Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Satsang today
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Satsang today
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Satsang today
Ques: I have an analytical mind and I find it difficult to
open up to people in fact it I was hesitating to even ask you this
question today! How do I get out of this?
#SriSri: Now you are already out of it right? You are standing in front of me and asking me your question! Where is the hesitation? If there was hesitation then you still would have been stuck there. Have faith in the innocence of the present moment. Whatever we have been in the past, that we hesitate, we are like this or that, this knowledge comes to us when we are out of that. You were sleeping. When does this knowledge come to you? The moment you wake up! I am always judging people, this knowledge comes to you when you are come out of judgement. If you are stuck in judgments then you feel that, that is the truth. So the moment you get out of the analytical mind, that’s when you realize that ‘oh, I was stuck, I was judgmental’. So when you feel that you have gone too much into judgments and analysis, practice a bit of music and meditation.
#SriSri: Now you are already out of it right? You are standing in front of me and asking me your question! Where is the hesitation? If there was hesitation then you still would have been stuck there. Have faith in the innocence of the present moment. Whatever we have been in the past, that we hesitate, we are like this or that, this knowledge comes to us when we are out of that. You were sleeping. When does this knowledge come to you? The moment you wake up! I am always judging people, this knowledge comes to you when you are come out of judgement. If you are stuck in judgments then you feel that, that is the truth. So the moment you get out of the analytical mind, that’s when you realize that ‘oh, I was stuck, I was judgmental’. So when you feel that you have gone too much into judgments and analysis, practice a bit of music and meditation.
Ques: You are always connected to us. But from our side sometimes the connection becomes less, sometimes more. How to fix this?
#SriSri: It seems like that. Know that it is an illusion! Connection is always there. It only seems like it is less sometimes. Only when you are troubled then you feel that way, right? It is just a matter of time.
Ques: I don’t find the strength to do Puja (worship). Please give me the strength.
#SriSri: Listen, Puja is in your every breath. It is in remembering. What is the meaning of Puja? That which comes out of fullness. When your heart fills up, that is Puja. Wherever you are, just feel grateful and that is Puja. Don’t think that God is pleased by just offering flowers and coconut etc. And you should definitely not do all this to please God. Know that meditation is the best form of Puja.
#SriSri: It seems like that. Know that it is an illusion! Connection is always there. It only seems like it is less sometimes. Only when you are troubled then you feel that way, right? It is just a matter of time.
Ques: I don’t find the strength to do Puja (worship). Please give me the strength.
#SriSri: Listen, Puja is in your every breath. It is in remembering. What is the meaning of Puja? That which comes out of fullness. When your heart fills up, that is Puja. Wherever you are, just feel grateful and that is Puja. Don’t think that God is pleased by just offering flowers and coconut etc. And you should definitely not do all this to please God. Know that meditation is the best form of Puja.
Ques: How to be infinity?
#SriSri: You are already infinity. Don’t try to be infinity.
#SriSri: You are already infinity. Don’t try to be infinity.
Ques: What is the effect of Rudram and why is it that women cannot chant it?
#SriSri: Women can chant it, no problem. Somewhere in the middle ages, men were so dominating and they knew women can become much more powerful if women can chant mantras, so they robbed them of all their rights. There is nothing that women cannot do. Rudram is a very ancient chant and it has such an impact on the atmosphere. So much has been sung about Rudram.
#SriSri: Women can chant it, no problem. Somewhere in the middle ages, men were so dominating and they knew women can become much more powerful if women can chant mantras, so they robbed them of all their rights. There is nothing that women cannot do. Rudram is a very ancient chant and it has such an impact on the atmosphere. So much has been sung about Rudram.
Ques: Do you feel the longing to meet us as we do to meet you?
#SriSri: But I keep meeting all of you. I am never apart. Longing itself is God.
#SriSri: But I keep meeting all of you. I am never apart. Longing itself is God.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Satsang today
There is a beautiful story in the Upanishads. A child asks
his father what God is. The father takes the son out of their home and
asks him,”What was here before the building was here?” He said “space”.
