Understanding fear

 

Because fear is love standing upside down, everything that can be interpreted with love can also be interpreted with fear. A child clinging to its mother can be understood in both ways - the child clings out of love, or out of fear. This primal instinct of fear can be totally transformed through awareness of Divine love.

Fear is an impression of the past reflecting the future of the present. When people deny fear, they become egocentric, when they recognize and accept fear, they go beyond it - they become free from it. Total lack of fear is possible only in utter chaos or in utmost orderliness. Neither a saint nor a fool has fear, but everywhere in between there is fear. 

Fear is essential to preserve orderliness in the world. It is a primal instinct. Fear of death preserves life. Fear of wrong maintains right. Fear of sickness encourages hygiene. Fear of misery makes you righteous. A child has a pinch of fear so it is careful and alert while walking. A pinch of fear is necessary to keep things moving smoothly. Do not try to eliminate fear. Just meditate and know that you are nobody or that you belong to someone special.

Whenever a boundary is broken, it creates some fear. This fear creates aversion, this aversion in turn brings you back inside the boundary, and to keep yourself in the boundary, you set up defences. But when you try to defend your position, it becomes a stress and every time you work to defend your position it makes you weaker.

On the path, people use even knowledge as a defence against criticism. Do not use knowledge as a defence. Knowledge is like an umbrella for you - a shelter, not a weapon. Of course, sometimes "do not use knowledge as a weapon" becomes an excuse not to be in knowledge. I say, drop all your defences. Anyone can make a mistake - even you. Do not defend your mistakes, just accept them and move on. 

When you are totally defenceless, that is when you will be completely strong. See the whole past as a "happening" and the present as a "doing". If you see the past as a "doing", then ego and regret come along. And when you see the present as a "happening", then laziness and unawareness set in. If you apply the "doing" for the future, it brings tension and worry. 

If you apply the "happening" for the future, it might bring some confidence and also lethargy. Let the "happening" be for the past. Let the "doing" be for the present. And the future is a mix of both. The wise will see "doing" in "happening" and "happening" in "doing" simultaneously. 

Only someone who is 100 percent in "doing" can recognise the “happening". Are you confused now? One who does a lot of work will never say he did a lot . 

When someone says he did "a lot" of work, that means he could do even more, he has not done enough. Work does not tire you as much as the sense of doership does. Be 100 percent in "doing" without the sense of doership.

How to rise above negativity

When you pass judgement against or label people, your behaviour starts getting disturbed. You become stiff because of the seeds of negativity you are carrying against others, and your vibration becomes negative. You don’t even realize that you are carrying negativity within you.

Negativity is such that you get sucked into it without being conscious of it. That is why we need to develop our awareness. To begin, ask yourself these four questions:

#1 Are you wasting mental energy paying attention to things that don’t matter?

When the mind expands and recognizes its vastness, then trivial matters don't bother you. Otherwise, you tend to get so stuck in the small things. Every now and then you think: "He said so and so to me, she said that to me, that person did not even look at me, that person spoke so harshly to me", and so on. You waste so much of your mental energy paying attention to these useless things. This happens because you have not broadened your vision. My dear, life is so temporary and fleeting. Your life is short. Where in this short life do you have the time to bother about who said what and why? Why then get stuck in this mess?
I tell you, even if God Himself comes and says a few harsh words to you, you should remain smiling and be centered. Think of that as a gift, as a Prasad (blessing or sacred offering). 

You should make your mind highly centered and unshakeable within yourself, like a pillar. Do not get carried away or troubled by trivial occurrences around you. Otherwise, you get so troubled by trivial and temporary things. Not only do you get troubled, you also trouble others around you. In fact, we end up disturbing others twice or thrice as much.

Again and again, you must remind yourself to wake up. Come back to awareness and realize that “I am full and content in every way. God is with me at all times, and whatever is required for me will happen at the right time.”

#2 Are you blaming or criticizing the people around you? Do you harbor any hate?

You are not going to gain anything by blaming or criticizing others. And to whatever extent possible, see that you do not create enmity or hatred with anyone.

Think deeply and go within your own mind; ask yourself whom you have hatred for. When you realize that, then strive to drop that hatred from within. In fact, I would say that not only strive, you should completely do away with hatred and cleanse yourself. Otherwise there can be no real progress in life. See, whatever you are to receive, you will surely get it, through someone or the other. When your karma is such that you are to receive something in life, I tell you, even Lord Brahma or Ravana cannot come in the way of that. But if your karma is to receive hurt or discomfort, then whether it is your enemy or your close friends and family, it will come to you and you will have to go through it. Having aversion towards something or someone and avoiding them is a sign of an ignorant person. It is not the quality of a true seeker. A true seeker is happy at all times. 

#3 Do people feel a sense of peace and calm in your presence?

Once, when I was in college, a person came and stood before me and started yelling at the top of his voice. He was yelling so loudly and angrily that every vein of this throat could be seen visibly. There was so much hatred and anger in his eyes. Why so? It so happened that I became popular with the students and many of them held me in high regard. This person did not like that and became very uncomfortable with all the attention I was getting. He was around 50 or 60 years in age, and the thought of an 18- to 20-year-old boy getting so much attention and following troubled him a lot. He shouted so much and even used very harsh words at me. I did not pay attention or listen to all that. Instead, I felt concerned that something should not happen to him because of all this anger welling up in him. So, I quickly stepped inside and brought some water for him. Seeing the glass of water in front of him, he suddenly became quiet. I asked him to relax and sit down.

See, our presence should be such that no matter who comes to us, they should feel a sense of peace and calm. No matter what kind of person they may be, whatever kind of outward behavior they may have – remember that is their problem and they would have to pay the price for that. You should pay attention to how you are behaving with others. You should ask yourself this question again and again – "Is my behaviour loving and cordial with everyone?" When I am loving and cordial with everyone, then the entire world is with me and will support me – you should remember this.

#4 Do you feel that you need to be treated properly?

You should think, “I do not need any special treatment; I do not expect anything from anyone. I am seeped in love and I will be loving and peaceful with everyone.” When you establish yourself strongly in this belief, then you will see that everyone in the world will be your friend. But if you think, “Oh! This person was so rude and disrespectful to me. Why should I be good and respectful to him?”, tell me, who is really at loss here? Then there has not been much real progress in your life. It would mean you are still stuck in the old patterns of your mind; you are still swimming in the small and dirty pool of your narrow mind. You end up thinking that this is all there is to the world. My dear, just come out of all this. There is sweet nectar flowing all around you. Imbibe and fill your life with that sweetness instead. What great enmity can you have with someone else? Why do you keep your mind so strained and troubled with such negativity? This causes a lot of stress and damage to your brain.

