KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

POSTED ON: SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2026

 

Austerity

 

Austerity is often mistaken to be poverty, self-denial. It is neither. Austerity comes out of maturity. It is a sign of social health. Often people who practice austerity are resentful of richness. This is a very pitiable state. Such austerity is not born out of maturity but out of compulsion. The true austerity has tolerance for richness and is never resentful.

 

In fact, one who is mature will have pity for one who is not austere. Austerity is not against celebration and just vanity is not celebration. Celebration dawns in the spirit. Only one who is rich in spirit can practice austerity. One may be rich materially but if he is poor in spirit he can neither celebrate nor evolve. Poverty of spirit is vanity. Austerity brings freedom from the pride of vanity. But taking pride in austerity is again a vanity !

 

Austerity comes out of abundance, and austerity brings abundance. If you feel a lack in any area of life, immediately start austerity. Austerity not only brings freedom but nurtures sharing and caring.

 

II JAI GURUDEV II 

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2026

 

Q: Gurudev, you often speak about Kripa (Grace). Should we all in The Art of Living become certain and confident about the presence of grace in our lives?

 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

 

Yes, of course! There is no need to worry at all. Just relax and be confident at all times. But at the same time, also be wise and practical. You should not think, “Oh! I have abundance of Grace in my life”, and then put your hand in a burning fire. If you do so then naturally your hands will get burnt.

Being confident (of Grace) does not in any way mean losing awareness and being impractical. Also, feeling secure and confident should not make you passive and lethargic in life such that you end up doing nothing. You should not become irresponsible. Do your job sincerely and attend to all your duties and responsibilities wholeheartedly. Leave the rest to God with faith.

 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR 

POSTED ON: SUNDAY, JUNE 21, 2026

Whatever is the truth for you at this moment may not be the truth for someone else.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

POSTED ON: SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2026

 

Ram Navami

 

"Ra" in Sanskrit means "That which is Radiant" and "Ma" stands for "Myself". That which shines forth within me, is Rama.That which is radiant in every particle of the Being is Rama.

 

Rama is born to Dasharatha and Kaushalya. Dasharatha (In Sanskrit this means "the ten charioted one") signifies the five organs of sense and the five organs of action. Kaushalya (Sanskrit for "skilled") stands for skill. The skillful reiner of the ten chariots can give birth to Ram. When the ten are used skillfully, radiance is born within.

 

Rama was born in Ayodhya (Sanskrit for "the place where no war can happen"). When there is no conflict in our mind, then the radiance can dawn. Lakshmana, the brother of Rama, was born of Sumitra Ö the good friend. When the ten are cooperating with you then Awareness is born.

Often we try to look for radiance within. Just realize that you are radiant. Once when Guruji was 5 or 6 years old, he closed his eyes and asked a visiting saint, "Swamiji, I do not see any light". The saint replied, "You are the light! How can you see the light?"

 

II JAI GURUDEV II 

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2026

 

Q: Gurudev, you said there were three people fortunate to see the supreme form of Krishna. One was Arjuna, second was Krishna’s mother. Who was the third person?

 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

 

Uddhav. Lord Krishna gave the last Gita to Uddhav -- The Uddhav Gita.

 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

 

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

WISDOM QUOTE BY GURUDEV

POSTED ON: SATURDAY, JUNE 20, 2026

 

Faith comes to play only at time of crisis, and the funniest thing is, at the time of crisis the first thing one loses is faith.

 

~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

POSTED ON: FRIDAY, JUNE 19, 2026

 

Faith is your wealth

 

Faith is a wealth. If you think, by having faith in God you are doing a favour to God, you are mistaken. Faith gives you strength instantaneously. Faith brings you stability, centeredness, calmness and love. You’re having faith in the Guru or God does not do anything to Guru or God. Your Having Faith Gives You Immediate Strength. Faith is a great wealth; it is a blessing.

If you lack faith, you have to pray for faith. But to pray, you need faith. This is a paradox. (Laughter)

People have faith in the world - but the whole world is just a soap bubble. People have faith in themselves - but they don't know who they are. People think that they have faith in God - but they have no idea of God. If you want to doubt, you have to doubt everything

 

There are three types of faith: faith in yourself, faith in the world, and faith in God. You need to have faith in yourself -- without faith, you think, “I can't do this. This is not for me. I will never be liberated in this life”. You must have faith in the world. Without this, you can’t move an inch in the world. Banks give you loans having faith that you will pay it back. You deposit money in the bank having faith that it will be returned. If you doubt everything in the world, nothing will happen. The same is the case with faith in the Divine - have faith in the Divine and you will evolve. All these faiths are connected. You must have all three for each to be strong.

 

Bill : Atheists have faith in themselves and faith in the world, but not in God.

 

Sri Sri: They don't have complete faith in themselves. Lack of faith in God, in the world or in the self brings fear. Faith in the world cannot be constant because there are always changes.

 

Faith makes you full - faithful. If you have faith, you are full.

 

Rajesh : What is the difference between faith and confidence?

 

Sri Sri : Confidence is the result. Faith is the beginning.

 

Faith in yourself brings freedom.

 

Faith in the world brings you peace of mind.

 

Faith in God evokes love in you.

 

You can be at peace by having faith in the world and without faith in God, but it is not complete peace. If you have love, there is automatically peace and freedom. People who are extremely disturbed should only have faith in God.

 

II JAI GURUDEV II