Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

There are two things to understand for answering this question. One is, it depends on what age you are when you ask this question. I have different answers for different age groups (laughter). If you are a teenager asking this question, I would say that you should not worry, it is natural.
If this feeling continues to be with you even after you have crossed 40 or 50 years of age, then I would say that you should watch your food and do some pranayama regularly. There is something not quite right if this feeling continues after a ripe age.
If this feeling comes even after you are 70, I would say you really need some treatment. It means there is a big disconnect between the body and mind.

Lust means wanting something, wanting to grab or possess something, and it comes because you have lost the tendency to give, the tendency to love. When love is low then lust becomes higher, but when love is higher, then lust diminishes. Love is to have this sincere feeling 'I am here for you. Lust is the feeling 'What can I get from you?'

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

See, life is a combination of both destiny and free will. I know this question is in the minds of many of you. How many of you here were thinking about this very question? Raise your hands (many in the audience raise hands in agreement). Ah, see! I was getting all your vibes.

Life is not only destiny, and life is not only free will. If anyone thinks that life is just free will, then know that they are not sincere. It is not all free will and neither is it all destiny. An intelligent person will always see the past as destiny, and the future as free will. If you think that the past was about free will, then you will only sit and regret in the present. And if you think that the future is all destiny then you will have no enthusiasm to do anything in the present. So fools think that the past was free will and the future is destiny, and get depressed and become unhappy..

Someone once asked me, “Did you become a Guru by choice or by accident?”
I said, “By accident!” -- so that is the destiny. Knowing that the past is destiny, the future is free will, you should live happily in the present moment. This is wisdom.

A strong body can carry a weak mind, but a weak mind cannot carry even a strong body. Clarity in the mind and purity in the heart are the signs of happiness. Having these will uplift your spirit, and it has not left anyone untouched.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Be a good follower first. If you have to be a better teacher, you have to be a good student first. If you wish to be a good businessman, you need to learn to be a good customer first. Then you will know what a customer needs, and how a customer should be treated.

Also, a good leader never imposes his leadership. He should always keep in mind that he is just facilitating. A good leader stands behind and lets everyone else go forward. A leader is one who leads from the back.

There are two types of leaders:
1. Those who walk at the front and have others follow behind them.
2. Those who are the first to open the doors and let everyone else walk forward, and they go last.
I would say the second one is better. They are more compassionate. Such a leader would know that everyone has arrived and walked ahead. Otherwise if you as a leader are walking right at the front, how would you know whether people are coming behind you or not. Some people may have dropped out while walking behind you. So as a leader, should stand back and see to it that everyone moves forward.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

See, life is a combination of both destiny and free will. I know this question is in the minds of many of you. How many of you here were thinking about this very question? Raise your hands (many in the audience raise hands in agreement). Ah, see! I was getting all your vibes.

Life is not only destiny, and life is not only free will. If anyone thinks that life is just free will, then know that they are not sincere. It is not all free will and neither is it all destiny. An intelligent person will always see the past as destiny, and the future as free will. If you think that the past was about free will, then you will only sit and regret in the present. And if you think that the future is all destiny then you will have no enthusiasm to do anything in the present. So fools think that the past was free will and the future is destiny, and get depressed and become unhappy

.

Someone once asked me, “Did you become a Guru by choice or by accident?”
I said, “By accident!” -- so that is the destiny. Knowing that the past is destiny, the future is free will, you should live happily in the present moment. This is wisdom.

A strong body can carry a weak mind, but a weak mind cannot carry even a strong body. Clarity in the mind and purity in the heart are the signs of happiness. Having these will uplift your spirit, and it has not left anyone untouched.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

See, life is a combination of both destiny and free will. I know this question is in the minds of many of you. How many of you here were thinking about this very question? Raise your hands (many in the audience raise hands in agreement). Ah, see! I was getting all your vibes.

Life is not only destiny, and life is not only free will. If anyone thinks that life is just free will, then know that they are not sincere. It is not all free will and neither is it all destiny. An intelligent person will always see the past as destiny, and the future as free will. If you think that the past was about free will, then you will only sit and regret in the present. And if you think that the future is all destiny then you will have no enthusiasm to do anything in the present. So fools think that the past was free will and the future is destiny, and get depressed and become unhappy

.

Someone once asked me, “Did you become a Guru by choice or by accident?”
I said, “By accident!” -- so that is the destiny. Knowing that the past is destiny, the future is free will, you should live happily in the present moment. This is wisdom.

A strong body can carry a weak mind, but a weak mind cannot carry even a strong body. Clarity in the mind and purity in the heart are the signs of happiness. Having these will uplift your spirit, and it has not left anyone untouched.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

What do you mean by another chance? Are you asking for another chance to not listen and regret yet again? It is alright, never mind. One mistake happened, it is okay. Now move ahead. I have infinite patience. You can fall down ten times, but at least at the eleventh time, stand up and walk ahead. Run!

