Wed, 11/16/2011 Afghanistan
In Ashtavakra you say to drop sense objects if you wish for freedom. Sometimes human values like compassion, love, etc., depend on sense objects. Should I drop this also?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, don’t hold on to anything, let go! Compassion and love is your nature, those will remain in you.
There is a saying in Hindi, ‘neki kar kue mein daal’.
If you think, ‘I am so good and everybody is bad’, that will make you sad. This attitude is what you should drop.
There is a saying in Hindi, ‘neki kar kue mein daal’.
If you think, ‘I am so good and everybody is bad’, that will make you sad. This attitude is what you should drop.
Beloved Guruji, in the world if we are in love with someone we have to cry. But if we are in love with you, then too we have to cry. What to do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
‘Kabira hasana door Kar, rone se kar preeti, bin roye kyon paiye, prem piyara meet.’
If some tears of love and of longing are shed then that is good, makes life worthwhile.
If some tears of love and of longing are shed then that is good, makes life worthwhile.
Jai Guru Dev, whom so ever I have loved whether my family or friends all have betrayed me and whatever I do for them goes wrong. I want to do something different and prove myself to them.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
What is the use of trying to prove yourself to them? If you attempt to prove something to them, it will only lead to a waste of energy. Leave it and move on.
Instead do what you want for yourself.
If you something good to prove to others, anyways no one will be happy seeing it. They will only become jealous. What will we gain by creating more jealousy? It will only increase animosity. Therefore, forget about others and focus on your own life.
The thirty to forty years of life left do what you want to do, earn how much you want to earn, do as much service in society as you want to do and then relax.
Instead do what you want for yourself.
If you something good to prove to others, anyways no one will be happy seeing it. They will only become jealous. What will we gain by creating more jealousy? It will only increase animosity. Therefore, forget about others and focus on your own life.
The thirty to forty years of life left do what you want to do, earn how much you want to earn, do as much service in society as you want to do and then relax.
But what about people who have betrayed me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Leave them and don’t be concerned. Uproot them from your heart.
If they have betrayed you that is their karma, and your karma was to get betrayed and now it is over. The score has been settled.
Gurudev, how do I know that I am doing what you expect me to do? Am I on the right path? At times I feel very weak and cry a lot. How can I stop my tears?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When you feel weak I am with you as your strength, you are not alone. Whenever you feel weak, know that you are not alone.
Be clear with what you want in your life and what you want to do. Then plan and move on those plans.
Sitting and crying being emotional is not going to help. Wake up and see this is the world and the world has its own metrics. See how you can move forward.
Be clear with what you want in your life and what you want to do. Then plan and move on those plans.
Sitting and crying being emotional is not going to help. Wake up and see this is the world and the world has its own metrics. See how you can move forward.
Why do we get attached and how do we get over the feeling of attachment? It is very painful when the person whom we are attached to chooses to leave us.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Remember, whatever is yours will always be yours. Whatever is not yours will come for a little while and then go.
Wake up! Go deep in knowledge.
Wake up! Go deep in knowledge.
I am good at making friends but bad at maintaining friendship, what do I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You have identified the problem. Now the solution is to be friendly, but don’t try to be over friendly. Just be yourself and focus on yourself. Don’t go and log on to your friends all the time and think how to impress them and what their opinion of you is. This is such a strain on your mind. Never get into this.
How many years are you going to live? One day you have to leave everything on this planet. You have to leave your good company, bad company, everybody and everything.
When this is the truth you should come out of the ashes of the slumber that you are in and wake up!
How many years are you going to live? One day you have to leave everything on this planet. You have to leave your good company, bad company, everybody and everything.
When this is the truth you should come out of the ashes of the slumber that you are in and wake up!
Guruji you have said feelings are emotional garbage. Should we not share our feelings with our loved ones?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, you can share your feelings but don’t dwell on them too much.
Observe if by you sharing your feelings whether you are doing any good to yourself or your love ones. Suppose you are not feeling good and you keep telling your friends that, are they going to help you in anyway?
If you have fever, and you share that with a doctor, he will give you some medication. But if you just keep telling your mother, grandmother and your friends who are not doctors, it is not going to help you in anyway.
Share those feelings that uplift people. Don’t share those feelings for which no one can help you. Share them only with those who can help you, someone elderly or someone you can trust. With them you can share and take guidance.
That is why with a teacher, a guide or a Guru you can share all your feelings.
Observe if by you sharing your feelings whether you are doing any good to yourself or your love ones. Suppose you are not feeling good and you keep telling your friends that, are they going to help you in anyway?
If you have fever, and you share that with a doctor, he will give you some medication. But if you just keep telling your mother, grandmother and your friends who are not doctors, it is not going to help you in anyway.
Share those feelings that uplift people. Don’t share those feelings for which no one can help you. Share them only with those who can help you, someone elderly or someone you can trust. With them you can share and take guidance.
That is why with a teacher, a guide or a Guru you can share all your feelings.
What is Prayaschit?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
‘Prayas’ means become young again. ‘Chit’ means your mind becoming young again. Your chitta, mind or consciousness becomes old when it is bogged down by regrets. To remove the regrets becoming new and young again is what Prayaschit is.
I did a mistake, never mind now I am going to chant ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ and do my pranayama. Pranayama is the best prayaschit and when you do pranayama all that energy that is bogged down wakes up.
I did a mistake, never mind now I am going to chant ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ and do my pranayama. Pranayama is the best prayaschit and when you do pranayama all that energy that is bogged down wakes up.
