Eliminating Karma

Strange are the ways of Karma. The more you understand it, the more amazed you become. It brings people together and separates them. It causes some to be weak and some to be strong. It makes some rich and some poor. All the struggle in the world, whatever it may be, is the bondage of Karma. It cuts across all logic and reasoning. This understanding will lift you from getting stuck to the events or personalities and help you in your Journey to the Self. Question: So a thief can say it is my karma to steal? Answer: Then the police have the karma to catch him too! (Laughter) Only human life has the ability to be free from Karma. And only a few thousands aim to be free from it. Only through Grace can the bondage of Karma be burnt. Performing actions cannot eliminate Karma. - Sri Sri JaiGurudev.

Sign Of Prosperity

Jai GuruDev.. If you think nobody loves you; know for sure that you are loved. The earth loves you; that's why it is holding you upright. The love of the earth is its gravitational force.The air loves you. That's why air gushes in through your nose, even when you are sleeping it moves through your lungs. The Divine loves you very dearly, deeply. Once you know this, you will relax. With calmness, talents simply come. Intuition comes, beauty comes, peace comes. Love springs up. What else? Then comes prosperity! Bliss and prosperity. What is the sign of prosperity? Who is prosperous? The general idea is that the person who has freedom to go wherever he wants to go, whenever he wants, is a prosperous person. Take the case of an industrialist. Do you think he is free to go wherever he wants, whenever he wants? He has a million dollars in the bank, but his business ties him like a rope around his neck. Even if he goes somewhere, his cell phone keeps ringing. It doesn't let him have his breakfast properly. Do you think he is prosperous? Just wake up and see; you are rich! Do you have a smile? Then you are rich! Someone who has lots of money cannot even smile well. They don't have friends because you can't really know — the friends are there for themselves or for the money. That's why in the Bible it is said, `A rich man cannot go to heaven'. I'm not encouraging poverty here, but just telling you to root out that thought of poverty from your mind, and consciousness. The sign of prosperity is a smile.The sign of prosperity is freedom. The sign of prosperity is being willing to share with people around you, without fear.The sign of prosperity is the trust and confidence that you'll get what you need tomorrow. Jai Gurudev.

Sanchita&Prarabdha Karma

Some karma can be changed and some cannot. When you prepare halwa, if sugar is less or ghee is less, water more or less, it can all be adjusted, repaired. But once soji is cooked, it cannot be reversed. If the buttermilk is sour, milk can be added, salt can be added to make it drinkable. But it can never be reversed back to milk. Prabdha karma cannot be changed. Sanchita karma can be changed by spiritual practices. Satsang burns the seed of all negative karma. When you praise someone, you take on their good karma. When you blame someone you take on their bad karma. Know this and surrender both good and bad karma to the Divine and be free. - Sri Sri Jai Gurudev

Judgement And Company

Though you have heard "don't judge," judgement comes unavoidably in day-to-day life. By the actions and behaviors of people, you either approve or disapprove. But always remember that everything is changing, and do not hold onto the judgement. Otherwise your judgement gets solidified like a rock. It brings misery for you and for others. If judgements are lighter like air, like a breeze, they bring in fragrance, then move away. They could bring a foul smell, then move away. They should not stay there forever. Judgements are so subtle that you are not even aware of their existence. Judging or labeling someone as judgmental is also a judgement. Only in the state of Being when you are full of love and compassion can you ever be free from all judgements. Yet the world cannot move without judgements. Until you judge something as good or bad, you cannot do any actions. If you see rotten apples in the market, you say, "No good." Good ones you buy. If someone lies to you ten times, you think next time it also could be a lie. A judgment happens automatically. See the possibility that people and things can change at any time and don't hold onto the judgements. You need to judge your company. Your company can pull you up or pull you down. The company that drags you towards doubt, dejection, blame, complaints, anger, delusion, and desires is bad company. The company that pulls you up towards joy, enthusiasm, service, love, trust, and Knowledge is good company. When someone complains, first you listen, then you nod, then you sympathize, then you complain. Robert says, "Join the party." Denise says, "I confess, you are absolutely right." (Laughter) Your company can create Hell for you in Heaven -- or Heaven for you in Hell. Judge for yourself . . . ! Sri Sri || Jai Guru Dev ||

