This begins a New Practice....


Weekly Knowledge #1
21 Jun 1995
Big Sur, California
USA


This begins a new practice of weekly dispatches of Knowledge from Guruji. Every center around the world will receive the Knowledge so it can be read for people to copy down at weekly Satsang. Here is the first segment Guruji dictated at Big Sur, 21 June, 1995.

* * * *

Beyond an event is Knowledge.

Beyond a person is love.

Beyond an object is infinity.

Knowledge is not in an event; it is beyond an event.

If you take one event and infer anything from one event -- infer knowledge -- it will be erroneous knowledge. Say Nancy gets angry and shouts at someone. You attribute anger to Nancy, but actually it was carried from someone else to her. Someone else got angry first and someone else and someone else and on and on like that.

When you go beyond an event, only then the truth dawns. One particular event gives you a false notion. So you have to consider the totality of events, the totality of all events infinitely. Beyond the event is Knowledge.

What do we call a person? A person is a body, a mind, a complex of behaviors which is changing. Love is unchanging. Beyond the person is love.

When you lose your personality, you become love. If you cannot lose yourself, you cannot find yourself. So, lose your personality; you'll find yourself!!!

Behind every object is infinity. An object is limited. Take an object and reduce, reduce, reduce, and you have an atom. An atom is infinity. Each atom contains infinite space. Beyond the object is infinity.

The object behind the object is infinity. The person behind the person is love.

Maya is getting caught up in the event, personality, object. Knowledge, love, Brahman is seeing beyond the event, personality, or object. See? Just a little shift.

CLOSE TO THE MASTER

Weekly Knowledge #2
21 Jun 1995
Big Sur, California
USA

If you're not feeling close to the Guru, it's because of you. Because of your mind, because of your ego concepts. Share with the Guru that which is very important or intimate to you. Share that. Do not feel shame, shy, or judgmental about yourself.

Unless you express to the Master that which is very intimate and important to you, just being on the formal and informal communication levels cannot make you feel close. "How are you, where are you going? How have you been?" Stop formal and superficial conversations with the Master and speak with your heart that which is very important and intimate, very deep to your life. Don't just say how much the squash costs, 30 cents or whatever.

If you don't feel close to the Master, there's no point in having a Master. It is just another burden to you. You have enough already. Just say "Goodbye," get rid of it.

Question: When you play little games and push us away, how can we feel close to you?

Answer: You should feel more close if you are pushed away, scolded or ignored. Because to ignore somebody takes a lot of effort. When a Master does not even ignore wrapping paper, or a flower that is in a vase, how can he ignore a walking, talking, breathing human being who is connected? How could that be ignored? So when you understand this, you already feel close.

Question: Can we call you every week?

Response from the room: Call Guruji every week and if he doesn't answer the phone then you know you are loved.

Answer: Yes, put that in. (Laughter)

You are with the Master to share the joy of the Master, to share the consciousness of the Master. For that, you have to empty your cup of what is already in it. So you share that with the Master. You share whatever you have and don't judge, "Oh, that is garbage." The Master is ready to accept any garbage of any extent. However you are, he will embrace you. He is ready to share. You only have to share from your side.

PRABDHA KARMA AND SANCHITA KARMA

Weekly Knowledge #3
29 Jun 1995
California USA

Some karma can be changed and some cannot.

When you prepare halwa, if sugar is less or ghee is less, water more or less, it can all be adjusted, repaired. But once soji is cooked, it cannot be reversed.

If the buttermilk is sour, milk can be added, salt can be added to make it drinkable. But it can never be reversed back to milk.

Prabdha karma cannot be changed. Sanchita karma can be changed by spiritual practices. Satsang burns the seed of all negative karma.

When you praise someone, you take on their good karma. When you blame someone you take on their bad karma.

Know this and surrender both good and bad karma to the Divine and be free.

ONLY SPEAK KNOWLEDGE

Weekly Knowledge #4 04 Jul 1995
Toronto Canada


Only speak Knowledge. Don't repeat anything that someone tells you or opinions about anyone that someone states -- "That so-and-so said such-and-such about you." If someone comes to tell you such things, discourage them. Don't believe it.

If someone blames you directly, know that they are taking away your bad karma and let it go. Don't believe in it, and if you're one of the Guru's close ones, you will take all of the blame of the world with a smile.

Conflict is the nature of the world; comfort is the nature of the self. Amidst the conflict seek the comfort.

When you are bored with the comfort, get into the games of the world. When you are tired of the games of the world, get into the comforts of the Self. If you are one of the Guru's close ones, you do both simultaneously. Trying to end conflict prolongs it. Face the conflict by seeking the comfort of the Self.

God is alive in the world and has been putting up with all the ongoing conflicts throughout the ages. If God can put up with all the conflicts, you can too. The moment you agree to be with the conflict, the conflict disappears.

People who love peace do not want to fight, and those who fight do not love peace. Those who want peace want to run away. What is needed here is to be peaceful within and then fight. The whole message of the Gita is to be peaceful yourself and then fight. Krishna tells Arjuna to fight but be in peace at the same time. Does this ring a bell?

In the world, you resolve one conflict and another one comes up. For example, Russia is solved and then Bosnia arises. You make one better, and then another starts up. Your body gets a cold, then you get better; then your back hurts, then it gets better. Your body gets better, and then the mind goes. The world runs like this, isn't it?

Without any intention, misunderstandings happen. It's not up to you to try to resolve them. Ignore them and be alive.

MASTER IS A DOORWAY

Weekly Knowledge #5
12 Jul 1995
Montreal Ashram Canada



Master is a doorway. And the doorway needs to be more charming than the world so that you will come to the doorway. Someone is in the street and there is rain, thunder, hot sun; they need shelter. They look around, they find a doorway. They come to the doorway. The doorway is more inviting, more charming, more celebrative, more joyful than anything else in the world.

Nothing could give that much peace, joy, pleasure in the world. Once you come to the doorway, you enter the door and see the world from there. See the world from the eyes of the Master. This is a sign that you have come to the Master. Otherwise you may still be standing in the street and looking at the door.

But once you have entered the door, then you will see the whole world from the eyes of the Master. This means what? In every situation that you face, you will think, "If this situation comes in front of the Master, how would he handle it?" or "How would she handle it?" "If this complication comes in front of the Master, how would he take it?" "If someone blames the Master like this, how would he handle it?" See the world from the eyes of the Master all the time.

The world looks much more beautiful; not a nasty place. But a place filled with love, filled with joy, cooperation, compassion, and all virtues. The world is much more fun. Looking through the doorway, there is no fear. You will look at the world without any fear. You will be in all relationships with everybody without any fear. Because there is shelter.

From inside home, you will look at the thunder, you will look at the storm, you will look at the rain, you will look at the bright sun. Inside you have air conditioning. Very cool, pleasant. Outside it's hot. You donÒ´ mind because there is nothing that can really distract you, disturb you, or take the fullness away from you. Such a sense of security, such a sense of fullness and joy comes. That is the purpose of having a Master.

All relationships in the world go topsy-turvy. You make relationships and you break relationships. All relationships can get broken or made up and again broken. And there is craving and aversion. This is the world. This is samsara.

But the Master is not a relationship. The Master is the Presence. What is necessary is to feel the Presence of the Master, not to make a relationship. Don't make the Master a part of your world. Then the same, "Oh, he looked at me." "He didn't look at me." "Oh, he said this." "He didn't say that." "Oh, somebody is close. I am not close." All this garbage comes into it. You feel the Presence of the Master, that is eternal. That has been there with you before, now, and will be there in the future, too.

Master is the Presence. World is relativity. And relativity has limitations. Presence is unlimited. Presence is vast, infinite, and all comprehensive, all inclusive. And the presence of the Master in one's life will bring fulfillment to all relations. Every relationship will become complete with the presence of the Infinity if the Master is in your life.

DOUBT

Weekly Knowledge #6
20 Jul 1995
Montreal Ashram Canada


A doubt is a gray area. Gray is something which is neither white nor black. Now, how to solve the doubt? An event, knowledge, convention cannot help. Then what can help? Accepting it either as black or as white. Put it either as black and accept it or as white and accept it -- whether or not it is black or white. And see the gray as a shade of black or white. Either way you accept it. Honest or dishonest -- accept it. Then the mind is quiet. You are not in the gray area.

See, the eyes are dark, eyebrows are dark, the thymus -- the most powerful organ of the body -- is black. Hemoglobin -- the main force of the body -- is black. You cannot survive without black. It is part of you.

Or see it as white. Eye is also white. Bones are white; the structure on which the whole body stands is white. Put it in a category of black -- no problem -- accept. Put it in a category of white -- no problem -- doubt is not there. Have conviction. "I accept. They are dishonest and still part of me." That's it. Finished.

Doubt is wanting to get rid of something. Doubt is a temporary state. Neither up nor below. There tension arises.

FIRE

Weekly Knowledge #7
24 Jul 1995
Montreal Ashram Canada



The senses are like fire. Your life is also like fire. In the fire of senses, whatever you put in burns. If you burn tires, it creates pollution and bad smell. But if you burn sandalwood, it creates fragrance.

Celebration happens around the bonfire. Grief happens around the fire of cremation. The same fire that supports life in winter, can also destroy. One fire, like a ghee lamp, lights your way and purifies. Another fire made of toxic material creates pollution.

You are also like fire. Are you the fire that creates smoke and pollution or the flame of camphor which creates light and fragrance? A saint is like a camphor flame that creates light and the fragrance of love. He is the friend of life.

The fire that creates light and warmth and is useful is of higher quality. The fire that creates light and a little smoke as well is of medium quality. The fire that creates darkness and only smoke is of low quality. Learn to distinguish the different fires. If your senses are engaged in goodness, then you will create light and fragrance. If engaged in impurity, you create smoke and darkness. It is samyama that transforms the quality of fire in you. Next week we will discuss samyama.

HABITS AND VOWS

Weekly Knowledge #8
30 Jul 1995
Connecticut USA



How to get rid of vasanas (impressions)? This is a question for all those who want to come out of habits.

