There people who think they have freedom, they feel that they are not restricted by the rules of society, they say that they are not interested in commitments in relationships,then sleep with anyone they have a fancy for. This is not freedom, the need to have to be with someone is itself bondage, it is also not love, expression of love need not be restricted to a relationship. Freedom comes only when you truly understand yourself, getting into complicated affairs and then try to apply your understanding of freedom will get you nowhere because the action contradicts itself, you can't tie yourself up and declare that you are free.
Below are some questions you might want to ponder with-
Are you in love? Are you still in love? Do you want to reconnect with the person you used to love? Do you think that he or she is happier than you are now? Do you have the time for each other or are you both to busy? Have you been able to preserve your freshness and beauty for yourself and for the other person? Are you capable to offer him or her freshness and beauty everyday? Do you know how to handle the suffering in yourself? Are you able to help handle the suffering in the other person? Do you understand your own suffering and the roots of that suffering? Are you able to understand the suffering in the other person? Do you have the capacity to help the other person suffer less? Have you learned the way to calm down the painful feelings and emotions? Do you have the time to listen to yourself, your suffering, your difficulties, and your deepest desire? Do you have the time to listen to him or her and help him or her to suffer less? Are you capable of creating a feeling of joy and happiness for yourself? Are you capable of helping the other person to create a feeling of joy and happiness? Do you really think you have a clear spiritual path to go? Do you have the feeling of peace and contentment within yourself? Do you know to nourish your love everyday?
Think about the above, look at your own answers, you may find out something about yourself.
Love
Alan
Sharing Some Knowledge
We had a group from Tamil Nadu singing poems today.
#SriSri: The poems they have recited, the group that has come from Tamil Naidu belongs to one of 63 saints of Tamil Nadu. There were 63 Shaiva saints (Saints who worship Shiva) in Tamil Nadu. The 3rd one of them is called ‘Manikya Vachaka’. It means that his words are like pearl of wisdom. They are like diamond and rubies. Whenever he would talk or speak something, it would be so clear that it would be like diamonds or rubies.
In this song he has done a beautiful analysis of life. He says how god is playing is like a girl playing skipping with the rope. So, every time they jump, they see that they miss the rope and they don’t step on it, otherwise they will fall. So, you jump with that skill that you do with the skipping and that’s how you have to face all different issues in life. Skip them all to reach to the divine.
It says that the Shiva opened his third eye and burned the three cities. What are these three cities? The ones in which the mind keeps on revolving. The first one is Karma or the past impression, Second is ego and the third is delusion. These are three cities in which a human being gets trapped and he goes round and round and to get out of it, to find freedom, to attain liberation, you need God’s grace. That’s why they say play on it like skipping rope. The problems are like ropes but you need to have skill to skip it. This is what the song means.
There is another meaning. The three cities are waking, dreaming and sleeping. When the grace dawns, when the divine comes in the life, then you reach the 4th state of consciousness which is Shiva itself. That is 'Turya' state or the meditative state. That is what you are doing when you are meditating; you are neither awake, nor sleeping nor dreaming
There is another meaning. The three cities are waking, dreaming and sleeping. When the grace dawns, when the divine comes in the life, then you reach the 4th state of consciousness which is Shiva itself. That is 'Turya' state or the meditative state. That is what you are doing when you are meditating; you are neither awake, nor sleeping nor dreaming
This is a beautiful song, which was about 2,000 years old. There is a small group that is preserving these ancient couplets from the saints. I asked them to come here. You can sit and talk about it hours and hours and forget about everything else. So In India, every corner, there are many devotees, so many saints have sung in who have sung beautiful poems. Every province of India had spiritual awakening and the saints wrote so beautiful verses. India is a land of philosophy, saints and knowledge.
Q: How did the ancient saints had so much scientific knowledge & understanding without any scientist instrument like microscope?