Yes, one should definitely take the right action at the right time as is required. I am not saying that you do something foolish like handing over your purse to your enemy. But what you can surely do is look at everyone with a smile. You can at least cleanse your own mind and get rid of whatever garbage and negativity is present in the mind. 

How to accept criticism

See, whether you accept or not, the criticism has already happened, isn’t it? You are left with no choice. Only after someone has spoken, you find that they have criticized you, right. How do you know before they speak? Before someone criticizes you, you don’t know. After they have criticized you, it is already done. 

What is the option you have? Okay, don’t accept it, what will happen to you? You will become more miserable. So if you are intelligent you will accept it, if you don’t want to be intelligent you can suffer for some time. That is the only way you can do it.

If someone criticizes us, how should we deal with them?

Give that person a surprise. Tell them, ‘Wow, you said such wonderful things! How
did you figure out these facts?’ Try this and see what happens. 

If someone criticizes you, you counter it with four criticisms of your own and the chain continues. Instead, thank them for their kind words, and see what happens. The day you drop your defences that person will hang their head out of shame and embarrassment. They will not know how to respond. 

This is how we should confuse those who criticise. Have some fun in this situation. What is the fun in finding fault? Our life should not become a football of others’ opinions. Repose in the self!

Cause of depression

Your hankering for pleasure is causing depression in you. Wake up and see all pleasures are momentary. How long will it stay? See they are so momentary, 5 to 10 minutes you find joy in them and it’s gone. 

Then what other things do you hanker about? Some people appreciating you? My dear, it has no meaning. People may appreciate you in front of you; behind you they may feel jealous about you. That’s what happens. They praise criticize you today, tomorrow they criticize you. So what? Do you see what I’m saying?

What are you hankering for? Appreciation from people? What is appreciation? Just a few thoughts that are passing through their mind and you think they are going to do it forever? They have limitations. So what? Good comments come; some people have bad comments, so what. They criticise you, so what? Those who criticise you are also going to die, so what? All finished! And you the one being criticised will also die one day. 

Why are we so much bothered about adulations, somebody’s appreciation, or criticism? Why can’t we just be our self? You know it takes such a big load off our head, not being bothered by anybody’s criticism, anybody’s adulations we are just ourselves, natural.
If you live so lightly where is the question of depression? Do you see what I’m saying? So those who get these thoughts of committing suicide, it is just your prana which is low, so do more pranayama and dedicate your life to a higher cause.

There are millions of people who are suffering more than you, look at them. One, when your suffering becomes smaller you will never think that you want to commit suicide, number one.

Second, you know that you are needed, you are useful. You have to do something in the world. Know that.

Third is, forget about what people think about you. People commit suicide because they think they lose their prestige, their status. What status? What is prestige? Who has time? Everybody is entangled in their own problems, their own mind. They can’t step out of their own mind. Where do they have time to think about you? 

You know, I remember a case of a very respectable lady in India. She was very proud of her family and her children. Her son went and married a girl from a lower class, lower strata of society. They are from a higher class and much wealthier and he married a girl from a very poor family and it was not a match; her shape and look was very different from his. It was very different. 

So the mother got so upset she said how can I go meet anybody. I cannot see anybody. And she went into such depression. I called her one day and told her, ‘Look, who has the time to think about you?’ The whole time she was like, ‘How can I show my face to others? How can I go to others weddings? They will all make fun of me.’ I said, ‘Who has time for you? It’s all in your head.’

She would not go to any other party, anybody’s wedding, nothing. She would sit in her own house; blame herself or her daughter-in-law or son for being very miserable. I told her, ‘No! You get up and go.’ You know it just needs that little push. Once she started going she found suddenly, she realized that ‘Yes, I was just caught in my own maya of my own mind.’ Everyone welcomed her properly, there was no need to put her head down and melt in such shame. These types of tendencies come because you think others are going to disrespect you. Many people do this.

Honour killing that happens in many places; it’s horrible. Honour killing is not because God is going to be angry with you. It is, ‘How to face the society, how to face people around you?’ This is what bothers many people and they commit suicide. I tell you it is worthless; what the society thinks of you is useless.

Recently it did happen, that one monk, a swami wanted to marry. I said, ‘yes, you can marry, no problem. I don’t mind what people think, don’t worry what people think. If you want to marry you marry.’

But I said, ‘You don’t remain a swami. You should write a one line letter that I don’t want to be swami because this life, monastic life is very difficult for me. So I would like to renounce this and not be a swami’, and everyone will accept. 

There is no problem. It’s okay. He couldn’t be a monk he married. So what? But he said, ‘No, no, I want to keep it secret. I want to be a Swami and also live somewhere else in Europe secretly, six months there and six months here.’

I said, ‘I won’t like that. I would not let anyone deceive anybody else. This is deception. On one hand you pose to be a swami and on the other hand you want to keep it a secret.’

I said, ‘I will not talk about that. Why you are worried what people think about it?’ Do you see what I’m saying? These are the things that arise because of a person's inner anxiety. So be natural and be open.

I don’t find it is difficult, I find it’s the easiest.

It is up to us to bring out the best in others

Don’t label anyone 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 the worst, good will come out of them.

One of our teachers from Srinagar once called me. He had 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.

10 Qualities Of An Effective Leader

A good leader is truthful, equanimous, transparent, farsighted and has a pleasant personality. He or she has a mission, a vision, a spirit of sacrifice, compassion and commitment.

Leadership is a manifestation of strong love and compassion for people. It represents a commitment to principles. In that sense, a certain degree of leadership is dormant in every individual. The challenge comes when one has to nurture it. Here are ten leadership qualities the make leaders effective:

1. A true leader—whether political, religious or social—has many challenges to face. The capacity to express one’s commitment varies from individual to individual. It is often clogged by one’s likes and dislikes. Yet, a leader has to view everyone with the same outlook, appraise everyone with the same yardstick. He has to find discrimination as well as the much-needed wisdom to act at the right time.

2. The society we live in and the groups we represents are not homogeneous and one cannot satisfy everybody. Yet, a leader has to carry everyone along and do justice to everybody.

3. A leader has to withstand criticism and not react emotionally to situations. Often leaders are surrounded by sycophants who try to boost their egos for their own personal agenda. A leader does need hands and feet and has to depend on people around him. At the same time, he should not find himself in a position where he gets confined in a fortress of his close aides or becomes a captive of his admirers.

