Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Why do we meditate with our eyes closed though we have to live our life with our eyes open? Is it possible to do meditation with eyes open?
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.Q:
I am not able to sustain any work I do. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Whatever work you do you’re not able to sustain it for too long. You don’t need to sustain it for too long. Do you sustain it for sometime at least? Sometime? Good. Then slowly increase that sustainability little longer, little longer, little longer.Q:
Guruji, up to what extent should one sustain a relationship? How much can one bend?
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.Q:
You always say we should surrender our sorrow to you but I feel guilty to give all my worries & problems to you.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know whatever waste is given to Dharti ma (Mother earth) is returned back to us as manure and flowers! So, if Mother Earth takes your rubbish, am I any less? (Roaring laughter and applause). We carry the power of transforming all your sorrows to happiness and joy. No matter how much darkness there is, it does not affect the Light. When you come to the ashram, don’t you already feel good? (a resounding YES!).Devotee: We know you are the Light Guruji!
Q:
Guruji can a woman follow Brahamcharya (celibacy)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Brahamcharya - it’s your personal choice. If you want to get married then marry. If you don’t want to get married then don’t marry. There are people who are married and miserable. There are people who are unmarried and miserable. All I want you to be is wise. Be wise in either case. Be centered. That is most important.Q:
We believe that even a leaf falls due to God's will. If everything in this world happens due to God's will, then why does God give us unhappiness?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You always have the choice to do good or bad. The fruits of your deeds are good or bad according to the choice you make.Don’t cry if you make a mistake. Just learn from it, and move ahead. But, don’t repeat the same mistake - that’s foolishness! At least be smart enough to make new mistakes.
Q:
What is Kundalini shakti?
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.Q:
Inspite of the fact that ten thousand people became enlightened in the time of Buddha, why is it that Buddhist meditation techniques are not so popular?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Who said it is not popular? It is very popular. What Buddha said not just stayed only in India. It went far and wide to Vietnam, Korea, Japan, China and Indonesia, it spread all over the East. From Afghanistan to China to Bahamians Buddhas. Recently, till ten years ago the Bahamians Buddhists statues were there. So people had carved huge statues of Buddha on a mountain, it must have been very popular there.Now today it is very popular in the West. In America so many people are appreciating Buddhism. In India, Buddhism got absorbed in Hinduism because it is the same thing. So Buddha became the ninth avatar or aspect of the same philosophy. Buddhist teaching is the same as Upanishad teaching, there is not too much difference. It’s quite popular.
Q:
Sometimes, I feel a disconnect with everybody?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Good, that time close your eyes and smile. I am with you at that time!Q:
There are people who are doing very badly, who cannot meditate. Even if they hear knowledge, their hearts cannot open. For people who are really doing badly, what can we do?
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.
Displaying 5841 - 5850 of 7916
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.
Read More