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The Power Of Love: Meeting Gurudev

When I first met Gurudev, I saw him on stage at an advanced course I was attending. Though I couldn’t quite fathom who or what he was, I admired the wisdom of his words and his humor and was filled with gratitude for the practices and knowledge with which he had transformed my life. I saw him as a wise and wonderful man. Later that evening, he did “darshan,” i.e going around to every person and handing them a little bag of nuts. When he came around to me to give me a little bag of nuts, he looked in my eyes, it must have been for half a second. I stood transfixed. I felt such a wave of love coming from him that I quite nearly fell over. In that split second, which seemed like an hour due to its power, I realised why people say that “love conquers all” and that love is the most powerful thing in the world. In that moment, I realised that these sayings were all true. And that a being so full of love is capable of transforming the whole world because what everyone wants is love. I felt in that moment that Gurudev could transform and bring out the best in anyone, even Saddam Hussein, through his very gaze of love. Though we see Love in him, Gurudev tells us that we are the source of Love. We keep looking for it outside of us, but Gurudev points his finger back inside us. Our need to look outside of us is so strong that he has come here to be with us, to manifest love, so that we would pay attention to his message - the message to turn back inside and seek for the divine where we had not yet looked for it inside. Gurudev is a manifestation of love, and in his essence, he is a manifestation of our true potential as human beings. He does not tell us that we can be like him, he tells us that we are like him. He is here to show us who we really are. Do not make any excuses to miss the opportunity to meet Gurudev and to encounter yourself. There is no excuse.

~ A Devotee 

The Power of Love: Meeting Gurudev - Sri Sri Stories

Having met death and then coming back to life was the most wonderful thing

बहूनामेमि प्रथमो बहूनामेमि मध्यमः ।

किँ स्विध्यमस्य कर्तव्यं यन्मयाऽद्य करिष्यति ॥

Nachiketa thought , “let me be the first to do among those who are going to die. Everyone is going to die. I will go a little earlier. Like corn which ripens and falls and then , comes up again. Everything is temporary. People are dying and I will also die. It’s just that I am going a little early , I am going to go to the Lord of Death.”

Nachiketa knew that his father said it in anger , but he still went to death. This is very beautiful. This Upanishad is about dialogue of this young boy and the Lord of Death.

What is death? What is the ultimate secret that nobody is able to unwind? What is that? There is another story related to Nachiketa. Once , Vajashravas was praying on a river bank. He accidently left all his belongings on the river bank and came back home. He told his son , “I forgot my pot. Go and get it.” By the time Nachiketa went to the river bank , the water had risen and the flood had washed away all his father’s belongings – yoga mat , pitcher , water pot , etc.

Nachiketa came back and said that all those belongings were lost. Vajashravas got angry and said , “You are useless. Why you didn’t do anything? You better die. You are good for nothing. Get lost. ” Nachiketa immediately died there. That is why you should never say negative things if you are a good sadhak. Your words carry power. If you call someone stupid , even though that person is not stupid, he will become stupid. Vajashravas was such a great sadhak. He said , “You are good for nothing, you better die” and that boy fell on the floor and died right then. When his son died , Vajashravas became miserable. “Oh My God! What I have done?”

अनुपश्य यथा पूर्वे 

प्रतिपश्य तथाऽपरे ।

सस्यमिव मर्त्यः पच्यते

सस्यमिवाजायते पुनः ॥

Now the experience of death is described here – what happened to Nachiketa. The spirit of Nachiketa left the body and went to the abode of Yama , the lord of death. Yama told him , “You have come here just because your father’s words are so powerful and they had to be fulfilled. It is not your time yet. Go back. You still have to acquire knowledge and give love.” Nachiketa was dead for one whole hour while his father lamented and prayed. Suddenly , the boy got up and looked effulgent. Having met death and then coming back to life was the most wonderful thing. It was then that he propounded the whole fire ceremony , named after Nachiketa. He described what death is. It is nothing to be afraid of. Nachiketa proclaims that death is beautiful , that there is no fear , there is eternal silence. If you have read about people having near death experiences , they all say the same thing. They go through a tunnel and see a light. Sometimes the light tells them that it is not yet time and they should go back. The same thing happened some thousands of years ago to Nachiketa. He went through effulgent light , but was told that it was not his time and that he should go back. So , Nachiketa came back after an encounter with death. This is one story. What is death? Is it to be something afraid of? How does death happen? Honour death , people who commit suicide are not honouring death. You must remember this. The craving for living , results in suicide not in death. There is a big difference. They can’t bear the pain , they can’t get rid of it. Their life is important for them, not death. So , they commit suicide. That which is different from the body , different from everything around that is changing , is central to spiritual growth.

