Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
Is every partner also the same? Does soul mate exist?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
First you meet your soul and then rest will follow. If you meet your soul, many will come and claim that they are your soul mates. Then you chose one of them.Q:
What is spirituality?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are both matter and spirit. Are you only matter? Your body is made up of matter – carbohydrates, minerals, amino acids etc. Your spirit is made up of joy, peace, enthusiasm, intelligence and other distortions like anger.Anything which enhances the spirit is spirituality.
Anything that brings energy in you is spirituality.
Anything that makes you intelligent is spirituality.
Anything that uplifts life force in you is spirituality.
Anything that brings care and compassion is spirituality.
Anything that connects you with the universal spirit is spirituality.
Q:
I wish to spend some time with you, sit with you and talk. I want to travel with you. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Fulfill those desires which you can fulfill, and surrender those which you can surrender. Fulfillment of any desire requires effort and time. When you surrender, your desires automatically get fulfilled. Some desires are fulfilled after desiring for long time. And some are not fulfilled even then. Sometimes you find it good later on that some of your desires were not fulfilled. Have this faith that Divine knows what is best for you. Neither criticize desires nor get swayed with the desires. Is it ok? This is the middle path. As you become more aware, everything else automatically starts becoming peaceful.Q:
What do we mean by being a Yogi?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yogi means being like a child again. Same is what Ashtavakra is saying: No craving, no aversion, no attachment can cover self knowledge.Q:
How to be consistent?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Your mind gets focused with love. Greed and fear also focus your mind. I prefer love over other two.Q:
Saints say that suicide is a crime. Then what is jeev Samadhi?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, suicide is wrong. Some saints take jeev Samadhi. They can effortlessly separate their mind and soul, and continue to live like that for 20 years or so. Saint Gyaneshwar and some other very great saints did that in the past. I am not in favor for it.One commits suicide out of sorrow, and tries to destroy the body. One tries to commit such a thing burdened with the sorrow, and in search of happiness. But committing suicide is like you removing your coat when you are feeling cold. There is only repentance after suicide, and one keeps on struggling to get a new body. Don’t try to finish this body, and also don’t hold on to it very strongly.
Q:
How does one get rid of lust in the mind?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you suppress lust totally, you won’t be able to rise high. Also if you indulge too much in it, then also it is not going to work. Adopt the middle path. You can progress on the path being a family man. Neither you should force celibacy on you nor should you indulge too much in it. If you see the faces of people who visit these night clubs, you will not find even a glimpse of happiness on their faces. It is like sadness and heaviness are dropping out from their faces.Q:
Money cannot bring us happiness – this knowledge happens after accumulating money or before it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you are intelligent, it happens before. And if you are little less intelligent, then it happens afterward. An intelligent person also learns from others’ experiences. But this realization is only authentic if you can experience someone’s experience as your own. It doesn’t carry any value if a beggar says that he has abandoned everything. How can a beggar abandon anything? He has not earned anything at the first place. Also there are some people who do not understand this even after accumulating a lot of money. But this doesn’t mean that you should not earn money. If you are too feverish for money thinking that only it can bring you happiness, then either earn money and see yourself, or learn from others’ experience.Next part of the conversation with Sri Sri in the next post:
Q:
What is the difference between Ashtavakra Geeta and Bhagwad Geeta?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
One was sung in a royal palace and other in a battle field. You yourself see now what the difference is. It is like a song having different tunes. Both have their own value. When life seems to be a battle, Bhagwad Geeta will give you solace, and then Ashtavakra Geeta.Q:
Will I have more experiences?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Experience happens on its own, but don’t hanker for experiences.