Wisdom from Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: 4/1/10

Service is doing what you can do without expecting anything in return

GODDESS LAXMI(LEFT) AND GODDESS SARASWATI(RIGHT)

Boulder, CO
April 21, 2010
Music unites us and meditation takes us very deep. It brings integrity in us. If you see the Indian Goddess of Learning (Saraswati), she sits on a rock. The rock is stable. It symbolizes that knowledge once learnt neither moves nor leaves. Whereas the Goddess of Wealth (Lakshmi) sits on a lotus flower. The rain comes and the flower sways with the flow of water. The Goddess of Learning sits on a rock. She has an instrument, a book and a rosary in her hands. The book symbolizes knowledge, the instrument symbolizes music and the rosary symbolizes meditation. These three aspects, wisdom, knowledge and music, must be brought into our life .

Q: How does the ’Art of Living’ relate to a person’s beliefs and practices?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You can have your own beliefs and practices because the ’Art of Living’ believes in diversity. One can follow one’s own religion and move on with spirituality.

Q: In trying times we find people are letting us down in government, business and religion. How do you think these leaders should be handled?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Compassion. Mahatma Gandhi created a brand of politicians who were widely respected. I say spiritualize politics, globalize wisdom and secularize religion. Everyone should know a little bit about every religion in the world. If everyone could learn a little about Buddhism, Hinduism, Sectism, Janism, Christianity, then the whole mosaic of religion would be available. That’s the only way we can understand each other and move on to spirituality. If every child knows a little bit about each religion, they would grow up with an acceptance of all religions.

Q: What is the most simple act of service that one can do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Service can be anything. The world does not expect you to do what you cannot do. Doing what you can do without expecting anything in return is service. There are two ways. Either we expect joy out of what we do or we do it with an expression of joy. This is the difference between a job and service.

Q: My heart and mind are often in conflict. Which should I follow?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Use each at different times. Do not do business with your heart. Do not do service with your mind.

Q: How do you know when to forgive someone?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When something starts to bother you too much.

Q: What’s your secret for having so much energy, such a big heart and so much compassion?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Simplicity. When you are not being yourself, you get exhausted. When you try to impress someone or expect something from someone, you become burdened.

Q: I’m very afraid of flying. The fear controls me. What can I do to control my fear?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Observe the sensation. Fear is the opposite of love, yet fear can transform into love. You can also go through and move beyond all these cycles by taking the ‘Advance Meditation Course’ .

Q: How can I cope with the anger that comes with seeing so much injustice to so many people?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Don’t just feel the anger. Take action. You don’t need to lose your balance of mind. Rather, you should respond. This is a skill. Be calm, and united in yoga. That is the message of the Bhagavad Gita.

Q: How realistic is it for a person to become enlightened in one lifetime?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You don’t have to be very special. You can have it right now in this room.

Q: How can I most effectively support the cause of the world peace?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I will leave that question with you because there are so many ideas. Be of service. These questions do not have one single answer.

Q: Can you please speak on the nature of sexuality?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Preaching what you don’t know or what you don’t believe in is not the right thing. People who have experienced deep understanding do not place judgement. With spirituality you have to go to another level of experience. Honor sex but move onto a higher place.

Q: How can one have a successful relationhip?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Now I am not an expert on relationships. I would advise one thing for men and one for women. Women should never step on the ego of a man. The whole world may call him stupid but you must always say that he’s the most intelligent person. You shouldn’t question his abilities. Tell him, “You are the most intelligent person. Just because you don’t use it, doesn’t mean you don’t have it.” If you keep calling him stupid, then he will become that. Don’t ask for proof of his love for you. Take it for granted that they love you. If someone has to prove their love for you every day, he will be exhausted! We shouldn’t express our love too much. Very often the problem is that we express our love too much. If you keep the seed hanging on the surface, you’ll never see the roots. But if you bury it deep inside, then also it doesn’t sprout. Keep the seed planted. That should be how you express your love. Keep the dignity of love.

Now one suggestion for men is to never step on the emotions of a woman. If she complains about her mother, sister, family and so on, never join the band wagon. You will see she will suddenly switch side and You will be the target! Don’t stop her If she wants to do some meditation, go to a place of worship, do some spiritual practices. If she wants to go for shopping, give her your credit card. You will have peace at home.

Q: Does one need to have a Guru or spiritual leader to seek enlightenment?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You are asking a question and you want an answer. You want medicine and anyone who gives you medicine becomes a doctor. The seeker wants an answer, wants someone to tell him, to guide him. If someone says, “I’m not a patient but I need medicine,” and someone says “I’m not a doctor but I’ll give you medicine,” what do you call both? Anyone can tell you what you want to hear but a little guidance does help. Someone should be there to give you assurance. When you learn swimming and the trainer says “Go ahead”, you get that confidence to go. Someone who has such confidence can become your guide.

Q: How do you cope with taking on the burdens of people all over the world?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You must tell yourself that you are an instrument. You are a part of the universe. Let things come and go and they will be no burden to you. It is certainly possible and you also have that capability.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

©The Art of Living Foundation For Global Spirituality

Globalizing wisdom is antidote to terrorism

Denver Center for the Performing Arts
Denver, Colorado
April 20, 2010

So often in our life we say ‘thank you’ or ‘sorry’ to people without really meaning it. It's almost like air-hostess saying to you ‘have a nice day’ when you get off the plane. The air hostess greets you but does not mean it. The same words coming from someone dear to you carry different vibrations and presence. In fact we convey almost all thoughts through our presence and very little through words. A baby conveys the vibrations of love like nobody else. Your puppy at home expresses such love that no speaker can express. We are all endowed with this presence yet somewhere our presence has got muddled up. This is because we are stressed. Neither at home nor at school has anyone taught us how to cleanse our presence. If we are angry at home, we carry that angry vibration to the office. When we are upset at office that thing lingers in our system and comes back home with us. We're unable to let go and be like a child again. Now how do we get back to our source? How do we cleanse our presence? This is what meditation is all about. It's the movement from sound to silence.
Many believe meditation is concentration or a lot of effort. Meditation is not concentration. It is the opposite of concentration. If you want to drive anywhere, you need concentration. If you have to simply relax at home though, there needn’t be an effort. You don't need concentration. Meditation is deep relaxation and not concentration. So if thoughts come during meditation, we don't try to chase them. The more we chase them the more they come. If you want to get rid of a thought it won’t go easily. It will come back stronger. So we take another strategy. If bad thoughts come we give them a hug. We shake hands with them. Then they disappear. If good thoughts come we give them a hug, then they become quiet. Whatever thoughts are coming, we don't try to stop them. It's an effortless process.
There are three golden rules for meditation. The first is you say “I want nothing.” If you say “I need to drink water or change my position,” then meditation cannot happen. When you want nothing, then you also do nothing. The second golden rule is “I do nothing.” You only breathe. Do not make an effort to think “I want nothing” and “I do nothing” - Just an effortless attention. Then the last one is even more important, “I am nothing.” While meditating we drop all notions about ourselves of being rich, poor, intelligent, stupid or any other. So what are you? Nothing. Just a little attention to - “I am nothing. I want nothing. I do nothing.” After meditation you can again be something. It is your choice, but during meditation if you think you are somebody great or somebody hopeless, there is no way you can settle down to that deepest core of the being. To settle into that consciousness of which all of us are made up of, this must be our initial step for meditation. It is the journey from sound to silence.
Today we'll use the sound ‘Om’. ‘Om’ means eternal peace and unconditional love. So we will say this sound ‘Om’ three times and create the vibration of peace and love all around us. That is inner peace. When we have that inner peace, we have patience and our perception improves. Our observation and expression become better. Often we end up saying “nobody understands me.” We never say ,“I haven't expressed myself better.” Our expression improves with meditation. That's the magic of meditation.
There are people who would ask what does meditation do? It can bring about a violence-free society. Today is the 11th anniversary of the Columbine High School shooting. Both the victim and culprit need to know how to relax their minds. Neither at home nor at school does anyone teach how to get rid of negative emotions. They rise and you are stuck with them. The ‘World Health Organization’ predicts that the second biggest killer in this next decade will be depression. Cancer will be the biggest killer followed by depression. Meditation is essential to deal with this. The Pranayama, yoga, Sudarshan Kriya and meditation can bring such a transformation.
If every child learns a bit about every religion in the world, they won't become fanatics. They won't say, “oh, only I have the truth.” They will recognize that there is truth in everything. Otherwise something would be lost. This is what I call globalizing wisdom. Nokia in Finland makes telephones but those phones are being used by people all over the world. Similarly Danish cookies are known throughout the world. Though the sitar is from India, everyone listens to it. Yet when it comes to wisdom people shrink. That is the cause of terrorism in the world today. If even a small part of this globe is left thinking that only they possess the truth, the world is in trouble. We are not going to be in a safe place. There will be suicide bombers. So we need to globalize wisdom. We need to educate every child in a broad spectrum. Every child should know a little bit about the Upanishads. You know, great love is present in the Upanishads? It is unimaginable. There are great things in the teachings of Buddha. Everyone should know a little bit about Buddha and his teachings. Everyone should know a little bit about Daoism, about what Jesus and Muhammad have said etc. One can follow ones own religion but still have a broad mindset. If you're a Jew, you continue being a Jew without it stopping you from understanding the other wisdom and philosophies in the world. This would impact our lives in some way. We've globalized potato chips and Coke, but not wisdom. We need to do that. If even a fraction of what we spend on defense goes towards educating children about non-violence and peace, the world would be a different place.

