Astonishing and mysterious karma.


What do we get upset with? We don’t get upset with the birds, or the clouds, or with Nature. We don’t get upset with the environment. So, what do we get upset with?
We get upset with the people around us. Our enemies upset us and our friends upset us as well. Our mind gets stuck either in our friends or in our enemies. We either think about our friends or we think about our enemies the entire day.

People become our enemies even when we have not done any wrong to them. Many people have had this experience. We didn’t do any wrong to them; neither did we misbehave and still they became our enemies. This is very surprising!
We think, ‘Oh! Why has he become my enemy? Until yesterday he was my friend.’ In the same way, we do not do any special favours for some people, yet they become our close friends.
That is why I tell you, this is some astonishing and mysterious Karma – how some people become our enemies and some our friends.

So what should we do?
We should place both our friends and enemies in one basket, and just become empty from within and be joyful.
All these happenings (people becoming friends and enemies) are run by some law and we don’t know how and where it comes from. We just can’t say when someone’s feelings towards us will change and whether it will be in our favour or not in our favour. We just can’t say. That is why we should place absolute faith on our Self, on God, and not on friendship and enmity.
We should not waste our time thinking about friends and enemies.
What do you all think?

This does not mean you distance yourself from your friends, or that you stop making new friends. That is not what I am saying. Friendliness should be in our nature; love should be in our very nature. We are love after all!
When someone comes and sits beside us, we do smile at them and exchange a few words. This does not mean you think, ‘Anyways, who is a friend or who is an enemy, there is nothing to share with anyone’, and you walk around with a gloomy face being angry with everyone – this is not a sign of wisdom. This is ignorance and foolishness.
We must interact with everyone around us but at the same time be centred from within. Do you understand?
When we are centred, then we will not feel sad, angry or possessive. Then we will not have disappointment of any kind. Otherwise many times what happens, we become sad – ‘Oh! Look, I made him such a good friend and today he does not even talk to me. I did so many favours for him and he has turned against me!’
By thinking all these thoughts we waste the time we have in the present. We should not do this, Okay!
It is futile to search for a true friend in the world. Befriend the Truth (Divine) and the World is yours.

By sri sri ji

Lord Krishna said:

“Arjuna, you only have the right to act (Karma); At the same time, you do not have the right for the fruits of actions. You should not act, motivated by the fruits of actions and also never be inactive any time.”

(Bhagavad Gita 2:47)



From the outset, the most oft-repeated advice of Lord Krishna to Arjuna is “Nishkama karma,” doing action without expecting any reward:

Most of our decisions are based on “I” and “mine” and we get affected because we wonder about their outcomes and consequences. “Ego” or “Aham Bhava” is the biggest stumbling block in our life.

Whenever we engage in selfless thoughts and actions that contribute to the welfare of others, we will enter higher states of mind and we will be surprised to see even total strangers helping us in our projects.

Life will become saddening, depressing, etc. because of our attachment to outcome. When we free our self from the outcome and focus instead on the selfless actions, we will be very happy.

That is the reason why Jesus Christ also said: “Don’t Let Your Left Hand Know What Your Right Hand Is Doing….”

Respect and ego


There are two types of respect.

Respect that comes to you because of your position, fame or wealth. This type of respect is impermanent. It can be lost once you lose your wealth or status.

Respect that comes because of your virtues like honesty, kindness, commitment, patience and your smile. This respect, no one can take away.

The less you are attached to your virtues, the more self respect you have. If you get attached to your virtues, you look down upon everybody else, and the virtues start diminishing. Non- attachment to virtues brings the highest self respect.
Often one confuses ego with self esteem. Ego needs the other for comparison; self esteem is just confidence in oneself. For example, a gentleman claims that he is thorough in Mathematics or Geography, this is self esteem. But to say that I know better than you, that is Ego.
Ego simply means lack of respect to the Self.
Ego upsets you very often. Self esteem is immune to getting upset by external factors. In self respect, everything is a game, winning or losing has no meaning, every step is joy, and every move is celebration.
 
By sri sri ji

Creativity

Creativity brings a new beginning for "time". When you are creative, you break the monotony of time. Everything becomes fresh and alive. Creativity brings along with it a new round of enthusiasm. Both creative and procreative impulses in nature are associated with enthusiasm. When you are enthusiastic you are closer to the creative principle of existence.
Deep silence is the mother of creativity. No creativity can come out of one who is too busy, worried, over-ambitious or lethargic. Balanced activity, rest and yoga can kindle skills and creativity in you.
By sri sri ji

The other side of the ego

Ego is an impediment for a leader, wise man, merchant or a servant, but it is a necessity for a warrior, a competitor.
A warrior is one who takes on challenges and commitment and stands by it.
Ego makes one sacrifice oneself for a cause. Ego gives strength and courage, brings valour to meet the challenges with endurance and perseverance. A strong ego will counteract depression. Often ego is thought to be selfish but it is the greatest motivating factor for creativity and generosity.
Ego propels one to venture into the unknown.
There are 3 types of ego - Sattvic, Rajasic and Tamasic.

Tamasic ego is barbaric and blind, and has self-destructive tendencies.

