Ehat do the significance of Akshaya Tritiya?

Question - Gurudev, what do the significance of Akshaya Tritiya?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Akshaya Tritiya is considered to be a very auspicious day in India. It is related with many stories. One of the stories is that, on this day the Ganges (a holy river in India) came to Earth to purify mankind. It is also associated with two instances of Lord Krishna. What happened is, once the five Pandavas, (the five brothers from the Mahabharata epic) and their wife were in exile. At that time a saint called and said, ‘I am going to have food with you.’ When the message came, they had no food. They had already eaten and had kept their pots away. Draupadi (the wife of the 5 Pandavas) prayed to Lord Krishna. At the same time, Krishna came to their house and said, ‘Oh I am very hungry.’ When he came in, he saw that there was only one grain of rice stuck to the pot. He picked that one grain of rice and ate it, and turned the pot into an Akshaya Patra. Akshaya Patra means that which never diminishes. When the saint came with 400 people, Draupadi could feed all of them from the same pot. The more she took from the pot, the more would come from it. It would never go down. So it is a common expression in India to say, ‘This is an akshaya patra‘, which means it always keeps giving. If people are very generous and they are always doing seva and contributing to other, then you say, ‘This is an akshaya patra’, means it never goes down; a perennial source. A magical pot which keeps feeding millions. The other story is, Krishna had a friend who was very poor. His name was Sudhama. Sudhama means a good place, or a very benevolent place. So, one day his wife said, ‘We are living in such poverty and Krishna is so rich. Why don’t you go and get something from him. He is your close friend.’ Sudhama said, ‘Okay, I’ll go, but I can’t go to a friend empty handed. I have to take something’. So his wife packed three handful of puffed rice in a scarf and gave it to him. It is like rice crispies. When Sudhama went to Krishna and Krishna welcomed him, and washed his feet. The story goes that they were such good friends and in the friendship there was so much love that Sudhama forgets to give the rice to Krishna and also forgets to ask him for anything. He came to ask him for a favor but he could not ask him anything because he was so overwhelmed with love. They were so close that he forgot to ask. He could not ask. He could not even speak. When he was about to leave, Krishna asked, ‘Hey, you have brought me something? Give it to me. I know your wife has sent something. Why are you not giving it to me. Come on, give it.’ Krishna took the rice and he ate one handful, then he ate the second handful, by that time his wife Rukmini came and said, ‘I want to take the third one’. While all this was happening, Sudhama left without asking him for anything. When he reached home, he found his house flooded with riches and gold. That’s the story. So, people today buy gold and they gift each other. Today if you get anything, it will always grow. You gift, or you buy, it all grows. That is the belief. Every day is a celebration! All that we need to know is that this world that we are in, all these things, are ultimately nothing! One day we will leave all this here only. Our body too will go back to this Earth. But you, the spirit will be alive. You will rise up because you are eternal. Nothing is impossible. Not only spiritual upliftment, even material things can flow when the devotion is very strong. That is the essence of this story.

EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE

Weekly Knowledge 127

Jaipur, Rajasthan

13 Nov 1997 

India

YOUR EXPRESSIONS OF LOVE

You feel a lot of love for someone and they do not take it. What do you do?

1. Get frustrated

2. Turn the love into hatred and wish for revenge

3. Again and again remind them how much you love them and how little they love you

4. Become fussy and cranky

5. Throw tantrums

6. Feel humiliated and try to protect your respect

7. Resolve never to love again

8. Feel hurt and mistreated

9. Try to be aloof and indifferent

...and you have seen that none of these work. They only make the situation worse. What is the way out of this? How do you maintain your lovingness?

1.Have patience and change your expression of love.

2. Be centered and limit your expression of love. Sometimes over-expression of love puts people off.

3. Take it for granted that they love you too and accept their style of expression. For example, a mother with three kids. One child talks, one child does not talk, one child throws tantrums. Mother's love is the same irrespective of their behavior.

4. Genuinely acknowledge their love for you. This will turn your demand into gratefulness and the more you are grateful in life, the more love comes your way.

5. Know that hurt is part of love and take responsibility for it. When you move away from your center, you will definitely get hurt and the nature of worldliness is misery.

🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸

साप्ताहिक ज्ञानपत्र 127

जम्मू, भारत

प्रेम की तुम्हारी अभिव्यक्तियां

तुम किसी के प्रति अत्यधिक प्रेम अनुभव करते हो और वह उसे स्वीकार नही करता । तब तुम क्या करते हो?

