Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How does one live without expectations and still achieve great things in life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You have all that you need to blossom. Do Sudarshan Kriya, do meditation. In ‘Part 2/ Art of Silence’ program, participants experience blossoming of their talents and new skills start developing.Q:
What is seva for a student who has lots to study?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You must study and keep doing little seva. It doesn’t matter how much seva you do. Do according to your capacity, with your heart in it. That would be equal to doing seva like anyone with great capabilities.Q:
How to know you have given 100 percent?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
100 percent - you will feel! You know! I will ask 10 people to feed you in kitchen. Will run away! You will know.Q:
Should one have blind faith in the Master?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Faith is never blind, faith is just faith. When faith breaks then one starts feeling that it was blind faith. Now don’t try to bring faith in you, it just comes by itself. In fact, I would say doubt as much as you can. Even then if it remains, that faith is authentic. That is why I say doubt as much as you can and my work is not to bring faith in you but to put you in more doubt. Your job is to swim through it.Q:
While doing seva, sometimes I get attached to name and fame. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When you are centered, established in the knowledge, when you meditate, this situation does not arise. When your attachment shifts from the work at hand to name and fame, it is time to go within.Be ready to face any challenges that society throws at you. It is said that gold shines more brilliantly, the more it is beaten. When you squeeze sugarcane, it gives you sweetness. Sandalwood, when ground, gives fragrance. Stay in your nature even while under pressure. Every situation that comes to us is for our upliftment.
Q:
Please give guidance on parenting special children. What can be done for them through the ‘Art of living’?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You simply serve them. Don’t pity them. You know, people with special needs, their soul is in a different state. They are not in a sorry state. They have come to this planet just to take service. With this attitude, you do service. Never have sympathy – ‘oh poor child’. Children with special needs have come just to take service from you.Q:
I am a coward. All my life I have been afraid of every little thing. I see risks and danger in my way and fear everything and everyone. I’m afraid to get hurt. How do I overcome all this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
First of all remove this label – ‘I am a coward’. Who said you are a coward? Drop this label. When you label, like the saying in the bible ‘As you sow, so shall you reap’ you go on encouraging that. You are wonderful. We are all here to support you, and I am here to support you, and everybody here will support you! Don’t think you are weak. Just drop it.Q:
What is the significance of asking if all the answerscome from within?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
What if I don’t answer? What is thepurpose of all answers? So that the mind says YES! The purpose of all questionsand all answers is to bring our mind to YES consciousness. That is meditation -to be in YES mind!Q:
I'm confused – should I take Ayurvedic medicines?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We definitely need to adopt certain things from Ayurveda. When there is a stomach disorder, lots of thoughts disturb us. When vatta or pitta in the body gets imbalanced, too many thoughts arise in mind. There is Triphala (an Ayurvedic tablet) which balances the three imbalances in body. It is good to take Triphala for one– two months. You can take one–two tablets or one spoon of Triphala churna before going to bed. It increases energy levels in the body. Vitamin C also provides you immunity. Sometimes allopathic doctors prescribe medicines for 15 – 20 days for stomach disorders and that adversely affects the liver and body. There is Devati which you can take. It is very effective in curing fever also. Ayurveda has this specialty of correcting disorders and diseases without any side effects. And hence we should adopt Ayurveda. All these are home remedies and one should keep this with oneself. And if at some time some disease prolongs then one should definitely consult doctor.Q:
How to strengthen dispassion?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Without dispassion, sadhana (spiritual practices) won’t work. When mind is caught up in entanglements then sadhana is not possible. Once dispassion is there, sadhana becomes very simple. Also with sadhana the mind is cleansed and dispassion arises.