supreme example for everyone that one should do
one’s duty with devotion and dedication. Doing one\'s duty is the greatest
Yoga, as pointed out by Krishna in the Gita. Let your actions and thoughts
be good. You will then experience the Bliss Divine. (Divine Discourse, 15
Jan 1992)


-BABA



Well, the rainbow is made by the sun, the rain and of course – you! Only
because of where you were standing were you able to observe the rainbow. If
you move somewhere else, you cannot see the rainbow. So for the rainbow to
exist, you have to be there, the raindrops have to be there, and the sun too
has to be there. But you are more important.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Courage To Do The Right Thing



Fri, 12/11/2015 Bangalore, India

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ad/11Dec2015_3.jpg

(Below is a continuation of the post
<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/spread-the-sweetness-of-joy-around>
Spread The Sweetness Of Joy Around)



Questions & Answers



Dear Gurudev, can an atheist get liberated?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Absolutely yes! But he should remove the label ‘I am
an atheist’. If he is a ‘nobody’, he can get liberated.

If you simply say, "I don’t know whether there is some other power or not, I
have no idea", then you are not an atheist. One who admits ignorance is not
an atheist. Who is an atheist? One who says, "I know there is no God", he is
atheist.
What do atheists say? "What I know is all that is, what I don’t know does
not exist! If something exists, I must know it! Since I don’t know, whatever
I don’t know, does not exist!" If that is the atheism (that you believe in),
then you will miss many things because you already ‘know’ that nothing
exists, so you will not want to know whether anything exists or not.

If you are agnostic, it is fine. If you say, "I don’t know, I won’t believe
unless I know", this is fine. In fact, the Oriental philosophy never asks
you to believe something that you don’t know, unlike the Occidental
philosophy. In the Occident, they say that you believe in God, then one day
you will get an experience. In the Orient, they will never say that.
In the Orient, first know the knowledge of the five principles (earth,
water, fire, air, ether), then the three principles (mind, intellect and
ego), and then the ninth one (the Self). If you know these eight, then will
you know the Self. Once you know the Self, i.e.,atma, then you will know
that which is beyond the Self, i.e., Paramatma.

Beyond I, there is something called Eswar , which you know only by
experience. When it comes to your experience, only then can you say you
believe it! Before that, you don’t need to believe it. However, you can’t
say, "I don’t believe it existS!"
If I ask you, "Do you believe that you exist?" You will say, "Yes". And what
is you? Who are you? This is what meditation is all about! This is what the
Upanishads do; they take you step by step into the unknown.
The Upanishads never tell you to believe in something that you don’t know.
This is also the reason why the Oriental philosophy has never been in
conflict with Science, ever! Science also goes with a systematic
understanding of what you know, to what you don’t know. And the Oriental
philosophy also goes from the known to the unknown. And there are some
unknown things. Accepting the unknown and loving it is what is
calledShraddha (faith) . Once you have Shraddha then you get it.

See, if the Wright Brothers didn’t have faith that they could fly, they
would never have attempted it. This is the philosophy of the Darshan
Shastras.
There are six Darshana Shastras (schools of philosophy which are Nyaya,
Samkhya, Mimamsa, Vaisheshika, Yoga and Vedanta).
The first Nyaya is about the means of knowledge. It helps one understand
whether the means of knowledge is correct or not. For example, when I say,
"I am seeing the sun setting and rising", is this knowledge correct? This is
Nyaya Darshan.

In India, it was known 5,000 years ago that the Earth is spherical and all
the planets go around the Sun. That is why the study of the Earth
(Geography) is called Bhugol, and the study of the universe is called
Khagol; gol means spherical . It was only in the West that Galileo found out
that the Earth is spherical. The Indians knew it much before.

In very old temples, maybe 1,500 to 2,000 year old temples, there is a
Varaha Moorthy (the statue of Lord Vishnu in the form of a boar), and on top
of his nose, a sphere is kept (to indicate the Earth). If you go to any old
temple also, they would have put all the planets with the Sun in the middle.

Even today, if you see the Indian calendar, Panchanga,it determines exactly
what time the Sun and the Moon rise, what time the eclipse starts. All this
information is very precise to the minute! There could be a variation of
just a few seconds, twenty seconds and not more in some places. This is what
we see in the calculations which have been happening for such a long time.
This is possible because we have understood even philosophy with a
scientific temper.

Now, having said that, don’t think that we have no superstitions in this
country. We have plenty of them, such as, ladies should not touch the Shiva
Lingam, ladies should not chant Gayatri Mantra and all sorts of nonsense!
All through time gender equality has been emphasized, but in practice it is
not being done!

