Knowledge Sheet of H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Knowledge Sheet of H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 2014

Put Your Effort and Give Up

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In the field you throw so many seeds. Not all seeds sprout. Some sprout, some don’t. When you sow saplings, not every sapling grows. Some do, some don’t. In a tree, not all flowers become fruit. Some fall when they are not even ripe. That’s why you put your effort and then you give up (here meaning surrender).

Giving up without putting any effort is foolishness and after putting all your effort, not giving up is also foolishness. Put all your effort and give up. Not putting all your effort and giving up is also foolishness.

What makes you free? Putting your effort and giving up makes you free. If you say, 'I give up', without putting effort, it doesn’t make you free. You say, 'I give up', but you have not really given up because of that tendency of wanting to do. That will hold you back from being free. The secret of freedom is, put your effort and give up.
Not putting your effort and giving up doesn’t free you. And, putting all your effort and not giving up will also not free you.

Any action should only be done with awareness. An action from an unaware state has no meaning. Then it’s not called effort.