Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
How does it feel to come here to Pakistan?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is completely different now. I have interacted with the youth and I find the same enthusiasm and the same sense of belongingness like the youth in India. All the people here, you are all educated and I do not find any sort of close mindedness at all.
What I am saying is the projection is wrong. The media is like that; they pick and project only those pockets where there is trouble and problems.
So we need to create a new image for the country, that this country is also tolerant, we honor diversity, we acknowledge people from everywhere. This type of message should go out loud and clear.
Then what will happen is Pakistan’s tourism will improve and that will bring a big economic boost as well.
I feel so nice here; the people are so beautiful and so nice. This is the message that needs to go to the world, that there is so much love amongst the people here. And my visit here is going to carry this message to India and it is going to create a big wave.
The media has already taken this message that Guruji has been welcomed there and the people are very happy and Guruji is very happy. This message is going to bring the two countries much closer.
Similarly I was saying that the medicine for the 21st century medicine is Ayurveda and it belongs to Pakistan. It was born here.
Ayurveda, the materia medica of all the herbs (which herb is used for what) was written in Takṣaśila. The university here used to have 10,000 students from all over the world, they used to come and study there. Unfortunately Ayurveda is not used in the place where it was born. India and all over in the world they are reaping the benefits of Ayurveda and I think Pakistan should also focus on it and get it back.
(Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar demonstrating Shakti Drops. An Ayurvedic medicine by Sri Sri Ayurveda)
You know a drop of poison can destroy your body. When a drop of poison can destroy a mass of 70 kilos, a drop of nectar can also work to strengthen it.
So this is (Shakti Drops) a combination of some herbs distilled in water which boosts your immune system so much that your body gains power.
It is really unbelievable. Right?
In the morning if you put 3 to 4 drops in water and drink, you feel very energetic. During exam time if you just rub a little on your skin you will be able to stay awake for another two hours without getting tired.
Similarly, there is one more product called Ojasvita which is like bournvita. It is made up of seven herbs and these seven herbs are so good for our brain and nervous system. If you take a cup of it then you will feel so good and so alive.
How many doctors are here? You should go to our website and see our Ayurveda Hospital. At our hospital, there is a technique to pull out a tooth without a drop of blood, without anesthesia and no pain.
Similarly pulse diagnosis; the doctor will catch hold of your pulse and will give you a complete history of what has happened to your health in just a few seconds. You do not have to go through an x-ray machine.
These are the specialties of Ayurveda, and what I want to tell you is Yoga and Ayurveda were born here in Pakistan.
Unfortunately nobody knows about it here. Many people do not know about all the systems of medicine. Ayurveda can be very useful for people.
Dear Gurudev, what is the purpose of ego? It seems like all the negative qualities that make us miserable can be ascribed to that layer of existence. Does it have positive aspects as well?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, ego has positive aspects. Who says it is all negative?
The positive aspect is that it can come with a challenge, a determination, and a will to act.
All actions that are challenging, that need determination and passion are done by ego.
There can be an ego which is all inclusive; ‘everyone belongs to me’ - that’s an ego too.
And, ‘only I am good’, is an ego too but that is not too good an ego.
So there are different ways to look at ego.
If you give the definition for ego as, ‘lack of naturalness’, or as, ‘a wall between you and the other’, then it is something that you need to get rid of. It is like the covering on the seed that is essential till the seed sprouts, and once the seed sprouts, the covering or the membrane around the seed gives way for the seed to sprout. Like that, the ego comes up by the age of three and stays till you become mature. You move on from adolescence to an adult, till then it protects you. Then it slowly gives way to being a more broad minded, broad hearted, large hearted, universal identity.
The other type of ego is just the identity. Then you need the identity.
All these identities, ‘I belong to one divinity’, ‘I belong to one human kind, one human race’, ‘I stand for righteousness’, is ego.
It is good that you stand against injustice and you fight against ignorance, and you say, ‘I am here so that nobody goes hungry or has any dearth.’ That dedication is part of ego as well. That ego is called sattvic ego.
In the Bhagavad Gita there are three types of ego described, the sattvic, the rajasic and the tamasic ego. It is very interesting; sometime you can read about it.
