Friday, June 30, 2017

How To Be Fully In The Present Moment

06/15/2016 London
(Below is the talk given by Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar at the Institute of Chartered Accountants on 15th June 2016, in London)
If there no peace, there is no prosperity, then I don’t think you will have any job to do (laughter). Accountancy has no job if there is no prosperity, and the basis of prosperity is peace.Actually, this is a catch 22 situation -- if there is prosperity there is peace, and if there is peace there is prosperity. It’s sort of the chicken and egg situation. Peace is such an ingredient in everyone’s life, without which no creativity is possible, no intuition is possible, and without which you don’t have energy either. So how do we find inner peace? The journey begins here!
Do we ever take out a little time to reflect on ourselves? As I am speaking, we are all speaking together. I am not speaking alone. Each one of us is having a dialogue with our self. Are we aware of the dialogue that is going on within us? As I am saying something, you are saying 'Yes' or 'No', am I right? You have to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No’. So you are also talking. That aspect of our mind or consciousness which agrees or disagrees is our intellect, and it is very important that we throw some light on our own intellect. Now, how do we do this? Self reflection! Reflecting on our self removes a lot of confusion and cobwebs from the mind.
Whether one agrees or not is a different question, but do we know that we are agreeing or disagreeing? Are we conscious of our agreement and our disagreement? This is vital for the development of our intellect – the sharpness of the intellect, clarity and perception. Are we all 100% here? Most of the time our memories haunt us. As we are listening to a talk, 101 things that we are concerned about plays in the background. Psychologist say that when you are listening to someone speaking for about 10 minutes, you’ve mentally gone out for a tea or coffee break three times in those 10 minutes! So, the presence of the mind is inversely proportional to the impressions in the mind – lesser the impressions in the mind, more the presence.
Now, in this stimulant world, when we are bombarded with so much stimulation, is it possible to have good presence of mind? I would say – yes, we can! The human mind is capable of handling both.
Are we here? We have to come back. We take little trips here and there, every now and then. Coming back to the moment brings that alertness.
Usually, our mind is very sharp and alert in four situations :
1. When there is fear. Sometimes fear becomes a motivating factor. When there is fear, mind does not go anywhere, it is 100% in the present.
2. When there is 'wow' factor, a wonderment, then the mind does not go anywhere.
3. When is an opportunity; it could be a big business opportunity, then you are right there. Greed can also put our mind in the present moment. Then there is love and commitment for whatever mission you have taken – that can keep you right there on the spot.
4. When you are doing yoga, breathing exercises and meditation, then you are in the present moment. And this presence of mind brings clarity in our perception and makes our expression satisfactory.
When our expression is not satisfactory, we find that what we convey is not really what we want to convey. A lot of people find it very difficult to convey what they feel. Usually people end us saying, "Nobody understands me, I am misunderstood". Haven’t you heard this many times? This is due to lack in our expression. So, attending to that which is the central point, the core of our existence, around which our professional and personal life is revolving, can bring these abilities to us which we may not have or we may aspire to have.
We can do multiple things at the same time – be centered, happy and not allow anyone to steal our smile. So, I have come up with number of small techniques, some ancient and some modern and that has seemed to have helped people.

Thursday, June 29, 2017

How To Keep Your Mind Fresh

06/05/2016 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Below is the continuation of the post How To Make Your Vibrations Positive)