You want to get rid of habits because they give pain and restrict you. The nature of vasana is to bother you, or bind you, and wanting to be free is the nature of life. Life wants to be free and when a soul doesn't know how to be free, it wanders through lifetimes wanting freedom.

The way to come out of habits is vows. This is samyama. Everybody is endowed with a little samyama.

A vow should be time bound. This would bring good conduct and save you from being wayward. Consider the time and place for vows to be taken.

When the mind dwells on useless thoughts, then two things happen. One is that all those old patterns come up and you feel discouraged by them. You blame yourself and feel that you have not made any progress.

The second thing is that you see it as an opportunity for samyama and feel happy about it. Without samyama, life will not be happy and diseases arise. For example, you know you should not eat three servings of ice cream, or eat ice cream every day, or otherwise you will get sick.

Habits will clog you when there is no liveliness or juice in life. When there is a direction for life force, you can rise above habits through samyama.

Take vows according to time and place. For example, suppose someone has a habit of smoking cigarettes and says, "I will quit smoking," but cannot do it. They can take a vow, three months or 90 days; a time-bound vow. If someone is used to cursing and swearing, take a vow not to use bad language for ten days. Don't take it for a lifetime; you will break it immediately. If you happen to break it in between, don't worry. Just begin again. Slowly increase the duration until it becomes your nature.

All those habits which bother you, bind them in vows, in samyama. So all those who are in Satsang, take a time-bound vow today and make a note of it. If you break a vow, make a note of it and share the time and date at the next Satsang. Continue it again. Tie those habits which bring you pain in samyama.

DEALING WITH BLAME

Weekly Knowledge #9
10 Aug 1995
Braunlage Germany



When someone blames you, what do you usually do? Blame them back or you put up resistance in yourself. When someone blames you, they actually take away some negative karma from you. If you understand this and don't put up resistance and feel happy about it, then you drop your resistance. "Oh, good. That person is blaming me. Good. Something is going away." And when you drop the resistance, your karma goes away. Do you see what I'm saying?

So when someone blames you and you put up resistance in your mind, and you don't react, then you are not allowing them to take the negative karma. Outside you may resist, but inside if you don't resist, and feel happy, "Oh, good, somebody is there to blame me and take some negative karma," you will feel immediately lighter.

How does it feel to you when someone blames you? Do you feel some heaviness? Usually, when someone blames you, you feel hurt and you feel unhappy, you feel sad. This is all because you're . . . resisting. That is it. What you resist, persists. The ignorant person tells someone, "Don't blame me because it hurts me."

An enlightened person also says "Don't blame me." Do you know why? Because it might hurt you. This is a beautiful point. What are the points? You get hurt because you resist the blame. When someone blames you, you resist it inside. Outside you may not resist, but inside when you resist, then that hurts you.

An ignorant person warns you, "You better not hurt me, you better not blame me because I will feel hurt." Someone warns you not to blame them because it will hurt them and they'll do something harmful to you out of revenge.

An enlightened person says "Don't blame me because it will hurt you." So here you say, don't blame because of compassion. You can tell someone, don't blame me out of compassion, or you can say it out of anger.



News:

Guruji arrived in Poland for an enchanting course with nearly 400 people. Every eye was filled with tears of gratitude. Then Guruji was off to Braunlage in Germany where more than 200 people had come together to celebrate the silence.

TODAY IS KRISHNA'S BIRTHDAY

Weekly Knowledge #10
16 Aug 1995
Rotterdam Netherlands



BIRTH OF THE CENTER OF ATTRACTION

Krishna means the most attractive . . . It is the divinity that is the most attractive; the energy that pulls everything to it. Krishna is the formless center which is everywhere. Any attraction from anywhere is coming only from Krishna. Often people fail to see the spirit behind the attraction and merely hold on to the outer shell. And the moment you try to possess the shell, you will see Krishna has played a trick and you will be left with an empty shell in your hands and tears in your eyes.

Be clever like Radha -- don't be tricked by Krishna. Krishna could not escape from Radha, for her whole world was filled with Krishna. If you can see that wherever there is an attraction, there is Krishna; then you are Radha, you are in your center.

The mind moves towards beauty, joy and truth. Krishna tells Arjuna, "I am the beauty in the Beautiful, the strength in the Strong, the wisdom in the Wise." In this way he arrests the mind from moving away from him.

Krishna reveals this Knowledge to Arjuna because he is Anasuya. Next week we will see what is Anasuya.

ANASUYA

Weekly Knowledge #11
24 Aug 1995
London United Kingdom



Knowledge will be different at different levels of consciousness. At a particular level of consciousness you will become anasuya. Anasuya is devoid of fault-finding eyes. If a mirror is dusty, you need a duster to clean it. But if your eyes have a cataract, any amount of dusting will not help. So first you have to remove the cataract. Then you can see that the mirror is already clean.

There is a certain mind set that always finds fault, even in the best conditions in the world. When you give a person with this mind set the best, they still find faults. Even with the best possible companion, or the most beautiful painting, they will still find something wrong. That kind of mind set cannot know the sacred Knowledge. Krishna tells Arjuna that he is giving him the Royal Secret, because he is anasuya. "You are not finding fault in Me, even though you are so close."

From a distance, even craters cannot be seen. Even on a smooth surface there will be holes. If you are only interested in the holes, you will not see the magnanimity of things. If you are not in anasuya, Knowledge cannot blossom in you. Then there is no point in giving Knowledge.

Question: What about discrimination -- Wisdom?

Answer: If it is in your vision, your vision will find discrimination. The moment you are out of the path, everything is all wrong, that is not anasuya. For example, you have a friendship, and after 10 years you decide to leave. When you leave, you do not see the good in that relationship. You find fault. This is not anasuya.

However, once you discover you have the wrong vision, half of the wrong vision has already disappeared. There is a fine line here. There cannot be any better example than the cataract. Instead of saying, "My vision is blurred," you say, "The whole world is not sharp." Suppose someone is coming in. It is windy, so you shut the door. But the person thinks the door has been slammed in his face! This is asuya. It is not anasuya. Most of the population is like this.

Asuya is finding fault. It is seeing malicious intent everywhere. It is like a child who says, "Mother, you don't love me!" The child's vision is wrong. If the mother does not love the child, who will? It is the same as if someone comes and says, "Guruji, you don't love me!" If I don't love them, forget about it. Nobody else in the world will! Where else will they find love? Nowhere. A mother may get frustrated but not a Master.

Question: It seems as though you can't have anasuya unless you are enlightened?

Answer: Not always. This is an excuse. To get enlightenment, you must have this vision.

THE LOVE OF THE IGNORANT AND THE ANGER OF THE ENLIGHTENED

Weekly Knowledge #12
31 Aug 1995
Bangalore Ashram India



The love of the ignorant can be harmful yet even the anger of the Enlightened is not harmful. It can be only good!

An example is the school at the Art of Living Ashram in Bangalore. 250 children are enrolled but only 200 come to class on any given day. Fifty children don't show up. Why? They cry at home, "Mother, I don't want to go to school."

The mother says, "Oh, la la, don't cry . . . ok." She thinks, "No child in the world is like my child." And so she sticks up for the child and begins to speak for him. She does not see the teacher's point of view. The mother asks the teacher, "Why are you not teaching my child properly? He is so innocent, so lovely." So, what happens -- the child grows up spoiled. The love in the mother's ignorance has spoiled the child. The child will never learn the alphabet, never learn to read or write, but the mother says, "Oh, never mind, there are sheep to look after and fields to tend." The mother's love in ignorance has spoiled the child.

The anger of the Enlightened is a blessing. There are many instances of this in the Puranas. Once a Master was traveling in the middle province of India with a disciple following him a few yards behind. Some boys who were rude, rough, and abusive began to throw stones and tease the disciple calling him names. This went on for some time as the boys followed the Master and the disciple. They came to a river. The Master and the disciple got into a boat in order to cross. The boys got in another boat which started to sink in the middle of the river.

The Master slapped the disciple across the face. The disciple was so surprised as he had not said a word back to the boys in response to their taunts. He had been such a good disciple and yet the Master had slapped him!

The Master said, "It is your fault. You are responsible for their boat sinking. You did not respond to their abuse. Nature has now punished them in a worse way because you did not have enough compassion to quell their insults."

The slap that the Master gave took away the karma of this event such that it would not be carried into the future of the boys. It also served to take away any little bit of joy the disciple may have felt at seeing the boys' boat sink! Thus, it also took away the karma of the event for the disciple. So, the anger of the Enlightened is a blessing!

A LIAR IS INNOCENT

Weekly Knowledge #13
06 Sep 1995
Bangalore Ashram India



A dear person whom you trust lies to you and gets caught. What do you feel?

1. Sadness

2. Anger

3. Cheated

4. Disappointment

5. Compassion

6. Let down

7. Loss of respect

8. Wonder

9. Shock

10. Embarrassment

Recently when someone lied to me, I felt happy and more love, for they were not a good liar. Had they been a good liar, they would not have been caught. I thought they were so innocent that they could not even lie properly. They lie and get caught. If they had not been caught, how would you know they were a liar? So . . . you can never know a good liar. The person you call a liar is not a good liar and they are innocent. Aren't they?

And so . . . ha ha (laugh). You need not go through all the listed mental gymnastics. Instead melt and dissolve in Love.

BE A GOPAL

Weekly Knowledge #14
13 Sep 1995
Melbourne Austrailia


Like fish in the water, you are in air. Thoughts are in mind. Mind is in Big Mind. The Big Mind in Me is love. Emotions are ripples in love. Love is all Knowledge.

Every atom of Big Mind is crammed with Knowledge. Knowing this, you stop seeking. You seek until you come to the Master. You walk until you come to the swimming pool. You don't walk or run in the swimming pool -- you swim or float. Once you come to the Master, seeking stops, blossoming begins.

You are Knowledge. Every atom in you is shimmering with Knowledge. This is called Go. Be a Go-Pal. Be a friend in Knowledge.

Go has four meanings:

Knowledge

Movement

Achievement

Freedom or liberation

Pal means friend or protector -- one who takes care of.

