Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Q: Sometimes the inability to plan in advance and the resultingchaos is passed on as divine chaos. How to tackle such chaotic people?

Sri Sri: The person who has created chaos wantsa cover and in the cover, he will always say to save his face and position. Hewill bring up many justifications. So, you understand that position

- may be you’d be doing the same thing when you are in that position.Don’t depend on what people say. Most of our problems begin when we lock on totheir words and not their feeling or where they stand. A mother says to thechild, get lost and she doesn’t really mean it but the words that come are verypowerful and if the children take on the words, then, the child gets into traumaunnecessarily. I would say you should see beyond words.

Your communication should be more than verbal – it should transcendthe verbal communication. Even if someone says all nasty things to you, can youjust be grounded and keep your mind at calm. Then, you have achieved something.You are able to connect to people beyond their words.

Don’t expect that they should also connect. It’s always oneway. I tell you communication is always one-sided. You have the skill, you cancommunicate and you can receive it in that sense. You do not worry about whattheir reactions are, what they blabber.

They usually say all these blame games are blabbering andyou get caught up in this blame game. Someone blames, you get caught up in thisblame game. You stand up and say - I have the master key and I know whichbutton to press and how people will react and how things would change. Youshould have this confidence – the soul, the spirit in you is the master key. Itcan turn around the situation, the way you want it. You should have that faith.It may not happen five times but sixth time it will happen. It all depends onyour conviction and persistence. And don’t bother about what they say.

Q: So the courses you have introduced definitely help in depression?

Sri Sri: Definitely!

Q: Guruji, there are so many schools of Yoga, so many teachers who advocate different forms of Yoga, what exactly is Yoga, for layman who knows nothing about Yoga, what is it exactly?

Sri Sri: Yoga is a study of life, study of your body, breath, mind, intellect, memory, and ego. Study of your inner faculties!

Q: Guruji, how do we handle situations where we feel we havebeen blamed unfairly?

Sri Sri: Just with a smile. In this world,there is place for ignorance also. If someone is blaming you, it is out oftheir ignorance. And if it is not ignorance, it is mal-intention or jealousyand I would club all these emotions as part of ignorance. So, the best is you moveon and don’t get stuck because you have no way to control other’s opinion andyou don’t need to - everyone can have their own opinion. The best formula is toeducate and ignore. You have to; if someone says, you are a thief, you can’tsay, let him have his opinion. You educate him. If they believe it or not it’sup to them. So, keep this as a formula in every relationship. Educate andignore. If you just ignore in the beginning, you will only exhibit arrogance.Educate is also a little strong word. You can say inform and ignore, which iseven better. In education, there is more effort. In anger, people say, I willteach him a lesson.

Q: Dear Guruji, I believe in this: As we sow, so we reap.But many instances we see that a person is going through bad times, even if wedon’t see any major fault done by him or her. Why it happens?

Sri Sri: Karma! The ways of karma areunfathomable. Karma is like an ocean. This is not one lifetime. In manylifetimes, we have done so many actions and they all have repercussions. Whichkarma has sprouted from which seed and what fruit this karma will give is verydifficult to pin point. That is why it is said ‘gahana karmanogati’ . Unfathomableare the ways of karma. Because it is not just one lifetime, many lifetimes, wehave done many things and we don’t know which karma sprouts when. That’s whydon't worry about the karma, just be active and follow your conscience.

Act with conscience!

Q: Is peace a state of mind in which no desire or cravingetc. arise at all or they arise and subside very fast. How to attain peacepermanently?

Sri Sri: When you drop this wanting permanency,there will be peace.

Q: How to take full responsibility for your actions withoutfeeling doership?

Sri Sri: When you are taking responsibility,just take the responsibility. Doership means brooding over the consequences.

Whatever has happened, the moment you take responsibility, youare empowered. You come to the present. You have already accepted theconsequences.

When you are in action, don’t get into this philosophy ofdoership or non-doership else the mind gets confused. When you act, you acthundred per cent. When you are acting hundred per cent, suddenly you willrealize I am not doing, it is all happening. Non- doership is an experience;it is not something you try to do or achieve.

Q: Guruji, one last question. The most important thing that you think we must imbibe in our life.

Sri Sri: Human values and we must value life and its main characteristic ‘compassion’ more than anything else.

Q: What is unconditional love and how can we love a personunconditionally, and when can we do that?

Sri Sri: When you don’t want anything inreturn, that is called unconditional love. Not even a thanks or a sense ofgratitude or gratefulness. A lot of times people help others but these littleexpectations are there and that is what bugs them and pulls them down. That is alsoa condition.

Unconditional love comes naturally as your consciousnessblossoms. You can’t force it on yourself or cultivate it. I don’t know how tocultivate it. It’s simply a phenomenon. When your consciousness expands, rises,then, what comes out of it is unconditional love. You say, I’m here for you andI want nothing from you. This comes to you and it has come to you with some peoplebut with many others, you have some expectations.

Q: Scientifically, Has it been seen? Can we write it in medical journals?

Sri Sri: Yeah! It has already been published by NIMHANS (National Institute of
Mental Health and Neuro Sciences) and IAMS, they have published a paper on it.