Every individual aspires for a life that is peaceful, happy and without misery. Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar takes us through a subjective analysis of Karma as He answers some complex questions on life, rebirth, rewards and retribution.
Q: Gurudev, what is karma and how exactly does it work?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, Karma literally means action. Action in its impression in the mind, which is latent, will give rise to similar situations. Isn’t it? So, karma has three dimensions:
1. Impression of actions that you have in your mind or your consciousness.
2. Action that you are doing in the present.
3. Possible action/activity that may befall you or which you would attract because you have similar impressions within you, this is also called karma.
Q: Gurudev, how much time does it take to finish our karmas?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Karmas can never be finished. Karmas continue. It's like asking when will the ocean have no waves? Ocean will have waves but you can rise above the waves, you can surf. You can rise above the wave, that is, by being witness to it. Not being reactive but being witness to your own actions, your own tendencies. It's possible and it is possible any moment, any time.
Q: Gurudev, when one’s karma is clear where will the soul go? What happens to it?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: As I said you know, ok you cleared some of the past karma but at present, you are acting. When you are acting you are collecting more karmas. And then karmas need not be all the time bad, you do some good karma. Good Karma brings you more happiness in life, brings you more joy, light, more wisdom, got it? Ok, you say I don’t want neither good nor bad, nothing. I want no pleasure, no pain, that state is called samadhi, where you go deep in the meditation you find yourself as only a witness to all actions. You know in some way it happens to all of us, everyone would have experienced this. Sometimes you are doing something but without your intention, hasn’t it happened to you? Sometimes you shouted at somebody, you did not want to shout at them, but you shouted, then you felt sorry about it. It's not just you who shouted, the other person’s karma has also pulled that thing out of you, so you behave that way. The person on whom you shouted also has a part to take care of, has a part in that action. Suppose you shouted at somebody and that person's karma also has something to do with your shouting. Similarly in life, many actions you are a witness to it. You are not really involved in it. You do it whether it’s a good action or a bad action. You find yourself as a witness and that is, what is worth noticing in life. That gives you eternal freedom. That makes you free. That’s enlightenment when you act without getting afflicted by the action.
Q: Gurudev, what happens to our karma when we get a master and what karma is needed to get one in life?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Of course, you need to have certain karma to get into the spiritual path no doubt, no doubt about it. But once you are on the path you will see, most of the impressions which you were carrying which were not conducive, which were not evolutionary in nature, will all fall apart. And what's good, what's right, what suits your dharma, your nature, all that will carry you forward and that’s what happens by coming to the master.
Q: Gurudev, can we nullify all our karmas in a single life irrespective of our spiritual successes?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Ya, Ya, Ya, Possible, possible, possible. That should be the goal. We should nullify all the karmas here now and see when you are jubilant, when you are happy, when you are full of enthusiasm, your mind is free. Know that this is your true original state of your consciousness, your nature of your life and that’s what if we exit this world with, in that state then we are free.
Q: Gurudev, are bad incidents happening due to my past bad life/karma? What is the fastest way to burn negative karma?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Listen, karma is not always bad. You did good karma means you did good action and it gives you a good result. Some bad experiences in life would definitely be due to past karma and to remove those karma or bad impressions in the mind, meditation will help, kriya will help. Sudarshan Kriya removes many of those impressions. May not be everything, but most of it can be handled through meditation, kriya and good action.
Q: Gurudev, why do we see bad things happen to good people while the bad people are enjoying life?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, it appears like that because we see it in a very small window. Just expand your awareness. These so-called bad people have done something good in the past and that’s giving them those good results, right? And those who are doing good if something bad is happening, well, knowingly unknowingly something must have happened in the past. Isn't it? See you don’t get mango fruit from sowing a neem tree, right? So, as you sow so shall you reap. Have you heard that proverb? So definitely, it is not because of the goodness of the person that he is experiencing misery. It could be because of their not being smart or being a little foolish, that could be one reason. Another reason is circumstances, situations would have brought in such a tough and difficult time. You know one thing; tough times beckons your skill to be in action. Somewhere misery in life gives you depth. It brings depth. So, make use of every situation whether good or bad to your advantage and that’s being smart.
