People are attached to boundaries. Whether they are physical or mental, people use boundaries to distance themselves from people, things, situations, and responsibilities. Often, people create new boundaries and continue ti maintain old ones! You might find yourself polishing your own boundaries, making sure they are good and fit to keep you secluded and naïve.
Boundaries, in fact, are the cause of big misunderstandings. When we examine our own boundaries with a critical eye, we will see that there are actually no boundaries at all. In fact, in the most basic level of humanity, there are no boundaries, whatsoever. Physical and mental boundaries simply do not exist. When you gain this understanding, you can see that you are “everywhere” and you are “everybody”. Only when you have this realization, true service begins.
When you see someone else suffering, you feel as though you are also suffering. When you are walking in the city, you might see somebody fall and get hurt. Have you not felt that person’s pain too? The whole world, the universe, is one organism. The entire world is one living Being. Each mind is just a part of that organism. This is the highest knowledge and all knowledge has to lead to this universal truth.
We have all experienced physical pain and mental suffering. If you are not sensitive to others’ pain, even at a small level, then you are not a human being. That is why you need to serve.
Boundaries, in fact, are the cause of big misunderstandings. When we examine our own boundaries with a critical eye, we will see that there are actually no boundaries at all. In fact, in the most basic level of humanity, there are no boundaries, whatsoever. Physical and mental boundaries simply do not exist. When you gain this understanding, you can see that you are “everywhere” and you are “everybody”. Only when you have this realization, true service begins.
When you see someone else suffering, you feel as though you are also suffering. When you are walking in the city, you might see somebody fall and get hurt. Have you not felt that person’s pain too? The whole world, the universe, is one organism. The entire world is one living Being. Each mind is just a part of that organism. This is the highest knowledge and all knowledge has to lead to this universal truth.
We have all experienced physical pain and mental suffering. If you are not sensitive to others’ pain, even at a small level, then you are not a human being. That is why you need to serve.
There is a fine balance between service and meditation, and it works best alongside one another. Service alone can bring contentment in life, but service without silence tires you. Service without spirituality will be shallow, and cannot be sustained for a long period. On the other hand, the deeper the silence and meditative insight, the more dynamic the outer activity is. Both these elements are essential in life.
In fact, these elements grow together. They are the “fertilizer” for each another. If you are not having good experiences in meditation, then do more seva (Service). Seva brings merit; merit allows you to go deeper in meditation and meditation brings back your smile. When you bring some relief or freedom to someone through seva, good vibrations and blessings come to you in abundance.
Depression comes because you don’t do any service. In the same way that light and dark cannot co-exist, depression and service are never found in the same room together. The world has a time-tested technique to ensure how quickly one experiences depression to sit and keep thinking about yourself: “What about me? What about me?” If you want to get depressed, just sit in a corner and think only about yourself.
Conversely, participating in service will dispel depression from your life. Just put yourself out there - the world needs you. Before old age carries away your physical abilities, make this breath and body useful to people around you. If you tread on such a footing, there is no way you can get depressed.
Depression comes only because you are seeking love somewhere out there, you are seeking comfort somewhere out there. Knowledge of the Self is just the opposite. It turns the whole thing around. The sign of enlightenment is when there is never any depression. It is impossible, because there cannot be darkness in the light.
About Author:
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is humanitarian leader, spiritual teacher and ambassador of peace. His vision of a stress-free, violence-free society has united millions of people the world over through service projects and the courses of The Art of Living.
In fact, these elements grow together. They are the “fertilizer” for each another. If you are not having good experiences in meditation, then do more seva (Service). Seva brings merit; merit allows you to go deeper in meditation and meditation brings back your smile. When you bring some relief or freedom to someone through seva, good vibrations and blessings come to you in abundance.
Depression comes because you don’t do any service. In the same way that light and dark cannot co-exist, depression and service are never found in the same room together. The world has a time-tested technique to ensure how quickly one experiences depression to sit and keep thinking about yourself: “What about me? What about me?” If you want to get depressed, just sit in a corner and think only about yourself.
Conversely, participating in service will dispel depression from your life. Just put yourself out there - the world needs you. Before old age carries away your physical abilities, make this breath and body useful to people around you. If you tread on such a footing, there is no way you can get depressed.
Depression comes only because you are seeking love somewhere out there, you are seeking comfort somewhere out there. Knowledge of the Self is just the opposite. It turns the whole thing around. The sign of enlightenment is when there is never any depression. It is impossible, because there cannot be darkness in the light.
About Author:
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is humanitarian leader, spiritual teacher and ambassador of peace. His vision of a stress-free, violence-free society has united millions of people the world over through service projects and the courses of The Art of Living.