Six levels of relationship with the Guru

 

The first and the highest level of relationship between Guru and shishya (disciple) is called para sambandh. It means that there is no difference between Guru and shishya. There is no two, there is only one, soham, meaning ‘you are that’. That unity of consciousness is no relationship at all. It is simply a realisation of the highest, wherein there is no difference between Guru and shishya, there is only one.

Then comes mahan sambandh – that is recognising the greatness and where the master doesn’t see any imperfection in the student nor does the student see shortcomings in the master. It is the greatness kind of relationship, when you do not see any shortcomings in the other. It is almost like the relationship between a mother and a child. There is total alignment.

The third level is called antaraal sambandh, where there is a gap. The master speaks from one level and the student understands from another. There is no perfect alignment, only some degree of understanding between the two. In this relationship, there is an effort from the side of the master and the student to make each other understand their points of view.

The fourth level of relationship is called divya sambandh. Here exists a divine connection that comes with a blend of different emotions.

The fifth is divyadivya sambandh. In this connection, the student is there to get something from the master, lives in his own world, and reels in faultfinding beyond a healthy measure. There are people who come to the spiritual path not for spirituality, but to get something else, or just to be seen as being spiritual. They use the knowledge for some trivial goals and purposes. This is divyadivya sambandh.

The last is called adivya sambandh. You cannot escape a guru in your life. You even learn from others’ mistakes. Someone made a mistake, you saw that and learnt that you don’t want to make a mistake like that. They have taught you something. There is a proverb in Sanskrit that says, ‘Durjanam Pratamam Vande, Surjanam Tadanantaram’, meaning I salute the wicked one first, then the good, because he taught me what I should not do.

As part of divya sambandh, you go through different emotions. Sometimes you are angry, happy, sad, and sometimes furious at the master. Because these emotions are part of your life, you just move within these emotions. You are yet to go beyond them. When you go beyond them, there is antaraal sambandh where you see the differences, but you begin to align. And then one step beyond that is mahan sambandh, great relationship, where no questions exist. There is no want. You are simply blossoming, as you radiate bliss, beauty, and positive energy, fully soaked in joy and wisdom of the Master.

In all this, what is important is connection, your connection to your Self. The Self, the Master, and divinity are not different. You are divine. That’s what is meant by ‘Tat Tvam Asi’.

Guru Purnima celebrates love and devotion

 

What is the significance of Guru Purnima? Guru Purnima is called the day of the Master. Actually, it is the day of the devotee. 

As a student you probably went to primary, middle and senior school. You collected information; you learned about the mind, about computers, mathematics, how two plus one is three. A student collects information. Information, however, is not knowledge; it is not wisdom.

Then there is the disciple who follows the example of the Master. But a disciple is with the Master to imbibe wisdom to help improve his life, for the sake of attaining enlightenment. He has a purpose, a cause, so he is not just collecting information. He goes a little deeper. He is trying to bring about transformation in his life. He wants to make sense of his life. That is a disciple. A disciple is still centered on himself, so he grows gradually and one day might get enlightened.

Then, there is the devotee. A devotee is not there for wisdom only. He is simply rejoicing in love. He has fallen deeply in love with the Master, with Infinity, with God. He doesn’t care as to whether he gets enlightened or not. He doesn’t care as to whether he acquires a lot of wisdom or not because every moment he is immersed in divine love: That is enough for him. A devotee is difficult to find. Students, there are in abundance, disciples are a few, but devotees are rare.

Everything is God, who is present in everything, so it is great to become a devotee. Do you see this? Everything, whether you want it or not, is already God, but when love and devotion has flowered in you totally, you become a devotee. Attraction is everywhere, love is somewhere, but devotion is rare. Devotion is beautiful. A student comes to the Master with tears in his eyes. There is so much pain and when he leaves, he is carrying the same tears, but the quality of the tears is different, they are of gratitude, of love. Entire creation is longing for only one thing, the transformation from salty tears to sweet tears.

The Buddha’s disciple Sariputra, got enlightened. The Buddha told him, “Now go ahead, go into the world and preach, teach and do the same work I do. Carry on my work”. Now Sariputra left, but he was crying and people asked him, “Why are you crying when you are enlightened?” He said, “Who cares about enlightenment, it could have waited, I would have waited. I didn’t even bother about it or ask for it because the joy of being at the feet of the Buddha was so great. Being a devotee was so great, now I am missing it. I would have preferred that to enlightenment”.

When Krishna was leaving his body, he spoke to his friend Uddhava with tears in his eyes. “These Gopis are so beautiful and I cannot bear the amount of devotion they have for me. Go and tell my devotees that only they can free me of their gratitude and of their love”. He rejoices, “Go tell them that where my devotees sing, I am right there”. Love is something that even the Divine rejoices in. Infinity longs for you as much as you long for it. It is waiting to receive you. God is as anxious as you are to be close. So when a devotee flowers on this planet, God is happy. That is why Guru Purnima is the day of the devotee.

The three aspects of Guru Tattva

Life and the Guru are inseparable. Life itself teaches so many things. When you consciously reflect on it you can distinguish the things you have done right and those which were clearly wrong. The wisdom that allows you to differentiate is the guru principle that resides in each one of us. 

What is the role of a Guru? Doing all that you can for someone else’s growth and development without expecting anything in return is being a Guru. Have you played this role to at least one person with a pure heart and clear mind? When you are guiding someone not wanting anything in return from them know that the Guru Tattva or Guru Principle is working through you. 

There are three aspects of the Guru principle or Guru Tattva. The first one is in its absolute form which is all-permeating and exists beyond time, then it is in the form of knowledge and the thirdly in the physical form. 