What you think is impossible starts happening.

Give a chance for miracles to happen. It can happen when you are hollow and empty. When both, your heart and mind are pure and clear, then positive energy rises in you. 

But if your mind is full of negativity, and if you are stressed out; or if you are complaining about this and that, and grumbling and griping, then no miracle is possible. Even regular work which has to happen does not happen. Simple things do not happen because energy is low and negative. When energy is high, what you think is impossible starts happening. 

- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Meditation matures your intellect as well as your heart.

Weekly Knowledge 61

Los Angeles, California

07 Aug 1996 

USA

Faith and Devotion

Faith is the subject of head. Devotion is the subject of heart. And meditation is of both and connects both.

A mature intellect is devoted. A mature heart is full of knowledge. And meditation matures your intellect as well as your heart.

Mr. John Pb: But people with good intellect seem to have less faith.

Guruji: They have more faith in the matter. Head puts the faith in the matter more and heart puts the faith in the abstract more.

It's next to impossible that one can be in total lack of faith or total lack of devotion. It's only a question of balance.

🌸Jai Guru Dev🌸

 

साप्ताहिक ज्ञानपत्र ०६१

७ अगस्त , १९९६

लॉस एंगेल्स , कैलिफोर्निआ

श्रद्धा, भक्ति व ध्यान

विश्वास दिमाग का विषय है।

भक्ति हृदय का विषय है।

और ध्यान , दिमाग व हृदय दोनों को जोड़ता है।

एक विकसित बुद्धि श्रध्दापूर्ण होती है। एक विकसित हृदय ज्ञान से परिपूर्ण है। ध्यान आपकी बुद्धि व हृदय दोनों में ही परपक्वता लता है।

जॉन : प्रायः बुद्धिमान लोगो में श्रद्धा कुछ कम प्रतीत होती है।

श्री श्री: उनका विश्वास वस्तु-तत्त्व में अधिक होता है। दिमाग तत्त्व में ज्यादा विश्वास रखता है और हृदय अव्यक्त में, भावो में।

यह असंभव है कि किसी भी बुद्धिजीवी व्यक्ति में श्रद्धा लेशमात्र भी न हो, भक्ति हो ही नहीं। प्रश्न केवल संतुलन और प्रौढ़ता का है।

🌸जय गुरुदेव 🌸

Miracles are in abundance

When Sri Rama was building the bridge to Sri Lanka, a lot of monkeys were helping him. The monkeys wrote “Sri Rama” on the stones and placed them in the ocean and the stones would float. When Sri Rama saw this, he wanted to try it himself. He wrote Sri Rama on a stone and put it in the water. 

The stone sank! Sri Rama was surprised. One monkey started laughing and said to Sri Rama, ‘Those who you throw away from your hands, how will they float? They will only sink!’ This has a spiritual significance. When the name of the Lord is with you, you will float through the ocean of misery; you won’t sink in the world of misery. And second, that devotees are so much more powerful than the Lord himself; devotees can do so much more than the Lord himself.

So you don’t need to get stuck in material belief only. Physical laws are there, but there is something higher than them. There is something higher than the obviously seen physical creation of names and forms. The understanding of consciousness – mind over matter, and consciousness over physical reality, is what we need to attend to. So don’t underestimate your love, your faith and your strength. All that we need to do is to keep our heart clean.

When your heart is filled with love, and compassion, you are so powerful. Never underestimate yourself. Miracles are in abundance! Everyone has had some miracle or the other in life. We don’t look for it, they just happen. Ask, and it shall be given. Ask and ask with faith. Every moment there is a miracle happening; every moment, there is grace. Even if something appears to be not so good for the moment, in the long run, something good comes out of it.

Want to be calm, quiet, peaceful, patient for your own good

He removes the steam out of the whole thing, out of the feverishness of expectation of your action. Then the action becomes more grounded. When you act with an expectation, you are ready to get frustrated and complain a little later. See, you have meditated for 20 years, “What did I get?” 

See what you got. You did not know that 20 years of meditation has made you a much better person. And after twenty years, one day you got upset and you say, “See twenty years of meditation, I still got upset, miserable.” You could have been miserable all the twenty years otherwise. 

You should say in spite of your meditation you got upset. Suppose you were never doing, what would have happened? You could have been much worse. None of the sadhanas or practices are to be left or shunned until you get centred. And they always improve you. We don’t expect that one day in the future I will experience, I will be in Divine love. 

Right now it is paradoxical to listen to that. It doesn't take a second, yet, it will take some time. It is paradoxical. And truth is always paradoxical. A Master and a disciple were going in a boat. Behind them there was a group of four people in another boat. 

