KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2026

Relationships

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.

II JAI GURUDEVII

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2026

Q: Gurudev, what is the secret of the exponential growth of Art of Living world over?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

The effectiveness, sincerity, beauty and utility it adds to day-to-day life. Anything that is authentic, impactful, and original will always bring about a transformation, and take you on a long journey.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 23, 2026

That which you can set right, you should set it right, and that which you cannot correct, which is beyond your capacity, for that prayer is the best option.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

How to Overcome Self-Pity

See, you have already thought of overcoming it. When you thought, 'I should overcome self-pity', you are already one step out of it because you recognized that you are pitying yourself. There are many people who do not recognize that they are pitying themselves. They simply think, 'I am this way'. But when you know 'I am pitying myself', then you are out of it.

There is no how to overcome self-pity. Do you know how to wake up? You simply wake up. When someone is sleeping, and you say wake up, they just wake up. They don’t ask you, 'How do I wake up?' They have already woken up. In the same way, if you recognize you are pitying yourself, you have already woken up. Come on, get out of it, that’s it. There is no poor me. You did something in the past and you are reaping the fruit of that action. You should also not pity anybody.

In the ancient times, if someone told the Guru, 'Oh, I am suffering', they would not care about it. If you suffer, it is because you did some wrong thing. It is your karma, finish it off. It may appear that the Guru is rude and uncaring, but it was to stop you from self-pitying. It was to make you take responsibility for your actions. Otherwise, we try to run away from our responsibilities, and we pity ourselves, and others say, 'Oh you poor thing, God has been so unkind to you. I am so sorry for you'. This is all ignorance.

Pity is ignorance, whether it is self-pity or pitying someone else. Everyone gets what they deserve. But this is higher knowledge, so don’t go and tell everybody about this. People on the streets will not understand. They will think you are very rude.

If someone is suffering, you cannot say, 'It is your problem that you are suffering. You must have done something wrong'. It is true but better not say it. In your mind, you just understand it.
People go to the hospital because they violated laws of nature. You eat too much, you suffer a stomach-ache, you get diabetes. You drink too much; you get liver problems. While someone is lying in hospital you don’t say, 'You did this and now you are suffering'. No, you say, 'Okay we will do whatever we can', but never pity them.

In this universe, there is a cause and effect. For every effect there is a cause. There is a reason. If you get what you want, there is a reason. If you don’t get what you want, there is a reason. Nature is intelligent. Divine is intelligent. Self-pity is bad on the spiritual path. Do not pity yourself and do not pity anybody else also.

The difference between pity and compassion is that, when love flows into action, it is compassion. You can’t say, 'I love you so much, but I won’t do anything for you'. That is neither love nor compassion. Compassion is love plus action.

Pity is an attitude that shows regret and defies the laws of cause and effect, and the law of karma. Pity is ignorance. There is no point in blaming karma which is what you do in pity, and you show remorse.

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

Q How to deal with blame?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

When someone blames you, what do you usually do? You blame them back or you put up a resistance in yourself.

How do you feel when someone blames you? Hurt, unhappy, sad, heavy?

This is all because you are resisting! What you resist, persists.

You get hurt because you resist the blame.

Know that when someone blames you, they take away some negative karma from you. If you understand this, you will only feel happy about it.

If you resist when someone blames you, you are not allowing them to take away the negative karma. Even if you don’t react outwardly, you may still be resisting inside.

Actually, it’s fine to resist outside but inside don’t resist. You will feel im- mediately lighter. You can feel happy: Oh, good, somebody is blaming me and taking some of my negative karma.

The ignorant person says, “Don’t blame me” because it hurts him. An en- lightened person also says, “Don’t blame me.” Do you know why? Because it might hurt you. You can tell someone not to blame you out of anger or out of compassion.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 22, 2026

Know that you are pure and your heart is clean. In the company of the pure you are also purified. All your past karmas are dropped.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

POSTED ON: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026

 

Habits and vows

 

How to get rid of vasanas (impressions)? This is a question for all those who want to come out of habits.

 

You want to get rid of habits because they give pain and restrict you. The nature of vasana is to bother you, or bind you, and wanting to be free is the nature of life. Life wants to be free and when a soul doesn't know how to be free, it wanders through lifetimes wanting freedom.