“Where is the building standing now?”, he said “in the space”. Then he
asked, “when the building is erased, what will remain?”. He said that is
what is God. God is like the space in which everything is there. You
can never go out of God, even if you want to. Can anything go out of
space? Impossible! Srimad Bhagavatam starts with the words, from which
the birth, sustenance and dissolution happens, in which awareness dawns,
from the ancient times, great men found the music, the songs, the
feeling of love. The sun of love shone in the hearts of many poets of
the ancient times... into that ocean of wisdom, into that ocean of love,
into that ocean of abundance and brilliance, may my mind, my intellect
blossom. Usually people say faith means keep aside your intellect, don’t
ask questions. No, that is not the ancient way, that is not the vedic
way. Ask questions, keep your rationale alive. Doubt as much as you can.
But the truth withstands all your doubt and your questions. That which
takes you beyond that limited horizon of thinking, “Satyam Param
Dhimahi”, let my intellect be soaked in the transcendental truth. So
Bhagavatam begins with “Satyam Param Dhimahi” and ends also with “Satyam
Param Dhimahi”.. So glorifying intellect at the same time glorifying
emotions, enriching them is what it is. And if children are exposed to
such a vast reservoir of knowledge, there is very little chance that
they will become fanatics and take guns and start shooting people. And
think that if they shoot and rape people and think that they will go to
heaven. This stupidity will end in the world.
Ques: Do I have to be enlightened? Can’t I just be?
#SriSri: Just being is enlightenment. Getting rid of all the worry, tension, extra load, cravings and aversions that you carry, is what enlightenment is. It is freedom, total freedom, total fulfilment, total satisfaction, absolute comfort. That is what s enlightenment.
#SriSri: Just being is enlightenment. Getting rid of all the worry, tension, extra load, cravings and aversions that you carry, is what enlightenment is. It is freedom, total freedom, total fulfilment, total satisfaction, absolute comfort. That is what s enlightenment.
Ques: Goddess Lakshmi’s cohort is an ‘Ullu’ (Owl). Can wealth be found only with ‘ullus’?
#SriSri: Yes She sometimes comes on an ‘ullu’ but doesn’t keep sitting on it. She actually sits on a lutos and sometimes arrives on an ‘ullu’. We understand ‘ullu’ as a fool, one without intelligence but in many countries ‘ullu’ is used for a wise person - as wise as an owl. So there are different interpretations.
#SriSri: Yes She sometimes comes on an ‘ullu’ but doesn’t keep sitting on it. She actually sits on a lutos and sometimes arrives on an ‘ullu’. We understand ‘ullu’ as a fool, one without intelligence but in many countries ‘ullu’ is used for a wise person - as wise as an owl. So there are different interpretations.
Ques: In the Gita it is said when worldly person sleeps,
the knowledgeable one is awake and when the knowledgeable person sleeps
the worldly person awakens. Do they live in different time zones?
#SriSri: They live in different dimensions, in different state of mind.
#SriSri: They live in different dimensions, in different state of mind.
Ques: Is devotion incomplete without knowledge?
#SriSri: That is true. Devotion transforms into bliss with knowledge. Else without knowledge, there is a lot of pain in devotion.
#SriSri: That is true. Devotion transforms into bliss with knowledge. Else without knowledge, there is a lot of pain in devotion.
Ques: Evil is increasing in society. Is the law the only answer?
#SriSri: Only the law is not enough. You have to work with awareness. Till the time the society does not embrace knowledge and meditation, and there is a wave of spirituality, till then the transformation will not happen.
#SriSri: Only the law is not enough. You have to work with awareness. Till the time the society does not embrace knowledge and meditation, and there is a wave of spirituality, till then the transformation will not happen.
Ques: If we want a certain impact on our chakras, should we listen to particular music?
#SriSri: Looks like you have a lot of time on your hands, to see what is happening in your chakras! Get out and do some work. ‘Chakron ke chakkaron ko chhodo’(get out of the trap of chakras)! You just keep moving ahead, they will take care of themselves. Everything changes every moment. You can’t change it with effort. Surrender and relax!