When we are ignorant of our true nature we become miserable. When our mind is miserable we look for the cause, which could be a situation, a person or an attitude. This is a cycle of ignorance. Our identification of the Self is limited by thoughts or emotions. So instead of blaming a situation or person for your misery wake up and see that you are caught up in small things, having forgotten who you really are. The knowledge of the Self burns down all karma and brings you closer to the cause of all the causes which is your being. Experiences keep changing but the unchanging experiencer remains at the centre. Again and again, make the effort to know the one who is experiencing.

A Guru’s job is not to fulfil materialistic desires. These are just accessories of life that will happen effortlessly when you have your eyes on the real goal, which is to seek liberation and which is not possible without a Guru. Only he can make you recognise the beauty of inner freedom and the light within. 

In Sanskrit, a disciple is called antevasi - one who dwells within a Guru and in whom the Guru resides. The one who has realised that there is nothing other than the all-permeating Guru principle that surrounds him is called a disciple. This ‘feeling of connection’ with the infinite is made possible by the presence of a Guru alone. When you feel connected to knowledge, wisdom and to the Guru, there is no lack in life, celebration happens instantaneously.

There have been many great souls who have walked the path of true knowledge and have shown that it is possible to attain the pinnacle of life’s purpose through surrender and devotion. Their lives serve as an example for humankind. 

The greatest fortune in this world

 

The greatest fortune in this world is to be a disciple or a devotee. Those who have become a disciple or a devotee alone know the value of it.

A disciple in Sanskrit is called antevasin. Antevasin means one who dwells inside the Guru. It is not just the master who is in the heart of the devotee, the devotee also dwells in the heart of the master.

There is nothing other than the Guru. Everything around you is Guru. You dwell inside the heart of the Guru all the time. The love of the master is surrounding you at all times. The one who realizes this, is a disciple or a devotee. 

What else would you want once you realize that you are surrounded by unconditional divine love all the time? No lack remains in life. It is all bliss.

How should a disciple be

A disciple should be hollow and empty. 

At the same time whatever you have heard or listened, don’t take it for granted. Study the knowledge and read it again and again.


Know but be as though you don’t know. Don’t let that arrogance of knowing come into you. Just be your natural and simple self.

The Story of Eklavya and Dronacharya

Since ages, the story of Eklavya (a character from the Indian epic- Mahabharata) has come to define exemplary discipleship. But there is an unheard and unseen side to the famous story.

Eklavya was the son of a poor hunter. He wanted to learn archery to save the deer in the forest that were being hunted by the leopards.  So he went to Dronacharya (a master of advanced military arts) and requested him to teach him archery. Dronacharya was the teacher of the Royal family. 

In those days, as a rule, a teacher to the members of Royal family was not allowed to teach the state art to anybody else. It was forbidden to make anyone as powerful as the princes for the safety of the region. 

But Eklavya deeply desired to study under Dronacharya. Dronacharya, bound by the state law, could not accept him as his student. 

Eklavya in his heart had already accepted Dronacharya as his Guru. He went home and made a statue of his Guru. Over the following years, with sincerity and practice, he learnt archery and became better than the state princes at the art. He became so good at it that, he would hear the sound of the animal, shoot an arrow at it and claim the animal.

One day, Arjuna, the prince found out about this talented archer. Making matters worse, he saw that Eklavya was far better than him. He went to Eklavya and asked him, ‘Who taught you archery?’

‘Dronacharya,’ said Eklavya.

Hearing this, Arjuna was furious. He went up to Dronacharya and said angrily, ‘What is this? You have cheated us. What you have done is a crime. You were supposed to teach me exclusively, but you taught this man and made him more skillful than me.’

Dronacharya was baffled and confused at Arjuna’s allegations. He wondered who this student of his was, who had learned the art from him but whose name and identity he did not know! He thought hard but could not come up with an answer for Arjuna. He could not believe, this student was better than even Arjuna. 

Both, Dronacharya and Arjuna decided to meet the boy. 

Eklavya welcomed his master with great honor and love. He led both of them to the statue he had made of Dronacharya. Eklavya had practiced archery over all the years, considering and believing the statue to be his Guru. 

In ancient times, a common practice in learning was Guru Dakshina, where a student would give a token of gift or fee for the knowledge gained by the student. 

Dronacharya said, ‘Eklavya, you must give me some Guru Dakshina. You must give me the thumb of your right hand.’ Eklavya knew that without the thumb, archery could not be practiced.

Eklavya without a second thought gave the thumb of his right hand to his Guru.

In this story Dronacharya is commonly viewed as being cruel and self-centered. The perceived understanding is, this boy who has learned the skill on his own and is good at it, is made to give it up for the vested interest of Dronacharya.  But when one looks at it from the point of view of the wise, one finds, if it were not for this incident, nobody would have ever known Eklavya.

Though on the outside, it seemed as if Dronacharya had done injustice to Eklavya, actually Dronacharya uplifted Eklavya from just being a student to becoming an epitome of discipleship. 

Dronacharya blessed Eklavya with immortality by asking him for his thumb. So when people think of devotion, they think of Eklavya, and not Arjuna.

See the greatness of Dronacharya, he took the blame on him and uplifted his student. That is why, even if the Guru is wrong, if your devotion is there you can never go wrong. But the Guru is not wrong, it appears he was partial but he uplifted Eklavya and preserved his Dharma (duty) also. His duty was to maintain the law of the land: You cannot have anyone much better than the prince.

What made the disciple angry and the master happy?

Once upon a time, there lived a Master and disciple and they were doing a lot of social work helping the poor and caring for the needy. On rainy days when they could not travel, they would go to their small hut and rest. One day, after finishing their work, they returned home. When they arrived, they found that a big storm had damaged it and only a little portion was left, where they could hardly sit.

When the disciple saw this, he became very angry with God. 

