The one you feed

A profound thought:-

One evening an old Cherokee told his grandson about a battle that goes on inside people.

He said: ‘My son, the battle is between ‘two wolves’ inside us all.

>One is Evil. It is anger, envy, jealousy, sorrow, regret,
greed, arrogance, self-pity, guilt, resentment, inferiority,
lies,false pride, superiority, and ego.

>The other is Good. It is joy, peace, love, hope, serenity, humility, kindness, benevolence, empathy, generosity, truth, compassion, and faith.’

The grandson thought about it for a minute, and then asked his grandfather: ‘Which wolf wins?’

The old Cherokee simply replied: ‘The one you feed.’

Freedom and Discipline

Freedom and discipline are opposites and they are also complementary.
The purpose of defense is to protect freedom. But is there freedom in defense? Do soldiers have freedom? No, they are bound, not allowed to put the right foot down when told the left foot. Their steps are measured; they are unable even to walk with a natural rhythm. There is no freedom in defense, yet this is what protects the freedom of the country!

Freedom without discipline is like a country without a defense. Discipline protects freedom. They both go hand in hand. Understand this and move ahead in life. You have certain restrictions that allow you your freedom. You can focus either on freedom or discipline, and be happy or unhappy.

Fences have a definite place and purpose. If you build a fence all over the entire property, then where will you put your home? Yet a well placed fence protects the property.

Love puts you on track. Fear also puts you back on track, as is the case with religions that have put fear as the main motivating force.

Nature itself induces fear in a child at a certain age. A child has no fear when very young; he gets 100% love and attention from the mother. But as he grows more independent, nature brings in an iota of fear; he learns to become cautious. With increasing freedom, the child learns to walk more carefully.

“There must be freedom in the mind, love in the heart, and discipline in action!.”

A Haiku

Basho wrote:

LET MY NAME
BE TRAVELER;
FIRST RAINS.

The first rains have come. Forget my name because all our names are nothing but writings on the sand. The first rains have come and the names will disappear.

Basho says, “Let my name just be traveler.” More than that is getting identified with the vehicle on which you are traveling. You may be in a car, you may be in a bullock cart, you may be in a bus, a train or an aeroplane. It does not matter what the vehicle is — you are the traveler. A thousand times you have changed at many junctions. In many forms you have appeared in the world — sometimes as a tree and sometimes as a rose bush and sometimes as an eagle.

You Never Know!

You Never know
how And When
The Existence Will Start
Using You For Its Purpose

You Never Know
How And When
You Will Be Filled With
Abundance
And You Will Start Raining
Quenching The Thirst of Many

You Never Know
How And When
You Will Be Full Of
Fruits And Shade
And Travelers Will Take
Shelter And Food From You

You Never Know
How And When
You Will Be Full With
Love And Light
And You Will Start Spreading
The Fragrance of Beauty To Everyone

You Never Know
How And When
The Death Will Come
And Make You Deathless
And Life Will Start
Flowing Out Of You
You Never Know
How & When….Really !

What A Dog Teaches

Dog teaches us a lot of things, but we never seem to take notice. These are some of the lessons you might learn…

· When loved ones come home, always run to greet them.
· Never pass up the opportunity to go for a joyride.
· Allow the experience of fresh air and the wind in your face to be pure ecstasy.
· When it’s in your best interest, practice obedience.
· Let others know when they’ve invaded your territory.
· Take naps and stretch before rising.
· Run romp and play daily.
· Thrive on attention and let people touch you.
· Avoid biting, when a simple growl will do.
· On warm days stop to lie on your back on the grass. On hot days drink lots of water and lay under a shady tree.
· When you’re happy dance around and wag your entire body.
· No matter how often you’re scolded don’t buy into the guilt thing and pout. Run
right back and make friends.
· Delight in the simple joy of a long walk.
· Eat with gusto and enthusiasm, stop when you have had enough.
· Be loyal.
· Never pretend to be something you’re not.
· If what you want lies buried dig until you find it.
· When someone is having a bad day be silent, sit close by… and nuzzle them gently.

Are you Blessed?

