Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Life is eternal; we never give a thought to this truth. When someone dies we declare that the person is immortal, but the truth is we ourselves are immortal too. That is why we do not feel that we have grown old. No matter how old a person is, he feels he is never going to die. If someone else dies, we say, ‘oh that poor fellow died’. ‘Everyone else dies but I won’t’, this feeling is there somewhere. There is a stream of awareness within us that cannot be destroyed. To acknowledge and observe that stream is spirituality – ‘I have not changed, I have not grown old, I am just the same‘. This brings such courage and strength in life that nothing can shake you. Examining your life, observing it is spirituality, it is ‘satsang’. Satsang is not just singing bhajans but pondering on the truths of life. What is the most important truth of life – there is an element within me that does not perish, does not diminish and is deathless. If you direct even the slightest attention to it, life becomes...

Every event however pleasant causes pain in the end. Greater the joy; greater is the pain. Longing for an event or waiting for a pleasurable event is again pain. Before you want something the feverishness of wanting it, is painful. When you have it the fear of losing it is painful. When it is gone, the memory of its joy, is painful. Pain and Love are the two sides of the same coin.  Love creates tremendous amount of pain and so does separation. A wish creates tremendous amount of pressure in the mind. Trying to please someone creates pain, to know and understand whether they are pleased or not, also creates pain. You want to know how the other person’s mind is, while you still don’t know your own mind. To do spiritual practices, you need to put effort and that’s painful. Not doing it creates even more pain. If you really look from the eyes of the wise there is nothing in this creation that is devoid of pain. Pain is the tail of everything in this world.  When you realize tha...

Should we take sports seriously or lightly? The answer is both.  It loses its charm and lightness if you take sports too seriously. It turns into a battle or business and that’s where all the unethical practices can stem from. When we do not take sports in a lighter spirit and treat them as larger-than-life, we get depressed and anxious about failing. For many sportspersons, this becomes a trigger for a host of mental illnesses. A game is a game because it is foolish. If you find meaning, it is not a game. A fool does something unique, yet meaningless. All entertainment, including games, are an act of foolishness in some way. Just imagine if somebody from another planet lands here and sees a huge crowd watching a game – one ball in the middle, a player trying to hit it all over, another trying to catch it and bring it back to the centre, only to throw it away again. Why go through all this trouble, the alien might wonder. It would appear absolutely funny and pointless. For hours to...

When you are talking, connecting with someone, when you look at your friend or somebody you love, something happens inside you. You feel as though some new energy is coursing through you, a joy that is hard to describe. Capture that great moment, for those moments are timeless. But don’t stop there. Okay, you might have experienced those timeless moments by the presence of that person, that person might have brought forth those emotions in you. So what? Instead of getting immersed in that person or in the situation, just be with the spring of bliss rising in you. The Divine has given you all the small pleasures in the world but has kept the bliss to Him. To get the highest bliss, you have to go to Him and Him alone. Be sincere in your attempts. Once you get bliss, then everything else is joyful. Without bliss, joy in anything in the world will not stay. Give satsang and meditation your highest priority. Give prime time to the Divine and know that God belongs to you. Either through awar...

Question: Guruji, when we die the body and breath are left behind and our mind, memory, soul are still together with the impressions. Do the intellect and ego also still stay with us? Can we use our intellect to calm our mind then? Gurudev: The impressions of the intellect and the cravings and aversions of the mind go with the subtle body. So when you die what happens is for sometime the soul is in confusion, it does not know. It has just come out of the body but it does not know what to do. It doesn’t want to get into the body because the body appears like very gray matter, very dark and completely unbearable. So it doesn’t want to get into it, it feels very bad and averse to its’ own body most of the time. Sometimes they go in. So the soul is out there and very peaceful, the soul is totally at peace. They see people crying, wailing. It tries to tell them, ‘hey I am okay, don’t worry’, but they cannot communicate. There is a tradition to keep the light burning at the bedside of the bo...

