Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You chop off some leaves and branches of plants. Don’t you prune rose plant? Does it die by pruning? It grows up. Same way nature brings all this from a bigger picture.
It is not always ripe fruits that fall from a coconut tree. Sometimes even small coconut drops off. Baby fishes are also swollen by big fishes in an ocean. So, these natural calamities are all part of the nature. If we exploit nature too much, more natural calamities occur. We are putting dynamites in the Earth. We are blasting it every day. Imbalance gets created and so Earth starts shaking. Sustainable development is what is needed today. We need to care for the planet.

Nature moves with the law. God means a rule, a law. Everything goes by that. This planet Earth has to be protected and cared for.
One is natural calamity. Another is man-made calamity. Man-made calamities can always be avoided. People are not valuing human life for a little piece of gold. Human values need to be brought back into society.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I did not have this problem!
What can be said in such a situation? You tell them that they are not young, so why don’t they do it. Once they do it, they will know that it is for you also. People often regret when they start meditating. You know, why do they regret? They regret thinking that why did not they do it when they were of your age.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

There is more than one reason for the same. There are different animal groups. Some are scavengers which eat dead animals. Some kill and eat fresh flesh. Some animals eat only vegetarian food. The most powerful land animal, elephant, is vegetarian. Horse, cow, Gorilla, Hippopotamus are all vegetarians.
So, you find this nature. Our system is made for vegetarian food. There are many logical and scientific explanations. People world over are turning to be vegetarian. You don’t want to make your stomach a burial land? You can change your whole diet and you will find how intelligent and genius you turn out to be. Most scientists, especially the genius ones like Einstein were also vegetarian.

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Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

All the work in life happens through intention. You had this intention in mind to come here, and then only you could come here. If something keeps on bombarding your mind and doesn’t let you sleep, then that is desire. You should not think that one should have no desire in the mind. Resolve to accomplish bigger tasks. Take on greater jobs in your hands. But you should also keep those aside at times and relax for some time.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Spirituality joins everything. Different beliefs are there like somebody may be Vaishnav, somebody may be Hindu, somebody may be Christian, but spirituality is experience. I often say, religion is like a banana peel and spirituality is the fruit inside.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Guru is not a physical entity, but Guru is embodiment of knowledge and discretion. Guru is pure consciousness. There is no difference between universal consciousness, Guru and the Self. You should also be a Guru to someone. What does it mean to be a Guru? You don’t expect anything from them, and do whatever you can to uplift them with the feeling of love. Start with the one, then two, three…..10. ‘I am for you; you don’t need to worry’ - Then you would also be able to say this for everybody.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Don’t do too much of practice. Move ahead gradually. Do only as much as needed. Do that much to which your body gets accustomed to. You should not start doing 10 hours of practice all of a sudden.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

You pray. It will happen.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

This wish has arisen in you, so take it for granted that it has already started. I don’t mind even if you do business. Anyway, you would be getting much more than you give. Live joyfully. You wouldn’t encounter any loss even if you do business.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

I do not go anywhere, I just be everywhere.