If you woke up this morning with more health than illness……….you are more blessed than the million who will not survive this week.

If you have never experienced the danger of battle, the loneliness of imprisonment, the agony of torture, or the pangs of starvation…….you are ahead of 500 million people in the world.

If you have food in the refrigerator, clothes on your back, a roof overhead and a place to sleep…you are richer than 75% of this world.

If you have money in the bank, in your wallet, and spare change in a dish someplace……. you are among the top 8% of the world’s wealthy.

If your parents are still alive and still married……..you are very rare, even in the United States.

If you hold up your head with a smile on your face and are truly thankful…..you are blessed because the majority can, but most do not.

If you prayed yesterday and today……..you are in the minority because you believe God does hear and answer prayers.

If you can read now, you are more blessed than over two billion people in the world that cannot read at all.

If you are still regretting over anything today, make yourself understand that you are blessed more than many people around you.

Relationship!

Relationship means something complete, finished, closed. Love is never a relationship; love is relating. It is always a river, flowing, unending. Love knows no full stop; the honeymoon begins but never ends. It is not like a novel that starts at a certain point and ends at a certain point. It is an ongoing phenomenon. Lovers end, love continues. It is a continuum. It is a verb, not a noun. And why do we reduce the beauty of relating to relationship? Why are we in such a hurry? — because to relate is insecure, and relationship is a security, relationship has a certainty.
Who knows what is going to happen tomorrow? And we are so afraid that we want to make it certain, we want to make it predictable. We would like tomorrow to be according to our ideas; we don’t allow it freedom to have its own say. So we immediately reduce every verb to a noun.

MahaShivaratri: The night of the rebel God

He loves ghosts for company and lets his hair down at crematoriums. His favourite drink is desi ‘bhang’ and He dances the deathly ‘tandav’. He prefers being almost naked- damn the culture police. No He is not a head-banging metal lover but our own almighty Lord Shiva, the rebel God.

Is it any wonder then that while almost all Indian festivals are celebrated under a bright sun, Shivaratri is observed in the dead of night, without even the luminescence of moon. It has a deep meaning- in the dark all things seem to assume the same shade, shape & size as we all are in the eyes of God. It signifies divine protection in turbulent times.

There are many legends behind Shivaratri. While stories of Shiva’s marriage with Parvati and that of a hunter’s inadvertent worship of Shiv-lingum are repeatedly recited by grannies throughout the country, it is the appearance of Shiva in the form of an elliptical sphere – the lingum – that makes Him the rebel God in true sense. The lingum is supposed to be the symbol of creation & generation in the universe. In short it depicts the life-creating organ in man. However, some scholars contradict this interpretation by stating that the lingum is representing the timeless, formless, eternal aspect of God and is meant for meditation purposes.

In any case, Shiva goes beyond the Hindu faith as we know it. The Vedas do not mention Him directly and He is supposed to have made a back-door entry from the Indus valley civilisation culture. The early tribals worshipped Him as the Lord of wildlife (Pashupati) and as the life-generating organ for fertility, creativity and peace.

Taking a look at the trinity of which He is a part, Shiva does not come across as an everyday God. He does not sport a gold crown but likes matted hair (Jatadhari) that takes care of the roaring Ganges. The glittering necklaces are replaced by venomous snakes and the attire is only elementary. It is a message to His devotees to lead a simple life. His very form teaches simple living and high thinking.

The company of Shiva – ghosts, spirits etc. – represents the downtrodden, neglected people of world (Bhootnath). To embrace them all is to live the Shiva principle. The Shiva principle is the principle of welfare & sacrifice. The word Shiva means ‘welfare, bliss, happiness’. That is why the yogis chant ‘Shivoham, Shivoham’ to remind themselves of their true nature.

Even though He is the lord of ascetics, Shiva lives with His family & is worshipped along with them. This is a great coming together of the material and non-material aspects of life. With His consort Parvati and sons Ganesh & Karthik, Shiva’s is the ideal family. Those trying to juggle between work & home should look up to Shiva for inspiration!