Then Sri Sri led the audience through a meditation

Q: How can parents raise responsible children and make the experience joyful for both?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Teach them how to make one new friend each day. Don't give them all these violent video games to play with. There is an ‘Art of Living program’ for children - Art Excel '(All Round Training in Excellence). Children really enjoy the program as they learn through games. In Europe it is known as NAP, Non Aggression Program. Children who are very aggressive become happy and friendly. For parents we conduct a program called “Know Your Child.”

Q: What are those things a person needs to be committed to in order to grow as an individual?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: First there should be commitment to the greater good of the society. I don't have to say that you have to be committed to your own greater good. You already are. If at all you want to take a commitment, make a commitment for the larger benefit of mankind, that one commitment is good. And that too is already there. When we are free from stress, we are naturally committed to the betterment of the society. There is still more work to be done in societies where violence is handed over from one generation to the next. They especially need education about non-violence.

Q: What are some habits that would promote success?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: First you need to define success. Having a big bank balance and no sleep is not success. You may have lots of money but have diabetes, high blood pressure and all other health problems. That is not success. You may have lots of money but be filled with fear and anxiety, you may not have friends and that is not success. To me success is measured by your smile. How much of your life is filled with smiles and how much can you contribute to others? How much courage and confidence do you have in your own ability? You mustn’t be worried only about your own future. Money is needed in life but life is not all about money.

Q: What is your definition of love?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Love is that which cannot be defined. It can only be felt. It is that which we cannot understand.

Q: Why is it becoming increasingly important to save the planet earth?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Because we are increasingly exploiting the planet earth more than what it can recuperate from. As individuals we can each do something to help the planet. You can be part of some service project like planting more trees, creating awareness about not using plastic bags. You can meditate everyday and put your attention on these issues. When we have an intention and put our attention on that, it will start manifesting. We don't use the mind power that has been bestowed on us by nature. It is the greatest gift we have been given.

Q: How can senior management get the most out of their teams for maximum performance?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The Art of Living Foundation teaches the APEX course in corporate environments. It has been appreciated all over including the World Bank.

Q: We’re living in a time with a lot of talks about scandal and fraud even among spiritual teachers. How can we distinguish real spiritual teachers from frauds?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It has come into notice in India and Europe. It is so disheartening. Yet I tell you, though sometimes a train gets derailed but we do not stop traveling by train. Planes crash but we don't stop flying. There are some people that slip or go in strange directions out of temptation or intention. It is unfortunate. I would say if a spiritual or religious leader does something wrong, he should get double the punishment as anyone. Not only has he committed the crime, but he has disrespected an entire school of thought or institution. Such leaders should come out on their own. Having made a mistake they should come forward and apologize. If they cover up, they should get three times the punishment. Being on a spiritual path and covering up wrong-doing indicates a lack of faith and sense of belongingness. In such a case you are harming your own soul and spirit.
This is nothing new. In the Ramayana(an ancient Indian scripture), Ravan was a famed saint and yet it was he who abducted Sita. Even in the medical field there are doctors who steal kidneys! You would have heard of people who bring distrust in every field. Let's not become prejudiced or take an opinion about it. We should move on. I'd rather be compassionate than condemning. Ok they have made a mistake, now let them come on the right path. Inside every culprit there is a victim crying for help. Even in the worst criminal, there’s a scar, wound and dissatisfaction. We have to heal that victim and then the culprit will disappear.

Question: How do we deal with extreme grief and loss?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Through meditation and Sudarshan Kriya, you will see how the grief gets vaporized.

Q: Is it really possible to be stress-free in this world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I am stress-free here in this world and so are many others. It is possible. You would have been like that as a child. I tell you, you can have this. You don’t have to wait till old age. I tell you it is possible now.

Q: Is violent action ever appropriate?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A conscious action taken to curb violence may appear to be violent itself. In fact it is not. However, I am not for capital punishment. I feel there is a chance to bring reformation in every body. Have compassion for the ones who do hurtful things and have no remorse. Have compassion for their lack of education and recognize that there is a victim inside the culprit.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

©The Art of Living Foundation For Global Spirituality

‘Lack of a sense of belongingness creates corruption. A lack of friendliness creates frauds’

Boise, Idaho, April 18:

Q: Can you talk about how not to see intention behind others actions?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes. I say don’t see intention behind others’ mistakes. When somebody does something wrong often we say they intentionally did this wrong to me. So when we see from a broader perspective, every culprit is also a victim. Inside every culprit there is a victim crying for help. They may be a victim of lack of education or lack of information, stress, narrow-mindedness. All these would cause someone to become a culprit. And we are simply looking at the culprit part of them. We don’t see that the person is also a victim.
Every child should study a little bit about different religions and cultures. If people knew just a little bit about what Jesus said, what the Upanishads say, what the Vedas say, what Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Islam say, there would not be a single terrorist in the world. Today’s terrorism is a result of Puritanism: i.e. when people say, “Only my religion is pure. I should keep away from other religious books or I should not be educated in those things. Only this is the way.” That type of religious indoctrination in children has given rise to Taliban sort of movements in the world. We have lost so many people to terrorism.
We have globalized Pepsi, Coke and potato chips but we have not globalized wisdom! It should be compulsory for every nation to give a multi-religious, multi-cultural education to all children. Then not one terrorist will be there in the world.

