Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
When we do Sadhana, do we connect with the soul or with God?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Are they separate or one? Are waves and the ocean separate or one? The wave is soul and the ocean is God. When there is ‘I’consciousness, it is the soul, and when the ‘I’ness is at rest, it is God. So no one has ever gone or can go outside of God. Now look, can you live without oxygen? But sometimes, when it is extremely hot, you feel suffocated even though air is there. When you sit under the fan you can feel the air. Similarly, Satsang and meditation are like the fan. If you sit with the fan, you will feel the breeze. This is known as being in the ‘presence’ (Saanidhya). It is not that the ‘presence’ is not there, it is there but we begin to experience it, as we feel the breeze when we sit near the fan. Similarly in Sadhana, we begin to experience what is God. We experience Love.Q:
On my path with you I have encountered many questions, with your grace and wisdom I have left few of them unanswered. So the only question I have for you is why me? Why am I always blissful? What have I done to deserve the presence of you in my life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This is not a question it is wonder and I leave you with that wonder.Q:
Is there any such thing like we have done something wrong and that is why we have to suffer now and maybe after we die? If we do something wrong now, do we have to suffer next life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
First of all you must know that those who died they have no suffering, they died finished. Suffering ends with death; got it. Don’t think they are suffering. It is the people who are still here, they are suffering. Those who are dead they are at peace, those who are alive they are suffering. So every effect has a cause, either it is an individual cause or a collective cause. Now see all these people in Afghanistan are suffering, why? There is a collective cause because they did not educate the children there in a more liberal, tolerant way of life. They were educating people in the Taliban style. So all the youths were brain washed and they were thinking only narrow. That act of theirs gave suffering to the whole country, isn’t it? Why Afghanistan is suffering today? Because of an action, so every suffering has karma, has an action. Karma means what? An action that you did. So individually you may say I didn’t do it but collective karma is also there. Collectively a whole nation chose the path of Talibanism. That brought so much suffering to the whole nation. Last 35 years they are suffering; no food, no roads, no water, extremism. So that is karma; the past karma which is affecting the present. Do you see what I am saying? Similarly for every action there has been a cause. Without cause an action cannot happen. Are you with me? See, you sow a seed of a pine tree ten years ago; today it has become a pine tree. There are two types of karma. One is, you put your finger in the fire, and will it burn now or tomorrow? You do an action now, the result is immediate. You put your hand in the fire and it will burn now. So this is karma right. At the same time you sow a mango seed and do you think today you will get the fruit? Ten years later your children will enjoy the fruits of the seed that you have sown today. Mango you will get several years later, say 5 years or 8 years later. So certain karmas are there that you do and get the result now, and some karma gives the result after some time. So that is the next type of karma. Similarly, your height; suppose you are 25 or 30 years old, I ask you what is your height? 150cm, now you can’t change that correct. You can put high heel but it doesn’t change your height, you are looking simply taller. Now, what is your weight? 50 kilos, this you can change. You just have cheese and butter and bread for two weeks, from 50 you will go up to 60 or 80. So you can grow like fat or you can thin down, that is your choice but once you are 150cm and you have crossed 22 years of age, that’s it. So similarly certain karma you cannot change but certain other karmas you can change them. But if you think all karma cannot be changed or all can be changed, both are wrong. What do you say? Today that is what people are in confusion about karma. Some people say you have free choice, you choose, you can choose anything, you can change anything in the world. Some people say that or not? They are wrong. Some people say nothing you can change, it is all karma, everything is fatalistic, that are wrong also, got it! So certain things can be changed, certain things cannot be changed, got it. Very good!Q:
I think it’s really amazing and it touches me that you have chosen to come and sit with us. Time has been very difficult in our life and my question is that when you wake up one day and you see that society has changed in a bitter way, in a way that you never expected, what is the best way to continue that day?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know in society there are all different types of people. We should not label society, as this is what it is, right! So now you saw the demonstration of love was so obvious. Not that it was not there but before it was there underneath. So we cannot label a society good or bad or not good, we simply see what we can do to better our environment. How we can contribute rather than expecting what others will do to us. I feel that this is a good attitude to begin with, okay? You know when I heard about the disaster here, I said I must come to Oslo, so just within a weeks time I cancelled my other programs as I was booked this week. I said I must go somehow, though it is a short trip. And in a week’s time it was good that all of us could come together and meditate. Even these 20 minutes that we meditated you know how much positive vibration we have created here. It’s really commendable.Q:
Guruji, how to implement ‘sampoorna sharanaagati’ (total surrender) in day to day life? How to be conscious while doing daily tasks? That ‘I’ factor is there.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Let it be there. Don’t worry. Don’t try to erase your ego; if you find your ego sticks, never mind, let it be there. Keep it in the pocket or your handbag.Q:
Thank you His Holiness for being here. Even we are surrounded by sorrow and greed. Here you are a small sparkling light come to heal us. I have two questions for you. Firstly what can we learn from an episode like this and how can we go further on?
Secondly, this inner science of meditation has become very popular and the neuro- science of meditation is growing and definitely it is penetrating in this so-called materially richer part of world. For example in U S more than 7% of the population is meditating today according to recent statistics. Other regions are peaceful so it will penetrate slowly I believe. My question to you is that what I am worried for is that in the gap between the rich and the poor is quickly growing in so-called developing parts of the world. How we can bring wisdom to the institutions in these countries?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, it’s a big question! How can we bring wisdom when there is rich and poor gap? You know there is not one solution, there could be many. So, we need to keep this question alive. From time to time we will get different ideas and we need to implement them, which we feel is best. First of all those who have should come up with this mind or attitude to serve, to share. I would expect everyone to give at least 3% of their earning for social projects or for social causes; we must share. Then for the poor people they should learn how to be entrepreneurs, they should stand on their feet, not expecting others to take care of them all the time but rather become innovative, hard working and try to stand on their own feet. Third is in these situations, these moments what is needed is inner strength, inner peace. So as many people as possible should learn to meditate; don’t you think so? How many of you agree with me raise your hands? This is the time we will have to teach everyone, otherwise anger can come up, frustration can come up, fear can come up. All these negative emotions come up within us when we see an unpleasant event. So to combat this unpleasantness we have to equip our self and the equipment is meditation and breathing techniques. So I have sent all my teachers here to go out and do trauma relief and meditation workshops throughout Norway. Whenever people would like to come and sit for a couple of hours for 2 to 3 days, teach them some breathing techniques, some meditation and then help them gets back on track. This is exactly what we did in New York after 9/11 and so thousands of people learnt to meditate. So we would like to do the same thing here.Q:
Where does will power come from?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Will power comes from ego.Q:
Guruji, I am from Gujarat and am a school teacher in a tribal village. When I taught them Surya Namaskaar, some of them refused because of conversion. So much conversion is happening that they think that by my making them do Surya Namaskaar, I will change their religion. What can I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Show them videos of westerners and nuns doing Sourya Namaskaar. Take one of the American teachers from the ashram and have them teach it. The whole world is doing it, why can’t you?Q:
It is an honor to be able to ask you a question. Is it possible to create a just work within the monetary system that we have today with a profit motive?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
My answer would be yes! It is possible to have ethics and business together. It is possible to have compassion and convenience together.Q:
Jai Gurudev, today a lot of inter-cast marriages and marriages between religions are happening. It has become a way of life. Are we moving towards a universal religion? What is your opinion?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You have answered your own question; actually it is just a remark. Yes it is happening, inter-religions, inter-caste marriages are happening. As long as there is harmony and there is respect for religion and people don’t force one to convert to another religion there is no problem. But if they are forcing someone to convert then there is a problem.