Everyone is a Teacher!

Everyone is a teacher - Talk by H.H.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Teacher
Everyone is a teacher you know that?
Like everyone is a son or a daughter or a brother or a sister, everyone is a teacher. Everyone becomes a teacher at some point of time. One who wants nothing but the growth of the disciple and one who is happy with the growth of the disciple is a Guru. He is the one who does something to uplift someone. That does not mean from tomorrow you go to somebody and say “Ok now I am your Guru, you do ‘SO HUM”.
The whole exercise is to become ‘Nobody’ from ‘Somebody’. In that little role of that somebody you can play the role of a teacher. We need to be simple and natural human beings. As you move on the spiritual path, different ability dawns in you.
You know you can bless people and heal people, but you should not use all these abilities to your own use. As you bless people, most of the times you are surprised by what happened, right? If happens, so what? One must not pay too much attention. These are certain things you should not exhibit. Should not say, “Look I can bless, I can heal”, as it simplicity counts. Bhavukta is very important. Never go to a level!
Must move on.. you know like if a professor is behaving like a professor all the times, how would it be? He comes home and he starts behaving like a professor with his wife and his children! Do not be a teacher all the time.Your family will find it difficult then! Your family will be tired of you and say ‘Oh there he started!’
You know once a couple came to attend a Basic Course. Every time the teacher told a point, say, ‘Accept people as they are’, the husband would immediately turn to the wife and say, “Look haven’t I told you this before. That’s what I am telling you all the time”. He is telling his wife but not applying that to himself! Honor everyone. Be natural, and at the same time know the depth of meditation.
Thanks to Aravind a.k.a Keku for sharing this wonderful transcript of Talk by Poojya Gurudev.

Guruji on NDTV

Subject: Gurujis Q A on NDTV

IQ - Now a days there is so much tension in the society, so people are more willing to try out methods of relaxation, but how was it in the early 80's ? Did you have to face a lot of problems ? 
 Guruji - Yes in the initial days it was difficult to talk to people about yoga, meditation etc esp the people outside India, but slowly the testimonials of the ppl who benefited from the programs spread and more and more ppl came into the Art of Living family.

Q- You have always mantained a very spiritual profile as opposed to a religious one. But sometimes in some events, like the one you supported VHP in the Ganga cleansing, did you feel maintaining that equilibrium became difficult ?
 Guruji - Religion is something that a person is born with and he remains associated with that thru life thru various events. Whereas spirituality is something bigger and deeper and can transform a person. I always say religion is like the skin of the banana and spirituality is the actual stuff ! Rivers like Ganga is very important to mankind, and cleaning it is very essential. When the cause is just and it brings benefit to many we should not see who is executing the project. Just because some religious org is doing it, it should not become untouchable for us.

Q - Guruji, your canvas is huge, at one level you are impacting the invidual at other levels you are going to strife torn areas like Kashmir. Do you find it difficult at times

Guruji - Not at all. Satisfaction of an individual can not be obtained thru any events. It has to be internal. And only when an individual is truly satisfied with himself, can he be of service to others. We can consider entire world as one-world family, so we have to be available to our family members whenever they need it. The entire mankind is a 6 billion strong family !

Q - Do you want to give any message to the Kashmiris ?
 Guruji - Think with an open and calm mind. And become financially independent, only with financial independence, can freedom come.

Q- Does the magnitude of the scale of your reach overwhelm you ?
 Guruji - No , Not at all! I feel I am not doing anything different, anything which is not in my nature.

Q- Guriji, you have followers amongst so many political and business leaders. Is it more difficult to teach them because they carry so much weight with them.
 Guruji - No no, we teach whatever we have to teach. Whatever they have to pick up they will pick up. Only people come to spiritual organizations like ours, they come with a certain set of expectations. 

Q- Seeing the current condition of the society. are you worried ?
 Guruji- I do not worry, but yes I am concerned. Increased suicide rates, divorces, poor people are getting poorer ... 
 Q- In your entire period of time, did you have to face any particular difficult challenges ?
 Guruji - Yes there are 2. One is ultra-left - who think all spiritual activities are rubbish and ultra-right - who are v conservative in their thinking. They are both stuck at some level. To deal with both these kind of ppl is a challenge.

Q- Has the population in these 2 groups come down ?
 Guruji - Yes a lot , from the the time we started the Art of Living.

Q- At this stage of your life, what do you seek ?

 Guruji- I am at home. I do not seek anything !

Q-Guruji, I am so tempted for the sake our viewers to take a mini Art of Living course from you ? What would you like to tell the viewers esp the young population , knowing the kind of life that they are leading ?
 Guruji - (Facing the camera) You have your feet on the accelerator ! But do remember you have brakes too. If you go for shopping and do not apply the brakes what will happen ? In the same way, it is important to take breaks, to rest within yourselves through meditation. When you do that, you see there is so much energy right within you ! It gives you so much insight into the future ! Spirituality is a very practical thing in life, it is not something that is useful for the next life. Ofcourse , the next life becomes good , so does this life ! And yes one more thing, do not think only about yourself. Stretch your hand first ! Be of service to the society !

"A devotee is not there even for wisdom. He simply is in love. He has fallen in deep love with the master, with the infinity, with God. He doesn't care whether he gets enlightened or not."- H. H. Sri Sri Ravi Shankar ji.