KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, December 13, 2025

Aishwarya and Madhurya

In the world, usually where there is Aishwarya (Lordship), there is no Madhurya (Sweetness) and where there is Madhurya, there is no Aishwarya. Where life has blossomed fully, there is both Aishwarya and Madhurya. Aishwarya means Ishwaratva – Lordship of that which IS. Wealth, too, is referred to as Aishwarya because wealth does command a certain amount of authority.

Can love and authority co-exist?

Only in a fully blossomed Being, there is both Lordship and Sweetness. There was Aishwarya in Sri Rama, but only glimpses of Madhurya. Parshuram’s life shows only Lordship, but no Madhurya. Buddha manifested more of Madhurya – the sweetness, and less of authority. But Krishna manifested both Aishwarya and Madhurya. So did Jesus. There is Lordship when they said, "I am the way!" And there is Sweetness in their expression of Prayer and Love.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Saturday, December 13, 2025

Q: When does the intensity of intention become feverishness?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Never mind, don’t examine this too much and think, "Oh, am I feverish?" If you have passion, just go with it, okay? Where do you have time to sit and think whether it is feverishness, or what? Just be spontaneous, my dear. Never mind, even if mistakes happen, I don’t mind it!

Spontaneity is the sign of a vibrant life. When you are spontaneous, you don't chew on the past, you don’t chew on yourself or others. If you get upset, I don’t mind it, but it should be a spontaneous anger, not a stale one that goes on in your mind for months together, and then one day you burst! You can give fresh anger; your anger should be like fire and ice, fresh! It’s okay if it goes off also, otherwise you will keep some stale thing in mind when you are angry.

Children are like that, they are angry for a moment when you take a toy away from them, they are so angry, and then the next moment they are okay. Just stick to those tendencies that we came with to this Earth.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, December 13, 2025

When your heart beats for others, for something higher, something finer & something more meaningful, then there is no boredom in life.

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, December 12, 2025

Education

Education has five aspects

⚫Information -- Often we think information is education, but it is only one aspect of education.
⚫Concepts -- Concepts are the basis for all research. You need to conceive in order to create.
⚫Attitude -- An integral aspect of education is cultivating the right attitude. Proper attitude at the right time and place determines your actions and behavior.
⚫Imagination -- Imagination is essential for creativity, for the arts. But if you get stuck in imagination, you may become psychotic.
⚫Freedom -- Freedom is your very nature. Only with freedom, do joy, generosity and other human values blossom. Without freedom, attitudes become stifling, concepts become a burden, information is of no value and imagination becomes stagnant.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Friday, December 12, 2025

Q: What is the significance of the Birth and Death process? I do not feel anything after doing the process.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

That is alright. See, some of you would feel something or have an experience in some process, some of you may have an experience in another process. Everybody will get something somewhere. It is because your mind is so tricky, it is stuck in so many avenues and areas. In this four day Advanced Meditation Program, we know exactly where to unlock it; where to release it, and which are the areas the mind is stuck in. So that will happen eventually, you just relax and let it happen.

You do not need to judge every process or experience. You need not think, “Oh, is something happening to me or not?”

You just be innocent and relax. There is a saying, “Bhole bhaav miley Raghurai”. It means that when we are in an innocent state of mind, the eternity comes in your grip. It means that innocence can capture that which is eternal.

Do not go on examining all the time, thinking, “Oh, is something happening to me now or not?” Doing that examination every moment will be a hindrance to the experience.

Experience will happen by simply following the procedure (meaning without much analysis or examination). After the experience, you can analyse and think about it and ask questions. I am not saying that you should not ask questions about it. You should ask questions, but do not go on examining and poking into the experience by asking questions, before the experience happens.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, December 12, 2025

There is an element of the Guru present in every human being. That wisdom in each one has to be invoked and awakened. When this element is awakened, misery in life disappears.

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, December 11, 2025

Evolution: Not part of the self

Are you evolving? If you are evolving, you are not in the Self. And you are not out of the Self, because nothing can exist out of the Self. (Laughter)

Broadly they can be put in these 5 catagories. There are six distortions that do not exist in the Self.

