Q: If God is within us, what is the need for a temple?
Sri Sri: Temples are not only place for worshipping.
It is a socio-cultural center and rich in our traditions and culture.
Q: What is mind? Where is it? What is the relationship between
mind and body?
Sri Sri: Mind is the subtle aspect of body and body is
the gross aspect of the mind. What we eat as food today changes into mind tomorrow. The weight of our body was just
3 kgs when we were born now it is 50, 60, 70, 80 kgs. Body is the most amazing part of our life. We consume nearly
one ton of food every year. You are what you eat. School and College students after having a sumptuous meal
consisting of Curd Rice and Vada are not able to attend the afternoon
session of classes with attention and concentration. We should say a short prayer before we eat and should be grateful
to the farmer who toils for giving us the food.
Q: You belong to the Hindu Religion and do Kriya, but your
appearance resemble Jesus with the beard and long hair. What is the similarity and
difference?
Sri Sri: If you are interested to become conscious of
unity, it is everywhere. Diversity is present in every individual in a house depicted in his or her character.
The theme of all religions is love. Thomas Alva Edison Invented the Bulb which
every one is using. Tamilnadus Idly (Rice Cake) is eaten by everybody. Can we ask the Punjabis why do you eat Idly? When
we accept the food and technology from other countries, in return our country
has gifted the world with Yoga, Meditation and Spiritual Knowledge. The vibration created by OM has a healing
effect on everybody beyond religion. Even Pakistanis have accepted this.
Q: What should the youth like us do to make the planet earth
a better place to live?
Sri Sri: Youth should deepen their roots and broaden
their vision. They should be aware of their culture, rich spiritual knowledge and the local language. In Tamil
language there are many books like Thirukural, Thevaram, Thirupugazh every
youth should know about it. Should also simultaneously have scientific knowledge.
Life
is like a tree, the root of the tree is always old with its branches are growing
new every time. Life should be a mixture of old and new. Example love, friendship etc are old and scientific advancement
and technological up gradation are always new.
Q: There is no truth anywhere, how can we live a truthful life?
Sri Sri: Surely there is value for truth. Wrongdoers will
be caught one day or other and when they are caught they will feel for it.
Q: How to live without fear, especially death fear?How
to get Ichha sakthi Gyan sakthi and Kriya sakthi?
Sri Sri: Be simple and live like a child. The thought that
I am somebody pulls you down, feel at home with everybody. The way to throw away ego is to be a lunatic for
a day or at least act like it for one day. Then the ego will disappear. We always think about what others think about
us. But you should know that they do not have sufficient time to think about themselves so the question of
thinking about us does not arise. Keep your mind light and clear like a child and have self-confidence these
will bring magic in your life.
Q: How far we can change our fate with breathing techniques?
What is the time needed for transformation?
Sri Sri: It is depends on how you do the sadhanas. It
may take two days, two months, two years or even take two life spans, there is no guarantee for this.
Q: How are you able to fulfill or satisfy so many
people at a time?
Sri Sri: It is all a trade secret. We are all made up
of a power called love. If we realize it we will feel that everybody belongs to us. Love means no separateness
from others.
Q: What is the difference between Religion and Spirituality?
Sri Sri: Religion is the skin of the banana and
spirituality the fruit. We tend to throw away the fruit and catch hold of the skin of the banana and proclaim
that my skin is better than your skin and fight. No other nation in the world has given so much importance to spirituality like
India.
Q: When we have so many ambitions and responsibilities
to fulfill why God does not give us the means to perform?
Sri Sri: Definitely you will get the means; have patience.
Q: Men have aim. Is there any aim for nature? Please explain.
Sri Sri: If you want to know the answer you should give
me the answer for this question. What is the starting and ending point of a tennis ball ? It is not possible
to find the starting or ending point of the spherical ball. Similarly there is no starting point or ending point
for the nature.
Q: What makes a person successful in all aspects of life?
Sri Sri: What is the sign of success? It is the smile that
no body can take away from you. One who is crammed with fear and does not smile or feel at home with everybody
is not successful. The higher the ladder of power and authority you reach, the smile vanishes from you. In our
country communism has given many good things but I will tell you the negative
aspects of communistic ideals which have given depression to the people resulting in lack of confidence
and disbelief in God. It is okay that they don't have faith in God but at least they should have self-confidence.
Q: There are different explanations for surrender? Please clarify.
Sri Sri: Living like a child without apprehension
is called surrender. Thinking that everybody belongs to me and just believe in that is surrender. It is in
our character, we just need to identify it and that requires no big effort other than just reduce the stress in
our minds.
Q: If love is the nature of human, why is
there so much hatred among people?
Sri Sri: Because love devoid of knowledge gives rise
to imperfection. You love perfection and get angry at imperfection. If you love somebody, you become jealous
and possessive.Love is the cause of all problems in the world. Through love, jealousy, anger and hatred all
come out. But we cannot live without love. Even a dog may not like to live without love. It would refuse to
eat food, if it is not able to see its master. So love is the most wanted thing for everybody. Yet all these imperfections and
all these problems arise out of love. So what is the answer? We need such a love which is free from imperfection
and that can be attained only through knowledge. "So love minus knowledge is problem and love with knowledge
is bliss."
Q: What is the reason for terrorism ? Why majority
of the terrorists are youth?
Sri Sri: The reason is lack of broadmindedness. Somebody has misguided
them that hostility towards other traditions and beliefs will take them to heaven. Similarly they are unaware of
the traditions and rituals of other religions. If they become aware of it, they will not do all these. We have
with us six members from the 400 erstwhile activists of a militant group of Kashmir, who had undergone transformation
at our Ashram. (The Kashmiri Youths with a broad smile introduced themselves to the large gathering. It was
heartening to see the serene faces saying Jai Gurudev). With love even a stone will turn into a fruit.
In
India one another big problem is the naxals. They are not bad people, they are all literates and want to do something
useful to the nation. They get frustrated with the corruption and lethargy prevalent in the
administrative machinery. They are restless to do something good at a faster pace and as they are not
properly guided they take the wrong route of violence. If they are given this knowledge
they will have more regard for human values and we can see a lot of transformation in our nation. We must all work
for this. There are 6,00,000 lakh villages in our country. This year we have adopted 20,000 villages and
5 H programmes are being conducted there. Within two years, we can develop 1,00,000 villages for that, we
should reduce the number of liquor shops and spread the message of de-addiction.
The
masons and construction workers working in our Ashram used to disappear on Sundays, when
questioned they would be very shy and would be hesitating to reply. Then I told them " Don't worry I
know you had gone for drinking liquor, I will give you something better than that, which gives more intoxication,
finest brand." They were given "Sudarshan Kriya" after which they came so joyfully and told me that their mind is
clear now, feel more healthy and with lots of money saved they felt so happy. We cannot blame them for taking to drinks.
They used it for suppressing their worries. All these addictions like drinking, smoking etc. can be eliminated,
by spiritual knowledge. We all should join hands to do it. Especially in Tamilnadu the womenfolk are the worst affected
as they are beaten by the inebriated husbands. The abolition of liquor shops will bring solace to them.
In Maharashtra, the ladies in 50 villages have joined together, closed the liquor shops and alternatively gave employment
to the liquor shop workers by financing them to run provisions and grocery shops.
