Divinity

Wednesday, 8 July 2026

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

POSTED ON: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2026

Faith and Alertness

Faith and alertness appear to be completely opposite in nature. When you are alert, usually there is no faith and you feel restless and insecure. When there is faith, the mind is secure and rested and you are not alert.

There are three types of faith:

Tamasic faith which is because of dullness. Like when you do not want to take responsibility or action and you say, "Oh it doesn’t matter, anyway God will take care of all these things!" (laughter)

Rajasic faith which is brought on by intense compulsion of desires and ambition. The ambition keeps the faith alive.

Satvic faith is innocent and is born out of fullness of consciousness.

Faith and alertness, though apparently opposite in nature, are actually complementary to each other. In the absence of faith, there can be no growth, and there can be no correct understanding without alertness. Faith can make you complacent. Alertness makes you tense.

If there is no faith, there is fear. And when there is no alertness, one cannot perceive or express properly. A combination of both is essential.

In Gyana (state of wisdom) there is alertness without tension and faith without complacency. The purpose of education should be to remove the element of dullness from faith and the element of fear from alertness. This is a unique and rare combination. If you have faith and alertness at the same time, then you will become a true Gyani (the Wise One)!

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2026

Q: Dear Gurudev, is there a difference between the soul and the mind?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Mind is that which perceives. See, 'you are looking at me' is through the mind. If mind is elsewhere, you can’t see me, right? If you’re not paying attention, if you’re not being mindful, you can’t hear what I’m saying. When mind is elsewhere, can you hear what I’m saying? No, right? Though the sound is falling on the ears, if mind is elsewhere, you cannot hear. So our perception depends on the mind. But the totality of energy is what the soul, or you, are.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

POSTED ON: THURSDAY, JULY 9, 2026

When you agree to be bogged down, that is the sign of failure. Resist getting bogged down. Be like a candle. Even if you turn a candle upside down, the flame always goes up. It never goes down.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Tuesday, 7 July 2026

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2026

Astonishing and Mysterious Karma

What do we get upset with? We don’t get upset with the birds, or the clouds, or with Nature. We don’t get upset with the environment. So, what do we get upset with?

We get upset with the people around us. Our enemies upset us and our friends upset us as well. Our mind gets stuck either in our friends or in our enemies. We either think about our friends or we think about our enemies the entire day.

People become our enemies even when we have not done any wrong to them. Many people have had this experience. We didn’t do any wrong to them; neither did we misbehave and still they became our enemies. This is very surprising!

We think, ‘Oh! Why has he become my enemy? Until yesterday he was my friend.’ In the same way, we do not do any special favours for some people, yet they become our close friends.

That is why I tell you, this is some astonishing and mysterious Karma – how some people become our enemies and some our friends.

So what should we do?

We should place both our friends and enemies in one basket, and just become empty from within and be joyful.

All these happenings (people becoming friends and enemies) are run by some law and we don’t know how and where it comes from. We just can’t say when someone’s feelings towards us will change and whether it will be in our favour or not in our favour. We just can’t say. That is why we should place absolute faith on our Self, on God, and not on friendship and enmity.

We should not waste our time thinking about friends and enemies.

What do you all think?

This does not mean you distance yourself from your friends, or that you stop making new friends. That is not what I am saying. Friendliness should be in our nature; love should be in our very nature. We are love after all!

When someone comes and sits beside us, we do smile at them and exchange a few words. This does not mean you think, ‘Anyways, who is a friend or who is an enemy, there is nothing to share with anyone’, and you walk around with a gloomy face being angry with everyone – this is not a sign of wisdom. This is ignorance and foolishness.

We must interact with everyone around us but at the same time be centred from within. Do you understand?

When we are centred, then we will not feel sad, angry or possessive. Then we will not have disappointment of any kind. Otherwise many times what happens, we become sad – ‘Oh! Look, I made him such a good friend and today he does not even talk to me. I did so many favours for him and he has turned against me!’

By thinking all these thoughts we waste the time we have in the present. We should not do this, Okay!

It is futile to search for a true friend in the world. Befriend the Truth (Divine) and the World is yours.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2026

Q: Gurudev, what brings satisfaction in life? Whatever I do finally does not bring great joy and contentment after a while.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

The whole idea of finding satisfaction by doing something itself is not correct. Satisfaction comes from deep rest, by reposing deep within oneself. When you get established within your Self, then there is contentment. The satisfaction you think that comes by doing some work is very temporary and lasts only for a short while.

If your work is successful, then you feel the need to do more work. When you get more success, then that again drives you to work more. You do not feel like stopping after having success. On the other hand, if you face some loss or failure in what you are doing, then also you feel, “Oh, how did it fail despite my efforts? I won’t give up; I will try again and succeed”. You feel challenged to do more. So you want to work more and work harder whether you get success or failure. And in this process the search for contentment continues. You keep searching for contentment when you are constantly engaged in work, or in action. It is only in knowledge that you can find your true contentment.

Fulfilment or contentment lies only in wisdom, and in deep meditation; not in any work or action as such.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, JULY 8, 2026

Beauty is reflected from within, it is not an outer phenomenon.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Monday, 6 July 2026

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

POSTED ON: TUESDAY, JULY 7, 2026

The Other Side of Ego

Ego is an impediment for a leader, wise man, merchant or a servant, but it is a necessity for a warrior, a competitor.

A warrior is one who takes on challenges and commitment and stands by it.

Ego makes one sacrifice oneself for a cause. Ego gives strength and courage, brings valour to meet the challenges with endurance and perseverance. A strong ego will counteract depression. Often ego is thought to be selfish but it is the greatest motivating factor for creativity and generosity.

Ego propels one to venture into the unknown.

There are 3 types of ego - Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic.

Tamasic ego is barbaric and blind, and has self-destructive tendencies.

Rajasic ego is self-centered and causes misery to oneself and others.

Sattvic ego is creative and has protective tendencies.

If you cannot surrender, at least have a Sattvic ego, as a Sattivic ego is always ready to sacrifice.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||