Shiva is the lord of supreme ecstasy, which he creates while in meditation. To immerse Himself in meditation and leave aside worldly worries, Shiva takes to bhang – not the leisurely ‘soma ras’ for Him. Here again, intoxication is supposed to be mild and purely for concentrating on God rather then on the world. So no extra bhang ladoos on this Shivaratri please.

To worship Shiva is to not emulate His form, rather His style. That does not translate into keeping long locks or fancying venomous snakes – rather keeping far-reaching vision and being simple even amidst luxury. To worship Shiva is to be ‘Shiva’ i.e being ‘pure, happy, innocent and simple’ in disposition.

To break away from outdated customs, traditions, thoughts is the message that Shiva bestows upon the devout. The centrality of that message is- be yourself and you will be a rebel against all things redundant.

 

 

 

Arise Awake! is Shivaratri’s message

Shivaratri is the day of Lord Shiva. Shiva is the lord of meditation and therefore the lord of awakening. Shiva Tatva means to be awakened. Shivaratri is thus an occasion to awaken one’s self from all sorts of slumber.

Shivaratri is not a night to be slept over. One should try and be up through the night. It signifies being aware of everything you have and being grateful about it. Be grateful for the happiness which leads to growth, and also for sadness which gives a depth to life. This is the right way of observing Shivaratri.

For the pious, the following method of Shiva worship is advisable – sit down in lotus posture, do some Pranayam to stabilize your breath, then indulge in Dhyana, followed by chanting of “Om Namah Shivay”. It is the greatest mantra and the devout should drown himself in its Kirtan.

Shivaratri worship leads to fulfillment of a devotee’s wishes. There are certain days and time frames in a year that enhance one’s mental and spiritual faculties. In such times, whatever one wishes, materializes. Shivaratri is one such day. All this is very scientific.

Going to temples on this day is OK but you should remember that Shiva is everywhere. The meaning of Kailasa (legendary abode of Shiva in Himalayas) is celebration. So where there is happiness and celebration, Shiva is present.

Whether in Sanyasa or Sansara, you can’t escape Shiva. Feeling his presence all the time is the essence of Shivaratri. That is the real Sanyasa.

No worship is complete without offering something to the deity. Shiva is a very simple lord, he is innocent – bholanath. One just needs to offer bel-patra to him. But in this simplicity is a deep message. Bel-patra offerings signify the surrender of all three aspects of one’s nature – Tamas, Rajas and Sattva. You have to surrender the positives and negatives of your life to Shiva and become carefree! The greatest offering is your self.

To offer one’s self is the key to happiness in life. Afterall, why do you get sad? It is mainly because you are not able to achieve something in life. At such times you should surrender everything to the all knowing God. The greatest power is in surrender to the divine. It’s like a drop owning the ocean. If a drop remains separate, it will perish. But when it becomes the ocean, it is eternal!

The above is an excerpt from an exclusive conversation that Sri Sri Ravishankar had with Zee News

 

Do You Test GOD, or Does GOD Test You?

Testing is part of ignorance. You only test that of which you are not sure.

If God is testing you, that means God doesn’t´ know you well enough.
How could people ever think that God is testing them?

God does not test you because he knows you in and out and your past, present and future. He knows your strengths and weaknesses and he alone gives you strength. He doesn’t test you.

Only you can test yourself. Only when you do not have confidence, then you test. If you are confident, why would you test? If you are testing yourself, you do not know yourself.

Are you testing God?

God will never pass your test because He will never show up for your test. If He shows up for your test, then He is not God .

Whether you get this or not – just laugh! 🙂

What is Truth? What is Love?

?.What is Truth? What is Love?

SriSri: Truth is that which does not change. So to know what is truth, you have to go through the process: What is not truth! … And what is not truth? All that which changes. When do you ask someone, “Why do you lie?” When they change what is or they say something, then they change that… So all that changes, is not truth not that they are lies; it is simply not truth. So life is a quest to find: `What is truth?’ Don’t be in a hurry! It can’t be read in newspapers, libraries or books. Truth is what IS … and that you can only realize when you go deep into meditation. Once you know what is truth, love is the other side of the truth… the other face of truth. Truth and Love are just two sides of the same coin! Love is something, which cannot be described. If you can describe love, it ceases to be love! So in short, you can say, truth is that which never changes and love is that which is indescribable.

