Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar | This Past Weekend w/ Theo Von #677

0:00Today's guest is a humanitarian. He's a

0:03spiritual leader, a soul summoner, if

0:07you will. He founded the art of living

0:10movement and he's one of the most

0:11respected teachers of meditation in the

0:14world. A fascinating chat with today's

0:17guest Gurude Dev Shri Shri Avi Shanka.

0:22Shine

0:24on me

0:26and I will find a [music] song I've been

0:30singing.

0:34[music]

0:37>> Guru Dev Shri Sri Ravi Shankar

0:40>> is that correct?

0:41>> Right.

0:43>> Thank you for being here today. I

0:44appreciate your time. Uh I appreciate

0:47your um your energy that you've put into

0:50the world. Uh thank you so much for your

0:53uh just your just uh your ability to be

0:56a guide for people. Um for our listeners

0:59that don't know, you're a humanitarian,

1:01a spiritual leader, um a practicer of

1:05peace. Is that fair to say?

1:08>> Yeah.

1:09>> Okay. And Gurudev Shri Shri Ravi

1:13Shankar.

1:13>> You can just call me Gurudev.

1:15>> Gurudev is fine.

1:16>> Excellent. Um you had an experience that

1:18happened when you were very young uh at

1:21the age of four years old from what I

1:23from what I hear if the story is true.

1:25Um that

1:27>> I could recite the ancient text.

1:29>> You could recite the ancient text of the

1:31bag

1:32>> Bhagavad Gita.

1:33>> Bagavad Gita.

1:34>> Yeah.

1:35>> Can you tell us what the Bavad Gita is

1:37for our listeners that don't know? uh

1:38Gita is the scripture um which was uh

1:43written 5,000 year old but when Lord

1:45Krishna gave uh advice to or lessons to

1:50Arjuna his uh the warrior of that time

1:54so it's about it's a knowledge of yoga

2:00and about everything about life

2:02so this is what Mahatma Gandhi had is as

2:06a handbook

2:07>> ah Okay.

2:08>> And everyone in India, it's almost like

2:11a Bible for the uh Indian continent. You

2:14can say Hindus and mainly.

2:17>> Got it. So at four years old, you were

2:19kind of a prodigy. You were kind of like

2:20the Justin Bieber kind of of meditation

2:22maybe, you know,

2:24>> in a way. I don't know if that's you

2:26were kind of the the Jean Banet of

2:28India, you know, still living, of

2:30course. Um what what was it like to have

2:32that much attention at such a young age?

2:34How did that affect you? It just felt

2:36very normal to me. Yeah.

2:39>> Was there a reason that

2:40>> I didn't feel any special. I felt as

2:43normal as anybody else.

2:45>> Was there a reason you felt like you

2:47kind of received this download sort of

2:49that you received this capability

2:52>> you know um there are so many child

2:54progies these days. You can see them

2:57all. So it's very natural thing. It's it

3:00was not not something that you know you

3:04make out of it.

3:06>> It was just part of your life.

3:07>> Part of your life.

3:08>> What effect did that have on your

3:09childhood?

3:11>> Uh I was a little strange in my

3:13childhood [laughter]

3:15as you know that uh I didn't take much

3:18interest in normal things that kids

3:20would do. So I spent most of my

3:23childhood with uh elderly people

3:25>> with elderly people

3:26>> elderly people adults

3:29and um yeah I felt a little bit out of

3:32place many time but I tried to fit

3:34myself in uh everywhere I used to be.

3:38>> Take me through some of what happens

3:40after that in your life that kind of

3:42leads you into becoming a guru.

3:46Well, uh, you know, I'm a guru by

3:48accident [laughter]

3:51in the sense, you know, I just kept

3:53teaching or telling people what I know

3:55and then they started taking me as a

3:57guide. Well, uh, apart from that, you

4:00know, I had deep interest in

4:02spirituality and science. As a

4:06teenager, I was very much into physics.

4:09So physics and astronomy, science and

4:14ancient scriptures all this uh

4:16interested me quite a lot because I felt

4:18that such a similarity or uh parallel

4:22between the spirituality and science. So

4:25that was very interesting for me and

4:27then you know my teacher um was one who

4:30lived with Mahatma Gandhi for 48 years.

4:33>> Your teacher lived with Mahatma Gandhi

4:34for 48 years.

4:35>> 48 years. So he is the one who taught

4:37him the gita the script when he came

4:39from South Africa. He was in the arada

4:42jail and all. So he he was a very funny

4:44guy. He used to tell lot of stories

4:47about his time with Mahatma Gandhi and

4:49how he was a rebellious person that

4:52there and it was very interesting you

4:55know. So I grew up with such a

4:58environment where um you know this uh

5:02nonviolence and uh friendliness, love,

5:06compassion all had great value. society

5:11and also my grandfather was also a great

5:14follower of Mahatma Gandhi and he lived

5:16in Gandhi's asham for many years.

5:19>> At what point did you start to become a

5:21teacher like at what point did people

5:22start to come to hear what you were

5:24sharing?

5:25>> I think it's it's in my teenage that I

5:28started this one and when I was 23 24 I

5:32started the art of living movement. That

5:35time uh there are two uh judges of

5:39Supreme Court of India. One was a

5:42thorough believer a thesis and another

5:45was an atheist. So one

5:47>> is VR Krishna he was a atheist

5:50>> and what was the first one he was a

5:52>> he was a believer great believer and

5:54they both you know came as a trustee

5:58became the trustee of our organization

6:00then he made an organization he said you

6:02know you have a beautiful knowledge to

6:04share it needs a framework he said

6:06[laughter]

6:07you know to hold a picture you need a

6:09frame so we will be the trustees and

6:11we'll make it up make the organization

6:13so it's 45 years now

6:15>> so the government started to help you

6:17sort of put a frame.

6:17>> Not the government. No, the pe

6:19individually in their individual

6:20capacity. The people

6:22>> the people did. I read that you started

6:26the art of living after you had a 10-day

6:29period of silence where it was kind of

6:31this epiphany uh that fell upon you. Um

6:34can you tell me a little bit more about

6:35that?

6:37>> Correct. The the breathing techniques

6:40you know though I was teaching

6:41meditation some yoga and all I was

6:44feeling there's something missing.

6:46there's something that I need to bring

6:48about you know people do all that but

6:50still they have conflicts inside

6:52themselves they are unable to get over

6:54that uh their habits uh you know there

6:57was a struggle so I thought there must

6:59be something that would so I went into a

7:02silence of 10 days and at the end of

7:04those 10 days uh it was in a remote

7:07place in India then a few of the doctors

7:11and engineers in that area they came and

7:13then I started teaching the breathing

7:15technique tech that's a birth of that

7:18>> and that's the sky breathing technique.

7:19>> Yes.

7:20>> And can you take me through a little bit

7:21of what that technique is? Is that okay

7:23to ask you?

7:25>> Yeah. It takes couple of days to learn

7:27it. Just three days to learn it. It

7:29mainly uh recognizing the rhythm in your

7:33breath. You know your breath as a rhythm

7:36and your breath connects your body and

7:39your emotions, your mind and sensations.

7:43So harmonizing this you know brings lot

7:46of freedom from within and that's how it

7:49started you know

7:51>> and at that point do you start traveling

7:52around to to to share your knowledge and

7:56share your experience

7:56>> correct correct though in the earlier

7:59years there was lot of prejudice against

8:01meditation yoga people thought hey this

8:03is not um you know this must be for

8:06someone who is out there all cuckoo

8:09>> oh yeah [laughter]

8:10[gasps]

8:11>> you know I'm talking about 45 years

8:13back, 40 years back,

8:15there was a lot of prejudice against uh

8:18anything about meditation or breathing.

8:21>> What were some of the places that had

8:22probably some more prejudice and others

8:24like or what were some of the tougher

8:25places to go and teach? I would say um

8:28Europe had that and also US you know uh

8:32we wanted to teach this in in the

8:34prisons and then uh there was a lot of

8:37resistance because I know that when we

8:40taught the prisoners because every

8:42culprit is a victim himself or herself.

8:45>> Wait say that again. Every culprit is a

8:47victim

8:48>> victim of something you know situation

8:51hanging up.

8:53So when they need healing, they need

8:56that healing touch, you know. Uh when

8:59you teach this that anger, rage and uh

9:03distress, sadness, everything vanishes.

9:06So that's where uh this has been very

9:10effective. We have taught prisoners all

9:12over the world now.

9:13>> Yeah, I've read about that.

9:15>> When you're teaching this, when you say

9:17this, do you mean like someone's

9:18relationship with their consciousness?

9:20Is that kind of what you're talking

9:22about? It's it's just just acknowledge

9:24you know see how through your own breath

9:28you can change your feelings your moods

9:31many times people feel so desperate

9:34actually u you know like trapped with

9:37their own emotions oh yeah

9:38>> I feel so bad I don't know how to get

9:40out of it you know okay I pray I do this

9:43I do that still there is something

9:45inside of us that uh doesn't let us feel

9:48the freedom from emotions using the

9:51breathing techniques techniques. It

9:53makes a huge difference.

9:55>> What are some of the first things

9:56someone will notice from using some of

9:58the techniques?

10:01First of all, calmness of the mind. Then

10:05um you feel your immune system becomes

10:08better. You feel better

10:09>> really.

10:10>> And then clarity in mind, you know, you

10:13feel more clear and your perceptions

10:16become better. Lots of many benefits.

10:18All the benefits of meditating. Many

10:20people say, "Oh, I can't meditate. You

10:22know, too many thoughts bombard my head

10:24and you know, I can't sit quiet and I

10:26feel so restless." Just few minutes of

10:29this that takes care of all those

10:31issues.

10:32>> Amen.

10:34I um I know you just turned 70 recently.

10:37>> Yeah.

10:37>> How uh

10:38>> do I look 70? Come tell [laughter] me.

10:40>> You look 25.

10:43Does our consciousness age?

10:46Does that make sense to you? Kind of

10:47>> our intellect age. Our intellect becomes

10:49mature but consciousness is the same.

10:53>> Has your consciousness felt the same

10:55from the beginning? Do you feel like?

10:58>> Yeah. That's something that doesn't

10:59change in you.

11:00>> Oh, got it.

11:01>> You know there are two aspects inside.

11:03One is that changes constantly. Right.

11:06There is something else in you that's a

11:09that's a referral point of all changes.

11:13So that which is a reference point of

11:15all changes cannot change.

11:18That's fascinating. What is what is

11:21consciousness to you? Like how would you

11:23describe consciousness?

11:24>> Everything is consciousness.

11:25>> Everything.

11:27>> You are consciousness. The trees are

11:29consciousness. Whole world is

11:31consciousness.

11:33>> And what are

11:34>> it's just energy. The consciousness is

11:37that ocean of energy which has

11:40manifested everything here in the

11:42planet.

11:44>> Yeah. I think I just I think I don't

11:46know. I get scared a lot. Do you ever

11:48get scared?

11:50>> Not so far. [laughter]

11:54>> Yeah. I think I just have a lot of fears

11:56sometimes. Um

11:58>> you know fear is nothing but love

11:59standing upside down

12:02>> really

12:04like explain it to me.

12:05>> You know fear is a sensation you get

12:07right in your chest region

12:10>> or in the belly.

12:13>> What are you afraid of?

