KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Yagnas

Yagnas are the ancient method of enriching the subtle. They also purify the individual and the collective consciousness.

Yagna has three aspects:

⚫Deva Puja: Acknowledging and honoring the Divine in all the forms.
⚫Sangatikarana: Hastening the process of evolution by bringing together all the elements and people in creation.
⚫Dana: Sharing and giving what one has been blessed with.

II JAI GURUDEV II

https://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Q: It is said in Yoga Vashishta that one of the four gatekeepers to liberation is satsang (the company of truth). Please elaborate.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, one of the four gatekeepers to enlightenment is satsang, which means having the right company because it is a good company that uplifts you.

How do you realize what is a good company? Just sit with someone and talk to them for over 30 minutes. When you get up, observe your state of mind. Do you feel happy? Do you feel depressed? Do you feel angry, agitated or sad? That says it all!

If you sit and discuss your problem with someone, and they appear to be insignificant, then that is good company. But when you discuss your problems with someone and you come out feeling, "Oh, I thought it's a small issue. It feels to be much bigger!" When the problems appear to be much bigger, then that is bad company. It's not satsang.

Satsang is one in which even the big problems appear to be much smaller. Your enthusiasm is high, you feel confident, you feel happy and you want to serve people. You don't become greedy - that is satsang. Satsang creates positive energy in you, uplifts your spirit, gives you insight and gives you courage.

Sometimes you live inside a bubble, satsang will bring you to ground reality. Suppose if you are imagining something or hallucinating, satsang will make you realize the ground reality. It will bring you to a point where you realize that you are imagining, or whatever you were doing is not correct.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Tuesday, April 28, 2026

Make others comfortable and you will see that nature will take care of your comfort.

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, April 27, 2026

Ganesha Om

Science has discovered that within a single human DNA strand there can also be found the DNA of every other species on the planet. Therefore, we also carry the quality of every animal in us, in fact this has been known since the ancient days.

The principal qualities of the elephant are wisdom and effortlessness. Elephants don’t walk around obstacles, neither do they stop at them – they just remove them and keep walking straight on. For instance, if there are trees in their path, they will just uproot those trees and proceed. So, when we worship Lord Ganesha, these elephant qualities within us, are kindled and we take on those qualities. The reason being that whatever you keep your attention on, you take on those qualities. So if you meditate on Ganesha, who has the head of an elephant, you will get the qualities of an elephant. You will overcome all obstacles.

The ancient rishis were so deeply intelligent that they chose to express Divinity in terms of symbols rather than words, since words change over time, but symbols remain unchanged. For instance, in any language, a skull and two cross bones indicate danger. Similarly, Ganesha signifies ‘Shubti’ (auspiciousness) and ‘Laabha’ (prosperity).

The elephant has special qualities. It has an enormous head, which signifies Knowledge and Wisdom, it has large ears that fan, small eyes which convey that it is wiser to follow that which you hear and understand rather than to follow appearances. So what you see must be co-related with what you hear. Also the elephant used its trunk for dual functions – it smells and acts through its trunk. Likewise in wisdom we smell and then act. With the merest hint of something (like smelling smoke, of course!), a wise person will take immediate action, that is the wise act as soon as they smell something. The elephant also possesses tusks that are visible for all to see while its teeth for grinding purposes are not as they are in its mouth.

So what is the significance of Ganesha? - Shiva and Parvati (this is where the word ‘Power’ comes from; (Parvati represents power) had been celebrating with great enthusiasm and Parvati had become dirty – signifying that celebration can easily become Rajasic or feverish and take you away from your centre, so she removed all the dirt (symbolic of ignorance) from her body and created a boy – doll from this. She gave the doll life and asked him to keep guard at the door while she bathed. When Shiva (representative of Supreme Innocence, Peace and Knowledge) returned to Kailasha the boy could not recognize him and so obstructed his passage preventing him from entering. This signifies that Ignorance (dirt) does not recognize wisdom or innocence, however, truth can be stopped by ignorance and so Shiva chopped off the boy’s head – the head of ignorance and entered. But when Parvati realized what had happened she explained to Shiva that the boy was their son and Shiva had to save him. So he instructed his helpers to go and find someone with his head pointing to the North, someone in tune with the natural flow of energy and to bring back his head. They searched far and wide and were only able to find an elephant in such a state. So they brought back the head of the elephant and this became Ganesha.

Now Ganesha is always depicted with a big stomach, his big belly represents generosity and total acceptance. The story goes that one day Ganesha drank so much milk that his belly burst, so he grabbed a Cobra and tied it around his stomach. This signifies that the acceptance of people and situations (big belly) without deep awareness is of no great value (akin to accepting people when we are sleeping! That is easy!) However, when there is awareness – the Cobra is symbolic of great alertness, and then there is ….or that is true acceptance and love. Ganesha’s upraised hand (in ‘Abhaya’ mudra, depicting protection) means ‘fear not – I am with you’ and his lowered hand, palm facing outwards (in ‘Varada’ mudra, symbolic of giving boons) means – unending giving as well as an invitation to bow down. (Bowing down signifies merging with the earth again, recognising the truth that we will return to the earth. In the womb our position is one where our heads are bowed, our body is in a circle. Even at birth we come into the world head down. It is our nature to bow down). Ganesha also has a single tusk which implies single-pointedness.

One also sees very often, the posturization of the moon laughing at Ganesha as he tries to do the ‘Saastanga Danda Pranaam’ to his parents. Here the moon signifies the mind – the mind laughs at wisdom.

Ganesha is mostly seen sitting on a lotus, now an elephant supporting on a lotus is kind of odd! This signifies that he is very sensitive; also Ganesha is always seen riding on a mouse. This is the most unexpected mode of travel, imaginable –an elephant on a mouse! However, the significance runs deeper, the mouse snips nibbling away at ropes that bind. The mouse who gradually nibbles through things is like mantra which can cut through sheets and sheets of ignorance and carry even an elephant. There can be nothing but absolute darkness and all that is required is a single tiny ray of ray that can illuminate us – free us from our ignorance. Not much is required at all – just this tiny persistent awareness. Even the implements Ganesha wields are symbolic, He carries in His hands ‘the Ankusha’ (the goad/stick that is used to prod an elephant awake; this signifies ‘awakening’) and the ‘Paasa’ (the noose which signifies control) now with awakening a lot of energy is released which without proper guidance can go haywire.

II JAI GURUDEV II

https://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Monday, April 27, 2026

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 OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Monday, April 27, 2026

Do you know what is needed for non-violent communication? Patience! Look inside and see, 'Am I am losing my patience?' If yes, then increase your patience.

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, April 26, 2026

Love Is The Shadow Of The Self

When you love something, you have a sense of belongingness with it. You can only love something, because it is belongs to you. If it is not yours, you cannot love it. Love is the shadow of the Self. The bigger the Self, the bigger the shadow, and the bigger the love. When the love is cast over the entire creation, then you are the Big Self. That is the Lordship. When the Lordship dawns on the Self, there is perennial celebration.

II JAI GURUDEV II

https://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/