Often you become friends by:

Gossiping about negative things

Complaining

Similar cravings or aversions

Common enemies or common problems

Common goals or common addictions

Coming together in Knowledge is rare. You become friends because you have something in common. Be a friend in Knowledge. Uplift each other in Knowledge. All Satsangees are Gopals -- reminding each other, coming together in and for Knowledge. That is Gopal. Be a protector of this Knowledge.

Silence

Weekly Knowledge #15
21 Sep 1995
Bangalore Ashram India



Prayer within breath Is silence Love within Infinity Is silence

Wisdom without word Is silence

Compassion without aim Is silence

Action without doer Is silence

Smiling with all the Existence Is silence!

BIG MIND

Weekly Knowledge #16
27 Sep 1995
Bangalore Ashram India


You know there is a Big Mind and a small mind. Sometimes the Big Mind wins over the small mind and sometimes it is the other way around.

When the small mind wins over, it is misery and when the Big Mind wins, it is joy.

Small mind promises joy and leaves your hand empty. Big Mind may bring resistance in the beginning but fills you with joy.

The word Guru means great. Jaya means victory. Deva means one who is fun-loving, playful, light. One who is playful is often not dignified and when one is dignified, he is often not playful.

Jai Guru Dev is victory to the Big Mind in you that is both dignified and playful. That is what Jai Guru Dev means: "Victory to the Greatness in you."

You do not say victory or hail to the Master as he has won over already. You say victory to your own Self, your own Mind, which is being veiled by the small mind.

THE ONLY THING YOU MUST REMEMBER

Weekly Knowledge #17 05 Oct 1995
Bangalore Ashram India


The only thing you must remember is

how fortunate you are.

When you forget this you become sad. Sorrow indicates

(I) your negative qualities, and (ii) your attachment to your positive qualities. When you think you are too good, you blame the world; then you become sad. The purpose of sorrow is to bring you back to the self. And self is all Joy. But this is possible only through Knowledge -- awareness.

Knowledge or awareness leads sorrow towards the self. With lack of Knowledge, the same sorrow multiplies and does not get completed. Knowledge completes sorrow.

With the power of Knowledge you transcend sorrow. In this path you have everything. We have this beautiful Knowledge which has all the flavors in it -- wisdom, laughter, seva, silence, singing, dancing, humor, celebration, yagyas, caring, complaints, problems, complications, and chaos to add color.

Life is so colorful!

FREEDOM AND DISCIPLINE

Weekly Knowledge #18 10 Oct 1995
Bangalore Ashram India



Freedom and discipline are opposites and complementary. The purpose of defense is to protect freedom. But is there freedom in defense? Do soldiers have freedom? No, they are totally bound, not even allowed to put the right foot down when told the left foot. Their steps are measured and they are unable even to walk with a natural rhythm. There is total lack of freedom in defense. That which has absolutely no freedom is protecting the freedom of the country! So it is with the police; they protect the freedom of the individual. But are they free?

Discipline protects freedom. They both go hand in hand. Understand this and go ahead in life. You have some restrictions and it is this that allows you freedom. You can choose to focus either on freedom or discipline, and this makes you happy or unhappy. Freedom without discipline is like a country without a defense.

Fences should be fences; a fence cannot be built all over the property. If your fence is all over, how can you build on the property? That state of high absolute freedom is too difficult; we need to be very practical. Yes, there is a state of unlimited bliss, the freedom Advaita talks about. The Advaita Knowledge has been totally misused or used according to one's own fancies and conveniences.

There must be awareness in the mind, love in the heart, and righteousness in action.

Love and fear are two possibilities that put you on track. The Jewish religion put fear as the main thing so that life could improve. Nature induces fear at a certain age in a child. When a child is very young, it gets 100 percent time and love of the mother. The child has no fear. As the child grows more independent it becomes cautious. Nature brings in an iota of fear. With freedom, the child starts walking carefully. Fear of losing freedom also brings defense. The purpose of defense is to eliminate fear.

On this path Knowledge is your Freedom
and also your Defense.

DISCIPLESHIP ENDS --

Weekly Knowledge #19 17 Oct 1995
Nova Scotia Canada


A SHISHYA (DISCIPLE) OR

A SAKHA (COMPANION)?

Knowledge has an end. Knowledge completes. So also does discipleship. For the disciple is aimed at acquiring Knowledge.

Once you cross the water, however nice the boat is, you get off the boat. After twelve years, the disciple completes his studies. The master does a ceremony called Samavartha, where he tells the disciple that he is ending the discipleship and asking him to behave at par with him, and let the Brahman dynamically manifest.

Sakha is a companion in life and death; it never ends. In the path of love there is neither beginning nor end. Sakha only wants the beloved. He doesn't care about the Knowledge or liberation. Love is incomplete because of longing. And so it is infinite, for infinity can never be complete.

Arjuna was a sakha to Krishna and although Krishna was the perfect Master he was a sakha, too. What are you, a shishya (disciple) or a sakha (companion)?

SAKHA -- YOUR RELIABLE SENSE

Weekly Knowledge #20 24 Oct 1995
Montreal Ashram Canada


There are three things: the Self, the senses, and the object, or the world. And there are three words: sukha, pleasure; dukha, sorrow; and sakha, companion. These have one thing in common: "kha," which means "senses."

The Self through the senses experiences the world. When the senses are with the Self, that is pleasure (sukha), because the Self is the source of all joy or pleasure. When the senses are away from the Self (dukha) -- in the mud, lost in the object -- that is misery. Mud, misery, mind -- they are very close.

Self --- Senses ("Kha") --- World

--- Joy (Sukha) Sorrow (Dukha) ---

Self is the nature of joy. In any pleasant experience, you close your eyes; you smell a nice flower, or you taste or touch something. So sukha is that which takes you to the Self. Dukha is that which takes you away from the Self. Sorrow simply means that you are caught up in the object, which goes on changing, instead of focussing on the Self.

All the sense objects are just a diving board to take you back to the Self.

Sa-kha, companion, means: "He is the senses." Sakha is one who has become your senses, who is your senses. If you are my senses, it means I get Knowledge through you; you are my sixth sense. As I trust my mind, so I trust you. A friend could be just an object of the senses, but a sakha has become the very senses.

The sakha is the companion who is there in both the experiences of the dukha and of sukha. It means one who leads you back to the Self. If you are stuck in an object, that wisdom which pulls you back to the Self is sakha.

Knowledge is your companion and your companion is Knowledge. And the Master is nothing but the embodiment of Knowledge. So sakha means, "He is my senses, I see the world through that wisdom, through Him."

If your sense is the Divine, then you see the whole world through the Divinity.

Your head will be in the mud in a few years;

Don't put mud in your head while you are still alive.

SCEPTICISM

Weekly Knowledge #21 01 Nov 1995
London United Kingdom



Ignorance is being a sceptic and not knowing you are a sceptic. If you think you are a sceptic, you are no longer a sceptic because you have a clue of something beyond. So, in reality, you can never know whether you are a sceptic or not!

A sceptic is stuck in a paradigm and closes all other possibilities. But this creation is of all possibilities. As one understands the paradigm shift, scepticism is removed.

A real scientist can never afford to be a sceptic because scepticism closes down possibilities and does not continue to probe into unknown areas of existence.

In short, scepticism is an "I know it all" attitude, and this attitude is unscientific. Scepticism is dispelled by Knowledge. Perception and inference are two means of knowing.

In every human being deep inside, there is faith and love. What you think is scepticism is only a thin layer. If you hold in your mind that they are sceptics you empower their scepticism.

Do not recognize someone's scepticism and try to argue with them. Argument strengthens their scepticism. Fear of interference in one's freedom brings more resistance and causes scepticism.

Your silence and the smile from your heart will dispel their scepticism. There is nothing better than silence to break scepticism. Silence means the quality of consciousness, not just keeping lips tight.

Scepticism doesn't come up in children. It comes only with people who walk with boundaries. Children have no scepticism. They live in their fantasy world, a world of many possibilities. Their world is one of innocence, joy, beauty, and so much love.

SHAUCHA AND ASHAUCHA

Weekly Knowledge #22 09 Nov 1995
New Delhi India



When you are miserable, what has happened is that you have gone away from the Self. This is called Ashaucha. It means you have become unclean.

In India when someone dies, the close relatives are said to be Ashaucha for 10 days because they are very sad. They are impure because they have moved away from the self. After 10 days of just being with that experience and reading the Gita, being with the Knowledge and pulling themselves back into the Self, then it is called Shaucha. They have purged out the impurities that have come during events.

This keeps happening again and again in dealings in life. You become Ashaucha and you have to get back to Shaucha. Go deeper in to yourself, then real Shaucha happens.

Shaucha's benefits are clarity in the intellect, a pleasing mind, focused awareness in the mind, a say over the senses, and therefore eligibility to realize the Self.

Shaucha is disinterestedness in the tendencies of one's own senses and non-association with other people. If a tendency in your body arises just have the understanding, "Oh yes, here is this old familiar tendency coming up again. Come on, you have had this experience enough, and still the body is craving for it again." Disinterestedness in one's own body -- just an idea, a sort of distaste, and in one moment it changes.

Why do people love each other so much, have such an intimate relationship, and then fight? Ashaucha has happened. If you don't get distaste for the tendency of the senses then distaste for the object of the senses will come and you will blame the object.

When Ashaucha happens then come back to Shaucha quickly. Suppose you get drowned in any worldly aspect, just know this is Ashaucha . . . "That is why I am suffering misery." Then come back to Shaucha.

Your attraction or craving is only as long as you think someone is "other." When you think they are part of you or your Self, then the attraction dies out. That is why a husband or wife is not attracted to the partner but to someone else because the partner has already become a part of them.

When you realize everyone is part of your Self, you enjoy the whole world without a sense of craving.

BOREDOM AND SADHANA

Weekly Knowledge #23 15 Nov 1995
Bangalore Ashram India



What is boredom?

A repetition without interest or love causes a monotonous state of mind; that is boredom. It overshadows the Self.

