Q: Please talk something about the press.
Sri Sri: Our press is good in degrading ourselves. They have a great degrading tendency. (laughter) You know in America, nearly 30 lakhs of people (about 1% of the total population) live on the streets and eat from garbage. They are beggars. But you never see them in any press.One third of the student population in Washington is jailed at some time or the other. Total crime of India is in New York alone. But the press doesn't say anything like that. Otherwise it'll scare people off. Here press blows up every instance. One senior European journalist told me that India is so hard on itself, I was shocked to see how much they can criticize themselves. This cannot happen in Germany. And this is true. This tendency of self-blame should go. With self-blame you'll start blaming others too. Self-blame culture will bring down talents, capacity, dynamism, responsibility -- all goes down.
Q: What to do when you try to help someone and they take advantage of you?
Sri Sri:You be intelligent and take notice of how people are. You need to be intelligent and compassionate both. You have to be sharp...
Q:How do we react when friendliness is misunderstood?
Sri Sri: Not everybody will understand your heart. That's the problem. Even if you smile with good intentions people may not understand.
We should do whatever good we can. Be prasanna chith and meditate every day..
Q: Some people mistake tolerance as weakness.
]Sri Sri: All this is there in the knowledge sheets. Read "Celebrating Silence" or "Intimate notes to the sincere seeker."
Q: How do we get sleep and how does it go?
Sri Sri: Eat well and lie down in bed and you'll find out. (Loud laughter) We'll talk about it then.
Q: How must we do pooja? How should a devotee's bhakti be?
Sri Sri: Like Nandi bhakti. Nandi is always gazing at Shiva.Nandi is the bull vehicle of Lord Shiva. In Shiva temples, there's always a statue of Nandi facing the idol. After that, at the next level, bhakti is like the crescent moon on Shiva's head. Better than the moon is the
serpent around Shiva's throat. The moon is on Shiva's head; it's still at the mind level. The serpent is at the throat, it's closer to the
heart! Better than even the serpent bhakti is Parvati's bhakti. She is His "Ardhanareshwari". Even the bodies are shared. The mind, buddhi, and chittha should dissolve.
Q:Why is it called Shivaratri and not Shivadin (din = day)?
Si Sri: Haan. Ratri is rest. Day is effort. Resting in Shiva tatwa is Shiva ratri. Ratri is someone who puts us to sleep in her lap and
removes all troubles.
Q: Guruji, What is the best Seva?
Sri Sri: Any seva is a good seva. Best is making people understand their responsibilities, make one feel strong and make them take
responsibilities of their ownself, providing self confidence and knowledge of the self, Brahmagyan.
Q: What are the benefits of meditation?
Sri Sri: You don't get blood pressure, health problems stop, mind becomes clear, intuition develops, obstacles are removed, mental peace, happiness, negative influences due to planets will be removed, problem becomes small before coming to you, and plenty of other benefits are there.
Q: Can you talk about Time and Space?
Sri Sri: All that is, that will be, that was, is in space and that is Time. Got it? This is the time Now. Now is time, Here is space. (claps). If you don't know this that will be NOWHERE (laughter)
Sri Sri:Why should we talk about anything. Can we all sit here and do nothing.
Sri Sri: Yes. Now you are already in meditation. See the mind - what is going on. It is expecting. What next? Are you aware. That much is enough. Are you aware that you are saying yes or no - That is good enough. See thoughts come and go. Just watch - dont judge them as good or bad - ASsociated with every thought is a feeling.
All problems in the world are because of love. But tell me. Would like to live in this world without - without anybody to love and without
anybody loving you. NO. That is very drab. Yet if love was not there there would be no problems - Jealousy is because of love, greed is
because of love of material things, anger is because you LOVE perfection and so you are angry at imperfection. You see?
Q:Please talk about problems in the middle east.
Sri Sri : See there are mainly 10 religions in the world - 6 from the asian side and 4 from the middle. None of the 6 from the Asian area have ever had any conflict between themselves. We have to educate them and bring them in this knowledge. Because even if a small pocket of people are not in this knowledge and are fanatic then the world will not be a safe place to live in. Our job is to make this world better than what we inherited.
