Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How to have devotion?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You assume that you have devotion. Don’t strive to have devotion. We should assume that we have love and devotion in us. When you believe in this, the devotion in you enhances. When you think you don’t have devotion at all, it wouldn’t manifest.Q:
What are the end results of the economic situation? How do you think it will end?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There is no end to it. These sorts of things go up and down. That is the way of the world. America is coming out of it.Sri Sri then invited the audience to visit India and participate in service projects.
Mahalo (a Hawaiian word meaning thanks)
Q:
Whenever there is choice, is it previously decided what we are going to chose? Or it can change also according to what choice we make?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It can change also. That is why 'Dhiyo yona prachodyat' is a part of the Gayatri mantra.Q:
I find it difficult to forgive my sister who had been very abusive to me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Regarding the inability to forgive somebody, there are 6.5 billion people on this planet. Don’t forgive the 6.5 billon but just forgive this one person.You know inside every culprit there is a victim crying for help. You must understand that they are victims of situation and circumstances. They didn’t have that knowledge. They were never exposed to higher knowledge so they made mistake. Just reading books and understanding doesn’t help to get out of violent tendencies. These have to be fixed through meditation, breathing exercises and yoga.
Prisoners say that ‘the Art of Living’ is responsible for their being in the prison. If the ‘Art of living’ had given them this knowledge earlier, they wouldn’t have landed in the prison. Their life would have been much different’.And I agree with them.
Q:
Is it important to get married? How do I know that someone is right for me or not?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You have to decide if you want to get married or not. This is something that neither your parents nor your Guru should decide. With whom, that also you decide. This includes decision of both you and the person whom you want to get married to. What I say in this is ‘Choice is yours, blessing is mine’.Q:
What is intuition and how can one develop intuition?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Tuition that you get from inside is intuition. Only way to develop intuition is to become little quieter and listen inside.Q:
Who is your inspiration?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are two books you can read to find an answer to this. One is 'Guru of Joy' and the other is 'Walking the Path'. I would say my inspiration is every child. I want to see everyone to be like a child. Of course, I must say my mother was a great force. She was always concerned that I had to do better. Anything I did, she would say that you had to do better. So, she was pushing me all the while.Q:
Where is Bhagwan(God)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It consists of four syllables - bh, ga, wa, na. bh comes from bhoomi(earth). One who has patience like Earth, fluidity like water, sharpness and focus like fire, subtlety like air and is all-pervading like space.Q:
Guruji, I am not able to concentrate for my mind is very flickering and playful. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Let the mind go wherever it wants to go.Q:
Why are some people greedy and cruel? Can we change them or must we learn to accept?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Some people don’t know how beautiful they are. Inside every culprit there is a victim crying for help. If you heal the victim, that culprit will be healed. No one is born as a violent person. One becomes violent due to lack of proper education on non-violence.
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Founded in 1981 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar,The Art of Living is an educational and humanitarian movement engaged in stress-management and service initiatives.
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