How can one be spiritually connected on all levels of consciousness/ Gurudev in conversation with st

How can one be spiritually connected on all levels of consciousness?

June 12, 2008

Q: How can one be spiritually connected on all levels of consciousness at all times without any doubt?
Guruji : Whatever is there is all spirit. Spirit is nothing but energy. So, if you understand in that perspective, everything is made up of energy. You are always connected with God. There is not a single moment when you are separate from God or spirit. Even if you don't want, you can't be unconnected. Even if you want to be disconnected, you can't. That's God that is spirit.
So, spiritual plane is not a moral plane pr a mental plane. It's beyond those. It is ever existent and there all the time, all the time. Trying to connect to it, we accumulate pressure. We feel we are not connected. And all spiritual practices are to bring home this awareness, "Yes, I am connected". Recognition, you are that already. Now, what is the doubt and when does the doubt arise? Your doubt strengthens your faith. You never seem to doubt your dreams. Only in waking state of consciousness your doubt arises. Have you observe this? In a dream you are on horseback and the horse is flying in the sky. You don't ever doubt whether it is possible or not. You never doubt it. In dream there is no doubt, everything seems to be okay.
Doubt is the sign of intellect. Whenever intellect pokes in, it gives rise to a doubt. Only,we have to understand this phenomenon. And your doubt cannot be answered by some one else by questioning. Impossible.Every effort to clear a doubt will give rise to so many such doubts. Doubt is a big question mark. This question mark is also so closely connected to the point where sorrow also arises in life. Have you watched or observed or asked why you are so happy? Have you asked why there are beautiful things around? Why there are so many colors and such wonderful things in creation? But when there is a pinprick and pain you ask why. Of all people, this happens to you? Why this difficulty? Why this pain or suffering? You can drop every question, you can drop every doubt. That's a step of the enlightenment.
A Master or teacher never answers all your questions. He just sees that you could drop your doubt. Every question can be transformed into a wonder. See, what is the difference between a question and a wonder? Think on this. "Oh, See! How colorful this is !?" You are questioning there but does not expect an answer.That's a wonder. Question that arises in joy is wonder. Wonder always comes out of joy because it is your nature. You are joy. Question comes out stress, tension, sorrow, and an answer is given. See, many people go to ask different questions and then they are not really satisfied with the answers. That will produce more questions in the mind. So, it's a multiplication of questions over a period of time. ANUTTAROBAVA, the answerless. The answerless is a state of joy. That is the spiritual plane where you wonder every moment, wonder what is there? What is this? Wonder brings joy in life. When you have nothing to wonder and you are intellectualizing everything and you have understood everything, there is no joy in life; it is as good as death.
Children when they are so enthusiastic, they keep asking questions, they keep wondering. They are not particular about what answer you give. Whatever is said, they are happy with it, they are satisfied. In fact, they are wondering. They are wondering at everything. A child wonders looking at its own hands and fingers. A professor, who thinks he knows everything, doesn't wonder about anything; see his face, see his life-it's so dull. He knows everything there is to life; there is no energy, no enthusiasm.
One who knows and knows not, is wise. This is a saying in India. One who knows not and knows that he knows is a philosopher. It's like a psychologist. Psychologist has never studied his own psyche, his own mind function, never meditated and never gone into the depth of mind. Simply studying about it in books will not help. A true psychologist should go within and see every level of consciousness and experience them. Then, he has really studied psychology. Everywhere in the world they simply study but not practice psychology, experience what consciousness is. So, drop this idea that you want to be connected.
Every spiritual experience cannot come with intellectual analysis. It can only come out of feeling it. You feel in the depth of your heart that you are connected. And if you feel in the depth of your heart you are not connected, do some deep meditation, do some breathing, Kriya and the experience will tell you, "Yes, I am connected."

 

Sri Sri Ravishankar - in converstaion with students, teachers and parents

The Art of Living supremo, Sri Sri Ravishankar, took a gathering of school-children, parents and teachers on a cheery and reflective trip…
Lucknow was beaming under the stars, when Guruji as he is fondly addressed by devotees, picked up the microphone on his first visit to Lucknow. This was at City Montessori School's lawns.
"You all want me to say something. What is going on in your minds? You are waiting, and wondering what I'm going to say. This is the internal dialogue of the mind. Seeing this internal dialogue increases awareness of the self."

