Moving beyond the wrapping paper to the present

All sensory pleasures in the world are like wrapping paper; the true bliss is the present inside. 

Divine love is the present, yet we are holding onto the paper believing we have already enjoyed the gift. It is like putting a chocolate inside your mouth with the paper still on. A little chocolate may seep into your mouth, but the wrapper causes discomfort. 

Unwrap the present. The whole world is there for you to enjoy. The wise know how to enjoy the gift inside, while the ignorant get stuck with the paper.

How to lose your dispassion

 

There are three types of dispassion. 

The first type is the dispassion that arises when you realize the misery in the world and you fear misery. The events in life – the pain and suffering you experience or see – bring dispassion. 

The second type of dispassion is born out of your desire to achieve something higher. Some consider dispassion as a path to enlightenment – by renouncing something here they hope to gain something out there. They engage in austerities and take vows to have a better place in heaven. 

The third type of dispassion comes from wisdom or knowledge. A broader understanding of the transient nature of things cultures a state of non-attachment to events, objects, people, or situations, and this lets you remain calm and unperturbed. 

Divine love does not let dispassion manifest. The attainment of love brings such bliss and such intoxication that it not only takes away your passion, but dispassion as well.

Divine love and infinity

 

When you love something, it becomes alive. With love, the whole creation becomes personal. For children, everything is personal. Children make each toy come alive. Even a tree has a face, even the sun laughs, and even a stone attracts reverence when it becomes personal. In love, you raise even objects to life. If you remove love, even people become objects. 

Violence is removing love. How could a person kill another? Only when they see them as an object, not as a person. People who see God as impersonal do not progress. The impersonal cannot attract your love or reverence. When we personalize something, we make it real. So then, what is reality? You are the reality. You are not the thoughts, you are not the emotions, nor the actions. You are not even a person. 

There are 3 kinds of love - the love that comes out of charm, the love that comes out of familiarity, and Divine love. The love that comes out of charm does not last long. Out of unfamiliarity you are attracted, then once you become familiar, you quickly lose attraction and boredom sets in, like most love marriages. This love may diminish and bring along with it fear, uncertainty, insecurity and sadness. The love that comes out of familiarity grows. You are more comfortable with an old friend who is a familiar person, rather than with a new person. But this love has no thrill, no enthusiasm, no fire in it. 

Divine love supersedes all other love. Divine love is ever new. The closer you come, the more charm and depth is there. Divine love has comfort, familiarity and enthusiasm. There is never boredom and it keeps you on your toes. Worldly love can be like an ocean, yet an ocean has a bottom. Divine love is like the sky, limitless, infinite. From the bottom of the ocean, soar into the vast sky.

Beyond an event is knowledge. Beyond an object is infinity. Beyond a person is love. Knowledge is beyond events. Every event colours your awareness in some way, pleasure, pain, joy, sorrow, anger, jealousy. Each event gives you a false notion of what reality is. Truth is beyond all the colours of particular events. Behind every object is infinity. Objects are limited and changing, yet they exist in infinite space that never changes. Reduce any object to atoms, you will find that within each atom is contained infinite space. Beyond all objects is infinity.

Beyond each person is love. A personality changes. A body, a mind, a complex of behaviours is always changing. Beyond each personality there is unchanging love, love is what you are. When you lose your self, you’ll find your self. The event behind the event is knowledge. The object behind the object is infinity. The person behind the person is love. Maya (delusion) is when you are stuck in events, personalities, or objects. Brahman, divine consciousness, is seeing beyond all these. See? Just a little shift.

Renounce your way to true love

 

Only who has renounced can love. To the degree you have renounced, to that degree will you have the ability to love. Often people think those who renounce cannot love, and those who love cannot renounce. This is because renunciates do not seem to be in love, and so-called lovers are possessive and needy. 

True love is not possessive, it brings freedom, and renunciation is nothing but freedom. Only in freedom can love blossom fully. When you are in love you say, “I want nothing, I just want this”. Renunciation is, “I do not want anything. I am free”. In love there is no other need. Renunciation is having no need. Love and renunciation, although appearing to be opposites, are two sides of the same coin.

Does this mean the lover renounces his beloved? No, you renounce the attachment, the possessiveness. Renunciation doesn’t diminish love, it enhances it. Only renunciation can sustain love and joy. Without renunciation love turns into misery, possessiveness, jealousy and anger. Renunciation brings contentment and contentment sustains love.

Without renunciation one gets discontented, frustrated, sad, fearful, suspicious, analytical. And the whole soap opera begins. And this is what we find in society don’t we? So-called renunciates have run away from life frustrated and disappointed. Real renunciation is born out of knowledge and wisdom, knowledge of life in the background of time and space and in the context of this magnanimous universe. You have to rejoice in the means. You have to love the means. Love is the goal but the means must also be lovable. Love springs forth when there is no effort, when all activities are shunned.

Love is your nature. When love finds an expression, you often become ensnared get caught up in the object. Your sight is caught outside. To return to your nature, you need insight. 

Pain is the first insight. It takes you away from the object and turns you towards your body and mind. Energy is the second insight. A bolt of energy brings you back to your self. Divine love is the third insight. A glimpse of Divine love makes you complete and overrules all relative pleasures. Ecstasy is the fourth insight. An elevation of consciousness and partial awareness of the physical reality around you is ecstasy. Non-dual awareness, that everything is made up of one and only one, is the fifth insight.

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.

Love is of three kinds

 

There are three kinds of love. The love that comes out of charm, that which comes out of comfort, and the Divine Love.

The love that comes out of charm does not last long. It comes out of unfamiliarity or out of attraction. In this you lose the attraction fast, and boredom sets in, like most love marriages. This love may diminish and bring along with it fear, uncertainty, insecurity, and sadness.

