Guruji, recently I was recording your conversation in which you had spoken about reincarnation and rebirth and the sanskaars of previous births. One thing that intrigues me is it seems that the laws of the world are different to the Divine laws. Those things that are valued here apparently do not find favour with God. Gaandhaari had asked Lord Krishna what her sin was that she lost all one hundred sons in the battle. Lord Krishna asked Gaandhaari to revisit her previous lifetimes. In regressing into her past lifetimes, she discovered that 108 lifetimes ago she had killed 108….., and now 108 lifetimes later she was reaping the consequences of her actions through the loss of her 100 sons. Worldly laws state that justice delayed is justice denied. So, how come the rules are different in God's kingdom versus the world? Secondly, we are preached to practice kindness and compassion towards one and all, whereas when a major calamity befalls someone, it is explained away as the inevitable result of praarabdha karma. If there is no compassion in God's kingdom, why are we expected to practice compassion and forgiveness while others are committing sins/crimes? Why this disparity between divine and worldly dispensation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Look, Divine and worldly dispensation are one and the same, they are not discrete. God is inseparable from this world. He is all permeating. Sarvam khalvidam Brahma - All this is verily Brahma. If you stick your hand in a fire, you get burnt instantly. However, if you sow a mango seed, or for that matter a coconut seed, in the ground, how long does it take to grow into a fruit-bearing tree - 4-6 years? Similarly, there are some actions whose consequences are immediate and there are some actions with a delayed outcome. If your grandfather/forefather toils for 20 years to set up a factory, who will enjoy the fruits of his labour - you will! Applying the same logic, karma and its consequences are eternal and beyond comprehension. Some karma can be resolved only by dealing with the consequences, whereas the outcome of some karma can be modified / modulated. For example, while preparing sooji (semolina) halva, the proportion of ingredients can be adjusted with respect to one another. However, once cooked sooji cannot be reverted back to its uncooked state. Similarly, what your height is today is praarabdha karma, but what your current body-weight is can be changed (reduced/increased). That is why doing dhyaan (meditation), jaap(chanting), havan(sacrificial fire), daan (charity) help change karma. We may have, unknowingly, harmed someone. Our shaastras (scriptures) recommend sharing a few grains of rice from our meal with birds and other creatures; having an attitude of gratefulness for all we have received in life also resolves karma. Do not criticize or condemn anyone. However, on the path of Self-knowledge forget about your sins and merits, and just relax and be happy. The more relaxed we are, the more spontaneously (naturally) things get done. When we were building the ashram, I did not seek advice from a Vaastu consultant. Several years later, some Vaastu specialists commented on how all structures were in their proper place with respect to one another. Our consciousness itself is Shaastra, so if we listen to our consciousness, our intuition, we will function in accord with nature. Everything will be okay. That is why it is called intuition. Suppose you have no knowledge of electronics, but you need to tackle an electronics issue. You intuitively play around with the wires, and eventually the problem will get resolved. Many people have experienced this. Once I was going from London to Birmingham where I was scheduled to give a talk. This happened more than twenty years ago. Birmingham is a big city. One gentleman realized an hour after we had left London that he had forgotten to obtain the address or the directions to the venue in Birmingham. There were no cell phones in those days. So I decided to intuitively guide him, telling him to take this turn here and that turn there, until we reached the street in Birmingham on which the venue was located! What I am saying is, the Shaastra is not a book, you yourself are Shaastra. If you study your consciousness, your mind, that is what is in the Shaastra. This is how the knowledge of Vaastu Shaastra, Ayurveda has been derived. In this country, dance, music, art, science, have all emerged from the consciousness of the spirit, through meditation. So meditate, meditation is supreme. All this will manifest when you meditate. In english it is known as intuition. Intuition means that which is 'right'. This power is within everyone, but use it occasionally, not all the time.
