Wonder

WONDER

Excerpts from the talks by

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Publications Trust, India

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ISBN: 978-93-85898-16-7

Layout by: Sri Sri Publications Trust

Question Answer Sessions with

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Contents

Title

Introduction

CHAPTER 1 ANCIENT WISDOM

CHAPTER 2 DISPASSION

CHAPTER 3 DIVINITY

CHAPTER 4 DUALITY & NON DUALITY

CHAPTER 5 EGO

CHAPTER 6 ENLIGHTENMENT

CHAPTER 7 FAITH AND DEVOTION

CHAPTER 8 GURU

CHAPTER 9 HEALTH

CHAPTER 10 KARMA

CHAPTER 11 LOVE

CHAPTER 12 MIND

CHAPTER 13 MISCELLANEOUS

The Art of Living & The International Association for Human Values

The Founder

Follow Sri Sri On:

The Art of Living In Service Around The World

The Art of Living Programs

International Centres

Landmarks

Cover

Introduction

No matter how much one learns, there is always much more to learn in life. Many times, we carry questions within ourselves but they remain in the background behind various things that demand our attention in daily life. Many times, we do not find anybody close who would understand us and be able to provide answers.

Wherever he is in the world, Gurudev likes to hold informal gatherings in which there is a little bit of singing, some meditation and some discussion. His bearing is relaxed and sensitive and in the secure and celebrative environment around him, many people spontaneously feel, Maybe he can tell me...

Watching questions begin to pop out from the gathering when Gurudev opens the floor for them can be anything from moving, inspiring, illuminating, hilarious and, on occasion, bizarre too. It is a phenomenon to watch Gurudev respond to questions. They dwell on a wide array of subjects - relationships, health, environment, politics, meditation, social issues and just about anything under the sun and he is at ease answering all of them. The manner of his response is such that even if it is not your own question, you still find something opening up within that takes you to a simple yet deeper understanding of life and yourself.

Quite often, he is asked similar questions or even one that he has answered many times. He might or might not repeat his response. In this book, we have made an effort to capture all possible responses he has given to the same question.

Gurudev often says that knowledge should be like gossip - light and fun. That is the flavour that colours everything he does and we hope it reaches you through this book.

CHAPTER 1

ANCIENT WISDOM

Q. Gurudev, please talk on the story of Ajmila in Srimad Bhagwad.

Gurudev: In Srimad Bhagwad there is a story of king Ajamila. He had many vices. When he was on his death bed he called out for his son whose name was Narayana. And when he uttered God’s name (Narayana), he got liberated. This story is there to build trust in people; that, however their past had been, there is no need to waste time in tension and guilt about it. Even at the last moment if you chant Narayana’s (Lord’s) name, you have a chance to be liberated. This does not at all mean that you do whatever you want all your life and, at the last moment, chant Narayana’s name. It doesn’t give you the license to indulge in vices. It only indicates that you don’t have to be guilty about your past and go on repenting it. The past is gone. At least, now be devoted and connected to the Divine.

Q. What is the meaning of the shloka- Akhanda mandal akaram, vyaptam yena characharam, tad padam darshitam yena tasmai shri guruve namah?

Gurudev: The Guru who gives us the experience of the eternally present consciousness - we bow down to that Guru.

Q. Gurudev, there are so many people in the world who are suffering on account of ancient beliefs and rituals. Can you please talk about it?

Gurudev: People are also suffering due to modern beliefs. They think drugs, cigarettes, alcohol, etc., gives them joy but they suffer due to them. Not every ancient belief is wrong and not every modern belief is right. We need to accept combinations of both the old and the new. People are suffering because of superstitions which have no sanction of scriptures or science. People are suffering because of some rituals which are not at all part of the ancient scriptures. It’s the lack of wisdom that makes people suffer.

Q. What is the meaning of Ashwamedha?

Gurudev: Ashwamedha means to purify. Shwa means that which is the past or the future. Ashwa means that which is present and Medha means cleansing. Ashwamedha is when the cleansing of the mind and buddhi (intellect) takes place in the present moment. Keep the mind/buddhi (intellect) in the present moment.

