Feel The Helping Hand

12/09/2015 Bangalore, India

There are some people who believe that they are always right. They somehow convince themselves that whatever they do is always right, and so they don’t learn anything from their experiences and repeat the same mistakes.
There are also some people who think that they are always wrong. They feel everything that they do including their sadhana is incorrect.
Both these attitudes are not good. You should take the middle path. Learn from mistakes made and go ahead with the conviction that God is on my side and will not allow me to fail. Have this faith.

Have faith that there is success behind every failure, that there is a reason for every difficulty that comes your way; that these are steps for you to climb up and reach higher. Move ahead with this type of strength and conviction.

Life has given us a lot of good things, and of course there have been some difficult times, but those are faced by everyone. And whenever difficult times came our way, an invisible hand was also always present that lifted us up. Isn’t that true? Didn’t you always get help when you needed it? So always move ahead with a feeling of gratitude in life.

Gurudev, tomorrow is my birthday. Please tell me how to celebrate my birthday tomorrow in the ashram.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, on your birthday you should definitely think about how before this birth you were the soul and then you took up this body, and then after this, again you will go back to space. You should celebrate this phenomenon. Know that from the ocean you became a wave and rose up but you are still the ocean. You should remember this.

How do I remember God or Guru all the time, and not only when I am in pain?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

See, when you are happy, then you be grateful and remember God, and when you are unhappy, you naturally remember God as you want to get rid of your misery. These are the two occasions when your prayer is very authentic: when you are totally grateful or two, when you are suffering.

I went to Chennai to volunteer for flood relief and I knew that you would be there to help even before I reached. They had predicted heavy rains and floods but there were just light showers, and I could easily help out.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

They had predicted that there would be thunderstorms. In fact, normally in Chennai, people do pujas asking for rain, but this time we had to do puja for no more rain. In Coimbatore also, they predicted heavy rains but they had good sunshine. You know, prakriti (nature) listens to you. Nature is your friend.

Gurudev, as an extension to what this gentleman said, with regards to the floods in Tamil Nadu and the climate change, some people say this is man-made. If it is man-made, can we do something to change the climate change? What is the message for people like us?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, use green energy. Use more solar power, unnecessarily don’t travel in cars, use resources judiciously, save water and plant more trees.

Gurudev, I have come for my teachers training program and all my friends think that now that I have come to the Guru, I will go away from them, and I also have a little fear that I might lose the connection with my family and friends.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Here, connections are only strengthened, never broken. Tell them that we will bring all of them also here. Tell them not to worry. Yes if there are any bad habits in your friend circles, then that will definitely break away. If they were drinking with you then they will definitely say that you were joining them earlier but do not do so now.

When I look at someone who is going through suffering, I feel pity for them. Is it bad to feel that way?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

See you have no control over it. This compassion arises spontaneously, isn't it, then why do you have to label it good or bad? It’s okay, whatever feeling comes at that moment, that’s it. But don’t simply act on your feelings. See it also through your intellect.