Question Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Q: Do you get stressed?

Sri Sri: The product really works well! Just last week I went to Kerala. They had organized 19 appointments in a day. I cancelled some of them before I went there. Yet, I ended up attending 22 appointments. I thought I would get irritated, but I surprised myself and didn't. Each one of us has tremendous energy within us. One single cell can light up the entire city of Bangalore for 24 hours.

Q: Guruji, how does it differ from techniques involving concentration or contemplation?

Sri Sri: Usually, we sit and contemplate on some knowledge, on some scriptures. We are keeping our mind active. The mind is thinking and thinking and thinking. Thinking is also an activity and does not bring any rest to the mind. So contemplation should never be called meditation.
Concentration involves a lot of effort. You are trying to focus your mind to stay in one place, which is not its nature. Mind jumps from one thing to another and it goes from something which is charming to something which is even more charming.
Mind always flows towards something that is even more charming. When you are having very good food then you are attentive with the food. However when something on television comes or a beautiful scenery comes, you forget about the food and watch the scenery.

You mind goes from this to that. You mind always goes from one thing to another and it always goes to something that is more enjoyable. At least, it perceives that something is more joyful. It may not really be the source of joy. In fact, it is not.
Concentration is – trying to focus the mind on one point against its nature. So we are forcing our mind. Children get into so much stress and tension because their mind is forced on something which is not in their natural taste. They are forced to study such topics for which they have the least inclination. Then, it causes so much strain.

Concentration again is tremendous effort. So, it can’t be meditation. Though, you willneed concentration in life. Now, both concentration and contemplation are results of meditation – they are not meditation itself. Meditation is effortless!
When the mind takes the deepest rest, it becomes so fresh and alive. And after that deep rest, your concentration is spontaneous. It’s natural. Concentration becomes effortless.
You are able to contemplate well without strain. Meditation unfortunately is understoodto be another concentration or contemplation in many parts of the world. But it is not.
Meditation is the art of doing nothing. It’s the skill by which you make your mindbecome quiet and do nothing and experience the vastness of space deep within.
So, effortlessness is the key to meditation. And if we can do a few minutes of meditation, you will find that concentration has improved and your intellectual abilities are boosted.

Q: How does God see the world?

Sri Sri: God cannot see two. For God there is no you and I! He can only see himself in everything and everyone!!

Q: Dear Guruji, when we take responsibility, how can we tackle obstacles?

Sri Sri: The test of your peace is only when there are obstacles. Be thankful for obstacles

Q: Could you please discuss the value of Vedic tradition of masters who have preserved
this meditation for thousands of years in its purity? Why is this important? Can we
describe the Art of Meditation as a gift from the masters of the holy tradition?

Sri Sri: From thousands of years, many sages down the line have preserved this art of meditation and it is a gift to the humanity. In the middle ages, people thoughtit should only be given to a very qualified student and real seeker. They used to give it only to a sincere seeker. But I thought, on the contrary, if you give meditation to somebody, sincerity will blossom in their lives. So, I thought (I should) give it to everybody and it will bring a change in the quality of their life. And when they want higher knowledge, they will go deeper into it. So, for everyone it brings some benefit or the other. To whatever extent they go into it! I usually give the example of the ocean. Some people take a walk along the beach and they get good oxygen, fresh air and they are happy with that.
Others would put their feet in the water and feel that scintillating impact of the ocean.
Some others go surfing or scuba-diving and they find corals and precious things. So, it’sup to you – if you want to take a walk on the beach or go for a swim or go deeper and go scuba-diving, Ocean is there available to you. It is the same with meditation. You can do meditation to improve your health or your mental faculties or further if you want to go, spiritual elevation can happen in the same meditation.

Q: Can you talk a little about the Soul - the self or Atma?

Sri Sri: It is step by step experiential understanding. Before going to atma, the self, you have to know the five elements of creation. What are the tatvas? Prithvi, ap, tej, vayu, and akash - Earth, water, fire, air and ether. Then comes the mind, buddhi (intellect), memory, ego, and maha tattva (self).

Q: These days most Gurus have long hair and long beard. Is it a dress code?

Sri Sri: 'Yes, you can call it as dress code. The long hair is like an antenna to receive messages from God and the long beard is like an earthing to transmit those messages to the people.

Q: Can it be said that in the Art of Meditation, the mind leads the body and in kriya, the
body leads the mind to the same end? Can you please elaborate?

Sri Sri: You can’t say that the body leads the mind or the mind leads the body. What you can say is that the body, breath and mind getting into the rhythm is Sudarshan kriya. Finding that inner harmony and depth, and manifesting it on the surface, on the physical level of the body and breath is meditation. Through mantra, you go to the deepest level of your consciousness and bring that to expression in your day-to-day activity. That is meditation.

Q: Guruji what is Shanti(peace)?

Sri Sri: We must make you sit in a closed small room and play loudspeaker 24 hrs. And not some good music, some heavy music. Then after 24 hrs, when we switch it off you will come to know what is Shanti. (Laughter!!!)

Q: Could you talk about the sound OM and its significance?

Sri Sri: It is also called the sound of one-hand clapping. The sound which is generated in the universe, not out of friction! Om is universal sound, so when people went deep in meditation, they heard it and they’ve been using it for millions of years. Recently, scientists who mapped the sound on the computer said that it has the same frequency as earth’s rotation around its own axis.

In the sound Om, our Prana covers our whole body. Om has such a resonance with nature - if you stand by the ocean and listen to the waves rolling, you will hear the sound Om. You go on top of a mountain and just listen to the wind blowing, you will hear the sound Om.
Maharishi Patanjali - the profounder of yoga said to ward away all the obstacles in life, Om can be practiced. It is one of the methods that he enunciates. Before meditation, when we sit and chant Om three times, and then use our mantra – whatever mantra we have been given, then, meditation goes very deep.
In China there is a very famous doctor who was suffering from seven major illnesses and he shared his experience. He said that it was his experience that he used to have 500 grams of medication everyday to no avail. Then, he started singing Om for one to two hours every day and in two years he was relieved of all diseases that were thought to be incurable. And his colleagues were surprised. Now this gentleman is calling it the music therapy and he is teaching this to people in China on national television.
When he shared his experience, I thought it is exactly what Maharishi Patanjali has said in the yoga sutras - Ek tatva abhyasa (practice the one tatva, one principle that is Om). It’s called music therapy in China, singing Om. Sound is nothing but energy. It’s nothing but electricity. Our whole body is nothing but electricity. And it can make a big impact on the cells of our body.