The love that comes out of comfort and familiarity grows. But this love has no thrill, no enthusiasm, joy, or fire to it. For example, you are more comfortable with an old friend who is a familiar person, rather than with a new person.

Divine Love supersedes both the above. The Divine Love has ever newness. The closer you go, there is more charm and depth. The Divine Love has comfort, enthusiasm, and familiarity. There is never boredom, and it keeps everyone on their toes.

Worldly love can be like an ocean, yet an ocean has a bottom. Divine Love is like the sky which is limitless, infinite. From the bottom of the ocean, soar into the vast sky.

Letting go of the fruit of action is the way to attain the fruit

 

How to be centered when there is a doubt or conflict? In Narada Bhakti Sutras, Narada says, “Karmanyapi Sanyasyati” - take a break, not just from activity, but also from the fruit of the activity.

You can take a break from the fruit of the action when you let go of the result and become totally centered in the action itself. It will bring deep rest from doubts and conflicts in the mind. One who is not concerned about the outcome, is centered in the action itself and reposes in the Self, goes beyond the dualities, beyond conflicts.

This doesn’t mean that you should stop acting. One who is wise, who has attained knowledge, and experienced divine love, is beyond all actions yet he continues to engage himself in action. You can transcend only what you have gone through. You can let go only what you have. So to let go of the fruit of the action. You need to have the fruit and to have the fruit, you need to act! This is so beautiful.

Sri Krishna used the fruit of the action to motivate Arjuna to fight. He told Arjuna that if you die in the battle, you will attain heaven and if you win, you will rule the world. When you have laziness, you need motivation to do something and the expected fruit of action acts as the motivating factor. But once you start acting, let go of the expected result. Just focus on the work in hand.

Nature of divine love

 

If there is anything in this universe that cannot be defined, it is love. If you can describe love, then it is far from the truth. Nature of love is that which you cannot express or define. You give flowers, you hug, you prostrate, you offer but still something remains unexpressed. We can only find a little expression, just a glimpse of it.

There is a story about Hanuman. He loved Lord Rama. Once Rama asked Hanuman: ‘Tell me how much you love me?’ Hanuman said: ‘My lord I cannot express my love for you, you want to see? I will tear open my heart and show you’. You can see the picture of Hanuman tearing open his heart and showing Rama: ‘Only you reside in my heart.’

There are three types of love - Satvik, rajasic and tamasic. Satvik love is that which does not expect anything in return. Rajasic love, is the love combined with feverishness and a desire to get something back. Tamasic love is love for destroying things. But Divine love is free from all these three.

When you love somebody, what do you love in them? Do you love their qualities, attributes or the person? The love for someone just because they are great, have wonderful qualities, look very beautiful or they are kind, these are all elements of business and not Divine love.

Often love diminishes. A child loves its mother and as the child gets older, the love for the mother goes to the background because it starts loving its friends, then their husband or wife and then their own children. 

But Divine love is contrary to this: Every moment it grows, the more time you spend, there is a feeling of wanting more. It’s a form of experience. You can live it, you can be it, you can shed tears of gratitude, you cannot express it. You cannot fully share it with anyone.

Divine love is uninterrupted, there are no gaps in it. There are no flaws there. Divine love is continual. Your love is so unconditional, it does not depend on the behaviour of the other person. It does not depend on the attributes of the other person. Does not depend upon what they do or don’t do to you. You are in love because you can’t be but in love. You have no choice as it is your very nature.

Becoming a devotee

Love is the finest, but the most powerful, feeling. But love can neither be fully hidden nor expressed. The more you try to hide it, the more apparent it becomes. Love expresses itself in so many ways. You don’t have to tell anybody you love him or her: your walk, your talk, your look will all convey that love. 

One who has attained the fullness of love, his throat chokes, and joy manifests itself in all his actions. Your love has the power to purify everything around you. Narada in his aphorism of love says, “Panthavarodha romanchashrubhih parasparam lapramanah pavayanti kulani prithvim cha.” 

The tears of love purify families, traditions, towns and villages, they purify this earth. Even places where some lover spent his life longing for God become pilgrimage centres. But the tragedy is that very few do it because of love. Many shed tears of misery.

The power of love actually transcends the worlds. When you meditate, or do any spiritual practice, a portion of the merits goes to your ancestors. It is like clearing some debt, giving, or sharing good things that you have. In all religions, when someone departs, there is memorial service. You pray for the departed soul: your prayer, your love touches the other world. So when you meditate, remember, you are not meditating just for yourself but for this world as well as the unseen world. 

When a devotee who is full of love for God engages in any action, that action gains value and becomes the best action. There are those who are valued because of the things they possess, and those who give value to things. The latter are those who really live their life. Mohammed wore a pair of simple shoes and that became valuable. Mahatma Gandhi used just an ordinary staff, but it has a value because he used it. In the same way, what one says is not as important as the state of the person who is saying it. Even a scolding from a wise person is valuable, while praise from a wicked man is of no use. 

When the love that you are is kindled, life itself becomes a scripture, a holy, sacred book. Make your life the Gita, Quran or Bible. And the key to achieving that is divine love! Becoming a devotee who is full of Him, lost in Him.

Souls of the Dead

People who are dead and gone, don’t think they have simply disappeared. They are still there. They are present. The Being is present. The soul. The body has dropped. The body has separated from the mind and the soul. But the soul is present all over, but without any activity. They can’t act without a body. 

So be fearless! The souls of the people who are dead will not come and disturb you. They cannot disturb you. They have no interest to disturb you. 

It’s like, in a match, in a game, a person becomes ‘out,’ and they go out of the playground. And they become just spectators. Like baseball. They leave the field, but they are very much there. They sit there and enjoy, watch. Sometimes they say, “Oh, I should have done better.” They don’t come in and do anything to you. The players who have gone outside the playground will not come and help you to make a goal or will not come and obstruct you in your goals, in your play. They’ll simply be there as a spectator. In the same way, all those people who have passed away from this world, they remain outside as spectators. They have no action. So be fearless. None of them can do any harm to you. 

