Emotional Intelligence Matters

Tue, 05/26/2015 Bangalore, India

Gurudev, I am living in a phase in which I am allowing my emotions to take over me, and I am aware of this. Otherwise, I feel they get suppressed. Am I on the right path?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

Emotions are such that sometimes you should abstain from them, and sometimes you should express them. You can’t take extreme views here. You cannot always suppress your emotion and you cannot always keep expressing your emotion. Both will bring you difficulties and trouble.
If you always suppress your emotion you will be in trouble. If you always keep expressing your emotions, then also you will be in trouble and you will put others also in trouble. That’s why emotions should be streamlined through wisdom. When there is wisdom then you know which emotion to express and which not to express. And where you should express, and where you should not.

Suppose you are at a funeral service of somebody, then you can’t say, ‘Oh, I am so happy’, and keep jumping! People will feel like slapping you. You may be happy but you cannot express that.
Similarly, if you are sad and there is a wedding party or reception happening, you can’t go and say, ‘I am so sad’. People will not like to see you sad as they are celebrating. You will spoil the whole atmosphere.
So you have to use your discrimination - where, when, how you must express your emotions and where it is not wise to do so.

When we read about the bad deeds of people in the newspaper, can it also affect our karma?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

No, you should read it lightly. If you take it into yourself, yes it affects your mind. Otherwise, it won’t affect anything else. Read lightly and forget about it. It is all part of the universe.

Does attraction to the enlightened bring joy and peace, or is it like any other desire? Also, why are the enlightened ones so attractive?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

No idea! When you are so centered you are equidistant from everybody. That is the beauty of the center. The center is equidistant from every point on the circumference, and every point on the circumference feels so close to it, so totally connected to it. And it is the connectivity which evokes all the positive emotions, love, and everything else.

Gurudev, how to be humble yet authoritative at work?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

That is a skill that you have to manage. You have to be humble and yet firm. It is easy to be strict and arrogant, and it is easy to be humble and weak. But humility with weakness is no good. Strength with humility is the most appreciable quality. Arrogance with authority is very easy, but authority and humility together is something which is worth having. And that if you can manage to master, you have succeeded in life.
Similarly it’s easy to give up things in anger, and in frustration, but letting go with a fullness of contentment and happiness is a skill.

Gurudev, how does grey matter increase as a result of meditation?

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

This was done by a scientist and I have no reason to doubt them. I have seen changes in people in just 1-2 weeks of meditation. When people learn meditation, the experiences they share and the transformation I have seen in millions of people around the world is proof for itself.

The brain is just an instrument where consciousness exhibits itself. It is the presence of consciousness that makes a womb grow into a baby. If there is no consciousness how will it grow? The womb grows into a baby because something is present in it, and that something which is the catalyst of growth can also change and heal anytime.