Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How to get rid of laziness?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If there is greed, laziness will go away. If there is fear, laziness goes away. When you are in love, there is no sign of laziness.Q:
What is the difference between ego and self-respect?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
In ego you need someone else. In self-respect, others are not needed, and no one can take it away from you.Q:
Dear guruji, Last night you said that, ‘If you don’t do all that you can do, then your consciousness will prick you. I know I am capable of a lot, but sometimes it feels like such hard work. I always do my best, and always serve. How do I keep service from feeling like a burden?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, do only as much as you can. Sometimes you take commitment. At that moment, it appears too much. But that will be over. Finish that commitment. And don’t think about it. You know, It becomes a burden if you think, ‘Oh, how much I worked’. You recuperate everyday. So, you should never count how much service you did. It will be very small as compared to what we have consumed!Q:
At home, how to handle the situation when people have different thoughts?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Accept that. There can be differences. And you will become settled. Can you say there should not be waves in the ocean? That is the nature.Similarly in this world, different people will say different things. You should just smile and move ahead.If I keep saying, at sometime, it will get into a person.Q:
Guruji what is guru tattva?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You asked this question because you want to know something. So this thirst to know is discipleship. The one who answers is the Guru. The source from which you get all the answers in life is the Guru Tattva. We need answers to feel complete. The knowledge makes you complete. The element that brings fullness in you is the Guru Tattva. In whose presence you don’t feel any lack is Guru Tattva.Q:
To whom do I surrender?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
To the Divine who resides within everybody, to that Divine I surrender.Q:
In Sanskrit, each word has the meaning hidden in itself. So what is the meaning of Akshar?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Akshar means something that cannot be destroyed. Rice is also called Akshat because it cannot be destroyed. You eat rice and it transforms into the life energy and that leads to jeev (being) which again leads to life energy. It is always there in the body. That is why even a grain of rice is not destroyed.In physics it is said that an atom can never be destroyed. Our ancestors brought this truth to light millions of years ago. Then they said that not even a grain is destroyed. It may lose its form but is never destroyed. Shar means destruction. Akshar means that which cannot be destroyed. Like a seed we sow is never destroyed, it takes different forms and exists in space. Its vibrations are never destroyed.
Q:
Nowadays, youth marry without their parent's consent. They do this blindly, without thinking. Is this acceptable?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Your question already has the answer. Nobody will tell someone to do anything blindly or without thinking.As a parent, look at the matter from the children’s point of view. First, examine your reason for refusal. If the reason is good, then it's fine. But if you refuse because of differences in economic status or differences in caste, then it’s a different thing.
Parents can give guidance to children. Explain to them not to take a hasty step, acting on a whirlpool of emotions.
Q:
Please explain the meaning of seva (service).
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
One is our job, the other is seva. Both are different. You do your job for livelihood. Seva means seva- Doing like Him. God has given you everything, whether you remember him or not. He wants nothing in return. Do work and be in the way that will make the other person happy. The reward of seva comes only when when you want nothing in return.Q:
What does it mean to live completely in the present moment?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Drop the wanting of this answer because the question is already in the past.