Whatever you give, you get back. Nature is like that; it reflects what we give to the world.

Can you hear me? (in a dim whispering tone)

This much is the effect in what we talk, and our voice is not heard. The voice of righteousness, peace and non-violence should be heard loud and clear.

The main reason for stress is that we feel we are not understood by people, by our spouse, our colleagues, our parents, or our children. This communication problem creates a great storm. Children complain that parents don’t understand them, and parents complain that children don’t understand them.

How many parents have experienced this? (A show of hands)

We all have communication problems, either with brothers, or sisters, or any other relation. How many of you agree with this?  Spouses don’t have to raise their hands; I don’t want to be the cause of a storm at home! (Everyone laughs.)

We think we are misunderstood, and this is a very common problem. But instead of blaming the other, we need to express ourselves better.

Suppose I speak to you in Swahili, you would not be able to understand. Yet there is a language that everyone, even animals and trees can understand, and that is the language of the heart. You don’t need words for this, but your very presence can communicate this. If you have a dog or puppy, it doesn’t use words to express its love when you return from office; instead their mere presence exhibits the language of love. As children, we were born with this, but somewhere along the way we got muddled up.

The world thinks you are better than you are. If you think you have 100 per cent goodness, the world thinks you have 200 percent. The world always honors you. You honor the world and it reflects on you. The same is the case with bad things like blame. It will reflect on the person. Your situation in life is a reflection of how you feel.

Laws of Spirituality

1) Stop blaming yourself:

This is the first law on the spiritual path. Don’t blame yourself and others.Stop blaming yourself. ‘I am no good’, ‘I don’t do this right’, ‘I have this weakness’. If you keep blaming yourself, you can never be spiritual.

Both good things and not-so-good things happen in life.

If you keep blaming yourself, you lose your smile and self-confidence. Then anger and frustration comes up, and that ferments to violence. Violence causes suicidal tendencies.

2) Stop blaming others:

Everyone is just a postman, delivering the letter, the parcel due to you. If you expect sweets when you ordered chillies, it is not the delivery person’s fault.

If you want to tell someone about their mistake, tell them with care, not with anger. Tell them firmly but with a smile and compassion.

3) The whole world is your family, and you have no enemies.

This is the third law of spirituality. If you can’t accept the whole world as your family, then start with ‘I have no enemies’. Such peace will dawn in life; nothing can take away that peace.

Q: How can a relationship between a man and woman be successful?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I would like to give one advice for men, one for women and one for both.

First for women: Never hurt your man’s ego. You should always pump his ego. The whole world may say that your husband has no brains, but you should not say that! You should tell your husband that he has the best brains in the world. And that just because he doesn’t use it, doesn’t mean that he doesn’t have it! If you call him a vegetable, he will become one. A woman should never demand proof from a man. Men are not so expressive, so don’t expect compliments. Instead, she should compliment him.

For men: Never hurt the emotions of a woman. She may sometimes complain about her family, about her brother, or her father, or her mother. You should not agree with that. If you do, then she will take a U-turn. Never insult her family. Don’t stop her from going for shopping, or going to a spiritual or religious program. If she wants to go for shopping, give her your credit card.

Now for both: Never ask for proof of someone’s love for you. Don’t ask each other, “Do you really love me? You don’t love me like you used to earlier.” It is such a load for someone to prove their love to others. If someone asks you to prove your love, you would say “Oh my God! How do I prove it to this person?”

Life is love, Life is enthusiasm, joy and bubbling energy.

Moderate food and moderate activity makes you realize that you are connected to the universal spirit. Then you don’t feel you are just a human being, but realize you are much bigger. The body is a small thread, the mind is much bigger. Our mind is occupying the whole universe. The mind is much bigger and the consciousness is so vast.

We watch various programs on television. The television is just a box presenting the waves. Our body is like the television that reflects waves from all over the globe.

In the same way, you are present all over. I am present all over. This connects you with the aspect of the spirit.

You are so vast.

You are so well-grounded through knowledge,

You are like the brightest light, cool and pleasant,

You are solid as a rock and delicate like a flower, The whole consciousness blossoms.

Many people pray and feel their prayers are not answered. Why? Because you don’t meditate. It’s like a cell phone with no sim card. You can keep dialing, but you cannot get through. We need to do some work for society, so that our battery keeps getting charged. For better range, you need meditation and sadhana (spiritual practices). For a sim card, you need to be on the path.

