Knowledge sheet 47

It is when life feels like a struggle that we must focus on knowledge. Even Arjuna was not first told to fight. He was told to be in knowledge and meditation. Only then should we work. Always be in knowledge and then work. To get knowledge we don’t need to go to the Himalayas. Knowledge can come even in the activities of everyday life.

{Knowledge Sheet} Subject: 'Don't be a football of other people's opinions'

France, 30th July 2010.

Q: Why does a desire arise? Where does it come from? What is the purpose?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: All desires have got one goal, and that is happiness. If a desire brings unhappiness, it has not reached its goal. The goal of desires is to bring happiness. So, that is the purpose.

Where does it come from? It comes when you are not aware of your Being, your Self. Desire is your wanting to stay in the moment. Desire is to experience joy. Joy is only in the moment. And when you are in the moment, there is no desire. When you are joyful, when you are satisfied, there is no burning desire at that time.

Q: Why is it that people who are not on the same path don’t understand us and take it against us? I don’t understand.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Let them talk. So what? Take it. It doesn’t matter. We don’t insist that everyone talk only good. By their talking, you don’t become negative.

So, don’t be football of others’ opinion. Let anybody say anything. It doesn’t matter. When you are clear in your heart, and what you do is right, what you want to do is right, you just do it. What do you say? (Clapping from the audience.)
Q: Please can you teach me how to be connected to the faith?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Trying to connect to the faith is trying to connect to the air around you. ‘I want to be connected to the air.’ My dear, you can’t be but! You are already connected. Relax. Why do you try to connect to air? Are you getting what I am saying? Doubt as much as you can. I would say, you should doubt as much as you can. A point comes when you no longer can doubt, the truth will stand up. Truth can never be destroyed by doubt. Do you understand what I am saying? Truth will stand. Doubt can cover it, delay it for some time, drag on for some time, but it can never destroy the truth. Therefore, when people have doubts, I say, ‘doubt as much as you can. One day those doubts will fall off.’ If you are lucky, it will fall off immediately the way it comes. Unlucky ones hang on to it for a little longer time. That’s all. Unlucky ones will carry the garbage on their back for some long distance. Lucky ones know that they carry garbage and throw it right there. Two steps, and they drop their garbage. Otherwise one carries on the shoulder for a long distance.

Jai GuruDev!

knowledge sheet 46

Nature has its own means of balance. If you observe nature, you will see that the five elements which form its basis are opposed to each other. Water destroys fire, fire destroys air. Then there are so many species in nature – the birds, reptiles, mammals; all these different species are hostile towards each other, and yet nature balances them out. We need to learn from nature how to balance opposing forces, within ourselves and in the world around us.

{Knowledge Sheet} Subject: 'Enlightenment is unconditional'

Q: Because I travel a lot to places where vegetarian food is hard to find, and I have to eat with office colleagues. I eat wrong foods and find energy is really low. What to do in such situations?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know when people have some allergies they don’t eat those foods for which they have allergies just because of company. Suppose you have milk allergy, and because the company is all drinking tea and milk, you’ll not say, ‘Ok, I’ll also drink.’ Because you’ll suffer. Right?

So similarly, in any company you can choose your food, you can say ‘Ok. I am going to eat only chips, or vegetables, or bread...’ You are not compelled to eat non-veg if you don’t want to. Ok? Or unhealthy food. You don’t need to drink Pepsi or Coke if you don’t feel it’s good for you. Right? See, when people drink lots of Pepsi and Coke, it burns the lining of the stomach and the intestine. Later on you develop so many problems. All these carbonated drinks should be avoided. Someone had demonstrated, in a cup of Pepsi they put a tooth, a tooth which had fallen. It dissolves! If teeth can dissolve (which stay for a long time in nature) in Pepsi Cola. It is so corrosive. And that corrosive fluid can cause so much damage to our intestine, our brain, our nerve cells. So we must keep healthy eating habits and propagate them.

Today is much better than 30 years ago. 30 years ago when we started, people were very allergic to vegetarianism and spirituality. But today, it has become a fashion. Because we make a trend. And we create a trend and keep it moving.

Q: I want to serve you. Where do I go?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There are so many opportunities here. Bad Antogast needs several people who would like to do some service in the German Ashram. Come there. There are other places also.

