Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This much realisation, you are already out of it!Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It’s already happening. So many of you are here. In our country science and spirituality are not in conflict. They complement each other. Both are necessary. Bhava (heart level) and buddhi (head level) are both required. When you watch TV, seeing and listening is important.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That is the second step. The first step is to go where the mind is involved – once the eyes are closed, once the mind is centered – then you can go ahead with the other ways as well. There are different kinds of meditation like walking meditation. Your every action comes from a meditative state.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Because those are dreams.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Meditate and chant Om Namah Shivaya. Rains will come.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You can’t bend too much if the other person is turning violent, taking advantage of you. Then you have to stand up and state clearly. Deal with all of this using your intellect and not your emotions. Conflict is always emotional. Resolution is intellectual. Emotional conflict can’t be dealt with emotions. Similarly an intellectual argument cannot be dealt with the intellect. The emotional side of it has to be considered. If you observe carefully there is a stream of emotions behind an intellectual argument. Life is a fine balance between the emotions and the intellect. When to use what, is the real wisdom. And how do you gain that wisdom? The answer is meditation, meditation and meditation.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Intelligent people never argue, especially bhaktas, lovers, devotees never argue. It is said in the Narada bhakti sutra that if you are a devotee, you are lover of God, you never argue. Arguments have got no loyalty. They can go this way or that.There are eight types of kutarkas. I tell you our nation, Vedic philosophy has tremendous knowledge, insight on this aspect. Like one is ‘pitanga’ – conveniently quoting one line and forgetting the other line. The second type is ‘I am saying so it is right’. Different types of logic to confuse you and make you feel like you have won.
At the time of Adi Shankracharya, ancient time two garlands were put on people involved in arguments. It was believed that the one who is wrong, who is trying to prove something wrong, his garland will wither away and the one who is authentic and trying to put forward the truth, his garland will stay. That is how Adi Shankracharya won arguments from place to place.
Wise people don’t get into arguments. They say, ‘Ok you want to win, ok you win.’
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Christianity says a judgment day will come. At that time all those below the earth, the dead bodies will rise and be asked about their right and wrong deeds. According to which they will be sent to either heaven or hell.The understanding changed from the original meaning due to time and various interpretations.
Today what is believed and discussed as 'Judgment Day' is not what it was originally. The place where Christianity and Islam were born had a scarcity of wood.
The land there had only stones and mountains. At that place burying was a better alternative. It was not expensive.
In India there was a lot of wood, so the tradition of burning the dead bodies began. Whereas in the land of Islam and Christianity, burning the dead was not possible. So according to the country and time people would do certain practices.
The interpretation people have maintained is that on the Judgment Day the dead would get up from their samadhi, but it is not that. In the Bible, it is said "Judge not and ye shall not be judged". Christ asks not to judge (criticize) and leave the judgment only on God and one day He will look into the judgment.
In India we have faith in Karma, which means you will have to reap the result of all your acts. Good deeds will bring joy and bad will bring misery. Similarly in Christianity they say not to judge and that everyone will have to bear their cross.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We talk about it in the advance course. There are seven chakras in the body. When energy finds its way through these seven chakras, different emotions rise. When energy fully expresses itself through these seven chakras, then such perfection is attained that your desire gets fulfilled even before it arises.Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This very thought to help people who cannot reach, if it comes into many people then it is possible. There are many volunteers that are doing work like this. Ruth Kuok, was just telling me, in Manila, when there was this flood, 300,000 people were rendered homeless. Art of Living volunteers jumped to do the work there, the relief work. And now the Red Cross wants them to teach them trauma relief, through meditation, breathing. Teamwork will help. All of us want to do something for others.