In temples, people go and pour liters and liters of milk on the statues and
it all goes into the gutter. Nowhere has it been said that you have to put
so much milk on the statues. I always say that you should not do this. You
can pour some milk but then give it to people later on. There are so many
types of things done out of ignorance, things which have no scriptural
injunction are being practiced. Someone started some practices, it just
continued without any basis. We need to apply some philosophical wisdom
here.

At the same time, there are differences in tradition and culture also. Here
in Karnataka, a bride wears only a white saree on the wedding day, while in
Tamil Nadu, the bride wears a red saree. In Karnataka, a red saree is not
considered auspicious on the wedding day. Similarly, there are different
customs. In Rajasthan, ladies pull theghungat (a scarf) to cover the head,
while in Tamil Nadu and Kerala, women will never do that, it is considered
inauspicious. These are all customs that make the country very interesting!





Dear Gurudev, what is the lesson to be drawn from the Chennai flood,
especially for the corporate houses and professionals?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, the analysis will take a long time. I was told
that the flood gates were not opened at the right time, they waited till the
last minute. The concerned authorities were scared to take permission from
the Chief Minister to open the gates.

This is how problems arise -- when power gets centralized, people don’t use
their common sense. They sit and wait for instructions from above. If you
know that your superiors or seniors are not available, then you should use
your common sense. You should be daring and courageous enough to take
responsibility for the larger good of the people, and be ready to face the
consequences.

At the same time, when leaders become rigid, they create paranoia in people
around them, which does not let them take responsibility. And irresponsible
people who don’t do what they are supposed to do, cause more disaster on
this planet. These people have become irresponsible because they are clogged
with paranoia or fear.

You cannot manage anything through fear. Only a little bit of fear is
essential. You should fear the law but you cannot function in society with
fear all the time. Be it fear of authority, fear of the people above you,
fear of losing a job, or fear of being persecuted. And this is exactly what
happened in Chennai. Of course, they have to analyze it much more.

One thing is for sure, we have to care for our environment much more than
what we are doing now. In the ancient days, all the dams were connected, by
little canals. Now, the sand and land mafia have destroyed all those
connections. All of them have grabbed the land in between the water
channels, and built homes in the canals and low lying areas. So when the dam
gets filled, the water does not have another outlet. This is what happened
in Chennai. The 20 or more lakes that were initially all connected had no
place to overflow, since people had built homes in these low lying areas.

Even here in Bangalore, we have fought several times with the authorities
because they wanted to fill up the lake area behind Radhakunj. In fact, that
is the reason why we bought the land around the lake, nearly 20 years ago,
even though we did not need so much land. Similar things happen in other
places.

We have rejuvenated many ponds and lakes in Karnataka and Maharashtra. We
need to take better care of the environment.

In spite of all this, nature’s fury happens, we cannot do anything, simply
have to accept it. What we can do is to prevent and manage man-made
disasters. But when nature’s fury occurs from time to time, it has its own
purpose.

[Pat Gounden]

http://iloveseva.org/downloads/event-newsletter/meditation-17-Jan/images/log
o.png



promo










ON JANUARY 17th,



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar will guide the largest online global peace meditation,
as part of the World Culture Festival celebrations.



Millions from across 155 countries are expected to meditate for global
peace, and you too can participate.






<http://facebook.com/srisriravishankar> I want to join




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16.30 South African time











enum1




How do I participate?



Log onto <http://facebook.com/srisriravishankar>
Facebook.com/SriSriRaviShankar on January 17th at 20:00 IST to join the live
meditation. The meditation is open to all and can be joined from anywhere.





<http://facebook.com/srisriravishankar> Sri Sri's Facebook Page








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Count me in



Click on the button below to RSVP for the online meditation so that you
don't miss it!





<http://bit.ly/1world1meditation> RSVP here








enum3




Spread the word



Click on the button below and spread the word about the event on your social
media accounts.





<http://bit.ly/17janmeditatewithsrisri> Let the world know








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Share the goodness



Whether you are meditating in a group or alone, share the photos as comments
on the live meditation post on <http://facebook.com/srisriravishankar> Sri
Sri's Facebook Page.