Q: I am feeling confused between two men. One is father of our son. But I am not really happy with him as a woman. One is somebody to whom I feel really connected. What can I do? Shall I stay with the father of our son to protect the family life or shall I follow my heart?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Very difficult question! It depends on how old your child is. And if the child needs both parents’ love and care, then you should attend to that first. Children’s life is very much important. We need to sacrifice some of our personal wishes for the sake of the child when they are growing up. You know that. You have been doing it. So protect the family. Must be the first thing. Many times you have to let go of some of your temptations. Let go some of your personal ambitions. Ya?

It’s very important. Children need both, father and mother. So, as far as possible…
If it’s impossible because the husband is so bad or the wife is so bad, then you have to go your separate ways. Then there is no option. But, as far as possible, give the children a good family life.

Q: How to increase the belongingness and Satva in energy, to be able to bring more people into this path?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This question, I leave it with you. Keep asking this question. Time to time you get ideas and do those ideas. And get people to be peaceful, happy, what we call satvik. Satvik means harmonious. The harmony within yourself and the harmony with your world.

Q: Dear Guruji, I don’t want to get married but I find living alone very difficult too. No one to talk to or do things with, I end up watching too much TV. What to do and how to cope?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Ya, when you are living alone, this’ll be the problem. That is why the ashrams are created, where many people are there and they have so many things to do together. Everyday satsang. You are busy. Taking a project and working on a project. France needs help. You can come and join the French team.

Q: Is anger related to ego? Several Rishis in the Hindu tradition have been known to be very short-tempered. How did this affect their peace?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Not several. One of the Rishis is known for his anger. But always good happened through his anger. That’s why I say, even the anger of a wise man does so much good, and love of an ignorant person causes more problems.

See, an illiterate mother, an uneducated mother, she doesn’t like her children going to school because the young ones they cry when going to school. Then she says, ‘No, no. Ok, don’t go to school.’ They say we don’t want to study. She says, ‘Ok, don’t study.’ Her love for her children so that they don’t need to study hard or go to school has spoiled their whole life. Isn’t it? So, even the love of an ignorant person does harm. And even anger of a saint always does good.

There are so many stories about one sage, his name was Durvasa. In India, if someone is very angry, they say ‘Oh, he is a Durvasa!’ means he is someone who gets angry at the tip of the nose. At the drop of a hat. Just gets upset. But he would come back to normal immediately.
This is to say, don’t feel bad about yourself if you have anger. Even a Rishi had some anger. So, you don’t have to be too hard on yourself by blaming yourself. That is just to give you self confidence. To make you feel, you are ok, inspite of your little bit anger. That is only one rare case. That is to say that enlightenment is unconditional. It is what? It is unconditional. You can’t put any condition on that freedom. Just to tell you, there is no conditioning. So it’s possible to get angry also. And, sometimes anger can also do good.

Jai GuruDev!

knowledge sheet 45

The realities explored in science and spirituality are often assumed to be unrelated to one another. Both find their basis in a spirit of inquiry. Modern science is objective analysis, while spirituality is subjective understanding. Science explores the outer world with a series of questions beginning with the basic query, “what is this? What is this world all about,” while spirituality begins with the question, “who am I?”

{Knowledge Sheet} Subject: `Once you have come on this path, know that only something good will happen to you at every step'

First, have confidence in yourself that only good will happen to you. Once you have come on this path, know that only something good will happen to you at every step. So, this confidence that ‘Only good can happen to me’. And then opposite values are complimentary! So, if you seem to have some loss now, it is only for some bigger profit, some good will happen. So, first is to have this definite intention, definite confirmation.

Second is to know that there are good people on the planet, very kind and compassionate people, and people will help us whenever we are in need. The world will help us when we need it. There are very few bad people. Even bad people are bad only from outside. From inside, they also have some good thing. Someone who is 100 percent bad does not exist on the planet.


So, everybody has some good thing and how we enhance that goodness, is our place of work. That is what we are born to work at.

'People are good! The world is good! Good people are here! And when I need, they will help me'. There will be no insecurity in life with this conviction.

