Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How can we strengthen our Sankalpa (intention)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
With devotion. If there is devotion, Sankalpa is strong. If you are hollow and empty,Sankalpa is strong.
Q:
Guruji, what is the purpose of creation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Well… I don’t know the purpose of creation, but before asking the purpose of creation, you should ask: “What is the purpose of your life, human life?” We don’t know why so many galaxies are created, I have no idea! (Audience laughing)Some galaxies, planets, have life. I don’t know why they are all in round shape, why there were no cubes! (Audience laughing) What is the purpose of keeping everything round? I have no idea!
But what is the purpose of your life? You will have to find that out. You can find that out. Your purpose of life is to enjoy the creation. What is the purpose of creation? Is it to bring joy to you? I have no idea! (Audience laughing)
The purpose of your life is to bring joy and happiness to the maximum number of people around you. Isn’t it?
Q:
Can you say something about how to make a relationship last?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are various ways but the best is intuitive, your intuition. If in the relationship, both come from the point of giving then there will be no problem, but if both want to take, there will be fights. I am here to contribute, what I can do for you? Then your relationship will last longer.Q:
How are we able to get rid of very old patterns?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You have to make an effort and change it. Serve, serve and serve. In serving you are giving, when you are in the trip of only getting, then you cannot get over your patterns. But if you say: “I don’t want to be like that, I only want to give, I want to serve,” when you make that big shift, everything changes.Why are you going to Satsang, for example? Are you there to get joy for yourself or are you going there so you can help, contribute. You go to Satsang and give some juice and cookies to everybody or do you just go and enjoy your meditation and kriya and walk out? These delicate, small things make the difference.
Q:
The world is not going your way.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I have patience and perseverance and I know it will come right.Q:
And all this starts in India?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Exactly, perhaps it may be in other parts of the world as well.Q:
You once said that forgiveness is a cure. Is forgiveness the formula to make peace between Israelis and Arabs?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Let go of the past and find a new future. From independence to inter-dependence. That is what we have to understand. Independence was a slogan of the past era. Everyone wanted to be independent so that they could be prosperous, but today prosperity does not come from independence it comes from understanding the inter-dependence. This needs to be educated to people. There is also an identity crisis. A person thinks ‘I am a Muslim’ or ‘I am a Christian’ or ‘I am a Hindu’ or ‘ I am Buddhist’ and those who are not, do not belong to me. They look like an enemy.They need to shift this type of thinking to: - first and foremost, our identity is that we are all human beings. Then, we belong to a certain gender of either male or female. The third identity is that of religion and then finally to a particular nation. If the priority of identity is in the right place I think conflicts can be resolved very quickly.
Q:
Are you optimistic like Jimmy Wales?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I am realistic. Optimism is just hope but when you see it is possible it is practical then I think I am realistic. It is going to happen. People cannot stand tension or stress for too long, somewhere one has to give up. You cannot hold a fist for so long at some point you have to relax and when you relax you see the whole sky is in your hands. This has already begun in the world. Take a look at France and Germany, and in Western Europe. There were so many conflicts in the previous era but now the borders are gone. It has become one currency yet it was unthinkable in the 19th Century. So in the same way I am sure the Middle East crisis could be solved through educating people with a multicultural, multi-religious and broader spectrum of knowledge.Q:
I am a very happy woman and blessed with a lot of things, so why do I bother about being over weight?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know a man or woman cannot live without botheration. That is why I started the Art of Living, to get more botherations! So this is a good botheration, at least it will put a break on you not to take a second scoop of ice cream. You will not stretch your hand for the second piece of dessert, or second piece of apple pie. You will stop at half. It is good to have a little concern, otherwise when you grow older you may have to pay a lot of bills to the doctor. So it is better to keep a check on the weight unless you want the doctors to become rich. That is your choice!Q:
Can one do hollow and empty meditations at home as well?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
At home you don’t needto do that. Just sit and it will start happening. You give a car to the servicing garage and then you when you get the car you simply run it. It’s already ready. Everyday at home you don’t need to service it. But everyday you wash the car, so similarly you should just close your eyes and meditate.