Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
When we do Sadhana, do we connect with the soul or with God?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Are they separate or one? Are waves and the ocean separate or one? The wave is soul and the ocean is God. When there is ‘I’consciousness, it is the soul, and when the ‘I’ness is at rest, it is God. So no one has ever gone or can go outside of God. Now look, can you live without oxygen? But sometimes, when it is extremely hot, you feel suffocated even though air is there. When you sit under the fan you can feel the air. Similarly, Satsang and meditation are like the fan. If you sit with the fan, you will feel the breeze. This is known as being in the ‘presence’ (Saanidhya). It is not that the ‘presence’ is not there, it is there but we begin to experience it, as we feel the breeze when we sit near the fan. Similarly in Sadhana, we begin to experience what is God. We experience Love.Q:
Guruji, sometimes I feel connected with you but sometimes there is link failure. How it happens and why it happens? My son got blessings from you and has become mad about you. And my wife says you are taking him on the same path on which you are going, it will ruin our family. What is the result for it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, we never take anybody or tell anyone not to listen to their parents. Our main thing is listening to your parents. Don’t worry about it, he won’t run away from the home. (Q: What about link failure?) – Charge your batteries! You know for a cell phone to work there should be charge in the cell and then a sim card and it should be within the range. Range is already there but if your battery has lost its charge, you have to plug in and charge your battery again, that is all you need to do.Q:
(A member of the audience asked a question and it was inaudible)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know whatever situation you have you can make that situation as a step for your growth. Pleasant situations you can definitely make use of it for growth. Unpleasant situations also you can make use of it as your next step for growth.Q:
Guruji, sometimes I feel connected with you but sometimes there is link failure. How it happens and why it happens? My son got blessings from you and has become mad about you. And my wife says you are taking him on the same path on which you are going, it will ruin our family. What is the result for it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, we never take anybody or tell anyone not to listen to their parents. Our main thing is listening to your parents. Don’t worry about it, he won’t run away from the home. (Q: What about link failure?) – Charge your batteries! You know for a cell phone to work there should be charge in the cell and then a sim card and it should be within the range. Range is already there but if your battery has lost its charge, you have to plug in and charge your battery again, that is all you need to do.Q:
On my path with you I have encountered many questions, with your grace and wisdom I have left few of them unanswered. So the only question I have for you is why me? Why am I always blissful? What have I done to deserve the presence of you in my life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This is not a question it is wonder and I leave you with that wonder.Q:
Guruji, at the time of death, does someone come to escort us? Two years ago, my father passed away. At the time of his passing, he appeared to be telling someone, ‘wait, I am coming’. When he was in pain, we would chant ‘Jai Guru Dev, Om Namah Shivaya’ into his ear and he would laugh like a baby. So what was it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
At the time of death, divine beings escort the soul with respect and honour. If someone has committed bad deeds in life, yama doot drags the soul away. Association with the enlightened brings honour and respect. Like a chief guest in a program is welcomed respectfully, and an uninvited guest is thrown out. The treatment we get in subtle world is same as the treatment we get in the earthly world. So if we leave with contentment, we are taken to other world respectfullyQ:
Can you give a comprehensive definition of mind? Is it soul or prana or nervous system – please explain.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You want to know? Why do you want to know? This wanting to know is mind. Are you listening? The listening faculty is mind. Through ear the consciousness hears, through eyes it sees, through nose it smells. That which experiences the world through the senses is mind. Got it?Q:
Guruji, yesterday you had said that among yantra, tantra and mantra, tantra is the technique. Chandraswami was a very well known taantrik, and once it had so happened that all over India, Lord Ganesh was drinking milk, and a dharma guru used to be known for his ability to cough up Shivalings. What king of tantra (technique) was that? In the villages there are individuals who by their mere speech can cause someone’s house to burn to ashes, or a catastrophe to happen. What kind of tantra is that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are several kinds of tantras. ‘Vaam tantra’ employs evil spirits, and ghosts to accomplish one’s ends. But that kind of tantra will not work wherever there is saatvikta, knowledge and devotion (bhakti). You all meditate, do pranayama and chant mantras. In your presence that kind of tantra will be ineffective. Incidents such as Lord Ganesh drinking milk are phenomena of the subtle world – some divine energy displaying its power and influence to arouse and awaken people. Some taantriks who perform small, little miracles go through a lot of suffering afterwards. They are unable to stay happy. These taantriks attain minor occult powers (siddhis) by subduing spirits of the netherworld (Karna pishaachi – ear demons) that allow them to impress gullible people with their ability to read their thoughts and concerns. However the advice that such taantriks give is highly inaccurate and unreliable. How many people have experienced this? (A few in the audience raise their hands.) Some tantric can describe your past accurately but are unable to predict the future correctly, and only 10-20% of what they say is true. My advice is that if you come across something like this, keep your distance (DSN, door se namaskaar!). Don’t get entangled in it. Twenty five or thirty years ago, there was a man in west Delhi who would tell people to blow on a blank sheet of paper, dip the paper in water, and pull it out with something written on it – usually questions and concerns in their minds. Someone from the satsang proposed that I also meet him. So I went. He asked me to blow on a sheet of blank paper which he then dipped in the water; but when he pulled it out, the paper was still blank!! The man was amazed, and fell at my feet, and began to perform aarti. I said to him, ‘Don’t exploit this siddhi (occult power) to deceive people. Instead inspire them to follow the path of goodness and virtue. Advise everyone to meditate, sing bhajans and perform seva. If your powers can benefit others, definitely use them.’ These powers can be labelled as neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’. It is all divine play. Do not condemn anything – this is my policy. Do not get involved too deeply in these affairs. If there is some knowledge to be gained or any blessings, take it and move on.Q:
I am the mother of an eighteen-year old. My son used to have a lot of problems just like any other teenager and I had reached a stage where I used to wonder how I could change my son, And then I came to know about the YES plus course and I put him through it and there is a whole lot of changes in my son, a huge transformation. I see him doing yoga. And the reason why I am here standing in front of you is because of my son - I saw the transformation in him and I am here. Okay, I am hooked on to you now, thanks to my son. Now my point is there must be a lot of mothers like me suffering silently, trying to figure out what exactly they can do to change their children, because especially the way things are going on these days, so much money, pubs, whole lot of things happening. Why can’t Art of Living reach out to schools? Talk about all that you have to offer, reach out to 16 year olds and 17 year olds. Please. Reach out with this course. I am sure a lot of people are going to change.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know mothers like you can contribute. Mothers like you, few of you can join together. If you talk to principals in various schools, colleges, in your free time; take a little time and do this seva, do this service - that would be even better. Our approach, any way we are doing, it has its limitation. People think we have an ulterior motive. Oh, they want to increase their...whatever. They may need something for themselves that is why they are doing. They don’t realize we are doing for the sake of the children and for the sake of our society. So we will do that, we are anyway doing. We have done here in Karnataka, all the second year engineering college students in Maanyavati college project, twenty two thousand of them. It was one of the best projects because the youth had such a transformation, just engineering college students. But they should do it for all the students in all the degree colleges, all levels, but for that you all have to write to the government, and the education department.Q:
What is the mystery behind karma?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
: As you sow, so you reap. Isn’t it? There is a couplet(shlok) that defines Raajasic intellect as that which discriminates among individuals, whereas Saatvik intellect treats everyone alike seeing the same divinity in all. So during meditation, when the saatvik intellect awakens, think of those to whom you feel attached as manifestations of the divine, and those towards whom you feel enmity, also as manifestations of the divine. This is all merely a game. The same divine manifesting in different colours has also manifested within me, as me. How many of you experienced it today?( Many in the crowd raise their hands. ) ‘Sarva bhuteshu yena ekam bhavam avyayam ikshate avibhaktam vibhaktesu tat gyanam viddhi satvikam’ That which is uninterrupted / undivided at all times – the same indivisible mind in discrete bodies, the same indivisible space which appears separate in ten different bowls - one who sees this unity in diversity is extremely special. The ability to experience this state of unity even for a little while in meditation is present in the aatvic consciousness, although one cannot remain in this state forever. A raajasic mind is one that focuses on the differences (disparateness) among all beings / individuals. Taamasic intellect is that which is stuck in one point of view, and lacks the ability and willingness to look beyond; a thought comes to the mind and becomes permanently rooted – small /narrow mindedness. Say for instance, one forms a negative opinion of someone, treats them unfairly and then uses all means and arguments to justify that behaviour or stand point. You see many people in this taamasic mindset all around. They stay trapped in their preconceived notions. The idea that meditation, yoga etc. are useless, and all saadhus (Sages) and sanyaasis (hermits) are imposters, hypocrisy remains firmly embedded in their minds. They are unwilling to alter their opinion even when contrary evidence is provided. This is taamasic attitude or knowledge. I will tell you a story; Mullah Nasruddin had a thought that he was dead. He began to deny everything with the argument that he was dead. If his wife said something to him, he would say, ‘how can a dead man reply?’ If she asked him to do any work, he would say, ‘how can a dead man do anything?’ So finally his wife got fed up and took him to a psychiatrist. After a lot of discussion, the psychiatrist asked mullah, if blood comes out of a dead body. Mullah said ‘no, blood becomes water’. So the psychiatrist took out a pin and pricked mullah’s hand, and blood came out. ‘Look mullah, you are bleeding, so you are alive!’ said the psychiatrist. Then Mullah looked at the oozing blood and said, ‘Oh, today I have learnt a new thing – even dead men bleed!!’ This is taamasic knowledge. Saatvik knowledge is essential in life. Through Saatvik knowledge, God can be found. For earthly life, some raajasic knowledge (discrimination) is needed. Taamasic knowledge increases sorrow, suffering and ignorance.
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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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