Thirdly, there is a universal power that is inside of me, outside of me, and everywhere in the universe. That power is responsible for everything in the universe. All the diverse creation is because of this power and that power cares for me. Some people call it God, some call it something else. But it does not matter what one calls it. There is a power, there is a spirit. That is so compassionate, and it is with you and will help you. It is also helping you now. See, when you were a child, when you could not even wipe your nose, when you could not even stand up, didn’t nature take care of you? (Affirmative, 'Yes,' from the audience.) And when you get old, you need someone to help you. Right? Somebody will take care of your needs. So, when you were very young, someone took care of you, and someone will definitely take care of you when you will be very old. So, who is putting this thought in that someone’s mind to take care of you? That is the power. So, you have always been taken care of?

Even when you are capable and strong, you must know that there is a power that takes care of you. So, if we just understand this, a great relaxation happens, and the insecurity in the mind goes away, all the fear goes away. Great relaxation, confidence, trust and everything comes. All that is needed in life just come up. So, when we were incapable, we were taken care of, and if we become incapable, we will be taken care of. Now also, we are taken care of and we should also do the same thing. We should also take care in whatever possible manner, wherever it is necessary. This is human life.

Human life has two purposes. One is how much you take, and second is how much you give. So, what is that you can take in the world? You cannot take all the money out of this world. You may earn millions of dollars, but you will have to leave it here. It cannot go with you. The millions of dollars or euro you earn come to help to take care of your food, clothing, a little comfortable bed and room to sleep, and travel a bit here and there. That is all. It cannot bring happiness. We should not expect money to bring us happiness. If we do it, we are not intelligent. If we think money is going to bring us happiness, it is like saying, “I can eat coins and get rid of my hunger”. You need an eatable to get out of your hunger, and not Euros or coins. That is all. It cannot bring happiness. You should not expect money to bring you happiness. You can buy an eatable with Euro, that is a different thing.

Ultimately, happiness cannot be bought by money. We must know this very well. So, get all this comfort in life. But what is it you should get? Comfort is a small thing. But what is it that you can take with you? What can go with you is knowledge. What gets imprinted in the consciousness is knowledge. So, how much knowledge have you gained? Knowledge is not what you read in a book, but it is awareness. How much awareness you have gained? How much broadness in your mind has come up? And in giving, how much love have you given back to the world.

So, how much love have you given?

And how much knowledge have you taken?

These are the only two things that will be asked, and that makes life more fruitful. So, we are all on the right track.

Are you all happy? (A loud, 'Yes!') This is so nice and fortunate. We completed Guru Purnima few days back – 25 July. That was the day we celebrate the knowledge and the love together. Full moon is the symbol of love. It is lovely to walk in the full moon. Moon is very romantic. Isn’t it? So, knowledge is not dry. Knowledge is so romantic and so full of love. That is what we celebrated few days back – Guru Purnima. We thanked all the Masters of the tradition. From thousands of years, the tradition has kept this knowledge intact. So, everyone feels so grateful for the beautiful knowledge we have received in our lives. That is the celebration when you feel so grateful for something that is so life transforming, something that is so important for our life to be uplifted. We feel more grace flowing into our lives. More gratefulness and gratitude means more grace. More grace means more happiness, more knowledge.

Jai GuruDev!

knowledge sheet 44

Divinity permeates everything in this Earth. Puja is not complete without honoring the trees, mountains, rivers, Earth and the people living on the Earth. Honoring everyone is Dakshina. Da means to give and Dakshina means giving something that will cleanse us of all impurities. Offering with which all your sins vanish. No puja is complete without Dakshina. When we act in society with skill and free from the distortions of the mind, all negative tendencies like anger, worries, sorrow are destroyed. I will say give your tensions, worries and sorrows as Dakshina.
{Knowledge Sheet} Subject: Look around and see who is not smiling. Now for the next few days you should take care of them.