The way to come out of habits is vows. This is samyama. Everybody is endowed with a little samyama.

 

A vow should be time bound. This would bring good conduct and save you from being wayward. Consider the time and place for vows to be taken.

 

When the mind dwells on useless thoughts, then two things happen. One is that all those old patterns come up and you feel discouraged by them. You blame yourself and feel that you have not made any progress.

 

The second thing is that you see it as an opportunity for samyama and feel happy about it. Without samyama, life will not be happy and diseases arise. For example, you know you should not eat three servings of ice cream, or eat ice cream every day, or otherwise you will get sick.

Habits will clog you when there is no liveliness or juice in life. When there is a direction for life force, you can rise above habits through samyama.

 

Take vows according to time and place. For example, suppose someone has a habit of smoking cigarettes and says, "I will quit smoking," but cannot do it. They can take a vow, three months or 90 days; a time-bound vow. If someone is used to cursing and swearing, take a vow not to use bad language for ten days. Don't take it for a lifetime; you will break it immediately. If you happen to break it in between, don't worry. Just begin again. Slowly increase the duration until it becomes your nature.

 

All those habits which bother you, bind them in vows, in samyama. So all those who are in Satsang, take a time-bound vow today and make a note of it. If you break a vow, make a note of it and share the time and date at the next Satsang. Continue it again. Tie those habits which bring you pain in samyama.

 

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026

Q: Gurudev, why do people resist change?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

People resist change because they are afraid that they would lose something precious, or the change could bring about a disaster for them. But if you communicate to them that the change would make them better, they would definitely take it. Nobody dislikes climbing up the ladder. People do want something positive, more happiness or whatever. What we need to do is to communicate better with them, speak in their language, and explain that the change will make things better. It will take some time, it cannot happen overnight, it takes some persuasion but it does happen.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 2026

There may be thousands of reasons to feel down and depressed, but we have to move with the conviction that 'I am not going to let the world around me bury me as long as I am alive'. This is spirituality.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

The purpose of life

Our first and foremost commitment is to do seva (service) in the world. If there is fear in your life, it is because of a lack of commitment. If there is confusion in your life, it is because of lack of commitment. The very thought I am here in this world to do seva (service), dissolves the I and when the I dissolves, worries dissolve. Seva is not something u do out of convenience or for pleasure. The ultimate purpose of life is to be of service.

An uncommitted mind is miserable. A committed mind may experience rough weather but will reap the fruits of its toil. When you make the service your sole purpose in life, it eliminates fear, brings focus in your mind and purposefulness, action and long-term joy and may be short term problems!

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

Q: If every wish gets fulfilled at a particular time as per the will of God, what is the necessity of prayer?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Well, prayer is not something that you impose on yourself or anyone else. Prayer is a natural call for help, or a natural expression of gratefulness. Prayer can happen only on two occasions:

1. When you are desperately in need of something then you pray. When you realize that you are weak and you cannot handle something, that is when you ask for help and that is a prayer.

2. When you realize that you have received more than what you really deserve, and it has all come to you as a blessing and as a gift, then the gratefulness that you express becomes a prayer. And if you extend this a little further, another occasion when prayer rises from within you is when you are in deep love with the maker of the universe or the divinity, in whatever form or formless way you perceive it to be. That is devotion.

So prayer it is something which happens spontaneously. And it's good to have a few rituals associated with prayer as it adds some colors to life. When you pray in a particular manner by lighting a candle or something that brings up to the surface those emotions that are sleeping in you.
The benefits of prayer are:

1. It invokes those emotions that are sleeping within you.
2. It takes away the worry and burden in your head.
3. It builds confidence in you and you feel the connection from your side. You are already connected to the divine, but from your side you start realizing your connection to the higher power.

4. It puts you into routine. Suppose you make it a habit of praying every day, maybe the first four days go without any experience, but on the fifth day, you experience something. It's almost like any other sadhana. So make prayer a practice in your life so that you know you have something to do that is it ethereal.