They can’t do any good nor any harm to you. They have no interest in it, because it’s all a game. They simply sit and watch. Sometimes they feel compassionate towards you or think how nice it would be if somebody had told you about it being a game. It’s not a war field here. You could take it a little lighter.

A baseball game happens and you will find millions of people commenting how much better they could have done, what they should have done, and have some sympathy towards them. But none of those comments really in any way matter to those who are playing. In the same way, all the people who have left the body, and we’ll also do the same thing. We are here with the body and talking and gossiping and worrying and crying and laughing and all this. One day we’ll just drop this body, but we will all lift up and be somewhere else. We’ll be outside the playground and watch. “Okay, let them play. We’ll see what they are doing.” 

But when they see that somebody has made a goal, they yell and cry and laugh and clap, just like young kids. A person who makes the goal is not yelling or crying or shouting, encouraging, but you’ll find all that shouting and joy and encouragement from outside the playground. This is what exactly happens, when you rejoice in love. All these ancestors are full of joy and enthusiasm. 

The ancestors rejoice when a person blossoms fully on this planet in Divine love.  Every drop of gratitude in you brings great joy to your ancestors.  It says the seven generations in the past and the seven generations in the future get liberated, if you get liberated, if you become free.

Any person you meet is only your reflection

December 10, 2010 Bangalore Ashram


Q: I feel life is a like puppet show. So, what is the use or objective of doing anything?
Sri Sri: If an alien comes to this planet and watches football or cricket match, you know how will he react? Shocked!
One leather ball and 22 people after it! 
It won’t make any sense to the Alien, and he would say just give them all one. Thousands of people watch and get crazy. People are wasting so much time and money, there seems to be no purpose.So a rational mind cannot understand a game. A rational mind always wants a purpose, some tangible result. Today, unfortunately, games have become wars and wars are like games! I am not giving you any answer. The answer for this should sprout in your mind. See what is the purpose of everything? If everything appears meaningless then congratulations to you! You have started on the path. This is the first sign of intelligence, of waking up. Otherwise we can keep doing same things all our life. It is very good question. Just feel lucky that this question has sprouted in you.


Q: How do I get over of what people think about me?
Sri Sri: When mind is outward and is stuck in an outside event or incident, you have to retrieve it back. That's what you have to do. Either something good happens or bad, it stays in mind for some time, produces an impression in your consciousness. But nothing stays for long and it vanishes by time. Sign of waking up is that you don't hold on to it for long. Sadhana, meditation is the greatest tool for that.


Q: What is the relation of Sadhana and our life?
Sri Sri: The whole life is Sadhana. Doing Pooja, little rituals and Kriya are important but one should also celebrate whole life as sadhana.


Q: I always compare myself with others. I often compare my love and respect for you with others. What should I do?
Sri Sri: You don't have to compare yourself with anybody. Your love is unique. Let love remain love, don't give it any name. The love that is defined by a relationship is limited. You start with this but go ahead and dive deep in a love that is beyond relationships. That is the objective, the goal. The love that is beyond relationships, that is true love only.


Q: I first time saw you yesterday, but I didn't feel you are a stranger?
Sri Sri: I have never felt, meeting anyone, as if I am meeting a stranger. The way your feelings are, you perceive the same. Any person you meet is only your reflection.


(The lights went off suddenly... And someone commented 'Guruji, please don't run away')
Guruji replied 'maybe it is a signal to meditate'
In this world there is no other. This is the mantra of knowledge. There is no one who doesn't belong to me. This is the mantra of love. All our bodies are like shells floating in the ocean of consciousness. This is the truth. Shell has no life; its life is in the water. Where is the life of the fish? In the fish or the water! The body of the fish is just exhibiting the life, but the life is in the water. This is called karan shareer, causal body.


Q: Why do we feel jealous? How do one deal with jealousy?
Sri Sri: Because we don't realize that it is all going to end. Meditate and see life from a bigger context. If you still feel jealous, then just observe the sensations and it will pass.

© The Art of Living Foundation

When belongingness expands to include everyone, spirituality has grown

Bangalore, India, Dec. 4:
Q.  How to bring up children in a competitive world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The world has always been competitive. In the past, competition was present on a smaller scale. It is much bigger now. We need to instill values. Even in the satyuga, there were rakshasas (demons). So don't blame time. You do your part. Instill values in children.


Q. What is the difference between jeeva (individual consciousness) and brahma (infinite cosmic consciousness)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Jeeva is a part of Brahma.
The balloon has air outside and inside it. Inside a vessel, there is space and outside there is space as well. The inside space is jeeva,the outside space is brahma.
The jeeva is desire, aversion, craving. All this is the balloon. That is why the Lord is not somebody separate, but it is,‘what I am.’ If the wave asks,‘Where is the ocean then what to say? The wave itself is the ocean. You have to only realize this. That is why it is said that while it takes a moment to break a flower stem, the Divine can be realized in a fraction of that moment.


Q.I cannot accept criticism. So I get disturbed.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: For how long does this happen?For some time right?So, it’s alright. If you think you shouldn't get disturbed, then you get more disturbed. The disturbance doesn't stay for all time.If there is some point in their comments, take it. Welcome the criticism. Is it for your improvement or is it the impression that you have created?
You doubt compliments. So doubt the criticism as well.


