Q & A with Sri Sri on 15th June2007

Question: Guruji how do we know that our experiences are authentic? And how do we know that we are progressing on the spiritual path?

Si Sri: You know doubt always come on that is true. You never doubt depression. You doubt love, whereas you never doubt anger! Therefore if you are having a doubt on your experiences just know that they are all authentic (Laughter!!).

And how to gaze whether your are progressing on the spiritual path or not; see if you have become more compassionate. See if you feel more relaxed and free now. Do you feel free or not? Just see within yourself. See how much does the entire happening around you bother you. Do they bother you like before or not? Does the external events bother you still? Even if they bother you see how much time does it stay for. See how fast you are catching up with your self! You should not think that, oh! I should never get upset! See hoe fast you are coming back to your self! A few minutes of distraction and then you are back. Don’t Judge yourself. There is no need to judge yourself. Can you become a student and an examiner at the same time? No. Certainly not! You are learning now so leave the evaluation work to some one else!! Let Him decide, let Him evaluate!! (Laughter)!!

Question: Guruji, I have been practicing in the Spiritual path for quite sometime, but I still find that I am not able to become dispassionate. To bring about dispassion in me what should I do?

Si Sri: Don’t get caught up in words. These are just all words. I tell you if you are centered dispassion comes to you automatically. Just be centered. You do seva, satsang, and sadhna and you will be rest everything is just falling in place for you.

Question: Guruji what is the difference the mind and the soul? And how is it connected to each other?

Si Sri: The mind is like the wave and the Soul is like the ocean. And the connection between the two is that the mind cannot be without the soul, but the soul can exist without the mind. So in meditation you drop the mind, you become one with the totality that is the ocean. Therefore there are both existing together, the mind as well as the soul, like the wave as well as the ocean.

Question: Guruji, in my meditation often I feeling doing some harm to the Gods. My mind feels like doing something against them. How do I get rid of such a feelings? What should I do?

Si Sri: You know if it is so compulsive, so obsessive you do it. Just go ahead and do it. But that way you are going to hurt yourself! Hurt your hand! God is not in the statue or the idol in front of you, God is in your heart. We invoke God and bring it to the statue for some moments only and again we place it back in our hearts. Like the Ganapati idol, we put it in the water. First we invoke the God in the idol, play with that for some time and after all that tell him to come back to us and reside back in our heart!!

But yes. If such a feeling persists, just observe the sensation. See what is happening within you. You know these types of violent tendencies also come because of the food you eat. All these are the Rajashik tendencies that come from food. Focus on you diet. Be aware of what you eat. Stay away from Rajasik food for sometime. Food does matter a lot. Listen to Narada Bhakti Sutra. Rejoice in the self….Be contented.

Question: Guruji after having tried all means, certain worries keep coming to me. I am not able to surrender those. What should I do?

Si Sri: Why do you need to surrender? I tell you don’t surrender, this surrender is an illusion. What do you want to surrender? Anyway everything belongs to God. What is it that is yours and you want to surrender!??!? It is just a concept, I want to surrender this, I want to surrender that. This is like try catching a cat in a dark room, which is not there. Just relax; God did not want us to surrender. What to surrender? Don’t worry; just know that you are nothing. The path of knowledge is easy for those who where in the head. If you think you are something wakeup and see, what are you ?!?!?! You are carbohydrate, amino acids, fats, every cell of your body has been existing millions of years ago and is also existing now and you call yourself Radha, Sita, Rama, tomorrow again this form will go and new form will come where will you go. Walk like being a big zero, but always be on the right side of the number.

I am nobody, I am nothing. These two ‘dharanas’ intensions, is an antidote to ignorance wakeup and see!!! And the job is done!

Question: Guruji, they say that there are two kinds of people. The first, are the kind of people who ask question out of ignorance. And the second are the people who don’t ask question out of ignorance. What would be my category?

Si Sri: At least this you have realized!!! See how wise you are!!! Only a wise can understand such things!! So you are certainly not a fool. You are wise.

Question : Guruji, after having tried various means I am not able to come out of entanglement what do I do , Please help ?

