Viveka and Viragya

What happens when you sit? All these unwanted things come in the mind, like a bubble. You are inside a bubble, where you are planning, you have thoughts for the future, you have some cravings, or you are regretting the past. Past experiences come to the mind as images. How to handle this? First, viveka (discrimination). Viveka is remembering that all this is not permanent; everything is temporary. When you are not going to be here, what about your boyfriend, girlfriend, prestige, honor, money, and all these things? We will die one day and leave all this. None of this is permanent; everything is temporary. When this realization strikes a deep cord within, then the mind becomes a witness. Why am I worrying? It is stupid of me to just go around in the mind! That is viveka. Second is vairagya (dispassion). Say ‘So what’, again and again, ‘So what. Okay this is like that, so what?’ Vairagya brings you freedom; it makes you subtle, it makes you free from within. Viveka is that which makes you understand, makes you larger, makes you understand something bigger, and not get caught up in small mind games. 

|| Jai Guru Dev || 

The Chakras...

You would have heard about the seven chakras (energy centers) ; it is One Energy that manifests itself in various forms.

In the first chakra (Muladhara), at the base of the spine, the energy manifests as enthusiasm or inertia.

When the same life force energy comes to the second chakra (Swadhisthana), it manifests as sexual energy or creative or procreative energy.

The same energy goes up to the navel region, the third chakra (Manipura), and manifests in four different forms, which relate to four different emotions - greed, jealousy, generosity and joy. That is why all these four emotions are depicted through the tummy.

Jealousy is an emotion that one feels in the stomach. Generosity is depicted with a large tummy, e.g., Santa Claus. Joy is also depicted with a big tummy, e.g., Lord Ganesha and the Laughing Buddha.

The same emotion comes to the fourth chakra (Anahata), the heart chakra; manifests as three different emotions which are love, hatred and fear.

When this energy rises to the fifth chakra (Vishuddha), at the level of the throat, it symbolizes grief and gratefulness. When you feel grief, the throat chokes, and when you feel grateful also, the throat chokes.

The same energy then goes in between the eyebrows to the sixth chakra (Ajna), and manifests as anger and alertness. Anger, alertness, knowledge, and wisdom are all related to the third eye centre.

The same energy goes to the seventh chakra (Sahasrara), at the top of the head and manifests as sheer bliss. That is why in any sanctuary experiences, when you feel total bliss, the mind immediately goes to the top of the head. Something shoots up to the top of the head and you feel blissful.

So, the upward movement and downward movements of energy are all the emotions in life ~ Sri Sri.

|| Jai Guru Dev || 

Depression

When energy goes down you get depressed and when it goes further down suicidal tendencies arise. Through proper breathing exercises, some meditation and through good and loving company energy can go up. Usually when we have some negative things in our minds we share it with somebody and our so called friends confirm our negativity rather than dissolving the negativity. They say, 'Yes what you say is correct and everything is hopeless'. Instead we should raise their level of enthusiasm and energy. It is not only the poor people who commit suicide but those who are rich also commit suicide because it is the state of mind which is responsible for suicidal tendencies. It has nothing to do with material acquisition. I would say that anyone with suicidal tendencies should be led to someone who can teach them meditation, who can make them do some breathing exercises and raise their energy level. And this is possible. Violence against oneself is as bad as violence against someone else. So the world is caught between societal violence on one side and suicidal tendencies on the other side. It is only spirituality which can bring them to the center and which can relieve them from these two extremities. If you find anyone with the slightest suicidal tendency please ask them to do some yoga. Get them around some good company, get them to sing and dance, and make them understand that life is much more than just a few material positions. Life is much more than blame or appreciation from someone. Life is much more than a relationship or a job. The reason for suicide is failure in relationship, failure in job and not being able to achieve what you want to achieve. Life is much more than the small desires that pop up in your consciousness, in your mind. See life from a bigger perspective and engage yourself in some sort of social activity; service activity. Service or seva can keep people sane and keep them out of this mental depression. Mental depression is worse than an economic recession. One has to take responsibility to sail over this and help others around them. The Art of Living is very much involved in working with such people and I would like more people to join and work to eradicate this menace of depression and suicidal tendencies ~ Sri Sri.

|| Jai Guru Dev || 

Narayana.

Narayana is not a person. Narayana is the consciousness which is present in the human nervous system. Narayana is made up of light; a body that is made up of light. When you become totally hollow and empty, you incorporate that light body within you, and that is Narayana. That is why when anyone sees a monk in India they say 'Namo Narayana', I adore the Narayana in you.

Now where is Narayana?

Narayana is in a king, because a king is the collective consciousness. He is not supposed to think about himself but he has to think about the entire country and all the people, and maintain them. So because of the love and compassion that a king has for his own people, he is elevated to the level of Narayana; the pure light.

Then it is said, Vaidya Narayana. A doctor is Narayana.

A doctor while treating his patient does not think of how much he is earning. His total concern is in the well-being of the person. Narayana is in every doctor, every doctor is Narayana.

Who else is Narayana? (Audience says: The husband)

Yes, if he’s totally committed to the family, and if he is there for his wife.

The wife has to consider him Narayana! He cannot proclaim himself to be Narayana. (Laughter) The husband maintains the whole family and he doesn’t want anything for himself. He wants for everybody. So he is a Narayana.

A saint is Narayana because a saint wants the welfare of everybody. A doctor is Narayana. A selfless king is a Narayana. Guru is Narayana. A teacher is Narayana. A guest who comes over is also Narayana because Narayana comes in many forms.

Anyone who helps you in need without any selfish motive is called Apath Narayana. A Narayana who comes in when there is a problem is Apath Narayana.

There is one more term called Daridra Narayana. One who doesn’t have anything, one who is poor, he is a Narayana without money (Lakshmi).

So when you do charity, see that he (the poor man) is Narayana and do charity, and don't see him as a worm out there and do charity. So do charity also with a sense of sacredness. See even the poorest and the less fortunate ones as Narayana.

So you can see Narayana in a miserable person, Narayana in a doctor, in a saint, in the head of the family and in a king. They are all Narayana. Everywhere is Narayana.

In the Narayana Upanishads it is very beautifully said, 'Narayana is in the front, at the back, on the sides, on top and at the bottom. Narayana is everywhere!'

Narayana Parojyotih Atmanarayanah Parah

Narayana is the Brahman (divinity). Narayana is the atma (soul), the Self in you. Narayana is the light. This entire universe is existing in a milky ocean and that ocean is called Narayana ~ Sri Sri

|| Jai Guru Dev || 

The Maya...

When we are caught up in a delusion and we are not aware of it, then we feel troubled by the people around us. This is the first stage.

When we come to know that this is all the creation of our own mind, then we feel angry with ourselves, and we feel troubled by our own mind. How many people have had this experience? You know that you are miserable because of your own mind and not due to others. This is the second stage

In the first stage, a person is caught up in delusion and is not aware that he is caught up, and so he blames the world rather than his own mind for his circumstances. And because he cannot correct the world, he starts feeling helpless, and angry. And this increases the violent tendencies in him.

Those who are at least aware that they are troubled by their own mind are slightly more intelligent than those in the first stage. Such people do not blame the world for their circumstances, or their misery. Instead, they start blaming themselves, and this is where they get stuck. They blame themselves and get caught up in feelings of guilt.

The third stage which is above these two stages, is where one is unaffected by Maya.

In this stage, a person is fully aware that everything that happens is because of Mayaor because of the mind, and he does not get entangled into it.

He knows that this is the nature of the mind, and delusion is the nature of Maya. Yet he also knows that he is not the mind, and neither is he the one trapped in delusion (Maya).

So he does not resist or interfere with the nature of the mind, and neither does he get caught in Maya. He lets both of them function the way they do.

Such wise ones know that the mind can be influenced by multiple factors.

A good example of this is the food you eat. There is a saying, ‘Jaisa Ann Waisa Mann’ (which translates as ‘You are what you eat’. Here meaning, what you eat influences your mind and your behaviour).

So the mind is influenced by the food you eat, by the environment you are in, and by the particular phase of time you may be in.

Time also has an effect on the mind. There are instances when your mind is caught up in storms of emotion because of the phase of time that you are in.

