Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
If someone has wronged me, should I try to take matters in hand and attempt to punish that person or leave it up to the nature to set the record straight?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Of course it takes more effort, courage, intelligence to set somebody right. If you have the patience, do it. And if you feel it’s costing you too much, it is getting on your own nerves,then leave it to nature.Q:
Sometimes I am really successful in managing my thoughts, other days even with yoga, meditation, and kriya it doesn’t work. What can I do? Thank you
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Hmmm. You get too many thoughts? If your bowel movements are not okay then also the thoughts go haywire.Sopurifying the body through ayurveda - triphala would help. Second, pranayama, bhastrika, hard work, exercise, get on the treadmill and run, you know. Finally, let the thoughts be there. Why do you want to get rid of them? Don’t fight with them. They come and they go. Best not to meddle with them. Yes? The continuous thoughts that bombard your mind - logical thoughts are one side of your brain the other side of the brain is music. When you want to shift -sing, go into music. Activity in the other side of the brain - that should help. But if a particular fear or desire is affecting you again and again, offer that, surrender that to the Divine. That’s it.Q:
Some people say that bhatki yoga is more superior than all other yoga… (A member of the audience asked this question. It was inaudible)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you take one, everything else will come behind. If you draw one leg of this chair, will not all the others come along? See, Bhakti means love.Q:
I am scared to talk to people.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are talking now to everybody. Yes, for today it has gone, okay.Q:
Guruji, corruption has escalated so much in the country. We protested, Anna Hazare protested. Yet the government is doing its own thing. What should we do next?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes. I am also thinking about it. One thing you can do is expand awareness of our stance – ask ten people to speak to ten thousand. This way we can make people conscious, create awareness about it: a new battle for independence.Q:
Guruji, how to increase patience?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I will answer this question two years from now. You will wait for two years, won’t you? That is patience.Q:
(A member of the audience asked this question. It was inaudible.)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are trying to please them in your own way. If they are not happy, it is their fate, their luck. That is why there is a saying in Sanskrit, ‘No one can cause suffering or bring comfort to anyone. Everyone experiences pleasure or pain according to his/her own karma.’Q:
Guruji, you had said last time that one’s focus should be on oneself or on the master. But the mind tends to be drawn to others frequently making comparisons.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
At least you are aware that the mind is comparing with others. That means you are already becoming free from it, somewhat. Gradually it will move away completely.Q:
Jai Gurudev! Some of my co-workers do certain things that cause frustration to some of us. Should we tolerate it or oppose it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We should oppose it. Using our intelligence, wherever we think it is appropriate, we should oppose, without anger or angst, but peacefully, patiently, with equanimity.Q:
(A member of the audience asked this question. It was inaudible.)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Friends make fun of you being in spirituality? Yes, you smile at that and say, 'What a great thing you are missing you don’t know'. Tell them,'Anyways you are going to follow this; it is only a matter of time', you tell them. 'In five years you will come for this knowledge. And we are pioneers you know', tell them,' I am a pioneer in everything, we first taste and whatever we leave behind you take it'. If anyone makes fun of you, you keep smiling, don’t lose your smile. Tell them wait, wait, it is only a matter of years; you will be doing the same thing. Tell them they are used to eating the leftovers; tell them, 'I am enjoying the good meal now'.