6 Dec 2011
Gurudev, what to do if I feels strong temptation for something. How to get over it the moment it arises?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is like learning archery in the war field.
When temptation arises at that moment there is nothing you can do because whatever you think, you will be swayed by your emotions. Emotions are much more powerful than your thought process. But still when you strongly feel this is no good, I should resist this, that itself will bring a break.
It is like driving a car that has breaks, anytime you want you can put the break. That will power one needs to develop. For that prelude is broadening your awareness. Then definitely the temptations become smaller and then disappear.
When temptation arises at that moment there is nothing you can do because whatever you think, you will be swayed by your emotions. Emotions are much more powerful than your thought process. But still when you strongly feel this is no good, I should resist this, that itself will bring a break.
It is like driving a car that has breaks, anytime you want you can put the break. That will power one needs to develop. For that prelude is broadening your awareness. Then definitely the temptations become smaller and then disappear.
Gurudev, How can I make myself so strong that the misbehavior of other people do not affect me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
First of all don’t think you are weak. Thinking you are weak is the problem.
Turn back and see in the past how weak you were and how much stronger you have become. Focus on what you have become today, much stronger than you were before.
Turn back and see in the past how weak you were and how much stronger you have become. Focus on what you have become today, much stronger than you were before.
How can one act without getting attached to the fruit of the action?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
In the sixth chapter of the Gita it is said, ‘Anāśritah karmaphalam kāryam karma karoti yah.’
He is the one who is centered; he is the one who is a yogi who does not base his action on the past karma.
‘Anāśritah’, means one who does not react.
You recognize that whatever is in this moment is the result of past actions.
When you recognize this then suddenly you wake up and you say, ‘okay, I am going to put my past behind me. Today I am different; I am going to do everything fresh and new.’ Then you get such centeredness.
You drop the past. Forget that you are an engineer or a doctor or a commerce graduate. Keep all the titles that you have aside, all the roles you play aside. Then suddenly you wake up and you are a brand new person. Suppose you are taken and put on another planet tomorrow. You are on that planet and you have left all your degrees, all your associations, everything behind.
Wake up! Now, today, ‘I am’; ‘right now, right here, I am’.
It brings in a huge surge of energy with such centeredness.
Your hanging on to the past is gone. Your hankering about something that you have heard or seen or imagined for yourself in the future is gone and all that you are left with is this moment - totally alive!
This is what is said as not depending on the results of the past actions because whatever we have today on hand is all the result of past actions. You are a doctor it is because you studied medicine. You are an engineer it is because you studied engineering. If you are unhappy today it is because of the past actions.
So letting go of all the past and being in the present moment is what ’Anāśritah’ means.
I am not saying discard all the past actions and results of all the past actions, it is not possible. You can’t get rid of the actions. Our body is a product of past action. Our Mind is a product of past action. Our intellect is a product of past action. All that we have, our ego, body, mind, everything is a result of past action.
Not depending on them and acting from a deep source of intuition, from a space of nothingness, fresh new thought, and fresh new action is what Sanyasi or Yogi means.
So if you can act like that for one day that means you are becoming a yogi. You are skillful and you are acting now.
Somebody has blamed you. You are not hanging on to the blame but today you are talking to them as though nothing has happened. This is: not depending on the past actions.
You have received some favors from somebody in the past, and you feel so obliged to return that favor. That is: depending on the past action.
Not depending on the past action is: today you take the merit the way it is. Now, this moment! That action is most skillful.
It is easier said than done. I know it is difficult to do, but it is not impossible.
He is the one who is centered; he is the one who is a yogi who does not base his action on the past karma.
‘Anāśritah’, means one who does not react.
You recognize that whatever is in this moment is the result of past actions.
When you recognize this then suddenly you wake up and you say, ‘okay, I am going to put my past behind me. Today I am different; I am going to do everything fresh and new.’ Then you get such centeredness.
You drop the past. Forget that you are an engineer or a doctor or a commerce graduate. Keep all the titles that you have aside, all the roles you play aside. Then suddenly you wake up and you are a brand new person. Suppose you are taken and put on another planet tomorrow. You are on that planet and you have left all your degrees, all your associations, everything behind.
Wake up! Now, today, ‘I am’; ‘right now, right here, I am’.
It brings in a huge surge of energy with such centeredness.
Your hanging on to the past is gone. Your hankering about something that you have heard or seen or imagined for yourself in the future is gone and all that you are left with is this moment - totally alive!
This is what is said as not depending on the results of the past actions because whatever we have today on hand is all the result of past actions. You are a doctor it is because you studied medicine. You are an engineer it is because you studied engineering. If you are unhappy today it is because of the past actions.
So letting go of all the past and being in the present moment is what ’Anāśritah’ means.
I am not saying discard all the past actions and results of all the past actions, it is not possible. You can’t get rid of the actions. Our body is a product of past action. Our Mind is a product of past action. Our intellect is a product of past action. All that we have, our ego, body, mind, everything is a result of past action.
Not depending on them and acting from a deep source of intuition, from a space of nothingness, fresh new thought, and fresh new action is what Sanyasi or Yogi means.
So if you can act like that for one day that means you are becoming a yogi. You are skillful and you are acting now.
Somebody has blamed you. You are not hanging on to the blame but today you are talking to them as though nothing has happened. This is: not depending on the past actions.
You have received some favors from somebody in the past, and you feel so obliged to return that favor. That is: depending on the past action.
Not depending on the past action is: today you take the merit the way it is. Now, this moment! That action is most skillful.
It is easier said than done. I know it is difficult to do, but it is not impossible.