A practice or abhyasa is again a repetition whose purpose is to destroy the boredom and reunite with the Self. In this process the practice itself creates boredom and as you continue, it penetrates the boredom and destroys it once and for all. Whether the practice gives you joy or boredom, it must be continued. Only the practice or abhyasa can annihilate the Mind.

Self is Love and Love is always repetitive. That is why love letters are simply repetitive and there is no boredom there. If you are bored with yourself then how much more boring you would be for others. Root out the boredom in you through deep and continued meditation.

Wake up and Walk up.

WHO ARE YOU? BRAHMA, VISHNU, MAHESH OR GURU?

Weekly Knowledge #24 23 Nov 1995
Bangalore Ashram India



There are three forces: Brahma shakti, Vishnu shakti, and Shiva shakti. You may have one of these predominant. Brahma shakti is the force to create something new. Vishnu shakti is maintenance and Shiva shakti is bringing in transformation, filling in life, or destroying.

Some of you have Brahma shakti. You may create well, but you may not be able to maintain. For example, you may make friends very fast, but it does not last long.

There are others who cannot create but are good at maintaining. For example, people have long lasting friendships but cannot make any new friends. In such cases, Vishnu shakti is dominant.

And then there are others who have more of Shiva shakti. They bring in new life or transformation or they can destroy the whole set up.

In Guru shakti, all three shaktis have blossomed fully.

So each of you first identify which shakti you have more of and aspire for Guru shakti. Guru makes a group but a group cannot make a Guru.

HOW TO MAINTAIN INTIMACY

Weekly Knowledge #25 29 Nov 1995
Bangalore Ashram India


Intimacy often gets broken because of ego or your desire. What breaks intimacy?

Ego or taking a position

Desire

Taking intimacy for granted

Finding imperfection in oneself or others

Expectations

Insensitivity or over sensitivity

Lack of vivek or vairagya (lack of discretion or dispassion)

Judgements

Grumbling or lack of gratitude

Dissolving into infinity is the way to maintain intimacy. Intimacy is dissolving into infinity. Dissolving into infinity brings you to the moment. Go beyond events. Dissolve into infinity, be in the moment, and look beyond the events. This is the way to maintain intimacy.

* * * *

If you attend Satsang you don't get much; but if you don't, you lose a lot. Just to maintain where you are, what you are, you need to attend weekly Satsang.

Now, start doing ten minutes of Satsang, sharing of the Knowledge with someone, anyone. You are so used to talking gossip. Now for two weeks, talk Knowledge, especially to those not coming to Satsang. Even on the phone -- suppose you can't find someone at seven o'clock; call someone on the phone and talk Knowledge for a couple of minutes: "What are you doing? What do you want? How can I help you?" Praise the Divine.

This is an exercise. Every day for ten minutes, do individual Satsang and skillfully talk ten minutes of Knowledge. Say, "Everything is temporary, everything is changing." Speak some Knowledge on the changing nature of the world.

ALL ARE SEARCHING FOR SWEETS,

Weekly Knowledge #26 07 Dec 1995
Bangalore Ashram India

ALL ARE SEARCHING FOR SWEETS,

THE ONE WHO FINDS THEM,

GIVES THEM AWAY


Guruji was on the porch with a group of people. He sent Kashi to get the sweets from inside the kuti, but Kashi returned saying he could not find them. He went again and again, three times, and still he could not find them. Then Guruji himself went in. He came out with the sweets and gave them to everyone.

This is exactly what happens in life. Many want sweetness in life. Some are searching hard, but only one finds it. And when that one finds it, he gives it to everyone.

Everyone is blissed in and some are blissed out, too!

OVERCOMING EVENTS

Weekly Knowledge #27 14 Dec 1995
Bangalore Ashram
India



All the problems that you face in life are because you attach over importance to the events. The events grow bigger while you remain smaller. Say, for example, you are riding a motorbike on a busy motor way and in front of you there is another vehicle emitting exhaust fumes. You have three options.



1. You can complain, somehow bear with it, and still follow the vehicle.

2. You can slow down or wait for some time to allow the vehicle to move far away from you.

3. You can use your skill, overtake the vehicle, and forget about it.

As in the first case, most of you stick on the events and are miserable, like inhaling fumes throughout your journey.

In the second case, you don't get permanent relief, as another bigger vehicle might come in front of you. Like that, running away from events is not the permanent solution.

However, wise people use their skill and grow over the events. If the vehicle is in perfect condition, the skill is effective. Conditioning the vehicle is sadhana or practice. And skill is the grace of the Guru.

The mistakes that you have made in the past have made you humble; you need not make mistakes in the future to become humble.

THE WASHING MACHINE

Weekly Knowledge #28 21 Dec 1995
Gyan Mandir, Bangalore
India



Our body is like a washing machine, our mind is like cloth, each lifetime is one run or cycle, and Knowledge is detergent. The mind comes into the body to get cleansed and pure. But instead of detergent, if you use dirt, then you have dirty clothes.

Pure water is like love, Knowledge is like detergent, mind is like cloth, and the body like the washing machine. If you put in mud instead of detergent, your clothes become dirtier than before.

You will have to go on putting clothes in the washing machine to get them cleaned. And the process repeats again and again. Similarly you will have many more births until you stop repeating the mistakes that you have made.

DIVINE IS ALL CELEBRATION

Weekly Knowledge #29 27 Dec 1995
Weggis Switzerland


A poor man celebrates the new year once a year. A rich man celebrates each day. But the richest man celebrates every moment.

How rich are you? Do you celebrate once a year? Once a month? Every day? If you celebrate every moment, you are the Lord of Creation.

Review the year while you celebrate. This is your homework. What did you do? What did you achieve? How useful were you this past year? Sit for an hour and think about every week, one minute per week, and see the year's growth in less than an hour. With a flower, on New Year's Day, offer the whole year to the Divine.





SPREADING THE FRAGRANCE

During Satsang, Guruji opened a small nicely-wrapped present. It was a tiny bottle of jasmine perfume. He twisted off the cap and sniffed the lovely fragrance. Then he proceeded to pour a small amount on some paper which he waved in the air, wafting the scent to all corners of the hall. Everyone could then enjoy it.

Guruji explained that it is not enough simply to have the fragrance. We have to know how to spread it. Flowers have the fragrance, but it is the wind that comes and spreads it. In the same way, each one of us is wonderful within -- we are beautiful, caring, and loving. But we do not know how to spread the fragrance.

Satsang is that wind which comes and spreads this fragrance to everyone.

NEW YEAR'S CELEBRATION

Weekly Knowledge #30 05 Jan 1996
Weggis Switzerland

New Year's was a grand celebration . . . like everyday!

And everyone was unusually crazy . . . like everyday!

Guruji was fantastically charming . . . like everyday!

And a basket full of chocolates was on the couch . . . like everyday!

They were in shape of bees today.

And they started flying from the Guru's hand.



* * * *



JUST BE

Joy is dissolving . . . losing your identity.

Rest is dissolving . . . losing your identity.

Love is dissolving . . . losing your identity.

The message for 1996 is . . . JUST BE!

Relax and just be.

That doesn't mean be lazy . . . No!

Be very busy . . . and just be.

The events come and go, they perish like flowers.

But every event and every person contains some honey.

Like a bee, just take the honey out of every event and every moment and move on.

Be like a busy bee and be in the Being.

Question: What is the nectar of life?

Answer: The Infinity . . . The Divinity.

How do you like it . . . huh?


(Compiled by Ananda and Wally)

WRAPPING PAPER

Weekly Knowledge #31 11 Jan 1996
Weggis Switzerland


All sensory pleasures in the world are like wrapping paper; the true bliss is the present inside. Divine love is the present, yet we are holding onto the paper believing we have already enjoyed the gift. It's like putting the chocolate inside your mouth with the paper still on. A little chocolate may seep into the mouth, but the covering makes sores in the mouth. Unwrap the present. The whole world is there for you to enjoy. The wise know how to enjoy the gift inside, while the ignorant get stuck with the paper.



Wally told Guruji: I have some property for you to consider as an Ashram in the U.S.

Guruji said: I want every home to be an Ashram.

How many of you consider your home to be an Ashram? If not, what keeps your home from being an Ashram? What are the impediments? What do you think are the qualities of an Ashram?

IS GURU SATISFIED (TRIPTH) OR UNSATISFIED (ATRIPTH)?

Weekly Knowledge #32 16 Jan 1996
Ljubljana Slovenia



A student's job is to satisfy the Master.

But how can you satisfy someone who is already satisfied?

If Guru is satisfied, then your growth is shunned.

If Guru is unsatisfied, he's away from the Self.

If Guru is satisfied, then what can inspire you to grow?

If he's unsatisfied, he cannot be a Guru.

If he's satisfied, he cannot be a Guru.

So what is the answer?



NEWS FLASH

Guruji arrived for the first time on January 15th in the Croatian capital of Zagreb. As soon as we landed, Guruji was driven straight to one of the largest concert halls in Zagreb. Guruji first met with a group of over a hundred professionals including doctors and members of the press. A few hours later the hall was filled to capacity for his evening lecture. The national television station filmed the entire talk. Over 100 people waited outside unable to enter.

Before addressing the large crowd Guruji went out to the lobby and greeted those who could not enter. His talk was exquisite and a soft feeling of grace and peace transformed the atmosphere. At the end of the lecture many still waited outside for over two hours to get a glimpse of Guruji.

The next evening Guruji gave his first talk in Ljubljana, Slovenia. Hundreds crowded into the World Trade Center. Guruji was soon overloaded with flowers from the group. Guruji continued to talk for an hour and a half as the enthusiastic crowd would not let him finish. The atmosphere was charged with immense gratitude and celebration. The Art of Living groups in Croatia and Slovenia have done an excellent job.

Guruji now flies off to New York for a television interview and then it's on to the advanced course in Hawaii!

ADVICE FROM HAWAII

Weekly Knowledge #33 24 Jan 1996
Kauai, Hawaii USA


What type of time do you give the Divine? Usually you give the time that is leftover, when you have nothing else to do, when no guests are coming, there are no parties to go to, no nice movies to watch, no weddings to attend. Such time you give. This is not quality time.

