KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Monday, December 1, 2025

Stretching the emptiness

Stretching the Sound is Music.
Stretching the Movement is Dance.
Stretching the Smile is Laughter.
Stretching the Mind is Meditation.
Stretching the Life is Celebration.
Stretching the Devotee is God.
Stretching the Feeling is Ecstasy.
Stretching the Emptiness is Bliss.

Q : What is Emptiness?

Sri Sri : Emptiness is the doorway between the material and spiritual worlds. It is where you come to understand the nature of the spirit. If you do not know emptiness then you cannot know the joy of the Being. The knack of experiencing the Being causes emptiness. From the emptiness begins the fullness.

One side of emptiness is misery and on the other side of emptiness is Joy. That is what Buddha said, "The whole world is misery and what is to be achieved is emptiness."

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Monday, December 1, 2025

Q: Why is Krishna's navel called Padmanabha (Solar Plexus)?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Solar Plexus is second brain or mid brain. For a Yogi, Solar Plexus is larger in size. Scientists have also said this. It is small in a person who doesn't do yoga and meditation. When solar plexus is larger, one is creative and generous. When it is smaller, one is jealous. Krishna is called Padmanabha, his Solar Plexus is like a fully blossomed flower. Padma not only means lotus, it also means flower. Fully blossomed flower is usually referred to as padma.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Monday, December 1, 2025

If you are going around thinking about somebody feeling hateful, angry, revengeful and all that, it is your strong craving for something, or aversion to something which is making you do this. You better get on to doing some seva. I tell you, it will definitely help you.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Sunday, November 30, 2025

The Path to the Divine

The Divine can only be found in deep rest(Meditation).

Do you know what the obstacles to deep rest are? It is the cravings and aversions in the mind. If the mind is filled with cravings and aversions, rest is not possible. And if there is no rest, the goal of Sadhana (spiritual practices) cannot be achieved. That is why we need to be free from the cravings and aversions in our mind.

So, how do we do that?

'I don’t need anything from anyone', this is what we need to keep in our mind. When we don’t need anything from anyone, we will not have cravings towards anybody. When there is no craving for anybody, there will be no aversion to anybody. Let’s look at our aversions. Who are we averse to? Only those whom we think to be bad, isn’t it?

Don’t think of anyone as a bad person. There is no bad person in the world. If people do something bad, it is because of their ignorance or lack of awareness, or because their mind has been hurt. So, don’t have negative opinions about anybody.

If others have a negative opinion about you, it is their problem, not yours. From your side, do not consider anyone as bad. By doing this, your mind will be clear and pleasant and your intellect will be sharp.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Sunday, November 30, 2025

Q: Is there any connection between DNA and our ancestors? If so, please throw some light.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, absolutely there is. Where do you think your DNA originated from? It didn’t drop from the sky. Obviously,it has come from your ancestors. But I can tell you one thing that you may not know, a banana contains 50% of your DNA. A human being and a banana share 50% of the same DNA which means two bananas equal to the DNA of one human being. or one banana is equal to the DNA of half of a human being. This is what the scientists say.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Sunday, November 30, 2025

Marriage means compromise. You have to let go of your wishes and desires and listen to what the other person wants. If there is no compromise, then there are arguments. When there are arguments, fights happens

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, November 29, 2025

Conflict And Innocence

Fights can only happen among equals. When you fight with someone, you make them equal. But in reality there is no one at par with you. When you keep people either above or below you, then there is no fight. When they are above you, you respect them. When they are below you, you love them and you feel compassionate. Either submission or compassion can take you out of a fight in no time. This is one way to look at it when you are tired of fighting. When you are well rested, just fight and have fun.

The same is true of the mind. As long as the mind thinks it is equal to the senses, there is conflict. When it realizes that it is bigger than the senses, there is no conflict. And when the mind is smaller than the senses, like in animals, there is no conflict. When the mind is caught up in the senses, there is constant conflict. When it transcends the senses, it comes back to its true nature, which is innocence - in no sense.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Saturday, November 29, 2025

Q: Could you please help me prioritize the following: studies, parents, my girlfriend, my country?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

When you are a student, studies come first because if you are uneducated your girlfriend will also say goodbye to you. So, you first need to have good foundation then you can talk about the others. So, study! if you are well-educated you will be useful to the nation as well and your parents will be happy. You are asking me too simple questions.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, November 29, 2025

Creation of wealth should always go hand in hand with its distribution. You create and you give, not keep it all for yourself. If you don't share wealth, that is when the problem arises.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, November 28, 2025

Tolerance And Acceptance Are Not Virtues

Many people think tolerance is a virtue. Tolerance is a negative term. Tolerance indicates a deep sense of dislike. If you like something, there is no question of tolerating it or not.

When you are tolerating something, it means you are temporarily putting up with it. Tolerance is a potential volcano. If you are tolerating, it means you are still holding on to something. At any time tolerance can turn into hatred. Tolerance indicates a sense of separateness, small mindedness, and limited awareness.

Acceptance is also negative. You accept only that which is not lovable.

Question: Do you need self-assurance to love people?
Sri Sri: Only the Self is always assuring - nothing else! This is our company — the Self-Assurance Company.

Question: Aren't we supposed to accept people as they are?
Sri Sri: If you don't love them, then you will have to accept them.

These words: tolerance and acceptance, are thought to be positive. I say they are not! Tolerance and acceptance come with judgment and separation. Don't accept people as they are or tolerate them, just love them as they are.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Friday, November 28, 2025

Q: Gurudev, when we chant a mantra continuously, will that mantra effect our body and life ?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Definitely! But we should not keep chanting continuously, this is not correct. Do you keep bathing continuously? When you chant the mantra for some time, your mind will become stronger. That is why it called mantra. We can do it for 20 - 30 min. If you keep doing it continuously, your intellect will become dull. We should not do it too much. If you stay a lot in water, you will become a fish (laughter). That is why it is referred as mantra-snaan (bath).

If someone keeps listening to music, his intellect will stop working. Similarly, someone who keeps doing math and never listens to music, his personality will also be unbalanced. These things are there to balance our left brain and right brain. We should look it from a scientific perspective. From a scientific perspective, we should listen to music for some time, we engage in some discussions for some time, and we should think for some time. Afterwards, you will experience an all-round development.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, November 28, 2025

A Guru is one who helps you find God in yourself and in everyone.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Thursday, November 27, 2025

Generosity is the quality of the spirit

When You Feel Stuck In Life And Not Growing, Bombarded By Desires, When There Is Dryness, Lack Of enthusiasm, no juice, what do you do?

Here is the solution....FEEL GENEROUS....right away, not tomorrow.

Either a princess or a pauper can feel generous. Generosity is the quality of the spirit. When you feel generous your life becomes abundant, full of compassion and love.

Question: Is generosity the same as being grateful?

Answer: No. Gratefulness always has self concern. You are grateful because you have something or you get something. Generosity is an expression independent of external circumstances. No one can make you feel generous. That is something that you have to do yourself. Essentially, generosity is not an act. It is a state of consciousness, but it cannot but find its expression in an act.

Question: What about passion?

Answer: Passion indicates scarcity. Dispassion is abundance. Dispassion without generosity makes you self-centered, causes more dryness.

You dont´ have to think about what you have done in the past. That only brings doership. Just feel generous.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Thursday, November 27, 2025

Q: During times of teamwork, we often have to take decisions that everyone may not like. What should one do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Well, that is correct. That is exactly why it is called teamwork. In a team there will be different people with different thoughts, approaches, style of working and varying ideologies. The sign of good teamwork is to integrate them all and take everyone together.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Thursday, November 27, 2025

Who needs to change first? You need to change first, then all others will start changing simultaneously.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Shortcut!

If you think you are stupid

Then...... you know who you are. And if you know who you are......

You are enlightened!

And if you are enlightened ,

Then ......you are certainly not stupid .

If you think you are intelligent ,

Then you don't know who you are.

And if don't know who you are.....

Then you really ARE stupid!

Better realize your stupidity ....and Be Enlightened!!!!!!.....[laughter]

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Wednesday, November 26, 2025

Q: Gurudev, Monday is for Lord Shiva and Friday is believed to be for Goddess (Devi). What is the relation between time and God?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

All the days are for you and me only (laughter). All the times are for us only.

It is a belief that days are associated with planets (Graha), and planets belong to one or the other God (Devta). But you should not worry about these things too much.

'Shivaratri' does not come only on Mondays, it can fall on any other day of the week. The day on which 'Shivaratri' falls, that day is of Lord Shiva only. It is not that only Monday is for Lord Shiva. Lord Shiva has control over some stars and planets, hence a rule is made like this. Not only days, but even Nakshatras have respective ruling deity. If you want to pray then pray to Paramatma (God), all the Gods are inside Him.

That is why there are ‘Ishta-devta’ (Deity of entire family). We have Kul-devta and Ishta-devta for families, then Gram-devta for an entire village, Kshetra-paal for a particular area. All these rules are fascinating.

We have prayers for three levels

1. Adhyatmik: where we have knowledge of self. We also have Adhyatmik traditions, etc.
2. Adhibhautik
3. Adhidaivik

That is why we say, ‘Shanti(Peace)' three times, for Adhidaivik, Adhibhautik, Adhyatmik.
We should also keep in mind that we are not keeping fast for God. If you fast on a Friday, then Goddess will become happy. If you fast on a Monday, Lord Shiva will get pleased, nothing like that! You are not fasting on Monday to please Lord Shiva. You are fasting just for your own sake, for your health, for body cleanliness and purification.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, November 26, 2025

The spirit or the energy has no birth and no death. There is something deep inside of you that was never born and that never will die.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Tuesday, November 25, 2025

What do you do when someone behaves very rudely to you?

⚫Get upset
⚫React rudely back
⚫Get frustrated
⚫Run-away from and avoid the person or the situation
⚫Blame the person
⚫Preach to the person
⚫None of these will in any way strengthen you.

Then what are the options? See rude behavior in this light:

⚫It indicates the intensity of their commitment
⚫It indicates the amount of stress and insensitivity
⚫It projects the up-bringing of the person
⚫It indicates a behavioral pattern
⚫It shows lack of knowledge
⚫It shows lack of observation of one's own mind and its sensations
⚫It shows you behavior to avoid
⚫It is an opportunity for you to welcome and absorb the rudeness
⚫It strengthens your mind
⚫It unconditions the love that you are

The next time when someone is rude to you, make sure you don't get upset. Just give back a broad smile. If you can digest the rudeness, nothing whatsoever can shake you.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Q: Love or reason?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Both are part of life. You should not choose between them. It is like asking someone ‘Should I watch or listen to television?’ You have to do both.

When you do business, do it with reason. When you relate to people don’t do it as business, do it with love. If you do business with your heart and live your life with your head, it will be a disaster.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Tuesday, November 25, 2025

Whatever you ask for, you will get, but you will have to do God's work, only then will you get. And what is God's work? It is serving the society.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Monday, November 24, 2025

Life is a war

Life is a war. Doctors are fighting against diseases. Lawyers fight against injustice. Teachers are fighting against ignorance.

Depression happens when you lose the will to fight. Arjuna was depressed and he did not want to fight. His bow fell from his hands and his fingers trembled. Krishna urged him to wake up and fight! The decision to fight can take away your depression like it did for Arjuna.

Bharat says "Fight till you give up."

Prashant says "Not give up... give in!' (laughter)

Even your body is a battlefield.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Monday, November 24, 2025

Q: Gurudev, I am in love with someone. How can I make out whether it is love or infatuation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You fall in love and you want me to tell you whether it is true love or not! You would need to decipher this yourself. Only the person who is eating would know the taste of the food. How can someone else advise on that?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Monday, November 24, 2025

Every particle of the devotee is filled with the Divine. His heart, his mind, his breath, his body, everywhere it is only the Divine that is present. A devotee's glory is so much more than God himself.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Sunday, November 23, 2025

What are the signs of love

Here are the signs of love!

1. When you love someone you dont see anything wrong in them. Even if you see some fault in them you justify the fault and say, 'Well, everyone does it. It is normal'
2. You think you have not done enough for them. The more you do, the more you want to do for them
3. They are always on your mind
4. Ordinary things become extraordinary. For eg., a baby winking at its grandmother becomes an extraordinary event
5. You want them to be yours, exclusively
6. You get hurt even over small things.

When you love someone, you want to see them always happy and you want them to have the best.

You wish someone of what they dont have, right?
When you say, 'Best Wishes', you imply that they are not best NOW.
I tell you, NOW is the BEST.
If you realise this tomorrow can only be better.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Sunday, November 23, 2025

Q: What do your teaching hold for me as an atheist? I really struggle with this concept of God.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I would like you to be a sincere seeker of truth. Don't label yourself as a theist or an atheist. It's very difficult to be an atheist, do you know why? You say that something is not existing. When you say that something doesn't exist, you should know everything about the universe to be able to say that, and it is impossible to know everything in the universe. The same is with a theist also. Believers or non-believers, they are on the same boat because both of them think they know it all. I would say, it is better to be a seeker of truth. If you are a seeker of truth, you don't have to believe things that you don't know.

You know you exist and you believe you exist, then explore who you are, forget about God, keep God aside. Let's just go with this self-inquiry ‘Who am I?'

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Sunday, November 23, 2025

Once you have the perfect intuition, you don't need to know anything. Even if you have not learn how to repair a refrigerator but you have the intuitive ability, when you go and sit there, you will pull the right screws, the right wires and do just the right thing.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, November 22, 2025

Divine Love And The Complaining Face

How would you like to see yourself? Happy and bubbling with enthusiasm or dull and difficult to please?

