Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How do I know that I have acquired knowledge?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
How do you if you have some pain in the body? How do you know you love somebody? How do you know you are feeling fear? It is inbuilt. Same way you get to know. When you get knowledge joy, happiness, cleanliness, sweetness, sincerity, integrity, all reflect by itself.Q:
There are many cultures in the world. Are there things which work same everywhere?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Certain things work everywhere. Sudarshan Kriya works everywhere. Today you go to tip of Argentina and you will find the ‘Art of living’. You go to the North pole , and you will find the ‘Art of Living’. You go to Mongolia, and you will find the ‘Art of Living’. You go to Fiji, you go to tip of Newzeland, and you will find someone doing the Sudarshan Kriya. That is why everything in the ‘Art of Living’ is kept so universal.At some point in time, there was so much oneness in the world. People of Peru in Argentina do similar things as that of the natives of Arunachal Pradesh. Native tribes of Arunachal Pradesh do similar things as done by people in Venkovour in British. People from both the places worship all four directions. There were lots of similarities among native inhabitants of different parts of the world. People in Lithuania greet you with bread and salt. As there is no ocean there, salt is a very precious commodity there. Similarly people in Kerala put a pot flowing with paddy outside their homes, which shows there is abundance in home, so people are welcome.
Certain things are same, and there are certain other things which are unique to each culture and country. Those differences should remain. Every culture and country should maintain that uniqueness. Russian people have beautiful folk dance. Danish have their beautiful ways.
Love, compassion, meditation, yoga – These are universal.
Q:
last night you told me that choice is mine blessing isyours. Does that mean whatever I decide, your blessing is there?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are putting me in a toughsituation. If it is related to your profession then choice is yours, blessingis mine. If it is a relationship, then also choice is yours and blessing ismine.Q:
Why is getting married so important in India?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
To live in a society, we have to follow the norms of the society. These norms are there to maintain orderliness.Q:
How can one find the purpose of life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Become calm and listen to your inner self. Do you all have cell phones? What do you need for the cell phone to work? If there is no SIM card, will it work? If there is a SIM card, but you are far away, will it work? You need a SIM card, signal and the battery must be charged. So all three are required: battery, SIM card and closeness to the tower.Even if you have all three but you don’t dial, will it work? You need to do that much. The spiritual connection is the tower. Self-effort is that little dialing and meditation is charging. Then our prayers will be answered. Sometimes the prayers are not answered. Why? Because there is no SIM card. You have the ability to bless and grant others’ wishes when the mind is serene.
Q:
What is the significance of the story of poison getting stuck in Shivji’s throat?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It has a deep meaning. Poison spreads with speech. Mind gets agitated with speech. All riots happen because of harsh words and lack of right knowledge. Shivji is also called neelkanth – which signifies when Mahadev drinks poison, it doesn’t reach his whole body. When there is fight between right and wrong thoughts, a poison is generated. Shiva tattva has power to hold on to that poison. Even if you have to criticize, do it from your lips and not your heart. When you do it from your heart, it harms you. When it is from the level of lips, somebody is benefitted in the society. You cannot have flowery speech all the time. That would be cheating yourself and others also. You have to show mirror to people. But that should not be from the level of the heart. Even if Shiva gets angry, that is not from inside. Same peace is there inside. It is like kids getting angry with their mother. In no time they retain their smile. This is innocence. It is the grownups who hold on to fights for long time.Q:
What would you say to Osama Bin Laden if you were having breakfast with him?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I would bring him in a plane to America and tell him, “Look there are so many beautiful people here in America, what are you doing? ” At that moment I’m not sure exactly what I would say to him, but I am sure I would make an impact on him.Q:
How do we protect our mind?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That is a big job. In the Geeta it is said, even the most brilliant people are confused about what to do and what not to, and how to handle the mind. Protecting the mind is a very great task but we need knowledge to do it. Up to this moment, see all that has happened so far, it’s all gone! Finished.Wake up.
When you are full of energy, prana, you suddenly see it’s all gone. Now! All that has happened is ok. Think about what to do now. Sometimes 100 percent of what you do will be successful, sometimes not. A farmer knows that not every seed, that he sows, will sprout. He takes the seeds and throws them in the field, and does not worry that this seed will sprout, this won't.
From now on, it’s a new chapter. Every day is a new chapter. Bring up this awareness again and again that the whole world is filled with my atma (soul) – it’s all Me. It’s one Consciousness. This one consciousness works through one person in one way, through another person in another way. It is one ocean with many waves.
If this vision comes to you even for just five seconds then there will be such a major transformation in your body and mind. Then a realization will spring in you ‘Aho!’
All worries are washed off. Just for a second, recognize that it’s only me in my enemy. I myself have started the Game. Understand this, but don't turn it into a mood making. Have this understanding only in the nivriti, not in the pravritti mode. If we bring advaita (non-duality) in vyavahar (behavior), we only create more delusion. In pravritti, see duality. Taking up of the human form is impossible without pravritti. How much pravritti and nivriti one should have is a very sensitive matter. When there is more pravritti, then one becomes too negative and one is asked to be in nivriti.
Q:
How can I free myself from fears that seem to have settled into me years ago? I know they are irrational and just in my head. Yet here they come up over and over again. They are distracting and feel binding to me!
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Meditate! Sit quietly and meditate, or listen to some chanting music. All this will help. Meditation, some pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, some excercises, ujjayi breath are very good for fears. Don’t think that fear is somewhere deep inside you. It is an erroneous notion of Psychology that fear and guilt are deep down. I tell you, deep down there is only a lot of joy; a lot of bliss. And in that centre – no fear, no guilt, no anger, no lust can touch you. Deep down you are wonderful. So never think you have all these anxieties. Those who say that there is something wrong deep down are blind. It is all there just on the surface. If they call that deep, then I will suggest to go deeper. In the centre of your being, you are a fountain of joy. Saying, “Oh! My Mind! Deep down there is anxiety!”is ignorance; a wrong idea and concept. The moment you accept these words as truth, it starts becoming more difficult to get over those emotions. They become more permanent there. Do you see that?Q:
I often talk to you in heart. How do I satisfy myself that my words have reached you?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
My job is not to satisfy you but to make you restless to get the Highest knowledge. In that restlessness you achieve awareness.