Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Question - Gurudev, can you please speak about bondage? Why does the soul feel trapped, and what are the causes of bondage? Gurudev Sri Sri - Ignorance is the cause of bondage. And why there is ignorance? There is no answer to that. Why has the Divine first created this ignorance and then the means to get out of it? That is why it is called Leela (a game or play of the Divine). It is like asking, 'Why do we have a football match? Why are there two courts with some coaches and some players on one side, and some on the other side, pushing the ball from this side to that side? Why do they not have their own balls and stay in their own courts?' Then there is no play. So because of ignorance there is a play, there is the game. That is why the whole world is called the Leela of the Parampurusha (the Supreme Divinity).

Gurudev Sri Sri - There is so much peer pressure, pressure to perform well in exams. So they keep reading so much day and night. A youth came and told me that he reads with four big lamps focused on his table and he studies day and night. We need to do care of the brain. You cannot overuse the brain like that. Then suddenly something happens and the fuse goes off. Do Yoga and meditation regularly. It is not enough to do it once in a while.

Gurudev Sri Sri - This is just a practice. It has not been mentioned in the shastras. Do not worry about it. There is no dish that does not have salt in it. Everything contains salt in some quantity. Everything that is offered during a ritual contains some salt in it. Coconut water contains salt. It is said that even fruits contain salt. The air that you breathe has salt in it. There is just a saying to not hand over oil, salt, Chilli (green/red peppers) and water directly to someone. That is why they used to place it on the floor. There is a belief that the vibrations of one person go to the other person if they hand over these items directly. In case you feel affected by the vibrations of another person, sing bhajans or chant Om Nama Shivaya and do pranayama. All the negative effects will go away.

Question - Gurudev, I do a lot for my family members and yet they are all always saying I am wrong. What should I do? How to deal with it? Gurudev Sri Sri - No, don't say that they always say you are wrong. If they always say that you are wrong then it would not bother you or even touch you. You would take it as their nature. Sometimes they would have said that you did right as well. Isn't that so? If you can appreciate them when they say you are right, and when they appreciate you, you should also accept when they don't appreciate what you are doing, and say that you say wrong. You should find a middle path. You know, often, we generalise and externalize the problem. 'Oh, I am always wrong' 'Oh, I am always right', 'Oh, I am always like this', 'Everybody is bad. This sort of generalization and externalization of problems is very common. We should make an effort to step out of that and go beyond that. Just smile. If you feel that they are unreaso...

Question - Gurudev, how do we deal with anger and hatred towards somebody whom we cannot avoid, especially when both are completely at different frequencies? Gurudev Sri Sri - First realize you are magnanimous. If you believe in your magnanimity and your inner beauty, it will become easier for you to handle all such situations. When you don't look within, when you are simply focusing on the behavior of others, it will definitely rattle your mind. Then you try to correct the other person and you will be unsuccessful. People who irritate you, in some way or the other can bring about the best in you. They can bring out the talents and skills in you. See, when everyone around you is wonderful you don't need any skill to handle a situation. It will only happen when there are people whom you think are unreasonable. So it is an exercise, take it as an exercise as much as possible. I know it is not an easy job. At least, you save your mind. I have spoken a lot about this in the books C...

Question - Gurudev, I’m in this Advanced Meditation course but this time around I slept through all the meditations. May I ask what is wrong with me? Can you please suggest to me how to get the best out of these meditations? Gurudev Sri Sri - Yeah, not only you but others also notice that you are sound asleep. It's okay. You know when your body is so tired, you must have been up late night & so much of stress might have accumulated. If you fall asleep never mind, that is why the program is for four days. The first reason could be that your body could be very tired. Second, the food must be very tasty and you must be eating a little more than required, and if you take yogurt and a little heavy food in the afternoon, sometimes then you will fall asleep. So, you can reduce the food, just one spoon less, two spoons less. Eat a little less food, drink more juice or vegetables or fruits. Third is if you lack oxygen, if you have not done some little exercise or forgot to take a walk,...

Gurudev Sri Sri - Yes, Ramayana has a lot of significance. The Ramayana is not just a story which happened long ago, it has a philosophical, spiritual significance and a deep truth in it. The words 'rays' and 'radiance' come from the Sanskrit root word 'ra' 'Ra' means light, 'Ma' means within me, in my heart. So, Rama means the light within me. That which is radiant in every particle of the being is Rama. Rama was born to Dasharath and Kousalya. Dasharath means 'Ten Chariots' The ten chariots symbolize the five sense organs and five organs of action. Kousalya means 'skill'. The skillful rider of the ten chariots can give birth to Ram. When the ten are used skillfully, radiance is born within. Rama was born in Ayodhya. Ayodhya means 'a place where no war can happen' When there is no conflict in our mind, then the radiance can dawn. The Ramayana is not just a story which happened long ago, it has a philosophical, spiritual s...

