According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), close to 800,000 people die by suicide every year, which is one person every 40 seconds.
While life can throw challenges our way, taking our own life is an extreme step. Here are 7 quotes from Gurudev which tell you that suicide is not the answer to your problems. These nuggets of knowledge can ease the pain, and create transformation shifts in perspectives, creating hope.
Anchoring in spiritual knowledge
“It is only through the body that you can dispel the agony of life and get rid of misery. Instead, you destroy the very instrument by which you can get rid of agony. This is why spiritual knowledge is so important.”
The misery does not go away
“It is like, someone is shivering in the cold and he goes out and removes all his clothes. What will you call him? You are already feeling cold in a heated auditorium, and you go out into the open and say, ’I am so cold’, and remove your jacket, your t-shirt, your inner garments and throw them all out. Will the cold become any less? No!”
It is worthless to worry about what society thinks of you
“People commit suicide because they think they have lost their prestige, their status. Who has time to think about your prestige? Everybody is entangled with their own problems, with their own mind. They can’t step out of their own mind, where do they have the time to think about you? These types of tendencies come because you think others are going to disrespect you. It is worthless to worry about what society thinks of you.”
The human body is precious
“After so many different lives and different bodies you get a human body; a human birth. After being a worm, a frog, a scorpion, a chicken, a mouse somewhere in some hole, a cat jumping around here and there, a dog, a bird, etc., then you get a human life, after going through all those births. It is very precious!”
Your hankering for pleasure is the cause of your depression
“Wake up and see, all pleasures are momentary; how long will they stay? See that they are so momentary. Five to ten minutes of joy and then it is gone. What is it that you are hankering about? Some people appreciate you? My dear, it has no meaning. People appreciate you in front of you, behind you they feel jealous about you. That is what happens. They praise you today; tomorrow they criticize you.
What is appreciation? It is just a few thoughts that are passing through the mind of someone. Do you think they are going to do it forever?
Some people have good comments and some people have bad comments, so what?
If someone criticizes you, so what? Those who criticize you are also going to die, and you, the one being criticized is also going to die. One day all will be finished! So why are you so bothered about somebody’s appreciation, or criticism? Why can’t you just be yourself ?
It takes such a big load off your head not being bothered by anybody’s criticism or adulations. You can just be yourself; natural. And if you live like this, so lightly, then where is the question of depression?”
Dedicate your life to a social cause; for some higher cause
“Look at the millions of people who are suffering more than you: What is it that you are hankering for in life? Are you hankering for love? Attention? Money? Pleasure? What is it that you are hankering? These hankerings are boiling desires, and they are creating this foolish idea inside you to commit suicide.
Dedicate your life to a social cause; for some higher cause. When your suffering becomes smaller, you will never think of committing suicide.”
Life is a combination of happiness & pain
“Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional. Having a broad perspective on life gives you the strength to move forward through painful times. Know that you are very much needed in this world. With all its infinite possibilities, this life is a gift for it can become a fountain of joy and happiness not just for oneself but for many others as well.”
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Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar says that every emotion is connected with the breath. If you change the breath, change the rhythm, you can change the emotion. So, when you cannot directly harness your emotions, with the help of breath you can do that.
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