Q:Who is in control of my life - me or God.
Sri Sri : You are in partnership with God. So its 50-50. See during the day the sun is shining and at night it is dark. Now it is up to you to keep the curtains open in the day to let the light through. If you keep the curtains closed during the day you will be in the dark, and you can keep the curtains open all night long and its not going to make any difference to the light.
Q:Is Art of Living necessary to gain knowledge?
Sri Sri: Yes. See you should take a week off every year. Not even a week its 6 days two hours each day. Learn about the 7 layers of existence - Body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, ego and THE SELF. Every sensation in the body has a corresponding breath and every breath a corresponding emotion.
Q: What is your question for us?
Sri Sri:Hmmm. DO YOU GET ME???? And I will give you one more question - Ask yourself WHO AM I?
Q: What is Guru? Why we need Guru in life?
Sri Sri: Now you are stuck! If I answer the question, you have already taken the answer (laughs). In English Guide comes from the root Guru (teacher). In life you didn't learn ABCD when you were born, you learnt from father, mother, teacher at school. When I answer this question,what's happening, you listen to the answer, you have already taken the guidance. If you didn't need it, this question is not needed at all. Are you getting what I'm saying? When you ask someone directions, you are asking because you want to know an ans. Who ever answers is a Guru.J Krishnamurthy, philosopher says there is no need for a Guru, but he was giving advice all the time. Like saying "I'll give you Medicine but don't call me doctor". Guru simply means one who gives knowledge, guidance and one with whom you can talk and unload all your burdens.Guru is one who doesn't judge you at all. Relationship with Guru, don't worry about it at all, what is your relationship with yourself, same feeling of oneness, you feel with everyone in the world. There is a song in Hindi, let Love be Love don't give it a name "Pyar ko Pyar hi rehne do".
Q: Do I need a Guru? Can I not progress on the path by myself?
Sri Sri: Same Question. Why are you asking the question? The very fact you are asking means there is a need.
Q: I'm like a soda machine. I know it, I understand it in my head but I'm still repeating the pattern. How can I change, really change?
Sri Sri: Hmmm....You know before also you were a soda bottle, but you didn't realize or acknowledge it, now you realize that you are one, that is the 1st step, 2nd step is you really want to change. Know that you have already changed. Before the basic course you lost temper now also sometimes you lose temper, people say you do meditation, Bhastrika, pranayam, I don't see change in you, what is the use. You know it that you have changed. You are able to come right back. Before for months together you used to hold on to the anger, frustration within your heart, and now it doesn't happen. You are able to smile immediately. More you go into knowledge, deeper into yourself...changes come. Your smile was so fragile before, now it's much stronger, though it appears you are losing your smile it's not for long it comes right back. What is most important is to keep our smiles come what may. That is very important. The very little time we have spent in ourselves to de-stress, have a sense of belongingness to everyone has brought so much to us. So if you give little more time what wonders would happen you can't even imagine.
Q: How to develop devotion?
Sri Sri:Just be relaxed. Devotion is not something that you have to develop in you, it's your nature. Love is your nature, you are made up of a substance called love. Our body is made of carbohydrates, proteins, spirit is made up of love. Devotion is not an emotion it's your very being. So when you are at home, very relaxed, know that you are already in devotion. I have spoken a lot in Bhakti sutras, listen to them very precious.
Q:Is there no God?
