Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Despite awareness I am not being able to do whats right because I lack will power. What must I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you think I have no will power, you will never have it. You have locked your own hands, put a label on your forehead that you are weak.Invoke the valour in you, take a pledge. You have all the force available for you when you need it. You have all the strength and energy.
If someone were to tell you that if you do pranayama for thirty days you would get one million dollars. You will not miss a single day. You may forego sleep, food but not the pranayama. Greed can bring in that power within. Similarly fear- if someone says you would fall sick if you don't do pranayama, you would not miss it.
Love, fear, greed- any one is good to increase will power.
To know intellectually what is good and should be done, you may take it easily and remain in your comfort zone.
Then will power goes down. So enhance your valour or love something with all your heart. Dedication to the cause, fear or greed- these can increase your will power.
Egoistic people are much better than other people because egoistic people have a sense of valour. It is easy to make them commit, get out of lethargy.
People with no ego have lot of love, surrender, its easy for them. Someone who has neither ego, nor valour, nor love, nor devotion, nor greed has no will power. Either become greedy or fearful. But these are very low category. Other one is enhance the love, surrender, true knowledge and enhance your valour.
Q:
How to recognize and let go of the doership we are holding on to?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Doership leads to suffocation, misery and guilt. Know that when you are natural and in surrender, doership dissolves automatically. You surrender only that which has happened, which is past. Future is anyways out of your control.We burden the mind with the memories of the past. Let go of the event which has gone and left its shadow, impression in the consciousness. What else can you surrender? Money, leaves, etc already belong to the Divine. Surrendering doership, ‘mine’, ‘me’ is surrender.
Q:
How can one become strong without losing sensitivity?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That needs skill. And that skill comes to you by silence.Through silence, our internal abilities come forth. Everyone should meditate for some time regularly.
Q:
How can I be stronger and committed to path like you?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are already committed. Don’t doubt yourself. You have all the virtues. In seed form you have all. Now look, a bud has everything that it needs to be a flower. Only it will take a little time. All the petals will open and it will be a fully blossomed flower. Though it is a bud but is has everything. In the same way every individual is full. You need little nourishment, little water. So know that you have all the virtues inside you. It takes some time. Do some pranayama, meditation and in some good company you will see it happens faster.Q:
What is the difference between Guru and Avtaar?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Avtaar simply means descended. Guru means guide. The word, ‘Guide' comes from the Sanskrit word meaning Guru. Giver and great also have their roots in Guru.Why do you want to know the difference! How does it matter! You gave meaning to words, attach whatever meaning you want. A word can have different meanings in different languages. Also, there are different intentions and different connotations.
Q:
You have said that the form of every God is a painter's imagination. So how are mantrajapa related to them?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
In the Kamakshi temple in Kanchipuram, there is a beautiful idol. There you get the prasad (holy offering) but it is said that you will not reap the benefit of it till you offer it to Aroop Lakshmi (formless Goddess) which is located behind the temple. From there you receive another offering.This has a very deep meaning. This is just a practice but it has the teachings of Vedanta.
You are directed to go from the form to the formless. You worship a form and then a Shaligram*. The mind is held with the form and then you move on to a round stone. When you leave even that, you move on to the mantra. and
God is not in the sky somewhere but in vibration - it is our consciousness. So sitting in meditation is the best form of worship. In that even the mantras are surrendered. Mantra is also somewhat similar to form. This (process) is a stage.
Q:
Sometimes there are dilemmas in life. What to do then?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The problems should be taken as an opportunity to be prayerful, and in gratitude.Q:
What is the importance of the understanding of the effect of time when doing some work?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Astrology is called the eye of knowledge but you cannot rely on today’s astrologers. Don’t run after astrology. It is a field of knowledge, shastra (traditional science) and is true, yet the everyday forecasts are not taken seriously by anyone. Sadhana is effective and powerful. Shivji is Mahakaal (One who destroys time). Whatever is the kaal (time) just say Om Namah Shivaya, as it contains all the five elements and there is nothing outside of it. This is a very powerful mantra.When you chant, do not imagine Shiva with bhasma (ash) all over his body and a trident in his hand, that is just the imagination of a painter. Shiva is the Chaitanaya Tattva (consciousness), our soul, present all over, it is an energy field.
Do you know why we apply bhasma on the forehead? There are three kinds of mites on our forehead, unique to every individual like the thumb imprint. To keep the mites in their area, we put three lines on the forehead.
An experiment in Russia revealed that a place which was covered with gobar (cow dung) or had Agnihotra bhasm (ash from the Vedic ritual of Agnihotra), was less affected by the radiation from the Chernobly disaster.
In ancient times, sandalwood paste or ash was applied on the forehead to prevent the effect of radiation since the head is a sensitive place. The ash would also keep the mind cool.
Also, putting ash on the skin was a reminder that the skin that we see today will turn into ashes tomorrow. With this knowledge one cannot do any wrong.
The end of life is in ashes - if this is remembered then no mistakes will be made. Others are also going to turn to ashes - this realization can cleanse the system of all the negative emotions. Dispassion arises and anger, jealousy etc dissolve.
The reason for the tradition was wonderful. Today people know nothing behind bhasma, but apply it out of pride. To understand the underlying meaning is important.
Q:
Can our sadhana (spiritual practices) change the karma of others?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes!Q:
How can I get rid of my fear of failing? I can’t engage or start some project because of my fear of failure. How can I help myself? Thank you for all that you have done for me.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Accept: ‘Ok, I am going to fail. So what? I still want to do it.’ It's like a game you play, whether you win or lose, you play the game. Correct? If you are playing soccer, you just play, no matter if you win or lose, you just play. In the same way, don’t be afraid of failure. If you fail, never mind, still do it. Ok?You need to take some risks in life.