Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 24Feb2016

"When we are in activity our mind is always in the front. You just close your eyes, you’ll feel your mind is in the front. Because the mind goes through the eyes to look at the world and through the ears. The mind is mostly focused, during activity, in the frontal part of the body. For relaxing we take our mind to the background. You see suddenly there is some difference happening. It is necessary, from time to time."

Ques: In the beginning of Rudra Puja there is shloka, ‘na karmana na prajaya dhanena tyagenaike amritatvamanashuh’, what does it mean?
#SriSri: Yes, this is a very nice one! This is said to the Saints, Sanyasis, enlightened people, this is usually the mantra that they say while doing pranam, the vedic pundits. ‘na karmana na prajaya dhanena’, not through actions, not through money, not through fame or progeny or following, the nectar is achieved thru renunciation. ‘Tyagenaike amritatvamanashuh’, the nectar, immortality, can only be achieved through renunciation. ‘parena nakam nihitam guhayam’, ‘nakam’ means beyond the heavens, beyond the sorrow and beyond the heaven also. ‘parena nakam’ beyond the pleasures. ‘nihitam guhayam’, that which is in the depth of one’s heart, in the cave of the heart, the enlightened Saints, they live there. ‘Bibhrajate yadyatayo vishanti’, the ‘yatis’, meaning the Saints they live in the heart, the inner cave of the heart. There, deep inside, they are shining. That is the mantra they say while doing pranam. That which is shining in the heart, that is where the Saints are present, they are immersed there. There could be many meanings like that, immersed in it, they are into it, they live there etc. This is what we have always been saying. ‘Vedanta vijnana suniscitarthah’, they are so certain about the knowledge of the Vedas. Vedanta is, all is one, quantum physics. What appears is not the truth, what is not appearing, that which is beyond all the apperances, that is the truth. And that scientifically established. ‘suniscitarthah’, it is so sure about it, not doubting it at all. We are very well in the conviction of the Vedants. ‘samnyasa yogadyataya suddha sattvah’, with sansyas yoga, you are of pure intellect. ‘te brahma lokesu paranta kale paramratah parimucyanti sarve’, not only do they attain the Brahman after leaving the body, but they show the path while they are alive, they take everyone along. ‘Dharam vipapam paramesma bhutam, yad pundarikam puramadhya sagastham, tatrapi dahram gaganam visokam’, they live in a space which is free from sorrow and bring everyone into that space. And let me be in that space, that is the prayer, let me be in that space of the Saint. Just coming into that space mentally, not just physically, mentally getting into that space where the Saint lives or Guru lives, itself brings you freedom. ‘gaganam’ it’s so deep, it’s so vast, ‘visokam’, it has no sorrow in it. So many words, they all indicate to one thing, that is the space that is beyond all name and form.’Tasmin ya dantastatu pasidavyam’, that which is inside, that is worth going near, worth appreciating. ‘Yo vedadau svara proktah vedante ca pratistitaha, tasya prakriti linasya yah parahssa mahesvaraha’, where are u looking for God? Don’t look for Him at all! This life is God, this world is God. Don’t blame the world around. It has various names and forms but It is all God. ‘Yo vedadau svara proktah’, that which is said in all the Vedas, that which has been sung in all the scriptures of the world, that which has been established by Vedanta, that Divinity which is right within you, everywhere, around you. ‘tasya prakriti linasya’, that which is present in the nature, in the whole Universe, ‘lina’ means immersed, ‘prakriti’ means nature, that which is immersed in the nature. ‘yah parahssa mahesvaraha’, still it is beyond the nature, that which is immersed in nature. It is in nature, still it is beyond the nature, that is Divinity. And that Divinity is in you, as you. So relax, repose. This is Vedanta.

Ques: I was always taught to put effort. But coming here, life seems effortless. Please comment.
#SriSri: As long as your job is getting done, you don’t have to worry. Life is a combination of both effort and effortlessness. You have to put some effort somewhere at some time and then you have to let go also, both.

Ques: Can you please say something about the Devikavacham?
#SriSri: The Devikavacham is different names of the Devi taken in different parts of the body. It’s almost like Yoga Nidra but with names. Because every name has got some qualities and some energy and that affects some parts. Because name and for are very closely related. Devikavacham, just listening to it, let this Devi be in my tummy, let this Devi be in my ear, this Devi be in my forehead, like that every part of the body and also the seven ‘dhatus’ (elements of the body) in the body. ‘Kavach’ means armour, creating an armour around us. It’s very nice, Bhanu has sung that in one of the tapes, Cosmic Resonnance. It’s very meditative. Just a little flute music only, no other music. The Devikavacham, it says the Mother Divine’s names like an armour aroung us, our body. Especially during Navaratris, this is done all the all the nine days. It is very important. Listen to it, sit and listen to it. The protection is anyway there, but this somewhere does something, elevates one’s spirit.

Ques: During homas or meditation sessions, if I take my relatives along with me in my mind, does it have an impact on them?
#SriSri: Yes, sure. Thought waves can reach far and wide.

Ques: Can you give us a message for padayatra? (Question from international Vedic Wisdom participants who are about to embark on padayatras as part of the program)
#SriSri: Padayatra, just go around and talk to people. Though India is a land of wisdom, unfortunately many have not realized it. For whatever reason it has not reached to the common masses. Though it is there, last two generations and a long colonial rule that India has undergone, systematically this has been sidelined or destroyed. That is why many people are at loss. That is why whatever little wisdom we have, it’s better that we start encouraging people, sharing with them, asking them to meditate and sing along. That is what padyatra is all about. And they would love it, when people are coming and telling them, they will enjoy it. In this country unfortunately, the wisdom has been confined to certain sections of society or some elite group, it was not avaialable for the masses. For the first time in the Art of Living, we said, no we want to go to the masses. Of course, everybody has some rituals but then there are other people who have come and told them, ‘Hey, this is nonsense, you shouldn’t do all this singing , these sort of things.’ Some people have also been told that your God is not the real God, my God is the real God. This sort of ignorance has been stuffed in the society, it’s so unfortunate. They say if you do all this bhajans, sing, if you go to temples, you will all go to hell. Day before yesterday, one lady was here, she was crying, ‘My son now refuses to go to the temple and refuses to take part in any religious functions’ Because he was being brainwashed by somebody that these are all devil practice, you have to go to my God only, then you will go to heaven. This sort of wrong indoctrination, there are mild indoctrinations, there is another extreme indoctrination. They say you will get heaven only when you are in a warrior mode, when you are ready to kill yourself, suicide bombers. Why would somebody do a suicide bomb? Because they were given temptation of going to heaven. This is another types of brainwashing. We need to re-instill the faith in unity, in diversity and many names, many forms, freedom to worship, freedom to honour and co-exist, this is the root of ancient Vedic culture, let’s honour everybody, the whole world is one family, this is the message we need to give. When we go on padayatra, tell people who are moving away from their roots, hold on to your roots. There is a deep sense of low self-esteem in this country. That is to be removed. Because of long colonial rule and other things, lack of self-esteem, they don’t honour what they have, what they are. So we need to tell them, hey it’s ok the way you are, your belief system is fine, there is nothing wrong, you won’t go to hell! This reassurance is needed. And don’t fall prey to these people who come and say, your Gods are going to take you to heel, only my God will take you to heaven, this is sort of brainwashing, tell them that this is not true. That’s all we need to tell them, have faith in yourself, in your traditions, your customs and have a broad vision. Fanaticism is no good. It’s not the sign of intelligence. Fanaticism is not a sign of intelligence. Intelligent people are very scientific, open, happy, inquisitive, they are innovative, they are an inspiration to others. Fanatics are scary, they will only bring you fear. They put fear in others, ‘hell will come to fall on your head’! Even yesterday when I was in Tamil Nadu people were telling me, earlier in a village, everyone was together. In the Hindu festivals, Christians would all come and they say now in the last decade or so, the division has become much bigger, they say. People say, don’t take prasadam in the temple. Even if it is given they just throw it on the floor. Because this fear has been induced in the mind, if you eat prasadam or some food from a temple, you will go to hell or evil will enter into you! So they are not having a common meal together, which was not the case before. That is so unfortunate. They were sharing with Me, that this has become a big division among the three communities nowadays. That is why the World Culture Festival will bring in everyone together. Tell them that everyone is a child of God, there is no satan who will enter into you if eat your prasadam somewhere. Fear and guilt has been induced into people’s mind to keep them aloof. That needs to be got rid of.

Ques: So many of our soldiers have been killed by terrorist attacks, what can we do? How can spiritual knowledge help soldiers?
#SriSri: Spiritual knowledge is always useful in may ways. Soldiers have a lot anxiety. If they have anxiety, they can help them. There are so many soldiers committing suicide out of depression, they can come out of depression, it can help them to handle their mind, it can help them to better their intuitive abilities. For terrorism, education is required. Those who have become terrorists we can’t do much about them, unless we get them into a jail. We can do work with them in the prison. But we can stop children getting into this mindset. So down the line, ten years, fifteen years later, at least we will have no child with such mentality. If you ask me how, I’ll give you an example. See, children, a few decades ago, in the tribal region, in poor areas, they never knew how to brush their teeth. Take for example, the African continent. There are many people who did not know how to brush their teeth! But today that is not the case. From young age we teach them how to brush their teeth. So dental hygiene has become a common thing. There was polio, now polio has been eradicated, how? We attended at the very infant level. Like if we could eradicate cholera and polio and these diseases by attending to kids, we can vaccinate with them anti-radicalization, we can vaccinate kids against terrorism. This is the only way we can do it. De-radicalize youths, who have already gone into that mindset and give vaccination to kids who have not yet walked that path.