Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Guruji, Ashtavakraji had said, ‘You are free at this very moment’. Then why do we need to do yoga, aasan, praanayam, gyan, Advanced course?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
: He said in the very first mantra, ‘Worship truth like Amrit (ambrosia)’ and Advanced course is the union with truth. The truth is, our breath is flowing, our body is functioning. Between these two there is something: the union with ‘I am nothing’. It is very important to be stress-free. We talk about this and that, all sorts of inconsequential stuff. We eat food day and night. We don’t want freedom from this. But we are ready to give up meditation. How come?Kabir das sang: Why have you given up speaking the truth and Hari naam (chanting God’s name)? You did not give up anger, or telling lies, why did you give up speaking the truth? First give up anger, telling lies; then you can give up the Advanced course also.
Q:
How to bring naturalness (sahajta) in daily life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
How did you bring un-naturalness(asahajta), first tell me this? You were born natural. Naturalness has been with us since birth. Where did this asahajta come in, observe this and give it up! We feel at ease only when others praise us, approve of our work. Why do you wait for others’ approval, give yourself a pat on the back. I know it is a little difficult to pat oneself on the back. That is why we have you do the third stage of pranayaam!! But do not break the rules of sahajta. It is important to follow the rules and norms of society.Q:
(A member of the audience asked this question. It was inaudible.)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Okay now, you are both matter and spirit right? Are you only matter? No! You are matter and you are also spirit. Our body is matter, our mind, intellect, emotions, they are part of the spirit. So anything that nurtures the mind, that keeps you sane, that keep you intelligent, that keeps you good hearted, kind-hearted, loving, creative is all spiritual. That which uplifts the spirit is spirituality. What can uplift the spirit? Meditation, knowledge! Knowledge about what is true, what is not true; what is real, what is not real. And then service activities, sharing yourself with others, those who are in need. Contributing to the poor, having compassion, all this is part of spirit. And anything that uplifts the spirit is spirituality. So in spirituality, meditation is the first thing. 60% of spirituality is meditation, going in and cleansing your heart and mind and then 20% is service and then 20% is knowledge, wisdom and that makes spirituality. Is that not useful? This is very much essential for you to be a good human being. Spirituality is essential. It is because of spirituality that there is honesty, there is creativity, there is compassion, there is service to society, dynamism and most of all, energy. If people are getting depressed in the world today it is because of the lack of spirituality. You know, there has been a study in Europe stating that the rate of suicide is high and depression is very high. 30% of Europe is suffering from depression. So some communists from this country went abroad and they convened with the World Health Organization and came up with a report that more than 30% of India is depressed. A recent report, 38%, I don’t know what specimen, and where they took! They went to some place in UP and they took some samples and they said this country is depressed. But you don’t find that! You see after the factory, the workers are dancing. They go home with a smile. You go to any slum, they have television and they are dancing. People are laughing in the slums, haven’t you see this? (Many say ‘YES’). You go to any slum in this country, irrespective of their religion, Hindu, Muslims, Christians, everybody gets together and they dance, they sing, they celebrate life. Some fool somewhere got this idea to declare India as depressed. He has no idea; depression is not there in this country. Bangladesh, you see depression is very low, they are much poorer than India. We need to reintroduce spirituality in the society. Only that can check the depression - depression and corruption, both.Q:
Guruji, the Dalai Lama says that dreams are the deepest form of meditation. Guruji what are dreams? Are they thoughts or are they actually events?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, there are different types of dreams and there are different levels of meditation. Sleep is not meditation. Right now you meditated, was it sleep? Or was it waking? Was it dreaming? No! it was different right, that is meditation. Was it good? Ha!Q:
(A member of the audience asked this question. It was inaudible.)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Here everything is a circle; everything is Gol Gol (round round), including time. There is nothing linear.Q:
(A member of the audience asked this question. It was inaudible.)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We can never be separate from Eeshvar (God). Eeshvar is one who is always there with everyone, for everyone.Q:
What is politics and what is the significance of politics for a true saadhak?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Politics is awareness of the needs of the public, working for the welfare of society, doing seva (service) to society – this is politics. Politics is necessary and it is very important for good, honest individuals to enter politics. If you wish to go you should, my blessings are with you.Q:
Where do you get power and ideas for so many widely spread projects? What do you do when you are not feeling well?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know all the power comes from only one source. Everything comes when you are connected to the highest source.Q:
Can you please talk about farmer suicide and genetically transformed food?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Farmer suicide is a very big problem in developing countries. Some of the companies, which are producing genetically transformed food are buying original seeds from poor farmers and burning them. Some people out of greed join in hands with them. What is most needed today is educating the illiterate farmers. Art of Living has worked in 520 villages where farmers are given proper education. Now all these villages where volunteers have worked, and educated people, suicide has completely stopped. But there is still a lot more to be done. We need to work a lot more.Q:
Why is it different with you and other people?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I don’t find any difference. If you find something you tell me. Perhaps I am always at home with everyone, wherever I go, all the time. I have no worries of my own. I don’t think what about me. May be you would also have thought like that. May be not. I am not afraid of anybody. I feel every single person whether they know me or not belong to me. You may also be feeling like that. It is up to you to know. Don’t you think so?