Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Guruji, do you have any unfulfilled desires?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
(After a little pause) Yes, I want to see millions of people smiling and all these conflicts in the world to end. There should be no war. WAR itself means ‘Worst Act of Reason’. People who are involved in war give reasons to justify their actions but it is actually the worst act of reason. There is so much domestic violence in the world today. All this must stop. This can happen when people become more compassionate and understanding.Q:
I am 63+ years. Can a good art of living lead to a decent art of dying?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You forget that you are 65. Wake up, it’s not late. There is something deep inside you which has not aged. It is pure and dynamic. Don’t underestimate yourself. Don’t think that you are useless. I tell you, you can sit and meditate, and you can bless the world. Things will happen much differently then. I am with you. You are not alone. If anyone anytime feels lonely, depressed, unhappy or sad, just remember that you are not alone. You are not alone at all. Ok?Q:
What is seva for a student who has lots to study?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You must study and keep doing little seva. It doesn’t matter how much seva you do. Do according to your capacity, with your heart in it. That would be equal to doing seva like anyone with great capabilities.Q:
When we sit for meditation sometimes we are disturbed by other people. If we are humble, then they take advantage of it. How do deal with this situation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Just leave it; you will see it will settle on its own. If it goes beyond a limit, then you can also roar. A lion simply sits, doesn’t roar all the time. Inside you must be pleasant, outside you can roar. To roar you need inner strength.Q:
What role has a woman to play in bringing transformation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Woman has great role to play. Women can influence many men around them – father, brother, children, spouse. They have more power and more influence. In Indian mythology all the powerful portfolios like defense ministry, finance and education are with women. What else do you want? In India we believe man and woman are equal partners. There is concept of Ardhnarishver – God is neither male nor female. Divine is half male and half female. Everyone is like that. Nobody is full male or full female. There are genes of both mother and father within each one of us. So, we must respect women. Women should take more lead in the society. And I think that women can be better peace maker, and then less conflict, greed and corruption will be there in the world. Corruption can only happen outside the boundary of belongingness. Heart can never be corrupt. It is mind which goes corrupt. Heart always longs for old and mind for new. Isn’t it so? You want more and more in mind but the heart says,” I am happy”. Heart wants to give and mind wants to take. women are more with their heart. She should keep that quality while developing leadership and taking more social responsibility.Q:
Should one have blind faith in the Master?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Faith is never blind, faith is just faith. When faith breaks then one starts feeling that it was blind faith. Now don’t try to bring faith in you, it just comes by itself. In fact, I would say doubt as much as you can. Even then if it remains, that faith is authentic. That is why I say doubt as much as you can and my work is not to bring faith in you but to put you in more doubt. Your job is to swim through it.Q:
How can I feel your presence in my everyday life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You already feel it, no?Q:
I just want to thank you for all the blessings. Why is that every time I see you I cry?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Oh my god, you are taking away my reputation! Every time people see me they smile. Yet tears of love and gratitude are also very precious. When the heart opens it brings tears to the eyes.Q:
Should we follow the character and play of Gods?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There is a story in each character. One should follow the character of God like Sri Rama’s character but the play of Lord Krishna is notto be followed. Play of God is not comprehensible.
Do as what Sri Rama did but do as what Sri Krishna said and not did. If you follow Lord Krishna’s play and do all that He did, you will end up in a jail, then you reach your birth place. (Audience laughs) When you listen to Lord’s play, your heart becomes joyful. Everything is Lord’s play only.
Q:
I see a lot of people smoking and drinking. What do I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I too have the same question! Education, Education! These people need to experience some higher joy. See with Sudarshan Kriya how fast do they drop the habit and come out of it. We’ll do a program for that. We have done it in some countries and it has been successful. 65% of people stay without smoking. 30-35% come back to smoking but the quantity has reduced. Earlier they would take 10 packets, now they take 2 packets.
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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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