12:15Because you love something and so that

12:20from the other side appears to be as a

12:22fear.

12:23>> Right. Cuz I'm afraid it'll be different

12:24than what I think.

12:27>> Or I'm afraid it'll feel different than

12:29how I want it to feel.

12:30>> I'm afraid you will lose what you have.

12:32>> Yeah.

12:33>> Or you may not get what you want.

12:35>> That's a fear, right? And

12:40if you just look back, sit back and

12:42relax, there's no fear.

12:45Do do you think there's like a group

12:47like I feel like we're in a time in

12:49society where things feel very scary? It

12:52feels kind of stressful in the world,

12:54right? Do you how would you how would

12:58you suggest that we

13:01ward off that? Listen, uh it's like a a

13:06boy or girl going for an examination.

13:08You're so scared what's the outcome of

13:10the exam?

13:11But uh someone who is who has already

13:15passed the exam would say hey don't

13:17worry

13:18>> if someone has to perform the first time

13:20on stage they will feel so scared but uh

13:24a seasoned performance nothing don't

13:26worry go ahead so similarly we have to

13:30uh if you are mastered the art of life

13:32itself

13:34you know seeing life from a broader

13:36perspective hey so what this is not the

13:39first time you are scared It has

13:41happened to you when you are a child,

13:43when you are a boy, when you are a

13:44teenager, when whatever

13:47but still you are here. So broadening

13:51our consciousness, our awareness, the

13:54fear disappears. Number one. Second uh

13:57way to combat fear is attending to your

14:01breath.

14:03Breathe from the back of the throat.

14:06>> Breathe from the back of the throat.

14:09long deep inhalation and slow exhalation

14:13you know that settles down that settles

14:17down the fear the sensations

14:20uh and third thing is know that this is

14:23all just a game

14:26everything around you is a game you know

14:28you shouldn't be afraid to play a game

14:32>> what do you think I think I'm I'm still

14:35I'm still a little scared

14:37>> [laughter]

14:38>> Um,

14:38>> but you know, you're thinking about the

14:40past week. That's why you are scared.

14:42>> Well, I think I probably am. You're

14:44right. I think what I think I think some

14:46things I fear probably. Can I share with

14:47you some of my fears? Yeah. Okay. I

14:50think I fear like I fear that as a

14:53society and that we're that we're losing

14:55what it means to be human sometimes that

14:58we're getting too dis like we're getting

15:00so like involved with technology that

15:02we're that we're forgetting that the

15:04value of being human is it's starting to

15:07be

15:08>> yeah yeah I I get what you're saying you

15:10know I make a little distinction between

15:12concern and fear

15:14>> okay

15:15>> I'm also concerned where are we going in

15:18the world we are all uh you know moving

15:21in the age of technology and how mankind

15:24is going to use this technology

15:27whether it will be for for the benefit

15:29of people or for a selfish gain I mean

15:32that's a concern

15:33>> yes

15:34>> concern must be there if you don't have

15:37any concern and you will have no passion

15:40>> right

15:41>> you must have concern we're all

15:42concerned any conscious person will be

15:45concerned

15:46>> okay

15:47>> and That concern uh is a great

15:52motivator. It makes you act.

15:54>> Yeah, that's a good point. Yeah. So, I'm

15:56glad I have concern because it makes me

15:58want to take action.

16:00>> Yeah.

16:00>> Got it. Um how do you look at that? How

16:05do you view that concern?

16:06>> I am very concerned about the planet. I

16:08am very concerned about the state of

16:10mental health in this in the whole

16:12world, especially in this country too.

16:16uh young people one in every fourth

16:20person is uh mentally challenged are

16:23getting into some sort of you know

16:26problems issues

16:28>> for sure.

16:29>> So we need to attend to this number one

16:31and then uh we need to realize that uh

16:36the human society is one family.

16:40I always espouse a world as one family.

16:45>> Yes. Sometimes it feels like uh like

16:46we're losing our sense of purpose,

16:49you know. I think that's one thing that

16:52scares me.

16:53>> They can only lose the purpose once if

16:56they have not found there is no point.

16:58They cannot lose it.

16:59>> Oh, I see.

17:00>> Many have not even found what is the

17:02purpose of their life.

17:03>> Oh, that's a good point, huh? I should

17:05be grateful that I found some purpose.

17:07>> Yeah. M when you look at at kind of

17:12where we're headed with technology, do

17:14you what what's a positive way that you

17:17see it affecting us?

17:19>> It's very good. You know, I tell you

17:21when I was going to college, I had to go

17:24to library and it would take a whole day

17:27to find the index and find the book and

17:29then today in the fingertips you can get

17:33any knowledge anything from any

17:35anywhere. You see you don't have to um

17:39wait for such a long time to understand

17:41something. So knowledge is easily

17:43available in every corner of the world.

17:45Yeah. Number one.

17:46>> Second is artificial intelligence. Many

17:49are very skeptical or even scared about

17:51artificial intelligence as though it

17:53will take away the jobs. Yeah. But you

17:55know artificial artificial intelligence

17:58AI is is a boon also. It's not just a

18:02curse. It's

18:04>> so it's a positive as well. positive

18:06thing. It challenges our intellect to be

18:09more original.

18:11>> It can only put uh what is already been

18:14discovered. I see what you're saying. So

18:16if it if it only has knowledge, right?

18:18And if everybody has knowledge, then

18:20creativity should maybe go to another

18:22level,

18:22>> another level. Yeah. because that will

18:25become sort of a primary uh

18:28>> it's a challenge for for an individual

18:30to be more creative, more original

18:33>> because everybody has the same

18:34information now.

18:36>> So now creativity kind of has a new

18:38stage.

18:39>> New stage. Yes.

18:40>> That's pretty fascinating. I Yeah, I

18:42guess I had really thought about it like

18:43that.

18:45>> Do you worry that a lot of the power

18:47that's in the world is in evil hands?

18:51And do you believe like in good do you

18:53believe like in good and evil? Do you

18:54think there's such thing?

18:59Not one child is born on this planet as

19:02a evil child.

19:04Everyone is born here as a bundle of

19:07joy.

19:09Every baby is a divine gift. They're all

19:12beautiful kids. But due to

19:14circumstances, situations,

19:17lack of understanding or wrong education

19:20or whatever you can say indoctrination,

19:23it leads them where they are.

19:26That's where I feel

19:28there is a lack of uh values in the

19:32education system. Yeah.

19:35And if those people were cared in the

19:37very beginning, you nib those negative

19:40qualities trends in child in in

19:43adolescent in children they don't come

19:46in adolescent they start getting up into

19:48the sort of you know rage and

19:51>> in adolescence

19:51>> adolescence rage and

19:54you know uh anger uh so uh there is no

19:59education there is no peace education in

20:01the world

20:02>> it's really true you know it's

20:03interesting I look back on like uh my

20:05experience in school and a lot of it was

20:07just a lot of factual information but

20:09they never taught me how to be like a

20:11person or to look at myself or to have a

20:13conversation with myself or how to see

20:15if like something is going on with a

20:17friend and how I can be a good friend.

20:19>> Um is that just an American education

20:21system or do you find that that's almost

20:23everywhere?

20:24It's it's almost now everywhere

20:26universally it is there maybe a little

20:28less or more in places but the lack of

20:33education in human values uh you can see

20:36prevalent

20:38and uh when that is given you know you

20:41will find there is no evil person.

20:44I always say that evil is is only a veil

20:47around the goodness of a person.

20:50>> Amen.

20:52I believe that.

20:54>> Do you think that we come sometimes from

20:56a past life with with other stuff or do

20:59you think it's new?

21:00>> We do.

21:00>> We do.

21:01>> We do.

21:01>> Oh, man.

21:03Because that's a bummer cuz I'm just I

21:05could be dealing with somebody else's

21:06junk.

21:08[laughter]

21:08[gasps]

21:09No, you know, uh

21:13from junk you can create something else.

21:15>> Okay. That's fair. [laughter] Yeah. But

21:18yet on this creation, nothing is a

21:20waste.

21:21>> But imagine the waste also brings

21:24wealth.

21:24>> A waste also brings wealth. That's a

21:26good point. Manure, huh? Look at manure.

21:28>> Manure. Manure.

21:29>> But it's kind of Imagine you land at the

21:31airport and you look at your luggage and

21:32it's someone else's, you know.

21:34[laughter]

21:35>> That shows lack of awareness.

21:39>> Yeah, I think you're right. That's kind

21:41of that kind of does show like Yeah,

21:44I've probably picked up somebody else's.

21:46>> Yeah. Um

21:48I um

21:49>> And if someone picks up yours, you call

21:51them a thief, [laughter]

21:53>> right?

21:53>> Yeah, that's true.

21:55>> Yeah. I think I'm trying to think of

21:57some other fears that I have. I think I

21:58have fears sometimes of like letting go

22:00of the past. That's something that's

22:01been very tough for me in my life. Um

22:04like sometimes I I think I've let go of

22:07the past, but it comes back again. You

22:09know, some of the same feelings like um

22:11even though I've offered like

22:12forgiveness and things like that,

22:14sometimes it still comes back. Do you

22:16know what I'm talking about?

22:17>> Yeah, I know. I very well understand

22:19that dilemma. Uh, you know, that's why I

22:24say forgiveness cannot just happen from

22:27your thinking, from your intellect. It

22:29has to come from within your feeling

22:31level. And that can happen when you do

22:34meditation.

22:36Do the breathing.

22:37>> Really?

22:38>> Yeah.

22:39>> And how does breathing help you heal

22:41from the past?

22:43Because you know um the emotions which

22:45are stuck in our system that need to be

22:48released

22:50and breath is the best tool. Mind you

22:53mind is so abstract you can't catch hold

22:55of the mind and do anything about it.

22:57You know you try and you can't you know

23:00uh do something with your own mind by

23:02the mind

23:03>> right it's like a yeah that's yeah it's

23:05ridiculous. It's like trying to grab

23:06your hand with your hand

23:07>> with your hand. Of course you have

23:09another hand to help.

23:10>> Oh that's [laughter] a good point.

23:11That's a good point. Okay.

23:12>> But with the breath it is much easier

23:16because breathing has a pattern for

23:19every emotion. You know when you are

23:21happy your breath moves with a different

23:24rhythm.

23:25>> Is that true that breathing has a

23:26pattern for [clears throat] every

23:27emotion?

23:27>> Correct. See when when you are happy how

23:30do you breathe?

23:32When you are angry?

23:34Yeah. See you know your emotions and the

23:37breathing has deep relations and they

23:40have sensation in the body also. That's

23:43why attending to the breath and rhythms

23:45of the breath

23:48creates magic

23:50and what you think is so hard to

23:53forgive, forgive, forget and all that

23:56things become as a matter of fact so

23:59easy.

24:00>> Yeah. Oh yeah man. And it's like I know

24:02it's like

24:04yeah sometimes you just forget to

24:06breathe you know.

24:07>> Yeah we use only 30% of our lung

24:11capacity we don't even breathe.

24:12>> Is that true?

24:13>> Yeah we use 30% of our lung capacity.

24:15>> Yeah. Yeah. That's what uh scientists

24:17say.

24:19So breathing and medit combined with

24:22meditation makes a big difference.

24:26That's the reason this been my programs

24:28are you know in big demand and popular

24:31with people because they get uh great

24:33benefit out of it. We are working with

24:36the war veterans.

