Saturday, June 9, 2012

A goal is needed in life

May 27, 2012
Bangalore, India
Q: How was God born?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: If he was born, he is no God. God is one who was never born and never dies.
Q: My son has undergone many courses, but he is not ready to change. He does not do the Kriya even after repeatedly telling him. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, it is a little difficult to reform children during teenage. Have patience. It cannot be said that there is no change at all. After doing all these courses, there would surely be some change in him.

My message for the students who have not passed in their exams is that it is not a big thing. Life itself is a learning process, an art. In every stage of life, we learn lessons through success as well as failure. Don't lose your enthusiasm and keep moving ahead.

Q: After organizing Art Excel and YES course for children, we are getting complaints from parents that their children are not practicing what they have been taught. How do we address this?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Follow-up sessions are needed frequently. Make them play games. Put in all possible efforts from your side. Once you sow a seed, don’t you check if the seed is growing properly?
Q: Can miracles happen against the laws of nature?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes. A lot of them happen. Many people have experienced such miracles in their.
Q: The results of the SSLC (Tenth standard) and PUC (Twelfth standard) examinations have been announced. These examinations are very important for students. What message would you like to give to the students?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: For those who have passed, move ahead with increased enthusiasm. For those who haven’t, do not lose your happiness and enthusiasm. It is not a big thing that you have lost. Just because of not passing an exam, students become very disturbed mentally. A lot of cases have happened where students have committed suicide just because of not passing an exam. My message for the students who have not passed in their exams is that it is not a big thing. Behind every success, there is a failure hiding and behind every failure is a success hiding. So, do not worry, start studying again and move ahead. Don’t think that you have lost a year; it is not a big matter. Just because of not passing an exam, do not think that you have wasted time. Life itself is a learning process, an art. In every stage of life, we learn lessons through success as well as failure. Learn from success and failure, keep your mind balanced, do not lose your enthusiasm and keep moving ahead. There are many big industrialists who were not rank holders. There are industrialists who have failed in the second standard, but are handling big businesses. When I visited Surat (Gujarat, India), eight businessmen - all brothers, invited me for Padha Pooja. They said that nobody in their family had studied beyond the eighth standard. Most of them had studied from the second to the fourth standard. However, they said that nine out of ten diamonds sold in the world originate from Surat. They haven’t studied properly, but are handling big businesses, giving employment to thousands of people and living happily. So, just because of not passing an exam, do not get depressed and take any extreme step. I had been to twenty cities and fourteen countries in the last few months. When I went to Japan, the Prime Minister told me that 30,000 youths commit suicide every year in Japan. People are committing suicide in such huge numbers. It is not that they do not have money. Everyone has money in abundance. Everyone has TV’s, vehicles and enough wealth. Yet the youth of such a country are committing suicide. It would be another matter if they were poor. That is not the case here. Wealthy people are committing suicide. So, he said that only I could do something about it. I said that the spiritual knowledge of India is the only way to bring a wave of happiness there. So we are organizing the Part 1 Course and Nav Chetna Shibirs in various parts of the country. Similarly, many countries have such problems. In our country, it is not at such a big scale because the seed of interest in spirituality and human values is present in the people. However, it is our duty to preserve it and ensure that it grows. Keep encouraging your children. It is not a big thing if they fail in exams. We must study well, have interest in studies and flourish in life.
Q: I lost my mother last month and you said that 2012 is good for everyone. What is the good thing here? I cannot understand.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Life and death is something that is inevitable. Death is inevitable. Sometimes, it comes a little earlier. And whenever it happens, it is painful, definitely. So, instead of trying to find a reason when we are miserable, the best thing is to be prayerful and keep the mind calm. ‘Why did this happen? Why did God do this thing to me? Why is God unkind?’ These sort of questions have no answers and no meaning either. In creation, these things keep happening all the time. Instead of strengthening your faith at this moment of dire need, if we question our own faith, it does not lead us anywhere. It can only lead us into depression, more agitation, restlessness and lack of peace. Instead, accept this as something inevitable.

Without a goal, the mind and intellect will not go in  the right direction. So, a goal is needed in life. And the goal is that we should progress and others should also benefit because of us.

Q: I have a complaint against you. Whatever I ask, you bestow it immediately. I wanted to ask you if this would spoil me?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Good. Now that you know that you get whatever you ask for, ask for big things and not small things. Don’t ask for yourself; ask for the country, for everyone. Pray that Dharma (righteousness) increases and Adharma (unrighteousness) diminishes. Justice increases, injustice diminishes, lack decreases and abundance increases. Pray for the welfare of everyone.
Q: Do the Karmas of our previous lives govern everything? Does whatever we do now have no effect in our lives?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Who said so? If you violate the traffic rules, you will have to face the consequences immediately. If you keep your hand in fire, it will burn immediately.
Q: After being born as a human being, do we have to achieve something? What is the final outcome of those who achieve and those who don’t? Does every person need to have a goal?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: A life without a goal will not be a happy one. Without a goal, the mind and intellect will not go in the right direction. So, a goal is needed in life. And the goal is that we should progress and others should benefit because of us.
Q: Bangalore was called the Air-conditioned city. However, the summer here has been too hot nowadays. If it continues this way, what would our future look like?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Even I am concerned about it. When I was studying, there was no need of fans. In 1980, a few people from North India and some international participants had come here. They needed an air-cooler. We searched everywhere in the city, but could not find a single cooler. The shopkeepers said that they don’t sell something that has no buyers. Neither air coolers nor air conditioners were available. This was not too long ago. Nowadays, it has reached a situation where everyone needs air-conditioners. We are cutting down a lot of trees. Lakes are drying out. If we had taken care of our lakes and had not cut down so many trees, I think such a situation would not have occurred.
Q: What is Dharma?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Dharma is something that upholds you, prevents you from falling and helps you to come up.
Q: Guruji, you have said that life is eternal and we have to keep coming here again and again. It is also said that if one has a Guru, they get liberation from the cycle of life and death. However, you have said that we have to keep coming. So, will we keep coming or be liberated?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Both are true. I will keep coming. You do not have any compulsion to come; become free right now.

If you keep doing your practices, meditation, satsang and service, you can make yourself feel comfortable in any place. We should not have aversion or craving towards anything. That is real Yoga.

Q: Why does it happen that the society keeps troubling one who works honestly? Though he wants nothing for himself and wants to work for the society, why does the society trouble him?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is happening this way nowadays. There is no rule that it will continue like this in future. For doing a big work, you have to sacrifice something from your side. You cannot think, ‘I am doing good work, but why are people criticizing me?’ It is their nature. The nature of a thorn is to prick and the nature of a flower is to spread fragrance. The world has both thorns and flowers. If the flower asks the thorn ‘Why do you prick?’ the thorn will answer ‘it is my nature’.
Q: I have been posted in India to look after a business, however I am not very comfortable living in India. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Sometimes, we don’t like things, but if it is a profession, you may have to do it. Don’t go with the mind because the mind sometimes likes and sometimes does not like doing things. If you keep doing your practices, meditation, satsang and service, you can make yourself feel comfortable in any place. We should not have aversion or craving towards anything. That is real Yoga.

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