There is a verse by Kabir: “I went to find a bad person in the universe, and I found none.” All human beings are good! There are negative tendencies in people but that is not the basic human nature. That is only on the circumference. Why do we behave negatively? Because we are hurt. A happy, joyful person will never do harm to anyone.  Antidote to jealousy is the knowledge that everybody is going to die. You and the person, whom you are jealous of, are both going to die. It is better to compare yourself with your own self. How you were 10 years or five years ago and what you can be yet tomorrow. The fact that you are a sane human being is enough. What to do if you are jealous of other people? 1. Know that the person has done some good karma in the past and they are now reaping the fruit. 2. Take it as an inspiration to gain merit now. 3. Create a sense of belongingness with them. See that they are a part of you. 4. Think of all you have that they don’t have and feel grateful. 5. Th...

When a child starts becoming aware of its own body, it starts asking more and more questions. And when the body matures into adolescent stage, there are ever so many questions that reel in the mind. Doubt is that state of mind where it’s not fully alive. Answers cannot satisfy doubt. Hearing and seeing cannot eliminate doubt.  Only prana can eliminate doubt. When a doubt arises in your mind, know that your prana has gone down. The life in you is dull. The wick in the lamp is going down. On the day you do pranayama or deep breathing, you feel so alive. Every cell in your body is alive, and then there is no doubt in the mind. You feel so wonderful because of this. There is no split in your consciousness.  Doubt is the split. A portion is awake and another major portion is asleep – the unfulfilled. And when the prana is high, you are so fulfilled. So when you have doubts, do more sadhana or practice of deep breathing. This is called shraddha or ...

It is important to know what keeps and what really disturbs interpersonal relationships. The relationship gets disturbed when disagreement begins. Just look at yourself. You had some idea yesterday; today you may have a different idea. Five years ago, you had other ideas that do not necessarily agree with the ideas that you have today. So, when you have disagreement with yourself, why should it not happen with someone else? The ‘someone’ you have a disagreement with is just a photocopy of your old or the new self. So you need to take a look at your own thought patterns and emotional patterns; there is a rhythm in them and in the consciousness. We need to find harmony between all these rhythms within us and that’s what is called spirituality. For maintaining interpersonal relationships, you have to first have a relationship with yourself. Your relationship with yourself is called integrity. Secondly, being informal keeps your interpersonal relationship strong, for it gives space for mis...

An acharya gives ‘shiksha’ (knowledge) but a guru gives ‘diksha’, which is the height of awareness.A guru simply does not stuff you with knowledge but kindles the life force in you. In guru’s presence you become more alive, every cell in your body becomes alive. That is called ‘diksha’. It is the height of intelligence and not information. An acharya gives you information and knowledge but a guru invokes intelligence and not just the intellect. The pinnacle of intellect is intelligence, awaken intelligence. So, a guru awakens intelligence, not information. Mind is connected with the moon and the full moon is a symbol of completion and celebration. So, Guru Purnima is the day when the disciple wakes up in his fullness and wakefulness. In that wakefulness, he can’t be but grateful. And it is the gratitude of advaita, of oneness. It is not like a river moving from one place to another. It is an ocean moving within itself. Gratefulness and Guru Purnima symbolises the fullness of the studen...

One who asks for independence is a beggar. One who knows that it is an illusion is a king. Life is such; you should not feel “I am dependent, and I want to be independent”. The body is dependent on the whole creation. When the spirit identifies with the body, it gets pinched and looks for independence. Mind, intellect and ego look for independence too and, in doing so, one often gets stuck in the ego and becomes more miserable. Most people are not aware of their dependence. When they become aware of their limitations and dependence, the desire for independence arises. On one level, dependence is a harsh reality, on another, an illusion because there is nothing else but the self. It’s only when one doesn’t feel oneness and belongingness that one wants independence. The self is non-dual, so there is no question of dependence or independence. When the sense of belongingness is not well founded, there is a volatile state in the life of a seeker. Then, the ego finds some excuse to revert to...

