Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Dearest Guruji, can you please speak a little on Kundalini Shakti?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Kundalini simply means the energy in your body. Unless it is awakened there is no life. And in the very first kriya you do it is already awakened. It doesn’t have to be dramatic. There are three types of kundalini shaktis, one is sattvic. The most harmonious, gentle awakening of the kundalini shakti. And you don’t even know that it’s awakened, automatically you start being very happy, generous, large hearted, big minded, compassionate, intuitive. All these things keep happening spontaneously. Second is the rajasic type where you find this jerk and all this drama happens. A lot of dramatic intense experiences come, this is the rajasic way. There is no tamasic way of developing kundalini. If at all some people consider tamasic the people who use some powers and black magic and this and that sort of thing. But I don’t consider it as tamasic kundalini at all but it is some spirit powers you know. You appease some lower spirits and get some powers from them. And then you dance for some days and then you collapse, that’s what people do. So don’t run after some of this so called magic and miracles, many of them are from these lower spirits. They appear to be doing something to you and then you feel miserable later. So sattvic are the most harmonious, best type of kundalini and it is what happens already in Sudarshan Kriya. Doesn’t it happen? Tingling and every cell of the body wakes up. Does it happen or not? Remember the very first Sudarshan Kriya you did, everything awakened?! That’s it! Did you have peaceful meditation? Did you start feeling I am not the body but I am the spirit? Did you get that experience? That’s already happening. If you have no experience in kriya, you have so much dullness all the time, then you have to watch your food. You must be stuffing yourself with too much food, number one. Or you must have indulged in too much sex that there is no energy in your body to experience anything else. Then also it doesn’t happen, I tell you. Someone has been very very busy day and night and didn’t have good sleep, enough rest then there is no way that they can experience any kundalini shakti. So these are some of the criterias, got it? When your energy is conserved then you find that elevation. And if good meditation is happening you should know it is already functioning. If when meditating, inside you feel the expansion, a calmness, a serenity, it is all sign of kundalini shakti.Q:
How can I always stay in Sakshi bhaav (witness state)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Drop (the word) 'always'. Whenever it is possible, stay in Sakshi bhaav, that is enough. It is (the word) 'always' that creates complications.Q:
Can I fast for karva chauth? I will drink water and eat fruits.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Okay, fine you can do that. Tomorrow, those who are doing karva chauth you can fast no problem. Drink water at least that is necessary. For some people, day after tomorrow is a festival in India where women fast day on the 15th yes. They fast the whole day and eat only in the evening after they see the moon. So I mean they eat in the night. Whole day they fast for the well being of their sweethearts. Yes, good luck and long life of their husbands. Women do this.Q:
What do I need to do to take a good birth again?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you have satisfaction right now that is enough. While coming into the world, we come with desires. While leaving, if you leave with satisfaction and fulfillment, you will have a good life. If you have good thoughts in the mind, you will get a good life. You don't have to worry at all.Q:
Dearest Guruji, last night you said the casual body requires a physical body to get cleansed and that with both divine grace and meditation one can become free. Once free, where does the casual body go? Back melting into larger consciousness? And what about enlightened beings in other places, on other planets do they also have casual bodies?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Correct! You can’t do anything about the casual body, it automatically takes shape and form as the universal spirit, consciousness wants it and that’s how things work.Q:
Dearest Guruji, how do I know what is my dharma? And is it even important to know what it is?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, your dharma is your nature. It will be very easy for you and something will compel you from within to follow that, yes! Understand?!Q:
What happens after enlightenment? Is it going to take me away from you? I haven’t experienced enlightenment but I have seen you experienced your presence, don’t want to go away from you.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, yes, yes, just don’t worry. Enlightenment will make you very natural and be what you are, yes!Q:
Why did you pick this place as your ashram? Someone had told me Arjuna meditated here many years back, is this true? What’s the story?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Well, any place I pick you will ask the same question. Why did you pick this place? You just pick it, that’s it. The gentlemen who was working on this land and making the roads and keeping this place, he also didn’t know why he was doing all this, you know. When he sold it to us he was happy that what he had done for so many years is used for some very good purpose. Well, it’s a nice place and when we all sit and meditate the vibrations even becomes higher, very nice. Isn’t it? I was talking on Ashtavakara in India, before that I was here in Montreal also. Then I said, ‘one year I am not going to come out of India but when I come back, we should have our ashram here.’ Then there was Ganesh, and Janice they went around looking for it and then they found this place. And when I came back they said we have found a place Guruji and have made all arrangements. Several people bought one plot and then we could get the whole land. Then Janice and Ganesh said you should come to Montreal and I said okay I will come. So when we came we had just some tents here. In fact we stayed in Florabelle and came here to do the course. And then I said, ‘no, I should stay here.’ Then just Andrew and a couple others, they built that cabin; what’s it called? Sumeru cabin. A little cabin, I use to stay there. We had no water, we had nothing but then everything happened. We were walking around and we said yes in this area we should have a meditation hall. And it took quite a while to manifest that. But now we should use this more, even when I’m not here. You don’t say okay Guruji comes only then, no! You all should come here and bring your friends. We should put better use of this place.Q:
Change is permanent in life. Does the knowledge in the Bhagavad Gita change as per the changing times?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Bhagavad Gita has all the topics. We have to understand that. It has knowledge as per the time.Q:
Guruji, what is the significance of Devi Puja?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It was good no? Devi Puja is so nice. See the corn is hard, but when you put it in the popping machine with a little butter and little salt, what happens? The corn pops up and becomes popcorn, fluffy and very nice. Similarly within everyone, every individual, the energy (Shakti) is there. In Puja, what happens? The energy blossoms, gets uplifted and opens up. There is no place that is devoid of energy. But in many places it is sleeping. Here in Devi Puja it awakens up. Devi energy (shakti) is there within all of us. Devi is not somewhere else, not in some other world. It is within us - Devi Shakti. To make that shakti grow stronger is called Puja. If we sit deep in meditation, the glow within the body will brighten, and will expand and spread outside. That is Devi Puja.