Love is not just an emotion. It is what you are. Sometimes you feel love. That is a blessing given to you. Even when you don't feel it is there. It is there because you are made up of it.

*Chapter 8 - Beyond Miracles*

*Day 38*

Question - Gurudev, please talk about the connection between experiencing unconditional love for others and understanding the unknown, understanding the Brahman, experiencing the Brahman.

Gurudev - Love is not just an emotion. It is what you are. Sometimes you feel love. That is a blessing given to you. Even when you don't feel it is there. It is there because you are made up of it. 

There is wind here, but when you stand close to your fan then you feel it blowing on you. It's fan that makes you feel the wind. In the same way sometimes you feel love. 

That means just remember you have come close to that fan which blows air and you are feeling it, but even otherwise there is air everywhere.

Question - What is your view about recent scandals of sexual misconduct even with so called enlightened people? Is such a thing possible?

Gurudev - Yes especially in India, there are half a dozen Swamis scandals on the television everyday. If pot is not baked neither the pot remains nor water remains. If you put an unbaked pot in water to take water, what would happen to it? 

Neither the pot stays nor the water. And as I said sometimes people have little siddhis. They may not be very well grounded in knowledge. One of these persons in the scandal came to see me also. 

I said, Look if you have done something wrong, its so fair to say “I have done a mistake, I am sorry”. Done finished. Then you are more honest. When you are more honest people will respect you. 

Rishis have fallen many times, some people have done some mistakes. You made a mistake, never mind. You should just admit it and take a punishment on your own. 

If you are a religious, spiritual leader, if you are in that position, when you make a mistake you should take a punishment of your own. You shouldn't expect someone else to give you that punishment.

You should admit your mistake. Where is the ego there? It's fair enough. But if you try to hide it, its not fair. Then you should be given double the punishment. 

I said it in the television also. Any religious leader anyone who is holding a position of faith and uplifting people's consciousness, if they make a mistake, they should be given twice the punishment than a normal person gets.

We shouldn't be paranoid about it. We should only be compassionate. We shouldn't keep on condemning them. “Oh they are not perfect. They need help”. 

They also said one thing. Some people in the garb of religion have misused religion, in the garb of medicine have misused medicine, in the garb of politics, have misused their power and position. This has happened in every field. 

The religious and spiritual field is not an exception. This has happened from ages, from the time of Ramayana. Sita was duped by Ravana by being a Saint. He came as a sadhu. 

Only then he could abduct Sita. So such people who disgrace every field have their own traditions, but we shouldn't be paranoid about it. If you happened to get onto one such train that would be derailing or that has no wheels, then you get off it and then you get onto another train. 

You don't say, "I'll never get into a train because it derails". Such things happen. Just see that there are millions of people and there are thousands of good people on the earth. 

Perfected beings have come and gone. Many times also you don't know whether these angels are true, till they are proved. The media can also create many things. So, you follow your heart.

- Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji

Kena Upanishad