Often you like to be pleased, appeased and cajoled. So you put up a tough, upset face and act difficult to please. If a person has to appease and please ten people all the time, it will be so tiring. People who keep a long face and expect others to cajole and appease them make others run away. Lovers often do this. They expend a lot of energy in cajoling and this brings down the joy and celebration of the moment.

It is okay for you to show your upset mood or tendency once in a while, but doing it over and over again is taxing for you and people you love.

If you feel down, appease and please yourself. Your need to be appeased by someone else is the sign of grossness. This is the root of ignorance. If you want attention, all you get is tension.

Become one whose enthusiasm never dies, come what may.

It is not possible to attain Divine Love with a complaining face. The complaining face is a sign of an unaware mind. If you want to complain, complain to God or your Guru because both have their ears covered. (Laughter)

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Saturday, November 22, 2025

Q: Gurudev, I have not been doing my kriya for some time now and I feel I am taking you for granted. Please guide me. I am scared as I can’t afford to lose your love.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You know my love is unconditional, but I will tell you something. If you at least sit and meditate for some time, you are not doing it for me, you are doing it for your own good. Whatever you can do, you do. Take out a little bit of time for yourself. Tie up your sadhana with your daily routine.

Every day you have food, you don’t skip or miss any meals, right? Like that, do your pranayama and meditation. Even if you can’t do your pranayama, just sit and meditate. Have you noticed how you feel when you meditate and when you don’t meditate? There is so much heaviness when you don’t meditate, have you felt this?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, November 22, 2025

It is not the right behavior to curse and speak ill of others around you, and only think well of yourself. Such behavior shows lack of maturity.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, November 21, 2025

Problems? One More

Gurudev says: There is no problem that cannot be solved!!!

Someone says: I have a few I can give you. (Laughter)

Gurudev says: When you have a problem and you think it cannot be solved, then you have accepted it then it is no longer a problem; it is a fact.

For example: Suppose you think it is a problem that the ocean in Norway is too cold. Obviously, you cannot heat the ocean. If it cannot be solved, you accept it and it's no longer a problem. Only when you are searching for a solution is there a problem and so there is no problem that cannot be solved. (Laughter)

The moment you realize there is no solution, a problem ceases to be a problem.

The solution is the tail of every problem.

Solutions come to you when :

⚫You are calm and collected
⚫You use intelligence
⚫You are not lethargic but active
⚫You have strong faith in Divine law

Kai says: If you don't want any problems, you can have a Guru.

Sheila says: If you want all the problems of all the people, become a Guru.

Tom says: Focusing on the problem alone, you cannot solve it. But, when you go step up to your real need, your real goal, to the higher Self, you find many solutions.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Friday, November 21, 2025

Q: Gurudev, how can I know whether what I am experiencing is because of my Karmas from my past lives, or is it because of my actions in the present life?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Whether the action is from a past life, or something done 10 years back, or done just yesterday, or even 10 minutes back – it really does not matter. Ultimately, all Karma is Karma, that’s it. That is why it is said that the ways of Karma are mysterious and unfathomable. One cannot understand it totally. That is why we say that you should not worry much about Karma. Just keep moving ahead.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, November 21, 2025

The spirit or the energy has no birth and no death. There is something deep inside of you that was never born and that never will die.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Thursday, November 20, 2025

Suicide Is The Most Foolish Thing

Q: Dear Gurudev, I have had thoughts of suicide many times in my life. What happens if one commits suicide?

Suicide Is the most foolish thing a person can ever do.
It is like, someone is shivering in the cold and he goes out and removes all his clothes. What will you call him? Foolish!
You are already feeling cold in a heated auditorium, and you go out into the open and say, ’I am so cold’, and remove your jacket, your t-shirt, your inner garments and throw them all out. Will the cold become any less? No!

People who commit suicide find themselves there because they are so attached to life. They are so attached to some pleasure, so attached to some joy, that they want to kill themselves. And when they kill themselves they find themselves in a bigger soup.
They feel, ‘Oh my God, this restlessness, these desires which had created such intense agony inside me has not gone. My body has gone but the agony has remained.
It is only through the body that you can dispel the agony and get rid of misery. Instead you destroy the very instrument by which you can get rid of agony. That is why this knowledge is so important.
If you do pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya and meditation, you will realize that you are not the body.

Dedicate Your Life For Some Higher Cause
What is it that you are hankering for in life? Are you hankering for love? Attention? Money? Pleasure? What is it that you are hankering? These hankerings are boiling desires and they are creating this foolish idea inside you to commit suicide. If you feel you want to commit suicide, I tell you, I need you. I need you to do my work, so you better stay back. Dedicate your life for a social cause; for some higher cause.

