KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

POSTED ON: 04 Jan 2001

Memory -- A Hindrance and a Blessing

The forgetfulness in the nature of man is the root cause of all problems and suffering in life. The very remembrance of one’s nature, which is godliness, brings freedom in life. Here, memory is your best friend. The purpose of knowledge is to remind you of your true nature. In the Bhagvad Gita, Arjuna said to Krishna, "I got back my memory.

Now I have realized and will do as you say."

Memory is a blessing and your best friend when it comes to your true nature. Memory is a hindrance when it does not let you be free of events, pleasant or unpleasant.

Pleasant events create cravings and competition in the mind and do not allow fresh experiences, whereas unpleasant events give a biased perception and create paranoia. So the memory is both a blessing and a hindrance depending on whether you remember your nature or you are stuck with events in time and space.

Jai Guru Dev