Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Whenever I have problems, I have called upon God for help. But God never comes to support me. Why doesn’t God love me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is impossible that you have a problem and you haven’t found a solution. You should only remember that when you have a problem, God is with you. Not only in the times when you have problems. Even when you don’t have problems, God is with you.Q:
We sing bhajans, kirtans, and hymns to praise the Divine. Why does the Divine like praise, just like our seniors?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You praise God, not for God, but for yourself. Those who do puja, don’t do it for God, but for themselves. If you praise someone, it’s not for their happiness, you do it for your own happiness.Parents usually praise their 2 or 3-year-old children, however the child doesn’t understand a word of their praise. So why do they praise? To uplift themselves! Not because they expect something from the child.
This is the difference between praise and prayer. Stuti (repetition of God’s name) is that which raises our chetana (consciousness). We do stuti to raise our own consciousness, not to make God happy.
Q:
Is God present or not?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Good, keep this question in your mind. However, if you know that God is present, then your life will change.As long as you are attached to material things, you won't find God.
When you are tired of things here, when you have had enough, then you will find God. Then you will find maturity.
Q:
How do we handle politics in everyday situations?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It's good - it will bring out more talents in you.If things are easy, your skills won't develop. So it is good.
Q:
After I started with my spiritual practices, I, no longer, have the killer instinct to compete. Am I a misfit in the corporate world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Don’t be harsh on yourself. Running around between tasks, will not bring achievement. Just relax. For that you need inner strength.Q:
Do you love me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Does anyone ask water – do you flow?Do you ask the mountain – do you stand?
Do you ask the sun - do you shine?
Do you ask clouds – do you give rain?
Then how can you ask – do you love me?
Love IS and love is not an emotion. It is our very being.
Don’t ask anyone if they love you – only fools ask this.
Even if someone is angry, he is demonstrating love.
Emotions like anger, jealousy, and greed are because of love.
Love is our nature.
If someone is sleeping, do you ask the person are you sleeping?
If you do, then you have already woken them up!
Q:
If we use valor to handle a situation, elders feel we have forgotten our manners. How to handle the situation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Don’t justify your anger as valor. If you’re arrogant, and behave rudely, your behavior cannot be justified.Valor is an inner phenomenon. It gives immense patience, perseverance and inner strength.
It does not mean screaming, and shouting. Screaming, and shouting means you are weak.
If you’re really strong, you will just smile.
You move with confidence. You will be unfazed. That is valor.
This is one side of the story. The other side is that whatever you do, someone will criticize you. You will be blamed if you act, and even if you don’t act. If you speak, or don’t speak.
You can’t keep pleasing everyone.
If your focus is on finding shortcomings, either in yourself or in others, you cannot raise higher.
Recognize that if someone gives a comment, reflect on it. If there is some truth, accept it.
If not, then thank them and move on.
Don’t ask them why. Just say: ‘I appreciate your perception’ and move on.
Q:
God is all-abundant, totally full, and we are all connected to God. Then why are we in debt, except for some? Why do they have, and we don’t have?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Is it only money you lack? When you say you are indebted, that means you have received something! Otherwise how can you be indebted? Those who have received should feel indebted. Be thankful for having received. The more abundance you have, the more indebted you will feel. And when you feel indebted and grateful, more abundance comes to you.Feel indebted. Feel grateful.
Then abundance grows.
Abundance and indebtedness coexist.
Someone in the group: An abundance of indebtedness!
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You think you are indebted, but you really are not.
Yet it is better to feel totally indebted, because every bit of what you have doesn’t belong to you anyway, including your own body. When you are infinitely indebted for your body, for Knowledge, for things you have received, and for your own life, then you bask in the abundance of the Creator.
Someone in the group: I feel very indebted. Thank you!
(February 8, 1996 - Miami Beach, Florida)
Yet it is better to feel totally indebted, because every bit of what you have doesn’t belong to you anyway, including your own body. When you are infinitely indebted for your body, for Knowledge, for things you have received, and for your own life, then you bask in the abundance of the Creator.
Someone in the group: I feel very indebted. Thank you!
(February 8, 1996 - Miami Beach, Florida)
Q:
What is the difference between being like a child and being responsible?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Take responsibility but with child-like simplicity. This saves your mind and helps you to fulfill your duties more effectively, and saves the trauma of worry.Q:
I worry a lot. How do I cope with it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are four ways to combat worrying:1. See your problem as small compared to other people. When a problem appears small, you are able to solve it. When a problem appears big, we don't even try to solve it.
Serving others who have bigger problems than ours makes it easier for us to solve our own problems.
2. Remember how you solved your past problems. It will bring strength and a smile to deal with problems. This invokes valor in you.
3. Have faith that whenever you are in trouble, you will always have a helping hand.
4. Remember that nature loves you, God loves you. You will overcome the problem.
Wherever there is a problem, all you need is prayerfulness, from a sincere heart.Think 'I can overcome’, and invoke the strength, the lion in you. And surrender to the Divine.
Wherever there is a problem, all you need is prayerfulness, from a sincere heart.Think 'I can overcome’, and invoke the strength, the lion in you. And surrender to the Divine.