#SriSri: Looks like you have a lot of time on your hands, to see what is happening in your chakras! Get out and do some work. ‘Chakron ke chakkaron ko chhodo’(get out of the trap of chakras)! You just keep moving ahead, they will take care of themselves. Everything changes every moment. You can’t change it with effort. Surrender and relax!
Ques: At the end of meditation you say the shloka “sham no astu dvipade sham chatuspade”. What does it mean?
#SriSri: Let good happen to all, to humans or two-legged animals as well as four-legged animals and birds. Let there be peace for all.
#SriSri: Let good happen to all, to humans or two-legged animals as well as four-legged animals and birds. Let there be peace for all.
Ques: Lord Subramanyam’s cohort is a peacock. Being a warrior it doesn’t seem logical. What does it mean?
#SriSri: If you want to understand the symbols of the Puranas, you should dig deeper. When you do that, you will find only one essence that, that opposites are complementary. That is the essence. You will see it in the symbols. A snake and a peacock are enemies, but understanding the oneness at their core, is the power of spirituality. Taking opposites together and moving forward is a Divine quality. Shiva’s cohort is a bull and Parvati’s is a tiger. Bulls and tigers are enemies. Yet Shiva and Parvati co-exist.. So you should go into the depth of the symbols and understand it’s essence that the whole creation is made of One thing and belongs to the One.
#SriSri: If you want to understand the symbols of the Puranas, you should dig deeper. When you do that, you will find only one essence that, that opposites are complementary. That is the essence. You will see it in the symbols. A snake and a peacock are enemies, but understanding the oneness at their core, is the power of spirituality. Taking opposites together and moving forward is a Divine quality. Shiva’s cohort is a bull and Parvati’s is a tiger. Bulls and tigers are enemies. Yet Shiva and Parvati co-exist.. So you should go into the depth of the symbols and understand it’s essence that the whole creation is made of One thing and belongs to the One.
Ques: If God resides in everyone’s heart then why is it necessary to spend and build temples? Is it necessary to visit temples to worship God?
#SriSri: Not necessary. Temples are not just a place of worship, they are cultural centers. You don’t need to dismiss them, but you don’t need to go to a temple in order to feel grateful or prayerful in your life. See you can eat food anywhere, but you still have a dining table where you sit and eat.. you can meditate anywhere but when you sit in a meditation hall, it has it’s value. You don’t need more temples. There are enough temples. In fact your body is a temple. Keep your body, clean and healthy. And sit and meditate. Knowledge is the lamp that you have to light in this temple. But in the same breath I would say, take children to temples. It is good for them. Otherwise if you don’t have any symbolism etc then that orientation doesn’t come in them. For young people’s sake who have not yet understood the high philosophy, these are essential.
#SriSri: Not necessary. Temples are not just a place of worship, they are cultural centers. You don’t need to dismiss them, but you don’t need to go to a temple in order to feel grateful or prayerful in your life. See you can eat food anywhere, but you still have a dining table where you sit and eat.. you can meditate anywhere but when you sit in a meditation hall, it has it’s value. You don’t need more temples. There are enough temples. In fact your body is a temple. Keep your body, clean and healthy. And sit and meditate. Knowledge is the lamp that you have to light in this temple. But in the same breath I would say, take children to temples. It is good for them. Otherwise if you don’t have any symbolism etc then that orientation doesn’t come in them. For young people’s sake who have not yet understood the high philosophy, these are essential.
Ques: There are many very scary looking images outside temples. Does God reside in them?
#SriSri: Yes, yes, God resides in everything. You should look into the rooms of children these days. There are such scary posters put up!
#SriSri: Yes, yes, God resides in everything. You should look into the rooms of children these days. There are such scary posters put up!
Ques: There are talks to make Gita the national book. What are your views on it?
#SriSri: What is the need to make it when it is already an international book. It is not just limited to India, it is a universal book. It talks about Yoga, way of life. It should be an international book not necessarily a national book.
