Want Blessings?

I remember : I was new to Art of Living and had gone to the Ashram.. perhaps the second visit..
And by chance (we all know there are no chances) caught myself face to face with Gurudev on VishalakshiMantap steps with almost noone around....

Completely zapped : The only words that stumbled frm my lips were "Guruji Blessings"
Gurudev replied.. "Blessings Blessings..."

An instant regret of having opened my mouth followed... Coz it seemed meaningless..  :) I have never asked him for Blessings after that... We all know they just flow...

Sharing a Talk by Sri Sri on Blessings..


"Everybody asks for blessings. Usually people say, “Guruji, please give me blessings”. Even if someone doesn’t want anything, they need blessings! Whichever Guru you go to, the only words which come out are, “Give me blessings”. And these are mere words tumbling out of your mouth. But how do we obtain blessings? We have not learnt this.

There is no dearth of blessings. You get more blessings than necessary. There is sunlight, a burning blaze of bright light all 12 hours of the day, but your doors and windows are tightly shut. Then,how is it possible for light to enter? If the sun’s light has to reach you, you cannot sit in a dark room and keep chanting on a microphone, “I want sunlight, I want sunlight!” This will not bring the sunlight in. You have to open the doors and windows, so that light may enter on its own.

When you ask for blessings, you should have an honest and clean mind. When you have a truthful mind, that mind becomes capable of receiving and absorbing blessings. When does the mind become truthful? When there is nothing to hide, no dirt in the mind and the mind is open. Blessings should only be asked with an open mind.

If somebody asks, “How are you?”, you answer saying “I am fine”. You,in reality, will not be fine at that point in time. In spite of that, you say, “I am fine, doing very well and on top of the world” and you are boiling inside! When you communicate without hiding anything inside you, with an open and innocent mind, only from this level will you acquire the capability of receiving blessings.

Now, why are we not honest in this way? That is because we are not communicating with ourselves. We are not living with the real truth in us. We are under the illusion that we may get something in this world of objects. The most common comment that people make often is that politicians are not honest. Why are not many politicians honest? That is because their mind is only outward bound. They are always calculating and keeping watch of how much and what they can loot. If they want to loot people then it is not possible to be honest. Why? This is because they are dependent on somebody else. 

If you have to depend on somebody, then depend only on the divine power. The powerful God is the strength of the powerless.

It is not that we always obtain whatever we wish. Many a times, our desires will not be fulfilled. There are many times when we regret our desires and wonder why we ever wished for them. Isn’t it? You desire something and then you regret as to why you desired it. We live under the illusion that we will live happily when we obtain all objects of our desire. You should keep observing your desires. Only then you will know whether you will really derive happiness from your desire or if
you will land in more trouble because of the desires.

It is said that, “Daivadheenam Jagat Sarvam, Mantradheenam tu
daivatam” which means that the whole creation is under the control of Gods and the Gods are under the spell of mantras. All that you are seeing in this gross world is just a reflection arising from the subtle world. The one who works in the subtle world is known as Devatha or God. Surrender to the Gods in the subtle plane. This is known as “Ishwara Pranidhaana”. God does not mean that you simply visit a temple and break the coconut and come back after offering a prayer.

There is one honest corner in our consciousness. Just go and sit there. The moment you sit in that silent, honest corner of your consciousness, that very moment, you are tapping divine energy. “All the forms in the world reside in my consciousness,” this experience will gradually begin to happen to you. You will realise that you are not only the body. You are that consciousness which is very vast and spread everywhere, on all sides. It is necessary to realise that you are not just the body. “

Who am I? This body is only a small window, that is all. I am really the Sun. When the Sun enters the window, does the window itself become the Sun? No. Sun only enters through the window. Moonlight is entering in, but the Moon is very far away. In the same way, I am far away from the body. In spite of being far away, I am still in the body”. This feeling should arise in you again and again. For that you need honesty. This requires practice.

Then, even if you don’t need, blessings will always be showered on you!"

