Saturday, August 24, 2013

From Religion To Spirituality

July 30, 2013

Bad Anotgast, Germany

3121

Religion has become an obstacle in my life. I cannot move forward. What should I do?
Sri Sri: Never mind. Move from religion to spirituality. You are a spiritual being, and that is good enough. Every religion has some nice things to offer. Take a little bit from all the religions in the world and move on. You don’t have to be stuck with it. Don’t worry.
Nothing can be an obstacle if you don’t allow it. It is you, your own mind which makes it into an obstacle. It is because you have been put with the guilt, that maybe you’re sinning against god. How can being spiritual be a sin! How could being happy be a sin. How could being loving and doing good in the world be a sin? How could becoming still, calm and being devoted be a sin? 
It is guilt and the fear of sin that has been induced into the minds of people, 'Oh don’t do this, God will punish you'. A sense of complete desperation and weakness comes.

I tell you, you are all like diamonds. You are the deep spirit of joy and love. God won’t be angry at you for doing Yoga and meditation. There are some people who spread these words that eastern things are satanic, that god will be angry at you. This is so stupid!
Yesterday, someone was telling me, 'Gurudev, my classmate got converted. He was baptized. Now when he comes to my home, he doesn't even take prasad (food offered to the lord). If I invite him for a wedding in a temple, he won't come with me to the temple because he feels that he will be betraying Christ if he goes to a temple. He will not even touch the food that is offered'.
This is so stupid. This is all wrong information. This is how guilt and fear is induced in them. This is wrong. 
We should respect every religion, we should take everyone along. 
I can guarantee you that God will not be angry at you, and you will not go to hell. So don’t worry about these people who induce such things. Move with conviction.


Is this the right place for me? There is no way back to normal life. Even my husband who loves me couldn’t accept my activities in The Art of Living. He’s afraid that I’m going mad!
Sri Sri: Balance things. Don’t scare anybody. You need to balance life. Make people understand. 
This (The Art of Living) is not abnormal, this is a normal life; to be happy, to be centered and to spread the message of joy and happiness. We need to improve our expression.


Why am I here? Why did I do this course? Am I normal?
Sri Sri: There are many standards of normality. From a lower standard, you may not be normal. From a higher standard you are normal. If from an even higher standard again, if you are not normal, then you need to be going up much more. So what do you mean by normal? 
Why are you here? You should ask this question in a bigger context. 'Why am I here on this planet Earth', that’s a really precious question.
I leave this question to you, you should keep it. Ask yourself again and again. It will make you a great philosopher.


My colleagues always manage to take my energy away. What can I do to not lose my energy?
Sri Sri: Never mind, give them more! You have much more energy than what they can all take from you. The Sun or the Moon never say that you’re taking my light away! You are the source of energy. 
I am with you. I give you perennial replenishment of energy, don’t worry. Don’t put your attention there, put it here. If you’re putting it here you get more energy. If you put it there then you feel you are being drained of energy.


Should I suppress or should I express anger?
Sri Sri: Sometimes express, sometimes suppress. There is no single answer. You can’t express it all the time, you will cause so much damage to yourself and others around you. And you can’t suppress it all the time, sometimes you need to express it. Otherwise you will explode. 
So you should have that right balance. Wisdom is knowing when to express it and when to suppress it.


After a couple of failed relationships, how do I overcome the desire to be in another relationship. I feel guilty when I wish I had a partner, because in the past I have failed.
Sri Sri: Okay, there are two things that you can do. 
1. If you feel that it (relationship) is not for you then move on, move alone like a lion. 
2. If you feel that you really need it, then try again till you succeed. Keep trying all your life, till you go to the grave. You can try in the heaven, and afterwards as well, if you’re so bent upon it.
Be happy now. If it is not worked out, why make yourself more miserable? And if you are crossing the age bar, focus on something better.

Relationship is only for the middle few years. 
Just see, in your teenage you didn’t have any relationship, and you had no problem. You were happy. And after you are, maybe 70, you will have no relationship. Even if you have a relationship, it will only be to fight. There is no relationship afterwards, it’ll be more like a companionship. So what is the big deal about it? 
For life in between, if you feel you want to have it, then have it. If you say that it is not working out, then move on. If you feel very tempted, try once again with another person. If it works, well and good. If not, well and good. Either way it is good.


Beloved Gurudev, what do you think about the donation of organs after death?
Sri Sri: It’s good. We can donate our organs. If our organs can come to someone else’s help, we should be happy. 
Donate your eyes, or whichever organs are useful to others. Even if you are not here, your eyes continue to help someone to see. 
Like when you give knowledge to somebody, that knowledge will continue even when you are not there. People will enjoy it for generations
Though organs may not stay as long as knowledge or wisdom, they can for a short period of time help someone else. The purpose is that if we are useful in any way, while living or after death, we should just do it.


Do you really think that it is possible to stop hating someone?
Sri Sri: Don’t stop hating, keep hating them. Do what you find easiest my dear! If doing something is bothering you, and you are finding it so difficult to do, then why do it. 
If you do something difficult and you still become miserable, what is the point? Do that which is easy and which makes you happy. 
If hating someone everyday makes you comfortable, makes you happy, just do it! I am only concerned of your happiness. And if hating someone makes you happy and blissful, just do it without guilt. (Laughter)

This is not the case. When you hate somebody, they occupy your mind. They are occupying a place in your consciousness, and slowly you become like them. Why you should not hate somebody is because you don’t want to be like them. This is the reason.

Is it okay to mix different yoga techniques? Or should we find one way.
Sri Sri: No, don’t mix them, it becomes a hotch-potch. You have on your platter, such a wonderful program. All based on a single line of thought, a philosophy which is ancient yet profound, and still modern. So just follow one way. That’s the best.
I’m saying this after many years, otherwise I usually say, do whatever you like. Do you know why? I have got many people coming to me after going here and there and making a big mess of their mind. So now I have started putting my foot down and so I am telling you, don't do it.
Several people went here and there, and were told to do this japa or that technique, and later on they were uncontrollably shivering. These people had problems and had to go to the hospital. Several such cases have happened over the past few years. People had to be given higher medication. And some of them had become so difficult to heal.
Why do you want to do other different techniques, what is the point? You have something very good on your platter. But if you’re not at all getting benefited, you tell me that this is not helping you at all. Then I will show you where to go, which would help you.

How to increase faith in myself and in the Divine?
Sri Sri: Forget about it! 
Don’t try to increase faith. Wanting to increase faith is the problem. Know that you have as much as you need. 
However big is your cup, that much is already there. Relax, and you’ll find your cup is full. You can’t hold more than the capacity of your cup.

Many times people ask me to give them blessings. I tell them, 'My blessings are always there! But you have to look at your capacity to receive. If you come to me with a small cup and say you want 10 liters of milk in this, how is it possible? You should carry a can which can hold 10 liters. You can’t have 10 liters in a teacup.'
So increase your capacity. And that will keep happening automatically when you say, 'I have enough faith'. Don’t say, 'I don’t have faith'. You have enough faith.

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