KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, November 30, 2024

Dealing with blame

When someone blames you, what do you usually do? Blame them back or you put up resistance in yourself. When someone blames you, they actually take away some negative karma from you. If you understand this and don't put up resistance and feel happy about it, then you drop your resistance. "Oh, good. That person is blaming me. Good. Something is going away." And when you drop the resistance, your karma goes away. Do you see what I'm saying?

So when someone blames you and you put up resistance in your mind, and you don't react, then you are not allowing them to take the negative karma. Outside you may resist, but inside if you don't resist, and feel happy, "Oh, good, somebody is there to blame me and take some negative karma," you will feel immediately lighter.

How does it feel to you when someone blames you? Do you feel some heaviness? Usually, when someone blames you, you feel hurt and you feel unhappy, you feel sad. This is all because you're. resisting. That is it. What you resist, persists. The ignorant person tells someone, "Don't blame me because it hurts me."

An enlightened person also says "Don't blame me." Do you know why? Because it might hurt you. This is a beautiful point. What are the points? You get hurt because you resist the blame. When someone blames you, you resist it inside. Outside you may not resist, but inside when you resist, then that hurts you.

An ignorant person warns you, "You better not hurt me, you better not blame me because I will feel hurt." Someone warns you not to blame them because it will hurt them and they'll do something harmful to you out of revenge.

An enlightened person says "Don't blame me because it will hurt you." So here you say, don't blame because of compassion. You can tell someone, don't blame me out of compassion, or you can say it out of anger.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

Posted on: Saturday, November 30, 2024

Q: Is there any connection between DNA and our ancestors? If so, please throw some light.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, absolutely there is. Where do you think your DNA originated from? It didn’t drop from the sky. Obviously,it has come from your ancestors. But I can tell you one thing that you may not know, a banana contains 50% of your DNA. A human being and a banana share 50% of the same DNA which means two bananas equal to the DNA of one human being. or one banana is equal to the DNA of half of a human being. This is what the scientists say.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Saturday, November 30, 2024

Learn to make people your own. They already belong to you. They come from the same soil and breath the same air which you expel. You are connected - so much connected.

~ Sri Sri

https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, November 30, 2024

Just respect people. They may have the most dumb ideas, or have no ideas, but still giving them respect creates that connectivity. When people feel connected then they also feel protected. And when they are protected, their integrity level goes higher.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, November 29, 2024

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.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Friday, November 29, 2024

Q: Gurudev, when we chant a mantra continuously, will that mantra effect our body and life ?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Definitely! But we should not keep chanting continuously, this is not correct. Do you keep bathing continuously? When you chant the mantra for some time, your mind will become stronger. That is why it called mantra. We can do it for 20 - 30 min. If you keep doing it continuously, your intellect will become dull. We should not do it too much. If you stay a lot in water, you will become a fish (laughter). That is why it is referred as mantra-snaan (bath).

If someone keeps listening to music, his intellect will stop working. Similarly, someone who keeps doing math and never listens to music, his personality will also be unbalanced. These things are there to balance our left brain and right brain. We should look it from a scientific perspective. From a scientific perspective, we should listen to music for some time, we engage in some discussions for some time, and we should think for some time. Afterwards, you will experience an all-round development.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Friday, November 29, 2024

If you are good by nature but people around you do not find you good, then that means that you are not expressing yourself correctly. You have to express yourself the way you truly are.

~ Sri Sri

https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, November 29, 2024

When you become subtle in your mind and go deep in your heart, you turn vegetarian naturally.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Desire and joy

All desires are for happiness. That is the goal of desire, isn't it? How often does your desire lead you to the goal? But have you thought about the nature of desire? It simply means tomorrow, and not now, isn't it? Joy is never tomorrow. It is always now.

How can you have desires when you are joyful? And how can you really be joyful now when you have desires? Desire appears to lead you to happiness. In fact it cannot. And that is why it is Maya. What do you say?

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Q: I try to forget the mistakes I made in the past and move ahead. But the people around me keep reminding me of those past mistakes. What should I do? Sri

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Smile and move forward. If they are not able to forget the mistakes of the past, then that is their problem. You should forget the mistakes of the past, just drop it and move ahead. You are not the same person as you were in the past when you committed those mistakes, you have changed. When you came to the spiritual path, when you gained this wonderful knowledge, then your entire life has changed. So have complete and unshakeable faith in this fact.