Q: How can we bring this knowledge, of breathing & meditation that is taught through the Art of Living programs, to low-income families and communities?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, the Art of Living Courses are around $200-$300. This is a very small amount and students and seniors, anyways, pay a reduced fee. There are expenses when courses are organized. The volunteers have to hire a hall, get supplies and pay rent. Nearly 60-70 percent of the course fee is spent on course expenses. Remaining funds go to support service projects in places like post-Katrina New Orleans.
Also, if you offer the course free, people don’t value it. People don’t take responsibility to sit and learn. You can’t do charity from an empty bowl. And there is no point in taking charity to do charity. So our teachers teach these courses for a fee.
Of course anyone who wants to donate to a charitable cause is most welcome, but our donations are only about 15 percent of our total income. Mostly, all our expenses are covered by course fees. And, in case someone says they cannot afford to pay the fee, we never stop them from attending the course. There is always 10-15 percent scholarship in every course. If some of you want to sponsor a course for street kids, we would definitely love to organize that. We have so it in many places across the world.

Q: What would you say to Osama Bin Laden if you were having breakfast with him?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I would bring him in a plane to America and tell him, “Look there are so many beautiful people here in America, what are you doing? ” At that moment I’m not sure exactly what I would say to him, but I am sure I would make an impact on him.

Q: How do we increase willpower?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Meditation and breathing enhance the inner power. These practices get us in touch with ourselves. You know, willpower comes to you with three things.
First, when you love something then you follow through with it. The commitment is there.
Second, where there is some fear there is commitment. If someone says that if you don’t follow this diet you have to have an operation, then you will follow.
Third is greed. If someone tells you, “You do this for a month then you will get a million dollars,” I tell you, you will not miss a single day!
Either through greed or fear or love you follow your commitment. And I feel the last one is better than the other two.

Q: You spoke about education and how it can better the world. Where does God fit into this equation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You don’t need to fit God in anywhere because He is everywhere! Please don’t try to find a place for Him. He is omnipresent. If you think you are going to find a place for Him, He will laugh at you. God is the sum of creation. God is that energy in which we all are. We cannot escape from that energy. God is not someone who is sitting up there in Heaven who punishes you when you do something wrong. He keeps quiet when you do a mistake and then comes with a stick. This idea of God may be there in books, yet to me, God is love. And love is permeating this whole creation in every way, everyone and everything. When you relax and take your mind inwards, you take this power. That is the basis of creation.

Q: If happiness is already inside us, what is the role of a spiritual teacher or teaching?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You want an answer for this question? You have answered your own question my dear! You want an answer. You want someone who answers. Anyone who answers this question for you becomes a teacher! If the question is not there, then no need of an answer. The moment you have come with a question, you are looking for an answer and anyone who gives the answer becomes a teacher. Right? Oh and you can say, “I have a question but I am not a student,” and a teacher can say, “I will give you an answer but I am not a teacher.” Then I would say both are not sincere. It’s like a doctor saying, “I give you medicine but I’m not a doctor, don’t call me a doctor.” It is like a patient saying, “I want medicine but I’m not a patient.”

Q: Can you talk to us about realizing our purpose in life?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This is something everyone has to find for themselves. What is the purpose of our life? You can ask this question but don’t take an answer from anybody. One who knows will not give you an answer and anyone who tries to give you, does not know. That’s the criteria. The very question “What’s the purpose of life?” is very precious. It means a lot to you. If this question has arisen in your mind you can give a big pat to your back because this question can remove the cobwebs from your mind, your confusion. It can remove all those unnecessary things and put you on track again and again and again. There is no single answer. It is a path on which we need to travel. “Who am I, what do I want, what is the purpose of my life?” It will move you forward in life. So give a big pat on your back, “Oh I am so lucky this question came to my mind.” What’s the purpose of life? You know, many don’t even think about this question. They simply exist. They eat, sleep, watch television and then they die.

Q: What is the most important thing a person can do to realize God in their life?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Smile and serve. Smile at yourself. Smile at your own mind and how it vacillates. Watch your mind and smile at your mind. Don’t be swayed by the mind but smile at it and serve the people around you in whatever capacity you can. You don’t have to do things that you cannot do. The world does not expect you to do that which you cannot do. See, if you are not a doctor, nobody expects you to give them medicine. Right? If you are not an engineer, nobody expects you to repair anything. The world expects from you that which you are able to do. And doing what we can is service. We need to do a little bit of service. Whatever we do, a portion of it should go back to society. Everyone should do this. My grandfather took all the gold that was in the house and gave it to Mahatma Gandhi. He sent his family to his in-laws house and stayed in Mahatma Gandhi’s ashram (seva gram) for twenty years serving Mahatma Gandhi. When we came to Bangalore, my grandfather introduced my father to Mahatma Gandhi. My father happened to have his gold chain on his neck. Mahatma Gandhi looked at it and asked “Is this necessary for you?” That gold chain, which was only fifteen grams, was all that was left. Immediately, my father said, “No, not necessary, you can take it. You are doing something for a big cause. You are doing the non-violence movement. This is for the country, for the nation, for the continent.” He immediately gave it to him.
When I was in school, pride was attached to simplicity, to equanimity. When you are equanimous, you are smiling and compassionate. The compassionate person was considered a hero. One who would never lose his temper was considered normal. Today, unfortunately, pride gets attached to aggression and violence. Every hero is very aggressive. So, if a college student is more macho and beats up everybody, he becomes a hero, a role model. This shift in role model is a problem all over the world. We need to bring back spirituality, the spirituality we all grew up with. Have an equanimous and balanced mind. Show compassion to everybody.

Q: How should we confront fraud and corruption?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Lack of a sense of belongingness creates corruption. A lack of friendliness creates frauds. If you have friends, you cannot commit fraud. If you don’t have friends, you feel afraid and then you become a fraud. You cheat others. Would anyone cheat someone whom you really think of as a friend? No. That sense of friendliness has to die away. So the show of friendliness is not true friendship. Isn’t it so? Will you ever cheat a sincere friend of yours? No way! You would give your life to save a friend, but not cheat them. When you don’t really feel the friendliness and sense of belongingness, it is then you will cheat others. So the fear in a person and the ambition to amass for oneself creates fraudulent people and attitudes. Corruption is again through fear. So, I would say we should spiritualize politics, socialize business and secularize religion.

Q: Do you really need to have purpose for life or can you just be happy?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, you have made that as the purpose of your life. You have made being happy your purpose. Correct? You’ve already have a purpose.
Can you be happy if your family is not happy? Can you really be happy if your environment is not happy and people around you are not happy? You know when you expand your vision and awareness, you see that you are a part of everybody. If people around you are suffering you cannot simply shut your eyes and say, ‘I’ll be really happy’. The subtler you go, the more refined you are. The more sensitive you become, you feel for everyone in the world. Not just people, for trees, animals and plants as well. You begin to care for the environment.

Q: How do I learn not to be selfish? Can I learn to act without a lot of self-doubt?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You are already not selfish! You are already out of it, my dear. Just know that you are not selfish. That’s it. Why? Because when you feel you are selfish, something irritates you, you don’t feel comfortable. You feel comfortable when you are at home and in your element. And that is already being generous. You can never cultivate virtues. You simply have them. You have to assume that you have them; then virtues will grow.
You know what is doubt? Doubt is always about something that is positive. Isn’t it? If someone tells you, ‘I love you so much’, you say, “Really?” Yet someone says, ‘I hate you’ and you don’t say this. We never doubt when someone says, ‘I dislike you.’ ‘I too dislike you’, immediately it comes. ‘If you dislike me, I hate you more!’ But if someone says, ‘I love you,’ we say, “Really?” We doubt someone’s integrity. We question someone’s honesty. We never question their dishonesty. We doubt our capabilities. We never doubt our incapabilities or weaknesses. We take our weaknesses as the gospel truth. Similarly when someone asks if we are happy, we say we are not sure! We are never sure about unhappiness but this is never said in regard to depression. If someone asks you if you you depressed, will you say, ‘Well, I am not sure I am depressed.’ No? So sure about your depression! We are certain.
We doubt love. We doubt someone’s honesty. We doubt sincerity. Someone may be sincere all their life and be insincere in one incident. We believe in that insincerity more than their sincerity. Isn’t it? It’s the nature of doubt. That’s why we doubt the existence of God also. God is all truth so we doubt. He may be there or not. When we know the nature of doubt and go through the doubt, something starts to wake up within you. That is what I would call trust.
Trust in yourself. Trust in people around you and the law of nature. This will keep you healthy. Otherwise paranoia takes over the mind. If you can’t believe anybody, you can’t believe your spouse, your children, your neighbors, your friends, your brother. You will find everybody is a cheat and out to get you. Everybody wants something from you. This sort of paranoia shrinks our personality. Peace and spirituality ,I say, are the AC. Just as this room is air-conditioned so that you can feel comfortable sitting here, the spirit and mind function similarly and absolute comfort is called spirituality. AC for the spirit!

