A Yogi is one who has skill in speech and in action

Bangalore, 15 November 2011


Q: Jai Gurudev Guruji. What is moun and how to follow it? What are things that we should avoid during moun?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
: Moun means silence. You are mixing English and Hindi.

How to be in silence? First, by not talking and second is antar moun, quieting the mind.
For that when you sit in an advanced course a number dharanas or pratyahara are given. A number of techniques are given to quite the mind.
In silence it is better to look at the creation. Look at the trees and birds and less at peoples’ faces. You look at peoples’ faces and you feel like talking, expressing or doing something. If you observe the creation it brings quietness to your mind.
Nature can evoke thoughts inside you. It can bring out some poems, some poetry, or some new ideas but only human beings evoke more thoughts in you.
This mind constantly is on the run, to quite that down doing pranayama, observing nature, being conscious of every step you take, eating less food and drinking plenty of water, all of this will work. Some good sleep and satsang music too is good.




Q: Beloved Guruji, I pray to you, I want to marry. You have given your blessings to me as well. Please make the person you have asked me to consult agree too. I have come under your care and shelter. I pray daily to you, will you answer my patient prayers?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, whenever we pray it is necessary that we must follow it up with one sentence.
‘May my wish be fulfilled or if there is something better for me may that be fulfilled’.
How do you know what is best for your well being? So always add this line to your prayer, that if there is anything better for me may that happen.
Whatever is needed and is best for you only will happen. Remember these two things always. For a devotee only the best will happen.
This does not mean you keep rejecting everyone who comes your way thinking something better is yet to come, this is also wrong. Listen to your inner voice.


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Spiritual knowledge always relives you from karma and brings freedom

Bangalore, 14 November 2011


Q: Why is India called as Karmabhumi?


Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Karmabhumi means where you are here to do action. You come here to get rid of all your karmas. And how do you get rid of the karmas? Through knowledge.
Every part of the world has some specialty. You go to a Scandinavian country and that is known for skiing. You can’t ski in Bangalore. Bangalore is known for Chow Chow, you know the bulb type vegetable which they cook here. It is so delicious; you don’t get it anywhere else in the world.
So nature has put some specialty everywhere.


India has been a spiritual land for a long, long, long time, from millenniums. Spiritual knowledge has gone to the world from India.
Spiritual knowledge always relives you from karma and brings freedom and so it is called Karmabhumi. But if there is no spiritual knowledge it will no longer be a Karmabhumi.


You know Switzerland is known for watches and chocolates. But if other countries are making better chocolates and better watches, Swiss will lose its charm for chocolates and watches. Similarly Canada is known for maple syrup. You can’t get maple syrup anywhere else in the world.
Do you know maple syrup? Many of you have not even heard about it, because we have never heard about maple syrup in this country. Even if you go to Kashmir where there are maple trees, but nobody knows about maple syrup.
So every part of the world has some specialty and India has been endowed with this special gift of spiritual knowledge. That’s why Jesus came here and stayed for twelve years in Mylapore area and learned spirituality. And then went back to teach people. And Muhammad said, ‘I get cool breeze from the east’, from India. So from ages spirituality has found its roots in this country but it fast vanishing. We need to water it and keep it up, okay!




Q: Guruji, why is God neither created nor destroyed.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: God is neither created nor destroyed because God is not a linear function. Anything linear has a beginning and an end but a sphere does not have a beginning or an end. You got it?
Tell me which is the beginning point of a tennis ball? Is it easy to know where does the tennis ball begin? You answer this then I will answer your question.
Simple thing I am asking you, show me the beginning point of a tennis ball or a cricket ball.


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The Art of living
© The Art of Living Foundation