Guruji has indicated that the next few months, upto around the middle of October are not so good and He has advised that we keep three things in mind1. No adventure trips at all. No trekking, rafting, mountain climbing, etc

2. Cut down on partying and night outs

3. Drive slowly, carefully and don’t leave your house till you have finished your Sadhana

For these few weeks, please be more sattwic, eat at home more, not outside as much as possible…

What i see in this, is it’s an opportunity for all of us to go more inwards. Clean up our life and start up some really good habits.Do all your Sadhana, Surya Namaskars, Padma Sadhana, Sudarshan Kriya, Sahaj. Also do chanting, Om Namah Shivaya and the Guru Pooja if you know it.Start to read the Bhagavad Geeta and the Yoga Vasishtha … You know you have been wanting to do it, instead of that trek, sit home and read these books. Doesn’t matter if you don’t understand or it is too deep for you, just reading will open something up in you… Read these books just after meditation.

Go Inwards.

Be safe…

Jai Gurudeva!

love bawa

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/life-style/spirituality/speaking-tree/Why-forests-were-worshipped/articleshow/6054260.cms

KHURSHED BATLIWALA, Jun 17, 2010, 12.00am IST

An ancient text says: “God is a forest. Worship the forest.” Now, why would God be a forest? In a forest everything has its place, from the mightiest animal to the innocuous bug. Each lives in balance and harmony with the other. Life in a forest embodies plenitude. None of its inhabitants takes more than it needs; there’s plenty for all. Despite being home to diverse species, forests are pristine. Seldom does one find a mess in a forest. God has provided natural clean-up agents. What is waste for one creature is useful or essential to another creature. The eternal circle of life is palpable in its entire splendour. To survive in a forest you need to be in tune with the natural rhythms that is all-inclusive. A forest contributes to the welfare of the entire planet, breathing out life-giving oxygen into the atmosphere while serving as habitat to a variety of life forms. It is a rich source of curative herbs and micro-organisms and we are yet to know all there is to know about them. We may have left our imprints on the moon, but are yet to fully explore the potential of a natural forest system. Even without gaining complete knowledge of forests, we choose to unleash wanton destruction on them, only fuelling our greed. Rainforests at one time covered more than 14 per cent of the earth’s surface. Today, they are less than 6 per cent. If we continue consuming forests at the current rate, we might lose these divine life sustainers in just another 40 years. According to experts, we are losing rainforests at a rate of more than one acre every second. Each day, we are losing 137 species of plants, animals and micro-organisms. More than half the planet’s species – of animals, plants and micro-organisms – could go extinct if forest destruction goes on unabated. Ancient texts extol forests as life enhancers; they were believed to be infused with divine spirit and hence were considered sacred. Sacred groves were respected as significant ecosystems that engendered rich biodiversity. An object of worship has sanctity and it is unthinkable to destroy what we hold dear and sacred. Don’t we treasure objects of worship? Vedic wisdom expounded on the need for conservation of natural gifts. Perhaps rituals related to conservation were instituted to ensure that these treasures were not desecrated. We need to understand the significance of such conservation rituals and respect them in context. Green living was a way of acknowledging the divine nature of forests. Ancients considered it important to respect the interconnected nature of life. In tribal cultures, before axing a tree, people would ask permission of the tree, promising to plant five trees as compensation. Today, these rituals are being abandoned as irrelevant. Trees symbolise spirit of service, as they serve dead or alive. They sustain ecological balance when standing tall and protect and serve as wood after death. We need to give something back in the same altruistic spirit. We must look at the lifestyle choices we make every day. The choices we make ought to be mindful of environmental conservation to restore and cherish natural gifts. Let’s green our thoughts and remember M K Gandhi’s words: “Earth provides enough to satisfy every man’s need, but not every man’s greed.’’ To take more than we need is to sow seeds of self-destruction. If we continue in this vein, we would be subjecting ourselves and other life forms to needless suffering and perhaps accelerate a process of extinction for all. The writer is founder-director, The World Alliance for Youth Empowerment (WAYE).

This week, it’s time to learn to make wishes.