⚫Expansion -- Prasarana. Expansion indicates there is already something into which something expands. That which expands cannot be the basis for expansion.
⚫Contraction -- Akunchana. Contraction means something shrinks from something else. Self does not withdraw or shrink from anything, so contraction does not exist in the Self.
⚫Evolution -- Vriddhi. Evolution is becoming something which it is not already. Self is the same, so it cannot evolve.
⚫Decay -- Kshaya. There is no devolution or decay in the Self. It doesn't get old or stale. That's why, when you are close to your Self, you don't feel that you are aging.
Beginning -- Anaadi. Self has no beginning. If God has a beginning, then He is no God.
⚫Lack -- Abhava. Self has no lack. Whatever lacks something is not complete. Self does not lack anything, it is complete. Lack indicates existence of something outside itself. That doesn't exist for the Self. So if you feel you have not grown at all, don't worry, you are close to the Self. (Laughter)
When your mind is with the Self, then you don't worry about evolution. If you are thinking about evolving, then you are stuck in the mind. And mind is part of the matter, and matter evolves and decays.

And that is how the experience of contraction and expansion is all play and display of the mind. Mind expands and contracts. When it expands, it comes close to the truth, which has no expansion.

Are you still evolving? Good luck!!

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Thursday, December 11, 2025

Q: I start to do a lot of things, but I don’t get to complete. Can you tell me a way how can I improve the situation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

If you want to do, you can do anything. It has to come from within. With the determination, ‘I will do this job, and I will see to it that it gets completed’. This commitment from within will help you, and get you through. Got it? Nobody can do the job other than you.

So, take up with small things and follow it through, and then you will get the confidence. That prepares you to take up big tasks. You know, why do you drop things? Because you think they are not important. But there is nothing important or unimportant in life, everything has importance. So, even if something looks unimportant, you say, “I want to finish it, and I will finish it”. Then you will be able to enhance your commitment.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Thursday, December 11, 2025

If you are a taker of happiness you get misery, if you are a giver of happiness you get joy and love.

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, December 10, 2025

Legends

Legendary is the love that withstands rejection. It will be free of anger and ego.

Legendary is the commitment that withstands humiliation. It will be one-pointed and will reach the goal.

Legendary is the wisdom that withstands turbulence. It will be integrated in life.

Legendary is the faith that withstands a million chances of doubt. It will bring perfection (siddhis).

Legendary are the events that withstand time. They will become morals for the millions.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

Q: Guruji, after meditation I usually have a headache. What should I do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Were you trying to shove the thoughts away during meditation? You should not suddenly come back, you should slowly come back. See from deep meditation suddenly you come back it is like when you are deep in sleep someone wakes you, suddenly you wake up, what happens? Headache comes, right? Like that, so take little longer time to come back. Take a little deeper breath, relax and drink a lot of water.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, December 10, 2025

When you become subtle in your mind and go deep in your heart, you turn vegetarian naturally.

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, December 9, 2025

Enlightenment

You can't even say 'enlightened person', you can only say 'enlightenment' because when the person's personalities disappear, dissolve, then that is enlightenment.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Tuesday, December 9, 2025

Q: How to experience freedom and peace of mind in this complex daily life? I am bound by my duties and responsibilities very tightly.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

That is good. That is the contrast in life every day. When you come back home from your job, relax and sit for meditation for a few minutes every day. Nothing stops you from doing that.

Just like we have dental hygiene, meditation is for your mental hygiene. Listen to knowledge regularly. That is why I have made so many talks. For nearly seven years every Wednesday, I used to make some knowledge sheets which are compiled in the book called Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker. Pick up knowledge sheets from that, or play some knowledge talk and listen to that.

Meditation is more relevant when you are very busy, and when you have a lot of responsibilities to attend to. If you have nothing to do, what is the point of you sitting in meditation? Why would you need energy then? You need energy and intelligence when you need to use it. If you have nothing to do, what is the need for a lot of intelligence?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Tuesday, December 9, 2025

We say, 'Be God fearing; God will punish you', no! This is a wrong idea. God will never punish you, but only educate and uplift 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: Monday, December 8, 2025

Rest and Activity

Activity and rest are two vital aspects of life. To find a balance in them is a skill in itself. When to have what and how much to have is wisdom. Finding them in each other-activity in rest and rest in activity-is the ultimate freedom.

More tiring than the work itself is the memory of hard work. Thinking you have worked hard itself interferes with the quality of rest. Some people take pride in working hard without any results. And there are others who crave for long rest not knowing the rest is in non-doership. It is the quality of rest, even if it is short, that recuperates.

When rest is needed, your body will automatically take it. Resting, without thinking about the need for it, is more restful. Desirelessness, Dispassion, and Samadhi are the deepest rest.

Question: Our work is very stressful. We don't get enough time for the family. What do we do?

Answer: Do you spend quality time with your family? Even if you spend half an hour are you cordial and fully attentive to the needs of your family? It is not the length of time you spend with your family matters. What matters is the quality of time that you spend with them.