Prayer is the way to connect to the something that is not so tangible but is existing. So, prayer could be one such link to the unknown and unseen. Falling in love with the unknown is faith

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 20, 2026

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

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

Back to Space

When such calamities occur we try to understand their cause so that we can blame someone. Strangely, when you find someone to blame you feel comfortable, but with natural calamities you cannot blame anyone. It comes to you as a shock. With wisdom, shocks can make you grow in leaps and bounds. Without wisdom a shock can only lead you to negativity and depression.

Q. Why should nature destroy small innocent children?

A. Nature just does its job. It does not discriminate between young and old. Do you think that all those who eat bamboo shoots and eggs or pluck flower buds are not compassionateÅ maybe, maybe not! (laughter!)

Instead of questioning Nature, wake up and see the opportunity for seva (service). See whatÒ³ happening in Gujarat now. Today, hundreds and thousands are engaged in service activities that would not have happened otherwise. One positive thing coming out of destruction is the reconstruction of Gujarat which would not have happened if not for earthquake. Another interesting factor is a fresh water spring that has appeared in a region that has been continuously drought prone.

Wisdom is to consider the earth as your Valentine. Whether it shakes or breaks, it is dear to you. You always see good coming from it. The four elements, other than space, create turbulence from time to time. If you depend on them for support, they will shake you and lead you back to space. Finding security in inner space is spirituality.

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

Q: Is it possible for a person to have multiple Gurus in one lifetime?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Oh my God, one itself is big! And then if you have two-three gurus, you will become bigger! Guru means ‘Big’. If you are on the spiritual path, know that it is they who have paved the way for you to be here. And so thank everybody, honor everyone, but follow one system of practice, otherwise you will be so confused doing a little bit here-and a little bit there.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 19, 2026

When you are stuck in the rat race, do the cat walk. Walk with poise and confidence.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

Blaming and Misery

When a worldly man is miserable, he blames the people around him, the system, and the world in general.

When a seeker is miserable he, of course, blames the world, but in addition he blames the path, the Knowledge, and himself.

It is better not to be a seeker so that you blame less. But then a seeker (sadhak) also enjoys everything much more. There is more love in life and more pain. When there is more joy, the contrast is greater. A certain level of maturity is needed to see things as they are and not to blame the path, the self, and the world. Do you see what I am saying?

It is like a quantum leap. If one jumps across this threshold then there is no fall.

The Divine does not test you. Testing is part of ignorance.

Who will test? One who does not know will test, isn't it? God knows your capacity, so why does he have to test you? Then, why the misery? It is thithiksha, or forbearance, in you. And forbearance could be increased by prayerful surrender or vigorous challenge for patience!

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

Q: How to face Rahu and Shani Mahadasha (astrological planetary positions that bring forth a very hard phase of time)?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Don’t think that Rahu Dasha or Shani Dasha are bad. If you are on the spiritual path, and if you practice meditation, all these Dashas will do only good things to you.

People think the Shani Dasha is very bad. Shani Dasha pushes you towards the spiritual path. If you are stuck in small things, it relieves you from there and puts you on the spiritual path. If you are already in knowledge and wisdom, Shani Dasha doesn't do anything wrong.

In life, there are ups and down. Some good thing happens. Something which you don't like happens. But every incident is an opportunity for you to grow stronger. So, don't worry about Rahu Dasha or Shani Dash.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 18, 2026

Don't take life for granted! Every moment there is a miracle happening; every moment, there is grace; and there is something new.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: TURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

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 GURUDEVII

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: TURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

Q: Gurudev, all the great saints and enlightened Masters consider Tyaag (sacrifice) and Vairagya (dispassion) as the means to attaining Moksha (final liberation). Is the desire for Moksha not a kind of greed or desire after all?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, it is true that intense desire or greed for Moksha is also a kind of desire ultimately, but that is the final and the last desire that one has to let go of. One needs to cultivate or have this desire for Moksha to overcome and drop all other kinds of desires and feverishness. When even this desire (for Moksha) drops off, one experiences totality and bliss.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: TURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 17, 2026

The higher you go (evolve), you have to be pure and innocent inside, not cunning and crafty.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026

Sublimating Lust

Lust is one of the main botheration’s that many face. Lust grips the mind and tires the body, and dulls the intellect. Lust, when indulged, brings inertia, and when suppressed brings anger. Lust is nothing but primordial un-harnessed energy. The same when harnessed manifests as enthusiasm, sparkle, sharpness of intellect and love.

