Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
What is the difference between Guru, God and the soul?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Guru is knowledge, Guru is love. Guru is light,There is no difference between Guru, God and the Soul.
Q:
Why do you want to help everybody?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Will you ask the sun, why do you shine? If you ask a tree why do you flower, what will it say? It is simply its nature. I only do what is in my nature. Helping others, manushyatva(humanity) is our swabhav (nature). We have to move from a lack consciousness (abhav) and the influences of external factors (prabhav) to our swabhav (nature).Q:
Are you afraid of darkness and evil?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, because I’m connected with the light.n
Q:
How does the Divine look so lovable and beautiful?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Look within yourself, you are no less!Jaisa drishti, waisa srithti. Jaisa nazar waisa nazaare, nazariya. As is the vision, so is the world. Only a jeweler can know a jewel. Only the one who is beautiful can recognize beauty. Only those who are lovable will recognize love not everyone. But everyone has the capacity. If everyone recognizes what is within (the love and beauty) then the whole world seems Satyam, Shivam Sundaram. In the whole world the blissful consciousness will be seen.
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:
Guruji in your weekly knowledge you have said never to have an ambition. Will you please comment on that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
I haven’t said like that. Be ambitious but don’t be over ambitious.Q:
Can you please talk about farmer suicide and genetically transformed food?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Farmer suicide is a very big problem in developing countries. Some of the companies, which are producing genetically transformed food are buying original seeds from poor farmers and burning them. Some people out of greed join in hands with them. What is most needed today is educating the illiterate farmers. Art of Living has worked in 520 villages where farmers are given proper education. Now all these villages where volunteers have worked, and educated people, suicide has completely stopped. But there is still a lot more to be done. We need to work a lot more.Q:
How to live without expectations?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you know that joy from expectations is lesser than unexpected joy, that is sufficient. You need not try to achieve this, it happens effortlessly.Q:
My father is an astrologer. Whatever he says comes true. He told me that I will get mental disorders after six years. I’m scared. Please help me.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Remind your father that there is upaya (remedy) also. There is no astrology without upaya. The mal-effects of astrology can be countered with upaya. The remedy is meditation and satsang. Sit and chant: Om Namo Shivaya. It takes care of all the mal-effects. All the five elements and the whole life force is present in Om Namo Shivaya. Don’t worry about it. On this path, you should drop those concerns and worries.Q:
The days, I don’t do my spiritual practices, I ask God for forgiveness. Is it okay?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, yes. Do only as much as you can do. In the Bhagvad Gita, Lord Krishna says to Arjuna: “Practice as much as possible, and if you can’t, then do my work. If you can’t do that, then feel that you are one with Me. Then drop the fruits of your actions, and relax.”