Q. I feel unhappy very often. How can I get out of it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Right now are you happy or sad? Just be happy. So, the answer is within you.
Once, a woman went to a saint and asked, ’Why is the world so sad?’
If you can’t leave the world when there is unhappiness, how will you leave a world full of happiness?
You will be in a great loss if you can’t let go of the world. Just turn inwards to the Source, there is no sadness. Once you learn how to go inwards the world doesn't seem sad.
Just look at the world, where is the sadness?  Birds are chirping;the river is flowing. Where is the sadness?  I only see beauty in the world. Just look at all the faces (here)they are so happy!
In life, there’s 20 percent sadness and 80 percent happiness. But our mind makes the 20 percent into 2000 percent.


Q. Could you please comment on the Naxalite issue?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The Naxal problem is not of poverty. A poor man cannot lift a gun or make a bomb. These are people who have wrong education. They say,‘If people can elect us, they can bring us down also. Did Napoleon ask anyone for a vote, did Mao or Stalin ask?’ They feel that they should come to power on their own power.
This education turns people towards violence.People who walk the path of spirituality, who know history,will never go into Naxal activities. They are ignorant of spirituality. That is why spirituality is most important.
That is why I often say Krishna was the first communist. Krishna said, ‘See Me in all and all in Me’. This is the real communism.


Q. There is a lot of poverty. How do we find a solution for that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: One of the main reasons for poverty is alcoholism.
Many villagers spend 60 percent of their earnings in the toddy shop. If you think they are poor, then from where have they got toddy? Villages have risen above the poverty line just by closing the toddy shops. The poorest of the poor can earn and not stay hungry, wherever alcohol has stopped. Youngsters in rural areas are now dealing with this problem.
People of all castes should celebrate together. Everyone should come together for one meal in a week. When people in the village will come together, then the feeling of Dalit and non Dalits will be removed. In every village, ask those who can to contribute for those who don’t have enough. Such development cannot be done by the government alone. NGOs have to initiate this change.


Q. What carries the samskaara through different lifetime? The body dies and the consciousness is pure. 
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The mind carries the samskaaras.


Q.  What is spirituality?
Sri Sri: Do you feel belonging? That is spirituality.
When this belongingness expands to include everyone, then spirituality has grown.


(A girl from the audience asks)
Q: How do you know if you really love somebody?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Suppose you sit for four–five hours. Do you get a pain in your leg? (The girl nods her head.)  How do you know? (Sri Sri addresses the audience in general) Our doubt is always about something positive. Someone asks, ‘Are you happy?’ And we say,‘Well…I am not sure.’ You have never doubt your depression.

© The Art of Living Foundation

Have a combination of both – sensitiveness and strength

Montreal, Canada, Nov. 25: 

Q. How can I not see ugly feelings behind ugly words?
Sri Sri: Sometimes people say words and they really don’t feel that way. Don’t you do it sometimes? As children, you say things that you don’t really mean. Kids usually say things they mean. As we grow older, our feelings and words grow apart. They are not the same. Now, don’t worry about what other people are feeling. Feelings are fleeting. One day they feel good, next day they don’t. Don’t bother about this. Simply acknowledge that that person is not feeling good and that they are here to work on it. Our being angry that someone is feeling bad doesn’t make sense. Sometimes their feelings change but your feelings remain the same. Someone puts a doubt in your head and then they forget but you hold on to it. The same is with senior citizens who complain but then forget while you hold on to the complaint.

Look at the present moment - now, now, now! Wake up NOW! Everything else is stupid. All that has happened has gone into emptiness. Everything dissolves into emptiness. Your entire past - wiped out! All the things that you felt are gone. Good or bad, they are gone. So, wake up to the truth of the present moment. Divinity is in the present moment. This is yoga. Yoga is being established in the moment. And moment does not mean fleeting moment. The moment has the depth of infinity; it has all the past and all the future.

Who cares what you feel? Throw your feelings into the ocean. A little sensation or discomfort arises. Who cares? Are you doing what you want to do? And, in doing what you want to do, are you keeping the delicacy of your consciousness or are you being like a bulldozer (I will do whatever I want)? Being like a bulldozer is being insensitive. Being oversensitive and very weak and being like a bulldozer are both not correct. The best combination is being sensitive and strong. This is wisdom and this is what we have to work on.

The effect of past actions is limited. Past actions definitely affect you e.g. you drive fast, get a ticket, and you have to pay. Get three tickets and you have to surrender your license, no doubt. But don’t brood over it. Wake up. When you wake up, even the consequences you fear will not happen. You will be forgiven in that moment. The moment we acknowledge our mistake, we are forgiven. So you are innocent every moment you are awake. Now! Now! Now!

Take the challenge. Whenever someone is nasty towards you, do something so nice that it takes them by surprise. You will suddenly find there is a shift happening. If it does not happen also it is fine. At least you have done something good.

The world is a very funny place, I tell you. Either it is very entertaining or it is such a pain and so miserable! You can’t take it. Sometimes, you do so much for someone and they turn their back and do things that harm you. Many parents say, ‘I did so much for my children and now they are dissociating from me.’ Not just with parents, but same with employers, friends, siblings, and even spouse. Speaking of spouse, there are four stages of marriage. First stage is mad for each other. Second stage is made for each other. Third stage is mad at each other. The fourth stage is mad because of each other.

Q. Some days I feel so much love for the Divine. Other days, I feel like praying for desires.
Sri Sri: Just be natural. When prayer is happening, don’t create a conflict and confusion in yourself. Don’t say, “Oh it will happen anyways!” But prayer does not have to happen by compulsion.

Q. Please tell us what is so special about the tip of this nose?
Sri Sri: All the sensory nerves end in the tip of the nose. There are two points that are important for alertness and focus of the brain - the ear lobes and tip of the nose. They are the marma points. These are the secret points. If you keep your attention on the tip of the nose, your focus improves, especially for children. In the Jain tradition, they can multiply 100 numbers (avadhan). They focus on the tip of the nose. It’s amazing! They are faster than computers.