So time, food and the environment, are the three factors which influence the mind ~ Sri Sri.

|| Jai Guru Dev || 

Asuya and Anasuya

What does Anusuya mean? One who does not keep finding faults in everything is calledAnusuya. Who is called Asuya? One who finds faults in everything around him.

When one's vision is distorted and imperfect, they seem to find fault in everything around them. Such a person who sees faults in everything is Asuya.

So Asuya is one whose vision is distorted. Anusuya is one whose vision is free from distortion and negativity.

For example, if anyone says something to a person who is miserable, he feels that the other person is making fun of him. Have any of you ever had this experience?

Even if you praise a person who is disturbed, they feel that you are making fun of them. Even if you do something good for them, they still find fault in it.

No matter how noble your intention may be with which you do something for such a person, they find some or other fault with it. Such a person who tends to see wrong motives behind any action is called Asuya.

Anusuya means one who does not have such a distorted vision. Such a person knows and accepts things as they are, rather than finding imperfections in them.

So whom can you tell a great secret to? One who is Anusuya.

You can tell a secret only to someone who does not find fault in everything, and whose vision is not distorted.

One who is Asuya will only find fault in everything, no matter where they go. Such people project the negativity of their own mind onto the world outside, and they blame other people for it. One whose vision is distorted cannot see his own imperfections. He just sees imperfections and bad qualities in others. He keeps trying to find more and more faults in the people around. Such a person is Asuya. No one can accept such a person as a disciple because even if a Guru accepts such a person, he will find fault in the Guru's teachings as well ~ Sri Sri.

|| Jai Guru Dev || 

More Subtler, More Better...

Q: Guruji, I understand from your knowledge that we have not one but several bodies. Can you please talk about subtle bodies and casual bodies? I’ve heard about them but I don’t know how or what they are.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankarr: Yes, physical body in the waking state. In the sleeping state physical body is at rest, the subtle is active; in the dreaming state and that is why you get dreams. In deep sleep both of these go to sleep but the causal body is still there awake, aware. And causal body becomes cleansed in deep meditation. And in enlightenment the causal body is completely free, yes. So when one dies what happens, physical body separates, the subtle body remains with all its impressions. The subtle body and causal body they both go like a balloon and remain and look for a right opportunity, a right womb to get into. So when the soul finds that the couple is having union and depends on the energy level and harmony between the couple and the energy level of the soul, at that moment it comes into that, so that type of parents. Sometimes the soul brings two people together. A soul chooses I want this lady and this man as my father and mother. So they bring those two people together and they will have terrible attraction, unbearable attraction. So the moment the child is born, you’ll find suddenly the attraction between those two people is gone totally, completely gone. 

It is so amazing; all these things are so interesting. On one hand it is amazing on another hand if you are not so much in the present moment you’ll go crazy, seeing how many subtle worlds we live in simultaneously. Simultaneously how many things are happening in the universe, it’s very interesting! So you come into the physical body to cleanse the subtle body. There is no way you can cleanse the subtle body hanging in the space. So you come to human body so that you get rid of all those impressions. Once you have gotten rid of the subtle impressions in the subtle body then the causal body with the divine grace also becomes free, that is called Nirvana. No more craving or aversions, nothing, totally hallow and empty. Wanting nothing and totally satisfied. Anytime you feel that I am total, I am complete, death can come this moment I welcome it. If you say that, if you feel that rather than saying it then that completion is Nirvana. That has touched the causal body; the causal body gets relieved not by your effort but by just the Divine will and Divine grace. The universe decides that whether the causal body should be there or should be removed, should be dissolved. It’s amazing, you can work on the physical, and you can work on the subtle that’s all you can do. The rest you can only wait, but this itself is a great job, this itself is good enough."

Gayatri Mantra.

Gayatri mantra has been

bestowed the greatest importance in

Vedic dharma. This mantra has also been termed as Savitri and Ved-Mata, the mother of the Vedas.

Om bhur bhuvah swah

Tat savitur varenyam

Bhargo devasya dheemahi

Dhiyo yo nah prachodayat

The literal meaning of the mantra is:

O God! You are Omnipresent, Omnipotent and Almighty, You are all Light. You are all Knowledge and Bliss. You are Destroyer of fear, You are Creator of this Universe, You are the Greatest of all. We bow and meditate upon Your light. You guide our intellect in the right direction.

