Q&A with Guruji Sri Sri RaviShankar

 

Q: Guruji, why bad people are happy and good people are suffering?

Guruji  : This is an illusion. It appears that the bad people are enjoying. But I tell you it is temporary. Good people need not be foolish. They can be intelligent. If someone says I put my finger in the fire because I was so good, I tell you it is foolishness. Good merits will give good result one day be sure of that.

Q: Guruji, Man is intelligent, but why animals lead a more healthy life? They do not suffer diseases and they are in harmony?Guruji : You want to go back to animals!?!?! ?(Laughter) , but you are correct. Animals don’t go to the restaurant in the middle of the night and eat fast foods. Animals sleep at the right time and gets up at the right time. They go for prey every day. They don’t store like man does. Mankind is exploiting nature so much. You know in Bangalore, we grew up with so many sparrows It is almost disappearing now. (Someone from the crowd): But Guruji, ashram has sparrows.

Guruji: yes, yes, Ashram has sparrows, peacocks, elephants, rabbits;

Someone prompts from the crowd: Guruji, monkeys also.

Guruji (laughs): Yes, yes, some in the human forms. We need to preserve the nature. We need to attend to the nature. Too much of this electro magnetic wave, high towers are destroying the harmony in nature. The air, water andland are consistently getting polluted.I was just in Iraq a few days back, you should see the kind of air pollution! It’s tremendous! It’s all a man made disaster. Human beings create fanaticism. Wisdom alone can unite people. Wisdom alone can uplift you and that’s why spirituality is so important.

Q: Guruji, I like this path of Spirituality, Sadana, Seva in the Satsang, but sometimes I get bored. Is it alright to get mischievious at times?

Guruji: Yes, yes, but not at someone’s cost . You know when you are happy, small things can make you laugh, that is when your mind is stress free. If your mind is stressed you cannot laugh even to a big joke. When I go to retreat programmes. And if I am going up and down in the lift, and in the Lift sometimes people come with me in the lift and they just simply start laughing.

Q: I am not able to do seva and I don’t know why.

Guruji: You should know better!!

Q: Guruji what is the significance of a symbol in devotion?

Guruji :Devotion is your inner feeling. What triggers is not important. Devotion is culmination of love. Someone asks me, that Guruji we go to Tirupati and stand in the que for 7-8 hours and then take a glimpse of the deity and then we go in front of the deity we close our eyes!! But I tell you one minute is also important. The prayer, the energy stay within us for several days. That is why the ancient rishis says., like the water, recycles from river to the sky and from sky to river and back to the ocean. “Sarva Deva Namaskara,Keshavam, prati gacchati”. Which means in whatever form you pray it all goes to keshava finally

Q: What is success?

Guruji: Success follows ability; ability comes when you have skill. And skill comes when you are quite. Real success is when you have smile, and no one can take that from you.

Q: What motivate someone to take decision?

Guruji: It is different in different cases, sometimes it is just a smile.

Q: Guruji, what should we focus on commitment towards family or seva.

Guruji: Commitment towards the family is the first thing .

Q: Guruji why is Jesus on the cross ?

Guruji: Jesus Christ is love. And the cross is the pain. The first experience as a child is pain. When we are inside the mother’s womb, we are happily floating in the water and then after some time, we have to come out through a small passage that is painful. So we cry. Little children then twist, turn and yawn as though they have done a big job. After sometime, they open their eyes and look at the mother and smile that is the first experience of love. Body is made up of carbohydrate, amino acids,but the spirit is made up of love. Like many other prophets, Jesus said to go my father; you have to go through me. But unfortunately some people misinterpreted. ‘Mana Ekam Saranam Gacchami’ – Krishna said. Which means I am the only way, Likewise Buddha said the same thing.

Q: How do we know that our interpretation of knowledge is right or it is a misinterpretation?

Guruji: When you see something, you introspect first.. You see the means of knowledge. That’s why in India science and spirituality never contradict each other. Spirituality believes first and experiments later. Science is experimenting first and believing later.In ancient days a child is given ‘Brahma Upadesham’, the highest knowledge is initiated to the child , right at childhood.

Q: What is a Sixth sense or it ok to follow it?

Guruji: Yes, It is ok to follow your intuition. That’s why when you do Pranama, meditation, you intuition become strong and that’s why you can take proper decisions

Q: Guruji like I appreciate, the Sun and the Moon and the Nature, why cant God appreciate when I do something good?

Guruji: He doesn’t appreciate you, because he knows you can do better. If he starts appreciating you every moment, then you desire to perform better will not be there.

Question: Knowledge betrays me in front of my teacher, can you help?

Guruji: That means you forget your lessons in front of your teacher ? (Laughter) He says you should take some Brahmi Kashayam (an ayurvedic medicine) every day to improve your memory power.

Q: Guruji, if meditation for 20 minutes is equal to 7 hours of sleep then why don’t we meditate all night?

Guruji: ‘Aati Sarvada varje’, every thing in excess is bad.