What H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar said today:
India (Art of Living International Center, Bangalore), July 30:
Q. How can I increase my faith in anything? Does faith grow with time? Is it the same for everyone?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You cannot increase your faith. Either you have it or you don’t. The more you try to increase your faith, it will only be a struggle. It doesn’t ‘get increased’. So whenever you feel you have less faith that itself indicates you have faith.
And when you realize that, it means it is returned back. The doubt has ended.
In the Samaveda (an ancient Indian scripture), a hymn says. “I am building the bridge from not having faith to having the faith.”
‘I didn’t have the faith’, this idea comes when faith has started coming back, from lack of faith to faith. These two banks can’t come together, they can’t be one and the bridge is what you are.
When the prana (life energy) is high, then faith is more. When the prana is low, the faith is less.
Q. How can I be emotionally strong?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: By using your intellect a little more! Bring back the balance and see life from a broader perspective. Your emotions, either very pleasant or unpleasant are attached to the past. So when you see the world with a broader vision and don’t get stuck with past events, people or experience, you will be strong. Getting emotionally upset over something somebody said is limited vision. There are millions of people, millions of things happening in the world.
In the Bhagwad Geeta, Lord Krishna shows Arjuna the Cosmic Vision and Time swallowing everything. First, Arjuna got scared, then all his fear vanished. There was nothing to hang on to. That’s why Lord Krishna says, “I am here, don't worry, don't be afraid”
This way, all the emotional worries, and mess that one is in, one comes out of. Only meditation can give you wisdom and strength.
Q. In general, it is seen that those who have money don’t have a generous heart and those who have a generous heart don’t have money. Is there a fight between the Goddess of money and love?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, you can have both! Money is not some currency kept in bank. It is the satisfaction that one has. If you feel you are rich, you are. I have seen people with bigger lakhs (millions) have lacks!
Q. How to develop a sense of humor?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: By being relaxed. Have an attitude where nothing matters - only then humor arises. When things matter a lot, then your mind is tensed, you are goal-oriented. There is a part of you to which nothing matters. You are a combination of the nothing matters to everything matters. Have both! If everything matter, then there is no humor. If nothing matters then too, there is no humor. Don’t try to impress somebody. You will be fail miserably. When comedians try to make someone laugh - it appears unintelligent and foolish, childish humor. Those who are intelligent and mature, humor is natural to them.
Q. What is the difference between Guru and Avtaar?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Avtaar simply means descended. Guru means guide. The word, ‘Guide' comes from the Sanskrit word meaning Guru. Giver and great also have their roots in Guru.
Why do you want to know the difference! How does it matter! You gave meaning to words, attach whatever meaning you want. A word can have different meanings in different languages. Also, there are different intentions and different connotations.
Q. How do we know that the decisions we make in academics, careers and relations are the right ones?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: See the results!
Q. What to do, when someone blames and hurts me intentionally?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Pity them. Have compassion and pity for them.
Q. How is God from your eyes?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just like me and you.
Q. Can your devotees who are in business, face the challenges of business with truth?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, with complete honesty, intelligence, and yukti (tact). A businessman can lie as much as there is salt in food. If one lies too much, then one suffers in equal measure.
For instance, you may say that my product is the best in the world when you know it is not. That much is alright. That is why our ancestors in India kept businessman in the third division.
Saints do not have the right to lie. They cannot. The king or administrator has some right and so does the businessman.
Q. Can principals of spirituality be spread only by organizations that have money and volunteers?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, every organization can spread spiritual values like Dharma (right conduct), Niti (principals), Niyam (rules), Karuna (compassion), Manaviyta (humanity). Spirituality is humanism, any organization that does not have humanity is not worth being called an organization. There is no need of money or people. For instance, a crowd does not eat, people in the crowd eat. Similarly spirituality is for each one.
Q. Which thing makes you the most happy?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If I say a thing makes me happy, then there is no bigger fool than me. It’s like listening all night to Ramayana and asking if Sita was Ram's first cousin. No thing can make you happy. You are bliss personified, joy personified.
Do everything with happiness. Even if you want to slap someone, do it with joy not anger!
Q. Please give us a message.
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: All this is a message. One who is awake gets a message from anything. One who is lost in jadta (gross), that person will not receive a message from anything. When you are awake, every leaf, every bird, every person is a messenger of God. This whole creation is a message. And if you are asleep, then even if amrit (Divine nectar) rains, it falls on deaf ears.
Q. How to do mantra jaap (mantra recitation) with bhav (feelings) and with what intention one must chant Om Namah Shivaya?
H.H Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is best to do jaap with bhav. Otherwise keep on doing it, the bhav will arise. Do it for sometime and not the whole day, just like we take a bath once or twice a day. We don’t remain in water like fishes. When you feel tired, recite mantra, gain tranquility and energy.
Mantra means that which wins over the mind. Once you cross the bridge, you have to let go of it. Once you are happy, then let go of the mantra.
(From the Office of His Holiness Sri Sri Ravishankar)
© The Art of Living Foundation
