Bringing music amidst chaos is the skill of Divinity. Bringing light into the world where there is misery is the skill of Divinity. Bringing joy where everything appears to be miserable, to make one understand that life is all fun and joy, where there are complications and problems all around is the skill of Divinity. To find harmony amidst chaos, bliss amidst suffering, wisdom amidst foolishness, light in darkness, and immortality in a place where everything is dying, that is Gita.
Dependency and Freedom
Life is a long story of dependency, but the inner struggle is to become free. What can bring you the freedom? It is knowledge. It is only knowledge that can bring us that freedom. It is only wisdom that can uplift us from a sense of utter helplessness. Physical, intellectual, emotional dependency can be uplifted through wisdom or spiritual experience.
The Art of Winning
One who is only thinking about the result of the action is poor. One who is focused in the action and he does it 100%, is free. If you are participating in a race, you don’t look this side and that side – who is running faster than me? What do you do? You look at your track and you run 100%. When you put your 100%, even if you lose, it gives you relief, because you utilized your maximum capacity, you did your 100%. But if you compare yourself and try to trip somebody and make them fall, you are going to trip yourself. That’s not winning a race. By tripping somebody even if you win, it is really a loss. So, you focus yourself 100%, you do your 100%, that will bring you satisfaction, “I did all that I could do, and now I am free.”
Desires
If you chase desire after desire, clinging on to the desire makes you weak. It makes you restless and it leaves you without peace. Like an ocean, be fulfilled within yourself, and just see how all the desires, whatever you need, will come to you spontaneously. Like the rivers flow into the ocean, so does your life. This is the Brahmi state, Brahman state.
Strength and Courage
When there is chaos, there is confusion; when there are problems all around you, then calmness is needed the most; wisdom is most valuable then. When life is a challenge, that’s when all the skills are needed from within you. When people blame you, when they don’t understand you, that’s when you need the inner strength to smile. When things don’t go the way you want them to, that’s when you need the endurance, the strength and courage to remain unperturbed.
Connection
When a close friend or a relative of yours is not well or unhappy somewhere, don’t you feel it? We are all connected, the whole universe is connected, every individual is connected. Because you feel a connection with some people, when something happens to them, it affects your body. When you are connected with the entire universe, you can observe anything happening to anybody, right here. Your body is nothing but a mirror of the whole universe.
Meditation
When you sit for meditation, withdraw your mind from all the senses, take it to your source, how fresh and beautiful you feel from inside! You feel rejuvenated because you have withdrawn your mind, your mind which is outside all the time, goes inwards. That withdrawal of the mind from the senses purifies you.
Doubt
Doubt is always about something good. You never doubt something that is bad. You never doubt someone’s dishonesty, only someone’s honesty. When someone tells you, “I love you very much,” you doubt that. “Really?” You ask. You never ask this question when someone says, “I am mad at you, I hate you.”
Mind
Your mind is your greatest friend and your mind is your greatest enemy. Your own mind uplifts you and your own mind puts you down – there is no other enemy outside. When you have control over your mind, when you train your mind, that mind becomes a very good friend.
Power of Yoga
What happens when you put your mind away from the little desires and thoughts that disturb you? Where there is no wind blowing, the flame is stationary. In the same way, your mind remains stationary, focused. Your mind becomes like a laser beam. With that power of yoga, many abilities will dawn in you. You will become more powerful. Even to have the best of enjoyment, you need to have merit or ability, and yoga gives you that ability. In that state, the yogi is in all bliss. He enjoys everything he is doing. He loves the state he is in, he is intoxicated, enjoying the bliss of the Self.
Power of OM
Om is an experience where the prana in the lower part of the body reaches the top. From the lowest to the highest, from Earth to infinity, That which permeates everything is Om. The beginning, the middle, and the end is Om and Lord Krishna says, “I am that Om.”
Karma
Harming others brings trouble to yourself. That is why you should not harm others. Not for their sake, but for your own sake. But this does not mean that you please others all the time. You walk your way and in the process, if other people feel that they have been harmed then it is their problem. If you didn’t have the intention to harm the other, then you are safe. This is the whole dynamics of karma
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji