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

’Spirituality in Politics, Corporate Social Responsibility in Business and Secularism in Religion will bring peace’

Los Angeles, April 16: Below are the excerpts from Sri Sri’s talk at the Business, Ethics & Spirituality discussion sponsored by the University of Southern California.

In the panel discussion, Sri Sri was joined by John Paul Dejoria, a first generation American-turned-enterpreneur, philanthropist, government officer and an integral part of the business community; and Rob Dyrek, a professional skateboarder, television star, filmmaker, enterpreneur and multi-faceted philanthropist.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A few years ago, it was not considered appropriate for someone spiritual to be in a business setting. Business and spirituality, or business and charity appeared to be poles apart. Essentially, business is to give less and take more. If a banana is worth ten cents, it will be sold for twelve. You take more and you give less in business. However, charity is to give more than you take.

The backbone of business is trust. If trust is broken, business cannot succeed. Greed kills the consciousness. That’s what we saw with the financial crisis. To prevent this, it is essential for companies like John Paul Mitchell Systems to grow. Paul Mitchell is an example that shows that an individual need not be unethical to be rich and successful.

Corruption is the greatest dilemma in the world. Africa has no money to feed its people, yet there are billions in the bank accounts of corrupt politicians. How can the world be so blind to countries where there is such suffering and famine? When we raised this issue in the European Parliament, the office holders said they would send the money back to the African people. Corruption only happens out of a sense of non-belongingness. No one can be corrupt towards the people they belong to. We need to bring a sense of belongingness to every individual. How can that happen? When the mind is stress-free. A stress-free mind is the source of love. We must foster a sense of belongingness that cuts across the prejudice of nationalities and religions. The Art of Living Foundation have such a wide range of programs, so that people can learn how to cultivate a sense of belongingness.

We need to care and share. There have been earthquakes in Haiti, China and elsewhere. Today, businesses are helping out. America is at the forefront in providing aid. You should really congratulate yourselves.

There is a story I want to share. There was an earthquake in Gujarat many years ago. Our volunteers went to work there. They met an elderly lady who had gone to the temple and on her return found that she had lost everyone in her family. She had lost her sons, daughter-in-law and husband. Her home had crumbled. She had only a little amount in her purse which she wanted to give as a donation. Our volunteers refused her donation and said that they had come to give and not take. She said, “Nature has taken everything away from me. Don’t take away my right to give as well. Please accept my contribution, it is my dharma.” Our volunteers had tears in their eyes. When you have and you share, it is not a big deal. When you don’t have and you share, then that is something.

Q: Please speak about wealth.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: As per the ancient scriptures, there are eight types of wealth. Wealth is not only money. Of course, bank balance is wealth, progeny is also a type of wealth, so is health. If you have the confidence that you can create wealth in any situation, even when the economy is not doing well, you will have courage. That courage and confidence is a wealth. The ability to make friends is a wealth. Knowledge is also wealth.

The goddess of wealth, Laxmi, is floating on the lotus. She moves with the wind. The Goddess of knowledge, Saraswati, is on a rock. A rock is stable. Once you have learnt knowledge, you have learnt it for life. Wealth is not an end in itself. It is the means to an end. Wealth, happiness and life are to be shared with all those around.

Today, many people have lost faith. When you lose faith, it takes you within. Every crisis is an opportunity. When all doors are shut and you have nowhere to go, that is when you go within.

Many hurdles and crises come, but you must keep your intention strong. You have to have vision. When you look around, people who break your trust will be few. Those whose values falter will be few. Though sometimes you may shake, but hold on to your vision and mission.

If you don’t want others to cheat you, why should you cheat others? Money is essential, yet you cannot sleep well having only money. Half our health is spent on getting wealth and then we spend half our wealth to get back the health.

Q: How do you define success?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Success is measured by the smiles you have had from the heart. It is the confidence you have to face challenges. When everything goes well you can easily smile. Success is when everything falls apart and yet you can smile. One who manages all challenges that life gives is successful.

Q: Can business be a force to promote peace between nations?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Three dimensions will bring peace. There should be spirituality in politics, corporate social responsibility in business and secularism in religion.
This is deeply ingrained in our minds.Mahatma Gandhi and Nelson Mandela are examples of secularism in religion and spirituality in politics.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Upanishad means sitting close to the Master, not just physically, but also mentally

15 April 2010
Los Angeles, CA, USA

In Sanskrit, Upanishad means sitting close – sitting close to the Master, not just physically, but also mentally. It signifies the finite getting close to the infinite, the known reaching out to the unknown. The Upanishads are dialogues between the Master and student from ages ago. There are nearly 100 Upanishads available today out of which eleven are very important. The Master is the embodiment of wisdom and the student represents a spiritual seeker eager to come closer to wisdom.
There are so many levels of conflict in the universe. Despite these conflicts how does one get mentally close? First, we invoke peace. One can only come mentally close when there is peace. Where there is mistrust and doubt, there can be no transfer or exchange of knowledge. Thus, all of the Upanishads begin with a prayer for three types of peace: - “Om Shanti, Shanti, Shanti” (Shanti is a sanskrit word meaning peace.)
“Let us have peace at the physical level, at the level of thoughts and emotions, and finally the innermost peace of the soul. Let the Divine protect us both and bestow wisdom upon us. Let us not hate one another, but let us come together in peace.”

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Strengthen the roots, broaden your vision and be of service to humanity

(Sri Sri Ravi Shankar’s address at the inauguration of the Art of Living center in Los Angeles on April 14, 2010. A 100-year-old church has been registered as an Art of Living center, and will offer yoga, meditation and encourage service initiatives.)

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This building serves two purposes. First, It will bring excitement, celebration and serenity in the region. Secondly, it will be a place to bring tranquility, contentment and happiness through meditation. This would be such a place where people would come out as a beautiful human being. And this is the purpose of life - To become more and more beautiful from within. Beauty is not just external. It is quality of the spirit that makes you more alive and beautiful. A spiritual center is where we come and the spirit gets uplifted, the body becomes stronger and free from disease, the mind is more focused and energized, and the intellect is free from prejudice. A place where you embrace people from all communities and diverse cultures as your own.
This is a home for everyone. Especially the community here, you are the host and we all belong to you. I would like to tell you that we belong to you and you belong to us. I want every tear to turn into smile, and every youth in this vicinity to take on from here, and make it like a tree which have stronger roots and wider branches. Strengthen the roots, broaden your vision, and be of service to humanity. I wish and pray that the building will give this inspiraton to the people in this entire region. I would like this place to be useful to men, women, children, young, old and everyone.
It is a beautiful moment for all of us. I really congratulate all the volunteers who did such wonderful work. All of them are putting their 100 percent and doing such an excellent job. You know, this can happen only when there is commitment and a strong sense of belonging. When you are happy, you share that happiness with everyone, and you find that happiness when you go deep within yourself.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Spirituality and science go together to bring fulfillment in life

Aukland, New Zealand
5 April 2010
(Series continued)

Q: How do you deal with people who think they are right all the time?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: They may be saying that but they realize when they have taken a wrong step. They cannot justify that they took a wrong turn but they know it. They don’t have courage to admit the wrong thing. So you be compassionate to those who say that they are right all the time.

