Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
What can I do to become the Divine’s favorite?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Smile and Serve. Smile at everybody and serve all.Q:
What do you consider success?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
A smile that nobody will take away from you - that is the greatest achievement.Q:
I see a lot of people smoking and drinking. What do I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I too have the same question! Education, Education! These people need to experience some higher joy. See with Sudarshan Kriya how fast do they drop the habit and come out of it. We’ll do a program for that. We have done it in some countries and it has been successful. 65% of people stay without smoking. 30-35% come back to smoking but the quantity has reduced. Earlier they would take 10 packets, now they take 2 packets.Q:
I am 63+ years. Can a good art of living lead to a decent art of dying?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You forget that you are 65. Wake up, it’s not late. There is something deep inside you which has not aged. It is pure and dynamic. Don’t underestimate yourself. Don’t think that you are useless. I tell you, you can sit and meditate, and you can bless the world. Things will happen much differently then. I am with you. You are not alone. If anyone anytime feels lonely, depressed, unhappy or sad, just remember that you are not alone. You are not alone at all. Ok?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:
Can you please speak on the nature of sexuality?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Preaching what you don’t know or what you don’t believe in is not the right thing. People who have experienced deep understanding do not place judgement. With spirituality you have to go to another level of experience. Honor sex but move onto a higher place.Q:
What role has a woman to play in bringing transformation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Woman has great role to play. Women can influence many men around them – father, brother, children, spouse. They have more power and more influence. In Indian mythology all the powerful portfolios like defense ministry, finance and education are with women. What else do you want? In India we believe man and woman are equal partners. There is concept of Ardhnarishver – God is neither male nor female. Divine is half male and half female. Everyone is like that. Nobody is full male or full female. There are genes of both mother and father within each one of us. So, we must respect women. Women should take more lead in the society. And I think that women can be better peace maker, and then less conflict, greed and corruption will be there in the world. Corruption can only happen outside the boundary of belongingness. Heart can never be corrupt. It is mind which goes corrupt. Heart always longs for old and mind for new. Isn’t it so? You want more and more in mind but the heart says,” I am happy”. Heart wants to give and mind wants to take. women are more with their heart. She should keep that quality while developing leadership and taking more social responsibility.Q:
I detest my job which I loved so dearly once. What can I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Our likes and dislikes change so often! You like something and then dislike it and so on. Life should not be swayed away by likes and dislikes but well founded on commitment. You need some work to sustain your life. Any job that sustains your life, be committed to it and if you get something better, go for it.There is nothing like job satisfaction. Every job has some drawbacks. Earn your livelihood and then do seva for satisfaction. That brings you maximum satisfaction. Nothing else can bring you the satisfaction that seva brings.
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:
Could you please tell us something about ego and surrender.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Ego is something that restricts your blossoming. Ego is you not having enoughconfidence in yourself. Ego is not wanting to be a fool. One who doesn’t want to be a fool ends up being a fool. So you have no choice. You either have to accept that you are a fool and become wise or not accept that you are a fool and really become one. Egotism does not like that. It says I am not a fool. I am somebody. Trying to impress someone else and become a real fool. Got it? Self confidence is that which gives you comfort. At home feeling, simply a sense of naturalness with everybody. Sense of belongingness with everybody. And not minding being a …
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Founded in 1981 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,The Art of Living is an educational and humanitarian movement engaged in stress-management and service initiatives.
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