Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
What’s your secret for having so much energy, such a big heart and so much compassion?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Simplicity. When you are not being yourself, you get exhausted. When you try to impress someone or expect something from someone, you become burdened.Q:
The mind is running all the time. We are caught up in right or wrong. But when does the mind stop?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
(After a pause) Got it? When you are waiting for an answer, what is waiting? The mind has already stopped. When you are astonished, the mind has stopped. When you are in laughter, or panic, or fear, or when you are in deep love, the mind has stopped. Time has stopped. There is an experience of timelessness. Have you experienced that timelessness? Just sit on the banks of the Ganges alone and watch the water flowing. Suddenly you feel it is a moment of eternity. Same way when you watch the sun rise or set, moon rising or setting or watch a child playing, a sudden spurt of energy comes from within you and the mind is already still. You don’t have to wait for this to happen sometime in the future. It is happening here and now.Q:
While doing seva, sometimes I get attached to name and fame. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When you are centered, established in the knowledge, when you meditate, this situation does not arise. When your attachment shifts from the work at hand to name and fame, it is time to go within.Be ready to face any challenges that society throws at you. It is said that gold shines more brilliantly, the more it is beaten. When you squeeze sugarcane, it gives you sweetness. Sandalwood, when ground, gives fragrance. Stay in your nature even while under pressure. Every situation that comes to us is for our upliftment.
Q:
Does numerology have an effect? There is a number which I consider lucky for me, and there are certain numbers which are not so lucky. Is this just a notion in mind or the effect actually exists?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That has some effect but the power of chanting ‘Om Namah Shivaye’ mantra is much more. The power of mantras can nullify the effect of any unlucky numbers, and then all the numbers will be lucky for you.More from the same conversation in the next post.
Q:
How do we rise above our senses?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You were sitting in meditation now? Your eyes were closed? Did u have any wish except to listen to my voice? That means in a way ears were also closed. Mouth was also closed? You were not speaking anything? So all senses were shunned, and then only you were able to meditate. Meditation happened, yes?. When you sleep for 6-8 hours, you remain in your senses or in non-sense. Are you getting it? So rest. Be satisfied in the mind. Be happy. And when you are in that state of Divine love, nothing will bother. See, during exam time lust doesn’t bother you. When does it disturb you? When you have nothing to do, when you are sittingidle, isn’t that right?
Q:
Guruji what is one such thing that is beyond Asakti (attachment) and Anasakti (detachment)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Me! (Huge laughter)Q:
‘Art of Living’ is doing a great job. But with 30 percent of population in depression, and this figure being expected to reach 50 percent in the coming decade, do you still see a hope for mankind? Do we still have hope?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, and we all have to work for it. You know, when we started in India, it was a small program. We had no resources and manpower. But we had a vision – We have to reach many people in the world. So, in these 30 years we have reached millions of people. So, it is possible.You know, the cell phone has reached the whole world. If cell phone could reach the whole world, do you think wisdom and compassion cannot reach the whole world? We must make an effort. Ok?
Q:
Dearest Guruji, I had a question in my mind when we were speaking about energy centers today, in the knowledge tape. I feel constant energy in my secondchakra but I don’t have any desires to do sex because I know it leaves me tired and dull. On the other hand my creative energy has not manifested itself. I would like to use my creativity and write, sing, dance, etc. How will it come to this point? Please show me a way. Give me ability to make my creative energy alive.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Ya! Continue your meditation. If a particular chakra has been used a lot then automatically energy goes there quite a bit. But it will keep moving,definitely moving. You focus more on navel center and then dance, sing. Singing and dancing, that is all part of our practices. You know, it uplifts you in more than one way.Q:
If one rotten apple spoils others in the basket then how can we handful of people can make this world a healthy and safe place to live in? There are little more bad people than good ones in the world.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This is not the case in reality. There are more good people in the world than there are bad ones. There is more love in the world than hatred. There is more happiness than misery. But it seems the other way around. Don’t blame the society. You have a responsibility and you carry on fulfilling that. Continue spreading satsang (company of truth). Same was done by Mahatama Gandhi. Before independence in India, people were so depressed thinking they would be enslaved forever. So what did Mahatama Gandhi do? He started to have satsangs across various places in the country. People got courage from that. Same way we need to spread that a wave of satsang and awareness, not that of hatred.Q:
How do we experience fullness?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
What is it that you lack? Recognize this first. Because of this lack you feel sad. When you feel sad and helpless, then you pray. Offer your limitations, instead of only offering money in places of worship. The Divine is ready to accept all your weaknesses or limitations.That Divinity which is complete, resides in you. The Divine is eternal, omniscient and omnipotent. Knowing that you are a part on that Divinity, how can you feel limited or incomplete?
Know that you are complete with the help of knowledge, devotion and rightful actions.
Even if you do not know, have faith that you are complete. You do not have to achieve it.
There is air around us. We have to know it or believe it. But we don't have to achieve it because it is already there! Similarly, without the Divine, we do not exist.
How is the Divine? What does He do? These are meaningless questions.
The Divine is there. The Divine is my very own. I am a part of the Divine. Know this.
It is easier to start with the feeling that the Divine is your very own and in time you will know that you are part of the Divine.
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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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