Excerpts 30th August 2011 satsang from International Art of Living Ashram, Bangalore (India)

Posted on: Tuesday, August 30, 2011 | Posted by: Art of Living Universe


Q: What is the secret of Karma?

Sri Sri: What you sow, so you reap.

Sattvic mind is one that sees the one indestructible that is the same in all. Rajasic mind is the one that sees everyone as different. Seeing everyone as different you feel what shall i tell for him, what shall I do with him. So in Rajasic, you feel everyone as completely different person. In meditation, if you have craving or aversion towards anyone, then you see it as God's representation. See everything as God's own reflection. Feel that its the same God which is there in me that is getting presented over in everyone. That is what is there in the Bhagvad gita

sarva-bhutesu yenaikam

bhavam avyayam iksate

avibhaktam vibhaktesu

taj jnanam viddhi sattvikam

Avibhakt meaning something that is not broken. Vibhaktesu meaning different bodies but mind in all is same. There is one air but feels as different. Keep 10 bowls, space within all appears different but in fact its the same space. Seeing one in all these different appearance is the sattvic intellect.

You can't stay in such intellect always. Like when you are travelling in bus, you can't think the other person wallet as yours and take money from him/her saying that we are all one, why do you think its yours, everything is one :) So you can't have the feeling has everything is mine in business but only in Meditation

prthaktvena tu yaj jnanam

nana-bhavan prthag-vidhan

vetti sarvesu bhutesu

taj jnanam viddhi rajasam

prthak means seeing everyone different. He is good the other is bad, he has this quality, the other has that quality. Like this seeing things as different broken parts not connected, is Rajasic intellect or Rajasic knowledge. Lets see what tamasic also.

yat tu krtsna-vad ekasmin

karye saktam ahaitukam

atattvartha-vad alpam ca

tat tamasam udahrtam

Tamasic knowledge is one in which one is stuck with a thought in one's head and not willing to listen to anyone else. Whatever thought comes to mind, getting stuck to it and trying to proove that as right is Tamasic intellect. Small mind, small vision.

For example, if a thought comes in the head that this person is wrong, then they are stuck with that.

Even if there is something that counters that belief, rejecting that and sticking to the original thought is Tamasic knowledge. There are so many persons whom you also might have seen. These will have some preconceived idea in mind and are stuck with it. They are not ready to listen or learn even if they come across 100 proofs that shows that the preconceived thought is wrong.

Mullah Nassurudin story:

One day Mullah starts believing that he is dead. His wife takes him to the doctor and Mullah says to the doctor who comes to put injection that how come blood can come in a dead body, why are you putting unnecessarily needle to my body. Doctor was happy, he called Mullah's wife and told, I have got the way by which we can tream Mullah, give me money first, i will treat him for sure.

The doctor comes back to Mullah, puts a injection and shows him blood to proove that he is alive since blood came from his body. Mullah sees the blood and says, I have learnt something new today. There is blood in a corpse too :)

This is Tamasic knowledge, having some preconceived idea and trying to proove the same. Not having an open mind.

Sattvic knowledge is important, you can attain Divine. Rajasic knowledge to some extent is required for running the life. Tamasic knowledge causes disturbances, misery and sorrow in life.


Q: In the dreams that we see, at times we see ourself in it, could you let me know who is seeing?

Sri Sri: This is what you need to find out. You can't get it by listening to answer from anyone. Ask yourself: Who am I?


Q: negative emotions comes on Their own. Positive emotions require effort, but negative emotions come up automatically inspite the positive emotions?

Sri Sri: Negative emotions come and go. When energy/Prana levels are low, when what you expected doesn't turn up, then negative emotions come up. When you are happy, you don't feel like doing anything wrong. This is the effect of prana, energy levels.


Q: What is the role of God when there is Karma?

Sri Sri: The law is God. The law by which everything is happening is God.


Q: How to increase Sattvic knowledge in life?

Sri Sri: By meditating and doing what we are doing now. How does happiness come? when you are peaceful. Pleasantitude comes when we are peaceful. Cross all the 3 Gunas and you will become peaceful and sattva increases. In meditation, you go beyond all he three gunas. Leave tamasic, rajasic, and sattvic.

In sleep there is tamo gun, in work there is rajas. When you go beyond these three then sattvicta improves. To get rid of Tamas, increase Rajo gun (like you can increase anger in someone who has lot of tamas to bring back some activity). Rajo gun reduces when Sattvic gun increases. Then leave sattva also.


Q: At the time of death does someone come to take the soul? When my father died, he was telling wait, wait I'm coming. When we chanted Om namah shivaya in his ears, he was smiling like child.

Sri Sri: If you do good karma, the devtas (gods) take the soul with respect.

If you do bad karma, then the soul is dragged away like how we drag a dog with us.

When you are associated with a knowledgable person, then you get respect.

For example, a Chief Guest is welcomed well while an uninvited guest is to made to feel welcome. The same rules applies in the subtle world as well.


Q: You were telling that tantra is some simple technique, but we have seen many people doing many kind of things, even idols eating food, how do we understand it.

Sri Sri: Tantra is of many types. Like there is Vama tantra. Where there is bhakti, people chant and meditate then energies that are bad will not affect you. Sometimes divine energy appears in the World to wake people up, its a matter of subtle world. Of course there are some people who does all these, but they will not be happy and later suffers a lot.

There are some people who use tantras and will tell your past accurately (this indeed surprises you) but cannot tell you about your future. I guess some of you must have experienced this. There are many such things, I would tell with such people, don't get involved.

15 to 20 years ago, in Delhi I went to meet a person. He would take a blank sheet of paper and tell people to blow on it and then he would put it in water, the thought in the person's mind would appear on that paper. He told me to do the same. When I did so, nothing came on the paper, he did twice, but nothing turned out. He got tensed and started falling on my feet and asking sorry and all. That person was using some small siddhi. I told him Don't fool people with all this. Use it to help people, to get them into satsang, sadhana and seva. We can't say such things as good or bad. You also dont get trapped in it and think that its also one form of divine and Don't say bad things about it.

Where there is something good, take that and move on.


No comments:

Post a Comment