sri sri rav shankar

8/3/2019 Sri Sri Rav Shankar

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a. the individuals value system,

b. uniqueness of the individual,c. stories related to how that individual lived her/his values,d. his contribution to the greater common good, to others and to the world,

e. why you consider her/ him to be a person of noble character etc.

f. what the youth can learn from him

g. what aspects of her/his life can you incorporate in your life

1956, May 13: Born in Papanasam, Tamil Nadu, India

1960, age 4: Recites Bhagavad Gita, which he has never heard before

1962, age 6: Begins study of Vedas under his first teacher, Pandit Sudhakar Chaturvedi, a

close associate of Mahatma Gandhi's

1966, age 10: Declares to friends and family, "All over the world people are waiting for me.

One day, I will visit them."

1973, age 17: Completes his traditional studies in Vedic literature and a degree in modern

science1977 - 1982: Gives discourses, travels widely and also interacted closely with renowned

spiritual teachers such as Anandamayi Maa, Tiruchi Swami, Maharishi Mahesh Yogi

1981, age 24: Starts the first rural school on the outskirts of Bangalore, India

1982, age 25: Cognizes Sudarshan Kriya during a period of silence, formulates Art of Living

course, establishes the Art of Living Foundation in Bangalore, India

1986, age 29: President of India awards the title of 'Yoga Shiromani' (Supreme Jewel of

Yoga)

1995: Launches the Prison Stress Management and Rehabilitative Training program in Indiaand the United States

1995: Launches ART EXCEL (All Round Training in Excellence ) program for children

between ages of 8 and 13

1997, age 41: Establishes the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) in

Geneva, Switzerland. Initiates the 5H program for rural development

1998, age 42: Launches Youth Empowerment Seminar, a program for youth between ages

of 13 and 18

1999, age 43: Establishes Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Vidya Mandir (http://ssrvm.org)
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2000, age 44: Launches the Youth Leadership Training program to train rural and urban

youth to become leaders of social and economic change

2001, age 45: Establishes Sri Sri Centre for Media Studies to promote journalism based on

ethics and human values

2003, age 47: Inaugurates the Vishalakshi Mantap meditation hall at the Art of Living

International Centre, Bangalore. The hall capacity exceeds 2000.

2003 :Establishes Sri Sri Ravishankar Pre University College and Sri Sri Centre of Fine Arts

and Performing Arts

2004, age 48: Kuvempu University, Karnataka, India, confers honorary doctorate.

2004: Launches the first 'Corporate Culture and Spirituality' conference in Bangalore, India.

The annual conference focuses on business, social responsibility and ethics

2004: Undertakes the historic 'Love Moves the World' tour of 175 cities across five

continents in 12 months.

2004 ? Establishes Sri Sri College of Ayurvedic Science and Research in Bangalore, India

(Offers Bachelor's Medical Degree in Ayurveda)

2005: Government of India awards Bharat Shiromani Award

2005: Launches first international Women's Conference at the Art of Living International

Headquarters, Bangalore, India

2005: Launches Sri Sri Institute for Agricultural Science and Research to teach low cost

natural farming techniques to the farmers.

Feb 2006, age 50: 2.5 million people from more than 100 countries participate in the Art ofLiving Foundation?s 25th Anniversary (Silver Jubilee) celebrations in Bangalore. Event

becomes largest recorded gathering for peace in history.

Aug 2006: Founds Committee for Peace in Sri Lanka in association with the Maha Bodhi

Society. Committee members include Dalai Lama, the Archbishop of Sri Lanka, and D.R.

Kaarthikeyan.

2006 : Establishes Sri Sri Institute of Management Studies in Goa, India

March 2007, age 51: Convenes 'Truth and Reconciliation' Conference in New Delhi, India,

to reconcile Dalits with upper caste Hindus, and end caste based discrimination

April 2008, age 52: Hosts Conference on 'Peace and Reconciliation in South Asia' in Oslo,

Norway

An Introduction to Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a humanitarian leader, spiritual teacher and an ambassador of

peace. His vision of astress-free, violence-free society has united millions of people the

world over through service projects and the courses of The Art of Living.

The Beginning
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Born in 1956 in Southern India, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar was a gifted child. By the age of four,

he was able to recite parts of the Bhagavad Gita, an ancient Sanskrit scripture and was often

found inmeditation. His first teacher Sudhakar Chaturvedi, had a long cooperation with

Mahatma Gandhi. By the age of seventeen in 1973, he had graduated with degrees in both

Vedic literature and physics.