Shathavadhanis, as they are called. Avadhan is the technique of holding memories in your consciousness. It is like a photographic memory. People who follow this technique, Avadhanis, can tell you what date was Tuesday in 1700. This knowledge was systematically erased. That is the unfortunate part.

Q. What does ayurveda have to do with meditation?
Sri Sri: Ayurveda is a complete science. It describes dincharaya (daily routine) and ritucharya (seasonal routine). Dinacharya includes meditation for balancing of the three doshas (mind or body type). The mind has an impact on the body and all its doshas and gunas (three qualities of nature: sattva, rajas and tamas). So, the mind, breath, herbs - they are all linked. Similarly, ayurveda helps one to meditate deeply.  Too many thoughts indicates high pitta (one of the three doshas). So pitta must be treated. In ayurveda, combinations are referred to as ‘yoga’. For example, when two herbs are put together it is called yoga. So that concept of yoga is similar to meditation and to ayurveda.

Q. Where do you see The Art of Living 25 years from now?
Sri Sri: I leave that vision to you. Now each of you must think about how you want The Art of Living to blossom. It’s for you to think about. Today, The Art of Living is all over the world. See it was not too long ago that cell phones were introduced. But it has reached all nooks and corners of the world. Why? Because, it is useful. Similarly, the knowledge of how to connect to one’s mind, how to handle one’s emotions - this knowledge is useful and it will spread.

Q. How do you initiate your disciples? Do you choose your disciples?
Sri Sri: Don’t limit our relationship. Let love be love, don’t give it a name. For a master, no disciples exist. But for a disciple, the Master exists. See, if you do the Sudarshan Kriya, you are initiated.

Q. Does one have to become a teacher to progress on the spiritual path? Knowledge, experience or faith, which comes first?
Sri Sri: See, from a little experience knowledge develops, and then faith happens. They are all intertwined. In The Art of Living, we say first experience and then you go up, step by step. It’s good to become a teacher because then you can teach others and there is so much joy. But don’t think you must become a teacher. You still hold the same status whether you are a teacher or not. Don’t think that you are more evolved because you are a teacher.

Q. How does one come to embrace nature? Especially the terrible rain, snow in this country?
Sri Sri: I enjoy this weather. Maybe you should go to the Sahara desert and see how nice it is to be in such a cool country. It is in your mind. Accept it, or move to Florida!

Q. I have been on the path for so long, but I still get attracted to violent and non sattvic partners. What can I do? The attraction is almost irresistible.
Sri Sri: What can I say? Go for it! It will be beneficial to the nearby doctors and hospitals if you keep breaking parts of your body with violent partners! See, it’s about patterns… when you recognize that this is your pattern, wake up and say, “I will not be a victim of this pattern!” You have that strength! You will be given that strength.

© The Art of Living Foundation

‘Inner joy and true happiness alone can stop the feverishness in society that arises through desires’

Delhi, India, Sept. 21, 2010:

The most fortunate event that can take place in our lives is when we feel, “I do not want anything, and I am here for you”. I have been bestowed with the good fortune of feeling this way right from the beginning. My wish is to see more and more people being able to think in this manner. Imagine how society would be if each member of the society thinks the same way! This feeling, this virtue is already there in everyone, but it is just hidden somewhere deep inside.

When the leader of a country feels in this manner, only then will the country progress; and when he is focused on the development of the country and its people, it is impossible that the needs of the leader are not fulfilled. But if we focus only on our needs, then we don’t give ourselves and our abilities a chance to blossom. We must always believe that our needs will be fulfilled.  

This does not mean that when you have some needs, you suppress them saying, “I do not want anything”. This is a feeling that arises from a state of contentment or fulfillment, and not by neglecting or suppressing your needs, and fulfillment comes from spiritual knowledge. When you pay attention and focus on the highest knowledge, then your needs are fulfilled even before time.

Inner joy and true happiness alone can stop the feverishness in society that arises through desires. This kind of inner joy and happiness can only be achieved through knowledge. It is a matter of joy that The Art of Living is bringing together the various communities of the world. The core of every religion and culture is love, and The Art of Living is also based on the same principle of LOVE, “I do not want anything and I am here for you”. More and more people around the world should be able to develop the ability to say this.

If everyone starts to think like this, this world will become heaven. If everyone only thinks of taking something from someone, then we will continue to see the current world situation.

We are developing the world to make it a heaven, and it feels very good to see it happening. So every day we move forward with this belief that ‘I am yours’. Love, action, fun and celebration are all present in this knowledge. All of this comes from the knowledge.

© The Art of Living Foundation

Love in its ultimate form is devotion

The center of life is love, yet we seem to be so far away from our own centers. What can connect us to our centers, what can bring us back to ourselves?  This quest is ongoing. You need a little thread to be connected, you need something to hold on that raises the hope in life, that brings light into your eyes, that makes your heart feel lighter, adds wings to your heart. What is that something that is missing in our life, that can transform our lives from misery to celebration, that can turn the tears of sadness to tears of joy, tears of gratitude? That thread we need, that life saving thread, such threads, such ropes, such strings are called Sutras, that which has the essence and in short gives you something to hold on, uplifts you. A tiny thread can make a kite soar high in the sky, a tiny thread makes the kite go up in the sky. So this mind needs such a sutra, a thread.

One such Sutras are - Bhakti Sutras - the aphorisms of love. There was a sage, a Rishi in ancient days whose name was Narada. Narada means one who connects you to the source, one who is in the centre as well as in the circumference. Most of us reel in our circumference, we remain in our circumference, we are just trying to find our centre but we never reach there. We move in circles, we remain in the exterior. And there are those who live in their centers, who live in the world of their own and not connected to the practical reality of life.