4. One of the most desired qualities of a true leader is the courage to stretch his hands toward his critics and have the patience to listen to them. A true leader takes failures with as much equanimity as he would successes that come to his doorstep. These days leaders are defensive all the time, explaining their shortcomings or justifying their wrong actions. A true leader will neither complain nor explain, and is open to learning all the time. Admitting a past mistake and creating space for others with completely diverse viewpoints can make a leader more acceptable, universal. A leader does not pass the buck.

5. A true leader balances ideology and practicality, long-term goals with short-term needs. Those who stick only to idealism cannot become leaders and those who think they are very practical and without any ideology also bite the dust.

6. A leader cannot be either generic or specific. He has to strike the balance between personal attention to people and the generic vision for the group, community or country he leads.

7. A leader should have the courage to accept his weak moments. He should understand that people are magnanimous. They would appreciate his straightforwardness and accept his shortcomings rather than him trying to hide them.

8. Some leaders are too diplomatic while others are too straightforward in their approach. While people do not trust those, who are very diplomatic, they do not want anything to do with those who are very blunt and justify their rudeness in the garb of straightforwardness. People who are very straightforward and blunt in their approach often don’t find followers. It is like tuning a guitar. If the strings are stretched too tight you cannot play it, and if the strings are too lose you cannot create music either. A leader has to strike the balance between diplomacy and straightforwardness.

9. While self-righteous people create distaste in others, those who take credit for every good action are equally distanced. A leader should acknowledge others’ contributions and at the same time see that these contributions don’t get to their heads.

10. A leader can create a mob but he should know that a mob is short lived. A shortsighted leader creates a mob; a leader with wisdom creates a movement. Mahatma Gandhi, Nelson Mandela, and Martin Luther King, Jr. are examples of inspirational leaders who created movements.

All this may sound utopian, but in reality, if you look keenly into the lives of the most successful leaders, you will find all these qualities naturally manifest at some time or the other. You don’t have to do much to inculcate these leadership qualities; just their awareness is good enough to make a good leader.

How should one handle criticism?

If the criticism is superficial, then let it be. It is one of the Navarasas (the nine emotions, which are, love, laughter, compassion, anger, courage, terror, disgust, surprise, and peace).

If you want something bad to happen to another from the core of your heart, from the depth of your being, then you are harming only yourself. The person being criticized won’t be affected. But that doesn’t mean you should be superficially positive, and never point out mistakes.

If an apple is bad, saying the apple is good is insincere. If someone asks you, ‘How was the food’, and you say it was very good, but you couldn’t eat it then that is not honesty. Where there is a problem, it must be pointed out, but without any hatred in your heart, otherwise the feeling will harm only you.

If somebody else does it, then let it be. What can you do? It is their rajoguna and tamoguna which makes such negative tendencies arise in them. But if you become negative towards them because of that, they you will also be in the same basket as them.

The three gunas, rajoguna, tamoguna and sattoguna are an integral part of nature. You just be a witness to their play and display. And if you want to explain it to somebody then do it because you care for them, do it with compassion. Tell them that "You have spent two hours complaining about somebody today, this will severely affect your creative or positive energy. The more you complain the more energy you will lose."

Tell them to complain about somebody for an hour and observe how much energy they have lost. When people start complaining about others they forget the time because they find some form of enjoyment in it. Like a patient enjoys talking about his ailments. If he has ten visitors, he’ll tell all ten people the same thing, ‘All morning I have been having leg pain. I could not sleep all night because of the pain’.

All the crying and drama is repeated over and over again. He should do something else instead of harping on and on about it. Write a poem maybe, or do some other creative thing. Then he can be happy and also forget his ailment.

Anything that is repeated, gets deeper into the consciousness. That is why mantras are repeated again and again. So don’t let complaints get deeper into yourself, instead do some japa (meditative repetition of a mantra or name of a divine power).

5 Tips to Get Past the Blame Game

When you get angry or you blame somebody, you feel a heavy load on your head. You feel uncomfortable inside, and you spread unpleasant feelings all around you too. Blaming does not give you anything positive in return. Instead, owning responsibility for all your experiences in life makes you powerful and will put an end to grumbling, planning counter attacks, explanations, and all those host of negative tendencies. Owning full responsibility, you become free.

Here are 5 tips to walk yourself out of the tendency to blame and move towards higher levels of awareness and a more positive way of life.

#1 Blaming is not going to give you anything positive in return

What is the use of blame? See, you blame someone and if that person is really a culprit, for the first time it will provoke him or her, but if you keep blaming, he becomes numb to it; he doesn’t care. Suppose someone is a real thief, and you keep telling him, ‘You are a thief’, you are wasting your time blaming him, because every time you say it, it doesn’t matter to him. It doesn’t touch him at all.
So, a true culprit doesn’t get affected by your blaming him or her. Instead of blaming them, take this opportunity as an exercise for you to maintain your equanimity and your inner balance.
If everything is okay, if everybody is praising you and you say that I am a very balanced person, it doesn’t mean much.

#2 Before blaming someone, analyze your purpose of blaming

You want to correct the person, is that why you are blaming them? Or are you blaming because you want to vent out your emotions? What is your attitude? Why do you want to do it?
If you are just venting out your emotions then that is reflect on your own immaturity and lack of control over your own mind, that all. So, analyze your purpose of blaming someone before putting the blame on them.

#3 Blame reflects lack of communication
 

If your intention is to correct a person, you cannot correct them by blaming them. You can only correct them with love, compassion and communication. Blame means no communication.
If someone is a real culprit and you want to correct them, you can only do it through communication. And if he or she is not a real culprit, then your whole exercise is futile.

#4 Switch from blame to constructive criticism

Blaming is out of anger, jealousy, hatred and does not work. It does not yield any result. Instead give constructive criticism with compassion. A criticism should go with compassion and care, then it works.

#5 Above all, be patient

If you have patience then you can turn any situation, event or place into heaven. If you lack patience you will make heaven into hell. It’s impatience that destroys situations and the environment. Learn to accept other people’s point of view, and above all, be patient, as no endeavor will be successful without patience.

The art of dealing with terrorism, spiritually

The act which is only destructive and inflicts suffering on both oneself and others is terrorism.In such an act human values are lost in the process of achieving a goal. Some of the factors that lead to terrorism are frustration and desperation in achieving a goal, impulsive action, shortsightedness and confused emotions.

Terrorism can also stem from having a non-verifiable concept of heaven and merit, and a childish concept of God where God favors some and is angry with others, undermining the Divine’s omniscience and omnipotence.