Founding The Art of Living and The International Association of Human Values

Sri Sri entered a ten-day period of silence in Shimoga located in the Indian state of

Karnataka. TheSudarshan Kriya, a powerful breathing technique, was born. With time,

theSudarshan Kriyabecame the centerpiece of the Art of Living courses.

Sri Sri founded The Art of Living as an international, non-profit, educational and

humanitarian organization. Its educational and self-development programs offer powerful

tools to eliminate stress and foster a sense of well-being. Appealing not only to a specificpopulation, these practices have proven effective globally and at all levels of society.

In 1997, he co-founded theInternational Association for Human Values (IAHV) to coordinate

sustainable development projects, nurture human values and coordinate conflict resolution in

association with The Art of Living. In India, Africa and South America, the two sister

organizations volunteers are spearheading sustainable growth in rural communities, and

have already reached out to over 36,000 villages.

Inspiring Service and Globalizing Wisdom

A noted humanitarian leader, Sri Sris programs have provided assistance to people from a

wide range of backgrounds victims of natural disasters, survivors of terror attacks and war,

children from marginalized populations and communities in conflict, among others. The

strength of his message has inspired a wave of service based on spirituality through a huge

body of volunteers, who are driving these projects forward in critical areas around the globe.

As a spiritual teacher, Sri Sri has rekindled the traditions ofyogaandmeditationand offered

them in a form that is relevant to the 21st century. Beyond reviving ancient wisdom, Sri Sri

has created new techniques for personal and social transformation. These include the

Sudarshan Kriya which has helped millions of people to find relief from stress and discoverinner reservoirs of energy and peace in daily life. In a mere 29 years, his programs have

raised the quality of life for participants in151 countries.

A Figure of Peace

As an ambassador of peace, Sri Sri plays a key role in conflict resolution and spreads his

vision of non-violence at public forums and gatherings worldwide. Regarded as a neutral

figure with a sole agenda ofpeace, he represents hope to people in conflict. He has received

particular credit for bringing opposing parties to the negotiating table in Iraq, the Ivory Coast,

Kashmir and Bihar. He was appointed the Chairman of Reception Committee for the 500th
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anniversary celebrations of the Coronation of Krishnadevaraya (by Government of

Karnataka, India). Sri Sri is also a member of the Amarnath Shrine Board (appointed by

Government of Jammu and Kashmir, India).

Through his initiatives and addresses, Sri Sri has consistently emphasized the need for

reinforcing human values and recognizing humanity as our highest identity. Fostering

interfaith harmony and calling for multi-cultural education as the remedy for fanaticism are

significant parts of his efforts to achieve sustainable peace on our planet.

His work has touched the lives of millions of people around the world, going beyond the

barriers of race, nationality and religion with the message of a one -world family; that inner

and outer peace are possible; and that astress-free, violence-free society can be created

through service and the reawakening of human values.

The secret of life

Deepening the mystery of creation is science. Deepening the mystery of the Self is

spirituality.

The purpose of technology is to comfort human beings.

When spiritual values - human values - are ignored and neglected, technology brings fearand destruction instead of comfort.

Technology without human values would see nature as a dead object. Science gives insight

into the life of nature, and spirituality makes nature come alive. For example, in the eyes of

children, there is nothing dead in the world; animals, trees, the sun and the moon all are

alive, and have emotions and feelings. But in the eyes of a stressed and ignorant person,

even human beings are like robots or objects!

Technology without spirituality is destructive. Spirituality is the technology of consciousness,

and the whole world is the play and display of consciousness.

One whose eyes are not yet opened is not amazed by the magnificence of this creation. Tell

me, what in this creation is not a mystery? Birth is a mystery. Death is a mystery. Life itself is

certainly a greater mystery.

Samadhi is being completely immersed in the mystery of life and in this creation. Your

knowing or believing in it doesn't really matter.

This creation is an unfathomable secret! A wise person makes no effort to conceal a secret.

But he does not make an effort to reveal a secret either. For example, you do not talk about
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menstruation or death to a five-year-old. But as children grow older, these things are not

hidden from them. They become known as a matter of course.

There are five secrets that are sacred and guarded by the subtle beings and angels in this

creation.

They are:

Janama Rahasya or the secret of birth: Birth is a secret. How a soul takes a body, and the

criteria for selecting the place and time of birth, type of body, and parents are all a secret.

Marana Rahasya or the secret of death: Death is a highly guarded secret. Death remains a

mystery. The process of separation of spirit from matter and its journey from then on is a

secret.

Raja Rahasya or the secret of governance: The principles of governing and the principles of

maintaining orderliness in creation are a secret.