These four were teasing the disciple who was going behind the Master. You know, usually if you follow some spiritual path, people who don’t consider themselves to be spiritual, or consider themselves very normal people, consider you as abnormal. 

They make fun of you. So those boys were making fun of him, and sometimes even throwing things at him, torturing him. When they got into the boat, the boat with the four people capsized and started sinking. They had a very difficult time and barely managed to come to the shore alive. The Master's boat with the disciple reached the shore safely, but because the other boat capsized and they were saved with great difficulty, the Master gave a slap to the disciple. 

You know why? He said, “Look, you should have spoken something back. You kept quiet. And if you had punished them, Nature wouldn’ t have punished them. You did not punish them, so nature punished them even worse. Your patience made them suffer more.” 

Look at the compassion of the Master. It is an event that happened, this is not just a story. It is such a great lesson. A person who is in equanimity and peace, even if he scolds, blames, it is taken as a blessing, something good is happening. (That doesn’t happen very often). Don't drop all your practices. 

Stick to them until maturity comes. It is said that love and compassion for the whole creation, for all beings is the goal and you are the proof. Question - Gurudev, you said the compassion of the Master was shown by that slap? Could you explain why? Gurudev - Yes, he taught a lesson to the disciple. 

Upto a certain level in your knowledge, in your evolution, you have to be patient. When? When you have feverishness. And then compassion is born, equanimity, because you want to be calm, quiet, peaceful, patient for your own good, isn’t it? But the Master's mind was thinking about the good of all the others, too. 

Question - Gurudev, it also take away some karma from that boy? 

Gurudev Sri Sri - It taught him something, it lifted him to one more level. Until then he was thinking about his own behaviour, the way to conduct himself, now he was given an understanding that you have to be compassionate. Get it? It is very subtle and very deep.

Without wisdom you can’t rise in love.

As a sadhak what to do first thing in morning

Ans: nothing. Decondition. Not add more conditioning.

Q: How to console myself for time with you?

Ans: Time with Me is never enough. It’s a good complaint and grievance to have I don’t need to evolve anyway. I just read your problems even tjouh they aren’t worth reading. For your satisfaction I glance through, knowing you are going to be Ok.

Q: what do you want from me?

Ans: Good question to keep. Do a lot of work for the foundation, bring knowledge to every doorstep. Keep asking me I’ll give you many things to do

Q: how to let go of deep sense of sadness

Ans: sadness maybe but not deep. You are sad bcos you haven’t gone deep. Drop it. Your cravings, aversions , hooking into pleasure have brought you sadness. That’s it. Invoke valor, don’t care for pleasure. Kick your craving for sex, food, appreciation and praise from others, your sadness will go with the wind. You will be bubbling with joy, more centered independent and self reliant. For all the above you rely on others. And when you have to rely on others you will become sad. You are joy. We make a habit of being in a gloomy state of mind and that takes over. It may seem a little hard listening to me now. Again and again you have to hammer it to yourself. That’s why knowledge and wisdom are so important. Else you’ll get sucked into maya so easily. Wise pray only one thing - let me be saved from this maya. Let me not succumb to the maya.

Q: what’s the purpose of marriage. Is dharma of woman just to be wife and mother?

Ans: you have answered your question! Ask yourself if you’ve given 100% to the relationship. When relationship breaks down there’s two sides to it. Is there any part you can mend. You don’t have to suffer all your life. Leave an abusivo relationship if you have to. But b4 taking that step give 100%. Being single or married are both difficult. The other shore is always greener. No guarantee a new relationship will go on well. Changing boat when you can’t row you won’t reach the shore. Easy to accuse someone. They can’t come out of it even though they know. Help them grow and come out of their shortcoming. Lie is short. Both of you will kick the bucket. No need to kick each other to no avail or emotionally blackmail each other. Think with clarity in mind and right intention.

Q: How to cultivate gratitude?

Ans: virtue of gratitude comes by memory. 

1. Where you are to where you were.

2. Think of all that you have received in life. Compare with others who aren’t that inteligent. Fools are in abundance. 

3. Be awake and see all that you have received in your life and the moment you feel you are fortunate you will feel grateful.

4. 

5. Don’t try to increase your gratitude 

Q: what rondó about laziness

Ans: read yoga sutras. Sometimes you get lot of restlessness. You can neither rest nor be active. Chaotic and state of confusion in mind. You can’t even pinpoint what is your problem or what to do about it. These are some obstacles in the path. They come for a little while and go away. Maharishi Patanjali says you sit and chant Om a few times it takes away all these and even ill health goes away. Feeling ONS vibration is circulating in all the organs, you will feel relief.

Q: ok to chant ONS internally?