Ego is simply being unnatural, pretension, showing something that you are not. It always needs someone else to appreciate and recognise you. Ego is something like: “I am intelligent, I like this, I don’t like that, I am ugly, I am beautiful etc.” The reason we have ego is because it is necessary for our growth in life. Ego should be there when there is challenge and creativity. In success, drop your ego but in failure, hold on to it.When you think you are failing, the ego says, come on what is this, nothing can touch me. The “I” or ego is a tiny atom. It causes heaviness and discomfort. When this atom, the ego, identifies with the body, it becomes miserable. But when it is associated with the spirit, the Self, it becomes Divine. It becomes shakti(energy). In a huge atomic reactor, it is just one atom that has exploded. In the same way, in our whole body, there is just one atom of “I.” And when this “I” explodes, it becomes the light of the Self.  In ‘Giridhari’ (Krishna’s name), Gi...

"Give in such a way that the other does not even feel they have taken. This is generosity, and this is the beauty. Two Internal Tendencies - Taking from another - Giving to another Which value system we are imbibing in our children is worth noting. If our children are hesitant to take or ask, then that is a sign of good values. But if they are hesitant to give, then there is something wrong there. If people feel hesitation to put their hand out to take, that is a good sign, but if they hesitate to extend their hands out to help, then we need to change the direction society is going in. If a child is sattvic (positive state of being), s/he will always make an effort to share her/his belongings with everyone. But if the child is rajasic (restless state of being), then s/he tries to take things from everyone. We Should Imbibe the Value of Sharing in Children. Children should feel happiness in giving and sharing, and hesitation in taking. They should feel hesitation to put their hands...

There is an underlying unity in all the cultures around the world. We should realise that we are a one world family and find the common thread in different religions and cultures. I remember my father used to say, "The world is full of people and mistakes. Love the former and forgive the latter." We need to forgive the mistakes, forget the wrong doings of people and bring everyone together in a spirit of celebration, spirit of love, compassion and serving. Bringing all the cultures of the world together, and stringing them in a beautiful garland; this sense of belongingness, that we belong to one global family in spite of different colours, languages and food habits, has to be developed in all of us and in our children and youth. Let’s enjoy the diverse variety of creation by honouring, respecting and loving them all. We no longer live in an isolated world. We have no other choice than to honour diversity. It is a necessity, not an option. It is in our nature, and it is a sig...

If you ever happen to meet God, do you know what you would tell him? “Oh, I have met you inside.” God will dance with you when the day dawns in laughter and love. True prayer is laughing in the morning. Don’t just be laughing outside but from deep inside. Laughter comes from the centre of our being, from the core of our heart. True laughter is true prayer. When you laugh, the whole world laughs with you. It echoes and resounds and that is really the worth of life. When things go all right, everybody can laugh; but when everything falls apart, and then if you can laugh, that is evolution and growth. So, there is nothing in life that is more worthy than your laughter. Never lose it for anything, whatsoever. Events come and go. Some are a little pleasant, some are unpleasant; but there is some area deep in you that is left untouched. Hold on to that. And anytime we don’t feel up to that untouched innocence, what do we do? You can attend to several layers of your own existence. First, the ...

Your body is a universe in itself. So is your mind, which is a part of the big mind called Brahman. Even realising, “I am not just somebody, I am just the whole, I am the Brahman,” immediately washes away all the impurities. You start shining, sparkling like the day in which the clouds have disappeared. The brightness of the sun shines through. So even though many cells are being born and dying but you still exist. In the same way, the Brahmanstill exists even though so many people are born and so many people are dying. With a gentle touch of that Brahman, extreme happiness and bliss wells up in you. Love is in that space and that is why when you feel love, you feel that person belongs to you. If they feel something you feel something. You feel they are not different from you. Your space and their space are merged. But one whose space is merged with the infinite space, sees everyone as part of himself. Lord Krishna talks about the word that is coming from the big mind when He says, “He...

There is a beautiful Sanskrit proverb that says, “Nobody gives happiness or misery. It is created by one’s own mind.” It means that you take unhappiness only from others. You question people, “Why did you behave like that? Why did you insult me?” It is useless to do so. You should have compassion and feel, “Oh this person does not have that refined level of consciousness.” If you don’t want to be insulted, then nobody can insult you. If you are basing your life on these feelings, you will be ruined because emotions are not stable at all. And not only are you bothered by your feelings, you also bother everybody by your feelings which are anyway momentary. The first thing in spiritual path: Praise yourself and praise others. And stop blaming yourself as well as others. In the Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna, “You are so good, you already have all the good qualities. I am only just bringing them up in you. Don’t worry.” There is a story of a Guru who had stupid disciples. So, an...

