Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar is a global spiritual leader and founder of the Art of Living Foundation. Through Art of Living’s programs on breathing meditation, wisdom, and yoga, Gurudev has reached an estimated 500+ million people globally. 

Nuseir Yassin of NasDaily recently interviewed him on the topic of India’s wisdom traditions. NasDaily has 68+ million followers across social media platforms and aims to bring people together and help them feel more connected. 

Read their conversation here:

Q: How do I know right from wrong in Hinduism?

The religion of India is a way of life that welcomes diverse schools of philosophy. The basic idea isn’t about right and wrong. It’s about things as they are. 

Right and wrong are comparative. Likewise, vitamins are good, but they can also be bad. They can kill you, too. 

There is a word in Sanskrit that means, “Just drop the extremes.” 

Q: How many Gods are in Hinduism? 

We’ve 33 types or categories of Gods. One example of diversity in unity is the sun's rays. There’s only one entity in each ray. But if you split it, you find seven different colors. 

So, there are all these Gods, the five main deities of the 33 categories. Each of them has certain qualities. 

In Islam, there are 99 names. Here in India, we have 1,008 names, each with a particular form. 

The underlying God is one, expressed in many ways. 

Q: How can Muslims benefit from Hinduism?

It’s unity in diversity, accepting other schools of thought as part of divinity. This concept in Islam may be called idol worshiping. 

Now, in Islam, why do you go to the Kabba? You find there’s an energy there. Right? You circumambulate or walk around it.

You don’t circumambulate any square building. You only go to the Kabba as a pilgrimage. 

Similarly, there are many such places here that represent divine energy. 

Q: Do you agree that we’re one or from the same fabric?

There is something very common between all of us. And there’s something very unique. We’re different, you see. 

How tall are you? 180, and I’m 165. So we’re at different heights. We can’t say everybody is the same. Right? And you and I weigh different amounts. 

Everyone has freedom of expression. You could be anything. You could be born here or in America. 

You could have been born in another religion or place. So you have to broaden your perspective.

Q: What is non-violence? Why not bring harm to animals?

Action that doesn’t bring harm to others or yourself is ahimsa or non-violence. 

Do you have a pet? Have you ever had a pet? You didn’t, but you know people have pets. Are they violent with their pets? No! Because for them, it’s a life that they can relate to.

When you relate to life on the whole planet, then you know that animals have a right to live.  

Every animal has a right to live. When you can’t create a life, you have no right to take it away. 

Q: What is your message to those not familiar with Hinduism?

I recommend the Bhagavad Gita and another book called Yoga Vashistha. They’ll give you a broad perspective on life itself. 

Honoring life, nurturing the planet, and planting trees are part of it. Did you know that in vedic philosophy, if you have to cut a tree, you have to ask forgiveness from that tree and promise that you will plant five of the same kind? 

Then, you can take permission from the tree and plant a similar tree. You have to plant five of the same kind of tree, not another kind. 

Q: What’s unique about Hinduism?

One thing that stands out very clearly is acceptance and openness to new ideas and thoughts. It doesn’t create fanaticism. 

The universe has many different dimensions. In order to live in all of these dimensions of life, you have to know who you are. 

In short, embrace different schools of thought. 

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