Question Basket E-Book

Sri Sri Ravishankar

• Herausgeber: Aslan eReads
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch
• Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2019

Seitenzahl: 367

Beschreibung

Man has always wanted to know more about life. This intense quest has caused all the progress humanity has made today and yet there still remain many unanswered questions. In this book, we take more questions to Sri Sri covering eclectic subjects-the mundane and the profound, the physical and the metaphysical, the personal and the universal, some philosophical and some even irrational. Sri Sri yet again answers them with his characteristic simplicity, playfulness and depth of wisdom. Just have an look of the cover design which hints the amazingly compiled content ready to charm all of us. A great gift for seekers, to treasure. While teaching courses, Sri Sri keeps two baskets on the stage next to him-one for people to write and drop their botheration and one for questions.Through the course, he reads out questions and answers them with profound wisdom, depth and also a generous sprinkling of humour. He jokingly describes the Art of Living logo, saying one swan eats away all your botherations and the other eats all your questions and then the sun of knowledge rises in you. The courses end with the Question Basket empty and hearts full

Leseprobe

Question Basket

Excerpts from the talks by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Publications Trust, India

© Copyrights Sri Sri Publications Trust

This digital edition is published by arrangement with Aslan Business Solutions

Digitally Published By:

 

Aslan Reads -An imprint of Aslan Business Solutions Borivli, Mumbai, Maharashtra, India Email: [email protected]: www.aslanbiz.com & www.aslanreads.com

Physical Editions Published by:

 

Sri Sri Publications Trust The Art of Living International Centre 21st KM, Kanakapura Road, Udayapura, Bangalore – 560082 Email: [email protected]: www.sattvastore.comToll Free: 1800-258-8888

© All rights reserved No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in writing from the publisher

ISBN: 978-93-85898-10-5

Layout by: Sri Sri Publications Trust

 

Question-Answer Sessions with gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Contents

Title

Introduction

Chapter 1 Personal

Chapter 2 Sadhana

Chapter 3 Self Help

Chapter 4 Seva

Chapter 5 Society

Chapter 6 Spirituality

Chapter 7 Surrender

The Art of Living & The International Association for Human Values

The Founder

Follow Sri Sri on:

The Art of Living In Service Around The World

The Art of Living Programs

International Centres

Landmarks

Cover

INTRODUCTION

No matter how much one learns, there is always much more to learn in life. Many times, we carry questions within ourselves but they remain in the background behind various things that demand our attention in daily life. Many times, we do not find anybody close who would understand us and be able to provide answers.

Wherever He is in the world, Gurudev likes to hold informal gatherings in which there is a little bit of singing, some meditation and some discussion. His bearing is relaxed and sensitive and in the secure and celebrative environment around him, many people spontaneously feel, “Maybe He can tell me...”

Watching questions begin to pop out from the gathering when Gurudev opens the floor for them can be anything from moving, inspiring, illuminating, hilarious and, on occasion, bizarre too. It is a phenomenon to watch Gurudev respond to questions. They dwell on a wide array of subjects - relationships, health, environment, politics, meditation, social issues and just about anything under the sun and He is at ease answering all of them. The manner of his response is such that even if it is not your own question, you still find something opening up within that takes you to a simple yet deeper understanding of life and yourself.

Quite often, he is asked similar questions or even one that he has answered many times. He might or might not repeat his response. In this book, we have made an effort to capture all possible responses he has given to the same question.

Gurudev often says that knowledge should be like gossip - light and fun. That is the flavour that colours everything He does and we hope it reaches you through this book.

Chapter 1 Personal

Q: How to decide that ‘enough is enough’? I have a child and want to go in for a divorce.

Gurudev: Ask yourself if you have given your hundred percent to the relationship. If your mind says that you have only given your eighty percent or even ninety five percent, then wait till you give your full hundred percent. It is better to give one hundred and one percent for the sake of the children. A little sacrifice for the children will take you a long way. Even after that, if it does not work then tell your partner, in a friendly manner, that your paths are different and it is better to part.

Q: I am anxious about the results of my interview. What is to be done?

Gurudev: You should do ujjai breathing, bhastrika, meditation, and sing and dance.

Q: Gurudev, there are moments when I am enthusiastic, when I am very confident but there are two problems:

1. I forget things.

2. I fear of what will happen if this state continues. This is predominantly from my wife’s side. What to do?

Gurudev: I remember, a gentleman with his wife participated in one of the courses. At each knowledge point, the husband would tell his wife that he had also been saying the same thing all along. And when I would say to forgive and forget, she would say that she had told him the same thing all along too. (Laughter) I told the man that those points were for him to apply to himself and not to just pass on and that charity begins at home. Love begins at home. I advised him to start from where he was.

In the Art of Living, we never wait to implement a plan. We start working and everything needed becomes available. This is a Siddhi or Perfection—whatever is needed and whenever it is needed, becomes available. Here meditation and pranayama come into the picture. It makes you such, that you don’t feel the lack of anything. We need to get back to the stage of feeling no lack.

What is the use of having a wonderful air-conditioned room, money to buy sweets and all the luxuries if you have insomnia or diabetes? So, we need to create positive energy around us. This doesn’t happen through worrying and thinking.

I would like to tell you about two ways of doing work. One is doing something because you want something. Another is doing something as an expression of joy. You do it because you have something. Doing work as an expression of joy or expecting joy makes all the difference.

Today the mass population is suffering from depression in the world. The statistics say that it is going to be fifty percent in the coming decade. It is so disheartening! We need to change that. Taking Prosaic is not the solution. Solution is meditation and yoga.

Q: I feel more connected to people here in The Art of Living but I feel disconnected from people in my office or even at home. I feel weak that way.

Gurudev: Why do you think you are weak? Wake up and see you have all the strength. You should do the DSN (Divya Samaj ka Nirman- one of the Art of Living programs, which helps an individual move beyond one’s barriers and limitations). There is no ‘outside’; no ‘other’ at all. The Art of Living teaches you that the whole world is your family.

The ashram is your home. Of course, people are rosy here. But, everywhere you can’t expect the same atmosphere. You may have to face hard criticism in the office. You have to teach meditation to the people. But what is the first principle of The Art of Living? Accept people and situations as they are. If you don’t learn even the very first principle, you can’t say you are doing the Art of Living.

Q: I am a very happy woman and blessed with a lot of things. So, why do I bother about being over-weight?

Gurudev: You know a man or woman cannot live without botherations. That is why I started The Art of Living—to get more botherations! So, this is a good botheration. At least, it will put a break to your habit of going for the second scoop of ice cream. You will not stretch your hand for the second piece of dessert, or second piece of apple pie. You will stop at half. It is good to have a little concern. Otherwise, when you grow older you may have to pay a lot of bills to the doctor. So, it is better to keep a check on the weight unless you want the doctors to become rich. That is your choice!

Q: In difficult situations, sometimes it’s hard to know if I am running away, or retreating strategically. How to resolve this conflict?

Gurudev: When you feel that your strength is less and you cannot face the fight, you want to run away. So, when you feel this, then you have to bring more strength to yourself. You should take time. When you are clear about this, you will feel that you should do more; that you should meditate, strengthen yourself and, at the right time, strike and tackle the problem. That is one way. The second way is by prayer. If your emotions are dry, your worries dominate you. When you have pain, you have no worry. When you have worry, you are stuck in the head. There are no emotions. If you are in any emotion, you laugh, cry, pray and you get over it. Worry is wishing to win but having no strength to win. When you realize, “I don’t have any strength and I can’t do anything about it,” then you pray. Prayer is done with emotions and feelings.

Q: What is your biggest wish? What can I do to get closer to your heart?

Gurudev: You are already close to my heart. I want more children to be educated in spirituality in order to create a violence-free and stress-free society. We need to globalize wisdom. There are one thousand of us here. If we each sponsor a child, we would do a great service. Do service. Donate two percent of your income. It would be of immense benefit to you and to those who need it.

Q: I find it difficult to forgive my sister who had been very abusive to me?

Gurudev: There are six and a half billion people on this planet. Don’t forgive the six and a half billion but just forgive this one person. Inside every culprit there is a victim crying for help. You must understand that they are victims of situation and circumstances. They didn’t have that knowledge. They were never exposed to higher knowledge and so they made mistakes. Just reading books and understanding don’t help to get out of violent tendencies. These have to be fixed through meditation, breathing exercises and yoga.

Some prisoners say that The Art of Living is responsible for their being in prison. If The Art of Living had given them this knowledge earlier, they wouldn’t have landed up in the prison. Their life would have been much different. And I agree with them.

Q: I am going through a hard time in life. My wife cheated me but now wants to be back. What to do? I don’t trust her anymore, but I find it hard to breakup. I am confused and worried about the future. Can the love develop again?

Gurudev: Yes, certainly! Have a broad mindset. Suppose you were in that state. Suppose you had made a mistake and now you repent, and you want your wife to forgive you. How would you feel if she refuses and holds on to your mistake? In the same way, she has made a mistake. Some mistakes are done by you and some by her. Forget about it. Live in the present moment. Give her a chance. Move on to the future. But, if it keeps happening too many times, then you can take a decision. If it is once or twice, you should give her a fair chance. If it happens more than three times, then you should put your foot down.

I have no experience in this field. I can’t give any better advice. So, this could be a suggestion.

Q: Dearest Gurudev, today, I learnt courage from you. I often thought that you were a scary and angry person. But I found so much peace in you. I am afraid what if I lose you.

Gurudev: You cannot lose me, and I cannot lose you! Our mind projects our feelings on others. This is what happens most of the time. Sometimes people ask me if I am angry with them. They say that I didn’t smile at them or talk to them in the crowd, and feel that I am angry at them. But why would I be angry at them? There are so many people in crowd. I smile at some, and pass a bigger smile to some others who have a long face so that they also smile. But smiling at some doesn’t mean I am angry with others. Many times, we project our own emotions on others, especially when we love someone. If you are angry or upset at others, you think that others are angry and upset at you.

Here, knowledge of the Self is very important, so that you can have a balanced perception. With the knowledge, you know what is happening inside you, and you know what is happening inside others. That clarity of perception, observation and expression can only come through meditation.

Q: Why is it that even the good things I wish for don’t happen immediately?

Gurudev: The baby cries for milk but the mother takes time to prepare it. Just because the baby is crying, she will not give it hot milk. She knows what will be OK for it.

Q: Gurudev, up to what extent should I sustain a relationship? How much can one bend?

Gurudev: If the other person is turning violent or taking advantage of you, you can’t bend too much. Then you have to stand up and state things clearly. Deal with it using your intellect and not your emotions. Conflict is always emotional. Resolution is intellectual. Emotional conflict can’t be dealt with emotions. Similarly, an intellectual argument cannot be dealt with the intellect. The emotional side of it has to be considered. If you observe carefully, there is a stream of emotions behind an intellectual argument. Life is a fine balance between the emotions and the intellect.

Q: Gurudev, there is lot of confusion in my family because one member follows Art of Living and another member follows some other spiritual path—pranic healing.

Gurudev: Both should just stick to their own paths.

Q: When to use what, is the real wisdom. And how do you gain that wisdom?

Gurudev: The answer is meditation, meditation and meditation.

Q: I am sixty-three plus years. Can a good art of living lead to a decent art of dying?

Gurudev: You should forget that you are sixty three. Wake up. It is not late. There is something deep inside you, which has not aged. It is pure and dynamic. Don’t underestimate yourself. Don’t think that you are useless. You can meditate and bless the world. Things will happen differently then. I am with you. You are not alone. If anyone at anytime feels lonely, depressed, unhappy or sad, just remember that you are not alone. You are not alone at all.

Q: My best comes out when I am pushed against a wall. It becomes a matter of do or die. That’s the time when I have laser sharp focus, composure, drive and motivation to fulfil all my desires and intentions. But when I’m happy, comfortable and joyful, I can’t seem to have that same composure and drive to motivate myself. How do I change that pattern?

Gurudev: Then ask someone to push you against the wall (laughs). There are no walls here. If you’re not married, get married. Tell your spouse to do it for you. If you think that your best will only come out if you are in danger and pushed against the wall, then you have put such an intention in your mind, and that’s what is going to happen all the time. But you can do it even when you are happy, when you are joyful, and when you are free. But if you have recognised it as your pattern, then it is your responsibility. Nothing else can help you. Only you can help yourself. You can say, “Now, today I am happy, I am going to do it!”

Q: This is the first time you are reading my question. I become sad sometimes because I feel guys do not like me. No one has asked me out on a date or wants a relationship with me, and I do want to be in a loving relationship.

Gurudev: Well, I have no experience. Are you sure that no one has asked you out? Sometimes people are shy and you are too. When you feel worthless, then that type of vibration comes up. But you are worth more. Beauty is in your confidence and smile. The peace you have is real beauty. You feel confident and connected to the universe and the cosmos. Then you will see—how things change.

Q: I don’t easily get things in life. Recently, my case was going on and it got dismissed?

Gurudev: Listen, you have made this notion in mind that you don’t get things easily in life. Who has said this? First, remove this label from your mind, OK! Whatever you want and you ask for, go ahead with confidence for that. Don’t think that you always fail, your things get haphazard. This is wrong. It doesn’t happen like that. Everyone faces some problems initially. It has never happened that nobody faced any problem initially, and it will never happen like that.

Q: I am a coward. All my life I have been afraid of every little thing. I see risk and danger in my way and fear everything and everyone. I’m afraid to get hurt. How do I overcome all this?

Gurudev: First of all remove this label—‘I am a coward.’ Who said you are a coward? Drop this label. When you label, you go on encouraging it—like the saying in the Bible ‘As you sow, so shall you reap.’ You are wonderful. We all are here to support you, and I am here to support you, and everybody here will support you! Don’t think you are weak. Just drop it.

Q: I don’t know what the aim of my life is? I lost my parents long ago, and I see them in dreams every day. Sometimes I see you. What does that mean?

Gurudev: That is OK. Dream is another dimension where all these things exist and all the experiences come. So, when you wake up, be fully in the waking state.

Q: This is my tenth Advanced Course. But I am not able to get rid of my fear. I don’t know what to do?

Gurudev: Do more yogasanas (practice of yoga postures). Yogasanas stretch your nervous system. The endocrine system gets strengthened.

Q: I hold a high position of authority in my state and am well respected and known. When I go to another place, I sometimes find myself less important. I tend to question my identity. How to get over this?

Gurudev: You should know how to wear a suit and how to take it off, too! Everyone is a king in his or her place. Know how to remain in a state of akinchan—I am nobody. The whole life journey is from ‘I am somebody’ to ‘I am nobody’ and then to ‘I am everybody’. Usually the journey is from ‘I am something’ to ‘I am nothing’ to ‘I am something’ again! Sit in satsangs and let your identity dissolve. Dissolving and losing the identity is ‘samadhi’, is fun. You will realize that you are immortal

Q: I get physically attracted to many people. What to do? Is it OK to be physically attracted?

Gurudev: So many thoughts come in your mind. You can’t act on all of them. If you try to, you will end up in a mental hospital. Whether thoughts of attraction or repulsion come, you are not just attracted to but repulsed by many people. For example, if the mind says to strangle somebody, you have to act out of wisdom. You have to see what is right and what is wrong. You have to see what is evolutionary and what is not. You have to see what is giving you happiness in the long term and what is giving misery. You have to see what is permanent and what is temporary. That is discrimination, ‘viveka’. It is so important. Otherwise, they will just be senseless and thoughtless actions, which leave you in misery.

Q: Dear Gurudev, I am profoundly grateful for the beautiful knowledge that you bring to us. I am very curious to know from where these insights come to you. When I meditate, I sometimes become calmer and more effective afterwards, but the secrets of the universe do not reveal themselves. Instead, I seem to be either stuck in the same dramas or in some kind of self-hypnosis. The path is good for me. I am certain. But, I feel so impatient. I found your words about the Divine and nature to be the nectar for which I am hungry. Can you please elaborate on that theme? I used to feel a stronger connection with nature. I feel like a bit of a robot these days. Did I fall from grace or something?

Gurudev: No! I think you have too much time in hand. You think too much about yourself. Get busy. The more good work you do the more positive the atmosphere and vibes are created around you. And when you create positive vibes, it helps you go deep inside. It is necessary to care for others and share with others. Do it in whatever manner you can. Involve yourself in some projects. Do some meditation. Don’t sit and worry, “Oh, what experience I had today, what I will have tomorrow?” They will come and they will go! You are more than all those experiences put together. As a seeker, what can you do about your experiences? You can just say, “Hi and bye.” With one hand you say ‘Hi’, and with the other you say, ‘Bye’. Don’t forget to say ‘Bye’ after saying ‘Hi’. Don’t forget to say ‘Hi’. Don’t just say ‘Bye’. Then you are in trouble. If you only say ‘Bye’, then you are trying to resist them. On the other hand, if you only say only ‘Hi’, then you are trying to hold on to them. That is why you are given two hands! ‘Hi’ and ‘Bye’. (Gestures ‘Hi’ and ‘Bye’ with His hands.) All these experiences come and go.

Q: How should I behave with people who have hurt me in the past? Even though I have forgiven them, I don’t know how to interact with them. I don’t want anyone to take away my smile.

Gurudev: Good. This very intention to move on will help you. Hold on to that. Then, have compassion for those who have hurt you; know that they don’t have as much awareness or knowledge as you have. They never had the opportunity to learn, the way you have learnt.

Q: I don’t like it when my wife stops me from coming here.

Gurudev: She could be doing it because she might be worried about your leaving your family and becoming an ascetic. So, you should give her the assurance that Gurudev will not let you become ascetic.

Q: I feel so good and full here, but at times when I see rich and famous people, I feel I am nothing. Please help.

Gurudev: Well, if you want to become one of those star, then go for it. It is not so difficult. Whether you are a hero or a heroine, you will find that once you are in the field which you were finding very great, is just ordinary for you. If your calling is very strong then go for it, it is not difficult. Our body is constantly emitting energy and vibrations. You are emitting energy all the time. And when you know that your vibrations make things happen in the world, you will know that you are in control. So, when you are thinking that things are going to be negative then that is the seed you are putting in the universe and that is going to happen. So, be with your positive thinking, positive ideas, and positive sankalpa (intention). It is said that you should let positive vibrations come out of you. Negative thoughts arise in you. Yet you feel that everything is positive. And how does that happen? Not just by thinking, but by relaxing. Cutting a thought with another thought is just superficial but cutting a thought with silence, by letting go, by devotion, by faith, and by surrendering to God is deeper. Maharishi Patanjali said that there is mental poise when you offer all that you can’t handle yourself to God; to the universal spirit.

The universal spirit is around you. It does not have a form or a name, but it is around you all the time and you should surrender your desires to it. Be sure and know that your problems are going to be solved. That is ‘siddhi’ (perfection). You will notice in your own life that if you are centered, relaxed and if you let go, things happen effortlessly. It has to happen that way and if it does not, then there is some screw in the mind that is loose and which needs to be fixed.

People ask for blessings and I give blessings in abundance—blank cheques of blessings, but you should know how to encash them and the way to encash them is to think that your needs are going to be fulfilled; that the best will be done. Sometimes, we don’t know what we desire, or we desire for something that we don’t deserve, or we desire for something much less than what we deserve. Ask and it will be given. When we deserve more and desire less, ask skillfully. And what is the way of asking skillfully? You can ask—“I want this or anything better than this.” And have a positive frame of mind because this all is the matter of neurons. A scientist said that our brain has different types of neurons. There are certain neurons, which create barriers.

When a person in front of you touches someone else, your brain gives you a message that you are being touched. But there are certain neurons, which indicate to the brain that it is not you who is being touched. If your hand is given anaesthesia and then if someone touches someone else, you will also feel the touch. And the scientist said that we all are nothing but neurons. That we are all connected to each other. The subtler we go we will find there are only vibrations. There are no neutrons, protons or electrons but all that exist are vibrations.

Numbers are very important. In Rudrapooja we chant ‘ekachame, trisraschame’. We chant odd numbers first and then the even numbers in the Rudrapooja. The scientist said that if numbers are not there, the whole universe would collapse. Everything exists because of numbers; on figures and even if one number is missing, the whole universe will collapse. It’s like the cell phone. If you dial one wrong digit, the call will not go to the right person. One cannot argue on that, just because one digit is wrongly dialled, why the call is not being made. If everything is right, then line gets connected. So, numbers are very important.

It all is just vibrations. One of the greatest physicists, who was in the team, which made first two nuclear bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki, said that he had studied matter for thirty-five years only to discover that it did not exist. What existed was just vibration. Everyone is emitting and absorbing vibrations. Chanting and singing creates such positive vibrations, that you become a source of energy.

Q: What is the difference between a bulb, which is lit, and a bulb which is not?

Gurudev: One is emitting energy and the other is not. And all singing, chanting and meditating is like lighting the bulb. Have you noticed the difference between those who are doing all this with faith and someone who has never done it? It reflects on their faces. If you haven’t started noticing, you better start doing so! (Laughter) What happens when you are worrying all the time? You feel that the brain and the heart have become like stones. Similarly, what happens when you hear a negative comment about yourself from somebody? Your body feels heavy. You can’t avoid people saying negative things about you. When someone says something negative about you or when a close friend of yours is feeling very low, you also start feeling the same. Your energy goes down. That is why satsangs are so important. This knowledge is very important.

When you focus on someone who is depressed, you also feel the same and when you participate in a satsang your whole focus is shifted to knowledge. That’s why the Guru is important. When you think of the Guru, when you shift your focus to the Guru in a few moments, your energy is restored and you are your normal self. There is an old proverb ‘Guru bina gati nahin’, which means that there is no progress without the Guru.

There are so many people around you. You are being tossed and turned by everybody’s moods, emotions and blames. You are stuck and you are not even aware of it. But when you have a Guru, it will not matter to you and even if it does, it will be for only few minutes or hours. After that, you will be able to push through it and move on. It is like having a raincoat. If it is raining, you can always protect yourself with it. In this context ancient people in India, Korea, and Japan and even in China had said that a spiritual teacher, master or a person who is on the path is very important. Then one does not have to keep feeling these negative vibrations and heaviness for days together.

Secondly, if you find nobody is available and no commune is available, then what you do? Chant, do pranayama, nature walk, Vedanta, or have faith in the science that says that everything is just vibrations.

Numbers are very important. We chant ‘Om Namah Shivaya’ 108 times. In Islam, too the number 786 is significant. That changes the vibrations.

Scientists say this whole space is curved. The Space is also like water. If you put a ball in water, its surface curves. Water is a medium and, like that, space is also a medium.

This was mentioned thousands of years ago in Vedas and that is why it is the fifth element. Space is where vibration travels. It is a medium like water, air, fire and earth. The scientists are saying the same thing today. It is amazing to see, ten thousand years ago, how people knew that space has a curvature, that it is a medium. There is not just one but ten dimensions, which is the spirit. These facts open your mind to a higher reality.

Q: I feel very secure in the ashram and fear going back to the outside world. What can I do?

Gurudev: Awaken your enthusiasm despite whatever happens. At least believe that you are not alone and that the Divine is there. Observe where the fear sensation is—the heart, throat and other parts of the body. Do pranayama, bhastrika and Sudarshan Kriya. Keep yourself busy. Do not give yourself a lot of time to think. Then where is the time to fear?

Q: I feel hurt when people talk negative things.

Gurudev: With our perceptions, we give rise to others’ qualities. If you consider someone as a friend, it will be beneficial for you. If you take him/her to be an enemy, then there will be enmity.

Q: I detest my job, which I loved so dearly once. What can I do?

Gurudev: Our likes and dislikes change so often! You like something and then dislike it and so on. Life should not be swayed by likes and dislikes but should be well founded on commitments. You need some work to sustain your life. Be committed to any job that sustains your life and if you get something better, go for it. There is nothing like job-satisfaction. Every job has some drawbacks. Earn your livelihood and then do seva for satisfaction. That brings you maximum satisfaction. Nothing else can bring you the satisfaction that seva brings.

Q: Dearest Gurudev, this is for the first time I am seeing so much of your blessed glory. Can you tell me how to learn to love myself and respect myself so that I can become a good mother? I inflict harm on my body because I don’t feel worthy. What should I do? Your answer would be the most appreciated.

Gurudev: Don’t think you don’t love yourself. Even a person who commits suicide loves himself too much and that is why he commits suicide. Such a person doesn’t want pain; can’t tolerate pain. So, people who can’t bear a little pain or suffering, and want only happiness, commit suicide. They love themselves too much. They don’t love others. If the person who commits suicide, loves his/her mother or daughter or wife or husband or near and dear ones, how could they do so? If they care for others, they would never commit suicide. They should know if they hang themselves, they would bring problems to their fellow beings, making them miserable and sad. One commits suicide because of loving oneself too much.

So, never doubt your love for yourself because you are love. It has only been misplaced. Somewhere you do not have it right. You are in the right place. Not even a single mother born on this planet is bad. As a mother, don’t think that you are a bad. It is impossible! So, just relax and move on with your work. Don’t analyse too much.

There is always some imperfection in any action that we do. This is an important thing to know. No action on this planet Earth is perfect. Every action has a dot of imperfection in it. However, we should keep acting. Even the worst act has a good dot in it, whereas the best action has got one flaw in it. It’s either ninety-eight percent good and two percent bad or two percent good and ninety-eight percent bad. This is what happens in all actions. So, don’t focus too much on the flaws in an action. Keep acting, as long as it is ninety percent good.

Q: I have been listening to your talks and reading your knowledge sheets. Now I want to reach that level where I am able to live that knowledge, to be sensitive like you, being able to listen to the pain of plants also. I too want to reach that level.

Gurudev: Where there is thirst, water will also be made available. If you have any conflicts in your mind, don’t worry. Aren’t conflicts reducing in the mind? This will continue to reduce. Increase the level of sattva in you and, with time conflicts will not remain with you.

Q: Gurudev, I think life is miserable. What should I do?

Gurudev: You think life is miserable because you are hanging onto the desires of the past—the unattainable desires. You are not accepting the present. You are not moving ahead. You are hoping for too much. You should be practical. Life is a mixture of problems and pleasure.

What does your mind do? It messes up the problems, and blows them out of proportion, and makes you miserable. So, who is responsible for your misery? You are. When do you plan—not to be miserable? (Laughter) Now, right now! Have you gotten over your misery right now? (A dim ‘yes’ from the audience). The ‘yes’ should be louder (A strong ‘yes’ this time). That is it.

You know, if a room is dark for twenty years, it does not take another twenty years to bring in the light. It just needs one connection—a switch is turned on and the darkness vanishes. Your life may have been miserable in the past, but wake up. So what if it had been miserable? Problems come and go in everybody’s life. Look at your past—problems came and they have all vanished. We forcefully make the problem linger on. Just wake up and see—where is the problem? The problem is not there at all. You can have some physical problem sometimes—some pain here and there but is there anyone who has never suffered physical illness? Everybody has some physical problem at some point in his or her lives. When you violate laws of nature, there is pain and suffering. Pain is inevitable but suffering is optional.

Q: Sometimes questions come in my mind and are answered when I am in meditation. However, sometimes, I get no answers. Is that because there is no connection?

Gurudev: No connection?! You mean you don’t get the range? (Huge laughter). It only happens sometimes. So, it does not matter. Maybe it is a difficult question and I don’t have an answer! Maybe that’s why the connection gets broken! (Big laugh).

Q: Dearest Gurudev, sometimes I feel that I have not got over a death in my immediate family, and it prevents me from moving forward in my own relationships, and starting my own family. I would want to move on but sometimes I feel I am my own worst enemy. Please help me Gurudev. I am waiting patiently for you to read, and answer my question.

Gurudev: You can meditate. You can sing bhajans in the satsang. These vibrations reach them, too. If you are peaceful, then peaceful vibrations go from you to the other side. That is why spirituality is called ‘Sadhana’—it means the real wealth in Sanskrit; the real currency that can be used here as well as on the other side (laughs). The other dollar currency cannot be used on the other side. That’s why, when we do satsang, we should sing and meditate. These positive vibrations reach the other side.

When these emotions come up observe them; watch them. They will come, evaporate, and disappear. Don’t make a big issue about it. Move on.

Q: Gurudev, I don’t write letters to you for I have full faith that you will solve my problems anyway. Many people asked me to write a letter to you. But, I still didn’t write letter to you. When I came here for the advance course, many people were writing down their botherations in letters. Please tell me, should I write or not?

Gurudev: You move according to your way and let others move in their own way. It is not necessary that all paths should be the same.

Q: Sometimes I find many vikaras (flaws) in myself and think that I don’t deserve to be on the path. What can I do?

Gurudev: You should get rid of the guilt. Till now, you were suffering from guilt and were not even aware of it. Now that you are aware, you cannot bear it. This makes you a seeker. So many have dropped their vikaras. If you keep doing satsang, seva and get into the depths of meditation, it will rid you of the vikaras and the old impressions will be washed away. If you were completely hopeless, you would not even have got a chance to come here—on the path of satsang. You have done something good. Direct your vision to the good as well.

Q: I have a habit of recalling the pleasant memories of life again and again, as it gives a glimpse of the same pleasure as I felt in the past. Is it something to be cautious of? Can it hinder my growth?

Gurudev: It does not matter. Don’t make an effort to go on remembering the past. I think you have too much free time. Get busy and start working. There are so many things to do in the world. Where is the time to live in the past, recollect it all? The world is new every moment. Be with it. Don’t turn and keep looking back. Move forward.

Q: Gurudev, I am very possessive about my things. I can share my things only with my dear ones and I don’t like others using them. What can I do to come out of it?

Gurudev: Never mind. Others have accepted you as you are. You can think you have given them a chance to accept you as you are. The time will come when you will rise above all the ‘me’ and ‘I’; maybe after ten or hundred years! Then anybody can use your things. Then you cannot say that only your grandchildren can use them. (Laughter) Right now, don’t feel guilty. Allow your boundaries to expand gradually. Don’t force yourself. There is a time for everything. The mind is so tricky and funny when it comes to possessiveness.

Q: Gurudev, I want something to happen so that I don’t even get a desire to ask questions?

Gurudev: Your desire to have no desire to ask questions is a desire in itself. That is the problem. ‘Jo jaisa hai theek hai ‘—this is ‘sanmati’. (Whatever is there, however it is, it is alright. This is called sanmati or right mindedness.) Whether or not you have a question, it is alright. Whether you get an answer or you don’t, it’s alright, too. ‘Everything is alright’ is the path of ‘nivritti’. Often we say, “This is not OK, that is not OK,” and then we retreat into ourselves. In that state, you cannot rest. This is because when you find something is not alright, you tend to act on it. You are trying to rest while restraining yourself from action but with an attitude for action. This causes tension and lack of deep rest.

We need to have two attitudes in life—‘pravritti ‘and ‘nivritti’. It is important to retreat within yourself when you are tired of working in the world. Nature has made it that way—a twelve-hour day and a twelve-hour night. At some places like the North and South Poles, the night is of around four hours and the day is around eighteen to twenty hours. Then in winters, it gets reversed and day is only of four to five hours. Therefore, nature maintains that balance. A twelve-hour day and a twelve-hour night is the law of nature. Night itself means retiring from any kind of effort. Day symbolizes pravritti and night symbolizes nivritti. Viveka (discrimination) is to understand pravritti and nivritti. We think nivritti is retiring from your job at the age of sixty and being on a holiday. This is not so. The Vedas point out that the path of nivritti should be adopted again and again. To go within and rest after getting tired of doing work is nivritti. There are two types of rest. One is the inert rest that we get in sleep. It does give some rest but the mind doesn’t get complete rest. Another is a conscious rest—you are resting but you are aware and alert inside. This is meditation. Meditation is resting with awareness or conscious sleep. Meditative rest is far superior as it alone brings real rest to the system.

When we want to go into meditation, then the attitude that needs to be adopted is that everything is OK. There is no lack of anything and you do not want anything at that moment. When you think that everything is OK, then your mind calms down and you go within. When you go within, you get a lot of happiness, satisfaction, joy and peace. Then you are on the path of pravritti. So, pravritti is when you find things are not OK or perfect and nivritti is when you repose in the Self and find all is well and perfect. This knowledge comes to you with spiritual practices. The human species is designed in such a way that no one can ever be only in nivritti or only in pravritti. Both will continue to coexist in life. When we are in pravritti, we find that it is not alright and nothing is alright. Only then we work and correct things. (Gurudev points out to very minute imperfections in the surroundings). Small things catch our attention and we feel like correcting everything. This is pravritti. But if someone gets stuck just in this attitude, then even with the eyes-closed, one thinks of imperfections only and cannot go into nivritti. It makes one angry and very stressful. This is called ‘asuri vritti’.

Lord Sri Krishna has said this in the Gita. A person with tamoguna tendencies does not know when to follow and which of the two paths. He does not have the discrimination in him. While working, he thinks everything is going well. This is an example of using nivritti instead of pravritti. He thinks corruption is alright; it is present everywhere. He does not work and adopts an attitude of indifference. He thinks he does not have anything to do with tasks getting accomplished. Then he uses the concept of pravritti in nivritti—he thinks and worries all the time. Just thinking does not accomplish any task. When you think something is not alright and you do not do anything about it—disturbs your health. When both the attitudes are taken together then your tasks get accomplished skillfully, successfully and without any stress. It is also said in the Bhagwad Gita