He prayed and asked God if He could not have saved one small hut for them. That they had not asked Him for anything! They just had that one hut for shelter and He did not even save that! He further said that they had told everybody that God was very compassionate but now he would have to take back all his words since he did not feel that He was compassionate at all! And he had stopped believing in what he had been preaching. He asked his guru how he had said that God was all-merciful. Where was the mercy? He was making them suffer. He had said that they were the children of God. Was He really taking care of them?

The Master’s reaction was the exact opposite. He was so happy. He started dancing and singing more bhajans. He said that God was so beautiful! He had saved a little portion of the hut for them. The storm had been so severe that the whole hut could have been destroyed. At least God had preserved a corner for them. At least, both of them could sit there. God was so kind and wonderful. He was ever so grateful to Him. So the Master felt even more grateful and started dancing.

Gratefulness is that deep quality in our very nature the has to be enlivened by us. Stop thinking about enlightenment. Just start being grateful.

Find every little opportunity to be grateful and then you will see that you will abide in your Self. This is enlightenment. And all the other things –knowledge, etc. would follow. You will find yourself present all over. But the first step is ‘being grateful’. We can’t take everything for granted. If you start taking things for granted, gratefulness will die in us. To be grateful is our very nature.

Message on Guru Purnima 2017

The celebration of Guru Purnima is to remind you that you need to reflect on the truth that – you are light. It is to refresh your knowledge and revive your emotions.

A celebration revives the emotions, rejuvenates the spirit and reminds you of the knowledge. This is the purpose of a celebration. Though this is there all the time, an occasion is needed to bring them up.

You see, the ocean has water all the time but when the full moon rises, the tide become higher. In the same way, a celebration reminds you that – you are the light, you are beautiful, loving and kind. It refreshes the knowledge and revives the emotions. Emotions need revival time and again, and that is what the celebration of Guru Purnima is about.

You are part of an ancient tradition from millions of years. You are a drop in the river of wisdom, and on Guru Purnima day, you remember this, you reflect and rejuvenate yourself! All that it needs is just remembrance. That brings the feeling of gratefulness.

In Sanskrit, there are two names for a disciple
1. Antevasi – one who resides inside the Guru
2. Kara Kamala Sanjata – a student who is born in the hands of the Guru, and natured by the feelings and knowledge of the Sangha (the company of good people).

So, Guru Purnima is a celebration to remember that you are the light of the world and for the world.

There is no good light and bad light. Light is light! So, don’t be too serious – be light!

If you think you are dull, your Guru is brilliant.
If you think you are brilliant, your Guru is irrational.
If you think you are irrational, your Guru is irresistible.
If you complain, your Guru gets tougher.
If you are perfect, your Guru is imperfection personified.

Do you still want to have a Guru? It is inviting all sorts of trouble!  

Whether to be a student or a Guru, sometimes you have no choice. I didn’t want to be a Guru but by default I am. If you keep teaching someone something, you become a Guru. You can deny it as much as you want, but you still remain a Guru because the Guru Principle flows through you.

We are so fortunate to have access to the ancient tradition and to the knowledge which is so amazing, so complete, so scientific and so life transforming. It is so beautiful! Just look back and see, suppose you had not learnt any meditation or didn’t know about this knowledge at all, where would you have been? This one thought can stir you, wake you up and refresh you. This is what the celebration is about!

All celebrations on this planet is around some great event that happened on the planet. Christmas celebrates the birth of Jesus Christ. Every celebration – whether it is Eid, Buddha Purnima, Janmashtami – is associated with an event. Similarly, in your life you celebrate wedding anniversaries, birthdays, thanks giving, etc., they are all connected with events.

If there is one celebration which is beyond events, but focuses on the essence of life that is Guru Purnima. It focuses on the knowledge and the wisdom. Celebrating the wisdom in life is Guru Purnima, and it is attributed to the tradition of Masters.

