Excerpts from International Art of Living Ashram, Bangalore (India) Satsang (20th June 2011)

Posted on: Tuesday, June 21, 2011 | Posted by: Art of Living Universe

Q: Can one choose their parents and time and place of birth?

Sri Sri: Yes, you will always choose as per your karma.


Q: My mother's negativity brings my positivity down.

Sri Sri: Why someone is negative? Because they do not feel good about themselves. When they are caught up in a self blame situation they will not listen to you. So praise them first and then tell them what you want to tell them.


Q: I am not satisfied with the seva I do.

Sri Sri: That is a good sign which shows you are not frustrated.


Q: My health condition is bad but my mind is in constant action.

Sri Sri: Have you done all the remedies? Read Intimate Note to Sincere Seeker. If you have done all that then just wait for the time.


Q: How do you forgive yourself and your loved ones sincerely?

Sri Sri: There was no difficulty for me in this. You need to ask someone who has very tough time forgiving you and then you tell them to forgive you.


Q: What is ekadashi fast?

Sri Sri: On full moon or new moon if you have any disease it can aggravate. 3-4 days before if you fast, its good. Take plenty of water. Fasting cleanses your body and makes the body lighter. When you are fasting, one the first day there will be restlessness. You should have good bowel movement, take Triphala churna with warm water.You need to do fast under someone's supervision. Drink lots of water and have plenty of fruits.


Q: How can woman do upanayan?

Sri Sri: Yes. We need to start that. In ancient days, woman also used to do Upanayana. Even today, in Bali they do Upanayanam for women.

Upanayanam means a student going to a teacher. Before a student goes to study in a university. The parents tell the student, you have three responsibilities: to the parents, to the teacher or knowledge you have gained, to the society. Remember this, so they put three strings around you. When you marry, it doubles, cause you wear doubles. Another significance of it is that by thought, word, and deed I will be sincere. I will exhibit the highest character of human life, which is INTEGRITY. Then you chant the Gayatri mantra. Let the divine give me good thoughts. Coz all our actions depend on our intellect. Let the divinity inspire me. Let my intellect be run by the divinity. All the thoughts that come be from the divine. Let the divine light destroy all my sins. I cannot destroy my sins. Give me great thoughts and motivate. Gayatri means the mantra which helps you to corss three types of mantras: misery of bodily ailments, mind (dullness and lethargy), and environment.

This is an ancient way of expanding your mind, your conciousness. My intellect is there, you purify my intellect and inspire great thoughts. In ancient days, this was done with great pomp and show. Till now you were a baby, but now you are an adoloscent. Now you have responsibilities and you will integrate your thought, word, and deed. You are connected to the cosmic energy. You think you are somebody? But you are really nobody.

But later on neither the priest knows what they are teaching nor the person knows what they are learning. In sadhya vandan you touch your head, shoulder, and heart to indicate that let divinity be in my heart. Whatever sin has happened in the night and in the morning let that go and let my present moment be full of grace and divinity.

It is said that Jesus learnt in Mylapore. When he went back from here after 12 years, he took some secrets back with him. Out of the 12 apostles, only Thomas came to India. Thomas doubted Jesus, so Jesus sent him to India. Thomas came to India and left his body here.


Q: What is the real definition of a happy life?

Sri Sri: Just exactly what we are living.


Q: Why is it that when we love someone we get insecure?

Sri Sri: Why do you say we? You talk about yourself and you feel insecure especially when your spouse looks to someone else. If he is yours, he will come to you. If he is not yours, he will not come to you however much you might try to attract. He will feel he is being watched all the time. Give space. Let them do what they want to do, let's see.


Q: Why is there variety in life?

Sri Sri: You can ask why are there so many flavors of ice-cream, or vegetables, or items on restaurant menu. Variety is what nature loves, God loves you can say. So at different time, different knowledge was given to different people. Middle east at one time, Judaism was given. In Hinduism, when people forgot the essence then Sikhism came. Then Swami Dayanand Saraswati came. Reform is essential in religion. And every religion claims that only my path is the right path. All the religions say the same thing. When people of all religions come here, they feel very comfortable. See here there is symbol of Shinto, Judaism.

We should celebrate the diversity.


Q: Why do we chant Om 3 times?

Sri Sri: Na-ra-ya-na are 4 words. If we chant Om 4 times, then also you will ask why 4 times?


Q: Cosmic dissolution?

Sri Sri: Creation and dissolution is a continuous process. When a child is born it is creation.

When someone dies, it is dissolution.





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