Bliss comes out of chaos and the ability to enjoy chaos is enlightenment.

Q: Can you talk about the greatness of Valmiki ji and that period of time? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Valmiki ji was one of the contemporaries of Sri Rama. Many scriptures in the world were written much after the physical presence of the Master, but Valmiki wrote Ramayana at the very period when it happened. There was no division of casts in the society at that time. Honesty, human values and belongingness were so strongly rooted then. Q: World is suffering so much because of religious fanaticism. Can you speak on that? How would you want us to take a stand on it? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You know, the world once was a beautiful place to live in where all would celebrate diversity. But what happened that caused so much division? I would want all to rise above the differences and move ahead. Whatever your attitude is from outside but have that naturalness from inside. Have the skill to create belongingness with all. Q: Sometimes our tasks do not get accomplished because of lack of Sattva(Luck factor). Can you please talk on that and how do we enhance that? And how do we bring that harmony back among ourselves which, you said, once was there in the society? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Do you all have cell phone? How does it work? First, it is to be fully charged. But if is charged but no Sim card! So you need a sim card, and then you need to be in the range of the tower. When all three are there, the cell phone works then only. Similarly, for life to be successful three things are required: Seva, Satsang and Kripa(grace). Know that you have abundance of grace with you, and God is your very own. Satsang is the charger and Seva is the sim card. What happens with Seva? When you do Seva, you gain blessings and those blessings add strength to your life. And then Sadhana(Practices)? What is Sadhana – Which makes you establish connection with the Self, with the Divine, that infinite power. Q:    Can you talk a little about the God? How do I feel connected to the Divinity? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Just a conviction, I belong to Divine, who so ever is Divine! Divine principle is not someone in the sky. Inside you in the form of consciousness!   Q: What are the pillars of Society to make it strong? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Four pillars of society! First one is economy system (Industry and business), second is religious and spiritual base, and third is Politics. And there is one more…and what’s that? I leave it to you to think over. Q:  How do I gain more and more knowledge in the world? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Every instant we are getting something to learn from the whole world. All that is needed is awareness! Each individual is a beautiful Scripture designed by God. Study your own mind and then observe the minds of people around. What do we do? We don’t observe our own mind but we keep on wasting efforts in judging others’ mind. First, understand your own mind and then you will be able to understand what’s happening in the big mind, in the minds of all. You know, whomsoever I meet in the world, I feel that belongingness. I never feel I am meeting someone for the first time. So many times we have come to this World. I know a little bit, but you have forgotten. Keep smiling this time. Q: I want to bring a social transformation. I understand that the work needs to be done on the very roots of individuals, which are changing but I do not how to go ahead with this. I appreciate the spiritual awakening and social awareness that the ‘Art of Living’ is creating but as I am new to this, can you please guide how to move ahead? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes, you can bring social transformation. The spirit needs to be strengthened. Your spirits is very ancient and pay some attention to that also. Those who are devoid of spiritual knowledge are like undernourished people. Dividing in the list of priorities, the first policy is to strengthen one’s very roots, having that sense of proud in ones very roots. Q: Can you talk about the complexes that are rooted in the mind of some children, may be because some historical events or past life? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: When you think good of yourself, you think ill of others, and when you think others’ are good, you think you are not ok. Such complexes are there in many children today. So the attitude that neither I am bad nor anybody else is bad gives such a sense of acceptance of everybody and your own self. Sadhana enables one deprogram all past programming.

19 Jan 2011, QA with Sri Sri Ravi Shankar Posted: 19 Jan 2011 08:53 AM PST Q: Today is Porsha poornima. Are there any stories aboout Porsha poornima? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: This porsha poornima is the first poornima of the harvest in South India, so people exchange all that they have harvested, they give - exchange. It is also called the full moon of the forest. In the north when there is snow, the leaves are gone. So the full moon is visible. Honoring the forest, nature, vegetables…. Q: How can one transform moha into love? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Moha means I want something back. Love is only how I can be useful. Q: How to arrive at what my dharma is? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Gut feeling, if it feels right, this is what I should do. Q: How to deal with craving for attention? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Next :) Q: I feel close to you but the closer I get to you, I seem to face tougher situations sometimes, is this something related to Guru mandala? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Longing brings out a lot of creativity in you. It can bring out a lot of poems. Longing is Radha shakti….Krishna. Be very fortunate. Q: Is it ok to forego discipline to experience immense love? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: They go together. Discipline has to be followed. I have spoken about this in Narad Bhakti Sutra. Q: Why is Krishna known as poorna avatar? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There are many aspects of Krishna which are complete. I have spoken about it in Krishna - absolute joy. Q: Can the soul come to the same world or can we born in other worlds too? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: All possibilities are open. Q: Why have miracles stopped happening in my life? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It is taking a little nap for you to exp the contrast. Q: Isn’t insincere praise same as pleasant lies? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Why should your praise be insincere? Your praise cud be a blessing. Blessings are for the future only. So u can praise someone as a blessing. If someone is stingy, you say….. That praise can become a future blessing. Q: Is it possible to be both ethical and practical? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Yes. Your yukti should be like the salt in the food - just a little bit salt in your business. If there is too much salt, it becomes like food in the salt. Q: I am a professor at IIT. Other professors are averse to ..., how should I ..? Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Don't recognize their aversion, you keep doing what you should do. Don’t try to convince someone out of the way. Keep your conviction. Every soul needs spirituality. If they are refusing ,then it is only at the surface. Q: What about people who haven’t come to you yet? Something abt moksha… Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: They will come in sometime.