Many times i have heard Guruji say in satsang, tonight make a sincere wish from your heart, before going to sleep… many people do have things they really want, and most have reported that when they wished for it, they got it. But most people don’t know what to wish for…. so here is guide to making wishes

As in asking questions to the Guru, the first thing you need is to be completely sincere. With love in your heart and with utmost sincerity, make your wish.

Your wish should be expressible in one small sentence. Don’t make a paragraph out of it. Wish for ONE thing only. Preferably, make it a positive sentence. So instead of saying i wish i don’t have to go to a boarding school to study, wish, i wish i can stay right here in Bombay to study.

Always add or better to your wish, so if Guruji wishes to give you much more or better that what you want, He has the option to do so

So instead of wishing, i wish i get a million dollars, say, i wish i get a million dollars or better (He may want to give you 10 million)…

When in doubt, wish that whatever is best, let that happen.

The best wish you can ask for is shraddha… there is no good english word for it, but it can be translated as faith. When you have the faith, then everything else will come to you…

 Jai Gurudeva!

 love

bawa

Divine Love, together with steps leading to it, is called Bhakti. Sri Sri explores the development of Divine Love while translating and explaining the original text of the Bhakti Sutras cognized by the great sage Narada. This knowledge provides inspiration as well as practical insights to the seeker of Truth.
Sri Sri an epitome of joy, love, silence, humour and deep wisdom gives an inspiring discourse on the Narada Bhakti Sutras – “Aphorisms of Love”. A set of 18 DVDs.
After watching the DVD’s we shall have a short discussion among the group to get a clear understanding. Light snack will be served after the discussions. Parking is available.

17th of June 2010 onwards, Every Thursday,
7:00 PM to 8:00 PM (8:30 maybe sometimes) 
Apartment 1, 24/Fl,  B Block,
No. 4 Park Way Court
Mid-Levels, Hong Kong
Contact: Urvashi 96449194, Miconia 91054808, Louisa 94809436

6-day Course
Tue- Fri: 7-10pm, Sat-Sun: 11am-3pm 
AOL Centre, Yau Ma Tei
Course Fees-$1600

• 20-25/7 – Contact: Angel 9285 6890
• 24-29/8 – Contact: Sylvia 6103 2227

 3-day Course at various locations
Fee: $2000

• 22-24/7  (Evening Batch) – Contact: Sylvia 6103 2227
  6.45pm-10pm at Estoril Court, Garden Road (venue subject to confirmation)

Art Excel Course

• for children 7yrs-13yrs
• Fee: $700

Eternity Process

• Saturdays by appointment
• Contact – Mitali on 53737637

Swami Sadyojathah, Jun 10, 2010, 01.50pm IST

I think 30 years of selfless service has not attracted the eye of our media as much as a bullet. Ironically, the victim had to justify why the bullet was found close to him!

A Swami is expected to remain silent irrespective of the seriousness of offence against him whereas strong voices of support are heard for terrorists and anti-social elements. Corrupt officials are not condemned and the society’s silence implies it is fine with them.

‘Swami’, a title much revered in India in the past only raises eyebrows in suspicion now. Swamis and Sadhus were respected for dedicating and sacrificing their lives for society and now they are being condemned. This shows the unfortunate deterioration of the Indian culture. Is it not a systematic psychological warfare against Swamis?

We also see a section of the media in our country jumping to hasty conclusions especially in matters concerning swamis and spirituality.

‘You have the right to remain silent…’ is usually a warning given to a suspected criminal under arrest. However, paradoxically if you are a Swami or a Guru, you are advised to remain silent even if you are a victim. In spite of being a victim, you are perceived to have done something wrong. The overwhelming undercurrent of prejudice against Hindu swamis and Gurus cannot be underlined enough.

How strange that a culprit can walk away, but the victim is doubted, questioned, harassed and expected to prove his innocence! The Indian Constitution holds that you are innocent until proven guilty, but a swami is necessarily guilty until proven innocent.

This has been the way of the world, which has always demanded from the living legends to prove their innocence. Be it Kabir or Jesus or even Mahatma Gandhi who was called a fraud a number of times. The degradation of society is measured by its attitude towards its spiritual leaders. Is it not Kaliyuga where the onus is on the victim to prove that he is not guilty?

Usually a victim is encouraged to speak up. But if you are a swami, you are counseled to forever hold your peace, even if you are surrounded by white lies.

