Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Dear Guruji, is it possible to love and stay strong? Is it possible to love andstay reasonable? Is it possible to be in love and stay dispassionate? Is it possible to be in love and be free from jealousy and possession?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Definitely. It is possible to stay in such a state of love without any of these negative connotations with that – if there is wisdom. Love with wisdom is bliss. Love minus wisdom is what you have mentioned; all this jealousy, greed, all this paraphernalia.Q:
Shouldn’t diversity within companies involve more than discussing the percentage of women at the top?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
“In many places, the first discrepancy and discrimination one sees is gender-based. Gender is the most visible; the most obvious today. So, gender and religion, followed by nationality or cultural differences, these all should be sidelined.However, I am not saying that you have to force yourself to find a person who is from a particular category, when they may not be as talented. That is also wrong. Talent must come first, and diversity should be secondary. In the name of diversity, we bring in people who are not capable or qualified to do the job. The business suffers as a result. So the diversity value should not come as a rule imposed on someone but it should come from within oneself. It should come from the transformation of our outlook rather than an imposition of a rule or government regulations”.
Q:
Can love happen twice? Husband and wife are already in a relationship? Can husband or wife start loving someone else?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Tell me are you single or married? Ok, so you are single. If you are married and your wife tells you that she loves someone else, then how will you feel?(I will feel bad.)
If you flirt with someone else, she will feel the same. Once you decide to get married, then just be faithful. Before choosing you can look for suitable match, but once you decide, settle down. Is that a good idea?
Rise in love, don't fall in love. I see that so many youth, they are in love with someone and the person they are in love with someone else, so they make a whole emotional mess in the mind. Please don’t do that.
Love is eternal and life is eternal. If it is not coming to you in one form, wait it will come to you in another form.
Q:
What can we say to people in our satsangs who keep bringing in knowledge from different gurus?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Listen and let go. Don’t engage in too much discussion with them. Let everyone air their own opinions. The main thing is being with your own contemplation.Q:
Dear Guruji, I desperately need one good job and visa for some country, please help me!
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yeah, you pray, you do meditation. Whatever you ask for, you are getting it, right! How many of you are getting whatever you desire? You wish and you are getting, your work is getting done. How many of your wishes are coming true? (many raise hands)Q:
Guruji, What is Bhakti (devotion)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
: Listen to Bhakti Sutras talk, I have spoken in that, yeah!Q:
Why do you have so many followers? Are they following you because you are a master?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Well, that you have to ask them! They may all have different reasons to say, I can’t speak for them. One thing that I see is when people are so happy and grateful, they come to express their gratefulness. Transformation that is happening in the world is so much. Millions of people are getting transformed in their personal life, social life and professional life.And we have these courses happening all over the world in schools, in prisons and in corporate sector as well. And in the poor sections of society, we give them education and self confidence to be more self reliant.
Q:
How does one balance work and life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
How do you balance on a bicycle? There is no “how.” You just do it.Q:
What happens between the time of death and next birth?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
What happens between the time when you are awake and asleep? Same thing happens – you are dormant. When the consciousness is back, when the time comes, it will come back.Q:
Dearest Guruji, what if someone offers me some other technique for self realization? Should I accept or reject?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Listen, there are so many people trying to give so many techniques and if you take all of them, you will be in confusion, it will be a mess. Its better that you stick to one set of practices and go deep into that. If you don’t get any change or benefit at all from this technique, even after practicing for a good amount of time, then I would myself tell you that this doesn’t suit you and go to that. If you have got some benefit from this, I would tell you to stick to it and go deeper into it.That is very necessary. Even if you get ten percent benefit in any one path, you should continue for some time. It’s not the technique that is important, it is your attention, your dedication and your eagerness to grow that is good enough. Collecting techniques will not help you, yeah! To drop everything and relax will help. Your growth happens not by doing too many things but learning to undo or not do anything. Many people will ask you to do this or that, I would say RELAX. And you all know the three golden rules to Meditation.
For the next few minutes I want nothing, I do nothing and I am nothing.
This is the highest technique and any technique should lead you to this level of being nothing, removing all the labels we put on ourselves of the roles we play. If it doesn’t, then it’s no good a technique and it’s only a very mediocre, some preliminary beginning technique, may be just to bring some focus. If you understand this philosophy, ‘I want nothing, I do nothing, I am nothing’ rest is all done! Yeah, so simple and yet very profound… very profound!
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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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