Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Why are parents neglected by their own children? Brothers are being murdered by their own brothers.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Parents are being neglected because they didn’t spend enough time with their children, and didn’t imbibe spiritual education in them. They made the children too materialistic and selfish. This is because you gave them food, clothes and a roof over their heads but not knowledge.Q:
My heart and mind are often in conflict. Which should I follow?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Use each at different times. Do not do business with your heart. Do not do service with your mind.Q:
Guruji, what is ‘moksha’*, and how to attain it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
How do you feel the day you have a holiday? That is a small glimpse of moksha. You also get this feeling when your exams are over, and you cast away your books and give a big relief sigh of’ Ha’! After travelling a long distance in the bus, when you get down at your destination and loosen up yourself, that is a sign of relief. Like this when you get full relief in life, when the mind is happy and contented, that is called ‘moksha’.Q:
How can one always remain committed?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Do you want an answer? You are committed to getting an answer? Let me see how long you can hold on to that commitment. You know, there is nothing like one commitment. It does not work like that. From time to time you have to take on commitments in life. That is part of your nature. If you are weak, you will drop your commitment everyday. If you are strong, you will stick to it. How does one become strong? Pranayama and meditation.Q:
Please speak on love. Also, how is discipline best exercised?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Here again you cannot force yourself to love something or not love something. Just relax and be yourself.Discipline can only be required in three situations. You don’t need discipline when there is love. When you love something you don’t need to discipline yourself to do it, right? The second situation is when there is fear. If you fear you are going to have nervous breakdown that fear will make you do what is required. Third is greed. If someone offers you one million dollars to do something thing for one week, you would not miss one day of doing that thing. So greed, fear and love keep you in discipline.
Q:
Dearest Guruji, I had a question in my mind when we were speaking about energy centers today, in the knowledge tape. I feel constant energy in my secondchakra but I don’t have any desires to do sex because I know it leaves me tired and dull. On the other hand my creative energy has not manifested itself. I would like to use my creativity and write, sing, dance, etc. How will it come to this point? Please show me a way. Give me ability to make my creative energy alive.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Ya! Continue your meditation. If a particular chakra has been used a lot then automatically energy goes there quite a bit. But it will keep moving,definitely moving. You focus more on navel center and then dance, sing. Singing and dancing, that is all part of our practices. You know, it uplifts you in more than one way.Q:
How can senior management get the most out of their teams for maximum performance?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The Art of Living Foundation teaches the APEX course in corporate environments. It has been appreciated all over including the World Bank.Q:
What is ‘yashti’ and ‘samashti’?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Do you sing daily? (The lady said that she sang at home when alone.) When you sing alone, that is yashti. When you sing with everybody here, participate in the bhajan with everyone that is samasthi. Samashti means the entire creation.Q:
I have been in love with a girl for the past four years. Recently she broke up with me because of some misunderstanding. I want her back and don’t know what to do.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Basically you broke your heart. Okay so what do you want? You want her back right? What is the guarantee that if she comes back to you she will be happy? Do you know how to achieve what you want? You have to go deep inside. You have to become calm and centered. When you are feverish, your mind is agitated. You lose all your charm. If you are not charming, what is the guarantee that anybody will stay with you? You have to make yourself pleasant, charming, strong and subtle. Who wants to be with someone who is unhappy, sad or depressed? First get rid of your sadness. Shake off the past. accept the lessons from the past and move on. You have to become strong, serene, and calm.Only when you meditate, do pranayama and Sudarshan Kriya, Yoga then you can have all the four. Do yoga and you will see the difference immediately? When the difference comes your wishes will start being fulfilled.
When you are desperate, you can do only two things. Either commit suicide or repose in yoga. Only spirituality and knowledge can bring charm into your life. A yogi is one who not only can fulfill his desires but can also fulfill others desires.
Q:
I feel very secure in the ashram and fear going back to the outside world. What can I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Ok, have fear. Awaken enthusiasm, whatever happens let it happen. At least believe that you are not alone, the Divine is there. Observe where the fear sensation is – heart, throat and other parts of the body. Do pranyama, bhastrika and Sudarshan Kriya. Keep yourself busy, do not give yourself a lot of time to think, then where is the time to fear?* kalyuga – Iron Age, Age of Darkness