The goal of education

"The goal of education is to increase awareness not information. …Watching our inner-responses, knowing that they are there, increases our self-awareness."
He juxtaposed the words - 'hosh' awareness, and 'josh' excitement; to say that hosh, awareness was essential for creating something, while josh without hosh was a destructive force.

Success in life?

"A successful person is one, whose smile nobody can take away. A face bubbling with joy!"
"The second sign of success is, to be friendly."
Addressing the children, he asked them to make a new friend everyday. "To begin with, change places in class to get an opportunity to sit with a different child everyday, so that eventually, everybody could be everybody else's friend. This is the way to begin being friendly to the whole world. Sab Hamaare Hai."
"Khub shararat karni chahiye, aur mast rahna chahiye Bachcho, khub hanso, khub hasao; Mat fanso, mat fansao."

Parents, smile please…

"Nobody ever taught me how to keep a smiling face. Parents should become like children again – free, uninhibited, natural. If parents stay like this, children will catch on from them."

Model Teachers

"You should know that your life is very valuable. You are putting the foundation stone of the building. We play several roles, that of mother, father, teacher, friend, etc. We can play our roles in life in two ways. You could do as a Karmayogi, or you could do it as an Akarmyogi."
"Did you know that your comfort is a direct result of the commitment of the people around you? The Karmayogis."
"When an Akarmyogi doctor sees you, he will charge you, and then discharge you. He does not really care for your well- being. He is only concerned with money. A Karmayogi doctor gives you a thorough check-up, and is concerned that you become healthy."
"An Akarmayoi teacher is one who doesn't care whether the students study or not. As long he gets his salary, he feels that he has done his duty by the students. This is an Akarmayogi teacher."
"A Karmayogi teacher is deeply interested in his students. He thinks day and night on how to give his best effort to the children. He wants the children to learn and grow."

Citizens' charter?

"Then there is an Akarmyogi citizen, and a Karmayogi citizen. The Akarmyogi citizen does not care if a tap is running on the road, or if there is garbage lying around. He goes his way without bothering to set things right."
"Whereas, a Karmyogi citizen takes care. He stops to switch off the running tap, or tells the authorities about the garbage heap. He is a Karmyogi citizen. Would you like to be an Akarmyogi citizen, or a Karmayogi citizen? Similarly, do you like an Akarmyogi doctor or a Karmyogi doctor? An Akarmyogi teacher, or a Karmayogi teacher?"
"An Akarmyogi father, provides for his child, without bothering to mix with the child, without bothering to know his child, her dreams and aspirations. You have thus created a gap with your children. Whatever we do, it should be done to the best of our ability."

Education…

"The purpose of education is to create a sense of belonging to everybody: Sab Hamaare Hai. In ancient times, children were instructed on Brahmopdesh, 'You are love, you are anand, you are chetna, you are that, Tum Vahi Ho.' Bacche Pratibhavan bante the. They discovered their strengths and did their people proud."
"Nowadays, we use the wrong kind of language, negatively charged… Galat sankalp karte ho – 'You are useless, you know nothing….' Such remarks make the child's foundation weak.

Happy children do well in studies and life

"Instead, take the children to an amusement park, let them be happy. And encourage them to do their best."
"Don't make any subject a burden for the child. The rule for education is that it should be interesting. Concentration is such an effort! Is this shocking for you? Whatever you love, you like doing. You don't have to concentrate then. Concentration is effortless then :-)"
"Children should be allowed to be natural, free, uninhibited. They should be able to speak to anybody, they should be able to shake hands, hug anybody in the family. Then, there will be no generation gap, no parental gap, no teacher-student gap…"

 
 

- Anjana Bhagole
a.bhagole@gmail.com
+31-641851810

The sign of life is enthusiasm. The sign of success is smile and joy

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Founder of the "Art of Living Foundation"
www.aofl.nl| www.artofliving.org | www.iahv.org

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