Tue, 01/06/2015 Bad Antogast, Germany
Dear Gurudev, you do so much for us, what can we do for you?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Keep smiling and spread the smile and happiness. There is so much work to be done in the world. There are conflicts in Syria, in Egypt, in Ukraine, in Pakistan, in Columbia, and in many other parts of the world. We should see what we can do.
If this is too big a task, you can take smaller tasks. In your city, in your town, wherever you are, spread happiness. Start happiness centers and let people come there, sit and breathe, and learn some knowledge, and become happy. Tell them, "Leave all your stress and tension, and smile more!". That is what we should do – put more smiles on the faces of people, don’t you think so? Give them confidence to move on in life. I think this is what you all can do.
You can tell at least five of your friends, "Hey come, let’s breathe together, let’s get rid of tension, let’s spread happiness and not hatred. Let us learn to manage our mind".
You can tell at least five of your friends, "Hey come, let’s breathe together, let’s get rid of tension, let’s spread happiness and not hatred. Let us learn to manage our mind".
There is so much anger, frustration and mistrust. Don’t you think so? It is because of the mistrust in the hearts and minds of people, that there are so many conflicts, so much heart burn, and so many problems in the world. So we should do our best to bring people together.
When I was in Iraq, the Prime Minister said, "Gurudev, there are big powers in the world, but they cannot bring the minds and hearts of the people together. Big countries cannot bring the minds and hearts of the people together. It is only humanitarians—the human voice—that can do that. It is the human touch, the spiritual touch that can do it". I said, "I totally agree".
We had people from all different communities together. The Kurdish parliament has organized a peace conference. People asked me, "You are going to Iraq? It is so dangerous!"
I said, "I know, that is why I want to go."
So we were driving, and just a few meters from us there was a big bomb blast that happened. We were going to see the Governor there. Just five minutes away from his residence, a car exploded – a suicide bombing happened. But we continued with our conference there.
In the conference, everybody came. All different groups – the Kurds, the Shi'ias, the Sunnis, and then the Yazidis, and the other local tribal people – everybody came together and participated. The whole atmosphere was different, the whole energy was different, and the Prime Minister said, "This is what we need in this country: spirituality which can build the bridges, which can bring people together."
We had people from all different communities together. The Kurdish parliament has organized a peace conference. People asked me, "You are going to Iraq? It is so dangerous!"
I said, "I know, that is why I want to go."
So we were driving, and just a few meters from us there was a big bomb blast that happened. We were going to see the Governor there. Just five minutes away from his residence, a car exploded – a suicide bombing happened. But we continued with our conference there.
In the conference, everybody came. All different groups – the Kurds, the Shi'ias, the Sunnis, and then the Yazidis, and the other local tribal people – everybody came together and participated. The whole atmosphere was different, the whole energy was different, and the Prime Minister said, "This is what we need in this country: spirituality which can build the bridges, which can bring people together."
Violence cannot be stopped by violence. It has to be stopped by wisdom. Only wisdom can stop violence.
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and the whole world will become blind and toothless (great laughter)." There is no end if people say, "I am violent because that person was violent", then it goes on and on and on, endlessly. Somewhere, we should stop – that is what wisdom can do, that is what we can do. We can contribute in this manner.
In India, we did this in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand, which always used to have bloodshed. Since our volunteers were active there, more than one thousand guerrilla warriors (these people who were having guerrilla wars, the Naxalites) laid down their arms.
I gave a call to them – From Bullet to Ballot. So, they heard that voice, they dropped the bullets and they came and participated in the election process; otherwise, they would never let the elections happen. And now, for the last 5–6 years, there is no violence there. Recently, there was an election and it happened so peacefully.
When I am saying this, I am saying it out of our practical experience in many parts of the world. We have experienced that violence cannot quell violence, only wisdom can stop violence.
"An eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and the whole world will become blind and toothless (great laughter)." There is no end if people say, "I am violent because that person was violent", then it goes on and on and on, endlessly. Somewhere, we should stop – that is what wisdom can do, that is what we can do. We can contribute in this manner.
In India, we did this in the states of Bihar and Jharkhand, which always used to have bloodshed. Since our volunteers were active there, more than one thousand guerrilla warriors (these people who were having guerrilla wars, the Naxalites) laid down their arms.
I gave a call to them – From Bullet to Ballot. So, they heard that voice, they dropped the bullets and they came and participated in the election process; otherwise, they would never let the elections happen. And now, for the last 5–6 years, there is no violence there. Recently, there was an election and it happened so peacefully.
When I am saying this, I am saying it out of our practical experience in many parts of the world. We have experienced that violence cannot quell violence, only wisdom can stop violence.
Each one of you here is a pillar of wisdom, and we need more of these torchbearers of wisdom in the world today. The world is sinking into depression. The biggest killer in the coming decade in the world will be depression. And again, to bring people out of depression, only wisdom can help.
And you all have to pat yourselves on the back because you have come together, you have started, you have the commitment to bring wisdom to the world.
And you all have to pat yourselves on the back because you have come together, you have started, you have the commitment to bring wisdom to the world.
Dear Gurudev, how can I have a more positive mind?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Just know that the tendency of the mind is to hold on to something negative. If ten compliments and one insult are given, the mind holds on to the negative – that one insult. So when we know this, we are already one step out of it. Time and again, we must realize "I am going on a negative trip" and immediately come back to the here and now.
Another solution is high prana. More the prana (life force energy) increases, the less negativity will be there. When there is no energy, that is when you feel more negative. And when you have high energy, negativity is nowhere; it is gone.
So the best way to get rid of negativity is to be youthful. Being youthful means having the attitude, "I will take the challenge!", and not saying, "Oh, I have a problem." Always say, "I have a challenge."
First, change the problem into a challenge. And then, nothing is a challenge. We have energy, we have enthusiasm. So when we move with this mindset, our whole action takes a different course – the course of success.
First, change the problem into a challenge. And then, nothing is a challenge. We have energy, we have enthusiasm. So when we move with this mindset, our whole action takes a different course – the course of success.
Dear Gurudev, how do we find our mission in life?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The mission in your life is to leave a better world behind than what you inherited. Don’t you want to leave a better world for the coming generations than what you inherited? Look back and see, how the world was ten years ago, or fifty years ago - wasn't it better? If it was better, then we should leave a better world in the future. If you feel today is better than before, then you should strive to give an even better world for the coming generation.
This is a broad outline. From this broad vision, you can choose what you want to do – you want to bring peace in society, you want to see a stress-free and violence-free society, you want to see a happy society around you. These are the things we should strive for.
According to your tendency or your taste, you should choose the field. Some of you may want to be a doctor, some of you may want to be a social activist, some of you may want to work in the social field, some of you may want to go into politics, some of you want to do business and bring prosperity to society – these are all your own calling.
You choose what you want to do, but the one common goal is that we want to make the society a better society – free from violence, stress, mistrust, and misery. Isn’t it so? Anybody has a second opinion on this? I don’t think so! Everyone wants to see a happy society, not a miserable one.
According to your tendency or your taste, you should choose the field. Some of you may want to be a doctor, some of you may want to be a social activist, some of you may want to work in the social field, some of you may want to go into politics, some of you want to do business and bring prosperity to society – these are all your own calling.
You choose what you want to do, but the one common goal is that we want to make the society a better society – free from violence, stress, mistrust, and misery. Isn’t it so? Anybody has a second opinion on this? I don’t think so! Everyone wants to see a happy society, not a miserable one.
Dear Gurudev, the spiritual path can be very confusing at times. How do I know I am progressing?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Every confusion means one old set of norms and ideas have broken down, and something new is coming up, so it is good. Never mind – don't worry about your progress. You are progressing – there is no way of regression on the spiritual path; there is always progress.
There is no definite criteria, but you can ask yourself, 'Are you more happy? Are you more calm? Can you handle situation better than what you used to before?' These are some criteria, but it is not necessary that they must be taken as criteria. But one thing:just turn back and see, how was your life before you got on the spiritual path, before you even started meditating, and how is it now. Is there any difference? How many of you find there is a difference? See, when a big difference is there, that is it—you have already progressed!
Can you relate to the person you were twenty years ago? Are you the same person now or a different person? How many of you say you are a different person? (Many in the audience raise their hands)
Yes, you are different.
Can you relate to the person you were twenty years ago? Are you the same person now or a different person? How many of you say you are a different person? (Many in the audience raise their hands)
Yes, you are different.
Dear Gurudev, what should we do if we want to go deeper in meditation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You are in the right place. Don’t be in a hurry. Do your practice and keep doing the Art of Silence program every 3–4 months, at least for a couple of years, and will start going deeper into meditation.
Doing the Art of Silence course once is not enough. Not enough at all! You have to do it again and again. You know, when they whitewash the wall, they put primer first and then put one coat, and then the second coat, and the third coat, and every few years, you have to repeat the whole process again. This is because there is wear and tear. In the same way, we are using our mind, our intellect, our memory so much, that it needs overhauling, it needs servicing. Our body needs servicing, our mind needs servicing, and the Art of Silence courses give us the much needed servicing.
Doing the Art of Silence course once is not enough. Not enough at all! You have to do it again and again. You know, when they whitewash the wall, they put primer first and then put one coat, and then the second coat, and the third coat, and every few years, you have to repeat the whole process again. This is because there is wear and tear. In the same way, we are using our mind, our intellect, our memory so much, that it needs overhauling, it needs servicing. Our body needs servicing, our mind needs servicing, and the Art of Silence courses give us the much needed servicing.
Scientists say, if you meditate for eight weeks, the structure of the brain changes. The grey matter increases, your immune system becomes stronger, your intellect becomes sharper, and your memory becomes clearer. So many benefits have been ascertained by scientists, and we have seen this in our practical life.
Dear Gurudev, how can we free ourselves from guilt?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
See, if you have done a mistake in the past, it was at the time when you had no knowledge, when you are ignorant. A mistake done in ignorance should not be considered at all – it is done, gone, finished. You are a new person now, move on. As long as you do not repeat it, it's okay.
Dear Gurudev, how does a Guru find his disciples, and when does a Guru appear in someone’s life? Please share the secret with me.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is no more a secret. I am here and you are here, so it does not matter who meets who first.
Every event has a bigger cause, and you cannot limit a particular logic to a cause, or a particular logic to an event, because life is much more than what you think. Our whole life is not sufficient to study our life. Life is magnanimous, there is so much in it.
Every event has a bigger cause, and you cannot limit a particular logic to a cause, or a particular logic to an event, because life is much more than what you think. Our whole life is not sufficient to study our life. Life is magnanimous, there is so much in it.
This is what we see scientifically as well – there is a macrocosmic world and a microcosmic world, but in between these, there is the causal world and the subtle world that is phenomenal. I have already spoken about this in the Kena Upanishads talks. We will take it up some other time – it's so interesting; we can go deep into this topic. This mechanics of life is so amazing and thrilling.
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