Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q: How to find forgiveness within myself?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Why struggle to forgive? Hold onto it for this lifetime and the next lifetime. You do not need to do anything which is difficult. Forgiveness is easy. Inside every criminal there is someone crying for forgiveness. Someone who does injustice never had the opportunity to grow spiritually. Spiritual education is so essential to bring about the human qualities.Q: What is your biggest wish? What can I do to get closer to your heart?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are already close to my heart. I want more children to be educated in spirituality, to create a violence- free and stress- free society. We need to globalize wisdom. There are one thousand of us here. If we each sponsor a child, we would do a great service. Do service. Donate 2% of your income. It would be of immense benefit to you and them.Q: How does one stay happy every day?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know, you need a reason to be unhappy. You don’t need a reason to be happy.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 to do when we start doubting ourselves or our relationships?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Doubt is always about something that is positive. You know, if someone tells you that they love you, you say, "Really?” Isn't it so? But you take it for granted when someone expresses their hatred towards you. If someone asks you, "Are you happy?" you say, "Well, I am not sure". We doubt all that is positive. We doubt in love. We doubt in the goodness of people. We doubt honesty. We never doubt dishonesty. Isn't it so? We doubt our capabilities. We never doubt our weaknesses. You never doubt your depression, but you always doubt your happiness. So a doubt is always about something that is positive.Q: First, how can we be of service. Second, how can I be a good human being of the society?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There are many ways. You can become a teacher or volunteer of the ‘Art of Living’. You can help in schools for rural children. Thousands of them are studying and thousands are waiting to get admission. You can participate in the ‘Dollar a Day’ project. One dollar a day can educate and provide medical, food and clothing for a child. We are 1000 people right here in this auditorium. If each one of us sponsors a child, 1000 more children will get access to education. These children are otherwise forced to work at a young age, and they get into violence without a value based education. If you want to take up any other projects, you are welcome. If you want to give your time, say six months or one year, you can go to places where you can bring peace to people. You are most welcome to come to India.
Q: Why do we seek God when we know God is already within us?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Because we don’t know but some idea is there. There is some prior experience of God. If you don’t know mango exists, you won’t go searching for it. You don’t go in search of something like burr-burr because burr-burr doesn’t exist! You have had some experience in the past but it is not there in the present. Don’t look here and there for God. Go deep within and look inside. Relax. It is there.Q: How can we continue to love people who commit fraud or other such crimes?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
They are not incorrigible.There is a victim crying for help inside every culprit. You will observe in society, those who are greedy usually have no friends. The greed disappears the minute they make friends. Similarly, corruption cannot happen within the boundaries of friendliness. People who are corrupt or commit fraud are victims themselves. They are not spiritually educated. You know, we know one thing from all our programs, especially the ’Prison SMART program’, that there is a good soul crying for help and starved for love even within a criminal. Yes, we can help them.Q: What is the first thing we should do when we wake up in the morning and the last thing before we go to sleep?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Look at your face in the mirror and give yourself a big smile. If you can’t smile, you can frown. You will gradually start smiling.Q: Do you believe that this is the time and age for large-scale global transformation of human evolution?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Thirty years ago, there was so much prejudice towards spirituality and wisdom. People would want to keep it at an arm’s length and blindly believe that it is not for them. Today there is acceptance. People are willing to try and see that something benefits them and are less prejudiced. With this, more human values will surface. And don’t worry about 2012. The world will not collapse. I assure you that.Q: What are you the most optimistic about in the world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I’m realistic about my vision. So far ’The Art of Living’ has reached about 151 countries. So many people are learning these techniques today. If the technology of cell phones can reach everywhere in the world, why would techniques & wisdom that make people happy and peaceful not reach every home? They definitely will. We should have a vision to do something that appears impossible and make it possible. It is my habit and hobby!