Thinking you need rest makes you restless. Thinking you have to work hard makes you tired. Thinking you have worked hard brings self pity.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Monday, December 8, 2025

Q: Gurudev, is there a punishing God. If not, who is punishing me? I want to live without punishment.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

No, there is no God punishing you at all, don’t worry. It is only your karma that comes back to you. If you don’t chuck the karma, the karmas come back to you.

Karma is, you do some action and the reaction to the action comes back to you. But if you realize this, and you do some remedies for your karma, then you can reduce it. E.g., if you hear on radio that there will be a heavy traffic jam tomorrow, you take caution and start a little early; that is the remedy, right? Similarly, if there is going to be snow storm tomorrow, then you put your socks on, and do whatever else you need to do.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Monday, December 8, 2025

How can you be happy if you're holding onto unpleasant memories of the past? Unpleasant memories are the biggest hindrance for you to be happy this moment.

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, December 7, 2025

Impression And Expression

Do not make an effort to impress others, or to express yourself. Your effort to express yourself becomes an impediment. Your effort to impress someone also becomes futile. If you do not try to impress, expression comes naturally. When you come from the self, your expression is perfect and your impression lasts for ages.

Often you don't seem to have a control over your impressions and expressions. Wisdom is selecting your impressions and expressions. Enlightenment is when you do not take any impressions at all, whether good or bad. Then you "master" the art of expression. Many impressions in the mind cause:

⚫Confusion
⚫Distraction
⚫Chaos
⚫Lack of focus
⚫and finally, derangement of the mind.

Nature has inbuilt in us a system through which it releases some of the impressions - through dreams, and through meditation.

Excessive expression loses the depth and luster, the serenity of yourself. Meditation erases the impressions and improves the expression.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Sunday, December 7, 2025

Q: How to go beyond physical suffering?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

When you sleep, you go beyond the body and beyond pain. But if you meditate, you can consciously go beyond pain.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Sunday, December 7, 2025

The best form of worship is to just be happy!

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, December 6, 2025

Doubt And Closeness

Doubt cannot come where there is a sense of closeness. Doubt needs a distance to appear. You never doubt something that is dear to you, close to you.

The moment you doubt, it is no longer dear to you; a distance has come.

You may doubt yourself, but you do not doubt that which is yours.

Self-doubt is a lack of closeness to oneself, a sense of belongingness, closeness, initmacy are all the antidotes for doubt.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Saturday, December 6, 2025

Q: Gurudev, you have often said that you are not the doer. Please help me understand this as I have been stuck in the self-blame game for past incidents.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Come on, wake up! All that happened in the past is finished, it is like a dream, it is done! You did something wrong and you learnt a lesson from it, it is finished. Now, move on. Broaden your vision, and don’t worry about doership and non-doership. Leave all that.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Saturday, December 6, 2025

When you remain happy and centered whether your desires get fulfilled or not, then you can say that you have killed or overcome the mind.

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, December 5, 2025

Surrender

The main impediment of many seekers in the path is that they want to surrender. Don't say that you want to surrender; know that you already are surrendered. Wanting to surrender becomes an impediment on the path. This is like a child saying to the mother, " I want to love you." No child ever tells the mother," I want to love you", love is evident there.

Surrender is not an act, it is a state of your being. Whether you acknowledge it or not, it is there. The wise wake up and see, the unwise take a longer time. Know that you have no choice, you are in a state of surrender deep within you.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Friday, December 5, 2025

Q: How to stop worrying?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Know one thing – one day you are going to go under the ground. You will be finished.
Everybody else will also be finished. What are you worried about? You are worried about money? You are worried about somebody’s opinion? You are worried about prestige? You are worried about your health? There are four things that people worry about –Money, Relationship, Prestige and Health! All of them is going to go away one day. Then why worry.

See life from a bigger context. Ten years ago, didn’t you worry? You are still alive. Five years ago, didn’t you worry? You are still alive. Three years back you worried. This worrying did not do anything to you. You only created more toxins in your body. Life anyway goes on.

Life is a balance between free will and destiny. How many of you have this question about free will and destiny? (Many in the audience raise their hands). Is life all destined or is it all free will? I tell you, life is a combination of both free will and destiny. Your height is your destiny but your weight is your freewill.

You can’t say this my destiny is to weigh 100 kilos. I will tell you to get on to the treadmill. And don’t eat those burgers. So, your weight is your free will and your height is your destiny. Similarly, it’s raining is destiny, whether to get wet or not is your free will.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Friday, December 5, 2025

When the beauty inside blossoms, the older you get, the more beautiful you look.