Faith is at the core of human existence. It plays a big role in shaping one’s life. It sustains life and leads one through difficult times. At the same time, it brings out hidden courage and potential in more ways than one.  Even those who say, “I don’t believe in anything,” have to believe in their words. The issue is where you place your faith. For an atheist, his faith in objects is obvious; his faith in people is fluid and his faith in the unseen power of creation is ambiguous.  However, for a believer, his faith in the unseen power is supreme; his faith in people is inconsequential and objects do not matter in any way. The role is even more visible in the materialistic world. It saves one from suicidal tendencies and helps one see beyond the obvious. When life is based on belief, one follows philosophy rather than getting caught up in revenge and hatred. If there is faith that everything will be fine, then things do work out. There are three types of faith: in oneself, in...

Nothing is permanent in this world, everything is changing. When you think you are right, often you think others are wrong and you feel angry. If you feel others are right, often you think you are wrong and you feel guilty, sad and miserable. In both cases, you lose balance. The mind vacillates between this duality. The whole purpose of life is to get out of this duality. That is moksha. So swallow these incidents as bitter pills in life.  In Rudram(a hymn dedicated to Rudra from the Yajurveda), it is said that in this world, there are all types of people. There are people who betray, people who are not faithful, people who don’t keep to their word etc. Sometimes your own mind goes up and down. There could be a million reasons for you to feel down on the planet. Anything can pull you down, because things are not happening the way you want them to. Using knowledge, just sail over it all. When your heart is filled with love, and compassion, you are so powerful. Never underestima...

Have you noticed what keeps happening in the mind every moment? The mind keeps wondering what is going to happen next. Knowledge is being aware of this phenomenon of the mind; of what is happening right now in the mind. All other information and education can be acquired by reading books. You can open a book on any subject, be it birth, death or dietary habits; there are volumes of books available on countless topics. But awareness of our own mind cannot be learnt by reading a book. What does our mind do? It vacillates between the past and the future. Every moment, it is either angry about the past or anxious about the future. There is another tendency of the mind – clinging to the negative. If ten positive instances or events are followed by one negative event, we cling to that one negative thing. We simply forget all the ten positives. To bring about a change in these two tendencies of the mind is the greatest help you can render to yourself. Becoming aware of these two tendencies in...

We feel if there is love then why is life so painful? All that we want in life is love. Every human being is longing for a love that doesn’t die out, a love that doesn’t cause pain, a love that grows and stands forever. By taking a multilateral view of life, one can see life in a different way and realise that the purpose of life is to achieve this kind of love and blossom in that ideal love.  Suppose you are immensely successful and have all the riches at your command but there is no love in your life, then life would not really be worthwhile; it would appear barren. But still, most people lead a loveless life. Have you ever thought why this happens? It is your ego that prevents you from achieving that love. As long as there is ego, there cannot be love. And when there is love, there is no sign of ego. What is ego? Ego is simply being unnatural. Half knowledge brings ego but when knowledge becomes complete, ego drops and simplicity dawns.  The question arises that if ego is s...

Every cell in the body has the capacity to hold infinity. A worm too eats, sleeps and performs its daily activities. There is no point in living like that. We must tap the full potential nature has bestowed upon us, the potential to hold infinity in every cell of your body. For that, we must practice meditation regularly. It takes only a few minutes every day, and once we imbibe it in our daily routine, it is no more a burden or a chore. Meditation is like a seed. The better a seed is cultivated, the more it flourishes. Similarly, the more we practice meditation, the better it cultures the entire nervous system and the body. Our physiology undergoes a change and every cell in the body is filled with prana(life-force). As the level of pranain the body rises, we are filled with joy. The culturing of the system by meditation is normal. Some people call it the higher state of consciousness as we are endowed with the ability to live in that state.  Meditation helps in two ways. It preve...

