The Psychology of Inner Peace | Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (0:00)

Stress should be like the pinch of salt in the food, not more than that. If it's more, it's unconsumable.

And today, what has happened is exactly this. Too much stress we have taken in, we don't know how to get rid of that, so it has taken a big toll on our mental health.

SPEAKER_2 (0:19)

One of the most recognized, prominent spiritual leaders in the world, spiritual guru Sri Sri Ravi Shankar, founded The Art of Living and has grown to reach over 182 countries and 1 billion people.

Michael Gervais (0:32)

When is the last time you experienced acute stress?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (0:36)

I have not had that. I'm sorry, I have never had that.

Michael Gervais (0:39)

You've never had that experience?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (0:40)

See, if my time is up now, if I have to catch a flight, I have to run, but at the same time, if you're meditating regularly, there is certain calmness inside of you that prevails throughout. You're doing it fast and if not this flight, I will catch the next one. Do you see what I'm saying? I do.

Michael Gervais (0:58)

Yeah. There's an ease and an agility in the way that you approach life.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (1:03)

Agility is the word.

Michael Gervais (1:04)

If there's one hope or thought that you would like to leave our community.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (1:07)

Let's all get together with one message, a world free of violence, and make each one of us feel the part of a global human family.

Michael Gervais (1:17)

It all comes down to?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (1:19)

Being a human.

Michael Gervais (1:20)

I am?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (1:21)

Infinity.

Michael Gervais (1:22)

Your favorite place to live?

When you sit with the most ancient of questions, who am I? What have you come to understand?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (1:30)

That's the most valuable question that everyone should ask. The answer to that question is...

That's it. All the best, Mikey.

Michael Gervais (1:42)

Thank you.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (1:42)

Thank you so much.

Michael Gervais (1:48)

First and foremost, I'm excited to sit with you because of what you have contributed to the wellness of millions of people. And so thank you for spending the time to have this conversation.

We spend most of our time thinking about mastery of self. So when you hear the phrase mastery of self, how do you conceptualize it?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (2:09)

Getting rid of all that extra things we have been accumulating. And just being natural, be yourself.

Michael Gervais (2:16)

Being yourself. And then one would say that being yourself is one of the hardest things to do because of the social pressures and the stress in the world.

What are the best practices that you've developed to be yourself?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (2:33)

First thing is seeing life from a broader perspective. You have to keep in mind the context to life.

Michael Gervais (2:42)

What does that mean?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (2:43)

Context means seeing life in the context of time and space. Everything is changing in the world.

And your mind is changing, your thoughts are changing, your emotions are changing. So when you get bothered by something, you know this will also pass, this will change. That awareness that everything is changing and there's something in me that is not changing and latch on to that something that's not changing gives you enormous strength. That stress does not even catch on to you.

Michael Gervais (3:17)

When you think about latching on, what are most people grasping and latching on to?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (3:23)

You had to latch on to something that is not changing, you know, there is something which is not so tangible.

But you know, which is because of which you see all the changes. The perception of change is because there is something that is not changing. Right?

Michael Gervais (3:42)

So the old kind of Zen koan that good news, bad news, life is like falling through the sky with nothing to grasp, nothing to hold on to. The good news is that there is no bottom.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (3:53)

There is no bottom.

Michael Gervais (3:54)

There is no bottom. So how do you help people practice the ability to have a non-attachment or non-grasping?

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (4:01)

First of all, don't take attachment as a botheration.

Michael Gervais (4:06)

Don't take it as a...

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar (4:08)

Don't take it as an impediment, as a botheration for them. You are attached to what? It's okay.