#SriSri: What is the need to make it when it is already an international book. It is not just limited to India, it is a universal book. It talks about Yoga, way of life. It should be an international book not necessarily a national book.
Ques: How can I come closer to you?
You should simple know that I am close to you and you are close to me. Everybody is close to me. Keep spreading smiles, keep spreading happiness, don’t hate anybody. Then you are close to me. And you do it. Every one of us has all the beautiful qualities. You don’t have to borrow the qualities from anywhere. You have it. You simply have to come and relax. Distortions are removed in relaxation. And how to you get relaxation? Through inaction and dropping desires. If you have desires in the mind then you can’t relax.. you get relaxation through knowledge. And how do you get knowledge? Through dispassion.
You should simple know that I am close to you and you are close to me. Everybody is close to me. Keep spreading smiles, keep spreading happiness, don’t hate anybody. Then you are close to me. And you do it. Every one of us has all the beautiful qualities. You don’t have to borrow the qualities from anywhere. You have it. You simply have to come and relax. Distortions are removed in relaxation. And how to you get relaxation? Through inaction and dropping desires. If you have desires in the mind then you can’t relax.. you get relaxation through knowledge. And how do you get knowledge? Through dispassion.
Ques: Could you please talk a little bit on the Gayatri mantra?
#SriSri: Gayatri mantra is the collective mantra, that says “Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat”, may the Divinity purify me and inspire my intellect. Because my life is run by my thoughts, my thoughts come in my intellect and let the Divinity inspired by my intellect. Let my intellect be soaked in the purity and Divinity and be able to perceive the Divine way. This is the whole essence of Gayatri mantra. It is one of the best prayers. Instead of asking God, God give me bread, butter and do this and that.. it is simply saying, may my mind be soaked in the light, the Divinity and all our thoughts, not just mine, ALL our thoughts be inspired. Isn’t it beautiful? If all our thoughts are inspired to do good in society, what more do you want?
#SriSri: Gayatri mantra is the collective mantra, that says “Dhiyo Yo Nah Prachodayat”, may the Divinity purify me and inspire my intellect. Because my life is run by my thoughts, my thoughts come in my intellect and let the Divinity inspired by my intellect. Let my intellect be soaked in the purity and Divinity and be able to perceive the Divine way. This is the whole essence of Gayatri mantra. It is one of the best prayers. Instead of asking God, God give me bread, butter and do this and that.. it is simply saying, may my mind be soaked in the light, the Divinity and all our thoughts, not just mine, ALL our thoughts be inspired. Isn’t it beautiful? If all our thoughts are inspired to do good in society, what more do you want?
Ques: You spoke about five types of sleep. Do you also see dreams in your sleep?
#SriSri: My dream for the world is One World Family. A world free from violence, a world free from stress, a world which has no corruption. And I would like everyone one of you to share my dream of a very spiritual and divine society. Where there is peace, where there is joy, there is love, compassion and where there is service.
#SriSri: My dream for the world is One World Family. A world free from violence, a world free from stress, a world which has no corruption. And I would like everyone one of you to share my dream of a very spiritual and divine society. Where there is peace, where there is joy, there is love, compassion and where there is service.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Satsang today
"The consciousness is like the ocean. The mind is like a
wave. Consciousness and the mind are not different. The mind is just a
wave in the consciousness. Mind is made up of thoughts. Thoughts keep
coming up in the mind. The brain is like a frequency analyzer.
Consciousness consists of the three state of sleeping, waking and
dreaming. There is a fourth state that can be attained through
meditation. Where you are neither sleeping nor awake. . Our
consciousness is amazing! The more you study about it, the more amazed
you will be. And the more you learn about it, the more you will realize
how little you know."
"There are many different sorts of people in this world with different thinking. Some accept some type of people, other’s accept another. I accept all!"
"We should know how to criticize and we should have the strength to take criticism.. the sign of a strong person is that he has the ability to listen and take criticism and not run away from it."
Ques: If there is an argument between and God and a devotee and they both get stuck to their points, who wins?
#SriSri: A devotee always wins.