Karma and its consequences are eternal and beyond comprehension. There are some actions whose consequences are immediate and there are some actions with a delayed outcome. If you stick your hand in a fire, you get burnt instantly. However, if you sow a mango seed, or a coconut seed, it takes 4-6 years to grow into a fruit-bearing tree. Some karma can be resolved only by dealing with the consequences, whereas the outcome of some karma can be modified. For example, while preparing sooji(semolina) halva, the proportion of ingredients can be adjusted with respect to one another. However, once cooked, soojicannot be reverted back to its uncooked state. That is why doing dhyaan(meditation), japa(chanting), yagna(sacrificial fire), and daan(charity) helps change karma. Our scriptures recommend sharing a few grains of rice from our meal with birds and other creatures; having an attitude of gratefulness for all we have received in life also resolves karma. Do not criticise or condemn anyone. Ho...

Uncertainty causes craving for stability. The most stable thing in the world is the Self. The world is of change and the self is of non-change. You have to rely on the non-changing and accept the change. Uncertainty with awareness brings higher state of consciousness with a smile. Often people think that certainty is freedom. If you feel that freedom when you are not certain, then that is the real freedom. Being certain about the uncertainty of the relative makes you certain about the existence of the absolute and also brings a certain faith in the absolute. When you feel time is too short, you are either restless or in a state of expanded awareness. When you feel time is too long you are either miserable or keen-minded. When you are happy and love what you are doing you lose the track of time. When you are ahead of time, it is dragging and boring. When time is ahead of you, then you are surprised and shocked. You are unable to understand the play of events. In deep meditation, you are...

You know, the Divine protects us in many ways. Just like a roof protects us from the coconut falling on our head, the Divine protects us in many ways. They say that the planet Jupiter (called as Brihaspati or the Guru Brihaspati in Hindi) protects the earth. There are lots of meteors which travel towards the earth to collide, but the planet Jupiter protects us from these meteors (owing to its immense gravitational pull). Otherwise, the earth would have been finished long ago. Like this, the Divine also protects us in many forms. When you were a child, it protects you as mother and a father. When you grow up, the Divine protects you in the form of Guru. Just like the eye lid protects our pupil, the Divine protects its pupil. It comes in all forms and ways and protects us. There is no reason to be afraid of. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji,

Question - Gurudev, is there any simple way to overcome worries in life other than meditation? Gurudev - In Shiva Sutras there is a sloka, "Jnandahisthanam matrka" which basically means - Go to the root of knowledge, silence. Carefully observe and distinguish the different ideas, thoughts or worries that arise in your mind. Then observe one thought, then one sentence and then one word. Then separate that one word into letters and look at each letter carefully. When you do this, your worries will disappear. Practice this for one week and you will understand that when we hold onto the silence that is in between words, then worries vanish. To transcend them is to reach silence. Move from knowledge to the highest knowledge. A mantra, a sacred sound, is defined as "manahtrayate iti mantrah" - a mantra is that which, when repeated constantly, clears your mind from worries and protects you. Knowledge is bondage, and it is impossible to gain knowledge without words. We need...

Question - Gurudev, how to Let Go of a Failed Relationship as it gives a lot of pian while remembering what the other person did to me? Please guide us on how to move on and start a fresh in life. Sri Sri - Relationships cause you so many problems and you get so heartbroken. When a relationship breaks down, you get so devastated as though you cannot exist anymore. At that time, it is wisdom that can give you the strength to move on. The other day when I was in California somebody said, “I am devastated, my relationship ended. We were together for so many years and he left me.” I told her, “My dear, there are seven billion people on the planet, and a third of them are of marriageable age. Don’t worry, you will only get a better person. Move on!” Just that one word of encouragement and she lit up and got the confidence, “Yes, so what if he left me, he does not know my worth, he is a fool.” So just move on! You don’t have to say bad things and call him a rogue, or a cheater. If you call h...

Question - Gurudev, can you please speak about bondage? Why does the soul feel trapped, and what are the causes of bondage and how to come out of it and experience true freedom? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar - 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). Bondage is not anywhere outside - it is in the mind, in the consciousness. Memory makes you miserable...

