Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
I am an ‘Art of Living’ teacher. How do I feel I have done enough service? I always feel I could do more for society?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Parents never feel that they have given enough to their child, esp. to the girl child. The nature of love is like that. Whatever you do in love, you feel you have not done enough. Know that there is something lacking if you feel you have done enough. It is manifestation of love which makes you feel that you can do more. Love is continuous and it never ends.Q:
Any predictions when the world will be one?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When you and I start working together. Technology has made the globe into a village.Spirituality will make it a family.Sri Sri then invited people in the audience to visit India.
Q:
If God is omniscient, why do we praise Him or pray to Him?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Your praise is not for God’s sake. It is for your sake. You praise God, and that praising uplifts your own spirit. You imbibe all those good qualities in you. It’s not that God, when praised, becomes very happy and places those boons on you. You cannot bribe God like that. We pray to God. We do it in every religion. We seem to think that by praying we are appeasing God and by not praying we are annoying God. I don’t think so. Prayer is your innate call. You want something and you pray. Meditation is even better than prayer. The culmination of prayer must be meditation. Meditation is telling God, “I am here to listen to you. What do you want to tell me? Let thy will be done". That is meditation.Q:
Do you ever get angry? What is the solution to anger?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This is a very important question. In the 55 years of my life, I have never said a harsh word. I could not do it. The worst I have ever said is, “You stupid.”Sometimes I want to show anger and people don’t believe me. That is my problem. Things work better with some anger. Anger is good if you are aware of it. It should last only as long as a line drawn on a water surface lasts. Some carry over anger from the previous day, previous month, or ten years ago. The mind suffers. Get out of anger, frustration, jealousy and greed. Meditation will help. Pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya and yoga are the answers.
Q:
How do I tame the ego?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
For God’s sake, don’t tame it. Don’t meddle with it. Don’t do anything with it. If you find you have one, just keep it in the pocket. If you try to tame the ego then that must be the biggest ego. What the ego cannot tolerate is being ignored. The antidote for ego is to be natural. Be simple like a child. And if you find it is still bothering you, just let it be.Q:
What is the difference between desire and resolution?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
All the work in life happens through intention. You had this intention in mind to come here, and then only you could come here. If something keeps on bombarding your mind and doesn’t let you sleep, then that is desire. You should not think that one should have no desire in the mind. Resolve to accomplish bigger tasks. Take on greater jobs in your hands. But you should also keep those aside at times and relax for some time.Q:
I am a restless soul. I always want to take up the next thing, whether it be new job, new country, new place, new things. I don’t know what is it that I am searching for? Do you have any suggestions for me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Your soul is restless! How do you know? Have you found your soul? (Jokingly) Your restlessness is because you want more. You want more joy, more and more. It is like Bulimia. You eat food but you are not satisfied. You take it out, and then you eat more food. Relax. You have to find peace. You need to hurry up till you are not on the spiritual path. Like you have to hurry up before catching the flight. But once you are on the plane, there is no fun if you run inside the plane with your baggage on your head! You are not going to reach any faster. Once you are on the path, you simply have to relax. It is also said in Bhagwad Geeta that ‘A yogi who is beginner has to work to earn karma’. But then you have to learn to relax. The more you relax, the faster you reach. If you take more time to relax, it takes long to reach. I know what are you searching for – your inner self - the source of all wealth, happiness and joy. And that is deep within you. Especially, when you meditate in a group of regular meditators, it has a different effect. Have you noticed that it had a different effect when you meditate today in the group, in this presence? (Affirmative yes from the audience). So it is much better to meditate in a group. You progress faster when you meditate with meditators. Then you realize that you have gained an ability to smile through and through, nothing really bothers you or touches you, nature loves you, and reverberates with you. I was having a discussion with one of the great scientists of the time. He was telling me about string theory. Every animal brings a particular type of energy, rythm or vibration on the planet Earth. Even if one animal is missing, the unverse will collapse. Suppose, if all the house flies gets extinguished from the planet, human beings will also dissappear. So, all the species of animals and birds are important for sustaining the universe. Ancient vedic people knew this. In ancient Indian methodologies, they have put different Gods and Goddesses on different animals. It is said that these angels or Gods/Goddesses ride on those animals, and come to the planet Earth. Mother Divine energy comes on lion. These are opposite values, but they bring in that type of energy to the ground. It is not that Mother Divine has to sit on lion and travel. But it means that cosmic consciousness brings that energy down to the planet Earth through that particular animal. Like crows are connected with ancestors and planet Saturn. Mars is connected with sheeps and goats. Each planet is connected with a particular animal, and each God/Goddess is connected with a particular energy. God/Goddess is nothing but a particular energy that descend to the Earth through that particular animal.Q:
I feel very strong in your presence and it feels good. I am very grateful to have you in my life.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Good good. Knowledge, meditation and relaxation will give you cool heart, and soothe your heart!Q:
How can I be a selfless devotee? I have been doing business with you till now. What step should I take to be the same?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This wish has arisen in you, so take it for granted that it has already started. I don’t mind even if you do business. Anyway, you would be getting much more than you give. Live joyfully. You wouldn’t encounter any loss even if you do business.Q:
Can you please say something about Sri Aurobindo and what his message and life were about?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know, when you are asking about Sri Aurobindo, you already know. He wished more and more people would meditate. So the seed he had sown meant greater access to the collective consciousness. It's happening now. Those days it was very dull, although a few French people really caught on to it.
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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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