California,
United States
15th July, 1998
Chapter 1 - The You That You Want To Change
Day 61 - Dispassion (Continued)
Question - Our work is very stressful. We don't get enough time for the family. What should we do?
Gurudev - If you spend quality time with your family? Even if you spend half an hour, are you cordial and fully attentive to the needs of your family?
It is not the length of time you spend with your family that matters. What matters is the quality of time that you spend with them. Thinking you need rest makes you restless. Thinking you have to work hard makes you tired. Thinking you have worked hard brings self-pity. Hide your dispassion and express your love.
Expressing dispassion may bring ego. By expressing dispassion you lose enthusiasm in life and by not expressing love you feel stifled. Hide dispassion in your heart like the roots of a tree and express love like a ripe fruit. When you are in the grip of feverishness over the results of your actions, what should you do? Have faith and confidence that the results will be much better than you can ever imagine.
With faith you can rid yourself of the feverishness of action and achievement. Feverishness can be a hangover from overactivity. Sleeping, listening to flute music and bathing in cold water can help. When you are doing something very important, take a moment to do something totally irrelevant and insignificant. For example, while decorating your house, take some time to mow the lawn or go shopping.
Drop whatever you are doing and do something completely irrelevant. This enhances your creativity. Relevant action keeps you bound to the action. Irrelevant action makes life a game. Have dispassion. Know that the whole thing will be over one way or the other, and that it does not matter. Meditation and breathing can calm you down.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji
Celebrating Silence