?.Are mind and the Self, one and the same? If yes, where is the mind?

SriSri:This is like asking: “Are the ocean and the waves, one and the same? If so, where are the waves?!” Hmm…. The Self is the ocean. The mind is the wave. Without the Self, there can’t be mind, but there can be an ocean without waves… Without the big waves… There could be some ripples in the ocean… The ocean can never be still always…. The ocean can never be without waves.

?.Mahavira and Buddha said that `life is misery’… but you say that `life is a celebration’… Aren’t the two contradictory?

SriSri:Yes they are… That is why they are complementary! Buddha definitely said `life is misery’. Yes it is! You acknowledge misery… and then when you meditate, you overcome misery. When you overcome misery, there is joy. If life is misery and everything stops at that, what is the need of any meditation? What is the need of going any further? What is the need of nirvana? Why do you want nirvana? Buddha didn’t stop at that. Buddha began at that point: Life is a misery… and that is an experience. Here I don’t need to say that! Everybody is already experiencing! In those days, Buddha had to say `life is a misery’ because people were all so comfortable in their lives and they thought that was the end of life… They didn’t even wake up to see that there is misery in life… So today I feel that people are already aware of enough misery. Now we have to tell them the next step: “Come on! Life is not just misery. There is a way to get over the misery… and then life is celebration!”
Make that your goal.

Sublimating LUST

Lust is one of the main botherations that many face. Lust grips the mind and tires the body, and dulls the intellect.

Lust when indulged brings inertia, and when suppressed brings anger.
Lust is nothing but primordial un-harnessed energy. The same when harnessed manifests as enthusiasm, sparkle, sharpness of intellect and love.

What are the factors which can sublimate or transform lust into love?

1.Playfulness : People who are in the grip of lust cannot be genuinely playful. When you are genuinely playful, then there is not lust there.
2.Generosity : When you realize that you are here only to give and give, and you feel that you are very generous, lust is sublimated. Lust makes one possessive and not generous.
3.Moderate to less intake of food
4.Remembrance of death
5.Divine Romance
6.Cold water baths
7.Undertaking creative challenges

Impression And Expression

Do not make an effort to impress others, or to express yourself. Your
effort to express yourself becomes an impediment. Your effort to impress
someone also becomes futile. If you do not try to impress, expression
comes naturally. When you come from the self, your expression is perfect
and your impression lasts for ages.

Often you don’t seem to have a control over your impressions and
expressions. Wisdom is selecting your impressions and expressions.
Enlightenment is when you do not take any impressions at all, whether
good or bad. Then you “master” the art of expression. Many impressions
in the mind cause:

– Confusion

– Distraction

– Chaos

– Lack of focus

– and finally, derangement of the mind.

Nature has inbuilt in us a system through which it releases some of the
impressions – through dreams, and through meditation.

Excessive expression loses the depth and luster, the serenity of
yourself. Meditation erases the impressions and improves the expression.

Are You A Tourist Or A Pilgrim?

What is the difference between a tourist and a pilgrim?

Both are on a journey. Whereas a tourist is satisfying the senses, a
pilgrim is in the quest of the truth. A tourist gets tired and tanned,
while a pilgrim sparkles with spirit. Every move a pilgrim makes is
with sacredness and gratitude, while a tourist is often preoccupied
and unaware.

A tourist compares with other experiences and places and hence is not
in the present moment. But a pilgrim has a sense of sacredness, so he
tends to be in the present moment.

Most people in life are just tourists without even being aware of it.
Only a few make their life a pilgrimage. Tourists come, look around,
take pictures in their mind, only to come back again. Pilgrims are at
home everywhere and are hollow and empty.

When you consider life as sacred, nature waits on you.

SO….Are you a tourist or a pilgrim?

HMMM…ENJOY LIFE..

