Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Q: Guruji, why do I feel so lazy all the time?

2012-01-29T08:21:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: Guruji, why do I feel so lazy all the time?
Sri Sri: You cannot feel lazy all the time. If there is some charm, then all laziness disappears. If there is a vision, then also laziness disappears. Otherwise if your sugar is low or vitamin D is low then laziness comes.
So there are many factors for laziness. Food is one of the basic reasons for laziness.

Q: How to handle my negative emotions?

2012-01-29T06:22:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: How to handle my negative emotions?
Sri Sri: Sudarshan Kriya is the best way to handle negative emotions. Ujjayi breathing, pranayama, meditation, all this works. Isn’t it working?!

Q: What does silence mean?

2012-01-29T04:21:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: What does silence mean?
Sri Sri: (Guruji kept silent for a couple of seconds)… got it?!

Q: Guruji, when are you going to come to my city?

2012-01-29T02:21:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: Guruji, when are you going to come to my city?
Sri Sri: Oh, don’t ask me when I will come. I have everything in abundance, except time. I want to go to many places but time is very short. I have not gone to many places in a long time. I have not visited Africa in a long time. I have not been to England in the last five years. I have to go to Gaza; never been to Portugal, never been to Ukraine. I have invitations from so many places. From South America, they are asking me every day. What to do?!

Q: In order to bring change in the system it is said you should get into the system.

2012-01-29T00:43:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: In order to bring change in the system it is said you should get into the system. But when we are in the system we are in a position where we don’t want to upset the people who are working with us, then how do we bring change?
Sri Sri: For that you should have skill.
Truth does not mean rudeness. Often people who think they are just being truthful are very rude. Rudeness blocks communication and can disturb the harmony. It also destroys the sense of listening. For anybody to hear you, you should have their ears first for listening. If you block the listening however correct you are it just doesn’t get absorbed. They don’t take it.
So to buy someone’s ear you should not be rude. And if you are rude you cannot buy someone’s ear. You can be firm but you cannot afford to be rude. And often we don’t know the line between firmness and rudeness. That is the problem.

Q: Jai Gurudev. How many types of Gitas are there and what are they?
Sri Sri: Yes there is Uddhava Gita, Anu Gita, Guru Gita, Gopi Geet. Like these there are many Gitas.

Q: Guruji, is worrying about the future something totally wrong?

2012-01-28T23:11:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: Guruji, is worrying about the future something totally wrong?
Sri Sri: No, worry about the future of the whole planet and worry about the destiny of humanity. Worry about human values, worry about the increasing corruption, worry about all these big things. I also worry about the planet.

But worry should not take away your smile, your enthusiasm and your energy to do things now.
Q: How to overcome sadness, depression and negative thoughts?
Sri Sri: Sudarshan Kriya, meditation and knowledge will help.

Q: Is complete freedom possible?
Sri Sri: Yes!

Q: Why do you wear a beard?

2012-01-28T22:14:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: Why do you wear a beard?
Sri Sri: I am too lazy to shave every day. I thought I can spend that time doing something else.
In India, people who are in the spiritual field, either they shave everything or keep everything. This is the uniform, so I prefer to keep everything.
But it is not a big deal, tomorrow I can take everything off, but I won’t change. I will be the same.
Don’t go by one’s external appearance and dress, this is secondary. What is primary is what is inside. How pure the heart is and how clear the head is; clarity and purity. And remember we are all born with such pure hearts. I have maintained it that is all the difference. Many have not maintained what they were born with, but I maintained it somehow. I refuse to grow up!

Q: What do I do if I cannot afford the courses and they are expensive for me?

2012-01-28T21:14:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: What do I do if I cannot afford the courses and they are expensive for me?
Sri Sri: Definitely you can do it. Talk to the teacher or the volunteer and they will give you a scholarship. We never stop anybody because they cannot afford.
Talk to the teachers and they will do something.
Q: Dearest Guruji, could you talk about healing?
Sri Sri: Healing happens naturally. When your prana (energy) level is high that can be transmitted and healing does happen.

Q: Guruji, what is happening with our monetary system...

2012-01-28T20:44:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: Guruji, what is happening with our monetary system and with the economy in the world? There is so much debt and there is a debt crisis. Also do we still need capitalism?
Sri Sri: You know there is enough wealth in the world. It is just the greed of few people, that they make the market fluctuate and economy crash. All this is happening.
If there are some basic reforms in the share market, the economy in the world would become so much better and stable, and prosperity for everyone will come.

Q: What to do if I cannot let go of a very painful relationship?

2012-01-28T20:10:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: What to do if I cannot let go of a very painful relationship? I just cannot let go.
Sri Sri: Okay, what can you do? Hold on to it!
How much can you hold on? Sooner or later you have to let go and the faster you do it, the better it is. And what can help you to do it faster is wisdom. Wake up and see everything is changing. Meditation will definitely help. I usually say that we repair the broken hearts here. It gets back to the very same position it was in the beginning. No scars and no pain.

Q: Could you please speak about the burn out which is happening in the society...

