Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Whenever there is choice, is it previously decided what we are going to chose? Or it can change also according to what choice we make?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It can change also. That is why 'Dhiyo yona prachodyat' is a part of the Gayatri mantra.Q:
If the courses and techniques are for the benefit of humanity, why is it so expensive?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is very minimal. It is not much expensive. There are expenses involved in renting a place for so many days, a teacher to come. We hardly save 10 to 15 percent on course. Sometimes it is little higher. It goes to a very good cause of charity. Of course, we teach free of cost in prisons, refugee camps and in villages where people can’t afford. If anybody thinks that they can't afford, you simply talk to the teacher. They will take you in and accommodate you.Q:
I consulted a non ’Art of Living’ doctor, and the doctor says that tomatoes, potatoes, bell pepper and eggplant are deadly night shades, and should not be eaten. Does Sri Sri Ayurveda also prescribe this school of thought. I really love these vegetables. What to do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Don’t worry, you can have them. It is said usually but don’t just eat only those vegetables. Mix with beans, greens and lentils. You can have them but not in excess. Everything in excess is harmful. Just don’t eat them too much, and don’t make them a daily routine. Our system is strong. It can counter the ill affects of lower prana.Q:
What is intuition and how can one develop intuition?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Tuition that you get from inside is intuition. Only way to develop intuition is to become little quieter and listen inside.Q:
Is little bit of ego ok?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you recognize that you have ego, for God's sake don’t try to get rid of it. If you get rid of your ego, that itself will become the cause of a bigger ego trip. So if you find that there is ego, just keep it in your pocket. You know the only antidote for ego is being natural, or naturalness. Why do you want to get rid of your ego? Because it bothers you. More than others, your ego is bothering you. You are constrained, restrained and uncomfortable. You feel others don’t respect you or you are better than others. You compare yourself with others. So I would say, if you find that there is ego in you, let it be. We will not meddle with it. If it comes, let it come.Q:
How to be consistent?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Your mind gets focused with love. Greed and fear also focus your mind. I prefer love over other two.Q:
Whenever I see you, tears start to roll down the eyes. Ifeel as if I know you since ages. Is it true?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are doubting your own experience. Thenit is surely true. We doubt the positive, and not the negative. We doubtsomebody’s honesty. Nobody has ever doubted dishonesty of a person. Same way, if somebody asks you if you arehappy, you say, “I don’t know whether I am happy or not”. But we are so sure ofour depression. We doubt in the existence of God. We never doubt in theexistence of this changeable and mortal world. Evolved scientists understand that there is a question mark on the apparently looking reality.Q:
The other day you talked about the five elements. Can you throw some more light on the same?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The whole world is made up of the five elements. We honor all the five elements.There is a great tradition of honoring rivers. The river does not want you to offer flowers or fruits. This is not the way to worship. Also by putting sewage or garbage into rivers, how can you say that you are doing worship? Worship means honoring, and you can only fully honor once you stop dumping sewage, garbage, plastic into the rivers. A few years ago you could directly drink from a river. Today, no river is fit for drinking even from a hundred kilometers away from its source. Earlier even thousand kilometers away from its source, the river water was fit for drinking. In this country (India), people used only charcoal ashes, and not soap powder to clean vessels. They would use turmeric and many other herbal elements, which are bio-degradable. We are pouring so much industrial waste into the rivers. This is not honoring the jal tatva (water element).
Honoring the Earth element means we don't pollute the earth with plastic, poisonous fertilizers and chemicals. It means we are environment conscious.
Then there is the air element. We need to have clean energy. We have provided smokeless stoves in the villages of Maharashtra, which have been very successful. We need to honor air, and do whatever we can to have a clean air.
Then there is the space element. This is very abstract. You cannot catch space. When you save your mind from negativity, you are filling the space with joy. Then the air around becomes like that. You can create a space of mistrust, anger, greed, jealousy and selfishness. Or you could create a space of fun, joy, confidence, and coherence. You could create an accommodating space around you. If we always speak negatively about all mistakes, then there is nowhere on earth you can really survive. Everybody is imperfect. When we try to see perfection in others, then we forget to see our own imperfection. Protect the space, save the mind at any cost.
The five elements are part of the creation. You have to honor this beautiful creation and sustain it.
Q:
How do breathing techniques and meditation benefit those with heart disease?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Breathing and meditation have been found to lower cholesterol and strengthen the heart. They lower stress and control hormones by making a positive impact on the endocrine system. There have been several studies and research is still going on.Q:
What is your inspiration?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are two ways of going about work. One is wanting to do something for which you can always find an inspiration. Another is since you already have something, so you want to do it as an expression of joy. It makes all the difference whether work is done as an expression of joy versus expecting some joy. So, I’m not expecting joy in doing something. Rather, I am doing everything as an expression of joy. Everything is happening spontaneously. People find it very hard to understand this. These people ask me, “What is your motivation?, What is it that you want by doing all of this?”. I say, "nothing. I want nothing". It’s a little hard to understand at that time. For instance, suppose you have seen a nice movie. So many people who saw Avatar told me, “Guruji, you must go.” By canvassing for a movie you enjoyed, you are not getting anything. You are not getting paid for canvassing for that movie. You go around telling everybody, “oh, that movie is so good, you should watch it.” What do you get by that? You just tell people because you enjoyed watching it, and you want to share that happiness with everybody. Infinite joy is what we’ve all been born with. I give joy by sharing myself with everybody. So, we need to bring this shift from the joy of receiving to the joy of giving.
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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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