With satsang, sadhana and seva our faith becomes very strong

Wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

More happiness we share with others, more happiness we experience.Do you agree with it? Don’t just say yes. First you think and if you agree, then accept that. One can travel the whole world, but only in the Indian tradition you will see that even when the best of knowledge is spoken, one says, ‘You think about it, only if you find it’s right, then accept it.’ After reciting 18 chapters of The Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, ‘You think about it, analyze it, if it appeals to your mind and if you agree then you accept it.’ This means the strength that is within us; the strength of the soul is what gives us this freedom. So now we have to utilize it in the right direction. So whenever we are happy and joyful, we should make an effort to spread this happiness, this joy to minimum ten other people. Will you all do it? Everybody? In my opinion each person has the capability to give happiness to a thousand people. Each one of you can bring light to the lives of a thousand people or more. Like I said, spirituality is the only way through which we can be free from depression. Whether our society gets freedom from misconduct, corruption, injustice or not, we must spread spirituality. In every house, we must tell people to meditate, to get together and have satsang. In whichever village, people have gotten together and done satsang, all negativities have gone away. Mahatma Gandhi had once desired for an honest society that is now becoming a reality in many villages in India. Even in Gujarat, in many villages, this work is ongoing where people have left alcohol, drugs and with much joy and love are serving others. One thing that is very important for you to remember: In everyday life, you may experience some lack here and there. Your mind gets upset or someone has tears in their eyes… this is all part of life, which keeps happening. It has never been like everything in life is perfect, ideal or rosy-rosy. It has never been like that, but to deal with problems we need strength and patience and that comes through sadhana. Don’t think of life as separate from sadhana, your life itself is your sadhana. Understand this and move forward. Don’t think that just by closing my eyes for a few minutes and doing something,sadhana is done. No! Whatever you do, walking, moving about, getting up or sitting down, smiling or getting angry, whatever you do in life is sadhana. We need to look from this perspective and then we experience so much relief. When in yourself, this cool breeze of relief and peace starts to flow then you will see how people around you will also start to feel the same. Already many people are feeling it, isn’t it? It is said that devotion was born in Tamil Nadu, raised in Karnataka and blossomed in Gujarat. So here in Gujarat, devotion blossomed and became complete. Where is the blossoming of devotion? It is in service! We must do as much seva as we can. This does not mean we have to do what we cannot do. No. We have to do as much as is possible for us; and there is nothing as big or small service, the fruit of all service is the same. We must not feel that I have to do that service which is important or big, no, what is important is to have the feeling to be of help to others, and we serve with that feeling. It is in your nature to help and you are helping by doing that. That’s it!  If any of you are feeling ‘I am doing a lot of seva, remove that from your mind today. Who are you doing seva for? Without doing something we cannot live. That’s why we are doing something and if others are benefiting by us doing something, then it is a very good thing, isn’t it. So we must not feel proud of our seva or proud of our good qualities, this is what we need to offer into the fire of knowledge. So offer your negative qualities, also offer your good qualities and good actions, and live life smiling, feeling light and at the same time being immersed into the depths of knowledge. You don’t have to work very hard to achieve love and peace in your life; this is easily achieved in a state of rest and such rest we can experience when there are no small botherations lingering in the mind. Then you experience deep rest; and desires linger in your mind when you do not have faith. When you are thirsty then only the desire for water arises, but what will happen if you sit and think about water all day? Do you understand what I am saying? What does desire mean? A lack of faith that I am going to get what I need. So with satsang, sadhana and seva, our faith becomes very strong and all work gets done like it’s getting done in your lives right now. How many of you have experienced that what you desire is getting fulfilled? So whatever you desire is getting fulfilled, then you should desire for big things. What is the use of desiring for small things? There is no fun in that. I am not saying do this, do that, I am saying do nothing. Now just five minutes before I said spread happiness, now I am saying you don’t have to do anything. Just relax… the contradiction between these two states only is life. That’s why if you read the Gita you will understand everything is contradictory. Gita is our very life; it is not only a holy text. Gita is for everybody, it is our life and in life there are contradictions.

{Daily Sutra} Subject: The Permanent truth!

One thing we need to remember is that the whole story will be finished here! All of us will be gone! We will all go under ground. Life will come to an end, right? If we look back and see so many people we once knew are now gone. Those who were with us, they are all finished. More will go. Everybody will go and one day we will also be gone. This is the permanent truth, the definite truth in life.

{Daily Sutra} Subject: The journey begins!

The guru makes the abstract more real and what you thought as solid appears to be more unreal. Sensitivity and subtlety dawns. Perception of love, not as an emotion, but as the substratum of existence becomes evident. The formless spirit shines through every form in creation and the mystery of life deepens, shattering the atheism. Then the journey begins! 

Knowledge Splash!

If you attend Satsang you don't get much; but if you don't, you lose a lot. Just to maintain where you are, what you are, you need to attend weekly Satsang.

Now, start doing ten minutes of Satsang, sharing of the Knowledge with someone, anyone. You are so used to talking gossip. Now for two weeks, talk Knowledge, especially to those not coming to Satsang. Even on the phone -- suppose you can't find someone at seven o'clock; call someone on the phone and talk Knowledge for a couple of minutes: "What are you doing? What do you want? How can I help you?" Praise the Divine.

This is an exercise. Every day for ten minutes, do individual Satsang and skillfully talk ten minutes of Knowledge. Say, "Everything is temporary, everything is changing." Speak some Knowledge on the changing nature of the world.

- Sri Sri

SUTRA: "The world does not expect you to do what you cannot do. Doing what you can do without expecting anything in return is service." - Sri Sri...

Daily Sutra} Subject: Charge up!

Do you use a cell phone? If you keep on pressing numbers but there is no SIM card inside, will it work? Now if you have the SIM card and no range, will it work? If the range and SIM card are there, but no charge, will it work? Sadhana is the SIM card, range is faith. If you pray and claim that God didn’t hear, you don’t have a SIM card. No prayer will work. The charge is satsang. Temples and Gurudwaras are places to charge up.

Intimacy often gets broken because of ego or your desire. What breaks intimacy?

Ego or taking a position

Desire

Taking intimacy for granted

Finding imperfection in oneself or others

Expectations

Insensitivity or over sensitivity

Lack of vivek or vairagya (lack of discretion or dispassion)

Judgments

Grumbling or lack of gratitude

Dissolving into infinity is the way to maintain intimacy. Intimacy is dissolving into infinity. Dissolving into infinity brings you to the moment. Go beyond events. Dissolve into infinity, be in the moment, and look beyond the events. This is the way to maintain intimacy.

- Sri Sri

|| Jai Guru Dev ||