Often you find this happening in the world. Some people who are very much in their ideology, but they are not so practical and others are so practical that they drop all ideals or goals so there is no progress in life. You need a balance, a path, a connectedness with your ideology and the practicality. Wisdom is that which makes high ideals possible to live in daily life, in the mundane existence. Rishi Narada is also called the Devarshi, is a playful Rishi is known for creating mischief. He plays double role at two different places. There is a colloquial expression in India which says not to be like Narada. He would create trouble and problems everywhere, but all that problem and trouble will turn out to be something very good for everybody.

See, life is no fun without some mischief, life is not a struggle, life is not boredom, life is not a weight on your head, it is celebration, it’s a play. Your life is a play and display of consciousness. Narada was one such Rishi, one of his kinds, he would create mischief, and he would connect people who normally don’t connect. He would connect you to the centre, to your own existence.

When life is stagnant, you need to go to Narada, he will keep you moving. And how does he do that? With small aphorisms, the tiny Sutras, the tiny words of wisdom, the Bhakti Sutras. ‘Bhakti’, the divine love. Love in its ultimate form, love in its pinnacle.

“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

‘Those who are not even bothered about moksha attain Divine love’

What Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: said today:
Bangalore ashram, Feb. 24:

Q: What is your wish regarding Sanskrit language?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: I see beyond languages. Language, of course has its place but I am more concerned about the consciousness and the state of mind. How can we raise the level of consciousness in the world? Of course, Sanskrit is a great and a beautiful language. It is mother of many languages. Russian, German, English and other Indian languages, all have their roots in Sanskrit.

Q: In Patanjali yogasutra you said ‘Knowledge of sleep leads to Samadhi. Please explain.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: Yes, Samadhi can also be attained with the avlamban (need) of knowledge of sleep and dream.

Q: How can we know if our devotion has fully matured or not?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: Don’t worry about if your devotion is matured or not. Know that devotion is there. Never think that you don’t have devotion or you lack devotion.

Q: How does one balance between our heart and the brain when both say opposite things?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: If you are dealing in business, then follow your brain. And if it comes to home or relationship, then follow your heart.

Q: Good and bad thoughts come and go in the mind. Do these form karma?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: No, when you are a witness (sakshi) to the thoughts coming and going, no karma is formed. When you feel sad thinking that your thought is bad, it is then when your mind gets affected.

Q: Please talk about karma and karamfal (fruit of action).

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: You have asked this question – this is a karma. You are listening to my answer is also Karma. Life is karamfal only.

Q: Guruji please tell us something about Vedic mathematics?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: We have Vedic mathematics department in the Ashram with several Vedic mathematics teachers in the department. There are some 16 – 17 formulas using which many mathematical problems can be solved. All lovers of mathematics should study that.

Q: What has more importance: moksha or Divine love in spirituality?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: Those who don’t bother about happiness achieve moksha and those who are not even bothered about moksha attain Divine love. We will have to move ahead in two steps.

Q: Why is not every human being pure?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: Every human is pure but filled with dirt. Every human being is like a diamond. The fact that the diamond is in mud, does not make it mud. You simply have to pick it up and wash it. And it shines again. The shiny nature of diamond is always there but covered with mud and slush.

Q: How does one balance between professional life and spiritual life?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:: You know how to ride bicycle or motor bike? How do you balance? You just do it.

“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

Devotion is the zenith of Love

Bangalore ashram, Dec. 14, 2009:

A lady shared a beautiful experience today in satsang. She had lost her son at the age of 14 yrs in an accident 10 months ago. Her son had done the ‘Art Excel course’ a few months before he passed away. The boy’s last words before he passed away were “don’t cry, nothing is going to happen to me Amma (mother), don’t cry”.
As the lady recounted her son’s last words, she said - “Thank you so much Guruji, for giving these children such wonderful knowledge that makes them so strong.”

Q: Guruji, I read somewhere that after death, if you end up in hell, then you are fried in a pan. I felt afraid after reading that. Please explain.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Don’t worry. When you are established in the Self while you are here(in this planet), only then no fear is left. That was a way adopted by our ancestors for making people follow the right path and do good karma. It was said you will suffer a lot after death if you do wrong deeds to set people on the right path. If you follow the wrong path, then wrong karma will follow.

To some extent, this karma can be changed. If you can’t change karma at all, than there is no use in doing Sadhana. Do your Sadhana and meditation.

Q: How much freedom is to be given or restrictions are to be put on teenagers?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You have forgotten because you have crossed that stage and you don’t remember what turmoil they are going through.  There are so many hormonal changes taking place in their body. Shake hands with them and gently guide them through this.

Teenage feverishness is only for few years. Not only physical but mental and emotional turbulence is so high in them. After the age of three, children begin to experience all these emotions like jealousy, possessiveness and these continue till teenage. Some people don’t come out of teenage at all. Mental turbulence is huge for them.

Teenage is a tough time. It needs great patience to deal with teenage children.  So with great patience, like a friend and philosopher, give them some space and at the same time put your foot down and say ‘No’. Don’t be too loose at that time.

Q: Guruji, what is the difference between devotion and love?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Devotion is the zenith of Love. ‘Saa tvasmin panama prema rupa’ - Embodiment of supreme love for the divine is devotion. You can’t posses God. In routine love affairs, you love someone and you expect the same in return. You can’t claim a right on God. Love for that infinite consciousness is devotion.

Sage Narad says, ‘Yoga chitta vritti nirodha’ meaning ‘Yoga means silencing the tendencies of your mind.’ ‘Tadha drustu swarupe avastanam’ which means ‘Yoga is the skill of being established in the Seer from the scene’ - To go within and be established in the seer. With this notion, meditation starts to happen. Then Samadhi follows. Your mind is totally calm. For a moment you experience that complete nothingness, emptiness.

