Sri Publications - Celebrating Love

Weekly Knowledge through 2002

Edited by

Bill Hayden and Anne Elixhauser

CELEBRATING LOVE

BY

HIS HOLINESS

SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

Copyright 2005

All rights reserved

First edition published August 2006

Printed in India

Printed in India by Jwalamukhi Mudranalaya Pvt. Ltd., Bangalore

Ph:+91-80-26601064,26617243

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 writing from the publisher.

Compiled and Edited by

Bill Hayden and Anne Elixhauser

Editing and Production Support by Laura Weinberg

eISBN 978 9 351 06632 3

Published by :

Sri Sri Publications Trust, India

The Art of Living International Center

21st km, Kanakapura Road, Udaypura

Bangalore - 560082, Phone: 080 32722473

email:

In 1995 His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankar began a weekly tradition of creating a short talk for people seeking inspiration, wisdom or solutions to their challenges. Each week this knowledge flowed to every continent, and each year these talks were compiled into a volume called "An Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker." In 2001 "Celebrating Silence" organized most of the first five years of weekly knowledge into one book. On September 5, 2002, Sri Sri distributed his last weekly knowledge ending a series of 365 notes of wisdom. This companion edition to "Celebrating Silence" collects the last two years of talks, including some notes that had been left out of "Celebrating Silence."

Those who were fortunate to be with Sri Sri when a weekly knowledge was created found the wisdom enlightening and the discussions sparkling with joy and insight. He once said, "In the presence of your satguru, knowledge flourishes, sorrow diminishes, and without any reason, joy wells up and all talents manifest."Today these notes continue to cause the same experiences, and when someone seeking wisdom or advice randomly opens a volume they often find exactly what they require -as if the paradigm of time and separateness was replaced by a timeless continuum of caring and intelligent consciousness.

The journey for these weekly essays began in Big Sur, California and ended in New Delhi, India - a giant seven-year circle drew to a close. The voyage included many passages around the world, during which the hearts and minds of millions were blessed with the wisdom of this extraordinary man.

For Anne and I, this also brings to closure the 7 years we facilitated the weekly knowledge. We continue to miss them, but the process of re-reading and studying these compact gems reminds us again and again how much this knowledge can guide us through tough times and through growth times -it just takes sincerity and an open mind.

Like "Celebrating Silence," this collection is thematic rather than chronological. The first chapter helps us understand the more concrete issues that we deal with, such as worry, anger and violence - those things we want to change, as well as those things we want to culture such as love and dispassion. The second chapter, building on the first, teaches us what it means to be on a spiritual path, discussing service, surrender, human values and having a spiritual guide. The third chapter is the culmination, with wisdom for understanding God, our relationship to Him, and to our inner Self -that which we sincerely seek, often without knowing, leading us to celebrate in love.

CELEBRATING

His Holiness

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

LOVE

W hen love glows, it is bliss

When it flows, it is compassion

When it blows, it is anger

When it ferments, it is jealousy

When it is all "no's," it is hatred

When it acts, it is perfection

When love knows, it is me.

Sri Sri

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T o love someone whom you like is insignificant. To love someone because they love you is of no consequence.

To love someone whom you do not like means you have learned a lesson in life.

To love someone who blames you for no reason shows that you have learned the art of living.

In the air from Singapore to Hawaii
April 12, 2001

I earning is inevitable. By doing things right you learn and by doing things wrong you also learn. From every situation, from everybody, you learn either what to do or what not to do. Either by making mistakes or by doing things correctly, you can only learn. Learning is inevitable.

It is only when you sleep that you do not learn. And if you are asleep in your life, there is neither pain nor pleasure nor learning. Most people are in such deep slumber. That is why many people do not even make an effort to get out of their pain.

Washington, D.C., United States
July 2, 2002

M istakes happen all the time. Often you get irritated by mistakes and you want to correct them, but how many can you correct? You correct others' mistakes for two reasons. The first is when someone's mistake bothers you, and the second is when you correct someone for their own sake so they can grow, not because it bothers you. Correcting mistakes for the first reason -when the mistake bothers you -does not work.

To correct mistakes you need both authority and love. Authority and love seem to be contradictory but in reality they are not. Authority without love is stifling and does not work. Love without authority is shallow. You need both but they need to be in the right combination so you can be successful in correcting others' mistakes. This can happen if you are totally dispassionate and centered.

When you allow room for mistakes,you can be both authoritative and sweet. That is how the Divine is -the right balance of both. Krishna and Jesus had both. People in love also exercise authority with those they love. Authority and love exist in all relationships.

Lake Tahoe, California, United States
July 12, 2001

D o not tell a person about a mistake he knows that he made. What is the use of pointing out a mistake that he knows he has committed? By doing this, you will only make that person feel more guilty, defensive, or resentful and this only creates more distance. And do not point out a person's mistake if he is aware of it but does not want you to know about it. Often people know their mistakes, but they do not want you to point them out.

You should only point out a person's mistake if he is not aware of it and wants to know about it.

Think about the usefulness of your comments. Before pointing out a person's mistake, see whether your comments will help to improve the situation, foster love, or bring harmony. A magnanimous person does not point out the mistakes of others and make them feel guilty. Instead, they correct others' mistakes with compassion and care, not through words but through their attitude.