In the ancient times, when people used to approach a Guru, then they would even change their birth names. Why was this done? It was to signify that you have taken a new birth altogether when you have come to the Guru. You have become a new person when you gained access to this knowledge. The mistakes you committed in the past out of ignorance do not exist anymore in light of the knowledge you have now received.

Ignorant people around you may sometimes do such things, but you should have compassion for them instead of feeling hurt or angry. Think that, “Oh, they are still stuck and do not know that I am a totally different person now. I have changed”. This faith you must develop in yourself. There is no need to fall into self-pity.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Wednesday, November 27, 2024

Serving the world is the best form of prayer.

~ Sri Sri

https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, November 27, 2024

See what you want to do, move forward and drop the past. Don't go on doing postmortem of the past all the time.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Monday, November 25, 2024

Authenticity and Skillfulness

Authenticity and skillfulness appear to be contradictory, but in fact they are complementary. Your intentions need to be authentic and your actions need to be skillful. The more authentic the intention, the more skillful the action will be. Authentic intention and skillful action make you unshakable.

Skill is required only when authenticity cannot have its way. Yet skill without authenticity makes you shallow. You cannot have an authentic action and a skillful intention. If you try to be authentic in your action but manipulative in your mind, that is when mistakes happen.

John: Is it possible to have a powerful intention, like greed, that is authentic?

Sri Sri: If your intention is colored by greed, over-ambition, etc. then your intention is not authentic. Whenever your intentions are impure, it pricks your consciousness, so it cannot be authentic. Authentic intentions are free from negative emotions. An action that is not skillful leads to negative emotions and an intention that is not authentic harbors negative emotions.

Gayatri: If our intention is authentic and yet our actions are not skillful, what should we do?

Sri Sri: Carry a handkerchief (laughter).

Question: What is the best skill to deal with intention?

Sri Sri: Do not keep any sankalpas (intentions) to yourself. Offer them to the Divine.

Actions can never be perfect but our intentions can be perfect. Actions always have room for improvement. Action means growth and movement, and that needs space. The depth in you and the freedom in you bring out all the skillfulness in you. Krishna was the most skillful because his silence was so deep.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Monday, November 25, 2024

Q: My wife gets angry. Sometimes I fight back else I run away. How do I develop strength to face her and calm her down?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Sometime back, when I spoke about women empowerment initiatives in society, there are some associations for battered and distressed husbands also who approached me. They wrote a letter to me saying, “Gurudev, you seem to only talk about disadvantaged and distressed women in society. Please give some thought about the poor distressed husbands in society also. We have formed an association of such husbands to address issues”.

I think some of these associations are there in Mumbai and Delhi. Usually these associations are present in bigger cities. There are very less chances of them being in villages and rural areas. I think maybe you should join one of those associations and become a member (Laughter).

Nowadays even young men are wary and cautious about marriage. They think, “Who knows what kind of wife I will have. She could either be like Goddess Lakshmi or even turn out to be wicked like Surpanakha! (a demoness in Ramayana and sister of the evil king Ravana)”. Some people met me in the past and said, “Gurudev, it has only been a few months for our marriage, and now my wife has gone and filed a court case citing demands for dowry or torture, etc.”

The lady had dragged the boy’s parents too to court along with the boy and had them all arrested and put behind bars.

If you go to the jails in Delhi, you will be shocked to see so many elderly ladies behind bars. Some of them are 70 or 80 years old. During one of my visits there I met an old lady and asked her, “Mother, what happened? What did you do that brought you to this jail?” She told me, “Gurudev, what do I say? My own daughter-in-law filed a lawsuit and had me arrested here. I did not do anything to her”. There are many cases where a newlywed daughter-in-law has her in-laws sent off to Lord Krishna’s birth place (here meaning the prison). That is why many young men are distraught and worried seeing such incidents.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Monday, November 25, 2024

If you are insensitive, if you don't do any service and keep all things only for yourself , then you will have no joy. There is a joy in contributing.

~ Sri Sri


https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Monday, November 25, 2024

There are people who are doing business with ethics and they are still making good profits and going up the ladder. It is possible to do business with ethics.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Sunday, November 24, 2024

The well baked pot

If you pour water into a half baked pot, the pot becomes wasted and so does the water. If the pot is well baked and strong, then it does not matter whether you put the water into the pot or the pot into the water.

During Satsang that evening a devotee presents a beautiful hand crafted pot to Guruji. Another devotee presents a bouquet of roses. Placing the bouquet into the pot Guruji says, "If the pot is well baked, then it will hold the flowers."

Yet another gift of sweets is given to Guruji and He adds, "When you blossom the sweets come to you." Then came a box of (Sandesh) Sweets and Guruji concluded, "This is today's sandesh." (Sandesh is the Hindi word for message.)