Question - Gurudev, If we study law, there is a guarantee of becoming a lawyer. If we study engineering, there is a guarantee of becoming an engineer if we put in our efforts. However, there is no guarantee of getting liberation if we keep doing our Sadhana and keep walking this path. How do I be motivated to walk the spiritual path even after knowing this? Gurudev - It is definitely guaranteed. Arjuna asks the same question in the Bhagavad Gita. So, Lord Krishna replies, ‘Nikhikalyanat karat kadastam tatta gakhti' (na hi kalyāṇa-kṛit kaśhchid durgatiṁ tāta gachchhati in chapter 6, verse 40 of Bhagavad Gita), which means one who does good deeds, they never go down. He can never suffer pain, neither in this world nor in any other world. You will always rise to higher levels of existence. You will be born in a good wealthy family, and due to the memories of your old life, you will start with that, where you left off. So do not worry. Your actions and meditation will never go away. Fo...

Light cannot be heard through the ears, It has to be seen through the eyes. Sound cannot be seen through the eyes, It has to be heard through the ears. Likewise, the presence had to be felt, by the heart. God is not an object of senses, but the feeling of feelings, the presence of presence and the sound of silence. Light of light, essence of the world, and the taste of bliss. Our human life is enriched only when we can live this sixth sense of existence, of feeling.

Question - Gurudev, Why is it necessary for us to spread the knowledge of The Art of Living in the world ? Gurudev Sri Sri - We have to spread this knowledge of life to every doorstep and you all have to work for that. People know how to operate mobile phones but they don't know how to manage their own life, mind. We need to bring this education to every nook and corner of the planet - 'How to be happy and make others happy.' 'How to live and let others live in peace.' This education is needed. We need to spread the Art of Living. This knowledge helps us in moving through challenges with a smile, sharing happiness with others, feeling one with everyone and this is the Art of Living. The goal of Art of Living is about having a perfect balance in life. Both inner richness and outer beauty. Don't you want this? Knowledge is ancient and eternal but the presentation of knowledge and reach of knowledge needs an organisation and that’s what the Art of Living movement i...

Question: Guruji, what is the most important knowledge that one should remember when going through difficult times?  Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If you have a problem in life, do not blame others because it is your karma that brings you these bad experiences. A good seeker or student understands this and does not complain. If the situation you are in is inevitable, tolerate. If it's avoidable, get out of there. If you feel like you can expand your skills, smile. Every uncomfortable situation increases your comfort zone. Every awkward situation is a test of how deep you are in knowledge. Love something of an awkward situation. This will increase your comfort zone. When your comfort zone increases, nobody will be able to press your buttons and you will become so focused and unbreakable. Every pain is trying to shake you, to see if you are strong or not. It is to make you stronger. What happened, had to happen, do not sit down and think that you could have done this or that, it is u...

Question: What is the importance of chanting mantras? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When someone abuses you verbally, how do you feel?  If someone says that you are a donkey, how do you feel? What does it do to you? What does it create? Anger! It shakes you. It creates some negative vibrations; you feel angry. You feel some sensations in the stomach, the head.  If a bad word can create so much physiological reactions in you, do you think a very sweet name, a chanting, which includes a lot of energy of the cosmos, does not do anything to your body?  It is unscientific and stupid to think that a mantra does not do anything to your body. That is not the case! It does.  Mantras bring out all the positive energy inside you. It is called mantra kavach; a mantra creates an armor around your body.

Question: Gurudev, Do you have any special suggestions for us to progress faster on the spiritual path? Gurudev: I would like to take you into deeper knowledge soon. We will go into deeper knowledge, but for that the first thing you need to do is be satisfied. See, in the world there is no end to problems. Some or the other problems keep coming up, either financial, or health related, or relationship related problems. And if none of these are there, there is the problem of someone saying something to you and you feeling upset about it. The mind keeps getting caught up in problems. You should rise above this, and understand that the nature of the world is like that. See, if you have a home which is near the highway, how can you complain about noise? Similarly, if someone has a home in the forest and they are afraid of animals, then what can you say? If someone has a home near the ocean, and they are afraid of water, what can be said to them? Similarly, when you are in the world, there w...