Sri Sri : It maybe some Karma from the last birth or some samskaras. Do seva . Maharajji was saying that Seva would definitely remove karma of entanglement. If seva cannot remove then knowledge will remove entanglement. If knowledge cannot remove, then Bhakti (devotion) can surely remove entanglement. Even if Bhakti is not able to remove entanglement then leave it to time. With time entanglement will surely dissolve. But don’t just live it to time without trying all the other means (laughter!!). Do seva be in knowledge, have Bhakti and even after that, if you are not able to get rid of your entanglement, then you just leave it on time.

Question: Guruji, how to always keep up with enthusiasm and joy?

Si Sri: Leave always. If you think of always, then craving comes. If it is always there then you would not even know that it was ever there!! Like you take a dip in a river, you feel cold and when you come out you feel warm, and again do dip in water, you feel cold, and so you experience cold because you experience the warmth.

Leave it to the divine. Our nature is joy and enthusiasm. However sometimes it gets clouded but it can never go. Our consciousness is ‘nitya-nutan’ (Ever fresh) this is with us forever.

Question: Guruji, they say that if you are with Narayana then Laxmi follows. So should we not follow Lakshmi?

Sri Sri : Some people don’t understand this. I would say pray to lakshmi. If you don’t pray to either but just do some show off with some rituals, then that is of no use. Then you land up being nowhere!! I would say, do ‘upasana'(prayer). If you do upasana, then how do you get corrupt and dishonest? Don’t blame wealth, pray to wealth. In Sanskrit it is said everything is wealth. That doesn’t mean only the note of money.

Health is wealth, Victory is wealth, Courage is wealth, you know the Ashta Lakshmi do Upasana and you will get the benefit. Just to fulfill our financial desires, you run behind lakshmi. Use skill; pray with devotion, lakshmi will come. It will never come with foolishness.

Question: Guruji, why do we want to spend time more with the person, we are in love with?

Sri Sri : It would be unusual if you don’t want to spend time with the one you are in love with.  Similarly when you love yourself, you spend time with yourself. When you do that, it becomes meditation. Then it is wonderful. We like everything else, but ourself. The one who is resting inside, love that, know that!! Some people say oh ! I am bored with myself, cannot spend two hours alone. If you are bored with your self, how much boring will you be to others!! If you are not able to spend time with yourself, how will you manage to spend time with others? If you get to spend time with yourself, then I tell you are lucky. You will be contended. When this feeling comes, then no power in the world can make you shake and cry. Then Bhakti comes, mukti comes and then moksha happens. Two hours you cant spend alone!! You start sending sms to your friends; you start calling them, talking, restless. Know yourself by yourself. Khudi khud mein khud ko pao….

Question : Guruji, my mind wanders everywhere how do I meditate?

Sri Sri : Take a stick and start chasing your mind. See where it goes. If it goes to Goa chase it to Goa, if it is going to Bhavnagar, chase it there, if it is going to bhelpuri, chase it to bhelpuri, if it is going to Bhagdad, chase it to Bhagdad….. Chase, keep chasing and you see your mind is so tired that it will come and fall at your feet. That’s why Maharshi Patanjali says meditate on everything, meditate on elements, on Rishis, who are out of craving, even if you meditate on Rishis who are out of craving, you get into meditation. And when you sit for satsang, you get into meditation. But sometimes if you sit for santsang, and you are not there 100%, you count the ceiling, you look here and there. You have to bring interest yourself, You have to bring the juice (ras/ necter) yourself. It is already there, you have to see the one behind. The one who put the juice. Don’t think I have to do, I tell you need not do anything its all burning for you, you don’t have to lit it at all. When you are in Gangaji, you don’t need a shower, when you are taking a dip in the Ganges, why do you need to have a tap and a shower? Become effortless. Just know that I am nothing and I don’t want anything. But don’t start thinking about it continuously, this is also a Maya. That’s why Adi Shankaracharya says it is foolish to even think that I am Zero.

Q & A with SriSri Ravishankar

Q. : What is meditation?

Sri Sri : It’s very simple. When the mind becomes free from
agitation, becomes calm and serene and is at peace, meditation
happens. By doing meditation, you can turn your body into a power-
house by generating an inner source of energy.

Q. : What are the benefits of meditation?

Sri Sri : You don’t get blood pressure and health problems. The mind
becomes clear, intuition develops, obstacles and negative influences
due to the planets will be removed and problems become smaller
before coming to you. Mental peace, happiness and plenty of other
benefits are there.