I have seen the Bhagavad Gita and it is a fat book. How did Lord Krishna explain all the 700 shlokas in the Bhagavad Gita on the battle field?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Sometimes you don’t need so many words to communicate. Communication happens faster, but when written it becomes longer.
In those days wars would go on for many days. Mahabharata war also went on for many days and the preparations were for many days. So it is possible that Lord Krishna spent one whole afternoon in brainwashing Arjuna.
Since Arjuna thought he knew everything, Lord Krishna had to talk to him and convince him in many different ways. So it is not an impossibility.
Gurudev, in the name of devotion some people pierce needles on their tongue and other parts of the body. Is it right to torture ourselves in the name devotion?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, this is not correct. Nowhere in the scripture does it say that you should do these torturous things. The Divine dwells in every heart and no one should torture oneself in order to please the Divine.
Gurudev, if we have to marry, why not marry the Divine. How to make that possible? Please guide.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Marriage is a commitment. It is an internal thing, an internal bondage with the Divinity. Be in your house and continue doing what you are doing and in your mind your attachment is towards the Divine, that is it!
If you are already married see the Divinity sitting in your own husband’s heart.
If you are already married see the Divinity sitting in your own husband’s heart.
Gurudev, I have heard that the soul chooses its path. Somehow if you get deviated from that path and do something else, the Universe kicks you back on to that particular path that you are supposed to be on, is that true?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That is if you are lucky! If you are unlucky it takes you long time to get back to your path.
Lust, desire, anger, attachment and greed, are all these created by human beings or God?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
God has put these tendencies in our lives for us to rise above them. Without this there is nothing else in life to do.
We have also been given the wisdom and the tools to rise above them. So the solution has been given first and then the problem and we need to fit the right solution to the problem.
If we don’t see the solution but remain caught up in the problem then that is ignorance.
We have also been given the wisdom and the tools to rise above them. So the solution has been given first and then the problem and we need to fit the right solution to the problem.
If we don’t see the solution but remain caught up in the problem then that is ignorance.
If we give blessings to someone, or pray intensely for their wishes to be fulfilled, are we going against the Universe?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No. This feeling to pray has also been put in your heart by the Universe.
Are bad dreams okay?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Bad dreams are okay and good dreams are also okay. Consider bad dreams as something negative leaving you and good dreams as indications of something good about to happen.
Gurudev, what is right and what is wrong?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That which gives you a little trouble in the beginning but happiness for a long time is right and that which gives you temporary pleasure but long term misery is wrong.
Can you elaborate on the number 7, like there are 7 days in a week, the 7 continents, the 7 chakras and so on.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Every number is associated with something sacred and has sacredness to it.
That’s why when the Rudrabhishekam is done, all the numbers are said.
Number 1 and 2 are very sacred. Number 3 is also sacred. Number 3 is associated with so many things, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh; Satva, Rajas and Tamas; Vata, Pitta and Kapha; Morning, Afternoon and Evening; Present, Past and Future. So number 3 is very sacred.
Then number 4 is more sacred. The four directions; the four Vedas has so much sacredness attached to it. The most sacred of the symbols Swastika has four corners.
Then number 5, the five elements which are very sacred; the five organs of senses; five organs of perceptions; five organs of action. Pancha Devata, there are five important categories of Devatas. A village panchayat has only five members and so 5 is very sacred.
Then comes 6, Shad Darshanas, the six systems of Hindu philosophy; Shadangas, the six angas are very important. Then the sixth sense, you say the mind is the sixth sense.
Then 7; seven Swaras, seven Chakras, seven days of the week, seven planets…
8 has its own sacredness, Ashta Dikpalakas, are the eight divine entities ruling eight quarters or the universe, Ashtadhatu, eight metals which are very essential for the body. Ashtalakshmi, the eight types of wealth. So 8 has its own significance.
Coming to 9, Navagrahas; Navaratna, nine gems; Navaratri, nine nights. In nine months a child is born. There are nine types of bhakti.
10 and 11 is also sacred. No number is left which is not sacred. In the West number 13 is considered unholy, but in India no number is considered unholy or unlucky. All the numbers are good numbers. Every number has some significance, some glory attached to it.
That’s why when the Rudrabhishekam is done, all the numbers are said.
Number 1 and 2 are very sacred. Number 3 is also sacred. Number 3 is associated with so many things, Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh; Satva, Rajas and Tamas; Vata, Pitta and Kapha; Morning, Afternoon and Evening; Present, Past and Future. So number 3 is very sacred.
Then number 4 is more sacred. The four directions; the four Vedas has so much sacredness attached to it. The most sacred of the symbols Swastika has four corners.
Then number 5, the five elements which are very sacred; the five organs of senses; five organs of perceptions; five organs of action. Pancha Devata, there are five important categories of Devatas. A village panchayat has only five members and so 5 is very sacred.
Then comes 6, Shad Darshanas, the six systems of Hindu philosophy; Shadangas, the six angas are very important. Then the sixth sense, you say the mind is the sixth sense.
Then 7; seven Swaras, seven Chakras, seven days of the week, seven planets…
8 has its own sacredness, Ashta Dikpalakas, are the eight divine entities ruling eight quarters or the universe, Ashtadhatu, eight metals which are very essential for the body. Ashtalakshmi, the eight types of wealth. So 8 has its own significance.
Coming to 9, Navagrahas; Navaratna, nine gems; Navaratri, nine nights. In nine months a child is born. There are nine types of bhakti.
10 and 11 is also sacred. No number is left which is not sacred. In the West number 13 is considered unholy, but in India no number is considered unholy or unlucky. All the numbers are good numbers. Every number has some significance, some glory attached to it.