Question - Gurudev, how to let go of people who are no more in our life? Sri Sri - Expand your vision about yourself, about life and about this universe. This universe has been there for at least 19 billion years, and it is part of billions of galaxies. One amongst the billion galaxies is our Milky Way. So the Milky Way is actually very small. In the Milky Way, we have our solar system, which is the size of a dot in the Milk Way, and in that, there is our planet Earth, and in that there is you! One would have to take a lens to see you, and by the time they get to see you, you’re already gone (referring to the magnanimity of the universe in comparison with our existence). What is your life in comparison to the creation? In this multi-verse, planet Earth is so insignificant, and you are even more insignificant. Another factor is time. In so many billions of years, billions of people have walked this planet. There are seven billion people on this planet today, and many are being born ever...

Question - Gurudev, I get doubts in almost every aspect of life. My confidence gets low due to it. Please suggest what I can do to fix this problem. Gurudev Sri Sri - That is not my job. My job is to create more doubts. Doubts are like baking soda, it bakes you well, so get baked! Once, I was in Sweden, I was in a Satsang and there was this journalist who came and stood in front of me and said, ‘Gurudev, you beat around the bush, sometimes you never answer questions directly. I am asking you a straight question now. You should answer me otherwise I am not going to leave you’. I said, ‘Okay.’ ‘Are you enlightened?’ He asked. I looked at him, smiled, and said, ‘No.’ Why to take the headache of proving? When you say no, matter is finished. The conversation ends. Full stop! Nobody in the past could ever convince anybody, or even tried to convince anybody that they are enlightened. If somebody had said that, then they would run into problems, they might be crucified and put somewhere. So I ...

Creation has an arch and five arrows. These five arrows are made up of five flowers; the five senses and he hits you with the five flowers. It is through these five senses you experience something that is beyond the five senses and deep inside you what gets created is a wave of beauty. It produces a sweet honey inside you. When you experience such a wave, your eyes close, you’re not in form but you dissolve into the formless. You come back to your nature. When you experience something so great, so wonderful, and so beautiful be it music, a fragrance or touch automatically your eyes shut, and you sink into that ocean of beauty.  The power, the energy inside you starts moving in a newer direction. Like in meditation, there is a feeling of elevation; it gives you more energy, long-lasting joy & long-lasting bliss. There is a feeling of elevation. Like in the spring, the entire creation just springs up. The birds sing, trees blossom. Like that, when energy is kindled in y...

When you look at the moon, or a colorful scene, or a waterfall, you say, “Oh, so beautiful”. There is a different sense of beauty. But if you look at something smaller, something you think you can possess, something you can take control over, a friend or a painting, or some other thing, your mind says, “I want to have it.”  In that beauty, there is feverishness, then the innocence dies and beauty doesn’t stay for very long. Why do children look so beautiful? From any country, anywhere on the planet, they are fresh as flowers. It is because their minds are clear like crystals, there is innocence in them.  Everyone appreciates the smile that comes from that innocence. There is beauty in it. You can become innocent only when you go inwards. Beauty is an inner phenomenon. Beauty is not in objects or people, not even in the eyes of the beholder. It lies in the heart of every person. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji,

You will not get water by digging small pits in 10 places around the water. This is a path to sadhana, if you have come to the Art Of Living, just keep walking on this path with complete faith and devotion. The Art Of Living has everything that was in the period of Sri Krishna 5000 years ago from today. Laughter-happiness, silence, knowledge, festival dance everything is here. I promise you to keep walking with full faith on this way. You will get everything; you will not be lacking in your life. The wrapping paper may be very fascinating but the real gift lies inside. Right ? Wake up. Others may judge you by the outer behaviour. Never mind. Drop all the labels. Look at the real inner gift that you carry within you. Unwrap yourself. See yourself beyond the opinions of the people. Be with clarity in mind, purity in heart and sincere actions. I am with you.  Be happy. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji,

