Be Open Minded

Q: Dear Guruji, what is the real meaning and importance of Rudra Pooja? And what happens to the people or the place?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Rudrabhishek is an ancient chanting which was downloaded from

the Aakasha (space). When the ancient sages and Rishis sat in meditation, they heard, and what

they heard, they started transferring to other people. The effect of Rudrabhishek is it creates

positive energy and removes negative vibes. And a lot is said about the Rudrabhishek. When

Rudrabishek happens nature flourishes, nature becomes joyful, happy.

Main thing is the vibration, that is it. If you ask me, ’Do you know the meaning of all the chants? I

will say, ’I also don’t know.’ It’s the vibration of the chants that is important and then the

meaning.

There are two parts, the first part says, ’Namo, namo, namo, namo!’

Mana, means mind. The word mind in English comes from Sanskrit word Mana.

Nama is the reverse of the mind. The mind going to its source is called Nama.

When the mind goes outside to experience the world, it is Mana. So Nama. is the mind going back

to its source.

When it goes to its source, what does it find? Everything is made up of one consciousness.

Now, what do the scientists today say? God Particle – by which everything has been made.

Thousands of years ago the Rishis said the same thing, that everything is made up of one thing, and

that they called Brahman. – that which is neither male nor female. It is nothing but a Tattva.

Tattva means principle. A great principle by which everything is made of, they called it Bramhan.

And when that Bramhan becomes personal, it is called Shiva Tattva – the innocent Divinity; that

is in everything. That is why we say, ‘Namo, namo!’

In the trees, in the greenery, in the birds, even in the thieves, and in a dacoit, everywhere, it is

the same one principle.

Then, the second part will say, ‘Chame, chame, chame, chame.’ You have heard this, isn’t it?! This

means, everything is in Me.

‘Me’ in English comes from the Sanskrit word ’ Ma’, which means Myself.

‘Ma Ma’ means ’ For Me’, ‘In Me’. So, everything is in terms of ; myself;. The second part is

everything is for me and everything is in terms of me.

Even for numbers they say, ‘Ekaachame’, which means, one, two, three, four, they are all my

form; Myself. Like that, ‘Sugamchame’, happiness for me!

‘Abhayanchame’, fearlessness, happiness, health, all the good things in the universe, let them all

come to me, and they are all part of me. That is it.

And as this is being chanted, usually milk and water runs through the crystal, drop by drop. This is

the ancient method. It is done with water or in fire as well.

What they do is they keep a fire and they put different herbs for the different chants. Or you allow

a string of water to keep falling on a crystal and you listen to this chanting – this is the ancient

method.

And done on Mondays it is even more special. Monday is the day of the moon and the moon and

mind are connected. Mantra, mind, moon, they are all connected somewhere. So, in India, it is a

tradition, they have this chanting going on in the Ashrams. So in our ashram also, every Monday, we

have this.

All the five elements are used in pooja. Pooja means honoring all the elements, born out of

fullness. So, fire, water, incense sticks, fruits, flowers, rice, whatever nature has given to us, those

things are used and the chanting goes on.

There is a lot of depth and meaning to it. You can go and do some research on it, more and more

things will come out.

Mainly, it creates more positive ions, more so when people are meditating.

Just doing it as a ritual is not that effective because it is said that the Veda Mantras are effective

when people are awake from within; for them, these mantras have more meaning. So, they help

you to go deep into meditation.

Q: I can understand the truth of your knowledge. I can enjoy pooja, bhajans and all the Indian customs as well around you. But, when I am together with my friends, it is very difficult to speak about all this; especially, listening to a Master. In our country, we learn to follow our mind and not any Masters. What can you suggest to make Art of Living more acceptable?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do you know, 30 years ago, when we first started The Art of Living then also it

was very difficult. Teaching yoga means only someone who is out there, someone who is crazy,

would do yoga. But today people like yoga.

I want to tell you one thing. You don’t have to talk about pooja, chanting and all that to one who

does not know. Just talk about meditation, Sudarshan Kriya, Part 1 course, this is good enough. And

I tell you, today people are much more open than before.

There are big programs happening around the world. The Buddhists do the Mandala Pooja, and

everybody flocks to see the ritual. Buddhism has similar chanting and people love to listen to the

chanting.

So, sometimes, it is our mind only that put the blocks.

In a city like New York, there are a number of classes for chanting; Sanskrit chanting. And these

classes are full, there is no place available.

Our own center in New York has three to four shifts for Kriya and for meditation. Everyday there

are so many people visiting.

So today, West is not West and East is not East. You will find agnostics, non-believers in the East

also. And you find believers in the West also. So people are more open and their prejudices are

lesser than before. If you find they have prejudices, tell them, ‘Hey, you should not be prejudiced.

You should be a global citizen. You should be open to multi-culturalism and multi-cultural religious

festivals; otherwise you are in the middle- ages, dark ages. You are not open-minded. Your mind is

very closed. And whenever there is any good thing anywhere, you should accept that.’

You don’t need to say, ’I follow a Master’, and this and that.

I make everybody leaders. I am in the back giving you a push to go forward. A coach is essential

everywhere, whether it is sports, or music, or cooking. Unless you have a coach who helps you learn

how to be a good cook, you cannot get certified. So, for yoga, for exercise, even soccer you need a

good coach, isn’t it?

So similarly, for spirituality, which is very abstract, you definitely need a coach, someone who

trains you.

A Master never tell you, ‘Shut your brain and don’t think’, no! He encourages you to think freely.

This is what you need to know.

The Art of Living encourages Reasoning and Faith, both. Faith and Reason, they may appear to be

conflicting. It has happened in the past like that. That is how the Spanish inquisition happened. In

the past if the Church said something you should never question it. So, the entire revolution in

Russia about Communism started because reason was shunned. But in the East that never

happened. East always said, ‘Honor your reason.’

In the Bhagavad Gita, Lord Krishna gives Arjuna the entire knowledge, and then finally he says,

‘You reason, if it appeals to your intellect then you accept it. Whatever I said, if your intellect does

not accept it then you need not accept whatever I have said.’

Buddha said the same thing, ‘You must have Reason and Surrender as well. Have faith.’ This is what

Lord Buddha said.

If you say, ‘Let me first learn swimming then I will get in to water’, a real coach will say, ‘Get into

the water and I will tell you how to swim.’

So it is not one after another, yes! As you get into water you have to swim immediately. You have

to learn simultaneously. That is why Reason and Faith, they both are essential in life. You can’t

learn swimming in the air first and then get into the water. Then you will not learn swimming.

When you get into the water only then you will learn how to swim, correct! And there is a life

jacket around you. The Master is like the life jacket. He teaches you to swim and once you start

swimming then you know the value of it, isn’t that so?

So, how to answer people? You need not answer every question that anybody asks. Sometimes just

smile. You don’t know the value of it, but just taste it and then tell them. Someone might say, ’Oh!

Why are you listening to chanting?’

‘Oh! You don’t know the value of chanting. It is so wonderful. Just do it. Just listen to it once and

you will see.’

That is what we want to share. We want to share what is best with everybody; with everyone. Not

that in India everything is good or everything better, no! There are many hopeless things also. But

we have picked the good things and are sharing it with the world.

Similarly, every religion, every culture has something very beautiful. That we should share. Not the

fanaticism and not the small mindedness.

What do you say? We take the good things from everywhere, we do it and we promote it. We see

that everyone gets the benefit of those things. Isn’t it?

There are many things even in yoga that they do which are not that scientific. In Hatha Yoga, they

pierce the body with a needle. They do things that are not really in the scriptures, but people have

been practicing it. Now, we don’t encourage those things. And then people torture themselves in

the name of meditation and yoga. So, we say no for these things because these are all not

authentic!

Similarly, for rituals also, they add so many things that are not completely authentic, and are not in

the scriptures. It is not even necessary but by practice people are using these things. That is where

you need the discrimination of what is right and what is not right. Take only that.

Source : Talk by Sri Sri