Ques: Please help in reducing the plight of the Dalits.
#SriSri: Absolutely. We have to educate everyone with regard to Dalits. You know there have been about a thousand Rishis (sages), out whom a lot of them were from the Dalit caste. The two holy books, Ramayan and Mahabharata, are both written by Dalits. And the Dalits are the basis of the Hindu religion. Most of the books written were all written by them. Even Lord Shiva is said to be a Dalit. The different castes are on the basis of occupation, not by birth. And all are the same. The legs of the society are the labour class. Without them the society will not move forward. The legs are not unworthy. It is because of the them that the society progresses. That is why you should never look down upon the labour class, you should give them due respect. When you do puja, then do you first worship the feet or the head? The feet, right? In India and Nepal we first bow down and touch the feet! So this untouchability should be eradicated at its root. The practice of untouchability I think is mainly in the villages, not in the villages. Whatever is left of this practice in the villages, should be completely eradicated. There are two very important tasks that need to be undertaken. One is untouchability. Will everyone take a Sankalpa (intention) to remove it? Go to the villages and educate people. The second is ending the tradition of animal sacrifice. So many animals are being slaughtered. Nowhere in the Vedas and scriptures, has there been any sanction given to this practice. We have to remove this sort of a superstition. This is a problem in both India and Nepal. How many will work on this? (Many raise their hands). Go to every home and educate them. Tell them that all of humanity is one. What have we been always saying? Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (one world family). The whole world is one family.
Ques:Why did Rama ask Sita to go through the Agni Pariksha (test through fire)?
#SriSri: Listen I am not Rama’s lawyer.. Instead of this we should think about what we have to do in society. If we sit to find fault, we will find fault in everything. What we have to focus on is how to bring about progress in society. And how to bring together the hearts and minds of the people. This is what we have to focus on!
Ques: If God is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, then Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Jesus, who are all of them?
#SriSri: Yes God is only one. But God’s different qualities and attributes are displayed in different forms. Like how a ray of sunlight is only white in colour but when you see it through a prism you see seven different colours. So in this way the different qualities and attributes are represented in the different names of the Gods. That is why Jesus said that everything is Light, Love and Life. So God is also Light, Love and the Universal Life.. Ram and Krishna were historic personalities while Lord Ganesha etc are Gods in the subtle level of existence. So here we have two things. One is the Parmatama, the one God and then the Devatas who are parts of the one Parmatama.
Ques: When innocents get killed in riots or terrorist attacks, is it because of their past karmas? How do we explain this?
#SriSri: What is the need to explain and understand? Do what you can.. An eye for eye, tooth for tooth will not do. What has happened has happened, it is the past. What can you do now? You see a victim inside a culprit. The opportunities that you have got to learn, they have not got it. They have either not got education or have got wrong education. Broaden your vision then inside every culprit you will see a victim. That’s why they are put in prison.. you go to any prison and then you will see how they regret what they did.. There are only two causes for violence. One is wrong indoctrination. Someone tells you, you kill people then you will go to heaven, there you will lot of pleasures. This is something that instigates people to kill. The other one is because they have scars or wounds, broken families, they have such anger and stress inside their hearts, that makes them blind. I want to ask you that when you are overcome with anger, don’t you regret what you say then? Whatever you do in stress and when tensed, don’t you regret it later? So tension, stress and ignorance is the cause of all the violence in the world.. If the Taliban people had a little broader education on human values, they had been taught on compassion, non-violence, love, you think they would have done what they did today? Impossible! Because they lacked education, all that they knew and learnt is one-sided, one angle, so they came to killing others.
Dr. Gunnar Stålsett, Bishop Emeritus of Oslo and Hon. President of Religions of Peace, was the honoured guest in Satsang today. He said "We have had many conferences around the world.. but it is only when I am here that I understand the strength and depth of His vision and Spirituality"
"There are many different sorts of people in this world with different thinking. Some accept some type of people, other’s accept another. I accept all!"
"We should know how to criticize and we should have the strength to take criticism.. the sign of a strong person is that he has the ability to listen and take criticism and not run away from it."