Date: Thursday, January 14, 2016


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Once when Narada asked Lord Rama about the nature of His servitors and of
spiritual aspirants, the Lord answered, “My servitors are full of love; they
always stand by righteousness and truth; their hearts melt with mercy; they
avoid sin and renounce everything gladly; they eat in moderation, engage in
doing good to others, and have no selfishness and doubts. They won’t lend
their ears to flattery but are eager to listen to the praise of the good in
others. Spiritual aspirants are those who endeavour to acquire such
qualities and possess such a character. Anyone engaged in repeating the
Lord’s name has self-control and discipline, faith, patience, comradeship,
kindness, and joy as well as unalloyed love towards Me — such a person is
dear to Me. Whoever with discrimination and renunciation, humility and
wisdom is aware of the knowledge of Reality; who is immersed in the
contemplation of My divine play (leela), dwells on My name at all times and
sheds tears of love whenever the Lord’s name is heard from any lip —these
are My genuine devotees.” Thus did Sri Rama answer Narada. (Prema Vahini, Ch
48)


-BABA



Now don’t try hard to become a devotee. Love combined with commitment is
devotion. Love with wisdom is devotion.

Love without wisdom can turn into negativities: Love today, hate tomorrow.
Love today, jealousy tomorrow. Love today, possessiveness tomorrow.

Love combined with wisdom is bliss, and that is devotion. Devotion is a
strong bond, a sense of belongingness. Everybody is born with it. It’s just
like becoming a child again.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

A Call For Justice

Mon, 12/28/2015 Bangalore, India

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( The Satsang begins with Pujya Gurudev welcoming the lawyers attending the
Lawyers Conference at The Art of Living International Center )

It is really great that we have the Lawyers’ Conference happening here at
the Ashram. We are discussing the changes and reforms that must be made to
the country’s judicial system to best serve the interests of the nation, and
also ensure fair justice to all individuals.
It is very important that we all relook and revisit the legal system with a
new perspective from time to time. The legal system and its laws need to be
revised and upgraded.

When I had visited Manipur a few years back, I had a strong desire to meet
some of the rebel and militant outfits there. I met many people there, and
also went to visit people in the Guwahati Jail, in Assam. It was very
strange to see the situation there. 90% of Manipur has mountainous and hilly
terrain, and only 10% is plain land. 80% of the state’s population lives on
the 10% (plain) land, and they are not allowed to undertake any activities
in the mountainous hilly regions. The 90% mountainous terrain has been
marked off as a tribal area. So 80% of the people of the state cannot
purchase a tea estate or an apple garden in the hilly regions. But the 20%
people who live in the mountain areas of the state have 100% rights and
freedom to purchase any tea estate or apple garden. I felt this was quite
unfair. .
These land laws are old and out-dated and were enforced at the time of the
British rule. Yet these laws have not been changed and are still in force
even today. I was really astonished when I came to know about this. See, it
is a ridiculous thing when a person cannot buy land in their own state, but
they can buy land anywhere else. If we look at other states such as Himachal
Pradesh which too is a mountainous and hilly region, the people there can
buy land anywhere in the state. There is no such state law prohibiting them
from buying land in certain areas. But the people of Manipur do not have
this freedom, and I felt this was very wrong and unfortunate. .
I immediately went to meet the then President of India, Dr. A.P.J. Abdul
Kalam. He too was very surprised when he heard this, and agreed that it is
really necessary to change these land laws in Manipur. But until there is a
strong political will in this direction, such changes often do not happen.

Many times, politicians too are unable to bring about such changes, even if
they sincerely wish to because politics becomes a game of numbers. It is
here that the Judicial System and the Court can play a crucial role. There
have been so many important changes and law reforms because of the courts.
You may remember of one such incident in New Delhi, where the Court stepped
in and ordered that all polluting industries and factories should be made to
keep their premises outside the civilian boundaries. Why did the court step
in? It is because none of the political parties were willing to take up this
cause. The political parties felt that if they took up this cause or
supported it, then it might endanger their very existence. But when this
judgment came from the court, everyone felt so relieved, and because of
this, many industries got a notice to shift base and overnight many of them
had to move outside the civilian and urban boundaries of Delhi. In this way,
when the court takes up a proactive role in the affairs of the country, it
speeds up the progress of the country. When religious and spiritual
institutions take an active role and participate in the affairs of the
country, then also the country makes great progress.

The Art of Living Foundation has introduced a Legal Aid Cell. This is to
help and support people who do not have the necessary resources to fight for
justice for their legal cases. Along with this, we have also created a
Mediation Cell to arbitrate and mediate legal disputes, and to offer legal
counsel. Many of our teachers and volunteers are engaged in these
initiatives. .
One of the judges from the Delhi High Court called and told me, “Gurudev,
ever since the Legal Aid Cell got formed, and the teachers and volunteers
from the Art of Living got involved, 80% of the legal cases and disputes are
getting resolved”. .
This clearly means that the people who are involved in this initiative have
a sound knowledge of how to handle and resolve such matters well. A calm and
peaceful state of mind is very important for one who mediates or gives
judgments in legal matters. Being natural and tolerant are also necessary,
because one has to listen to both parties (involved in a dispute) patiently
and impartially. These are the advantages of doing sadhana (spiritual
practices). .
Doing sadhana regularly keeps the mind in a state of equanimity and balance.
This is especially relevant for judges because they have to listen to a lot
of legal arguments from both the sides. At the same time, they keep
thinking, “I hope I can provide proper justice and not make any mistake in
doing so”. They are always concerned to not give out any verdict that turns
out to be unfair to any one party. In such times they have to rely heavily
on their power of intuition. And one needs to meditate in order to develop
and enhance one’s intuitive power.