When you think only about yourself, ‘What about me, what about me’, then this is what happens. Depression comes in. Forget about yourself. Die for a cause but don't kill yourself. It is worth dedicating your life for something higher.

I need you. Come here (to the Ashram) and do work. There is so much work to be done, help me out. Know that you are useful to me.
If everyone else says you are useless, remember, 'No, I am here, born at this time because Gurudev needs me. I have some work to do for Gurudev. I am not going to commit suicide', got it?! So, do my work.
If you cannot do yoga and meditation, then sweat it out and do my work. I have lots of work I can give you. I can give some work to the entire nation, and the entire population. I have plenty of work to be done. And whatever you need, I will provide you. You need a roof above you, I will provide you, I guarantee you this, but don’t kill yourself.

The Human Body Is So Precious
After so many different lives and different bodies you get a human body; a human birth. After being a worm, a frog, a scorpion, a chicken, a mouse somewhere in some hole, a cat jumping around here and there, a dog, a bird, etc., then you get a human life, after going through all those births. So it is very precious!

Your Hankering For Pleasure Is The Cause Of Depression In You
Wake up and see, all pleasures are momentary; how long will they stay? See that they are so momentary. Five to ten minutes of joy and then it is gone.
What is it that you are hankering about? Some people appreciating you? My dear, it has no meaning. People appreciate you in front of you, behind you they feel jealous about you. That is what happens. They praise you today, tomorrow they criticize you. So what? Do you see what I am saying?
What is appreciation? It is just a few thoughts that are passing through the mind of someone. Do you think they are going to do it forever?

Some people have good comments and some people have bad comments, so what.
If someone criticizes you, so what? Those who criticize you are also going to die, and you, the one being criticized are also going to die. One day all will be finished! So why are you so much bothered about somebody’s appreciation, or criticism? Why can’t you just be yourself?
You know, it takes such a big load off your head not being bothered by anybody’s criticism or adulations. You can just be yourself; natural. And if you live like this, so lightly, then where is the question of depression? Do you see what I am saying?

If You Get Thoughts Of Committing Suicide
1. Know that it is just your prana which is low, so do more pranayama
2. There are millions of people who are suffering more than you, look at them. When your suffering becomes smaller you will never think of committing suicide.
3. Know that you are needed, you are useful. You have to do something in the world.
4. Forget about what people think of you.
People commit suicide because they think they have lost their prestige, their status. What status? What prestige? Who has time to think about your prestige? Everybody is entangled with their own problems, with their own mind. They can’t step out of their own mind, where do they have the time to think about you? These types of tendencies come because you think others are going to disrespect you. I tell you, it is worthless to worry about what the society thinks of you.

Mainly, we must realize that suicide is the worst thing. This is one of the major reasons that we should conduct as many Happiness Programs as possible. Do you see what I’m saying? When you start the breathing exercises, it all goes away!

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Thursday, November 20, 2025

Q: Gurudev, how do I make my parents understand that my Guru, knowledge and my yearning for the truth is of utmost importance to me? They just don’t seem to want to understand this.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Why do you want them to understand? Keep your secret in your heart and serve them and make them happy. You don’t need to convince everyone about what you believe and what you think is right. If they don’t understand, it is their choice and their freedom. Your trying to impose your ideas on them only causes more tension and their fear gets more exhilarated which is not needed.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Thursday, November 20, 2025

When there is confusion, I would say, meditate more and just relax. Things will fall into place.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

http://quotesfromsrisriravishankar.blogspot.com/

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, November 19, 2025

Decision and Confusion

Decision comes only when there is confusion. When there is no confusion then there is no decision. For example, if there is a piece of wood and a biscuit on your desk, you don't decide which one to eat, isn't that right? Decision is always about choice and choice is always confusing. So, all decision-makers are confused! (Laughter)

Action is spontaneous when there is no actor. In you, there is an actor and there is a witness. An actor is either confused or decisive, but the witness realizes that the action is spontaneous and smiles.

The more decisions you make, the more confused you are, and as a result you swing between pain and pleasure. The more the witness grows in you, the more playful and untouched you are. Trust, faith, love and joy all manifest in and around you.

Are you confused, decided or happy now?

Eberhard: Confusion is too strong of an expression. Is it not rather "choice"?

Urmila: We are decided that choice is confusion. (Everyone laughs)

Hans Peter: Is there any freedom without confusion?

Sri Sri: When you are confused, there is no freedom.

Hans Peter: What is freedom of choice?

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/