2012-01-28T19:14:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: Could you please speak about the burn out which is happening in the society including each individual, and the burn out of the planet which is showing in climatic problems, etc. What do you see as a solution for mankind?
Sri Sri: More values, ethics and morality in society.
When human values go up, when people start relating to each other as human beings and when we consider the whole world as one family having a sense of belongingness to everybody then the whole atmosphere can change. Isn’t it so?
I have been all over the world but I have never felt not at home anywhere. I have always felt at home with everybody and I feel that everyone can feel that way too. Care for the planet and care for the people. What do you all say?
You watch the news and you see so many people are being killed every day. See what is happening in Sudan. Just now, before coming on to the stage I saw the news; five thousand eight hundred people have been killed in Syria in the last seven to eight months. It is so inhuman to do such things.
I feel that they don’t know how to live, they don’t know the art of living; they only know the art of killing. We need to teach people how to live in harmony; how to love, rather than fight and destroy each other and destroy the planet. It is very painful, isn’t it?
Anyone with a little bit of heart, looking at all this violence will say, ’oh, my God, there is not enough time to express one’s love, where is the time to kill and fight with each other for nothing. Everybody is any way going to die.’
For what? For just a few more dollars kill each other. Unfortunate!

Q: Is it okay to lie to a child that Santa Claus brings him presents for Christmas?

2012-01-28T18:11:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

: Is it okay to lie to a child that Santa Claus brings him presents for Christmas?
Sri Sri: Yes, children when they grow up they will know. They will realize the truth.

Q: It relates to a poem of yours. There are a few lines which say, ‘The clouds become so beautiful; noise becomes a beautiful melody, and rain becomes a fluid sun shine.’ How to change the perceptions so that we can live like that?
Sri Sri: When inside changes, outside becomes beautiful. All is wonderful.

Q: How to love people even if you don’t like them?

2012-01-28T17:17:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: How to love people even if you don’t like them?
Sri Sri: Oh, I don’t have an experience of this but I can still try to give you an answer.
Don’t try to love them. First stop disliking them.
Why you dislike them? Because of some qualities.
Now imagine why they have those qualities; because of lack of education.
They also came to this world like a baby, so happy like you. But why they have these negative qualities is because of no proper background, no education, a lot of insecurity, right.
If someone is nasty or arrogant, it is because they are insecure. They have not had love in their lives.
If one is greedy, it is because they are insecure and fearful. Why is there fear? Because there is no love.
So when you see all the negative qualities in them, it is because of lack of education. They had no spirituality, they have had no love in their lives and the mind is too small.
So you will stop disliking them first, right.
This is a fact! Why somebody is like that or why someone is cruel? Why someone is violent? It is because they are so stressed and the mind is small. It can’t think big. And why is it so? Because of lack of education and lack of spirituality. This opportunity was not given to them. They were never given education where love, non-violence, happiness were all taught, correct! So their mind and heart is closed.
So when you find this, you will stop disliking them. And the next step is you will have compassion, ‘oh, poor thing!’
They don’t have the vision to see life and see others. They make wrong judgments all the time and think bad about others and behave badly and hurt themselves. So when you understand that these are the factors that lead them to that type of behavior, you get compassion.
So, don’t try to love them. Stop disliking them and then have compassion. Then the third step automatically is you can’t but love everybody.
And no need to force yourself to love somebody whom you dislike. You should not do that.

Q: When you go through a phase where there is a circle of worry and fear...

2012-01-28T16:17:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: When you go through a phase where there is a circle of worry and fear, what is the best way to handle it?
Sri Sri: Just your own experience. ‘I have gone through this many a times, okay, another one more time.’ That makes you numb to it. You become sort of immune to it, if it is happening over and over again.
It is our greed, our possessiveness and the aggression in us that brings us all this. If you are content, happy and centered, everything will flow to you. You don’t have to go and grab something; things will come your way. Do you see what I am saying? This is why this world is called ‘Maya’. Do you know what Maya means? When you try to go and grab it, it runs away from you. If you try to possess or if you try to grab something, it just runs away from you.
If you are stable, still and content within yourself then everything runs towards you. That is why I have said from the very beginning, if you follow joy, misery follows you and if you follow knowledge, fun follows you.

Q: Guruji, where do souls come from?

2012-01-28T15:17:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: Guruji, where do souls come from?
Sri Sri: Where do all these planets come from? Where do these flowers come from? Where do animals come from? Where do you come from? It is amazing how in the universe there are so many types of people, so many flowers, so many fruits, so many animals, so many mosquitoes, so many viruses; my goodness! It is such an amazing world, right?!

Q: Are our emotions linked with age?
Sri Sri: Yes. They are linked with hormones in the body and they are also linked with time, age and so many other factors.

Q: I read your book in which you said, ‘if you think you have to make a decision you are confused.’ I still feel confused.

2012-01-28T14:41:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: I read your book in which you said, ‘if you think you have to make a decision you are confused.’ I still feel confused. What to do?
Sri Sri: Yes, when you think you have to make a decision that means you are confused and you have not decided. If you have decided you won’t say you need to decide.
If you say, ‘I am hungry’, that means you have not eaten. If you have eaten then you are not hungry, correct. And my job is to confuse you and not to convince anybody.
Every time you are confused you grow one step higher, so it is good.