Prakriti Rahasya or the secret of nature: Nature is a mystery. The more you know about

nature, the more the mystery deepens. The more a scientist knows, the more he realizes

there is to know. Science, though appearing to resolve the mystery in creation, has

deepened it. Knowledge of particles, wave functions, black holes and the vacuum state have

only deepened the mystery.

Mantra Rahasya (the secret of mantras): Mantras are the impulses or rhythms of

consciousness. The mantras and their effect, influence, method and mode of working are all

a mystery.

In the West, a secret is usually shameful and dishonest. However, in the East, a secret ishonored and considered sacred. Mysteries of the creation only deepen. Getting steeped in

mystery is devotion.

Deepening the mystery of creation is science. Deepening the mystery of the Self is

spirituality. They are the two sides of the same coin. If neither science nor spirituality can

create wonder and devotion in you, then you are in deep slumber.

Whenever you consider a symbol, place, time, person or act as sacred, your attention is

undivided and whole. When things are the same, you tend to slip into unawareness and

inertia. Why does an act that is performed repeatedly lose its sacredness? This happens

when your memory overpowers your consciousness and you lose your sensitivity. For

example, people living in Benaras, a holy city in India, do not feel that it is a sacred place.

Through living in the present moment and through sadhana, spiritual practices, we can

preserve that feeling of sacredness in our acts.

There is a pleasure in rest and there is a pleasure in activity. The pleasure in activity is

momentary and causes fatigue. The pleasure in rest is magnanimous and energizing. To the

one who has tasted pleasure in rest (samadhi), the pleasure in activity is insignificant. But In

order to have deep rest, one must be active. The proper balance of both is essential.


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The Mind

Let us examine the five factors that influence the mind: space, time, food, past impressions,

and associations and actions.

Space: The place you are in. Every place you are in has a different impact on the mind.

Even in your house, you can see that you feel different in different rooms. A place where

there has been singing, chanting and meditation has a different influence on the mind.

Suppose you like a particular place, you may find that a little later it will not be the same.

Time: Time is also a factor. Different times of the day and year have different influences on

the mind.

Food: Different types of food that you eat influence you for a few days.

Past impressions or karmas: have a different impact on the mind. Awareness, alertness,

knowledge and meditation all help erase past impressions.

Associations and actions: The people and events you are associated with influence your

mind. With certain people your mind behaves one way and with others a different way.

Although these five factors influence your life and your mind, know that the Self is more

powerful. As you grow in knowledge, you influence them all.

Restlessness

Now let us examine the types of restlessness and its remedies. There are five types of

restlessness:

The first is due to the place you are in. When you move away from certain places, streets or

houses, you immediately feel better. Chanting, singing, or the innocence of children playingand laughing can change this atmospheric restlessness. If you chant and sing, the vibration

in the place changes.

The second type of restlessness is in the body. Eating the wrong food, Vata-aggravating

food, eating at odd times, not exercising, and overworking can all cause physical

restlessness. The remedy for this is exercise, moderation in work habits and a one to two

day vegetable or juice diet.

The third type of restlessness is mental restlessness. It is caused by ambition, strong

thoughts, likes or dislikes. Knowledge alone can cure this restlessness; this includes seeing

life from a broader perspective, knowing about the Self and realizing the impermanence of

everything. If you achieve everything, so what? After your achievement, you will die.

Knowledge of your death or life, confidence in the Self and in the Divine can all calm down

mental restlessness.

There is also emotional restlessness. Any amount of knowledge does not help here.

Sudarshan Kriya helps! All that emotional restlessness vanishes. Also the presence of the

Guru, a wise person, or a saint will help calm emotional restlessness.

The fifth type of restlessness is rare. It is the restlessness of the Soul. When everything feels

empty and meaningless, know you are very fortunate. Do not try to get rid of it. Embrace it!


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This restlessness of the Soul can bring authentic prayer in you. It brings perfection, Siddhis

and miracles in life. It is so precious to get that innermost longing for the Divine. Satsang and

the presence of enlightened ones, soothe the restlessness of the Soul. Do not look for the

Divine somewhere in the sky. See God in every pair of eyes, in the mountains, water, trees

and animals. How? Only when you see God in yourself. Only Gods can worship Gods.

Heightened awareness brings you close to the reality. And for this, you have to increase

your prana. This can be done through: 1. Fasting and eating fresh food 2. Pranayamas,

Sudarshan Kriya, and meditation 3. Silence 4. Cold water baths 5. The right amount of sleep

6. Emotional contentment 7. Presence of the Master 8. Singing and chanting 9. Giving

without Givership and service without Doership

All of these together is Yagya. When you have reverence for the whole universe, you are in

harmony with the whole universe. Then, you do not need to reject or renounce anything.