Feel Indebted

Question: God is all abundant, all full and we are connected to God. Then why are we in debt, except for some? Why do they have, and we don't have? Guruji: Is it only money? You have abundance, yet at the same time, you are indebted. So how can both be true? How can you be indebted and at the same time have abundance? Somebody says: An abundance of indebtedness! Guruji: When you say you are indebted, that means you have received. Otherwise how can you be indebted? So be thankful for being indebted, because you have received. Those who have received should feel indebted. If you don't feel indebted, you cannot have abundance. So the more indebted you feel, the more abundance you have. Question: When the disciples met Jesus, they were not very successful, did not catch very many fish. When they met Jesus, he told them exactly where to fish and that's when they got lots of fish and then they decided to follow Jesus. (Laughter) Guruji: Feel indebted. Feel gratitude. Then abundance comes. As long as you are wanting for abundance you get indebted. Feel indebtedness and gratitude, then abundance comes. Abundance and indebtedness coexist. You think you are indebted, but you really are not. It is better to feel totally indebted, because every bit of what you have, doesn't belong to you, including your body. Then you are infinitely indebted for your body, for Knowledge, for things you have received, and for your own life. Then you bask in the abundance of the Creator. Someone says: I feel very indebted. Thank you! Jai Gurudev.

Humour

Humor is the buffer that saves you from humiliation. If you have a good sense of humor you can never be humiliated. And if you refuse to be humiliated you become invincible. Humor brings everyone together, while humiliation tears them apart. In a society torn with humiliation and insult, humor is like a breath of fresh air. A good sense of humor relieves you from fear and anxiety. Humor should be coupled with care and concern. Mere humor without care and concern or appropriate action often irritates those who come to you with serious problems. Humor can keep the spirit high, yet if overdone it leaves a bad taste. Humor without wisdom is shallow. Humor with wisdom creates an atmosphere of celebration. Humor without sensitivity is satire - it comes back to you with more problems. The wise use humor to bring wisdom and to lighten every situation. The intelligent use humor as a shield against humiliation. The cruel use humor as a sword to insult others. The irresponsible use humor to escape from responsibility. And fools take humor too seriously! To make an effort to be humorous is nonsensical. Question: How does one cultivate a sense of humor? Sri Sri: 1. Humor is not just words, it is the lightness of your Being. You do not have to read and repeat jokes -- just being cordial and light-hearted brings out authentic humor. 2. Taking life itself not too seriously (because you will never come out of it alive!) (Laughter). 3. Having a sense of belongingness with everybody, including those who are not friendly. 4. Practicing yoga and meditation. 5. Having unshakable faith in the Divine, and in the laws of karma 6. Being in the company of those who live in knowledge and are humorous. 7. A willingness to be a clown. - Sri Sri || Jai Guru Dev ||

Loyalty

Loyalty Loyalty is the way in which a mature and integrated mind behaves. Loyalty indicates undivided wholeness of consciousness and shows richness of the mind. When the mind is not integrated, it is feverish, disloyal and opportunistic. Disloyalty comes out of opportunism. Opportunism is short-sightedness of one's destiny. Integrity or wholeness is essential to be healthy. A divided mind will gradually lead to schizophrenia and other physical and mental disorders. Loyalty is a real strength and will have the support of nature in the long run. Fear and over ambitions are impediments to loyalty. Loyalty is needed both in the material and spiritual plane. Either to destroy, create or maintain any institution, group or society, loyalty is essential. Loyalty means believing in the continuity of commitment. Honouring commitment is loyalty. It takes you beyond the duality of craving and aversion. Responsibility, dedication, commitment are the limbs of loyalty. A loyal mind is a 'yes'-mind. The purpose of asking questions is to get an answer. The purpose of all answers is to create a ...'yes'.... 'Yes' is an acknowledgement of knowledge. The 'yes'-mind is a quiet, holistic and joyful mind. The 'no'-mind is agitated, doubting and miserable mind. Loyalty begins with a 'yes'-mind and starts to perish with a 'no'-mind. Sri Sri Jai Gurudev

Be Humble And Confident

Sri Sri: One of the rarest combinations in the human personality is the co-existence of confidence and humility. Often people who are confident are not humble and people with humility are not confident. Confidence blended with humility is most appreciated by everybody. Question: How can confidence be developed in one who is humble and humility in one who is confident? Sri Sri: 1. When you see your life from a bigger context of time and space, then you realize your life is nothing. 2. When you are humble you need to see that you are unique and dear to the Divine, which brings confidence, and when you realize you are insignificant, that brings confidence. 3. When you have a guru, you cannot be arrogant. Your guru gives you confidence and also brings humility in you. The weakness in humility and the arrogance in confidence are removed. You are left with confidence and humility! Jai Gurudev.

