Wisdom Of gurudev sri sri ravi shankar

  Question:-  Guruji, Is there a relationship between ego, and possessiveness,  and how do we get out of both?   Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: - Yes. Ego,possessiveness, jealousy, anger, greed are all linked. They are linked to the ego. Now, how to get rid of the ego? This is a big problem. Actually the solution is very simple. Just agree to be crazy for one day. Just act like a crazy person for one day. That is good enough. Ego means that you are trying to impress others. You need the other for ego to be there. When you are alone in a place, there cannot be any ego. Ego pops up when the other is there. If you are like a child, if you are natural and feeling at home, that is the best antidote for ego. Ego cannot sustain or survive when naturalness takes over, and when you feel at home with everybody and have a sense of belongingness with everyone. All these qualities can transform you. If the ego still says, ‘I am’, then that ego should be expanded. One is a Transparent Ego...

Question - Gurudev, what is the purpose of fear? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar  -             Nature has built a little fear into all living beings. This fear makes life defend itself, protect itself. Like salt in food, a little fear is essential for people to be righteous.  Fear of hurting someone makes you more conscious. Fear of failure makes you more keen and dynamic. Fear moves you from carelessness to taking care. Fear moves you from being insensitive to being sensitive. Fear moves you from dullness to alertness.  Total lack of fear may lead to destructive tendencies – a distorted ego knows no fear. Nor does one with expanded consciousness. While the ego dismisses fear and acts in a destructive manner, the wise one acknowledges fear and takes refuge in the Divine. When you are in love, when you are surrendered, there is no fear.  Ego, too, knows no fear. But there is a difference – like the difference between heave...

Question: Dear Gurudev, what is the key to keep a good friendship? Gurudev HH Sri Sri Ravi Shankar : Not demanding anything from the friends, and telling them I’m here to support you. Just believe in one thing: what you need you will get. The giver is somebody else, so don’t demand love. When you demand love you are destroying love. So you should never demand love or attention from people. If you are there only to give love and attention, then anyone will feel comfortable with you. But if you are expecting something then you are putting people in a very uncomfortable position. Do you see what I’m saying? You can’t say this to everybody in the world, but intelligent people if they understand this, they can make their way.

Question - How to deal with rude behaviour of people around? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar -            What do you do when someone behaves very rudely towards you? 1) Get upset 2) React rudely back 3) Get frustrated 4) Run away and avoid the person or situation 5) Blame the person 6) Preach to the person None of these will in any way strengthen you. Then what are the options? See rude behaviour in this light: 1) It indicates the intensity of their commitment 2) It indicates their stress and insensitivity 3) It projects the upbringing of the person 4) It shows a behavioural pattern 5) It shows lack of Knowledge 6) It shows lack of observation of the mind and its sensations 7) It shows you behaviour to avoid 8) It is an opportunity for you to welcome and absorb the rudeness 9) It strengthens your mind 10) It reveals the love that you are as unconditional The next time when someone is rude to you, just give back a broad smile. If you can digest th...

Question - Gurudev, what is the purpose of fear? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar-            Nature has built a little fear into all living beings. This fear makes life defend itself, protect itself. Like salt in food, a little fear is essential for people to be righteous.  Fear of hurting someone makes you more conscious. Fear of failure makes you more keen and dynamic. Fear moves you from carelessness to taking care. Fear moves you from being insensitive to being sensitive. Fear moves you from dullness to alertness.  Total lack of fear may lead to destructive tendencies – a distorted ego knows no fear. Nor does one with expanded consciousness. While the ego dismisses fear and acts in a destructive manner, the wise one acknowledges fear and takes refuge in the Divine. When you are in love, when you are surrendered, there is no fear.  Ego, too, knows no fear. But there is a difference – like the difference between heaven and earth –...

Question - Gurudev, why do I go on and off in my sadhana (spiritual practice)? I hear that other people do this as well. Do guide us here, how to deal with such times? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji - Well, it's natural. When there are fruits in the tree you enjoy the fruits and you forget to water the roots. And then when the tree starts drying out then you water it again. This is how we do. Once, twice or three times you go through this cycle and then you become intelligent, then you make it part of your life. Once it is part of your life then you will feel so uncomfortable if you don't do your practice even for one day. Even for one day if you are not in knowledge, it throws you off, you feel as if you're missing something, or there is a lack of something.  So, you need to make these good practices part of your life, like brushing your teeth. One day you don't brush your teeth, do you feel comfortable? You feel so awful, isn't it? Just like dental ...