Q: what is the purpose of life?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: One who knows won’t tell you, and anybody who tells you doesn’t know. It is very important question. Keep it with yourself. You should keep yourself asking this question. This very question will clear the entire cobweb around you, and will keep you on track of what you want and where do you want to go.

Q: As there are no Maya dates in the calendar in the Mayar civilization after 2012, what is going to happen after that? Is there some danger to human civilization?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, the world is going to continue the way it is. It will even get better. There will be shift in the consciousness of people. There will be more compassion and human values, and all the consumerism will take a back seat. That’s what I think.

Q: Is spirituality really related to science?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, Spirituality is saying ‘who am I?’ and science is saying ‘What is this?’ Objective analysis is science and subjective understanding is spirituality. And they go hand in hand. In the East they were never in conflict with each other.
It is said in Bhagvat geeta -Gyan Vigyana triptatma which means you should satisfy yourself through both subjective and scientific knowledge. You will find fulfillment only when both science and spirituality go together.

Q: Who are you and what is your mission?

Sri Sri Ravi Shanakar: I will give this question back to you. And that is my mission - to put this question back to you. Who are you? When you ask yourself who you are, the journey has begun. The spiritual journey just begins with these two questions. Asking others is futile. You ask yourself ‘ who am I?’ and ‘what do I want to do in my life?’.

Q: My mind conflicts between spiritual world and material world. How to overcome this?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: As such there is no conflict. You have to balance your life. Some breathing exercise and yoga would help you long way. Along with this some social work activity - what we call seva in India. We earn and then we spend on our selves. Isn’t it good to give at least 3 - 4% of our earning to those who are in need of it? There are 300 million children in the world who need education. You can also participate in the project. One day in a month, take a time of in a group, and go and help clean the environment. Strengthen the environmental programs and social service activities.

Q: What is causing so many people fall in depression?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If we keep thinking what about ourselves all the time, we will get depressed. You should see what you can do, and how you can contribute to the world.
We all have to work towards having a stress free, violence-free, drug and alcohol free, and healthy society.
Violence free society, disease free body, confusion free mind, inhibition free intellect, trauma free memory and sorrow free soul is the birth right of every individual, and that’s what I have been telling around the world. We are all one family; we all belong to one family.

Q: Is mediation concentrating on some point?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Absolutely not!

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Meditation and breathing exercises cleanse our presence

Aukland, New Zealand
5 April 2010

We can talk about love for one hour, but that doesn’t really translate even one glance of a child. We convey more through our presence than our words. Any sensitive person can make out if someone is greeting you through their heart or just trying to be nice. If our presence is stressed and muddled, then that is what we convey to others. Did you have this experience? You want to avoid certain people. It is the vibrations that a person carries which makes you feel so. We also give similar experience to others if there is stress and tension in our presence. Wisdom is cleansing our presence, not just our words. It makes you happy from within.
A baby smiles from every cell of the body. Baby radiates that love. Perhaps the saying ‘unless you become like a child, you can’t enter the kingdom of my father’ conveys this. Now it is a practical question - how is it possible in today’s complex world?
We can’t behave like a child while going to office, class room or a shopping mall.What you can do to cleanse your presence, is to make it more pleasant, positive but at the same time follow the protocol of society.
That’s where meditation and breathing exercises play the role.
This is what ‘Art of Living’ is.

We will do a short exercise. Turn to the person next to you and tell them that you do not trust them. Can you really do this if it is your spouse?
(Crowd was laughing after doing this exercise)
You said this to someone and you both started laughing. Could you have laughed on that otherwise also if it was not just an exercise? You could laugh because you took it easily. It was just an exercise. Life is like an exercise only. So why are we so bogged down over small petty things? The whole life is a short exercise. You grow up, go to school/college, get married, have kids…and you will die one day. Life is finished in a short span of time. But we become miserable and we make everyone around us miserable. Is this the way to live?
It is very hard to tell someone that I trust you and it is even harder to tell somebody that I don’t trust you. Did you realize that?
Now close your eyes for 30 seconds, and just imagine that everyone around you is telling you that they don’t trust you. How does it feel?
We don’t say it but we walk around in society carrying this thought, especially in urban areas. We create such an atmosphere of mistrust within us and around us. We have to get back to our human and spiritual values. Only then we can create a society which is safe. Today we see terrorism and violence amongst youths. Youth become violent and aggressive, or on the other hand they become depressed and suicidal. If you know any person with depression or undergoing suicidal tendency, immediately contact Art of Living center. Teacher will attend them and in 3 days they will get them out of suicidal tendency. I feel this is very important for youth because youths, esp. student communities are going through the suicidal tendencies in a big way. Also drugs and alcohol results into such a mental derangement, and gives rise to such thoughts.

(Excerpts from Question Answer session)

Q: What is the best way to handle religious conflicts?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Every child should know a little about all cultures and religions in the world. They will start to feel connection with all the cultures. Every child should know a little bit about all religions like Buddhism, Christianity, Islam, Hinduism. They will grow up with a broad mindset.
I feel at home wherever I go in the world. I feel connected, and everyone can do that because we all have that need to be connected. In fact you don’t have to make an effort, we are anyway connected.
I still remember an incident some 25 years ago, in Manchester, UK. A small girl came to me and asked: ‘Why cannot human beings connect with everyone else in the world?’ I told her this is because we are so stuck in our identities. It’s good to have identity but we have to grow beyond that.

Q: I find it difficult to like my wife. How can I make myself love her to have a fulfilling life together?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I cannot speak on that because I have no experience. But I have a suggestion for you.
Tip for women: Never step on the ego of your man. You should always pump the ego of a man. You should not put him under pressure to prove his love for you. The whole world demands a man to prove himself. At home he should come and simply relax. At many times men cannot express their love the way women may wish. You should ask him why he loves you so much even if he doesn’t, and then he will start loving you really. Don’t put him under pressure to prove his love for you. This is very important.
For men: Never step on the emotions of your wife. She may complain to you about her family, but if you join her, she will spin around. It is a very delicate area. Be politically correct. Don’t say a word about her family because it’s very dear to her. Also don’t stop her if she wants to go on pilgrimage, temple, meditation or a spiritual program. If she wants to go for shopping just give her your credit card. Then you will have peace at home.

Q: I find it difficult to forgive my sister who had been very abusive to me?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Regarding the inability to forgive somebody, there are 6.5 billion people on this planet. Don’t forgive the 6.5 billon but just forgive this one person.
You know inside every culprit there is a victim crying for help. You must understand that they are victims of situation and circumstances. They didn’t have that knowledge. They were never exposed to higher knowledge so they made mistake. Just reading books and understanding doesn’t help to get out of violent tendencies. These have to be fixed through meditation, breathing exercises and yoga.
Prisoners say that ‘the Art of Living’ is responsible for their being in the prison. If the ‘Art of living’ had given them this knowledge earlier, they wouldn’t have landed in the prison. Their life would have been much different’.And I agree with them.