Journey back to the Source

There is a story about Silence. Once there was a Guru who had four disciples, who were observing a period of silence. In the evening after their meditation, the four disciples were taking a nature walk; just as we do here in the Ashram.
Now, it is usually a habit to go around in groups instead of being alone during these walks. So, all four of them decided to walk together. When they came to a point, one of them said, “Wow, The weather is so pleasant, and there is such a beautiful sunset before us. The environment is so peaceful”.
Hearing this, the second disciple said, “My dear, you have broken your silence by speaking”. The third disciple saw this and remarked, “I am going to complain to Gurudev about you two for breaking your silence”.
The fourth one said “I am the only one here who is maintaining a really good silence.”
During Silence, we should not do such things. Silence is bringing the mind together. It is about collecting and steadying the mind which is scattered. When you sit idly, you will see that your mind runs off in so many directions, it is scattered everywhere. Gathering the mind and retrieving it back to the centre is silence. Silence is moving the mind away from all external actions and influences that one has due to what one may have heard, or seen, or smelt, or experienced, and focusing one’s sight and attention to the centre, to oneself.
Silence is not just about keeping quiet all the time. No, silence means that one need not read or write anything as well. Silence brings enormous strength, and when you are in silence, you should keep smiling. For many people, silence means keeping a long serious face. You do not need to do that. Give a smile to yourself. Smiling at yourself is silence. Silence involves cutting off from all that is around us for a while; cutting off from the world we have been living in and getting back to the central point of our existence.
When you are observing silence for the first time, there will be restlessness, and all sorts of thoughts, worries and concerns may come up on the surface. Regrets may come, many plans and ideas may also pop up in the mind. You just keep them all aside. It is alright for that to happen. When it happens, you do not need to fight or struggle with it. Just agree with them all and say to yourself, “It is alright. I will look into it after coming out of silence”, and come back to the centre.
I know it is very difficult for the first time, or maybe even the second time when you are observing silence. It is because you are so used to activity all the time. As soon as you wake up, you are engaged in activity till you get so tired that you want to just fall asleep. Some people do activity even in their sleep too! That is a different issue. What I am saying is: we have not known rest properly. Silence is a way to go deep within and find the deepest rest.
You can write down all your wants, your botherations and put it in the basket during the course. Do not worry about anything that is bothering you. I tell you, it will be taken care of. That is why you need a Guru to go into Silence, to go deep into meditation and also on the path of spirituality, because you cannot go into silence properly with all your problems, botherations and other things that trouble your mind.
Your Gurudev will tell you, “You do not need to worry about your botherations. I am with you. I will handle all your problems, you simply relax, meditate and go into silence”. When you get this assurance, you feel comfortable. Then it becomes easier for you to go into silence.
In Buddhist monasteries, you must have seen the image of Lord Buddha sitting peacefully in meditation with one hand raised in Abhaya Mudra.
If you go to any temple, you will find that the idol of the deity is seated with one hand in Abhaya Mudra, which means to say “My dear, do not worry and drop all your fears. You need not struggle with your fears and worries. Drop everything here and just relax”. This is an opportunity for you to be happy and go peacefully into silence.
That is why, before you go into silence or before you start your meditation, write down any botheration that arises and put it in the basket. If there are any wants, desires or questions that you have, write them down and put it in the basket.
We keep one more basket for you to express gratitude. On the last day of the course, many participants come forward saying, “Gurudev, we do not have any botherations or questions as such. But we do have wonderful stories to share. We feel so grateful at the end of this course. What do we do to express this?”
So I said, “Okay, we will also keep a gratitude basket in the course. Each one of you have many good things happening to you, and I know how deeply grateful you are for it. You can write your gratefulness and put that also in the basket. This is the way to go into silence".
When you spend time alone with Nature, with plants, trees and animals, you will see that you do not get too many thoughts in your mind. But when we see someone’s face, then suddenly cravings and aversions arise in us. Nature never creates or incites cravings and aversions in us. It is only people who do so. This is the time for you to be with Nature – with your own nature, and also with Mother Nature outside. Do not make signs when you see people. If it is very urgent only then you may communicate using a bit of sign language, otherwise maintain your silence.
Another thing that I want to tell you is: Just look back at everything that has happened in your life till now. Is it not like a dream? You went to school, grew up and went to college, and so on. Whatever has happened in your life till this very moment – does it not all appear to be a dream?
Whatever happened has happened and is over. It does not exist anymore. You arrived in the morning today, then had your lunch and then came to attend satsang. Just reflect on everything gone by till now. Has it all not dissolved and disappeared in the waves of time? It is all gone. After some time you will retire to your rooms, and you will come to the session tomorrow and day after, and then you will eventually return to your homes. In this way, another 10 or 20 years more will pass by. Does it not all look like a dream? Just wake up and see.
Whatever money you have earned till now will remain safe in the bank, but one day you will die and pass on. People will cremate your body and offer the ashes into the river Ganga. Or people will bury you in the ground, and after the last rites they will all return to their homes. That’s it, the story will come to an end. This is surely going to happen, there is no escaping this truth. Life is going to come to an end one day. There will be some happy days, there will be some unhappy days, but anyway life will be finished one day or another. When you realize that everything is going to be over one day, something within you wakes up. It will not be tomorrow, it has to be at this very moment, right now! You have to wake up now, this very moment, and see – that there is something in you that is the eternal peace, which nothing can shake or destroy. The deep seated contentment, joy, love – all that springs in the present moment. This is very important.
When Self-knowledge dawns, there is no worry, there is no more conflict or duality in the mind. There is no bondage of aversions or cravings anymore. Then there is only joy, and bliss in every moment, and one experiences deep love all around.

Sooner or later, disciple and master are bound to meet

Once upon a time, Gautam Buddha visits a town. The entire town gathers and is waiting to listen to him, but he goes on waiting. He keeps looking backwards at the road, expecting a little 13 year old girl to come. He happened to meet her on the road and she had told him – “Wait for me. I am going to give this food to my father at the farm, but I will be back in time. Don’t forget, wait for me!”

Finally, the elders of the town said to Gautam Buddha – “For whom are you waiting? Everybody important is present, you can start your discourse.” Buddha replied – “But the person for whom I have come so far is not present yet and I have to wait.”

Finally the girl arrives and exclaims – “I am a little late, but you kept your promise! I knew you would keep your promise because I have been waiting for you since my first memory as a child, when I first became aware… I think I was four years old when I first heard your name. Your name was enough to ring a bell in my heart. And since then for ten long years…I have been waiting!!!”

Buddha responded – “You have not been waiting in vain. You are the person who has attracted me to this village.”

At the end of his discourse, that little girl was the only one who goes to him and says:  “Initiate me. I have waited enough, and now I want to be with you.” Buddha replied “You have to be with me because your town is so far out! I cannot keep coming again and again. The road is long, and I am getting old!”

In that entire town not a single person came up to him be initiated into meditation, other than that little girl.

At night as they were getting ready to sleep, Buddha’s chief disciple Ananda asked Buddha “Master, before you go to sleep I want to ask you one question. Do you feel a certain pull towards a certain space… just like a magnetic pull?”

Buddha replied, “You are right Ananda. That is how I decide my journeys. When I feel someone is thirsty…so thirsty that without me, there is no other way for them… I have to move in that direction.”

Master moves towards the disciple and the disciple also moves towards the master. Sooner or later they are bound to meet. The meeting is not of the body, the meeting is not of the mind. The meeting is of the very soul!

It is like when you bring two lamps close to each other; the lamps remain separate but their flames become one.

