Bangalore, June 21:
Q: Guruji, today youth are more interested in drugs, alcohol and pornography. What is your advice for the parents on how should they handle teenagers and how can they have a better relationship with them?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, it is a very delicate issue because teenagers don’t like to be dominated by the parents. Usually there is tendency to do that, so here parents should mellow down a little bit and help understand each other. We need to keep teenagers very busy, give them plenty of entertainment and lots of sports. Give them so much work that they do not have any time for anything. They come back home tired and fall asleep. So it is the age between eight to eighteen that they can learn sports. They should go to the gymnasium, do swimming. You know, when someone has done swimming for an hour, and then some exercise they come back home and all their energy is exhausted and they want to sleep. Morning they wake up fresh and they should learn music, they should be given lot of puzzles, and they should be exposed to a lot of information, entertainment, and education. This is how you can keep the teenagers away from sitting and surfing through the internet and viewing all pornography.
Q: Guruji, how was your life when you were my age? My age is 14.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes interesting! I spent my young days with all elderly people.
Q: Guruji, my parents don’t want me to be a vegetarian. How do I convince them?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You should simply say, ‘I am going to be a vegetarian’, finished, they will accept it.
Q: Guruji, I don’t believe in God, is that bad?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No never mind, at least you believe in yourself. You should know who you are. You believe in truth, honesty, love, compassion; these are the qualities of God.
Q: Guruji, my parents love me so much that their love at times becomes suffocating for me. What do I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is problem either way. Sometime you feel they don’t love you, which is not true. Sometimes you feel they love you too much and it is suffocating, what to do? You know when you feel suffocated? When you want to do something wrong. When your consciousness says, this is wrong I should not do it that is when you feel the suffocation of your parents. It’s good to be suffocated with that sort of attention. It’s good to feel the guilt to do something wrong. You know it is a safety warning for you.
Q: Guruji, music is my life but most of the people around me do drugs and have bad habits. How can I keep playing while being affected by all this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Stand your ground, it’s good.
Q: Why is it always said not to watch action and horror movies? Do they have an impact on my mind?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What do you think? Do you get nightmares watching horror movies? Then better don’t. Okay you can watch one maybe in a year because the impact of it stays for too long time so better to avoid.
Q: Guruji, at times my parents hit me without a reason. How can I respect and accept them at that time?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: They can’t do that without any reason. Tell them to do The Art of Living course sometime when they are in a good mood. Coax them to come to be a basic course and we will train them not to hit you.
Q: Guruji, when I took the course all the other kids shared that they had amazing experience but I did not experience anything. I am very curious about it and I also want to experience it. What do I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The fact that you are participating, you are already being benefitted otherwise you would not even ask this question. Yes, don’t compare yourself with other’s experiences. That person says he saw light and another person says I feel like this; then you start doubting your own experiences and questioning yourself. You should never do that, okay.
Q: Guruji we always keep on asking things from you. What can we do for you?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Spread this message to more and more all around, okay.
Q. Some people get depressed without any reason, what should we do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Educate people about good food, health that is very much needed.
Q. What about people who cannot afford doing The Art of Living course?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, we still give them. Speak to a teacher; those who cannot afford will also get to do the course. Thousands are doing like that.
Q: So many people think of you as their Guru. How can you be the Guru of so many people?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, I am doing my job properly right.
Q: Can you give them all the attention that they crave?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, I think I am able to do as much as I can yes. See our consciousness is so vast; our consciousness has many abilities you know, so we can do. Nature will provide you with only that much work that you can take otherwise nature will not give one inch more than what you cannot do, yes.
Q: I would like to know why people in war time will give his life for his country but in the time of peace most people won’t do anything for the country.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, especially youth. When they are fed up with the systems. When they see things are not working properly, they have a commitment to do something for the country right. They only need proper leadership which would take them through the troubled times in a non-violent manner, it is very important. There is power in love, there is power in non-violence. Most of the people don’t realize this. What is happening in North of Africa is so unfortunate. These dictators are holding the fort and they don’t let people raise their voice. You know, you can’t live in the 15th century now. 15th century was of dictatorship, today democracy, liberty, freedom, this is what people are looking for and these people should facilitate democracy gracefully. That is important.
