A simple technique to deal with your emotions and moods


See this whole world as bubbles rising in water. See people as bubbles on the surface of the Brahman (Infinite Consciousness). You know how water bubbles up? Like that, everybody is rising, playing their own games and dissolving back into the Infinite. It is the same in your own life. Your mind is a bubble on the surface of the Brahman, Infinity.
See how many changes happen in your mind during the course of the day. How many changes are happening in you? Just sit, and think about one person for a whole day. You will see all types of emotion come and go. Anger, frustration, dejection, doubt, etc. You like them and dislike them and you feel all this is nothing, and would like to run away. All these bubbles rise and fall in your mind. Your mind is such a wave of bubble in the Self.
Look at your moods! They are bubbles on the surface of your mind. It’s no secret that a mood remains not more than two-and-a-quarter days, pleasant or unpleasant. Many times when people meet their very dear ones, whom they love very much, they are in a joyous mood. And then they find themselves changing within the two and a quarter days! Their mind is changing. They don’t understand what is happening! The mind is also like that. It doesn’t stay firm.  The joke here is, you cannot hold onto pleasant moments; they come and go. But unpleasant things come, and you cling on to them. This is an age old habit of hanging on to unpleasant memories more than pleasant memories.
With skill, you can see all is Love, all is Divinity. When you see someone getting angry or frustrated, you can either see the love behind their anger and frustration, or only see their outer projection.
Why does someone get angry? Because they loved something, and it didn’t happen. Why does someone get frustrated? Because they loved something very much and they did not get it. Why does someone do service? There is love behind that service. Why does someone sing? Because they experience a wonderful feeling of love. There is love behind every action and every emotion, positive or negative.
That’s why I say love is not an emotion. I say it is your existence. It is something from which your life is made up of. So you can never lose it, but you need some skill to know it, experience it, and make it blossom in life.

The best form of donation


To give people what they need is donation, not what you feel like giving. If you donate clothes to somebody who already has many clothes, it is of no use. Instead, give clothes to people who need clothes. Similarly, giving food to somebody who owns a restaurant is foolishness. Instead, give food to the hungry and clothes to people who need them. This is donation.
So, it is important to donate to people who need it, not to those who don’t need it. If you donate a cow to a poor man who can’t feed himself, how will he feed the cow? If you donate a dictionary to a man who is illiterate, what will he do with it? Only give to those who deserve it!
People are ready to buy expensive clothes for themselves, people are ready to spend a huge amount on their holidays, but they are not ready to give one cent to others for a service project. At least 3 percent of what we earn, we should keep aside for charity work. This converts the 97% percent of your earnings into good money.

If you want to use 100% on yourself, then that is no good! If the money needs to be pure, it can only be 97% or less of your earnings (laughs). You are free to use 97% on yourself, but 3 – 5%, you should keep aside for donation. This is because whatever you earn is never enough for yourself! You ask anyone, they all feel, "Oh, there's a shortage.” Everyone finds a shortage. So it is not wise to say, "First I will do everything for me and then I will donate to others." We have to do both. It is collective growth that we must aim for.
Generosity, or sharing what we have with those around us, is a divine quality. There are different types of donations:
  • Food is the foundation of life. Hence, donating food is no doubt good. If you are not able to do it daily, then do it once in a while. You may donate food on your birthday, or in remembrance of your ancestors. That is why all these rules were instilled into our culture.  Especially in India, anna daanam (donation of food) has been there for ages.
     
  • Though it is said “Anna daanam param daanam, vidya daanam atah param.
    annena kshanika trupthi, yaavat jeevancha vidyeya
    .” This means that donating food is the best donation; donating knowledge is the best among the best kinds of donations. Food can satisfy one's hunger for a short time, but with knowledge, one can be satisfied lifelong.
     
  • “Sarveshaamevadaanamm brahmadaanam vishishyati.” Furthermore, sharing knowledge of Brahman (supreme consciousness or Divine) is even more superior to that.
If you are not doing any donation, then do the basic first. Begin with the donation of food.

What Is Gupt Daan



In India, there is something called as Gupt Daan, which means a secret gift. It is when you donate or give someone something without telling anyone that you are giving. You don’t want your name to be put on the name plate which says that so and so donated this. When you quietly give, it is called Gupt Daan.

It is often said, “When the right hand gives, the left hand should also not know.” This should be the intention behind donation. People used to take pride in this. You should also take pride in the same thing. At least some time or another, do some service for which you are not expecting any return or recognition. This act brings you so much joy. Once you get the taste of such purely service, you will find it so blissful, so interesting that you will want to go for it again and again. So, every now and then, do some service without wanting any recognition for it.

For the other things that you do, it is quite natural to want recognition. You do some good work in your office and you want recognition, there is nothing wrong in that. When you find real fulfillment in life, you feel so contented, then you don’t mind whether someone recognizes you or not. You keep doing what is good for you.

We must share what we have. When you give to those who are in need, the relief they experience brings you merits. If you wipe out suffering where ever you find it, you will earn good karma – sharing brings you merit. Do not think about your sins, keep on giving.

