When we overuse any of our senses, this channel of energy becomes weak. If you eat too much, watch too many movies, worry too much; or if you are too ambitious, then the prana does not move in the central channel and it becomes weak. Then we start to feel that the prana is broken. When the flow of prana appears to be broken or haphazard, then the mind is all over the place. You can't focus, learn, or express yourself, and you have issues of all sorts. Good company brings back the channel energy in its right perspective.
Your own prana will tell you whether what you are doing is right or wrong. If the prana breaks, then you don't feel a continuous flow in the central part of your body, you feel weak. When the prana is flowing uninterruptedly in the central channel, truth, commitment, courage, confidence, compassion, and happiness come up in life.
Gurudev, when something good happens, we say it is Guru kripa (grace). Then what do we say when something bad happens? You say that having a Guru means one is protected, then why do bad things happen?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Guruji:
Well, the divine loves everybody, however they are. If the happening of bad things takes your faith away, then it is no longer faith. But if faith stays in spite of all the bad things that are happening, then the end result will always be great and wonderful.
Kunti, the mother of the Pandavas asked Krishna for a very peculiar boon. She said, 'Lord Krishna, let bad things happen in my life.'
Krishna was shocked, he said, 'Why do you ask for this?'
Kunti said, 'Whenever bad things happened, I know you were with me, and helped me get over that, so I don't mind. Every time I was in danger, I knew you were always with me.'
A realisation like that is very unique. Bad things do not happen because you are good or not, but because you must have done something bad in the past; that karma is showing up now, and we have to face the consequences. If we had wrong food, it will show up as some disease. If your state of mind was very tense, then it will show up in your body as some disease.
Gurudev, why was Arjuna petrified seeing Krishna's viraat roop? Is it because he wasn't ready? Why would God's form invoke fear?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Anything new or unfamiliar causes fear. When children see a new person, or face a new situation, they are afraid. After the age of three, a child does not want to go to a new person, it takes a couple of days to adjust to a new person.
Our nervous system also takes a little time to adjust, to hold the knowledge; that is why a teacher is essential, and a Guru is absolutely essential. It is like jumping into a swimming pool without a coach or a lifeguard, you feel more fearful. Even if a lifeguard is there, people are scared to jump into a swimming pool, because it can take your life away. Similarly, when a huge bolt of energy shakes the small mind, it shakes the ego, then fear comes up; it is but natural.
Gurudev, out of the seven levels of existence, who meditates?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When all the seven levels are in harmony, meditation happens. There is no 'who' there; meditation happens. When it happens, it shows its impact in all the seven levels - body, breath, mind, intellect, ego, and the self.
Does renunciation bring arrogance? If so, how to overcome it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Definitely. There are two types of arrogance:
1. The arrogance of possessing, of having.
2. The arrogance of letting go, of sacrifice.
Both are equally bad. In fact, the arrogance of possessing sometimes is easy to overcome, but the arrogance of sacrifice is more difficult to overcome, and may stay on for some time.
Gurudev, could you please explain the journey from the ego to the self? How to accomplish this easily?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If the ego makes the journey, it will say, 'See I made the journey to the self'. Then, it has not even moved an inch. It is not a journey from one to the other. If you find that you have an ego, just let it be there. Why do you worry about it? Don't try to meddle with it or erase it. The antidote for ego is to be natural, simply natural.
And you cannot get out of the self. Self is the consciousness that everything is made up of. That is you, and everything around you. You say 'I', that 'I' is made up of the self. Your body, mind and everything is made up of the self. Self is like space. You can never get out of it, and you can never do anything about it.
Gurudev, you have said abhaya (fearlessness) is a divine quality. How to attain total fearlessness? I still have impressions of fear.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
In Patanjali Yoga Sutra, Patanjali says even for the most wise and educated, that which lingers on, is fear or abhinivesh. Nature has kept that somewhere. A deep sense of belongingness, love, dedication and a sense of sacrifice will help one to overcome fear.
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