Sri Sri Ravi Shankar2013-05-22T12:13:07-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/author/index.php?author=sri-sri-ravi-shankarCopyright 2008, HuffingtonPost.com, Inc.HuffingtonPost Blogger Feed for Sri Sri Ravi ShankarGood old fashioned elbow grease.A World Without Violencetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.29755062013-03-29T14:00:45-04:002013-03-29T14:03:47-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
Since the shooting tragedy in Newtown, Conn., on Dec. 14, The Huffington Post has tracked and recorded more than 2,240 deaths across America as a result of gun-related homicides and accidental shootings. It is saddening to see the impact of gun violence on our families and society. An ABC news report indicates that there are more gun retail stores than grocery stores in the U.S. When we have not provided education in non-violence, or equipped people with tools to control their aggressive tendencies, we cannot afford to have so many gun stores making it easy to pursue deadly acts of violence.
Aggressive tendencies can occur in anybody; it is quite natural. But one should be taught how to handle that aggressive tendency in a healthy way. Each of us needs to know how to handle our negative emotions. We cannot leave it to the law and order officials to deal with various acts of violence seen in the society today. Diffusing stress in the environment and taking steps to bring out human values is our responsibility too. Each one of us should take out some time -- at least a few hours in a week -- to volunteer for a better community.
On March 24, I embarked on a nation-wide tour in the United States to launch a "violence-free, stress-free campaign" that seeks to bring together individuals from all walks of life to nurture human values of caring, sharing, compassion, peace, nonviolence, responsibility, friendliness and a sense of belongingness and connectedness. I have met many business, political and community leaders along with volunteers, and applaud their efforts as we collaborate and work collectively to nurture peaceful communities in the United States. If we are able to inspire a few people to see life with this magnanimous outlook, who can take responsibility for others' emotional well being, human society has a realistic chance of becoming more peaceful and harmonious.
When conflict arises in the mind of an individual, perception, observation and expression are impacted. This in turn impacts communication with the other party. In a conflict zone, the first thing that is needed for resolution is an improvement in the communication between the parties. This can happen only when the mind is calm and is able to respond, rather than react. In order for the mind to be calm, mental traumas need to be relieved. The rhythmic breathing and meditation techniques that the volunteers of the Art of Living use have been quite effective with relieving mental and emotional distress.
Another important thing that can help improve communication is for one to be able to broaden one's vision and see that inside every culprit, there is a victim crying for help. When the victim is addressed, the culprit disappears. We need to help people come out of trauma and build trust between the conflicting parties. When somebody with a balanced mind, wisdom and a holistic approach toward life intervenes, progress toward conflict resolution can take place.
I want to highlight that the media is a significant pillar of society. Media does not just report events -- it drives public opinion to a large extent. This puts the media in a powerful position to support a positive change in the society. The power of information technology has changed the way news, opinions, and ideas are shared. With social media, the public has eyes and ears everywhere. It reflects the pulse of th society as people share joy, grief and anger about world events. Today, social media holds immense promise as a tool for social change and is a great platform to promote the voice of nonviolence.
The ignorant are fanatically religious, the so called intelligentsia are fashionably atheist, and the wise are genuinely spiritual. It is time that we encourage our young people, our children, to see beyond limited identities and to associate with the common humanity that we are all part of. It is time to tear down the walls between cultures and celebrate diversity. It is time to connect at the heart to heart level and let go of the negative emotions. This is how we can create a violence-free, stress-free society.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a renowned spiritual leader and humanitarian whose mission of uniting the world into a violence-free global family has inspired millions the world over to broaden their spheres of responsibility and work towards the betterment of the world. An icon of non-violence, he seeks global peace through service and fostering human values.
On March 30, Sri Sri will be New York to launch the "Non-Violence, No Higher Calling" campaign in the City. He will also be responding to questions in relation to the theme of how we can create a violence free community. You may ask a question @SriSrispeaks by using the hashtag #AskSriSri.]]>The Case for Nonviolencetag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.23671142013-01-17T12:38:58-05:002013-03-19T05:12:01-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
When we ponder on how we can avoid incidents like this, the very first thing that comes to mind is that weapons must not be so easily available to people. A recent ABC news report indicates that there are more gun retail stores than grocery stores in the US. When we have not provided education in non-violence or equipped with tools to control their aggression, we cannot afford to have so many gun stores making it easy to pursue deadly acts of violence.
Aggression can occur in anybody; it is quite natural. But one should be taught how to handle that aggressive tendency in a healthier way. We need to teach our kids how to handle their negative emotions. This is a necessity today.
I have my reservations about the impact that violent video games have on young minds. If children are used to shooting people on the screen, and killing is just a game, they could get immune and insensitive to acts of violence. It becomes difficult for them to develop a sense of respect toward life; anybody else's or even their own. The young man behind this latest incident shot his own mother and then at strangers, before shooting himself. When video games, TV and movies glorify violence, they make such a strong impression on young minds that playing out those violent scenarios can turn into an aspiration for them. Without proper attention and guidance, children may not as easily distinguish between the real and virtual worlds, and therefore may not fully understand the consequences of their actions. It is appalling to think that the violence on screen (TV or video) could spill over into families and classrooms.
It is shocking to hear that the young man behind this incident was a shy and intelligent student with no obvious symptoms of violent tendencies. Before we are quick to blame such people as culprits, let us not forget to see the victims inside them. Potential causes of aggression in young minds could be broken families and hostile environments, limited awareness about their own mindsets, lack of much needed emotional support, and most of all, lack of education in universal human values. The shooter was reportedly good at academics, but his fragile emotional state led him to an act of insanity. To me, education is not just about imparting information to children but ensuring well-rounded development so that they can grow to be caring and responsible adults.