Q: What is the meaning of ‘Pradakshina’ (circumambulation)?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: ‘Pradakshina’ means going around. ‘Dakshina’ means that which is done with skill. The English word ‘dexterous’ has come from the Sanskrit word ‘Daksha’.  ‘Dexterous’ means skillful. ‘Pradakshina’ means ‘in a very special way, being skillful’, a very skillful movement, that which is gained with skill, merit which you have gained skillfully. ‘Pra’ is to go around. ‘Pradakshina’ is qualifying by going around skillfully.

There are three layers when you go inside a temple according to the temple architecture. The first layer is herbal gardens, full of trees and plants. The direction in which the tree is to be planted comes under temple architecture. All plantations are done according to the directions and wind flow. There are medicinal herbs, flowers and trees in this outer layer and when you pass through this layer, you breathe in those herbal fragrances that cure emotional and physical problems, and body imbalances. It used to be around one kilometer long and while passing through it, your whole body circulation is improved. Essential fragrances and oils needed by the body are absorbed especially those of the Ashvat (peepal) tree. It is the only tree which emits oxygen all the 24 hours. All other trees emit oxygen half the time and carbon dioxide rest of the time. The tree helps a person to overcome many problems, especially infertility.

‘Pradakshina’ is not done for the sake of the divine or some other purpose but for health benefits.

Then there is a second circle in which statues of many men and women are kept. One was asked, in earlier days, to sit and meditate there for a while.

This way first circle makes you physically fit, vatta-pitta-kapha balances happens by inhaling the air. The second circle frees your mind from all fantasies. Then finally you move on to central part - ‘sanctum sanctorum’ - where you sit with your eyes closed and experience the nothingness.

Q: I don’t know what is good for me and what is bad?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Drop that which gives you short term happiness and long term suffering. Just keep this in the back of your mind.

“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

‘Keep your mind peaceful’

What H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said today

‘Keep your mind peaceful’

India (Art of Living, International Center, Bangalore), September 10:

Q. If mukti (liberation) is our nature then why are we in bondage?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Who says mukti is our nature? Our nature is bliss. Love and enjoyment can put you in bondage, if it is devoid of knowledge. With knowledge, the same love, the same enjoyment leads you to the experience of liberation.

Liberation and bondage go together. If there is liberation, there will be bondage and vice-versa. Liberation is valued because of bondage. If there is no bondage, what is there to be liberated from?

Similarly we can be liberated, that is why we experience bondage. With the desire for liberation we come to know that we are in bondage. If the desire for liberation has not risen then you will not even come to know of bondage.

Q. Sometimes while doing seva I lose interest. How to avoid this and what could be the reason for this?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Live life with moderation and balance. When you try to avoid the situation, it persists. Upanishads say tat vananeeta upasita , worship the Lord as if He is a forest. A forest has everything - tiger, sheep, cow, parrot, crow, flowers and thorns.

It is always in balance. We never see imbalance in a forest. It is complete in itself, it is pure and there is place for everybody in it. Worship the Divine like He is a forest, with fullness and equanimity.

Similarly in life, there is happiness sometimes and sometimes, sorrow. When one tries to escape from a situation then it persists. Thus, there is the first principle of the Art of Living, accept people and situations as they are. This is the path of nivriti – when you have to establish within yourself. When we are established within ourselves, then our capabilities, strengths, intellect and enthusiasm to work increases.

When all this is risen, then return to pravritti (action) and work with awareness and enthusiasm. Not only with awareness or enthusiasm.

Life is a combination of pravritti and nivriti.

Q. What is jeevan mukta awastha, the state of liberation from life?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A state where the four desires- jeeveshna, lokeshna, vitteshna and putreshna end or dissolve. That is jeevan mukta awastha. Dying while alive, experiencing that I am not there. The enjoyment and happiness in this state cannot be put in words.

Q. I wish to surrender all my powers. Help me to have a vision of the Infinite (Brahma Darshan).

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Brahma ka darhan nahi hota hai, Brahma hi toh darshan karta hai - the Infinite cannot be seen as it is the Infinite that sees. The seer is Brahma. Do not try to have a vision of it, just be at peace. Surrender the desire and be at peace.

Do that which has to be done, leave that which has to be left and be at peace. Be at peace before doing something and be at peace after doing something. Anyhow keep your mind peaceful.

Q. Can we achieve a goal within time? Please tell a way so that we may achieve a hundred percent result.

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There is a sukti in Sanskrit - Kriya siddi bhavati mahta, kriya siddhi bhavati satve mahta . An act is perfected by satva. The higher the satvaguna rises in us, an act is achieved easily and without hurdles. When rajoguna and tamoguna are increased, then it takes longer to complete a work.

Thus, to increase the satva, follow a satvic diet, meditate, do satsang, pranayama and yoga. With all this, sadbuddhi (good sense) is developed.

Q. I want to quit addiction to intoxicants and have come to you with a lot of hope.

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Good. You have come to the right place. If you wish to get rid of a bad habit then there are only three ways for it.

The first is your love for knowledge, the Divine or some dear one - whether parents or Guru. By promising some dear one that you will quit the habit you will be able to get rid of it. This is the best way out.

The second way is greed. If you will not consume intoxicants for six months then you will get ten million rupees or that your luck will shine and you will succeed in everything. The third is fear - if one day you do consume intoxicants, then you will suffer a loss of one million or you will have to suffer from a major ailment.

If such a greed or fear enters you, even then you will be rid of your addiction.

Along with these three ways, do yoga and pranayama. The best is that along with yoga and sadhana (spiritual practices), you take a vow that you will not indulge in addictions. Take a vow for forty days, then six months and then a year. After that, you would have come out of the habit and won’t look back at it.

Q. No matter how much I try, I end up running after the Divine. Is this devotion or lack of self respect?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, no one can take away your self-respect. Yet it is seen that devotees sometimes go so mad with love that they forget everything else! I would say fine, you have ran enough. Now sit at one place. Look within yourself. When you will look within yourself, then the Divine will run after you. Not only the Divine, but the whole world will run after you! Relax and be at peace and do as much seva as you can.

