Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q: What to do when desires arises in mind? |
Sri Sri:
When desires arise just see whether it is beneficial for you or not. When desires come up and pass through the intellect, then it is good. If it is just an unqualified desire, it could cause problems.
Q: Why do we feel jealous? How do one deal with jealousy? |
Sri Sri:
Because we don't realize that it is all going to end. Meditate and see life from a bigger context. If you still feel jealous, then just observe the sensations and it will pass.
Q: What is the relation of Sadhana and our life? |
Sri Sri:
The whole life is Sadhana. Doing Pooja, little rituals and Kriya are important but one should also celebrate whole life as sadhana.
Q: How to bring up children in a competitive world? |
Sri Sri:
The world has always been competitive. In the past, competition was present on a smaller scale. It is much bigger now. We need to instill values. Even in the satyuga, there were rakshasas (demons). So don't blame time. You do your part. Instill values in children.
Sri Sri:
What does wealth mean? Not just money, whatever supports life is wealth. In Scandinavia, people thirst for the sun. When I had gone there in winter, it was dark like it’s here now. When I asked someone, ‘When will the sun rise?’ They said, ‘In January. That is wealth for them.
Today there is a need for a spiritual wave in society. Spiritual wave just means where people feel connected to each other When belongingness increases, corruption decreases
Sri Sri:
To get over habits, there are three options If someone gives you a temptation: Suppose you stop this bad habit for 10 days you will get 10 lakhs of rupees. Then you will do it. Something higher than your habit can create greed in you. Or if someone creates fear in you, eg. A doctor says if you drink, you will spoil your liver. Then you can get over your habit. The third way is through love.
Sri Sri:
Today, it is different. Tell everybody to be friends with animals. Once you are friends, you don’t eat them. Like you don't use your pets as food. Once you cultivate a relationship, you do not eat it. Cultivate the habit of befriending all the species and this is the way of turning the world, vegetarian.
If you do too much, that also is not good. That is why one should sit with a teacher and take guidance.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:When somebody leaves the body we realize the magnitude of life. A person, who was there, is no more. It brings a depth to life One starts wondering - what is life? Where did the person go? It gives a depth to life, there is no point in brooding. Yes, tears, come you don’t need to suppress them. But there is no need to brood over it.