Q: Gurudev, if one is thinking about bad stuff but not actually doing anything will it still create karma. Which is more important, thought or action?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Well, thought of course is important, but you know you have no control over all your thoughts, do you? Good thoughts come, bad thoughts come, so what? As long as you don’t identify with them, don’t think - oh this is my bad thought, you are free. Do you see what I am saying? The thoughts come, they come and they go. Don’t worry about them. Don’t chew on them. Don’t resist them. This is the way to sail over those impressions.
Q: Gurudev, if a person’s actions and thoughts are driven by past karma, how do we switch lanes and act according to the dharma. And how do we know what our dharma is?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: You need to be a little intuitive. You need to follow your gut feeling. Your dharma is what you will feel absolutely at ease and you feel you are doing the right thing. Adharma is when you do something and something inside you is pricking you. You have that prick, that this is not the right thing. That prick inside tells you, you are not doing your dharma or you have moved away from dharma and dharma is your nature you know, life is a combination or I say life is a perfectly blended cocktail of dharma and karma. It’s not just one and to follow your dharma your karma has to support and to do good karma you have to be in your dharma. Your true nature is dharma. That which supports your upliftment, your evolution is dharma and when you go against it, you feel very uncomfortable in your life. And when you go against it you feel not right, very uncomfortable not just emotionally but deeper than emotionally. You feel that you need to do something different.
Q: Gurudev, is the meeting between two people decided by karma? Then is love also just karma?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Oh yes! Of Course. Good karmas are there. Good karma is that brings you happiness, brings you joy, merits in life, makes you ecstatic. And things you do that hurt yourself and which are hurtful for others too. But I tell you, you know, good karma, bad karma, don’t get stuck in them. Don’t hold on to them. Just move on. It’s ok. In life, both come. They all come. Sweet experiences come, bitter experiences come, arguments happen in any relationship. If you go on analysing it, there is no end to it. Right? And being smart is just taking them all in one go and not being bothered about it.
Q: Gurudev, I am 27 and I still don’t have a girlfriend. Is that because of past karma or am I doing something wrong?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: (laughs)! Whatever is the past, that is done, you can't repair the past, you cannot now go back when you were 17 and try to have a girlfriend at that time. It’s open to you now, come on wake up. You do what you want to do. That is your current action, right? You are free to do what you want to do now. Don’t think you are bound by karma so much that you have no freedom at all. Let me give you a simple example: we have this huge confusion in our mind about life being all karma or is there free will also in it. I tell you; life is a combination of both free will and destiny. It’s karma and karma swatantra, both are there with you. Like your height is determined, is destiny but your weight is your free will. Like that, though you have not inherited the huge wealth of the past, nothing can stop you from dreaming about it and creating it in the future. Do you see what I am saying?
Q: Gurudev, people say things happen because of karma. Sometimes they say they happen because of planets, are the two connected? What is really governing a person's life?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: What governs a person’s life is your will. Make your will strong and know that you can overcome the past impressions as well. And if you are not focused on your will or what you want, of course, what gets overpowered? Your life gets overpowered by the past impressions, past karma definitely. It's like this: see, you have a certain x amount of money with you to start a business, suppose you don’t think about multiplying your capital, and you just sit with it, what will happen? Whatever you have earned that capital will drain. It will finish over a period of time. Like that your karma is your capital. But your present action, the karma that you can do now, can make it grow. Yes, and if there is a debt, then present karma can nullify it. So, if it’s negative karma, it can be nullified. If it is positive karma. You don’t want to get rid of positive karma, do you? Nobody wants to get rid of the impact of their positive karma, your merits. That will grow, you can make it grow.
Q: Gurudev, is there a collective karma of the world as well? Whose bad karma is responsible for covid-19?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Of course, there is collective karma, there is family karma, there is karma for a group, collective communities have karma, geographical places have karma. You know that's why it is said - gahana karmano gati. One simple word they said. Unfathomable is the ocean of karma. Because this entire creation is filled with action. There is action everywhere so when there is action everywhere there is reaction everywhere and so, just don’t go and scratch your head on this. See the past as your destiny and future as your free will and live happily in the present moment. With the Covid-19 yes, I strongly believe rather I know it’s a man-made virus. Some people may not agree with it or maybe wondering about it but time will tell them. In due course of time, they will realise, it's man-made. Deliberately or inadvertently the man-made virus has escaped and it has caused havoc in the world. It has happened so. Well analysing it - yes there is individual karma connected to it. Collective karmas connected to it. And some people had to die with this, that is also a part of karma no doubt about it.
