Bangalore, 2 December 2011
Q. Jai Gurudev Guruji, what is the difference between attraction and love?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Attraction is for a short period of time but love is our true nature.
Attraction is related to pleasure and it will come and go, whereas love is a compulsion, it stays with us. You can’t be without love.
Q: Guruji, what is the importance of charity? What is the highest form of charity?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Charity brings purity of mind and purity of heart. Charity means sharing.
But charity is also not considered the most noble act because you always do charity to someone who is not your own. You never say, ‘I did charity to my daughter or my son’.
So the first step is compassion. Second step is charity, giving what you have to others who need it and then the third step is simply a sense of belongingness where you share because you can’t but share. You don’t think that you are doing charity and yet you do charity. That is true charity.
Real service is doing service without asserting that I did service.
Suppose you find a girl has fallen down, you go and you lift her and put a band-aid on her and take care of her. After that you don’t say, ’Oh! I did a great service to the girl!’
You did it because as human beings you can’t but help. You can’t just walk away when someone is hurt. It’s impossible.
So service should be like our nature.
Q: Guruji, how do I make myself such that I do only that which God wishes?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: For that become empty and pray to God, may thy will be done.
Q: Guruji, does a devotee find the Guru or does the Guru find a devotee. What is the meaning of a Guru?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The word ’guide’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Guru’.
Guru means the one who removes ignorance and teaches you knowledge. A Guru teaches you how to live by example and not just by books.
Mother teaches you by example, she is the first Guru. Then you have your Gurus who teach you mathematics, music, football or cricket. Then comes the Sadguru who teaches you spiritual knowledge, to make you see that you are consciousness.
Read more at What Sri Sri Said Today
© The Art of Living Foundation
Q. Jai Gurudev Guruji, what is the difference between attraction and love?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Attraction is for a short period of time but love is our true nature.
Attraction is related to pleasure and it will come and go, whereas love is a compulsion, it stays with us. You can’t be without love.
Q: Guruji, what is the importance of charity? What is the highest form of charity?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Charity brings purity of mind and purity of heart. Charity means sharing.
But charity is also not considered the most noble act because you always do charity to someone who is not your own. You never say, ‘I did charity to my daughter or my son’.
So the first step is compassion. Second step is charity, giving what you have to others who need it and then the third step is simply a sense of belongingness where you share because you can’t but share. You don’t think that you are doing charity and yet you do charity. That is true charity.
Real service is doing service without asserting that I did service.
Suppose you find a girl has fallen down, you go and you lift her and put a band-aid on her and take care of her. After that you don’t say, ’Oh! I did a great service to the girl!’
You did it because as human beings you can’t but help. You can’t just walk away when someone is hurt. It’s impossible.
So service should be like our nature.
Q: Guruji, how do I make myself such that I do only that which God wishes?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: For that become empty and pray to God, may thy will be done.
Q: Guruji, does a devotee find the Guru or does the Guru find a devotee. What is the meaning of a Guru?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The word ’guide’ comes from the Sanskrit word ‘Guru’.
Guru means the one who removes ignorance and teaches you knowledge. A Guru teaches you how to live by example and not just by books.
Mother teaches you by example, she is the first Guru. Then you have your Gurus who teach you mathematics, music, football or cricket. Then comes the Sadguru who teaches you spiritual knowledge, to make you see that you are consciousness.
Read more at What Sri Sri Said Today
© The Art of Living Foundation
