25 May 2015 - QA 8

Gurudev, my friends make fun of me for being spiritual. What should I do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Well, it doesn’t matter. When they make fun of you, you should enjoy that rather than react. Then they will stop doing that. If someone makes fun of you the next time, do not get angry or shy away. Instead, stand boldly and tell them, “Oh, come on, come on, tell me more. Make more fun of me”. Invite others to make more fun of you. Just stand boldly once and say this, then you will see that the whole atmosphere will change. You will move with dignity despite allowing someone to make fun of you.
You know, you need someone to make fun, right? So you think of yourself as an object to make people happy. Be happy and think that “I have made everyone happy”. Think that by doing so, you are at least creating some humour. Think that “I am an excuse for bringing more joy”. Do not take such things to heart. You should never do that. Only foolish people take such trivial things to heart. Got it?

Some people take humour so seriously and burden their mind and heart. You must have seen recently what some terrorists did. Someone had made a cartoon or a caricature, and they felt offended and went and hurt the cartoonist. It is just a cartoon. Let there be little humour and fun. Do you not make fun of others or not? How would you feel if they become serious and depressed at your humour? And how do you feel when they take your jokes sportingly, in good humour? You feel good too, right? So that’s it. This is how you should take it and be light.