Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
We do everything for appreciation from people. How to get rid of the craving for appreciation from others?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
First start doubting the appreciation. Are they genuinely appreciating or trying to fish something out of you? When you doubt the appreciation then you will lose the craving for other’s appreciation.Q:
If the goal of every soul is moksha (liberation), can one be thankful towards the parents who were responsible for bringing one back into the circle of life and death?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You have to thank your parents as they gave you an opportunity to come into this beautiful world. Moksha is possible only in this world.Q:
With regard to accepting people as they are, I find it very hard to accept the people who are insincere towards their work, especially those who report to me.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Very good. Don’t accept them as they are. Take strict action and handle them skillfully.People don’t change overnight, yet people do change. Nobody will remain the same as far as imperfections are concerned. Perfection remains the same. Truth is always one, lies can be many.
Q:
What is the place of spirituality in life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you want to watch television what would you choose - to see or hear first? Both simultaneously. Similarly, the spiritual path brings energy, enthusiasm, creativity and calmness in your life. They are absolutely essential. That is like body and mind, both go together.Life is a combination of ethereal and spiritual. Something not tangible and something very tangible, the body.
Q:
How would you describe the Art of Living organization? Is it philanthropic, spiritual or humanitarian?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
All in one. It is everything - philanthropy, social, and spiritual. We discuss knowledge, do service activities, sing together and do interfaith dialogue and feel that we are one world family.Q:
If we are all God, then why do we have so many Gods and Goddesses?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The sun’s light is one, yet when it goes through a prism, seven colors come up. All gods and goddesses are part of one truth. One Supreme Self is referred to as Devi, Shiva, Ganesh, Kartikaya. Lord Krishna says rudranam shankaraschasmi, of rudras, I am Shankara. I am the moon, the sun, I am Shiva, I am the Ganges river, I am everything.Q:
What is jeevan mukta awastha, the state of liberation from life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
A state where the four desires- jeeveshna, lokeshna, vitteshna and putreshna end or dissolve. That is jeevan mukta awastha. Dying while alive, experiencing that I am not there. The enjoyment and happiness in this state cannot be put in words.Q:
I want to quit addiction to intoxicants and have come to you with a lot of hope.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Good. You have come to the right place. If you wish to get rid of a bad habit then there are only three ways for it.The first is your love for knowledge, the Divine or some dear one - whether parents or Guru. By promising some dear one that you will quit the habit you will be able to get rid of it. This is the best way out.
The second way is greed. If you will not consume intoxicants for six months then you will get ten million rupees or that your luck will shine and you will succeed in everything. The third is fear - if one day you do consume intoxicants, then you will suffer a loss of one million or you will have to suffer from a major ailment.
If such a greed or fear enters you, even then you will be rid of your addiction.
Along with these three ways, do yoga and pranayama. The best is that along with yoga and sadhana (spiritual practices), you take a vow that you will not indulge in addictions. Take a vow for forty days, then six months and then a year. After that, you would have come out of the habit and won’t look back at it.
Q:
How to maintain consistency in whatever good work one does?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
After this (inconsistency) happens sometimes, then you get the answer as well. You come to realize that this should be done and it feels good to do it.You did something good and then left it. Leaving it gave you a pinch. Then you resumed it and then left it again. Two, three times when you feel the pinch, you understand that it (the good) should not be stopped. If we do not learn from our mistakes, we will never learn from someone telling us. Your own mistake can teach you more than listening to lectures for hours. What you learn from your mistake is permanent, the rest is just what you have heard.
So it is alright if you make a mistake, but do not keep on repeating the same mistake again and again. Then you have not learnt anything! Make new mistakes but don’t repeat the old ones. Learn from it and move on.
Q:
Please explain how is it possible for me to give my hundred percent and yet not be feverish?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You forget about feverishness now and just give your hundred percent.