Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You are in the right place. Pick up any Seva project and work sincerely for it, you will find that inertia disappears. Do more Pranayama and meditation. If you feel it is difficult to do it alone, then ask two to four people to join you and do pranayama together.
Usually we may find it a bit boring when we are doing Yogasanas and Pranayama all by ourselves, but when few others also join us then it becomes more enjoyable and interesting. Then it does not feel like boredom or a compulsion.

Our ancient sages have said, “Ekas tapasvi dwir-adhyayi”. Whenever you need to practice something, then always see that two to three people join together to practice it. Then it becomes good. For example, during exams, people often find it difficult to study alone. Isn’t it? What do studious children usually do during examinations? They form study groups of three to four people and study collectively. But then they also chat a lot during the studies as well! They lose track of time when they get into chatting and conversation, and then suddenly remember that the exam is near. So they leave the chatting and get back to their books. I know all this. Many students here must be thinking “Oh, how does Gurudev know all this?” Isn’t that what you all are thinking? This is what is going on in your mind, isn’t it? I am monitoring everything.
So we must do all these practices with a group. Then you will see there won’t be any inertia.

See, three things can help you get rid of inertia:
1. Fear
2. Greed. If someone tempts you by saying, “I will give you One Lakh rupees if you do this practice for 40 days”, you will do it so sincerely, taking care that you do not miss out on even one out of the 40 days promised. In fact you end up doing it for 42 days! Two more days just to be sure you have not missed the practice target.
3. Love. When you fall deeply in love with some work or something; when your interest becomes so focused and total towards something, then you do that so whole-heartedly and sincerely. All our Yuvacharyas (youth leaders) are doing such excellent work in Maharashtra. During drought and troubled times in many villages in Maharashtra, so many youth leaders joined hands and went from village to village to work and support the people. They began many river rejuvenation projects and also cleaned up many rivers there. They have done so much wonderful work in such a short span of time.
Our volunteers have managed to revive 25 rivers all by their own initiative and dedication. They took very little help and support from the Foundation, the rest of the infrastructure and resources were wholly contributed by them. So when you find passion for something in life, then also the inertia simply vanishes.

You know, life needs passion and dispassion – both. And in between life also needs compassion. You must extend compassion to yourself and also towards others. Sometimes in the name of discipline we trouble others and also ourselves. This is not right. Sometimes we get so engrossed in what we are passionate about that it disturbs others around us, and we also get troubled by it. This is why compassion is equally necessary.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, that’s very good. You are wise. And you do have the love for me, I know. You recognize me when you do not bring all this. When people bring flowers to me it means to say, “Gurudev, you have yet to blossom more”.
When people bring sweets, they are giving me a message, “Gurudev, you have to be sweeter”. I think I am already sweet enough (laughter), so I do not need sweets, and I am blossomed and happy so I do not need flowers.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

If that is the case then I would not be sitting here. No one can sit here (in Satsang) with unfulfilled wants and desires. When desires quieten down, then bliss and happiness springs forth from within.
My answer for this question is both ‘yes’ and ‘no’. I want everyone to be happy, I want a smile on everyone’s face, I want progress for the nation, I want poverty to be eliminated, I want all countries to come together as one, I want all conflicts to be resolved – all this is what I wish for. But I do not want anything for myself. I am content, happy and completely at peace. That is why I am here.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I don’t want to add to your confusion, my dear. My job is to create confusion. Actually, I am not here to convince you. You know, confusion is like the fire in which you bake very well.

What does Confusion mean? It means one set of concepts has broken down, and so you are in a vacuum. It is a sign of good growth, if it lasts for a short time. So, just be with it. You are in the right place.
What is happening right now? Do you have any questions now? See, we should understand this about questions. When do more questions arise in our mind? When the prana level is low, then you have too many questions in your mind. When our Prana level is high, then the question turns into an exclamation (a sense of wonderment). You say “Wow!” and that becomes the preface for Yoga. So just be with the question and turn it around into a wonder. This is what Lord Buddha also taught, “Anuttaro bhava”, it means “Be answerless!” (Meaning to go into a sense of wonder).

