2 Sep 2011
How to get rid of feverishness that comes with responsibility?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
(Guruji takes a deep breath in and breaths out with a smile).
How does free will and destiny co-exist in our life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
They always co-exist. Raining is destiny; to get wet or not is free will. If you want to get wet stand outside. If you don’t want to get wet take an umbrella and walk.
What is the best seva I can do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Any seva is the best seva if it is done with 100% attention. Seva is doing what is needed to be done at that moment.
Right now somebody is in dire need of a glass of water. You may say giving a glass of water is not a big seva, instead let me build a house for them. Right now he is dying out of thirst; he needs a glass of water. That is the best seva you can do.
Right now somebody is in dire need of a glass of water. You may say giving a glass of water is not a big seva, instead let me build a house for them. Right now he is dying out of thirst; he needs a glass of water. That is the best seva you can do.
When God is one then why do we need to worship so many God and Goddesses?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You don’t need to; it is not a compulsion to worship so many God and Goddesses. It is the One God that you worship in so many forms.
One ray of light has so many colors. There are seven colors in one ray of light. In the same way, the same Parambrahma is worshiped at times as Ganesha, at times as Devi, at times as some other form.
What do you think about Reiki?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Reiki is just a name for bio-energy being given.
If you do pranayam and meditation, all that energy is already with you, you can bless anybody. You don’t have to do anything else.
If you do pranayam and meditation, all that energy is already with you, you can bless anybody. You don’t have to do anything else.
Why does one need an external stimulus to invoke the pleasure or happiness which is present within?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
As long as you don’t know how to invoke the inner happiness you need external things.
Dear Guruji, I love you so much. Are you able to know my longing or am I only one of the thousands of your devotees?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Everyone is unique, don't compare yourself with others. Don't think Guruji looks at that person, he shook hands with that person and he patted that person on the cheek and he didn't look at me. Drop all these sort of small mind complaints.
Just relax, close your eyes and dissolve. There is no two, there is only One.
Just relax, close your eyes and dissolve. There is no two, there is only One.
How do I love my soul mate without getting entangled and attached?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Just be more centered. I know it is difficult but you have to put some effort.
You have said to learn from past experiences, I had a relationship failure in the past, how do I learn from that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
See all the mistakes that you have made. In the name of love sometimes you show so much emotion that it suffocates the other person and they feel like running away. You should be centered.
Sometimes people cannot handle too much expression of love if they are not centered themselves.
When someone’s extreme anger affects you in your everyday life, how to choose between your self-respect and forgiveness?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Through prayer. During meditation take your mind inward, observe your inner sensations.
If they are angry, it is their problem. If you recognize their anger it becomes your problem. You expecting them to calm down is a little tough. So just bless that person that he should be calm.
If they are angry, it is their problem. If you recognize their anger it becomes your problem. You expecting them to calm down is a little tough. So just bless that person that he should be calm.
What is the ultimate aim of the life of a human being?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Do you really want the ultimate in life?
(Answer – No)
Not yet, right! Now your need are for little things. You want a job, you want a family, and you want to have children. Do all that and then the ultimate will also come.
Don’t just ask for the ultimate when the desires for small things have filled your mind. First finish all these small things, get fulfilled and then.
Don’t just ask for the ultimate when the desires for small things have filled your mind. First finish all these small things, get fulfilled and then.
What is the difference between spirituality and morality? It is possible to practice spirituality without practicing religious rituals.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, spirituality is beyond religious rituals.
Morality is not doing to other what you don’t want others to do to you.
You don’t want your daughter or son to go on a wrong path, but if you propel other kids to go on a wrong path then that is not morality. You don’t want anybody to steal your things but when you are stealing from others that is not morality.
You don’t want your daughter or son to go on a wrong path, but if you propel other kids to go on a wrong path then that is not morality. You don’t want anybody to steal your things but when you are stealing from others that is not morality.
When a person expires, the body merges with the earth. What do the other levels of existence merge with?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The other levels of existence get together as an impression, as a balloon and remains with the spirit for some time. Then it looks for another body to into and be released from those impressions.
What should a person do to become the best in his profession?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
To excel in your profession balance your life.
Meditate every day, sleep well, and in the morning do pranayam and meditation and go to work with a fresh mind.
Don’t watch too many movies and not more than one hour of television per day. A movie a week should be enough. This is because when our mind is bombarded with so many impressions, it loses its creative abilities and becomes uncreative.
Spend one hour with people. Spend time with somebody whom you do not know.
Meditate every day, sleep well, and in the morning do pranayam and meditation and go to work with a fresh mind.
Don’t watch too many movies and not more than one hour of television per day. A movie a week should be enough. This is because when our mind is bombarded with so many impressions, it loses its creative abilities and becomes uncreative.
Spend one hour with people. Spend time with somebody whom you do not know.
Jai Gurudev, as a mother and teacher how do I guide the younger generation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
First be a teacher and then a mother. Be a teacher for your children and for the friends of your children. If you attend to the whole group of your children’s friends then you will be an effective mother as well.
Jai Gurudev, I want to know how much effect do planetary movements have on the life of an individual.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It has an effect to some extent. But you have something deep inside you which is even more powerful. If the energy inside you wakes up it can change the impact of these movements too.
There is a lot of longing and pain when ego is there and because of that one takes refuge in sadhana. When ego dissolves and love blossoms, there is very high energy but the small mind is not able to take that high infinity and again there is a lot of pain.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That is why you have to go step by step.
Don’t be in a hurry to do it all in one day and get enlightened. You have to go slowly.
Do only as much as your body can take.
Don’t be in a hurry to do it all in one day and get enlightened. You have to go slowly.
Do only as much as your body can take.
Gurudev, please throw light upon the law of attraction.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
As you sow so shall you reap. Whatever you have inside, you attract similar things towards you. If you have a lack in the realm of the mind that is what happens.
Like attracts like on the subtle level whereas in the gross the opposites attract.
Like attracts like on the subtle level whereas in the gross the opposites attract.
Gurudev, please explain the following couplet written by Ghalib: ‘Jab teri razaa ke bagair patta tak nahin hilta hai, tu hi bataa aye khuda main gunaahgaar kaise hua?’ (When without your will, even a leaf does not flutter in the breeze, you explain to me, Oh God, how I became a sinner?)
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When I am doing everything, I am experiencing everything, how did you get into the picture?
Science says that the sun is a planet. Then in the Mahabharata how did the sun father a son called Karna. Please shed light on this.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The son of the sun does not imply he was fathered by the planet sun. He was born out of the sun mantra chanted in prayer. The sun God resides in the form of a mantra within us. So Kunti chanted the Surya mantra and bore Karna as a blessing.
Gurudev, I used to lose my temper so easily. But now it has stopped altogether. When my work does not get done, I do not react but when I get back home I look at your picture and get upset at you.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Doesn’t matter. You are expressing your frustration in the right place and to the right person. That is a safe place; so safe that it won’t bounce back.
Gurudev, people say that love is the union of two hearts. Then why is there a need for marriage? Is it to please society?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Once two hearts unite in love, they don’t want to stay apart and that is called marriage. When they live together, they multiply into three, four or five hearts! Those three, four or five hearts need the two hearts; hence the institution of marriage came into being.
What is a living being and what is a soul?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The living being is a wave, the soul is the ocean.
‘Eeshvar ansh jeev avinaashi’, the living being is a part of God.