What are the factors which can sublimate or transform lust into love?

⚫️Playfulness: People who are in the grip of lust cannot be genuinely playful. When you are genuinely playful, then there is no lust there
⚫️ Generosity: When you realize that you are here only to give and give, and you feel that you are very generous, lust is sublimated. Lust makes one possessive and not generous
⚫️ Moderate to less intake of food
⚫️ Remembrance of death
⚫️Divine Romance
⚫️ Cold water baths
⚫️Undertaking creative challenges

II JAI GURUDEVII

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026

Q: I want to understand about desires and how we are meant to deal with them. I feel that I shouldn’t be in the desires, yet I still want to achieve things or find myself attracted to another person. If we don’t have desires, where do motivations in life come from? Thank you.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Fine, have desires. Who said no? You should have desires, but the desires should not have you. It is like the horse is in control of you, and you are not in control of the horse. If you are, then it’s a difficulty.

There is a story of Mulla Nasruddin. He was on the horse. And the horse was going round the same circles, same streets! So people asked him, “Mulla, where are you going?” He said, “I don’t know, ask the horse!” So, we are in similar situation most of the time in our lives. Our desires have us and they ruin us. Instead you should have desires, but you should be able to drop them any time you want to, and have them any time you want to! You should be able to get onto the horse when you want to and get out of the horse when you don’t want! Rather than you getting stuck in the horse, or horse throwing you down. Correct? That is more misery.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 2026

Life is much larger than birth & death, failure & success. You are the unblemished, pure eternal Self. Knowing this you will walk like a King.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026

This begins a new practice

Beyond an event is Knowledge.

Beyond a person is love.

Beyond an object is infinity.

Knowledge is not in an event; it is beyond an event.

If you take one event and infer anything from one event -- infer knowledge -- it will be erroneous knowledge. Say Nancy gets angry and shouts at someone. You attribute anger to Nancy, but actually it was carried from someone else to her. Someone else got angry first and someone else and someone else and on and on like that.

When you go beyond an event, only then the truth dawns. One particular event gives you a false notion. So you have to consider the totality of events, the totality of all events infinitely. Beyond the event is Knowledge.

What do we call a person? A person is a body, a mind, a complex of behaviors which is changing. Love is unchanging. Beyond the person is love.

When you lose your personality, you become love. If you cannot lose yourself, you cannot find yourself. So, lose your personality; you'll find yourself!!!

Behind every object is infinity. An object is limited. Take an object and reduce, reduce, reduce, and you have an atom. An atom is infinity. Each atom contains infinite space. Beyond the object is infinity.

The object behind the object is infinity. The person behind the person is love.

Maya is getting caught up in the event, personality, object. Knowledge, love, Brahman is seeing beyond the event, personality, or object. See? Just a little shift.

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026

Q: I find that very often people take advantage of me. For a while it seems okay, but then it makes me angry that they are just walking all over me. Where do I draw the line? If I resist I often feel guilty that I’m being selfish. How can I differentiate between self respect and ego?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Now you are mixing up too many things up.

First of all, you should know when a person is taking advantage of you and when you have to be compassionate. This is like asking me how to balance a bicycle. Just balance! I can’t say if you fall to the right, push over to the left! No, balance like how you would ride a bicycle. If people are taking advantage of you, put your foot down and say no more. Where you need to help, there you help them. It’s not self-respect issues all the time, but you should not be vulnerable to people taking advantage of you as well.

If someone is in need of help it’s okay to help, but someone is unduly asking help from you all the time then you should say 'No, it won’t work'. Our compassion should always be accompanied by wisdom.