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Yes, you have stated your problem and its diagnosis also. When there is loneliness in life, when you feel life has no juice or enthusiasm, when you feel there is nobody to love or to express your feelings to, then in times like this you should first of all love yourself, and love the Divine in you. Know it for sure that the entire universe loves you very dearly. This wisdom can elevate you to a different pedestal altogether, at which you no longer come from a space of lack or demand for a relationship. You then come from a space where you sincerely wish to contribute to others. You have to become self-reliant in your emotions. And that is possible through deep meditation alone.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Be a good follower first. If you have to be a better teacher, you have to be a good student first. If you wish to be a good businessman, you need to learn to be a good customer first. Then you will know what a customer needs, and how a customer should be treated.

Also, a good leader never imposes his leadership. He should always keep in mind that he is just facilitating. A good leader stands behind and lets everyone else go forward. A leader is one who leads from the back.

There are two types of leaders:
1. Those who walk at the front and have others follow behind them.
2. Those who are the first to open the doors and let everyone else walk forward, and they go last.
I would say the second one is better. They are more compassionate. Such a leader would know that everyone has arrived and walked ahead. Otherwise if you as a leader are walking right at the front, how would you know whether people are coming behind you or not. Some people may have dropped out while walking behind you. So as a leader, should stand back and see to it that everyone moves forward.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Be a good follower first. If you have to be a better teacher, you have to be a good student first. If you wish to be a good businessman, you need to learn to be a good customer first. Then you will know what a customer needs, and how a customer should be treated.

Also, a good leader never imposes his leadership. He should always keep in mind that he is just facilitating. A good leader stands behind and lets everyone else go forward. A leader is one who leads from the back.

There are two types of leaders:
1. Those who walk at the front and have others follow behind them.
2. Those who are the first to open the doors and let everyone else walk forward, and they go last.
I would say the second one is better. They are more compassionate. Such a leader would know that everyone has arrived and walked ahead. Otherwise if you as a leader are walking right at the front, how would you know whether people are coming behind you or not. Some people may have dropped out while walking behind you. So as a leader, should stand back and see to it that everyone moves forward.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

The drought could be because we have not taken proper care of the rivers there. We need to attend to the needs of the farmers there and also take care of the environment at all times.When we neglect the environment then there are natural disasters.

Just see, there never used to be any floods in Chennai. But this year there has been so much flooding in Chennai. There was so much damage to people and property because of the floods. I do not think that drought can be a regular feature in Chhattisgarh. Even though there are so many forests it is surprising that there was a drought in Chhattisgarh. These natural calamities happen when the balance in nature gets upset, and that upsets the divine elements. That is why we must have Rudrabhishekam, satsang and sadhana at all places. These practices appeal even to Mother Nature and create more harmony in the environment. Then you will not face such kinds of natural disasters. So encourage satsangs to happen in every village. You can organize a satsang every Thursday or every Sunday. Whichever be the day, you must ensure that the entire village comes together and everyone should sing and do Kirtana (singing devotional hymns). Usually people waste their time on Sundays by watching movies, etc.

Also, the farmers there whose lands are fertile should stay in regular touch with the Ayurveda and Rural trust here in the Ashram. The trust will help to procure the yield from their farms and get appropriate prices. We can also arrange for marketing these food grains. We can engage our Ayurveda trust more deeply in these matters.

There are so many valuable medicinal herbs and plants in Chhattisgarh. Often we buy or procure these herbs from other places. I would suggest that whatever medicinal herbs are required can be obtained through our own devotees. So Chhattisgarh can become a very good supplier of these herbs for Ayurveda, and this will help uplift the financial situation of the people as well.

I would urge you all to visit each and every village and help change the environment there. Through us, there should be a wave of devotion, enthusiasm and happiness in every village.
I would say you should work towards making each village an ideal village so that there are no disputes or court cases there. I would ask all our Art of Living teachers to be there in the villages and administer these disputes. There is no need for the people in the villages to unnecessarily take the trouble to go to the district court, or high court, etc. Let them resolve the problems among each other.

What kinds of disputes usually happen in villages? One is land disputes. Then there are disputes over inheritance of paternal or ancestral property. Another kind is the quarrels between husband and wife, although usually these are very few in the villages. Whenever such kinds of disputes arise, then the people should sit together and resolve it rather than keep visiting the courts and paying money for the legal disputes. You can solve the problem right at its source then and there itself. Will you all work for this? We should all work for uplifting each and every village in this way so that there are no court cases or legal disputes in the villages.

Then each village becomes an ideal village. Also, when there is no person below the poverty line in the village, then also the village becomes an ideal village. No person should be unemployed, and every family in the village should be above the poverty line. This is what we should all work for together.

I saw the Hygiene and sanitation drive that you all conducted in many villages and the progress has been very good. So many people are working to promote Organic Farming, and also conserve water resources. Rivers are flowing freely and the water has become so clean and pure because of all this. Another important thing in villages is that the drainage lines and sewage system should be clean and proper. Then the dirt and waste will never accumulate anywhere, otherwise we often find it lying on the streets.

Along with this, we should also see to it that there is purity within our hearts and that our body is healthy. For keeping our body healthy we have Ayurveda. And for purity of mind we have knowledge, so listen to knowledge regularly. Do more Pranayama and meditate regularly.