Q. What does the mantra ‘Bhadram karne-bhi-h shrnuyam deva...’ mean?

Gurudev: This is the first mantra to be recited before any pooja. It means - let my ears hear good things, let my eyes see good things, let us speak only good words and let our lives be on the Divine path.

Q. In the Bhagwad Geeta, there are two ways described for liberation. Bhakti Marg- the way of devotion and Gyan Marg- the way of knowledge. Which one is better?

Gurudev: They are not two different paths. Suppose, you like rice pudding. How can you like rice pudding without knowing what it is. The knowledge of it will kindle a liking for it. Love and knowledge go hand in hand. Once you know about something, you go for it. Bhakti, Gyan and Karma are three legs of the same table. Krishna told Arjuna all the steps and finally said to drop it all and just relax. For you everything is done. ‘Shama jali hai tere liye tujhko kuch nahi karna hai’ - the lamp is lit for you; you don’t have to do anything.

Q. Why are there so many secrets in the universe?

Gurudev: We are in a universe full of secrets. We are floating in the ocean of infinite secrets. There are infinite secrets in every atom. Science tries to discover and reveal them but this attempt is like trying to cover an ocean in a small boat. What science tries to discover is extremely small, and there is so much more left to be discovered. It is impossible to unveil all secrets. When science finds one secret, ten more arise. No scientist can say that he knows all the secrets of the universe. As science discovers more, it finds that there is so much more that is unknown. That is a secret.

So, love the secret! Honour the secret! This is the Chidambara Rahasya. There are infinite secrets in the consciousness. You can’t understand all of them. The sky is endless. Like the sky, even secrets are endless. Our ancestors honoured secrecy. A mantra is kept secret when we want to do japa (chant).

What you keep as a secret, grows. We don’t express our love. We don’t say I love you everyday. When you are so deeply in love, just one glance is enough. Sometimes, by saying it many times, love diminishes. If you do not express yourself at all then, too, it is of no use.

There is an appropriate way to express your life experiences. It should be like sowing a seed. It is a sown a few inches deep - not just on the surface nor too deep. Then the relationship lasts for the whole lifetime. No child tells the mother, I love you, all the time. It is shown through his actions.

Q. Please explain the Chidambara Rahasya.

Gurudev: Chidambaram is the place of Shiva symbolising the akash tattva (the principle of space). Space is formless. In the sanctum sanctorum of this temple, there is a veil. Beyond the veil there is nothing; just empty space. We can only know the secret of Shiva tattva by going there. There are three types of space that is described.

• Bhutakash - the physical body,

• Chittakash - thoughts and emotions, and

• Chidakash - the vast, Supreme Consciousness.

The life-force energy is awakened in the Chidakash. The secret of the Chidambara can only be experienced through self-effort on the spiritual path.

Q. Gurudev, in the Geeta, Lord Krishna has said that people who remember him and serve him are more close to him. On the other hand, we say that God loves everyone equally. Please explain.

Gurudev: Krishna gives a long list of those who are very close to him. The twelfth chapter of the Geeta is about this. He said, The one who has no dislike for anybody, the one who is compassionate and friendly with everyone, the one who does not have extreme attachment, the one who does not have ego, those who are equanimous in all situations – they are all close to me.

Your liking something does not mean you don’t like anything else. Krishna also said this to create confusion. His work was to only create confusion. So when Arjuna was completely shaken by confusion, he asked Krishna to tell him just a single thing to follow. Then Krishna said, All this is one. Even if I say different things, it is all one.

Q. Gurudev, singing Shiva and Krishna songs in satsang make many people wonder. Although we imbibe so many good vibrations, this still makes some people think that we are singing Hindu songs. Why do we sing songs of so many Gods? People from other religions get confused between the real meaning of satsang and the symbolic meaning behind mantras.

Gurudev: The sound of Om Namah Shivaya includes all the five elements - Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether. Hinduism is not a religion as such. People have been chanting this for thousands of years. Mantras are those sounds which you hear from deep within during meditation and the aim is to bring one back to the source. Later, people started associating faces and drawings with these mantras. Mantras have got certain vibrations/energy. They are universal.