The mantra, however, has a great scientific importance too, which somehow got lost in the literary tradition. The modern astrophysics and astronomy tell us that our Galaxy called Milky Way or Akash-Ganga contains approximately 100,000 million of stars. Each star is like our sun having its own planet system. We know that the moon moves round the earth and the earth moves round the sun along with the moon. All planets round the sun. Each of the above bodies revolves round at its own axis as well. Our sun along with its family takes one round of the galactic center in 22.5 crore years. All galaxies including ours are moving away at a terrific velocity of 20,000 miles per second.

The alternative scientific meaning of the Mantra

Line 1: OM BHUR BHUVAH SWAH: Bhur the earth, bhuvah the planets (solar family), swah the Galaxy. We observe that when an ordinary fan with a speed of 900 RPM (rotations Per minute) moves, it makes noise. Then, one can imagine, what great noise would be created when the galaxies move with a speed of 20,000 miles per second. This is what this portion of the mantra explains that the sound produced due to the fast-moving earth, planets and galaxies is Om. The sound was heard during meditation by Rishi Vishvamitra, who mentioned it to other colleagues. All of them, then unanimously decided to call this sound Om the name of God, because this sound is available in all the three periods of time, hence it is set (permanent). Therefore, it was the first ever revolutionary idea to identify formless God with a specific title (form) called upadhi. Until that time, everybody recognized God as formless and nobody was prepared to accept this new idea. In the Gita also, it is said, "Omiti ekaksharam brahma", meaning that the name of the Supreme is Om , which contains only one syllable (8/12). This sound Om heard during samadhi was called by all the seers nada-brahma a very great noise), but not a noise that is normally heard beyond a specific amplitude and limits of decibels suited to human hearing. Hence the rishis called this sound Udgith musical sound of the above, i.e., heaven. They also noticed that the infinite mass of galaxies moving with a velocity of 20,000 miles/second was generating a kinetic energy = 1/2 MV2 and this was balancing the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence they named it Pranavah, which means the body (vapu) or store house of energy (prana).

Line 2: TAT SAVITUR VARENYAM: Tat that (God), savitur the sun (star), varenyam worthy of bowing or respect. Once the form of a person along with the name is known to us, we may locate the specific person. Hence the two titles (upadhi) provide the solid ground to identify the formless God, Vishvamitra suggested. He told us that we could know (realize) the unknowable formless God through the known factors, viz., sound Om and light of suns (stars). A mathematician can solve an equation x2+y2=4; if x=2; then y can be known and so on. An engineer can measure the width of a river even by standing at the riverbank just by drawing a triangle. So was the scientific method suggested by Vishvamitra in the mantra in the next portion as under:-

Line 3:BHARGO DEVASYA DHEEMAHI: Bhargo the light, devasya of the deity, dheemahi we should meditate. The rishi instructs us to meditate upon the available form (light of suns) to discover the formless Creator (God). Also he wants us to do japa of the word Om (this is understood in the Mantra). This is how the sage wants us to proceed, but there is a great problem to realize it, as the human mind is so shaky and restless that without the grace of the Supreme (Brahma) it cannot be controlled. Hence Vishvamitra suggests the way to pray Him as under:

Line 4: DHIYO YO NAH PRACHODAYAT Dhiyo (intellect), yo (who), nah (we all), prachodayat (guide to right Direction). O God! Deploy our intellect on the right path. Full scientific interpretation of the Mantra: The earth (bhur), the planets (bhuvah), and the galaxies (swah) are moving at a very great velocity, the sound produced is Om , (the name of formless God.) That God (tat), who manifests Himself in the form of light of suns (savitur) is worthy of bowing/respect (varenyam). We all, therefore, should meditate (dheemahi) upon the light (bhargo) of that deity (devasya) and also do chanting of Om. May He (yo) guide in right direction (prachodayat) our(nah) intellect dhiyo.

The important points hinted in the mantra are

1) The total kinetic energy generated by the movement of galaxies acts as an umbrella and balances the total energy consumption of the cosmos. Hence it was named as the Pranavah (body of energy). This is equal to 1/2 mv2

(Mass of galaxies x square of velocity.)