It is said, “Dhyanam nirvishaya manaha” . Making the mind hollow and empty
is meditation. For a few minutes every day, we need to keep aside our
thoughts and feelings and go deep within and just relax. This is meditation.
This helps to awaken the intuitive power within us. And our intuition is
always correct. If it was not correct, then we would not call it intuition.
Intuition can never go wrong. So, in order to deliver judgments in legal
cases that are for the greater good of everyone involved, we need to attend
to our Sadhana, our food and lifestyle.

I know that all the lawyers here have to spend so much time and energy
speaking in court. Every once in a while, you also need to overhaul and
service this machinery. Just like we take a vehicle to a garage for half a
day to get serviced regularly, in the same way, we need to take out some
time to give rest and rejuvenation to our mind, intellect and our intuitive
faculties. This place (Ashram) is the best place for such an inner retreat.
I would urge you all to come visit here regularly to overhaul the human
machine. Be here for some days, practice yoga, meditation, take up some
Ayurvedic therapies and get some deep rest.

I think many of you would not have gotten the time to tour the entire Ashram
since you have been occupied with the conference. We have an Agama Pathshala
and Veda Gurukul here as well, where children learn the Vedas as per the
ancient Vedic tradition that was followed in our country. You all are here
tomorrow as well, so I would urge you to visit the Gurukul and also the
Ayurveda hospital. At the Ayurveda hospital, you will find an amazing blend
of modern scientific techniques along with the timeless ancient wisdom of
our ancestors. It is a unique combination of the ancient and modern
knowledge. Why do people take to Ayurveda? For many diseases which doctors
around the world are not able to treat in other countries, we offer
treatments and many people find such great relief after just three to four
days of therapy at our hospital. You will also find that our Ayurveda
Hospital offers many non-invasive treatments and cures for physical
ailments, which is an amazing thing.

I would once again draw the attention of all who are here towards the
situation in Manipur. There are 12 different militant groups currently
operating in Manipur, and they are full of the youth. They all say that
India and the government neglect us and do not take our interests into
account. Six of these are predominantly militant outfits. We have to do
something to bring the youth of Manipur out of this militant mind-set
towards a path of peace and progress. .
I request all the lawyers gathered here to take up this cause and contribute
towards its resolution. The government many times becomes hesitant to
intervene in this area. They have their own set of problems to deal with.
But I have this strong faith that you all will surely be able to find a
permanent solution to this problem.

Similarly, there are many other problems and challenges in society today.
You can make a list of such problems since you are more aware and
experienced in this area, and you can also come up with effective solutions
for them. When people face problems, they will come to you for help, and as
experts, you can determine how serious a particular problem is and what can
be the possible solutions for it. I hope that your expertise and skilfulness
in this area helps serve the best interests of the country and the people.
Here in the Ashram, you can relax and meditate, this will help you come up
with new and innovative ways of tackling the problems in the society and the
country.

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Monday, January 18, 2016


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Consider how much talent the Lord has given to people. With that endowment,
seek the four goals (purusharthas). Move forward on the path to the Lord,
adhering strictly to the demands of truth. That is the purpose of the gift
of talent. Only those gifted with eyesight can see things; those bereft of
sight do not have that fortune. So too, only those gifted with truth,
longing for the four goals and adherence to dharma, can see the Lord; all
others are blind. The Lord has also given people instruments for developing
their intellect and discrimination. If they use them well and try to realise
God within themselves, the Lord will add unto them fresh talent and new
sources of power, for He is full of grace toward the struggling. When people
seek to follow dharma, the truth will also reveal itself to them. (Dharma
Vahini, Ch 13)


-BABA



Our soul always looks for the truth and wherever it finds the truth, it
resonates. When something feels right in your heart just listen to that, and
go with that.
All other conditioning of the mind, of philosophy, of religion and customs,
keep on one side. They have their value; I won’t say you should discard
them. They all have their place, but the spirit in you longs for the truth
and that resonates wherever there is truth. Accept it without any feeling or
any guilt.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day







What SRI SRI said

The Mysteries Of The Creation

Thu, 01/14/2016 Bangalore, India

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Questions & Answers



Gurudev, in one of your talks you have said that the present moment is so
vast and deep, that it is unfathomable. The whole of the past and the future
are in the present moment. If the past and future are in the present moment,
then how is it possible to change the future? And if the future can be
changed, can the past also be changed?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, this is a great mystery. You can only live the
mystery, you cannot comprehend it. Do not think that there is only one
dimension to the creation that we are in. There are many dimensions – one
within the other. That is why it is unfathomable.





