9 Dec 2011 - QA 4

Guruji, you say opposite values are complimentary. Then how can we be happy during good times when we know that bad times will follow?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There is a beautiful couplet in Hindi:
‘Dukh main sumiran sab karey sukh main karey na koey;
sukh main jo sumiran karey dukh kahe ko hoye.'
Everyone prays when they are miserable. When there is nowhere to go and when all the doors are shut, in misery everyone prays. But in happiness if someone prays, why would misery befall on them?

‘Heyam Dukham Anagatam.’ In Yoga Sutra, Maharishi Patanjali says that the purpose of yoga is to stop misery from befalling on you. Yoga is not just the asanas but meditation as well.
So when you are happy and grateful then do seva. And when you are miserable, surrender and let go.
But what happens is when you are upset it is so difficult for you to let go and when you are happy you don’t want to do any service. That is why you become miserable.
It is very important for a miserable person to have the courage to surrender. Sometimes people are enjoying their misery and they do not let go of it.
So renounce in misery and serve in happiness. When you are happy, don’t get lost in the happiness and in the pleasure. Come out and do some service and that is prayer.