29 Mar 2012 - QA 2

Guruji, can you tell us the significance of places like Haridwar and Varanasi? We hear they are man made channels and gateways to heaven; not part of this world.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, nothing like that. See, you come to ashram and as soon as you get in, don’t you feel some change? Everybody feels a change. Varanasi was at one point of time a place where all intellectuals used to live. All mediators were in Haridwar. It used be like this in the past.
So many people for centuries used to sit on the Banks of the Ganges and meditate. But today it is not the case. Today it is different. That is why there is a saying: ‘Swayam hi theerthaani punanti santha.’
There are all these holy places, but it is the holy men who purify these cities. These holy places are holy because of the presence of holy saints. However, in current times we hardly find such saints. You may find some here and there, but why should we search for them outside? Search within. You are no less than a saint when you are happy. Your body is like the shell of the coconut and your mind is like the soft white kernel inside. Know this and relax.