Q: What is compassion?

2012-01-28T14:17:00.001+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: What is compassion?
Sri Sri: Oh, if you don’t know it, you have no chance to know it.
You already know it, you simply wanted a definition and compassion is much beyond definitions so I cannot define it.

Q: When I close my eyes, often visions come.
Sri Sri: Let them come, no problem.

Q: When you meditate, is the aim not to think of anything?

2012-01-28T13:17:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: When you meditate, is the aim not to think of anything?
Sri Sri: Correct, you just be with the instructions and you will get that deeper experience. You are not trying to think or focus on anything; just be.

Q: What to do with the disbelief and so many concerns when you feel the heart is closed to knowledge?
Sri Sri: See when you said that you always seek to analyze then you are already out of it. Whenever you say that I am too judgmental that means you are already out of it, got it. With age and experience and with meditation you grow bigger than that, yes. You grow out of it.
Already look back and see, five years ago how judgmental you were and how you are now. There is so much difference, right?!

Q: How can I get in touch with my soul?

2012-01-28T12:11:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: How can I get in touch with my soul?
Sri Sri: Meditation. Be still and you are in touch with your spirit.

Q: What is personal Karma, do animals have it also?
Sri Sri: Animals don’t have Karma. The strongest impressions in the mind create a situation that is Karma. These are of three types:
Karma is the impression in the mind. Karma is the action that is happening now and Karma is a future impression that the action might create.

Q: What is the difference between sleep and meditation?
Sri Sri: Sleep is dullness, meditation is awareness. Both give rest but a different quality of rest. After meditation when you come out, you feel very soft and very nice in your whole body and mind. After sleep you could feel a little heavy and a little dull. Could be, not necessary.

Q: How can we know that we are following and fulfilling our destiny?

2012-01-28T11:11:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: How can we know that we are following and fulfilling our destiny?
Sri Sri: Something in your gut feeling will tell you.
How do you know if you have eaten enough? How do you know you slept enough? In the same way when you are doing the right thing your heart will tell you, ‘yes, I am doing the right thing.’

Q: Dear Guruji, please advise me how to cope with a loss of a very dear one? It has been very traumatic. Doing the Sudarshan Kriya and sadhana for the past sixty days has helped me a lot but still I am unable to get over the loss.
Sri Sri: Just be with it; don’t try to get over it. Time will take care.

Q: Dearest Guruji, you said that anything that changes is not true

2012-01-28T10:11:00.001+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: Dearest Guruji, you said that anything that changes is not true, but the universe is changing every moment. Is this also not true?
Sri Sri: If you talk to a quantum physicist that is what he will say.
Professor D’Hoore from Germany is one of the greatest scientists of our time and he said something interesting. He said, ‘I studied matter for forty years only to know it doesn’t exist.’
I said, ‘this is what we say in the Vedantic philosophy, the same thing.’

Q: How can I find the true love in me? \

2012-01-28T09:11:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: How can I find the true love in me?
Sri Sri: When you relax you find that you are love. You are made up of a substance called love. Love is not just an emotion; it is your very existence. It also gets expressed in emotion but in reality our consciousness, our mind and our spirit is made up of love.

Q: Is it possible as a normal human being to love unconditionally?
Sri Sri: Yes, as a child you were doing it. As a child you were expressing such a love.
It is possible.

Q: What is the purpose of life?

2012-01-28T08:41:00.000+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: What is the purpose of life?
Sri Sri: One who knows will not tell you and someone who tells you does not know.
This very question is useful. The question itself uplifts your spirit and creates a journey for you. So keep the question, it is very precious. One day you will discover it.
Spend a few minutes in meditation and do some good work in society. Help those who are in need. Then everything will open up.

Q: If I try to decide, which one is intuition and which is the mind?

2012-01-28T08:21:00.001+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: If I try to decide, which one is intuition and which is the mind?
Sri Sri: That which happens correct is intuition. You have to wait and see.

Q: Dear Guruji, how to help people or relatives that are very ill?

2012-01-28T08:10:00.001+05:30

Click on the button to share Sri Sri's divine knowledge topics.

Q: Dear Guruji, how to help people or relatives that are very ill? How can we ease their pain?
Sri Sri: Your meditations will help. After meditating, send your vibrations to them. That will help them.

Q: What is the fastest way to get rid of the ego?
Sri Sri: Why do you want to get rid of it? Keep it! Just be natural. Being like a child will help.

Q: How do I find my inner destination? How do I find my destination in this world?
Sri Sri: Relax! It will just naturally come up.

Q: How can I convince people who take drugs to let go of them?
Sri Sri: Bring them to a Sudarshan Kriya class. When they do the breathing and when they find the inner joy coming into them, they will give up. Many people have given up; in thousands.

Q: Are you focusing on all the countries on Earth or only on a few of them?
Sri Sri: As much as we can, we focus our attention where ever possible and we extend our hands