Good And Evil Are Relative Concepts

Evil has no absolute existence of its own. The Bhagavad Gita says:
“The good will never perish; evil can never exist”. Evil doesn’t
exist as a separate entity; it is only an appearance. As such, it
has only a relative, not absolute, existence. Just as darkness does
not have an existence; it is not an entity or a substance but only
a lack of light. In the same way, evil is simply lack of goodness.
Moreover, according to the Puranas, even the demons finally merge
into God: Ravana dies and merges into Rama.

This approach avoids the dilemma about evil and the omnipresence of
God. Most religions are of the view that God is Omnipresent,
Omnipotent and Omniscient. If God is Omnipresent, then there is no
place for evil to exist outside God. If you recognise separate
existence for evil, then you have to forgo God’s Omnipresence. If
evil is another power that is outside, or challenging God’s power,
then God is not Omnipotent. If He is not Omnipresent and Omnipotent,
He can’t be Omniscient. God loses his essential qualifications to be
God if evil exists as a separate force.

Vedanta holds that evil cannot exist outside God, because God is the
material cause of the universe. The example is of the spider weaving
its web from its saliva. The spider, the cause, is not different
from its web, the effect; just as Brahman is not different from the
universe.

Islam considers that everything is God’s, but does not consider God
the material cause of the universe. This basic philosophical
difference means that according to Islam, evil can theoretically
exist outside God. But if God is not the material cause of the
universe, then Vedanta would hold that it is impossible for God to
possess the essential qualifications of omnipresence, omnipotence
and omniscience.

Vedanta discards a separate existence for evil and considers evil to
be only a relative viewpoint. For example, poison is generally
considered to be bad; but it is also good in a certain context: many
lifesaving drugs are poisons. Likewise, vitamins may be good, even
lifesaving; but consumed in excess they can be fatal.

Therefore, good and evil are only relative. All is an appearance,
including evil. And the enormous positive energy generated in you
can make you go beyond evil and see the truth as advaita, as the
one non-dual reality. Sufi saints had to go through great ordeals
in making people understand this principle.

Advaita philosophy is close to quantum physics. For both systems,
the basic proposition is the same: that the universe is made up of
one substance. In this sense, only a scientist can understand the
true Vedantic concept of divinity. Vedanta says that God is energy
and intelligence, and that the world, which is matter, is nothing
but a part of God.

A scientist also knows there is nothing absolutely good or evil in
existence. Everything is relative. Whether it is a poisonous metal
such as mercury or lead, or a vitamin, the scientist does not assign
any predetermined moral value to it. He just knows them as they are;
that they are useful in different places for different purposes.
Usage alone makes something good or bad. Therefore, Vedanta’s
approach to evil, as well as its concept of divinity, is consistent
with scientific thought.

>> SriSri Ravishankar

Be a Gopal!

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

Every atom of the 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 but you
do not walk or run in the pool — you swim or float.

Once you come to the Master, seeking stops and
blossoming begins.
You are knowledge.
Every atom in you is shimmering with knowledge.

This word ‘go’ in sanskrit has four meanings:
knowledge, movement, achievement, and freedom or
liberation.

“pal” means friend or protector — one who takes care.

Be a ‘gopal’; Be a friend in knowledge.
Often you become friends by gossiping about negative
things, complaining together, having similar cravings
or aversions, sharing common enemies or common
problems, or sharing 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.
Those who attend satsang are gopals — reminding each
other, coming together in and for knowledge.
Be a gopal, a protector of this knowledge.

~~ Sri Sri

Time and Mind

When you are unhappy,
the mind contracts,
and time appears to be too long.

When you are happy,
the mind expands,
and time appears to be too short.

When the mind is in equanimity,
it transcends time.

When the mind id dull or unconscious,
it is unable to experience itself.

When you feel time is too short,
you are either restless or in expanded awareness.

When you feel time is too long,
you are miserable or keen minded.

When you are happy and love
what are you doing,
you simply don’t feel the time.

Also, in sleep you don’t feel the time.

In deep meditation,
you have a feeling that you are time
and everything is happening in you.
Events are happening in you
like the clouds come and go and go in the sky.

