Sri Sri: Om is the essence of creation, like the seed of a tree.
In the seed, the whole tree is there, right? You sow a mango seed and the whole mango tree comes. This is the reason why mantras are called bij mantra (bij means seed). Om is the param bij mantra, that is, bij mantra of all the bij mantras (param means supreme). Om is the word that has been with creation from the very beginning, or from beginningless time.

Sri Sri: Yes, increase your desires for the large things in life, not small things. It is the desire for small things that causes problems. If you have to have desires, ask for the highest, that is, the Supreme Being. Seek to make the whole Universe your own, desire for everyone’s happiness in this Universe. When desires are big they are no longer detrimental. When you desire for truth, when you are committed to truth, the mind becomes calm and clear. Small desires give rise to restlessness, but desire for the highest truth settles the mind. Restlessness is something that brings pain.

Sri Sri: See, when you are sick, at least then you go to the hospital? If people are sick yet they don’t want to go to the hospital, what do you tell them?
So if you do wrong things, never mind, at least come and sit in satsang. Your tendency to do wrong things will become lesser and lesser, and simply vanish.
Isn’t it already happening?

Sri Sri: Why should everyone be the same?
If we will feed you only potatoes for breakfast, lunch and dinner, and that too, the same preparation of potato, will you like it?
Why do you wear different colors of clothes? You should wear the same clothes every day, like the military people. Would you like it? No, isn’t it? That is why there are so many different types of people on the planet, because nature loves diversity.

Sri Sri: Yes, it is a very big philosophical question.
If you ask anyone who did very good work, or those who have done the worst crime, they say somehow they did not do it, it just happened through them. This is the experience of many people.
There is something inside you, which is just a witness of all the things that are happening around you. If you would like to read more on this topic, read the book Ashtavakra Gita or Yoga Vasistha. These will give you a much deeper understanding.

Sri Sri: Yes, definitely. It is not enough to just do Kriya. You should listen to all the knowledge, all the good advice being given to you. Both, practice and principles are necessary in life.

Sri Sri: Yes, Mongolia was very good. Nearly ten thousand people came for the satsangs. People are so happy. When I was leaving, everyone at the airport, the security guards, the people who were manning the x-ray machines, they all took turns and came to take blessings. People are very moved in Mongolia. In China, they got so scared with the crowd and the enthusiasm of our people. There were so many people wanting to come for the satsang.
In China, you need special permission for large courses. Only 50 people are allowed for a course, and 500 people for a big gathering. (Our gathering goes above the limit, into thousands. So they said no they cannot handle it and cancelled the request for larger numbers.) In China, they are so disciplined. We must learn from them. The people have so much commitment for their country; total commitment. Their secret services are so powerful, and so strong. There are only certain hotels where foreigners can stay, and many of the waiters and waitresses in these hotels are from the secret investigative agencies.
They have such good monitoring that they can know everything about everybody. Our country should learn from them about their secret service agencies, then there will be no terrorism in this country.
They know very well how to monitor people, who are coming to meet whom, and what is happening. Of course, it is stifling to people sometimes because there is too much rigidity and no freedom to do programs, but they have good commitment.

Sri Sri: Your impressions of fear, cravings and aversions will always go with you. That is why we must do meditation. Meditation erases all these unwanted impressions.

Sri Sri: Inner journey and outer world events are complementary. If you are happy inside, you are able to work dynamically outside. The more dynamic you are, deeper and better is the rest and meditation. When you meditate the joy increases. People who are lazy, they cannot be happy. And people who are dynamic, it is not necessary that they will be happy also. Dynamism should be combined with inner silence. So, time to time, one should take a few days off, learn how to go deep inside and meditate.