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

There is a lot you can do. You can do research. A doctor’s words carry a lot of importance for people, like the gospel truth. You should tell people, “Come on, sit and meditate for some time”.
You can encourage people towards a stress-free state of mind and a stress-free life. You can give them talks on how to prevent diseases. I want neurologists to talk more about meditation and also give tips to people on what type of food they should eat and how they can maintain the nervous system better so as to not get into neurological illnesses.

I want liver specialists to tell people how to keep the liver healthy. We would like doctors to hold camps in rural areas. You can write some simple books or make simple handy pamphlets or leaflets describing how one can maintain healthy function of the kidney, heart and the liver. All these are very vital internal organs but people do not know how to maintain them, and how to detoxify them. People do not know what to eat, how to eat and when to eat.

Doctors should raise their voice against unethical practices in Medicine and the pharmaceutical industry. So many malpractices are happening in the pharmaceutical industry today. You must raise your voice against them.

Till about June last year (2015), the World was made to believe that butter is very bad for heart patients. Two years ago, a Vaidya from Mumbai (a doctor proficient in Ayurveda and other holistic healing therapies) had come to meet me in the Ashram. He was an elderly saint from Rishikesh and was having heart problems. The doctors he had consulted told him to not take butter or any fats in his diet at all. Allopathy had prescribed him not to take any fats. But when he consulted an Ayurvedic doctor, they told him, “Dear Sir, you should have butter and Ghee (clarified butter)”.
The allopathic doctor on the other hand would have a sarcastic smile on hearing this, thinking to himself, “This man does not know anything”.
Last year they discovered that butter has Vitamin-K and it does not do any harm to heart patients. Then this discovery also appeared on the cover page of the TIME magazine, that Butter is actually good for you. Research today has shown a completely different picture about Cholesterol. There has been so much hype and drama about Cholesterol. Today the doctors say that Cholesterol is actually good and there is nothing wrong with it. There is a whole different theory that has come up around this.

So, we should not think that Medical Science is the final and ultimate truth. It is a continually evolving and growing science. No doubt, you need to respect and follow it, but this is why today, Holistic Medicine is gaining importance and has found a strong voice everywhere.

Here, Dr. Nisha from our Ashram knew so many people diagnosed with Cancer to whom many hospitals had said that they cannot treat them and there was no way. They came here and underwent many processed, and many people have become healthier. With the regular practice of pranayama, meditation, Yoga, proper food and mind-set, and through Ayurveda, they have got very good results. We have to take towards holistic medicine.

So as doctors you can all do so many good things. You can recommend holistic medicine to people and also educate them about it. If you see, food habits, especially in North India is very bad. In the North, people mostly consume potato, tomato and brinjal very often. The nutritional value in the food consumed there is almost zero. The endurance power of the body amongst our youth is so low. It is only about 20% endurance. There is no energy among our youth; which is why we are so backward in sports.

At a time when China can win 50 medals, we become happy and jubilant if we even get one medal in any sporting event. Getting a bronze medal in the Olympics too is a big thing for us. Why is this so? We have not taken proper care of the health of our youth.
Just inspect and see how much starch do you eat? When you consume rice, potato, etc., it is all starch. Other nutritional vegetables are not being promoted very well. As doctors you should educate people about this. Tell them to have more of okra, green beans, and more of green leafy vegetables.
Where was tomato used in our ancient and traditional cooking? Today in every house you see people using tomato, potato, brinjals and onions in cooking. That’s it. There is very little nutritional value in these four vegetables. Yet we find that predominantly people eat more of these instead of other vegetables. And for these vegetables also, people usually boil them and then eat them after throwing away the water used for boiling these vegetables. By throwing away the water, they also throw away all the nutrients and minerals extracted in the water. As doctors you will really need to inform and educate people about all this. Tell them what they should eat and drink and how they should do so. This is why we suggested establishing a Meditating Doctors Association.
Many times we partnered with AIIMS (All India Institute of Medical Sciences) in New Delhi to organize such informative programs and sessions. Last time, 600 research papers on Sudarshan Kriya were presented in the last conference. It was one of the most widely written about topics.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You know, Ayurveda doctors ask the same question about Allopathy (laughter). I know that many queries and requests of this kind have come up and we shall discuss it with the Ministry of AYUSH, and see if it is possible to design a short course in phases for addressing this – whether by correspondence or in residential mode, and spanning between six months to a year in duration. We will have to think about a proper format for it, since you do know about anatomy already, and you know about diseases.

Here you need to know and learn more about Nadi Pariksha or Pulse Diagnosis. We will do a Pulse Diagnosis course for you. It can be an additional source of knowledge for you about Ayurveda. But to learn more about Ayurveda we will think about it and ask the Ministry of AYUSH about it.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I tell you, every profession has its ups and downs. Sometimes you will like your profession; later on, you do not like it. Ask a doctor, or an engineer, or a politician about this. At some point or the other in their career they all feel frustrated. They do not like their profession sometimes and feel they should just quit. Why? It is because you experience a burn-out. Why does the burn-out happen? It is because you never went into the other dimension that is deep within you. If you take some time off regularly, at least twice or thrice a year to attend a Silence workshop and the advanced meditation in Silence, you will find that you are recharged. Your enthusiasm comes back, and then any job you do, you will do with the utmost responsibility, keenness and awareness. You need to revive your spirit and that can only happen through meditation.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

That is good. That is the contrast in life every day. When you come back home from your job, relax and sit for meditation for a few minutes every day. Nothing stops you from doing that.

Just like we have dental hygiene, meditation is for your mental hygiene. Listen to knowledge regularly. That is why I have made so many talks. For nearly seven years every Wednesday, I used to make some knowledge sheets which are compiled in the book called Intimate Note to the Sincere Seeker. Pick up knowledge sheets from that, or play some knowledge talk and listen to that.

Meditation is more relevant when you are very busy, and when you have a lot of responsibilities to attend to. If you have nothing to do, what is the point of you sitting in meditation? Why would you need energy then? You need energy and intelligence when you need to use it. If you have nothing to do, what is the need for a lot of intelligence?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Share it with more and more people. Joy or wisdom if not shared with others starts dwindling. Now this does not mean you go to others and start teaching them Bhastrika Pranayama, or the Sudarshan Kriya. Unless you get properly trained, you should not go about teaching meditation and these practices to others. This is why we had to put a quality control for Yoga in the country today. There is a QCI (Quality Control for India) body and the government has asked it to do something for Yoga also. It is because it is observed that people learn something from somewhere and then go around teaching it to others without proper training. Then when some unwanted or unexpected things happen it becomes a problem. There is a proverb in Sanskrit – “Yasya kasya tarur-mulam yena kenapi churnitam; yasmai kasmai pradaatavyam yatvaa-tatvaa bhavishyati” (From the Subhashita). It means that someone may bring the root of any tree, grind it into a fine powder and give it off as medicine to others. And something or the other may happen to the other person by taking that (untested) medicine. The same is what is happening with Yoga also these days. People practice Yoga for just a week and proclaim themselves to be Yoga instructors and teachers. There needs to be a proper quality system in place for Yoga also, and there should be levels or stages of training and certification. Until then, do not just go and train others. But you should always talk to other people about Yoga and bring more awareness about it. You should definitely inspire and encourage others for this.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

This is a very good question. It is a million dollar question. I want you to keep this question with yourself. I will never take it away from you, because this question is like a vehicle for you to transform your life, make unwanted things drop off from your life and help you reach the Ultimate. So keep this question with you. You are on the right track.