Spirituality is going deep within oneself & appreciating the values of life.
– Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Spirituality is getting in touch with yourself, the core of your being. Spirituality is going deep within oneself and appreciating the values of life. Anything that uplifts the spirit, anything that brings more happiness, love, joy, creativity, compassion and enthusiasm in life is spirituality.
Anything that brings you closer to yourself, that uplifts your spirit, that makes you feel one with everybody is spirituality.
Spirituality is not only believing in some God up there, no. Spirituality is exploring the godliness inside of you.
Spirituality is meant for everyone. True peace and happiness is what spirituality brings to you.
– Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Why do we need Spirituality? Who needs Spirituality?
Spirituality is meant for everyone. We are made up of body, mind, and spirit. The body needs amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals.
Similarly, what does the mind need? It needs happiness, love, creativity; all this is part of spirituality. Creativity, enthusiasm, respect, love, joy, happiness; don’t you want this?
Spirituality helps to enrich intuition and sharpen intelligence.
Spirituality makes you natural, spontaneous and compassionate. It gives you a sense of belongingness with the whole world.
Spirit means peace, happiness, joy, caring and sharing. Spirituality enhances these qualities. It concerns every human being.
True peace and happiness is what spirituality brings to you.
You simply have to know how to relax and rest deep in your heart.
– Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
How do I Grow Spiritually?
Just Relax !
It’s very simple. To grow spiritually, you simply have to know how to relax and rest deep in your heart. This is what meditation is all about.
Meditation helps you get out of the stressed, tensed mind so you can get to the bottom of your own existence.
Harness your Own Breath
Breathing exercises – pranayama – can help free ourselves from stress. Meditation takes us deep into our true nature – “satchitananda”, which is beauty, which is love and pure consciousness.
Practice Sudarshan Kriya
Art of Living has this beautiful technique – Sudarshan Kriya™. Sudarshan Kriya™ helps you to get rid of stress and makes you realise you are not just the body. In a short period of time, Sudarshan Kriya™ uplifts the veil on our spirit.
Usually people say, “Oh, my mind is all over the place. I cannot meditate.” You will not complain if you know, have learned kriya, or done Sudarshan Kriya™. The moment you finish the rhythms and the cycles of breath in Sudarshan Kriya™, meditation starts happening within you effortlessly.
Meditate Daily
Are you meditating every day? If you are meditating once every few days, then that is not proper meditation. If you learn proper meditation, then you will find yourself free from stress. It does not matter if you are Sikh, Hindu, or Buddhist. Anyone can meditate. Meditation doesn’t conflict with any religion.
Meditation will give you much needed strength. Have the faith that only the best will happen to you in the future and move on. Sudarshan Kriya will help tremendously.
Religion is like the banana skin and spirituality is the banana inside
– Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Broaden your Vision & Deepen your Roots
Do not get into fights and narrow-minded interpretations of scriptures. Every child should know a little bit about the 10 major religions of the world. Then life becomes richer. Otherwise, children will think only their way is the right way. They get stuck, which causes many problems.
People think only they have the key to heaven and everyone else is going to hell. Actually, they create hell for everyone else. Fanaticism is almost in every religion.
We should honour everybody and look at the world as a bouquet of flowers. We should celebrate diversity, honour everyone and not be a fanatic. But, you should stick to one path, not shop around taking a little from here and a little from there and then make a hotch-potch of it all. That is not good. Stick to one but have respect for everyone.
Love is always about givingTo grow in unconditional love and in beauty is spirituality
– Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Serve Selflessly
Seva means, doing [acting] like Him – the creator. The creator does everything for you and he doesn’t expect anything from you. So to do whatever you can, not expecting anything in return, is called seva. Just be natural and accept people. Love is always about giving. Know that you have come here (on the planet) to only give love and not demand love from anybody.
The best form of worship is to be happy, to be grateful. When you demand there is no grace, but when you are grateful it comes in abundance.
– Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Cultivate Contentment & Gratitude
You should have some level of contentment for whatever is coming to you. With contentment comes gratitude. If you are discontented, how can you be grateful?
If you are grumbling, you can’t be grateful, and if you are not grateful, how can there be grace? It all fits one into another.
Now, don’t ask how one can be more grateful? Just stop complaining! Know that this whole life is like a dream. It is all going to end and everything is going to finish one day. This very awareness will bring a shift in you.
This story is going to end someday and the curtains are going to fall. When you see this, a shift happens – from running around to having more contentment.
Quicken the Pace of Spiritual Progress
If you want to quicken the pace then keep listening to knowledge again and again. Read at least one page of Yoga Vashishtha, Ashtavakra daily.
Keep doing seva, satsang, meditation.
Maya has long hands and the pull keeps happening. With the help of the rope, one has to walk away from the pull.
Satsang, sadhana, satguru are all there for this only.
