QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2026

 

Q: Is the bad period over? If yes, what will unfold in the good phase?

 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

 

Here in Satsang (where all of you are sitting) it's a good period! See, it's up to you, how you define it. If it is a phase in which whatever you do is not giving any results and things are falling apart, it is an opportunity for you to show your brilliance and your ideas. The bad period can bring out all talents and good qualities in you. It can show how patient you are, how balanced and strong you are.

 

If you have good intentions, and you are doing good work, every period is a good period. Yes, some periods are more challenging than the others. That period will show you who your real friends are.

Actually in a bad period, even your very good friends behave like enemies. And if the time is good, even your enemies behave with you like your friends. This is what you must understand. In Kannada there is a poem, "The one who has 'Hari' (the Lord) in his heart, for him, every time is a good time. Today is the best day if you think of the divine. This moment is the great time to remember the divine'.

 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR.

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR.

POSTED ON: MONDAY, AUGUST 10, 2026

 

Love is the most powerful thing on the planet. Do not let anybody, any situation, any cause, or any reason destroy that.

 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

POSTED ON: SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2026

 

Self Confidence and Ambition

 

Ambition indicates lack of self-confidence! When you know you can achieve something easily, you are not ambitious about it. You are simply confident about it. Your ambition indicates challenge and uncertainty, which is contrary to self-confidence. So one you has total self-confidence cannot be ambitious!!

 

At the same time a person who lacks total self-confidence cannot be ambitious either!! For ambition to be, one must have a little bit of confidence and total ignorance of the Self. It is next to impossible to have total confidence without Self-knowledge. With the knowledge of the Self, there is nothing left to achieve, for the entire nature of existence is mere play and display of one's own consciousness. People take pride in being ambitious. The wise man will only smile at them. Ambition can never be for

 

something you know you can achieve effortlessly. You can only be ambitious about something for which you have to put effort, which poses a challenge and of which you are not even certain you will be able to achieve or not. Moreover it takes away the joy of the moment. With the Self-knowledge nothing is challenging to you, nor you need to put any effort. Nature is ready to fulfill your intention even before they arise, giving you no chance to crave or desire. Nature does not allow the wise to have a desire (ambition), and the unwise to fulfill or get rid of the desire (ambition).

 

Do you still want to be ambitious ?? Or is your only ambition is to get rid of ambition !! (Laughter )

 

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2026

 

Q: In spite of being an Art of Living practitioner for over 20 years, I still struggle with depression. What are your concrete recommendations? Should I do more chanting? Or seva? Or more meditation? Or work with my mind? Gratefully yours.

 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

 

First of all, there is a mantra for depression. You want to know how to get depressed? Sit and think about, 'What about me? What about me? What about me?' You will get depressed. When you come out of that, and see, What is it I can do, how I can contribute? You will have no time to sit and brood over yourself.

 

So, service activities is one thing. Then of course practice meditation and listen to knowledge. I have made number of knowledge series. All of this will definitely uplift you. If you have any doubt about it, just for sometime stop everything and see what happens. Just one week don’t do any breathing exercises, or any meditation and see what happens. Then you will know the effectiveness of what you’re doing, and how it is saving you from drowning into depression.

 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

 

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR.

WISDOM QUOTE OF SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR.

POSTED ON: SUNDAY, AUGUST 9, 2026

 

If you are a taker of happiness you get misery, if you are a giver of happiness you get joy and love.

 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar 

 

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

KNOWLEDGE SHEET BY SRI SRI RAVI SHANKAR

POSTED ON: SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2026

 

To Say Sorry Is A Good Mistake?

 

Often, in establishing your righteousness, you are insensitive to othersÔ feelings. When someone is hurt, arguing with them and establishing your righteousness will be in vain. By saying a simple "Sorry", you can uplift the other and take away the bitterness. In many situations saying "Sorry" is better than establishing your righteousness. It can avert much unpleasantness. This one word of five letters, when said sincerely can remove anger, guilt, hatred and distance.

 

Many people feel pride in hearing "Sorry" from others. This boosts their ego. But when you say "Sorry" to a wise man, it evokes compassion at your ignorance. However, when you say "Sorry" to your Guru, He will get angry and say, "Go! Listen to Ashtavakra!" (Laughter) For your saying "Sorry" indicates doership. You feel that YOU have MADE a mistake.

 

A mistake is part of an unconscious mind. An unconscious mind cannot do right. A conscious mind can do no wrong. The mind which makes the mistake and the mind which realizes the mistake - saying "Sorry" - are entirely different, aren't they? The mind which says "Sorry" cannot be an unconscious mind. Therefore, saying "Sorry" sincerely is a BIG MISTAKE!!!

 

Did you get it or are you confused? If you didn't get it, don't feel sorry or u can feel sorry!! (Laughter)

How strange - truth is paradoxical!

 

II JAI GURUDEV II

 

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

QUESTION & ANSWER WITH GURUDEV

POSTED ON: SATURDAY, AUGUST 8, 2026

 

Q: What is the solution to an ego clash?

 

Sri Sri Ravi Shankar:

 

When egos are there, they do clash. There is no way out. When there is wisdom, you will rise above any small-minded attitude, bickering and judgements.

 

You judge people all the time, and if you turn back and look at your own judgements, I tell you, 80 to 90% of the time, they will be wrong. Sometimes people send some messages and before the other person gets it, they retract it. How many of you have done that? You type a message to send to someone, and something tells you that this is not okay and so you retract it. How many of you do this? This shows how poor your judgements are.

 

We create a huge cloud around what is not even close to truth, and it has happened to you so many times in the past. You hold grudges against people, you have concepts about people and you get yourself trapped into it. You must wake up from this. You know, if your time is good, your worst enemy behaves like a friend, and if your times are bad, your closest friend behaves like an enemy. So, your luck or time is totally responsible for your friends and enemies. Your karma is responsible for what you go through. So, you should take your mind away from judging others and bring it to yourself.

 

Often people who complain that others have a big ego, have a big ego themselves. Often those who complain others are rude, you will see somewhere inside, they are rude. You should reflect on yourself. See, you can’t correct others but others give you a chance to correct yourself.

 

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar