Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Course will be perfect without translation, when can we stop?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Okay now listen, this is your concept. Just imagine if you were on the other side and I would speak only Chinese, don’t speak any English, and there would be no translation, then what would you do? ‘Oh, please let me have translation’. Don’t keep the concept in mind, ‘oh translation is bothering me’. No it does not matter, let it be there. Listen to it like music.You know people who cannot read Chinese, we find it so beautiful when we go to Hong-Kong, because all these Chinese letters look like decoration. All the sign boards look like decoration, some rangoli or some designs. The entire Hong-Kong is decorated with design boards everywhere. It does not bother but if you know the language, you will be reading all the boards and it will be bothering you more. When you don’t know, it looks so nice.
Q:
I have wasted so many years of my life. I want to do something good and to be successful now. My age is about sixty now, is it too late?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No! Nothing is ever too late, no not at all, don’t worry. Don’t regret the past. Even now it’s not late. Keep smiling; be happy hmm… you are on the right track, right path, and right place. Move on! There are so many things to be done and I need so much help. So many hands I need to do this big mission, right! Bringing the whole world as one family, so we all play a very important role, let’s all do it!Q:
Can you bring more sun here?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Today there is enough sun. We will take it one day at a time.Q:
How does one know when one has been transformed by meditating? Does a person become aware that he has transformed?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Without doubt you will feel elevated. You don't need another proof. Do you ask someone whether you have pain or not. Similarly when you are happy, joyful you know that you are happy. In the same way it is very obvious when you are calm and serene, turn back and see what were you before and how the knowledge has transformed you now. That contrast, that difference will tell you.Q:
Will there ever be Men’s day?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
(Smilingly) For that too, you would have to pray to the Devi(mother Divine). Even demons ask for boons from Her, and angels as well. Once somebody was telling this joke: Once a man was asked who the owner of the house is, and the man replied saying he would ask his wife!Q:
What shall we do to always be happy, because as I know your concept is to relaxand attain happiness by that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
What to do to always be happy? First, drop the feverishnessto hold onto ALWAYS and you will find yourself happy. And then, if some momentsof unpleasantness creep into life, accept that also.Q:
You have a very big dream in bringing world peace. If, in our lives, we meetpeople who follow orthodox and rigid ideas and are ready to die and harm otherpeople, how should we deal with it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We need to deal with suchpeople with patience and we have to educate them, it’s not an easy task. First,we should begin from prisons. When one amongst them joins us in spreading peace,it is much easier.Q:
Guruji, as reporters we are going through lot of stress. We have to collect news and report and write articles. Other than doing meditation, which consumes time, what else can we do to relieve the stress that we get in front of computers and in front of our boss?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Few deep breaths! You can’t say that you don’t have time to take breaths! Take deep breaths and know that you have the capacity to handle the crisis or situation that you are in now, have confidence that ‘’I can handle any tough situation, I can handle any stress, I have the capacity’’, then faith in yourself comes up.Q:
Guruji, What is Bhakti (devotion)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
: Listen to Bhakti Sutras talk, I have spoken in that, yeah!Q:
I do not know how to express my feelings and emotions as I was trying to hide them; all the stress goes into myself. I do not know what to do with this. Is it very difficult to empty my mind even while meditating with your guidance?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Hmm! If you get too many thoughts, there are certain reasons. One of the reasons, for getting too many thoughts, is when your bowel is not clear, when your stomach is upset, constipated. If your bowel movements are not ok then you get too many thoughts. If there is no proper blood circulation in the body, then also you get too many thoughts, yeah? So, yoga and pranayama will help. Proper food and diet will help. Show to Ayurvedic doctor, he will say if there is too much pitta in your system, then he will suggest the food that will also help.