Terrorism induces a psychosis of fear in everyone, and it increases poverty, suffering, and loss of life with no apparent gain. Instead of life-supporting solutions, the terrorist chooses destruction as an answer.

If you criticize without giving a solution, know that it comes from the seed of terrorism. Although there are certain qualities you can appreciate in a terrorist such as fearlessness, commitment to a goal and sacrifice, you must learn from them things that you should never do – valuing ideas and concepts more than life, having a narrow perspective of life and dishonoring life’s diversity.

The remedy for terrorism is to:

• Inculcate a broader perspective of life.
• Value life more than race, religion and nationality. Provide education in human values – friendliness, compassion, cooperation, etc.
• Teach methods to release stress and tension.
• Cultivate confidence in achieving noble aims by peaceful and nonviolent means.
• Weed out destructive tendencies with spiritual upliftment.

When you let go the best will come to you

Bangalore, 30 November 2011

Q: In order to bring change in the system it is said you should get into the system. But when we are in the system we are in a position where we don’t want to upset the people who are working with us, then how do we bring change?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: For that you should have skill.
uth does not mean rudeness. Often people who think they are just being truthful are very rude. Rudeness blocks communication and can disturb the harmony. It also destroys the sense of listening. For anybody to hear you, you should have their ears first for listening. If you block the listening however correct you are, it just doesn’t get absorbed. They don’t take it.
So to buy someone’s ear you should not to be rude. And if you are rude you cannot buy someone’s ear. You can be firm but you cannot afford to be rude. And often we don’t know the line between firmness and rudeness. That is the problem.

Q: Jai Gurudev. How many types of Gitas are there and what are they?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes there is Uddhava Gita, Anu Gita, Guru Gita, Gopi Geet. Like these there are many Gitas.

Q: There is a lot of talk on FDIs in retail. Please give your views on that.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If you travel around the world, whether the East or West, from Malaysia to Argentina you find only these multi-national chains of shops all over the place, like Walmart, 7-Eleven. These stores are there from Japan to Argentina. It is only in India there is some breathing space. In China and India it is a little different.
You come to India and you find all these different stores with different name, some local and some national shops. Of course India is a very big market so many of these big stores wants to come and open shops here but we should study before opening these. We need to study as to how adversely it might affect the economy and the small shops here.
I was told in Delhi all the big malls got shut down because people don’t go there. They prefer to go to small shops. So one view is, so what if we open these big stores anyways nobody will go. People will go to their small shops. You cannot use this logic before you take a step like this because once you take such a step there is no going back on it.
This should be studied and hasty decisions should not be made.
So with the nuclear agreement itself there are a lot of issues and serious concerns that our scientists have put forward which the government has not addressed.


Q: Are there any indications on what the purpose of life is?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: First purpose is to find out the purpose of life. Once you find it then relax.

Q: Guruji, I am not a very sad person nor do I find life depressing. But many times when I wake up in the morning I have a heavy heart and feel lonely and feel like crying. What is that and how do I stop feeling this way?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Engage yourself in some seva activity, however big or small. If you are engaging yourself in seva activities then these sorts of things will get lifted. Of course listen to some knowledge and do sadhana along with that.

Q: Guruji, all my questions are always answered before asking you. But still there is something that I want to say to you but I am not able to explain it.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Good! That is how many people feel. After having said everything, they still feel, there is something that I want to say but I am not able to say it. This is a normal feeling.

Q: Guruji, the value of the dollar is increasing day by day when compared to rupee. So suppose we use Indian products will it come down?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It should help the economy. We have many Sumeru products which are much better and chemical free, you should all use that. Our own Sri Sri Ayurveda products are there. You must start using them.

Q: Guruji, come what may I am not able to let go of my desires. I am so obsessed and passionate about them that I fear that if I let go of them, what will my life be?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You should know when you let go the best will come to you. Don’t be afraid.
And if it is not possible then never mind, hold on to it, but relax!

Q: Jai Gurudev, can a devotee get angry with the Guru? Does a devotee have the freedom to do that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, a devotee can be angry, no problem. It is very safe to be angry with the Guru. Tell me, does anger ask you before coming? No! You get angry and then later on you feel guilty; I should have not gotten angry. So don’t try to justify your anger at that time. You got angry because at that time you were ignorant, never mind, move on!

Q: Guruji, you said just smile at those who are criticizing you but it is really not something I can do when somebody criticizes me and my work. I know that is their ignorance but I just can’t share a smile with them. Please guide.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Never mind, relax! Do only what you can do. I am not telling you to do something which you cannot do. If you cannot do then okay, relax!


© The Art of Living Foundation

Wherever you are, you meditate and you find the divinity

25 May 2011
Q: Guruji, India is compassionate with Pakistan. Pakistan does not seem to like India much. America pretends to love both but actually does not love anyone. It is a very complicated love triangle. Will it ever get sorted out, what should India do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just continue to do what it has been doing, wait and watch. India and US are naturally partners. We both have liberty, secularism, democracy. Artificially, they are partnering with Pakistan and it is not working out as much as it should. So there is a basic conflict of interest and Pakistan is suffering a lot. That is why multi-religious education is a must in Pakistan to root out fanaticism. Unfortunately, in Zia-ul-Haq’s time they changed their whole history, they disowned their ancient heritage. So it is a civilization without deep roots and that’s why this is happening.

Q: The more I gain knowledge from sadhana, seva and satsang, my faith in worshiping idols and visiting physical temples is going down. What is that Guruji?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes. it is okay that you don’t go to temple after temple. Wherever you are, you meditate and you find the divinity. The Divine is everywhere. You don't have to run to temples. That is the first stage; you have crossed that stage and have come to the second stage where Hari comes to you. There is a saying that when Kabir was calling, ‘Hari, Hari, Hari’ he didn’t find Hari. But when he started meditating, he said, ‘ab Hari lage peeche keheth Kabir, Kabir’, Hari is now coming to me wherever I am.

Q: Dear Guruji, are there many other planets where there are many other Gurujis or are you the only Guruji of the universe?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, why do you want to worry about other planets now? I think I am enough for you to handle.

Q: Guruji, I am an astrologer. Is it okay to listen to the problems of people and would that affect me in any way?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, you are astrologer and the work of an astrologer is very good. You can give people some direction, this will be beneficial. Sometimes people have Ashtama Guru, Ashtama Shani. Make them aware that they have Ashtama Guru, and they need to be a little careful. Those who have Ashtama Shani, this brings trouble to the mind. So advise people to be cautious.
Like this give advice to people. You must do that. That is how people will understand why sometimes too many thoughts arise in the mind or so many doubts come and one does not have any interest in doing anything. Then when an astrologer explains that this is reason why the mind is disturbed and it will get okay and these are the remedies, it will help. Everyone should chant ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, all the negative effects due to planetary positions will be neutralized with chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaya’. Negative effects become very less, as good as gone.
That is why one field of astrology is remedies. There is a saying that an arrow was coming which was supposed to hit the head, just blew a few strands of hair and went away.