Q: I am often outraged by the injustice happening around me, but realize there is also a need for love and understanding. How can I balance these feelings?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When many bristles are put together to make a broom, they are far more effective in sweeping a large hall than they would have been individually. Similarly, as sangha (group), you can achieve more. Whether it is for service or justice, you should work in groups. This is very important.
Injustice is there. It is your work to turn it around. In Chinese, there is one word for both crisis and
opportunity. If you only see the problem, you become frustrated. This is no good. Work with the
group and just see what you can do. In many parts of the world there is so much corruption. Money is required for everything. When our sangha stood up against corruption, we accomplished a lot. Our youth refused to pay any bribes. When officers see this kind of conviction, It was so refreshing for them. They are also human beings after all. For our Ayurveda projects, we needed 10 different licenses. People said it would take two years just to get these! We applied for the licenses and resolved not to give any bribes. We said that we were prepared to go there 50 times if necessary. Within one month, we had all 10 licenses! So do fight against injustice, but without anger. Fight with a calm and serene mind. This
is said even in the Bhagavad-Gita.

Q: My father recently passed away. How can I know how he is, where he is and what he thinks of
me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Those who have passed on to the other side shower their blessings on you. They don’t judge you and have no concerns about you. They know you will be taken care of.

Q: On one hand, desires need to be dropped, but is it okay to have a desire for liberation? When
will that get dropped?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, it is okay to have a desire for liberation.

Q: If God is within us, why does God not guide us all towards good deeds alone? Why is there so
much crime and violence in the world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Imagine a movie with no villain. Imagine there is only a hero who is eating, sleeping and generally just hanging around with nothing to do! Would you watch such a movie? Opposite
values are complementary. Thorns and petals both exist. You have the choice to pick up either
the thorns or the petals. God is there within. He is sometimes sleeping and hiding, sometimes
awake and dancing. After some sadhana, God is awake. Then He is rocking. Awaken the God
and Goddess in you! A stone does not feel, but a living being does. Waking the godliness in you
is essential. This is why there are particular hymns sung in India in the morning, ‘Wake up and
bless us, O Lord’! On one level, it sounds ridiculous. It is the parents’ job to wake up children, but
in this hymn, human beings are singing to the Gods to wake up and bless the creation. This is a
paradox, and in this paradox, is hidden a deep secret of existence.

Q: Why does love always come with attachment? Is it possible to love your partner and still be
dispassionate?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Attachment brings pain, but nothing comes without pain. We came into this world in a lot of pain. The process of birth itself is very painful. For nine months, we were comfortable and then suddenly the ocean around us disappeared and we had to come out! Attachment happens when
your focus is not on the Being, but on the outside. Wanting to control, possess and hold on brings
pain. When we are relaxed and content, love transforms to bliss. Demand and control only bring
pain. Wisdom, along with love, is the answer.

Q: How can I control my anger?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Anger comes out of your love for perfection. Create some space for imperfection around you. Make a list of all the things you consider to be wrong. Then have people around you do
everything on that list! When you get angry, just observe that sensation. Observe how your teeth
are clenching and how the mind becomes. Take a few long deep breaths and see if it changes.
However, I have no experience, since I myself have never had this problem. So my advice may
not be authentic. You should ask others. There are many here who will tell you. After regular
practice of Sudarshan Kriya, anger tends to settle down.

Q: What is the whole point of this life? We are born, we study, we work and then eventually one
day we die. I am losing my passion for life.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Good. You are on track. What you are saying is like our intro talk. Imagine we live for eighty years. Out of that, twenty-five or thirty years we simply sleep. Ten years we spend in the
bathroom. Another ten years, we are stuck in traffic. Then so many years we spend being sad
and miserable. Ultimately, only some two or three years we spend in prayer, service and so on.
Good that you are thinking along these lines. You are definitely on the right track.

Q: What to do when a loved one is diagnosed with a potentially terminal condition?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Bless them. Carry on, Sing, dance, meditate. If you think too much about the illness, it pulls down your energy. Medical attention is required, but have faith also. A turnaround can happen at any time. There is divine grace that is present with you. Anytime, anything is possible.

Q: Is it possible for all of us to get enlightened?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Definitely. Anytime! The seed is there. It can sprout anytime. It can become a big tree anytime.

Q: For fifteen years I’ve been with the same job and my boss doesn’t respect me at all. Should I
quit and start my own business? Please give me some direction.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Choice is yours, blessings are mine.

