Celebrating Silence Quotes

“Faith is realizing that you always get what you need.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“Today is a gift from God - that is why it is called the present.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“When you share your misery, it will not diminish. When you fail to share your joy, it diminishes. Share your problems only with the Divine, not with anyone else, as that will only increase the problems. Share your joy with everyone.

Listen to others; yet do not listen. If your mind gets stuck in their problems, not only are they miserable, but you also become miserable.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“Activity and rest are two vital aspects of life. To find a balance in them is a skill in itself. Wisdom is knowing when to have rest, when to have activity, and how much of each to have. Finding them in each other - activity in rest and rest in activity - is the ultimate freedom.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“In always wanting to be comfortable, you become lazy.
In always wanting perfection, you become angry.
In always wanting to be rich, you become greedy.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“Wise is the one who learns from another´s mistakes. Less wise is the one who learns only from his own mistakes. The fool keeps making the same mistakes again and again and never learns from them.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“But joy is never tomorrow; it is always now.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“I say, drop all your defenses. Anyone can make a mistake — even you. Do not defend your mistakes; just accept them and move on. When you are totally defenseless, that is when you will be completely strong.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“TOLERANCE Neither accept people as they are nor tolerate them. Many people think tolerance is a virtue but tolerance is actually a negative term. If you like something, you do not have to tolerate it. Tolerance indicates a deep sense of dislike that can at any time turn into hatred. It indicates a sense of separateness, small-mindedness, a limitation of consciousness. When you tolerate, it is a temporary state. Tolerance is a potential volcano. If you are tolerating, it means you are just holding on. Acceptance is also negative. You accept that which is not lovable. Tolerance and acceptance come with judgment and separation. Question: "But aren't we supposed to accept people as they are?" If you do not love them, then you have to accept them. I tell you, do not accept people as they are. Just love them as they are.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“If there is fear or confusion in your life, it is because you lack commitment. The very thought, "I am here in this world to do seva," dissolves the "i" and when the "i" dissolves, worries dissolve. Seva is not something you do out of convenience or for pleasure. The ultimate purpose of life is to be of service. An uncommitted mind is miserable. A committed mind may at times experience rough weather but it will reap the fruits of its toil. When you make service your sole purpose in life, it eliminates fear, focuses your mind and gives you meaning.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“Dissolving the name is awareness. Dissolving the form is meditation. The world is name and form. Bliss transcends name and form. Bangalore Ashram, India September 24, 1997”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“In science knowledge comes first and then faith follows. In spirituality faith comes first and then knowledge follows. The knowledge that pesticides and chemical fertilizers are good for plants came through science. Based on this knowledge, people had faith in pesticides and fertilizers and they were used all over the world. Then a different knowledge came and faith shifted to organic farming. Knowledge brought faith, the knowledge changed, and then faith changed. The knowledge and faith of science is of "happening." In spirituality, faith is first and knowledge comes later.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“More tiring than the work itself is the memory of hard work, just thinking you have worked hard interferes with the quality of rest. Some people take pride in working hard without any results. And there are others who crave for a long rest without knowing that true rest is in non-doership. Thinking you need rest makes you restless. Thinking you have to work hard makes you tired. Thinking you have worked hard brings self-pity.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“always place truth and service before pleasure. Sometimes even committed and one-pointed people avoid the path in pursuit of momentary pleasures.”
― SRI SRI PUBLICATIONS, Celebrating Silence

“Forgetfulness of the infinite is misery. Forgetfulness of the trivial is ecstasy.”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“If someone blames you directly, do not believe it. Just know that they are taking away your bad karma and let it”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence

“It may be difficult to accept something you do not like but you can definitely accept a tiny bit of it — an atom. The moment you accept that one atom, you will see change happen. But this must be done in a meditative state. Suppose you love someone. You want more and more of them, yet there is no fulfillment. In anu vrat — the vow of an atom — you take just one atom of that person and that is enough to bring fulfillment to you. Though the river is vast, a little sip quenches your thirst. Though the earth has so much food, just a small bite satisfies your hunger. All that you need are tiny bits. Accept a tiny bit of everything in life — that will bring you fulfillment. European Ashram, Bad Antogast, Germany August 11, 1999”
― Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, Celebrating Silence