Q: Guruji, I have learned how to manage my emotional problems, please tell me how to endure extreme physical pain, my leg hurts a lot.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, when your leg is paining and you are watching TV for two hours, you forget that your leg is paining, isn’t it. Pain is inevitable, suffering is optional. If there is pain in the body, that happens sometimes here and there, do some Yoga Nidra, get massages done. Whatever can happen through some treatments, you do that. After that, don’t keep your mind on the pain, divert your mind, okay?

Q: Jai Gurudev Guruji, Indian higher education has moved away from Indian roots and has been captured by commercial educational barons. Doesn’t it need to be redeemed and if so how?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There could be many ways. You think. You all sit and brain storm what we can do, how we can change the education system. Education should have more compassion, not commerce. Of course it has to sustain, anything you make should have a self sustaining model but it should not be like a cash cow. That is what has happened now.

Q: Guruji, in day to day life spirituality does not always work; I have now come to understand this. I am not able to even ask people for money for the work I have done. Please give me a solution.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you are working then do your work giving your 100% and when you are doing charity do that also to your best. Charity in work and work in charity will create problems.

Q: Dear Guruji, I have already taken a mantra from a saint but now I am getting attracted to this path and to you. To be like you do is it necessary to take a mantra, if yes am I being dishonest to the first mantra that I have received?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, don't get so confused. You have served another saint and you have taken knowledge from him that is why you are here. He has made you progress. So just be grateful. Here you are doing kriya. Learn Sahaj Samadhi and in that you will get a mantra and continue to meditate. Even if the other mantra which you previously had comes to your mind while you are meditating no problem, it comes and goes, you just relax.

Q: If one member of the family is an Art of Living teacher, then will she be able to reform a husband who is an alcoholic? Please answer Guruji.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is very difficult. It is said ‘Ghar ki murgi dal barabar’. At home they already know you, even though you have become a teacher they won’t listen to you, you should not teach them. Take them to another teacher; they will listen to what another teacher says. If you teach them they will not receive it well, they will take it for granted. You should never teach your own family members. There are so many teachers. Take them to any teacher's class and you also learn with them.

Q: Guruji, I can understand being centered and doing sadhana and seva but when criticism and jealousy turns to harmful proportions, what should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Be aware, be alert. Is it jealousy in you or in others? If it is in you wake up and see what are you jealous about, everything is going to finish one day. Know that everything is going to be gone, everything is going to finish, your jealousy will right away go down.
If it is others’ jealousy, don't recognize it, they will bear their cross.

Q: When my sister gets angry it disturbs the whole environment of the house. My parents get hurt and cannot correct her as it leads to fights and they want peace, what should we do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know it is very necessary to bring the knowledge to everybody, make everybody do the course. If you have done blessing course, give them blessings or have someone give them blessings and things will improve. Know that in your life things will always go forward. We need to have patience, yes.
There is so much strength in our sankalpa, we forget this. You have come here. Ask for what you want. You are getting what you want or not? How many of your works are getting done? See, so many people, their work gets done without asking. Have faith, with faith a lot can change.
But if you have a sankalpa in your mind that things will not change then it will take more time.

Q: Guruji, I see people dying in my dreams and sometimes it has come true. I fear the death of my loved ones, please help.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, don’t worry, this is all  illusory. Sometimes it can come true but it is not necessary that it always come true. Everyone has come at a certain time and will go at a certain time.

Q: What is Dharma? Is Hinduism or Islam dharma? If not then what is dharma. Between dharma and karma which is more important? 
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Dharma is that which keeps you on track, keeps you on the path. Dhriti (that which sustains), kshama (forgiveness), dama (piety or self- control), asteya (non-stealing), shaucha (cleanliness), indraiya-nigraha (control over the senses), dhi (intellect), vidya (knowledge or learning), satya (truthful) and akrodha (absence of anger). All these 10 rules are there of dharma, if you go on google you will know all the ten rules and what is dharma. Now knowledge is available at the press of one button on the computer.
What we don’t want others to do to us, not doing that to others, is dharma. Not treating others the way we would not like to be treated, that is dharma.
Now karma and dharma are very close, dharma is that which we have to do, which is our duty, which we hold on to. Karma is of two types, that which is for dharma and that which is against dharma. If you do karma which is against dharma that become adharma and karma which is for dharma is known as Sat Karma.

Q: I am very impulsive in nature. How to handle impulsiveness and emotional outbursts?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: First don’t put a label in your head that I am emotional in nature. Every person has emotions. Who is not emotional? Everybody has some emotions. But if you label yourself as emotional by nature then you are giving a license to yourself not to be intelligent or you are giving a license to yourself to be weak. You can be emotional but you can't be emotionally weak. Wake up and see you are not weak, you are strong. You have to assume you are strong.
You have heard the story of Mullah Nasiruddin? Mullah Nasiruddin started thinking that he is dead. So walking here and there he kept saying I am a dead body, I am dead. If someone would ask him something he would say a dead body cannot talk, I am a dead body even though he was speaking. So his wife got very concerned, anything she would ask him he would say I am a dead body why are you asking me. So she took him to a psychologist, and the psychologist told him,' look you are not dead you are alive,' but he said,' no I am a dead body'. So the psychologist told him in a dead body there is no blood, there is water and he agreed. So the psychologist took a needle and pricked him and he started to bleed. Then the psychologist said see that means you are not a dead body, you are alive. Then Mullah says, ‘today I have found out that there is blood even in dead bodies’
So in this way whatever we believe our self to be, we become that. So we should not think ‘I am emotionally weak’. Who said you are emotionally weak? Wake up now and see that you are strong. Emotions are natural and it is very beautiful to have emotions. Otherwise you will become so dry. Even the elephant here has emotions. The birds, elephants, horses, cows and buffaloes, they all have emotions, even a dog has emotions and then how can you not have emotions. There are emotions in you as well but to think I am emotional, I am weak, this label which you have put on yourself needs to be taken off. You are fine with the emotions; there is no need to beat yourself up. You need to feel from inside that I am strong. If tears come sometime, there is nothing wrong in that. But don’t get too carried away with your emotions.