Sri Sri: Now tell me what is the definition for God. Then I'll tell you if there is God or not, if I can tell you. Is God a person who created the universe and went into hiding because He made lot of mistakes, so that nobody catches Him? Up in the heaven trying to give you one little finger and dangling carrots in front of you or punish you when you do things or get angry at you all the time. Is He a person? What is God? Has anybody seen? Is God a person? Big confusion in the world. GOD (Generator, Operator, Destroyer). If GOD is love and love is all that is, He is everywhere. Lets looks at the qualifications of God, God is omnipresent, every where in every atom. No place where God is not. He is omnipotent, omniscient. Consciousness has this quality. In Upanishads there is a story. A boy asks his father tell me, How is God like, Father tells him, God is like the sky, space, everything exists in space, everything dissolves in space and everything is created in space. But space is dead, GOD is alive. Another example like fish in the water. Where is the life of the fish in the body or in the water? If life is in the body, if you take it out then also there should be life. There is life only as long as there is water in the fish. But where is the life? Like that where are we, we are in the space in the air. Where is the life, in the air. In the same way the space which is the basis of all existence is what God is. So God has no escape. If He is not in one place, He loses his qualification of being a God. God is that energy, that substratum of the universe in which everything is born, exists and dissolves, and that is what we all are. If love is God certainly that is what you are and I'm God. The Sufi saint said 'An al haq'. The Vendantin said 'Aham Brahmasmi'. We are made up of Love, that Divinity. When do we don't realize it, when we are veiled by stress, ignorance, small
mindedness. When the lake is disturbed you can't see the reflection.The disturbance on the lake is the mind.In the Bible also it is
said 'Be still and know I'm God' so being that stillness then you know hat I'm God. So if God is love, I'm definitely love, so are you. Don't
excommunicate from your category. That is what the world does and then starts suffering. A saint in India Kabir said "what a stupid thing man is doing, it's like the musk deer, has musk in itself but searches for it all over the forest. Just bend yourself down, meditate, be still and that is where God is.
anybody loving you. NO. That is very drab. Yet if love was not there there would be no problems - Jealousy is because of love, greed is
because of love of material things, anger is because you LOVE perfection and so you are angry at imperfection. You see?
Q:Please talk about problems in the middle east.
Sri Sri : See there are mainly 10 religions in the world - 6 from the asian side and 4 from the middle. None of the 6 from the Asian area have ever had any conflict between themselves. We have to educate them and bring them in this knowledge. Because even if a small pocket of people are not in this knowledge and are fanatic then the world will not be a safe place to live in. Our job is to make this world better than what we inherited.
Q:Who is in control of my life - me or God.
Sri Sri : You are in partnership with God. So its 50-50. See during the day the sun is shining and at night it is dark. Now it is up to you to keep the curtains open in the day to let the light through. If you keep the curtains closed during the day you will be in the dark, and you can keep the curtains open all night long and its not going to make any difference to the light.
Q:Is Art of Living necessary to gain knowledge?
Sri Sri: Yes. See you should take a week off every year. Not even a week its 6 days two hours each day. Learn about the 7 layers of existence - Body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, ego and THE SELF. Every sensation in the body has a corresponding breath and every breath a corresponding emotion.
Q: What is your question for us?
Sri Sri:Hmmm. DO YOU GET ME???? And I will give you one more question - Ask yourself WHO AM I?
Q: What is Guru? Why we need Guru in life?
Sri Sri: Now you are stuck! If I answer the question, you have already taken the answer (laughs). In English Guide comes from the root Guru (teacher). In life you didn't learn ABCD when you were born, you learnt from father, mother, teacher at school. When I answer this question,what's happening, you listen to the answer, you have already taken the guidance. If you didn't need it, this question is not needed at all. Are you getting what I'm saying? When you ask someone directions, you are asking because you want to know an ans. Who ever answers is a Guru.J Krishnamurthy, philosopher says there is no need for a Guru, but he was giving advice all the time. Like saying "I'll give you Medicine but don't call me doctor". Guru simply means one who gives knowledge, guidance and one with whom you can talk and unload all your burdens.Guru is one who doesn't judge you at all. Relationship with Guru, don't worry about it at all, what is your relationship with yourself, same feeling of oneness, you feel with everyone in the world. There is a song in Hindi, let Love be Love don't give it a name "Pyar ko Pyar hi rehne do".
Q: Do I need a Guru? Can I not progress on the path by myself?
Sri Sri: Same Question. Why are you asking the question? The very fact you are asking means there is a need.
Q: I'm like a soda machine. I know it, I understand it in my head but I'm still repeating the pattern. How can I change, really change?