Give quality time to the Divine. It will be rewarded. If your prayers are not answered it is because you have never given quality time. Give Satsang and meditation your highest priority. Give prime time to the Divine. You definitely will be rewarded.



* * * *

Here in Hawaii there is a fun-filled course, for you know God Loves Fun. This has been followed with the long-awaited book, Way of Grace. Satsang is open to the public each evening. The huge waves of the Hawaiian shores cannot compete with the waves of bliss at Satsang. Guruji has brought out deep Knowledge from the most mundane questions. We are making efforts to bring these tapes to you soon.



* * * *

What is most freely given yet not taken?

1. Compliments? . . . no.

2. Blame? . . . no, people take blame.

3. Money? . . . no, money is readily taken, not freely given.

4. Happiness? . . . nobody can give happiness.

5. ??

The clue is that it hangs in space like an orphan. No one owns it. Like an overripe papaya in Hawaii, it rots.

The answer to this riddle lies in the beginning.

ALOHA!

THE MOST BEAUTIFUL SPOT IN THE UNIVERSE

Weekly Knowledge #34 01 Feb 1996
Honolulu, Hawaii USA


There is a place you can come where everything is beautiful. Tourists go from place to place looking for beauty. They try to take beauty from that place. They only get tired and tanned. Yet the most beautiful spot anywhere is right here. When you come here, you find that wherever you are, everything is so beautiful.

Where is this place? Don't look here and there. Where do you go? Within you. When you come here, then any place is beautiful. Then wherever you go, you add beauty there.

If you are unhappy, even the moon is irritating to you. Sweet things are nauseating, music is disturbing. When you are calm and centered inside, noise is musical, clouds are magical, rain is liquid sunshine.

Book yourself on a trip to this most beautiful place in the universe. Then you find that every day is a vacation and a celebration.



* * * *

P.S. The answer to last weekÒ³ riddle is "advice." Advice hangs in the space, the giver goes on giving, the taker never takes. It goes on and on.



And now the NEWS splash from the surf:

A lady was driving along the coast of Kauai and just started singing our Bhajans which she had never heard before. Later she found herself at our Satsang.

A Hawaiian Princess, Owana, found herself wondering why she felt compelled to drive in circles around a hotel in Honolulu. Later she found out from a devotee that it was Guruji's hotel. The next night she was singing her deeply felt native Hawaiian songs at Punditji's feet.

On Sunday, a lady named Mary was spending the day at an ancient temple ruins. She had gone there to make an offering and to pray. Her prayer was to meet her spiritual teacher and be shown the way Home. On Monday, she met Punditji and instantly became devoted.

Which one of your friends is next?

INDEBTEDNESS OR ABUNDANCE

Weekly Knowledge #35 08 Feb 1996
Miami Beach, Florida USA



Question: God is all abundant, all full and we are connected to God. Then why are we in debt, except for some? Why do they have, and we don't have?

Guruji: Is it only money? You have abundance, yet at the same time, you are indebted. So how can both be true? How can you be indebted and at the same time have abundance?

Somebody says: An abundance of indebtedness!

Guruji: When you say you are indebted, that means you have received. Otherwise how can you be indebted? So be thankful for being indebted, because you have received. Those who have received should feel indebted. If you don't feel indebted, you cannot have abundance. So the more indebted you feel, the more abundance you have.

Question: When the disciples met Jesus, they were not very successful, did not catch very many fish. When they met Jesus, he told them exactly where to fish and that's when they got lots of fish and then they decided to follow Jesus.

(Laughter)

Guruji: Feel indebted. Feel gratitude. Then abundance comes. As long as you are wanting for abundance you get indebted. Feel indebtedness and gratitude, then abundance comes.

Abundance and indebtedness coexist. You think you are indebted, but you really are not. It is better to feel totally indebted, because every bit of what you have, doesn't belong to you, including your body. Then you are infinitely indebted for your body, for Knowledge, for things you have received, and for your own life. Then you bask in the abundance of the Creator.

Someone says: I feel very indebted. Thank you!



NEWS FLASH:

Physicians of Apple Valley had organized memorable meetings and Satsangs. Guruji was on CNN News. Guruji was in the media and newspapers for several days before the much awaited event. Local TV stations were announcing the event every hour.

From there -- unbelievable Satsangs in packed halls in Los Angeles. The drummers and Divya got everyone on their feet. The atmosphere was electrifying.

Guruji went to the University of Northeast Missouri that had sponsored his visit. Students and Lloyd had organized 700 people to welcome Guruji.



Guruji, not only in spirit, but also physically, piloted a twin engine Cessna plane back to St. Louis, Missouri on his way to Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The church was filled with devotion and decorations. The way Guruji looked -- the Grace and Knowledge were so magical -- the scene is impossible to describe. The hurricane of Satva has moved on to Miami.

ABIDING IN THE SELF

Weekly Knowledge #36 14 Feb 1996
London United Kingdom



Abiding in the self you become the valentine for the whole world. Spirit is the valentine of matter and matter is the valentine of the spirit. They are made for each other. They uphold each other. If you hold onto matter and do not respect the spirit, then matter is not pleased. If you honor the spirit then you will care for the world, and when you care for the world, it will take care of you.

I am the valentine of the whole world and I reside in every heart. If you are my valentine, you will see me everywhere. Have the same love for everyone, with different flavors. You cannot behave the same way with everyone, but you can love all of them the same. Love transcends behavior and etiquette.



NEWS FLASH

Just a week before Guruji's arrival, Raj woke up in the middle of the night in Loughborough. He thought that some light was coming from the clock. He looked at Guruji's picture and saw that light was coming from it. This light grew and filled the room. He made sure that there was no outside light left on. The divine light stayed on for about ten minutes.

Upholland, Lancashire held an advanced course in Guruji's presence.

Guruji gave a talk on Ayurveda and the Art of Living at the Liverpool Medical Institution. The hall was full to capacity with standing room only, attended by medical professionals. It was a brilliant talk, but Punditji did not think so! He thought it was very mundane! There was great enthusiasm, however.

Next, Guruji's entourage moved with luggage and cars at its own speed and proceeded to Stourbridge in the Midlands for a talk organized by Stourbridge Earth Mysteries. The talk was simply great! The entourage then moved on to London, arriving at 3 o' clock in the morning for "The UK Tired of Living Teacher's Meeting" with baggage, blankets, pillows, plastic bags, pots and pans, and the usual divine chaos!!


(compiled by Raj and Shirley)

KNOWLEDGE AND FAITH

Weekly Knowledge #37 21 Feb 1996
Oslo Norway


In science you have knowledge first, and then faith follows.

In spirituality, faith comes first, and then Knowledge follows.

For example, the knowledge that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are good for plants came through science, and people had faith in it, and all over the world they were used. And then another knowledge came that they were not good and the faith shifted to organic farming. The same with antibiotics.

The knowledge brought faith, the knowledge changed, and then faith changed. The knowledge and faith of science is of "happening." In spirituality, faith is first and Knowledge comes later. Like Kriya, Yoga, and meditation -- first you have faith and then Knowledge follows. For example, if you do pranayama faithfully then you get the Knowledge of the prana; if your do your meditation faithfully, the Knowledge of consciousness follows. Even an illiterate, through faith, attains deep Knowledge.

Vinod: Human is the best composite material. (Laughter -- this is the NASA scientist mind.)

Punditji: Science considers even human as matter, and spirituality considers even earth as mother, even rivers and mountains as living beings.

Science regards life as matter and spirituality regards even matter as life.

NEWS FLASH:

Shivaratri was celebrated in London as well as in the German Ashram. Devotees had put their hearts and souls to make the place so beautiful. The puja and Satsang transported everyone to another plane. As usual, laughter filled the corridors of the new Ashram. The big hall was already too small to the surprise of everyone! Our own spring water replaced Pepsi and Coke!

Then on to Copenhagen -- the capital of Denmark. It was a media event: people from TV, radio, and the newspaper were queuing into the hotel. The TV crew followed to the public talks which were packed and very lively.

Then the giggling gang moved on to Norway, but had left some luggage behind in the hotel. The flight was conveniently delayed, which was very unusual for SAS. Lakshmi had called Guruji the night before. Guruji had said we will arrive at the airport at exactly 12:15. It kept Lakshmi wondering and confused because it was almost one hour later than the original arrival time. And they all arrived on the dot at 12:15!

Wait for the exciting news from Norway and Sweden next week.

Jai Guru Dev

(Compiled by Shirley and Kiran)

RESPECT

Weekly Knowledge #38 29 Feb 1996
Bangalore Ashram India


Why do you respect someone? Because of their good qualities, isn't it? For example, positive qualities like honesty, wisdom, love, talents, behavior. But all these change in time. And when they do change, you lose respect. You only respect the greatness.

I have tremendous respect for each and every one. Not for their greatness or wisdom or talent, but for their very person. I respect everyone totally. So I can never lose respect for anybody, however they may be. One doesn't need to be great in order to be respected. Respecting the life makes you great. Don't look for respect from others; that makes you weak. Have respect for the self and no one can take your self-respect.



Jai Guru Dev



NEWS FLASH:

From Norway and Sweden. Ingrid in her van, plastered with big posters of Guruji, caught the attention of the traffic. Posters were all over Oslo. Sheila made a poster war.

Vinod and Ingrid turned a reluctant ambassador into an enthusiastic devotee, staying up all night reading the book "The Way of Grace."

Adventure time: We all went to a ski simulator and then sledded three kilometers downhill. All the devotees tumbled down, all covered with snow and with frozen hands and feet. It was -10 C and everyone was wearing heavy winter clothes, but there was Guruji, sledding with sandals and shawl. He didn't get a speck of snow on Himself.

Stockholm, Sweden: A TV crew was waiting in the meditation hall to interview him. They asked him what he thought about the New Age, if the Art of Living was part of the New Age. A moment of silence passed and with a vivid smile he replied, "Age is always new."

Another programme entitled "The Three Wise Men" was made with one of Sweden's most respected TV journalists for a major TV channel. The three wise men included Guruji and the Dalai Lama.

