Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How can we bring human, nature and animals in harmony for our future generation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We should stop polluting our planet. Say no to plastic, Use as little plastic as possible. Recycle..Use recycled things. Use chemical free shampoos and soaps as far as possible. Go organic, I would recommend everyone to become vegetarian. You know, if we pay attention on the consumption that takes place to produce one non-vegetarian meal, feeding the animal etc.., it is equivalent to 400 vegetarian meals. So, I recommend everyone to turn vegetarian. Environmentalists say that if even 10 percent of the population turns vegetarian, we will not have the problem of this green house effect.Q:
What is innocence? What takes away innocence?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
For innocence you would have to know there is no other.Q:
Doing Sudarshan Kriya, we feel relaxed and happy but after that the mind again wanders in its imaginations.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You turn around and see.(The questioner turns around, and audience laughs)
Sri Sri continued: Not now! You turn around in your life, one year, two years, three years before, and see what were you then and what are you now? Do you see the difference? How much difference? You say a lot of difference in a month since you did Sudarshan Kriya, so there will be more in the future.
Q:
My heartiest gratitude to you. Who are you Gurudev?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
First, you know yourself. Why are youputting your effort in knowing me? You don’t know who you are. First, know thathow many times have you come in this world? When you know yourself, it will bevery easy to know me.Q:
Whatever decisions we take, are your blessings always there?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
In your profession and relationship, choice is yours and blessings are mine. The rest, I will have to think a little.Q:
How do we eliminate terrorism for future generations?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Terrorism arises when someone starts thinking that only they will go to heaven and everyone else will go to hell. They think, “let me teach the others my ways so that they also can go to heaven.” Narrow-mindedness is a cause of misery. If each child is educated in a multicultural environment, tolerance is bound to develop. If the kids in Afghanistan were taught a little bit about their roots, a little a bit about Hinduism, Christianity and so on, they would not have become so intolerant. The Taliban would not have arisen. They should have some idea of the great sayings like that of Buddha, of the Upanishads. Krishna said the same thing that Jesus said. Multi-religious upbringing will bring about love and harmony in the world. Interfaith education and inter-religious exposure will bring about love and harmony. If all countries spend even less than 2% of their budget towards globalizing wisdom, every child in the world would be a more happy individual.A young woman in India from the ’ The Art of Living’ Foundation went to the Ivory Coast to teach. Ivory Coast has very polarized Islamic and Christian communities. They live in different villages and historically have had little or no tolerance towards each other. Within a month of her being there, because of her work, communication opened up between the different religious communities. The Muslims built a school in the Christian village. The Christians built roads and toilets for the Muslims. This miracle happened in a very short span of time. If one individual could bring about this change, imagine what would happen if we all go together. If we move together, we can do something big!
Q:
I had so many questions in mind before meeting you. But now, all the questions have vanished. I know that you are incarnation of Lord Shiva. Am I right?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Let us leave at least one question in your mind.When happiness dawns, all questions automatically dissolve.
Q:
How do I know that I have acquired knowledge?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
How do you if you have some pain in the body? How do you know you love somebody? How do you know you are feeling fear? It is inbuilt. Same way you get to know. When you get knowledge joy, happiness, cleanliness, sweetness, sincerity, integrity, all reflect by itself.Q:
Should one give something to a beggar?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you find a very healthy and strong individual, then one should not encourage such a person. Also children should not be encouraged. Suppose if you find a very old, helpless lady then you should listen to what your mind says at that time. Listen to your intuition. But it is better to give food rather than money.Q:
How do we recognize if a Master is true or not? Whoever gets connected to one’s master puts full faith in him but then there can be a wrong use of this faith. So when someone ask me this question, it becomes difficult for me to answer in a proper way.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are so many people in this world who betray their friends. Seeing this you don’t stop making friends. There are so many people who go to shops, steal things and go away. How would you feel being suspected as a thief when you enter a shop? So don’t be with that fear. Some doctors take out the kidneys of patients, then should people stop trusting all the doctors? Many time accidents happen, say a train gets off the track. Now should people stop traveling in trains because of this fear? This is paranoia. Listen to your heart. If your faith is true even if the master does wrong to you, it will not have any effect on you. Your faith will only raise you higher. If the master is doing wrong he will fall down, face problems, but it will not affect you at all. Your heart guides you to that which is right.