One impact of increased time spent in the virtual world is that children might not get enough physical exercise. They have more energy than grown ups do but if that energy is not channeled properly at the physical level, it goes deeper within and then finds its way out through extreme emotional outbursts. This link may not be very apparent but physical exercise is also related to emotional well being. Even when they are babies, we do not let them cry enough, and shut them up by putting pacifiers in their mouths. A little bit of crying is healthy for babies; it is good exercise for their lungs and helps them to express themselves. In fact, crying once in a while is very good even for adults.
Apart from teaching techniques to handle stress and aggression, we also need to place the ideals that are worth aspiring for before our children. There is a need to instill pride in being peaceful. For this, we must inculcate an attitude of service from a very young age. If young adults learn the satisfaction and fulfillment that comes from helping others, they will experience depth and meaning to their understanding of life and they will be more likely to stay away from senseless violence.
One of our not for profit organizations, the International Association for Human Values (IAHV) conducted a week-long nonviolence education program, called YES!, in a Chicago public school (Walt Disney Magnet School), to 612 students which reduced school suspensions from 252 in the previous school year to 82 suspensions.
During the last eight years, 36,427 students have participated in the YES! Program in 123 schools in 26 school districts in 14 states (California, Connecticut, Florida, Illinois, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Missouri, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, Pennsylvania, Texas, Washington State, Wisconsin and Washington, D.C.) Similar programs have been conducted in Canada, Europe, and Asia as well. The testimonies of these students, teachers and the principals speak about their transformation and in no uncertain terms indicate the need of such education.
This life is a very precious gift from God. It holds infinite possibilities, and can become a fountain of joy and happiness. The role of education is to nurture human values in children so that they are able to make life a celebration, not a tragedy.
Join Sri Sri Ravi Shankar in a thought provoking Google+ Hangout on "What can we do for a Violence-free, Stress-free society?" Register here.
Follow Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Twitter @SriSriSpeaks
For more on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, please visit http://srisriravishankar.org/
For more on his stress-relief programs, please visit http://www.artofliving.org/us-en.]]>7 Ways to Achieve Inner Peace and Prosperity in the New Yeartag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2013:/theblog//3.23990402013-01-05T11:40:31-05:002013-03-07T05:12:01-05:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/ 1. Take Time for Yourself
Often, we become so engrossed in our day-to-day activities, we simply end up gathering more and more information, and do not take time out to think and reflect. Then we feel dull and tired.
A few quiet moments everyday are the source of creativity. Silence heals and rejuvenates and gives you depth and stability. Sometime during the day, sit for a few minutes; get into the cave of your heart, eyes closed, and keep the world away.
Taking some time for yourself improves the quality of your life.
2. Know the Impermanence of Life
See the impermanence in this life.
Millions of years have passed and millions more will come. Nothing is permanent. In this broad, universal context, what is your life? It is not even a drop in the ocean.
Just open your eyes, and ask, "Who am I? Why am I on this planet? What is my lifetime?"
An awareness dawns, and you will stop worrying about little things. All smallness will simply drop and you will be able to live every moment of your life.
When you review your life in a broader context, the quality of your life improves.
3. Perform Random Acts of Kindness
Make a commitment to make this world a better place to live. Do some acts of kindness without expecting anything in return. Service alone can bring contentment in life. It creates a sense of connectedness. When you bring some relief to someone through selfless service, good vibrations come to you. When you show kindness, your true nature, which is love and peace, come to the surface.
4. Make Your Smile Cheaper
Every day, every morning, look at the mirror and give a good smile to yourself. Don't let your smile be snatched away by anybody! Usually, you give your anger freely and smile rarely, as though a smile is costly. Make your smile cheaper and anger expensive!
5. Make Meditation a Part of Life
When we have higher goals in life it leads to stress and restlessness, which can be released through a few minutes of meditation and introspection. Meditation gives you deep rest. The deeper you are able to rest, the more dynamic you will be in activity.
What is meditation?
• Mind without agitation is meditation.
• Mind in the present moment is meditation.
• Mind that has no hesitation, no anticipation is meditation.
• Mind that comes back home to the source, which is peace and joy, is meditation.
6. Be a Student Always
Know that you are a student forever. Do not underestimate anybody. Knowledge may come to you from any corner. Each occasion teaches you and each person teaches you. The world is your teacher. When you are always looking to learn, you will stop underestimating others. Humility will dawn in your life.
7. Feel Grateful
Our love, faith and belief should be deep-rooted, and then everything else moves on its own. The feeling that "I am blessed" can help you overcome any failure. Once you realize that you are blessed, then all the complaints and grumbling disappear, all the insecurities disappear and you become grateful, contented and peaceful.
For more on spiritual development, click here.]]>The Right to Valuestag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.22466802012-12-05T15:57:25-05:002013-02-04T05:12:01-05:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/human values.
As we observe Human Rights Day on December 10, 2012, it is worth pondering what this means. The term 'human rights' gives the impression that our rights need to be protected by an act of law. The human rights movement gained momentum after the atrocities of Holocaust in the Second World War came to light. However, if human rights need to be preserved by an act of law, it is not a sign of a highly developed society. Of course, laws are needed but they are a remedial step, a deterrent. If we look at any instance, we will see that what leads to human rights violations anywhere in the world is a narrow and prejudiced mindset. To ensure human rights are preserved and honored everywhere, we must provide ways to replace this narrow mindset with a broad outlook towards life.
Laws can suppress the bad in people, to a degree, but the goodness in people cannot be enforced by law. We need to nurture, encourage and manifest it with the right environment and guidance. I would say access to peace and happiness within oneself is the most basic human right. It is present in seed form in everyone and needs some nourishment before it becomes an everyday reality of life. I see governments all over the world today spending all their time and resources in creating deterrents -- more laws and more ammunition, rather than nurturing goodness.
The negative tendencies in a person, which lead him to carry out acts of cruelty on fellow human beings, are only on the surface. Our experience in working with convicts in prisons all over the world has shown us that inside every culprit, there is a victim crying for help. Going through some stress-relieving techniques and being taught with care and patience brings a transformation in them and they willingly give up violence for good. There are numerous cases of such people becoming constructive citizens of mainstream society. Those very people who at one time violated human rights, are today upholding human values.