Ans: loud chanting or listening ok. Not internally (Om also not internal only loud)

Q: i see dead people .Is it maya?

Ans: focus on yourself. I will take care of you and others. Art of Living is a zoo. Ppl of all mindsets and tendencies are here. Don’t be scared about snakes or lions or too charmed by parrots or peacocks. Every type is here. That’s why it’s whole. The ultimate knowledge encompasses everything. 

Q: Friend suicide. What can I do?

Ans: There is a bigger force taking care. You mind your own business and move on. Your meditation center fess and happiness will reach beyond this realm. 

Q: How come everyone asks you to bless for desires? Can’t we just let nature do it’s job?

Ans: that’s a wiser decision . Two ways masters adopt - Nip the desire at the bud. I took different stance - fulfil the desire and move on. Either grant or nipping at bud are both same. But don’t hang on there. There’s something more. 

Q: Is rising in love a happening? 

Ans: Rising in love is all in wisdom and that’s what we are doing. Without wisdom you can’t rise in love.

You are whole, holy, the Brahman, Purna Brahman, Nārāyana.

You have many faces; only that, you don't face them. When you come face to face with your faces, then conflicts, confusion, and chaos arise in you. 

From time to time, in different phases, different faces appear. As you come close to your Being, all faces melt and leave you as the Space that you are. 

At the gross level, you identify yourself as somebody. As you move to more subtle levels, you may identify yourself as some energy, or an incarnation of some angel, saint, or prophet. 

When you go beyond even this identity, you are whole, holy, the _Brahman_ – _Purna Brahman, Nārāyana._

Debate, discussion and contemplation nourish the intellect

Debate, discussion and  contemplation nourish the intellect. Prejudice, stigmas and dogmas are detrimental to intellect. The intellect harbours inhibitions, likes and dislikes, approvals and disapprovals. The intellect also harbours wisdom, which brings forth intuition. 

*Question:* Is intuition beyond intellect? 

*Gurudev:* Yes, but it shines through the intellect. 

*Question:* Are emotions and intellect contradictory?

*Gurudev:* They can be contradictory. 

*Question:* When there is conflict, which is better?

*Gurudev:* In conflict, there is no better conflict!

The pure intellect is not caught up in the emotions and becomes impure, like muddy water. Then it is unable to reflect the Self. A pure intellect, still and serene, reflects the Self. 

*Question:* Is intellect affected by karma?

*Gurudev:* Karma does not afflict the pure intellect. Liberation purifies the intellect. The _Sanskrit_ word for intellect is buddhi; one who is liberated is a Buddha; one with little intelligence is buddhu (foolish).

BE EVER NEW, HAPPY YOU!

People who serve will have good times even in bad times. 

When there is famine or war, Red Cross people will be fine because they are serving. The more relief they can bring to others, the happier they feel. On the other hand, selfish people who just live for their own enjoyment will be miserable even in good times. 

In good times, people often lose their happiness due to some trivial happening. Hosts often do not enjoy their parties because of some little thing is missing; they forgot to invite somebody, somebody did not come, or some little thing went wrong. A wise person is happy even in bad times. A stupid person is unhappy even in good times. 

You make the time good or bad. People usually blame the bad time and wait for a good time. But even if an astrologer says you are in a hopeless time, you can make it good!

Like weather, time has its own impact on you. Your satsangs and sādhana are your shield, your protection! 

Realise that you are more than time and that you can move through time with your timeless connection to the Divine. Don't feel shy to speak about human and spiritual values. The time has come now to call the whole world!

             The ALL is calling,

              The ball is rolling!

                Time is milling,

          The soul is willing...

BE EVER NEW, HAPPY YOU!

7 astonishing truths from Yoga Vasistha that will blow your mind

7 astonishing truths from Yoga Vasistha that will blow your mind

When Lord Rama realizes the futility of existence and the misery it brings with itself, he is struck with sorrow. When he seeks refuge in Rishi Vasistha, the enlightened rishi takes him to the pinnacle of truth through a dialogue between the two that later was captured in the scripture, Yoga Vasistha. The timeless dialogue interspersed with deep stories brings out astounding truths about this existence and destroys Lord Rama’s sorrow. Here are some of the truths unveiled in this ancient scripture:

1. The universe does not exist in the first place

According to the text, the world is as real as a mirage. In other words, it does not exist!

Modern physics seems to agree. A 2017 CERN (The European Organization for Nuclear Research) study observes a complete symmetry between matter and anti-matter in the universe. So, all the anti-matter in the universe should have cancelled the matter in the universe, which further suggests that the universe should not exist in the first place.

So, how are you and I breathing and functioning in the world?

Maybe it is all a dream! If we look closely, the world in the past does not exist at this moment and the world today will not exist in the future. Considering that, the world is nothing but a fleeting appearance. It is unreal to its core.

Rishi Vasistha explains this mind-boggling truth when Lord Rama asks him where does the world go during dissolution.

He is quoted in Yoga Vasistha: “Water in the mirage does not come into being and go out of existence; even so, this world does not come out of the absolute nor does it go anywhere. The creation of the world has no cause, and therefore it has no beginning. It does not exist even now; how can it reach destruction?”

2. The world is created by the mind

Our minds yield the power to create our world.

Yoga Vasistha reveals the power of the mind when it states, “The mind alone is the creator of the world; and the mind alone is the supreme person. What is done by the mind is action, what is done by the body is not action.”

In other words, welcome karma! Karma (impression of an action) is created through thoughts, not the actions of the body.

The text further, propounds, “Whatever appears in one’s consciousness, that seems to come into being, gets established and even bear fruits.”

Think of your life right now. Your work, relationships and other life events are a product of the thoughts that could have appeared in your mind five years ago or even five days ago. The direct connection between your life and mind would be apparent in some cases and less apparent in others. But, the truth remains. You create your life. You have been doing this with thoughts of several lifetimes - one lifetime impacting the another.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Yoga Vasistha

“Yoga Vasistha is a very big thing. Yoga Vasistha needs to be read again and again, reading it once won’t work. If you read it every two to three years, something altogether different will come up. Read and ponder on it. You will gain new understandings.”

3. Time is not absolute

According to Einstein’s theory of relativity, time is relative to the observer. So, events that occur at a particular time for an observer could occur at different time for another observer. For instance, to an observer on earth, time might run slow on another planet.

Rishi Vasistha explained this astonishing theory through a story where a queen is led through her previous lifetimes by Goddess Saraswati, the Goddess of knowledge.

When the queen is told by the Goddess that it has been just eight days since her husband in his previous life died, the queen is puzzled.

She asks how is it possible considering she and her husband have lived for a long time.

Goddess Saraswati explains, “Just as the world and its creation are mere appearances, a moment and an epoch are also imaginary, not real. Even as in a dream there is birth, death, and relationship all in a very short time, and even as a lover feels that a single night without his beloved is an epoch, the jiva (soul) thinks experienced and non-experienced objects in the twinkling of an eye.”

4. There is life outside Earth

While speculations around the existence of extraterrestrial life continue to baffle humankind, it seems Rishi Vasistha knew it quite clear: that life outside our blue dot called earth does exist.

Rishi Vasistha tells the uncanny truth while explaining the variety of existence. He says, “Rama, just as in this universe there are countless beings of various species, in other universes, too, there are similar beings, with different bodies suited to those universes.”

5. We are affected by a dead entity

Rishi Vasistha calls the mind an entity which is forever dead. Yet, in this mind, thoughts, and emotions which disturb us, give us sleepless nights are created. So, he expresses his wonder at the amount of influence this unreal entity has on everyone. He says, “The mind has no self, nobody, no support and no form; yet by this mind everything is consumed in this world. This is indeed a great mystery. To say that one can be hurt by the mind which is inert, dumb and blind is like saying that one is roasted by the heat of the full moon!”

Only with the life force within the mind perceives the world and thinks. Yet, its functions come to a stop when the life force within is gone. With no form, no permanent and independent support for its existence, the mind is as good as dead!

6. If you do not understand the true nature of mind, you will be fraught with fear

Our miseries are the making of our minds. Very few realize the mind’s incapability to see the world in its true picture. Instead, we trust our mind’s short-sighted assumptions too soon. This further, batters our soul with fear. This fear does not let us trust our family members and friends.

Rishi Vasistha explains the reason for our baseless fears, “He who is unable to understand the true nature of mind is unfit for being instructed in the truth expounded in the scriptures. Such a mind is full of fear. It is afraid of the melodious sound of the veena and it is even afraid of a sleeping relative. It is frightened by hearing someone shout aloud and flees that spot. The ignorant man is completely overcome by his own deluded mind.”

7. There is nothing such as divine dispensation or fate

Many of us attribute our life’s happenings to fate. Rishi Vasistha fiercely rejects the idea of fatalism.

He explains, “Fate is merely a convention which has come to be regarded as truth by being repeatedly declared to be true. If this god or fate is truly the ordainer of everything in the world, of what meaning is any action? In this world except for a corpse, everything is active and such activity yields its appropriate result.”

He goes on to declare the fatalist as brainless. “One who says, ‘Fate is directing me to do this’ is brainless and the goddess of fortune abandons him.”