Q. : Why is meditation so boring?

Sri Sri : In the beginning it may be boring, but that will change.
Stay on. Go step by step. Meditation is resting in yourself,
becoming the seer from being the seen.

Q. : What is the distinction between sleep and meditation?

Sri Sri : One is vertical another is horizontal. For now, just think
that much. But tomorrow when you sit for meditation don’t think
about it. You’ll neither be able to meditate nor be able to sleep.
Now is the time.

Q. : I always go to the sleep while meditating. Does it happen with
everybody? What experience do they have? How to solve this?

Sri Sri : Don’t worry about the experiences of others. Be with your
own experience and the experience varies from time to time. So don’t
worry.

Q. : Is there any maximum limit as to how much we can meditate?

Sri Sri : Do only as much as necessary. There is no need to do too
much. Meditation is like taking a bath. To wash the mind, you need
meditation and once the mind is clean.

Q. : Why do I lose my concentration when I meditate?

Sri Sri : Concentration is not meditation. Meditation is de-
concentration, letting go. Meditation calms the mind. It feels good.

Q. : What is equanimity? What is the significance of silence?

Sri Sri : Brain has two sides. The left side is logic and theright
side is music. Both are needed to make one whole. If only music is
there the brain won’t function properly. If there is only
mathematical and logical mind, there will be no feelings and we will
be deprived of the finer aspects of life. So, both are needed. When
you are endowed with both then it becomes a satsang. Good song is a
satsang. Don’t think about what there is in singing, or whom to sing
about or
why? Just sing, open your mouth and sing along or sing from the
heart. We observe silence only during mourning. But here it’s
different. It is not like the silence of mourning. In mourning, we
can’t stand silence for more than two minutes. Here it’s inner
silence, a joyful silence. Before you go into silence, don’t
keep any troubles in the mind, put it in the basket. We are here to
calm the mind and when mind is silenced you experience true peace.

Q. : But in our daily lives, we also have to handle paying bills,
parking vehicles and other mundane things. How can we dothis with
the same calm mind without getting irritated or perturbed?

Sri Sri : You take a shower in the morning to clean your body. After
that you do all the daily activities. You don’t have to keep on
taking a shower throughout the day. It is like that. You meditate
and calm your mind, then go on with other activities. It is not easy
to keep yourself undisturbed but will happen as you keep doing the
practices regularly. Then it will become easy

Q&A -Deepak Chopra

Life Partner
Question:
Is it really necessary to have a life partner/soulmate in your life? I’ve been alone for 4yrs now and I am quite self-content. The idea of having a partner worries me as I can’t imagine having to rely on someone else. Is it self denial, disappointment or self-contentment? Songs/media/books all talk about how people can’t live without their partners and how they represent purpose of their lives, happiness,
literally everything… I think such attachments are not healthy, but deadly…

I don’t know if I should worry for myself as I don’t seem to be normal in perceiving an idea of a soulmate and a partner. Being alone is not a threat for me, because loneliness is a choice. I have plenty of friends and family that make my life rich and purposeful.

Answer:
No, it’s not necessary to have a life partner to live a full and productive life. There are so many books and songs on this topic because for many people this desire for a primary relationship is such a powerful drive.

But one only needs to look at history to see that some of the highest heights scaled by humanity have been by those souls who have traveled without a partner. I have come to believe that the need to find one’s soulmate is often a misguided and unhealthy obsession that seduces individuals into thinking that happiness lies somewhere outside their present life.

Fulfillment is a matter of knowing who you are and being true to it. It’s not about who you are with or not with. You sound like a thoughtful, well-adjusted, and balanced person, if you are content with your current social structure, then you needn’t worry about not being normal. Being normal is highly overrated anyway.

Gurus

Question:
I have a question about Guru’s. I have a friend who has introduced me to various Guru’s/Saints. She is an awesome healer and very spiritual, however she doesn’t seem to be manifesting in her life the things she desires. I feel having so many Gurus is not necessary. Why can’t I reach self-realization – God Conscious by myself through deep meditation? Can becoming a student of a Saint/Guru bring me there faster? Also, would it not be best to pick one Guru not have so many? My favorite Teacher is still the Christ and I have had visions and encounters with Him in the last 2 years. I am only mentioning this because one of the Guru’s says it is best to have a Guru who is currently walking the planet then one who has passed on. What are your feelings on this? I value your opinion.