When you look at the moon, or a colorful scene, or a waterfall, you say, “Oh, so beautiful!” There is a different sense of beauty.  But if you look at something smaller, something you think you can possess, something you can take control over, a friend or a painting, or some other thing, your mind says, “I want to have it.” In that beauty, there is feverishness; then innocence dies, and beauty doesn’t stay for very long. Why do children look so beautiful? From any country, anywhere on the planet, they are fresh as flowers. It is because their minds are clear like crystals; there is innocence in them. And everyone appreciates the smile that comes from that innocence. There is beauty in it. You can become innocent only when you go inwards. Beauty is an inner phenomenon. Beauty is not in objects or people; not even in the eyes of the beholder. It lies in the heart of every person.

“When a yogi sleeps, everybody is awake. And when everyone is sleeping, a yogi is awake;” this is what Lord Krishna says in Gita. What does it mean? It simply means that, when everyone is excited and worried, the yogi sleeps comfortably. The yogi knows that everything will happen for the best and all happenings will be for the general good. A yogi has this confidence. And when everyone else is sleeping, the yogi is awake, the yogi is aware of the truth about life, when everyone is asleep. “What is my end going to be? Where will I go? What is life? Who am I?’ When none of these questions arise in people’s mind, they are asleep. People are lost in watching movies and playing video games. There are people who are playing video games even at a very old age. Man isn’t seeing that death is near. He does not think, “I have filled my mind with so much craving and aversion. And I have done nothing to wash or cleanse my mind.” If you don’t cleanse your mind of impressions, then you carry the sam...

Nobody expects a good person to make a mistake. So, the better you are as a person, the higher the expectations people have of you. It is then that you lose your freedom. Your virtues and good actions are like a golden cage. You are trapped by your own good actions, for everyone expects more from a good person. Nobody expects anything from a bad person. Honour reduces the freedom. Your fame, honour and virtue can limit your freedom. Most of the people are stuck in this cage of prestige and honor. They cannot smile. They are constantly worried about keeping up their prestige and their honor. It becomes more important than their own lives. Just being good or doing good to keep the prestige and honor is worthless. Prestige and honor can bring more misery in life than poverty. Many desire fame, but little do they know that they are looking for a cage.It is an art to be dignified, yet not suffocated by it. Only the wise would know this. For the wise, it is natural to be in honor, and he is ...

In India, there is a proverb, ‘If God is happy with you, He gives you a lot, and if He is very happy with you, then He gives you a slap also'.   This is because every time God gives you a slap, He turns you away from the material world towards Himself; He wants to draw you to Himself.  Drop everything and look at Him. That is why He gives you the slap because He is too compassionate and too happy with you. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji,

Question - Gurudev, Why do people change their partners (girlfriend/boyfriend/spouse) when they used to love their earlier partner so much? Gurudev - lf you know how to row a boat, you can row any boat. But if you don't know how to row, changing boats isn't going to help. Similarly, changing a relationship does not solve the issue. Sooner or later, you will be in the same situation in any other relationship.  Most people look elsewhere for a perfect relationship, but few look within themselves; at the place from where we relate. What is your relationship with yourself? Who are you to yourself? People think, 'Oh, I'm single. l'm so bored being by myself. I need a companion. I need a relationship: lf you are so bored by your own company, think how much more boring you must be for someone else. And two people bored with themselves getting together, will completely bore each other! If your relationship is based on personal needs, it may not last that long. Once the need...

Expectations are a part of life, expectations are natural. But, when they come up, you should simply become aware that by expecting, you are only reducing joy in your life.When you grow in wisdom, you will see that all these impressions drop of and give way to something bigger and something more beautiful. We simply need to know that surprises give us more joy. You give your 100 percent, do whatever you can, and if somebody expects more, it is their problem, not yours. When people don’t live up to your expectations, you get frustrated, and you blame or curse them. By cursing, you lose your spiritual energy. When you bless, your energy goes up. Your own experience tells you time and time again that expectations reduce your enjoyment of life. Yet, most of us do not even realize; having too many expectations about everything, could be a reason for not being naturally happy. Expectation is just our imagination about how things might be. It prevents the mind from being fully with what is ha...