Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Why do you put a labels of ‘good’ and ‘bad’ on yourself? Take it off and be natural, be at peace. When we assume a negative quality as our own, we feel guilty and when we assume a positive quality as our own, then we become proud. Both of these are signs of being mentally unhealthy.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There is no conflict between the Art of Living and religion. The conflict is in the small mind. For example, the goal of Christianity is to spread peace and love, to pray and serve. The Bible says: "The Kingdom of Heaven is deep inside", and "God is Love", and "Have the innocence of a child and you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven". These are all things that you have all read, but not experienced.Every child needs to know about every religion of the world. A big problem of the world is fanaticism. Education about the human values of every religion will solve this problem. Chinese food is eaten all around the world. Yet, by consuming Chinese food, do you become Chinese? If you listen to Beethoven, do you become German? Do you become Indian by listening to the sitar? Why can't we also have the common wisdom from all religions around the world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, self knowledge comes by its time. Sunlight will not enter the room just because you have opened the windows. Yet when there is sunlight, it won’t come in if the curtains are closed. For sunlight to come into this room, two things are needed.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The awareness campaigns have already brought HIV under some control. Education is the only way you can stop it. Medical education as well as spiritual education has to be emphasized. Pranayama, breathing exercises, learning about the breath and meditation can arrest promiscuous tendencies to a great extent.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Just tell them, ‘Hey, I want you to do something, just sign here.’Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, everything in the world affects every other thing but the power of the mind and mantra is the greatest.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Absolutely natural.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Kevala kumbhaka is when there is almost no breath and that your mind is in a very happy state. It happens without your effort.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The Divine energy is carried through different symbols. The Parmatma is One.Yet different aspects of that Divinity are carried through different symbols.
It is so interesting. Our ancient people had the concept of opposites. The mouse is so small and the elephant is so big. Yet, the knowledge of an elephant (Ganesha) is riding on a small mouse (his vahana).
Kabir (a renowned Indian saint) did not study in a university. He had his Guru mantra. With one little mantra, he went into Samadhi (the deepest meditative state) and his consciousness blossomed.
The Divine Mother comes on a tiger. The Divine Mother is the most delicate feminine form of Divinity and She comes on one of the most ferocious of animals.
The commander-in-chief of the armies of the Gods, Karthikeyan, comes on a peacock. The peacock is associated with art and music.
There is a deeper significance to these symbols.
Goddess Saraswati (Goddess of Knowledge) is sitting on a rock. The rock does not move anywhere. Goddess of Wealth (Goddess Lakshmi) sits on a lotus flower in water. Wealth is unstable. You don’t know when the share market is going to be unstable – how money can come and go.
The very fact that most Gods and Goddesses are sitting on a lotus flower depicts a fully blossomed consciousness. Only when the consciousness is fully blossomed, does Divinity ride on it.
Like the lotus flower whose petals transform from being concave to convex. Perhaps in those days, there weren’t any chrysanthemums. Otherwise, they would have put some Gods and Goddesses on chrysanthemums.
Your real wealth is your inner strength. Your inner sense of fullness and not your bank balance is your real wealth.
You may have lots of money in the bank, but if your mind is fearful and small, then what is the point?
Today a gentleman came from Mandya (a small town in Karnataka) to meet me. He has two houses and doesn’t have a job. He wants to sell one house and use the money to start a business. He wants to donate the other plot for a meditation centre.
He insisted that I take the land. The land costs several millions of dollars. He had even come with the land papers. I took the papers and told him: ‘This is mine, but it will be with you. You take care of it. You keep it. You start your business, make your life stable, make your finances better. I’m not going to accept it.’
What I’m saying is that those who have very little have big hearts to give. I appreciate it. This is the most precious offer. That man came with his wife and mother. They kept saying, ‘Guruji, please make a Temple of Knowledge over here. We have benefitted so much from the courses, we want others to enjoy.’
Just the gesture is enough. The heart that wants to do gets blessings.
Isn’t it so interesting? Values of humanness and generosity are still alive on this planet.
People with big hearts are still alive.
I remember on the last day of the Silver Jubilee (The Art of Living celebrated 25 years of service in 2006), I met all the volunteers. As I was leaving, a 25-year-old boy came up to me, gave me an envelope and began to cry. He grabbed my feet and hands and sobbingly said: ‘Thank you, please accept this.’
I took it and asked him what he did for a living. He was a labourer from Kerala (an Indian state) and had come to do seva for 15 days. ‘Guruji, I don’t know how to express my gratitude. My life has changed. Please accept this.’ (Pointing to the envelope.)
I opened it and saw that it had Rs 5,000. It must have been his salary of two months.
I asked him about his family responsibilities. He has a mother, sister and is the eldest of two sons. I took Rs 100 from the amount and told him: ‘This money is worth millions to me. Take the rest of the amount home.’
All that we need is to have a heart to do something. Nature will help you.
God will help you.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are some questions that cannot be answered in words. Ashtavakra answered Janaka in silence.