Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is not very difficult to know. You can do the eternity process and you could know.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Animal sacrifice (bali pratha) needs to be stopped. It is not written in any scripture to kill helpless animals. It means to surrender any animal tendencies that you find within yourself. You can explain this and make othersunderstand too.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I leave that question with you to wonder about. You should have something to wonder about. Besides, why do want to know all the trade secrets!(Laughter)Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, no, not at all. These things are really insignificant. You know, these outer gestures are insignificant. Don’t give too much importance to them. All these gestures don’t matter. We all are connected from a deeper level, level of heart. That’s how we have met and we are all here.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Well, in indifference there is a sense of apathy, rejection and disappointment. In dispassion there is joy and enthusiasm.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I leave it up to you. You discuss and decide. Go through all the confusion and come to your own conclusion. I never say it is the best and I also don’t say it is not the best. It is up to you.It will not be the truth to say it is not the best. And it sounds very funny for whenever someone says, ‘it is the best’, you have a sort of resistance for that. So sometimes some of these questions are best not answered. I am not here to clarify your doubts. I am here to create more doubts.
Doubt is always about something which is positive. When somebody tells you ‘I love you’ and you say ‘really’. But do you say really when somebody says ‘I hate you’? You doubt your capabilities and you never doubt your weaknesses. You are so sure of your weaknesses. You doubt in the honesty of people and never in their dishonesty. Nature of doubt is such that it always clings to something which is positive. So if you have a doubt I will encourage you that this is very positive.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, no, not at all. These things are really insignificant. You know, these outer gestures are insignificant. Don’t give too much importance to them. All these gestures don’t matter. We all are connected from a deeper level, the level of the heart. That’s how we have met and we are all here.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know, it’s best to take out a paper and pen, and list out what is not the purpose of your life. By negating it will be easier for you.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Just that you have to look at yourself in the mirror. That’s it. You move from perfection to perfection. You move from one perfection to another higher perfection. That’s how you have to look at life. Otherwise you see this is not perfect, everything is imperfect, everything is hopeless. And we tend to get into negative framework. Isn’t it?Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Look, there are no criteria. See from the past if you are more calm, or drop all spiritual practices for a month and see how do you feel, whether it makes a difference, or ask people around you if you are behaving better than before. Now none of these are benchmarks. And after listening to all these opinions, throw them all into the basket. If you learn to relax well, if you are able to see everything as a dream – nature of the universe, you are progressing. There is no other way. You are on a conveyor belt, you can’t be stuck, you have to move, or you will be pushed. When you are on conveyor belt, you will be moving.