Wednesday, 14 August 2024

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV


QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Thursday, August 15, 2024

Q: Guruji, Please tell us about the 'Inner Transformation' you advocate to us.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

We forget about our body, our mind, our breath, which is a whole technology in itself. The body is a machine, and the Consciousness which operates this body, which has helped to develop this body, we have ignored that. We need to pay attention to that as well. Then a new dimension to life opens up.

It is because of Consciousness that technology exists today in the world. In somebody's mind, the ideas come and then the ideas manifest as technology. And where do these ideas come from? And what helps to translate the ideas into reality? That is Consciousness. This Consciousness which is responsible for all creativity, all scientific discovery in the world, all forms of music, art, fashion, film, and everything else, needs your attention.

The same Consciousness in which scientific discoveries happen, in which art and architecture develop, is also a store house of happiness. The same Consciousness can manifest health, can manifest happiness, can manifest love and compassion. So this one Consciousness which is working in our brain and in the different parts of our body, has so many abilities. The same Consciousness can be very logical, it can understand, it can comprehend, it can create, and it can also manifest compassion, love, peace and joy - just like the cell phone.

See, how many programs are there in a cell phone. There is a camera, twitter, SMS facility, a telephone, clock, book and a music player. Now, I should know how to turn it off the music player as well. Sometimes, our mind is like that, it starts and then it goes on and on and on, and we don't know how to shut it off, isn't that so?!

A cell phone has multi-functions, and so does our brain and our life. We can open our Consciousness to different levels of reality. This is not just the only reality that exists.
So if you have kept this Consciousness active only for art or music and that is it, then life is not complete. Or if it is only for science and logic, it is not complete. If you are open to just having fun and being merry, then life is not complete. So just like how you have to switch on and switch off different functions of a cell phone, we can have the ability to switch on and off all the abilities that nature has provided in us.

There is a certain simplicity inside you. We have all been born with that innocence and simplicity. When we grew up somewhere we lost that. As we grew up, we stopped smiling, we stopped being natural, we stopped being simple. Isn't that so! So what is essential is both, sensibility and sensitivity. Anything that is illogical, that does not appeal to reason, we should not accept. So first is logic, this function is important because it creates sensibility.

Now, just sensibility is not enough, you need sensitivity. Sensitivity is a matter of the heart. You can be very logical but you need to understand the view points of others as well. Many times, what people say, they behave in that exact manner. They are very correct, but they can hurt others easily. So the second important thing is being sensitive. There are people who are too sensitive. They lose their logic. They become an emotional soggy noodle. This is no good either. You need the perfect balance of sensitivity and sensibility. This is one function of the technology of Consciousness.
Next comes Serenity in life. Everyone, at one point or another, in their lives, even for a few seconds or few minutes have felt very serene. And when you feel that serenity, you also have felt Silence, and you felt very spiritual; a deep sense of silence and serenity.

In many of our mobile phone this operation is switched off, or we have not used it at all. In our Consciousness, we have not even touched this function - and that is where The Art of Living comes. It helps you to smile more, serve more. Smiling and serving. Being sensible and sensitive. Experiencing silence and serenity. That is it!

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

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