Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The fact that you are participating, you are already being benefitted otherwise you would not even ask this question. Yes, don’t compare yourself with other’s experiences. That person says he saw light and another person says I feel like this; then you start doubting your own experiences and questioning yourself. You should never do that, okay.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You will get going home instructions. Have fun. Take life lightly and seriously too. If you take life all serious, it is very boring. If you take it as all fun, it becomes frivolous, superficial. You should have depth. Life should be silence and celebration, a combination of both. Be dispassionate, totally centred and totally passionate to bring transformation. Passion for transformation and dispassion for momentary pleasure – these two can make you a very, very deep person. If you walk this path, you will have no dearth for anything, all will happen at the right time.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, I am doing my job properly right.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Many options. Poke them. If they continue, accept it. If you find it is irritating you more and more, get up and sit somewhere else.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes it looks like that, the design of the nature wants to bring more righteousness in society, and it looks like that. Time is very right to voice against the corrupt people.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, improve communication, have better understanding and don’t mistrust.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Violence does not mean self-protection nor does non-violence mean lack of self defense. You should be prepared for your self defense no doubt, but in your mind and heart you nurture non-violence. And you will see in the presence of non-violence, such strong non-violence, even violent people will drop their violent tendencies. It has happened several times with me, when I was in Washington DC, another time in Los Angeles. On both occasions a gentleman wanted to attack me. He cursed me in the name of Jesus and said that this was all satanic, Yoga was satanic. As soon as he came, this tall hefty guy, I said, “Wait.” We didn’t have any weapons and we didn’t have any defense. He just went down on his knees and started crying. Everybody was so surprised, it was a satsang, like this, nobody expected a man to attack. I just said, “Wait, wait,” and he bowed down and started crying. Later on he took the course. You know, it is a misconception that could cause violence. It is stress and a sort of victimization that could cause violence. But when we believe in non-violence and we walk with that power in our hearts you will find a big change. There are so many such events. A long time ago, I was in Delhi and Noida. Thousands of people came with torches to burn my car. I just showed my hand and said, “Wait okay, you can do whatever you want. I just want ten minutes to talk to you. But that’s it, in those ten minutes they all changed. In those days, in 1980, Noida was not developed, it was all a jungle, a village with dacoits. So we must believe in non-violence and I don’t mean you should not carry a weapon or learn self defense. Until you get so well established in non-violence you can have those arms, you can keep your self defense that is okay.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Do sadhana, seva and satsang, and no black magic can touch you. Chant the mantras, listen to vedic chants, Rudram, Om Namah Shivaya. All this will help.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Krishna has his own ways, most mysterious, you can't understand. Better give up. Whoever is trying to understand Lord Krishna doesn’t, different people, different groups see different aspects of Sri Krishna. That is why he is called Purna Avatara, he is so complete from every side. Very, very unique.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Tough question. You ask your own mind, “Why do I choose someone my parents dislike or why do my parents dislike whom I choose?” Walking a tight rope, right?