Whole world is made from that one consciousness, one energy, one substance

26th May 2011, Bangalore Ashram

When Lord Krishna sat in Samadhi that is when he recited the Gita. After the war, once Arjuna asks him that I have forgotten the beautiful knowledge that you gave me, at that time there was a lot of crowd and so much commotion on the war field and I didn’t listen to you properly. Please tell me again what you said. Then Krishna replied," No, I can’t tell you now, at that time I was in samadhi , so I made you sit and whatever came to me I told you at that time, now I cannot again tell you again".
So whatever Lord Krishna said was not a person saying this knowledge but the universe speaking. These messages came from the Shiva tattva, the atma tattva.
He said, ’I am the sun, I am the rain, truth and untruth, everything is me.’ This is very deep knowledge.

If you see everything is made from one tattva, from atoms. What is your mother made of, father made of? Everyone’s body is made from the same thing, from food grains. Food grains are consumed and the body is developed, whoever eats, they all grow and the body is made from that. So everyone is made from one substance, one power and one energy. So, he is saying the whole world is made from that one consciousness, one energy, one substance.
 Now if you see the fan, mike and light are all working with one current, with electricity, isn’t it? But it seems like the mike is different, the light is different and the fan is something else. They all look different but they are all made up of the same thing. In the same way, if the sun was not there then the earth cannot exist. If the earth was not there, how could there be plants or trees or human beings? So what is our source? First from the physical aspect our source is the earth; more subtle than that it is the sun. What is the source of the sun? The universal energy - and so Lord Krishna says that universal energy is ME.
That is the atma that is you and that is me and everything is made of this universal energy and this is what today’s scientist also say. Those who study quantum physics this is what they say - that the whole world is made up of one energy. Earlier it was said that there were different protons, electrons functioning and making things work but now they say it is all one energy, everything is a wave functions. What we consider physical things are not there in reality, it is all just energy and this is what Lord Krishna has said many years ago in the Bhagavad Gita.

‘Avajananti mam mudham manusim tanumasritam, Param bhavam ajananto mama bhuta- mahesvaram’, these people do not see my true nature as that one universal energy, consciousness and they are thinking I am a human being. I am in a human body but the consciousness inside me is that supreme consciousness. I am not a human being. I am a power.

Q: In the beginning days when we take the japa mantra it feels special. It doesn’t feel the same later. How to maintain the same feeling, how to make our mantra more effective?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Don’t try to make anything. Whenever you remember just know it’s very sacred, very special, take it that way. You know usually when you get into the cold water, when you go to the Ganga the first time, you take a dip. The water is very cold but once you are in the water it is not that cold, so your body gets used to it. In the same way, in-between, you have to come out and go in and then you feel cold again. So you don’t need to worry about it and again and again whenever you feel grateful you feel it as special. Gratefulness always comes in waves.

Q: Dear Guruji, there are so many mantras. Can you speak about the different effects of specific mantras specially Vishnu Sahasranamam, Lalitha Sahasranaman and Srividya mantra.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Don’t have to go into too much detail. It is said in Vishu Sahasranamam ‘Sohamékena shlokena stuta evana sumshayaha’, in one Soham everything has come. One thousand names of Vishnu are written in one word ‘Ram’ and that is also written in ‘Soham’. Okay sometimes you can put on Vishnu Sahasranamam, listen to it and meditate, that is fine.
All mantras have an effect but the most important is meditation. Going beyond the mantras is also necessary, letting go of that as well, your mind remains calm and peaceful.

Q: Guruji, why are all mantras in Sanskrit? What is so special about Sanskrit?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, Sanskrit was derived later. Mantras were already there. The words of the mantra were already there; later on the languages was created. Not only in Sanskrit, but when you go deeper into all languages, you will find all these mantras.

Q: Guruji, what is the relation between Mantra and Yantra? 
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: One is mantra is for one yantra. Mantra means word, yantra means picture. Mantra has a sound and yantra has a form.

Q: Guruji, there are so many mantras. How do we know which mantra is right for me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do Sahaj and whatever mantra your teacher gives you will be appropriate for you.

Q: What are the qualities of a good disciple?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why don’t you take it as your homework exercise? You write down the qualities and then tell me. Tomorrow we will put a sheet and everybody write one quality on that. For two days we will write down all the qualities. If someone else has already mentioned a quality, don’t write that again, you write something else. Whatever you feel like go and write and let’s see. And those of you who are watching on the internet you also send your own ideas, what should be the qualities of an ideal devotee or disciple.

Q: What is the best form of prayer? Something that leaves god with no choice but to answer immediately, what is that prayer?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Being silent and knowing that the divinity is taking care of everything - that is the best form of prayer; the best prayer is meditation.

Q: Dear Guruji, could you talk about spirits and ghosts, do they exist? How to get rid of them if they start liking you too much?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, it’s like getting into a muddy pond and trying to jump out of it. The more you try to jump out of it you sink into it. So the best thing is just do your sadhana and worry about people around you. Do some service project and get into some service activity. Do your bhajans, singing, all this will take care of everything. Don’t focus your attention on the spirits at all now.

Q: Dear Guruji, I want to know if I bless another person does their negativity pass on to me? If so then what is the solution.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, don’t worry. Just say Jai Gurudev and that’s it.

Q: Guruji, there are criminals among the cabinet ministers, where are we heading, where is this country going?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It needs a major stir; to stir the ministers we need a major stir. Every one of you will have to work and take a sankalpa to eradicate corruption. Everything will definitely change, situations will change.

Q: Gurudev, at one time the farmers in this country were rich and dignified. Those farmers who feed the country are now sleeping empty stomach, what have they done wrong and how to we improve this? 
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The minister, who is sitting on the farmers needs to either get some intelligence or needs to be removed from his position, even I have been thinking about this. Since he has taken the position of the minister he has done useless work which resulted in drought and scarcity; drought not because of nature. Either they have no heart or no brains or something is wrong with both. They are not bothered, no matter what happens, they are only concerned about their money. They have sent millions out of the country and have set up relations with terrorists; they have plundered this country. It’s very essential for us to stand up and speak against it.