Rajasic ego is self-centered and causes misery to oneself and others.

Sattvic ego is creative and has protective tendencies.

If you cannot surrender, at least have a Sattvic ego, as a Sattivic ego is always ready to sacrifice.
Bhanu: This is very good! It gives many people a relief. (laughter!)

By sri sri ji

Beyond the rational mind : breaking the barrier.

We Usually Do Only That Which Is Purposeful, Useful, And Rational. Everything You See, You See Through The rational mind. But an intuition, a discovery, new knowledge goes beyond the rational mind. Truth is beyond the rational mind.
The rational mind is like a railroad track that is fixed in grooves. A plane has no tracks. It can fly anywhere. A balloon can float anywhere. Some people step out of the rational mind in order to rebel against society. They want to break social law but for the ego's sake. They do it out of anger, hatred, rebelliousness, and wanting attention. This is not stepping out of the rational mind (though they think it is).
We step out of the rational mind when we do something that has no purpose. Accepting that, as an act, makes it a game. Life becomes lighter. If you are stuck with only rational acts, life becomes a burden. Suppose you play a game without a thought to winning or losing, just act irrationally. Making an act without any purpose attached to it - it is freedom - like a dance
So just step out of the rational mind and you will find a greater freedom, an unfathomable depth, and you willl come face to face with reality. Reality transcends logic and the rational mind. Until you transcend the rational mind you will not get access to creativity and the infinite.
But if you do an irrational act in order to find freedom, then it already has a purpose and a meaning. It is no longer irrational. This knowledge sheet has already spoiled it's own possibility.
Break the barrier of the rational mind and then find freedom for yourself.

By sri sri ji.

Singing communication and ego


There are three modes of communication: in head to head communication you talk, in heart to heart communication you sing, and soul to soul communication happens in silence.
When you meet with people, often you communicate from head to head. When you are with nature, you start singing, you communicate with nature from your heart. Often when you are with people you keep talking, blabbering, and you keep the communication on the level of the head only. But when you are with nature, you start humming and your communication comes through the heart. And when you are with the guru, you go blank and forget all the questions. Then communication comes through the soul in silence.
When you meet with people, you like to remain in the head, you seldom sing with people (other than when it is organised). Your ego obstructs you from singing. Many do not feel comfortable singing with people. When you sing with people then you descend to the heart level or feeling level. Some feel comfortable just listening to music. Some feel comfortable singing only when they are alone. Some sing to draw attention or to charm others. Some only want to join in when all the others are singing. All this singing comes from ego.
Bhajan means sharing, sharing from the deepest level of our existence. Bhajan is authentic sharing. If you could sing with people, then your ego shatters. Children can sing with people for they do not have ego. To sing with a stranger you have to be free of ego. Ego doesn't let you sing with a stranger. Head level is safe for the ego -heart level breaks the ego - soul level dissolves the ego. All communication gaps happen because of ego.
Exercise: when you are with people, rather then chatting just start singing and you can feel the shift of energy that is happening. If you want to have more fun, greet a stranger with a song

By Sri sri ji

Blessed are those who are bored

Only a conscious, alert and dynamic person can get bored. A dull and inert person doesn't get bored. If you get bored, it indicates you are more alive and human. It is a sign that you are growing, that you are evolving. An animal, for example, keeps doing the same thing. It never gets bored. Cows, horses, birds do the same things over and over all their lives. People eat, watch television, change jobs, change partners to escape boredom. And they get frustrated. And frustration takes them back to inertia and unconsciousness.
Only in two states the boredom does not occur: in a state of total inertia or in a state of Divine Consciousness. If you are bored, it indicates you are evolving. Boredom moves you.
Jim: Boredom moves you towards the divine.
Guruji: Yes. Be proud of your boredom and celebrate!!!!!!

By sri sri ji
JGD

How to create divine society?

Be stress free - keep your body, mind and spirit free from stress. It is not a one-time job; it is something that has to be done over and over again, like keeping your teeth clean; like dental hygiene.

Do something for society - do whatever little you can, and be committed towards it.

Keep prejudice away - drop prejudice from your mind and intellect; whether it is against another religion, caste, or gender.

Keep balance in your family-society and work-life - some people do so much social work and ignore the family. While some are so stuck with their family that their world does not go beyond the four walls of their home; both are not utilizing their full potential. Those who are confined to the four walls of their homes need to go out, make more friends and do some work for society. Those who are out all the time and not very nice to people at home, consider being more kind at home also. Thus, keep the work-life balance.

Have a vision, for yourself and a vision for society and hold on to it. It may be anything but keep it away from your profession, like writing a book, poetry, painting, singing, writing short stories. Be innovative in whatever way you can. Just keep that idea, and it will come up within you. So, keep one vision for yourself, and one for society - inspire people around you! There are a hundred reasons to be miserable, upset, and unhappy in life and in society. Coming out of it is a challenge. You should take up this challenge, "Come what may, I will move through all those negative clouds that surround me; like the planes that take off even in bad weather". You need to have that radar within you, which enables you to move through any negative cloud and create enthusiasm around you.

By sri sri ji
Jgd