Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in Satsang at 6/10/ 2014 at Yagnashala, Bangalore Ashram
Q. What do you think about non-vegetarism?
Sri Sri: Well, when you see the nature, our immediate ancestors: monkeys, they are vegetarians. Our human system is made for vegetarian food. On google you will get many articles and scientific reasons for being vegetarian.
Little bit about Vedic Wisdom group and Sri Sri Yoga TTP Group, and then we will come to other questions.
Let's talk about Yoga first.
You know the definition for asana is stable and comfortable. Sthiram sukham asanam.
When you do a posture, you should let go the effort for it then you experience infinity abiding it. Each asana is to be done keeping in mind not the correctness of the posture, but to experience infinity.
Definition of comfort means not feeling the body. When you sit uncomfortably, you feel those parts of the body which are uncomfortable.
When you sit comfortably, you feel expansion and infinity in those parts of the body. This is the most important thing about postures - experience infinity, timeless expansion. That starts happening to you with a little practice. Yoga is not only to keep a good physique or shape, that will come automatically, but Yoga is also to experience timeless expansion.
Another definition of yoga - from scenery you go back to the seer. For you I am the scenary and you are the seer. So first bring your attention from the environment to the physical body. Taking attention from outside to inside. From the body you go to mind. Body becomes scenery and mind becomes seer. And even deeper is when you see thoughts in mind then mind becomes scenery. Yoga is establishing in the seer and not in the scenery.
What are the five tendencies (Vrittis) of the mind? 1. Pramana (Proof); 2. Vikalpa (Hindrance); 3. Needra (Sleep); 4. Smriti (Memory) & 5. Viparyaya (Wrong understanding).
In Proof, there are three types: that which we perceive with our senses, pratyaksha pramana. Guess work because of past experience, anumana. Things which does not exist but are imaginary: Vikalpa, which does not exist at all, like for example horns of a rabbit.
Viparyaya is understanding things which are not in the right way. And believing things which does not exist at all.
These five tendencies are draining the energy. Having control over these is what Yoga is.
When you do asana, the goal of asana is to feel confort in that and then feel the expansion. Not by wanting to feel, but by letting go, by doing it. Divinity is the simplest state of awareness, simplest form of awareness.
When you sleep, body relaxes and mind expands. When you want to understand something, mind is focussed and concentrated. We are trained to do things with attention. That attention brings tension. From tension move to relaxation. So first you relax, let go. Now, don't ask how do I relax. Just, let go.
The desire in mind is something that holds you, 'I want this'. Desire restricts you, that constraints your personality. Instead of that, say "I will get what I need". This one thing, 'I have to get it' move to 'I will get what i need'. There is a power which is operating. Letting go or dropping into the lap of divine Samadhi starts happening to you. You have to surrender to get into samadhi.
In the realm of mind, the way to get somthing is relaxation. In the physical realm, action is required. In the realm of mind is inaction. So, somewhere action & somewhere inaction.
Now Vedic Wisdom.
Nobody knows when Vedas were written. But Historians say that the oldest scripture is Rig Veda. What is Veda? Wehn people went into meditaion, they heard something and started repeating it, chanting it, and few other people who heard it, started recording it, writing it.
How many of you know birth of Ayurveda?
Long back, in the central part of India, in a forest, some sages (the then scientists) gathered and decidd that we need to go deep into meditation and bring out knowledge of what is good for health of human being and treat them. Now if everyone goes into meditation then who will note down. Then one Rishi Bharadhwaj said I will not go in meditation and I will record it. If there is one materia medica that is in the form of poem is Ayurveda. It talks about which herb is for which part of body is described in Ayurveda. How to treat different parts of the body. Even today, it stands good. Even allopathy is turning towards herbal medicines, ayurvedic medicines. They have started recognising one by one.
One of the best examples can be turmeric. In 1980, in one conference at Delhi, Allopathic doctors and Ayurvedic doctors were present at Delhi.
Ayurvedic doctors talked about the benefits of turmeric, but the allopathic doctors shunned it. Today, it is said that there are 19 important functions of Turmeric, but the allopathic doctors discarded it. Now the same doctors have started recognisin the good effects of Turmeric. It also does the job of life-saving drug, including Alzemir's disease, blood thinner, it is anti-viral, anti-bacterial, anti-cancer.
Similarly, butter. A whole generation went away thinking butter is not good. Today, allopathy agrees that little butter is good for health.
Ayurvedic science was mentioned in the vedas.
There are 16 major branches and a person can study just one or two branches in one lifetime.
The entire knowledge is so vast that one cannot study entirely. Someone cannot be a doctor of everything. Similarly you cannot be civil engineer, mechanical engineer & electrical engineer all at the same time. It will take you a lifetime to study all that.
Q. Gurudev, what is samadhi, does it happen with eyes closed only?
Sri Sri: It is good to start with eyes closed and then you can do it with eyes open. It is the equnimity of mind.
(Gurudev sings a verse in Kannada. Translation of the verse in Kannada: When my breath is so fragrant & soft why would I need any flower. When your mind is in heightened state, breath is like flower. When your mind is in pain, breath is also heavy. Where there is forgiveness, compassion, peace, endurance, tolerance, then why would I go and sit in samadhi.)
Earth is called Kshama because it nurtures you with water and food even when you dig it.
Tolerance to handle the opposites - pleasantness and unpleasantness, becuase unpleasant situations make you go deeper and make you strong, stronger.
Every pain, unpleasant thing also gives depth to your life. They are instruments for you to progress in life. Stepping stones for you to become strong and stronger.
Forgiveness, Compassion, Peace, Forbearance.
Peace means total relaxation-emotional, physical and mental.
When I have become the whole world, then what is the point in going into solitude. This is the meaning of the verse in Kannada. It also means I have become the universe and the universe has become me. And then in the verse devotee sings to God 'Oh God, are you listening.. this is my opinion'
Every poetry of this contry has rich knowledge written by saints. Not that they went to some school, it is from their own experience.
How many birthdays, stand up.
