Sri Sri: Rudram is a very complex chanting and a complete chanting. It doesn’t leave anything, any aspect of the existence. It says one who is stable and one who is moving, changing, all the opposites are counted in it; ‘Namotisthadbhyo dhavadbhyascha vo namo namah’; one who is running and one who is stationary, both I adore. So it’s something so unique, the chanting of Rudram. It comprises of all the opposites. And so it’s something that represents the totality. Anything that is under the Sun or above the Sun is all recognized and that’s how Rudram is considered as one of the most sacred of the chants.
Q. Gurudev, I had a great yearning to know everything earlier, it’s not that it has vanished, but I can now live without knowing everything. How can I tell if this is contentment or laziness?
Sri Sri: When the life force in you is awakened, certain contentment also comes along with that; contentment about every aspect of life. That doesn’t mean you have lost interest. But there is a deep sense of connectedness to the higher self. That can bring this sort of feeling in you, when you feel connected to your higher self. The feverishness or curiosity to some extent vanishes. Because curiosity is not of this being, it is always of the intellect; and practices take you beyond intellect and beyond intellect is where real satisfaction comes to us. And so when there is satisfaction of the expanded nature of our self, just even a glimpse of it would bring certain amount of serenity, contentment and it appears that you are losing that feverishness to know. But it’s not depression or lack of interest or laziness. If any of these things come in then you will also find a sense of heaviness coming over you, mentally, physically, you will feel heavy. This is what Maharishi Patanjali calls as sthana. Sthana as a sort of dullness, heaviness. That is an obstacle in the path of Yoga, but contentment is not an obstacle.
Q. Gurudev, I am grateful to be on this path, but I cannot say that I have experienced the highest truth. When it will happen is not clear, by doing what it will happen is also not clear, how do I track my progress on the path?
Sri Sri: But this is clear that you want to be on the path or not? Yes. When are you sitting and expecting something to happen to you at some point and what is that you are expecting, this you need to pin point. Most of the time we are so vague in our wanting and when you don’t even know what you really want, then the confusion is obvious. That is what we say you don’t even know what you want. But there is a sense of seeking, emptiness in you and here is where you need to dive into that feeling, dive into that sensation of not knowing what you want. This is diving into the unknown, this is the chance of going deep in the meditation. You feel lonely, you feel lost, when you feel lost, it is a blessing in disguise I tell you. Pull yourself up and sit and ponder on it, what is that. And all this knowledge is there for you to help you to dive into the space.
Q. Gurudev, someone that I have worked with, has a strong prejudice against me, because of what they have heard about me. This creates problems in our working relationship. If I try to clarify, I am seen as defensive, how should I deal with this situation? Please guide.
Sri Sri: Educate and ignore. You know sometimes it is the glass that you wear that they have prejudice. Nobody’s prejudice can stay for too long. And by your clarification nobody’s prejudice will even go. Best thing from your side what you can do is educate and ignore. And don’t even recognise that they have prejudice against you. You just keep working. Because the moment you think they have prejudice against me, then your reaction or your action gets coloured. Just deal with them as though you are dealing with a new person. It may appear a little strange, to begin with, but later on you will find yourself in a higher plain, in a plateau where you are able to deal with any situation, with anybody. Prejudice is their problem and you will see their prejudice simply dissolve, vanish. But the more you recognise, you are giving energy to that. You should go and just greet them, talk to them as though you don’t even recognise their prejudice. You know in the world there is lot of prejudice about everything. In gender prejudice is there, there’s prejudice about race, religion, and sadhu, sanyasi, guru, big prejudice! One with a beard or look different, then there is prejudice. But we should not recognise those prejudice and give energy to it, it affects our own interaction. We must believe that mind is fluid or is like air, is like gas, it just changes all the time. People’s opinions change, if you recognise this, then you become free and your interaction with them will be normal, like you do with a person who has no prejudice.
Q. Gurudev, it’s been a long time since God showed us some visible miracles. The last one was Ganesh Ji drinking milk. Is there something coming up?
Sri Sri: Listen, every day, every moment, there are so many miracles, you only need an eye to see it. There is abundance of it in life. Every flower that blossoms are indicating in that direction. Every bird that is chirping. And every behavior of human being, pleasant or unpleasant. It’s all like a miracle. Recognise this, honor this, you will find that your life is filled with it.
Q. Gurudev, all relationships seem temporary, they teach us a lesson and then with time they get over. This seems so shallow to me, is there any deep purpose of a relationship?
Sri Sri: Then you are very lucky! When you know these, relationships have their own limitations you can have them and not get affected by them, not get drowned in it. When you get drowned in any relationship, you lose your centeredness, you lose your true self. All relationships are like different garments, different coats, different parts, different roles you play in your life. You are much more than all the roles you play. And you are so lucky to know this ‘That I am not just my relationship, but I am more than that’. This opens a new avenue, new dimension in your life. I would say this is the beginning of serenity dawning in life.
