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Indian guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar |
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter
Everyone wants it. But how is always the big question. Two spiritual leaders, Sri Sri Ravi Shankar and Ven. Thubten Gyatso, visited Korea to share their wisdom and insight on the journey in search of happiness.
Positivity
According to Sri Sri, an Indian guru, the key is to stay optimistic.
``When people say `have a nice day,' (some) don't really mean it. But that word carries some power around it by just saying it; it has some type of energy,'' the leader from India said during a meditation lecture at Gangnam YMCA, Monday evening.
Sri Sri is a renowned spiritual leader who has touched millions with his messages on how to live a stress and violence free life. He is also the founder of the Art of Living, a nonprofit educational and humanitarian NGO with branches in more than 140 countries.
He explained how easy it was to find stress just by looking at one's face ― and the solution to releasing it.
``What is the first sign of stress you find on anybody's face? We frown. The second sign of stress is that we lose our smile,'' he said, adding that it takes only a smile to change negativity into positivity.
``All the children in the world are happy because they have positive energy, but as we grow older, we forget to be that simple and innocent. How can we make life a celebration if we are not happy?''
Ven. Thubten Gyatso |
Duality
Meanwhile, for Ven. Gyatso, happiness is more a Buddhist practice.
``In Buddhist terminology, we use the word duality. For example, even before meeting a person, when we hear some negative things about him or her, we tend to believe the negative thoughts although we don't know if they are true. Duality is like a division of what is actually there and what we think about them,'' he said during a lecture at the Buddhist English Library of Seoul, Tuesday.
``We are living in a world that is heavily influenced by our thoughts, people and objects. Even if those thoughts are correct, there is still an element of error and this can influence how we experience the world because the mental image of something is not the same with the actual thing. A Buddhist mind is free from concepts.''
The doctor-turned-Tibetan monk arrived in Korea on Sunday to give lectures in various temples through Oct. 30.
The monk explained the way to true universal happiness through the concept known as the ``self-cherishing ignorance.''
``(This concept) sees my happiness as more important than others. It is a ruthless state of mind, a non-caring state of mind by seeing me as more important than others. The opponent of this is universal compassion, the compassion for not just humans, but every animal and plant and also demons. This is born from heartwarming love,'' he said, adding that through love, people can eventually reach happiness, not only for themselves, but also for others.
Balance
One important characteristic of life is balance, and both leaders stressed the importance of appreciating the feelings, yet knowing what to embrace and what to avoid.
``To avoid (negativity) is to give (it) a big hug. Negative thoughts don't like love and don't like to meditate. It becomes a struggle for them. Focus only on your needs, not what you want to show off to others. As soon as you realize what you need, then suddenly you will feel so much happier and content,'' Sri Sri said.
sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr
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yistory@koreatimes.co.kr
