Search results
-
My dear Gurudev, is failure in worldly life important to get back the focus on the spiritual path?
No. You do not need to fail in order to get the focus. Do not put such a sankalpa (impression or resolve) in your mind. It is not a necessary thing. ... -
Gurudev, sometimes what we fear the most is the very thing that can set us free. So why has God put this fear in us? There was no need for fear.
Fear is just love turned upside down. So when there is love, a little bit of fear also comes. Knowledge, Vairagya (dispassion), Wisdom – these are the things that can help transform the fear back into l ... -
Dearest Gurudev, I realized that I am but a small speck amongst your ocean of devotees. Yet I feel confident that you love me and are aware of my needs. Is that my ego that makes me feel that I am special to you?
No, it is perfectly alright. You should feel special. That is why it is said – Anupama (unparalleled, wonderful), Advitiya (unique, without a second), Aprameya (incomparable, immeasurable) ... -
Gurudev, please talk about the sound vibrations and how do they operate through thoughts? Like how in meditation we take our Mantra.
It works! That is it! How it works, we do not know. See, nowadays there are sensors on different objects, and when you touch them, the light comes on. Just your touch can open the locks. Your telephone works by a simple touch of yours. Your lapto ... -
Gurudev, there is a saying that a seeker should not mistake understanding for realization, and realization for liberation. Can you please explain this?
Who said this? I do not have the habit of commenting on someone else’s sayings. Understanding is intellectual. Experience is subtler than that. And beyond experience is liberation – when you know you are not the experience but the experiencer -
Significance Of Pilgrimage
Bangalore, India Dear Gurudev, how and when did the twelve Jyotirlingas (literally meaning ‘pillar of light’, a sacred divine shrine of Lord Shiva) come into existence? Please shed some light on this. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, every Jyotirlingam has a dif ... -
Dear Gurudev, can you please speak about bondage? Why does the soul feel trapped, and what are the causes of bondage?
Ignorance is the cause of bondage. And why there is ignorance? There is no answer to that. Why has the Divine first created this ignorance and then the means to get out of it? That is why it is called Leela (a game or play of the Divine) ... -
Dear Gurudev, why is the path of spirituality so difficult and trying at times? Sometimes I feel life was much simpler when I was ignorant.
Spirituality is difficult? (Gurudev smiles)Who says so? If it is difficult, how could you be smiling? Before you were insensitive, now you have become sensitive, that is it!When you are thick skinned, nothing matters at all. You d ... -
Gurudev, is it necessary to visit temples if one has a direct connection with the Guru?
Visiting temples is more of a cultural and sociological phenomenon. Of course there is a spiritual flavour to it also. But that is not essential. You can sit at home and feel the temple where you are. For the sake of keeping the culture and tradit ... -
Dear Gurudev, how and when did the twelve Jyotirlingas (literally meaning ‘pillar of light’, a sacred divine shrine of Lord Shiva) come into existence? Please shed some light on this.
See, every Jyotirlingam has a different story behind how it came to be. There is a Sthala Purana (local folklore or legends) attached to each. For example, Lord Rama went to Rameshwaram and established the Jyotirlingam th ...