Gurudev, in the Vedic times, India had developed mastery over many mental
faculties – like Avadhan (an ancient Vedic technique of enhancing one’s
memory to be able to recall anything in any order very quickly and
accurately). Is this possible today as well?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, it is quite possible. Our Intuition Process for
young children is already showing amazing results. Children are able to
develop these abilities quite well. Yes, it definitely takes some time to
develop Avadhan. So those who have a lot of time can explore Avadhan.

You know, in earlier times when we were in school and college, we had to
memorize everything. Today with calculators and so many other gadgets, you
do not need to memorize so many things. Everything is quickly accessible at
the tip of your fingers. When our generation was in schools and colleges, we
had to go to the library, search for all the books by going through the
index and it took so much effort. Today it is all available at the click of
a button, you can Google everything. You can carry your entire library with
you in your pocket, in a tablet or a smart phone.



Gurudev, the body is continuously decaying while the spirit is eternal. When
the body goes through a cycle of sickness, the eternal spirit is not felt.
How does one always feel connected to the spirit?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Who is the one that is feeling it or not feeling it?
Just focus deeply on that. You are saying, “I am not feeling it”. Just focus
on this “I” – that much is good enough. Just become aware of where your
focus is when you say, “I am feeling this”, or “I am happy”, or “I am
unhappy”, etc. In all this, there is the “I”. The “I” continues. You simply
have to focus on that “I”.
When you say “I have no experience”, then just focus on who says that. It is
not the experience of the feeling that is important, whether it is pleasant
or unpleasant, but the one who is experiencing. Your goal is to go into this
“I”.

You constantly think “I am happy”, “I am miserable”, “I want this and I do
not want that”, or “I have made big advancements” etc. You have to go beyond
all this because all this is a part of the scenery. Simply take your focus
away from all of this and your attention on the “I”. What is this “I”? That
is good enough.



Gurudev, when someone puts a question in the question basket, do you also
know who is it that has put the question? Are your answers tailored
specifically for the person who has asked the question?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why do you want to know all the secrets? What will you
do by knowing the secrets? (Laughter) Even if I tell you all the answers,
what will you do with all the answers? You will anyways go to sleep – with
or without getting the answers. You already have a question, now why do you
want to burden yourself with an answer also?

An old lady used to sing a song quite often, which went like this – “Santo
ne jagaaya parr tu toh wapas so gaya; Maya ke baazar mein lal kho gaya”
(Dear one! The wise have awakened you from ignorance but you have gone back
to sleep again; You have lost yourself in the play of Maya).
My dear, come on! Just wake up! When you wake up, then all the questions and
complaints automatically fall apart and disappear.





Gurudev, should Jallikattu (an ancient bull vaulting sport in some states of
South India) be allowed or not? There seems to be a lot of controversy over
this in the recent days and people are saying it is a Western conspiracy.



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, there are many traditions like that. If people
are so compassionate then they should first ban all the slaughterhouses, and
all the horse-riding tournaments.

In the Rajpath in New Delhi, there is a horse-riding sport. Horses are tamed
and trained and people ride those horses. Jallikattu is one such game and
there are proper rules for that which were made thousands of years ago: You
are never supposed to harm the animal. You are never supposed to go play
with the animal if you are drunk.
These are all a kind of ancient sports. I do not see any big harm being
caused to the animal through this. In Tamil Nadu this sport has been in
practice since many centuries, even millenniums. I would say banning will
create more passion. Persuading people not to play or engage in it is a
different thing. The moment you ban it, then people would feel that their
rights are being infringed upon; they would feel that their cultural age-old
traditions are not being respected. This is an issue. I am not in favour of
Jallikattu but I am also not in favour of banning Jallikattu. People should
have the freedom as long as they cause no injury to the animals.





Gurudev, meditating is easy but only when my wife is not in the house. Could
you give some tips to meditate in an environment in which I cannot ignore
the people around me?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I would say it should be the other way around! You
should be able to meditate more easily when you wife is around, so that you
get relief at that time ( laughter) instead of engaging yourself in an
unwanted conversation. Just sit in meditation. Then she too will be in
peace, perhaps ( laughter).

