Saturday, January 31, 2009
Quotes + Q&A with Sri Sri
Quotes + Q&A with Sri Sri
Anger is about Past
Anger is meaningless, because it is always about something that has
already passed.
Peaceful Radiation
When you meditate, it sends out such a peaceful radiation, waves of light, and then those who left their body, who have reached the other shore, get benefited from that. It's like a laser beam, laser light, reaching the other side where it is dark.
Ego is Complicated
Ego wants something which is very difficult. It doesn't recognize the
simplicity in life. Life is simple. Ego is very complicated.
Seeing God
The future is very comfortable. Glorifying the past is very comfortable.
Seeing God now, here, is difficult. Seeing God in yourself is even more
difficult
Fall in Love with a Flower
If you just fall in love with a flower, you go on appreciating it and go
deep into that, and you will see that flower dissolves into the formless.
You will see the space which is hiding deep inside that flower.
-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x--x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-x-
Q & A's
=====
Q. I no longer understand the role of human beings. Are we given human
will for a purpose to will something? When do we use God's will to do
something?
------------ --------- ---------
Sri Sri : This is a question about "what is free will & what is
destiny"? Right? God's will & human will, right? Now, what is a "will"? It
is a thought, right? When your thought is in alliance with what is happening-whatsoeve r is happening-you call it free will. When your
thought is in opposition with whatever is happening, you call it destiny.Big
volumes have been written on free will and destiny. Free will and destiny
-it is very simple. One is whatever is happening: another is your thought
process When they are in alliance, you call it free will. "Oh! I have this,
I willed this," The thought comes to you-free will. When your nervous system is clear, the thoughts that come are intuitive thoughts. Intuitive thoughts are those which are in alignment with whatever is happening. So you call that free will. Whether you have absolute free will or absolute destiny it is the same.
2. Are you saying that you don't create what happens? What happens
just happens, and you are just observing life? Or you still have the
opportunity or the ability to create what happens in your life?
------------ --------- ---------
Sri Sri: no, when I say observe, I don't mean that you should be
inactive. Whatever is happening let it happen. If tea has come don't think, "let it go into my mouth, let the cup rise up." It is not like that-no, no-it is not being lazy this has been wrongly understood in the east, in India, and in many other countries and culture. It been wrongly understood that not doing means "your destiny", or abstaining from action. It is observation; observation is not abstaining from action. You still do, you still create.Now you want do something, create something, and a thought comes. Did you make some effort to think a new thought? Can you think something that you don't know? It is not possible. A new thought or any discovery just arises spontaneously from somewhere unknown. You don't know from where it comes.All scientific discoveries have come from some level of consciousness, and even scientist doesn't know how it has arisen. Do you see that? You simply sit and relax. You may watch the sunset, the trees, the birds, the seas or the ocean, and one creative thought pops up in the mind, and you work on that. You are ready to jump into action with that thought.
3. Are there accidental things in life?
------------ --------- ---------
Sri Sri : Accidental things. Suddenly something happens without cause
or reason. If you see it from a wide angle lens then every happening has a cause. Cause and effect is a law. Something may appear to be accidental, but in the bigger picture, everything has a cause and effect.
4. And destiny?
------------ --------- ---------
Sri Sri :Yes, Destiny. All cause and effect.
5. Is there a stronger law than cause and effect?
------------ --------- ---------
Sri Sri : What is stronger than cause and effect is the self, which
is beyond cause and beyond effect. It is the energy, it is the self.
(Someone calls out "LOVE"). Love, exactly. Or knowledge. You call it Knowledge, you call it, and you call it Guru. It's the same.
Q: Why do elders say that we should not cut nails or hairs in the night?
------------ --------- ---------
Sri Sri: In ancient times, there was no electricity. So how would you
find the nail or hair if you cut them in the night and also they wanted a
holiday for the barber. [laughter]
Q: What is the difference between the self, the mind,and thoughts?
------------ --------- ---------
Sri Sri: The self is the ocean, the mind is the wave, and the
thoughtsare the sparkles on the wave.
---------
Effortless= Meditation
Hmmmmmm.... what else? So much is happening, has happened, will happen...and all there is is right NOW. Is it all a dream? Can't we all
just relax and be happy? Yes! We can! And you are just stuck on temporary stuff if you think otherwise. Notice that which is unchanging in yourself and be with that. That is called meditation! Or listen to something one art of living teacher, Philip, said:
"We gain so much from our efforts in life, yet there are somethings
thht effort cannot accomplish. Meditating is the delicate art of doing
nothing - letting go of everything and being who you are. It allows the conscious mind to settle deeply into itself; and when the mind settles down, it lets go of all tension and stress and centres itself in the present moment. Regular practice of meditation, once or twice a day can totally transform the quality of you life." -Sri Sri
=======
jai gurudev.
"Celebrate Life. Care for others and share whatever you have with those less fortunate than you. Broaden your vision, for the whole world belongs to you."
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living Foundation.
P Please consider the environment before printing this email.
