Gurudev Sri Sri Quotes & QnA

Question - Gurudev, What is the way of life of Art of Living? Gurudev Sri Sri - Art of Living is to live life with wisdom and with a broad vision. The Art of living is to create a violence-free society, disease-free body, confusion-free mind, inhibition-free intellect, trauma-free memory and sorrow-free soul.

You are stuck to events, you can never see the being. Being is beyond events. The purpose of your life is to realize the being and stick to the being, and not to events. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

There was a saint who would give an example of a rose and say that a person is coming to you with a rose but because your eyes are on the thorns which are beneath the rose, you think they are coming to hit you with the thorns. If your sight is focused on the rose, the thorns will not bother you. You will see how you can put your hands in-between the thorns and hold the rose – that is the skill that you will get. If you have a little intelligence, then you will know how to hold and enjoy the rose and not be bothered about the thorns. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

See, you are doing some good work and ten people criticize you. What happens? It hurts your ego. It is the nature of people to talk. You don’t need to get upset if some people talk something against you. And if there is something good in what someone is saying, then take it and thank them. If there is nothing good, then know that they are just saying it out of jealousy, and it is their problem. If someone is saying something for your good, you should only thank them. They have the guts to say that. If they are saying it out of ignorance, then educate them and ignore. The third option is to have compassion. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Just before I started The Art of Living, I met this 108 years old man. He was a Pandit and has written around 700 books. He was a great astrologer. I was around 21 at that time, and he told me one thing. He said, “For any organization you need 12 people – four good, four mediocre and four hopeless people. This forms a good organization. The four hopeless people will bring out all the good qualities and the strength in the four good people. And the mediocre will learn their lessons from both side”. I sometimes think to myself, ‘What wise advice he gave me, even before I thought of starting an organization’. In fact, I never wanted to start an organization. I was very happy; I am happy now also. At that time, I had my little suitcase, and I would travel from place to place, talk to people and give some knowledge. This is how I started and then the organization started happening on its own. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Once I met a gentleman who was called a cheat by the whole of Europe, and people were wondering, why is Gurudev meeting this person who is such a big cheat. A doctor is necessary when there is a disease. Knowledge is essential when there is a problem. And you cannot separate the honest people in society into one corner. They have to live with people who are dishonest and change them. We have to create an impact in society, and not run away. You can’t just have a group of compassionate people put away in a room. In society, all types of people will be there and we need to be strong enough to influence them and not get influenced by them. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Question - Gurudev, How to express now when words itself are misinterpreted and I am not understood? Gurudev Sri Sri - Don’t bother. If people misinterpret, it is their problem. You meditate and you improve your intuitive ability, then you will say the right words at the right time.

Question - Gurudev, What are your thoughts on home schooling? Gurudev Sri Sri - That's up to you. If you want to play multiple roles, you can do that. But I think children should go to school and mix with other kids.

Taking responsibility for all your experiences in life makes you powerful. It will put an end to all the grumbling, explanations, and a host of negative tendencies. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar https://x.com/i/status/1352466864694206465

Can someone sing and talk to you about the Self in a battlefield? And One who does so can be nothing but the Divine. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (Speaking about Lord Krishna in Bhagavad Gita)

You can read a lot of books, and write volumes on love, but if, in your vibrations, love does not show up, it is no good. Your dog or baby at home, will tell you what love is with one look, with all its heart, and then you know what love is. So love is in the presence. And there is no need for words where presence carries love. This is an indication of a yogi – He/She speaks through existence. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Don't think of anything as difficult. Know that we have an even greater power within and according to that we get tasks to do. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

When a bud breaks, it becomes a flower. When a heart breaks, it becomes divine. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The world does not expect you to do what you cannot do. Doing what you can do without expecting anything in return is service. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Faith is realizing that you always get what you need. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Remember this.... You are not alone. There is someone to take care of you. Your needs are fully taken care of and you are being loved very dearly! ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

When they are doing good things with good intention and the action has gone wrong, then you don't mind that mistake so much. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

The significance of changing the janeu (sacred thread) is to remind you that you have three responsibilities or debts on your shoulders – responsibility towards your parents, towards society and towards knowledge. We are indebted to our parents, to the society and towards the Guru. It is reviewing your responsibility towards the previous generation, the future generation and the present generation. And that is why you put the three layers of thread on your shoulder. That is the significance – purity in body, mind and speech. In ancient days, women also had to wear this thread. It was not limited to only one caste. Everybody used to have to wear this whether they were Brahmins, Vaishya, Kshatriya, Shudra; but later on it got confined to a few. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Shravan Purnima is dedicated to the brother and sister relationship – Raksha Bandhan. It is also the day that the janeu (sacred thread) is changed down south. The significance of changing the thread is to remind you that you have three responsibilities or debts on your shoulders – responsibility towards your parents, towards society and towards knowledge. We are indebted to our parents, to the society and towards the Guru. That is why these occasions are very important. It is said that for one to act; whether spiritual actions or worldly actions, one requires skill and ability. And to achieve this skill and ability we need to be responsible. Only a responsible person can carry out his duties. And the sacred thread ceremony signifies how to take responsibility. ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Mind is so much connected with the moon, that is why whether it is a new moon or a full moon our mind meanders accordingly. Mind and the moon are very connected that is why in the vedas it is said, Chandrama Manaso Jata (Mind is not born from the moon, the moon is born from the mind). ~ Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar