Rudrabhishekam webcast with Gurudev on Oct 1, at 11 am IST

Jai Gurudev Dear Ones,

You are invited to watch the Rudrabhishekam webcast with Gurudev on Oct 1, at 11 am IST.

This webcast is open for all and can be viewed on www.artofliving.org/webcast

If you want to watch the entire Navratri Celebrations with Gurudev from Bangalore Ashram from 2 - 11 Oct, please register onwww.bit.ly/navratriwebcast

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR Posted: 26 Mar 1996

BLAMING AND MISERY

When a worldly man is miserable, he blames the people around him, the system, and the world in general.

When a seeker is miserable he, of course, blames the world, but in addition he blames the path, the Knowledge, and himself.

It is better not to be a seeker so that you blame less. But then a seeker (sadhak) also enjoys everything much more. There is more love in life and more pain. When there is more joy, the contrast is greater. A certain level of maturity is needed to see things as they are and not to blame the path, the self, and the world. Do you see what I am saying?

It is like a quantum leap. If one jumps across this threshold then there is no fall.

The Divine does not test you. Testing is part of ignorance. Who will test? One who does not know will test, isn't it? God knows your capacity, so why does he have to test you? Then, why the misery? It is thithiksha, or forbearance, in you. And forbearance could be increased by prayerful surrender or vigorous challenge for patience! (Laughter)

Jai Guru Dev

Wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The 15 second trick that saves you from making bad... http://wisdomfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-15-second-trick-that-saves-you-from.html?spref=tw

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR Posted: 13 Mar 1996

FAITH AND LOVE

God does not wish you to have more faith because the more faith you have, the more work for God. God will have to run behind you; then you start controlling Him. He is the servant of faithful servants and He does not want too many servants telling Him what He should be doing.

Love is the highest strength, yet it makes you absolutely weak. So God/Enlightened One/Nature does not want you to have more faith or love. With too much faith and love, you make God weak.

So, it is better for God that you have less faith. Things go on as they are. Why transform? Be happy.

Meditation is seeing God in oneself.

Love is seeing God in the person next to you.

Knowledge is seeing God everywhere.

Expression of love is service.

Expression of joy is smile.

Expression of peace is meditation.

Expressing God is conscious action. Jai Guru Dev

Gurudev @SriSri's message on the occasion of Kashmir scholar Acharya Abhinavgupta's Millenium celebrations: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MJLEvzhUjk8 …

Being Judicious Judicially http://srisriravishankar.org/being-judicious-judicially/#.V-yJZCIrrU0.twitter

Wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: 7 ways to clear your mind of negative thoughts http://wisdomfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/2016/09/7-ways-to-clear-your-mind-of-negative.html?spref=tw

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 21 Feb 1996

KNOWLEDGE AND FAITH

In science you have knowledge first, and then faith follows.

In spirituality, faith comes first, and then Knowledge follows.

For example, the knowledge that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are good for plants came through science, and people had faith in it, and all over the world they were used. And then another knowledge came that they were not good and the faith shifted to organic farming. The same with antibiotics.

The knowledge brought faith, the knowledge changed, and then faith changed. The knowledge and faith of science is of "happening." In spirituality, faith is first and Knowledge comes later. Like Kriya, Yoga, and meditation -- first you have faith and then Knowledge follows. For example, if you do pranayama faithfully then you get the Knowledge of the prana; if your do your meditation faithfully, the Knowledge of consciousness follows. Even an illiterate, through faith, attains deep Knowledge.

Science regards life as matter and spirituality regards even matter as life.

Jai Guru Dev

Gurudev @SriSri present at the #ColombiaPeace agreement shares his message on the occasion. #Peace4Colombia #AcuerdoDePaz pic.twitter.com/PNYdBQauy0

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 14 Feb 1996

ABIDING IN THE SELF

Abiding in the self you become the valentine for the whole world. Spirit is the valentine of matter and matter is the valentine of the spirit. They are made for each other. They uphold each other. If you hold onto matter and do not respect the spirit, then matter is not pleased. If you honor the spirit then you will care for the world, and when you care for the world, it will take care of you.

I am the valentine of the whole world and I reside in every heart. If you are my valentine, you will see me everywhere. Have the same love for everyone, with different flavors. You cannot behave the same way with everyone, but you can love all of them the same. Love transcends behavior and etiquette.

Jai Guru Dev

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 29 Feb 1996

RESPECT

Why do you respect someone? Because of their good qualities, isn't it? For example, positive qualities like honesty, wisdom, love, talents, behavior. But all these change in time. And when they do change, you lose respect. You only respect the greatness.

I have tremendous respect for each and every one. Not for their greatness or wisdom or talent, but for their very person. I respect everyone totally. So I can never lose respect for anybody, however they may be. One doesn't need to be great in order to be respected. Respecting the life makes you great. Don't look for respect from others; that makes you weak. Have respect for the self and no one can take your self-respect.

Jai Guru Dev

Glimpses of Gurudev @SriSri from today at Bogotá, Colombia.

Wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Changes required to become Free http://wisdomfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/2016/09/changes-required-to-become-free.html?spref=tw

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 08 Feb 1996

INDEBTEDNESS OR ABUNDANCE

Question: God is all abundant, all full and we are connected to God. Then why are we in debt, except for some? Why do they have, and we don't have?

Guruji: Is it only money? You have abundance, yet at the same time, you are indebted. So how can both be true? How can you be indebted and at the same time have abundance?

Somebody says: An abundance of indebtedness!

Guruji: When you say you are indebted, that means you have received. Otherwise how can you be indebted? So be thankful for being indebted, because you have received. Those who have received should feel indebted. If you don't feel indebted, you cannot have abundance. So the more indebted you feel, the more abundance you have.

Question: When the disciples met Jesus, they were not very successful, did not catch very many fish. When they met Jesus, he told them exactly where to fish and that's when they got lots of fish and then they decided to follow Jesus.

(Laughter)

Guruji: Feel indebted. Feel gratitude. Then abundance comes. As long as you are wanting for abundance you get indebted. Feel indebtedness and gratitude, then abundance comes.

Abundance and indebtedness coexist. You think you are indebted, but you really are not. It is better to feel totally indebted, because every bit of what you have, doesn't belong to you, including your body. Then you are infinitely indebted for your body, for Knowledge, for things you have received, and for your own life. Then you bask in the abundance of the Creator.

Someone says: I feel very indebted. Thank you!

Jai Guru Dev

@SriSri Tweets

What Is A Sign Of Growth | The Art Of Living Global http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom-q-a-20-august-2016-qa-8 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 01 Feb 1996

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOT IN THE UNIVERSE

There is a place you can come where everything is beautiful. Tourists go from place to place looking for beauty. They try to take beauty from that place. They only get tired and tanned. Yet the most beautiful spot anywhere is right here. When you come here, you find that wherever you are, everything is so beautiful.

Where is this place? Don't look here and there. Where do you go? Within you. When you come here, then any place is beautiful. Then wherever you go, you add beauty there.

If you are unhappy, even the moon is irritating to you. Sweet things are nauseating, music is disturbing. When you are calm and centered inside, noise is musical, clouds are magical, rain is liquid sunshine.

Book yourself on a trip to this most beautiful place in the universe. Then you find that every day is a vacation and a celebration.

Jai Guru Dev

What Is A Sign Of Growth | The Art Of Living Global http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom-q-a-20-august-2016-qa-8 

Wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Journey back to the Source http://wisdomfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/2016/09/journey-back-to-source.html?spref=tw

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 11 Jan 1996

WRAPPING PAPER

All sensory pleasures in the world are like wrapping paper; the true bliss is the present inside. Divine love is the present, yet we are holding onto the paper believing we have already enjoyed the gift. It's like putting the chocolate inside your mouth with the paper still on. A little chocolate may seep into the mouth, but the covering makes sores in the mouth. Unwrap the present. The whole world is there for you to enjoy. The wise know how to enjoy the gift inside, while the ignorant get stuck with the paper.

Jai Guru Dev

@SriSri Tweets

Why Good People Should Take More Responsibility | The Art Of Living Global http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom-q-a-20-august-2016-qa-6

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 21 Dec 1995

THE WASHING MACHINE

Our body is like a washing machine, our mind is like cloth, each lifetime is one run or cycle, and Knowledge is detergent. The mind comes into the body to get cleansed and pure. But instead of detergent, if you use dirt, then you have dirty clothes.

Pure water is like love, Knowledge is like detergent, mind is like cloth, and the body like the washing machine. If you put in mud instead of detergent, your clothes become dirtier than before.

You will have to go on putting clothes in the washing machine to get them cleaned. And the process repeats again and again. Similarly you will have many more births until you stop repeating the mistakes that you have made.

Jai Guru Dev

Be Happy And Make Others Happy Too | The Art Of Living Global http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom-q-a-20-august-2016-qa-1

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 14 Dec 1995

OVERCOMING EVENTS

All the problems that you face in life are because you attach over importance to the events. The events grow bigger while you remain smaller. Say, for example, you are riding a motorbike on a busy motor way and in front of you there is another vehicle emitting exhaust fumes. You have three options.

1. You can complain, somehow bear with it, and still follow the vehicle.

2. You can slow down or wait for some time to allow the vehicle to move far away from you.

3. You can use your skill, overtake the vehicle, and forget about it.

As in the first case, most of you stick on the events and are miserable, like inhaling fumes throughout your journey.

In the second case, you don't get permanent relief, as another bigger vehicle might come in front of you. Like that, running away from events is not the permanent solution.

However, wise people use their skill and grow over the events. If the vehicle is in perfect condition, the skill is effective. Conditioning the vehicle is sadhana or practice. And skill is the grace of the Guru.

The mistakes that you have made in the past have made you humble; you need not make mistakes in the future to become humble.

Jai Guru Dev

@SriSri Tweets

@SriSri Tweets

How To Save A Strained Relationship | The Art Of Living Global http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom-q-a-19-august-2016-qa-1 via @Artofliving

Wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The Key to Happiness http://wisdomfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/2016/09/the-key-to-happiness.html?spref=tw

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 01 Nov 2006

HOW TO MAINTAIN INTIMACY

Intimacy often gets broken because of ego or your desire. What breaks intimacy?

1. Ego or taking a position

2. Desire

3. Taking intimacy for granted

4. Finding imperfection in oneself or others

5. Expectations

6. Insensitivity or over sensitivity

7. Lack of vivek or vairagya (lack of discretion or dispassion)

8. Judgements

9. Grumbling or lack of gratitude

Dissolving into infinity is the way to maintain intimacy. Intimacy is dissolving into infinity. Dissolving into infinity brings you to the moment. Go beyond events. Dissolve into infinity, be in the moment, and look beyond the events. This is the way to maintain intimacy.

Jai Guru Dev

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 31 Oct 2006

WHO ARE YOU? BRAHMA, VISHNU, MAHESH OR GURU?

There are three forces: Brahma shakti, Vishnu shakti, and Shiva shakti. You may have one of these predominant. Brahma shakti is the force to create something new. Vishnu shakti is maintenance and Shiva shakti is bringing in transformation, filling in life, or destroying.

Some of you have Brahma shakti. You may create well, but you may not be able to maintain. For example, you may make friends very fast, but it does not last long.

There are others who cannot create but are good at maintaining. For example, people have long lasting friendships but cannot make any new friends. In such cases, Vishnu shakti is dominant.

And then there are others who have more of Shiva shakti. They bring in new life or transformation or they can destroy the whole set up.

In Guru shakti, all three shaktis have blossomed fully.

So each of you first identify which shakti you have more of and aspire for Guru shakti. Guru makes a group but a group cannot make a Guru.

Jai Guru Dev

What Sri Sri said today | Journey Back To The Source http://www.artofliving.org/what-sri-sri-said-today

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 30 May 2012

FOCUS and EXPANSION

Focus sharpens the mind and relaxation expands the mind. Just an expanded mind without sharpness cannot bring the holistic development. At the same time, just the sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustration

The balance between the focussed mind and expanded consciousness brings perfection.

Both Sudarshan Kriya and the Advanced Course techniques are aimed at developing such consciousness which is sharp and unbounded

Seva and commitment play a major role in this. Also, food and attitude have an effect.

Expanded consciousness is peace and joy. Focussed consciousness is love and creativity.

A point of focussed consciousness is Individual self.

When every atom of the expanded consciousness becomes sharp, focussed, that is the awakening of Divinity.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||