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.”
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