Ques: If there is an argument between and God and a devotee and they both get stuck to their points, who wins?
#SriSri: A devotee always wins.
Ques: Please help in reducing the plight of the Dalits.
#SriSri: Absolutely. We have to educate everyone with regard to Dalits. You know there have been about a thousand Rishis (sages), out whom a lot of them were from the Dalit caste. The two holy books, Ramayan and Mahabharata, are both written by Dalits. And the Dalits are the basis of the Hindu religion. Most of the books written were all written by them. Even Lord Shiva is said to be a Dalit. The different castes are on the basis of occupation, not by birth. And all are the same. The legs of the society are the labour class. Without them the society will not move forward. The legs are not unworthy. It is because of the them that the society progresses. That is why you should never look down upon the labour class, you should give them due respect. When you do puja, then do you first worship the feet or the head? The feet, right? In India and Nepal we first bow down and touch the feet! So this untouchability should be eradicated at its root. The practice of untouchability I think is mainly in the villages, not in the villages. Whatever is left of this practice in the villages, should be completely eradicated. There are two very important tasks that need to be undertaken. One is untouchability. Will everyone take a Sankalpa (intention) to remove it? Go to the villages and educate people. The second is ending the tradition of animal sacrifice. So many animals are being slaughtered. Nowhere in the Vedas and scriptures, has there been any sanction given to this practice. We have to remove this sort of a superstition. This is a problem in both India and Nepal. How many will work on this? (Many raise their hands). Go to every home and educate them. Tell them that all of humanity is one. What have we been always saying? Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam (one world family). The whole world is one family.
Ques:Why did Rama ask Sita to go through the Agni Pariksha (test through fire)?
#SriSri: Listen I am not Rama’s lawyer.. Instead of this we should think about what we have to do in society. If we sit to find fault, we will find fault in everything. What we have to focus on is how to bring about progress in society. And how to bring together the hearts and minds of the people. This is what we have to focus on!
Ques: If God is omnipresent, omniscient and omnipotent, then Rama, Krishna, Shiva, Jesus, who are all of them?
#SriSri: Yes God is only one. But God’s different qualities and attributes are displayed in different forms. Like how a ray of sunlight is only white in colour but when you see it through a prism you see seven different colours. So in this way the different qualities and attributes are represented in the different names of the Gods. That is why Jesus said that everything is Light, Love and Life. So God is also Light, Love and the Universal Life.. Ram and Krishna were historic personalities while Lord Ganesha etc are Gods in the subtle level of existence. So here we have two things. One is the Parmatama, the one God and then the Devatas who are parts of the one Parmatama.
Ques: When innocents get killed in riots or terrorist attacks, is it because of their past karmas? How do we explain this?
#SriSri: What is the need to explain and understand? Do what you can.. An eye for eye, tooth for tooth will not do. What has happened has happened, it is the past. What can you do now? You see a victim inside a culprit. The opportunities that you have got to learn, they have not got it. They have either not got education or have got wrong education. Broaden your vision then inside every culprit you will see a victim. That’s why they are put in prison.. you go to any prison and then you will see how they regret what they did.. There are only two causes for violence. One is wrong indoctrination. Someone tells you, you kill people then you will go to heaven, there you will lot of pleasures. This is something that instigates people to kill. The other one is because they have scars or wounds, broken families, they have such anger and stress inside their hearts, that makes them blind. I want to ask you that when you are overcome with anger, don’t you regret what you say then? Whatever you do in stress and when tensed, don’t you regret it later? So tension, stress and ignorance is the cause of all the violence in the world.. If the Taliban people had a little broader education on human values, they had been taught on compassion, non-violence, love, you think they would have done what they did today? Impossible! Because they lacked education, all that they knew and learnt is one-sided, one angle, so they came to killing others.
Dr. Gunnar Stålsett, Bishop Emeritus of Oslo and Hon. President of Religions of Peace, was the honoured guest in Satsang today. He said "We have had many conferences around the world.. but it is only when I am here that I understand the strength and depth of His vision and Spirituality"
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