Our Consciousness
Is Very Ancient

Thu, 04/05/2012

Bali, Indonesia

See the ocean, how non-stop the waves keep coming. It doesn't get bored.
Birds sing the same song, they don’t get bored. Every morning birds sing, all their life. They don’t get bored. It is human beings who get bored. ’Oh once again the same thing.’ And why do we get bored? It is because of memory.
You remember what you have done before and so you get bored. Memory is a blessing and also a curse. It is both. It is because you get bored that you feel the need to look for something different, something new, and that is how creativity comes up; you look for the ultimate. Otherwise you could have remained like an animal doing the same thing every day. But you can’t do it because you get bored. Isn’t it?!
So in that sense boredom is a blessing. Because you get bored, you move on, you look forward, you become a seeker and you rise higher. At the same time, boredom is also a curse because it doesn’t allow you to be stabilized in one place; stabilized in yourself, and your mind keeps jumping from one place to another aimlessly. You get bored about everything and you can’t enjoy anything. Do you see what i am saying?
Boredom is a blessing when it leads you to wisdom. And boredom is a curse when it leads you to frustration and depression.
These are the two different paths that boredom leads you to.

You are bored and so you can’t enjoy, and when you can't enjoy you get depressed and frustrated. You go into that direction. Or, because you are bored you wake up and you start with a quest. You move ahead and you look into the self which is fresh all the time! The self is ever new. Because you are bored with the ephemeral, the surface, you go deep into the self.
Are you getting what I am saying?
So boredom is both a blessing and curse. A blessing because it takes you away from the routine monotonous life, makes you aware and brings life into you. And it is a curse because it doesn't let you stabilize; both!

People who are in love don’t get bored. Heart knows no boredom. Head knows boredom. But in life both are essential, the heart and the head. If you are only in the heart, it is no good. You become mushy mushy. And if you are only stuck in the head, that is also no good. Balancing both, that is yoga. Spirituality is balancing the heart and head together.

This is especially for those people who feel they are a failure in their life. Anyone who feels that they are a failure, just wake up! So what?! Life is so eternal.
We have 365 days in a year and there are so many years in your life. For one day or two days you feel you are wasted, life is a failure, never mind! Similarly, so many lifetimes we have come here; we have been here so many times and our consciousness is very ancient.

See, the full moon is there. So on one full moon, if it is cloudy and the light cannot shine on the earth, the moon does not get upset. Never mind if on one full moon you cannot see the moon rising, so what? The moon is still there. Like that, inside you there is potential, there is divinity which is so complete. If it has not come to the surface on one day, never mind!
You have all the great qualities. If some does not exhibit on some particular days, never mind.
Don’t blame yourself, don’t analyze yourself too much. Are you getting what I am saying? We start analyzing ourselves too much to the extend that we feel so upset and we go down. We are so hard on ourselves.
Never mind, in so many lifetimes, if one life is wasted, so what?! I am saying this only for those who are feeling very down. Don’t mis-quote me and take it for everybody and then say, ‘Guruji said waste this life time. Let me drink and make make merry and forget about any practices.’ No!
I am saying this to those who are desperate. Who are feeling so bad about themselves. I am telling them, never mind, wake up! These many years are wasted, never mind, don’t worry. Future days will be bright.
All regrets happen only when you are looking towards the past. If you are walking and your head is turned backwards, then that is called regret. Turn your head and look forward, then it is always bright. If your head is twisted, then you will regret, regret, and regret. Just drop it and move on.

Questions & Answers

Expand all Q & A Collapse all Q & A

Read earlier posts

  • September 23, 2019

    September 23, 2019
  • September 23, 2019

    September 23, 2019
  • September 23, 2019

    September 23, 2019
  • September 23, 2019

    7 Steps to Cope with Frustration

    November 23, 2018
    • In life you will have 101 reasons to get frustrated. However it is up to you keep the enthusiasm alive without allowing the frustration to seep in. Here are some pointers to help you keep frustration at bay.
  • May 1, 2018

    The Best Form of Donation

    April 28, 2018
    • It is important to donate at least 3 percent of what we earn - says Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar. In this article he further talks about the best form of donation
  • Is Buddhism a Part of Hinduism

    April 25, 2018
    • It is often asked - Is Buddhism a part of Hinduism? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar sheds light on the origin and similarity between the two religions

    The 5 Types of People

    April 23, 2018
    • A must read: There are 5 types of people in society - find out which type are you in this knowledge sheet by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

CONNECT WITH GURUDEV

THE GURUDEV GURUDEV APP

Read wisdom from Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s Blog, Facebook, Twitter and Live Talks.

IPHONE | ANDROID

Subscribe to wisdom updates