When you have reverence in all your relationships, your own consciousness expands; Even

small things appear to be significant and big. Every little creature appears dignified. It is the

reverence in every relationship that saves the relationship. Cultivate the skill of having

reverence for every moment in your life.

The whole world is made up of love and everyone is made up of love. All is God. All is love.

But then what is the purpose? Where is life heading? Life is heading towards perfection.

Why? Is it not already perfect? No! Because love has six distortions - anger, lust, greed,jealousy, arrogance and delusion.

In animals, these six distortions are also present. However, they have no way to go beyond

these distortions because nature rules them. But human beings are endowed with

discrimination. This is the purpose of all sadhana, meditation and practices. Moving away

from the distortion of creation to purity or back to the source.

Usually we go from one imperfection to another imperfection. For example, if someone is

greedy, you are angry about their greediness. Well, that person is greedy, but you are not

less than them. You are not bringing the purity in you, but changing the flavor of impurity.

Change of distortion does not bring perfection. Normally everyone does this, they just

change the distortions, lust becomes anger, anger becomes jealousy, greed, arrogance or

delusion.

Anger is no better than lust, it's worse than lust. Jealousy is worse than anger. That is why it

is called 'Vikara'. Vikara means distortions. The whole creation is made up of nature, and

distortion of nature -Prakriti and Vikriti . Anger is not our nature; it is distortion of our nature.

Jealousy is not our nature; it is distortion of our nature. You know why anger, greed,

jealousy, lust, etc are impure? It is because they do not allow the Self to shine through.


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Sin is that which does not bring the spirit inside to shine forth fully. Sin is not your nature;

you are not born out of sin. Sin is like wrinkles in the cloth, it needs proper ironing. You know

why lust is a sin? Because in lust you do not consider the other person as life, you do not

honor the life, instead you use them like an object. You make them an object of your

enjoyment so you are somewhere over-shadowing or not looking at the Self in the other

person.

This is the only reason why lust is sinful. Love is the reverse of it. In love there is surrender,

you see the other person as Divine. You elevate the matter into the level of spirit. For

example, you worship an idol - a stone, it is matter. When you are worshipping the idol, it

becomes a living reality. You are giving life to it. You elevate it to the level of God. This is

moving towards perfection.

Anger is a sin because when you are angry you have lost the centeredness, you have lost

the sight of the Self. Again, your focus is not on the Divine, infinite. You have made things

small as objects again. So anger is a sin. Jealousy is a sin. Guilt is a sin. Why? In guilt you

are not recognizing the Self as the only doer in the world. You are limiting the small mind to

an action which has happened, or which has happened through somebody.

Playing your part.

Be thankful for the qualities you have been bestowed upon as they are not your own making.

In the same way, it depends on the part that you have been given to play. Say, in a drama,

you are given the part of a villain, and you play that role perfectly. A villain always knows that

when I am playing the role of a villain, it's just a role I am playing. I'm very sincere to my role.There is a saying in Sanskrit, Durjanam Prathamam Vande Sajjanam Tadanantaram. First,

worship the bad person, and then the good man. The bad man is falling and giving you an

example, "don't do what I did." Do not hate a criminal in jail, because he's a criminal. In

prison, if there is a criminal, he is an embodiment of God. He has done you a greater

service. Don't ever hate a drug addict, because he has given you such a beautiful lesson,

and he has been given that role. He is just performing his role that way.

When you understand these basic laws of truth, then your inner perfection becomes so

stable that nothing on this planet can shake your inner perfection. Nothing can shake you.

Your knowledge of a mistake comes to you when you are innocent! The knowledge of a

mistake dawns in the moment when you are 'out of the mistake'.

However the past has been, whatever mistake has happened, do not consider yourself to be

a sinner or the maker of that mistake. In the present moment you are new again, pure and

clear.

Mistakes of the past are past. When this knowledge comes, that moment you are again

perfect. Often, mothers scold their children and afterwards feel so guilty. Then they go on

regretting, "Oh, poor thing. I got so angry and annoyed at this kid, poor child! I should not

have done this." Then you prepare yourself to get angry again. Okay, you got angry with


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your kid once or twice. Why? Because of lack of awareness! Awareness was missing so the

anger came up, it happened.

That's what Krishna tells Arjunaa, "Arjunaa, you think you are not going to do what you are

supposed to do? I tell you, you will do it. Even if you don't want, you are going to do it!" In a

very clever way He puts it: "You better surrender to me directly."

