QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: TUESDAY, MARCH 24, 2020

Q: Gurudev, we can be happy when the people and the situations around us are pleasant. But how can we maintain our happiness when they become unpleasant?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Just look back at your life and see – how many times has this happened with you in the past. How many times have you been troubled and distressed by a person, an object, or a situation? And despite that you are still whole right now, total and complete. Isn’t it? The people who troubled you have moved on and may have even passed away; the situations that troubled you are over and no longer there. Yet life goes on. Examine your life closely. Look back in time and reflect on this, then you will find a great inner strength arises in you. You will realize that it is all Maya (illusion). That is why it is said that this entire world is Maya. Why so? It is because this world appears to be frightening, but it is not really so.

It is like how when you were young, your mother would just scare you to make you eat your food, otherwise some villain would come after you! It never used to happen but at least you used to eat your food then. So even from this false scare, something good happens.

In this way, every situation in the world is like aGabbar Singh(a popular villain from Indian cinema). Do you know what that Gabbar Singh is for? (Here representing a difficult or fearful situation) It is to bring out the skilfulness in you, to enhance the good qualities in you. Just understand this. If you do not understand this true fact and keep getting stuck in situations, then of course you will remain miserable. Once you realize this then you will not be troubled by any situation in life.

See, there is some Karma that you will simply have to endure and undergo. And to be free of some other Karma you can always pray to the Divine. Both Self-effort and Prayer should go hand in hand in life. If either one is missing, then too you become miserable. They are like the two wheels of a bicycle – you cannot move through life if either one is not there. If you only keep praying without making any actual efforts, then you will not get any results. And if you only keep making efforts and struggle, without spending time in prayer, then also it will not help. When you do both effort and prayer, then you will be able to skilfully and happily sail through life. Your path will become easier.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

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