Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
When I was in the doubt mode I could ask you any question Guruji. But after I have started having faith in you asking or rather confronting you with my questions have become very difficult. As fear and respect come my way. How to tackle the situation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Just be natural, ask any question you want to ask. All questions are anyways foolish. I don’t mind and I know you don’t mind as long as the answers are not foolish. And from here I cannot give you foolish answers for sure. This is just an intellectual stimulation, that’s all. Questions and answers are what? Intellectual stimulation. Music is what? Emotional stimulation and silence is what? Stimulation of the spirit, of the soul. So we need all these in our life. And exercise is physical stimulation. And you do yoga, exercise. Seva is stimulation of activity. You do an action without expecting anything in return is seva. Stimulation of activity is through seva. So you need all that - physical stimulation through exercise; intellectual stimulation by knowledge, discussion; emotional stimulation through music and the stimulation of spirit through silent meditation.Q:
Dearest Guruji, what is the way to be able to feel, love and revere the Guru in the form as well as in the formless?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know, you cannot force love on yourself. Love is spontaneous, it just happens, just relax! You can’t try to love someone or try not to love someone. It is just a spontaneous happening. And remember love is not just an emotion, love is our existence.Q:
Guruji I get panic attacks and my mind chatters while I meditate even though I observe my breath, how to get over this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Ujjayi breath and relax.Q:
In my life, I have not loved anyone other than you. Whose fan are you?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I am your fan; when it is very hot, (I am) a fan that gives a cool breeze - that is what I think. When you come tired, (I am) a fan that gives comfort.Q:
When I was in the doubt mode I could ask you any question Guruji. But after I have started having faith in you asking or rather confronting you with my questions have become very difficult. As fear and respect come my way. How to tackle the situation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Just be natural, ask any question you want to ask. All questions are anyways foolish. I don’t mind and I know you don’t mind as long as the answers are not foolish. And from here I cannot give you foolish answers for sure. This is just an intellectual stimulation, that’s all. Questions and answers are what? Intellectual stimulation. Music is what? Emotional stimulation and silence is what? Stimulation of the spirit, of the soul. So we need all these in our life. And exercise is physical stimulation. And you do yoga, exercise. Seva is stimulation of activity. You do an action without expecting anything in return is seva. Stimulation of activity is through seva. So you need all that - physical stimulation through exercise; intellectual stimulation by knowledge, discussion; emotional stimulation through music and the stimulation of spirit through silent meditation.Q:
When someone dear to us dies, how to get out of the sorrow?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
By knowledge; the Knowledge that, ‘they have gone today, and after some years even we have to go. All of who have come here (on this planet), have come only to depart. All those who have departed, have departed only to come back. This we should think is certain.’ That is why, to those who depart say, ‘you go ahead, I will come later and see you. I will complete my work here and after some years I will meet you’. Saying this, show them the way. Don't sit and keep thinking, ‘Oh no! They have gone away.’ In our nation, they have stated very nicely in our sastras(scriptures), ‘for ten days only you be in that sorrow; forget it on the eleventh day. Leave that and live happily’. They do Rekyam on thirteenth day - it means celebration. There are celebrations on the thirteenth day, wearing new clothes and eating special sweets and snacks (bhakshanam). And then sesame seed is offered as tarpanam for the departed soul, do you know why? ‘If you have any desires, leave them. It is like sesame seed. Why do you suffer with small desires? Go with satisfaction (tripti)’. That is why they say ‘Tarpanam’ means, ‘may you get tripti. After the leaving the body let the soul (atma) get tripti. Doing tarpanam for mother, father, their parents… Calling out forefathers’ names and saying, ‘be satisfied (tripti); leave small desires that are in your mind. Those will get fructified on their own. It is just like a sesame seed. Don’t worry.’ In those days, mustard and sesame seeds were examples of very small things. An insignificant thing was referred to as sesame seed, in a derogatory sense. In our country we have had this wonderful custom (sampradaya) of conveying to our forefathers and deceased. In a similar way, (the practice of) ‘giving the pindam’. ‘Pindam’ refers to body. The spirit, that has left the body, will have desire to get another body. At that time, the son, grandson, some relative, or daughter (also allowed) offers ‘pindam’. ‘Don’t worry you will get another body. Go forward. Don’t look back. Obtain bliss. Many more worlds are there to see, so go forward. You will get another body.’ This consolation is giving ‘Pinda’. ‘Be in bliss. Why think of the body? You can be born in our family itself’. It is mostly for satisfying the mind. It is enough if you do meditation. Then it is not necessary to do other things. In meditation, mind is at rest and peaceful, (with) the feeling, ‘I am not this body; I am beyond this body.’ So do meditation without fail.Q:
Dear Guruji, to teach the new generation youth awareness about farming what can I do? What is my role?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, there are YLTP programs happening and you join the team and start educating people. Education, educating people about farming, this is seva also.Q:
Dearest Guruji, how to balance personal life and professional life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Do you know how to ride a bicycle? How do you balance? Exactly! Don’t neglect your profession and don’t neglect taking time for yourself. See, you say the world does not change. Have you noticed if you are changing or you are not changing? You are changing, right? Just imagine the teachers who taught you the basic course. Suppose if they think,' In the world nobody is changing why should I teach?' If they had not taught anything to you, no pranayama, no meditation, no Sudarshan Kriya, what would have happened? Can you look back and see, before you took the basic course what was the state of your mind and where you are today? Do you notice that? How many of you find a change? See, so many of you changed because somebody did something, isn’t it? Someone took the time off for six days, two hours each day sat with you, took all your questions, taught you something, corrected you, so there is a shift. Change is happening in the world constantly. If you become a catalyst to that, that’s your good luck because being a catalyst for change brings happiness within you.Q:
You have reformed terrorists. Then why not reform those who are doing unwanted things in the name of spirituality?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Some people will not change in life, because they are like that. Can you convert a snake, or a scorpion into a cow? We have to understand this is a snake, this is a scorpion, and this is a cow. (You) cannot think of reforming some people. You can correct terrorists. But it is difficult to correct those who do evil intentionally. Not that it is impossible; but it is difficult. Their lineage also exists for a long time. Ravana also donned garb of a sage and abducted Sita. There are some fake sages like Ravana these days also. What to do? For some time it will go on, then suddenly they’ll have a fall. It is not good for them. Those who follow desires will get a lesson. For our part, we should take good from everywhere. There is a saying in Sanskrit, ‘Durjanam Prathamam Vande Sujanam Tadanantaram’. Worship the bad person also. The bad people are ruining themselves and teaching you a lesson., So convey your gratitude to them - since at their cost, while falling in a pit and getting ruined - they are teaching you a lesson.Q:
Dear Guruji, how can I cultivate more humility and acceptance? I am known for being arrogant, rude and short tempered.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You in the right place. Do the silence program couple of times. Two, three silence courses will melt you down. And don’t judge yourself too much. Sometimes we judge ourselves too much. Either we judge others and get angry at others or you judge yourself and get upset about yourself. It is best not to do this; these two acts appear to be different but are the same. Either we blame others or we blame our self. Self blame is as bad as blaming someone else. That is what this knowledge is all about. It takes you from the blame culture to a joy culture. You are happy, you make others happy. And when you are happy, anyone who comes into contact with you, they are happy too. Have you noticed some people in your office are very enthusiastic? They say, ‘hey, come on, let’s go’, ‘hey come on, let’s do this’, ‘hey, this will happen’. Very positive, enthusiastic and even if there are problems, they say, ‘okay, let’s manage it’, they crack jokes. And there are others who in the best of situations are upset, angry. They say, ‘all has gone well, but what will happen from this? One day it will all be finished, then what?’ At least this one day, whatever you are doing, why don’t you be happy? ‘It’s all a one day show, then what?’ This type of pathetic pessimism is not life supporting. Nor does it support anyone around you. Sign of life is not depression, sign of life is celebration, is upliftment. You should bear this in mind. Whenever you tend to do that, whenever you tend to go in the negative cycle, immediately remember,' oh Guruji has said that, let me switch my mode. Like in your cell phone, you switch modes, from cell phone mode to sms mode or phone mode or email mode. Like that you should be able to switch and you have the ability to do that.