Guruji, at the time of death, does someone come to escort us? Two years ago, my father passed away. At the time of his passing, he appeared to be telling someone, ‘wait, I am coming’. When he was in pain, we would chant ‘Jai Guru Dev, Om Namah Shivaya’ into his ear and he would laugh like a baby. So what was it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
At the time of death, divine beings escort the soul with respect and honour. If someone has committed bad deeds in life, yama doot drags the soul away. Association with the enlightened brings honour and respect. Like a chief guest in a program is welcomed respectfully, and an uninvited guest is thrown out. The treatment we get in subtle world is same as the treatment we get in the earthly world. So if we leave with contentment, we are taken to other world respectfully. Q: Can you give a comprehensive definition of mind? Is it soul or prana or nervous system – please explain. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You want to know? Why do you want to know? This wanting to know is mind. Are you listening? The listening faculty is mind. Through ear the consciousness hears, through eyes it sees, through nose it smells. That which experiences the world through the senses is mind. Got it?
What is the mystery behind karma?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: As you sow, so you reap. Isn’t it? There is a couplet(shlok) that defines Raajasic intellect as that which discriminates among individuals, whereas Saatvik intellect treats everyone alike seeing the same divinity in all. So during meditation, when the saatvik intellect awakens, think of those to whom you feel attached as manifestations of the divine, and those towards whom you feel enmity, also as manifestations of the divine. This is all merely a game. The same divine manifesting in different colours has also manifested within me, as me. How many of you experienced it today?( Many in the crowd raise their hands. ) ‘Sarva bhuteshu yena ekam bhavam avyayam ikshate avibhaktam vibhaktesu tat gyanam viddhi satvikam’ That which is uninterrupted / undivided at all times – the same indivisible mind in discrete bodies, the same indivisible space which appears separate in ten different bowls - one who sees this unity in diversity is extremely special. The ability to experience this state of unity even for a little while in meditation is present in the aatvic consciousness, although one cannot remain in this state forever. A raajasic mind is one that focuses on the differences (disparateness) among all beings / individuals. Taamasic intellect is that which is stuck in one point of view, and lacks the ability and willingness to look beyond; a thought comes to the mind and becomes permanently rooted – small /narrow mindedness. Say for instance, one forms a negative opinion of someone, treats them unfairly and then uses all means and arguments to justify that behaviour or stand point. You see many people in this taamasic mindset all around. They stay trapped in their preconceived notions. The idea that meditation, yoga etc. are useless, and all saadhus (Sages) and sanyaasis (hermits) are imposters, hypocrisy remains firmly embedded in their minds. They are unwilling to alter their opinion even when contrary evidence is provided. This is taamasic attitude or knowledge. I will tell you a story; Mullah Nasruddin had a thought that he was dead. He began to deny everything with the argument that he was dead. If his wife said something to him, he would say, ‘how can a dead man reply?’ If she asked him to do any work, he would say, ‘how can a dead man do anything?’ So finally his wife got fed up and took him to a psychiatrist. After a lot of discussion, the psychiatrist asked mullah, if blood comes out of a dead body. Mullah said ‘no, blood becomes water’. So the psychiatrist took out a pin and pricked mullah’s hand, and blood came out. ‘Look mullah, you are bleeding, so you are alive!’ said the psychiatrist. Then Mullah looked at the oozing blood and said, ‘Oh, today I have learnt a new thing – even dead men bleed!!’ This is taamasic knowledge. Saatvik knowledge is essential in life. Through Saatvik knowledge, God can be found. For earthly life, some raajasic knowledge (discrimination) is needed. Taamasic knowledge increases sorrow, suffering and ignorance.
You were talking about people criticizing and all that. I did a lot of reading up about you on the net. There are a whole lot of negative things written, and there is nothing contradicting it. Also, whatever is there on the net, it is not very clear cut. It is more like a publicity thing, I am sorry to say this. I think the real essence of Art of Living is not really coming out. If I did not know about my son, believe me, I am sorry if I can be honest with you, I didn’t believe in you before. What happened to my son, I am a non-believer in all this; but I am here because I saw it happening in my life. But how many people are going to know by just reading your postings etc? No. So I believe that what you probably need is effective writing, books, maybe on the net, giving proper contradictory statements, giving answers. There are so many things being said which are not right! Why isn’t it being answered?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
(Gurudev Laughs)Correct, correct, correct. We need good writers, yeah! You all can come forward and you can just write. You know one thing, some of these people who write negatively, I tell them write as much as you want. It doesn’t matter. It is that if one person is benefited from there, all the people around are benefited. Like this it catches on. Nothing can stop this flow. It will go on. And I like critics. Critics are very good. We should welcome critics. But cynical people, they are suffering themselves. We can’t tell anything about them. Cynicism is bad. Criticism is good.
In majority of India, only the intellectuals know about Ashtavakra Geeta whereas everyone knows about Bhagwad Geeta. Why is it so?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is true. Ashtavakra Geeta is for ‘Post-graduates’! It is not as easy to understand. The knowledge was given to a King. To understand it requires time. One can begin with Bhagwad Geeta. In it, everyone can find something meaningful. Whereas Ashtavakra Geeta was given to a King, Bhagwad Geeta was given to a despondent youth. This is the difference. The common man in society is depressed and is not in awareness. Ashtavakra Geeta was given to King Janaka when he was prepared to dive more deeply into the knowledge of truth and illusion. Very few have that spirit of inquiry, like you all! don’t believe that anyone sitting here is sad, is there? The audience responds enthusiastically, 'No'!! Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See, no one in satsang can be depressed! I said Bhagavad Gita was taught to a youth who was upset, who was sad, but Ashtavakra Gita was given to one who has a spirit of inquiry, who has a quest for truth. So it is a little high, it is a little different. So Bhagavad Gita caters to everybody throughout, even for the upset, or the one who is sad or miserable. To one who wants some meaning in life and to one who wants to gain something in life - for everybody it is there.
Q: Dear Guruji, when you say I am different from the body I understand that, but when you say I am different from the mind I do not understand that. How am I different from my mind?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Gurudev: Okay, now are you your thoughts or the thoughts are yours? Mind means thoughts. Thoughts come and they go. So many thoughts come and so many thoughts go. Many you agree and many you disagree and those you agree, later on, you disagree with those same thoughts, isn’t it? You sit and write down all your thoughts. Later on, you will find, 'oh, am I the same person who is thinking all this?' You would wonder, correct? So, in that sense, you are different from your thoughts. Thoughts come and go but they come in you and go in you. Its like clouds in the sky. The sky cannot be clouds. But when there are so many thoughts, and it is so cloudy, you feel, 'oh sky means clouds'. But if you have had a taste of clear sky, a few moments of open sky, then you see, 'oh the sky is beyond the clouds, not just the clouds' and that is the beauty in the sadhana. In the very first Sudarshan Kriya, what happens? The very first time you experience few moments without anything. Just a few moments; that opened up your awareness through the clouds. You think the clouds are what the sky is, but you got a little hole, and you could see the blue sky beyond the grey clouds right? isn’t this your experience?
Now you turn back and see what were you before you did your first course, first meditation or Sudarshan Kriya? Who were you before that? Who are you now? How many of you feel you can’t relate to the person who was ten years ago? (Many raise their hands)
See, that very clearly shows you are not the thoughts. What you think as a person ten years ago is just a bundle of thoughts, the mind. But you got a little space, glimpses outside the mind into the no mind or the space that we are; and meditation is being that no mind. But sometimes clouds come and thoughts come and they go and skillfully between them you just stay centered.
Dear reader the remaining knowledge given by Guruji on July 29 will be available to you shortly
What message do you want to convey to the next generation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Study well and excel. Make one new friend every day.
Children from the ongoing Art Excel programme performed a skit. Over 1,400 yuvacharyas (youth leaders) from the Indian state of Andhra Pradesh participated in the satsang. Some of them shared their experiences.
The Urdu translation of Gurudev’s book ‘Celebrating Silence’ was released. “Take this book to different places … Pakistan, Lucknow, Hyderabad and Lahore,” said Gurudev. We need to give all our knowledge to India and Pakistan so that both countries can stay peacefully. With this knowledge we can eradicate terrorism.”
Is education all about passing examination and getting good marks. Is it not about something more?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
What do you think?
I’m not strong enough to take a commitment for whole one year. What can I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Not strong enough? Take one day at a time. You are strong enough to take commitment for one day, and that is enough. And each day you can continue doing it. Don’t think of one long year, “oh my God! One year I’ve to do something! Today I do, that’s good. Tomorrow I do, that’s good”.