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Tuesday, January 19, 2016


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


Devotion has to be continuous and uninterrupted like the flow of oil from
one vessel to another. Without love (prema), nothing in this world can be
acquired. Only when there is love, does attachment (anuraga) in its turn
create the desire to protect and guard. In the path of self-effort based
devotion, also called as ‘young-one-of-the-monkey’ path, the child has to
rely on its own strength to protect itself — wherever the mother might jump
about, the child has to attach itself fast to the mother’s belly and not
release its hold, even if pulled apart! So too, the devotee has to stand the
tests at the hands of the Lord and hold on to the Lord’s name at all times
and under all conditions, tirelessly, without the slightest trace of dislike
or disgust, bearing the ridicule and the criticism of the world and
conquering the feelings of shame and defeat. This type of devotion was
practiced by little child Prahlada. (Prema Vahini, Ch 51)


-BABA

Honesty is a quality in a person’s nature.
If a person is honest, they are honest at home, and honest at work as well.
Whether as a husband or a wife, they are honest towards their spouse.
Wherever they go, honesty just shines through their character naturally.

The same goes for Bhakti (devotion) as well. A devotee of God is also
devoted to the nation, and to the creation. Their love and devotion is
reflected in every sphere of life.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Blessings for a GOoD day



What SRI SRI said

Spread The Sweetness Of Joy Around

Fri, 12/11/2015 Bangalore, India

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There are four levels of communication - para, pashyanti, madhyama and
vaikari. Para is that level of communication which is beyond comprehension;
where there is no duality, there is no two.

Today, our Art Excel teachers conducted the Intuition Process for blind
children, after which they were able to read, see colors, numbers, and many
more things! When we asked the children how did they do it, they said, "We
are reading through our mind’s eye". They were able to read by just
touching, and feeling. In the Intuition Process that we are now teaching
children, their intuition gets developed and without having to open their
eyes, they can feel through the mental faculty. This process could become a
revolution. When our teachers asked me if we could do this process with
blind children, I said, "Okay, experiment with it". Today they have come up
saying it is working wonderfully! This is giving hope to go to all the blind
schools. They don’t need to go through Braille, this could open up another
inner faculty for them to see things.



Questions & Answers



Dear Gurudev, I put the alarm at 4 a.m. in the morning and after hearing the
alarm, I switch it off and go to sleep again. This attitude of mine does
not allow me to be systematic. How important is it on the spiritual path to
get up early in the morning?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Have good sleep, and whenever you wake up, that time
you sit and meditate. But for people undergoing the Teachers Training
Program here, it is a different story! At least during the teachers
training, these 15 days you have to do your Padmasadhana in a group, so you
have to let the alarm ring and wake up with that! But go to bed early also!

You will find the Teachers Training Program so transformational. A lot
happens during the Pre-TTP, but you will see how each step will take you
forward. Remember, I don’t want our teachers to be raw, I want our teachers
to be the light houses of society. Each one of you is like the honeycomb of
the society. You are going to bring about transformation in hundreds and
thousands of people, and that is why you have to be strong yourself. We will
strengthen you so much, internally and externally, that the smile on your
face does not vanish in any situation. You do not get shaken come what may
and you remain happy and joyful. And whatever you wish for will also happen
effortlessly.

We have infinite possibilities within us, we don’t use them. We have to
recognize and awaken these possibilities. One who is awake can wake everyone
else up. So, there will be some wonderful classes. During the training
itself you become so strong.

It is sheer luck that our organization has good teachers. All teachers are
good, maybe one percent needs a little more time, but most of them are very
strong. This is a big thing. We have a large number of teachers who are
living the example. It is better to keep that one percent margin, to play
safe (laughter).We cannot intervene in this world of karma and maya; it is
inexplicable.





Dear Gurudev, failures in life are opportunities for improvement. Can you
please share any such experience in your own life?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I haven’t been in a situation where I have to lament
over failures, nor have I ever had to say sorry for having done some
mistakes because it has never happened so far. Touch wood! I don’t think
there is any chance for it to happen in the future also. Yet, everybody’s
mistake is also my mistake; I take it that way. This is because if we had
reached this knowledge to people earlier, then perhaps their mistakes would
never have happened.

Once I went to address the prisoners of Naini Central Prison in Allahabad.
Some of the prisoners were so transformed. At least two of them said, "If we
had had this knowledge before, we would not have been here. Gurudev, you are
responsible for us being here. Why didn’t you teach this knowledge earlier?"
I agreed with them. We should have taught this in schools and colleges. To
prevent crime, we have to do this. So, in that sense, we are responsible,
everyone is responsible!