Q: Guruji, after passing 10th standard I have also passed 12th standard. How many tests do I have to pass to prove my intelligence to this world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Those who do not have certain things think that others do not have it too. Even I have been giving proof all along so you too keep giving proof for some more time. what else? Think of your examinations also as play so that you do not feel pressured by them. Of course you must study and do well in your exams. But what to do if the staircase is twisted? You also have to twist yourself a little bit, anyhow you have to climb. If you try to straighten the staircase while climbing then you will get stuck. So, even if the stairs are twisted you hold on to the railing and move forward. Once you have moved forward then later on you can work towards fixing the staircase.

Q: Guruji, which desires need to be surrendered and left to God and which desires need to be fulfilled through self-effort? How do we know?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, effort and surrender go hand in hand. So put your effort and surrender. That is why we take a sankalpa and then leave it. In pooja what do we do? We take rice, water, flowers in our hand and take a sankalpa, then we don’t hold on to the flowers. We drop it. When you to the cinema, you first buy a ticket and then you give the ticket back when you are going inside the hall. You have to give it right? 30 to 40 years ago you had to give the ticket, now also you have to give it, right? So, in this way we must take a sankalpa and then surrender. We give our 100 percent and then leave it to God’s will.

Q: In terms of moral values, what is stand of a spiritual leader in it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A full stand should be there, total stand should be there. Only telling others of the values is not enough but also what should be done to instill these values in our lives needs to be taught. How to live these values should also be said with understanding. If one slips, then also with understanding they need to be motivated to move forward. This is the skill.

© The Art of Living Foundation

When you meditate and your mind becomes quiet, that peaceful mind is the house of God

Bangalore, May 22:

Q: Jai Gurudev, Guruji, I know the world through the mind, intellect, memory, ego, etc., but only after leaving these six levels can I know my true self. So my question is when we leave these six levels, how do we establish our self in the seventh level?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: We don’t have to leave the six levels; we cannot leave the body, mind, intellect. We have to be with this and know the Self. The body, mind, memory, intellect, ego is there and let it be there. Start meditating and relaxing for a few minutes every day, before starting your work, after your work. See, when you meditate and your mind becomes quiet, that peaceful mind is the house of God. That is why you cannot know God but you can be one with God. You are feeling peaceful, you are feeling happy, going deeper and deeper. In this, you will start to experience that 'I am everybody, it is all only me'.

Q: Jai Gurudev. Gurudev. I have read a lot of your books and I have read books by Sathya Sai Baba and Osho. I found no difference in them, they all talk about love and I just feel they are different physical manifestations. One thing I am greatly influenced by Osho is his concept of Zorba The Buddha. I wanted your perceptions on that. I really like the way he talked about material and spiritual together. Just want to hear what you feel.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, he was a great orator and he spoke really well. He had a deep intellectual insight which is fine but one thing that was missing there was the knowledge of the mantras; knowledge of the tradition of the mantras. Buddha said it is all nothing, everything is nothing and he also said I searched for the ultimate, I searched for the Self but I found there is no Self, there is no atma. I searched and searched and finally found there is not atma.
But in the Sanatana Dharma, Adi Shankara said, ‘Who searched? Who is it that did not find? That is atma.’ So, it is like two sides of the same coin. He talks about the emptiness and on the other side the Vedanta speaks about the fullness. So it is one step, from somebody to nobody is one step. Buddha stops at that, from somebody to nobody, and Vedanta takes you from nobody to everybody.

Q: Dear Guruji, our souls are recycled through rebirth it is said, the population on the planet yet is increasing. Is it that souls from other planets are coming and joining us on planet earth or other creatures are taking human birth?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Other creatures. Both are possible, both things are happening.

Q: Guruji, Dr. Stephen Hawking has a very strong belief about our present human life. He says that there is nothing beyond this life, there is nothing beyond this existence. I don’t know how much he has studied religion but I know that you have studied physics. So how would you like to reply to him?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No scientist would ever say, ‘I know everything and whatever is here that is all and there is nothing beyond’. Not at all, Stephen Hawking has not said what is here is the ultimate. He said there are many levels and many dimensions. Our brain is a frequency analyzer; it can only analyze certain frequencies. Right here there are so many other frequencies. So no scientist ever refuses the possibility of many layers of existence, many worlds right here, because there are many waves. What you see is just a wave function and in wave function there are infinite layers, one inside the other, one inside the other. So microcosm to macrocosm, there are so many worlds and so many levels of time.

Q: Jai Gurudev. Ramakrishna Paramahamsa was a great sadhak, he did sadhana for his entire life but still at the end he suffered, why?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:  Sometimes, masters take the karmas of the disciples. Because of the disciple’s karma, he has to go through those physical illnesses. It is not necessary everybody has to go through that, some masters choose to do that, that’s it!

Q: Sometimes I am exhausted with my work and then I lose my self control. How can I control myself because the result of this is very harmful for me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, that is why when you are exhausted, sit and meditate. Do pranayama and meditation that will remove the exhaustion.

Q: Dear Guruji, I have noticed that when anyone puts a garland on your photo it falls away, why is it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No need to put garlands, I am returning it back to you.

Q: Guruji, it is said that at the time of death the last though or memory in the mind is what influences the future birth that one takes. In this mind of mine, there is a big influence of this material world. What to do for me to remember and have only you on my mind at the last moment of my life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You don’t have to wait for the last moment of your life. Live every moment with happiness and joy and do seva, sadhana and satsang.

Q: Respected Guruji, I am very concerned about our country’s economy which is getting affected mostly by the international crude prices. At the same time nuclear energy has also proved very fatal by the example from Japan. How can our country move forward in this regard?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: By raising concerns like what you have done with the masses. Everyone should be concerned about environment, for people, for the whole country. When everyone feels this concern, things will change.