Q: The knowledge in the Vedas contains the truth and laws of nature. Is modern science also a
part of this body of knowledge?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes. Knowledge is infinite. Many scientists of modern age are the rishis (sages) of today. They explore the universe. All are to be honored, whether ancient or modern. Today’s quantum physics discoveries are startling. There is so much similarity to Vedic knowledge. For instance, dark
matter and String Theory are both present in the ancient knowledge. Dr.Hans-Peter Dürr, the
physicist has told me that whenever he is giving a lecture, he feels as if he is speaking on Vedanta. The whole universe is made up of one substance, and not two. This is Vedanta. Ancient rishis and modern physicists both say the same thing.

Jai Gurudev!

knowledge sheet 43

The word Shambho means to realize how beautiful the Divine is, how beautiful the creation and the Self is! It is a miracle how the same consciousness is present in every being in this creation! There is no other miracle greater than this. How did this One become so many? This tradition of moving from many to one is so unique. Yoga and meditation is necessary for that!

{Knowledge Sheet} Subject: Ego is the biggest problem. Yet it is very easy to overcome

Q: Silence, music and logic are the three essential ingredients you have spoken of. How does logic relate to knowledge or consciousness?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Logic is essential. If you see an idol of Goddess Saraswati she is sitting on solid rock. She has a book in one hand which is logic. In the others she has rosemary beads for meditation and veena (a musical instrument). Logic, music, mauna (silence) are all essential for total development of consciousness. Knowledge is logical understanding of existence.

Q: Please say something about spiritual materialism.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I am hearing a new word today. Well, don’t divide life: this is spiritual or this is materialistic. Take a holistic view of life. In a temple there is food. In that sense both material and spiritual aspects are there. Music is both a form of entertainment and spirituality. We even put ornate clothes on our deities. Ancient people never separated the spiritual and material. They enjoyed putting precious jewels in temples.

In South India, in Madurai, kings gave away most of their precious jewels to the temples. Everything co-existed. In the same way you can treat work as worship. It is sacred. Spirituality has entered our material life. Action is sacred. Lord Krishna says, “Janma karma samay divya”. All actions are divine.Lord Krishna himself was very much of the material world except for his discourse to Arjuna. All he did was materialistic. He ruled the country, advised as a minister, and so on. Life should not be compartmentalized. Materialism and spirituality are not opposed to each other.

However, money earned through unethical means is never spiritual. It will pinch your heart. The spirit is awake in you. It is your natural instinct. If you have a plate full of food and someone comes to you, you will not be able to eat it alone. It is such a natural part of your life that you cannot renounce one for the other. Every spiritual person has to do charity. You want to be compassionate, but how can you be when you have nothing to give away. Charity cannot happen with an empty bowl.

Narayana is the pinnacle of spiritual life and Laxmi is the symbol of wealth. Both Narayana and Laxmi go together. Saraswati sat on a rock. The knowledge that you have gained will always be with you. Laxmi sits on a lotus which floats on water. You will never believe what happens in the share market. Wealth is unsteady just as a lotus floating on water. These are the eternal symbols that convey truth. Grasp what is needed. This is very important.

Q: In Celebrating Silence you say that ambition indicates lack of self-confidence. Is this so?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If I say, “I have successfully lifted this bottle of water”, this indicates I was not confident that I could have done it. Being ambitious is when you are not confident of achieving something. ‘I ran ten miles. I did not think I would do it’ - Claiming success indicates your limitation. You are unaware of your huge potential. But the attitude should be ‘ I ran ten miles? I don’t realize that I can also do 100 miles’!

Q: I have recently begun meditating. Through this I have experienced God and power of spirituality. I don’t realize what is happening when I meditate. How can I continue to progress on this path? Can you be my Guru?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I think I am doing my job. If you face any issues, have questions related to energy, yoga or meditation, you can contact me or one of the teachers at any time. It is good to follow one technique at a time. It is not good to mix techniques. When you have a deep experience, it is better to consult a trained teacher. And you can always email me.

Q: What happens to the soul after we pass away?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What happens when a television set is switched off? The screen will go blank but TV waves are still being projected. Our bodies are like a TV screen. Of course the relay station is elsewhere. (laughter)

Q: How can one conquer the ego?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The tendency of the ego is to say “I am not crazy, I am proper. Ego is the biggest problem. Yet it is very easy to overcome. It is a one-day job. Just act like a crazy person. Can you do that? For one day. Done! Make people believe you have gone completely crazy. It is the best antidote for ego.” If you cannot do this, can you simply behave as a child for the rest of your life? No third option. Be a baby for the rest of your life or a crazy person. Be one who has attained the essence. Apart from this, keep the ego. Don’t try to get rid of it. Do this slowly. Otherwise it is impossible.