I was in the California Bay Area recently. Our AOL volunteers came there very enthusiastically to tell me that they fed thousands of homeless people and that they wanted to do it on a regular basis. I refused and I asked them to stop. They were shocked because they thought I would be pleased listening to the service they had done. I said, 'No, I appreciate you did it this once but no more. Look at those people, they are not old or invalid people. These are strong men and women who can work and earn their bread. If you keep giving them food like that, while they are sitting on the roadside or in the homeless shelter, they will keep on eating and enjoying and they won’t do anything. You are spoiling them'. So I said no, this is not compassion but misled compassion.

Compassion would be to instead teach them bhastrika (a breathing technique taught in Art Of Living programs) and do some skills training for them.

Labour is not available these days; there is lack of drivers, construction workers, and many other areas. People should do some hard work. If they are invalid or very aged then definitely they need to be helped, but not someone who is in their youth and quite strong. Otherwise we are cultivating a wrong culture.

Compassion should always be accompanied with wisdom. Wisdom is knowing whom to give, where to give, what to give, how to give.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 15, 2026

You are like a free bird. Learn to fly!
When will you experience freedom? Become free right now!

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2026

Seva is savior

The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share others's sorrow and joy. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow. When you expand in Knowledge with time, then depression is not possible. Your inner most source is joy.

The way to overcome personal misery is to share universal misery! The way to expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking "what about me?" "what can I gain from this world?" think "what can I do for the world?" When everyone comes from the point of contributing to society, you have a Divine society. We have to educate and culture our individual consciousness in order to expand in time with the Knowledge . . . from "what about me?" to "what can I contribute?"

If you are not having good experiences in meditation, then do more seva -- you will gain merit and your meditation will be deeper. When you bring some relief or freedom to someone through seva, good vibrations and blessings come to you. Seva brings merit; merit allows you to go deep in meditation; meditation brings back your smile.

II JAI GURUDEVII

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2026

Q: Guruji, I have been on this path for many years. Many juniors have gone ahead. I have not been taking enough responsibility.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

That is why. You’re hesitating to take responsibility – this is the problem. Just come out of procrastination. Take responsibility. Have courage, faith and self-confidence. Work will be done then.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2026

Have a larger goal, serve and be useful to others around you, then you will find that only happiness flows through your life.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2026

Prabdha karma and sanchita karma

Some karma can be changed and some cannot.

When you prepare halwa, if sugar is less or ghee is less, water more or less, it can all be adjusted, repaired. But once soji is cooked, it cannot be reversed.

If the buttermilk is sour, milk can be added, salt can be added to make it drinkable. But it can never be reversed back to milk.

Prabdha karma cannot be changed. Sanchita karma can be changed by spiritual practices. Satsang burns the seed of all negative karma.

When you praise someone, you take on their good karma. When you blame someone you take on their bad karma.

Know this and surrender both good and bad karma to the Divine and be free.

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2026

Q: What is Pitru Dosha, how does it affect our daily life and how do we correct it?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Pitru Dosha comes out of torturing the parents or ancestors. If children torture the parents and do not understand them, then that is called Pitru Dosha. The parents have brought you up with so much love, taking pain they have given you a good life, they have been by your side and helped you grow, and then you don't give them love and inflict pain on them, that is called Pitru Dosha.

But I tell you, your meditation, your being on the spiritual path, keeping a clean heart and doing a selfless service, to some degree will eliminate the Dosha from your life. See, sometimes people are miserable not because you did something to them, but they are miserable because of their own ignorance. They expect things from you which you may not be able to deliver. Then you don't get Pitru Dosha. It happens when they are really pained by something you could do, but you did not do. When you intentionally inflict pain on the parents due to your selfish reasons then that is Pitru Dosha.

Then what happens? The progeny will have problems. Your children will give you problems. The impact of it is -- children are born with some special needs; some deformities. This is all the sign of Pitru Dosha. Somewhere in the ancestral line, parents were very unhappy with their kids, now you have to become unhappy with your own kids. This is the law of karma. But there is a remedy for it, and the remedy is meditation. 'Om Namah Shivaya' chanting also helps. This is why it's called Maha Mantra. It can rectify any of these Doshas. 'Om Namah Shivaya' does not belong to only one religion. It is universal and it is for everybody.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 13, 2026

Often, people spend half of their health to gain their wealth. Then they spend half their wealth, to gain back their health. This is not a sign of success.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR 

POSTED ON: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

There are three essential ingredients for the development of consciousness - music, knowledge and silence. Knowledge is logical understanding. With a few moments of silence practiced every day, we can shift our awareness. This is called Patrata. Building the capacity of the intellect can happen in a few moments of silence. The purpose of music is to lead you to a space of silence. And the purpose of knowledge is to lead you to a space of wonderment.