Q: Jai Gurudev. Is there God, how to believe it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The cars are moving, do you see cars going in the street? Yes, but is somebody driving inside or are they moving on their own? There is a driver right, but you don’t see the driver all the time when the cars are moving, right?

Q: Guruji, everyone seems to be running behind Moksha. What is this moksha please tell me as well?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why are you also running behind moksha? If you are not running behind it then what is the problem. Those who are running I will tell them, you don’t worry about it.

Q: Guruji I have a 30 acre of agricultural land with one small temple of Lord Gurudev Datta and Sai Baba together towards the end, near the west side of the land flowing north to south direction and a slope flowing east to west. My Vastu consultant says it is very dangerous to have such a land and gives me opinion to take it out. Guruji what should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, such land exists on the planet. In every land something good happens and something not so good happens, doesn’t matter. You chant ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ or ‘Guru Om’ and all the negative influences and effects will simply disappear.

Q: Dear Guruji, my husband always shots and screams at me and talks in a loud voice even though I talk normally. Towards others he talks softly, what should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That means he loves you more than anybody else. He has made a difference right there. So far you have managed; you know how to manage, so manage. Don’t expect him to speak very nice words, at least you speak nice words and let him be harsh. It can be one way, doesn’t matter, there will be harmony.

Q: Guruji, the path of knowledge is very tough; through devotion can one attain knowledge?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, definitely.

Q: Dear Guruji, how do I stop comparing myself with the whole world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You have so much time to sit and compare yourself with everybody. My goodness, I have no time. Too much time on your hands, you better do something more creative. You are sitting and comparing yourself with the whole world, what a waste of time.

Q: Guruji, the four do’s of our scriptures is Dharma, Arth, Kama and Moksha and the four don’ts are Kama, Krodh, Moha, Lobha and Ahankara. So why is kama a paradox which finds itself in both do’s and don’ts?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes because excess of it is very bad and in the right dose it is good. Like salt in the food, the right amount of salt is good and too much salt is no good.

Q: In astrology many astrologers recommend wearing certain gem stones and rings. Do you recommend wearing those things and if you are on the spiritual path do you need to wear those things?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No you don’t need to, of course everything little thing has some influence on you but you know you are much more powerful than a piece of stone. So if you like you can do it. Otherwise chant ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, that is most powerful mantra which takes care of all the bad effects of any planets.

© The Art of Living Foundation

This is a new policy; don’t try to make anybody happy, you can’t

Bangalore, May 18: 

I have seen that swamis, sadhus and people in ancient times would not like to listen to any conflict anywhere. If someone came and complained to them they would just plug their ears and say, “You deal with it.”
See, if you are part of the solution, your energy is high. But if you are talking about problems and problems, your energy comes down.

In the world there is always a play of positive and negative; some problems come, some challenges come and solutions also come behind it. The ancient people would simply focus on keeping their energy high. If your energy is high then when people come to you their problems will get solved.

Usually what happens when you talk to people? You get stooped into their level of problems. They talk to you about their problems and what happens? You get carried away into the problems. So just try this: one day let everybody come and complain 100 things to you, you simply keep your energy high, your sight inward, your mind inward as though nothing has happened. You will suddenly feel there is a freedom within you.
You try this: at home your mother-in-law will complain, your husband will complain, anybody can complain about anything, let the world go topsy-turvy, but hold onto the idea - I am going to keep my energy high. You just take one such step and see, because problems and challenges come so that you can turn your mind inward.
Instead of turning our minds inward when problems come, what do we do? We chase the problem and when we chase the problem we get totally drawn in that direction, dragged in that direction and then our energy goes down and we collapse. Isn’t this what happens?

Many times, in the name of compassion and sympathy you get drowned. Your compassion does not really help at all in solving the problem. It may be very shocking because in compassion the problem multiplies, and it doesn’t get solved.

Any problem comes so that a person can turn inward and look inside, get into a state of dispassion and calmness. Instead you give reasons and try to pacify the person. Pacifying a person in a problem is the worst thing. You should not pacify them. Let everybody bear their own cross. Bear your karma. If you are miserable it is your karma, if you are happy it is your karma. So you change your karma. This attitude makes a person more independent.

You show compassion and then they want more attention. You feel more compassion and give more attention and then neither compassion is there nor can you give any more attention. Only tension remains. It breeds tension in you, ‘That poor person is so upset and I have to make them happy’. Making someone happy is a big burden. Don’t try to do that at all. This is a new policy; don’t try to make anybody happy, you can’t.

There is a Sanskrit proverb that says ‘Kashtasya sukasya nakopi data’. Nobody gives happiness or misery. It is created by one’s own self, one’s own mind. When someone says ‘problem’, just turn and run in the other direction. Say deal with it, you deal with your own problem. Then you see independence comes, interdependence comes in people and that is how you make yourself self- sufficient.
I am talking about this to sadhaks, to all of you who are already on the path. But don’t use this when someone in the street is crying and they want a lift and you say, ‘Guruji said let them deal with it, I am out.’  If you have  space in your car you should go attend to them. That compassion is needed there, but not in relationships. When you are relating with people, random acts of compassion are essential. To someone whom you do not know, be compassionate.
Be passionate about dispassion.

Just see your own mind keeps getting bogged down by that person’s feeling, that person’s tension and this lady’s misery and this person’s unhappiness - what can you do and where have you gone? What has happened to you? You are completely shattered. That is why they say cut all these cobwebs around you, all these strings around you, only one string to the Divine, only one string.
Even there, don’t say, ‘Guruji didn’t look at me, maybe God is angry with me’, this and that, no! Everything is prasad, if I am kicked out, it is a Prasad. If I am scolded, it is Prasad. Everything is prasad, This attitude is the best attitude. So: no attention, no tension. Good!

