Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You have to look into the eyes of those people who want bribe and tell them that, “look I am on the spiritual path, I am not going to bribe. If you want me to come fifty times, I will come, but I will not give any bribe.” Your voice style should be very firm and gentle, with much sweetness and firmness. Several times we speak the truth, but express with anger.Speaking truth, but with anger in the background, or truth with hatred does not bring success. Speak firmly with sweetness. Just do it once or twice, and see what happens.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It will happen. Your intention is enough. Main thing is Sadhna(Practices and self effort), next is awareness, and third is - no feverishness.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Never mind. You watch television but don’t watch too much. It has a strain on the brain. It’s very tiring. Anything too much is tiring.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are putting me in a toughsituation. If it is related to your profession then choice is yours, blessingis mine. If it is a relationship, then also choice is yours and blessing ismine.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
To live in a society, we have to follow the norms of the society. These norms are there to maintain orderliness.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It has a deep meaning. Poison spreads with speech. Mind gets agitated with speech. All riots happen because of harsh words and lack of right knowledge. Shivji is also called neelkanth – which signifies when Mahadev drinks poison, it doesn’t reach his whole body. When there is fight between right and wrong thoughts, a poison is generated. Shiva tattva has power to hold on to that poison. Even if you have to criticize, do it from your lips and not your heart. When you do it from your heart, it harms you. When it is from the level of lips, somebody is benefitted in the society. You cannot have flowery speech all the time. That would be cheating yourself and others also. You have to show mirror to people. But that should not be from the level of the heart. Even if Shiva gets angry, that is not from inside. Same peace is there inside. It is like kids getting angry with their mother. In no time they retain their smile. This is innocence. It is the grownups who hold on to fights for long time.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
One was sung in a royal palace and other in a battle field. You yourself see now what the difference is. It is like a song having different tunes. Both have their own value. When life seems to be a battle, Bhagwad Geeta will give you solace, and then Ashtavakra Geeta.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I would bring him in a plane to America and tell him, “Look there are so many beautiful people here in America, what are you doing? ” At that moment I’m not sure exactly what I would say to him, but I am sure I would make an impact on him.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Meditate! Sit quietly and meditate, or listen to some chanting music. All this will help. Meditation, some pranayama, Sudarshan Kriya, some excercises, ujjayi breath are very good for fears. Don’t think that fear is somewhere deep inside you. It is an erroneous notion of Psychology that fear and guilt are deep down. I tell you, deep down there is only a lot of joy; a lot of bliss. And in that centre – no fear, no guilt, no anger, no lust can touch you. Deep down you are wonderful. So never think you have all these anxieties. Those who say that there is something wrong deep down are blind. It is all there just on the surface. If they call that deep, then I will suggest to go deeper. In the centre of your being, you are a fountain of joy. Saying, “Oh! My Mind! Deep down there is anxiety!”is ignorance; a wrong idea and concept. The moment you accept these words as truth, it starts becoming more difficult to get over those emotions. They become more permanent there. Do you see that?Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are saying that you are not superstitious but believe in it. Ok, then tell me first what is superstition?See, there may be many beliefs. For what one considers superstition, it may not be for another. But from a broader perspective, things which are illogical, which does not support human evolution and which harm intellectual, mental, spiritual, and physical well being is superstition, and that need to be eradicated. Superstition exists in many parts of the world.
Spirituality and superstition are opposites. They cannot go together. So, we need to bring more and more spirituality, more values in the society, and see that superstition diminishes.