Dear Gurudev, do natural calamities happen because all the people in that
area share the same karma, or is it because of staying in that specific
place also?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, there is karma of space and time also. There is
individual karma, family karma, society karma and the karma of space and
time. This is why karma is considered so deep and vast. If you get into the
analysis of karma, it is a big headache. So don't do that. Lord Krishna
himself said to Arjuna, "Gahana karmano gatih", which means thatthe ways of
karma are unfathomable, so just forget about it. Don’t keep analyzing it. It
is not going to help you in anyway, move on. When you move ahead in life
with conviction and wisdom, all negative karmas simply vanish!

There are three types of karma:
1. Karta: where you do it yourself
2. Kaaryata: where you make someone else do it
3. Anumodi: where you just keep quiet or accept others doing their karma,
and that also brings you karma.
If you really go deep into karma, it is really scary! Suppose a thief or
dacoit is stealing something , and suppose you have fed him something, you
get the karma of that doing also. Suppose you have fed a beggar on the
street, and he does some wrong thing, that karma will also come to you.
Karma is a vast and endless subject.

Now, how can one be, without karma sticking on to you? That is yoga! Yoga
greases you in such a way that karma doesn’t stick anywhere. When halwa (a
sweet pudding) is made, more ghee (clarified butter)is added so that it does
not stick to the pan. Similarly, bhakti (devotion) is that ghee (grease)
which does not allow karma to stick on to the pan (body)!

How to relieve stress with Sudarshan Kriya?

Nature is replete with various rhythms and cycles – day follows night, night
follows day, seasons come & go. Similarly, there are biological rhythms in
our body, mind and emotions. When these rhythms are in sync, we have a sense
of harmony and well being. When stress or illness upsets the rhythm, we
experience discomfort and discontent and feel upset and unhappy.

“We need to do a cleansing process within ourselves. In sleep we get rid of
fatigue, but the deeper stresses remain in our body. Sudarshan Kriya
cleanses the system from the inside. The breath has a great secret to offer”

-Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The Art of Living Happiness Program to be held at APD in Chatsworth (65
Gemini Cres, Woodhurst – Pass Chatsmed Hospital – turn left on top of hill)
(P1 course)

1.1 Happiness Program (6days – evening course) @ APD Chatsworth 18 – 23
January 2016

1.2 AOL YOGA course (5 evenings) @APD Chatsworth 8-12 February 2016

[Pat Gounden]

Date: Thursday, January 21, 2016


THOUGHT FOR THE DAY


To attain the knowledge of righteousness (dharma), first, you must receive
training under wise people, who are imbued with righteousness (dharma).
Next, you must aspire to purify yourself (Atma shuddhi) and practice truth
(sathya). Thirdly, you must realize the value of knowledge of the scriptures
(Vedas), which is the voice of God. When these three steps are completed,
you will clearly understand the truth and discriminate it from untruth. This
enquiry into truth must be done in amity and cooperation. Everyone is
entitled to attain spiritual wisdom. Everyone must be equally eager to
discover the truth and benefit from it. All opinions must be tested on the
touchstone of dharma, of universal goodness (sarvaloka-hitha). The
principles that pass this test alone must be chosen and practiced, and
shared with the world. Then will help humanity to progress. Then, everyone
will develop joy and happiness in equal measure. All of you must use this
method and perform noble and pure deeds consistently. (Dharma Vahini, Ch 13)


-BABA



Our voices should be strong. The voice of truth and religion is weak. When
the voice of violence is strong, it creates trouble. When the voice of love
is strong and the voice of violence is weak, that is satyayuga (the age of
truth). The voice of Rama should be stronger than Ravana’s. Only then can he
win. It is the same with Lord Krishna.

It is when life feels like a struggle that we must focus on knowledge. Even
Arjuna was not first told to fight. He was told to be in knowledge and
meditation. Only then should we work. Always be in knowledge and then work.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar



Blessings for a GOoD day





What SRI SRI said

Why We Must Not Misuse Knowledge

Thu, 01/14/2016 Bangalore, India

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This is a continuation of the post (
<http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/the-mysteries-of-the-creation> The
Mysteries Of The Creation)



Questions & Answers



The terrorist organizations kill people with full awareness. So can we still
say that the present moment is joyful?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Look, they are doing something with a wrong
understanding. They think that if they kill somebody here then they are
going to go to heaven. They think that they are doing God’s work here. This
is their conviction. How can you say it is joyful moment? It is especially
not so for those getting executed.