#SriSri: It is mind boggling. A scientist had written a book called physics in ‘’Vaishashik Darshan’. I don’t read too many books but I read a couple of sutras. The ancient Rishis and Saints have described the atom about 5000 years ago. It describes that how if one atom is destroyed; it destroys many other atoms, their connection and movements. Knowledge of one atom is liberating. It only indicates that there is another way to attain knowledge, which is not just through the senses. What is called the 6th Sense. Using the 6th sense you can know many things about the past and the future.
In art of living we have developed a program for the kids to develop their intuition or to open up their 6th sense. Children only take a few hours or weeks to develop this. They would be able to read with their eyes closed. You know some children even told what I'm going to say in evening Satsang 2 days back. So their intuitive ability or the ability to access 6th sense is coming very fast. I’m sure this is what the ancient Rishi’s had access to. If you go to Thanjavur , which was built one thousand years ago, you can see they have carved a picture of a British person with hat and a gun. A thousand years ago it was not there, but they had foreseen that the British would come and rule over this place So, there is 6th sense or the intuitive ability which all of us also have used at some point or the other, but it has to be methodically accessed. Through Meditation.
#SriSri: It is mind boggling. A scientist had written a book called physics in ‘’Vaishashik Darshan’. I don’t read too many books but I read a couple of sutras. The ancient Rishis and Saints have described the atom about 5000 years ago. It describes that how if one atom is destroyed; it destroys many other atoms, their connection and movements. Knowledge of one atom is liberating. It only indicates that there is another way to attain knowledge, which is not just through the senses. What is called the 6th Sense. Using the 6th sense you can know many things about the past and the future.
In art of living we have developed a program for the kids to develop their intuition or to open up their 6th sense. Children only take a few hours or weeks to develop this. They would be able to read with their eyes closed. You know some children even told what I'm going to say in evening Satsang 2 days back. So their intuitive ability or the ability to access 6th sense is coming very fast. I’m sure this is what the ancient Rishi’s had access to. If you go to Thanjavur , which was built one thousand years ago, you can see they have carved a picture of a British person with hat and a gun. A thousand years ago it was not there, but they had foreseen that the British would come and rule over this place So, there is 6th sense or the intuitive ability which all of us also have used at some point or the other, but it has to be methodically accessed. Through Meditation.
Q: What is the importance of rituals in Spirituality?
#SriSri: Rituals brings color to spirituality. It connects the outer with the inner. Rituals are the connection between the gross and the subtle. When you have the key for the door or the house, the portico of house has meaning. The rituals are like the portico. The entrance of the house (portico) you decorate it very nicely, it is very uplifting. Without the portico also you can get into the house, but portico makes it nicer. So little bit of rituals (not too much) adds color and flavor and deepens the spiritual experience.
#SriSri: Rituals brings color to spirituality. It connects the outer with the inner. Rituals are the connection between the gross and the subtle. When you have the key for the door or the house, the portico of house has meaning. The rituals are like the portico. The entrance of the house (portico) you decorate it very nicely, it is very uplifting. Without the portico also you can get into the house, but portico makes it nicer. So little bit of rituals (not too much) adds color and flavor and deepens the spiritual experience.
Q: Politics seems to bring out worst in people, but this is not always the case. What can we do to change this?
#SriSri: Bring good people. People who have achieved success in their life, business, profession or other fields. They should come forward and take active role. There is a void in politics. If there is a void, it will get filled with bad people who are good for nothing and it will only lead to corruption
#SriSri: Bring good people. People who have achieved success in their life, business, profession or other fields. They should come forward and take active role. There is a void in politics. If there is a void, it will get filled with bad people who are good for nothing and it will only lead to corruption
Q: People get hurt from me so often and I have realized that I have become so insensitive. What should I do?
#SriSri: Do some silence program. It is though the tongue that you hurt them. More than any weapon, more than guns and swords, it is tongue which can go deep into people's heart and hurt them. So,do some silence program and go deep within. There is a couplet written by one of the saints in Karnataka that says: It is through words that you have fun, people make jokes. So, if you use the words properly you can create humor. Humor, joy and happiness can come through words. It is though words you can garner enmity. It is through talking or words you can gain many types wealth. So in the world, words are precious; like diamonds. So, watch what you say. This will happen when you meditate. Do Sahaj twice a day and see how your control of speech improves.
#SriSri: Do some silence program. It is though the tongue that you hurt them. More than any weapon, more than guns and swords, it is tongue which can go deep into people's heart and hurt them. So,do some silence program and go deep within. There is a couplet written by one of the saints in Karnataka that says: It is through words that you have fun, people make jokes. So, if you use the words properly you can create humor. Humor, joy and happiness can come through words. It is though words you can garner enmity. It is through talking or words you can gain many types wealth. So in the world, words are precious; like diamonds. So, watch what you say. This will happen when you meditate. Do Sahaj twice a day and see how your control of speech improves.
Q: How to get over the feeling of loneliness?
#SriSri: Know that you are not alone
#SriSri: Know that you are not alone
Q: I know that you are there always. I have not set a goal for myself; can you set a goal for me?
#SriSri: C'mon, you should set a goal for yourself. It’s like asking me to digest the food you eat! I can feed you but you need to digest the food.
Okay, to begin with maybe you can say let’s do some good service to the society. At least for now there is World Cultural festival which is 4 months away. Till then focus on that- to bring the world together. Bringing people from all over the world together and celebrating as one world, one family. This is what we are focusing on.
#SriSri: C'mon, you should set a goal for yourself. It’s like asking me to digest the food you eat! I can feed you but you need to digest the food.
Okay, to begin with maybe you can say let’s do some good service to the society. At least for now there is World Cultural festival which is 4 months away. Till then focus on that- to bring the world together. Bringing people from all over the world together and celebrating as one world, one family. This is what we are focusing on.
Q: What is the purpose of World cultural festival?
#SriSri: Bringing people from all over the world together and celebrating as one world, one family. People from all over world anyway come to ashram – A group from China comes or I go to Europe and people from all over Europe come to German ashram. Then I go to Canada , America or South America. So we have been doing our celebration in pockets, People come at different times from different places. So I said why don’t we come all together at one place at one time and celebrate together! We did this 5 years ago in Berlin and before that in 10 years ago Bangalore. Once in few years it’s nice to bring everyone together under one roof and celebrate! There is a saying in Sanskrit- there is no Joy in small things. Whatever is grand, it brings more joy. So we will do something very beautiful and grand!
#SriSri: Bringing people from all over the world together and celebrating as one world, one family. People from all over world anyway come to ashram – A group from China comes or I go to Europe and people from all over Europe come to German ashram. Then I go to Canada , America or South America. So we have been doing our celebration in pockets, People come at different times from different places. So I said why don’t we come all together at one place at one time and celebrate together! We did this 5 years ago in Berlin and before that in 10 years ago Bangalore. Once in few years it’s nice to bring everyone together under one roof and celebrate! There is a saying in Sanskrit- there is no Joy in small things. Whatever is grand, it brings more joy. So we will do something very beautiful and grand!
Yesterday I was in Mysore, where we had a huge program, and then I’m travelling to Kolkata and different regions of the country. We have huge satsangs, but people from one province have not met another. But if all come together and meditate, it can create ripples of positivity.
The purpose of the world cultural festival is to give the world a message that we are one world, one family. Second, That we all co-exist with our differences. Third, It is an opportunity for religious leaders politicians and business leaders to come together and renew their vision to work towards the welfare of the society. Fourth is to care for the environment. To create a buzz in the world that we care for the birds, we care for the mountains, trees, plants, and environment. This is the message we need to pass on to the world. The fifth message would be to encourage the traditional musicians, people from every country, who have been preserving the folk dances, folk music and traditional music – to give them world platform. This would really bring the values that are going in the background to the forefront. The Sixth message - The good people are there in the world and they are alive and they active and they care for the planet and every individual.
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