We need not wait for someone to commit a crime before beginning to educate them. Another thing that I strongly advocate is a multi-cultural education in schools. Our children must be taught that the whole earth with all its cultures and religions belongs to them, not just a part of it. Just like different parts of the world have different delicacies of food, types of music and styles of clothes to offer, they have wisdom to offer too. Such a perspective will not suddenly appear in the last few years of college but has to be cultivated from the very beginning.
If our legacy to the coming generations is a set of laws to run the world by, they will continue to fight over rights. But if we could show them the right values to live by, we will leave an inheritance they can cherish.
Follow Sri Sri Ravi Shankar on Twitter @SriSriSpeaks
For more on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, please visit http://srisriravishankar.org/
For more on his stress-relief programs, please visit http://www.artofliving.org/us-en]]>Hues of Human Perceptiontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.19593722012-11-06T16:30:59-05:002013-01-06T05:12:01-05:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
Though religion is born in one race and nation, it has cut across the boundaries of races and nationalities. Although religion has maintained its own identity, it has not remained immune to the cultural influence of the host countries.
It is interesting to note that what is considered blasphemy in one religion is considered a matter of pride in another. For example, in the Hindu tradition, playing the role of prophets and saints is considered a privilege. Every year Ram Leela and Krishna Leela are enacted across India and innumerable people dress themselves up to play the parts of Sri Rama and Sri Krishna etc.
In the Christian tradition as well, Nativity tableaus are performed and watched as a respectful tribute to Jesus. Many actors abstain from personal bad habits for the period of these roles. People even carry big crosses and retrace the steps of Jesus through the streets of Jerusalem to relive the crucifixion themselves. The basic concept is that when you imitate somebody, you imbibe their qualities.
By contrast, in Islam, imitating or playing such a role is considered blasphemy and an insult to the Prophet. In fact, music, sculpture, dance and painting were banned in puritanical Islam.
"The Prophet said that Allah commanded him to destroy all the musical instruments, idols, crosses and all the trappings of ignorance" (Hadith Qudsi 19:5).
"Allah Mighty and Majestic sent me as a guidance and mercy to believers and commanded me to do away with musical instruments, flutes, strings..." (Musnad Ahmad & Abu Dawud Tayalisi).
Man cannot be without these expressions of art. Slowly, the influence of Hinduism gave birth to Sufism. Though it was banned in strictly orthodox Islam, music slowly infiltrated into society, though the puritans object to this even today.
Interestingly, a parallel of this can be found in the Bhagavad Gita, as well:
buddhya visuddhaya yukto dhrtyatmanam niyamya ca sabdadin visayams tyaktva raga-dvesau vyudasya ca (Chapter 18, verse 51)
In the above verse and the few verses that follow, Lord Krishna says that a seeker of Divinity should transcend all sensory objects like sound, sight, etc. However, this is a practice for yogis for a period of time and not a lifestyle as such. While Hinduism, on one hand, encouraged music by calling it Naad Brahmam, on the other, it said that one has to transcend sound to reach Para Brahman, the Ultimate Reality. These opposite values in Hinduism gave it a broad spectrum and brought in a lot of tolerance.
While criticizing, mimicking or accusing a politician is legal in some countries, in some others, it is an offense. The West takes pride in freedom of speech and allows people to express extreme opinions. However, in other places, such expressions can be an emotional assault on the sentiments of people. The outrage and violence that we saw recently says it all. What is appalling is that in the protests against the film "Innocence of Muslims," a large number of innocent Muslims were killed.
In the end, it is we who attach meaning to an expression. Somewhere those who are very sensitive seem to lack sensibility and at other places, people who are very sensible seem to lack sensitivity. What is needed is the perfect balance between sensitivity and sensibility in today's globalized society.
For more information on Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, visit http://srisriravishankar.org/ and http://www.artofliving.org/us-en]]>Is Meditation Important?tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.20260152012-10-29T11:17:19-04:002012-12-29T05:12:02-05:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
Some people ask me if meditation is foreign to us? Absolutely not! You have been in meditation for a couple of months before your birth. You were in your mother's womb doing nothing. You didn't even have to chew your food. Everything was done for you. So there is a natural tendency in every human being, in every soul, to crave for that state of absolute comfort.
You know why you want comfort? It is because you were comfortable at one point, because you have experienced a state of comfort called meditation. Meditation is absolute comfort. Getting back to that state that you experienced before coming into the hustle and bustle of this world is very natural because everything in this universe is cyclic. Everything wants to go back to its source. That is the nature of the world.
During autumn, leaves fall and go back to the soil and nature has its own way to re-cycle them. The natural tendency to re-cycle all that you have collected every day of your life as impressions, to get rid of them and to get back to the original state that you were in when you came to this planet, is meditation.
Becoming fresh and alive is meditation.
Getting back to that serenity which is your original nature is meditation.
Absolute joy and happiness is meditation.
Pleasure minus excitement is meditation.
A thrill without anxiety is meditation.
A love without hatred is meditation.
Hunger drives you toward food, thirst pulls you toward water, in the same way, the soul yearns for meditation and this tendency is in everyone. Meditation is food for the soul.
When you meditate in a group, then the desires you have in your mind get fulfilled. And when this desire is for a better and safer planet, the collective intention and energy of so many people is sure to manifest. There is a definite strength in the union of the hearts and minds of people.
An individual plays many roles and has many identities in life. Sometimes one gets stuck in a particular identity and feels suffocated. Meditation helps you to see beyond the identities and hence one's endurance, tolerance and understanding improve.
Spirituality nourishes the values of caring, sharing, compassion, nonviolence, responsibility, friendliness, a sense of belongingness and peace. These values transcend identities and are common to all religions. Spiritual practices like meditation allow these values to blossom naturally in every individual.
