Kick the Ball and Be in the Goal

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Do you know why the earth is shaped like a globe? (Silence)


So you can kick it and it will roll away! (Laughter) From the moment you wake up in the morning you are always with people and your mind is caught up in worldly thoughts. So sometime during the day, sit for a few minutes, get into the cave of your heart, eyes closed, and kick the world away like a ball.


But as soon as you open your eyes, hold onto the ball because you need to kick it again in the next session. (Laughter) During the day be 100 percent attached to the work, don't try to detach yourself. But when you sit for meditation, then totally detach yourself. Only those who can totally detach can take total responsibility.
Eventually you will be able to be both attached and detached simultaneously. Kick the ball and be in the goal! This is the art of living, the skill of living.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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DEVOTEE BECOMES GOD

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When a river meets the ocean, the river no longer remains a river. It becomes the ocean. A drop of the ocean is part of the ocean. In the same way, the moment a devotee meets (surrenders to) the Divine, the devotee becomes GOD. When the river meets the ocean, it recognizes that it is the ocean from the beginning to the end. Similarly, the individual devotee dissolves in ONE Divinity.


Question: What about backwaters?


Sri Sri: Sometimes the ocean goes into the river to greet it. Sometimes it seems that the ocean is pushing back the river. Similarly, the Divine puts many questions and doubts in the mind or gives an amazing experience to bring one back home.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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Blessed are those who are bored

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Only a conscious, alert and dynamic person can get bored. A dull and inert person doesn't get bored. If you get bored, it indicates you are more alive and human. It is a sign that you are growing, that you are evolving.

An animal, for example, keeps doing the same thing. It never gets bored. Cows, horses, birds do the same things over and over all their lives.

People eat, watch television, change jobs, change partners to escape boredom. And they get frustrated. And frustration takes them back to inertia and unconsciousness.

Only in two states the boredom does not occur: in a state of total inertia or in a state of Divine Consciousness. If you are bored, it indicates you are evolving. Boredom moves you.

Jim: Boredom moves you towards the divine.

Guruji: Yes. Be proud of your boredom and celebrate!!!!!!

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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FOCUS and EXPANSION

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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 frustration

The 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 unbounded

Seva 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.

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|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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In life there are two situations: One is when you are comfortable and happy. Another situation is when you are upset and unhappy.

So what is needed to maintain this comfort and happiness is a willingness to do service.

When we are happy then we don’t serve. Usually the mind doesn’t go in the direction. When you are happy you just want to enjoy and don’t think about care, share or service at that time, and that is when it is very much needed. When you are happy and you do service then happiness will remain.

What we need to ask for is the willingness to do seva when we are happy, and the ability to let go and turn inward when we are unhappy. We need to ask for this, ’Give me the strength to let go and turn inward when I am unhappy.’

And learning to let go of the world when we are still here, in it, enjoying it, is wisdom.

Once an elderly lady in one satsang asked a question, ‘Why did God make this world so miserable?’The answer was, ‘Yes, he has made it like that for you. Even when it is so miserable you don’t let go of it and turn towards God. Otherwise you will never turn inward.’

Q: Psychologists and mostly western thinkers say one should strive to find one’s own purpose and live it. Does each soul have a unique purpose in this life, outside of attaining enlightenment that is?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Each soul is doing some work here on this planet.

You can choose whatever work you want to do, whatever career you want to take. But there is a common thing that psychologists forget. What is that common thing?

Shared values, human values, happiness. These days they have started talking about it.

‘Are you happy?’ This is something we need to ask.

If you are not, then turn inward to find the happiness. Don’t look for it somewhere outside. Once you turned inward, everything starts opening up.

So the purpose of life is not to be miserable and not make others miserable. If you make this one thing clear in the mind then what is the purpose will automatically come.

Do maximum good to maximum number of people. Wherever you are, be the one who is wanted there.

Have you given your 100%? Are you that type of personality where people want to have you back in their team? Are you a team player? If not, then we have to tune ourselves to be team players. When we smoothen these rough edges in our life then the purpose in life becomes very clear.

