November 25, 2013
Bangalore, India
Gurudev, in Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna said to take refuge in
him. What does it mean? Please elaborate.
Sri Sri: Taking refuge means relaxing. Just like how a child feels when he
knows that mother is at home.
When the mother is at home, the child is confident. In the subconscious mind, a
child is very comfortable knowing mother is at home. A sense of security, a
sense of confidence, a sense of knowing that there is somebody backing me,
guiding me and caring for me, all this brings a deep sense of security. This is
refuge.
When you don’t have that, when you are shaky, worried and tensed, then you need
that much needed support. Taking the support when it is being offered is taking
refuge.
Gurudev, spirituality is something that every person on this
planet has his concept about. Some think that being religious is spiritual, or
discarding this world is spiritual. How would you define spirituality?
Sri Sri: We are made up of both matter and spirit. In the sense of matter,
we are carbohydrates, amino acids, protein and all this. As spirit, we are
peace, love, joy, compassion, integrity, honesty and all these qualities.
So anything that enhances these qualities of love, peace, joy, celebration,
humor, integrity, honesty, knowledge, that is what spirituality is. Anything
that uplifts the spirit and makes you feel that you are more than the body, you
are connected to the whole universe, that is spirituality.
Scientists today say the whole world is one organism, one cosmic body.
Realizing this on the level of experience is spirituality, not just the
concept. And love is same, when you feel that there is no other, everyone is
part of you. This realization of Quantum Physics in your life as a reality is
spirituality.
Quantum Physics says that the whole Universe is made up of One wave. Matter
doesn’t exist, everything is just waves. Have you experienced that? That is
what spirituality is.
It is possible to connect and realize that truth in deep meditation. So
meditation becomes a part of spirituality.
The same thing in action, is service. So service also is a part of
spirituality.
Gurudev, can a person who doesn't believe in the idea or reality
of God be spiritual?
Sri Sri: Yes, sure! One doesn’t need to have a particular belief system to
be spiritual. One simply has to have the spirit of enquiry, then you are
spiritual.
You need to be bubbling with enthusiasm. If you are aware of the cosmic
reality, that there is much more to be known and you know very little, then you
are treading the path of spirituality.
If you have bubbling enthusiasm, joy and you are serving people, sharing the
joy, that is part of spirituality. A deep sense of satisfaction, a
sense of completeness is all part of spirituality.
Gurudev, can love and dispassion coexist? They seem to be
contradictory.
Sri Sri: They should exist together, otherwise you will not be same. Like
breathing in and breathing out is totally contradictory but it has to go
together.
You can’t breathe out the same time you are breathing in, they should
alternate. Similarly love and dispassion. Love means passion. Passion is needed
and dispassion is equally important to keep you wise and sane.
Gurudev, even after wearing the sacred thread (yagnopaveetham),
people don’t bear the responsibilities properly. Do you really think that
wearing this sacred thread reminds us of our responsibilities?
Sri Sri: It is just a symbol.
It is not that just because you have worn a badge of Vande Matram, you become
totally patriotic. Similarly you may wear a thread and you may still not be
responsible.
It doesn’t make any sense. Many people wear sacred thread without even knowing
why they are wearing it. They have no idea about it.
Gurudev, which direction is most conducive for babies to sleep?
East West or facing South?
Sri Sri: East West for sleeping is said to be very good because we are
cutting the magnetic axis of the planet.
Gurudev, when you have enough you automatically share with people.
I think the most difficult thing for the human mind is to know, what is enough
for oneself. How do I know what is enough for me? The mind keeps wanting more.
Sri Sri: People have billions, still they are stealing. This is
unfortunate. Greed kills oneself and kills others also.
Whatever you earn, keep a little percent of it aside, don’t touch it. Suppose
you earn x amount, keep ten percent of it aside. Ten percent you must save for
yourself. And whatever expenditure you have, do it. Save some for future. Plan
like this.
The percentage that you save, may be three or five percent of that you should
keep aside for charity. Everyone can do charity. It is not that you need to
earn a lot of money to do charity. Whatever you earn, three percent of it you
can keep aside for charity.
I think you are getting pocket money from your parents. Suppose you are getting
x amount, you can keep three percent aside from that. Instead of spending that
whole pocket money for your food, cinema and different things, you can save a
little bit so that this habit gets inculcated in you. You will find that lack
doesn’t exist in your life. Lack disappears and you feel happier.
Gurudev, what is Raj Yoga? Is it only for kings?
Sri Sri: Raj Yoga means getting
things without much effort. What you are doing is Raj Yoga. You are getting
everything on a platter here. You didn’t have to do all that Lord Buddha did.
How many years he walked miles and miles! What not he did! He fasted for so
many months and did everything that everybody said.
You didn’t have to go to Himalayas to get some experience, or to do something
great there. Royally you sat and you got what you wanted. This is Raj Yoga.
Raja means king. Raj Yoga means like a king, who gets everything with the snap
of his fingers. Effortlessly getting things in your life is Raj Yoga.
In astrology, there are many permutations and combinations. If you have some
particular combination, then that is Raj Yoga. Means, you are born in a good
family, you have got a good career, good money, good children, or talents. All
these are counted as an impact of Raj Yoga. Everything; name, fame, talents
will have some sort of Raj Yoga. Many Raj Yogas are there.
Gurudev, how could Krishna teach Dhyan Yoga (meditation) or Karma
Yoga (Service) without actually making him do meditation?
Sri Sri: When one is a Yogeshwara (Lord of Yoga), the
effect of that gets translated almost immediately. You don’t have to do much.
Say it and it immediately registers.
There is a saying in Sanskrit, 'Rishinaam yatchittanaam vaacham arthonu
dhaavate', which means, when you are established and you say something, its
meaning fends behind the words. If you are not established in the self, you say
a word a hundred times, it doesn’t have an impact.
Gurudev, my ambition is to change the world and do seva. My
unmarried friends are telling me to get married and my married friends say
forget about changing the world, you won’t even be able to change a TV channel.
Whom should I listen to?
Sri Sri: Listen to your own needs, your own heart. There are people who are
married and miserable; there are people who are unmarried and miserable.
Whereas there are people who are unmarried and happy and there are people who
are married and happy. You better belong to the latter category.
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