Even in churches in Latin America Marnah naath is used. Its translation in Latin and Sanskrit is so close. For Lord the word in Latin is naath and so, too, in Sanskrit. The word naath is used to mean Lord. So the word marnah nath means My lord, which is used in Christianity is actually a Sanskrit word.

Chanting in Sanskrit is beneficial because Sanskrit is the oldest language known to mankind. It has a deep impact on the consciousness. We welcome all songs - Japanese, Korean or Spanish. You are welcome to sing any song that you want in our satsangs. We sing a lot of songs in Spanish and Portuguese in satsangs in South America.

Of course, in India everybody easily connects with ancient mantras. In Vedic chanting, many times you don’t know even the meaning but it has some effect.

Rudra Abhishek has been practiced for over thousands of years. We use crystal, milk, yoghurt, flowers etc. They all make an certain impact and send out positive vibrations.

Q. It is said that Lord Krishna was embodied with all the sixteen kalas, Lord Rama with twelve, and Hanuman with fourteen. If it is like this, then how can we call Lord Rama as incarnation of God?

Gurudev: A devotee is higher than the God. This has been said to sing the glory of devotees. In reality, both the Guru and the disciple are God. God himself bends to sing the glory of a devotee and to raise the level of a devotee. It is like a father carrying his son on his shoulder. Then, the son is taller than him. If Hanuman was not stronger than Sri Rama, then how could he have helped Sri Rama. The one who is stronger than me can carry my suitcase. Sri Rama also needed help from Hanuman. In the same way, God also wants your help. So, we should work to uplift the society. The one who does the work of God, works for the good of society, is also taken care of by God. Working for God and for the good of society, is an indication of divinity blossoming in you. So, Hanumanji helped Sri Rama, but he never got into the state of ego.

Q. You have talked about hidden meanings behind symbols in Hinduism which seems to be very illogical. Could you please talk about many crores of devtas?

Gurudev: Crores or koti; koti also means types. Thirty-three crores means thirty-three types of Divine impulses. There are thirty-three types of divine impulses in our body, too. There are thirty-three types of genes in our body. One type fashions the eye, another the nose, a third the eardrums, etc.

Like this, there are thirty-three rays of Divinity. There is one light, one God, one Parmatma. Yet there are thirty-three aspects. Devas are the thirty-three different aspects of Divinity. Here crores is not referred to as a number. The Divine has no form but the ancient saints have said that you can adore Him in any form or name. All the thousand names belong to only one God. This is a very, very deep science or knowledge. It is amazing. When you go deeper into this, then you feel the Wow.

Q. In the family of Shiva, each vaahan (vehicle - usually an animal associated with a form of God) is the enemy of the other in the animal kingdom. There is a bull, a mouse, a peacock etc yet they live together in peace. How is it so?

Gurudev: The peaceful, non-dual self element that is Shiva brings together everyone and harmonises everything.

Q. What is Dravya Guna Sambandha?

Gurudev: The ancient seers have spoken about the Dravya Guna Sambandha or relationship between the substance and its quality. There is a very interesting debate on if we can separate the quality from the substance. The whole philosophy is very interesting and the conclusion was that you cannot separate the quality from the substance. Can the sweetness in sugar be separated from sugar? Will it still remain sugar? Can heat and light be separated from fire? Will it still be fire after that? What brings the quality into the substance? What comes first - the quality or the substance? There are many questions like this. The subtler you go is the parame vyoman (principles of the universe). Yasmin devaadhi vishwe nishedu -All the devis and devtas reside there, in that space. Yattanaveda yati vaanaveda - What is the use of knowing the vedic hymns and mantras without knowing the parame vyoman; without understanding the principles of the universe? Swarupa is the quality of that space. Swarupa is that consciousness. It cannot be fully translated into English.

Q. What is the significance of Ananta Padma Chaturdashi and what is the reason behind wearing a thread on the wrist?

Gurudev: Ananta Padma Chaturdashi celebrates the Ananta (The infinite, The eternal). Experiencing the infinite is the highest aim in life. Without the experience of the eternal, human life is like the animal life. A mere glimpse of the vast infinity of the Self brings transformation in our lives. All seekers do this, they become seekers due to a glimpse of the infinite and they experience it in meditation. The painter portrayed Lord Vishnu like this - there is a ksheer sagar (ocean of milk) with a bed of snakes, on which Maha Vishnu, the lord, rests. Ksheer sagar is the blissful mind; the mind in which waves of contentment arise. The snake represents an awakened state of mind, kundalini shakti, that is within us. The consciousness rests in the blissful and awakened state of mind.

There are three layers to it. The ocean of milk denotes that the environment is very balanced. Only when the environment is favourable can samadhi (deep meditation) take place. Even for the discussion of scriptures or to sit and think peacefully, one needs to be assured that the atmosphere is free from trouble. If there is a flood or earthquake, then no one would read scriptures or talk of research and knowledge. Thus the ocean of milk represents a favourable environment.

Until the depth of knowledge is experienced, it remains on the surface. No matter how many Vedantas one reads, it is important to have a favourable environment. When the kundalini shakti rises, the chaitanya shakti that lies within us, the infinite and eternal, reigns. From the stomach of that infinite power, a lotus came out effortlessly, from which Brahma appeared. Thus the creative power rose from there.

A blissful consciousness gives rise to creative power. The greatest of scientists came up with new inventions, only when they were in rest. It is extremely vital for researchers and those who experiment to have a favourable environment, one without noise and chaos. You cannot ask someone to invent something quickly. Invention is not bound by time and cannot take place in an unfavourable environment.

The navel is also called the second brain. There are two brains in our body. One is the head and the other is the navel. It is called the solar plexus. The work that brain does is supported by the solar plexus. Half of the work is done by it. That is why when the stomach is upset, there is chaos in the mind and there are a lot of thoughts.

So it is said that those who practice yoga sadhana have a blossomed solar plexus. Those who don’t practice yoga sadhana have a smaller one like an amla (Indian Gooseberry). The solar plexus grows to the size of an orange in those who do yoga sadhana and meditation. And in the one in whom the kundalini shakti is fully awakened, it is bigger than an orange. It is like a blossomed lotus.

The thread is a wonderful symbol. Every month we have a festival in India. The message is to celebrate somehow and rise above. Some people fast, some do pooja and, as a symbol of that, they put a thread with fourteen knots around the wrist. This is a day before or after the full moon when we have a festival in our country. The mind is associated with the moon. There is more activity in the mind during the full and the new moons. Psychological and physical illness may increase during these times. Therefore if we are busy in celebrations during those days, then it is good for the health too. And, during full moon, one tends to get less sleep so the activity of the celebrations helps with the sleep.

Every vrat (fast) has associated stories about kings or businessmen who maintained the fasts and overcame their troubles and got immensely benefitted. So, out of greed, people do certain practices. Every story depicts some problems and show how the problems are overcome after performing poojas. These days people think that just by listening to the stories they can overcome their problems. Our ancestors were really skilful. So with every festival they associated some reward.

Thus, desiring the results and benefits or out of fear we remain engrossed in pooja and other rituals. This is not good. The best way is to be grateful for all that we have received in life. To perform poojas out of greed is not very beneficial and the benefit is lesser if it is performed out of fear. But some benefit is there, no matter how it is done.

Q. Gurudev, which is your favourite quote from the Geeta?

Gurudev: I have so many. There is no point in you picking my favourite quote. You read it and find your own favourite quote and keep reviewing it every few years because it may change. You can’t find a more contradictory scripture than Bhagwat Geeta. In every chapter Lord Krishna says something different. It is like climbing one step after another. And all that is said is relevant in a bigger picture. Arjuna also said, "Krishna, you say different things at different times. I am so confused. Please tell me one thing that I should do." Then Lord Krishna says intelligent people know there are many facets and angles. Everything is spherical whereas dull people think that everything is linear.

Q.