Q: Guruji, if we do that people will think we are so insensitive.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Let them say what they want. That is what you are trying to do, please them. ‘No I am not insensitive, I am sensitive.’
As I said, you do your job, whatever you should do you do, but don’t sit and listen to their problems, and don’t get carried away by it, got it!

Q:  In the Part 1 course they have explained the three sounds and when they are put together they sound ‘Om’, ‘Amen’ and ‘Ameen’. I don’t understand how the three sounds form ‘Amen’ and ‘Ameen’.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No it’s similar, ‘Aa’ and ‘Ma’, two sounds are definitely there, it’s very similar.
If you see, English is a distortion of Sanskrit. Lots of words in English are derived from Sanskrit; I would say nearly 50 percent; brother: bhratru, sister: svasa, mother: mata, etc.

When the language changes usually distortion happens.
In Bengali, there are a lot of changes that have happened, ‘Vishnu’ become ‘Bishnu’; ‘Vishwas’ becomes ‘Bishwas’. The Bengalis say ‘eat water’, ‘jal khabe’; ‘khabe’ means eating but they say ‘jal khabe’. ‘Jal’ becomes ‘jol’; ‘jol khabe’. Every language has got its own characteristics, isn’t it?

In English also they change the pronunciation; instead of ‘West Bengal’ they say ‘Best Bengal’. Don’t ‘baste’ food; for ‘waste’ they say ‘baste’. That is how it is. You have to accept it.

‘You like bhite, you always bear bhites’; they are actually saying you always wear whites. ‘Guruji always bears bhites’ - that is the typical pronunciation. In Gujarat ‘lawn’ becomes ‘loan’ and ‘hall’ becomes ‘hole’; ‘the loan is in front of the hole.’

Q: We always perform Tarpana on Amavas in reverence of the departed souls of the beloved ones, is it really something scientific or just a ritual?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, Tarpana means ‘to satisfy.’ ‘Tarpa’ comes from ‘tripti’, which means fulfillment. Your ancestors had some wishes. Fulfilling them or taking them to be fulfilled, don’t crave for anything. That is exactly what Tarpana is: remembering the people who have departed once in a year.
In Christianity and in Islam also they do this for departed souls, particularly once in a year. So in India, in the ancient days, on amavas (moonless night) they kept remembering all the ancestors and they kept the full moon day to remember all the different manifestations of the Divinity. It is not only that every amavas you have to do something, but remembering them and doing some good work in their memory is good.

Q:  Guruji, you have told us that the Guru’s work is to confuse the disciple. Then who will we go to for answers?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Where else can you go? Anywhere you go you will get more confused, isn’t it? From where the confusion has come, the answer will also come.

Q: Guruji, sometimes we are in a free state of mind when we can talk to anyone and sometime we are not. How to get that state of mind back?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You mean at home with the wife? It does happen and people complain, at home my husband does not speak, but when some guest comes my husband speaks a lot. When I am alone with him he doesn’t speak at all; this is the problem, right? Your mind is such - sometimes you want to speak and sometime you have spoken so much that you have exhausted everything. You don’t feel like talking and so the prana has to go up for you to feel like talking more. That is nature. You don’t have to force yourself to talk, so be free.

Q: Jai Gurudev, you are so attractive, is this the bondage in my path? If I get stuck in your form what should I do to see beyond the form?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: So that you get detached from everything else - and then this will also automatically dissolve. You will see me more, much different than the form.

Q: Guruji, please talk on angels, what is their role and purpose. Does everyone have a guardian angel that looks after them?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, angels are just positive energy.

Q: What is Swara Yoga, could you please articulate on that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: First do alternative nostril prayanama and then go more deep into pranayama then you will see how the breath in the nostrils change throughout the day.

Q: Guruji, can we do Tarpana for ourselves when we are alive?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, become contented through meditation. That is Tarpana.

Q: Tell us something more about prarabdha and sanchita karma.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Sanchita karma can be reduced by devotion, whereas for prarabdha karma some of it will have to be undergone; you have to experience it.

Q: Guruji, my boss wants me to be diplomatic and feels it is very important for communication but I am a very straight forward person and cannot be diplomatic. What is the right thing to do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why do you put a label in your head ‘I am a straight forward person’ and why should a straight forward person not be diplomatic also? A straight forward person need not be rude all the time. Now you hide your rudeness behind that fact that you are straight forward, no you cannot justify the rudeness that way. Straight forwardness is necessary and diplomacy is also necessary, you have to have both. When you meet someone who is blind, you cannot tell that person, ‘You are a blind person’. You may say I am just straight forward, I am just saying the right thing, but you shouldn’t do that. So diplomacy is part of life; that is a skill you need to have. Diplomacy need not be that one is not being straight forward because it is not the opposite of being straight forward, not at all. These two things should go together.

Q: Guruji, how do you come to know what is going on in our minds even though we are thousands of kilometers away. How do you fulfill all our desires?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: That is my secret. If you attend the blessing course you can do that as well.

Q: Guruji, during amavas and Diwali we are told not to wander about at night and not to use sharp tools, what is the reason behind that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, the moon has an impact on the mind. On full moon days, you feel different; new moon days, you feel different. In the ancient days they used to say, since amavas is such a dark night, not to use sharp things as you may hurt yourself. That is what they said in the past but today with electricity that doesn’t apply.

Q: Guruji, what happens to the letters that are sent to you?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: They all come to me, don’t worry.

Q: Guruji, some people say that you must not go to funerals and some people say you should go to funerals. Which is right?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, we can go for funerals; there is a social responsibility. There is no problem in going. Usually, once you return from a funeral, you take a bath because the energy changes.

© The Art of Living Foundation