Some Wisdom From Sri Sri

Stretching the Sound is Music.
Stretching the Movement is Dance.
Stretching the Smile is Laughter.
Stretching the Mind is Meditation.
Stretching the Life is Celebration.
Stretching the Devotee is God.
Stretching the Feeling is Ecstasy.
Stretching the Emptiness is Bliss.

Q : What is Emptiness?
Sri Sri : Emptiness is the doorway between the material and spiritual worlds. It is where you come to understand the nature of the spirit. If you do not know emptiness then you cannot know the joy of the Being. The knack of experiencing the Being causes emptiness. From the emptiness begins the fullness.
One side of emptiness is misery and on the other side of emptiness is Joy. That is what Buddha said, "The whole world is misery and what is to be achieved is emptiness."

Q: Maharaji asked Guruji how to invoke love? How can you experience love?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you are tired and so exhausted if someone talks about love you say forget about it and let me sleep. You know sleep is very important but when you are well rested only then a thought of love can be of any significance. So, when you are well rested, body is rested and you are not restless then love dawns in you. And then company; you look at young children, small kids that can kindle the love inside you. In one in whom the energy is high and the love is already kindled, that also is contagious, it catches on to everybody else. In that way also it dawns, so there are many ways. Also when you do pranayam; there are 1,72,000 nadis in the body, in the system and when some of them are blocked then you don’t experience love. When they open up then you experience that, ‘oh wow’, something happens. Suddenly people start talking, ‘oh we are friends from many life times. Oh I know you from forever before and we are made for each other.’ All those talks start when the nadis in the system open up. It’s interesting and so with pranayama also you can get those nadis to open inside you and with meditation. With the company of those in whom the nadis are open, company of saints and prophets and sadhaks, then also something triggers and you feel, ‘oh wow!’ feeling arises. And when we try and catch hold of it, then it just slips away. So just let it be. That’s a good mantra; just let it be, let it be! Very nice.

Q: Guruji, I want to ask the connection between breath, soul and space. What is the connection? Are they the same?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Very connected, they are cousins. Soul, the individual self is space with some impressions. Breath is that which manifests that in the body so breath is definitely connected to the soul (atman). In German language, ‘atman’ means breath. In Sanskrit ‘atman’ means the soul, spirit and ‘Paramatman’ means the Divine, the total space.

Q: Guruji, does the witnessing self ever rest? Does it rest when one is asleep or is it always resting?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The witnessing consciousness, the one that witnesses is always at rest. The witness does not perform any action. If in the state of being a witness, the intention to act arises, it is performed by the mind. That activity happens in the mind or the intellect. Mind being transparent, it appears that the witness is witnessing through the mind. Then mind can get tired, mind can become active or can be in a state of rest. However, the witnessing consciousness is always at rest, it is never engaged in anything. That is why the best of the best deeds performed by anyone or the worst of the worst actions do not affect the witness. It always remains untouched, unperturbed and pure.

Q: Guruji, sometimes in a business environment we are forced to bribe someone to get a project. Is that correct and how should be position our self in our mind and in our heart?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, otherwise you will lose your business right. You know alone it is difficult for an individual especially if you have a business to fight corruption. It’s okay for an NGO, it’s okay for a recluse, it’s okay for someone who doesn’t have any such responsibility to fight. But for an individual with responsibilities, it is like swimming against the current. When there is so much corruption, one man cannot swim against the current. That is why it needs an uprising. People will have to rise to the occasion. If there is a group of people all committed for this and united like the labor unions that would work. There should be unions for corruption; anti-corruption unions. This anti-corruption union can just make sure that nobody loses their business if they don’t bribe. So it takes some of that social effort from your side to do that, to take that step.