Answer:
The primary consideration in gaining the most from a teacher is your receptivity and desire for knowledge. A good teacher is like a reservoir of knowledge which you draw from according to your ability to open yourself and receive it. If you feel the greatest connection to Christ as your Guru, that is fine. If you prefer to have only one teacher that is fine too because it reduces the chances of confusing yourself with apparent conflicts between different teachings and also makes it less likely for you to avoid the more demanding aspects of a spiritual practice by looking for another teacher that doesn’t ask that of you. But if you can be honest with yourself about these issues, then you shouldn’t feel bad about accepting valuable teaching wherever you may find it. There are many twists and turns along the path to full realization, and we should be open to accepting useful guidance from any reliable source.

Youth and Spirituality-Q&A with Ravishankar

G: So Whats the topic for today? Youth and spirituality, hmmm..
Ok, tell me what is youth?
Somebody replied: Enthusiasm. ..
G: Yes, those who are young at heart, those who are full of
enthusiasm, one who has this spirit of inquiry. Have you noticed
youth always asks, why to put this bindi? Why to do pooja, why to
bow down? And spirituality is something which kindles this
enthusiasm, sustains it and never let it down.

In india, never there was this conflict between science and
spirituality. In this country, both started with experience first
and then belief followed. While the whole world was in conflict
between spirituality and science, in India it didnt happen at all.

Quesn: What is the diffrence between science and spirituality?
HE said pointing towards the rangoli on the floor: Asking “what is
this”? is Science and then He pointed towards His heart and said
what is this? is spirituality.

Q: Guruji I always have this judgemental attitude towards everybody.
Is it right or wrong?
G: Do you like it when people judge you all the time. NO isn’t it.
Then why to judge others.

Q: Are we all destined to do something or be something, or do we have
choices?
G: Yes and NO. There are few things you can have control over and
there are somethings which you cannot change. For eg, when it rains,
you have the choice to get drenched or cover up with umbrella or
raincoat. This is in your hand. But its raining that is already
destined..

Q: How to handle Business and spirituality?
A: Business is done through the head and sprituality through the
heart. Never mix the two.

Q: What to do when we love somebody and he/she rejects you?
A: Love is the precious thing, you have offered her love and she
rejected, thats her problem, her ignorance. You should move on.

Q: Do you believe in spirituality?
G: I don’t believe. Believe happens when you dont know about
something. So I dont believe in spirituality, I KNOW it.

Q: When we do satsang, we enjoy 100% but when we sit for sadhana mind
does not stay at one place, it runs here and there. What to do? Pay
attention to your food Habit, food plays an important role. If you
notice those who study in college or school, after the lunch break,
the next lecture you dont pay much attention, you become dull. The
area of your attention contracts. This happens when you eat
carbohydrates like paratha, curd, lassi….. So lets do one thing
for one week or 2 days we will eat only salads, green vegetables and
have juices. You will notice a big diffrence in your focus and
concentration.

Q: Guruji is it ok to fall in love in the student life?
G: It will be ok if you fall in love with your studies and books,
your carreer. So that you will not regret in the future.

Q: Guruji how to be consistent in getting good performance in my
studies, my studies goes up and down?
G: See if you have the sankalpa of what you want you will have what
you want. Sankalpa is very powerful. So if you have this sankalpa
that I have to be consistent, it will happen

On Respect

Question: What do you do if people don’t respect you?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Thank them. They have given you freedom. (Laughter
and amazement) When people respect you, they often take away your
freedom. They expect you to smile at them, recognize them, behave in a
certain way with them.

If they don’t respect you, you are not obliged to answer their questions
and you can drop all the formalities. Either you will be naturally
smiling or frowning. So you will be complete.

When people love and respect you, you are obliged to return their
courtesies because you don’t want to hurt them. When they don’t respect
or love you, they will not be hurt by your actions and expressions. So
they set you free.

When you gain respect, you often do it at the cost of your freedom.
Wisdom is to put the freedom first and not bother about respect.

Q: Will freedom not bring arrogance?

A: True freedom is not an “I don’t care” attitude. It is lightness from
within, a genuine smile and not stiffness.

When someone is stiff and arrogant, they are not really free. True love
blossoms only in such freedom.

And when there is genuine love, respect simply follows you.