Gurudev, in Hindu religion it is said that a husband and wife relationship lasts for 7 lifetimes. How will I know which lifetime am I currently in?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
If you are in love right now, then know it is the first lifetime and you are going to live together for six lifetimes more. If you are tired of the relationship then know that seven lifetimes are completed and this is the last one.
It depends on you! You decide which lifetime this is. Or think it is neither here nor there, somewhere in the middle.
It depends on you! You decide which lifetime this is. Or think it is neither here nor there, somewhere in the middle.
Gurudev, It is said by the World Bank report that developing countries like, India, Africa, etc., would face severe shortage of food by 2015 if the governments don’t take concrete steps towards agriculture and its sustenance. These days we see a massive migration of families from rural to urban areas. What is your advice to the government and the people?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
We must go back to farming. People should do farming.
I advice all those people who have taken to agricultural science and agricultural degrees to get back to the farm and grow more food. It is necessary.
That is why we have started an agri-business academy here in the ashram.
So agriculture is also a business and students should know how agriculture is a very prosperous business around the world. China has bought many acres of land in Africa and they are doing such good cultivation there. We should learn from China, how they have taken care to go to other countries and cultivate there also.
I was in Ethiopia and I was told there is a lot of land in Ethiopia. There are some Indian industrialists who have bought land in Ethiopia and other African countries and they are growing palm trees and other things there.
So here we must grow food. Everyone should see how they can contribute through vegetables or whatever way. Small or big everyone should grow something.
In the ancient Indian spiritual practices, agriculture has been an integral part of it. Any ceremony or Pooja would not start without ’ankurarpan’ (sowing the seeds).
If you see in Chandi Havan the first thing they do is sow the seeds and when the sprouts come only then they do other celebrations.
So it is very important that people should grow more food. Today, everyone is leaving villages and going to the city, it is very important to do farming in the villages.
I advice all those people who have taken to agricultural science and agricultural degrees to get back to the farm and grow more food. It is necessary.
That is why we have started an agri-business academy here in the ashram.
So agriculture is also a business and students should know how agriculture is a very prosperous business around the world. China has bought many acres of land in Africa and they are doing such good cultivation there. We should learn from China, how they have taken care to go to other countries and cultivate there also.
I was in Ethiopia and I was told there is a lot of land in Ethiopia. There are some Indian industrialists who have bought land in Ethiopia and other African countries and they are growing palm trees and other things there.
So here we must grow food. Everyone should see how they can contribute through vegetables or whatever way. Small or big everyone should grow something.
In the ancient Indian spiritual practices, agriculture has been an integral part of it. Any ceremony or Pooja would not start without ’ankurarpan’ (sowing the seeds).
If you see in Chandi Havan the first thing they do is sow the seeds and when the sprouts come only then they do other celebrations.
So it is very important that people should grow more food. Today, everyone is leaving villages and going to the city, it is very important to do farming in the villages.
I get jealous when I see other people doing the Art of Living course. How do I overcome this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You introduce people to Art of Living. When they do it and when they thank you, then you feel like doing more.
If people come and thank you, ‘it’s so good of you that you introduced me to this course. My whole life has changed.’ How would you feel? Would you feel jealous?! How can you feel jealous?
You have not enrolled people into the course that is why you feel jealous. Especially your close friends, if they are happy and joyful and jumping up and down, dancing and if you feel jealous there should be something wrong in your psychology.
You should be happy with the happiness of others and you should be touched by the unhappiness of others.
Art of Living brings so much happiness to people. So you must wake up and start actively introducing people to the course and you will find a difference.
If people come and thank you, ‘it’s so good of you that you introduced me to this course. My whole life has changed.’ How would you feel? Would you feel jealous?! How can you feel jealous?
You have not enrolled people into the course that is why you feel jealous. Especially your close friends, if they are happy and joyful and jumping up and down, dancing and if you feel jealous there should be something wrong in your psychology.
You should be happy with the happiness of others and you should be touched by the unhappiness of others.
Art of Living brings so much happiness to people. So you must wake up and start actively introducing people to the course and you will find a difference.
Is female life a punishment?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, who said that? Male cannot exist without Female. Every male has come from female.
It is both ways, female cannot exist without male. That is why this Prakriti and Purusharth are two integral aspects of creation. How can you say one is sin or not good. No! That is wrong understanding.
It is both ways, female cannot exist without male. That is why this Prakriti and Purusharth are two integral aspects of creation. How can you say one is sin or not good. No! That is wrong understanding.
Gurudev, how do we ensure that people around the world get basic opportunities like education, food and shelter? There are so many people without basic needs.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You must know that it is not just the basic needs that a person wants.
Basic needs anyway get fulfilled. But one needs something more than the basic needs.
It is up to you, what you think is ‘basic need’.
Inner peace is so essential.
If you have every basic need but you are sick, you are mentally not sound, what good it is?
You may have good food but no appetite. You have a nice bed but you have insomnia and you can’t sleep. You have all the wealth but you have no friends, no family, no enthusiasm and no love in life, what will you do?
Everything has its own place so you must acknowledge that.
Basic needs anyway get fulfilled. But one needs something more than the basic needs.
It is up to you, what you think is ‘basic need’.
Inner peace is so essential.
If you have every basic need but you are sick, you are mentally not sound, what good it is?
You may have good food but no appetite. You have a nice bed but you have insomnia and you can’t sleep. You have all the wealth but you have no friends, no family, no enthusiasm and no love in life, what will you do?
Everything has its own place so you must acknowledge that.
How to deal with people who always give negative vibrations? Should we avoid them?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Don’t think somebody will only always be negative. In everyone there is some goodness. You see how you can help kindle that goodness.