Meditation helps enliven an individual's intuition and nourishes spontaneity. It helps bring clarity of thought and enables better decision-making. When thousands of people come together with the single intention of creating a more peaceful planet, it is certain to manifest.
For more on meditation, click here.]]>Spirituality in India: Countering the Roots of Corruptiontag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.13915662012-03-30T14:11:09-04:002012-05-30T05:12:01-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
In India, bribes are a common occurrence. If you want a building permit, you expect to pay a bribe. Bribery is found not just in the government sector. If you want the death certificate of a dear one, you pay a bribe. Even a birth certificate comes with a price!
However, the people of India are angry and fed up. Over the past year, they have been using their collective power to call for change, including passage of the Jan Lopkal Bill, which would establish independent anti-corruption bodies in every state. (Jan is Sanskrit word for "citizens." Lokpal means "protector of the people.") This is a stronger version of Lopkal bills that have been introduced ten separate times since 1968, without success.
Corruption begins where belongings ends. A lack of faith, and a missing attitude of service and compassion also contribute to corruption, as do selfishness and a sense of insecurity. People try to find security solely in money. But even after acquiring money, the insecurity does not disappear. In fact, a person becomes more fearful if the money is not earned in an ethical way.
Spirituality and practices offer a counterweight to corruption and bring ethics and fair practice to government, business, and daily life. Inner strength and contact with one's inner nature can be cultured.
Mahatma Gandhi used this power of spirituality to help India secure its freedom holding gatherings of wisdom and singing (called "Satsangs") every single day. It naturally raised the human values, taking people from a state of dependence to a state of total responsibility. This was a common practice in India's Golden Era, a time that inspired the Chinese and Europeans like poet, historian, and politician Lord Thomas Macaulay to praise India, saying that they could not find a single beggar, destitute, or illiterate person in the country.
The Gandhian values of ahimsa (nonviolence) and truth transcend time and work everywhere, even today. People should fight injustice, but without anger or violence.
People who take public positions to serve others need a shift in attitude from "What can I gain?" to "What can I contribute?" There are good people in every religion and party who want to work for the society. It is each citizen's duty to vote for uncorrupt and educated candidates -- education defined not simply in terms of holding degrees, but having the human values of compassion, care, and commitment.
A Two Pronged Approach
There needs to be a two pronged approach. First is the need for a strong legislation through "Jan Lokpal" bill and the corrupt should be punished. Second is to create awareness among public about ethical and moral values against corruption. An individual alone cannot fight the menace of corruption. Without strong community support , individuals are likely to succumb to corruption. Strong community which would help the weak and vulnerable is most essential.
With more than 10,000 volunteer teachers in our Art of Living Foundation in India, 100,000 of our youth leaders in rural villages, and hundreds of thousands of volunteers around the country, we lent our support to this call for greater human values in government. I have especially encouraged the youth to make a resolution and take responsibility for the society. Besides marching and other actions, many of our volunteers handed out "I do not take a bribe" signs to government workers, who often happily put them up. The volunteers have also made a commitment to avoid giving bribes themselves, even if something may take longer or not get done. However, they have found that many people respect their commitment and sometimes give the service without a bribe.
Today, we have new leaders who have donned the mantle to run their respective states. At this time I would like to call upon these leaders to address corruption at the root level.
The law is a cure for the present illness. But the work of spirituality is to prevent the illness from coming back. Through education and patience we can create a sense of belongingness, combat fraud, and bring about a change to create a better society.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a spiritual leader and humanitarian, and founder of the International Association for Human Values and the Art of Living Foundation.]]>Mind and Meditationtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.13756482012-03-29T07:20:15-04:002012-05-29T05:12:01-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
Knowledge is being aware of this phenomenon of the mind -- of what is happening right now in your mind as you are reading this article. Information can be acquired by reading books or browsing the Internet. You can open a book on any subject such as how to lose weight, how to prepare for an interview, success 101 and so on. There are innumerable volumes available on a countless number of topics, but the awareness of your own mind cannot be learnt from a book.
There is another tendency of the mind -- it clings onto the negative. If 10 positive events are followed by one negative event, the mind will cling to the negative. It will simply forget the 10 positive events.
With meditation, however, you can become aware of these two tendencies of the mind and bring it to the present. Happiness, joy, enthusiasm, efficiency and effectiveness are all in the present.
The human mind is very complex. It has its delicate and tough aspects. If you have had a misunderstanding with a friend or colleague at work, you can become stiff inside and this can distort your emotions leading to negativity -- and you carry this negativity wherever you go.
However, when you culture your mind with meditation, its tendency of holding on to negative emotions simply disappears. You gain the ability to start living in the present moment and are able to let go of the past.
Balancing the States of Mind
In your day-to-day life, you come across all kinds of situations that can be challenging and demanding a degree of alertness to be able to make good choices. These situations give rise to different states of mind and neither life nor the states of mind occur with our permission. In fact, they often occur in direct defiance to our wishes.
Meditation can bring about a balance between the different states of the mind. You can learn to switch from the tough aspect to the delicate aspect within you. You can stand up when needed and let go when needed. This ability is present within everyone, and meditation enables you to switch between these states effortlessly. The whole exercise is to develop an ability -- to switch back and forth between the tough and delicate aspects of the mind.
One of the biggest deterrents for people not being able to meditate is that they don't have enough time. Yet when they start to meditate, they find they have more time, because they are able to focus and get more done. Not only that, the regular practice of meditation also leads to greater intuitiveness. It sharpens the mind through focus and expands it through relaxation.
With the integration of meditation into one's daily life, a fifth state of consciousness, called cosmic consciousness, dawns. Cosmic consciousness means perceiving the whole cosmos as part of oneself. When we perceive the world as a part of us, love flows strongly between the world and us. This love empowers us to bear the opposing forces and the disturbances in our lives. Anger and disappointments become fleeting emotions that occur momentarily and then vanish.