Q: It is quoted in every spiritual book that everything happens according to God’s wish. Then where does doing good or bad come from? If everything is decided by God only then what are we doing here, and what are our duties?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Everything has been decided for animals. But humans have been given the sense of discrimination. God gave the human beings freedom to chose, to chose between right and wrong. Right is something that gives you long term happiness, may be at the cost of short term sufferings. The wrong is something that gives you short term joy and long term sufferings.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Life is a journey where you turn question in to wonder

Aukland, New Zealand

5 April 2010

Life comes to us like a gift, a very charming gift, but we seldom open it.
It’s all about opening ourselves and being open. Life is a gift wrapped in golden paper which is waiting for each one of us to unwrap it.
So how are we all today?
We need to be in an informal atmosphere to know something about ourselves and some deep wisdom. Formal atmosphere is not conducive for knowledge. So why not take a moment to greet the person next to you, greet them and say whatever. Hi.. How are you..I belong to you…
Now I have a question for you. Did you really greet the person sitting next to you, or did you do it as a formality! Most of the time we exchange pleasantries, we really don’t mean it. Isn't it so? Most of our pleasantries and conversation to the people are on superficial level. It’s almost like air hostess telling you ‘have a nice day’!
The same words that come to you from your grandmother carry some energy, some vibrations, and some presence. Life becomes so dry and world become so un-charming if we relate ourselves with everybody around us with very superficial level of Hi or Hello all the time. In the coming decade the biggest challenge in the world will be mental depression. Belongingness can create better atmosphere and environment around us. It is on us to create that environment.
Feeling at home, wherever and with whomsoever you are, is what I would call true evolution of human beings. For that, we need to take a look within ourselves. Just a glance within ourselves to know what is it that is bothering us, and restraining our capacity to connect with everyone around us.
You know a baby smiles 400 times a day, a teenager only smiles 17 times, and an adult hardly smiles. We don’t smile from our hearts, what is wrong with us? It is the stress and the tension that we carry on. Can’t we all dream of a world which is free from stress and violence? Are you willing to dream with me this time? Can we have a stress free society and stress free ourselves? First we need to have a dream, a vision and then work towards realizing it.

(Rest of Sri Sri’s words before the beginning of question answer session will be in the next post)

Q: I see lots of people around me and I do not know why they have come here. Even I am sitting here and I have no clue why I am here. Is it because of some hollowness within me?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This is more of a wonder then a question. I leave that wonder with you. Life should be full of wonders and it’s good to wonder.
Every wonder is nothing but a question which is not looking for an answer. Life is a journey where you turn question in to wonder.

Q: Does spirituality necessarily lead to inner peace and happiness?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Definitely spirituality is for peace. Peace, happiness, Joy and compassion - all these virtues are qualities of the spirit. There is not a single person on this planet who is not a spiritual seeker. You know why? Because everybody is seeking peace, love and happiness, and this is what spirit is.
In India we say Satyam Shivam Sundaram. Satyam - truth, Shivam - Divine, and Sundaram - beauty. The divine is beauty, and the divine is the truth. So wherever you see beauty, behind that there is a consciousness from which the whole universe is coming into existence.
Have you heard of String theory in physics? If you study quantum physics you will find as if you are studying Vedanta – an ancient wisdom. The two are exactly the same.

Q: What made God alive? When did you start believing in God? Have you seen God? What does God look like?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This same question was asked 10,000 years ago by a little boy of 8-9 years old to his father.
The boy to his father: What is God and how does God Look like?
His father takes him by hand and brings him out of his house, and asked him what was there at the place of their house before it was built.
The boy said ‘Space’.
Father: Where is the house built?
Boy: space.
Father: What will exist and what will remain when this house will demolish?
Boy: space.
Father: That is God.
God is not a person sitting somewhere. It is so depicted in paintings only. God is love, God is the space in which everything exists, from which everything has come into existence, and in which everything dissolves. God is the space, joy, and love, which is all pervading. The space around you is not the dead space. It is filled with energy and intelligence. That energy and intelligence is divinity. It is everywhere –your inside as well as your outside.
Most of the native cultures of the world have the same concept. They say God is in the mountains, in the rivers, in the flowers, in the trees, in the animals, and in the human beings. God is love. You can feel it but cannot see it. You can experience that enormous energy when you go deep in meditation.

Q: His Holiness, how can I concentrate in spite of my workload? At times, I get so upset and disturbed with customers’ complaints, esp. with those which are totally untrue.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Complaints are opinions. Listen to them carefully, and if there is something good in it then you can take that. If it is just a biased opinion, smile at them. That’s my policy. You can take something on board. I suggest you should take criticism with open mind, and also give criticism with open mind. You should never be shy about criticism.
What is great is, when you can smile at complaints. That means you have achieved something.

Q: Does man create wealth for security, or insecurity?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Wealth is the means, but if it becomes a goal in itself, then it leads to insecurity.

Q: How can you learn to make clear and honest judgments? Why do enlightened beings still retain a personality after enlightenment?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Personality is the one that people perceive. The whole journey of life is from being somebody to becoming nobody, and from being nobody to be a part of everybody. If someone is stuck with the idea of personality, there is less scope for them to grow.
Everything is changing. People change, their ideas change. Let us acknowledge this basic fact. So, if you have judged, then even your judgment can change.

Q: How does one develop intuitive powers while making a decision?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Intuitive power is like a gut feeling, and to get clear intuitive power you must mediate. Without meditation your intuition will be vague, it won’t be intuition at all.

(The next part will be covered in the coming post)

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Your luck increases when you do service

Rishikesh, India
14 march 2010

Q: Apart from the joy one gets in service, is there anything else also that one gets?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You get what you call good luck. Doing service increases your luck. But doing service in order to enhance luck will be cheating. You do service because you cannot live without that.

Do whatever you can in your capacity.

Q: I often talk to you in heart. How do I satisfy myself that my words have reached you?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: My job is not to satisfy you but to make you restless to get the Highest knowledge. In that restlessness you achieve awareness.

Q: I cannot think of moving away from the ‘Art of Living’. Is it attachment or restlessness of soul?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Once you have learnt a language and started to converse in it, you cannot forget that language. Same way once you have acquired knowledge, there is no question of losing it. It gets solidified in you.
Ancient people of India were so intelligent that they kept Laxmi(goddess of wealth) on lotus, and Saraswati(goddess of knowledge) on stone. Lotus does not remain stable on the surface of water and it moves as the water moves. But a stone is solid and stable. Once you get knowledge, it becomes part of you, not only for this lifetime but also for lifetimes to come.

Q: Is religion necessary to get deep into spirituality?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Religion is different from communism. Being religious means being compassionate, honest and not treating others as you do not want to be treated as.

Q: I feel fear of you leaving me. What can I do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When Earth, air, Sun, stars cannot leave you, then how can I do that!

Q: Does time and mind have any relation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You should read the book ‘Celebrating Silence’ or ‘An intimate note to the sincere seeker’.

Q: How do I know that I have acquired knowledge?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: How do you know if you have some pain in the body? How do you know that you love somebody? How do you know you are feeling fear? It is inbuilt. Same way you get to know. When you get knowledge joy, happiness, cleanliness, sweetness, sincerity, integrity, all reflect by itself.

Q; How should be a disciple’s relation with the master?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What relation you want to have with yourself? A relation in which you are natural and without any hesitation.

Q: What is the difference between rest and laziness?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What you get after doing work is rest. Doing nothing and keep lying down is not rest. You feel restless in this state.

Q: Present moment is inevitable. In spite of this knowledge the mind oscillates between past and present. What to do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Is it better than before? Once you are here it will continue to get better.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Q: Apart from the joy one gets in service, is there anything else also that one gets?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You get what you call good luck. Doing service increases your luck. But doing service in order to enhance luck will be cheating. You do service because you cannot live without that.
Do whatever you can in your capacity.

Q: I often talk to you in heart. How do I satisfy myself that my words have reached you?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: My job is not to satisfy you but to make you restless to get the Highest knowledge. In that restlessness you achieve awareness.

Q: I cannot think of moving away from ‘Art of Living’. Is it attachment or restlessness of soul?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Once you have learnt a language and started to converse in it, you cannot forget that language. Same way once you have acquired knowledge, there is no question of losing it. It gets solidified in you.
Ancient people of India were so intelligent that they kept Laxmi(goddess of wealth) on lotus, and Saraswati(goddess of knowledge) on stone. Lotus does not remain stable on the surface of water and it moves as the water moves. But a stone is solid and stable. Once you get knowledge, it becomes part of you, not only for this lifetime but also for lifetimes to come.

Q: Is religion necessary to get deep into spirituality?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Religion is different from communism. Being religious means being compassionate, honest and not treating others as you do not want to be treated as.
Q: I feel fear of you leaving me. What can I do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When Earth, air, Sun, stars cannot leave you, then how can I do that!

Q: Does time and mind have any relation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You should read the book ‘Celebrating Silence’ or ‘An intimate note to the sincere seeker’.

Q: How do I know that I have acquired knowledge?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: How do you if you have some pain in the body? How do you know you love somebody? How do you know you are feeling fear? It is inbuilt. Same way you get to know. When you get knowledge joy, happiness, cleanliness, sweetness, sincerity, integrity, all reflect by itself.

Q: How should be a disciple’s relation with the master?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What relation you want to have with yourself? A relation in which you are natural and without any hesitation.

Q: What is the difference between rest and laziness?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What you get after doing work is rest. Doing nothing and keep lying down in tamogun is not rest. You feel restless in this state.

Q: Present moment is inevitable. In spite of this knowledge the mind oscillates between past and present. What to do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Is it better than before? Once you are here it will continue to get better.

There is no joy that dispassion cannot give you

10 March 2010,
Rishikesh, India

Q: How to be free from jealousy and ego?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Antidote to jealousy is the knowledge that everybody is going to die. You and the person, whom you are jealous with, are both going to die. There can be a little difference of time but this is going to happen.
If ego bothers you then keep it with you thinking that God has given it you. Why are you disturbing yourself thinking it as yours? It is another big problem to get rid of ego. Being natural is an antidote to ego. You can do an experiment. Do some stupidity in front of ten people and accept your mistake. Few people will say something here and there, and gone is your ego. If it still bothers you then just think God has given you ego because of some reason. Don’t get too much stuck with it.

Q: If we are dispassionate in life then we won’t remain ambitious in life. To what extent is this true?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I don’t use the word dispassion much because it has been distorted so much. I have seen so called dispassionate people who have no glow or happiness on their face. Dispassion means absence of any kind of feverishness but a joy is there. Adi Shankaracharya has beautifully said that there is no joy which dispassion cannot give you. Dispassion means - You don’t run after joy but you are joyful from within.

Q: I am an ‘Art of Living’ teacher. How do I feel I have done enough service? I always feel I could do more for society?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Parents never feel that they have given enough to their child, esp. to the girl child. The nature of love is like that. Whatever you do in love, you feel you have not done enough. Know that there is something lacking if you feel you have done enough. It is manifestation of love which makes you feel that you can do more. Love is continuous and it never ends.

Q: Is it important to get married? How do I know that someone is right for me or not?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You have to decide if you want to get married or not. This is something that neither your parents nor your Guru should decide. With whom, that also you decide. This includes decision of both you and the person whom you want to get married to. What I say in this is ‘Choice is yours, blessing is mine’.

Q: What is the aim of life? If soul is eternal then what is life all about?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: To know this, you can make a list of what is not aim of your life.
Being sad or making anybody sad is not aim of your life. Only eating, drinking and sleeping is not aim of your life. Though we need all this for living but that is not life.

Q: Do you think it is right to have 33 percent reservation for women?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: In my opinion it is best to have 50 percent reservation for women. We should have equal number of males and females in society also. Then only balance is maintained. Imbalance in the ratio will give rise to crime in society. So ratio has to be same. This is the law of nature and we should follow it.
It is best to have 50 percent females in parliament but it is good that 33 percent are there to start with.

Q: What is inner peace?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The thoughtless state, peace and joy that you experience after Sudarshan Kriya is inner peace.

Q: What is Enlightenment?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: The book ‘Celebrating Silence’ contains little excerpts on many topics. You read that and then we will discuss about it.

Q: What to do with negative thoughts?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is ok to have negative thoughts at times. When you think a negative thought should never arise, then you encourage it. Accept even the most negative though that comes to you. Then you find it is not even there. It is just a dim energy.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

Meditation is to be in a 'YES' mind

Bali,

2 APRIL

Q. At times I feel totally disheartened. What should I do?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Sometimes we feel like giving up, frustrated. It is because of stress. That time do not take any decisions. You may regret it. Come back to yourself first.

Q: How can I get close to you?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Assume that you are close to me. It is you who thinks you are not close.

Q: Is there life on other planets?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There is plenty of life on this planet. Let us handle this. Then we can move to other planets!

Q: How do we know what to do in life?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: First know what not to do. It’s easier. Purpose of life is not to be miserable and make others miserable. It is a gut feeling. Chose which gives you long term happiness even if it gives short term misery. Choosing that which gives you long term misery and short term joy is not wise.

Q: last night you told me that choice is mine blessing is yours. Does that mean whatever I decide, your blessing is there?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You are putting me in a tough situation. If it is related to your profession then choice is yours, blessing is mine. If it is a relationship, then also choice is yours and blessing is mine.

Q: What is the significance of asking if all the answers come from within?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What if I don’t answer? What is the purpose of all answers? So that the mind says YES! The purpose of all questions and all answers is to bring our mind to YES consciousness. That is meditation - to be in YES mind!

Q: I feel like I am not doing enough service as compared to the blessings I have received.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Keep going!

Q: Is homosexuality wrong and to be changed or is it life’s variety?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is a tendency. Many times it changes. So don’t label it. It is there now. It may not be there later. You are a combination of your mother & your father. We have genes of your mother as well as father. Sometimes male tendencies dominate, and sometimes female. Preferences may be stronger for some. Don’t feel guilty or blame yourself. Rise above it. You are not only flesh. You are light around the wig of flesh. Shift from gender to genderless spirit, it gives you such ease.

Q: I have seen people blessing the food. What is the significance of blessing food?

Sri Sri Ravi Shanakar: The carrots, noodles, salad that you ate yesterday are now listening to me. They are sitting here. Everything is alive in this universe in some way or the other. So today, when you have lunch, look at the food and welcome it to satsang tonight, to sing and to dance. Ancient people knew this and that is why they said to bless the food. Thought is nothing but a quantum of energy and consciousness. Food absorbs thought. So, bless the food today for lunch. Don’t think negative while eating. That is where the negative cycle begins. It is very scientific.

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

There is that instant when all 53 billion cells in your body, all of them communicate in one go.

Japanese Cultural Center of Hawaii
Honolulu, Hawaii
April 9, 2010, 7:00 pm

Ramsay Taum (Director of External Relations & Community Partnerships, University of Hawaii at Manoa and Chairman of the Board of Sustain Hawaii) started the evening by reciting an Hawaiian chant. He then spoke about the connections between Hawaii and Indian culture.