When people laugh at you, can you relax? When people point at you, just relax. Smile and accept it. A mother has no ego. Whatever the children say, she accepts. If they kick , does the mother get perturbed? If you are unperturbed, you have conquered the ego. Ego is just a feeling of having a wall between you and others. There is no wall. You belong to me and I belong to you. You are accepted the way you are.

Naturalness is the antidote for you. Be spontaneous! Ego cannot stand spontaneity. Ego wants to present everything properly and prepare beforehand. Children are so spontaneous. They make mistakes. Never mind making mistakes. Just be like a child. Anybody can say anything about you.

Another block we often have is to feel something is not practical. No need to practice anything. Our own mind is saying it is not practical. We wanted 2,000 Hindustani classical musicians to perform together. Every teacher said it was impossible. A choir in India! It is not like here with so many people and that many styles. They have their own octaves. We had a program called Antarnaad. You should see it on Youtube. There were 2,750 singers. Only one day of practice! Make the impossible possible. We should remove the block in our own mind. Top musicians were spellbound at the Antarnaad event.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

Jai Gurudev!

Knowledge sheet 42

The Divine is all around you and is seeing you. He doesn’t have a form. He is the formless core of existence and the goal. He is the seer, sight and the scene. This formless Divinity is Shiva. Just simply wake-up and experience this Shiva tattva.

{Knowledge Sheet} Subject: Guru Purnima message by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

“Among the 12-13 full moons in a year the vaishakha full moon is dedicated to (his birth and enlightenment), jyeshtha full moon to mother earth and the aashadha full moon is dedicated to the memory of masters. This is Guru-Purnima.

It is the day when the disciple wakes up in his fullness and in the wakefulness he can’t be but grateful. This gratitude is not of dwaita (you and me), but of advaita. It is not a river moving from somewhere to somewhere, but is the ocean moving within itself. So, gratefulness on Guru-Purnima symbolizes that fullness.

The purpose of the Guru Purnima celebration is to turn back and review and see in this last one year how much one has progressed in life. For a seeker, Guru Purnima is a day of significance, is a day of New Year. It is the day to review one’s progress on the spiritual path and renew one’s determination and focus on the goal, and to resolve what one wants to do in the coming year. As the full moon rises and sets, tears of gratitude arise and repose into the vastness of one’s own self.”

You know, our body has millions of cells, and each cell has its own life. Many cells are being born every day and many are dying. So, you are a moving town. So many cities are on the planet Earth and planet Earth is revolving and moving around the Sun. Same way, there are so many cells and so many living beings inside you and you are moving around. You are a moving township. Like in a beehive, there are so many bees which come and sit, but there is one queen bee. If the queen bee goes away, every other bee goes away. In the same way, there is an atom in our body, the queen bee. If that is not there, everything else goes away. Locate in that, in that tiniest of the tiny atom, the atma or the self. It is everywhere yet nowhere. That is the queen bee and that is what you are. That is what the Divine is, and that is the Guru principle. Like there is fatherhood, motherhood, there is Guruhood also. You all have to play Guruhood at least to somebody. You do play, you keep giving advices and guiding people consciously or unconsciously, and give them love and care. But do it with 100 percent without expecting anything in return. That is living the Guruhood, living the self. There is no difference between the Divine, you and the Guru Principle. It is all coming to one thing, the queen bee.

Meditation is relaxing and reposing in that atom. So, think of all the things that you could be grateful for, and ask what you want. And bless everybody. We receive, but not just receiving is enough, we should give and bless those who are in need.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

Jai GuruDev!

Knowledge sheet 41

We think Shiva is somewhere else sitting with a snake around his neck. Shiva is one in whom everything has taken birth, who encompasses everything right this moment, and in whom everything in creation dissolves. Every form you see in this creation is all his form.