Question - Gurudev, what is the role of silence on the spiritual path? Gurudev Sri Sri - Silence heals and rejuvenates. Silence gives you depth and stability and brings creativity. While service brings the dynamic experience of the heart. It creates a sense of belongingness. Lack of service can land a person in depression. Service alone can bring contentment in life, but service without silence tires you. Service without spirituality will be shallow and cannot be sustained for a long period of time. The deeper the silence, the more dynamic the outer activity becomes. Both are essential in life. That is why I always recommend that one should attend the Advanced Meditation Program of Art Of Living atleast once every 3 to 6 months.

Question - Gurudev, what is moksha (liberation)? It is said that human birth is the only way to attain it and if that's true, can you please explain how to attain it in this lifetime itself? Gurudev Sri Sri - You go ask children how they feel the day their exams are over. They toss all their books and give a big sigh. ‘It is over now, finished’. That is moksha. One day, in your mind when such a relief comes, 'Yes I am fulfilled. I need nothing in this moment. I am satisfied with life. That is moksha. When you exit the last breath with contentment, that is moksha. See karma cannot be dissolved without a body. So one has to come back to the body to dissolve all the karmas. But moksha is possible only with the body. Moksha means relief from pain, relief from sufferings, relief from ignorance, the whole knowledge is about this only. Moksha is the opposite of bondage. When bondage ends, it is moksha. Moksha is when you find a deep relief in life, from miseries, sorrows, cravings and...

Weekly Knowledge 149 Bad Antogast 15 Apr 1998  Germany Softness And Forcefulness Certain types of people are soft and their softness comes out of lack of courage and forcefulness. There is yet another type of softness in people and this softness comes out of maturity, magnanimity, and the knowledge of the Self. The people who are soft out of lack of courage suffer a lot. And sometime or other they become volatile. Similarly there are two types of forcefulness in people Ö aggression or assertiveness. Some people are forceful in an aggressive manner out of weakness, lack of strength, or out of fear. Others are forceful out of care and love, out of compassion. David: Aggressive control and aggressive support. Guruji: So look into yourself and become aware of what type of softness and what type of forcefulness you have. 🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸   साप्ताहिक ज्ञानपत्र १४९ १५ अप्रैल ,१९९८ यूरोपीयन आश्रम, जर्मनी कोमलता और प्रबलता प्रायः व्यक्ति साहस और प्रबलता के अभाव के कारण नर्म...

Lemon Lemon is one such wonder fruit which is nature’s gift to you. This article will reflect upon some of the health benefits offered by lemon to you as per Ayurveda.lemon can be used as a fresh fruit as well as for purposes such as making pickles, chutney, squash, lemon water juice, etc. It is also used in the preparation of many dishes. Owing to the health benefits provided by lemon it is considered as a wonder fruit. Lemon balances all the three doshas – Vata, Pitta and Kapha.  You may experience indigestion due to excessive eating or drinking, intolerance to certain foods, or taking pills on an empty stomach. The indigestion can cause burning sensation in the stomach, bloating or gassiness, nausea, etc. According to Ayurveda, cold happens due to an imbalance of the kapha dosha. Lemon is very effective in managing cold and cough. Lemon works on an aggravated Kapha due to its ushna (hot) potency. Lemon juice is very beneficial for the problems related to hair. If you...

Dukkha (suffering) For those who have developed discriminatory wisdom, all life is suffering on account of the pains resulting from change, anxiety and tendencies (samskaras); as also on account of the conflicts between the functioning of the three Gunas and the Vrttis (fluctuations of the mind) (Patanjali Yoga Sutra 2.15) Heya-hetu (cause of suffering) The cause of that (suffering) which is to be avoided is the union of the Seer (Purusha) and the Seen (Prakriti) (PY sutra 2.17); This union is caused by ignorance (avidya) (PY sutra 2.24) Haana (removal of dukkha) The dissociation of Purusa and Prakrti brought about by the dispersion of ignorance (Avidya) is the real remedy (for eliminating suffering) and it leads to Liberation of the Seer (Purusha). (PY Sutra 2.25) Haanopaya (technique of removal) Uninterrupted discriminative discernment is the means for the removal of the apparent union between Purusha and Prakriti (PY Sutra 2.26) By the practice of the limbs of Yoga, the ...

