Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
What karma should I do that I don’t have to take birth again?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Why not take birth again? We don’t want to take birth again because we find this birth miserable but when there is joy in this birth, you are doing satsang daily, then why not take birth again? When you are in joy, doing satsang and serving people around then you will say I should have hundred more births like this. When you are so tired of this birth, when hopes and desires have tired you, whendesires have burnt you then only you say, ‘I don’t want to take birth again’. Whatever desires you have, fulfill those and those which are not to be fulfilled, drop those and be happy.Q:
Guruji, you have said to love the secret, but I feel curious to know it also!
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Curiosity is natural. It sharpens the intellect. Loving the secret refines the feeling level. Life is a balance of the intellect and the feelings.Q:
Guruji when will we witness something bigger than the Silver Jubilee Celebrations?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Should we do something bigger than Silver Jubilee? (A big yes from the audience) Yes, why not? Next year in 2011, the Art of Living will complete 30 years, 3 decades . Let’s see. We will plan something. You also plan. Let us make a pool of ideas.Q:
Do we have to be interdependent and do we need to look for interdependency?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You don’t have to be interdependent. It is just that you need to realize it. The word ‘independent’ is obsolete. It is nature that we are interdependent on. We have one nature, one ocean, one air, one earth and everyone is dependent upon it. People are one! We are interdependent!Q:
Guruji, I read somewhere that after death, if you end upin hell, then you are fried in a pan. I felt afraid after reading that. Pleaseexplain.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Don’t worry. When you are established inthe Self while you are here(in this planet), only then no fear is left. Thatwas a way adopted by our ancestors for making people follow the right path and dogood karma. It was said you will suffer a lot after death if you do wrong deedsto set people on the right path. If you follow the wrong path, then wrong karmawill follow.To some extent, this karma can be changed. If you can’tchange karma at all, than there is no use in doing Sadhana. Do your Sadhana andmeditation.
Q:
What is significance of time when everything is happening in the present moment?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
(After a pause of a minute) It (the past minute) is past now. Present is ever present. Past and future are also present.This whole creation has no significance, nor does the time and nor does the space.Q:
If a relationship is not going smoothly, what to do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Well, I am not an expert to answer this. (Laughter) One thing I can tell you is that you should leave a certain margin in a relationship. The strength of a relationship lies in the ability to accommodate rough patches. How well you handle it gives you skills. Otherwise how do you get to know how accommodating, understanding and considerate you are? These virtues come up only when you have rough patches. See the situation as an opportunity on how to adapt, how to be accommodating, understanding and considerate. You should give a shot to excel in exhibiting your character rather then changing the other person.Q:
Are you a little concerned about this mixture between politicians and business leaders? Sometimes it brings corruption. We know it is in this country and in other western countries?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is everywhere; even in India there is corruption. Corruption begins when the sense of belongingness ends. If you draw a circle of belongingness around you corruption only begins after that. Politicians need to be more spiritual. By spiritual I mean, have a sense of belongingness towards people. Mahatma Gandhi is an example of this, in this century. He was a spiritual person and at the same time he was a politician too. He had the sense of sacrifice. ‘I want nothing for myself but I want it for my people’. That spirit is going down somewhere along the line. That is why there is corruption and all sorts of unethical businesses have sprung up. We need to inculcate those value systems again, both in politics and in business. Trust is the backbone of business. From what we’ve seen in last 10 months, it took 10 years for communism to collapse, it took less than 10 months for capitalism to collapse, and the reason is that we have ignored our value system and ethics in business.We have ignored the human values of caring and sharing, of dedication and devotion. If we can somehow re-inculcate these values in our youth, I tell you the youth are ready for it. They want this because they have seen the older generation just running. It is like running on the treadmill that is going nowhere.
Q:
Why does the Divine answer and reward some while the prayers of others go unanswered?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Well, I don’t know why some prayers get answered and some are not. I have no idea. Perhaps it is good for you. Perhaps you may change your mind about what you want. People go for shopping - this often happens at least in India - go for shopping and ask shopkeeper, ‘Can I come later and exchange it if I don’t like it?’ They go home and don’t like it and get it exchanged the next day. The most unreliable thing you have is your own mind because you don’t know what it likes and when it doesn’t like that. That is why bringing mind to its source is so important. Its centeredness is the most important thing in spiritual evolution. Understanding what is transient and what is permanent, what brings you permanent joy and what causes temporary convenience and long term misery, what causes temporary discomfort and permanent joy and what causes long term discomfort. That is what is called viveka, discrimination, wisdom – knowing this from that.Q:
Why don’t we start an exclusive Art of living TV channel to spread the knowledge of the Art of living?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Why should it be restricted only to one channel? It should be on all channels (laughs). However if you want to start one, you have my encouragement. The channel should not just be meditation or music alone. It should be spiritual knowledge with knowledge on what’s happening in world.One final thing – Whenever you have any worries, you can just post or courier them to me. Do something useful to everybody and if you do that, then everything else is taken care of.
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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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