Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How can spiritual practices strengthen academic progress?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Definitely. you know there has been a research recently from England that the children who study Sanskrit excel in mathematics and linguistic function of their brain become so much better that these children can learn any language from Chinese to English to Russia easily. Researchers worked for 15 years and they find out these results. Three schools in England have made Sanskrit compulsory in the school. They also did research why India is Excellent in IT. Indian brain is more suitable on computer. This is because of the background of Sanskrit language. So, it is good to have your children study Sanskrit. Apart from this there are number of researches which show how doing pranayama enhance the performance of children. They feel more calm, attentive, and more alert. They are able to perceive and digest better. There are number of such benefits that have been proved. You can look into the yes+ website for the benefits that a child gets in academic field.Q:
How can one have a successful relationship?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I can give some advice on this.First for women: Are you all ready? Never step on the ego of your man. Never tell him that he is good for nothing. If you do so, he will become like that. Always praise. Tell him he is the best. Give him compliments.
Now advice for men: Never step on a woman’s emotions and never comment on her family. She may complain about her family, but you better keep quiet. The moment you start joining her she may attack you. Never step on her emotions. If she wants to go shopping, give her your credit card. Her emotions need to be taken care of.
To both men and women: I advise not to ask for proof of love. “Do you really love me?” Imagine what a burden it is to prove that you really love and care for someone. Even if you find some lack just say, “Why do you love me so much?” Even if the Spring has died out, it will start again. Ask only questions that are useful. Never ask someone to prove their love. Take it for granted.
Q:
Survivors of war and disaster sometimes feel guilty about being alive when so many around them have died. What message do you have for these people?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Life is eternal. That’s it.Q:
How can we bring human, nature and animals in harmony for our future generation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We should stop polluting our planet. Say no to plastic, Use as little plastic as possible. Recycle..Use recycled things. Use chemical free shampoos and soaps as far as possible. Go organic, I would recommend everyone to become vegetarian. You know, if we pay attention on the consumption that takes place to produce one non-vegetarian meal, feeding the animal etc.., it is equivalent to 400 vegetarian meals. So, I recommend everyone to turn vegetarian. Environmentalists say that if even 10 percent of the population turns vegetarian, we will not have the problem of this green house effect.Q:
Money cannot bring us happiness – this knowledge happens after accumulating money or before it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you are intelligent, it happens before. And if you are little less intelligent, then it happens afterward. An intelligent person also learns from others’ experiences. But this realization is only authentic if you can experience someone’s experience as your own. It doesn’t carry any value if a beggar says that he has abandoned everything. How can a beggar abandon anything? He has not earned anything at the first place. Also there are some people who do not understand this even after accumulating a lot of money. But this doesn’t mean that you should not earn money. If you are too feverish for money thinking that only it can bring you happiness, then either earn money and see yourself, or learn from others’ experience.Next part of the conversation with Sri Sri in the next post:
Q:
Which decisions are to be taken from heart, and which are to be taken from head?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When you are to do business, you do it with your head. When you are to do service, you do it from your heart.More from the same knowledge session will be included in the next post.
Q:
90% of people don’t have clean drinking water, enough food or any hope. What can a simple person do about it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
In some villages where there is dirty water, the water filters run on electricity. Some people came to see me two, three years ago about this issue. The water filters were expensive and half the villages don’t have access to electricity(in India). So the villagers couldn’t use them. They invented a water filter. It costs only $10 for one year. You can filter as much water as you want. Very dirty water runs through it, and it comes out clean. It just costs $10 to change every year. This is one breakthrough. 90% of all diseases are waterborne. When one has good drinking water, there is a shift. Just with one filter, you can run dirty water through it and get pure water.Q:
As there are no Maya dates in the calendar in the Mayar civilization after 2012, what is going to happen after that? Is there some danger to human civilization?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, the world is going to continue the way it is. It will even get better. There will be shift in the consciousness of people. There will be more compassion and human values, and all the consumerism will take a back seat. That’s what I think.Q:
I start to do a lot of things, but I don’t get to complete. Can you tell me a way how can I improve the situation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you want to do, you can do anything. It has to come from within. With the determination, ‘I will do this job, and I will see to it that it gets completed’. This commitment from within will help you, and get you through. Got it? Nobody can do the job other than you.So, take up with small things and follow it through, and then you will get the confidence. That prepares you to take up big tasks. You know, why do you drop things? Because you think they are not important. But there is nothing important or unimportant in life, everything has importance. So, even if something looks unimportant, you say, “I want to finish it, and I will finish it”. Then you will be able to enhance your commitment.
Q:
What advice do you have for parents handling teenagers?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The ‘Art of Living’ Foundation has wonderful programs like ‘Know Your Child’ Workshops which can help parents understand their children better.
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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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