Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
How to deal with my child asking too many questions?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Children ask questions and often they are not looking for an answer, they move on whether you answer or not. Children are not stuck in questions like adults. Adults get stuck in questions, and ask the same questions ten times; children don't care. The spirit of inquiry comes to their mind, they ask a question and move on. So, you shouldn't take it too seriously.
When Shiva is formless why do we worship the lingam?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You must understand what lingam means, lingam means identification. When a baby is born how do you know whether the baby is a boy or a girl – only through one part of the body, everything else looks the same. Just the genitals tell you ‘This is a boy or this is a girl. So similarly, to identify something which is infinite they put a stone and that itself will tell you that this is a symbol of Universal energy, the formless. So, lingam means what? An identification. Genital is also called lingam because through that you identify, but that is secondary. Simply lingam means an identification, so they used to keep a stone or a crystal and say this is to identify the inexpressible, that which is infinity.
Scientists discovered many things like all planets, distance between the Sun and Earth, etc., which are already mentioned in our Hindu scriptures. Is there a mention anywhere about black hole in our Vedas?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, there is the Nasadiya Sukta in the Vedas that says that in the beginning there was darkness covered by the darkness, and from there came water.
You know every generation has had some knowledge. The ancient knowledge that we hear today, when people went into deep meditation they simply downloaded it, it was there in the atmosphere.
See usually people think Shiva is a person, he was there some 10,000 years ago or 15,000 years ago. This is completely wrong. Shiva never walked on this planet because Shiva had no body. Shiva means energy. Shiva had no form and he never had a family and he never walked on the planet, Shiva is just energy. Shiva is a principle that is eternal, that is beyond time and that eternal principle is guiding everybody.
Shiva is the Guru since ancient times and has been teaching everyone because it is part of everyone's consciousness.
What is Shiva? It is truth, beauty and consciousness which is benevolent, which is auspicious. It is the consciousness which brings benevolence to everyone.
Shiva has been depicted in blue. Blue means sky. Unless there is a form, you can't relate to it and so the ancient people put an outline of a person in blue and called it Shiva. They put the bull as his vehicle. Bull means righteousness: when you feel righteous, when you are free from guilt, you are able to experience deep peace. Anyone who has guilt deep inside them, who is not righteous, who are thick skinned cannot experience the subtlety of the beauty that is Shiva.
Please talk about Sahasrara chakra. Why is it that Sahasrara chakra is not activated? Most of our meditations are only till second last chakra.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You know, don't go too much into the chakras, just relax, everything will happen on its own.
Gurudev, I feel jealous when I see people who were at the same level as me earlier, and are now much ahead of me, how to deal with it?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Be friendly with those who are progressing and who are happy, and have compassion for those who are unhappy. Don't be friendly with people who are complaining and negative in their mindset because if you are friendly with them you also get into that mode. So, for people who are miserable, have compassion.
If your friend is progressing why should you be jealous? Would you like your friends being jealous of your progress? Just ask this one question to yourself.
I want to tell you an incident: once a boy was very unhappy and his parents brought him to me. This boy always used to get medals in sports but this time he lost to his friend. So I asked him this simple question, “Why are you unhappy?”
He said, “I didn't get the prize”.
I asked, “Who got it”, to which he said that his friend got it. I said, “That means you are unhappy that your friend got the prize, that suddenly woke him up. “What do you want? You want your friends to be happy when you win or you want your friends to be unhappy when you win?”
He said, “I want my friends to be happy if I win the race”.
I said, “So, now that your friend has won the race why are you not happy?”
There was a sudden shift in the mindset of that boy. I'm telling you this is what is happening in this world: we don't reflect on our self and that little awareness makes it all so different. The whole scenario changes, yes.
Could you please help me prioritize the following: studies, parents, my girlfriend, my country?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
When you are a student, studies come first because if you are uneducated your girlfriend will also say goodbye to you. So, you first need to have s good foundation then you can talk about the others. So, study! if you are well-educated you will be useful to the nation as well and your parents will be happy. You are asking me too simple questions.
There are Pancha Bhoota temples around India that are dedicated to Lord Shiva, what is the significance of these temples?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are five elements that form this creation: Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether, and these five things are also called lingam because they signify or tell you that there is something beyond. The un-manifest consciousness is represented by the Earth, so the Earth is a lingam – means the Earth is an identification and a sign of the infinity. Water is the sign of infinity. You look at the mountain, the mountain tells you that there is some power. So, all the five elements remind you that there is consciousness that creates orderliness.
If you see any stone, there are patterns in the stone also and there are colors in the stones. Stones are so fascinating. There is orderliness in that and this indicates that there is consciousness. Water has life and memory, have you heard about water having memory? Google this and you can know about the many experiments that reveal that water has memory; water is alive. Water indicates super consciousness.
Similarly, fire tells you there is consciousness. Air reminds you of the divinity, of the Shiva Tattva. Similarly, space tells you there is a supreme power. So all these five elements in the planet indicate you towards something which is un-manifest because the five elements are manifest, that is why they are called lingam.
Anything that points towards something big, something that is inexpressible, something that is intangible, truth that is beyond all expressions is expressed in five elements.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, it can be gradual also! The other day, someone was telling me, “Gurudev, suddenly, I realized that I am happy all the time now, which I never was before!” A sudden realization comes that gradually you have become more and more happy. One day you find yourself saying, “I am so happy, so centered; nothing can shake me, nothing can take my smile away!” And then you are there!
Sometimes, there is a flash of lightning, and suddenly you see things, and then it disappears. Sometimes it is like when the sun rises, dawn comes first, then gradually darkness disappears, and day dawns very gradually, and that stays! So both phenomena are there. For some, it can come as an electrical transformation, for others it could be a gradual change. Sometimes you don’t even notice it, but one day, you say, “Wow! Aho!” Just like what is said in Ashtavakra, “Aho! Yes, I got it!”
Gurudev, what is the secret of the exponential growth of Art of Living world over?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The effectiveness, sincerity, beauty and utility it adds to day to day life. Anything that is authentic, impactful, and original will always bring about a transformation, and take you on a long journey.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, don’t you see that in so many people here, who are totally dispassionate, and yet full of enthusiasm? Absolutely! Children have this. When they are crying, the tears haven’t even disappeared from their cheeks, and they start smiling and laughing also. This is a perfect example of dispassion, and enthusiasm. If you don’t have dispassion, then brooding continues; you continue being unhappy. It is dispassion that helps you come to the moment, and switch gears.