Evening talks were filled with humor, brilliant questions were asked, and laughter filled the air. All the "hard nuts" started popping like popcorn. As usual, the best talks are never recorded.

DESIRE AND JOY

Weekly Knowledge #39 06 Mar 1996
Bangalore Ashram India



All desires are for happiness. That is the goal of desire, isn't it? How often does your desire lead you to the goal? But have you thought about the nature of desire? It simply means tomorrow, and not now, isn't it? Joy is never tomorrow. It is always now.

How can you have desires when you are joyful? And how can you really be joyful now when you have desires? Desire appears to lead you to happiness. In fact it cannot. And that is why it is Maya. What do you say?



Jai Guru Dev





NEWS FLASH

Guruji arrived on the 28th in Bangalore without his baggage. And he said that is how he came to the World -- without any baggage!

An advanced course at the Ashram with participants from all corners of India was conducted from the first to the fifth of March. The Ashram was bustling with activity. Despite a large number of young devotees, the course was unusually silent.

The silence was broken with the boisterous celebration of Holi -- the festival of colors.

We had Satsang in the open air. The sound of the drums and the beat of the heart were magical and brought laughter and tears together in everybody. The full moon was so full and everyone was soaked in bright colors.

FAITH AND LOVE

Weekly Knowledge #40 13 Mar 1996
Rishikesh India



God does not wish you to have more faith because the more faith you have, the more work for God. God will have to run behind you; then you start controlling Him. He is the servant of faithful servants and He does not want too many servants telling Him what He should be doing.

Love is the highest strength, yet it makes you absolutely weak. So God/Enlightened One/Nature does not want you to have more faith or love. With too much faith and love, you make God weak.

So, it is better for God that you have less faith. Things go on as they are. Why transform? Be happy.

Meditation is seeing God in oneself.

Love is seeing God in the person next to you.

Knowledge is seeing God everywhere.

Expression of love is service.

Expression of joy is smile.

Expression of peace is meditation.

Expressing God is conscious action.



NEWS FLASH

Before Guruji arrived in Delhi, everything was meticulously planned and organized. When Guruji arrived, there was a spontaneous Satsang at the airport. Airport personnel and other passengers joined in. It was sparkling! The well-organized plans went haywire and the usual divine chaos followed. Everything was settled in a flash but the organizers were left holding the plans on paper!

There was an air of celebration at Saritha Vihar Satsang. The sweets and flowers made a carpet in the large hall that matched the fragrance of joy. At Karol Bagh, the next day, there was more than one reason for the authorities to raise their eyebrows -- stampede in the room, traffic jam on roads, and devotees forgetting their families in their eagerness to follow the "Gurumobile." Then on to Rishikesh and the teachers' refresher course.

Rishikesh. The lush green Himalayas all around -- in the front, the holy Ganges that roars, gurgles, and sometimes murmurs -- the sounds mingling with the chirping of the birds -- the call of the peacocks in the early morning -- the chiming of the temple bells at sunrise -- the chanting of Vedic hymns at all times. Dip in the cold waters -- everyone clad in shawls and sweaters on their way in -- and most reluctant to leave afterwards. Sitting with Guruji in the evening, watching the sunset. Electrifying Satsangs and discourses on Bhagwad Gita in Hindi by Guruji, transport everyone to a blissful, celestial experience. More about Rishikesh next week.

QUESTIONS

Weekly Knowledge #41 20 Mar 1996
Rishikesh India



A boy asked a question and before Guruji could answer, he was ready with another question.

To this Guruji said, "If you hold onto the question how will you receive the answer? Give away the question to me and then you will find that you are in the answer. If your hands are holding onto the question, how will you receive the answer? Your hands are already full with the question."



NEWS FLASH

Guruji is still in Rishikesh. 350 people arrived from all over India for the advanced course -- a hundred more than expected. The volunteers had to run around trying to arrange rooms in the ashrams. During Satsang, the hall was spilling over with participants whose faces radiated ecstasy in the presence of the Master.

It appeared that all the Gods from heaven came down to earth to the holy town of Rishikesh to bask in the glory of the Master. The powerful Himalayas and the divine Ganges echo the sounds of joy and the laughter of the devotees.

Today is Gudi Padwa and Ugadi --- the new year celebrated in many parts of India. All 350 devotees went for a dip in the holy Ganges at 4:30 a.m. with Guruji oblivious to the temperature of the river. This was a new start to the new year in the presence of the Divine.

The most renowned, 75-year old saint of Rishikesh, Swami Pragyanandji had a vision in which he saw Guruji as Brahma, Vishnu, and Mahesh with many arms. He then performed a puja to Guruji.

BLAMING AND MISERY

Weekly Knowledge #42 26 Mar 1996
Bangalore Ashram India

When a worldly man is miserable, he blames the people around him, the system, and the world in general.

When a seeker is miserable he, of course, blames the world, but in addition he blames the path, the Knowledge, and himself.

It is better not to be a seeker so that you blame less. But then a seeker (sadhak) also enjoys everything much more. There is more love in life and more pain. When there is more joy, the contrast is greater. A certain level of maturity is needed to see things as they are and not to blame the path, the self, and the world. Do you see what I am saying?

It is like a quantum leap. If one jumps across this threshold then there is no fall.

The Divine does not test you. Testing is part of ignorance.

Who will test? One who does not know will test, isn't it? God knows your capacity, so why does he have to test you? Then, why the misery? It is thithiksha, or forbearance, in you. And forbearance could be increased by prayerful surrender or vigorous challenge for patience! (Laughter)

* * * *

News:

Picnic to Neelkant hills and holy Haridwar was a grand finale to the Rishikesh course, followed by a wild Satsang in New Delhi. It was so charged! Guruji is back in the Ashram for a quiet three days before his Australian tour.

From U.K.: Guruji had given a rose to a lady on February 13 and they called to say that the flower was still amazingly fresh and fragrant after six weeks! This miracle inspired an otherwise unwilling lady to do the course.

Important exercise: Find out what it is that has been with you forever. Belma says that she asked herself this question 20 years ago and she knows all the answers. And that there is only one answer . . . . (Laughter)

ATTACHMENTS

Weekly Knowledge #43 03 Apr 1996
Sydney Australia


Attachments cause feverish breath and feverish breath takes away peace of mind. Then you are in pieces and fall prey to misery. Before you get scattered too much, gather yourself and rid your breath of the feverishness through surrender and sadhana. Unfortunately most people do not notice this until it is too late.

When someone is drowning in the ocean of attachments, surrender is the life jacket they can put on and wait for the rescue team. Without fighting the attachments, observe the feverish breath and go to the cool place of silence within. Your first step in this direction is directing your attachment to the Knowledge, to the Divine.

Your non-attachment to the mundane is your charm. Your attachment to the Divine is your beauty.



* * * *

Guruji was sitting at the airport in Perth, Western Australia when he asked Joy what she did. She said, "I am an interior decorator." He said, "Oh, we do the same job."



NEWS FLASH:

Thursday being Rama's birthday, Guruji gave a talk on Rama. It was stunning. Then we went to Madras for Satsang. Many dignitaries came to take Guruji's blessing, including the ex-President of India and his family. Brilliant questions and answers provided a moving Satsang.

Singapore snatched a Satsang on the way to Australia.

Perth packed them in and Sydney was swirling. Two fundamentalists verbally attacked Guruji as soon as he entered the hall, shocking the audience. Unshaken, Guruji delivered a powerful and eloquent discourse.

In Ipswich, near Brisbane, Marcy taught a course. To the amazement of all the participants, the image of an Indian Goddess appeared on the leaf of a plant.

VIVEK

Weekly Knowledge #44 10 Apr 1996
Jakarta Indonesia


When you follow fun, misery follows you . . .

When you follow Knowledge, fun follows you.



* * * *

If you say that you have no one in this world, then you are disowning me. And if you disown me then I cannot do anything for you.

What is Vivek? Vivek means knowing that everything is changing. Time and again you have to awaken to this -- that the world, the people, our body, our emotions, are constantly changing.

When you experience sorrow, understand that Vivek has been overshadowed.

Question: What am I here for?

Answer: Find out what you are not here for.

1. You are not here to blame.

2. You are not here to cry.

3. You are not here to sleep.

4. You are not here to show off.

5. You are not here to fight.

6. You are not here to be miserable.

7. You are not here to be angry.

8. You are not here to worry.



NEWS FLASH:

In Melbourne, Guruji activated the fire alarm and at the airport he activated the metal detector.

After a beautiful advanced course in Melbourne Australia, Guruji is now in joyful Jakarta. Guruji was received with great fanfare at the airport by Kim and her entourage. Then Guruji blessed the land for a new Ashram. The initiative for this was taken by our dear Kim's husband, Mr. Tolani. Jakarta is vibrating with four Satsangs a day and flooding with tears of joy and devotion.

WORDS

Weekly Knowledge #45 18 Apr 1996
Bali Cliff Resort Indonesia


We attach meaning to words and we distort them, too. For example, the word "brainwashing." Like your body, your brain needs washing sometimes. You don't want to walk around with a dirty brain, a dirty mind. What is wrong with the word "brainwashing?" It indicates a clean brain, a clean mind, but it is used in a derogatory manner.

Like that, the word "disillusionment." It is good that you are disillusioned. You have come to reality. Like purana. It means "that which is new in the town, the most modern." But it is used in the sense of being old. In the course of time, meanings of words change. The word "enthused" comes from the Greek which means "God is with us." Then it came to mean crazy, and now it's changed again.

Don't be stuck with the words. Your worries are words. Your ideas are words. Wisdom is beyond words. It is the very Being. It is the essence of all words. See and relate beyond words. Then there is no lie in your life.

If you manipulate words, it is a lie. If you play on words, it is a joke. If you rely on words, it is ignorance. If you transcend words, it is wisdom.



NEWS FLASH:

Guruji was welcomed with the traditional Balinese dance and garlands. Then the press and TV crews invaded the hotel and splashed the news throughout Indonesia. All the press people were put into silent meditation and they came out with big smiles. Now they are arranging courses.