Q: My dear Guruji, I am devoted to you and after you I think I am devoted to chocolate. I love eating chocolate, everyone says it is not right, please tell me how do I stop loving it.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, if one day you are asked to eat a whole box full of chocolates, as much as you, and I tell you the same the next day, you will start nauseating, you will have trouble at least for a day or two. If you are ready to undergo that pain, one day sit and eat as much chocolate as you want, as you usually cannot eat. Do you see what I am saying? There is nothing wrong in liking chocolate but if you think it has become an obsession then do it for one day and see if you can get over the craving for chocolate.

Q: Guruji, masters have declared that enlightenment is here and now, this very moment. Then what is the role of techniques, yoga and meditation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: So that it becomes here and now really. Just reading a menu card your stomach does not get full. If fire is written on a paper it does not burn your hands. The difference between fire written on paper and fire in reality, this is the difference here, okay? You have intellectually understood that enlightenment is here and now but to experience it, it happens only in meditation. The techniques take the mind away from the cravings, aversions and all the obstructions that has come to be in the here and now.

Q: First time when a human being was born, the consciousness was pure. When and how did it become impure Guruji?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, during the course of time impressions started piling up on the consciousness. Consciousness never become totally impure, its only impressions which are on top of it and that goes away with meditation, seva, sadhana and satsang.

Q: In the wedding vows does the couple get to accumulate their past karmas or do they exchange it and carry it forward?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well all is possible.

Q: Guruji, how do I deal with people’s jealousy and greed that I may encounter on my spiritual path?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, don’t recognize it, if they are jealous, it is their problem. You, thinking about their jealousy, you get angry. So, they got jealous but you got angry. You feel disgusted because they got jealous. Don’t recognize it, that’s their problem, from your side you be hollow and empty.

Q: Guruji, after Sudarshan Kriya you chant some shlokas and it feels so good. What is the meaning of these shlokas?  
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: More than the meaning, feeling good is important. If you are feeling good then that is good enough.

Q: Guruji, in the past three years I have seen that every year your grace in my life increases. I fear whether this will continue to happen in the future. Does this grace come with a lifetime guarantee?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, definitely. With lifetimes guarantees, not lifetime guarantee.

Q: Guruji, what do you think of Anna Hazare’s  Lokpal bill or constitution?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: He is coming here to the Ashram in a few days. He will speak to you and you can ask what you want to ask.


© The Art of Living Foundation

Spirituality begins with amusement

Bangalore, May 23:

Q: Guruji, can spirituality be explained by science? Sometimes I get amused by this creation which is yet to be explained by science. Do the Vedas have a solution?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, amusement is the preface for Yoga. When you are amused then you start enquiring into the nature of truth and then your journey begins. So, it is perfect. ‘Vismayo Yoga Bhumika,’ spirituality begins with amusement and then it is like being in an amusement park all the time. You get surprised, wow! What is this? What is this world? So many different varieties of trees, plants, flowers, leaves, vegetables, fruits, people, what is all of this? When such a thought arises, then knowledge begins.

Q: Guruji, if we accept situations the way they are then how would one be creative?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You must have understood this in the course (Art of Living’s Part One course), right? Acceptance does not mean inaction; acceptance is actually acknowledging the present situation.

You know, every child should know that they are a part of all the traditions in the world. Pakistanis’ ancestors were Hindus, Buddhists, Jains; many of the ancestors were from all these ancient traditions. Some were Parsis. The children in Pakistan should have been taught Upanishads, a little bit about Yoga and meditation. Yoga was born in Pakistan; born means it was taught and preached in what we call Pakistan today.

Hundreds of people follow all sorts of preaching because they don’t have access to spiritual knowledge, they don’t know about it. That is why it has become a very important duty for all of us to educate people about spirituality. Don’t you think so?
So we have got to be more active now and see that any sort of fanaticism is transformed into compassion and fanaticism is changed into a commitment to do good work in society, isn’t it. So we all have to work for it, yes!

Q: Dear Guruji, can Sudarshan Kriya change the DNA?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes

Q: Guruji how do I make myself strong to accept criticism?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, whether you accept or not, the criticism has already happened, isn’t it? You are left with no choice. Only after someone has spoken, you find that they have criticized you, right. How do you know before they speak? Before someone criticizes you, you don’t know. After they have criticized you, it is already done. What is the option you have? Okay, don’t accept it, what will happen to you? You will become more miserable. So if you are intelligent you will accept it, if you don’t want to be intelligent you can suffer for some time. That is the only way you can do it.


Q: Guruji, I have seen that there is a lot of your grace on me. Whatever I want or whichever desires I have, you give them to me. It has never happened that I have not gotten what I wanted but desires are such that they never end and now I have started to feel ashamed of myself, what to do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, now you have become aware of this, right? So you are now on the right track. The car has taken a ‘U’ turn. Ask for something big. Why are you asking for something small? And don’t ask only for yourself, ask for everyone. What you ask for, you will get.

Q. Sometimes, I am not happy with the school that my child is attending. Should I remove him from school and let him be at home?  
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, just because the school environment is not good enough, to remain at home is no good. Then children will become dull. We have to improve the systems in schools and this work is happening. That is why we are opening so many schools; we have opened around a 100 schools here in India.

Q: Dear Guruji, my mother-in-law does not distribute the prasad to people from other religions. Her logic is that those who don’t understand the importance of prasad won’t benefit. How can I get her to think otherwise?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Does not matter if she does not do it, you give it to everybody. Prasad is mostly nice eatables, people will appreciate. You know, everybody has got their individual opinions. Let them have, you have your own opinions, there is no conflict. You do what you want to do.

Q. What is more important: Vedanta, knowledge or love? 
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, Vedanta, knowledge and love are always together.  Sometimes one is given more importance and at another time the other is given more importance. So you have to go with both. Good!

© The Art of Living Foundation

‘Enlightenment is a connection with the universal spirit’

Bangalore ashram, Jan. 22:

Q: Guruji, the world knows you as a spiritual leader. Would you please share your experiences of your knowing that you are endowed with such spiritual power?  

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What do you want to know? I am like this from the beginning and I will continue to be like this in the future also. Usually, people come to the spiritual path when they get some disappointment. This is not the case always, but usually it is such. People take sanyas (renounce the world) when they have had failures in their love lives, or some problem or another. Nothing like that, at all for me. In fact, every child is born with spiritual knowledge but when you grow up, you start losing that. A yogi is becoming a child again, getting in touch with your pure essence.

Q: Guruji whenever I think of you I become very emotional, tears begin to roll down and my heart starts melting. What to do? Is it good or bad?  

