21 December 2012 - QA 3

Gurudev, as a youth, I feel drawn to the peace and tranquility around you and the world seems to be the exact opposite of that. If I disengage from the world and become a Sanyasi (renunciate), would it mean that I am running away from my responsibilities?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A Sanyasi is not running away from responsibility, it is taking more responsibility. It is like taking responsibility of the whole world, that is what a Sanyasi is. Just now I was telling to our Ashramites (people who stay at the Ashram), that we are in a resort here, we should be going to the city where the action is happening.
I don’t want to keep all the youth and talents held up here in the Ashram. I want you to be active out there in the society. It is we who need to bring peace where it is needed.
You can’t say, I am so peaceful, let me just be here. Of course coming here is needed. You need to put your mobile to charge every once in awhile, but you can’t leave your mobile on the charger all the time. How will you use the mobile? Then it is no longer a mobile.
You charge your mobile and then take your mobile off the charger. It cannot be hanging onto the charger all the time.
Similarly, you need to do work there, and you need to come here as well; both!