Rest and activity are opposite values, but they complement each other. The deeper you are able to rest, the more dynamic you will be in activity. Planning can hold you back from diving deep into yourself. Meditation is accepting this moment and living every moment totally with depth.
Restlessness, agitation, desire and ambition stir up the mind and keep it engaged planning for the future or being regretful about the past. Real freedom is freedom from the past and future.
The confluence of knowledge, understanding and practice make life complete. When you grow into higher states of consciousness, you find that you are no longer thrown off balance by different situations and disturbances. A regular practice can transform the quality of your life by culturing the nervous system to maintain peace, energy and expanded awareness throughout the day. You become beautiful yet strong, capable of accommodating different challenges in life without any conditions.
For more on meditation, click here.]]>Rethink. Redefine. Success tag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.13190092012-03-05T19:09:04-05:002012-05-05T05:12:01-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/National Sleep Awareness Week. The film casts a spotlight on the growing dissonance in the education system where students cram for tests with the aim of higher performance and achievement, and the quality of life of our young students is in jeopardy because of an academic load that is not directed towards educating the student as a whole.
It has become critical to create and nurture school policies and practices that prioritize not only student performance and health but also look at the importance of a child's overall development in light of perceived success. This challenge is a societal one, where the intense pressure for success has put tremendous strain on the vulnerable group of teens and young adults who -- when unable to cope with pressure -- take the step of ending their life.
In today's competitive environment, education is not playing the role of nourishing innate virtues in children and laying the foundation for the long-term prosperity of society.
Adapting Resilience
Teenage suicide in the United States is the symptom of a larger problem, and cannot be addressed merely at the level of teenagers. As parents get busier and spend less time with their families, children and young adults spend more time than ever on the Internet and on social networking websites. The excessive time spent online and the absence of personal interaction has created a disconnect in the minds of the young as to what is true success. A resilient child is one who is able to ride the crest of educational, social and emotional success and failure. This needs to be our foremost goal as a society and our best defense against teenage suicide.
Education reform should include innovative strategies that empower teachers to improve student outcomes and nurture their growth. Creative methods of teaching can help combat these issues and help children build healthy personalities. In addition to intellectually stimulating young minds, education must also include physical activities such as sports and ancient techniques such as meditation, yoga and pranayama (breathing techniques) as part of a learning process that will give them tools that help them manage their emotions.
It is important to encourage and develop the quality of resilience in children at an early age. When teenagers endanger their life thinking, "I am a failure if I do not get admission in a good school" or "I am successful only if make a lot of money" or "I am smart if my test score is the highest", we as a society are responsible.
In life you have to accept failure and success. Sometimes you will succeed, and sometimes you will fail. Not getting admission in a top school does not mean you have failed or that you are intellectually deficient. By the same coin, just by succeeding you should not think that you are better than others. Everyone who fails is not foolish. Everyone who passes an exam is also not an intellectual. Therefore, don't think that passing or failing an exam determines your entire life's direction.
You have to look at life from a broader perspective. The stress of passing with a high score to get admission in a top tier school can damage our intellect. Prepare well, give your best and accept whatever comes naturally. This life is very precious. You must consider your life as more important than the result of any exam.
Positive Reinforcement by Parents
Parents play a critical role in helping their child cope with pressure in a positive manner. If a child is dealing with failure, and you as a parent also express your sorrow, it will elevate the challenge. Allow the child to make mistakes - and learn from these mistakes.
Give them the tools to combat stress and to avoid burnout, and to learn the quintessential skill of balancing all aspects of their lives. Encourage them to give their best and have a bigger outlook towards life. It is your duty to see that the children do not have an emotional breakdown or get into a depression. Mood disorders such as depression, bipolar disorders and other mental disorders are major risk factors for suicide among children and adolescents.
Stressful life events and low levels of communication with parents may also be significant risk factors. It is important to understand though that such mental conditions are entirely preventable if society as a whole reaches out to embrace a healthy attitude towards understanding children and teens, and teaching them how to manage their emotions with tools such as Sudarshan Kriya.
Addressing Health Holistically
Through the Healthy People 2010 initiative, the Federal Government has set a national goal to reduce teen suicide attempts. And in their own research, they have found that addressing the overall health of children has demonstrated success. Research shows that early intervention strategies that target risk factors for depression, substance abuse and aggressive behaviors and building resiliency may help in preventing youth suicide.
Programs such as YES! (Youth Empowerment Seminar!) offer dynamic life skills that provide teens and young adults with a comprehensive and holistic set of tools to reach their full potential as students, leaders, and community members.
Our commitment as a society needs to address teen suicides not as an isolated problem, but as the symptom of the problems of modern societal development. Let us give our future generation the tools they need to thrive in a modern environment where they can become happy, creative and inspired human beings.
For more by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, click here.]]>Intention, Attention and Manifestationtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.13118012012-03-02T08:12:55-05:002012-05-02T05:12:01-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
The repeated experience or association of a particular sense object makes you want it more. You think about it -- and it creates a sensation of more wanting. Wherever you put your attention in the nervous system, the craving for that begins. With association comes desire. And with desire comes anger. Whenever a person is angry, behind that anger is a desire. Whether fulfilled or unfulfilled, desire leads to anger.
So you get angry with somebody. The next step is that you get attached. Now, whoever you are angry with, sooner or later you will regret. Regret brings more attachment. By regretting, you do not move away from the person or situation, you move more into it. All this happens in a subtle way. Have you ever observed that whoever you are angry with or hate, you think of that person more than yourself? And as you think of this person, you get agitated or distressed. On the other hand, if you think of someone you love, you have a nice feeling and your nervous system assumes that form.