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Don’t tag your emotions as good or bad. When your heart opens up tears come, it’s natural. Let it be. It is said in scriptures that tears of love are so precious that even angels run to collect them. Even on heaven, there are no tears of love. The most wonderful thing on the planet, on earth is to have tears of love, tears of gratitude. That indicates that our life is glorious. That makes our life rich and fulfilled. Fulfillment in life is when you have tears of gratitude and that comes by luck. You can’t manufacture tears of gratitude; you can’t put glycerin and have tears of gratitude coming in. When you realize what all you have received in life, your heart opens up.

Q: Guruji, sometimes I feel connected to you and sometimes I don’t. I am confused if you are my master or someone else. What should I do?  

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know on these matters I don’t give any clarifications. I create even more confusion for you to work on that confusion .You are given an exercise so that you do it. The teacher gives you the problem and he wants you to find a solution to the problem. In schools and colleges you are not given solutions and asked to find problems for that. A teacher’s job is to create confusion so that you can exercise your intellect, your mind, your intuition and your inner voice to see and come up with a solution.

Q: Dear Guruji, our brain is more than a computer. Scientists say that we use very little of our brain. Einstein is said to have used 32 percent of his brain. If we want to use 40 – 50 percent of our brain what efforts do we need to put? What will be its consequences if our brain becomes overactive?  

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That’s a problem. So we need to first learn how to calm our mind down. Only a calm mind can come up with collective thoughts. Disturbed and chaotic mind will give rise to chaotic thoughts only and chaotic thoughts are coming in abundance. How to streamline the thoughts is an art in itself, the art of silence. How can you do it? With meditation, the mind becomes calm and collective, thoughts become focused, meaningful, purposeful and focused.

Q: Does man need money or God?  

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Some think God is money. Many think money is God and very few know that God himself is money. God is love and when you have richness of love in you, you will see how abundance flows in life. There is a saying in sanskrit: ‘Udyoginam purush sindh mupayi tilaxmi’ God comes to you in the form of money - wealth is a consort of God. Consort of God, spirit of God comes to you as abundance when you put effort, to one who is working and not to one who is lazy. And one who has confidence and courage. So the one who has courage and confidence, and who puts in effort will get money. Don’t keep buying lottery tickets and sit at home. This is the biggest problem - you want money but you don’t want to do anything. So we have to put in effort. Money is just a means not an end in itself. You will need that but is it everything? No. You may have a lot of money but if you can’t eat, you can’t sleep well at night then that money is of no use. It loses it’s utility. So many people come here who have a lot of wealth and are depressed. They want to quit everything, their job, everything.

The World Health Organization (WHO) says that in the next 20 years, 40–45 percent of the population will be depressed. What’s the point in having so much money and prosperity in the world when so many people are getting depressed? That’s why you need to have balance in life, balance of material and spiritual life. Isn’t it? Often people think spirituality means do nothing and sit quietly. No, it is not so. You should work. Even in the ashram there are 600 people who work -day and night. There is no Sunday and no Monday for them and they work round the clock. People come here all the time and they work. Kitchen people are working so hard. The kitchen never takes rest. You have any idea how much food they cook everyday when there is no big program? 600 – 700 Kg of rice is being cooked daily, 70 Kg of salt is put in, and 100 kg of vegetables are cut every day. So much of work they do. The housing department works tirelessly. And they are still smiling. And there are people who go and work in the fields. They are working in slums. There are teachers who are working worldwide. They work day and night. In Karnataka, itself, we have 78 slums and there are many different classes being run, educational classes, computer classes. Seva is a part of spirituality and definitely you can’t do charity with an empty bowl. You need money for service. But here nobody worries about money and charity happens, everything happens spontaneously. So these are some of the things we need to keep in our mind. You have money, you earn money, it’s good but you should keep aside some part for charity, whatever your capacity is 3 – 10%. Keep it aside. Along with it do your spiritual practices daily.

Once in a year, keep seven days completely for spirituality and then you don’t sit and calculate money. You come here and be 100 percent here, and take care of your health, do yoga, pranayama, meditation and learning. It is a very common experience when businessmen come here leaving their jobs for some time and do seva, meditation and the advance course, they start getting better contracts. Their wealth on the other side starts increasing. What they used to get putting in a lot of effort, starts to happen with very less effort. That is when sattva in you rises. Sattva is positive harmony within you and when that dwells up, your work outside also becomes smother and better.  

Q: What is enlightenment? When is one said to be enlightened?  

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you say a word, you have already heard a definition for it. I would say enlightenment is a connection with the universal spirit, realizing that you are part of it, you are that. Living unconditional love without any effort, you don’t have to put any effort for that. Being like an open book, being natural and all these qualities are there in every individual. It only needs a little nurturing and then it starts blossoming. So when you walk, walk like you are enlightened, you are open, you are like a child, and you are free - emotionally, mentally and intellectually. Enjoy the freedom. When you don’t have any cravings and aversions of your own, then you can give yourself a certificate that you are enlightened. But you should be over all your cravings and aversions. Clear heart, clear mind and clarity in action are all part of enlightenment. If you look at a child of two-three years, or a baby of six months - there is unconditional love in his eyes. Every baby has all these qualities but minus wisdom. When you grow old keep all these qualities in you like innocence, and have the depth of wisdom along with it. That is what it is.  

Q: What does a Guru want from a disciple and what does a disciple want from his Guru?  

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A Guru only wants the disciple to progress, to blossom, not to be unstable, just be happy, unselfish and serve people. And whatever a disciple wants from Guru, Guru keeps on bestowing that. Initially, a disciple asks for little things and then asks for great things. The Guru sometimes give him the little things he wants and sometimes doesn’t. (laughter)

Q: Guruji, Kabirdas has said Nindak neare rakiya angan kuti shava, bin pani sabun bina nirmal kare suhay How to identify a good critique?  