The other thing isthat it does not pay off in the worldly sense to keep calm and live in knowledge because the gap between the real world and a meditator’s world is far too much. A layman may not understand the world of yogis, where they remain poised, calm and there is not an iota of worry or concern in their expression, even in extenuating circumstances. This is baffling to the common man or in this case of gun shot the investigating cops.

Recently, I was at a function in Vigyan Bhavan in Delhi, where I observed the sheer reluctance of people in interacting with a Swami in saffron robes sitting in the front row of the audience. This was immediately after the scandals of some so-called swamis had hit the headlines in the media. Nobody wanted to look at him, let alone talk to him, as if he were an untouchable. It was appalling to see the prejudice against Hindu swamis. In a way it was beneficial to the swami because he need not care what the world thinks of him, but for an onlooker it looked odd how people were overtly prejudiced.

In Bollywood, in the last 15 to 20 years, since Dawood Ibrahim ostensibly started funding the film industry, a man with a tilak or in saffron robes has been systematically depicted as a villain or part of villain’s team. This portrayal has only added a mass prejudice and overwhelming bias against the swamis of India.

The two main allegations against swamis are sex and money. A true swami will never fall prey to fleeting attractions of sensual pleasures. Without adequate investigation, this kind of blanket generalization is unfortunate and highly deplorable. Every spiritual organization is supposed to do charity and one cannot do charity with an empty bowl. There is no point in taking charity and doing charity. Earning money is not a crime but doing so in a wrong way definitely is.

The idea that all spiritual education should be free, or the notion that spiritual training was free in ancient India is a fallacy. Spirituality is also an education and all education needs to be paid for. Those who know their history know that people in Vedic times had to “invest” far more to get a spiritual education than we do today!
The concept of ”Dakshina” is from the ancient Vedic times.

The vow of poverty is a concept alien to our land. Here, the primordial Guru, Lord Narayana is wedded to Lakshmi, the goddess of wealth. Material progress goes hand in hand with spiritual growth. There are some pseudo intellectuals and historians who argue that only Ramana Maharishi and Mahatma Gandhi were genuine. They praise only the dead and abuse the living. One historian while condemning the appearance of spiritual masters in media went to the extent of saying that Sri Aurobindo never appeared on television, forgetting that there was no television at that time in the first place! Going by the fact that Sri Aurobindo had used the print media so well, I am sure he would have done the same with television had it existed then.

Another much-misplaced conception is that a true spiritual person should remain poor and that Gandhi never associated with the rich. They conveniently forget that Mahatma Gandhi has lived and died in Birla House, one of the most affluent people of that time.

Of course, every field will have people who are not genuine. However, that doesn’t warrant every one being painted with the same brush. It is as foolish as saying that because you unearthed a quack one day, we
should shun all doctors.

It was Pandit Nehru who said in the assembly debates, “If I was asked what is the greatest treasure which India possesses and what is her finest heritage, I would answer unhesitatingly—it is the Sanskrit language and literature, and all that it contains. This is a magnificent inheritance, and so long as this endures and influences
the life of our people, so long the basic genius of India will continue”.

It was Babasaheb Ambedkar who had proposed Sanskrit as the first language of India and who had great reverence for sadhus of this country, Kabir being his most favorite. It was Mahatma Gandhi who would read the Bhagawat Gita every day and meditate and do satsang with people from all religions.

The father of our nation is a saint. The architect of the Indian constitution, our first Prime Minister and countless others have sung praises of the spiritual knowledge of our saints. Then, I do believe, a sensitive and responsible Indian should take a proactive role in reinstating these values and arrest the prejudice drive against the swamis and saints of this holy land.

Humanitarian Leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Upholds Message of Non-violence after Gunman Fires at his Convoy

Statement regarding firing attempt on Sri Sri’s convoy

After this incident Sri Sri attended three previously scheduled public gatherings in Bangalore. In response to various questions from the media, Sri Sri urged people not to worry and called upon them to work towards a more inclusive, peaceful and spiritual society.

Sri Sri said, “Many people are suffering due to violence. We need to convey the message of peace and non-violence to every household by reinforcing the human values of compassion, friendliness and service.” Asked about enhancing security measures around him, Sri Sri said, “I am here for the people and am not in favor of any measures that will prevent this.”