Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Someone hurt my eye last year. Why hasn’t the person got punished?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Those who wrong, will receive a punishment for sure.However, if you enjoy his punishment, that is wrong.
You should pray, that he does not hurt anyone else. Let his mind become fine.
Don’t think that he should be hurt in return.
Q:
You often say that seva brings merit which helps us to meditate better. Today, I did seva 100 percent so that I can meditate better. Is that ok?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We should not judge ourselves too much. If you go on judging yourself all the time, it is not going to help you.At the same time, you cannot be blind to your behaviors, and tendencies. It has to be a gentle middle path. Either extremes can be detrimental.
There is a Sanskrit phrase which says that when you place a lamp on a short wall between two rooms, light will fall in both rooms. In the same way, keep a bit light on what is happening inside, and outside of you.
Q:
Why is love painful?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It's human nature to want to help others. And everybody wants love. Without love, life doesn’t seem worth living.However love gets distorted, and turns into anger, greed, jealousy, hatred, possessiveness. Yet we all want love.
Q:
Is there any conflict between the Art of Living and any religion?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There is no conflict between the Art of Living and religion. The conflict is in the small mind. For example, the goal of Christianity is to spread peace and love, to pray and serve. The Bible says: "The Kingdom of Heaven is deep inside", and "God is Love", and "Have the innocence of a child and you will enter the Kingdom of Heaven". These are all things that you have all read, but not experienced.Every child needs to know about every religion of the world. A big problem of the world is fanaticism. Education about the human values of every religion will solve this problem. Chinese food is eaten all around the world. Yet, by consuming Chinese food, do you become Chinese? If you listen to Beethoven, do you become German? Do you become Indian by listening to the sitar? Why can't we also have the common wisdom from all religions around the world?
Q:
Why do the heart and mind want different things?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The heart wants something old, that which is familiar. The head wants something new. A balance is needed in the old and new: in the ancient knowledge and the latest science. The heart takes pride in old friends, but there is also interest in the latest trends.Q:
How are we connected to the five elements?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Wherever we go, we are all connected!The earth and body connects us all.
Water connects everything. Air is everywhere. One can’t say, 'This is my air'.
And we are all connected in space.
*(A breathing technique taught in the Art of Living course.)
Q:
What is our duty as citizens during non-election times? We know so much of rigging has happened during the elections. What do we do now?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We have to play the role of a responsible citizen. You must speak up when you see some wrong happening.The second thing is that there are good people in every party. Don’t say all good people are in one party and all bad people are in the other. It is not the party, but the people that matter - if they are criminals and are doing wrong, they should not be given a ticket.
So don’t think one party is better - it is people who make a difference.
Q:
If I realize today that I had made a mistake in the past, what should I do about it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Whatever you have done in the past is over. Don’t worry about it now. You are innocent in the present moment. Have faith in the innocence of the present moment.There is an old belief – ‘If you bathe in the Ganges and chant God’s name, then all your sins will be washed away’. This means that you need to be in the present moment. However, don’t keep repeating the same mistake!
Q:
In whichever field we go, there is always someone who is better than us – this creates an inferiority complex. How do we cope with it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Don’t look at others. Always look at yourself and stop comparing. If you compare then there is no end. At every level, this can go on. We should only compare with our own self. What was I two years ago, and what am I now?Q:
Can love be selfish and, if it is selfish then is it love?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The Self is love.