Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

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...