Q: What to do if someone has Manglik dosh?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Manglik dosh -there is always a remedy for that. ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, is a very good chant to get over all the doshas.
Q: Guruji, when we are on the spiritual path, it is okay to be aggressive in our day-to-day life? Sometimes you need to be aggressive in your work place to get things done.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You don’t need to be aggressive but you should be assertive. You be firm and assertive.
Q: Guruji, the whole of North Africa and the Middle East is in turmoil these days. People are fighting against the rulers and so is the case in India also where people are fighting against corrupt rulers. Is it the design of the Divine that it should happen in this way and what is its future? Can you kindly enlighten us?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes it looks like that, the design of the nature wants to bring more righteousness in society, and it looks like that. Time is very right to voice against the corrupt people.
Q: Guruji, what is Patanjali Yoga Sutra?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Patanjali was a Rishi who lived some thousands of years ago. He worked on Ayurveda to reduce the impurities of the body, from the body. To eliminate the impurities he wrote on Ayurveda, his treaties of Ayurveda. Then he wrote on grammer, phonetics. How sound is formed, how form and sound are connected. The meaning the sound and the nature of the object and the connection. All that he made. Nobody can study Sanskrit if you don’t study Patanjali. So Patanjali has written on grammar also. Then Yoga Sutra, he is the one who wrote the Yoga Sutras.
Q: There are times when people do something bad to you that hurts and you cannot seem to forgive them and time goes by and you still seem to keep that feeling. But you want to forgive them and you want to have a good relationship with that person.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, I think meditation will help. More understanding will help. If someone has done something wrong to you, see it from this angle that the person was just a post man to do what he did. Yes, this is number one. Second angle is, the person was ignorant he didn’t know what he was doing that is why he was doing it, right. Third is to see that person is a victim himself/herself, so they did the mistake the way they did it. In this way you broaden your vision. Suddenly you will see things are all turning around.
Q: You have said in one your talks that three things destroy the planet: misunderstanding, miscommunication and misuse, how do we relive ourselves from this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, improve communication, have better understanding and don’t mistrust.
Q: It is not a one sided job?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do it from your side and let go of the rest.
© The Art of Living Foundation
Q: Guruji, today youth are more interested in drugs, alcohol and pornography. What is your advice for the parents on how should they handle teenagers and how can they have a better relationship with them?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, it is a very delicate issue because teenagers don’t like to be dominated by the parents. Usually there is tendency to do that, so here parents should mellow down a little bit and help understand each other. We need to keep teenagers very busy, give them plenty of entertainment and lots of sports. Give them so much work that they do not have any time for anything. They come back home tired and fall asleep. So it is the age between eight to eighteen that they can learn sports. They should go to the gymnasium, do swimming. You know, when someone has done swimming for an hour, and then some exercise they come back home and all their energy is exhausted and they want to sleep. Morning they wake up fresh and they should learn music, they should be given lot of puzzles, and they should be exposed to a lot of information, entertainment, and education. This is how you can keep the teenagers away from sitting and surfing through the internet and viewing all pornography.
Q: Guruji, how was your life when you were my age? My age is 14.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes interesting! I spent my young days with all elderly people.
Q: Guruji, my parents don’t want me to be a vegetarian. How do I convince them?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You should simply say, ‘I am going to be a vegetarian’, finished, they will accept it.
Q: Guruji, I don’t believe in God, is that bad?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No never mind, at least you believe in yourself. You should know who you are. You believe in truth, honesty, love, compassion; these are the qualities of God.
Q: Guruji, my parents love me so much that their love at times becomes suffocating for me. What do I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is problem either way. Sometime you feel they don’t love you, which is not true. Sometimes you feel they love you too much and it is suffocating, what to do? You know when you feel suffocated? When you want to do something wrong. When your consciousness says, this is wrong I should not do it that is when you feel the suffocation of your parents. It’s good to be suffocated with that sort of attention. It’s good to feel the guilt to do something wrong. You know it is a safety warning for you.
Q: Guruji, music is my life but most of the people around me do drugs and have bad habits. How can I keep playing while being affected by all this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Stand your ground, it’s good.
Q: Why is it always said not to watch action and horror movies? Do they have an impact on my mind?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What do you think? Do you get nightmares watching horror movies? Then better don’t. Okay you can watch one maybe in a year because the impact of it stays for too long time so better to avoid.
