Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

SPEAK GURU

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Spiritual Guru

Attaining a spiritual level is simply recognising that there is life and spirit everywhere

ONCEa a congregation of fish got together to discuss who among them had seen the ocean. None of them could say that they had actually seen it. Then one fish said, ‘‘I think my great grandfather had seen the ocean!’’ A second fish said, ‘‘Yes, yes, I have also heard about this.’’ A third fish said, ‘‘Yes, certainly, his great grandfather had seen the ocean.’’ So, they built a huge temple and made a statue of the great grandfather of that fish, saying, “He had seen the ocean. He had been connected with the ocean.’’

In life, our search for happiness is like that.What are you waiting for? Instead of preparing to be happy, be content now and resolve to remain naturally in that state. God is trying his best to see you happy. But God only helps those who help themselves. So every day make a resolution. “Today, I am just going to be happy come what may. I will not let anything disturb my happiness. I am going to be contended, cheerful.”

You can experience happiness at three levels. One is the happiness in society and the environment. How can you bring about happy situations? How would you feel in a place where everybody around you thinks only about himself or herself? Would you like to be in such a group where there is no sharing, no sense of belongingness and, thus, no happiness?

The second level is the happiness of one’s mind. When one accepts things and imbibes knowledge then happiness dawns in the mind. Sometimes

HAPPINESS

IS OUR NATURE

everybody around you is happy and you are serving others also but you are not happy in your mind as there is no fulfillment. Dedication brings the second level of happiness.

The third level is that of the soul. This level of happiness occurs when the soul is united with the Divine. When there is no duality — no separation between two, when you are in deep meditation — then you experience innermost joy.

All three levels of happiness are interlinked. When you are united with the Divine, you cannot but be fulfilled on the second and third level and you cannot but serve because everybody is a part of you. When you start serving and stop thinking about yourself all the time, you will experience mental satisfaction. The mind will also feel happy and relaxed as it creates such an environment.

A wise one is happy even during bad times. And the foolish one is unhappy even in good times. Spirituality is nothing out of the world. There is no division between what is spiritual and what is material. Attaining a spiritual level is simply recognising that there are life and spirit everywhere. When you go beyond happiness, what happens? The mind expands but, at the same time, it is not unconscious or unaware. Usually, when you are happy, you become spaced out and you lose focus. When you are unhappy, you are very focussed. But a beautiful combination — of being happy as well as alert and focused at the same time — can be experienced in spiritual life.