Lord Krishna says in the Bhagavad-Gita (10:26) "Among perfected beings, I am the sage Kapila." The sage Kapila is traditionally considered to be the founder of the Samkhya Sutra; regarded as the oldest of the orthodox philosophical systems in Hinduism.  Kapila Muni is the brother and teacher of Anusuya, also known as “Sati Anasuya” the chaste wife and the mother of Dattatreya. He is considered to be a descendant of Manu, the primal human being, and a grandson of Lord Brahma.    According to the Vedic social system, a man with a grown son may accept the order of sannyasa, thus renouncing all connections with his family and worldly life, and entrust his wife to the care of his son. With this in mind, Kardam Muni took a vow of silence and went to live in the forest as an ascetic, entrusting Devahuti in his son’s care. Kapila instructed his mother Devahuti in the philosophy of yoga and worship of Lord Vishnu, enabling her to achieve self-realization and attain ...

Namaste is a respectful gesture of greeting people in the Hindu custom, has a spiritual import reflecting the belief that "the divine and self (atman, Self) is same in you and me", and connotes "I bow to the divine in you". Also spoken as Namaskar or Namaskaram, this gesture is used to welcome guests or relatives, as well as for acknowledging strangers, and works both as salutation and valediction. The gesture is said to express honor, courtesy, politeness, hospitality and gratitude to the other person.  Apart from being used as a greeting, it is also a part of the 16 Upacharas that are used during formal worship in a temple or some other religious place. When it comes to worshipping a deity, then Namaste signifies ‘greeting the God’. Namaste is part of the daily procedure in India. Hence you would often get to see this gesture in various Indian classical dance forms, in everyday religious rituals and yoga postures. If you practice this gesture in India,...

A report on our researches on Raddish pods: the “Unsung Superfood” which appeared in Times of India today. 29thMay, 2023, Vadodara The radish plants left off in the field, after most of the tuber and leaf crop are harvested, produce flowers and fruits. Some people allow plants to fruit for collecting seeds needed for the next season. These fruits of raddish plants (Raphanus sativus) are excellent nutraceuticals consumed as a great delicacy in European countries and are now found to ward of many diseases including cancer. A study conducted in our laboratory revealed that Raphanus pods yield many medicinally active plant chemicals such as isothiocyanates, flavonols, phenolic acids and mucilage. The sulphur containing isothiocyanates found are sulphoraphane and sulphoraphene, whereas the flavonols present are quercetin, kaempferol and isorhamnetin. Vanillic, ferulic, p-coumaric and melilotic acids are the phenolic acids identified and the mucilage (fibre) amounts to 8%. All these com...

Sometimes nature invites you to view hidden trinkets by chance. I often saw this plant growing as an evergreen hedge in gardens, but never happened to see its flowers. It was so exciting to spot its flowers, hidden below in the foliage, while picking up a dropped keychain.  Indian Camphor weed (Pluchea indica) is an erect, much-branched, evergreen shrub, growing 1 - 3 m tall. All parts of the plant are softly pubescent and aromatic. It is a hardy fast growing plant, tolerant of rocky soils, swamps and saline or brackish waters. Its alternate, stalkless or shortly-stalked leaves have papery leaf blades with toothed margins, usually drop-shaped, and 2.5–8 cm long 1–5 cm wide. An aroma is produced when the leaf blades are crushed. Pink or purplish-pink tubular flowers develop in compact clusters of flower heads (7 mm wide), each having many ray florets and only a few disc florets. Its flower clusters grow on branc...

🌸 During the three stages of sudarshan Kriya, all the chakras get purified.  The deeper (1st stage) breaths take care of the material aspects, creativity, career. The fastest (3rd stage) breaths take care of the emotional aspects.   🌸During deeper stage of Sudarshan Kriya, focus on area below the navel, during the intermediate breath stage, focus on the navel and the heart, during the third stage, focus on the throat chakra and the agya chakra (mid of eyebrows) 🌸 Your breaths during the kriyas first stage should be deep and full (occupying full lung and diaphragm space). 🌸 Chanting Om Namah Shivaya 108 times daily takes care of the planetary imperfections.  🌸 After kriya the resting period is when the effects of kriya are being absorbed by the body. Hence it is important to rest.  🌸It is important to do your Sahaj meditation on daily basis. - Gurudev Sri Sri RaviShankar "Health is not a mere absence of disease. It is a dynamic expression of lif...