He says: "Drop everything. Surrender to Me, and do what I say". Then He says: "Well, I have

told you whatever I have to say, now you think it over and do what you like, you do whatever

you want to do, do however you like". But then He said, "but remember, you will do only

what I want".

These last few sentences of Krishna were so confusing, and people have struggled to make

sense out of them. There are thousands of commentaries trying to make sense out of these

few words, three contradicting statements. First He says, Surrender everything, I'll do

everything for you, or just do as I say. Then he says: Think, think and see what is right for

you, do whatever you feel is right. And then in the third statement he says: But remember

(anyway) you will do only what I want you to do.

All of our wanting to do, 'doership', is there to eliminate the tamas or inertia in you. Once

inertia is eliminated, then you are in activity. When you are acting, you become a witness to

the acting. Then you know you are not doing. Things are happening through you. This is the

final level of realization. You can see this in every action of yours. Have you noticed this?

You are busy 'doing' when you accomplish something. In the beginning you think, "Oh! I

have accomplished." But your accomplishment becomes more and more and more and astime goes by, you will begin to feel, "no, it's all happening. I did not do anything, I did not

accomplish."

A writer will feel, "I did not write, it just started flowing, it started happening." All the creative

work in the world - whether painting, dance, drama, music, anything - has all come from that

unknown corner. It just spontaneously started happening. You are not the doer. The best

sculptor will say, "I didn't do it, it just started happening." The best painter will say the same

thing; the best music composer would say the same thing.

I tell you, the same is true for criminals too. You ask the worst criminal, "did you do this?" He

will reply, "No, it happened! What could I do?" Knowledge of the Self is the only thing that

can take you from imperfection to perfection.

Adi Shankara spoke about dispassion, detachment, and renunciation. However, he foresaw

that if he only talked about renunciation, people might start liking and encouraging sadness.

He did not want people to stop appreciating beauty, so he sang a hundred verses on beauty.

Beauty has three levels: indication, expression and exposure. Spirituality indicates, art

expresses, and science exposes.


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The Divine is beauty, and beauty is Divine. Deva means one who loves to play, one who is

effulgent, glorious, and one who plays. Demons fight, men live in peace, and Gods play.

Playfulness cannot happen if there is no beauty; they go together. Enthusiasm, the same

force that is beauty, creates playfulness. Beauty is associated with shyness, and shyness

enhances beauty. For example, a small child sometimes makes a very shy face. When

everyone notices and appreciates the child, he just hides his face. Likewise, shame is a part

of ugliness. Shyness softens you; ugliness or shame hardens you. When a person feels

ashamed, he becomes hard inside and becomes violent.

The way of Gods, the way of the wise has always been indirect. There is a saying in

Sanskrit, 'Paroksha priya hi vai devaha?' which means, 'Gods love indirect methods'. Poetry

is indirect. It is exaggeration. The heart always exaggerates, while the mind puts the fact

forward. Fact is intellectual. But when it comes from the heart, the fact is decorated. It

becomes doubly beautiful.

Direct expression is necessary when one is not awake. With the Awakened, hints and

indirect expression make it all the more charming. But it does not mean that something is

good or something is bad. Everything has its place and its time. Total exposure is not the

language of the heart. Total exposure provokes and concealed beauty invokes. That is why

this nature conceals the whole creation during the night inside itself, and reveals it the next

morning.

Love is at its peak when no effort is made to express it. It is not that you should not expressit sometimes- otherwise you may burst! There is beauty in not expressing it completely. In

that secretiveness and the unveiling of Love, there is knowledge, there is opening, there is

joy, and there is beauty. That is a Divine quality. Intellect has its place and poetry has its

place. Both make life fuller. That is the beauty.

See people beyond their expressions. What a person expresses is not what he is all about.

There is a lot of unexpressed love in each life. Just recognizing this fact, you expand. Your

heart expands. With this knowledge you would never dwell on what someone says or does.

What someone says is very small, and what someone does is just the ribbon on the

package. If you do not like the ribbon, just take it off and look inside.

Everybody is a packed gift. Look at more than just the wrapper. Inside each person is a very

precious gift. Some packages have firecrackers! Some packages have sweet candies. No

box is empty. There is place for everybody in the heart of the Divine. That is what Jesus

meant when he said, "there are many rooms in the house of my father".

So do not worry that there are so many people. Do not ask how you can be close to God. Do

not worry about how you can belong there. There are many rooms, and each one of you will

have your own private room! And Jesus promises, "if there are not many rooms, I shall make

room for you and then come to take you there". The mind cannot appreciate the abstract; It


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is so used to looking at concrete things and promises. The mind needs promises. When you

love somebody, you want a promise from him or her. You ask, "Do you promise me? Do you

really love me? Tell me for sure!"

