Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Every person is faced with this true situation. At certain times you feel great because you have achieved something. You say, “Yes, I have done this.” At other times all your efforts fail and you don’t get the result that you wanted. Then there are two choices for you. Either you can brood over it, feel upset, depressed, unhappy, or you can make use of the same situation to pray. Become aware of your insignificance and turn the same situation into a prayer. Every helpless moment is a golden opportunity to pray. -Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Q: What is the meaning of ‘Annadata Sukhi Bhava’? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: ‘Annadata sukhi bhava’ means ‘those who are providing me with this food, let them be happy’. Will you all say this one mantra every day before your meals? When you say this, you are wishing prosperity for three people. One is to the farmer; the second is to the trader who buys from the farmers and sells the produce, and the third is to the woman who cooks the food and serves it to you. First, we wish well for the farmers. When the farmers are happy, then the ones who eat the food will also be happy. But, if the farmers are unhappy, and they are shedding tears and giving us food, then when we eat that food, we become sick. So, you must wish the farmers good health and happiness. In this country we are ignoring the farmers. Farmers are committing suicide because they are sad and unhappy. When they are sad, then the food they produce brings us only misery. So, all of you should wish them happiness. Second, we shou...

Gandhi Jayanti is an occasion to reflect on what we can learn from Gandhiji. Everyone’s life teaches us both what to do and what not to do. The ideals that Gandhiji set are an inspiration for generations – a sense of sacrifice, acceptance for everyone, an unbroken faith in satsang and dedication to the higher cause of the country and the welfare of people. But there were aspects of his life that teach us what not to do as well. My teacher, Pt. Sudhakar Chaturvedi, who is still alive at 118 years stayed with Gandhiji for a long time. Bangalori, as Gandhiji would call him since he hailed from Bangalore, used to teach him the Bhagavad Gita. They were together on the day Kasturba passed away in Yerawada Jail. Watching her in the throes of death, Gandhiji said, “Bangalori, your Bapu has to face the test of fire (agni-pariksha) today.” Panditji saw tears in Bapu’s eyes for the first time. As he read the second chapter of the Gita for Kasturba, she breathed her last. Gandhiji remarked, “I rea...

You will just see the body out there. Once you come out of the body, you will see your whole life flashing like a movie in a few minutes. These will be the two questions that will stand. 1. How much love you gave? Not how much love you received, and 2. How much knowledge you gained? This question will come and you will say, ‘I will do better next time’, and that is it. Then there is peace. What happens after death is the mind gets freed from the body, the spirit. The mind has memory and intelligence, so these two things become like a balloon. The karma, the deepest impressions form a balloon.It is like in sleep . Death is nothing but a long sleep. Before going to sleep, you review what all work you have to do the next day,see the last thought that you get, You say, ‘This all as to be done tomorrow. Okay, I will do it’, and then you go to bed, And as soon as you wake up, see what is the first thought that comes. Have you noticed? It will variably be the same though. Isn’t it! Same thing...

Gurudev, where does one seek the do’s and don'ts on karma? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:  You should listen to your own conscience, your inner gut feeling. Don’t do anything which you don’t want others to do to you. That is the criteria. We should do that which brings long term benefit, even if it is at the cost of some short term unpleasant situations. We should not do that which gives short term pleasure but problems in the long run. This is the criteria for karma.