Question & Answers with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar
Q:
How to keep the spine erect during meditation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Make a start with the spine being erect, then if the head comes down, the back bends, don’t bother about it. You cannot start meditation in a sleeping posture, because then you will be snoring very soon. So sit down, and start with the spine erect when you meditate, and then let go, let it happen.Q:
Do you need to set an alarm to come out of meditation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
No, usually not because it can be too jarring. But if you keep an intention that I will meditate for 20 minutes or half an hour then your eyes will open. You have an inbuilt clock inside that works with your intention. Have you tried the inner mechanism? For meditation, it is best to sit for 20 minutes in the very beginning, and not longer than that. If you meditation more than that, then when you come out of meditation you will forget where your home is and where your car keys are! So I recommend 20 minutes or half an hour in the beginning, not more.Q:
What is Samadhi?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Dhimeans the intellect andSamadhimeans where the mind is in total equanimity. Your whole system is in total balance. Body, mind, spirit, everything is in such coordination and serenity. There are different types of Samadhis, one is called Laya Samadhi, which is when there is some music going on and you are completely dissolved in it. You know you are - but you don’t know where you are. Then there is Pragya Samadhi, Asamprajnata Samadhi, etc. There is a Samadhi where thoughts are there, ideas are there but you are very tranquil. And there is a Samadhi where there are no thoughts, just a feeling is there. So there are many different types of Samadhi. It is said that in one moment of Samadhi there is a million years of rest. In Sanskrit it is called ‘Koti Kalpa Vishram’ – which translates asa million years of rest in a moment. It is also said that the pleasure in one moment of Samadhi is equivalent to one thousand units of sex. This is why celibacy happens to naturally to one who is a Yogi. A Yogi does not need to make an effort to be a celibate, he or she just sits (with the self) and bliss just wells up. That is why celibacy is not a practice that you do, it is a happening wherein every cell of your body is in a sort of bliss. And bliss is what you try to achieve in sex.Q:
Is meditation concentration?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Meditation is not concentration. Meditation is a deep relaxation, and it is happening to us many times but we don't realize it. Little meditations have happened to all of us here and there, now and then when we felt some happiness. Every time you felt a deep sense of happiness, fulfillment or satisfaction, know that you have somewhere touched that level of meditation.Q:
Why do I feel hurt when I do meditation?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Do you know why you feel hurt? It is because meditation is kindling that space which is love, inside of you. It is bringing up the love from within you. Love is connected with hurt. You may feel sorrow, you may feel some emotions come up and tears well up. Don’t judge them at that time, just be with it. If it becomes a little too unbearable then take some long deep breaths. Do some pranayama, some breathing exercises at that moment - it will soothe you.Q:
Gurudev, when we chant a mantra continuously, will that mantra effect our body and life ?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Definitely! But we should not keep chanting continuously, this is not correct. Do you keep bathing continuously? When you chant the mantra for some time, your mind will become stronger. That is why it called mantra. We can do it for 20 - 30 min. If you keep doing it continuously, your intellect will become dull. We should not do it too much. If you stay a lot in water, you will become a fish (laughter). That is why it is referred as mantra-snaan (bath). If someone keeps listening to music, his intellect will stop working. Similarly, someone who keeps doing math and never listens to music, his personality will also be unbalanced. These things are there to balance our left brain and right brain. We should look it from a scientific perspective. From a scientific perspective, we should listen to music for some time, we engage in some discussions for some time, and we should think for some time. Afterwards, you will experience an all-round development.Q:
When I read the books and listen to knowledge, I really want to implement it. But when the time comes to implement the knowledge, I am unable to do it. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Knowledge gets implemented automatically; it is spontaneous. It is there at the back of the mind. What is it that stops you from implementing knowledge is small temptations. Small temptations go with three things: Love, greed and fear. Suppose you are drinking alcohol or doing something that is not right, then the fear of disease, or fear of losing your reputation, or fear of losing a loved one can stop you. Fear as well as procrastination can stop you. The second thing that can stop you is greed. If someone tells you, “If you drink alcohol, you will lose 10 million”. Or if you are a smoker and someone tells you, “If you don’t smoke for 30 days, you will get a lottery for 1 crore rupees”, I tell you, you will not touch a cigarette. You will say, instead of 30 days, let me make it 33 days just to be on safe side. The third this is love. If you promise a loved one, you will keep it up.Q:
What is spirituality? Is it important for people? Can youth also be spiritual?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Yes, absolutely, spirituality is meant for everyone. We are made up of body, mind, and spirit. The body needs amino acids, proteins, carbohydrates, minerals. Similarly, what does the mind need? It needs happiness, love, creativity; all this is part of spirituality. Creativity, enthusiasm, respect, love, joy, happiness; don’t you want this? Anything that brings you closer to yourself, that uplifts your spirit, that makes you feel one with everybody is spirituality.Q:
I try to forget the mistakes I made in the past and move ahead. But the people around me keep reminding me of those past mistakes. What should I do?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Smile and move forward. If they are not able to forget the mistakes of the past, then that is their problem. You should forget the mistakes of the past, just drop it and move ahead. You are not the same person as you were in the past when you committed those mistakes, you have changed. When you came to the spiritual path, when you gained this wonderful knowledge, then your entire life has changed. So have complete and unshakeable faith in this fact. 'In the ancient times, when people used to approach a Guru, then they would even change their birth names. Why was this done? It was to signify that you have taken a new birth altogether when you have come to the Guru. You have become a new person when you gained access to this knowledge. The mistakes you committed in the past out of ignorance do not exist anymore in light of the knowledge you have now received. Ignorant people around you may sometimes do such things, but you should have compassion for them instead of feeling hurt or angry. Think that, “Oh, they are still stuck and do not know that I am a totally different person now. I have changed”. This faith you must develop in yourself. There is no need to fall into self-pity.Q:
I feel like I have failed in everything. How do I deal with so much failure?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:
Never think that you fail in everything. You failed basically because your thought process failed. Thought process fails because of over ambition. When you are too feverish or too ambitious then right thoughts don’t cross your mind. Negativity also does not bring intuitive thought. So when you meditate, then your thoughts become positive and more intuitive. There is a proverb in Sanskrit which says that success comes because of thesattvaand the harmony inside you, not because of the amenities or weapons you have.At least don’t lose your smile. By losing your smile, you will become a double failure. One failure has happened, never mind. At least don’t lose the smile which is your nature.Founded in 1981 by Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, The Art of Living is an educational and humanitarian movement engaged in stress-management and service initiatives.
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