And the receiver should take it thinking that it is God who is giving them. If one takes something with a thought of returning it back, then it becomes a burden.

To make a profession out of begging is not a good thing. Sometimes, when certain people are able to make money without any effort, they continue begging. Why would they worry about changing that profession? Begging should not be promoted. Yes, if you find some old people or handicapped people, then you should help them, but those who are strong and fit and are begging on the streets, are often quite not in need! People who have strength, who can do something, they should not be given a single cent or single rupee.

Back in the time of Buddha or Krishna, it was a different thing altogether. In those days, begging was done by students who would beg for food, or monks who were busy working for society the whole day and would go and beg for food. They needed very little food and would go to peoples’ houses and eat. In those days, people would feed the monks as they were doing good work for the society. Our scriptures also say that one should donate only to the deserving. Give onto to those who deserve what you are giving.

Longing is Divine


Longing itself is Divine. Longing for worldly things makes you inert. Longing for infinity fills you with life. When longing dies, inertia sets in. But longing also brings a sense of pain.
To avoid the pain, you try to push away the longing. The skill is to bear the pain of longing and move on. Do not try to find a shortcut to overcome longing. Do not make the longing short – that’s why it is called loooonging. True longing in itself brings up moments of bliss. That is why in ancient days longing was kept alive by singing and listening to kathas, or stories. When longing transcends relationships, then judgments, jealousy and all negative feelings drop. It is only with wisdom and self-knowledge that you can transcend relationships. People often think wisdom is devoid of longing. No! Such wisdom is dry. The longing that comes with true wisdom makes life juicier. The Divine is certainly juicy! Longing gives you the power to bless. Bless the entire creation for the longing in you is God.

Is Buddhism a Part of Hinduism


The answer to this question depends on one’s personal opinion. In India, Buddhism is considered a part of Hindu tradition because Buddha never said I am starting a new religion—he only reformed what was already in existence.
Buddha became a monk in the Hindu tradition and then he shared the path to monkhood with everybody. He never discarded the Gods or Goddesses. He put the Buddha (the enlightened) first, which was already how it was.

The Guru Comes First

In Hinduism, we chant, Guru Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheshwaraha, Guru Saakshat Para Brahma, Tasmai Sree Gurave Namaha.
When translated, this means, first is the Guru. Buddha reestablished the same thing. Instead of Guru, he said Buddha. Buddha means a totally blossomed enlightened person.
In Karnataka, India, all Gurus were called Buddhi. If you go to any ashram and say Buddhi, you will be addressing a Guru. Buddhi also means “heightened intellect” or “the great enlightened one”. So, at that time, enlightened people were called Buddha.  

May All People Be Happy

Another line of text in Buddhism is, "Rakhantu sabba devta, bhavtu sabba Mangalam.” This means, let auspiciousness and peace happen to everybody.
In the Vedas, it is said, "Sarve jana sukhino Bhavantu", which means, let all the people of the world be happy.
Whatever is said in Upanishad, the same thing Buddha spoke! Buddha never said that all the Rishis or saints were wrong. He said, there have been so many Buddhas before me and many will come after me. Take refuge in Buddha. And there is a Buddha hiding inside of you. Take refuge in the Buddha nature inside you.

Hinduism is the Mother of Buddhism

There is virtually no difference between Hinduism and Buddhism. Even His Holiness the Dalai Lama is constantly heard saying that Hinduism is our mother. Hinduism is the mother of Buddhism.
In earlier days, people would do animal sacrifices, and Buddha condemned all that. He said you should not do this sacrifice. In any religion, there is always some such interpolation. Though it was not the original practice of the religion, later on, these things get into the religion. And then people think this is the religion. They leave the philosophy and hold on to the practices. These become causes of contention and then sects develop.
Even in Buddhism, there are Hinayana and Mahayana. Buddha never created Hinayana and Mahayana. There are 32 sects of Buddhism, all mushroomed later on. Which is the one Buddha created? He did not create them at all. He just reformed what was already in practice. Monks were wearing saffron in this country; he wore the same thing. Monks were shaving their heads; he asked all his monks to shave their head. So everything in Hinduism—like begging alms, asking for food, letting go of the ego—Buddha followed the same thing.

Why Vegetarianism Is Preferred in Spirituality


There are many benefits to being vegetarian. If you run a search on Google, you will find plenty of research available on this topic. Otherwise, the world would not take to it so promptly. A few decades ago, vegetarian food was not available in Berlin and many parts of Europe. Today, Berlin is the vegan capital of Germany. Veganism has grown exponentially in Europe, America, and India.
If you look back, some of the greatest thinkers of this world, like Einstein, have been vegetarian. If you take a stock of how many great scientists and thinkers on this planet were vegetarian, you will find a large number of them were. So, somewhere, being vegetarian has a connection with the way the mind works.

A vegetarian diet enhances mental refinement

According to our ancients, vegetarian food is important, especially for people doing mental work. If you are doing only menial work, it is okay to be on a non-vegetarian diet. But if you are intellectual, and want to have a more refined thinking and a subtler experience, then you need to tweak your diet accordingly. And such a diet must not just be vegetarian, but it is also preferable to avoid pungent, stale, and old food. Such is a dietary prescription for someone who wants a heightened consciousness.
A vegetarian diet keeps your system attuned to nature
Even in the Bible, on one of the lost scrolls, there is a lot of talk about being vegetarian. But over time, for whatever reason, it has been shoved aside. So, the choice to be vegetarian or not is yours. I am not saying you cannot do meditation if you are not a vegetarian. But the most preferred diet is vegetarian, since it keeps your system attuned to your own nature.

The human body is made for a vegetarian diet

Our immediate ancestors, the monkeys, are vegetarians. There is a substance called Talvin in our saliva, which is only present in the saliva of herbivores. If you were meant to be carnivorous, your teeth and enzymes would be different. Talvin, which is only found in herbivorous animals, would not be in your saliva.
A horse is vegetarian; have you ever seen it eating meat? Elephant, the most powerful among animals, is vegetarian. Do you see, the most domesticated animals are all vegetarians – mostly! Yes, cats would eat rats, and dogs are different, but look at cows, sheep, etc.
You should look into the mechanics. Our human system is made for vegetarianism! Vegetarian animals have long intestines, which is not the case for carnivorous animals. Your intestine is taller than you; you have a 6-foot-long intestine, all coiled up. If you were meant to be carnivorous, your intestine would have been half the size, only 3 feet long. All this indicates somewhere that the diet most suited for you is vegetarian.

Observing Prana


You should sit and watch the breath; there are so many things about it. What you do on the Advanced Program is already very helpful and useful; the Hollow and Empty Meditations are about polishing and observing the breath.

The breath has been burnt down due to excess usage of our body externally; too much food, sex, sleep (even lack of it), too much watching; too much of anything burns down the Prana. And when the Prana is burnt, then you can’t find yourself; it is as though there is a crowd inside, and you feel you don’t exist there. The purpose of all these different meditations that you are doing is to help your Prana become healthier, stronger and tangible. How many of you feel that your Prana is more tangible? When you do a little bit of meditation, at least you can find it flowing in one line, otherwise it is all broken, and you can’t find it at all!

Sometimes, time can also do this. At some specific times, celestially, suddenly you feel a cloud of negative energy getting onto you. You feel a sense of heaviness, dullness, and the brain doesn’t seem to function. That heaviness, restriction, contraction, and the feelings of getting solidified and constrained are associated with such energy. Sometimes one would feel like getting it out, but you don’t know how to do it! How many of you have had such an experience?

A few minutes of chanting, pranayama, and I don’t think there is anything better than the Sudarshan Kriya can help you get it out. Sudarshan Kriya can quickly put you back on track. Ujjayi breathing, meditation and chanting also helps. And your connection to the Master helps; whomsoever you think of, that’s what your brain immediately catches on. You can think of a very negative person, immediately your whole psychology and brain cells start behaving like them. Hasn’t this happened to you? How many of you have experienced it? That is why enlightened masters are called pratah smarami in Sanskrit, which means they have to be remembered in the morning as soon as you wake up, so that your whole day, your whole system is tuned to them. Good or wise people are called pratah smarami, worth remembering in the morning. The reason one remembers them first thing in the morning is because the whole day goes with what you start with.

True surrender


Is it okay to surrender to a Guru but pray to Jesus at the same time? Is it like sitting on two chairs at the same time?

No, don’t worry. Actually, this word surrender should be removed from the dictionary, it has been so misused and misunderstood. You just relax, that is good enough. Relax with this knowledge and faith that you are being taken care of! It is this most relaxed and happy state that is called surrender. 

Otherwise we try so hard to surrender; whom to surrender to, where to surrender? And what is it that you need to surrender? You don’t surrender your good qualities, do you? That is what you are, so you don’t need to surrender them. You need to give up or surrender what you don’t need, and what are they? Negative qualities, negative tendencies and negative thoughts, which you don’t want to have! And if that is what you call surrender, then that is good! Do it every day, as much as you can! But then also, wake up and see; neither the positive nor the negative qualities are yours! They just come and go!

You don’t hold on to a car passing by your house and say, “I’m going to push this car, it is mine!” Similarly, thoughts are like cars on the street, they don’t belong to you, they are just moving on their own, and they go away. If you say, “Okay, I am surrendering this car, the next truck”; if that’s your way of having fun, you can have fun.

Nature knows that these thoughts are not yours. When you are saying that I am surrendering this car, nature is having fun. The Universe has a lot of fun with people who are trying to surrender. Just relax!

You have the most beautiful knowledge here, and there is no conflict either. Everybody is one there; Jesus, Buddha, Krishna, they all have a good pact with each other. Just like the Euro can work in France, Italy, Germany and Greece, so also, there is a good pact between these master; whichever form or whatever name you see, it all goes to the same source.