Good Times And Bad Times

People who are willing to serve will have good times even in the bad times. when there are problems such as famine or war-torn countries, the Red Cross people will be fine as they are serving. The more relief they bring, the happier they feel. And people who are selfish and who just want to enjoy themselves will be miserable even in good times. Often the organizers of a party do not enjoy the party because some little thing is missing, they forgot to invite somebody, somebody did not come or some little thing went wrong. A wise one is happy even in bad times. And the stupid one is unhappy even in good times. You make the time good or bad. People usually blame the bad time and wait for the good time. Even if an astrologer says that you have a hopeless time, you can make it a good time! Like weather, time has its own impact on you. But your Satsangs and sadhana are your shield, your protection! So realize that you are more than time and that you can move the time by your connection to the Divine. Don't feel shy to speak about human and spiritual values. Time has come now to call the whole world!THE ALL is calling, The ball is rolling! Time is milling, The Soul is willing... -Sri Sri || Jai Guru Dev ||

Success

Q.: How was yesterday's program? Was it successful? Guruji: There is no question of success if you have nothing to gain. There is nothing to gain if you have only come to give and serve. Success indicates non-supremacy. Success means what? It indicates that there are chances of failure. If something is supreme there is nothing to lose. People running after success only exhibit their limitations. Success means crossing a limit. To cross a limit you need to assume that you have a limit. Assuming a limit is underestimating yourself. If you have no boundaries then where is your success? If you have limitless access then there is no success. You don't say that you successfully drank a glass of water, because it is well within your capabilities. But when you do something that is beyond your perceived limits you claim success. When you realise your unboundedness then no action is an achievement. Anyone who claims to be successful only reveals his limitation. If you feel very successful it means that you have underestimated yourself. All your gains can only be smaller than you. Taking pride in any gains is belittling yourself. Sheila: What if you feel that you are not serving successfully? Guruji: You may feel that you have not done enough but you will not feel that you have not been successful. Real service is when you feel that you have not done enough. Kai: You are not very successful! (Laughter) Guruji: I am just full! || Jai Guru Dev ||

Success

Q.: How was yesterday's program? Was it successful? Guruji: There is no question of success if you have nothing to gain. There is nothing to gain if you have only come to give and serve. Success indicates non-supremacy. Success means what? It indicates that there are chances of failure. If something is supreme there is nothing to lose. People running after success only exhibit their limitations. Success means crossing a limit. To cross a limit you need to assume that you have a limit. Assuming a limit is underestimating yourself. If you have no boundaries then where is your success? If you have limitless access then there is no success. You don't say that you successfully drank a glass of water, because it is well within your capabilities. But when you do something that is beyond your perceived limits you claim success. When you realise your unboundedness then no action is an achievement. Anyone who claims to be successful only reveals his limitation. If you feel very successful it means that you have underestimated yourself. All your gains can only be smaller than you. Taking pride in any gains is belittling yourself. Sheila: What if you feel that you are not serving successfully? Guruji: You may feel that you have not done enough but you will not feel that you have not been successful. Real service is when you feel that you have not done enough. Kai: You are not very successful! (Laughter) Guruji: I am just full! || Jai Guru Dev ||

Pleasure

The mind that is seeking pleasure cannot be centered. You either seek pleasure or come to me. When you are centered, all pleasures come to you anyway, but they are no longer pleasures. They lose their charm. The mind that seeks pleasure can never achieve the highest. If you are after pleasure, forget about Satsang. Why are you wasting your time? This is the Art of Living. If you are enjoying your suffering, then you also cannot be centered and you are far away from the path. Susannah: What do you do when people talk negatively about this organization, Satsangs, teachers, or anybody for that matter? Guruji: From your side give license to everybody to talk about anything, about anybody, anywhere, at any time. Exercise -- Talk maximum negativity about everybody this whole week. This is a challenge. - Sri Sri Jai Gurudev.

Sadhana Is A Saviour

The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share others's sorrow and joy. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow. When you expand in Knowledge with time, then depression is not possible. Your inner most source is joy. The way to overcome personal misery is to share universal misery! The way to expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking "what about me?" "what can I gain from this world?" think "what can I do for the world?" When everyone comes from the point of contributing to society, you have a Divine society. We have to educate and culture our individual consciousness in order to expand in time with the Knowledge . . . from "what about me?" to "what can I contribute?" If you are not having good experiences in meditation, then do more seva -- you will gain merit and your meditation will be deeper. When you bring some relief or freedom to someone through seva, good vibrations and blessings come to you. Seva brings merit; merit allows you to go deep in meditation; meditation brings back your smile. - Sri Sri Jai Gurudev.

Your Nature Is Shiva

Peace is your nature, yet you remain restless. Freedom is your nature, yet you remain in bondage. Happiness is your nature, yet you become miserable for some reason or another. Contentment is your nature, yet you continue to reel in desires. Benevolence is your nature, yet you don’t reach out. Going towards your nature is Sadhana.Sadhana is becoming what you truly Are! Your true nature is Shiva. And Shiva is peace, infinity, beauty and the non-dual One. Ratri means "to take refuge." Shivaratri is taking refuge in Shiva. - Sri Sri Jai Gurudev.

Focus And Expansion

Focus sharpens the mind and relaxation expands the mind. Just an expanded mind without sharpness cannot bring the holistic development. At the same time, just the sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustrationThe balance between the focussed mind and expanded consciousness brings perfection.Both Sudarshan Kriya and the Advanced Course techniques are aimed at developing such consciousness which is sharp and unboundedSeva and commitment play a major role in this. Also, food and attitude have an effect.Expanded consciousness is peace and joy. Focussed consciousness is love and creativity.A point of focussed consciousness is Individual self.When every atom of the expanded consciousness becomes sharp, focussed, that is the awakening of Divinity. - Sri Sri || Jai Guru Dev ||

Focus And Expansion

Focus sharpens the mind and relaxation expands the mind. Just an expanded mind without sharpness cannot bring the holistic development. At the same time, just the sharp mind without expansion causes tension, anger and frustrationThe balance between the focussed mind and expanded consciousness brings perfection.Both Sudarshan Kriya and the Advanced Course techniques are aimed at developing such consciousness which is sharp and unboundedSeva and commitment play a major role in this. Also, food and attitude have an effect.Expanded consciousness is peace and joy. Focussed consciousness is love and creativity.A point of focussed consciousness is Individual self.When every atom of the expanded consciousness becomes sharp, focussed, that is the awakening of Divinity. - Sri Sri || Jai Guru Dev ||

Overcoming Events

All the problems that you face in life are because you attach over importance to the events. The events grow bigger while you remain smaller. Say, for example, you are riding a motorbike on a busy motor way and in front of you there is another vehicle emitting exhaust fumes. You have three options. 1. You can complain, somehow bear with it, and still follow the vehicle. 2. You can slow down or wait for some time to allow the vehicle to move far away from you. 3. You can use your skill, overtake the vehicle, and forget about it. As in the first case, most of you stick on the events and are miserable, like inhaling fumes throughout your journey. In the second case, you don't get permanent relief, as another bigger vehicle might come in front of you. Like that, running away from events is not the permanent solution. However, wise people use their skill and grow over the events. If the vehicle is in perfect condition, the skill is effective. Conditioning the vehicle is sadhana or practice. And skill is the grace of the Guru. The mistakes that you have made in the past have made you humble; you need not make mistakes in the future to become humble. - Sri Sri || Jai Guru Dev ||

Padmanabha The Lotus Navel

Different organs of our body are governed by different devas. The solar plexus is connected with the sun, that's why it is called "solar" plexus. When the first rays of the sun fall on the solar plexus, it is very good for your body. Doing Surya Namaskar ("sun salutation") yoga asana in the early morning is very good. The solar plexus has a profound impact on the central nervous system, optic nerves, stomach, and what we usually call "gut feeling." It is the second brain in your body. Usually the solar plexus is slightly bigger than an almond. Studies have shown that with the practice of yoga, meditation, and Sudarshan Kriya, the solar plexus can become as a large as the size of the palm. Then it performs better. It balances the body functions. When the solar plexus expands, the intuitive mind works better. The mind becomes clear and focussed. When the solar plexus contracts, one feels horrible, sad, depressed, and all the negative feelings come. Krishna was called Padmanabha, meaning "whose navel is the size of a lotus flower." If you become Padmanabha, you become absolutely creative. Brahma, the Creator, is born out of a blossomed solar plexus. These days, the solar plexus remains small, but the tummy keeps getting bigger. - Sri Sri || Jai Guru Dev ||

A Well Baked Pot

If you pour water into a half baked pot, the pot becomes wasted and so does the water. If the pot is well baked and strong, then it does not matter whether you put the water into the pot or the pot into the water. During Satsang that evening a devotee presents a beautiful hand crafted pot to Guruji. Another devotee presents a bouquet of roses. Placing the bouquet into the pot Guruji says, "If the pot is well baked, then it will hold the flowers." Yet another gift of sweets is given to Guruji and He adds, "When you blossom the sweets come to you." Then came a box of (Sandesh) Sweets and Guruji concluded, "This is today's sandesh." (Sandesh is the Hindi word for message.) Jai Gurudev...

Sadhana And Boredom

What is boredom? A repetition without interest or love causes a monotonous state of mind; that is boredom. It overshadows the Self. A practice or abhyasa is again a repetition whose purpose is to destroy the boredom and reunite with the Self. In this process the practice itself creates boredom and as you continue, it penetrates the boredom and destroys it once and for all. Whether the practice gives you joy or boredom, it must be continued. Only the practice or abhyasa can annihilate the Mind. Self is Love and Love is always repetitive. That is why love letters are simply repetitive and there is no boredom there. If you are bored with yourself then how much more boring you would be for others. Root out the boredom in you through deep and continued meditation. Wake up and Walk up. - Sri Sri || Jai Guru Dev ||

Sacrifice

Sacrifice is letting go of something that you are holding on to or are attached to, which gives you pleasure, for something bigger that would bring good. Sacrifice brings strength in life. Life without sacrifice is stagnant. Sacrifice gives you the quantum leap. It takes you to a higher pedestal. Often people think sacrifice makes life dull and joyless. In fact, it is the sacrifice which makes life worth living. The amount of sacrifice in your life brings out your magnanimity and helps you move out of misery. A life without sacrifice is worth nothing. Zeal, enthusiasm, strength and joy are all connected to sacrifice. Question: Some people say, "I have sacrificed so much," and complain. Answer: That is good. The thought of sacrifice has given them strength to complain and saves them from blaming themselves without which they would even be more depressed. Sacrifice never goes unrewarded. There can be no love, no wisdom and no true joy without sacrifice. SACRIFICE MAKES YOU SACRED. Become sacred! - Sri Sri || Jai Guru Dev ||