Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
There will be testing times in life; but what to do if problems become life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You have come here. You have come to the right place. How many of you are getting your desires fulfilled after undergoing the practice here? Raise your hands. See you have come to the right place. Sit here with faith, do meditation and then leave. Do you know there is a rule in the ashram? This is the rule in the ashram: you can bring your worries here, but you cannot take them back with you.Q:
When someone dear to us dies, how to get out of the sorrow?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
By knowledge; the Knowledge that, ‘they have gone today, and after some years even we have to go. All of who have come here (on this planet), have come only to depart. All those who have departed, have departed only to come back. This we should think is certain.’ That is why, to those who depart say, ‘you go ahead, I will come later and see you. I will complete my work here and after some years I will meet you’. Saying this, show them the way. Don't sit and keep thinking, ‘Oh no! They have gone away.’ In our nation, they have stated very nicely in our sastras(scriptures), ‘for ten days only you be in that sorrow; forget it on the eleventh day. Leave that and live happily’. They do Rekyam on thirteenth day - it means celebration. There are celebrations on the thirteenth day, wearing new clothes and eating special sweets and snacks (bhakshanam). And then sesame seed is offered as tarpanam for the departed soul, do you know why? ‘If you have any desires, leave them. It is like sesame seed. Why do you suffer with small desires? Go with satisfaction (tripti)’. That is why they say ‘Tarpanam’ means, ‘may you get tripti. After the leaving the body let the soul (atma) get tripti. Doing tarpanam for mother, father, their parents… Calling out forefathers’ names and saying, ‘be satisfied (tripti); leave small desires that are in your mind. Those will get fructified on their own. It is just like a sesame seed. Don’t worry.’ In those days, mustard and sesame seeds were examples of very small things. An insignificant thing was referred to as sesame seed, in a derogatory sense. In our country we have had this wonderful custom (sampradaya) of conveying to our forefathers and deceased. In a similar way, (the practice of) ‘giving the pindam’. ‘Pindam’ refers to body. The spirit, that has left the body, will have desire to get another body. At that time, the son, grandson, some relative, or daughter (also allowed) offers ‘pindam’. ‘Don’t worry you will get another body. Go forward. Don’t look back. Obtain bliss. Many more worlds are there to see, so go forward. You will get another body.’ This consolation is giving ‘Pinda’. ‘Be in bliss. Why think of the body? You can be born in our family itself’. It is mostly for satisfying the mind. It is enough if you do meditation. Then it is not necessary to do other things. In meditation, mind is at rest and peaceful, (with) the feeling, ‘I am not this body; I am beyond this body.’ So do meditation without fail.Q:
You have reformed terrorists. Then why not reform those who are doing unwanted things in the name of spirituality?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Some people will not change in life, because they are like that. Can you convert a snake, or a scorpion into a cow? We have to understand this is a snake, this is a scorpion, and this is a cow. (You) cannot think of reforming some people. You can correct terrorists. But it is difficult to correct those who do evil intentionally. Not that it is impossible; but it is difficult. Their lineage also exists for a long time. Ravana also donned garb of a sage and abducted Sita. There are some fake sages like Ravana these days also. What to do? For some time it will go on, then suddenly they’ll have a fall. It is not good for them. Those who follow desires will get a lesson. For our part, we should take good from everywhere. There is a saying in Sanskrit, ‘Durjanam Prathamam Vande Sujanam Tadanantaram’. Worship the bad person also. The bad people are ruining themselves and teaching you a lesson., So convey your gratitude to them - since at their cost, while falling in a pit and getting ruined - they are teaching you a lesson.Q:
I do not follow Hinduism so I cannot understand and appreciate the rituals. Can I still grow in AOL?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Definitely! You know, some of the rituals are very ancient. On Monday all the ashrams do the pooja, you simply sit with your eyes closed in deep meditation. You feel the vibrations of the sound - that is all that needs to be done. Actually Hinduism is not a religion at all; it is just a way of life, the ancient way of life. Like Yoga is part of it, pranayama is part of it, meditation, chanting - these are all to enhance the life-force, life-energy and it is universal in its spirit. So you can follow your religion, no problem. You can be a Christian, you can be a Muslim, you can be Jewish or Parsi. Doesn’t matter whatever religion you follow. Religion is the rituals that are associated with your birth, your wedding, your cremation or that which people do after you are gone. But the spiritual practices are different, they are there to enliven the consciousness. That is so vital. It is important that people of the world, everywhere, become spiritual and grow spiritually and honor all the religions. You honor Christianity, honor Islam, honor Buddhism, Jainism, Sikhism, Hindisum, honor everyone. And take good things, if there are good practices anywhere, that we should take into our life.Q:
Dearest Guruji, if the universe is a play and display of consciousness, why we should not have fun instead of spiritual practices like sadhana, seva and satsang?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
This is all fun, isn’t it? When you follow knowledge, fun follows you. If you follow fun, misery follows you.Q:
Dearest Guruji, you said let go of your concepts. How do you do this, please explain?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You want an answer for this question? I am not going to answer. Someone asked me how do I improve my patience, I told them I will tell you five years later.Q:
How to tackle a person who has double standards?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
With compassion. You know, double standards are because they don’t know the wealth that they are carrying in themselves. Each one of us is a treasure house of wealth. Deep inside, you have the Divinity, the light, the peace, the joy, the love that you are seeking. And when you are not in touch with that you are trying to grab this little bit here, grab something from there, for what? Because you don’t realize that there is a great power deep within us. So, with such people you simply have to have compassion. By having double standards they are creating harm for themselves.Q:
What is hollow and empty? If you can record it in Tamil in your voice, it will be very nice.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That can be done. To know what it is, close your eyes and listen, and you will know automatically. It cannot be killed, by expressing it in words.Q:
How can we realize the whole word is a game of the mind?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Oh! You have not realized that? Tell me, how many times your judgments have proved to be wrong? Many times? nearly 80% of the time all your judgments have been wrong; 90%? (Answer – 70% to 80%). Whenever you have a judgment about somebody then you found yourself wrong, right? So that has taught you it is all maya, right? Your mind teaches you that it is all maya. You sit and you have some fear, you have apprehensions, you imagine things and suddenly you find all that is all wrong. It is all the making up of your own mind. At that moment, ‘Oh ya this mind is maya’, and that is what is the play. Just look at your own mind, you look at somebody, you judge something and then your find out it is not true. All these wrong perceptions, understanding, concepts, wrong ideas and judgments are good enough to tell you your mind is an illusion.Q:
What role does Karma play in our life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Everything is karma my dear! You’re asking a question it is karma; karma means action. And to listen to your question - that is my karma. But then, to answer it or not is my choice and your karma, got it? Everything is karma.