The second aspect of beauty is gratefulness. When you don't feel that you lack something,

then you feel grateful. You cannot be grateful and feel that you lack something. The two

cannot go together. You can experience both, but only at different times. When you feel you

lack something, the grumbling begins. With the knowledge you have, you become grateful.

When you are grateful, by natural law you will be given more. As Jesus has said, "those who

have will be given more. Those who have not, even what little they have, will be taken away

from them."

Whoever you want to love, first of all, know they love you very much. If you doubt in

somebody's love, your doubt grows no matter what, you receive from him or her. If you want

to be close to someone, first begin to feel they are already close to you. When you ask

people whether they trust you, you already doubt their trust. You grow in doubt. There is no

limit to it; there is no end to convincing people of one's love, one's trust, one's goodness.

That is why it is said that those who have not, whatever little they have will also be taken

away from them. And those who have will be given more, and more, and more. This is the

very law of nature.

Not having is just an attitude in you. It is the direction you are moving in. Whatever is inside

you is what grows. The seeds are already there. You sow the seeds and the seeds will grow.

They become plenty. If the seed itself lacks something, how can anything grow? Open youreyes and see what you have been given! When you recognize what you have been given,

you become grateful. In that gratefulness, life grows.

Why did Communism fail? It was a great policy to give to those who did not have. When

everyone was provided for, the people became poorer and poorer in the material plane and

in consciousness. Without knowledge, without wisdom, there is no progress.

This power, this energy, this beauty, this wealth has been given. It is permeating the whole

Creation and without it not a blade of grass can move. However clever the devas, or angels

are, they cannot move, cannot do anything without the power of consciousness and this life.

Without life there is no beauty. A body is beautiful because there is life in it. The entire

creation, the trees, the birds, animals, stones, and rivers are full of life. Life is not just

biological life. Life includes the consciousness that permeates much beyond.

In creation there is beauty, in the operation of creation there is beauty, and in the destruction

of creation there is beauty. You can see it in nature all the time. Spring has its own beauty; in

mid-Summer everything is green; during Fall all the leaves fall and it looks spectacular! The

Niagara Falls are so beautiful. To maintain these ancient falls year after year, a certain

process is required. The clouds have to rise, and rain on the Great Lakes; and the Great

Lakes have to flow. Only then the Niagara Falls can remain forever. Otherwise, if the water


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only flows down once, there is no more water to flow. If it does not rain, the whole beauty is

gone!

Underneath creation's beauty is a maintenance principle that maintains it time after time, for

centuries. Even a dead log of wood has its record embedded in it; its beauty, in the past and

present, is recorded in its genes and particles. Even in transformation there is beauty. Even

in anger, there is beauty. Just look at somebody who is very upset. The best awards in the

film festivals go to the actors who show intense emotions like anger and frustration. All

emotion that gets exhibited is appreciated.

Just imagine somebody yelling at the top of his voice, grinding his teeth, holding his fists,

with red eyes and all the veins in their throat popping out. Just looking at them is such fun!

Without them, the whole world would be very dull. Imagine everybody walking around with

an "air-hostess" smile all the time. It is no fun! It is the same thing when children cry. There

is some beauty even in crying. When they laugh or smile, there is beauty in it. If they are

angry, there is beauty in it. Beauty is all-pervasive. You only have to open your eyes and see

the reality that is ther

Q: What should I do to bring peace on this planet? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Keeping this question with you will do much more to fuel your engine to move forward. Again

and again you will think and plan and that will help you to move forward. There is a lot to be done. We can all do it

together.

I understand, in many countries there is continuous violence. 92 percent of thepopulation is depressed they say, in

Palestine. Afghanistan has a similar situation. Pakistan now, Iraq, Yemen are in the same condition. There is a lot that

needs to be done. When you see the magnitude, you think what to do really! But dont lose heart. Keep doing!

Deep inside, you are simply the most adorable and most lovable person

Q: Guruji I wish I were you. Is it possible or not? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Of course! You dont have to wish, you are already! We are all one. I am you and you are me.See, the mind is like the space. The self is like the space inside and outside the body. The thoughts come and go,

emotions come and go, but when you go inside there is only empty space. And our true nature is that. When we

identify ourselves too much with thoughts, with feelings and emotions, that is when we feel we are stuck, we are

small. But, the Real, Magnanimous You are that space inside where you feel totally at peace. Those moments when

you are totally in peace or fully in love, you feel an expansion, right? You feel boundless, you feel limitless, and that

is our true nature. That is what the beauty is. We are all one in that, there is no two!

