Ayurveda Initiative For Global Health

Question - Gurudev, can you please tell us about the three stages in spiritual practice? Gurudev Sri Sri - Yes, there are 3 stages in practice : 1. Anva Upaya, which includes pranayama, meditation, mantra chanting, exercises, and yoga. 2. Shakta Upaya. This is much more subtle. it is the stillness that you experience at the end of doing all these exercises, it is more internal. There is very little that you do, in fact everything is happening. There is no doer there, nobody doing anything, yet, it is happening, you feel that Shakta Upaya, it is very subtle. 3. Shambava Upaya is a step beyond the Shakta Upaya, just recognition, just awareness. It suddenly dawns, you have no clue, you have no say in it, you can't do anything about it. You are walking, watching a sun set, suddenly, something happens, something opens up. You meet someone, suddenly, you feel some sense of elevation, joy. Whether you are meditating, sleeping, or doing any work, suddenly an awareness, a wakefulness dawns ...

Question - Gurudev, do you really think that it is possible to stop hating someone? Gurudev Sri Sri - Don't stop hating, keep hating them. Do what you find easiest my dear. If doing something is bothering you, and you are finding it so difficult to do, then why do it. If you do something difficult and you still become miserable, what is the point? Do that which is easy and which makes you happy. If hating someone everyday makes you comfortable, makes you happy, just do it. I’m only concerned of your happiness and if hating someone makes you happy and blissful, just do it without guilt. (Laughter) This is not the case. When you hate somebody, they occupy your mind. They are occupying a place in your consciousness, and slowly you become like them. Why you should not hate somebody is because you don't want to be like them. This is the reason.

Question - Gurudev, just being in your presence is so amazing. Why do we need all these meditation practices? Is it necessary to be regular with it? Gurudev Sri Sri - Yes, so that you have something to do and I have something to do. There are four levels :  1. Sanidhya which means feeling the presence. 2. Samipya, feeling close to the Guru or to the Divine. The feeling of closeness has to come from your side. Nobody can make you feel close. It has to come from oneself. 3. Sarupya, being one with the form. Which means there is no difference between me and you. 4. Sayujya which means just dissolving in the Divine.

Question - Gurudev, how do we curb our desires to watch pornographic videos, which is so freely available these days? Gurudev Sri Sri - Do Pranayama. When you do yoga, pranayama, and meditation, these tendencies change, your nature changes. You know that you are not just a body, you are spirit, a scintillating spirit. With the help of these practices, you find yourself elevated to another level.

Question - Gurudev, when you see someone close to you caught up in their head, or in fear, or in concepts, how do you bring them to the level of heart? Gurudev Sri Sri - Just don't worry, they will come back on their own. It is about time and place. There is a couplet in Hindi that says, the world has everything, the world has many gifts, but a person without good karma doesn't get anything.