When your nervous system assumes either of the forms, it becomes like that and you get drawn to those kind of people. This is entanglement. Therefore, an obsession brings anger which in turn brings entanglement. Entanglement clouds intellect. Your wisdom and judgment are lost; your ability to understand and access the situation is lost. This is a chain reaction and it happens in such a subtle manner that you don't even realize it. Entanglement, whether out of craving or aversion, clouds the intellect. And a distorted intellect doesn't let you be in peace. Such an intellect does not even bring up the emotions -- the subtle feelings within you. Any feeling you get will be gross and will make you heavy.
With a clouded intellect, the memory of pleasant things is lost. Life has two sets of memories: memories of pleasant things and memories of unpleasant things. Children often have pleasant memories more than the unpleasant ones. That's why they are so cheerful. But as we grow up and lose our innocence, our unpleasant memories increase.
Spiritual practices help bring back the pleasant memories more and more, and reduce unpleasant memories to almost an insignificant amount. Therefore, it is important to meditate regularly. Once the memory of "Who am I" is lost, the memory of "What do I want in my life," the "reality" and "seeing life in context with the universe" is lost, wisdom is lost. Then there is no happiness and peace. The role of meditation and other spiritual practices is to withdraw the mind from the sense objects and take it back to its source. This is critical for success in life. The knowledge of coming back to the Self, the self-referral value of consciousness makes it rich, energetic and beautiful.
Pull back your attention from the object of the senses to the senses, and then to the source of mind. This journey within will you give you the strength and endurance to go through all the ups and downs of life.
Whereever you put your attention, that will start manifesting in your life.
If you put attention on anger, anger will manifest. If you put attention on lust, lust will manifest.
Focus on love, and love manifests. Focus on imperfection, imperfection manifests.
Observe the intention, and put your attention on whatever you want to grow in life. Intention, attention and manifestation -- that is how the universe manifests. Share with us where you intend to put your attention in 2012.
For more information, visit http://srisriravishankar.org/ and http://artofliving.org
For more on wisdom, click here.]]>Achieving Balance With Ayurvedatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.12797742012-02-26T09:40:19-05:002012-04-27T05:12:01-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
Ayurveda is the study of life. Ayur is life and Ved means to know. According to Ayurveda, life or existence is not a rigid compartment, but a harmonious flow. Even the five elements of which the whole universe is made of are not tight compartments of defined objects. They flow into one another. Each one of the elements contains the other four.
The subtlest element in us is space, which the mind is made up of, and the grossest is the earth element, which our bones, marrow, the skin and the structure are made of. This is further divided into three Doshas -- Vata, Pitta and Kapha. This is a way to understand our physiology, its characteristics and its reflection on the mind.
When an illness arises, it comes first in the thought form, the subtlest aspect, then the sound form, and then the light form, which is in the aura. It is only then that the illness manifests in the body. Simple symptoms arise in the fluid form, which can be eradicated, and then it manifests in the grossest form, where it needs medication. But with the practice of Ayurveda, the illness can be nipped in the bud.
The holistic approach of Ayurveda includes exercise, breathing and meditation. Breath is synonymous to life. Our life is our breath. Our breath is our life. It is very interesting to observe the relationship between breath and the different Doshas in the body, namely Vata, Pitta and Kapha. These three Doshas affect certain parts of the body more than the other parts.
For example, Vata Dosha is predominant in the lower part of the body -- stomach, intestine, etc. Diseases like gastric problems and joint aches can be due to the Vata imbalance. Kapha dosha is predominant in the middle part of the body. Cough is mainly a result of Kapha imbalance. And Pitta affects the upper part of the body -- the head. Short temper is a sign of Pitta.
Yoga and breathing techniques such as Sudarshan Kriya and the pranayama (channelizing prana or life force to different parts of the body) have an effect on these three Doshas, bringing balance to the system.
Among different pranayama and other breathing techniques, there are specific breathing exercises for the lower, middle and the upper parts of the body, which help bring balance to the respective areas.
How do we bring good health to our system? The first remedy is calming the mind, coming from the subtlest aspect of creation, the ether. If your mind is bottled with too many impressions and thoughts, and it is draining you of your resistance power, that is where it is preparing your body for some illness. If the mind is clear, calm, meditative, and pleasant, the resistance in the body will increase and it will not allow an illness to come into it. The skillful use of breath and meditation can calm the mind.
Then comes the air element. Breathing, aromatherapy, etc., come in this category. Next is the light element, wherein color therapy is used to heal. Before an illness manifests in the body, you can see it in the aura of a person. And by energizing our system with the prana or life energy one can clear the aura and prevent the illness.
Next is the water element. Fasting or purifying the system with water can bring a lot of balance in the system.
The final recourse would be medicines, medicinal herbs and surgery. All these come in when other things fail and the illness becomes inevitable.
The practice of Ayurveda can truly enhance the quality of your life.
For more about mindfulness, click here. ]]>Love and Beautytag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.12851512012-02-19T09:12:04-05:002012-04-20T05:12:01-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
Love and beauty go hand in hand. If something is beautiful, you cannot but love it. When you love this creation, you see it as beautiful. When you are tired of this creation, you find it ugly. That is why to appreciate beauty, first you must understand love. The understanding I am speaking about is not merely intellectual, but looking into all points. Usually when we love something, we want to possess it. If you appreciate a painting, you want to buy it and keep it in your home. You find a beautiful garment, and although you know you will wear it only a couple of times, you buy it and put it in the closet. You have known only one way of loving -- love it, possess it and forget it. When you try to possess love, you rob it of its beauty, and then that same love gives you pain. Whoever you love, you try to dictate terms to them. In a very subtle way you try to rule them. And whatever you try to control turns ugly.
You have never loved someone and not tried to possess them. It begins in childhood. When the second baby comes, the first baby wants all the attention. "Why did you bring this baby home? Give it away." Many children say,"You belong to me and me alone." It is a deep samskara, a deep impression, this fear of losing our place in the heart of someone we love.
