KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR 

POSTED ON: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 2026

Faith is your wealth

Faith is a wealth. If you think, by having faith in God you are doing a favour to God, you are mistaken. Faith gives you strength instantaneously. Faith brings you stability, centeredness, calmness and love. You’re having faith in the Guru or God does not do anything to Guru or God. Your Having Faith Gives You Immediate Strength. Faith is a great wealth; it is a blessing.

If you lack faith, you have to pray for faith. But to pray, you need faith. This is a paradox. (Laughter)

People have faith in the world - but the whole world is just a soap bubble. People have faith in themselves - but they don't know who they are. People think that they have faith in God - but they have no idea of God. If you want to doubt, you have to doubt everything

There are three types of faith: faith in yourself, faith in the world, and faith in God. You need to have faith in yourself -- without faith, you think, “I can't do this. This is not for me. I will never be liberated in this life”. You must have faith in the world. Without this, you can’t move an inch in the world. Banks give you loans having faith that you will pay it back. You deposit money in the bank having faith that it will be returned. If you doubt everything in the world, nothing will happen. The same is the case with faith in the Divine - have faith in the Divine and you will evolve. All these faiths are connected. You must have all three for each to be strong.

Bill : Atheists have faith in themselves and faith in the world, but not in God. 

Sri Sri: They don't have complete faith in themselves. Lack of faith in God, in the world or in the self brings fear. Faith in the world cannot be constant because there are always changes.

Faith makes you full - faithful. If you have faith, you are full.

Rajesh : What is the difference between faith and confidence ?

Sri Sri : Confidence is the result. Faith is the beginning.

Faith in yourself brings freedom. 

Faith in the world brings you peace of mind.

Faith in God evokes love in you.

You can be at peace by having faith in the world and without faith in God, but it is not complete peace. If you have love, there is automatically peace and freedom. People who are extremely disturbed should only have faith in God. 

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: FRIDAY, OCTOBER 30, 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, OCTOBER 30, 2026

Being in utter love and yet undisturbed; caring yet not worried; persistent yet not perturbed, are all the obvious signs of the Selfshining through.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 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: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2026

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: THURSDAY, OCTOBER 29, 2026

Marriage means sacrifice. Sacrificing your desires for the good of the other and for the sake of the whole family. Marriage is compromise.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026

An Awkward Situation

Why do you feel awkward? And how do you get out of it?

If you have always been the center of attention, and are suddenly sidelined, you may feel out of place. Similarly if you have always been on the side lines, and are suddenly pushed to center stage, you may experience restlessness. If you are used to ordering, and suddenly have to take orders, or, if you usually follow orders, and you are made to give them, you may feel out of place. A very busy person with nothing to do, or a laid back person who is faced with a lot of responsibilities may experience restlessness. Very often, feeling out of place blocks the reason and distorts the logic.

If the situation you are in is inevitable, tolerate it. If it’s avoidable, walk out of it. If you feel that it can expand your abilities, smile through it. Every awkward situation increases your comfort zone. Every awkward situation is a test for how deep you are in the Knowledge.

Love something of an awkward situation. This will increase your comfort zone. When your comfort zone increases, no one will be able to push your buttons and you will become so centered and unshakable.

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026

Q: How to deal with my child asking too many questions?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Children ask questions and often they are not looking for an answer, they move on whether you answer or not. Children are not stuck in questions like adults. Adults get stuck in questions, and ask the same questions ten times; children don't care. The spirit of inquiry comes to their mind, they ask a question and move on. So, you shouldn't take it too seriously.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 28, 2026

Love cannot be measured because it is infinite. There is no boundaries to it.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2026

Feel blessed

Break through all the barriers and feel that you Are Blessed. This Is The One And Only Step You Have To take - the rest will all happen.

This deep sense of feeling that "I am blessed" can help you overcome any obstacles in life. It gives you courage and confidence and it will open your lid for grace to be poured in.

Once you realize that you are blessed, then:

All the complaints disappear
All the grumbling disappears
All the insecurities disappear
A sense of feeling unloved disappears
Wanting love disappears.

If you don't realize you are blessed, then the doership begins. If you want to make a difference in your life, feel you are blessed. And especially for those on this path of knowledge, there is no reason for you to not feel blessed. So, feel you are blessed. This is the first step towards the Self.

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2026

Q: You travel all around the world. What do you see when you travel? Is there progress, and is there peace of mind?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

More and more people today want peace of mind. They want conflicts to be resolved. There are other people who are just struggling to make their ends meet.

There are two different aspects:

1. The physical requirements of people.
2. The mental requirement. Many people want solace.

People continue to feel lonely, after 40-50 a sense of depression dawns in them, and they feel they're not wanted by their family, people and society. This sort of anxiety has taken over some parts of the world.

We need to work on both levels. We need to give opportunities to people who are struggling to make ends meet. The Art of living is making some efforts in this direction by educating children, bringing education to unskilled people and unemployed people and giving them some hope to live. At the same time, those who have enough, we give them inner solace and make them see what life is all about. And we tell them that there is no point in crying and being worried all the time.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2026

There is no choice between good and bad. Choice is always between bad and worse, or good and better. If you understand this then you see that there is no choice.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2026

To Say Sorry Is A Good Mistake?

Often, in establishing your righteousness, you are insensitive to othersÔ feelings. When someone is hurt, arguing with them and establishing your righteousness will be in vain. By saying a simple "Sorry", you can uplift the other and take away the bitterness. In many situations saying "Sorry" is better than establishing your righteousness. It can avert much unpleasantness. This one word of five letters, when said sincerely can remove anger, guilt, hatred and distance.

