Excerpts of 4th September 2011 satsang from International Art of Living Ashram, Bangalore (India)

Posted on: Monday, September 5, 2011 | Posted by: Art of Living Universe





Sri Sri: Hmmm..how are you all?
So.. what shall we talk about today?
Don't you all feel happy/pleasant when you come here? This is what is called as significance of place. There is a story about the significance of places (Vikramaditya's Royal seat/throne story). Have your heard about it?? There was a garden which had a mound. The caretaker of the garden used to sit on the mound and call everybody "Come here, there are lot of fruits and all this for you only" and when he used to get down from the mound by when people reach there, he used to shoo them away. This was his regular habit. People thought the caretaker was mad. They went to a saint about this matter as they became curious about his behavior. Saint said that beyond every action, there is a secret as the caretaker just while sitting on the mound used to talk sweetly. Thinking that there must be something under the mound, they got it dugged up. When they dug it out they found Vikramaditya's throne. So the throne and the Dharma of it used to impact the Garden caretaker when he was sitting on it. Each place has its own significance and strength.
Similarly you can see the person as person or see person as Guru. Book is a book but when the same book is gita or some scripture, it has its own value. In a temple there are lots of sculptures but no one really worships them. Sculpture gets value when it is placed in sanctum sanctorium. If you go to vishnu temples, the sculptures meant to guard the temple also looks like Vishnu, but no one really worships them.

Sri Sri: If our mind has to be pleasant we must keep one sutra in mind:
I dont want anything from anybody. Wanting something from somebody doesn’t let u to be free. There wont be any freedom in life. What all I want will come to me. If I can be of use to others, I will be contented, if this feeling comes in us, then there wont be any lack in life. All our work will be finished effortlessly. This is a secret sutra and I have told you it today.
Have the faith that whatever I need will be taken care of

Sri Sri: There are some traditions in India to keep the hygiene. Like we dont want to have saliva of others spreading any germs. So the vessels under utilisation by someone are not exchanged (Jhoota bhartan and Jhoota Khana). That is why we dont shake hands in India, who knows what germs are there on others hand. You can't say your hands are dirty and I dont want to shake hands with you. Leave all, even if someone has simple common cold and if you hug them or shake hands, you will also get it. So our tradition of just doing namaste is good :)

Q: How can I deal with cunning people?
Sri Sri: Once you brand someone as cunning, then you have cut your communication with them to a greater extent. From you side, keep your communication open. If they are cunning, you be careful.

Just keep smiling but continue your work with those who opposes your action. We shouldn’t cry or be sad about such people. But be friendly with them. After a while they will think that you are listening in all things except this, its OK, let them think like that. No problem.

Q: Doing once is OK but Why do we have ceremony for departed souls every year?
Sri Sri: Our one year is one day for those in Pitru loka. Like how we take atleast once a day food, we remember our parents who are departed and feed the food (that our parents liked) to others to bring contentment for the departed soul. Needn't have to be done forever. In olden days after the soul takes rebirth, our ancestors used to stop this but since now a days, we dont know whether the soul took rebirth or not. So in their memory, we feed few people. Anyhow we will be cooking for ourselves, so we just feed little of the same food to others as well. I dont think its a big work to do. Neither I would say this tradition as foolishness or nor its compulsory.

Q: Why is silk considered sacred. Specially when extracting method of silk is so inhuman (boiling cocoons)
Sri Sri: These are all customs. In none of the scriptures its mentioned that silk is superior than cotton. There is nothing like that. Its just belief. In reality nothing is purer than spirit/self and love.

Q: It is said that people can see for some time after death. So is it fine to donate eyes?
Sri Sri: Sure, go ahead. There is no problem in donating organs.

Q: How can I increase creativity?
Sri Sri: Pranayam and meditation everyday.

Q: How to deal with obsessions?
Sri Sri: Adavance course. It helps you a lot.

Q: Is it possible to meditate with open eyes?
Sri Sri: People say that focuss on the point, go on thinking and meditate. All these are there. See the mind has to get dissolved and with open eyes some thoughts keep wandering in mind. Seeing it for a while, tires the eyes and then if one can meditate, its ok. We have to make the mind come inward, with open eyes, mind tends to move outward. After making this world, even Shiva has closed his eyes. See the statues of Buddha and all, you can see them sitting with closed eyes.

Sri Sri: Humans take birth as human beings only. But there are chances that human can take birth as animal also.
There are 1000 of traditions. Don’t listen, read to 100s of things, with it the mind gets disturbed and confused. Some will say why do you do so hum, do dasohum, some will say why do you do dasohum, do sada sohum. There are so many traditions and methods. Everything has some good in it and of course we have to ignore something as well.

Q: In our town, there is a person who has lost his hands. How do we get him to do the kriya
Sri Sri: He can do the Pranayama and kriya. There is no need of the hands for doing pranayama. Of course the breath/prana goes through the nostrils.
Q: Guruji, if you have forgiven a person who has hurt you in the past and the person comes again in the present to hurt you, what should one do. I want to be away from hurt and also want the other person to be at peace, how to I achieve it?
Sri Sri: Time will heal. If you feel hurt by someone, dont go on poking it again and again. Take some time and take some distance. You are busy in your life. That person is busy in their life. Explanations/Talking is all nonsense coz it still stirrs. Go deep in knowledge. Nothing is better than knowledge to heal.

Q: In our house, we are facing obstacles one after the other
Sri Sri: Chant Om Namaha Shivaya. play and listen to some bhajans in morning at home and have the faith that the divine is with you. We have cleared so many obstacles in life. This will be cleared too

Sri Sri: See, even when you are breathing, there are so many bacterias that die, you own system destroys many bacterias. So this is part of the nature. So while walking if an ant dies, dont feel guilty about it. Intentionally with anger with emotional rage, don’t destroy anything as it forms Karma. Un intentionally, unknowingly If your just being is obstructing things in nature, you are not responsible for it.

Q: We are trying to open a blood bank from 12 years but we are not able to do it successfully
Sri Sri: It will be successful. Dont worry. The biggest problem at the present moment is corruption. Make groups among yourselves to fight corruption. I was talking to a parliamentarian. They passed 17 bills in 12 minutes. I was surprised at this.. how can they pass bills so quickly? They didn't pass the anti corruption bill even after taking 42 years.

Q: Guruji, I feel that silence really kills after a fight/argument at home.
Sri Sri: Have you done the Advance course? Do that. You will really enjoy silence.

Q: Can initiation of Love happen without attraction? If yes, how to differentiate it is love or attraction?
Sri Sri: Attraction is temporary. Love is long lasting.

Q: I feel confident during Satsang and Sadhana. After coming out of Satsang, I feel very afraid again.
Sri Sri: Isn’t all your work getting done? Continue your Sadhana and Satsang. Sadhana, the path is there to remove your fear. Don't worry everything will happen.

Q: When can one think that life is complete?
Sri Sri: You don't have to think. You feel it. Right?
When do you feel that your stomach is full? when it is full, you feel it is full. Certain things become so obvious. When you say I want nothing from anyone, then you are complete.
When you relax voice that comes is the inner voice.

Q: What do you mean by surrender?
Sri Sri: Forget about the word surrender it is so complicated. Its used and misused so many times. Forget about this word, we don't need to do it at all. Just know that everything anyway belongs to the Divine. You also belong to the Divine. If at all if you feel like surrendering, Surrender your fear, worries and anxiety to the Divine. Don't surrender anything that is good.

Q: I want to fight corruption but I am forced to pay 50000 as bribe to save 3 lakh rupees
Sri Sri: Fight as a group. If you fight alone, its difficult. Say that I am Guruji's devotee, I am not going to pay bribe. If I pay, I cannot face Guruji. If you do this way, they will do your work with full respect. It has happened.
In Andhra Pradesh, there was a factory that needed to be opened but there were a few officials who asked for bribe. Our volunteers said that we will come here any number of times but will not pay bribe. We are Guruji's devotees. We have promised him that we wont pay bribe, so kindly get our work done. They told all this in friendly manner. You know, then with full respect the bribe demanding officials completed their work.

Q: Which God is best: Vishnu, Shiva, or Bramha? Is everything one.
Sri Sri: See one in all and see all in one.

Q: Whether it is person or materialistic thing, what we desire, is acquiring it wrong or right?
Sri Sri: Time will tell you.

Q: How to increase will power
Sri Sri: Through greed, love, or fear. If you promise to someone very dear to you. Fourth really good thing is Pranayam.

Q: I become free from tensions when I come to Ashram.
Sri Sri: That is so. That is what I said earlier today.

Q: If a person near to you starts knowing everything about you and tries to harm you. What should we do. Forget, forgive or both? If I take any step against such person, will it add to my karma
Sri Sri: Both (forgive and forget). No, no dont worry (as any answer to getting actions against such person added to karma)

Allopathic doctors can also learn nadi pariksha.

Q: When someone very dear is sick, then we are afraid. Here in this country, there are so many suggestions. People say you have to go to this God and all, we are in one such frightening situation in our family. What suggestion do you offer?
Sri Sri: Definitely Prayer has its own benefits. Mantra chanting also.
Chanting Maha mrityunjaya is also powerful. Its an old and ancient practice and its really beneficial

Sri Sri: On 25th September, we can have a big satsang/Mahasatsang here. You are invited to bring your friends and family. You can stay for a while. Lets spend some nice time together.

These LIVE satsang excerpts are unedited. Complete edited satsang knowledge and Q&A will be published soon on http://www.artofliving.org/what-sri-sri-said-today
The recorded satsang video is available on http://www.youtube.com/user/ArtOfLivingTV#p/l/0/JT1tQld0CBs

For details on the forthcoming LIVE satsang webcast, please visit http://www.artofliving.org/satsang





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