I will give you an example. Suppose you keep here many different vessels with different sizes. They have different


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capacities: one can have two liters, one can have ten liters, and one can have five litres. But the space is the same. The

capacity of each vessel may be different. So what! But it is the same space which is inside, outside and which is

everywhere. Our ability to do different things, our energy to do different things is immaterial to what we are. And this

ability, this energy doesnt stay the same throughout life. See, when you were a baby your abilities were different,

rather nothing. You could not help even yourself. Somebody had to care for you. And what happens when you get

very old? Then also your abilities are different. So changing of our abilities, our thought is immaterial to the real you,

to who you are. You are simply space, you are love, you are peace and this identification removes all other complexes

in life. Otherwise you will always find somebody is more capable than you and somebody is less capable than you.

You are better somewhere and you are not in some others. When you compare yourself with others in the world, either

who are living or dead or may be being born in the future, there will always be a difference. This is part of the world,

part of the Universe, okay?

Q: If joy and peace are truly our nature, why is it so difficult to be happy and satisfied in our daily life? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Is it so difficult? You know you should have one policy, We will not do anything which is too

difficult! Be easy going, a happy go lucky person. Why do you have to struggle? If being unhappy is easy, just go for

it. If being miserable is the easiest thing and being happy is so difficult, why do you have to struggle to be happy! Got

it? Go for the easiest, and the easiest is to be unhappy? NO! The simplest, the easiest thing is to be relaxed and happy.

If you say why it is so difficult, we have to fix this a little bit. And that thing which fixes this is knowledge. Got it?

(After a break of a few breaths) And I tell you, its easy!

Q: I feel sick, weak and tired. Whats happening?Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What you said is exactly what is happening! You have said it! It will pass, it will pass definitely.

You know, if you are tired, either you have not taken enough water or too little sugar. Either too little energy or too

much energy, or your system has some bugs or not any stress release. Any one of these can cause that. When you go

deep in meditation, what happens? The stresses come out. When they come out, either you feel tired or feel like

running away. All this is possible. If you take a few breaths or walk in the fresh snow, it will help. And take plenty of

water, fluids, fruits, vegetables. All this would help.

Q: I am very restless or I am very sleepy. How do I get a better balance for meditation? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Again these experiences are so common for a beginner. If you are just beginning to meditate,

restlessness comes up or you feel very sleepy. When stresses get released from your system, such a passage may be

common. Farry will tell you more on this. When it comes from a scientist mouth, it has more flavors to it. He is doing

a lot of research in Oslo University on Kriya. They found how the chromosomes of your body change! He just told me

some very exciting news. So when stress release happens, the chemical or structural form in which stress was stored

gets released, you get all these experiences. Your endocrine system readjusts itself, because we have violated our body

in so many ways so many times. We have not kept the balance; we have not honored our own body, so jerks may

happen. How many of you have found some jerks? Emotions may come up and you feel completely confused. All this


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may happen. Its not that it should happen. Sometimes it doesnt happen and you say am I not releasing any stress?

That person is getting stress released and I am so quiet. Dont compare your experience with anybody whatsoever. We

all are so different. Everybodys nervous system is so different. And at different times, different experiences come to

different people. So at any time we should never compare our experiences with others and feel sorry or happy about

it.

Q: I like fresh air, pure air but sometimes people add to the air artificial smell to make the air more pleasant and

destroy the purity of the air. In the same way, I like your voice in meditation, but when I bought a CD for meditation I

was surprised to find out that somebody had added music to your voice. Please give us a chance to have your voice in

meditation without additional music.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Suggestion taken! We will request our Publications department for some CDs without music,

but your comparison was very good!

Q: I didnt feel anything after Your throat is hollow and empty both the times. In that meditation does Guruji say

something after that?Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Wait for the next year.

Q: Guruji, it didnt seem Sudarshan Kriya is indicated for a person with psychotic problems like schizophrenia. What

can be done to help them reduce their suffering?Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, people with schizophrenia, you think they are suffering, they are enjoying

themselves! Ask me how many people I have encountered who have this problem. Sometimes they stop taking their

medication because they stop having fun with that. See, there is no charm, no energy, no fun, so they stop medication.

