The Company

Sri Sri:

Our life is influenced by our company. Have you noticed that? When you are in a group, in a company, whatever people talk, you quietly slip into it. Like the foot on the banana peel. You slip, and suddenly you realize. And many times one is not aware of what one is talking but is involved in deep conversation. You are not aware of what's happening. Someone is talking about cars and you get involved. And suddenly someone is talking about the weather and you get involved in the weather. And topics change. You are not aware of what's happening. And then you talk about books, then you talk about music, then you talk about this and that and finally you round it up. But you end up elsewhere.

Our company reflects our mind. And mind is influenced by company. You must have noticed in your life, someone tells you, that particular person is not good. Just one word they say about someone. Next time you meet that person, you meet him with the same idea at the back of your mind. The word of your friend is somewhere deep down below. So you look at that person from that perspective. You are not looking with a clear eye but with a colored eye. Isn't it? If you sit in a company of people who are very ambitious, you also become ambitious. You also want to show off that you are also good, you are better off, and you have a fine taste.

People sit and talk about what excellent taste they have or what wonderful sense of art appreciation they have. And you also want to say that. Say that you also do some art. People talk about what good collection they have so it creates an ambition in you, you also want to create, make a good collection. People want to speak about how good their children are doing at school or how excellent they are at sports. And you also want to see your children are good in school and so you force them to be the way you want them to be. Not just for your sake. or for the sake of your children, but for the sake of your company. Have you observed this? This is more so in the third world countries.

They want their children to be doctors because their friend's children are doctors. They are studying for medicine. They want them to do engineering because their friend's children are going to engineering college. We are so stuck at what people think about us, what they say about us. Many people want to do meditation but don't want anybody to know they are doing meditation because they might think that this person is crazy, he is doing all this meditation and singing and that he is not normal.

Some feel ashamed if tears roll from their eyes. To cry is nothing abnormal. If tears come out of your eyes out of emotion, you feel ashamed. You say, I am so sorry, I am so sorry, and wipe your eyes with tissue. Why should you feel so sorry about it? Tears come out due to gratefulness, out of joy, out of love, not only out of sadness. This reflects the depth of humanity in you. That you are life; you are not a computer. Still we've been given to an understanding that being emotional is not good.

Your company influences you to a great deal. Your company creates desire in you and frustration in you.

Your company makes you complicated and robs away all the innocence with which you could have been more happy.



* I believe we all are in a very good company of Gurudev, nothing to worry about