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Thank you very much. Mahalo! ( A Hawaiian word meaning Thanks). It is nice to hear the same thing from a different perspective. It's so interesting how all cultures in the world have common threads. Like Ramsay spoke about the word "Eee" (in the Hawaiian language) similarly in Sanskrit each letter symbolizes a particular element. There are five elements in nature: earth, water, fire, air and ether. Then there is the mind, intellect and ego or the identity. Then comes the non-changing, unifying spirit called maha.

When we greet each other mahalo, that is a step beyond the ego and we find unification. Ma represents that which you know. Children's first word in life is ma. A child sees beyond the identity of me to a larger identity. It is interesting that there is an underlying unity in all the cultures around the world.

Life is both a secret and sacred. In ancient civilizations, anything that was sacred was considered secret. But in today's modern civilization there is shame in the secret. Secret and shame are associated with one another. In ancient civilizations, humility was associated with pride. Today, violence is associated with pride. Aggression is associated with pride. There is a big contrast.

So to know something very deep about ourselves or to understand something very close to our heart we need to be in a cordial and informal environment. You know, we often greet people but our greeting doesn't carry the vibrations. It's almost like an air hostess greeting you when you leave an aircraft with “have a nice day.” It doesn't mean anything. There is something that is beyond the words. There is something deep inside us which we use sometimes to communicate. In that instant all 53 billion cells in your body, all of them communicate in one go.

You know when someone is drowning, at that moment they are totally alive; because the whole body, every cell is so alive, because at that moment they want to live. There is something deep within us that when turned on takes us to a different dimension. At that moment observe what the quality of our breath, our mind, our heart is. If there is a fire in the building, then what happens? Something wakes up in the whole system. Correct? And similarly when we are in deep love with something, the nature, creation, the creator we are in wonder. Then there is a quality to our consciousness.

As a baby you had this quality. You lived almost sixteen or seventeen hours in that state of awe. That’s why babies laugh a lot, smile a lot. But as we grow older we get stuck in memory cycles. We learned and we got stuck, and we learned more and got stuck again. Then by the time you are in your twenties you can’t learn anything anymore. You are in state where you are far away from learning about anything.

Now the question is, is it possible for us to revert back to that state of awe, wonder and learning and still age? Anything that takes us in this direction is the spiritual path. A spiritual pattern should keep you enthusiastic, alive, happy and living moment to moment with a lot of energy.

One thing is to know that we are all connected another is to feel we are connected. Now, there is a danger in feeling we are all connected. Somewhere somebody has a problem. In the world most people have problems. There are very few people without problems. Just imagine, you will be in a constant state of botheration because every time someone is bothered you are bothered. You need skill, the skill of being compassionate yet not getting affected. For example, a doctor treats sick people all the time but doesn’t get sick himself/herself. A doctor is not supposed to. At least for that period when he is sick, he is not a doctor. He’s a patient. So a doctor has to remain a doctor and not turn into a patient.

Even here the solution is following a spiritual path. Certain practices insulate you, yet retain your sensitivity at the same time. This needs training and education. We all have ten fingers and though everyone has the ability, only a few can play the guitar. Only those few who have learned how to play the guitar or the flute or the trombone can play it.

Nature does not reveal itself until there is a certain maturity in our hearts. Until the time our mind is totally in the present moment, our vision about the future and the past gets limited. When the mind starts being in the present moment more and more it gains the ability to search through all the rough, pleasant and unpleasant impressions. This gives a certain level of equanimity and nature reveals more of its secrets. This is such a beautiful thing.

Our breath is a connecting factor to the whole creation. Breath in Sanskrit equals prana. Prana is not exactly breath but the life-force energy connected with the breath. We are all floating in an ocean of prana, an ocean of life-force. Now this changes all the time. The quality of prana changes all the time.

When our breath through the left nostril is dominant, the right brain is more active. When our breath through the right nostril is dominant, the left brain is more active. So now if your breath is going through the left then you grasp whatever intellectual discussions are going on. When it shifts to the right and the left brain starts functioning, you will rather just sit and sing or enjoy music.

Many times you may walk into a place that plays music and you notice that your breath shifts. Similarly, if you go to a meditation place or sit in a place where people have meditated you find both nostrils are functioning. Only when both nostrils are functioning equally then meditation can happen. So the ancient people studied a lot about the breath.

Putting your attention wherever you want to, you can know what is happening there. There’s a lot of knowledge in this. Every time you know more you find there is so much more to know about life. That’s why life is an unending secret, something so sacred.

Sri Sri then led the audience through sukshma yoga(a subtle form of yoga that has a very relaxing effect) for those who were tired after a long day at work . After the relaxing yoga session he led the audience through a meditation

Q: How do I tame the ego?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: For God’s sake, don’t tame it. Don’t meddle with it. Don’t do anything with it. If you find you have one, just keep it in the pocket. If you try to tame the ego then that must be the biggest ego. What the ego cannot tolerate is being ignored. The antidote for ego is to be natural. Be simple like a child. And if you find it is still bothering you, just let it be.

Q: Please elaborate on the concept of letting go. How does one let go physically, mentally and emotionally?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just take a deep breath and hold. Don’t let go. You can’t but let go. It is inevitable at some point in time you will have to let go. How to let go? Hold your fist and keep it tight. How long can you do this?

Q: Why are some people greedy and cruel? Can we change them or must we learn to accept?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Some people don’t know how beautiful they are. Inside every culprit there is a victim crying for help. If you heal the victim, that culprit will be healed. No one is born as a violent person. One becomes violent due to lack of proper education on non-violence.

Q: What is special about this meditation practice compared to others?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It makes you ordinary and it can happen only to ordinary people. If you think you are special, this meditation cannot happen. And that is what is so special about it.

Q: Please speak on love. Also, how is discipline best exercised?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Here again you cannot force yourself to love something or not love something. Just relax and be yourself.
Discipline can only be required in three situations. You don’t need discipline when there is love. When you love something you don’t need to discipline yourself to do it, right? The second situation is when there is fear. If you fear you are going to have nervous breakdown that fear will make you do what is required. Third is greed. If someone offers you one million dollars to do something thing for one week, you would not miss one day of doing that thing. So greed, fear and love keep you in discipline.

Q: When one achieves higher levels of consciousness, what is the effect on the body and how does the use of the body change?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There’s this proverb. ‘You chop wood and carry water before enlightenment and you chop wood and carry water after enlightenment.’ Our consciousness impacts our body and our body impacts our consciousness. It is a very dear relationship.

Q: What does it take to accomplish ones destiny?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Faith, faith that you can accomplish your destiny.

Q: Do you believe our world leaders can create peaceful and loving solutions to world problems or are they economically motivated by a select group of individuals?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I think you have given the answer in the question. Both question and answer together. I find there are many good world leaders who want to do something for our society but they feel constrained. They feel helpless. Many times they cannot do what they want to do because they are trapped in a system. The system doesn’t allow them to do what they want to do. And there are others for whom their position or party matters more than the welfare of the people. Their eyes are on the next coming election, the needs of their political party, their political agenda rather than the larger interest of the people in the long term. Even if they think of the bigger issues they are unable to take action as their political agenda stands in front of them.
A ruler cannot become a reformer. Rulers do not work with reform. And those who work with reform cannot become rulers. They have different roles. Reformers and rulers should work together.

Q: Can you speak on the subject of marriage and our attachment to this idea?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: I’m not so qualified to speak about marriage; I have no experience of it! It is an important institution which teaches you how to accept and move on in life, how to care for and share with another and to be shared and cared. I can give you some tips.

At the end of the talk, Sri Sri invited everyone to visit India.
Mahalo!

“That which you cannot express is Love.
That which you cannot reject/renounce is Beauty.
That which you cannot avoid is the Truth.”

~ Sri Sri Ravishankar

For Global Spirituality