Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Please say something about spiritual materialism.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I am hearing a new word today. Well, don’t divide life: this is spiritual or this is materialistic. Take a holistic view of life. In a temple there is food. In that sense both material and spiritual aspects are there. Music is both a form of entertainment and spirituality. We even put ornate clothes on our deities. Ancient people never separated the spiritual and material. They enjoyed putting precious jewels in temples.In South India, in Madurai, kings gave away most of their precious jewels to the temples. Everything co-existed. In the same way you can treat work as worship. It is sacred. Spirituality has entered our material life. Action is sacred. Lord Krishna says, “Janma karma samay divya”. All actions are divine.Lord Krishna himself was very much of the material world except for his discourse to Arjuna. All he did was materialistic. He ruled the country, advised as a minister, and so on. Life should not be compartmentalized. Materialism and spirituality are not opposed to each other.
However, money earned through unethical means is never spiritual. It will pinch your heart. The spirit is awake in you. It is your natural instinct. If you have a plate full of food and someone comes to you, you will not be able to eat it alone. It is such a natural part of your life that you cannot renounce one for the other. Every spiritual person has to do charity. You want to be compassionate, but how can you be when you have nothing to give away. Charity cannot happen with an empty bowl.
Narayana is the pinnacle of spiritual life and Laxmi is the symbol of wealth. Both Narayana and Laxmi go together. Saraswati sat on a rock. The knowledge that you have gained will always be with you. Laxmi sits on a lotus which floats on water. You will never believe what happens in the share market. Wealth is unsteady just as a lotus floating on water. These are the eternal symbols that convey truth. Grasp what is needed. This is very important.
Q:
Could you please tell us something about ego and surrender.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Ego is something that restricts your blossoming. Ego is you not having enoughconfidence in yourself. Ego is not wanting to be a fool. One who doesn’t want to be a fool ends up being a fool. So you have no choice. You either have to accept that you are a fool and become wise or not accept that you are a fool and really become one. Egotism does not like that. It says I am not a fool. I am somebody. Trying to impress someone else and become a real fool. Got it? Self confidence is that which gives you comfort. At home feeling, simply a sense of naturalness with everybody. Sense of belongingness with everybody. And not minding being a …
Audience: Fool
Q:
Why is meditation difficult to follow?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are three things to start a good habit: greed, fear or love. First, if someone says they will give you a million dollars for not missing your practice, will you do it? You would say “I will do for five more days, just to be safe.” If you have promised your loved one you will not smoke, you will keep the promise. If your doctor says you will die if you do it, then also you will quit smoking. I prefer love over greed and fear. A Guru is a symbol of love and commitment.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 do you mean by atheist?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Atheist? You know it is very difficult to be an atheist. Because an atheist says ‘I don’t believe in anything’. If he really says I don’t believe in anything then he should not even believe in the words that he is saying. I say I should not believe in anything except myself. That’s what he should say. And ask him do you really believe in everything that you say? Then that means you are stagnant. You are not progressing. Because when you progress in your life everything changes. So it is extremely difficult to be an atheist. If you have to be anatheist you have to say I don’t believe in anything that means even that word that you say you don’t believe, you don’t believe in it also. Got it?
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:
Guruji there are so many people in the world who are suffering on behalf of ancient beliefs and rituals. Can you please talk about it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
People are suffering with modern beliefs also. They think drugs, cigarette, alcohol gives them joy and then they suffer. Not every ancient belief is wrong and not every modern belief is right. We need to accept combination of both old and new. People are suffering because of superstitions which have no sanction of scriptures or science. People are suffering because of some rituals which are not at all part of ancient scriptures. It’s a lack of wisdom which make people suffer. Nothing else.Q:
Sometimes we long for things and after getting them, we are still not content. Why?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That is your good luck. If you become contented by getting things, you are not that lucky. I wish you get discontented with everything around so you realize you are contentment. Nothing can give you contentment because you are contentment. You have to sit quietly for a few minutes of an inward journey to bring you contentment; nothing else whatsoever can bring you that.Q:
What is the difference between Shiva and Krishna?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There is no difference between Shiva and Krishna. The soul of Krishna is Shiva. When Shiva manifests in the world and expresses all the kalas (units of consciousness) is Krishna.The Brahmakumaris say that Shiv baba gave the Bhagwad Geeta. This Song (Geeta) can arise only from the space of Shiva through the body of Krishna.
*a small conical musical instrument
**a demon representing ignorance
Q:
There are so many definitions of Saints. In reality, whom do we call a saint or a Yogi?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Saint is one whose consciousness is complete. Manifestation follows their words. When such a person speaks, it is not only on the level of mind. Those words have depth. It is more beneficial to directly listen to master’s words because He is speaking life’s experiences only. Experience kindles experience.We communicate more through our presence. If our presence doesn’t have that love, then the words spoken carry no effect. And there is no need of words where presence carries love. Whatever we convey, it is through our whole existence. It is like when a child cries or laughs, it is coming from every cell of his/her body. This is indication of a yogi – He/She speaks through existence.
Truth can not be conveyed on the level of brain.
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