Yelahanka, 22 December 2011
What is the Art of Living? It is understanding the truth in life. And what is the truth? Life is full of opposite values, highs and lows. Keep the mind steady in spite of ups and downs in life. During challenging times, have an attitude of sacrifice, face it, be with the knowledge that this will also change. During good times, have an attitude of service and serve everyone to your best capacity. This is the first point.
Accept people as they are. We expect people to be like ourselves. Have you found anybody just like yourself? If you find such people, you cannot spend even five minutes with them. You will want to run away. So, however a person is, accept them. This is the second point.
Another very important point in life is not to let your mind become a football of others opinions. We always think: ‘What will this person think about me? What will that person say about me?’
The truth is that nobody has the time to think about you. Everybody is lost in their own world. You worry unnecessarily about what other people will think about you. Give people the freedom to think whatever they want about you. Opinions keep changing. This is the third point.
If someone does a mistake, don't think they have done it intentionally. Similar to how you make mistakes, know that they made a mistake as well and move on. This is the fourth point.
The fifth point is to live in the present moment. If you hold on to the past, neither can you be happy nor can you make others happy. Live like a child, in the present moment.
Our life must be without blemish. How is that possible? It is possible through devotion towards the Divine.
When you get up in the morning, look at your palms and say, ’let nothing bad happen through my hands. Let my hands be full and have the capacity to share with others too.’
This is an ancient tradition in our country.
When we get up, we look at our palms and say, ‘let Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth) reside in my hands. Let me bring wealth through these hands.’
One hand of Lakshmi is facing down, which denotes giving. The other hand denotes Abhaya Hasta, i.e., assurance that the Divine is with us and we do not need to be afraid.
We also pray that our hands help us in gaining knowledge.
Lastly, we pray that only auspicious work happens through our hands.
This is a prayer which we do every morning as soon as we wake up will come true if it comes out of your heart. Even if it doesn't happen sometimes, we still pray to the Divine to take care of us and ensure that it doesn't happen in future.
Dropping the past is the true offering.
The Divine does not want any gift from you. The Divine only wants your worries.
The prasad you get is pleasantness of mind. The Divine loves you 100 times more than your parents. I have come here only to tell you that the Divine loves you dearly.
Read more at What Sri Sri Said Today
© The Art of Living Foundation
What is the Art of Living? It is understanding the truth in life. And what is the truth? Life is full of opposite values, highs and lows. Keep the mind steady in spite of ups and downs in life. During challenging times, have an attitude of sacrifice, face it, be with the knowledge that this will also change. During good times, have an attitude of service and serve everyone to your best capacity. This is the first point.
Accept people as they are. We expect people to be like ourselves. Have you found anybody just like yourself? If you find such people, you cannot spend even five minutes with them. You will want to run away. So, however a person is, accept them. This is the second point.
Another very important point in life is not to let your mind become a football of others opinions. We always think: ‘What will this person think about me? What will that person say about me?’
The truth is that nobody has the time to think about you. Everybody is lost in their own world. You worry unnecessarily about what other people will think about you. Give people the freedom to think whatever they want about you. Opinions keep changing. This is the third point.
If someone does a mistake, don't think they have done it intentionally. Similar to how you make mistakes, know that they made a mistake as well and move on. This is the fourth point.
The fifth point is to live in the present moment. If you hold on to the past, neither can you be happy nor can you make others happy. Live like a child, in the present moment.
Our life must be without blemish. How is that possible? It is possible through devotion towards the Divine.
When you get up in the morning, look at your palms and say, ’let nothing bad happen through my hands. Let my hands be full and have the capacity to share with others too.’
This is an ancient tradition in our country.
When we get up, we look at our palms and say, ‘let Lakshmi (Goddess of wealth) reside in my hands. Let me bring wealth through these hands.’
One hand of Lakshmi is facing down, which denotes giving. The other hand denotes Abhaya Hasta, i.e., assurance that the Divine is with us and we do not need to be afraid.
We also pray that our hands help us in gaining knowledge.
Lastly, we pray that only auspicious work happens through our hands.
This is a prayer which we do every morning as soon as we wake up will come true if it comes out of your heart. Even if it doesn't happen sometimes, we still pray to the Divine to take care of us and ensure that it doesn't happen in future.
Dropping the past is the true offering.
The Divine does not want any gift from you. The Divine only wants your worries.
The prasad you get is pleasantness of mind. The Divine loves you 100 times more than your parents. I have come here only to tell you that the Divine loves you dearly.
Read more at What Sri Sri Said Today
© The Art of Living Foundation
