25 October 2012 - QA 1

Gurudev, in your book titled Living the Mystery of Life, you have said, 'Work in this world but do not allow it to enter your head.'
Can you please explain this once again. Is it the same thing as dispassion?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This is exactly what we did now in meditation.
When the eyes are open, we see the scenery, and when we close our eyes and our mind then there is another world. Did you notice this?
So meditation is the way.

See, suppose you are sitting and thinking, ‘Oh, my daughter-in-law did this. My son did not respect me, etc.', you can sit and think about this the whole night, the whole of the next morning and the whole of the next day and it will all just bother you.
What I am saying is, whatever they did, let it be out there. When you close your eyes, you be in your space. Do not let the world outside bother you.
It is difficult, I know, it is not that easy. But that is the direction we must proceed in.

There are two worlds, and the truth is in between the two worlds. One is called Manorajyam – the kingdom in one's own mind. The other is the Samaaj – the external world environment. Between the Samajam and the Manorajyam is the truth.