24:37>> You guys have you're you guys have been

24:39working with the war veterans.

24:40>> Yeah. War veterans.

24:40>> Yeah. Take me through that experience

24:42that you had with some of those war

24:43veterans. I know you've had a lot of

24:44experiences I know with like

24:45incorporating um new schools for

24:47children. Uh I know some of the

24:49different lore but um yeah take me

24:51through uh what were you guys doing with

24:53war veterans? you know um war veterans

24:56the PTSD syndrome in them

24:58>> the PTSD

24:59>> PTSD syndrome uh uh they have been

25:02suffering a lot with that you know there

25:04are two uh movies made on that almost

25:07sunrise is one of that where a war

25:09veteran is u saying uh the

25:12transformation that has happened in his

25:13own life

25:14>> almost sunrise

25:15>> almost sunrise

25:16>> I'm not familiar with that one it's a

25:17good movie

25:18>> yeah it was there in um you know many

25:22yeah

25:23>> okay I'll Check it out.

25:25Almost sunrise.

25:27So that's a one. But you you've had

25:29experience doing this, right?

25:30>> Yeah. You know, um I had got so many

25:33letters from the families of the

25:35veterans. They say, "Thank you, Gurudv.

25:38We got our son back. Um thanks for

25:41getting my wife, my husband back." These

25:43are the letters, you know, because they

25:46would uh hole up in their own basement.

25:48They would not come and have dinner with

25:49their own family. That moral wound was

25:52so deep in them just in four days or

25:55five days of breathing technique. They

25:58were back you know they could erase all

26:01those um bad memories and they could

26:04become strong and get back with their

26:05families.

26:07about 8,000 of them we have taught in

26:10this country and and you should see the

26:13the joy in the eyes of those people the

26:16family it's so uh fulfilling you know so

26:20see that heartwarming

26:21>> and was that a certain program that you

26:23guys started

26:24>> yeah we started this we started this

26:27welcome home troops

26:28>> welcome home troops is the name of the

26:29program

26:30>> and that was just in the US

26:32>> yeah this was US now we did also in

26:34Canada uh some in some places in Europe

26:38as well. Yeah.

26:39>> Uh Project Welcome Home Troops offers

26:41the power breath workshop as a

26:43resilience building program specifically

26:45designed to address the needs of

26:46returning combat veterans. It offers

26:48practical breath work tools that

26:50decrease the stress, anxiety, and sleep

26:52problems that many returning veterans

26:53experience. [snorts]

26:56>> Wow. Well, thank you for that. I know

26:58there's I I have a close friend right

26:59now who's dealing with a lot of that. A

27:01lot of past trauma. It's it's it's kind

27:03of fascinating how the body stores so

27:05much trauma.

27:06>> Yeah. Why does the body want to store

27:08trauma?

27:10>> This is asking why both eyes are in one

27:12side.

27:14>> Yeah. [laughter] Yeah, that's true.

27:15>> Yeah. I guess if one were back here, it

27:17would be more helpful, huh?

27:18>> That's what it is. It does. You know, a

27:21body has a photographic memory. Whatever

27:24you um feed it, that's what it takes.

27:27And if you keep putting your attention

27:29on negative things and your body is full

27:31of those negative vibes

27:33>> and you go to the beach and you look at

27:36the sunset, you spend time with the with

27:38the nature, you know, your body responds

27:40to that puppy

27:42>> or with a puppy.

27:44>> Yeah. Puppy. Yeah. Yeah. I like that.

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30:18>> Yeah. I think I one thing I have I I

30:21just deal with a lot of shame. Sometimes

30:22shame will come up. You know what I'm

30:24talking about? And I'll be just I'll be

30:26having like a normal kind of

30:27conversation or a normal experience and

30:29I'll have like a just a memory will come

30:31up of something that I did that I'm

30:33ashamed of or that I wish I hadn't done

30:36and it'll just make me feel like I don't

30:38know. It's like almost getting struck by

30:40lightning, you know? It's like just

30:42getting so disappointed in myself.

30:43>> I understand that. I understand.

30:45>> You get like the shame shivers kind of.

30:47You know what I'm talking about? Like

30:48>> Yeah. You know what? When you did that

30:52something wrong,

30:54you are not the same person that you are

30:56now. You are ignorant.

30:59You had no wisdom. You had no control

31:02over your emotions. So you did that. But

31:06now at this moment you're different.

31:10[snorts]

31:12No, there are two aspects in us. One is

31:15that which is different all the time.

31:18one that changes all the time and one

31:20that doesn't change at all. The aspect

31:24that doesn't change in you is all good.

31:27>> Oh, really? So that's

31:29>> it's like a river. It's old. Same

31:32Mississippi river, old river,

31:35but the water there is new. Like that

31:38theo I'm seeing is new. It's not the

31:40same Theo as yesterday's.

31:43>> Amen.

31:44>> You know there is a beautiful story

31:45about Lord Buddha about this. Have you

31:48heard about that?

31:48>> Lord Buddhabadas.

31:50>> Lord Buddha's story. You know Buddha?

31:53>> Buddha. Oh, Buddha.

31:54>> Buddha.

31:54>> Oh yeah, I heard of him.

31:56>> You have heard Buddha's story on this?

31:58>> No. You want to tell me it please?

31:59>> Yeah. You want to?

32:00>> Yes, please.

32:01>> Okay.

32:01>> Thank you.

32:02>> Um Buddha was uh teaching meditation.

32:06There were 10,000 people in his

32:09congregation.

32:10And then one elderly man came and he was

32:13so angry because his sons instead of

32:16helping him in the business they came

32:18they were trying to do meditation there.

32:21So he came and he was so upset and he

32:23stood in front of Buddha and was got

32:25angry and you spoiled my son's life and

32:29my life and he spat on Buddha's face.

32:33Buddha didn't react. He was just

32:34smiling. So the m gentleman went back

32:39home that night. The very vibration of

32:42Buddha brought something in him. It just

32:45struck him. I said I I yelled at him but

32:49he was so calm.

32:51>> There is something that you know there

32:53something very ethereal about Lord

32:55Buddha's that impacted him. So he felt

32:58so bad. He felt so guilty. So next day

33:02he comes and says I'm so sorry I did.

33:07Will you please forgive me?

33:11And Buddha said no I can't forgive you.

33:15Everyone else got shocked. Buddha's

33:18principle is to forgive. Now he's saying

33:20no I can't forgive you.

33:23And Lord Buddha said you see you are not

33:25the same person. You are here now

33:28yesterday. Ah

33:30>> and I was not the same person who was

33:32there yesterday. So if I ever meet the

33:35person [laughter] who spat on the person

33:39who sp I will tell that person to

33:41forgive that person.

33:44So everything is changing. So you do

33:48mistakes in life from that you learn

33:52number one. Another thing you have done

33:54in a state of unconsciousness ignorance.

33:57>> Yeah. So we just move on. It's not just

34:01enough to forgive others. We have to

34:03forgive oursel also.

34:05>> Yeah. I think I have a

34:06>> self forgiveness.

34:07>> Self forgiveness. I have a tough time

34:09with that. I think I hold a lot of

34:11resentments against myself sometimes for

34:13things that I can't that were a long

34:15time ago. I just like I'll think like,

34:17man, I I I wish I could have figured

34:19that out or I wish I could have done

34:20better or it's like I always have my

34:23expectations so high so I can never

34:26achieve them. So I'm always falling

34:28short.

34:29>> You know, a little bit of little bit of

34:31guilt is okay. That keeps you moving,

34:35but not too much. How much guilt you

34:37should have? Just as much as a salt or

34:41Tabasco in your

34:42>> just a flavor.

34:43>> Is a flavor

34:44>> but not a meal.

34:45>> Not a meal. So when uh guilt bothers

34:49you, what you have to know is wake up

34:52and see

34:54the whole past is like a dream.

34:57Isn't it? Some pleasant thing happened.

35:00Some unpleasant things happened. None of

35:02them exist now here.

35:05>> Right.

35:05>> Right. But here, what's here now?

35:07>> Either you you are reeling in rage of

35:11anger, what others did or what you did,

35:15guilt of what you did. Both these eats

35:19your consciousness and spoils the

35:21present and the future.

35:24And so wisdom is seeing this whole thing

35:28as a a dream or a drama which happened

35:33and finished. But the person inside of

35:37you is untouched by all that.

35:42>> I see what you're saying. Yeah.

35:45>> Of course it has brought some pain to

35:47others. If you feel you have brought

35:49pain to others, okay, now you bring some

35:51comfort to others.

35:55you know

35:56giving comfort is what compensates for

35:59the pain.

36:00>> Yeah.

36:02>> So no point in brooding over it

36:05regretting the past because regret

36:07causes lot of toxins in our own body

36:10>> and it blurs our vision. It doesn't help

36:13us to be happy now or you know more

36:18compassionate also.

36:20So again here meditation breathing helps

36:23you to completely reverse these uh

36:26impressions in mind and make you feel

36:29that you are a mirror not a photograph.

36:35>> You know you're not a polaroid

36:37photography. You take something and you

36:39stay with that photo. No your

36:42consciousness is like a mirror. You have

36:45many lives, many times. You have done

36:47many mistakes and every mistake you have

36:49learned and you have come up out of it.

36:53So not latch on to that but see forwards

36:57and and see this world is so beautiful.

36:59There are beautiful people around and

37:01there are many who are doing the same

37:02mistake you were doing before

37:05>> and how we can help them to come out of

37:07those mistakes.

37:08>> Ah that's the gift that we have now is

37:11we already did it and we know better.

37:13>> Yeah. And we know different and we can

37:15share.

37:15>> Correct.

37:16>> Uh

37:18>> because you have a beautiful person

37:20inside you. You know you are a beautiful

37:22person.

37:22>> You think so?

37:23>> Oh yeah definitely.

37:24>> Oh thanks man. Yeah I think yeah

37:29>> you have the feeling you have the

37:30emotion. You have love and that's what

37:35you know

37:38though everyone has love not everybody

37:40is able to manifest it.

37:42>> Yeah.

37:43>> Yeah.

37:45How are ways do you think that we can

37:47love ourselves better? Do you feel like

37:50or is that a big question?

37:51>> Love is not an act. It's simply have to

37:54realize

37:54>> love is not a what?

37:55>> It's not an act.

37:59Uh it is not something that you do to

38:02say

38:04all actions are expression of love but

38:06not

38:08love. It's love is what you are. It's

38:10your nature. Like your body is made up

38:13of amino acid, protein, carbohydrates.

38:15Your consciousness is made up of love.

38:18>> So love isn't really found in our body

38:19like in our it's not like it's in us but

38:22it's not in our

38:23>> it's what you are.

38:24>> Ah

38:27listen all the negative emotions are

38:30just a distortion of love.

38:33Greed. What do you think greed is? You

38:35love objects more than people. All for

38:38yourself. Oh

38:39>> your love so your love is off.

38:42Yeah.

38:42>> You got to tune your love better. Your

38:44>> your love is in wrong place.

38:46>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah.

38:47>> Narcissism is what you love yourself

38:49>> more than others.

38:50>> Than others. Jealousy is what? You want

38:53everything for yourself. So

38:56love gets distorted and forms all these

38:59arrogance,

39:01anger. Anger is what? It's nothing but

39:03love.

39:04>> It's just love with a knife.