When you are ahead of time,
It is dragging and boring.

When time is ahead of you,
then you are surprised and shocked.
You cannot digest the events.

Time and Samadhi

When you are with time,
you are wise and at peace.

When the time is good,
a foe will behave like a friend.

When the time is not good,
even a friend will behave like a foe.

An ignorant person disbelieves in time
and the Divine beyond time.

The wise neither believe nor disbelieve
the individual. His faith rests on kaala (time).

The wiser one believes in mahakaala
(grand time or Shiva).

In the world and in time
there is always room for improvement.
You can improve your time and your nature.

Only the Being is perfect all the time.
Take refuge in the Being and
become incorrigible.

Just like the mind experiences time,
this moment has a mind of its own,

A Big Mind which has enormous
and infinite organizing power.

Thought is nothing
but a ripple in this moment,
and thus a few moments of Samadhi
gives the mind a lot of energy.

Samadhi, no-mindedness or timelessness,
is peace, the Real peace.
This is the greatest healer.
Before you fall asleep
or as soon as you wake up,
in the moments of twilight of Consciousness,
experience the timelessness.

Time is the greatest mystery.

In its lap exists all other mysteries

– Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Fern and bamboo

One day I decided to quit. I quit my job, my relationship, my
spirituality. I wanted to quit my life. So I went to the woods to have
one last talk with God.

“God, can you give me one good reason not to quit.

His answer surprised me.

“Look around. Do you see the fern and the bamboo”

“Yes” I replied.

“When I planted the fern and the bamboo seed, I took very good care of
them. I gave them light, I gave them water. The fern quickly grew from
the earth. It’s brilliant green covered the floor. Yet nothing came
from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In the second year the Fern grew more vibrant and plentiful. And again
nothing came from the bamboo seed. But I did not quit on the bamboo.

In year three there was still nothing from the bamboo seed but I would
not quit.

In year four, again, there was nothing from the bamboo seed. I would
not quit.

Then in the fifth year a tiny sprout emerged from the earth. Compared
to the fern it was seemingly small and insignificant. But just six
months later the bamboo rose to over 100 feet tall. It had spent the
five years growing roots. Those roots made it strong and gave it what
it needed to survive. I would not give any of my creations a challenge
it could not handle.”

He asked me, “Did you know, my child, that all this time you have been
struggling, you have actually been growing roots. I would not quit on
you. Don’t compare yourself to others. The bamboo had a different
purpose than the fern. Yet they both make the forest beautiful. Your
time will come. You will rise high.

“How high should I rise?” I asked.

“How high will the bamboo rise?” He asked in return.”

“As high as it can? I questioned.

“Yes. Give me glory by rising as high as you can.”

I left the forest and brought back this story. I hope these words can
help you see that God will never give up on you. Never, never , never
give up.

Prayer is not an option but an opportunity.

Don’t tell the Lord how big the problem is. Tell the problem how Great
the Lord is and always greatfull to god

so keep smiling…..!

3 Questions !

A young man went overseas to study for quite a long time.
When he returned, he asked his parents to find him a religious scholar or any expert who could answer his 3 Questions.

Finally, his parents were able to find a scholar.
Young man: Who are you? Can you answer my questions?
Scholar: I am one of God willing; I will be able to answer your questions.

Young man: Are you sure? A lot of Professors and experts were not able to answer my questions.
Scholar: I will try my best, with the help of God.

_Young Man: I have 3 questions:_
1. Does God exist? If so, show me His shape.
2. What is fate?
3. If Devil was created from the fire, why at the end he will be thrown to hell that is also created from fire. It certainly will not hurt him at all, since Devil and the hell were created from fire.
Did God not think of it this far?

Suddenly, the Scholar slapped the young man’s face very hard. Young Man (feeling pain): Why do you get angry at me?
Scholar: I am not angry. The slap is my answer to your three questions.
Young Man: I really don’t understand.
Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?
Young Man: of course, I felt the pain.
Scholar: So do you believe that pain exists?
Young Man: Yes.
Scholar: Show me the shape of the pain!
Young Man: I cannot.
Scholar: That is my first answer. All of us feel God’s existence without being able to see His shape… Last night, did you dream that you will be slapped by me?
Young Man: No.
Scholar: Did you ever think that you will get a slap from me, today?
Young Man: No.
Scholar: That is fate my second answer…….. My hand that I used to slap you, what is it created from?
Young Man: It is created from flesh.
Scholar: How about your face, what is it created from?
Young Man: Flesh.
Scholar: How do you feel after I slapped you?
Young Man: In pain.
Scholar: That’s it… this is my third answer, Even though Devil and also the hell were created from the fire, if God wants,God willing, the hell will become a very painful place for devil.

Let your Dreams Awaken You

We dream everyday and we do not know what a dream is…!!!

Ignorant people make their dreams a reality and enlightened people see reality as a dream!

Utter ignorance is trying to interpret dreams. Let your dreams
awaken you.

You sleep all your life, but you have never met your sleep. It’s like a person who has lived all his life with millions in his hands but never knew how to spend it. Or like a person
who is sitting at the dining table with a delicious, elaborate meal,without knowing how to eat it.

It is the same with our life.

Sleep is there but we do not know how to sleep! We dream everyday andwe do not know what a dream is.

When you sleep you let go of everything. If you hold on to anything, can you sleep? In sleep, your identity vanishes.

* You are neither male nor female.
* There is no difference between a rich man’s sleep and a poor
man’s sleep,
* between an intelligent man’s sleep or a stupid man’s sleep.
Sleep is sleep.

In sleep, what do you do? You let go of who you are, of your likes and
dislikes. You cannot take anybody with you into your sleep.
In your sleep you are :

* devoid of your identity,
* your cravings,
* your aversions,
* your likes and dislikes.

This is exactly what meditation is, when you do not do anything. For
God’s sake, in meditation do not do anything. In meditation, do
nothing and let go of everything, as you do during sleep.
Patanjali says that the knowledge of sleep leads you to samadhi.

Next come dreams. Ignorant people make their dreams a reality and
enlightened people see reality as a dream! Utter ignorance is trying to
interpret dreams. Enlightenment means realising reality is a dream.
Do you see the difference? If you go to an enlightened person and say
this is my dream, he will say “Forget about it and wake up”.
When you go to a dream interpreter, they say, “Oh! this means that,
that means this.” Such ignorance!

There are five types of dreams.
1. One is that which comes up in the form of cravings or your
unfulfilled desires. They appear in dreams as fulfillment. Have you
experienced this? Your latent desires always show up in your dreams.

2. The second type of dream is stress release from the past. All you
have experienced in life comes up as dreams.

3. The third type of dream is an intuitive dream — where you
think of what might happen in the future.

4. The fourth type of dream has nothing to do with any of these. It
is to do with the place where you are sleeping. For instance, if you are
sleeping in a hotel in Italy, in your dream, you may experience Italian
sounds and feelings.

5. The fifth type of dream is a mixture of the four. You never know
one from the other. So you cannot really distinguish a dream and say,
“this is my intuitive dream”. It could be, it need not be. A
wise person would simply brush them aside.

Even this waking reality is a dream. Now you are sitting and reading,
tomorrow you will be doing something else somewhere else and next week
all this will be a dream. What you would do next week is a dream right
now. Your mind dreams more when it is awake.

You have only two states of consciousness.

* One is deep sleep and
* the other is the dream state.

Day-dreams or night dreams! Building castles in the air. The
day-dreaming never ends. Then when you suddleny wake up to reality, that
awakening is pragnya or samadhi.

Patanjali has done a marvellous thing by quoting this sutra. Knowledge
of sleep awakens you. When a person is sleeping, he is not at all aware
that he is sleeping. The moment he knew that he was sleeping or this is
sleep, he is already awake.

A person who is day-dreaming does not know he is day-dreaming. The
moment he knows that he is day-dreaming, he awakes to the reality that
very moment, instantly.

Are you day-dreaming?

Are you sleeping?

There can be only two possibilities. There is no third possibility.