Appreciation

When do you appreciate someone? When they do something that is unusual,not ordinary, and not their nature. Isn't it so?

For example, when a wicked person doesn't create a problem then you appreciate them. Or, when somebody you think is not good does a good act, then you appreciate them. Also, when a good person does something extraordinary, then you appreciate them. If a child made you a cup of tea, you would appreciate it, but if a mother made the same cup of tea, you would not likely appreciate it because it is a normal act for her. In the same way, you appreciate getting a ride from someone you don't know, but you don't necessarily appreciate it from a bus driver.

In all these cases, those acts are temporary, out of character, or not their nature. So when you appreciate someone for something, you imply that it is not the way they are usually.

Robin : What if a person wants to be appreciated?
Sri Sri : That means that it is not in their nature, and that is why they want to be appreciated. If it is not coming from their nature it is an imposed act. So when you appreciate someone you simply imply that it is not their nature, it is not the way they usually are. It is a rare act or quality. Appreciation implies a sense of separateness or distance, so watch out when you appreciate someone!

Antarnaad

'Antarnaad' - An enthralling symphony of 2000 Hindustani Classical Vocalists in the Divine presence of H H Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji.


Date: 12 Jan 2010
Time: 6 pm onwards
Location: SP college ground, Pune

Highlights:

2000 Hindustani Classical Vocalists to perform on one stage - First time in the history of music!


A platform to showcase Hindustani classical music.


Celebrities from the music fraternity like Pt. Rajan & Sajan Misra, Shankar Mahadevan, Chitra Roy
and other Celebrity Singers to perform together on one stage.



Event coordinated by Shri Shashi Vyas.



An event slated to enter the Guinness Book of World Records.



Meditation by His Holiness Sri Sri Ravi Shankarji.



Estimated audience of about 1 lakh.

Q & A

Q: How can you think big without being ambitious?



Sri Sri: Thoughts don't come with your permission. They just come and just go. But ambition is something, which stays in your mind for a longer time.



Q: What is witness consciousness? (Shakshi Bhav)

Sri Sri: Wait... (Looking for something on the seat). Wait... (Running his fingers through His hair). Wait..
(Crowd laughs) I did not ask you to laugh, I said just wait.

See what is happening to your mind? That is Shakshi Bhav...the witnessing consciousness. When you are listening without reacting, that is witness consciousness. For example if you are at the airport and there is a flight announcement for another flight. What do you do? Just witness without reacting. Right? Similarly you are at the railway platform with many other people whom you don't know. In a while some trains come and those people get into their respective trains and go. What do think you are doing at that moment? You are simply witnessing. Do you see what I am saying?

Q: What do you do when someone thinks you are dumb, because of your acceptance?

Sri Sri: (Wearing a pair of cute pink color large glares). To me the whole world is pink now!! (Laughter) Do you know what does pink symbolize? Pink is the loving, adorable and innocence. If someone feels you are dumb, you need to change your glass. (Sri Sri switches over to a blue pair of glares, which had a blinking blue light. The entire crowd bursts into laughter). Blue indicates vastness. The infinite. (Laughter)



Q: Change is inevitable, change is unavoidable, yet why is it so difficult to handle that change? Why is accepting the situation which is the result of the change alone becomes so difficult?



Sri Sri: Tell me what is the easiest thing to do for you? To accept or not accept. (Laughter!!) Is 'not accepting' easy for you? I don't think so. By 'not accepting' you loose your sleep!! The person who has triggered the event is sleeping well. But it is you who has lost sleep over the event by not accepting it. If you don't forgive you start suffering within yourself. Don't forgive anyone and see the suffering that is happening in you. Is suffering easy?!? No, its not easy. It affects your health. It affects your observation, expression and perception.



Q: There is so much fight between the people from various religions. The Shias are fighting the Sunnis. The Israelis are fighting the Iraqis. There is a war with Lebanon. How can we diminish this war between countries on the basis of religion?



Sri Sri: Only through Spirituality you can remove such differences. All you need to do is just educate, educate and educate them...