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: How can a critique can be classified as good or bad? (laughter) Nindak neare rakiya angan kuti shava, bin pani sabun bina nirmal kare suhay The great Indian saint Kabirdas has said that keep someone who criticizes you close by, that will keep your house, your mind clean - without soap and water. Like you need soap and water to keep your body clean, like that one who blames you, you should keep close by. If everybody around keeps praising you, they may not keep all the facts in front of you. Someone who is criticizing you, will show you your pitfalls. Welcome criticism, anybody who criticizes you, welcome that. Don’t shy away from criticism. Isn’t it a part of DSN? (an Art of Living program) You all have done DSN? You should be able to give constructive criticism and also take criticism. That is the strength. And there is no good critique or bad critique. Keep them nearby means that don’t run away from critique, don’t stop talking to them. You stop talking with someone who criticizes you. Yesterday if somebody criticizes you; you talk to them normally today. Don’t shun them.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”
~ Sri Sri Ravishankar



© The Art of Living Foundation
For Global Spirituality

"Wherever there is duality(Dvet), there will be a dilemma "

What H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said today:

India (Art of Living International Center, Bangalore), July 30

Q. I am not in control of my mind. I am afraid becoming a teacher is taking me away from naturalness, humbleness. What should I do?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That is a prayer more than a question. Prayers will always be answered but not in words.

Q. Despite awareness I am not being able to do whats right because I lack will power. What must I do?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : If you think I have no will power, you will never have it. You have locked your own hands, put a label on your forehead that you are weak.

Invoke the valour in you, take a pledge. You have all the force available for you when you need it. You have all the strength and energy.

If someone were to tell you that if you do pranayama for thirty days you would get one million dollars. You will not miss a single day. You may forego sleep, food but not the pranayama. Greed can bring in that power within. Similarly fear- if someone says you would fall sick if you don't do pranayama, you would not miss it.

Love, fear, greed- any one is good to increase will power.

To know intellectually what is good and should be done, you may take it easily and remain in your comfort zone.

Then will power goes down. So enhance your valour or love something with all your heart. Dedication to the cause, fear or greed- these can increase your will power.

Egoistic people are much better than other people because egoistic people have a sense of valour. It is easy to make them commit, get out of lethargy.

People with no ego have lot of love, surrender, its easy for them. Someone who has neither ego, nor valour, nor love, nor devotion, nor greed has no will power. Either become greedy or fearful. But these are very low category. Other one is enhance the love, surrender, true knowledge and enhance your valour.

Q. What is it about praise that even if it is false it makes us elated and happy and criticism even if real, pulls us down? Is it vanity?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This much realisation, you are already out of it!

Q When I get angry, I feel lot of energy and burnt inside. If I let it out I loose complete balance. What can I do?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Do bhastrika that time.

Q. When I am in silence or otherwise, a voice in my head keeps talking. The more I ignore it, the more it stays. Is it a normal phenomena?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Talk to your teacher and ayurveda doctor. If too much words going in the head, there is pitta imbalance, vata derangement. When there is too much impurity in the system then such things happen. You can go for panchkarma

Q. What is character?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Character is that which you expect from others - faithful, loyal, integrated. Do you want others to keep their word? How do you feel if they don't? Character is that, 'do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you'. Character is that which is solid, strong, stable and makes you and other happy.

Q. I have feelings of absolute isolation and find myself alone among friends. There is no feeling of belongingness.

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Do not sit and worry about feelings. They keep changing. Who cares? Why bother? One minute you feel very good, the other moment you feel bad. Put your life energy into some useful, social work, commitment, some direction. Bring some result in the world. You may suddenly feel good, suddenly very bad. The world doesn't care for your feelings nor does God. The Nature, world will ask you what have you done?

Q. There are problems in my life, to which I know the solution. How to apply that knowledge with a smile?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Keep immersing in knowledge, you don't have to apply it, it applies itself. Remind yourself of the knowledge. Focus on the knowlede, don't get entangled in the people around you. Satsang is to be in touch with the inner being. Instead you start judging, having different types of interaction with people, this is not satsang.

Q. Why are there so many hurdles at every stage on the spiritual path.

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:  No, No. No its not hurdles, it is making your path more interesting. Its like flowing water, little pebbles create beautiful sound and sight, making it all the more beautiful. There are no obstacles in this path, just a fun in the path. Move over it, don't get stuck.

Q. What is the difference between knowledge and love? Should I be a Gyani( Wise) or Premi(Lover)

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What is the difference between head and the heart? Should a person be heady or hearty? Do you watch television or listen to it first. Mind and heart both together make a human being. Mind looks for new, fresh and latest. Heart wants old- Preet Puraani (Ancient love). Life is a combination of the two. Science and knowledge, love and devotion- all are required. And you have all of these. Now you are asking as a jigyasu(curious for knowledge). You have love that is why you are accepting the answer. If there was no love for knowledge you wouldn't ask or won't accept the answer. These are like four legs of a chair- pull one and all three come along. Similary, Yog, Karma, Gyan, Bhakti, Dhyan - all are legs of a table.

When Arjuna was confused, he asked Krishna “sometimes you praise the path of Karma, sometimes gyan, sometimes bhakti- tell me one I am confused.” Krishna says those who are unwise think of the paths as different, the wise know it is One. Just practice one, others come along. If you do seva(service) very well, you get the same merit as from dhyaan(meditation) or gyaan(knowledge)

Q. How can one balance between, household duties, business and seva(service)

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : How do you balance a bike? When you fall more to the left you bend right and when you are falling more to the right, you bend left.There is no theory, you just do it. It automatically balances. It pinches one if he doesn't do seva at all and is always bothered about himself. If you are in your senses it will pinch you otherwise one is not human. If you are not touched by others' misery then you are not human but stone. Similarly, if one is only into social service, then also it bothers.

Q. It is said that everyone's future is already decided. It is planned by the Divine. If this is true, then what is the need of Karma(action)

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Everything is happening, your karma too is happening, what is the need of an answer. Suppose I don't give an answer. When you are hungry, what is the need of Karma, sit, let it happen. Everyday hunger comes up , so whats the point! Sit quietly. Can you? This is useless brooding. Man cannot live without work- either a good deed or misdeed. If God doesit, then God is suffering, where do you come in between?

If God made you steal, then God came as police - what is the complaint? God told you to eat twenty rasgulla(a sweet), then God will have the pain and God will come as doctor.

Where are you different from God. The understanding that everything is God's is a very big thing. Then the mind silences and such nonsense questions don't arise. Till then, they will arise.

Q. Guruji, you said tear is ego. In front of you- uncontrollable tears come up. What to do?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : No, No, this is different tears. There are many types of tears- like crocodile, then salty, sweet ones are of gratitude, love. Angels long for it. It is very good- the mind is healed and purified.

Q There are dilemmas in life and I lack decision making power. What should be done?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Wherever there is duality(Dvet), there will be a dilemma . Whenever you are in daily activities(vyavahar), there will be dilemma. There is no choice, accept it.

Q. Can the liver, eyes be donated after death?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Yes, you can donate them, there is no sin in this, neither will you face any problem in heaven. Instead it will increase you prospects in heaven. You can definitely donate them.

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