II JAIGURUDEVII

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

Q: You spoke about Ashtalakshmi. Are we born with this luck or can we acquire them also?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

We are born with some perfections and we can acquire the others. For a Yogi, the nine types of wealth and eight perfections are acquired.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 12, 2026

Anything we do in life is directed towards happiness. That is how the mind works. And the greatest happiness is in reposing in the being.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

POSTED ON: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

The Five Aspects Of The Universe

You have five aspects to yourself: Asti (is-ness); Bhaati (Knowledge, expression); Preeti (love); Nama (name); and Rupa (form).

Matter has two aspects: name and form.

Consciousness has three aspects: "is-ness" - that it is; knowingness/expression - it knows and expresses; and love - it is loving.

This is the secret of the whole universe.

Maya is not being aware of the three aspects of consciousness. Ignorance is when one is caught up in the name and form.

Question: Why are we imperfect?

Answer: So that we can grow to perfection. Life is a movement from imperfection to perfection. A seed contains the tree but the seed has to cease to be a seed to become a tree. The seed is not perfect. The sapling is not perfect. It has to cease to be a sapling to become a tree. So in life you can either see imperfection at every step, or you can see a movement from one perfection to another perfection.

Wherever you put your attention then that will grow. If you put your attention on the lack of something, the lack will increase.

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Q: It is said in Yoga Vashishta that one of the four gatekeepers to liberation is satsang (the company of truth). Please elaborate.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, one of the four gatekeepers to enlightenment is satsang, which means having the right company because it is a good company that uplifts you.

How do you realize what is a good company? Just sit with someone and talk to them for over 30 minutes. When you get up, observe your state of mind. Do you feel happy? Do you feel depressed? Do you feel angry, agitated or sad? That says it all!

If you sit and discuss your problem with someone, and they appear to be insignificant, then that is good company. But when you discuss your problems with someone and you come out feeling, "Oh, I thought it's a small issue. It feels to be much bigger!" When the problems appear to be much bigger, then that is bad company. It's not satsang.

Satsang is one in which even the big problems appear to be much smaller. Your enthusiasm is high, you feel confident, you feel happy and you want to serve people. You don't become greedy - that is satsang. Satsang creates positive energy in you, uplifts your spirit, gives you insight and gives you courage.

Sometimes you live inside a bubble, satsang will bring you to ground reality. Suppose you are imagining something or hallucinating, satsang will make you realize the ground reality. It will bring you to a point where you realize that you are imagining, or whatever you were doing is not correct.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2026

Whenever you find someone doing a heinous crime be grateful that such tendencies did not arise in you.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

POSTED ON: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

Six Signs Of A Seeker

Acknowledging that one knows very little

Many people think they know, without knowing or they get stuck in their limited knowledge. So they never learn. So the first thing is to acknowledge that one knows very little.

Willingness to know

Many people acknowledge that they do not know, but they are not ready to learn.

Being non-judgmental and open-minded

Some people would like to learn but their judgmental attitude and close-mindedness does not allow them to learn.

Total commitment and one-pointedness to the path one has chosen

Some people are open-minded but lack commitment and one-pointedness. They keep shopping here and there and never progress.

Always putting truth and service before pleasure

Sometimes even committed and one-pointed people stay away from the path in pursuit of momentary pleasures.

Patience and perseverance

Some people are not swayed by pleasures and are committed and one-pointed, but if they lack patience and perseverance, they become restless and dejected. 

II JAI GURUDEVII

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 10, 2026

 

Q: Guruji, why do religions that support love cause so many wars?

 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

 

The wars are because of supremacy. In India, there have been so many religions for so many years. Here all religions have flourished. It is only in the Middle East that the Christianity, Judaism, and Islam has been at war all the time. The war in Inida was also due to that only.

 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar