Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
This is the first time you are reading my question. I get sad sometimes because I feel guys do not like me. No one has asked me out on a date or wants a relationship with me, and I do want to be in a loving relationship.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Well, I have no experience. Are you sure that no one has asked you out? Sometimes people are shy and you are too. When you feel worthless, then that type of vibration comes up. But you are worth more. Beauty is in your confidence and smile, the peace you have is real beauty. You feel confident and connected to the universe and cosmos, then see how things change.Q:
What is the one quality that you need to have to love everyone alike?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
An ease with yourself and everybody, simplicity. When you are open from within, then you can’t but love everyone and everyone can’t but love you. Neither you have a choice nor do they. You have done this as a baby. Do you remember how you were as a baby? Being natural, simple, innocent, without any barrier and free with everybody.Q:
Will the Sudarshan Kriya*, help to remove substance abuse?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, definitely. It needs some support system, some perseverance. There should be friends, and family to remind the person to stick to the practices. That is why our de-addiction programs are residential. If people who need help stay for 10-15 days and follow the routine, then the recovery is faster.Q:
Guruji, please take us along with you. I need to have a long conversation with
you. It is not possible here in one minute. We have to reach college in 5 minutes. Please do some miracle so that we can spend whole day with you.
you. It is not possible here in one minute. We have to reach college in 5 minutes. Please do some miracle so that we can spend whole day with you.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Where to take you along. I am everywhere. I keep on coming and going. You are studying at present. Do your studies properly, ok.Q:
How do I break the cycle of feeling victimized whenever I go through difficulties?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You have already broken it the moment you realize the pattern. You realize it is your own mind’s making and that it has happened over and over again. This realization will come in its own time. And when this happens, be happy and grateful. Imagine where you were five or ten years back. How have you changed? How much better it has become since then. Put your attention on this. The more we are grateful, the more grace we will have in our life.The first step to fun is relaxation. What tires you is anxiety and ambition for tomorrow. The anger and hatred of yesterday are also clogging our mind. In the same way feverishness pulls down our enthusiasm. In deep relaxation, you will find everything funny.
Q:
I get physically attracted to many people. What to do? Is it ok to be physically attracted?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you see your mind, so many thoughts come. You can’t act on all the thoughts. If you try to act on all the thoughts, you end up in a mental hospital. Whether thoughts of attraction or repulsion come, you do not get attracted but you also feel repulsion for many people. For example, the mind says to strangle somebody, you have to act out of wisdom. You have to see what is right and what is wrong. You have to see what is evolutionary and what is not. You have to see what is giving you happiness in the long term and what is giving misery. You have to see what is permanent and what is temporary. That is discrimination, Viveka, is so important. Otherwise, it will be just senseless, thoughtless action leaving you in misery.Q:
Guruji you say that there is no difference between you and me, then how come you have such radiance but I don’t?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You blossom and you will find light is anyway there. Every bud has all that it needs to be a flower. There is no much difference between a bud and flower. The bud hasn’t yet fully blossomed but it will be. If you will continue attending such satsangs, you will find you have no less radiance. It will start coming to you very easily.Q:
I have been listening to your talks and reading your knowledge sheets. Now I want to reach that level where I am able to live that knowledge, to be sensitive like you, being able to listen to the pain of plants also. I too want to reach that level.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Ok, where there is thirst, water will also be made available. And if you have any conflicts in mind, don’t worry. Aren’t conflicts reducing in mind. This will continue to happen. Increase the level of Sattva in you & Conflicts won’t remain with you with time.Q:
You told that God can be experienced in a state of effortlessness. What does it mean to be effortless?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Being effortless does not mean stop eating, drinking or doing other work. This has a deeper meaning. Keep on doing all your work, and while doing your work, know inside you that you are doing nothing. In the beginning, you sit for some time and experience that you are doing nothing. Then you will start experiencing that even you are doing but there is a field in you which is not doing anything.Ancient sages had beautifully explained this. There are two birds sitting on the same tree. One is eating and the other is only witnessing this. In the above context, it is the free bird which is being discussed, the bird which is effortlessly witnessing. Pay attention to that also. The two birds are friends. They live together. One is always witnessing and other is involved in all the work.
Effortlessness does not mean sitting idle. Lord Sri Krishna said in Geeta that you cannot be without doing any action even for a second. Keep on doing your karma and at the same time be the witness of your karma. This is very deep knowledge.
After the session a book was released –Understanding Shiva. While launching the book Sri Sri Ravi Shankar told thatthe book also included a scientific perspective of all pervading Shiva tattva.
Q:
Dear Guruji, recently scientists have said that they can create life in a laboratory by manipulating and intervening the genes. Isn’t this contradictory to spirituality and religion, with man creating life and giving consciousness to innate objects?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
: Not at all. You have heard this saying – ‘God made man in his own image’. Right? So, whatever God can do, man can do too. God made man, created him as his own image. It is written in the Bible. Right? There is a story about it in Mahabharata epic also, written some 5000 years ago.So, test tube babies are not new phenomena. Queen Gandhari , from one embryo, had put pieces in hundred pots and created hundred types of kids. But what quality the kids came out with, that you all know! So, there is a big question about the risk, but this is a fact that Gandhari created 100 children in hundred pots. So, test tube babies or creating life in lab is not a new phenomenon. It was done some 5000 years ago also!