QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: FRIDAY, MARCH 13, 2020

Q: Gurudev, I have heard that meditation helps to unravel or unlock the granthi (knots representing energy centres or nodes) in the navel region. And when the energy centre of the navel region opens up, only then can the individual soul (Atma) rise to unite with the Paramatma (Divinity or Super soul). I wish to understand more about this. Please explain.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

It is correct. As we meditate, the knot or the energy centre in the navel region opens up. When the heart centre blossoms and opens up, we feel joy. We experience different sensations and emotions only when the different energy centres of the body open up. But it is not correct to say that only then does the soul unite with God. You are never outside God. There is nothing beyond the Divine. Even if you wish to, you cannot ever be outside or separate from God. That from which you are born, That in which you exist and sustain yourself, and That in which you ultimately dissolve back into is God. This is what is told in the Srimad Bhagvatam also:

Janmaadhyasya yatonvaya-aditaratascha-artha eshvabhigna-svaraat.

Tene Brahma-hridayaa aadikavaye muhyanti yatsurayaha |

Tejovarimrudam yata vinimayo yatra trisargomrusha.

Dhamna Sva-ena sada nirastakuhakam Satyam Param Dhimahi ||

(Srimad Bhagvatam, 1.1.1)

The verse means: God is omnipresent. You know, we often say, “I AM”. God is not separate from the individual soul; God resides within us. The soul is not separate from the Divine. Knowing this eternal truth, simply relax and just be.

See, there are some things that you should seek and know about, and there are some things that you should simply take for granted as the truth, and relax. You cannot possible understand everything, and you cannot simply assume or take everything for granted. Your mind and intellect is limited; it cannot comprehend the infinite Divinity. You cannot know the Divine; you simply have to take it for granted that the Divine is present in you, all around you and at all times.

If someone tells you. “My dear, this is poison”, then you do not say “No, first I will drink it and check for myself”. You would not survive to tell what happens afterwards. So, in some cases you simply need to believe and take it for granted. If you are told that a certain galaxy is so many light years away from our galaxy, or if the Earth is revolving around the Sun – then you will have to agree and accept that fact for certain. People have proved many facts scientifically. Now then if you argue and say, “No, I will check it for myself and only then agree”, then that is foolishness. But if someone says, “Oh! This is very sweet”, then you need not necessarily agree to it. You can taste it if you like to check for yourself. So you should try to know some things, and you should simply take somethings to be true, without a doubt.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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