Wednesday, June 28, 2017

How To Make Your Vibrations Positive

06/05/2016 Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Today is World Environmental Day. You know, environment is not just the plants, trees and mountains. We are also part of the environment. Caring for each other and seeing that we are all happy is also part of the environment. Don’t you agree? Yes!
If you see, all over the world in the Aboriginal areas where the tribal people are¬ living, or looking after the forests and animals, they do not pollute the environment.
Do you know, when we are stressed and unhappy, we tend to pollute the environment much more. If you just sit with a person who is angry, upset or negative for 10 minutes, when you walk away from them, you also carry a little bit of their frustrations with you. When you spend a little time with those who are happy, for example with little kids, and when you move away from there, you carry their joy.
Today, the topic being happiness, I feel that it is perfectly timed because it coincides with the World Environmental Day! We not only physically pollute the environment but we mentally, emotionally and spiritually also pollute the environment. Our minds are so sensitive that it can catch on to the thought waves and vibrations of others around us. Happiness is the unpolluted vibrations that come from within us. 
We are all born happy, every child is born happy and we emit the happiness, but in the course of growing up, education and dealing with people all around, somewhere we lose the purity and serenity that we were all born with. We need to get back to our true nature which is innocence, which is simplicity, which is honesty, and then we are caring for the environment. And how can we do that? First of all, we need to get rid of stress, we need to get rid of mistrust towards with each other and start bringing a sense of celebration to our lives.
We convey more through our vibrations, than through our words. Each one of us emits vibrations and these vibrations get polluted when we are stressed, angry, upset and frustrated. The way to purity our presence and our vibrations is through meditation. It brings the transformation from negative vibes to positive vibes, from hatred to love, from frustration to confidence, from despair to hope and from ignorance to intuition. Don’t you want this? Everyone wants this.
Every husband and wife wants to be intuitive; they want to know what the other is doing when they are not with them. Every business man wants to be intuitive, so that they know where they can invest. For a research scientist intuition is absolutely essential, and I don’t have to say how important intuition is to a politician. They suffer a great deal when they do not have any intuition.
Similarly, innovation is essential to maintain any business. Innovation is essential to maintain and grow any business. Meditation, provides, energy, intuition, innovation and enthusiasm. Who does not want to meditate then. Not only this, it can create a better atmosphere around you.
Another way to purify our vibrations is by taking part in art and culture. Being part of art and dance is good. Not just sitting and watching for some time, but being a part of it for some time. Participate! Do not worry about your steps, whether you can put the steps correctly or gracefully or not.
The next way is to reach out to the people who are in need and serve them. These three things will help you. Not thinking 'What about me, where will I go?' Think, 'What can I do, how can I help? How can I contribute'. These intentions can change our vibes and they can keep us much happier.

Tuesday, June 27, 2017

The Sign Of Progress

06/06/2016 Bangalore, India
(Below is a continuation of the post Learn To Care For The Environment)

Monday, June 26, 2017

Learn To Care For The Environment

06/06/2016 Bangalore, India
Yesterday, the World Environment Day‬‬ was celebrated across the world. Only the ones who are unpolluted from within can take care of the environment. If someone’s mind is polluted with anger, aversion, hatred or greed, how can that person clean the environment? A greedy person won't be concerned about the welfare of the environment. He will be busy doing his work.
Today, pollution in the environment is caused due to greed. See, if a person is angry all the time, his vision becomes clouded and he never finds anything right outside. When the vision is distorted, the outcome of whatever work he undertakes will be similar. The person who is full of anger, his actions are followed by regret. This is for sure. You see within your own lives, whatever you have done anything in a state of anger, haven’t you regretted it later? It has to happen. This is because anger is not the right state of mind.
I am not saying that you should not get angry. But whenever anger comes, it should not stay for more than a minute in the mind. Then, it’s not pollution. But when anger stays for long in our mind, it creates pollution. You see, you eat a banana, after removing the peel if you leave the peel on the table, it does not create any pollution. But if that peel stays at the same place for two to three days, then it creates pollution.
When you eat a chocolate and you leave the wrapper at the same place for 4-5days, it creates pollution. This accumulation of the garbage is pollution.
Sometimes anger is needed in life, it can get work done. But when it makes a place within us, then it creates pollution. It pollutes our vision. Our work starts getting affected and we are filled with regret. Then there is hatred, which is solidified anger.
A person who has hatred can never be sensitive towards the environment. The Nature and the environment are very delicate and sensitive. In order to grasp their delicate nature we need to have sensitivity within ourselves. The one who has this fluidity and simplicity within, can be sensitive towards the environment.
The environment is our first body out of the ‘Panchakosha’ (five bodies or sheaths). The environment is the first sheath. Then comes the body made of blood and bones. The second kosha is the Pranamaya kosha (breath). Third is Manomaya kosha (mind). Then comes the Vignaanamaya kosha (intellect), and fifth is the Anandamaya kosha (bliss).
I believe that the environment is our body. How is that? See, if the air is polluted then your body cannot live. If the air is poisonous, the how will you survive? Therefore, it is the first body.
We should clean up the pollution within our minds first. There are some people who say that The Art of Living has created pollution, it has become a fashion now. They say that The Art of Living should clean the environment. We said we will clean the pollution from the minds first. The one who says that The Art of Living has created pollution, their vision is polluted. Clear the vision and you will see that we have not created any pollution.