Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
I always get confused in everything. Please tell me what to do.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Give a pat on your back. Whenever you get confused, it means an old pattern is breaking, and something new is happening. Listen, you can’t be confused in everything. You know you have to have dinner – are you confused about that? You know when you have to come for satsang.Confusion is when you want more joy, and are not happy with what you have.
A bird in hand is worth two in a bush – be happy with what you have.
If confusion steps in a short while, it should be welcomed. But if it remains perpetually, take an attitude about it.
Q:
Is leadership in the Art of Living based on seniority or spiritual evolvement?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There is chaos and bliss here! Everyone is welcome to contribute to the organization’s growth, and grown himself. The Art of Living has one policy: we don’t reject anybody. We carry everyone along with us. That is a very tough job. There are hundreds of challenges.The human mind is like the wild elephant – its makes all sorts of concepts, and ideals. People who don’t work have great ideals. When they start work, they realize that many ideals don’t work.
On the other side, there are people who have no ideals, and go with the chaos. Both approaches are wrong. If you drop ideals completely, organizations become hopeless. However if you don’t see practicality, and don’t have a foot on the ground, you cannot perform a dance. If your feet are buried in the ground, can you dance? If your legs are not on the ground, can you dance? You have to have a foot on the ground. Life is about balance.
Life is complex, and the world is full of complexities. Many complexities will arise. What you need to take care is not to get frustrated, and deal with them. We have to. Conflicts, and complexities are everywhere - in bureaucracies, political parties, social organizations, NGOs, schools, colleges, everywhere. Even in a house, there could be so many complex behavioral patterns. Yet, rejection is not the way, frustration won’t lead you anywhere. That is the skill you need to acquire. Skill will help you move through sleeping elephants. A saint from India once said: You have to walk through sleeping elephants. When wild elephants are awake, you can’t walk.
How do you get the skill? Silence is the mother of all skills. When you lack some skill, sit quietly for a moment. Then that part of the brain becomes active, that can give you intuition and ideas.
Silence is the mother of all skills, innovations, and inventions. A few moments of quietness. This is the first step. Take a step away from the situation. When you are in a situation, you cannot be a good judge – you have to step out of the situation for a minute and look at it. Through quietness: you will gain the skill right there!
We need to get out of the blame game. If anything goes wrong, you either blame others or yourself. This tendency is so deep in our psyche. Silence gives the skill to see the distance. This principle and philosophy has been developed in this country. However, it has been kept only with a few select people. That is why spirituality should be kept alive in every part of the world, so that everyone can gain skill with ease, and grace. This is the main advantage of meditation practices: it enables you to handle situations with ease and grace. A few moments of silence will bring up tremendous talents from within us.
However, if someone practices too much silence, then also they lose their skills.
Ati sarvatra varjayet – drop anything that is too much. Avoid extremes.
(A member from the audience says: If the bliss and happiness felt here (in the ashram) could spread all over the world, there would be no violence in the world.)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Absolutely. That’s why you should come here, and spread the word, like sahasra sesha. Each one should inspire at least 1,000 people. Have the intention of bringing knowledge, joy, love, and happiness to the lives of 1,000 people. This is real merit.
Good luck does not come by lucky charms. It comes from good work. Good deed is to bring happiness into the lives of people. This is the best way. I have seen that. So bring this joy, solace, and happiness in people’s lives. When the hearts and minds of people get healed, their spirit blesses you. That becomes your real merit, good luck.
Q:
Tell us the secret of sankalap siddhi (power of the intention)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
hen there is surrender alongwith having an intention, then it easily bears fruit. It is very easy for intentions to get fulfilled when there is surrender. Thus when intentions are fulfilled without effort, it is called Naishkarmya Siddhi. There are many references to Naishkarmya Siddhi in Vedanta. Even Adi Shankaracharya has spoken extensively on this – getting siddhi (result) without the need to act. But that doesn’t mean that you don’t work for it. You have to put in effort.Q:
What can make us centered? If we are shaken, how can we come back to ourselves?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Become more hollow, and empty. Practice more meditation. Do more seva. Seva brings the merit to go deep in. When you go deep in, the mind becomes fresh, energetic, and intuitive to do more seva.Q:
Shiva is the Lord of the Universe. Who does He meditate on? And why?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Shiva is not a person sitting somewhere. Shiva himself is meditation. Shiva is Shiva tatva. How do you experience it? By meditation. When you sit and meditate, you get in touch with the Shiva tatva deep inside you.Q:
In our society, the people who break the laws are considered to be heroes, and those who follow the laws, are thought to be fools. When can we expect a change in this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Change is happening, and it will continue to happen. Don’t worry. Change will happen.Q:
What is the significance of the sacred thread?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The sacred thread indicates the three responsibilities that you shoulder: duty to parents, duty to society, and duty towards the knowledge you receive in life. You have to disseminate the knowledge in life.Once you finish the duties, then the thread is thrown – this means that you have taken Sanyasa (renunciated the world). No more duties left.
Q:
How to feel, and experience the presence of the Divine all the time?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Now you’re in Bangalore? So do you have to think all day that you’re in Bangalore? No, you know you’re in Bangalore, and you take it for granted. You don’t wake up and think – ‘Oh, I’m in Bangalore’. You don’t keep reminding yourself while eating, isn’t it? Take it in the same way – the presence of the Divine is with you.You know, a child never asks a mother everyday: ‘Mummy, do you really love me?’ and it doesn’t say ‘Mummy, I really love you.’ You take it for granted.
Love never questions the presence. Never question love, never question the presence. It is there – you have to assume that it is there.
Kuch maan ke chalo, kuch jaan ke chalo (Accept some things, and know some things).
Q:
What is the difference between sankalpa (intention), and desire?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Desire is that which gives you anger, and upsets you. Sankalpa is having an intention. That is it! It works. Desires mean it has to happen now. In sankalpa you say, ‘Let it happen whenever it has to.’Q:
How is it possible that you give the answers to all questions so quickly?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Very naturally, and easily.