Everything was magical. A thousand stars reflected over the Indian Ocean and the cliff side pool. Surprisingly, this course did not have chaos! The harmony on the course was so great that the hotel staff spontaneously started observing silence, communicating only through gestures and notes. Mr. and Mrs. Tolani and their whole team did a great job.

After the farewell dinner outside by the lotus pools, we enjoyed a Balinese dance drama from the Ramayana. Afterwards we had a lively Satsang as drops began to fall from the heavens. Everyone was singing and dancing in the rain with Guruji.

KARMA

Weekly Knowledge #46 24 Apr 1996
Bangalore Ashram India



Strange are the ways of Karma. The more you understand it, the more amazed you become. It brings people together and separates them. It causes some to be weak and some to be strong. It makes some rich and some poor. All the struggle in the world, whatever it may be, is the bondage of Karma. It cuts across all logic and reasoning. This understanding will lift you from getting stuck to the events or personalities and help you in your Journey to the Self.

Question: So a thief can say it is my karma to steal?

Answer: Then the police have the karma to catch him too! (Laughter)

Only human life has the ability to be free from Karma. And only a few thousands aim to be free from it. Only through Grace can the bondage of Karma be burnt. Performing actions cannot eliminate Karma.



NEWS SPLASH:

There was a surprise sunset in the swimming pool in Bali.

We visited many temples on the ocean coast. The local people honored Guruji by taking him into an ancient Shiva temple which does not allow tourists.

In Singapore, huge crowds welcomed Guruji. Scores of people had to be turned away from a Public Utility Auditorium. Many dignitaries including ministers and officials of Singapore and Malaysia were present. Among the others were Chinese musicians and Indian dancers. There were four wonderful Satsangs a day and delightfully delicious food everywhere. Many courses, including those in the corporate sector, are in progress. The highlight of the tour was an unexpected awakening talk on the Upanishads that left everyone spellbound and speechless.

After a lightening Satsang in Madras, Guruji is back in the Ashram for a series of celebrations.


(Compiled by Raghu, Prashant, and John)

SANYAS

Weekly Knowledge #47 02 May 1996
Bangalore Ashram India



Sanyas means what? I am nothing and I want nothing, or I am everything and I have everything. And Sanyas is being colorless or multicolored. Your association or company can either elevate you or push you down. Company causes first an attraction and then delusion. This keeps your mind swinging between the two extremes and causes love and hatred. With the power of Knowledge and Satsang you can rise above this dilemma.



NEWS SPLASH:

The skies opened and grace poured down in buckets at the Ashram this week. It was a confluence of eight prominent saints of India who in a private meeting honored Guruji in one of their ashrams. Each of these saints gives lectures or Darshan to hundreds of thousands of devotees and they all run their own schools, hospitals and ashrams. Four of them who were just introduced to Guruji followed us for a brief tour of our Ashram.

When they were all at Sumeru Mantap, lightening and thunder surrounded us and everyone was drenched and then they ran to Guruji's kutir. Immediately these very popular and formal Sanyasis began to shed their orange garments. But what to give them to wear? Guruji gave them all white dhotis. Soon they were all wearing our Guruji's white dhotis and being fed by his hand looking more and more like a group of joyful children happy to be home again. Somehow in their "new clothes" they began to relax and smile and laugh and soon the grace of our Guru had them radiating from deep inside.

All of us were shocked to see how the formal heads of institutions were transformed and by the time they were leaving, they humbly asked for Guruji's blessings and invited him to their ashrams and to lead them in meditation. They said, "Mother Nature gave us all a bath before entering your temple, Guruji." We stood and watched this event with awe and laughter.

The first advanced course has started at the Ashram.

(Compiled by Raghu and John)



LATE NEWS:

Guruji took over fifty people to see the night safari in Singapore which is the only night safari in the world. The guide kept saying that our group was unusually lucky because every single animal in the forest came near the tram "to give or take Darshan!" The local people who have been to this place several times were so surprised.

ILLUSION

Weekly Knowledge #48 09 May 1996
Bangalore Ashram India


Illusion is error of perception and knowing illusion as illusion is Knowledge. Our experience of the world is based on perception. Since every perception is erroneous, the world is an illusion. Experiences are all of perception. The experiencer is the only reality. Look for the seer, the experiencer, in between experiences. Every experience leaves a hangover and clouds the intellect. Wake up this moment. Shake your head of all past experiences and look at the pure Being that I am and that you are.

Question: How do you distinguish the experience and the experiencer?

Answer: Are you really all here? Are you listening? Now close your eyes and see who is listening, who is questioning, who is sitting, and who wants what? Who is confused? You may not get any answer but that is fine. Never mind.

NEWS FLASH:

Chinese movie maker tried his level best to sign up Guruji for his latest block buster. Guruji said, "I don't know acting," and the movie maker said, "Just be natural, accept the situation as it is, take responsibility, be 100%." The movie is about a wise man who brought Buddhism to China. The movie maker said that through this mega performance, the Art of Living would reach the whole of China. Guruji winked at his devotees and said, "Should I change my profession?"

The first advanced course ended and the second has begun. The Ashram is bustling with people. Every inch of space is occupied -- three times the holding capacity of the Ashram and yet no complaints. No chaos! So smooth! Only laughter and new songs have filled Sumeru Mantap.


(Compiled by Kamu, Rajesh, and Kashi)

SELF

Weekly Knowledge #49 16 May 1996
Bangalore Ashram India


Self is not just the mind-body complex. Often people think of the Self as the mind-body complex. This is an erroneous notion. Neither the body nor the mind is the Self. All the yoga you do is for the body. All the meditation you do is for the mind.

Whether calm or disturbed, your mind remains mind.

Whether sick or well, your body remains body.

Self is all-encompassing.

Service without attitude

Love without reason

Knowledge without intellect

Life beyond time and events

Is what you are.

The only purpose for this body to exist is to make you aware of how beautiful you are, and to make you aware that it is possible to live all the values you cherish and create a world of divinity around you.



NEWS FLASH:

There is a star named after Guruji. Thanks to Jody, the international Star Registry has named a star "Sri Sri Ravishankar."

The Ashram was specially lit up to match the smiles of about a thousand devotees from all over. Tents were pitched for people. Thanks to the excellent organizing and the volunteers who made everyone feel very special and taken care of. Belma says it was not chaos as expected!

The sacred Vedic chants in the morning air, the elaborate afternoon meal, laughter and dancing in the evening were all simply magical. Everyone danced with candles in their hands and Sumeru Mantap looked like a festive cake.

The third advanced course has begun.


(Compiled by Raghu and Vikram)

ENLIGHTENMENT

Weekly Knowledge #50 21 May 1996
Bangalore Ashram India



Enlightenment is beyond seasons like the evergreen coconut tree.

Sometimes the question comes up "What's the use of all these courses? Your behavior has not changed!"

The Knowledge acquired by a human being cannot be measured or judged by external behavior. Someone may behave as though they have absorbed all the Knowledge but internally they have not. The reverse is also true. Someone who seems to have not changed at all may have absorbed a lot.

Ordinary people would just look at the behavior, but the intelligent looks beyond and is amazed by the play of the consciousness (Brahman).

Behavior affects relationships

Attitude affects behavior

Knowledge or ignorance affects attitude

Grace brings forth Knowledge.

Your inside is like a tree; in some seasons barren and at other times blossomed. Enlightenment is beyond seasons like the evergreen coconut tree which yields throughout the year.

NEWS FLASH:

The third advanced course (in Tamil) not only melted the hearts but also a gallstone of a participant! Many more healing experiences were reported -- like the minds, blocked arteries also opened. Guruji held the rains for almost an hour as an intense Satsang was underway in Sumeru Mandap.

Guruji is presiding over a big conference for Awakening the Society organized by several spiritual heads in the state before he takes off for a rendezvous in Paris.



Jai Guru Dev



(Compiled by Nitin)

SAMADHI

Weekly Knowledge #51 29 May 1996
der Haag Netherlands



A single cell becomes the whole body. Somewhere it is nails, somewhere it is nose and tongue but all is a manifestation of a single cell. In the same way, the entire universe is made up of a single substance.

Remembering and FEELING that everything is made up of one thing heals the body and mind and balances the doshas in the body (vata, pitta and kapha). This is savitarka samadhi. Savitarka samadhi means equanimity with logical awareness.

Deep sleep can be jada samadhi (equanimity with inertia). And hence, sleep is the main factor in healing. Even medicines will not help without sleep and rest.

Samadhi with ecstasy has no logic. This is nirvitarka samadhi, awareness with bliss.

Nirvitarka samadhi is even beyond the experience of bliss, undefinable beyond words.



NEWS FLASH:

Just on the outskirts of Paris, the advanced course at the Hotel Leonardo da Vinci was great. The manager at the hotel turned into a devotee and expressed that his place was never filled with so much love and light. The Satsang, sight-seeing, and the feast on the boat in Paris at night was a rendezvous with the Divine.

The next morning five cars and a mini-van set out for Holland without any proper address but the miracle was that everybody reached the lecture hall in time. Some were fuming that they had not been given any address or telephone numbers.

They all cooled down in one minute as Guruji smiled and said, "Have trust and fun. If you lose your smile for small things, then what is the use of being with me? It is a double waste of time, yours and mine." The celebration continued past midnight and this Knowledge Sheet was born.

WHAT YOU KNOW

Weekly Knowledge #52 05 Jun 1996
Bad Antogast Germany



What shall we talk about today?

What is the point in talking about something of which you know nothing. And so . . . there is no point in talking about what you know and no point in talking about what you don't know!

(Laughter)

Stefano says, "What about something you think you know but don't know?"

Guruji says, "We can talk about something you think you know but you don't know or something you think you don't know but you know." (Laughter)

There is no end to learning but there is an end to unlearning. That is when you become totally hollow and empty.



* * * *

Riddle:

What is that something so precious, that you lose it somewhere and find it somewhere else?

(Answer next week.)

NEWS FLASH

On the way back from Holland to the German Ashram we had a picnic on the banks of the river Rhine near beautiful Boppard.

The Ashram was filled to its capacity. Teacher Training Phase 1 and 2 and the advanced course were in full swing.

