Question: Patience is difficult in today’s “microwave mentality.” How can we work on being patient?
Gurudev: The more restless you are, the more impatient you become. Patience is directly linked to restlessness. To manage restlessness, engage in practices like running, stretching, meditating, breathing – all these calm the system. Anxiety about the future increases restlessness. People who do creative or scientific work naturally develop patience; you cannot hurry creativity. Another excellent practice is working with children who are mentally or physically challenged – it builds patience. Just like you must wait for a seed to sprout, patience takes time. Music, art, and meditation help cultivate a calm, dynamic patience.
Question: Why do people say it’s fine to have a meditative practice, but not to tell others to get one – that they should find it on their own? Do you believe that?
Gurudev: Joy has not left anyone’s life untouched. Whenever people are ecstatic and joyful, they get a glimpse of transcendence – a moment when the chattering of the mind stops. But they don’t know how to have that experience repeatedly. Meditation techniques help people access that experience at will – peace, tranquillity, serenity – which everyone longs for. We need to learn techniques that calm the mind.
If you observe a baby – I always say babies are the best yoga teachers – children from three months to three years naturally do all the yoga postures and breathing exercises. Yoga was developed by watching nature. It emerged from consciousness. It is universal. Yoga sharpens observation, improves perception, and brings many benefits. Science has now done abundant research and reached the same conclusion.
Art is an appreciation of what is. The way flowers are arranged, the arrangement of stones, even thorns – appreciating nature is art. Existence itself is an art. To appreciate art, you need inner calm. Every tradition – Christian, Buddhist, Hindu – honours contemplative silence.
In quietness, the stress of life fades, giving access to the inner core. That inner core is the source of all creativity – in art, science, and literature. The password to creativity is relaxation.
Just as a seed takes time to sprout, patience cannot be rushed. It grows through calmness, creativity, and awareness.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Ji