How To Deal With Humiliation

Know that humiliation does not weaken you -- it strengthens you. When you have a sense of belongingness, you don't feel humiliated. The more egotistic you are, the more humiliation you feel. When you are childlike and have a greater sense of kinship then you don't feel humiliated. When you are committed to truth and not to your ego then you also don't feel humiliated. If you are afraid of humiliation, you can neither make progress in your material life nor in your spiritual life. When you stand above humiliation, you get closer to the Self - to God. When you are steeped in love, with the Existence, with the Divine, nothing whatsoever can humiliate you. So, the way out of humiliation is: Get humiliated! Be childlike. Be crazy. Get steeped in love with the Divine. - Sri Sri Jai Gurudev.

Technology&Spirituality

The purpose of technology is to harness nature to bring information and comfort to human beings. When spiritual values - human values - are ignored and neglected, instead of bringing comfort, technology brings fear and destruction. Technology without human values would see nature as a dead object. Science gives an insight into the life of nature and spirituality makes the nature come alive. For example, in the eyes of children, there is nothing dead in the world - animals, trees, the sun and the moon - they all have life, they all have emotions, they all have feelingsʼnn the eyes of a stressed and ignorant person, even human beings are like robots - objects! Technology without spirituality is destructive. Spirituality is the technology of consciousness, and the whole world is the play and display of consciousness. - Sri Sri

Communism And spirituality

Communism has three goals. 1. To check the greed of feudal and capitalistic societies. 2. To check the fanaticism and fundamentalism of religious communities. 3. To care for and share with the needy. Only spirituality can bring fulfillment to communism. Only spirituality can check greed and open up the hearts of the rich to help the needy. Only spirituality can check the fanaticism and fundamentalism of religious groups and create a sense of belongingness in the whole world. Only spirituality brings up the tendency to care and share in one’s life. Only spirituality can bring about open mindedness and a progressive attitude. Communism cannot fulfill its goals without spirituality. It is impossible and time has proved it. Spirituality nourishes communism. - Sri Sri Knowledge Nibble! Question: If you have a Guru do you need luck? Sri Sri: You need luck to have a Guru! (Laughter). || Jai Guru Dev ||

Indigestion Of Knowledge

Guruji: Indigestion of knowledge leads to development of a false ego which has no cure. Knowledge must be digested properly. Indigestion of knowledge leads to: 1. False ego 2. Disinterestedness; taking for granted; lack of awareness 3. Familiarity without understanding, without depth -- flakiness 4. Tendency to preach 5. "Heart" burn 6. Using knowledge for their own small ends 7. Adamancy Your inability to do something (break a habit) can cause a pinch; when you are deeply pained by something, then that will rid you of that habit. If you are pained by your shortcomings, then you are sadhak. Pain takes you out of addiction. If you are in love with the divine, then you can digest the knowledge. Love is the appetizer -- seva is the exercise -- without love and seva, knowledge becomes indigestible. So everyone list the loving seva you have done for the world. Marielle: If love is the appetizer, what is the main course? Guruji: Knowledge Daniel: What is dessert? Guruji: MYSELF!! (Laughter) Jai Gurudev.

Get Rid Of Painful Habits

How to get rid of vasanas (impressions) ? This is a question for all those who want to come out of habits. You want to get rid of habits because they give pain and restrict you. The nature of vasana is to bother you, or bind you, and wanting to be free is the nature of life. Life wants to be free and when a soul doesn't know how to be free, it wanders through lifetimes wanting freedom. The way to come out of habits is vows. This is samyama. Everybody is endowed with a little samyama. A vow should be time bound. This would bring good conduct and save you from being wayward. Consider the time and place for vows to be taken. When the mind dwells on useless thoughts, then two things happen. One is that all those old patterns come up and you feel discouraged by them. You blame yourself and feel that you have not made any progress. The second thing is that you see it as an opportunity for samyama and feel happy about it. Without samyama, life will not be happy and diseases arise. For example, you know you should not eat three servings of ice cream, or eat ice cream every day, or otherwise you will get sick. Habits will clog you when there is no liveliness or juice in life. When there is a direction for life force, you can rise above habits through samyama. Take vows according to time and place. For example, suppose someone has a habit of smoking cigarettes and says, "I will quit smoking," but cannot do it. They can take a vow, three months or 90 days; a time-bound vow. If someone is used to cursing and swearing, take a vow not to use bad language for ten days. Don't take it for a lifetime; you will break it immediately. If you happen to break it in between, don't worry. Just begin again. Slowly increase the duration until it becomes your nature. All those habits which bother you, bind them in vows, in samyama. So all those who are in Satsang, take a time-bound vow today and make a note of it. If you break a vow, make a note of it and share the time and date at the next Satsang. Continue it again. Tie those habits which bring you pain in samyama. - Sri Sri Jai Guru Dev