Do not misinterpret or stretch knowledge into avenues which do not make any
sense. This is a strange question. There are many things you can do, or also
not do, to be in the present moment.
These are all Vikrutis (distortions) of the mind. When you get into this,
then the mind wrongly thinks that “Oh, this is also joyful! ( Killing
innocent people) Why do I not do this then?” This is why we speak about the
Six wealths ( Shatt Sampatti) one should have –Shama (equanimity of the
mind), Dama (restraint or say over one’s senses), Uparati(ability to enjoy
what one has), Titiksha (endurance or fortitude in both good and
bad),Samadhana (being established in the Self, in the Divine) and Shraddha
(deep unshakeable faith).

Until and unless a person is well-founded in this Sheela ( a system of
virtues), until one is established in the four pillars of knowledge, one
cannot speak about Vedanta. Without being well-established in these, you may
argue that “Oh, everything is God. So If everything is the Brahman, then
those people who are killing others are also Brahman. If everything has come
from that Ananda (blissful One Consciousness) then they too have come from
the same Ananda”. This is misuse of the highest knowledge. The highest
knowledge is not given to anyone until and unless they are well founded in
Viveka, Vairagya, the Shatt Sampatti, and Mumukshatva (intense desire for
liberation). All these four principles have to be well established within
us. Only then can you talk about Vedanta. Then you can say that “Everything
is One, all are One”.

In the ethics of teaching it is said, “Do not give this knowledge that
‘Everything is God, everything is Brahman’ to people who have not come up to
that level of discrimination. Otherwise a thief also can misuse this
knowledge. A thief may also think “Oh, never mind, anyway everything is the
Brahman. So how does it matter whether this money comes from my pocket or
someone else’s pocket? My pocket or his pocket – it is all the same. So why
not steal and take it?” ( Laughter) If this were the case then all the
pick-pockets can also talk and justify their actions using Vedanta. So that
is why this knowledge is not given in such a way.

If without proper understanding you just think, “Everything is Brahman”,
then you would not make any distinction between mud and a banana. Then you
should be able to eat mud also. People many times use knowledge for their
convenience. This is misuse of knowledge. Knowledge gives your comfort, but
using knowledge for your convenience is unethical. If you live the
knowledge, then it surely gives you absolute comfort, absolute joy.





Gurudev, Lord Shiva’s Jataa (matted and wound locks) trap and hold the holy
Ganga. Goddess Ganga is symbolic of knowledge. So then what are the matted
locks a symbol of? What do they signify?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, Goddess Ganga represents knowledge. A single
person cannot receive or hold so much knowledge. Only Lord Shiva can contain
and uphold so much knowledge. It means only the blissful Infinity (Lord
Shiva) can contain and hold so much knowledge.

A normal person can attain contentment and bliss by just a small spring of
that eternal river (of knowledge). See, in a library, there is a tremendous
amount of knowledge that is stored. Yet how much do you actually need to
become still and content in yourself? You need just a little bit of it. You
will only look into that subject or area of knowledge that you actually seek
for. When only a small spring of knowledge comes forth, then it gives you
joy and comfort. But if instead of that small spring, the entire river of
knowledge were to flood open, then a person becomes uncomfortable ( being
unable to comprehend or contain so much vast knowledge in one go).

When Lord Krishna revealed his supreme Universal form to Arjuna, Arjuna
became so afraid, he started shaking all over. He pleaded to Lord Krishna,
“O Lord! Please end this vast and magnificient yet equally fearful divine
form and return back into your earthly form. I am not able to behold the
infinity of your divine form”. This is what Arjuna prayed to Lord Krishna.
Knowledge is vast and endless. Yet a small spring of knowledge is sufficient
to bring contentment and peace to the soul.





Gurudev, can one receive the Gayatri Mantra only from one’s parents or from
someone else as well?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You can receive the Gayatri Mantra from the parents or
from the Guru. Simply listening or chanting along with a tape recorder or
audio does not help. When one gets initiated into the Gayatri Mantra by
following the proper rituals and process to receive the mantra, then the
mantra becomes powerful and effective.





Gurudev, what is the meaning of “Sri”? Is only money referred to as “Sri” (
a prefix referring to all kinds of abundance and affluence)?



Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No. “Sri” has various meanings. “Sri” can mean this
creation, or knowledge, wealth, etc. All this is contained in the meaning of
the prefix “Sri”. Everything that is manifest is “Sri”. The glory of the
unmanifest is called “Sri”. “Sri” refers to the glory and magnificence of
the unmanifest consciousness that cannot be seen or perceived. “Sri” also
means brilliance, strength, health. All this is “Sri”.