Friday, January 23, 2009
AN EXCELLENT ARTICLE ON CANCER (must read)
Excellent article on cancer. Pass it on.
AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE
IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .
Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very sma ll amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to no urish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try
and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes.. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
(PLEASE FORWARD IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT)
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life.
Have a Healthy Day.
AFTER YEARS OF TELLING PEOPLE CHEMOTHERAPY IS THE ONLY WAY TO TRY AND ELIMINATE CANCER, JOHNS HOPKINS IS FINALLY STARTING TO TELL YOU THERE
IS AN ALTERNATIVE WAY .
Cancer Update from Johns Hopkins :
1. Every person has cancer cells in the body. These cancer cells do not show up in the standard tests until they have multiplied to a few billion. When doctors tell cancer patients that there are no more cancer cells in their bodies after treatment, it just means the tests are unable to detect the cancer cells because they have not reached the detectable size.
2. Cancer cells occur between 6 to more than 10 times in a person's lifetime.
3. When the person's immune system is strong the cancer cells will be destroyed and prevented from multiplying and forming tumours.
4. When a person has cancer it indicates the person has multiple nutritional deficiencies. These could be due to genetic, environmental, food and lifestyle factors.
5. To overcome the multiple nutritional deficiencies, changing diet and including supplements will strengthen the immune system.
6. Chemotherapy involves poisoning the rapidly-growing cancer cells and also destroys rapidly-growing healthy cells in the bone marrow, gastro-intestinal tract etc, and can cause organ damage, like liver, kidneys, heart, lungs etc.
7. Radiation while destroying cancer cells also burns, scars and damages healthy cells, tissues and organs.
8. Initial treatment with chemotherapy and radiation will often reduce tumor size. However prolonged use of chemotherapy and radiation do not result in more tumor destruction.
9. When the body has too much toxic burden from chemotherapy and radiation the immune system is either compromised or destroyed, hence the person can succumb to various kinds of infections and complications.
10. Chemotherapy and radiation can cause cancer cells to mutate and become resistant and difficult to destroy. Surgery can also cause cancer cells to spread to other sites.
11. An effective way to battle cancer is to starve the cancer cells by not feeding it with the foods it needs to multiply.
WHAT CANCER CELLS FEED ON:
a. Sugar is a cancer-feeder. By cutting off sugar it cuts off one important food supply to the cancer cells. Sugar substitutes like NutraSweet, Equal,Spoonful, etc are made with Aspartame and it is harmful. A better natural substitute would be Manuka honey or molasses but only in very sma ll amounts. Table salt has a chemical added to make it white in colour. Better alternative is Bragg's aminos or sea salt.
b. Milk causes the body to produce mucus, especially in the gastro-intestinal tract. Cancer feeds on mucus. By cutting off milk and substituting with unsweetened soy milk, cancer cells are being starved.
c. Cancer cells thrive in an acid environment. A meat-based diet is acidic and it is best to eat fish, and a little chicken rather than beef or pork. Meat also contains livestock antibiotics, growth hormones and parasites, which are all harmful, especially to people with cancer.
d. A diet made of 80% fresh vegetables and juice, whole grains, seeds, nuts and a little fruits help put the body into an alkaline environment. About 20% can be from cooked food including beans. Fresh vegetable juices provide live enzymes that are easily absorbed and reach down to cellular levels within 15 minutes to no urish and enhance growth of healthy cells. To obtain live enzymes for building healthy cells try
and drink fresh vegetable juice (most vegetables including bean sprouts) and eat some raw vegetables 2 or 3 times a day. Enzymes are destroyed at temperatures of 104 degrees F (40 degrees C).
e. Avoid coffee, tea, and chocolate, which have high caffeine. Green tea is a better alternative and has cancer-fighting properties. Water-best to drink purified water, or filtered, to avoid known toxins and heavy metals in tap water. Distilled water is acidic, avoid it.
12. Meat protein is difficult to digest and requires a lot of digestive enzymes.. Undigested meat remaining in the intestines become putrified and leads to more toxic buildup.
13. Cancer cell walls have a tough protein covering. By refraining from or eating less meat it frees more enzymes to attack the protein walls of cancer cells and allows the body's killer cells to destroy the cancer cells.
14. Some supplements build up the immune system (IP6, Flor-ssence, Essiac, anti-oxidants, vitamins, minerals, EFAs etc.) to enable the body's own killer cells to destroy cancer cells.. Other supplements like vitamin E are known to cause apoptosis, or programmed cell death, the body's normal method of disposing of damaged, unwanted, or unneeded cells.
15. Cancer is a disease of the mind, body, and spirit. A proactive and positive spirit will help the cancer warrior be a survivor. Anger, unforgiveness and bitterness put the body into a stressful and acidic environment. Learn to have a loving and forgiving spirit. Learn to relax and enjoy life.
16. Cancer cells cannot thrive in an oxygenated environment. Exercising daily, and deep breathing help to get more oxygen down to the cellular level. Oxygen therapy is another means employed to destroy cancer cells.
(PLEASE FORWARD IT TO PEOPLE YOU CARE ABOUT)
This is an article that should be sent to anyone important in your life.
