Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Gurudev, as a child I was full of wonder. How do I rekindle that sense of wonder again in my life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Just be in the moment, feel fresh and alive. See the entire past as a dream and doubt whether the present is real, it could also just be a dream. Then you are in wonder!
Gurudev, what is the difference between a Vidyarthi (student), Shishya (disciple) and a Bhakta (devotee)?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
A student only wants to learn something and go. A disciple is a step ahead and makes a bond with the teacher and remains connected with his mind and heart. And a devotee is someone who controls (laughter). A devotee makes God his servant. When a seeker unites with the divine, he is a devotee, when he serves, he is a disciple, and when he wants to learn something and go, he is a student.
Dear Gurudev, can you please speak about the connection between sexuality and spirituality.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Sex is the origin from where everything is born. In the Orient, it is honored as divine. Sexuality is in the second chakra, and then you move upward to the other chakras. So it is just part of the process.
Spirituality does not disown anything or disassociate with anything. Spirituality encompasses all aspects of life. In fact, spirituality uplifts one from sex to higher consciousness.
Sex is being attracted to a part of the body and getting some stimulation from it. The goal of sex is to find joy, and not sex itself. It is to get into the moment, forget about everything and find joy, and spirituality provides that joy, which is not gotten through some act, but beyond the senses.
In the Bhagavad Gita, there is a saying, “Buddhi grahyam atindriyam”, it is the joy that can be grasped by the intellect, but is acquired from beyond the senses, and that is the bliss of the self. For example, when you meet a dear one after a long time, or even when you think of them, something happens inside you. You feel a deep sense of love. It is not associated with touch or smell, or any of the physical attributes; the senses are not involved. The thought or a feeling rekindles something very deep inside and you feel very happy and joyful. Nothing else and no other sensory pleasure can give you this joy. It is said that one moment of Samadhi (a state of deep meditation) is a 1000 times more joyful than the joy you might get from sex. It is so much more!
Gurudev, it is said, "Sa tu dīrgha-kāla-nairantarya-satkārāsevito dṛḍha-bhῡmiḥ". What is the exact period of dīrgha-kāla for me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Dīrgha-kāla means don’t be in a hurry. It is said that one should not be in a hurry. That is why, the moment you say, "I am going to continue doing this for a long time", your anxiousness to finish it and get the result of it is gone.
Satkārāsevito means doing something with honor, respect and dignity, and not just doing it for the sake of it. People sometimes whine and wail while doing things, that is not satkārāsevito.
Dṛḍha-bhῡmiḥ means becoming stronger -- so when you do something without being in a hurry, with honor and respect, then that action becomes stronger and you become stronger.
You have to keep doing it till you feel there is no need to do it anymore.
Which was the first language and how did all languages begin? Tell us the story of languages Gurudev.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Go to google and search. Do you know, there are also so many linguistic socities! They will also tell you, but you don’t have to believe all their theories as gospel truth. What we do know is that Sanskrit is the mother of all Indian languages, and in fact English also has its roots in Sanskrit. Today, in England and Germany, there are many schools and Universities that are teaching Sanskrit to children.
Which language came first, is not important. Whatever language you want to learn, you should learn. But there is something beyond languages, learn that. Non verbal communication. Your vibes convey what you really want to convey. You can communicate from your sixth sense. The intuition process that our kids are doing is amazing knowledge. They can sit here and tell you what is happening in the next room. They have this ability. So move onto the non verbal communication level. That is real meditation.
On my spiritual journey, I realize that nothing matters. This knowledge has put me into a state of utter inaction. How to get out of it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You want to get out of it, so you are already one step out of it. That is why from time to time we organise these big festivals, for you to get out and be there as a volunteer, then you cannot slip into laziness, depression and so on. When you work in groups, your skills develop, your awareness gets heightened and your patience increases because you find all types of people in a team. They push all your buttons, and you finally get into a position where you feel centered.
If everything goes well and you keep a smile, what is so great about that. Any fool can do that. If you are a wise person you should be able to smile even when things are not okay. Everything comes through knowledge, and knowledge comes through seva and team work. Working in teams will definitely help.
Before being born in the human form, what other forms of birth does one have to go through?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is after 84,00,000 births that one is born in the human form. Why look behind, into the past? Look into the mirror. If you find that you resemble a monkey, then it could be a past monkey birth of yours. Or if you find yourself like a horse or a donkey, then maybe you went through those births. You could have been any animal.
I remember, once one of our teachers in school told a boy he was an ass. So I said, "Sir, he isn't just an ass but a complete zoo". Each individual has an element of all beings. All the creatures are there in oneself, the parrot, crow, owl, peacock, everything.
It does not matter what forms of birth you may have taken, now that you are in the human form, live in bliss. And when you are on your deathbed, please don't think of these creatures, the chicken for instance. You might just end up in the poultry farm in your next birth (laughter). If you think of an egg, that's what you will find yourself as.
Why do people betray? What should we do if we are betrayed?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
They don't know that they are doing it. People are not so cautious or committed; they are swayed by their mind. Don't find intention behind their mistakes, be compassionate.
The mind is such, there are so many temptations that come to the minds of people and they go where they want to go. They are not in control, so don't expect enlightened behavior from them. All that you can do is wish that they meditate, be good human beings, and focus on transforming these human beings with commitment and compassion.
Some vegetables such as onion and garlic are considered tamasic, but western doctors recommend these for their dietary benefits.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
That is good. Even in Ayurveda it is said that if you have cholesterol problem you can have onion or garlic, but not as everyday food. Sometimes you can take them for its medicinal value.
If someone goes deep into meditation and they can't come out they are given some onion and garlic, and they immediately come out of meditation. Garlic and onion have the effect of bringing the prana down. It makes you feel a little heavy and grounded sometimes. So for people who are meditating, it is not advised to have onion and garlic every day. Once in a while you can have it.
Is one lifetime enough to clean all our Karma?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes! If a room is locked for 20 years, it does not take 20 years clean the room and bring light there.