Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Q: How important is money in pursuing goals, career and achievements? If we don’t have enough, will we achieve our goals?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

If you go with a ‘lack consciousness’, then any amount of money won’t be enough for you. You will have thoughts like: ‘What will happen in my old age? What is going to happen?’
One day, however much you feed your body, it is going to go.

Money is a means. Earn money, don’t spend foolishly. People are ready to spend money on parties, weddings , garments…yet when it comes to giving to a good cause, I don’t know where that stinginess comes from.

You should put that sankalpa: ‘I will get what I need. I will never suffer from a shortage.’

Q: What is self-respect? How is it different from ego?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Self-respect is respecting yourself irrespective of what others call you.
A thousand years ago, when India was attacked in the North east, a saint was captured.
The captors tried to humiliate the saint, chained his legs and wanted to sell him as a slave.
The saint kept smiling. He said: ‘A slave is on sale. Who wants to buy him?’

There are many examples of people who were humiliated in the world. Yet they kept on walking with their heads held high.

In self-respect, you keep your composure. Ego needs someone else to be there. When you’re all alone, there is no ego. When someone comes in, then the ego comes up. Your body language changes. If someone pokes you, then your ego gets hurt.

Nobody can take away your self-respect.

Just keep smiling and be happy,
Embrace the ups and downs of life and continue walking.
Do whatever you can do for others.

Q: I don’t understand what is happening in my life? How much of it is my responsibility?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

See the past as destiny. Your regret is because you see the past as free will. If the future is destiny, then you will become lethargic and procrastinate. The intelligent see it as destiny and future as free will and live happily in the moment.

You have the choice – be happy, in the moment and enjoy.

Q: You say innocence is a virtue. Aren’t innocent people exploited?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

There are innocent people who are foolish as well as intelligent people who are cunning.

What is desirable is a combination of intelligence with innocence.

Q: We lost a 33-year-old son last January. How to overcome the grief?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

There are four ways:

1. Know that you have the strength. The problem has come, the grief has come. You can’t do anything about it.

2. Realise that every one is going to die one day. Everybody here will go under the soil. It will all happen in the next 100 years. Someone has gone earlier.

3. Look at those who have greater troubles than you. When we see people who have greater difficulties, and start serving them: our problems will disappear. See what is happening in Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iraq.

In Iraq, the plane will land in circles. If it lands in a straight line, it can be targeted and shot. The amount of fear that people have …..

People in Sri Lanka don’t even know if they’re coming back, once they leave for their jobs in the morning. If you are a Tamilian, they will whisk you away.

When you see the bigger problems on the planet, then yours will become small.

4. The Divine is with you. Offer your problems to the divinity and relax. We must have that confidence.

If we are calm, then we can spread peace.

If we are happy, then we can radiate and spread happiness.

Today, Maoists have attacked 13 places in India. They are misguided people who believe in violence. That’s unfortunate.

That’s why spiritual education and knowledge is so essential. It is so needed. We all have to encourage our youngsters to join the Non-Aggression Programme (The NAP – taught by the Art of Living). It is so big in Europe and many countries. Children are so aggressive. They need to be taught to calm the kind. This job, we have to do.

Q: Is Divinity connected with our body?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

‘Devtaa’ means ‘divya shakti or Divine Energy. Each cell of your body has 33 different aspects of Divine energies. The same cell becomes an eye, the skin, the bone, the sensory perception of the smell in the nose and so on. A Devtaa is not sitting in Himalayas but in your body itself.

Ishwar (God) is present in each and every part of your body.

The formless, omnipresent Divinity who is of the nature of existence, knowledge, bliss (Satchidananda) is called the Ishwara.

All forms belong to Him who is formless.

All names belong to Him, who is without name.

Indian tradition recognises the One Divinity in Creation and recognises everything in creation as part of One Divinity. The Indian tradition has welcomed and accepted Buddha, Mahavira and Guru Nanak. Sufi saints, Christians and Parsi saints were also accepted. This is because we see one in all and all are one. Then there is no need to say: ‘Your God is better than my God’. This kind of thinking can become the basis for conflict.

We need to have a broad vision (Vishaal Drishthikon). This is what spirituality gives us.

Q: How to combat fatigue?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You know, your fatigue could be due to sugar.

If your blood pressure is is high, you get fatigued.

If your sleep is weak.

If u lack vitamin B in your diet

And if u don’t do pranayama.

Q: Is everything done by the Divine and we simply have to go along? Or is everything done so that we feel the desire to act? I’m confused.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Highest knowledge comes only after confusion. What is confusion? Confusion is when a belief system breaks down. You’re in a shell and then suddenly things are not the way they are. Then a new horizon is seen. An old concept vanishes, giving room to a new possibility.
Before Krishna gave the highest knowledge to Arjuna, he confused him thoroughly. In the fourth chapter of the Bhagvad Gita, Arjuna asks Krishna: ‘Why are you confusing me with so many things? Directly tell me the right thing.’ Confusion always precedes knowledge.

Q: Where did you get the inspiration to start the Art of Living? Who taught you?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Nobody taught me the principles of the Art of Living like accepting people as they are and present moment is inevitable.

Q: How do we follow non-violence when the youth are being killed by the LeT, Maoists and Naxalites?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

It is a matter of great concern that violence has taken over 300 of 600 districts in this country. It is a serious concern. This is because we have brushed aside all spiritual things. We have been educating people in a system that does not inculcate human values and spirituality. All of you must insist that spirituality takes a front seat in everything.
Around 150 saints were born in Tamil Nadu (an Indian state). They have all written many songs, spiritual treatises and books. The education system in Tamil Nadu has removed all this spiritual knowledge from these books. As a result, today, people don’t even know that they are groping in a rootless system. A similar situation is seen in Hyderabad. There were so many saints who would sing the Vedanta – the highest knowledge. All the literature has been bundled aside.
Even in our school – we rarely read about Kabir, Gorakhnath, Meerabai. We read about other things.
If spiritual education is encouraged then Naxalism and Jehadi terrorism will all go away.