# हताश हो जाते हो

# प्रेम को नफरत में पलटकर बदले की इच्छा रखते हो

# बार-बार उसे यह याद दिलाते हो कि तुम उसे कितना प्यार करते हो और वह तुम्हे कितना कम प्यार करते ह

# तुम तुनुकमिजाज और सनकी हो जाते हो

# तुम गुस्सा प्रदर्शित करते हो

# तुम अपमानित महसूस करते हो और अपने सम्मान की रक्षा करने की चेष्टा करते हो

# तुम दृढ़ निश्चय करते हो कि दुबारा प्रेम नही करोगे

# तुम आहत होते हो और महसूस करते हो कि तुम्हारे साथ अच्छा बर्ताव नही हुआ 

# तुम अलग और उदासीन रहना चाहते हो

..... और तुम देख चुके हो कि इनमें से कुछ भी काम नही आता । वे स्थिति और बिगड़ जाती है ।

इससे निकलने का उपाय क्या है? अपने प्रेममय स्वभाव को कैसे बनाये रखे ?

# धैर्य रखो

# केंद्रित रहो और अपने प्रेम की अभिव्यक्ति को सीमित करो । कभी-कभी प्रेम की अभिव्यक्ति लोगो को दूर भगा देती है ।

# अपने प्रेम की अभिव्यक्ति को बदलो

# स्वीकार कर लो कि वह तुम्हें प्रेम करता है और उसके व्यक्त करने के ढंग को भी स्वीकार कर लो । जैसे एक माँ के तीन बच्चे-एक बात करता है, एक बात नही करता और एक गुस्सेल है- माँ का प्रेम तीनो के प्रति एक समान रहता है, चाहे उनका व्यवहार कैसा भी हो।

# उसके प्रेम को सच्चे मन से स्वीकार करो । यह तुम्हारी माँग की कृतज्ञता में बदल देगा और जीवन में तुम जितना अधिक कृतज्ञ होते हो, उतना अधिक प्रेम तुम्हे मिलता है ।

# यह जान लो कि दर्द प्रेम का अंश है और इसका भी दायित्व ले लो।

🌸जय गुरुदेव🌸

Ego causes heaviness, discomfort. It doesn't let love flow.

Weekly Knowledge 128

Banglore Ashram

20 Nov 1997 

India

EGO

When is there Ego?

1. When you don't get attention.

2. When you seem to be losing attention.

3. When you get attention (Laughter).

Ego causes heaviness, discomfort. It doesn't let love flow. Ego can be transcended by knowing the Truth; by enquiring "Who am I?" Often, your attitude towards one who has ego is of contempt or jealousy. But rather you should have compassion, or even pity, isn't it?

There is also a positive aspect of ego. It drives one to do some work. A person will do a job either out of compassion or out of ego. Most of the work in the society is by boosting the ego. But in Satsang, work is done out of love. Ego is separateness; non-belongingness. It is wanting to prove and to possess.

And when you wake up and see, there is nothing to be proved and nothing to possess, ego dissolves.

🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸

साप्ताहिक ज्ञानपत्र १२८

२० नवम्बर, १९९७

बंगलौर आश्रम, भारत

अहं

अहं कब होता है ?

१. जब तुम पर कोई ध्यान नहीं देता।

२. जब तुमको लगता है कि लोगो का ध्यान तुम से हट रहा है।

३. जब लोग तुम पर ध्यान देते है।

अहं भारीपन , बेचैनी , भय और चिंता लाता है। अहं प्रेम को उभरने नहीं देता।

अहं एक दूरी है, अलगाव की भावना , कुछ सिद्ध करने की चाह और अधिकार जताने की इक्छा ।

सत्य का ज्ञान होने पर अहं से ऊपर उठ सकते है , यह प्रश्न करके कि "मैं कौन हूँ ?:"

अहंकारी व्यक्ति के प्रति प्रायः तुम तिरस्कार की भावना या ईर्ष्या महसूस करते हो। इसके बजाय तुमको उसके प्रति सहानुभूति होनी चाहिए।

अहंकार का एक सकारात्मक पहलू भी है : यह काम करने के लिए प्रेरित करता है। एक व्यक्ति किसी काम को प्रसन्नता , दया या अहंकार से कर सकता है। समाज में अधिकतर काम अहंकार को बढ़ावा देने के लिए होते है। सत्संग में कार्य प्रेम द्वारा होते है।

जब तुम जाग्रत होकर देखते हो कि कुछ भी नहीं जिसे सिद्ध करना है, न ही जिसे पाना है, तब अहं मिट जाता है।

🌸जय गुरुदेव🌸

Enlightenment is beyond seasons like the evergreen coconut tree.