We have this experience. Many times parents or spouse came and left them in the Ashram. So we have dealt with

them all. I tell you, they are really not suffering! They are in their own world. They are here in the world for you to

serve them. And be patient, they increase your patience. They make you well grounded to your own reality. Its an

experience to be with them. Because their mind is between two worlds -this world and another world, their realities

fused and confused. They can invoke a lot of compassion from within you. And that is what you can do about it. Yes,

they can do some physical yoga, dance, enjoy music and take a good walk. These are things you can engage them in.

Q: What could help me prioritize one thing against another in my life? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Your broader vision!

Q: Which is the way of being considerate in my society, neighborhood, my Art of Living group and my friends? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why are you asking this question? You think you are not considerate of others? If you are very

stressed then you dont care what other people think or what others are doing. You just do what you want to do. But

sensitivity comes with serenity, sensitivity comes with calmness, sensitivity comes with culture. Your background,

your culture, how you grow up, and what were the situations around you. You have that ability to be considerate. Do

not doubt that. Compassion is in our very nature. Only when you are extremely stressed, compassion appears to have


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disappeared. It really doesnt disappear, it stays somewhere deep inside.

Q: I have been having so many different dreams. They are full of fear and anger. I even say I hate you to a person and

I say that to a person I love. What is that? My heart is happy, then why is this so? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Past impressions! You know, there are five types of dreams. Do you know about that? How

many of you dont know?

One is your past impressions in the mind come to you as dreams. Second is your desires, ambitions, dreams come to

you as dreams. Your unfulfilled desires come to you as dream. Like you wanted to have hot chocolate and you sleep,

you have hot chocolate in your dream. Have you had this type of dreams? Third type of dream is premonition. What is

going to happen in the future, you get it in your dream. Everyone gets once in a while such dreams, premonitions.

Fourth type of dream has nothing to do with you but the place you are in. Suppose you go and sleep in France, you get

a dream in which everybody is speaking French, French words and faces that you have never seen before or

sometimes the people who were there in that area or the impressions in that space come to you as dream. The fifth

type is a mix of all these a hotchpotch. That is what mostly dreams are. Ninety percent dreams are of this category.

You are riding a horse and suddenly the horse is inside a train. There is no logic to it and it all appears to be very

perfect and really clear. Suddenly the train transforms into a boat and the boat turns into a train! All these things can

happen. This is all possible in dreams. So many possibilities because its a mixture of all: your desires, past

impressions, what may happen in the future and then the place. Thats why you dont need to analyze too much. Its

another form of stress release. Wake up!

Q: If everything is as God wants it and if everything is written then why do we need to put effort for anything? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Even that is written. Your asking this question is written too, got it? But me giving an answer

for it is not written!Come on! Animals are governed by instincts. They have no choice, they are programmed. But the human system is

programmed with a possibility of either / or. Human system has the choice also programmed. But animals have no

program of choice. Do you get what I am saying? In the program it is fixed that human beings can have the choice.

Intellect is present in the human system which can make the choices. That means there is freedom also. Got it?

Q: Guruji, can you tell us some story when you were a child.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I continue to be one even today! I leave the story for others to say.

Knowledge byte: Remember one thing. The centre core of your existence is all positivity. All imperfection is only on

the circumference. So deep inside you are pure, you are innocent, you are beautiful, and you must have total

conviction in this. That is it. I am totally pure hundred percent, two hundred percent positive. Deep inside you are

simply a most adorable, most lovable person. You should have zero doubt about it. And whatever imperfections you

may find in yourself or in others are only on the circumference. This conviction is most important in spiritual growth.

Otherwise someone blames you, you take the blame and then you burn with it. When you have this conviction, if


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anybody says anything to you, you will not care and will simply smile at them. You will not be an emotional wreck

anytime, because you are so solid and well founded in the self. And that is what the whole spiritual exercise is!

Shudhohum, budhohumYou are pure, crystal clear and solid. That conviction makes you rest so peacefully. If you

are made by nature, you are perfect. Everything in nature is perfect. There is one school of thought which says find

imperfection. Another school of thought is to move from perfection to greater perfection. That is what we understand.

Praising each other and praising oneself, uplift the spirit all the time. Give criticism and stand up to criticism. If

someone criticizes you, welcome that, knowing too well that whatever is the criticism is part of their perception or

your projection. Imperfection is nothing but a projection or perception. From your side you have projected like that to

the other person or that person has perceived you like that. Imperfection is nothing but your inability to project the

way you are to others or the perception of other person towards you. Thats it. Got it? All these practices you do are to

get to this stageImproving perception, observation and expression. And that is it. It can never be hundred percent. It

is relative, this is the thing. There can always be a chance for improvement in perception and expression. But there is

no chance for any improvement in the being.

sri sri rav shankar

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