Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Does thoughts happen by previous Karma or impressions in the mind?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Karma is nothing but impressions in the mind and brings about similar thoughts. Ya, it is very much possible.
Even Siddhas have to take a few births to get enlightened. Why is it so difficult to get enlightened?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
It is not difficult. It is challenging!
How do I come out of the victim consciousness, esp. when past memories refuse to leave?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
The fact that you have realized this itself means you have come out of that. This is where Karma philsophy comes into picture. Something happened in the past, it was to happen and so it happened. Accept past and don’t brood over it, move on. Suppose you have committed some mistake, you have insulted somebody and that person holds on to it for so long even after you asking forgiveness from them – million times, what do you do if that person still doesn’t forgive you? Somebody has been wrong to you and you also have been wrong to someone. Don’t you seek forgiveness and move on. Similarly, worst crime you have done, and you don’t want someone to hold on till whole life. If the person forgives you, moves on, understands your position, how do you feel? See the other person the same way.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
There are different forms of Yoga. Raja Yoga is Royal Yoga. In some forms, they spend a lot of time in practice. Some forms are for people like the prince who has so many responsibilities such that they can do the practice in a short span of time. Meditation is useful for people in all walks of life.
Do we have to be independent or do we need to look for interdependency?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
You don’t have to be interdependent; it is just that you need to realize it. The word ‘independent’ is obsolete. It is nature that we are interdependent on. We have one nature, one ocean, one air, one earth and everyone is dependent upon it. We are interdependent! From tailor to farmer, from teacher to doctor – we depend on all for some purpose or another. So, total inner dependence is not possible in the world.
Guruji, how to maintain the purity of teaching Yoga in today’s commercial world?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
First of all we shouldn’t blame the world and we should not blame the cause. Purity of Yoga is there when your intention is clear, you are here to serve. If you count that there are twenty people and I will get this much money, if you think that then it can spoil the purity. That is why we have kept our courses in such a way that the teacher gets a very little amount to cover whatever expenses are there. You know you are doing it as a service and you are keeping a charge because without any charges people don’t value it, and of course you need some finances to make arrangements like the durries and the microphone and all this stuff. So if your intention is pure, if you are financially and otherwise okay and this is only an added support or income to you, then it is okay but if you are thinking only on these lines that I want to make money out of teaching yoga then your whole attitude is changed. Just imagine a school teacher is teaching the children only to get money and not to see that the students are passing or they should get better. A teacher comes for tuition for an hour and he keeps looking at the watch then within fifteen minutes he runs away, what is the quality of such a teacher. So there is no individual, personal attention that is given, so if the commercial thing doesn’t enter your mind then you are there for the cause, you are there for others.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No it is not doing whatever that comes to your mind. Doing whatever comes to your mind without any attention, awareness or thought would be foolish. Whatever comes to your mind should pass through the test of intellect or wisdom. Being natural is feeling at home; feeling at home even in adverse situations. You know when everything is good you feel at home but when things do not go your way you don’t feel at home and you want to run away. So feeling at home in every situation, yeah!
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Now that you are asking this question, it is both of our responsibility. Yes, do your 100% and relax and when you feel that you can do a little better or a little more that indicates that you have been responsible. When you feel you are doing everything that you can then the responsibility shifts away from you.
Guruji love should be fearless yet why does one experience fear in love?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yeah because fear is love upside down. If you do the Advanced course, you will get all these answers. What are these three emotions, love, fear and hatred, how they are all formed of one energy, and how you can turn fear and hatred into love.
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
For sometime it is okay. It is said when you put alum in water, it removes all the impurities, purifies all the water and then dissolves itself, yeah!