KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

The purpose of life

Our first and foremost commitment is to do seva (service) in the world. If there is fear in your life, it is because of a lack of commitment. If there is confusion in your life, it is because of lack of commitment. The very thought I am here in this world to do seva (service), dissolves the I and when the I dissolves, worries dissolve. Seva is not something u do out of convenience or for pleasure. The ultimate purpose of life is to be of service.

An uncommitted mind is miserable. A committed mind may experience rough weather but will reap the fruits of its toil. When you make the service your sole purpose in life, it eliminates fear, brings focus in your mind and purposefulness, action and long-term joy and may be short term problems!

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

Q: If every wish gets fulfilled at a particular time as per the will of God, what is the necessity of prayer?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Well, prayer is not something that you impose on yourself or anyone else. Prayer is a natural call for help, or a natural expression of gratefulness. Prayer can happen only on two occasions:

1. When you are desperately in need of something then you pray. When you realize that you are weak and you cannot handle something, that is when you ask for help and that is a prayer.

2. When you realize that you have received more than what you really deserve, and it has all come to you as a blessing and as a gift, then the gratefulness that you express becomes a prayer. And if you extend this a little further, another occasion when prayer rises from within you is when you are in deep love with the maker of the universe or the divinity, in whatever form or formless way you perceive it to be. That is devotion.

So prayer it is something which happens spontaneously. And it's good to have a few rituals associated with prayer as it adds some colors to life. When you pray in a particular manner by lighting a candle or something that brings up to the surface those emotions that are sleeping in you.
The benefits of prayer are:

1. It invokes those emotions that are sleeping within you.
2. It takes away the worry and burden in your head.
3. It builds confidence in you and you feel the connection from your side. You are already connected to the divine, but from your side you start realizing your connection to the higher power.

4. It puts you into routine. Suppose you make it a habit of praying every day, maybe the first four days go without any experience, but on the fifth day, you experience something. It's almost like any other sadhana. So make prayer a practice in your life so that you know you have something to do that is it ethereal.

Prayer is the way to connect to the something that is not so tangible but is existing. So, prayer could be one such link to the unknown and unseen. Falling in love with the unknown is faith

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

If you are going around thinking about somebody feeling hateful, angry, revengeful and all that, it is your strong craving for something, or aversion to something which is making you do this. You better get on to doing some seva. I tell you, it will definitely help you.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

Back to Space

When such calamities occur we try to understand their cause so that we can blame someone. Strangely, when you find someone to blame you feel comfortable, but with natural calamities you cannot blame anyone. It comes to you as a shock. With wisdom, shocks can make you grow in leaps and bounds. Without wisdom a shock can only lead you to negativity and depression.

Q. Why should nature destroy small innocent children?

A. Nature just does its job. It does not discriminate between young and old. Do you think that all those who eat bamboo shoots and eggs or pluck flower buds are not compassionateÅ maybe, maybe not! (laughter!)

Instead of questioning Nature, wake up and see the opportunity for seva (service). See whatÒ³ happening in Gujarat now. Today, hundreds and thousands are engaged in service activities that would not have happened otherwise. One positive thing coming out of destruction is the reconstruction of Gujarat which would not have happened if not for earthquake. Another interesting factor is a fresh water spring that has appeared in a region that has been continuously drought prone.

Wisdom is to consider the earth as your Valentine. Whether it shakes or breaks, it is dear to you. You always see good coming from it. The four elements, other than space, create turbulence from time to time. If you depend on them for support, they will shake you and lead you back to space. Finding security in inner space is spirituality.

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

Q: Is it possible for a person to have multiple Gurus in one lifetime?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Oh my God, one itself is big! And then if you have two-three gurus, you will become bigger! Guru means ‘Big’. If you are on the spiritual path, know that it is they who have paved the way for you to be here. And so thank everybody, honor everyone, but follow one system of practice, otherwise you will be so confused doing a little bit here-and a little bit there.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

When you are stuck in the rat race, do the cat walk. Walk with poise and confidence.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

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!

II JAI GURUDEV II