Be one of those who change time

 

A New Year is the time when a lot of people stumble upon the realisation, “Oh! Another year has gone by!” For a few seconds or minutes, we wonder about the current of time that flows by and then again get busy or lost in the world outside. The funny thing is that this happens nearly every year. If we go deeper into these moments of wonder, we realise that there is an aspect of us that is a witness to all the events of time. This witness inside us is unchanging and it is from here that we observe all the change that time brings.

All the events in life until this moment appear like a dream. Wisdom is becoming aware of this dream-like nature of life even as it is unfolding now. Knowing this brings tremendous strength from within and you do not get shaken by events and circumstances. At the same time, events have their own place in life. We need to learn from them and keep moving.

In the past year, how many days were you in sanyas? How many days were you struggling, being caught in maya? Turn back and remember the entire year. Do not run away from anything. Do not reject anything. At the same time, let your attention be on the self. This is a delicate balance. This balance is yoga. This balance is spirituality. Some people think it is about being silent. Some people think it is only celebration. However, spirituality is a harmonious blend of outer silence and inner celebration, and also inner silence and outer celebration.

This year has been very challenging for the entire world. But we need to keep making efforts to make it better for everyone around. This is possible when we are established within ourselves. In you, there is an actor and there is a witness. As you go inwards, the witness aspect grows in you and you remain untouched by events. And as you go outwards, the actor in you becomes more skilful in responding to situations. These two entirely opposite aspects of our being are nurtured by meditation. When you come closer to the Self, your action becomes powerful in the world and right action in the world brings you closer to the Self.

The year that is going by has taught us many lessons; what we should be doing and what we should not be doing. Every pain that we went through brought us some depth, and all the joy and pleasure gave us a new vision of life and hope for the future.

The year gone by saw plenty of rainy days. This New Year let there be sunshine – both in our lives and in society. Let us all have a determination to create a violence-free, stress-free society. Let us resolve to be unshakable within and move towards a better world. Time changes people but there are people who change the time. May you be one of them. Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas!

 

Each one of you is a special gift on the planet! You are the Christmas tree.

The Christmas tree is pointing upwards and its branches grow on all sides, and we all have that capacity to blossom to the fullest of the human potential.

At the time of year when no tree bears anything, the Christmas tree has many gifts to offer and it is evergreen throughout the year.

A Christmas tree bears the gifts and the lights for all. The gifts you are carrying in your life are for others. You offer the gift of service to anyone in need, and you will wonder how your needs are being taken care of!

Merry Christmas to everyone!

The soap opera of falling in love

 

What happens when you fall in love? After a while, the soap opera begins, you start demanding. When you start demanding, the love diminishes. The joy fades away.

So then you say, “Oh I have made a mistake in this relationship.” Then there’s struggle and pain to get out of that relationship. After getting out of it, you get into one more; and the same story repeats.

Know that you have more love than you deserve! You should always feel that you are not worthy of the love that you receive. Think that the love you receive is much more than what you deserve. If you come from this space of humility, then you will behave with magnanimity and dignity in all your dealings. You won’t chew on the past, you will live in the present moment, you will honor the other’s opinions, you will understand the other’s predicaments; that magnanimity will come from within.

If you keep this in mind, that “I don’t deserve this love”, you will not demand love. And when you don’t demand love in your life, it keeps on increasing. You are not here to beg for love. You are here to radiate love!

Dealing with emotional upheavals

 

Happy moments come and pass; sad moments come and they also pass. All these emotions and upheavals keep happening in life. 

There is something in you that remains unaffected by everything, and remains a witness to it all. You are that changeless spirit. 

The real goal of life is to latch on to that something in you which remains unchanged. This is where you feel totally unshaken, where you feel totally content, pure and clear.

Addressing generation gap and other gaps

 

'You are useless, you know nothing' - statements like these, charged with negativity can make a child’s foundation weak.

Spend quality time with children, let them be happy and encourage them to do their best. Allow them to be natural, free, uninhibited. They should be able to speak to anybody, they should be able to shake hands, hug anybody in the family. Then, there will be no generation gap, no parental gap, no teacher-student gap.

Misery originates in one's mind

 

When you are not aware of the tricks and the mumbo-jumbo going on in the mind, then life is misery. This is because life is based on the mind. ‘This is how it should be’, or, ‘It should not be like this’, whenever such thoughts come, it means the mind is coming into play.

Look back at your mind, not at others, and see what drama and pain have been caused by it. When you do that, it is no longer pain, it is entertainment. It is like a multi-channel television, a movie channel that has caused so much comedy, suspense, drama, and misery in your life.

In The Bhagvad Gita also, it is said that the mind is responsible for your freedom and bondage.

The mind is a friend and an enemy. When the mind is your enemy, it ties you down to your past impressions and experiences, because it does not let you see things with a fresh new eye. When the mind is your friend, it brings happiness, freedom, and liberation. So, the mind can be our greatest enemy or our best friend.

Getting rid of your ego

 

For God’s sake don’t do anything to your ego! Just let it be. If you find you have a big ego, don’t try to get it out of yourself. Let it be. You know, trying to meddle with your ego becomes a bigger problem. Then you say, “Look, I erased my ego!” Nobody can do this! Understand that?

You know it’s so difficult to get rid of the ego. It’s like saying – ‘I’m the most humble person in the world! You can’t find anyone with more humility than me!’ Does it make any sense? So if you find there is any ego, let it be like that happily. Don’t try to meddle or get rid of it. Just smile!

You know, ego is stiffness. When you’re at home, you relax. When you feel at ease, then ego is not there. The antidote for ego is just being natural. One day if you want to act crazy or foolish, it might help you a little bit, because your greatest fear is what others will think. Give everyone the freedom to think whatever they want to think, right? Then you’ll find you’re so much at ease, at peace with yourself.

Source of strength for vegetarians

 

A horse does not eat meat, it just eats grass and grains and you say a horse has a lot of power and strength.

An elephant eats just leaves and grass but the power an elephant has is immense. It does not touch meat.

Monkeys are the most active species, if you look at their activities. Have you seen little ones of monkeys jumping around? They will jump all around, do all sorts of gymnastics. They are vegetarians. They just eat some little things here and there. 

For strength, the purpose of meat is eliminated. It's not for strength. Now if you are eating for taste, that is just a habit of cultivation. You can start liking anything.