39:06>> Yeah. You know, uh love for perfection.

39:10M

39:12>> brings anger for imperfection.

39:15[sighs and gasps]

39:15>> I've strug That's something I've

39:17struggled with

39:18>> cuz you love perfection so much. Any

39:20imperfection

39:22brings up the anger inside of you.

39:24>> Well, it makes me feel like I could have

39:26done better. Something could be better.

39:27There's all I'm ne I I'm always looking

39:30for like, okay, this could be different.

39:32This could be more. This could be less.

39:34But I'm

39:34>> You are punishing yourself too much.

39:36>> I am. I'm punishing myself a lot. Every

39:39time you get angry for someone else

39:42mistake or your mistake, you are taking

39:45a toll of your own mind and your own

39:47body. So this is where we should say

39:50stop doing this.

39:53And know we say okay I offer all the

39:55past to God. You know what does God

39:57want? God doesn't want a promise from

39:59you.

40:01God just say drop everything. Drop the

40:04past.

40:04>> God wants us to let go of the past. Let

40:06go of the past and know that the love of

40:09God is with you.

40:12>> Yeah. Do you think that that's what puts

40:14the love inside of us? It's God that it

40:16God is love. Love is God and so are you.

40:20You are made in the image of God means

40:22you are love too.

40:24>> Oh yeah. That's cool, huh? It's kind of

40:27cool. It makes you feel good when you

40:29think about that. Sometimes I don't even

40:31think about that enough.

40:32>> You know that God cared enough that he

40:34would make us It's pretty fascinating.

40:38>> Yeah.

40:39>> It's pretty cool of him.

40:41>> We don't have to think God as someone up

40:43sitting up in the heaven and trying to

40:45give you a finger and it's only the

40:47Michelangelo painting. [laughter]

40:49>> Yeah. Yeah.

40:50>> God is love and you can never be away

40:52from God. You can close your eyes and

40:55you can turn your face away but it's

40:59there like air, like space.

41:03How can you go away from space? Can you

41:06go away from space?

41:07>> No, I'm in it right now.

41:09>> Yeah.

41:09>> And I'm still in it.

41:10>> Yeah. And just realizing that pure

41:13energy, love is all always with us all

41:16all around us. And that's what

41:18meditation does. If we meditate for a

41:21period of time, this awareness uh wakes

41:25up inside us that oh, then there is no

41:28other. Everyone is part of you. M what

41:31is the what is the feeling of the

41:33awakening of the awareness? What does it

41:35feel?

41:35>> It just feels very normal.

41:36>> What does it feel like? It feels very

41:38normal.

41:38>> It feels normal.

41:39>> Normal.

41:40>> How do you notice that you have you

41:41start smiling more maybe?

41:43>> Yeah. You don't feel any walls between

41:45you and others.

41:46>> Ah

41:47>> you don't feel it like how you feel with

41:49your own family. That's what you feel

41:51with everybody.

41:53You don't have any anything to show off.

41:56You know there there's no barriers

41:58between you and other

42:00>> cuz you're all family then.

42:02>> Yeah. Everybody's part of you.

42:05>> More than a family. I tell you more than

42:07a family.

42:08>> More than a family.

42:10>> Is sometimes something else that scares

42:12me is that I'm not

42:15living like whatever God wants me to do.

42:17Like I'm not living like like I'm not

42:20doing what God wants me to do.

42:21>> Don't be too hard on yourself.

42:23>> It's too hard. Yeah. shouldn't be too

42:25hard on yourself,

42:27you know.

42:29>> Yeah, I am. People tell me that a lot.

42:31>> Yeah, you are doing good and you

42:34continue to do good. You can you should

42:35do more to whenever it feels because

42:38when you love what you are doing, you

42:41always feel you have to do more.

42:43>> That's the truth.

42:44>> That's a sign of love.

42:45>> It is.

42:46>> It doesn't it never says oh I have done

42:47enough.

42:50When you say I have done enough that

42:52means somewhere you are retrieving

42:54from doing.

42:55>> Ah

42:56>> you know you your love is has found a

42:59boundary.

43:01>> But when you're but when you're not

43:03feeling that it means that you're you're

43:06still giving.

43:07>> It's it's yeah you you'll always feel

43:10you can do more

43:12>> and that's a good feeling.

43:13>> That's a good feeling. That's a good

43:15feeling.

43:15>> Okay. It's only good to have the feeling

43:17I have to do more for the world, for the

43:19people, for the ones you love. That's

43:22good to have that.

43:24And what

43:27one has to get over is I did wrong. I

43:31did bad

43:33or

43:35wish I had regret.

43:37>> We should come out of the regret and

43:40have a positive attention of what we

43:43want to do.

43:44And you have that.

43:46>> Amen.

43:48Sometimes we look for uh when it comes

43:50to relationships. I'm going to pivot a

43:51little bit and thank you so much for

43:52your time today and thank you for

43:54helping me think about some things, you

43:56know. Yeah. Sometimes I just it's nice

43:57to have a voice like to to help you

43:59think about something, you know. We

44:01can't do it by ourselves, you know.

44:03Sometimes I try to do so much by myself.

44:05It's [snorts] like I can do it. I can do

44:06it. I can do it. But I can't.

44:09You know, I can't do it all all by

44:11myself. Of course. Um, in this world we

44:16are all interdependent. The whole world

44:17is interdependent.

44:20>> Do you

44:20>> I can't I can't grow my own uh you know

44:23cotton. I had to get my clothes done by

44:26somebody. I I don't stitch my own

44:28clothes. So um but you know that's what

44:32the world is all about. Yeah. Someone

44:35grows food for you.

44:36>> Yeah.

44:37>> And we have this illusion just giving a

44:39little bill and we think food is all

44:42mine. No, but still you have done some

44:45help to them but they have done

44:47something for you.

44:49I think that sense of interdependency in

44:53the whole world of all of humanity

44:57is the what we need to recognize and

44:59realize it.

45:01>> If we do this will conflicts will just

45:05evaporate.

45:06>> Yeah. Because we need each other.

45:09Yeah. If you need each other, you

45:10wouldn't want to get rid of each other.

45:12>> Okay.

45:12>> Yeah.

45:14Where do you think that evil to want to

45:17cause harm? Where does that come from?

45:19Cuz there's so there's a lot of harm out

45:21there right now. And I think more than

45:22ever, we're seeing it because of

45:23devices. We see so much more harm than

45:26we did maybe 30 years ago.

45:27>> Yeah, you're right. You're right. You're

45:29right. Right.

45:29>> And it makes us hurt, I think. So, we're

45:31walking around sometimes with hurt.

45:34That's

45:35maybe something we shouldn't have seen,

45:37but at least now we are aware. So it's

45:39kind of

45:39>> that that shows you know the rage in in

45:42the minds and hearts of people the rage.

45:46See neither at home nor at school no one

45:49teaches you how to get rid of your

45:51negative feelings.

45:54You get into rage nobody tells you how

45:56to calm you down

45:59how to take care of this stuff here.

46:02That's where it's very very pertinent

46:05now today to teach children how to

46:08manage their moods. You know our young

46:10people are swinging on one side from

46:14depression and suicidal tendencies on

46:17the other side rage and violence.

46:21We are swinging in these two extremes.

46:24We have to help them to get out of both

46:27these and be normal happy individuals.

46:31Yeah. It just feels like we got It feels

46:33like we took a wrong turn.

46:36[sighs and gasps]

46:37Uh

46:39we can turn better.

46:41>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. We We can turn better.

46:44Yeah. Um there is some lore uh that you

46:48were part of uh stopping a war in

46:51Colombia. Can you take me through some

46:53of that?

46:54>> There were 2 million people of uh

46:57internally displaced people in Colombia.

47:00They were all with anger and rage and a

47:03lot of suffering because of the far

47:06conflict. This has been happening for 52

47:08years.

47:08>> Because of the fart conflict. Yeah.

47:10Bring that up just so I can let our

47:11listeners know what it was. [sighs]

47:15And thank you for your time today,

47:17brother.

47:17>> Thank you.

47:18>> I needed this.

47:19>> It's all US.

47:22>> The Colombian armed conflict is one of

47:24the longest running ongoing armed

47:25conflicts in the world. It officially

47:27began in 1964 with the creation of two

47:29major guerrilla groups. The

47:31revolutionary armed forces of Colombia

47:33Fuzas Armadaras Revolutionaris

47:36Revolaras

47:39de Colombia that's FARC uh founded by

47:42rebel leader Manuel Marulanda and the

47:44National Liberation Army

47:46>> Emanuel. Yeah. So,

47:48>> so this was going on for a long time.

47:50>> For a very long time. So, lot of people

47:53were internally displaced. So I went to

47:56our group of people were doing the

47:58trauma relief for them and helping them

48:00with meditation and so that was a very

48:04big success. So the government of

48:06Colombia gave me their highest civilian

48:08award for for this work.

48:11>> So you went there to do it. Was it scary

48:13when you went there? Was it was it

48:15>> it was the Colombia I mean the capital

48:17Bota was almost like in a shamble. You

48:19could never recognize that city when you

48:22compare from what it is today, you know,

48:24>> and the people were hurting.

48:26>> People were hurting. So when we then

48:29after that there was a formal handshake

48:32with the president. It was supposed to

48:33last for 5 minutes. Then we were there

48:36for about 40 50 minutes. We spoke to him

48:39and then um Mr. The president Santos

48:42said I don't think there is any hope

48:46with these people because so many people

48:48tried the peace process and they are not

48:50agreeing.

48:52So I said why not I go and try.

48:55So he said yeah you can do it any help

48:58is welcome.

48:59>> Wow.

48:59>> So I took a flight from there. I

49:01chartered a plane and went to Kuba to

49:04meet with these uh gorillas. There were

49:0615 of them commandos. First they say no

49:09because we don't have anything to do

49:12with we don't have anything to do with

49:14the spiritual leader.

49:17>> Yeah it's kind of

49:18>> yeah taboo

49:19>> taboo. See see we don't want to. So they

49:24said um our philosophy is KL Marx and

49:28>> their philosophy is karma.

49:29>> Kmax Kmax and

49:32>> Carmax

49:34>> Carl Carlax you know

49:37>> Klax

49:39>> uh the communist philosophy.

49:42>> Okay. What is the communist philosophy?

49:43You know it

49:44>> Carl Marx.

49:46>> Carl Marx. Oh Marxism.

49:48>> Marxism.

49:50Um yeah what was the Marxist philosophy?

49:52Let me just dictate it so that our

49:53listeners can follow along. Uh Marxism a

49:57social political and economic philosophy

49:58created by Carl Marx. It states that

50:00society is split into two main groups.

50:02The working class who do the labor and

50:04the owners who take the profits.

50:06>> So he said you know our ideal is Carl

50:08Marx. So we don't need to

50:11>> any philosophy. We're happy with all

50:12>> because they have everything.

50:15So uh but then that evening in Havana I

50:18had a public talk in the university. So

50:22they sent two people to check me out

50:24what this guy is talking about coming

50:26from India.

50:28So they came and had given some talk and

50:32then I led people through a meditation.

50:35Then they told them you know uh maybe we

50:39should meet him that he can influence

50:40the government and others to stop the

50:43bombing.

50:45To make this story short so they came to

50:47meet with me in the beginning they were

50:50very aggressive and then uh for next 3

50:54days we were they were with me did some

50:57meditations I spoke to them I told them

50:59look

51:01your goal is social cause social

51:04upliftment I'm with you everybody wants

51:06social justice but the path you have

51:09chosen the violence is what I I cannot

51:13take it I cannot I just did why don't

51:15you try a different route

51:18>> of nonviolence Gandhiian principle of

51:20nonviolence

51:24first they said no but then they went

51:27back they thought then they came the

51:28next day and said yes we will so they

51:31announced the unilateral ceasefire

51:36and then we did a forgiveness process I

51:39got some of the victims flew in and the

51:42far they put them face to face they for

51:46there was forgiveness process they for

51:49forgave each other and

51:51>> that was a very moving instant then we

51:53had that forgiveness process all over

51:56and the peace deal happened there's a

51:58movie coming about this someone has made

52:00a movie

52:01>> really

52:01>> it's going to come it's called white

52:04>> white

52:04>> white the Colombia and they're all

52:08making a movie

52:09>> wow that's is so exciting huh and how

52:12long did The whole process take

52:16>> I would say a few months, couple of

52:19months.

52:20>> Wow.

52:22Yeah. There's just so much conflict in

52:24the world. Wait, there we go. Mont the

52:28director is go back

52:30by Montuasi.

52:32>> Montasi.

52:33>> Yes.

52:35>> Will be the director. Oh, that's Oh,

52:37wow. And there's an actor named Vikrant

52:39Massi.

52:40>> Vikrant Massi. He is acting as me. He's

52:42playing you. He better do a good job.

52:44[laughter]

52:46>> But if he doesn't, it's okay.

52:48>> Yeah, it's okay.

52:49>> Yeah, it's okay. Oh, he's handsome, man.

52:51You think it's same?

52:53>> Yeah. Yeah, same guy.

52:54>> He pretty handsome, huh?

52:57>> Okay, man.

52:58>> You think I am not?

52:59>> No. No, it's good. [laughter]

53:00Hey, very close. It's very close.

53:04>> Very close.

53:05>> Um,

53:07>> one thing I I I think sometimes about

53:09like I think about relationships a lot,

53:11right? Like I'm not married yet, but

53:12maybe hopefully one day.

53:13>> Yeah.

53:14>> You know, and

53:16uh but

53:18>> good luck. Good luck to you.

53:19>> Thank you. I appreciate it. Yeah. Yeah.

53:21I think I need a little bit of luck

53:23maybe. But sometimes I notice it's like

53:26I have a I have a tougher time probably

53:28with uh like I'll notice sometimes

53:31instead of trying to figure out how to

53:33love myself, I will try to find someone

53:36else

53:38and have them like like I'm not going to

53:42figure out how to how to love myself,

53:44but you love me. You know what I'm

53:46saying? kind of does it like I'm going

53:48to put the responsibility

53:50on someone like it's their

53:51responsibility to love me instead of my

53:53responsibility. Does that make any sense

53:56if I say it to you?

53:57>> Like say if I meet someone right

53:59>> I see the confusion there.

54:02>> I see I keep seeing this all the time.

54:04>> You do people. Yeah. Everywhere.

54:06>> Uh you know

54:07>> it's easier it's easier for me to say

54:09hey you love me instead of me say hey

54:12let let me make sure that that I love

54:15me. want to love somebody, you should

54:16take it for granted they love you. Their

54:19expression of love may be different but

54:21never question someone's love for you.

54:24>> Wait, say it again for me. Gurv,

54:27>> when you want to love someone, you

54:29should take it for granted they also

54:31love you. Their way of expression, their

54:34way of or their expression of love may

54:37be different, but never questions the

54:40love of a person for you.

54:43>> Do you see what I'm saying? Because then

54:44no matter what they love me.

54:46>> Yeah.

54:46>> Right. Oh, they love me. They might

54:48express. Maybe they don't call.

54:49>> They don't they don't express they don't

54:51know how to express it properly. They

54:53love me.

54:54>> Yeah. They don't text me. They don't

54:55text me back, bud. They love me.

54:57[laughter]

54:57>> That's okay.

54:58>> That's okay. You know, in that sense,

55:01your love for them grows.

55:03>> Oh, you're right.

55:04>> And it also makes the other person

55:06comfortable. Just suppose if someone

55:08asks you to give the proof of your love

55:10for them. It's so hard. It's such a

55:13burden on your head, right?

55:15>> Yeah.

55:15>> Suppose your girlfriend every day ask

55:18you to prove that do you really love me?

55:20Do you really love me?

55:22>> Then you you will go like this. Oh my

55:24god.

55:25>> Yeah. I how how more I can convince you

55:28know what else I can do to convince this

55:31person I love them. See you know

55:34expression of love can never be complete

55:37because love is infinite.

55:40Ah

55:42so and the whole humanity from ages they

55:46have been trying to encapsul

55:49uh love in words in actions

55:52in everything. Still you find love is

55:56intangible

55:58and it cannot be uh capsulated.

56:02So that's why you see from self love the

56:07universal love they're all

56:10interconnected.

56:12>> So now I should think say if I text a

56:14girl or something and she doesn't text

56:15me back it's like oh she loves me she

56:17just doesn't tell me. She just doesn't

56:19tell me.

56:19>> No she doesn't know yet.

56:20>> Yeah. [laughter]

56:22>> Yeah.

56:23>> But [gasps]

56:23you wait in patience. You know you were

56:26>> maybe I wait a few lifetimes. Maybe

56:28that's okay.

56:29>> No. See again you're putting that

56:31intention in you. I

56:33>> Oh, you're right.

56:34>> So many lifetimes. Why in this lifetime

56:37you want to achieve something you put

56:38the positive thought? See everything is

56:42vibrations in this world. So

56:44>> do you think that's true that we can

56:45summon other you do you believe that?

56:47>> Yeah. Everything is vibration. You know

56:50all our actions

56:52are uh they they they go after our

56:56thoughts right?

56:58>> Yes. Yes, our intentions

57:00they precede our intentions. Uh I mean

57:03they they follow our intentions.

57:06>> Our intentions precede all our actions.

57:09Most of the actions at least.

57:11>> So uh you love somebody, you are

57:13attracted to someone, you love someone,

57:16then you have to express yourself and

57:19express in such a way that it is

57:22acceptable to others.

57:23>> Yes, that's the key. Acceptable.

57:26>> Acceptable to others.

57:28[snorts] You know uh we have to make a

57:30distinction here. First one is

57:32attraction and then attachment and then

57:35comes emotional

57:37uh entanglement or love.

57:40>> So sometimes it might not even be love.

57:42It might just be attraction. It might

57:44just be attachment.

57:44>> Reflection. Yeah.

57:49>> Yeah. And sometimes you just want

57:50somebody to valid. You just want

57:52somebody to make you feel okay. You just

57:54want somebody to

57:57>> Nothing wrong in it. So what?

57:58>> It's okay.

57:59>> It's okay. It's okay.

58:00>> Everything doesn't have to be a problem.

58:02Huh?

58:04>> Nothing nothing need to be a problem.

58:06Can take everything as a challenge.

58:09>> Yeah.

58:11Yeah.

58:13What what do you think when you look at

58:15relationships maybe in your own life or

58:17in other uh people that you've met or

58:20witnessed? What is one of the keys to

58:22the most uh success in in a

58:24relationship?

58:26When both of them have a common goal

58:32to achieve, not uh focused on each other

58:35too much, you know, it's like two lines

58:38focused on each other, they'll meet and

58:39they'll go apart.

58:42But if they have a common goal, then

58:44they go for infinity.

58:46>> They go parallel

58:49that is one thing. They should have a

58:51purpose, a goal. Because attraction

58:53doesn't last for ever. It it has its

58:56time, right? You're hungry and you eat

59:00food and that's done. You can't be

59:03perpetually hungry.

59:05>> So same way attraction also is time

59:08bound. But if you both go on ambition

59:13then that lasts long. Number one. Second

59:17uh stop policing each other. That is

59:20when you focus just on each other too

59:23much then you'll start policing each

59:25other.

59:27>> That's third is understanding. G

59:30creating a room giving a space for

59:32others to be what they are

59:35>> not wanting.

59:35>> Let them grow. If you stand by a plant

59:37like this, it's going to maybe get

59:39nervous.

59:39>> Yeah. Stif. Don't stifle someone with

59:42your love.

59:43>> Yeah. If you stand by a plant with a

59:44magnifying glass, maybe it's going to

59:46get nervous.

59:48>> It may not get nervous. You are wasting

59:49your time. [laughter]

59:51>> Okay.

59:51>> It will take its own time when it wants

59:53to grow.

59:55>> Yeah. Yeah. Yeah. That's true. That's

59:57true. That's true.

59:59>> Yeah, man. And I think we all like I

1:00:02think we look a lot I know that in my

1:00:03life I look a lot for love from the

1:00:05outside.

1:00:06>> There's nothing wrong about that. It's

1:00:08okay.

1:00:08>> It's okay. It's okay. That's what now

1:00:10your need is.

1:00:11>> It's a good So and it's a good thing to

1:00:13search for. I'm not looking for

1:00:14something bad.

1:00:15>> Yeah.

1:00:15>> I'm just looking for Yeah. We just want

1:00:18Yeah. That's what we want.

1:00:19>> And you when you find it, don't start

1:00:21doubting it.

1:00:22>> Oh, that's what I'll do, too.

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1:03:11You know, sometimes I'll have a feeling

1:03:13that something that comes up and I don't

1:03:14want to do it, but it like it's like uh

1:03:17something like, you know, I have a bad

1:03:20idea that comes up, you know, and it

1:03:23tries to plant a seed in me, you know?

1:03:25It's like, oh, maybe you should do this

1:03:27at some point, you know, and it could be

1:03:30something bad. It could be or for me it

1:03:31would be bad like cuz I'm in recovery

1:03:33program, so it could be, you know,

1:03:34drugs, alcohol, you know, just things

1:03:36like that, behaviors I don't want to do.

1:03:38Sometimes I have a seed that'll like a

1:03:40little idea will come up like with a

1:03:42little bell and be like, "Hey," you

1:03:45know, or he'll wear something fancy.

1:03:47He'll be like, "Look what I'm wearing."

1:03:48You know, like a little idea like a

1:03:50little like a little lady will walk by

1:03:52this an idea will walk by and try to get

1:03:55me to follow. You know what I'm talking

1:03:56about? And sometimes it's it's a bad

1:03:58behavior.

1:04:01[sighs]

1:04:04You know these ideas come and your will

1:04:07and your um your intellect says no this

1:04:10is not good for you. So you stay away

1:04:12from it.

1:04:14You know if it's so compelling why it is

1:04:17so compelling because it is promising

1:04:20some joy some pleasure.

1:04:21>> Yes that's part of it.

1:04:24>> So then you go for it then you

1:04:26automatically you run towards it. here

1:04:29you need to get a better joy better you

1:04:32know some I've been dealing with

1:04:34addictions people with addictions all

1:04:37the time you say okay I'm so addicted to

1:04:40alco I tell them I'll give you a better

1:04:43brand of intoxicant that will never let

1:04:46you go

1:04:48[gasps]

1:04:49so when they come and do breathing they

1:04:51meditate they find that uh ecstasy

1:04:55inside them so they don't need any

1:04:57dependent dependence on some substance

1:05:00that altered state of happiness comes

1:05:03from within you with your own breath and

1:05:06meditation. So you're saying a lot of it

1:05:08is you have to replace it with something

1:05:09else of value

1:05:11>> of value of larger uh uh joy

1:05:14>> more importance more joy

1:05:15>> more important more joyful thing

1:05:18>> when it is when it bothers so much first

1:05:20of all your discrimination itself will

1:05:24stop you

1:05:25>> tell me that part again please

1:05:27>> your wisdom alone will stop is enough to

1:05:30stop sometimes sometimes

1:05:32>> when he doesn't do then the

1:05:35uh better joy will just

1:05:39take you out of it. You'll just feel see

1:05:42you never you won't care.

1:05:45You know, as you grow up, you're not uh

1:05:50craving for candies

1:05:52>> or chocolates like you were doing when

1:05:54you were a young boy, right?

1:05:56>> It doesn't m it doesn't bother you

1:05:57anymore.

1:05:58>> Yeah. I don't even like cuz other things

1:06:00are more important.

1:06:02>> Ah, so you have to find something more

1:06:04important.

1:06:04>> More important.

1:06:07I know you guys have done a lot of work

1:06:08with people who are in recovery and

1:06:10addiction. Correct.

1:06:11>> Tell me about some of your work that you

1:06:13guys that you and your institute have

1:06:14done or

1:06:15>> Yeah, our you know I've trained 38,000

1:06:19uh teachers volunteers who are all

1:06:21volunteers and teachers and uh they all

1:06:24uh run the whole thing

1:06:26>> and they run the it's a recovery

1:06:27community. They the the recovery they do

1:06:30the teachings in the schools in colleges

1:06:33sky campuses they do in all the

1:06:36universities

1:06:36>> for the sky breathing

1:06:37>> sky breathing

1:06:38>> wow

1:06:39>> in the university we are in 170

1:06:41universities in

1:06:44>> so young people yeah young people feel

1:06:46so good so such a difference when they

1:06:49feel such a disconnect with their

1:06:51parents with their pulse you know after

1:06:53doing their breathing they feel so good

1:06:56you know so many parents have written to

1:06:57me

1:06:58He you know our our our children are

1:07:01behaving so much better now. They've

1:07:03been very kind. They're not aggressive.

1:07:06They don't have that rage and anger like

1:07:09before. And uh they've been very kind.

1:07:12You know they were helpful in nature.

1:07:14All these good qualities in a person

1:07:16start to manifest

1:07:18>> and all that can come from our breathing

1:07:20>> come come when we get rid of our stress.

1:07:22>> Ah

1:07:24stress is the cause of a lot of

1:07:25violence. This is the cause of all

1:07:27violence.

1:07:29Simple Matthew.

1:07:32Clarity in mind, purity in heart,

1:07:35sincerity in action. That's my formula.

1:07:38>> Clarity in mind,

1:07:39>> purity in heart,

1:07:41>> sincerity in action.

1:07:42>> In action. Yeah,

1:07:43>> that's it.

1:07:44>> How do we make sure our actions are

1:07:46sincere? What can we do? What can we ask

1:07:48ourselves? Do you think

1:07:49>> being spontaneous?

1:07:50>> Oh, spontaneous.

1:07:53Sometimes Yeah. I get a sometimes. Yeah.

1:07:57Yeah.

1:08:00Is meditation is it e does it have a

1:08:03stronger effect on younger people? Do

1:08:05you think

1:08:06>> young or old?

1:08:07>> Doesn't matter. It doesn't matter.

1:08:10>> I've seen a lot of videos of of children

1:08:12doing intuition tests.

1:08:14>> Yeah.

1:08:14>> Can you take me down uh some of the

1:08:16understanding of intuition tests? And

1:08:18you guys have an institute for

1:08:19intuition. Is that it?

1:08:20>> Correct. The Institute of Absolute

1:08:22Intelligence. We have

1:08:23>> it's wait it's called Institute for

1:08:25Absolute Intelligence.

1:08:26>> Intelligence very using

1:08:28>> I would I would love absolute

1:08:29intelligence. So please what grade do

1:08:32you have to be in? I I'll go

1:08:34>> the children and teenager up to 18 years

1:08:37we take them and it's good and and you

1:08:42know

1:08:42>> and it's a it's a it's a full school.

1:08:45>> No no it just 18 days program.

1:08:47>> Okay. It's an 18 days program. And so

1:08:49what is the program like? Take me

1:08:50through it if you don't mind. Guru Dev.

1:08:51The program is they learn some breathing

1:08:53technique, they learn some meditation

1:08:55technique and they learn how they can

1:08:57use their intuitive ability the gut

1:08:59feeling

1:09:00>> much more stronger and u you know gut

1:09:04feeling that is which is unfaliable that

1:09:06doesn't fail that's what gut feeling is

1:09:09all about.

1:09:10>> What is our gut feeling? What's it made

1:09:11out of?

1:09:13>> We all have it but we don't use it. Many

1:09:16times it becomes very obscure. It's very

1:09:20real though because sometimes you get a

1:09:21feeling like this is no and sometimes

1:09:23you you get a feeling a lot of time this

1:09:25is unsure. That's what I those are the

1:09:27two I get. I never get a yes. [laughter]

1:09:30>> Never mind.

1:09:32>> Have you ever seen

1:09:33>> No, no. If you get no, you will get S

1:09:34also there.

1:09:35>> Do you think so?

1:09:37>> Maybe you're right. Maybe I just not

1:09:39Maybe I got to Yeah, you're probably

1:09:40right.

1:09:41>> No for something then S for something

1:09:43else, right?

1:09:44>> But what is that feeling?

1:09:46>> What is it? What is that feeling? Do you

1:09:48think it I never even think about it.

1:09:49It's the same feeling you get like when

1:09:51your heart is hurt. It's like it's a

1:09:52feeling that's like

1:09:54>> it's not.

1:09:55>> See your your head says something. Your

1:09:57intellect say your rational mind says

1:09:59something but your gut feeling just

1:10:02overthrows that. You know all your

1:10:06rational logical thinking is overthrown

1:10:09by some gut feeling and then you follow

1:10:11it and you find hey boy that was right.

1:10:14Then you call it gut feeling. And how do

1:10:16you guys help children to understand

1:10:18that better? Like are there certain

1:10:19practices you use?

1:10:20>> Yeah, we teach them a set of practices.

1:10:23>> H

1:10:24>> 15 minutes per day and then they get it.

1:10:28>> Wow.

1:10:29>> Because they don't have strong craving

1:10:30or aversion. Their mind is still very

1:10:32fresh. You know, it's like uh learning a

1:10:35ballet dance.

1:10:37>> Mhm.

1:10:37>> When the body is very flexible, they can

1:10:40they can learn the ballet very easily.

1:10:43Um so and for an adult it will take some

1:10:46more time to bend their

1:10:49>> their joints. Yeah like that with kids

1:10:52they they are easy to learn but not that

1:10:55adults cannot. They too can they too can

1:10:58but if you're a long-term meditator yeah

1:11:01you can.

1:11:02>> What's the youngest age you've seen

1:11:03someone start meditation at?

1:11:06>> Meditation with 10 12 something

1:11:09>> 10 or 12 years old. That's a good age.

1:11:11That's good. But they have different

1:11:13meditation. But in the teenage or in 20s

1:11:17and 2030s, that's good. You have to do a

1:11:20proper meditation, full meditation.

1:11:24>> So we have that's why we had designed 67

1:11:27different workshops which would suit all

1:11:30different ages and um you know

1:11:33conditions.

1:11:34>> And is that through the institute of

1:11:36absolute intelligence or that is through

1:11:37the art of living?

1:11:38>> Art of living.

1:11:38>> Art of living.

1:11:39>> Yeah.

1:11:40>> Wow. So tell me a little bit more about

1:11:42the art of living just so I understand

1:11:43it. It was a download that you took in

1:11:45during your period of silence. Right.

1:11:48And since then it's spawned countless uh

1:11:51endeavors and outreach over the years.

1:11:54Um what what does what does it

1:11:56constitute now? The art of living.

1:11:59>> Art of living you know the the very aim

1:12:02is to make life a celebration.

1:12:05>> Educate people to make life a

1:12:07celebration. get over anger and anxiety.

1:12:12>> Do you think it was always there the

1:12:13anger anxiety from the beginning of time

1:12:15or do you think we picked it up?

1:12:17>> Well, it it's there been there only um

1:12:22you need to learn how to overcome them.

1:12:26anger about the past and anxiety about

1:12:28the future. When we learn how to rise

1:12:32over this, you know, you know, waves

1:12:35have always been there. Only you need to

1:12:37learn how to self.

1:12:42>> So, uh main thing, let me put it in a

1:12:44small capsule. Uh the art of living

1:12:47foundation is group of volunteers,

1:12:50largest volunteer- based organization.

1:12:53They help wherever there is disaster,

1:12:55there is problem, trauma.

1:12:57And then the main thing is to make uh

1:13:00violence free and stress-free society.

1:13:03>> We want to eliminate stress in society.

1:13:07Violence free, stressfree society,

1:13:11disease-free body,

1:13:13>> make people healthy with breathing and

1:13:16meditation and all that thing.

1:13:18>> And then confusion free mind. You're

1:13:20confused about everything, you know. and

1:13:22bringing clarity to mind and

1:13:24inhibitionfree intellect. You know um

1:13:28people carry on different type of

1:13:29inhibition about gender inhibition about

1:13:33age inhibition you know people of

1:13:36different age don't mix with everybody

1:13:38you see they all find their own levels

1:13:41and so there is a gap between the

1:13:44generations the art of living brings

1:13:46that thing together make better

1:13:48understanding and inhibition between

1:13:52race religion gender all that inhibition

1:13:56to be done away with. No listen we are

1:13:59in uh in the 21st century where we see

1:14:03the technology has united the whole

1:14:06globe into a village. how we still hold

1:14:09on to those sort of smallmindedness and

1:14:13>> prejudice that's no good you know uh to

1:14:17helping people to get over their

1:14:19prejudice all type of prejudice

1:14:21>> traumafree memory

1:14:23>> and sorrowfree soul

1:14:26that's what I would say let me repeat it

1:14:29violence free society disease-free body

1:14:33uh confusion free mind inhibitionfree

1:14:36intellect traumafree memory and

1:14:38sorrowfree soul.

1:14:39>> Amen.

1:14:40>> That's it.

1:14:41>> Sign me up. [laughter]

1:14:43>> Thank you. I love those goals. I believe

1:14:45that those are probably in our heart. It

1:14:47feels like those are all of our goals.

1:14:49>> All of our goals. Yeah.

1:14:50>> That's what we want. It feels like

1:14:51that's how we should live.

1:14:52>> Correct.

1:14:53>> I just it's it's amazing that we got so

1:14:56off course sometimes.

1:14:57>> And that's how you know people from 182

1:15:00countries have taken this up. Yeah.

1:15:04>> How many volunteers do you have total

1:15:05that work within your program with

1:15:07within your organization?

1:15:08>> Oh,

1:15:10millions.

1:15:12>> We had a big world culture festival. I

1:15:15wanted to bring everyone together. Every

1:15:17four years we did this.

1:15:19>> The first one we had was in

1:15:22>> the first one you had?

1:15:23>> We had in India that was in 20 uh 26

1:15:272006.

1:15:29>> Oh yeah. In Madras where

1:15:31>> in Bangalore.

1:15:32>> In Bangalore. Bangalore. We had

1:15:33>> I never been to Bangalore. It's nice.

1:15:35>> You must come. It's the IT capital of uh

1:15:37India. It's a Silicon Valley of India.

1:15:39>> Really?

1:15:40>> Yeah.

1:15:40>> Oh, good. I'm going to stay with you.

1:15:42>> Yeah, you must.

1:15:44>> Oh, good.

1:15:44>> We have a nice campus there. You can see

1:15:47two elephants there. You can go to world

1:15:49world culture festival. Yeah,

1:15:51>> that's it right there.

1:15:52>> This is DC.

1:15:54We had this in Washington DC.

1:15:57>> Mhm.

1:15:58And

1:15:59>> hey,

1:16:00>> yeah,

1:16:02>> what a beautiful group of people, huh?

1:16:04>> We had 1.1 million people joined in DC.

1:16:09And see, look at that.

1:16:10>> Did you really?

1:16:11>> Can you go back a little bit?

1:16:13>> Yeah. Let's see it again.

1:16:15>> And 17,000

1:16:18artist.

1:16:21>> Let's go. There's Gary Buucy.

1:16:22>> Yeah. This is in Washington DC.

1:16:25>> That's beautiful. Then we had in in New

1:16:28Delhi. Just imagine how many it was. It

1:16:32was 36,6002

1:16:36artist on a this one.

1:16:39>> Wow. You put this on

1:16:42>> Yeah. on uh on a stage which was uh six

1:16:50soccer grounds.

1:16:51>> Wow.

1:16:52>> 7 acres of stage.

1:16:54>> This is unbelievable. And people who are

1:16:56just listening and who can't see this

1:16:58video, this is I mean it's absolutely it

1:17:00looks like the Olympics.

1:17:02>> Yeah. It was like the Olympics of

1:17:05culture.

1:17:06>> Yeah.

1:17:08>> And I wanted all the, you know, amateur

1:17:11artists to come up on stage from 155

1:17:16countries.

1:17:18This is from Lithuania.

1:17:20>> Look at that's meatloaf.

1:17:23Wow. This is beautiful. Thank you for

1:17:26sharing. This is amazing. And so every

1:17:27four years this happens.

1:17:29>> Yeah.

1:17:29>> Wow.

1:17:29>> So this was in New Delhi 10 years back

1:17:32and we had uh 3.75

1:17:36million people in attendance

1:17:38>> for this program.

1:17:39>> Gosh. So it's growing.

1:17:41>> And they all meditated.

1:17:42>> They all meditated at the same time.

1:17:44>> At the same time. Just imagine the sea

1:17:48of people so silent for 20 minutes. It

1:17:52was something was wonderful.

1:17:54>> It's powerful.

1:17:55>> Very powerful. Same in DC we had in the

1:17:58National Mall.

1:17:59>> Mhm.

1:18:00>> 1.1 million people sitting and

1:18:02meditating was

1:18:05very rewarding experience for people.

1:18:07See this is what we need to do. Make

1:18:09life more a celebration. Bring people of

1:18:11all culture, tradition, music.

1:18:14>> Well, the truth is that it is a

1:18:15celebration. That's the real truth. The

1:18:17truth is that we're here in the middle

1:18:19of nowhere, you know, in the middle of

1:18:21existence and we get to see each other

1:18:25>> and we're sitting here and we're worried

1:18:27about and I'm part of the problem, but

1:18:29we're worried about it. We're like

1:18:30whining, we're crying, we're upset, but

1:18:33it's like this is the ma this is like

1:18:36this is the magic part of the magic

1:18:38trick. This isn't like the practice and

1:18:40this is the tadada, you know? This is

1:18:42the

1:18:43>> when a magician goes like that, that's

1:18:45where we are right now. We're living.

1:18:47This is the magic.

1:18:49So, it is kind of fascinating that we

1:18:51get stuck in these other places, you

1:18:53know, and this is such a nice reminder.

1:18:56>> Yeah.

1:18:56>> Spending time with you is such a nice

1:18:58reminder that that's not where we need

1:18:59to be and that's not where we have to

1:19:00be.

1:19:01>> Got it.

1:19:02>> It is a celebration. The fact you get to

1:19:04see someone that loves you sometimes,

1:19:05that's a celebration. You know,

1:19:08>> you know, you don't need to seek love.

1:19:10You know, there are two types of joy.

1:19:12Let me I want to bring this up to you,

1:19:14>> okay? There are two types of joy. One

1:19:16type of happiness is that uh you get

1:19:20when you get something. You get a gift

1:19:22on a Christmas day or you get your

1:19:25birthday. You get a gift.

1:19:26>> Yeah. You get a new hat or something.

1:19:27>> You get some gift that

1:19:29>> caramels.

1:19:30>> Getting something is really brings

1:19:32happiness to you. Right. People give you

1:19:34a compliments. You go, "Wow."

1:19:36>> Yeah.

1:19:36>> Right. But there is another type of

1:19:39happiness that comes to you when you

1:19:41give. M

1:19:43>> that's more mature happiness. I would

1:19:45say that's uh that's akin to the um the

1:19:50joy of a grandmother. You know your

1:19:52grandmother when you go home she makes

1:19:55nice dishes, she makes a cake for you

1:19:57and all that. Oh yeah.

1:19:58>> Her joy is in feeding you not eating by

1:20:01herself.

1:20:01>> Right.

1:20:02>> Right. So the joy of giving is where we

1:20:07need to grow into life cuz that is more.

1:20:10So similarly when you are here to give

1:20:12love and not wanting love

1:20:16>> you realize the source of love is within

1:20:19your life is very short. So let me give

1:20:22love as much as I can to everybody

1:20:24around me. You will see you will get 10

1:20:27times more love towards you coming

1:20:29towards you.

1:20:30>> And you believe that's true?

1:20:31>> Yeah. Got it. And sometimes we're afraid

1:20:34to I think even give like there's been

1:20:35times where I'm afraid to give because I

1:20:37won't I guess it comes from a place then

1:20:38I won't have something you know.

1:20:40>> Yeah. Yeah. No, you give only what you

1:20:42can.

1:20:43>> Yeah.

1:20:44>> You don't if people expect you to give

1:20:46something which you cannot give, you

1:20:48simply say sorry. Sorry I cannot give.

1:20:50Someone says you know I have a problem

1:20:53my health issue come and he help me. You

1:20:55will have to say no I can't. But

1:20:58whatever you can you will give. you will

1:21:01do anyway, right?

1:21:03>> Yeah. What what what's the longest that

1:21:05someone can meditate for?

1:21:08>> 24 hours. [laughter]

1:21:11>> You know, I would say you meditate for

1:21:1410 20 minutes,

1:21:15>> 20 minutes,

1:21:16>> 25 minutes, 30 minutes. That's good

1:21:18enough for you.

1:21:19>> But you know, after practice, then that

1:21:22state [snorts] of calmness, inner

1:21:24calmness continues even when you are

1:21:26acting, and you're talking and you're

1:21:28doing anything. Well, I notice it gives

1:21:30me a little more space between moments

1:21:32if I'm going to think of an answer. I'm

1:21:34not I'm not as reactive. It gives me a

1:21:36little more like let me think. Let me

1:21:38make sure. Let me be certain. Let me

1:21:41>> let me let me even just let me just

1:21:46that, you know, just be.

1:21:47>> Yeah. It gives me a little bit of space

1:21:49before I react sometimes

1:21:50>> if um if I'm having a strong meditation

1:21:53practice.

1:21:54>> Yeah.

1:21:55>> We live in a time right now when people

1:21:57are very anxious. there's a lot of

1:21:59anxiety going on. Have you seen that

1:22:01grow in your lifetime? Has it or has it

1:22:03always been there? You think just think

1:22:05things have looked differently or

1:22:06different things have caused it or do

1:22:08you feel like we are at a time that

1:22:09feels a little more

1:22:10>> it's more on a larger scale now?

1:22:13>> Okay.

1:22:13>> It was not so prevalent. When I was a

1:22:16student um I mean even now I think I'm a

1:22:19student in a student days you could see

1:22:22that um there was no mental health

1:22:26issues. There was no bip I've never

1:22:28heard schizophrenia bipolar or um

1:22:33breakdown due to nervous.

1:22:35>> Yes, it's a lot. It sounds very new.

1:22:37>> All these things are today in every

1:22:40corner you find them. It's more intense

1:22:43and uh more prevalent everywhere.

1:22:46>> What do you think are the causes of some

1:22:48of these things? Have you noticed?

1:22:49>> No. Whatever the cause is, I feel there

1:22:52is a solution for it. And that's what I

1:22:54would say this meditation breathing

1:22:57uh engaging in art and culture and

1:23:00service activity all this is help and

1:23:03it's helping.

1:23:06Yeah, I definitely noticed G

1:23:07>> and helping people get out of drug. You

1:23:10know, we we started in India drug free

1:23:12India campaign.

1:23:13>> Drug free India.

1:23:14>> Drug free India campaign.

1:23:16>> What's the most popular drug in India?

1:23:17What are they using over there?

1:23:18>> Uh all kinds of drugs are there

1:23:20>> really.

1:23:21>> Yeah.

1:23:21>> Anything good like or anything not good?

1:23:23Sorry.

1:23:24>> I'm not too familiar about all the way

1:23:26but only familiar about what what has

1:23:29helped people.

1:23:30>> That's what I meant.

1:23:32>> Yeah. And our programs you know for them

1:23:34we have we conduct a program yes plus

1:23:36program. Youth empowerment seminar.

1:23:39>> Say it one more time. What's it called?

1:23:40>> Youth empowerment seminar.

1:23:42>> Youth empowerment seminar.

1:23:43>> Yes.

1:23:43>> Yes program.

1:23:44>> Yes s program. So that is uh that has

1:23:47helped you know it includes the sky

1:23:49breath technique in that and many other

1:23:52things. And with the children yeah you

1:23:55see.

1:23:56>> Oh beautiful. uh with the kids I give

1:23:59them seven things to take home. You know

1:24:02when I say make one new friend every day

1:24:04>> you know first first question I ask

1:24:06children how many friends do you have

1:24:09they count on their finger three four

1:24:11five I think come on you are living you

1:24:14are going to a school for so many hours

1:24:18uh with and so many years

1:24:22with several thousand kids there and you

1:24:25could be friendly with all of them.

1:24:27Yeah. Get out there and how can you be

1:24:30with friendly with 8 billion people when

1:24:33you come out of the school.

1:24:34>> Yeah.

1:24:35>> So, so that just kindles that uh

1:24:39awareness in them. Then they take a vow

1:24:42to make one new friend every day and

1:24:45they become friendly by nature.

1:24:47>> Yeah. Because it's a practice.

1:24:49>> Yeah. Friendship. It's not friendship

1:24:52for something but to be friendly in

1:24:54nature.

1:24:56>> Got it. Oh, I see what you're saying. By

1:24:58making new friends, even trying to make

1:25:00new friends, you are creating the

1:25:02ability within yourself to be friendly.

1:25:04>> Friendly

1:25:05>> in general.

1:25:06>> In general.

1:25:06>> Uh

1:25:08what what's a way that we can start to

1:25:10get to know ourselves? One thing that I

1:25:12think is is um might be causing some um

1:25:17discomfort in our society and in our

1:25:19time is that uh

1:25:22we have less of a relationship with

1:25:25ourselves. You know, I think when we

1:25:27didn't used to have uh so much

1:25:29technology and we didn't have our cell

1:25:30phones so readily available and usable

1:25:32all the time, we had more time to

1:25:34process things.

1:25:35>> I wouldn't blame on the cell phones as

1:25:38social media. No,

1:25:39>> you wouldn't.

1:25:40>> No. No. They are all there that it's uh

1:25:43it's it's it's a tool you know it's

1:25:45depends on how you use it. If you

1:25:48excessively use anything

1:25:49>> you're going to harm yourself.

1:25:52>> In all this you must take some time

1:25:54spend real time with people

1:25:57engage in music dance meditation

1:26:01breathing and some time just for

1:26:03yourself and to be with nature.

1:26:07See working for environment is also

1:26:09something that aids uh in your

1:26:12development. You know if you care for

1:26:15plants, if you care for nature,

1:26:19uh you know uh it it shifts your energy

1:26:22level.

1:26:22>> One of the things it seems like is we

1:26:24spend so much time trying to get to like

1:26:26trying to achieve some level in life,

1:26:28you know, that's kind of that we made

1:26:30up.

1:26:30>> Yeah. you know that like a societal you

1:26:33know so I think we miss out on a lot of

1:26:35the things that really do mean the most

1:26:36to us you don't need to have for more

1:26:38it's okay you can have a goal okay I

1:26:40want to achieve it but being feverish

1:26:43about it it's not going to help you

1:26:46>> you have a goal say you want to go to

1:26:49Hollywood from here and if you keep

1:26:51thinking the whole time I'm going to

1:26:53Hollywood Hollywood you will miss the

1:26:55exit you will go somewhere else you will

1:26:57end up somewhere else right [gasps]

1:26:59>> so it's okay to Have an intention but

1:27:02not make it feverish.

1:27:05It feverishly grip your whole life, hold

1:27:08your mind,

1:27:10>> you know how you might get something

1:27:12better in your life. So again here uh

1:27:17and you relax and you cool down, calm

1:27:20down, you still can have a passion but

1:27:24then you go with awareness.

1:27:29What's the first what's a way that

1:27:30someone like how does someone start to

1:27:33get to know their self, right? What's a

1:27:35way to get to know yourself? Like what's

1:27:37a how do you start to have a

1:27:38conversation with yourself? Does that

1:27:40make does

1:27:40>> see what's not yourself?

1:27:43>> Does that make sense to you when I ask

1:27:44you that?

1:27:45>> Yeah.

1:27:45>> Okay. So, go ahead. I'm sorry.

1:27:48>> No. Uh how to find yourself? First of

1:27:51all, see what is not yourself.

1:27:54You're not just your body. Your body is

1:27:56changing. You know every cell in our

1:27:59body is changing. The mind is changing.

1:28:02All the thoughts are changing. Emotions

1:28:04are changing. So

1:28:07by negation it's like almost going to

1:28:11what is the purpose of your life? If you

1:28:13ask ask yourself what is the purpose of

1:28:15my life? I would say go with negation.

1:28:20>> This is not the purpose. This is not the

1:28:22purpose. This is not the purpose.

1:28:24Then you find in the same way with

1:28:27negation you settle into a space deep

1:28:30within you which is serene calm and

1:28:35fullness

1:28:37on a glimpse of that that's it

1:28:41>> then nothing can disturb you nothing can

1:28:45take away the smile from you

1:28:47>> and that's achieved through meditation

1:28:49through relationship with your

1:28:50consciousness

1:28:51>> consciousness

1:28:51>> yeah do Do you believe that

1:28:54>> meditation is one of the tool?

1:28:56>> Meditation is one of the tools.

1:28:57>> One of the tool.

1:28:58>> What are some of the other ones to to

1:29:00nurture that relationship? Uh other

1:29:03thing it can come to you as a gift

1:29:06gift from above

1:29:08>> and then uh your um your intelligent

1:29:12uh your analytical mind will also help

1:29:15to

1:29:18you know re go deep see the futility of

1:29:21other things and then you get to this

1:29:23very core. So through knowledge, wisdom,

1:29:28music, meditation, service,

1:29:32expressing your love, unconditional love

1:29:34in the society, all this will uh

1:29:37contribute to that inner blossoming. It

1:29:41may appear to be uh very uh difficult or

1:29:46very idealistic, but I tell you it's

1:29:49very very practical. I am a very

1:29:52practical person. Yeah. So though they

1:29:55all appear to be big ideals but I say it

1:29:58is doable.

1:30:01>> Okay.

1:30:02>> Do you do you have any pets at home?

1:30:04>> I have two elephants.

1:30:06>> You do?

1:30:07>> We have elephants, horse, cows, tears,

1:30:10everything.

1:30:11>> What's the elephant's names?

1:30:13>> We have one is called Maheshwar.

1:30:15>> Maheshva.

1:30:16>> Another is Indrani. The girl is Indrani.

1:30:19>> Oo, she sounds cute.

1:30:21>> She can play harmonica, you know.

1:30:23Can she?

1:30:24>> Yeah.

1:30:25>> Oh, yeah. These women are so talented

1:30:26now. Oh my gosh. That's her.

1:30:29>> Yeah. This is her with of the tusk. The

1:30:33tusker is the other one there.

1:30:35>> Mhm.

1:30:36>> He's tough.

1:30:39But they're very cute.

1:30:42>> And do you have a family at home? Do you

1:30:45have children?

1:30:45>> I have. No, I'm not married.

1:30:47>> Oh, you're not?

1:30:48>> I'm single like you?

1:30:49>> Yeah. I hope to remain single the rest

1:30:52of the time also.

1:30:54>> But I have everyone is my family.

1:30:56>> You have a big family.

1:30:57>> Yeah. Big family.

1:30:58>> Do you feel like you received enough

1:31:00like that that was your space in the

1:31:02world for family was just everyone?

1:31:04>> Yeah.

1:31:05>> Yeah. That's cool.

1:31:07>> Um before you go, Guru Dev, I know you

1:31:09have this book, Journey Within. Um that

1:31:12is that talks about the essentials of

1:31:13the art of living. Is that a good manual

1:31:15for someone to start to develop their

1:31:18own meditation practice? Yeah, it's

1:31:20good. It just uh brings some practical

1:31:23wisdom to your life and whatever you

1:31:26need whenever you need. Journey within

1:31:28is a book that people loved. You know

1:31:30how it came out? I don't write books but

1:31:33you know how it came up. M

1:31:34>> um we used to you know group of young

1:31:38people used to get around get around and

1:31:40uh ask me questions and every Wednesday

1:31:44we had this habit of coming up with some

1:31:46new topic

1:31:48like like you said this past week we

1:31:50used every week we would do and then I

1:31:52would send that around the world to

1:31:54everybody so and that's how this uh came

1:31:57with seven years of Wednesday uh

1:32:01knowledge sheets we call it knowledge

1:32:03sheet So just new topics on Wednesdays

1:32:05you guys would discuss them.

1:32:06>> Every new topic we discuss and then that

1:32:09was compiled into this book as journey

1:32:13within it helps people too. Yeah.

1:32:15>> So there were kind of a lot of authors

1:32:17of it in some ways because a lot of

1:32:18people's thoughts were included.

1:32:20>> They were there were questions answers

1:32:22of mine.

1:32:22>> Got it.

1:32:23>> They were all questioning me all the

1:32:25time.

1:32:25>> Okay. Got it.

1:32:26>> Um

1:32:27>> that was the one thing. Yeah.

1:32:29>> One thing I had a great time. I got to

1:32:31visit India once as a student. We went

1:32:32to uh Madras, Shennai, same place.

1:32:35>> Mhm.

1:32:36>> Yeah. And it was it was it was amazing.

1:32:40Um and one of the things I remember the

1:32:41most was just the children just how like

1:32:43the happiest kids in the world. I feel

1:32:46like uh that we saw there. We went to

1:32:48work. We worked at like some children's

1:32:49homes and we're doing some stuff like

1:32:51that. Um you guys started a group like

1:32:55you you've started schools over the

1:32:57years called free schools and those are

1:32:59in India.

1:33:00>> Yeah. in India, in Nepal and also in

1:33:02other places. Yeah.

1:33:04>> And that is that a K through 12 or what

1:33:06is the

1:33:06>> Yeah. Okay.

1:33:07>> 8 through 12 and the free schools all

1:33:11over. We have uh you know um 150,000

1:33:15kids studying in the schools.

1:33:18>> And is meditation part of the

1:33:19curriculum?

1:33:20>> Little bit yoga and some meditation.

1:33:22Yes. Part of the curriculum and we have

1:33:24a university also. It's one of the very

1:33:27good university with happiest campus.

1:33:29Everybody's very happy and service mind

1:33:33and all that stuff. Yeah.

1:33:36>> For people uh just before you go for

1:33:39people that believe that they

1:33:42don't don't believe they can get out of

1:33:43the mental state that they're in. That's

1:33:45not true. Right. Everyone can do better.

1:33:48Do you believe everyone can feel better?

1:33:51>> Everyone can feel better. Again, I would

1:33:53say uh if it's an extreme case, you have

1:33:57to see a doctor. And if psychiatrist say

1:34:00you have to take medicine, you must take

1:34:01medicine.

1:34:03>> But this is other than that

1:34:06practices which would first of all

1:34:07prevent you from getting there. Second,

1:34:10it also helps you to recover.

1:34:13>> But it but it takes practice every you

1:34:15have to you have to you have to apply

1:34:17yourself

1:34:18>> practice. Yeah. And it's not tough. It's

1:34:21not easily people can adopt that. I call

1:34:25it uh the mental hygiene like you have a

1:34:28dental hygiene

1:34:29>> like that you know kids don't want to

1:34:31brush their teeth you have to the

1:34:32parents have to force them to get into

1:34:34their habit

1:34:35>> got it

1:34:36>> right and similarly if you practice

1:34:38doing some breathing and meditation in

1:34:40the morning or afternoon evening once it

1:34:43gets fit in your system then it becomes

1:34:47a natural thing for you

1:34:48>> it's like mental floss kind of

1:34:50>> mental floss yeah you're right

1:34:52>> when we leave this life right when this

1:34:55body ends

1:34:57we our consciousness has to stay alive

1:34:59you believe it

1:35:01>> if the TV is shut off but still the

1:35:04vibrations the radiations do remain here

1:35:07right

1:35:09>> we are just the tubes or the screens the

1:35:14consciousness is what gets projected in

1:35:16it

1:35:17>> cool so we might see each other again in

1:35:20another time huh

1:35:20>> yeah thank you

1:35:22>> uh thank you so much guru dev I

1:35:23appreciate your time today. Thank you

1:35:24very much.

1:35:24>> Lovely. Keep doing the wonderful work

1:35:27you're doing.

1:35:27>> You too, brother. Thank you so much.

1:35:30>> Now I'm just floating on the breeze and

1:35:32[music] I feel I'm falling like these

1:35:35leaves. I must be corner stone.

1:35:40Oh, but when I reach that ground,

1:35:43[music] I'll share this piece of mind I

1:35:45found. I can feel it in my bones.

1:35:50But it's going to take