Sri Sri: Hmmm....You know before also you were a soda bottle, but you didn't realize or acknowledge it, now you realize that you are one, that is the 1st step, 2nd step is you really want to change. Know that you have already changed. Before the basic course you lost temper now also sometimes you lose temper, people say you do meditation, Bhastrika, pranayam, I don't see change in you, what is the use. You know it that you have changed. You are able to come right back. Before for months together you used to hold on to the anger, frustration within your heart, and now it doesn't happen. You are able to smile immediately. More you go into knowledge, deeper into yourself...changes come. Your smile was so fragile before, now it's much stronger, though it appears you are losing your smile it's not for long it comes right back. What is most important is to keep our smiles come what may. That is very important. The very little time we have spent in ourselves to de-stress, have a sense of belongingness to everyone has brought so much to us. So if you give little more time what wonders would happen you can't even imagine.
Q: How to develop devotion?
Sri Sri:Just be relaxed. Devotion is not something that you have to develop in you, it's your nature. Love is your nature, you are made up of a substance called love. Our body is made of carbohydrates, proteins, spirit is made up of love. Devotion is not an emotion it's your very being. So when you are at home, very relaxed, know that you are already in devotion. I have spoken a lot in Bhakti sutras, listen to them very precious.
Q:Is there no God?
Sri Sri: Now tell me what is the definition for God. Then I'll tell you if there is God or not, if I can tell you. Is God a person who created the universe and went into hiding because He made lot of mistakes, so that nobody catches Him? Up in the heaven trying to give you one little finger and dangling carrots in front of you or punish you when you do things or get angry at you all the time. Is He a person? What is God? Has anybody seen? Is God a person? Big confusion in the world. GOD (Generator, Operator, Destroyer). If GOD is love and love is all that is, He is everywhere. Lets looks at the qualifications of God, God is omnipresent, every where in every atom. No place where God is not. He is omnipotent, omniscient. Consciousness has this quality. In Upanishads there is a story. A boy asks his father tell me, How is God like, Father tells him, God is like the sky, space, everything exists in space, everything dissolves in space and everything is created in space. But space is dead, GOD is alive. Another example like fish in the water. Where is the life of the fish in the body or in the water? If life is in the body, if you take it out then also there should be life. There is life only as long as there is water in the fish. But where is the life? Like that where are we, we are in the space in the air. Where is the life, in the air. In the same way the space which is the basis of all existence is what God is. So God has no escape. If He is not in one place, He loses his qualification of being a God. God is that energy, that substratum of the universe in which everything is born, exists and dissolves, and that is what we all are. If love is God certainly that is what you are and I'm God. The Sufi saint said 'An al haq'. The Vendantin said 'Aham Brahmasmi'. We are made up of Love, that Divinity. When do we don't realize it, when we are veiled by stress, ignorance, small
mindedness. When the lake is disturbed you can't see the reflection.The disturbance on the lake is the mind.In the Bible also it is
said 'Be still and know I'm God' so being that stillness then you know hat I'm God. So if God is love, I'm definitely love, so are you. Don't
excommunicate from your category. That is what the world does and then starts suffering. A saint in India Kabir said "what a stupid thing man is doing, it's like the musk deer, has musk in itself but searches for it all over the forest. Just bend yourself down, meditate, be still and that is where God is.
Q: How does one explain the role of Divine in evolution of species?
Sri Sri: What do you call Divine? All that is harmonious you call Divine. All that is natural you call Divine. That which is not natural like
stress, tension, negative emotions are not Divine. Isn't that so? Reverence is the nature of evolved consciousness. The more happier you
are, the more reverence you have for everything. More grateful you are more reverence you have to everyone. When you recognize everything is God, the more reverence you have for everything. You know what sacredness does to you? Suppose you consider, that this is just a cake, you just eat it, throw it. But if it is sacred you take it in both hands. 100% attention is there. Your consciousness (sleeping consciousness) is woken up. With sacredness, 100% attention you receive it, your heart is there, mind is there. In India, children are told, mother is Divine, father is Divine. Because child cant see Divine in space. so "Matru Devo Bhava" (mother is all love), 2nd expression of Divinity see father, 3rd is teacher, all that he wants is for you to blossom, be strong and successful and happy in love,
4th place is Guest, Guest is God, Guest comes honor them. And honor everything in the world, honor the trees, honor the river, mountains, animals. A sense of honoring elevates you.When something belongs to someone you treat it with care. When you know
planet belongs to God, you treat it with care. Otherwise we destroy the planet. We exploit the planet. Isn't it. Vanashree, wealth of forest
has to be honored as gift to humanity. We have been asked to take care of it, our world. Our whole life is a wealth. So a sense of honoring is attached so that you feel a sense of responsibility to the society, planet. Hmmm.....