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, December 4, 2025

Maya

What is Maya?

Maya is that which can be measured. The whole world can be measured, that is why it is Maya. All the five elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether - can be measured.

Question: Can space be measured?

Sri Sri: Only in space can things be measured. Space is the first dimension of measurement.

Measurement is always relative and not absolute. Example: If something weighs 6 kilos on the earth, it then weighs only 1 kilo on the moon. The light of the star you see today is not really today's light. It has taken at least 4 years for the light to reach you! Both size and weight change in air, water and earth. So "measure" is illusive and not dependable. Your bones, skin, body, environment and five elements can be measured; you can put a value to it. So, the whole world is Maya!

All measures are relative understanding. Einstein's theory of relativity correlates with the Advaita (non-dual) philosophy.

But what is not Maya? All that cannot be measured is not Maya. You cannot say 1 ounce of love, 2 ounces of peace, 5 kilos of happiness, Can YOU be measured? It is not possible. Your body has weight, but not YOU. Truth cannot be measured, Ananda (joy) cannot be measured, beauty cannot be measured. All these are part of Consciousness or Easwara (Divine) and are called MAYI.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Thursday, December 4, 2025

Q: Gurudev, what is Mahakaal?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Kaal means ‘time’ and mahakaal means ‘grand time’. Grand time is that which is beyond all human explanation or comprehension. It is that which creates a want in you and also makes you lose your ground. And when you are losing ground, you will definitely feel shaky, and fear also comes up. Fearsome, grandeur, awesome, existence, is what is called Mahakaal.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Thursday, December 4, 2025

If you are aware of the ground reality and know how to match your vision with it, then failures will be reduced.

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, December 3, 2025

Drop your self image

Kashiap : "How do you make everyone happy?"

Guruji : "Become me."

Rama : "How do we become you?"

What stands between you and me is your self image. Your self image restricts you from being me. Self image whether good or bad causes misery.

When you think good about yourself in a very subtle manner you think bad about others. Then anger, jealousy, hatred - everything follows.

When you think bad about yourself you feel low and again you start getting angry and you hate everyone else. If you think good about yourself you are in trouble and when you think bad about yourself you are in greater trouble.

So drop your self image.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Wednesday, December 3, 2025

Q: If I am suffering from inside, can I still stay happy and keep a smile on my face?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You know life is like a 'Thali'(plate) in which you have something sweet, something salty, something pungent -- all different tastes are present. Like this, in your life you have little sadness (maybe you have lost something, or lost money), yes that pinches but if you just hold on to that pinch only, hold on to that pain only, then life cannot go on. Unless you are so well soaked in wisdom, in spirituality, you will continue to have some little grievances here and there, and if you stop smiling because of that, you will find the world to be a very depressing place. You should keep smiling, having a strong hope that whatever pain and suffering that you have inside will vanish, anyway it doesn't matter. One should have the wisdom to bear discomfort and move forward with a smile.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Wednesday, December 3, 2025

There is another world, there is another realm and there is another plane of existence, not just this one. When you understand this, life gains a bigger dimension.

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, December 2, 2025

Seva

There are five types of seva.

⚫The first type of seva is when you do not even know that you are doing seva. You do not recognize it as seva because it is your very nature - you cannot but do it!
⚫The second type of seva is what you do because it is needed in that situation. You do the third type of seva because it gives you joy.
⚫The fourth type is done out of your desire for merit - you do seva expecting some benefit in the future.
⚫And the fifth type is when you do seva just to show off, to improve your image and to gain social or political recognition. Such seva is simply exhausting, while the first type does not bring any tiredness at all!

To improve the quality of your seva, regardless of where you start, you must move up to higher levels of seva.

II Jai Gurudev II

http://knowledgesheetsbygurudev.blogspot.com/

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
Posted on: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

Q: Gurudev, what is vairagya and how can I continue to live in it?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Let us take vairagya to mean contentment. Whenever you are content, that is vairagya. If you have had a full meal, and someone brings more food, you will say, "No I am full", that is vairagya. You cannot exist without vairagya. Just as you breathe in, at some point, you have to breathe out. Breathing in is raga, passion, and breathing out is vairagya, dispassion. Breathing in is passion and breathing out is dispassion, and both are essential in life.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
Posted on: Tuesday, December 2, 2025

We are attention hungry. This is a habit we need to change. Why are we like this? It is because we don't attend to ourselves. We are not aware of the light inside us; we are not aware of the peace inside us. We want someone else to say something so that we can be content.

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, 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