Lord Rama found Rishi Vasistha at the time when he was drowned in misery. However, the two have left a scripture that can help anyone struggling with profound questions like the reason for existence and the cause of suffering. While most of us have been tormented with such questions at some point of time, we have shoved them aside for the fear of never finding the answers. With Yoga Vasistha, you can find the answers albeit the answers promise to batter your mind with confusion and disprove all that you thought was true!

~ Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

What is happening in the body, let it happen."

People are having different sensations as a game. It is already happening. If you can watch, energy is oozing out of every pore of your body. If you watch, it flows in an even manner. It creates balance. 

And you realise vou are not this bod or these sensations. You have been alwavs reacung to the sensations. You are like that, year after year, life after life. Now, when you watch, that is liberation. 

Watch all the feelings and sensations in your body. You go beyond. "Now, Eureka, I have found it" What was happening? An emotion used to give rise to some sensation, the sensation, in turn, used to create an impression, another emotion. 

So these circles of craving and aversion with sensation and emotion, made your life, both subtle body and gross body, and that took you from life to life. Every sensation has its own quality and nature. When you feel pleasant, what is happening? 

Those sensations are moving upward. Whenever vou feel unpleasant, the same sensations are moving downward. A pleasant sensation is pushing you up, an unpleasant sensation is pushing you down, just watch it. 

When all the energy goes down, an unpleasant sensation occurs and your head feels fuzzy and empty. Your body has certain centers with emotions associated with them. When you feel jealousy, joy, arrogance or attachment, you feel the sensation in the stomach. 

It churns your stomach. When you experience love, fear or hatred, you feel the sensation in the heart region. Grief is in the throat. There is a choking sensation in the throat. Gratitude is also in the throat. 

Being full of gratitude chokes the throat. You can't speak. Anger is in the forehead and so is awareness. People who are alert, get angry. Each emotion has a particular pattern of sensation in the body. 

Your body is enough of a thing to watch. There is no time to think about others if you could just watch your body. There is no time to think about anything else or to form any opinion about anybody. Somebody came and asked a saint, "What do you think about this particular situation?" 

The saint said, "Where is the time to think about anything? I have no time to think." This statement is difficult to understand : "I have no time to think." But how can you think when you are in the present, when you are aware, when you are in the now totally? 

Thinking is like chewing gum. It doesn't produce anything. You can think about only those things which you know. And once you know, what is the need to think about it ? And you can't think something which you don't know. 

Ultimately, thinking is useless. Knowing this difference is Bheda. The third thing that you can do is differentiate between the permanent and the impermanent. Buddha said, "Look into every sensation, this is impermanent. You disassociate yourself from the sensation. What is happening in the body, let it happen." 

A grief is coming. He says, "This is impermanent. This is something that is changing. I shall not associate with it. I'll watch the sensation instead." It becomes very intense and disappears. It is the same with a pleasant sensation. 

Hang on to it, grab it and you will see that all pleasant sensations vanish and become painful a little later on. Bheda means seeing the permanence and the impermanence. This very body is impermanent and, with the very attention into it, you become a glow of consciousness. 

It is not the body it is the glow, it's the consciousness. It is Chetana, Chitta, that is coming out of every pore of the body. There is a wick coming out of the candle. The wick is not the glow, is not the light. See, the wick is dark and ugly, but the glow is so beautiful. 

So are you. The wick is the body and you are the glow. Any moment you are walking, eating or sitting, just become aware that your body is hollow and empty. The body is nothing but a handful of ashes, would-be ashes. 

You will see, when you shift from the wick to the glow, your mind becomes stable Bheda. You say your mind is wandering very much. I don't think so. Mind is not wandering. It is your lack of understanding. 

Bheda Buddhi, this Bheda is not there. You don't know what is impermanent and what is permanent. You have never put attention on it. If somebody's life is in danger and you ask them, "What do think about politics? Who do you want to vote for?" 

They would say, "I don't care. Rescue me" Your mind will go according to Bheda, according to your discrimination. Then comes Danda - Dada means support. Determination and commitment are the Danda. 

Your spiritual discipline is Danda. Mind is like a vine (creeper), it needs a support. Listening to spiritual discourses, satsangs, practice, Guru's presence are all the support, the Danda.

Surrender happens out of love, gratitude and trust

Dana, that is surrender. Surrender is the most misunderstood word in the world today. Surrender is not slaverv. surrender Is not something vou can force upon someone, surrender Is a happening. 

Surrender happens out of love, gratitude and trust. When there is fear, drop the fear. The dropping of the fear happens with the trust, and that is surrender. If doubt still remains, do nothing, just watch. 

Breathe, meditate. That will clear your doubts out. There is no other way to come out of your doubt. Four types of doubt will arise in your mind. The first doubt is about yourself, ‘Don't think this is for me. There is still time for me. I think I should go very slowly. Maybe it is not the right time’.

‘It doesn't suit me at all, I am not the person for it. I can never have it. I have my old patterns. I will never come out of it’. These things, doubting the very self, doubting your ability - what do you know about your ability? 

You have no knowledge about your ability. So you doubt your own abilities. And there is doubt about the technique. "Is this technique approved by so-and-so? Is this technique proper? Is this from some tradition? Is it a right technique? Will it do some harm to me?" 

You doubt the very technique.

And then there is doubting the teacher. This teacher says, "Watch the breath, be aware" And we think, "Is he aware? Is he watching the breath? He doesn't seem to be doing that, he seems to be watching us" You doubt the teacher.

And, finally, there is doubting your success, doubting your own experience. There was a gentleman who came to one of the courses. He was confused about everything. I asked, "What experience did you have?"

"I don't know," he said. I asked, "Okay, did you have good rest?" He said, "I don't know." I said, "Are you tired?" He said, "I don't know." I said, "There could be only one thing, either you are tired or you are rested" He said, "I don't know." I asked, "Are you here?" 

He said, "I don't know." The real joke is that he did not even know that he was there. I said, "You are enlightened. You take it from me." Doubting whether you had that experience; "Is it true or not. Is it my imagination or what is it? 

Will I be able to achieve success?" This is doubting the experience. These four doubts can hamper our progress. And when these doubts come in the mind, then surrender that mind. Drop it, "Okay, I am going to give up the very mind." It is such a weight on your head.

About judging - How can you judge? You judge from your own consciousness, from your own state of awareness. So whatever you see in the other person, you are seeing in yourself. A person who was very egoistic, fought with everybody else. 

He came and told me, "Gurudev, you have collected all big egos around you." I said, "How did you know that? You are seeing yourself in other people. You are egoistic and you see everybody else is egoistic. 

Okay, I understand if one person is egoistic, two are egoistic, or three. But if you find all the people around me egoistic, it is your own ego." And he was known for his egoistic nature. The mind sees through its own eye. 

You can trust anything in the world except your doubting mind. It will doubt you. When such a thing comes, dropping that is called surrender, dropping the judgements. Dana (giving), the second aspect of inner growth, is very important. 

Giving includes forgiving also. Without surrender and without love, your meditation will be dry. You can learn one hundred and one techniques. You can go on collecting technique after technique. 

People say, "Oh, I know this technique. I have done this before." Anything you are doing again, which you feel you have done before, you have never done. When you do some-thing, it should appear fresh. Every day you are new.

Love makes your practice fresh and new. It is love which nourishes, pushes forward your technique, your progress, your growth. You don't say when you love somebody, "Oh, it is an old love I am experiencing today. I have loved for so many years. It has become old and stale." 

There is one thing that is ever fresh and new. That is love. Any technique you do, do it with love. Even if you simply hold a stick, love the stick in front of you. It is your breath. Love is very essential. Your memory can block and arrest your love.

When your mind wanders around, allow it to go. Don't try to hold it back. Don't try to force it. Where it goes, let it go. Follow it and bring it back. This is Dana, forgiving. Not saying, "Oh, my mind is full of nonsense. I am sick and tired of my mind. My mind makes me feel jealous and I don't want it. It is very bad" 

Don't start hating your mind. Forgive your mind. Say, "It is out of ignorance that my mind is going into such stupid things." Then you are not creating a fight with your mind. In most of our problems, the main problem is that we fight with our mind.

Now comes Bheda. Bheda - differentiate, separate the imperishable from the perishable. This very body is so hollow and so empty. We never realised before that inside our body there is so much emptiness. 

The whole body could be put into a small envelope. When you are watching the body, pleasant sensations arise, unpleasant sensations arise. As you watch, they all disappear. Enlightenment is not just having some sensation. 

What has happened? Many people go and do different types of kundalini. They try here, there, raising this chakra, raising that chakra. What are they doing? They are just playing with some sensations. You can do it with acupuncture. 

Acupuncturists will put needles in different places. You can yell and shout and have the energy move up and down. It has some utility in the sense that it energises you. It puts your mind a little bit in the present moment. But that's all. 

Nothing beyond that. It doesn't give you the knowledge of your self, your being, which is space, emptiness and the fullness.

What is it that we are surrendering and to whom do we surrender when it is just One consciousness?

Question - Gurudev, in many of the knowledge books, I have read that everything is just one consciousness and we are part of that one. In that case, what do you mean by surrender? What is it that we are surrendering and to whom do we surrender when it is just One consciousness?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Yes, correct. Actually there is nothing to surrender, but when the mind feels, 'I am separate, I am different, I am alone, to let that go, you surrender and just relax. It is like the mother at home feeling. To generate the mother at home feeling, the process of letting go is called surrender. That is all. There is nothing that you have that you need to surrender. Got it? That is why there are three different paths (Karma Yoga or the Path of Action, Bhakti Yoga or the Path of Devotion, Jana Yoga or the Path of Knowledge). The Path of Knowledge is when you wake up and see, everything is made up of just One thing. There is no two, and this is knowledge. But when you forget this and feel there is two and when there is something that you are holding on to and it is too much on your head and you can't bear it, then you say, 'I Let go', that is surrender. One very good example for this would be: You are sitting on the train and you are holding the luggage on your shoulders. Though the seat is comfortable you are putting the weight of the luggage on your head and shoulders and feeling so uncomfortable. Then someone comes and says, 'Hey, come on! Keep the luggage down. The train is anyway carrying you and the luggage. Relax. Giving you that sense of total ease, is said to be Sharanagati (surrender).

'Fight with equanimity'. How do we do that?

Question - Gurudev, once you said, 'Fight with equanimity'. How do we do that?

Gurudev Sri Sri - You just have to have that intention and it will start happening. When you are fighting for a cause and not because of hatred towards somebody then your brain and your mind will be alert. When people are angry and hateful, their brain doesn't work, or it works in the wrong direction.

What can I do to increase my capacity to take your blessings? How can I make my cup bigger?

Question - Gurudev, what can I do to increase my capacity to take your blessings? How can I make my cup bigger?

Gurudev Sri Sri - In the Advanced Course you all have heard of the Shatt Sampatti (Six wealths, or six-fold virtues)

• Sama (calmness or quietude of mind)

• Dama (self-control or restraint of the senses)

• Uparati (satiety)

• Titiksha (power of endurance)

• Shradha (faith), and

• Samadhana (equanimity or one-pointedness of the mind)

This is what you must focus on increasing more in your life. By enhancing these virtues, your capacity to receive blessings will increase. Among the four pillars of knowledge, the third one that has these six wealths, that is what we must increase. Also we must do Seva (service) and Sadhana (spiritual practices)

How to know the things that are unknown to us? There are so many things that are unknown. I’m sometimes very pained and I start crying for not knowing the unknown.

Question - Gurudev, how to know the things that are unknown to us? There are so many things that are unknown. I’m sometimes very pained and I start crying for not knowing the unknown.

Gurudev Sri Sri - I understand your difficulty. The intense quest is there of wanting to know something, but what is that something, that you don't know. You know there is something but you don't know how to know that something that exists. Isn't that it. Just relax and meditate. That is the way to go there.

What is the significance of the wedding ceremony? If two people love and respect each other, can they just make a decision to live together?

Question - Gurudev, what is the significance of the wedding ceremony? If two people love and respect each other, can they just make a decision to live together?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Marriage is a ceremony. When there is a commitment, you have full trust in each other. One aspect of your life is set. That is what is marriage. Otherwise, the mind keeps looking for a partner. In marriage, that looking for a partner thing comes to an end, 'Okay, I have found a partner, I am set.' So now you can focus on other things. When there is commitment, it puts you on track.

I’m in a relationship with a person who is too calculative about his actions. He is scared of getting attached as he believes that it might affect his spiritual growth. Is this right?

Question - Gurudev, I’m in a relationship with a person who is too calculative about his actions. He is scared of getting attached as he believes that it might affect his spiritual growth. Is this right?

Gurudev Sri Sri - Don't ask someone to prove their love for you. That is when all these things come. If we show too much love to somebody they do not know how to handle it or how to respond to it, isn't it? People get confused. There are many people who do not know how to receive love, forget giving love. That is why I tell you, don't get caught up in all of this. Just relax and be happy, and just take it for granted that I love everybody, and everybody loves me. Then whatever needs to be expressed will simply be expressed. It will happen naturally. When someone is saying, 'I am scared of attachment', that means somewhere they are attached. So don't take what people say at face value. People may say anything, but in reality it may be something else. See, when you understand a person beyond his words that is when a real relationship builds up. But if you hang on to the words of a person then you are at a very superficial level, on a very surface level and then it does not work for long. Your relationship should go beyond words, and beyond the feeling level, i.e., emotions, because words also change and emotions also change. Then it becomes a real good and committed relationship. Whatever may be the relationship, a friendship or a marriage, it becomes very solid when you see beyond emotions. When you accept every flavor of emotion and every train of thoughts or words, then you move into a latform which is not shaky and which doesn't break.