What is the point of doing a purposeful thing? It is because it brings satisfaction. You do something which is not purposeful and it does not bring you satisfaction. So, wanting to have a purpose or no purpose is centered on attaining satisfaction.If you attain satisfaction, every little thing you do will become very useful.

When you say, ‘I want a purpose’, you are the center of it and you are always thinking what you will gain from this. But when you are satisfied, your whole life becomes useful.

And if being useful is the purpose of your life, then be it, and that is it. Got it? You feel very satisfied when you are being useful. This is something that people have to keep in mind, to be useful. And when you say I want to be useful, then wherever you are whatever you do, automatically you will find yourself to be very useful.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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Why Meditate?

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Why Meditate?

If you are unable to Meditate, your mind is chattering too much and nothing works. Just feel that you are a little stupid, then you will be able to sink deep...

Your intellect is a small portion of your total consciousness. If you are stuck in the intellect, you miss a lot. Happiness is when you transcend the intellect. Also, in awe or in feeling stupid, you transcend the intellect. Have you noticed mentally retarded people are more happy?

Question: How do you go beyond the intellect?

Answer: By acting stupid!

Everyone avoids being stupid, no one wants to look dumb. That is really stupid.

Stupidity should be followed by meditation, otherwise depression may follow.

Janael: Can I ask a stupid question?

Sri Sri: All questions are anyway stupid.

Mikey: How do you become stupid?

Yash: By asking the question.

Rajshree: Just be yourself!

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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YAGNAS

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YAGNAS

Yagnas are the ancient method of enriching the subtle. They also purify the individual and the collective consciousness.

Yagna has three aspects:

1. Deva Puja: Acknowledging and honoring the Divine in all the forms.

2. Sangatikarana: Hastening the process of evolution by bringing together all the elements and people in creation.

3. Dana: Sharing and giving what one has been blessed with.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||


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Window Shutters

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Window Shutters

To the degree that you are awake, everything around you brings you knowledge. If you are not awake, then even the most precious knowledge does not make any sense.

(Suddenly there was much noise from outside and Kiran went to shut the window.)

Sri Sri: Awareness depends upon your ability to shut your windows. When there is a storm you need to shut your windows, otherwise you will get wet.

When it is hot and suffocating inside, you need to open your windows. Your senses are like the windows. When you have the ability to open and shut your windows at your will then you are free and you are awake. When your windows cannot be shut or opened, you are bound.

Attending to that is sadhana or practice.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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PADMANABHA - THE LOTUS NAVEL

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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.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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OVERCOMING EVENTS

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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.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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DROP YOUR INTENTIONS

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DROP YOUR INTENTIONS

A strong tendency to keep doing something, whether important or unimportant, becomes an impediment to meditation. Doing starts first with an intention and then translates into action. Though intention springs from the Being, when it becomes doing it doesn't let you settle down. All intentions, good or bad, trivial or important, need to be dropped for meditation to happen.

Vijay: But isn't dropping all intentions itself an intention?

Sri Sri: Yes, but that intention is the last and necessary intention. Dropping the intentions is not an act – just the intention to drop the intentions itself serves the purpose. Dropping all intentions even for a moment brings you in touch with your Self – that instant meditation happens.

While you sit for meditation you have to let the world be the way it is. The repetition of meditation is to habituate our system to be able to stop and start activity at will. The ability to do this consciously is a very precious skill.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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Impression and Expression

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Impression and Expression

Do not make an effort to impress others, or to express yourself. Your effort to express yourself becomes an impediment. Your effort to impress someone also becomes futile. If you do not try to impress, expression comes naturally. When you come from the self, your expression is perfect and your impression lasts for ages.

Often you don't seem to have a control over your impressions and expressions. Wisdom is selecting your impressions and expressions. Enlightenment is when you do not take any impressions at all, whether good or bad. Then you "master" the art of expression. Many impressions in the mind cause:

- Confusion

- Distraction

- Chaos

- Lack of focus

- and finally, derangement of the mind.

Nature has inbuilt in us a system through which it releases some of the impressions - through dreams and through meditation.

Excessive expression loses the depth and luster, the serenity of yourself. Meditation erases the impressions and improves the expression.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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THE WELL BAKED POT

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THE 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 Guru Dev ||

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BOREDOM AND SADHANA

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BOREDOM AND SADHANA

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.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||


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The Paradox of Sacrifice

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The Paradox of Sacrifice

All the scriptures of the world glorify sacrifice. What is sacrifice?

It is giving up something that you value. You can only sacrifice that which you would like to keep for yourself; in other words, that which gives you pleasure and joy. You cannot sacrifice something that you dislike or disown. Sacrifice is always related to a higher cause for a greater good. At the same time, when your love for the greater good is so strong, nothing else assumes any value. Sacrifice here becomes irrelevant, because love alone is your strongest driving force. So when there is so much love there cannot be sacrifice. At the same time when there is no love, there is no sacrifice.

For example, if a mother has made plans to see a movie and she realizes that her child is sick, she does not say that she has sacrificed the movie to nurse her child, because she simply did not want to go. Nothing else seems to charm the mother besides being with her child.

You do not sacrifice something for someone you are in love with. Sacrifice indicates that your pleasure has more value than the cause for which you are sacrificing. When the love is lukewarm, then sacrifice assumes meaning. Yet sacrifice purifies the human mind and reins in selfish tendencies. It can also bring pride, arrogance, self-pity and sometimes even depression.

You can sacrifice only that which you value. For a wise man nothing is more valuable than truth, values and the Divine, and he will never sacrifice those. God is the greatest, and if he values the greatest then how can he sacrifice God? This is the paradox of sacrifice.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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SACRIFICE

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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!

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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Reverence and Ownership

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Reverence and Ownership

Often you do not have reverence for that which you own.

Whatever you revere becomes bigger than you.

When you have reverence in all your relationships then your own consciousness expands. Then even small things appear to be significant and big. Every little creature appears to be dignified.

It is the reverence in every relationship that saves the relationship. Often you lose reverence for that which you own, and this happens unconsciously.

When you have reverence for the whole universe, you are in harmony with the while universe. Then, you do not need to reject or renounce anything of this universe.

Reverence in ownership frees you from greed, jealousy and lust. Cultivate the skill of having reverence every moment in your life.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||


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Adulation

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Adulation

Adulation shows the magnanimity of the one who adores, rather than the one who is adored!

Adulation indicates that the ego has become transparent;

the best antidote for ego is adulation.

Adulation works in three ways:

If it is for someone else, it is not palatable to an egoistic person.

If it is for you, it boosts your ego.

If you adore somebody, it dissolves your ego and makes you magnanimous.

Unanimous chorus : When Guruji is adulated, E V E R Y O N E adores it! (laughter)

Adulation indicates the magnanimity of the person who is adoring. And the one who is great, does not get swayed by adulation. So the test of the greatness of a person is that he is not shaken by any amount of adulation.

A desire for adulation is a sign of immaturity.

Aversion to adulation is small-mindedness.

Lack of adulation in life is dryness and boredom.

A healthy mind would always like to adulate, to elevate others.
An unhealthy mind would like to pull down everything.

Adulation indicates the trust, enthusiasm and richness in a culture.

Lack of adulation is a self-centred, small-minded, fearful and culturally-impoverished society.

Being indifferent to adulation when it comes to you and being magnanimous when it is to be given, is the way of the wise!

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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Respect

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Respect

When someone respects you, it is not because you possess some virtues, it is because of their generosity, their greatness. If you say God is great, it makes YOU great. God is anyway already great, you saying so doesn't affect God.

When you respect someone, it only shows your own magnanimity. How many people you don't respect in the world, that much less is your wealth. If you respect everyone in the world, that much more is your value. Wiser is the one who respects everyone.

Question : But Gurudev, you can't respect a terrorist!

Sri Sri : You have to respect a terrorist too because he shows you the way at his own cost.

Respectfulness is a quality of refined consciousness. Respect for the Self is faith. Faith is being open.

If you are open, you are close.

If you are close, you cannot but open up.

|| Jai Guru Dev ||

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