25 WAYS TO IMPROVE YOUR LIFE
H. H. SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR
25 Ways to Improve Your Life
1st edition: March 2010
2nd edition: May 2010
Copyrights 2010 © All rights reserved.
Printed in India by Elegant Printing Works, Bangalore
Ph: +91-80-2661 5507, 2667 7408
No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system without prior permission in written form from the publisher.
eISBN 978 9 351 06631 6
Sri Sri Publications Trust,
Art of Living International Centre,
21st KM, Kanakapura Road, Udayapura, Bangalore - 560 082 Phone: 080-32722473 Email: [email protected] Website: www.artoflivingshop.com
For the complete range of Art of Living products call 1800 - 425 - 6967
Transform yourself
- H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
In this era of science and technology, we can be creative and productive, and at the same time not lose the humanness that we are all born with. Just material things or comfort alone do not make you comfortable. You may have a good bed to sleep on, but unable to sleep because of insomnia or worry! You need to get a broad understanding about yourself and your priorities. Clarity in the mind makes things much easier. Understanding your basic emotions like love, your interaction with people around you, knowing about your ego or what your intellect or mind is saying to you and introspection will give you a few minutes of relaxation which is very vital. So, what is most important is introspection about one’s own life and how to improve the quality of life.This intention itself will open many doors for you to feel better about yourself. First of all, find out for yourself whether you are healthy.
Health is...
A disease-free body. A quiver-free breath.
A stress-free mind.
An inhibition-free intellect.
An obsession-free memory.
An ego that includes all.
A soul that is free from sorrow.
Have you ever thought
1 What is the purpose of your life?
2 What is the meaning of life?
3 What is life all about?
These questions are very, very precious. When these questions dawn in your mind, only then your life begins! But, when these questions come into your mind, don’t be in a hurry to get an answer. Those who know will not tell you and those who tell; don’t know! You can plug your ears and walk off! These questions are the tools by which you can dig deeper and the answers come from within you. Once these questions come into your life then you start “living” life rather than just existing. To know for what you are on this planet, find out what you are not here for!
You are not here to be sad.
You are not here to blame.
You are not here to be miserable.
You are not here to worry.
You are not here to show off.
You are not here to get stressed out.
You are not here to get irritated and irritate others.
The list goes on. . . . .
All our struggles in life is to know more. You are trying your level best to understand your feelings and emotions, and you get into more and more and more confusion. This is what has happened with psychology today. It tries to explain to you why you feel like the way you are feeling. The ‘why’ arises always when you are unhappy. You ask ‘‘Why this problem to me of all the people?’’ Nobody ever asked, ‘‘Why am I so happy?’’ You want to understand, ‘‘Why am I not feeling good?’’, or ‘‘Why am I angry?’’, or ‘‘Why is this not happening?’’ The more you try to understand and try to dig in, you seem to understand less and less. The mystery deepens, an illusion comes as though ‘‘I know it’’. But that is for a short while. We ourselves do not know and we try to explain to others! Stop your explanations; your explanations put you into a soup and also make other people more confused. You don’t know what is happening in your mind. Mind is like a roller coaster. It’s a crowd. Just be in the simple and innocent state of ‘‘I don’t know!’’. This life is a mystery- it’s beautiful-live it. Living the mystery of life totally is joy. Becoming the mystery is divine. You are a mystery!When you see life in this context, clarity dawns in your mind and your life improves.
1. Review the context of your life
Look at your own life in the light of time. Millions of years have passed and millions will come.
What is your life? 60, 70 or 100 years? Span of life is insignificant. It is not even a drop in the ocean. In terms of space you simply don’t exist! This understanding dissolves the ego. Ego is ignorance of your reality, ignorance of your existence. Now, just to know this, do we have to do something else? Just open your eyes and ask: ‘‘Who am I? How I am on this planet? What is my life time?’’ Awareness dawns in the mind, and you will stop worrying about little things like, ‘‘This person said this thing to me and that person broke away with me and this happened with that person and I am going to say this....’’ All smallness will simply drop away, and you will be able to live every moment of your life. Your life reels around your context. You should be happy in life. All other businesses involve ups and downs which is very natural. If there is a body, then it will get cold, cough, fever or something else and it will go away. But take care to see that happiness is always established in you. That is known as Purushartha. Our love, faith and belief should be deep-rooted, then everything else moves on its own. How many events take place in life! Are you able to maintain your equanimity always? Not everything in the world is sweet. If you are grounded in faith, like the husk with grain, you will progress. Take this decision, “Whatever happens I will be there. I will be grounded. God’s protection is there on me. Whatever happens, I will never go down. I always have God’s hand with me.” Keep your mind in peace in all situations. The rest will be taken care of. You have to take at least one step forward, which is to be in peace and equanimity.
“Oh! Nothing happened. Nothing of my work happened.” If you are able to laugh in such a situation, then understand that you have protection with you! The world is filled with love. Everybody has love inside them. You have to see that in your mind.
Your head will be in the mud in a few years; don’t put mud in your head while you are still alive!
If you review the context of your life, the quality of your life will improve.
2. Know life’s Impermanence
See the impermanence in this life. That is the truth. Turn back and see that all that you did is like a dream. All have passed, the whole thing is finished. Tomorrow will pass.
Now and then, a pinch of unpleasantness comes. It makes you aware of your pleasantness. Suppose you never had unpleasant moments in life, you would never have pleasant ones. Your life would stagnate in utter boredom and you would become like a stone. So, in order to keep you alive, now and then, here and there, nature gives you a little pinch.