Q: Miracles, do they happen for a reason, I know the answer is yes, then why?
Sri Sri: If yes, then WHY? Got it? Did you get it? The purpose of miracles is to wake you up that the whole world is full of it. We take it for granted, take whole world for granted. We don't wonder in its phenomenon. Some how when we grew older, we lose all sense of wondering, inquisitiveness, everything dies out, I know it all and it brings dullness to life. Sign of life is enthusiasm, so here and there miracles happen just to wake you up.
Q:Guruji, why in your so many tapes, discourses, there is very little mention on Lord Mahavira. Please let us know more about him.
Sri Sri: I've spoken quite a bit on Mahavira, Recently we had Mahavira Jayanti also. Mahavir was contemporary of Buddha. Buddha spoke about emptiness, Mahavira spoke about Self. Buddha said there is no self, Mahavira said all that is, is Self. Mahavira never spoke, infact he sat in silence and in His presence people started getting knowledge. So when you are all in silence, know that that is Mahavira's speech and it is ridiculous to talk a lot about silence (laughter). In Jain temples, you have Mahavira, he was 24th tirthankara, last tirthankar and you would find his statue in meditative pose and as soon as you would sit in front of smiling serene figure, you would also become like that. He would tell you how you should sit and with what serenity and just know that you are the Atma the Self and it conveys the whole philosophy.One of the mainthings of Mahavira, main principle is 'Syathva' i.e. perhaps. He would always add perhaps in everyone of his expressions. There is room for exploration. If you say, this is like this, you are making it so definite. In this world nothing is definite there is always a possibility, perhaps, that is called 'syathva'. In Physics also the subject object relationship changes, whatever you know, you know in a particular level of consciousness. When your consciousness changes your understanding changes. You can never know 100% unless you become that thing. Its so amazing that Mahavira 2500-2600 years back he came up with 'perhaps' principle, when law of uncertainty, theory of relativity came up in this century, in the previous century perhaps (laughter). Mahavira's main principle is non-violence ('ahimsa'). You have no right to be violent on anything in the world. Second is 'Swadhyaya'. Study your emotions, your mind, your consciousness. 'Kayothsarga' Rise above your body, you are not the body. Body is changing. 'Tapas' Forbearance, opposites happen in the world, people love you, hate you, people compliment you, you get derogatory remarks. Tapah - forbearance, heat and cold, nature is all conflicting. it has full of opposites. Moving in life with Tapah. These are the principles of Jainism.And then is 'kShama' - whether knowingly or unknowingly if anything has happened to anyone by acting or not acting you ask for forgiveness. 'Dashlakshini' - 10 days of celebration and prayers in the last day is the 'kShama-achana' - whether with my intentions or unintentions, knowingly or unknowingly, if I have become the cause of any sadness, sorrow for you, please forgive me. Asking for
forgiveness, highest principle. Isn't it? When everyone comes from that space of I'm the one responsible for all the experiences pleasant or unpleasant, but if I become the cause of any unpleasant experiences I have ask for forgiveness, ask myself for forgiveness. Its the pinnacle of humility. So the ritual is, every Jain is to ask everyone forgiveness. Please forgive me if I have done anything wrong knowingly
or unknowingly. Not only by doing something wrong happens, but by not doing also something wrong happens. Do you see what I'm saying. Suppose you have to do a job and you don't do it, then also you are responsible, you ask for forgiveness. 'kShama-achana' - another principle of Jainism. Hmmm....To ask forgiveness from everyone, mind has to be in such a serene, humble, pleasant state, isn't it? When there is aggression in you, you start justifying yourself, you stop knowing yourself. So they did that space for you to justify yourself. Ask forgiveness. You know that immediately softens the other person's heart also. Someone does something wrong to you and they come and ask forgiveness, would you give them or not? What would you do? When you forgive someone, you become light, you start feeling lighter and all that anger and hatred and that chain of action and reaction drops and you become friendly again.
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