Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
If one desires to have something with all the heart, does he/she get it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If it is good for you, you will get that.Q:
What made God alive? When did you start believing in God? Have you seen God? What does God look like?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This same question was asked 10,000 years ago by a little boy of 8-9 years old to his father.The boy to his father: What is God and how does God Look like?
His father takes him by hand and brings him out of his house, and asked him what was there at the place of their house before it was built.
The boy said ‘Space’.
Father: Where is the house built?
Boy: space.
Father: What will exist and what will remain when this house will demolish?
Boy: space.
Father: That is God.
God is not a person sitting somewhere. It is so depicted in paintings only. God is love, God is the space in which everything exists, from which everything has come into existence, and in which everything dissolves. God is the space, joy, and love, which is all pervading. The space around you is not the dead space. It is filled with energy and intelligence. That energy and intelligence is divinity. It is everywhere –your inside as well as your outside.
Most of the native cultures of the world have the same concept. They say God is in the mountains, in the rivers, in the flowers, in the trees, in the animals, and in the human beings. God is love. You can feel it but cannot see it. You can experience that enormous energy when you go deep in meditation.
Q:
Have you ever cursed anyone?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, never happened a chance to do that. When you are full, the need to give curse never arises; it may happen in those who feel some lack.Q:
Will you please talk about animal sacrifice?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Animal sacrifice (bali pratha) needs to be stopped. It is not written in any scripture to kill helpless animals. It means to surrender any animal tendencies that you find within yourself. You can explain this and make othersunderstand too.Q:
Why does the Divine love us?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is good to ask this question. When we demand love, we destroy love. When we feel that we have been loved by people in abundance, then we will see that we have also grown in abundance.Q:
How do we stop depression?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Doing pranayama (stress elimination breath techniques) and yoga regularly. Stop thinking about yourself only, “Oh, what about me?” This is a technique to get depressed, if anyone wants to get depressed they should only have one question, “What about me?” Come on. Think about the world, about other people around you, what you can do for the world. You have a big picture around you about what you can do, then depression will run away from you. So two things:1. Is to do your practices and
2. Is set up a goal for yourself, do something in the world that would be useful to many more.
Q:
Does Bhakti (devotion) make an impression on the Chitta (subconscious mind)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, of course. The impression of Bhakti wipes away all other impressions, all negativity of mind. Also the impression of Bhakti gets dissolved on its own. Like when you put a piece of alum to purify water, the water gets purified as the alum dissolves and disappears. The impression of Bhakti is just like this.Q:
Guruji how come you have so many disciples?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Somebody asked me, ‘How come you have so many followers?’, I replied, ‘I keep on running ahead of everybody.’(Laughter) People continue to come behind me. Then he asked, ‘How do you do it?’ to which I replied, ‘It’s very easy. You keep running ahead.’(Huge laughter)Q:
How to attain silence?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That is why you have come here. As your interest grows then silence deepens. Knowing what is permanent and what is changing is viveka (discretion). Thoughts are changing but the knowledge (learning) is with us.In a shop you buy a vessel. The vessel is permanent but not the milk, or the rice which you fill in it. Houses will stay but the people change. The people who built the Tanjore temple have gone but the stones remain.
In our life some things are permanent - love, vairagya (dispassion) are like this. Knowing this difference is viveka.
Q:
Is there life after death?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes.
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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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