First comes attraction. When it becomes a little difficult to attain whatever you are attracted to, then you start loving it. Have you noticed this? If you simply get whatever you are attracted to -- just like that, quickly -- you do not develop love for it. A longing must arise. That leads to love. But love brings the fear of loss. Yet, a love which has the fear of loss does not blossom. It leads you to other ugly sensations and feelings. Jealousy comes. There is someone you love very much -- a friend, a boyfriend, a girlfriend -- but his or her attention is on someone else. See what is happening in your stomach -- it is churning. You try all sorts of gimmicks to deny what is happening within you. Much ugliness arises because there is fear of loss. You never love something that is big, that is enormous because you have not yet become enormous yourself. And as long as you stay very small, there is no joy, there is no happiness, there is no peace. Joy is expansion, becoming big in your heart. This can only happen in a situation where you are very much in love, but you cannot possess what you love.
Have you thought about why you love someone? Is it because of their qualities or is it because of a sense of kinship or intimacy? You can love someone for their qualities and not have a sense of intimacy. This type of love gives rise to competition and jealousy. If love is based on the qualities of a person, that love is not stable. After some time the qualities change and the love becomes shaky. However, if you love someone because they belong to you, then that love remains for lifetimes. Loving someone because they belong to you, great or otherwise, is unconditional love. Love that is centered becomes bliss.
And when there is so much love you take total responsibility for any misunderstanding. For a moment you may express dismay on the surface. But when you do not feel the dismay in your heart, you arrive at a perfect understanding. You are in a state where all problems and all differences slide away and only love shines through.
In the world, people love you because you give them comfort. If you are demanding proof of their love, are you giving them comfort? If someone doubts your love and you have to constantly prove it, this becomes a heavy burden on you. Your nature is to shed burden, so when love is questioned, you don't feel comfortable. Therefore, do not ask for proof that the other person loves you. Love needs no proof. Actions, words cannot prove the love.
Spiritual practices, knowledge of the Self, service and satsang (coming together in celebration) help to create a sense of belonging. When love springs from a sense of belongingness, then the action or qualities do not overshadow the love. Neither qualities nor actions can be perfect all the time. Only love and a feeling of kinship can be perfect.
For wisdom videos by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, click here.]]>Beauty and Lucktag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2012:/theblog//3.12739392012-02-13T21:25:07-05:002012-04-14T05:12:01-04:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
Pride brings joy and in joy there is pride, but if you become insensitive, you get lost in your joy and pride. Pride accompanied by humility brings awareness of goodness, of beauty, of one's luck, of one's heart. Luck is a language of the heart. When the heart says, "lucky" or "unlucky", it is referring to something that is beyond one's capacity, beyond one's mind, beyond one's abilities. Something that is beyond the smallness of mind, something that is out of reach, something that is enormous, you call luck. Isn't it?
The mind or head knows only facts, while the heart makes everything big. Poetry comes out of the heart. Poetry is exaggeration, and beauty is nothing but exaggeration. There is no fact in beauty. If you try to analyze beauty from your mind, the beauty is gone. Beauty is a language of the heart. The heart decorates, elaborates, exaggerates. When you read a poem, when you sing a song, when you describe something beautiful, it's always from the heart. Justice is from the head. A quality comes from the head. From the heart comes only uniqueness, specialty. Everything is made special from the heart, but often we get it backward. If there is some negativity, we deal with it from the heart and if something is positive, we say it goes to our head.
We exaggerate problems. If a mistake has been made or there is some suffering, some misery, we blow it up beyond its dimensions. If a few people get sick in town, we say, "Everyone in town is sick. Everyone is always sick here." We exaggerate and eternalize. Many newspapers thrive on this exaggerated negativity, but if something beautiful happens, they say, "Let's see the facts." They want to look at it from their head rather than through the heart. We do the same thing, don't we? We need to switch it around. When you see the negative quality in someone, analyze it. Why is this person being so negative? What is behind it? What does he want? Reason it out. Don't see negativity through the heart because then your heart becomes sore. Analysis of negativity brings compassion in you. An exaggeration of some good brings waves of beauty in you.
You have to take a step to make this shift. If you see one beautiful quality in another person, decorate it, exaggerate it, make it big. Whether the person is beautiful or not is immaterial. Those who exaggerate positive qualities become positive themselves because our body, which is nothing but space, gets filled with praise.
You have heard the phrase, "Praise the name of the Lord." You are asked to do it not because God is going to be greater because of your praise or some person will become great because of your praise. No. In the act of praising, you become beautiful.
Whenever you have felt a sense of great beauty, that is when you have reached your home, that is when you have been in touch with your Self, because you are so, so beautiful. Whatever beauty you see in the world is only a projection of the being, of the Self -- a glimpse of the Self. Meditation helps you see the beauty within and the beauty outside.
When you rejoice in beauty, the entire creation rejoices with you. The very purpose of such variety in this creation is to bring you back to your Self, to come to know that you are beautiful. And in that bliss, all that you need, all that you would want will simply keep happening.
For more on mindfulness, click here. ]]>The Bhagavad Gitatag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.11781492012-01-03T11:31:09-05:002012-11-26T11:12:13-05:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/
This is exactly what happened to Arjuna. Arjuna was angry, upset, sad and wanted to run away. In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna said not to be a coward. So, it is an antidote to terrorism. Lord Krishna said, "Bravery is the way -- face the war when it is inevitable and do your duty."
A terrorist is stuck in his identity. He hides it -- has no rationale and inflicts pain. Whereas Bhagavad Gita helps one transcend one's identity, encourages reason and infuses wisdom. In this sense, it could be called the antidote to terrorism.
The duty of a policeman, a soldier or a king is to be impartial for the sake of the nation, whether it is their mentors or relatives. But terrorists are never impartial.
A soldier is brave and a terrorist is a coward. A soldier is protecting and preventing violence and a terrorist is inflicting pain and suffering. The Bhagavad Gita is the scripture of bravery in both realms of physical and metaphysical.