2) Realizing the great importance of the syllable OM , the other later date religions adopted this word with a slight change in accent: Amen and Ameen.

So Memorize and Chant Gayatri Mantra every day

Spirituality.

Religions should be secular. Religious leaders should be secular in their outlook. They should not say, ‘I pray only for the people of my religion, my community’, or ‘My religion is higher, everybody else should convert to my religion’. This is a wrong mindset.

All religious leaders should say, ‘Pray for everybody, for people of the entire planet. Let people all over the planet be blessed. Let them all be happy’.

This is secularizing religion.

Spiritualizing politics; this is what Mahatma Gandhi stood for. Politicians should have that spiritual bent of mind. It should not be ‘All about me, me, and me!'

Instead they should think, 'Let me do everything for everyone’. This should be the attitude. Don’t you think our politicians should be spiritual? How many of you think that instead of being selfish, promoting their own children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, politicians should see who are the capable people and help them to come up in life? Support them. Encourage them. And treat everyone the same. Yes! We need to spiritualize politics.

Socialize business. If every business keeps 10 per cent of their profit for social development, for helping those who are in need, this country would shine. Businesses today barely spend 1 per cent or 2 per cent of their profit, not even their income, on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) ~ Sri Sri.

|| Jai Guru Dev || 

True Friendship.

Examine your friendships, they are often for a cause. There are several reasons for your friendships:

You make friendships because you have common enemies. Fear and threat to survival can bring people together. 

You make friendships because you have a common problem. You talk about your problems and become friends. For example, sickness, job dissatisfaction, etc.

People get together because they have common interests. For example, through business or a profession (doctors, architects, social workers, etc.)

You make friends because you have common tastes. You have similar tastes in sports, movies, entertainment, music, hobbies, etc.

People become friends because of compassion and service. Out of compassion and pity for someone, you become friends with them.

People become friends merely because of long-term acquaintance.

Brave are those who nurture friendships for only friendship’s sake. Such friendships will never die nor become soured for it is born out of one’s friendly nature. Only through wisdom can one become friendly by nature ~ Sri Sri.

|| Jai Guru Dev || 

Consciousness and Innocence.

Once you are on this path, you never feel that you have aged. Old and elderly people who are on the spiritual path keep their enthusiasm till their last breath.

No matter how old they become, their face still glows with joy and happiness. They have a child-like innocence in them. So how can you call someone who has such a child-like innocence in them as old? How can you call people who are unafraid of death and who keep smiling as old?

When a person completely understands that I am not the body, I am pure Consciousness, then such strength dawns in him. How can such a person be fearful of death anymore?

Such people feel free from old age and death (having realized their true nature that is eternal). They are filled with happiness and enthusiasm. They are free from the conflicts of craving and aversions.

Otherwise you see so many people who till the last moment of their lives keep worrying about their son, or their daughter, or grandchildren" ~ Sri Sri.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

Family Ties.

To improve family ties, don’t try to improve it. Don’t try to get over the misunderstanding. If there is a misunderstanding, just overlook that.

Educate and ignore. Move forward. Don’t do postmortem, i.e., sit and dig, ‘Why did you say that?’, ‘You don’t love me’, all this garbage is such a waste of time. We dwell into so much emotional garbage. We should throw them all out and have bubbling enthusiasm. You should move with enthusiasm.

If someone lacks enthusiasm, push them into enthusiasm, and do not go on complaining or asking for explanation from people.

To improve family relations you need two things - No Explanations and No Complaints. That’s it. Got it?

Asking explanation from others is a foolish thing. And explaining to others thinking they would understand is another foolish thing. It doesn’t work both ways.

The best is to just move forward ~ Sri Sri.

|| Jai Guru Dev || 

Meditation

When you meditate, or when you pray, when you are in the space of vastness, calmness and love, you emit certain vibrations - and these vibrations are not limited to you or your environment. You are not just bringing a harmony within yourself, but you are influencing the subtle layers of creation. Your prayer transcends physical reality and touches all those minds or the bodies of souls which are outside your physical reality, reaching the subtle bodies of all the different levels of existence in creation ~ Sri Sri

|| Jai Guru Dev ||