19 January 2016 - QA 1

While living in the bondage of mundane worldly activities, how can we keep our minds free of bondage?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

If you think it is a bondage, it becomes a bondage. If you consider it as service or seva, it will not feel like bondage. If someone tells you, you have to do this work, then it seems like a bondage, but if you do on your own and if you do it with your heart then you will keep doing it.

In our ashram, we have to tell some people to get some rest. We have to tell a lot of them to take rest as they put in their heart and soul. And there are some people who don’t do anything. So we cannot have the same solution for everyone. For some people, we have to tell them to do some work, and for some we have to tell them to stop and relax a bit.

The mind is the reason for the bondage, and mind is the reason for liberation. If your mind is happy, doing anything gives you pleasure. But if your mind is upset and heavy, then nothing seems to create an interest.

You cannot give anyone pleasure or sadness. It is everyone’s fate to receive what is destined for them. But that should not prevent you from bringing happiness to others. Do not refrain from making efforts on your part.