Have a Healthy Day.
Monday, January 19, 2009
Different ideas about Enlightenment - Sri Sri
Jai GuruDev..
People have very funny ideas about enlightenment. Every culture, every religion has got their own ideas about it.
In Christian culture, a rich man cannot be enlightened. It is impossible. You have got to be in poverty to be enlightened. From the Christian point of view, Rama cannot be enlightened! Even a camel can go through a needle, but not a rich man!
Many years ago, once I was traveling from Bangalore to Delhi.
Many years ago, once I was traveling from Bangalore to Delhi.
I met a Christian priest in the airport. He just looked at me and I smiled back. He came to talk to me and said,
"I feel like talking to you my dear brother. You seem to be a nice person."
He asked me if I believed in Jesus and I said yes.
He was a little stunned.
He asked me the question again and I said yes again.
Then he asked if I was a Hindu. And I said "perhaps".
He then asked if I believed in Krishna and I said yes.
He then said: "But how can Krishna be God? He is a butter thief. He was married. How can somebody be married and steal butter and all and be God? He is not the one who can give salvation. You know, Jesus is the only way. I was also a Hindu before and now I have become a Christian. From the time I have become a Christian everything is happening. Jesus is taking care of me. I tell you, you better become a Christian."
How can Krishna be enlightened? Jains do not think that Krishna is enlightened. He created the war. Arjuna was going to go away, take sanyas and renounce the world. Krishna brainwashed him and brainwashed him and made him fight. Krishna was responsible for this huge war. How could he be enlightened? Stealing butter, having so many wives. Impossible!
Jains do not think that an enlightened person, sadhu, should ever wear clothes.
How can Krishna be enlightened? Jains do not think that Krishna is enlightened. He created the war. Arjuna was going to go away, take sanyas and renounce the world. Krishna brainwashed him and brainwashed him and made him fight. Krishna was responsible for this huge war. How could he be enlightened? Stealing butter, having so many wives. Impossible!
Jains do not think that an enlightened person, sadhu, should ever wear clothes.
Their idea of an enlightened person is one who walks nude. One who is not nude is a little less great.
Who knows what will happen?
What desires would come up in him?
Whether they are free from lust or not, how would you know?
What is the proof?
Jain sadhus are nude. They do not wear any clothes. They are considered enlightened. This is their idea of enlightenment.
They simply do not consider those as enlightened who eat two square meals a day. That too one who enjoys a meal is not at all enlightened.
Can a saint eat chocolate? He is not a saint then!
Buddhists have got their own idea of who is and who is not enlightened. Somebody who sings, dances, looks at the whole world, pleasing the world is not enlightened.
Buddhists have got their own idea of who is and who is not enlightened. Somebody who sings, dances, looks at the whole world, pleasing the world is not enlightened.
Someone who meets their family and sits with their family is definitely not enlightened.
I have seen many of these so-called sanyasis. They are so afraid that they cannot meet their families. May be attachment will happen. They have run away from the family and fear that attachment for the family can come up anytime.
I know of a so-called sanyasi who would not meet his mother. He would meet everybody else but not the poor old lady who is his mother!
I know of a so-called sanyasi who would not meet his mother. He would meet everybody else but not the poor old lady who is his mother!
What had she done?
He would not meet her.
She was 70 years old and would cry and cry.
So-called sanyasis, nuns, brothers, fathers behave like this because that is the idea they have.
See, when you can love everybody, why can't you see your family members in the same light? Many sanyasis go through this difficulty in their heads about not seeing their family. These are all just concepts about enlightenment.
The main essence forgotten is dispassion or centeredness. Being centered in spite of everything is the second essential principle in yoga.
This is vairagya.
As you all know, there are three gunas or qualities.
As you all know, there are three gunas or qualities.
They are sattva, rajas and tamas.
Three gunas come into our life in cycles.
When Sattva comes, there is alertness, knowledge, interest, and joy in everything.
When Rajo guna comes, more desires, selfishness, restlessness and sadness arise in us.
When Tamo guna comes, delusion, attachment, lack of knowledge, lethargy, all this comes.
These three come in life turn by turn. But one who is centered will watch, witness and just move through that very naturally, innocently, without being averse to it.
It is said: Yogaha karmasu kaushalam - the skill in action is yoga. Yoga itself means skill. Yoga is the skill to live life, skill to manage your mind, skill to deal with your emotions, skill to be with people, skill to be in love and not let love turn into hatred.
It is said: Yogaha karmasu kaushalam - the skill in action is yoga. Yoga itself means skill. Yoga is the skill to live life, skill to manage your mind, skill to deal with your emotions, skill to be with people, skill to be in love and not let love turn into hatred.
"Celebrate Life. Care for others and share whatever you have with those less fortunate than you. Broaden your vision, for the whole world belongs to you."
- Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Founder, Art of Living Foundation.
P Please consider the environment before printing this email.
Friday, January 16, 2009
Experience Shared by a Devotee
| Something wonderful.. :)
|
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