Weekly Knowledge 50

Bangalore Ashram

21 May 1996 

India

ENLIGHTENMENT

 Enlightenment is beyond seasons like the evergreen coconut tree.

 Sometimes the question comes up "What's the use of all these courses? Your behavior has not changed!"

 The Knowledge acquired by a human being cannot be measured or judged by external behavior. Someone may behave as though they have absorbed all the Knowledge but internally they have not. The reverse is also true. Someone who seems to have not changed at all may have absorbed a lot.

 Ordinary people would just look at the behavior, but the intelligent looks beyond and is amazed by the play of the consciousness (Brahman).

  Behavior affects relationships

Attitude affects behavior

Knowledge or ignorance affects attitude

Grace brings forth Knowledge.

Your inside is like a tree; in some seasons barren and at other times blossomed.

 Enlightenment is beyond seasons like the evergreen coconut tree which yields throughout the year.

🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸

 

साप्ताहिक ज्ञानपत्र ०५०

२१ मई,१९९६

आश्रम बंगलौर, भारत

ज्ञान-प्राप्ति

ज्ञान-प्राप्ति ऋतुओं से परे है , जैसे सदाबहार नारियल का पेड़।

कभी-कभी यह प्रश्न उठता है, "इस सभी कोर्स से क्या लाभ है? तुम्हारे व्यवहार में कोई परिवर्तन नहीं आया।" जो भी ज्ञान मनुष्य को प्राप्त हुआ है, वह उसके बाहरी व्यवहार से कोई भी नहीं निर्णय कर सकता, न ही नाप सकता है। कुछ लोग ऐसा व्यवहार करते है मानो उन्होंने पूर्ण ज्ञान अर्जित कर लिया है। पर वास्तव में ऐसा नहीं है। इसका विपरीत भी संभव है। जिसके व्यवहार में बिल्कुल परिवर्तन न आया हो, हो सकता है उसने काफी ज्ञान अर्जित किया हो।

साधारण व्यक्ति सिर्फ बाहरी व्यवहार को देखते है। परन्तु बुद्धिमान इसके परे देखता है और चैतन्य (ब्रह्म) की लीला को देख चकित होता है।

व्यवहार सम्बन्धों को प्रभावित करता है,

मनोभाव व्यवहार को प्रभावित करता है,

ज्ञान या अज्ञान मनोभावों को प्रभावित करता है,

आशीर्वाद और कृपा से ज्ञान प्रस्फुरित होता है।

तुम्हारा अंतर एक वृक्ष की तरह है, कुछ ऋतुओ में सूखा और कभी फला- फूला।

ज्ञान-प्राप्ति ऋतुओ से परे है जो सदाबहार नारियल के वृक्ष की तरह वर्ष-भर फल देता रहता है।

🌸जय गुरुदेव 🌸

How can we go from the saguna (form) to the nirguna (formless)?

Question - Gurudev, how can we go from the saguna (form) to the nirguna (formless)?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Every form is a manifestation of the formless divinity. The body is characterised by the guna (meaning has form or attributes, also meaning the is influenced by the three gunas : Sattva, Rajas and Tamas), but the aatma (soul) is nirguna or formless. Meditation is the answer for this. The saguna has form, shape, name etc. but it comes from the formless.

Should I suppress or should I express anger?

Question - Gurudev, should I suppress or should I express anger?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Sometimes express, sometimes suppress. There is no single answer. You can't express it all the time, you will cause so much damage to yourself and others around you and you can't suppress it all the time, sometimes you need to express it. Otherwise you will explode. So you should have that right balance. Wisdom is knowing when to express it and when to suppress it.

My colleagues always manage to take my energy away. What can I do to not lose my energy?

Question - Gurudev, my colleagues always manage to take my energy away. What can I do to not lose my energy?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Never mind, give them more. You have much more energy than what they can all take from you. The sun or the moon never say that you're taking my light away. You are the source of energy. I’m with you. I give you perennial replenishment of energy, don't worry. Don't put your attention there, put it here. If you're putting it here you get more energy. If you put it there then you feel you are being drained of energy.

How does it feel to become famous and important?

Question - Gurudev, this is from one of the children on the Art Excel program. How does it feel to become famous and important?

Gurudev Sri Sri - I want to be a kid, and I continue to be a kid. Nothing can beat the joy of being a child. And everyone should know that you should never grow up. I feel I refuse to grow up, I want to be a kid and I will remain a kid. We all should feel that way, not bother about being grown up and famous and all that. Just innocent kids, it's a small, small world.

Whenever I see you, tears start to roll down the eyes. I feel as if I know you since ages. Is it true?

Question - Gurudev, whenever I see you, tears start to roll down the eyes. I feel as if I know you since ages. Is it true?

Gurudev Sri Sri - You are doubting your own experience. Then it is surely true. We doubt the positive, and not the negative. We doubt somebody’s honesty. Nobody has ever doubted dishonesty of a person. Same way, if somebody asks you if you are happy, you say, “I don’t know whether I am happy or not”. But we are so sure of our depression. We doubt in the existence of God. We never doubt in the existence of this changeable and mortal world. Evolved scientists understand that there is a question mark on the apparently looking reality.

All my life I have been learning, exploring and analysing knowledge. When I came to the Art of Living, I was told to stop thinking, analysing and just meditate, which I’m unable to do. Please help me how do I follow it?

Question - Gurudev, all my life I have been learning, exploring and analysing knowledge. When I came to the Art of Living, I was told to stop thinking, analysing and just meditate, which I’m unable to do. Please help me how do I follow it?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Look, here we are thinking, analysing. You should analyse, but don't use that machinery too much, it needs some overhauling time. Don't you give your car for servicing, after driving it for too long? Meditation is taking your mind to the garage, for servicing. If you keep overworking this machine of analytical thinking, it will break down. So, you need to balance.

Meditation is maintenance or servicing of your intellectual machinery. Don't discard it. We never say, 'Don't analyse, lock your intellect'. You must use your intellect the maximum, but time and again, you must service it.

According to the law of karma, things are destined for you based on your past actions, and the law of attraction says you create your own experiences, consciously or unconsciously. I’m confused, please explain?

Question - Gurudev, according to the law of karma, things are destined for you based on your past actions, and the law of attraction says you create your own experiences, consciously or unconsciously. I’m confused, please explain?

Gurudev Sri Sri - There are certain karmas that you can erase. There are certain karmas that you cannot erase, they are just like exit points in the freeway, you can only exit at these points. If you miss an exit point, then you have no choice but to keep driving till the next exit point. Life is like that, there are many choices that you can make, there are many turning points at which you can turn, but if you miss those points, you have to wait till you reach another turning point. Don't worry, many turning points do come on the way. Now, if you are in between two turning points, then you feel helpless and that is destiny.

I can easily identify and witness my negative patterns, however, it is very difficult to break away from them. How does one break away from these patterns?

Question - Gurudev, I can easily identify and witness my negative patterns, however, it is very difficult to break away from them. How does one break away from these patterns?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Whatever you gain by effort has a limited age, and is for a limited time. What you gain by effortlessness is ageless and timeless. The answer to your question is hidden in this answer somewhere, you dig into it. I have given you a formula. In this formula, anything that you achieve with effort will have a result that is time-bound and limited, it cannot be forever. Anything that you get through effortlessness is timeless and painless.

What do you think about the donation of organs after death?

Question - Gurudev, what do you think about the donation of organs after death?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Yes, It's good. We can donate our organs. If our organs can come to someone else's help, we should be happy. Donate your eyes, or whichever organs are useful to others. Even if you are not here, your eyes continue to help someone to see. Like when you give knowledge to somebody, that knowledge will continue even when you are not there. People will enjoy it for generations. Though organs may not stay as long as knowledge or wisdom, they can for a short period of time help someone else. The purpose is that if we are useful in any way, while living or after death, we should just do it.

Can a woman follow Brahamcharya (celibacy)?

Question - Gurudev, can a woman follow Brahamcharya (celibacy)?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Identifying with the infinity is really what celibacy or Brahamcharya is. That means, you don't find any big pleasure in a physical act to experience the joy because the joy is already there. Body has its cycle. It goes through cycles. Consciousness not getting involved in it is the real skill. Now coming to your question - It's your personal choice. If you want to get married then marry. If you don't want to get married then don't marry. There are people who are married and miserable. Also, There are people who are unmarried and miserable. All I want you to be is wise.

