Q: Guruji, I have been reading the book on Ashtavakra Gita by you. Every word I read makes me feel so good. However, what you have mentioned about Dharma (one’s duty towards social and moral righteousness), Artha (pursuit of material and financial prosperity), and Kaama (desires) being the causes of bondage, is very true indeed. But I am not able to free myself from this bondage. I have done my Purushartha (four noble pursuits of human life –Dharma, Artha, Kaama and Moksha (liberation)) but I feel this is possible only through your blessings now.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, in the Ashtavakra Gita it is said, ‘Na Grahyam Na Tyajyam.’ Neither must you hold on to it and nor should you try hard to drop it. Just be hollow and empty and see things the way they are.
It is said, ’Ye drishta labha santushtam.’ That means, whatever you receive, and how much ever you receive, be content with that. This is a very important thing – Contentment. A seeker should have both, Contentment and Dynamism in activity. I am always in favour of contentment. But when I stay contented then people around me mistake it for being complacent. So, from time to time, I pretend as if I am not completely contented with what is happening, and engage them in doing this or that, in fixing this or that; something or another.
The purpose behind this is to make sure that you do not become lazy and inactive. So, be diligent, but at the same time, have a sense of contentment within yourself. This is very important.
There are some people who are active and work all the time, but have no contentment. And there are some people who feel very contented inside and so they tend to become lazy. They do not have dedication towards work. That is not right.
We have to take a middle path. We have to have both together – Dynamism in action along with a sense of Contentment. That should be our specialty. Sometimes people wonder, why is Gurudev acting this way? Why is he saying, ‘Do this, do that’, etc. Why is he not talking about being contented and doing nothing? But I keep a watch over everything, and whatever someone needs to do, I guide them in that direction. To those who are very restless, I tell them to be quiet and relax. And to those who are very quiet and reserved, I tell them, ‘Come on, get up! Do something. Do this, and do that! Oh, see what good work so-and-so has done. You are just sitting and doing nothing’. In this way I urge them to act. In the Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna has also given knowledge in this manner. Lord Krishna says to Arjuna, ‘You will not fight the war? What are you saying? People will make fun of you. It is better to die than to suffer the insults of so many people!’ So Lord Krishna goes to this extent to urge Arjuna to fight the war. He tells him, ‘It is not worth living like a coward. It is better that you die than to live like this.’Then later on He says to Arjuna, ‘Sarva-dharman parityajya mam ekam saranam vraja Aham tvam sarva-papebhyo moksayisyami ma sucah’, (Bhagavat Gita, Chapter 18, Verse). Abandon all the religions and come and surrender to Me. I will liberate you and free you from all your sins. You cannot free yourself of your own sins. I will liberate you from all your sins. So do not worry about your sins, I shall handle them all. You be happy, and do not be dejected.
So you see, knowledge has different levels to it, and each level has its own purpose.