Our spring water has a mind of its own. It flows for some people when they go near it and stops for others. Whenever Kirpal went with Guruji's jug, the water joyfully rushed forth!

SEVA IS SAVIOR

Weekly Knowledge #53 13 Jun 1996
St. Louis, Missouri USA

Today marks the one year anniversary of these Knowledge Sheets. The year which started in Big Sur and is ending in St. Louis, began in KNOWLEDGE and is concluding in SEVA. Knowledge Sheets now go to more than 300 Satsang groups touching 7000 people every week around the world!


The way to expand from individual to universal consciousness is to share others's sorrow and joy. As you grow, your consciousness should also grow. When you expand in Knowledge with time, then depression is not possible. Your inner most source is joy.

The way to overcome personal misery is to share universal misery! The way to expand personal joy is to share universal joy. Instead of thinking "what about me?" "what can I gain from this world?" think "what can I do for the world?" When everyone comes from the point of contributing to society, you have a Divine society. We have to educate and culture our individual consciousness in order to expand in time with the Knowledge . . . from "what about me?" to "what can I contribute?"

If you are not having good experiences in meditation, then do more seva -- you will gain merit and your meditation will be deeper. When you bring some relief or freedom to someone through seva, good vibrations and blessings come to you. Seva brings merit; merit allows you to go deep in meditation; meditation brings back your smile.



Answer to last week's riddle:

That something which is so precious to you is your smile -- your joy. You lose it in the world and find it in the self, in Satsang. If you can't find it here, at the Ashram, forget about it. Your can't find it anywhere.



NEWS FLASH:

After a quick two day stopover in Boston with overflowing crowds at Interface and Harvard's Kennedy School of Government, and with lively late night Satsangs, Guruji arrived in Pittsburgh to a packed schedule of household Satsangs, temple visits, two lectures, and a celebration to inaugarate our new Center complete with cake flying in all directions! Guruji caught up on rest and met many new devotees in Cleveland before arriving today in St. Louis.

WHEN WE ARE JOYFUL

Weekly Knowledge #54 19 Jun 1996
Somewhere in Beautiful British Columbia
Canada

When we are joyful, we don't look for perfection. If you are looking for perfection then you are not at the source of joy. Joy is the realization that there is no vacation from wisdom. The world appears imperfect on the surface but underneath, all is perfect. Perfection hides; imperfection shows off.

The wise will not stay on the surface but will probe into the depth. Things are not blurred; your vision is blurred. Infinite actions prevail in the wholeness of consciousness. And yet the consciousness remains perfect, untouched. As Satsangees, realize this now and be at Home.

Koan (riddle) of the week: You better straighten out and become we. We are always one and you could be two. Answer next week . . .

NEWS FLASH from BBC (Beautiful British Columbia):

In St. Louis a man diagnosed with a malignancy in his shoulder came to receive Guruji's blessings. The next day he came to Satsang and to the astonishment of the doctors, the man had been healed even though the MRI had shown a tear and a growth on the shoulder cuff. As the man told his story and presented a dozen red roses to Guruji, tears of gratitude rolled down everyone's cheeks. There were many reported healing experiences in St. Louis and Chicago.

The Chicago organizers said, "Here comes the Art of Living circus to town." (Laughter) There was an air of celebration as the devotees from the U.S. Midwest gathered with non-stop giggling and laughter. People were driving in circles, forgetting traffic rules, not sleeping, and laughing as Guruji (our sit-down comedian) amazed everyone.

We rushed on to Portland. Dean says we have become Rushins instead of American, Indians, and Canadians. At The Old Church, there was not even standing space. The sight of Guruji put smiles on every face.

In Vancouver, the Aboriginal People warmly hosted Guruji at the University of British Columbia. The sky, the sea, the snow-capped mountains, the tall trees and the waterfalls all beckoned for the Knowledge.

Sudarshana left the room for five minutes and returned asking, "What did I miss?" Marcy said, "Enlightenment!" (Laughter)

JUDGEMENTS AND GOOD COMPANY

Weekly Knowledge #55 26 Jun 1996
Canadian Ashram Canada

Though you have heard "don't judge," judgement comes unavoidably in day-to-day life. By the actions and behaviors of people, you either approve or disapprove. But always remember that everything is changing, and do not hold onto the judgement. Otherwise your judgement gets solidified like a rock. It brings misery for you and for others.

If judgements are lighter like air, like a breeze, they bring in fragrance, then move away. They could bring a foul smell, then move away. They should not stay there forever.

Judgements are so subtle that you are not even aware of their existence. Judging or labeling someone as judgmental is also a judgement. Only in the state of Being when you are full of love and compassion can you ever be free from all judgements.

Yet the world cannot move without judgements. Until you judge something as good or bad, you cannot do any actions. If you see rotten apples in the market, you say, "No good." Good ones you buy. If someone lies to you ten times, you think next time it also could be a lie. A judgment happens automatically.

See the possibility that people and things can change at any time and don't hold onto the judgements.

You need to judge your company. Your company can pull you up or pull you down. The company that drags you towards doubt, dejection, blame, complaints, anger, delusion, and desires is bad company. The company that pulls you up towards joy, enthusiasm, service, love, trust, and Knowledge is good company.

When someone complains, first you listen, then you nod, then you sympathize, then you complain.

Robert says, "Join the party." Denise says, "I confess, you are absolutely right." (Laughter)

Your company can create Hell for you in Heaven -- or Heaven for you in Hell. Judge for yourself . . . !

The Circus goes to Ottawa:

Enthusiastic Suzannah and party had organized a hall at the palatial Chateau Laurier. There was Guruji, sitting on his beautifully decorated seat next to a huge pile of super-sized bananas. In the darshan line he had to hand out over 300 bananas, one by one, like a banana vendor. There were piles of bananas everywhere.

Guruji said, "Let's all close the eyes and meditate," and everyone was sitting there peeling their bananas. Denise got stuck with her banana peel. She didn't know what to do with it. She (and everyone else) ended up meditating while holding their banana or banana peel like some kind of religious ceremony.

Thanks to Janice, the Ayurvedic Course at the Ashram was a great success. The celebration continues in Montreal . . .

GOD IS A THOROUGH BUSINESSMAN

Weekly Knowledge #56 03 Jul 1996
Canadian Ashram Canada



The Divine has given you all the small pleasures in the world, but has kept the bliss to Himself. To get the highest bliss you have to go to Him and Him alone.

Don't be too smart with the Divine and try to fool Him. Most of your prayers and rituals are just attempts to trick the Divine. You try to give the least and get the maximum out of the Divine and He knows. He's an astute businessman; He will trick you even more. If you go underneath the carpet, He will go underneath the floor.

Be sincere in your attempts. Do not try to outsmart the Divine. Once you get the bliss, then everything else is joyful. Without the bliss, joy in anything in the world will not stay.

NEWS FLASH:

We emerged from silence to celebrate at the lake the fifth anniversary of the Ashram. It was like a fairytale with the full moon rising above the trees, the sounds of Susannah's and Phillip's flutes, fireworks, and bonfires. The Guru took us spinning in circles on a raft and to our surprise brought us back to the same shore. In the confusion, we forgot to serve the anniversary cake.

After the Montreal talk, Denise drove off with Guruji in the car with all the doors open. Ramola ran from behind and jumped in. In the fever to get into the Guru's car, somebody left luggage behind, another left a purse, another left their shoes, and they all left their minds.

Guruji and Phillip have just left for Toronto and then are to go to Colorado.

On the 14th of July an Interfaith Prayer and Meditation Conference will be sponsored by the Art of Living in Washington DC. Ten Swamis from India have been invited.

Thomas called Punditji to tell him that a forest fire raging at Lake Tahoe which burned many million dollar houses, came up to his property, burned his tool shed, but stopped at his front door. Neither his home -- where many Satsangs had been held -- nor his garden were damaged.

SURRENDER AND RESPONSIBILITY

Weekly Knowledge #57 11 Jul 1996
San Jose, California USA


Setting up a time-bound goal gives direction to the life force. Imagination is essential for this. Most people have a small imagination and are stuck with that, and that causes frustration. But if you are a devotee, you say "Let Thy Will be done" and then you will step lightly to the goal. You will take it easy. We have to make a distinction. Some people say "Let God do everything and surrender" and others say "I have to be responsible."

Surrender is saying "Let Thy Will be done" and "Thy Will" for you is to take responsibility for the whole world.

It appears to be opposing and conflicting in nature -- in fact they are two sides of the same coin. The more you surrender, the more responsive you become. One who is irresponsible cannot surrender either. Why is someone irresponsible? They are lazy or fearful or both. If you are lazy or fearful, you cannot be in love.

Total responsibility is total surrender. It's a little hard to chew, but this is the truth. People usually say either I take responsibility or surrender, but I tell you they go hand in hand. Suppose you are surrendered to the Knowledge. That means you are committed to sharing it with others. You take responsibility to see that it flourishes.

Question: The confusion comes with the doership?

Answer: When you are taking responsibility and you find blocks, remember "surrender." That gives you strength to move ahead. It releases you from the weight of the doership. Responsibility is the dynamic expression of life in the present moment. When you are shaken, remember the basis of responsibility as surrender.

Taking responsibility or surrendering without doership is the skill of the wise. Total irresponsibility is impossible for you. Limited responsibility makes you weak. A little water in the sun will evaporate but the ocean never dries up. Limited responsibility tires you out. Unlimited responsibility empowers you and brings you joy.

NEWS FLASH:

The fireworks arrived July 4th with Guruji at Colorado's largest advanced and basic courses ever. The hall was dressed with red, white, and blue balloons and ribbons in celebration of Independence (of the United States and our spirits). As we watched the explosions spread across the horizon, Guruji said, "That looks just like your minds." Guruji took a hike in the mountains and then met an enthusiastic crowd in Colorado Springs before flying on to California. There was a Satsang in Anu and N.J.'s home in Apple Valley for over 150 devotees before the Art of Living entourage moved on to northern California. There have been non-stop talks and Satsangs celebrating Guruji's summer tour to the U.S.