Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How to conquer the five senses? Can you explain in one sentence?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When you have sunlight and a candle, then the candle becomes insignificant. Likewise, other things become insignificant.Q:
When do we know that we are made up of love?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Love cannot be known or understood. It can be felt only. The child doesn’t ask his mother – ‘What is your qualification, what do you do? Who are your friends? Tell me, then I'll love you’. Just like our body is made up of carbohydrates and amino acids, we are made up of this substance called love. Anger, greed, jealousy are all just distortions of love.Q:
Allopathy has no cure for cancer or tuberculosis. Can Ayurveda or Siddha cure them?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Most definitely. You know, the Siddha system is only available in Tamil Nadu. Ayurveda is available all over India.Q:
Why don’t we start an exclusive Art of living TV channel to spread the knowledge of the Art of living?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Why should it be restricted only to one channel? It should be on all channels (laughs). However if you want to start one, you have my encouragement. The channel should not just be meditation or music alone. It should be spiritual knowledge with knowledge on what’s happening in world.One final thing – Whenever you have any worries, you can just post or courier them to me. Do something useful to everybody and if you do that, then everything else is taken care of.
Q:
How does one achieve strength (Shakti) and devotion (Bhakti)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
With rest - you achieve devotion. When you put in effort along with rest you get power or strength. Effort and prayer, both, go together. Either is incomplete without the other. For completion of any task both are required.Normally women only pray and men only put in effort but both should do both.
Q:
I have never been successful in life. I consider myself to be a load on my parents’ shoulders.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Drop your laziness and don’t be too choosy. Whatever work you get, take it up and do it. Do not think it is beneath your dignity. Do not think you are not successful. Every work is attached with honor and dignity.Q:
During meditation, the mind wanders to so many places. Once you said, “Let the mind go wherever it wants to”. Does that mean me and my mind are two different entities? If yes, then what is the mind and who am I?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When you try to keep hold of your mind, it runs here and there. When you become aware of the wandering mind, then you realize you are bigger than the mind. When you find you are not this mind, not this body, not anything else, whatever remains is the Self. Knowing your Self, recognize the Supreme Self. Then you find you are everything. You are the mind, the thoughts, you are the whole world. But that happens at the second level. When you know your Self, you know the Divine. Sarvam Kalvidam Brahma – Everything is One Divinity. Knowing this, become established in this knowledge.Q:
What is a soul mate?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
First you meet your soul, then you can find out about soul mate.Q:
Guruji what qualities should we look for when we choose our life partner?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Well, (smiling) I don’t have the experience! Ask those who have the experience. And you can take more help from the matrimony department!You know why they say that marriages are made in heaven? It is because the choice is already made for you. You just have to take it and move on. You are free from choices. Move on with what you have on your plate.
You know the best thing is that you don’t focus on the drawbacks. Focus on the positive. In a relationship if both the people have their focus on spirituality then they will move ahead together like parallel lines move, without clashing, to infinity. The moment they will shift their focus and focus on each other, there will be clashes. So it is very important that both are on the spiritual path.
Q:
Guruji, what is the secret of this place?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
smiling): The secret is here (pointing to his heart).