1) Gyan Mudra Touch the tips of the index finger and thumb and keep the other 3 fingers (index, ring, and pinky finger) stretched, relaxed and joined. Also known as the chin mudra, this is probably the most familiar mudra in mainstream society. Meditators are often seen pairing this mudra with their practice. 2)Uttarabodhi Mudra Hold the hands in front of the solar plexus. Interlock the fingers. Index fingers and thumbs of both hands should be joined together. While the index fingers point to the ceiling, point the thumbs to the floor. 3)Apan Vayu Mudra The tip of the index finger should be pressed lightly against the root of the thumb and second and the third finger should touch the inner tip of the thumb. Apan vayu mudra, also known as Mritsanjeevani mudra, is a very powerful mudra. In ancient India, it was believed to save lives in the case of heart attacks. Source -  Wisdom seekers

Question: I try to forget the mistakes I made in the past and move ahead. But the people around me keep reminding me of those past mistakes. What should I do?   Sri Sri: Smile and move forward. If they are not able to forget the mistakes of the past, then that is their problem. You should forget the mistakes of the past, just drop it and move ahead. You are not the same person as you were in the past when you committed those mistakes, you have changed. When you came to the spiritual path, when you gained this wonderful knowledge, then your entire life has changed. So have complete and unshakeable faith in this fact. In the ancient times, when people used to approach a Guru, then they would even change their birth names. Why was this done? It was to signify that you have taken a new birth altogether when you have come to the Guru. You have become a new person when you gained access to this knowledge. The mistakes you committed in the past out of ignorance do not exist...

Question - Guruji, Who Am I? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji - This is a million dollar question. I want you to keep this question with yourself. I will never take it away from you, because this question is like a vehicle for you to transform your life, make unwanted things drop off your life and help you reach the ultimate. Keep asking yourself this question again and again - “Who am I?” This itself paves the way for going deeper into meditation. Just keep aside whatever you think of yourself or what you feel you are. This question cannot be answered through words. One who answers it through words does not truly know. This question is very important. So keep asking this question to yourself again and again - be it a hundred or a thousand times, over and over. Then ask yourself, “Why am I?” I would say first you should know who you really are. Then think over why you are, and also why you are not. Think whether there is anyone for whom you are not. You are not here to be ...

Question : I am not sure about what I want to do in life. I want to ask you but I don’t even know what to ask and what exactly I want. I get bored doing anything in very little time. I find myself being very moody. I am not satisfied or happy doing anything. How can I live my life with this kind of mental state? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji:           You want comfort too much. Get out of your comfort zone. You are only thinking of your comfort and pleasure; that is when you get into this sort of stage or state. You are here to be useful to somebody else. You are here to do something useful to someone. How can you be bored? Even if you are bored, you have to do that, because what you do is useful to someone else. If you are self-centered, and you think, ‘If I like it only then I will do it’, then that is not seva. That won’t bring you satisfaction. Do you see what I’m saying?      ‘I don’t like meeting people’, but you are meeting people f...

Question – Gurudev, why are people afraid of emotionally connecting with people? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji - Emotion is an integral part of you. If you are running away from emotions it is because of the fear of getting hurt. When you are emotional you should be ready to get hurt. Unless you are so established in wisdom then emotions are a celebration and they cannot hurt you anymore. Either you shut down or run away. You have to stand up to it and see the love beyond the pain. See the love beyond suffering. Love brings certain feelings that can hurt you. You love someone and they forget your birthday, what happens to you? You become miserable.  Your expectation from others hurts you emotionally. Thay fear of pain causes you to shut down. Wake up. Take pain as part of love. You love someone pain also comes. When you have such acceptance your love has reached a height beyond vulnerability. It gets you to a place of blissful divinity. Love without wisdom is a host...

Question - Gurudev, what is Guru kripa? How does it lead to self-realisation? Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji - Guru is the self. Sometimes in his life a man becomes dissatisfied with it, and, not content with what he has, he seeks the satisfaction of his desires, through prayer to God etc.  His mind is gradually purified until he longs to know God, more to obtain his grace than to satisfy his worldly desires. Then, God’s grace begins to manifest. God takes the form of a Guru and appears to the devotee, teaches him the Truth and, moreover, purifies his mind by association.  The devotee’s mind gains strength and is then able to turn inward. By meditation it is further purified and it remains still without the least ripple. That calm expanse is the Self.  The Guru is both ‘external’ and ‘internal’. From the ‘exterior’ he gives a push to the mind to turn inward, from the ‘interior’. He pulls the mind towards the self and helps in the quieting of the mind. That ...