Thu, 22nd May 2014 Bangalore, India
When can one gain victory (over ignorance or negativity)?
This is explained very beautifully in a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, 'Yatra yogeshvarah Krishno yatra partho dhanur-dharah. Tatra srirvijayo bhutir dhruva nitir-matir mamah'. (18.78)
This is explained very beautifully in a verse from the Bhagavad Gita, 'Yatra yogeshvarah Krishno yatra partho dhanur-dharah. Tatra srirvijayo bhutir dhruva nitir-matir mamah'. (18.78)
Sanjaya recites this as the last verse of the Bhagavad Gita. This last verse is really very interesting. It means that, wherever there is Lord Krishna (The Lord of Yoga), and Arjuna (Supreme among the archers), victory is sure to follow.
What does this mean? Lord Krishna had taken a vow not to use any weapons during theMahabharata war. This is a symbol of being in knowledge, and having fully blossomed in Sattva(positivity or righteousness).
Arjuna symbolizes Karma (one’s duty or righteous action as per one’s nature).
One can gain glory only when both Jnana (knowledge) and Karma (virtuous action) come together. Arjuna alone cannot attain victory in battle (meaning that, liberation cannot be attained by action alone). It cannot happen. In the same way, Lord Krishna also never won or conquered anything just by being in knowledge.
Arjuna symbolizes Karma (one’s duty or righteous action as per one’s nature).
One can gain glory only when both Jnana (knowledge) and Karma (virtuous action) come together. Arjuna alone cannot attain victory in battle (meaning that, liberation cannot be attained by action alone). It cannot happen. In the same way, Lord Krishna also never won or conquered anything just by being in knowledge.
In Gujarat, one of Lord Krishna’s many names is Rannchhodrai (one who flees the battlefield rather than fighting bravely). That is why victory can be attained only when both Lord Krishna (signifying the totality of knowledge) and Arjuna (signifying virtuous action) come together.
Today, India has witnessed such a great victory in the recent elections. Surely both these aspects are present and have contributed to this great victory.
Today, India has witnessed such a great victory in the recent elections. Surely both these aspects are present and have contributed to this great victory.
There seem to a lot of insects flying about today (Gurudev looks and brushes away some insects flying near him). It is so surprising to observe these insects. They are born out of nowhere, in an instant. They fly about here and there, and then suddenly they vanish into nothingness once again. In the same way, this entire population of human beings comes forth to be born from the Brahman (the all-pervading Supreme Consciousness), and soon dissolve back into the Brahman once more. It is all very mysterious, isn’t it?
For example, you take a clean empty container and pack it tightly to the brim with food grains so that there is no air or moisture left. After keeping it for a few days, you will see that there are small insects crawling in the grains. Where did those insects come from? No one brought them along with the grains.
The environment around us is charged with a very powerful life force that is present in every particle and atom in space. This is what we must know and realize.
For example, you take a clean empty container and pack it tightly to the brim with food grains so that there is no air or moisture left. After keeping it for a few days, you will see that there are small insects crawling in the grains. Where did those insects come from? No one brought them along with the grains.
The environment around us is charged with a very powerful life force that is present in every particle and atom in space. This is what we must know and realize.
Gurudev, I tend to hurt people whom I love and push them away. Why do I do so? I am scared of love now.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Listen, these patterns will change, don’t be scared. If you love somebody, serve them. Don’t latch on to them, don’t police them. Be centered.
You go and tell someone, 'I love you, I love you, I love you'. They say, 'Yes, okay'.
But then what will they do? They don’t know how to respond, so they feel like running away from there.
You go and tell someone, 'I love you, I love you, I love you'. They say, 'Yes, okay'.
But then what will they do? They don’t know how to respond, so they feel like running away from there.
We should not express our love too much. If you express your love too much, the person to whom you express doesn’t know how to handle it!
If they are enlightened and centered, they can smile and they can take it. If they are not enlightened, they don’t know how to handle the love.
Like people don’t know how to handle anger and hatred, they also don’t know how to handle love. This is the reason why many times people run away.
So, you should be very measured in your expression of love. Got it?
If they are enlightened and centered, they can smile and they can take it. If they are not enlightened, they don’t know how to handle the love.
Like people don’t know how to handle anger and hatred, they also don’t know how to handle love. This is the reason why many times people run away.
So, you should be very measured in your expression of love. Got it?
See in the west, they express love too much. And in the east, they don’t express love at all. So it should be somewhere in the middle.
You can’t bury a seed deep in the soil, it will never sprout. In the same way, you can’t keep the seed on top of the soil, it won’t sprout there either. You should take a little mud and sow the seed close to the surface, then it sprouts. Love is also the same. Don’t express it too much and be centered. Always remember that you are love.
You can’t bury a seed deep in the soil, it will never sprout. In the same way, you can’t keep the seed on top of the soil, it won’t sprout there either. You should take a little mud and sow the seed close to the surface, then it sprouts. Love is also the same. Don’t express it too much and be centered. Always remember that you are love.
Gurudev, it is said that the relation of the Earth element is with our nose, or smell. Please tell us about the elements and our senses.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, the Earth element is related to smell, and hence the nose.
Water element is related to the taste, or tongue. There is saliva in our mouth, due to this we are able to taste something. So water element is related to taste.
The fire element is related to light or eyes. If someone is having eye problems it is related to the stomach. Stomach suffers and so the eyes suffer. Indigestion affects the eyes. So you will observe that before getting spectacles there is surely some indigestion or some stomach related ailment. This is because the stomach is related to the fire element.
Water element is related to the taste, or tongue. There is saliva in our mouth, due to this we are able to taste something. So water element is related to taste.
The fire element is related to light or eyes. If someone is having eye problems it is related to the stomach. Stomach suffers and so the eyes suffer. Indigestion affects the eyes. So you will observe that before getting spectacles there is surely some indigestion or some stomach related ailment. This is because the stomach is related to the fire element.
Gurudev, thousands of Art of Living volunteers worked hard to spread voter awareness in the country. So what project to pick up now?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The Happiness program. We all should create waves of happiness.
You know, the sign of a good friend is that after you sit with your friend, you feel uplifted when you leave the friend. Your problems should appear very small. Then that is a good friend.
If you go and sit with somebody, talk to them for half an hour, tell them your problem and when you come out of there, you feel heavy and feel your problem has become much bigger than what you thought, then that is not a good friend.
You know, the sign of a good friend is that after you sit with your friend, you feel uplifted when you leave the friend. Your problems should appear very small. Then that is a good friend.
If you go and sit with somebody, talk to them for half an hour, tell them your problem and when you come out of there, you feel heavy and feel your problem has become much bigger than what you thought, then that is not a good friend.
Gurudev, devotees who visit the Tirupati temple donate their hair as offering at the shrine. Also, in India there is a tradition of shaving off one’s head when a dear one passes away. Why is this so, and what does shaving off one’s head have to do with our mind and our actions?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This is more of a conventional norm that has become a tradition over the years. It is not prescribed as mandatory by our scriptures anywhere.
There are two aspects to any ritual in India. One is that prescribed as a norm or a social convention, the other is that which is mentioned and prescribed elaborately in our scriptures, which becomes tradition and for which the scriptures also narrate the benefits of practicing that particular ritual or practice.
For example, many people wear collared T-shirts. Why is the collar there and what is its purpose? In winters, in the foreign countries, people fold the collar up and protect themselves from the cold, and in the summers, people loosen the collar so they feel a little cool.
The English began this, and slowly everyone else adopted the same style. So it is just a custom, that’s all. There is nothing more to it.
There are two aspects to any ritual in India. One is that prescribed as a norm or a social convention, the other is that which is mentioned and prescribed elaborately in our scriptures, which becomes tradition and for which the scriptures also narrate the benefits of practicing that particular ritual or practice.
For example, many people wear collared T-shirts. Why is the collar there and what is its purpose? In winters, in the foreign countries, people fold the collar up and protect themselves from the cold, and in the summers, people loosen the collar so they feel a little cool.
The English began this, and slowly everyone else adopted the same style. So it is just a custom, that’s all. There is nothing more to it.
Gurudev, if God is everywhere, why are we told to pray in the prayer room only?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You can pray anywhere, but if you sit and pray in one room you make the vibrations very nice.
You can eat anywhere, you can eat in the verandah, you can eat sitting in the drawing room. But there is a dining hall where you sit on the table, and there is water, there is everything, isn’t it? Like that, when you eat, you have a place to eat. So it is nice to keep a place to sit and pray also.
You can sleep in the living room, you can sleep on the sofa, why do you only go to the bedroom to sleep? Because there is some arrangement. Similarly, in the pooja room there is a little arrangement. There is a lamp burning, there are some flowers kept and you can sit there and do your prayers.
You can eat anywhere, you can eat in the verandah, you can eat sitting in the drawing room. But there is a dining hall where you sit on the table, and there is water, there is everything, isn’t it? Like that, when you eat, you have a place to eat. So it is nice to keep a place to sit and pray also.
You can sleep in the living room, you can sleep on the sofa, why do you only go to the bedroom to sleep? Because there is some arrangement. Similarly, in the pooja room there is a little arrangement. There is a lamp burning, there are some flowers kept and you can sit there and do your prayers.
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