19 January 2015 - QA 9

How to come out of this cycle of birth and death?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

By continuing to do what you are doing now. You are in the right place.
When you become content then you are liberated. If you want something (including contentment) then you cannot be contented. Have the faith that you will get what you want. And if you don’t have the faith that you will get what you want, then why are you holding onto that desire? Be willing to let go of your desires.
If you want something and have the faith that you will get it, then you will surrender it and your mind becomes calm. If you don’t have the faith but still have the desire to get something, then you will need to drop it. When will you drop it?
If you have a doubt whether you will be able to drop it or not, then know it will drop by itself. Then again you will be at peace and contented.

Observe what is happening within you.
Take a deep breath in. Now you suddenly see there is nothing to hold onto, and immediately you find contentment and become peaceful (laughter in audience).

Listen, this is important. Firstly, we don’t know what we want. If we come to know what we want, then we don’t have faith that we will get what we want. This self-confidence is not there. If there is faith in the self, in the Guru, in the Divine, then just with the faith that we will get what we want, the mind becomes calm this moment. Not after getting, but before getting, the mind becomes calm. Isn’t it true?
If even this doesn’t work then think of dropping it, letting go.
And if you feelit is not getting dropped, then pray that all these desires drop off. At the time of prayer itself the mind becomes happy.