Q: Gurudev, what is the connection between our karma and our DNA? Is there one?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: DNA is physical, karma is much more than physical. Of course, DNA is a part of karma. Karma is not just the impression on the gene level, but it is also impression in the consciousness level, in the mind level. It's like the software and the hardware. You know, in a computer you have hardware and software and they are connected right. That’s how it is.
Q: Gurudev, how do we get out of this endless cycle of life and death?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: First of all, why do you want to get rid of life and death? You want to get rid of it because it is miserable. So, you want to get rid of that misery and not from that life cycle, got it? Suppose you are asked to come back to this planet and do some good work. Suppose you have to become an avatar, why would you not do it? See all these issues come to us when we are self-centred, we only focus on what do I want, but if your life is here to do good to others you should come back, why not? Yes, we want to be free from the cycle of life and death because it is causing more misery - because we are running after pleasure. The day we say I want nothing I am happy now and here, that shift has already happened. Liberation and freedom have already come to you. Desires are our bondage and contentment is our liberation.
Q: Gurudev, I am 45 years old. Is my next reincarnation already fixed at this point of time in my life?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: No, there are still ways to correct it. That is one thing and the next reincarnation - you can choose.
Q: Gurudev, is it true that eventually, everyone will fulfil their destiny, no matter what they do?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Mostly. Some may postpone it for the next life also.
Q: Gurudev, if animals don’t have karma what decides their rebirth?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Process of evolution. They do have impressions you see. The biggest fear would form their greatest impression. Like a rat will eventually be born as a cat. Because the rat fears the cat you know, or a snake. So, whatever is the last impression in the mind and they all have a mind and that gives them similar bodies in the future. Isn't that fascinating?
Q: Gurudev, how can we make sure we are born whenever You are coming back?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Know that your intentions, wishes, desires are very powerful. Don’t underestimate your own will, your own desire is ok. You got the answer?
Q: Gurudev, how do we get our desired reincarnation? What should one do to be able to choose their future life? Is it in our hands?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: Of course, the future is in your hands. You can mould it, change it, turn it. See karma is not a fatalistic theory. Who said karma is a fatalistic theory? No! Karma tells you about what you have and what are your possibilities. It keeps open the possibilities in front of you, that’s what it is.
Q: Gurudev, why is our memory of our previous life erased when we are born? Is past life regression possible?
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: It's good, it's good. If you still carry all these memories, you can't live life happily. You should thank God for erasing all the past memories. So that you can live and enjoy life afresh, now and here. See something is written on the blackboard then you dust them, right? You clean them to write again. Suppose if it's not written, you keep overwriting all the old impressions. It’s a big confusion. Already, you have enough to get confused here and you want to carry all those past impressions, how much money you earned in your previous life and where were you? Where all the buildings you bought and whoever is enjoying it today. You will be burning with all these memories. It’s good you don’t remember all that. So, your life is fresh and alive now. And it's not rocket science to know. Not so big a deal, you can go deep in the eternity process to past lives. You can remember what all you did, where all you were. It’s a simple thing. Now I want to ask you one thing, so many dreams you have had. Have you had any count on dreams that you have had? Are you trying to relive your dreams that you got a few nights back? Know that dreams are dreams they come and they go and you have also forgotten about it right? You wake up and you are active. It's good if you won't remember all the past. It’s a boon.
Q: Gurudev, my strongest impression in this life is my wife. Will I be born as her husband? Please save me from this.
Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There will be a connection. If your strongest impression is your wife, definitely next birth you both will come together, maybe in different forms you don’t know what form you choose to. That’s why when someone gets married there is a saying in India: 7 lifetimes, we live together whatever that is, they don’t count just this one lifetime, you count lifetimes. In the past maybe we were there so many times, in the future also, will be there. ‘janam janam ke saathi’ - all this we say no in India. I think it's because of that. But you have a choice, you don’t have to have that strongest impression till the end. Get your mind to reflect the true nature, what you are. You are beauty, you are truth, you are compassion, you are love and see you’re much more than a husband or a wife you know. You are a beautiful human being on the planet. We must learn to connect with the entire creation. We must learn to connect with nature. You know, see ourselves from a quantum mechanics eye. Do you understand what I am saying? Do you understand what a quantum mechanics eye is? See the entire universe as energy, field of energy, then a big shift happens about your own identity, that is the way to be free.