- Sri Sri 

Happiness, Love and Knowledge

The first post of the year and these are the only words that come into my mind, ‘Happiness, Love and Knowledge’

Are we ‘Happy’
The only prominent ‘question’ that Guruji often asks is: ‘Are you happy?’ At that time, being in front of the master, completely in bliss, there isn’t any need of any answer. But back in the grind of life, huh, perhaps it’s not always so..
At the same time, wanting to be ‘always’ happy is well, the best way to stay unhappy.
To add,
The surest way to get depressed is to think - 'What About Me!'
The surest way to happiness is the - 'What can I do for you attitude!' Then the focus in life shifts from what about me and what makes me happy to what I can do to make someone else happy. If one looks closely at people and talks to them, one would discover that everyone needs someone to share their experiences. People like to be with a good listener… Can we give some of our time to be with people who need us?

Wanting is Pain, Giving is Joy :) Do we still ‘want’!!
What happens inside us when we want something? Can we feel good, happy, joyful, if we want something? It simply means we don’t have it..Lack! That’s the signal we begin sending to the Universe, and it responds by giving us more of it..
What happens when we are in a position to give? Well! We can only give what we have. So giving means Abundance!
Love, happiness – To spread them, we have to know that we already have them.

Give but don’t expect to get back from the same person. Because that is not in your hands - never was, and never will be. Understanding this simple and yet very difficult fact is wisdom. Love is the greatest energy and love is all about giving….
People, often our loved ones, behave just the way they want to. Sometimes their behavior is so erratic and unexplainable that one is left wondering, ‘What did I do?’ :) That is the time I remember Rishiji’s words. He says – “How you behave is your 'Karma,' how other people behave is their 'Karma.' Let people carry their own cross that should not stop you from doing your work.” And at the same time bless them to behave better. :)

Love is inclusive and not exclusive
In our life, some people are, and will always be ‘special.’ These are people we want to spend a part of our lives with. But that should not prevent us from being able to share our love with the rest of the world. There are people waiting for us to bring some smile n cheer into their lives.

When we miss someone, it’s not the person, it’s the feeling, the presence that that person brings in our life, that we miss. To add, I feel life is about finding the one who loves you unconditionally, who’s with you always…the eternal quest, I guess :) And that special one is never away from us, the ultimate soul mate, the ‘soul itself’…

I say a little 'Prayer'
Let the tears that flow from our eyes not be of pain, let them be those of gratitude,

Let the lamp of knowledge be lit in everyone around us,

Let our thoughts for others be simply love and blessings…

‘Loka Samasta Sukhino Bhavantu’

You walk until you come to the ocean. You don’t walk or run in the ocean – you float and swim. Like this, once you come to the Master, seeking stops, blossoming begins. You seek until you come to the Master.

Seeking is a desire. Desire is a thought. Thoughts are in the mind. The mind is in the Big Mind. The Big Mind in me is love. Emotions are ripples in love. Love is all Knowledge. Every atom of the Big Mind is crammed with Knowledge.

Knowing this, you stop seeking.

You are Knowledge. Every atom in you is shimmering with Knowledge.

In Sanskrit, this is called go. 'Go' has four meanings: * Knowledge * Movement * Achievement * Freedom or liberation

'Pal' means friend or protector – one who takes care of you. Be a Gopal (go-pal); be a friend in Knowledge. Often you become friends by: * Gossiping about negative things * Complaining * Similar cravings or aversions * Common enemies or common problems * Common goals or common addictions You become friends with someone because you have something in common.

But coming together in Knowledge is rare. Be a friend in Knowledge. Uplift each other in Knowledge.

All satsangees are Gopals – reminding each other of the Knowledge, coming together for Knowledge. That is Gopal.

Be a protector of this Knowledge.

Sri Sri

Spacing out....

"Many read spiritual knowledge like everything else. On the go, between Iphones & Blackberries. When something soothes your heart/mind-STOP for a moment. REST in that knowledge. Sit for a moment. Don't say yes I agree or no. Just take SHADE from all your mental & physical activity. Give knowledge, this SUTRA, time to SPACE OUT in you.
ONE MOMENT can change your entire perception FOREVER."
Dvorah Adler