Can you please tell us about the three stages in spiritual practice?

Question - Gurudev, can you please tell us about the three stages in spiritual practice?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Yes, there are 3 stages in practice :

1. Anva Upaya, which includes pranayama, meditation, mantra chanting, exercises, and yoga.

2. Shakta Upaya. This is much more subtle. it is the stillness that you experience at the end of doing all these exercises, it is more internal. There is very little that you do, in fact everything is happening. There is no doer there, nobody doing anything, yet, it is happening, you feel that Shakta Upaya, it is very subtle.

3. Shambava Upaya is a step beyond the Shakta Upaya, just recognition, just awareness. It suddenly dawns, you have no clue, you have no say in it, you can't do anything about it. You are walking, watching a sun set, suddenly, something happens, something opens up.

You meet someone, suddenly, you feel some sense of elevation, joy. Whether you are meditating, sleeping, or doing any work, suddenly an awareness, a wakefulness dawns in you. That is Shambhava Upaya, that happens with grace, blessings or love or something. The first stage, Anva Upaya, is inevitable. The second stage, Shakta Upaya, is an obvious movement. The third stage, Shambhava Upaya, is a gift.

Do you really think that it is possible to stop hating someone?

Question - Gurudev, do you really think that it is possible to stop hating someone?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Don't stop hating, keep hating them. Do what you find easiest my dear. If doing something is bothering you, and you are finding it so difficult to do, then why do it. If you do something difficult and you still become miserable, what is the point? Do that which is easy and which makes you happy. If hating someone everyday makes you comfortable, makes you happy, just do it. I’m only concerned of your happiness and if hating someone makes you happy and blissful, just do it without guilt. (Laughter) This is not the case. When you hate somebody, they occupy your mind. They are occupying a place in your consciousness, and slowly you become like them. Why you should not hate somebody is because you don't want to be like them. This is the reason.

Just being in your presence is so amazing. Why do we need all these meditation practices? Is it necessary to be regular with it?

Question - Gurudev, just being in your presence is so amazing. Why do we need all these meditation practices? Is it necessary to be regular with it?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Yes, so that you have something to do and I have something to do. There are four levels : 

1. Sanidhya which means feeling the presence.

2. Samipya, feeling close to the Guru or to the Divine. The feeling of closeness has to come from your side. Nobody can make you feel close. It has to come from oneself.

3. Sarupya, being one with the form. Which means there is no difference between me and you.

4. Sayujya which means just dissolving in the Divine.

How do we curb our desires to watch pornographic videos, which is so freely available these days?

Question - Gurudev, how do we curb our desires to watch pornographic videos, which is so freely available these days?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Do Pranayama. When you do yoga, pranayama, and meditation, these tendencies change, your nature changes. You know that you are not just a body, you are spirit, a scintillating spirit. With the help of these practices, you find yourself elevated to another level.

When you see someone close to you caught up in their head, or in fear, or in concepts, how do you bring them to the level of heart?

Question - Gurudev, when you see someone close to you caught up in their head, or in fear, or in concepts, how do you bring them to the level of heart?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Just don't worry, they will come back on their own. It is about time and place. There is a couplet in Hindi that says, the world has everything, the world has many gifts, but a person without good karma doesn't get anything.

Nature of love is that which you cannot express or define.

If there is anything in this universe that cannot be defined, it is love. If you can describe love, then it is far from the truth. Nature of love is that which you cannot express or define. You give flowers, you hug, you prostrate, you offer but still something remains unexpressed. We can only find a little expression, just a glimpse of it.

There is a story about Hanuman. He loved Lord Rama. Once Rama asked Hanuman: ‘Tell me how much you love me?’ Hanuman said: ‘My lord I cannot express my love for you, you want to see? I will tear open my heart and show you’. You can see the picture of Hanuman tearing open his heart and showing Rama: ‘Only you reside in my heart.’

There are three types of love: Satvik, rajsik and tamsik. Satvik love is that which does not expect anything in return. Rajsik love, is the love combined with feverishness and a desire to get something back. Tamsik love is love for destroying things. But Divine love is free from all these three.

When you love somebody, what do you love in them? Do you love their qualities, attributes or the person? The love for someone just because they are great, have wonderful qualities, look very beautiful or they are kind, these are all business and not Divine love!

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji