Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How can I love and respect myself? And break a pattern that has been in me since I was seven years old?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Forget about it, take it for granted. And this is one such thing. If you try to love yourself, you would be in trouble. The more effort you put, the longer it takes for you to realize this. So take it for granted that everyone loves themselves for sure and you too love yourself. You are love. Love is not an act, it is a noun.Q:
Is eating non-vegetarian food, a sin?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Eating non-vegetarian food is not satvic. So that which is not satvic does not give you happiness or does not give you knowledge and enlightenment. Further progress in the spiritual journey will be at stake by eating non-vegetarian diet.Q:
What is the ideal diet for armed forces personnel? Today alcohol and non-vegetarianism is prevalent almost everywhere.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, you can avoid it. More and more people are becoming vegetarians and teetotallers in the world today. There was a time when vegetarian food was seldom available in college campuses outside India. Today, everywhere there is vegetarianism. People are turning to vegetarianism for health reasons, to avoid the risk of cancer and many other illnesses. So vegetarianism has become much more popular and it will become even more popular in the coming years.Q:
Are husband and wife really made for each other? How is this possible?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I am not qualified to speak on that. You should ask them(those who are married). Thats how, when they are in love with each other, they feel we are made for each other. When they get into trouble then they wonder whether their marriage is really made in heaven or is it made in hell.Q:
Even though I do regular sadhana, many times I get feverish about things. How to deal with this feverishness?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are feverish to get rid of feverishness will become a big hindrance. When you feel feverish, accept it. Your accepting feverishness itself will bring the calming effect. Otherwise, you are feverish to get rid of feverishness, will roll into a chain reaction of feverishness. Accept life in its totality and that is the way to be centred. Once you are centred, you are the source of creativity. You will be the source of happiness, joy and love.Q:
In the book ‘Celebrating Silence’ you have mentioned that anuvrat can even help one get rid of attachment and entanglements. Please explain.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Anuvrat means taking up a vrat(vow), even if it is a small one. With small small vows we can move towards important Sadhana. These are steps. Taking small small steps, we receive strength in life.Q:
Are there different techniques to achieve different siddhis(perfections/powers)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Ek hi saadhe sab sadhe, sab saadhe sab jaaye, if you follow one thing you will achieve all, but if you want everything, you won't achieve anything.Q:
Why is it difficult to get focused on things that I don’t like to do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you don’t like something, then your focus is all the more on it. If you like something, then you focus on it. When you’re neutral about something, when there is no aversion, then there is no focus.Studying the nature of mind is itself is an amazing phenomena. You will be thrilled knowing and learning more and more about your own mind. When I say mind, I don’t mean just mind. I would rather say the consciousness because the mind is one function of the consciousness. The perception is what we call the mind. The perceptible aspect of the consciousness is called mind. The judgmental aspect, the intellect.
The study of consciousness is the most difficult. And with time and maturity, everybody gets it.
Q:
Are there any plus points of doing a job other than earning money
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Money and experience. That’s all and some discipline. If you have to do a job you have to discipline your life in a certain fashion.Q:
How does it feel to be so Divine?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Absolutely natural.