{Knowledge Sheet} Subject: 'Music, knowledge and silence are ingredients for development of the consciousness'

There are three essential ingredients for the development of consciousness - Music, knowledge and silence. Knowledge is logical understanding. With a few moments of silence practiced every day, we can shift our awareness. This is called Patrata. Building the capacity of the intellect can happen in a few moments of silence. This is all that is needed. The purpose of music is to lead to a space of silence and the purpose of knowledge is to lead to a space of wonderment.

Mindfulness

What is happening right now? (Laughter) Sense of mindfulness, yes? I am not saying anything and you are waiting to catch something. Are you aware of this? Instead of catching something, put your attention into the waiting. This is mindfulness. It is meditative awareness. Are you getting what I am saying? What happens when you are mindful? Suddenly a shift starts happening within you. From the scenery, you are going towards the seer. Now you are the seer and the scenery. You are looking at me, trying to understand what I am saying.

Take your attention back to yourself. You are sitting.. reading..

Observe your breath. In your mind, understand something. All the time you are saying ‘yes’ or ‘no’ and having a private dialogue in your mind. It is like having a discourse with yourself. Are you getting what I am saying? The shift from scenery to the seer happens with yoga. It happens with Ujjai breath and meditation. It brings up an ocean of compassion within you. It makes the intellect sharp and attentive. You become more intuitive and aware. You become friendlier and more confident.

3 levels of trust

There are three levels of trust. First, when you have confidence in yourself, you are able to trust people around you. This is the trust in the goodness of people in society. There are so many good people here (laughter). Then, trust in something that is not seen but felt. It is too big to understand, yet cannot be dismissed. Lastly, there is trust in the divinity. Before your trust in God, you need to have trust in the goodness of the world. The world contains more good than what we think of. There are only a few confused, misguided and stressed out people who are involved in all sorts of violence. In general, the world is good.

The first law of spirituality

We often blame the world and this leads to blaming ourselves. The first law of spirituality is to stop blaming others as well as yourself. Have you taken this first step? Can you do that? Without this, there is no point in going ahead. Stop blaming others and yourself. Then see what happens. Such a burst of energy and enthusiasm come up at once. I don’t mean you should never find fault with yourself. Find mistakes in yourself and correct them. You must acknowledge your weaknesses and move on. This is different from blaming yourself. Have faith in yourself and in the goodness of society. Have faith in the essence of this whole creation.

Do you use cell phones? You need a SIM card for a cell phone to work. If you don’t have a SIM card and you are dialing a number, you cannot reach anyone. Similarly, most of our prayers are not getting connected and that is why they are not being answered. My dear, you haven’t put in the SIM card.

Now, you have put the SIM card but you are in the basement. Again it doesn’t work! You are not in range in the basement. It cannot pick up the signal. Similarly, you need a battery. You need SIM card, battery and range and only then you can call anyone, anywhere. In this way, our spirit needs to be calm, serene and settled. Knowledge, music and silence are the three things which make life complete. Prayers get answered. Keep singing with emotion. With faith, silence, confidence and knowledge, prayers get heard.

Are you all still here?

What is this soul? We have heard so much about it, about self-realization. What is soul? What is self?

Want to know it? How many here have studied Physics or Chemistry? Everyone here must know a little about Physics. Our body is made up of billions of cells. Each cell in the body has a life. You use body scrub to get rid of dead skin cells. So many cells are born and dying every day. You are not an individual person. This is how the ancient rishis or sages referred to it. You are a walking township. Purusha is a town. The soul lives in the town or the body that moves around. Do you know that in your intestines there are 50,000 bacteria?

This body is changing everyday. Yet something is also not changing. To understand this, you should study a beehive. You have seen a beehive? What keeps it there? The queen bee. Once the queen bee is gone, everything disappears. In the same way, your body is made up of billions of atoms. There is a queen bee in your body. Each body is a beehive full of honey. Locate the queen bee within yourself and that is meditation. Billions of atoms are present throughout your body. It is the same in a human body as in an ant or an elephant. The outer size of the body is irrelevant. It is the unknown or atma (self) which is non-changing. It always remains. Nothing can shake you with this knowledge. You will feel at home with everybody. Nothing will disturb you. This is the essence of spirituality.

To be continued in the next post...


“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

Jai Gurudev!