Many people feel pride in hearing "Sorry" from others. This boosts their ego. But when you say "Sorry" to a wise man, it evokes compassion at your ignorance. However, when you say "Sorry" to your Guru, He will get angry and say, "Go! Listen to Ashtavakra!" (Laughter) For your saying "Sorry" indicates doership. You feel that YOU have MADE a mistake.

A mistake is part of an unconscious mind. An unconscious mind cannot do right. A conscious mind can do no wrong. The mind which makes the mistake and the mind which realizes the mistake - saying "Sorry" - are entirely different, aren't they? The mind which says "Sorry" cannot be an unconscious mind. Therefore, saying "Sorry" sincerely is a BIG MISTAKE!!!

Did you get it or are you confused? If you didn't get it, don't feel sorry or u can feel sorry!! (Laughter)
How strange - truth is paradoxical!

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 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: MONDAY, OCTOBER 26, 2026

Our life becomes richer when there is some music, dance, philosophy, science, service and silence. If you miss on any one of them, then life is not complete.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2026

Advice from Hawaii

What type of time do you give the Divine? Usually you give the time that is leftover, when you have nothing else to do, when no guests are coming, there are no parties to go to, no nice movies to watch, no weddings to attend. Such time you give. This is not quality time.

Give quality time to the Divine. It will be rewarded. If your prayers are not answered it is because you have never given quality time. Give Satsang and meditation your highest priority. Give prime time to the Divine. You definitely will be rewarded.

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2026

Q: Many times the ideals, principles and beliefs taught to us by our parents and grandparents are in conflict with the teachings of The Art of Living. We feel responsible to carry forward their teachings but are in confusion after listening to some of your knowledge. Please help.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I don't see what you are referring to? How could this be confusing with any knowledge, or what parents have said about anything?

Which parent will say no to celebrate life, or to adopt violence as the core value in your life? Which parent would tell their children to go and be violent? Yes, if some people are saying, "My God is the only God, my way is the only way, everyone else is going to hell", or, "Those people who do not subscribe to my God have no right to exist, they are traitors", then I would say do not follow that path. It is only ignorance.

If any parent is saying that you will go to hell if you do meditation, they are ignorant. You don't have to tread the path of ignorance. You educate them, and if you cannot, you walk your path.

The whole world is one family. Uplift yourself beyond race, gender, religions, skin color, and all that. We are all part of one divinity -- which parent will say we are not? Okay, may be your parents want you to follow some rituals, then do it for their sake. Why do you want to resist that? You don't need to behave like a communist. If your parents say that you have to go to church or the temple, go visit it, even if you do not feel much devotion or any such thing. Listen to them and make them happy. If you follow what they want, i.e., to have a certain celebration at home, it can make them happy. But when it comes to your breathing exercises, your food habits and whatever your personal things are, I think you have to take a call, and you cannot say this is all in conflict. Do you see what I am saying?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
POSTED ON: SUNDAY, OCTOBER 25, 2026

A very pleasant and committed mind set is a sign of good health.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVISHANKAR
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026

The Other Side Of Friendliness

Secretaries, police, judges, accountants and people in key positions should not be friendly!
The main disadvantages of being friendly are:

You come under obligation
You lose your freedom
You can't have a free and fair perception. Your thoughts and actions may not be impartial
Your focus, commitment, creativity and above all your time will be wasted
You will pick up bad habits and negative moods easily

It takes a lot of wisdom to be free from the burden of obligation and not be influenced by your friends' opinions and feelings. In many occasions, it is better to be unfriendly than be friendly. Being unfriendly does not mean being aggressive and inimical. The best secretaries, personal assistants, security personnel, and judges have to be unfriendly. Those who are aloof and indifferent get centered more quickly than those who are too friendly. A certain degree of aloofness in every relationship will strengthen your personality and connect you to your source.

Vinod Sethi: It's very easy to be very aloof or very friendly. But to be friendly and aloof is a Sadhana.

Harish: Be an unfriendly friend!!

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV
POSTED ON: SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24, 2026

Q: Dear Gurudev, I would like to hear you talk more about the mysterious power of human sexuality. Can you give us some ideas as to how to deal with the power of sexuality?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I don’t know about it. But remember you are all born from sex. We have a tendency of saying it is bad or a sin, or on the other side you indulge in it too much. You must walk the middle path. Moderation in everything. Life should have moderation.

Sex is an act to bring the mind to the present moment. And there is expenditure there. It is not just the body that is there, it is the movement of energy within you that gives you a sense of relief or ecstasy.

Like, smokers feel a sense of relaxation when they smoke. It is not the smoke that is elevating you, it is the way you breathe, in a particular pattern that elevates you. A particular channel - what we call nadi – opens up. It brings a little relaxation.

When you do breathing exercise (pranayama), the same thing happens. A certain nadi opens up inside of you, and you feel relaxed, without the harming affect of the smoke that you fill in your lungs. You don’t need to do that.

So with sex also, an energy channel opens. When this energy channel opens up within you, it brings a certain relaxation first, and then you to have a scintillating heightened blissful sensation. This one can get in meditation also.

So in the ancient times, they have measured Samadhi or deep meditation as 1000 units of sex -- if sex brings one unit of joy, Samadhi is 1000 units of that. If sex is one little bulb of zero watt, Samadhi is a thousand watt bulb. That is the comparison they have given. That is why when you are in Samadhi, you naturally move out of the base tendencies. You naturally get transformed.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar