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Enlightenment (Getting Back To Innocence)

A talk with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

  During a lecture in Los Angeles, someone asked Sri Sri Ravi Shankar to describe enlightenment. The following was his reply:
 
Enlightenment is like a joke! It’s like a fish searching for the ocean. Once upon a time, there was a congregation of fish who got together to discuss who had seen the ocean. None of them could actually say they had seen the ocean. Then, one fish said, “I think my great-grandfather had seen the ocean!” A second fish said, “Yes, yes. I also heard about this.” A third fish said, “Yes, certainly, his great-grandfather had seen the ocean.” So they built a huge temple and made a statue of the great-grand father of that particular fish. They said, “He had seen the ocean. He had been connected with the ocean.”
Enlightenment is the very core of our being; going into the core of our self and living our life from there. We all came into this world gifted with innocence, but gradually, as we became more intelligent, we lost our innocence. We were born with silence, and as we grew up, we lost the silence and were filled with words. We lived in our hearts, and as time passed, we moved into our heads. Now the reversal of this journey is enlightenment. It is the journey from head back to the heart, from words, back to silence; getting back to our innocence in spite of our intelligence. Although very simple, this is a great achievement. Knowledge should lead you to that beautiful point of “I don’t know.”
The purpose of knowledge is ignorance. The completion of knowledge will lead you to amazement and wonder. It makes you aware of this existence. Mysteries are to be lived, not understood. One can live life so fully in its completeness, in its totality. Enlightenment is that state of being so mature and unshakable by any circumstance. Come what may, nothing can rob the smile from your heart. Not identifying with limited boundaries and feeling “all that exists in this universe belongs to me,” this is enlightenment. Enlightenment is that state of being so mature and unshakable by any circumstance. Come what may, nothing can rob the smile from your heart.
Unenlightenment is easy to define. It is limiting yourself by saying, “I belong to this particular place,” or “I am from that culture.” It’s like children saying, “My dad is better than your dad,” or “My toy is better than your toy.” I think most people around the world are stuck in that mental age group. Just the toys have changed. Adults say, “My country is better than your country.” A Christian will say, “The Bible is truth,” and a Hindu will say, “The Vedas are truth. They are very ancient.” Muslims will say, “The Koran is the last word of God.” We attribute glory to something just because we are from that culture, not for what it is. If one could take credit for all that exists throughout the ages and feel as though “it belongs to me,” then that is maturity. “This is my wealth because I belong to the Divine.”
The Divine, according to time and space, gave different knowledge in different places. One becomes the knower of the whole universe and sees that, “all the beautiful flowers are all from my garden.” The whole evolution of man is from being somebody to being nobody, and from being nobody to being everybody. Have you observed that young children have that sense of belonging, that oneness, that innocence? As we grew up we lost that innocence and became more cunning. The innocence of an ignorant man has no value, and the cunningness of an intelligent man also has no value. Enlightenment is a rare combination of innocence and intelligence, with words to express and, at the same time, being very silent. In that state, the mind is fully in the present moment. Whatever is necessary is revealed to you in such a natural and spontaneous way. You just sit and the song flows through you.
 
Is enlightenment really possible for the average person?
The answer is “Yes, a big YES.” Enlightenment is very possible for the ordinary individual. Actually, it is easier than for someone who thinks that they are special. You see, when someone thinks they are special, their ego becomes involved. “I am a great teacher or I am a great writer,” that is only ego. The ego wants to be special and this may cause someone to get stuck for a long time.
Whenever someone is ordinary, simple, innocent and natural; that is enlightenment. Enlightenment is your very nature. It is in you already, as seed form. When you drop all the tensions and hang-ups and become natural, then it is right in your hand. We simply need to let go of the old patterns that are in the mind, just drop them. Then you see that something in you flowers and dawns. It is so beautiful.
In my teachings there is a lot of focus on the breath because our breath plays a very important role. The breath is the connecting link between the inner world of the mind and the outer world of body and environment. You see, there are seven levels of existence: body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, ego and Being. Meditation works by bringing an effect from the level of Being to the mind. With the breath we bring this effect to the physical level as well.
You see, there is a rhythm in nature. Seasons come and go. Everything in life has a particular pattern and order. In your own body, there is a rhythm, too. You feel hungry at a certain time and sleepy at a certain time. The body has a particular rhythm. Life has a particular rhythm. Similarly, your breath also goes in a particular pattern. Your emotions move in a particular rhythm, as well as your thoughts. All these rhythms arise from your Being, which has its own rhythm.
In Sudarshan Kriya, a breath technique I teach, we get into the rhythm of our Being and see how Being is permeating our emotions, our thoughts, our breath and our bodies. In a very short amount of time, every cell of the body becomes so alive and releases all the toxins and negative emotions it has stored from times past. Once again, we are able to smile from our hearts. It is very precious knowledge.
People who are trying to be what they are not become unnatural and create much more tension and stress. That is why one must go deep into the source of their nature, their Being, and come from there. You see, I don’t say that you will never get upset again in life. If someone promises you that you will never get upset . . . it just is not true. You may still get upset, but the quality of your life will not be the same. You will not get so caught up in your emotions for long periods of time. People have found that after they do Sudarshan Kriya, that they are able to come back to themselves very quickly. Whatever mood comes up, they are able to let go and come back and enjoy much, much more.
 
What is the true meaning of life?
Ah . . . this you better find out for yourself. Don’t ask the meaning from me. It’s like asking me to chew your candy for you. It is not possible. I can put candy in your mouth, but I can’t chew it for you. You have to chew your own candy.
Be with this question. I can tell you one thing, you are very fortunate that this question arises in your mind. One in a million people will get this question. It is a very sincere question. it means you have started your journey toward the light. You stopped just existing and started on to the beautiful path. Be with this question, and don’t be in such a hurry for a ready-made answer from somebody. Go deep into yourself and you will find out.
 

TO THE RANDOM QUOTE >>>>