Q. How does the Divine look so lovable and beautiful?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Look within yourself, you are no less!

Jaisa drishti, waisa srithti. Jaisa nazar waisa nazaare, nazariya. As is the vision, so is the world. Only a jeweler can know a jewel. Only the one who is beautiful can recognize beauty. Only those who are lovable will recognize love not everyone. But everyone has the capacity. If everyone recognizes what is within (the love and beauty) then the whole world seems Satyam, Shivam Sundaram. In the whole world the blissful consciousness will be seen.

Q. How to maintain consistency in whatever good work one does?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: After this (inconsistency) happens sometimes, then you get the answer as well. You come to realize that this should be done and it feels good to do it.

You did something good and then left it. Leaving it gave you a pinch. Then you resumed it and then left it again. Two, three times when you feel the pinch, you understand that it (the good) should not be stopped. If we do not learn from our mistakes, we will never learn from someone telling us. Your own mistake can teach you more than listening to lectures for hours. What you learn from your mistake is permanent, the rest is just what you have heard.

So it is alright if you make a mistake, but do not keep on repeating the same mistake again and again. Then you have not learnt anything! Make new mistakes but don’t repeat the old ones. Learn from it and move on.

Q. Why is it that doing something wrong is easier than doing the right thing?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Is it? I thought to do a wrong deed, requires a lot of effort. See if you like something very much then all your energies go into that direction. Is it easy to slap someone? I don’t think so, I find it very difficult. If you think it is very easy to call someone names then it would be because of an old habit. A lot of people cannot use bad words, even if they wish to.

We have to bring a transformation within ourselves and bring in human values in our life. Make an attempt for it. Even if you try and do a good action, its result will be good. Even if someone does a wrong action very easily, its result would be very bad.

Q. If the soul is hollow and empty then how are impressions formed on it?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There are no impressions on the soul. Impressions are formed on the mind which is linked with the consciousness. The consciousness covers the soul. Only that covering has the impressions.

No fragrance or smell sticks to space but only in the space within the vessel. For instance, if garlic is kept in a pot, its smell will be there even after the garlic is removed. That is because of the empty space inside the pot.

Similarly, all the impressions are formed on the gross and subtle body not on the pure consciousness. The pure consciousness is like space.

Q. Please explain how is it possible for me to give my hundred percent and yet not be feverish?

H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You forget about feverishness now and just give your hundred percent.

(From the office of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)

© The Art of Living Foundation

‘Till love gets transformed into devotion, there is no satisfaction’

What H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said today

‘Till love gets transformed into devotion, there is no satisfaction’

India, (Art of Living International Center, Bangalore), Aug. 14, 2009:

This knowledge sheet was given on the occasion of Janmashtami (Festival celebrating the birth of Lord Krishna)

We are celebrating lord Krishna’s 5139st birthday. He lived for 125 years. Krishna is not a vyakti (person) but shakti (energy). Krishna says: ‘People think I am in the human form, but I am ananta shakti (that energy which has no end). Those who see Me in others and others in Me are never far away from me. I will be with them always.’

All navarasas were present in Krishna. Krishna was poorna kala avataran (a complete incarnation).

Krishna is consciousness. The purpose of celebration is to realize that Krishna is in me and not different.

In the Bhagwat Geeta, Lord Krishna says, “One who sees everyone in Me and sees Me in everyone, for such a person, I shall never remain hidden and he shall never be far from me.”
Lord Krishna’s life has all the nine rasas (flavors). For instance, he was naughty like a child, a warrior, joy personified and a source of knowledge.
He was a perfect friend and guru. There never was and never will be a friend like Krishna.

To awaken the Krishna in our consciousness is the right way of celebrating Janmashtami.
‘Krishna is not far from me, not separate from me, he is within me’: this feeling will fill your life with Krishna.

To understand Krishna become Radha or Arjuna or Uddhava.
Three kinds of people seek refuge in God. The lover, the miserable and the wise. Uddhava was wise, Arjuna was miserable and Radha was love. So all are good. Arjuna was not saddened for himself but for the whole world. To be saddened for humanity is the dharma (duty) of a human. So when this pain for humanity is awakened in the heart and you don’t know what to do and what not to - then your life is filled with Krishna.

On the battlefield, Krishna tells Arjuna to become a Yogi. Krishna is also addressed as Yogeshwar (God of Yoga).
Follow what Krishna said, “See everyone in Me and see Me in everyone” and become a yogi.

Don’t be afraid of anything, be useful for everyone.
Krishna never scolded Arjuna, he did not let him feel guilty at all. He always uplifted Arjuna.
He reminded Arjuna that all the virtues are within him already. He did not need to work towards achieving them.

Krishna was born at midnight, when everyone was sleeping. When all the senses sleep, then the knowledge of the self is awakened. This can be interpreted spiritually. Deh (body) is Devaki*, Prana (life energy) is Vasudev*. When body and life energy unite, then the bliss that is born out of the union is called Nandlala**.

When Krishna was born, all the guards fell asleep. Guards represent the senses and bliss is beyond the senses. The jail represents the body and the river Yamuna, love. It rose to touch the feet of the little Krishna. This means that the love was so intense it could not refrain itself from touching the feet of the Lord.

Till love gets transformed into devotion, there is no satisfaction. So when love happens with a thing, person or situation - it is not fulfilling. However, love reaches its peak when it experiences the touch of the Divine.

The story has an amazing meaning behind it. That’s why our ancestors did not restrict a story to time and place- this is a forever continuing to flow, its happening everyday.

This is the essence of the Bhagwat.

*Devaki, Vasudev – Krishna’s parents

**Nandlala – another name for Krishna

(From the Office of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar)

© The Art of Living Foundation