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Sunday, November 24, 2024

Q: Gurudev, I am in love with someone. How can I make out whether it is love or infatuation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You fall in love and you want me to tell you whether it is true love or not! You would need to decipher this yourself. Only the person who is eating would know the taste of the food. How can someone else advise on that?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Sunday, November 24, 2024

We need to keep in mind that emotional and ego-related issues should not enter business. When these issues creep into any organization's structure, they hinder the progress of the organization.

~ Sri Sri

https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Sunday, November 24, 2024

A Guru is never judgmental, he is very accommodating, compassionate and wants only the best for you. Not even the second best, only the best.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, November 23, 2024

Today is a gift from God -- that is why it is called "present!" DON'T BE GRATEFUL!

Warning! Watch out! This Knowledge Sheet contains explosives! It can explode your head or your heart. If it explodes your heart -- nothing is left! If it explodes your head -- everything is attained!

Guruji: How many of you are grateful here? (Everybody raises their hand.) If you are grateful, you don't belong to Me! (Everyone is shocked.) You are not part of the Master. When someone gives you something, you are grateful. That means you feel separate. You are not grateful to yourself.

Gratefulness is inevitable. When you go beyond gratefulness, then union happens. No "I," no "you" remains. You are part of the Master. You are just One Being with a thousand heads and a thousand arms, but with one heart. You have got to be grateful on the path, but you have to transcend gratefulness. Better stop being grateful. (Laughter.)

When you are grateful then you are the center, you are more important. When you are grateful to God for having received something beautiful, for example, eyesight, who is important? You or God? You! So your gratitude indicates ego.

Richard: But you are not grateful?

Guruji: I am simply great and I am full! (Laughter) Don't be grateful; just be great -- and be full! (Laughter)

This Knowledge is very dangerous! When you are part of the Master, you have every right to be happy. You have every right to Knowledge, happiness, and the whole universe!

Angelika: Small children don? feel grateful as long as they feel one. They take everything for granted.

Meike: You are not grateful to your own hand which feeds you.

Ananda: On one of the courses you said in the thanking process, "Now, thank yourself for being here!" So you can thank yourself.

Guruji: if you wish, you can! This is true celebration: thanking yourself!

Balder: Could you say something about the relationship to friends and the relationship to the Master?

Guruji: Your friends tie you to the world, to the matter. The Master ties you to the Divine, to the spirit.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Saturday, November 23, 2024

Q: What do your teaching hold for me as an atheist? I really struggle with this concept of God.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I would like you to be a sincere seeker of truth. Don't label yourself as a theist or an atheist. It's very difficult to be an atheist, do you know why? You say that something is not existing. When you say that something doesn't exist, you should know everything about the universe to be able to say that, and it is impossible to know everything in the universe. The same is with a theist also. Believers or non-believers, they are on the same boat because both of them think they know it all. I would say, it is better to be a seeker of truth. If you are a seeker of truth, you don't have to believe things that you don't know.

You know you exist and you believe you exist, then explore who you are, forget about God, keep God aside. Let's just go with this self-inquiry ‘Who am I?'

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Saturday, November 23, 2024

Truth will always stand out and win in the end. Good action will always give only good results. This is the law of nature. So when doubts come, let them come and go. You keep moving forward.

~ Sri Sri

https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, November 23, 2024

When you forget that you are part of the infinity, fear comes. Separation brings fear. If there is oneness, there is no fear. So how do you get over fear? By remembering the you are part of the divine.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, November 22, 2024

The Other Side Of Friendliness

Secretaries, police, judges, accountants and people in key positions should not be friendly!

The main disadvantages of being friendly are:

⚫You come under obligation
⚫You lose your freedom
⚫You can't have a free and fair perception. Your thoughts and actions may not be impartial
⚫Your focus, commitment, creativity and above all your time will be wasted
⚫You will pick up bad habits and negative moods easily
It takes a lot of wisdom to be free from the burden of obligation and not be influenced by your friends' opinions and feelings. In many occasions, it is better to be unfriendly than be friendly. Being unfriendly does not mean being aggressive and inimical. The best secretaries, personal assistants, security personnel, and judges have to be unfriendly. Those who are aloof and indifferent get centered more quickly than those who are too friendly. A certain degree of aloofness in every relationship will strengthen your personality and connect you to your source.

Vinod Sethi: It's very easy to be very aloof or very friendly. But to be friendly and aloof is a Sadhana.

Harish: Be an unfriendly friend!!

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Friday, November 22, 2024

Q: You have said that like rhythm in nature, our thoughts and emotions also have a rhythm. Please explain.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I want you to take a look at your own emotion and the time scales. See how you felt last year at the same time? What were your feelings and thoughts during Christmas time or Diwali time? Just analyze, you will see that the pattern is happening year after year. This is what I call rhythm.

The objects differ but the pattern remains the same. Last year your were upset about something at the same time. The previous year too you were upset but for something else. So the object of your disturbance and happiness may vary, but your experience remains the same. This is what is called as a pattern.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Friday, November 22, 2024

If you intention is correct, then that is all that matters.

~ Sri Sri

https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, November 22, 2024

When going through a divorce, parents should keep in mind not to go on blaming each other in front of the children. Putting the children against one of the parents is no good. That is a very narrow minded approach.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Thursday, November 21, 2024

Do it till you become it !

Virtues have to be practised till they become your nature. Friendliness, compassion and meditation should continue as practices till you realise that they are your very nature.

The flaw in doing something as an act is that you look for a result. When it is done as your nature, you are not attached to the result and you continue doing it. An action that arises from your nature is neither tiring nor frustrating. For example, daily routines like brushing one's teeth or bathing are not even considered actions because they are so integrated into one's life. You do all this without doership. When Seva is made part of your nature, it happens without doership.

Question: When do you realise that compassion, meditation and Seva are your nature?

Answer: When you cannot be without it.

Wise men continue the practices just to set an example, even though for them, there is no need for any practices.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Thursday, November 21, 2024

Q: Gurudev, the Vedic Wisdom course started today. We have come from all over the world. Please tell us what is the principle of Vedic Wisdom?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

It is amazing to see how much wisdom has been there in the past. From the Vedic Wisdom program, you will get a little glimpse of the various aspects of life and tattvas, i.e., the principles and the natural laws that govern the universe. That is what you will learn.

The first initiation for this is called the Gayatri Mantra, which is a very powerful mantra. It was kept a big secret for all these years. In certain sections of society, it was given only from father to son, it was not available to general public. People were even barred from chanting it aloud. It is only in the last 10-15 years that you have started getting it on tapes, people even sing out aloud. Before that, when we were young, when I was 10, nobody would even utter it, it was kept so secretive.

I thought everyone should now get access to this beautiful chanting. The meaning of the chant is, 'Let all our intellects be inspired by the divinity deep within us. Let noble thoughts and intuitive thoughts come up in our mind and rule our intellect. Let our intellect be soaked in the transcendental consciousness.’

It is our intellect and not just mine, since it is a collective prayer and wish. Similarly, you will understand more and more during the program. Actually, if you have to study any one aspect of the Vedas, it will take 12 years, it is that vast. But in these 4 to 6 weeks, you will get a little sample of everything. I thought people would enjoy it because this Vedic wisdom does not belong to any one religion, nation alone, it is the property of the whole planet, and the whole humanity. That is how I see it. No one can say that only one particular set of people should keep it. Although in the past that has been the case, now, it is available to everybody.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Thursday, November 21, 2024

There is another world, there is another realm and there is another plane of existence, not just this one. When you understand this, life gains a bigger dimension.

~ Sri Sri

https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Thursday, November 21, 2024

Legendary is the love that withstands rejection, for it will be free of anger and ego.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Was Buddha an Atheist?

A pure atheist is impossible to find. An atheist is one who does not believe in anything that is not concrete and tangible. Life is not all concrete and tangible. Nor is this Universe. Whether it is business, science or art, they all involve a certain amount of guesswork, assumptions, imagination and intuition. All of them are ethereal in nature and are not tangible. The moment an atheist accepts, even remotely a field that is unexplainable, he ceases to be an atheist. Any intelligent person cannot rule out the mystery in life and the universe and hence cannot honestly be an atheist! The so-called atheists are perhaps only denouncing certain concepts of God.

Question: Was Buddha an atheist?

Sri Sri: "No" in one sense because he professed emptiness which is very hard for an atheist to accept and "Yes" in another sense because he did not profess concepts of God.

Jim: An atheist believes only what he can see but Buddha said all that you see is not real.

Sri Sri: If only all present day atheists could be Buddhas.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Q: Gurudev, how do I make my parents understand that my Guru, knowledge and my yearning for the truth is of utmost importance to me? They just don’t seem to want to understand this.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Why do you want them to understand? Keep your secret in your heart and serve them and make them happy. You don’t need to convince everyone about what you believe and what you think is right. If they don’t understand, it is their choice and their freedom. Your trying to impose your ideas on them only causes more tension and their fear gets more exhilarated which is not needed.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Wednesday, November 20, 2024

The only thing you must remember is how fortunate you are. When you forget this, you become sad.

~ Sri Sri

https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, November 20, 2024

When you are soaked in love and are vibrating love, then people around you reciprocate that same love. This is a rule of nature!

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Success

Q.: How was yesterday's program? Was it successful?

Guruji: There is no question of success if you have nothing to gain. There is nothing to gain if you have only come to give and serve. Success indicates non-supremacy. Success means what? It indicates that there are chances of failure. If something is supreme there is nothing to lose. People running after success only exhibit their limitations.

Success means crossing a limit. To cross a limit you need to assume that you have a limit. Assuming a limit is underestimating yourself. If you have no boundaries then where is your success? If you have limitless access then there is no success. You don't say that you successfully drank a glass of water, because it is well within your capabilities. But when you do something that is beyond your perceived limits you claim success.

When you realise your unboundedness then no action is an achievement.

Anyone who claims to be successful only reveals his limitation. If you feel very successful it means that you have underestimated yourself. All your gains can only be smaller than you. Taking pride in any gains is belittling yourself.

Sheila: What if you feel that you are not serving successfully?

Guruji: You may feel that you have not done enough but you will not feel that you have not been successful. Real service is when you feel that you have not done enough.

Kai: You are not very successful! (Laughter)

Guruji: I am just full!

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Q: I know that it is a recommended not to think during meditation, but all my best ideas come to me exactly when I sit for meditation in the morning. I don’t want to miss them and so I let my mind work during meditation. Am I doing something wrong.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

It is quite natural that when you are more relaxed great ideas come to you. Write them down but don’t stop mediation, continue.

For some of you morning meditation is deeper, and for some others afternoon is better. For some body types, the body is awake and full of activity in the morning and so in the morning you may not be able to meditate. Never mind, you can do it in the afternoon before lunch. Meditate when the body is a little tired, and a little hungry. You should not be too tired, then you will go to sleep.

Initially, getting a little tired helps because the rajas in the body has completed its time. Tamas is total sleep, so before tamas comes in and once rajas is finished, in between the two states you can experience sattva, and that is when you can go deep in your meditation. So, for some meditating in the afternoon may be better, and for some meditating in the evening may be better.

If you cannot meditate twice a day, then you must meditate at least once a day. If you don’t meditate even once then you will be stinking, just like how you would stink when you don’t brush your teeth.

Brushing the teeth is dental hygiene, meditation is mental hygiene. You must meditate, never mind even if you are bombarded with thoughts, just sit for twenty minutes and relax. Listen to the meditation CDs, it will help you. Meditate even when the mind is chattering. Play some bhajans, do some chanting, all this will also take you into deep meditation.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV
Posted on: Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Love gets destroyed when we start demanding for it. This is what usually happens in relationships. We fall in love and we fall out of love very soon, because we started demanding.

~ Sri Sri

https://srisriravishankarquotes.blogspot.com/

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Tuesday, November 19, 2024

When your heart is filled with love and compassion, you are so powerful.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, November 13, 2024

The Goal Of All Answers

Some questions can be answered only in Silence. Silence is the goal of all answers. If an answer does not silence the mind it is "no" answer.

Thoughts are not the goal in themselves. Their goal is Silence. When you ask the question "Who am I?" you get no answer, there is silence. That is the real answer. For your soul is solidified silence. This solidified silence is wisdom, is knowledge.

The easy way to silence the thoughts is to arouse the feelings. For through feelings only peace, joy and love dawn. And they are all your very nature.

To the question "Who am I?" the only relevant answer is silence. You need to discard all answers in words, including "I am Nothing" or "I am the Cosmic Self" or "I am the Self" - and just stick to the question "Who am I?". All other answers are just thoughts. Thoughts can never be complete. Only Silence is complete.

**Quotes**

"You cannot betray somebody, unless you gain trust. A wicked person first gains trust and then betrays. Even the deception of a wise man will only do the highest good."

"To be afraid of the wicked, is a sign of bad regime and to be afraid to do bad is a sign of good regime."

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Wednesday, November 13, 2024

Q: Gurudev, can you explain more about mental illness? Is it unbalanced vata or is it karma? How can we help them?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Just serve such people. People with any mental diseases like depression and others can be helped through yoga, pranayama, and meditation. There are many which you cannot help, you simply have to accept them.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar