Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I tell you, there is no demon inside. No! If anybody tells you, don’t listen to them. Just walk away. There is no demon inside you. Got it? You arepure light. You are born of light. You are light. All that you need to do is wake up, little more silence, little more meditation and observe the sensations.Start observing the sensations in the body, in the mind. Yes? And such an outburst of anger comes and then subsides. It will take little time so that itdoesn't arise at all. The more we are in the state of dispassion or centeredness, lesser is the anger. Behind the anger is a desire for perfection. Wanting perfection makes you angry. Want brings anger in us. So when you keep observing, the want dissolves. You loosen up from inside. You start blossoming from inside. You will see, you will get very few opportunities where you have to get upset. It is ok to get upset once in a while, doesn't matter.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Have you seen the breeze? Yet you know it is there. You can feel it. Similarly you can’t see God but the heart feels the presence, the prana (life-force).Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, your impressions in the mind are responsible for your next birth. Your strongest impression is the factor.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I don’t know what to do? (laughter) You know, what is it that you are attracted to? Good qualities. But if qualities are only superficial they will go and if qualities are your very nature they will never go. I tell you, all those qualities are present in you. Enhance those qualities more and more. Then you will find that you are me and I am you.Longing and love are two sides of the same coin. You can’t say, ‘I love you but I don’t long for you’. And it is impossible to long for someone without having love. That is why it is said: ‘RadheShyam’. Radha is longing and Sham is love. RadheSham (longing and love) go together in life.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
India has a long history of spiritual upliftment. When you see that everything is collapsing, all doors are shut, and there is no hope and depression sets in, India gives a vision of something higher. The power of your thought and mind can create your reality, your world and allow you to move in that direction. You may not be successful immediately or tomorrow but the vision and the mission will always take you forward.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Shiva is called Mahakala – grand time!Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are already doing it. It is very difficult to manage or deal with teenagers. Sometimes you need to be strict, and sometimes loving as well. It’s like riding a horse. Sometimes you can let loose but sometimes you hold on tight. So managing teenagers is like riding a horse.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
smiling): The secret is here (pointing to his heart).Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Environment is a really serious issue. You should all plant trees, use less refrigeration, and turn to vegetarianism. You know, scientists today say if the whole world stops butchering the entire green house effect issue will be resolved. One slaughter is equivalent to the cutting of 500 trees for it releases that much methane. The amount of feed used for one animal can be used to feed 400 people. GO VEG: Stay healthy and save the planet. It is as simple as that.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When you are in the train, you don’t keep running inside the compartments. Just imagine you have to run to catch the train. But once you are inside the train, don’t carry your bag on your back and keep running thinking, “I want to run faster and faster”. You’ll not reach any faster running to the front compartment. Just sit and relax. Have your tea. You will reach your destination. This is a promise. Just relax.You are in the right path. Read and study Ashtavakra and Yoga Vasishta. What’s going to happen in 2012? Silly question. The world is not going to come to an end. I am repeating the same thing what I said in 1999. In 1999, we were in Italy. We had the biggest course in Europe where 2000 people on the beaches of Italy were welcoming the New Year - 10 years ago exactly. Then people asked me the same thing. World is going to end in 2000? In Canada people had stored milk powder, ration everything in their basement. Cellar and basements were stuffed with food stuff.Because the world is going to crash and there will not be any food items for next six months till people find a way out. This was the fear. Wherever I go, everybody asked the same question. What will happen in 2000? I said everything will be business as usual. There will be no change. Just relax. Really! Many people sold their homes and property from the West because they said there was going to be a big earthquake. ‘California is going to go underneath the water. Let us be more smart. Before it goes down and we have to get into the boats to come up to Colorado. Let’s go now to Colorado. Let us be the welcoming party for the sinking people.’ This was the idea. Many people sold their homes. They went to Colorado and build their homes there!
Nothing is going to happen and we’ll continue. Yes. Some earthquake, some calamity happens all the time. It’s a continuous process on this planet. Birth and death is a simultaneous process. Today so many people are dying and today so many are being born. It’s not going to be one day that everybody is going to be born and one day everybody is going to die. No. The doom’s day or whatever day is not going to come. Don’t worry. Everyday is a dooms day. Everyday is a day of resurrection because the world is spherical. There is sun every moment on this planet somewhere shining and there is sunset happening all the time and sunrise happening the whole time. This is what the ancient Vedic science says. We read that Galileo was the one who said the Earth is spherical. No. Ancient Vedic times, they have said it.
Bhugola - Earth is spherical
. Khagola – the universe is spherical. And millions of universes are there. There are 14 earths like our earth in our Galaxy. So, this universe is huge and unfathomable. So having attained this, relax in the peace of your heart. Content. Tonight go to bed with a smile on your face. With a feeling of contentment, not with lack.
‘I have had everything I need to have. I have had enough food, I have had all the pleasure that the world can give me. Whatever is needed for the body, nature has given. I am happy with it. If more is needed, nature is going to give me. If this body needs anything more, it will be provided in the future.’
With this faith and with this understanding, just repose in your Self.