Terrorism is deeply steeped in hatred. An act without hatred is what Bhagavad Gita propounds. The Bhagavad Gita epitomizes the correct action -- of righteousness, of upliftment of spirit and an action or duty that ought to be performed even in the most compelling situation.
In the last 5,149 years of the existence of the Bhagavad Gita, there is no evidence of someone becoming a terrorist after reading it. In fact, Mahatma Gandhi wrote commentaries on the Bhagavad Gita and it was an inspiration for his non-violent movement. The Bhagavad Gita is a unique scripture which caters to the entire range of human evolution, comprising every level of this vast existence.
Bhagavad Gita stands for poise and equanimity and for performing one's designated duty. Lord Krishna does not encourage everyone to take the weapons and fight but a soldier cannot sell bananas in the market. He has to take his weapon to bring security to his people.
If Bhagavad Gita is a terrorist scripture then all military academies in the world are nothing but terrorist organizations. Doesn't this sound strange? Would the courts ban Lenin, Stalin or Mao, who to stay in power inflicted terror on millions?
A terrorist or a coward hides and inflicts pain on others whereas a soldier sacrifices his own life to bring security and peace to people. They both may take the gun but their intentions are poles apart.
The Bhagavad Gita encourages reasoning and dialogue while terrorists are blind to any reasoning and are closed to any form of dialogue.
Interestingly, in any military training all over the world, the soldiers are asked to see the enemies as dangerous objects which need to be eliminated. The psychology behind indoctrination of such an idea is that when they think the enemy is a human being the soldiers are unable to raise their arms. There are many such survival tactics where the army men are desensitized.
A similar situation happened to Arjuna. Lord Krishna went step by step to deal with Arjuna's emotions, ego, mindsets and concepts. He finally touched on the nature of his spiritual being; revealing him the highest knowledge and making him realize his eternal nature. This brought him enormous strength and then propelled him to perform his worldly duties. A doctor cannot be taken as a dacoit just because he opens up the stomach of the patient.
Lord Krishna says "no sin begets him whose intellect is unattached and free from cravings and aversions, even if he kills the whole world."
Now, the condition of an intellect free from cravings and aversions itself counters terrorism. Terrorism is done when the intellect is deeply attached and is hateful. The metaphors and the high standards of humanism exhibited in the Bhagavad Gita are unparalleled.
Jesus had said, "I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man's enemies will be the members of his household."
In the Quran, there are many verses which talk about striking terror in the hearts of the infidels and cutting off their fingers. By these standards, if you still call Bhagavad Gita a terrorist scripture, then you have to precede such statements by the Bible and Quran.
The fact is that it is not the scriptures that inflict terrorism; it is the misinterpretation of an ignorant and stressed mind which justifies their actions quoting scriptures.
www.srisriravishankar.org www.artofliving.org/us-en]]>5 Steps to Healthier Livingtag:www.huffingtonpost.com,2011:/theblog//3.11302962011-12-08T14:21:15-05:002012-02-07T05:12:01-05:00Sri Sri Ravi Shankarhttp://www.huffingtonpost.com/sri-sri-ravi-shankar/ Know About Your "Self"
We need to know a little bit about the different layers of our existence -- body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, ego and the self. When we understand that the body and mind are connected through the breath, we are in a better position to manage our thoughts and emotions. The awareness that everything changes -- the body undergoes changes and so does the mind -- brings a sense of equanimity within us. The mind is the sense of perception in your consciousness and the thoughts that change all the time. Likewise, the intellect, memory, and ego also change with time. But there is something within us that does not change -- it is the point of reference through which we are able to recognize that everything else changes. This subtlest, unchanging aspect of our existence is the self. The ancient science of Ayurveda deems that a person cannot be called truly healthy, until one is in touch with this subtlest aspect, and there is harmony among the different layers of existence. This knowledge of the self helps one live in the present moment and be in a state of perfect health.
Spend some time to learn about your self. Take a week off one to two times a year and align yourself with nature. Wake up with sunrise, practice yoga, eat light food, and spend some time creatively.
Make Meditation a Part of Your Life
Meditation is a vital ingredient for personal development. It provides deep rest. The deeper one is able to rest, the more dynamic one will be in activity. For sustainable good health, meditation is key.
What is meditation? It can mean different things to different people. It is anything we can do to achieve a mind without agitation, hesitation, or anticipation. It can be a hundred times more refreshing than sleep because it helps us live in the present moment and frees us from anger about the past and worry about the future. It gives us depth and stability.
Spend 20 minutes in the morning and evening in meditation, and make it a part of everyday life.
Learn About the Breath
Our first act in this world is to take a deep breath in, and our last act will be taking a deep breath out. Breathing is life. Yet, we are typically not taught -- at home or at school -- about the importance of the breath and its impact on the mind and body.
Observe how you breathe. There are different patterns that relate to different emotions. Just as your mind influences the breath, you can influence the state of your mind through the breath as well. Breathing techniques like **Pranayamas and Sudarshan Kriya can help us calm our minds and emotions. We can control negative emotions like anger and fear, and manage stress levels using the breath.
Eat Right
The type and amount of food that we consume has a direct impact on the state of our physical body, and consequently our mind. Observe what you eat. Fresh fruits and vegetables have more prana (life force), while frozen and canned foods have very little prana.
Eating the right types and amounts of food promotes all-around wellbeing and can increase energy levels that can help us manage stress more effectively.
Make Time for Yourself
In this modern age, we all seem to be constantly engaged in gathering information, or performing some mental activity all the time. We seldom take time for ourselves to think and reflect. As a result, there is information overload, and we can feel dull and tired.
The moments of stillness in our mind are the moments of creativity and innovation. Silence heals and rejuvenates our minds. Sometime during the day, sit silently for a few minutes with your eyes closed and reflect upon the meaning and purpose of your life.
*Self is meant in a holistic way - and refers to the soul, or the core of our existence.
**Prana means life force, Yama means control. Pranayama means controlling the flow of the life force into our bodies through the breath.