KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 11 Apr 2012

The Nature of the Five Senses is Knowledge

Every cell of your body has the ability of all the five senses. You can see without the eyes. Vision is part of consciousness; that is why in dreams you can see without the eyes.

You can feel without the skin; that is why people without limbs can still feel itching in that part. You can smell without the nose; taste without the tongue.

The 5 senses and thinking ability are all present in consciousness. So each cell of the body has the potential ability to perform all the functions of the senses.

When someone says something; you are all ears . . . you are listening from every cell of your body. There is the expression "looking from a 1000 eyes"; one is all eyes. All cells are made of the same tissue. . . each DNA has the ability of all functions of the body.

Consciousness is inherent in all the cells.

Every sensory stimulus brings knowledge which is the nature of consciousness. Sight brings some knowledge - blue, red, green. Knowingness is the nature of consciousness.

Vikas says: Some people who have lost one of their senses find that the others become heightened.

Guruji replies:You don't have to lose one to sharpen the others. . .you can sharpen all of them in deep silence.

Mikey asks: What happens when you have no sense?

Guruji answers: You become like Mikey!! (room explodes with laughter)

New Year's Exercise

Feel that every cell has the potential to see and hear. . . all eyes and ears.

Sit comfortably. . . . easily, close the eyes . . . know that you are all eyes and all ears.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 10 Apr 2012

TWO ANECDOTES

Once somebody made a mistake and Guruji asked him, "What punishment can I give you?"

The person replied, "Don't punish me, Guruji, I won't make the mistake again."

After some time Guruji asked another person, "And what punishment can I give you?"

With a bright smile Nityanand replied, "Any punishment, Guruji."

At this Guruji turned to the rest of us with a smile and said, "See, he is so confident of my love for him that he is not afraid of any punishment.

Where there is love, there is no fear.

Do not be afraid of being punished by God.

Trust in the love that He has for you."

It was Arun and Chitra's wedding anniversary. They presented an ornate fan to Guruji, saying, "A fan from two grateful fans."

At this Guruji said, "Devotees are the fan; God is the air. Air is always there, but the fans make you feel it. God is always there; devotees make His presence felt!"

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 09 Apr 2012

ANU VRAT

Mind lives on more. Misery starts with "more and more". Misery makes you dense and gross. Self is subtle. To go from gross to subtle you go through the finest relative... the atom. To overcome aversion, hatred, jealousy, attraction or entanglements, you have to go to the atom. Going to the atom means accepting a teeny tiny bit of all this.

It may be difficult to accept something that you don't like but you can definitely accept a teeny tiny bit (an atom) of it. The moment you accept that one atom, you will see change happen. This has to be done in a meditative state.

Suppose you love someone. You want more and more of them. Yet there is no fulfilment. In Anu Vrat (the vow of an atom), you take just one atom of that person and that is enough to bring fulfilment to you.

Though the river is vast, a little sip quenches your thirst. Though Earth has so much food, just a little bite satisfies your hunger. All that you need is teeny tiny bits. Accept a teeny tiny bit of everything in life, that will bring you fulfilment.

Stephano: What about trouble?

There is so much trouble in the world, you can accept just a teeny tiny part of it. Tonight go to bed feeling that you are satisfied, taking a teeny tiny part of divinity with you.

Satisfaction comes from the subtle and not from the "more and more".

Question: What about giving?

You take a teeny tiny part, and the rest you give away.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

God Is Your Biggest Currency | The Art Of Living Global http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom-q-a-16th-june-2016-qa-1

Today International Art of Living Centre making ghee with @SriSri @ #SriSriInCanada

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 08 Apr 2012

You are nothing!

Each experience completes. Completion means leading to void or nothing. In the progression of life, you will leave behind every experience saying, "This is nothing." Anything that is completed loses its importance. That is to say it leads you to void - this is nothing.

A sign of intelligence is how soon you arrive at this understanding. Examine everything in life and say "This is nothing" and what remains after all that is Love, and that is everything.

When "This is nothing" does not come out of knowledge, it comes out of misery. Either through knowledge or through misery, you come to the point of "This is nothing, this is nothing". The choice is yours.

If you got this, it is really NOTHING, If you didn't get this, never mind - this is nothing. (laughter)

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 06 Apr 2012

Memory

It is memory that makes you miserable or wise. Memory of events and experiences of the changing finite binds you, and memory of your nature liberates you. Memory of the ever changing relative, however good or bad, brings bondage. Memory of the non-changing self elevates awareness. Memory of past events and worldly concerns constricts the vastness of the self. It is all a matter of where you are, of what you are. If you are ignorant, it is because of your memory. If you are enlightened, it is because of your memory.

Forgetfulness of the trivial is ecstasy.

Forgetfulness of the infinite is misery.

Q. How does one get rid of unpleasant memories and limitations?

1. Know the impermanent nature of the world and events.

2. Know the non-existence of past events right now and accept them.

3. Be dispassionate and centered. Memories of Self are gained by service to the noble.

4. Increase prana - So Ham! So what!!

5. Have Divine company / presence.

6. Go to the moon!!

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

@SriSri #SriSriInCanada pic.twitter.com/TGpFUNQhuT

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 05 Apr 2012

Memory -- A Hindrance and a Blessing

The forgetfulness in the nature of man is the root cause of all problems and suffering in life. The very remembrance of one’s nature, which is godliness, brings freedom in life. Here, memory is your best friend. The purpose of knowledge is to remind you of your true nature. In the Bhagvad Gita, Arjuna said to Krishna, "I got back my memory. Now I have realized and will do as you say."

Memory is a blessing and your best friend when it comes to your true nature. Memory is a hindrance when it does not let you be free of events, pleasant or unpleasant.

Pleasant events create cravings and competition in the mind and do not allow fresh experiences, whereas unpleasant events give a biased perception and create paranoia. So the memory is both a blessing and a hindrance depending on whether you remember your nature or you are stuck with events in time and space.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

Wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Benefits of having a Guru http://wisdomfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/2016/07/benefits-of-having-guru.html?spref=tw

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 04 Apr 2012

Always?

How to be happy always?

Forget about always, then you are happy.

In wanting to be comfortable always, one becomes lazy.

In wanting perfection always, one become angry.

In wanting to be rich always, one becomes greedy

When we do not realise that only life is for always, then fear comes.

This projection of the nature of self which is "always", on the temporal which can never be "always", is called Maya.

All ways do not lead you, only one way leads you.

If you remove always from your dictionary then everything is alright

Drop "always" and all will be right - that is intelligence.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

Why did buddha wait for this little girl? http://www.wisdom.srisriravishankar.org/buddha-wait-little-girl/ via @srisri

Blessings come to you in many forms! Gurudev @SriSri explains: http://www.artofliving.org/wisdom/knowledge-sheets/blessing …

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 03 Apr 2012

The Five aspects of the Universe

You have five aspects to yourself: Asti (is-ness); Bhaati (Knowledge, expression); Preeti (love); Nama (name); and Rupa (form).

Matter has two aspects: name and form.

Consciousness has three aspects: "is-ness" - that it is; knowingness/expression - it knows and expresses; and love - it is loving.

This is the secret of the whole universe.

Maya is not being aware of the three aspects of consciousness. Ignorance is when one is caught up in the name and form.

Question: Why are we imperfect?

Sri Sri: So that we can grow to perfection. Life is a movement from imperfection to perfection. A seed contains the tree but the seed has to cease to be a seed to become a tree. The seed is not perfect. The sapling is not perfect. It has to cease to be a sapling to become a tree. So in life you can either see imperfection at every step, or you can see a movement from one perfection to another perfection.

Wherever you put your attention then that will grow. If you put your attention on the lack of something, the lack will increase.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Posted: 03 Apr 2012

The Five aspects of the Universe

You have five aspects to yourself: Asti (is-ness); Bhaati (Knowledge, expression); Preeti (love); Nama (name); and Rupa (form).

Matter has two aspects: name and form.

Consciousness has three aspects: "is-ness" - that it is; knowingness/expression - it knows and expresses; and love - it is loving.

This is the secret of the whole universe.

Maya is not being aware of the three aspects of consciousness. Ignorance is when one is caught up in the name and form.

Question: Why are we imperfect?

Sri Sri: So that we can grow to perfection. Life is a movement from imperfection to perfection. A seed contains the tree but the seed has to cease to be a seed to become a tree. The seed is not perfect. The sapling is not perfect. It has to cease to be a sapling to become a tree. So in life you can either see imperfection at every step, or you can see a movement from one perfection to another perfection.

Wherever you put your attention then that will grow. If you put your attention on the lack of something, the lack will increase.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

Gurudev @SriSri taking a walk with teachers and volunteers in @iaolcan, Montreal.

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Gurudev @SriSri taking a walk across the woods around @iaolcan, Montreal, Canada.