Q: Guruji, at times my parents hit me without a reason. How can I respect and accept them at that time?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: They can’t do that without any reason. Tell them to do The Art of Living course sometime when they are in a good mood. Coax them to come to be a basic course and we will train them not to hit you.
Q: Guruji, when I took the course all the other kids shared that they had amazing experience but I did not experience anything. I am very curious about it and I also want to experience it. What do I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The fact that you are participating, you are already being benefitted otherwise you would not even ask this question. Yes, don’t compare yourself with other’s experiences. That person says he saw light and another person says I feel like this; then you start doubting your own experiences and questioning yourself. You should never do that, okay.
Q: Guruji we always keep on asking things from you. What can we do for you?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Spread this message to more and more all around, okay.
Q. Some people get depressed without any reason, what should we do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Educate people about good food, health that is very much needed.
Q. What about people who cannot afford doing The Art of Living course?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, we still give them. Speak to a teacher; those who cannot afford will also get to do the course. Thousands are doing like that.
Q: So many people think of you as their Guru. How can you be the Guru of so many people?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, I am doing my job properly right.
Q: Can you give them all the attention that they crave?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, I think I am able to do as much as I can yes. See our consciousness is so vast; our consciousness has many abilities you know, so we can do. Nature will provide you with only that much work that you can take otherwise nature will not give one inch more than what you cannot do, yes.
Q: I would like to know why people in war time will give his life for his country but in the time of peace most people won’t do anything for the country.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, especially youth. When they are fed up with the systems. When they see things are not working properly, they have a commitment to do something for the country right. They only need proper leadership which would take them through the troubled times in a non-violent manner, it is very important. There is power in love, there is power in non-violence. Most of the people don’t realize this. What is happening in North of Africa is so unfortunate. These dictators are holding the fort and they don’t let people raise their voice. You know, you can’t live in the 15th century now. 15th century was of dictatorship, today democracy, liberty, freedom, this is what people are looking for and these people should facilitate democracy gracefully. That is important.
Q: What to do if someone has Manglik dosh?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Manglik dosh -there is always a remedy for that. ‘Om Namah Shivaya’, is a very good chant to get over all the doshas.
Q: Guruji, when we are on the spiritual path, it is okay to be aggressive in our day-to-day life? Sometimes you need to be aggressive in your work place to get things done.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You don’t need to be aggressive but you should be assertive. You be firm and assertive.
Q: Guruji, the whole of North Africa and the Middle East is in turmoil these days. People are fighting against the rulers and so is the case in India also where people are fighting against corrupt rulers. Is it the design of the Divine that it should happen in this way and what is its future? Can you kindly enlighten us?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes it looks like that, the design of the nature wants to bring more righteousness in society, and it looks like that. Time is very right to voice against the corrupt people.
Q: Guruji, what is Patanjali Yoga Sutra?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Patanjali was a Rishi who lived some thousands of years ago. He worked on Ayurveda to reduce the impurities of the body, from the body. To eliminate the impurities he wrote on Ayurveda, his treaties of Ayurveda. Then he wrote on grammer, phonetics. How sound is formed, how form and sound are connected. The meaning the sound and the nature of the object and the connection. All that he made. Nobody can study Sanskrit if you don’t study Patanjali. So Patanjali has written on grammar also. Then Yoga Sutra, he is the one who wrote the Yoga Sutras.
Q: There are times when people do something bad to you that hurts and you cannot seem to forgive them and time goes by and you still seem to keep that feeling. But you want to forgive them and you want to have a good relationship with that person.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, I think meditation will help. More understanding will help. If someone has done something wrong to you, see it from this angle that the person was just a post man to do what he did. Yes, this is number one. Second angle is, the person was ignorant he didn’t know what he was doing that is why he was doing it, right. Third is to see that person is a victim himself/herself, so they did the mistake the way they did it. In this way you broaden your vision. Suddenly you will see things are all turning around.
Q: You have said in one your talks that three things destroy the planet: misunderstanding, miscommunication and misuse, how do we relive ourselves from this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, improve communication, have better understanding and don’t mistrust.
Q: It is not a one sided job?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do it from your side and let go of the rest.
© The Art of Living Foundation
