Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Q: Human beings will always be imperfect, then how does one see Godliness in a human?

Sri Sri: Who says human beings are always imperfect? Inside human beings, thereis Godliness. Wake that Godliness up. Move from one perfection toanother and not from imperfection to imperfection.

Eitheryou can see fault with everything, like milk gets spoilt and becomescurd and then butter. You can see first milk gets spoilt and becomescurd, and then curd gets spoilt and becomes butter. You can talk aboutonly imperfections, or you can see progress from perfection toperfection.

Q: Whenever I see a good looking girl, I find myself in love. Is that love or infatuation?

Sri Sri: Well, time will tell you! First, find out whether they are in love withyou or not. If that matches, it is a different story. If it doesn’tmatch, that is a different story altogether. Either case, you willbecome mature. But don’t keep falling in love. Rise in love! In love,you don't expect anything in return. If you want something in return,don’t call it love. Then that’s need. In a relationship there is aneed, but there is no need in love. Love is your very nature. If itsounds too philosophical for now, just keep it in the background andrelax. One day you will understand, when your heart breaks or when yourealize you expected something too much, something will pop up from thebackground of the mind and try to save you.

Q: What is it that I should do in the future?

Sri Sri: Whatever you did in the past which was not to be done, don’t do it in future as well.

Do something that brings a smile on your face and that of others.

Q: When can I be like the Divine?

Sri Sri: You are already now.

Q: In spite of spiritual inclination, some melodramatic tragedies keep on happening. Why is this so?

Sri Sri: Tragedy is tragedy when you are affected. There is no explanation forsome phenomenon. Why accidents happen, why do people die? It is thesemoments when you say “Why me?” You know, the ‘Why’ in the mind isassociated with misery and the ‘How’ is associated with wonder and joy.

Whenthe question, ‘Why this problem only with me?’ arises in mind or itarises in some other’s mind, better don’t say anything. Just be! Noexplanation, no reasoning of that will suffix. You simply have to leavethose questions for those moments. Time will take you across. Time willmake you sail from that situation. Our tendency is to answer them orconsole them, but smile or a moment of silence will be better. Noexplanation. No reasoning, no theories will ever do anything. That iswhat I feel.

Q: What is my existence?

Sri Sri: The same question you would have to ask yourself again and again. Until you don’t get the answer, don’t leave the question. We will keep pushing you to get the answer. It’s a very precious question!

Q: What is the golden rule of a happy married life?

Sri Sri: Well,I am not qualified to say anything, but let me think. Why don’t you sitwith those who are happily married? What I have heard is:

Before marriage: a couple is mad for each other.

During marriage: They are made for each other.

And then: They are mad at each other.

After while: They are mad because of each other.

Somebody has formulated this!

Onething I know, marriage is an institution of patience, sacrifice, caringfor each other and sharing. If one is upset, other should keep quietand wait for his/her turn to get upset. If both together get upset atthe same time, then there is a problem! But in front of kids, oneshould better be civilized.

Q: Why is my mind so restless during lunar eclipse?

Sri Sri: There is a remedy to all celestial phenomena! You know what? ‘Om Namah Shivaye’. The vibrations of the mantra create an armor around us and protect and energize the whole body – mind complex.

Q: Bethlehem is the birthplace of Jesus. But why is there so much violence where Jesus himself was born?

Sri Sri: This is something very interesting. The place had violence before Jesusand it has violence after Jesus as well. This is something to bewondered about. This place has continuously seen bloodshed violence.Why? There is no answer. At least, I don’t know any answer. But if yousee history, even before Moses and after Moses, thewhole region of the middle East and Egypt suffered a lot, and have beensuffering continuously. Knowledge is most needed in that region.

Q: There have been trend of ear piercing and nose piercing. But nowadayspeople have been into piercing all over the body. Is it alright?

Sri Sri: Ear piercing appears to be scientific, because all the nerves thatcreate awareness in the brain end in the ear lobe. So, ancient peopleused to do so to create more attention. But I don’t know about theother piercings!